TORONTO -- September is baseball's melting pot.
The dog days of summer have past and the languid warmth of August has given way to the searing heat of playoff races that turns pretenders into puddles.
Despite the conventional wisdom of baseball's pooh-bahs, September brings together teams from all levels of the game's class structure -- a structure that is well-defined along financial lines. And this year, the melting pot just might be bigger and hotter.
Not only are four of the six divisional races still being contested, but the pursuit of the wild-card spot in each league is a scramble. And some poorer teams could benefit from that scramble.
Of course, the wealthy New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are slugging it out in the American League East, with the loser likely snagging the wild card. But lower-revenue teams, such as the Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, orphaned Montreal Expos and recently hopeless Florida Marlins, are all in the postseason hunt.
The Royals, usually second-half sellers, made an important acquisition this time around, obtaining starting left-handed pitcher Brian Anderson from the Cleveland Indians.
This is what baseball's brain trust (a description that should be used with caution) visualized when it instituted the three-division system with a wild card in 1994, the season that was never completed because of the player strike.
The American League and National League Central divisions are democracies in action -- three teams in each division are tightly bunched, with none of them what you'd call huge spenders (at least not like the Yankees, Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers). And, perhaps, that is why there is such parity.
In the AL Central, the low-budget Royals, who recorded 100 losses in 2002, have refused to drop out of the race despite long-standing predictions they would.
Another budget-conscious team, the Twins, aren't finding the AL Central so easy this year. The Chicago White Sox, underachievers last year and early this season, have made some moves to put them in a position to win it.
In the AL West, the Athletics continue to defy the readily accepted notion that low-revenue teams cannot excel, while the Seattle Mariners try to pull themselves out of a late-season swoon.
The Atlanta Braves are their own division, called the NL East for convenience. But three teams that trail them badly -- the Philadelphia Phillies, Marlins and Expos -- are tightly bunched in the wild-card race.
The Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs are in a struggle for first in the NL Central and, unlike their counterparts in the AL, are also in the wild-card hunt.
In the NL West, the San Francisco Giants have things to themselves, leaving the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks trying for the wild card.
With 17 teams within 3½ games of a postseason spot entering yesterday's play -- including the division and wild-card leaders -- it sets up some meaningful September series.
This weekend in New York, for instance, the Yankees and Red Sox will meet for the final time in the 2003 regular season.
The AL Central also has some important series coming up. The Twins are in Chicago from Sept. 8 to 11, with the return series at the Metrodome, Sept. 16 to 18.
If the AL Central goes down to the final two weekends (there is a feeling in some quarters the White Sox with their powerful lineup could pull away) the Twins have an advantage. The Royals and White Sox play each other seven times, while the Twins play seven against the woeful Detroit Tigers, who already have passed 100 losses.
In the AL West, the Mariners and the Athletics meet in home-and-home series in the season's final two weekends, Sept. 19 to 21 and Sept. 26 to 28. (See, the schedule makers do get things right once in a while.)
In the NL Central, the Cubs and Cardinals began a five-game series at Wrigley Field yesterday. The Cardinals play the Astros in Houston Sept. 12 to 14 and then are home to the Astros Sept. 19 to 21.
Starting Sept. 12, the Cubs complete their regular season against the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates.
In the NL wild-card race, the Marlins, who finished a four-game series yesterday against Montreal, will again play the Expos this weekend in Puerto Rico. But before that, the Expos play twice in Philadelphia.
The Marlins, who play 20 of their final 29 games against teams with winning records, take on the Phillies in home-and-home series on Sept. 16 to 18 and Sept. 23 to 25.
The Expos have a series with the Cubs next week, and later meet the Braves in a home-and-home series. Seven of Montreal's final nine games are against the Mets and Reds.
And the Dodgers and Diamondbacks play home-and-home series Sept. 8 to 11 and Sept. 16 to 18.
As for baseball's other teams? Well, it's time to introduce new logos, or something.
Division contenders
American League East
New York Yankees: Despite concerns about the age of the starting rotation, a postseason berth seems secure. Last September, first baseman Jason Giambi batted .388 with nine homers and 20 runs batted in.
Boston Red Sox: Baseball's best hitting team, but is eighth in earned-run average. Pitcher Pedro Martinez's brilliance is required.
American League Central
Chicago White Sox: Have come on strong after a weak start. Still have five games left against the Red Sox and three against the Yankees.
Kansas City Royals: Have allowed more runs than they've scored, but continue to stay in the race. Left-hander Brian Anderson (acquired from the Cleveland Indians) helps the rotation.
Minnesota Twins: Were 50-25 within the division in 2002, but are 29-27 in 2003. Have seven games left against the Detroit Tigers, losers of 100-plus games.
American League West
Oakland Athletics: The strength is pitching, but 15-game winner Mark Mulder has been lost to a hip injury. Last September, team went 18-8.
Seattle Mariners: The starters have faltered at a bad time. Last September, went 14-12.
National League East
Atlanta Braves: Did it with pitching for years, now they lead the NL in runs scored. The runaway leaders can give closer John Smoltz all the time he needs to rest his elbow.
Philadelphia Phillies: A late-August swoon put their wild-card chances in jeopardy. First baseman Jim Thome's power could make the difference.
Florida Marlins: Since Jack McKeon took over as manager they have surged into the wild-card race. Third baseman Mike Lowell is out for the rest of the season with a broken hand.
Montreal Expos: A resilient team that's overcome injuries to key players, including outfield force Vladimir Guerrero. Will play the Chicago Cubs four times and the Marlins three in a pair of "home" series in Puerto Rico.
National League Central
Houston Astros: Are 42-29 at home, but have 16 September games on the road -- where they have a losing record. It would help if starter Roy Oswalt returns from a groin injury.
St. Louis Cardinals: Are 40-28 at home, where they play only 13 more games. Outfielder Albert Pujols could be league MVP.
Chicago Cubs: Won their season series with the Astros, 9-7. Will play only six more games against teams with winning records.
National League West
San Francisco Giants: Only Atlanta has a better record in the NL, but the Giants recently swept the Braves on two walk-off homers by Barry Bonds.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Pitching is always the key, but you have to hit a little bit, don't you? Outfielder Shawn Green is finally hitting up to expectations.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, the formidable starters, are back from injuries. The two dynamic hurlers have World Series championship experience.
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20030902/SBARAX/TPSports/Baseball
The dog days of summer have past and the languid warmth of August has given way to the searing heat of playoff races that turns pretenders into puddles.
Despite the conventional wisdom of baseball's pooh-bahs, September brings together teams from all levels of the game's class structure -- a structure that is well-defined along financial lines. And this year, the melting pot just might be bigger and hotter.
Not only are four of the six divisional races still being contested, but the pursuit of the wild-card spot in each league is a scramble. And some poorer teams could benefit from that scramble.
Of course, the wealthy New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are slugging it out in the American League East, with the loser likely snagging the wild card. But lower-revenue teams, such as the Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, orphaned Montreal Expos and recently hopeless Florida Marlins, are all in the postseason hunt.
The Royals, usually second-half sellers, made an important acquisition this time around, obtaining starting left-handed pitcher Brian Anderson from the Cleveland Indians.
This is what baseball's brain trust (a description that should be used with caution) visualized when it instituted the three-division system with a wild card in 1994, the season that was never completed because of the player strike.
The American League and National League Central divisions are democracies in action -- three teams in each division are tightly bunched, with none of them what you'd call huge spenders (at least not like the Yankees, Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers). And, perhaps, that is why there is such parity.
In the AL Central, the low-budget Royals, who recorded 100 losses in 2002, have refused to drop out of the race despite long-standing predictions they would.
Another budget-conscious team, the Twins, aren't finding the AL Central so easy this year. The Chicago White Sox, underachievers last year and early this season, have made some moves to put them in a position to win it.
In the AL West, the Athletics continue to defy the readily accepted notion that low-revenue teams cannot excel, while the Seattle Mariners try to pull themselves out of a late-season swoon.
The Atlanta Braves are their own division, called the NL East for convenience. But three teams that trail them badly -- the Philadelphia Phillies, Marlins and Expos -- are tightly bunched in the wild-card race.
The Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs are in a struggle for first in the NL Central and, unlike their counterparts in the AL, are also in the wild-card hunt.
In the NL West, the San Francisco Giants have things to themselves, leaving the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks trying for the wild card.
