Saturday, October 3, 2015

The Wild Card Game IS The Playoffs


Okay Yankees fans I gave you a day to celebrate and enjoy the fact that the New York Yankees have clinched a Wild Card spot so now it’s time to rant. Some people could not give their fellow Yankees fans the same courtesy and were complaining about and downplaying the clinch even before it happened and I can’t wrap my head around why.

The Wild Card Playoff Game, despite your feelings about it, is in fact a playoff game. Baseball Reference will list it as a playoff round in their playoff stats section, Fangraphs will list it as a playoff game, Major League Baseball considers it a playoff game and about 90% of the game’s fans considers it a playoff game. I personally think some Yankees fans are taking this “World Series or bust” or “we’re too good to settle for a Wild Card berth” mentality seriously. The Yankees celebrated in 1995 when they won the Wild Card, they also celebrated in 1997 when they won another Wild Card. They’ve celebrated every Wild Card berth the same way they’ve celebrated a division victory because it’s a playoff game.

New York is one of five teams to make the playoffs in the American League in 2015 and you can bet your life savings on the fact that the 10 teams that did not would absolutely consider winning a Wild Card, even the second Wild Card which the Yankees will not win, a trip to the playoffs. New York did not choose, nor should they be punished, for the playoff format. Calling it a “play-in” game is just arguing semantics if you ask me.


Why can’t fans ever just be happy and satisfied? Nobody, and I use the term for emphasis more so than its literal meaning, picked the Yankees to finish above third or fourth place in 2015 but now that the team is hosting a Wild Card round game inside Yankee Stadium those same fans are disappointed? This is Major League Baseball where parity runs amuck, luxury tax thresholds exist, profits are shared, draft spending and international signings are limited and where the talent is as a deep as it ever was. The worst team can beat the best team on any given night and no team is going 162-0. One playoff game, best of five or a best of seven doesn’t matter. The playoffs are the playoffs. 

6 comments:

  1. First it's not edged in stone they are hosting a play in game just yet. Second it maybe listed as a playoff game, however most people know it as a play in game that gives you the right to compete in a playoff SERIES. Lastly the way the Yanks are constructed at this present time the play in game will be the last game they play.

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    1. You never know Hans. Warren, Wilson, Betances and Miller will be available for more than one IP with rest the day before and the day after and you have Tanaka on the mound. If the offense can score a couple runs it may be game over with that pen. That's one reason I'm not entirely worried just yet.

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  2. I for one, am happy as hell to see them play in any post season game!

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  3. The game the Yanks are playing in which again in my humble opinion is a play in game. It's like the NCAA's where they take a team like Fairleigh Dickenson in Teaneck and allow them to play another team that was on the bubble so they have the right to play Duke. That's not making the NCAA's. When they win that play in game they are in the playoffs.

    This team couldn't get out of their way the last month of the season and if the season lasted another two weeks they would have been out of the play in game. They can't even beat the O's for gods sake.

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    1. I see the comparison between that and the NCAA March Madness play-in game, it's just not how I feel. We agree to disagree. I think it's a playoff game. The problem here is the format, we all know it should be best-of-three but MLB is looking for a ratings and financial boost.

      If New York won the second Wild Card I could see the beef but they won the same Wild Card they won in 1995, 1997, 2007 and 2010.

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  4. Before the spell police come out, my spell check on my first post said edged when it should have been etched. Sorry to all

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)