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Club Signs 17-year-old Dominican

The Astros offered arbitration to Valverde, who is classified as a Type A free agent, on December 1st. "It would have been nice for the certainty aspect if Jose had accepted," Wade said. "That being said, we still have the ability to see if we can get something done. We’re not closing the door on that opportunity."

Last night, the New York Yankees made history by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the World Series to capture their record 27th World Championship. It is the Yankees’ first championship in nine years. The significance of the Yankees’ victory cannot be overstated. With their 27th championship, the Yankees have reaffirmed their place as the most dominant franchise in professional sports. More importantly, the Yankees have destroyed the curse of Hillary Clinton. On October 26, 2000, the New York Yankees were on top of the world. They had just defeated a cute little team from the outer boroughs,...

A step down from the Nobel, but just as deserving.

Reporting from New York - The grand opening year for the new Yankee Stadium concluded in grand fashion, in the only way the New York Yankees know how. In 1923, the inaugural season for the old Yankee Stadium, the Yankees won the World Series in six games, with three home runs from Babe Ruth. In 2009, the Yankees won the World Series in six games, with three home runs from Hideki Matsui. In what could have been the final game of his career with the Yankees, Matsui homered and drove in six runs, lifting New York to a 7-3 victory...

Pedro vs Andy

Is there a thread yet??? Couldn't find it... Top of the second, still scoreless...

Yanks already out in front... ARod just got hit and man, that almost looked intentional...

Thread for game 2 of the Series

Okay, here we go. Can the Phillies repeat? Now that she is no longer the junior senator, do the Yankees break "The Hillary Curse"? YOUTUBE SING-ALONG --- THE HILLARY CURSE

A self-described “desperate blonde” was arrested after she attempted to trade sex for World Series tickets, police said. Susan Finkelstein, a 43-year-old Philadelphia woman, took out an ad on the website Craigslist declaring her wish for seats at the "Fall Classic." “Desperate Blonde Needs WS Tix,” the title of the ad read, according to police. Police who viewed the ad apparently believed Finkelstein went into foul territory when she described what she’d be willing to do for the tickets. “Diehard Phillies fan – gorgeous tall buxom blonde – in desperate need of two World Series tickets,” the ad went on....

NEW YORK — A position-by-position look at the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees going into the World Series, starting Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium: ___ First Base Phillies: Ryan Howard. The NL championship series MVP was downright fearsome in the first two playoff rounds, batting .355 with two homers, 14 RBIs, four doubles, a triple and seven walks. All that after hitting 45 home runs and tying for the major league lead with 141 RBIs during the regular season. One of baseball's premier sluggers, the 2006 NL MVP lost 40 pounds last offseason and became a much better all-around...

The Houston Astros have hired Brad Mills from the Boston Red Sox as their new manager....

"I can't push this enough," Mark McGwire said addressing his Cardinals' players. "Steroids help you hit." McGwire, former Home Run King, will return to the St. Louis Cardinals as their new hitting coach, and he has a simple slogan: "Get Big...Illegally" McGwire proceeded to pull a Mike Singletary during his meeting and pull down his pants revealing his testicles had disappeared. "Would you rather have big balls or hit the balls big?" McGwire asked. The Cardinals players seemed to take to the slogan and clearly so did management. "I'm on board," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "Cheating is the...

Transit system workers in Philadelphia voted to authorize a union strike Sunday, less than a week before the Phillies play their first home game of the World Series, but a transit spokesman said he hopes a deal can be concluded before then. Willie Brown, president of the Transport Workers Union Local 234, said the 4,700 workers voted overwhelmingly to allow him to call a strike if negotiations with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority fail. Talks are slated to resume Monday. Brown said he hoped a walkout would not affect the series, but he said workers have been without a contract...

CLEVELAND (AP)—The Cleveland Indians hired Manny Acta to be their manager, giving him the job about three months after he was fired by the Washington Nationals. Acta signed a three-year contract with a club option for 2013, Indians spokesman Bart Swain said Sunday. Additional terms were not disclosed. “I am very excited to become part of the Cleveland Indians family,” Acta said. “I look forward to working with this talented group of young men who seem to possess a lot of energy and passion for their work.” The Indians chose Acta after a second interview over former New York Mets...

PHILLIES WON!!!!

A thread for the remainder of the 2009 ALCS (Angels, Yankees) and NLCS (Phillies, Dodgers)

If nothing else, little-known Manny Acta, the first of four finalists for the Indians' managing job, has a strong grip on reality. "Every team wants Tony La Russa or Joe Torre to walk through the door and manage their team," said Acta. "The reality is these jobs don't go to guys like that. They go to guys like me." Thus, the job of managing the rebuilding Indians will go to Acta — or to one of three guys like him. Two guys who won't be walking through the door — in addition to La Russa and Torre — are former...

