165 replies to this topic

[nmigliore]

MLB is pretty much all-but-officially adding a 2nd wild card team, according to Joel Sherman. He claims it could happen as soon as 2012 but no later than 2013.

This idea is great, IMO. But a 1-game playoff between the 2 wild card teams? That is awful. How is that fair to the better wild card team? Yeah, sure, they get home field advantage.... but it seems very wrong to have just a 1 game playoff. If anything, it should be a best of 3, at least.

He also says the Astros could move over to the AL to balance out the teams in each league.

Edited by nmigliore, 24 September 2011 - 11:57 AM.

[thefiestygoat]

I hate adding a 2nd wild card team, I like the system the way it is, minus the DS being a 5 game series instead of a 7 - though thats not a huge deal to me. If they are going to do this then I really, really hate the idea that it is a 1 game playoff. At the minimum it should be a best of 3, though I'd prefer best of 5. Unfortunately there is no way they would shorten the regular season to something like 156 games to compensate for that.

[nyrsuck26]

This story's been around for a while, and I support it. Every year you can look down the list at the teams that just missed the playoffs and honestly think, "if they got in, they might have had a shot..." Oh, and it has to be a 3-game series IMO. 1-game is too fluky and not fair to the "1st wild card team."

As far as Houston (or any other team for that matter) switching leagues I really can't support that unless the NL is finally gonna adopt the DH, because interleague play year round wouldn't be right (and you can have teams having like 4 off-days in a row). I'm actually kinda surprised that there's never been any talk of the AL expanding two teams...

Edited by nyrsuck26, 25 September 2011 - 01:07 AM.

[nmigliore]

Is anyone following these crazy Wild Card races?

The Braves are now only 1 game up on the Cards with 3 to play. The Braves face the Phillies while the Cards face the Astros. This should be fun.

And the Red Sox are a loss away (currently playing the Yankees, tied in the 8th inning) from being tied in the Wild Card race by the Rays. Insane. Fortunately for the Sox, they face the O's 3 times while the Rays face the Yankees. I think Boston will hang on, but this one is also in for a really fun finish.

I mean even if both teams wind up getting in, it's still amazing to think how much ground they have given up this month. They were pretty much locks to go to the playoffs a month ago.

Edited by nmigliore, 25 September 2011 - 07:47 PM.

[Devils Dose]

Having it come down to one game- after a 162 game season- stinks, but that has to be the way you do it. I want something to keep those division races meaningful, and hoping to avoid a one-and-done situation does just that. If I'm not mistaken, that, more than allowing more teams in, is the reason for the change. The tight race could be anywhere any given year (obviously this year it's in both wild cards, and those races would be ruined if both teams knew they were just going to make the playoffs and face each other either way). But if you don't like one game to decide your fate, win your damn division.

[Onddeck]

good job boston, you idiots took till the 14th inning to beat our C team

[thefiestygoat]

Is anyone following these crazy Wild Card races?

Obviously as a Yankee fan I've been keeping a close eye on the AL race. Anyway, here is some info on the tie breakers from Chad Jennings at LoHud:

If the Boston Red Sox, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim finish in a three-way tie for the Wild Card, then two games will be played in the first two days after the regular season. The games will be played according to designations based on the head-to-head three-way records among the tied clubs:

• The Rays went 12-6 against the Red Sox and 4-4 against the Angels. Combined: 16-10 (.615).
• The Red Sox went 6-12 against the Rays and 6-2 against the Angels. Combined: 12-14 (.462).
• The Angels went 4-4 against the Rays and 2-6 against the Red Sox. Combined: 6-10 (.375).

The designations dictate that:
• Club A would host Club B on Thursday, September 29th.
• Club C would play at the winner of the A vs. B game on Friday, September 30th.

Because the Rays held the best head-to-head record among the three tied clubs, the Rays received the first choice of designation and the Red Sox had the second choice. If such a scenario arises:

• The Rays have chosen to be Club C, playing a road game on Friday, September 30th.
• The Red Sox have chosen to be Club A, hosting the first tiebreaker game on Thursday, September 29th.
• The Angels, as Club B, would play the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday.
• The winner of the Thursday’s Angels-Red Sox game would host the Rays on Friday, September 30th.
• The winner of Friday’s game would be the American League Wild Card.

In the National League, the potential two-way National League Wild Card tie between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals would be broken with a tiebreaker game on Thursday, September 29th at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Head-to-head record determines home-field advantage in a two-way tie, and the Cardinals earned a 5-1 advantage over the Braves in the season series.

[nmigliore]

AL Wild Card is now tied with 2 left to play....

[95Crash]

Did anyone else last night watch the ESPN documentary on the Steve Bartman incident? It was EXCELLENT!

[Onddeck]

what a finish this will be for the last playoff spots... here weeee gooo

[thefiestygoat]

Did anyone else last night watch the ESPN documentary on the Steve Bartman incident? It was EXCELLENT!

I read an article on ESPN about one of the other guys (grey sweatshirt) that was involved and the impact it had on his life. I am really interested in watching the documentary on Bartman, hoping to catch a re-run and DVR it.


2 wild card ties heading into the final day, MLB has all the possibilities up here.

[nmigliore]

IMO, Craig Kimbrel is the best reliever in baseball. He just blew the save for the Braves and is departing with a bases loaded mess (2 out). Yikes. The Cards are up big on Houston.

[devilsrule33]

Can't believe David Price dropped the ball two games in a row. Not like he had a chance with the performance the offense put on tonight either. Although, they are starting to rally now.

Edit: 7-6 now. Rays really making things interesting...

Edited by devilsrule33, 28 September 2011 - 09:28 PM.

[NJDevs4978]

lol this night's living up to the billing...Phillies and Braves going to the 11th after the Phillies' CF'er makes a great running catch to save the game. Sox and Orioles still in a rain delay in the seventh inning of a one-run game. And the Rays came back out of nowhere to put some real suspense in the ninth

[nmigliore]

Dan Johnson ties it! Wow!

[NJDevs4978]

The Yankees are just trolling Boston now

Two extra inning games, yeesh. And the Phillies-Yankees want no part of playing all these extra innings.

[devilsrule33]

Dan Johnson comes through. He was batting .108 before that home run!

[nmigliore]

Phillies take the lead. If they close this out.... WOW. That would be an insane collapse by the Braves.

[thefiestygoat]

The Yankees are just trolling Boston now

Two extra inning games, yeesh. And the Phillies-Yankees want no part of playing all these extra innings.

I really hope Proctor goes out there in the bottom of this inning and serves up a solo HR. I am so paranoid about injuries right now and really worried about Jesus' hand....

[nmigliore]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Atlanta CHOKED.

I cannot stand the Braves. For all the a$$hole Braves fans that criticized the Mets after what they endured in 2007/2008: Now you know what it feels like.

Edited by nmigliore, 28 September 2011 - 10:43 PM.