The Winter Issue and Convention Guide is available for FREE download here:

http://gothambaseball.com/GB006_WINTER2011.pdf

Gotham Baseball covers the past, present and future of New York baseball, and in this latest issue, which features a pair of aces; New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia and New York Mets southpaw Johan Santana. Gary Armida profiles Sabathia’s return in “The Big Man is Back”, while Healey opines that for the Mets, “The Ace is The Whole”.

Also in the issue:

The Catcher Says Bye – Yankees catcher Jorge Posada is retiring. Armida takes a look at his great career.

The Magic is Back? – Joseph M. Lara tries to make some sense of the current Mets by looking at the past Mets.

Reading By The Hot Stove – Jerry Milani reviews some of his top choices for offseason reading.

The issue also includes a comprehensive guide to the three-day event, which will once again feature some of the world’s top baseball instructors in a range of settings, including new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, New York Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, pitching guru Rick Peterson and softball star Jennie Finch.

Baseball Digest’s online editor Mark Healey, who is the founder of Gotham Baseball, will also be in attendance, manning BD affiliate Gotham Baseball’s booth with GB Co-Publisher Joseph M. Lara.

The Winter Issue and Convention Guide is available for FREE download here:

http://gothambaseball.com/GB006_WINTER2011.pdf

For more info visit the official site for the event or call 860.674.1500

Verlander received all 28 first place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) to defeat second place finisher Jered Weaver (LAA) by 63 points. James Shields (TB), CC Sabathia (NYY), and Jose Valverde (DET) rounded out the top five in the voting.

The 28-yr old right-hander’s season also included a no-hitter on May 5 versus the Toronto Blue Jays. It was the second no-no of his six year career. He topped double figures in strikeouts four times, including a season high 14 against Arizona on June 25, and averaged nine strikeouts per nine innings (second only to the 10.1 he averaged in 2009).

Verlander will most certainly garner a number of MVP votes when the BBWAA announces the results next Monday, Nov. 21. He’ll face stiff competition though from the likes of Curtis Granderson (NYY), Jose Bautista (TOR), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), and others. (My vote goes to Granderson). 

MLB.com’s Ian Browne takes a look at the AL MVP race and Verlander’s chances. Click here to read all about it.

Here’s the complete AL Cy Young voting: 

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.

While rumors persist that the Rangers will throw a boatload of money at CC Sabathia, if the pitcher opts out of his current deal witht the New York Yankees, and the team already is loaded with hitters, they could go after Pujols. Texas’ principle owner Nolan Ryan surely had to be wishing Pujols was on his side as he watched the St. Louis Cardinals destroy his team in Game 3 of the World Series last night. Pujols had five hits, three home runs, and six RBI to help boost the Cards to a 16-7 win and a two games to one advantage over the Rangers.

Pujols is in the final year of an eight year, $116MM contract, with deferred money, that makes him only the 35th highest paid player in baseball. The Cardinals offered the 11 year veteran a nine year, $195MM deal last winter, but, to no surprise, Pujols turned it down. He is said to be looking for a deal similar to that of Alex Rodriguez (10 years, $275) and Joe Mauer (10 years, $230). But can the Cardinals pony up the money, and if not, who can?

The number of teams that can fulfill Pujols’ wishes are limited. The Yankees, always players for big time players, should not be involved. The Angels are always mentioned when it comes to high salaried players, everyone was sure that they would sign Carl Crawford last off-season, but the Angels haven’t been throwing money around lately for outside free agents. The Red Sox saw this season (Crawford, Lackey, Gonzalez) that big money moves doesn’t even translate to a playoff spot. Other teams you will surely hear mentioned are the SF Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Washington Nationals.

The Rangers 2011 salary was $91,885,265, the 13th highest total in all of baseball. The Rangers top priority will be to bring back their #1 starter, C.J. Wilson, who will be a free agent after the World Series. If Ryan is able to accomplish that feat, and unable to bring in Sabathia (there are no other top-line starting pitchers available via free agency), the Rangers should be able to add a Pujols type contract to their payroll.

The Rangers added Adrian Beltre to any already strong lineup last off-season and Texas scored the third highest total runs scored (855) in all of baseball, but imagine what they could do with Pujols? Even more protection for Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, and Beltre. It would also free them up to deal Mitch Moreland and prospects for pitching. The downside of signing Pujols would be that Michael Young could be the odd man out, just as he nearly was this season.

You Better Be Better, You Bet

Derek Holland needs to pitch the game of his life in Sunday night’s Game 4 of the World Series. It’s the pivotal game of the series with Texas either tying things up at two games apiece or the Cardinals just one game away from their 11th title. Holland has struggled in his three playoff starts, particularly his two ALCS appearances against the Detroit Tigers. Holland lasted just 7.1 innings in his two starts and allowed seven earned runs. He appeared in two World Series games last season and allowed three earned runs in one inning.

Pujols Makes History

Pujols’ three home run night was the second of this post-season, joining Nelson Cruz who had a hat trick in the ALCS. Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson are the only other players to hit three home runs in a single World Series game.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, last night was just the second time in WS history that players from both team had at least four hits in the same game. Pujols and Beltre were the first players since Enos Slaughter, Whitey Kurowski and Joe Garagiola of St. Louis had four hits for the victorious Cardinals in Game 4 of the ’46 Series, while Wally Moses had four for the Boston Red Sox.

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.

The Cardinals, on the brink of elimination, come up with a big victory and live to fight one more game.

This time, it truly is the elimination game of the National League Division Series.  Not only are the Cardinals backed into a corner, but so are the National League favorites to win it all.  The Phillies, after dropping game four behind Roy Oswalt, head back to Philadelphia to face the Cardinals in a one game, winner takes all format.

The American League seen the epic pitching matchup of CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander.  This time, the spotlight falls on the senior circuit as Roy Halladay will take on Chris Carpenter in game five.

The two aces on their current staffs once shared a locker room in Toronto, from 1998-2002.  While there, they were both starting to come into their own when Carpenter had to have Tommy John surgery and ended up signing with the Cardinals.

The two would go their separate ways yet realize dominant performances as they did so.  Halladay would win his first Cy Young Award in 2003 while Carpenter was on the mend and win a second one as a member of the Phillies in 2010.  Carpenter, meanwhile, would win his only Cy Young Award in 2005 and come close to winning a second in 2009.  Carpenter would however add the one piece of hardware that Halladay still seeks, a World Series Championship, in 2006.

