Hurry up and wait

[T. J.]

I think this was noted a few months ago, but Jim Caple has a good article today on the ridiculous playoff schedule this year:  Lots of off days

Only have a couple good pitchers?  Not a problem this year.

[Froback]

This is totally stupid.

1) Why do you need a set schedule anyway?  IF both series end on Day X, next series should start on day X+1, or X+2 at the latest.

2) This totally favors teams with less quality starting pitching, like Cle, who has really relied on their top 2 this year.  It would screw teams like the Astros were set up during their World Series run attempts, where they had the best 1-3 in baseball.

I understand that the playoffs are a different animal then the regular season, but it should be more about the pressure of the situation, than the number of days off.  "Hey #4 starter, even though you won 15 games for us, we are not going to put you on the playoff roster because we would like an extra bat, in case the game goes late.  Hey #5, your spot is being taken by a long reliever who has pitched only 65 inning this year compared to your 157."

Just plain stupid!

[Arky Vaughan]

Why do you need a set schedule anyway?

The people who televise baseball games pay a lot of money for the right to do so, and they dictate how to weave the games into their programming line-ups.

[ValpoCory]

"Hey #4 starter, even though you won 15 games for us, we are not going to put you on the playoff roster because we would like an extra bat, in case the game goes late. 

Just plain stupid!

Of course in 1998, the Astros didn't use their 16-game winner #4 starter.

Unlike other sports, the odds that worst team in the playoffs being the last team standing is almost as good as any other team.  Witness the '06 Cardinals and the Wild Card winners.   The MLB playoffs would require longer series to weed out the bad teams.  That would lead to boring playoffs though.

[MikeyBoy]

Of course in 1998, the Astros didn't use their 16-game winner #4 starter.

Unlike other sports, the odds that worst team in the playoffs being the last team standing is almost as good as any other team.  Witness the '06 Cardinals and the Wild Card winners.   The MLB playoffs would require longer series to weed out the bad teams.  That would lead to boring playoffs though.

There is already a process to weed out the bad teams, it's called the regular season.

[Limey]

Of course in 1998, the Astros didn't use their 16-game winner #4 starter.

Unlike other sports, the odds that worst team in the playoffs being the last team standing is almost as good as any other team.  Witness the '06 Cardinals and the Wild Card winners.   The MLB playoffs would require longer series to weed out the bad teams.  That would lead to boring playoffs though.

In 2005, I think both World Series contestants were their league's Wild Card "champions".

[ValpoCory]

In 2005, I think both World Series contestants were their league's Wild Card "champions".

Although at least one Wild Card team has played in five straight World Series, the only "all Wild Card World Series" was Barriod against Gene Autry's boys in '02.

[T. J.]

I'm really hoping for sweeps in all four series now so the ridiculousness of this schedule will be apparent.  The NLCS starts Thursday and the ALCS starts Friday, regardless of what happens in the division series.

[ValpoCory]

What was the point to the schedule change?  Were teams complaining?

I guess two possible complaints were
1) by teams just getting in the playoffs on the last day or two and
2) by teams having to send pitchers to the other the night before for Game 5.

So ...

Starting the playoffs on the Wednesday after the season ends instead of Tuesday gives teams that needed to through the best pitchers in the season's final days a better chance in the LDS round. 

Scheduling an off day for the travel day between Games 4 and 5 of the LDS series would eliminate the need for Game 5 starters to fly back to the other stadium the day before.  You say that happen in those cross country ALDSs a couple years back.