Major League Baseball officially announced today that the 2012 playoffs would expand by two teams. Five teams from each league will make the postseason, with the wildcards of each league facing off in a one-game playin playoff.
The bigger news might be that the divisional round of the playoffs has a new format: The higher seed opens on the road for two games before returning home for the final three. The prior format was 2-2-1. (SB Nation's Amy K Nelson broke the news this morning if you're keeping track at home.) Don't bother getting used to it. This format is said to be for one-year only, and occurs only to make scheduling easier this season.
Baseball Nation's Al Yellen insists this won't ruin baseball, and he's right. Baseball will be just fine either way. But I don't have to like it.
I've already written at length about it and have spoken on the podcast. I like baseball's playoffs to be exclusive. The other major sports hand out playoff spots like candy at Halloween. Four teams was perfect. No, I don't mean four teams per league, I mean four teams.
Now get off my lawn, I'm trying to sleep.