AJ squared away the 2009 World Series with a magnificent pitching performance in Game 2. His control, command and concentration were evident from the first pitch. In fact, every first pitch all night long!

Pedro? Well, Pedro was pretty good too. I actually thought the Yanks would rough him up a little more than they did. He was wily. He was calm. Pedro's experience showed with every batter and he made quite a few Yankees look a bit lame.

But, hey... enough about these pitchers. This is about hitters. Sure, pitching wins Championships as they say... but you can't win if you don't score runs and the pitchers don't score runs ; )

So, since those darn pitchers were so glaringly good.. let's talk about who is definitely not Yesterday's Hitter.

How about Ryan O'Howard. Hmm... O fer 4 with.... 4 strikeouts. Definitely not YH material.  Let's see.... Chase Ut-O? Nope. Not so good .. O fer 3.

Jayson Werth? Victorino? Naw.. .2 fer 8 between em... and one was a lil dribbler.

Raul Ibanez... not so bad. A couple of ringing doubles and scored the only run.

Matt Stairs... thankfully NY scored and erased the only productive hit on Philadelphia's side of the ledger. If you hit that same ball to O'Rod 10 times.. he'd catch it 9. At least!

Did I say O'Rod? Well, if the shoe fits... now O fer 8 in the Series with... 6 Strikeouts! No YH for you bud.

Pre-game hype had a host of speculation on Jose Molina catching and possibly switching Posada to the DH. Let's tip our hats to Girardi who made the right calls. Molina did a fabulous job of handling AJ... check.

Posada is NOT the DH (smart move) and enters to PH and assume the catching duties. Posada hits an RBI single.. Yes Joe, way to go. But, sorry no YH for Jorge. Mark Teixeira. How could he not be? What an incredible moment and at bat for him in the 4th. After suffering through the wily ways of Pedro for what seemed like an eternity, the NY fans were even becoming disenchanted with their "who's your daddy" chant.

The place was like doomsville, until Mark hit that bomb to deep right center. What a swing Mark!

But.. sorry bud, no YH for you. You see, you can't win if you don't score more runs than the other guy. Mark? Well, he merely tied it. It was this guy that wielded the most potent bat of the night for New York.

Godzilla! He walked, he singled, he bothered the heck out of "your daddy" on every at bat. Until, finally Peter made a mistake. It wasn't much of one. In fact, maybe Godzilla was the only hitter that could take that ball off his shoe tops and drive it out of Yankee stadium. Well, maybe one other guy.. and just maybe.. the ghost of The Babe was digging Godzilla : ) 

Funny, watching the post game shows. We never saw Hideki interviewed. I imagine the language barrier had something to do with it. Or, possibly.. .Hideki was being mobbed by the Japanese media and never had a chance to breathe anywhere near a Fox camera.

Well, we're giving you the kudos now Hideki.

Congratulations Hideki Matsui - You are Yesterday's Hitter!  

One game does not make a series. The Yankees can be thankful for that. Even so, an early statement has been issued by the Defending Champion Phillies; If you want the title, you are going to have to take it!

Unlike their AL adversaries who gladly handed the Yankees win after win with poor baseball fundamentals, the Phillies were on in every facet of the game. Well, almost... a very late inconsequential error (or was it?) allowed the Yankees one teensy little run in their 6-1 whipping.

Not to say that CC was not doing his job. He pitched extremely well. Yes, he gave up two runs. The Phillies lineup just puts pressure, pressure and more pressure on opposing pitchers. CC was feeling it.

The Phillies get on base. They populate the base paths. They threaten you from #1 to #9 in the order. They treat every pitch as an opportunity to score or drive in a runner.

CC was good. He just wasn't able to hold off the inevitable pressure. Take a look at what happened to the Yankees when he stepped out of the game. The moment CC left the game, the runs came in bunches. Not a very appealing sight for Girardi and the Yankee fans.

As great as CC was, Cliff Lee was above and beyond. Of the two best friends, Cliff was the better... again! My bet is that the two didn't share a friendly beer after this one though. The battle is on. The friendship can wait.

Cliff Lee's fabulous complete game against the powerful Yankee lineup was fun to watch. He was perfect with his pitches. He upset timing. He fielded the ball with boyish exuberance. He got lucky on a comeback and grinned from ear to ear. Mostly though, he was just mesmerizing to the Yankee hitters. Ten strikeouts, three to the hottest hitter on the planet - Alex Rodriguez.

There was nobody more locked in for this game than Cliff Lee.

Well, let me take that back. There was one other guy. Chase Utley. What a hitter. So patient. So calm. So.... good.

By now most of you have read about the incredible records Chase set (or equaled) last night. His first inning walk broke a tie with Boog Powell for the most consecutive games to reach base in a Post Season - 26. His 6 pitch walk set the tone for the Phillies offense. A 2 out walk that started a rally.. .extended the inning and put CC on task to fight for every out.

His 3rd inning Home Run put him in a select group for Home Runs in Game 1 of a World Series. More importantly, it put the Phils on top. Again, he made CC work. 9 pitches later, he deposited the ball into the stands.

By the 6th inning CC had to hate to see Utley come to the plate. Hats off to CC, he came right at Chase with two quick strikes. The thing about Utley though, is he is patient. He doesn't mind hitting with two strikes. He is confident and he is good. Pow! Another ball deposited into the right field seats. 2-0.

And with that Home Run, Mr. Utley joined none other than the Sultan of Swat - Babe Ruth as the only two players to club 2 Home Runs off of a LH pitcher in the World Series. Wow. Need I say anymore?

Congratulations Chase Utley - You are Yesterday's Hitter!

Cat and Emma... this one's for you : )

With the excitement of Game 1 in the 2009 World Series upon us, let's roll back the clock and find ourselves a Yesterday's Hitter for the ages.

It's October 28,1981... Game 6 of the World Series is played in the Bronx between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. LA had lost the first two games of the Series in the same ballpark and fell behind the powerful Yankees 0-2 before traveling back to the West Coast.

The friendly confines of Dodger Stadium were just what LA needed.

They swept 3 games from New York and took a 3-2 lead in the series for Game 6.

But, hold on a second.. a little history about this whacky season for Major League Baseball.

The 1981 season was marred by a strike.

The season was broken into two halves of approximately 50 games each. The strike began in June and ended in August. MLB commissioner, Bowie Kuhn, made the decision to crown the playoff teams as those who had won "the first half" and "the second half" in each Division.

The problem with that skewed thinking is that it left out the two best teams! The Cincinnati Reds had the overall best record in baseball at 66-42. They were left out of the playofffs because they did not win either "half" of the season. The same went for the St. Louis Cardinals who had the best overall record in the NL East, but failed to capture either one of the two "halves". So, to put it mildly, the Playoffs and the Series were not representative of the best baseball had to offer in 1981.

However, it did feature the hottest commodity in baseball - Fernandomania!

Fernando Valenzuela's rookie year with the LA Dodgers was nothing less than spectacular. He won his first 8 games (5 by shutout) and gave LA a force on the mound. He joined Jerry Reuss and Burt Hooton on the bump.

The Dodgers had their steady eddie infield of Garvey, Lopes, Russell and Cey and were Skippered by Tommy Lasorda.

 The Yankees featured sluggers Reggie Jackson and Dave Winfield. Their pitching staff was loaded with Dave Righetti, Ron Guidry, Goose Gossage and Tommy John (who started Game 6).

With John on the mound in Game 6, the Yankees rode the unexpected power of Willie Randolph to an early lead. Willie clubbed his second HR of the Series (a solo shot) in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The Bombers had the lead 1-0.

LA's offense had been pretty hot in 2 of the last 3 games and they came right back to tie the game 1-1 on catcher Steve Yeager's RBI single.

In the bottom of the 4th... the game began. This is where the blogging would go crazy (if they had such a thing in 1981).

Hooton gave up a leadoff double to Graig Nettles before settling down and getting two quick outs. Since the game had no Designated Hitter at the time, Hooton intentionally walked Larry Milbourne to get to Tommy John's spot in the order.

Yankee skipper, Bob Lemon decided to PH for Tommy John and sent Bobby Murcer to the plate. TJ went a little haywire in the dugout (which was not lost on the Dodgers) when Murcer harmlessly flew out.

Buoyed by the controversy in the Yankee dugout, the Dodgers struck in the 5th. The Penguin (Ron Cey) knocked in a run to give LA a 2-1 advantage. Then Pedro Guerrero tripled home two more and LA had New York by the throat.

They piled on again in the 6th when Yankee pitching committed the cardinal sin of walking the opposing pitcher with one out. If there were such a thing as a Rally Monkey... it would have been jumping in the Dodger dugout.

Davey Lopes followed with another walk before Bill Russell singled home Hooton to give LA a 5-1 lead. Unfortunately for the Yankees... they were not done scoring. After the 6th run came home on an error, Pedro Guerrero stepped up and delivered another 2 RBIs on a 2 out single.

Pedro would go on to Homer in the 8th and ended Game 6 with an incredible 5 RBIs. Pedro, Ron Cey and Steve Yeager shared the first ever Co-MVP award in the World Series. And why not? There had already been so many firsts for baseball in 1981 - capped by the LA Dodgers being the first (and only) team to have ever lost the first two games on the road and wind up as the World Champs.

Congratulations to Pedro Guerrero - You are Yesterday's Hitter!

Well, it's finally here... the 2009 World Series will feature two powerhouse teams. For the 40th time the AL will be represented by the New York Yankees. They will have their hands full in trying to beat the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies for their 27th World Series Title.

These two played for the title in 1950.

Oddly enough, it was the Yankees as the defending Champions in that matchup. The Yankees swept Philadelphia in 4 games.

In Game 6 of the ALCS last night it appeared the Angels just might postpone that reunion. They had a strong outing from Joe Saunders and took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning on a Bobby Abreu single to right.

That was about all she wrote for the Halos. The Yankees had yet to lose in their new digs this Post Season and last night was no exception.

The main players in the NY lineup came out to play. Jeter was on base 3 times (all walks), Tex had 2 hits, A-Rod had 2 hits and was on base another 3 times with a free pass. It was a walk in the park for Alex all night long.

But, the damage was inflicted by the #2 hole, Johnny Damon. His 4th inning at bat with the bases loaded proved to be the key that unlocked the door to the World Series. Damon drove in 2 runs with his patented one handed swat.

The all time Post Season leader in wins took the reins and led the Yankees to the ALCS Championship.

The Angels again floundered in the field, committing one gaffe after another. Poor base running, inability to throw a ball 50ft, unable to catch a soft toss.. and on and on and on.  

It appears the New Yankee Stadium has the same magic as the old one and visiting teams feel the mystique.

Now, it's time to see if that magic can hold back the Phillies.

As for last night's YH? You certainly could argue that Alex Rodriguez had a fabulous day at the plate. He had two hits and walked 3 times as the Angels had suffered enough punishment from his Louisville Slugger.

But, it all comes down to producing runs and nobody did a better job at that than Johnny Damon.

Congrats Johnny - You are Yesterday's Hitter!

It looked for all the world like another Yankee blow out in the 1st inning. Jeter singled. Damon singled. Just like that there were 2 on and nobody out for Mark Teixeira. Fortunately for the Angels he has not been on his "mark". John Lackey and the Halos escaped with no damage.

Thrilled by that turn of events and with their backs against the wall in Game 5, the Angels came out swinging.

AJ Burnett was completely ineffective and looked like he was serving up soft toss.

  A leadoff walk started the rally. Abreu doubled and Torii Hunter followed with a crisp 2 RBI single and the Angels struck first. Something they have needed desperately. They went on to score twice more with a Vlad Guerrero double and a Kendry Morales single. 

Now it looked like an Angels runaway in Game 5. 4-0 after 1.

Oh how strange this game is. For the next 6 innings absolutely nothing happened as AJ found his mark and shut down LA.

On the flipside.. Lackey was mowing down the Yanks.

Until the 7th. A one out Melky Cabrera double. A disputed walk to Posada. A ticked off walk to Jeter and the bases were loaded for NY. Lackey retired Johnny Damon and the Yanks had yet to score. 2 outs, bases loaded.

Enter Mike Scioscia and exit a reluctant John Lackey.

Scioscia summoned Darren Oliver to face Mark Teixeira and flip him around to bat Right Handed. Mark, who had singled earlier to provide a tiny bit of spark to his offensive woes, exploded a double into the gap to score 3! He came around to score the tying run and it appeared the monkey was off Mark's back in the ALCS.

The Yanks erupted for 6 runs capped by a Robinson Cano triple that gave them a 6-4 lead!

Deflation and disbelief loomed in Anaheim.

Oh how crazy this game is. Enter the Monkey.

Just as abruptly as they had lost the lead, the Halos snatched it back with 3 runs of their own in the bottom half of the 7th!

Torii Hunter scored the winning run on a clutch single by Kendry Morales and the Angels had comeback from the graveyard to an improbable Game 5 win.

Morales ended the day with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, one that ended the the 4 run burst in the 1st inning and the final RBI that capped the 3 run comeback in the 7th.

Congratulations Kendry Morales - You are Yesterday's Hitter!

The Phillies are repeat NL Champions and are rolling toward a possible repeat as the World Champions.

They powered through the LA Dodgers for the second consecutive year in 5 games and look stronger this year then they did in 2008. That has to be a scary thought for whoever comes out of the ALCS (most likely the Yankees).

Ryan Howard did not continue his Post Season RBI streak, but he didn't need to. When the Dodgers zigged, the Phillies zagged. LA pitched around the big man in the first inning putting two on base for Jayson Werth.

Jayson jacked a 3 Run shot to Right Center and the game was over early.

Just for kicks and grins, Jayson powdered a ball to deep Center field for a 2nd Home Run to make it a 4-1 game before the mop up crew came out and polished off the Dodgers for 2009.

Shane Victorino continues to be a power house from an unlikely source as he pounded out a deep Home Run to Left field that may have been the hardest hit ball of the night. The Flyin Hawaiian was a constant offensive force in the NLCS.

There was more evidence of the supremacy of the Phillies. The Dodgers issued more than 20 walks in the 5 game series. Free base runners that the Phillies gladly capitalized on.

Carlos Ruiz tied a Post Season mark for the most RBIs out of the 8th spot in the lineup. He had 7. Top to bottom this Phillies squad is impressive.

Chase Utley has reached base safely in 25 straight Post Season games. That ties another MLB record (Boog Powell). When you have that type of balance, it's no wonder you are the defending World Champions.

Jayson Werth still has his eye on the prize, and it is that type of focus that brings World Series Champions. Can they repeat?

"Big games call for big times. We've got four more games to win." - Jayson Werth

Well, Jayson... you sure came up big last night against your former team. Congratulations... you are Yesterday's Hitter!

Records are funny things. They can stand for what seems to be an eternity, but the moment they are tied or eclipsed it's as though they are awakened. 

One day after seeing Ryan Howard tie Lou Gehrig's incredible statistic of knocking in an RBI in 8 consecutive Post Season games... Alex Rodriguez decided to join the party.

It was the CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez show in Los Angeles yesterday. CC was lights out on the mound and Alex was lights out in the box.

Now, don't get me wrong. . It's not as though I didn't see and recognize the awesome game that Melky Cabrera put together. He was awesome knocking in 4 RBIs on the day. He just didn't control the game in the manner that A-Rod did.

And let's not even get into the discussion on Horriblue! If you watched the game you had to be completely disgusted with the quality of the "umpiring". Horrible. Repeatedly Horrible.

Alex walked. He stole a base. He singled. He scored on a ground ball in the infield.

He homered.

He doubled.

He moved up on a sacrifice fly and caused an errant throw to score another run. He was a cheer leader in the dugout. He was everywhere. He was doing everything.

In the midst of the domination by CC, the Yankees plowed through the Angels uncontested and pushed their way to 3-1 series lead.

It's looking more and more like the two best teams in baseball are the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. If baseball's World Series is meant to showcase the two best teams, then it looks like we are going to get what is meant to be.

Congratulations to Alex Rodriguez - Yesterday's Hitter!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'...

Rollin', rollin', rollin'...

Rollin', rollin', rollin'...

Movin', movin', movin'...

Though they're disaprrovin'

Keep them dogies movin'

Hah!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'...

Rollin', rollin', rollin'... Rollins!

Hah!

YH! Enuff said!

(read to tune of Rawhide!)  ;-)

.... and the Lightning strikes! It was over even before it began. In a shower of hits and a flurry of runs, Game 3 was over before the fans had their hot dogs, or  their seats.

The Phillies pummeled Hiroki Kuroda in the first and second innings enroute to a decisive romp at Citizens Bank park. The onslaught was so quick and powerful that Kuroda bowed out before retiring 6 batters. He was hammered. Even the balls that were eventually caught were lambasted.

With all the pre-game discussion about the cold weather having an impact on the hitting, I can only say those prognasticators were ... half-right. Cliff Lee was astounding again. He could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted all night long. And while he was tossing up zeros. . . The thunder rolled.

Up by a 6-0 margin by the end of the second it was just a matter of piling on for the Phillies. Their lineup is solid from the top to the bottom. They had doubles by Jimmy Rollins and Dodger killer Carlos Ruiz. Triples by Howard and Pedro Feliz and Home Runs by Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino. Big Thunder.

Much like the Yankees, there are simply no holes to find outs with. Not even Cliff Lee himself is an easy out. He hit the ball hard all night long and ended up with a single and a run scored.

With that incredibly lopsided final score of 11-0 you might expect to find one guy that just raked out the hits and RBIs. But, true to the Phillies team makeup... the thunder was rolling through the entire lineup. It started at the top.

After a Rollins fly out, Shane Victorino singled and stole second. Utley followed with a single of his own before the big thunder came to the plate. Ryan Howard's line drive into the right field corner was the lightning strike the Phillies needed. He chugged his way around the basepaths and his head first slide into third ignited the crowd. Two runs were in.

Moments later the Thunder boomed off of Jayson Werth's bat. A deep laser like shot that landed well into the batter's eye in center field. 4 runs were in.

The game was basically over at that point. The thunderous roar of Beat LA reverberated throughout the stadium.

Ryan Howard's triple and 2 RBIs set a Major League Record for consecutve post season games with a Run Batted In - 7. My bet is he'll add to that. Ryan is seeing it and hitting it like the former hit king that proceeded him in Philadelphia - Pete Rose.

But, the nod for YH has to go to the spark that created all of that thunder and lightning... Shane Victorino. He singled in the first, stole second and just created havoc on the basepaths all night long. He had two walks and a punishing finishing touch 3 Run Home Run in the eighth.

Sometimes it's the spark that causes all the damage.

Congratulations Shane Victorino - You are Yesterday's Hitter!

I'm not quite sure what's going on in New York. It's head scratching stuff. For one thing, I was certain I would see highly competitive games. That much has held true. The head scratching is coming from the ill advised plays in the field. Just weird stuff you might expect to see in a Little League game, not a League Championship Series.

I know, baseball is a very different game. It's full of shoulda's, woulda's and coulda's. But these occurrences are not only becoming laughable.. they are nearly predictable based on the flow of the Series to this point.

It's completely out of character to see a stalwart defensive team like the Angels implode in the field. From miscommunication dropped pop ups to missing the bag on a simple double play. Just .. well, everything... Including losing the game on a wild throw ala Ut-Oh. Huh?

Take New York even: AJ Burnett WP's a guy home only to be saved by a little known rule when the ball bounces into the stands. Only to repeat the gaffe moments later and allow the tying run. Huh?

And speaking of out of character... How about Derek Jeter. He homers to put the team up 2-0. Nothing unexpected there, he's done it more than Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson in the Post Season for his Yanks. What was out of character was the little maneuver he tried defensively to catch the runner rounding 3rd base (ala Nick Punto) when there were 2 outs and the game was tied 2-2. Throw to first! That's what we expect from Jeter.

Then, to top it off... this crazy and whacky game. Jeter doesn't even attempt to move runners over from 1st and 2nd in a 2-2 game. Instead, he swings for the fences, dribbles into a double play and cancels the chance for a very important run. Later in the game, Mr. October/November/December commits an error.

What in the world is going on?

If the Angels were playing anywhere near their capability they'd lead this Series 2-0 or, at the bare minimum, be tied 1-1.

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda.

Because one guy that has not been out of character (or is he?) is Alex Rodriguez. He continues to have a Playoff resurrection. Another game tying Home Run keeps the Yankees alive when they were certain to have bumbled the game away.

