Comments on: Selig: expanded playoffs coming, but maybe not next year

By: yournuts

yournuts — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:37:13 +0000

Please, no. It is to diluted as is. Your ruining the game.

By: ronjon77

ronjon77 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:07:56 +0000

The two teams with the best records in baseball are already golfing. Keep adding teams into the mix and don’t be surprised if you get mud. Why not include every team and just have a dodge ball finale.

By: scatterbrian

scatterbrian — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:22:01 +0000

This reminds me of another change I think might be interesting. Expanding rosters to 40 in September has it’s merits in terms of seeing your future players at the highest level, but that seems the exact wrong time to be doing this. It’s no fun seeing a team fighting for that final playoff spot while their opponent is playing AA/AAA players, or at least several non-starters.

Instead–and helping to shorten Spring Training–baseball should have expanded rosters to start the season, with teams cutting to 25 players by May 1st. They can also allow rosters to expand to 30 (rather than 40) at the end of the season so teams can gauge playoff rosters.

By: scatterbrian

scatterbrian — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:13:37 +0000

Obviously adding teams to the playoffs extends the postseason, but the complaint is always that they’ll be played in October/November. Why not shorten Spring Training and start the season earlier? Spring Training is already overly long, and if players need that much time to get into playing shape, a shorter ST would mean they’d just have to stay in shape. I know the weather in mid-March isn’t ideal either, but making up rainouts from March/April easily trumps postponing playoff games.

By: scatterbrian

scatterbrian — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:06:13 +0000

How about that right hand? Considering the guy hails from the land of the Fonz, he can’t even give a proper thumb’s up…

By: jcarne9014

jcarne9014 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:45:25 +0000

Great! Soon the World Series will be played on Thanksgiving. Have fun in Minnesota, Detroit, Chicago, et al… Yeah…baseball in 25 degrees with a chance of flurries. The Summer Game my ass.

By: gogigantos

gogigantos — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:56:21 +0000

the Senior Bush was, maybe still is, a shrewd man who took advantage of opportunity and rarely over played his hand,, wise and wealthy,, evil is a debate for elsewhere,,, the younger, a foolish fool, but an artist of the con who took us all for ride,,,,,, still shames baseball does the younger,,, wish Nolan would go a bit Ventura on him just once in front of the cameras,,,,

By: gogigantos

gogigantos — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:52:33 +0000

G.W. ,,,,, sarcasm right, tell me that is sarcasm,,,,, proved that a Harvard MBA doesn’t mean more than being a rich shit who had it all handed to him, and still managed to shit on all he touched, including our country and government and future,,, sarcasm right,,,,
Cuomo would still be a good choice, the man played ball and has a love for what it means and could be again.
let it rain on me now oh Gods of all that shits from above,,,,,,

By: gogigantos

gogigantos — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:46:14 +0000

have got to agree, as old as he what else could he do
Still, have a hard time imagining him younger and being picked better than last in any street or yard game, in any sport really.

By: Francisco (FC)

Francisco (FC) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:12:42 +0000

Actually I would favor an 11 or 13 game series at each level (not happening!). After all in 2008 the Phillies were NOT the best team, that was the Cubs but they were swept by the surging Dodgers. Those Dodgers may have done Philly a huge favor. Maybe the Cubs prevail in a 2008 NLCS against Philly. Who knows. But I’ve long since come to the belief that in the Wild Card Era, the best team doesn’t always win the WS, it’s way too much of a crapshoot. I mean look at all those 90′s braves teams. All were great and a few of them were quite dominant! Yet only one WS to show for it.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:55:49 +0000

Yeah, there’s lots of both floating around loose these days.

By: bigleagues

bigleagues — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:05:16 +0000

Whether it was intentional or not, I’d like to applaud Craig for not once – in this entire post – referring to Selig as Commissioner.

Selig’s real title is C.E.O of MLB. The Commissioner title is a bit of a joke at the moment as no reasonable person would view one person holding the title of CEO and Commissioner as anything but a conflict of interests.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:56:05 +0000

His father had a better brain, too.

By: tophermike

tophermike — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:55:50 +0000

sigh. sounds like another Philly or Yanks fan

By: siftin thru nonsense

siftin thru nonsense — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:41:48 +0000

Bush failed in baseball dude. His team wasnt good and lost money. Not a bad arm though. His father had a better arm.

By: siftin thru nonsense

siftin thru nonsense — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:39:38 +0000

Ok, so what we want to know is is he doing away with the stupid 5 game series???? 162 games to then have your World Series hopes all hinge on a 5 game series where anyone can slump. Ridiculous. Make them all 7. So 2013 will be the yr of the expanded playoffs?? Need more details here.

By: Gamera the Brave

Gamera the Brave — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:35:47 +0000

Is it just me, or does it seem that if anyone actually THREW a baseball to Bud, he would either duck into a fetal position, or would wave feebly at the ball, which would promptly smack him in the forehead? I just can’t picture him catching and throwing a ball.

By: Richard In Big D

Richard In Big D — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:31:03 +0000

I think we should allow George W. Bush the honor. Has baseball experience. Has business experience. Has baseball business experience. Has experience as administrator. Time for him to put the crowning jewel in his resume’.

Mario Cuomo would have been a similarly good choice when Bud was installed. Think about how much better shape the game would be in in Bud would have never soiled the big chair behind the big desk up there in New York.

By: southpaw2k

southpaw2k — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:55:52 +0000

I could listen to George Will talk about baseball all day long and never get bored. I had thought about him taking over as commissioner as well, but I wasn’t sure if he had the business background and instincts to match his knowledge and understanding of the game. Still, I would completely support him as commish if he were interested in the job.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:46:42 +0000

And what the hell is wrong with his left hand? Did he step into a matter transporter with a fiddler crab?

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:45:18 +0000

I’d vote for George Will. His politics appall me but he’s a great baseball person – read Men at Work or Bunts if you have any doubts – and would make one hell of a great commissioner. Let’s put his conservatism to work protecting the game from any more cockamamie “changes.” The DH was more than bad enough by itself.

By: rollinghighwayblues

rollinghighwayblues — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:40:07 +0000

What in the hell is Bud wearing in that picture? A Members Only jacket with an iron-on MLB logo patch?

By: sknut

sknut — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:32:31 +0000

I may have missed this but who is in line to replace Selig, any contenders that we already know about?

By: Francisco (FC)

Francisco (FC) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:10:55 +0000

“Hi Craig! Are you ready for the next HBT Extra?”, Tiffany smiled, as always from the screen. Her picture was in one corner of his screen.

“Ready as always Tiffany”, Craig answered. “As a matter of fact-”. Craig was interrupted by a huge growl that seemed to come from the air ducts. Tiffany’s face morphed into one of concern and confusion.

“What was that?”, she asked.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Craig answered. “That’s just a Troll. They come around from time to time growl and move on.”

“Aren’t those dangerous? Shouldn’t you do something about it?”

“No, no, my dear Tiffany. That’s precisely what they crave: Attention. This is perhaps the only type of problem that does go away if you ignore it.”

“But what if it’s hungry? Won’t it try to eat you?”

“No, no. Of course not. You never ever feed Trolls Tiffany. Trust me, it will be gone of its own accord soon enough.”

Then an altogether different interruption occurred. His screen was overridden by an outside source and a specter of an image appeared on his display. A figure cowled in black, face disfigured in contortions and shadows. Partially hidden by its hood it spoke thus:

“This. Is. Selig. Labor negotiations are on schedule. Expanded playoffs will be ready within one year, two at most. Crane hasn’t convinced the league… yet. Wilpon had better not fail us… as McCourt has failed us, we are most displeased with McCourt. My retirement is… on schedule. That. Is. All.”

The signal terminated and Tiffany’s picture returned. “What was THAT?”

Craig, put his bubble pipe in his mouth and somberly observed, “On the other hand, some Trolls, CAN’T be ignored…”

By: paperlions

paperlions — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:19:55 +0000

Man, that guy has some serious live disease, he should get that checked out.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:59:26 +0000

Who were Buster’s sources? Bupu?

By: bigxrob

bigxrob — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:56:12 +0000

imposter.

By: Craig Calcaterra

Craig Calcaterra — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:55:11 +0000

All I know is that if someone could get Larry Elmore to re-do this cover with Bud’s face over Raistlin’s, I’d probably pay $1000 for it. Not sure who Crysania should be:

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jasen01/art/elmore_time%20of%20the%20twins.jpg

By: lukeslice

lukeslice — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:54:35 +0000

delusion

By: kluv32

kluv32 — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:52:39 +0000

Gotta respect a good ‘Dragonlance’ reference.