The Time for Rocktober is Nigh!

Tomorrow is October 1, and that means Rocktober is upon us, fair readers!  Continuing on my six-year plan instituted two years ago, the Rocktober Decade Countdown moves on to the Decade of Decadence this year.  

The '80s were an amazing time for many types of music.  At the beginning of the decade, disco was gasping its last breaths, while new wave and post-punk were beginning their reign.  In August 1981, MTV launched, and created a whole new way for the masses to digest music, feeding into the materiality and superficiality that have come to define the '80s.  On top of that, hard rock and metal began to rise in popularity, as hair bands, thrash metal, and, in the early part of the decade, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal took hold.  And then there was also heartland rock, pop, and the beginnings of the wave of alternative rock that blew up in the '90s.  Having gone from a toddler to nearly a teenager during the decade, I can say that it was an awesome time to grow up and digest music.

As I do every October, I am going to pour some sugar on you with a daily dose of rock, at least on the weekdays.  There will be no repeated artists during the course of the month.  I'm going to try my best not to repeat songs that I have featured in prior Rocktobers, but I make no promises.  As always, the week of Halloween will feature songs with dark, evil, or macabre themes.  CoronaVinyl and Retro Video of the Week will be suspended during Rocktober, but Hair Band Friday will continue because, of course, hair bands helped define music in the decade.  

As always, remember that this is Rocktober, so these will all be bands, artists, and songs that rock, even though they may not always be from genres or artists that you would consider "rocking" or "rockers."  There will be popular songs, songs that you may never had heard before, and maybe even some bands and artists you've never heard of.  Rest assured, though, everything will rock.  Like, for sure.

CoronaVinyl Day 153 (Caribbean): Calypso by Harry Belafonte

 For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today's CoronaVinyl category is Caribbean music, and I'm going with a classic:  Harry Belafonte's 1956 album Calypso.

Belafonte is a Jamaican-American singer, actor, and civil rights advocate, and he is credited with popularizing calypso music, which originated in the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago.  Calypso was his third studio album, and it holds the distinction of being the first million-selling LP by a single artist.  It also held the #1 spot on the Billboard album chart for an astounding 31 weeks, in the top 10 for 58 weeks, and on the chart for 99 weeks.  Billboard named it the #4 album on the Top 100 album list of all-time.

The songs make you feel like you should be sitting on a beach with a tropical drink in your hand.  Belafonte's voice is smooth as silk.  Of course, you know "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)," which hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Jamaica Farwell" was another hit, reaching #14.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Will He Love Like His Rum?"

This is a fun little song that apparently asks the question "will his love be vomit inducing?"

Favorite song from Side 2:  "The Jack-Ass Song"
Another toe-tapper, though I was surprised there was no mention of Steve-O or fighting Butter Bean in a department store.

CoronaVinyl Day 152 (Comeback Album): 461 Ocean Boulevard by Eric Clapton

For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today's CoronaVinyl category is "comeback album."  Everyone loves a comeback story.  The man or woman who was once on top, then hit a bad spell, and then made his or her way back to the top.  In music, it has happened often.  Some examples that come to mind are Tina Turner, who, after separating from Ike, didn't have a lot of solo success and stopped recording between 1979 and 1984, when she released her mega hit album Private Dancer.  There was also Aerosmith, who let heroin addiction and in-fighting get the best of them for a few years in the early '80s before their unlikely collaboration with Run-D.M.C. on the 1986 remake of "Walk This Way," which led to the band's comeback album, 1987's Permanent Vacation.

I decided to go with Eric Clapton's comeback album, 1974's 461 Ocean Boulevard.  As you may know, in the very late '60s and early '70s, Clapton found himself in a moral and emotional quagmire.  He was madly in love with Pattie Boyd Harrison -- who happened to be the wife of his best friend, George Harrison.  Clapton had formed Derek & The Dominos in 1970 as a way to take himself out of the spotlight (hence the pseudonym "Derek" instead of Eric), but also as a vehicle for him to (not so subtly) profess his love for Pattie through song -- i.e., their lone album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, which is my favorite album ever.  While the Dominos were recording, booze and drugs flowed bountifully, and Clapton soon became addicted to heroin.  He basically spent the next two years in seclusion shooting up.

In early 1973, The Who's Pete Townshend organized a comeback concert for Clapton, the now-famous Rainbow Concert.  It appeared to work, as Clapton came out of hiding.  He also started living with Pattie (they would get married in 1979), and, in 1974, Clapton moved to Miami -- specifically, 461 Ocean Boulevard in Golden Beach, just outside Miami -- to record this album.

461 Ocean Boulevard was a departure from the blues-based rock that had made Clapton famous.  Instead of focusing on guitar solos and hard-driving rock songs, he made an album that was more laid back.  That's not to say it was without blues songs or rock and roll, but it also featured ballads and a few covers, including his cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff," which is considered instrumental in increasing Marley's popularity to mainstream audiences.

The album topped the Billboard album chart and the Canadian album chart, and it also went Top 5 in several other countries.  "I Shot the Sheriff" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and his cover of "Willie and the Hand Jive" went to #26.  In addition, songs like "Motherless Children" and "Let It Grow" came to be considered Clapton solo classics.

461 Ocean Boulevard set the stage for what would be a long and successful solo career for Clapton, earning him a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction for his solo work and making him the only three-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (he was also inducted as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream).

