Playoff Schedule Ideas

by hansman1982 on Oct 12, 2010 2:04 PM CDT

Ok, alot of people on here have been complaining about the way the playoffs have too much time between series and/or do not represent the regular season. So in the spirit of a rant I have had in regards to a recent Hendry post, I decided, rather than simply complain about the post season schedule, lets discuss how it could be better. There is some value here, does it really take 30 days to play at most 19 games and potentially as few as 11 games...this doesn't make sense.

There have been thoughts thrown around about having floating start dates which I am not a huge fan of and the current schedule gives no real dis-advantage to the WC team.

Here is my idea - a 3-3-5-7 playoff schedule. include 4 Wild Card teams in the first round then the LDS, LCS and WS. This plan would allow you to end every series (minus the WC series) on a weekend and keep it ending within October. Also my example is using this month for the timeline:

Tiebreaker Day: Oct 4th

Wild Card - Played Oct 5th, 6th 7th (or double-header on one of the days if more than one tiebreaker needed - home team determined by coin flip)

LDS - Oct 8th, 9th, 10th - 3 game series makes it exciting and starting the day after the WC series puts the WC team at a distinct disadvantage - more pressure to win your division

LCS - Oct 13th-17th - this would put the decisive games on Friday, Saturday or Sunday

WS - I have 2 ideas for the WS:

---- Idea #1 - Game 1 starting the 19th and double header on the 24th. This way if it goes 6 games you have a monster day where the WS champ is guaranteed to be crowned. Games 1-2, 6-7 in the home of the best record from the regular season.

---- Idea #2 - Game 1 starting the 20th and double headers on the 23rd AND the 24th. Guaranteed to have a winner crowned on a weekend where you would get alot of viewers. Make it super tough to have a 2 man rotation win the WS and would truly crown the best team the champion. Games 1,2 and 6,7 at the regular season champ's home.

This would put your off days on the 4th, 11th, 12th, 18th, and potentially the 19th. At most you would have 4 days off between an LCS and the WS - nothing crazy (at least not the week they might have now) but enough to make the winner of the WS have more than 2 starting pitchers, it also closely simulates the regular season whereby teams will play a long stretch of games with travel without off days.

I understand the double-headers in the WS put alot of stress on the players (especially if they travel the night before) but arent we supposed to see who the best team is, and wouldn't this schedule showcase that?

This is my idea, I like my idea, I keep it in a jar above the fridge, I would like more ideas, that is where you come in.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Comments

No travel days in the LDS and LCS?

Could be problematic with TV coverage (prime time slots) and West Coast teams

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 12, 2010 2:14 PM CDT reply actions

they do it in the regular season

and manage to survive

by hansman1982 on Oct 12, 2010 2:41 PM CDT up reply actions

well, they play baseball in november

and manage to survive.

All snark aside, your idea isn’t very practical if you don’t take into consideration things like tv contracts, travel time, players union, etc.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 12, 2010 2:46 PM CDT up reply actions

Right.

In regard to regular season travel without off days, usually teams play day games on getaway day. Except for the division series, MLB doesn’t want day games during the playoffs.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Oct 12, 2010 3:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Sadly, You're Right

I used to love weekday afternoon games during the LCS.

"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Oct 12, 2010 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Doubleheaders?

No way you get anyone in baseball to sign off on that for a championship round.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Oct 12, 2010 2:25 PM CDT reply actions

and I dont disagree

but wouldnt it be a fantastic way to end the world series? Do you have any ideas?

by hansman1982 on Oct 12, 2010 2:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Go back to the way it was before TBS got involved.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Oct 12, 2010 3:01 PM CDT up reply actions

you disagree with

Turner’s Baseball Station?

Chronologically inept since 2060
"I could be writing this crap!" -- Crow T. Robot
Me: Q: I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows close behind. What am I?
Wrigster A: Theriot

by Cubbie-Tim on Oct 12, 2010 3:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Yes.

Their baseball coverage is mediocre. Camerawork & graphics are decent, most of their announcers are awful.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Oct 12, 2010 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions

agreed

Chronologically inept since 2060
"I could be writing this crap!" -- Crow T. Robot
Me: Q: I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows close behind. What am I?
Wrigster A: Theriot

by Cubbie-Tim on Oct 12, 2010 7:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Absolutely

Most of us know what happened 7 years ago today. Game 6 of the NLCS.

Aside from the painful memory of that day. Let’s consider the 2003 playoffs. Most (all?) games had been on national free TV, just as every other postseason baseball game had been since they started broadcasting postseason baseball. Things had moved relatively quickly.

Thus, a certain drama had come to exist. Sure, there was the whole Cubs-Sox potential, but more than that the drama of post season baseball had been playing out on a national stage.

Today, most games are tucked away on TBS for the division series, safely out of view of all but the local fans and the most rabid general baseball fans. Then, for the LCS only one league is televised, again, hiding the other league from all but the local fans, the rabid fans, and I suppose the random channel surfer. On top of that they have slowed the process to a near football-like game/week rate.

Finally the “fall classic” pops up in late October, and most americans are left with the same reaction we have when we see a hockey game on TV in June.

Ugh.

Eamus Ursuli!

by WGNstatic on Oct 14, 2010 8:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Return of Best of 5 LCS Format?

That will never happen. I believe we’d see a return to a best of 9 World Series format before we’d see a return of the best of 5 LCS format. Though, I wouldn’t mind seeing the LCS going back to best of 5. The World Series used to be special because it was the only best of 7 series in the postseason. We could get to the World Series quicker with a best of 5 LCS, but there’s no way the LCS will go back to the way it was from 1969-1984. MLB would lose money by cutting the LCS.

