They’ve confirmed a 16-team playoff system for this year. Top two teams from each division qualify, plus two wild cards in each league. The first round will be a best of three, and all three games are hosted by the top seed.
So more than half the teams make the “playoffs”? Great. It’s pretty certain we’ll have a few under-.500 teams that qualify. Can we water it down any further? Maybe the top seeds could start each inning with a man on second?
(Which makes me think: When they get to the “playoffs”, I hope they won’t play with that silly extra-inning rule. They’re gonna play real baseball then, right?)
I know MLB is salivating with the idea of permanent expanded playoffs and all that beautiful money rolling in. It’s the only the weather that really limits them now.
For this season and this season only, fine. The Nats have a dumb loss and the Yanks a cheap win because of the short game last night. Too many weird things can happen in a 60 game season.
But I’ll definitely lose some long term interest if they keep expanding the playoffs and get to NBA levels of insanity.
They said the extra-innings man-on-second rule will be only for the regular season.
The Blue Jays have just announced that they will be playing “majority” of their 2020 home games in Buffalo. They don’t state where any other home games might be played, and I suspect that that’s a moving target.
Good they have some plan in place.
Last night’s game showed me that I’m probably not going to be as invested as usual in the Nats winning or losing. A playoff appearance or lack thereof just won’t mean much this season. Now if a team sneaks into the playoffs unexpectedly and shakes things up I would expect that team’s fans to savor the surprise.
The ESPN broadcast of last night’s Giants @ Dodgers game began with their pregame analysis, then they went to a commercial. When they came back from commercial the Giants had a runner on base.
Yes, they missed the opening pitch of the baseball season (at least, on the West Coast).
You Had One Job.
Diehard Nats fan here. I found myself curiously uninterested in the proceedings last night. It felt like an exhibition game, not the real thing. The rule changes don’t help with that, either.
As a Tiger fan, the shortened season and expanded playoffs, and general chaos move their Playoff chances from 0% to about 5%, So I am much more excited than I would have been for a normal season.
Mariners fan, feeling the same way.
This is exactly what I was talking about above. Hell, it’s fine with me if both the Tigers and Mariners sneak in. It isn’t that I wouldn’t like the Nats to play in the 2020 “World Series” (which isn’t likely, IMHO); I’m just as intrigued by the possibility of a Cinderella team making some noise in the playoffs.
In a moment of truth, ESPN might admit that it is their job to show you as many commercials as possible.
(brought to you by Carl’s Jr.)
I am looking forward to seeing my Astros back on the field, but I hope they’ve been practicing their ducking and dodging skills at the plate. I suspect the pandemic hasn’t dampened the feeling that justice was not served after they, uh, ch… che… ch… were less than sportsmanlike in their play a couple of years ago.
Remind me again why the Texas Rangers needed a new stadium. Yes, I know, money.
Damn thing looks ugly.
Frickin’ Kyle Hendricks, channeling Greg Maddux against the Brewers. Guy threw a 3-hit complete game shutout for the Cubs, struck out 9, with zero walks, and only 103 pitches. Also, the game clocked in at 2:30. It’s like it was a game from 1991. 
He didn’t have a single pitch above 90 mph!
There is no bigger baseball traditionalist then I…and i said the the extra-inning rule was a dealbreaker…but I didnt hate it as much as I thought I would.
I assume the Indians will use the ‘Cleveland’ jerseys all season long.
Is max attendance location specific?
I am sort of watching the Brewers at Wrigley and in addition to the above mentioned rooftops, there are definitely some folks in the stands.
Just curious, Brian