Replies

Perhaps, but all 3 NL Central qualifiers could end up many games better than the West Div. Dodgers, and one WC game to decide doesn’t seem right. And teams that clinch rest their top players.

Different schedules. I agree with BlackElk, and go with NO playoffs, just World Series. The flip side of divisions with wild cards enabling the deserving runners-up, are teams winning a weak division, who have no business going ANYwhere. In the NFL, the Seahawks went 7-9, won a bad divison, and got to host (and win) a playoff game. In baseball, the 1973 Mets won the Eastern division with a .509 record, and managed to win the five game playoff to get steamrollered by the A's in the World Series. These short series also exaggerate the importance of having a couple of top starting pitchers (this benefited the Dodgers greatly in their last WS appearance, as Orel Hershiser pretty much carried the whole team.)

Of course, even in the good ol' days you had the occasional tie and one game tie breaker (B'klyn Dodgers-NY Giants, and Yankees-Red Sox, Dodgers-Astros in the pre-wildcard division playoff days). I think after 156/162 games, it is safe to say that either team would deserve to represent the League/Division, but only one can.

I would put up with all of it if they didn't give us regular season interleague play as well.