Partly because they each swept their division series, the Yankees and the Angels have played just eight games in 20 days since the end of the regular season. In a session with Los Angeles-area writers on Saturday, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia made his feelings clear.
"Ridiculous," Scioscia said. "I don’t know. Can I say it any clearer than that? We should have never had a day off last Wednesday. We should never have three days off after the season. You shouldn’t even have two days off after the season.
"It just takes an advantage away for a deep team, which everybody feels very strongly is an asset. It takes that advantage away and I think that’s something that Major League Baseball hopefully will consider looking at."
Exactly correct, in my view. Don't blame the extra round of playoffs due to the wild card being added starting in 1995 -- in 2002, the last time we had a seven-game World Series, Game Seven took place on October 27, which is a full nine days earlier than a Game Seven will happen this year. That is, if we don't have any more rainouts. The 2002 postseason took 24 days (October 3-27). The 2009 postseason, if it goes its entire length (meaning, a seven-game World Series), will encompass 29 days, with multiple off days in various series, not to mention the postponements we've already had. TV is the reason -- Fox and TBS were able to get the dates spread out in order to not have any games head-to-head in the early rounds, and as few games as possible in the daytime in the LCS round.
That's not a good enough reason. Mike Scioscia is right. If anyone can wake Bud Selig up, let's fix this before the 2010 postseason. Here's more from Jeff Passan and Gordon Edes on this topic.
Oh, and if you're a Yankees and New York Giants fan? Better have multiple TVs available today, as Ed Valentine points out at Pinstripe Alley.
Angels at Yankees, 7:20 pm CDT. Yankees lead series 3-2. TV: Fox. Announcers: Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Angels site Halos Heaven and Yankees site Pinstripe Alley.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
0 recs | 82 comments
Make the division series 7 games instead of 5 and cut out the off days.
ronsanto10 - October 25, 2009
That would still make it take as long as it does now.
… because you’d have to have at least one more off day (travel day) for a 7-game series, plus another day off in between the series.
More games isn’t the answer.
Al Yellon - October 25, 2009
why not just start the season a week earlier?
elgato - October 25, 2009
An earlier start could lead to many posponed games too.
eths - October 25, 2009 via mobile
If they had started the season a week earlier this year...
… it would have begun on March 29.
So, for an example, take the last week of the Cubs’ schedule and move it to the week of March 29. The high temperatures that week were: 41, 43, 53, 54, 55, 50 and 48, and there was measurable rain on 4 of the 7 days.
Yeah, that’d have been a lot better.
There’s much more of a chance of having better weather in October than in late March/early April.
Al Yellon - October 25, 2009
We've all missed the obvious answer here Al.
All Bud & MLB needs to do is schedule the playoffs in a day/night double header formula for games 1 & 2 and games 3 & 4.
Even if you get rained out, you were no worse off than you were before.
(Now, where is my “sarcasm” font…?)
Zeke - October 26, 2009
They could even do triple, quadrupule, etc. headers!
eths - October 26, 2009 via mobile
Baseball 24/7. One hour to clear the stadium and load in the next crowd.
Zeke - October 26, 2009
the entire playoffs in a maximum of a 120 hours....
eths - October 26, 2009
Like lighting one cigarette off the previous one.
Chain-baseball…
Zeke - October 26, 2009
Scrap the DS and CS entirely
It goes against decades of baseball tradition, but I’d scrap the Division Series and Championship Series entirely.
Instead, I’d replace them with a round-robin format. Each team plays a three game series against the other three teams in their league in the post-season. Home field in each series is determined by who has the best regular season record unless one of the teams was the Wild Card team, who automatically is always the away team. The team in each league with the best record in the nine post-season games advances to the World Series.
It’s a win-win. The television networks get a post-season that’s more predictable. (They also get more games). The teams in the post-season get more revenue, because they’ll have more gate receipts and more concessions because they’re playing more games. The fans get a shorter (in days) post-season, because the round-robin games should take no more than 14 days from start to finish (and that’s including a possible one-game playoff if there’s a tie at the top of the standings).
Yes, it’s antithetical to baseball tradition. But is it any worse than what we have now?
allyngibson - October 25, 2009
It would never work, because...
… you’d have false drama. A team could back in to the WS by having another team beat its nearest opponent for “best record” over the nine games.
Al Yellon - October 25, 2009
I'm not sure what you mean by "false drama"...
but I don’t see why that would be so bad. Back in the day you could win the pennant by losing and having the 2nd place team lose. Personally I think the round-robin format is more exciting (and certainly more fair) than a best-of series. I think the pros – having a set number of games, each team having more postseason games and thus more revenue, lack of off-days, shorter postseason, rewarding teams with depth – far outweigh the cons – lack of tradition, et. al.
I would actually propose one more change – scrap the divisional structure. Just have two leagues of 14 teams and 16 teams with a balanced schedule (it doesn’t work out perfectly, but you can get it pretty close) and have the top four teams in the league make the playoffs. This way junk like the Twins making the playoffs instead of the Rays doesn’t happen.
cubsforever - October 26, 2009
How is it exciting....
