At Season's End...!

So the last day of the baseball season has come and gone, and here I was without any internet access! The only snippet of a game I caught was when A-Rod cranked a grand slam, his second home run of the inning, to put his RBI total at an even 100 for the year. But seeing as the day's not over yet (at least in some parts of the country), here are some belated ideas/reactions.

* Congratulations to the Dodgers for (finally) clinching the NL West against the Rockies! Whatever embarrassment they may have suffered by giving up such a commanding lead so late in the season is now forgiven, as the Dodgers have locked up their division title and earned themselves a chance to play against the Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs. I'm sorry that I wasn't in Los Angeles for the clinching game, but I was wearing my "Ramirez 99" t-shirt, so I guess that counts for something.

Now that the euphoria has passed and we can look at the consequence of the Dodgers' victory on that fateful Saturday, we can ask whether avoiding the sweep by the Rockies gave the Dodgers the optimal matchup for the division series. Sure they won the west, finished with the best record in the National League, and gained home field advantage throughout the playoffs (until the World Series, where the All-Star Game determines which league hosts the fall classic). But they have to face the Cardinals, who boast the game's best hitter in Albert Pujols, and two Cy Young candidates: ERA leader Chris Carpenter and wins leader Adam Wainwright. If the Dodgers' offense continues to struggle, I don't think their pitching staff can match the studs sent out to the mound by the Redbirds.

Incidentally, I've heard from some people known for doing very comprehensive research that there isn't a strong correlation between a team's end-of-the-season performance and its post-season performance. If you can take these findings at face value, there's really no reason to assume that the Dodgers will continue to struggle as October rolls on. Plus, while talking about "optimal matchups" is fun and all, there's really no reason to even entertain the possibility that the Dodgers would allow themselves to be swept, sacrificing their division title, for the sake of facing a different team in the first round of the playoffs. Especially not one that owns the second-highest OPS in the league. And I'm sure facing whatever combination of Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, and Pedro Martinez would be no cakewalk either.

Keeping in mind that the Phillies and the Cardinals were separated by only two wins this season, it's easy to imagine both scenarios for the Dodgers, and fantasize about how things would work out in either one.

*Kudos Twins and Tigers for both winning today and ending the season tied for first place in the AL Central! I'm certainly looking forward to the one-game playoff this Tuesday, the Twins' second 163rd game in as many years.

This is how it should be: two teams duking it out to see who wins the sport's weakest division. It would seem somehow predictable and anti-climactic if the Tigers, after playing well all year, totally nullified the Twins' late surge by holding onto today's victory and winning the division by watching the Twins lose on TV from the comfort of their clubhouse. And it would seem downright wrong for the Twins to sneak through the backdoor and win the division on the last day after last holding sole possession of first place on April 10.

No, better the outcome be decided by a direct battle, mano a mano, face to face! This way, either the Tigers prove they are actually the better team by stomping their competition, or the Twins prove that their success of late reflects real talent rather than just flukish momentum.

It always amazes me how two teams competing for the same playoff spot can finish with the exact same record over 162 games. And the fact that it happened twice in the last two years is simply mind-boggling. But I guess that's just how baseball works. And it's this kind of stuff that keeps fans coming back year after year.