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Motherless Children"

This is the first track on the album, and it's also my favorite song on the album.  It's a traditional blues/gospel song that Clapton turns into an uptempo blues-rock song, showing that, while he may have mellowed, he could still get down.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Mainline Florida"
"Mainline Florida" is the last song on the album, and it has a nice guitar riff, but at the same time has an easy going feel about it.  Though this wasn't written by Clapton himself, I have always assumed the "mainline" is an obvious reference to Clapton's prior drug use.

MLB Playoff Predictions

After a shortened and crazy 60-game Major League Baseball regular season, we are now set for an elongated and likely-to-be-crazy playoffs.  Frankly, I'm excited about this year's format -- not only because my two teams (the White Sox and Astros) are both in the playoffs at the same time for the first time since they met in the 2005 World Series, but also because the format itself essentially eliminates home-field advantage and is ripe for some upsets.

The Teams
Here is a look at the teams that are playing in the playoffs this year, with their record and playoff history.  Side note:  for the 20th year in a row, we will not have a repeat champion, since the Washington Nationals didn't make the playoffs this year.  Second side note:  the NL Central is now the first division ever to get four teams into the playoffs in one year.

American League

1. Tampa Bay Rays, 40-20 (.667) (1st in AL East)

-Last playoff appearance:  2019

-Last playoff series win:  2019

-Last LCS appearance: 2008

-Last World Series appearance: 2008

-Last World Series title:  Never

2. Oakland Athletics, 36-24 (.600) (1st in AL West)

-Last playoff appearance:  2019

-Last playoff series win:  2006

-Last LCS appearance:  2006

-Last World Series appearance:  1990

-Last World Series title:  1989

3. Minnesota Twins, 36-24 (.600) (1st in AL Central)

-Last playoff appearance:  2019

-Last playoff series win:  2002

-Last LCS appearance:  2002

-Last World Series appearance:  1991

-Last World Series title: 1991

4. Cleveland Indians, 35-25 (.583) (2nd in AL Central) 

-Last playoff appearance:  2018

-Last playoff series win:  2016

-Last LCS appearance:  2016

-Last World Series appearance:  2016

-Last World Series title:  1948

5. New York Yankees, 33-27 (.550) (2nd in AL East)

-Last playoff appearance:  2019

-Last playoff series win:  2019

-Last LCS appearance:  2019

-Last World Series appearance:  2009

-Last World Series title:  2009

6. Houston Astros, 29-31 (.483) (2nd in AL West) 

-Last playoff appearance:  2019

-Last playoff series win:  2019

-Last LCS appearance:  2019

-Last World Series appearance:  2019

-Last World Series title:  2017

7. Chicago White Sox, 35-25 (.583) (WC1 - 3rd in AL Central) 

-Last playoff appearance:  2008

-Last playoff series win:  2005

-Last LCS appearance:  2005

-Last World Series appearance:  2005

-Last World Series title:  2005

8. Toronto Blue Jays, 32-28 (.533) (WC2 - 3rd in AL East) 

-Last playoff appearance:  2016

-Last playoff series win:  2016

-Last LCS appearance:  2016

-Last World Series appearance:  1993

-Last World Series title:  1993

National League
1. Los Angeles Dodgers, 43-17 (.717) (1st in NL West)

-Last playoff appearance:  2019

-Last playoff series win:  2018

-Last LCS appearance:  2018

-Last World Series appearance:  2018

-Last World Series title:  1988

2. Atlanta Braves, 35-25 (.583) (1st in NL East) 

-Last playoff appearance:  2019

-Last playoff series win:  2001

-Last LCS appearance:  2001

-Last World Series appearance:  1999

-Last World Series title: 1995

3. Chicago Cubs, 34-26 (.567) (1st in NL Central) 

-Last playoff appearance:  2017

-Last playoff series win:  2017

-Last LCS appearance:  2017

-Last World Series appearance:  2016

-Last World Series title:  2016

4. San Diego Padres, 37-23 (.617) (2nd in NL West)

-Last playoff appearance:  2006

-Last playoff series win:  1998

-Last LCS appearance:  1998

-Last World Series appearance:  1998

-Last World Series title:  Never

5. St. Louis Cardinals, 30-28 (.517) (2nd in NL Central) 

-Last playoff appearance:  2019

-Last playoff series win:  2019

-Last LCS appearance:  2019

-Last World Series appearance:  2013

-Last World Series title:  2011

6. Miami Marlins, 31-29 (.517) (2nd in NL East)

-Last playoff appearance:  2003

-Last playoff series win:  2003

-Last LCS appearance:  2003

-Last World Series appearance:  2003

-Last World Series title:  2003

7. Cincinnati Reds, 30-29 (.517) (WC1 - 3rd in NL Central) 

-Last playoff appearance:  2013

-Last playoff series win:  1995

-Last LCS appearance:  1995

-Last World Series appearance:  1990

-Last World Series title:  1990

8. Milwaukee Brewers, 29-31 (.483) (WC2 - 4th in NL Central) 

-Last playoff appearance:  2019

-Last playoff series win:  2018

-Last LCS appearance:  2018

-Last World Series appearance:  1982

-Last World Series title:  Never

The Schedule
The Wild Card round begins tomorrow for the AL and on Wednesday for the NL.  Here's a look at the pairings in both leagues and the schedule (all times Eastern) with TV coverage to the extent known (all Game 3s are only if necessary, of course):

AL
(8) Toronto Blue Jays at (1) Tampa Bay Rays
-Game 1:  9/29 5:00 p.m. TBS
-Game 2:  9/30 4:00 p.m. TBS
-Game 3:  10/1 4:00 p.m. TBS

(5) New York Yankees at (4) Cleveland Indians
-Game 1:  9/29 7:00 p.m. ESPN
-Game 2:  9/30 7:00 p.m. ESPN
-Game 3:  10/1 7:00 p.m. ESPN

