Final answer:
The ratio of teams making the playoffs to those not making the playoffs in 1969 was 4:20, which simplifies to 1:5, while today it is 10:20, or 1:2. The correct simplified ratio for 1969 is therefore (d) 1:4.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the ratio of teams making the playoffs to those not making the playoffs, we need to subtract the number of teams that make the playoffs from the total number of teams to get the number of teams that do not make the playoffs. Then we will write the ratio of the number of teams making the playoffs to the number of teams not making the playoffs. In 1969, there were 24 teams in Major League baseball with only 4 making the playoffs. Therefore, 24 - 4 = 20 did not make the playoffs. The ratio was 4 (making playoffs):20 (not making playoffs), which simplifies to 1:5 when we divide both sides by 4. Today, there are 30 teams and 10 make the playoffs. Hence, 30 - 10 = 20 teams do not make the playoffs. The ratio is 10 (making playoffs):20 (not making playoffs), which simplifies to 1:2 when we divide both numbers by 10. Comparing the ratio from 1969 (1:5) and the ratio today (1:2), we can see that the chance of making the playoffs has increased over time. The correct answer is, therefore, (d) 1:4, which was the ratio for 1969 after simplification.