MLB Playoffs: Every Game Matters in a 162-Game Season

Before last season, the Philadelphia Phillies went 14-straight seasons of falling short of the playoffs.

I will admit, it is a great feeling that my Phillies have been crowned the NL East Champions for two seasons in a row.

Obviously, my expectations are high for the Phillies, rolling into the 2008 playoffs. Winners of 13 of the last 16, the Phillies are doing everything right to win the World Series.

However, my main focus on this article is for those teams that fell just short.

There are numerous teams that fell just short of making it to October. I'm sure nobody is kicking themselves more than the New York Mets and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Once September hit, everybody was wondering if the Mets would repeat history and fall short of the playoffs for the second season in a row. Last year, the Mets blew a six-and-a-half game lead in the NL East to the Phillies and fell one-half game short of the playoffs.

Even though the Mets fell three games short of the division this year, they fell one-half game short of the playoffs yet again. This time, they lost the wild-card spot to the Milwaukee Brewers.

A few weeks ago, the Mets had a three-and-a-half-game lead on the Phillies in the N.L. East. Even I thought they would at least make the playoffs. I guess I was wrong.

In the final weekend of baseball, the Mets lost two of three at home to the Florida Marlins, as they watched the Milwaukee Brewers win two of three against the Chicago Cubs (although some say it may have been different if the Cubs didn't rest their starters).

Whether you are a Mets player or a fan, falling one-half game short of the playoffs two seasons in a row has to be frustrating. As a Phillies fan, I could sit here and complain about a few years ago in which the Phillies fell just short, season after season, of the wild-card spot.

However, the Phillies never blew a division lead that late in the season all those years.

At the beginning of the 2008 season, the Arizona Diamondbacks seemed destined to make the playoffs.

At one point in May, the Diamondbacks were 21-9. With a solid pitching rotation consisting of Cy-Young candidate Brandon Webb, Randy Johnson, and Dan Haren, the Diamondbacks seemed like they would easily make it to October (not to mention they play in the N.L. West).

However, when the playoffs start on Wednesday, the Arizona Diamondbacks will be sitting at home watching the games on TBS.

The Arizona Diamondbacks held the division lead in the weak N.L. West for a majority of the season.

Then Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers decided to get hot at the right time.

On Aug. 29, the Dodgers were five games under .500 with a 65-70 record. The Diamondbacks stood four games above .500, posting a 69-65 record.

With the season ending on Sunday, the Dodgers had the N.L. West won with an 84-78 record, two games up on the Diamondbacks.

I have never been one to live my life in the past. As a Philadelphia fan, I have suffered the last 23 years without a major sports championship. When Sports Illustrated posted an article about how we were the first city with four major sports teams to lose 100 straight seasons, all I could do was laugh about it.

I have learned that the only thing you can do is look forward to the following season (hence why I am excited for the Phillies this year).

I believe a lot of baseball fans now realize how each of the 162 games counts during the season. Whether you are fans or players of the Mets, Diamondbacks, White Sox, or Twins, I'm sure there are numerous games you will look back to from this season and think "if only."

What do I mean by if only?

If only the Mets didn't blow a 7-0 lead that one game in August, we may have been in the playoffs.

If only Brandon Webb didn't struggle towards the end of the season and won a few more games to help his Cy-Young candidacy.

If only the White Sox had won at least one of the five games they lost in a row in the last week of the season, they may not of had to play the Twins on Tuesday for the AL Central crown and a trip to the playoffs.

If only the Twins had won that game at the beginning of August in which the Mariners scored 10 runs in the seventh after being down 6-0 and going on to win 11-6.

Obviously, I know there are other factors that fall into place when it comes to teams not making the playoffs. For example, I hate to keep picking on the Mets, but their bullpen has blown more saves than I thought was possible. If they never lost Billy Wagner, they could easily have made the playoffs.

Unfortunately, that is just the way the season works out.

Fans and players now realize how meaningful the phrase "every game counts" is.

For many fans and players throughout the league, a few different outcomes could have meant playing in October.