Q: How do you calculate a team's magic number (or more specifically, how do you calculate the Cleveland Indians' magic number)?

Talkin' baseball: Why, don't mind if I do.

A: The magic number (the number of wins + opponent losses a team needs to clinch the playoffs) can be calculated via this guy's method — essentially:

M# = 163 - W_team-1 - L_team-2

Thus the Cleveland Indians' Magic Number over the Detroit Tigers, per today's standings, is (163 - 83 [CLE wins] - 66 [DET losses]), or 14.

Baseball Prospectus' magical robotic prediction machines put our odds at making the playoffs at 97.5% (on Aug. 15th, it was 49.5%, so the past few weeks have gone about as well as possible, unless you're a Tigers fan, in which case, sorry).

The way we're playing now, behind the pitching of Sabathia, Carmona and Westbrook, we should have a shot against anyone in October. Unfortunately, "anyone" will probably turn out to be both the Yankees and Red Sox, both of whom terrify me.

(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).

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 really exciting!

Because four of you care, here are some Cleveland sports blogs worth subscribing to:

• Let's Go Tribe
  
• Mistake by the Lake Sporting Times
• Vinny & the Hornless Rhino
• Many Go; Few Understand
• Brian Windhorst's Cavaliers Blog
• Why Wahoo Weeps [pending me starting it]

And Joe Posnanski's The Soul of Baseball is great no matter which team you follow.

Q: Correction of the year, 2007?

A: I recently discovered the excellent blog Regret the Error, which compiles the most notable, entertaining and/or embarrassing corrections from international media.

It's become an annual tradition at RtE to compile the best of the best errors and corrections at the end of the year. Granted, it's only January, but this gaffe from the Washington Post should probably be considered the horse to beat.
Kudos to Wonkette -- no slouch themselves when it comes to showcasing media absurdity -- for scooping RtE on that one.

RELATED: Regret the Error and Wonkette are both among the nominees for the 2007 Bloggies, now in its seventh year. RtE is up against the aforementioned Drawn! for Best Canadian Weblog; Wonkette is going for its third straight Best Weblog About Politics.

Q: Is it Wednesday already?

A: Wow, it totally is. Huh. I should probably think of something to post.

If you hadn't already noticed, Google Checkout is offering a $10 coupon to anyone who signs up before February 15th. You can use it at Starbucks or Buy.com or Toys R Us or a bunch of other places.

Or, hey, you can use it to buy that URL you've always wanted. It would usually cost you $10/year, but with the bonus, it'll be free. Start a stupid blog of your own! In fact, thisismystupidblog.com is still ripe for the plucking.

It's ten 'til imaginary doomsday. Do you know where your imaginary children are?

IN OTHER NEWS: Remember that apocalypse I warned you about? Well, it turns out we really are getting close to doomsday -- as proved by a bunch of geeky University of Chicago scientists and their stupid-ass imaginary clock. I guess they got bored with doing actual science.