Baseball to add wild card by '13, report states

By Josh Land

Nationals

September 24, 2011, 3:20pm

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Baseball purists, look away. A report announced today a plan to add an additional wild card spot in each league, as well as a one-game playoff to determine which team will move on to their respective Divisional Series. The new playoff scenario, reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, is a "done deal" according to Sherman's source, and will likely be put into effect either in 2012 or, at the latest, 2013. However, another of Sherman's sources said the proposed change will not go into effect until Major League Baseball ratifies a new collective bargaining agreement. The report says both the players and owners hope to announce a new CBA during the World Series, although the two sides have not agreed on a slotting system for the draft. In both the American League and National League, the wild card races will likely come down to the final series, as struggling Boston clings to a slight lead over Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, while Atlanta is also fighting to hold onto its lead over St. Louis and San Francisco. For Sherman's story, you may click here.