Is the unbalanced schedule unfair...

[Chip R]

or is this just whining by mediots that their beloved Yankees missed the playoffs?

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/u...rd-race-092213

[membengal]

Pretty unfair.

[M2]

It's patently unfair. If you just miss the playoffs, a tougher schedule very well might be the reason you're watching the postseason from your sofa.

However, I know of only one sport that actually plays a fair schedule, though it doesn't in the U.S. For whatever reason we don't care about imbalanced schedules in our sports leagues. MLB hasn't played a balanced schedule since 1968 (though you could argue it played a fair schedule up through 1993).

[RadfordVA]

Impossible to have a truly balanced schedule anyways. Even if you played all the same teams you would not play them the same time. Injuries, trades, and teams being out of contention all drastically change the opponents talent level.

[REDREAD]

The schedule definitely makes the WC race unfair.

However, I don't think it's a problem. If you can't win your division or one of the two wildcards, do you really have a right to complain?
I mean, geez.. 5 of 15 teams from each league get into the playoff now.

In the grand scheme of things, it's hard to argue that it matters whether the Indians, Yankees, Tampa or the Royals get the WC berth..

Just like it's hard to argue that the Reds were one of the top 2 teams in the NL this year.. Yes, they had injuries, but they weren't one of the top 2 teams. I'm thankful we had a shot at the WC.

[membengal]

Rangers 17-2 against the Astros. Has helped immeasureably in their run at a WC spot (which they still are not in, but are at least in conversation in the last weekend). Indians in the Central have a far easier schedule than Baltimore did, for instance. Far easier.

It is what it is, I suppose. But it is crazy unfair.

[Chip R]

IIRC, the Cards played the Astros 4 times each this year. 2 at home and 2 on the road. We only got to play them 3 times all being in HOU.

I think this is a bit of whining. After all no one was complaining when the Yankees and Red Sox got to play the putrid Rays all those years.

It's a little apples and oranges and I know their regular season doesn't matter as much as it does in MLB but the NBA does a good job of balance in their unbalanced schedules. They play the teams in their division several times, teams in their conference but outside of their division a few less games and teams in the other conference twice. Perhaps baseball seems more unfair since their are twice as many games as there are in the NBA and ten times the number in football.

As Radford said, there's no way to truly balance the schedule. It isn't 1968 any more.

[Beltway]

This story is only being written because the Yankees will miss the playoffs.

I don't see any complaining in that article about the NL Central being significantly tougher than the NL East and West this season. If you really want to be fair, the top 3 seed in the NL should be the Reds, Pirates, and Cardinals. The Braves and Dodgers should have to play the one-game playoff.

[wolfboy]

The schedule definitely makes the WC race unfair.

However, I don't think it's a problem. If you can't win your division or one of the two wildcards, do you really have a right to complain?
I mean, geez.. 5 of 15 teams from each league get into the playoff now.

In the grand scheme of things, it's hard to argue that it matters whether the Indians, Yankees, Tampa or the Royals get the WC berth..

Just like it's hard to argue that the Reds were one of the top 2 teams in the NL this year.. Yes, they had injuries, but they weren't one of the top 2 teams. I'm thankful we had a shot at the WC.

Amen. Just think of all the quality teams that were on the outside looking in before we had three divisions and a wild card (much less three divisions and two wild cards). In 1993, the Giants won 103 games and missed the playoffs, while the champ in the East (Phillies) only won 97.

[bigfunguy]

Of course it's not fair...but that's just it---MLB and ESPN don't care about fair. They care about having as many Red Sox-Yankee games for TV as is possible...

[_Sir_Charles_]

While yes it IS unfair....you never heard the media complaining about it when it FAVORED the Sox & Yanks.

[_Sir_Charles_]

As Radford said, there's no way to truly balance the schedule. It isn't 1968 any more.

Sure there is. Dump interleague play.

[joshua]

Red Sox have played a crazy amount of games (104 or so I think) against teams that are .500 or better. I don't hear any complaining coming from Boston

I think everyone knew the Yankees weren't going to be all that great back in February. They give these players ridiculous contacts and now they're seeing the downside of that after the players inevitably age and they make no rebuilding effort in close to 20 years. Reap what you sow, Yankees!

[PuffyPig]

Just like it's hard to argue that the Reds were one of the top 2 teams in the NL this year.. Yes, they had injuries, but they weren't one of the top 2 teams. I'm thankful we had a shot at the WC.

I assume you mean "were not one of the top 3 teams"?

Actually, when you look at the run differential leaders in the NL, it's hard to argue we weren't one of the top 3 teams.

Cards +172
Braves +127
Reds +119
Dodgers +59
Pirates +47
Nats +25

They were the only teams with a positive run differential.

The 60 run differential lead over the Dodgers should have resulted in quite a spread in wins. Same as the 72 over the Pirates. A lot of that difference in wins is simply randomn.

Re: the Yankees, it's not like they were even close. They have a -23 in run differential, ranking 10th in the AL. They were an average/below average team this year.

[joshua]

Sure there is. Dump interleague play.

Those is exactly what needs to happen. When the Rays, O's and Jays were all horrible there were no complaints to be heard anywhere from the east coast about scheduling.

Getting rid of interleague play would be amazing. I'd have to commend Bud for undoing at least some of the damage he's done.

The only way to accomplish a fair schedule would be to get rid of interleague, get rid of divisions and changing the amount of games played in the regular season. Top four in each league make playoff, scheduling is based on records. I'd love to see this happen just to see what new rivalries would pop up.