Final playoff spot

[Victor]

I didnt realize the rule until I noticed that in the NL the race is really tight for the final playoff spot there. So here is what it says in the official rules of the league :

Jun 4, 2011 14:33:57 GMT -5 Brian R (Rangers) said:

CBS Roster-Scoring-Playoffs

Getting to the World Series

Each year 12 teams will make the playoffs. Each division winner will be in, along with 3 wildcards from both the American and National League (best records after division winners). Our season will end 4 weeks before the MLB regular season does. The top 6 teams in each league will make the playoffs with the #1 AND #2 seeds in each league receiving a first round bye. If the #1 seeds are tied, the tie-breaker will be the best H2H record vs. each other. If the two teams split the regular season, the second tie breaker will be conference record. If the top 3 teams are tied, the tie-breaker will go to the best conference record. If two teams are tied for the final playoff spot, going into the final week, there will be flex scheduling, and those two teams will play each other for the final playoff spot. The tie-breaker IN the playoffs will go to most amounts of W (wins), and the second tie-breaker will go to BA (batting average). The AL Champion will play the NL Champion in the World Series, and the winner will claim Championship glory!

The tie breaker for a tie for the TOP spots goes first to H2H record then Conference record, which next year I think needs to be DIVISION record, but that is NOT the tie breaker for the FINAL playoff spot. There is a specific line just for that scenario. I remember Harris asking if there was going to be a "flex" week, and wondered what he was talking about.

Im just not sure how this flex week works, are they the ONLY teams that play next week and THEN the playoffs start or what.. is next week just a dead week for everyone else then. This is something I think that needs to be decided by tomorrow. Of course, if the Nats win, then this WHOLE discussion is for not.

[Harris (Braves)]

Having a hard time understanding why there would be a tie breaker for one thing but not another.

[Brian R (Rangers)]

Even if I had set up the Flex scheduling and made the Dodgers and Cardinals play each other (would have had to be this current week since playoffs have to start next week), we'd still have the same potential situation where one of those teams would be tied with the Nationals for the last playoff spot in the NL if the Nationals lose.

The tie breaker that is stated for determining the #1 and #2 seeds will apply for all 6 seeds. In other words, the tie breaker for all playoff seeding is:

The tie-breaker will be the best H2H record vs. each other (total points scored.. for example if Team A won week 1 over Team B 8-4 but Team B beat Team A week 2 10-2, Team B would win the tie-breaker at 14-10 between the 2 weeks).

If the two teams split the regular season, the second tie breaker will be Division Record (with no interleague play this season, the Conference Record = Total Record so is meaningless for our purposes).