Billy Beane World: Playoff Picture

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Playoff Picture

With it being shortly after the All-Star break the time is upon us to discuss the playoff picture.

AL North - A solid division, there are 3 teams in contention for the division title, and this division is very likely to produce the 3 playoff teams for the AL. The Chicago Black Sox are hoping to maintain a 1.0 game lead over the New Britain Rock Cats while the Rochester Redbirds are lurking from 6.0 games out.

AL East - Not much of a race here as the Philadelphia Freedom has jumped out to an 8-game lead over the Florida Tropics. The consolation prize for the runner-up? A trip home.

AL South - If you want to see the picture of parity, this division is it. You've got the El Paso Sluggers (.499), Montgomery Mavericks (.513), and Texas Wildcats (.491) fighting it out at the top of the division with identical 54-51 records (remaining opponents winning pct is in parentheses). Trouble is, the Jackson Mallards (.511) are only 7.0 games out and their next 2 series against Philadelphia and New Britain will tell whether they have a shot or not.

AL West - The Seattle Pilots hold a 5.0 game lead over the Honolulu Hurricanes and a 7.0 game lead over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Those leads are certainly nothing for the Pilots to take for granted.

NL North - This division is the best in the majors with the Columbus Aeros have the best record in the majors while maintaining a 7.0 game lead over the team with the 3rd best record in the majors, the Ottawa Outlaws. The Toronto Beavers are 14.0 out, but hold a 1.0 game advantage for the 2nd wildcard spot. The Cincinnati Battlin' Redlegs would be winning the NL East but are 17.0 games out.

NL East - This is a very sad division that needs put out of its misery. The New York Highlanders are holding a 2.0 game lead over the Louisville Steamboats and Charleston River Dogs, and a 5.0 game lead over the Cleveland Gunners...yet no team has a winning record. The Highlanders are actually 5 games under .500. There are actually 8 teams in the NL that would be winning this division.

NL South - This division race is over as the New Orleans Zydeco hold a 15.0 game lead over the Little Rock Swampfire.

NL West - Close to being over, there is still an outside chance of the Anaheim Knights losing the 9.0 game lead they have over the Las Vegas Bookies or the 10.0 game lead they have over the Los Angeles Tiger Sharks.

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Face of a Franchise

Seattle Pilots

26-year old LHP Alex Vizcaino
2-time All-Star, Season 1 AL Rookie of the Year
About Alex:
An inaugural member of the Pilots, Vizcaino is very talented for being so young. He is a dominant pitcher, Vizcaino suffered a devastating tear of the labrum in Game 6 of the ALCS, he managed to still receive a bittersweet ring. Boasting ridiculous statistics including 7.35 K/9 during the regular season and a 7.41 K/9 in the post-season, it is amazing that he has not won a Cy Young Award yet. After his injury, he may not be able to pitch nearly as many innings as in the past, but he is still young enough to recover and put up the statistics necessary to earn him a first-ballot HOF entry as well as several Cy Young awards and maybe even some post-season hardware to go with those on his mantle.

CAREER STATS
Regular Season
41-18, 468.0 IP, 382 K, 1.02 WHIP, 2.56 ERA
Post-Season
6-1, 68.2 IP, 56 K, 0.92 WHIP, 1.83 ERA

World Series History

S12 - Florida Tropics def Ottawa Outlaws 4-2
S11 - Ottawa Outlaws def Richmond Rebels 4-1
S10 - Cincinnati Battlin' Redlegs def Cheyenne Gunslingers 4-3
S9 - Syracuse Orange def Charleston River Dogs 4-2
S8 - Las Vegas Bookies def Colorado Springs Sky Sox 4-3
S7 - Cincinnati Battlin' Redlegs def Richmond Rebels 4-3
S6 - Charleston River Dogs def Richmond Rebels 4-2
S5 - Rochester Redbirds def Charleston River Dogs 4-0
S4 - Cincinnati Battlin' Redlegs def Seattle Pilots 4-3
S3 - Philadelphia Freedom def New Orleans Zydeco 4-3
S2 - Seattle Pilots def Columbus Aeros 4-3
S1 - Ottawa Outlaws def Seattle Pilots 4-2