Page 10-Tuesday, October 6, 1981--The Michigan Daily
THE SPORTING VIEWS
1981 season a farce .. .
...playoff revamp nee
ded
I 1
By RICK GOLDMAN
We have just about come to the end of the 1981
Major League Baseball season. A season where
the "traditional" game of baseball suffered a
severe setback due to the prolonged strike that
lasted for 51 days, and interrupted the season right
in mid-stream.
To make up for that interruption, the team
owners, the princes of baseball, adopted a
proposal called the "split-season," where there
would be a first-half winner, as well as a second-
half winner, with a special round of playoffs being
held to determine the division winner as a whole.
The format allowed for teams that were in dead
last, or quite close to it at the time of the strike to
actually be able to make the playoffs at season's
end, regardless of their overall record. This for-
mat has caused so much controversy since its
adoption, that perhaps the owners should have
considered other proposals in their attempts to
make up for lost revenue.
Let's admit it. 1981 has been nothing but a farce
as far as the game goes. Players sold themselves
out to settle, and the owners still haven't changed
a bit towards adopting a fair Free-Agent system.
But, for the sake of further argument, let's forget
about that one until another day.
There is another format that could indeed be
tried by the owners if they are hard pressed for ex-
tra revenue at season's end, a format that would
create more competition, competition between all
teams fairly, and would bring fans back to the
ballparks in droves.
The plan? Have the first place team in the East
play the second place team in the West, and vise
versa, creating a four team inter-divisional
playoff at season's end. This would be Round One.
Round'Two, of course, would pit the two survivors
against.each other for the League Championship.
Sound crazy? A little bizarre maybe? Not really.
In fact, it is quite sensible since the owners and
Bowie Kuhn, the Czar of M.L.B. want to institute a
full-time playoff format such as like they have this
season, for 1982.
Look at it this way. Suppose New York of the
A.L. East was to finish in first at the end of the
season. Behind them finish the Detroit Tigers,
only game back. That is truly too close for com-
fort after 162 games played. In the West, Billy
Martin's Oakland club finishes on top, followed by
Kansas City only 1 games back. Again, this is
too close for comfort.
Now then, New York would take on K.C. in a
best-of-five series, as would Oakland take on
Detroit. The winners would meet for the A.L.
Championship.
There are arguments on both sides as to whether
or not this would work. Those who defend it say
that this format would give other teams a fairly
good shot at winning, especially if they are this
close at season's end. They look at it, this way:
football can have wild-card teams, as can basket-
ball, so why not baseball? In the A.L. East alone,
the competition there is so fierce there usually is
no guaranteed winner until the last week or so of
the season.
By this format, there would be NO set guaran-
tee at all that the Division "winner" will make the
championships of their league. Which is good, if
you really look at it. Baseball is competitive in all
aspects, but having only one team from each
division in the playoffs leaves the others who are
close to the top out in the cold.
Those who oppose it say that the entire concept
is ridiculous. They say that the division winner is
just that, the winner, and the team should
automatically qualify for the championship round.
They easily forget, however, that the 1980 Oakland
Raiders of the NFL were a wild-card team, not
division winners, and they ended up as World
Champions. Or, that the Houston Rockets of the
N.B.A. had a poor record, but made the Playoffs
as a wild-card type, and went to the N.B.A. Cham-
pionship round in 1980.
Of course, again faced with reality, those who
oppose the baseball format just look at you and
say, "well that's other sports, not baseball."
Truly a change is needed from this present for-
mat. Kansas City; an overall fourth place club has
won the second-half of the 1981 season. Whereas, if
the above format were to be added, nothing of the
sort would occur.
It works. It can't hurt anymore than the present
system does can it? What do you think? Let me
know if you have any ideas that are worthwhile;
I'll attempt to compile them, and have them prin-
ted. Just write me here at the Daily.
After all, isn't it about time the Voice of the Fan
stops being taken for granted?
