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postseason changes under consideration

Could Selection Sunday be coming to Major League Baseball?

MLB is considering a significant restructuring of its playoff format, one which would begin with a dramatic live television show during which two teams from each league would have the ability to select their first-round opponents.

The proposed format, which has been gaining traction among owners and within the Commissioner’s Office, would see the total number of playoff teams in each league increase from five to seven, with the Wild Card round expanding from a one-game playoff to a best-of-three series. The new format could go into effect as early as the 2022 season.

The league’s potential plan was first reported by the New York Post.

Here’s how the new format would work:

The team with the best record in both the American and National League would receive a first-round bye, automatically advancing to the Division Series. The other two division winners would host all three games in a best-of-three Wild Card round, as would the Wild Card team with the next-best record.

Three other Wild Card teams would also advance to the best-of-three round, though none would host a game.

The division winner with the second-best record in the league would then get to decide which of the bottom three Wild Card teams it wants to play in the opening round -- a decision that would be aired on live television on the final Sunday night of the season, just hours after the regular season concludes.

Last season, the Astros would have been the AL’s No. 1 seed based on having the best record in the league, while the Yankees, Twins and Athletics would have hosted three-game Wild Card series.

The Yankees, by virtue of their No. 2 seed, would have then been charged with the assignment of picking their opponent from the grouping of the Nos. 5-7 seeds, which would have been the Rays, Indians and Red Sox.

Once the Yankees had chosen their first-round opponent, the Twins -- who would have been the No. 3 seed based on winning their division -- would then have chosen between the remaining two teams to set up their best-of-three series. The remaining team would then be matched up with the No. 4 seed, who would host all three potential games in the opening round.

Last season, the Mets and D-backs would have been the Nos. 6 and 7 seeds in the NL, respectively, as both teams ended the year on winning streaks that pushed them past the Cubs in the final standings.

The addition of two more postseason teams in each league would keep more teams in the race throughout the season. It would also give teams more incentive to fight for the best overall record in their league, which would be the only way to advance to the Division Series without playing in the Wild Card round.

The best-of-three format in the Wild Card round would set up the potential for as many as 18 first-round games, 12 of which could be elimination games. Every Game 2 would be an elimination game, while a Game 3 would then serve as a win-or-go-home series finale.

As part of the change, MLB would also eliminate any Game 163 tiebreakers, using the season series between clubs to break any ties.


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Some rule changes announced for the coming season. Notably, a pitcher now has to face at least three batters or finish an inning. The end of the LOOGY?
HATE this one. Guy comes in and gives up back to back home runs, you need to leave him out there for a third batter? Doesn't sit right with me at all.

I'm sure in said case the pitcher would be holding his arm in "agony" and there would be an injury exception but still, doesn't make it anywhere near right in my opinion.
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

A runner starts on second base in extra innings. Whilst understanding they may not want games to stretch on for inning after inning this year, this is baseball's version of DRS for me. Entirely fake.

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Absolutely brilliant move by his agent. The fact the Mets couldn't pay a lump sum of $5.5 million in 2001 is somewhat shocking in hindsight.
Wilpon's money was all tied up in Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme at the time [emoji1787]

Utterly bizarre, it runs for about another 15 years and he'll have collected about $35 million by the end.
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4 hours ago, placidcasual said:

Wilpon's money was all tied up in Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme at the time emoji1787.png

Utterly bizarre, it runs for about another 15 years and he'll have collected about $35 million by the end.

Yeah, apparently the Mets had done that prior with Brett Saberhagen. He's 57, hasn't played since 2001 and still gets $250K a year from them.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I watched some of a replay from yesterday's Jays intrasquad game last night before bed, made me realise I actually miss baseball in the summer, I even miss the constant ping of aluminum bat from the diamond across the street from me, delighted now that the game is almost back. Stage 3 of Ontario's reopening plan allows for outdoor gatherings to have 100 attendees so there may be some fans at Jays games, though the Greater Toronto Area and the rest of the Golden Horseshoe area are still in Stage 2 at the moment. 

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9 hours ago, Torpar said:

I watched some of a replay from yesterday's Jays intrasquad game last night before bed, made me realise I actually miss baseball in the summer, I even miss the constant ping of aluminum bat from the diamond across the street from me, delighted now that the game is almost back. Stage 3 of Ontario's reopening plan allows for outdoor gatherings to have 100 attendees so there may be some fans at Jays games, though the Greater Toronto Area and the rest of the Golden Horseshoe area are still in Stage 2 at the moment. 

At this point, I’d be amazed if there’s a 2020 baseball season.

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17 minutes ago, Dysart said:

Blue Jays aren't getting to play any home games this season, looking for a temporary home in the USA rather than playing all games in opponents stadium.

Wonder if they will try to get out of paying the rent for the Rogers Center?

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42 minutes ago, Mark Connolly said:

Wonder if they will try to get out of paying the rent for the Rogers Center?

Centre, it's Canada! 

Hopefully they play in Buffalo, I've been to a game there, thought it was a great little stadium and it's 10 minutes from the border but the players seem to be demanding "big league" facilities which would probably rule out Dunedin too. I think the players want to ground share with someone. 

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