Among the topics discussed:

• The Texas Rangers signing Yu Darvish and about the possibility of them signing Prince Fielder.
• The Michael Pineda-Jesus Montero trade and how it works for both teams.
• The Reds doing more to make a run at the NL Central this year.
• Most importantly, we make too many jokes about Fausto Carmona’s name and Jamie Moyer’s age.
• We wrap things up talking about the cases that went to arbitration this past week.

Click play on the player below to listen:

—–

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As a catcher, he didn’t win any Golden Gloves awards, but he was the backbone to the pitching staff and took control when necessary. He played defense with abandon, throwing plenty of runners out and standing up to the biggest of blows at the plate.

Joe Torre once said, “In a clubhouse with a lot of prominent people, Jorge Posada takes a backseat to no one.”

He was the Captain after the Captain, Derek Jeter. Posada will be most remembered for winning 5 championships during his playing time. He was a key element in most of them with timely hitting during the regular season and the playoffs.

Posada was a productive switch-hitter, with more than 1,000 RBI’s and 275 home runs.

But, his numbers at first glance, may not seem to be enough for the Hall Of Fame.

For example, his numbers fall short of other HOF catchers. Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter and Yogi Berra are all 50 to 70 or so home runs and 200 to 250 or so RBI’s ahead of Posada.

Posada has other things going for him, though. Number one, he played his ball in the most prime part of the steroids bulging times.

He would likely be a top-tier candidate for baseball’s Hall Of Fame no matter what. But, in 5 years when he is eligible, he could be a first ballot Hall Of Famer. It’s unlikely, but there’s a chance for it.

First ballot Hall Of Famers don’t come around as often. And, in coming years, it’s going to be exceptionally tough to find them.

Baseball has already spent a couple of years giving Hall Of Fame recognition to older ballot guys. Most recently, the honor has been bestowed on Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson, Rich (Goose) Gossage and Jim Rice.

There’s nothing wrong with older ballot ballplayers going in, but for baseball’s sake, the fanbase doesn’t get to connect quickly. They are made to wait and the game suffers for it. Fans pass away or in Ron Santo’s sake, the player passes away.

Arguments can be made that these players should have been first ballot guys anyways or at least shouldn’t have been made to wait for so many years to pass before making it.

Then, there’s the distinct possibility they’re only making it because the steroids era will be leaving a void in the HOF.

Ken Griffey Jr. will make it for sure on his first try, so will others from the 5-time Yankee World Series Champs and the sterling pitchers of the Atlanta Braves from the 90′s, but there aren’t too many others out there. Mike Piazza and Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez come to mind, but there are many others with inflated numbers who could have made it but ruined it with allegations of steroid use.

One of Posada’s greatest strengths and considerations for the HOF will be his integrity he showed towards the game. He didn’t succumb to the pressure of steroids. He was around guys who have admitted to it, Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte, but he apparently never took part in it.

Posada has other advantages, too. He had the privilege of playing for baseball’s most storied franchise and for sticking with them all of his 17 seasons.

Few players can say they spent their entire careers with one team. Many Hall Of Famers have had difficulty figuring which ballcap they will be enshrined wearing. This won’t be a problem for #20.

So let me get this straight:

• The Washington Nationals are going after Prince Fielder, the highest profile remaining free agent, and money is “no object”.
• The New York Yankees, desperate for veteran pitchers to solidify their leaky rotation, have apparently been priced out of the…wait for it…Edwin Jackson market.

Yes ladies and gents, we are living in a baseball world where this seeming fantasy is a reality.

Also:

• Albert Pujols is no longer a Cardinal.
• Mark Buehrle is no longer a White Sox.
• Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez are on the same team.

What a strange, strange offseason so far. I can’t wait to see what weird and extraordinary turn it takes next.

Here are a few I’ve read in recent years that will provide joy, entertainment, and even introspection during the holiday season and beyond.

Numbered, but in no particular order:

1. My Personal Best: Life Lessons from an All-American Journey by Coach John Wooden

If you’ve never read a book by basketball’s best and most famous “teacher,” start now. You have many from which to choose. I have only read this one, but it encapsulates his life quite well.

The current crop of college athletes would enjoy and benefit from a mentor and role model like Wooden. He had depth, insight, was spiritual, a reader, a thinker, etc. This was not required, but he knew all these attributes were necessary to grow “student athletes” into successful players and adults. I have the Pyramid of Success on my wall at work.

2. Underdawgs: How Brad Stevens and the Butler Bulldogs Marched Their Way to the Brink of the National Championship by David Woods

Woods does a thorough job relaying the experiences and accomplishments of this group of true “student-athletes,” especially considering it was his second book on Butler University in a six month period, coming directly on the heels of The Butler Way.

Though I’m someone who attended several games at Hinkle Fieldhouse per year — including the 2010 National Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium — the story certainly has a broad appeal. Absolutely no “homeritis” here; just a wonderful tale worth reading by any fan of life or sports.

3. The Last Amateurs: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division One College Basketball by John Feinstein

It’s always nice to see kids who play for love of the game, and John Feinstein has particularly good insight herein, thanks to his meticulous documentation and “all access” passes to the seasons of Patriot League teams nearly a decade ago.

Feinstein writes a new book each year, and some are better than others. I think I have read five or six of them. This was perhaps his best.

4. The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty: The Game, the Team and the Cost of Greatness by Buster Olney

Olney describes the personalities from famous Yankee teams of a decade ago with the backdrop
of the seventh game of the 2001 World Series — the last night of the so-called “Yankee dynasty.”

