Yes, it looks like for essentially the first time since the advent of the Wild Card, Major League Baseball has an actual pennant race on its hands.
The New York Mets have been in free fall for the past several weeks, while the Phillies are streaking towards the postseason. These two teams are tied, heading into the final game of the season.
What makes this season different from years past is that the team that does not win the NL East may not make it to the playoffs at all. As it stands now, the Mets and Phillies are tied atop the NL East with records of 88-73. However, San Diego sits atop the Wild Card race with a record of 89-72. The Mets and Phillies are tied with Colorado in 2nd place in the Wild Card race.
In recent years, any potential pennant race has been short circuited by the fact that the loser of that race invariably ended up with the Wild Card. That takes all the suspense, import, and drama out of the chase. That's one of the main drawbacks of the Wild Card system and it's nice to see that that isn't actually the case this season.
Tomorrow should be fun, so take the time to enjoy an event from seasons gone by.... a pennant race.
Egads, a pennant race! And the Phillies took it. I can't believe they're in the playoffs with that pitching staff, but congrats to them.
ReplyDeleteStill, this pennant race pales in comparison to the Last Great Race in 93 between the Giants and Braves. 103 wins and you don't get in? Giants fans are still sore over that one.
Nice post!
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