flavum

There needs to be more creativity when it comes to not incentivizing losing. That’s where the new CBA comes into play. My thought is that they need draft rules where teams can’t have a 1-1 more than once a decade, and teams can’t have a top 3 pick in consecutive years...or something like that. But just handing out playoff spots is terrible. I could live with 12 like I outlined in my previous post, but 14 out 30 is so bad.

No, it’s bad. The regular season will become even more meaningless. Making the postseason will become less special- way less special. And it’s bad for the players if all that teams do is play for the middle, and then when they come up short, they can sell it to the fans that they tried. I’m hopeful that the MLBPA will realize this is a bad deal for players, and it will bite the dust. The sweet spot for Baseball, is what they have now- 10 out of 30 teams. When they go to 32, 12 playoff teams is fine. But 14 out of 30? It’s actually awful to think about.

95- Tim Anderson 96- Jose Abreu 97- Eloy Jimenez 98- Joc Pederson

Here’s what they could do now before realignment someday: 162 games in 175 days. No doubleheaders. No divisions Play the 4 teams from your current division 11 games (4 series each, 44 games/16 series total) Play the other 10 teams in your league 10 or 11 games (3 or 4 series each, 106 games/32 series total) Play 4 interleague series because you have to, 3 games each (12 games total) 52 series in 25 weeks. Three weeks of three series 2-2-3. One mandatory off day for every player against each team in your league, so it would put an emphasis on roster depth. Every player would max out at 148 games played. Every player would have 27 off days (13 team off days plus 14 individual off days) in 175 days. They currently have 24 off days in 186 days. Top 2 teams in each league get a bye. 3 plays 6; 4 plays 5 in a best-of-3 in three days. Worst seed remaining plays 1; the other plays 2. After that, it’s the same as now. Game 7 of the World Series is 31 days after game 162. Opening Day no earlier than March 30, no later than April 5th Game 7 of the World Series October 21 to 27.

Because they feel like the difference between the 6th and 7th best team isn’t going to be that much, so give it to both and make a TV show out of the first round opponents. It really is making the regular season more boring and making the playoffs less special. It’s really awful. If I see a 79-83 team popping champagne and wearing playoff shirts and hats, I’ll puke. It’s bad enough now as it is.

The White Sox are the last team to win Game 7 of the World Series and lose the series (1919). That’s probably staying that way.

I also have seen that on Twitter. Somebody asked him at Soxfest. If that’s what he wants, cool.

Numbers are up on the Sox site. Gio Gonzalez is taking McEwing’s 47. Madrigal starts with 92. Hopefully 1 on opening day. They didn’t update McEwing, Menechino, or Coolbaugh. Unused- 1, 5, 21, 22, 25, 45, 46, 49 Madrigal would look good with 22. 1 is too cliche for the little guy.

They have played maybe 6, mostly with the interleague series, but increasing that to 30 two-game series? Not happening.

Agree to disagree, but nobody in baseball- owners or players- would ever want to play that many 2-game series. In the late 90s, they had a year or two when they played a bunch of 2-gamers and that ended quickly. Agree, road trips should make more sense to help travel concerns, but most series need to remain 3 or 4 games...maybe 5 if they start building in day/night dh to shorten the season by a week or two.

There’s no way they’re traveling that much to play 2-game series.

Best of 3 to start is at least better than the one and done. Personally, I wouldn’t mind if they went just best-of-5 in the two middle series, and make the World Series the only best-of-7. I think for a lot of fringe fans, the long series in the LCS, they lose interest early on, and they just don’t watch.

Before expansion, they should start with this... Eliminate divisions, two 15-team leagues Play a close to balanced schedule, reduce interleague play to 12 games, and 150 games in the league Top 6 teams make the playoffs, 1 and 2 get a bye, 3 hosts 6, 4 hosts 5 in a best-of-3 at the higher seeds park Worst remaining seed plays 1, and the other two play in the Division Series (or whatever they want to call it) Start there. Try to be a national sport, and not a regional sport. That's MLBs problem right now. If this fails, do whatever you want. Add teams. Realign. Have that stupid rule with batters on 2nd base in extra innings. Whatever.

Top 100 Right Now starts tonight. Tim Anderson cracked the list, which I don’t know if I agree with. Probably didn’t want to leave off the “batting champ”.

I wouldn’t eliminate off days, but when they add two more teams, they could have each team play the other 15 teams 11 games for 165 total (balanced schedule/no interleague play/top 6 make the postseason), with every player only eligible to play 10 games against each team. So individually, every player would max out at 150 games. That would maintain the regular season inventory (actually increase it), plus give players mandatory rest. They could even give coaching staff members/trainers off days, or off series, and bring up minor leagues coaches from time-to-time.

It will have more teams playing for the middle, which is basically the same impact as collusion without colluding. The MLBPA should reject this stupid idea. I have no problem with 10 out of 30 teams or 12 out of 32 making the postseason, but 14 out of 30? Go pound it, Manfred.

I would make Opening Day the first Monday in April every year. And Game 7 of the World Series would be the third Wednesday in October. Season over by October 21 at the latest. That would mean either shortening the season to 150-156, or playing built-in doubleheader’s with more roster rules.

I appreciate the sentiment, but they aren’t going backwards with the amount of playoff teams, nor should they. To me, the difference between the third and sixth best teams in each league usually isn’t that great. I could be on board for 6 in each league. 7? No way. There could be teams under .500 making the playoffs, and that would be embarrassing for MLB.

I think once the TB and Oakland situations clear up, they’ll have a better idea of where they want to place teams. My prediction is Las Vegas and Montréal will have teams by the end of the 20s. If not relocation, expansion.

Exactly. If 32 teams is inevitable, then it should be 16 teams in each league, top 6 make the postseason. 1 and 2 get a bye, 3 hosts 6 , 4 hosts 5 in a best-of-3. Worst seed remaining plays the 1 seed.

No

We’re headed to 32 teams, 2 East Divisions of 8, 1 Central Division of 8, and 1 West Division of 8. The Sox and Cubs will play at least 13 games every year, and baseball will become worse. I fucking hate Manfred.

CBS Sports White Sox roster page has the 40 man numbers updated. Zavala got 44, Cordero got 50. Maybe he can tattoo it on his exposed shoulder.

Gordy Bexx going to Padres camp in his age 33 season.

If it seems like it was Christmas not too long ago, that was 46 days ago. Opening Day is in 46 days! Bring on warmer weather.