World Series

There are a number of trends in baseball that I'd love to see die; puka necklaces, the overuse of the phrase "going yard", and shaving cream pies come to mind. At the top of the list, however, is the goatee. Into the 1980s, the mustache dominated baseball facial hair. Amazing hair patterns graced the upper lips of players such as Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, and Goose Gossage, just to name a few. Popularized by the likes of actors Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, and Chuck Norris, the "stache made players look heroic, if not a bit villainous.

Trust me, Yankees fans, it’s going to be fine. This is not 2004, this is not history repeating itself—or as Yogi Berra would say, “Déjà vu all over again.”

There are so many differences between this team and the one that will forever be synonymous with being the only (probably first at some point) team to blow a 3-0 series lead, it is preposterous to think this team is going to or should fold because that one did. 

To me the most obvious difference is in the starting pitching that the Yankees will be having in Games Six and Seven. 

Today is a very special day—it's an occasion so momentous that it should almost be declared a national holiday in Canada.

It was this very day 16 years ago that Joe Carter solidified himself as one of the greatest Blue Jays of all time by taking a Mitch Williams pitch deep to ensure the World Series trophy would remain in Canada.

In the hours since the Yankees allowed a golden opportunity to secure the American League pennant slip away—fans, media, and unnecessarily loud Korean War veterans at Dunkin Donuts are attempting to assign blame for the 7-6 loss to the Angels.

Some are saying that Joe Girardi acted alone in this assassination of the Yankees' World Series hopes on Thursday, the opinion being that the second-year manager made a series of dubious decisions that doomed New York.

Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love. A fan base classified, though often unfairly, as unruly and vicious.

A blue collar city where its residents work hard and expect the same from its professional sports teams.

You see, that's all Philadelphia fans want from their teams. Leave it all out on the playing field. Give it everything you've got. If you push yourself to the limit and fall short, so be it. You lost honorably.

A Major League Baseball season lasts a long time. Very few fans are able to watch all 162 games that their favorite team plays. With day games and night games, weekend games and weekday games, the thought of watching a team religiously is nearly impossible.

It was unofficially announced last night that Major League Baseball will only be using umpires with previous World Series experience for the Fall Classic this season.

The move comes as a result of numerous botched calls throughout the first two rounds of the postseason.

Despite the Philadelphia Phillies seemingly ending the National League Championship Series in a brief and dominant five games, TBS is pushing Los Angeles Dodger manager Joe Torre to name a Game Six starting pitcher.  

"You really never know. The Dodgers are such a fantastic team and have come back so many times this year, " TBS play-by-play man and legacy hire Chip Caray said, "it would make a lot of baseball sense to do it." 

It's the clinching game for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2009 National League Championship Series, and their 2008 ace takes the mound.

With two outs in the first inning, Andre Ethier stands in.

Hamels gets the sign from catcher Carlos Ruiz.

Fastball, away.

Hamels shakes him off.

TBS's cameras zoom in to show Ruiz again, dropping his index finger, pressed against his left leg.

Fastball, away.

Cut back to reveal Hamels, dropping his chin in disgust, sighing, and stepping off the mound.