Baseball

Jon Heyman  and Tom Haudricourt  both see the Milwaukee Brewers as serious suitors for Jarrod Washburn this offseason.

Philadelphia Phillies lefthander Cliff Lee took the mound to begin Game 1 as Yankees stadium bustled, anticipating the start of the World Series. The relaxed 31-year old looked in at catcher Carlos Ruiz, nodded his head yes, and pumped in a fastball that New York Yankees captain and leadoff hitter Derek Jeter fouled off. His outing was underway, and what an outing it would be for Lee.

• Year: 1996
• Record: 53-109 (second most losses in franchise history)
• Win Percentage: .327
• Win Percentage Change: -90 from the year before
• Run Differential: -320
• Pythagorean Record: 56-106
• AL Finish: 14th of 14 teams
• Manager: Buddy Bell
• Best Transaction: This one is arguably Randy Smith’s best move as GM of the Tigers, he sent pitcher Greg Gohr to the Angels for Damion Easley. Gohr was a bust with the Tigers and the Angels thought they could get him on track.
  

If you're a veteran catcher, have your agent give the Houston Astros a phone call. The 'Stros just might need your services.

That's because 36-year-old Chris Coste, acquired by Houston earlier this year after the Philadelphia Phillies had placed him on waivers, has rejected the team's outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock and is now a free agent.

In the minutes preceding the Yankees' miraculous, positively 2001-esque, one-run rally in the ninth inning last night against the Phillies, my friends and I attempted to glean any positive developments from a disheartening evening.

The conversation went something like this:

Dan: Um, CC battled through without his best stuff.

Howie: Yeah, definitely. 

(Awkward silence)

Howie: Marte did his job.

Dan: Oh yeah.

(Extended pause of sorrow)

(Also featured on Rotoprofessor.com)

While most 20-year-olds are in the midst of their college careers, a different type of career has begun for a Detroit Tigers pitcher.

One of the more highly touted prospects coming into this season, Rick Porcello slid into the fifth spot of the Tigers' rotation and proved that even the least experienced arms can have success in the major leagues.

The boo birds are lying in wake. They are getting ready to let loose a tirade the likes of which have not been seen in a very long time in the Bronx. Last night there were rumblings, signs of things to come.

Despite the fact that Alex Rodriguez was hitting over .430 in the post season and hit clutch tying home runs late in games, here he was on baseball’s greatest stage with the opportunity to completely bury his past failures and finally be accepted as a true blue New York Yankee.

So the guy that brought in Esmailyn “Smiley” Gonzalez was unjustifiably fired ?

A Dominican Republic tribunal has ordered the Washington Nationals to pay US$40,000 in damages to a scout who was fired after signing a prospect who lied about his age.

Jose Baez, the Nationals’ former director of operations in the Dominican Republic, sued the team for what he said was an unjustified firing. The court issued its order last week.