World Series Champions! San Francisco Giants capture World Series "deep in the heart of Texas"

The wait is over.

52 years and one cross-country move later, the San Francisco Giants are World Champions for the sixth-time in their illustrious history.

Their last World Championship? Try 1954, 56 years ago back when they were the NEW YORK Giants, just four years before they would move all the way out west to San Francisco, and were led by a fella' named Willie Mays.

2010? Their first World Championship since they've moved to San Francisco. The first World Championship for the SAN FRANCISCO Giants, led by a pot-smoking, 5'10 guy with long, mangy hair, who the fans by the bay call "the freak."

How about that?

Behind the aforementioned "freak," ace Tim Lincecum, and World Series MVP shortstop Edgar Renteria, the Giants defeated Cliff Lee and the Texas Rangers by a score of 3-1, winning the best of seven series 4-1 in 5 games (I predicted they would win it in 7, but so be it ;) )

After World Series losses in 1962, 1989 and 2002, teams that included the likes of Hall of Famers Juan Marichal and Willie McCovey as well as home run king Barry Bonds, the Giants felt this was their year.

"This group deserved it, faithful from the beginning. We're proud and humbled by the achievement." said Giants Manager Bruce Bochy, who spent 15 years as a catcher in the game and never won a ring.

"For us to win for our fans, it's never been done there, and with all those great teams," Bochy said.

Lincecum faced a worthy adversary in tonight's game. Fighting fire with fire, the Rangers countered with their ace, Lee, who had paired up against Lincecum in Game 1 of the series and took the loss in an 11-7 rout. They were hoping tonight would not be a repeat.

Though not as much of a rout, sadly, it was the same.

Lincecum, who was credited with the win, pitched 8 dominant-innings of 3 hit, 1 run, 10 strikeout baseball, his only blemish being a Nelson Cruz solo-homer in the 7th inning. In the series, he was 2-0 with a 3.29 ERA.

Mr. Lee, on the other hand, took the loss, his second in the series (0-2 with a 6.94 ERA). It was a very unorthodox series for Lee, who had established himself as one of the best postseason pitchers in postseason baseball history, going a postseason lifetime 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA, prior the World Series. Lee was supposed to be unbeatable. So how was it that he shut down the New York Yankees, who had an offense that included AL MVP candidate Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira, but could not defeat the Giants, a team that was called a "team of misfits," with cast-offs from other big league clubs?

Lee did not pitch bad in this game (7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 6 K). A pitcher's duel, Lee matched Lincecum....

At least through 7 2/3 innings.

His only mistake, and I mean only mistake, was the one that sealed the Rangers' fate.

A 3-run home run by Edgar Renteria.

"It was a classic pitchers' duel down to that home run. Nobody in this room is more disappointed than I am," Lee said.

"They beat us soundly," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "They deserve it."

For Renteria, he wasn't exactly new to game-winning hits in the World Series.

In 1997, Renteria, then a 21 year-old rookie with the Florida Marlins, delivered the game winning base-hit in walk-off fashion against the Cleveland Indians to give the Marlins their first ever championship.

Now, fast-forward 13 years later, and he did it again.

Not bad for a guy who spent three stints on the disabled list this year and has been considering retirement.

"It was a tough year for me," Renteria, who batted .412 with 2 home runs and six RBIs said. "I told myself to keep working hard and keep in shape because something is going to be good this year."

Renteria joins elite company with the Yankees' Yogi Berria, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig as the only players to have two game-winning hits in the World Series. He was also named the series MVP.

Woah.

"It is pretty crazy, just because he's been around so long," Lincecum said. "You can see he's still got it. He comes up clutch in a clutch situation."

"Sat on the bench for four months of the year. Hits two clutch home runs," said Buster Posey, the Giants' 23-year-old rookie catcher, "and is going out a World Series champion."


While I picked the Giants way back in March to go to the World Series, it was hard to imagine the Giants arriving at this point. They had no offense, their pitching, while deep and successful, was too young to be considered battle-ready, and they were truly "a team of misfits."

