Life is good when the Browns win: While We’re Waiting…
September 22, 2015Convalescing Cavs: Irving, Love, Mozgov, Varejao all expected to be ready for training camp
September 22, 2015I have a confession to make: I cannot stop checking the AL Wild Card standings. In the mornings, at first pitch, immediately after the last out; all I can do is stare at the table while doing math. Sportsclubstats.com has become a trusted friend on whom I can rely as the playoff probability for the Cleveland Indians oscillates. The word “obsession” has a lot of energy behind it, but it is sounding more and more appropriate. Can I will the Indians to the playoffs through pure focus?
When Major League Baseball added a second Wild Card, I denounced it as a poor decision that would water down baseball’s playoff structure. Now that the Indians need it, I’m lighting candles at the altar of Bud Selig – praise to his name and comically long tie. The second Wild Card extends hope to a half-dozen teams whose fans would otherwise be daydreaming about football. While most hope winds up becoming fool’s gold, plenty of cities now have reason to believe deeper into autumn.
Scoreboard watching is a subtle science that leaves the observant fan with a sense of helplessness. Granted, viewing one’s favorite team has no bearing on their performance, but it somehow feels even less impactful when another team is on screen. A fan must be ready to change his or her rooting interests at the drop of a fly ball. For the better part of two weeks I have wished slumps and bad luck on the Texas Rangers. The Rangers…bah! I spit at the sound of their name. They dare to occupy the last playoff spot, those interlopers. Last Tuesday night they overtook the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. In an Orwellian Hate Week turn, I immediately spun my attention to Houston. Down with Eurasia! Down with Eurasia! Down with Eastasia! Clearly the Rangers are a team ascendant, on a holy mission from a higher power. The Astros have always been the real opponent and need to be grounded, at least for now.
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September collapses are as much a baseball tradition as hot dogs and scorecards.
September collapses are as much a baseball tradition as hot dogs and scorecards. In 2012, the Rangers blew a five-game lead with nine games to go. In 2011, the Boston Red Sox went 7-20 in September to drop from first to third place. Even the 2005 Indians ended the season with a 1-6 slide ending with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago White Sox. The most likely candidate for collapse this season appears to be Houston. The Astros held first place in the AL West for most of the summer, but the club is 22-25 since August 1, including a 7-12 September swoon. Indians fans, as well as those of the Twins and Angels, dream of an Astros cave-in down the stretch.
As of this writing, Cleveland is four-and-a-half games behind Houston for the last Wild Card spot, but has a key advantage with games in hand. The Indians are three behind Houston in the loss column but have played three fewer games. If there are playoff implications, the Indians would host Detroit in a rain-makeup Game 162 on Monday, October 5. Were this a Hollywood script, the Indians would play out of their minds down the stretch resulting in a half-game deficit after the final scheduled regular season game. The rival Tigers would then roll in to town looking to play spoiler. Can’t you just picture it?
This standings-checking obsession likely is not healthy. When I was a child I could not abide having loose baby teeth. I would constantly agitate them with my tongue wondering if anything had changed in the past twenty minutes. The answer was predominantly “no” and I would end up with sore teeth. Realistically, I know the Indians’ playoff hopes are slimmer than a string bean, but I continue to analyze the standings and feverishly text my family with theories while seeking a road to October. Baseball fans should never take meaningful September baseball for granted because you never know when it will happen again. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some math to do.
7 Comments
I don’t know that the Tigers would be rolling in to play spoiler, they would prob just be pissed they had to make-up the game. I don’t see us losing that game if we make it that far. A win vs Det could also trigger a tiebreaker game for the last WC spot.
I am still hopeful for the wacko 7-team tie situation that Passan pointed out is possible for the AL Wild Card just for the insanity.
Short of that, I am okay with any way that gets us into the playoffs. With our pitching depth, we actually are surprisingly equipped to be able to handle needing several games to get to the ALDS.
Really, after the first 3 1/2 months of this season, I’m sorta happy that we are still able to talk Indians without discussing the inner depths of 2016 just yet.
Who are you kidding you’d have still been talking Tribe regardless. But nice try!
Gotta get some Twinkies starting tonight. I don’t wanna hear about any extra games. Tonight is your night bros!
Yeah, but we’d be discussing which players are fits for 2016, which to replace, potential FA, et cetera instead of sweeping the Twins (-fingers-crossed-).
Now don’t go and jinx tonight. I’m still leery of Minnesota. Santana has been pitching well for them so it should be interesting. Hopefully Salazar has all of his pitches working.
As for potential FAs: Gerardo Parra. Please put in a good word for me.
Haha I was looking at the standings and hoping for the same thing. What would be better than 4-5 teams playing a set of do or die games for the right to play in an official do or die game in the hopes of making it to an actual post-season series?