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HOT CORNER
Playoff Bound?  A Closer Look
September 12, 2003

Every team has roughly 16 games left, but both wild cards and 3 division titles are still up for grabs.  Will your team be throwing fastballs in October or throwing darts in the rec room with the kids?  We predicted the remaining wins for each team with playoff potential based on each series.  The number after the team indicates the predicted number of wins in the series, and all series are assumed to be 3 games unless noted.  Let's take a closer look at the schedules and see who will come out on top:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
New York Yankees (89 - 56)
TB (3 of 4), @BAL (2 of 4), @TB (2), @CHW (1), BAL (2)
Final Record:  99 - 63, 1st place AL East

Boston Red Sox (85 - 60)
CHW (2), TB (3 of 4), @CLE (1), BAL (2 of 4), @TB (2)
Final Record:  95 - 67, 2nd place AL East, WILD CARD Winner

Chicago White Sox (78 - 68)
@BOS (1), @MIN (1), KC (2), NYY (2), @KC (3 of 4)
Final Record:  87 - 75, 2nd place AL Central

Minnesota Twins (78 - 68)
@CLE (2 of 4), CHW (2), DET (3), CLE (1 of 2), @DET (3 of 4)
Final Record:  89 - 73, 1st place AL Central

Kansas City Royals (74 -71)
@DET (3 of 4), @CLE (2), @CHW (1), DET (2), CHW (1 of 4)
Final Record:  83 - 79, 3rd place AL Central

Oakland A's (87 - 60)
@TEX (3), @ANA (2), SEA (1), TEX (2), @SEA (1)
Final Record:  96 - 66, 1st place AL West

Seattle Mariners (84 - 62)
ANA (2), @TEX (2 of 4), @OAK (2), @ANA (1), OAK (2)
Final Record:  93 - 69, 2nd place AL West

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta Braves (92 - 55)
@FLA (1), @MTL (1), FLA (2 of 4), MTL (1 of 2), @PHI (1)
Final Record:  98 - 64, 1st place NL East

Florida Marlins (81 - 65)
ATL (2), @PHI (0), @ATL (2 of 4), PHI (2), NYM (2)
Final Record:  89 - 73, 3rd place NL East

Philadelphia Phillies (81 - 66)
@PIT (1), FLA (3), CIN (2), @FLA (1), ATL (2)
Final Record:  90 - 72, 2nd place NL East, WILD CARD Winner

Houston Astros (78 - 68)
STL (3), @COL (1), @STL (1), SF (2), MIL (2 of 4)
Final Record:  87 - 75, Tied for 1st NL Central

Chicago Cubs (77 - 69)
CIN (3), NYM (2), @PIT (2 of 4), @CIN (1), PIT (2)
Final Record:  87 - 75, Tied for 1st NL Central, WIN tiebreaker

St. Louis Cardinals (76 - 71)
@HOU (0), MIL (3 of 4), HOU (2), @MIL (1 of 2), @ARI (1)
Final Record:  83 - 79, 3rd place NL Central

San Francisco Giants (88 - 56)
MIL (3), SD (2 of 4), @LA (1), @HOU (1), LA (3 of 4)
Final Record:  98 - 64, 1st place NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers (77 - 68)
SD (3), ARI (1), SF (2), @SD (2 of 4), @SF (1 of 4)
Final Record:  86 - 76, 2nd place NL West

In the American League, the White Sox had their chances early in the season with an easy schedule but couldn't capitalize.  Now the Twins will reap the benefits, getting to face Cleveland and Detroit almost exclusively the rest of the way.  Expect Boston to hold off Seattle for the wild card berth as Boston should outslug their competition at season's end.

In the National League, Atlanta will continue their recent Smoltz-less struggles, playing about .500 ball the next couple weeks but still cruise to another division title.  The Marlins will make a valiant effort but fall just short of Philadelphia for the wild card berth.  The Cubs and Astros will be tied after 162 games, and Mark Prior will demand the ball for the one game playoff, regardless of the last time he pitched.  Prior will mow down the Astros and send the Cubs to the playoffs as the NL Central Division winner.

Notes and Predictions
No Triple C for AP
The hype seems to have died down for Pujols' triple crown effort, even though he is only 8 RBIs away for leading all 3 categories.  Despite some ridiculous numbers posted by the Cardinals' slugger, Preston Wilson will not let a bad back keep him from an RBI title, and with 9 games left in Colorado, it will be next to impossible to pass Wilson in the next 2 and a half weeks.  Nevertheless, Pujols has put together a season that has made people forget about Barry Bonds for a year.