As we enter the final week, the 2017 regular season was not very...........

[WeatherWonk]

10 hours ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

You could serve the same purpose with a best-of-three, which would ensure that the fans in each city get to see their team play at least one game. The wild card teams would have to burn through most of their rotation to survive that.

Baseball isn't a sport that lends itself well to a one-game playoff, IMO.

In an ideal world, this would be great. And to make it more interesting, have the WC #2 team get the first game in their home field. Then, WC #1 gets the next two. One travel day in between. 

If it goes three games, the WC survivor could actually have their #1 starter going no later than game 2 of the LDS.

But it's going to be difficult to get it in under the new CBA that mandates more days off during the year.

[stormngt]

On 9/27/2017 at 4:42 AM, Scioscia4MVP said:

What if they removed 5 games from the regular season from each team & add another round to the playoffs with a total of 8 playoff teams in each league ? First two rounds would be best of 5 games, then 7 games for the last two. This system would guarentee Trout sees the playoffs.

Trout had a chance for the playoffs this year and didn't play up to his level.  I don't have sympathy for Trout not making the playoffs.  

[Vegas Halo Fan]

14 hours ago, WeatherWonk said:

In an ideal world, this would be great. And to make it more interesting, have the WC #2 team get the first game in their home field. Then, WC #1 gets the next two. One travel day in between. 

If it goes three games, the WC survivor could actually have their #1 starter going no later than game 2 of the LDS.

But it's going to be difficult to get it in under the new CBA that mandates more days off during the year.

That is exactly what I had in mind. That way there is only one road trip.

[Angel Oracle]

On 9/27/2017 at 10:21 AM, Jeff Fletcher said:

I like the one game. The problem with having one wild card was that wild card really went into the playoffs with no disadvantage compared to a team that had won its division. There had been seasons in which 2 teams were close for the division title, but there was little incentive for either to win because both were going to the playoffs. 

Also, as I've said many times, the purpose of the playoffs is not to identify the best team. The purpose of the playoffs is to create excitement (and TV ratings) which comes from significant importance hinging on small samples of games. That's why people watch. 

I am hopeful that MLB never again expands the post-season.   Keep themselves unique enough from the other sports and their largest post-season membership.   The regular season doesn't mean nearly as much in those sports.

[WeatherWonk]

4 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

I am hopeful that MLB never again expands the post-season.   Keep themselves unique enough from the other sports and their largest post-season membership.   The regular season doesn't mean nearly as much in those sports.

I would be for reducing the regular season by 2-4 games and going with a three game series between the WC clubs. But nothing beyond that. Five clubs out of fifteen is the most I would want in the playoffs.

[Mark68]

On 9/28/2017 at 12:14 AM, Jeff Fletcher said:

There's not that much difference between 1 game and best of 3. You can't have the division winners waiting so long to play a best of 3. 

Actually, I think a best of 3 for the WC would help the division winners. It would allow them to set their rotation (especially helpful if the division came down to the final weekend) and allow some banged-up and tired players to heal and rest. It could work quite well to their advantage. They could be facing a wild card winner that is physically and emotionally taxed and has a rotation that is out of sorts.

[arch stanton]

I really like the idea of 1 game. Any more is just a tv money grab

[Jeff Fletcher]

2 hours ago, Mark68 said:

Actually, I think a best of 3 for the WC would help the division winners. It would allow them to set their rotation (especially helpful if the division came down to the final weekend) and allow some banged-up and tired players to heal and rest. It could work quite well to their advantage. They could be facing a wild card winner that is physically and emotionally taxed and has a rotation that is out of sorts.

They already have 3 or 4 days off. That's plenty of time to set their rotation. You want to make that 5 or 6?

[Blarg]

On 9/28/2017 at 7:13 AM, WeatherWonk said:

In an ideal world, this would be great. And to make it more interesting, have the WC #2 team get the first game in their home field. Then, WC #1 gets the next two. One travel day in between. 

If it goes three games, the WC survivor could actually have their #1 starter going no later than game 2 of the LDS.

But it's going to be difficult to get it in under the new CBA that mandates more days off during the year.

Too complex, Wildcard 1 gets all three games. No travel downtime and it's the one perk of having the best record of the also ran.

[Adam]

Triple header!

[Angel Oracle]

I'm torn as to whether I want the Halos to be swept and thus improve their draft position, or sweep the M's to finish at .500.

A .500 finish would still net them the 18th pick.    The 15th pick in 2014 netted them Newcomb, who in turn netted them Simba. 

[Jobu]

Just now, Adam said:

Triple header!

Final roster spot by fan vote!

[Blarg]

That would be pretty awesome but really screw with it and make them little league length starting at 9am and straight through until done.

1 minute ago, Adam said:

Triple header!

 

[Blarg]

1 minute ago, Angel Oracle said:

I'm torn as to whether I want the Halos to be swept and thus improve their draft position, or sweep the M's to finish at .500.

This season is in the books but the draft is still ready for a big win. Play for the pick.

[Dick B Back]

3 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

I'm torn as to whether I want the Halos to be swept and thus improve their draft position, or sweep the M's to finish at .500.

I always want them to kick the Dipotos asses. Also, seeing Trout hit his 200th HR would be nice.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Dick B Back

[Mark68]

12 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

They already have 3 or 4 days off. That's plenty of time to set their rotation. You want to make that 5 or 6?

Consider this proposal:

Next season, all games begin at the same time on the final day of the season, I assume it's Sunday afternoon.

The wild card teams play in the 2nd wild card holder's stadium for the first game, with, say, the WC games being Monday evening, then travel to the 1st wild card holder's park on Tuesday for games Wednesday and Thursday, then have the winner travel to play the third seed in the Division Series on Friday.

Two games a day (one AL, one NL, one at 5 PM EDT, one at 8 PM EDT).

This makes it a disincentive to get a wild card, and the division winners get Mon-Thu off.

If the wild card series winner is tired when they start the Division Series, too bad, you should have won your division. Or won the Wild Card series in two games.

[krAbs]

[respectful disagreement to OP while acknowledging his points and frustration]

[Jeff Fletcher]

34 minutes ago, Mark68 said:

Consider this proposal:

Next season, all games begin at the same time on the final day of the season, I assume it's Sunday afternoon.

The wild card teams play in the 2nd wild card holder's stadium for the first game, with, say, the WC games being Monday evening, then travel to the 1st wild card holder's park on Tuesday for games Wednesday and Thursday, then have the winner travel to play the third seed in the Division Series on Friday.

Two games a day (one AL, one NL, one at 5 PM EDT, one at 8 PM EDT).

This makes it a disincentive to get a wild card, and the division winners get Mon-Thu off.

If the wild card series winner is tired when they start the Division Series, too bad, you should have won your division. Or won the Wild Card series in two games.

The players and the TV networks would never go along with that. 

Also, they need to save the Monday after for a potential tiebreaker game. 

[Mark68]

52 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

The players and the TV networks would never go along with that. 

Also, they need to save the Monday after for a potential tiebreaker game. 

If there were a tiebreaker, they could move the series start dates back, it's not like they haven't done that before. It's kind of what the networks do now, with TBS handling games X, Y, Z, and Fox handling games A, B, C.

But yeah, the players would probably not be on board.