MLB: AL Central Scenarios

[CrossCyed]

Twins sweep Sox: Twins exit .5 games up.
Twins win series 2-1: Sox exit series 1.5 games up
Sox win series 2-1: Sox exit series 3.5 games up.

So, what's this mean in the final series? I think these are all the scenarios.

Twins Sweep Sox and Royals:
Sox have to sweep Cleveland to force makeup game with Tigers, and must win that game to host one game playoff with Minnesota. Winner wins the central.

Twins Sweep Sox, take 2 from Royals:
Sox sweep Cleveland: finish half game up. Would play makeup game against Detroit. Win over Detroit gives Sox Central. Loss forces playoff.
Sox 2-1 over Cleveland: must beat Detroit to force playoff.
Sox win 1 or get swept: Twins win Central.

Twins Sweep Sox, take 1 from Royals:
Sox sweep Cleveland: Sox win Central
Sox 2-1 over Cleveland: finish half game up. Would play makeup game against Detroit. Win over Detroit gives Sox Central. Loss forces playoff.
Sox 1-2 vs. Cleveland: Sox must beat Detroit to force playoff.
Sox swept: Twins win Central

Twins Sweep Sox, swept by Royals:
Sox sweep or win two vs. Cleveland: Sox win Central.
Sox 1-2 vs. Cleveland: Sox finish half game up. Would play makeup game against Detroit. Win over Detroit gives Sox Central. Loss forces one game playoff.
Sox swept by Cleveland: Sox must beat Detroit to force playoff.

-
Twins take 2 from Sox and sweep Royals:
Sox sweep Cleveland: Sox finish 1.5 up
Sox take two vs Cle: Sox finish .5 up, win over Detroit gives Sox Central, loss forces one game playoff.
Sox take one: Sox must beat Detroit and Minnesota for Central.
Sox get swept: Twins Win Central

Twins take 2 from Sox, take 2 from Royals:
Sox sweep or take two from Cleveland: Sox win Central.
Sox take one: Sox finish .5 up, win over Detroit gives Sox Central, loss forces one game playoff.
Sox get swept: Sox must beat Detroit to play Minnesota for Central.

Twins take two from Sox, take 1 from Royals:
Sox must get swept by Cleveland to force makeup vs Detroit. Detroit win would force one game playoff.

Twins take two from Sox, swept by Royals:
Sox win Central.

----

If the Twins drop the next two against Chicago, the White Sox exit 3.5 games up, with only a MIN sweep of KC and a CLE sweep of CHW forcing a makeup game between Chicago and Detroit, which Chicago must lose to force a one game playoff.

---

So there we are. :wink:

 

[CyGuy33]

Thank you for clearing that up!

 

[jdoggivjc]

Thank you for clearing that up!

Let's make this one easy - Twins win their next 5 games and they can do no worse than playing an extra game in Chicago. Sounds good to me :yes:

 

[dinger]

all you need to know is that the Sox arent gonna blow it, sorry Twinkies

 

[jtd9046]

all you need to know is that the Sox arent gonna blow it, sorry Twinkies

The thing is... at this very point both teams control their own destiny.

Twins win out and they win the Central.

 

[CyGuy33]

Get an update from last nights game at
Twinscast · The Voice of Die-Hard Twins Fans

Gotta promote the family you know

 

[jdoggivjc]

all you need to know is that the Sox arent gonna blow it, sorry Twinkies

Funny - I remember earlier this summer a Sox fan saying that the Twins would never get closer to the Sox than the 1 game back that they were after owning the Sox in the Dome. The Twins then proceeded to take the game or two lead they did right after that.

Let's just say I'm glad the Twins have the road they have and I wouldn't trade it for the one that the White Sox have - I'd much rather be playing the division leaders at home (where the division leaders have greatly struggled in recent years - including this year) and following up with the worst team in the AL Central than playing the hard-charging second place team on the road and then following that up with a trip to a good team that's been eliminated and is going to treat that series as their playoffs, and then potentially going to another division rival for another game who's going to treat that game the same.

Yes - at this point both teams control their own destinies. But I'd rather have the Twins' destiny at this point than the Sox.

 

[mplscyclone]

I'll say this: If the Twins do not make it, I will be a little dissapointed but not crushed. We were predicted to finish LAST. Everyone wrote the Twins off.

In recent history (minus 2004), the White Sox have ALWAYS been an underperforming team: huge payroll, big name sluggers, no rings. The year they won it all, they played a brand of baseball similar to the Twins.

The funny part about this year is that the Twins actually have a better offense than the White Sox, even though the White Sox have all these big name, big dollar homerun hitters.

With a team built with a 100+ mil payroll, each year I didn't go to the ALCS would be a dissapointment.

I'm just happy to see the Twins in it. They will finish with a better record than last year, even though they lost Hunter, Santana, and Cuddyer (didn't lose him, but he hardly played this year).