… to have a team make the World Series by sitting around while someone else loses?
Al Yellon - October 26, 2009
Well, it's not.
But they would have to win a number of games to put themselves in that position. It’s not like you could win the pennant with a 1-8 record in round-robin play.
cubsforever - October 26, 2009
Nothing personal...
… I think it would be confusing, and wind up with a lot of “winner-losers”.
Al Yellon - October 26, 2009
Another Selig post, great. Argh, please retire/get fired.
The purpose of setting these TV times is to make the game more accessible to the audience, no? This isn’t the case, however. It alienates fans that can’t stay up on the east coast, lose interest from a playoff season that stretches over three different months, and like it’s been noted above, defeats the purpose of creating a strong bench or bullpen.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
can someone tell me....
….when and how does MLB get rid of their commish? Is it like the Pope deal or something?
cooliogirl47 - October 25, 2009
I think it's a BCB Poll.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
I voted for "Anyone but Bud"
Clutch16 - October 25, 2009
I liked Bud Abbott...
Zeke - October 26, 2009
He'd be great if you'd like to know "who's on first."
As for who is playing shortshop-I don’t give a darn.
katie casey - October 26, 2009
Why can't the LCS games start as soon as the LDS games are over (after a day off for travel)
And the WS games start as soon as the LCS games are over – again allowing for travel.
ballhawk - October 25, 2009
But the hotel rooms! The hotel rooms!
Got to have the hotel rooms booked!
Never mind that the NHL and NBA figure this out. Too much trouble for Bud.
Al Yellon - October 25, 2009
are there hard dates for games?
ie, if the LCS’s were both sweeps, they couldn’t move the WS up? I agree with Scioscia, this is INSANE. NBA is bad enough, but the weather HAS to be taken into consideration. Why not start the season earlier / make all the week 1&2 games either be indoors or down south / and, yes, compress the series’s. they should make it so that the WS MUST end by October 17 or so.
cubsgocubs - October 25, 2009
As of now, there ARE scheduled dates for games...
… in the LCS and WS. I think there shouldn’t be.
However, starting the season earlier — as early as March 26 — is not practical, you can’t schedule EVERY team indoors or in warm weather cities EVERY year, because that’s an unfair advantage to those teams, plus those teams don’t want a huge overload of home games when kids are in school, etc.
There’s no way the season is being started earlier. The idea of making every team play one split DH a month, which would cut a week off the season, might work.
Al Yellon - October 25, 2009
DHs / Player's union - is it thinkable?
eths - October 25, 2009 via mobile
More proof of Selig's ineptitude.
The obvious solution: schedule less free dates. That means more day games because the series would be played simultaneously with one afternoon game in a series and the other series game at night. To play in November is ridiculous. This is a summer game, to be finished when the weather turns cold. That’s why we play winter ball in the template climate.
Fraggin Judge - October 25, 2009
Attendance
You can’t convince me that shortening the season by 8 games would effect revenue streams tremendously. There are only a handful of teams that sell out every game and if you shortened the season you could make these 8 games up in some other price increase. Every team that doesn’t sell out would most likely see a flat number for total ticket sales because the non season ticket holders would still want to see games and with a limited number of dates would just go to a different game.
KyCubsFan - October 25, 2009
It. Will. Never. Happen.
Al Yellon - October 26, 2009
Am I
The only one who thinks that Fox’s stewardship of MLB coverage has been an absolute disaster? They are afraid to put baseball up against any other sport (regular or post season) they always feature the yanks, sox, and mets. They never switch to the more competitive game in blowout situations.
They don’t care about baseball except to pay the bills.
KyCubsFan - October 25, 2009
Well...
Happy birthday….to me =D
Big 18 today! Hurray, I’m a man!
And I put myself on the Cubs season ticket waiting list and I’m somewhere in the 109300s, might be awhile..
Chanman25 - October 25, 2009
Happy birthday!
chilango2 - October 25, 2009
Congrats man.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
A day late
but Happy Birthday Chan!!!!
sue369 - October 26, 2009
Vlad is so amazing in his plate coverage.
Imagine if Soriano had half that coverage. That’s a fantasy that’ll keep me warm for a while…
chilango2 - October 25, 2009
that swing (and many others in his career) and the resulting double reminds me so much of Clemente
and the way he attacked the ball no matter where it was pitched.
ballhawk - October 25, 2009
Vlad adjusts his swing
To make sure he hits the ball. Sori keeps his upper cut swing on pitches down and/or away. The best thing for him to do is NOT swing.
Zy Toro Young - October 25, 2009 via mobile
That was an absolutely INCREDIBLE play by Cano.
God I wish we had good middle infielders.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
scrappiness >>>> skill
jesus christos - October 25, 2009
he also has 2 errors in the postseason so far
Not saying he isn’t a decent fielder. I don’t know his numbers for the season.
bheidge - October 25, 2009
I'm sure he's not a defensive whiz.
