2009 American League Central tie-breaker game
The 2009 American League Central tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2009 regular season, played between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins to determine the champion of the American League's (AL) Central Division. It was played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 6, 2009. The Twins won the game 6–5 in a thrilling 12-inning battle, and advanced to the 2009 AL Division Series where they were swept by the New York Yankees; the Tigers failed to qualify for the postseason.
October 6, 2009
54,088
ESPN: Dan Shulman and Dave Campbell
WXYT: Dan Dickerson and Jim Price
KSTP: John Gordon and Dan Gladden
A tie-breaker was necessary after both teams finished the season with identical win–loss records of 86–76. Due to a rules changes prior to the 2009 season, the Twins were awarded home-field advantage by winning the regular season series 11–7 against the Tigers.[1][2][3][4][5] It was the third tie-breaker played in MLB from 2007 to 2009. It was also the second consecutive tiebreaker for the AL Central title after 2008, when the Chicago White Sox defeated the Twins to win the division. The Twins became the only MLB team to contest tie-breaker games of any sort (divisional and/or wild card) in consecutive seasons. The tie-breaker counted as the 163rd regular season game played by both teams and all events in the game were added to regular season statistics. This was the Twins' final regular season game at the Metrodome as the team moved to Target Field for the 2010 season. The tie-breaker was later named the Best Regular-Season Game of the Decade by Sports Illustrated.
Aftermath[edit]
The tie-breaker win clinched the American League Central for the Twins and earned them a spot in the ALDS, in which they were swept by the New York Yankees in three games. The Tigers became the first team in MLB history to have a three-game division lead with four games remaining and lose the division.[14]
MLB tie-breaker games counted as regular season games[18] and this game affected certain statistical races for the 2009 season. For example, Jason Beck of MLB.com noted that if the umpire agreed with Brandon Inge on the contentious 12th inning call Inge would have tied for the most hit by a pitch in the American League.[15] Twins' catcher Joe Mauer won the 2009 American League batting title,[19] and his final batting average for the season moved from .364 to .365 in the game.[20]
The game was later chosen by Sports Illustrated as the Best Regular-Season Game of the Decade.[21]