Has anyone else noticed the AL Wild Card race is crazy?

[shes]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jinx

I hate meaningful baseball games in September too.

Yeah, more exciting baseball -- who would want that?

[Zakath]

Originally Posted by Chez

The Rangers' death spiral continues. With A.J., Rios and Cotts on the team, I've been rooting for Texas. Plus, neither the Cleveland nor Tampa fans have supported their teams. They don't deserve a post-season appearance.

5-16 in September now. They were 2 games up on the A's on August 31; now they're 8 1/2 back, Oakland's already clinched the division, and they're 1 1/2 games behind Cleveland for the second wild card.

They have played themselves right out of it, pulling their swoon a little earlier this year.

[amsteel]

Originally Posted by Zakath

5-16 in September now. They were 2 games up on the A's on August 31; now they're 8 1/2 back, Oakland's already clinched the division, and they're 1 1/2 games behind Cleveland for the second wild card.

They have played themselves right out of it, pulling their swoon a little earlier this year.

In their defense it is now high school football season in Texas so there are bigger things at hand.

[russ99]

I just can't get excited over the wild card race, knowing that one team will beat the other in one arbitrary game after playing 162 meaningful ones.

Still think this was a scam fueled by tv contractors to try and sneak the Yankees and Red Sox in every year.

If you're going to expand the playoffs, then expand the playoffs. Kind of sucks that you have a whole pennant race then decide the real playoff team by playing one game.

Plus there's that whole ludicrous home/away switch after the one-game wild card playoff that only the deepest/most bankrolled teams that win the wild card can maintain competitive balance.

The sooner Bud is out and we get a decent commissioner again, the better,

[Mr. Jinx]

Originally Posted by russ99

I just can't get excited over the wild card race, knowing that one team will beat the other in one arbitrary game after playing 162 meaningful ones.

Still think this was a scam fueled by tv contractors to try and sneak the Yankees and Red Sox in every year.

If you're going to expand the playoffs, then expand the playoffs. Kind of sucks that you have a whole pennant race then decide the real playoff team by playing one game.

Plus there's that whole ludicrous home/away switch after the one-game wild card playoff that only the deepest/most bankrolled teams that win the wild card can maintain competitive balance.

The sooner Bud is out and we get a decent commissioner again, the better,

And in the 2 years they've had it neither team has been (or will be) involved in the game. Such a scam.

[Zakath]

Here's what each has left this week:

Tampa Bay 86-69 1 vs. Balt, 3 @NYY, 3 @Tor
Cleveland 86-70 off, 2 vs. CWS, 4 @Min
Texas 84-71 3 vs. Hou, 4 vs. LAA
Kansas City 82-73 3 @Sea, 4 @CWS
New York 82-74 off, 3 vs. TB, 3 @Hou
Baltimore 81-74 1 @TB, 3 vs. Tor, 3 vs. Bos

Unless Texas can put a run on, and given their September I don't see it happening even though they finish with a very easy schedule, it should be Tampa and Cleveland, and I wouldn't put it past the Tribe to get that game at home.

[Zakath]

Tampa beats Baltimore, KC and Texas both win:

Tampa Bay 87-69
Cleveland 86-70
Texas 85-71
Kansas City 83-73
New York 82-74
Baltimore 81-75

Orioles' elimination number is down to 2, New York 3, KC 4.

[Zakath]

Tampa wins in New York, Cleveland and Texas win, Baltimore loses at home, KC loses.

Orioles are now eliminated. Yankees' elimination number is down to 1, Royals down to 2.

Tampa Bay 88-69
Cleveland 87-70
Texas 86-71
Kansas City 83-74
New York 82-75
Baltimore 81-76 <--- eliminated

[vinny]

And then there was one. Yankees and Royals eliminated, only Texas left.

[Zakath]

Tampa beats New York again, Cleveland and Texas win, KC loses. Yankees and Royals are eliminated.

Tampa Bay 89-69
Cleveland 88-70
Texas 87-71
Kansas City 83-75 <---eliminated
New York 82-76 <----eliminated

Rangers' elimination number is 4.

[Hitmen77]

Originally Posted by vinny

And then there was one. Yankees and Royals eliminated, only Texas left.

Woohoo - Yankees eliminated. See! Proof that the Yankees aren't buying championships! They miss the playoffs for only the 2nd time ever since the start of the 3-division/wild card era.

Originally Posted by Zakath

Tampa beats New York again, Cleveland and Texas win, KC loses. Yankees and Royals are eliminated.

Tampa Bay 89-69
Cleveland 88-70
Texas 87-71
Kansas City 83-75 <---eliminated
New York 82-76 <----eliminated

Rangers' elimination number is 4.

I really hate Cleveland and their fans - more so than any other division rival. If they make the playoffs, it's too bad that the White Sox pretty much have handed them this playoff berth on a silver platter.

[SoxSpeed22]

Cleveland fans have every right to be bitter *******s since they never win at anything.
Final matchups for the three teams:
Rays have one more in New York, then finish the season in Toronto
Indians have 4 against the Twins at Target field
Rangers host the Angels for 4
I would not be surprised to see the wild card game at Progressive field, considering who the Twins are putting on the mound for these last 4.

[Zakath]

All three contenders win, so Rangers' elimination number is down to 3.

Tampa Bay 90-69
Cleveland 89-70
Texas 88-71

As far as tiebreakers go, Tampa wins the tiebreaker with Cleveland (4-2) but loses the one to Texas (3-4). Tribe win the tiebreaker with the Rangers (5-1).

If anyone can actually figure out to how that relates to who plays who in potential playoff games, you're better than I am:

MLB Playoff Tiebreakers

[Zakath]

Tampa loses, finally, while Cleveland and Texas win.

Tampa Bay 90-70
Cleveland 90-70
Texas 89-71

Rangers' elimination number is down to 2.

[TDog]

Originally Posted by Chez

The Rangers' death spiral continues. With A.J., Rios and Cotts on the team, I've been rooting for Texas. Plus, neither the Cleveland nor Tampa fans have supported their teams. They don't deserve a post-season appearance.

I could never root for any team from Texas, and I couldn't root for Alex Rios playing for a team other than the White Sox when he seemed to care so little about playing for the White Sox.

Of course, what makes the wild card so wild anymore is that you don't so much make the postseason, but you earn an opportunity to make the postseason in a play-in game. It's really no different from the White Sox having to beat the Twins in a one-game playoff to make the postseason.

But if you're looking for former White Sox World Series stars this postseason, consider that Juan Uribe could win his third ring this year with his third team.