2012 MLB Season

[cmm]

The Angels and Dodgers aren't dead yet. MLB is still playing tie-breaker games, so if the Angels sweep the Mariners and the A's get swept by Texas, they tie for the 2nd wild card spot (and Tampa Bay can join the party if they sweep the O's for a 3-team, 2-game tie-breaker).

The Dodgers are 2 back of the Cardinals with 3 to play. So if the Cardinals lose 2 or 3 to the Reds, they have a chance. They can actually make it without the tiebreaker game (if they sweep the Giants and the Cards get swept then LA finishes with 87 wins,StL with 86).

[STL FANATIC]

There are no tiebreakers for a single wild card spot. A tie results in an additional single-game tie breaker to be played on Oct. 4.

The Dodgers not only are not eliminated, they could still win without a tie breaking game if they were to win out and the Cardinals to lose out.

[FiddySicks]

Dodgers fans shouldn't be too confident though. The Giants certainly aren't going to lay down vs their biggest rivals.

[dbadefense1990]

There are no tiebreakers for a single wild card spot. A tie results in an additional single-game tie breaker to be played on Oct. 4.

Really? I thought the only tiebreaker games before the WildCard Showdown game (Braves vs TBD) involved settling division races, and not for the #5 seeding.

Still, I'm just pissed off at this Dodger team, since they had to pick now to be hot. Where the hell was this at the start of September??!!!

[cmm]

I don't think the Reds like the Cardinals very much either.

Being down 2 with 3 left is hard but not impossible. I remember the 1999 Mets were in that spot and ended up tying the Reds for the wild card and beating them in Game 163. FWIW, ESPN gives the Dodgers a 4.8% chance of pulling it off.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/huntforoctober

There are no tiebreakers for a single wild card spot. A tie results in an additional single-game tie breaker to be played on Oct. 4.

Really? I thought the only tiebreaker games before the WildCard Showdown game (Braves vs TBD) involved settling division races, and not for the #5 seeding.

Still, I'm just pissed off at this Dodger team, since they had to pick now to be hot. Where the hell was this at the start of September??!!!

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120907&content_id=38029316&vkey=news_mlb_nd&c_id=mlb

Two-Club Tie for One Wild Card Spot:

One tiebreak game will be played on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively) to determine the Wild Card. Home field advantage will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker.

[dbadefense1990]

What tiebreaker do they hold? Road goals ? The Dodgers won the season series 6-5.

They split the 4 games at Dodger Stadium, but lost 3 of 4 to the Redbirds at Busch in July.

EDIT: Dodgers swept Cards in May, so you're correct. Didn't realize they played 2 separate series at Dodger Stadium this year.

Stupid hard to remember schedule. I always think that the only teams who play the Dodgers more than 1 series at Dodger Stadium are NL West teams.

[zpqmaowl]

Yeah, they got them while the other 28 teams were playing their first interleague series of the year.

[dbadefense1990]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120907&content_id=38029316&vkey=news_mlb_nd&c_id=mlb

Two-Club Tie for One Wild Card Spot:

One tiebreak game will be played on Thursday, October 4th (tentatively) to determine the Wild Card. Home field advantage will be determined by the rules above for a two-team tiebreaker.

So if the Dodgers and Cards are tied after Wednesday, they play a wildcard tiebreaker game, to go to the wildcard game on Friday in Atlanta. And the winner of THAT game is in the playoffs as the wildcard team.

All we need is the sack race on consecutive days to say that this new playoff system will strain the calendar and teams. No wonder there was so much blow over. At least the team that survives wildcard hell gets to go home for the NLDS.

[cmm]

If you think that's bad, check out what happens if there's a 3-way tie for the AL Wild Card:

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/29389/three-days-left-sorting-our-scenarios

The three teams would be assigned A, B and C designations based on a series of tiebreakers. Team A hosts Team B on Thursday and the winner hosts Team C on Friday.

The A's won the season series from both the Angels (10 to 9) and Rays (5 to 4), so they'd get to pick first. The Rays went 9-1 (!) against the Angels, so they get second choice. Which means you'd likely get this scenario: Angels at Rays on Thursday, A's at Angels/Rays on Friday, wild-card game on Saturday. The Angels could end up with this schedule of four games in four days: At Tampa, versus Oakland at home, at Baltimore/New York, back in Anaheim for the Rangers.

[pmoehrin]

Its just another example of why this second Wild Card is such a bad idea. We could have a tiebreaker between two teams for the right to play another tiebreaker for the right to play yet another tiebreaker. And part of me is hoping that happens just to expose the second Wild Card for the terrible idea that it is. Probably won't make any difference and the best course of action may be to just accept the fact that this is the way its going to be, integrity of the game be dammned, but I still don't like it one bit.

[Sport]

A race to play in a play-in game just doesn't have the same drama as a race for a division. And the race for the division doesn't have the same drama when there's a safety net like the play-in game.

After ending last season with one of the most exciting single days/nights in baseball history, we're going to end this season with one of the worst, and I don't see it getting better as long as this is the postseason system.

I know I'm a little late here, but how about Homer Bailey? It's funny to me because I remember earlier this season they interviewed him during the FOX game of the week and they jokingly asked him if he was going to throw a no-hitter like other members of the 2004 draft's 1st round (Verlander, Humber, Weaver).

