Justin Verlander vs. CC Sabathia: Welcome to the 2011 Postseason

Update: The game was suspended due to torrential downpours in the second inning. Play will resume Saturday night at 8:37pm ET.

It's starting to get cold up in here here. The leaves are falling, the flowers are dying, and birds are literally getting the hell out of Dodge.

That can mean only one thing: it's time for some playoff baseball.

And what better way to warm up on a Friday night than to watch the American League Division Series between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees? Exactly. There is no better way. Especially when you'll have Justin Verlander pitted against CC Sabathia, two of the premiere aces in the AL.

Verlander, who went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts during the regular season, is all but a lock for this season's Cy Young Award. Meanwhile, Sabathia is a career 15-12 with a 4.84 ERA against Detroit, after spending much of his career in the AL Central with the Cleveland Indians.

None of that really makes a difference at this point though. It's like a whole new season, a clean slate with everyone's numbers reset to zeros. The last time these two teams met in the postseason was back in 2006, when the Tigers ended up winning the AL pennant. Any predictions?

As if this Whole Mess is Terry Francona's Fault

According to several sources, including Ken Rosenthal, Terry Francona and the Boston Red Sox will be parting ways this offseason, which began some time Thursday morning when Sawx Nation woke up and realized this was all not just a bad dream, and they indeed had missed the playoffs.

The decision to let Francona go was on the shoulders of principal owner John Henry, who has apparently seen enough over the past month. He would not be fired, rather the club would simply not pick up his 2012 and '13 option.

Of course, now that Ozzie Guillen has left the Chicago White Sox to spend the next four seasons with the Miami Marlins, there is some speculation that Francona could take the job on the South Side, since he already managed five seasons with their minor-league system in the early 1990s. Speaking of Chicago, Mike Quade is bound to get canned, so there's a possibility Tito could end up on the North Side as well.

In what has been deemed one of the worst collapses in the history of baseball, Boston and their $161 million payroll (third highest in the majors) dropped 20 of their 27 final games due to a lethal combination of untimely injuries, crappy pitching, lethargic offense, and perhaps even some mismanagement. Yes, 2011 was a complete failure.

General manager Theo Epstein said, "nobody blames Tito for what happened in September. That would be totally irresponsible and totally short-sighted."

Totally.

Holy Crap, Wild Card Wednesday Was Nuts

What a finish to baseball's regular season, the greatest show on dirt. That was literally the most exciting night of baseball we have ever witnessed in our entire lives. Sincerely hope you got to see at least one of these games.

The Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox polished off their respective collapses while the Tampa Bay Rays made the most improbable comeback of their young franchise's history. Also, Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals plowed through the Houston Astros like they had the worst record in baseball... oh, wait.

Guys like Nolan Reimold and Robert Andino, who forced Jonathan Papelbon's soon-to-be infamous blown save, are maybe the last two names you'd expect to hear today. Maybe, if you're living outside of Baltimore, you have no clue who the hell they are. They're spoilers. Season-enders. Game-changers for a day.

Many Red Sox fans, already disappointed with Carl Crawford's once-promising season in Beantown, may want to kick him in the nuts today after his disgraceful, missed catch on Andino's low liner to end the game. Pure laziness. David Ortiz summed it all up in his post-game interview:

"Umm....this is... this might be the worst situation that I have ever been involved in, in my whole career."

Then there's Evan Longoria, who enjoyed a two-home run evening -- one being quite possibly the biggest walkoff bomb of his career -- at Tropicana Field as his Rays rallied from a 7-0 deficit in the eighth inning. And Dan Johnson. Batting .183 on the year and the last guy you want at the plate when your team is down to their last strike of the season in the bottom of ninth, goes yard to tie it up and give Tampa a shot at October.

Fear Not Braves Fans, Chipper Jones to Return in 2012

In case you were in panic mode that Chipper Jones might change his mind about finishing out the three-year, $42 million contract extension he signed back in 2009, you can calm the hell down.

The long-time Atlanta Braves third baseman reiterated his intention to stick it out through the 2012 season Wednesday night after his team polished off their epic collapse to lose the National League Wild Card bid.

