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Major League Baseball Wild Card

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In Major League Baseball, the wild-card refers to one or more teams in each league that qualifies for the postseason despite failing to win their division. After excluding the three division winners in each league (which each earn their own playoff berth), the wild card is awarded to the team in each league with the best won-loss record. Each winner of the wild card is referred to as a 'wild card team', and advances to the postseason.

Context

The wild card was instituted in 1994 when Major League Baseball switched from two divisions per league to three divisions per league. Before 1994, the division leaders in each league advanced directly to the Championship Series, with the winners of each series meeting in the World Series. The third division created a third playoff berth in each league. In order to maintain a single-elimination tournament format, the wild card was added to each league, to create a fourth playoff berth. It was established for Major League Baseball's playoffs in 1994 with the intention of helping the best teams that did not win their division to still have a chance to win the World Series. The restructuring of both the American and National Leagues from two divisions each to three made it necessary to either (A) give one team a bye in the first round of playoffs or (B) create the wild card for the best second-place team. The wild card system guarantees that the team with the best record in each league, outside of the three division winners, will qualify for the postseason.

Historical anomalies

The "wild card" rule was first used in the 1981 Major League Baseball season after a players' strike wiped out the middle third of the season. The owners decided that the winners of both "halves" of the abbreviated season from each division would qualify for the playoffs, with the caveat that if the same team won both halves then the team with the second best record from the second half would enter the playoffs as a wild card. However, in none of the then four MLB divisions did same team win both halves, so no club entered the 1981 playoffs as a "wild card" team.

There were no division or wild-card winners in 1994, due to the 1994 Major League Baseball strike.

New format

On November 17, 2011, Major League Baseball announced that they would be adding two more wild card teams to the postseason, implementing a format that was originally proposed in 1999.[1] [2]

Wild-card winners by year and by most wild-card titles

For each league's list of wild-card winners by year and teams with most wild-card titles, see:

Combined division-series, LCS, and World Series record as wild-card winners

Wild-card team Series record Playoffs
Florida Marlins 6-0 Won 1997 World Series and 2003 World Series
Anaheim Angels 3-0 Won 2002 World Series
Boston Red Sox 6-6 Won 2004 World Series[3]
St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 Won 2011 World Series[4]
New York Mets 3-2 Lost 2000 World Series to New York (AL), 4-1[5]
San Francisco Giants 2-1 Lost 2002 World Series to Anaheim, 4-3
Houston Astros 3-2 Lost 2005 World Series to Chicago (AL), 4-0[6]
Detroit Tigers 2-1 Lost 2006 World Series to St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1
Colorado Rockies 2-3 Lost 2007 World Series to Boston Red Sox, 4-0[7]
Baltimore Orioles 1-1 Lost 1996 American League Championship Series to New York (AL), 4-1.
Seattle Mariners 1-1 Lost 2000 American League Championship Series to New York (AL), 4-2.
New York Yankees 1-4 Lost 2010 American League Championship Series[8]
Los Angeles Dodgers 0-2 Lost 2006 National League Division Series[9]
Chicago Cubs 0-1 Lost 1998 National League Division Series
Oakland Athletics 0-1 Lost 2001 American League Division Series
Milwaukee Brewers 0-1 Lost 2008 National League Division Series
Atlanta Braves 0-1 Lost 2010 National League Division Series
Tampa Bay Rays 0-1 Lost 2011 American League Division Series

Facts

  • The following teams have won the World Series as a wild-card winner: Florida Marlins (1997 and 2003), Anaheim Angels (2002), Boston Red Sox (2004), St. Louis Cardinals (2011)
  • The World Series was won by a wild-card team in three consecutive years: from 2002 to 2004.
  • A wild-card team appeared in the World Series in six consecutive years: from 2002 to 2007.
  • 2002 is the only year that both wild-card teams played in the World Series: the Anaheim Angels and San Francisco Giants.
  • The Baltimore Orioles were the first wild-card team to win a Division Series.
  • The Florida Marlins were the first wild-card team to reach the World Series.
  • The Florida Marlins were the first wild-card team to win the World Series.
  • The Florida Marlins were the first team to win two World Series as a wild-card team.
  • The Florida Marlins, as wild-card winners in 1997 and 2003, are the only team in MLB history to have won a World Series, but (as of 2012) have never won a division in the franchise's existence.
  • The Boston Red Sox have the most wild-card appearances: seven (as of 2010). Second — at four appearances — is the New York Yankees. Third - at three appearances- is the Colorado Rockies.
  • The following teams have won the wild card in consecutive years: Boston Red Sox (1998, 1999; 2003, 2004, 2005; 2008, 2009), Houston Astros (2004, 2005), New York Mets (1999, 2000).

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Lacques,Gabe (2010-11-17). "MLB adds 2 wild cards, moves Astros to AL". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-12-2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Dreslough, Clay (1999-09-26). "Fixing the Wild Card". Sports Mogul Inc. Retrieved 2011-12-2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ The Red Sox also: Lost 1998 American League Division Series; Lost 1999 American League Championship Series; Lost 2003 American League Championship Series; Lost 2005 American League Division Series; Lost 2008 American League Championship Series; Lost 2009 American League Division Series.
  4. ^ The Cardinals also: Lost 2001 National League Division Series.
  5. ^ The Mets also: Lost 1999 National League Championship Series.
  6. ^ The Astros also: Lost 2004 National League Championship Series.
  7. ^ The Rockies also: Lost 1995 National League Division Series; Lost 2009 National League Division Series.
  8. ^ The Yankees also: Lost 1995 American League Division Series; Lost 1997 American League Division Series; Lost 2007 American League Division Series.
  9. ^ The Dodgers also: Lost 1996 National League Division Series.
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