By the time we reach the Major League Baseball playoffs in late September, each team will have played a grueling 162 games. If you are not a huge baseball fan, or just don’t have three hours of free time practically every day of the week to watch your favorite team, it can be tough keeping up with the league. With the playoffs just around the corner, and things getting a little more exciting, now is the time to pay attention to baseball. The following is a recap of what you have missed in those hundreds of hours of baseball games and what you can look forward to in the post season.<\/p>\n
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Derek Jeter, considered by many, the most respected player of the era, is playing his 20th<\/sup> and final season this year for the New York Yankees. It has been an emotional season as each team Jeter has visited has held a ceremony in his honor. To add to the emotion and drama, Jeter\u2019s last game before retiring (if the Yankees do not make the playoffs, which at this point they most likely will not) will be played at Fenway Park against the Yankees biggest rival, the Boston Red Sox. On a side note, Jeter is very easy on the eyes, which explains why he has dated everyone from Mariah Carey to Miss Universe. Baseball will miss him, but the tabloids most likely will not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There have been two distinct Nor Cal\/ So Cal storylines this season. The San Francisco Giants versus the Las Angeles Dodgers have made up one of the narratives. The Giants won two of the last four World Series and although they have been a bit under the radar, are definitely in contention for another championship. The Dodgers on the other hand came into the 2014 season a betting favorite, their odds coming in around 13\/2 on major sports betting sites. The franchise is also at the top of the charts for spending this year, running up a payroll of over $235 million this season.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The other California rivalry is between the Oakland Athletics and the Anaheim Angels. The A\u2019s were the top team in baseball until they made a huge trade for a starting pitcher, giving up their top hitter, Yoenis Cespedes. Things went way south for the team after the shocking trade, and the A\u2019s are now struggling just to get a wild card. Led by Mike Trout, the Angels have taken a huge lead over their rival and have the highest winning percentage in the league going into the final stretch before the playoffs.<\/p>\n