Alex Rodriguez

Derek Jeter is, for the first time in his career, a free agent.

After spending his entire career with the New York Yankees, it seems absurd that he would end up anywhere else but in New York.

But after a bad season in New York, does he deserve big money to finish his career?

When all is said and done, people will be scratching their heads at Jeter's contract, no matter who he signs with.

Begin Slideshow

Yankee pitchers did not exactly distinguish themselves in the recent ALCS. But that may not be the main reason that they lost. To understand why, let's look at what happened in individual games.

We all know of the baseball greats, the players whose performances have stood the tests of time. Sandy Koufax, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Lefty Grove, not to mention the obvious ones. We know of those who are leading the charge in today's game. Josh Hamilton, Tim Lincecum, Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, just to name a few.

Of all the major pro sports leagues, Major League Baseball's postseason is the least valid at crowning a champ.  This is for a number of reasons.  There is good news, however. Many positive tweaks to the playoff structure have already been discussed.  Time to shed light on just what is missing, and what actions should be taken.

As everyone witnessed this past ALCS and NLCS, postseason games come down to the final pitch. Some ball players are propelled toward excellency in this one moment, and some are forever distastefully remembered for it, but its the rare feat of striking out looking that really pushes the buttons of baseball fans everywhere, and the mere fact that a backwards K can end a teams season as quickly as it began is something no fan looks forward to. 

This is a position that the Texas Rangers are all too familiar with. It's a position they've been in through their first two postseason series, and they'll play the role one more time.

What is that role, you ask? It's being the underdog.

When the Rangers made it to the postseason, no one expected them to get past the Tampa Bay Rays let alone be the American League Champions. They weren't supposed to beat the Rays, and they sure weren't given a snowball's chance in hell against the defending champion New York Yankees.

For all the discussion about how Cliff Lee could decide the American League Championship Series in a potential Game 7, it turned out the 

Last night, the New York Yankees were blown out for one final time in 2010, watching as the Texas Rangers celebrate with ginger ale on the pitcher's mound after closer Neftali Feliz struck out Alex Rodriguez for the last out.  Good to see A-Rod finally help Texas to the World Series!

More seriously though, the Yankees' window is quickly shutting, as even all the money in the world won't be able to get the Yankees out of their current troubles.

It's been three years since the Joe Girardi era began in New York. Three seasons and one World Series ring later, I still hate the guy.

The New York Yankees faced elimination last night in Texas as "Mr. MVP" Josh Hamilton and the Texas Rangers were staring their first World Series appearance in the face. The Rangers finished the job, they beat not just one, but two of the best teams in baseball. They are going to the World Series.

Just a day removed from the Yankees elimination, it isn’t hard to find a disappointed New Yorker. The beloved Yankees are done for the year, and their dreams of a second consecutive world championship are diminished.

As many love to do, we can sit here and talk about what could have happened and what should have happened. We can talk about the mistakes the Yankees made; we can talk about the Yankees lack of luck; we can talk, and talk and talk.