As the season dies down and the races are almost over, I notice a huge glaring problem.
This problem may destroy the already tender credibility of the game and may leave the fan base with a terrible taste.
I'm not talking steroids, although they are a serious problem, I am talking about none other than the N.L. West.
For the first time ever, I believe, there is a strong possibility of a sub .500 team not just making the playoffs, but winning a whole freaking division.
You have 14 teams with better records, 1 tie and a possible 2 more that can better the Padres record in a matter of days. 4 of the teams worse than them are in their own division, and the highest they could possibly finish in any other division would be the A.L. West (another very weak division) and 3rd place. In any other division they would be looking at 4th place or worse.
So what does this mean to baseball? Well, The N.L. West winner could very easily and fastly be defeated in the playoffs and that will be the end of it. It will demonstrate how weak a division is and those teams will be struggling to regain fan base (except the Dodgers, who never seem to lose any, no matter how terrible they, the owner or management truly is).
But what happens in a short series where anything is truly possible and they win, going to the NLCS? What is worse, what happens if they make the World Series? And the worst case scenario, what happens if they win the World series? Where will baseball stand?
Now granted the NL West winner even making past the 1st round is laughable, and to even think they can get any further is just idiotic, right? And yet, the possibility is there and has to be looked at.
Personally, I have always been of the belief the best teams from both leagues should play for the right to call themselves the best of the best that year. That is what the World Series is about after all. And yet, it is possible to have a team, that will finish under .500 and have over half of baseball finishing with better records.
How will we ever be able to call them the "best of the best"? It would make no sense. It would show us that as long as you try half assed and can't even win 1/2 of your games you can still be "Best"?
And what of the ever important tv ratings? Would MLB and Fox truly expect any true fan or even the casual fan to take a series of a sub .500 team seriously?
This is not about some "miracle, never say die team, that had bad breaks".... hell the freaking lost over 1/2 their games.... they were horrid.
So what is baseball going to do? What is the solution?
Well, I would put a clause in the playoff by-laws that stated if a team with a sub .500 record wins their division they are disqualified from the playoffs and the second best record in the wildcard race would be automatically placed in their spot.
But.... then there is the possibility of there being 3 teams from 1 division (again this year if that rule were to be in place, Fla. and Philly (both N.L. East teams) could be in playing the Cards and the Braves. Where only 1 team (StL) would be outside the Eastern Division.
Yes, MLB faces a quagmire that may take the heat off the steroid issue among the true, loyal die hard fans........ of course as the keep playing with their credibility, how they treat the fans and so on.... one has to ask, is MLB looking and creating it's own death as a relevant source of entertainment in the USA?