Does Major League Baseball Really Need a Salary Cap?

Parity truly has arrived in Major League Baseball. Amazingly, nine teams in the National League are within striking distance of a playoff spot. In the American League, eight teams have a legitimate shot at reaching the post-season. That's 17 of 30 total teams with meaningful baseball to play over the last two and a half months of the season. However, there are still many people who insist baseball needs a salary cap. They cry that MLB does not provide a level playing field for all teams. But would a salary cap really improve Major League Baseball?

Over the past 15 years, MLB has witnessed a tremendous change in league wide competitiveness. Most of this can be attributed to realignment and a new playoff system that was devised after the strike in 1994. As most of you know, each league went from having two divisions to having three. Four new playoff teams were added - two in each league. As a result, pennant races have become more exciting. The realignment accomplished exactly what MLB wanted; more teams alive and kicking for a longer portion of the season. This, in turn, has generated more fan interest leading to more ticket sales and higher TV ratings. Of course, there were other rules introduced which helped make the regular season more meaningful and dramatic.

Even though there is no specific salary cap in MLB, there are new ways in which the league has created more balance amongst the big, medium, and small market teams; for example, the creation of Major League Baseball Advanced Media (mlb.com). Started in 2001, baseball's digital arm has found success in generating new sources of income for all teams, since the money made by their endeavors are split evenly amongst MLB's 30 clubs. Furthermore, MLB implemented a luxury tax whereby teams that spend money over a specific threshold must pay a tax that is then divided up amongst the other teams. These, along with a few other revenue sharing methods, have allowed medium and small market teams to sign their young talent to longer-term contracts. Of course, not all teams reinvest this money into their teams, as we will explore in future posts.

As I mentioned on this blog two weeks ago, parity in baseball is also being achieved by an infusion of young talent that is more Major League ready than ever before. Teams with smaller payrolls have been willing and able to take advantage of this cheap labor, therefore becoming more competitive and financially efficient at the same time. Even teams who have fallen out of the pennant race are generating excitement thanks to young phenoms who give fans hope of a bright future. Just think Stephen Strasburg in Washington, and Mike Stanton in Florida.

When it comes to those who favor a salary cap for baseball, they often point to the success of the National Football League, which implements a strict ceiling on how much money each team is allowed to spend on players (excluding this upcoming season). The reasoning holds that if richer teams cannot outspend poorer ones in a disproportionate way, then talent will be more widely dispersed amongst the 32 teams. While there is some truth to this, it is far from the only reason for the NFL's parity and success. For example, the NFL benefits from a shorter schedule, which naturally creates closer records in the standings. In addition, injuries, along with the overall nature of the game itself, provide more uncertainty and add an element of unpredictability to the season.

But let's go back to the original debate; does baseball need a salary cap? There are legitimate cases to be made for both sides of the argument. As you can probably tell, I don't think there needs to be a hard cap similar to the NFL (Yes, I am a Yankee fan, but really that's not why I think this way). I believe through creativity and the development of terrific young talent, Major League Baseball will continue seeing great pennant races and league wide parity.

Going forward over the next few days and weeks, I will examine several teams from around the league. I will try and show how teams from different markets - small, medium, and large - thrive or fail in today's economic environment. Baseball is on the upswing without a salary cap. Don't let anyone tell you different. 

How Does a 45-Year-Old Pitcher Slip by the Radar in Professional Baseball?

Until the Major League Baseball playoffs start in October, baseball holds little interest for me when the college football season starts. That is, until this headline in the local daily popped up in front of me: 'Old Man' Moyer Does It Again.

In an instant, even though he now plays for the Philadelphia Phillies on the East Coast, I knew Jamie Moyer was a former Seattle Mariner who should never have been pushed out the door by the Seattle club management.

All Moyer did Thursday (9-11-08) was pitch 5+ effective innings on 3 days' rest to allow the Phillies time, with the help of Ryan Howard's major league-leading 43rd home run, to beat the Milwaukee Braves 6-3 and climb within 3 games of the National League's East Division-leading New York Mets.

"He's been consistent all year," said manager Charlie Manuel after the game. "Goes to show you the old man can still pitch."

Seattle originally picked up Moyer for Darren Bragg in a 1996 trade with the Boston Red Sox. As a Mariner for part of 1996, the 9 full seasons from 1997 through 2005 and part of 2006, Moyer's won-loss record was 145-87 (62%). He went 20-6 in 2001 and 21-7 in 2003. He helped Seattle win titles. He was the Mariners' opening day pitcher in 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

The Mariners figured his good days were gone. They guessed wrong. Moyer is 14-7 with Philly this year and 7-1 in his last 13 starts. His victory Thursday moved him past Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal and into a tie with Jack Powell for 49th on the all-time win list with 244 wins during his 22-year career.

