MLB playoff format needs change

2

by user Pnatt

This year 6 teams with a winning record (greater than .500%) have missed out on the MLB Playoffs.

These teams include:
Chicago White Sox (90-72, .556%)
Los Angeles Angels (89-73, .549%)
Toronto Blue Jays (87-75, .537%)
Boston Red Sox (86-76, .531%)
Philadelphia Phillies (85-77, .525%)
Houston Astros (82-80, .506%)

To me it is very unfortunate that so many teams with a winning record missed out on the playoffs. For all of the above organizations (especially the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Toronto Blue Jays) I'm sorry that you missed out on the playoffs due to MLB's stingy playoff structures. I wish these organizations good luck for next season and hope that they try harder so that their pitching squads will drop dead as that's what MLB seems to want.

Date

Tue 10/03/06, 5:09 am EST

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Bball3345Draft Pick

1171 days ago

Score 5

Houston was only 2 games above .500. Oakland DID MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. Toronto and Chicago were third in their division. Everyone can't make the playoffs. You have to do more than JUST win more than you lose.

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Bball3345Draft Pick

1171 days ago

Score 2

I like how this started out at like 8 worthy teams, but has been widdled down to only four.

Bball3345Draft Pick

1171 days ago

Score 8

If everyone with a winning record makes the playoffs, then GMs will only try to make their team a .500 team, rather than a true title contender.

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PnattRed-Shirting

1171 days ago

Score -9

I think it's pretty clear that MLB needs to do something to fix this gross problem.

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XinophDraft Pick

1171 days ago

Score 2

Why? It's not a problem. The best teams should have made the playoffs, and they did. Get over it.

PnattRed-Shirting

1171 days ago

Score -6

I disagree. I lost interest in the sport because of the playoff shit. It's UNAUSTRALIAN!!

PnattRed-Shirting

1170 days ago

Score -4

Why does this keep getting minuses??

PnattRed-Shirting

1170 days ago

Score -4

or negatives whatever

PnattRed-Shirting

1169 days ago

Score -2

Why does this keep getting minused?

ASwaffAll-American

1171 days ago

Score 4

Much as I would have liked to see my Astros make the playoffs this year, they just didn't earn it. They played badly for most of the season, and I would have been a little disappointed if they'd gotten in because they happened to win a few in the middle of St. Louis' spectacular implosion. I'd say the Angels and the Astros, with their pitching, are built to succeed in the playoffs, maybe more than some teams that made it (Mets, Tigers). But, they didn't perform during the season. I have a hard time feeling sorry for a team that flat-out didn't earn it.

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Anonymous Fanatic #1

1171 days ago

Score 3

Pnatt, do you get some sort of sick, sexual pleasure from clicking the on the minus button? There's really no other way to explain why you'd click it so much otherwise.

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Jgov05All-American

1168 days ago

Score 1

WHy do A-fans always make the funniest comments?

Anonymous Fanatic #2

1171 days ago

Score 2

they have 162 games to make their case, if they cannot then they don't deserve to be inthe playoffs.

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PnattRed-Shirting

1171 days ago

Score -6

Ohh really? That's a really narrow minded view of it...

XinophDraft Pick

1171 days ago

Score 2

No, it's not narrow-minded at all. It's just different from yours. Stop insulting people just because they have different opinions.

Anonymous Fanatic #2

1171 days ago

Score 0

you are too ignorant to understand american sports.

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Bleeding GreenVarsity

1171 days ago

Score 2

it is funny that most of the teams that played the best down the stretch missed the playoffs (in the NL anyway)

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BigPPupMajor Leaguer

1171 days ago

Score 5

And they say those games in April and May dont matter... tell that to the Stros or the Marlins.

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XinophDraft Pick

1171 days ago

Score 2

Only ignorant commentators say April and May don't matter. You have to build a team that competes for the entire season, not a few months at a time. That's been one of the consistent problems the Red Sox have had, is that instead of building true contenders, they've been building streaky teams that slide into the playoffs just barely.

Anonymous Fanatic #2

1171 days ago

Score 3

all games matter, right? you have a long season, but that's baseball. that is why baseball is so great.

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PnattRed-Shirting

1171 days ago

Score -8

I disagree. 162 is too long. And it doesn't make baseball great.

XinophDraft Pick

1171 days ago

Score 4

Why is 162 games too long? Try giving a reason for something once in a while, Pnatt, and people might take you a *little* more seriously

PnattRed-Shirting

1170 days ago

Score -4

It's too long because most Australians would be shocked to find out that MLB has 162 regular season games!!

PnattRed-Shirting

1170 days ago

Score -4

And besides the NHL and the NBA each have 82 and the NFL has 16 so it's obvious that's it's too many!

PnattRed-Shirting

1170 days ago

Score -3

Why do they need to play so many games anyway?

PnattRed-Shirting

1170 days ago

Score -3

Americans reduce the integrity of sports.

XinophDraft Pick

1169 days ago

Score 0

Most Australians don't watch baseball, so the opinions of most Australians on the length of the season doesn't matter.

