With one of the worst records in the National League and a league-leading 36 losses, you would think the 24-36 San Francisco Giants would be ready to jettison a few guys in preparation of retooling for a successful run in 2018, right? Wrong. The Giants actually did the opposite of that on Tuesday by going out and acquiring former Texas Rangers closer Sam Dyson for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The 29-year old reliever who's been knocked around this year to the tune of a 10.80 ERA in 17 games, is only a year removed from posting a 38-save season for the Rangers and an ERA of 2.43 and two seasons removed from an impressive 2015 in which he logged a 1.14 ERA while splitting time with the Rangers and Marlins. Those numbers have been a far cry from what 2017 has looked like thus far for Dyson which led to him being demoted from the closer role in Arlington.
After being designated for assignment by the Rangers, the Giants decided to take a flyer on Dyson and are hoping one team's trash is another team's treasure. Giants skipper Bruce Bochy said it himself following Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Brewers during which Dyson was acquired that he hopes a change of scenery will do the newly acquired Dyson some good. Though his fastball has reportedly decreased from 96 mph to 93 mph since the start of May, his strikeout to walk ratio has also plummeted as batters have feasted off of Dyson with a .392 batting average. It's obvious the guy is struggling, but who's to say Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti who served as a closer himself, can't help turn the guy around and pinpoint just what it is that has led to such a disappointing start to Dyson's 2017 campaign. Dyson brings with him five years of big league experience and the know how to pitch the late-innings. A pair of guys who have both caught and faced Dyson and are glad he's joining the team is Buster Posey and Joe Panik. Posey, who was behind the plate and caught Dyson in this year's World Baseball Classic, praised him for his powerful sinker by calling it, "one of the best sinkers" he's ever caught. Panik also commended Dyson's power sinker only he was in the batters box facing Dyson whom he went 0-for-6 against in his career.
As Panik and company no longer have to worry about facing Dyson's powerful pitch, they're hoping he can regain that power and use it to help right the ship in the Giants bullpen that has been sinking since last season. If the newest member of the Giants can somehow manage to regain his form of the last few seasons, he could be in line for a set-up role to closer Mark Melancon.
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During the 2012 Winter Meetings, baseball saw the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim land the most coveted player on the free agent market for the second consecutive year. One year after signing Albert Pujols to the second wealthiest contract in MLB history, the Halos inked a 5-year, $125 Million deal with outfielder Josh Hamilton which on paper gave the Angels one of the most formidable lineups in all of baseball and was thought to be a World Series contender. In the five seasons Hamilton spent with the Texas Rangers before becoming a free-agent, he was named to the American League All-Star team all five years and won the AL batting title while being awarded AL MVP in 2010. The man who was once touted among the best prospects in all of baseball before injuries and drug abuse threatened his career, had finally developed into the player scouts knew he was destined to be. After earning the recognition of one of the game's best players, Hamilton helped lead the Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances including the first in franchise history in 2010. So it came as no surprise that Hamilton garnered a hefty payday when he hit the free-agent market just two seasons later.
However, since signing with the Halos, Hamilton has been a shadow of his former self while spending numerous stints on the disabled-list and producing nowhere near the numbers he did while with the Rangers. And then came his relapse with cocaine and alcohol in February which he admitted to. After news broke of Hamilton's relapse, Angels owner Arte Moreno ordered all of Hamilton's merchandise to be removed from the shelves at the team store inside Angels Stadium. Moreno and company was well aware of the risk that came with the now 33-year old slugger the moment they signed him and after the league chose not to suspend Hamilton following his most recent relapse which Moreno was hoping for, the front-office began searching for a team interested in his services. And on Monday, the Angels brought that proposal to fruition by agreeing to trade the highly paid, struggling star to the Rangers. The deal which will end the rocky relationship between Hamilton and the Angels is an expensive one for Anaheim as they will now pay all but around $7 Million of the $83 Million Hamilton is still owed, while shipping him to a division rival and getting nearly nothing in return aside from cleaning their hands of the problematic outfielder.
