Yankees clinch playoff berth, Sabathia wins #21

The "Ace" has struck again.

CC Sabathia led the Yankees to Clinch and Conquer over the Toronto Blue Jays tonight in a 6-1 win, resulting in a captured playoff berth, as well as his 21st win of the season.

The win ensures that the Yankees will make the playoffs as either the division champions or wild card champions, am ultimatum fans must be happy to hear after a tough stretch over the final few weeks of September. Tonight's win was just the eighth in the last 22 games.

But even better news to Yankee fans?

It eliminates the Boston Red Sox.

Tonight being his last start of the regular season, Sabathia, who is making a case to be the Cy Young award winner in the American League, pitched 8 1/3 innings of one run baseball, striking out eight as he sent the Yankees to the playoffs for the 15th time in 16 years. His season line finishes at 21-7 with a 3.18 ERA. Thought of to be the front runner for the Cy Young, Sabathia has been pitching like the eventual winner all season, with his biggest starts coming in September with the Yankees struggling down the stretch.

"CC has been our ace all year long," Girardi said before the game. "He's pitched extremely well, so we expect him to go out and do it every time." (Mark Feinsand)

However while all is good in "Yankee Land," two other teams captured playoff berths tonight.

The Tampa Bay Rays clinched a berth with a win over the Baltimore Orioles. The Rays are battling with the Yankees for the division in the AL East, but the playoff berth guarantees they will either be the wild card or division winner.

In dramatic walk-off fashion, Jay Bruce sent the Cincinnati Reds to the playoffs for the first time since 1995 with a walk-off home run in a win over the Houston Astros. The Reds' win eliminates the St. Louis Cardinals and makes them the NL Central Division Champions.

The Yankees, Rays and Reds join the AL Central Division Champion Minnesota Twins, AL West Division Champion Texas Rangers and NL East Division Champion Philadelphia Phillies as the teams who have made the postseason. Two spots remain: The NL West and NL Wild Card.

The West and the Wildcard has been a back and forth dog-fight between the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves the last few weeks. It'll be interesting to see who wins both berths. I'm sticking with my belief that the Giants will win the West, but I do think (and would love to see) a one-game playoff between Atlanta and San Diego. I'd pay to see that.

Well, that's all for tonight. If you haven't heard, the Carmelo-Anthony-to-the-Nets-trade got called off, other than that it's been a quiet night.

It's good to be back and I'm sorry I've been absent. I've been busy like nobody's business with apps, homework, essays and my job. Hopefully this is just the start to getting back on track.

Joe Torre to step down as Dodgers' Manager, Don Mattingly to succeed

According to various reports, Los Angeles Dodgers' Manager Joe Torre, will be stepping down effective immeaditley at the end of the 2010 season. Hitting coach and former Yankee great, Don Mattingly, will be the Manager for the 2011 season.

In a report from ESPN, Dodgers' GM Ned Colletti announced that the managerial job was "bequeathed to Mattingly as part of a new contract he signed as the club's hitting coach last winter."

After the 2007 season, which was Torre's last with the Yankees after 12 seasons, Colletti requested Torre have a possible successor on his coaching staff. He brought Mattingly and former Yankees' third base coach Larry Bowa.

"I told Joe I would like to have a successor on the staff," Colletti said. "He said there were a couple of guys he would like to bring with him, and that one of them was Don Mattingly, not only as a coach but as somebody who could one day succeed him."

The Dodgers, standing at 72-76, fourth place in the NL West and 11 games out, are all but eliminated from reaching the postseason. It will be the first time in 14 seasons that a team under Joe Torre will not reach the postseason. Torre's reason for stepping down include helping out his wife run his "Safe at Home" foundation, as well as hoping for the Dodgers to find a new, younger voice in Mattingly.

"The fun of managing is still there," Torre said. "But I was telling somebody the other day, you manage a lot by your instincts. Well, you have to make decisions by your instincts sometimes, too, and I just felt it was time to go."

"Up to the All-Star Game, I was very excited with where we were going," Torre said. "From then on, we really have struggled, and I have struggled to find something to help. With the way the second half has gone, we were at a point where I felt this ballclub needed a different voice, a younger voice, and there is no one whom I feel more secure in turning it over to than Donnie."

Mattingly, who competed for the Yankees' managerial job in 2008 and the Cleveland Indians' managerial job in 2010, has never managed in the major leagues or the minor league level. He will get his first taste of managing in the Arizona Fall League.

Yankees' Captain, shortstop, and former teammate of Mattingly, Derek Jeter, was proud of Mattingly and happy for his old manager whom he referred to as "Mr. T."

"I'm happy that [Torre] gets an opportunity to do it when he wants to do it," Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. "[Mattingly] worked hard and put in a lot of time and effort being a coach and hitting coach for a long time, and now bench coach. Now he's got a chance to manage, and I'm happy for him."

"It's baseball, and I've been around the game a long time," Mattingly said, citing Billy Martin, Piniella, Yogi Berra and Dallas Green alongside Torre as influences on his managerial style. "In my heart, I know I can do this. It's a belief in myself that I can do anything I put my mind to."

Are you ready for some FOOTBAWL?!

I don't think anyone could say it better than John Madden himself, but today is FOOTBALL SUNDAY.

Although the first opening game was played Thursday (Saints v. Vikings) all other teams kick off today, with the local New York Giants facing the Carolina Panthers in the first official game at New Meadowlands Stadium, where the christening of a new stadium will be on the line. The New York Jets, now with Darelle Revis back, kick off the first game of Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens.

Aside from it being opening day for the rest of the teams, I am a little skeptical of my Giants this season. After finishing 8-8 last season, they've got a lot to prove this year, and after not making many off-season moves, I think it could be a tough road ahead.

Anyway, let's get to the rest of today's match-ups.

1:00 PM Games
Miami Dolphins v. Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions v. Chicago Bears
Oakland Raiders v. Tennessee Titans
Cincinnati Bengals v. New England Patriots
Carolina Panthers v. New York Giants
Atlanta Falcons v. Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Denver Broncos v. Jacksonville Jaguars (Tim Tebow was told he will play!!!)
Indianapolis Colts v. Houston Texans

4:15 PM Games
Arizona Cardinals v. St. Louis Rams
Green Bay Packers v. Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers v. Seattle Seahawks

8:20 PM Game
Dallas Cowboys v. Washington Redskins

Monday Night Football

7:00 PM
New York Jets v. Baltimore Ravens

10:15 PM
San Diego Chargers v. Kansas City Chiefs

Enjoy the games!


On a sad note, the start of football season means baseball season is almost over :(

Alex Rodriguez drives in 100 RBIs for 13th consecutive season, 14 overall are most all-time

Two days after being activated from the disabled list, and Alex Rodriguez is already making headlines.

Well, for good reason anyway.

During today's 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, A-Rod drove in two runs, one on a solo shot for his 22nd home run of the season and 605th career shot, and one on a sacrifice fly, which gave him 100 RBIs for the 2010 season, a mark he has reached consecutively since 1998; A staggering 13 consecutive seasons of 100 or more RBIs, and 14 for his career.

In his career however, Rodriguez has reached the 100+ RBI mark in 14 seasons, the most all-time. He had 123 in 1996, but just 84 in an injury plagued 1997, before the 13-year streak began in 1998.

A-Rod, who joined the elite company of baseball immortals Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, and Jimmie Foxx, who all had 13 seasons of 100+ RBIs, now sits alone as the all-time RBI season leader with 14.

However, there is a slight possibility that Rodriguez could make even more history. With 22 home runs through September 6th, 2010 A-Rod has a chance to hit 30 home runs, which would give him 13 consecutive seasons of 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, a mark he reached last season on the last day of the season with two home runs and seven RBIs in one inning. If he were to reach 30 home runs, it would be his 14th overall season of 30/100.

"Obviously you try to come out and be consistent every year," Rodriguez said. "It's nice."

Mr. Consistent? You can certainly say A-Rod is.