And that playoff entry is just as good as a division title. That's not right, for a couple of reasons. Growing up in Seattle, I used to hate Oakland, hated them so much I wanted to go to see Oakland when they came to town, knew their players almost as well as my team's. Some fans are lost, looking at overall standings, looking at the five teams less than four games back from a wild-card berth, and tracking which divisional champ has the weakest record. It's a kind of hazy, confused interest, and there's no way it draws fans to the ballpark until maybe the last week of the season, and there's little evidence for even that.
Rivalries are good for baseball's history, and they're good for baseball's bottom line.
Just like I did in my youth, fans turn out to see their teams avenge past slights, cheap losses and legendary playoff snubs. For months, when I wore my Giant cap in Seattle, neutral territory to both sides, Dodger fans would taunt me with wide, smug faces. It didn't matter to them that their season had been much worse, only that they'd spoiled a division rival's playoff hopes. That's great baseball. And no one would remember it if the Giants had still gotten into the playoffs.