Although the Rangers will be getting a bargain considering how much Hamilton is owed and how little of the portion they'll have to pay him while hoping to find a solution to their struggling outfield, it won't all be bouquets and hugs for Hamilton when he makes his return to the field for the Rangers. Hamilton will have to regain some of the respect and admiration fans in Arlington once had for their beloved MVP. Upon leaving the franchise he resurrected his baseball career with, Hamilton called Dallas a football town on his way out which although true, rubbed some fans the wrong way. Currently on the disabled-list while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Hamilton is expected to be ready to join the team come mid-May following a Minor League stint according to Rangers GM Jon Daniels. Hamilton who was no stranger to the Angels organization before he signed with them having faced them multiple times a year while a member of the Rangers, will once again be on the opposing side and my guess is he won't be getting a standing ovation from Halo fans when he's introduced in the batters box.
Three years removed from clubbing a career-high 43 home runs in his last season with the Rangers, 12 more than he hit in his two seasons combined with the Angels, Hamilton is hoping a change of scenery to a very familiar franchise will help him reclaim the star power he once possessed. With his story and struggles with drugs and alcohol well documented, you can't help but root for the guy and hope he turns it around. And when he makes his return to Arlington, I'll be doing just that.
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As if the odds weren't already stacked against them in their respective divisions, the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies are two teams that could ill-afford the absence of a key cog in their pitching rotation. Unfortunately, Spring Training has been none too kind to either ball club as they prepare for the regular season without the services of two of the game's most premier pitchers.
After being shutdown for the last seven weeks of the 2014 season with mild inflammation in his right elbow, Rangers hurler Yu Darvish was expected to be good to go at the start of spring training this year. But after pitching only one inning in his spring debut on March 5, the 28-year old Japanese sensation was pulled from his outing when he experienced tightness in his triceps muscle. An MRI would spell even worse news, however, as damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in Darvish's right elbow was revealed, resulting in Tommy John surgery which would put an end to any chance of the 3-time All-Star pitching again in 2015. Already expected to be long shots fighting to stay afloat in the AL Western division with two American League powers in the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics as well as the much improved Seattle Mariners, the news of Darvish being on the shelf for the season is devastating for fans in Arlington. Texas finished with the worst record in the American League last year at 67-95 thanks in large part to the struggles and absence of first baseman Prince Fielder and though they should finish with a higher win total than they did a season ago, anywhere ahead of a fourth place finish in the division would be a surprise for a Rangers ball club that's only four seasons removed from back-to-back World Series appearances.
As for the Phillies, another ball club not expected to be contending for a title this year, the injury to left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee is as unfortunate as any. Not only because the 36-year old Lee is still among the best lefty's in the league when healthy, but because it ends any chances the Phils had of dealing the southpaw in return for a prospect or two to help speed up Philadelphia's rebuilding process. Since signing a 5-year, $120 Million deal with the Phillies in December of 2010 and taking less than he could have made elsewhere to return to play in Philadelphia where he helped lead the Phillies to their second consecutive World Series during in his first stint with the ball club after being acquired at the trade deadline in 2009, the franchise has been unable capture the success they achieved in Lee's first two seasons. For Lee, who last pitched on July 31 before being placed on the 60-day disabled-list after sustaining the same injury a season ago, it'll be the third attempt to rehab from a torn common flexor tendon in his left elbow while shaking off the idea of having surgery which would cause him to sit out the season.
With $37.5 Million remaining on his contract which includes a $12.5 Million club option to buyout in 2016, the former Cy Young winner hopes the third time will be a charm as his road to recovery figures to be a long one before we'll get to see if the 4-time All-Star can make a return to the mound in the city of Brotherly Love. Without Lee, the Phillies who finished last a season ago (73-89), will have their hands full in an NL Eastern division which homes a number of clubs that are expected to improve from last season as well as arguably the favorite to win it all this season in the Washington Nationals.
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If someone had asked me before the season started who I thought would be the first pitcher to toss a no-hitter this season, without hesitating, I would've said Texas' Yu Darvish. After retiring the first 26 batters he faced last season when pitching against the Houston Astros back on April 2, Texas' ace Yu Darvish watched out no. 27 go right between his legs into center field for a hit, erasing what would've been the 23rd perfect game in MLB history. Despite the disappointment that he had to have felt coming oh so close to making history, there he stood with a smile on his face after flirting with a perfect game. Though he would fail to etch his name into the record books and reach baseball immortality on this night, Darvish, who has more than lived up to the hype since transitioning his game from Japan to the Major League's just two seasons ago, has established himself among the top pitchers in the game today.
