MLB Players Blast Bud Selig's New Playoff Plan

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig recently went on record to state that baseball's playoffs will likely expand sometime in the near future. Selig expects the MLB playoffs to expand to 12 teams by 2012, moving away from the eight team format the league has used since 1995.

At first, the move to expand MLB's postseason was met with support from both the owners and the players union. Many shared a "the more the merrier" standpoint, noting that other leagues such as the NBA and NHL have 16 team playoffs, while the NFL features a 12 team postseason field.

Despite the initial positive reactions, many MLB stars have recently blasted the notion of expanding the playoffs. San Francisco Giants star Tim Lincecum was the most vocal, ranting to reporters about having more teams to deal with and that Selig doesn't care about the players. Other stars such as Buster Posey and Mark Teixeira also voiced their concerns over expanding the current format. Lincecum is a two-time Cy Young winner and led San Francisco to the World Series Title last season, so it will be interesting to see how much he can influence other players and fans.

Personally, I see both sides of the argument. While it would be great to have more series and games, there is the potential for less deserving teams to have a shot at the title. Baseball's regular season is extremely long, which provides plenty of time for the best teams in the league to seperate themselves. It appears that an expanded postseason is going to happen, so we might as well get used to the idea.

Lincecum Baffles Rangers as Giants Win World Series

Cliff Lee was unbeatable. The Rangers' Ace had compiled a dominant postseason record and helped the team make its first world series in club history. Lee's opponent in both of his starts against San Francisco would emerge as the hero, as Tim Luncecum dominated Texas as the Giants defeated the Rangers 3-1 to win the 2010 World Series.

All of the pre-World Series talk focused on the Rangers' dominant offense and Lee, who had emerged as one of the greatest postseason pitchers of all time. In the end it was Lincecum, the guy who looks like the buddy you used to play video games with all night in high school, and the rest of the Giant's pitching staff that carried San Francisco to its first title since 1956.

Edgar Renteria blasted a three run home run with two outs in the seventh inning to give the Giants the lead for good. Renteria would earn MVP honors for the series, providing San Francisco with clutch hitting that gave the team's all-star pitching staff just enough to work with. The Giants pitching, defense and timely hits were just enough every night, and the Rangers can't help but wonder what happened once they got on baseball's biggest stage.

Phillies Beat Giants, Send Series back to Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2 last night, avoiding elimination and sending the series back east. The win narrows the best-of-seven series to 3-2, and forces the Giants to try and seal a trip to the world series as a visiting team.

The game featured another matchup of all-star pitching, as Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum squared off for the second time in the series. Halladay was able to overcome a groin injury to outdual Lincecum and extend the series. The Giants can only think about missing a big opportunity to win the series, and things will only get tougher with game 6 and a possible game 7 taking place in Philadelphia.

The Phillies joined the Yankees in extending the series after falling into a hole. New York is also attempting to come back from a 3-1 deficit and make a run at defending its 2009 title. While this has been a memorable postseason, it appears things are just now heating up.

MLB Playoffs: Baseball's Final 4 Set

The 2010 MLB playoffs has given us terrific pitching duals, close games decided in the final innings and more. With Texas' win over Tampa Bay last night, the AL and NL Championship Series are set, and only four teams are left to compete for a World Series title.

The NLCS clear favorite is Philadelphia. Roy Halladay has already thrown only the second no-hitter in postseason history, and the Phillies have a great offense. Experience helps, and the Phillies' Championship run in 2008 should give them an edge. Don't count out the Giants though, as their pitching may be enough for them to pull the upset. The series is filled with must-see pitching duals, starting with Roy Halladay vs. Tim Lincecum, but don't be surprised to see the Phillies in a third strait world series.

The ALCS features the Yankess, who seem to be here every season, vs. the Rangers, here for the first time. Both teams have dangerous offenses and decent pitching, and this series could come down to a game seven. The defending champion Yankees are as good as ever, but the Rangers have a postseason magic about them. Expect ace Cliff Lee to be the difference, and the Rangers to take a close series and make the team's first World Series.