When the Mariners dealt Moyer in 2006, they got Andrew Barb and Andy Baldwin, a couple of minor leaguers who never did squat for Seattle. The Moyer trade was not just a bad deal, it rates as one of the worst deals in the history of baseball.

Moyer was admittedly only a contributing factor with the Mariners, but there is no arguing the fact that Seattle's baseball fortunes went into the dumper when he was let go.

The Mariners, currently stuck in last place with 88 loses among the American League West teams, may well become the first team in MLB history to lose 100 games in a year with a $100+ million payroll.

Having followed the Mariners for too many years to count, I can tell you that Moyer was just one of 4 huge mistakes management has made.

Another was pushing Randy "the Big Unit" Johnson out of the door to Houston; Seattle thought his winning days were over, and did not want to pay the freight. Randy would go on to win 4 Cy Young Awards as the best pitcher in the National League, and also a World Series ring with the Arizona Diamondbacks while the Mariners were watching him on the tube.

Another gaffe was getting rid of Ken Griffey Jr. rather than Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez was all about the money, signing a 10-year, $250 million contract with the Texas Rangers. Griffey was a player looking for a World Series ring; he would end up at home in Cincinnati, be perpetually injured and flounder while never being the same player with the Reds that he was with the Mariners.

A 4th mistake was not sitting on Alex Rodriguez when he came to the bigs. Alex just had to play shortstop because he was going to be the greatest player of all time (he may end up as just that). However, that meant Seattle dumped a far-better fielding shortstop in Omar "Little O" Vizquel.

Someone in management should have taken Alex Rodriguez aside when he came up and said, "Son, you are going to become the greatest power-hitting third baseman in the history of baseball." As fate would have it, when Rodriguez was acquired by the New York Yankees, there was no way the Yankees were going to let Rodriguez play shortstop, that position belonged to Derek Jeter, the Yankees' captain and heart and soul of the team.

In hindsight, had the Mariners put Rodriguez at third base, left Omar Vizquel at short, kept Randy Johnson, dumped Rodriguez and kept Griffey, their fortunes would have continued longer. Now Seattle is but a late-afternoon shadow of the team it once was.

I will concede that Ossie Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals is the greatest fielding shortstop in baseball history. "The Wizard of Oz" won 13 consecutive Golden Gloves in the National League, a record that has never been matched. I still believe that the Venezuelan-born Omar Visquel is the greatest fielding shortstop in the American League.

So am I upset that Seattle let go of Jamie Moyer? Nah, stupid is as stupid does. I am happy as a grandfather that Moyer can still pitch with the best at age 45. I hope he pitches long enough to win 300 games and end up in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He may not have the stats, but he sure is made of the right stuff.

At his worst, Moyer just may be one of the smartest pitchers in baseball; from the view of many, he has certainly played far better than his actual talent. Is there any wonder why millions of fans who never had the talent to make it to the bigs identify with Jamie Moyer? He is our guy, and we will always root for the underdog.

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Baseball Parent - Make Your Kid a Major League MVP

I know that the title got your attention. Everyone knows and respects the Major League Baseball players like Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez. Many parents dream of having their little league player growing up to play college baseball, becoming a college all-American, going to Omaha and play in the College World Series, being drafted in the 1st round of the MLB draft, signing for a 2.5 million dollar signing bonus, being voted to the MLB All-star team, going 3 for 4 in the All-Star Game, having their team win the pennant, wining the league championship, playing in the MLB World Series, leading MLB in RBI, Homeruns, Stolen Bases, Pitching Wins and also being selected as the Cy Young award winner, being named MVP of the MLB World Series, signing a deal with Nike Shoe for 2 million a year to endorse their new line of baseball shoes, and finally getting voted into Cooperstown Hall of Fame on his first vote.  That is the ultimate dream of a baseball parent. But, do you know and realize how small the actual percentage is of little league baseball parents that ever see that dream come true? Now, I need to get to the point. Just helping your kid become a solid little league player that loves and enjoys the game of baseball should be the goal of every baseball parent. Here I discuss what I feel are the major requirements for big time baseball success at every level.

