Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 27, 1993 TAG: 9309010262
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Under the plan, recently agreed to by major-league owners, the number of teams in post-season play will be doubled to eight.
Still undecided is how the two additional playoff teams in each league will be determined: the second-place finishers in the two divisions of each league, or the two teams with the next-best records, regardless of division? (The plan is also subject to approval of the players' union.)
Avowed purpose of the tinkering is to boost late-season attendance and TV ratings. The theory is that the additional playoff spots will attract more fans, in the stands and at home in front of the tube.
No question, baseball has problems. Because of low ratings, for example, revenue from the national TV contract will go down next year by half. But will additional playoff spots inspire more fan interest?
Under certain circumstances, probably so - when, for example, one team in a division is far out in front but two or three others are bunched in a race for second.
But in other circumstances - when, for example, two teams are fighting for first - the effect could be to deter fan interest. The prize is no longer life or death, but merely the homefield advantage in the first round of a protracted playoff process.
Already, the World Series often comes in late-October weather unsuitable for baseball. Under the owners' scheme, the Series would be pushed back yet another week.
The even greater danger, however, is the general devaluation of regular-season play that accompanies any increase in the number of playoff teams.
Baseball's regular season is long, 182 days, and filled with games, 162 for each club. Reducing the value of the basic product seems an odd way for baseball to gain more customers.
by CNB