The Current Playoff Structure

[evilRyu]

I agree with J to the R-O-C that the teams should be re-grouped based on market size or payroll. You could put the Angels with the Red Sox and Yankees (and maybe the White Sox), and put the Jays with Cleveland, Minnesota, and Detroit. Sprinkle in the other teams as appropriate.

The schedule is currently unbalanced anyway so you could make sure the Angels don't over travel.


Either that or you need a salary cap - too many teams need a miracle to make the playoffs. When my teams miss the playoffs, I want it to be because of management stupidity or players underachievment as is the case with the Leafs and Raptors.

I don't think you can do it that way.... teams always go through different stages in its lifecycle.. The Jays were once the money-spenders. Teams would then strategically find ways to sneak into the "easier" division by manipulating salaries and whatnot

[Natural11]

I've been an advocate of this for a long time. With the huge discrepency in team salaries, certain clubs are doomed to failure almost every year. Pretty depressing entering a 162 game season pretty much knowing you won't make the playoffs. Expanding the playoff structure would give these clubs something to play for and get the fans back into the small markets.

[SharoneWright]

Why mess with perfection? Its a great little tournament.

[Natural11]

Why mess with perfection? Its a great little tournament.

Yeah, it's perfect that the Jays (and others) haven't made the play-offs in over 15 years. Really makes it sweet to be a baseball fan, when most of your season is essentially garbage time.

[_venom_]

I mean really, if you're a Kansas City Royals fan what do you have to look forward to every single baseball season? Nothing. The fans in KC know that they will never be able to make the playoffs or even compete with the system the way it is. You can say that they get to develop young players but as soon as those players can leave, they do leave and then they start over again. If you change the playoff system to 6 or 8 (I guess it does make sense that teams wouldn't want a bye) then KC fans might actually think they have a shot at making the playoffs. The teams management would also be more willing to spend money since there are more spots available in the playoffs. I don't understand why people are so in love with the current format. Every year it's pretty much the same teams competing in the playoffs and it gets pretty stale. Sure once in a while you get a surprise team in (Marlins every few years when they actually spend money) but those cases are few and far between. I think baseball needs to make a change.

[Schad]

Mark my words, the Royals will make the post-season at least once between 2011-2015. Their farm system is good and getting better; remember when everyone considered the Rays a lost cause for years? These things are cyclical, even for the worst organizations.

As for the 'every year it's the same teams' statement, here are the number of teams from 2008 that made the playoffs in 2007, number from 2007 that made 'em in 2006, and so forth:

2008 -> 2007: 4 teams.
2007 -> 2006: 1 team.
2006 -> 2005: 3 teams.
2005 -> 2004: 6 teams.
2004 -> 2003: 4 teams.
2003 -> 2002: 5 teams.
2002 -> 2001: 5 teams.
2001 -> 2000: 5 teams.

That's quite a bit of turnover, and if you notice, it's getting less predictable.

[SharoneWright]

Why mess with perfection? Its a great little tournament.

Yeah, it's perfect that the Jays (and others) haven't made the play-offs in over 15 years. Really makes it sweet to be a baseball fan, when most of your season is essentially garbage time.

Settle down Bill-O...

I guess we had better start winning a bit more often then.
Rewarding mediocrity doesn't get me all jazzed up.

[evilRyu]

Mark my words, the Royals will make the post-season at least once between 2011-2015. Their farm system is good and getting better; remember when everyone considered the Rays a lost cause for years? These things are cyclical, even for the worst organizations.

Well of course you can throw statements around like that, no one's going to bother disputing it, or bumping this thread in 2015

Let's just hope the Jays can make it to the post-season before that as well