Odds are stacked against the little league baseball player and the youth baseball player when it comes to playing college and major league baseball. Less than 1 out every 15 kids playing little league and youth baseball ever make their high school baseball's varsity team. It is a known fact that less than 10.1 percent of all high school varsity baseball players go on to play college baseball. That figure includes both scholarship and walk-on players. Just 1 out of every 936 high school players is drafted to Pro Baseball each year. What all of this adds up to is this statement that says it all. Less than 1 out of every 15,000 little league or youth baseball players ever make a MLB baseball team. In, fact the percentage may be much lower when you consider the fact that less than 20,000 players have played MLB baseball in its 130+ year history. Chances are good, if your child is playing Little League, Dixie Youth, Babe Ruth or Cal Ripkin baseball, you are expecting your child to try out for the high school baseball team one day. What does it take to make the high school team? The main three things are body build, playing skill, and pure luck.  

THE IMPORTANCE OF BODY BUILD IN BASEBALL

I know that many of you are saying "Body Build" is not very important in baseball. I know and realize that size and height are less important in baseball than basketball and football. You do not have to block or tackle to play baseball. Baseball is not a game played in the rafters of a gym. But, "Body Build" is not all about body size to me. When I talk about "Body build", I mean more than height and size. Body build to me includes all of the results of a player's work and training to build strength, stamina, endurance, power and speed. The players that dominate at each level are the ones that have the dominate bat speed, dominate pitch velocity, and the faster feet.   

THE IMPORTANCE OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN BASEBALL

The next important key to becoming a great high school, college or major league baseball player is playing skill development. If you are going to get to the next level, you have got to learn to play the game! Personal instruction by a baseball hitting coach, baseball pitching coach, and great baseball instruction and teaching of baseball fundamentals, early in youth baseball, are so important to baseball skill building. Many advanced players today rely on baseball indoor hitting facilities, year round baseball training and travel baseball that's played all year. These things help, but the main thing is for a player and his parent to take an interest in the game and become students of the game. You have got to do your baseball homework if you are going to maximize baseball skill development. Baseball homework is that extra work you do in the off-season and at home year round. Your baseball homework many include a backyard pitching mound, a backyard batting cage, baseball training equipment, or one-on-one training with a baseball instructor.  

THE IMPORTANCE OF LUCK IN BASEBALL

Many people do not believe in luck. They say luck has nothing to do with winning or success. They say luck is made in practice time. Many others have a different opinion, they say that it is better to be lucky than to be good. I have a different attitude toward luck. I know that we are all lucky to get a chance to grow up in such a great country and to play such a great game as baseball, but I am talking about a different kind of luck a player must have to succeed in baseball. A player must be lucky and get top quality coaching early in life! Fate is a better word for what I am talking about. It is good luck that a player gets chosen on a little league team with a coach that takes special interest in a player and dedicates a great amount of time and energy in making that player better. It is good luck for a youth player to have a parent or coach that knows how to motivate and inspire that kid to keep working and practicing to get better.  Players are extremely lucky to have the right inspiration and instruction during their childhood playing days. The coach they have may be a streak of good or bad luck depending on the attitude and competence level of the coach.  Getting the right coach is a great stroke of luck!   Yes, I believe body build, playing skill and luck are the 3 keys to high school baseball success. Good luck to your child and his or her team. Happy Hitting, Coach Nick.

The History of the Major League Baseball Playoffs

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The Major League Baseball Playoffs have been around since 1969.

The Playoffs were created because the American League and National League both split into eastern and western divisions. This meant that post season games between the two division champions were required to determine the pennant winner...and so the Major League Baseball Playoffs were born!

In 1994, the playoff system changed as each league was split into three divisions and a four team Major League Baseball playoff was created. However, the new MLB playoff system did not take place until 1995, as the 1994 season was never completed because of a player strike.

Since then, eight teams make the Major League Baseball playoffs. Four from both the American League and the National League.

In addition to the three division champions, the fourth team to be entered into the MLB playoffs is known as a wildcard. The wildcard team is the second place team with the best won-loss record.

After the 162 game season is over, the MLB Playoffs begin. This is usually in the first full week of October.

The first round of the MLB playoffs is the Division Series. This is a five game series that sees the top four teams in each league match up with each other.

The winners of the Division Series then advance to the seven game American League and National League Championship Series.

The winners of the ALCS and NLCS advance to the World Series.

I couldn't imagine baseball without having the MLB Playoffs, but this was the norm before 1969. In my opinion, the playoffs give an added boost to the already exciting atmosphere that the game of baseball creates...who knows what changes may occur to the rules of the Major League Baseball Playoffs in the future...I guess only time will tell!

