By Woodrow Carroll
Major League Baseball (MLB) has expanded a great many ways down through the years. Once there were 16 teams strictly in the eastern part of the United States with nary a franchise farther west than St. Louis. That was long ago! Today, we all are familiar with expansion and how the national pastime stretches from coast to coast.
Another noticeable element of change to the MLB game has been the expansion of postseason.
The first World Series was contested in 1903, and, from 1903 through the 1968 seasons, the World Series featured the winner in the American League playing against the champion from the National League. Other than some minor tweaking, the postseason format was set in stone those years.
Major League Baseball added divisional play beginning with the 1969 campaign, so, instead of two clubs contesting for the World Series championship, you there were four seeking postseason glory.
You might argue that baseball has watered down the quest for a World championship. Yet, there is no denying the expansion that took place. Where once it was the two league champions meeting for all the glory, there are playoffs involving 12 teams.
Starting with last season, the MLB playoff picture went from 10 teams to 12. A host of factors have come into play for the increased playoff picture. Revenue is one, of course! Expanded participation is viewed by most as a good thing when looking at the bottom line. Today, we have 30 MLB teams, instead of 16. Inclusion is the magical phrase which covers increased revenue.
Historical perspective is nice, however, it’s 2023 and we need to live in the present. The MLB season runs 162 games, if played out, however, the first half is usually, in the minds of many, prior to the all-star game. The second half is after the all-star game, so, we are now in that second half.
What is enjoyable to many, though not all, is to look at the teams that reached the playoffs in 2022 and see how well each of the 12 is doing. Conversely, we need to make note of a club in the hunt for a postseason berth that was totally unexpected by many observers.
Of all the teams that made it to the playoffs a year ago, the biggest letdown this season might be the St. Louis Cardinals. Last season, the Cardinals were 93-69 (.574) and were easy champions in the National League Central Division.
The 2022 season was the first for the expanded 12-team playoffs. Despite being the Central Division champion, the Cardinals had the poorest record of any National League divisional winner. The West Division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers were 111-51 and the Atlanta Braves won 106 games in the NL East for an idea of what the Cardinals were up against.
Opening round playoffs are best-of-three games, dangerously short!
Just like that, the Cardinals were bounced from the postseason 2-0 by the Philadelphia Phillies, the No. 6 and final qualifier among National League teams.
This season the Cardinals are struggling. Coming into this week’s action, St. Louis was 40-53 (.430), last place in the Central Division. They are not serious playoff contenders this week.
The flip side of the coin might be the Texas Rangers. Last season, the Rangers were 68-94 and a playoff afterthought.
This season, the Rangers are a different story. First-year Rangers’ manager, Bruce Bochy has energized the Texans who were 55-39 (.585) at the start of the week. In the same American League West Division as the defending World champion Houston Astros, the Rangers are making life interesting. The Rangers were in first place, three games ahead of the Astros.
In Bochy, the Rangers have the only MLB manager with three or more World Series championships who is not in the MLB Hall of Fame. Bochy guided the San Francisco Giants to championships in 2010, 2012, and 2014. Given the strong run by this season’s Rangers, Bochy is adding further luster to his all ready impressive resume.