Rangers Fan Dies After Falling From Stands

Sad news from Texas as a Rangers fan who fell from the outfield bleacher seats going for a foul ball during last night's Athletics/Rangers game has passed

The incident happened during the 2nd inning after Oakland's Connor Jackson fouled a pitch off and the ball deflected to Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton who threw the ball into the outfield stands.

The fan went to go for the ball and fell into the concrete floor behind the out-of-town scoreboard. He was taken to the hospital and sadly passed away.

Below is the video of the incident and may I pause to send my condolences to the family of the victim:



(Courtesy of Rumors and Rants)

The Nelson Cruz Strike Out That Should Have Been A Walk

During yesterday's Texas Rangers/New York Mets affair, Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz was up in the 2nd inning to face Mets pitcher Jonathon Niese.

In the middle of the at-bat, it appears that Nelson has been walked on six pitches but the umpire crew doesn't notice as Nelson continues to hit and eventually strikes out:

The Cliff Lee Effect On Major League Baseball

One of the most dominant pitchers over the past few years just threw a big curve ball. The difference is that he didn’t have to stand on a mound to do it.

After every sports rumor mill, publications and news sites churned out numerous stories that charted the raging tug-of-war between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers over pitcher Cliff Lee, it turns out that it was all an illusion that the 32-year-old magically performed. With a swift stroke of his pen, he etches his name on a five-year, $120 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, a team no one ever wrote about in connection with trying to acquire Major League Baseball’s most coveted free agent.

The documentation of the process has been a major headliner in sports since the San Francisco Giants won the World Series. Where would Lee go? What would it take to get him? Everyone knew how bad the Yankees wanted him, offering nearly everything he desired and more. They were willing to give him whatever he craved, even as their captain and face of the team since the mid 90s, Derek Jeter, faced difficulties with management on a new extension.

The Texas Rangers was also willing to shell out virtually all they had, which would have left the team with nothing but lint in their pocket. Knowing he was the reason they got to the 2010 World Series, they felt he was worth every penny they could give. So they matched the Yankees offer with the idea that the money, along with the love of the city and the organization showed him since being traded to Texas, would be enough to persuade him.

In the end though, they both were outshined by the dark horse Philadelphia Phillies.
Even more startling is the fact that he goes back to the team he helped get to the World Series in 2009 for less money and years under contract than both Texas and New York offered.

The Lee signing changes the landscape of baseball for years to come.

1) Philadelphia Jumps To The Favorite, Not Just In The National League, But Of All The MLB.

Despite the loss of Jayson Werth to the Washington Nationals, the Phillies appeared to still be a strong contender in their division and league. Sure the Nationals moved up the chain in the NL East, but they are still light years away from challenging the Phillies’ for the division title. The New York Mets, Florida Marlins, and Atlanta Braves all have done little to improve their roster, so labeling Philadelphia the favorites is still a no-brainer.

Now, with Lee joining a staff that boasts 2010 Cy Young Winner Roy Halladay, three time all star Roy Oswalt, and 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, the Phillies have the best rotation in baseball and are a clear cut to win the 2011 World Series. With the core of their line-up returning in Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Shane Victorino, the Phillies merely substitute the big bat of Werth for a dominant pitcher in Lee.

And, if there was anything the Giants showed not only the Phillies, but to most of the baseball world, it’s that pitching leads the way to championships.

2) The New York Yankees Now Take A Backseat To The Red Sox

As the off season continued to progress, it was obvious that the signing of Lee was a big necessity if the Yankees wanted to remain favorites in their own division. With Boston signing five-tool outfielder Carl Crawford and trading for a middle of the lineup hitter in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, New York desperately needed to make a splash.

The transaction to validate that would have been signing Lee.

Getting Lee would have given the Yankees the best one-two pitching combination in baseball with C.C. Sabathia. The emergence of Phil Hughes last season also helps as a strong third option in their rotation. The acquisition of Lee would have also been a stronger influence for 38-year-old Andy Pettitte to return, knowing that he would be the key to getting another title in New York.

Now, the Yankees have merely a mediocre rotation and are only the second best team in their division. Their arch-rival Red Sox are out in front early on, breathing a sigh of relief that Lee burned the Yankees.

3) Texas Rangers Sent Back Into Mediocrity

While the Yankees still appear to be a viable playoff contender despite not getting Lee, the Rangers look like they are stuck in a maze with no path leading to a way out.

The main reason (and some would contend the only reason) the Rangers got as far as they did last year was because they had the six-foot, three inch lefty taking throwing for them. He led a pitching staff whose track record doesn’t qualify nearly as close to Lee’s credentials.

C.J. Wilson converted to the starting rotation after five seasons as a reliever. Tommy Hunter is only 24-years-old and has yet to pitch over 130 innings in a season. Colby Lewis is a journeyman pitcher who returned this past season to the Major League after two years in Japan. Losing Lee makes the pitching staff mediocre at best, which has got to make Rangers fans cringe with the powerful lineup they put out consistently.

The loss also doesn’t certify Texas as the obvious front-runner for the AL West it would have been had he signed with them. Luckily for them, the three other teams (Angels, A’s, and Mariners) are still quite inferior to them. The Angels seem to be the only team capable of knocking off the 2010 Division Champs, as the A’s and Mariners continue to rebuild for the future.

Yet, now the Rangers can clump themselves in the same category as their other three rivals, despite still being the early AL West favorites, as a weaker team entering 2011 now that Lee is heading back east to Philadelphia.

It’s hard to believe that Lee’s transaction would have such a rippling, domino-effect on the world of baseball. His signing shifts the balance of power in various divisions of baseball and will no doubt change the outlook of the league for years to come.

Hard to believe that a pitcher can throw change-ups in baseball, even without hurling a single pitch.

The 2010 World Series Matchup: Texas Rangers vs San Francisco Giants

Wait…is that title right? Did it just say the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants for the World Series?

The Texas Rangers? The team that never won a playoff series before the 2010 playoffs, let alone ever been to a World Series? The same team that finished 10 games out of first place in the AL West last season?

Against the San Francisco Giants? The same Giants team that had to win the last game of the season to make it into the playoffs? The same franchise who has yet to ever win a World Series since moving to San Francisco.

Take in the moment to say the names of the teams battling it out for baseball’s richest prize one more time. Now pinch yourself while you are at it and close your mouth after it dropped from astonishment.

All done?

Good.

This is no dream (or a nightmare if you are from New York or Philadelphia) nor is it a typo of any sort. This isn’t the usual showcase of high-powered or high costing rosters like the Phillies or Cardinals against one of the AL East teams (like it has been in the past two years). The two under dog teams from both championship series were able to shock the world by knocking their supposed “overpowering” counterparts down to size and out of the postseason.

This title match brings a refreshing look to baseball; two franchises with payrolls below $100 million (Giants are ranked 10th and Rangers are ranked 27th according to CBSSports.com) and fresh faces that are irrelevant in comparison to the bigger names of the sport. Baseball titles aren’t even a familiarity for the areas both teams play for. The Spurs, Cowboys and 49ers are the teams that usually have parades for winning their sport’s championships in Texas and San Francisco history.

While the firepower of big faces aren’t featured and both teams are in realms of baseball they rarely (or in Texas’ case never) reach this point, the unusual match up will spark a new and creative twist to the finale of the playoffs. Although boredom with very little interest is the forecast most baseball experts have for this series, there is plenty of potential to make this a very special World Series.

Here are some key points to watch after the first pitch is thrown by Rangers ace Cliff Lee on Wednesday:

- Texas Wants The High Road, San Francisco Wants The Low Road

If there is one word to define the Texas team, it has to be explosive. The team will look to put up big numbers on the board with the variety of hitters they feature.

The Rangers’ hitters can make a great pitch look bad with one swing. Speedster Elvis Andrus opens up a line up that follows with an abundance of smart and powerful hitters. Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, and Nelson Cruz all hit over .300 in the ALCS and each hit at least 20 home runs in the regular season.

The key for the Rangers will be to keep the score high and making sure that the games turn into an offensive match up. If the scores can get over the five run mark, advantage will swing in their favor.

For the Giants, the key word will be subtle.

There is subtlety in their formula on winning games, they just appear to make it happen and go with what is working for them at that moment. They are lead, of course, by their rotation of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez, who all have kept opponents batting below .200 against them in the playoffs.

Keeping the score on the low end will be most important for the Giants. In all three playoff losses, they have given up more than four runs. In five of their seven wins, they have scored three runs or less.

Whichever road the games and the series drive towards will feature which team has the edge in the series.

- Ron Washington vs Bruce Bochy

With two teams that feature a lengthy roster of players who have never been to the World Series, a big key factor will fall into the hands of the managers.

Both Ron Washington and Bruce Bochy have made the necessary changes and requirements throughout the playoffs to make their team successful. The Rangers could have opted for their ace Lee in the sixth game of the series, but Washington kept his faith in Colby Lewis and they won. Bochy had a quick counter for each move both Bobby Cox and Charlie Manuel made that prevailed for him in the end.

The two teams have lineups that are interchangeable, which means having the right alterations and match ups will be important for both teams. With inexperience and unfamiliarity of the World Series the focus on both sides, the teams will look to their managers to make the right calls to be successful.

- DH An Issue For Both Sides

Most teams in baseball look at the position of DH as a luxury, a way to add more bang for your buck in a lineup with the pitcher only focusing upon pitching. This series takes the issue of DH in a different direction.

Texas will have to figure out what to do with Guerrero when game one starts in San Francisco. Although he has played in the outfield historically as well as this season (seventeen games in right and one in left), he is not the great defensive player he once was. His start in the outfield will also mean that David Murphy will most likely sit on the bench.

