The situation in the NL is playing out exactly in the way the new playoff system is most unfair. The Giants, who are probably going to finish 2 or 3 games behind the Cards/Pirates division winner, nonetheless have locked up the second wild card. Thus, they can line up the starting pitcher they want, rest their bullpen, and rest any banged up starting position players to be perfectly primed for the Gimmick game. In contrast, the Cardinals and Pirates might have to play balls to the wall down to the last day in order to try to avoid the gimmick game. This puts the 4th place team at a clear disadvantage to the 5th place team. It's not right.
AL Playoff Chase: The Final Week
- Thread starter E5 Yaz
- Start date
Plympton91 said:
I get where you are coming from but I hate the general undertone that there is a better "more perfect" system that would be fair to all. The last system wasnt perfect either.
Say what you want about the "gimmick game" but that game is a great game to watch.
Plympton91 said:
The NL Wild Card game isn't until Wednesday. The # 1 Wild Card team will get time off. And it's not like the Cardinals and Pirates have tough opposition. The 2nd Half Reds are a horrible team and the Diamondbacks are the worst team in baseball.
The delay in playing the gimmick games, to accommodate them both in prime time on days not coincident to Monday Night Football, is also why I reject any argument other than naked greed for their existence. If the bullshit about wanting to reward division winners was genuine, the gimmick games would both be on Monday, with the playoffs starting Tuesday. Instead, the Division winners sit around getting stale for nearly a week, and the gimmick game winner just has a 1 starting pitcher disadvantage.shawnrbu said:
What was wrong with the last system? At least in the last system if a team had the second-best record in the AL and the third-best record in baseball (like the 2004 Red Sox) they were actually in the playoffs and not in some Winthrop-Florida A&M play-in game.Kramerica Industries said:
You had situations where a division leader was playing a wild card team with the wild card team having a chance to overtake the division leader and nobody cares about the outcome of the game.snowmanny said:
This way, we have more compelling games.
I bet if you did a systematic assessment there would be the same number of compelling games, it would just be different ones.
Royals playing these two with the hope of hosting the wild card game. Detroit would have to collapse completely at this point to make a tie possible.
Same situation in the NL, where the Pirates get the home game if they win tomorrow or the Giants lose
Same situation in the NL, where the Pirates get the home game if they win tomorrow or the Giants lose
I've never understood this argument. When did the object of the regular season switch from "getting the best teams into the playoffs" to "making sure more games are compelling"? I'd rather watch the best teams in October than watch more teams try harder in September.Rasputin said:
Detroit is getting drilled by the mighty Twins. Again.
KC needs to find a way to come back against the White Sox
KC needs to find a way to come back against the White Sox
As of 9:54pm, here are the scores of the 4 AL teams with something to win tonight:
Kansas City is down 4-1 to the White Sox in the 5th.
Detroit is down 9-2 to the Twins in the 8th.
Oakland is down 3-2 to the Rangers in the 7th.
Seattle is down 1-0 to the Angels in the 3rd.
Just a weird year.
Edit: Detroit now down 12-2 to the Twins.
Kansas City is down 4-1 to the White Sox in the 5th.
Detroit is down 9-2 to the Twins in the 8th.
Oakland is down 3-2 to the Rangers in the 7th.
Seattle is down 1-0 to the Angels in the 3rd.
Just a weird year.
Edit: Detroit now down 12-2 to the Twins.
Reddick drives in Gomes, Lowrie drives in Donaldson and the A's have runners at the corners, two out, 3-2 to Callaspo and he flies out to the wall in left. 5-4 Rangers.
Dan to Theo to Ben said:
I thought that game was free, but it won't let me watch it. Is it on Fox Sports 1 or something?
CoolPapaBellhorn said:
If baseball really cared at all about this (instead of the exact opposite), they'd dump the divisions and just go back to two leagues, top 4-5 in each make the playoffs.
The awful scenario in this new system hasn't happened yet, which is when the best two teams in all of MLB are in the same division, in which case team #2 would get the coin flip play-in game followed by a series against team #1, so the best two teams would meet in the round of 8.
Mariners had first and second with one out and Cano coming up, down 1-0. He hit into a force - barely beating the throw to first as he hustled up the line for once. Morales then flew out.
Mariners offense in the process of costing them once again.
Mariners offense in the process of costing them once again.
snowmanny said:
Not to get into this again, but September baseball is more thrilling than ever, winning your Division actually matters again, and every year we have do-or-die one-game play-ins that draw solid ratings.
I'm happy.
jon abbey said:
1) I like it a lot more than 2011, when the Red Sox and Rays determined the AL Wild Card by playing teams with nothing to play for.
2) I guess you're seeing that this year. Last year you saw two 92-win teams (Rays and Indians) in 2013 or two 93-win teams in 2012.
Truly Pudge-esque
Did you sleep through 2000? Some 87 win team won the WS that year.jon abbey said:
About 20 seconds after the A's loss went final, Logan Morrison doubles up the gap to tie the Mariners game.
jon abbey said:
Agreed. If anything, the Angels could sandbag it a bit by allowing the Mariners to win out - since that would waste a whole lot of potential aces they might face in the ALDS.
What happens if the Royals and Tigers both finish 89-73 and the Mariners and A's finish 87-75. Two separate one game playoffs?
jon abbey said:
Disagreed. In 2011 only 2 of those teams would have made the "playoffs" (I'm counting the Play-In game). This year it's at least 3 of 4, and potentially all 4.
Dan to Theo to Ben said:
In Seattle. Could be my shitty internet connection.
If the teams all tie, then yes there would be two games Monday and then another Tuesday.
It would be Oakland (Lester) at Seattle (Walker), and Kansas City at Detroit.
Tuesday's game is at Kansas City or Detroit.
dschoenfield David Schoenfield
Well, it's a postseason atmosphere in Seattle, so of course Austin Jackson struck out. Tigers fans understand.
Well, it's a postseason atmosphere in Seattle, so of course Austin Jackson struck out. Tigers fans understand.
First and second nobody out now for Seattle. Bottom 9.
Bases loaded. No out.
Grilli gets out of it. Seattle joins the A's for big time blowing it.
Bases loaded. No out.
Grilli gets out of it. Seattle joins the A's for big time blowing it.
I can't tell who is more pathetic Oakland or Seattle.
And yet thanks to the idiotic extra playoff spot one of these shitty teams will be in.
And yet thanks to the idiotic extra playoff spot one of these shitty teams will be in.
