The November Classic??

A snowy World Series may be a more common sight if MLB decides to
keep the regular season at 162 games

The MLB playoff races are coming to a close and it is hard to tear your eyes away with the Wild Card races so tight. The St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays are making a late postseason push while the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox try to hold them off. If the Cardinals win today they will close within one game of the Braves and St. Louis has a much more favorable schedule the rest of the way. However, by the time the regular season is over with it will be September 28th. The playoffs will begin in early October and the World Series may not conclude until October 27th. That's awfully late in the year and it could be an awfully cold Series if, say, the Yankees and Phillies go head-to-head. What's worse is that baseball is now talking about expanding the playoffs to include more teams (we are in the time of expansion you know) and if they do that then the regular season must be shortened.

Since 1961 the MLB has had a 162-game season, as opposed to the 154-game schedule they had prior to that. The Wild Card was introduced 1995 which allowed four teams per league to qualify for the playoffs and I am in full agreement with that move. It would be a shame if the Red Sox and Yankees could never play each other in the playoffs or a team like the Braves, who has had a great year but just happens to be in the same division as the Phillies, got left out of October baseball. The Wild Card teams have always been very successful and it's usually because they HAD to win at the end of the regular season so they come in hot. Now, Bud Selig and the Gang want to expand the playoffs to ten teams which means two Wild Cards in each league.

I will agree with the playoff expansion if, and only if, MLB realizes that it needs a shorter regular season. 162 games is a ton of games and players break down after awhile. Also, the Cubs and Astros don't need to still be playing right now. It's absurd and it just prolongs the agony of a terrible season. I recently read a column by Sports Illustrated's Joe Posnanski and he suggested that the schedule be shortened back to 154 games. I could not agree more with that. Obviously there would be disputes with the record book because, for a long time, players had eight more games to compile statistics. That's something that would have to be figured out but it's a no-brainer that the schedule must be shortened.

The game has changed over time. 15 wins is what 20 wins was back in the day. Saves and holds are more important than ever and 30 home runs is a common sight. What MLB can't be worried about is the statistics and numbers. Yes, with eight fewer games there probably won't be many 20-game winners and less home runs will be hit along with fewer RBIs. It's not about any of that though. Less games means the players will be better at the end of the year and that means more fans in the stands and better games televised nationally. Thus, MLB puts out a better product. Also, if the season stayed at 162 games and the playoff were expanded that would push the Fall Classic into November. That can't happen for two huge reasons. One would be the weather. The other, and most important, is that MLB couldn't compete with the NFL and the start of the NBA. The World Series hasn't been getting good ratings and the longer the baseball season drags on, the longer they must compete with the NFL. That's fighting a losing battle.

There has been no mention of shortening the schedule but the playoffs will be expanded for sure. Bud Selig has been highly criticized during his time in office but if he were to make this move it might go down as the best move during his tenure. It's better for the players. It's better for the fans and, most importantly, it's best for the game of baseball.