tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25640005.post-45300080961949235682007-09-10T19:28:00.000-04:002007-09-10T19:30:40.298-04:00<p class="imgc"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_Ezootv1H7Ac/RuXJatRGYoI/AAAAAAAABEc/DOL2a2DJtRI/s1600-h/baseball-tamsy.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_Ezootv1H7Ac/RuXJatRGYoI/AAAAAAAABEc/DOL2a2DJtRI/s400/baseball-tamsy.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108710812986794626" border="0" /></a>Talkin' baseball: Why, don't mind if I do.</p><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">A:</span> The magic number (the number of wins + opponent losses a team needs to clinch the playoffs) can be calculated via <a href="http:///">this guy's method</a> — essentially: <blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">M# = 163 - W_team-1 - L_team-2</span></blockquote>Thus the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cleveland Indians</span>' Magic Number over the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit Tigers</span>, per today's <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/standings">standings</a>, is (163 - 83 [CLE wins] - 66 [DET losses]), or <span style="font-weight: bold;">14</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Baseball Prospectus</span>' magical robotic prediction machines put our odds at making the playoffs at <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/ps_oddspec.php">97.5%</a> (on Aug. 15th, it was <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/Indianspsoddspec.php">49.5%</a>, so the past few weeks have gone about as well as possible, unless you're a Tigers fan, in which case, sorry). <br /><br />The way we're playing now, behind the pitching of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sabathia</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Carmona </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Westbrook</span>, we should have a shot against anyone in October. Unfortunately, "anyone" will probably turn out to be both the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yankees </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Red Sox</span>, both of whom terrify me.<br /><br />(Specifically what terrifies me is the prospect of the unbearable pain of losing to either one of those loathsome teams' loathsome fan bases. But then, beating both teams in one postseason would be eventually looked back upon as the greatest accomplishment of our entire mutual lives, so it's an exciting kind of terror). <br /><br />Yes, it's a great time to be a Cleveland sports fan. Too bad we don't have a football team, or this fall would be <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>exciting!<br /><br />Because four of you care, here are some Cleveland sports blogs worth <a href="http://www.google.com/reader/">subscribing</a> to:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.letsgotribe.com/">Let's Go Tribe</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://mistakesports.blogspot.com/">Mistake by the Lake Sporting Times</a></li><li><a href="http://vinnyandthehornlessrhino.blogspot.com/">Vinny & the Hornless Rhino</a></li><li><a href="http://journals.aol.com/bads85/ManyGoFewUnderstand/">Many Go; Few Understand</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Brian Windhorst</span>'s Cavaliers Blog</a></li><li><a href="http://www.whywahooweeps.com/">Why Wahoo Weeps</a> [pending me starting it]</li></ul>And <span style="font-weight:bold;">Joe Posnanski</span>'s <a href="http://thesoulofbaseball.blogspot.com/">The Soul of Baseball</a> is great no matter which team you follow.t.a.m.s.y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14016844718237440155noreply@blogger.com