As fans of the Yankees have had much to enjoy this October -- from the Alex Rodriguez resurgence to the first classic games at the new Yankee Stadium -- it has been a difficult month for fans of the Mets. Sure, the break from seeing one Met after another fall to the ground in pain has been welcome. But what pleasure can a National League New York fan get watching the Mets' primary in-division rival head inexorably toward a battle with the team's primary in-city rival? The answer is a simple one: the broadcasting of Dodgers announcer Vin Scully. With...

ALCS Yankees-Angels Sat night, NLCS Phillies-Dodgers Sat night. Talk about 'em here. Going in: Yankees lead Angels 1 game to none, Phils and Dodgers are tied at a game apiece. From 40 degree (wind chill 25) NYC to 93 degree LA, it's baseball's league championship series.

Tynan: "I was too stupid with my mouth"Irish tenor Ronan Tynan is belting out red-faced apologies today for alleged anti-Semitic remarks he made to a Jewish doctor looking at an apartment in his East Side building -- comments, he said, that were merely a joke. Famous for singing "God Bless America" at Yankee stadium, "Ave Maria" at the funeral of Ronald Reagan and songs for Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Tynan is now striking a chord of penitence and reconciliation. "It was stupid of me to be so callous, and I would never want to hurt anybody's feelings," Tynan told NBC New...

...Game 1 of the NLCS pits Cole Hamels and the Philadelphia Phillies against Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers in a match-up of dynamic young lefties. Both teams boast powerful offenses to challenge those starters. ... Two big questions loom over Game 1, and in this series: Will Joe Torre do what Jim Tracy wouldn’t? Ryan Howard went 6-for-12 vs right-handed pitchers and 0-for-4 vs. lefties in the Phillies’ first-round series. Over the course of his career, he’s put up Hall of Fame numbers vs. righties and utility-infielder numbers vs. lefties. Yet time and time again, Rockies manager Jim...

During Friday's playoff game at Yankee Stadium, Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins hit an 11th-inning fly ball down the left-field line that landed clearly fair, a foot inside the line. As millions looked on, umpire Phil Cuzzi, who was standing just 10 feet away, fixed his eyes on the spot and gave his signal: Foul. This blown call wasn't the only reason the Twins lost the game. They were eventually swept by the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series. But all anyone could talk about was Mr. Cuzzi's gaffe. Once again in baseball's postseason, a spate...

Last year, the Dodgers were on the high of Mannymania as they entered the National League Championship Series and LA fans felt invincible. The Phillies had good pitching, but the Dodgers were hot — the World Series seemed easily within reach. The Phillies won in five games and went on to win the World Series. The Dodgers went home. This year, the two teams meet again in the Championship Series and for the Dodgers, revenge is a dish best served… really, it doesn’t matter how it’s served as long as it’s served to Philadelphia. And these Dodgers are better equipped...

Another insult to long suffering Chicago Cubs fans. ----- WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The Chicago Cubs are seeking Chapter 11 protection, a step that will allow its corporate parent to hand the team to new owners. The team filed for bankruptcy in Delaware on Monday. The move was anticipated as the Tribune Co. looks to complete an $845 million sale of the team, Wrigley Field and related properties to the family of billionaire Joe Ricketts. Tribune, which also owns the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, filed for bankruptcy protection in December, but the Cubs were not included in...

WILMINGTON, Del. - The Chicago Cubs baseball team filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, a step that will allow its corporate parent to sell the team in an $845 million deal. The filing in Wilmington, Del., was anticipated and is expected to lead to a brief stay in Chapter 11 for the Cubs. It comes as part of the Tribune Co.’s plans to sell the team, Wrigley Field and related properties to the family of billionaire Joe Ricketts, the founder of Omaha, Neb.-based TD Ameritrade.

How Sweep It Is: Angels Exorcise Demons, Defeat Boston in Playoffs by Johnathan Kroncke Scribe Written on October 11, 2009 BOSTON - OCTOBER 11: The Angels were beaten. They had to be. Down 5-2 in the eighth inning and facing two stellar relievers lined up to close the game, they could only look to tomorrow and a Game Four match-up between Joe Saunders and Jon Lester. Or at least, that's what it looked like. But appearances can be deceiving. Once again, I must defer to the great linguist Yogi Berra who famously declared, “It ain't over 'till it's over.” Unbelievably,...

Vladimir Guerrero and the Los Angeles Angels shrugged off their postseason failures and swept the Boston Red Sox out of the playoffs.

Top 9th: LA Angels - B. Abreu doubled to left, E. Aybar scored, C. Figgins to third - V. Guerrero singled to shallow center, C. Figgins and B. Abreu scored, T. Hunter to second

Join in here to talk about today's playoff games. All times Eastern: Angels at Red Sox 12:07, Yankees at Twins 7:07 pm, Phillies at Rockies 10:07 Dodgers won entry to the NLCS yesterday.