With his unmatched knowledge going back to his days as a New York Times reporter, Olney relays personal stories about this team as he smoothly transitions back and forth through the famous game that November night in Phoenix. Every MLB fan remembers when Luis Gonzalez’s hit fell beyond Derek Jeter’s reach, ending New York’s quest for a 4th consecutive title and putting their title count on hiatus until 2009.

Olney’s account of the Yankees’ run from 1996 to 2001 explains why the “drought” occurred, as he digs into the psyche of the team, making a convincing case for that element known as team chemistry — present from 1996-2001, and absent thereafter.

5. Stolen Season: A Journey through America and Baseball’s Minor Leagues by David Lamb

A hidden gem for fans of minor league baseball, Lamb tells these stories like a pro. The anecdotes, quotes and connections he’s able to somehow obtain from the road are remarkable and informative.

Even though the book is two decades old now, nothing really seemed lost or out-of-date. I was very glad to be able to pick this work up for a dollar at a used book store a few years back.

6. True Believers: The Tragic Inner Life of Sports Fans by Joe Queenan

Not a very well-known book, but a quick, erudite, quasi-psychological read by a guy from Philadelphia. Very creative and clever. He really hits along the lines of why sports fans are the way they are in an honest way.

7. The Last Best League: One Summer, One Season, One Dream by Jim Collins

Simply an intriguing, personal, and well-researched book that shows how baseball is unique, offering so many nuances to explore.

There are dozens of summer collegiate baseball leagues throughout every region of America, but the Cape Cod League is generally for the top prospects. Collins, a former talented ballplayer himself, takes you through a summer on The Cape. Many of the men he follows you’ll recognize as current big league stars.

8. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

I don’t generally like the “I couldn’t put this book down” cliche, but if any book ever approached that claim, it was this one.

Unbroken details the story of wild-child-turned-Olympic-champion Louis Zamperini, who enlisted in the military, as so many young men did, after Pearl Harbor was attacked (exactly 70 years ago TODAY), giving up further dreams of personal glory for service to his country.

After a successful early war as a bombardier, Zamperini’s B-24 was shot down over the Pacific in the summer of 1943. He and one other man (a third died) survived 47 days at sea, drifting 2,000 miles on a life raft, fighting off sharks and surviving Japanese air attacks — only to eventually be captured and endure something far worse: incarceration as a POW.

Imprisonment by the Japanese Fascists — in many ways a precursor to the barbarism of today’s Islamic Jihadists — was horrific. Zamperini was beaten and humiliated with appalling regularity by the prison guards.

Occasionally, even when he weighed under 100 pounds due to a starvation diet, Zamperini was forced to race against Japanese soldiers to prove the latters’ superiority. If he remarkably won, Zamperini was bludgeoned into unconsciousness. Dysentery, Beriberi and other maladies wore him down, as did the sadistic Japanese attacks, until by war’s end, his life was hanging by a thread.

The life of Louis Zamperini is pretty darn amazing before the war, during, and even after, which the book also details. Still alive and nearing his 95th birthday, the kid from Torrance’s incredible story will make our generation realize the sacrifices others have made before them.

9. Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson

On the heels of Zamperini, read up on Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell’s tale of survival. It is different, yet just as riveting.

The first part of the book takes you inside SEAL training in Coronado, Calif., giving you an admiration for how hard it is to become a member of this elite group, while the second half takes you through a harrowing battle that validates exactly why SEAL selection and training processes are so difficult and effective.

A terrifying, awe-inspiring tale of heroism, dedication, teamwork, and the limits of human endurance, this isn’t a jingoistic “rah-rah-rah go America” book; it’s about the journey of one man from his training days through a failed operation which brought him and his team into one of the fiercest battles of our Global War on Terror.

This story made me cheer and cry at the same time. Hollywood will try to replicate it when they begin filming Luttrell’s book next month.

10. America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It by Mark Steyn

Not an alarmist or overtly political book, but an objective, honest look at our changing world where the West (America, Europe) and the Far East (namely Japan) have dwindling populations, while other places (Middle East, Latin America) have booming fertility rates, and what it means for international security and world leadership in the future.

11. Rescuing Sprite A Dog Lovers’ Story of Joy and Anguish by Mark Levin

It’s always unique when a brilliant mind takes on a “softer” topic. This is what we have here, where Mark Levin, one of the more sentient American thinkers today, tells the story of his family’s love for their late dog, Sprite.

The book is fairly short and written at an elementary level. The morals are pure and sound. It’s a good family story for the holidays.

As someone who obviously enjoys non-fiction, I’d be remiss if not suggesting some biographies, especially of presidents, as that’s the best way to understand why our world looks as it does today.

• In particular, anything on Abraham Lincoln is imperative to understand how and why our Union was preserved 150 years ago.
• To learn about America’s expansion into a world superpower — and its conservation of precious resources, while leveling the playing field for all — Edmund Morris’s trilogy of biographies on Theodore Roosevelt have something for all political persuasions.
• To learn about how democracy and freedom was sustained during the key juncture of twentieth century, which shaped our modern world, I’d suggest checking out books on Dwight D. Eisenhower or Harry S. Truman. These are two distinct leaders from America’s Heartland, who fostered our prosperity and true peace over 15 years, despite both being reluctant presidents in many ways. HST and General “Ike” were faced with the most momentous decisions of the 20th century, and upon review, got most of them right.
• I’d recommend books on Ronald Reagan if interested in the man most responsible for ending Communism and truly restoring American Exceptionalism and optimism.
• And lastly, if you wish to go back to the founding of the “American Experiment,” peruse David McCullough’s 1776 or William Fowler’s Empires at War. The former’s topic is obviously relevant, while the latter is a quick read that tracks the French and Indian War on the North American continent. Many historians agree this was the first “World War” as it determined how America’s territory would be settled and ruled more than a decade before our independence from Britain.

