The Final Stretch

It is late September, and the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are arm wrestling for the division crown. The two teams have swapped first place in the division all year with the exception of only eight days. Regardless of who wins the division, both these teams will be playing in the playoffs, and they will most likely see each other again after this week's series.

The thing is, the Yankees and the Devil Rays have played each other seven times in the last 10 days, and what should be the most interesting race in baseball is the least exciting of all. There really is no urgency with either of these teams, and it takes away from any type of showdown that might have been. It's just not the same as the Red Sox and the Yankees battling it out down the stretch. The Rays and Yankees are both really good teams, don't get me wrong, but wouldn't it be much more interesting if the Red Sox were healthy and contending for a title?

Because both teams will make the playoffs regardless of which wins the division, the battle is far less appealing. Both are going to rest up so they have their battle plan ready for the postseason.

The Minnesota Twins have wrapped up the central division, clinching the division title. And while the Texas Rangers have just about clinched the American League West, the American League is pretty much set for the playoffs. There is really not much to watch until the postseason.

With races in the National League heating up, the Philadelphia Phillies have the East Division pretty much wrapped up. They are looking like a well-oiled machine. The Cincinnati Reds have control in the Central Division. The San Fransisco Giants have a half game lead in the west over the San Diego Padres, which had the division wrapped up before they lost 10 games in a row.

The most intriguing race is in the west and for the wild card spot. The Atlanta Braves, in the final year of Bobby Cox's coaching career, hold a very slim lead in the wild card pursuit, with a half a game lead over the Padres and three-and-a-half game lead on the Colorado Rockies, which always give teams fits down the stretch.

The National League race is a lot more interesting than the American League, but once the dust has settled this all should make for a pretty good October, besides the fact that the Red Sox will sadly be watching on TV this year.