Posted on 09/30/2015 7:59:59 AM PDT by Vigilanteman
SAN FRANCISCO -- Reigning MVP Clayton Kershaw pitched the Dodgers to their third consecutive National League West title Tuesday night, besting Madison Bumgarner with a one-hit masterpiece and 8-0 shutout over the defending world champion and arch-rival Giants.
"It feels good to win it," said a champagne-soaked Don Mattingly, the first Dodgers manager to win three straight titles. "I have so much respect for the Giants and Bruce Bochy. They've got a championship-caliber team. Honestly, I didn't want to lose this game tonight and have to go from there. But our guys really battled."
(Excerpt) Read more at m.mlb.com ...
If baseball had any sense, they would have to face the Mets in New York for a one-game play-off for the Wild Card spot.
We are seeing how its possible to win a division with a poorer record than wild card teams.
Yet the wild card teams have to play each other in a 1 game playoff to advance to the next round.
Baseball should look at the playoff structure and make some changes. It looks like both NL wild card teams will have better records than 2 division winners this year.
If baseball had any sense, there would be four leagues of eight teams, no interleague or DH, and winners only in playoffs, after a 154 game schedule.
But, they don’t.
Nice ideas. Would like to go back to the 154 game schedule, so that we aren’t playing World Series games in November. This year game 7,of the World Series is scheduled for Nov. 4th. Why does baseball insist on playing the most important games of the year in bad baseball weather?
Bud Selig once said he didn’t like November baseball and cold weather playoff games. He made it sound like he had no control over the schedule. He was only the commissioner of baseball, only the CEO of the sport. Yet he wanted us to believe that cold weather baseball for playoffs and World Series games just happen that way and nothing can be done about it.
That might help avoid playing World Series games in the snow in November
They could get marketing AND accuracy by guaranteeing playoff slots ONLY to the top three teams and making 4th and 5th best compete for the Wild Card slot, even if they are the division winners. It would be a much better system than they have now with only a minor tweak compared to what you propose.
great...another reason for the Cubs to not win the pennant...November baseball in Wrigley Field.
As a Giants’ fan, that was tough to see, but the Cubs should handle the Dodgers fairly easily if they meet in the playoffs.
But from a marketing viewpoint, it is better to have ten teams competing in post season than four.
And, having 10 playoff teams also helps sustain interest in baseball in the last month of the season. If there are close pennant races, there could be 15 or more teams competing for those ten playoffs spots during September.
Baseball is just like other sports in that respect, in wanting to have many teams competing for playoff spots.
Any football fans who watch the Sports Center type shows, in the last month of the NFL season, as they recount the playoff possibilities and permutations, sees how it’s possible that many many teams can have playoff hopes late in the season. And that sustains fans interest in more cities as they hope their teams make the playoffs.
Yep, if the Cubs are in the Series, get ready for chilly nights at Wrigley Field.
It’s always about the $$$$$$$$$.
Yeah everyone can claim what they want
Giants world series champs 2010 2012 2014
This is a medium volume ping list during the baseball season and a low volume ping list when all life stops in late October.
If you would like to be on the ping list please FReepmail me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.