Judging by the number of tweet responses and text messages I received on Monday night from people all over the nation, people passionate about baseball do not like what commissioner Rob Manfred is dreaming up.
According to a report from the NY Post – brought to our attention by MLB Insider Joel Sherman – MLB is planning a radical change to their postseason perhaps by 2022. The thought by Manfred and colleagues is to move from 5 to 7 teams in each league making the playoffs. What’s more, the best seeded teams by record would get to choose their playoff opponents in what would make for a reality television-style format.
https://t.co/RDTj5m8cBd EXCLUSIVE: MLB is planning a radical change to their postseason perhaps by 2022, hoping to move from 5 to 7 teams in each league and — get this — have the teams with the best records pick their playoff opponents.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 10, 2020
Without question, this is beyond radical for the game of baseball. As a purist who loves the sport as much as anything outside of family; I don’t like it. Check out the example laid out by the NY Post for how things may work going forward:
To use the AL last season as an example, the Astros with the best record would have received the bye. The Yankees, with the second-best record, would have had the choice to pick from among the Rays, Indians and Red Sox. Boston had the worst record of that group. Would the Yanks pick them or avoid the baggage of a series with their rival? It would create a ton of strategy and interest, and this is what MLB wants to sell. The Twins would then pick next as the other division winner, and then the A’s with the best wild-card record would play the team not chosen by the Yankees or Twins.
This is, something. And hopefully it’s nothing more then an idea being kicked around that gets people talking. Baseball will never be the NFL or NBA, and that is something in which the people who run the game right now need to understand.
I get the hopes of attracting a new generation of fans. But fundamentally, the game must remain the same and therefore; if you don’t like baseball you still won’t after these radical changes. In closing, you will also risk driving away some people who have been loyal to the game at it’s roots.
The issue is, Manfred doesn’t seem too concerned with that.