Find a Job in Major League Baseball - 7 Skills That Are Needed to Work in Sports

Looking to break into a career in Major League Baseball? Jobs in professional sports have become very competitive and limited, and Major League Baseball is no exception. Here are the top seven skills you must possess in order to work in Major League Baseball:

1. Communication Skills

Good communication skills are the most important and effective way to score a job in Major League Baseball. Verbal and written communication will play a massive role in your career. The way you speak, write, and listen are all observed by employers, and should be your best asset.

2. Organization Skills

Organization skills are a fundamental to life. A career in the MLB may be fast-paced, therefore this is very important because it deals with your ability to design, plan, organize, and implement projects and tasks within an allotted time frame. You may be on the road, and must be able to keep and follow a schedule without someone telling you to do so.

3. Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are very significant in working in Major League Baseball. This is how people relate to one another. Interpersonal skills are often used in business context to refer to the measure of a person's ability to operate within business organizations, through social communication, and interactions. The ability to relate to your co-workers, inspire others to participate, and mitigate conflict with co-workers is essential given the amount of time spent at work each day.

4. Professionalism

Many people think that working in Major League Baseball will be all fun and games. This however, is not the case. Major League Baseball, the teams, and venues are very serious about their organization. They expect their employees to be completely professional and serious. Remember that you are an employee first, fan second.

5. "Team Player"

Working in the MLB can get very busy, especially in season. There will be occasions when you will be asked to complete jobs or tasks outside of your specific area. A "Team Player" has a positive attitude, and is willing to work in all areas to benefit the whole team. A "Team Player" also has the willingness to make and learn from mistakes, and take direction from the staff.

6. Knowledge of Baseball

Having a strong knowledge and passion for baseball can be very critical in obtaining a career in the MLB. Depending on what area you are trying to specialize in, having solid knowledge of the game can be very important. You must understand the game and how it is played in order to be successful. Major League Baseball has the longest running regular season at 162 games. This means; if you are required to show up at every home game, you will be at the ball park over 80 times. If you are not passionate about baseball, you might not make it.

7. Willingness to Travel

Lastly, but certainly not least, is your willingness and enthusiasm to travel. Because there are so many games and teams all over the country, you may be required to travel. The ability and interest to travel is what will set you apart from the other candidates that can only remain locally. You will receive many more opportunities if you have the willingness and enthusiasm to travel.

Obtaining a career in Major League Baseball may be very challenging. However, if you can master these top seven skills that Major League Baseball is looking for, you should be well on your way to having a career in the MLB.

Life and Baseball is a Game of Inches

Congratulations to the Major League Baseball World Series Champions, the New York Yankees! Champions of 27 World Series! Wow!!

I have been a fan and student of the game of baseball since I was four years old. I have been fortunate to play for some outstanding coaches, and played with some great players. These days I have the unbelievable joy of coaching my sons and their friends in Little League baseball.

There are a many things that standout to me in baseball that have been great life lessons for me. I am listing a few for you as you play in your own world series each day in business and life. You are already in the major leagues of life and you are your own MVP(most valuable player) every day.

Baseball/life is a game of inches whether you are running bases, fielding a ball, or covering the plate with a pitch or your bat. Manage those inches in advance, be efficient, get the first inch advantage.
Baseball/life is a game where success is not an all time thing. You can make the Hall of Fame by being a successful hitter 4 out 10 at bats. Sometimes you have to keep fouling off pitches, but by all means, make sure you step up to the plate to take your swings.
The more successful hitters in baseball/life visualize the pitch they are going to hit and where they will hit it, before they step into the batter's box. They know what to expect.
Becoming an expert at the little things, the fundamentals of the game is what makes the difference between the good players and the great ones. The great players make the routine plays.
Practice is for working hard, testing your limits, pushing yourself so that the game time is easy and fun. You have to love to practice as much as you love the game.
To be a great winner, you have to be able to lose with class, compliment your opponent, and prepare for the next meeting so you can learn from your defeat.

These lessons are powerful. There are many more that I have taken as notes in my life. May you use these lessons to achieve your status of MVP today.

Major League Baseball World Series Betting

Sports betting on the internet has truly revolutionized the way people are able to enjoy and profiting from betting on everything from team sports, like NBA, football, MLB to big events like horse racing and World Rally.

