At the doorstep of the postseason, prepare to re-familiarize with a polarizing question: Is the first-round bye an advantage or a detriment?
In the latest episode of the “6-1-1 Podcast” co-hosted by Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins, the former Phillies stars chimed in on the debate.
“I think the teams that actually make the Wild Card round are the most dangerous teams,” Howard said. “They’re fighting, scratching, clawing to get into the postseason. Every game right now, for them, is a postseason game. You get into that first Wild Card round, you’re geared up. And then all of a sudden ... you’re going up against a ‘colder’ team.”
So, what’s the difference? Why, in some cases, does the rested team -- with the better regular-season record -- fall flat?
“Your timing goes off,” Rollins said. “ ... That’s the first thing that goes away, and that's what hurts the most. It isn’t defense, it isn’t mentality. It’s a physical thing. You’ve gone through a whole season of 162 games and then you have a seven- or eight-day stretch where you’re not playing a competitive game.”
While neither Howard nor Rollins played under the new playoff format, both players have endured a postseason layoff before. In 2008, after winning the National League Championship Series in five games, the Phillies sat idle for a week leading up to Game 1 of the World Series, as the American League Championship Series went to seven games.
The time off didn’t seem to affect Howard, who bashed three home runs and steered the Phillies to a World Series championship.
“I don’t think we knew better,” Howard said. “We didn’t know that we were supposed to get stale. We were so young and ready to go, we were just champing at the bit.”
Check out the rest of the discussion on the 6-1-1 Podcast, which is available on MLB.com, MLB TV, all podcast platforms and YouTube.