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After a 162-game season (oof), it all comes down to this.
Batter up,
The Last Night's Game Team
1. Should you need a little direction on which team to cheer for, how about selecting by their biggest celebrity fan? Here are the matchups so you can pick accordingly:
AL (American League) Wild Card (Oct. 5): Boston Red Sox (Stephen King) vs. New York Yankees (Billy Crystal)
* Yankees were eliminated Tuesday night by the Red Sox
NL (National League) Wild Card (Oct. 6): Los Angeles Dodgers (Mila Kunis + Ashton Kutcher) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Jon Hamm)
AL Division Series (starts Oct. 7): Chicago White Sox (Barack Obama) vs. Houston Astros (Dan Rather)
ALDS (Oct. 7): Tampa Bay Rays (Hulk Hogan) vs. Boston Red Sox
NLDS (Oct. 8): Atlanta Braves (Ludacris) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (Colin Kaepernick)
NL Division Series (starts Oct. 8): San Francisco Giants (Metallica) vs. winner of Dodgers/Cardinals
2. A few of these playoff teams have strong traditions to tune into when you watch the game. The Astros have the train that goes back and forth after every home team home run. The Brewers have Bernie Brewer, the beloved mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers, who slides down a giant yellow slide above the outfield after every Brewers' home run. And the karaoke trend that you love goes sporty at a Red Sox game where fans sing "Sweet Caroline" just before the bottom of the eighth inning of every home game. GOOD TIMES NEVER SEEMED SO GOOD
3. It's all about the Benjamins, and not everyone is spending it all to reach the playoffs. The Yankees have the second-highest payroll in baseball and the Rays have the fourth lowest in the league. Despite the over $135 million differential in salaries, the Rays still have the best record in the American League, which earns them home field advantage. SPEND IT ALL
4. If you pick your team to cheer for based on their title drought, the playoffs are kind of a mixed bag. The Dodgers are the defending champions, and the Astros won a few years ago. Then there are the Rays, who haven't won in 23 years or the Brewers, who haven't taken home a championship in 53 years. The Rays are hoping to follow in the footsteps of the city's other professional sports teams that have won titles this year – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL – National Football League) and Lightning (NHL – National Hockey League). TITLE TOWN?
5. If you want to talk shop with the best of them, here's one for you. MLB changed the composition of the baseball this season to reduce the number of home runs. That change has resulted in a record number of pitchers throwing no-hitters this season. Will that continue into the playoffs? WE SHALL SEE
