Clutch hitting, fielding and pitching down the stretch are needed if a Major League team is going to make the playoffs. Thirty Baseball Factory/Team One alumni did just that to help all eight playoff teams make their playoff hopes a reality. From opening day through the National League Wild Card play-in game, Baseball Factory and Team One alumni competed for their respective teams’ chance to play in October on baseballs biggest stage. There has not been a playoff race like the one this year in the National League.

Playoff Race Recap
All three NL divisions and the NL wild card were up for grabs going into the last three days of the season. The only team to have clinched a playoff berth going into the final series was the Arizona Diamondbacks, yet they had not even clinched the division. With only three games remaining in the season, there were still seven teams vying for the four NL playoff spots. The New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies were all ready to battle until the last game, and maybe even one more. The division leaders going into the final series were the Chicago Cubs from the Central, the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies shared the lead in the East and the Arizona Diamondbacks led the West. The San Diego Padres were leading the wild card by two games and still playing for the division.

Of the seven teams four played against each other, Colorado Rockies played against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres were matched up against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Colorado Rockies were up against the National Leagues best record in the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, the Rockies were the hottest team in baseball winning 10 straight games going into the final series. Though this put them in the Wild Card hunt, they still needed some help from Milwaukee. The Brewers were matched against the Wild Card leading San Diego Padres. As the first game of the final series played out a Padres win and a Cubs win gave the Cubs the pennant. Arizona held onto their lead with a win over the Rockies. A Mets loss and a Phillies win put the Phillies in first in the NL East for the first time all season.

The second game of the series would give the Arizona Diamondbacks the division even though they lost to the Rockies as the San Diego Padres also lost. The Mets bounced back and the Phillies stumbled knotting up the NL East again. As the final day approached a scenario was set for a wild finish. If the Padres lost and the Rockies, Mets, and Phillies won there would be a four-way tie for the Wild Card as well as a tie for the Division in the NL East. As the games played out the Padres lost, the Phillies won, the Rockies won and the Mets, who had a seven game lead on September 15th, lost ending their season. With the Phillies taking the NL East a Wild Card play-in game was scheduled for October 1st in Denver with the Padres facing off against the Rockies.

Baseball Factory/Team One Alumni Contribute Down the Stretch
In one of the most exciting games of the entire season 13 innings were needed to decide the final team in the 2007 playoffs. After the Rockies took a 3-0 lead behind the solid batting by Baseball Factory/Team One alumni Troy Tulowitzki it seemed the Rockies were bound to cap off their remarkable comeback. However, the Padres had other ideas. Behind two more Baseball Factory/Team One alumni, Kahlil Greene and Scott Hairston the Padres stormed back to take the lead. As the game played on, the score was tied at six going into the bottom half of the eighth inning. The score remained that way through the 12th.

In the top half of the thirteenth inning a lead off walk brought up Scott Hairston who everyone thought was going to lay down a sacrifice bunt. Scott did nothing of the sort. Swinging at the second offering from Jorge Julio, Hairston crushed a two-run homerun over the left field wall giving the Padres the lead. However, as the Rockies had done all season they needed to comeback to stay alive. With Kaz Matsui hitting a leadoff double, Troy Tulowitzki came up to plate and crushed the ball deep to left center doubling in Kaz to cut the lead to one. Matt Holliday came up next and swung at the first pitch blasting it just out of the reach of the right fielder and off the outfield wall. This blast knocked in Troy to tie the game and Holliday ended up on third with a triple. After an intentional walk, a line drive by Jamie Carroll to the right fielder set up the play of the game. As the right fielder Brian Giles caught the ball and slung it home, Holliday tagged and motored home trying to score and send the Rockies to the playoffs. On a bang bang play Holliday slid in safely as Padres backup catcher and Baseball Factory/Team One alumni Micahel Barrett dropped the ball.

There is no better way for the 2007 Major League playoffs to start than in an extra inning Wild Card play-in game instant classic. During this year’s playoffs, 30 Baseball Factory and Team One alumni hope to help their team make history. The following is a list of the eight playoff teams and the Baseball Factory/Team One alumni that play on their respective teams.

American League:
Boston Red Sox
Brandon Moss
Kyle Snyder

New York Yankees
Shelley Duncan

Cleveland Indians
Ryan Garko
Jensen Lewis
C.C. Sabathia
Jeremy Sowers

Los Angeles Angels
Casey Kotchman
Jeff Mathis
Tommy Murphy
Mike Napoli

National League:
Philadelphia Phillies
Pat Burrell
Brett Myers

Arizona Diamondbacks
Orlando Hudson
Conor Jackson
Brandon Medders
Carlos Quentin
Mark Reynolds
Justin Upton
Chris Young

Chicago Cubs
Sam Fuld
Matt Murton
Carmen Pignatiello
Mark Prior
Ryan Theriot

Colorado Rockies
Taylor Buchholz
Aaron Cook
Chris Iannetta
Zach McClellan
Troy Tulowitzki