Playoff help!

[alumna1210]

Someone help me out and give me a crash course on how the playoffs work.

Apparently, if (when!) the Rays win Saturday night, they clinch a playoff berth. Why is that exactly, what are the stipulations, and what happens next?

What do the Rays have to do to get to the World Series?

What would have to happen for them to not get to the World Series?

And what is a Wild Card team? How could they affect the Rays chances of getting into the WS?

Thanks.

[Bull-by-Marriage]

There are 3 divisions in each legaue (American and National). The 3 division winners make the playoffs, and 1 wild card team from each league makes the playoffs.

If the Rays win the American League East then they will play the Chicago White Sox and they will have home field advantage.

If the Rays get in as the Wild Card then they will have to play the Angels and they will not have home field advantage.

I think that if the Rays finish with the best record in the AL, then they will have home field advatage as long as they advance in the playoffs.

Who ever wins the ALCS will have home field advantage in the World Series, based on the fact that the AL won the All Star game this year.

The Rays will have to win one of the ALDS' 5 game series, (American League Divisional Series) to advance to the ALCS 7 game series, (American League Championship Series). If they win the ALDS, and the ALCS then they will play in the World Series 7 game series.

I have provided a link to the tentative schedule.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp

Hope that this helps.

[flsportsfan83]

is this a serious post?

[Matt]

there are 9 innings in a baseball game,  3 outs in each inning.

i figured i would just throw that out there too.

[Bull-by-Marriage]

is this a serious post?

You'd be suprised at how many "Sports Fans" that I work with that really don't know how the MLB playoffs work.

[bull2saintleo]

Also, if they Rays win the AL East and have the best record, even thought the Sox would be the Wild Card, we will not play them.  MLB signifies that division foes cannot meet until the ALCS or NLCS.

[DC]

is this a serious post?

Most "Rays fans" are new to baseball.

[alumna1210]

is this a serious post?

Yes, this is a perfectly serious post.

there are 9 innings in a baseball game,  3 outs in each inning.

i figured i would just throw that out there too.

Okay, that I did know... though technically, there are 6 outs in each inning.  > I know how the game of baseball works, completely. The playoffs... not so much.

[Mag Pie]

is this a serious post?

I thought the same thing.  But it's nice to see ppl learning about it.