World Series

Given his druthers, Joe Girardi would like to start C.C. Sabathia in Games One, Four, and Seven for the pennant. This would allow him to use a three-man rotation, with the others consisting of A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettite. That's possible, because of one day breaks after Game Two and Game Five.

But early indications of heavy showers, hence a rainout on Friday, could nix this plan. Then the first two games would be pushed back a day, with no break between Games Two and Three.

I’m becoming a bigger fan of baseball history.  I don’t have a lot of free-time, but when I do, I like to read books about baseball.  I’m currently working my way through “Eight Men Out”, the story of the 1919 Chicago White Sox.  One of the major players in the “Black Sox” scheme, was pitcher Eddie Cicotte.

Watching Nick Punto face reporters on Sunday night was almost hard to watch, even for a Yankees fan.

Almost.

A fringe player who looks more like a plumber than a professional athlete, Punto sat ashen and bleary-eyed in front of his locker trying to explain why he had barrelled around third base in the eighth inning like Rex Ryan toward a buffet table. His blunder had doomed the Twins, and now he was the man responsible for turning the lights out for good at the Metrodome.

It could be a "Freeway Series," between Los Angeles and Anaheim for two southern California teams. Or it could be a (New Jersey) "Turnpike Series" for two teams in major cities in different Mid-Atlantic states, just off the one turnpike.

Or the two league rivalries of one Los Angeles-based team and one east coaster could reduce to a final contest featuring one of each.

What are absent from the pennant races this year are "small market teams" from the interior of the United States. No Minnesota Twins or Tampa Bay Rays. Not to mention Cleveland Indians or Pittsburgh Pirates.

It was the kind of moment where legends are born.

Two outs.

Two on.

Two strikes.

Trailing by two.

The stage was set. Except that the man standing in the batters box had already started writing his legendary story years before.

Rookie of the Year.

Fastest to 100 home runs.

National League MVP.

And his most recent accolade, 2008 World Series Champion.

Quite a resume for any baseball career.  Yet Ryan Howard is just warming up.

Recently, the home movies of a New Hampshire family contained new, never before seen footage of the legendary Babe Ruth.

The footage can be seen here: http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/10/08/sports/baseball/1247465064285/the-great-bambino-resurfaces.html?th&emc=th

This year is the five-year aniversary of the Sox reversing the curse of Babe Ruth and winning their first World Series ring since 2004. The Sox did the impossible during that unbelievable season by defeating the Yankees in the ALCS while being down 0-3 in the series. The 2004 Sox may be the best story in MLB playoff history. This Sox team will never be forgotten by Sox fans. I thought it would be interesting to show you what happend to all the members of the unbelieveable team. Here is the pitchers article of The 2004 Red Sox: Where Are They Now?.

The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have a lot in common.

Each has a fan base of little or no merit: witness LA's failure to sell out its Game Two NLDS win over St. Louis, even though the Redbirds' fan base travels exceptionally well. Nor are Yankees fans, who have come out in numbers 12.7 percent smaller than last year despite the Yanks' 103 wins, especially worthy of the fruits they now enjoy.

One of the best sidelines to the upcoming New York Yankee vs. Los Angeles Angels American League Championship is that each team will go against one of their former players. Mark Teixeira was traded for by the Angels last season, hoping that his acquisition will lead them to the World Series.

I was reminded during last nights game that when the temperature dropped into the 20’s why I left South Jersey 15 years ago to come and live in Las Vegas. That’s just too darn cold for my blood.

Of course that didn’t stop the Phillies bats as they won a thrilling game four 6-5 to take a 2-1 lead in this years NLDS.