Upon a more-than-disappointing 2010 season in which he hinted at retirement while limited to just 95 games due to injury, the 39-year-old Jones bounced back in 2011. Although he was hurt more this year, he was named to the NL All-Star team for the seventh time in his 18-year career and finished the season batting .275 with 18 homers and 70 RBI over 126 games.

Jones, set to make $13 million next season with a $7 million team option for 2013, had these words of wisdom to close out the 2011 season:

Miguel Cabrera Earns First American League Batting Title

Miguel Cabrera enjoyed a 2-for-4 night to wrap up the American League batting title in his AL Central-Champion Detroit Tigers' 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night.

Cabrera led off the sixth inning with a bloop single to right field before sending a double sailing down the left-field line in his next at bat to clinch the batting crown. I'd like to believe that even if he hadn't gone hitless in his first two at-bats, he would still have finished the game like he's responsible for doing as a team player. Unlike some selfish, stat-padding, batting champs we know.

The 28-year-old first baseman finished the season hitting .344, six points ahead of Texas Rangers outfielder Michael Young and Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, both polishing off the year with a .338 average. Valiant effort, fellas. Cabrera had this to say about his achievement:

"It feels great. I got a couple hits. The only thing I haven't had in my career -- a batting title."

Jose Reyes Wins NL Batting Title, Leaves Game Early

Jose Reyes is your 2011 National League Batting Champion.

The New York Mets shortstop hit a bunt single in the bottom of the first inning of his team's 3-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday, and promptly removed himself from the game to a chorus of boos in order to keep his 2-point lead over Ryan Braun in the NL batting race intact.

Braun, who would have either had to go 3-for-3 or 3-for-4 to edge Reyes, ended up with an 0-for-4 night instead during his Milwaukee Brewers 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nice try pal, but we still totally love you. Besides, at least your team is going to the playoffs. Matt Kemp was vying for the batting title as well as the NL Triple Crown a little bit ago, but he totally blew it.

Anyway, I'm not too impressed with Reyes' leaving the game early just to call himself the batting champ. Something seems super lame about that. Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson (who apparently is a bit testy on Twitter) thinks so as well:

Ozzie Guillen to Manage Miami Marlins and Their Stupid New Logo

Update: The Miami Marlins logo has been leaked via Twitter (how else?) and fans are having mixed emotions about it. We think it's lame, but don't really give a crap either way.

I guess we all pretty much knew already that Ozzie Guillen, upon his parting with the Chicago White Sox Monday evening, would end up managing the Miami Marlins next season... we just weren't sure when it would be announced.

The club, who handed Guillen a four-year, $10 million contract, wasted little time in making the reunion public, introducing the team to their new manager just hours before their final game at Tropicana Field Wednesday. Marlins owner Jeff Loria is not concerned in the least about the outspoken skipper "ruffling any feathers" upon his arrival in Florida:

John Krasinski and Alec Baldwin: Ninth-Inning Pressure

Not everyone can handle the pressure in the ninth inning... especially if you have to pee.

Braves Drop into Tie with Cardinals for NL Wild Card

“It's like living out a bad dream... You never expect this to happen to you."
-- Chipper Jones

The Atlanta Braves are in the middle of an absolute free fall. In fact, they're all but giving the National League Wild Card to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Derek Lowe struggled once again, surrendering five runs on five hits and exiting in the fifth inning to a chorus of boos from the home crowd at Turner Field during his team's 7-1 loss to the NL East-champion Philadelphia Phillies. Atlanta has now lost four straight and eight of 11, squandering the 8 1/2-game lead they enjoyed just three weeks ago.

Chase Utley, Hunter Pence, and Jimmy Rollins each went yard as the Phillies totally screwed up the Braves plans. They never even had a shot against Roy Oswalt, who gave up only three hits over six solid innings. Atlanta will send Tim Hudson to the mound Wednesday against Joe Blanton in an attempt to wrap up the Wild Card if they emerge victorious and the Cardinals manage to drop their final game of the season.

