Dear Commissioner Selig:
I saw today that you have said that adding two more wild card teams to MLB’s postseason would be “fair”. I have also heard you have said you would make your decision on whether to expand baseball’s postseason pragmatically. I ask you: Is it fair to the fans of the sport who understand that one wild card has had a negative impact on real pennant races? Is it fair to fan’s who don’t want to see baseball’s regular season become the joke that the NHL’s and NBA’s are? Would it be a pragmatic decision, when it is known that if there was an extra wild card in the National League this year, a great deal of the drama of the last weekend’s battle between San Francisco and San Diego for the West Division lead would not have occurred? Would it be a pragmatic decision to expand the postseason, if it is known that past expansions have already done serious damage to your crown jewel’s—the World Series—TV ratings?
All this is not lost on the fans. Since you have announced that expanded playoffs is on the table, I have been reading the comments of fans on the Internet. Many are saying that this is an inevitable money-grab that they have no hope of stopping. Others are saying the season is already too long and fear baseball in December. Still others talk about expanding so all 30 teams make it to the playoffs. I recommend that you look over these articles and read the comments.
I read a while back, when Sports Illustrated columnist Tom Verducci approached you with the idea of another wild card team, you told him that the game was fine the way it is now. I urge you to remember this; and do what is clearly “in the best interest of baseball”. While one wild card may be desirable, two would be one too many. Commissioner, please listen to the fans and reject extra wild cards and postseason expansion. The sport simply cannot afford it.
Thank you for your consideration.
A Baseball Fan of 55 Years
Clifford L. Glasberg