It’s the end of September; the leaves are changing color and the temperature is dipping below the 70-degree mark. This could only mean one thing: it is that time of year for exciting post-season baseball, where legends like Reggie Jackson are immortalized and failures like Bill Buckner will forever live in infamy.
As is the case with most, the end to this baseball season is a riveting one. It’s hard to predict who will be playing in the postseason and who will be watching the playoffs from home as both the American and National Leagues have races coming down to the last days of the season.
The American League: With the New York Yankees five games up on the Boston Red Sox in the American League East, it appears as though the Yankees, with Jason Giambi and Alfonso Soriano leading the way, will capture their sixth-straight AL East crown.
There is hope, however, for the Red Sox. Led by their indifferent slugger Manny Ramirez, the Sox are currently leading the Seattle Mariners in the wild-card race by 2.5 games. With games remaining against the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Devil Rays, the Red Sox have a relatively easy schedule and are in a good position to make the playoffs. The Mariners, meanwhile, square off against the Anaheim Angels and Oakland A’s before season’s end.
Being down only four games in the AL West, the Mariners might want to focus their energy on their upcoming series with the A’s instead of the Red Sox and the wild card. After taking two out of three last weekend from Oakland, Seattle will be looking to close the gap in the West.
With their sweep of the Chicago White Sox last week, the Minnesota Twins control their own destiny in the AL Central race. Last night the Twins downed the Indians and the White Sox fell to the Yankees, giving the Twins their second division crown in as many seasons. The Twins have posted a 43-20 second-half record, good enough for the best in baseball.
The National League: The Atlanta Braves, who have enjoyed a double-digit lead throughout the year in the NL East, clinched the division over a month ago. For most of the year, the Braves held the best record in the baseball. That title, presently held by the Yankees, is something the San Francisco Giants will attempt to secure by the end of the season.
The Giants are again led by the emotionally drained Barry Bonds, who lost his father earlier in the season. The Giants, however, look ready for the playoffs.
The Braves and the Giants are the only teams to have assured themselves of a place in the postseason. Two other spots remain open.
The NL Central is currently searching for its champion. Thanks to Kerry Wood’s two-hitter last night against the Cincinnati Reds and Houston’s loss to San Francisco, the Chicago Cubs hold a one-game lead over the Astros. The St. Louis Cardinals are not mathematically eliminated yet, as they trail Chicago and Houston by three and a half games.
The Cubs received a bit of a break from the schedule makers by playing the woeful Cincinnati Reds and the overachieving Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Astros have a tough series against the Giants and then play the Milwaukee Brewers to finish the season. The Cardinals, on the other hand, must travel to the desert to face the Arizona Diamondbacks after facing the Brewers.
The loser of the NL Central is not completely out of the playoffs, however. The second-place finisher will still be in good position to contend for the wild card. The Astros and Cubs are currently two games behind the Florida Marlins in the race for the wild card.
The wild card currently has two additional teams contending for one spot. At the head of the pack are the Marlins, led by rookie pitching sensation Dontrelle Willis. Nipping at their heels, only a game back, are the Philadelphia Phillies, who have been recently resuscitated by the play of slugger Jim Thome.
As luck would have it, these two teams began a three-game series yesterday with Florida out-dueling the Phillies 5-4. Rounding out the wild-card possibilities are either the Cubs or Astros from the Central, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, guided by Cy-Young frontrunner Eric Gagne, although their chances appear slim at this time.
Commissioner Bud Selig deserves thanks for the wild card. Without it, there would only be two contested races at this time. With it, fans gain the craziness that is currently unfolding in front of our eyes.
So as the postseason draws near, think of Bob Costas’ voice presiding over another magical October and remember 162 games only determines who goes to the playoffs. Players will need at least another 12 to become legends, and teams will need that number to claim the World Series trophy as their own.
