The 2012 Major League Baseball season is the 143rd season of Major League Baseball. It began on March 28 with the first of a two game series between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.[1] On November 22, 2011, a new contract between Major League Baseball and its players union was ratified, and as a result, an expanded playoff format adding two clubs will be adopted no later than 2013 according to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.[2] The new format was finalized for the 2012 season on March 2, 2012, and will use the 2–3 format for the Division Series for the 2012 season only.[3] The stateside portion of the regular season started April 4 in Miami, Florida with the opening of the new Marlins Park, as the newly renamed Miami Marlins hosted the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. The regular season is scheduled to end on Wednesday, October 3.[4] The entire master schedule was released on September 14, 2011.
The Major League Baseball postseason was expanded to include a second wild card team in each league beginning in the 2012 season.[5] The season will mark the last for the Houston Astros as a member of the National League. Following the sale to new owner Jim Crane, the Astros agreed to move to the American League effective in the 2013 season, and will be assigned to the American League West, joining their in-state rivals, the Texas Rangers.[6]
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game's 83rd edition was held on July 10 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, with the National League winning the All-Star Game for the third consecutive year in an 8–0 shutout of the American League.[7] With the win, the National League champion will earn home field advantage for the 2012 World Series, which begins on October 24 and is scheduled to end no later than November 1. The Civil Rights Game was held on August 18 at Turner Field, as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the host Atlanta Braves, 6–2.[8]
STANDINGS
American League
AL East Division
Team Name Wins Losses Playoffs
New York Yankees 93 67 Classified
Baltimore Orioles 92 66 Classified
Tampa Bay Rays 89 71 Eliminated
Toronto Blue Jays 71 89 Eliminated
Boston Red Sox 69 91 Eliminated
AL Central Division
Team Name Wins Losses Playoffs
Detroit Tigers 87 73 Wins Division
Chicago White Soaax 84 76 Eliminated
Kansas City Royals 71 89 Eliminated
Cleveland Indians 67 93 Eliminated
Minnesota Twins 66 94 Eliminated
AL West Division
Team Name Wins Losses Playoffs
Texas Rangers 93 67 Classified
Oakland Athetics 92 68 Classified
Anaheim Angels 89 71 Eliminated
Seattle Mariners 73 87 Eliminated
National League
NL East Division
Team Name Wins Losses Playoffs
Washinton Nationals 96 64 Wins Division
Atlanta Braves 93 67 Wins 1st Wild Card Spot
Pliladelphia Phillies 81 79 Eliminated
New York Mets 73 87 Eliminated
Miami Marlins 68 92 Eliminated
NL Central Division
Team Name Wins Losses Playoffs
Cincinnati Reds 96 64 Wins Division
St.Louis Cardinals 87 73 2 Wild Card Spot
Milwaukee Brewers 82 78 Eliminated
Pittsburgh Pirates 78 82 Eliminated
Chicago Cubs 60 100 Eliminated
Houston Astros 54 106 Eliminated
NL West Division
Team Name Wins Losses Playoffs
San Francisco Giants 93 67 Wins Division
Los Angeles Dodgers 85 75 In Wild Card Race
Arizona Diamondbacks 80 80 Eliminated
San Diego Padres 75 85 Eliminated
Colorado Rckies 63 97 Eliminated
standings as of Tuesday October 2 2012
Playoff Bracket[]
| Wild Card | Division Series | League Championship Series | World Series | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | NY Yankees | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Baltimore | 1 | 4 | Baltimore | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 1 | NY Yankees | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Texas | 0 | American League | |||||||||||||||
| 3 | Detroit | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Oakland | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Detroit | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| A3 | Detroit | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| N3 | San Francisco | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Washington | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Atlanta | 0 | 5 | St. Louis | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 5 | St. Louis | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | St. Louis | 1 | National League | |||||||||||||||
| 3 | San Francisco | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Cincinnati | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | San Francisco | 3 | ||||||||||||||||