Though it is baseball tradition, I am not a huge fan of the play in game. The Twins won 10 out of 18 games against the White Sox this season. In my opinion, the Twins should be in by virtue of this fact. It's a 162 game season, and it should be worth something. Otherwise the season could be 100 games, and we can have a result a lot sooner.
There seems to be a growing trend in sports that devalues the regular season. More games, more teams in the playoffs, the best regular season record counts for less, all of these things have contributed. The regular season should separate the very best from the mediocre. The very best go to the playoffs; the mediocre should stay home.
I am in favor of shortening the regular season and contracting the playoffs in all sports. That would make the regular season a hell of a lot more valuable and insure that the best teams get in. For example, the baseball season would be reduced to 150 games. The four best teams in each league would get in based on record only. That way a team with a 0.500 record who would normally win a weak division (it happens every year) would not get in so a more deserving team could get a chance. I have plans like this for all the major sports. My football plan will come out in December some time. There's liable to be something that will make me cranky enough to tell you about it.
Now we're down to this play in game. A game where anyone can get lucky. Baseball is supposed to be a marathon where a teams greatness is confirmed over a long period of time. The Twins proved it by beating the White Sox 10 times this season. It could all be wiped away with one bad hop or one questionable strike call.
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