Monday, October 12, 2009

MLB 2009 -- Post Season: Seven Game Series, Please




Joe Torre expressed his dislike for the first round playoff format where it takes three games to win the series. One wonders how Torre feels now since the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the St. Louis Cardinals in three games.

Sweeps are the trend this year. The California Angels swept the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees swept the Minnesota Twins. A moment of silence folks, there will be no more baseball in the Metrodome.

We agree with Torre’s assessment before the series. The format should be consistent in all three rounds, the best four of seven. Since divisional rivals have already played division rivals eighteen times, we’d probably suggest that teams from the same division should not meet.

A three of five series does not really give teams to prove who is most deserving. Stack up two hot starters and set them to repeat and bingo, on to round two. The playoffs should be more of a test of the whole team, its depth, and ability to adapt. Likewise, somehow, it doesn’t do justice to think a team like the Yankees who won 103 games could lose to a team that only won 87 games. The Yankees prevailed and won in three straight, but front runners have been cut down by teams with just slightly over a .500 record. That hardly does justice to a 162 game regular season.

The only downside of moving the divisional round is adding two more dates to the calendar and possibly one extra day for travel. How late do fans want the baseball season to run given how many teams could play in very could climate in early November.

For the LA-LA teams and the New York Yankees, it’s time to prepare for the League Championship Series. Philadelphia and Colorado play again in Denver with Philadelphia holding a 2-1 lead. Should Philadelphia lose, the series would return to Philadelphia for the decisive game.

The teams starting with home field advantage went 5-1 at home and then all of them won game three on the road. If teams had to prepare for seven games, might they have had to strategize differently? Regardless, wouldn’t a seven game series provide for better post season competition which truly gives the 162 game regular season justice?

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