163

I'm posting the Magic Number as 163 -- the number every team will starts with in 2010-- because Detroit's win last night eliminated the White Sox from the post-season.  I learned this by reading Mark Gonzalez's story online in The Trib today.  The usual formula for elimination numbers (163 -  82 Tiger wins - 80 Sox losses) yields an elimination number of 1.  That's also what MLB.com is showing as the Sox elimination number.  And it made superficial sense: If the Sox won all nine of their remaining games and the Tigers lost all ten of theirs, both teams would wind up with 82-80 records.  

So I e-mailed Mark and pointed out what I believed was his math mistake.  He politely explained that if the Tigers lose all the rest of their games, that means the Twins would have to win their four games against Detroit, giving Minnesota 83 wins and the division crown.  (If I remember correctly, something like this happened in 2005 when the Sox were playing the Indians down the stretch and there was a Magic Number glitch.)

I should have figured this out myself.  After all, this is the White Sox Magic Number Update.  Maybe I'm just too depressed by this season to think straight.  But thanks to Mark Gonzalez for setting me straight and for doing it in a classy way.  Go Sox in 2010!