Is tweaking the Wild Card format a good idea?

Recently, Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated and Jayson Stark of ESPN were presenting an idea that would alter baseball's current postseason format. Both writers were crediting the idea to Steve Hirdt, of the Elias Sports Bureau, who originally suggested the notion. His concept is to add another Wild Card to the postseason, in order to spice up the races in each league. This idea is coming as a result of the lack of drama in the American League East, where both the Yankees and Rays are essentially assured of a postseason spot, whether it is via the Wild Card or by winning the division title.

Even though the postseason field would be expanded with this idea, the extra "round" would actually be just one game, a Wild Card Elimination game. The two teams with the two best second-place records would play a do-or-die elimination game immediately after the conclusion of the regular season, with the winner going on to play a division winner in the Division Series. Hypothetically speaking, if there was a "Wild Card Elimination Game" last year, it would have featured the Rangers playing the Red Sox in Boston and the Giants playing the Rockies in Colorado. This would also put the Wild Card team at a further disadvantage, since they would likely have to use their best starter in this play-in game, and would have to shuffle their rotation for the next round of postseason play. Also, since they would be the "Wild Card Champion," they would still not have home-field advantage in the Division Series or League Championship Series.

While this idea is certainly fresh and exciting, I can't help but to think how unfair it is. Let's take for example this year's American League race. How fair is it to Tampa Bay (who's roughly on pace to win 98 games) to have to face either the Red Sox or White Sox in an elimination game, despite the fact that they will probably finish with seven or eight more wins than either team? Tampa clearly would have shown that they were the better of the "Wild Card" teams, so why make them have to play their way in? Besides, if the Red Sox or White Sox wanted a fighting chance at a playoff spot, they should have played better in the first 162 games anyway.

Also, this just seems like a knee-jerk reaction to an otherwise lackluster postseason race in the American League. Really, how often is it that all four AL playoff spots are essentially wrapped up with two weeks left in the season? There's no shortage of drama in the National League right now, as the Braves, Phillies, Rockies, Giants and Padres are all battling for the last three playoff spots (the Reds, barring a monumental collapse, are essentially in). In fact, there's only a game and a half that separates first place from third in the NL West. Why would you need to artificially create more drama when it's already there to begin with?

Plus, I kind of like the exclusivity the MLB postseason brings. Only eight teams out of 30 get in. That means you are treated to great baseball more often than not when October rolls around. I wouldn't want to see the playoff field diluted with more teams getting in, even if it is for just one game, or a "best-of-three" series. Besides, why would you want to reward more teams for not finishing in first place? Making the playoffs should still be an accomplishment, not a free-for-all like the NBA or NHL, where 16 out of 30 teams make their way in with both leagues (I'm not saying that I don't like the NBA or NHL, I just don't like their bloated playoff field). It's still a special feeling watching your team celebrate when they make it in, and adding more teams to the mix kind of cheapens the accomplishment for me.

Perhaps the only change I would like to see in baseball's postseason is the one suggested by Angels' manager Mike Scioscia, who is also on Bud Selig's panel for on-field issues. His suggestion was to shorten the regular season by four games to 158, and make the Division Series a best-of-seven. This makes sense to me because the quality of teams that get into the postseason is still generally pretty good, anomalies notwithstanding. Witnessing a best-of-seven first round would make an already exciting postseason format even more compelling to watch. Also, the somewhat-truncated regular-season schedule can allow for the playoffs to be expanded, and for them to end before November. I personally would love to see the powers-that-be try to make this a reality, only as long as the month of November isn't involved.

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 29- Los Angeles Angels

It's time to head down the road from Dodger Stadium to Angel Stadium, where our next report card will be issued to the Los Angeles Angels!

Los Angeles Angels:
Record: 97-65 (AL West Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Erick Aybar (.312)
Home Runs: Kendry Morales (34)
RBIs: Kendry Morales (108)
On-base Percentage: Chone Figgins (.395)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders (16)
ERA: Jered Weaver (3.75). Bullpen- Darren Oliver (2.71).
Strikeouts: Jered Weaver (174)
Innings Pitched: Jered Weaver (211)
WHIP: Jered Weaver (1.24)
Saves: Brian Fuentes (48)

Highlight of the Season: Finally taking out their postseason nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, in dramatic fashion, sweeping them in three straight during the first round of the playoffs. It is also worth mentioning that on August 18, in a game against the Indians, the Angels became the first team since 1930 to feature a starting lineup with all nine batters hitting at least .300, with at least 200 at-bats.

Lowlight of the Season: The death of their future star pitcher, Nick Adenhart, in a car accident just hours after his start against Oakland, on April 8.

The Lowdown:
It was certainly a great time to be a baseball fan in Los Angeles in 2009, as fans of both the Dodgers and Angels were treated to some outstanding baseball during the regular season. Last year would mark only the third time in MLB history that both L.A. teams made the playoffs (joining 2004 and 2008), and it was also the first legitimate chance of there being a "Freeway World Series" as both teams made it to the LCS. The Angels though, unlike their National League counterparts to the west of them, reached the postseason on the strength of their overall hitting, instead of their pitching. While the Angels still featured a solid pitching staff, their lineup was one of the most potent in baseball, as there was not a single easy out in their order.

The Angels were also a team of perseverance, as well. They battled through injuries to some of their key players in 2009, including Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey, and on April 8, the most devastating blow of them all came when 22-year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart died in a car accident just hours after starting a game against the Oakland A's. The death shook the team to its very core, as Adenhart's personality and demeanor clearly made an impression on everyone that was around him. The team fought on through this though, and as the season wore on, they only seemed to get stronger mentally, as they overcame a 5.5 game deficit at the hands of the Texas Rangers on May 30 to eventually win the division by a commanding 10 games.

Offense:
The Angels were a team that did not feature one weak link in their lineup. Not one. Out of all of the people on their team that played in at least 100 games, eight of them hit over .290, which is nothing short of incredible. Even the people who did not reach .290 were still dangerous, as left fielder Juan Rivera hit .287 with 25 home runs and catcher Mike Napoli hit .272, with 20 home runs. This was a well-balanced lineup as far as power goes too, as six people hit 15 or more homers, with switch-hitting first baseman Kendry Morales leading the way with 34 of them. The emergence of Morales certainly made up for letting first baseman Mark Teixeira walk as a free agent after the '08 season.

Also, the presence of Bobby Abreu on this ball club would prove to be a big influence on this team, as far as their approach to the plate goes. While the Angels were once known as a free-swinging kind of team (no doubt influenced by 2004 MVP Vladimir Guerrero), the Angels followed Abreu's example and took a much more patient approach to the plate this year, waiting for their pitch to come and working deeper into the count instead of hacking away early in the count. This was likely a big influence on the increase in batting averages that you see on the team. While the Angels hitters were certainly a talented bunch long before Abreu's arrival, they certainly became even better with his influence rubbing off on the other players.

There is nothing really negative to say about this lineup; however, the gradual decline of DH Vladimir Guerrero is certainly raising some eyebrows among followers of baseball right now, including yours truly. While he's still hitting for average (he finished at .295 this season), he saw a drop in his power numbers, as he hit only 15 home runs and drove in 50 in 100 games this season. While he was injured for part of the season, his decline in power is still noticeable, as he has not hit 30 homers in a season since 2006. This decline likely made it much easier for the Angels to part ways with him after the season, as they let him walk away as a free agent at the close of the season.

The Halos would finish second in MLB in runs scored (883) and in batting average (.285), and they would also tie for first in hits (1,604) as well. They would also go on to finish third in on-base percentage at .350, and would tie for 11th in home runs with 173. While this lineup can certainly beat you with the long ball, they prefer to go about dismantling their opponents slowly and painfully, by rapping out base hit after base hit.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
The Angels rotation featured a decent group of starters, as Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver, John Lackey and late-bloomer Matt Palmer all put up great numbers in '09. Weaver and Saunders tied for the team lead in wins with 16, but it was Weaver that ended up being the better of the two, as he threw more innings than Saunders (211 to 186), had a lower ERA (3.75 to 4.60) and had a much lower WHIP (1.24 to 1.43). Although Saunders still had a great year, he was likely the recipient of great run support from a phenomenal offense.

John Lackey also had another solid season in the rotation, going 11-8, with a 3.83 ERA in 27 starts. This was probably one of the least surprising stats out of everybody in the rotation, because once he came back in May from a forearm strain injury, everybody knew he was going to be stellar. However, the most surprising starter in the Halos' rotation would have to be the mysterious Matt Palmer, who went virtually unnoticed by many in the media during the season. The 30-year-old righty out of Missouri State had only 12.2 innings of experience in the majors before becoming a major part of the Angels' pitching staff last year, and once he settled in, the Angels knew they found someone who they could depend on, in relief and as a starter. He appeared in 40 games last year, and started in 13 of them, as he would finish the season 11-2 overall, with a 3.93 ERA in 121.1 innings pitched. While he's not going to be their next number one starter obviously, he will definitely be someone who they can trust with the ball going into this upcoming season.

The rest of the bullpen proved to be a decent crew in '09, as Brian Fuentes, Jason Bulger and Darren Oliver were their top three pitchers in appearances last season (Fuentes- 65, Bulger- 64, Oliver- 63). Oliver was probably their best man coming out of the 'pen, ERA-wise, as he posted a staff-low 2.71 ERA. Fuentes' and Bulger's ERAs were considerably higher than Oliver's, as they recorded averages of 3.93 and 3.56, respectively. While Fuentes was serviceable in the closer's role, he was not quite as "lights out" in that role as his predecessor, Francisco Rodriguez. While he did record a MLB-best 48 saves last year, he still surrendered 53 hits in 55 innings, along with blowing seven saves. Even though he could definitely get the job done, the end does not always necessarily justify the means, as his high-wire acts during the ninth inning would often have Angels fans looking for their Pepto-Bismol after games.

Overall, the Angels would tie for 20th in ERA (4.45), tie for 13th in runs surrendered (761), and would let opponents hit off of them at a .272 clip, which tied for the seventh-worst in MLB. Despite the performance of some of their starters, this was a pretty mediocre staff overall last year.
Final Grade: C

Wild Card: Perseverance
Losing a teammate during the season is always something that is difficult to overcome, and the Angels managed to still do it, as they won the division title in honor of their fallen friend. They also had to endure the loss of one of their most respected members of their organization too, as long-time consultant and former big league manager Preston Gomez passed away on January 13 of last year at the age of 85. They were both honored with patches on their jerseys during the season, and the fact that they were able to still perform at a high level during this adversity is nothing short of admirable.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
The Angels were a stacked team this year, one that fell excruciatingly short of their goal of another World Series title. With all of the times they have fallen short since their first title in 2002, could they be becoming this generation's version of the Atlanta Braves? Only time will tell.
Final Grade: A

Check back soon for the final report card, which will be on the World Champion New York Yankees!