Rankings/List

The final trial runs have been completed, and the horses are on the track and ready for the home stretch. So who will come spinning out of the turn as the one to beat in the race to be the Cubs' next manager? 

A rollercoaster ride of a season saw the Phillies at 48-46 in the middle of July, seven games behind the Atlanta Braves and fading quickly. Fast-forward two and a half months, and the Phillies have been crowned National League East Champions for the fourth consecutive season, thanks to an incredible 49-18 surge at the end of the season.

The MLB playoffs are in full swing, and we have already seen our fair share of memorable moments in the respective Division Series games. However, the Phillies have been the talk of October thus far, thanks to Roy Halladay's no-hitter, and their dominant sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.

The Phillies are coming off of their fourth straight NL East title, and have been to the World Series in each of the past two seasons. In this day and age of free agency, a three peat in the World Series is a legitimate dynasty, and the Phillies seem to have all the components to do just that.

Alright, the NLCS field is all set. It is going to be the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants. The uniforms have been washed, the shoes have been shined, let's throw on our Roy Halladay replica jerseys and get to the ballpark.

We're going to be playing some championship baseball in just . . . five days?!?!?!

Uh, okay.

(Psst: who's in charge of scheduling around here? Oh right; the networks.)

The San Francisco Giants beat the Atlanta Braves Monday night to advance to its first National League Championship Series since 2002. Outfielder Cody Ross had two RBI, including the game-winning single in the seventh inning.

The Giants have to be thrilled to have ousted Atlanta, having proved along the way that their excellent pitching staff is in top form this October. Now, however, Bruce Bochy's crew must turn to take on a much fiercer offense and more worthy opponent than the depleted Braves: Charlie Manuel's Philadelphia Phillies.

The San Francisco Giants made short work of the Atlanta Braves in the National League Divisional Series.  Tim Lincecum and his teammates gave Braves manager Bobby Cox a rude farewell, winning the series three games to one.

Their reward?  They get to play the Philadelphia Phillies, who swept the Cincinnati Reds in their first round match-up.

But, that series won't start for a couple days, so let's take a look at five players who played key roles in the Giants' first round victory.

The Yankees again proved to be the most playoff-efficient team of all.  They bullied Minnesota right out of their own home early on and then finished them off in the Bronx.  An all-around dominant performance from the Yankees shows that they will be tough to beat once again in these playoffs.  There may be only one team that could challenge them this season.  Can I get a..."RE-MATCH?!"

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According to an article in Esquire Magazine, Minka Kelly, also known as Derek Jeter's fiancee, is the hottest woman in the world.

Kelly is an actor and model, but what else do you need to know about her? Well, here's your Minka Kelly guide, with everything you could want to know about this starlet. 

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The 2010 season has indeed been "The Year of the Pitcher."  This was perhaps the most common theme in the bigs and has remained so throughout the playoffs thus far.  Pitching is making a comeback as hitters have been stymied at the plate by superior arms on the mound.  Names like Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels took center stage in Round 1.  

The New York Yankees have advanced to the ALCS this year and made themselves known as a team that can win year in and year out. The Yankees could wrap up the season with another World Series win or a loss to whomever they have to play in the ALCS.

Either way, the Yankees already have the reputation of going hard in the offseason for some of the top of the line players on the market. This year the focus may be on pitching. That is where Cliff Lee's name comes in. But here is a scenario; What if the Yankees wiff on Lee?

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