And on Friday night, the Japanese All-Star was once again on top of his game and appeared to be on his way to pitching a game for the ages in Arlington. From the first inning on, Darvish was hitting his target and had several pitches working for him which would spell doom for the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox who would have their work cut out for them. At one point in the game, Darvish hit a streak of six consecutive strikeouts before eventually finishing the game with 12 K's, while retiring the first 20 batters he faced. And then what appeared to be a harmless fly ball to shallow right field off the bat of Big Papi David Ortiz, fell in between second baseman Rougned Odor and outfielder Alex Rios as both players looked at one another thinking the other one was going to make the catch. Darvish would catch a break, however, as the call would be ruled an error by the official scorer. A rare call given the ball failed to touch either player. Rios would be the one changed with the error, one any teammate would be willing to sacrifice if it meant their pitcher still had a chance at making history.
Though the error wouldn't break Darvish completely, it would have an effect on how he pitched the rest of the game as he went on to walk two of the next three batters he faced. But even then, the 27-year old hurler still had a no-hit bid in tact. That was until he reached the dreaded ninth inning. With 26 outs recorded and a goose egg in the hit column for the Red Sox, Ortiz came up one last time as the only batter standing in the way of Darvish and his no-hitter. But even with the shift on, playing Ortiz to pull, Big Papi who just innings earlier was the cause of an error that wiped out any chance of a perfect game, snuck a ground ball single in between the second baseman and shortstop on the 126th pitch on the night by Darvish who came just one out shy of a no-hitter for the second time in as many seasons. It would be the final batter of the night for Yu who was pulled by skipper Ron Washington and received a thunderous ovation by the 45,000+ in attendance who stood and applauded Darvish's masterful performance. For the second time after nearly making history, Darvish would be forced to watch another man record that 27th out that he came so close to recording as Rangers reliever Alexi Ogando retired the next batter, sealing Texas' 8-0 win and leaving Darvish still seeking his first complete-game.
Darvish joins hurler Dave Stieb as the only pitchers to have multiple no-hit bids broken up with 2-outs in the ninth inning. Stieb had it happen three times while a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, including twice in back to back starts in 1988. With the season still young and plenty of starts left in the promising career of Yu Darvish, I've got a feeling the third time will be a charm.
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This year's MLB trade deadline was a whisper in the night opposed to years passed as there were no major splashes made in baseball's trade-o-sphere. However, a few clubs managed to address their pitching needs without dealing for marquee names. Perhaps the biggest name dealt was starting pitcher Jake Peavy who relocated from the Chicago White Sox to the Boston Red Sox. Though Peavy, a 4-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner isn't quite the pitcher he once was with the San Diego Padres as he's had a hard time adjusting to the offense-friendly American League, he gives Boston a much needed arm in a rotation that's been without arguably its best pitcher in Clay Buchholz who's been idle since June 8 with a shoulder injury. The move also benefits the player as the 32-year old Peavy (8-4, 4.28 ERA) departs a last place Chicago team for Boston who currently sits atop the AL East with an MLB-best 66-wins. Peavy is under contract through 2014.
One team hoping to spoil the party and prevent Boston from making the postseason if not meet them there, are the Baltimore Orioles who answered their division-rivals with a move of their own, acquiring hurler Bud Norris from the last-place Houston Astros. Norris, who served as the ace for a Houston ball club that's had a torturous 2013 campaign, owning baseball's worst record at 36-71 in their first year in the American League, has gotta be as happy as anyone now that he'll be shifting from the race for the worst record in all of baseball for what's expected to be a pennant race in the AL East. Orioles skipper Buck Showalter who helped turn the franchise around in 2012, leading them to their first playoff appearance in 15 years, knows his squad has been highly dependent on its power hitting offense while the team's mediocre pitching staff has fallen by the wayside, putting up numbers near the bottom of the pack in almost every major pitching category. That's where Norris comes in and hopes to make his presence felt.
