Should Wild Card Get Home Field Advantage over Division Winner?

BKL · 09-26-2016, 12:00 AM

It seems in sports that there is a preference to the division winners, which get priority over wildcard winners. Almost as if the wild-card team is somehow "tainted." In most sports, the division winning team gets home field advantage over the wildcard, even if the wildcard team has a better record.

I would be interested in thought from the forum on instead letting the teams with the best records just be seeded better, regardless of division championship.

Anyone give priority to record, and not division winners?

TGH-Adfabre · 09-26-2016, 12:16 AM

Sometimes, at that point I am usually considering an end to divisions.

Izz · 09-26-2016, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BKL

Anyone give priority to record, and not division winners?

Yep

(top 6 - 4 division winners + 2 wildcards, seeded in order of record)

Though i occasionally have teams finish outside the 2 wildcards but with a better record than 1 of the division winners. Sadly, all they can do is sputter and fume about how much more they deserved to be there than the other guys.

Trebro · 09-26-2016, 12:49 AM

Lately, I've been playing without divisions, using that designation to create 4 smaller leagues that only play each other (so 32 teams divided into 4-8 team leagues, placing 2 in one sub-league and 2 in the other), then usually having the top two teams from each league battle it out, sometimes top 4 if I want it to be more of a Cup than a traditional playoff. I like the results better, as a strong 2nd team can get in there and wreck a weak league champ. Your mileage may vary.

rpriske · 09-26-2016, 10:38 AM

Division winners should get priority in seeding.

That is their reward for winning their division.

Wild Card teams did not win their division. Their punishment is two-fold - the Wild Card game and low priority when seeding.

Number4 · 09-26-2016, 12:36 PM

If you question that, you need to question why if the 2 most dominant sides are in the AL, they cannot meet in the WS.

mitchkenn · 09-26-2016, 01:02 PM

Dunno. There's a valid argument for both sides .... better record vs winning division .... leaning towards the way it is now, as a reward for winning division .... but if the division is weak and you barely break .500 (as i've had happen) then i lean towards the better record.

One thing i did in my game was to make wild card game best 2 out of three rather than one game.

Le Grande Orange · 09-26-2016, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Number4

If you question that, you need to question why if the 2 most dominant sides are in the AL, they cannot meet in the WS.

Except that you can't compare records between divisions since the clubs in those different divisions played different schedules.

09-26-2016, 12:00 AM	#1
BKL All Star Reserve Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 935	Should Wild Card Get Home Field Advantage over Division Winner? It seems in sports that there is a preference to the division winners, which get priority over wildcard winners. Almost as if the wild-card team is somehow "tainted." In most sports, the division winning team gets home field advantage over the wildcard, even if the wildcard team has a better record. I would be interested in thought from the forum on instead letting the teams with the best records just be seeded better, regardless of division championship. Anyone give priority to record, and not division winners?

09-26-2016, 12:16 AM	#2
TGH-Adfabre Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,601	Sometimes, at that point I am usually considering an end to divisions. __________________ You mock me, therefore I am My wife

09-26-2016, 10:38 AM	#5
rpriske Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Spencerville, ON, Canada Posts: 27,384	Division winners should get priority in seeding. That is their reward for winning their division. Wild Card teams did not win their division. Their punishment is two-fold - the Wild Card game and low priority when seeding. __________________ Rusty Priske Poet, Canadian, Baseball Fan ````````````````````````````````````````

09-26-2016, 12:36 PM	#6
Number4 Major Leagues Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 460	If you question that, you need to question why if the 2 most dominant sides are in the AL, they cannot meet in the WS. __________________ "Odor is now 2 for 5 today" (Commentator, after Rougned Odor, up to then 1 for 4, punched Jose Bautista square in the face.)

09-26-2016, 01:02 PM	#7
mitchkenn Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Oregon, not by design Posts: 2,872	Dunno. There's a valid argument for both sides .... better record vs winning division .... leaning towards the way it is now, as a reward for winning division .... but if the division is weak and you barely break .500 (as i've had happen) then i lean towards the better record. One thing i did in my game was to make wild card game best 2 out of three rather than one game. __________________ "This is my opening farewell " - Jackson Browne “They make a desolation and call it peace.” ― Agha Shahid Ali "Maybe she just has to sing, for the sake of the song - And who do I think that I am to decide that she's wrong." - Townes Van Zandt "I saw a young man leaning on his wooden crutch - He called out to me, 'Don't ask for so much' And a young woman leaning in her darkened door She cried out to me, 'Why not ask for more?' " - Leonard Cohen "Hello darkness, my old Friend ...." - Paul Simon Before Mays, before DiMaggio, there was Oscar Charleston. "All the lies about Babe Ruth are true." - Waite Hoyt Avatar is the late great Townes Van Zandt. rip.

09-26-2016, 12:49 AM	#4
Trebro All Star Reserve Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 756	Lately, I've been playing without divisions, using that designation to create 4 smaller leagues that only play each other (so 32 teams divided into 4-8 team leagues, placing 2 in one sub-league and 2 in the other), then usually having the top two teams from each league battle it out, sometimes top 4 if I want it to be more of a Cup than a traditional playoff. I like the results better, as a strong 2nd team can get in there and wreck a weak league champ. Your mileage may vary.