A Tweak To Make the Postseason More Baseball-Like

One-game series are interesting in their own right. Everything’s on the line. But it doesn’t seem very much in the tradition of baseball. We’ve usually preferred longer series, which do a better job figuring out which team is truly better.

Of course, adding more days to the already-packed postseason schedule is a problem, too. The World Series ended October 30th last year. Are we prepared for November baseball? For a schedule that’s already longer than any other major sport season, adding another month would push the boundaries. Pitchers on World Series champions would have two months off.

Could there be a simple solution? How about cutting Spring Training down?

Spring Training used to be all about getting in shape. Players had second jobs, and came into camp out of baseball shape. Now players are year-round athletes that spend most of the winter with nutrionists and trainers.

The current version of Spring Training seems to be roster decision focused. Teams decide on the slots 20 through 25 and 25 through 40. They sort through the available fifth starter types, and they decide on the second lefty in the pen. Pitchers try out new pitches, and batters add a toe tap or remove a leg kick.

How long would it take a starting pitch to stretch back out again? That might be the most important part of Spring Training — making sure your starter can go six or seven innings when the bell rings. If starters, who are required to show up earlier than everyone else, can finish the job in a month, that means we could cut a week out of Spring Training.

Even five days could do the trick. Of course, starting the season a little earlier will require some scheduling tricks. Minnesota might need to be on the road for ten days to start things off, for example. Boston may need to play in Tampa in March. Hey, if the Bulls can leave Chicago for two weeks every winter on something called the Circus Trip, then baseball can have their own branded road trips. “The Twins are in town again on their annual Snow Trip,” we might hear on the radio.

If baseball could cut a week out of Spring Training, it could — at the very least — make the Wild Card game a Wild Card Series. Even a three-game series might be more baseball-like than a one-game playoff. Especially for Royals fans, who may deserve more than one game and one chance at the postseason after so many years away. And more postseason revenue (and as shorter spring training) should be an easy sell to the owners.





With a phone full of pictures of pitchers' fingers, strange beers, and his two toddler sons, Eno Sarris can be found at the ballpark or a brewery most days. Read him here, writing about the A's or Giants at The Athletic, or about beer at October. Follow him on Twitter @enosarris if you can handle the sandwiches and inanity.

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Joelskil
9 years ago

Making the division winners wait even longer to start play takes a lot of the shine off of this idea, which has it’s merits.

Michael
9 years ago
Reply to  Joelskil

The division winners are already waiting to play on Thursday/Friday. The 3 game series could be played on 3 consecutive days, Monday-Wednesday.

Andrew
9 years ago
Reply to  Joelskil

Sunday: season ends
Monday: any Game 163
Tuesday: day reserved for any Game 164 (in the AL for example-what are the odds of having 2 of them) and Game 1 of NL Wild Card Series
Wednesday: Game 2 and 3 for NL wild card series; Game 1 for the AL WC series
Thursday:Game 2 and 3 for AL WC series; Game 1 of NLDS
Friday: Game 1 of ALDS and Game 2 of NLDS

currently the ALDS and NLDS start on different days for TV purposes, so this would preserve it.