However, as far as importance goes, both of these deadline deals fail to match that of the Texas Rangers acquiring Matt Garza from the Chicago Cubs for Mike Olt, C.J. Edwards and Justin Grimm, which took place last week. Nolan Ryan and company hope the addition of Garza will help the Rangers catch up to and pass the Oakland A's who dethroned Texas for the American League Western Division title last season and currently lead the division by 3.5 games. Garza who's been surprisingly consistent despite playing a majority of his career in the powerhouse AL East while with the Tampa Bay Rays and in the hitter-friendly Wrigley Field, will now be given the daunting task of having to pitch in Arlington, Texas where the triple-digit temperatures are no friend to a pitcher's earned-run average. But who wouldn't sacrifice a few notches on their ERA to play for a contender that's made two World Series appearances in the last three years.
Another name or beard rather that is quite popular among baseball fans is Brian Wilson. The former All-Star closer for the San Francisco Giants has been M.I.A. from the big league stage since April of 2012 while recovering from a second Tommy John surgery. After watching his team win the World Series without his help in 2012, negotiations with the San Francisco ball club went sour when the team he compiled 171 career-saves for over seven seasons failed to offer Wilson a contract following his second surgery. Wilson didn't shy away from expressing his disappointment with the Giants front-office as his feathers were ruffled so much so that he chose not to accept an invitation to the team's ring ceremony back in April. And to spite them even more, the former ringleader of the 2010 Giants club which were best known as a band of misfits, signed with the team's arch rival -- the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Signing with the Dodgers gives Wilson a chance to prove he still has something in the tank as well as play for a contender as it appears the blue crew is primed to run away with the division, barring a setback of suckage like the 2013 Dodgers prior to Yasiel Puig's arrival. The deal which keeps Wilson under contract for the remainder of the season is a low-risk, high-reward type of signing for L.A. considering they didn't have to give up any prospects to get an arm that helps bolster the bullpen assuming he resembles the Brian Wilson that led the National League in saves in 2010 with 48. And if not, they won't be obligated to his services past 2013 which makes it a win-win for Don Mattingly and company.
Last but not least is Alfonso Soriano, the lone position player acquired before the deadline worth mentioning. After beginning his Major League career in 1999 with the New York Yankees where he spent five seasons, two of which he made the All-Star team in while donning the pinstripes, Soriano was dealt to the Rangers for Alex Rodriguez who he'll now call his teammate. The Yankees began the season as one of the better teams in the AL and remained near the top of the AL East standings until just recently where they're now looking up at everybody in the division except for the Toronto Blue Jays who still can't get over the .500 mark and continue to disappoint. Soriano is due $25 Million over the remainder of 2013 and through 2014, with the Cubs picking up nearly $18 Million owed to the 7-time All-Star. Though Soriano's batting average has dropped drastically over the years and he no longer poses a major threat on the base paths, he can still pile up RBI's as evident in 2012 when he racked up a career-best 108 ribbies while swatting 32 home runs, his largest total since 2007 when he hit 33 homers with the Cubbies. But even the addition of the 37-year old Soriano doesn't look like it'll be enough to help the Bronx Bombers overcome the much younger and talented teams ahead of them in the division. At least not this season.
The limited action at this year's trade deadline is most likely an indication that teams feel more eager to hang onto key players since the MLB's adoption of a second Wild Card team in each league which was introduced for the first time in 2012, thus making teams that would normally be sellers at the deadline into hopeful contenders. That move may have forever altered the landscape of the trade deadline we once knew to be one of the more exciting week's of baseball. But that's not to say moves still can't be made as there's always the waiver wire that teams can resort to. The waiver deadline is a whole different ballgame though, which doesn't end until August 31. With that said, lets keep our eyes peeled for any forthcoming deals made through waivers. For all we know, they might be more groundbreaking than what this dud of a trade deadline offered.
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Yu da man. At least that's what the Texas Rangers are hoping. After watching the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim make history by signing 3-time NL MVP Albert Pujols to a blockbuster contract worth $254 Million over 10 years, as well as pry Texas' former ace C.J. Wilson from them, the Rangers were in need of a splash of their own to counter their division-rivals. That move seems to be made clear with the Rangers being the winners of the Yu Darvish sweepstakes. Hoping to land the Japanese sensation to help fill the void of Wilson as well as maintain supremacy in the American League West, Texas won the rights to negotiate with the 25 year old pitcher by posting a record-setting bid of $51.7 Million, surpassing the previous mark of $51 Million held by Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2007 season.
