MLB : Wildcard Update

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So this is the first season that Bud Selig and Major League Baseball have implemented 2 wild card teams from each league (National and American).  The announcement was made on November 11, 2011.  Prior to this season there was only ever 1 team who could attain the coveted honour of being the wildcard for their respective league.  This is a very exciting development, and I look forward to how this postseason might unfold in light of the 2nd team added.

So this is the breakdown now:

NL East - division winner (Washington Nationals)
NL Central - division winner (Cincinnati Reds)
NL West - division winner (San Francisco Giants)

Wildcard 1 (Atlanta Braves)
Wildcard 2 (St. Louis Cardinals)
*L.A. Dodgers - 3.5 GB; Milwaukee Brewers - 3.5 GB (games back)


 AL East - division winner (New York Yankees)
AL Central - division winner (Detroit Tigers)
AL West - division winner (Texas Rangers)

Wildcard 1 (Baltimore Orioles)
Wildcard 2 (Oakland A's)
*L.A. Angels - 2 GB; Tampa Bay Rays - 3 GB


The wildcard teams of the past have enjoyed remarkable success!  Most notable are the '97 and '03 Florida Marlins, who won the World Series each of those seasons.  The Anaheim Angels (now L.A.) of 2002 and the 2004 Boston Red Sox both won the Series and both were also wildcard teams.  Most recently it was the St. Louis Cardinals who won the World Series last season.


I love it when small market teams rival the larger market ones.  This season in the AL it is those pesky Athletics who are knocking on the door.  The Baltimore Orioles are living the dream this season and hope to ride this wave as far as it can possibly travel.  The Rays never seem to go away.  They enjoy a great pitching staff and a world class manager in Joe Madden.

As for the NL, it is all about the Washington Nationals.  Can they muster up enough power to compete without Stephen Strasburg?  If you want more on this story specifically then check out post, "Why Shutting Down Strasburg is Utterly Ridiculous."

The wildcard is a wonderful aspect of baseball, and we can only dream as to what may happen this October with double the wildcard teams... double the drama?


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