(6) Houston Astros at (3) Minnesota Twins
-Game 1:  9/29 2:00 p.m. ABC
-Game 2:  9/30 1:00 p.m. ESPN2
-Game 3:  10/1 1:00 p.m. ESPN2

(7) Chicago White Sox at (2) Oakland Athletics
-Game 1:  9/29 3:00 p.m. ESPN
-Game 2:  9/30 3:00 p.m. ESPN
-Game 3:  10/1 3:00 p.m. ESPN

NL
(8) Milwaukee Brewers at (1) Los Angeles Dodgers
-Game 1:  9/30 10:00 p.m. ESPN
-Game 2:  10/1 10:00 p.m. ESPN
-Game 3:  10/2 6:30 p.m. ESPN

(5) St. Louis Cardinals at (4) San Diego Padres
-Game 1:  9/30 5:00 p.m. ESPN2
-Game 2:  10/1 5:00 p.m. ESPN2
-Game 3:  10/2 10:00 p.m. ESPN

(6) Miami Marlins at (3) Chicago Cubs
-Game 1:  9/30 2:00 p.m. ABC
-Game 2:  10/1 2:00 p.m. ABC
-Game 3:  10/2 2:00 p.m. ABC

(7) Cincinnati Reds at (2) Atlanta Braves
-Game 1:  9/30 12:00 p.m. ESPN
-Game 2:  10/1 12:00 p.m. ESPN
-Game 3:  10/2 3:00 p.m. ESPN

The Format
Before we get to the predictions, here's a quick refresher on how the playoff are going down this year:

1.  The first round of the playoffs will be called the Wild Card Series, even though all teams will be participating.  It will be a best-of-three series, and all games will be played at the higher-seed's home stadium.

2.  The remaining series will be the same format as usual.  The LDS will be best-of-five, and the LCS and World Series will be best-of-seven. 

3.  While there will be a break of a couple days in between rounds, the Wild Card, LDS, and LCS will not have any breaks in between games, so the Wild Card is three games in three days, the LDS is five games in five days, and the LCS is seven games in seven days.  In the World Series

4.  From the LDS on, games will be played in a bubble, with the AL playing in California and the NL playing Texas.  

• In the AL, the winners of the 1-8 and 4-5 Wild Card Series will play in Petco Park in San Diego, while the winners of the 2-7 and 3-6 Wild Card Series will play in Dodger Stadium in LA.  
• In the NL, the winners of the 1-8 and 4-5 Wild Card Series will play in Globe Life Park in Arlington, while the winners of the 2-7 and 3-6 Wild Card Series will play in Minute Maid Park in Houston.
• The ALCS will be played in Petco Park in San Diego.
• The NLCS will be played in Globe Life Park in Arlington.
• The World Series will be played in Globe Life Park in Arlington.
• There is no re-seeding in the playoffs.

The Predictions
And without further ado, here are my predictions for the entire playoffs.  Bear in mind that this is complete fantasy.

American League

Wild Card round

• (1) Rays over (8) Blue Jays.  The Rays are just too tough, and it's not quite yet the Blue Jays' time.
• (5) Yankees over (4) Indians.  While the Indians have been surging the last couple weeks, the Yankees' firepower proves to be too much.
• (6) Astros over (3) Twins.  Don't let the Astros' record fool you.  They have been hobbled by injuries all season, but they are starting to get everyone healthy again.  The Twins have lost an MLB record 16 playoff games in a row, which I think will hang heavy on them.
• (7) White Sox over (2) Athletics.  Both teams struggled at the end of the season, but the Sox have the better lineup top to bottom.

ALDS

• (1) Rays over (5) Yankees.  The Rays have been the top dog in the AL East for most of the season, and they exert their strength over the Yankees.
• (7) White Sox over (6) Astros.  In a rematch of the 2005 World Series (and between my two favorite teams), the Sox will outlast the Astros, who will miss Justin Verlander mightily and will miss out on their fourth ALCS in a row.

ALCS

• (7) White Sox over (1) Rays.  The Sox's bats come alive as they return to the Fall Classic for the first time in 15 years.

National League

Wild Card round

• (1) Dodgers over (8) Brewers.  This shouldn't even be close.
• (4) Padres over (5) Cardinals.  The young Padres' swagger gives them their first playoff series win since the Clinton administration.
• (3) Cubs over (6) Marlins.  17 years later, the Cubs finally get revenge for the Bartman series.
• (2) Braves over (7) Reds.  The Braves cruise to an easy series win over the Reds.

NLDS

• (1) Dodgers over (4) Padres.  While the ALDS is played in their two home stadiums, the two SoCal NL teams battle it out in Arlington, Texas, and the Dodgers prove to be too much for the Padres
• (3) Cubs over (2) Braves.  The Cubs' experience wins the day in a tough series win over the Braves.

NLCS

• (3) Cubs over (1) Dodgers.  The Dodgers' bridesmaid status continues as they once again sputter when it matters.

World Series
White Sox over Cubs.  In a rematch of the 1906 World Series (won by the Sox), the dream Crosstown matchup -- that will be played in a suburb of Dallas -- goes to seven games and pits friends against friends and family members against family members throughout the Chicagoland area.  Jose Abreu's extra-inning home run in Game 7 wins it for the Sox, and 40% of the city rejoices in a World Series win that will never be forgotten and that Sox fans will hold over Cubs fans' heads forever.

MLB Projected Playoff Teams and Seeding - Through 9/26/20

Well, folks, we've reached the last day of the regular season, and there is still a lot in flux.

