New York

The twilight years of any legendary athlete's career are often filled with hilarious hyperbole from fans and sports analysts.

When a player reaches a certain age, which varies based on the sport he or she plays, every year thereafter that player is subjected to intense scrutiny.

For example, in 2002, when Curtis Martin, at the age of 29, only rushed for 1,094 yards, all speculation was that, as he turned 30, the aged running back would soon break down.

Desperate for an option over the final few days of the season? It’s certainly worth looking under the radar, especially for those in deeper formats.

I don’t think you can get much further under the radar than Mets outfielder Lucas Duda, who has silently emerged as a viable option.

Probably not, but I figured someone owed Paul Konerko some publicity since ESPN often either forgets to do actual reporting and research or simply forgets to be logical.

As of Wednesday, Miguel Cabrera is out for the season due to a sprained ankle, so his numbers are concrete at .328 BA, .420 OBP, .622 SLG, and a 1.042 OPS to go along with 38 home runs, 126 RBI, 111 runs, and three stolen bases in 150 games played.

The Yankees beat the Blue Jays 6-1 in Toronto last night behind a strong performance from their ace CC Sabathia to clinch at least a wild-card spot in the American League.

Here are some highlights:

Even as the defending champion Yankees finish a season that will see them win well over 90 games and possibly a division title, this team is hardly invincible and cannot even be considered on the same level as last year's juggernaut.

The first and most glaring difference between this team and last is a serious lack of depth in the rotation.

While CC Sabathia has had a Cy Young-quality season, he has been without any support in the rotation for months with no real signs of a turnaround out there.

In 2009, the New York Yankees treated each game with the same sense of urgency.

Winning wasn't just the team’s job, it was what each player wanted and there were no excuses. The pattern was if one Yankee player’ slumped, another teammate or multiple would pick up the slack.

It was no BS baseball, but that intensity is not lost even after four losses in a row.

The Yankees have seemingly been stuck in the mud as of late. Despite remaining one of the best teams in all of Major League Baseball, they have unarguably had a rough September.

Following tonight's loss to the Red Sox, the Yankees have compiled a 10-12 record this September. Hand in hand with that 10-12 record are year-worst performances in pitching and hitting.

Even had CC Sabathia pitched well last night, who knows if it would've been enough to lock down a second Cy Young Award?

The groundswell for Felix Hernandez is building. The Mariners ace fired eight more brilliant innings in a 1-0 loss earlier Thursday, dropping him to 12-12 on the year.

There is a saying that bad news doesn't get better with time. However, announcing plans to cut payroll while your team is in the middle of a division race can't be a good idea.

That's exactly what Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg did when he announced that even if the Rays win the World Series payroll will be cut in 2011. The current estimate is that the Rays will cut this year's $72 million payroll by $15-20 million.

This past spring the Yankees held a competition for their fifth starter spot that included pitchers Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, among others. Hughes won the job.