NEWS BLOG (WSAU) It seems almost un-American not to like a baseball pennant race – so I should be excited about the Brewers during the final two weeks of the season.

Actually, I’m excited for our ratings. The Brewers playoff run last year was a tremendous boost for WSAU. I’m sure the same thing will happen this year. I’m happy for our audience and our sponsors. The rest of this seems a little manufactured

But, alas, this isn’t a pennant drive. This is a battle for a wildcard slot in an expanded playoff format – with an impressive run from a team that’s been under .500 for most of the season. Are the Brewers a playoff team? Well, no, not based on any other standard from past seasons. This is more about the damming down of the post-season than it is about the Brewers salvaging a difficult season. Baseball players and teams are supposed to be measured over the long haul. The Brewers have been good for the last few weeks.

The fans in Pittsburgh certainly aren’t fooled. Only 16,000 showed up for last night’s game. And the now-fading Pirates have the same won-loss record as our team.

And we know what comes next. A one-game playoff between the two wildcard teams won’t be satisfying. Soon we’ll expand to a best-of-three… and we’ll push the final games of the World Series further into November. It’s as if Major League Baseball won’t be satisfied until games are being played in the snow.

So, let’s go Brewers! Even though we’re being asked to forget about a lot of bad baseball in May, June, and July to get excited for September.

Chris Conley
9/19/12