Sunday, October 01, 2006

MLB: Last Day! (Or Is It?)

Here's the only match-up you really need to worry about today:

If the Astros win and the Cards lose today, the Cards are forced into a must-see "playoff-playoff-playoff" on Monday against the Giants.

(It must be asked how the Clemens-PED story might affect the Astros' mindset today.)

Anything else and the Cards win the division and the Astros win a couple months of dealing with the emerging Clemens/Pettitte et al scandal.

(Otherwise today, playoff pairings will be set and we can finally get to the business of making sense of the playoff picture. )

The NL West is fairly simple: The Dodgers and Padres are tied, with both clinching playoff spots. If they remain tied after today, the Padres win the division title and LA wins the Wild Card.

The AL Central is simple too: If the Twins win and the Tigers lose, the Twins amazingly win the division and the Tigers are the Wild Card; any other scenario and the Tigers win the division and the Twins win the Wild Card.

Commenters: How does the last day of the MLB season shape up to you? AL Central? NL West? NL Central?

-- D.S.

3 comments:

Christian Thoma said...

Wow, Clemens has been linked to PED. I didn't see that coming, I figured the first 50 games of the season he missed was a coincidence. *snicker*

There's one more situation that matters, Dan: Padres/Dodgers. If the Dodgers finish in the WC, I get to see them play the Mets in Game 5 (if necessary--please be necessary!).

john (east lansing, mi) said...

AL Central - Despite a disappointing month and especially a disappointing week, the Tigers couldn't drop a third straight game to KC if they tried. Hopefully Verlander's feeling really good after all this rest, though - if September has proven anything, it's that the Tigers have some mental block when it comes to putting teams/divisions away.

NL Central - It was a great tease, but I think the dream dies today. Between the backs-against-the-wall-of-history inspiration for the Cards, and the distraction for Houston, something's gotta give.

NL West - There's an NL West?? When do they play, like midnight?
Haha....

john (east lansing, mi) said...

Nevermind, the Motor City Kitties apparently have no trouble getting swept by KC in their last series of the season, at home.

Oh, well, at least I don't have to decide between failing a class and Home Game #1 on Tuesday.