2021 MLB Season Thread

[GirlySports]

Baseball any team can beat any team, just hot pitching.

During the one wildcard team era, 1995 to 2011 (17 seasons) a wildcard team won the world series 5 times, Marlins twice, Angels, Red Sox and Cardinals. They each had to win a 5 game series and two seven game series. This is one reason MLB decided to have a wildcard play in game, to handicap the wildcard team. But here we are, both wildcard teams have advanced to the league championship this year.

More teams usually means more randomness.

Have you ever seen the Japanese playoff system. It's a playoff but it almost ensures (80% of the time) the top two teams will meet in the Final. The two league winners get home advantage in the LCS, the entire series is in their home park and they get a one game advantage, the series starts with Game 2.

[SuperMatt18]

Okay let’s use the Japanese playoffs as a comparable.

It’s a 12 team league, and 6 teams make the playoffs. Top team in each league, plus two other teams.

So 50% of the teams make the playoffs…in the MLB if 50% of the teams make the playoffs you’d have a 15 team playoff system.

If MLB went to a 16 team playoff, but gave the higher seeded team an automatic 1-0 series lead in the first round (which they do in Japan) that would be awesome.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Okay let’s use the Japanese playoffs as a comparable.

It’s a 12 team league, and 6 teams make the playoffs. Top team in each league, plus two other teams.

So 50% of the teams make the playoffs…in the MLB if 50% of the teams make the playoffs you’d have a 15 team playoff system.

If MLB went to a 16 team playoff, but gave the higher seeded team an automatic 1-0 series lead in the first round (which they do in Japan) that would be awesome.

That would be fun. But remember, North American sports wants parity and randomness, and then complain about ratings.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Okay let’s use the Japanese playoffs as a comparable.

It’s a 12 team league, and 6 teams make the playoffs. Top team in each league, plus two other teams.

So 50% of the teams make the playoffs…in the MLB if 50% of the teams make the playoffs you’d have a 15 team playoff system.

If MLB went to a 16 team playoff, but gave the higher seeded team an automatic 1-0 series lead in the first round (which they do in Japan) that would be awesome.

No it wouldn't. Using a tournament to decide a champion works great for hockey and basketball. In baseball where your starting pitcher only plays once every four games, it's not so good.

I want that long season to decide as much as possible when it comes to baseball. Give me 4 playoff teams in each league, make every series a best of 7.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I think the most "baseball is dying" take from last night is that a pitchers duel took 3.5 hours to play out. Like how does that happen? If you can't even get pitchers duels to happen in less than 3.5 hours you are definitely screwed in the long term as far as gaining interest.

Yep. I love baseball and I find these games tense and riveting. But no one has the time for this. They 100% have to fix it. Going to a live game is a 5 hour commitment, easy.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Why only 5 game series in that first round? Why only 8 teams to start with? .

10 teams make the playoffs, not 8.

Mentioned this before, but making the playoffs in baseball used to mean something special. Adding teams to the format makes it less special and doesn't really get you anything other that a bit higher TV ratings.

[Skaloper]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Bad calls happen, but WTF is the point of video review if not to make that a reviewable play?

It’s so frustrating watching a great game and have it ruined by that.

Dodgers 99% likely win anyways but that’s embarrassing as a neutral fan to witness

Exactly, over a 162 game schedule if this happens during the regular season it's not a big deal. The problem here is that it's in possibly the biggest game of the playoffs with two of the best teams where you don't want mistakes from umps to be the deciding factor.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Also doesn't help that in your biggest game of the season you send one of your worst crews to ump the game. Almost as if they wanted controversy to drive some actual talk about the game instead of TNF getting the majority of the talk.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1448818672198324258

[Scornfire]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

10 teams make the playoffs, not 8.

Mentioned this befolre, but making the playoffs in baseball used to mean something special. Adding teams to the format makes it less special and doesn't really get you anything other that a bit higher TV ratings.

Yes, it generally meant you put up more money. FUN

Non Salary Cap League
Half the season is ####ing divisional games

It's a terrible product, sorry

not sorry

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

No it wouldn't. Using a tournament to decide a champion works great for hockey and basketball. In baseball where your starting pitcher only plays once every four games, it's not so good.

I want that long season to decide as much as possible when it comes to baseball. Give me 4 playoff teams in each league, make every series a best of 7.

I'd be in favour of a smaller playoff...but then you need to have more balanced schedules.

