MLB History

With the best record in baseball through the 1st half of the season, the defending champion New York Yankees look to be in prime position to make a run at their 2nd World Series Championship in as many years.

On the streets there are rumblings of the return of the, "Dynasty."

Years 1996 - 2000 hold a special place for every Yankee fan. To this day, I can remember the entire starting line up of the '96 Yankees, but I can't do multiplication to save my life.

I am sure many Yankee fans are the same way. To fans like us, baseball is more important than math.

Currently, Alex Rodriguez has 597 home runs, and he is only three away from his milestone 600th. Upon hitting number 600, A-Rod will join the exclusive club which contains only six members: Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willy Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., and Sammy Sosa.

600 home runs is a lot of home runs, and for a player to reach that career total clearly is a big deal. Yet, I feel like not very many people at all are mentioning the fact that A-Rod is only three home runs away from 600; as if this isn't newsworthy!

I am dead set against free agency. It can ruin baseball. —George Steinbrenner

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away at the age of 80 this week. When one thinks of "The Boss," numerous associations come to mind. Managerial firings, suspensions from baseball, illegal campaign contributions and his Seinfeld caricature.

Yet his lasting legacy will undoubtedly be related to free-agent spending.

It is a notion that dates back as far as Don Newcombe's 1956 season with the Brooklyn Dodgers: if a pitcher is the Most Valuable Player in his league, then he must be the best pitcher as well.

Logically, this is a very straightforward proposition: pitcher is subset of player; a pitcher who is the most valuable player must also be the most valuable pitcher.

If you're like me and have been distracted by the World Cup and LeBron-gate over these past few weeks, you were probably shocked to learn that baseball's midway point is already upon us.

So to help you get into the swing of things as we head toward the playoffs, here are 50 Reasons To Be Excited For The Second Half of the season...

The '90s were an interesting time for baseball. We saw the first Canadian world champion and a strike that devastated the game.

We saw the reemergence of the Evil Empire and one of the classiest men in baseball break the consecutive games started streak, and we saw a home run chase that made baseball America's pastime once again.

This was all fueled by the players themselves.

The Cincinnati Reds announced today that Edinson Volquez would be returning to the team after more than a year’s absence.

This is great news for the Reds who could use a pitching boost in the middle of the season.

Although cloudless days continue to appear in Seattle's summer sky, locals are still advised to carry umbrellas... because Jack Zduriencik is quickly plummeting downwards.

Just months after being hailed as a hero in the Emerald City for his roster overhaul filled with top-flight players, the Mariners general manager is now being scrutinized for not meeting his team's needs in the off-season.

The All-Star Break is a great time to reflect on your favorite team's first half of the season: remembering the good times and the bad of the last three months.

So here they are (in my opinion): the five best wins and five worst losses for the Phillies during their first half of 2010.

Let's start with the five worst losses and finish with the wins, and therefore, a high note. Enjoy!

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George Steinbreners greatest impact was on the fans of the New York Yankees.

On the day that "The Boss" passed away after a massive heart attack I had the the opportunity to chat with numerous fans who came out to pay their respects at "the house that George built." After talking to fans of the Bronx Bombers it was evident that Steinbrenner would be in their hearts and minds forever.