But first, yesterday, the Rays clinched the 1-seed in the AL and the Cubs clinched the NL Central title.

Now here's what's at stake today:

• In the AL Central, the Twins are one game up on the White Sox, who are one game up on the Indians.
• If the Twins win or the Sox lose, the Twins win the division
• If the White Sox win and the Twins lose, the Sox win the division
• If the Sox win, they can get the 2-, 3-, or 4-seed, depending on whether the Twins and As win or lose
• If the Sox lose, they can get the 4- or 7-seed, depending on whether the Indians win or lose
• The Indians can get second place in the division if they win and the Sox lose, in which case, they would be the 4-seed, and the Sox would be the 7-seed.  If the Indians lose or the Sox win, then the Indians will be the 7-seed.
• The worst seed the Twins can get is the 4-seed, and they can go as high as the 2-seed.
• In the AL East, the Yankees are one game up on the Blue Jays for second place.
• If the Yankees win, they will be the 5-seed, and the Blue Jays will be the 8-seed
• If the Blue Jays win, they will be the 5-seed, and the Yankees will be the 8-seed
• In the NL Central, the Cardinals and Reds are in a virtual tie for 2nd place, but because the Cardinals have played fewer games, they have a .01 percentage point lead.
• If the Cardinals win, they clinch 2nd place
• If the Reds win and the Cardinals lose, the Red clinch 2nd place
• In the race for the last NL Wild Card spot, the Brewers and Giants are tied for the 8th spot at 29-30 (with the Brewers owning the tiebreaker), and the Phillies are one game behind.
• The Brewers clinch the Wild Card spot if:
• The Brewers win; OR
• All three teams lose
• The Giants clinch the Wild Card spot if:
• The Giants win; AND
• The Brewers lose
• The Phillies clinch the Wild Card spot if:
• The Phillies win; AND
• The Brewers and Giants both lose

For a breakdown of the MLB playoff structure for this year and tiebreakers, click here.

Through the games played on September 26, here would be the playoff seeds if the season ended today. For the magic numbers, I'm relying on the MLB Magic Numbers Twitter account.

Moved up:

-Chicago White Sox (from #7 to #4 in the AL)

-Milwaukee Brewers (from out to #8 in the NL)

-Minnesota Twins (from #3 to #2 in the AL)

Moved down:

-Cleveland Indians (from #4 to #7 in the AL)

-Oakland Athletics (from #2 to #3 in the AL)

-San Francisco Giants (from #8 to out in the NL)

American League 
1. z-Tampa Bay Rays, 39-20 (.661) (1st in AL East) 
2. x-Minnesota Twins, 36-23 (.610) (1st in AL Central)
--Magic Number (win division): 1

3. z-Oakland Athletics, 35-24 (.593) (1st in AL West)

4. x-Chicago White Sox, 35-24 (.593) (2nd in AL Central) 
--Magic Number (win division): 2

5. x-New York Yankees, 33-26 (.559) (2nd in AL East)
6. x-Houston Astros, 29-30 (.492) (2nd in AL West) 
7. x-Cleveland Indians, 34-25 (.576) (WC1 - 3rd in AL Central) 

8. x-Toronto Blue Jays, 32-27 (.542) (WC2 - 3rd in AL East) 

x - clinched playoff spot
y - clinched at least second place in division (i.e., a top six seed)
z - clinched division title
bold indicates team has clinched a specific seed

Teams eliminated from division title contention: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays 

Teams eliminated from playoff contention: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers 

National League
1. z-Los Angeles Dodgers, 42-17 (.712) (1st in NL West)
2. z-Atlanta Braves, 35-24 (.593) (1st in NL East) 
3. z-Chicago Cubs, 33-26 (.559) (1st in NL Central) 
4. y-San Diego Padres, 35-23 (.596) (2nd in NL West)
5. St. Louis Cardinals, 29-28 (.509) (2nd in NL Central) 
--Magic Numbers (clinch playoff spot): 1 

6. y-Miami Marlins, 30-29 (.508) (2nd in NL East)

7. x-Cincinnati Reds, 30-29 (.508) (WC1 - 3rd in NL Central) 
8. Milwaukee Brewers, 29-30 (.492) (WC2 - 4th in NL Central) 
--Magic Number (clinch playoff spot): 1

x - clinched playoff spot
y - clinched at least second place in division (i.e., a top six seed)
z - clinched division title
bold indicates team has clinched a specific seed 

Teams eliminated from division title contention: Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals 
Teams eliminated from playoff contention: Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals

MLB Projected Playoff Teams and Seeding - Though 9/25/20

Last night, the Marlins clinched a playoff spot. Be warned, they have only made the playoffs twice before, in 1997 and 2003. They won the World Series both years.

The Reds also clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013, when they lost to the Pirates in the Wild Card game.

Despite losing to the Rangers, the Astros clinched a playoff spot -- and the 6-seed in the AL -- by virtue of the Angels' loss to the Dodgers. This is a franchise-record fourth consecutive playoff appearance for the Astros, and, of course, they lost to the Nationals in 7 games in the World Series last year.  

The Padres clinched the 4-seed in the NL with a doubleheader split with the Giants, combined with the Cardinals' doubleheader split with the Brewers.

I've decided that the White Sox are purposely playing bad to give the other teams a false sense of security, before crushing them in the playoffs. I call it the Renteria Rope-a-Dope. God, I hope I'm right.

With the Astros clinching, the AL playoff teams are set, although there is a lot of room for change in the seeding, even with only two games left.  The Twins lead the Indians and White Sox by one game for the AL Central crown.  The winner will get the 2- or 3-seed, second place will get the 4- or 5-seed, and third place will get the 7-seed.  In the AL East, the Blue Jays are now within one game of the Yankees for second place.

In the NL, the Giants, Phillies, and Brewers are all within a game for the final Wild Card spot.  In the NL Central, the Reds and Cardinals are in a virtual tie for 2nd place, but since the Cardinals have played fewer games than the Reds, the Cardinals have a .01 advantage in winning percentage.

In the meantime, today, we could see a bunch of teams clinch playoff spots or division titles.

• The Giants can clinch a Wild Card spot in the NL with a win over the Padres and losses by the Phillies and Brewers.
• The Rays can clinch the 1-seed in the AL with a win or with a loss by the As.
• The Twins can clinch the AL Central title with a win over the Reds and losses by the White Sox and Indians.
• The Cubs can clinch the NL Central title with a win over the White Sox or with a loss by the Cardinals.
• The Yankees can clinch 2nd place in the AL East with a win over the Marlins and a loss by the Blue Jays.
• The Braves can clinch the 2-seed in the NL with a win over the Red Sox or with a loss by the Cubs.

For a breakdown of the MLB playoff structure for this year and tiebreakers, click here.

Through the games played on September 25, here would be the playoff seeds if the season ended today. For the magic numbers, I'm relying on the MLB Magic Numbers Twitter account.

Moved up:

-Cleveland Indians (from #7 to #4 in the AL)
-Oakland Athletics (from #3 to #2 in the AL)

Moved down:

-Chicago White Sox (from #4 to #7 in the AL)
-Minnesota Twins (from #2 to #3 in the AL)

American League
1. z-Tampa Bay Rays, 38-20 (.655) (1st in AL East)
2. z-Oakland Athletics, 35-22 (.614) (1st in AL West)
3. x-Minnesota Twins, 35-23 (.603) (1st in AL Central)
--Magic Number (win division): 2

4. x-Cleveland Indians, 34-24 (.586) (2nd in AL Central) 
--Magic Number (win division): 3

5. x-New York Yankees, 32-26 (.552) (2nd in AL East)
6. x-Houston Astros, 29-29 (.500) (2nd in AL West)
7. x-Chicago White Sox, 34-24 (.586) (WC1 - 3rd in AL Central) 
--Magic Number (win division): 3

8. x-Toronto Blue Jays, 31-27 (.534) (WC2 - 3rd in AL East)

x - clinched playoff spot
y - clinched at least second place in division (i.e., a top six seed)
z - clinched division title
bold indicates team has clinched a specific seed

Teams eliminated from division title contention: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays
Teams eliminated from playoff contention: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers

National League
1. z-Los Angeles Dodgers, 41-17 (.707) (1st in NL West)
2. z-Atlanta Braves, 35-23 (.603) (1st in NL East)
3. x-Chicago Cubs, 33-25 (.569) (1st in NL Central)
--Magic Number (win division): 1
4. y-San Diego Padres, 35-23 (.596) (2nd in NL West)
5. St. Louis Cardinals, 29-27 (.518) (2nd in NL Central)
--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot): 7/3 

6. y-Miami Marlins, 30-28 (.517) (2nd in NL East)

7. x-Cincinnati Reds, 30-28 (.517) (WC1 - 3rd in NL Central)
8. San Francisco Giants, 29-29 (.500) (WC2 - 3rd in NL West)
--Magic Number (clinch playoff spot): 2

x - clinched playoff spot
y - clinched at least second place in division (i.e., a top six seed)
z - clinched division title
bold indicates team has clinched a specific seed

Teams eliminated from division title contention: Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals
Teams eliminated from playoff contention: Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals

CoronaVinyl Day 151 ('90s Debut): Breaking Atoms by Main Source

For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today's CoronaVinyl category is '90s debut album, and I only have one '90s debut album at the moment, so that made the choice quite easy.  It's Breaking Atoms, the 1991 debut from hip hop group Main Source.  I got this when I was in the Vinyl Me, Please record club, and as you can see, my version has a very cool clear vinyl with an orange splat, and the labels on both sides of the record have what look like chemistry formulas.

Main Source was comprised of two Toronto-based DJs/producers, Sir Scratch and K-Cut, and Queens-based MC/producer Large Professor.  While they weren't together for that long, the one album they made together was a good one.  Breaking Atoms is just fucking smooth and easy to listen to, like a Tribe Called Quest album.  The album wasn't a huge commercial success, as it didn't chart on the Billboard album charts or contain any singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, though "Looking at the Front Door" did top the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, and "Just Hangin Out" reached #11 on that chart.  However, the album is critically acclaimed and considered very influential in the hip hop genre because of various then-cutting edge production techniques and inventive use of sampling.  Also, the song "Live at the Barbeque" is noteworthy for being the first time legendary hip hop artist Nas was featured on a recording (Akinyele -- known for his 1996 song "Put It In Your Mouth" -- also appeared on that song).

If you're not familiar with Main Source or this album, it may be because the album went out of print in the U.S. in 1997 after the album's record label went out of business.  It wasn't until 2008 that the album was reissued.  My Vinyl Me, Please version was released in 2016.

The group technically broke up after Breaking Atoms, although Sir Scratch and K-Cut recruited The Real Mikey D and recorded another album using the Main Source name -- the subtly titled Fuck What You Think, which was set to be released in 1994, but then shelved by the record company because the group disbanded.  It was eventually released on CD in 1998.

