Magic Numbers

The Rivercats have had a good run in the last several days - they are currently 5 1/2 games out of first with 13 games to go. Last night we were trying to figure out what the magic number for Tuscon is. That is something which everyone talks about but I for one did not know how to compute. Turns out it is simple -

Take the total number of games in the season (144)
Add one
Subtract the number of wins by the leading team - in this case Tuscon at 79
and then Subtract the number of losses by the second place team - in this case the Rivercats at 57

Thus, with 13 games left the Tuscon magic number is 9 (any combination of wins by Tuscon or losses by the Rivercats means the Sidewinders go to the playoffs).

The Rivercats have a shot at this. Tonight they begin a five game series with the Fresno Grizzlies at Fresno. So far this season the Cats have swept two series with the Grizzlies. Then on Monday, they come back to Raley Field for the last four games - against Tuscon. Then they finish out the season against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in Colorado. That is five in Fresno, four in Sacramento and four in Colorado Springs.

The Sindewinders play five against Tacoma in Tuscon and then four against us and then complete the season in Tacoma. Tacoma is five games behind Salt Lake. Salt Lake has a magic number of 10.