Oh, and what was that count? No balls, two strikes! C'mon .. this guy is a closer. A good one! A no ball, two strike hittable pitch to the second coming of Babe Ruth. Please... 

Out of Character to say the least.

Congratulations Alex Rodriguez. You are Yesterday's Hitter!

It was about as polar opposite as can be in the two LCS games. Beautiful, sunny and gorgeous in LA and drizzling chill in NY. That being said, what controlled each of these games was not the weather. The weather was just a side note.

The game is played between the pitcher and the hitter. Yesterday, the pitching dominated. It didn't matter if it was 90 and sunny or 45 and miserable. The pitching ruled the roost in both houses.

"Hitting is timing... pitching is upsetting timing." - Warren Spahn

Still, out of that total domination we witnessed from the ten inch bump, there were some impressive at bats. Not many impressive hits, but some pretty impressive at bats.

The Phillies Ryan Howard is the one constant you cannot ignore. This guy is just an RBI hitting machine. So much so that the Phils themselves are simply on a mission to get Howard to the plate. Because when you do.. he will likely deliver. He did it again yesterday, clubbing a massive Home Run that put the Phils on top 1-0.

That single run would have been enough to win the game if not for "the Ut-oh mistake". Chase Utley's 2nd throwing error in as many games inexplicably opened the door for LA. The Dodgers may have tied the game but it was like pulling teeth trying to push across the go ahead run. Through a revolving door came the pitchers out of the Phillies bullpen. They almost pulled off the escape. Except for the best at bat of the day in both games. Andre Ethier did not get a hit to score the winning run. He didn't have to. The bases were loaded and Andre was down 0-2 in the count. He was calm and focused on every succeeding pitch and worked his way to a full count. The pressure was on the mound, not in the box. And it showed. Andre's walk gave the Dodgers an unexpected 2-1 win that evened the series at one game apiece. All you can say in a game like that is whew!

On the other coast it was a different version of the same story. You can't blame the sun baked Angels for cramping in the cold. We've all been there. You get so cold you make routine things seem like climbing Mt. Everest.

Cold Shmold. Again it was the men on the mound that made the difference. Upsetting the hitter's timing at every turn.

The Yankees did put together a couple of decent at bats in the first inning. Led by who else? The Captain. Jeter got everything started as always. Are we in October? He scored on a sac fly by Alex Rodriguez after Damon had moved him to 3rd.

Then we had a brain freeze in the Angels infield on Matsui's frozen pop.

Landing between Aybar and Figgins, Matsui gets the credit for a single and an RBI that looks like a line drive in the box score.

Matsui would later lace another shot into the left field gap that scored his 2nd RBI of the day. Juan Rivera made a decent play to stop the ball from getting to the wall, while A-Rod created havoc by racing through a stop sign at third.

I'm not sure if it was a miscue or a statement. It was definitely aggressive and sometimes that type of play is purposeful and meant to pump up your team. That could have been the case. Not to mention that one more run was needed at the time and Alex may have felt that it was worth the gamble. Either way, he was out at home.

Derek Jeter did provide that extra run on a frozen rope to center field that skipped past Hunter. It would have been an RBI no matter how you look at it. The ball was smoked. Derek Jeter had a typical October day at the plate with 2 hits an RBI and a run scored.

Even though one of his hits was a frozen pop, we've gotta give the nod to Hideki Matsui's line of 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs and a walk. That's just the way the ice crumbles when the fellas on the mound are dominating the game.

Here's an interesting side note. There have been 84 games played at Yankee Stadium. This is the first complete game that did not have a Home Run! Sure, there was a rain shortened game in April. . . But, this was a complete game. Upsetting Timing indeed.

Congratulations Hideki Matsui. You weren't Godzilla... but             

You are Yesterday's Hitter! 

Clayton Kershaw was holding up his end of the bargain. His curve was dazzling, the fastball electric. It was tough not to argue with Joe Torre's decision to start the youngster in Game 1 of the NLCS. He looked like he belonged. He was composed. He was focused.

Then came the 5th. What is it we harp on here at YH? Big games aren't really big games... until those middle innings. The pressure ratchets up. The intensity and desire of the hitters reaches a new level. They've seen most of what the opposing pitcher brought to the plate and they're making adjustments.

Kershaw was caught in the moment. He had just gotten through the "danger" portion of the Phillies lineup to end the 4th... barely. He threw two fantastic pitches to Ryan Howard. One that looked to have caused Howard to strike out on a check swing. One that caught the edge.  Randy Marsh though, thought different. Howard walked. And the pressure mounted on young Clayton. He escaped... but barely... when Jayson Werth crushed a ball to deep left field for the 3rd out.

So, it was no surprise that Raul Ibanez touched him up for a single to lead off the fateful 5th. He walked Pedro Feliz and then struggled with Carlos Ruiz before Ruiz powered a ball up and out of the park for a 3 Run HR..

  "On offense, your most precious possessions are your 27 outs. The key to baseball is pitching, defense and the 3 Run Home Run" - Earl Weaver

Charlie Manuel must have read those words of wisdom from Hall of Fame Manager Earl Weaver. He followed the wisdom to a tee.

"If you play for one run... that's all you get." - Earl Weaver

The Phillies were not playing for one run. Not after they watched the young Kershaw have his mini implosion. He was rattled. His command was gone. His focus was gone. He's 21.. it's hard to maintain mental discipline under the spotlight of millions of people across the country. In his defense, it would have been nice to see Joe Torre take the controls at that point. He didn't hesitate with Wolf in the NLDS. He yanked him in the 4th. Kershaw completely disintegrated in front of us. Managerial decison.. I understand. It is what it is.

Unfortunately, Kershaw's spiral led to two more base runners and a 2 out double by Ryan Howard that plated two more runs. It turns out. . . it was those 2 runs the Dodgers needed back. A 5 run fifth for the Phillies.

Sudden Impact.Clayton was knocked out.

Sure, the Dodgers are no quitters. They fought, they clawed, they made a game of it. They came right back with 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the 5th. Then in the 6th they filled the bags and threatened to take the lead. They just could not get that big hit though.. it just wasn't there. I kept waiting for some magic from #23 (yesterday was the 21st Anniversary of Kirk Gibson's heroics in Game 1 of '88 World Series) .. but Casey just wasn't at the bat.

Then Earl Weaver came back to Philly in their 8th. This time off the bat of Raul Ibanez. Another 3 Run Home Run.  Sudden Impact. Turn out the lights, the party's over.

The Dodgers had their chances. The Phillies just capitalized on theirs. It was a very good game. Today is a new day. A very important day for both squads.

But... Yesterday was a great day for Carlos Ruiz. His big time 3 Run HR sparked the Phillies to a win. Carlos was 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs, a walk and a run scored.

Congratulations Carlos Ruiz. You are Yesterday's Hitter!

In our quest for Yesterday's Hitter, we look back to 1972. A classic 7 Game World Series between two magnificent ball clubs.

Each team stocked with Hall of Fame players and Skippered by Hall of Fame Managers.

Game 1 of this series was played 37 years from yesterday... October 14, 1972... and it is here that we find our YH.

Recall that the path to the World Series was much shorter in these days. A team won their Division during the regular season and then had a 5 game Championship Series to determine who would represent their League in the World Series.

The Athletics won the AL West by 5 ½ games over the Chicago White Sox, then defeated the Detroit Tigers 3 games to 2 in the ALCs.

The Cincinnati Reds rolled over the NL West by 10 ½ games trouncing both the Dodgers and the Astros, then defeated the Pirates 3 games to 2 in the NLCS.

Unfortunately for the A's, they lost their star player and future Mr. October, Reggie Jackson in the last game against Detroit. Reggie pulled a hamstring stealing home in that final game.

The Stars for the Oakland A's in '72 were fellas like Joe Rudi, Sal Bando, Bert Campaneris, Reggie Jackson, Mike Epstein and Catfish Hunter. The "Swingin' A's" featured day-glo uniforms, white shoes, lots of facial hair, colorful nicknames and explosive personalities. The Skipper for the squad was Dick Williams.

The Reds, on the other hand, were healthy as a horse. "The Big Red Machine" had a more traditional look and an everyday lineup packed with future Hall of Famers. Their stars: Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, Ken Griffey and Dave Concepcion.

The pilot for the Big Red Machine was none other than Sparky Anderson.

The Series was dubbed "The Hairs vs. the Squares".

Game one was a day game played at Riverfront Stadium in front of 52,918 baseball fans.

Gene Tenace was penciled into the 7th spot in the batting order as the battery mate of Ken Holtzman. Matty Alou (yes, that Alou) replaced Reggie Jackson in Right Field.

Scrappy SS Bert "Campy" Campaneris singled to start the game but was stranded. The Reds went meekly in the first with three straight ground outs against Holtzman.

The 2^nd inning started out harmlessly with Epstein flying out, followed by the same from Sal Bando. Then with two outs,  George Hendrick drew a walk which brought Gene Tenace to the plate. Gene had a total of 5 Home Runs all season. The adrenaline of the spotlight, and his family in the crowd, charged the catcher's bat. Gene slammed a two run HR to get the A's on the board 2-0.

In the Reds half of the 2nd it looked as though the Big Red Machine was about to crank up. Johnny Bench singled. Tony Perez singled, followed by a walk from 3B Denis Menke. The bases were loaded with nobody out! The A's pitching staff in '72 had backbone. Holtzman got Geronimo to pop out and gave up a run on a ground out to Concepcion, before he retired the side on a strikeout of opposing pitcher Gary Nolan. It remained A's 2 and Reds 1 until the Reds batted in the 4th when the Machine got moving once again.

Johnny Bench walked to lead off and was moved up to 3rd on a Tony Perez single.

Two ground outs scored Bench to tie the game and Holtzman again escaped by striking out Gary Nolan. Tie game 2-2.

In the A's 5^th  George Hendrick flied out. Here came our guy Gene Tenace, with nobody on and one out. Miraculously Tenace belted another Home Run!

Gene became the first player ever to homer in his first two World Series plate appearances (a feat later matched by Andruw Jones of the Braves in 1996).

The A's recaptured the lead 3-2.

The Reds would post a couple of mild threats from there on in, but they simply could not solve the masterful pitching possessed by the Athletics. Holtzman lasted 5 innings and was replaced by Rollie Fingers. Fingers handed it over to Vida Blue with 2 out in the 7^th and Vida went the rest of the way for the save.

The A's went on to win Game 1. They captured the World Series Championship in Game 7, another 3-2 thriller.

Gene Tenace belted 4 HR's in the Series, tying a mark set by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig! He also drove in 9 RBIs while no other Oakland player tallied more than one! 

Interesting side note here is that the "Closers" were NOT one inning wonders. They routinely pitched for 2 or more innings to save a game. Managerial decisions have certainly changed over the years.

One more tidbit here: In Game 7, Gene Tenace was inserted at 1^st Base to replace Mike Epstein. Dave Duncan took over the catching duties.

Gene had himself another awesome day going 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs while batting from the Cleanup spot!

Mike Epstein (the self professed disciple of Ted Williams) was miffed at Manager Dick Williams. However, in defense of Dick - Epstein had gone a combined 0 for 16 in the previous six games! To this day, Epstein will not speak with Dick Williams for pulling him from the Game 7 lineup.

What's a HOF Manager to do?

Fiore Gino Tennaci (Gene Tenace) was awarded the World Series MVP of 1972!

Congratulations Gene Tenace - You are Yesterday's Hitter.

Watch the Highlights here! (3 mins.) 

Since we have a bit of a breather before the big games begin, let's take a look back at one of the great events in baseball history - 49 Years ago yesterday. Maybe we can find ourselves a YH out of this ; )

This is Game 7 of the NY Yankees vs. Pittsburgh Pirates World Series.  People were on the rooftops in Pittsburgh hoping to catch a glimpse of the game and some of the greatest players of the era.

There was Bobby Richardson, Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Tony Kubek, Yogi Berra, Dick Groat, Don Hoak, Bill Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente.

In 1960 the Yankees had won their 10th pennant in 12 years; only the Cleveland Indians in 1954 and the White Sox in '59 had managed to break New York's streak of consecutive AL championships.

The Pirates, meanwhile, were appearing in their first World Series since 1927.

Through the first 6 games of the Series, the Bronx Bombers had outscored the Bucs by a combined 48-17 score and completely shut them out in 2 of the 6. The Yankees were a machine.

Somehow Clemente and the Pirates were able to scrap their way to 3 wins.  

As is typical of most classic battles, Game 7 really didn't have the spark of an all time great game.. until the 6th inning. The Bucs had jumped out to a 2-0 lead when their 1st Baseman, Rocky Nelson hit a 2 out 2 run HR in the First Inning!

The powerful Yankees lineup was shutdown in order for the first 2 innings.

It looked like the Bucs were going to blow the game open in the 2nd when they loaded the bases with nobody out before the Yankees pulled off a Home to First double play. With runners at 2nd and 3rd and 2 outs... maybe the Yanks could stay in the game. But a clutch 2 out single by Bucs CF Bill Virdon gave the Pirates a 4-0 advantage.

It stayed that way until the 5th before the fireworks really started to happen. The Yankees picked up a run with a Bill Skowron leadoff HR. Although they went down quietly afterward, there was a spark in the Yankee dugout.

And that spark turned into a full fledged flame in the 6th when Bobby Richardson led off with a single and was followed by a walk to Tony Kubek. Roger Maris popped out to 3rd before Mickey Mantle stroked a single to center and picked up an RBI.

With Kubek at 3rd and Mantle at 1st Yogi Berra ripped a 3 run HR to give the Yankees the lead 5-4 at the end of 6 innings!

The 7th was uneventful. The last uneventful inning of the World Series in 1960.

In the 8th it was the heart of the Yankee lineup - Maris, Mantle and Berra. But Maris grounded weakly to the pitcher and Mantle lined out to short. Yogi coaxed a walk. Not much of a rally. 1 on .. 2 out. The Yanks though, were studly from top to bottom just as they are in 2009. Two singles and a double later the Bombers had added 2 runs to their lead. 7-4 Yankees.

Pittsburgh did not lay down and roll over. This is the famous inning in which Tony Kubek (Yankees SS) was hit in the throat with a wicked hop off the bat of Bill Virdon.  

The Bucs opened their half of the inning with 3 straight singles, scoring once. The second of those singles being the wicked hop off of Kubek's throat. The Bucs had a run in, nobody out and runners at 1st and 2nd.. down now by 2 runs. They sac bunt and move the runners up! We'll see that alot in the coming games ; )

A shallow fly ball was nothing more than an out before Roberto Clemente singled home a run to put them down by only one run. With 2 outs and 2 on the Pirates got a huge Home Run from backup catcher Hal Smith who had just entered the game! Pirates led 9-7 going into the 9th inning of Game 7!

But.. the Yanks are not the Yanks because they give up. They came storming out of the gates in the 9th; 2 straight singles put 2 on with nobody out and Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra due up. Unfortunately, Maris was horrible in this game and simply popped up to the catcher. Mantle though, was spectacular as always and singled in another run to bring the Yanks within one. Yogi's groundball out knocked in the tying run before Skowron hit into a force play to end the Yankees half of the 9th.

9-9 in the bottom of the 9th in Game 7.

Bill Mazeroski led off the bottom half for the Pirates. He looked at ball one from Ralph Terry then ripped a mean line drive to deep left field that just scraped over the wall!

Game Winning Home Run in Game 7 of the World Series! The First and ONLY time it has ever been accomplished in baseball history.

It went this far!

Mazeroski ended the day 2-4 with 2 runs scored and that incredibly historic Home Run.

Congratulations Bill Mazeroski.. You are Yesterday's Hitter!

"We made too many wrong mistakes."

Do you remember the Clint Eastwood movie "Any which way but Loose?" Well, I'm sure that's kinda the thought that Jim Tracy and Huston Street had last night as Street took the mound in the 9th. There's an old saying in baseball: Right Turn... have a seat. Kinda like "Right turn, Clyde!"

That was the hope of the Colorado fans and of Huston Street. Especially after failing to retire the Phils in order the game before and putting the Rockies behind the eight ball. But today was a new day and Hope springs eternal.

Not to mention he had a two run cushion courtesy of a miraculous comeback by the Rockies in the 8th. The problem of course is that the Phils were also hoping to get on Hope Street and stage a comeback of their own. It's kind of a two way street in that regard. You had a feeling though that Street was going to run into some problems. There would be at least one hump in the road in the 9th.

  Why? Because he had the monumental task of dispatching of the Usual Suspects. The possessors of the lethal combination of Power, Accuracy and Speed!

Starting with Jimmy Rollns who already had a hit. Shane Victorino who had a Home Run and Chase Utley who had reached safely 3 times already! Oh, just in case you allow one of those guys to reach... you get the reward of pitching to Ryan Howard and possibly Jayson Werth! No fun...

So when Jimmy Rollins stepped up to the plate it didn't take long to realize that Huston Street would rather be taking one of these ..

then be forced to face the Modern era version of Murderer's Row. The heart of the 2008 World Champs. In less than 2 pitches it was clear that Huston Street was pitching "not to lose" instead of pitching "to win". To the calibre of hitter's in the middle of the Phils lineup that's like letting a rabid dog smell fear. Not good.

Rollins took advantage of Street's tentative approach.. worked the count and then reached base safely on an infield single. Accuracy and Speed.

Victorino chose a different route, perhaps not keying into the fear as well as Rollins did. He chose a right turn. .

One out. Next up the engine of the Phillies machine - Chase Utley. This guy has it all, Power... Accuracy & Speed... coupled with a calm disciplined approach at the plate. He definitely saw Huston's reluctance to challenge and took advantage.

  Now, Huston.... we have a problem.  

A big problem in the manner of the NL RBI leader and the primary culprit from Game 3 - Ryan Howard. Ryan didn't miss a beat and he didn't miss the meat (ball) delivered by Huston Street. His rocket double over RF Carlos Gonzalez' head released the speed on the bases.

Rollins and Utley scored and the unbelievable had happened. The game had turned again. Now the score was tied 4-4 and both teams were trying to get here...

and here...

unfortunately, there is but room for one. And so... Jayson Werth's single to right center meant Huston had reached a

The Phils went on to take the series.. an exciting one.. but not what the Rockies had hoped for. They fought one heckuva battle but lost to a very talented World Championship squad. So, who will be holder of the YH crown for the day? Hmmm.... that's a tough one. I think I'll have to give it to -

The Usual Suspects!

Two teams held onto slim hopes of staying in the mix for the '09 prize when Sunday began... those hopes came crashing down by day's end. Both the Twins and then the Red Sox were swept out of contention and suddenly find themselves making vacation plans.

"The Season doesn't wind down. It just comes to a crashing halt." - Terry Francona

Gardenhire's Twins were victimized again by the lethal combination of baserunning gaffes and heads up defense by one of the best field generals to don a baseball uniform. Holding to a life raft and a 2-1 deficit in the 8th inning, Nick Punto ran through a stop sign while Derek Jeter simultaneously punched his ticket. Jeter's heads up play crushed any chance of a comeback rally and the Yankees pushed Minnesota into the off season.

The Yankees rode the defiant power of Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada when they each racked solo Home Runs in the 7th inning to stake the Bombers to that 2-1 advantage.

Posada had a very productive 2-4 day with 2 RBIs and a run scored. His Home Run followed A-Rod's and put the Yanks in command.

Rodriguez had the series that Yankee fans hoped for, finishing with 2 HR's and 6 RBIs. It was Alex that constantly brought the Twins to their knees with clutch 2 out RBIs that buoyed New York to their 3 game sweep. If his bat continues to stay hot, the ALCS should be very exciting to watch.

Colorado's freezing weather did little to cool off their young outfielder's bat. Carlos Gonzalez (CarGo) led the Rockies attack in Philadelphia that positioned them for a chance to steal the Home Field Advantage. Carlos continued his stellar play by posting a 3 hit day that included a Home Run and 3 runs scored. He showed Jim Tracy that he was the right choice in the leadoff spot and may ultimately be the spark that turns the series. CarGo walked in the 9th inning and with the entire universe aware he needed to steal 2nd... he did. Very impressive. Watch this kid.

It was the quiet leaders of the Phightins though that quieted the Rockie faithful on Sunday.

 Ryan Howard's 9th inning Sacrifice Fly pushed across Jimmy Rollins for the winning run and recaptured the advantage in the series. Chase Utley provided the muscle and the drama in the tilt. Utley's Home Run set the tone for his 3 hit day. With Jimmy Rollins on 2nd base in the 9th inning, Utley dribbled a ball that the umpires missed and reached safely to increase the pressure on the Rockies. Rollins hustled to third and eventually scored on Howard's deep fly ball. Chase had 2 runs scored and an RBI in the game.