If and when a contract is agreed upon between both parties who have 30 days to strike a deal, the Rangers could very well be investing nearly $100 Million in Darvish who's won the Pacific League MVP Award twice in 2007 and 2009. And as we've learned in the past, Japanese stars overseas are hit or miss and have rarely panned out and have often been unable to duplicate their success at the Major League level. In fact, history has shown that the majority of Japanese players that have garnered the attention of the Major Leagues with mile high expectations, most of which are pitchers, often fail to meet those standards of an All-Star caliber player with only a few exceptions. According to sources however, many believe Darvish who's finished the last five seasons with an ERA under 2.00, will be the player who puts an end to the bust label many have begun to give players from overseas who come with such hype. And considering it was Nolan Ryan who knows a thing or two about pitching who decided to pull the trigger on placing a bid on the 6-foot-5 hurler, I'd say the Rangers know what they're doing.
Though the move of potentially acquiring a player who's unproven at the Major League level is risky, it sends a positive message to the Rangers fan base, letting them know that the organization is not ready to hand over the reigns to the division or the American League for that matter just yet as they look to make their third consecutive trip to the World Series with only one difference -- winning it. But that's not to say the Rangers front-office of Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniels have necessarily been sitting on the couch doing nothing this off-season. The Rangers' brain trust have been plenty active since the end of the 2011 season by bolstering an already dominant bullpen with the signing of former Twins closer Joe Nathan to take over for Neftali Feliz who will be moved to the starting rotation after serving two seasons as a reliever.The signing of Darvish is also a great move from both an international standpoint as well as a marketing standpoint as it attracts fans overseas from Japan among other countries that could help generate revenue by selling merchandise and increase television ratings. It also opens the door to sell advertisements at Texas' Ballpark in Arlington to Japanese based companies. Other Major League ball clubs that have utilized this strategy include the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Oakland A's. Darvish's repertoire includes a two-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, splitter and a change-up to compliment his primary pitches of a four-seam fastball which has been clocked as high as 97 mph and a slurve with a devastating break.
With Texas on the cusp of issuing a lucrative contract to Darvish, many keeping up with the MLB hot-stove are begging the question if the the move means the Rangers are no longer in the running for Prince Fielder. Prior to the announcement of Texas winning the posting rights to talk to the ace of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, the Rangers were said to be one of the possible suitors for the free-agent slugger. Those rumors may be days away from being put to rest however, if the Rangers indeed ink Darvish to a contract.
In 2003, Arte Moreno bought the Anaheim Angels for $184 Million, today he spent $331.5 Million on two players -- last year's ace of a Texas Rangers ball club that made it's second consecutive World Series appearance in C.J. Wilson and arguably the greatest hitter to ever step foot on a baseball diamond in Albert Pujols. Less than 24 hours ago the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins were leading the Albert Pujols sweepstakes along with another unnamed team. This morning that unnamed team was revealed as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim emerged to snag the 3-time NL MVP and former batting champion, shaking and reshaping the Major League landscape as we know it in the process.
The pair of blockbuster moves began with Pujols and the Angels agreeing on a 10 year, $254 Million contract which includes a no-trade clause and is second in Major League history only behind Alex Rodriguez' record-setting 10 year, $275 Million deal with the Yankees signed back in 2007. The Angels followed the mammoth signing of Pujols by inking Wilson to a five year deal worth $77.5 Million.
Having amassed 10 straight seasons with a batting average of .300 or higher with at least 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in, Pujols is coming off what was considered a down year in which he still managed to hit .299 with 37 homers and 99 RBI's despite an early slump coupled with a wrist injury that sidelined the 2-time Gold Glove Award winner for two weeks. With Pujols hitting in a lineup that's expected to welcome back one of it's top run producers in Kendrys Morales next year who's missed the last season and a half due to a fractured ankle, the Angels should see a drastic increase in the runs department, an area in which Anaheim finished in the middle of the pack in 2011. The addition of Pujols also erases the dreaded memory Angels fans had following the 2008 season when the team failed to sign their mid-season acquisition Mark Teixeira to a contract extension before eventually losing him via free agency to the Yankees. The Angels front-office made up for it by landing a future Hall of Fame first baseman who can eventually be moved to a designated-hitter role in the latter part of his career.
As for Wilson who Angels fans became quite familiar with the past few seasons serving out of a pitching staff with the division-rival Texas Rangers, the 2011 All-Star will most likely be plugged into the no. 3 spot in an Angels rotation that includes Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana. With an already lethal front three, the addition of Wilson easily makes Anaheim's rotation one of the best in the American League as well as leave a dent in Texas' pitching staff. The 31 year old left-hander will be returning to his old stomping grounds as Wilson grew up just a stone's throw away from Angels Stadium in Orange County. Last year Wilson logged a solid regular season finishing with a win-loss record of 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 223 1/3 innings over 34 starts, but suffered from a poor postseason where he went 1-5 with a 4.82 ERA in 10 games (9 starts). Many thought his sub-par performance in the postseason would decrease his value, but with a new contract worth more than $70 Million I think it's safe to say he did alright.
While the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim get set to kick off an era in which they think will bring the ball club its first World Series title since 2002, the St. Louis Cardinals on the other hand are preparing for the post-Pujols era less than two months after he helped them claim their 11th Championship in franchise history. Though the Cardinals still have a nucleus of talent on offense, Pujols' departure leaves a void that only free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder can fill. And with the money still in tact that the organization tried offering to Pujols, don't be surprised if they end up spending it on a much younger slugger named Prince.
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After pulling off one of the most improbable runs during a pennant race and squeaking passed the Atlanta Braves by a mere one game in the wild card on the final day of the regular season, the St. Louis Cardinals continued their late season dominance into the postseason and beyond. Facing a highly favored Texas Rangers ball club that was making its second World Series appearance in as many years, the Cardinals' miraculous run coming to an end was almost inevitable. One win away from winning their first ever World Series title and sending the Red Birds packing, the Rangers went into the final frame of game 6 needing only one out as Texas' closer Neftali Feliz stood on the mound with a 7-5 lead to face a kid raised in St. Louis by the name of David Freese. Little did he know he'd go from hometown kid to hometown hero in a matter of seconds for his late-game heroics.Down to his final strike in a 1-2 count with two men on and two outs in the 9th inning, Freese hit a game-tying 2-run triple just out of Nelson Cruz's reach in right field to force the game into extra innings. With some breathing room for the first time since the games early going, the Cardinals appeared to have stolen all the momentum as the game went into the 10th inning. That was until the Rangers' All-Star sluggerstepped up to the plate. Josh Hamilton who was stuck in a homer-less drought in his last 82 at-bats picked the perfect time to connect for his first when he hit a 2-run home run off St. Louis' closer Ryan Motte to once again give Texas the lead and a shot at slamming the door for good. Former Rangers great and now owner of the ball club Nolan Ryan thought that would for sure be the outcome as he and his wife began celebrating in the stands as Hamilton rounded the bases. But even that lead would be evaporated by yet another St. Louis rally.
An RBI ground out by Ryan Theriot and an RBI single by Lance Berkman in the bottom half of the inning would tie the game at 9,eventually setting up the hometown kid for an encore. In the 11th inning, Freese, the 28 year old kid who started it all by tying the game up in the 9th would come up big yet again this time winning it with a walk-off home run to deep center field. It was then that you almost knew the Cardinals winning it all was destiny. And with a former Cy Young Award winner on the mound at home in game 7, the Rangers didn't stand a punchers chance as skipper Ron Washington decided to stick to his guns and counter with the less experienced Matt Harrison. In a less thrilling final game that lacked the back and forth excitement and late-game heroics that game 6 had to offer, the Cardinals eventually went on to defeat the Rangers in route to a 6-2 win, giving St. Louis their NL leading 11th World Series title second to only the New York Yankees (27). Meanwhile the Rangers became only the 8th team in MLB history to lose back-to-back World Series'.For the casual fan of baseball there's no way you could've scripted a better outcome coming into the year than the one that transpired before our very eyes. Not only were the Cardinals long shots to win it all, but the fashion they did it in is just mind boggling. Not to mention a legend would be born in October by the name of David Freese who so fittingly was named World Series MVP after taking home NLCS MVP honors and setting a record for the most RBI's in a single postseason by driving in 21 runs. 
