What a wild and crazy night it was. Heading into the final day of the 2011 MLB season, four teams were tied for the final two playoff spots. The National League Wild Card race came down to a contentious battle between the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, while the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays slugged it out for the coveted American League Wild Card spot. Within a span of two hours, two teams were knocked out of the MLB playoff race and two were getting ready for October baseball.

Amazingly enough, the Atlanta Braves began September with a firm 8.5 game lead in the Wild Card standings against the St. Louis Cardinals however, injuries and poor starting pitcher performance proved to be their downfall. Their comfy lead all but disappeared and they were tied for the Wild Card spot with the Cardinals heading into the final game of the season. St. Louis played their last game earlier in the day and dropped a final notch in the W column with a victory over the Houston Astros. From there all the Cards could do was wait to see if the Braves could top the Phillies and force a one game playoff but as midnight approached on the East Coast, the Braves couldn’t hold their ground and fell to the Philadelphia Phillies, thus ensuring a final playoff spot for the Cardinals.

Like the Braves, the Boston Red Sox sat atop a nice lead in the American League East. At the beginning of September, the Bo Sox looked down at both the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, and even held a comfortable 9 game lead over the third place Rays. Boston’s comfortable lead dwindled and they soon found themselves tied for the final playoff spot at the last regular game of the season. Unfortunately, the Red Sox came up short against the Baltimore Orioles. Meanwhile, down 7-0, the Rays staged an epic comeback against the New York Yankees to win thus securing the Rays the final playoff spot.

In terms of tension and fun, you could not have asked for a better day of baseball and an exhilarating end-of-season run. With four teams tied for two playoff spots heading into the final day of the season, September 28 will go down as an epic day in sports history.

Make sure that you are ready for the MLB Playoffs with a great baseball jersey or MLB apparel from FansEdge.com. Our eclectic mix of baseball clothing includes hats, t-shirts and more for the playoff bound Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers. Score your favorite team’s playoff shirts and cheer them on as they look for October glory. And, don’t forget to stop back for great deals on World Series merchandise and gear as well!

Ah—the Dog Days of Summer . . . while this is usually the time when parents and children count the days until it’s school’s back in session—we baseball fans do some counting of our own—how many games up, back or out are our favorite teams from playing October baseball.

From opening day and beyond, this baseball season has seen many division rivals compete head to head for 1st and now that it’s coming down to the home stretch, expect these teams to show off with electrifying performances that will inevitably go down to the wire.

The National League Central division has experienced close and competitive races all season. While the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals are battling it out for division domination, it looks like the Pittsburgh Pirates have felt the bite of summer. Though they were previously on a tear, the Buccos have succumbed to summer’s sultry heat dropping their last 10 games in the L column and it looks like they are going to miss the playoffs for a record 19th straight year.

In American League news, it’s business as usual as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox battle it out to see who gets the division crown and who gets the wild card spot. The AL West has the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vying for a division title against the defending American League champs–the Texas Rangers. Although the Cleveland Indians are battling the Detroit Tigers for AL Central bragging rights, don’t count out the Minnesota Twins just yet—they are usually good for a late season surge in this mediocre division.

As for the rest of the playoff landscape, expect to see solid teams like the San Francisco Giants, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Philadelphia Phillies play strong through the rest of the regular season. And, as the summer winds down, now is the perfect time to take in a game at your favorite ballpark and we have sports tickets for every team and every league.

Even though I’ve heard that there’s something happening in the NBA, it seems like a good time to talk about the upcoming big event on March 17th and what you can do to get ready for it. After all, if you have to wear green, shouldn’t you at least be styling in your favorite team’s green apparel?

St Patrick’s Day sports apparel is more popular than ever! Whether you are talking about St Patricks Day green Blackhawks jerseys or a green Boston Red Sox cap, FansEdge has all of the green baseball hats, shirts, hoodies and knit hats you will need to rock this St. Patrick’s day party. Check out the full selection of St. Patrick’s Day merchandise while you still have time.

