The Major League Baseball Playoffs are held each October to help determine the champion of Major League Baseball. The winners of each of the three divisions plus one wild-card team in both the American League and National League qualify for the MLB Postseason. Each of the four teams in each league compete in two rounds, both with a best-of-five-games series format to determine the league champion and the team that will advance to play in the World Series. The American League champion and National League champion play in the best-of-seven-game World Series to name the MLB champion.http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=10
The 2010 MLB Playoffs began with the Division Series on October 6, 2010. The 2010 American League Championship Series and 2010 National League Championship Series followed starting on October 15, 2010. The final two teams, the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants, continued on to the 2010 World Series, which started on October 27, 2010, and concluded on November 1, 2010, when the San Francisco Giants won the World Series.http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=10
In 2009, the New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series to win their 27th championship.http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=09
Brief History of MLB Playoffs
Before 1969, the teams that played in the World Series were determined by the overall regular-season record in each league. In 1969, both leagues were divided with two divisions, and the division winners would meet in a best three-of-five series to determine the league champions. In 1985, these series were changed to best four-of-seven series.http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_lcs.jsp Then in 1995, both leagues would be divided again, this time into three divisions. Each of the divisional winners and the team with the best record among non-division winners (known as the wild-card team) began playing an additional division round with best three-of-five series in 1995.http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ds.jsp
Recent World Series Champions
2010 MLB Playoff Schedule
| ALDS - Texas Wins 3-2 | |||||||
| Game | Teams | Date | Time | TV | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Rangers at Rays | Oct. 6 | 1:37 p.m. | TBS | TEX 5, TB 1 | ||
| Game 2 | Rangers at Rays | Oct. 7 | 2:37 p.m. | TBS | TEX 6, TB 0 | ||
| Game 3 | Rays at Rangers | Oct. 9 | 5:07 p.m. | TBS | TB 6, TEX 3 | ||
| Game 4 | Rays at Rangers | Oct. 10 | 1:07 p.m. | TBS | TB 5, TEX 2 | ||
| Game 5 | Rangers at Rays | Oct. 12 | 8:07 p.m. | TBS | TEX 5, TB 1 | ||
| ALDS - NY Yankees win 3-0 | |||||||
| Game | Teams | Date | Time | TV | Result | ||
| Game 1 | Yankees at Twins | Oct. 6 | 8:37 p.m. | TBS | NYY 6, MIN 4 | ||
| Game 2 | Yankees at Twins | Oct. 7 | 6:07 p.m. | TBS | NYY 5, MIN 2 | ||
| Game 3 | Twins at Yankees | Oct. 9 | 8:37 p.m. | TBS | NYY 6, MIN 1 | ||
| NLDS - Philadelphia wins 3-0 | |||||||
| Game | Teams | Date | Time | TV | Result | ||
| Game 1 | Reds at Phillies | Oct. 6 | 5:07 p.m. | TBS | PHI 4, CIN 0 | ||
| Game 2 | Reds at Phillies | Oct. 8 | 6:07 p.m. | TBS | PHI 7, CIN 4 | ||
| Game 3 | Phillies at Reds | Oct. 10 | 8:07 p.m. | TBS | PHI 2, CIN 0 | ||
| NLDS - San Francisco Wins 3-1 | |||||||
| Game | Teams | Date | Time | TV | Result | ||
| Game 1 | Braves at Giants | Oct. 7 | 9:37 p.m. | TBS | SF 1, ATL 0 | ||
| Game 2 | Braves at Giants | Oct. 8 | 9:37 p.m. | TBS | ATL 5, SF 4 | ||
| Game 3 | Giants at Braves | Oct. 10 | 4:37 p.m. | TBS | SF 3, ATL 2 | ||
| Game 4 | Giants at Braves | Oct. 11 | 7:37 p.m. | TBS | SF 3, ATL 2 | ||
| American League Championship Series - Texas wins 4-2 | |||||||
| Game | Teams | Date | Time | TV | Result | ||
| Game 1 | Yankees at Rangers | Oct. 15 | 8:00 p.m. | TBS | NYY 6, TEX 5 | ||
| Game 2 | Yankees at Rangers | Oct. 16 | 4:00 p.m. | TBS | TEX 7, NYY 2 | ||
| Game 3 | Rangers at Yankees | Oct. 18 | 8:00 p.m. | TBS | TEX 8, NYY 0 | ||
| Game 4 | Rangers at Yankees | Oct. 19 | 8:00 p.m. | TBS | TEX 10, NYY 3 | ||
| Game 5 | Rangers at Yankees | Oct. 20 | 4:00 p.m. | TBS | NYY 7, TEX 2 | ||
| Game 6 | Yankees at Rangers | Oct. 22 | 8:00 p.m. | TBS | TEX 6, NYY 1 | ||
| National League Championship Series - San Francisco wins 4-2 | |||||||
| Game | Teams | Date | Time | TV | Result | ||
| Game 1 | Giants at Phillies | Oct. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | FOX | SF 4, PHI 3 | ||
| Game 2 | Giants at Phillies | Oct. 17 | 8:00 p.m. | FOX | PHI 6, SF 1 | ||
| Game 3 | Phillies at Giants | Oct. 19 | 4:00 p.m. | FOX | SF 3, PHI 0 | ||
| Game 4 | Phillies at Giants | Oct. 20 | 7:30 p.m. | FOX | SF 6, PHI 5 | ||
| Game 5 | Phillies at Giants | Oct. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | FOX | PHI 4, SF 2 | ||
| Game 6 | Giants at Phillies | Oct. 23 | 3:30 p.m. | FOX | SF 3, PHI 2 | ||
| World Series - San Francisco wins 4-1 | |||||||
| Game | Teams | Date | Time | TV | Result | ||
| Game 1 | Rangers at Giants | Oct. 27 | 7:30 p.m. | FOX | SF 11, TEX 7 | ||
| Game 2 | Rangers at Giants | Oct. 28 | 7:30 p.m. | FOX | SF 9, TEX 0 | ||
| Game 3 | Giants at Rangers | Oct. 30 | 6:30 p.m. | FOX | TEX 4, SF 2 | ||
| Game 4 | Giants at Rangers | Oct. 31 | 8:00 p.m. | FOX | SF 4, TEX 0 | ||
| Game 5 | Giants at Rangers | Nov. 1 | 7:30 p.m. | FOX | SF 3 , TEX 1 | ||
MLB Playoffs Commercial
In a promotional ad for the MLB Playoffs, a man is seen in his garage attempting to use a nail gun for a project. After the nailer fails to work, he begins to phone the manufacturer, at which time the nail gun shoots nails all around the area on its own. A message is posted on the screen advising fans to never trust anything created in October, the month of the MLB Playoffs, with a scene at the nail gun manufacturing facility of a worker watching the MLB post-season rather than properly assembling the nailers.
References
Fast Facts
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First scheduled playoffs
1969
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Fact:
Playoffs expanded in 1995
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TV networks
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Division Series
Best out of five series
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Championship Series
Best out of seven series
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World Series
Best out of seven series
