**MLB's Scheduling Chaos: Lessons to be Learned from Dubious Doubleheader Decisions**

It’s a regrettable scenario for Major League Baseball as the regular season concludes with a doubleheader that will decide the final two playoff berths. The twist? The winner of the first game will have no incentive to win the second.

The unusual circumstances have left a sour taste for baseball fans, especially considering the devastation many in the Southeast are experiencing from a recent hurricane. While it's true that there are more significant issues in the world, this situation doesn’t reflect well on the league.

Commissioner Rob Manfred’s usual deference to team owners might be one reason for his lengthy tenure, but in this case, a firmer hand was needed. The league faced two primary solutions: moving the Mets-Braves series to a neutral location or rescheduling it to include a single game on Monday and a doubleheader on Tuesday. However, the league, Mets, and Braves chose not to act proactively, even with a forecast of rain and Hurricane Helene on the way.

By deciding to have all final games on Sunday at the same time, the league intended to create suspense and excitement. Instead, they’ve orchestrated a scenario that could render the second game of Monday’s doubleheader pointless, a spectacle fans should not desire. The possible fiasco where one team has no reason to compete is a self-inflicted wound that could have been avoided with better planning.

Two of Sunday’s matchups highlighted this issue. The Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres faced the Arizona Diamondbacks and Mets, respectively, with little incentive to win. By losing, they potentially contributed to the chaos that could affect their future opponents in the playoffs.

The Diamondbacks need a sweep by either the Mets or Braves to claim one of the two remaining wild-card spots. However, a split will leave all three teams with 89-73 records, and the Diamondbacks lose every tiebreaker. Both the Mets and Braves find themselves in this predicament partly due to their own scheduling choices and game losses.

Rainouts from earlier in the season, like on April 10, should be rescheduled promptly rather than pushed to the last Thursday of the season. This situation was a contributing factor in the current mess, as the Mets requested and the Braves agreed to the delayed scheduling.

With the state of Georgia declaring a state of emergency only on Tuesday and the forecast proving unreliable, the league found itself in a bind. However, gambling on favorable weather in the final days of the season was not a wise strategy.

Manfred’s hesitation to intervene with the clubs led to a compromised 162-game season. This hands-off approach, although predictable, has once again revealed flaws in the league’s planning. The Dubious Doubleheader is now set to unfold, leaving the Mets and Braves potentially playing eight games in seven days, with the wild-card round starting Tuesday.

The scheduled chaos of the upcoming games is a clear sign that this type of situation needs better management. It’s an outcome that the league must learn from to preserve the integrity and excitement of the sport in future seasons.