80 game season with expanded playoffs, starting in July

[stitchface]

I don't like where any of this is going. I am resigned to the fact that the DH is coming, even though I still don't like it. But a permanent 16 team playoff is horrible.

 

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Agreed on all counts. A 162-game season doesn't remotely require a playoff with half the teams in it, especially in the sport already least likely to produce a representative champion.

 

16 team playoff totally diminishes regular season. terrible. it will be like hockey where there is no reason to watch until playoffs start.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If you go to 32 teams and make 2nd place teams earn their way in the way it works now(one game playoff), then the format is still fairly similar. That also opens up some interesting possibilities of making the season shorter and making scheduling more equitable. For 2021 it'd be a real bummer, though I imagine they're already hedging hard against a potential shorter season/delayed start again.

[Cubswin11]

Settle on 66 and be done with it, idiots

 

[Irrelevant Dude]

Settle on 66 and be done with it, idiots

 

They will get there...

 

Next week, after the counters of 64, 68, 65, and 67 respectively.

[champaignchris]

Expansion is inevitable. It’s a win for both players and owners. Owners get that sweet, sweet buy-in money and players get ~60 more MLB jobs.

[stitchface]

If you go to 32 teams and make 2nd place teams earn their way in the way it works now(one game playoff), then the format is still fairly similar. That also opens up some interesting possibilities of making the season shorter and making scheduling more equitable. For 2021 it'd be a real bummer, though I imagine they're already hedging hard against a potential shorter season/delayed start again.

 

 

yes, there has to be some significant reward for finishing first. 16 does not suggest byes though.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If you go to 32 teams and make 2nd place teams earn their way in the way it works now(one game playoff), then the format is still fairly similar. That also opens up some interesting possibilities of making the season shorter and making scheduling more equitable. For 2021 it'd be a real bummer, though I imagine they're already hedging hard against a potential shorter season/delayed start again.

 

 

yes, there has to be some significant reward for finishing first. 16 does not suggest byes though.

 

8 divisions of 4 would lend itself to them pretty easily. With everyone under the DH and smaller divisions you could realign more optimally for geography too.

[Cubswin11]

[UMFan83]

 

George Ofman is still reporting horsefeathers? I havent thought about him in awhile.

[Cubswin11]

 

George Ofman is still reporting horsefeathers? I havent thought about him in awhile.

I think he’s broken some news in recent offseasons/general MLB news. Nothing major but he seems to get stuff right once in awhile.

[Bertz]

I assume this afternoon's hoopla is mainly so the owners can pull back on some of the other financial incentives (e.g. the Playoff Money) in order to move up to 66 games. I assume there'll either be an agreement tomorrow or a bunch of whining all weekend before a sudden agreement on Monday.

[stitchface]

If you go to 32 teams and make 2nd place teams earn their way in the way it works now(one game playoff), then the format is still fairly similar. That also opens up some interesting possibilities of making the season shorter and making scheduling more equitable. For 2021 it'd be a real bummer, though I imagine they're already hedging hard against a potential shorter season/delayed start again.

 

 

yes, there has to be some significant reward for finishing first. 16 does not suggest byes though.

 

8 divisions of 4 would lend itself to them pretty easily. With everyone under the DH and smaller divisions you could realign more optimally for geography too.

 

 

thats a lot of divisions. I wonder if they could reduce the travel that way also.

[stitchface]

If you go to 32 teams and make 2nd place teams earn their way in the way it works now(one game playoff), then the format is still fairly similar. That also opens up some interesting possibilities of making the season shorter and making scheduling more equitable. For 2021 it'd be a real bummer, though I imagine they're already hedging hard against a potential shorter season/delayed start again.

 

 

yes, there has to be some significant reward for finishing first. 16 does not suggest byes though.

 

8 divisions of 4 would lend itself to them pretty easily. With everyone under the DH and smaller divisions you could realign more optimally for geography too.

