The Wild Card, That's Swell

The Astros and the Card'nals and the Cubs could all still win
The top spot in the NL Central, so we must begin

Discussion of the Wild Card race that's jammed beyond compare
By recognizing that one of those teams will not be there

To joust with Philadelphia as well as Montreal
In this most crowded jumble, this confusing free-for-all...

That also finds the dodgers and the Diamondbacks equipped
To run for the post-season; nor has Montreal quite slipped

Below the line that separates the hopeful from the flop,
And there are those in Florida who hope the fun won't stop

Until the Marlins claim the top spot in the Wild Card race
Which still includes more teams than it does not. This is a place

We've never quite been in before as late as now: September
And this close, crowded run will no doubt cause some to remember

With gratitude the day when baseball's bosses, thinking hard,
Revamped the list of teams and, in their wisdom, dealt the Card

Called Wild to one team in each league with otherwise no chance
To play the smallest part in autumn's bright, post-season dance.

The point in dropping wildcards into baseball's dog-eared deck
Was to enrich the owners. So it goes, but what the heck?

Who can complain when in September eight teams still have hopes
Despite the quite brave Giants and the giant Braves? A dope's

The only one who'd say now that the Wild Card isn't swell...
At least in phoenix and l.a., there's no one who would tell

Us that it's not, and it's the same among fans of the Cubs,
The Astros and the Phillies and the Cards...that's seven clubs -

The aforementioned Marlins, and I think that that's the lot...
A race of grand proportions is precisely what we've got.

It may not be a purist's dream; a system of your choosing...
But it has put off for the teams involved the shame of losing,

And losing hope, which is the point, and how can it be bad
When fans from coast to coast can be deluded and not sad?