The World Series Is the New Super Bowl
Seriously, the World Series SUCKS now. Three sweeps in the last four years, interrupted by last year's single meaningless win by the Tigers. The wild card era has seen five World Series sweeps, as many as there were in the prior 30 years of the Fall Classic. Personally, I think the Division Series is well on its way to ruining baseball, the Division Series and interleague play. By the time the World Series actually rolls around, Jesus, I am so sick of watching playoff games that I hardly even give a shit anymore. The ads, man, the ads seem like they're going to escape from my television and hunt me down and kill me. They start to appear in my dreams - that fucking song they played for the MLB ad where the kid has the Hank Aaron card - "ding da-ding, ding ding ding..." - that song has been haunting me. I found myself humming it at the gym the other day and felt rage in my heart.
And it's not just the relentless promotional blitz, it's the sheer accumulation of playoff baseball, something that, judging by the performance on the field, is a malaise that afflicts fans and players alike. 2003 and 2004 were perfect case studies in that phenomenon - after those Yankees/Red Sox donnybrooks, who the hell cared what happened next? The Yankees/Marlins World Series has to be one of the most anti-climactic baseball events on record. Given the circumstances, it seemed almost surprising that they bothered to play those games.
Meanwhile, interleague play has removed all sense of mystery and magic from a final showdown between the champions of the two leagues. I remember back before interleague play no matter how uninterested you were in the two teams, just the idea that these players would be facing each other - Luis Tiant pitching to Johnny Bench, Steve Carlton to George Brett, Roger Clemens to Darryl Strawberry - it was just so unfathomable, like a big fight - you mean those two guys are actually going to have it out once and for all? that's actually going to happen? It happened so infrequently that when it finally did, you were eager to see it whether it was your team or not.
Now, everyone plays everyone all the time, and the World Series is basically just another round of playoff games. The Leagues stand for nothing really - they're just brackets now. Two teams exhausted from an endless season stumble into the Fall Classic after another seemingly endless second season. One gets the edge quickly, and the other folds like a five-dollar hooker in a ten-dollar motel. I'm telling you, I'm already tingling with anticipation to see who gets swept next year.
16 Comments:
It's give and take, Large. No one really disagrees with you, I think. I would like to think that I'm enough of a purist to want to go back to the old baseball I grew up with, and after these most recent playoffs, that's a popular view at the moment.
The one thing is are we willing to give up what was an absolutely stupendous September in order to get it? The wildcard made September important to no less than 8 teams who would otherwise be twiddling their thumbs and playing prospects/punting games.
I'd go so far as to have the Wildcard team have to win 4 games but the League leader playing them, only needing 3 wins to advance. I'd like to keep the wildcard but essentially punish them come playoff time.
As far as interleague, I'm 100% fed up with it. It helped baseball when it was in a jam post-strike. It served its purpose, but time to put it to bed.
i love interleague play
i hate preseason play.
Not buying that game fatigue is responsible for mismatched World Series.
Agreed Hank Aaron card/Taco Bellism breeds cynicism about the game, but by the time dudes actually get to the World Series, I still believe they want to win. Maybe not as much as when the winner's share meant you could have hot water in the house all winter long, but the Sox didn't look like they were faking it on the celebrations. Though I do take serious issue with Papeldon popping his celebratory squat. He needs a new signature move.
The real problem is the NL. AL is 13-7 since 1987. From '66 to '86 it's 11-10 for the AL including a '79 - '82 stretch where four different NL teams won in a row.
I think the solution is a Taco bell promotion where they grind up a Hank Aaron rookie, mix it into a hard shell taco, and give it away one lucky winner. That oughta inspire the NL.
How can you use the playoff series between Boston and NY in '03 to support your argument for an anticlimactic world series? Were it not for the wildcard, Boston and NY wouldn't get to meet in the playoffs. This doesn't even speak to the historical and exciting series in 2004 between the two - which would have never happened were it not for the Wild Card.
I do think that interleague play needs to go, though.
Yes, as Kopper said, we had a stupendous September. Red Sox-Indians, and Indians Yankees were great series too. Yes, the World Series was a snoozer. Maybe toss out the league playoff format and have a NCAA-like, seeded tournament. This might have resulted in the best teams (Red Sox-Indians) in the World Series.
Excellent article.
FYI: The Tigers win was so meaningless that it actually did not happen. St. Louis won last year.
But I guess this little mistake kinda, well, proves your point?
Speaking as a Red Sox fan, I can't complain _too_ much about the way the World Series unfolded, but I do see your larger point.
Still, like most everything else in sports, it's a matter of cycles. Certainly the World Series from 2001-2003 were competitive, going seven, seven and six games, respectively.
I'm old enough (*groan*) to remember the NFC domination of the Super Bowl throughout the 1980s to mid-90s, when most of the games were all but decided by half-time. Since 1998, of course, it's been a different story.
I'm not convinced drastic moves are always called for, even when there seems to be such a competitive imbalance. Sooner or later, these things appear to even out. Yes, we impatient Americans always prefer it be "sooner," but you know, life's not like that.
Christopher: he was referring to the single game won by the Tigers in the 06 WS.
By four innings of the first playoff game, I was annoyed and tired of that stupid Avis commercial where the driver professes his love to the GPS system.
