Chris - Nice thoughts on this, but after watching my beloved Dodgers struggle mightily through three games I'm not confident a seven-game series would turn out any different.
The layoff didn't seem to hurt the Astros. Jose Altuve hit a home run on the first pitch that he saw in Game 1.
In retrospect, I think adding a 3rd wild card team was a mistake. Go back to just 2 wild cards, and let them play a single game to advance to the divisional round....because those winner-take-all games were a lot of fun. That will eliminate the long layoff for the division winners. Also, make both the division and championship series a best-of-7.
I agree with you on most things, but definitely not here.
First, the Astros got their time off and did just fine.
Second, I’m betting most players relish the opportunity to get a break, recharge, pitchers rest their arms.
Bottom line for me, the Braves, Orioles and Dodgers just straight up choked! Talking about a rest as a disadvantage is just an excuse for them not getting the job done.
From a story in The Athletic using quotes from Braves’ ace Spencer Strider:
Nevertheless, Strider was asked, wouldn’t a different postseason format be more fair — maybe a best-of-seven Division Series instead of best-of-five, for instance?
“No,” he replied. “I think that the people (who are) trying to use the playoff format to make an excuse for the results they don’t like are not confronting the real issue. You’re in control of your focus, your competitiveness, your energy. And if having five days off (means) you can’t make that adjustment, you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.”
I’m excited about the ALCS; the rivalry between the Rangers and Astros should make for a fascinating series. The NLCS isn’t as interesting to me, but the Phillies and Diamondbacks earned their spots by dominating the Braves and Dodgers.
You can blame the extra rest, but last year the 1 and 2 seeds both made the ALCS despite the hinderance of a few days off and a ALDS 5-game series.
I don’t buy blaming the playoff system because two fantastic regular season teams face planted in the playoffs for the second year in a row. There are better reasons to push for a 7 game divisional series, such as, “Playoff baseball is great, and we’d like more of it, please!”
I've been hearing this whining going on for two weeks now. Answer me this: if you went to those 100+ win clubs and said "Okay, you have the option to switch places with the two highest Wild Card teams...you will play in the opening Best of Three, and the wild card teams will have to wait five days." Are the Braves, Dodgers, or Orioles raising their hands to do this? Didn't think so....
Expanded playoffs is such a joke. They play 162 games to establish who the best teams are. Why play all those games if you're just going to let everyone in?
I view the MLB playoffs like the NCAA basketball championship tourney. I wish every lower seed would upset every higher seed. I always root for the underdog. So this year's playoffs are awesome for me.
Like it or not, the D-backs are a really good team. Sure, they had a major slump mid-season, but like you said, it’s the ups and downs of a season, and the way a team responds. To my mind, the way a team finishes matters. The Diamondbacks have finished strongly, whether they beat the Phillies or not. If you loathe the Phillies, cheer for them! They have some exciting young players.
I totally agree Chris. What about a 154 game schedule? One week less of the regular season which gives time to play best 4 of 7 in the Division Series.
Go Phillies!
I respectfully disagree--Go Phillies!
Chris - Nice thoughts on this, but after watching my beloved Dodgers struggle mightily through three games I'm not confident a seven-game series would turn out any different.
The Dodgers were shelled. They would have lost a 7, or even a 9 game series.
The traditional Clayton Kershaw playoff collapse.
The layoff didn't seem to hurt the Astros. Jose Altuve hit a home run on the first pitch that he saw in Game 1.
In retrospect, I think adding a 3rd wild card team was a mistake. Go back to just 2 wild cards, and let them play a single game to advance to the divisional round....because those winner-take-all games were a lot of fun. That will eliminate the long layoff for the division winners. Also, make both the division and championship series a best-of-7.
This is really what we're worried about this week? A game that can lose out to maintaining interest in paint drying on a wall?
Hey Chris (Rangers fan here down in Fort Worth).
I agree with you on most things, but definitely not here.
First, the Astros got their time off and did just fine.
Second, I’m betting most players relish the opportunity to get a break, recharge, pitchers rest their arms.
Bottom line for me, the Braves, Orioles and Dodgers just straight up choked! Talking about a rest as a disadvantage is just an excuse for them not getting the job done.
From a story in The Athletic using quotes from Braves’ ace Spencer Strider:
Nevertheless, Strider was asked, wouldn’t a different postseason format be more fair — maybe a best-of-seven Division Series instead of best-of-five, for instance?
“No,” he replied. “I think that the people (who are) trying to use the playoff format to make an excuse for the results they don’t like are not confronting the real issue. You’re in control of your focus, your competitiveness, your energy. And if having five days off (means) you can’t make that adjustment, you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.”
I’m excited about the ALCS; the rivalry between the Rangers and Astros should make for a fascinating series. The NLCS isn’t as interesting to me, but the Phillies and Diamondbacks earned their spots by dominating the Braves and Dodgers.
You can blame the extra rest, but last year the 1 and 2 seeds both made the ALCS despite the hinderance of a few days off and a ALDS 5-game series.
I don’t buy blaming the playoff system because two fantastic regular season teams face planted in the playoffs for the second year in a row. There are better reasons to push for a 7 game divisional series, such as, “Playoff baseball is great, and we’d like more of it, please!”
I've been hearing this whining going on for two weeks now. Answer me this: if you went to those 100+ win clubs and said "Okay, you have the option to switch places with the two highest Wild Card teams...you will play in the opening Best of Three, and the wild card teams will have to wait five days." Are the Braves, Dodgers, or Orioles raising their hands to do this? Didn't think so....
Expanded playoffs is such a joke. They play 162 games to establish who the best teams are. Why play all those games if you're just going to let everyone in?
I view the MLB playoffs like the NCAA basketball championship tourney. I wish every lower seed would upset every higher seed. I always root for the underdog. So this year's playoffs are awesome for me.
As a diehard Braves fan still very much in mourning, this might be the best Chris Cillizza take yet.
1. Expand baseball to 32 teams
2. 8 teams in each league make playoffs (16 total)
3. Every series is 7 games (this only adds about 9 days to the schedule)
4. If it’s too long reduce the regular season to 154 (good time for the change with all the rule changes and new ways of looking at stats)
.
Three division winners and only ONE wildcard team from each league, with every series being best of seven games
.
Like it or not, the D-backs are a really good team. Sure, they had a major slump mid-season, but like you said, it’s the ups and downs of a season, and the way a team responds. To my mind, the way a team finishes matters. The Diamondbacks have finished strongly, whether they beat the Phillies or not. If you loathe the Phillies, cheer for them! They have some exciting young players.
I totally agree Chris. What about a 154 game schedule? One week less of the regular season which gives time to play best 4 of 7 in the Division Series.
Baseball in November? Brrrrrrr!
Oh, boo hoo.
We could go back to 2 8-team leagues and 1 round of playoffs to choose the World Series champion.
Maybe put the Dodgers back in Brooklyn and the Braves back in Milwaukee. Orioles fans would be happy since there'd be no baseball in Texas.
Obviously you meant put the Braves back in Boston.