The Sunday shocker was the surprise uprising of the Angels in the 8th and 9th innings against the Red Sox closers. The Halos trailed 6-2 going into the 8th and appeared to be a beaten squad. Unfortunately for Boston, the Californians are led by a man that holds his team accountable for 9 innings of work. And work they did. Scoring twice in the 8th to gather some momentum ... California shocked Jonathan Papelbon in the 9th.  

Bobby Abreu had a marvelous 3 for 5 day which he capped with his only RBI. His two out double in the 9th inched the Halos closer at 6-5. But it was a career .321 hitter that Papelbon could not defeat that sent the Red Sox home for the winter. Vladimir Guerrero has had post season failures on a number of occasions, but not on Sunday. With the Red Sox choosing to walk Torii Hunter to get to the big man, Vlad did not take long to deliver the decisive blow. His sinking line drive to center field brought in the tying and winning runs and the Boston Red Sox season to a crashing halt.

Congratulations Vladimir Gurrero - You are Yesterday's Hitter!

Ethereal: of or relating to the regions beyond the earth;  celestial, heavenly; unworldly, spiritual!

I'm not quite sure what Billy Beane was thinking when he was considering trading Andre Ethier. Isn't this the guy that is/was considered the smartest baseball man on the planet? Hmmm. Either Ethier or.. Ether. Ethier ... or Ether? Hmmmm...

Ether: akin to aíthein to glow, burn, ignite

For some reason Billy Ball had Milton Bradley on his wish list. He chose and got Ether for Ethier. Heaven knows why? He and the Oakland A's then received their explosive property while the Dodgers' Ned Colleti received a little piece of heaven itself and a very important piece in their team puzzle.

Ned Colletti's first trade as general manager of the Dodgers was for a minor league outfielder he'd never seen in person. Colletti had concluded it would no longer work with Milton Bradley in Los Angeles, so 27 days after leaving the Giants' assistant GM chair to run the Dodgers (huh? talk about ironic) he packaged Bradley and Antonio Perez to the A's for Andre Ethier.

In 2005 with the Midland RockHounds Double-A team, Ethier hit .319 with 18 homers and was selected as the Texas League Most Valuable Player, Oakland Athletics Minor League Player of the Year, Texas League All-Star Outfielder and Texas League All-Star Game MVP.

 What on earth was Billy Beane thinking?

Andre has been a Godsend to the LA Dodgers, especially this season where he has truly blossomed as one of the great talents in the National League. Not only is he gifted beyond belief, he has Hollywood good looks and performs under the brightest of spot lights. Witness his 6 Walk Off hits this season, the most in the Major Leagues.

Yesterday, the Dodgers received a surrealistic pitching performance by Vicente Padilla. His 1st inning jam put a scare in LA and heightened the expectations of the St. Louis crowd. But, a bluff was all the Cards could muster as Vicente escaped. From that moment on he ran the table and closed the door (and the season) on the Cardinals. Ethier and the Dodgers pulled off an unexpected sweep... The first time St. Louis has ever been swept in the NLDS or NLCS... ever (sorry Jeff ; ) and only the 3rd time in Post Season history.

The Dodgers had already put pressure on the Cards before they even had a chance to bat. LA portrayed a mini two headed monster of their own, started by Manny Ramirez' laser shot double into the left-center gap that chased home Matt Kemp and the Dodgers held a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning that they would never relinquish. Manny went on to post a 3 hit day that included another double and a total of 2 RBIs.

But it was Ethier that ignited the Dodgers.

He laced a towering Home Run to Right field in the 3rd that gave Vicente Padilla the padding he needed and the Dodgers never looked back. Andre concluded his Saturday onslaught by posting a double and a triple, falling a single shy of riding the cycle in the Post Season. A rare feat.

"I am just going up there and staying in the moment," Ethier said. "I was looking for one pitch and I put a good swing on it."

Congratulations Andre Ethier - You are Yesterday's Hitter!

The Yankees have spoiled the Twins in so many different ways this season. You have to wonder what kind of magic spell they have over them. Is it the players that have the magic... or the crowd? Or, is it the stadium? The New Yankee Stadium.. .have the Old Spirits of Yankee past brought their magic from across the way? Whatever the explanation, the Magic of the Game is mesmerizing to watch. At least to me.

Not only are we treated with such incredible levels of talent, we are blessed to see how the mechanics of the game play out. There is a reason the game is played for 9 innings. It takes that long for the play to unfold. And unfold it did on Friday night in New York.

The opening act revealed two stellar performances at center stage. The Pitching. In the center of this miraculous place... this game of games... stood the pitchers. First one. Then the other. And they were unbelievable. Each drawing on their inner strength.. their even keel under the pressure of the bright lights... to perform at the highest of levels.

As is the case in most, the drama begins around the end of Act 2 - the 6th inning. This was no different. After the Twins took a 1-0 advantage in the top half of the frame, the stars came out to shine. What brighter shining star in October than the star of Derek Jeter? Just as in game 1, the Captain delivered the inspiring line. Jeter roped a ground rule double into the Right Center gap. 

Enthused by such gamesmanship, beleagured superstar Alex Rodriguez responded for the second game in a row. His missile through the 5.5 hole in the infield brought home the Captain and ignited the crowd. Let the game begin!

The Twins however, did not approve of the script and scrapped their way to a 3-1 lead after 8 1/2 frames of pressure. In came Joe Nathan to center stage to pull off the unthinkable. Could the Twins possibly steal Home Field Advantage? It sure looked like it.

Until the Two Headed Monster came on stage. Tyrannosaurus Tex stepped up to the podium with his massive club. His ripping single into the right field corner set the stage. Who better to take the curtain call then the beleaguered superstar? The man everybody predicts will fold under the pressure. He'll flub his lines. He won't perform. The play is a dud. Wrong script guys.

 A-Rod homered to deep Right Center to bring the crowd to a roaring ovation. Who writes this stuff? The drama continues!

We won't enter the "Horriblue" scene because of the obvious. But, we can bring in the drama of Managing: When faced with an opportunity to employ a new weapon in the 10th, Girardi did not even hesitate to insert speedster Brett Gardner. Oh what havoc he created! Yes, he was foiled by the script when Cabrera caught the perfect pitch and doubled him off of 3rd. But, the point is Girardi used that weapon. Casey Stengel would have done so. Joe Torre would have done so. Girardi did.

When faced with the same opportunity in the 11th, Gardenhire... did not. Didn't he read the script? Sure, Mauer should have been on 2nd base to lead off the inning. You know what they say about Shoulda, Woulda and Coulda.. yea, they built the state of Nevada! Gardy should have pinch run for Joe Mauer. Simple. He never reached home despite two successive hits behind him. Oh, Gardy... read the script!

Foiled in the top half. The Twins were now faced with the Two Headed Monster of Tyrannosaurus Tex and A-Rod. Which one is going to kill you to end the play? We all know how it ends... don't we?

So... who is Yesterday's Hitter? It should be Tex. But, hold on. Tex would have never been in this position without A-Rod's massive shot to tie the game in the 9th! Yet, A-Rod would never have had the opportunity to tie the game.. .without Tex reaching first. Hmmm...

I reckon it has to be....

Alexeira!!

What a Classic! I remember as a young man reading the stories of baseball's great games. I never quite understood why the old writers used "the Goat" in so many of those game recreations. Over the years, I've come to admire that description and marvel at how it remains in the game. 

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville Dodger nine that day;
The score stood four one to two with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney Ethier died at first, and Manny Burrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast:
They thought if only Casey could but get a whack at that,
They'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat.

Baseball is so rich in history and tradition. Unfortunatley, for some.. the tradition of the Goat is still very much alive in the richness of the game. Matt Holliday appears to be heading to that status after two games in the NLDS. He was picked on in Game 1 by Joe Torre strategy. Torre refused to allow Pujols the opportunity to beat him, opting instead to place the pressure on Holliday behind him. Over and over.. the strategy worked. It worked again in Game 2 when he intentionally walked Pujols again to get to Holliday. Finally, Matt came through with a Home Run and it appeared that he might shed that Goat monicker. Instead, he may even go from Goat ... to Hero!

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a pudd'n, and the latter was a fake,
So upon the stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little hope of Casey's getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much-despised, tore the cover off the ball,
And when the dust had lifted, and they saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe on second, and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then came that fateful 9th inning for Matt. Loney's two out soft liner directly at him... Holliday dropped it! In and of itself, that wouldn't be all that bad. Except for that "thing" we've talked about before... Home Field Advantage. There was a sudden surge of hope in the crowd and in the Dodger dugout. No where was that surge of hope more apparent than in the face and eyes of Casey Blake. Say what you will... call it a walk. A simple walk. But, friends... it was far from a simple walk. It was Casey at the Bat. He battled over and over.. fouling off pitches, taking close ones. It was a marvelous at bat. And when Casey drew that walk from Franklin. You could see the defeat in Franklin's eyes. He had lost the battle and was soon to lose the war.

Then from five thousand throats at more there rose a mighty yell,
It rumbled in the valley and it rattled on the dell,
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled on the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped up to his place,
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face,
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt,
Five thousand tongues applauded as he wiped them on his shirt.
And when the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye; a sneer curled Casey's lip.

The Casey Blake at bat took alot out of Franklin, sure. But it was the opposite side that gained momentum and hope with each battled for pitch. So much so that by the time Ronnie Belliard reached the plate... the team in the dugout and the fans in the stands were in a hyper frenzy of belief. It was inevitable. The game would at least be tied. There was not a glimmer of doubt. First pitch from Franklin... exactly that happened. It was too much to ask of Franklin to stop what 50,000+ believed in.

And now the leather-covered sphere comes hurtling through the air,
And Casey stands a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.
From the benches, black with people, there arose a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on some stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone in the stand,
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone:
He stilled the rising tumult, he bade the game go on,
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew,
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud,
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed;
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

Belliard's Game tying single sent the stadium over the top. Dodger Stadium is as raucous as there is in the league when the fans are pumped up. And they were pumped up for sure after Ronnie knocked in the tying run. What a game. What a swing of emotions from both teams. All that remained was to have the winning run cross the plate. Who didn't believe that would happen?

