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As I write this on September 24, before any of the night games, the playoffs in both the AL and the NL are pretty much set in stone. The Phillies are 6.5 games up in the East over the Braves and 7 over Florida. The Cardinals are 10 games up in the Central, and the Dodgers have the best record in the senior circuit and 5 games ahead of the Rockies, 9 ahead of the Giants. The Rockies lead the wild card by 4 games over the G-men and Braves, 4.5 over the Fish.

As for the AL, the Yankees have clinched the playoffs with the best record in baseball, 97 wins thus far. The Angels have all but wrapped up the West with the Rangers seven back. True, the Central is tight now with Detroit's collapse as the Twins are now 2.5 games back. But whoever wins that division won't go far, most likely. The Red Sox lead the wild card by, oh, only 7.5 games over Texas. So as you can see, September won't be all that fun this season.

Thus has come the idea of adding a wild card spot to the playoffs. If there was one right now, the NL would have San Francisco and Atlanta tied for that spot with the Fish a half game back and even the Cubs would still be alive, as they'd be 3.5 back of the second wild card. In the AL, Texas would lead the race for the number two spot and have a 4 game lead over the Twins and Mariners and 5 over the Rays. Then, the two wild cards from each league would play each other before the postseason and the winner of that would move on to the "real" playoffs. This gives the disadvantage to the wild card team that people have wanted for years- it would use up its players in the extra series and they'd play the best team in their league right after it. Peter Gammons thought it and lots of people like it, I don't.

Baseball already has too much parody. The NL West from a few years ago, granted that might be the best division in baseball this season; the Cardinals winning the World Series by simply getting hot for a few weeks, the list could go on. If we had a number two wild card, sure, there would be more excitement- this year. But whose to say that next season both spots are wrapped up before September? Would we want to implament a third wild card? These kind of season simply happen. Last year was great, another Mets collapse, the magical Rays, the Yankees missing the playoffs and the one game winner takes all in the AL Central. Someone might still collapse this season, someone might still force a one game playoff- but someone probably won't. But that's okay. We still have the playoffs to look forward to.(Sorry to the fans whose teams would benefit this year-Fish especially. It hurts to say as a die hard Phils fan, but your team is good! How are they not in the playoffs, they always play us hard!)

So be patient, baseball fans! Next year will more than likely have a more exciting pennant race. These type of seasons just happen, we shouldn't jump the gun and add a playoff team. The NBA  has it wrong by having 8 teams, thats too much. The playoffs should be for the best of the best, not just the teams who happen to fall in, no matter how good or bad they are. The playoffs are just fine in baseball, Bud. Now you want to change something about America's pasttime? Salary Cap, but thats another story!