Baseball

Hanley Ramirez received 14 of the 32 first-place votes to edge Ryan Zimmerman for the NL Rookie of the Year award on Monday. Justin Verlander was named AL Rookie of the Year on Monday, receiving 26 of the 28 first-place votes. These were the 2 favourites so I dont see much debate here.

They suck right now. the end.

The St. Louis Cardinals (the most struggling team entering the playoffs) beat the Mets (tied for the best record in baseball this season) in Game 7 of the playoffs tonight to advance to the World Series. The Detroit Tigers have been done with their playoff series for a while now. I feel like it's a big choke that the mets could not beat a team with only Pujols (injured) and Rolen (injured) for their offense (in fact Molina and Pujols were the only regulars to finish with greater than a .240 average in the series) and then only Carpenter (did terrible both starts) as their only top starter and no true closer on the team. World Series Prediction: Tigers in 5.

Joe Niekro, the father of Giants first baseman Lance Niekro, died Friday at 61 at a Tampa, Fla., hospital, according to media reports in Texas and Florida.

http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9754796 Yanks are picking up Sheff's option and he is not pleased. Neither am I.

Well there are only 4 days left in the 2006 MLB regular season. Teams still battling it out for spots in the playoofs include the padres, dodgers, cardinals, and astros.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AtlM...p&type=lgns I didn't even know about all of that past stuff he did. lol

The New York Yankees are firing Joe Torre and replacing him with Lou Piniella. They also are reportedly attenpting to deal Alex Rodriguez.

Aaron beat me in our auction league. No surprise really. He always beats me somehow. lol Although there are a few things that messed up, I have no excuses. He just plain beat me.

Garner made them deserve to lose when he took out such a dominant Backe.

I've loved the Yankees since I was a little kid, going back to like 85-86ish, and aside from 04, the Redsox always have a decline in September. I really think that this year is the worst I've seen, though. Veritek goes down for the season in August, other injuries plague them, a major one being Papplebon, it's just amazing how much they've crumbled here. What do you people think? Are they a team with guts that can actually go anywhere, or was it just a total fluke a couple years ago?

Mike Lowell heating up. Hit 322 in July. Only 2 hr and 14 rbi but signs of life are there.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Akyd...o&type=lgns The Maris family does not count Bonds or McGwire as breaking Maris' record. They say if Howard breaks it, they believe his would count.

The Yankees beat the Red Sox in the longest 9 inning game in major league history.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060816/ap_on_...su/bbn_nl_rdp_3 For the first time in MLB history, 2 games went 18 innings on the same day. The most surprising one was that one at Coors field could go 18 innings with a total of 3 runs scored combined.

15 teams scored 3 or less runs Tuesday. In fact there were 2 finals of 1-0 and one final of 2-0 also.

I have been asked to list players that have rumors swirling about them. Since it now the 2nd half and the trade deadline approaches here are the players I have heard rumors about. If you hear anything, post it here and if possible leave a link to the story. cliff floyd, pat burrel, bobby abreu, brett myers, chin ming wang, jason scmidt, tori hunter, trot nixon, eric hinske, mike sweeney, reggie sanders, kyle farnsworth, barry zito, carlos silva, david wells, matt clement, jose canseco, jeromy burnitz, sean casey, steve trachsel, brandon inge, jeff conine, kris benson, livan hernandez, greg maddux, jae seo

A place to mention all closers for people wanting to steal some saves late in drafts. Tom Gordon is apparently the first new closer and I personally would love to risk him. AT LEAST by late in a draft. he should be the new closer for the Phillies.

After being scratched from his scheduled outing on Sunday with a strained oblique, Mark Prior is questionable to make his first start after the break. Prior, who was reportedly hurt in batting practice Saturday, is scheduled to pitch next Sunday. "We're going to play it by ear," he said. "This morning, I felt good getting up and sneezed and realized it wasn't getting any better. Hopefully, after four days, it'll be all right. I'm mad. ... I've never had a problem with my side." If Prior goes on the DL, Carlos Marmol will start July 16 rather than be skipped the first time through after the break. John Patterson left Sunday's game in the second inning with a right forear…

For the first time in 28 years a full day of MLB games went by with no save recorded.

Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner have been traded from the Reds to the Nationals for the Gary Majewski, Bill Bray, Royce Clayton, Brendan Harris and Daryl Thompson. How the hell do the reds make this deal? These better be some great prospects for what they gave up.

(Post any disagreements you have with decisions. Rios and Cano were selected, but are injured). AMERICAN LEAGUE --------------- Starters -------- C -- Paul Lo Duca, New York 1B -- Albert Pujols, St. Louis 2B -- Chase Utley, Philadephia SS -- Jose Reyes, New York 3B -- David Wright, New York OF -- Jason Bay, Pittsburgh OF -- Carlos Beltran, New York OF -- Alfonso Soriano, Washington Reserves -------- C -- Brian McCann, Atlanta 1B -- Lance Berkman, Houston 1B -- Ryan Howard, Philadelphia 2B -- Dan Uggla, Florida SS -- Edgar Renteria, Atlanta 3B -- Miguel Cabrera, Florida 3B -- Scott Rolen, St. Louis 3B -- Freddy Sanchez, Pittsburgh OF…

The Devil Rays traded Aubrey Huff to the Astros for RHP Mitch Talbot and SS Ben Zobrist. Tampa Bay reportedly pays a big chunk of Huff's remaining salary for this season, receiving two good-but-not-great prospects in return. Houston surprisingly optioned Jason Lane to Triple-A to clear room on the roster for Huff, who has been hitting quite well of late after a very slow start. Huff becomes a free agent this offseason and will suddenly have tons of value in NL-only leagues.

PITTSBURGH -- A freak accident involving White Sox third base coach Joey Cora and Cubs All-Star Carlos Zambrano could send the right-hander to the disabled list for the first time since 2002. Zambrano was the only Cubs representative at the All-Star Game on Tuesday night at PNC Park, and he was sent home with a bruised elbow -- the last thing the team's banged-up staff needed. X-rays were negative, and Cubs trainer Mark O'Neal was alerted by medical officials at the game. Zambrano is expected to undergo further tests today in Chicago. Though he was slated to pitch two innings, Zambrano was knocked out of the game after being struck accidentally by a fungo bat swung by …

The home run derby begins in about an hour. I think I like Howard to win it, or possibly Berkman.