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Post by motnahp on Sept 22, 2013 18:33:09 GMT -5
Both of my favorite teams clinch divisions on the same day. Is it time again for them to exit the postseason quickly? Neither was expected to be in this position, but their excellent minor league systems continue to feed them great young players. Good luck A's (fan since 1968) and Braves (fan since 1973).
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Post by Oldtimer on Sept 22, 2013 18:47:36 GMT -5
It's anybody's Game ... they all are good!!! ... Going to be a Fun and a great Postseason series !!! ... May the best team wins ... even though, I am a deeply rooted Red Sox fan, I just love to watch a great series ... we all need this for Baseball !!!!
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Post by prisonerno6 on Sept 23, 2013 8:23:09 GMT -5
I might be alone on this one, but I do not care for the One-Game Wild Card Play In Game. If MLB wants to have a Wild Card, then make it a 3-Game Series.
Braves catcher Brian McCann, a veteran of last year's NL wild card contest, tells that the game doesn't have a playoff atmosphere. "I just feel like, you play 162 games, you win 90-plus, and all of a sudden, it's one game and you're home?" I know! I know! You can win 103 games and not even make the playoffs in the past (see 1993 San Francisco Giants) and that was not fair.But what about the 2005 NL MLB Season! East Division Winner - Atlanta Braves 90 - 72 Central Division - St. Louis Cardinals 100 - 62 West Division - San Diego Padres 82 - 80 Wild Card - Houston Astros 89 - 73 (Note won NL Pennant) Teams with a better record than the San Diego Padres that did not make the Playoffs Philadelphia Phillies 88 - 74 Florida Marlins 83 - 79 New York Mets 83 - 79So tell me again, how is the Wild Card fair to all teams?Why not just go back to the past and have Two Leagues with the Four/Six/Eight teams making the Playoffs in each League with the best overall record having home field advantage.By the way, Inter-League play needs to be abolished. See Detroit Tigers and how they end the 2013 season...
Jim Leyland: Tigers' National League finale is 'silly, unfair'...
“I think it’s totally unfair for an American League team to finish in a National League city for the last three games of a season,” manager Jim Leyland said.
“I don’t mind interleague play at the end of a season. If that’s what they want to do, that’s fine, but it should be in an American League park.
“If we’re fortunate enough to get in (to the postseason) and Victor (Martinez) doesn’t play in Miami, with four days after that before the playoffs start, that’s like what we’ve gone through a couple of times here before the World Series,” Leyland said.
Too much time between games, in other words.
“That’s seven days potentially, during which Victor might get only one or two days of pinch-hitting. That does not make sense to me.”
There’s a way to rectify that, of course — or at least lessen the impact of finishing in an NL ballpark.
“Now I could catch him, which I might,” Leyland said. “I’m not saying I won’t. But I don’t care what anybody says, it doesn’t make sense to me.
“I’m not trying to open a can of worms, or upset the people who make out the schedule, but I think it’s ridiculous to send an American League team.”
As for having four days after the season ends before the division series begin, Leyland said, “I just go where the bus drops me off.
“But (finishing in an NL city), you risk a pitcher getting hit by a pitch, pulling a muscle in batting practice or running the bases. It’s silly. Point blank silly.”
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Post by prisonerno6 on Sept 23, 2013 9:33:57 GMT -5
Sorry I could not find bigger pictures for you Tomas...
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Post by Oldtimer on Sept 23, 2013 9:51:22 GMT -5
Well said, P#6 ... I, for one, would love to see the abolish of the Wildcard in favor of 32 teams - 2 leagues, 8 divisions, 16 teams each league ... in the same style of NFL ... Hence, No wild card ... AMERICAN LEAGUEAL EastBaltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Toronto Blue Jays AL CentralChicago White Sox Cleveland Indians Detroit Tigers Minnesota Twins AL SouthColorado Rockies (Might get some flack, here ) Houston Astros Kansas City Royals Texas Rangers AL WestLos Angeles Angels Oakland A’s Seattle Mariners Expansion Team 1 (Portland?) NATIONAL LEAGUENL EastNew York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates Washington Nationals NL CentralChicago Cubs Cincinnati Reds Milwaukee Brewers St. Louis Cardinals NL SouthAtlanta Braves Miami Marlins Tampa Bay Rays Expansion Team 2 (New Orleans?, Charlotte? Monterrey? Memphis?) NL WestArizona Diamondbacks Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants
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Post by markvacc1 on Sept 23, 2013 10:27:48 GMT -5
Should probably put TB to the AL South and Col to NL south since those are the leagues they are in now and have been for many years. Your expansions, Portland is as good a location as any. New Orleans I don't think can support a team as it seems most of what is left were those looking for handouts. I'd push for Charlotte or Memphis. Monterrey I assume you mean California I would pass on, they have plenty of teams already.
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Post by Oldtimer on Sept 23, 2013 12:41:24 GMT -5
Oops ... I meant Montgomery ... ...
Yeah, I agreed ... I was more, looking at the location, of the Rockies and Rays ... in with close proximities with the other cities ... in an less expensive way of traveling ...
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Post by prisonerno6 on Sept 23, 2013 12:55:46 GMT -5
What about Montreal getting a "new" team? Afterall, we all know that the owners sabotaged Montreal's attendance in order to move the team to Washington, DC.Didn't they???
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Post by Oldtimer on Sept 23, 2013 16:08:22 GMT -5
Okay ... let hear your pick for 32 teams ...
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Post by catknight on Sept 23, 2013 19:48:32 GMT -5
Sorry, Leyland comes across as a huge whiner. It's not okay for him to end his season in an NL city, but it'd be okay for an NL team to finish their season in Detroit?
Bull.
