Cashman: Baseball Can Thank Me For New Playoff Format
Via the Sporting News –
Brian Cashman is taking partial credit for Major League Baseball’s new playoff format.
The Yankees’ general manager on Sunday admitted what many people suspected: The Bombers essentially conceded the American League East to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 once it became clear that both teams were postseason-bound. New York finished a game behind in the division race and claimed the wild card.
“I’m not taking away from Tampa Bay, but we didn’t try to win the division,” Cashman told reporters at the Yankees’ spring facility in Tampa, Fla. “We tried to line ourselves up for the playoffs and that worked.
“The division title was rendered meaningless the way the set-up was. It really meant nothing more than a T-shirt and a hat.”
That, Cashman said, led to commissioner Bud Selig’s push for a second wild-card team in each league and a one-game wild-card playoff, which should motivate teams to win their division. The new format could begin as early as the 2012 season.
“Baseball took notice and made, I think, a very smart change. Bud Selig did a remarkable thing adding the wild card and I think he’s now doing another remarkable thing by enhancing the playoff push,” Cashman said. “It certainly brings back the importance of being a division winner again.”
No response from MLB was reported.
Uh, does Cashman realize that teams punted the race for first, and settled on the ‘card, long before the Yankees did it in 2010?
Steve L. wrote:
Not saying you’re right or wrong but I can’t think of who else transparently punted on the division title from 1995-2009. Can you tell me who you were thinking of?
Also, I think your headline is somewhat disingenuous. I don’t think Cashman is taking credit for anything. He’s simply saying that he congratulates Selig for addressing something that his team — without excluding others — took advantage of.
MJ Recanati wrote:
First off, for years, the Red Sox always said that their goal was not to win the AL East – because they could not match the Yankees win total – and that their goal was to just make the playoffs via the wildcard because all that mattered was making the post-season and then everyone had an equal shot.
But, the first one that came to my mind was the 2006 race in the NL West. IIRC, the Dodgers laid down at the end of that season because they had the wildcard as a fallback.
Steve L. wrote:
I remember Theo saying that a few times, that’s true. Having said that, I can’t think of a single instance where what he said was reflected in how the Red Sox played down the stretch. In most cases, the Red Sox either had the division locked up or were too far behind to have a chance to win it.
Steve L. wrote:
You may be right, I have no idea. I honestly can’t remember that race as, in all honesty, I pay next to no attention to the NL in general, or the NL West in particular.
Steve’s correct. The 2006 AL Central was the same thing, where both teams had slots locked up, but it was a case of seeding.
MJ you’re correct too; the Red Sox weren’t a factor in the divisional race in many cases, so it wasn’t a case where they happened to be leading the division and punted the AL East falling back on the wildcard.
That said, it’s a stupid overreaction on Selig’s part, like having HFA decided by the ASG winner.
Besides, it’s not so much season integrity than a money grab by Selig & MLB. More teams in it, more $$.
Maybe Selig didn’t like the fact that the Yanks were so very transparent about their intentions, and being in the NY market, got a lot more attention for it.
Maybe it had happened a couple of times before, and the Yanks doing it was the proverbial “last straw”.
Maybe the 2010 Yanks had nothing to do with it.
I dunno.
I think Raf’s right…this is just a way for MLB to grab more money.