[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by uruguru

* MLB in OOTP is set up as one subleague with three 8-team divisions (AL, NL and CL). There is no interdivisional play so they are still separate leagues. Post-season could include the 3 division champs and the top-ranked wildcard, but that can't be set until the pre-season arrives.

Regarding the post-season, the following may be of interest. It was an interview with Branch Rickey, president of the Continental League, published in the New York Times on Aug. 23, 1959.

During luncheon at his hotel suite here the other day Branch Rickey, president of the new Continental League, pushed aside some fruit salad and revealed his plans for the world series of 1963.

The new league, which last Tuesday received the approval of organized baseball, expects to start operating in 1961. Rickey feels the Continental will reach maturity in two years and be ready to meet the American and National League representatives for the baseball championship.

According to Rickey, the 1963 series will be a round-robin. This, he says, is how it will be handled:

"It's October, 1963. The Yankees, let us assume, win the American League pennant, the Chicago Cubs prevail in the National League and the Houston Continentals win in our league. The series opens at Yankee Stadium with New York playing the Cubs."

With that settled, baseball's elder statesman poured himself a second cup of coffee, relighted a well-chewed cigar and outlined the following schedule for the next five games of the series.

Game No. 2 — New York vs. Houston at the Stadium
Game No. 3 — Chicago vs. New York at Chicago
Game No. 4 — Chicago vs. Houston at Chicago
Game No. 5 — Houston vs. New York at Houston
Game No. 6 — Houston vs. Chicago at Houston

"What a lovely thing that will be," the 77-year-old Rickey said. He brought his right hand down hard on the table and the dishes jumped.

"Judas Priest, I'd like to see that. The team that loses four games first is eliminated, but just think of it. Each team will play two series games at home before it can be eliminated. The others will continue until one wins four games.

"I figured out this plan mathematically and it would be impossible for the series to be decided in less than eight games or more than eleven. Anyone who cares to check will find out it's correct."

The series is currently played on a best four-of-seven basis. Rickey was asked if he thought fans would become bored with a series that went eleven games.

"Bored?" he exclaimed. "Why, the fans will devour it. Baseball fever will run from one end of this great land to the other. Anyway, in the past twenty-five years, only four world series have been decided in four games. Most series have gone six or seven games. My figures show that over the years the round-robin will average no more than 10 games."