Halladay tosses second no-hitter in postseason history, Phight'ns take 1-0 series lead

Hey guys, I'm sorry this was just posted late. I thought I had clicked the publish post button last night after I watched the Yankees game, but I guess not. Anyway, it's old news, but here it is.

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History.

One day into the 2010 MLB Playoffs and we have history and a topic for the watercooler.

Roy Halladay, who had never pitched in the playoffs before yesterday after spending 12 seasons as the Toronto Blue Jays' ace, made his postseason debut yesterday with the Philadelphia Phillies.

"It's no fun out there," Reds slugger Joey Votto said. "It's like trying to hit nothing. He's an ace among aces."

All Halladay did was throw the second no-hitter in postseason history, keeping the Cincinnati Reds' scoreless to gain a 1-0 NLDS series lead, 54 years after the Yankees' Don Larsen picthed a perfect game in the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Talk about a postseason debut. When the stakes were high, Halladay did what he does best: he pitched.

Until last night, Larsen stood alone.

Better make room for some company Mr. Larsen.

"It's surreal, it really is," Halladay said after the 4-0 win. "I just wanted to pitch here, to pitch in the postseason. To go out and have a game like that, it's a dream come true."

"This is what you come here for," Halladay said. "It's a good team, they know how to win. ... It's been a great year, a fun year, we obviously have a ways to go."

Halladay, The former American League Cy Young Award winner, and the likely National League Cy Young Award winner this year, finished 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA in his first year with Philadelphia, living up the hype that surrounded him when he was traded over to the Phillies during the winter for a boatload of mega-prospects. Often regarded to as one of the best, if not the best pitcher in baseball, Halladay pitched like it last night.

However this no-hitter was not just Halladay's first no-hitter.

It was his second of the season, as he also threw a perfect game on May 29 against the Florida Marlins.

In a year that has been regarded as the "Year of the Pitcher," Halladay, along with Dallas Braden, Ubaldo Jimenez, Edwin Jackson, and Matt Garza have all thrown no-hitters. However it was Halladay, 34, who has stood out, throwing just the second no-hitter in postseason history.

We may never see this again.

Even Larsen, now 81 years young, had praise for Halladay.

"You work hard for certain things," Larsen said. "I guess if you work hard enough good things are going to happen to you and it did for me and Halladay. You have to appreciate these things because you never know what's going to happen in the future."

Friday will mark the 54th anniversary of Larsen's perfect game, still the only perfect game ever pitched in the playoffs. Halladay's was a no-hitter.

"It was just a great day. I think about it every day," Larsen said. "No one has to remind me what happened. I was just happy to be a part of it with the New York Yankees and against Brooklyn in the World Series, everybody was watching."

What/who was the key to Larsen's success?

His catcher, Yankee legend and Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra.

"I couldn't have done it without Yogi," Larsen said. "He was a hell of a catcher. He deserves a lot of credit for it."

One no-hitter and 54 years later, we're hearing the same thing.

Halladay responded in similar fashion, as he credited his catcher, Carlos Ruiz.

"I felt like we got in a groove early," Halladay said. "Carlos has been great all year, he helps me get into a rhythm early, throwing strikes."

Roy Halladay, a guy who just wanted to pitch in the playoffs for once, engraved his name on the game for years to come with just that one start that he wanted to make.

History to kick off the new decade.

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STATE OF THE PLAYOFFS:

TEXAS RANGERS LEAD TAMPA BAY RAYS IN SERIES 2-0

NEW YORK YANKEES LEAD MINNESOTA TWINS IN SERIES 2-0

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES LEAD CINCINNATI REDS IN SERIES 1-0

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS AND ATLANTA BRAVES TIED 0-0

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.

OF Jim Edmonds traded to Cincinnati Reds by Milwaukee Brewers for OF Chris Dickerson

In a surprising waiver trade today, the Milwaukee Brewers sent former longtime St. Louis Cardinals' OF Jim Edmonds to the Cincinnati Reds for OF Chris Dickerson. Edmonds, 40, has truly been one of the greater stories in baseball this season.

After compiling an amazing resume (seriously, check it out) with the California/Anaheim Angels and Cardinals, Edmonds spent 2008 with the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs before taking the 2009 season off. A dynamic player who combined stellar defense with great hitting, Edmonds was a great talent in his prime years.

