ESPN's Scott Van Pelt recently said that "without the wild card, there'd be zero drama at all" in Major League Baseball.Although Van Pelt's statement may not be entirely accurate, the addition of the wild card in 1995 by Major League Baseball is the sole reason baseball fans in cities like Chicago and San Francisco are not just looking forward to the opening day kick-off for the Bears and 49ers.

Thanks to the wild card, more than a handful of teams this season still have hopes of playing baseball in October rather than spending endless hours on the golf courses. Not only do the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants have aspirations of making the playoffs, but so do the San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers, Anaheim Angels and (gulp) Boston Red Sox. There is really only one true division race in baseball right now, and that is in the American League West where the Oakland A's hold a miniscule lead over the Anaheim Angels.

I'm not buying into the prospect of Terry Francona's cowboys giving the Yankees a real scare for the division, considering what has happened each of the past six years. As much as people want to hype up those September games against the Evil Empire, chances are they will be nothing more than games where the Red Sox need to win to make the playoffs.

As mighty as the Sons of Steinbrenner may seem, it is conceivable that in a five or seven-game series they could falter. First, take a look at the starting rotation. Pitchers Kevin Brown and Mike Mussina have been having inconsistent, mediocre seasons and though they are proven veterans, who is to say that they will be healthy come October? Javier Vazquez has as much post season experience as anyone at our school, and it is tough to imagine Joe Torre sending John Leiber or Esteban Loaiza out to start a playoff game. It's tough to pick apart their lineup, so I won't try. The point is that the Angels could knock off the Yankees, just like in 2002. Even the Red Sox have a chance since the past three World Series winners, the Marlins, Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks, earned their rings via the wild card.

I also do not see the Giants or Padres having sufficient pitching, or anything else for that matter, to challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers for their respected division. The wild card may actually prove to be a good fit for them. Right now, the Minnesota Twins, Yankees, Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves are virtual locks for making the playoffs. There are three spots open for other teams to fight for, while in the old system there would be one spot open with teams like the Dodgers left out of the postseason party. It's tough winning 95 plus games and being told to wait until next year for a ticket to October.

The wild card is a must for baseball and it has helped saved fan interest following the disastrous strike-shortened season of 1994.

The fact remains, however, that many strong teams run away with the division early on. Since the new format in 1995, only one team with a five-game lead at the All-Star break has not held on to their division lead. Some argue that it means more to make the playoffs if your team is only one of four to do so. If you saw how the Red Sox and Cubs celebrated last year for simply winning the wild card, it would be hard to argue that it is not more meaningful to finally make the playoffs some way, some how rather than just winning the division for the millionth straight time (aka the Braves).

Final thought: Cubs vs Red Sox, Nomar vs Beantown in the World Series. Any objections?