The Giants will also have to deal with who to place in the DH position once the series shifts to Texas. One option would be to place Pat Burrell in the spot and start Nate Schierholtz in the outfield in his place for defense. They could also hit Aubrey Huff at DH and put Travis Ishikawa at first base for defense. Pablo Sandoval is also a possible solution to be the DH.

The changes both teams make when the series move venues could be a big catalyst in the series.

When the series kicks off, everyone will be on edge to see which one of these underdogs will come out on top. Neither team wants to be the favorite and both will try their best to stay in the shadows of the media attention hoping to creep out only after the champagne is popped (or Ginger Ale in Texas’ case).

Regardless of the attention or focus on the odds, the Texas Rangers vs San Francisco Giants will be a Cinderella-on-both-sides series that appears to assure the public of fireworks and drama until the end.

Texas Rangers vs San Francisco Giants for the World Series…a sentence that still appears bizarre to read in the papers no matter how many times it’s been printed.

Two Fan Made World Series Celebration Music Videos

Like I have noted previously on this blog, I am not a huge fan of these fan-made music videos in support of some superfans favorite team going into a championship game.

However, since some of them can be rather entertaining, we post them here anyway. So, here is one called, "The Giants Win The Pennant" and the other called, "Rangers World Series Fight Song":

Texas Rangers Might Be "Doin The Claw" For A World Series Title

Tonight is the first game of the World Series and the Texas Rangers might have a chance to claim their first ever World Series title.

One of the playoffs songs that has been sweeping the Ranger Nation is called, "The Claw" by Randy Phillips and Canton Jones.

Essentially, "The Claw" is gesture made after a nice defensive play or big offensive hit by a Ranger player and to be honest, "Do The Claw" just sounds cool:

Top Five Reasons New York Yankees Lost ALCS

For all the discussion about how Cliff Lee could decide the American League Championship Series in a potential Game 7, it turned out the Texas Rangers needed only one start from their starting ace to dethrone the New York Yankees and clinch the AL pennant for the first time in franchise history.

And as the Yankees attempt to pick up the pieces from a failed quest to win their 28th World Series Championship, they should be able to point to a myriad of reasons why a season in which they finished with the second-best record in the American League ended in disappointment.

This on-going analysis should also result in the identification of five main reasons New York is entering an off-season full of uncertainty much sooner than they could have possibly imagined. Ultimately though, any which way the pie is sliced, the Bronx Bombers were humbled by a team that could have destiny on their side in this year’s postseason.

5. David Robertson’s inability to hold close games

In the 61 innings he was called upon during the regular season, Yankees right-handed reliever David Robertson held 14 games and amassed 71 strikeouts. Robertson’s numbers included an ERA of 3.82 and a WHIP of 1.50.

But among New York’s relievers in the ALCS, the Rangers roughed up Robertson more than any other to the tune of six earned runs on eight hits in only two innings. Robertson finished the series with a dismal ERA of 20.25 and a WHIP of 3.38.

Robertson’s unreliability allowed Texas to blow open close games in Game 3 and Game 6 to expand deficits from which the Yankees were unable to recover.

Game 3 saw the Rangers turn a 3-0 contest into a 8-0 blowout with Robertson on the mound while in Game 6, outfielder Nelson Cruz belted a two-out, two-run home run off Robertson to give the Rangers a 5-1 lead and propel them into the World Series.

4. Power outage of Alex Rodriguez & Mark Teixeira

For a duo that combined for 63 home runs and 233 RBI’s, to say that Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira failed to come through in the ALCS would be a gross understatement.

In 21 plate appearances, Rodriguez managed to come up with only four hits and 2 RBI’s to finish with an anemic batting average of .190. Meanwhile, Teixeira didn’t register a single hit in his 14 at-bats prior to bowing out of the series with a hamstring injury in Game 4.

The lack of production from the Yankees’ corner infielders left AL MVP candidate Robinson Cano to carry the offensive load for the team, which he did with flying colors. However, Cano’s power display needed to be supplemented by similar efforts from Rodriguez and Teixeira for New York to have a shot at winning the series.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, the power went off somewhere between the end of the American League Divisional Series and the beginning of the ALCS and they’re still waiting for it to come back on.

3. Ineffectiveness of Phil Hughes

Phil Hughes won an impressive 18 games in the regular season for New York but he also had an unusually high 4.19 ERA, which translates to having a significant amount of run support during his starts. But as evidenced in the ALCS, when the run support wasn’t as robust, Hughes’ shortcomings became increasingly glaring.

Hughes was the loser of Game 2 and Game 6 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, where he gave up eleven earned runs on fourteen hits and walked seven while only striking out six. Hughes’ ERA in his two starts was 11.42.

When the #2 starter puts up those kinds of numbers in a best-of-seven series, chances are his team isn’t advancing to the next round. This holds true for any team in baseball; even the New York Yankees.

2. Colby Lewis outshines Cliff Lee

Of all the starters on the Rangers’ pitching staff, Colby Lewis was arguably the last one who would have been expected to shine the brightest against the Yankees. Nevertheless, it was Lewis who channeled his inner Cliff Lee to shut down New York’s vaunted offense in Game 2 and Game 6.

Thus, the same Colby Lewis who finished with a 12-13 record and an ERA of 3.72 this season went 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA on the biggest stage of his career. More importantly, Lewis’ performances keyed Texas to a critical victory in Game 2 to even the series and a win in Game 6 to clinch the pennant.

He may have not been a household name prior to the ALCS but, as far as the Yankees are concerned, Colby Lewis is a name that will not soon be forgotten.

1. The Rangers were the better team

As hard as it might be for Yankees fans to admit, the Rangers outhit, outhustled and outpitched New York throughout a series that could have just as easily been a sweep as opposed to a six-game affair.

Texas scored twice as many runs (38-19), their batting average was more than a hundred points higher (.304 vs. .201) and their pitching staff’s ERA was nearly three points lower (2.76 vs. 6.58) compared to the Yankees.

So, in essence, the ALCS really wasn’t as close as the six-game outcome would make it appear. Simply put, the Rangers wanted it more.

And that may very well be the toughest reason for the Yankees and their fans to accept of them all.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special pictorial/video recap of Game 6 of the American League Championship Series.

No Love For The West In Baseball

An East vs West rivalry isn’t only a connection to the 1990s Hip-Hop era anymore.

Baseball is in the thick of the battle between the two sides.

The Texas Rangers currently lead the New York Yankees with a 3-2 series lead and a return home for the final two games. The San Francisco Giants took two of three at home and head back to Philadelphia with a 3-2 lead over the Phillies.

The Rangers and Giants were supposed to be minor pests for the juggernaut Yankees and Phillies; everyone picked both teams from the West to be easily stomped and flattened by the East like Gombas from the Super Mario Bros. video games. The real challenge was not in the Championship Series, but the World Series with New York and Philadelphia facing off like the Clash of the Titans.

Now, after being labeled as the 2010 “runner up” before the series even started, it is the so-called incomplete teams of the Rangers and Giants who are standing tall. With the ALCS and NLCS heading into the home stretch, the underdogs of both leagues appear to be just a single W away from advancing to the World Series.

Despite being on top now, the attention and credit being given to both teams remains the same from the start of the playoffs. The attention the Yankees and Phillies are receiving is nothing new to the teams from the East, most of the country are quite unfamiliar with the likes of Michael Young, Aubrey Huff, Ian Kinsler and Matt Cain.

Why is it that the country is so oblivious to players and teams from the West?

Networks, like ESPN, have programs that focus little upon the teams out West. Not only that, but media outlets and analysts describe these teams as if they are inferior or insignificant compared to those in the East.

At the start of the series, many experts picked the Phillies over the Giants, which is understandable in comparison to overall talent. According to the Yahoo! Sports website on predictions for the series, their four experts picked the Phillies to win with split decisions on the series going five or six games long. Three of those same four experts also believed the Yankees would defeat the Rangers.

The Yahoo! Analysts were not the only ones who believed the series belonged to the East. All ten of the ESPN experts asked to make predictions on the NLCS unanimously agreed that the Phillies would be the winner with only three asserting it would go seven games. On the other side for the ALCS, of the eight experts who were asked to pick winners, six assumed the Yankees would win with only two believing the series going the distance.

Despite the little belief most of the media had with the teams from the West, the current situation of both series are not producing any changes.

Following the game four win for the Giants, ESPN Analyst John Kruk continued to give them no love on the television show Baseball Tonight by explaining that the Phillies are losing the series rather than San Francisco winning it.

Although the Phillies are not living up to the expectations bestowed upon them since the start of the season, the Giants are going above and beyond their ability to win games with no credit given to them.

After getting the game winning run in game four, Aubrey Huff explains to the media how the whole nation is finally seeing what his team can do now that their games are showing coast-to-coast on FOX.

“It seems like all the baseball talk is all East Coast,” Huff says according to an AP article posted by Yahoo! Sports. “Everybody watching tonight saw exactly how we’ve played all year.”

The little exposure and attention that baseball teams out West are currently receiving is not a new phenomenon. The idea of an East Coast bias for sports through the media has been a hot topic for a number of years.

San Diego Padres Closer Heath Bell discussed his feelings about ESPN focusing upon teams in the East rather than the franchises out West.

"I saw John Kruk on 'Baseball Tonight,' and he said, 'They're playing real well, but I don't believe in them.’” Bell states according to the MLB Fanhouse website. “And I saw ESPN's promo for tonight's game. They mention the Mets are opening Citi Field, they mentioned the starting time, but nowhere did they mention the Padres.”

Although the West is never given their kudos or attention by most of the media covering baseball, the Rangers and Giants are making the case that changes for equal coverage needs to occur. Both teams deserve credit for their accomplishments regardless of the outcome and for making it obvious that the teams nearest to the Pacific Ocean are no longer pushovers.

The great play of San Francisco and Texas brings up the question the West has been asking for years from the baseball analysts and media: where is the love?

Yankees' Greatest Failure Must Become Rallying Cry in ALCS

When the final out was recorded in a 19-8 trouncing to put the New York Yankees up 3-0 in the 2004 American League Championship Series, the ‘Curse of the Bambino’ appeared to be alive and well.

In the history of Major League Baseball, no team had ever rallied from a three-game deficit to win a postseason series.

However, after two extra-inning, game-winning walk-off hits by David Ortiz, a pitching performance for the ages from Curt Schilling, and a Johnny Damon grand slam in the decisive game at Yankee Stadium, the Boston Red Sox proudly joined the National Hockey League’s 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders in the annals of professional sports.

And although the Yankees didn’t find themselves in a 0-3 predicament, it certainly could be argued the situation was equally as grim when they took the field for Game 5 of the 2010 ALCS against the Texas Rangers. The three previous contests saw the Rangers outscore New York, 25-5, to place the defending World Series Champions on the brink of elimination.

But behind CC Sabathia’s best outing of this year’s postseason and timely hitting from Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano, the Yankees pushed the series back to Texas with a convincing 7-2 victory.

As a result, Phil Hughes, who got roughed up for seven earned runs in four innings in Game 2, will take the mound Friday evening in an attempt to save New York’s season and force a deciding Game 7 against the virtually unhittable Cliff Lee.

Much like the Red Sox in 2004 though, the Yankees’ mentality should essentially boil down to one pitch, one at-bat, one inning and, most importantly, one game at a time.

As daunting as the prospect is of facing Lee again, Texas’ left-handed ace shouldn’t be a thought or the subject of any conversation in New York’s locker room because Game 6 presents enough of a challenge of its own.

The immediate task at hand for the Bronx Bombers is two-fold, getting to Rangers Game 6 starter Colby Lewis early and often enough to boost the confidence of Phil Hughes; which is exactly what Texas did for Lewis in Game 2 when they staked him to a five-run lead in the first three innings.

This allowed Lewis to settle into a groove and pitch confidently enough to hold the Yankees to only two runs on six hits before the Rangers bullpen shut the door.

Meanwhile, whether New York’s offense gives him a cushion to work with or not, the goal for the 24-year-old Hughes is to work six solid innings in serving as the bridge to Kerry Wood and Mariano Rivera.

The Game 2 debacle should already be in Hughes’ rearview mirror and he should step on the mound assured his repertoire can win the Yankees one more game; especially considering the fact he finished tied for fourth in the American League in victories with 18.

Another point to consider is that all the pressure is on Texas to close out the series at home, where they have gone 1-3 in the postseason.

In addition, the Rangers will feel the tremendous weight of an entire state on their shoulders as they attempt to clinch the AL pennant for the first time in franchise history.

On the other hand, New York has 40 AL pennants and 27 World Series Championships to show for all the pressure-packed playoff games they have participated in over the course of their 97-year history, and this year’s team is as battle-tested as the rest.

Therefore, ‘the moment’ will not have the impact on New York as it does on the Rangers.

The Yankees took the first step toward an improbable comeback in Game 5, just as the Red Sox did in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. And as evidenced by their age-old rivals, once a team begins building a little momentum it can become the impetus to leaving a lasting impression in professional sports lore.

This is the hope New York can cling to entering Game 6 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and where lessons can be gleaned from the greatest failure in team history.

If the Boston Red Sox can come back from a three-game deficit against a team that historically owned them then anything is possible, including a Game 6 victory to knot the series and a triumph over Cliff Lee in a game to decide the AL pennant.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special pictorial/video recap of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.

The Yankees Can’t Afford To Lose Another Game In ALCS

After putting on a pitching clinic in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, Texas Rangers ace Cliff Lee upped his postseason record to 3-0 in three starts against the New York Yankees over the past two years. Oh, by the way, this unblemished record includes an ERA of 1.88, 26 strikeouts and only four walks.

So as a result of Lee’s continued dominance in the playoffs, Texas took a 2-1 lead in the series, recaptured home-field advantage from the Yankees and are in a position where they need only one more victory to guarantee that Lee will take the mound again in a potential Game 7.

Therefore, it can’t be understated that every game is a must-win for the Bronx Bombers for the duration of the ALCS. New York can ill afford to face Cliff Lee again, in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, with their season on the line.

But with A.J. Burnett going in Game 4, CC Sabathia in Game 5 and Phil Hughes in Game 6, the Yankees are playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette against the best hitting lineup in the regular season and the postseason. Burnett, Hughes and even Sabathia, a leading candidate for the AL Cy Young Award, are all question marks going into their respective starts, which doesn’t bode well for a team in dire need of three consecutive wins.

In last year’s postseason, Sabathia was the anchor of New York’s starting rotation as he posted a record of 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA, 32 strikeouts and only nine walks in five starts. However, if Sabathia was considered Dr. Jekyll in 2009, he has become the equivalent of Mr. Hyde in this year’s playoffs. Sabathia, a 21-game winner during the regular season, has gone 1-0 in two starts, his ERA has ballooned to 7.20 and he has only eight strikeouts compared to seven walks during this postseason.

