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Selig proposes to make changes to MLB postseason

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Editorial, Front Office, MLB, Playoffs

Bud SeligMajor League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has promised some changes to the current format – more specifically the sluggish pace – of the MLB postseason. The argument is pretty clear. The MLB regular season schedule is an every day affair; but the MLB playoffs schedule resembles more of an NBA or NHL schedule. The World Series champion New York Yankees played a 162-game schedule in 180 days then played 15 playoff games in 31 days. That’s a drastic change to what the players and their bodies were used to. The Yankees and the Angels also had four days off between the ALDS and ALCS after each team swept their respective opponents.

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AL Silver Sluggers announced with few surprises

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Athletes, Editorial, Kudos, MLB

DescriptionThe American League Silver Slugger Award winners were announced recently, and six of the nine selections came out of the East, which further goes to show just how powerful – literally – this division is. The New York Yankees had repeat winners in Mark Teixeira at first-base and Derek Jeter at short. The Boston Red Sox’s Jason Bay was honored with his first, the Tampa Bay Rays’ Evan Longoria at third, and the Toronto Blue Jays each had first-timers with Aaron Hill at second and Adam Lind as the designated hitter. The rest of the league squeaked in Joe Mauer, catcher for the Minnesota Twins with his third, and Ichiro Suzuki from the Seattle Mariners and Torii Hunter from the Los Angeles Angels in outfield, with their third and first, respectively.

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The Easts dominate the World Series

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Championship, Editorial, MLB, Playoffs

New York YankeesSince the MLB Players’ Strike of 1994 and the realignment of divisions to include the new wild card format, there have been thirty teams to compete in the World Series. Thirty teams in baseball; thirty teams in the World Series. A perfect world would have welcomed each team to the Fall Classic once, but we all know that’s not the case. Baseball is not that fair. To say that there has been uneven representation of the divisions throughout the years would be a huge understatement, as the level of parity in baseball is about as high as CC Sabathia’s batting average.

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Fortune Telling with Eric Hinske

Eric HinskeCongratulations to Eric Hinske, who won his second World Series ring. Well, to say he “won” it might be a stretch. More appropriately, he was a part of a second World Series-winning team. This was also Hinske’s third appearance in the Fall Classic in the last three years, all with different American League East teams. The good fortune of teams with Hinske on their roster seems to know no bounds. He won the 2002 American League Rookie of the Year Award with the Toronto Blue Jays before suffering a broken bone in his hand. After several years of spot-filling, Hinske was traded to the Boston Red Sox late in 2006, where “Good Luck” Hinske became a new phenomenon.

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Canada’s team may not be for Canada’s Bay

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Athletes, Editorial, MLB, Trades

Jason BayJason Bay has a history of success. Being a 22nd round draft pick by the Montreal Expos, not many expected much of him. He was traded from the Expos to the San Diego Padres to the Pittsburgh Pirates between 2002-2003, making his MLB debut along the way. However, 2004 was the year he made the greatest impact. He hit .282 in 120 games, and lead all rookies 26 home runs, 82 RBI, .550 slugging, 54 extra base hits and 226 total bases. His accomplishments earned him the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year Award; the first time for any Canadian. In 2008, he was traded to the Red Sox to replace Manny Ramirez, and he has fit in perfectly.

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Let loose the MLB free agents!

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Athletes, Editorial, MLB, Trades

Matt HollidayIn the midst of yet another New York Yankees World Series victory, it’s near impossible to find any headlines that deal with something not covered in pinstripes. But with the 2009 MLB officially behind them, it’s time for 29 teams to say goodbye to their new free agents and start shopping around for the replacements they think they need to improve and contend in 2010. It’s business as usual for the general managers, with the Yankees taking the weekend off to celebrate, beginning with the traditional parade down the Canyon of Heroes in downtown Manhattan planned for Friday. So who exactly is available to be sought and bought before Spring Training ’10?

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Pedro’s padre, the New York Yankees, wins World Series

Pedro MartinezThe kings are dead. Pedro Martinez has re-discovered his daddy. The New York Yankees are World Champs. With a 7-3 defeat of the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, the Yankees un-crowned the defending World Series winners and christened New Yankee Stadium in exactly the way – and perhaps the only acceptable way – that Yankee fans had hoped for. They managed to redeem the woes of 2008 with a runaway season this year and a dominating October. And what better way to finish it than by once again playing father to ‘the only man who can incite fear in Yankee fans without taking the mound’?

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A.J. Burnett Blows Big Ballgame

A.J. BurnettHalf the nation sat and held their breath last night as the other half erupted in cheers. The Philadelphia Phillies staved off elimination in the World Series, taking Game 5 from the New York Yankees with a 8-6 victory behind the first less-than-stellar performance by ace Cliff Lee. Aiding in the win was the long-overdue, yet widely expected blowup from Yankees righty A.J. Burnett, who couldn’t got the pull before managing to record a single out in the third inning. The six runs charged to him really set the tone for the game, as the Yankees rallied strongly, but not strongly enough as the series returns to New Yankee Stadium.

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Bring in the Robot Umpires!

Posted by Rob Boudreau Categories: Championship, Editorial, MLB, Playoffs

Umpires HuddleThe umpires have been heavily scrutinized in this year’s MLB playoffs, and Game 2 of the World Series was no exception, with each team benefiting from a blown double-play call. Whether or not the Philadelphia Phillies’ blown call was more harmful to the outcome of the game or not is irrelevant at this point, but the debate on whether wider use of instant replay in baseball is needed. Some argue that it’s more important to get the “right” calls; some argue that baseball needs a “human” element. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig argues that more instant replay would slow down the already sluggish-pace of the game.

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Simp-Lee Amazing; Phils Take Game 1

Cliff LeeThe World Series has officially begun, and in a surprising break from expectations with the New York Yankees, the game was over before midnight. But that was probably because Phillies starter (and finisher) Cliff Lee was used to not playing and wanted to get back to it. The last time Lee had pitched was Oct. 18 in Game 3 of the NLCS. His Phillies clinched the series three days later and then had six days off before last night’s game. There’s no doubt that Lee wanted to get back to his comfortable bed.

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