As we head into the playoffs in baseball, insane amounts of media attention will be focused on the teams in the playoffs and “how ready they are.”  Who is hot?  Who is stumbling into the playoffs?  Who is going to lose to the American League “in three games?”  No matter who wins and loses the Division Serieses, the media will try to relate the win or loss to the way the team played in September, as if somehow that determines the playoff outcome. 

This week’s Top 7 looks at storylines for the baseball playoff teams that really don’t have much merit.

7. “The games really count now”
You will sometimes hear announcers talk about how important games are this time of year.  Well, they count the same in April.  Look at the Brewers of 2007 as an example.  If they hadn’t started out so well at the start of the year, they wouldn’t even have a chance to play these important games in September.

6. “It hurts to clinch early”
The theory here is that the players aren’t used to playing games that are highly important and can’t “turn it back on.”  This theory sort of worked for the 2001 Mariners, who won 116 (!) games in the regular season but lost in the ALCS, but not so much for the 1998 Yankees, who annihilated everyone in the regular season and the playoffs, losing only two games in the three series.

5. “It sure helps to finish strong”
It seemed to help the 2005 Astros--they were hot for nearly the entire second half of the season, and had to battle the entire last week to get the Wild Card spot.  When they made it to the World Series, it was because they had been playing “meaningful baseball” in late September so they were ready for the playoffs.  Of course, last year’s San Diego Padres went 20-8 in September for their playoff push, but then lost to the Cardinals in four games in the Division Series.  They were too exhausted from playing meaningful baseball I guess.

4. “A-Rod sucks in the playoffs”
This had to be thrown in somewhere.  If he hits .900 in the playoffs this year, reading the crap of those who have ripped him will be highly entertaining.

3. “The Cubs can’t win the World Series because of a goat”
Besides both the Red Sox and White Sox ending their “curses,” there have been other lesser-known examples of “_________ will never happen because of ___________.”  A small but vocal group of Cardinal fans said that they would never win the World Series while Tony LaRussa managed them.  Until they did.  The same will happen with the Cubs sometime, maybe even this year.

2. “You can’t stumble into the playoffs”
The 2000 New York Yankees are a less-cited example of this.  They lost their last seven games and 13 of their last 14, and still won the whole thing.

1. “The National League can’t win”
Since the “near collapse” has already been covered with the Yankees, last year’s Cards are also an example of all of the people who said that the National League had no chance to win the World Series last year.  Sure, some of us Cards fans made sure to shove that in the faces of those who said so quite often, but what is happening again this year?  People are making the exact same predictions. 

Yes, the American League probably has the best four teams out of the eight playoff teams.  But that in no way means that they are a lock to win the World Series.

Jason Major writes the Top 7 for Joe Sports Fan.  He is kind of looking forward to a non-stressful October.  Email him at jason@joesportsfan.com

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