Bear
10-11-2008, 08:59 AM
Bruce Jenkins
Saturday, October 11, 2008
-- It takes a seasoned baseball fan to recall the sensible transition from a 154-game regular season to the World Series, free of playoffs and wild cards, but one thing hasn't changed: The need to really settle into the postseason after a long, hard grind. These best-of-five Division Series just aren't cutting it.
After a glorious regular season, the Cubs lost two games to the Dodgers and were pronounced dead - correctly, as it turned out. The White Sox faced the same predicament against Tampa Bay. The Dodgers would be essentially finished right now, in the NLCS, if it were best-of-five.
So here's what we get from Commissioner Bud Selig: Not only is there "no discussion" of extending the first round to best-of-seven, he has approved a 2009 schedule that could end Nov. 5 if the World Series goes the distance.
A few basic truths apply to baseball in any era, and "November" is not among them. True, Selig is dealing with a bunch of gasbag owners who won't hear of shortening the regular season (lost revenue, you understand), but there are times when common sense should prevail. Spring training is way too long, whether the World Baseball Classic is in play (as it will be next spring) or not, and that's the sentiment of players, not just media.
What we'd love to see: Tell the owners to shut up and feel lucky they're in the game at all. Spring training ends around the 20th of March, the postseason begins in the last week of September, and all three rounds are best-of-seven. We're not smart enough to configure the specifics of a shortened regular season, but in an era of crazy road trips and absurd travel demands, the schedule could stand the overhaul.:clap:
The season does run to long and all the playoff series should be best of seven, so all in all I think this guy is right on!:p
Saturday, October 11, 2008
-- It takes a seasoned baseball fan to recall the sensible transition from a 154-game regular season to the World Series, free of playoffs and wild cards, but one thing hasn't changed: The need to really settle into the postseason after a long, hard grind. These best-of-five Division Series just aren't cutting it.
After a glorious regular season, the Cubs lost two games to the Dodgers and were pronounced dead - correctly, as it turned out. The White Sox faced the same predicament against Tampa Bay. The Dodgers would be essentially finished right now, in the NLCS, if it were best-of-five.
So here's what we get from Commissioner Bud Selig: Not only is there "no discussion" of extending the first round to best-of-seven, he has approved a 2009 schedule that could end Nov. 5 if the World Series goes the distance.
A few basic truths apply to baseball in any era, and "November" is not among them. True, Selig is dealing with a bunch of gasbag owners who won't hear of shortening the regular season (lost revenue, you understand), but there are times when common sense should prevail. Spring training is way too long, whether the World Baseball Classic is in play (as it will be next spring) or not, and that's the sentiment of players, not just media.
What we'd love to see: Tell the owners to shut up and feel lucky they're in the game at all. Spring training ends around the 20th of March, the postseason begins in the last week of September, and all three rounds are best-of-seven. We're not smart enough to configure the specifics of a shortened regular season, but in an era of crazy road trips and absurd travel demands, the schedule could stand the overhaul.:clap:
The season does run to long and all the playoff series should be best of seven, so all in all I think this guy is right on!:p