With baseball’s Winter Meetings starting next week and X-mas just around the corner, I thought it was a good time to look at what is on every team’s wish list this December. If a team is expected to make any significant signings or trades I’ll feature them. But if they are likely sitting on the sidelines this winter, then they only have three wishes: good health, development by their prospects, and bargain shopping in 2011 before the season starts.

First up American League:

AL East:

New York Yankees:

Cliff Lee: There is little surprise on what tops their wish list, as landing an ace starting pitcher is their top priority.Lee is really the only guy available who fits the bill. New York needs to hope their money and winning reputation sway Lee away from his other suitors.

Derek Jeter: The Yankees negotiations with their ‘Captain’ haven’t been too pretty and have in fact served as more of a distraction than anything else. The Yankees need Jeter to come to his senses quickly and sign his deal, before it looks any worse than it already is.

A.J. Burnett: New York invested big money into Burnett two years ago and already they are regretting their decision. Burnett needs to figure out his issues quick, as he can’t afford to start off the season badly. Not only will it hurt the Yankees playoff hopes, but a bad start will doom him in New York, meaning the Yankees may have to eat his contract just to appease the fans.

Boston Red Sox:

Crawford or Werth: Boston is in hot pursuit of the top two free agent outfielders and they need to land one if the Yankees make a big move (i.e. signing Lee). Either OF will fit in well in Boston and continue to make that lineup one of the best in the league.

Gonzalez or Fielder: While it is a bit quite of late, I still think the Red Sox will end up with either Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder from the trade market this offseason. Both are impending free agents and likely to be dealt by their current team. Gonzalez is a better fit for Boston given his defense, and higher likelihood of negotiating a more team friendly extension. If Boston lands one of them, plus one of the top outfielders, they should pass the Yankees for the best lineup in baseball.

Tampa Bay Rays:

Trade Jason Bartlett: This could happen in the next few days, as Tampa does not want to pay Bartlett’s arbitration salary this coming season. While Bartlett won’t bring back a major haul, they should expect to get back a solid middle reliever, who is young and cost controlled.

Rebuild Their Bullpen: The Rays have a number of free agent defections from their bullpen and given their budget, they will likely have to build from within or through trades. In addition to the likelihood of  a Bartlett for middle reliever swap, I’d look for Tampa to make a bigger deal with their considerable prospect depth to add a back of the bullpen arm.

Add a Quality Bat: With holes at 1B, LF (could be filled by rookie Desmond Jennings) and DH, the Rays could use at least one bat to keep them on the cusp of contention. Since the free agent market is likely too expensive, the Rays will likely look for a bat on the trade market. I would count them out of the Gonzalez/Fielder markets given their salary price tags, and what it would cost in terms of prospects. Names like Billy Butler, Josh Willingham, Luke Scott could all be on their radar this offseason.

Toronto Blue Jays:

Make a Splash: The Blue Jays might be rebuilding, but this team was competitive without any of their top prospects making a significant impact. I think Toronto will make a bold move such as trading for Greinke or Justin Upton (Billy Butler could be on their wish list as well). Trading for a star caliber player could really make this team a threat in the East, though I don’t think they should give up too much in the way of young talent.

Find a First Baseman: While Adam Lind is a distinct internal possibility, I would expect the Jays to find a new first baseman for next season. Trading for Billy Butler should be high on their list, but if they decide to move some of their young talent for a different star, the Blue Jays still have options on the free agent market (though they are dwindling fast). Adam LaRoche or Derek Lee would be good fits in Toronto, as could Carlos Pena if they expect a bounce back year.

Add a 3B/2B: Right now the Jays have a hole at 3B that they could fill by moving 2B Aaron Hill there, but that would only create an issue up the middle. The free agent market won’t yield any great 3B (unless they buck up to sign Beltre), so a trade could be an option. They could also look to bring back Orlando Hudson to fill 2B and move Hill over. Hudson wouldn’t be a long term fix, but he’d be a solid short term addition.

Add some relievers: The Jays are losing a couple quality relievers in the free agent market and will either need to add some arms via trade or from the market. Given their young staff, and the likely ascension of some young prospects, they could use a good bullpen to help protect their young arms.

Baltimore Orioles:

Add a 1B/DH bat: The O’s have struck out with two of their top free agent options, Victor Martinez and Adam Dunn so far this offseason and they are likely to miss out on another one, as Paul Konerko is likely to resign with the White Sox. The 1B/DH market is drying up fast with Adam LaRoche, Carlos Pena, Derek Lee and Lance Berkman the only real options left. The O’s need to land one of them, but at this point they need to make sure they aren’t overpaying, since none of them are true stars. Baltimore should look to focus their money on their other needs such as 3B.

Go Hard After Adrian Beltre: At this point the O’s are going to have to overpay to land a star, and Beltre is probably the best chance the O’s have at landing one. Now they aren’t alone in the market and it will cost quite a bit, but Beltre could be worth it. He is a very good defender at 3B, and at 32 should be productive for another couple of years. It still could be a pipe dream, but Baltimore needs to be aggressive.

Add Some Relief Pitching: The Orioles have a promising young staff, but their bullpen was a mess last year. They need to add a couple free agent arms to turn that into a strength and help protect their rotation.

Add a Shortstop: It is not a good year to be needing a shortstop, but the Orioles need to find someway to get better production out of that position. Jason Bartlett and J.J. Hardy head their list, but other options could become available. Who ever they find, Baltimore needs to ensure they offer some production from that area.

AL Central:

Chicago White Sox:

Bring Back Konerko: With the addition of Adam Dunn, the White Sox finally have the hitter who can help protect Paul Konerko in the middle of the lineup. Now they just need to ensure Konerko is in that lineup. I fully expect a deal to get done in the next couple of days, which will fully cover their DH/1B positions.

Find a LF: I know a lot of people like Juan Pierre for his speed and defense, but he is a bit of a liability in LF. He just doesn’t get on base enough or have any power to speak of to justify a corner outfield spot. While his defense was exceptional in LF, you have to get better than a .312 wOBA from your LF if you want to be a contender. There aren’t any real free agent options available, but don’t be shocked if the White Sox target someone like Josh Willingham or Luke Scott. Alex Gordon could also be an option if they go for a more unproven player.

Add Relief Pitching: In their pursuit for adding Dunn and Konerko, the White Sox made a tough choice by releasing long time closer Bobby Jenks to save some money. While fiscally it makes some sense, it leaves that bullpen a little short right now. A couple relievers should be acquired by trade or through free agency to help offset the loss.

Kansas City Royals:

Make the Best Deal(s) Possible: The Royals are in an enviable position with the best farm system in baseball, and a number of quality trade-able pieces. The Royals have the best SP (Greinke), Closer (Joakim Soria) and one of the top bats (Butler) on the trade market. In addition to their big names, the Royals have Alex Gordon and Robinson Tejada, who are both good 2nd tier trade targets. Now I wouldn’t expect to see all 5 dealt before the start of the season, but at least 2 should be moved by then, and all of them could be gone by the start of 2012. The Royals need to make the best trades possible and should target middle infield help, outfielders (in particular center fielders), frontline starting pitching, and maybe a 3B. Kansas City can basically name their own price.

Detroit Tigers:

The Tigers have already done most of their heavy lifting this offseason, with Victor Martinez their top prize. I don’t think they are done just yet, but they might not make any more major moves. If they do here is what they might target:

OF help: The Tigers are rumored to still be in the Werth and Crawford sweepstakes, but I’m not too sure they can swing a deal. My guess is they will look to the trade market for a quality OF bat (usual suspects, Willingham, Scott etc.) to fill their need.

Relief Pitching: They have already added Benoit, but my guess is they add another solid arm before the start of the season. I don’t see them adding a starter, but I think their staff could use some help.

Minnesota Twins:

The Twins aren’t supposed to be too active this offseason beyond resigning Jim Thome and agreeing to a deal with the Japanese middle infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who can play either SS or 2B. The Twins could be trading J.J. Hardy, though that is far from being set in stone. The one thing the Twins could be looking at is making a big trade:

Make a Splash: In back-to-back years the Twins have gotten swept out of the Playoffs by the New York Yankees, so they need to find a way to get better if they want to advance further in 2011. The Twins have a quality system, so they do have the pieces to swing a major deal or two. Given their depth across the board, they could target any number of positions. Starting pitching is a top priority, but I don’t see them getting in the Greinke sweepstakes (more because I really don’t see the Royals trading him in the division unless the Twins vastly overpay).

Cleveland Indians:

Cleveland falls into the category of teams who are really not expected to do anything significant this offseason, and they will be bargain shopping this year.

AL West:

Texas Rangers:

Sign Cliff Lee: The Rangers are the Yankees toughest competition in the Lee Sweepstakes and if the money is close enough he could prefer to stay in Texas. If the Rangers land Lee, then they won’t have much additional money to spend, but they should be pretty well set for another World Series run.

Trade for Zack Greinke: If the Rangers fail to land Lee, they should be one of the favorites to land Greinke. It will cost quite a bit in prospects, but his team friendly contract will allow the Rangers to add another free agent or two.

Add A DH: Vlad is gone, so it is time for Texas to find another decent designated hitter to insert into their lineup. The usual 1B suspects could be options, though most likely could find an actual 1B job. Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui could fit, but neither would have any impact in the field. The could go down the trade route for a Billy Butler (especially if they sign Lee) or a Luke Scott. Both are fairly cheap, while having the ability to help in the field as well.

Los Angeles Angels:

Carl Crawford: The Angels are expected to go all-in for Crawford and basically make him an offer he can’t refuse. Crawford would be a huge free agent signing for the Angels and it would drastically improve their chances for reclaiming the AL West. If they miss out on Crawford, they will go hard after Werth, but he seems to be not nearly as high on their wish list.

Adrian Beltre: Whether they get Crawford or not, Beltre figures to be high on the Angels wish list. They need more power in their lineup and 3B is an issue for them. He won’t come cheap and it is possible that he and Crawford would cost to much, but the Angels should be a serious suitor for him.

Add Bench and Relief Depth: The Angels have a good lineup and starting rotation, but they need to add better depth to ensure that injuries don’t sink their season like last year. I’d look for them to have a couple known players on the bench/bullpen, as they look to build a playoff contender.

Oakland A’s:

The A’s have already done some of their hard work this offseason by adding David DeJesus to their outfield, but they still have a ways to go. For the most part I’d expect them to fill their needs from within, but they could make at least one significant move.

Add a DH: The A’s seem poised to try power hitting 1B/DH prospect Chris Carter in the outfield (not too sure if that will work), and add a legitimate designated hitter this offseason. It is no shock that the A’s need to generate power, but it might make more sense to play Carter at DH and add an OF. Right now I don’t see that happening, so I’m guessing they end up signing one of the 1B/DH types on the market this year.

Outside of that 3B and RP could be an issue, but one that might not be fully addressed this offseason.

Seattle Mariners:

The Mariners are expected to sit quietly this offseason as they look to rebuild. One of two moderate signings may occur in January, but I think that is all you will see right now.

Check back later as I look at the NL’s X-Mas/Winter Meetings Wish List!

As we await for the news of a Roy Oswalt-Phillies trade, there were a few minor deals completed yesterday:

Tigers Grab Peralta From Division Foe: The Tigers filled their need for an infielder by trading for Indians 3B Jhonny Peralta. The Tigers gave up Low-A pitching prospect Giovanni Soto. The Indians are paying the majority of Peralta’s salary this year, but do save on his buyout for next year. In return they receive a young prospect, who isn’t considered a top guy, but his youth and results work in his favor. The Tigers get Peralta, who at one time was considered a major part of the Indians franchise but has seen his production decline of late. Peralta can still help out a major league lineup and since the Indians are paying the majority of his salary it won’t hurt Detroit’s bottom line.  Tigers win this trade given their need, and lack of giving up a quality prospect.

Dodgers Add Podsednik to Their Outfield: Dodgers added the speedy and versatile Scott Podsednik for C Lucas May (AAA) and RHP Elisaul Pimentel (A-).

Podsednik is having another solid season with a .310/.353/.400 line to go along with 30 stolen bases. He brings average defense, and the versatility to play every outfield position. The thing the Dodgers probably liked the most was his price tag, not in terms of prospects, but in cash. Podsednik is only due another 600K this season and will likely be a Type-B free agent after the end of the year, meaning Los Angeles can recoup a draft pick.

For the Royals, they picked up two solid prospects with for 2 months of Podsednik. Neither is considered a major get, but they add to the depth of their system. Lucas May is the better of the two prospects and could develop into a solid starter. His bat is nearly major league ready, but he just switched to catcher 3 years ago so his defense is still a work in progress. May might be ready by the start of next season as a back up and could make Buck expendable down the line. Pimentel will probably project as a middle reliever by the time he makes it to the show, but he has a couple interesting pitches that get results.

All-in-all it is a solid return for Podsednik who is a nice player, but not really a difference maker. The Dodgers got the outfield depth they need, but really didn’t change their status as the third best team in the N.L. West. They gave up some nice prospects but nothing major so that is good, but they will need to make another move if they hope to cement their playoff chances.

Not only did the Tigers Armando Galarraga throw the 3rd perfect game of this season, but he bettered Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay by getting 28 batters out without allowing one reach base, or at least that is the case if you watched the game. Unfortunately, a blown call at first base ruined Galarraga’s perfection in the record books. Much of the debate that will spring from this situation will involve instant replay, and how it should be used. But the real debate (and I don’t even believe it should be one) is whether or not Bud Selig should step in and award the perfect game to Galarraga.

I know baseball purists will say that it would be unfair and it would hurt the integrity of the game, but isn’t the game’s integrity hurt by not recognizing Galarraga’s accomplishment? I’m not talking about changing history based on something subjective like the strike zone, I’m talking about giving credit where credit is due. Sure you could go back in time and take hits and homeruns away (or give them) to players if you rewatched every play over the years, but this one is a no brainer. Galarraga clearly beat the runner, on what would have been the 27th out of the game. There is no guesswork in that fact. This wasn’t some blown call in the 5th inning or when the game wasn’t decided. We are talking about honestly saying that the ump (Jim Joyce) made a bad call (which he fully admits). And before we get into a debate about instant replay, that wasn’t a true replay call, umpires get that call right 99.99% of the time without instant replay, because Donald wasn’t even close to being safe. If you need further proof that Galarraga deserves a perfect game, remember that even after that horrible call he still got the next batter out.

While it still would have been an open debate if the next batter got a (real) hit off of Galarraga, but by getting Crowe to ground out to end the game (again) I don’t see how you can argue the fact that Galarraga was truly perfect last night. That performance last night should not be tarnished due to one bad mistake. Sure human error is part of the game, but it shouldn’t change history like that. Not only should the league step in, but it needs too.

In a situation like last night Bud Selig and MLB have every reason and right to step in and award a perfect game to Galarraga. I mean who is really going to complain? Joyce already feels awful and has apologized for the missed call. I’d have to imagine that Jason Donald and the Indians would support that as well, because it is good for the game. While some might get upset at the league for overriding an umps call, the league can make it completely clear that given the extreme circumstances (9 inning, 2 down, as well as getting the next guy out) that this is a unique situation. All the league is changing here is the record books (and I guess Galarraga’s and Donald’s stat lines). This didn’t change the outcome of the game or erase what other players did. Baseball needs to do the right thing and award Galarraga the 21st perfect game in league history.

Just one year after Harry Kalas passed away, another legendary baseball announcer, Ernie Harwell was lost. Harwell broadcasted Major League Games from 1948-2002, for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and most notably the Detroit Tigers. His time in Detroit (1960-1991, 1993-2002) earned him the nickname “The Voice of the Tigers”, and brought him national fame.

Harwell started his career as a Minor League announcer for an Atlanta team, and was actually traded for a player to the Brooklyn Dodgers when they needed a new announcer. While Harwell had yet to become a household name, the fact that he was traded for a player shows just how respected and important his profession was to the game of baseball. Harwell exemplified the game baseball, and connected with fans from coast to coast, in a time when television still wasn’t the primary venue for baseball. Even when TV did surpass radio as the primary way to enjoy baseball (without being at the park), Harwell and other announcers like him continued to connect their listeners to America’s Pastime.

Harwell did do some spot TV duty and a few seasons late in his career, but he will be forever known as a radio personality. A radio play-by-play man is probably the hardest job in broadcast sports, since your voice needs to paint the picture for the listener. From the defensive position to the base runner to the actual pitch, you need to give the fans the whole story completely based on your voice. There is no television backdrop, or updated internet scoreboard, you are responsible for the entire game. A good radio play-by-play man is hard to find, a great one next to impossible. An icon like Harwell whose voice dominated the airwaves for over half a century of summers is a true treasure.

In fact, Harwell was so well liked in Detroit, that when the team/radio station didn’t bring him back in 1992, there was a severe public outcry. So much so, that when the new owners took over in 1993, their first priority was to bring “The Voice of Detroit” home. Though Harwell won just about every broadcaster award and honor you can win, the fact that he became baseball for an entire city is his greatest accomplishment.

While his voice had long since retired, baseball lost one of its best ambassadors yesterday in Harwell. A man who not only had an effect on the city of Detroit, but brought baseball into the consciousness of generations of Americans, through both his writing and broadcasting work. Harwell, like Kalas and others before him will be sorely missed among the entire baseball community. And though “The Voice of Detroit” may be gone, his memory and impact on the game will never fade away.

It took 24 combined hits, 14 different pitchers and 12 innings, (not to mention 163 games) but the Minnesota Twins are the 2010 AL Central Division champs. Early on the Tigers took a 3-0 lead, but the Twins battled back to go up 4-3 in the 7th before the Tigers tied it to force extra innings. Minnesota had to outlast a number of Tigers opportunities in the late innings, including scoring the tying run in the 10th to keep the game alive. Now the Twins “won” the right to face the Yankees in the first round in a series that starts tonight.

Yankees vs. Twins:

New York is a huge favorite in the five game series, and that was even before the Twins used some of the best bullpen arms last night. This very well could be a sweep, but I think the Twins will steal one of the games from New York when they return home to Minnesota. The Yankees just have too much pitching and hitting for the Twins. And if the game is ever close in the 8th or 9th inning the Yankees have Mariano Rivera, the best closer ever to play the game. The Twins right now are without their second best offensive weapon (Morneau) and have a makeshift pitching rotation. They just can’t match up with the Yankees to really give them a threat.

Rockies vs. Phillies

No team has been hotter down the stretch this year than the Colorado Rockies, going 74-42 after replacing Clint Hurdle with Jim Tracy early in the season. They almost stole the NL West from the Dodgers, and overcame seven other teams fighting for the Wild Card spot down the stretch. Their impressive run though is about to come to an end, as the are prepared to meet the world champs in the first round. The Philadelphia Phillies have a great offense with five players with 20 or more home runs on the year. The Phillies have the deepest starting pitching they’ve had since they went to the World Series in 1993, with a pair of aces at the top in Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. Lee and Hamels should be the difference in the series, between the two of them they should be able to win three games. The Phillies only weakness is their bullpen, I don’t know if they can rely on them to hold 1-3 run leads night in and night out. The good news for Philly is they can use their extra starting depth to pitch meaningful innings out of the bullpen. The Rockies are a good team, but are already without one of their top pitchers for the series. They have a good lineup 1-8, but don’t have the star power outside Tulowitzki at SS. As long as the Phillies don’t need to rely on their bullpen too much, they should have no problems advancing to the next round. I think Philadelphia wins this series 3-1, although with the way the Rockies have been playing and I wouldn’t be shocked to see them force a game 5.

Dodgers vs. Cardinals:

The Cardinals seem to be a favorite NL World Series pick among baseball people out there, but I don’t think they will make it past LA in the first round. I understand that the Cards have Pujols and Matt Holliday, two of the best hitters in the game, and they have a pair of Cy Young contenders in Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. Unfortunately, I don’t think they have enough talent elsewhere to win this series. The Dodgers are stacked 1-25 on their roster, they have the deepest, bench, lineup, bullpen and rotation in the National League this year. Combine that with the home field advantage aspect, and I think the Dodgers are the favorites in this series. The big difference is going to be the bullpens in this matchup. The Dodgers might have the best bullpen in the game right now, where as the Cardinals bullpen scares me even more than the Phillies bullpen. They have been pitching over their heads this year, and I don’t know if they will be able to shut the door on the Dodgers offense like they were able to do against the likes of the Pirates and Reds during the season. In the end I think the Dodgers bench and bullpen win the day (and series) for LA 3-2.

Talk about October drama, after 162 games of baseball the AL Central is all tied up and down to one final play-in game between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers to determine the winner. The loser goes home and the winner gets to play the New York Yankees in the Division Series. This is the second straight year the Twins have had to play a 163rd game, last year they lost in Chicago, which created a rule change. In the past in situations like this home field for these one game playoffs were determined by a coin flip, now head to head record is taken into account.

