Hey baseball fans, it’s game 162 today, and we are looking at two open division races and a battle for home field advantage. We could have a one game playoff between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. Today’s matchup between the Texas Rangers and the Oakland A’s decides the AL West. All of that before we get into the new one game wildcard round. What a thrilling way to end the season! With the new rules for the baseball postseason, we have five teams qualify in each league, instead of the traditional four. The three division winners will sit back and watch the one game playoff between the top two wildcard teams. Once that game concludes, we’ll be down to four teams in each league, and the playoffs will continue as they have in the past.

The NL is all set, but the playoff matchups can change based on what happens today. However, the AL is still up in the air. Here’s a breakdown of the playoff races so far:

AL Division Champs:
Detroit Tigers

AL Playoff Teams:
Texas Rangers
Oakland A’s
New York Yankees
Baltimore Orioles

NL Division Champs:
Cincinnati Reds
Washington Nationals
San Francisco Giants

NL Wildcard Teams:
St. Louis Cardinals
Atlanta Braves

Postseason gear is now available for all the playoff qualifiers, but if you are a fan of one of the teams still battling for their division crown, I suggest waiting to see what plays out today. I’m sure you’ll want division champs gear if your team wins. Either way, keep up with the postseason here at FansEdge and sport some new gear to root your team on to the World Series. Good luck!

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.

This year’s MLB Trade Deadline concluded with a slew of tactical and electrifying moves leaving obvious winners and losers in its wake. While the MLB Trade Deadline can be exciting, it also has the potential to disappoint as fans await the news—did their favorite franchise add to their arsenal of players for a late season playoff run or, is their already struggling franchise packing it in and cleaning house? No matter the outcome–one thing is certain—the 2011 MLB Trade Deadline brought about some serious game changers.
The San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers were among this year’s winners in the MLB Trade Deadline. San Francisco made all the right moves and added pieces to their already stacked lineup with outfielder Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets, and infielders Orlando Cabrera from the Cincinnati Reds and Jeff Keppinger form the Houston Astros. Reigning American League Champs, the Texas Rangers, shored up their bullpen with former San Diego Padres’ relief pitcher Mike Adams and Koji Uehara from the Baltimore Orioles.
High profile losers? The New York Yankees, who are usually making down-to-the-wire deals failed to land starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez who went to the Cleveland Indians instead. And finally, the Cincinnati Reds, who are in the thick of the National League Central race, failed to make a difference to their up and coming team.
There you have it—the MLB Trade Deadline of 2011. Sure—only time will tell the impact these trades bring their respective teams but one thing is certain; this year’s MLB provided fans with a flurry of activity, clock-busting moves and excitement.
If you want to score your MLB apparel for your team’s latest lineup addition, then head into our MLB Fan Shop where you can find a great selection of MLB jerseys, including stitched player jerseys, special edition jerseys, MLB hats and more.