Meanwhile, after shutting down the Minnesota Twins for seven innings in the American League Divisional Series, Hughes got lit up for seven earned runs in four innings of work against the Rangers in Game 2 of the ALCS. And if New York extends the series to a sixth game, the 24-year-old Hughes will have the assignment of saving his team’s season on the field where he was shellacked less than a week ago.

As for the Yankees’ most enigmatic starter, after a season in which he went 10-15 with an ERA of 5.26, Burnett was left out of the rotation for the ALDS. Nevertheless, Burnett has been called upon to make a critical and necessary start in Game 4 of the ALCS in order to give the remaining starters their normal rest.

Bearing this in mind, Burnett, Sabathia and Hughes must either throw the game of their careers or the Yankees’ offense must be prolific enough to negate any sub-par performances from the aforementioned starters. There is simply no other option at this stage of the season with Cliff Lee waiting in the wings to pitch one game to decide the American League pennant.

The Yankees are extremely fortunate to be down only one game in the ALCS because Texas has outplayed them for the better part of 25 out of the 27 innings that have been played. But if New York loses another game in the series, their good fortune will come to an abrupt end.

Although the Rangers are two victories away from winning the AL pennant, the defending World Series Champions must treat every game like an elimination game, beginning with Game 4 at Yankee Stadium Tuesday evening.

Otherwise, the Yankees will have no choice but to tip their caps to Cliff Lee and call him their daddy when the ALCS is over.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a recap of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

Yankees’ Playoff Existence Flashes Before Their Eyes

When Alex Rodriguez crossed the plate with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi must have looked to the heavens and asked, ‘What did I do to deserve this?’

In retrospect, the Texas Rangers were only six outs away from capturing Game 1 of the American League Championship Series for the first home playoff victory in franchise history. But like the Minnesota Twins before them, Texas appears to have difficulty handling prosperity against the Yankees in the postseason.

Since a Game 1 road win over New York in the 1996 American League Divisional Series and a 4-2 seventh inning lead in Game 2, the Rangers have lost ten consecutive games to the Bronx Bombers in the playoffs. However, the latest defeat had to sting infinitely more than any of the others.

With Texas holding a seemingly commanding 5-0 lead entering the seventh inning, all seemed lost for the Yankees. Even a solo home run by second baseman Robinson Cano to put New York’s first run on the scoreboard didn’t come close to sounding the alarm for the impending rally on the horizon.

Nevertheless, Brett Gardner’s infield single to lead off the top half of the eighth was the beginning of seven consecutive batters reaching base in a five-run explosion, an outburst that gave the Yankees a lead they would never relinquish.

More importantly though, New York moved one step closer to assuring Rangers ace Cliff Lee doesn’t take the mound twice in the series. And ultimately, with a victory in Saturday afternoon’s Game 2, all the team with the second-best home record in the American League would have to do is win two out of three games to avoid going back to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

On the flip side of the coin, assuming Lee is a virtual lock to win Game 3, if the Rangers pitching staff can manage to collect two wins over the next few days then a Game 7 would still be in the offing. The potential problem is what losing a golden opportunity to take control of the ALCS has done to the team’s psyche.

In New York, a collective sigh of relief was breathed when closer Mariano Rivera recorded his MLB record 42nd postseason save by retiring leading AL MVP candidate Josh Hamilton on a groundout. A loss would have meant a momentum-building first home playoff victory for the Rangers and the increased odds of twice facing the pitcher who defeated them in Game 1 and Game 5 of last year’s World Series.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and highlights of Game 1 of the ALCS between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers.

Texas Rangers Are Winners Even Before They Play In The ALCS

When teams and players go through a playoff run, they celebrate the accomplishment of advancing to the next stage. Despite winning, they are always kept on the level by a coach who usually expresses one thought:

We haven’t won anything yet; we still got more to do.

Certainly, the reasoning for a coach saying such a statement is true. When a team is a playoff contender, they have that special chance to be a champion. They have the ability to control their own destiny and call themselves winners, a label that all pro athletes would die for a chance to achieve.

The 2010 Texas Rangers are one of those teams looking ahead at the possibility of winning their first title in franchise history.

The Rangers finished as American League West Division champions and are the third seed in the American League. They would end up beating the Rays in the first two games on the road, then losing two at home and finally finishing them off in Tampa Bay.

They remain one of four teams left in the playoffs and look to take out the New York Yankees in the ALCS to advance to the World Series.

Although a title is what the team is shooting for, the team and many of its players can view this season as a huge success in their lives regardless of the outcome. Many of them have come a long way with controversy surrounding them personally, as well as collectively on the Texas Rangers.

- Texas Outfielder Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton is one of the best and most popular players on the team. He was in the running for the Triple Crown throughout most of the season, but fell short of that goal. The slugger would still go on to lead the league in batting average and belted 32 homeruns and 100 RBIs in the season. Along with great stats, Hamilton is one of the team’s strongest leaders and a clutch hitter.

