MLB Playoffs

Cliff Lee is a free agent, and that means the team that flashes the most cash will have the advantage in the arms race.

Lee most likely enjoys Texas, unfortunately, us fans don't really get a lot of the Rangers during the typical MLB season.

As a casual observer of the game, I choose to take a glance at the 10 places in which Lee would look best. Of course, we are taking into account exposure, market and fan base.

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Major League Baseball wants its playoff cake.

And to eat it, too.

Commissioner Bud Selig, The Man Who Destroyed Division Races As We Used to Know Them, is at it again. Selig wants more playoff teams, and he wants them now—as early as next season.

The players union has indicated that more postseason teams in 2012 might be amenable.

Yankee pitchers did not exactly distinguish themselves in the recent ALCS. But that may not be the main reason that they lost. To understand why, let's look at what happened in individual games.

Last night's game was not the total shock many people think. I figured the San Francisco Giants would score a couple runs early against Lee, but was surprised the way they knocked him around.

The Giants pitchers also neutralized Mickey Mantle Jr, I mean, Josh Hamilton.

The Giants game plan with those two players were the key to winning Game 1. 

1) Cliff Lee vs. Giants Hitters

With the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers set to begin the 2010 World Series, we couldn’t help but allow our minds to drift to all things World Series related.

Great pitching, late-inning hits, walk-off homers, all of it is great on the World Series stage.

Most semi-serious to serious baseball fans can name the World Series winners from the last 10 years. Some could even name them from the last 20 years. If you can name beyond that, I think you have too much time on your hands.

No team plays with the goal of being called second or third best.

They play to be called Champions.

But, that does not exclude the non-champions from being ranked. Nor does it stop some governing body or League Office/Association from crowning a second or third place team.

Game 1 of the World Series had all the feel and all the hype of NLCS Game 1, except now one of the greatest potential postseason pitchers (Roy Halladay) had been replaced by the third greatest postseason pitcher of all time in Cliff Lee, who had posted a 7-0 record with a 1.25 ERA, third to only Sandy Koufax and Christy Mathewson. 

Tim Lincecum had similarly shown that he was no postseason slouch, posting a 2-1 record with a 1.98 ERA. His opener was an electric 14 K complete game two-hit shutout.

As I've made note of, I am an umpire. I've done games at the youth, high school and collegegiate level for more than 20 years now.

Some coaches, fans and players would say it's been too long already.

Yet, I enjoy it. For all the hot, humid days in the desert sun, the tournament weekends that end up consisting a dozen or more games in three days, or the constant complaining from the stands, more often than not, I walk off the field with a smile on my face and my confidence intact. 

Josh Hamilton is a power hitting, center fielder for the Texas Rangers who are now representing the American League in the World Series.

Hamilton has proven during these playoffs that he does truly possess all five-tools to be a superstar player. How many players in this day and age require the Barry Bonds treatment in games? The answer not many, but there was Hamilton being intentionally walked three times by the New York Yankees in the deciding game of the American League Championship Series.

The World Series begins tonight and it is going to be quite an adventure. The National League Champion San Francisco Giants will host the American League Champion Texas Rangers at 8 PM Eastern on FOX. Both teams won their respective divisions. It was the Rangers first division title and the Giants seventh.

The Rangers have won 2 career postseason series and have never won a World Series.