And remember, even when St. Paddy’s Day is long gone, there is no bad time to break out your new green apparel and bring about a little luck o’ the Irish for your team (especially to end that losing streak!)

Below is a special contribution from a member of the FansEdge team, Daniel Bressler, and without further ado:

My second contribution to the FansEdge Blog is overdue, but I’m happy to be back! Great timing on my part…two big names in baseball made headlines in less than 48 hours.

Randy Johnson retires

On January 5, 2010, legendary pitcher Randy Johnson announced his retirement form baseball. The “Big Unit” left baseball on his terms – as a 46-year-old with 303 wins and 4,875 strikeouts, second in MLB history behind Nolan Ryan. Only Roger Clemens boasts more Cy Young awards than Johnson. Having spent most of his career with the Seattle Mariners and the Arizona Diamondbacks, he features a blazing fastball with a vicious slider. Standing 6’10, he was an intimidating force on the mound. In a league dominated by right-handed hitters and lefty switch-hitters, he is considered one of the greatest southpaw pitchers ever.

And who can forget his moustache and mullet? Johnson played with the Montreal Expos, Mariners, Houston Astros, Diamondbacks and New York Yankees before ending his career with the San Francisco Giants in 2009. Fans also remember Johnson’s ineptitude at the plate. He may have dominated the mound, but he was a wimp in the batter’s box, struggling to maintain his career .125 batting average, and striking out in nearly half of his plate appearances. Lanky and awkward, his batting stance resulted in easy strikeouts and laughs from the opposition. But those smiles quickly turned to frowns in the next half-inning. Johnson held opponents to a .221 avg. – eighth all-time. For years, fans learned the devastating effects Johnson’s 97 mph fastball on his opponents. But in 2001, the public found out what it could do to a living animal. It was a routine pitch that never reached the plate – intercepted by a bird, instead. The pitch knocked the feathers – and the life – from the bird. R.I.P. dove, we hardly knew ya. There is no doubt Johnson will make baseball’s Hall of Fame – we’ll just have to wait 5 years. The clock is now ticking.

Andre Dawson is enshrined in the Hall of Fame

Finally, we can stop hitting the snooze button for Andre Dawson. On January 6, 2010 – on his ninth try – Dawson was voted into the Hall of Fame. Dawson – receiving over 77% of the vote (75% is required) – will be the lone player inducted, while Bert Blyleven, Barry Larkin, Roberto Alomar, and others must wait.

Known as a hard worker, Dawson covered center and right field and spent most of his career with the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs. He is one of three MLB players to have hit 400 home runs and stolen 300 bases in a career – joining Willie Mays and Barry Bonds. He was named National League Most Valuable Player in 1987 when he hit 49 home runs and 137 RBIs.

Boasting eight All-Star appearances, eight Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and being named the 1977 Rookie of the Year and 1987 MVP, Dawson quietly became one of the most decorated baseball players. His hits and RBI totals approach or exceed many Hall of Fame hitters, including Mike Schmidt, Reggie Jackson, and Cal Ripken, Jr. Dawson, having never reached a World Series, never had his Kirk Gibson moment, but enjoyed a fantastic career.

If anyone ever questioned his love for the game, Dawson quickly settled that discussion in 1987. Despite setting franchise records with the Expos, Dawson dreamed of playing for the Cubs. So much so, that he signed a blank contract and allowed the Cubs to fill in the amount – resulting in a drastic pay cut.

Dawson also played for the Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins. He stayed in Miami, as a member of the front office, and received his first World Series in 2003, which included an epic 7-game NLCS – against the Cubs.

Congratulations to Andre Dawson for being inducted into the Hall of Fame and to Randy Johnson for retiring after two dominating decades!

In related news, Dawson has announced that he signed with Dreams, Inc. (the parent company of FansEdge) to handle the selling of all future memorabilia and merchandise. In addition, FansEdge will operate his official website. Look for more memorabilia from Dawson on FansEdge and our sister site, Pro Sports Memorabilia, in the upcoming months!