Division Champs shirts

[CubsFanBudMan]

Looks like there's confusion, with the tied wild card team usually causing it by saying they are 'co-champs.' Various reports I found from 2001 had it both ways. The Astros were upset when they showed up at Busch in 2002 and saw the 'co-champs' sign.

This story from the Toronto Sun explains it in full (and still manages to never give a final answer -- check out the mixed message the MLB official gives):

CARDINALS AND ASTROS SQUABBLE OVER FLAG

So, who won the National League's Central Division in 2001, anyway?

The St. Louis Cardinals or the Houston Astros?

Several Astros were upset when they saw that the Cards were displaying a 2001 NL Central co-championship banner. The Astros won the tiebreaker and are the real champions.

"I would think that they would have more serious matters than to be concerned with than something so trivial," Cards general manager Walt Jocketty said.

Both teams finished 2001 with 93-69 records. The Astros entered the 2001 post-season as the NL's top seed after beating the Cardinals in the final game of the season to win the season series 9-7.

"When we saw the Cards press guide, we scratched our heads," Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker said. "We were awarded the division championship and they were awarded the wild card. I think the commissioner's office should clarify it."

A defaced Cardinals media guide made the rounds of the Astros clubhouse with the words '2001 NL Central Division Co-Champs' modified to read `wild card.' The Astros also fly a banner in left field of Astros Field recognizing them as NL Central champs.

A Major League Baseball official called the scrap "silly" but added there is no definitive right or wrong in this instance.

"It's basically the wild card, but it's also co-champions," said vice-president of scheduling and club relations Katy Feeney. "Since the Astros had the better head-to-head record, they were determined to be the champs and the Cards the wild card for the post-season. But since they both had the same regular season record, they were both co-champs. Technically, the Astros get the champion title."

The St. Louis front office has a plaque that reads: "By virtue of having the highest percentage of games won in the NL Central, the lesser record versus co-champion Astros and better record of all second-place teams, the St. Louis Cardinals are hereby declared the 2001 Wild Card Champions and Central Division Co-champions of the NL."

Yanks-Red Sox

Now with the Yankees and Indians, it's the same thing. I think if the Red Sox are co-champs then MLB would have had co-champs shirts ready for them -- or just duplicate champs shirts. They didn't, so I think that its a 'mythical' co-championship that will be listed only in that particular team's media guide, but not officially by MLB.

From the Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds...d_for_playoffs/

There's already plenty of debate about the Yankees claiming they were division champs after they beat the Sox Saturday. New York's record against the Sox gives them a higher playoff seed, but the Sox are contesting the Bronx Bombers' contention that they've now won eight straight AL East titles.

''We are co-champions," said Sox vice president Charles Steinberg. ''The rule is in place only for playoff seeding."

Consistent with that remark, Sox scoreboard operators flipped the Yankees and Red Sox in the standing on the Green Monster scoreboard less than 10 minutes after the completion of the finale. While ''Tessie" blared over the Fenway sound system, the ''Boston" placard was placed atop the ''New York" sign. However, the Red Sox' celebration garb made no reference to the word ''champion." The hats read ''Division Series" while the T-shirts broadcast ''Wild Card."

''I'm not going to get into that debate," said Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino. ''What this means is that we are postseason participants. October baseball was our goal and I think we should focus on that imagery."

Wunderkind general manager Theo Epstein said, ''The rule says we're wild-card champs, so we're wild-card champs."

[philly97flyer]

Consistent with that remark, Sox scoreboard operators flipped the Yankees and Red Sox in the standing on the Green Monster scoreboard less than 10 minutes after the completion of the finale. While ''Tessie" blared over the Fenway sound system, the ''Boston" placard was placed atop the ''New York" sign. However, the Red Sox' celebration garb made no reference to the word ''champion." The hats read ''Division Series" while the T-shirts broadcast ''Wild Card."

That is something Boston would do. They try SO hard to one up the Yankees. Give it up Boston, you will NEVER be what the Yankees are. Stop crying already.

[PadreHomer]

The Padres shirt is the Point Loma lighthouse surrounded by world series trophys

[swisherHOU]

I don't understand why they put a pump jack in the background for the Astros. Makes no sense. Houston is the energy capital, yes, but that doesn't mean we are littered with pump jacks. Pretty lame.

[mightynine]

The shirt would be perfect if it had the year on it!

Just got my Braves shirt in the mail...the year is in a very small font, slightly darker than the grey in the shirt, next to the T in EAST.

I'm guessing the other shirts follow that (except for the Wild Cards, of course).

[CC97]

The shirt would be perfect if it had the year on it!

Just got my Braves shirt in the mail...the year is in a very small font, slightly darker than the grey in the shirt, next to the T in EAST.

I'm guessing the other shirts follow that (except for the Wild Cards, of course).

Ah I can see it now... wow is that ever small... it's almost impossible to read it on the Padres shirt.

[andrewharrington]

The shirt would be perfect if it had the year on it!

Just got my Braves shirt in the mail...the year is in a very small font, slightly darker than the grey in the shirt, next to the T in EAST.

I'm guessing the other shirts follow that (except for the Wild Cards, of course).

Ah I can see it now... wow is that ever small... it's almost impossible to read it on the Padres shirt.

Hey! I found it first! Without the aid of a real shirt, too!

[andrewharrington]

For all you naysayers, (you know who you are, CC ) if you look inside the little nook and cranny of the T in EAST and WEST and the L in CENTRAL, you will find the year, 2005, in the same ghosted grey as the landmarks that extend beyond the letters. Pretty bad idea to do grey on grey, but it's there. I hate how all of these are red or blue, and the ChiSox are the only team with a playoff shot that does not have red or blue in its color scheme. Get unique, MLB.

See! ^

[Bernd]

The Padres shirt is the Point Loma lighthouse surrounded by world series trophys

Well that's....random.

[CC97]

For all you naysayers, (you know who you are, CC ) if you look inside the little nook and cranny of the T in EAST and WEST and the L in CENTRAL, you will find the year, 2005, in the same ghosted grey as the landmarks that extend beyond the letters. Pretty bad idea to do grey on grey, but it's there. I hate how all of these are red or blue, and the ChiSox are the only team with a playoff shot that does not have red or blue in its color scheme. Get unique, MLB.

See! ^

Yeah well, I just kinda skimmed over a lot of the posts