Online sports betting really is on another level to going down to the bookies or actually going to one of the sports event. From your comfortable seat at home with a computer and the power of the internet you can research things such as players, teams and find out how they've done in previous games all in a matter of minutes. Probably one of the best examples of this would have to be the racing post. You can find out the form for the last few races, tips and tipsters, jockey details, best odds across all the bookmakers, graphs of latest price trend and so much more. You will have to visit the site and see it for yourself if you're a serious punter.

Another good example would probably be the MLB, Major league Baseball. Sports betting online for the mlb can potentially be very lucrative. On betus.com, you can see all the MLB lines and betting odds, you can see the spread, and times of events everywhere. When you click to see the team details, it goes to a sub-site where you can view team reports, matchup, game preview, injuries and all your current wagers on the event.

So In a nutshell, sports betting has become a very good way of making lots of money thanks to the internet, as it's still in its relatively early stages, it's going to develop and become even greater and even more profitable. So if your thinking about sports betting for a living, know this. It works, It's very profitable, it's very easy, lots of people do it as a "full-time job" with the added power of the internet and wealth of information to follow. You're well set.

Major League Baseball Playoffs - Is There a Better Way?

Being that it is October and the postseason of Major League Baseball is currently in progress, I thought that I'd devote a few moments of my time to share my thoughts with all of you about some alternative ways Major League Baseball could use, or has used, to promote a great postseason experience for everyone. I firmly believe there are a number of scenarios that could improve the game. I'm going to share three of those scenarios with you, and also, I'll be sharing some pros and cons of each scenario. You may also learn some history and facts about Major League Baseball that you may not have already known previous to reading this post.

First, let's discuss Major League Baseball's current postseason format.

Right now, Major League Baseball operates under the new "Divisional Play Rules," which, when restructured following the 1994 player strike, state that there are to be three divisions in each league, the East, West and Central Divisions. The team with the best win-loss record in each division after the regular season ends will compete in the playoffs, and one Wild Card team (the team in each league with the best win-loss record out of all the teams who did not win a Division Title) will compete in the playoffs. The current MLB playoffs consist of a Divisional Series (best-of-five games), a League Championship Series (best-of-seven games) and World Series (best-of-seven games). Typically, the #1 seed (Division Champion with the best regular season record) plays the #4 seed (Wild Card) and the #2 seed (Division Champion with the 2nd best record) plays the #3 seed (Division Champion with the 3rd best record) in the initial, Divisional Series. Four total Divisional Series take place, two in each league. The winners of each Divisional Series will compete with each other in their corresponding league's Championship Series. Two total League Championship Series will take place, one in each league. The winner of each series is crowned as either National League Champions or as American League Champions, depending on the league in which they compete. Each will represent their respective league in the World Series. The winner of the World Series is crowned as the World Champion of Baseball.

Your probably also wondering how Major League Baseball determines which teams will host certain games of each series, and how many games each team will host. Home-field advantage is based strictly on regular season records, but this only holds true in the Divisional Series and the League Championship Series. The #1 seed in each league entering the playoffs has clinched home-field advantage for their entire league playoffs. If the #1 seed is eliminated following Divisional Series play, the team with the next best record who is not a Wild Card will hold home-field advantage for the League Championship Series. A Wild Card team can NEVER hold home-field advantage during league playoffs. Usually, teams in each Divisional Series follow a 2-2-1 format (the team with home-field advantage hosts the first two games and, if necessary, the final game of the series), but this can vary depending on the length of the series that the top seeded team chooses to play (the top seeded team of each series can decide on the length of over how many days the games of the series take place). For example, the top seed can choose to have the series played over a total of 5 games in 6 days or a total of 5 games in 8 days. This choice could ultimately change the format of the series, which is at Major League Baseball's discretion. The League Championship Series ALWAYS follows a 2-3-2 format (team with home-field advantage hosts the first two games, and, if necessary, the final two games.) The length of over how many days the series is played and, also, which days the teams do not play is decided by Major League Baseball. Again, the team with the best regular season record who is not a Wild Card will hold home-field advantage for the LCS.

