First thing I did was bookmark a couple of sports websites. I'm not gonna name names, but you know, the big ones. I just set them to show the MLB standings, easy peasy.
I mainly focused on the Wild Card standings, because, let's be honest, that seemed like the Mariners' most realistic shot. I started checking those standings every single morning. Seriously, it became part of my routine, coffee, news, Mariners' standings, and my cat, always wants food.
Digging a Little Deeper
Just looking at wins and losses wasn't enough for me, though. I wanted more detail. I started to look at the following:
- Games Back (GB):How many games behind the team that got wild card spot.
- Run Differential: Gave me a sense of how well they were performing.
- Strength of Schedule:Were they playing easy teams or tough ones? It all matters!
I'd jot all this stuff down in a simple note, just the date and the key numbers. I started noticing patterns – like, every time they played the that team, they’d struggle. It was kind of frustrating but also helped me prepare for the inevitable disappointment, haha!
Getting More Involved
Then, I discovered some cool online tools. These were websites that do all the calculations for you. They show you the probability of the Mariners making the playoffs based on simulations and projections.
These tools got me hooked. I'd refresh them multiple times a day, especially after games. It felt like I was watching a live playoff race unfold in real-time, my cat always sit and stare at the screen with me.
So, that’s my method. Start with the basic standings, add some extra details, and then spice it up with those fancy probability tools. Keeps me informed, engaged, and maybe a little too obsessed, but hey, that's baseball, right?
