It was either gonna start this season or next season...

 

Should bring more fans to the game-though I don't like it when too many teams make the playoffs in a sport as then it causes the regular season to be less competitive.

 

 

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, MLB is expected to announce expanded playoffs on Thursday.

It's about time. MLB commissioner Bud Selig pushed for expanded playoffs to begin this season, but the matter was held up for weeks in order to figure out scheduling. Under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, there will be two wild card teams in each league instead of one. The two wild cards will then play each other in a one-game playoff, with the winner advancing to the Division Series.

 

https://twitter.com/...934868373942273

Just hand us the trophy.

stupid

Im a fan.

Im a fan.

 

I, too, am a fan.

Would you like to set my power to 3 to cool off?

Im a fan.

 

I, too, am a fan.

Would you like to set my power to 3 to cool off?

 

Yes Please

 

 

Now according to an article on SI, there is no deadline for a decision. Selig said negotiations will go longer if needed.

It's official now.

 

One change caused by this - In 2012 only, the wild-card will open at home vs the division winner in a 2-3 series setup. This was done to eliminate a travel day.

Wont affect us cause we have the East wrapped

I like it. AL East fans have labeled this the "Red Sox Rule".

It's official now.

 

One change caused by this - In 2012 only, the wild-card will open at home vs the division winner in a 2-3 series setup. This was done to eliminate a travel day.

 

Doesn't the division winner still have to travel that day, after the play-in game, depending on who wins the play-in?

 

That seems silly, unless I'm missing something.

I like it. AL East fans have labeled this the "Red Sox Rule".

 

 

Should be labeled the "Rays Rule."

I like it. AL East fans have labeled this the "Red Sox Rule".

 

 

Should be labeled the "Rays Rule."

 

Why? We didn't miss the playoff two of the last three years.

Doesn't the division winner still have to travel that day, after the play-in game, depending on who wins the play-in?

 

That seems silly, unless I'm missing something.

 

 

Eliminates the travel day before game 5 is what I took from it.

Awesome, I'm stoked.

I like it because it ups our chances of going post season, 2012 is going to be very interesting...

I like it. AL East fans have labeled this the "Red Sox Rule".

 

 

Should be labeled the "Rays Rule."

 

Why? We didn't miss the playoff two of the last three years.

 

Because you're still the third best team in that division, talent-wise; this is great for the Rays.

I hate this so much that I want to club baby seals.

 

I'll spare you the long explanation I've given in the past, but to put it in perspective, if this change had been implemented last season, 9-28-2011 (probably one of the best nights of baseball in our lifetimes) never would have happened. The Red Sox and Braves would have been given a free pass and allowed to live another day despite utterly failing to best their wild card counterparts over the course of a full 162 game season.

 

The Selig regime is absolutely the worst.

But there could be a 9-28-11 between the #5 and #6 teams, while the #4 team could be running away with the wild card spot. I don't think that's 100% fair.

I'm not talking about races coming down to the wire, which will always happen no matter what. I'm concerned more with inferior teams given more chances than they deserve after inferior play over the course of 162 games.

I hate this so much that I want to club baby seals.

 

I'll spare you the long explanation I've given in the past, but to put it in perspective, if this change had been implemented last season, 9-28-2011 (probably one of the best nights of baseball in our lifetimes) never would have happened. The Red Sox and Braves would have been given a free pass and allowed to live another day despite utterly failing to best their wild card counterparts over the course of a full 162 game season.

 

The Selig regime is absolutely the worst.

 

 

Im usually siding with penguino, but this argument makes no sense. It doesn't matter how many teams are in playoff contention, there are always going to be elimination games.

 

Edit:

 

I'm not talking about races coming down to the wire, which will always happen no matter what. I'm concerned more with inferior teams given more chances than they deserve after inferior play over the course of 162 games.

 

 

 

This makes more sense.

Yeah, to clarify, the key point was the downfall of the Braves and Red Sox and their fate. When you add extra playoff spots, you make it easier for such failures to be overlooked.

 

What this change does would have given the Red Sox an extra chance "free pass" to beat the Rays despite the Rays performing better over the course of 162 games. Those 162 games are suddenly made irrelevant as soon as this stupid 1-game series is played.

 

The existence of elimination games isn't the issue.

That makes sense, and I agree. I was thrown off by specifically mentioning 9-28-11, which in my mind (at least upon my initial read) connoted the dramatic finish more than the fact that the Red Sox didn't "deserve" a spot regardless.

I like it. AL East fans have labeled this the "Red Sox Rule".

 

 

Should be labeled the "Rays Rule."

 

Why? We didn't miss the playoff two of the last three years.

 

Because you're still the third best team in that division, talent-wise; this is great for the Rays.

bulls***. they're better than the Sox.

I like it. AL East fans have labeled this the "Red Sox Rule".

 

 

Should be labeled the "Rays Rule."

 

Why? We didn't miss the playoff two of the last three years.

 

Because you're still the third best team in that division, talent-wise; this is great for the Rays.

bulls***. they're better than the Sox.

 

I disagree.

It took significant injuries to the Red Sox rotation in September for that collapse to happen.

 

The Red Sox had a +138 run differential to the Rays +93. One game in the standings doesn't really tell me that one team is clearly better than the other going forward into this year.

What happens if the 2nd Wild Card spot ends up tied? A play-in game for a chance in the play-in game?