07-16-2004, 03:32 AM
Six teams would make the playoffs in each league -- three division winners and three wild-card teams.
The two division winners with the best record in each league then would receive first-round byes.
The four remaining teams would be seeded by record, with the division winner playing the wild card with the worst record, and the 4 and 5 seeds facing each other.
The first round would be a best-of-three series, with all three games in the city of the clubs with the best record. No travel. No off days.
The two survivors would move on to the Division Series, which would expand to best-of-seven.
The League Championship Series and World Series wouldn't change.
The team with the best overall record determines home field advantage in the World Series, not by the winner of the All Star Game. The All Star game could possibly be kept interesting by changing it from league-versus-league to a United States team versus a World team.
The 21st-century committee "highly appreciated" Leiter's proposal. But the question about it baseball needs to debate, he says, is: "Does it add to the overall image of the game or detract from it?"
Leiter, however, thinks the way to keep interest focused on the best teams is to dangle those first-round byes in front of them. That would create a potentially riveting race within the race among the division winners.
And there's another way to maintain that drama, too, he says -- award home-field advantage in the World Series to the team with the best record.
"That's something else to compete for," he says. "If that's what's at stake, it's a reason for those teams to play their best players right through to the last game of the year."
The two division winners with the best record in each league then would receive first-round byes.
The four remaining teams would be seeded by record, with the division winner playing the wild card with the worst record, and the 4 and 5 seeds facing each other.
The first round would be a best-of-three series, with all three games in the city of the clubs with the best record. No travel. No off days.
The two survivors would move on to the Division Series, which would expand to best-of-seven.
The League Championship Series and World Series wouldn't change.
The team with the best overall record determines home field advantage in the World Series, not by the winner of the All Star Game. The All Star game could possibly be kept interesting by changing it from league-versus-league to a United States team versus a World team.
The 21st-century committee "highly appreciated" Leiter's proposal. But the question about it baseball needs to debate, he says, is: "Does it add to the overall image of the game or detract from it?"
Leiter, however, thinks the way to keep interest focused on the best teams is to dangle those first-round byes in front of them. That would create a potentially riveting race within the race among the division winners.
And there's another way to maintain that drama, too, he says -- award home-field advantage in the World Series to the team with the best record.
"That's something else to compete for," he says. "If that's what's at stake, it's a reason for those teams to play their best players right through to the last game of the year."