LCS Schedule Condensed

The 2010 League Championship Series schedule has been condensed after many complaints about the post-season dragging on as well as play being too different from the regular season. Here is the full press release from Major League Baseball via MLB.com:

The schedules for the 2010 American League and National League Championship Series will be shortened by eliminating an off-day between Games 4 and 5 that had been in place for the previous three seasons, Commissioner Bud Selig announced on Wednesday.

The change, which was in response to concerns expressed by players and management that there were too many off-days in last year's postseason, was the first suggestion by a Special Committee for On-Field Matters to be implemented. The committee was created in December.

"The Special Committee for On-Field Matters is examining a wide variety of topics and issues and additional announcements will be forthcoming," Selig said in a statement. "Scheduling is a key area in which the members have expressed many interesting ideas and opinions. The removal of the off-day during both League Championship Series marks the first step in a process that will ultimately result in an improved postseason format for our game."

The schedule is already established for this year's postseason, with three Division Series games opening the playoffs on Wednesday, Oct. 6. Game 1 of the ALCS is scheduled to take place on Friday, Oct. 15, with Game 1 of the NLCS scheduled for the next day. The first game of the World Series is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 27

Although this past post season schedule helped the Yankees by allowing them to use only 3 starters through out the post-season, I think this is a change in the right direction. The post season needs to more closely resemble how the regular season plays out. This will allow the best team with the most depth to maintain whatever advantage they had in the regular season. Although it is only a small step in the right direction it will reduce the controversy surrounding the post season schedule.