After rallying from a 5-0 deficit to crush the last-place Houston Astros 13-6, the Cardinals pulled even with the Braves, who had sole possession of the Wild Card lead since June 20. All good things must come to an end I suppose.

Red Sox and Rays Both Victorious, Wild Card Still Tied

If you watched any of the Boston Red Sox game against the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday night, we hope you caught the Adam Jones at bat in the bottom of the ninth inning with two out and a man on second. What an attention whore.

After ten agonizing pitches, Jonathan Papelbon eventually got Jones to ground out on a slider and end the game. The 8-7 victory, combined with the Tampa Bay Rays' 5-3 win over the New York Yankees, allowed the Red Sox to stay alive another day in the American League Wild Card hunt.

Boston went yard four times in the evening, including two homers off the bat of adorable rookie catcher Ryan Lavarnway. The Yale philosophy major who never even played a big league game before this August, nailed a three-run shot in the fourth before adding a solo shot for good measure to give his team an 8-4 lead in the eighth. The O's tried to rally late in the game, but Papelboner was having none of that.

The Red Sox will send workhorse Jon Lester to the mound on three days' rest to face Alfredo Simon in the season finale Wednesday night in an effort to punch their fourth ticket to the postseason in five years.

Rays Win, Red Sox Lose, AL Wild Card All Tied Up

With only two games remaining in the regular season, the American League Wild-Card is all knotted up between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.

Boston found yet another way to lose a ballgame Monday evening, squandering their one-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays with a 6-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. This marks their 17th failure in 22 games, creating a giant sucking sound out of Beantown.

Josh Beckett started for Boston and ended up surrendering seven runs on six hits over six innings, losing to the Orioles for the second time in less than a week. Ouch. An attempted rally in the eighth was thwarted when the Red Sox loaded the bases with one out, missing the opportunity when Pedro Strop struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia (who was hit in the throat with a foul ball in the bottom half of the inning) and retired Marco Scutaro on a grounder to end the threat.

The Red Sox must win their final two games, and at worst, back into the postseason by winning a one-game playoff against the Rays. That would be the most exciting scenario, of course, but either way they control their own destiny. Former Oriole Erik Bedard will face his old team Tuesday night against rookie left-hander Zach Britton, who has a career 10.80 ERA against the Red Sox over two games this season. Looking good for Boston.

Phillies Beat Braves for Win No. 100, Cardinals Lose

The Atlanta Braves were enjoying an early two-tun lead against Cliff Lee Monday night, but the postseason-bound Philadelphia Phillies did what they do best, rallying for their 100th victory of the season with a 4-2 win.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals managed to lose to the last-place Houston Astros 5-4 on a crazy squeeze bunt in the 10th inning, leaving Atlanta's Wild-Card lead at one game over St. Louis. The Braves are on quite the skid at this point, dropping their third straight and seventh of their last 10 for a 9-16 September record with just two games left in the regular season.

This marks the third time in franchise history that the Phillies have earned 100 victories, so that's pretty neat for them. Derek Lowe, who has struggled recently, will pitch for the Braves Tuesday evening against Roy Oswalt while Jake Westbrook (12-9, 4.48 ERA) takes the hill for the Cards against rookie right-hander Henry Sosa, who has never faced St. Louis in real life. Good luck buddy!

[MLB]

Ozzie Guillen Has Managed His Last White Sox Game

Update: Ozzie has indeed been released from his contract with the White Sox after going 678-617 over eight seasons at the helm. Pitching coach Don Cooper will manage the team for the final two games of the season. Though negotiations with the Marlins had been in the making since last year, a deal never materialized, so Guillen isn't quite sure where he'll end up at this point. So long Ozzie, the American League Central will miss you!

Ozzie Guillen had a sit-down with board chairman Jerry Reinsdorf prior to his Chicago White Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays Monday afternoon, perhaps to negotiate a way to stay on the South Side.

However, according to a ton of sources, the Sox and Florida Marlins are about to complete a deal that would send Guillen to Miami, putting an end to his (always exciting) eight-year stay with the club who raised him as a shortstop for 13 seasons before giving him a World Series Championship in 2005 as a second-year manager. As far as the details of the meeting, Guillen had this to say afterward:

Clayton Kershaw Wants the NL Cy Young Award

Clayton Kershaw has made quite a compelling case for the National League Cy Young Award.

