See previous post on the importance of a team being the one seed in the Major Baseball League (MBL) tournament: Sunday, September 2, 2012 One seed is more valuable than most realize.
Click this link to see the "wild card" standings on that website:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/wildcard.jsp?ymd=20120902
All teams not leading their divisions are listed as possible wild card teams. Listed at the bottom:
w - clinched wild card
x - clinched playoff berth
y - clinched division
z - clinched division and best record in league
Z is of particular interest as I maintain that the one seed in each conference will have a big advantage. There is no highlighting of the race for the best record in each conference, or as the establishment continues to refer to them, leagues. There's only one league, the Major Baseball League.
As far as I know I am the only one emphasizing the race to be the one seed. No team has indicated that it regards the one seed as being especially important. There is no sure thing but I strongly believe that the new MBL tournament format provides a huge advantage to the one seed and a huge, almost insurmountable, disadvantage to the wild card or four seed. This is a good thing, which I am also sure was unintended when commissioner Bud Selig and his fellow rocket scientists came up with the new rules. See Wednesday, March 7, 2012 MLB tournament: inadvertently less random with one more team?
By the way, what happens with ties? I searched the mlb.com website and found nothing. Then I did a general google search and found it ... at mlb.com. Way to keep a secret, Bud.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?c_id=mlb&content_id=36405618&vkey=pr_mlb&ymd=20120809
Try that link. Now for ties:
Tiebreaker games will be played to determine Division Championships, even if the two tied Clubs are assured of participating in the Postseason.
That's it. No provision for three teams being tied for a division lead. Check the current standings:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/index.jsp?tcid=mm_mlb_standings
In the American Conference East three teams are within three wins of the lead. Two teams are tied for first in the Central. And what about a tie for the one seed? How is that most important of all ties resolved?
Considering the lack of thought given to teams that finish first it's not surprising that there is no mention of ties for the wild card, which is the most likely scenario since so many teams are contending. The regular season ends Wednesday, October 3 "with the inaugural pair of Wild Card Games on Friday, October 5th". That leaves one day to resolve wild card ties.
The American Conference currently has six teams, including the two tied for first in the Central, within 3.5 games; basically four teams within two games. The National Conference has four teams within 1.5 games. If three teams tie for two spots is there a round robin play-in to the play-in? And how is that done in one day?
Your best bet: be the one seed.
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