NL Team with winning records vs AL teams 2007:
Chi Cubs .667
Colorado .556
NY Mets .533
Philadelphia .533
Milwaukee .533
Arizona .533

You are right, though, when you say playoffs are “artificial ways to create playoff excitement where sometimes it shouldn’t exist (see: NL Central) because it means more money.” That is why the World Series was created. You seem to forget that there aren’t six teams in each league – there are 16 & 14 teams. Cry and whine (which you do over almost ANY subject) the fact is that the fans, in general, LOVE it.

Baseball hasn’t been the same since 1903. It just ruined the game.

Now, does all that mean I’m no longer “qualified” to talk about baseball? Hardly. With all due respect and trying to say this as humbly as possible, I’ve forgotten more about baseball than most people know about the game, present company included. It has been a big part of my life. I played it, I got paid to play it, I learned it from the best, I taught it, I umpired it, I coached it, I studied it, and for many years I just flat-out lived it.

I am not qualified to talk in depth about the inner workings of a small-block Chevy, even though I like working on cars with my limited ability. I am not qualified to talk in depth about home construction or plumbing or lawn care, even though I have enough knowledge to mow the lawn and do simple repairs.

However, know this: I am incredibly qualified to talk about baseball. I am of the firm belief that the teams with the best records are probably the best teams and should therefore go to the playoffs. I am of the firm belief that “divisions” are artificial ways to create playoff excitement where sometimes it shouldn’t exist (see: NL Central) because it means more money. I also understand it, and if the Cubs “win” the division, so be it, but that doesn’t make them any good. They are a flawed team at best, lucky to be in the division they are in. Period.

Mouse, I’m quite certain (and I’m not alone), roles being reversed, the records would be more than reversed. Now matter how flawed the Twins are (and they are), they would be winning the NL Central handily right now, NOT in third place. Ask any baseball executive not working in Milwaukee and Chicago, and he’d tell you the same thing. The Kansas City Royals and the White Sox, if they were in the NL Central, would be battling for the lead. Team for team, the AL is vastly superior to the NL right now, again, any exec will tell you the same.

You guys are fortunate that your team is in a pennant race. Enjoy it. But remember, in today’s baseball, being in a pennant race doesn’t make you any good. To use a musical analogy, even Vanilla Ice had a #1 song once.

Following BJ’s logic, since he is in a relatively miniscule media outlet town, he may as well watch CNN wide eyed and mail it in. Or, perhaps he would like to see no post season; maybe the team that gets the streakiest in 162 games, or the team that has the fewest injuries wins, or the team with the most jersey sales wins.

For a guy who has “quit” whatever it is he has “quit”, we sure do see a lot of posting about what he doesn’t care about.