Phillies take a Halladay posted by David

After the way Cliff Lee pitched against the Yankees in the World Series six weeks ago, I would have been surprised to hear that the Phillies were even listening to offers for their ace.  But when the chance to acquire Roy Halladay comes around, I suppose any team would be crazy not to listen.  Before I knew it, Halladay was a Phillie and Lee was heading to Seattle, where he’ll join his third club in the span of four and a half months.  How often does that happen to the defending Cy Young Award winner?

Mauer wins Triple Crown in my book

No major leaguer has won the Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, but this year Joe Mauer did lead the American League in what should be the three Triple Crown categories: batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.444), and slugging percentage (.587).  Home runs are exciting and contribute to a higher slugging percentage, but if I were a manager, I’d much rather see my cleanup hitter go 3-4 than hit a solo shot and strike out three times trying to do it again.  Reaching 100 RBI’s in a season is a nice accomplishment, but the stat itself is overrated.  If all nine guys in the lineup are getting on base 40 percent of the time, it doesn’t matter who is driving them in; someone must be.

Granderson to patrol center in the Bronx

At the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis last week, the Yankees landed themselves a great centerfielder in Curtis Granderson.  Many of Granderson’s fans – myself included – were disappointed that he will be wearing Pinstripes next season.  Even so, I’ll keep rooting for him wherever he goes.  Of all the people I met at the World Baseball Classic, he was the happiest to be there.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Curtis Granderson is the truest friend of the game.

"Tim Lincecum Captures Second Cy Young" posted by Michael McGauley

 Just sheer domination that didn't necessarily show up in the win column! Fifteen victories equals a Cy Young?  Let's look at ALL of the numbers to really appreciate how great Tim Lincecum has been through his first two-full seasons with the Giants (he did throw 146-plus innings in 24 starts in 2007). Back-to-back Cy Young Awards do not come around very often (see: N.L. stand-outs RJ and Maddux, each with four straight, and Sandy Koufax with three of four; Clemens, Palmer, McClain, and Pedro each went back-to-back in the A.L. ([Clemens did it twice; ten years apart]). The difference? Lincecum has done it twice in two full years by the age of 25! So how do you follow up a CY YOUNG AWARD WINNING SEASON??? You work even harder to improve (by perfecting a third pitch), and that's exactly what Lincecum did after winning his first CY in 2008 with an 18-and-5 record, and 265 strikeouts in 227 innings. Lincecum worked 225 and one-third innings this year, and went 15-and-7 with 261 strikeouts. No, that doesn't sound any better until we delve deeper. Check this out - in roughly the same number of innings pitched, Lincecum allowed fourteen fewer hits (182 down to 168); sixteen fewer walks (84 to 68); four fewer earned runs (66 to 62), and an opponent's batting average of .206, down from .221 in '08. He also doubled his complete games (up to four); doubled his shutouts (two); lowered his ERA (2.48 from 2.62), and his WHIP (1.05 from 1.17). That is thirty fewer base runners which is certainly reflected in his walks- and hits-to-innings-pitched. Among his many double-digit strikeout performances this season, I was fortunate enough to see Lincecum dust 15 Pirates in a complete game victory on a Monday night in late July. Just unbelievable, even if it Continue reading ""Tim Lincecum Captures Second Cy Young""

A game for the record books posted by David

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard put themselves in the record books in back-to-back at-bats in the seventh inning of Game 5 of the World Series in Philadelphia.  Each tied an offensive mark originally set before Phil Coke, the Yankee pitcher who faced the duo, was born.  Utley matched Reggie Jackson, who hit five home runs in the 1977 Fall Classic.  Jackson, incidentally, was in his first year in Yankee pinstripes.  Howard tied Willie Wilson, whose 12 strikeouts in the 1980 World Series were at the hands of none other than the Phillies.  (Howard went on to set a new record in Game 6.)

How ‘bout that?

How about Chase Utley?  His five home runs against Yankee pitching were one fewer than all of his teammates combined for during the six-game series.  Utley absolutely carried the offense, either scoring or driving in 15 of the 27 runs the Phillies put up against the Yankee hurlers.

