In recent years, one of the four post-season series had an extra off day between Games 1 and 2, and it alternated leagues in the series that didn’t involve a wild-card team.
Because there is an extra off day between Games 4 and 5 under the new post-season television schedule this year, it means that the series with the extra off day between the first two games would be played over eight days. Because of that, teams in that series would be able to use their Game 1 and 2 starters on full rest for Games 4 and 5.
“We felt rather than have it assigned by rule, there should be an element of merit to it,” players’ union general counsel Michael Weiner said Tuesday.
Once a team clinches the best record in the AL, it will have one hour to notify Major League Baseball whether it wants to start its division series on Oct. 3 or 4, baseball senior vice president Katy Feeney said. Red Sox spokesman John Blake said, however, that Boston believed the team with the best record wouldn’t have to make its choice until it knew its opponent.
Boston has the AL’s top record.
Feeney envisions the format will give the choice to the team with the NL’s best record next season.
The new format was first reported Tuesday by the New York Post.