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate,
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate;
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in St. Lou Mudville--mighty Casey Mark did not strke out!
Ernest L. Thayer

Incredibly, Mark Loretta was 0-15 lifetime against Franklin. Sometimes though, you just can't stop the "thing" from happening. Franklin could not. The Cards could not. Nobody could. It was going to happen. You could see it in their eyes. Congratulations to Mark Loretta. You are Yesterday's Hitter!

Watch the game changing plays Here!

Home Field Advantage... there's a reason you want that status. Especially in the Best of 5 Divisional Games. It's a Major League Advantage ; )

The Home Town teams did not disappoint. The Crowd was a factor in each of the games. Although, Cliff Lee didn't exactly need the crowd. He was mesmerizing to Colorado's hitters. Spot on with locations and adjusting speeds.. up - down, in - out... a masterful job of Pitching.

On the Phillies side of the plate.. they are just relentless. A stacked lineup that features Power, Speed, Power and more Power. Every single player in the lineup (including Cliff Lee) posted a hit in their box score. But it was the meat of the order... 4,5 & 6 that brought home the bacon. Ryan Howard, 2-4 with an RBI from an absolute laced rocket through the wind that turned Carlos Gonzalez 9 different directions. Jayson Werth, 2-4 with an RBI Triple that was as hard and high as you could possibly hit a ball into the crosswind gail. Werth also scored twice and was a menace to the Rockies. Raul Ibanez.. man. They just kept coming at you. Raul was 2-4 with 2 RBIs. It didn't seem like it was fair - High School Seniors against the Freshmen. Phillies take the nod 5-1 and a 1 Game Lead.

In LA it was an exercise in futility. These two were battering the ball all over the field. They filled the bags so many times between them I was certain YH would come out of this game. It just seemed inevitable that one hit would produce 3 or 4 runs. But... it just never happened. The game ended up setting a Major League Record for Men Left On Base in a 9 inning Post Season tilt... 30 Runners!!!

Rafael Furcal had a great game and set the tone for LA (they barely escaped the top half of the first inning with only one run across). Raffy led off LA with a sharp single and one pitch later he was trotting around the bases courtesy of Matt Kemp's towering HR to centerfield. From that point forward it was standing room only on the bases. Fortunately for LA, they were able to squeak across one run at a time as a result of their top 6 hitters. Furcal 3-4 a Run and a Rib, Kemp.. the Big Fly was his only hit. Andre Ethier 2-3, a Walk and 2 Runs. Manny Ramirez... pretty pitiful. But James Loney and Casey Blake picked up the listless Ramirez and were effective hitters all night long. Loney, 2-4 with a Walk. Blake, also 2-4 with a Walk and knocked in a big run in the 3rd to give the Dodgers some breathing room at 3-1.

In the Bronx, it was simply... Out with the Old... In with the New. Same ol' story for Yankee Stadium (new or old) another Post Season win for New York... ho hum. The Twins though, were surprisingly tough early on. Even to the point of taking a scrappy 2-0 lead in the top half of the 3rd. I'm pretty sure the New Yorkers were a little nervous... the crowd was pretty much taken by surprise when the Twins scored first. Honestly, though.. .how can you worry when without question your team possesses the most dynamic post season hitter of our era...

Derek belted the first pitch he saw in the first inning for a rifle single. He was due up 2nd in the Bottom half of the 3rd inning with NY down by that 2-0 score. No Problem for Mr. October/November/December (whatever)... he just performs when the occasion needs it the most. And it did in the 3rd. What does Derek do 2 pitches later? A Home Run launch.. tie game 2-2. Mr. Clutch...

  When you have that fella on your team.. how can you not perform? From then on it was a no contest whipping as every gear fell into place. Including the oft troubled Alex Rodriguez' post season issues. History. Alex was a healthy 2-4 with 2 RBIs and a Run scored. Hideki Matsui provided some thunder of his own with a 2 Run Bomb. But it was the Captain.. .

Derek Jeter folks.. you should enjoy this man's play as though you are witnessing Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig or Babe Ruth. Those are the names he accompanies on the All Time List for Home Runs in the Post Season. It's amazing if you think about it. He's not a power hitter. He is a clutch hitter. Period. A Perfect day at the Plate for Derek; 2-2 2RBIs, 2 Walks, 3 Runs.

Hats off to you Derek Jeter. You are Yesterday's Hitter... .Without Question.

I've got a bone to pick with the accountability of the Umpires. There should be some sort of discipline or fine... or both for poor quality outings of an Umpire in any game. Definitely in a Playoff Game!

I don't know if there is a grading system in place.. but if so, It is a sad measuring system. Umpires like Randy Marsh should not be allowed to continue to smirk at players and the game with his pitiful excuse for calling balls and strikes. This guy is so bad it's almost comical. It would be funny.. .the only problem is .. it's costing the players a quality at bat.. and costing the fans a quality game.

How can he possibly not be held accountable for 6, 7 or more pitches a game that are clear Strikes... or clear Balls.. and he arbitrarily chooses to call the opposite. It may seem like a tiny little issue. But, to a hitter.. it's huge! The difference between 2-0 and 1-1 for instance is gigantic to a hitter's approach.

I don't want to just bang on Randy Marsh.. although.. he needs a real good eye doctor, lasik surgery.. or some eyeglasses. Ask Brandon Inge and the Tigers. The ball clearly hit Inge with the bases loaded. This is game changing. Ask any Detroit Tiger fan if it's not. And correct me if I'm wrong.. but isn't this the same guy that was behind the plate during the heated Angels vs. Red Sox game. Pretty sure it was.

The problem lies with MLB. They should not reward an umpire like Randy with a Playoff appearance. Period. He should be held accountable for his quality. If "Pitch Track" or video evidence clearly shows he is incorrect X% (choose a number).. he should be benched, suspended or fined. Not rewarded with a Playoff appearance so that he (not the players) ends up determining who the World Champion eventually is.

MLB is not the only one at fault here. How many games have you watched where an Umpire clearly misses a call.. .the replay confirms it.. and all of a sudden the broadcast crew, the replay director and everybody else.. hush hushes it and sweeps it under the rug. That is BS. If they guy is bad.. don't hide him. He's bad. Show it. Get him the heck out of there. Don't give us the BS about.. oh, we have the advantage of slow motion replay.. .blah blah.

In the 1st Playoff game today between the Phils and the Rockies.. All three base umpires blew calls! All three of them! And the home plate umpire wasn't too perfect himself.

Maybe in this particular game, those calls may not have affected the outcome. Then again, they may have... how are we to know. You had Torrealba SAFE at 3rd in the 1st Inning by a wide marging.. the Ump.. calls him OUT!

 You had Cliff Lee obviously OUT by a large margin at 2nd Base in the 3rd Inning.. he was called SAFE! Come on..

And to cap it off you had the 1st Base Umpire calling Jimmy Rollins OUT at First when he was clearly SAFE.. this in the 6th Inning.

Nothing ticks me off more than to be robbed of a great baseball game with these types of calls affecting the outcome. It should not happen. Some accountability has got to be put in place. If there is such a thing in place now.. it is poorly.. .very poorly monitored.

Stop messing up our games. Please.  

"This is the most unbelievable game I've ever played... or seen!" That's a quote from Orlando Cabrera. The same Orlando Cabrera that went to the World Series with the Angels . .and then again with the Red Sox.. .and THAT game last night is the most unbelievable game he's ever been involved in! How cool is that? What a way to open up the Post Season. It was Storybook.

So, who is Yesterday's Hitter?

It could have been Miguel Cabrera. Despite his off the field travails, Miguel swung the bat yesterday. He roped a double his first time up and rocked one out of site his second trip. His blast made it 3-0 Tigers and it looked for all the world that the game was done. The air was hissing out of the Metrodome as though it had sprung a leak. A deflated crowd watched and wondered.

But.. back came the Twins. Why does it always seem like the great games never really start building the drama until the 6th? It's almost as though the first 5 innings are nothing more than foreplay. The Twins scratched out a run to get closer. Then it was Orlando time. His streaking missile to left field gave the Twins an unfathomable 4-3 lead in the 7th. A Two Run Home Run that looked for all the world to be a game winner! The Hankies were back.. the air was back.. the Dome was rocking! The Twins were flying high!

Back came the Tigers on yet another YH candidate - Magglio Ordonez. Mags had already driven in one run on a frozen rope to center field. He decided to add some more drama to an astounding game with his Solo Home Run to tie the game! Magglio was clutch. The tension was mounting.... and the Dome was silenced again.

What happened in the next couple of innings was nothing short of amazing.

Jim Leyland "Both teams played their hearts out. You can't ask for anything more than that."

Tension, base runners, fabulous defensive plays. Unrealistic escapes. Pitching. Tension. Drama. It was a storybook script.

It looked over in the 9th.. until somehow Nathan got a magical double play.

It looked like it was over in the 10th. In the top half Detroit scored the go ahead run and had runners on the corner with one out. How did the Twins escape that? They did.. .somehow and trailed by one going to the bottom half when Michael Cuddyer (YH?) hits a softee to left field where Ryan Raburn had been plugged in by Leyland for one reason.. defense. He muffed the play and lumbering Cuddyer sped (sic) around the bases for a triple. He scored to tie the game! The Hankies are back!! The Twins are on the verge of winning the Central in the 10th! Alexi Casilla standing at 3rd with one out. He's the winning run. A rocket to left. Wouldn't you know it.. storybook I tell ya.. the fella that just looked like the Goat for allowing Cuddyer to get to 3rd.. Ryan Raburn makes a tremendous catch and throw to nail Alexi by a fingernail at home plate!

It's over again in the 12th. The Tigers have loaded the bases with nobody out. Nobody out! It's over. How did Bobby Keppel escape that? How... how ... how? He did. To the bottom of the 12th. The Twins are scratching.. they're scraping.. they're clawing at the Tigers.  Carlos Gomez.. .hit. Standing on 2nd.. who is it at the plate? A potential Goat that couldn't score on a Sac fly from 3rd in the 10th. Alexi Casilla. You know how sensational the game is that it keeps giving you these dramatic feeds. Pressing your emotional buttons, whether you're a fan watching it .. or a player in the midst of it. There is simply nothing like it in sports. And when Casilla singled..

and Gomez raced.. it had to end that way. It wouldn't have been storybook any other way.

