New York Yankees at Boston, not suprisingly, accounts for two of those, on April 22 and July 8, from Fenway Park.  The Yankees have one other Sunday Night appearance, April 15 vs. the Angels.  The two-time defending American League Champion Texas Rangers host Chicago in the April 8 SNB opener.

The World Series Champion Cardinals also have three appearances (May 20 and July 15, in addition to Opening Night April 4).

ESPN’s first seven Sunday Night games will feature at least one playoff team and several of MLB’s biggest stars will be on display, including the Angels’ Pujols; the Yankees’ Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano; Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury; Texas’ Josh Hamilton; Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria; Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard and Chase Utley; St. Louis’ Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman; Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp; Atlanta’s Chipper Jones and Brian McCann; Chicago’s Paul Konerko; and Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman.

This season will also mark the debut of analyst Terry Francona, who joins play-by-play commentator Dan Shulman and analyst Orel Hershiser in the Sunday Night Baseball booth. Sunday Night games are also available via ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3 and ESPN Mobile TV.

ESPN Radio’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team will again be play-by-play commentator Jon Sciambi and analyst Chris Singleton.  ESPN Radio, entering its 15th season of MLB coverage, will also broadcast a game of the week each Saturday during the regular season, the State Farm Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, and every Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series game.

The Sunday Night Baseball schedule as selected to date follows (all telecasts begin at 8 p.m. ET).  Game selections for the remainder of the season will be made three weeks (June and July 1, 22 and 29) or two weeks (August and September) in advance.

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball Schedule
Date     Teams (all telecasts at 8 p.m. ET)
April 8     Chicago White Sox at Texas
April 15     L.A. Angels at N.Y. Yankees
April 22     Yankees at Boston
April 29     Tampa Bay at Texas
May 6     Philadelphia at Washington
May 13     Angels at Texas
May 20     St. Louis at L.A. Dodgers
May 27     Washington at Atlanta
June 3-July 1     TBD
July 8     Yankees at Boston
July 15     St. Louis at Cincinnati
July 22-Sept 23     TBD

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

It’s this time of year again. Four full months of waiting to hear that sound of the crack of the bat. Before the Rays and their young stars take the field in March, the Rays have some work to do. There are some tough choices they know that they must make this winter. Here are the top five main questions on the Rays Hot Stove:

What’s B.J. Upton’s fate? Let’s start with maybe the biggest topic on the Rays Hot Stove. B.J. Upton has been in the mix of baseball rumors since last year’s Trade Deadline. Today, he’s known as one of the premier trade pieces in the league. With Upton up for arbitration again, it is very possible that he could be traded away. Keeping Upton, who hasn’t reached his potential in the last few years, would mean paying him about $7 Million in 2012 (experts predict). The debate here is wether he is worth keeping or not, and who can he be traded for. Upton has underachieved so far in his career, but many believe that the best years are ahead of him. What I think the Rays should do, is only trade Upton if they know they can get someone good for him. The Rays could really use this opportunity to use B.J.’s phenom-talent to their advantage on the market. One good thing about possibly losing Upton, is that the Rays good outfield depth will be able to replace him in centerfield pretty well. Desmond Jennings is probably the top candidate to take over there if Upton is gone. Even with all this, B.J. Upton’s terrific defense in CF will be dearly missed. Whatever the Rays decide to do with B.J., I’m very confident that Andrew Friedman will make sure there will be incoming talent if Upton is leaving Tampa Bay. It will really be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Will “Big Game” James stay? James Shields was really the team’s MVP this year, leading a terrific pitching staff with a 2.82 ERA and 11 complete games. After an incredible Cy Young- caliber season, Shields will have a high price tag for the 2012 season. The Rays seem like they’re going to make some efforts to keep Shields on the roster, as they just recently have picked up the club option on him. Shields will be making $7 million next year if he stays. His situation is similar to Upton’s in some ways. Like Upton, he won’t be testing free agency this year and is a potential blockbuster-trade piece (the highest trade value on the team). When it comes to James’ situation, I think it will most likely end up as a win either way. I think that trading Shields is the best opportunity to fill in the offensive holes they need. A trade to the Marlins for Logan Morrison and other good hitters is a big rumor at the moment. Centerfielder Grady Sizemore is another possibility up in the air. I think trading Shields may be the best choice for the team here. Last year’s Matt Garza trade was a great example of how this could effect the Rays. If Friedman can pull another one-sided trade like that out of his magic hat, we could be looking at a really well built team in Tampa. Last year the Rays acquired Brandon Guyer, Chris Archer (top prospect), Sam Fuld, Russ Canzler (AAA MVP), and more just for Matt Garza (who did nothing this year). Not only did that not hurt the great pitching rotation, but it even boosted the offense and fielding. If Shields is traded, the Rays still have Matt Moore, Alex Cobb, Chris Archer and Alex Torres in their future. When you have four arms like that in your farm system, you can easily replace an ace down the road. Overall, the Rays have a real tough decision to make in the following months. I believe it’s a matter of how much the organization trusts their young pitchers. If they think that the young guns can ultimately replace Shields, than they should trade him. On the other side of things, if Shields stays on the team it’s also great news. I’m pretty optimistic that only good will come out of this one.

What will result in Kotchman’s and Damon’s free agency? What a terrific comeback year it was for Casey Kotchman in 2011. After stunning everyone with a great year, the Rays are really looking forward to re-signing Kotchman who is a free agent. Kotchman will obviously be asking for a raise here, as last year’s offseason contract was virtually nothing for a MLB first-baseman. To me, it’s a no-brainer to re-sign Casey. The Rays are truly not going to get a better deal on a first-baseman than this slick-fielder. Besides that, Kotchman is a perfect fit for the club. He’s a hometown boy that completes a terrific infield, plays with heart and hustle, and hits more for contact rather than power. Sound like Tampa Bay Rays player to me. Johnny Damon is a whole different situation. Also a free agent, Damon will be payed more than Kotchman if he stays on the team next year. Even though I think Damon suits the team well and is a great clubhouse-guy, he’s simply not as valuable as Kotchman. For an American League DH, Damon is not really up to par. Johnny is in the final years of his great career and is not a contributor in the outfield anymore; and not much either on the basepads like he was. At the end of the day, I think what the Rays should do is let Damon walk. The newest member of the free agent group, who just joined yesterday, is Dan Johnson. Johnson hasn’t played much baseball in his years in Tampa, but he’s probably hit two of the biggest clutch hits in the franchise’s history. Yesterday, the Rays designated Johnson for a minor league assignment. Dan declined it, and now he’s a free agent. I was a bit surprised to hear this because the Rays don’t exactly have the first base depth like most teams. Johnson’s future in a Rays uniform doesn’t look good at all, and I have to guess that he unfortunately won’t be a Ray anymore.

How will the bullpen be addressed again this offseason? The Rays bullpen is still a work in progress. Last year’s pretty good ‘pen surprised a lot of people, as almost none of the relievers had any high expectations. This winter, Friedman’s going to have to do a lot of arranging once again with insecure relievers. Juan Cruz and Joel Peralta are both free agents, and closer Kyle Farnsworth was just recently exercised his 2012 option. First I’ll start with the pair of free agents. Let me make it simple and clear: Let Cruz go, sign Peralta for a multi-year deal. Cruz didn’t do a bad job last year, but the Rays need to build their ‘pen with young arms. Peralta is a great young reliever, who I believe has the best future out of any of the Rays relief pitchers. With the potential I see in him, I think there’s a good chance that he’s the future closer. Farnsworth is a different story, and is more at risk for leaving the team. The Rays did pick up the club option for him, increasing the chances of him staying. Farnsworth will be paid $3.3 Million next year. The Rays have a tough choice in deciding wether that’s worth it or not, and I’m not really sure on this one myself. Farnsworth is not exactly a young player and ended last season with injury problems. Re-signing Farnsworth could be a big risk, even after the terrific season he had in 2011. With Farnsworth, I think it’s mostly a matter of his health status. Whatever the Rays chose to do, I still think they need to search the market this winter for some available relievers. The main source for bullpen relievers will be the farm system though, as the Rays have some good arms up in Durham. If the Rays can utilize their minor league pitchers well in the bullpen, I don’t think there will be too many issues next year.

