Coin flips no longer used as tiebreaker

[cruzg24]

For better or worse, the Giants this week at least determined one significant issue if they tie the Rockies after 162 games in the race for the National League's Wild Card berth.

By virtue of winning the season series, 10-8, they will host a one-game Wild Card playoff game on Oct. 5 at AT&T Park. After a 4-3 loss on Wednesday night at San Francisco, the Giants trail the Rockies by 3 1/2 games.

For the first time this year, tiebreakers are in and coin flips are out.

"That was a general managers' recommendation, as you know," Commissioner Bud Selig said, "and it was a good one."

Other playoff spots could be affected as well: The Red Sox and Rangers, if Texas can claw its way back into the American League Wild Card race, the Tigers and Twins, if Minnesota can close the gap on Detroit in the fight for supremacy in the AL Central. Even the Marlins, Braves and Cubs are still on the fringes of the NL Wild Card tussle.

But that all will be decided by on-field tiebreakers from this year forward.

The traditional and historic practice of using coin flips to determine which team hosts a one-game playoff for a division title or a Wild Card berth has been left in the past.

On the recommendation of the collective general managers, the owners voted this past January to end the practice and replaced it with a series of on-field tiebreakers, beginning with head-to-head records.

Source:mlb.com

Highest winning percentage in your own division if head-to-head is tied. Good rule change and pretty much common sense.

 

[Gtown81]

haven't coin flips always been out

 

[playmaker7]

Yeah I was gonna say this should have been common sense

Glad they changed the rule and hopefully we can see a game in San Fran

 

[Mexi]

Yeah I was gonna say this should have been common sense

Glad they changed the rule and hopefully we can see a game in San Fran

we won't

 

[A.E]

I think I might of read and reported this after last season...but yeah, winning pct and head to head records are a much better tiebreaker than the luck of a coin toss.