Now that 91 games have been postponed, where does that leave baseball? Here's a rundown of what lies ahead:
When will the postponed games be made up?
The games postponed from Sept. 11 through Sept. 16 will be made up from Tuesday, Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct. 7. This will push the start of the playoffs back from Oct. 2 to the following Tuesday, Oct. 9.
What about the World Series?
The World Series was originally scheduled to begin Oct. 20 and end Oct. 28 if it went the full seven games. It would now start on Oct. 27, meaning it will go into November if it lasts more than four games.
So Barry Bonds still has a shot at the record?
Yes, the Giants will have 18 games remaining on their schedule. Bonds has 63 home runs, needing eight to break Mark McGwire's record of 70. Bonds has averaged one homer every 6.78 at-bats, so at that rate would need 54 at-bats to break McGwire's record -- three per game. Considering Bonds has 149 walks, meaning he is also challenging Babe Ruth's 1923 record of 170 walks, it should come right down to the wire.
Where will the Giants finish up now?
The Giants will now end the regular season with a three-games series at home against the Dodgers. Their other postponed series was a three-game set in Houston. Originally, they would have finished at home against the Padres.
And don't forget: as tight as the wild-card race is, there is a chance the Giants could end up in a wild-card tie with another team. A tiebreaker game -- game No. 163 -- would be considered a regular-season game. Can you imagine a scenario where the Giants and Cardinals end up tied after 162 games ... with Bonds sitting at 69 home runs?
Speaking of which, what will now be the key showdowns to end the season?
Besides Los Angeles at San Francisco, here are the series with playoff implications that will conclude the season (the final day will be Sunday, Oct. 7):
-- Florida at Atlanta
-- Philadelphia at Cincinnati
-- Pittsburgh at Chicago
-- Houston at St. Louis
-- Arizona at Milwaukee
What about other records and milestones to watch?
Rickey Henderson needs 15 hits for 3,000 and 10 runs to break Ty Cobb's all-time record of 2,246.
Randy Johnson needs 48 strikeouts to break Nolan Ryan's season record of 383 set in 1973. It is possible he could get four more starts, meaning he'll need to average 12 K's per start.
Luis Gonzalez needs 85 total bases to break Babe Ruth's 457 set in 1921. Arizona has 19 games remaining, so he'll need to average 4.5 bases per game. He's averaged 2.6 so far during the season.
Weren't the Mariners still on record pace as well?
Indeed they were. The Mariners are 104-40, a pace that would give them a final record of 117-45. The 1906 Cubs own the major-league record with 116 wins while the 1998 Yankees own the AL record with 114 wins. Seattle's schedule now has the Mariners hosting Anaheim on Sept. 18-20, visiting Oakland and Texas from Sept. 21-Sept. 26, home vs. Oakland on Sept. 28-30, and then the makeup series in Anaheim and at home vs. Texas.
Where do Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn play their last games?
Both were originally scheduled to finish on the road, but will now finish at home. The Orioles will host the Red Sox and the Padres will host the Rockies. While fans scurried to buy tickets to Ripken's previous final home game on Sept. 23 and his final game at Yankee Stadium, the hot ticket will now be the one dated Sept. 16. The Padres have indicated that they will hold celebrations for Gwynn as originally scheduled on Sept. 23.
Any players with injuries who will be helped by the layoff?
The Yankees had Derek Jeter (hamstring), Paul O'Neill (stress fracture in his foot) and Chuck Knoblauch (pulled muscle in rib cage) all out with injuries. O'Neill was originally estimated to be out a week, so he may only miss a game or two instead of six or seven.
Two pitchers on potential playoff teams could also benefit from the layoff. Cleveland's Bartolo Colon has complained of a sore elbow; he had an extra day of rest before his start on Monday, but labored through 131 pitches in just 5 1/3 innings. Houston's Pedro Astacio is currently on the disabled list with a sore shoulder. The Astros had been uncertain if he would return.
Will games be played in New York?
The Mets were scheduled to host the Pirates on Monday, but that series was moved to Pittsburgh. The series between the teams scheduled for Sept. 11-13 in Pittsburgh will move to Shea Stadium when it's played in October. The Yankees don't return home until Sept. 25. Commissioner Bud Selig told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that he informed both the Mets and Yankees that "only when they're ready to go back will we go back" and play baseball in New York.
