FPPI Midweek Update

I'll cut straight to the chase this time. If you want an explanation of what FPPI is, it's basically a quantification of the misery that is watching former players of your favorite team succeed in the playoffs. A more detailed explanation can be found here, along with the initial standings. Below are the rankings as of Tuesday night, with the NLCS tied at a game apiece and the Tigers ahead in the ALCS three games to none:

Click picture for larger size. Click "continue reading" for some musings.

The gap is closing between the Mariners and everybody else, mostly thanks to Raul Ibanez's strikeout to end game three of the ALCS. I still think they are a hard team to catch in these standings though. They might effectively clinch the "victory" if Doug Fister (former Mariner) pitches the Tigers to the World Series before Anibal Sanchez (former Marlin) starts again. It would be very much like a former Mariner to get the victory in a series-clinching game. This assumes that the series makes it to game 5, Fister's next start, which is not a safe assumption right now.

I find it amusing that more teams have positive (red) rankings now than a few days ago. Maybe if series went long enough every team would see their former players make positive contributions, and thus every fan would have a reason to groan.

The Mets shot up 14 slots and the Red Sox 11 between Sunday and today. The Indians could make a similarly large leap if CC Sabathia comes up big for the Yankees in game four.

The Athletics have a stigma as a team that cannot perform in the postseason. Apparently that stigma extends to its former players too.

Expect the next update at the end of the weekend, which might potentially be at the end of both series. Can the Mariners win this playoff battle of sorts? Is this even something a Mariners fan wants the Marines to win at?