Video Killed the Radio Star. . .

[TheMeanWalrus]

. . . .and the Wild Card killed the pennant race.

 

And, God forbid they expand the playoffs anymore, they'll all but kill the regular season too.

 

In a lot of ways, the regular season is already dead. Or at least dieing. Take this series with the Yankees. Its meaningless. Outside the normal NY/Bos hoop-la, does it matter if we take three or lose three? The answers "no"

Sox will be in the playoffs

Yanks will be in the playoffs

And these last 30 games are to see who wins the division and who wins the wild card and really, who gives a f***? Rewind the time meter to the days before the wildcard. When the regular season really mattered. 30 games left and a half game separating the Sox and Yankees and the atmosphere at Fenway this week would be as tense as a stroll through Baghdad Square. It would literally be a war. And last night . . .

zzzzzzzzzz

I fell asleep during the game.

Cuz it really doesnt matter

Nice if they win?

Of course

But is anyone gonna lose any sleep if the Yankees sweep em?

 

I hope not

Cuz the last remnants of great pennant races, effectively died with the wildcard.

And back in the days before 4 teams from each league made the playoffs, there was meaningful baseball being played all over the league after the 4th of July.

Now.....

We all wait for October

I hope they destroy NY these next two games

But really, what difference does it make? :dunno:

[Palodios]

2004 says blasphemy

[TheMeanWalrus]

what happened in 2004 doesn't change the fact that every time you add something to the post season, it sacrifices something in the regular season

 

that being said . . .

 

as you pointed out, thank God MLB made the sacrifice before 2004

[Palodios]

You also have to realize, this could be different on any given year. If there was only one playoff team from each division, if there was one standout team from each division, those playoff races could be pretty much done as well. I recall one occasion a few years back when the Yankees pretty much had the division locked up, but in August, the Red Sox were fighting with the Rangers for the wild card.

 

The three game series that the MLB is discussing will accomplish two things. One, more teams will be involved in the playoff hunt, and two, it will give teams a reason to want to win their division.

[TheMeanWalrus]

The three game series that the MLB is discussing will accomplish two things. One, more teams will be involved in the playoff hunt, and two, it will give teams a reason to want to win their division.

 

 

How's the Kool Aid taste??

 

Expanding the playoffs accomplishes one thing. . .

More money in MLB and its advertisers pockets.

And if you believe any rhetoric to the contrary about why baseball is considering this, competitive balance being the phrase most commonly tossed around, you're being naive.

 

As long as a Wild Card of ANY KIND is in the mix . . . there is an implied dis-incentive to winning the division. The incentive is, always, to "make the playoffs". The two are not mutually exclusive.

[Palodios]

How's the Kool Aid taste??

 

Expanding the playoffs accomplishes one thing. . .More money in MLB and its advertisers pockets.

And if you believe any rhetoric to the contrary about why baseball is considering this, competitive balance being the phrase most commonly tossed around, you're being naive.

 

As long as a Wild Card of ANY KIND is in the mix . . . there is an implied dis-incentive to winning the division. The incentive is, always, to "make the playoffs". The two are not mutually exclusive.

 

Teams will fight for a playoff bye. See the NFL, that extra week of recovery is huge for them. Could you imagine a three game series against Weaver/Haren/Santana, or Price/Shields/Hellickson? If I was a member of the Red Sox, I'd play hard just to avoid that.

 

Expanding the playoffs definitely is about money. I don't argue that, but at the same time, do you remember the days when the Red Sox weren't a lock for the playoffs. It sucks. Expanding the playoffs would mean a lot to the fans as well, and all those fanbases that are just on the cusp of getting to the top, but not quite.