0
0
.,
SHORT OR LONP
Hairstyles fdr
Men and Women
DASCOLA STYLISTS
Liberty off State........668-9329
East U. at South U.......662-0354
Arborland ..............971-9975
Maple Village ...........761-2733
1M SCORES
SATURDAY
Women's Softball
Thronson 4, Alpha Omicron Pi I
Hunt 15, Alpha Omicron Pi3
Thronson 7, Ambalana 5
Hunt 4, Thronson 0
Ambalana 10, Alpha Omicron Pi8
Playoff schedule
k
Rebate offered Oct. 5-9 Only
S IENCE AND POLICY: Cost-Benefit An-
a ys/ S-Its Uses & Limits, is an under-graduate level mini-
course consisting of public lectures and debate by nationally-
known experts from a broad range of disciplines and fields.
The class meetings will include attendance at the Sci-
ence and Policy Colloquium on Cost-Benefit Analysis be-
ing held on Friday & Saturday, November 13 & 14, 1981.
In addition, four class sessions of lectures will be given.
For more information, call 764-2553 (weekdays, 8:00-noon).
1632 Haven Hall.
Tuesday,,Oct. 6
NATIONAL LEAGUE
West Division
Los Angeles (Valenzuela, 13-7) at
Houston (Ryan, 11-5).8:15 p.m.
SPOR~iTS 0iil IP
FOOTBALL
at Michigan State, Oct. 10
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
OPEN FEDERATION, Oct.10
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
at Western Michigan, Oct. 10'
FIELD HOCKEY
at Albion, Oct. 6.
WESTERN MICHIGAN, Oct. 7
WOMEN'S GOLF
at MAIAW, Oct. 9-10, Mt. Pleasant.
VOLLEYBALL
at Eastern Michigan (Ferris St.), Oct. 6
at Grand Valley (Northern Michigan),
Oct. 9.
at Michigan State, Oct. 10.
F MICHIGAN BOOK STORE
3 1 7lk
L
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
West Division
Oakland (Norris, 12-9) at Kansas City
(Leonard, 13-12), 3:10 p.m.
GRIDDE PICKS
Sparky, Monte, Scotty and Wayne. It
has been said that teams could not win
with coaches who have first names like
these. And if this weekend was any in-
dication, that might be true. Not only
did the Tigers and Lions lose big
games, but the Pistons and Red Wings
will soon open their usually depressing
seasons. And to add insult to injury all
of these prestiguous sports figures lost
one more battle this weekend, the
Griddes championship. Steve Hirtle, of
Union Drive, correctly picked 16 games
correctly to edge out these four sports
giants and 42 other sports fans.
Whether you have a normal name o*
not you can be eligible for the free one-
item pizza from Pizza Bob's and a
chance to compete with the "experts"
from the Daily football staff. Just turn
in your picks at the Daily, 420 Maynard,
before midnight Friday.
1. MICHIGAN at Michigan State (pick
score.)
2. Indiana at Iowa
3. Ohio-State at Wisconsin
4. Illinois at Purdue
5. Northwestern at Minnesota
6. Florida State at Notre Dame
7. Oklahoma at Texas
8. UCLA at Stanf6rd
9. Arizona at Southern Cal
10. Oklahoma State at Kansas
11. Baylor at SMU
12. Maryland at Florida
13. Navy at Air Force'
14. Columbia at Princeton
15. Central Michigan at Western
Michigan
16. Washington at California
17. Virginia at Clemson
18. Slippery Rock at Indiana (Pa.)
19. Graceland at Mid-America
Nazarend
20. Daily Libels at Moo U.
BILLBOARD
'October 15 marks the last day th
Pasadena Tournament of Rose
Association will accept postcard entries
for the annual public sale of 3,500
tickets to the New Year's Day, 1982,
football classic.
To enter the ticket drawing, send
your name and address on a postcard to
Rose Bowl Ticket Drawing, P.O. Box
1800, Pasadena, CA 91109. Entries are
limited to one per family.
For additional information, call
(213)449-4100 or 681-3724.
Wednesdays & Thursdays
8:00 pm to Closing
BEER % PRICE!
PIZZA 25% OFF!
ON WED. ENJOY YOUR FAVORITE
OLD TIME MOVIES...
Laurel & Hardy
The 3 Stooges.
Charlie Chaplin
W. C. Fields
Buster Keaton
On Thur. come dance to
Rock n Roll of the 50's
& 60's.
- - . c , , I4 Nw -* . h I _ _ __ _