Interesting. Houston was also apparently sold to a new owner.

[url="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7246443/houston-astros-sale-approved-mlb"]http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7246443/houston-astros-sale-approved-mlb[/url]

Wow...two pretty big changes.

A 1 game playoff between 2 wildcard teams is dumb imo. What if you have a 7 game difference between the two wildcard teams and the team finishing 86-76 beats the team that finished 93-69.

I can understand if they beat them in a 5 game series...but in 1 game? Just seems unfair to me.

Not a fan of the 1 game playoff scenario. Make it a 3 game series and I'm on board. Schedule some doubleheaders throughout the season if you're worried about the season running long. Maybe schedule a day-night doubleheader 1 Saturday a month or something like that so you can have a 3 game playoff and not make the season any longer. Or possibly shorten the season back to 154?

From a Reds making the playoffs POV I would rather see Milwaukee go back to the AL and keep Houston. They SUCK

[quote]


[b] Report: MLB, players have verbal deal[/b]

NEW YORK -- Baseball players and owners have reached a tentative verbal agreement on a five-year labor contract and hope to have a signed deal by next week.
Negotiators reached an understanding when they met late Thursday at the InterContinental O'Hare in Rosemont, Ill., a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the agreement still was being drafted.

The sides hope to sign a memorandum of understanding in time to announce the agreement Monday or Tuesday. The last item to fall into place was the luxury tax on high payroll teams.

The agreement, the first for the union since Michael Weiner succeeded Donald Fehr as head last year, would replace the deal expiring Dec. 11 and would give baseball 21 years of labor peace since the 1994-95 strike.

Under the agreement, there will be a new restraint on the amount of money a team spends each year to sign selections from the amateur draft, with teams going over a threshold being penalized with a type of luxury tax.

In addition, there will be a separate restraint on the amount of money spent to sign international amateur free agents from nations such as the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Cuba. There also will be a committee established to review the system for international signings, leaving open the possibility of a new system during the term of the deal.

Negotiators also worked to lower the percentage of major league free agents who require the highest form of draft pick compensation for the teams losing them.
As part of the deal, players and owners are agreeing to add an extra wild-card round to the playoffs. The extra round will be one game, winner take all.

[url="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7251557/major-league-baseball-players-owners-reach-verbal-agreement-contract-according-report"]http://espn.go.com/m...ccording-report[/url]
[/quote]

Not a fan of the 1 game playoff but it's good to know there will be labor peace for at least 5 more years

I like the 1 game playoff... it puts a much greater importance on winning the division

Boo on the shift to the AL. Down with the DH

[quote name='BengalRep85-9' timestamp='1321592648' post='1063551']
Not a fan of the 1 game playoff scenario. Make it a 3 game series and I'm on board. Schedule some doubleheaders throughout the season if you're worried about the season running long. Maybe schedule a day-night doubleheader 1 Saturday a month or something like that so you can have a 3 game playoff and not make the season any longer. Or possibly shorten the season back to 154?

From a Reds making the playoffs POV I would rather see Milwaukee go back to the AL and keep Houston. They SUCK
[/quote]

True but one less team to compete with in the Central and Prince, Pujols and La Russa gone is good news for the Reds. The future is looking a whole lot brighter.