must all major league baseball teams play the same number of games?
603912
Exactly, if two teams have a game rained out, for example, they'll ususally make it up later in the season... but if the make up date is late enough in the season, and if the game won't affect the final standings, then sometimes the game will simply be dropped from the schedule. Sometimes make up games are scheduled for a day that both teams have off, meaning an extra plane trip for one or both teams, but the game will often be wiped from the schedule if it won't affect the standings and both teams figure it's not worth the extra hassle to make it up. They would probably need permission from the commissioner's office to fully cancel a game for that reason.\n\nA baseball strike by the players is a different matter, however, and could prove to be costly.\n\nIn 1972, the players went on strike at the beginning of the season. The Red Sox opposed the idea of going on strike.  But as a result of the strike, the Red Sox ended up playing one game less than the Detroit Tigers.  The final standings were:\n\nDetroit 86-70\nBoston  85-70  \n\nThe Red Sox finished one-half game behind Detroit, only because the strike chopped one more game off of their scheudle than Detroit had chopped off THEIR schedule.\n\nNone of the strike-cancelled games were made up.
657136
Roto leagues are the ones that started this all. They run season long - instead of being reset each week.\n\nOkay - so we have cumulative stats from the start of the season.\n\nThen, for each stat (ie, HRs, RBIs, Wins, Saves...) the teams in the league are sorted by how they did in that stat. Then they are given points based on that order.\n\nSay you have 10 teams. The team with the most HRs gets 10 points. The team with the least, gets 1 point. Then the team with the most RBIs (might be a different team than the team with the most HRs) gets 10 points and the team with the least gets 1 point.\n\nDo that for all the stats in the league. And then sum up the points for each stat, and that is your roto score.\n\nSo, some days, you could knock in 10 HRs but your score won't change (if it doesn't give you more cumulative HRs than the team ahead of you) or you could knock in 2 and pass  3 teams ahead of you and score big points.\n\nIt is all based on relative performance, across the league. So you kind of need to pay more attention to every team, instead of the one team you're playing against that week. \n\nIt is a unique experience - maybe try a mid-season leagu to get your feet we.
1174359
You could use a bunch of different measuring sticks.  Last year's NL East had the top four teams finish within 7 games of each other, while the West had the last place team only 15 games behind the division winner, the same as the 1996 NL Central.  The 1995 NL West (only 4 teams) had an 11 game gap between first and last, but that season was strike-shortened, as was 1994 when the 4 teams in the AL West were within 5 1/2 games of each other.  The 2004 AL West had the top three teams within 3 games of each other.\n\nIf we're only going to go back to the 3-division format in each league, those have been the closest races.
669216
That scenario would count.  According to the rules (4.10):\n\n(c) If a game is called, it is a regulation game:\n\n(1) If five innings have been completed;\n\n(2) If the home team has scored more runs in four or four and a fraction half innings than the visiting team has scored in five completed half innings;\n\n(3) If the home team scores one or more runs in its half of the fifth inning to tie the score.
530712
I used to play in college.  Once a team is ahead by 10 runs AFTER THE 7TH INNING (if you're playing 9 inning games) then the game is over.  If you're only playing 7 inning games, then its after the 5th.  But most major conferences (ACC,SEC,PAC 10) don't have this rule.
304816
No, do not tamper with the rules of baseball!  If they emulated the new hockey rules, we could see a situation like if a game were tied at the end of nine innings, they'd have three extra innings, then, if it were still tied, a homerun derby to determine the winner of the game!  (just like the new shootout after a five-minute overtime in hockey).  NO WAY!
536159
I like interleague play.  My only complaint is that they should move one of the NL teams to AL, balance out the leagues and then play it like the NFL does with interconference games.  I'm a huge Met fan.  Is it fair when you are battling a team like Florida that they get 6 gms a year against TB and we get 6 gms against the Yankees?  They should have five teams per division per league, have 18 games against division foes and then 6 apiece against everybody else, including rotating interleague play, so that for example everyone in NL East plays everyone in AL East 6 times.
345284
I like to play all sports, but this has to be said, Baseball is boring!. FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, basketball, these teams play east vs west, that's it!! dc united vs boca jrs, galaxy vs real madrid soccer is big international whats not to love; laker's vs heat! how many times do they play in 5 years? like 25 times, RealM vs LiverP champions league final! how many times those these happen! once in a decade. To help Americans enjoy soccer, you have to help them understand the game and you have to introduce them to the WC that will make any one jump for joy.
534153
no, the reason why they created the interleague game was to establish the cross town rivalries, not just in the paper, but to be played together for the fans to be apart.  \nSome examples\n\nNY - Mets vs Yankees\nCA - Angels vs Dodgers\n     San Fran vs Oakland\nTX - Astros vs Rangers\nMD - Orioles vs Nationals\nMO - St Louis vs Kansas City\nIL - Whitesox vs Cubs\n\njust a few.
888583
Much of the NHL schedule is based on tradition.  Many teams have set evenings that they play their home games on a regular basis.  For example, most Canadian based teams will have home games on Saturday night...\n\nSchedule makers also have to take into account the availability of arenas.  Most arenas are multi-purpose, meaning they host other events such as concerts, shows, etc.  So of course games cannot be scheduled on those nights...\n\nAlso, the NHL has a formula for the amount of games that teams play within their own division, as well as their own conference...
411145
You can have a maximum of 40 active players under major league contract at any given time, only 25 of whom are on the major league active roster. The other 15 are either in the minors or the disabled list. \nBeginning September 1 until the end of the regular season you can have all 40 on the major league active roster if you wish (most teams call up a few extra players but don't use all 40)
975565
Each NBA team plays 82 league games (41 at home and 41 away).  Pre season and playoff games are extra.
325873
No way.  All the other sports let so many teams in, it kind of cheapens the regular season.  In baseball, the regular season actually means something.  I think the wild card is enough.
322734
For the same reason that many Northern baseball teams play the first month or so of games on the road in the South: Northern weather in February or March is not very amenable to baseball. This fact is the impetus for a very weighty discussion of equity among collegiate baseball teams as the Southern schools have a definite advantage due to the weather. Back to the question, it would be very difficult for teams like the Brewers, Yankees, and Red Sox to play games during the spring at home. Furthermore, it is a logistical issue, as having so many teams in such close proximity to each other cuts down on travel costs.
918314
Teams haven't always played the same number of games. Say team A has played 9 games and has a 5-4 record. Team B has played 8, and is 4-4. Team B is 1/2 game behind team A. Team B has one more game to play to equal A's games, and it may win it, or it may lose it - a 50-50 condition.
1110488
I like it but I think they need to make changes.  First off, they need to transfer one NL team to the AL to balance out leagues.  Then they need to do what NFL does with interconference, rotate matchups so that you play each division once every three years.  And eliminate geographical matchups so every team in a division is playing the same interleague slate.  It's not fair if the Marlins and Mets are battling for playoffs that Marlins play six games against Devil Rays every year and Mets have to play six games against Yankees each year.
284758
Yes, I would love to see the MLB All-Star Game.  It's a great chance to see all the great players in one game and to partake in all the festivites.  As you pointed out the tickets are not cheap.  There is a problem that it's not competitive enough but now everybody wants their team to have homefield advantage in the WS.