The Bronx Bombers Rule Baseball Once Again

By Marlon Terry

The NY Yankees are the 2009 MLB champions. Having beaten the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6, they denied the defending champions of another title.

It's been a long nine years since the Yankees won a World Series. They dominated baseball back then, and they've finally returned to form after a number of unsuccessful playoff runs.

The Yankees came into the season with big expectations. With some big name signings in CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, the stakes were really high in New York.

Not only did they get some great players, but they spent a boatload of money on a beautiful new stadium. The stars were all aligned in New York for a big win.

Amazingly, some of the original player from the championship Yankees teams were still in New York. Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, Rivera, and others patiently waited for another shot.

The Yankees can thank both their veterans and their newly acquired talent for this win. Mariano Rivera pitched as well as he ever has. Derek Jeter was clutch, and Jorge Posada made some great contributions too. CC Sabathia anchored an incredibly talented starting pitching staff.

And in a surprising twist Alex Rodriguez was one of the Yankees' most clutch players in the postseason. A player constantly criticized for failing to contribute when it mattered finally came through for his team.

The Yankees remained focus through the entire season and never really seemed to let up. This is the mark of a true championship team, and the Yankees epitomized this in 2009.

Congratulations to the Yankees on a magnificent 2009 season. You undoubtedly earned what you got. - 31492

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The Bronx Bombers Rule Baseball Once Again

By Marlon Terry

Allow me to be one of the very first to congratulate the New York Yankees on their World Series win.

It's been a long nine years since the Yankees won a World Series. They dominated baseball back then, and they've finally returned to form after a number of unsuccessful playoff runs.

The Yankees had their eye on a World Series win all along. Having acquired some of the biggest free agent talents in baseball over the winter, the stakes were very high in New York and everyone was looking for a World Series win.

Not only did they get some great players, but they spent a boatload of money on a beautiful new stadium. The stars were all aligned in New York for a big win.

The veterans of the Yankees came together with some newly acquired talent to form a team that was as powerful as any in recent memory, and they played consistently the whole way through.

The Yankees can thank both their veterans and their newly acquired talent for this win. Mariano Rivera pitched as well as he ever has. Derek Jeter was clutch, and Jorge Posada made some great contributions too. CC Sabathia anchored an incredibly talented starting pitching staff.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the fact that Alex Rodriguez was the team's most clutch hitter during the playoffs. Typically a player who would get big hits when they didn't matter and falter under pressure, Rodriguez was anything but that during October.

The Yankees came through and met the expectations that fans had placed on them. It's been a long nine years since the team's last World Series win, and this is one that the Yankees and their fans are sure to cherish.

Congratulations to the Yankees on a magnificent 2009 season. You undoubtedly earned what you got. - 31492

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Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Hall of Fame Debate

By Michael Bell

A long standing controversy in major league baseball has been that surrounding Shoeless Joe Jackson and his alleged throwing of the World Series for the Chicago White Sox of'19. Jackson has long been gone from baseball and long deceased, but many have still pushed to carve out his place in Cooperstown. Does he belong?

Whether he actively threw the series or not, we're going to first analyze his numbers to determine whether he's Hall of Fame worthy but for the scandal. Jackson's career spanned- years, and while he's remembered as having played for the White Sox, Jackson also played for the Naps, Athletics, and Indians.

Some of Jackson's career numbers include 1,772 hits, 54 home runs, 785 RBI, and a career batting average of .356. Jackson lacked in the power department, but his averages were clearly impressive.

This may not scream out obvious hall of fame, however, the .356 batting average would easily clear those standards in today's game. Here are some more impressive stats we can deduce by taking a closer look at his numbers.

If we take a further look at some of his stats, we'll see that Jackson had an extremely low strikeout ratio, going down on strikes only once every 24 at bats. Additionally, his on base percentage was .423 and his OPS was .540. All great statistics.

Aside from the numbers, his biggest roadblock is the'19 World Series incident. Jackson's team, opposing the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series, lost, and Jackson and all of his teammates were accused of intentionally throwing the World Series in what became known as the "Black Sox scandal". Despite these accusations, Jackson batted .375 with a World Series record 12 hits. Never made any errors either. One could easily argue that Jackson didn't throw the series.