He's in the playoffs. The Indians aren't in a position to catch them, and even if they somehow did so, there's the wildcard. Leyland can shut up now.
As for the 1 game playoff...well, IF we're going to have wildcard - which I don't really like - then the 1 game playoff is fine with me. Its very unpredictability makes it undesirable to be a wildcard. From 1994-2011, if you knew your team was going to be the wildcard you could relax. I seem to recall one or two Red Sox/Yankee rivalries losing their steam at the end of the season because of that.
Now?
AL: Entering today Tampa is half ahead of Cleveland, who's 1.5 up on Texas. There are a few other teams technically alive, but they're longshots. None of those teams can realistically take their division, but Cleveland has EVERY reason to catch Tampa (home field advantage), Tampa has EVERY reason to stay ahead (ditto), and Texas has EVERY reason to try to catch either one of them.
NL: Cincy and Pittsburgh are tied, both 2 up on Washington. Further, Cincy and Pittsburgh are both 2 back of St. Louis. Both teams have every reason to push to the end - they might catch the Cards, and failing that they want home field for that one game. Washington can't catch Atlanta, but they still have a shot at catching one of them.
Now, some of the alternatives:
3 division winners only - Obviously 2nd place faces 3rd, 1st place is idle. Do you want the 'best' team idle for that long?
4 division winners only (32 teams) - Aside from figuring out where to expand, with 4 x 4 team divisions you're almost guaranteed someone 'unworthy' is going to make it. If we take Tomas' idea, which is as good as any, then here would be our division races entering today:
ALE: Boston 95-62, clinched ALC: Detroit 91-65, Cleveland -5g ALS: Texas 84-71, Kansas City -2g ALW: Oakland 93-63, clinched * As of today, Tampa and Cleveland are both better than Texas
NLE: Pittsburgh 89-67, Washington -5g NLC: St. Louis 91-65, Cincinnati -2g NLS: Atlanta 92-63, Tampa -5.5g NLW: Los Angeles 90-66, clinched
Personally, I'd say go the opposite route. Contract by 2 teams. 2 league x 2 divisions x 7 teams. (8 might be a bit much)
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Post by Oldtimer on Sept 23, 2013 20:21:34 GMT -5
Unfortunately, Cat, MLB will never go backward ... for I use this format ( 2 league x 2 divisions x 7 teams) in my current leagues ... the intensity level is tremendous !!!
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Post by prisonerno6 on Sept 24, 2013 8:09:34 GMT -5
My quick take to re-designing MLB...
One (1) 28 Team League – Combine Tampa & Florida play in Florida due to newer stadium, Combine Oakland & Kansas City play in Kansas City since Oakland originally came from Kansas City and the city of Oakland does not want the team anyway (even Fremont or San Jose do want the A’s)
Team plays each other Six (6) times only for a total of 162 games (if I did my math correctly)
Top Eight (8) Teams Make the Playoffs - That is 29% of the Teams – Seedings based on 1) Overall League Record, 2) Head to Head, 3) Home Record, 4) Runs Scored vs. Runs Allowed Difference, 5) Which Owner is willing to Pay for the Spot
Each Home Team has the option to use the Designated Hitter or let the Pitcher Bat. Decision must be made Two (2) Hours prior to Game Time. That will get Leyland's blood boiling.
First Round Playoffs - Three (3) Game Series - 1-1-1
Second Round Playoffs - Five (5) Game Series - 2-2-1
Final Round Playoffs - Seven (7) Game Series - 2-2-1-1-1
Note – There will be Two (2) Days between end of season and start of playoffs for any Tie-Breaker Games for the Eighth Spot
No Scott Boras Neutral Site Idea Allowed!
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Post by reflections on Sept 24, 2013 16:09:22 GMT -5
I'm always curious if some of the world leagues would combine, that way we could actually crown a world champion. You could basically make three leagues currently. North American. (MLB and Mexican League) Asian. (NPB and Korean League) European. (Dutch, Italian, German and French leagues)
Although the European leagues are quite aways behind, the population and money is there. There are certain MLB teams that seem ripe for contracting or replacing. Combining the NPB and Korean League would be easy and maybe adding the CPBL would be a breeze. Solidifying a minor league system throughout the world would be great too. Using some existing leagues (Aussie, Croatian, Puerto Rican and a few others) Obviously the logistics would be interesting and lot's of egos would have to be put aside. But then we could finally crown a true "World Champion"
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Post by themonk on Sept 25, 2013 5:50:50 GMT -5
Although I've only learned the game of baseball 4 years ago (I live in a basketball-crazy country, who had the distinction of having established the first professional basketball league in Asia) when I discovered the wonderful world of baseball text sims through Puresim and OOTP, these are my 2 cents worth of opinion on how the present MLB is structured: I've never been a fan of the wild card system. I've always felt that it was just something that was cooked up to bring in more cash. In my ideal MLB universe only division winners will qualify for the playoffs. That's why I like Tomas' suggestion to restructure MLB NFL style: 2 sub leagues, 4 divisions for each sub league, and 4 teams for each division. But this can only be done if 2 expansion teams are added to the present MLB. If adding expansion teams is not feasible, why not simply have 2 divisions in each sub league? No inter league games for me, too. Lastly, though I'm more of an AL guy (rooting for the evil empire - the New Yankees ), abolish the DH rule. I am, of course, aware that the MLB powers-that-be would consider these as throwbacks to an earlier age. Well, if I can't mirror what I want in real life, I can always do it my own baseball universe in Puresim and OOTP!
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Post by markvacc1 on Sept 25, 2013 12:26:30 GMT -5
The playoffs should be 4 or 8 teams which eliminates the one game wildcard, which is stupid and there would be no byes. Everybody plays. Anybody can win one game, but it is a best of 7 that proves more.
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