Baseball Basics: Postseason and World Series
All teams in Major League Baseball aim at winning the pennant from their respective Leagues, primarily, to fly it over their stadium in glory and then go on to possibly win the World Series.
There are two distinct Leagues functional with the Major League namely the American League and the National League. Both of them are further divided into three divisions each with the top team from each division along with the fourth-best team in the League
qualifying for the playoffs.
The four teams from each League then battle it out in two series of “knockout” baseball to decide which team earns the pennant and makes it to the World Series. The finale between the top two teams in Major League is called the “World Series” for the sole
reason that the first sponsor of this series was the “Daily World” newspaper.
The postseason has to rounds to it. The first round, referred to as the Divisional series sees the top team in the League play the fourth team in the League and the second team taking on the third team. However, if the two competing teams happen to be from
the same division, the order is slightly changed and the first team then takes on the third team with the second placed team playing the Wild Card entry.
The Divisional series is a five-game series with the first two games played at one team’s home, the next two played at the second team’s home and the fifth game, if required, played at the home ground of the higher-ranked team.
The two winners from the Divisional series then clash in the Championship Series, a seven-game series which decides which team will head to the World Series. This series is technically the second round of the playoffs and home advantage continues to be with
the higher-ranked team. This would mean that if a team finishes at top of the League at the end of the regular season and manages to win the first round of the postseason, it will have home advantage throughout the playoffs.
In the Championship Series, the first two games of the series are played at the home of the higher-ranked team; the next three games are played on the home of the other team with the last-two games being played at the first venue.
Television channels and sponsors have a major say in the format and the scheduling of the Championship Series and Divisional Series. MLB is compelled to change in accordance to their demands because sponsors and broadcasters are the major promoters of baseball
in America.
The teams are allowed to alter their rosters for the postseason. Teams usually trim their pitching staff and bring in an extra hitter because teams get an extra day off in the middle of a series when the venue is being changed. The teams traditionally allow
the fifth pitcher in the rotation to rest and add a utility player who can be used at various positions to cover for injury.
The World Series brings together the champions of the American League and the National League to battle it out in a seven-game series. The home advantage is given to the League which wins the All-Star Game. The games in the AL ballparks are played with AL
rules (Designated Hitter) while this rule is scrapped when games are played in NL ballparks.
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