But I’d take him over any of our middle infielders.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
Well if we are using our middle infielders
as a basis to compare, without knowing much about Cano’s fielding, I would guess its not a reach to call him a defensive whiz.
bheidge - October 25, 2009
Mariano Rivera:
100% HOF vote?
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
No one will get 100%.
Greg Maddux should, but even he won’t, because there are some idiot sportswriters who insist no one should be unanimous.
Al Yellon - October 26, 2009
Yet another play by Cano.
He’s so dreamy.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
Hahaha, Nick Swisher can’t throw out Chone. Cuz he can’t throw.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
Tim McCarver, just now:
I have no idea what this means.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
Neither does he.
Zeke - October 26, 2009
He hasn't aged well
vonde6 - October 29, 2009
This is not enjoyable to watch.
The Angels self-destructing at Yankee Stadium, with the Yankees on the verge of going to the World Series.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
NIce work fielding bunts LA
bheidge - October 25, 2009
These comments make me glad I'm not watching this game.
Vermont Cubs Fan - October 25, 2009
Addition to previous comment:
I can’t stand the Yankees.
Vermont Cubs Fan - October 25, 2009
I'm about the only one commenting.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
Until bheidge and I showed up.
Vermont Cubs Fan - October 25, 2009
Wanted to see if anyone was discussing
the lack of LA’s ability to play catch anymore. You throw the ball……you catch the ball…..simple right?
bheidge - October 25, 2009
As we proved this year,
Not very simple at all.
Vermont Cubs Fan - October 25, 2009
Time for LA to go home
nice try
bheidge - October 25, 2009
go phillies
i guess….
jesus christos - October 25, 2009
Great. Now we have an east coast series with the two teams that are 90 miles apart.
Yawn.
GO PHILLIES
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
And they will STILL have "travel days" in the schedule...
Zeke - October 26, 2009
I usually don't cheer for World Series repeats,
But GO PHILLIES!
And I just picked up a Philadelphia Phillies cap in case this matchup happened.
Vermont Cubs Fan - October 25, 2009
I'm getting my Phillies cap out of the closet...
No choice really…
Zeke - October 26, 2009
I wish CC didn’t play for the Yankees. I’d like him.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
I like him more as a Yankee than as a Brewer.
cubsforever - October 26, 2009
The Phillies took 2 / 3 from the Yankees in the Bronx back in late May. Burnett, Pettitte, and Sabathia all threw for the Yankees.
dtpollitt - October 25, 2009
Wait, Kenny Albert is doing post game interviews? He called Pittsburgh/Minnesota earlier today! No sleep for him, they just fly him from Pittsburgh to NY?
MrNFL - October 25, 2009
Now it's
eths - October 25, 2009 via mobile
Silly iPhone! Sorry!
eths - October 25, 2009 via mobile
Now it's really Go Phillies time
I just wish it was the Cubs…
eths - October 25, 2009 via mobile
CC Vs Lee
Should be a hell of a matchup.
Go Phillies. Heck they are not even my back up choice as is often the case. I mean I would have prefered the Twins but
Phillies all the way in the National League.
Doggie Stalker - October 26, 2009
Well, let me be the first to mention this bit of trivia before Buck & McCarver beat it to death...
CC vs Lee – how often do back-to-back Cy Young winners from the same team meet the next year in the World Series on different teams?
Sigh…. sometimes it sucks to be a Cleveland Indians fan…
ballhawk - October 26, 2009
Major League > Rookie of the Year
shoemile - October 26, 2009
Wow, sucks to be the Indians.
But it sucks a lot to be a Mets fan, too. Two biggest rivals in the Series.
dtpollitt - October 26, 2009
"My heart bleeds for them"... sincerely, Ron Santo.
Zeke - October 26, 2009
I'm close to half way
Closer to Philadelphia but I have a lot of NY people that live near me. I’m Philadelphia born and bred!!! Hope the NY people move back up north since they keep driving up costs of living!
Next sunday will be great!!!!!
Eagles-Giants at 1 PM at the Linc!
Right across the street! Game 4, Phillies-Yankees at 8 PM. Hope the NYers have a nice trip up the turnpike at the end of the night!!!!! Screw them!!!
E-A-G-L-E-S,,,,,,EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ll be wearing the Eagles/Phillies breast cancer shirt titled “city of brotherly love”. Has the eagles and phillies logo under the Philadelphia skyline titled city of brotherly love. Selling them only this month. Profits donated to breast cancer research at Jefferson.
I’m making riot punch for next sunday! ;^)
PhillyCub - October 26, 2009
Crush NY
I have lived for over 19 years and it is a great city. I just hate all their sports teams.
Doggie Stalker - October 26, 2009
As long as the owners and the TV networks are satisfied...
…with the money being made under the current setup I would expect major changes. I’d just like to see a professional broadcast from TBS as a first step.
DudeVf11 - October 26, 2009
"NOT"
DudeVf11 - October 26, 2009
but a professional broadcast from TBS WOULD be a major change - ergo, it's not gonna happen.
ballhawk - October 26, 2009
I tend to agree...
…there were some improvements this year, but it’s still awkward coverage at best.
DudeVf11 - October 27, 2009
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