After making my debut performance (a winning one I may add)
on the Pond Scum Sports Podcast, I feel the time has come for me to return to
the blogging world. Since my last captivating story, I’ve gone on a bit of a
blogging hiatus. Why? Well readers, because starting a brand new fancy job
demands a lot of your undivided attention. Have no fear; I am back and full of
unadulterated sports opinions sure to make you go HMM, W.T.F., and SHIT, THAT
GIRL CRAZY.
However, for my first article, I want to dive into the facts
and stipulations surrounding the final leg of the MLB regular season. With
around 15 games left to play for each club, this year’s race for the postseason
could prove to be the most captivating in league history. In case you are a
fair-weather baseball fan, who only tunes in for October, this year the
playoffs will feature two Wild Card teams. These two teams will face each other
in a one game elimination to determine who will move on to the division series.
With the two Wild Card spots up for grabs, more teams than
ever before have the opportunity to make a push for the playoffs. Which means,
if you’re the October-ball fan, I HIGHLY suggest catching some of the remaining
regular season games. Currently, 16 teams are in the hunt for 10 slots in the
post season. Who, what, where, when, and
how? Well citizens of Pond Scum, let’s break it down league by league,
conference by conference.
National League
Two teams have almost locked down their divisions;
the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants. The Reds lead the Central by 11
games, while the Giants have a cushion of 8.5 games over the L.A. Dodgers in
the West. Unless the 2 teams completely collapse in the next two weeks, it is
nearly guaranteed they will be playing in October. In the East, the Washington
Nationals are up 5.5 games over the Atlanta Braves. While not as hefty of a lead,
one can probably safely assume the Nats will be making their first playoff appearance
since 1981, when they were the Montreal Expos.
Meanwhile, there are currently five teams in the NL that are
still statistically capable of earning a Wild Card spot. Atlanta and the defending
World Series Champion, St. Louis Cardinals, currently hold the two places. However, three teams are still looking to knock, one or both
teams out. They include the L.A. Dodgers (1.5 GB), Milwaukee
Brewers (2.5 GB), and the Pittsburgh Pirates (3.5 GB). All three teams in the
hunt have remaining games against the Reds, which will prove to be a difficult
road as they have not captured the division title, yet. However, all the teams
have a chance to move into the second Wild Card, as the Cardinals have gone 7-8
this September. Why not the first Wild Card, as well? I believe the Braves have
a better chance at taking a crack at the NL East division title, then dropping
out of the playoff picture all together. If so, the Nationals would then own
the first Wild Card.
The situation in the East will become a little less cloudy
after this week, as WAS is slated to play the Dodgers and the Brewers at home. Not
to mention, travel to St. Louis for three games at the end of September. If the
Nats can walk out on the winning side of each of these series, this will open
the door for the Pirates to make a move. Of course, this is all depending on
the Cardinals continuing to slide in the standings.
So for the sake of being a bold bad ass, like I am, with
less than three weeks remaining in the regular season, I see the Braves and Dodgers
earning a Wild Card spot. After making numerous blockbuster moves to bring in
players such as, Shane Victorino, Hanley Ramirez, and half of the Boston Red
Sox roster, it would be very lackluster for them to just miss the post season.
However, what could hold the team back is a low batting average,
not to mention their need for lights out pitching. Chad Billingsley is on the
DL and Clayton Kershaw is not 100% with a hip injury. Even still, I feel the
Dodger’s, with the veterans they brought in can make the push for the Wild
Card.
American League
While the NL division leaders have a pretty concrete place
in the post season, the AL is a completely different story. In the East, the
Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees have been trading 1st place
with each other since August. In case you really have been in the dark when it
comes to baseball, the Yankees in July had a ten game lead in the division! I can safely say, the East will have two
representatives this October, barring a collapse of BoSox; circa 2011
proportions.
In
the Central, the Chicago White Sox hold a three game advantage over the Detroit
Tigers. In the West, the defending AL Champions, Texas Rangers, sit three games
ahead of the Oakland A’s. All four of these teams have 15 games remaining, so
there is ample time and opportunities for the standings to shake up.
At the moment, Oakland is clutching to the first Wild Card
spot for dear life. Their next ten games will be on the road against the
Tigers, Yankees, and Rangers. If they can pull winning records in the first two
series, they could have a chance to take the West lead from Texas. They have
seven games left against them. If the magic starts to wear off on the Athletics
Money Ball 2 season, the Los Angeles
Angels may make a move into the Wild Card. The Angels are three GB from the
Wild Card, but have five games left to play against the Rangers. However, six
of their remaining games are versus Seattle, which can benefit their push for
October.
The Tigers have 13 of their remaining 15 games against teams
with records under .500. Although they are three GB from the White Sox, they
are 5.5 GB from the second Wild Card spot. The White Sox have a much tougher road ahead,
with a three game series versus LAA and a four game series versus TB left to
play. Looking at both schedules, I can see the Tigers creeping into first
before the end of the season and knocking the White Sox to the Wild Card or out
of the post season. With either the Yankees or Orioles almost guaranteed an AL
Wild Card spot, the fight for the final seed will be entertaining to say the
least. Let’s not forget the Rays, while six GB, they have a knack for making a
run at the end of September. If the Rays
do not make a miraculous run (I am clinging to a thread because I predicted
them in the Wild Card during last week’s podcast) I can see Oakland claiming
the final seed. They’ve won 41 of their last 60 since the All-Star break, so
anything is possible.
Needless to say, with the implementation of two Wild Card
slots, the end of September will prove to be an exciting time for baseball. 16
teams are in must win situations for the rest of the season. Over 20 upcoming series
between the teams will have a playoff hopeful battling a playoff hopeful. There
is no easy road for any team. It’s time for some down and dirty baseball and
its fixing to be a hell of a ride. So grab a beer, grill up some hot dogs (Beer and hot dogs, get it? Don't shake your heard at me!), sit back, and enjoy because October has come early.
Forever enlightening the masses
Joan "J-Dubs" Fahrenkrug
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