Preview/Prediction

Now that Derek Jeter has finally passed Lou Gehrig as the franchise's all-time hit leader and the Yankees have completed an easy 17-game stretch against four teams with tee times this October, it's time for New York to come back down to earth and focus on the playoffs.

And what better way to do that than to face the second-best team in the league and recent Yankee nemesis, the Los Angeles Angels.

New York and L.A. could be headed for another postseason clash and the Bombers need to prove to themselves and the rest of the world that they can beat the Angels.

The Chicago Cubs will look to salvage a series win Sunday, after missing an opportunity to go up two games to none on division foes the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday at Wrigley Field.

Chicago fell behind 5-0 early, but stormed back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning before closer Carlos Marmol gave up a two-run double to the Reds' Drew Sutton in the top of the ninth. It was the Cubs' first loss in their last five games, and dropped them to 41-28 on the season at home.

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Be sure to listen to Sports Overnight America, where I will discuss the final three weeks of the season with Patrick Mauro tonight at 11 PM (PST). Listen here!

For the third consecutive year, the Chicago Cubs have gotten sparkling performances out of their starting rotation. Even with injuries to each of the top four slated starters, and inconsistent play from Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden, the team's starters have been their strength: Chicago leads the league in quality start percentage, at 61 percent, and Chicago's relievers have entered with a lead the fourth-most times of any team in the league.

As we cruise into the All-Star break, 21 teams are in serious contention of their respective divisions or the Wild Card. 

The 15 teams not leading their division are all within 6.5 games of a playoff spot.

Man, I love baseball.

I made some pretty bold, and bad, predictions in my preseason prediction slideshow. I'll own up, and apologize to every AL Central fan, as I completely flunked on the whole division. 

However, I won't go through every prediction I made and analyze it. You'll have to go check out the slideshow yourself.

Reports on Monday indicated that the Tribune Company is considering an option where the Chicago Cubs would declare bankruptcy.

This news likely confuses many onlookers, who have been taken on a strange journey by the off-the-field news surrounding the Cubs in the last few months.

First the team was sold, then it wasn't, then it was sold to two different groups...and now bankruptcy?

Really?

The MLB All-Star Game is one of the greatest games in sports. It is a time when both leagues put forth their best players and play to see who's better.

But most of all, it is a time to reflect on the first half of the season as well as look ahead to the second half.

In this "Great Debate", the top teams of the NL East have put forth their top writers to discuss what will happen in the second half of the season.

Mets top writer Richard Marsh and I have selected the participants.

For the Philadephia Phillies, we have Scott Eisenlohr and Cody Swartz.

The Rays closed the second half with a good week, going 4-2 against the Jays and the A's.

Despite the 4-2 record, the Rays let one slip away Sunday, as they took a 3-0 lead into the seventh inning and the stellar bullpen showed a second straight rocky outing.

Perhaps the break was needed.

Another disappointing facet of the Rays' losses was that they only gained one game against the Yankees after they were swept by the Angels. Now the Rays sit 3.5 behind the Yankees and 6.5 behind the Red Sox.

Here are some thing to look forward too:

Think of it as an orgasm for the eyes.

The first half of the 2009 season has come to an end, which has included several stories.  We have seen the Rangers flourish and Cubs stumble, Albert Pujols putting himself into talks of a Triple Crown, Joe Mauer hittting near .400, Manny Ramirez' shocking 50-game suspension, and one of the most improbable no-hitters thrown by Jonathon Sanchez, who wasn't even suppose to pitch on that historic night.