Saw this article on ESPN about a possible six way tie for the wild card...lol
http://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/...n-end-up-in-a-six-way-wild-card-tie-in-the-al
On Thursday, Jayson Stark wrote about the wild-card tiebreaker scenarios in the American League. Unfortunately, he didn't include a plan for a six-way tie ... because no plan exists!
But it could happen and here's how, with each team's record entering Friday's action, their remaining schedule and their wins and losses the rest of the way:
Toronto Blue Jays (83-69)
NYY -- Loss
NYY -- Loss
NYY -- Win
NYY -- Loss
BAL -- Win
BAL -- Loss
BAL -- Loss
@BOS -- Win
@BOS -- Loss
@BOS -- Loss
Rest of way: 3-7
Final record: 86-76
Detroit Tigers (82-70)
KC -- Loss
KC -- Win
KC -- Loss
CLE -- Loss
CLE -- Win
CLE -- Loss
CLE -- Loss
@ATL -- Win
@ATL -- Loss
@ATL -- Win
Rest of way: 4-6
Final record: 86-76
Baltimore Orioles (82-71)
ARI -- Win
ARI -- Win
ARI -- Loss
@TOR -- Loss
@TOR -- Win
@TOR -- Win
@NYY -- Loss
@NYY -- Loss
@NYY -- Loss
Rest of way: 4-5
Final record: 86-76
Houston Astros (82-71)
LAA -- Win
LAA -- Loss
LAA -- Win
SEA -- Loss
SEA -- Win
SEA -- Loss
@LAA -- Win
@LAA -- Win
@LAA -- Loss
Rest of way: 5-4
Final record: 86-76
Seattle Mariners (80-72)
@MIN -- Win
@MIN -- Win
@MIN -- Loss
@HOU -- Win
@HOU -- Loss
@HOU -- Win
OAK -- Win
OAK -- Win
OAK -- Loss
OAK -- Loss
Rest of way: 6-4
Final record: 86-76
New York Yankees (79-73)
@TOR -- Win
@TOR -- Win
@TOR -- Loss
@TOR -- Win
BOS -- Loss
BOS -- Loss
BOS -- Win
BAL -- Win
BAL -- Win
BAL -- Win
Rest of way: 7-3
Final record: 86-76
So there you go! The most important series for this dream scenario to happen is this four-game series between the Yankees and Blue Jays in Toronto, Friday through Monday. The Yankees need to take three of four or even sweep to create any kind of odds of a six-way tie. Of course, we're talking about the team that is probably the weakest of the contenders (and Masahiro Tanaka will miss his next start on Monday) doing this on the road against the strongest of the contenders.
And what would happen if there is a six-way tie? Jayson wrote that it's basically up to commissioner Rob Manfred. Remember, the actual wild-card game is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 4, and the Division Series is to start that Thursday, so you need a scenario that gets everything done as quickly as possible.
My idea is you would seed the teams 1 through 6 based on combined winning percentage against the other five teams (preferred) or run differential or a simple random lottery. The bottom four teams play on Monday with the winners advancing to play the top two teams on Tuesday (those teams would play on the road against Monday's winners). The winners of Tuesday's games are your wild-card teams and play the wild-card game on Wednesday.
Sound like fun?