With the baseball regular season nearing completion, the division races nearly done, teams are sprinting toward the finish line and trying to earn a wild card spot. With the newly expanded wild card, two teams from the National League and two teams from the American League will be given wild card places and be involved in a one-game playoff to determine who advances into October baseball.

Bryan and Ryan will discuss whether the newly expanded wild card spots add excitement to this time of year in baseball.

Bryan:

As a Philadelphia Phillies fan, this year has been a bust, and it is a relief that October is inching closer and closer.

The end of the season will mark the end of one of the toughest seasons in recent memory, but I do realize that for a lot of others this time of year is very exciting.

If the Phillies were one of the two teams fighting for the two wild card spots, my opinion would be different, but this addition of another team leaves me feeling indifferent at this time.

Even though the extra spot in the wild card does not mean anything to me this year because my favorite team is not involved, the idea of the extra spot is an exciting addition.

The top two teams from each division in the wild card will be playing in a one-game playoff to decide which team gets the playoff spot.

I am sure the fans of the teams involved in this game will be fully enthralled in the action, but in my opinion, with a 162-game season, these types of things should already be decided.

Ryan:

I think the idea of two wild card sports is an excellent idea. The one-game playoff is going to be a great game regardless of who the teams are.

One-game playoff games are the type of games that are filled with excitement and keep fans on the edge of their seats. You can’t afford to lose one game like you can if you play a five or seven game series, it is one and done, no second chances.

October is the best time of the year for baseball fans the clutch players rise to the occasion and get the job done. October is what every team works for in the beginning of the year.

If you make it to October that is the first step in getting to the World Series and capturing a ring. There is no better feeling than watching your team in the playoffs unfortunately my favorite team will not make the playoffs this year because I am a Phillies fan.

Regardless, playoff baseball is exciting to watch, even if your favorite team is unable to partake. With the extra wild card spot it just adds extra excitement.

I am all for the extra wild card spot, for the fans it adds a little extra excitement for a rather dull sport. For the players it gives them one last chance to make it to the playoffs.

This is something all players know. When it comes down to crunch time, they need to perform.
They need to know that it is their time to step up to the plate and do the job they were hired to do.