Sorry to break it to you, but you guys are not the champs.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Major League Baseball announced today that it has retroactively instituted the Baseball Championship Series (BCS) to determine the World Series pairing for 2005 and beyond. Commissioner Bud Selig and Executive Vice President of Labor Relations and Human Resources Rob Manfred detailed the new arrangement at a press conference today.
"We are constantly looking to improve baseball and to give the fans what they want", Selig said. Selig bristled at questions from reporters suggesting that the move was financially motivated.
Manfred explained that concern for the welfare of players was a contributing factor, stating, "These guys have to play 162 games in a regular season. It seems criminal for us to subject them to additional, unnecessary playoff series." He pointed out that eliminating the first two rounds of the playoffs prevents injury.
The BCS will contain two sections, a computer section and a human poll, that are combined to determine the two teams to play in the World Series. The computer section is confidential and administered by the Commissioner's office. The human poll will use ESPN.com's
MLB Power Rankings.
Selig announced that the two teams who will compete in this year's World Series are the St. Louis Cardinals and they New York Yankees. The Series will start Friday in New York.
Selig denied suggestions that the move was an attempt by MLB to control who plays in baseball's biggest stage. "That New York made it this year is pure coincidence," Selig said.
good stuff