According to an article on the Bleacher Report website, reliability was not a quality that defined Hamilton early in his baseball career. Soon after being the first pick by Tampa Bay in the 1999 MLB Draft, he was involved in a car accident and hit with numerous injuries. He then became addicted to drugs and alcohol, forcing him to rehab and out of baseball.

With the help of his grandmother, he was able to get his life back on track by distancing himself from drugs and alcohol. He finally made it to the majors and is now becoming one of the most feared hitters in the game.

Aside from an incident involving photos of him partying at a bar showed up in early 2009, Hamilton has been able to stay clean for years. After defeating the Rays in the ALDS this season, his teammates doused him with Ginger Ale instead of the commonly used champagne.

- Texas Manager Ron Washington

Ron Washington is not one of the most popular managers.

Writers don’t create articles on him and companies don’t have him as their spokesman in commercials. Despite that, he has become the one of the best managers in Rangers history and is in consideration for American League Manager of the Year.

Praise and accolades are a new aspect though in Washington’s life.

A Sports Illustrated report surfaced earlier this year stating that the manager tested positive for cocaine during the 2009 season. He apologized to the Rangers franchise after the test results were released and to his team at the start of the 2010 spring training after the reports emerged of his failed drug test.

The Rangers organization would instill their faith in him by keeping him on as the manager. The end result: Washington’s team is now one step away from leading the Rangers to the World Series, a stage the organization has never been to before.

- Sale of the Texas Rangers during the 2010 Season

The Texas Rangers may currently be one of the teams in the final four of the playoffs, but the rest of the league deserves credit for the accomplishment.

According to a Dallas Morning News report, a central fund the MLB maintains for teams in financial crisis ended up assisting the Rangers for most of the 2009 season. The franchise had an insurmountable debt they could not pay and looked to the league for help with all their financial moves, such as payments needed to pay part of the team’s budget and player transactions.

The team ended up being sold during the summer of 2010 according to a New York Times article. The tab for the team would end up being picked up by a group featuring former Rangers pitching great Nolan Ryan, who would remain president of its baseball operations.

Of course, others on the team have dealt with challenges prior to their current playoff run. Vladimir Guerrero dealt with critics assuming his career was over and Michael Young ending his long absence from the playoffs this season.

The end result of this playoffs is up in the air as to whether or not the Texas franchise will win the World Series.

But for the Texas Rangers and many of its players, they have already won more off the field.

Did NY Yankees Lose ALCS in July?

On the afternoon of July 9, the New York Yankees were on the verge of finalizing a blockbuster deal to obtain the most potent arm-for-hire in recent memory; and all it would have cost the organization is top catching prospect Jesus Montero.

But a funny thing happened on the way to Cliff Lee’s reunion with former Cleveland Indians teammate CC Sabathia. A team that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May of this year, with no World Series appearances in its 38 years of existence, trumped the most valuable franchise in Major League Baseball.

In the closing stages of the race to acquire left-handed ace Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners, the Texas Rangers placed rookie first baseman Justin Smoak and three minor league prospects on the table to virtually steal Lee from right under the noses of the Bronx Bombers.

Surprisingly though, the two-time All-Star and 2008 Cy Young Award winner failed to deliver the goods in his fifteen regular season starts for the Rangers. Prior to the trade, Lee was 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA and an eye-popping strikeout-to-walk ratio of 14.8. For Texas, Lee was 4-6 with a 3.98 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 8.0.

However, despite Lee’s sub-par showing in his regular season stint with the Rangers, Texas still managed to win the American League West by the widest margin of all the divisional winners. And by using the momentum of a 21-6 June to propel them into the playoffs, the stage was set for the baseball world to witness the real reason the Rangers went the extra mile to keep Lee from joining the Yankees starting rotation.

In five postseason starts as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies last year, Lee went 4-0 with an ERA of 1.56, 33 strikeouts and only six walks. Most notably, two of Lee’s victories came against the New York Yankees in the World Series, the only two wins for Philadelphia in the 2009 Fall Classic.

This postseason has seen Lee pick up right where he left off, winning two games in the American League Divisional Series. Among those victories was a decisive Game 5 victory at Tropicana Field to help Texas eliminate the Tampa Bay Rays, the team that finished with the best record in the American League.

Now Lee will take his 2-0 record, 1.13 ERA and 21 strikeouts to the American League Championship Series for a Game 3 start and a potential Game 7 start against the team that ended up as the runner-up in the negotiations for his services.

Assuming there is no end to Lee’s postseason brilliance in the foreseeable future, at the very least, all C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter, who comprised the fourth best pitching staff in the American League this season, have to do is collect two wins in five games to guarantee a Game 7 start by Lee.

In any case, it goes without saying that the presence of Cliff Lee will loom large in the ALCS as the Yankees' ‘Chase for 28’ marches on; a chase that may have been destined to fail on that fateful afternoon of July 9. And in retrospect, by beating the Yankees at their own game of acquiring a marquee star, the Texas front office assured the franchise its best chance to appear in the World Series for the first time in team history.