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Bonus Editor’s choice:

Ari wouldn’t have included this on his own, so I’ll include it for him since I get to have the final look at this post before it’s published. I read it, and “couldn’t put it down” (even though Ari dislikes that phrase). Below the title is my review of the book on Amazon.

Marble City by Ari Kaufman

Marble City is a fictional tale about an American family, and it’s clear the author has an insatiable love affair with his country.

From his characterizations of the people in the book, to his riveting descriptions of the gorgeous scenery on the road between New Jersey and Knoxville, to his enthralling accounts of important moments in U.S. history, this book is as much an ode to America as it is a study of the relationship between the protagonist and his family.

For anyone who declares family of utmost importance to them, or who has been committed to success but not found it an easy path to travel — or who has wrestled with difficult and life-changing questions — there is something to relate to in this book.

Kaufman’s Marble City is a quick and easy read that will make you appreciate investing the few hours it takes to devour the book.

I’m sad because the baseball season over, and with it, the beauty of summer and fall slowly disappear
as well. I’m also melancholy because I love baseball. It’s my favorite sport,  and in my view, by far the best sport on earth, as I’ve argued ad nausea for years on this site  and others.

Let me iterate that the 2011 postseason confirmed my views of baseball’s superiority to the other
major sports even more so.

Consider that Major League Baseball attendance rose during a recession, brought in more revenue than ever, and put out some of the highest-quality play in the game’s history during the past 30 days.

Sadly though, the national media can somehow ignore everything and obsessively focus on “TV ratings.” ESPN’s Colin Cowherd — who mocks the AGE of baseball fans, of all things –  is by far the worst offender, but even local Omaha radio was guilty yesterday.

An hour before Game 7 as I drove back from Chicago, the host said, “Well, baseball should finally get the nation’s attention tonight. Hope they don’t stink it up.”

I can’t enumerate how lazy, dishonest, yet expected this type of remark is, other than to say football,  especially the Cornhusker State’s beloved college ball, regularly sees blow outs or duds in “big games” that were hyped up enormously.  Yet no one mocks football before or condescends afterwards, whereas the hypocrisy of baseball bashers is legendary.

And whether or not the east coast and sports media (one in the same, really) unfairly covered the World Series is immaterial. Ratings were high overall (beat primetime NFL games twice; Game 7 was seen by more homes in DFW than any Cowboys Super Bowl), and we had a proud, historic franchise with baseball’s best fans take the title over a likable team now owning improbable back to back AL pennants, representing America’s most patriotic state.

It was awesome theatre, and neither of my favorite teams was close to postseason play. Does not matter. It’s baseball. And nothing in sports beats October  baseball.  One month before the final pitch from Jason  Motte, all the thrills started on a historically consequential  night.

And, as even Jeff  Passan, noted Yahoo curmudgeon opined,who cares about ratings?

“Baseball needs to stop apologizing for its poor TV ratings. They are the furthest thing from a
smudge on the game and where it has moved in today’s sporting  world.”

ESPN Radio’s banal Mike and Mike, who audaciously talked April NFL  Draft the morning of Game 6 of World Series and Eagles football the morning of Game 7, might care about viewing numbers — but most do not. Mature people, “old” people, know what the best game is. I suppose, being over 30, I’m old now too; but on the other hand, everyone under 30 I know loved every pitch the past four weeks.

Why?

The product for the last month was simply marvelous. And again, this began on Sept. 28, a night that was arguably the single greatest in the sport’s regular season history.

As for those errors that baseball critics, and fans of long-gone teams (Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox in particular) will allude to, Tim McCarver aptly noted yesterday on radio that baseball’s “imperfections”  make it the perfect sport. So true.

As Jerod Morris and I recapped on the eve of the World Series, in round one we had 19 of a possible 20
games, with two teams winning Game 5 on the road versus the two “best” teams — in the biased media’s eyes. Like 2010, the two teams (Yankees/Phillies) that spent the most money were therefore the putative favorites, but the beauty of baseball is there are NO favorites.

Baseball is truly the antithesis of college football where, yes, the two “best” teams arguably meet for the title, but that sport is a farce because teams’ seasons are rendered meaningless if not ranked by pundits in the top 10 in August, or when they lose their first game. Computers decide their fate.

The LCS in both leagues went six, and though some say it was sloppy or “too high scoring” (same critics who get bored in low scoring games) on the NL side, both were awesome. These were the best playoffs since 2003 or 2004, and in the long view, considering the 2011 Fall Classic went the distance, likely better.

The National League title bout had division rivals who despise each other, and the Texas-Detroit series, in hindsight, was actually one of the best and most competitive in years. Somehow this was also ignored by critics, just as baseball being the only affordable and safe professional sport a regular family can still afford, also is. Attendance won’t plummet anytime soon, Mr. Cowherd.

I’ll close by echoing where Passan culminated, but in my own words:

Give me a five month moratorium on the elite media’s cacophony about Major League baseball’s “declining television ratings.” Following the most compelling World Series in a decade, the overriding theme was that nobody watched?

Quoting Passan directly: “And to those people, all I have to say is: Sorry, suckers. You’re missing something great.”

38 of a possible 41 games, three one run game 5s in a 24-hour period to close round one, walk off wins,
unknown heroes, three one-run World Series tilts…andGame 6. Heck, even Bob Costas raved about
it. The Great Curt Schilling said Midwest fans, Midwest players, and Cardinal Baseball is everything that’s good about America, sports-wise. I can’t disagree.