How about Mariano Rivera?  In 12 appearances this postseason, Mo threw 16 innings and allowed just a single run while striking out 14 and saving five games.  His value was particularly apparent in Game 4 of the World Series, when he retired the Phillies in order to preserve the Yankee victory after his counterpart, Brad Lidge, surrendered three runs in the top of the ninth and took the loss.

How about the Yankees?  With a record of 11 wins against just four losses this postseason, they really were the true champions, outplaying their opponents for the duration of the playoffs.  They never faced elimination and trailed only one of the three series they played – the World Series, after Game 1.  As always, expectations in the Bronx will be very high in 2010.

Mike Tyson, Ricky Hatton, UFC, Tom Cable, Yankees, Raiders & Manny Pacquiao posted by Colin Linneweber

The Yankees, Not the Red Sox, Were the Team of this Decade

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 Wednesday night in the Bronx to win their record 27th World Series championship in team history.

The Yankees, who went 103-59 to establish the best mark in Major League Baseball in the 2009 season, simply outclassed the Phillies over the course of six games.

“I really believe in this club,” said Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, who was widely scrutinized for his decision to utilize a three-man rotation throughout the playoffs. “I’ve always believed in this organization, the job the Steinbrenner family has done, Cashman and his staff and it’s where we wanted to be and the guys did it.”

Despite New York’s exorbitant payroll that exceeded $208 million, Girardi stressed that the Yankees chemistry and perseverance is what ultimately brought another crown to the Bronx.

“It’s unbelievable how this team came together in spring training,” said Girardi, who decided when he was hired by the Yankees in October 2007 that the number on his jersey would be 27 to emphasize that his sole mission in pinstripes was to win another championship. “They just kept fighting and fighting and fighting.”

Hideki Matsui, who has twice been selected as an All-Star since he made his debut in the Bronx in 2003, was named the World Series Most Valuable Player after he batted .615 with three home runs and eight RBI.

The Yankees are an extremely deep and talented squad and Matsui, whose contract has now expired, expressed immediate interest in returning to the Bronx to help defend their title.

The Yankees, Not the Red Sox, Were the Team of this Decade posted by Colin Linneweber

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 Wednesday night in the Bronx to win their record 27th World Series championship in team history.

The Yankees, who went 103-59 to establish the best mark in Major League Baseball in the 2009 season, simply outclassed the Phillies over the course of six games.

“I really believe in this club,” said Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, who was widely scrutinized for his decision to utilize a three-man rotation throughout the playoffs. “I’ve always believed in this organization, the job the Steinbrenner family has done, Cashman and his staff and it’s where we wanted to be and the guys did it.”

Despite New York’s exorbitant payroll that exceeded $208 million, Girardi stressed that the Yankees chemistry and perseverance is what ultimately brought another crown to the Bronx.

“It’s unbelievable how this team came together in spring training,” said Girardi, who decided when he was hired by the Yankees in October 2007 that the number on his jersey would be 27 to emphasize that his sole mission in pinstripes was to win another championship.

“They just kept fighting and fighting and fighting.”

Hideki Matsui, who has twice been selected as an All-Star since he made his debut in the Bronx in 2003, was named the World Series Most Valuable Player after he batted .615 with three home runs and eight RBI.

The Yankees are an extremely deep and talented squad and Matsui, whose contract has now expired, expressed immediate interest in returning to the Bronx to help defend their title.

St. Louis' Awful October and World Series Preview posted by Ryan Turner

It's been a while since I've written anything. It has certainly been a tough month. The Blues started their season by picking up a couple of huge wins over the Red Wings in Sweden, but now they've began to be plagued with injuries again. They've gone just 2-4-1 since returning to the United States and have lost Barret Jackman, T.J. Oshie, D.J. King, and Alex Steen to injuries. They were already without captain Eric Brewer. The only benefit to Jackman being out is that it's giving Alex Pietrangelo a chance to get some playing time. He recorded his first NHL goal on Saturday against Dallas. Unfortunately, nobody else scored in a 4-1 loss. The team admitted that they became unfocused after Dallas forward Steve Ott laid a cheap shot on Carlo Colaiacovo. That's fine if I'm playing a video game. If one of my guys gets hurt in playstation hockey, I spend the majority of the game afterwards trying to injure the other team, especially the player that got my guy hurt (Oh yeah, I go back in instant replay, find the guy, and place a personal vendetta against him for the rest of the contest).