The feather in the cap for New York is they have beaten a team with a starting rotation anchored by the seemingly indomitable Lee, with last year’s World Series against Philadelphia being the case in point. However, their concerted efforts to acquire Lee from the Mariners this season indicated a lack of interest in going down that route again.

But the Yankees’ plans to avert what is the current reality were spoiled by Texas and now the ALCS will tell the story of the true impact of their trade deadline loss to the Rangers for the services of baseball’s best postseason pitcher.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video preview of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers.

How The MLB Playoffs Can Get More Bang For Its Buck

Ah, it’s that great time in baseball again.

The 22 teams who were only delaying the inevitable end to their season have all cleared out their lockers and headed home to watch the final eight teams square off and hope they can be the team of destiny in 2010.

This MLB postseason is different from many others. While the usual signature teams are on-board for most of the divisional series (Yankees and Phillies), newcomers are stepping up to prime time after years of absence (Rangers, Reds, Giants).

With such a variety of mixes among teams and what they feature, this postseason has the makings of being a memorable year that will forever be etched in baseball history.

Here are some dreamy, intriguing scenarios that may possibly come up in the playoffs:


- Texas Rangers vs Cincinnati Reds For The World Series Title

Many playoff underdogs are always fan favorites and what better way to have a battle for a title than two teams who no one thought would make the post season.

Seeing the Rangers in the World Series would be interesting, given the team has never made it past the first round of a playoff series. Having them take their first series in the playoffs would be tasty, but seeing them get all the way to the end of the road would be the icing on the cake.

The Cincinnati Reds would make a great foe for the Rangers, as they have not been in the playoffs since the 90s. Although they have won titles in the past, they have become a distant memory as a post season usual since the new century was ushered in ten years ago.

Aside from being insignificant in recent playoff memories, the offensive onslaught both squads would provide would make baseball officials drool. The World Series would be long balls galore in this match up with Josh Hamilton, Joey Votto, Vladimir Guerrero and Brandon Phillips.

- New York Yankees vs Philadelphia Phillies For World Series Title

Let’s face it, Americans are suckers for an encore.

What better than an encore of last year’s World Series match up and arguably the two most complete squads from both leagues in 2010.

Last season, the Yankees bested the Phillies in the 2009 championship winning the series four games to two. If both teams were to face off against one another again, the assumption would be that the series would go the distance.

New faces are a feature to the Phillies in comparison to last year’s team. Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt are improvements over last year’s Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez as potential game one and two starters. The offense remains intact similar to last season.

The Yankees are essentially the same team that stepped onto the diamond for the 2009 World Series. Aside from losing Hideki Matsui and Melky Cabrera, New York brings the same strengths as last season and would be equally as difficult to topple.

- Joe Mauer vs Buster Posey

In all of sports, catcher ranks highly with running back as the position that takes the most punishment and has the shortest shelf life line. The task of catching is an arduous one as they are asked to be in a crouching position for nearly three hours and holding onto nearly 100 mile-per-hour fastballs hurled in their direction, all while outsmarting the opponent’s offense.

Joe Mauer is the poster boy and at the top-of-the-line when it comes to catcher position in baseball. Not only can he do it all defensively, but he also just as important to the Twins offense with his bat.

Buster Posey is a rising star in baseball who is a top candidate for the NL Rookie of the Year. The 23-year-old played out a great first season in the MLB and appears ready to do more damage in the playoffs.

Having the current top player behind the plate going up against the up-and-coming young catcher face off against one another would be great baseball for fans to enjoy.

- If The Tampa Bay Rays Make It To The World Series, Will Anyone Be There?

Imagine a World Series with nearly no one in attendance.

That could be a possibility if the Rays can reach that pinnacle.

During the final few weeks of the season, Rays 3B Evan Longoria explained to the media how frustrated he was that the fans of the team would not come out to the stadium to support the team. The team even dispersed free tickets to its last game of the season hoping to revive fans’ interest in coming out and filling the stadium as best as possible.

The thought of the Rays possibly getting to the World Series with very little fan support is a comical premonition. Major League officials will be blowing steam off the top of their heads when considering the fact that the low attendance would mean less interest by those watching with no crowd getting loud and going nuts.

Maybe MLB officials may have to do what the team did and give out tickets, but that would be doubtful as it would be a huge blow financially for the league.

- Can Bobby Cox Go Out On Top?

Fourteen straight division titles and numerous playoff moments have been a signature for the Atlanta Braves through the 1990s and early 2000s. The reason for their success: manager Bobby Cox.

In what will be his final season with the Braves, Cox has managed his team successfully to a wild card berth in the last game of the regular season. Now the team has the opportunity to give their manager one last shot at a title, an achievement he has reached only once in all the years he took his team to the playoffs.

Going out on top would be a magical way for the manager to leave; although no matter the outcome, he will most assuredly be in the discussion as one of the greatest coach to ever lead a baseball team out on the field.