We are now experiencing the annual phenomenon know as the Major League Baseball Playoffs. This is a month-long series of games used to determine the respective “league” champions, who then play in the World Series.

Of course, the World Series was never that, just a series of games between the National League champions and the American League champions, to determine bragging rights in American professional baseball. This dates back to when the two leagues were separate entities at the turn of the Twentieth Century.

As time went by, and the greed of the owners, players, advertisers and TV networks grew, a playoff system grew from a League Championship Series between two separate Division Winners in the respective leagues. Then Major League Baseball created Three Divisions and a “wild card” team, i. e. the second place team with the best record. Then there were declared two wild card teams who played a one game “play-in” game to determine the Division Series Champs who then played the League Championship.

By now, if you’re aren’t saying “Whatever”, you’re either a die hard “fan” or a compulsive gambler or both.

So those innocent days when The World Series games were played in the afternoon and the country, more or less, took a breather to follow the game or at least the inning by inning score, are long gone.

Now, it’s a big Nothing Burger. Hardly anybody watches. And why should they?