How the West Was Won: My Boys from the 'Hood....:-)

Dodgers Win division series (Vanity)

Snow Shuts Down Game 3 for Phillies, Rockies Those with tickets can use them for Sunday's game By ARNIE STAPLETON and ASHA BEH Updated 12:45 PM EDT, Sat, Oct 10, 2009 Shutterstock The weather gurus were right. It's cold and snowy in Denver. And Game 3 of the Philadelphia Phillies-Colorado Rockies playoff on Saturday night has been postponed because of it. A cold front moved into Denver overnight, dropping temperatures into the teens with record lows for the date. Coors Field was covered with a thin layer of snow and ice Saturday morning and flurries were expected to continue through...

With the series between the Rockies and Phillies tied at a game apiece, Game 3 has been rescheduled for Sunday at 8:07 p.m. MT. Game 4 has been moved to Monday, with game time to be announced prior to the start of Sunday's contest. Snow began falling Friday night in the Denver metro area as the temperature dropped to 17 degrees in the Mile High City overnight, breaking the record low of 25 for the date, set in 1905. Coors Field was blanketed in snow by Saturday morning, and the white stuff was expected to keep coming down into the...

MLB announced today that there was no need for a Series and all the carbon emissions it would generate as Obama had announced his intention to win the series. "We all know he accomplishes everything he puts his mind to, including citizenship, so the Commissioner figured awarding the Series to Him now would help with MLB's required reduction of greenhouse gasses," said source close to MLB.

...Caray became TBS's lead voice two years ago, the network's first as a playoffs rights-holder. He immediately made it clear that he knows his baseball . . . expressions. He's like an interpreter who can speak with a French accent but doesn't know French...

LOS ANGELES -- The game turned on the glove of the left fielder, and we're not talking about Manny Ramirez. St. Louis' Matt Holliday dropped James Loney's slicing line drive with two outs in the bottom of the ninth that would have ended the game. With the reprieve, Ronnie Belliard singled off Ryan Franklin to tie the score and pinch-hitter Mark Loretta singled home Casey Blake for a stunning 3-2 Dodgers win over the Cardinals in Game 2 of the NL Division Series. In the winning rally, Holliday's error was followed by a Blake walk, Belliard's RBI single, a passed...

The game has started, and you can watch it LIVE on TBS right now!

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― A worker has died in the press box at Dodger Stadium. Team spokesman Josh Rawitch said the man died of apparent natural causes Tuesday, a day before the start of the NL playoff series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers. Rawitch said the man was not a Dodgers employee, but could not provide further details. The Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals were working out on the field when the death occurred.

Yankees v. Twins. Game 1 ALDS

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TWINS WIN!!!TWINS WIN!!!TWINS WIN!!!TWINS WIN!!!TWINS WIN!!!TWINS WIN!!!TWINS WIN!!!TWINS WIN!!!

NEW YORK (AP)—Andy Pettitte and the New York Yankees wrapped up the AL East title and home-field advantage throughout the postseason with a neat bow, beating the Boston Red Sox 4-2 Sunday for their 100th win of the year. Hideki Matsui’s go-ahead single in the sixth inning energized the damp fans and put them on notice that a party was coming. The first real celebration at the new Yankee Stadium began with a most familiar scene—Mariano Rivera(notes) on the mound, closing out another clinching victory.

Just saw the tail end of the Sotomayor throwing out the pitch to Molina. I wonder if she underhanded it? Any video?

Major League Baseball (MLB), the Houston Astros, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) broke ground yesterday on the Houston Astros MLB Urban Youth Academy at Sylvester Turner Park in a special ceremony. MLB Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Jimmie Lee Solomon, Houston Astros President of Business Operations Pam Gardner and current and former Astros players were on-hand with State Representative Sylvester Turner, Houston Parks and Recreation Department Director Joe Turner and other local dignitaries to inaugurate the future site of the second MLB Urban Youth Academy, which will provide year-round free baseball and softball instruction to local...

Derek Jeter galloped ahead of the Iron Horse last night, passing Yankees legend Lou Gehrig for the team's all-time hits record and giving Bombers fans around the Big Apple a major league thrill. "Awesome!" said Kathy Leogrande, 63, of Long Island, who was among the 46,771 excited fans who watched the record fall. "This is the best thing that has happened to this city in a long time."

2722 Damn Yankees. :)

NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter has tied Lou Gehrig's franchise record on Wednesday night, and he did in his own vintage style. Jeter lined a first pitch fastball from Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann down the right field line, tying Lou Gehrig's mark of 2,721 hits as a Yankee. Jeter reached first base to the roars of the crowd, who have been counting down to the occasion. Jeter raised his helmet twice and pointed toward the stands, all as fans chanted "Jeter! Jeter!". He is one hit away from breaking the record that has stood for more than 70 years.