Go Cubs!!! Two of Three Best Teams in MLB Play Wild Card Tonight

[Gator Hazard]

Cubs versus Mets for NLCS Championship.  Love how we have to play the Mets on the road so to speak but whatcha gonna do.  

[pumaAttack]

Cubs versus Mets for NLCS Championship.  Love how we have to play the Mets on the road so to speak but whatcha gonna do.  

They should reseed based on the better regular season record.  Home field should go to the better team, not a divisional winner with less wins.

[jamo]

It's interesting how in every sport there's been a revolt against divisions in the last few years.

[LagShaft]

I'm not sure we'd have anything more fair if they did away with the division system.  I think it would lead to a rating system similar to the BCS and no body wants that.  Lengthening the wild card game to a series would put more stress on the pitching staff and cause Division winners to have a bigger layoff which can be good or bad.  If there is a system that would yield a major improvement I don't see it.  Btw Go Royals!!!

[iacas]

I'm not sure we'd have anything more fair if they did away with the division system.  I think it would lead to a rating system similar to the BCS and no body wants that.  Lengthening the wild card game to a series would put more stress on the pitching staff and cause Division winners to have a bigger layoff which can be good or bad.  If there is a system that would yield a major improvement I don't see it.  Btw Go Royals!!!

Reseed after you determine who is in the playoffs.

Then the three best teams in baseball won't all play (and eliminate) each other while the teams who were fortunate enough to play in weaker divisions skate on through.

[LagShaft]

Ya that's not complicated at all. Thus begins the strength of schedule debate etc. etc let's let the computer decide no coaches poll... The Pirates and the Cubs had 162 games to prove they were better than the Cardinals they both got a second chance and the Cubs took advantage of it.  Maybe it's not fair that the Mets are still in with home field advantage but it's about as close as you can get without taking things to a level of complexity that will harm the game. IMHO

Edited October 18, 2015 by LagShaft

[iacas]

Ya that's not complicated at all. Thus begins the strength of schedule debate etc. etc let's let the computer decide no coaches poll... The Pirates and the Cubs had 162 games to prove they were better than the Cardinals they both got a second chance and the Cubs took advantage of it.  Maybe it's not fair that the Mets are still in with home field advantage but it's about as close as you can get without taking things to a level of complexity that will harm the game. IMHO

Bull.

The Cards, Pirates, and Cubs had the strongest schedule by far, and had to eliminate each other despite having the three best records in baseball. The Pirates were 11-1 against LA and NYM this year, too.

Just reseed. Simple as that. Dodgers vs. Mets for the wild card. Cubs still play Pirates but in a series. Easy peasy.

[LagShaft]

I'll stand on my opinion.  I find the Idea that politics would not come into play in the reseeding process a bit niev.  It is fairly cut and dry this year but what about next year or five years from now when we have to get into tie breakers.  Would you be willing to do away with division rivalries and have them each play only once to expand schedules and make them more even. And if we come to a tie would you accept them losing a 2 /1 in a three game series played on the road as an adequate tie breaker or would you still say they were robbed?  The Cards are an Obstacle to over come and  the Pirates and Cubs organizations are Better for it.  All I know is I'm enjoying watching both the Cubs and the Royals move forward.  The Royals trying to replay '85(which is the first World Series I recall watching) and the Cubs trying to Break the curse and fulfill the Back to the future prophesy.  It makes for good hype and hopefully a good series of they can both make it.

[Golfingdad]

Bull.

The Cards, Pirates, and Cubs had the strongest schedule by far, and had to eliminate each other despite having the three best records in baseball. The Pirates were 11-1 against LA and NYM this year, too.

Just reseed. Simple as that. Dodgers vs. Mets for the wild card. Cubs still play Pirates but in a series. Easy peasy.

Two problems with that.  One, each team plays nearly HALF of their games against four teams. This year it's easy enough to argue that the Pirates are better than the Dodgers or the Mets, but there would most certainly be years where two teams in the same division are good but the other three stink and then you'll have a "wild card" team getting home field in a division series against a team that won a stronger division and ended up with a worse record.  That would be way worse than what happened here.

Secondly, the reason they went to the extra wild card was to put a premium on winning the division.  Too often teams stopped worrying about the end of the season when they knew they'd clinched the playoffs because there wasn't much reward in grinding it out to the end. For this reason, I like the way it is now - except for the length of the series.

So, go your route but only if you balance out the schedules more, or just lengthen the wild card round. Easier peasier.

[JonMA1]

Baseball has always been about who gets hot and when. The teams destined to win the series will win as wild cards, on the road and regardless of who they play.

Change it if you want and make it as fair as you can, but there will always be something for fans to bitch about.

[Kenny Lee]

The current format is just fine.

I'm a Pirate fan. It was tough to face the hottest pitcher in baseball 2 years in a row in the wildcard game. But I'm not bitching about it. If the Pirates wanted to advance, they should've played better.

[iacas]

I'll stand on my opinion.  I find the Idea that politics would not come into play in the reseeding process a bit niev.

I don't understand the politics angle: it's a record. Tie breakers go to division winners. Baseball teams play enough games against enough competition that things tend to shake out pretty well, don't you think? The Mets and even Dodgers had an entire weak division this year, and the three best teams in baseball all played in the same division.

So tell me how that's more fair than a team with a better record - over 162 games - being seeded above the teams with worse records?

The current format sucks. Even just having one wild card team made more sense because at least then they got a series out of being the wild card. So what do you propose? You like the current situation?

Yes, MLB got what it wanted in that it wanted a bit more excitement from end-of-the-season races, but even this year it wasn't really much of a race, and they succeeded in whittling the three best teams in baseball down to one before the end of the divisional series. Yippee!

