Anyone paying attention to the AL race?

[MJD]

Could be two one game play-offs. I assume that has never happened?

[geezer]

Don't know! Intriguing!

Lifelong Yankees fan now living in Boston environs -- life constantly in danger -- my mother doesn't remember much, but she does remember seeing Babe Ruth hit a home run at Yankee Stadium (she grew up in The Bronx.)

[bad hammy]

As a Bay Area guy, I love this symmetry:

Both the Giants (who suck this year) and A’s enter tonight’s game four games out of first in their respective divisions.

Both have seven games left.

Both play the first four games against the teams they are four games behind (Padres – who also suck, but not quite as much as the Giants - and Angels, respectively), so in theory both have a chance.

Both are behind as I write 2-0 in the bottom of the third.

(Note: even though I was born and live in Oakland, I am really a Giants fan, not an A’s fan. The Giants moved here the year I was born and I grew up with them. The A’s got here 10 years later and I have never warmed up to them.)

[Daisy]

>As a Bay Area guy, I love this symmetry:

I loved going to watch the A's when I was in the Bay Area. Especially the dollar wednesdays. One dollar dogs and one dollar ticket!

I went to a few of their play off games and especially remember the giambi slide NOT into home. Although, to be fair, it has to be said it was more Jeters amazing play than the lack of slide. Still can't believe how those recent teams have collapsed every time in the first round.

[Vern]

I think I'll have to fly to Boston this week instead of waiting for the ACLS - if there's the slightest chance of seeing the Yankees fail to reach the postseason, I need to be there... Saw the ALCS game 5 last year, and promptly started smoking again after a three year break. GO SOX!

[SQUACKEE]

i grew up going to candlestick to see mays and mccovey. now we have the best ballpark in baseball. go giants!!

[Trackshark]

Watch out for my Cleveland Indians

The best kept secret in the majors right now!

[Pelle3]

Sorry, no AL for me -- Braves fan.

[Vern]

>Sorry, no AL for me -- Braves fan.

Jeff Francouer has got the best arm I've seen since Vlad. Check this out: http://tinyurl.com/bczpk - click on "Francouer throws out Diaz".
How many titles in a row will this be now? 14? But only one WS. Underachieving?

[skyin' brian]

>Watch out for my Cleveland Indians

The best kept secret in the majors
>right now!

well, the secret has been out since they have been playing 750 ball for the past couple of months. im afraid that the two game lead the best team in the league maintains on them in the central will prove too much to overcome at this point.

will be interesting last 3 games of year, and possibly good league championship series with the wildcard winners cleveland vs the dominant White Sox

[Pego]

<Could be two one game play-offs. I assume that has never happened?>

In the strike shortened season (I think '81) there was a Yankees-Brewers one game play-off.

[Zat0pek]

As long as the Yankees lose, I'm happy. They are the personification of the evil in baseball's current structure.

[geezer]

And yet many of us love them.

Is Derek Jeter the personification of evil? Bernie Williams? Mariano Rivera? I don't know the answer to this, but how does the percentage of "home grown" (drafted by and came up through the big-league team's farm system) STARTERS on the Yankees compare to other teams? The rap on the Yankees is that they just buy their excellence, but I've just listed three key players -- future Cooperstown honorees -- whose entire careers have been in pinstripes.

You want to see the personification of evil? Exhibit A would be the Yankees' middle relievers!

[KevinM]

>As long as the Yankees lose, I'm happy. They are the personification of the
>evil in baseball's current structure.

Zat, being a Royals fan can even make you a fan of market regulation!

[Vern]

>And yet many of us love them.

Is Derek Jeter the personification of evil?
>Bernie Williams? Mariano Rivera? I don't know the answer to this, but how
>does the percentage of "home grown" (drafted by and came up through the
>big-league team's farm system) STARTERS on the Yankees compare to other teams?
>The rap on the Yankees is that they just buy their excellence, but I've just
>t listed three key players -- future Cooperstown honorees -- whose entire
>careers have been in pinstripes.

You want to see the personification of
>evil? Exhibit A would be the Yankees' middle relievers!