I’d like to see the regular season go back to 154 games, but that “ain’t” happening, either. Again, MLB would be losing money by doing that.

"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Oct 12, 2010 3:48 PM CDT reply actions

Don't need extra teams or double-headers

The solution is worse than the problem you are trying to fix (2-man rotations). Baseball playoffs have always been heavily weighted towards teams with aces, I see know reason to completely overhaul the system to change that.

As far as adding teams and shortening the LCS, that means you get less of a reward for winning in the regular season and increases the chance of a fluke champion.

Double-headers are a non-starter. First, it’s inauthentic as there are no planned double-headers in regular season, and second it creates problems with bullpens and reserves. No thanks.

by JSB on Oct 12, 2010 5:58 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

no because the

team you would face in the first round would be worn out from their 3 game series so more chance to play only 2 in the lds

by hansman1982 on Oct 13, 2010 6:52 AM CDT up reply actions

You are still talking about a 5-game series

Getting the extra time off also isn’t always a benefit. Even if you’re right that the teams with the bye have a significant advantage, i am still against adding more teams. No reason to further dilute the baseball post-season with more teams.

by JSB on Oct 13, 2010 11:47 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Two simple ways to give regular season champs their due:

• Apply handicaps to the first two rounds In any four-round playoff so that teams with the best 162-game won-loss records automatically play the inevitable 83-79 also-rans that sneak-in courtesy of a wildcard or weak-division win.

• Also, in any 7-game series, give those teams with the best in-season records an extra home game: 2-2-3.

"Elder White! Look at the talent on those Cubs!" Harry Caray, KMOX Radio, 4/22/62

"And you have to wonder – What's the matter with Broglio?" Harry, KMOX, 5/24/64

by ernaga on Oct 12, 2010 11:01 PM CDT reply actions

Agreed.

Once the playoff teams are decided, the team with the best record should automatically play the team with the worst record in the first round. Many times, the wild card team has a better record than a division winner. Also get rid of the rule that teams in the same division cannot match up in the LDS. I have never understood this. Simple format, four teams comprised of three division winners and one wild-card team, home field advantage based on regular season record for each round, and in the LDS, the #1 seed automatically plays #4 seed, and #2 and #3 play each other. Simple.

Another idea if they did expand to two wild card teams would be that the team with the best record in each league gets an automatic bye into the league championship series. This really makes the best regular season record crucial, and you would not see teams playing their bench after clinching a playoff spot at the end of the regular season. In this format, the LDS is comprised of two wild-card teams and two division winners, and the division winner with the best record in each league has a bye into the NLCS and ALCS. That is an expanded format I would go for.

Above all, start the regular season no later than April 1st, and end it no later than September 30th. That allows the first couple of days of October for one-game playoffs if necessary, and if you start the LDS by October 3rd or 4th, you still get the WS done by the end of October. I understand they want to maximize the number of weekend games in the playoffs, but get it done by October 30th. The WS potentially ending on Nov. 4th this year is ridiculous.

"Don't complain to me about the stormy weather, boys. Just bring the ship into port." --Steve Stone, September 2004

by ctcoff99 on Oct 13, 2010 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions

Of course, a logically-weighted system would make it far more difficult to peddle team junk...

…Those caps and t-shirts for any 4-team division champion or second-level wild card might be especially tough sells.

"Elder White! Look at the talent on those Cubs!" Harry Caray, KMOX Radio, 4/22/62

"And you have to wonder – What's the matter with Broglio?" Harry, KMOX, 5/24/64

by ernaga on Oct 13, 2010 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions

In fact, next year...

… the regular season starts on April 1 (some on March 31), and it will end by September 28.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Oct 13, 2010 1:58 PM CDT up reply actions

Got this link from Rob Neyer's blog

This guy makes a good point

LINK

Adding another wildcard seems to needlessly expand the playoffs. The best four teams almost always get in as it is. Basically, you penalize the wildcard team (on average the third best record in the league) by making them jump over the fifth best team (on average) to make it to the playoffs.

by Bradsbeard on Oct 13, 2010 5:50 PM CDT reply actions

Woops

this was supposed to go in the other playoff format thread.

by Bradsbeard on Oct 13, 2010 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions

Round-Robin Playoffs

Elimate the LDS and LCS series entirely, and replace them with a round-robin schedule.

The three division champions and the wild card team play three three-game series against the other post-season teams. Off-days in between each series for travel. Nine games in eleven days. Highest seed (with wild card team as the fourth seed) has home field for each series; so the highest seeded team in each league plays all nine games at home, while wild card team plays all nine games on the road. The team in each league with the best record at the end of the round-robin tournament advances to the World Series, which starts two or three days after the final game in case there’s need for a one-game playoff.

It’s a radical solution to the post-season problem of off-days and 2-man rotations. At the same time, it provides MLB with something more predictable for the television networks. (They also end up with more games to broadcast. This is not a bad thing.)

The one disadvantage I see is that a team could reach the World Series without being decisive in the post-season tournament; three teams could beat up on each other, leaving one to emerge unscathed. But, frankly, this happens in the divisions anyway, to some extent, during the regular season, with teams beating up on other teams to the benefit of a third team.

To be honest, I don’t expect baseball to ever do something like this. It’s a radical solution to the problem, perhaps too radical.

by allyngibson on Oct 17, 2010 2:48 PM CDT reply actions