[STL FANATIC]

I actually think the drama IS there. A race to the playoffs is a race to the playoffs.

Also, while it does take away the drama from winning the division, it actually ADDS to the importance. If you can't win the division, sure you have 2 chances to be a Wild Card, but all it guarantees you is the chance to play in a single game of baseball, the most random sport in the mainstream.

And now I'm going to go take a shower because I feel dirty even remotely defending this stupid 2nd wild card.

It's awful and I hate it. Truly mediocre teams are invited to take it (and because they're mediocre have really struggled to claim it). And to make matters worse, they were so excited about this dumb idea that they just had to rush it through in 2012 and screw up the scheduling. (The 2-3 set up for the LDS still drives me crazy.)

[rams80]

I dunno, I still like how the second Wild Card works. It increases the marginal importance of winning the division (which I'm always a fan of), gives more markets a consistent shot at the playoffs, and helps hinder the Wild Card team for the divisional round. (It'd be even better if they screwed around with the travel days to try to ensure you'd only get 1 full rest start with the Wild Card game pitcher.

[STL FANATIC]

I guess if it works out where the WC teams have less playoff success, then I'll be ok with it. But if we start seeing WC teams—especially the new WC2 teams—end up making runs at championships, then I'll consider it a failure. (But it's still more money for the owners, so they won't.)

[pmoehrin]

I actually think the drama IS there. A race to the playoffs is a race to the playoffs.

Also, while it does take away the drama from winning the division, it actually ADDS to the importance. If you can't win the division, sure you have 2 chances to be a Wild Card, but all it guarantees you is the chance to play in a single game of baseball, the most random sport in the mainstream.

And now I'm going to go take a shower because I feel dirty even remotely defending this stupid 2nd wild card.

It's awful and I hate it. Truly mediocre teams are invited to take it (and because they're mediocre have really struggled to claim it). And to make matters worse, they were so excited about this dumb idea that they just had to rush it through in 2012 and screw up the scheduling. (The 2-3 set up for the LDS still drives me crazy.)

I think that sums it up pretty well in what its intended to do and in some ways succeeds, and what it really does.

The argument for the second Wild Card contradicts itself. We want only the best teams in the playoffs, but half the teams in the MLB should have a shot at making it as well. Can't justify it both ways and that's what the MLB is trying to do.

Its just manufactured drama to put some extra dollars in the owners and players pockets. That's all I see it as.

[OnWis97]

Its just another example of why this second Wild Card is such a bad idea. We could have a tiebreaker between two teams for the right to play another tiebreaker for the right to play yet another tiebreaker. And part of me is hoping that happens just to expose the second Wild Card for the terrible idea that it is. Probably won't make any difference and the best course of action may be to just accept the fact that this is the way its going to be, integrity of the game be dammned, but I still don't like it one bit.

It's really an example of why they should have waited until next year to do it. They are sticking into a very packed schedule that was already set. They should have waited until next year (which would have coincided with Houston's move to the AL and our "new normal"). It's not as bad as the NBA changing round 1 to 7-games mid-season, but it was quite short sighted.

As for whether they should have this format, I don't hate it as much as I did at first. While the two wild card teams creat a safety net for division race losers (thereby diminishing division race excitement), I do like that winning the division has some extra juice.

Overall, I'd rather not have it...baseball is losing it's grip on the "still a big deal to make the playoffs" distinction.

[zpqmaowl]

From the perspective of someone who doesn't have to travel or play the games, it'd be nice to see four different opponents in 4 days. vs. SF, vs. STL, @ATL, vs. #1 seed.

[BigEd76]

I guess it's happy days in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle...all people nationwide who detest the hated Dodgers and Angels.

Philly doesn't give a crap about the Angels, and they generally hate the Dodgers but could root for them a little bit with Victorino and Blanton on the team, but the city is a Phillies town, not a baseball town, and when the Phils lost 3 of 4 at Houston, that pretty much ended interest in this baseball season...

[Epiphanic]

Its just another example of why this second Wild Card is such a bad idea. We could have a tiebreaker between two teams for the right to play another tiebreaker for the right to play yet another tiebreaker. And part of me is hoping that happens just to expose the second Wild Card for the terrible idea that it is. Probably won't make any difference and the best course of action may be to just accept the fact that this is the way its going to be, integrity of the game be dammned, but I still don't like it one bit.

The wildcard game isn't a tiebreaker. Stop calling it a tiebreaker.

[pmoehrin]

Its just another example of why this second Wild Card is such a bad idea. We could have a tiebreaker between two teams for the right to play another tiebreaker for the right to play yet another tiebreaker. And part of me is hoping that happens just to expose the second Wild Card for the terrible idea that it is. Probably won't make any difference and the best course of action may be to just accept the fact that this is the way its going to be, integrity of the game be dammned, but I still don't like it one bit.

The wildcard game isn't a tiebreaker. Stop calling it a tiebreaker.

I'll stop calling it a tiebreaker when its no longer a best of one. Till then its the Wild Card tiebreaker in my book, and I don't consider it part of the playoffs.

I see no difference in the structurce between this and what happened at the end of the '98 season between the Giants and Cubs for the Wild Card spot and that wasn't considered a playoff game.