New playoff format ``good for the game'', Sveum says

The second wild card is a good thing for baseball that is adding another level of interest, Cubs manager Dale Sveum believes.

“The more teams capable of fighting for the playoffs, it’s good for the game,” he said. “Anyone can think at the beginning of September `if we can roll off 12 in a row we have a chance to fight in that last week for a spot.’ It’s good for the teams, for fans, for television. It benefits everyone and it’s good for the game.

“We’re going to be able to do that as well,” he said of the Cubs in the future, adding the wild card teams have proven to be sound playoff challengers.

“The Cardinals weren’t the best team the last six weeks [of the regular season] but they were the last weeks of the season and won the World Series. You never know. You have to get to the dance before you can start dancing.”

Sveum said the one-game playoff between the two wild card teams may not be the best format–“in a perfect world you’d want maybe 2 out of 3, but it’s not going to happen [because it would add more days to the playoffs]. But it’s like a playoff game would be [in tiebreaker situations.] And we’re all going to watch that one game.”

Sveum said scoreboard watching is part of September for everyone in baseball. “You follow everyone now–people you have a relationship with and teams you’ve had relationships with–but you watch to see what everyone is doing or not doing. That’s part of the game now.”