So how did this team, whose highest paid player (Barry Zito, $126 million/7 years) didn't even make the postseason roster, win the World Series?

Chemistry.

It was the work of GM Brian Sabean bringing in good clubhouse guys and proven veterans this winter and during the course of the season.

Aubrey Huff, who, in his 13 years had never BEEN to the postseason, slugged 26 home runs for the Giants and was a vocal part of their clubhouse-wasn't even signed until mid-January!

Pat Burrel, who was released by the Tampa Bay Rays mid-season after hitting a measly .202 with 2 home runs and 13 RBIs, was picked up by the Giants on a minor league contract and woke up, hitting .266 with 18 home runs and 51 RBIs for the boys from the bay.

Or how about Cody Ross? Ross, who was picked up by the Giants on waivers from the Marlins, FOR FREE, hit .294 with 5 home runs in the playoffs. That's including hitting .350 with 3 HR in the NLCS, where he was named the NLCS MVP.

Chemistry is an element that made the Giants. Every player on this team, from the three mentioned above to second baseman Freddy Sanchez, third baseman Juan Uribe, Renteria, Posey, Lincecum, closer Brian Wilson, outfielder Andres Torres, 32, who most of his career in the minors, and more, had HEART. Gamers. They were the grind-it-out guys. The guys most powerhouse teams would keep as a fourth-outfielder, utility, or bench player.

But no.

On the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, they were starters.

While these "misfits" are the ones who made the Giants champions, there is another element which led the Giants to their sixth-franchise title:

Depth.

The Giants had it.

Consider this:

- Their surplus of young pitching which over-exceeded expectations was made up of Lincecum (26), Matt Cain (25), Jonathan Sanchez (27), and rookie-phenom Madison Bumgarner (21). They held the Rangers' offense to a .190 batting average. That could be a dominant rotation for years to come.

- A rag-tag lineup which was made of veterans and castoffs: Torres, Sanchez, Posey, Ross, Huff, Burrell, Renteria, Uribe, and outfielder Aaron Rowand.

- Buster Posey himself, who, in his rookie-campaign, carried the Giants offensively on his shoulders and ignited a spark for this team down the stretch; finishing with a .305 batting average, to go along with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs in what-could-be his NL Rookie of the Year Award winning season. He also batted .300 with a home run and two RBIs in the World Series, an overall .288 (17-59) in the playoffs.

- Their shut-down bullpen, which included journeymen like Javier Lopez, Jeremy Affeldt, and Guillermo Mota, as well as their shut-down, league saves-leader, All-Star closer Brian "Fear the Beard" Wilson.

- A deep bench on which outfielder Nate Schierholtz and veteran infielders Mike Fontenot, Travis Ishikawa and Pablo "Kung-Fu Panda" Sandoval were at the ready.

This was a team that was defined by one word when you put it all together:

Fun.

"San Francisco is going nuts, we're going nuts and it feels really good," Wilson said.

A deserving Championship to a team who fought hard the whole season in a year where Huff called watching Giant baseball "torture" for the fans. A rag-tag team with all the heart in the baseball world, the Giants truly define the term World Champions.

And I don't think the fans are "tortured" anymore.

"This team will forever be legendary in San Francisco," Huff said. "We better never have to pay for a meal there again.

Congratulations to the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants.

WORLD SERIES: San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers

Alright, everyone who picked the Giants and Rangers to meet in the 2010 World Series, put your hands up.

....

I'll put my hand up, maybe not all the way, but partially, seeing as I did pick the Giants to get to the World Series, but to face the New York Yankees and lose in seven games.

But honestly, how many people would have picked the Rangers to dethrone the World Champions? Or for the team by the bay to defeat the greatest pitching rotation in postseason history from the Philadelphia Phillies?

Not many.

Perhaps what could be a downfall in TV ratings for Fox Network, due to this year's match-up, this could prove to be one of the more exciting series over the past few seasons.

For instance, the Texas Rangers have never, ever, in their team history, made it to the second round of the playoffs (the ALCS) or let alone make it to the World Series in their 50 year existence...