This season, Halladay has been dominant, winning 19 games and posting an ERA of 2.35 over an amazing 233+ innings.  Carpenter struggled early in the year, surging when the Cardinals needed him down the stretch.  He ended the season with 11 wins and an ERA of 3.45 over 237+ innings.

Fans should keep an eye on how Halladay approaches a game against a team that has shown some level of success against him.  They should also take note of how Carpenter pitches on full rest after struggling in game two of this series pitching on short rest.

Stay tuned for an off day notebook and an article of key points for game five just prior to game time, 7:30 CDT, on Friday.

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.

“Like” Baseball Digest on Facebook!

Follow Baseball Digest on Twitter!

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.

The standard sized cards have a full color action shot of the player on the card fronts. Bordered in white, the card fronts also show the player name, position and team name and logo. A simple colored stripe matching the team color trim the card fronts. The card backs are all horizontal in layout. A small, cropped head sot of the player is the only photo on the back. Moderate biographical information, modest career highlights and complete career statistics highlight the backs. The card backs are also trimmed with a the teams primary color.  In all, the Opening Day cards look exactly like the regular base 2011 Topss set, save the “Opening Day” logo in the lower left hand corner of the card fronts.

What I Pulled:
252 unique cards – No duplicates!
200/220 base set cards = 91% of the base set
3 Opening Day Stars
6/10 Presidential First Pitch
6/10 Spot the error cards
9/32 Mascot cards
5/10 Stadium Lights
8 Blue Serial numbered parallels #/2011
7 Topps Town Cards

Base card front and back:

The inserts: (not all scanned)
Opening Day Stars: Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, David Price
Presidential First Pitch: 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10
Spot the Error: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9
Mascot cards: 1, 3, 6, 10, 11, 14, 17, 20, 22
Stadium Lights: Joe Mauer, Pedro Alvarez, Adrian Gonzalez, Jason Heyward, Ryan Braun
Superstar Celebrations: Braves, Red Sox, Rays, Rangers, Phillies, Cardinals, Yankees, Mariners
Serial Bumbered Blue: Miguel Tejada, Roy Halladay, Adam Wainwright, Mark Reynolds, Magglio Ordonez, Joe Mauer, Adrian Gonzalez, Bobby Abreu
Topps Town: 4, 5, 9, 13, 18, 21, 22

**************************************************************************************************************************

Looking very much like the 2011 Topps Base set, Opening Day is pretty much a parallel set.  The insert sets are different and are what I think make Opening Day stand out.  I absolutely love the Opening Day Stars cards.  The 3-D effect is a throwback to the Kellog’s sets of the 60′s, 70′s.  These are not a motion card like Sportflics, but I thick they look really sharp!  Instead of, not so secretly, planting a few cards that were creatively and purposely airbrushed as ‘planned errors’ Opening day has the Spot the Error insert set.  The errors are pretty easy to spot.  Hint:  look at the background for most of them.  These are a nice novelty and I like them as inserts rather then planned errors.  The Stadium Lights inserts are another nice set.  Each card is a night time shot and focuses on the stadium as much as they do the player.  The lights, player and other elements from the stadium are embossed or raised over the rest of the matte finished card.  All that being said about the insert sets, I would still like for there to have been a few less of them and that many more base set cards.

The Bottom Line:
I give 2011 Topps Opening Day a buy rating. It will be very easy to complete a base set with a box, and some light trading. There are lots of inserts and parallels to chase.  Buy a box and trade your Tigers cards to me!

The Final Score:
Final Ratings (Out of 5):
Base set collect-ability: 4/5
Big-hit Hunter: NA
Prospector Hunter:3/5
Overall Design: 5/5
Fun: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Re-buy: 5/5
Overall Quality: 5/5

Overall: 32/35 (91.4% = A)

Thanks to Topps for making this review possible!

Until next time, keep collecting, collect for the joy of the hobby and collect for the fan in all of us.

The official card trading site of Baseball Digest.com – Sports Card Forum

Since Pettitte’s return to New York prior to the 2007 season, he’s taken his time each off season to decide whether or not to return the following season. Since the 2010 season ended, Pettitte seemed to be heavily leaning towards calling it quits. Conversations with manager Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman gave every indication that the chances of Pettitte’s return for 2011 was less than 50%.

Pettitte finishes his career with a 240-138, 3.88 mark after playing in New York from 1995-2005, followed by three seasons in front of his hometown crowd  in Houston, Texas, and a return to New York in 2007. His four years back in the Bronx included his 5th World Series ring in 2009.

Pettitte finishes with 203 wins as a Yankee, trailing only Whitey Ford (236) and Red Ruffing (231) in franchise history. His 1,823 strikeouts were 133 behind the franchise leader Ford. His overall numbers and post-season success make him a viable Hall of Fame candidate, but his admitted use of HGH will probably keep him from being seriously considered.

Pettitte’s retirement also means the Yankees only have three guaranteed spots in their rotation- CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and A.J. Burnett. The final two spots will be determined in spring training. Among the candidates are Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, Sergio Mitre, any and all prospects, and whomever the Yankees can sign between now and opening day.

We wish you the best in retirement Andy Pettitte. You always carried yourself with class even when you proved you were human.

Update 2:40 pm – An official press conference will be held at Yankee Stadium tomorrow morning at 10:30 am and will be viewable on the YES Network channel and the MLB official website.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and a contributor  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.

You should never make a move in reaction to another’s move unless your playing chess or at war, and when I say war I really mean war (Note to Kellen Winslow Jr.).

Brian Cashman made a number of poor moves last winter. Nick Johnson chief among them. This off-season the main focus has been on Cliff Lee. We all know how that panned out. But that had nothing to do with Cashman, though some feel otherwise. Lee never wanted to play in NY and for that matter didn’t want to return to Texas either. I doubt Nolan Ryanis getting vilified in Arlington.

More importantly, the Yankees chief rival in the AL East has gotten stronger. Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez have replaced Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre in the lineup. That’s a big plus for the Red Sox especially since, at the moment, the Yankees have no left-hander in the starting rotation other than CC Sabathia.

So what’s an elfin, building rappelling GM to do? Go hard after Zack Greinke. The Royals righty has decided he’s had enough of bad baseball in Kansas City. The team has no hope for contending especially since ownership is putting their luxury tax dollars right into their own pockets.

