Well, it’s been a long time since my initial post and the DH issue remains unsolved! I guess the  MLB braintrust has not yet read my solution. It still makes perfect sense. In any event, the answer to the wild card is today’s topic. As we wind down and discover who will be playing this week, it still remains for me a glaringly missed opportunity towards the growth and excitement of baseball. When baseball moved to the two team one game showdown for the wild card, it dawned on me that baseball was taking a page out of the NFL playoff structure. For me, football should remain the only sport out of the traditional big four with a one game elimination system. Baseball, like the NBA and the NHL, is built for the victor having survived a series of playoff games. The measure of a great baseball team usually bares out with the strength of its pitching staff. One game, ace vs ace, is extremely exciting and should be the culmination of that series, not the only game.

Of course, there never will be a perfect solution. The one we have now however is not a spectacle – and it can be. Imagine the fervor of the NCAA March Madness tournament spilling into baseball. Before you say, “hey Phil, that is a one and done tournament”, let me explain. The tournament IS the attraction. Involving so many schools and creating “play in ” games keeps many people interested. The point is, a four team double eliminaton Wild Card Tournament for both the National and American leagues, at separate ballparks, will create a frenzy of interest for most of the country. (Aside from the six division winner cities.)

Since the league games will be played at one pre-determined ballpark in each league, travel will not be an issue. In this format, it is also possible for the top two seeds playing three times to decide it. If however the three or four seed gets hot, that team can capture the wild card and advance. Truth be told, it will be an exciting week of baseball before the divisional round. I certainly think the potential AL and NL hosts will be making their case loud and clear each year!