Eagan Norris:
Starting off below .500, the X reeled off 8 consecutive wins before the all-star game to take sole possession of 1st place in the Norris. They haven't looked back since. Grabbing their 3rd straight division title, the Expos have clinched a berth regardless of the outcome of their 3-game set against the Cards next Monday night. They'll have to wait and see who their first round opponent will be though, as they'll get the 1st place team from whichever division ends up producing the Wild Card.
The transplant Mets improved on their 2006 win total and surprised a couple teams along the way, including a 2-game sweep of the Hopkins Central division leading Twins. Out of the Wild Card hunt, the Mets will look to secure a 2nd place Norris finish and send the 45's to the Hopkins' West cellar, in their end of the season contest. The Cardinals are close behind, however, so an end of the year extra game mixer may ultimately decide how things shake out.
Currently in 3rd place, trailing the Mets, the Cardinals sure would like to win a couple against the playoff bound Expos next week, in order to have a chance at 2nd place. Both they and Mets have a couple extra games to work with, but if they drop 2 to the Expos, they'll have to pull a Houdini to escape last place.
Eagan Central:
Eagan's representation to last year's World Series is sitting pretty for another playoff appearance in 2007. Things are kind of a mess between the top 4 teams in Eagan, but with their city high 74% win-rate, the Reds are in the best spot of the lot. They have 5 extras games to dip into, should the need arise, but there's a good chance that won't be necessary. There are a lot of potential scenarios between these teams, but the Reds' focus will be on winning at least one game against the White Sox next Monday. If they win one, it'll take a miracle (or the Tigers playing some extra games) to keep them out of the playoffs. Even if they get swept though, there's still plenty of hope.
If the playoffs started today, the Tribe would be the ones left out in the cold. Losing 4 of their last 5 games, they find themselves just behind the Reds in the Central and trailing the Tigers in the Wild Card. They desperately need to sweep the Diamondbacks in their last regulation series to have a serious chance at making the playoffs. If they do lose one to the 'Backs, they could still win 3 of their 4 extras, and back-door their way in with some help from the Tigers or Royals.
The D-backs are much more dangerous than the loveable Cubbies they replaced. Holding their own against many of Eagan's finest, they just couldn't string together the consistency to mount a real playoff challenge in their first year together. They'll look to play spoiler in the final week, and could put a significant damper on the Indian's party plans if they hand them a loss next Monday night.
Eagan West:
After a 3-5 start, the Firm has resiliently plodded back to the top of the Western division standings. One of the few teams without any extra games left to play; their focus is on the Tigers. A Royals' sweep will guarantee them the Westerncrown, regardless of what the Tigers and A's outcome is the day before. If the Tigs sweep the A's and the Royals manage at least a split, they'll have a shot a Wild Card, forcing the Indians to win 3 straight or 5 out of 6 to knock the Kings out. If they drop two to the Tigers, they'll be sitting at 68.4%, and will need the Tribe to win less than two-thirds, (of how ever many games they decide to play), to avoid elimination.
The Tigers seemed poised for the playoffs from the get go, leading the league with only 3 losses before the all-star break. But back to back sweeps at the hands of the Brewers and White Sox, drug this club back to the Eagan Wild Card quagmire. They have all 6 extra games they could use, but such talk is typically considered heresy in Tig's camp. So their fate rests in their own hands, and more than likely on the final 4 regular season games. 3 Tiger wins, split any way betwixt the A's and Royals, gives them the Western division title. A sweep of the Royals, even with 2 losses to the A's, does the same…but a split with both or a Royals' sweep, will leave the Tigers' Wild Card playoff hopes in the Indians' hands.
Suffering from the uber tough competition that is the Eagan West, the Rats find themselves in 3rd place and looking forward to kicking butt in the inaugural HRL T-Bowl. The team has some impressive wins against playoff caliber clubs, and their record is a little deceiving, as a handful of narrow losses could have probably gone the other way. They'll look to squash any hope at all the Brewers have for a last minute playoff push, as they take on the Booze Boys at the Knob next Monday night.