Baseball Wildcard - Beating a Dead Horse

[EarlJam]

Rockies finished in last place last year, ya never know.

True. And in 1989, the Orioles came within one day of winning the A.L. East after finishing dead last the year before (the year they started 0-21).

If the young pitching arms can stay healthy, true point...ya never know.

-EarlJam

[pfrduke]

Six straight years with the wild card team in the World Series? I'm pulling for Colorado, but can't something be done to put the division winners at a much earned advantage over wild card teams. Just doesn't seem right.

-EarlJam

Explain to me how the Cubs should have a "much earned" advantage over the Rockies. The Rockies were 4 1/2 games better in the regular season (counting game 163), and a much better run differential than the Cubs (+102 against +62). The Rockies' run differential was actually the best in the National League, and 4th overall (behind the Indians, Yankees, and Red Sox). They did that with 58 games against the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Dodgers (collectively 35 games over .500), while the corresponding opponents for the Cubs were the Brewers, Cardinals, and Astros (collectively 18 games below .500), and that's not even counting that the Cubs also had 38 games against the Reds and Pirates. I would say the divisional structure gave the Cubs a HUGE advantage this year since it put them in the playoffs over two teams that finished with better records.

I really don't understand why the wild card team should be treated as a "lesser" playoff participant. Often times, they have a better record than at least one division winner, and occasionally a better record than both. At worst, the wild card team is usually the equal of the other 4 playoff participants. When was the last time you looked at the wild card team, compared to the 3 division winners, and said to yourself "boy, that wild card team really stinks in comparison"? This year, an extremely strong argument could be made that the Rockies were the best team in the National League for the regular season (taken as a whole). After all, the only team with a better record had a negative run differential. So why should they be punished (at least moreso than never having home field advantage in the playoffs) when they reach the playoffs as a wild card?

edit: I know you didn't mention the Cubs specifically, but they were an easy target here.