So your favorite baseball team isn’t in the playoffs. Maybe it didn’t come close.

Maybe it collapsed in July (Indians), ended up firing its manager (Indians) and now has a barren farm system due to abysmal scouting and drafting (Indians).

What I don’t want to hear in these situations is anybody crying the small-market blues or citing a lack of competitive balance.

As the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and Oakland A’s have reinforced, neither payroll nor market size is keeping anybody from having a legitimate shot at the postseason, especially not with the extra wild-card qualifier added in both leagues.

Generally, what keeps teams out of the playoffs is a lack of skill and hustle in the front office. Sure, some general managers have more money to work with, but it’s no accident that the Reds turned a corner when they hired Walt Jocketty or that the Orioles have benefited not only from Buck Showalter’s skill as field manager but from GM Dan Duquette’s acumen.

The successful small-market GMs focus on acquiring pitching and blending veterans with youth. Their teams’ top stars often are homegrown because, with the price of free agents, they must be.

How funny that the A’s, with a roster straight out of the witness protection program, overtook the two-time defending American League champion Texas Rangers for the AL West title on the last day and that the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who signed Albert Pujols to a 10-year, $254 million contract in the offseason, aren’t playing.

Lambast Commissioner Bud Selig for his wardrobe or for letting the All-Star Game end in a tie and then overreacting by having that exhibition game’s winner determine home-field advantage in the World Series. That’s valid.

But competitive balance isn’t. Not with one New York team, both Los Angeles teams, both Chicago teams and the Boston Red Sox watching the playoffs on TV.

The game is healthy and good by just about any standard.

And if your team stinks, you know where the blame lies.