It appeared as though Edmonds was done, as injuries and age had taken their toll on Edmonds' play since the 2006 season. Nonetheless, Edmonds was willing to give it the ol' college try and received a minor league contract with an invitation as a non-roster player to spring training by the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the 2010 season.

Many thought Edmonds wouldn't make the team out of spring training and would retire if sent to the minors.

It wasn't the case.

Edmonds put on a show in spring training and made the Brewers' major league club out of spring training. This season, while spending time in CF, RF, and 1B, Edmonds has been a bench player for the Brewers. He's battled Achilles tendon issues recently, always a scary topic, but Edmonds has posted a .286 batting average with 8 home runs and 20 RBIs in 73 games this season; not too bad for an old guy who missed the entire 2009 season huh? He'll head to the surprising and exciting first place Reds, who, ironically, are playing the Cardinals. Edmonds is without a doubt excited.

“Coming right in here to play the Cardinals, it is going to be a little nuts,” said Edmonds. “I’m looking forward to the challenge and I appreciate the respect I have from the guys on this team. I’ve played against them for so many years and this seems like a real good group of guys that is really talented. I’m just coming here to help out with some veteran leadership, play when I can and help the guys try to win.

“My Achilles tendon is still sore, but I’m dealing with it. I’ve talked to Walt about it and both he and Dusty know about it,” Edmonds added. As far as being accepted in Cincinnati, Edmonds said, “As long as it isn’t as bad as it was in Chicago, I’ll be fine. The media killed me there until I hit my first home run.

“I love hitting in this park, love to play here,” he said. “They have great fans and it’s a good city. I don’t care about playing time. I just want to play when I can and help out - whether it’s pinch-hitting or playing every day or playing two days a week. All I care about is playing a little bit and helping out.”

(hat tip to the Dayton Daily News' Hal McCoy)

In return, Cincinnati will send Dickerson, a 28 year-old left handed hitting outfielder who was ranked the Reds' 11th best prospect prior to 2009 by Baseball America. He's made contributions in the major leagues, seeing playing time in 2008, 2009 and 2010. He's got a solid bat without much power, hitting .304 with 6 home runs and .275 with 2 home runs in 2008 and 2009, respectively, but struggled with hand issues in 2010, hitting just .222 before being sent to Triple-AAA on a rehab assignment. He's caught absolute fire during his rehab stint, hitting .442 in 13 games with 3 home runs.

It's a really good trade for the Reds, who acquire Edmonds, a player who could greatly help them on their stretch run, for Dickerson, a player who will never see full playing time in their outfield.

Yankees keep on dealin': acquire OF Austin Kearns from Indians for PTBNL or cash

After already acquiring Lance Berkman from the Houston Astros today, the New York Yankees swung another deal today to bolster their bench, trading a player to be named later or cash to the Cleveland Indians for outfielder Austin Kearns.

Kearns, 30, was the 7th overall pick in the 1998 draft by the Cincinnati Reds. However, his star has considerably fallen since being picked in the first round as injuries have taken a considerably large toll and derailed his career.

2002, Kearns' first season, was one of his best as he posted a .315 average with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs in 107 games. Many expected Kearns to continue into the 2003 season and live up to the hype that surrounded him as the seventh overall pick, but he struggled, hitting .264 with 68 strikeouts in 82 games while missing time with injury but also hitting 15 home runs and driving in 58 RBIs. In 2004 he would again miss time with injuries, playing in only 64 games. He bounced back in 2005, playing in 112 games and hitting 18 home runs, driving in 67 and hitting .240.

In 2006, Kearns started the season off strongly for the Reds, hitting 16 home runs, driving in 50 RBI and hitting .274 in 87 games before he was traded with shortstop Felipe Lopez and pitcher Ryan Wagner by the Reds to the Washington Nationals for pitchers Gary Mejewski, Bill Bray, Darryl Thompson and infielders Royce Clayton and Brendan Harris. Kearns continued to hit, as he hit 8 home runs in 68 games for the Nationals while driving in 36 RBIs. 2006 proved to be his best season as he hit .264 with 24 home runs and 86 RBIs in 150 games. In 2007, Kearns would play in 161 games, a career-high, but his home run total dropped to 16. He was injured again for parts of the 2008 and 2009 seasons, and struggled to hit just .195 in 2009. He signed as a free agent with the Indians on a minor league contract prior to 2010 and made the team.

This season, Kearns has played in 83 games, hitting 8 home runs while batting .268 with 42 RBIs. He's a great defensive outfielder, making only 4 errors in the outfield for a .977 fielding percentage this season. Kearns has a career .986 fielding %, but his best position is right field. From this point forward to the end of the season, he makes $270K before hitting free agency. For the Yankees, the right-handed hitting Kearns will be the 4th oufielder and will spell Curtis Granderson days off against lefties thanks to his .799 OPS vs. left-handed pitching. He's hitting .278 vs. righties and .250 vs. lefites. It's not the first time we've heard the Yankees interested in acquiring Kearns. Now finally they got their wish.

"He's another corner outfielder that can give us depth and a right-handed bat that has power," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We can use him in a lot of different ways because he's used to playing every day. It just gives us more depth and more experience."

"Our young guys have done a pretty good job, but you do have experience in a guy that's used to playing every day," Girardi said. "He gives you depth and has seen all the pitchers, probably, in the American League because it's already July. He has probably a better idea how they're going to attack him."

"It'll give me a chance to rest our left-handed guys," Girardi said. "We're in the midst of 37 games in 38 days, and you don't have to run the same guys out there every day. Physically you can keep them healthy and strong, because we're going to need them."

"I'll be in the mix, maybe in the outfield," Kearns said. "I don't know; I haven't talked to them. I think when you get the opportunity [to go to a contender], you don't really worry about that kind of thing. You're going to a good team. [There are] bigger and better things than worrying about playing time."

"That's great because we're a team that's all about winning and anyone who can come in here and help us score more runs," Mark Teixeira said. "[They are] two quality guys. I know both real well. They're great guys, and it's going to be great for this clubhouse."

Another great move by Cashman, upping the bench and getting good pinch hitters. Sources say another deal is in the works, this time for either a starting pitcher, utility infielder or reliever.

Cash the Ninja never sleeps.

Chicago Cubs' Manager Lou Piniella retiring after 2010 season

After 40 years in baseball, 18 years as a player and 22 as a manager, Lou Piniella has decided to walk away from the game.

Well, at the end of the season that is.

Today, Piniella announced that he would be retiring from baseball at the end of the 2010 season, once his contract as Manager of the Chicago Cubs expires.

"It's been a wonderful experience," he said. "There's no way that I won't cherish the memories here."

During his playing days, Piniella began his career with the Baltimore Orioles. He was traded twice, first to the Cleveland Indians and then to the Kansas City Royals. Lou won the AL Rookie of the Year in 1969 after he finished with a batting line of .282 with 11 homers and 68 RBIs with the Royals. In 1973, The Royals traded him to the Yankees and Piniella would play the rest of his career with the Yankees before retiring as a player in 1984.

Piniella played 11 of his 18 seasons with the New York Yankees, five with the Kansas City Royals and also had brief stints with the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians. Piniella retired as a player in 1984, finishing with a career batting line of .291 with 1705 hits and 102 home runs.

Retirement from the game as a player wouldn't keep Ol' Sweet Lou from being involved in it. In 1986, he became the Manager of the Yankees, leading the team to a 90-72 record, which was only good for second place in the AL East. Piniella again managed the Yankees from 1987-1988 before moving on to manage the Cincinnati Reds from 1990-1993. In 1990, Piniella's first year as Reds' Manager, he led the team to a World Series Championship. For the 1994 season, Piniella accepted a contract from the Seattle Mariners, a team he would manager for the next 10 years. Piniella was unsuccessful in bringing a championship to Seattle, even when the Mariners finished the 2001 season with a 116-46 record only to be eliminated in the playoffs. After the 2002 season, his last in Seattle, Piniella returned home to Tampa, where he would accept a job as Manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Piniella would manager the Devil Rays from 2003-2005 before being bought out for the 2006 season, finishing in last place two of the three seasons.

Piniella stayed out of baseball for the 2006 season, spending it at home and not managing. However, he had that itch to get back in the game again. Prior to the 2007 season, the Cubs offered Piniella a four-year contract to which he would accept to become the Cubs' Manager and was determined to help the club win its first championship in almost 100 years. In Piniella's first season in Chicago in 2007, he led the Cubs to the NL Central Division title with an 85-77 record. The Cubs however, would be swept and eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2008, Piniella led the Cubs to a second straight division title, this time the team finishing with a record of 97-64, good for third best in the league. However, the 2008 playoffs would yield the same fate for the lovable losers, as this time they were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Piniella and the 2009 Cubs didn't exactly live up to expectations the following year, finishing 83-78 in second place in the Central and missing the playoffs.

This season, the 2010 Cubs have been the worst Cub team under Piniella's tenure. The team is currently at a 42-52 record, 10 games under .500 and are in fourth place in the Central and making it look more as if year 102 without a championship is not their year. One has to wonder if the wear and tear of the 2010 season may be the reason for Piniella's retirement.

"Why is the announcement now as opposed to September?" Piniella said. "For a couple reasons. First of all, I get asked all the time. I don't want to mislead anybody about my intentions. At the same time, more important, it gives Jim Hendry ample opportunity to find a new manager for this organization and he can do it where he doesn't have to be secretive about it, or anything else."

When asked why he didn't resign immediately, Piniella shot back with the response, "Why? I signed here for four years. I'm going to honor the contract."

Known for his classic rants on the field with umpires and even players (Rob Dibble in 1992), base-throwing, dirt-kicking, hat tossing, and screaming, Piniella has had a remarkable impact on baseball and will not be forgotten.

When asked if he would be involved as a special assistant or consultant, Piniella replied, "I enjoy this game, I really do. I love this game. So that would be a good way to stay involved, but not in an everyday basis. It could be anywhere. There are no plans one way or another." said Piniella during a press conference.

Piniella said that he wants to return home and is ready to call it a career.

"I've been away from home since 1962. That's about 50 years."

Piniella, now 66, ranks fourth among active managers with a career record of 1,826-1,691 (.519) behind Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, and Tony LaRussa.

Ryne Sandberg, longtime and Hall of Fame Cubs' second baseman, has been named as the favorite to manage the Cubs for the 2011 season. Sandberg, who is currently the Manager of the Triple-AAA Iowa Cubs, has expressed a desire to manage in the big leagues. It would be truly fitting for the longtime Hall of Fame Cub to manage the very team he played for.

"I need to focus on what I'm doing here in Des Moines with these players and what my job is right now," Sandberg said. "If the time came, if I was considered for that job in Chicago, I think that'd be a terrific thing just to be considered. The whole goal of any minor leaguer is to get to the major leagues, and I think that includes coaches and managers like myself."

Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Valetine, and Joe Girardi are other free agent managers who could be considered.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry has said that the position will be discussed prior to the 2011 season.

But there is one question....

Has Sweet Lou simply given up on the 2010 Cubbies?

Think again.

"I'm proud of our accomplishments during my time here and this will be a perfect way for me to end my career," he said. "But let me make one thing perfectly clear: Our work is far from over. I want to keep the momentum going more than anything else and win as many games as we can to get back in this pennant race."

"Look, we're still not eliminated," Piniella said. "We've got time. Stranger things … I managed a team in Seattle, for instance, that was 13 ½ out on Aug. 1 and went to the American League Championship finals. That could happen here, we just need to get hot."

Classic Sweet Lou.

Nick Swisher, All-Star

On a lighter note, our voting paid off!

Nick Swisher is now an All-Star!

The Yankee outfielder Swisher, along with Cincinnati Reds' first baseman Joey Votto were the winners of the All-Star Game Final Vote and will join the AL and NL teams with the 34th final roster spot. Swisher gather 9.8 million votes, narrowly beating out Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis while Votto 13.7 million votes in a landslide victory over Ryan Zimmerman, third baseman for the Washington Nationals.

While both players did their part on the field, it was Swisher who campaigned through the internet, sending constant updates to his 1.2 million twitter followers. Both actions paid off.

"I did my part to earn an All-Star berth. It means a lot to me," Votto said. "I've always wanted to be an All-Star one day. Today I was finally selected."

"I would say I'm relieved," Votto said. "I'm really glad this whole thing is over with. It was kind of taxing on me. I'm excited and I really, really appreciate the fans and their support."

"Things like that that make you feel so good," Swisher said. "People were telling me, everywhere I went. I'm just excited and couldn't be happier for all the support."

"It's been great, man," Swisher said. "All my teammates are happy for me, and that's the greatest thing, especially coming on a fan vote like that. It just goes to show you how important our fans are. They're the reason we are who we are. I can't thank them enough."

"It's just been a blessing to be over here, especially coming off 2008," Swisher said. "My life has just completely turned around, and every day is a good day for me. I love what I do, and to have this opportunity to go represent your team in the All-Star Game, it's a dream come true."

Swisher this season is hitting .307 with 14 home runs and 48 RBI.
Votto this season is hitting .314 with 22 home runs and 60 RBI.

It's the first All-Star selection for both players.

With Swisher, the Yankees now have eight players in the All-Star Game. Swisher joins Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera as the Yankees' All-Star representatives. Crazy.

Trying to trade Javier Vazquez

Today, we heard that the Yankees have been actively kicking the tires on Cliff Lee. What's more is that the Yankees believe that they could trade for Lee if they wanted to, by offering a package built around one of their young catchers such as Austin Romine or Jesus Montero.

But wait, the Yankees have five very good, if not great, starters. How could they possibly acquire Lee if there is no room in the rotation?

The Answer? Trade someone.

CC Sabathia? Not going anywhere. A.J. Burnett? Iffy, but no. Andy Pettitte? Absolutely not. Phil Hughes? Fuhgetabatit.

Javier Vazquez?

Vazquez, who pitched for the Yankees previously in 2004, was acquired from the Atlanta Braves before 2010 in a trade that sent OF Melky Cabrera, RHP Arodys Vizcaino and LHP Mike Dunn from New York to Atlanta. Vazquez, who started the season as the team's fourth starter, struggled early, going 3-5 with an ERA in the 8.00's through April and May. Fans called for Vazquez's and GM Brian Cashman's heads, demanding the pitcher be traded and Cashman fired. However, the durable righty turned around in June and, in his last seven starts, is 4-2 with a 2.93 ERA, totaling a 7-7 record with a 4.81 ERA on the campaign.

Vazquez, 33, who makes $11.5 million this season, is a free agent at the end of the season. Many believe that the Yankees will not re-sign Vazquez, who qualifies as a Type-A free agent (meaning they get two first round draft picks) because the man they want, Lee, is also a free agent.

However, we heard today as mentioned above, that the Yankees are interested in Lee and believe that they have a package that could land them the ace left-hander. Lee is 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA and has 89 strikeouts while giving up just six (!!!) walks. He makes $9 million this season. But, trading for Lee means trading one of the current starters, and the four mentioned above are going nowhere, leaving Vazquez the lone odd pitcher out.

From Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:
"The source, however, estimates that the Yankees’ chances of landing Lee are “less than 50 percent,” and says that such a move likely would require the team to spin right-hander Javier Vazquez to another club."

There lies the problem. What team, with Lee on the block, would trade for Vazquez, who is not having as good a year? Could the Yankees encourage a team to join them in a possible three-team trade for Lee? What would the Yankees have to give up?

Due to Vazquez's recent hot streak (4-2 with a 2.93 in seven starts) and his qualification as a Type-A free agent, the Yankees could value Vazquez higher in order to get a top prospect in return since they would be giving up a top prospect for Lee.

I've narrowed down some possible destinations for Vazquez if the Yankees were to trade him if they acquired Lee:

• Seattle Mariners - They're going to get rid of one of their best pitchers in Lee, so wouldn't the want a big league ready pitcher in return? Perhaps they'd take Vazquez from the Yankees with a prospect like Romine or Montero. That way the Mariners would get a pitcher that they could bring back next season for a cheaper salary as well as the prospects.
  

• Minnesota Twins - Have already made an offer to Seattle for Lee which includes top prospects Aaron Hicks and Wilson Ramos. Vazquez would be a good fallback option along with Dan Haren since they'll be battling with the Tigers and ChiSox for the division title.
  

• Detroit Tigers - Very shaky rotation outside of Justin Verlander, need a stable #2, but what do they have that the Yankees would want? Austin Jackson? Sure to be battling with Twins and ChiSox for division title.
  

• Chicago White Sox - Same as Tigers: shaky rotation, battling with Tigers and Twins all year, what do they have?
  

• New York Mets - They've been heavily interested in Lee, so if they feel that they can acquire him, they'll push for it and give up the prospects. If they're unable to get Lee because he goes to the Yankees, expect them to be interested in Vazquez when he becomes available. But would the Mets really want to see a top prospect, which it would most likely cost for Javy, flourish with their crosstown rival?
  

• Philadelphia Phillies - They must really regret trading Lee over the off-season. The Phillies are in third place in the NL East, four games behind the second place Mets. They're interested in Lee to backup Roy Halladay. They've been rumored as interested in re-trading for Lee. If they can't acquire Lee, they'll go for Haren, who they've been reported as scouting recently. If not Haren, expect them to call the Yankees about Vazquez. Their Farm system was rich with talent before they traded for Roy Halladay and isn't so great now outside of Domonic Brown. The Phillies are in desperation mode right now and it's getting late early for them if they want to make the playoffs. They'd probably be in a rush to trade for Vazquez if they can't get Lee.
  

• Cincinnati Reds - Interested in Lee, but questions about what they have to give up outside of first baseman Yonder Alonso that's valuable. They could look to Vazquez as back-up option, but what could they give the Yankees? Alonso would be a good guy to start with since he can also catch. The Yankees would most likely have to give up Romine or Montero for Lee, so acquiring another top prospect who can catch in Alonso would easily replace the pain of losing Montero or Romine. Acquiring Vazquez could help the Reds solidify the NL Central title.
  

• St. Louis Cardinals - Rumored to be willing to part with 2009 first round pick LHP Shelby Miller, but no one knows how serious they are. They'd probably call for Vazquez if they really need him, especially since their only two games from first place.
  

• San Francisco Giants - They're not interested in Lee according to reports, but are more interested in acquiring a bat. However, the rotation needs help outside of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez. Question is still what they would have to give up.
  

• Los Angeles Dodgers - They've been scouting Lee according to reports, but some are skeptical if they can take on Lee's contract at $9 million, meaning a trade for Vazquez, who makes $11.5 million, would be unlikely.
  

• Texas Rangers - Ditto that for the Rangers. They're having problems with ownership and have declared bankruptcy.
  

Again, these teams would only be interested if Lee ends up with the Yankees. Vazquez makes more money, is older (33 to 31), and is not having as good a season as Lee. Javy has proved to be a dominant National League pitcher in inter-league play as well as his season last year with Atlanta, which could make him more attractive to an NL team. However, he would not cost as much, in prospects, as Lee would. Therefore, the team that could be most interested in acquiring Javier Vazquez is:

The Cincinnati Reds.

Why the Reds?

Like I said before, the Reds are fighting, fighting, to hold on to first place in the NL Central from the St. Louis Cardinals. Acquiring a front-of-the-line starter like Lee would make them possible division champs. However, the Reds may not have enough money to sign Lee to extension in the off-season, thus losing him to another team, such as the Yankees. That'd mean that Lee was a rental, and that the team traded premium prospect talent for a half a year's worth of Lee, despite gaining a first round draft pick if he's let go. You can't imagine that Reds' RHP Mike Leake will continue to get lucky all season, so acquiring an ace like Lee to bolster their rotation would be critical to make the playoffs. In a trade for Lee, Cincy would most certainly have to give up 1B prospect Yonder Alonso, who is blocked by Joey Votto, LHP Travis Wood, 3B Juan Francisco and another player.

Let's say in this scenario that the Yankees trade Jesus Montero/Austin Romine with 2B David Adams and a throw-in, and acquire Lee and then make Javier Vazquez available. The Reds need a pitcher now to make a playoff push. Something tells me that the Reds would be interested in acquiring a pitcher who a) they wouldn't have to give up as many prospects for and b) dominates in the NL. Sliding Vazquez in front of Leake, Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang would make for a great rotation in Cincinnati. As I mentioned above, if the Reds were to trade with the Yankees for Vazquez, starting the deal with Alonso, 23, would be good place to begin. Alonso has been said to be a power hitting, left handed batting first baseman/catcher. He's slumping in his first go around in Triple-AAA hitting just .253 with 5 home runs. Jesus Montero and Austin Romine are two of the game's best catching prospects and are ranked #1-#2 on the Yankees' top prospects list. Alonso, the Reds' #2 prospect, has played first base and catcher in the minor leagues.

If the Yankees give up Montero or Romine for Lee, which they most certainly would have to, acquiring Alonso for Vazquez straight-up, one for one, would ease the pain of losing one of them. Alonso could move behind the plate and take the place of Romine or Montero as one of the Yankees' top prospects. There are questions if Alonso could stay behind the plate, but if not, he could move to third base or a corner outfield slot.

So why should the Reds give up a top prospect? For starters, Vazquez is still a great pitcher and could surely help an NL team out. Secondly, he's a Type-A free agent, meaning the Yankees could simply keep Vazquez (unlikely, but who knows) and take the first round draft pick at the end of the year. Finally, the Yankees gave up a top prospect in Vizcaino for Vazquez, so they should expect a top prospect in return if they were to trade him. It'd be an extremely fair trade for both sides if the trade was just Vazquez for Alonso. Alonso is blocked by superstar Joey Votto at first base. Not only is Alonso blocked by Votto, but it doesn't seem as though the Reds plan to move the former first round pick from UMiami behind the plate anytime soon, due to questions if he can stay behind the plate. The Reds drafted catcher Yasmani Grandal, who also went to UMiami, in the first round with the 12th overall pick this year. Grandal is a more polished hitter, is younger, and is a better defensive player. The Reds may simply look to move Alonso because they have no place for him, making him even more attractive for the Yankees in a trade for Vazquez. For the Reds, Vazquez would jump immediately into Cincinnati's rotation and make them a more powerful team, most likely division champs. Vazquez is a free agent at the end of the season, but he'd probably be more signable for Cincinnati than Lee, seeing as he'd cost less and the Reds would not have to sign him to a long-term contract, maybe three or four years at the most. The Yankees would most likely have to eat some cash off Vazquez's contract to get the top prospect. This would be a great trade for both sides and makes the most sense.

The Phillies could also be interested, but I don't see what they could give up outside of Domonic Brown and Kyle Drabek, who are untouchable, since the Halladay trade depleted their system.

The Yankees should try to get a top prospect for Javy, especially since they're losing Romine or Montero. I wouldn't be surprised if they had to settle for a reasonable price though, such as a B-level prospect. Perhaps the Yankees could include Javy in the trade for Lee. Would a trade of Vazquez and Montero/Romine get a deal done for Lee?

Am I ready to write Javy off the ship so quickly? Not exactly. He's been hot recently, but he's had a shaky season and I wouldn't exactly trust him much more than Burnett in a one game playoff series. Also, the Yankees aren't going to trade CC, A.J., Andy or Phil. That being said, Javy's value is at an all-time high right now, so the Yankees could net a top prospect. It'd be the only way that Lee would fit on the team.

It seems like the Yankees could trade for Lee whenever they want to, the only difficulty is moving Javier Vazquez. A rotation featuring Sabathia, Lee, Burnett, Pettitte and Hughes is just wild. While it's not set in stone that this is to happen, it's pure speculation and only matters if Lee is acquired by New York. If the Yankees want to make the best of a trade for Lee then they would have to sign him to an extension. The next few weeks are going to be very interesting.

Update 11:03 PM: Just heard on SNY's SportsNite that the Yankees were talking a trade with the Mariners for Lee and that Vazquez would be traded to Seattle along with a prospect or two. Talks are surely heating up!

Swisher falls to second place in Final Vote behind Red Sox's Youkilis

If you really want to know, the Cincinnati Reds fans and Red Sox fans have come together to vote for first baseman Joey Votto and first baseman Kevin Youkilis together. Since Youkilis is from Cincy, the Reds fans have agreed to vote for him in the AL if Red Sox fans vote for Votto. Nonetheless, I think the title is pretty self-explanatory.

VOTE SWISHER! VOTE SWISHER! VOTE SWISHER!

STUFF THE FREAKIN' BALLOT BOXES!

Ken Griffey Jr. Retires

According to ESPN, Ken Griffey Jr., "The Kid", has called it quits. After struggling this year with a .184 average, Griffey felt that he wasn't playing his best baseball. He finishes with 630 homeruns, 5th on the all time list, and with a legendary reputation. In his career, Griffey played for the Mariners, Reds, and White Sox. He had one of the most beautiful left handed swings I've ever seen. A first ballot hall of famer, no doubt. We wish him nothing but the best here at the Sport Spot. Here's to Junior. You can see more here.