2011 postseason schedule eliminates non-travel off days

Let's commend Beelzebud & Co for doing the right thing (at last).

Major League Baseball released its postseason schedule (Wednesday), and in doing so revealed that it was eliminating non-travel off days that had been created to give more games primetime exposure on TV.

The marginally compressed schedule will mean that there are more games played on the same day in the two rounds before the World Series. For example, there could be as many as four games on Oct. 4, a Tuesday.

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/8/10/2356180/mlb-postseason-schedule-analysis-news

thank god

does this mean the Phillies may have to start someone who isn't Halladay, Lee, or Hamels?

Wouldn't that be tragic?

On the minus side, the possible 5th games of the NLDS conflict with the Mekons show in Brooklyn.

xp this for sure hurts other teams more than the Phillies who have decent 4th + 5th starters (Oswalt + Worley). it's not like they're 3 pitchers and then no more depth at that position. i'd be more worried for the yankees, or the giants. (of course if the giants don't score any runs it doesn't matter who is pitching for them...)

I'm not saying it will hurt the Phillies - obviously Oswalt is also very good; but I do think it's pretty cheap if they could essentially use Halladay and Lee for like 75% of their postseason games. I really like this change and I think its good for the fans too, who generally hate off days during a playoff series.

The AL series start two days after the season, which makes the annual AL Central play-in a hurried affair.

^well, not gonna happen, but maybe the West.

on a not-really-related note, the 2012 preliminary schedule is out today, including MIA for Miami Marlins.

ah, WC tiebreakers:

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7005248/three-way-tie-american-league-wild-card-race-cause-logistical-nightmare

tuning in:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15211

and the coy schedule:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=11

Today's start times really suck, I suspect they were picked for maximum f**tball avoidance.

Yanks and Tigers have been royally screwed by the schedule, burning through their top two starters each and having to play Game 2 in the day following a night game.

in the daytime, that is

Scotty McCreery will perform the "Star-Spangled Banner" before the 107th World Series opener on Oct. 19, at either Miller Park, Chase Field, Busch Stadium or Citizens Bank Park -- continuing a tradition of "American Idol" winners enjoying FOX's Major League Baseball stage.

It is truly one of the great traditions in baseball.

It beats that "God Bless America" seven inning stretch thing.

why in hell is Game 1 time of DET-TEX still TBA? It's the only game that day.

btw regarding mlb.tv: i don't know if i'm getting lucky or what, but on the little popup where it says select A for us/canadian customers or B for international, the last two days i just picked international and it's giving me the regular television feed

ohhhh, that'll be worth a try.

unfortunately, mlb.tv seems to know my nabe is in the US