The topic of home-field advantage in the World Series has become one of the most hotly debated issues in the sports world. Previous to 2003, the two teams competing in the Fall Classic decided who held home-field advantage based on who had the best regular season record. This was soon dramatically changed. Following 2002, Major League Baseball, and Commissioner Bud Selig, ruled that the All-Star Game each July would determine which league would hold home-field advantage in the World Series each October. This was, in large part, due to the All-Star Game disaster that took place in July 2002. During that game, which was held at Miller Park in Milwaukee, both mangers approached Commissioner Selig during the 7th inning and informed him that they were both out of players. Selig ruled that the game would end, right then, in a tie. In my opinion, Commissioner Selig had no other choice. Had he kept the game going, players would have been at an increased risk for injury and pitchers would have been overthrown, affecting their respective team's strategy in the weeks following the All-Star Game. This decision resulted in much criticism from the press, players, and fans. Baseball had to do something to prevent this occurrence from ever happening again. So, the Commissioner, owners, board members, and MLB Player's Association (MLBPA) heads got together to figure out a solution. The result: the All-Star game would determine home-field advantage each season for the World Series. The game was actually going to mean something more than just plain old bragging rights, and, in addition, extra players would be added to the rosters of each league's team. This final decision resulted in even more criticism than that of the decision to end the game in a tie. I do not personally believe that making the game count was the best move, but that's a topic for a future post. The All-Star Game was meant, simply, to be an exciting experience and a terrific opportunity for fans and players. People believed that Major League Baseball's decision to make the game count demeaned the actual intentions the league had when it began the playing of the Summer Classic in 1933. (The All-Star Game began as a fun addition to the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois. It was the brainchild of The Chicago Tribune sports editor, Arch Ward. The game has grown into one of the most prolific events in professional sports. In the years following Major League Baseball's acceptance of the infamous game, every single professional sport in America has followed with its own variation of an All-Star Game.)

Anyhow, the World Series ALWAYS follows the 2-3-2 format, and home-field advantage is decided based on the result of the All-Star Game. The league that wins the Summer Classic will give their league champion home-field advantage in the Fall Classic. The "Designated Hitter Rule" is in effect when playing at an American League park (the "DH rule" was initiated in 1973 by the American League as a solution to having a much lower attendance rate than their counterpart National League). The rule is another controversial one, and it is one that I absolutely despise. It contradicts the first rule in the book of baseball. Rule 1.1 (Official Major League Rulebook) states that "baseball is a game of two teams, each side consisting of a total of nine players." When the "DH rule" is in effect, it is in direct violation of Rule 1.1. Again, the World Series is a best-of-seven game series. The first team to win four games is crowned as World Champion.

Now that you are familiar with the current Major League Baseball postseason setup, here are three other possible scenarios baseball could go with, or once had gone with:

Scenario #1, "The Purist's Way": Previous to 1969 (the season in which Divisional Play began), the team in each league with the best win-loss record after the regular season would meet in the only playoff series of the year, the World Series. There are no Divisional Series or League Championship Series played when using this format. This format was used from 1901 (the first season in which a World Series was held) to 1968 (the final season of non-Divisional play). Baseball purists are almost always advocates of this format, as it was the first format ever used to crown a champion between the two competing leagues. A TON of arguments can be used when debating whether or not this format was a useful one. First off, purists argue that having only one team make the playoffs from each league results in a much more exciting and competitive regular season. They argue that a Wild Card team has no place in the playoffs and that Wild Card teams are winning and competing in too many World Series because of the current postseason format. Purists also argue that this is the way Major League Baseball had intended when crowning a World Champion.

Because of the way in which money and economic status dominate the game in modern times, owners and investors of the game have a much more formidable argument as to why this format is no good: including more teams in the postseason will result in a greater amount of profits from ticket sales, advertisements, and other resources. With more teams participating in October baseball, there are more games being played. This directly results in much, much more money being made from ads in the stadium and through alternative viewing platforms (such as television, the internet, 3G devices, and Apple Inc.'s iPod), a greater number of tickets sold because there are more games being played, and much greater non-ticket profits from a variety of team merchandise, concession sales, and also via franchise bonuses from Major League Baseball. Also, with more teams in the postseason, more organizations are able to present their "product" (or team) to a wider variety of consumers. Instead of their game only being broadcasted regionally, team's games are broadcast to the entire nation and to different parts of the world. This attracts newer fans in huge numbers, something every MLB organization is trying to accomplish in attempting to compete in the playoffs.

Purists cannot stand the argument of business and economics being brought into the conversation of the game. They believe that baseball was never about the money and, also, that baseball being promoted as such a big-time, big money-making business is demeaning to the game itself. In reality, professional baseball is all about making money. The game going professional was a business venture that investors used to reel in the big bucks, although most want to believe that the formation of Major League Baseball held other meanings. Once again, every professional sport, baseball included, is all about making money. That is why "The Purist's Way" will never again be considered as a legitimate format for Major League Baseball playoffs.

