Labor Day +1 standings report

I wanted to do this last night, but, number one I was dog-tired for reasons I’ll explain in a future post, and number two, the Mud Hens lost yesterday and set up a one-game playoff, winner take all, with Indianapolis for the IL West title.

Now, on Sunday night I was watching the Tigers play the Angels (who beat us, much to my chagrin) and the Tigers inserted a pinch-runner in the ninth just called up from Toledo by the name of Kevin Hooper. Seeing that, I assumed the Mud Hens were knocked out of the playoff picture but au contraire. Instead, they simply needed to beat the last-place Columbus Clippers at home on Monday to secure a playoff berth. Failing that, Indianapolis had to lose to Louisville. Neither happened.

So tonight in the friendly confines of Fifth Third Field there was a one game playoff for the IL West title, and a rematch of last season’s IL championship series. The great news is that Toledo won 4-0 and secured a second straight IL West title – their first back-to-back division titles (the IL has had a division format since the late 1980’s.) They finish with a 77-66 record and progress to meet South Division winner Charlotte in the IL playoffs. This season they will have to play 3 of 5 series games in Charlotte but get home field advantage should they get by the Knights. Now it’s time to defend that IL title we waited 38 years to secure!

Meanwhile the Tigers are hanging on to first place in the AL Central with an 85-54 record. Minnesota is now lurking 4 games back and Chicago has faded slightly to being 5 1/2 back. A HUGE series awaits the Tigers this weekend, 4 games in Minnesota.

Just for fun, I’ve jotted down the schedules of all 17 teams that are reasonably alive for the baseball postseason (7 in the AL, 10 in the NL.)

American League:

DETROIT (85-54) – 1 vs. Sea, 4 at Min, 2 vs. Tex, 3 vs. Bal, 3 at Chi, 1 at Bal (makeup game for an earlier rainout), 3 at KC, 3 vs. Tor, 3 vs. KC. (11 away, 12 home; 12 vs. teams over .500).

New York (82-55) – 1 at KC, 4 at Bal, 3 vs. TB, 4 vs. Bos, 3 at Tor, 4 at TB, 3 vs. Bal, 3 vs. Tor. (12 away, 13 home; 10 vs. teams over .500).

Minnesota (80-57) – 1 at TB, 4 vs. Det, 3 vs. Oak, 4 at Cle, 3 at Bos, 3 at Bal, 4 vs. KC, 3 vs. Chi. (11 away, 14 home; 13 vs. teams over .500).

Oakland (79-58) – 2 vs. Tex (counting game in progress), 3 at TB, 3 at Min, 3 vs. Chi, 4 vs. Cle, 3 vs. LA, 3 at Sea, 4 at LA. (13 away, 12 home; 15 vs. teams over .500).

Chicago (79-59) – 1 at Bos, 4 vs. Cle, 3 at LA, 3 at Oak, 3 vs. Det, 4 vs. Sea, 3 at Cle, 3 at Min. (13 away, 11 home; 13 vs. teams over .500).

Boston (75-64) – 1 vs. Chi, 3 vs. KC, 3 at Bal, 4 at NY, 3 vs. Min, 4 at Tor, 2 vs. TB, 3 vs. Bal. (11 away, 12 home; 12 vs. teams over .500).

Los Angeles (73-65) – 2 vs. Bal (counting game in progress), 3 vs. Tor, 3 vs. Chi, 4 at Tex, 2 at KC, 3 at Oak, 3 vs. Tex, 4 vs. Oak. (9 away, 15 home; 20 vs. teams over .500).

I think it’s going to come down to the final weekend whether Detroit hangs on to its AL leadership record-wise; either way the playoffs are beginning to shape up as New York vs. either Minnesota or Chicago and Detroit vs. Oakland. The reason it doesn’t matter is that the team with the best record plays the wild card UNLESS they’re in the same division. Barring an utter collapse by 2 of the 3 AL Central contenders, the wild card will come out of the Central; I believe that would be the first time it’s happened in the 12 seasons this playoff format’s been in existence. Thus, that places the Yankees against the wild card whether they finish first or second in the league – it only becomes important in a Tigers-Yankees championship series.

