Major League Baseball Final Week Review

The Los Angeles Angels were the first to clinch a playoff spot and the first to clinch their division. They rounded out their regular season accomplishments by securing the best record in baseball, going 100-62 this season.

The Angels will play host to the American League Wild Card winners, the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox were able to capture their playoff berth with ease and hope to play the spoiler role over an Angels team that many people predict will win the World Series.

The first team to clinch their post-season berth in the National League was the Chicago Cubs. Wrigley Field will be the site of the first two Cubs games as they welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to town. The Dodgers were the 2^nd team in the National League to claim their spot in the second season.

The rest of the National League playoff picture didn’t settle into place without heartbreak and drama.

With the season drawing to a close, we knew that either the New York Mets or the Philadelphia Phillies would clinch the division and the loser was left to battle the slumping Milwaukee Brewers for the Wild Card berth.

Ryan Howard kept the Phillies winning when it mattered and they clinched the division with a game to spare.

That left the Mets and Brewers tied for the last spot with just one day left in the season. Mets fans were left with the reality that lightning can strike twice and the Mets had collapsed for the 2^nd time in two years and would miss the playoffs after a 4-2 loss following a Brewers win.

These 2 teams will now face off as Ryan Braun and CC Sabathia head to Philadelphia to take on Chase Utley and Cole Hamels.

The American League didn’t settle on a playoff lineup without some drama either.

The Twins were able to sweep the White Sox and claim a slight edge in the division race late in the week. The Sox and Twins both dropped 2 of 3 games in the last series of the year, which made it necessary for Detroit to head to U.S. Cellular Field on Monday for a makeup game.

Chicago won the game 8-2 and forced a one game playoff to decide the winner of the American League Central.

In what could be the worse rule in professional sports, the Twins were forced to play the game in Chicago based on a coin flip, despite holding a 10-8 season series edge.

John Danks and Nick Blackburn battled it out in an unlikely pitcher’s duel. The only mistake of the game came when Nick Blackburn left a pitch up to Jim Thome and he hit a 461-foot homerun for the game’s only run.

The White Sox win sends them to Tampa Bay to take on the American League East Champion Rays.

The Power of "4"

The Power of “4”
When Alfonso Soriano hit 39 HR in 2002, he provided power numbers from a 2nd baseman, which hadn’t been seen in quite awhile. Soriano was eventually moved into the outfield, once again leaving a power void in the middle infield.
The resurgence of the power hitting 2nd baseman has begun and four players on pace for great years. Chase Utley, Dan Uggla, Brandon Phillips and Ian Kinsler are all on track to finish with 25+ HR and 90+ RBI, with Utley and Uggla aiming higher.
Brandon Phillips has 13 HR and 43 RBI. He has the lowest RBI total of the group, but finished out last year with 94 RBI to go along with 30 HR. His .271 average is also the lowest of the four players mentioned but he’s in a lineup with Griffey, Dunn, Votto and Bruce. Look for him to get hot after the break.
Ian Kinsler has the lowest HR total of the group with 12, but he boasts the highest batting average, hitting .305 with 47 RBI. It’s Kinsler’s run total that has been the most impressive. He’s rounded the bases 64 times, which is good for 2nd best in the league.
Chase Utley certainly isn’t a surprise anymore, but his power seems to be even better than previous seasons. He’s led the MLB in homeruns for the majority of the year and currently sits in 2nd with 22 bombs. He’s also 4th in the MLB in RBI with 63. His .291 average and 57 runs make him a very well rounded player.
Dan Uggla has become the blue print for a power hitting 2nd baseman this year. His hot streak of late has allowed him to surpass Utley and take the MLB lead in HR with 23. He’s 9th in the league with 57 RBI and has 57 runs to go with his .294 average.
The Reds and Rangers aren’t likely to be in contention when the playoffs roll around, but look for Utley and Uggla to battle it out for the NL East title. Both the Phillies and Marlins know that the added bonus of having a power hitting 2nd baseman could provide just the boost needed to make a postseason run.

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