 

 

If you start with 8 teams and eliminate 4, you have 12 teams left. How do you get down to a format that can play out with 16 teams if 8 teams have byes? I don't see it. If you have 6 divisions, you could take 10 more teams and play down to 8. Say the the four best 3rd place teams play down to 2 and then those two teams play the 2nd place teams to get down to 2 again. A lot of down time for division winners potentially.

[squally1313]

8 teams per league seems like they'd be going to a straight bracket format, which is weird because I think the one game playoffs have been pretty well regarded. I guess, in a four division format, the four wild cards could go into 2 one game playoffs, winners playing the worst two division winners in three game series, and then those winners playing the top two division series. Adding that much would probably mean they'd have to shorten the season, but would probably drive the playoff ratings they're looking for. If you're going to go 16 teams, that'd be my preferred route.

 

Edit: The 'second' round could also be one game playoffs, to cut down on the down time. And if we're making wishes, the higher seeds in all these formats would get to pick their opponents.

[Forgotmyoldlogin]

I e-mailed them a few weeks ago for a refund and received a response within minutes and the refund a few days later.

 

I don't want a full refund, I just don't want to pay for a full season when we're getting half a season

I'm in the same boat. I haven't contacted them, since I still want the subscription, but I'm hoping they are just going to automatically issue pro-rated refunds once an agreement is in place.

Couldn’t you cancel, get your full refund and then sign up again at the monthly rate for however long the season lasts?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The playoff format and the one game play-in was the only good idea that the league has come up with since the DH, so of course they're going to kill it.

[jersey cubs fan]

As the world's foremost proponent of the 1 game wild card series, and the actual originator of the idea, I have to say it's kind of pointless to have it this year. There's going to be no atmosphere in an empty stadium and that immediate elimination game excitement is the best part about it. If they get rid of it and never bring it back, they'll regret it, but I couldn't care less about it this season.

[Rob]

The playoff format and the one game play-in was the only good idea that the league has come up with since the DH, so of course they're going to kill it.

 

I've come to like the Posey rule, and the DH sucks. But I generally agree with the premise that the playoff format and one game play-in was solid and I'd hate to see them ruin it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

As the world's foremost proponent of the 1 game wild card series, and the actual originator of the idea, I have to say it's kind of pointless to have it this year. There's going to be no atmosphere in an empty stadium and that immediate elimination game excitement is the best part about it. If they get rid of it and never bring it back, they'll regret it, but I couldn't care less about it this season.

 

This season is basically just an exhibition season. Nobody's really gonna care about it. The NBA will be even worse.

[17 Seconds]

As the world's foremost proponent of the 1 game wild card series, and the actual originator of the idea, I have to say it's kind of pointless to have it this year. There's going to be no atmosphere in an empty stadium and that immediate elimination game excitement is the best part about it. If they get rid of it and never bring it back, they'll regret it, but I couldn't care less about it this season.

 

This season is basically just an exhibition season. Nobody's really gonna care about it. The NBA will be even worse.

 

win/win for non-astros teams who have won titles recently. if the cubs win, we can brag about them having 2 in recent memory. if someone we dislike wins, who cares, we can just make fun of it and annoy their fans forever by calling it a fake season.

[Irrelevant Dude]

if the cubs win, we can brag about them having 2 in recent memory.

But will we, really?

 

If the Cubs win the World Series in a drastically-shortened season, and do it with no fans in the stands, will that feel at all special? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around appreciating such an accomplishment.

[David]

if the cubs win, we can brag about them having 2 in recent memory.

But will we, really?

 

If the Cubs win the World Series in a drastically-shortened season, and do it with no fans in the stands, will that feel at all special? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around appreciating such an accomplishment.

 

yes it'll feel horsefeathering great to win another world series

 

now, if this were the curse buster, different story. that would suck. it would be so cleveland for the indians to finally win this year lol

[ChiCubsFan]

Not as special, but yes, to me.

[Brian]

i'm hoping the Dodgers lose like 7 regular season games, and then get knocked out by a .500 team in the playoffs.

[Brian707]

Give me another WS, I don't care if it's a 60 game season, no fans, and they clinch it at Sloan Park on Thanksgiving