AL East

Let's talk about the Home Run Derby.

Everyone seems to think that it really messes a player up, but I’m not so sure about that.

I know a lot of people do not like math, but there is a thing called statistical regression. It simply means that really hot players will eventually cool off.

The nature of the Home Run Derby is directly connected to statistical regression as the MLB tends to ask the hottest players in the league to participate.

The Twins, Mets, Rangers, Phillies, Tigers, and Rays have all been rumored to be interested in trading for Mariners’ pitcher Cliff Lee in recent weeks.

After the 1950 season, Joe DiMaggio was asked to select his greatest game. DiMaggio explained that he had to choose two games because each involved the fans.

"I will compromise and pair two thrills as my greatest. They have one thing in common: both were given to me by the fans."

DiMaggio selected the penultimate game of the 1949 season played on Oct. 1 against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, and the final game of the 1948 season on Oct. 3 against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Eighty-one games…that is the midpoint of the season.

Admit it, Red Sox Nation, if you knew what you know right now back on Opening Day you would have been thrilled to be 17 games over .500 and just a half game behind the NY Yankees on Independence Day (by the way, happy 4th of July to everyone!).

The Fourth of July is best known as the anniversary of the date on which the United Stated proudly declared their independence from Britain, now 234 years ago. Today, we celebrate the day by spending time with family and friends, hosting BBQs, watching fireworks, and most importantly, remembering the forefathers of our great nation. 

Meanwhile, this day in history is also a memorable one in the world of sports. On July 4, 1939, former New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig declared his final farewell "Luckiest Man On Earth" speech. 

As we approach the middle of the season and the All-Star break, I thought it would be a good idea to see how our position players stack up against the rest of the league.

To be eligible for the batting average and on-base percentage category, a player must have 175 at-bats or more up to this point in the season.

The Yankees had a slim lead for most of yesterday’s game, but with two outs in the eighth inning CC Sabathia gave up the lead as the Mariners tied the game at two. But Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame to help the Yankees win 4-2 .

Here are some notes:

It’s one thing to have prospects in your organization, but it is another thing to have those prospects develop and become solid major league players. That is the issue facing the Baltimore Orioles right now.

Tomorrow, we turn our calendars to July. The start of the seventh Gregorian month isn't the precise midway point of the MLB season, but it's a symbolic transition, one that causes fans to say, "Wow, only three months left!"

Even if it's not precisely the halfway point, it's still a great time to start thinking about individual awards. Last week, Bleacher Report's Featured Columnists kicked off the celebration with Cy Young voting for both the AL and the NL.

And so, this week, we put on a mock MVP vote.