Let this year's Major League Baseball season be proof that games can be tacked on at the end of the regular season.

The Chicago White Sox hosted the Detroit Tigers on Monday, one day after the close of the regular season, because the Sox trailed the Minnesota Twins by one-half game. The game had to be made up to determine who would win the American League Central Division.

The 8-2 win by the White Sox Monday knotted the teams with identical 88-74 records, so a one-game playoff with the Twins to determine the winner for the divisional playoffs will be played today at Chicago.

As it turned out, most post-season baseball playoffs — three of the four first-round matchups — are played on the first Tuesday following the regular season, which concludes on a Sunday. One series will usually begin on a Wednesday.

So, there is no reason that baseball has to have everything wrapped up in one neat package on Sunday.

There will always be the chance that a one-game playoff could happen, or in the unique circumstances of this season, two post-regular season games by one team.

So, what happened to Major League Baseball's stance that the Houston Astros — in the face of Hurricane Ike — would be forced to postpone games on Sept. 12 and 13 against the Chicago Cubs?

Baseball would have liked to have played a doubleheader Sunday in Houston, then find a way to make up the third game of the series at season's end if it impacted the playoff picture.

One option was the Cubs offered to host the games and turn the gate receipts over to Houston, but the Astros, who had won 14 of 15 games to surge into a serious wild-card contender, didn't want to play those games in Wrigley Field.

Baseball then decided to send the Astros to play in Miller Park in Milwaukee.

I'm sure they tried to keep a straight face when they decided to send the Astros 1,179 miles north to Milwaukee, which also was in the hunt for the wild-card spot after falling behind the National League Central Cubbies.

Chicago is just 90 miles away fromMilwaukee, but the wonderful folks at MLB still made Houston the 'home" team. Gee, thanks.

If ever a team's season came to a screeching halt, it was that of the Astros. The team's players, concerned with the well-being and safety of their families, had to travel and squeeze in two games in Milwaukee.

As it turned out, the Cubs received a no-hitter from Carlos Zambrano in a 5-0 win, then turned around and limited Houston to one hit in a 6-1 victory.

Another ringing endorsement for Major League Baseball and for commissioner Bud Selig, who, by the way, used to own the Brewers before having to sell the team when he became the commissioner full time.

The Astros and Cubs could be playing those games right now if it mattered. The Astros went on to finish with an 86-75 record and 3Z\x games behind — who else? — Milwaukee for the wild-card spot.

That seemed to leave a bad taste in the Astros' mouths, but it shouldn't have come to that.

Meaningful baseball is still being played today, so Houston could have been doing the same. They deserve as much.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.