Though nobody saw the Cardinals reigning supreme or Freese's out of the blue success prior to the season, the biggest shocker of them all has gotta be the decision of one Tony LaRussa. Having been at the helm for 16 years in St. Louis where he won two of his three World Series rings, the 67 year old LaRussa stunned the baseball world on Monday by announcing his sudden retirement only three days after winning it all. What makes his decision to hang em up so surprising is that he's never expressed a possible retirement in the past. In addition, no Major League manager has ever walked away from the game after winning a World Series in the same year making LaRussa the first. Currently third on the all-time list of winningest managers with 2,728 wins, LaRussa being inducted into Cooperstown in a no-brainer. The biggest question mark regarding LaRussa's departure, however, is if it'll have any lasting impact on Albert Pujols' decision as the 9-time All-Star gets set to hit the free-agent market. After all, LaRussa is the only manager Pujols has played under in his entire career.
With both the ALCS and the NLCS coming to a conclusion over the weekend, the table is now set for the 2011 World Series. This year's Fall Classic will feature two very potent offenses with the Texas Rangers representing the American League for a second consecutive season and the St. Louis Cardinals representing the National League for the first time since 2006.
While the Rangers have done most of their winning at home this postseason as they finished tied for the third best record in the league (96-66) before ousting the Tampa Bay Rays and the Detroit Tigers, their National League counterparts have taken an entirely different approach. The Cardinals (90-72) meanwhile have done the exact opposite, clinching both series' while on the road. Following up on their elimination of the highly favored Philadelphia Phillies, winners of a league-best 102 games during the regular season, the Red Birds continued their dominance by knocking off the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers who claimed the best home record in all of baseball. None of that mattered, however, to one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs.
Though getting to where they're at now was no easy task, the biggest storyline and obstacle regarding their trip to the World Series would be the overcoming of an 8 1/2 game deficit as late as August 3rd in the NL Wild Card race which was held by the Atlanta Braves. The Cardinals were able to rally and capitalize on Atlanta's late-season woes, clinching a playoff spot on the final day of the season, solidifying the Braves' debacle as the biggest collapse in National League history. A task much more difficult than the one Texas faced as they basically took first place in the division and ran away with it, leaving the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim along with the rest of the division in their rear-view mirror. Something the Rangers do deserve a lot of credit for, however, is making it back to the World Series after finishing last season with their heads down.For St. Louis who will be making their 17th World Series appearance in franchise history, the ball club will be trying to win its first Commissioner's Trophy since 2006 when they triumphed the Detroit Tigers. As for Texas, the Lone Star faithful will be seeing their team in the Fall Classic for only the second time ever with last season being their first in which they lost to the San Francisco Giants. The year 2011 could be a year of firsts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area if the Rangers can win it all after watching their NBA counterparts -- the Dallas Mavericks hoist their first Championship in franchise history earlier this year when they defeated the highly favored Miami Heat. Not only am I hoping they can pull it off considering the Cardinals have won 10 World Series titles compared to Texas' zero, but I think they will, doing so in what I'm predicting will be a six-game slugfest.
Someone else who thinks Texas will win it in less than seven games is Rangers owner and president Nolan Ryan who said, "I think we'll get it done in six." Not only will his comments give his ball club a bit of confidence, but it'll also give the opposing ball club a bit of bulletin board material.
Get your sunflower seeds ready for Game 1 which can be seen at 5:05 p.m. Wednesday only on FOX as Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals takes the mound and squares off against Texas' CJ Wilson.