The personification of evil is undoubtedly A-Rod, aka Slappy. Overpaid, intensely annoying and a cheat (also very talented - even more reason for fear and loathing). I love hating the Yankees, but the three you mentioned are great players and seem to be good guys. Fenway on Friday - anyone know a friendly neighbourhood scalper?

[geezer]

A-Rod a cheat? You mean for the "slapping" incident against the Sox in last year's play-offs? Aw, c'mon!

[Vern]

>A-Rod a cheat? You mean for the "slapping" incident against the Sox in last
>year's play-offs? Aw, c'mon!

Yup. Deliberate interference etc. As he said himself, should've run Arroyo over. Got a ticket spare for Friday?

[geezer]

I turned down two tickets for Sunday in favor of the Patriots game, and then those tickets fell through... oh, well, it's my long-run day anyway.

[bad hammy]

>> A-Rod a cheat? You mean for the "slapping" incident against the Sox in
>> last year's play-offs? Aw, c'mon!

> Yup. Deliberate interference etc.

BFD. He got called on it. He ain't the first player to try to get one over on the other team and the umps. Move on . . .

[geezer]

Bad Hammy, right on!

[bad hammy]

> Bad Hammy, right on!

And I dislike the Yanks as much as anyone who is not from Boston. Harping on that play, though, is just pointless whining.

[Vern]

>> Bad Hammy, right on!

And I dislike the Yanks as much as anyone who is not
>from Boston. Harping on that play, though, is just pointless whining.

I'd be harping on about it a lot more if it hadn't been spotted and it had affected the result. Pointless whining it isn't. My Yankee supporting friends tell me that their immediate reaction was embarrassment, and I can understand that. And I am moving on, literally - 4500 miles for two days and one game (and no ticket) is , I hope, ample proof

[Zat0pek]

>>Zat, being a Royals fan can even
>make you a fan of market regulation!

Touche.

All they gotta do is look at the NFL.

[bad hammy]

> Both the Giants (who suck this year) and A’s enter tonight’s
> game four games out of first in their respective divisions.

And both came up way short, although the Giants lasted one day longer than the A’s. The Padres, at 79-79, have four more games to work on becoming the first team in MLB history to win a division with a losing record (currently the worst winning record is the ’73 Mets at 82-79).

[bad hammy]

> Could be two one game play-offs. I assume that has never happened?

OK, now this question makes more sense to me (I can be a bit thick at times).

With Boston and NY now tied, if Boston and New York split the last two games and Cleveland beats Chicago twice, there would be a one-game playoff Monday at Yankee Stadium for the AL East title, with the loser playing the Indians on Tuesday for the wild-card berth.

I do not recall this kind of scenario ever happening before.

[highjumpfan]

1978! Bucky ******* Dent

[dukehjsteve]

There have been several tie playoff games, the last I remember was involving the Cubs the year that Macguire and Sosa busted Maris' record.

Here's baseball trivia for you... what was the first year they ever had a playoff for AL title ? NL title ? What was different about the two ?

[MJD]

>There have been several tie playoff games, the last I remember was involving
>the Cubs the year that Macguire and Sosa busted Maris' record.

That wasn't the question.

[dukehjsteve]

>>There have been several tie playoff games, the last I remember was
>involving
>the Cubs the year that Macguire and Sosa busted Maris'
>record.

That wasn't the question.

I knew that.... to clarify, to my knowledge there has never been a 3 way playoff, but there of course have now been numerous 2 way playoffs, particularly since from 1969 on, there are more groupings that might call for them. And even more still since the expansion to 3 divisions in each league,plus the WC's. . I was just asking about the first time they ever happened, in either league.

[deltre]

>There have been several tie playoff games, the last I remember was involving
>the Cubs the year that Macguire and Sosa busted Maris' record.

Here's
>baseball trivia for you... what was the first year they ever had a playoff for
>AL title ? NL title ? What was different about the two ?

AL 1948, one game playoff Cleveland defeated Boston. NL 1951, three game playoff, NY defeated Brooklyn

[dukehjsteve]

Here's
>baseball trivia for you... what was the first year they
>ever had a playoff for
>AL title ? NL title ? What was different about the
>two ?

AL 1948, one game playoff Cleveland defeated Boston. NL 1951, three
>game playoff, NY defeated Brooklyn

deltre, go to the head of the class ! Strange that it took that many years to have a tie in either league.