Post by Fish Troll on Aug 22, 2008 1:23:27 GMT -5
As the A's and Mariners battle in Seattle this weekend, they may think they're both in great shape to make the playoffs. Yes, they may think that down below the AL West high wire is the old wild-card safety net, ready to rescue them.
Well, guess what? They might think wrong.
A very strange thing could happen in a week and a half if the A's, Mariners and Indians all finish the regular season tied for the last two playoff spots.
Matt Stairs
Matt Stairs and the A's could end up with short straw of baseball's playoff system.
Because baseball has a long, rich tradition of settling its ties on the field -- as opposed to the NFL, which settles them with one of Bill Gates' computer programs -- you might assume there would be some sort of round-robin playoff to determine those last two spots.
Nope.
Here's what would happen:
If Seattle and Oakland tie for first place in the AL West, and the Indians finish second in the AL Central with the same record, it's the Indians (surprise, surprise) who get the automatic playoff spot. Meanwhile, it would be the Mariners and A's who would have to hold a one-game playoff for the AL West title. The winner would make the playoffs as AL West champ. The loser would make tee times.
It's a puzzling rule to say the least -- a rule that would actually reward the Indians for finishing second. And normally, that's not the way things are handled in baseball.
Well, guess what? They might think wrong.
A very strange thing could happen in a week and a half if the A's, Mariners and Indians all finish the regular season tied for the last two playoff spots.
Matt Stairs
Matt Stairs and the A's could end up with short straw of baseball's playoff system.
Because baseball has a long, rich tradition of settling its ties on the field -- as opposed to the NFL, which settles them with one of Bill Gates' computer programs -- you might assume there would be some sort of round-robin playoff to determine those last two spots.
Nope.
Here's what would happen:
If Seattle and Oakland tie for first place in the AL West, and the Indians finish second in the AL Central with the same record, it's the Indians (surprise, surprise) who get the automatic playoff spot. Meanwhile, it would be the Mariners and A's who would have to hold a one-game playoff for the AL West title. The winner would make the playoffs as AL West champ. The loser would make tee times.
It's a puzzling rule to say the least -- a rule that would actually reward the Indians for finishing second. And normally, that's not the way things are handled in baseball.
espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stark/grumblings/767892.html
Very old article, I'm not sure if it is fix now.
