Sorts of Sports

Playoff Expansion

Bud Selig wants to tweak with the MLB playoffs again. Last time he did it back in 1995, the year after a strike-shortened season. Selig did it as a way to bring fans back to the game after many were left high and dry. He also let steroids in the game, but that's a whole different story. Now, with steroids banned and attendance on the rapid decline across MLB, Selig is trying to save the sport again, so to speak, by adding more playoff teams.

You can't blame him for trying though, considering the past few years we have seen several 1-game playoff series to determine tie-breakers and they have brought rousing success to ratings and ballparks. Why not take that idea, and do it on purpose? That's certainly an option for Bud Selig which is why he is seriously discussing starting this in 2012. The only thing left to decide is whether it will be a 1-game, 3-game, or 5-game series between the league's two wildcard teams while the division winners each get a few additional days rest.

I can't really decide if I am for this or against it. MLB allows the fewest percentage of teams into the playoffs amongst the 4 major US sports (26.7%). With only eight of the 30 teams making the playoffs, it makes every game that much more important to some extent. Sure, MLB has the longest season but it often comes down to a dozen teams fighting with less than 1 month to go and a handfull of teams competing during the final few days. So why tweak it? Ratings seem to be up during the last month of the season and the playoffs are always exciting. If MLB gets lucky enough, there will be an automatic 1-game playoff and everyone wins. Is Bud Selig just being greedy now?

Then again, if we add an extra team and do a quick 3-game series, wouldn't that give those division winners much needed rest? Wouldn't that better stagger the pitchers of the wildcard teams so that the division winners have a distinct advantage when the first game shows up and it is the division's #1 pitcher versus the wildcard's #4 pitcher? I think that is a fair argument. Not all teams in the playoffs achieved that status equally. The best team in baseball should not have the disadvantage of going up against the AL-East runner up, which typically happens when the AL East wins the wildcard.

We all like the story of the Cinderella wildcard team winning it all, but it doesn't have the same excitement if it happens more often than not. I'm taking the unusual route on this one and remaining indifferent. It's hard to be a purest or naturalist with the game of baseball anymore. I love the game and the history more than any other sport, but this change isn't going to change the game for better or worse. This isn't a revolutionary move that will change the game like the original wildcard; it is more like adding instant replay to the game. It is something that might get under your skin initially, but it is hard to make a real strong case in today's day and age about how it will ruin the game of our pastime. I think we are a bit past that moral high ground.