For the past few months there have been rumors that next season there will be two Wild Card teams that will make the playoffs in each league instead of the current state where one from each league makes it. To this I simply say “WHY?” The final day of the 2011 regular season is the perfect example why the current playoff system is perfect.
If It Works Don’t Break It
There was drama, excitement and national interest in what came down to a great Wild Card race, and it would of all been for nothing if there were two Wild Card teams in each league to make it.
Now I know there are Braves fans and Red Sox fans who would love to have two Wild Cards so that their teams would at least have a one game playoff against the Cardinals and Rays respectively. However, once again I make the argument, if fans are interested and focused on baseball because of the race that went to the final day don’t change the format.
What Should Change
What I do suggest changing is the starting date of the playoffs. Baseball is my favorite sport but I’m not stupid enough to think that the baseball playoffs are going to match college and NFL football. If Bud Selig and the rest of baseball wants to bring the fans back to baseball the playoffs need to start sooner. Even as a die hard baseball fan I start to get tired of watching baseball in late October and even into November.
I don’t care if the season gets shortened by 10 games, or teams end up having to schedule 7-10 double headers a year, the season just needs to end sooner so that the playoffs aren’t being played in the snow. Baseball is a summer sport and a lot of great baseball cities don’t get a year round summer.
Epic Collapses
Now I do want to discuss the collapses of two teams that I had thought were locks to make the playoffs. Neither the Braves or Red Sox have anyone to blame but themselves. Although the Rays and Cardinals played great in September there is still no reason to blow a 9 game lead in the final weeks of the season. I don’t know if the Braves and Red Sox players just got too confident or just lost focus but either way they simply did not play like a playoff team should play down the stretch and they both deserve to be watching the playoffs from home this year.
Playoff Thoughts
The playoffs do look good this year with four great matches.
Rays vs Rangers: A team that I can only name maybe three players (Rays) vs a team that I could probably list off the starting lineup with out much though (Rangers). The Rangers have a ton of power in their lineup but one thing is different from last years World Series run for the Rangers, and that is no Cliff Lee. The playoffs are about your top two pitchers and the Rangers just don’t have it. Look for the red hot and seemingly unknown Rays to take this series.
Yankees vs Tigers: Yankees have offense but so do the Tigers. The Yankees have CC Sabathia and the Tigers have Justin Verlander. This match up is probably my favorite because these two teams look like a fairly even matchup. However, I give the edge to the Tigers.
D-backs vs Brewers: These two teams were surprises for me to make the playoffs but both have earned it. Although I think the Brewers are the better team I would really like to see the D-backs win because I just like a few of the individual players on the D-backs team. I pick the Brewers to win but I am rooting for the D-backs.
Cardinals vs. Phillies: Yes, I think this is Albert Pujols’ final season as a Cardinal and no, I don’t think he is going to be enough to beat the Phillies. Two great starters can win you a series and the Phillies really have that plus some. This is the only series that I look at and think there might be a sweep happening here.
So if my picks go the way I think they will we will see the Rays vs Tigers and the Brewers vs Phillies. The AL is the hardest to pick for me but I am going with the Tigers to play the Phillies in the World Series. At this point its a coin toss to win. I will pick the Tigers but the Phillies are right there with the Tigers.