The Official MLB Wild Card Thread...

[streetballer67]

That's not a bad idea. The series shouldn't be any longer than best of 3.

[mlyons]

Ick. Baseball's bordering on too many teams making the playoffs as it is. What's the point of playing a 162 game regular season if everyone's going to make it to the playoffs? Baseball's the last major sport remaining where the regular season means anything more than who gets homefield in the playoffs.

[Dan12278]

Lets go mets

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Well, I'd actually prefer to see the playoffs contracted to four teams (two per league), since I don't like seeing teams that aren't the best make it.

As for who will make the AL playoffs this year, I like the Yankees in the East, some team that will get clobbered in the first round in the Central, and the A's and Halos in the West.

[mauboy]

Originally Posted by mlyons

Ick. Baseball's bordering on too many teams making the playoffs as it is. What's the point of playing a 162 game regular season if everyone's going to make it to the playoffs? Baseball's the last major sport remaining where the regular season means anything more than who gets homefield in the playoffs.

Huh? 4 teams from each league is too many?

What about football? 6 teams from each league.

Edit: Don't forget basketball which has 8 teams from each league.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Originally Posted by mauboy

Huh? 4 teams from each league is too many?

What about football? 6 teams from each league.

Edit: Don't forget basketball which has 8 teams from each league.

Baseball - worst team beats best team probably 1/3 of the time.
Basketball - about 1/8 of the time.
Football - maybe 1/20 of the time.

4 teams from each league is way too many.

[Hammer755]

Finally, some sense of reason restored to this thread.

More playoff spots? Wildcard Series? Ugh.

Fewer teams, not more, need to make the post-season. This is not the NFL or NBA. There is a reason why 162 games are played. Division titles actually mean something in baseball, and I like it that way. Unless, of course, you are the Marlins, who have 2 World Series rings and 0 Divisional Pennants.

[mauboy]

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

Baseball - worst team beats best team probably 1/3 of the time.
Basketball - about 1/8 of the time.
Football - maybe 1/20 of the time.

4 teams from each league is way too many.

I'm in no way voting for more teams in the playoffs..

I just think they need to do something else to give the best teams a slight advantage.

I just don't think 4 teams from each league is wacko either.

Here's what I'd do:

2 divisions in each league and continue to keep the wild card.

[matskralc]

Originally Posted by Dan12278

Lets go mats

Thanks for the support!

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Originally Posted by streetballer67

That's not a bad idea. The series shouldn't be any longer than best of 3.

This has got to be the worst idea of all time.

"Yeah, I know you went 108-54 and had the best record in baseball by ten games, and that the third place team in the Central went 83-79. But, sorry! They beat you in two out of three games. Time to go home for the winter."

If this lame-brained idea had been implemented last year, the Yankees (101-61) would have had to play a best-of-three series against the Kansas City Royals (83-79) to see if they got to remain in the playoffs. Now, if you're a Kansas City Royals fan who happens to not care about the integrity of baseball, that's all well and good, but otherwise this is stupid.

If you really want to generate some postseason interest, do this: a competition that works sort of like the English League Cup. You could even open it up to semi-pro and college teams, who could start the qualifying rounds in the spring. Playing about one game every 3-4 weeks, you'd add the minor league teams by early summer and finally the major league teams, and the final could be just after the World Series or just before it. Since it would be a one-and-done format, everyone would have a shot at the Baseball Cup, and it would attract great interest, even though people knew it didn't really represent the absolute best team.

[streetballer67]

Eck,

I have to agree with you there. The MLB playoffs shouldn't be changed.

[AnotherAlias]

I really don't see what makes this thread "Official." Is there some sort of Moderator's Seal of Approval, that I missed?

Cubs for the Wild Card, now that the Cardinals have clinched the division.







1970 - Four students were killed at Kent State University after Ohio National Guardsmen clashed with anti-war protesters. The students were engaged in a rally condemning President Nixon's approval for a massive incursion into Cambodia. While appearing on television on April 30th, Nixon announced that the invasion was for a limited period, and was to save American lives, and claimed that American forces would not advance more than twenty-one miles into the country.

