A little bit off-topic, but I think this team is the biggest threat to steal the last wild card spot

[Va Beach O's fan]

I think Texas wins the West and the Angels are pretty much assured of the first wild card spot once they get Haren back and now that Weaver is back healthy alongside CJ Wilson etc.

With Trout Trumbo, Pujols and Morales, they are taking that wild card spot.

I think Detroit catches fire with Fister, Scherzer, Verlander, Porcello and that offense which isn't anywhere close to its full potential yet, at least in my opinion. Plus if they somehow manage to get Victor Martinez back by the playoffs, watch out for them (a long shot I know). I think the White Sox and Cleveland both fade out of it.

I think the Yankees win the East and the O's, Jays, Rays and Sox tear each other apart just enough so that THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS sneak into that last wild card spot.

Now hear me out.

Their offense has been pretty abysmal all season. Weeks is struggling as a lead off guy but has also been injured. Coco Crisp has also been injured quite a bit but if he turns it on, he can be very dangerous.

Coespedes is a flat out stud but has also been injured. Reddick is having a career year in the middle of that lineup. They have alot of quirky, streaky good hitters like Brandon Moss, Jonny Gomes, Seth Smith, Chris Carter, Suzuki, Inge etc.

But really, what I think gives them the best chance to steal that last wild card spot is their rotation.

2 weeks from now they will just be flat out nasty. Milone and Parker are both stud young arms under the age of 25 and who haven't been throwing all year so are both fairly fresh. They just flat out dominated the Yankees in a series this weekend that really made me stand up and take notice.

8 innings, 5 hits, 1 ER 5 k's for Parker against the Yanks

7 innings, 6 hits 0 ER 10 k's for Milone

Aj Griffin is another solid young arm with a 2.70 era, 1.00 whip and he just held the Yanks to 2 runs on 7 hits over 6 innings in another win. He's a 6-5 220 horse who is again, only 24 years old.

Then you throw in the crafty vet Colon who also has a sub 4 era this year and another decent vet in Travis Blackley (again, 3.36 era and 1.07 whip, 29 years old) and you've got the makings of a very good young staff with a little bit of vet leadership thrown in on the back end.

But oh wait, let's not forget about Brandon McCarthy who is coming off the DL in the next week or two.

The guy with a 2.54 era, 1.21 whip and had won 6 decisions in a row before going on the DL back in June.

Then just for the heck of it, let's remember that both Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden have both been on the DL the entire season and have the potential to be huge late season additions.

That team is loaded with an incredible amount of quality arms all over the staff. Then you've got guys like Ryan Cook and Grant Balfour in the back end of that pen and you just say "wow, where did they get these freaking arms from??"

They are 8-1 since the start of the second half. They swept the Yankees, swept Minnesota at Minnesota and they split a 2 game set with the Rangers.

They have 3 at Toronto Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then we get them at home for a game set in Baltimore this coming weekend.

We get Parker, Colon and Blackley.

Quite frankly, I think we HAVE to take two of three from them if we are going to continue to think of ourselves as even having the slightest potential as a wild card team.

As of right now, I am EXTREMELY high on the Athletics chances as a wildcard team.

As a matter of fact, I think both wild cards could come from the AL West with the Angels or Texas loser getting the first wild card and the A's getting the last spot, unless we do something about that!

Sorry for the side discussion that is a little off topic, I just want people to realize how important this coming series with the Athletics is this weekend. They are on fire lately and have wild card team written all over them once they get fully healthy with that insane pitching staff. Braden, Anderson, McCarthy, Milone, Parker and Colon/Griffin/Blackley may be as talented and deep a pitching staff as their is in the league right now.

Anyone disagree with that? What are your thoughts?

[Brendan25]

Alot to read here.

Don't sleep on the White Sox either if the Tigers win the central.

[Slappy]

I don't know man. They've got a lot of games against the Rangers and Angels left. I think I'd rather play the East. ChiSox scare me more, Tampa and Boston too.

[blkeen]

Hey just wondering, what if 2 teams are tied for the last wild card spot? Is there a tie breaker or pre-playoff-playoff?

[OFFNY]

Hey just wondering, what if 2 teams are tied for the last wild card spot? Is there a tie breaker, or a pre-playoff-playoff?

They would have a playoff game, I'm almost certain (it would be counted in the standings as a regular-season game, but it would essentially be a playoff game.) If 2 teams are tied for a playoff spot, they only have a playoff game IF one of the teams would not otherwise make it in. In 2005, the Yankees and the Red Sox were tied for first place, but they used a tie-breaker which gave the Yankees the division without having a one-game playoff because both teams were to be in the post-season, regardless.

So if it's the last playoff spot, obviously both teams would not make it in, hence the necessity for a playoff game.

[orayole]

Hey just wondering, what if 2 teams are tied for the last wild card spot? Is there a tie breaker or pre-playoff-playoff?

Well, here's the situation. It's just like we're used to, but with an additional kick thanks to the second wild card. If two teams are tied for the second wild card slot, we do the game 163 thing, like we've done in years before. Whoever has the best head to head record hosts the game, and that game takes place the day after the season ends. The very next day, the winner of *that* game has to travel to the winner of the first wild card for the one game wild card playoff. Then the winner of THAT game gets to host the top seed the very next day in the beginning of the division series. So if a team ties for the second wild card slot, they could end up playing four games in four cities in four days. Lunacy.

http://www.bloguin.com/theoutsidecorner/2012-articles/july/the-second-wild-card-may-cause-more-problems.html

[blkeen]

Hmm, interesting thanks.

[ocean1118]

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