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A Really Wild Race
Five clubs within 2.0 games of IL Wild Card Berth; while the PawSox, Bats, and Bulls are approaching their magic numbers.

 

8.22.03 -- As the International League approaches the final week of the 2003 regular season, last week's trio of Division leaders - Pawtucket (North), Louisville (West), and Durham (South) - remain atop their respective Divisions and appear poised to advance to the 2003 Governors' Cup Playoffs.

The PawSox have a couple of Magic Numbers for fans to watch (5 over Scranton/WB and 6 over Ottawa). Louisville's Magic Number is at 6 entering play tonight while defending Governors' Cup Champion Durham's Magic Number is 7.

Durham is looking for a fifth playoff berth in the past six years, while a trip to the post-season will be Louisville's first since 2001 and would end a five-year drought (since 1997) for Pawtucket.

At this point, predicting which club will secure the League's fourth playoff berth as the Wild Card Team is impossible. Five clubs are within 2.0 games of each other for final spot in the post-season, which goes to the non-Division winner with the highest winning percentage.

Last week's leader, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, which had a 2.5 game lead, has seen that advantage fall to a precarious half-game over a pair of second place clubs, Columbus and Ottawa.

Charlotte went 7-2 last week and is 1.5 games out of the Wild Card berth, while Buffalo made up two games last week and sits 2.0 games behind the Red Barons.

The closeness of this race, along with the fact that each of the three contending Wild Card clubs in the North will face each other in the next 11 days, makes for a stretch run unlike the IL has seen in many years.

Cup Experience Key Among 2003 Contending Managers

Of the eight teams still in contention for four berths in the International League's 2003 Governors' Cup Playoffs, a key element linking five of the contending clubs together is the fact that their field managers have previous experience in the Governors' Cup race.

Bill Evers, the skipper for South Division-leading Durham, has led the Bulls to four playoff berths and is tied for second in winning percentage among all managers with at least three trips to the IL post-season series.

Among other contending field generals, Scranton/WB's Marc Bombard also has led his club to four spots in the post-season and holds a career record of 10-13 in Governors' Cup games.

Columbus' Bucky Dent led the Clippers to the IL Title in 1987 in his only trip to the Governors' Cup Playoffs. As the Clippers swept a pair of three game series that season, Dent, with a 6-0 record, is the only undefeated manager in Governors' Cup play.

Pawtucket's Buddy Bailey (1994, '96 with Pawtucket, record of 2-6) and Ottawa's Gary Allenson (0-3 in 1998 with Louisville) are the other managers of 2003 contenders that have previous Governors' Cup experience.