Can someone explain why the lesser teams get to start at home?

[Magdal]

Originally Posted by texasdave

This is absolutely correct. The season already had the possibility of ending in November. Seriously, what is another day or two? Bud Selig is a fool. They should have waited another year then instead of having this ignorant crap of the better team starting on the road for the first two games. I have a feeling that this is gonna be a Selig of a postseason.

Totally agee...why are there ANY off days in the post season??! It favors the team with the best 4 man rotation instesd of the 5 that they have been playing with all season!

And why must all the series' starting days be pre scheduled? If both pennant winners do it in 4, the WS STILL won't start for 4 more days! TV rules all.

[Fullboat]

And this year only,the networks want all this done before the election.

[RedsFaninAfrica]

This second wild card idea is definitely a work in process and so far it's a bad process for sure. The one game play in seems like a joke to me and the 2-3 format is ... well just plain stupid.

[Tuff Nut]

2 leagues, top 6 teams per make POs, 6 plays 3, 4 gets 5, top 2 get a 'bye' week. #1 gets lowest seed left after first round, #2 the other. Kinda simple if ya ask me......BUT, they didn't ask my opinion.

[texasdave]

Totally agee...why are there ANY off days in the post season??! It favors the team with the best 4 man rotation instead of the 5 that they have been playing with all season!

I couldn't agree more. If television wants the postseason to last longer then make the NLDS AND NLCS both best of seven. Make the World Series best of nine or best of 11.
No freakin' days off. If a team wants some time off then sweep the series they are playing in. It is not reflective of the team when you can start an ace 3 games out of seven. In essence your ace pitches three games. Your number two pitches twice. And your number three and number four once each. It is a totally different game in the playoffs as opposed to the regular season.

[RedsFaninAfrica]

Wouldn't it knock your socks off if Sir Bud asked the fans if they had an opinion on the post season? Let us respond via the website. Okay, I know it's totally unrealistic that Bud would even care, but I'm just sayin' ...

[R_Webb18]

its b/c they wanted everyone to have a home game. since it was last minute they went with format. this is why im guessing next year starts on a Monday again. i think i read like only 20% go to a game 5. I would of done it 1 3 1 but thats me.

[faffy42]

Its fine. Reds just have to take one in sf and its all good, advantage in our favor. If we lose both in sf then we get what we deserve by havng to sweep em at home.

[PumpFak3First]

It's only going to be a one year thing from what I hear. The schedule was already decided before they changed the playoff rules so this was what was implemented.

[scott91575]

Originally Posted by PumpFak3First

It's only going to be a one year thing from what I hear. The schedule was already decided before they changed the playoff rules so this was what was implemented.

Yes, it's a 1 year thing. They shoehorned in the 2nd wildcard, and it was not needed. Should have just gone with a 2nd wild card next year.

Anyway, no one would agree to eliminate a travel day, and Fox paid a metric ton of money for the WS and league championship games. They wanted the days the NLCS, ALCS, and WS to stay the way they were. So MLB was left with one decision, a 3-2 series or a 2-3 series. Owners worried that they may make the playoffs and not get a single home game, so the only answer was 2-3.

My personal opinion is 1) the second wild card could have waited a year, 2) if they really needed it a travel day could be eliminated, and 3) if you really need a travel day screw the team with the worse record and make it 3-2, if they wanted a home game they should have won more games or won a game in the playoffs. Yet none of those are very compromising points of view.

[LexRedsFan]

After last night, we see the benefit of this format. We just have to go 2-1 in Cincinnati now.

[goreds2]

I actually love this format. For the Reds, there is no way to have an elimination game on the road.

[RedsFaninAfrica]

Originally Posted by LexRedsFan

After last night, we see the benefit of this format. We just have to go 2-1 in Cincinnati now.

Optimistically, I'm thinking we are going to win tonight and we'll only have to go 1-0 at home. SWEEP

[Farney]

Is there still going to be this home-field disadvantage in the NLCS? Or will the series actually open up for the higher seed then?

[HometownHero]

Its working in the Tigers favor 6 games worse than the A's in regular season but go back to Oakland up 2-0 meaning the A's could win 94 games and get one home playoff game.