ALDS and ALCS Playoffs
The American League Divisional Series (ALDS) and American League Championship Series (ALCS) are historically hard-fought encounters. The Divisional Series composes two best-of-five series featuring the four best teams in the American League - the three Divisional winners plus a wild card team with the best record outside the top three. It is possible for a wild card team to have a better record than one or more of the other teams in the ALDS, which guarantees a more accurate representation of the top MLB sides taking part. One reason the New York Yankees are a larger than live team is that they have played no less than fourteen Divisional Playoffs. This accounts for a significant chunk of ALDS action over the past several decades. Since 1998, the wild-card team has matched up with the divisional winner carrying the overall better winning record. The other two division winners also play each other.
Upon winning their place in the next round, MLB teams enter the ALCS Playoffs.
The best-of-seven ALCS series is pretty much the same deal, with home field advantage awarded to the side responsible for the superior season record. The wild card team is not eligible for the home field advantage.
The 2007 MLB Playoffs Divisional Series featured games between Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees. The Red Sox swept to a three-game blow-out, winning the third game 9-1. The Indians beat the Yankees in the other series by 3 games to 1.
Red Sox tickets are always a hot item in Boston, and the same could be said of Yankees tickets in New York, but the 2007 MLB Playoffs favored Boston and Cleveland. But once the ALCS was underway, Cleveland Indians tickets were just as precious as Red Sox tickets.
The 7-game series was every bit as thrilling as any seen in a while, and the Red Sox were always favorites to perform. The series was a lot closer than people expected, with the series ending in a 4-3 victory for the Sox. The Red Sox were heading for their second World Series in three years, and it was hard to believe anyone could stop them!
Meanwhile, the NLDS and NLCS were taking place in the three divisions of the National League. For more info on this National League postseason feast, check out our NLDS page.