Sadly, some people prefer to hate and espouse ignorance. For the rest of us, 112 days until pitchers and catchers report!

If the highest paid Yankee making the final out of the season sounds familiar, it is. Rodriguez also struck out last year to end Game 6 at The Ballpark in Arlington. At least this time he went down swinging.

The Yankees’ elimination means that their World Series drought now stands at two long, painful years. Yes, that means that young Yankees fans across the nation will be forced to suffer the indignity of celebrating their second birthdays never having experienced pinstripe glory.

Poor babies.

And if articles like this are any indication, the young ‘uns in the Yankee fan base aren’t the only ones we should be calling poor babies. (I don’t like ARod any more than the next guy, but that seemed a bit harsh.)

But I’ll cut the Yankees fans some slack. Everything in life is based on perspective. When you have a $203 million payroll, you expect championships. (Even when your #2 starter makes only 0.19% of that $203 million.) You certainly don’t expect to get just as far as a team from your own division that only paid $41 million for its players.

So I get it.

Yankees fans are upset, like all fan bases are the day after their team’s seasons end, so we should all cut them a little slack no matter now ridiculous and out of touch their complaining may sound to the rest of us.

I mean really. Put yourself in a Yankees fan’s shoes. Try cheering for a $203 million team that won more games than any other in the AL but can only muster a fifth game in the ALDS. I’m sure it sucks. Bad. So let them whine, bitch, and moan. You probably would be too.

Side note: for the most honest Yankees playoff coverage you’ll see all day, click here.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have my omnipleasant existence as a White Sox fan to get back to.

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Image source for baby Yankees fan pic: Here

You will hear us discuss the following, and more:

• AJ Burnett’s surprising Game 4 performance
• The underrated greatness of Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano
• Which non-Phillies team in the NL is the most dangerous
• How Texas stacks up with both Detroit and New York
• And of course, an in-depth look at Game 5 of the ALDS between the Yankees and Tigers.

Click play on the player below to listen:

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Note that Game 5 of the ALDS between the Yankees and Tigers takes place tomorrow. Doug Fister opposes Ivan Nova, with first pitch 8:00 ET.

And make sure to check out Amanda on Twitter (@AmandaRykoff) and on ESPNW.com.

How to subscribe to and follow the MSF Podcast so you never miss an episode:

• Subscribe to the MSF Podcast on iTunes
• Join the MSF Podcast Email Digest and get an email whenever a new episode is posted.
• Follow @PodcastMSF on Twitter or via RSS to get random funny tweets and updates as soon as new episodes are posted.
• Download this episode in mp3 format for later: Right-click this link, then hit “save link as”
• To learn about and subscribe to individual podcasts, click here.

With the divisional round in full swing, and multiple series set to be decided with compelling Game 5 matchups, Amanda tries her hand at five of Ari’s most challenging trivia questions of the season before delving into series playoff talk.

Stay tuned after the trivia to hear Amanda’s thoughts on:

• AJ Burnett’s surprising Game 4 performance
• The underrated greatness of Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano
• Which non-Phillies team in the NL is the most dangerous
• How Texas stacks up with both Detroit and New York.
• Plus much more…

You can follow Amanda on Twitter and track her thoughts about baseball and a variety of other sports topics over at ESPNW.com.

Click play on the player below to listen to this week’s episode:

Click here to take MLB Trivia Challenge Podcast Quiz #13

The link above skips you to the bottom of this page where quiz is embedded. Podcast will continue playing.

Quick Standings Update (as of October 5th, 10:57 PM CT):

1. John Krampf, Louie Tartaglia, Dan Greenham, Tony Nelson – 75
2. Chuck Dombrock, Kevin Luljak, Jeff Wallack – 74
3. Adam Swank – 68
4. Pedro Diaz, Andrew Schwartz – 67

A few quick notes:

• The MLB Trivia Challenge is available on iTunes. Listen and subscribe here.
• Be sure to follow the MSF Trivia Challenge Podcast on Twitter: @MLBTriviaMSF.
• If you like the intro and outro music, and I know you will, it was provided to us by the Twin Cats out of Indianapolis. We encourage you to like them on Facebook or check out their music here.

Here are links to all the old quizzes, in case you missed one:

• Episode 1 with Ken Rosenthal
• Episode 2 with Will Carroll
• Episode 3 with Big League Stew
• Episode 4 with Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors
• Episode 5 with Derek Schultz of XL950 in Indianapolis
• Episode 6 with Deadspin founder Will Leitch
• Episode 7 with Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports
• Episode 8 with Scott Sargent of Waiting For Next Year
• Episode 9 with Jonah Keri of Grantland
• Episode 10 with Jim Margalus of South Side Sox
• Episode 11 with Al Beaton of Bless You Boys
• Episode 12 with Trenni Kusnierek
  

Your Turn to Compete and Win Prizes

Now onto the fun stuff: your chance to match wits with the “experts” and win prizes.

As explained on the rules and information page, we will be rewarding one winner each time a new MLB Trivia Challenge Podcast and quiz are posted. This winner will be awarded as follows:

• Each correct answer nets you one point. Most points wins.
• In the event of a tie, we will choose from the top group at random.
• The winner receives a $20 gift certificate to Chili’s*, which is perfect for a Chili’s Lunch Break.

