Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog

…then the playoffs would look like this:

AL Division Winners:

• East: Kansas City Royals (2 1/2 games up)
• West Oakland A’s (5 games up)

Wild Card Teams

• 1st Wild card: Baltimore Orioles +6 G
• 2nd Wild Card Washington Senators +5 G
• 3rd Wild Card California Angels (1 game up)

Playoffs:

• Wild Card game: Angels at Senators
• Division games: Baltimore at Kansas City , Washington or California at Oakland (best of 5)
• AL Pennant Series (Best of 7)

NL Division Winners

• NY Daytraders (Mets) (up 8 games)
• West Division Los Angeles Dodgers (up 13 1/2 games)

Wild Cards

• 1st Wild card Chicago Cubs (+4)
• 2nd Wild Card Atlanta Braves (+ 1 1/2)
• 3rd Wild Card Philadelphia Phillies (11 games up)

Playoffs:

• Wild Card Games Phillies at Braves
• Division Games Chicago at New York, Philadelphia or Atlanta at Los Angeles (best of 5)
• NL Pennant Series (best of 7)

World Series (Best of 7)

Top Draft picks

• 1st Cincinnati Reds (-1)
• 2nd Pittsburgh Pirates (- 1 1/2)
• 3rd Montreal Nos Amours (-4)

There are however 69 games left to the season and anything is possible although the absolute collapse of the NL 2nd division (the highest winning percentage of a non-playoff team is St. Louis at .386) suggests that the NL playoff races are pretty much done and the only real question is can either Philly or Atlanta pass the cubs to get that 1st round bye?

In the AL it’s more complicated. All the division races are still races and 3 teams are within 5 games of the last wild card (2 teams within 3 games) and even the worst team in the league (NY Yankees) has a .402 winning percentage and is only 10 1/2 games out of the wild card.

My own team (Milwaukee) is out of it technically only 7 1/2 out but with 4 teams to pass thus I’ve already traded:

1. My starting CF Tommie Agee (Mets)
2. My starting LF Frank Howard (Orioles)
3. My Starting SS Ron Theobold (Royals)
4. My Starting 3B Phil Gagliano (Orioles)
5. My #2 starter SP Ray Lamb (Orioles)
6. My Closer Ken Sanders (Mets)

For these players I have acquired:

• 2 1st round picks
• 1 3rd round picks
• 1 5th round pick
• 1 sixth round pick
• Ken Berry CF (Gold glove in 72 & good offensive year)

How will this end? I have no idea but given how the NL is doing and the fact that I play every game to win no matter what I might have a lot fewer keepers that I hoped for.

I still have available to trade:

1. My starting 2B (Ron Hunt)
2. My starting Catcher (Jack Haitt)
3. My new Starting 3B (Jose Pagan)
4. My #3 Starter George Stone
5. My #4 starter Rookie Jim Slaton
6. Middle Reliver Jim Ray
7. Middle Reliver Bob Miller

Slaton will likely be expensive as he has a long MLB career ahead of him

I also have the following players who either have long MLB careers ahead of them or have good cards for next year available

1. OF Mike Jorgenson (long career)
2. P Bob Reynolds (good stats in 1972)

They will likely go cheap since I don’t expect to have room to protect them even if I crater.

My needs are draft picks or a solid power hitter for next year.