...until now.

The 2010 Rangers, armed with the veteran Michael Young, ace Cliff Lee, probable American League MVP, as well as ALCS MVP, Josh Hamilton, and a young core group that includes shortstop Elvis Andrus, are primed to make a battle for the World Series Trophy. A dominant offense, that which includes the likes of future Hall Of Famer Vladamir Guerrero and the dangerous Nelson Cruz, will look to send multiple baseballs into McCovey Cove and swamp the Giants' chances of securing a world title.

The Rangers definitely deserve to be in the World Series and are, without a doubt, the feel-good story of the 2010 season. Besides making the ALCS against New York a very one-sided affair, the Rangers have background stories on their team which further makes them the story of the year.

Consider the story of the Rangers' MVP candidate, Josh Hamilton.

Hamilton, the number one overall draft pick in the 1999 draft by the Tampa Bay Devil (at the time) Rays, has one of baseball's most remarkable stories. A chronic substance abuse early in his career, Hamilton was almost dismembered from the sport, and faced many setbacks in his career, initially spending his entire signing bonus from his draft on drugs and alcohol. However, rehab set Hamilton back on the track to baseball, as he was able to overcome his substance abuse to become sober and blossom into the All-Star he was hyped to be. Now a definite American League MVP candidate, and possible winner, Hamilton sported a .359 batting average to go along with 31 home runs this season, while battling injuries and carrying the Rangers to the playoffs, where he hit .350 with 4 home runs, and now the World Series. Almost five years ago, no one in baseball would have believed Hamilton would reach this point.

How about the story of Texas Manager Ron Washington? Washington, admittedly, tested positive for cocaine last season, and had to overcome scrutiny the entire season. However, Washington was backed by his players, Hamilton especially, seeing as he had dealt with the same situation as Washington early in his career. Now, he's managing the American League Champions in the World Series.

Last, there is the remarkable story of Michael Young. Young, although he is not "officially" the captain of the Rangers, carries himself as so. The veteran, who has spent his entire 11-year career, 1,508 games, with Texas, had never been to the postseason prior to this year. Young, 34, has been part of the lows of the Rangers' era. While playing the Alex Rodriguez era, Mark Teixeira era and now the Josh Hamilton era in Rangers' history, Young has been overlooked, if not underrated, in his career. Now, for the first time in his career, Young will be able to showcase his talent on the national stage and show why he is the heart and soul of the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers fought through thick and thin in the playoffs this season, dropping a 2-0 games lead to the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series, resulting in a nail-biting Game 5 victory, and of course, doing one of the most impossible playoff tasks: defeating the mighty Yankees, who, before this series loss, were 11-2 in ALCS play.

But what about the Rangers' new opponent?

The San Francisco Giants, since moving to San Francisco in 1958, have never won a championship since leaving New York.

They'll look to change that now.

The Giants did reach the World Series in 2002, but fell to the (at the time) Anaheim Angels in a heart-breaking seven games. For the first time 2003, they have made the playoffs.

A playoff afterthought at the beginning of the 2010 season, a pick to be more of a trouble-maker for the contending teams in the NL West (The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies), no one thought that the Giants had a chance to make the postseason. Their lineup was too weak, their rotation behind back-to-back Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum was questionable, and they were "a gang of misfits."

The first half of the Giants' season was a mess. Despite the emergence of catcher Buster Posey, the rookie who took the world by storm by hitting over .330 in the first half, Lincecum, who was coming off of his second-straight Cy Young Award, was struggling, Pablo Sandoval, the young third baseman who hit .330 the year prior was struggling to hit .270, and the Giants, overall, were at 41-40 by the end of the first half. The season looked like it would be similar to the one prior.

Not so much anymore.

Lincecum recovered, Posey continued to mash and make himself look like the eventual NL Rookie of the Year, closing pitcher Brian Wilson, first baseman Aubrey Huff, and starting pitchers Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez stepped up, resulting in a 51-30 second half of the season, en route to the club's National League West Division title in a dramatic end of the season showdown with the San Diego Padres.

