Baseball

The Mets are currently 76-79. Including tonight's game (in progress), they have seven games remaining: four against the Brewers and three against the Nationals.

If the Mets were in a heated pennant race, they would have lucked out considering their competition over this next week. But since they were eliminated from playoff contention a while ago, I would now like to see if the team can at least manage to finish .500.

So that begs the question: can a .500 finish be considered a success for this team?

Since 1920, 391 Yankees pitchers have had a seasonal ERA of at least 5.30. Of all those pitchers, no pitcher has been allowed to pitch as many innings as A.J. Burnett.

Why? Because Burnett is on a five-year deal, and he is making $16.5 million this season. Essentially, he is here to stay. It is mentally very difficult to waste $16.5 million dollars.

After clinching their fourth straight division title, the Philadelphia Phillies have established themselves as the team to beat in the National League.

Adrian Beltre and David Ortiz reached the 100-RBI plateau on the same night this week, creating a fitting link between two players who figure to be critical pieces in the most significant Red Sox off-season in recent memory.

Ortiz is likely to return, with the Red Sox picking up his option for next year, no matter how much the veteran slugger pushes for a multi-year contract. But Beltre remains something of a mystery, and the decision is anything but an easy one.

It's been a while since I have posted an article on Bleacher Report, and as the Yankees Community Leader and Featured Columnist, I do sincerely apologize.

Working a full time job almost six or seven days a week while trying to save for a wedding can take its toll on a person.

But that was then, this is now. I am back! Now, onto the defending champions.

So, the Yankees have been struggling of late.

And not just a minor struggle, it's gotten ugly for the Yankees at times.

The Indians, in a trade involving two former promising prospects, acquired shortstop turned second basemen turned outfielder Preston Mattingly from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfielder Roman Pena. 

Before last night's poor performance against the Red Sox, Kenny Williams assured fans that the White Sox would not be "rebuilding" next season.

"In our minds, it's still with the mindset of trying to win. Once you start using the R word, you create a different kind of mindset. I think a part of what we've done here is making sure our players understand that whatever the composition of the team is, it's designed to win."

This is simultaneously one of the things I love about Williams and one of the things I loathe.

I am the George Steinbrenner Plaque.

I am 760 pounds of solid bronze living in my new digs in Monument Park.  I’m seven feet wide, wider than CC Sabathia is tall. And I’m five feet tall, taller than CC Sabathia is wide.

It’s funny.  Two years ago I found myself in desperate need of saves in August, and my league rules limited my options for trades (in August you can only trade with a team two spots from you in the standings). 

With excess power, I was able to coerce the team behind me to trade me Jonathan Papelbon and Melvin Mora in exchange for Ryan Braun and Jonathan Sanchez.

Last night, David Price tweeted about the lack of fan support in Tampa Bay, noting that the fact that he was pitching a potentially division-clinching game in front of 10,000 fans was "embarrassing".

The backlash from Rays fans was inevitable.  Less than two hours later, Price apologized on Twitter if he offended anyone.