We all know that Greinke has been dealing with anxiety issues. He’s not the only one in major league baseball or in life to do so. Not all have gone public with their inner demons. It’s now a trendy thing too, but it’s still taboo in many circles to admit to “mental” issues. People hear the word mental and they think psychotic which is absurd. Some of us deal with anxiety, depression, or other psychological issues on a daily basis. That’s what therapy and/or meds are for, unless your Tom Cruise of course.

The Yankees rotation right now is CC Sabathia (A+), Phil Hughes (B), A.J. Burnett (A, B, C, D, F depending on the day; hell, depending on the inning). My feeling is Andy Pettittewill be back, but until he makes his mind up, and decides he likes the money figure, that’s up in the air. The rest is Ivan Nova (high upside, little experience), Sergio Mitre (experience, mediocre), and a bunch of kids who aren’t ready for prime time.

Felix Hernandez isn’t going anywhere according to the Seattle Mariners hierarchy. The remaining free agent starters aren’t front end guys, unless you count Carl Pavano. Don’t make me laugh.

As the headline says, it’s time for the Yankees and Brian Cashman to roll the dice on Zack Greinke. Perhaps they have studied reports about Greinke’s well-being. We know that playing in the plain states is not the same as playing in the Big Apple. NYC has chewed up many a player (Yes, Bobby Bonilla had the smile wiped off his face), who thought they could handle it. But Greinke isn’t the same guy he was three years ago. People get past the things holding them back and they get better. I know from experience.

Greinke had his ups and downs this past season on the mound, but playing for a bad team with little fan support doesn’t help. Playing with a passionate fan base, with a lineup that can hit, and with a defense can support you will do wonders for your game. Yes, he will have to listen to monotonous questions about his well being. It’s best to hold a press conference with no or little questions (the Yankees can see to that) and get it out of the way immediately if they land him.

Greinke won’t come cheaply. Possibly Jesus Montero. Ivan Nova. Brandon Laird. Andrew Backman. Delin Betances. Gary Sanchez Hector Noesi. Those are names I’m throwing out..it won’t take all of them.

Greinke makes $11.5M in 2011 and $13.5M in 2012. That’s $25M off the Royals payroll, which means the Yankees shouldn’t have to give up as much either if the Royals were taking some of the money on.

The time is now. The Rays are going to be considerably weaker than the last year. The Red Sox offense has gotten stronger, their pen better with the addition of Bobby Jenks, but their rotation still has questions. Jon Lester is a stud. Josh Beckett is coming off an awful year, which included injury. John Lackey is on the downside. Clay Buchholz was magnificent, but can he repeat? Dice-K, Tim Wakefield? More awful than good.

Only one team should make it out of the west, but the White Sox and Twins will battle for both the AL Central and Wild Card, which means the Yankees MUST bolster their starting rotation and bullpen in order to REALLY compete in the AL East and for the Wild Card.

So roll the dice Brian Cashman, roll the dice. Show the Yankees fan base you have the stomach for it.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and a contributor  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.

In New York, Yankees fans cried, whined, and sighed. And Met fans applauded that the Yankees lost out on Lee. Apparently it hasn’t sunk in yet that the Mets will have to face the Phillies rotation 19 times a year.

In Arlington, Ron Washington’s gut is in hiding. After all, it was Washington’s gut that told him Lee was coming back to Texas. And the Rangers are back where they were before last season’s trade deadline; with a huge hole in their rotation.

The Red Sox fans joy is twofold. 1) The Yankees didn’t get Lee and 2) The Yankees didn’t get a top left-hander to negate their lefty-laden lineup.

Meanwhile, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has to go to plan ‘B’. He told area beat writers this morning, via a conference call, that means “patience”. For now the Yankees have just three definite spots in their rotation- CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and A.J. Burnett. So the next logical step will be to see what Andy Pettitte’s status is. With no Lee in NY, Pettitte will probably ask for a higher amount of money than had the Yankees landed Lee. I can see a $15M asking price, though the Yankees will want the figure to be closer to $10M. Incentives can make both sides happy.

Another winner in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes is his agent Darek Braunecker, who is now a household name.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

Former Yankee Hideki Matsui finalized his one year deal with the Oakland A’s. It’s worth $4.25M. Good job by Billy Beane.

The Yankees may not have gotten Lee, but they did get the catcher they wanted. Russell Martin, recently non-tendered by the Dodgers, has agreed to a one year deal.

Lyle Overbay has agreed to a one year, $5M deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Overbay had a nice offensive year in 2010, but it’s not his norm. Still you would think there would be some upper echelon teams interested in him.

The Nationals have signed pinch-hitter extraordinaire Matt Stairs to a minor league deal.

One of the Rangers plan ‘B’ options is apparently Chien-Ming Wang. The former Yankee missed all of 2010 after undergoing shoulder surgery and was non-tendered by the Nationals. Nolan Ryan and company are reportedly also looking at Carl Pavano.

The Cardinals have agreed to a deal with Gerald Laird as a backup catcher to Yadier Molina. Laird will receive $1M for one year.

According to the Kansas City Star’s Terez Paylor, the Royals are still shopping Zack Greinke and looking for the best fit.

The Rays have re-signed lefty J.P. Howell to a one year deal. Howell, who had torn labrum surgery in May, will miss the start of the season and his exact return is in question.

The Mariners, looking for parts, inked Royce Ring, Ryan Langerhans, Denny Bautista, and Chris Giminez to minor league pacts.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and a contributor  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’s the third best time of year for baseball (the regular season and spring training would be one, two ), the hot stove season is upon us.  It wasn’t that long ago that the hot stove really didn’t kick off until late December or even January.  But times have certainly changed and baseball is now talked about year round, and that includes right here at Baseball Digest.

Beginning this Monday, 11/8, we’ll be bringing you the stories, the rumors, the free agent signings, and more from the 2010-2011 baseball hot stove.    Look for a new column  every Monday thru Friday at 3 p.m. ET right up until pitchers and catchers report in February.  And be sure to check back throughout the day and evening for updates.

We’ll also be looking at the best free agent buys.  Who is the better purchase, Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth?  Is Cliff Lee worth CC Sabathia type money?

So remember, it may be getting cold outside, but pull up a chair and warm your hands by the Baseball Digest Hot Stove.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  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.

