Owners: To Cross Over or Not Cross Over? : Baseball: It’s a question they consider in deciding the format for future division playoffs.

As Dodger President Peter O’Malley and other major league owners expressed concern Wednesday over the increasing number of field fights among players and the need to enact tougher penalties, they girded for a floor fight of their own today.

The passage of an extra playoff round, beginning in 1994--pending approval by the players’ union--is expected to be automatic during a joint meeting of the 28 owners, but the debate involves the question of whom the division champions will meet in that five-game series.

By a 4-3 vote Wednesday, the format committee approved a recommendation that the champion of each division meet the second-place team of the same division, with the first two games in the park of the second-place team.

However, there was strong sentiment within the committee to have the champion of each division meet the second-place finisher of the other division, and there is an equally strong possibility that the committee recommendation will be vetoed by the full ownership today in favor of the crossover formula.

“I can’t believe that won’t happen,” said President Bill Giles of the Philadelphia Phillies, a format committee member who favors the crossover concept.

Committee chairman John Harrington, president of the Boston Red Sox, said that he wouldn’t be surprised if the committee recommendation were rejected for the crossover approach.

He added, however, that most committee members believed that “the identity and autonomy of the divisions” would be better maintained by having the champion play the second-place team of its own division.

Harrington also said there was some thought given to having the two division champions in each league play the two teams with the next-best records, regardless of division.

The shattering of baseball tradition in the hopes of generating revenue and regenerating fan interest, Harrington conceded, could result in a third-place team in one division having a better record than a second-place playoff team in the league’s other division. Or, a second-place team qualifying with a losing record.

All of that is a longshot, however, he added.

There have been only two second-place finishers with losing records in the 24 years of division play, and only 16 times has a third-place finisher in one division had a better record than a second-place finisher in that league’s other division.

Asked why his committee is suggesting that the second-place finisher be home team for the first two games, Harrington said a study of the 36 playoffs conducted under a five-game format showed that about 60% were won by the team that had the last three games at home.

That, too, might be a subject of debate today, but most of it will involve who plays whom. Giles said he and other owners favor the crossover plan because “it will lead to more fan interest and integrity.”

He cited the lopsided race in the National League East and said, “Fans in Philadelphia would much rather see us play the Dodgers (in the division playoff) because we’ve already beaten up on the (St. Louis) Cardinals.”

Of the integrity issue, Giles said there is a real risk when you have an intradivision playoff.

“Everyone plays the final month in their own division,” he said. “If you have two teams fighting for second, the first-place team might maneuver its pitching and lineup to favor the team it wants to play in the playoffs.

“Even if it didn’t, the perception would be there.”

The extra playoff tier represents a steppingstone to interleague play, three-divisional realignment and expansion to 16 teams in each league, all likely within the next four years.

O’Malley said the outbreak of fighting on the field poses a serious problem that “the new commissioner and league presidents should take action to stop.”

“It’s not part of baseball, never has been and never should be,” O’Malley said. “It’s happening too often now, and something should be done.”

In separate league meetings Wednesday, the respective presidents--Bobby Brown of the American and Bill White of the National--were urged to stiffen discipline if possible, but both said it’s a difficult process complicated by the players’ right to appeal.

“The system doesn’t work, but I don’t think you’ll ever have a system that will stop fighting or stop players from going on the field,” said White.