Preview/Prediction

This is what Baseball is all about! This season is shaping up to have some phenomenal finishes.

With only 1 division in baseball having more that a 3 game lead atop the division this is sure to be one historic finish. 

The Wild Card spots are all but decided with only 1 game separating teams in the NL and only 4 in the AL.

With divisional races this close, and this much drama coming down to the end, it is guaranteed to be one hell of a finish!

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The NL West hasn't gone the way most of the "experts" thought it would. The team leading the division, the San Diego Padres, was expected to be the bottom feeder, while the predicted leader, the Los Angeles Dodgers, sits in third place seven games back.

That sets up for a showdown in the bay area this coming weekend between the first place San Diego Padres and the second place San Francisco Giants who are just two and a half games back. The two teams have met eight times this season with the Padres coming out victorious in seven of those games.

NEW YORK: The Mets return home tonight to Citi Field against the Colorado Rockies to begin a six-game home stand.

They will try to rebound from a 2-4 road trip against the two teams in front of them in the NL East.

Not only did the Mets lose ground in the division, but they lost some players in place of a youth movement.

When the Mets take the field tonight, they will be playing guys like Fernando Martinez, Ruben Tejada, and Josh Thole, not the veterans like Luis Castillo or Jeff Francoeur.

I have witnessed Cliff Lee torment my New York Yankees at the Stadium while he was a Cleveland Indian, a Philadelphia Phillie in the 2009 World Series, and recently a Seattle Mariner.

Now Lee is a Texas Ranger, but his uniform is irrelevant because most Yankees fans have no problem identifying Lee on the mound. I still remember our first encounter, like it was yesterday.

It was May 7, 2008 and I was bringing one of my best friends to her first Yankees game at the Old Stadium. Bringing a virgin is always a treat because the Yankees usually impress newbies.

After splitting a series 2-2 with the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees head down south, deep in the heart of Texas, to face the Rangers.

The Rangers have been at the mercy of the Yankees for over a decade, and this season has been no different, as the Bombers swept the Rangers in their last meeting back in April.

The Yankees have enjoyed playing in Texas, posting a 15-4 record since 2005.

The American League Central division is a dead heat.

With their loss to Baltimore on Monday, the White Sox dropped into a tie with the Minnesota Twins.

The Detroit Tigers, 6-19 since the All-Star break, have gracefully bowed out of the race for the division, making it a two-team contest—two teams that competed in just such a race back in 2008.

The Cardinals head into Cincinnati on Monday looking to make up two games in the standings on their rivals, the Reds. For most of the season, the two teams have been locked in a to-the-death battle for first place in the National League Central. Who wins this three game series could likely have a major impact on the pennant race going forward.

With three of the National League's best starters taking the mound for St. Louis, they have the early edge in this series.

Full article can be seen here: http://stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/william-hammond-stadium-s204/

Hammond Stadium, the home of the Fort Myers Miracle, showed why it was miraculous.

Even driving through the entrance was entertaining, as the stadium showed its great curb-side appeal with a fountain and two lines of giant palm trees.

With this welcoming kind of feel, the mood was light as spectators were ready for a great evening of competitive baseball.

10:15 pm ET, Monday, 8/9 TV: CSN+, CSBA

Probable pitchers: Carlos Zambrano (3-6, 5.61) vs Madison Bumgarner (4-4, 3.20)

10:15 pm ET, Tuesday, 8/10 TV: WGN

In 2008, it was Jair Jurrjens. In 2009, it was Tommy Hanson. Now 2010 is here and the Braves are in need of a rookie pitcher to fill a void.

With Kris Medlen injured and Kenshin Kawakami trying to stretch himself out after rotting away in the bullpen for the past month, the Atlanta Braves will turn to highly touted prospect Mike Minor to start game one of their series with the Houston Astros.