This is how the Yankees signaled that the fix was on.

Yeah, really. Russell Martin called, he wants the Boston chapter of his fan club back.

He looked a little tight out there.

/ idea stolen from BOS/BAL game chatter

Rays win, Mets Sox holding a 8-6 lead in the ninth...

This is how the Yankees signaled that the fix was on.

No, that happened in the previous AB when Tex failed to score from 2nd on a double to the RF wall.

No, that happened in the previous AB when Tex failed to score from 2nd on a double to the RF wall.

Did anyone see that? How did he not score? Did he think it was going to be caught?

The Sox-O's game was incredibly exciting tonight.

This was awesome. Great games, both.

epic day for baseball tomorrow, especially if tge cards hang on

Too bad it wasn't an unassisted triple play. I heard that's the rarest play in baseball.

@6 - Both the Sox and Rays games were exciting tonight. unmentioned in all the wild card expansion discussion and the eulogizing of the regular season, (IMHO) the wild card has made the end of the regular season more dependably interesting and dramatic without really taking away from whatever pennant races there are. (I would guess that the "great" pennant races pre Wild Card are rarer than people think.)

This year:
*Philly and Detroit ran away with their divisions, and not because the 2nd place teams could look to the WC;
*The Yankees and Red Sox flip flopped and now there is no guaranteed WC safety net for the Sox
*The NL Central was competitive until Pittsburgh fell out and the Cardinals fell back/got injured
*San Francisco spent significant time in 1st until the D-backs came on
*The Angels, even with some poor deals, hung in for a long while

@6 For some reason Tex was practically standing on 1st base when the ball hit the wall. I guess he was thinking the ball was going to be caught and he was going to tag up.

Too bad it wasn't an unassisted triple play. I heard that's the rarest play in baseball.

Whoa, whoa, slow down Ken Jennings! Did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night or something?

I would guess that the "great" pennant races pre Wild Card are rarer than people think.

The 1993 NL East and West, 1991 NL West, 1990 AL East, 1989 NL West and AL East, 1988 AL East, 1987 NL East, AL East and AL West, 1985 NL East, AL East and AL West, 1984 AL West, 1983 NL West, 1982 NL East, NL West, AL East and AL West, 1980 NL East, NL West and AL East, 1979 NL East, NL West and AL West, 1978 NL East, NL West and AL East, 1977 AL East, 1976 AL West, 1974 NL East and AL East, 1973 NL East and NL West, 1972 AL East, 1971 NL West and 1969 NL West all say hello.

But what about the pre-division era, when the Yankees always won? Well, starting with the last pre-1977 Yankee pennant, 1964 featured famously tight races in both leagues, the 1962 NLwent to a playoff, the 1959 NL went to a playoff, the 1956 NL was a three team race, the 1955 AL was closer than you think, the 1952 ALwas close, the 1951 NL race is the stuff of legend, both leagues were close in 1950 and 1949, the 1948 ALwas a famous three team race, and the 1946 NLwas famously close.

Things were a little bit more predictable in the 1930s, if you ignore the 1938 NL (won on a famous home run as darkness fell at Wrigley), 1937 NL, 1935 AL, the 1934 NL, with the lowly Dodgers upsetting the Giants to put them out of contention at the very end of the year and the 1930 NL.

I guess opinions can differ as to what constitutes a "great" pennant race. All of the races stated above ended with a difference of three games or less between the first and second place teams. If you knocked it down to one game, you would eliminate quite a few, but quite a few forgotten races would still stick around.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- good pennant races under the old system were more common than they are now. We essentially exchanged close pennant races between first place teams for close races between fourth place teams.

If you're counting the Pirates' brief competitive spurt as evidence of what a great race we had this year, we can go back to the summer months of countless races not mentioned above and find similar examples. The 1977 Cubs come to mind -- check out how they were on July 28th(date randomly chosen).

Has another triple play ever been recorded in a more significant game? (I suppose a post-season triple play?)

