Major League Baseball Releases Postseason Schedule

Oct 18, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; A general view of rain drops on a dugout postseason banner before game four of the 2012 ALCS between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Major League Baseball announced the postseason schedule today (h/t Matthew B. Mowery). Here’s what it looks like for the American League side (click on the above link for the full schedule including NL):

Wild Card

Wednesday, Oct. 2, TBS

AL Division Series (Best of 5; 2-2-1 format)

G1: Friday, Oct. 4, TBS/MLBN

G2: Saturday, Oct. 5, TBS

G3: Monday, Oct. 7, TBS/MLBN

G4: Tuesday, Oct. 8, TBS*

G5: Thursday, Oct. 10, TBS*

AL Championship Series (Best of 7; 2-3-2 format)

G1: Saturday, Oct. 12, FOX

G2: Sunday, Oct. 13, FOX

G3: Tuesday, Oct. 15, FOX

G4: Wednesday, Oct. 16, FOX

G5: Thursday, Oct. 17*, FOX

G6: Saturday, Oct. 19*, FOX

G7: Sunday, Oct. 20*, FOX

World Series (Best of 7; 2-3-2 format)

G1: AL city, Wednesday, Oct. 23, FOX

G2: AL city, Thursday, Oct. 24, FOX

G3: NL city, Saturday, Oct. 26, FOX

G4: NL city, Sunday, Oct. 27, FOX

G5: NL city, Monday, Oct. 28*, FOX

G6: AL city, Wednesday, Oct. 30*, FOX

G7: AL city, Thursday, Oct. 31*, FOX

* if necessary

If we operate under the assumption that the Detroit Tigers are getting in the playoffs, and not getting in via the Wild Card, they’ll be given four days off between the conclusion of the regular season (Sunday, September 29 in Miami) and the beginning of the ALDS (Friday, October 4). The extra rest is not a problem necessarily – especially if Miguel Cabrera is still ailing and injured – but one of the narratives after last season was that the Tigers struggled due to too much time off between the ALCS and the World Series.

But with the one-game Wild Card again in play, there’s really no other way to schedule the games while still making the TV folks happy. I’d personally love to see both of those games played on the same night (as it stands the NL Wild Card game is to take place on Tuesday night with Monday set aside for any necessarily Game 163s) to squeeze a day out of the beginning of the playoffs, I understand that the networks are trying to maximize ratings.

The Tigers currently stand second in the American League – a half game back of the Boston Red Sox – so “if the season ended today” they’d be getting home field advantage in the ALDS. The American League Champion will receive home field advantage in the World Series due to the AL’s All-Star Game victory.