Baseball

The Philadelphia Phillies have made another late-season surge in order to pass the Atlanta Braves in the National League East standings, stretching their own lead to three games.

The Phillies are preparing for another deep playoff run, but first they need to fend off the Braves for the division crown. It’s a big series as Atlanta comes to Citizens Bank Park for three games, hoping to cut into the lead and in a best case scenario make it all even once more.

The Yankees dropped the series finale against the Orioles yesterday, but still were able to take two of three and win the series. Today they start a much bigger series against the Rays, which could determine who wins the AL East.

Here are some notes:

About a month ago, I wrote a prediction for next year's Detroit Tigers starting lineup. But my how things change. 

The Tigers are still out of the playoff picture, but are currently playing with no distractions and no worries about choking down the stretch. 

At the trading deadline in 2004, Jim Duquette, the general manager of New York's most beloved team, the New York Mets, acquired right-hander Kris Benson from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In exchange, the Mets sent Ty Wigginton, minor league right-hander Matt Peterson, and infielder Jose Bautista to the Pirates.

It’s time to look at the potential two-start options for the upcoming fantasy week. If I have someone rated as a three, four or five-star option, they are someone I would definitely use.

A two-star option is someone who is borderline, but I’d strongly lean against it unless I have no other options. The one-star options are an absolutely not scenario.

So, with that said, let’s take a look at the players available to you this week:

Five-Star Options:

The Mariners need a utility infielder that can play both second and third base and at a minimal price. Dustin Ackley will likely make his debut in mid-June in order to avoid becoming a Super Two player, and until then, somebody will have to hold his place at second base.

There has been buzz around the Major Leagues as to what the McCourts will be doing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A former Dodgers owner has joined in the talks as he makes a suggestion to the current ownership to sell the team. 

Last Monday, the Yankees visited the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. for one of the most anticipated series in the 2010 season.

The race has been tightly packed all season, with no team leading by more 2 1/2 games since July 26.

In the last five days, there have been three flip-flops for the division lead. With another four game set about to happen between these two teams in Yankee Stadium, you can expect the seesaw to keep on tilting.

Early Friday morning The GM's Perspective reported that the Vancouver Canadians were set to become the newest member of the Toronto Blue Jays family.

I mentioned to a friend in an email this new partnership between the Canadians and Jays brings together two hotbeds of baseball and situates them under one umbrella.

This Sunday afternoon, the Phillies and the Eagles are both playing at about the same time (Eagles at 1pm and Phillies at 1:35pm). So if you have to choose one game to watch, which team would you watch?

I think it should be the Phillies. I am hoping this weekend the city of Philadelphia finally makes the right choice. We should be a baseball town, not a football town. We want to paint the town red, not green.

Why should you watch the Phillies rather than the Eagles?