"I guess it's fitting to say there was a loser in this game. But, it's hard for me to believe there was a loser in this game." - Jim Leyland

"No matter what we did, it seems like it wasn't meant to be. This is the best game, by far, that I've ever played in... no matter the outcome." - Brandon Inge

Email from Jim Mauer - "Best Game I've Ever Seen! Unreal!!!"

Way to go Alexi Casilla...  You are Yesterday's Hitter in one of the greatest games ever!!

This story is almost too good to be true. It really is. Nearly every little boy that ever picked up a baseball bat dreamed of playing for their favorite Major League team. In Joe Mauer's case, it was the Hometown team... The Minnesota Twins.

Born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota.. Joe was a hitter from his early days. It didn't hurt that he was groomed by a creative father and a High School coach that turned out another fantastic hitting protege' .. Paul Molitor!

Joe's father Jake invented a contraption when Joe was a young player. The contraption is one of the hottest selling training products in the industry. No wonder, look what it has produced. Named the QuickSwing after it's obvious requirement for succcessful training sessions, the device concealed the ball from view in a tube until it dropped out just above waist high. The hitter had to find and hit the ball before it dropped to the ground, creating a short, compact, accurate and repeatable stroke. Joe spent hours on the Quickswing, honing the swing you see today. He also culled important knowledge from his High School coach, Jim O'Neill.

Joe credits Coach O'Neill with an important nugget of hitting wisdom that he carries with him to this day. Jim basically advised him that with his short, accurate swing he should look for his pitch to hit until he has two strikes on him. Joe has held that approach from his High School days and the results speak loudly.

Joe is on the verge of winning his 3rd AL Batting title in 4 years (He would have to go 0-18 to lose to Ichiro Suzuki). Two of those years, '06 and '09, Mauer had the highest batting average in the Majors. No catcher has ever done that.

If you think his hitting is something that just came to him.. think again. He spent hours and hours working with his father's QuickSwing contraption. And if you think his new found "power" is something new.. think again. He set a Minnesota High School record when he hit Home Runs in 7 consecutive games. In his entire High School career, Joe struck out... ONCE!

Joe Mauer is a Hollywood story (one I'd like to write), his storybook rise to Major League Baseball All-Star status is one held dearly by most every Little Leaguer in the United States. What a gift that we get to watch Joe in Game #163. I for one am hoping that the Twins move on so I can watch that sweet swing just a few more games.

Joe Mauer - 2009 AL Batting Champion. You Are Yesterday's Hitter!

Holy Hit Makers! It was a Sunday Special in the Batter's Box Yesterday. Two for One specials abounded. One of those days when you just can't get enough of a good thing! Not to mention the bonus game we got as a result. I Love October! Everything cools down but the bats.

Let's cheat and get to the Extras first. There were 5 Extra Inning games on Sunday to whet the appetite of Playoff fans. The Orioles got over the Jays in 11. The Nats won their 7th game in a row to close out the year! It took 15 innings, but they slipped past the Braves 2-1. The Phillies had to go 10 to nip the Fish 7-6 on the strength of a 1-1 game by Paul Hoover. It was a game winner though... and that counts! Way to go Paul.

In San Diego it was a big fly by Pablo Sandoval that ended things in their 10 inning contest. Pablo had 2 hits on the day, including that 10th inning Home Run as the Giants took down the Friars 4-3. In St. Louis, the Cards keep falling... this time in a 10 inning tilt that produced our first Double Dip. Prince Fielder had a field day going 3 for 5 with 2 huge Home Runs that knocked in 3 RBIs. It was #'s 45 and 46 on the year for Prince and the RBIs put him in a Major League tie with Ryan Howard @ 149 for the year! Wow. Great season Prince.

A couple of guys were perfect at the plate yesterday as well. Josh Wilson was a perfect 3 for 3 for Seattle as the Mariners topped the Rangers 4-3. While Erick Aybar was also a perfect 3 for 3 in Oakland. Angel Pagan pulled off the perfecto in New York, going 4 for 4! Neither one of the three had much to show for their ab's but.. you can't smirk at perfection.

Doug Mientkiewicz had a nice day in Los Angeles. In a rare opportunity, he picked up a nice 3 for 4 line and knocked in an RBI for LA. In Boston it was J.D. Drew picking up a few hits and a few more RBIs. JD had a 2 for 3 day with a Home Run, 2 RBIs and a couple of runs scored. He finished with 23 HRs, which seems like alot from a guy we didn't hear much about all year long. Could he be a secret weapon?

Sunday's excitement didn't come from any of those games, although I'm certain they were exciting to the fans that attended. It was the National scale where the spotlight was shining. Detroit opened one of the two highly anticipated games of the day. They did not disappoint. Needing a win to put pressure on the Twins, Ryan Raburn answered the call with a Double Dip of his own. Ryan was 3 for 4 with 2 Home Runs and 3 RBIs. He scored 3 times and also walked once in his big day at the dish. The Tigers won 5-3. Magglio Ordonez was no slouch, putting together a perfect 4 for 4 day that pulled in another big RBI.

On the heels of that must win by the Tigers, the Twins opened up their must win game. Delmon Young continued his hot hitting to spark Minnesota. Young had another 2 RBIs on a 2 for 5 day. But it was Jason Kubel with a massive Double Dip that led the charge for the Twins. Kubel's 3 for 4 day included 2 Home Runs that brought down 6 Ribs to make certain the Twins would host Game 163! Wow, Jason what a great game! But, the King of Double Dips out did ya.

Alex Rodriguez! Are you kidding me? Talk about a Double Dip glutton. . . A-Rod entered the 6th inning with  28 HRs and 93 RBIs in his injury shortened season. The Yanks were being shutdown by Rays pitching, 2-0. Uh, that would change. With one swing of the bat, Alex produced HR #29 and RBIs 94,95 and 96 in giving the Yanks a 3-2 lead. Still in the 6th with 2 on and Tex at the plate, Alex smirked at the thought that he might get another helping of Ribs.. if he could only get to the dish. He did.... and he did! Alex hit a Grand Slam! His 30th HR and RBIs 97. 98. 99 & 100! Those numbers set an AL Record for RBIs in an inning and a Major League best 12th Straight Season with 30HRs and 100RBIs!! It's the 13th time Alex has reached that mark.. Sensational job of Double Dipping.

 Congratulations Alex, You Are Yesterday's Hitter!!!

'09 Stats

Well, we asked for it.. and we got it. Drama to the last day. Minnesota solved the Greinke puzzle and pulled into a tie with Detroit for the AL Central. Delmon Young showed up big again on Saturday, knocking in 3 RBIs for the second straight day. Yet, it took Minnesota Magic to eek out the win in the bottom of the 8th on Abra Cuddyer's Game winning Solo shot. You can call him Michael, but ya doesn't have to call him Magic. The Dome lives! : )

And how about the kids in Washington winning their 6th straight. Two players we've highlighted here in the last week were right in the middle of it. In the 11th inning, tied at 4, Pete Orr led off with a single and one out later Justin Maxwell launched an opposite field bomb to win it for the Nats. Add a pitcher or two and there may be some chemistry in that clubhouse.

Chemistry might be what you call the connection between Ryan Braun and Craig Counsell. Out of their fog from Colorado these two have been on a rampage. The Brewers handed the Cards a road ticket when the dynamic duo had a 4 for 8 day with 3 runs and 2 RBIs. With the Dodgers win, St. Louis is packing for LA.

What? The Dodgers won!? Indeed they did, clinching the NL West and the Homefield Advantage as well. Juan Pierre was the catalyst that LA needed and responded with a 2 for 4  day and an important RBI. The game was a Zip tie contest into the bottom of the 7th before LA broke through. Talk about pulling teeth.

They also woke up in Boston. Victor Martinez, who had 103 Home Runs as an Indian without a Grand Slam, hit the 1st Grand Slam of his career against... you guessed it... those Indians. Brian Anderson had a perfect day at the plate. He was 3 for 3 with 3 RBIs, he Walked once and scored twice in the Red Sox win.

In Cincinnati, the pesky Pirates were finally beaten by somebody. Joey Votto tipped his cap and whacked a Home Run in his 2 for 3 day that included a walk and 3 RBIs. Nice game Joey and nice season as well, 25 HR's for Votto in '09.

All good, but the day came down to a couple of Duck Snorts in Detroit. Both produced from the bat of Alex Rios. Alex had a magnificent line of 4 for 5 in the marquee matchup of the day games. He picked up 3 huge RBIs and led the offensive attack against a flock of Tiger pitchers. Call 'em Texas Leaguers if ya like.. but they're line drives in the Box Score! Alex was timely and productive and helped the Twins lock up the Tigers at the top of the AL Central. The final playoff spot will be determined today ... game #162! Cool huh?

 Congratulations Alex Rios. You are Yesterday's Hitter!  

All of a sudden they think they can beat anybody in Pittsburgh these days. For a team that couldn't buy a win on the road all season long, the Pirates now have a 3 game road winning streak. Leading the way for the Buckos is Andy LaRoche. Fresh off his 5 hit game, Andy has continued to sparkle in the last week of 2009. He raked out 2 hits in 3 at bats, picked up a walk and knocked in 2 RBIs in the 3-1 win over the Reds.

There was another 2-3 line that came out of Atlanta as the Nationals continue to play well in the final week. They've won 5 straight behind their young kids. Yesterday it was Ian Desmond in the spotlight again with his highly productive 2-3 day. Ian hit a Home Run, a Triple, picked up a Walk, knocked in 3 RBIs and scored twice in the Nationals win over the Braves.

It was a Grand day for Baltimore's 1st Baseman Michael Aubrey. Aubrey clouted a Grand Slam in his 2-4 day that netted 6 Ribbies. He also had a 2 run blast and scored twice as the Orioles flew past the Blue Jays in Baltimore, 13-7. The Orioles are putting together a formidable hitting team in the AL East.

Another Granny was produced in one of the biggest games of the day.. .heck, make that of the season. There is no room for error in Minnesota as they continue to chase down the Tigers. Delmon Young, fresh off his controversial beaning in Detroit, beaned one of his own in a huge Twins win over KC. Delmon was 2 for 4 with a Grand Slam and 5 RBIs, he also scored twice and pulled the Twins within ONE game of Detroit with 2 to play. It simply does not get any better than this. I know where I'll be this afternoon! : ) Cy Younger Zac Greinke will be a huge obstacle to overcome. Can the Twins pull even?