Problem with how it's set up now is you have these weird division imbalances, and the imbalanced schedule means that the regular season records are misleading.

Are the records of AL East teams really comparable to the records of AL Central teams? Not really due to the large imbalance in the schedule of who you are playing.

Sports where the regular season decides the champion make sense because they play a perfectly balanced schedule. If the schedule is imbalanced though then to me relying on the regular season is flawed. (I actually think European Soccer has it right - have a perfectly balanced regular season schedule to decide one title, then have a separate "Playoff/Cup" tournament to determine a different champion).

You want to have an 8 team playoff - 4 in each league. Then move to a balanced schedule.

14 teams in your own league - 8 games against each team - 112 games
15 teams in the other league - 3 games against each team - 45 games.

At least everyone in each league is playing the same strength of schedule in that equation.

Originally Posted by DoubleK

10 teams make the playoffs, not 8.

Mentioned this before, but making the playoffs in baseball used to mean something special. Adding teams to the format makes it less special and doesn't really get you anything other that a bit higher TV ratings.

I don't really like the Wild Card and don't count that as real playoffs. 1 game is random and decides nothing.

Either have a real playoff with 16 teams and 7 game series in each round (give the higher seed a 1-0 lead in round 1 if you want to reward the regular season).

Or move to a more balanced schedule with only the top 4 teams in each league advancing (should still be 7 game series in each round).

Right now it's bit of a random mish mash of play in games, short 5 game series, and an imbalanced regular season schedule deciding the outcomes.

[Strange Brew]

I agree with SuperMatt that a more balanced schedule is a must, especially if you're going to keep the WC.

[mrkajz44]

As soon as you come to terms with the fact that the MLB (as well as the NHL for that matter) doesn't really care about the "best team" winning, it's easy to accept things for the way they are.

No salary cap in MLB is by far the most egregious stance, where it's impossible for about half of the league to even dream of a championship.

The opposite is true in NHL, where an extreme premium is put on parity that anyone can get hot and win (plus the officiating in the playoffs makes the game very different).

[Roof-Daddy]

It's so hard to come with a scenario that seems completely fair without a balanced schedule. Only thing you could do is make it one massive division and then all the teams play each other the same amount of games. Unless you do that you're always going to have situations where some team appears to get the shaft in one way or another.

I think the Jays are the team that got shafted the hardest this season. To put up that kind of record against that kind of competition and not even get a single playoff game was a travesty.

Next would be LA with 106 wins having to play a winner take all single elimination game against a team that was red hot down the stretch.

Then I'd say the Giants are third, with the most wins in the entire league at 107 having to play a best of three against the team with the second most wins in the entire league.

[KelVarnsen]

The camera work in this game is a little odd

[flames_fan_down_under]

Kike Hernandez with the incredible catch in CF to rob Brantley of a bases loaded hit to finish the inning. Top of the third he hits a game tying solo homer.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

As soon as you come to terms with the fact that the MLB (as well as the NHL for that matter) doesn't really care about the "best team" winning, it's easy to accept things for the way they are.

No salary cap in MLB is by far the most egregious stance, where it's impossible for about half of the league to even dream of a championship.

The opposite is true in NHL, where an extreme premium is put on parity that anyone can get hot and win (plus the officiating in the playoffs makes the game very different).

MLB has had more diversity in champions them any sport in the past 20 years

But hey , don’t let stats get in the way of emotional statements

Salary caps haven’t proven to actually impact the ability to win a championship.

[Roof-Daddy]

Man, huge homer by Correa.

The Jays should back a dump truck full of money up to him this off season.

27 year old star short stop? Yes please, Bo or no Bo.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

MLB has had more diversity in champions them any sport in the past 20 years

But hey , don’t let stats get in the way of emotional statements

Salary caps haven’t proven to actually impact the ability to win a championship.

I used to be 100% on the salary cap train for all sports but I’ve started to change my mind. Sports need some big villains IMO.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Man, huge homer by Correa.

The Jays should back a dump truck full of money up to him this off season.

27 year old star short stop? Yes please, Bo or no Bo.

Play-wise, sure. Person-wise, hell no. The guy is a conceited dbag, rumored to be at the centre of the trash can controversy. I can do without him just on the way he's handled it. Others have issued a no-comment, he's be an ass about the whole thing.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I used to be 100% on the salary cap train for all sports but I’ve started to change my mind. Sports need some big villains IMO.

It's not fair to fans that buy tickets for the other teams.