In full awareness that any discussion of sports is anathema to some readers of this journal I devote my column today to the inner workings of baseball. But before you abandon me you have my word that ultimately this will come around to religious matters.

As a traditionalist I am not happy with the postseason playoff system that has been regnant in baseball for the past two decades. When I was growing up there were eight teams in the American League and eight in the National League. The champions of each league then played one another in the World Series. Simple. Elegant. The best teams in each league played against one another to determine the ultimate championship.

But that elegance has turned into a mishmash. Today there are 30 teams and each league is divided into three different divisions. Finishing in first place in any of these divisions is relatively meaningless because in order to compete in the World Series a team has to defeat its division rivals in what is called the playoffs. Which means that a team with a poor record has the same chance as a team with an excellent record to enter the Series. It simply has to win three out of five playoff games against its division rivals. While this system creates great fan interest (which was the TV-money-driven idea in the first place) it is perfectly possible for a mediocre team to win the playoffs and thus compete in the Series. Thus it is possible that the team that wins 100 of its 162 games might not even make it to the World Series and that the team that lost most of its regular season games could theoretically be crowned as the champion. The only genuine winners in this charade are the TV networks .

But one can learn from everything in life even from baseball and even from a commercially driven and ill-begotten idea like the playoffs. For what the playoff system teaches is that everyone has an equal chance to make it to the spiritual top. Even though your “season” has suffered more defeats than victories all is not lost. You will get another chance. The playoffs will give you new life. That playoff season is primarily (coincidentally?) the months of Elul and Tishrei (and in truth the rest of the year as well) when no matter your record of wins and losses you can hoist yourself up and become a winner.

We call this teshuvah. The past season does not count any more. What counts is how you behave now and what you do now and what sincere efforts you make from now on.

I have always felt that baseball whose rules have changed very little in 100 years (with the unfortunate exception of the designated hitter in the American League) has something to teach us. There is “sacrifice” there is a “home” and if you are caught ”stealing ” you are out. Most significant is this: even if you have two strikes against you you are still in command; you might still hit a home run. All is not lost if you do things right.

Although I was aware of all this not until this year did I realize the hidden and mysterious secrets of the playoff system. It is not only about TV money or greed or taking advantage of gullible fans who need something to cheer about. The playoff system has mystical echoes. It embodies an eternal truth: Even though you are down you are not out.

As King Solomon the wisest of all men says in his Mishlei 24:16: “Ki sheva yipol tzaddik vakam — Seven times might the righteous man fall but he rises up again.”

Whoever said baseball has nothing to do with religion?