What will be done to fill in open holes? Besides the bullpen, the Rays do have some other areas of need to tend to this offseason. Probably the biggest issue is the catching situation. Unlike Farnsworth and Shields, Kelly Shoppach was declined his 2012 option. Even though Shoppach was the team’s best defensive catcher last year and got some big clutch his down the stretch, I don’t think the Rays are willing to pay him $3.2 Million next year. With Shoppach gone, the Rays could have some serious catching issues. John Jaso, Robinson Chirinos, and Jose Lobaton are all options. Unfortunately, all three of them still need a lot of developing to do defensively. Out of the three, only Jaso can frankly hit at the Major League level. With the Rays farm system not abundant in catchers, it looks like turning to the free agent market or making a trade will be necessary here. The second area of need is first base. If the Rays re-sign Kotchman it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. But besides Casey, there isn’t anyone that is a true everyday first-baseman. Sean Rodriguez can play there, but that’s not the guy you want playing first base everyday. The free agent market isn’t really an option for the Rays to pick up a first-baseman. That’s why I think signing Kotchman is pretty much necessary. The third main area, is Designated Hitter. The Rays haven’t had a solid DH for years, and have always had issues at that spot. Once again the free agent market is not much of an option. Some names like David Ortiz are probably too expensive to afford. If the Rays lose Johnny Damon (their 2011 DH), than they might have to deal with makeshift Designated Hitters throughout the season.

Yossi Feins
Tampa Bay Rays blogger for The Rays Rant and The Rays Way
Twitter: @TheRaysRanter

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

2011 was a year of excitement and surprise for the Tampa Bay Rays. The young guns continued to shine and veterans Casey Kotchman and James Shields brought their A-Game this year. Here’s my evaluation and grading of the team’s rotation, bullpen, infield, outfield, and catchers. I will also acknowledge the top hitter, as well as the top pitcher.

The Rotation
To start, the Rays rotation performed tremendously well this year. It was frankly the best in the AL and arguably the best in the MLB. ‘Complete Game’ James, the new nickname for James Shields, surprisingly lead the pitching staff this year posting ridiculous numbers. Here’s an evaluation on the Rays 2011 starting pitchers:

Jeremy Hellickson- The surging young right-hander had a tremendous season this year, and was probably the second-best starter in the rotation. His 2.95 ERA is one of the best in the league, and he is a very strong candidate for the ROY award.

Wade Davis- As expected, Wade Davis made the young 5-man Rays rotation. Like the other four guys, Davis looked bright coming into the season. But 2011 ended up being a bit of a frustration for Wade, as he put up better stats the previous season. His ERA climbed .38 points higher, but his 11-10 record with a 4.45 ERA was still pretty decent.

Jeff Niemann- Niemann is in a recovering process, after coming back from a major career-setback last year. Everything was looking great for the surging Niemann until he injured his shoulder. This season, Niemann has shown that he is on the right track, with an 11-7 record and a ERA just over 4.

David Price- Price had extremely high expectations coming into the season. Considering all of that, 2011 may have been a disappointment. After a Cy Young caliber 2010 with a 2.72 ERA and 19 wins, Price finished 2011 with a losing record and an ERA of 3.49. Most think it was just an off-year for the phenom lefty, and he will continue his ace ways in the future.

James Shields- Shields had an unbelievable season, finishing with a stellar ERA of 2.82 and a remarkable 11 complete games. Shields was really the third-best pitcher in the AL this year, just behind the ridiculous seasons of Verlander and Weaver.

Alex Cobb- When Alex Cobb was called up in the middle of the season to replace the injured Wade Davis, nobody really knew what to expect from him. He quickly showed that he was another Ray rookie talent, and was excelling at the Major League level. It seemed as if he was on a roll, until he required season-ending surgery. I big blow to the pitching staff, but still a bright future ahead.

Overall grade for the rotation:  A+

The Bullpen
The Rays bullpen was the biggest question coming into the season, and was made from scratch putting together some young arms and late-offseason acquisitions. Although it’s still a work in progress, it was better than expected this year. Kyle Farnsworth lead the way as the closer, and quite surprisingly. He was probably the Rays best offseason move. With no bullpen that meant no closer, and the Rays went out to find one. Just like almost every other reliever on the Rays impressive bullpen, Farnsworth didn’t really have high expectations coming into the season. The 36 year-old Farnsworth had the best season of his long career. Joel Peralta was another huge part of the Rays bullpen. Peralta had an great season as the Rays setup man, and was part of a very smart offseason move(Bartlett trade). Joel is a big part of the Rays future in the bullpen, and will likely (and hopefully) be a Ray next year.

Overall bullpen grade:  B+

BD Report Cards brought to you by Seamheads

The Catchers
The catching situation was something that wasn’t pretty for the Rays in 2011, and will hopefully be addressed in the offseason. John Jaso and Kelley Shoppach were the two main team catchers this year, here are their evaluations:

John Jaso- Overall a disappointing year for Jaso. His average dipped to .224 and his defense behind the plate was sloppy.

Kelly Shoppach- Quite frankly an embarrassing season for the backstop, hitting .176. He was by far the best defensive catcher on the Rays this year, but is still developing behind the plate. The highlight of his season was some clutch homers, but besides that it was just one big disappointment.

Overall Rays Catchers grade:  D

The Infield
Defensively, the Rays may of had the best infield in the league this year. Their glovework on the field was almost spotless, as they were able to play every position (except catcher) splendidly. 

Casey Kotchman- Maybe the biggest surprise in the MLB this year was Casey Kotchman. Defensively he was almost perfect, and shockingly he was able to lead the team in batting average. Here’s more on his story.

Evan Longoria- Defensively, Evan Longoria had another amazing year at the hot corner. Although Adrian Beltre took the Gold Glove Award, many (including me) believe that Longoria was more deserving of it. Just like David Price, Longoria had very high expectations coming into the season. Many experts even picked him to be the AL MVP in their preseason predictions. Considering the player he is, 2011 was a bump in the road. Injuries were a big part of it, as he played at least 20 games less than he would have. He still was able to rack up 99 RBIs and 31 dingers, but his .244 average was really the only disappointment. But it won’t be a season that Longo will forget, as he got the biggest hit in franchise history.

Ben Zobrist- Every team in baseball wishes they had a player like Zorilla. The best utility man in baseball also knows how to hit, knocking in 91 runs and hitting 46 doubles. What makes Zobrist amazing, is how he defends every position he plays so great. Almost anywhere you put him, he’ll field above-average.

Reid Brignac- Another big disappointment for the Rays, Brignac wasn’t able to do anything offensively. He hit .193 and knocked in only 15 runs. His great defense at shortstop was what kept him in the league.

Sean Rodriguez- The only part of Sean’s game that wasn’t good in 2011, was the hitting. He finished the season with a .223 average. His defense was great and he really helped the Rays with his high baseball IQ.

Overall infield grade: A

The Outfield
The excellent Rays defense also continues into the green grass of the outfield. Terrific defensive players that played the outfield this year include B.J. Upton, ‘Super’ Sam Fuld, Matt Joyce, and even Zobrist. Later in the season came more good D from phenom Desmond Jennings and Justin Ruggiano. The downside to all this, was that the outfield didn’t exactly put up nearly the offensive production as most teams. Here are the evaluations for the Rays outfielders:

Sam Fuld- The young left fielder will always be known for his fearless defense in the outfield. His hitting is something that is still developing though. Here’s a past article about him and his legend.

Desmond Jennings- When the Rays called up phenom Desmond Jennings this season, it was huge boost for the team. Every part of his game was great, including his power (which surprised everyone). His season started off with a bang , and that’s when everyone knew what kind of player he was.

Justin Ruggiano- Ruggiano has been in the Rays organization for a long time, but hasn’t seen too much big league playing time. His time came in 2011, and he gave the team a bit of a boost with some clutch hits. His defense in left was also impressive.

B.J. Upton- In maybe his last year in a Rays uniform, Upton once again repeated some of his same issues. His average was once again low (.243), his strikeout total was very high, and his baserunning was also not so great. On the bright side of things; Upton knocked in 81 runs, was great in center field, and lead the team in stolen bases with his great speed.

Matt Joyce- Last but definitely not least, it’s the big bat of Matt. Joyce was one of three Rays elected to the All Star Game in Phoenix. After a terrific first half, Joyce’s second half wasn’t nearly as good. What impressed me about Joyce this year, is how he met his goals. Coming into the season, Joyce worked hard to improve his running and fielding game; which hadn’t been up to par last season. He committed just 3 errors (with 8 assists) this year, and only 1 caught stealing.

Overall Outfield grade:  B-

Top Offensive Player
James Shields is the Team MVP in my opinion, but deciding the top hitter was a very tough choice. It was a debate between Longoria and Zobrist. If the award was for best non-pitching player, Zobrist would be the no-brainer. But because the award specifically acknowledges the offensive leader of the team, it made the decision much more difficult. My boarder-line vote is going to go to Longo on this one. Here’s his evaluation again:

Evan Longoria- Defensively, Evan Longoria had another amazing year at the hot corner. Although Adrian Beltre took the Gold Glove Award, many (including me) believe that Longoria was more deserving of it. Just like David Price, Longoria had very high expectations coming into the season. Many experts even picked him to be the AL MVP in their preseason predictions. Considering the player he is, 2011 was a bump in the road. Injuries were a big part of it, as he played at least 20 games less than he would have. He still was able to rack up 99 RBIs and 31 dingers, but his .244 average was really the only disappointment. But it won’t be a season that Longo will forget, as he got the biggest hit in franchise history.

Top Pitcher
Well here’s a real no-doubter. ‘Big Game’ James was as big as ever this year, and his stats pretty much speak for himself. Here’s his evaluation once again: 

James Shields- Shields had an unbelievable season, finishing with a stellar ERA of 2.82 and a remarkable 11 complete games. Shields was really the third-best pitcher in the AL this year, just behind the ridiculous seasons of Verlander and Weaver.

For the complete 2011 Rays Report Card, click this link.

Yossi Feins

Tampa Bay Rays blogger for the The Rays Rant and TheRaysWay.com

Twitter: @TheRaysRanter

Hellickson threw 189 innings and finished 13-10, 2.95. He had a very good 1.153 WHIP and a 4.2 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). He allowed just 146 hits and averaged just one home run allowed per nine innings. Hellickson joined teammate Evan Longoria (2008) as the only Rays to win the ROY Award.

Kimbrel was a strikeout machine in his freshman year in the ATL. He led the league with 46 saves and averaged 14.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He also led the NL in games finished (64), while he compiled a 4-3, 2.10 mark and earned a place on the NL All-Star team. Kimbrel is the first Brave to win the award since Rafael Furcal took top rookie honors in 2000. Other franchise winners are David Justice (2000), Bob Horner (1978), and Earl Williams (1971).

It was the first time since Fernando Valenzuela (LAD) and Dave Righetti (NYY) were Rookie of the Year winners in 1981, that the league’s two awards went to pitchers in the same year.

Below is the complete results of this year’s vote.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Epstein fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday after just a little over one season in Chicago. The Sun-Times has the story.

Dodgers fans are ecstatic that the McCourts are selling. The LA Times has the full story.

Is there anything that unites our country’s deep political divides more than post-season baseball? The traditional, and ceremonial bunting of red, white and blue stripes that adorn the ballparks of the teams participating in the playoffs serves as a symbolic reminder of our common goals, interests and passion for the game of baseball.

With the arrival of Major League Baseball’s post season, it means that October is here and the imaginative uncertainty of what these games have in store, has fans giddy in anxious anticipation of untold heroics. The saying, turned, cliche, “You can’t script October”, is true but there are certainly things you can expect, such as the certainty that a new set of elite players will have their names forever etched in the history books.

The post-season has been host to some truly memorable events, from Bobby Thompson’s “shot heard round the world” to Reggie Jackson’s 3 consecutive home runs, moments like these are forever immortalized in time. And with the recent remembrance of the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy of 9-11, who can forget former President George W. Bush, throwing out the first pitch of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium? As he took the mound and threw a picture perfect strike that galvanized a packed stadium to a standing ovation, reminded all of us that in the lights of the post season, we aren’t Republican or Democrat, but baseball fans and Americans first and foremost. The iconic images of our country’s leader walking into, what at the time, we all viewed as harms way, was captured atop a cardboard canvas by baseball card manufacturer Topps. Over the summer, the New York based card manufacturer paid tribute to this indelible memory in card #147 of their Allen and Ginter Set. It was easily one of the most poignant baseball cards produced by any company in recent memory. No where was this more evident then the secondary baseball card market. A shortprinted autograph variation of Bush’s 2011 Topps Allen and Ginter card sold on eBay for a whopping $1,393.88.

So, is there really anything more American than baseball? Family, God, love of country and apple pie are all worthy contenders but when it comes to making memories and uniting a country, nothing can compete with the boys of summer playing under the bright lights and the grand stage of the post-season. So let the kids stay up late, pop some popcorn and set the DVR, because unforgettable moments await as we countdown the hours to game time of the 2011 MLB Playoffs.

By Rob Bertrand

The Rangers other run was their first run, a lead off home run by Ian Kinsler off of Jeremy Hellickson in the bottom of the 1st inning. One frame later, Beltre crushed one deep into the left field seats for a 2-0 Rangers lead. The Rays got the run right back in their half of the 2nd inning when Matt Joyce doubled off Texas starter Matt Harrison to score Sean Rodriguez from first base. Joyce was stranded in scoring position though when Harrison struck out Desmond Jennings for his third K of the inning.  (Harrison would strike out nine batters in just five innings and earned the win.)

Beltre extended the lead back to two runs when he hit a Hellickson fastball the opposite way in the 4th. The pugnacious Rays again answered back with a two out rally in the bottom of the fourth with Rodriguez was once again at the heart of things. The Rays’ shortstop doubled and scored on Casey Kotchman’s single to center. But Harrison won a rematch with Joyce with an inning ending strikeout.

Left-hander Matt Moore, who was so dominant in Game 1 of the series, allowed just one hit in three innings of relief in Game 4. But that one hit was courtesy of Beltre, who turned on a Moore high hanger and sent it three rows deep into the left field seats. In addition to the Bambino (1926,1928) and Mr. October (1977), Bob Robertson (1971), George Brett (1978), and Adam Kennedy (2002) are the others to hit three home runs in one post-season series. Beltre became the first player to accomplish the feat in a division series.

Texas manager Ron Washington called on his bullpen in the 6th and was rewarded when Derek Holland, Mike Adams, and Alexi Ogando combined to put up a trio of zeroes on the scoreboard. Things weren’t so easy, however, for closer Neftali Feliz in the 9th. Rodriguez set the table again with a one out walk and moved to second on defensive indifference. Kotchman then came through with another RBI single to cut the Rangers lead to a single run with just one out.

But with the tying run on first, Feliz rebounded to retire Joyce on a foul pop and then got Desmond Jennings to hit into a series ending force out.

Notes

The Rangers-Rays series trend continued. Of the nine games the two teams played in the 2010 and 2011 ALDS series, the home team only won one game – Game 2 in Texas this year.

The Rangers will either begin the ALCS on the road in New York or at home against Detroit, depending on the outcome of the Yankees-Tigers division series.

See the Rangers total series stats at mlb.com ; see the Rays total series stats at mlb.com.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Price had scattered five hits and a walk through six innings before Adrian Beltre led off the top of the 7th with a single. After a wild pitch moved Beltre into scoring position, Price threw a 2-2 fastball right into Napoli’s wheelhouse and the catcher turned on it and sent it into the left field seats. The Rangers grabbed the momentum by the horns and used their speed to gain another two runs. After Craig Gentry’s two out single knocked Price from the ball game, Brandon Gomes walked Ian Kinsler and the two base runners pulled off a double steal.

When Gomes walked shortstop Elvus Andrus as well, Rays’ manager Joe Maddon brought in left-hander J.P. Howell to face the left-handed hitting Josh Hamilton. But the career .278 hitter against southpaws came through with a line drive single to right to plate two more for a 4-1 Rangers’ lead.

Anyone who has watched the Rays since the beginning of September knows the team doesn’t give up and they didn’t on Monday either. Rangers starter Colby Lewis had tossed a gem, having allowed just one hit through six innings before turning things over to the  Texas bullpen. The Rays immediately quadrupled their hit total with three straight one out singles -by Johnny Damon, Ben Zobrist, and Casey Kotchman – to load the bases. Alexi Ogando, who was a key to the Rangers reaching the World Series last season, came on to face pinch-hitter Sean Rodriguez.

