Ut-Oh, It's Magic

There's about a month left in the DMBL regular season! With most teams having between 25 and 30 games to go, let's take a look at magic numbers.

The Newark Sugar Bears have a magic number of 23 to clinch the Commissioner's Cup and the Hanover Division title. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 10.

The Hillsborough Hired Hitmen have a magic number of 24 to clinch the Morris Division title, and 17 to clinch a post-season appearance.

The Marietta Mighty Men are 4 1/2 games behind the Sugar Bears for the Hanover Division title (and the best record in baseball), and 3 1/2 games up in the race for the top wildcard seed. Their magic number to print post-season tickets is 16.

The Las Vegas Rat Pack are in 4th place, 8 games behind the Sugar Bears in the Hanover Division and 3 1/2 behind the Mites for 3rd. Their magic number for a wildcard berth is 20.

Two games behind the Rats, and 4 1/2 behind the Hitmen for the Morris Division lead, are the 5th place Carolina Mudcats. Their magic number for a wildcard slot is 21.

Hanging onto 6th place are the defending World Champions, the Vancouver Iron Fist. The Fisters are 8 games behind the Hitmen for the Morris Division lead. They're exactly between 5th place and 7th place, with 3 1/2 games seperating them in either direction. Their magic number to secure the final playoff berth is 25.

Battling it out for 7th place are the Arkansas Golden Falcons and the Philadelphia Endzone Animals. The Falcons are currently a half-game up, 3 1/2 games out of the final playoff berth, leaving the Animals at 4 games out.

The surprising D.C. O-Bombers were in the post-season race until dropping 8 out of their last 10 games. The slump dropped them to 7 1/2 games out of the wildcard and 5 games under .500. Their magic number for elimination from the post-season -- aka their "tragic number" -- is 21. For elimination from the Morris Division race, the tragic number is 13.

The Hoboken Cutters are 12 1/2 games out of the playoffs; a more realistic goal might be finishing above their franchise record for futility (72-90). A recent hot streak, winning four out of their last six, leaves them exactly on pace to tie the record. Their tragic number is 16 for the post-season, and 2 for the Hanover Division race.

Like most new teams, the Amityville Ant Slayers are having a rough inaugural season. The 11th-place Slayers are 16 1/2 games behind the Iron Fist for the final playoff berth. They're already mathematically eliminated from the Hanover Division race, but their tragic number for elimination from the post-season is 13.

Battling it out for 12th are the Blue Ridge Bombers and the Sardine City Straphangers. The Bombers are 19 games out of the post-season, and the Hangmen are a half-game behind them. Blue Ridge's tragic number for the Morris Division title is 3; for the post-season, it's 11. The Hangmen have already been eliminated from the Hanover Division race, and have a tragic number of 9 to officially end their post-season dreams.

Bringing up the rear are the New Jersey Buddahs, with a 6 1/2 game "lead" over Sardine City for last place. They were eliminated awhile ago from the Hanover Division race, but they still have hope! Their tragic number for elimination from the post-season is 4. That means if they run the table and win all 30 of their remaining games, they can still catch the Iron Fist for 6th place -- provided the Fisters go 3-25 over the same stretch.