So, go your route but only if you balance out the schedules more, or just lengthen the wild card round. Easier peasier.

That might be fine, too, but I'd argue they should shorten the season back to 154 games as well so we don't have baseball in December.

Baseball has always been about who gets hot and when. The teams destined to win the series will win as wild cards, on the road and regardless of who they play.

That's not true about one game. In any one game a horrible team can beat a great one… clearly. It makes advancing in an already fairly small field of contestants too much a matter of luck.

The current format is just fine.

I'm a Pirate fan. It was tough to face the hottest pitcher in baseball 2 years in a row in the wildcard game. But I'm not bitching about it. If the Pirates wanted to advance, they should've played better.

I disagree: the current format sucks.

The Pirates did play better… than the Mets, Dodgers, Cubs, and every other team in baseball except the Cardinals, and they did so over 162 games, which should carry far, far more weight than what happens over one game.

The current format sucks, and I'd be saying the same thing whether the Pirates win or lose. I've said it before they were even in the playoffs three years ago, and I've said it before and after each wild card outcome.

And if we come to a tie would you accept them losing a 2 /1 in a three game series played on the road as an adequate tie breaker or would you still say they were robbed?  The Cards are an Obstacle to over come and  the Pirates and Cubs organizations are Better for it.  

Who cares if they're better for it? Is baseball better off having the three best teams eliminate each other while the Dodgers and Mets play on? I don't think so.

And I'd be fine if they played a series. Even if it is just three games. Why not go 3/5/7? Almost anything is better than a single game.

[LagShaft]

I'm ok with the system as it stands, it's not perfect but you only have to look back to the 2012 season to see how difficult reseeding would be.  A one game play in game pits each teams best line up against each other and doesn't account for depth but either way it's a second chance for 2 teams that couldn't accomplish the purpose of the season which is to win their division.  With that said I'll agree to disagree.  And apologize for my part in hijacking this thread. I enjoyed the discussion though  Go Royals!!!

Edited October 18, 2015 by LagShaft
To add Go Royals!!:)

[Gator Hazard]

 

They should reseed based on the better regular season record.  Home field should go to the better team, not a divisional winner with less wins.

Agreed.  Cubs still should not have dropped both games in NY though behind their two best pitchers.  Not looking good for them right now.

Ya that's not complicated at all. Thus begins the strength of schedule debate etc. etc let's let the computer decide no coaches poll... The Pirates and the Cubs had 162 games to prove they were better than the Cardinals they both got a second chance and the Cubs took advantage of it.  Maybe it's not fair that the Mets are still in with home field advantage but it's about as close as you can get without taking things to a level of complexity that will harm the game. IMHO

I would almost agree with you if the Cubs had not already beaten the Mets 7 times straight this season before the playoffs.  

[newtogolf]

I can see both sides.  I like the current system because it rewards those that win their division which is where the majority of their games are played.   The Mets team the Cubs played against and beat during the regular season does not even closely resemble the Mets team in the playoffs.

I wouldn't be against a re-seeding in terms of home field advantage but I believe division winners should be provided priority over wild card teams.  I also wouldn't be against a 3 game wild card series versus a one game playoff.

IMO If you want to minimize the weight of division winners you have to;

1. Reduce the number of inter-divisional games
2. Eliminate inter-league play

[Gator Hazard]

I can see both sides.  I like the current system because it rewards those that win their division which is where the majority of their games are played.   The Mets team the Cubs played against and beat during the regular season does not even closely resemble the Mets team in the playoffs.

I wouldn't be against a re-seeding in terms of home field advantage but I believe division winners should be provided priority over wild card teams.  I also wouldn't be against a 3 game wild card series versus a one game playoff.

IMO If you want to minimize the weight of division winners you have to;

1. Reduce the number of inter-divisional games
2. Eliminate inter-league play

With playing as many games as they do, I don't think they need to eliminate inter-league play, certainly they could reduce the number of inter-divisional games, even if it is just by one series each year.

The bolded then would be an argument that wins and losses throughout the season don't really mean much, when in fact they do and are the closest resemblence of fairness.  Anyone could make that argument then and say "well, we should get a higher seeding because we brought a couple of guys up and made a few trades".  If your win loss record against another team that you have played doesn't mean anything then why have a regular season at all and not just have a playoff season (I understand your point about the team evolving)?

There will never be a perfect solution but I would just like to see one that makes some type of sense as opposed to what we currently have.

[newtogolf]

With playing as many games as they do, I don't think they need to eliminate inter-league play, certainly they could reduce the number of inter-divisional games, even if it is just by one series each year.

The bolded then would be an argument that wins and losses throughout the season don't really mean much, when in fact they do and are the closest resemblence of fairness.  Anyone could make that argument then and say "well, we should get a higher seeding because we brought a couple of guys up and made a few trades".  If your win loss record against another team that you have played doesn't mean anything then why have a regular season at all and not just have a playoff season (I understand your point about the team evolving)?

There will never be a perfect solution but I would just like to see one that makes some type of sense as opposed to what we currently have.

The problem with interleague play is that each division plays a different division in the other league and their intra-league rival which would impact their overall ranking in their league. 

[iacas]

The problem with interleague play is that each division plays a different division in the other league and their intra-league rival which would impact their overall ranking in their league. 

This happens more in football where they play a LOT fewer games. And sometimes it matters, too.

I think re-seeding should happen in the NFL, too. One year (they lost) the 12-4 Steelers had to travel to play the 8-8 Tebow-led Broncos… who played in a shitty division. But because "any given Sunday" and whatnot…

Unlike in the NFL, in MLB, there are over 10x as many games so the season records pretty well shake themselves out to fairly accurately represent the ability of the team(s).