Baseball's World Series Format Is Flawed

Scott Alfano by Contributor Written on October 30, 2009
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29:  Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees turns a double play against Shane Victorino #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Two of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City.  (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) Chris McGrath/Getty Images

To start off, I don't believe this is the most pressing issue in baseball.  Obviously, that goes to baseball's umpires.  However, I do think this should be looked at in some capacity.

The team with home field advantage during the Championship and World Series (both 7 game series) does not have home field advantage.

The team with home field advantage plays games 3, 4 and 5 on the road.  How much sense does this make? If there is simply a split in the first two games, the "home field advantage" team has a massive advantage. 

So a team is supposed to win at home.  However, this is the World Series.  In a series where 4 wins clinches, the team with the advantage should not be playing three games in a row on the road.  It is a treacherous path to victory that can leave many as losers. 

Baseball should be following hockey's playoff schedule of two games home, two games away, one home, one away, and lastly one home.  This makes much more sense for the teams involved.

This format cannot be changed until the method to gaining home field advantage in the World Series is fixed (like giving it to the team with the most wins during the regular season).  As long as baseball's All Star Game determine's which team "earns" home field advantage in the World Series, we will continue to see the non-advantage team host three World Series games in a row.

The biggest opponent to changing to this format is how late in the year baseball now runs.  Every year, it seems, baseball runs an extra week.  Apparently, ten years from now baseball will be played until Christmas.  Changing to this format will add one more travel day to the schedule. 

Personally, I do not see the need to worry about a single extra travel day in the most important series of the year, but I also see how many will argue that this will lead to a slippery slope.

It should be easy enough to take out a travel day during the Championship Series, or start the World Series a single day earlier.  If it takes a team 7 games to get to the Series, they shouldn't have the right to set their pitching rotation how they need to anyway.

Maybe I'm over analyzing the situation, but I think it's an easy fix that would change the dynamic of the Series itself.  What do you guys think?

Vote Now! - Author Poll

What do you think of the current series format?

  • Keep It How It Is
  • Swap Where Games Five And Six Are Played
  • Other
vote to see results
Results - Author Poll

What do you think of the current series format?

  • Keep It How It Is

    20.0%
  • Swap Where Games Five And Six Are Played

    80.0%
  • Other

    0.0%
  • Total votes: 5
(0)
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written on October 30, 2009 Opinion

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