In Philly where the Phightins have been given a clear path to the NL best record by the slumbering Dodgers, they were thwarted by Cameron Maybin's big day at the dish. Maybin cracked 4 hits in 5 appearances. Not much on productivity for Cameron; 3 Runs and an RBI, but enough to send Philly to defeat as the Marllins took the W 7-2. Who will end up with the Home Field Advantage in the NL? The teams are rumblin', bumblin' and stumblin' to the finish line. Nice game Cameron.

Speaking of bumblin', the Mets have been sleep walking for weeks. Jeff Francoeur woke up and delivered a fine batting line on Friday. His 3 for 4 outing included a Home Run and 2 RBIs. He also crossed the plate twice as the Mets actually picked up a W in the Big Apple. Jeff added some padding to a decent 09 season. He now has 76 RBIs for the Metropolitans.

In St. Louis, another team that can vie for the Home Field Advantage was thwarted. The Cards were spanked by a team that couldn't do anything right in Colorado. They made up for it in St. Lou! The top 3 in their lineup exploded; Craig Counsell, Ryan Braun and Felipe Lopez put on a hitting clinic against potential Cy Younger Adam Wainwright. Collectively these guys went 7 for 16 with 6 Runs and 7 RBIs between them. That type of production at the top of a lineup is a Manager's delight. Nice game guys.

As good as that was, it was no where near as good as the two fellas from Arizona. The Diamondbacks were coiling and uncoiling in Wrigley. Chris Young (4-4) and Eric Byrnes (4-5) bombarded the streets outside the stadium during batting practice and then again in the game itself. Byrnes had 2 Home Runs and 5 RBIs, scoring twice. Chris Young also Homered and smacked the little white ball all over the field. He only had 1 RBI, but he crossed the dish 4 times and also picked up a free pass in his perfect day at the plate.

There was perfection at it's finest in the Big City of Tampa. And who was it that went Up Town? None other than BJ Upton!

BJ was marvelous against the Yankees. He was a perfect 5 for 5 on the day, but that's only half the story. For the first time in Tampa baseball history, a Ray rode the Cycle! BJ's marvelous day included a Double, a Triple, 2 singles and a Big Fly to pull off the feat for the Rays. Tampa put a whoopin on the Bombers 13-4. What a game for BJ who has been sputtering for most of the season. He's got something to hang his hat on now. Upton was Up Town in Tampa as Yesterday's Hitter!

Shortly after the Rockies clinched the NL Wild Card, the deflated Braves bowed out with a wimper when Pete Orr singled in the tie breaking run for the Nationals. The Braves were exhausted from an all out run at the Rockies, but had no control over the other half of the equation; The Rockies had to lose and they simply didn't.

The celebration in Colorado is not done as they still hold an outside chance of deflating another team, the LA Dodgers. If Colorado continues to play the calibre of baseball they''ve been displaying over the last few weeks, they will indeed capture the NL West flag. Yesterday they put on a hit parade and dumped the Brewers for the 6th time in 6 meetings this year. Garret Atkins pummeled the ball in a 3 for 4 day that pulled in 3 RBIs. He also scored in the Rockies 9-2 clincher. Kudos to the Rockies for fending off a determined Atlanta Braves squad.

On the personal level, there is one player that is racking up stats toward the end of the year. Miguel Tejada continued his hot hitting streak of 18 games by pounding out 3RBIs on a Home Run and a 2 for 3 day at the plate. There's hope that the team will contend for the Central in 2010.

Another Texas squad has high hopes as well. The Rangers pushed the Angels for most of the season before flopping at the end (mostly to the bottom feeding A's). Still, with the new pitching philosophy and Maddux in charge of the arms... there is no shortage of bats in this lineup. Chris Davis is ending on a high note. He belted his 21st HR of the year and picked up 3 RBIs while going 3 for 5 in the Rangers 11-3 win over Anaheim.

In Boston it's time to right the ship, vacation over. Jacoby Ellsbury is treading above the .300 batting average mark and would like to post that for the season. He helped the Red Sox ease out of their funk with a 3-5 performance that brought him up to .301 on the year. The Red Sox, reeling from a 6 game tail spin, came out on top of the Indians 3-0. They'll need to buck up in the playoffs.

Speaking of which, The Twins are still alive! They have an outside chance at catching the Tigers after managing a split in their 4 game set at Detroit. Orlando Cabrera, no stranger to the post season, came up big for the Twins on Thursday. He was 2 for 5 but those hits were huge producers as he picked up 3 RBIs and scored in the Twins 8-3 cruiser. It's back to Minny where the Twins host the Royals and hope the Sox can damage the Tigers in Detroit.  In San Francisco it was the Tim Lincecum show, with a cameo by HOF'er Randy Johnson. But at the dish it was a newcomer that has the Giant fans excited about 2010. Andres Torres is coming along just fine in Center Field. He's got the tools. He's got the speed and yesterday he had the bat. Torres racked up 3 RBIs and posted a 3 for 4 line that included a Home Run, a Triple and 3 runs scored. Nice day Andres, but wait til you see who took the crown...

Chris Carpenter! The man with All the Tools. Normally happy with showing off his tools from the mound, Carpenter put on his tool belt at the plate and hammered out a Grand Slam! It was Chris' first Homer of his entire career! He did it on the first pitch he saw. Not satisfied with his carpentry work, Chris stepped to the plate later in the game and drilled an RBI double down the chalk line to pick up 2 more Ribs! Wow. In one day Carpenter equaled his RBI output for his entire career up to that point... 6!

Congratulation Chris Carpenter, You are Yesterday's Hitter!

The sun is setting on the 2009 season and what a difference a few hours makes. Less than 48 hours since my last post (sorry, suffering Dodgeritis) no longer is the AL Central the hottest race. No longer is Hotlanta Hot (In fact, you can probably stick a fork in 'em). No longer is Colorado the "Chasee". And.. no longer does Cleveland have a Wedge in their bag. No, no, no and no.

Colorado has returned to it's customary "Chaser" role and continues to be in the most heated post season contest in baseball. Only, it's no longer the Wild Card... It's the Division title! It seems the hapless (punchless? gloveless?) Dodgers have squandered their way through the weakest road trip of the year and are now ... well, in a rather customary position of their own.

Yes, the Dodgers have made an annual event of bringing drama to the NL West crown. Why should 2009 be any diff. So, with the Magic number at One for .... ever. They'll take this one all the way to Sunday. Strap in, here we go.

The bats have been silent while I was gone, with few exceptions. That trend continued in Wednesday's games. .. 

In Philly, the Phillie Phollowers can find some relief as their Phightin's Phinally clinched the NL East Crown. Though they put up 10 runs, it was spread throughout as no hitter had much to crow about. Raul Ibanez being a mild exception; He posted a 1-2 day with a Walk, a HR, 3 RBIs and a couple of runs scored. Congrats Philadelphia now you've got a chance to Repeat.

In "no longer Hotlanta" the Florida Marlins were too much for the Braves, pulling them both down out of the crow's nest. Jorge Cantu put up a decent day with  3 hits in 5 trips, knocked in a run and scored twice. Colorado can thank these two for locking horns so late in the season. They're back and forth battle has killed each other's chance at catching them.

Because.. Colorado continues to be red Hot Rocks. They had several players break out with the bats including Helton and Gonzo. It was Troy Tulowitzki that had the best line though. Troy's 2-3 day included a HR, a run scored and 2 RBIs. The Rockies pounded Milwaukee for the 5th straight time and now trail LA by 2 /12 in the West. They play today with all of LA's eyes upon them. At the end of the day LA will either back into the title... or right into a hornets nest.

In what was the hottest race of them all, Detroit doused the hopes of Minnesota fans everywhere by winning their 2nd straight vs the Twins. After having their lead shaved to One in the Central, Detroit fought back and gained control with only 4 games to play. Magglio Ordonez caused the damage with his big time double in the gap that capped a 2-4, 3 RBI day in the Tigers win. Way to go Mags.

Another exact line came out of Tampa. The only difference was the game didn't mean as much down there. Ben Zobrist put up the 2-4 day. His 3 RBIs included a Home Run and a run scored. Is it me or do these teams look like they're already on vacation?

How about this line? 1-1, a run, 4 RBIs! Ha! Could it be our Fave Pinch Hit Home Run? In this case a Grand Slam! Ah shucks, not to be. Justin Maxwell put up that line with his only at bat in the game. Justin came in just in time, Pinch Running in the 8th and then performed 2 out, bottom of the 9th magic with his Grand Slam to win the game over the hapless Mets. It was the only time all year the Nationals have won after trailing through 8 innings. Good job Mets. Geez, take a vacation.

One team that did not take a vacation on either side of the ball, the Blue Jays. They are giving the Red Sox fits in Boston. Roy Halladay tossed his 2nd straight shutout and the Jays bats (full of super hitters like Hill, Lind and even Travis Snider) racked up 17 hits on Boston pitching. It was Randy Ruiz carrying the heavy lumber. Randy belted 2 Home Runs and collected 2 RBIs while scoring 4 times in the rout. He was 4 for 6 on the day. Great game Randy, you're making YH proud.  

But, two guys were actually perfect at the plate yesterday. Eli Whiteside (he's been hot) took the SF Giants crowd for a ride with his 3 for 3 day at the plate. Eli Homered, he scored once and cracked the RBI stat 3 times in the Giants win over Arizona. In the last 10 games, the only team worse than the Dodgers in the West is the cellar dwelling Arizona D-Backs. Well, the agony can only last 4 more games guys and then you get that wonderful thing called Hope. Hope that next year brings some joy and contention in Arizona.

There is definite Hope starting to percolate in Pittsburgh. Yeah, that Pittsburgh. The same team that is 35 games UNDER .500 on the road! What? The worst in Major League Baseball. And yet... there is Hope in Pittsburgh as they posted their first DoubleHeader sweep in Wrigley Field in 26 years! Holy Cow! In the night cap game Ryan Doumit put up the perfecto. Doumit was 4 for 4 with 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored (dammit Ryan, couldn't ya jus score one more time! : ) He's a good looking catcher. With Ryan, Andy LaRoche, McCutcheon and that great looking swing of Garret Jones... there's some Hope for the Bucs.

Ryan also blasted a Home Run in his perfect Yesterday's Hitter performance. Way to go Ryan Doumit.