MLB Announces Expanded Playoffs for This Year

Article first published as MLB Announces Expanded Playoffs for This Year on Blogcritics.


If you go by the old philosophy of less is more, then you may be baffled by the announcement by Major League Baseball that it is expanding the playoff schedule for this season. Commissioner Bud Selig has been hinting at this happening for years, but now it is a reality that was condoned by Players Association executive director Michael Weiner, who claims players are in favor of the expanded format. "Players want to expand the the importance of winning the division." You have to wonder if Bud has his hand up this guy's back and is working his lips.

I have never liked the idea of expanding anything in sports because more games mean more risk for injuries. Look at the NFL going to a sixteen game season. There have never been more injuries and more players threatened by not just losing a season but also their careers.

Another worry is weather, and that is not coming into play in the thought process here. Teams like Minnesota and Milwaukee can realistically expect that being in the playoffs (and then the World Series) could mean snow delays instead of rain delays, and even canceled games because of snow. I doubt that Selig is going to grab a shovel and help out in that case, so why is he so hot for this expansion?

Of course, the answer is revenue. By expanding the playoffs to include ten teams, the idea is to no doubt push the playoffs to a longer (and more lucrative) format. For this year only the scheme will involve a one-game playoff between the four wild card teams, with those teams then having the home field advantage for the first two games of the division series. Yes, you read that correctly! It doesn't make much sense rewarding the teams who did not finish first in their divisions, but that is how it will be this fall.

In the 2013 season the Houston Astros will move to the American League west, making two fifteen team leagues with three divisions of five. While Selig isn't saying so, the future looks like there will be more playoff games in the future, meaning perhaps two more wild card teams (giving each division a wild card) and more games between these teams (perhaps a three-game series).

I don't know about you, but to me this "expansion" is all about more money, and the prospect of watching Game 7 of the World Series over Thanksgiving weekend becomes more of a possibility. So if you like the idea of hearing "Play ball" and passing the sweet potatoes, enjoy! For me this is just another example of a executives ignoring what is good for a sport, the players, and the fans. I hope all that revenue allows teams to purchase long johns for their players; their going to need them.

Photo Credit - Sports Illustrated

Mets Mess: Reyes Wins Batting Title As Another Disappointing Season Ends

This article first appeared on Blogcritics.

No New York Mets player ever won a batting title before. No Mets pitcher has ever thrown a no-hitter. No Mets player has ever been the league's Most Valuable Player. Okay, you get the idea. In a less than thrilling season, the notion that one of our guys would capture the batting crown was something to keep fans going. It even brought fans to Citi Field on the last day of the season.


They wanted to see Jose Reyes compete against Milwaukee's Ryan Braun for the batting title. Some people brought their kids because they wanted them to remember the moment. Others, thinking this could be Reyes' last game as a Met, wanted to be there to appreciate his talents for one last time. All that mattered little when Reyes led off the bottom of the first inning, bunted for a base hit, and then was pulled for a pinch runner.

Did Reyes pull his hamstring? Did something happen to him? The crowd didn't wait to find out and started booing. We found out later that Reyes pulled himself from the game, with the hit guaranteeing him a .337 average and making it almost impossible for Braun to catch him unless Braun went 3 for 4 that evening. Braun actually went 0-4, so it now this stands out as poor sportsmanship for Reyes to have backed into the title that way.

Fans booed Reyes during what is possibly his last game at Citi Field. Long-time Mets fans were annoyed with Reyes' selfish attitude, putting his personal record ahead of the good of the team. Although manager Terry Collins supported Reyes and the decision, it is clear that such a move is at best tacky and at worst emblematic of Reyes' disrespect for Mets fans and the organization that he has called home for the last nine years.

After the game when asked about the unhappy fans, Reyes said, "I don't care what people think. A lot of people told me, 'Don't play today.'"

Okay, so Jose doesn't care what the fans think. That will go over in New York as well as instant pizza and frozen bagels. We Mets fans are passionate about our team and our city. We support our players and respect them, but we want the same from them. It has always seemed the Reyes is a total player. His uniform is always dirty after a game. He throws himself completely into a game, and we have come to appreciate that dedication, so I guess when we saw this completely unexpected cop-out we were more hurt than angry, although many expressed themselves vehemently when they booed.

Some have argued that the 77-85 Mets had nothing on the line in this game. They were just playing out the schedule, and that made it okay for Reyes to take an early shower. Things would be different if this were a game deciding a playoff spot. This would matter more if this game mattered more.

I am sorry, but every game (every inning) counts. It is not about the contest having meaning because the game is more important than anything else. You know the old saying, "It's not if you win or lose but how you play the game." Well, that is applicable here. Jose made a tremendous mistake and manager Terry Collins should have told him "No!" He should have said, "The hell with the batting title. Get out there and play your nine innings and give these fans what they paid for."

Unfortunately, this was not to be. Once again, Mets fans, stung by the Bernie Madoff scandal and injuries galore, had to endure yet another slap to the face. In the old days that might have sparked a duel, but the way we Mets fans are feeling now, we are better off just turning the other cheek and walking away.

Jose Reyes won a batting title; so what? Truthfully, I'd rather he hit .235 and see the Mets were going into the Wild Card series. The batting title is little comfort for a horrible year that has followed other horrible ones. Reyes will no doubt take the money and run - all the way to another team as far as he can go.
So Mets fans, we can once again say, "Wait until next year." It seems that is what we always say. Now we can languish in our winter of discontent, watching other teams make bold moves, and we can be secure in the notion that the Mets are going to cut payroll. GM Sandy Alderson is giving Mets fans about as much hope as those people who jumped off the Titanic without life vests. Wait until next year? What's the point when all we can hope for is another lost season?

Though my blood still runs orange and blue, I am exhausted after this season. I feel depleted; I feel like all Mets fans are the equivalent of the Biblical Job. How much more can we take until we break?

Photo Credits - Daily News

Commissioner Bud Selig Talks About Expanding Play-offs and Realignment

Article first published as Commissioner Bud Selig Talks About Expanding Play-offs and Realignment on Blogcritics.

The National League beat the American League 5-1, courtesy of a Prince Fielder homer. Now that we got that out of the way, wasn't the game less than thrilling? I stopped watching after Carlos Beltran got his two at bats, but that's because I am a NY Mets fan and my interest ended there. Perhaps you tuned in longer depending on which players were on the field, and that makes sense for most people who watch the game.

The bigger and more interesting news occurred off the field. Commissioner Bud Selig indicated that there would be an expansion of the play-offs, probably including an extra Wild Card team per league. How that will look, and whether or not that will entail a best of five series or even a one game play-off is not known at this time, but it does make things intriguing. As it is we are playing the World Series as kids are coming home from trick-o-treating on Halloween, so I guess we can start thinking about the postseason extending well into November. That will be a bit harsh if the Minnesota Twins get in there. Get your shovels ready.

Also, Selig indicated that realignment is on the table. Again, what that entails is not well defined, but it could mean a team shifting from the National League over to the American to create a fifteen team-fifteen team balance. There was no indication of an alteration of divisions, but that certainly could be a possibility.

So there we have it, folks. The off field news is actually bigger than the on field news at the All-Star Game. That should come as no surprise to anyone, except maybe Selig.

Photo Credit: Reuters