2010 MLB Playoffs

Since 1920, 391 Yankees pitchers have had a seasonal ERA of at least 5.30. Of all those pitchers, no pitcher has been allowed to pitch as many innings as A.J. Burnett.

Why? Because Burnett is on a five-year deal, and he is making $16.5 million this season. Essentially, he is here to stay. It is mentally very difficult to waste $16.5 million dollars.

Part 2 of 7

The Philadelphia Phillies current era of success has been built around a nucleus of talented players. Some players have come and gone, but that core has been present through the team's rise and current reign as one of baseball's elite teams. 

Players such as Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Cole Hamels are at the center of the core and have served as the key catalysts to the organization's ascension from an "also-ran" to an elite ball club. 

After clinching their fourth straight division title, the Philadelphia Phillies have established themselves as the team to beat in the National League.

The Minnesota Twins' offense has comprised a lot of moving parts in the month of September.

Minor injuries to catcher Joe Mauer, shortstop J.J. Hardy, designated hitter Jim Thome, and outfielder Jason Kubel have left the team's lineup in limbo since the team clinched the AL Central division crown last week.

The Minnesota Twins have clinched the AL Central and heading into the final week of the regular season they are likely to rest key players such as Jim Thome, Joe Mauer, and Michael Cuddyer.

A first round matchup with the New York Yankees is looking more and more likely with each Yankee loss and Tampa Bay win. 

Which team gives Minnesota the best chance to advance is a discussion for another time. The main focus here is going to be what the Twins need to do in the postseason to ensure they advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2002. 

Here we go...

Part 1 of 7

With the Philadelphia Phillies standing on the precipice of a fourth consecutive postseason berth, the focus of the team and fan base is two-fold. 

First, take care of business and nail down a fourth straight NL East crown. 

Second, take a look towards the end of year championship tourney to see how the Phillies stack up and are positioned for success. 

Roy Halladay has been an ace for the Phillies this year.  He is 20-10 with a 2.53 ERA.  But with a division title just beyond the Phillies' grasp, there are a lot of questions about how Halladay will perform in his first postseason.

Although he pitched very well for both the Phillies and the Blue Jays, the postseason is new to him.  There is a lot of debate about whether his playoff performance will be as good as his pitching in the regular season.  I am going to talk about why Halladay will dominate in what could be the biggest opportunity of his career.

As the New York Yankees thrust towards the playoffs, with a magic number of three as of this writing, some postseason roster decisions still loom large.

At this point, the concern for the Yankees is their pitching. Yes, CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and most of the bullpen will be fine. But beyond that (the other two starters) the Yankees have some issues.

The saying goes good pitching beats good hitting. It's actually more than a saying. It's a reality. If you have a dominant pitcher on his game, there is not a hitter on the planet that can hit him.

Painting the black. Hitting your spots. Changing speeds.

It is something the Giants pitching staff has done very well for the past 18 games. They have not allowed more than three runs in a game since September 4.

Summer is over, folks. As of today we are in the midst of autumn.