[13]

I guess opinions can differ as to what constitutes a "great" pennant race. All of the races stated above ended with a difference of three games or less between the first and second place teams. If you knocked it down to one game, you would eliminate quite a few, but quite a few forgotten races would still stick around.

How was the 1993 NL East race a great race? Montreal, the eventual 2nd place team, didn't enter 2nd place until game 132, when they were 9.5 games back on August 30. Montreal was still 6.5 games back after game 157 before ending the season 3 games back. How was that a "great" race? The 1987 and 1989 NL West races were similarly not all that close. That eliminates 3 of the first 10 listed with just a cursory look. (One could come up with a systematic way to look season-by-season at how many teams were actually in contention and how late in the season.)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- good pennant races under the old system were more common than they are now. We essentially exchanged close pennant races between first place teams for close races between fourth place teams.

The phrase "fourth place teams" belies the fact that the wild card winner has often won as many or more games than at least one "first place team" in the same league (or otherwise was a better team, played in a more competitive division with an unbalanced schedule). When there are two wild cards next season, the "fourth place teams" argument will ring truer, even though the purpose is to make winning a division more valuable.

Eight four-team divisions and no wild card would be fine by me.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- good pennant races under the old system were more common than they are now. We essentially exchanged close pennant races between first place teams for close races between fourth place teams.

All of the following seasons from your list include at least one "fourth place team" or worse:

1993 NL East, 1990 AL East, 1989 AL East, 1988 AL East, 1987 AL West, 1985 AL West, 1984 AL west (6th, 7th, and 8th place teams, gross), 1982 NL West and AL West, 1980 AL East, 1979 NL West and AL West, 1978 NL East, 1976 AL West, 1974 NL East, 1973 NL East, 1972 AL East, 1971 NL West, 1969 NL West.

Why is the 1990 AL East race, in which the two teams finished with 88 and 86 wins, an example of a great race, while this year's wild card race, in which the two teams will finish with between 92 and 90 wins, a poor substitute featuring crappy 4th place teams?

Has another triple play ever been recorded in a more significant game? (I suppose a post-season triple play?)

Bill Wambsganss performed an unassisted triple play for Cleveland in the 1920 World Series.

I think for pure shift in fortunes the Rays triple play has to be one of the biggest ever. Wambsgansseses was in a 7-0 game. Obviously a big play in that it wiped out a chance for the opponent to get back into the game.

But Tampa was down 3-2, bases loaded no one out, tied for the last playoff spot on the second last day of the season. We don't kow how it will turn out yet, but in terms of impact on a season at that exact moment that has to be one of the hugest triple plays ever.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- good pennant races under the old system were more common than they are now. We essentially exchanged close pennant races between first place teams for close races between fourth place teams.

How often is the second-place team guaranteed a wild card? Less than half the instances in your list, and that is with only two divisions! Much rarer today.

Bill Wambsganss performed an unassisted triple play for Cleveland in the 1920 World Series.

"Funny thing, I played in the Big Leagues for thirteen years -- 1914 through 1926 -- and the only thing anybody seems to remember is that once I made an unassisted triple play in a World Series. Many don't even remember the team I was on, the position I played or anything. Just Wambsganss -- unassisted triple play."

--Glory of Their Times.

Photo.

Bill Wambsganss performed an unassisted triple play for Cleveland in the 1920 World Series.


"Funny thing, I played in the Big Leagues for thirteen years -- 1914 through 1926 -- and the only thing anybody seems to remember is that once I made an unassisted triple play in a World Series. Many don't even remember the team I was on, the position I played or anything. Just Wambsganss -- unassisted triple play."

--Glory of Their Times.

See? We remembered what team you were on, Whinesganss.

See? We remembered what team you were on, Whinesganss.

Actually everyone knows Cleveland has been involved in 6 of the 15 unassisted triple plays in MLB history. He was probably just playing the odds.

So, in the last 4 days, the Red Sox playoff hopes have been hurt by 3 inside the park home runs and a triple play. I expect they will lose today on a walk off catcher's interference.

A triple play with the bases loaded in a crucial game is about the coolest thing I've ever seen.

