Greatest Hits

The past ten years of Cleveland Indians baseball has been a wild ride. As fans living in the present its hard to call upon some memories of the past to put the present into perspective.

If you were looking to pick your greatest ever Philadelphia Phillies lineup based on single-season offensive performances, where would you start?

Do Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Von Hayes, Juan Samuel, and Larry Bowa?

Is Chuck Klein the greatest outfielder ever? Is the past worth more the present? Is power more important than speed?

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

(Originally posted at 4SportBoston.com )

As the decade comes to a close, everyone seems to be coming up with Top 10 lists about the best—and worst—of the 2000s (I refuse to call these past 10 years the “Aughts.”).

This seems like a good time for me to put one together, and I chose to focus on the experience that every one of us gets to participate in—the pure joy of being a fan at something special.

The Aughts began with the San Francisco Giants on top of Major League Baseball, almost literally. They finished with the best record in baseball in 2000, came six agonizing outs away from the World Series in 2002, and made it back to the postseason in 2003.

They were strong contenders in 2001, 2004, and 2005 (although I'm being liberal with "strong" on that last one).

Then came the Darkness. Or maybe it was a Fog.

Los Gigantes slid into baseball obscurity, toiling in the cellar of the Show's weakest division.

For a franchise that has managed one post season in their 12 year history, the Tampa Bay Rays (formerly known as the Devil Rays) do not possess an all time roster filled with hall of famers.

However, during the last decade, the Rays definitely have fielded some talented players that deserve recognition for being among the best the franchise has had to offer.

While many players deserved consideration for this list.

This marks the third edition in my new series in which I am attempting to name the top ten players in the history of each MLB franchise. This one will take a look at some of the Rockies greats.

With as prolific an offense as the Rockies have had through the years, it only makes sense that the top seven guys on this list would be hitters.

If you were looking to pick your greatest ever Athletics lineup, based on single-season offensive performances, where would you start?

For a team with a storied 109-year history, there are options from every era and at every position.

The outfield might be as good a place as any, with a host of Hall of Fame members and All-Stars among their number.

How about the stars from the championship-winning teams that three-peated in the mid 1970s?

This is the second in my new series in which I will name what I feel are the top ten players in each MLB franchise's history.

Despite a slow start as a franchise, the Rays finally seem to be heading in the right direction, as years of drafting at the top of the draft have led to a bevy of talented young players.

I have included the players stats during their time with the team, as well as where those stats rank all-time for within the franchise.

I look forward to hearing where you the reader would differ in your top ten, and I welcome your comments.

As baseball owner's wallets get bigger, so do the contracts of the player they purchase.

The more you pay for a player, the higher the risk of that player failing is. For every good signing, there's ussually about five huge mistakes. Your Carl Pavanos, Jason Schmidts, and Barry Zitos.

This article counts down the 10 worst contracts handed out in this decade. If you think I've left any off, just leave me a comment.

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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.

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