Many have accused Jackson of allowing multiple Reds triples in left field, where he played for the White Sox. However, further research of mine has shown that no triples were hit to Jackson's part of the field in the'19 series. Jackson, however, did receive a $5,000 payment according to records.

The Legend of Shoeless Joe Jackson. Let him in? It is your decision. - 31492

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The NL Cy Young Award Showdown

By Aaron Scott

2009 in baseball was definitely the year of the pitcher. While it looks like Zack Greinke should definitely win the Cy Young award in the American League, things are much closer in the National League, leaving many to speculate about a very interesting race.

While some great pitching was pretty commonplace throughout the entire National League, the race really boils down to two pitchers. Guys like Matt Cain, Adam Wainwright, Jair Jurrjens, Johan Santana, Wandy Rodriguez, and others were absolutely great this season, with many of them having career years.

Between the St. Louis Cardinals' Chris Carpenter and the San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum, the two pitchers pieced together two of the best pitching seasons in baseball that I've witnessed over the last few years. A quick look at their numbers would lead you to agree.

Looking at the stats doesn't tell the whole story with either of these pitchers. That's perhaps what makes this race even more difficult to call, as if it wasn't already hard enough. It's almost painful to deny either of these incredible pitchers of an award they deserve. Maybe they'll somehow tie for the award.

As for Tim Lincecum, the Giants are once again a winning baseball team, thanks largely in part to his reliable presence as the team's ace. He struck out more batters than anyone in the National League, had a handful of complete games, and the second best ERA in the National League.

Chris Carpenter, on the other hand, is more likely to see a movie made out of his story. After missing two consecutive seasons with an injury that threatened his career, he somehow managed to pull it together with the best season of his career. No one in baseball expected anything this drastic out of Carpenter, who led the NL in earned run average.

As for who will win this race, all bets are off. Voters will probably be required to vote based on the surrounding details rather than the stats themselves. After all, the stats themselves would lead someone to mull this over all day. - 31492

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Red Sox Sweat Shirts

By James Morley

No self respecting member of Red Sox Nation goes anywhere without being identifiable. The ubiquitous "B" baseball caps which come in every color and style are seen all over the world.

There is a great deal to admire about this franchise. The players had names like Pesky and DiMaggio (Dom of Course), Fisk and Yastrzemski, and the splendid Splinter himself, Ted Williams.

one thing is for sure, Red Sox fans knew their baseball and they knew they would get their revenge. And they would do it in a quirky little park called Fenway with its odd dimensions and its Big Green Monster in Left Field. David Ortiz arrived, Curt Schilling knew he had a job to do; Manny Ramirez was as clutch as he was crazy. Things would be different this time. And they were. And a funny thing happened along the way: Red Sox fans dispersed across the nation and around the world. They all wanted to let everybody, particularly those hated Yankees fans that they were number one.

Why does a team cause such allegiance? The Red Sox Story is a story of triumph over futility. Boston was the team to beat before Babe Ruth left for New York. So when the Bambino left, he took their hopes and dreams with him. Usually, these things go in cycles and the Beantown faithful thought they would be on top again.

It is a fact that No self respecting member of Red Sox Nation goes anywhere without being identifiable. The ubiquitous "B" baseball caps which come in every color and style are seen all over the world.

It is an something for the fans that is both complete and consuming. If you are part of this allegiance, don't be without your Red Sox Sweatshirt. You will thank yourself that you are both warm and protected from a new rise of the Curse of the Bambino.

Red Sox fans knew their baseball and they knew they would get their revenge. And they would do it in a quirky little park called Fenway with its odd dimensions and its Big Green Monster in Left Field. David Ortiz arrived, Curt Schilling knew he had a job to do; Manny Ramirez was as clutch as he was crazy. Things would be different this time. And they were. And a funny thing happened along the way: Red Sox fans dispersed across the nation and around the world. They all wanted to let everybody, particularly those hated Yankees fans that they were number one.

There is a valid reason as to why these supporters have forged such allegiance? The Red Sox Story is a story of triumph over futility. Boston was the team to beat before Babe Ruth left for New York. So when the Bambino left, he took their hopes and dreams with him. Usually, these things go in cycles and the Beantown faithful thought they would be on top again. - 31492

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