With a new MLB commissioner ready to take over following this season, we have seen a lot of analysis recently of the tenure of soon-to-be former commissioner, Bud Selig. In my opinion, Selig did a very good job during his time as the man in charge of the sport. There were surely ugly points during his tenure, like the strike in 1994 and the steroid era, but I really think that Selig did a great job in responding to those stains. Since 1994, Major League Baseball has reveled in nothing but labor peace, while we have seen the NBA and NFL lose parts of seasons, and the NHL lose an entire season. Surely, the steroid epidemic was something that, in retrospect, damaged the image of the game, but when we were in the midst of it and seeing balls fly out of the parks left and right, I didn't hear anyone complaining. Selig came back with a drug policy that has been one of the best and most strict in all of sports, and the steroid era is a thing of the past. So despite those two failures on his part, his responses were unbelievably good for baseball.
On the positive side, Selig has overseen a true growth in the game in many different ways. First and foremost, the growth is due to the addition of four teams under his regime. Before Selig became commissioner, we had never heard of the Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Rays, and Arizona Diamondbacks, but because of him, they are now fully operational (and somewhat successful) franchises. The game has also seen such an enormous profit that more than half of the franchises in the league have been able to build new stadiums during Selig's tenure. Instead of the dregs of places like Three Rivers Stadium, the Metrodome, Riverfront Stadium, and Candlestick Park, we now have beautiful facilities like PNC Park, Target Field, Great American Ballpark, and, in my opinion, the most beautiful stadium in all of baseball, AT&T Park.
Interleague play has meant the chance for fans to see each and every team, while an unbalanced schedule has at the same time allowed fans to see its team play rivals more and more often. Although it took a lot longer than it should have, baseball also finally implemented instant replay under Selig. He also officially declared April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day, which will forever bring about recognition of one of the most important players of not only baseball history, but the history of American sports in general. One thing that sometimes goes overlooked is how well he handled the events of September 11, 2001 as well. The league halted play for a week, but anyone who is a fan of the sport will remember Mike Piazza's dramatic home run against the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium following the resumption of games, and what was (for completely biased and obvious reasons on my part) the greatest World Series ever played, the 2001 World Series. We have seen magnificent World Series games and moments throughout the history of baseball, but the 2001 Series featured three of the most unbelievable games in the history of the sport, and considering the circumstances under which those games were played, Selig should be proud of how well the games represented not only the game of baseball in general, but the entirety of American culture as well.
However, if you asked most fans of baseball what Selig's greatest accomplishment as commissioner of baseball was, the most common response would likely be the addition of the Wild Card to the MLB playoffs. As opposed to two divisions in each league, Selig split the leagues into three divisions, and introduced a Wild Card team that would bring about four playoff teams in each league, and in doing so, the excitement of the MLB playoffs has grown exponentially.
The biggest difference between Major League Baseball and all of our other professional sports is the length of the season. The NBA and the NHL regular seasons consist of 82 games. The NFL regular season consists of 16 games. The MLB regular season consists of 162 games. The differences in these lengths all make each sport unique, and I think that the addition of a Wild Card team to the Major League Baseball playoffs has really paid off for Selig.
We all love the NFL because a 16 game schedule means that each and every game matters. With one game per week, the drama is at its highest every Sunday, and it is what makes the sport the most popular in our country today. However, the 82 game schedule in the NBA and NHL sometimes brings about unsatisfactory results come postseason time. In both sports, we often see borderline mediocre teams in the postseason each and every year and it often times makes the playoffs unwatchable for the opening rounds. Baseball however, is the true definition of a marathon and not a sprint, and I truly believe that the addition of the Wild Card has made success in the marathon that is the regular season more rewarding to those teams who truly deserve recognition.
In the 1970's and 1980's, before Selig took over as commissioner, we saw truly great seasons by great teams not even result in playoff berths. The mid-to-late 70's were littered with teams who won over 90 games and did not even reach the postseason. In 1980, the Baltimore Orioles actually won 100 games and still did not reach the postseason. After a marathon of a regular season, shouldn't those teams at least have a chance to lift the World Series trophy? If a team can finish below .500 in the NBA and still reach the postseason, then a team that wins 90 games in a 162 game season surely deserves a shot at the postseason in Major League Baseball.
Since the Wild Card was introduced to the game of baseball, we have seen 10 Wild Card teams reach the World Series, with five of them winning the Series, so clearly the Wild Card teams have not exactly been pushovers. A Wild Card team in baseball is surely more likely to contend for a World Series title than a #8 seed is in the NBA.
So, while the introduction of the Wild Card has surely been one of Bud Selig's signature moves as commissioner of baseball, when he introduced another Wild Card team two seasons ago, I was a bit skeptical. A one game playoff between the best two non-division winning clubs in each league seemed a bit too much like the NCAA tournament for my liking. After the marathon season, was a one-and-done game really good for the sport? I had my questions, but what we saw last night surely helped in pointing me more in the direction of "yes" than "no."
Is the MLB season a long and arduous one? Yes. Does that mean that the postseason should be an extended equivalent of that? Yes. However, when we look at the sport through the lens of the commissioner, we can really see why this one-game Wild Card playoff makes total sense. Last night, the entire country watched the Kansas City Royals battle the Oakland Athletics for a chance to reach the MLB postseason. If not for the one-and-done fashion of the game, it would be likely that we would have paid little attention to it. However, because of the new stipulations brought about by Commissioner Selig, the game meant the season was on the line for both teams, and the game did not disappoint. The Royals won a 12 inning affair, as Salvador Perez drove in the winning run to break the hearts of Oakland fans and bring about a postseason aura that has not been felt in the Kansas City baseball world since 1985. The Royals, for so long a laughingstock in the AL Central, now march on to the playoffs to face the Anaheim Angels tomorrow night.
Was it a terribly unsatisfying end to a great season for the Oakland Athletics? Yes, it was. But was it great for the game of baseball in general? The answer is undeniably yes. So, from the perspective of the commissioner of baseball, that is an overwhelming success. The National League play-in game is tonight, and on the heels of a thrilling game last night in Kansas City, I'm sure the energy will be just as high in Pittsburgh tonight.
In reality, the commissioner works for the team owners, and what the owners want to do is make a profit. Though it may seem unfair to Oakland fans and other detractors of the American way, it is a simple fact, and last night proved why Bud Selig achieved true success in the eyes of the 30 owners of MLB franchises. After the thrilling finish last night, we can only hope for more of the same tonight. First pitch in Pittsburgh is less than three hours away.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: Following the inevitable ouster of GM Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson, we have seen Dave Stewart arrive as the new general manager, while the manager's spot is still vacant. With Tony LaRussa (a great baseball mind) now in the mix in the front office, I feel like the organization will rely upon him to put a strong input into the selection of the next manager. Names like Jose Oquendo, a long-time MLB coach, and Terry Steinbach, a former minor league manager, have come up, but I really have no idea where the team will go, so I am eager to find out who the job ends up going to. No matter what, I expect improvement in 2015.
Daily Giants Update: The Giants dominated the Redskins this past Thursday and will now have an extended period of rest coming into a home game against Atlanta this Sunday. First round pick Odell Beckham might finally see his first regular season action, and the new offense seems to be coming into its own, and the addition of Beckham could really prove to be a huge asset with his ability to run after the catch. The Giants are a game behind the Cowboys and the Eagles after four weeks, so wins are still definitely at a premium. 1:00 this Sunday can not come soon enough.
Daily Rangers Update: The preseason is underway, and like most preseasons, the results have absolutely zero bearing on the regular season. The games start to count in just over a week though, and in any sport, following a loss in the championship usually means regression, but hopefully the Rangers can reverse that trend. The journey begins at 8:00 PM on October 9 in St. Louis.
Daily Nets Update: The preseason schedule for the Nets is pretty much unwatchable, as it consists of basically the Celtics, the Kings, and a team from Turkey. The regular season is still just under a month away from beginning, so we still have quite a bit of time before the games begin to matter.
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