OFF THE WALL

We just couldn’t let this stuff go …

Imagine playoff win without going on the diamond

Max Scherzer favors a radical reworking of the playoffs, one that would have the higher seed in the first round of an expanded postseason start a best-of-five series with a 1-0 lead.

Major League Baseball and locked-out players, who resume talks today, both would expand the postseason from 10 teams — that’s been the field since 2012, other than the 16 teams in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, writes Ronald Blum of

The Associated Press.

The union prefers 12 and the parties appear headed toward that number, but Scherzer said players would consider 14 if clubs would agree to the “ghost win” format.

Under MLB’S 14-team plan, the division winner with the best regular-season record in each league would get a bye and advance directly to the Division Series. The two other division winners would choose their opponents and be at home for an entire best-of-three round.

The division winner with the second-best record would choose its opponent from among the three lowest-seeded wildcard teams. The division winner with the third-best record would then get to pick from among the remaining two wild cards. The top wild card would face whichever team is left over after the division winners make their choices and also play all games at home.

Selections would be made on a televised show.

“We felt like competition could be eroded in that scenario, and we had specific examples of different players who spoke up that highlighted that specifically,” Scherzer said after Tuesday’s breakdown in labor talks.

Before talks broke down, players said they could agree to a 12-team postseason subject to an overall agreement. There remains a possibility 14 teams could return to discussions.

Scherzer argued for the plan during a Monday meeting with Colorado CEO Dick Monfort, and MLB told the union it is not interested. MLB does not think the “ghost game” is the preference of broadcasters and thinks the concept would not be wellreceived by fans.

Trivia question On this date in 1983, the USFL began its first season of professional football. What team won the first USFL title? They said it

• From Bob Molinaro in the Norfolk Virginian-pilot: “Lent is the season for giving up things. Or possibly in the case of the Lakers, just giving up.”

• From ESPN’S Bill Walton ,to

The Oregonian, on positive influences in his life: “My wife, Lori, is always right, 30-plus years of marriage. She’s always right. Like John Wooden. He was right. I just didn’t know it.”

• From Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times: “The University’s of Minnesota’s Daniel Faalele

checked in at the NFL scouting combine at 6-foot-8 and 384 pounds, making him the biggest prospect there since at least 2003. He’s projected to play right tackle — or even guard and tackle at once.”

Trivia answer

The Michigan Panthers (13-2) topped the Philadelphia Stars 24-22 in the USFL’S first title game. Quarterback Bobby Hebert hit Anthony Carter with a 48-yard scoring strike with 3:11 remaining for what proved to be the final score. Hebert was the game’s MVP, with 319 yards psssing and three touchdowns.