When Bud Selig instituted the second wild card in each league last year, the intention wasn't terrible. He reasoning was somewhat logical. A second wild card team=more teams in the race=meaningful September baseball=more people buying tickets rather than thinking about football season. But in execution, this second wild card has certainly been less than ideal. This season is Exhibit A on what we've lost as a result of the additional wild card team.
More specifically, the second wild card has deprived us of a phenomenal pennant race in the NL Central. This late run by the Nationals notwithstanding, we've basically known the five National League playoff teams since the All-Star Break. So instead of knowing that one of those three teams in the Central was going to sit at home watching the postseason, the only drama in that race is seeing which one will win the division and advance directly to the Division Series.
The Pirates and Reds play each other this weekend and again next weekend. Sure, there's still going to be plenty of intensity, especially since the division title is still in play. But imagine if the Cardinals had a comfortable margin and those two were fighting for their playoff lives. Instead, all they're fighting for is which one gets to be the home team when and if they play again in the Wild Card Game. That's not quite the same.
Then there's the American League, where the second wild card is giving a whole bunch of false hope to a whole lot of teams. Entering play today, there were six teams within 3.5 games of the two American League wild cards. In that respect, the second wild card has achieved its intended purpose. But fans of the Yankees, Orioles, Indians and Royals are delusional if they think their team would have any chance of getting past the one-and-done of the Wild Card Game, let alone beating the Tigers or Red Sox.
One of those teams might actually sneak into the playoffs only because the Rangers and/or Rays handed it to them. I can't really say any of them has played particularly inspiring baseball this month (and that includes Texas and Tampa Bay). Yet we're going to end up with not one, but two mediocre playoff teams that have 88-89 wins. It's not exactly as if the quality of this pennant race has been improved by the inclusion of several teams that have absolutely no chance.
At least the AL is giving us what Bud intended. All kinds of teams are playing meaningful games in September. Except we'd have a meaningful race even if there were fewer teams involved. What's been lost in this whole struggle, partially because they've both been trying to give it away, partially because there are so many lesser teams trying to catch them, is that Tampa Bay and Texas are engaged in a pretty intense struggle. The Rangers-Rays race is going to go down to the wire. It would anyway even if all these other teams weren't in the mix.
I've never been a fan of the second wild card, and this season is a prime example as to why. What could've been a great NL race is completely nonexistent because there's nobody else even close, so they're all going to make the playoffs anyway. Meanwhile, the AL race has been completely watered down by the presence of these four mediocre teams. Whoever "wins" is going to back into a berth because the others managed to play worse down the stretch. Not exactly the type of run that carried the 2007 Rockies all the way to the World Series.
Last year, both road teams won the Wild Card Games. In fact, the Orioles took the Yankees to five in the Division Series and the Cardinals took a 3-1 lead in the NLCS before the Giants came back and eventually won seven straight, including a World Series sweep.
So, I guess, in a way that justified the existence of the second wild card in its very first year of existence. But was it necessary? I'm still going with "No." And has it achieved all of its intended purposes? I've gotta go with "No" again. Because the second wild card has done nothing to enhance this year's playoff races. But if there was only one? Oh man! Those races would've been awesome!
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