Selig expects expanded playoffs for 2012

**Strikeout King** · 01-30-2012, 07:00 PM

Baseball's expanded playoffs could be ready for the 2012 season, commissioner Bud Selig told reporters at SoxFest in Chicago on Friday.

"I really believe we'll have the (extra) wild card fo rthis year," Selig said (via the Chicago Tribune.) "Clubs really want it. I don't think I've ever seen an issue that the clubs want more than to have the extra wild card."

The new wild card round would be one-game playoffs between the two wild card teams. The players and owners have already agreed to the expanded playoffs, with the only question being whether they'd begin in 2012 or 2013. The decision is expected by March 1, according to the Associated Press.

"We're working on dates right now," Selig said. "It looks to me like we'll have it, because I've told everybody we have to have it. It will be exciting. A one-game playoff and it will start the playoffs in a very exciting manner."

Also on Friday, the Associated Press reported that teams tied for the division tittle would now play a one-game playoff instead of using head-to-head record to determine the division winner. That will be necessary because of the new nature of the playoffs -- division winners won't have to play in the one-game wild card playoff, making winning the division more important than in years past.

The new format would also likely mean an end to the rule that doesn't allow two teams from the same division to play in the division series. The winner of the wild card would then play the team with the best record in the league.

http://eye-on-baseball.blogs.cbssports.c...2/34599243

**Stardust** · 01-30-2012, 09:58 PM

That's it, let's waterdown the playoffs even more. Baseball is a 162 game schedule, and now we want to add even more to it. Why play 162 games if we are going to add another 35 games to the post season?

***Westside*** · 02-06-2012, 03:27 PM

I don't like interleague play and I don't like this.

**LWC** · 02-06-2012, 04:29 PM

^Really? Against inter-league play? There are only like 15 teams in each league, if each series is 3 games, and they play a home-home series, that equals 90 games. So do teams in each league team need to play each other 12 or more times per year, PLUS the playoffs?

***Westside*** · 02-07-2012, 10:37 AM

LWC Wrote:^Really? Against inter-league play? There are only like 15 teams in each league, if each series is 3 games, and they play a home-home series, that equals 90 games. So do teams in each league team need to play each other 12 or more times per year, PLUS the playoffs?

I think inter league play takes away the mystic of the World Series.

dangerousdaneerfan · 02-10-2012, 01:06 AM

Westside Wrote:I think inter league play takes away the mystic of the World Series.

My God, westy and I actually AGREE on something. :insane:

**TidesHoss32** · 02-11-2012, 01:50 AM

Im not a fan of inter-league play either, but I REALLY hate the expanded playoff proposition. I am all for watered down bowl games in college football and I like the NFL playoffs. However, I dont like how the NBA went to a best of 7 first round, I dont like 68 teams in the NCAA basketball tournament, and this is worse than all of those. Pretty soon you'll have third place 84-78 teams playing post season baseball. Give it ten, fifteen years and there will be 12 teams in the post season..Leave well enough alone.

**TidesHoss32** · 02-11-2012, 01:54 AM

Stardust Wrote:That's it, let's waterdown the playoffs even more. Baseball is a 162 game schedule, and now we want to add even more to it. Why play 162 games if we are going to add another 35 games to the post season?

Exactly. I liked it the way it was intended. If you dont win your division, you dont play post season baseball.

~~Hoot Gibson~~ · 02-11-2012, 12:07 PM

I started losing interest in major league baseball at about the same time that Bud Selig became interim commissioner. The man has been more responsible than anybody else for the declining interest in what was once the nation's favorite pastime. Bud Selig has wrecked baseball.

Patch · 03-12-2012, 02:00 AM

Bud is a joke, he is the worst leader in sports history. The season is long enough, and they have more than enough teams in the playoffs already. Bad enough he turned a blind eye to all of the PED's that were being used, now he is screwing this up too.

**Amun-Ra** · 03-12-2012, 02:04 AM

Stardust Wrote:That's it, let's waterdown the playoffs even more. Baseball is a 162 game schedule, and now we want to add even more to it. Why play 162 games if we are going to add another 35 games to the post season?

Exactly. Season is too damn long and now so is the post-season. Also, the new play-off format is ridiculous. The better team(s) has to play on the road for the first two games? That makes no sense.