Winning his 21st game of the season Sunday with a 6-2 Los Angeles Dodgers victory over the San Diego Padres, the lefty all but clinched the NL pitching Triple Crown. He leads the league with a 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts, with just 54 walks on the season and a 21-5 record, tied with Ian Kennedy for wins. What a badass.

Boston Red Sox Cling to One-Game Wild Card Lead

The Boston Red Sox are hanging on for dear life to their one-game lead in the American League Wild Card race.

Thanks to a Jacoby Ellsbury three-run shot with two out in the 14th inning, his Red Sox managed to beat the AL East champion New York Yankees 7-4 during Sunday's doubleheader nightcap after dropping the opener. The outfielder is batting .322 on the season with 31 homers and 103 RBI with 38 stolen bases as well. God, that's sexy.

Cardinals Pull Within One Game of Braves for Wild Card

Exactly a month ago, the St. Louis Cardinals were staring down an autumn without a postseason. Now, in the last week of the season, they have pulled within one game of the Atlanta Braves for the National League Wild Card with just three games to play after Sunday's 3-2 win over those good old fashioned Spoilers, the Chicago Cubs.

Skipper Tony La Russa and the entire team decided to don Hawaiian t-shirts before the game in a showing of unity... I'm not sure I get that, but I guess it's kind of like the Tampa Bay Rays sporting their Rayhawks back in 2008. Whatever happened to old school superstisions like not washing your jock strap or eating turkey sandwiches before every game?

Diamondbacks Win NL West, Giants Fail Miserably

After a pair of 90-loss seasons and just a year after going 65-97, the Arizona Diamondbacks are sitting an impressive 91-66 and heading to the playoffs as the division champions for the first time in four years.

In his first full season as manager, Kirk Gibson watched in amazement as his team celebrated on the field, in the clubhouse, and of course, in the pool out behind the right field fence. Sadly, they still had their uniforms on.

Time Machine: Brewers Win First Division Since 1982

It's been so long since the Milwaukee Brewers won a division title, that the last time they did -- back in 1982 -- was the same year that Cal Ripken, Jr. began his streak of 2,632 consecutive Major League Baseball games played. Yep, some of you weren't even born yet.

Between Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun on Friday night, nothing was going to stop the Brewers from taking home the National League Central title... except maybe the St. Louis Cardinals beating the Chicago Cubs. But those Cubbies did what they do best in September: play the spoiler.

Rangers Keep AL West Crown, Sip on Ginger Ale

While the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks soaked each other in champagne after clinching their respective division titles at home Friday night, the Texas Rangers did no such thing.

Upon winning the American League West for the second straight season, the Rangers sprayed ginger ale all over the clubhouse, saluting their non-alcoholic beverages in the air in respect to their alcoholic teammate, Josh Hamilton. Now that's love.

Texas did their recovering buddy the same solid last season after winning the ALDS before eventually heading to the World Series, where they lost to the San Francisco Giants, who totally blew it recently.

Online Casinos Elite - a Great Resource for Online Casino Players

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For starters, you can rest assured that on playing online casino they stand to get several offers. These can be in form reload promo. If players benefit from this reloads promo, they stand a high chance of being given 60 days before their bonuses are releases. In addition, they stand a chance of earning points at any real money games being offered by the online casino.

Jason Bateman: in October the Walls Always Close in

Back by popular demand, here is the hilarious and adorable Jason Bateman, in his second MLB on TBS Postseason commercial. This time, from an elevator.

In case you missed the first ad where Bateman compares baseball to dating, check it out here.

Manny Seeks Reinstatement After Ban from Winter Ball

Manny Ramirez will not be allowed to play winter ball over in the Dominican Republic this offseason.

The reason? Mr. Cheaterpants never did serve a suspension, nor did he contest his positive drug test earlier this year. And with Major League Baseball's agreement with the Dominican League, they have all the power to stop him.

