Opinion

Not only does the ALCS Game 6 loss to the Texas Rangers end the New York Yankees' quest to repeat as baseball's World Series champions, but it may also signify the end of an era.

No, not the end of a dynasty that some have spoken of, that would require more than one World Series title in 10 years to be spoken of in such terms. The last Yankee dynasty ended in 2001, or 2003 if you're generous.

My first weekend without Yankee baseball had me feeling how I imagine Mark Teixeira feels before his postseason at-bats: confused, helpless, and resigned to a fate that cannot be avoided.

The World Series is starting on Wednesday, and I can tell you I'll probably only have a cursory interest in it. Whenever the team that eliminated the Yankees advances to the Fall Classic, I have trouble rooting for anything but horrible things to happen to the American League entrant.

Just in case you didn’t know, a 2009 World Series rematch between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies is not happening.

To many baseball fans surprise, both powerhouse ballclubs lost in the Championship Series. Some might say the Phillies and Yankees lacked the heart, as making the postseason is basically part of the regular schedules.

Regardless of the reason, a loss is a loss no matter how it happened, who was injured, why so many players were slumping or if a team had too many days off. 

A reader selected a Yankee to either go away or to stay in the New York Daily News poll. He loves to oust guys than keep guys.

He ousted the usual suspects like Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Javier Vazquez and Nick Johnson. He ousted one guy that will make people react. That guy is Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Yes, it's time for Girardi to go. A change might be beneficial for everyone involved.

Grow the arms, buy the bats.

That's what Andy MacPhail has preached since taking over as the Baltimore Orioles' President of Baseball Operations midway through the 2007 season.

The Orioles have traded away many veterans over the past few years to acquire plenty of young pitching, and drafted young arms as well.

Now it's time to live up to your trademark quote, Andy. Now it's time to buy the bats.

“I get no respect, I tell ya.” – Rodney Dangerfield

Before the first pitch is thrown Wednesday night in Game 1 of the 2010 World Series, there will be plenty of talk about the lousy ratings this year's match-up will draw. It is likely there will be more talk about the ratings game than there will be about the baseball game.

While neither team boasts a huge payroll, or a dazzling history of postseason moments, there are still plenty of reasons to be excited for the 2010 Fall Classic.

Without the benefit of a Farmer's Almanac or sophisticated meteorological computer modeling, it is clear that it will be a long, cold winter in Philadelphia.  

Most Yankees fans and media for that matter have focused on one name for the Yankees to target during their annual free-agent bonanza. 

The name should be familiar to every baseball fan by now. His name is Cliff Lee and over the past two seasons he has proven himself to be not only a difference-maker, but a clutch postseason performer. 

When New York Mets' former first-round draft choice Brad Holt is good, he's capable of shutting down offenses at will. When he's bad, well, he's "3-14 with an 8.34 ERA" awful.

Holt, the 33rd overall pick of the 2008 draft, was considered by upper management to be one of the best starting pitchers in the entire Mets system heading into 2010. But his terrible campaign with Double-A Binghamton was made even worse when his struggles continued with Class-A St. Lucie.