Too many MLB teams are making the playoffs
Professional sports organizations like the MLB, NBA and NFL seem focused on rewarding mediocrity. As a youngster, I recall MLB had eight teams each in only two divisions. At the end of the 154-game season, the American and the National League-leading teams played in the World Series. That was it.
The current MLB 162-game season is about halfway over. The last-place team of the five in the American League East – Boston – has a better record than the first-place team in the American League Central – Minnesota – which is under 50%. If the season ended Minnesota, they would still make the playoffs even winning under 50% and better teams would not.
In order to make the crazily, long and busy playoffs, each team should at least have a winning record of greater than some minimal percentage like 53% or some minimal number of victories such as 86 wins over 76 losses. Even five wins over 500 is not a great success but an improvement.
Let's put a better measure of success of the total season back on the stage and not reward mediocrity. There could be fewer teams making the playoffs and that would be OK.
Barry Morgan, Rancho Mirage
Canada wildfires stark reminder: a transition from fossil fuels is necessary
We are yet again reminded that our world is rapidly warming, this time by the severe heat wave in the South and the wildfires in Canada. The time to act is now to stop polluting our atmosphere with carbon dioxide from our continued burning of fossil fuels.
With the passing of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, there are incentives that make clean energy sources cheaper than burning fossil fuels. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is tasked with regulating utilities and ensuring that ratepayers have affordable, safe and clean energy.
I ask that the members of the CPUC show bold leadership and rapidly transition all California utilities from burning carbon-polluting fossil fuels to producing our electricity from clean sources of energy such as solar, wind and using energy storage. Please, for the sake of our grandchildren and all future generations, make this transition your top priority.
Ron Sadler, Palm Springs
Good on Palm Desert City Council
Kudos to the city council of Palm Desert for listening to the voters and moving forward with adding more voting districts for our city! The process required much discussion & eventual agreement. We can be proud of our city’s commitment to the democratic process.
Roberta Kay, Palm Desert
A love letter to the Coachella Valley Firebirds
Hockey in the desert? As improbable as that sounds, it happened and did the valley benefit from it – possibly beyond all expectations. My hometown, Chicago, is the birthplace of one of the original six teams in the National Hockey League, the Blackhawks, and I’m happy to say, owner of multiple Stanley Cups, most recently in 2015. As a hockey fan, the thrill of experiencing your team winning is, well, priceless.
Just when living in the valley can’t get much better, here come the American Hockey League Firebirds and their inaugural team in a new stadium in the desert. Thanks to the foresight of team owners and developers of Acrisure Arena, we got to see an incredible group of folks put together championship professional talent for us all to enjoy. All-time attendance record-breaking in the league, Rookie of the Year, second most points of 32 teams and bringing the valley together to cheer on their run to the final game for the Calder Cup.
Thank you, Coach Dan, Joey, Max, Tye, Matt, Eddie, Gustav, Brogan, Ryker, Alexander, Austin, John, Kole, Cameron, Andrew, Jesper, Ville, Shane and all the other Firebird team members. Hope you feel the love from your Valley – you did us proud.
Lynn E. Reich, La Quinta
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Too many MLB teams are making the playoffs