Meanwhile, Large Professor went on to be a mentor to and collaborator with Nas, and he has produced albums and/or songs for a ton of great hip hop acts, like Nas, Eric B. & Rakim, A Tribe Called Quest, Akinyele, Big Daddy Kane, and Busta Rhymes, among others.  K-Cut has also gone on to be a successful producer, producing albums and/or songs for Big Pun, Fu-Schnickens (who are one of my favorite '90s hip hop groups), Queen Latifah, and Shaquille O'Neal (including "What's Up Doc? (Can We Rock)," the 1993 collaboration between Fu-Schnickens and Shaq), among others.

The Spotify version of Breaking Atoms has a bonus version of "Just a Friendly Game of Baseball."

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Large Professor"

This one showcases Large Professor's rapping and rhyming skills, and it has some sampled loops that give it a nice, head-bobbing feel.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Watch Roger Do His Thing"
This song is about a guy named Roger, who, rather than getting sucked into drug dealing or gang lifestyle in his "ghetto," graduates from high school, gets a regular job and is teased for it because he could make more money selling crack.  But he isn't deterred, and he works his way up and has great success. 

Hair Band Friday - 9/25/20

1.  "Heartbreak Station" by Cinderella


2.  "Out Ta Get Me" (live) by Guns N' Roses


3.  "Break Out Tonight" by Y&T


4.  "Whiskey on a Heartache" by XYZ


5.  "Kill or Be Killed" by Twisted Sister


6.  "Mistress for Christmas" by AC/DC


7.  "Get In Touch" by FireHouse


8.  "Loving You is a Dirty Job" by Ratt


9.  "Rock Rock (Till You Drop)" by Def Leppard


10.  "Miles Away" by Winger

MLB Projected Playoff Teams and Seeding - Through 9/24/20

Last night, the Blue Jays clinched a playoff berth with a win over the Yankees.  They are in the playoffs for the first time since 2016, when they advanced to the ALCD before losing in five games to the Indians.

Meanwhile, the White Sox's tailspin continues, as they lost for the fifth time in a row.  They're now a game behind the Twins in the AL Central, and the Indians are only two games back of the Twins.

Every team is now officially in its last series of the year.  Here's a quick look at some series that have playoff or seeding implications for both teams:

• Chicago Cubs (32-25) at Chicago White Sox (34-23).  The Crosstown Classic has taken on a sense of urgency.  While both teams have clinched playoff berths, both have struggled recently.  A week ago, the Sox had the best record in the AL and were 3.5 games ahead of the Twins in the AL Central.  Since then, they've gone 1-6, have dropped a game behind the Twins for the AL Central lead, and are only a game ahead of the third-place Indians.  Likewise, a week ago, the Cubs had the second-best record in the NL and were 4.5 games ahead of the Reds in the NL Central.  Since then, they've gone 2-5, have dropped to the projected 3-seed in the NL playoffs, and are only 2.5 games ahead of the second-place Cardinals in the NL Central.
• St. Louis Cardinals (28-26) at Milwaukee Brewers (27-29).  The Cardinals have surged into second place in the NL Central, and the Brewers have been hanging around and are two games behind the Cardinals for 2nd in the NL Central and only a game behind the Giants for the second Wild Card Spot.  This four-game series will seal both teams' fates.
• Cincinnati Reds (29-28) at Minnesota Twins (35-22).  As noted above, the Twins are now in first place in the AL Central by a game, and they are currently in position for the 2-seed in the AL playoffs.  The Reds are currently in the lead for the first Wild Card spot in the NL and are only a game behind the Cardinals for 2nd place in the NL Central.
• Miami Marlins (29-28) at New York Yankees (32-25).  The Marlins' magic number to clinch second place in the NL East is down to 2.  The Yankees are in the playoffs, but still haven't wrapped up 2nd place in the AL East.  They are two games ahead of the Blue Jays for 2nd place.  They're also 2 games behind the White Sox for the #4 seed -- and that coveted fan-free homefield advantage in the Wild Card round.
• Philadelphia Phillies (28-29) at Tampa Bay Rays (37-20).  The Rays have the best record in the AL and are looking to secure that #1 seed (which they can do with one more win).  The Phillies are a game behind the Marlins for 2nd place in the NL East and only a half game behind the Giants for the second Wild Card spot in the NL.

In the meantime, today, we could see 2 teams clinch playoff spots or division titles.

• The Astros' magic number to clinch second place in the AL West is 1, so they can get in today with a win over the Rangers or a loss by the Angels.
• The Marlins' magic number to clinch second place in the NL East is 2, so they can clinch today with a win over the Yankees and a loss by the Phillies.

For a breakdown of the MLB playoff structure for this year and tiebreakers, click here.

Through the games played on September 24, here would be the playoff seeds if the season ended today.  For the magic numbers, I'm relying on the MLB Magic Numbers Twitter account.

