Members of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers stand on the field for the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the 2023 World Series at Chase Field on Monday, October 30, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty ImagesThis winter Major League Baseball must seriously examine the flawed structure of its postseason playoffs.
Baseball’s regular season is far longer proportionally and in the actual number of games played than professional hockey’s, basketball’s or football’s. More than in other big time sports, it’s not unusual for the worst teams in baseball to beat the superior ones several times during what’s dubbed “the long season.”
But the playoffs involve only a relative handful of games, resulting in a travesty. A less-than-best club can go all the way. This year three teams won an impressive 100 or more games, and another triumphed in 99. None of those teams made it to the World Series. One outfit that did had prevailed in an unimpressive 84 games. The 2021 and 2022 seasons saw similar abominations.
To have a superb club eliminated in a best-of-three- or five-game series is preposterous after it had an excellent performance during the regular (or “long”) season.
MLB must stop striking out here.