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Out of the blue, Philly emerges to land Lee - Just when he seemed on the fence of heading either Texas or New York bound, the Cliff Lee sweepstakes took a surprising twist. Ditching the glam of playing under the microscope that is the big apple, and the sweltering heat Texas has to offer, Lee decided to return to the team that traded him just a year ago. Though his destination might seem like somewhat of a surprise given Philly was under the radar in acquiring Lee, the biggest shocker is the amount of money he left on the table. According to sources, New York offered a 6-year, $138 Million dollar deal with a $16 Million dollar option for a seventh year. Meanwhile, Texas offered a similar contract worth $138 Million over 6-years, the only difference -- a seventh year option of $23 Million. Those same sources say if Texas was willing to guarantee a seventh year, Lee would have signed on the dotted line. Instead, he settles for 5-years, and $120 Million to pitch in the city of Brotherly Love. After winning a Cy Young Award with a mediocre Cleveland Indians ball club in '08, Lee was traded mid-season to the Phillies, pitching them to their second consecutive World Series appearance and single-handedly won the only two games in the series against the Yankees. With a year left on his contract, the Phils dealt Lee to the Mariners in fear of not being able to sign him to a long term deal, and later packaged a number of prospects to Toronto for Roy Halladay. The move was often criticized, but couldn't have worked out any better now that they have both Halladay who won the Cy Young this past season, and Lee, who was nothing short of magical during his brief stint with the club.
To compliment their dynamic duo of Cy Young Award winners, the Philadelphia pitching staff also includes Roy Oswalt, who has finished atop the Cy Young voting for a number of years, and 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels. With Lee back in the mix, the Phillies now have three of the eight best winning percentages in all of baseball among starters (Halladay and Oswalt), and is being regarded as the best starting pitching staff in all of baseball. However, the reigning World Series Champion San Francisco Giants beg to differ. What the deal means for teams like the Rangers and Yankees that are still in need of an All-Star pitcher, only puts fire under those desperate to make a trade for Kansas City's Zach Greinke. Or perhaps Joe Blaton, who the Phillies are shopping in hopes of cutting payroll.Although he could have made a bit more cash having signed with either Texas or New York, the $120 Million dollar deal still makes it the fourth richest free agent contract issued to a starting pitcher in Major League history, only behind former Indians teammate C.C. Sabathia's $161 Million with the Yankees, Barry Zito's $126 Million with the Giants, and Mike Hampton's absurd $121 Million dollar contract he signed with the Rockies. Does the acquisition of Cliff Lee now surpass Boston as the clear cut favorites to win it all heading into next season?
The table is set for the 2010 Fall Classic, with one of the most unlikeliest of matches as neither the Texas Rangers or San Francisco Giants have a World Series title under their resume. While the Rangers are yet to taste Baseball supremacy, the Giants haven't hoisted a World Series title since relocating from New York to the Bay Area in 1958, giving the Giants the third longest current World Series drought behind only the Chicago Cubs (102 years), and Cleveland Indians (62 years). This year's match-up will be only the second World Series in the last 50 years in which both teams had 92 wins or fewer during the regular season, the last being in 1997 between the Florida Marlins and the aforementioned Cleveland Indians.Hoping to finally put an end to their dry spell and bring a title home to the city by the bay, the Giants will face off against a Rangers team they've met 22-times in Interleague history. For what it's worth, the Giants lead the all-time series, 15-7. Two people in particular looking forward to this series for entirely different reasons from one another, are MLB commissioner Bud Selig and Rangers catcher Bengie Molina. Molina because he's guaranteed a World Series ring no matter who wins, having played half the season in San Francisco before being traded to Texas in late June and making the Playoffs. Selig on the other hand, believes a World Series of this magnitude is just what baseball needs and says it's evidence that payroll isn't everything.Everyone not named Bud however, thinks the match-up between San Francisco and Texas doesn't have enough household names in it and isn't big enough to attract high ratings, regardless of both team's World Series droughts. But if that's the case, anything not featuring the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox isn't going to garner enough attention to catch the average eye. With that being said I ask, what's better for the sport, a dynasty that wins it all every other year, or having a mixture of new teams win it? For once I agree with Selig and think it's time for a change.Game 1, which takes place in San Francisco on Wednesday will feature a battle of Cy Young Award winners both former and reigning as the Rangers' Cliff Lee (2008) squares off against San Francisco's Tim Lincecum (2008-2009). You won't want to miss it!
As for my predictions, I'm going with my heart and saying Giants in six, but I'd settle for a sweep :)