Meanwhile the National League is an absolute scrum – really there’s 10 teams with some shot at the playoffs. In order of standings (for the moment anyway):

New York (84-52) – 2 vs. Atl (doubleheader tomorrow), 4 vs. LA, 3 at Fla, 3 at Pit, 4 vs. Fla, 4 vs. Was, 3 at Atl, 3 at Was. (12 away, 14 home; 11 vs. teams .500 or above).

St. Louis (74-63) – 1 at Was, 4 at Arz, 3 vs. Hou, 3 vs. SF, 3 at Mil, 4 at Hou, 3 vs. SD, 4 vs. Mil. (12 away, 13 home; 3 vs. teams over .500).

Los Angeles (73-65) – 1 at Mil, 4 at NY, 3 at Chi, 4 vs. SD, 3 vs. Pit, 3 vs. Arz, 3 at Col, 3 at SF. (14 away, 10 home; 8 vs. teams over .500).

San Diego (71-66) – 2 vs. Col (counting game in progress), 3 at SF, 3 at Cin, 4 at LA, 3 vs. Arz, 3 vs. Pit, 3 at StL, 4 at Arz. (17 away, 8 home; 7 vs. teams over .500).

Philadelphia (70-68) – 1 vs. Hou, 4 at Fla, 3 at Atl, 3 at Hou, 3 vs. Chi, 3 vs. Fla, 1 vs. Hou (makeup game), 3 at Was, 3 at Fla. (16 away, 8 home; 10 vs. teams .500 or above). Florida is the only break-even team they play.

Florida (69-69) – 1 vs. Arz, 4 vs. Pha, 3 vs. NY, 3 at Atl, 4 at NY, 3 at Pha, 3 vs. Cin, 3 vs. Pha. (10 away, 14 home; 17 vs. teams over .500).

Cincinnati (69-70) – 1 vs. SF, 3 vs. Pit, 3 vs. SD, 3 at Chi, 3 at Hou, 4 vs. Chi, 3 at Fla, 3 at Pit. (12 away, 11 home; 6 vs. teams .500 or above).

San Francisco (69-70) – 1 at Cin, 3 vs. SD, 3 vs. Col, 3 at StL, 3 at Col, 4 at Mil, 3 vs. Arz, 3 vs. LA. (11 away, 12 home; 9 vs. teams over .500).

Houston (67-71) – 1 at Pha, 3 at Mil, 3 at StL, 3 vs. Pha, 3 vs. Cin, 4 vs. StL, 1 at Pha (makeup game), 3 at Pit, 3 at Atl. (14 away, 10 home; 12 vs. teams over .500).

Atlanta (66-71) – 2 at NY (doubleheader tomorrow), 4 vs. Chi, 3 vs. Pha, 3 vs. Fla, 3 at Was, 4 at Col, 3 vs. NY, 3 vs. Hou. (9 away, 16 home; 11 vs. teams .500 and above.)

As you can see, even Atlanta has a shot if they somehow get on a 12-1 tear and beat up on some of the teams they’re chasing. Almost every NL team is going to make an impact on the race as either contender or spoiler.

My guess is that the order of finish amongst the three NL division titlists will be New York, St. Louis, and Los Angeles. San Diego will likely fade at the end and miss the wild card, right now I’d have to say Philadelphia is the favorite. If an NL East team gets the wild card it will be bad news for whoever has the worse record between the other two division winners, since they’ll get the Mets. Let’s say Philadelphia does make the playoffs, it would be (under my scenario) St. Louis vs. Philadelphia and Los Angeles drawing the Mets. But if a team like San Francisco, San Diego, Cincinnati, or Houston gets the wild card then they get the Mets first.

Obviously this was the intent when the powers-that-be in Major League Baseball thought up the three division + wild card system. There’s even the possibilty (probably slim though) that the NL wild card could finish with only 80 wins. No team with a losing record has ever made the playoffs in baseball, the closest was last year’s 82-80 San Diego club.

On Thursday I’ll wrap up Delmarva’s season as I announce my pick as Shorebird of the Year.

Oh, and by the way, I do have some choice words for Ron Alessi, but I wanted to get this post out of the way first. Don’t worry, I didn’t miss his comments this morning.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.