• Weekly winners can go bold with the new six-dollar lunch break combo at Chili’s. Choose a house made soup or salad and then pick a half Texas Toast sandwich like the Southwestern BLT smothered in cilantro lime mayo.
• See all the great Lunch Break combos at Chilis.com.
• Note: You have ONE WEEK from today to submit yours answers and be eligible for the weekly prize. Next Thursday at 11:59 pm CT, entries are closed and we award a winner.

In addition to the weekly prizes, a grand prize winner will be chosen at the end of the season. Simply put, the grand prize winner will be the person who tallies up the most points throughout the season, regardless of when the quiz is taken.

A few final notes you need to know before we let you have at it:

• LISTEN to the podcast; each week we will be including one bonus question taken directly from our discussion.
• ONLY your first entry counts, for the weekly prize and grand prize.
• MAKE SURE you use the same UserID throughout the season. This is how we will keep track of your scores.
• PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to the instructions after each question. Due to the parameters of the quiz program we are using, and our inability to hand-grade thousands of quizzes each week, we must request that you very specific and particular in how you answer the questions. Thus, you MUST spell names correctly. Think of it this way: attention to detail is paramount in baseball, so shouldn’t it be part of the challenge? Absolutely.

And now, drumroll the please, we give you your chance to answer. Have fun!

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Obviously we cannot post the answers because this is an ongoing trivia challenge.

Check back in two weeks when we’ll post the 14th AND FINAL episode of the MLB Trivia Challenge sponsored by Generational Equity. Remember: someone is winning an iPad and a subscription to MLB.tv when this is all said and done…it might as well be you.

* – Chili’s gift certificate good in U.S. only.

So I found ESPN.com’s treatment of Sabathia tonight to be particularly unnecessary.

This was on the front page of the WWL’s website tonight while ALDS Game 3 – Sabathia versus Verlander – was going on:

Image source: Imgur via Reddit

Having the headline “Gut Check Time” beneath of picture of CC Sabathia that conspicuously displays the big man’s gut? I see what you did there ESPN…and it’s not cool.

Here on the Interwebs, we call that trolling.

Unfortunately for Sabathia and the Yanks, CC did not pass the on-field gut check. He pitched 5.1 innings, walking six, and giving up four earned runs. As I type this, the Yankees are down 5-4 to the Tigers and Verlander. Now is the real gut check time. We’ll see how it ends.

Anyone who appreciates clever satire and a well done, succinct spoof will also enjoy it.

So watch, and enjoy.

My favorite line:

“What is happening in New York? Spending all that money is miraculously working out for them.”

Of course, as we know, spending ungodly sums of money every year does not guarantee a ring. But what it does guarantee is that you can compete for a playoff spot every year because you can just spend your way past your mistakes. But hey, at least the Yankees give us all someone to cheer against.

I guess now we just sit and wait for the trailer for Crummyball, story of the 2011 Boston Red Sox. Should be a good one.

On Dan Johnson’s pinch hit home run in the 9th inning, which sent the Yankees-Rays game to extras, an uncoordinated and/or slow to react fan in the outfield took it in the worst possible spot.

Now, I’ll grant that it isn’t indisputable evidence that his twig n’ berries got clipped here, but let’s put it this way: the call on the field is a nut shot and there is not clear enough visual evidence to overturn.

Here also is an animated GIF of the Johnson-on-johnson crime, for no reason other than so I had an excuse to use that Johnson-on-johnson line:

GIF source: Imgur via Reddit

I’m going to assume that the fan in question here is a Yankees or Rays fan. If by some random chance it was a Tampa-area Red Sox fan who had wandered into the Trop to root against the Rays, this would have to go down as one of the most painful simultaneous double-nut shots in sports history. Red Sox fans can be an insufferable lot, but I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

Take a look at the screenshot below and tell me what you see:

Yes, incredibly, both Wild Card races in both leagues are tied on the final day of the regular season, which sets up an absolutely epic set of games to pay attention to tonight. The word “epic” gets overused a lot on the web; not here.

Here are the particulars of the four big games being played today.

Boston at Baltimore

• Time: 7:00 ET
• TV: ESPN
• Pitching Matchup: Jon Lester v Alfredo Simon

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays

• Time: 7:00 ET
• TV: ESPN
• Pitching Matchup: TBA v David Price

Philadelphia at Atlanta

• Time: 7:00 ET
• TV: ESPN2
• Pitching Matchup: Joe Blanton v Tim Hudson

St. Louis at Houston

• Time: 8:00 ET
• TV: ESPN2
• Pitching Matchup: Chris Carpenter v Brett Myers

In terms of national coverage, all games are listed as being on ESPN or ESPN2, so I have to assume it will be regionally divvied up. Surely MLB Network will be following all four closely; that’s the channel that will be on at my house.

Now, you may be wondering what will happen if the standings remain tied at the end of today. Easy: there will be a play-in game to determine the Wild Card representative. And the schedule is already set for these games, should they occur:

AL Play-In Game*

• Location: Tampa Bay
• TV: ESPN
• Time: 4:07 ET

NL Play-In Game*

• Location: St. Louis
• TV: ESPN
• Time: 8:07 ET

* – if necessary (and first pitch times won’t change if there is only one play-in game and not two)

I have been relatively disengaged from baseball over the past few weeks with the beginning of football and the collapse of my thoroughly disappointing White Sox. Today will be nice a primer for the playoffs to get me re-amped up.

Remember all that talk about how there were no pennant races? Ha. At the time I suppose such talk was apt, but things can change quickly in baseball, as they did this year. What a day, and possibly two days, this will be.

Play ball!

Even though I was born and raised in Indiana, baseball was my favorite sport for most of my youth. It was the sport at which my dad played and excelled. I didn’t own a basketball hoop yet, so it was the sport I played the most. Every year, my parents bought me more and more books about America’s Pastime. If it had to do with baseball, I soaked it up like a sponge.