This according to a person speaking anonymously since the news hasn't been announced publicly: The Cibao Eagles, a Dominican winter league team Ramirez played with in 1993-94, claimed this week he was expected to start training with the club soon. However, MLB and the Players Association have decided he's ineligible.

Jason Bateman Postseason Commercial: Not in October

Not that Jason Bateman could ever strike out with us, but we found this commercial for the impending postseason rather entertaining. October Baseball is on it's way!

Yankees Clinch Yet Another Playoff Berth

As Mariano Rivera earned his 603rd career save a day after becoming Major League Baseball's all-time saves leader, his New York Yankees punched their third straight ticket to the playoffs with a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday. In fact, this marks their 16th playoff berth in 17 seasons.

If anything, the 94-60 Yankees are awfully consistent. The worst they could do at this point is become the American League Wild-Card, with their magic number to win the AL East for the 12th time in 16 years at two. It's not even a big deal anymore. No hip bumps on the field or champagne in the clubhouse. Just their targets set dead on a 28th World Championship.

Mariano Rivera is the New All-Time MLB Saves Leader

After pitching a perfect ninth inning, Mariano Rivera stood on the mound at Yankees Stadium and blew a kiss to the cheering crowd of 40,045 fans -- the smallest in the stadium's three year history.

Rivera, shutting the door on his New York Yankees’ 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins, became the new all-time saves leader after recording his 602nd career save on Monday. The 41-year-old closer put down Trevor Plouffe, Michael Cuddyer, and Chris Parmelee in order to snap Trevor Hoffman’s mark set before his retirement last season.

J.T. Snow to Host Charity Golf Classic in October

J.T. Snow is hosting a charity golf event next month, and we think you should check it out.

The first annual JSY Golf Classic, hosted by the (adorable) former San Francisco Giants Gold-Glove first baseman will be held Monday, October 24, 2011 at the beautiful Blackhawk Country Club Lakeside Course in Danville, CA, home of the LPGA Tour CVS Pharmacy Challenge.

Justin Verlander is Out of Control

Just two days after his Detroit Tigers clinched the American League Central title for the first time since 1987, Justin Verlander became the first pitcher in nine years to reach 24 wins.

Completing his 12th straight victory in as many starts, the high-velocity ace improved to 24-5 with his team's 3-0 win over the Oakland Athletics Sunday, lowering his ERA to 2.29 with a total of 244 strikeouts on the season. You think that's good? He has a 2.28 ERA with 91 K's in 87 innings over his streak. Surrendering just three measly hits over eight impeccable innings, Verlander extended his scoreless streak to 17 innings.

The San Francisco Giants are on a Roll

The San Francisco Giants extended their winning streak to seven games Saturday night after their 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies, inching them a half-game closer to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West.

The Giants are now just five games behind the Diamondbacks, having gained 4 1/2 games on them in just a week. They're also five games behind the Atlanta Braves and trail the St. Louis Cardinals by a half game in the NL Wild-Card race. Things should get pretty interesting when the reigning World Series champions end this month in Arizona for three games before heading back home to take on the Rockies again.

Anything can happen!

[San Francisco Chronicle]

Phillies Clinch National League East, Business as Usual

Nothing to see here folks. It's just the Philadelphia Phillies fifth straight division title. Carry on.

(Good for you, Hunter Pence.)

[Phillies Nation]

Ryan Braun Becomes 30-30 Player, Way Hotter Now

We've always found Ryan Braun rather attractive. In fact, we included him in our Real Top 10 Hottest Baseball Players list from 2009... we're gonna have to update that soon.

But in all honesty, a smokin' hot bat is always sexier than a smokin' hot body. Take Tony Gwynn, for example. Eight National League batting titles makes for a dead sexy bat.

Braun became only the second player in Milwaukee Brewers history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a single season Friday night during his team's 6-3 win over Cincinnati, which also mathematically eliminated the Reds from playoff contention. Double whammy.

Detroit Tigers Finally Win the American League Central

Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Simpsons cartoon first appears as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show.

Michael Jackson releases his hit album Bad.

