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Monday's makeup game with A's is on -- for now

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 29, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Unless it absolutely, positively doesn't matter, the Devil Rays are going to play the Oakland A's at 6:05 p.m. Monday at Tropicana Field.

With the A's in tight battles on two fronts for a spot in the playoffs, Major League Baseball officials said Thursday they are planning for the Rays and A's to make up the Sept. 17 game that was postponed because of Hurricane Gordon. Similar arrangements are being made in New York for the Yankees and Marlins to make up their rained-out July 15 game at noon on Monday.

"Right now, all games are being played," MLB scheduling official Katy Feeney said.

After losing to Anaheim 6-3 in 14 innings Thursday, the A's trail Seattle by a half-game in the American League West and lead Cleveland by 11/2 games for the AL wild-card spot.

Monday's game could be relevant to the A's in -- at least -- three scenarios:

If the A's are a half-game ahead or behind the Indians for the wild-card berth, or the Mariners for the AL West title, it could determine whether they get in the playoffs, or could lead to another one-game playoff on Tuesday with Seattle or Cleveland.

If the A's are in the playoffs but are a half-game ahead or behind the Mariners, it could determine which team is the division champion and which is the wild card.

If the A's are the division winners, it could determine their seeding and possible home-field advantage for the first and second rounds since those are awarded based on overall records compared with the other division winners.

"There's a lot of things that could happen, but I think if we just take care of our end, we won't have to worry about any of that," A's star Jason Giambi said in Oakland. "We win three games this weekend, and I think you'll see things working out in our favor. If we've got to go to Tampa, we'll do it, but we'd probably prefer not to."

The Rays, on the other hand, have basically just one thing to play for -- pride.

"It's a meaningful game," Rays manager Larry Rothschild said. "If we play that game Monday, it has a lot of meaning to the American League. Really, we've got one game to win at that point and we'll do the best we can.

"I guess you could look at it as our post-season."

If all aspects of all the races are settled, the game likely would be canceled. That uncertainty is an inconvenient issue at a time when players are moving out of apartments and booking flights home.

"Just having it up in the air makes it kind of hard to prepare yourself mentally," Rays catcher Mike DiFelice said. "I think everyone is kind of planning on being here Monday to play the game."

Ticketwise, the Rays are treating the game as other teams would the makeup of a rainout. Tickets purchased for the Sept. 17 game will be honored; there are no refunds.

There is one twist, though. An unused ticket from any Rays game this season can be exchanged for an outfield seat or upper general admission ticket for the Monday game, based on availability.

The AL playoffs are scheduled to start Tuesday at Chicago and at the home park of the division winner with the second-best record.

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