Let’s face it, no matter how many games end up being played in Major League Baseball this season, there is a very good chance that the Detroit Tigers will finish with one of the worst records in the league.
That being said, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN, MLB reportedly has a ‘last resort’ schedule proposition that could benefit a team like the Tigers. The schedule would have each team play just 50 games and the league would begin in July.
Passan notes that this schedule is not being proposed to players at this time and it would only come into play if an agreement cannot be reached for a longer schedule.
From ESPN:
Multiple players told ESPN they would not abide a shorter schedule, with one saying, “We want to play more games and they want to play less. We want more baseball.”
A shortened schedule would run in contrast with what the players sought in a proposal sent to the league Sunday. The league’s first proposal to the union offered an 82-game schedule with significant salary cuts. Multiple players told ESPN they would not abide a shorter schedule, with one saying, “We want to play more games and they want to play less. We want more baseball.”
So, how could a 50-game schedule benefit the Detroit Tigers?
Baseball is a streaky sport and each year there is a team or two that gets off to a hot start before finally settling into what they really are as the cream rises to the top. In a 50-game season, an underdog like the Tigers have a much better chance at making a run at the playoffs.
That being said, I will still avoid playing a bet on the home team!