Cooperstown was the first Hall of Fame my parents ever took me to visit. Just in case you were wondering how obsessed I was, I saved the bag from the bookstore that held my mementos from the day.

I was the annoying kid on the block that knew all the stats. Whether it was playing, watching, or studying, I was obsessed with the sport.

Then, something happened. Well, actually, a few things:

First, I realized that the Cubs would probably never be good.

Secondly, and more importantly, I outgrew it.

When I turned 13, I entered Junior High, and my school didn’t have a baseball team. In order to continue to pursue baseball, my parents would’ve had to pay a lot of money to get me onto one of those travel teams. Since I could play soccer and basketball for free, baseball ended up taking a backseat.

My parents bought me a basketball hoop, sent me to basketball and soccer camps, and the rest was history.

As I grew older, I started to becoming antagonistic towards baseball.

It’s boring.
It’s too slow.
It’s unfair when the Yankees and Red Sox can spend so much more than everyone.
It’s unfair that the Cubs will never be good.
Etc… (every cliche imaginable)

I lost track of everything that made me love the game. Until this past Saturday.

If you know anything about me, you know that I absolutely love the game of basketball – especially the NBA. I am constantly crusading for people to “give the NBA a chance.”

I have especially spent a ton of time trying to convince one of my friends, Ari Kaufman (co-editor for MSF), of the beauties of the game. Finally, during this past June, he somewhat begrudgingly admitted that the NBA was in a much better place than it has been for years. Dirk and the Mavericks broke through, LeBron lost, and beautiful, team-oriented basketball was showcased for two straight months.  While he still likes the college game more, he eventually came around…a little.

Meanwhile, Ari started chipping away at my disinterest in baseball.  I decided since he was so patient with me, I would humor him a little bit and pretend to be interested in baseball again.  I even started participating in MSF’s Trivia Challenge and listening to all of the podcasts – which I actually enjoyed quite a bit. Finally, he convinced me to attend a game with him.

We arrived a Jacobs Field on Saturday just in time to watch the Indians battle it out against the Blue Jays. I’m not a die-hard Indians fan like Ari, but considering my wife is from Cleveland, I have sort of “adopted” them as my American League team.

I went to the game, expecting to argue with Ari about why basketball (and football…and soccer…and maybe even hockey for that matter) were far superior sports. I never in a million years expected to fall in love with the game again.

Maybe you are like me and have lost a little bit of your love for the game. Maybe you think the game is too slow and boring. Maybe you are sick of the horrible umpiring. Maybe you lost interest because you had to stop playing like I did. Maybe you think that steroids killed the game. Maybe you just think that football is better. Maybe you think all of the above, and are like me of five days ago.

Well, here are five reasons why, just maybe, you should give the sport one more chance.

1.  It’s the perfect game to watch in today’s world.

For the longest time, I have been anti-baseball because it just takes too long.

“Four hours? Are you kidding me? Who has that kind of time?”

In all actuality, most games don’t take anywhere near that long. While it’s true that Yankees/Red Sox games often last for an eternity, the average baseball game lasts for only 2 hours and 53 minutes. That’s shorter than an NFL game, much shorter than an NCAA Football game, and only slightly longer than the average NBA game (Soccer games are done in less than two hours and don’t have commercials…but I understand that America will never be ready for that…unless the NFL and NBA both lock out…in which case…I have a lot to write…and you will all hate me…I’ll just move out before I run out of ellipses).

All that to say, length of time is really not a good excuse. But you were already ahead of me on that one because I can hear you saying right now, “It’s not the length, it’s the boredom! The game just seems to drag on and on!” Well, if you think about it, that’s exactly true either. More time elapses between plays on the football field than pitches on the baseball diamond. Also, there are no fifteen-minute-long halftimes to break up the flow of play.

Instead, baseball is full of several half-innings that are five to ten minutes long, followed by brief, 2 minute intermissions. You know what that is perfect for? TODAY’S WORLD!

Be honest…when was the last time you sat down to watch a sporting event without your cell-phone, laptop, or remote control (to flip channels) close by. It’s hard for me to watch five minutes of a basketball/football game without wanting to tweet about it, or see what others are saying about the game. Unfortunately, those sports happen so quickly that it’s often much too tough to watch the game intelligently and do anything else.

That’s actually the beauty of baseball. As Ari and I sat there watching the game, we were able to carry on normal conversations, make fun of Ryan Howard, tweet our thoughts to our followers, and still watch the game at the same time.

I know a lot of the old-timers out there will probably hate what I’m saying, and may disagree with most of this. They will say I’m not a true baseball fan, and possibly that people like me that represent what is wrong with our country.

But for the rest of you Americans that live everyday doing three or four things at once, baseball is the perfect sport for you.

2.  Jose Bautista.

The dude is just ridiculous.

I think that Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player of all time, and I don’t think it’s even close…the guy had more home runs than the entire rest of the American League one season. (How would you react if A-Rod hit 1400 homers this season?)

I can’t even imagine what it must have felt like to watch him in person. According to the legends, he basically beat the Cubbies by himself in the 1932 World Series when he “called his shot.” Fans of the opposing teams must have felt completely helpless when cheering against him.

Jose Bautista will never be Babe Ruth, but right now, he is causing a lot of similar feelings among fans across the American League. He’s turned into Barry Bonds of 2001, minus the suspicion of PEDs.

Bautista hit not one, but two dingers in Saturday Night’s game, and I have never seen something quite like his tenth-inning blast.

