When to play your ACE?

[Appling]

I now appears that four teams will appear in the ALCS: Yankees, Athletics, Tigers and Twins. The only question seems to be: which team will win the Central Division Crown and who will be the AL Wild Card?

If you were the Twins and entered the last day of regular season tied with the Tigers -- and Johan Santana was ready to pitch that day -- would you use him them or save him for the first game of the playoffs?

The Wild Card team will most likely face the Yankees in round one (best of 5) while the Central Division champs will play Oakland.

If you win that last regular-season game you win the Central Division flag but without Santana you would start that five-game series with a rookie pitcher.

[Brian McKenna]

The AL teams are already pretty much set:

MIN NY DET OAK

In the above scenerio there is some sort of underlying suggestion that one major league team is afraid of another. I personally do not believe the Twins are afraid of the Yankees and, as such, they probably don't care all that much who they are going to face in the playoffs - Yankees, A's or Patriots.

Is there some reason that a team that has won 91 games as of today is to fear a team that has won 93? Save Santana for the playoffs.

[cup2006sensrule]

The AL teams are already pretty much set:

MIN NY DET OAK

In the above scenerio there is some sort of underlying suggestion that one major league team is afraid of another. I personally do not believe the Twins are afraid of the Yankees and, as such, they probably don't care all that much who they are going to face in the playoffs - Yankees, A's or Patriots.

Is there some reason that a team that has won 91 games as of today is to fear a team that has won 93? Save Santana for the playoffs.

Agreed. I'd fear the twins alot if I am the other teams just becuse they have Santana. He is almost a guaranteed win for the Twins every game he pitches.

[redlegsfan21]

If the Twins and Tigers are in a tie for the ALC before the last game. I would just save my ace. The Twins are going to be in the playoffs bearing a miracle.

[cardsfanatic]

If I were the Twins I'd prefer the Wildcard. More than likely the road to the WS is going to travel through New York this year. Meaning, odds are you're going to have to beat them to get there. I'd rather take my crack at them in a 5-game series than a 7-game series. That's just me.

[Astro]

The AL teams are already pretty much set:

MIN NY DET OAK

In the above scenerio there is some sort of underlying suggestion that one major league team is afraid of another. I personally do not believe the Twins are afraid of the Yankees and, as such, they probably don't care all that much who they are going to face in the playoffs - Yankees, A's or Patriots.

Is there some reason that a team that has won 91 games as of today is to fear a team that has won 93? Save Santana for the playoffs.
I'd like to face the Patroits... I mean they probably arent that great at baseball :p

[W_Marone]

I think I would like to play NYY out of those teams to be honest.

[ESPNFan]

Out of all 4 AL teams NY is the one who starters aren't really /spectacular. If I'm Minnasota I set up Santana to pich Game 1 and Game 4/5 and hope that Garza/Bonzer etc... can steal you one.

[BigStellyPADRES4LIFE]

I think pitch your ace as soon as possible, you dont wanna have a game where you lose with him on the bench when you could have started him.