• The KillerFrogs

2020 MLB Thread

FBallFan123

Active Member
I personally love the one game wild card and not sure I like 7 teams getting in after playing 162 games.

I love the entertainment aspect of the Wild Card games because they're must-watch games, and start the playoffs with game-seven intensity.

But I can see it also gives very little incentive to teams in the second half of the season who aren't in position to host a Wild Card game...because teams aren't going all out just for a chance to go play a 1-game playoff on the road.
 

Eight

Member
I love the entertainment aspect of the Wild Card games because they're must-watch games, and start the playoffs with incredible game-seven intensity.

But I can see it also gives very little incentive to teams in the second half of the season who aren't in position to host a Wild Card game...because no team is going all out just for a chance to go play a 1-game playoff on the road.

didn't we see the opposite with the cubs and brewers this year?
 

Eight

Member
One could argue this is kind of the point.

The AL is filled with teams in long rebuilds...especially in the Central.

I think almost everybody is tired of these 3-5 year rebuilds.

But some teams that aren’t really competitive in their divisions aren’t willing to compete for the Wild Card because it’s just 1 game roll of the dice.

If the playoff structure was a little more rewarding for Wild Card teams maybe you get more teams competing for it.

in response to the rebuilds, i am not sure there is anyway around it.

consider the astros with cole.

they give up prospects to acquire him from pittsburgh, he produces at a level higher than i think anyone could have expected, and then he takes off to new york at the end of his contract which is his right under the current cba.

if the astros earn a compensatory pick what is a realistic expectation of when that pick could be on the field for the astros?

the problem is mlb has the biggest crap shoot when it comes to selecting talent in the draft and the longest period between when a player is drafted and on average when that pick ever makes the mlb roster.

with the income disparity and basically unrestricted free agencies there is no one to avoid players chasing dollars and it only re-enforces the job clubs like oakland and tampa have done to be competitive.
 

FBallFan123

Active Member
in response to the rebuilds, i am not sure there is anyway around it.

consider the astros with cole.

they give up prospects to acquire him from pittsburgh, he produces at a level higher than i think anyone could have expected, and then he takes off to new york at the end of his contract which is his right under the current cba.

if the astros earn a compensatory pick what is a realistic expectation of when that pick could be on the field for the astros?

the problem is mlb has the biggest crap shoot when it comes to selecting talent in the draft and the longest period between when a player is drafted and on average when that pick ever makes the mlb roster.

with the income disparity and basically unrestricted free agencies there is no one to avoid players chasing dollars and it only re-enforces the job clubs like oakland and tampa have done to be competitive.

Rebuilds are a part of baseball.

I think the argument is there's not enough of a reward just for being good or even very good.

A's and Rays are outliers in that they almost always try to be competitive.

But the A's had the 4th highest in total in baseball in 2018 (97) and tied for the 5th highest win total in 2019 (also 97).

Their reward both times was being a one-game playoff.

That's not necessarily a great argument for teams to emulate them.
 

Eight

Member
Rebuilds are a part of baseball.

I think the argument is there's not enough of a reward just for being good or even very good.

A's and Rays are outliers in that they almost always try to be competitive.

But the A's had the 4th highest in total in baseball in 2018 (97) and tied for the 5th highest win total in 2019 (also 97).

Their reward both times was being a one-game playoff.

That's not necessarily a great argument for teams to emulate them.

so teams shouldn't try to emulate two teams that have consistently won despite having among the lowest payrolls in baseball?
 

FBallFan123

Active Member
so teams shouldn't try to emulate two teams that have consistently won despite having among the lowest payrolls in baseball?

Whether teams should or shouldn't is somewhat irrelevant.

Many aren't.

Perhaps in part because the A's models hasn't resulted in much postseason success.

While the Cubs and Astros model has resulted in World Series trophies.

The Astros have a WS trophy, two WS trips, and three seasons of over 100 wins...and this comes after they had 6 straight losing seasons, including 3 of over 100 losses.
 
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Eight

Member
Whether teams should or shouldn't is somewhat irrelevant.

Many aren't.

Perhaps in part because the A's models hasn't resulted in much postseason success.

While the Cubs and Astros model has resulted in World Series trophies.

The Astros have a WS trophy, two WS trips, and three seasons of over 100 wins...and this comes after they had 6 straight losing seasons, including 3 of over 100 losses.

so you expand the number of teams in the play offs because teams aren't following proven models for success because it does work in the play offs when we have seen in a shortened series talent matters?

i just don't buy the problem for teams not trying is because there is too little a payoff to get into the play offs and it isn't as if the play offs have been dominated by the big money teams.

since the yankees won three in a row i think 12 different teams have won at least 1 world series title.

there are teams that aren't making an effort to be overly competitive and more worried about making a profit. unfortunately you don't have relegation in american sports.
 

FBallFan123

Active Member
so you expand the number of teams in the play offs because teams aren't following proven models for success because it does work in the play offs when we have seen in a shortened series talent matters?

i just don't buy the problem for teams not trying is because there is too little a payoff to get into the play offs and it isn't as if the play offs have been dominated by the big money teams.

since the yankees won three in a row i think 12 different teams have won at least 1 world series title.

there are teams that aren't making an effort to be overly competitive and more worried about making a profit. unfortunately you don't have relegation in american sports.

I'm probably spending too much time discussing this with someone who says they don't even want much regular season baseball.

If you're calling the A's a "proven model of success", some might disagree you, considering they haven't won a World Series in 30 years and have only won like one playoff series since 1990.

Losing a Wild Card game is not necessarily considered a "success" in today's MLB.

The definition of success in the MLB currently is very narrow...especially when some big market teams like the Yankees and Dodgers have run away with some recent division races.

The expansion of analytics into every MLB front office and increasing price of free agents has also increased the value of draft picks, prospects, and MLB players on rookie contracts (especially with controllable years).

This is true even for the big market teams...the LA Dodgers and NY Yankees have as much elite MLB talent on rookie contracts than any other teams in MLB.

Then you add on the money they can spend on free agents and it makes it very hard for small market teams to really compete.

One way to increase the chances of competing? Be bad for a while to stockpile draft picks/prospects.

Look at the White Sox...haven't had a winning season since 2012. Seven straight losing seasons.

But now they have one of the top farm systems in baseball with a lot of talent at, or close, to the major league level and are seen as a team that will very good soon.
 
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ftwfrog

Active Member
Whether teams should or shouldn't is somewhat irrelevant.

The Astros have a WS trophy, two WS trips, and three seasons of over 100 wins...and this comes after they had 6 straight losing seasons, including 3 of over 100 losses.

And cheated their way to every one of those accomplishments. Cheers!
 

FBallFan123

Active Member

I’m not sure this could be said any better


I agree that MLB needs to improve how it markets itself, but it can be tricky with content.

Bauer is right, the NBA has a much better social media presence than MLB.

On the other hand, some of the NBA’s TV ratings have been dropping ... perhaps in part because the games can be reduced to highlights on Twitter.
 

MTfrog5

Active Member
I agree that MLB needs to improve how it markets itself, but it can be tricky with content.

Bauer is right, the NBA has a much better social media presence than MLB.

On the other hand, some of the NBA’s TV ratings have been dropping ... perhaps in part because the games can be reduced to highlights on Twitter.
When a fan can’t watch their own team on TV because of a blackout, something is wrong.
 
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