After battling back to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, Cleveland had all the momentum. The Jake was rocking and their All Star closer Chris Perez had just entered the game. All the guy had to do was get Jose Bautista out. As I sat in my seat, trying to get a sense of the emotion of the crowd, I realized something. Everyone was scared to death. I even tweeted, “Let’s be honest. Everyone around me is scared to death right now of Jose Bautista…”

Before the tweet had even been sent, the ball was in the left field bleachers.

I’ve watched a lot of baseball games in my life, but I’ve never legitimately called someone’s shot.

Bautista is just on a whole other level right now. He just set the Blue Jays record for “Most home runs in a two-year span” with 85. And oh by the way, he did that in one and a half years.

3.  The fans are real, knowledgeable, and know how and when to cheer.

Anyone who has watched an NBA game recently knows that most of its fans are hypnotized by the jumbo-tron. Even in football, it’s hard not to be distracted by how your fantasy team is doing and the endlessly updating replays of other games throughout the day (I think this has something to do with the fact that most of its games are on Sunday…its like taking a drink of water out of a fire hydrant…we go six long days with no football, and then we try to suck it all in on Sundays, even though we know that there is no real way to actually process it all…it can’t be healthy).

But Saturday, I saw old men at the game holding radios to their ears and keeping their own score at their seat. Did I feel a slight urge to make fun of them? NO!!!! It was awesome! Baseball fans, especially those in Cleveland, are one of a kind. How many other sports can you say the following about:

So yeah, there’s this crazy guy that has gone to like 24,000 straight home games and he brings a drum to every single game and beats it to death during every big moment as the entire rest of the 27,000 people in the crowd clap along with him and get in the head of the opposing pitcher in the most important moments of the game!

4.  Nothing beats a good old-fashioned baseball announcer.

Again, this one doesn’t need much explanation. Vin Scully. Ernie Harwell. Jack Buck. Bob Uecker. The Legendary Harry Caray. Besides Marv Albert calling NBA games, it simply doesn’t get any better.

5.  It lends itself to the best debates.

To me, this one is my favorite. In my opinion, the best part of sports is the fact that it lends itself to conversations (read: arguing and debating) with friends. Sure, we love watching the game, but we love talking about it later just as much.

When it comes to football, most of us just quite frankly don’t understand the game enough. I mean, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of Peyton Manning, but ask me to explain what the right guard is doing on a given play and I’m a lost cause.

Basketball is fun, but most of the arguments are settled. Jordan is the greatest. Russell was the fiercest. Shaq is the funniest. Etc… It’s so cut and dry, that writers have to create incredibly ridiculous and specific scenarios just to come up with a unique angle on something (like, say, if a guy was picking the best players of all time as a GM that was able to look at everyone’s entire career as a whole and not just pick people at their peak).

But baseball? My, the possibilities.

• How do you feel about the DH? (I think it’s fantastic.)
• Is Jeter a Top-Five Yankee of All-Time? (I say no. Ruth, Gehrig, Joe-D, Mickey, and Yogi. Jeter will have to settle for a tie for sixth with Mariano.)
• How many home runs would Griffey Jr. have hit if he stayed healthy? (He would be the “Home Run King” right now.)
• Is Ichiro incredibly overrated, underrated, or properly-rated? (Underrated. He could very well be the best hitter of All-Time, and nobody has even noticed.)
• Why do managers pull pitchers that are pitching well in order to get to a reliever with a better matchup? (I have no idea! This ticks me off more than anything. Why not send the starter back in to start the inning? You can still take him out if he gets in trouble…but if your reliever walks the first two guys, then what do you do? I hate baseball managers…)

The best part about all of the previous subjects is that the other side can be argued logically, coherently, and intelligently. If you hate the DH because it ruins the “purity” of the game, that’s a legitimate gripe. We could talk about that for days!

Look, I don’t know if I’ll ever like a sport as much as I care about basketball. But this past weekend, I gave an old love a chance, and it didn’t let me down.

If you are one of the thousands of fans across the country who has given up a little on baseball, I encourage you to give it another shot.

It’s possible that you just have just “matured” as a sports fan, and have moved on from your childish ways. But maybe, just maybe, you will revisit a little piece of your past, and rekindle a love for the sport you once had.

Give America’s Pastime one more chance. You just might like what you see.

Editor’s note: Amanda Lawson is a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan who is getting into baseball for the first time this year. After much deliberation and counsel, Amanda settled on the Minnesota Twins as her team. With “Beginning Baseball” Amanda is documenting her first season of baseball fandom.

It doesn’t matter what sport you are talking about, games against your team’s biggest rival are the ones that get you pumped up the most. Whether the team is awesome that particular season or not, rival games bring out the best trash talk and have a make-or-break atmosphere that keep you coming back for more.

As a new baseball fan, I was excited to find out who the Twins biggest rival was. I never really asked who the Twins’ greatest rival was, but just learned from the smack talk and defensive comments I got from certain fans.

Until one day there was a comment on Twitter that made me think twice about my initial perception.

The Brewers are the Twins’ greatest rival? WHAT?

I am from Wisconsin, and while I may not have paid close attention to baseball, I am 99% sure I never heard much Twins-Brewers smack talk. But I am also new to baseball and the Twins.

I decided to investigate. I asked my followers on Twitter who they thought was the Twins’ biggest rival. I got a lot of responses and many agreed with my initial thought, but I still found people naming a few other teams. So I dug deeper.

Here’s my analysis on the teams in regards to their rivalry with the Twins.

Chicago White Sox

The name just tastes bad when it rolls off the tongue.

