Here is quick tidbit of info folks. The Big Dog loves October! Why? Because October is all about the Fall Classic! Let us take a look at the 2009 Major League Baseball playoffs.
THE CURRENT MLB PLAYOFF FORMAT
The thing that continues to impress me about the playoff system for MLB is just how good you have to be to even make the post-season. The NFL brings six teams to the playoffs, while in the NBA and NHL a whopping eight from each conference. Let us face it, too many times a team that is barely above .500 can make the playoffs in a weak conference. That simply is not the case in baseball.
1995 was the year Major League Baseball altered the alignment of the National League and American League to three divisions and added a fourth playoff spot, the Wild Card team. I have to admit, as a “purist” I initially hated the change. I loved the idea of only the two division champions from each league immediately facing one another to determine that season’s pennant winner from each league and representative in the World Series.
Well, years later I am sold, with multiple Wild Card teams winning the Fall Classic since the change of format. It really has made the post-season much more exciting, yet with only a total of eight teams between the two leagues, the playoffs are never watered down with teams that have no business playing in October.
THE 2009 PLAYOFFS
With today being Friday, October 2, there are only two things left to determine for this season’s playoffs.
- Who will win the AL Central? The Detroit Tigers currently hold a two game lead over the Minnesota Twins. The Twins have to sweep the Kansas City Royals at home this weekend to have any hope of taking the title away from the Tigers. Detroit will be at home this weekend against the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers have a magic number of two going into Friday’s play.
- The Colorado Rockies will travel to face the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium this weekend. Both teams have already clinched playoff spots with the Dodgers clinging to a two-game lead in the NL West. However, if the Rockies sweep this weekend they will do the improbable and clinch the NL West title!
Here is what we do know thus far. The National League will represented by the Dodgers and Rockies from the NL West, Central Division champion St. Louis Cardinals and defending World Series champs the Philadelphia Phillies of the NL East. The American League so far will be represented by AL West Champs the Los Angeles Angels, AL East champions the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox hold the Wild Card spot.
What a great time of the year! Eight teams competing in three rounds of playoff baseball, simply awesome. Keep track of the MLB playoffs schedule right here, remembering that your friends at RazorGator have MLB tickets for every team playing for a shot at the 2009 World Series.
Take care,
The Big Dog
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