Comments on: Wild and Crazy Guy

By: weeping for brunnhilde

weeping for brunnhilde — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:03:10 +0000

I don’t have a strong opinion about adding more teams, provided there are significant penalties for wild card teams. But before that is done, I think it’s far more important to expand the first round to seven games.

I would, in fact, like to see that first round expanded to seven games and have the wild card team required to win five of the seven. There really ought to be a serious penalty for WC teams.

By: SteveF

SteveF — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:00:59 +0000

“…rigidly opposed to any change that does not directly lead to profits for the owners, and in favor of any that does.”

That’s basically his job description, isn’t it? He is an employee of the owners. His job is to make cash-grabs for them.

I can understand not liking the man because of fraud, but not liking the man because he’s doing his job (and he isn’t exactly making baby-flavored slurpies, here) seems irrational.

By: Bruce Markusen

Bruce Markusen — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:12:46 +0000

“The man is not concise.”

I love it!

By: williamnyy23

williamnyy23 — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 03:06:33 +0000

Forget about the integrity of the playoffs….adding a wild card is a mistake from an economic perspective. Baseball’s golden goose is the 162 game schedule. By lessening its relevance, baseball would be damaging that asset. Having more teams make the playoffs not only could diminish early season interest, but also make late season contests anti-climatic. If baseball sacrifices the value of its regular season to chase postseason ratings, it will prove to be a big mistake.

By: OldYanksFan

OldYanksFan — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:59:27 +0000

[7] I too agree with monkeypants (Oldshock!).
This is just Bud trying to prove there is parity in Baseball, by giving lesser teams an opportunity to Win. So while this does nothing for parity during the season, it does offer mock parity for the Post Season.

And of course, just like those crazy off days during the playoff did, an extra round of playoffs would further prove the season just isn’t long enough to make the Division Series 7 games, like it should be.

By: Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO

Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:39:52 +0000

[7] Agree with monkeypants (shock!). I think they should go back to two 12 team leagues with one pennant and one WS. Current system is a drag and will only get worse.

By: monkeypants

monkeypants — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:26:52 +0000

a) i too dislike Bud

b) i actually don’t care one bit what myth he or anyone else believes about who invented baseball.

c) the fact that mlb has a wildcard is already absurd: long season sports do not need a wildcard to insure fairness since playing well over one hundred games, with several against each opponent, already more or less guarantees that the best teams make it in the playoffs. So increasing the number of wildcard teams would only increase the absurdity.

Frankly, if MLB wants to go this route, they should cut the season by fifty games.

By: rbj

rbj — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:57:20 +0000

No on expanding wild card. Playoffs are fine just the way they are. Don’t dilute the marathon of the regular season.

By: hiscross

hiscross — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:37:00 +0000

Baseball’s regular season is like running a gas station. You sell gas to pay the rent, but make your money by selling everything else. I suppose once the play-off gets expanded any smart team will play simulated baseball up until late August and then get serious. Football is all about December and basketball is all about April. SF won in Sept and won in Oct / Nov. They didn’t do crap until then, just sold gas.

By: Mattpat11

Mattpat11 — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:30:31 +0000

This will only create an NBA/NHL situation where bad teams make the playoffs every year.

By: Shaun P.

Shaun P. — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:01:39 +0000

[0] “But this seems like a cash-grab to me.”

Me too. I have a hard time thinking of ANY major change that Bud has made that hasn’t been a cash-grab.

That’s off the cuff, and probably not fair of me. However, his “love” of baseball, no matter how true, does not erase, among all that Emma mentioned, the bullshit that Doug Pappas ably called him out on, to say nothing of his Favre-ian predilections towards promising he was going to retire and then, surprise!, coming back.

In his defense, it is his job to make as many boatloads of money for the owners as he can, and he does that well. I don’t have to like it. I don’t have to like him, either.

I’m not on board with another Wild Card, or five. If the owners want more money, they should expand to 32 teams, go to 4 divisions in each league, each with 4 teams, and be done.

By: rob_smith_51

rob_smith_51 — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:40:42 +0000

I would like to see the same number of playoff teams, but have a 1 to 2 game playoff for the final wild card spot between the next 2 teams after the division winners.

How it would work is the top wild card(WC1) would get to host a 2 game playoff against the 2nd best wild card team(WC2). If they won the first game, the series is over and WC1 advances. If they win the second game, the series is over and WC1 advances. If WC2 wins both games then they advance to play the top seed(WC can play same division). If the WC teams are tied then just do a 1 game playoff.

This would strongly encourage teams to win their division and not back into the wild card. There would be a significant disadvantage to the Wild card team, with the Top seed potentially getting a big advantage.

I didn’t want to do a 3 game playoff because it was too long and includes travel and a 1 game playoff makes it even.

I imagine it is too complicated for MLB to do, but this is what I would do.

By: vins

vins — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:20:54 +0000

they would definitely need some sort of stipulation that would prevent say, two wild card teams from the same subleague

essentially, the AL east playoffs would be fucking boring to everyone involved after the regular season ;/

I think if they added the team with the worst record just to see how far they would get, would be kindof the best case scenario – still don’t really like this idea

next we’ll be wanting to give the losers a world series trophy too, because hey, they almost got it and the luxury tax pays for it