 

[mplscyclone]

Funny - I remember earlier this summer a Sox fan saying that the Twins would never get closer to the Sox than the 1 game back that they were after owning the Sox in the Dome. The Twins then proceeded to take the game or two lead they did right after that.

Let's just say I'm glad the Twins have the road they have and I wouldn't trade it for the one that the White Sox have - I'd much rather be playing the division leaders at home (where the division leaders have greatly struggled in recent years - including this year) and following up with the worst team in the AL Central than playing the hard-charging second place team on the road and then following that up with a trip to a good team that's been eliminated and is going to treat that series as their playoffs, and then potentially going to another division rival for another game who's going to treat that game the same.

Yes - at this point both teams control their own destinies. But I'd rather have the Twins' destiny at this point than the Sox.

I get what you're saying, but I'd rather have the Twins destiny ONLY if we were tied or ahead. If the Sox win today or tomorrow, they basically have it all wrapped up. I'm rooting hard for the Twins, but either way, you want to be in first place during the last week of the season.

 

[ce1]

It's simply amazing the Twins still have a chance, as badly as they've pitched in September.

I'm die-hard Twins, but i'm a realist as well. Blackburn is going tonight, he's a rookie, and his arm has looked tired. I think the Sox win tonight, lose tomorrow, and leave the Twin Cities with a 1.5 lead.

Twins take two of three from the Royals, Sox win one of three in Cleveland. This makes Sox up 0.5, forces them to play the makeup against Detroit, which they win, and Twins send the pitching staff to endurance school over the winter.

And Joe Mauer wins the MVP for the AL.

 

[mj4cy]

Man I hate the Sox.....get 'em again tonight TWINS!

 

[CrossCyed]

Man I hate the Sox.....get 'em again tonight TWINS!

I've never understood why people hate us. For one, Ozzie (and even Hawk for that matter) show the Twins a bunch of love.

 

[ce1]

I've never understood why people hate us. For one, Ozzie (and even Hawk for that matter) show the Twins a bunch of love.

As a Twins fan, i'll tell you that i love Ozzie. I love his style, i love his attitude, i love his off-the-cuff say it like it is. I like the rivalry that's developed, and i've got a lot of respect for the Sox.

 

[CyGuy33]

I've never understood why people hate us. For one, Ozzie (and even Hawk for that matter) show the Twins a bunch of love.

Same division and the Sox are competitive, enough reason to hate.

If no one hates you it's because you're team sucks and no one cares.

 

[Dryburn]

I hope the Twins can pull it out, although I am concerned about Blackburn tonite. Perkins, Blackburn, and even Liriano the last time out did not look good at all. But that is expected with a young staff that has never pitched this late in the season.

I think the Twins future looks great. They are ahead of schedule, and I think their young pitchers have done better than expected.

Whoever wins the Central this year, I do not think that team will do much in the playoffs. Both the White Sox and the Twins bullpens, outside of their closers, are pretty inconsistent at best. I think the AL championship between the Angels and Tampa Bay, although Boston may have enough veterans to see them through. But they are going to miss Manny now.

Anyway, I like the way the future of the Twins looks, whatever happens this year. Chicago is getting old, and will have to replace several players soon. Detroit needs to figure out what has gone wrong with their pitching. Cleveland....they need to start over. KC is KC, although improving. So, the Central will be interesting in the years ahead I think, especially if you are a Twins fan.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I get what you're saying, but I'd rather have the Twins destiny ONLY if we were tied or ahead. If the Sox win today or tomorrow, they basically have it all wrapped up. I'm rooting hard for the Twins, but either way, you want to be in first place during the last week of the season.

Not true - we may not control our own destiny if we don't sweep, but like I said, I'd MUCH rather be playing the Royals than the Indians at this point. The Indians are hot right now and are looking to ruin someone's post-season aspirations. The Royals are, well, the Royals...

 

[jdoggivjc]

I've never understood why people hate us. For one, Ozzie (and even Hawk for that matter) show the Twins a bunch of love.

Ozzie shows the Twins a bunch of love because he kind of has to - we've kind of been their daddy in the Dome for the last couple of seasons, and we have the kind of system that every small market - and some large markets, for that matter - aspire to have, one that competes year in and year out while having one of the smallest payrolls in the league.

 

[jtd9046]

Not true - we may not control our own destiny if we don't sweep, but like I said, I'd MUCH rather be playing the Royals than the Indians at this point. The Indians are hot right now and are looking to ruin someone's post-season aspirations. The Royals are, well, the Royals...

And those Royals have won 8 of 10.

 

[jdoggivjc]

And those Royals have won 8 of 10.

Meh - half of those are against a team that are actually worse than them by 13.5 games (Seattle - the worst team in baseball).

I get what you're saying, though...

 

[peteypie]

Same division and the Sox are competitive, enough reason to hate.

If no one hates you it's because you're team sucks and no one cares.

So...............Nobody hates my Royals. WooHoo:biglaugh: