Crash Course
10-06-2004, 01:52 PM
Twenty years ago, baseball realized that too much was at stake in the league championship series to use a 5 game series to determine a winner - and they wisely moved from a best of 5 format in the LCS to a best of seven.
Fourteen years ago, MLB introduced the league division series. And, the LDS was set up with the best of 5 format. How long will it take baseball to realize that "too much is at stake" in the LDS to rely on the best of 5 to determine a winner? Why not make the LDS a best of seven as well?
Further, why not use a best of 9 format to determine the winner of the WS? That was the original format back in 1903. Considering all the work that it takes to get into the postseason, it is unfair to name a world champion based on such a short postseason tournament.
Think about it. A longer LDS and WS would take away the cries of "it's all luck" (or a more colorful type of luck, according to Billy Beane) when it comes to the postseason. Teams would not be able to ride two hot pitchers in the postseason, as many do these days.
Plus, more games means more TV revenue. Clearly, baseball would like more revenue, no?
Yes, of course, the two more games in the LDS and two more in the WS would add about an extra week to the postseason. And, we do not want postseason games in November. Therefore, you would need to take a week off the regular season and move it to 154 games, instead of 162. Is that an issue? Really? Who would complain about that? The players? Not really? The owners? Maybe some of the teams that draw well would hate to lose 4 games off their home schedule? But, then again, maybe the share off the extra playoff games on TV would off set that? It's worth looking into, at the least. MLB, are you listening?
Fourteen years ago, MLB introduced the league division series. And, the LDS was set up with the best of 5 format. How long will it take baseball to realize that "too much is at stake" in the LDS to rely on the best of 5 to determine a winner? Why not make the LDS a best of seven as well?
Further, why not use a best of 9 format to determine the winner of the WS? That was the original format back in 1903. Considering all the work that it takes to get into the postseason, it is unfair to name a world champion based on such a short postseason tournament.
Think about it. A longer LDS and WS would take away the cries of "it's all luck" (or a more colorful type of luck, according to Billy Beane) when it comes to the postseason. Teams would not be able to ride two hot pitchers in the postseason, as many do these days.
Plus, more games means more TV revenue. Clearly, baseball would like more revenue, no?
Yes, of course, the two more games in the LDS and two more in the WS would add about an extra week to the postseason. And, we do not want postseason games in November. Therefore, you would need to take a week off the regular season and move it to 154 games, instead of 162. Is that an issue? Really? Who would complain about that? The players? Not really? The owners? Maybe some of the teams that draw well would hate to lose 4 games off their home schedule? But, then again, maybe the share off the extra playoff games on TV would off set that? It's worth looking into, at the least. MLB, are you listening?