XinophDraft Pick

1169 days ago

Score 0

The integrity of baseball would be ruined by having a shorter season. Just because the NHL and NBA do it doesn't make it good - MLB makes more money, and has more fans, than both those leagues. What's right for one sport isn't for another. If you don't understand that, you're a moron. Should every sport just have 16 games, because that's the length of the NFL season? Should the NBA season be shorter because Romanians don't like it? What other leagues do, and the opinions of other countries whose residents don't watch the sport or buy tickets to the games, is irrelevant Grow up.

ThecrookedcapAll-Star

1171 days ago

Score 0

This is a call for the expansion of the playoffs. As a diehard Phils fan, this would have seriously been great over the last two seasons, where my team actually finished with a better record than a playoff team in the National League (San Diego last year, St. Louis this year). However, I like the playoff system the way it is. The exclusivity is one of the charms of the thing. I often think that the other leagues playoffs have way too many teams. Plus, another series would add yet another week onto the playoffs and would push the World Series towards November, which in the Midwest and Northeast are usually either really mild or bitter cold. The World Series is an October institution and should remain that way.

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IcemanvtWaterboy

1171 days ago

Score 1

As a Jays fan, I would've liked for the Jays to have made the playoffs just to see them on tv, but there's no way that this team deserved to make the playoffs. That would be rewarding JP for building a flawed team and not making the corrections to fix those flaws. Each of the teams listed above all had their flaws and did not play at a high level the entire season. Houston especially had their chance to make the playoffs, but didn't get it done. As much as we would like to live in a world where everyone can be a "winner", you have to make a distinction somewhere and that's what the regular season is for.

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DennisODellTee-Baller

1171 days ago

Score 2

Those teams had 162 opportunities to separate themselves from everyone else. I don't feel sorry for them. There is no problem to be fixed. If you can't distinguish yourself after 162 games, you deserve your fate. As for one team in one division winning that division with a worse record than a team that didn't make the playoffs, well, you know what you need to do to win your division. Do it. Again, you have 162 opportunities to figure it out.

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Anonymous Fanatic #3

1170 days ago

Score 2

Not only that but by increasing the playoff pool you disenfranchise the importance of the regular season. I for one, found it awesome that the astros fought all the way back to make it close, that the twins stole first and knocked out the w. sox, and that the races for wild card in aug/sept were so close.

Anonymous Fanatic #2

1171 days ago

Score 2

well said dennis!! 162 games is perfect!! baseball is by far the best sport in the world, probably the galaxy.

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SashaDiv-I Stud

1170 days ago

Score 0

Here Here AF

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1170 days ago

Score 0

Again, the team needs to be better than the other team. If they can not be in first place in 162 games, or win the wild card, then they don't play October baseball. They have to prove themselves in those 162 games, and if they can't be on top, then the team that IS better has the honor of advancing. Bottom line, if you can;t be the best, why play with the best?

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PnattRed-Shirting

1170 days ago

Score -3

Why do the NHL and the NBA have 16 teams in their playoffs then? Surely it's not an error on paper?

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Anonymous Fanatic #3

1170 days ago

Score 2

the most obvious answer is that more playoff teams = more games = more tix to sell at higher prices then reg. season = more revenue for more clubs...

XinophDraft Pick

1169 days ago

Score 0

They're different sports, different leagues. What they do is irrelevant to baseball.

Anonymous Fanatic #4

1170 days ago

Score 0

why are there even teams in mlb, can't they just show up to the park and have pick-up games? i mean all of this teams/divisions/playoffs doesn't this lead to competition? doesn't competition leave someone a loser and make them feel just awful?

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Anonymous Fanatic #3

1170 days ago

Score 0

why do they even play games? why can't we just sit down with a bunch of our mates, have a beer and cracker jax whilst nothing is going on in front of us.

Anonymous Fanatic #3

1170 days ago

Score 2

my bad, I meant have a crappy beer and some meat pies.

PnattRed-Shirting

1168 days ago

Score -2

That sucks.

Anonymous Fanatic #2

1170 days ago

Score -1

why do australians eat meat pies? is it do to utter ignorance? what a pethetic culture (if you can call it that).

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PnattRed-Shirting

1170 days ago

Score -3

Because we're not vegetarian!!

Anonymous Fanatic #2

1170 days ago

Score 0

who cares what aussies are?

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PnattRed-Shirting

1168 days ago

Score -2

umm Americans?

False ProphetAll-Star

1167 days ago

Score 2

It has to do with the wear and tear on a body that the sport causes. Baseball is the least physically demanding each game. Basketball and Hockey are more demanding, and then Playing Football more then once a week is deadly

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Anonymous Fanatic #5

633 days ago

Score 1

seriously 162 regular season games makes it boring and meaningless.....i understand the need of these games but is too much......MLB should take a page from football (soccer) and add some domestic competitions during the season (i.e. FA Cup of England, Copa del Rey in Spain)....the MLB needs these not only to generate excitement but drive attendance up and americans are always obsessed with trophies and hardwares.....so take that into consideration

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