2008 American League Central tie-breaker game
Minnesota Twins 0
Chicago Whitesox 1


Tuesday September 30, 2008—6:37 p.m. (CDT), at US Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois

Team

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

R

H

E

Minnesota

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

Chicago

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

x

1

5

0

WP: John Danks (12–9)   LP: Nick Blackburn (11–11)
SV: Bobby Jenks (30)
Home runs:
MIN: None
CWS: Jim Thome (34)



@ retrosheet.org

The 2008 American League Central tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2008 regular season, played by the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins to determine the champion of the American League's (AL) Central Division. It was played at US Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois, on September 30, 2008. The White Sox won the game, 1–0, on a home run by Jim Thome, the lowest-scoring game in MLB tie-breaker history. The Sox advanced to the 2008 AL Division Series, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, three games to one; the Twins failed to qualify for the postseason.

The game was necessary after both teams finished the season with identical win–loss records of 88–74. The White Sox won a coin flip late in the season which, by rule, awarded them home field in the game. In baseball statistics, the tie-breaker counted as the 163rd regular season game by both teams, with all events in the game added to regular season statistics.

The White Sox led for most of the season starting with a tie for first on May 17th, held at least a share of the lead for 154 days, and never dropped more than a game behind the leader. The Twins spent much of the season in second place behind the White Sox, along with 54 days in the lead. Despite going 11–15 in September, the Twins took a half-game lead with an extra innings win over the White Sox on September 25th, that capped a three-game sweep of Chicago. The Twins maintained that lead through their final game, forcing Chicago to play a make-up on September 29th, against the Tigers which had been rained out earlier that month. The White Sox won, 8–2, leaving the Sox and Twins tied atop the AL Central with 88–74 records, forcing a tie-breaker to decide the division.

Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin won Silver Slugger Awards for their offensive performances in the 2008 regular season. Mauer also won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award that year. This was the last tie-breaker with home field determined by a coin flip. Following the 2008 season MLB amended their rules, leaving future tie-breaker sites to be determined on a series of performance-based criteria beginning with the head-to-head record between the teams.