Baseball Musings: Not Wild About the Wild Card

September 21, 2004

Not Wild About the Wild Card

Joe Sheehan pens an article at BP researching how much the wild card has added (or subtracted) from interestng division races.

Having done this research, I'm left with a somewhat empty feeling. I think the wild card has killed more exciting races than it's created, and I'm comfortable that the evidence supports that. But because all those "neutral" seasons are creating more hope and faith--even if the localities don't care all that much--MLB sees the experiment as a success. MLB doesn't see the things that aren't there, the races between great teams, in much the same way that baseball people often don't see all the outs a low-OBP "RBI man" gets, or the many times caught stealing that reduce the value of Alex Sanchez or Brett Butler.

We're seeing this right now with the Yankees-Red Sox. The games they are playing against each other right now don't matter that much. Both teams are likely to make the playoffs. The wild card has simply pushed the drama into the post season, where it may or may not happen. Last year the two teams met in the ALCS. But there's only a 25% chance in a given year that bitter division rivals will meet in the LCS (given that both make the playoffs). As Sheehan concludes:

I'm fond of saying that the people who hate the DH should probably get over it; it's been 31 years, and nearly every baseball league in the world uses it.

Maybe it's time I took my own advice.

Yep. There will never be another 1978 or 1993.

Posted by David Pinto at 01:31 PM | Division Races | TrackBack (0)

Comments

With the amount of acrimony that exists between the Red Sox Nation and the Yankee Faithful, I would say that these games still mean alot. If the Yanks coughed up the division it would be a huge blow to the ego of most Yankee fans and the Red Sox loyalists would always gloat, no matter what happened in the playoffs.

It may only be a bragging rights thing that's on the line as opposed to elimination, but that still counts for a lot, a least where this rivalry is concerned.

Posted by: steve at September 21, 2004 01:50 PM

If it weren't for the Wild Card, then the Cubs, Astros, and realistically Marlins and Padres wouldn't be playing for much. Sure NY-Boston loses some luster, but overall, more teams are in a hunt so there are more meaningful games played. Or how about we go back to two eight team leagues? Generally I like tradition but here the economics of the situation (keeping teams in contention) weighs heavier, IMO.

Besides, I'd rather have that extra game in Yankee Stadium than play it in Fenway.

Posted by: Robert at September 21, 2004 02:17 PM

to joe s. from those of us who still object to the DH - just because too many leagues use it doesn't mean it's not a bad idea, because it is. and there ARE too many teams now not to have a wild card.

Posted by: lisa gray at September 21, 2004 04:23 PM

One benefit of the Wild Card: potential for great intradivisional fights in the playoffs. No Wild Card? No 2003 ALCS between the Sox and Yanks. We could see a repeat of that war this year...or we may see a Chicago/St. Louis or L.A./San Francisco NLCS this year. How sweet would either of those series be?

Posted by: Dave S. at September 21, 2004 05:19 PM

As a lifelong diehard Angels fan I would have to say the best thing in baseball was the Wild Card. I'm sure Marlin fans would agree with me, and Red Sox fans, and Giant fans....

Posted by: AJ at September 21, 2004 06:28 PM

Obviously more teams have a chance for a longer time in the season, whether in the new third division or the wildcard race. More teams in the race mean more fans interested in the season. That's a good thing. Period.

Larry

Posted by: Larry Macdonald at September 21, 2004 07:51 PM

I e-mailed Joe to point out that without the Wild Card there probably would not have been the 1995 AL Division Race. If the Mariners had not been in realistic contention for the Wild Card in late July-August 1995 (2 GB New York), they would not have picked up Andy Benes and Vince Coleman. Being 12 out of 1st they would have looked towards 1996 and blamed the disappointing season on Griffey's injury. They might have not gotten their new ballpark and moved to Tampa. Of course then, Griffey and Pinella might have stayed with the team.

Posted by: Jon Fellows at September 22, 2004 08:53 AM

And the Angels would have won the division...

It seems that for every race that the Wild Card renders null, it creates 2 or 3 others that wouldn't have been there before, and involves that many more teams in the playoff hunt.

Adam

Posted by: Adam Villani at September 22, 2004 11:01 AM

Wow, talk about rewriting history. No Red Sox/Yankees ALCS, SL has made HOU/CHI's seasons irrelevant, ATL has run away with it, etc. Joe is simply spinning facts that are obviously against him.

The wildcard is the best thing to happen to baseball in 50 years. Joe not realizing it is hilarious.

Posted by: Al at September 22, 2004 10:48 PM