Moved up:
-Cincinnati Reds (from #8 to #7 in NL)
-Minnesota Twins (from #3 to #2 in AL)

Moved down:
-Oakland Athletics (from #3 to #2 in AL)
-San Francisco Giants (from #7 to #8 in NL)

American League

1.  z-Tampa Bay Rays, 37-20 (.649) (1st in AL East)

2.  x-Minnesota Twins, 35-22 (.614) (1st in AL Central)
--Magic Number (win division):  3

3.  z-Oakland Athletics, 34-22 (.607) (1st in AL West)

4.  x-Chicago White Sox, 34-23 (.596) (2nd in AL Central)

--Magic Number (win division):  4

5.  x-New York Yankees, 32-25 (.561) (2nd in AL East)
6.  Houston Astros, 29-28 (.509) (2nd in AL West)

--Magic Number (playoff spot):  1

7.  x-Cleveland Indians, 33-24 (.579) (WC1 - 3rd in AL Central)
--Magic Number (win division):  6
8.  x-Toronto Blue Jays, 30-27 (.526) (WC2 - 3rd in AL East)

x - clinched playoff spot
y - clinched at least second place in division (i.e., a top six seed)
z - clinched division title
bold indicates team has clinched a specific seed

Teams eliminated from division title contention:  Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays

Teams eliminated from playoff contention:  Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers

National League

1.  z-Los Angeles Dodgers, 40-17 (.702) (1st in NL West)
2.  z-Atlanta Braves, 34-23 (.596) (1st in NL East)

3.  x-Chicago Cubs, 32-25 (.561) (1st in NL Central)

--Magic Number (win division):  3

4.  y-San Diego Padres, 34-22 (.607) (2nd in NL West)
5.  St. Louis Cardinals, 28-26 (.519) (2nd in NL Central)

--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  8/4

6.  Miami Marlins, 29-28 (.509) (2nd in NL East)
--Magic Number (clinch playoff spot):  2

7.  Cincinnati Reds, 29-28 (.509) (WC1 - 3rd in NL Central)
--Magic Number (clinch playoff spot):  3

8. San Francisco Giants, 28-28 (.500) (WC2 - 3rd in NL West)
--Magic Number (clinch playoff spot):  4

x - clinched playoff spot
y - clinched at least second place in division (i.e., a top six seed)
z - clinched division title
bold indicates team has clinched a specific seed

Teams eliminated from division title contention:  Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals

Teams eliminated from playoff contention:  Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals

CoronaVinyl Day 150 ('80s Debut): Asia by Asia

For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today is the 150th installment of CoronaVinyl.  That's only five times longer than I expected to go when I started doing this on March 17, the first day I started working from home as a result of COVID.  I haven't been back to the office since then, and I don't have any plans to return any time soon (not that my office is going to reopen this year anyway).

But I digress.  Today's CoronaVinyl category is '80s debut album, and I'm going with a self-titled debut album for the second day in a row.  In 1981, supergroup Asia was formed from the ashes of several prominent British prog rock bands.  The band was made up of lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton of King Crimson, Uriah Heep, and U.K., guitarist Steve Howe of Yes, keyboardist Geoff Downes of Yes and The Buggles, and drummer Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Despite their prog rock pedigree, the band's sound was a decidedly more mainstream/AOR/arena rock sound.  Their eponymous 1982 debut album was an instant success, topping the Billboard album chart and eventually going quadruple platinum in the U.S.  The album spawned two Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.  Their most well-known song, "Heat of the Moment," went to #4, while "Only Time Will Tell" reached #17.

The album cover features some sort of sea dragon playing water polo.  It was designed by Roger Dean, who had designed albums for Yes and Uriah Heep (among others) and who designed several more of Asia's album covers.  He also designed Asia's futuristic looking triangular logo.

The band's follow-up album, 1983's Alpha, went to #6 on the Billboard album chart.  However, the band started to have some internal issues after that, and they broke up after 1985's Astra album, before reforming with a different line-up in the early '90s.  They have gone through various line-up changes over the years, with some original members popping back in and then leaving again, but I was surprised to see that they had released ten studio albums between 1992 and 2014.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Heat of the Moment"

How could I go with a different song?  It's a great early '80s rock song and the band's biggest hit.  You know it.  Sing along.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Here Comes the Feeling"
This is another song that is decidedly early '80s, but hey, that's when I was beginning to discover music, so songs like this take me back to my childhood, even if I didn't know this song specifically back then.

Retro Video of the Week: Doctor! Doctor! by Thompson Twins

I featured Thompson Twins during CoronaVinyl a few days ago, so let's keep the Thompson Twins Train going for the COVID-themed Retro Video of the Week.  The band's 1984 song "Doctor! Doctor!" reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the UK pop chart.

For our COVID-related purposes, the relation is pretty obvious.  In these troubling times, when there is a lot of misinformation being spread around, we should listen to doctors -- particularly those who don't stage press conferences with Republican Congressmen and claim that hydroxychloroquine works on COVID -- about precautions to take to prevent COVID.  So wear a mask, practice social distancing, and don't be an asshole.

MLB Projected Playoff Teams and Seeding - Through 9/23/20

Last night, the Rays clinched the AL East.  It's their first division title since 2010.

Things are getting crazy in the AL Central.  The White Sox lost their fourth in a row to drop out of first place in the division for the first time in a month or so, while the Twins won their fourth in a row to move a half game ahead of the Sox for first place, while the Indians (who also won their fourth in a row) are now only 2.5 games behind the Twins.  The Sox hold tiebreakers over both teams, so if the Sox tie with either the Twins or the Indians -- or if there is a three-way tie -- atop the division, the Sox will win the division.  The Twins hold the tiebreaker over the Indians, so the Indians would have to finish with a better record than both the Sox and Twins in order to win the division.  For those who care, the Sox have the toughest schedule of the three, as they have one more against the Indians before a three-game series against the Cubs.  The Twins end with three games against the Reds (who are in a playoff battle themselves, so they should have something to play for), while the Indians have one more against the Sox, followed by three against the Pirates, who have the worst record in the league.  The Sox are the only team that controls its own destiny.  If they win their last four games, they are the AL Central champs.

