By Phil Rogers
NEW YORK -- Increased television ratings throughout the playoffs, including in first-round telecasts by TBS, has created renewed speculation about the Division Series expanding from best-of-five to a best-of-seven format. But Commissioner Bud Selig does not foresee a change in the near future.
"What I've said to the clubs when that subject has come up is the only way to add more playoff games is to cut the season to 154 [games],'' Selig said Wednesday, before Game 6 of the World Series. "I don't think there's one owner in favor of that.''
General Managers have recommended expanding the first round to best-of-seven for years. The Atlanta Braves began the push when they had strong teams routinely eliminated in the first round earlier this decade.
Selig said he would "personally'' explore ways to eliminate unnecessary off days in the post-season but did not promise to return it to an October finish, as it has been traditionally. He isn't buying into my plan to have it end a week earlier by, in part, beginning the regular season on a Thursday and ending it on a Wednesday, both moved up four days from the current format.
"The weather in early April is brutal,'' Selig said. "We're very sensitive to that, especially with so many teams potentially impacted -- Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, two Chicagos, two New Yorks, Boston and now Minnesota. If you compare the weather in April, late March, to October, even early November, you'll be surprised.''
NEW YORK -- Increased television ratings throughout the playoffs, including in first-round telecasts by TBS, has created renewed speculation about the Division Series expanding from best-of-five to a best-of-seven format. But Commissioner Bud Selig does not foresee a change in the near future.
"What I've said to the clubs when that subject has come up is the only way to add more playoff games is to cut the season to 154 [games],'' Selig said Wednesday, before Game 6 of the World Series. "I don't think there's one owner in favor of that.''
General Managers have recommended expanding the first round to best-of-seven for years. The Atlanta Braves began the push when they had strong teams routinely eliminated in the first round earlier this decade.
Selig said he would "personally'' explore ways to eliminate unnecessary off days in the post-season but did not promise to return it to an October finish, as it has been traditionally. He isn't buying into my plan to have it end a week earlier by, in part, beginning the regular season on a Thursday and ending it on a Wednesday, both moved up four days from the current format.
"The weather in early April is brutal,'' Selig said. "We're very sensitive to that, especially with so many teams potentially impacted -- Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, two Chicagos, two New Yorks, Boston and now Minnesota. If you compare the weather in April, late March, to October, even early November, you'll be surprised.''
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What about scheduled day-night doubleheaders on selected Sundays throughout the summer? Have the commissioner's baseball men explored that idea?
If there was a best of 7 playoff format in the 07 and 08 playoffs, the Cubs might have actually won a game. Losing game 1 of a 7 game series is a completely different mindset than losing game 1 of a 5 game series...or at least it is for a mentally weak team like the Cubs.