February 12th, 2020 at 8:00 am 
by 0799291000348 About this same time last year, just as teams were preparing to open spring training camps in preparation for the 2019 season, we were discussing various rules changes that were being considered by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association: 20-second pitch clocks; lowering and/or moving the pitching mound; balls and strikes determined electronically; requiring pitchers to face a minimum of three batters when entering a game; further restrictions on number of mound visits; universal designated hitter; etc.
Now, just as fans are ready for spring training 2020 to begin, the New York Post reported on Monday that MLB is now considering significant changes to its postseason tournament which, if implemented, will further degrade the most prestigious title in professional sports – the World Series championship.
Although the plan must first be negotiated with the MLBPA, it could be implemented as soon as the 2022 postseason and could include:
- Expanding the number of postseason teams from five to seven in each league;
- The team with the best record in each league receiving a bye and go directly to the Division Series;
- Other division winners, and the wild card team with the next best record, would host all three games in a best-of-three wild-card round;
- The other wild cards would have no first-round home games;
- Division winners with the second-best record in a league would pick its wild card opponent, then the other division winner would pick, leaving the last two wild cards to play each other. Yes, you read that right, teams get to pick their first-round opponents, and it would be done on live television.
You read that last bullet correctly, teams get to pick their first-round opponent! Think about the Atlanta Braves deciding whether to play the Arizona Diamondbacks or the New York Mets if this format had been in place for the 2019 postseason and all three games would have been played in Atlanta.
Under this proposal, 14 of the 30 MLB teams would make the postseason; effectively the six-month regular season would be played to eliminate just over half of the teams from the playoffs.
Why?
M-O-N-E-Y!
MLB does have problems. Declining attendance (seven consecutive seasons), and the unpopular postseason wild-card format are high on the list. Link those two issues with MLB preparing to negotiate a new television deal before 2022, and you can understand the reasoning for the proposed changes – M-O-N-E-Y!
The World Series, the October Fall Classic, was cheapened more than a quarter-century ago when the first wild card teams were added to the postseason format. Now, MLB is proposing to further degrade its annual World Championship into just another postseason tournament, using the very long regular season to determine the seeding of teams.
Oft-outspoken Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Trevor Bauer wasted no time in letting MLB commissioner Rob Manfred know exactly what he thought about the proposed changes:
(Image courtesy of Twitter)
That tweet will likely result in a substantial fine for Bauer, but he isn’t wrong.
There are other alternatives for MLB to resolve its problems, but in the end and here again, it is all about the M-O-N-E-Y.
What say you Dodgers fans? Do you like this proposal or portions of it? Or, do you have other suggestions for solving the declining attendance and postseason issues?
Fire away.
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Posted in 
You’re right this is all about money!
Suggestions for solving the declining attendance?
1. Lower the price of the tickets. Follow the Walter O’Malley rule, let them in cheap and beat them up on beer and food prices.
2. Give every fan in attendance a lottery ticket for big prizes. Sounds like the fans would have better odds doing that than their team winning a World Series under the proposed new format.
Agree with Bauer 100%, except he should have said Manfred is a BAD joke.
I like your ideas for improving attendance. I remember many years ago when MLB teams had special nights for ladies, knot-hole members, reduced beer prices, etc. Minor league teams do these things consistently every season to put more fans in the ball park.
Need to go to 4 divisions in each league with divisional winners making the playoffs. A wild card qualifier could be added so that 5 teams make it like now.
I prefer only divisional winners making the postseason keeping the integrity of the reg season.
I am with you 100%, except no wild card — period. MLB could even go to split seasons; 1st half winners v second half winners. Moratorium on trades from opening day until finish of first half. Season takes a one week break for All Star game during which time teams can trade players. Start of second half, no further trades until after the World Series. Obviously a lot would have to be worked out, but MLB and Players Association must work together to improve the current system.
Very interesting.
I’ve thought about 4 divisions in each league, but 4 team divisions aren’t very competitive
I’m usually against change in almost anything, but I feel 100% in favor of this new post season format.
No offense intended, but you are the first MLB fan I have heard / read that likes the proposed changes. I can understand why borderline playoff teams, and the union would like this format, but for me, it further weakens the World Series.
Why is management always trying to “fix” baseball? Its not broken, just the way its presented is broken. Need to speed up the game? There’s too much time between innings. How about fewer commercials so we can get back to the game quicker? Yes, maybe limit trips to the mound and the ridiculous number of pitching changes. And eliminate long replay reviews…or eliminate them.
I say go to 4 divisions. More divisional play. No interleague. 4 division teams in playoffs. All series 4 of 7 games. Keep it simple. Keep it classic.
Amen!
Here’s what I like about this latest idea:
NOTHING!!
I’ve never even liked one wild card, let alone the y’all come playoff system. The post season should be a tournament of champions.
