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Lincecum blasts expanded playoffs

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10:25 AM ET 04.23 | Adding two teams to baseball's playoff party sounds alluring: more teams, more games, more rally rags and more excitement. Right? Not in Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum's mind. He might have dominated last year's postseason en route to San Francisco's first World Series title, but he is against playoff expansion come 2012, a concept that is "moving forward," according to commissioner Bud Selig's revelation Thursday. "Personally I think it's kind of funky, just because the game has been this way for so long," Lincecum said Friday before the Giants' series opener against the Atlanta Braves. "Why mess it up, other than for monetary purposes, and that's probably what (Selig) is looking at. That's like, 'OK, don't worry about us as human beings or players.' "

Oakland Tribune

Tim Lincecum, Getty Images Tim Lincecum, Getty Images
April 23, 2011  10:56 AM ET

'OK, don't worry about us as human beings or players.' "????????

Does this kid have any idea how lucky he is to be a professional Baseball Player? Just shut up and play.

Comment #2 has been removed
April 23, 2011  11:19 AM ET

Cool the World Series played on Thanksgaveing!

April 23, 2011  11:35 AM ET
QUOTE(#1):

'OK, don't worry about us as human beings or players.' "????????Does this kid have any idea how lucky he is to be a professional Baseball Player? Just shut up and play.

Exactly, considering what he makes. Furthermore, the current playoff system is relatively new, so adding to it wouldn't me monumental. I personally don't think it should be changed, however.

April 23, 2011  11:42 AM ET

MLB doesn't need more playoff teams. The way it is, the regular season actually matters; unlike, basketball where just about every team makes it and the playoffs last about six months.

April 23, 2011  11:43 AM ET
QUOTE(#4):

Exactly, considering what he makes. Furthermore, the current playoff system is relatively new, so adding to it wouldn't me monumental. I personally don't think it should be changed, however.

Maybe little Timmy should try going out in the real world and get a real job. And then maybe he would think a MLB player isn't treated so bad.

April 23, 2011  11:45 AM ET

The playoffs run too long as it is. My suggestion: Keep the number of wild cards at two. Cut back to 150 games per year, play doubleheaders on Sundays, and start the playoffs in mid-September in the hopes that baseball season won't be playing Game 7 of the Series on Thanksgiving.

April 23, 2011  12:28 PM ET

Just shut up and get off the couch. God given talents and hard work count. He's bringing up a viable labor/employer issue. More games than aren't necessary they'll just add to more chances for elite athletes to get hurt which in turn cac can hurt ticket sales not help them. You try throwing a ball 90 miles an hour over 100 times in a game and see how your arm feels. And, see if you can do that at an elite level 30 times in a season. When you can do that then you have the right to criticize some one who WE all pay to watch do that. The guy is just trying to protect himself and others who, like it or not, have skills much greater than yours that justify him making much more money
than you. He probably does feel blessed, knowing he's getting paid well to play a game. But he won't have his job nearly as long as you could have yours so why begrudge athletes for getting as much as they can for as long as they can? Still doesn't mean they have to play even more games and potentially shorten their careers further. See you on the field. Oh wait a minute, you won't be there you'll be stuffing your face sitting on the couch.

April 23, 2011  12:32 PM ET

I with Tim on this one. btw, what was the question?

April 23, 2011  01:37 PM ET
QUOTE(#8):

Just shut up and get off the couch. God given talents and hard work count. He's bringing up a viable labor/employer issue. More games than aren't necessary they'll just add to more chances for elite athletes to get hurt which in turn cac can hurt ticket sales not help them. You try throwing a ball 90 miles an hour over 100 times in a game and see how your arm feels. And, see if you can do that at an elite level 30 times in a season. When you can do that then you have the right to criticize some one who WE all pay to watch do that. The guy is just trying to protect himself and others who, like it or not, have skills much greater than yours that justify him making much more money than you. He probably does feel blessed, knowing he's getting paid well to play a game. But he won't have his job nearly as long as you could have yours so why begrudge athletes for getting as much as they can for as long as they can? Still doesn't mean they have to play even more games and potentially shorten their careers further. See you on the field. Oh wait a minute, you won't be there you'll be stuffing your face sitting on the couch.

Thank you Mrs. Lincecum.

April 23, 2011  01:46 PM ET

lincecum should just focus on playing his game, if selig its going to bring and extra wild card team that would be great for that franchise and the fans will enjoyed regardless the dislikes of anybody and if is money the reason so what?every body should know that nothing is free on any sport!!

April 23, 2011  01:51 PM ET
QUOTE(#5):

MLB doesn't need more playoff teams. The way it is, the regular season actually matters; unlike, basketball where just about every team makes it and the playoffs last about six months.

EXACTLY! Making the playoffs should be a reward for a good season (usually 90+ wins).
Lincecum is right! The MLB playoffs were best when 2 teams from each league met and the winner went to the WS. Now that there are 3 divisions it requires 4 teams. Any more rounds and the players will be playing in snow. (Imagine if the WS teams are Detroit and Colorado).

April 23, 2011  01:57 PM ET
QUOTE(#7):

The playoffs run too long as it is. My suggestion: Keep the number of wild cards at two. Cut back to 150 games per year, play doubleheaders on Sundays, and start the playoffs in mid-September in the hopes that baseball season won't be playing Game 7 of the Series on Thanksgiving.

the teams should play doubleheaders twice a week but don't change the amount of 162 games, and to protect the pitchers they should add a six pitcher on the rotation in that way every body gets to play without any type of excuse and perhaps every team should be allow to expand their roster three hitters more!!

April 23, 2011  02:02 PM ET

tell ya what Timmy, go work at McDonalds for a month and shut your pie hole

April 23, 2011  02:08 PM ET

It may something he wished for this year to give his team their best chance for post season play.

April 23, 2011  02:11 PM ET

I think Selig's idea is a plus for the players. More players, teams, more cities with a chance to get into the playoffs. How many times have we seen teams 25-30 games over 500 miss the playoffs? The AL East is an example of how being in the "wrong" division can really make it hard to make the playoffs. Easier divisions, the winner gets in, fine, but in the better divisions, a third team can get in if it is that much better than the rest of the league's teams. The percentage now of teams which qualify is just too low, only 8 spots for 30+ teams? That means over 20 teams which are left out. Let's give more team and cities some reason to hope. It would be nice to reduce the number of games in a season, but then we would have to put up with all those * when came to season stats.

Comment #19 has been removed
April 23, 2011  02:24 PM ET
QUOTE(#1):

'OK, don't worry about us as human beings or players.' "????????Does this kid have any idea how lucky he is to be a professional Baseball Player? Just shut up and play.

i think every player should take care of themselves by prepare well on the off season so when it comes the real alive games nobody should get injury, i have observe that evry time a player gets injury its because they did very little on the off season to acondition their body and mind if all the players should be more serious on their safety at the game everything starts how well they prepare themselves on the off season and be ready to compete regardless how many games they should be played at the end!!!

April 23, 2011  02:25 PM ET

"Why mess it up, other than for monetary purposes, and that's probably what (Selig) is looking at."

I'm shocked, shocked I tell yer that decisions are being made for monetary reasons.

 
April 23, 2011  02:26 PM ET
QUOTE(#20):

i think every player should take care of themselves by prepare well on the off season so when it comes the real alive games nobody should get injury, i have observe that evry time a player gets injury its because they did very little on the off season to acondition their body and mind if all the players should be more serious on their safety at the game everything starts how well they prepare themselves on the off season and be ready to compete regardless how many games they should be played at the end!!!

oh my goodness, you just gave me a headache

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