Scenario #2, "The Pre-Divisional Series Format": If more games being played can result in even higher profits, why not incorporate more games, more teams, and maybe a whole new series into the postseason? This type of scenario is one that is not usually discussed when debating alternative MLB playoff formats, however, I'm not sure why. After all, the three other major professional sports in America (NFL, NBA, and NHL) have all incorporated an extra playoff series (NBA and NHL) or an extra week of playoff games (NFL) into their league's playoff formats. All three sports have done so in different variations, but based on the same profitable concept. All recognized that a significant amount of money could be made by expanding on their sport's playoff format. This theory has worked out exceptionally well for each sport, and it has resulted, not only in the expansion of each respective sport, but, in a profit increase for each team competing, as well as a profit increase for each individual league. This scenario also gives more teams more opportunities to get involved in the postseason. The greater probability of making the playoffs excites most fans and tends to encourage more fans to frequently follow up on how their favorite team is doing. If a team has fans that believe their team has a chance, those fans are going to come to the games more often. They may also tune into alternative viewing platforms, which could result in higher profits via advertisements.

Purists argue that allowing more teams into the postseason, once again, results in a much less competitive regular season. They also argue that when you allow too many teams into the playoffs, there will be significant numbers of sub-par teams that do not belong. The purists that buy into the concept of baseball as a business say that fans will not turn out to as many regular season games, believing the season is less competitive and far less important when you allow more teams into the playoffs. Purists deny that this scenario would be effective when considering baseball, although most purists intensely reject change to the game itself. There are many examples that lead me to believe that this scenario might actually work and be good for baseball.

The National Basketball Association is a prime example of this scenario being put to good use. The NBA decided, just recently, to incorporate an extra playoff series into their postseason format. The league came together and came up with the idea to add Conference Quarterfinals to the postseason. This decision resulted in a total of four extra teams from around the league being able to compete in the NBA's playoffs each and every year. The decision to expand on their playoff format has led to good results for the NBA and for the game of basketball. Not only is more money being made, but the league is attracting a significant amount of new basketball fans. Take China for example. There are now an estimated 300 million basketball fans there now. That's the entire United States population! The growth of the booming NBA market can be linked to the idea of expanding the playoffs. Of all major basketball broadcasts in China, over 60 percent are related to the NBA postseason. Generating millions of new fans provides a much larger consumer base that the league and its teams can profit from and draw upon. When new markets are created, there are millions upon billions of dollars of profit that have just been created as well.

Let's also not forget how exciting the new NBA playoffs have become. The NBA playoffs provide some of the most improbable, stunning and exciting games of the year in sports. I'd also like to point out that having longer playoffs may also weed out the teams that do not belong. An NBA team must win a total of 16 games over four best-of-seven playoff series. Winning that consistently is what separates the good teams from the great teams, and it may also result in the sub-par teams eventually being eliminated. In a long playoff format, teams must prove themselves. This is the answer to the purist's belief that too many sub-par teams are let in via this scenario.

NBA playoff series, as well as NHL playoff series, all consist of best-of-seven game formats. This brings us to our next type of scenario.

Scenario #3, "The Seven Game Divisional Series": For the last decade, ever since the institution of the Divisional Series, people have been arguing over the length of the five-game playoff. They want to know why the series is so short and why it's not the same length as the other two MLB postseason series that are now in effect. The only answers to these questions that I can provide is that the series is so short due to Major League Baseball and the MLBPA being iffy when finalizing the decision to expand with a Divisional Series. At the time this decision was made, the process of purifying the game of baseball was at a high point and was, you could say, on Major League Baseball's "to-do list." You may not believe this fact because of the amount of change that took place following the 1994 player strike. But just take into consideration that the idea of keeping the game pure may have been on the minds of people who factored into making the final decision to change the playoff format. These people of Major League Baseball faced the daunting task of trying to devise a plan to increase profits as a direct result of the players demanding higher wages. This, while trying not to upset baseball fans by enforcing too much change. Before the players declared a strike, fans were horrified by the thought that baseball may never again be the same. Major League Baseball knew this. They had to find a way to keep everyone happy. They did not want to over-expand the postseason, so they increased the number of games that would be played in the League Championship Series and equaled the number of games played in the Divisional Series to that of the League Championship Series from 1969 to 1993. By doing such a thing, Major League Baseball felt they had found a way to sufficiently increase profits while not interfering too much with the pureness of the game. (I'm still unable to answer why the LCS was a short five games when that type of format was instituted in 1969. I can say that pre-World Series playoff series were a brand new concept to Major League Baseball at the time, and the pureness factor has to also be considered. Keeping the game pure had to be even more important to baseball then when compared to the 1994-95 format changes. The postseason had been virtually the same for nearly 68 years up to that point, except for the change in the length of the World Series from nine games to seven games in 1920. At the time when playoff format was changed and expanded for the first time ever, changes in season routines were unheard of, as well as unwanted. Baseball had to do whatever it could as to not affect the routine too much, just like in 1994-95.)