However, the team can't let two points, especially in a home game, slip away so easily. The game went from 1-0 Dallas to 4-0 in a heartbeat. They have to realize that if a hit is really that dirty (which it was), then the league will take care of it (which it did, handing Ott a two-game suspension). If the play had occurred when the game was already out of reach, I'm fine with the team policing itself. Ott made another dirty play later, sticking his knee out to make contact with B.J. Crombeen's knee. Crombeen got up and immediately pursued Ott, beating the hell out of him. I would've done the same thing and I respect Crombeen for defending himself as well as his teammates. Ott knows that he'll be punished both by the league and the Blues if he makes anymore dirty plays against them this season. That said, the Blues play a team in Carolina tonight that only has two wins this season. The team has been extremely inconsistent this year. All of the lineup changes haven't helped that fact, but if they can play well game in and game out, the lineup won't matter as much.

Andy Pettitte is a Hall of Fame Pitcher posted by Colin Linneweber

Lefthander Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5-2 Sunday night in the Bronx to capture their 40th American League Pennant.

Pettitte, 37, a two-time All-Star selection who has accumulated the most victories of any MLB pitcher since 1995, allowed only seven hits and one earned run in 6 1/3 innings.

“He did what he has done his whole career,” said Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter of the 2001 ALCS MVP.

The native of Texas is set to make his eighth appearance in the World Series when the Yankees host the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday evening.

Many onlookers have long considered Pettitte to be a serviceable pitcher who is not among baseball’s elite hurlers.

Those skeptics are simply incorrect.

Andy Pettitte, who has a career record of 228-133 and owns a .629 winning percentage, is a spectacular talent and he should garner serious Hall of Fame consideration when he eventually retires.

With his victory Sunday, Pettitte passed John Smoltz for the most postseason wins in history and he also established the record for the most series-clinching victories with five.

Additionally, Pettitte, a four-time World Series champion, has twice been a 20-game winner and he has never endured a losing season in his entire professional career.

Last September, Pettitte started the last game for the Yankees at the old Yankee Stadium.

Don’t be surprised if Pettitte is the pitcher that leads New York to their first World Series championship at the New Yankee Stadium.

Did you say you played for the Dodgers? Or was it the Phillies? posted by David

In the National League Championship Series, fans of both teams saw familiar faces wearing the opponent’s uniform.  Dodgers Jim Thome, Vicente Padilla, and Randy Wolf used to play their home games in the City of Brotherly Love, while Phillies Jayson Werth, Pedro Martinez, Chan Ho Park, and Paul Bako once upon a time bled Dodger Blue.

Both the Philadelphia and Los Angeles coaching staffs have ties to their LCS rivals as well.  Philly first base coach Davey Lopes played for the Dodgers for 10 years (1972-1981), while his counterpart, Dodgers first base coach Mariano Duncan, played for the Phillies from 1992 to 1995.  Taking the cake is L.A. third base coach Larry Bowa, who played in Philadelphia from 1970 until 1981 and managed the Phils for four seasons (2001-2004) before being replaced by current Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who had a brief stint with the Dodgers in 1974 and 1975.

How ‘bout that?

How about CC Sabathia?  After leading the Yankees to victory in their playoff opener against the Twins, CC has brought his A-game to the park in the second round.  In Game 1 of the ALCS, Sabathia threw eight innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking just one, leading the team to a 4-1 victory over the Angels.  He followed that up with another eight-inning, one-run performance on short rest in Game 4 to give the Yankees a 3-1 series lead.  If the Halos win tomorrow night to force a Game 7, CC will take the hill one more time in an attempt to carry his teammates into the World Series.