Rodriguez got a big break when shortstop Elvus Andrus dropped his foul pop up, but couldn’t take advantage. His ground out to the right side did score a run to cut the Rangers’ lead in half, but pinch-hitter Sam Fuld grounded out to end the inning. Desmond Jennings, who had the only hit off of Lewis – a lead off home run in the 1st inning – repeated the feat to shave the lead in half against reliever Mike Adams to start the 8th. Suddenly the cowbells were ringing loud and clear inside of the Trop. Things got to a fever pitch when Adams followed his gopher ball up with a walk to B.J. Upton.

The Rays are an aggressive team, one that is willing to run in any situation, but that philosophy backfired when Upton ran with the team’s best hitter – Evan Longoria – up at the plate. Napoli added to his good day by gunning down the Rays’ centerfielder for the first out of the inning. It proved to be a huge play when Adams then walked Longoria and Matt Joyce to put the tying and go ahread runs on base.

The Rangers bullpen came up big though; lefty specialist Mike Gonzalez struck out the lefty handed hitting Damon and closer Neftali Feliz K’ed Zobrist after a wild pitch had put both runners in scoring position. The Rays had one last shot when Rodriguez reached on a one out single in the bottom of the 9th, but Feliz induced Kelly Shoppach to hit into a game ending 5-4-3 double play.

Chalk one up for the guy next door.

Notes

Game 4 is slated for 2:07 ET Tuesday with the Rays looking to face elimination by throwing rookie Jeremy Hellickson against Texas left-hander Matt Harrison.

Of the eight division series games played between Texas and Tampa Bay the last two post-seasons, the home team has won only once (Texas in Game 2 this year).

Napoli has been the offensive star for Texas thus far. He’s 4-10 with 4 RBI and 3 runs scored in addition to his home run. Meanwhile, boppers Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz are a combined 2-22.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Though Cabrera and Fielder, who both had home runs to help their teams to victories, were heroes for their teams, it was Tampa Bay’s Shoppach who overshadowed them all, blasting two over the fence in a 3-hit, 5-RBI performance in Tampa’s game one victory. His Rays teammate Damon also slugged a home run and drove in three runs in the win. Other Franklin stars making significant early contributions include Berkman (game one, 3-run homer) and Theriot (critical game two double, 2 runs scored, 2 RBI) of St. Louis, Ordonez (game two, three hits) and Cabrera (game 2, two-run home run) of Detroit and Moreland (game two, huge eight-inning home run) of Texas.

American Leaguers playing in the first round include: Cabrera (.344 avg., 30 home runs, 105 RBI), Brandon Inge (.197, 3, 23), Ordonez (.255, 5, 32), Jhonny Peralta (.299, 21. 86), Ryan Raburn (.256, 14, 49), Donny Kelly (.245, 7, 28), Omir Santos (.227, 0, 0) and Wilson Betemit (.285, 8, 46) of Detroit; Hamilton (.298, 25, 94), Moreland (.259, 16, 51), David Murphy (.275, 11, 46), Matt Treanor (.214, 3, 22), Esteban German (.455, 1, 4) and Endy Chavez (.301, 5, 27) of Texas; Damon (.261, 16, 73), B.J. Upton (.243, 23, 81), Shoppach (.176, 11, 22) and Elliott Johnson (.194, 4, 17) of Tampa Bay.

The Senior Circuit of Franklin players includes: Carlos Ruiz (.283, 6, 40), Chase Utley (.259, 11, 44) and Ross Gload (.257, 0, 8 ) of Philadelphia; Fielder (.299, 38, 120), Casey McGehee (.223, 13, 67), Josh Wilson (.227, 2, 4) and Rickie Weeks (.269, 20, 49) of Milwaukee; Aaron Hill (.246, 8, 61), Justin Upton (.289, 31, 88), Paul Goldschmidt (.250, 8, 26), Willie Bloomquist (.266, 4, 26), Geoff Blum (.224, 2, 10), Lyle Overbay (.234, 9, 37) and Ryan Roberts (.249, 19, 65) of Arizona; Berkman (.301, 31, 94), Skip Schumaker (.283, 2, 38), Daniel Descalso (.264, 1, 28), Theriot (.271, 1, 47), Tony Cruz (.262, 0, 6) and Yadier Molina (.305, 14, 65) of St. Louis.

It wins championships.  It is the deciding factor in games.  In October, it reigns supreme.  It was supposed to be the postscript to the American League Division Series between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Then again, that is why they play the game on the field and not on paper.

Game one was supposed to be the wake up call for the upstart Rays.  The team that slid into the playoffs at the last minute was supposed to meet the dominant force that was the Texas Rangers.  The Rangers were the team that looked over matched and the Rays pulled out to an early lead, thanks primarily to the bat of Kelly Shoppach.

After being shut out in game one, the Rangers came back in a passive way in game two.  Already down by three runs entering the bottom of the fourth inning it was the ineffective and at times nerve rattling performance by Rays starter James Shields that gave the Rangers hope.  Shields, who had held Texas to one run over 20 innings in 2011, seem to have control issues that surfaced first on a curve ball that struck Elvis Andrus.  After back to back hits by Josh Hamilton and Michael Young, Shields responded to a mound visit from skipper Joe Maddon by hitting Adrian Beltre with the next pitch, forcing in the first run of the inning.  After a two run single by Mike Napoli and a Nelson Cruz strikeout, Shields would throw two wild pitches to David Murphy.  The first allowed the runners to move up, the second, a curveball that struck Murphy out, allowed a run to score and Murphy to reach first.  Both would come after Murphy hit a ball a few feet in front of the plate that was ruled foul though replays showed that it should have been ruled fair and would have resulted in the second out of the inning.  A squib grounder to short would plate another run and cap the five run fourth inning for the Rangers, who never looked back.

The game would close with an 8-6 score and even the series at one.  The two teams will take Sunday off for travel as the series comes to Tampa for games three and four.

Last season saw the Rangers take all three games at Tropicana Field in the Division Series where no team won a home game.  They will need to win at least one if they want to play in front of the home fans one more time in 2011.

David Price, on the strength of a deceptive 12-13 season, will take the hill for the Rays in front of the fans in Tampa and will look to put his team on top in a pivotal game three.  The Rangers will throw Colby Lewis, who was undefeated in the post season in 2010, and posted a 14-10 record this season.

Pitching will be the deciding factor in this series.  Whether that proves true in game three or not until game five has yet to be seen.

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander was the most dominant pitcher in the game en route to 24 wins. Jose Bautista didn’t match his 54 home runs of a year ago, but had another 40+ home run season. Lance Berkman looked like his career was done in 2010, but he hit 30 home runs this season and is an NL MVP candidate. Jacoby Ellsbury was the king of the AL DL a year ago, but this season was a candidate for both the comeback player of the year and AL MVP awards.

Curtis Granderson had a bust out season, topping 40 home runs for the first time in his career. Teammate Derek Jeter picked up his 3,000th hit, while another, Mariano Rivera, broke the all-time record for career saves. Across town, Jose Reyes won his first batting title in what might be his last year as a Met.  Albert Pujols had an “off” year and still hit 35 dingers and Matt Kemp met and exceeded all expectations.  With all of that in mind, the finalists for the individual awards in each league should look something like this…

AL MVP – Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano (NY), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Jose Bautista (TOR), Justin Verlander (DET)

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander (Det)

AL Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Hellickson (TB), Ivan Nova (NY), Eric Hosmer (KC), Mark Trumbo (LA), J.P. Arencibia (TOR)

AL Manager of the Year – Manny Acta (CLE), Jim Leyland (DET), Ron Washington (TEX), Joe Girardi (NY)

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Melky Cabrera (KC)

NL MVP – Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder (MIL), Matt Kemp (LA), Lance Berkman (STL), Justin Upton (AZ)

NL Cy Young – Ian Kennedy (AZ), Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (PHI), Clayton Kershaw (LA)

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson (AZ), Ron Roenicke (MIL), Clint Hurdle (PIT), Charlie Manuel (PHI)

NL Rookie of the Year – Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel (ATL), Danny Espinosa (WAS), Javy Guerra (LA)

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Carlos Beltran (NY,SF), Lance Berkman (STL)

But baseball isn’t about the individual, it’s about the teams.