I will acknowledge one appeal to the wild card, that being the possibility of a Dodgers vs. Giants NLCS, but that’s not enough to change my thinking on the subject.
Wild card in sports – a position awarded to a team, or individual, who would otherwise not qualify; e.g., not qualified to participate. Your (and Stevebendodger) proposals are legit starting points for consideration by MLB.
Stupid leave well enough alone and enough to have any wild card if you don’t win your division you don’t belong in the playoffs.
SPOT ON!
I hope that new playoff format falls by the waste side! I mean now there are a couple of division winners in each league who thus would not necessarily reach the division series that they earned the right to be in.. To have to play other WC teams just to reach the LDS under that proposed format is L U D I C R O U S! I hope it’s voted down to be honest.
B/S. It’s just something/anything to get the headlights off MLB’s lack of significant penalties to the AssTros aka changing the subject.
Major League Baseball never appears to miss an opportunity to shoot themselves in the foot. Take for instance the lack of player accountability in the recent cheating scandals. Add to this the whole steroid era thingy and how badly that was handled. Whatever league issue comes about, MLB never seem to address the core of the issue and instead move on to somehow “market” the game for more income.
The problem with this latest attempt to draw focus away from recent MLB headlines and promote a “bigger and badder” postseason, one that is obviously, as Jesse points out, designed to bring in more revenue, is that it completely ignores the death-knell to the future of the league; declining attendance.
It’s no secret that the average age of fans who attend major league baseball games are somewhere in the low 50’s and, those who watch MLB games on TV is much higher. The way the game is structured, monetarily, drives fan attendance primarily from those who tend to have a higher level of discretionary income. Time and again, mortgaging the future of the game is the only solution that the league chooses to address a problem; steroid era, no problem! Let’s juice the ball! MLB wants to grab money from the baby boomers while they still can. They are ignoring the elephant in the room.
Most seats at lower-market MLB games, on any given night throughout the season, are largely empty. Even games from higher-market teams have many extra seats that go unsold. Boxout is correct; ticket prices are way too expensive and, going further, if the league is somehow going to pretend that it will actually grow its fan base for the future of the game, the millennial dollar is where they should be looking. But this demographic, for many political reasons, can be a bit stingy when it comes to spending. Ticket prices are going to have to come way down and while they’re at it, they might want to consider some “lost leader” food items as well.
The game is pricing its future out of their stadiums and if they’re not careful, it won’t matter how much Mookie Betts will sign for in 2021; if the fans don’t come out to the games, nobody will win.
Can you imagine baseball running into Thanksgiving?? Imagine the snow-outs in the cold weather clubs. Get real commissioner.
You did not read the proposal. It only extends the post season by 2 days.
I like the proposal. My first knee jerk reaction was this is a crazy thing to do. When I read about all the positives that would accrue I changed my mind. More teams would fight to the end of the season to position themselves better for the post season or to make the post season. Fewer teams mailing it in. It would actually make it more difficult than now for wild card teams to get to the World Series. There would no longer be a one game wild card were one pitcher can dominate the result. It would create a lot of intrigue and discussion among fans. With more teams fighting for the post season attendance will increase. It will lead to more TV coverage of games. Baseball could use more young fans who are not baseball purists and this is something they would like. Read some positive articles about this proposal and you may change your mind.
There are valid reasons for a change, frankly almost anything would be an improvement over the current format. My issue is that the change further cheapens the World Series. As a couple of other commenters pointed out, there are other ways to structure post season to keep fans interest that does not include “wild card” teams to be added simply to balance the brackets. MLB is already considering when (not if) to expand to 32 teams and realign divisions, then only division winners would be included in the playoffs — until MLB decides to once again include more teams. I may be fighting windmills, but I do not care for the direction Rob Manfred is trying to take the game. How much money is enough?
EXACTLY!!
I’m not in love with the new playoff proposal. Two bad games can ruin a 100 win season. It’s still fresh in my mind that three bad games can ruin a 106 win season.
If they implement this plan then they should make the playoff more challenging for the lower seeded (5,6,7) team. Have a four game series at the higher seeded (2,3,4) team’s park. The higher seeded team needs to win two games to advance while the lower seeded team would need to win three games. This makes an upset more difficult.
Why is attendance declining? Duh! MLBtv, reddit, cable tv broadcasting games every night etc. Why go to the game and sit in the nosebleed section when you can see everything, plus replays and hear announcers in your living room? Yes lowering ticket prices will help but MLB has to recognize the times and adjust.
Excellent point
Love the story on NHL Hockey News: “Leave playoff gimmicks to MLB and keep the NHL post-season just the way it is.” Of course, the NHL playoffs last for the better part of two months.
NHL already has the “y’all come” system. I don’t think it’s possible to get more gimmicky than that.
Yes indeed, hence my reference to their 2 months playoff. Although they do not let their teams select opponents, or have all home games.