Friday, November 18, 2011

Extra Playoff Teams a Bad Idea

It looks like baseball is going to add a second wild card in 2012 or 2013. Nows there is going to be a one game playoff before the Division Series between the two wild card teams. I think this a terrible idea and it waters down the playoffs. Sometimes, the wild card has the second best record in the league and now its possible that a team with a inferior record could beat them in a one game playoff. Its also possible that a third place team could make the postseason now.

One would figure after one of the most exciting end of the seasons in recent years Bud Selig would leave well enough alone. Under this scenario, it wouldn't of mattered when the Rays and Cardinals won the wild card in the last day of the season. Because they would of both had one game playoff with the Red Sox and Braves who both stumbled down the stretch. Making the postseason should mean your one of the best teams in baseball, not reward mediocrity.

The current playoff format was fine, and baseball has the least amount of playoff teams in all major sports. I prefer that over basketball or hockey's long postseason. Baseball has made a good move eliminating off days on travel days during the playoffs. Now the World Series ends before Halloween, but thats no reason to add 2 playoff teams. A better idea would of been expanding the Division Series to a best of 7 instead of a best of 5.

The Astros are also moving the American League West after next season after 50 years in the National League. This will even up the amount of teams in each league, solving some scheduling problems. There will also be at least one interleague game every day starting in 2013. As a Cardinals fan, I'll miss the Cards/Astros rivalry. It was a pretty good rivalry until the last year or two.

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