MLB is working toward a schedule solution that will get another team into the playoffs next year and give the top seed in the league a first-round bye. But right now it's a logistical nightmare - fitting in essence another round of playoffs as the date of Game 1 of the World Series is set (it's supposed to be Oct. 24, in case you want to mark your calendar). And if there are tiebreakers, it creates a whole other level of travel headache possibilities. But Bud Selig says he believes they'll get a plan done.
Baseball will try to spin this as a great thing, giving hope to more cities and teams to make a playoff run. And mathematically, that's true.
But that's the only development this offseason that's been good for small-market teams. Because as long as teams don't have to share their local TV money, the de facto MLB caste system is getting worse. And because sports programming is what one observer calls "the glue" to cable TV these days, the rights fees are exploding. But generally, only for the big markets.
Just look at the player contracts this offseason. After a couple of seasons of modest contract growth during the recession, the money is really flowing to star players again. And it's not just free agents such as Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. Tim Lincecum isn't even eligible for free agency, and he'll be paid $18 million this year and $22 million in 2003. Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury went from making $2.4 million in 2011 to more than $8 million during the pre-arbitration negotiation process. New Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey, who made $465,000 with the A's, will make $3.9 million from the Red Sox in his third season. No wonder the A's couldn't afford him, nor Gio Gonzalez, nor Trevor Cahill. We're getting to the point where teams like the A's can only afford rookies and marginal major leaguers.
In the American League, a poverty line is becoming visible.
The haves: Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Angels, Rangers.
The have-nots: Blue Jays, Orioles, Rays, Indians, Royals, Twins, Mariners, A's and perhaps the White Sox. (The White Sox and Orioles might be considered middle class based on the markets. But it's a dwindling middle class.)
Would it be any surprise that if the five-team format comes online in 2012, that those five above teams will be the playoff representatives?
It would an upset if they're not.
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Comments
The best way for MLB to get revenue and to make a playoff format worth watching is to reduce the schedule by 20 games and to adopt a playoff format similar to the NHL and NBA. More teams would get in, more cities would get revenue and maybe a chance that someone other than Boston, New York, and St Louis can win a world series.
The NBA and NHL have the worst playoff system in professional sports. If that were to be adopted in MLB you would have teams at .500 making the playoffs. There is a reason the playoffs in the NHL and NBA are not as popular as the NFL or MLB; it lasts too long and too many underperforming teams are involved.
I didn’t orginially like the idea of getting rid of the divisions and just having the AL and NL and having the top 4 teams from each league in a playoff but that idea is growing on me. That way, divisional balance or lack there of (looking at you AL and NL centrals) is not an issue and we can truly see the best teams from each league square up against one another.
When Baseball was America’s pastime, there were two eight-team leagues, and each team played 154 games. There were awesome pennant runs in many different years, 1951, 1959, 1962, etc. The game played in April was just as important as the game in September. Now second-place teams routinely win the World Series in that abomination called the Wild Card. All that matters is that the team is healthy and peaking. Excellence in the spring with injuries later is disdained. The entire season is diminished by the wild card system. In 2001 the Mariners won 116 games. Big whoop. They didn’t even earn a bye in the 5-game series. Their pennant was meaningless. The year was a 162-game exhibition season.
Add two teams to MLB, realign the American and National Leagues with 4 eight-team leagues, each team playing 154 games per year. West Coast Teams have to travel 100,000 miles more a year than the Yankees or Red Sox. And if you win the pennant, that’s it. You play for the league championship and then the world series. No Wild Card! Finally, reduce player movement. The Mariners have nearly 70% or more turnover every year. They are like a pick-up squad. Who are these guys? We used to have Griffey, A-Rod, Randy Johnson, Jay Buener, all at the same time. Poof. Now we have no one you could name. Anyway, ho-hum, now I don’t even start watching baseball until October. What’s the point? The NFL has a four-game exhibition season, the MLB’s is 162.