In 2012, Major League Baseball implemented the second wild card, modifying a postseason system that had stood since 1994 – though not realized until 1995, due to the 1994-95 strike. The current format is largely preferred over the previous one (at least by you guys) but that does not necessarily mean it is the perfect format. To be continued…
Baseball has seen a steady decline in attendance since 2007’s record-high of 32,696-per-game; this season’s 28,148-per-game is the lowest since 2002. Robert Manfred and Major League Baseball have combated the drop in attendance with immaterial “pace-of-play” rule changes (e.g. making the intentional walk automatic, saving a whopping 1.46 pitches-per-game since its implementation in 2017). In addition, the “Juiced Ball Era” – intentional or not – is here. (And if you don’t believe me, Dr. Meredith Wills has proven it in her draw your own conclusion piece for The Athletic). As a result, this season has outstripped the record set in 2017 by 671 home runs – an increase of 11 percent in just two seasons.
My own conclusion: After losing nearly 20 percent of its fans during the 1994-95 lockout, baseball bounced back because of the longball, made possible by the “Steroid Era.” Single-season home run record chases were exciting and drove attendance. As best as I can tell, Bud Selig not only needed, but enabled the “Steroid Era;” as a result, he became a Hall-of-Famer, while the game’s real heroes (McGwire, Bonds et al). became scapegoats – blackballed by the very game they saved. With steadily-dropping attendance, Rob Manfred is going back to Selig’s playbook. However, with testing in place, he can no longer lean on the broad shoulders of “juiced” players. With no hope of another “Steroid Era,” he has instead enabled the “Juiced Ball Era,” trying to bring fans back to the game the same way that Selig did – with the longball. Different song, same dance. Selig juiced the ballplayers; Manfred juiced the balls. (Now one has to wonder how you scapegoat the ball…)
Unfortunately for the Commissioner, fans are wiser now, and “juiced” longballs have failed to impress. Since I don’t believe shaving a few minutes off a game is going to work either, what is the solution?
I have a number of theories and strategies that could be implemented to combat this. Examples include limiting revenue sharing to force teams to compete (think England’s Premiere League) or abolishing interleague play, which would help to balance strength of schedule and reinvigorate old rivalries. However, for the purpose of this piece, I will talk about just one: expanding the postseason.
This model is best-suited for a situation in which Major League Baseball adds two expansion teams and reverts back to two divisions. In lieu of that, I propose that the top two teams in each division be granted a postseason berth, while the final playoff spots be awarded to each league’s two best remaining records.
From here, teams will be seeded No. 1 through No. 8 (think NHL). Unlike the hockey postseason, however, seeding will be based strictly on team record, NOT where a team finishes in their division.
Structured this way, the 2019 postseason bracket would look like this:
Note that this system requires abolishing the single-game elimination wildcard round, utilizing single-game playoffs only for tiebreakers (i.e. Game No. 163, or more, if necessary). While I concede that single-elimination games can make for great baseball, I think the benefit of including three more playoff teams in each league far outweighs the cost. Besides, I personally believe postseason baseball was meant to be played in a series, not a single game.
The first round would be a three-game series played on three consecutive days entirely at the higher-seeded ballpark, providing “home field advantage.” Note that, compared to the current system, this adds a maximum of two additional days to the postseason. The second round would be a 2-2-1 five-game series, a setup analogous to the current division series. The third round would remain the League Championship Series, but shift the current 2-3-2 setup to a 2-2-1-1-1 format, such as those used in the NHL and NBA. In the event that the series goes beyond a four-game sweep, this adds one extra day. Finally, the World Series would follow the same format as the LCS, again, with the possibility of one additional day.
The Expanded Playoff Payoff…
After coming down to the wire, the Indians – despite winning 93 games – will watch the postseason from home. Expanding the playoffs would ensure that 93-win teams are not left out. In addition, it gives teams (and fan bases) that would otherwise cash in their chips a reason to stay invested deep into the season. So what if a team is 69-68 at the end of August or just below .500 at the trade deadline? There are still potential No. 7 and No. 8 seeds to fill.
In theory, this would keep the ballparks fuller deeper into the season, as even mediocre teams have a fighting chance at postseason glory. Moreover, it enables mid-level teams to remain competitive throughout the grueling 162-game schedule; perhaps, in turn, drawing even more fans and maintaining them for the duration of the season. This will also make teams far less inclined to offload their big league talent to front-running clubs, which only furthers the imbalance of power.
This season is breaking the back of MLB. With a record FOUR teams winning at least 100 games, baseball has experienced a paradigm shift to something not unlike what is seen in the NBA. Some teams have become so dominant, staking sovereign claims over certain divisions and the standings in general. The game is far less competitive that it once was; it is top-heavy… even if, like the juiced ball, that is something Commissioner Manfred denies.
Fans need to start caring again, and let’s face it, a losing record and guaranteed elimination doesn’t usually fill a ballpark. With this system, the playoffs would include more than just Cleveland. We would see the Mets, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Red Sox, and even the Rangers (despite their less-than-stellar 78-84 record). Perhaps an expanded postseason, rather than automatic walks or the removal of left-handed specialists, will help grow the game back to what it once was: our National Pastime.