9th Inning Heroics Highlight MLB Playoffs posted by richard Kagan

After the Los Angeles Angel's escape act in Fenway Park the other night, didn't figure to see almost a replica of Philadelphia's big rally in the 9th with two outs versus Colorado.  As Yogi said, "It ain't over till it's over."  And, that is the truth.  That is the magic of baseball.  You can be one strike from going home, but manage to put a man on base, and another, then someone comes up with a big hit, like Ryan Howard of the Phillies did a few days ago.  And Jason Werth drove him home with a neatly placed single to right field. That was some hitting.  That rally silenced the white flag fans in chilly Denver. But the Rockies' ride is over and the Phils try for a repeat over the stubborn Los Angeles Dodgers, who refuse to lose. 

The Angels - Yankee Series will be a test of wills. It will come down to a matter of execution.  Who will drive in a run with two outs and a man on second?  Who will make a heads up base-running play?  What pitching staff will have good outings from their starters?  Then there's always A-rod who is hot as the 4th of July.  It is nice to see a player who is great, perform that way in the post-season.  No matter what one thinks of A-rod, he is a supremely talented power hitter.  It's him and then there's everyone else.  Look for Yankees in 6 games.

The Phillies-Dodgers series will depend upon LA silencing the bats of Philadephia.  No team has done that so far, if LA does, they deserve to be in the World Series.  Look for Phillies in 6 games. 

"Giants Begin Final Home Stand of the Season" posted by Michael McGauley

   It's hard to believe only 10 games remain in the regular season for the Giants, trailing Colorado by four games in the N.L. Wild Card race.  Although it's still mathematically possible, I just think these guys are collectively gassed (mentally and physically).  Even if everything goes their way between now at the finish line, who wants to watch a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers or Phillies.  Is it still best-of-five in the first round? Hey, no one expected them to contend this late into the season -  it's been an entertaining product despite a frustrating lack of offense.  All I can say is just 10 more days of Randy Winn, Fred Lewis, and Dave Roberts' expiring contract -- good bye, and good luck to you all.   The starting rotation, considered the strength of this team all season, has really struggled in this last turn through the rotation. There has been no one to jump in and be the stopper this time around. Jonathan Sanchez was the first starter since Matt Cain (6 IP on September 16th), to go more than five-innings, when he got the win Wednesday night over the D-Backs. Let's review this unfortunate little streak, but at the same time, realize they went 2-and-3 during this stretch: Cain - 2-and-a-third Tuesday (vs Az)Zito - 4-and-a-third Monday (vs Az)Lincecum - 4-innings Sunday (vs. L.A.)Penny - 2-and-two-thirds Saturday (vs. L.A.)Sanchez - 4-and-a-third Friday (vs L.A.)    I would say short of Brad Penny getting too hyped-up with too much to prove against the Dodgers, theContinue reading ""Giants Begin Final Home Stand of the Season""

Phils, Contreras finalize $1.5M, 1-year contract (AP)

Veteran pitcher Jose Contreras has finalized a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. The 38-year-old right-hander went a combined 6-13 with a 4.92 ERA in 28 games last year with the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies. Contreras started 23 games, but will be used mainly as a reliever in Philadelphia. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Phils lock in catcher Ruiz for 3 years, $8.9M

Catcher Carlos Ruiz and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to an$8.85 million, three-year contract that avoids salary arbitration. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB

Report: Phils lock in catcher Ruiz for 3 years, $8.5M

A person familiar with the negotiations says catcher Carlos Ruizand the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to an $8.85 million,three-year contract that avoids salary arbitration. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB

Blanton banks 3-year, $24M deal with NL champ Phils

Joe Blanton and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $24million, three-year contract that avoided a salary arbitrationhearing next month. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB

Durbin avoids arbitration, gets more than $2M from Phils

Reliever Chad Durbin has agreed to a one-year contract with thePhiladelphia Phillies worth $2,125,000, a deal that avoided salaryarbitration. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB