Races, races everywhere

Maybe this is just what Major League Baseball needs -- a September full of down-to-the-wire pennant races -- to draw a smidgen of attention away from football.

I know it's a long shot, but, hey, every little bit helps.

Boston's once-insurmountable lead is down to 2 1/2 games. The New York Mets are folding faster than a house of cards in a dust storm and the NL Central and NL West races have been back and forth all year long.

Once upon a time, September was the greatest month on the baseball calender. That was prior to the NFL becoming America's most popular pro sports league. Now, baseball must take what it can get.

And if it means meltdowns in two of the country's biggest media markets, then bring it on.