The year was 1987 and it was the last time the Detroit Tigers enjoyed a division title... some of you weren't even born yet.

Kung Fu Panda: Hitting for the Cycle is Hard

Pablo Sandoval, in all of his 260-pound glory, hit for the cycle Thursday night in his team's 8-5 win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field to mark their fifth straight win.

Kung Fu Panda completed the 25th cycle in Giants history with a two-run shot in the first inning off Jhoulys Chachin, a single in the second, a double in the fifth, and finally, a two-out triple in the sixth completed by an awesome head-first dive. Ridiculous.

While Sandoval's weight has been the main topic of conversation this season -- considering he dropped 45 pounds of lard in the offseason and gained most of it back already -- this is definitely a newsworthy story.

Panda had this to say about his rare feat:

"I was tired, but I was happy. It was the first time I've done the cycle in the big leagues, so I have to be happy."

Yeah... we're happy you survived without a little help from an oxygen tank.

[Baseball Nation]

Sooze Gives the Minnesota Twins a Detention Lecture

Before we fly off the handle, we'd like to direct you to Sooze's guest post on Big League Stew -- a Detention Lecture given to the Minnesota Twins.

What a difference a year can make; the Minnesota Twins have gone from first to worst in a matter of one season. At a dismal 30 games under .500 with a roster chock-full of players few fans recognize, the defending American League Central champions have a lot of work to do this offseason.

Is this Prince Fielder's Last Season with the Brewers?

Prince Fielder has had a hell of a season. Heading into his Milwaukee Brewers' road trip Friday night, which begins with the Cincinnati Reds and ends with the Chicago Cubs, he is batting .294 with 32 home runs and 109 RBI.

The husky first baseman, who is facing free agency at the end of the 2011 season, has the devil of Scott Boras on his shoulder. In fact, Boras said in an interview with TBS this week that this is "probably [Fielder's] last season with Milwaukee."

Pittsburgh Pirates Clinch 19th Straight Loser Season

Angry folks riot in the streets of Los Angeles after four police officers are acquitted for the brutal beating of Rodney King.

Sinéad O'Connor rips up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in protest of alleged child abuse by the Catholic Church.

Bill Clinton is elected President of the United States.

Roseanne is the no. 1 show on television.

The year was 1992 and it was the last time the Pittsburgh Pirates enjoyed a winning season... some of you weren't even born yet.

Florida (Miami) Marlins Pumped for Brand New Ballpark

The Florida Marlins, who will become the Miami Marlins prior to the 2012 season, are getting pretty excited to open their spankin' new stadium, Miami Ballpark, next year. In fact, they will be granted an exclusive opening to the new baseball season.

The Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals will open the season a day ahead of the other 28 teams in the league on April 4 at their new $515 million, retractable-roof ballpark on the site that once housed the legendary Orange Bowl. You can probably catch that on ESPN. Prior to anything official, the Fish will host the New York Yankees in exhibition games on April 1 and 2.

Tim Wakefield Celebrates 200th Victory in Red Sox Rout

Unlike the delayed reaction to Mariano Rivera's recent milestone, Tim Wakefield and the Boston Red Sox celebrated his 200th victory with champagne and smiles Tuesday night.

The game’s eldest player finally earned the elusive 200th victory of his career as the Boston Red Sox crushed the Toronto Blue Jays 18-6 for their first win in a week. Wakefield struggled through the entire month of August, going 0-3 over seven outings since his last win on July 24, but eventually became the 108th pitcher with 200 career wins.

Mariano Rivera Earns 600th Save for New York Yankees

Mariano Rivera earned his 600th career save Tuesday night, slamming the door on his New York Yankees' 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.

The 41-year-old closer, who's enjoyed 12 All-Star considerations over his 17-year career, entered the game with a one-run lead in the ninth inning. He struck out pinch hitter Wily Mo Pena before Ichiro Suzuki blooped a single into left field. Kyle Seager then went down on strikes before Ichiro busted for second with Dustin Ackley at the plate. Russell Martin was having none of that though, and threw a perfect strike to Derek Jeter to end the game.