By the second game, I was wondering how many years I'd serve for firebombing Avis for not having at least ONE OTHER commercial to run every inning.
The playoffs take too long -- and teams sit around too often -- for me to much care any more.
I agree with just about everything you say--I hate the wild card, the ads, I've always hated interleague play. And to this Red Sox fan, the '05 and '06 World Series were just about unwatchable. But you say, "2003 and 2004 were perfect case studies in that phenomenon - after those Yankees/Red Sox donnybrooks, who the hell cared what happened next?"
I'm pretty sure people at least "cared" about the '04 result, whether the Sox would finally win one or not. And Yankee fans and -haters alike always have a rooting interest when they're in the WS. I cared whether the White Sox would win in the '05 series. (But, you're right--it didn't mean I had any interest in actually watching the games.) So I guess it's the word "care" I have the issue with. I care. But depending on the year, I care more about which pantleg I pull on first.
Obviously, Jere, in 2004 the stakes were high in you were a Red Sox fan. Hell, the stakes were about as high as they can be for me in the Phils/Rockies series this year, not that it did me a damn bit of good, but there you go.
Everyone who roots for their teams cares passionately - if the Phils sweep the Devil Rays in the Fall Classic '08 I will be strutting around in my Cole Hamels jersey singing "We Will Rock You" no matter what the world may think of the affair. So I feel you. I guess I'm coming at it from a more detached, aesthetic viewpoint, the fan who loves baseball but does not happen to be rooting for a team in the World Series. On that score, the '03 World Series still seems borderline irrelevant to me. It probably was even to the majority of Miami residents.
if they are going to keep the wildcard then League champ and the world series they should cut the number of games and days off. The play offs take to long. in the wildcard series. Make it a best of 3 with NO games played at the wild card stadium or the lowest ranked team stadium. All back to back games no days off. winning. Next round best of 5 2 games on back to back days travel day 2 games travel day last game.T hen best of 7. Play those games 3 days in a row. Travel 2 days and play the last 4.
Get it over with.
There's nothing wrong with baseball's playoff system.
Regarding the playoffs, it just so happens that the past few World Series have been crappy, but we've also had some very good World Series since the wild card was instituted: the 1st yanks/braves, marlins/tribe, d-backs/yanks (arguably one of the best ever), angels/giants. i even thought marlins/yanks was pretty good because it was thrilling to watch that young kid Beckett shut down the Bombers on their home turf.
interleague i think plays an important part in creating excitement, especially for the rivalry match ups. i think it also is helpful to contending clubs that get to play games with/without the DH, in preparation for the World Series.
Oh I always love talking about how to fix the MLB. Start by mostly washing away the interleague. I think there should be two interleague series, an away and a home against your "natural" rival. So three games in each ballpark for a yanks/mets series. Thats it. That will come area fans foaming against their crosstown while not ruining the mistique of the larger league vs. league World Series. I'd also like to level the playing field a little. Too many teams exist diluting the talent pool. Two teams need to go, D Rays and Royals. Then we even up the AL by moving two teams from the NL, the Brew Crew and the Rox. That way each league has 14 teams and the AL gets an expansion team since it lost the Rays. Then we go back to the East West two division system, 7 teams in each division. We keep the NLDS/ALDS, but they are true divsional matchups. The wildcards are the second place teams in each division and they play the frontrunner. The "punishment" for being a Wild Card is a 2-1-2 system where the Wild Card gets one home game. We also go back to a 154 game season so we can start the playoffs at the end of September and no longer run into November. Finally, a hard salary cap because the Yanks and the Red Sox are now twin evil empires driving up player salaries just so they can both be sure to make the playoffs. It would be nice for a season to start and to think that the Jays or the Orioles have a shot at making the playoffs, and I'm a Yanks fan! There is no more competition in the AL anymore, certainly not in the East. Oh and finally I'd ditch the DH. It's just a stupid rule. Pitchers need to hit and fat ass players need to get on the field. That way the Yanks and Sox can't hoard what amounts to two good 1st basemen that should start somewhere else in the league. Youkilis or Papi should be starting on another roster.
Lets be honest. The highlight of the baseball season is right around the all-star break.
That is when baseball has center stage. There are no other sports being played at that time. Who is leading their division? Who has the most home runs? People care about these things in July. (except ESPN who will still show a dumb segment on the Dallas Cowboys)
As soon as the kiddies go back to school, and the tailgates around the nation fire up for the pigskin, baseball is out of the minds of most.
Baseball is about the streaks over the long summer months, not 4 or 5 games in the fall. For a 162 game season to come down to 4 games is crazy.
With all that being said I wouldnt mind a cross bracket playoffs.
1st place Al plays 4th place NL.
That way the AL can get all 4 teams through because the NL is horrible.
Get rid of the Royals....are you fucking kidding me?
The Royals have tradition and the best ballpark in the league.
The teams that "would" be the first to go would be the Marlins and D-Rays. Marlins don't have a ballpark and lose money like crazy. Same with D-rays shitty trop field.
Neither is in danger though, and getting rid of two teams really won't mean shit for the grand mlb scheme.
Yanks and red sox will still have more money than the twins and A's.
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