One game wild card "round?"

[Allie Fox]

Is the the new wild card play in game considered to be its own round of the playoffs with seperate rosters, etc?

Is it considered as a game 163?

Are the rosters set the same as for the Division Series?

[SamtheBravesFan]

Is the the new wild card play in game considered to be its own round of the playoffs with seperate rosters, etc?

Is it considered as a game 163?

Are the rosters set the same as for the Division Series?

Essentially it is a 163rd game, I'm not treating it any different than that.

However, I would think that the play-in game's rosters would be the same as the NLDS roster, since it begins two days later.

[ipitch]

Is it considered as a game 163?

No, they are playoff games.

[Pere]

Essentially it is a 163rd game, I'm not treating it any different than that.

This is absolutely wrong.

163s can only be tiebreakers between teams with the same record; the WC teams are likely to have different records. We now have the possibility of having both a 163 and the WC round, which may or may not involve the same teams.

Stats from 163s are RS stats; stats from the WC round are postseason.

[Allie Fox]

This year is a bit convoluted I realize.

Can a wild card team set a roster for the play-in game and then change it for the NLDS?

[SamtheBravesFan]

This is absolutely wrong.

163s can only be tiebreakers between teams with the same record; the WC teams are likely to have different records. We now have the possibility of having both a 163 and the WC round, which may or may not involve the same teams.

Stats from 163s are RS stats; stats from the WC round are postseason.

Don't get snippy with me, dude; I'm talking purely semantics.

The new wild card game is essentially a "play-in" game, like Game 163s, to get into the "real" tournament, just like the games at the NCAA Tournament. While they are part of the playoffs, they can also be viewed as not part of them. The real playoffs don't start until the wild card winner plays the top seed, just like Lamar and Vermont played for the right to be the sacrificial lamb to North Carolina in March.

[Pere]

Can a wild card team set a roster for the play-in game and then change it for the NLDS?

Yes! The WC games will have their very own 25-man rosters--further evidence that the WC round is an entirely different proposition than a Game 163 (which would be played with September rosters).

Don't get snippy with me, dude; I'm talking purely semantics.

Apologies; no intention to sound snippy. But still, people who don't distinguish between G163 and WC are overlooking a lot.

[SamtheBravesFan]

This year is a bit convoluted I realize.

Can a wild card team set a roster for the play-in game and then change it for the NLDS?

I don't know the answer to that question, but my guess is no. I would think the rosters, except for an emergency, would be the same for the WC and DS games.

[Tyrus4189Cobb]

I dislike it. Not only is it just another game to for revenue, but it's the beginning of following suit to the NHL and NBA where more than half the teams make the playoffs, defeating the purpose of a regular season as well as creating two-month postseasons.

[Pere]

See "Wild-Card playoff offers teams a chance to exploit roster rules" for one look at the implications. These should be very interesting games, unlike either the RS or postseason games we're most accustomed to. Teams will be tested a little differently--managerial acumen will be big--the "coin flip" characterization is not quite fair.

[SamtheBravesFan]

Apologies; no intention to sound snippy. But still, people who don't distinguish between G163 and WC are overlooking a lot.

Right. I understand 163s are extensions of the regular season, but I also think the practices serve the exact same purpose.

[9RoyHobbsRF]

yeah those undeserving wild card teams (orioles .571, rays .549, A's .562, angels .549) don't deserve to play in that marvelous post season which will include either the white sox (.532 or tigers .529)

oops

[Rich the Giants fan]

No, they are playoff games.

This, of course, is the straight forward, clear cut answer.

[drdg]

I dislike it. Not only is it just another game to for revenue, but it's the beginning of following suit to the NHL and NBA where more than half the teams make the playoffs, defeating the purpose of a regular season as well as creating two-month postseasons.

you are going a little bit overboard
there will NOT be a 2 months post-season in MLB
MLB is not going to have games in November ever again

Yes, both you and I know it is another game for revenue
but that is not the reason behind the extra wild card team
it to:
1) eliminate the notions that a team is throwing a game
or not managing a game to win in order to set up who they are going to play in the next round

2) to make it more exciting for fans, instead of having
an empty stadium for the last few game, if the team has a chance
to make the playoffs via the 2nd wild card, the stadium will have more people.
also what happen last year, with boston and atlanta won't be repeated
and if it does happen, we can be looking at game 163 and
game 164, yes game 164

say the yankees and orioles finished with the same record
they will play game 163 to determine the division winner and the the W/C team.
than the loser of that game will play in the one game W/C round
it gives the advantage to the division winner, as the W/C team will play extra games
hence making it harder for a W/C team to advance

in the last 15 years, there has been 5 W/C team to win the world series
including the 2011 Cardinals

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20120925/VALLEYNEWS/120929924/1083&ParentProfile=1074

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120229&content_id=26927024

[drdg]

See "Wild-Card playoff offers teams a chance to exploit roster rules" for one look at the implications. These should be very interesting games, unlike either the RS or postseason games we're most accustomed to. Teams will be tested a little differently--managerial acumen will be big--the "coin flip" characterization is not quite fair.

I think the writer used the wrong term, or he is in some way comparing MLB to the NFL
for MLB no long uses "coin-flip" or the flip of a coin to determine anything any more
"do or die" would be a better term, and MLB has had one game series before, so this is nothing new
just my :twocents: