@MJ - If you expanded, I’d prefer two divisions of eight teams each, two wild cards.  None of this “getting into the playoffs because you went 8-8 in the NFC West” BS that we see on Sundays.

“Oh, and you can get rid of the DH over my dead body. :-D”  Choose your poison, Kevin S. 

“Develop a method to reign in salaries more” in reality becomes “make the owners that much richer.”

“I don’t ever remember umpiring being as bad as it’s been this year.”  Funny, I seem to recall hearing that every year for the past couple decades.

If you expanded, I’d prefer two divisions of eight teams each, two wild cards.  None of this “getting into the playoffs because you went 8-8 in the NFC West” BS that we see on Sundays.

It happens like this already, see NLC when the Cards won the WS, and almost every year in the NLW.

I agree though, I’d prefer the 2 Divisions per League, but I’d still see the Yanks/Sox toping their division every year.  At least this way it gives another team in the other division a chance at a WC.

New York Daily News still has a “Today in Baseball” which this time of year often refers to World Series events right about now. I vividly remember several years ago Jeter named “Mr. November” and thought that strange, but thisd year it would be typical.
My opinion is that the top four teams from any division in each league would compete-this year, NL would be the same, AL would have Rangers instead of Twins. This would, over time, add some parity, and keep some who are not so Yankees-RedSox centric (such as myself) happy that the best four teams from the regular season have something to show for their season.
What can you fix with a 162 game season? It’s already self-correcting with days off in August and September going to make up games, or in some cases, doubleheaders. Maybe the twin bill during the summer, on Sunday, with the owners having figured out it’s separate admission, could improve attendance and allow more 4 game series, which I like. If nothing else, we could then go to 7 game Division Series (I say this for obvious reasons) and get the whole thing done by Halloween.
Last two rants:
Never get rid of the designated hitter
Why did the Twins build a beautiful new ballpark…outdoors?

I think we all understand two things after watching the last two Phils/Rockies games:

1) Why Beane included Street in the package for Holliday (can we have Carlos Gonzalez back, please).
2) Why Jim Tracy is asked to leave repeatedly.

Street is not what you want in a closer. Nibbling, erratic command, not an overpowering fastball: that’s a bad combination, especially in a hitter’s ballpark. That Tracy left him in is baffling, but explains why Tracy has had to move on before.

Couple that with Beimel’s previous 3-year split vs. LHB of .240/.281/.348, then Tracy made the wrong call.

It’s called playing the percentages. It’s what good managers do to win ballgames.

As question as I’ve never seen it answered before, but career wise Street (.216/.299/.370) has been better against lefties than Beimel (.265/.326/.404) has.

So do you throw the better pitcher against lefties, or the pitcher the batter has a worse time against?

MJ, per Sheehan, who would you rather face, a backup catcher, or Albert Pujols?

I don’t think it’s at all baffling that Tracy left Street in there.  He managed conventionally, which is what almost all managers do.  Street is the closer so he’ll go with Street, even if he doesn’t give him the best chance to win.  It’s silly, but it’s common practice.

And yes, absolutely Tracy SHOULD have brought in Beimel.  The difference in splits between Beimel vs lefties and Street vs lefties pales in comparison to Howard’s splits.  He is awful against lefties.  It’s sad that Tracy made the wrong decision but it’s not at all surprising that he did so.

And please no more pitchers hitting.