AL East

Don't tell Joe Girardi, but the Yankees haven't clinched anything yet.

The sputtering Bombers, who have lost nine of their last 13, somehow still have the best record in baseball. But their lead entering their final four-game series with the second-place Rays is just half a game, so the American League East title and homefield advantage could very well be decided this week in the Bronx.

Via Hardball Talk:

Ending a horrid 3-6 road trip, the New York Yankees are glad to be back home.

Home or not though, starting with a 4-game series against the second-place Tampa Bay Rays, the next two weeks will challenge the Yankees in every possible way.

Via the NY Post:

Joe Torre and Don Mattingly will attend the unveiling of George Steinbrenner’s monument in Monument Park, according to multiple people with knowledge of the names who will be on hand at Yankee Stadium.

via the NY Daily News:

At the trading deadline in 2004, Jim Duquette, the general manager of New York's most beloved team, the New York Mets, acquired right-hander Kris Benson from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In exchange, the Mets sent Ty Wigginton, minor league right-hander Matt Peterson, and infielder Jose Bautista to the Pirates.

Last Monday, the Yankees visited the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. for one of the most anticipated series in the 2010 season.

The race has been tightly packed all season, with no team leading by more 2 1/2 games since July 26.

In the last five days, there have been three flip-flops for the division lead. With another four game set about to happen between these two teams in Yankee Stadium, you can expect the seesaw to keep on tilting.

Early Friday morning The GM's Perspective reported that the Vancouver Canadians were set to become the newest member of the Toronto Blue Jays family.

I mentioned to a friend in an email this new partnership between the Canadians and Jays brings together two hotbeds of baseball and situates them under one umbrella.

Is it better to be lucky or good?

In Alex Rodriguez's case, last night he was a little bit of both.

Via Chad Jennings: