Bud Selig confirms no playoff extension or instant replays this season
Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Bud Selig has confirmed that none of the proposed changes to the MLB will be implemented this season.
A meeting between club owners and general managers in November 2010 discussed two important issues. The first was a bid to expand the instant replay technology in the game, and the second was to extend the playoffs to 10 teams. The proposals were made after
the conclusion of the World Series, and it was expected that they would come into effect this year.
Teams from both the National League and the American League would have been affected if the changes were brought in immediately. That appears to be one of the main reasons why the proposed plan by the MLB and the players’ union has been delayed.
Bud Selig made the announcement from his office in Milwaukee, where he highlighted a lack of time as the main reason for postponing the proposed changes. He said "There continue to be fruitful talks about it (proposed changes), but they're definitely off
the table for this year. Really, I think that's what we've been saying all along."
The Baseball kingpins, who run the franchise teams around the country, will be meeting today to discuss the matter in detail. They will then involve the general managers in the process on Thursday. The controversial topic of extending the playoffs has caught
up with fans across the country. Club players have also talked about the issue at length.
The last time owners and general managers met in November; there was a positive reaction to the idea of involving one more wild card team in the post-season. The proposal to involve 10 teams instead of eight entails lesser playing time in the regular league
seasons.
The option to extend the playoffs also comes at the cost of potential revenue loss for clubs which do not make it through to the post-season. The players feel that the reduction in games will be significant. The fact that the prospect of ending up in the
tournament is low for all 40 MLB teams makes the game even more enticing for the viewers.
MLB Players’ Association Executive Director, Mark Weiner talked about the players’ consent on the proposed deal. However, there are complications which the stars would like to get looked at in the coming months before the plan comes into play.
"It's our sense that the most productive way to proceed on this topic would be for the parties to engage in discussions before settling on any specific proposals," said Weiner, who judged the temperature of the players at the union's annual executive board
meeting last month. "We considered many different scenarios -- both changes and the status quo. The discussion covered all of the factors involved with scheduling, mainly competitive considerations, revenue generation and demands on players. We look forward
to engaging in discussions with the owners on these topics."
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