Monday Night Football debuted on ABC, with Howard Cosell, Keith Jackson, and Don Meredith all giving play-by-play. The on-camera camaraderie in the booth as well as the groundbreaking approach to covering the game resulted in the development of several multi-camera and play-by-play technologies that are still being used today. As a result, Monday Night Football has become the most successful and longest-running primetime sports series in television history.

Baltimore's Frank Robinson hit two successive grand slams during a 12-2 Orioles triumph over the Washington Senators becoming just the seventh major leaguer to ever accomplish the feat. The back-to-back historic blasts were the only grand slams Robinson ever hit as a "Blackbird".

On July 8th, San Francisco Giant Jim Ray Hart tied a modern Major League record with six runs batted in during one inning with all coming in the fifth. The "bay area brawler" slammed a three run home run and three run triple and eventually hit for the cycle en route to a 13-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Atlanta Braves icon "Hammerin'" Hank Aaron collected his three-thousandth hit with an infield single as well as his five-hundred seventieth home run off of Wayne Granger during a 7-6, 15-inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds on May 17th.

[thomasthomas]

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

This has got to be the worst idea of all time.

"Yeah, I know you went 108-54 and had the best record in baseball by ten games, and that the third place team in the Central went 83-79. But, sorry! They beat you in two out of three games. Time to go home for the winter."

If this lame-brained idea had been implemented last year, the Yankees (101-61) would have had to play a best-of-three series against the Kansas City Royals (83-79) to see if they got to remain in the playoffs. Now, if you're a Kansas City Royals fan who happens to not care about the integrity of baseball, that's all well and good, but otherwise this is stupid.

Actually, the best-of-three idea was for the two non-division-winners in each league, to see who'd be the wildcard. It would have been Boston (95-67) v Seattle (93-69) and Florida (91-71) v Houston (87-75). You could even just have all the home games played in the city of the team with the better record.

If MLB did expand to having eight teams/league make it, of course you'd have to do at least a best of five.

But some people still think the idea of a wildcard is pretty dumb, I guess. Although I'm sure Marlins and Angels fans don't care in the least that their teams won the WS as a wildcard!

[cinredsfan2000]

I say the REDS for the wildcard our cheapscate owner finally opens up the purse string's and decides to get serious and throw some money around to improve our pitching staff some .

[mauboy]

Thread has been updated!

Arizona has officially lost twice as many times as they've won. Imagine them without Randy Johnson. Pitiful.

[Bill II]

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

Baseball - worst team beats best team probably 1/3 of the time.
Basketball - about 1/8 of the time.
Football - maybe 1/20 of the time.

4 teams from each league is way too many.

Howabout NHL style playoffs? You know, where they drop the last place team in each division, then the rest of the teams are matched up based on their astrological signs.

[mauboy]

It could be quite the wild card if both leagues have 4 teams competing for it.

Padres have a tough schedule coming up, facing their division rivals quite a bit.

Cubs basically have the same schedule as the Padres as they face the Western Division 12 times in their next 18 games.



San Fran will have a few tests as well coming up, having to face the Padres a few more games along with the Cards and the Cubs.

If the AL teams want to keep up with Boston, they'll have to do it quickly. Boston faces the DRays 6 times, and the Tigers 3 times over their next few series. You may has well add the White Sox. They Suck!

As long as Oakland can go over .500 over their next few series' against the Twins, Yankees and Rangers they should be okay. They face Detroit(3), KC(3), Baltimore(7), Tampa Bay(6) after their games against the other 3. If they want to be in the wildcard hunt, they want to win every single one of those series'! Shouldn't be a prob.

White Sox. Meh, who cares about the White Sox.

The Angels have a mixture of tough and easy games. They have the talent to win most of 'em.

[UngratefulDead]

SF has a shot at the wild card only if we get a closer somewhere.. I'm doubting we can catch the Dodgers, unless Beltre goes down..

[mauboy]

Updated... This will be the last time unless there is actually some discussion this time

cubs have taken over the lead with the Padres in the NL wild card.

White Sox drifting away a little.

[ctorg]

Mets win Wild Card!
Mets win Divisional Series!
Mets win NLCS!
Mets win World Series!

Huh? Shut up, I'm dreamin' here!