Early on the Indians, Royals, and Pirates played beyond expectation. In fact the Indians held first place in the AL Central for 85 days. The three teams would eventually fade, but the Arizona Diamondbacks did just the opposite. They were six games under .500 in mid-May, but played at a torrid pace the rest of the season to win the division title. Meanwhile Boston and Atlanta entered the final month of the season as virtual locks to make the post-season only to be eliminated on the final night of the season.

The LA Dodgers and the Mets had ownership and money issues, the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds were huge disappointments, and the Baltimore Orioles, despite much promise, finished last in the AL East for the fourth straight year. In the end the Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers, and Diamondbacks captured their divisions while the Rays and Cardinals entered the playoffs as wild card entries.

What’s that? How did the Baseball Digest team do at predicting the post-season teams? Let’s take a look.

Well it appears, ahem, one person knew what they were talking about with the AL East. Yes, that would be me. Michael Maher, likewise, was the only one of our bunch who had the insight to pick the Tigers in the AL Central. He was also the only one to pick the Rays to win the AL wild card. Four out of seven dentist, er writers, chose the Rangers correctly in the AL West, while none of us had the Diamondbacks sniffing a title in the NL West.

Bill Ivie stuck his neck out picking the Braves to win the NL East, while everyone else selected the Phillies. Needless to say, his neck hurts. Bill’s beloved Cardinals didn’t win the NL Central as he had selected, but he was brought joy on the night of Game 162 when they made the post-season. Meanwhile Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb, Kirk Verner, and Matt Wilson all correctly chose the Brewers for the Central crown, but just like the NL West, no one got the NL wild card correct either. So the finally tally of correct predictions..drum roll please…four writers with 3 right each. Meanwhile Josh Landsburg, Mark Healey, and Bill Ivie…um, better luck next year. (In fairness, Bill did get 2 playoff teams correct, just in the wrong spots)

Michael Maher 3
Drew Sarver 3
Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb 3
Matt Wilson 3
Shai Kushner 2
Kirk Verner 2
Josh Landsburg 1
Mark Healey 1
Bill Ivie 0

Please check back after the league championship series for updated standings, and be sure to bookmark Baseball Digest to view all of our post-season coverage.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

It was a night filled with agony and anticipation mixed with a pulsating sense of dread, fear, and hope. Finally, exhalation, for the Rays and Cardinals. The Red Sox and Braves fell to earth and saw all hope shattered. Rookie Freddie Freeman’s face as he grounded into a double play to end the Braves chances, put the harsh period on what looked like a sure thing. The heartache etched into his young face as he watched the opponent celebrate.

In the mix of all the action young rookies and hopeful prospects such as Freeman were trying to make an impact, rising to the occasion  to show the team what they are capable of. For them it’s one part sports contest, one part audition.

For Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances it was a chance not to help the team clinch a playoffs spot, that was done, but it was to showcase a little bit more of his talent. He allowed one hit and two walks, striking out two Orioles batters. It looked good early for the Yankees and the game appeared to be in cruise-control. But Betances name will now be attached to one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history. The Rays rallied from a seven-run deficit to defeat the Yankees 8-7. Betances did what he needed to do, pitching two innings, allowing a hit and two walks. He also struck out two. Looking ahead to 2012, he can rest assured that he’s passed a very big test. The Rays were simply entering into some sort of unimaginable destiny.

On September 4th Tampa was nine games back in the Wild Card on September 3rd, trailing the confident Red Sox. On September 28th they were down seven runs going into the eighth inning and preceded to win the game 8-7 in the 12th inning. Evan Longoria was the star of the upset, but the bullpen had a one-run lead to protect. Rookie relievers Jake McGee and Brandon Gomes played a big part in the Rays holding on.  Gomes pitched a scoreless 11th and McGee did the same in the 12th when the ball was handed over to closer Kyle Farnsworth. McGee had pitched 33 innings for Triple-A Durham before his call-up in May, finishing with a 2.70 ERA and 38 strikeouts. His Durham teammate Gomes had put in 25 innings for the Bulls with a 1.07 ERA. The Rays called on him in May after sending McGee back to the minors.

The Yankees pen also brought out a few young arms including George Kontos, possibly the Yankees most major league ready reliever, and Andrew Brackman pitched in the loss. Kontos pitched 2/3 an inning allowing no runs and no hits. Brackman also pitched in short-relief , also scoreless in his 1/3 of an inning of work.  The Phillies were also not in a do-or-die situation, nothing more than winning a ballgame and setting a franchise record with 102 wins, they too put some of their young pitchers in the spotlight. Justin De Fratus picked up his first major league win when he pitched a scoreless 12th. Michael Schwimmer pitched two innings of one-hit baseball.  De Fratus made his major league debut on the day the Phillies clinched the National League East, add the 28th, a second non-pressure situation to his major league resume. Not a bad way to begin. Career milestones and Phillies milestones seem to go hand in hand for him.

The Phillies National League rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, called Allen Craig up in June from Triple-A Memphis with 42 at-bats under his belt between there and Double-A Springfield.  Playing the role of spoiler, the Houston Astros could do nothing with Chris Carpenter whose glittering start included eleven strikeouts. Craig went 2-5 with a home run in the Cardinals 8-0 victory. It was a comeback no one believed would happen. The Braves were in control with an 8 1/2 game lead for the wild card.

As the Cardinals fought their way back, Braves closer Craig Kimbrel was closing in on a most unfair destiny. Will people remember that the 23-year old rookie set a major league record with 54 saves in 79 appearances? Hopefully, but add him to the Braves disastrous ending. September was his undoing. He blew three saves in eight opportunities. Let it also be remembered that the Braves were not hitting and the Braves pen was worn out. It was a nothing game to the Phillies. Not a game they needed anyway. The Braves season ended in a 4-3 loss to their long-ago longtime rival.

Ryan Lavarnway was behind the plate for the Red Sox when Robert Andino hit the game-winning single that gave the Orioles, a team with nothing but pride to play for, the 4-3 victory. Lavarnway’s was another face in a crop of prospects that experienced that historic day in baseball. All Lavarnway can do is look forward to his bright future. One that all who watched that brilliant night of baseball got a good look at.

The Rangers should rethink that formula.

For the seventh straight time in franchise history, the Texas Rangers lost at home in the American League Division Series.  To make matters worse, those seven contests are the only time the Rangers have ever played at home in the ALDS.

With their ace on the mound against a virtual unknown, the Rangers could not jump out to a quick lead over the momentum carrying Rays and it is Tampa who has a 1-0 lead in the best of five series.

The Rays turned to veteran leadership on the field from Johnny Damon.  Damon grabbed his first long ball of the post-season, as well as his first two runs scored and first three runs batted in to help Tampa jump start their trek to further post-season glory.

Tampa received help from multiple parts of the team and the site, Rise Of The Rays, brings some points to light concerning game one.  Read through those points by clicking here.

Josh Hamilton attempted to bunt his way on in the sixth inning of the opening game when it appeared that Texas might get something more going.  It has caused many pundits to raise an eyebrow in curious wonderment.  While I can say I admire a guy trying to get something going against a tough pitcher, Hamilton was the only guy hitting Matt Moore on this day and it seemed a bit out of place at best.

Jamey Newburg breaks down game one and takes a look at game two with eleven things from a Rangers fan’s point of view.  All are good points (some of which I make above) and can be read here.

Speaking of Matt Moore, small sample size and all, but he is proving that he belongs in the picture of the Rays future.  It will be interesting to see how he is used as the post-season shapes out and the Rays can approach things a bit more normally now.  Moore would not have been the obvious choice for game one had the team not had to fight so hard just to get there, now it will be difficult for Joe Maddon to not keep him in mind even when the schedule no longer demands it.

Micah takes a look at game one and laments that “It’s one of those games I think I’m glad I didn’t see.  Listening was bad enough.” over at Baseball Is My Boyfriend.  Read her thoughts by clicking here.

It turned out to be the only full game of baseball played on September 30 due to inclement weather in New York.  The calendar has officially turned to October now and the playoffs are in full swing.  The Rays and Rangers will take the filed again tonight, October 1, at 7:00 pm EDT.

George Vaas took a interesting look at budding Tampa Bay superstar Evan Longoria in the January, 2009 issue of Baseball Digest.  You can read that article online by clicking here.

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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Evan Longoria lived that moment just a short time ago.  A long game capped off a longer month of comeback baseball and literally moments after the division rival Boston Red Sox lost their rain lengthened game with the Baltimore Orioles, Longoria had punched his team’s ticket to October.

The Rangers, meanwhile, were on cruise control.  A lead over the Anaheim Angels grew more and more as the days of September crept by and the defending American League Champions would prove that they were prepared for another post-season run.  This time, finishing just a game behind the New York Yankees for the best record in the American League.  The excitement built for the Rangers as they were holding off the Tigers to ensure that they would play with home-field advantage in the first round.

The Rangers were successful at holding the Tigers at bay and are now rewarded with a series with the Tampa Bay Rays that begins in Texas.  The two teams stack up quite well against each other and come into the series as two of the hottest teams in baseball.

Academic Hitting Leads The Rangers
Through most of 2011, it has been the bat of Adrian Beltre that has shown no sign of slowing down and has carried the Rangers on his back.  A player that many thought could not compete anymore, Beltre would club 32 home runs, knock in 105 runs, and hit 33 doubles to go along with his .296 batting average.  While the power numbers were dramatically different from Beltre’s, Michael Young found himself hitting .338 on the season and driving in 106 runs, primarily on the basis of his 41 doubles.  Mike Napoli, who enjoyed yet another improved season over his previous numbers, closed out his 2011 with four home runs over the final two games against the Angels.  His September was more than impressive, hitting .429, clubbing 8 home runs and driving in 19 runs.  Napoli is one of the main offensive reasons Texas is where they are, and he is hot at the right time.

Overpowering Pitching Meets Underachieving Offense
The Rangers pitching may be one of the best in the league and the Rays offense…well, let’s just say it may not stack up as well.  An offense that relied on the team’s pitching to carry it more times than not is evident in the star player, Evan Longoria, and his sub par season at the plate.  Sure, he put together 31 home runs and 99 runs batted in, but at the expense of a .244 batting average and more strikeouts (93) than walks (80).  It was his lowest batting average of his young career by 28 points, though it was also his lowest strikeout total by 29.  Ben Zobrist may be the best hitter on this club, posting a .269 batting average while hitting 20 home runs, 46 doubles, and 91 runs batted in.  He strikes out a lot as well, but if he can find a way to connect more than he misses, he will drive the Rangers a little crazy.

Workhorse Pitching
The Rangers pitching staff, not just their ace but their entire staff, can be described as a workhorse.  With four starters over 180 innings pitched, three over 160 strikeouts, and four with sub 4.00 earned run averages, Tampa has a chore when it comes to hitting.  There may be no harder chore than game one’s starter C.J. Wilson, who’s season would be worthy of Cy consideration if it were not for someone named Verlander.  Wilson boasts a 2.94 earned run average, 223.1 innings pitched, 206 strikeouts, and holds opponents to a paltry .232 batting average.

The Rays have nothing to be ashamed of in their rotation either.  They also boast four starters with more than 180 innings pitched, two pitchers over 200 strikeouts, and three with sub 4.00 earned run averages.  The two headed ace of David Price and James Shields is a nice one two punch, but it is Shields that strikes fear into most every hitter.  With an impressive 11 complete games, not only will Texas see a lot of Shields, but they will see a lot of him in a single game.

Bullpen Is Best Kept A Secret
The Rangers bullpen may not be horrid, but it should be kept under wraps.  If the Rays want to produce in this series, they need to work late into counts, jump on the starters early, and exploit the bullpen.  If they allow the starters to go deep into the game and limit the innings being worked by the pen and Cinderella may be going home before midnight.

The Rays however, boast a strong pen that is not over used or over exposed.  A strong bunch of arms lead by closer Kyle Farnsworth, the is extremely stingy and tends to make hitters swing the bat if they want to reach base.  The Rays will not get weaker as a game goes on and long, close games may sway to their favor.

Head To Head
The Rangers pitching has in fact dominated Tampa this season, holding hitters to a .182 batting average and striking out 75 hitters to only 31 walks.   It was worse in Texas, as Tampa could only hit .143 and manage just 2 home runs against their series opponents.

The Rangers, meanwhile, have reached the Rays pitching for a .263 batting average and a .450 slugging percentage, striking out only 59 times and drawing 28 walks.

All in all, the teams would play each other nine times this season and, despite the drastic difference in offense, Texas would barely take the season series with five wins.

After a long, tumultuous and truly memorable season, baseball has reached the playoffs.  The dust has settled and 162 games are in the books, with no need for a 163rd game in either league, and there are eight teams left standing.  After one of the most entertaining days in the history of the game, the smoke cleared and fans and players alike were given a day to catch their breath before the curtain was once again raised and the spotlight was turned back on.

Grounds crews in New York will hang bunting and prepare the ballpark to see the historic franchise from the Bronx take on another hallowed franchise in the Detroit Tigers.  The series will light up the sky like the fourth of July as CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander square off in a game that is already being considered a classic before the first pitch is thrown.

Kate over at Lady Loves Pinstripes takes an in depth look at Game One in New York and how the entire series may hang in the balance of the outcome of this epic pitching battle.  You can read her thoughts by clicking here.

The senior circuit will see it’s most successful franchise, the St. Louis Cardinals, pull into Philadelphia to see if they can overcome the odds and somehow win three games against the most stacked pitching rotation in all of baseball.  A monumental collapse by the Atlanta Braves has breathed life back into the Redbirds’ franchise and have them riding high into Philly to open the playoffs on October 1.

It was a historic end to the season in both leagues as well as in St. Louis specifically.  Bob Netherton’s blog, On The Outside Corner takes an historic and in depth look at how the 162nd games broke down and a look at the past for the Cardinals.  Give it a read by clicking here.

Both American League series will see their first pitch before the calendar turns on September 30.  It will be the beautiful Ballpark In Arlington that will play host to the Rangers and the surging Tampa Bay Rays.  Tampa rode a solid September and an epic Boston Red Sox collapse to the playoffs and will hope they can continue the momentum against a Texas team that some think will end up representing the American League when the dust settles and the World Series begins.

Chicken Fried Baseball takes a look at the Rangers’ choice for a game one starter.  Click here to give it a read.

Before the Cardinals and Phillies can get their first pitch in, the surprisingly dominant Milwaukee Brewers will play host to the young Arizona Diamondbacks inside of Miller Park.  The Brewers seem to be in a win-now mode of operation and have strong pieces in place as October baseball arrives.  Meanwhile, it is never easy to predict what a young team is capable of in a short series and the Diamondbacks are looking to wear a glass slipper when this one is over with.

Nick over at Brewers Bar takes a look ahead at the various possibilities facing the boys from Milwaukee in the next few weeks.  Drop by by clicking here.

Keep your browsers pointed to BaseballDigest.com as our team of writers brings you a look at each series and helps you round up some of the top stories on each game the following day.

Title photo courtesy of Erika Lynn.

Austin Romine – New York Yankees – The common belief was that Austin Romine should be out of Double-A where he’d spent 2010 and 2011. But Jesus Montero was blocking him at Triple-A Scranton. Montero got an anticipated call to the Bronx. Romine got an unanticipated call to the Bronx. After finally getting a promotion to Scranton on the final day of the Trenton Thunder’s home schedule, the reaction was that at least he’d get some Triple-A at-bats. But September 12th. he arrived at Yankee Stadium and made his major league debut. His first experience in Yankees pinstripes was catching Mariano Rivera’s 599th save. Romine isn’t the exciting bat that Montero is. What he has is a toolbox of skills that he has quietly developed over the past two seasons at Trenton. Those skills need even more polishing, and by getting behind the plate in the playoffs, he would get to improve upon an already excellent ability at his position. He gives the Yankees options. And he gets to show the Yankees (and fans) why he should be the catcher of the future.

Justin De Fratus- Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies bullpen is a weakness on a team that is being called the best in franchise history. Post-season baseball requires the services of the bullpen more than any other time of the season. Justin De Fratus arm could be immensely helpful to a pen that, like any, is feeling the wear and tear of the season. De Fratus split his time between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley, finishing with a 2.99 ERA in 75 innings pitched.

Leonys Martin – Texas Rangers – His inspiring story has made the rounds and made his debut all the more special among this pack. Martin defected from Cuba and began the pursuit of his baseball dream. The twenty-three year old fully earned his call-up, hitting .348 at the time for Double-A Frisco. The outfielder is getting his opportunity due to Nelson Cruz going on the DL, but it would be a shock not to see him remain on the roster for post-season play.

Jacob Turner – Detroit Tigers – The Tigers 2009 first round pick has certainly made a fast trip to the majors. And he’s put a heck of a lot of work in during a short period. His first professional season in 2010 ended with a 3.28 ERA in 115 innings combined for Class-A West Michigan and Advanced-A Lakeland. He began 2011 at Double-A Erie, but ended it at Triple-A Toledo. Turner threw 131 innings, struck out a career-high 110 batters, and posted a 3.44 ERA. The Tigers plans appear to include him in the post-season, despite a rough start to begin his major league career. Turner has 9 innings under his belt, with a 7.45 ERA in two games. After all he’s accomplished so far, there’s no reason to count him out.

Most Impressive Team - Omaha Storm Chasers  No longer the Omaha Royals, the 2011 innaugual season of the Storm Chasers is a good ‘ol baseball story. Affiliated with the Royals since it’s inception in 1969, the newly named Pacific Coast League team begins a new era on the right foot as they head back to the playoffs after a twelve year absence. While the development of players is the point of it all, there was one really good reason why the Chasers success would be a sweet victory. 2011 marked Mike Jirschele’s 8th season as the Triple-A club’s manager and his 12th in the Royals system. They had never finished higher than third in his entire tenure, including last season, and when he arrived in 2003 they finished in 11th place with. The fact that the team had not been to the playoffs since 1999, gave young players a little something more to play for. With players like Mike Moustakas, Mike Montgomery, and Eric Hosmer on their roster at some point during the season, fans had many great reasons to support the team.

Most Impressive Manager - Andy Haines, Greensboro Grasshoppers – It was down to the wire for the Grasshoppers. They defeated the Kannapolis Indians in extra innings to become second-half champs of the Northern Division. Haine’s knows he has to help the development of players at a low-level. Excellence is not easily achieved. But the Grasshoppers finished with a 79-60 overall record and spent May and June notching victories. They have been a consistent team with excellent offense. Starting pitchers like James Leverton came through in the final stretch . It is not easy to manage at that level. But Haines understands the job and that’s the key. Now after a twelve-year absence, the Grasshoppers are playoffs bound.

Most Impressive Hitter – Paul Goldschmidt, Mobile BayBears, Southern League, Arizona Diamondbacks – Goldschmidt is exactly what the Diamondbacks need. The first-baseman is providing excitement Arizona baseball fans are lacking. Before his call-up, he was putting together a tremendous season for the Double-A BayBears. He led the minors with 30 home runs and 94 RBI. The twenty-three-year-old also worked an astounding 82 walks. His .626 SLG percentage is the league’s best to end the season.

Most Impressive Starting Pitcher -Matt Moore, Durham Bulls, International League, Tampa Rays – Strikeouts. That is the first word you likely think of when reflecting on Moore’s 2011 season with the Bulls and Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. His 210 K’s led all of minor league baseball. 163 of them were in the Southern League before his promotion. He went 4-0 for Durham with a 1.37 ERA in his final ten starts.

Talent is outstanding, and worth paying a great amount of money for, if one can stay on the field.

It doesn’t matter if your starting rotation consisted of a fantasy list including Sandy Koufax, Cy Young, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux in their prime. If those same names spend more time on your DL as opposed to your manager’s lineup cards throughout the year, all you will ultimately get out of them is increased jersey sales revenue. You certainly won’t see anything from them where it really matters.

Concessions? Yes. Box scores? No.

This season many teams have been bit by the injury bug, serving as an insurmountable force in the win-loss column. For example, on paper, the Chicago Cubs should have been a contender in the National League Central for 2011. Despite off the field problems in Flushing, New York, the Mets had a roster that could have competed for the wild card longer than they already have. With an elimination ‘E’ already posted for in the Cubs’ row of the MLB standings and one looming for the Mets (3 games until the Mets reach elimination for 2011), a large reason why they have had the season they’ve had is injuries. The Cubs lost a significant amount of their starting rotation to long term injuries this season and the Mets lost over half their starting lineup to nagging, recurring visits to the DL.

The Chicago Cubs are an aging team and injuries were bound to become a great issue for them at some point. 2007 and 2008 saw the Cubs capture NL Central division titles. 2008 may have been their last true chance to win it all any time soon as the team is getting older and the injuries continue to pile up. The Mets nearly reached the World Series in 2006, had giant collapses in 2007 and 2008 and injuries have haunted them since.

The Cubs are making an effort to test younger talent and hopefully nip this trend in the off-season. The potential spoiling injury bug is one plot line Mets fans are all too familiar with.

I attended Opening Day at Citi Field a couple years ago and the loudest boos were for the athletic trainers in the announcing of the organization members. Not even Luis Castillo received boos at the decibel that the team’s trainers walked out to. Certainly the way key injuries have been handled regarding key star players recently (Reyes and recently traded, Carlos Beltran, especially) has not pleased the Mets faithful. It also may have been a release of frustration after years of watching their promised stars of the future go down with injuries for decades.

Jason Isringhausen, who turns 39 today, is a perfect example. Isringhausen was drafted by the Mets in 1991 and before he even put on a New York Mets uniform, the media hype surround him completely. After Dwight Gooden energized New York City with his performance on the Shea Stadium mound for years, Mets fans were hungry for someone to follow in Dr. K’s dominant footsteps. The New York media responded by putting Isringhausen and fellow minor league pitchers Bill Pulshipher and Paul Wilson in the spotlight as the next great Mets talent on the mound. The trio was labled ‘Generation K’ and the shoes to fill became even larger as fan expectations grew.

Unfortunately for Isringhausen, Wilson and Pulsipher, injuries would prevent them from growing into the three-headed beast fans hoped they would become. Before you knew it, the 1993 and 1994 seasons had come and gone and it wasn’t until 1995 when all three pitchers were healthy enough to start for the Mets. While Isringhausen posted a 9-2 record in his rookie campaign over 14 starts, he would hit a major health speed bump battling injuries such as tuberculosis, a wrist injury and three serious injuries on his pitching arm.

The September 1996 issue of Baseball Digest highlights the disappointing Mets trio in this feature on MLB pitching corps falling short of promise.

Isringhausen wouldn’t see action for the Mets again until 1999. Time in between appearances became longer as did his walk to the mound. It was no longer the distance from the dugout to center stage. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, here are your 1999 New York Mets’ was no longer the back drop to his introduction. His trip to the mound would be a jog in from the outfield wall from here on out for the Mets as he was moved to the bullpen to start the 1999 season. 1999 provided a dramatic playoff run for the Mets, full of story book moments. Isringhausen would experience none of them however, as he would be shipped to the Oakland Athletics at the trading deadline that July.

It was with Oakland that Isringhausen embraced his new closer role and made a name for himself among the elite of the game. His late-game impact was felt immediately as he reached his first All-Star game (2000) and Oakland made the playoffs in 2000 and 2001. This gave him much-needed playoff experience for when he would reach the post-season the four out of the next five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Isringhausen had his best years with the Cardinals, sharing the thrill of capturing division titles in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006, making it to the World Series in 2004 and 2006. The Red Sox spoiled his first trip in 2004 with their miracle sweep of the last four games of the ALCS and the World Series. It was a bittersweet ending to a season where Isringhausen led closers with 47 saves. In 2006, he looked to follow up a strong 2005 where he finished second among closers in ERA at 2.14 and made the All-Star team. Isringhausen was successful in his bid, helping lead the Cardinals to the post-season despite having one of his poorest statistical outings that year. Isringhausen was out with a hip injury throughout the team’s efforts that fall and rookie Adam Wainwright had to take over his duties as the team’s closer.

Since that championship season in 2006, Isringhausen has spent time with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cincinnati Reds.

This year, he found his way back full circle to his original MLB home, the New York Mets. The 2011 Mets have been desperate for some ‘good-news headlines’ and Isringhausen has been a bright spot in a season full of dark times for the ballclub. On August 15, 2011, he saved a 5-4 decision against the Padres, earning his 300th save and a place in MLB history along 22 other pitchers to notch 300 saves in their careers.

Two All-Star appearances, a World Series ring, big-city-rotation-star hype and a place in the MLB history books among the great closers in the game. His road has been a long one, collecting nearly 800 strike outs along the way. Unlike Pulsipher and Wilson who couldn’t live up to their share of the ‘Generation K’ hype, Isringhausen took his time and found a way to make an impact on the game after all. In his fifteenth year of major league service, it will be interesting to see if his career ends full circle in Flushing, NY, or if a new chapter is in the wings waiting to begin.

Also Born Today:

Darren Bragg turns 42 today. The MLB journeyman and Waterbury, Connecticut native played for nine different teams over his ten years as a major league player (Mariners, Red Sox, Cardinals, Rockies, Mets, Yankees, Braves, Padres, Reds). A .255 lifetime hitter, Bragg found himself coaching players in his post-MLB career. In 2007, he was the hitting coach for the Dayton Dragons, the A-ball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Bragg currently runs a company called ‘The Hit Club’ where he dispenses his major league level knowledge of the art of hitting to high school baseball players.

Joe Rudi turns 65 today. A left fielder from Modesto, California, Rudi played fifteen years in the league, spending most of his time with the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics. Rudi helped lead the A’s to a championship three-peat from 1972-1974 and had a career best 181 hits in 1972.

Ryan Maloney is a staff writer for BaseballDigest.com, author of the popular Chicago Cubs blog titled ’Prose and Ivy, and a contributing writer to MLB.com.

Follow Ryan on Twitter.

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It also often helps them determine which name they’d like to put on the back of a customized jersey.

To put on a Major League uniform for the first time and make an impact is one thing. To do it in a foreign land, amid culture shock on top of the always present obstacles for rookies is another. Hideo Nomo is one of those players to accomplish the feat and was the first Japanese player to ever relocate permanently in order to play in MLB.

Aside from his ROY honors, when you hear the name Hideo Nomo, the first thing that comes to mind is his unique wind up motion. In the Nippon Professional Baseball league, Nomo was a coveted talent racking up over 1,200 strike outs from 1990-1994 for the Kintetsu Buffaloes. Earning the nickname ‘The Tornado’, after media and opponents witnessed his unique back-to-the-plate delivery, early on Nomo gained national attention in his debut season with the Buffaloes striking out 287 hitters in 235 innings. His stats earned him the 1990 Pacific League MVP and Rookie of The Year honors.

Fans and members of the media were more appreciative of the results Nomo produced than the Buffaloes however. After the 1994 season, wrapping up a stretch within the first four years where he compiled 17 or 18 wins per season, Nomo demanded a multi-year contract.

What was the Buffaloes’ loss, turned out to be the Los Angeles Dodgers’ gain.

After retiring from Japanese baseball in order to get out of his contract with the Buffaloes, Nomo found a new opportunity in Los Angeles. His career in the States started off oddly enough, very similar to the way his career began in Japan. Due in large part to his unique delivery, batters were unable to solve the pitching mystery Nomo presented every five days in each start and he ended up leading the league in strike outs with 236, finished second in ERA at 2.54. Along the way, he broke Koufax’s team record of strike outs per nine innings with 11.101 to Koufax’s 10.546, started the All-Star Game and won the NL Rookie of the Year award.

Many would argue that a professional ballplayer with years of experience in Japan should not be up for MLB Rookie of The Year voting consideration. I understand that mentality, however, a player’s first year in the league is just that, no matter where their prior experience comes from. Also, it can be argued that the player coming in from Japan or some other international location is up against much more than the rookie of the year contender that is from the United States. The language, culture, nuances, and comfort are not the same as they were in their other league. The player from the international league has to figure out how to survive on the playing field as well as within their new surroundings off the field. The argument could certainly be made that an outstanding rookie campaign by an international star is much more difficult. That argument was made in 1995 and the pro-Nomo side won. Future star, Chipper Jones, finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year race that year as voters gave the advantage to Nomo. Or perhaps I should say, disadvantage.

Baseball Digest’s John Kuenster highlighted Hideo Nomo’s performance as one of the bright spots of the 1995 season. An interesting read about one of the great young pitchers to wear the Dodgers’ uniform.

Like other great puzzles that are tough to figure out such as the Rubik’s Cube, Sudoku or ‘what happened to Tony Soprano at the end of ‘The Sopranos’?', eventually the answer is found and they get a little easier to figure out. (Ok, perhaps that Sopranos one is still left up in the air). NL batters finally got used to seeing an opposing pitcher’s back before the release of a pitch and Nomo’s efficiency lacked as his stats became less impressive. Despite finishing as the only other pitcher to strike out at least 200 batters in each of his first three seasons, the early years of his MLB career are definitely the most impressive.

There must be something in the water at Dodger Stadium. When Nomo won the NL Rookie of the Year, he became one of 13 Dodger debuts to earn the honor, the most of any team in the National League. Dating back to 1952, the team has had a rookie win the award in back-to-back seasons three times. The most recent time coming in a stretch where Nomo was one of those rookies as the team won the award in five consecutive years (Eric Karros, 1992; Mike Piazza, 1993; Raul Mondesi, 1994; Nomo, 1995; Todd Hollandsworth, 1996). In recent years the Florida Marlins have dominated the category however, for a stretch, it was the Dodgers system producing the best young talent in the league, Nomo included.

One stand out highlight of Nomo’s latte portion of his career came on April 4, 2011. It was Nomo’s first start as a member of the Boston Red Sox and he would once again come out of the gates quickly with his new team. The Orioles were the team he would face that day and they would provide Nomo with a no-no as the team was unable to muster up a single hit against Beantown’s new star pitcher. In doing so, Nomo became the fourth pitcher in the history of the game to throw a no-hitter in both the American and National Leagues. After a couple more productive years after returning to his first major league home in America from 2002-2003, Nomo started to fade.

His career path led to signing with the Kansas City Royals, who ultimately released him on April 29, 2008. Nomo retired from MLB that same July. Nomo was both a journeyman and a pioneer in his time as a professional baseball player. In MLB, he would go on to spend time displaying his unique ‘tornado’ wind up for fans across the country, proudly wearing the uniform of the Dodgers, Mets, Brewers, Tigers, Red Sox, Devil Rays and Royals.

Out of curiosity, I looked up the meaning of the name ‘Hideo’. Turns out it means ‘excelling man’. After analyzing Nomo’s career, you’ll realize he compiled over 3,100 strike outs in his time between the NPB and MLB competition. Excelling man? Sounds about right to me.

Hideo Nomo turns 43 today.

Also Born Today

Frank Robinson turns 76 today. Robinson’s career saw him spend time  playing with the Reds, Orioles, Dodgers, Angels and Indians. He managed the Indians, Giants, Orioles and Expos/Nationals. At the end, it all added up to a plaque in Cooperstown. Robinson is the only player to win MVP honors in both the American and National Leagues and finished his career with a batting average of .294, 586 home runs, 2,943 hits and 1,812 RBI. Robinson won the World Series with the 1966 and 1970 Orioles, winning MVP honors in 1966. Other career highlights include NL Rookie of the Year (1956), 14 All-Star appearances (MVP in 1971), AL Manager of the Year (1989) and he had his number retired by both the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles.

Eddie Plank was born on this day in 1875. Plank pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Terriers and the St. Louis Browns. Eight times, Plank finished a season with twenty or more wins. He has the 13th most wins in MLB history, led the American League in shutouts twice and has more career shutouts by a left-hander than anyone in MLB history (66). Plank’s win-loss record of 326-194 matched with his career ERA of 2.35 and 2,246 strike outs earned him induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame by vote of the Veteran’s Committee in 1946.

Ryan Maloney is a staff writer for BaseballDigest.com, author of the popular Chicago Cubs blog titled ’Prose and Ivy, and a contributing writer to MLB.com.

Follow Ryan on Twitter.

Read more from Ryan here.

Follow Baseball Digest on Twitter.

Like Baseball Digest on Facebook.