The White Sox are in the same division as the Twins. Most years the Sox and the Twins compete for higher rank in the AL Central. This year, they both started out with their feet dragging behind them.

The White Sox are also one of the closest teams in their division to the Twins, allowing the great Midwestern rivalry to run from Chicago, through Illinois, into Iowa, and up to the Twin Cities.

New York Yankees

While the Yankees are in the AL with the Twins, they don’t play in the same division. However, there is a strong tension between Yankees and Twins fans because of last year’s playoff series that has left some fans bitter.

I think Twins fans find some tension with the Yankees because they are spending lots of dollar bills to get big talent. Twins fans take pride in the way the organization raises their own talent. Some Twins fans call it unfair; maybe even stretch it to “cheating”. I wouldn’t go that far, but I definitely have more respect for the Twins overall because they don’t buy out their players. And you can feel the tension.

Milwaukee Brewers

Whoa! Like I said, this idea puzzled me.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Brewers and Cubs fans were always hashing it out, trying to decide who was going to lose more games. The Brewers originally started in the American League, but in 1994 they were realigned into the NL Central. Yes, the Brewers are a Midwestern team similar to the Twins. However, they don’t have the same contending history that the Twins do, making them less of a threat. And since the Brewers no longer play in the same league, it’s hard to line them up as the Twins top rival.

Honorable Mentions

Besides these three teams, I was told to also look into a rivalry with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are in the same division as the Twins, but they don’t consistently compete from year to year with the Twins for the top spot in AL Central.

I was also told to watch out for the Kansas City Royals. In my search for rivals, I found that more Royals fans found a rival in the Twins, than the Twins found in them. They are in the same division, and while the Royals started off this year strong, they’re slowly slipping—aka, I’m not scared.

My Final Decision

After looking at each team and how they compare to the Twins, I definitely find the most tension and rivalry behavior between Twins and White Sox fans. I have noticed their never ending trash talk (some of which I may, or may have not, have instigated myself) about how much better they are than the Twins this year. Now the Twins might not be smoking this year, but we didn’t almost just lose a series to the Cubs either.

Funny thing about your team’s biggest rival—I find the best rivalries are between two teams that play each other often and hate to lose to the other, yet they still respect the other team. That is something I CAN say about the White Sox. I may talk a lot of trash to the fans, but it doesn’t mean that the team isn’t good or won’t beat my favorite team. I just hope that doesn’t happen, so that my trash talk can be validated.

I am looking forward to watching the Twins take out the White Sox yet again in July! I’ll be at the Saturday game, ready to cheer the Twins on. My fellow MSF writer, Drew Lange, stated earlier, “I feel bad for whoever you have to sit by.”

I feel bad for that poor White Sox fan, too. It sucks getting a loss rubbed in your face.

My only question about the Moneyball movie is: how braggy is Billy Beane that he wrote, produced, and is starring in a movie about himself?!

Of course, Billy Beane was the subject of Moneyball. Michael Lewis, of The Blind Side fame, penned the surprisingly engaging tale of a small market team thinking outside the batters box in order to compete with big money clubs. Now it seems Lewis and Hollywood are hoping lightning strikes twice after The Blind Side grossed a staggering $255 million during its theatrical run and garnered an Academy Award for star Sandra Bullock.

Perhaps nothing in recent baseball memory has provoked as much controversy as Moneyball. It certain finds itself on a shortlist with PEDs, Barry Bonds, and the All-Star Game deciding home field advantage as one of the most polarizing issues in MLB. Fire Joe Morgan did an excellent job calling out players, managers, journalists and, yes, announcers who railed against the idea that players could be whittled down to an equation. And those same media types delighted every October when Billy Beane’s teams lost to the Yankees or Red Sox, as if playoff loses negated all of the incredible work the Athletic’s front office managed on a shoestring budget.

Moneyball came along at a perfect time for baseball, when star players were highly overvalued and contracts were running amock. Teams wised up – notably the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers, who were run by various Beane disciples at different times over the last decade. There was a paradigm shift in baseball, a conscious decision to look at different skill sets in players, pick up reclamation projects and Rule 5 draft guys on the cheap. Obviously, not everything has changed – my hometown Mets owe about $500 billion to Jason Bay, Luis Castillo and the victims of Bernie Madoff (numbers approximate). But teams began to look at the draft, free agency and trades in a new way.

Of course, that does not necessarily translate to reality. The top 12 budget teams in baseball spend over $100 million each, and the Angels, Mets, Cubs and Dodgers are all languishing below .500 in the standings. That would be a bad investment. Meanwhile, the low budget Rays are storming towards the two most expensive teams in baseball and the thrifty Indians are atop the $100 million Tigers.

The principles may not be in practice at the moment, but Billy Beane was undoubtedly on to something, and Lewis does a great job of threading it all together. The Moneyball movie will be inextricably linked to The Blind Side, and will be judged against the latter’s huge box office gross. This is slightly unfair – the book is really good (seriously, who knew Scott Hatteberg was compelling?), but it has a downer ending. In The Blind Side, Michael Oher gets drafted and is currently mauling defense ends in Baltimore. In Moneyball, Billy Beane basically tells everyone to go eff themselves – his tactics only work in the regular season, and the playoffs are a crapshoot. Not exactly a Hollywood ending.

Maybe Moneyball captures that same magic. Somehow, I think it would be more poetic if it snuck into the Best Picture nominees list out of nowhere, only to lose to the big budget Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates of the Caribbean is the New York Yankees of films – big, bloated, full of stars and universally hated.

Plus you just KNOW Alex Rodriguez wishes he could wear eyeliner like Johnny Depp.