September 3, 2023 News and Notes, Part One, including Baseball Kayfabe

• I'll just say that AEW and CM Punk are going to court over all this, and I'm not sure it's going to be just a civil-court affair.  I'll leave it at that -- the number of running rumors and speculations almost requires some degree of a criminal investigation here.
• Any chance the Dodgers had at best record in baseball has gone out the door.  Atlanta has taken the first three at Dodger Stadium and secured that they are the best team, regular season, in baseball -- and it's not close.
• In fact, since we're at the first Sunday in September:
• AL East:  Baltimore (84-51), 2 1/2 up on Tampa Bay (82-54).  Toronto 74-62, Boston 70-66.
• AL Central:  Minnesota (71-65), 5 games clear and the only team in the division above .500.
• AL West:  Seattle (77-58) has overtaken Houston (77-60) and Texas (75-60)
• AL Wildcards:  1.  Tampa Bay at 28 over .500.  2.  Houston at 17 over .500.  3.  Texas at 15 over .500.  Currently out:  Toronto 1 1/2 back, Boston 5 1/2 back.
• AL Series:  Baltimore and Seattle get byes.  Minnesota would host Texas, even though Texas is 4 1/2 games up on Minnesota.  The division winner gets the superior seed.  Tampa would host Houston.
• Best record:  Baltimore by 2 1/2 over Tampa for the division and best record.  Baltimore is 7 up on Seattle, and Tampa is 4 1/2 up on Seattle.
• Oakland and Kansas City didn't even make it to September.  Both have been completely eliminated from the playoffs.
• But somehow, the expansion Mets will continue with the worst record of all time.  Oakland is now at 41 wins, Kansas City at 42.
• NL East:  Atlanta's three wins over the Dodgers give them 90 wins on the season.  90-45.
• Best record in baseball by six over Baltimore.
• Sixteen games up on Philadelphia (74-61).
• Magic Number for the division is 12.  On September 3rd.
• Playoff Magic Number is six.
• Miami is 69-67.
• NL Central:  Milwaukee (76-59) is 4 1/2 up on Chicago (72-64) and 6 1/2 up on Cincinnati (71-67)
• NL West:  Dodgers are 83-52, 13 1/2 up on both Arizona and San Francisco (70-66).
• Wildcards:  1.  Philadelphia, 13 over .500.  2.  Chicago, 8 over .500.
  
• And then let the fun begin.  Three teams, all 4 over .500, for one spot.  And there is no Game 163 (or more) anymore.  All tiebreakers are broken on criteria.
• First tiebreaker is head to head.  
• Arizona is 8-10 vs. San Francisco and Cincinnati.
• Cincinnati is 8-6
• San Francisco 10-8.
• Cincinnati would win the third NL wildcard.
• Series:  Barfs and Dodgers get byes.  Milwaukee would host Cincinnati.  Philadelphia would host Chicago.