Do the Right Thing: A Plea to Bud Selig

My dearest friend and most honorable mentor, Budwell Thurston Selig the 4th,

First off, I want to compliment you on the wonderful professional sports league you run. It has taken a visionary man of vision, such as yourself, to lead Major League Baseball into the 21st century. You have done so many things well, including the way in which you ushered baseball into and out of the steroid era.

In fact, it was seeing the way that you handled the recent high-profile suspensions that led me to write this plea to you. In suspending various players for entire seasons or more, I realized that you have the power to act in the best interest of the game. What you are deciding doesn't necessarily have to exactly be spelled out or written down. You have the power to act boldly and decisively.

So, it is with that in mind that I am pleading with you to do the right thing and expand the American League playoffs for this year only to nine teams.

That's right. Expand the American League playoffs this year only to nine teams. Why nine, you ask? Because it looks like the Kansas City Royals will finish this season in 9th place in the American League. As you know from our friendship, I am a fan of the Kansas City Royals. The same Kansas City Royals that have the longest streak of missing the playoffs of any team in major professional sports.

You could easily do this. Other sports allow eight teams per league in the playoffs, so you could be a true trend-setter in opening it up to nine. Sure, you might get criticism from some people, but think about the best interests of the game. In one bold move you would give hope to a city that is losing hope. You could re-awaken the imagination to all that is good and right about your noble game.

Now, don't worry about whether Royals fans might lose a little dignity or self respect over changing the rules just so the Royals make the playoffs. Remember, we are Royals fans. We have no dignity or self respect. Even currently being in 9th place has given hope to the fan base and caused many to view this as the best Royals season in a couple of decades. Please Bud, reward that kind of optimism with a playoff appearance.

Think about it. The Royals are currently in 9th place. That means there are six other teams in the American League that the Royals are better than. That is amazing. That is real improvement. Six teams that we can presume are trying, yet they still aren't as good as the Royals. Please reward us for that progress.

Now, I know there is always the possibility that the Royals slip into 10th or 11th place or even worse. That's OK. Just keep increasing the teams as needed. Do whatever it take to get the Royals into the playoffs. Somebody needs to, and if not you, then who?

So, Bud, do the right thing. Reward the most loyal and patient fans in all of major league baseball for the Royals wildly successful season.

With warmest regards and humble sincerity,

ImNot ThatBright