Baseball

Over the years, the mascot has evolved immensely and their significance has been debated since their conceptions. From Mr. Red to the Klement's Racing Sausages, the mascot has always been a vital part of the sports experience. This list will examine and rank the cream of the crop, the ten best active mascots in Major League Baseball.

Begin Slideshow

As the Nationals prepare to begin their sixth season in Washington, management and ownership is doing all they can to get better. This team, after all, has been the worst in all of baseball over the last two seasons, losing 205 games and looking very bad while doing it.

Alex Rodriguez is one of sports' most talked about icons. A man hated and loved by millions. Red Sox fans loved him during trade talks until he became a Yankee. Yankee fans hated him for becoming Yankee. New York is the toughest place to play sports—has been and always will be. It's Gotham. It's one of the world's most famous locations ever. If you think playing in New York is easy, ask Carl Pavano, Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, Stephon Marbury, or Mark Sanchez.

Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle is tired of all the fan bellyaching down south in Big Texas , and he has decided to offer the fans a forum to give management their advice. 

Major League Baseball's offseason is famous for its high-priced free agent signings and blockbuster trades.

General managers are on the phone 24/7 trying to put together the perfect roster for the upcoming season.

However, the New York Yankees have one glaring issue that needs a solution.

Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain both burst onto the scene in 2007.

The St. Louis Cardinals' front office has many questions that need to be answered this year.  Building for a successful 2010 season is not the only goal.  The moves made this offseason will likely dictate much of the franchise's success over the next decade.

The shortstop who stole 104 bases, the catcher who was a great Dodger long before he was a great Met, and the third baseman who may have had one of the best single offensive seasons in L.A. history.

Power or speed? The past or the present?

It all points to one question with hundreds of possibilities: Which Dodger had the greatest offensive season at his position?

Major League Baseball has been asking fans this same question in an effort to choose each team's best-ever collection of stars.

They are calling it MLB 9s.

For the first time in its 55-year history, the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Award will go to a member of the New York Yankees.