With 17 teams within 3½ games of a postseason spot entering yesterday's play -- including the division and wild-card leaders -- it sets up some meaningful September series.
This weekend in New York, for instance, the Yankees and Red Sox will meet for the final time in the 2003 regular season.
The AL Central also has some important series coming up. The Twins are in Chicago from Sept. 8 to 11, with the return series at the Metrodome, Sept. 16 to 18.
If the AL Central goes down to the final two weekends (there is a feeling in some quarters the White Sox with their powerful lineup could pull away) the Twins have an advantage. The Royals and White Sox play each other seven times, while the Twins play seven against the woeful Detroit Tigers, who already have passed 100 losses.
In the AL West, the Mariners and the Athletics meet in home-and-home series in the season's final two weekends, Sept. 19 to 21 and Sept. 26 to 28. (See, the schedule makers do get things right once in a while.)
In the NL Central, the Cubs and Cardinals began a five-game series at Wrigley Field yesterday. The Cardinals play the Astros in Houston Sept. 12 to 14 and then are home to the Astros Sept. 19 to 21.
Starting Sept. 12, the Cubs complete their regular season against the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates.
In the NL wild-card race, the Marlins, who finished a four-game series yesterday against Montreal, will again play the Expos this weekend in Puerto Rico. But before that, the Expos play twice in Philadelphia.
The Marlins, who play 20 of their final 29 games against teams with winning records, take on the Phillies in home-and-home series on Sept. 16 to 18 and Sept. 23 to 25.
The Expos have a series with the Cubs next week, and later meet the Braves in a home-and-home series. Seven of Montreal's final nine games are against the Mets and Reds.
And the Dodgers and Diamondbacks play home-and-home series Sept. 8 to 11 and Sept. 16 to 18.
As for baseball's other teams? Well, it's time to introduce new logos, or something.
Division contenders
American League East
New York Yankees: Despite concerns about the age of the starting rotation, a postseason berth seems secure. Last September, first baseman Jason Giambi batted .388 with nine homers and 20 runs batted in.
Boston Red Sox: Baseball's best hitting team, but is eighth in earned-run average. Pitcher Pedro Martinez's brilliance is required.
American League Central
Chicago White Sox: Have come on strong after a weak start. Still have five games left against the Red Sox and three against the Yankees.
Kansas City Royals: Have allowed more runs than they've scored, but continue to stay in the race. Left-hander Brian Anderson (acquired from the Cleveland Indians) helps the rotation.
Minnesota Twins: Were 50-25 within the division in 2002, but are 29-27 in 2003. Have seven games left against the Detroit Tigers, losers of 100-plus games.
American League West
Oakland Athletics: The strength is pitching, but 15-game winner Mark Mulder has been lost to a hip injury. Last September, team went 18-8.
Seattle Mariners: The starters have faltered at a bad time. Last September, went 14-12.
National League East
Atlanta Braves: Did it with pitching for years, now they lead the NL in runs scored. The runaway leaders can give closer John Smoltz all the time he needs to rest his elbow.
Philadelphia Phillies: A late-August swoon put their wild-card chances in jeopardy. First baseman Jim Thome's power could make the difference.
Florida Marlins: Since Jack McKeon took over as manager they have surged into the wild-card race. Third baseman Mike Lowell is out for the rest of the season with a broken hand.
Montreal Expos: A resilient team that's overcome injuries to key players, including outfield force Vladimir Guerrero. Will play the Chicago Cubs four times and the Marlins three in a pair of "home" series in Puerto Rico.
National League Central
Houston Astros: Are 42-29 at home, but have 16 September games on the road -- where they have a losing record. It would help if starter Roy Oswalt returns from a groin injury.
St. Louis Cardinals: Are 40-28 at home, where they play only 13 more games. Outfielder Albert Pujols could be league MVP.
Chicago Cubs: Won their season series with the Astros, 9-7. Will play only six more games against teams with winning records.
National League West
San Francisco Giants: Only Atlanta has a better record in the NL, but the Giants recently swept the Braves on two walk-off homers by Barry Bonds.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Pitching is always the key, but you have to hit a little bit, don't you? Outfielder Shawn Green is finally hitting up to expectations.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, the formidable starters, are back from injuries. The two dynamic hurlers have World Series championship experience.
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