After Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa has reportedly signed a multi-year contract to return as the Cardinals skipper next year, St. Louis's front-office decided not to bring back hitting coach, Hal McRae.

Mark McGwire was named McRae's replacement by the Cardinal's front-office. McGwire's hiring would be his first return to baseball since 2001.

LaRussa's extension has not been officially announced but he is expected to make his return to the Cardinals sometime this week.

Before Game 6 of the American League Championship Series was postponed just after 6 pm ET on Saturday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi had said that in the event of a rain out, scheduled starter Andy Pettitte would still start if the game was pushed back a day and CC Sabathia would start a possible Game 7 on Monday.

While Pettitte is a veteran pitcher capable of closing out the ALCS for the Yanks, starting Sabathia on Sunday would be a better choice for two reasons.

Scott Sizemore, a top prospect for the Detroit Tigers and heir apparent at second base, fractured a bone in his left ankle during Thursday's game in the Arizona Fall League.

Playing at home is a bit like having the serve in tennis: It confers a distinct advantage. As between two evenly matched contestants, the one with the home field/serve will win most of the time.

The Yankees "held serve" for two games at home, and then "broke the serve" of the Angels in the middle of three games played in Anaheim. It is this fact, and not the 3-2 tally, that suggests that the Yankees are the better team.

(If Los Angeles was leading 3-2 by virtue of their homestand, it would be far less clear they were the better team.)

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The Florida Marlins often seem like a hot-bed for young prospects with considerable upside, so it’s no wonder their latest child prodigy, right-fielder Mike Stanton, seems to be on the cusp of making it to the big leagues.

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. 

Let me startout by stating that I cannot stand the New York Yankees for the life of me, but there is one player that I will cheer for to have success. That player is Nick Swisher because he's everything a major league player should be.

Swisher will never be one of the higher paid baseball players, but he'll always be the one having the most fun. His personality and the way he treats fans is refreshing especially for an athlete.

Alex Rodriguez is having a career-altering postseason.

Nick Swisher? Not so much.

No matter whether he's hitting left-handed or right-handed, whether he's swinging at fastballs or breaking balls, whether the pitch is a foot outside or right over the middle of the plate and thigh high, he is the surest out in the Yankee lineup right now.

This is the worst news I have heard in a long time as a Cubs fan.  Yes, worse then Aramis Ramirez out with an injury or when D-Lee got hurt a couple years ago.  Milton Bradley could be back as a Cub in 2010.

Why?

Former Texas Rangers hitting "guru," Rudy Jamarillo is going to be the new Cubs swing coach in 2010.  Apparently, he has a good standing relationship with Bradley, so this can't hurt right?

Wrong.  I could care less about Jamarillo's relationship with Bradley.