Wild Card Playoff is a Rip Off

[BushyTheBeaver]

I kind of like the way the extra wild card left the door open for more teams later into the the season this year. But now that the season is just about over it's really coming into focus how ridiculous the notion of a one game playoff between the wild card teams is. Yankees and Orioles have both played great ball and it'll be the smallest of margins that makes one of them the division champ and the other a wild card. And yet whichever becomes the wild card will suddenly find their whole season riding on a single game. Not fair. Or in the NL...where the Braves have played substantially better ball than the Cards, but again will find their season hinging on a single game. A shorter playoff favors lesser teams. That shouldn't be the goal.

[IHATEDOLPHINS]

Originally Posted by BushyTheBeaver

I kind of like the way the extra wild card left the door open for more teams later into the the season this year. But now that the season is just about over it's really coming into focus how ridiculous the notion of a one game playoff between the wild card teams is. Yankees and Orioles have both played great ball and it'll be the smallest of margins that makes one of them the division champ and the other a wild card. And yet whichever becomes the wild card will suddenly find their whole season riding on a single game. Not fair. Or in the NL...where the Braves have played substantially better ball than the Cards, but again will find their season hinging on a single game. A shorter playoff favors lesser teams. That shouldn't be the goal.

I think in a few years they will make it a best of 3.I think that would be more fair.But I love the extra wild card.Gives a lot more teams a shot.

[Sanchez 3:16]

would you prefer the entire season riding on one game, or packing up your lockers for the winter?

[BushyTheBeaver]

Originally Posted by Sanchez 3:16

would you prefer the entire season riding on one game, or packing up your lockers for the winter?

That statement only applies to the #2 wild card team. A year ago the #1 wild card would be in a best of 5 series. Now they're in a one game playoff.

[Ruby2]

It's BS and NBA like, pretty dumb if you ask me.

[adb280z]

I like it, gives teams an incentive to play straight through til the end of the season.

[Dreamers]

I am OK with the single game. You play all year to win your division and you dont. But the league still gives you one last shot to make it. I see nothing wrong with that. I'd want a lot more PO games if it was all one game POs. It makes it more exciting. We all love game 7 well this is pretty much that IMO. If you cant rise and win one game you dont belong.

[BushyTheBeaver]

Originally Posted by Dreamers

I am OK with the single game. You play all year to win your division and you dont. But the league still gives you one last shot to make it. I see nothing wrong with that. I'd want a lot more PO games if it was all one game POs. It makes it more exciting. We all love game 7 well this is pretty much that IMO. If you cant rise and win one game you dont belong.

But think about this...it's entirely possible that in a couple of days the Yanks and Orioles will end the season not only tied for the AL East lead but also tied for the best record in the AL.

If that happens they will have a one game playoff to determine the division winner. The loser will then have a one game playoff to determine which wild card advances.

So in that scenario, despite finishing the regular season with the best record in the AL league and tied for first place in its division one of these teams will have a playoff life relegated to two games. Doesn't seem right.

[Batmans A Scientist]

Originally Posted by BushyTheBeaver

But think about this...it's entirely possible that in a couple of days the Yanks and Orioles will end the season not only tied for the AL East lead but also tied for the best record in the AL.

If that happens they will have a one game playoff to determine the division winner. The loser will then have a one game playoff to determine which wild card advances.

So in that scenario, despite finishing the regular season with the best record in the AL league and tied for first place in its division one of these teams will have a playoff life relegated to two games. Doesn't seem right.

You know what. it's a 162 game season. Every team had their chances. If you don't win the division, you get punished more than if you do. I'm totally for that plan. Yankees may tie for the divsion but lose out because of divisional record, I'm okay with that.

[JetPotato]

I hate the wild card. In all forms.

But that has changed now. Anything that takes my mind off of this damn football team is ok by me.

[TheMikeIsHot]

Originally Posted by BushyTheBeaver

I kind of like the way the extra wild card left the door open for more teams later into the the season this year. But now that the season is just about over it's really coming into focus how ridiculous the notion of a one game playoff between the wild card teams is. Yankees and Orioles have both played great ball and it'll be the smallest of margins that makes one of them the division champ and the other a wild card. And yet whichever becomes the wild card will suddenly find their whole season riding on a single game. Not fair. Or in the NL...where the Braves have played substantially better ball than the Cards, but again will find their season hinging on a single game. A shorter playoff favors lesser teams. That shouldn't be the goal.