The “Major League Baseball Clutch Performer of the Year Presented by Pepsi” nominees are:

• Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
• Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies
• CC Sabathia, New York Yankees
• Rafael Soriano, Tampa Bay Rays
• Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
• Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants

Starting today, fans can visit pepsiclutch.mlb.com, powered by MLB.com and created specifically for the Clutch Performer Award platform, to vote for the nominee they believe was the best MLB Clutch Performer throughout the season. Online voting for the winner will conclude at 11:59 pm ET on October 25.

The player chosen exclusively by the fans as the winner of the “Major League Baseball Clutch Performer of the Year Award Presented by Pepsi” will be announced on October 26.

Previous winners include Alex Rodriguez (2007), CC Sabathia (2008) and Andre Ethier (2009).

I am surprised that none of the locals paid tribute to one of the best seasons in Philadelphia history. They did not disappoint when it came to the playoffs, however.

I found, all on Wednesday, three papers that inserted special playoff sections. The first is the New York Daily News. A 20 page pull out section looks solely at the Yankees/Twins match-up. The center has a full page color caricature of CC Sabathia.

Next, we have a 36 page wrap around section from the Philadelphia Daily News. I prefer the insert sections compared to the wrap-around version. If you get to the stand late, finding a copy that hasn’t been brutally man-handled can be tough. The series with the Reds is examined in detail, and a short look at the other first round series as well. The center of this section contains what now turns out to be a real gem. A full page color poster of Roy Halladay. The same day the poster comes out, he goes and pitches a no-hitter in the playoffs! This is truely one of the special moments for fans and collectors alike.

And the final section comes from the Courier-Post. Smaller than the others at just eight pages, it contains the standard write ups for the upcoming series. The cover asks if the Phillies are the next dynasty, and I enjoy the black and white photos of the dynasty that have gone before.

I have posted photos of these on my blog. Anything found over the weekend  commemorating Halladay’s performance will also be posted there.

I have not yet heard what any of you have found. Please take a moment and let me know. Surely the Rangers, Twins, Giants, and Rays fans received something from their locals. Even if you can’t send pictures, a brief description would work just as well. Just leave a note here in the comment box, post on my blog, or email me at williamsturn@aol.com

Twins starter Francisco Liriano started out Wednesday night’s game like the ace of the Twins staff he has become.  But just as he faltered down the stretch of the regular season, Liriano wore out as his pitch count rose in the 6th inning.

The Dominican born left-hander was dominant early, making Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada look silly for three of his seven strikeouts.  He had retired nine straight and cruised into the 6th inning up 3-0.  After Nick Swisher was Liriano’s 10th straight victim, Teixeira ripped a double into the left field corner and the tide began to turn.  Alex Rodriguez fought his way to a full count walk and  Robinson Cano showed why he’s a top AL MVP contender when he delivered an RBI single to right to get the Yankees on the board.  Liriano bounced back to strike out Marcus Thames for the second out, but Jorge Posada roped a single to right to cut the deficit to one.  Curtis Granderson, who had been criticized all season for his at-bats against left-handers, drove a 94-mph fastball  off the wall in deep right-center for a 2-run triple that put the Yankees on top for the first time, 4-3.  It also ended Liriano’s night.

Minnesota’s offense had given Liriano support early when Michael Cuddyer hit a 2-run bomb off CC Sabathia for a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning.  A frame later, aggressive base running by Orlando Hudson helped manufacture a third run. The O-Dog  singled through the left side and a batter later advanced all the way to third base when Teixeira had to dive to beat Joe Mauer to first base to record the out on Mauer’s tapper.  The O-Dog’s hustle paid off when Posada mishandled a Sabathia sinker for a run producing passed ball.

Sabathia couldn’t maintain the lead in the home half of the 6th after he retired the first two hitters.  The Twins loaded the bases and Sabathia, showing a rare lack of control, walked rookie Danny Valencia to force in the tying run.

Teixeira’s mammoth go-ahead blast off of Jesse Crain stayed just inside the right field foul pole and allowed Girardi to begin mixing and matching with his bullpen.  Boone Logan, David Robertson, Kerry Wood, and Mariano Rivera shut down the Twins the rest of the way and guaranteed the Yankees at least a split when they head home for Game 3 on Friday in New York.  Rivera recorded a four out, four broken bat save, getting Denard Span to ground out with the tying runs on base to end the 8th inning and Jim Thome to pop out as the tying run in the 9th.

From Joe Girardi’s press conference,

On Sabathia: “..it’s odd that he walked that many guys, but I threw the ball decent.”

On Granderson: “Grandy’s been a different guy since August in Texas.  He made that little adjustment..he’s a different guy.”

From Ron Gardenhire’s press conference:

On leaving Liriano in to face Granderson: “Granderson was hitting like .188 against him.  We wanted to let Liriano try to work his way out of it.”

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  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.

The Baseball group includes John Baker of Florida, Billy Butler of Kansas City, Aaron Harang of Cincinnati, Tim Hudson of Atlanta, CC Sabathia of New York Yankees, CJ Wilson and Michael Young of Texas and Barry Zito of San Francisco.

Tim Hudson

The full list of nominees and the codes to text in order to vote for each can be found here.  Last year’s 10 finalists from all sports included Curtis Granderson of the Yankees and Ryan Zimmerman of Washington.

“One thing these nominees have in common is a passion for looking beyond their sport.  They’re stretching themselves – driven to succeed in their community as well as in competition,” Lott said. “I encourage people to read about these men and women and follow their examples.”

Past recipients of Jefferson Awards for Public Service include, Oprah Winfrey, Colin Powell, Lance Armstrong and Bill and Melinda Gates.

In January, after public voting has closed, ten (10) finalists will be named to the “Dream Team for Public Service” and for the next three (3) months, fans will have the opportunity to donate to each athlete’s preferred charitable organization through a “text‐to‐donate” campaign provided by MobileStorm, Inc. Each finalist will be honored at the All Stars Helping Kids’ Sports, Business & Philanthropy Luncheon  in March and each will receive a check for the sum of their fans’ donations via text message. In the summer of 2011, two (2) winners will receive the prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service at the Jefferson Awards National Ceremony in Washington, D.C. One recipient will be named Outstanding Athlete in Service, while the second will take home the award for Outstanding Athlete as a Newcomer in Service.

Since 1989, All Stars Helping Kids has been a galvanizing force and vehicle for individuals and corporate partners to invest in the future of children in the San Francisco Bay Area  and beyond.  All Stars Helping Kids’ mission is to promote a safe, healthy, rigorous learning environment for disadvantaged children in low‐income communities.

