If you were waiting to find out which major league teams currently in contention would host a potential one-game playoff, you’ll have to wait until the end of the regular season. MLB GMs decided last November to eliminate the coin flip, which in the past determined which team would host a one-game playoff in the event of a tie.
Instead, the host team will be decided by a series of on-field tiebreakers, beginning with head-to-head records. If that’s tied, the next tiebreaker is the team with the highest winning percentage within the division, followed by the highest winning percentage in intra-league play during the second half of the season.
I like the change and I believe it’s an improvement over the coin flip, which seemed arbitrary and pointless. However, with three levels of on-field tiebreakers, why bother playing a tiebreaker game at all?
I know the play-in game is supposed to help generate excitement for the playoffs. But under this new system, a play-in game seems obsolete. Think about it. If two teams have the same record, but team A has the season record over team B, wouldn’t it make sense to name Team A the divisional winner without having a tiebreaker game? Why should Team A be expected to play Game 163 to prove that they are indeed the divisional winner when they already have the proven that they are the better team in the division by having the season record against their rival?
Further, what happens if Team A hosts a tiebreaker game and loses to Team B? Team A would probably feel cheated out of a division title. How many times would this scenario have to play out before owners and GMs decide the play-in game isn't such a great idea afterall.
Eliminating the coin flip is a step in the right direction, but there's more work to be done. Time will tell if the tiebreaker play-in game stands the test of time.
Showing posts with label baseball playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball playoffs. Show all posts
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Colorado Rocks On to World Series
Every year, there seems to be one or two sports teams that make the headlines for their unexpected and unlikely rise to the top. The NFL’s New Orleans Saints and the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers captured the headlines in 2006. This year’s darlings are the Colorado Rockies.
When the 2007 baseball campaign began, did anyone think the Rockies would make it to the World Series? In one of the most remarkable story lines this year, and perhaps in sports history, the Rockies punched their ticket to the World Series last night, defeating their divisional rival Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 and sweeping them 4-0 in the National League Championship series. Matt Holliday was named the MVP of the series, going 5-15 (.333) with two homers, including a game-winning three-run shot Monday night
The Rockies are in the midst of an amazing stretch of victories, winning 21 of their last 22 games. While I’ve always thought of them as a good hitting team at a hitter’s ball park, what has impressed me is their pitching and defense. They have no apparent weaknesses and are playing like a team that is destined for great things.
D-Backs’ outfielder Eric Byrnes may have gotten a lot of flak for saying the Rockies were getting a lot of breaks and winning by luck, but when a team is playing as well as the Rockies have been this past month, the breaks generally do go your way. The 2005 White Sox certainly had their share of breaks in their post-season run en route to their World Series title. One wonders if the Rockies have that same kind of “mojo” this year, enough to continue their thrilling ride to a World Series championship.
When the 2007 baseball campaign began, did anyone think the Rockies would make it to the World Series? In one of the most remarkable story lines this year, and perhaps in sports history, the Rockies punched their ticket to the World Series last night, defeating their divisional rival Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 and sweeping them 4-0 in the National League Championship series. Matt Holliday was named the MVP of the series, going 5-15 (.333) with two homers, including a game-winning three-run shot Monday night
The Rockies are in the midst of an amazing stretch of victories, winning 21 of their last 22 games. While I’ve always thought of them as a good hitting team at a hitter’s ball park, what has impressed me is their pitching and defense. They have no apparent weaknesses and are playing like a team that is destined for great things.
D-Backs’ outfielder Eric Byrnes may have gotten a lot of flak for saying the Rockies were getting a lot of breaks and winning by luck, but when a team is playing as well as the Rockies have been this past month, the breaks generally do go your way. The 2005 White Sox certainly had their share of breaks in their post-season run en route to their World Series title. One wonders if the Rockies have that same kind of “mojo” this year, enough to continue their thrilling ride to a World Series championship.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Is Torre’s Job on the Line - Again?
George Steinbrenner did it again. He publicly threatened to fire Yankee manager Joe Torre if the Bronx Bombers do not win the divisional series against the Cleveland Indians. His plan worked for Game 3 of the ALDS when the Yankees beat the Indians 8-4. But I seem to recall that Steinbrenner pulled this stunt a few years ago when the Yankees struggled during the post season. His plan wasn’t successful then, and I honestly hope it doesn’t work now. When will Steinbrenner learn that public threats and humiliation aren’t very good motivational tools?
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