2007-07-11 14:03:38 · 12 answers · asked by fog 2 in Sports ➔ Baseball
In Major League Baseball, the wild card playoff spot is given to the team in each league with the best record among second-place teams.
Since the wild-card took effect in 1995 (was to have been in 1994 prior to a players' strike), the wild-card team must surrender the home field advantage in both the Division Series (ALDS and NLDS) and the League Championship Series (ALCS and NLCS). Home field advantage for the World Series, however, has always been determined beforehand, regardless of how a team reaches the Series. Prior to 2003, it was decided on an alternating schedule; as of 2003, it has been granted to the winner of the All-Star Game due to the results of the 2002 Major League Baseball All Star Game. Controversy erupted in 1997 when the Florida Marlins, who had won the NLCS and qualified for the playoffs as the wild card, were given home field advantage over the Cleveland Indians, who had won the ALCS title. The Marlins went on to beat the Indians in seven games, winning the last decisive game at home, allegedly the result of the advantage. Of the teams that reached the 2002 World Series, both were wild card teams: the Anaheim Angels and the San Francisco Giants. Indeed, wild card teams won three consecutive World Series from 2002-2004.
In the Division Series, the wild card team (which could be considered analogous to the fourth seed in other sports tournaments) usually plays the team with the best record within their league. However, an MLB rule states that teams from the same division are not allowed to face each other in the Division Series. Therefore, in the event that a wild-card team ends up sharing the same division as the team holding the best record, the former will play the second-best team in the league while the latter will face the third-best. This perfectly parallels the previous policy of the NFL after the NFL/AFL merger, when the league opted to include a wild-card team in each conference’s playoffs. (From 1970-1989, NFL teams from the same division couldn't meet in the divisional playoffs. This policy thus ensured that the two best teams in a given conference could face off in the conference championship, even if both of those teams were from the same division.)
This rule was applied in the 2005 NLDS, when the division winners in the NL were as follows (in order from best to worst according to regular season records): the St. Louis Cardinals, the Atlanta Braves, the San Diego Padres, and the Houston Astros (as the wild card). Typically, the Astros would have opened their Division Series against the Cardinals and the Padres would have faced the Braves; however, as the Astros and Cardinals were both within the NL Central Division, it was arranged so that the Astros played the Braves and the Padres played the Cardinals
2007-07-11 14:11:40 · answer #1 · answered by mcbakerjr 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The wild cards are the best team in each league that did not win their division. The first round of the playoffs is as follows:
#1 Division Winner vs. Wild Card or #3 Division Winner*
#2 Division Winner vs. #3 Division Winner or Wild Card*
*If the #1 Division winner and the Wild Card come from the same division, like the Mets and the Phillies (I know, I'm dreaming), then the #3 Division team would face the #1 Division winner instead. Division rivals cannot face each other in the first round, which is why you have so many Yankees/Red Sox matchups in the ALCS every year.
2007-07-11 15:32:26 · answer #2 · answered by TK 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A wild card team is selected from both the American and the National League (one for each league). The team is determined by being the team in the league with the best record without winning their division. Each division champion is awarded a higher seed than the wild card even if the wild card team had a better record than a team that won a different divison.
2007-07-11 15:12:01 · answer #3 · answered by Eric Prok 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The wild card winner plays the team with the best record in their league Unless the two teams are in the same division in which case the wild card winner plays the team with the second best record in their league
2016-05-20 00:32:51 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Each League, National and American have 3 divisions.
The Division leaders (teams with the best record) get into the playoffs.
A 4th team from each League will make it as the Wild Card Team and they are determined by the remaining team in the respective Leagues that has the best overall record between.
The best record that didnt win their division gets the nod as the WCT.
2007-07-11 14:11:21 · answer #5 · answered by xtrabigs 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anyone who doesn't win their division is in the Wild Card race. Whoever has the best record of those teams is the Wild Card
2007-07-11 14:30:24 · answer #6 · answered by sportsfan89b 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you serious?
The wild card in each league goes to the team with the 2nd best win-loss record. Two wild card teams are taken in each league along with the division winners.
2007-07-11 14:10:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Best W-L record among the second-place teams of all the divisions per league, gets the wildcard berth.
If necessary, a tie-breaker game is played to determine the WC team. This happened in the NL in 1998 (Cubs defeated Giants) and 1999 (Mets defeated Reds).
2007-07-11 15:17:28 · answer #8 · answered by Chipmaker Authentic 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Each league has three divisions, and each division winner goes to the playoffs. The wild card goes to the non-divsion winner with the best record.
2007-07-11 16:05:32 · answer #9 · answered by frenchy62 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
by the second place team in a division with the best record
2007-07-11 15:28:24 · answer #10 · answered by peaben01 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