The Jefferson Awards for Public Service is a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. The Jefferson Awards were established in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Senator Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard to establish a Nobel Prize for public service. Today, their primary purpose is to serve as a “Call to Action for Volunteers” in local communities.

Alex Rodriguez knocked in a pair of runs and Derek Jeter scored three times as the Yankees topped the Blue Jays 6-1.  The story of the game without a doubt though was the performance of Sabathia, who got knocked around in his last start against Tampa Bay.  He allowed two hits through the first eight innings, both by Travis Snider (Who also supplied the lone Toronto run with a solo home run), before putting the first two hitters aboard in the 9th.    It wasn’t a save situation, but again Girardi was taking no chances- enter Sandman.  Mariano Rivera retired the final two hitters to preserve Sabathia’s 21st win of the season and set off a celebration as the Yankees clinched a playoff spot for the 14th time in 15 years.

The Yankees remained in second place in the AL East as the Rays also clinched a playoff spot with a shutout of the Baltimore Orioles.  The Rays had their ace, David Price (19-6), going as well in the 5-0 win over the O’s.

As champagne was sprayed about in the visitor’s locker room, Girardi would only confirm one thing- CC Sabathia will get the ball in Game 1 of the Division series.   All that remains to be seen is who the Yankees opponent will be and whether or not they have home field advantage.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

He assumed the Yankees would win the series with CC Sabathia on the mound Thursday night. It did not turn out that way on that night.

After having a 3-1 lead, Sabathia was uncharacteristically wild in the sixth inning. He fell behind in the count, and couple of Rays’ hitters got singles off him. Then, he walked couple of batters. The Rays took advantage of it by scoring seven runs in that inning, and they took a 7-3 lead over the Yankees.

The Rays went on to a 10-3 victory over the Yankees. That victory helped the Rays achieve a split in their series with the Yankees.

For New Yorkers and the Yankees, this was a shock to the system. They expected the Rays to quit after playing awful in the first two games.

For Rays fans and the Rays, this was ho-hum. The Rays fans always watch their team rally to win the game, and the Rays expect to overcome deficits.

The Rays should feel good about themselves with how the series turned out. They got what they needed in winning two games against the Yankees.  They could have lost the series after playing lousy Monday night and Tuesday night, but they shook it off and won the last two.

This is what champions are made of. They could have felt sorry for themselves and hope the series is over. They could have gone home and just have this go-get em attitude next time.

When teams play the Yankees, most of them back down. They are intimidated when they play those guys, especially at Yankee Stadium.

This is what make the Rays refreshing to watch. Those guys can care less what the Yankees accomplish over the years.

For the Rays, they want to make their history. They relish going up against the Yankees. It starts with Rays manager Joe Maddon, and it filters with the players.  By having that attitude, the Rays win half the battle of going against them.

The Rays also have the talent to beat the Yankees. Yes, their starting pitching has been a mess, but despite all that, they still win. Their hitters find a way to create the big inning, and they have role players that rise to the occasion.

This is why the Rays have not gone away all season long. The Yankees lead the American League East by 2 1/2 games prior to Wednesday’s game, but the Rays cut the deficit to 1/2 games back.

This has to be a frustrating feeling for the Yankees. They did all they could to hold off the Rays, yet the Rays are in a position where they can win the division.

The Yankees have been in denial all season about the Rays. After Thursday night’s game, they have come to the conclusion the Rays are the real deal. They grudgingly gave credit to the Rays for the season they have overall this year.

It is about time that team gave the Rays their due. New Yorkers are finding out the Rays are better than they think.

It is remarkable how both parties have not looked at the Rays as a legitimate threat all season. Outside of June, that team has not had a bad month. Let’s not use their June swoon against them. Most teams slump during the course of a long season.

It says a lot about the Rays when they manage to play at a high level all season long. It is not easy thing for any team to go through.

Folks can talk about how vulnerable the Rays are heading to the playoffs. They can talk about how the Twins are better off facing the Rays than the Yankees, but how can anyone count out the Rays? That team is still winning despite their issues.

It says a lot about their mindset and their intangibles.

No one should be counting this team out at anytime. They will be ready to play, and they will go out and make no excuses.

The Yankees are finding out the hard way about that team. If they think they are going to intimidate them just by going out on the field, they got another thing coming.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi’s body language on Thursday’s night game told the story. He sounded like a beaten man when the Rays had that big rally. His team did all they could to stave off the Rays, but it has not worked out.

The Yankees manager wanted his team to take the series or go for the sweep. He feels by doing that he can rest his players and all. Now, he does not have that luxury. If he continues to do so, his team can go on a long losing streak and then fight the Red Sox for the wild-card.

The Rays made his job simply impossible.

The YES Network showed the faces of the Yankees players in their dugout late in the game. it represented a sad bunch. They realized they blew an opportunity to put this game away. They also understood how the Rays does not give up that easily.

It is something the Yankees can keep in mind come October.

These last two nights should also set a reminder for the Twins. The Twins prefer facing the Rays, but they are going to find out the Rays won’t be easy. For the Twins’ sake, they should not make the same mistake the Yankees made in underestimating the Rays.

The Yankees are finding out it does not pay to take the Rays lightly.

2010 Season record: 90-59

The final six games of the Yankees nine game road trip began in much the same manner the entire trip did- on the wrong side of the ledger.  After being swept by the Rangers in three games in Texas the Yankees headed to Tampa Bay for a big AL East showdown with the Rays.  After that it would be on to Baltimore to play the suddenly resurgent Orioles before heading home to face the Rays in the last homestand of the season.

Not every game is worth the price of admission, but the series opener in Tampa Bay was worth it and more.  A match up of Cy Young favorites CC Sabathia and David Price lived up to it’s hype.  The two matched zeroes for eight innings before turning things over to the bullpen.

Both teams had just four hits, but it was the last one that counted most.  Reid Brignac, who entered the game in the 10th after Carl Crawford was ejected, led off the bottom of the 11th with a game winning home run off of Sergio Mitre.  The win temporarily vaulted Tampa Bay over the Yankees and into first place in the AL East by a half-game.

