CDIH

Six teams would make the playoffs in each league -- three division winners and three wild-card teams.

The two division winners with the best record in each league then would receive first-round byes.

The four remaining teams would be seeded by record, with the division winner playing the wild card with the worst record, and the 4 and 5 seeds facing each other.

The first round would be a best-of-three series, with all three games in the city of the clubs with the best record. No travel. No off days.

The two survivors would move on to the Division Series, which would expand to best-of-seven.

The League Championship Series and World Series wouldn't change.

The team with the best overall record determines home field advantage in the World Series, not by the winner of the All Star Game. The All Star game could possibly be kept interesting by changing it from league-versus-league to a United States team versus a World team.

The 21st-century committee "highly appreciated" Leiter's proposal. But the question about it baseball needs to debate, he says, is: "Does it add to the overall image of the game or detract from it?"

Leiter, however, thinks the way to keep interest focused on the best teams is to dangle those first-round byes in front of them. That would create a potentially riveting race within the race among the division winners.

And there's another way to maintain that drama, too, he says -- award home-field advantage in the World Series to the team with the best record.

"That's something else to compete for," he says. "If that's what's at stake, it's a reason for those teams to play their best players right through to the last game of the year."

Best of 5 for both the division series and championship series. Simply because it's gonna take too long. I want to be concentrating on football by the time my birthday rolls around in November and not baseball.

I have an idea.. why don't we just cancel the regular season and let every team into the playoffs

this format actually rewards the best teams by giving them a bye and adding an extra hurdle for the wild card teams. the way the system currently puts the wild card team almost on even ground with all other playoff teams. the wild card team plays the division winner with the worst record of the 3.

i actually like things the way they are currently, i just thought it was an interesting proposal. the current format has allowed for some really exciting pennant races these past few years, especially last year. this year is turning out to be one of the best ever in terms of teams in contention.

I say let the fans tweak it some. I like the idea of whoever wins the all star game wins home field advantage, but the best record can work too. The NL east is totally up for grabs, it's anybodys division, except for Montreal of course.

Quote:this format actually rewards the best teams by giving them a bye and adding an extra hurdle for the wild card teams.

how novel! Al Leiter watches football!

Playoffs take too long, don't add any more teams.

a poor idea from a man on a team that is a perennial also-ran. no wonder he wants to add teams to the playoffs.
this sort of shit is why hockey sucks. every fucking team , even those with a losing record , makes the playoffs. i realize that leiters plan is not so drastic but it still sucks. you aint the best team then see ya next year.

We can divide up the leagues into more divisions, with two teams in each division. The division champions get byes, and the second place teams get wildcards. We can do a best of seven series for every round. The playoffs can start in August.

good idea. 2 months of playoffs. ridiculous!