Baseball Playoff Format

SentToStud · #1 10-08-2006, 07:17 AM

I love baseball. Especially in October.

But I hate, absolutely hate, the 5-game Divsional Series format.

How the hell can teams play for eight months and play close to 200 games (including spring and, if lucky, playoffs) and have the first round decided in a best of five series?

Strikes me that baseball should somehow, someway, find time for two more playoff games.

Revolution · #2 10-08-2006, 08:25 AM

i agree. would not have made a difference for the yankees though. they were beaten by a better team.

Hickory Hill Hoff · #3 10-08-2006, 09:25 AM

I'm sure MLB will stretch it out now to 7 games. Sports playoffs in both the NBA & NHL are too long and don't have as much at stake than MLB. It should be 7.

#4 10-09-2006, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SentToStud

I love baseball. Especially in October.

But I hate, absolutely hate, the 5-game Divsional Series format.

How the hell can teams play for eight months and play close to 200 games (including spring and, if lucky, playoffs) and have the first round decided in a best of five series?

Strikes me that baseball should somehow, someway, find time for two more playoff games.

Good point. Wrong solution.

The season is already too long. Funny that a team like the Dodgers play for 5 1/2 months and then get eliminated in a long weekend. They used to play 154 regular season games before 2 teams went straight to the World Series.

Now they play 162 games for 8 teams go into the playoffs. It's the season that never ends.

Go ahead and make the first round 7 games. But for God's sake make up for that by shortening the regular season. A pennant race is no less exciting if it ends after 154 games.

timmgirvan · #5 10-09-2006, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chromer

Good point. Wrong solution.

The season is already too long. Funny that a team like the Dodgers play for 5 1/2 months and then get eliminated in a long weekend. They used to play 154 regular season games before 2 teams went straight to the World Series.

Now they play 162 games for 8 teams go into the playoffs. It's the season that never ends.

Go ahead and make the first round 7 games. But for God's sake make up for that by shortening the regular season. A pennant race is no less exciting if it ends after 154 games.

Good points,Chromer!

Gander · #6 10-09-2006, 08:54 PM

120 regular season games would be enough.

You can have your 7 game series in all rounds of the playoffs. Not that I think it would matter most of the time, especially this year. If it stops those people who whine because there team lost in a best of 5 game series, then change it to 7 just to sut them up.

The 8 best teams in the Majors should earn a spot in the playoffs. Not 4 from the AL and 4 from the NL, but the 8 teams with the best overall records. If 7 of 8 come from the AL, so be it.

More interleague games. No need for division rivals to play each other 18 times. It should be more evenly spread. Heck, why even have divisions?

Cannon Shell · #7 10-09-2006, 08:54 PM

I like the 5 game series, makes each game more important and creates urgency right off the bat.

pmayjr · #8 10-10-2006, 01:24 AM

As a Twins fan, I gotta disagree with Chromer, because we needed all of those games to get a playoff spot.

But yeah, all the playoff rounds should be 7 games. It wasn't gonna help the Twins. Even with Johan potentially starting the next game, they weren't gonna beat the A's. But the playoff rounds should all be 7 games.

#9 10-10-2006, 09:31 AM

I think that the 5 game format is a joke and have said so for years, a bunch of times on here.
Best of 7 is the only way to play it. Teams are built by GM's for 5 man rotations, its the only way to qualify for the playoffs. Then you completely switch the format to a 3-4 man rotation. Its just not right. If they wanna have 162 games and three rounds they should start the seaon one week earlier and play a best of 7 in each of the next two rounds.