Equally as crazy is the NL playoff race.  There are six teams -- the Cardinals, Giants, Reds, Marlins, Phillies, and Brewers -- that are all currently within a game of each other and fighting for the last four playoff spots in the NL (2nd place in the NL East and NL Central and the two Wild Card spots).  Making things more complicated is that, because of some COVID-related canceled games earlier in the season, the teams have played varying numbers of games and have varying numbers of games left:

• The Cardinals have played 53 games and have 5 left, so they will play only 58 total games, which could help them in the end if they have a better winning percentage than other teams who might end up the same number of games over .500 as the Cardinals
• The Giants and Brewers have both played 55 games and have 5 left
• The Marlins have played 56 games and have 4 left
• The Reds and Phillies have both played 57 games and have 3 left

Needless to say, there is going to be a lot of madness and teams changing seeding positions between now and the end of the season on Sunday.

In the meantime, today, we could see several teams clinch playoff spots or division titles.

• The Blue Jays' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 1, so they can secure a berth today with a win over the Yankees or with losses by the Angels and Mariners.
• The Astros' magic number to clinch second place in the AL West is still 2, so they can get in today with a win over the Rangers and losses by the Angels and Mariners.
• Also, the Padres can clinch the 4-seed in the NL playoffs with a win or with a Cardinals' loss.

For a breakdown of the MLB playoff structure for this year and tiebreakers, click here.

Through the games played on September 23, here would be the playoff seeds if the season ended today.  For the magic numbers, I'm relying on the MLB Magic Numbers Twitter account.

Moved up:
-Minnesota Twins (from #4 to #3 in AL)
-Oakland Athletics (from #3 to #2 in AL)
-San Francisco Giants (from out to #7 in NL)

Moved down:  
-Chicago White Sox (from #2 to #4 in AL)
-Cincinnati Reds (from #7 to #8 in NL)
-Milwaukee Brewers (from #8 to out in NL)

American League

1.  z-Tampa Bay Rays, 36-20 (.643) (1st in AL East)

2.  z-Oakland Athletics, 34-21 (.618) (1st in AL West)

3.  x-Minnesota Twins, 35-22 (.614) (1st in AL Central)

--Magic Number (win division):  4

4.  x-Chicago White Sox, 34-22 (.607) (2nd in AL Central)

--Magic Number (win division):  4

5.  x-New York Yankees, 32-24 (.571) (2nd in AL East)
6.  Houston Astros, 28-28 (.500) (2nd in AL West)

--Magic Number (playoff spot):  2

7.  x-Cleveland Indians, 32-24 (.571) (WC1 - 3rd in AL Central)
--Magic Number (win division):  7
8.  Toronto Blue Jays, 29-27 (.518) (WC2 - 3rd in AL East)
--Magic Number (playoff spot):  1

x - clinched playoff spot
y - clinched at least second place in division (i.e., a top six seed)
z - clinched division title
bold indicates team has clinched a specific seed

Teams eliminated from division title contention:  Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays

Teams eliminated from playoff contention:  Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers

National League

1.  z-Los Angeles Dodgers, 39-17 (.696) (1st in NL West)
2.  z-Atlanta Braves, 34-22 (.607) (1st in NL East)

3.  x-Chicago Cubs, 32-24 (.571) (1st in NL Central)

--Magic Number (win division):  3

4.  y-San Diego Padres, 34-22 (.607) (2nd in NL West)
5.  St. Louis Cardinals, 27-26 (.509) (2nd in NL Central)

--Magic Numbers (win division/clinch playoff spot):  10/6

6.  Miami Marlins, 28-28 (.500) (2nd in NL East)
--Magic Number (clinch playoff spot):  3

7. San Francisco Giants, 28-27 (.509) (WC1 - 3rd in NL West)
--Magic Number (clinch playoff spot):  5

8.  Cincinnati Reds, 29-28 (.509) (WC2 - 3rd in NL Central) 

--Magic Number (clinch playoff spot):  4

x - clinched playoff spot
y - clinched at least second place in division (i.e., a top six seed)
z - clinched division title
bold indicates team has clinched a specific seed

Teams eliminated from division title contention:  Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals

Teams eliminated from playoff contention:  Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals

CoronaVinyl Day 149 ('70s Debut): Foreigner by Foreigner

For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today's CoronaVinyl category is '70s debut album, and I'm going with Foreigner's 1977 self-titled debut album.

Foreigner has been ubiquitous on classic rock and AOR radio for over 40 years, and with good reason.  They had a lot of great rock and roll songs.  Lou Gramm had a great, husky rock voice, and the band was able to tap into that gray area between pop and hard rock.

It all started with this album, and the band hit the ground running.  The album reached #4 on the Billboard album charts and has since gone platinum five times in the U.S.  Their first three Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 hits were on this album:  "Feels Like the First Time" (#4), "Cold As Ice" (#6), and "Long, Long Way From Home" (#20).

The album was a springboard, as it was the first of five consecutive Top 5 and multi-platinum studio albums for the band in the U.S.  All told, between 1977 and 1988, the band had 16 Top 40 hits in the U.S., including 9 Top 10s and one #1 (1984's "I Want to Know What Love Is").  The band has sold over 80 million albums worldwide.

The Spotify version of the album is expanded to include four demo tracks.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Feels Like the First Time"

The first track on the first side of a Foreigner album is appropriately called "Feels Like the First Time."  It's a good start to the band's catalog, and it was the band's first (of seven) Top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.  Songwriter and guitarist Mick Jones wrote the song about new beginnings, both because he had this new band and because he had just gotten married and moved to America.  I have always like Gramm's wailing "never again" at the end of the bridge.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Long, Long Way From Home"
I kind of forgot about this song in the Foreigner pantheon because you don't hear it as much as some of their other hits.  But it's a great song that veers more towards hard rock than pop.