Can you imagine if the Red Sox had ALSO lost on that wild pitch that bounced back to the catcher in YS?

Has another triple play ever been recorded in a more significant game? (I suppose a post-season triple play?)

I dunno, shouldn't a significant game be between two teams who care who wins?

The Rays also grounded INTO a 5-4-3 triple play earlier this year, against the Red Sox last month.

I dunno, shouldn't a significant game be between two teams who care who wins?

That's an odd definition of "significant".

That's an odd definition of "significant".

Indeed. Far more accurate would be a game between two teams when I care who wins.

See? We remembered what team you were on, Whinesganss.

I know what I like, and I like insults directed at 117 year olds.

I wonder if he could imagine people still talking about that play 100 years later. I see that he lived till 1985, though.

Why is the 1990 AL East race, in which the two teams finished with 88 and 86 wins, an example of a great race, while this year's wild card race, in which the two teams will finish with between 92 and 90 wins, a poor substitute featuring crappy 4th place teams?

Well, I don't think that it was a "great race," but at least it involved teams competing for first place, rather than teams that had already been eliminated.

Dialing back, I'm pretty sure 1993 East should have been 1993 NL West and that there was confusion because Atlanta was involved. The 1993 NL West race is one of the best pennant races of all time and probably THE best divisional race ever. YMMV, of course.

The 1993 NL West race is one of the best pennant races of all time and probably THE best divisional race ever. YMMV, of course.

That and 78 AL East are the obvious choices. Better records in 1993 vs. playoff game and amazing comeback/collapse in 78.

Best race in the wild card era? Last year's NL West/wildcard thing? 2007 Rockies comeback? 1999 Mets-Reds battle for the WC with matching 96-66 records. 1995 Angels/Mariners?

Either of these this year may be entertaining, but great they ain't.

2007 NL East/Wildcard. The Phillies coming back to beat the Mets. The Padres not once, but twice blowing saves that would have immediately clinched the wild card. And of course the Rockies winning every game when one loss would've eliminated them.

That and 78 AL East are the obvious choices. Better records in 1993 vs. playoff game and amazing comeback/collapse in 78.

The two other contenders I'd add are the 1980 NL West and 1982 AL East.

In 1980, the Astros came into LA for the final weekend series of the season leading the Dodgers by 3 games, needing to win one game to win their first division title. They got swept three straight to force a 4th game between the two teams, which the Astros finally won.

Similar story to 1982. The Brewers led the Orioles by 4 with 9 to play. The Orioles won 5 straight over the Brewers over two weekends to pull into a tie going into the final game of the season. In a matchup of Hall-of-Fame starting pitchers, Robin Yount clinched his MVP award with two home runs to lead the Brewers to their first postseason appearance and leave Earl Weaver a loser in his last game as a manager (until he made the mistake of coming out of retirement a few years later).

Similar story to 1982. The Brewers led the Orioles by 4 with 9 to play. The Orioles won 5 straight over the Brewers over two weekends to pull into a tie going into the final game of the season. In a matchup of Hall-of-Fame starting pitchers, Robin Yount clinched his MVP award with two home runs to lead the Brewers to their first postseason appearance and leave Earl Weaver a loser in his last game as a manager (until he made the mistake of coming out of retirement a few years later).

Plus the added bonus of it being Game 163 for both teams without being a one-game playoff. I love the random tie on a team's schedule.

I do think that the Wild Card has the minor advantage of making it more likely there will be some kind of close September race. (Though this year, oddly enough, things seemed a foregone conclusion as September started, and the races came out of nowhere.) If there have to be three playoff rounds, the Wild Card helps keep things interesting in September.

Actually the more teams you put in the playoffs, the more you'll have interesting Septembers annually. Dip into the middle of any league, and the clubs are closer together, so they'll be in tighter races; and in baseball, an 83- or 85-win team can certainly win the Series, so there's excitement in hoping they get to the playoffs at all.

