Wild Card Shake Up
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by Smmonroe2
With only three divisions in each league the Wild Card winner plays a great role in the MLB playoffs. It seems as though the main goal is to make the playoffs, people used to talk that you had to win the division. True it is nice to win the division, however with the wild card, all you have to do is be the fourth best team in the league. With this rule a lot of teams have been given a chance they may not have gotten with out the wild card.
Since 2001 the A.L. wild card winner has won the American League Championship three times. The N.L. wild card winner has won the National League Championship twice. Now the wild card team from either league has won the World Series three times. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, however when you look at the wild card teams who have won or even just played in the World Series is becomes bigger.
In 2002 the Anaheim Angels beat the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. The Giants, who were the N.L. wild card winner after finishing two and a half games back of the Division winner Diamondbacks. While the Angels the A.L. wild card winner finished four games back of Oakland. Not a huge difference but neither team would have had a chance if it were not for the wild card.
In 2003, the New York Yankees lost to the Florida Marlins in the World Series. The Yanks were not the A.L. wild card team however they beat the Boston Red Sox in seven games in the ALCS and Boston was the wild card. The Florida Marlins were given a chance to play in the playoffs because of the wild card, as the finished the season ten games behind the division lead.
In 2004, the Boston Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. The Cardinals won their division but had to beat wild card, (Houston Astros) in the NLCS. Houston was given a chance because of the wild card after they finished the season thirteen games back of their division lead. The Boston Red Sox were the wild card team, from the A.L., as they finished three games back of the New York Yankees.
In 2005, the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros to take the title of Champions. The White Sox did win their division, however had to play the wild card Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. The Houston Astros however did not win their division; instead they were the wild card as they finished eleven games back of the division lead.
Last year, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. The Cardinals won their division however they had to deal with the San Diego Padres in the NLDS who were the wild card team. The Detroit Tigers however were the A.L. wild card winner as they amazed everyone and went from finishing in fourth place and twenty-eight games back of the division in 2005 to winning the A.L. wild card by finishing only one game back of their division last season.
So as the 2007 regular season begins to wrap up keep in mind the wild card team. Will they play a major role in the World Series this year, or will they be out in the first round? http://www.sportsbysam.blogspot.com
