In 2001, the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros went to the playoffs after 93-69 seasons. They spent parts of the next year exchanging words because the Astros, who were declared division champions through a head-to-head tiebreaker, didn’t like the Cardinals advertising themselves as co-champs.
Somehow I don’t think that will be an issue in this year’s American League Central.
With three teams for two spots, this has turned into a manly game of survival, and all the teams want to do is advance, not worry about what’s on the banners they will hang at their stadiums on Opening Day 2007.
The wild card is fine for all three, including the Detroit Tigers, who have led the Central since May 16.
“We talk about getting to the postseason,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. “I have a pretty nice ring, being the wild card, with all the diamonds on it.”
Leyland got that ring with the Florida Marlins, who have won the World Series twice but never have won their division, the National League East. His Tigers had a 10-game lead on Aug. 7 but it was down to two games over Minnesota and four over Chicago after their series-opening 17-2 rout of Baltimore on Friday.
In the short history of the three-tier playoff format, teams have been just as successful after winning the wild card as after winning the division. It’s all about grabbing one of the eight spots in the monthlong tournament.
“I don’t want to give someone the impression that we don’t want to win the division,” Leyland said. “[But] I want to get to the postseason, however that may be. If we’re the Central Division champions, that would be great. If we were the wild card, it would be very acceptable.”
While the Twins suffered a loss when Francisco Liriano aggravated his elbow injury last Wednesday, the Tigers are close to getting an upgrade in their lineup.
Second baseman Placido Polanco, out since Aug. 15 with a separated left shoulder, is expected back by the end of a trip that takes Detroit to Chicago, Baltimore (one makeup) and Kansas City and hasn’t been ruled out for the series against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
Leyland says Polanco “is champing at the bit” to play, and you know the Tigers can’t wait to get him back. They won only eight of the first 27 games he missed. Neifi Perez, acquired from the Cubs after Polanco was hurt, is batting .167 and Detroit’s fielding suffers when Leyland plays his other second baseman, Omar Infante.
The Twins had been counting heavily on having Liriano for four starts, and it’s no wonder why. With Brad Radke (torn labrum) and Liriano out, their No. 2 starter becomes either rookie Boof Bonser or strike-throwing veteran Carlos Silva, who is 10-13 with a 5.88 ERA.
Barring a heroic return from Radke, which Twins coaches suggest isn’t out of the question, they now will need their fourth and fifth starters (Scott Baker and Matt Garza, at the moment) to start five of their last 13 games, beginning with Baker’s start Sunday in Cleveland.
That does not include any games in the season-ending series against the White Sox at the Metrodome, which could decide the fate of the defending World Series champs. Bonser, Santana and Silva are slated tentatively to go against Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia and Jon Garland.
The White Sox will count on those same three against the Tigers in this week’s series at U.S. Cellular. Buehrle faces Kenny Rogers on Monday, followed by Garcia against Justin Verlander and Garland against Jeremy Bonderman.
Dodging the worst
While Liriano won’t pitch again this season, the Twins were thrilled at results of an MRI taken after he aggravated the elbow. It was similar to the results of one taken in early August, showing only a “mild” tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. The team believes he will be fine to work alongside Santana in a 2007 Central race that might be one for the ages.
Among the division’s four top teams, counting Cleveland alongside the three currently fighting for playoff spots, Minnesota center fielder Torii Hunter and Radke (seemingly headed for retirement) are the only key players eligible for free agency. It is expected there will be much fine-tuning in the Central, possibly including a new manager for the underachieving Indians, and another infusion of talent.
This will be baseball’s deepest, most-daunting division, with no assurances that whoever advances in 2006 can get back to the playoffs in ’07–a reality the Sox currently are experiencing. It shouldn’t be a surprise if the AL wild card comes from the Central the next few years.
Heard here first
In the unlikely event the AL Central somehow wound up in a three-way tie, the White Sox probably would have to win only one of two games to make the playoffs while either the Twins or Tigers could be forced to win two in a row to get in. Under MLB’s three-way tie scenario, teams would be seeded according to their combined head-to-head records. The two highest seeds would play for the division title, and the loser plays the lowest seed for the wild card.
Entering this week’s Tigers-White Sox series, the standings look like this–White Sox, 18-14 (thanks to an 11-5 edge over Detroit); the Twins, 17-18, and the Tigers, 16-19.
Outside looking in
For Braves architect John Schuerholz, the reality of the end of a 14-year run of division titles didn’t come Tuesday night, when Atlanta was eliminated in the National League East race. It was earlier the same day, when they joined the Cubs, Pirates and other NL also-rans not included among coin flips to see who might host a one-game playoff for the wild-card spot.
“It’s strange. It’s different for us. And not pleasant,” a glum Schuerholz said late that day.
Schuerholz initially said he wasn’t going to be emotional about the end of the streak, then he got emotional.
“I think this streak will look [grander] and will stand [prouder] at the end than it was appreciated when it was happening,” he said. “In the midst of it, I think there was sort of a sameness. But to people who understand baseball, this will be seen as a grand accomplishment that’s unique to our sport, after the grind of the 162-game schedule, to come out in first place at the end for 14 straight years.”
Whispers
Carlos Lee hasn’t hit as well for Texas as he did in Milwaukee, making some wonder if he will get the monster deal he envisions. His conditioning is a concern. . . . Craig Biggio, in an 0-for-28 slump, is hitting .181 in 49 games in the second half but says he will play somewhere next year. The Astros are in a familiar, uncomfortable position with a popular player, as they have been with Carlos Beltran, Jeff Bagwell and Roger Clemens. Look for owner Drayton McLane to work out a deal but Biggio, who turns 41 in December, must come out hitting in 2007 to keep his pursuit of 3,000 hits from becoming a disaster. He’s at 2,916.
The last word
“I’m sure there are some owners who are going, `If they can do it, why can’t we?'”
–Padres GM Kevin Towers on Florida contending into September on a $15 million payroll.
———-
progers@tribune.com
