Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Okay, before we crown the St. Louis Cardinals World Champions again — and we will after Monday's NLCS finale — can I just point out that if not for an off-field decision the Cards wouldn’t even be knocking at the door?

The decision, made last year as part of the collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the players union, put in place the one-game wild card playoff.

Announced in March, the innovation (i.e. stupid idea) added yet another postseason team and set up one game between the top two teams not winning one of the three divisions in each league. Repeating: that’s the top two teams in each league not winning anything who get a pass into the playoffs and a chance to take the whole thing.

In the American League, the wild card Texas Rangers (93-69 regular season) and Baltimore Orioles (93-69) are done. But the Cardinals (worst in the National League at 88-74 and worse than two other Major League non-qualifiers) are not only going to crash the party, they’re going to eat all the crab puffs and drink all the champagne.

They’re up there in St. Louis giggling that they got in and the Los Angeles Angels, who money whipped slugger Albert Pujols into jumping ship, did not. The Angels finished 89-73, one victory better, but under the playoff system the Halos and Pujols got Munsoned.

I don’t blame the Cards. This is the system we have and they’re generally the type of team that makes the most of such opportunities, and it’s not like St. Louis or the other NL wild card Atlanta (94-68) just played horribly all season.

You could also point out that AL champion and soon-to-be Cardinals victim Detroit also had the worst record (88-74) in its league, and I would thank you for making my point.

See, I personally would love to go back to two leagues, with the winner of each playing for it all.

Once there was this great debate about which league was better and we got two chances to find out — the All-Star Game and the World Series.

Only the two most deserving teams got in, there was no reward for not finishing first. And all that drama that takes place in these extended, watered down playoffs, took place in the stretch run of the regular season — barring a tie that was the playoffs.

And the World Series ended before Halloween. Game 7 this year, if the Cardinals let the Tigers hang around, is set for Nov. 1.

I get that it’s all about money and my dream of a two-team showdown will never happen. I’m also still waiting for a repeal of seatbelt laws and the return of the rotary phone.