That said, there is nothing like a regular-season race that gets you closer to the World Series. The 1950, '51, and '64 NL races, the 1948, '49, '67 AL races were legendary because the winners got directly to the Series. Next year, we have a good chance of seeing hotly-contested races for fifth place, where the winners get into a one-game "series" for a chance at a five-game series to see who gets to play a seven-game series and go to the World Series. As I said before, if it wasn't for the less-predictable nature of the baseball postseason, this would be as pointless as wondering which 9-7 teams are fixing to be NFL wild cards. But it will be exciting in its own fashion.

[The 1993 NL West] and 78 AL East are the obvious choices. Better records in 1993 vs. playoff game and amazing comeback/collapse in 78.

The two other contenders I'd add are the 1980 NL West and 1982 AL East.

Those were great finishes, but neither of those races really picked up steam until the last few days. The 1978 ALE and the 1993 NLW were in a class by themselves for a combination of closeness and the general excellence of both teams, even if the Braves wound up getting stabbed in the neck in the LCS.

Another candidate for distant runnerup would be the 1972 ALE in the first strike shortened season. After the first of September, the Tigers and the Red Sox were never separated by more than 1.5 games, and the division was decided with a head-to-head three games series, with the Tigers winning the first two and clinching it. The final margin was 0.5 games, but since one of the provisions of the strike settlement was that no games would be made up, that weird half game margin had to stand.

EDIT: coke to Dan

I would guess that the "great" pennant races pre Wild Card are rarer than people think.

The 1993 NL East and West, 1991 NL West, 1990 AL East, 1989 NL West and AL East, 1988 AL East, 1987 NL East, AL East and AL West, 1985 NL East, AL East and AL West, 1984 AL West, 1983 NL West, 1982 NL East, NL West, AL East and AL West, 1980 NL East, NL West and AL East, 1979 NL East, NL West and AL West, 1978 NL East, NL West and AL East, 1977 AL East, 1976 AL West, 1974 NL East and AL East, 1973 NL East and NL West, 1972 AL East, 1971 NL West and 1969 NL West all say hello.

But what about the pre-division era, when the Yankees always won? Well, starting with the last pre-1977 Yankee pennant, 1964 featured famously tight races in both leagues, the 1962 NLwent to a playoff, the 1959 NL went to a playoff, the 1956 NL was a three team race, the 1955 AL was closer than you think, the 1952 ALwas close, the 1951 NL race is the stuff of legend, both leagues were close in 1950 and 1949, the 1948 ALwas a famous three team race, and the 1946 NLwas famously close.

You can also add many races which were neck and neck for the first five months, only to peter out at the end. The 1960 AL race was a very good example of this.

1960, September 14th

1960, final standings, September 30 The irony is that the third place White Sox (10 GB) had the league's best Pythagorean record.

That and 78 AL East are the obvious choices. Better records in 1993 vs. playoff game and amazing comeback/collapse in 78.

78 was a great race, no doubt. I put 93 ahead on points because there was no collapse. Both teams just kept winning. You kept expecting someone to drop off the pace but they never* did.


* Until the last game of the season and the LCS. Damn it.

So, in the last 4 days, the Red Sox playoff hopes have been hurt by 3 inside the park home runs and a triple play. I expect they will lose today on a walk off catcher's interference.

Last night the Sox recorded an out when Chris Davis swung and missed at a pitch that hit him in the shoulder, went all the way to the back wall and bounced back to Bedard, who threw to first - your basic K, 1-3 putout. The improbable events are happening on all sides now...

Last night the Sox recorded an out when Chris Davis swung and missed at a pitch that hit him in the shoulder, went all the way to the back wall and bounced back to Bedard, who threw to first - your basic K, 1-3 putout.

They also had a stolen base nullified because David Ortiz's strike-three swing came in contact with the catcher as he tried to throw.

I was curious about that Davis strike out. I would have assumed it's a dead ball if it's hits him (ie. he's out). I assume this means that when this happens on a 2-0 count the runner can advance as if it was a wild pitch strike?

I always thought that a swinging hit by pitch is treated like a foul ball (except with two strikes when it is an out).

Well, I don't think that it was a "great race," but at least it involved teams competing for first place, rather than teams that had already been eliminated.