There was no pitcher’s duel in site as the two teams met on Tuesday night.  The Yankees jumped all over Rays starter Matt Garza for a 6-0 lead behind home runs from Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano.  But rookie starter Ivan Nova got hammered in the 5th before he could qualify for the win.  Things then went from bad to worse; up 6-4 with two men aboard, Boone Logan served up a 3-run gopher ball to pinch-hitter Willy Aybar to put the Rays in front for the first time.

The Yankees still had a dog in the fight though and Cano quickly tied things up in the 6th with an RBI double.  Jorge Posada’s home run put the Yankees ahead in the 10th and led to a dramatic finish.  Carl Crawford led off the Rays’ half of the inning with a single off Mariano Rivera and stole second base with one away.  Matt Joyce lofted a lazy fly to shallow right that Greg Golson gloved and then  fired a laser beam one hopper to nail a surprised Crawford as he tried to tag up and advance to third.  Rodriguez made a nice scoop of the ball and tag for a game ending double play.  Just that quickly the Yankees were back in first place.  But how long would it last?

The series finale pitted Phil Hughes against “Big Game” James Shields, whose nickname only seemed to apply to games against the Yankees in 2010.  It continued Wednesday night when Shields, who had already beaten the Bombers twice this season, held them to one run over 6.1 innings.

Dan Johnson’s 2-run home run had given the Rays a 2-1 lead, but Curtis Granderson put the Yankees on top in the 7th when he launched a 2-run home run of his own.  The play was set up by a faked hit by pitch by Derek Jeter that made the rally possible.  Hughes was pitching one of his better games in a while, but Johnson came up and bit him again in the home half of the 7th, drilling another 2-run home run for a 4-3 lead that the Rays would not relinquish.

The Yankees arrived at Camden Yards back in second place with the Buck Showalter revived Orioles waiting for them.  The O’s had taken 2 of 3 from the Yankees at home the prior week and were just a 9th inning Nick Swisher home run away from a sweep.

Despite a strong outing from A.J. Burnett, who was sporting an unexplained black eye and swollen cheek, the Yankees’ malaise continued.  Home runs by Adam Jones and Robert Andino had given the Orioles a 3-1 lead entering the 9th inning.  Koji Uehara, who had surrendered Swisher’s game winner at Yankee Stadium, was brought in to close things out.  But Posada led off with a single and one batter later Granderson singled as well.  Uehara got a big out by getting Mark Teixeira to pop out for the second out of the inning, setting up a showdown with Rodriguez.

The Orioles and their fans though the game was over when A-Rod took a strike two pitch that just missed inside.  Given new life, the active career home run leader added to his total with a go-ahead 3-run blast into the left field seats.  Rivera took the O’s down in order in the 9th for a 4-3 win, that coupled with Tampa Bay’s loss to the Angels, put the Pinstriped crew once again into first place.

The middle game of the series was all about redemption with a personal boost for Yankees starter CC Sabathia.  The Yankees ace had one of his worst outings at home against the Orioles on 9/7, but this time pitched more like the Sabathia that was on the mound in Tampa.  The Yankees offense busted out of their slump with an 11 run output, that included home runs by Cano and Granderson, to help Sabathia pick up his 20th win for the first time in his major league career.  Final, Yankees 11 Orioles 3.

The Yankees went for the sweep on Sunday and appeared to be in good shape as Andy Pettitte made his first major league start since injuring his groin on July 18.  The southpaw looked as sharp as ever, limiting the Orioles to three hits over six innings and left the game with a 3-1 lead.

But after the Orioles cut the lead to 3-2, red hot Luke Scott hit a solo home run off Rivera in the 9th to send the game to extra innings.  The Yankees loaded the bases with one out in the 11th, but Mike Gonzalez got Lance Berkman to bounce into an inning ending double play.  The Orioles’ offense then took advantage against David Robertson.  Scott led off the bottom of the 11th with a double and quickly came home with the winning run when Ty Wiggington followed with a single to right-center.

The road trip finished 3-6 instead of 4-5, but the Yankees remained in first place after Tampa Bay lost to Los Angeles for the second time in three days.

Pinstriped Positives:

Despite having a very un-Derek Jeter like season, the Yankees captain topped 100 runs scored for the 13th time in his career and ended the road trip with an eight game hitting streak.

Kerry Wood continues to impress; since acquisition at the trade deadline, the hard throwing right-hander has allowed just one earned run in 23 innings pitched.

Alex Rodriguez was 11-33 (.333) on the nine game road swing with three home runs and 11 RBI.

Negatives:

Injuries have taken a toll on first baseman Mark Teixeira.  The always smiling Maryland native had been on a tear in the second half, but injured his thumb diving in Chicago on 8/29 and two days later broke his pinky toe when he was hit by a pitch against the A’s.  Teixeira has hit just .194 in the month of September and has slugged at just a .226 clip.

Mariano Rivera was suddenly human on the road trip, blowing two saves after converting 11 straight opportunities since July 4.  Though he would never use it as an excuse, Rivera hasn’t seemed quite right since manager Joe Girardi used him for two innings on 9/10 and brought him back the very next night.

What’s Next:

The Yankees finish up the season with their final homestand before hitting the road for the last time during the regular season.  They go head to head with Tampa Bay for four games before hosting Boston for a weekend trio of games.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

After watching three exhilarating games between both teams at Tropicana Field this week, baseball can not have enough of both teams facing each other.

It may not be Yankees-Red Sox, but it does not mean it is unwatchable. If anything, Yankees-Rays is better than watching that age-old rivalry.

When the Yankees and the Rays play each other, it is entertaining. It is rare both teams get outplayed when they play each other. Players find a way to step up, and both teams can come back to tie it after falling behind.

Count on good pitching when both teams play each other. That is a good thing. It makes the game watchable, and it reveals who come out strong in a tight game.

These three games exemplified why this series should be appreciated.

On Monday night, it was about pitching. CC Sabathia and David Price engaged in a pitching duel for eight innings. Not surprisingly, both drew no-decisions. It came down to the bullpen, and that’s where the Rays beat the Yankees.

The Rays used their best relievers while Joe Girardi decided to use his middle relievers in extra innings. The results were not an accident. Reid Brignac hit a game-winning home run off Yankees reliever Sergio Mitre to give the Rays a 1-0 victory.

One wondered how the game would fare if Girardi would use David Robertson or Joba Chamberlain in extra innings. It probably would keep the game scoreless, which is why Yankees fans questioned Girardi’s decision.

The Yankees manager explained he wanted to rest his best relievers after overusing them lately. From this writer’s perspective, that explanation came off lame. This was a case of him trying to prove what a genius he is by showing faith in his obscure relievers.

On Tuesday night, it was a slugfest. Ivan Nova started for the Yankees and Matt Garza started for the Rays. Neither pitchers pitched well, and they did not last long in that game. The Yankees scored six runs, but the Rays scored seven runs in the fifth inning to take a 7-6 lead.The Yankees came back to tie it at 7 in the sixth inning on Robinson Cano’s home run.

That game ended in extra innings again. Jorge Posada hit a game-winning home run in the tenth inning, but the Rays could have tied it if Carl Crawford did not run to third. Greg Golson threw the ball to Rodriguez, who tagged Crawford out to end the game.

On Wednesday night, it was about resilience.  The Yankees took a 1-0 lead, but the Rays responded with a two-run home run by Dan Johnson to take a 2 -1 lead. The Yankees regained the lead on a two-run blast by Curtis Granderson, which made it a 3-2 game. The Rays received another two-run dinger by Johnson to retake the lead at 4-3.

In boxing terms, both teams traded blows. In the end, it was the Rays that won the battle and won the war for this series.

It could have been easy for the Rays to be deflated after Derek Jeter tricked the umpire about being hit by pitch, which set the stage for Granderson to hit his home run. Whoever thought that has no clue about that team. There are always guys who find a way to get some runs after falling behind. They have done it all year, so there is no reason to think it should change now.

It is not an accident that both teams played each other well.  The Rays are 8-6 over the Yankees this season, and prior to this weekend series, the Rays took a 6-5 series lead. Games could have went either way. The Yankees had their chances to take the series lead this year.

When one looks at this matchup, it seems like it is a destiny both teams would face each other in the American League Championship Series.

They are the top two teams in baseball with due respect for the Twins and the Rangers. Despite injuries and struggles, both teams keep winning. It is not surprising both teams can not create a distance where they would get a breathing room in the division.

Both teams win almost every day. It says a lot about the talent and leadership. There is also something to be said about magic. Good things always seem to happen to them.

With the way both teams played each other all year, it would be a disappointment if they do not play each other in the second round.

The Yankees and the Rays feature drama that the Twins and the Rangers can not provide. Championship series should be about strong teams playing for a championship. It should not feature a team that got hot at the right time.

What is scary is both teams are capable of losing in the first round. The Yankees are going through injuries while the Rays do not have a deep starting rotation they used to enjoy. This could be problematic in a short series.

Here is another problem. For everyone anointing the Yankees and the Rays to the playoffs, the Red Sox showed they are not done just yet. They could crash in the postseason by going on a run that the Rockies are right now.

The Red Sox are six 1/2 games back in the division and six games in the wild card. Keep in mind the Red Sox have couple of meetings against the Yankees this month, so there is a good chance they could gain some games.

There is no question they received a boost after taking two of three against the Rays at Fenway last week.

It is going to be tough, but do not tell that to the Red Sox. They will not be fazed from that.

Next week’s Yankees-Rays matchup should tell who will win the division and who will fight out for the wild-card. Whoever takes three of four will have an edge to win the American League East.

Expect four games to live up to the hype. After all, why should it change now?

The hope is this is not the final time the Rays face the Yankees this year. What our national pastime needs is another serving of both teams in October.

Somehow, baseball fans will not have a problem with it.

2010 Season record: 87-56

Heading into last week the Yankees were 2.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Tampa Bay Rays and were starting to remind the league why they’re the defending champs.  However, the Yankees hot streak hit a major cold front that saw them drop 5 of 6 to the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers

The week’s play started against the suddenly competitive O’s. The Yankees sent AJ Burnett to the mound to oppose rookie Brian Matusz.  Burnett had a decent outing, four earned runs allowed in seven innings, but he did not pitch well enough.  The Orioles lineup slowly chipped away at the Yankees right-hander and won the game 4-3.  The loss did come with one bright spot; Alex Rodriguez hit a solo shot and added a sacrifice fly to give him his 13th straight 100 RBI season, tying a MLB record.

In Game 2, CC Sabathia took the mound looking for his 20th win of the season.  However, when the game was finished it was Baltimore starter Jake Arrieta who walked away with the win.  Sabathia didn’t have his best stuff and as a result got knocked around by the young Orioles’ offense.  Sabathia allowed three earned runs in the first frame and left the game in the 7^th inning with the Yankees trailing the O’s by four.  The Yankees offense struggled too, going 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and as a result the Bombers lost 6-2.

In the final game of the series, the Yankees squeaked out their only win of the week.  Ivan Nova took the mound for the Bombers and once again performed well- two earned runs allowed in six innings pitched.  However, the rookie left the game with the Yankees trailing the O’s 2-1.  Thankfully for him, the Yankees weren’t done. With a man on and two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Nick Swisher came up to the plate and crushed a Koji Uehara pitch for a game winning 2-run home run.  Thanks to Swisher’s timely blast the Yankees avoided being swept by the Orioles at home for the first time since 1986.

After losing two games out of three to the Orioles the Yankees traveled to Texas to take on the slumping (2-5) Rangers.  Javier Vazquez went for the Yankees in Game 1 and was rather ineffective against the strong Rangers’ lineup.  The inconsistent Yankees starter was hit hard and was charged with four earned runs in five innings.  Despite Vazquez’s rocky outing, the Yankees still managed to maintain a 5-4 lead late in the game. However, it didn’t last long, Rangers’ outfielder Nelson Cruz came up to bat in the 8th inning and hit a game tying homer on the first pitch he saw from Joba Chamberlain.  And then déjà vu all over again happened.  Cruz came up in the 13th inning and hit a walk off home run off of Yankees reliever Chad Gaudin.

In the second game of the series A.J. Burnett (4 IP) went up against young right-hander Tommy Hunter (5 IP).  The two pitchers allowed only two earned runs, but walked three batters each and struggled to keep two of the best lineups quiet.  A long rain delay drove both from the game early, which left things up to the respective bullpens.  The Yankees lineup tagged the Rangers’ relievers for four runs but it was the Rangers’ lineup once again that had the last laugh.  The Rangers scored five times off the Yankees bullpen and won the game in a very embarrassing fashion.  Ian Kinsler had already tied the game in the bottom of the 9th off the great Mariano Rivera when Jeff Francoeur stepped to the plate with the bases loaded.  Rivera hit Francoeur with the first pitch he threw to him to force in the winning run.

In the final game of the series the Yankees were hoping to take advantage of Cliff Lee, who due to a bad back, was making his first start in nearly two weeks.  The Yankees Dustin Moseley matched Lee pitch for pitch and the game was tied 1-1 going into the 7th inning.  However, Moseley’s success ended abruptly as he was tagged for three runs.  The Yankees couldn’t get to Lee enabling Texas to win 4-1 and complete a three game sweep over the Bombers.  Prior to the three game set, the Yankees were the only Major League team not to be swept in a road series all season.

Pinstripe Positives:

Andy Pettitte made his first rehab start for the Yankees AA affiliate in Trenton.  The veteran left-hander tossed four scoreless innings and allowed just a pair of hits..  Manager Joe Girardi said that Pettitte will make one more rehab start and Hopefully will return to the Yankees rotation on September 19th.

Lance Berkman’s bat has finally awoken.  The former Astros’ All-Star slugger is hitting .450 (9-20) in his last 10 games.

Alex Rodriguez’s bat is also starting to come around.  The All-Star third baseman is hitting .346 (9-26) with a home run and 8 RBI in his last 7 games.

Negatives:

Jorge Posada has really been having an off year; he is batting .256 with 17 homeruns and 52 RBIs so far this season.  Posada’s struggles have  no end in sight, the Yankees catcher is hitting .185 (5-27) in his last 10 games.

AL MVP candidate Robinson Cano has also been scuffling at the plate of late.  The Yankees second baseman is hitting .233 (10-43) with no homers and 5 RBI in his last 10 games.

What’s Next:

The Yankees will now travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays in a huge three game series.  After that, the Yankees will then travel to Baltimore for another three game series with the upstart Orioles.  These next six games may very well determine who sits atop the AL East at season’s end.

John Fetter is a regular Yankees contributor for Baseball Digest.  He can be reached at jfetter@sportstalk88.com.

Girardi has a tendency to over-manage in some games, under-manage in others.  Or in some cases, he pulls off the daily double of doing both in the very same game.  Last night’s loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, which dropped the Yankees into second place in the AL East, highlighted some of those questionable moves.

The game was a great one, a classic pitcher’s duel that actually lived up to the hype.  Top AL Cy Young contenders CC Sabathia and David Price matched zeros over eight tense innings.  Then the game went to the bullpens and things got interesting.

To begin with, a common theory among SABRmetrics folks, and one that I, a non-SABRmetric guy agree with to a point, is that you shouldn’t wait to use your closer in a road game.  Mariano Rivera should have been used in the game, lead or no lead.  He’s the Yankees best reliever and despite how Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland felt about it (I’ll get into that in a bit), this was a huge game.  The Yankees didn’t want to put Rivera in a position to pitch more than one inning and that’s fine.  It seemed to have an affect on his blown save on Saturday after throwing two innings on Sunday.  But use your best your reliever, hope you get a lead, and let someone else try to close it out.

Girardi first went to Kerry Wood to pitch the 9th inning and Wood was outstanding.  He needed just 11 pitches to retire the side in order, two of them by strikeout.  He should have worked a second inning, especially with David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain unavailable, but Girardi pulled him after the abbreviated one inning stint.

Next in line was lefty specialist Boone Logan.  He came on to start the 10th and struck out the left-handed hitting Carlos Pena.  And was pulled.  While Logan’s numbers against right-handed hitters aren’t nearly as good as they are against lefties, he’s no slouch.  It wasn’t like he was going to face Evan Longoria either.  Those future Hall of Fame members Sean Rodriguez (.257) and Dionner Navarro (.200) were the scheduled hitters.  Instead Girardi went to the second to last guy in his pen, Chad Gaudin, who did a fine job of striking out Rodriguez for the second out of the 10th.  Then he ran into trouble.  He walked Navarro, gave up a single to pinch-hitter Dan Johnson, and then walked B.J. Upton to load the bases.  To his credit, Gaudin came back and struck out pinch-hitter Brad Hawpe to temporarily save Girardi’s bacon.

After the Yankees blew a good scoring opportunity in the 11th, Girardi went to his magic bag of tricks, which in this case is his match up book, and called on Sergio Mitre  to start the bottom of the 11th.  Huge game, first place on the line, and Girardi goes to the guy who hasn’t pitched in eight days and is the last guy on the bench.  His night would last only six pitches.  His 3-2 delivery was crushed by Reid Brignac into the right field seats for a 1-0, game winning home run.  And just like that, the Yankees were in second place.

As for how big a game this was – this curious quote from Eiland, courtesy of the Star-Ledger’s Marc Carig: “We want to win the division,” he said. “We want best record. We want home field. So we’re not even thinking or considering the wild card. The wild card is kind of a consolation prize. We’re not into that.”

Then why did you make decisions as if the game wasn’t important?  Especially after having lost five of the last six games.  It’s clear the AL East will produce two playoff teams and Girardi played the game with that knowledge well in hand.

Getting back to Girardi’s magic match up book.  It really first came to light in last season’s ALCS.  Girardi seemed obsessed with it in some games and ignored it in others.  Kind of like the way he manages in general, over or under.    Game 3 saw the Yankees blow a 3-0 lead as Girardi mismatched the moves made by his counterpart Mike Scioscia.  Each time he was spotted by the Fox TV cameras checking his book.  Instead of a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, the Angels were suddenly back in it, down two games to one.  Girardi had made similar moves in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Minnesota Twins, but the Yankees won that one, albeit with some help from umpire Phil Cuzzi.

Game 5 of the ALCS was just the opposite for the Yankees skipper.  Possibly sensing that his match ups didn’t work in Game 3 (the Yankees won in a laugher in Game 4), Girardi basically sat on his hands in a 7-6 loss that sent the series back to New York.

Now, don’t get me wrong; the manager is not the guy throwing the pitches, swinging the bats, etc..  The Yankees have blown a number of offensive chances of late.  Pinch-runner Brett Gardner pulled a rock in last night’s game.  He stole second base with two outs in the 10th, but then got greedy and tried to steal third.  Unnecessarily. Stupidly.  And just like that a Yankees possible rally was dead.

But the manager is the guy to make the decisions and Joe Girardi better start making better ones or he and the Yankees won’t have a home field advantage for any playoff series this post-season.

Drew Sarver is the Yankees content editor and contributor  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.