Now that the acceptance of the current MLB postseason format has taken full effect, why not match the idea of the other major professional sports by making the number of games played in each series an equal one? Most believe that five games are not currently enough to decide on a series victor. I, for one, believe that the five-game Divisional Series has resulted in way too many Wild Card teams winning the World Series or, for that matter, even competing in the World Series. Remember the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals? That team won a total of 83 games in the regular season. 83 games! What a pitiful win percentage for a playoff team (.512). They entered the postseason as the #4 seeded Wild Card team in the National League and they proceeded to become World Champions. If you look at their performance in the Divisional Series, you might think that if there had been an extra two games added to the series (meaning the organization would have had to win one more game), the Cardinals would not have advanced. This concept can be applied to several teams playing in the Divisional Series since 1995. Adding two extra games to the Divisional Series may quiet the baseball purists who are against the outrageous number of Wild Card teams getting into and winning the World Series. Also, adding two more games would, again, increase profits, although not by much as it is just two more games in a series.

The facts are that while the game of baseball itself and the way the game is played have so greatly evolved, the players, owners, league, and fans have all resisted other changes that have been imposed upon the game.

There are many who love the game because of its spontaneity, and then, there are many who love the game for its immortal legends. There are some who hate baseball for what it has become, and there are some who hate baseball for what it once was. There are purists and then there are modernists, statisticians and enthusiasts. There are owners and there are managers. There are players, critics, and fans. There is umpiring and there is official scoring. There are organizations, franchises, associations, and teams from cities big and small. The game has seen rage from a fierce competitor who once beat a man in the stands who had no hands, it has seen a nation fall in love with the right arm of a cool-headed pitcher who preached spirituality, a man who was so adored that his hometown now devotes an entire holiday in his honor. It has seen two best-friends from different walks of life put on a home-run display unlike any other, only for that summer to soon be forgotten because of the two men's appearances in front of grand juries in order to explain their alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. The game saw a nation provide no appreciation for a man they all hated, a man who broke the most hallowed record in all of sports. The hate was all because they believed he used drugs to alter his performance.

Baseball is a game that saw a 1922 Supreme Court ruling be upheld, a ruling that stated the game was, somehow, not interstate commerce, thus, becoming the first business to be exempt from a group of laws that no business had, or has, ever beat. It also saw a group of eight men, "Black Sox" if you will, have to appear in court because they were believed to having accepted money to throw the 1919 World Series. The game has seen a player hit a home run to win a World Series just twice, both times a feat that lifted the respective cities to the top of the sporting world. It has seen a team win a World Championship an unprecedented 26 times, watched another team win its first World Championship in over 86 years, and it has witnessed one team suffer a miserable 100 years, and counting, without winning a single World Championship for themselves or for their beloved city. The game saw a team fall behind three games to none in a League Championship Series, only to come storming back and win the series in seven games, a feat never before accomplished. Baseball twice has seen a team finish with the worst record in the league one season, and then finish with the best record in the league the following season. Baseball has seen just three men hit over 700 home runs, one of which became the face of baseball forever as he captured the essence of an ever-changing sport. He was a man who helped a country forget about its greatest economic demise with only the crack of his bat.

The game of baseball has seen the good and the bad. However, it is a game that can never be matched. It is a game that has defined a country through thick and thin, and it is a game people turned to when they needed more than help. It is the only game in which its legends will be forever immortalized for what they did on the field, and often times, for what they did off of it. Perhaps the postseason format that baseball decides upon will never again change, and maybe it doesn't even make a difference. Whatever happens, we will always know that the game's history is written with every pitch, and, we hope that the game will be there for us when we face darker times; we hope it is there for us just as it has been for the last 150 years. We hope when we do have trouble in life there will be something we can turn to, and we hope that answer will be the game of baseball.

Baseball may just be a game, but it's a game that has held a special place in the hearts of billions of people ever since its creation. Baseball is unlike anything else we know of. For that reason, the game's significance will never be compared to anything else, ever.