Well, "first place" amongst a rather arbitrary selection of seven teams that did not include the two best teams in the league. But I admit, I've never really understood why "first place" fetishists long for the division-era glory days of first place teams with the third or fourth best record in the league, but scoff at those fraudulent wild card teams who make the playoffs while having only the third or fourth best record in the league.

That and 78 AL East are the obvious choices. Better records in 1993 vs. playoff game and amazing comeback/collapse in 78.

I think 1993 is enhanced by the two teams having the best pitcher and best hitter in the game - Maddux and Bonds, both in their first seasons with new teams after signing as free agents.

That and 78 AL East are the obvious choices. Better records in 1993 vs. playoff game and amazing comeback/collapse in 78.

78 was a great race, no doubt. I put 93 ahead on points because there was no collapse. Both teams just kept winning. You kept expecting someone to drop off the pace but they never* did.

OTOH the Red Sox collapse happened early on, and they finished 12 and 2 over the last 14 games of the season to force the playoff. Whereas the 1993 Giants had an opportunity to force a playoff but ended with a 12-1 loss to the Dodgers. And whereas the Yankees went on to win the World Series, the Braves folded like an accordion in the LCS to a 93 win Pythag team. That 1993 race was great, but in the full context of history and events it doesn't match the 1978 ALE.

I think 1993 is enhanced by the two teams having the best pitcher and best hitter in the game - Maddux and Bonds, both in their first seasons with new teams after signing as free agents.

And 1978 had Guidry and Rice. And fortunately, Don Zimmer. (smile)

I've never really understood why "first place" fetishists long for the division-era glory days of first place teams with the third or fourth best record in the league, but scoff at those fraudulent wild card teams who make the playoffs while having only the third or fourth best record in the league

I don't think this is a huge concern of mine, but to the extent that your point is valid, there's the counter-argument that in days of imbalanced schedules and less (or no) inter-division/inter-league play, best record was of less importance than best record among the given teams competing. I suppose you could look at 1954 and say that the Giants had no business making a postseason that the Yankees missed, but perhaps the NL was just a stronger league.

But you're right, it was a flaw of the 1969+ system that it allowed the '73 Mets or the '87 Twins into the mix to begin with. Both teams, coincidentally, had gone 4-8 in their season series against the teams they then beat in the LCS. Why should they have gotten a second life? But compounding that flaw doesn't really make things any better.

My basic point is that championships are special the rarer they are. Triple Crown races and golf majors and world-championship boxing fights (in the olden days when they're weren't five world champions) are huge deals. The NBA playoffs are not quite as compelling. Turning a best-of-seven for the World Championship into a best-of-forty-three among ten teams dilutes the experience. And it makes you care less about the now-very-preliminary regular season.

I mean, I realize all Primates care desperately about Games 162 and 163, but we're all nuts to begin with. And I know we'd care even more if the World Series began Friday and these last games were being fought by first-place teams.

My basic point is that championships are special the rarer they are.

As a Cubs fan, I have to say that if they are so rare that I die before it happens, that's just too rare for me.

if they are so rare that I die before it happens, that's just too rare for me.

I accept this definition. How about choosing the wild card as the team that's gone the longest without getting in the playoffs, but all games in the LDS are in the division winners' park?

I suppose you could look at 1954 and say that the Giants had no business making a postseason that the Yankees missed, but perhaps the NL was just a stronger league.

Yeah, and if you really want to get radical you might even say that midnight is generally darker than noon.

My basic point is that championships are special the rarer they are.

Maybe they could just play championships every four years, like the World Cup. A championship would be amazing!

I was curious about that Davis strike out. I would have assumed it's a dead ball if it's hits him (ie. he's out).

You would have assumed correctly. Rule 6.05(f):

(A batter is out when --) He attempts to hit a third strike and the ball touches him;

-- MWE

Maybe they could just play championships every four years, like the World Cup

Well, it is the world's most popular sporting event. Come to think of it, the Olympics aren't obscure, either. There may be something in what you say ;-)