This game has a lot of significance to Minnesota and their fans. Not only are they trying to avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss, and return to the postseason, but this is the Twins last year in the Metrodome, their home since 1982. If they win tonight they can extend the life of baseball in the dome a little while longer. Not only do the Twins have home field advantage, but the fans tonight will be extra excited to send the Metrodome out in style (the Vikings winning last night couldn’t have hurt either). The Twins hope the magic of their fans can propel them to a third World Series crown in the dome.

For the Tigers combating this date with destiny is a 20-year old rookie pitcher Rick Porcello. Two years ago at this time Porcello was an 18-year old kid, who had just been rewarded a $7 million dollar signing bonus out of high school, and was preparing for his first professional season. Now he is pitching the biggest game of the year (and by far his career) for the Tigers. High school pitchers NEVER jump to the majors this quickly, usually it takes them 3-5 years of minor league seasoning to be ready for the show. Porcello needed just one, and at High-A ball no less, which is a major step down from Major League competition. Regardless of tonight’s outcome Porcello is a great pitcher, who has a brilliant future. For the Tigers sake, they hope he has at least one more great game in his rookie year, otherwise 2009 will be the year the Tigers collapsed.

The Central race has been a battle all season and for most of the year it was a three horse race, with the Chicago White Sox involved as well. In September the Tigers began to separate themselves, and on September 6th they held a 7-game lead. The Tigers had even more control, when with four games to go, and Detroit’s magic number at 2, the Tigers played host to the Twins. If Detroit won that game last week, it would have given them the the Central Division. Even with that loss the Tigers needed to take just 2 out of 3 from the White Sox at home, and were only able to squeak by with a victory in Sunday’s game. Not to take anything away from Minnesota, but if they end up playing the Yankees, it won’t be a case of them winning the Central, as much as it is the Tigers losing it.

I think the Tigers can win this game, and I do have faith in the rookie to get the job done, but boy do they have to overcome a lot tonight. The Twins have the momentum and the home field, in the end I think that will be enough to extend the Twins season a little while longer (Joe Mauer doesn’t hurt either). Look for the Twins to win a close one late 6-5 and advance to play the Yankees in the first round.

World Champs Clinch the East:  The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the N.L. East for the third year in a row last night with the Braves losing to the Marlins 5-4 (not to mention the Phils trouncing the Astros 10-3). The win takes some pressure off the Phillies and allows them to rest up some as they wait to see who their opponent will be in the first round (likely the Rockies). While it wasn’t his best outing last night, how much did the signing of Pedro Martinez pay off for Philadelphia? He’s 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in nine starts. Not only have his numbers been impressive, but the team is 8-1 in his starts, helping the Phils be where they are right now. If their bullpen can come together and start pitching big this October, Philadelphia could be in line for a repeat.

Indians Fire Wedge, Sort of:  The Indians announced at a press conference yesterday that Manager Eric Wedge and his staff were fired, but would finish out the season. This is one of the few times where an employee (or in this case employee’s) get two weeks notice from their employer. Was it really necessary to have a press conference to announce, what pretty much everyone in baseball already knew? No one thought that Wedge was going to be retained after the year he had. The Indians came into this year with legitimate playoff and World Series hopes, and are ending it with a bottom five finish. I don’t understand why you couldn’t just wait a week to have the press conference the day after the season is over. That seems to send a bit of a mix message to the players. At least the Indians didn’t pull an “Astros” and try to hire an “interim” manager for a handful of games. At this point you need to let Wedge manage out the rest of the season. Anything else would have been cheap and petty. Though the Indians P.R. department could probably use some lessons in decorum.

Tigers and Rockies pull away:  The Tigers and Rockies each picked up a game yesterday in their respective playoff races. The Rockies win over the Brewers yesterday, coupled with the Braves loss (Atlanta shot themselves in the foot all around yesterday) left the Rockies magic number at 1. Any Colorado win or Atlanta loss will clinch a playoff berth for the Rockies. Colorado still has an outside shot of winning the N.L. West and actually control their own destiny. They finish up with a three game series against the Dodgers, if they sweep the ‘boys in blue’, the Rockies will win the West. The Tigers did double damage yesterday with their win over the Twins, giving themselves a three game lead over Minnesota. With Detroit’s magic number now at 2, the Tigers can clinch the division today with another win over the Twins. If not things get a bit dicey as the Twins finish up with the Royals, while the Tigers have three remaining games against the White Sox. I’d look for Detroit to close it out at home today.