It was a very stupid decision to implement this extra wildcard team.

Everyone last year was soooo excited about how it all came down to the last game, how special it was to see those teams make it on #162... so MLB like a bunch of dopes, jump on it and see another way to make money.

What most people fail to recognize is that last year was special because it was so rare. If that happens every year, it's no longer special.

So stupid.

And you're right, the 1 game playoff is such a crock of sh!t. If they were going to add 1 team, they should have added two and had an extra playoff round. But that's stupid too.

I hate it.

[BushyTheBeaver]

Originally Posted by TheMikeIsHot

If they were going to add 1 team, they should have added two and had an extra playoff round. But that's stupid too.

Good point. And exactly the way NCAA hoops slutted out March Madness this year by adding a 65th team that plays #64 in "round 1."

My feeling is that the goal of any playoff system should be A) to try to get the best teams into the playoffs while, B) in-season maintaining the rivalries that keep the games interesting. Right now with this year's system I don't think MLB is there.

[Lithfan]

Originally Posted by BushyTheBeaver

Good point. And exactly the way NCAA hoops slutted out March Madness this year by adding a 65th team that plays #64 in "round 1."

My feeling is that the goal of any playoff system should be A) to try to get the best teams into the playoffs while, B) in-season maintaining the rivalries that keep the games interesting. Right now with this year's system I don't think MLB is there.

I don't mind the 2nd wild card team and making the wild cards play an extra round. I just hate the idea of a 1 game playoff. Does not really feel like a playoff to me -- I like your analogy to the NCAA play-in game. This feels more like one game to make the playoffs.

[Sanchez 3:16]

Originally Posted by BushyTheBeaver

But think about this...it's entirely possible that in a couple of days the Yanks and Orioles will end the season not only tied for the AL East lead but also tied for the best record in the AL.

If that happens they will have a one game playoff to determine the division winner. The loser will then have a one game playoff to determine which wild card advances.

So in that scenario, despite finishing the regular season with the best record in the AL league and tied for first place in its division one of these teams will have a playoff life relegated to two games. Doesn't seem right.

the system is flawed in this sense no doubt. but the extra wildcard team didn't create that. it had already existed.

as a mets fan I can only go back to 2006, we were a 97 win team that lost to an 83 win division winner.

the divisions aren't balanced, it's a crapshoot.

[BushyTheBeaver]

Wow. The inaugural one game wild card playoffs blows up in MLB's face due to a bad umpiring call. The jokes paralleling replacement NFL refs to MLB will be fast and furious tomorrow. Stupid, stupid, stupid. And the worst part is you could see the stupidity of the one game playoff almost from the moment it was announced. (Well, that is, assuming you're not an MLB league office guy.)

[JetPotato]

Originally Posted by BushyTheBeaver

Wow. The inaugural one game wild card playoffs blows up in MLB's face due to a bad umpiring call. The jokes paralleling replacement NFL refs to MLB will be fast and furious tomorrow. Stupid, stupid, stupid. And the worst part is you could see the stupidity of the one game playoff almost from the moment it was announced. (Well, that is, assuming you're not an MLB league office guy.)

And now the #1 seed gets to play the first 2 games of a 5 game series on the road against a wild card team

[Jordy]

The whole playoff system this season is a joke.

The wildcard teams should play a best of 5 series.

[AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite]

Originally Posted by JetPotato

And now the #1 seed gets to play the first 2 games of a 5 game series on the road against a wild card team

This is my biggest complaint...

Who ****ing sat down and tossed this very scenario out there before the season started and said, **** em' if it happens, it's a great idea...

Joe Torre, prolly...

[adb280z]

Originally Posted by JetPotato

And now the #1 seed gets to play the first 2 games of a 5 game series on the road against a wild card team

They also get all 3 possible elimination games, that's not a bad advantage.

[TheMikeIsHot]

Originally Posted by adb280z

They also get all 3 possible elimination games, that's not a bad advantage.

Yup. I don't mind this format at all. I would like to see how it plays out, but I think it could turn out to be a significant advantage for the higher seed.