Baseball

Last year, the season ended tragically, but I found solace in my brief tenure as a Phillies fan. 

This year, I'm taking it to a new level.

The Phillies helped me through a difficult recovery period in 2008; that world-shattering shock that followed Game Seven of the ALCS left me grieving, but the Philadelphia Phillies took this scarred and bitter fan and gave her a new reason to cheer. For that I owe them thanks.

You would think after getting swept by the Dodgers in the NLDS, St. Louis Manager Tony LaRussa, who will come back for at least one more year, would be concerned with how the Cardinals can improve. Instead, he seems dead-set on creating a circus-like atmosphere for his 2010 squad.

If you haven't heard, Mark "I'm not here to talk about the past" McGwire will serve as the Cardinals hitting coach next season. And I thought we were heading towards our first Spring Training this decade free of steroid talk.

Those living in New York City, Jay-Z fans, or just music lovers in general will no doubt be familiar with my title, kind of.

You have to go back a good long ways to find a guy who made as big a jump from nobody to somebody like Pedro Florimon Jr. did in 2009. For starters, the scrawny shortstop didn't even make the mentionables in Baseball America's 2009 Prospect Handbook.

He also came into the season coming off a year in which he hit .223 with zero home runs, only 27 walks and nearly 100 strikeouts.

The New York Yankees are back in the World Series for the first time in six years. For those not familiar with the American League champions, River & Sunset has provided a brief rundown of each player.

When the fans and media talk about the Arizona Diamondbacks 2009 season they typically point to the loss of Brandon Webb on Opening Day as the key reason why the team went from being a contender to a pretender.

While losing your staff ace is never a recipe for success, losing a single player should not result in a team completely collapsing like the Diamondbacks did this season. Looking back it was a combination of events that led to the downfall.

This past Sunday, the Indians hired Manny Acta as their new manager. Former Washington Nationals skipper Acta was signed to a three-year contract with a club option for 2013.

The Acta hiring has received a mix of cheers and jeers. Some say Acta's reputation as an excellent handler of young players makes him a perfect fit, while others question the ability of a manager whose team lost more games than the Tribe did last year.

Well folks, we are finally here; the World Series.  This has been a long season that has been filled with some pretty interesting moments.  Whether it was Alex Rodriguez admitting to steroid use, Randy Johnson winning his 300th game, or Ichiro collecting his 2,000th hit in only 1,402 games, it has been a great season.

For Rays fans, it's probably the worst outcome possible. The Yankees versus the Phillies in the World Series.

It may be hard for those outside the Tampa Bay area to understand, but there's something nasty about Tampa Bay fans feelings toward New York and Philadelphia.

First, let's talk Yankees. There's good reason for Rays fans to hate the Yankees. The Yankee fans (not all but many) are some of the most obnoxious fans that come to Tropicana Field.