Rankings/List

While I knew that Cliff Lee belonged high on this list, choosing the top 10 players from both rounds of the AL playoffs was a somewhat difficult task.  What follows is one man's opinion that you may or may not agree with.

If you were sleeping last night, you may not have heard that the upstart Texas Rangers defeated the venerated New York Yankees, 6-1 to advance to their first-ever World Series since joining the league as the Washington Senators in 1961.

So, who were the top 10 players, including pitchers, in the AL playoffs? 

After watching San Francisco Giants' third baseman Pablo Sandoval backpedal in a futile attempt to get his foot on the third base bag in game 5 of the NLCS before eventually falling backward, one can't help but chuckle.

It's not that Sandoval is alone in his seemingly lack of athleticism. Baseball players certainly have an amazing ability to either hit or pitch a baseball, but when it comes to agility and general athleticism, there are a few of them who appear to come up short. Retired players like John Kruk, Cecil Fielder, and David Wells immediately come to mind.

Game 6. It sort of takes a backseat to Game 7.

But it shouldn't. Game 6 has often been the most memorable in many great playoff series. As Jerry Seinfeld said, "I made wisecracks in a nightclub. HE PLAYED IN GAME 6!!"

With two Game 6s on tap for this weekend, I thought this would be time to revisit the five greatest Game 6s of all time.

Here they are in reverse order.

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In a game steeped in desperation, the Philadelphia Phillies came alive to send Game 6 of the 2010 NLCS back to Philadelphia, and the good doctor provided the cure for the woeful Phillies at just the right time.

But for the Phillies, the importance was in HOW they won this game.

Miscues in the field, lack of power, nearly zero base stealing: All of these things have plagued the Phillies and prevented them from either closing out a winnable game, or stopping the Giants.

Let's take a look at how Philadelphia fared this time around, as we get ready for Saturday.

This was a bad game. This was just a bad game.

Nothing seemed to go right for the Giants in this one.

Panda choked. Two runs scored on Aubrey Huff's fielding error. Jayson Werthless hit a home run. Cody Ross made the last out tagging from second to third in the bottom of the third inning. Both Giants pinch hitters promptly struck out. And Phillies pitching had their way with the Giants lineup.

The Giants scored once on Cody Ross's RBI single, Timmy had one bad inning and that was all she wrote.

The aggressive pursuit of free agents by the New York Yankees has become the norm every offseason.

Now, with the Yankees on the brink of elimination, it's time to start looking toward next year.

Before looking around the league for help, there are some pressing issues to attend to on the home front.

The Bronx Bombers need to decide what to do with aging pillars Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

Could two of the most polarizing Yankees ever really be allowed to walk?

After four game into the NCLS, we have ourselves quite a matchup, but with contrasting results.

The Phillies have looked consevative, out of sync, and at times, without that fight that has made them who they are.

The Giants, on the other hand, have looked cool, crisp, and methodical which are the very tratis that helped them win the West.

Last night's game was a little indicative of the aforementioned.

While it's hard to put a grade on a game that was really based around well hit and placed balls, there are some specifics that could've made a difference.

Call it a transition year. Call it an unlucky year. Call it whatever you want, but the 2010 Boston Red Sox simply failed to meet the expectations of management, fans, and baseball pundits across the country.

There are a handful of factors worthy of blame here, including general manager Theo Epstein's reluctance to part with prospects to shore up the bullpen or acquire a top-flight pitcher like Cliff Lee. But pointing fingers is no way to win a World Series.

The New York Yankees find themselves in a hole this postseason against the Texas Rangers. Looks like they need a hero? In this slide-show, Bleacher Report takes a moment to look at some of the past heroes in New York Yankees history. From dazzling starts to clutch moments, when a player carries the team it can lead to great fame. 

But when the player is wearing pinstripes, a moment of greatness can lead to baseball immortality in the Bronx. 

With the 2010 regular season behind us, and all the normal MLB trade rumors completed, why not take the opportunity to discuss who will be headlining the Trade Rumor department in 2011?

The free agency market next year is rather large, and there are a number of players that could be mentioned here, so I will simply take a look at who I believe will be some big names taking center stage.

I’ll try to look at each position, and throw in a wildcard player that could be the next diamond in the rough.