The Phils won both ends of their doubleheader in Atlanta to close the gap in their wild card hunt to 1-1/2 games behind the leader (San Diego). The Marlins (3 games back) and apparently the Giants (2.5 GB, if they lose to the Rockies—they trail 8-5 in the seventh) are falling out of the race after recent surges.

Meanwhile the Twins after losing starter Francisco Liriano, lost 1-0 to Oakland, but remained just 1.5 games behind the faltering Tigers after they got slammed by the Rangers, 11-2, including a Sarge Matthews Jr. cycle. The White Sox, after a 9-0 win over the Angels, pull to 1.5 games behind the Twins in the wild card hunt and three games behind the Tigers for the AL Central.

While I was trying to put all of this in perspective, a number of questions occurred to me. The Twins have not been in first all season. If they do pass the Tigers and win the division, will it be the latest that any team moved into first place and then won the division/league? Will they have the fewest days in first for a division winner?

Will the Tigers lose their title later in the season than any other team in baseball history? Will they own the dubious distinction of being in first for the most days in the season without winning a title?

If the Phils don't nab the wild card title after coming as close as one half game behind without ever leading the hunt, will that be as close as any team came in second half of a season without grabbing the proverbial cigar?

OK, I don't think that the Twins have a chance of grabbing a division/league lead later than any other team. The 1873 Boston Red Stockings took over the lead of the National Association on Oct 1 (the league played until November 1). For a more modern example, the '64 Cards grabbed the NL lead on September 29 from the Reds, who wrested it from the ill-fated 1964 Phils three days earlier. There are only five teams that have ever grabbed a division, league, or wild card lead in September and held it, and only two have come in the "modern" era. Here are the latest that a division-/league-winner ascended to first for the first time in a season:

As for the fewest number of days in first for a division, wild card, or league winner, the answer is one. But it's a trick question. The Royals reached the postseason in the split-season 1981 season, but were only in first (based on overall record) for one day. Here are the fewest days in first for a division winner:

Here are the teams that spent the most days in first and won their division, etc.:

As for the team that spent the most days in first but ended up losing the division or league, you have to look at the 1969 Cubs (151 days) who were passed Sept 10 by the Miracle Mets, and the rest is history. Here are the rest of the unlucky lot:

As for which teams were passed the latest in the season, you have to look to the old Chicago White Stockings (nee Cubs) who lost the National Association crown on October 30. These are the teams that lost their crown at the latest dates in the season:

As for the team that came the closest to leading a division, league, or wild card race in the second half of a season (from July 1on) without ever actually leading it, the answer is the 1915 Tigers, who were actually a half game ahead of the Red Sox for two days, August 19 and 20 (at the end of a nine-game win streak), but trailed them by percentage points in the standings. Here are the teams that were within a half-game of a playoff spot but never took control of that spot: