The Runner Sports
Home / Cities / Boston / What If There’s A Three Way Tie For The AL Wild Card?

What If There’s A Three Way Tie For The AL Wild Card?

So as I’m sitting here on this gorgeous Saturday afternoon, I get to thinking “what if there’s a three way tie for the AL wild card?”. What the hell would happen? Clearly I wasn’t the only one curious about the idea, as within the last couple of days there have been a number of writers who have probed the MLB about the ruling. Since then, the MLB has released the procedures of what would happen, and the only way to describe it, is awesome.

So there are three teams still mathematically eligible to make the postseason via one of the two wild card spots. And it’s a close race, so for these three teams, it’s all coming down to how Sunday plays out. In fact it’s so close that none of the three teams are safe, as each team will play for it all this weekend. So close in fact, that they could finish this season with identical records. So just what would happen?

Well it’s a little bit confusing to grasp as you read it the first time through, but when it sinks in you’ll realize just how ‘awesome’ it would be to see. In order for it to happen at this point, a lot rests with how Cleveland plays tonight. If they win, both Tampa and Texas must win their games tomorrow, and need Cleveland to lose. Otherwise, if Cleveland loses tonight, they all just need to have the same results on Sunday.

If they’re tied with identical records by the end of Sunday’s play, there would be a two game elimination to determine who plays in the wild card game. So according to the MLB the teams would be determined as teams A, B, and C. The team with the highest winning percentage among the three teams (meaning games only played between the three teams) receiving the first choice of team.

Head To Head Season Series Records:

Tampa Bay won series with Cleveland: TB 4-2

Texas won series with Tampa: TEX 4-3

Cleveland won series with Texas: CLE 5-1

When you combine the records you get your seeding.

Cleveland: 7-5 (.583)

Tampa: 7-6 (.538)

Texas: 5-8 (.385)

The games would be played like so; Team A would host Team B Monday night, the winner earning one of the two wild card spots. Then on Tuesday, Team C would host Team B, with the winner getting the second wild card. The wild card game would then be played Wednesday night. Home field being determined by the head-to-head record between the two wild card teams.

So since Cleveland has the best winning percentage they have elected to be Team A, and with Tampa in second, they were appeased by the idea of winning Monday and waiting for Wednesday and risked it all by taking Team B. Leaving Team C to Texas by default. So if there is a three way tie, Cleveland would play Sunday in Minnesota, Tampa in Toronto, then the two teams would meet in Cleveland Monday. The loser of course then having to travel to Texas Tuesday night.

 

All this just to then play another one game playoff as the two wild card teams Wednesday night.

I know most non-baseball fans complain about the length of the MLB’s season, but if you’re a fan of the game, you should be drooling about the potential of this happening, and not just from the utter confusion. This adds two intense fight for your life playoff games to postseason. In a year that’s already proven to be very competitive, could you imagine the thrill this would add to our first week of October?

It would also prove to be a massive advantage to whoever ends up with the best record in the AL, as the team they play in the ALDS beginning Friday, could potentially have played three important games, and at least two. Requiring them to dip into their repertoire of pitching talent, and lessening the amount of rest days between the wild card games and the start of the series. Not to mention a weeks worth of lots of traveling.Something both the Boston Red Sox, and Oakland A’s would absolutely love to have happen.

So who else is rooting for this to happen now?

 

 

(Photo one source) http://simlb.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/texas-rangers-getty2.jpg?w=600&h=400

(Photo two source) http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1366225/thumbs/o-TAMPA-BAY-RAYS-facebook.jpg

(Photo three source) http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/baseball/mlb/img23738478.jpg

Author: Tyler Arnold

My name is Tyler Arnold, I am the founder, co-owner, and editor-in-chief of The Runner Sports. Sports have been my life since I was young, so here I am doing the only sensible thing, making a career of it. I love it all, and will watch any and every game I possibly can. Thanks for your readership.

Twitter Facebook Google+ Linkedin