Oh, Manny

He might not be playing anymore, but Manny Ramirez just couldn't keep himself out of September headlines. Except this time, he's not involved in a post-season race.

No, this time our favorite dumbshit is in the news for being a Chuck Knoblauch wannabe and getting arrested for domestic abuse.

Earlier this evening, Manny was taken into custody from his home in Weston, Florida, following an "altercation" with his wife, Juliana. So far, there aren't many details to be had other than he's currently being held in the Broward County Jail in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Hormones are a bitch.

God Bless New York, God Bless America

Never forget.

Tampa Bay Rays Making AL Wild Card Race Interesting

After beating the Boston Red Sox 6-5 in 11 exciting innings Saturday night, the Tampa Bay Rays are pushing to make this an exciting September.

The Rays are sitting at a season-best 16 games over .500 at 80-64 heading into Sunday's series finale that pits Red Sox lefty Jon Lester against right-hander James Shields, who leads the majors with 11 complete games this season. Total workhorse.

Red Hot Detroit Tigers on their Way to October

The Minnesota Twins failed miserably at playing the spoiler Saturday night when Brandon Inge nailed a game-ending home run to give his Detroit Tigers the 3-2 victory and a -- advantage in the American League Central. With two out in the bottom of the ninth, the -- -hit a 2-1 --- from Glen Perkins into the left field stands.

Although it was a dramatic and exciting moment for Inge, he was humble and humorous:

"Trust me, if I could do that on command, I wouldn’t be hitting .194."

Saturday's win lowered the Tigers' magic number to nine over the Chicago White Sox and eight over the Cleveland Indians... and like 24 over the reigning ALC champion Twins.

Haren Outduels Sabathia, Angels Creeping on Rangers

Dan Haren was the better pitcher Saturday night when his Los Angeles Angels stomped the New York Yankees by a score of 6-0 in Anaheim, bringing the Halos to within 1 1/2 games of the American League West-leading Texas Rangers.

Haren tossed an impressive four-hitter for his fifth career shutout, retiring 18 straight batters at one point. The three-time All-Star righty struck out seven and walked none for the 13th time in his 31 starts the season, marking the fifteenth time in his career he'd lasted nine whole innings.

Doug Fister Fans 13, Tigers Extend AL Central Lead

While Doug Fister struck out a career-high 13 batters Monday, the Detroit Tigers topped the Cleveland Indians 4-2 to extended their American League Central lead to 7 1/2 games.

The right-hander served up one earned run on four hits over eight solid innings to help complete the sweep to drive a huge wedge between the two teams and five the Indians their largest deficit of the season. Clearly, all the guy needed was a change of scenery, improving to 4-1 over seven starts since being acquired from the Seattle Mariners back in July.

The Tribe has been cursed by injury all year long, leading its division from April 8 until June 14, when the Tigers got hot. Cleveland took the lead again once, but has trailed Detroit since July 22. However, they'll play 11 of their next 14 games on the road, so we'll see how that goes for them. Any predictions for the AL Central?

[The Detroit News]

Looking Back on 3,000 Posts

Welcome to our 3,000th post. Man, that's a lot of baseball blogging. It's like we never shut up!

We've had lots of laughs, done some fantastic interviews, seen writers come and go, and had pretty great contests and giveaways. Obviously, we need to take this opportunity to look back at some of our favorite posts. Ah, the good old days...

We got super lazy and decided to write all 30 team previews in haiku form.

There were a ton of elderly pitchers back in 2007. Naturally, we created a 12-Step support group for them.

There's really nothing quite like sitting around thinking of who would make the best mistresses for random Major League Baseball players. So that's what we did.

Remember when Josh Hamilton was busted licking whipped cream off a young lady's chest? We were hard at it that day.

Grady Sizemore gives us all an early Christmas gift by snapping sexytime pics of himself in some sort of dressing room...as if we checked out the background.

Ryan Braun Faceplants, We Die Laughing

There are really no words to describe how utterly hilarious this is. Even Reggie Miller cracked up. So close Ryan Braun... yet so far. If he lands on the disabled list with a bruised ego, we'll let you know.