Ten Games Ahead

After the Tigers beat the Twins last night, 9-3, they are now 10 games ahead of the White Sox, and 10 and a half ahead of the Twins. It is their biggest lead of the season. Baseball commentators are now accepting that the Tigers will win their division. John Kruk on Baseball Tonight said they are the best team he's seen in the last five years. That kind of talk is scary to someone who has a stubborn pessimistic streak. Still, the numbers don't lie--if they go .500 the rest of the way, they will win 101 games, and that will get them in the playoffs.

At the risk of jinxing it all, let's take a look down the road. My ideal scenario would have the White Sox or Twins winning the wild card. Why? Well, that would keep a potential Yankees or Red Sox matchup until the championship round. If the Yankees and Red Sox both make the playoffs, and the Tigers continue to have the best record in the AL, then the wild card will play them. If the wild card comes out of the Central Division, then they will play (presumably) the winner of the AL East. I would rather the Tigers play the As or Angels, winners of the West, than the Red Sox or Yankees in the first round (famous last words--the As or Angels would be very dangerous teams, nonetheless).

Absolutely ideal scenario? The Red Sox win the East, the White Sox the wild card, the As the West, with the Yankees sitting home. Besides my inbred hatred of the Yankees, I don't want any part of a Tigers-Yankees series. I don't think I could handle it.