A BAD IDEA THAT'S NOT DYING

***BUD SELIG'S LATEST "FIX"***
When I first heard about adding another wild card team in each league, I thought Bud was just making a suggestion, but it seems that he was dead serious. Most writers and analysts think that this is not a good idea, but it does have it's backers, one of whom is Joel Sherman of the NY Post. He has always had an unconventional view of sports.

First of all, he assumes that the extra wild card is is a foregone conclusion. He is already discussing whether it should be a three-game or a one-game series. He thinks it should be a three-game series because he feels a one-game series would be a danger to the 'better' team, the idea being that anyone can get hot and win one game. At least that part is true. He also says this would give the division winners an advantage by being able to align their pitching rotation, whereas the wild card team could not. Of course the division winner would be sitting around for three or four days, getting rusty. They would also lose any momentum they had built up.

Then there is the weather problem. How does Joel handle that one? He says there is little difference in the average temperature and weather conditions between October 31st and November 3rd, assuming that 11/3 IS the last date. One of his arguments (I hope you're all sitting down) is to think of the dates as Oct. 32nd & Oct. 33rd, not Nov. 1st and Nov. 2nd, and don't you feel better now? Right, that already makes me think it's warmer. He also compares this to pro football, where the Super Bowl was actually played in February, the NCAAs spilling into April and pro basketball still going in June.

He can't be serious. How can you make that comparison? Football is often played in the snow, and I have never seen a game postponed in basketball because of rain or snow inside the buildings where the courts are.
How much is Bud Selig paying you, Joel?

***THE UNWRITTEN RULE IS BACK IN PLAY***
Cubs manager, Mike Quade was upset at the LA Dodgers when their catcher tried to steal 2nd in the fifth inning, with the Dodgers ahead 8-1. Quade said he was going to have to "...check his unwritten rule book, to see if someone had changed the rule."

Before you do, Mike, consider these facts: 1) The Dodger pitcher was up 2) There were two outs 3) Four days earlier, the Dodgers blew a game when the Braves scored 8 runs in the 9th inning 4) The next day, the Dodgers had an 8-5 lead and lost when the Cubs scored 5 runs in the 8th. Are you getting the idea that no lead is safe? I believe this "book" exists only in your head.

***THE HOMERS CONTINUE TO FLY***
The Yanks hit 5 more yesterday to lengthen their Major League lead in Home Runs. The big news was the grand slam by A-Rod, his 22nd career bases-loaded blast. The record is 23 held by Lou Gehrig. Gehrig has held this record for an unbelievable 73 years so far. As far as the most famous records go, this is currently the longest held streak in baseball, longer than the following:
Babe Ruth's 60 homers (lasted 34 years)
Gehrig's 2132 consecutive game streak (lasted 56 years)
DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak (7o years and holding)
A-Rod hasn't broken it yet, but it does seem inevitable.

CP-