MLB

It was a cold and damp Friday night.

There was rain in the forecast and it felt like a December football game in the winter rather than an October baseball game in the fall.

But that wasn't going to stop the Yankees and the Angels from playing in front of almost 50,000 fans at Yankee Stadium for Game One of the American League Championship Series.

The Yankees were sending up their ace in CC Sabathia, who was 0-2 in the regular season against Los Angeles while the Angels were sending up their ace in John Lackey, who has had past success against the Yankees.

By now it has become common knowledge even among the most novice Milwaukee Brewer fan that JJ Hardy will be dealt this offseason. Alcides Escobar has been groomed to become the starter, and the job will be his from day one in 2010.

Hardy had an awful 2009, that saw him demoted in August to Triple-A. He spent enough time in the minors that his service time this year won't count towards his free agency eligibility, so whichever team trades for him will have his services for two years and not one.

Seems like several D.C. area sports stars are becoming fed up with the media, which is good, because New York teams are doing relatively well and its about time another major market took up the mantle of journos on the attack.

First it was a lethargic Gil , and now, Mike Sellers is just trying to live in the face of media scrutiny .

If you have read any of my columns over the summer, you know I am a die-hard, tried-and-true rabid Atlanta Braves fan. I usually watch around 120 games a year on TV, about three in person, and another 10 or so I catch on radio based on time constraints and such.

That's right, I said it. The Los Angeles Dodgers saved their 2009 season by beating the Philadelphia Phillies today 2-1. No, it's not hyperbole. It's reality.

If the Dodgers had dropped game two today, they would have headed into Philadelphia down two games and facing Cliff Lee, who has looked spectacular this postseason, looking very much like the Cy Young winner that he was last season. Dodgers have not done well against left-handed starters on the road this season, so today was a must win.

Twenty minutes to go before Game One. I am sorry I left this so long, but I've had a lot to look at, and a long week at my real job .

These two teams are absolutely the best two teams in the American League, both by record and by statistics. The winner of this series is the prohibitive favorite to win the World Series, no matter which National League team is left standing.

The deciding factor will be in the one place where there's any true disparity between the Yankees and the Angels: the bullpens.

Winning the division and going to the postseason is not a treat awarded every team. Many would agree that the Twins enjoyed a respectable 2009 campaign, despite it being a roller coaster of emotion. Fans survived the low moments, and enjoyed the high points.

Mishandling the re-signing of Joe Mauer , however, could de-rail the roller coaster for years to come.