A goofy scenario.
Suppose the following were to happen:
1) The Phils finish the season going 4-2.
2) The Mets go 2-4.
3) The Padres also go 4-2.
4) The Rockies take 2 out of 3 in Los Angeles.
5) The Diamondbacks only manage 1 out of three in Pittsburgh.
6) Colorado then sweeps the D-Backs over the weekend.
If all of those were to happen, we’d have a two-way tie in the East and a three-way tie in the West, everyone with 89 wins. The “one-game playoffs” turn into something that last most of next week at that point. I think it would be possible to do it in such a way that no team would have to play more than three games, with winning two meaning you’re into the post-season and losing two meaning you’re definitely out. But wow would that be chaos.
The really crazy thing is that at least the first four parts of that scenario seem awfully possible to me, and I wouldn’t bet against the Rockies sweeping the Snakes in Coors Field.
September 25th, 2007 at 11:02 am
I think in that case all five teams meet in one five-way eighteen-inning cage match.
Or they do penalty kicks.
Something like that.
-V.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Well I’ve heard soccer fans say that settling things by penalty kicks is equivalent to deciding things in baseball with a home run derby.
*checks lineups*
I’ll take our chances with that.
September 26th, 2007 at 11:13 am
You beat me to that thought. Except that mine was even better:
1. Braves sweep Phillies and Houston.
2. Mets only win one in either Washington or Florida.
3. Phillies sweep Washington.
4. Arizona swept by both Pirates and Rockies
5. Rockies only win one out of three (i.e. last night) in LA
6. San Diego wins 3 of 6 from Giants and Brewers.
That makes *both* races 3-way ties at 88 games.
It scares me how much I want to see this happen. (But no, I’m not holding my breath!)
September 26th, 2007 at 11:34 am
Yeah I had seen that one as well, but I thought that since that one is probably at least an order of magnitude less likely I’d go with the one that didn’t dictate practically every game.
If the 6 way tie didn’t include the Phillies I’d definitely be rooting for it to happen, but right now I want them in the postseason as easily as possible.