What does it mean?

If your team is in first place on this date (traditional Memorial Day), as the teams below are, you can feel pretty good about its chances to win the division.

2011
Division..........1st on May 30th……Division Winner
AL East.................Boston..........……………?
AL Central............Cleveland.………………?
AL West…............Texas....……………........?
NL East….............Philadelphia…………...?
NL Central............Cinncinnati ……………?
NL West…............St. Louis  …………….....?

Most of the time, the last few seasons, the team in first on the first holiday weekend of "summer" comes out a winner. Below is a look at which teams were in first in each division the last few seasons, and which teams won the division (in red). In 17 of the last 24 races the team in first on Memorial Day won the division.

2010
Division....1st on
Memorial Day…Division Winner
AL East......Tampa Bay.…………… Tampa
Bay
AL Central..Minnesota.……………  Minnesota
AL
West…..Oakland……………........Texas
NL
East…...Philadelphia….…........Philadelphia
NL Central..Cincinnati.........….......Cincinnati
NL West…..San Diego.......……....San Francisco

2009
Division……..1st on Memorial Day...Division Winner
AL East……...New York.…………....…New York
AL Central…. Detroit.…………….........Minnesota
AL West……..Texas.……………….......Los Angeles
NL East……...Philadelphia ……..........Philadelphia
NL Central…..StL/Milw (tie)………..…St Louis
NL West……..Los Angeles ……….....Los Angeles

2008
Division……..1st on Memorial Day…Division Winner
AL East…….. Tampa Bay……………...Tampa Bay
AL Central…. Chicago……………........Chicago
AL West……. Los Angeles…………....Los Angeles
NL East…….. Philadelphia……………Philadelphia
NL Central…. Chicago………...………Chicago
NL West……. Arizona ………………....Los Angeles

2007
Division……..1st on Memorial Day…Division Winner
AL East……....Boston……………….....Boston
AL Central…. .Chicago…………..........Cleveland
AL West……...Los Angeles…………...Los Angeles
NL East……....New York…………....…Philadelphia
NL Central…...Chicago………………..Chicago
NL West……...Arizona ……………..….Arizona

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
BaseballRace.com
Baseball standings

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