While the Giants may not have the same feel-good story as the Rangers, they surely are not a team to be counted out. They defeated the Atlanta Braves and sent Bobby Cox to retirement, they overpowered the "Big 3" of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels in Philadelphia when everyone in the baseball world considered them left for dead at the hands of the Phillies.

Now, with one dramatic and gut-wrenching regular season over, the boys from the bay area find themselves in the World Series, armed with the task of making Josh Hamilton look lost, stealing the feel-good vibe that surrounds their opponent, and looking to make "Deep in the Heart of Texas" nothing more than a sob song for Rangers fans.

I like both of these teams a lot. I think they stack up well against each other in this series, and I like that both these teams play for the good of the game. These are two teams with players who gritty, gutty, grind-it-out type of players, and they will make it a hard-fought battle to win the crown. I do think that the Giants hold a tremendous advantage in the pitching department with shut-down guys like Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner and Wilson, compared to that of Texas' Lee (who is their only "shut-down" pitcher), C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis (who had a great DS & CS), Tommy Hunter and rookie-closer Neftali Feliz, but the Rangers' offense, led by Hamilton and Cruz, without a doubt overpowers that of the Giants' scrappy offense where the only real threat is NLCS MVP Cody Ross and Posey. I think that the Giants boast a better bullpen than Texas, especially having season-saves-leader (48 saves) Brian Wilson at the back to shut the door, as opposed to a rookie closer like Feliz.

That being said, I really like the pitching in this series and I think that will be the real factor in the winning team. I'm going to stick with my gut from the beginning of the season, but change the outcome.

Giants in 7.

Last day of the regular season, playoff picture still foggy

It's hard to believe that we're at this point in the major league baseball season already...

Game #162.

Yet still, the playoff picture is far from complete.

While we know that the Twins (AL Central), Rangers (AL West), Yankees (AL East/Wildcard), Rays (AL East/Wildcard), Phillies (NL East) and Reds (NL Central) are going to October, two spots still remain undecided, those being the NL West and NL Wildcard and will be battled for today by the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves.

However baseball fans, we could be in for a treat, something we've never yet seen before in baseball history.

A three-way-tie.

That's right.

However, this would only occur if the following occurs:

- The Padres defeat the Giants today, placing them in a tie with San Francisco for first place in the NL West.

- The Braves defeat the Phillies.

Only then, would there be a three-way-tie, which is a lot more likely than most believe.

In that case, the Giants and Padres would fly to San Diego and play a one-game playoff to decide the NL West division winner. The loser of that game, be it the Giants or Padres, then would fly to Atlanta to play the Braves in yet another one-game playoff to decide the Wildcard winner. It's a very complex format, but hey, that's baseball.

However, if the Giants were to win today against the Padres (they would be NL West Division Champions), and the Braves lost to the Phillies, the Padres would be the Wildcard Champions, eliminating the Braves from the playoffs. If the Padres were to beat the Giants with the Braves losing, the Giants would be the Wildcard Champions. Confusing stuff.

Basically, if the Braves lose, both western teams go to the playoffs. Talk about a depressing send-off to longtime Braves' manager Bobby Cox, who announced he will be retiring after the season, as well as a depressing end to a season in which the Braves claimed first place for most of the year.

So what does this all hinge on?

The Padres winning. If San Diego wins, a three-way-tie-breaker will occur.

If San Diego loses, the Giants and Braves go to the playoffs.

As for me, I'd love to see the Giants win the division just because I picked them at the beginning of the season, everything else goes. On the other hand, I'd really love to see a San Diego-Atlana one-game playoff, that'd be awesome.

If the Padres and Braves were to meet up for the one-game wildcard playoff, I have to say that it could go either way. Both teams have been sub-par in September, with both clubs going 4-6 over their last 10 games. Their aces, Mat Latos (SD) and Tim Hudson (ATL), are starting today, which would make them unavailable to start a one-game playoff which would take place on Tuesday. In the end however, I think experience plays a huge role in determining a playoff spot, so I'll pick the Braves over San Diego in this situation. If it were the Giants and Braves, I'll take the Giants over the Braves because they'd most likely start ace and two-time Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum

If the Giants were to fall today to San Diego and and then lose to Atlanta in the one-game Wildcard playoff, that would be almost as bad of a collapse as the New York Mets in 2007 & 2008.

So will the Giants, led by NL Rookie of the Year front-runner Buster Posey, be victorious over Adrian Gonzalez and the Padres? Who will falter to possibly play Jason "J-Hay Kid" Heyward and the Braves? Will the Braves collapse?

I'll be watching those games today very closely, as well as the Yankee game of course to see if they will be winning the division or wildcard. Gotta say that I'd prefer the Wildcard right now for the Yanks, they seem to have the Twins' number in the playoffs.

Well folks that's all for now, I'll be back later to post the final standings so we can set up a playoff picture. Enjoy the last day of the regular season, and if you're a fan of a team who has to wait till next year, well, wait till next year.

Predictions:

TODAY:

GIANTS OVER PADRES - GIANTS NL WEST CHAMPIONS,

BRAVES OVER PHILLIES - BRAVES WILDCARD CHAMPIONS

IF THERE IS AN NL WEST TIEBREAKER TOMORROW:

GIANTS OVER PADRES - GIANTS NL WEST CHAMPIONS

IF THERE IS AN NL WILDCARD TIEBREAKER TUESDAY:

BRAVES OVER PADRES - BRAVES NL WILDCARD CHAMPIONS

Update, 6:19 PM - The Yankees fell to the Red Sox 8-4 today, while the Rays beat Kansas City 3-2. The Yankees enter the postseason as the Wildcard and will play the Twins in Minnesota on Wednesday, while the Rays win the AL East and host the Rangers on Wednesday as well. Also, the Giants currently lead the Padres 2-0 in the 7th. Remember, if the Giants win, that means San Diego is eliminated and the Braves are the Wildcard Champions.

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.

San Francisco Giants trade C Bengie Molina to Texas Rangers for RHP Chris Ray and a PTBNL

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's trade time!

Today the San Francisco Giants traded catcher Bengie Molina to the Texas Rangers for RHP Chris Ray and a Play To Be Named Later.

Molina, who was hitting .257/.312/.332 with 3 HR and 17 RBIs through 61 games will take over as starting catcher for Matt Treanor, who's hitting .237/.315/.378 with 5 HR and 23 RBI through 54 games. Treanor will be the back-up catcher now. Before the trade, the trio of Texas catchers, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Taylor Teagarden, Max Ramirez and Treanor, were hitting a combined .212/.311/.328 on the year, prompting the move for a trade of a better offensive catcher. Molina, 36, is a free agent at the end of the season. The long-time Angels backstop is with his fourth organization now, after spending seasons with the Angels, Blue Jays, and Giants. The eldest Molina brother will now hope to had some power to the Rangers' lineup. The move will push Buster Posey to be the starting catcher in San Francisco.

The Giants meanwhile, acquire relief help as they try to make a playoff push this season. They'll acquire Chris Ray, ex-closer of the Baltimore Orioles. The former Tommy John surgery patient has thrown to a 3.41 ERA in 31.2 innings of work this season. Ray, 28, was traded to Texas for Kevin Millwood prior to the 2010 season, so this will be his second team this season. Ray will most likely take over duty as the set-up man for Brian Wilson. The Giants will also acquire a Player To Be Named Later as a bonus.

This is a good trade for both sides. The Rangers acquire a catcher that can hit and field, something they've been lacking since the days of Ivan Rodriguez, and they got him for a good price. The Giants acquire a young reliever who can help them in the bullpen, as well as a bonus player. The trade of Molina will now allow the Giants to play Buster Posey at catcher full-time, as he begins to grow into his position, and will allow them to play Aubrey Huff at first base full-time. A good trade fulfilling the needs of both teams.

Red Sox in injury trouble

Terry Francona must not like inter-league play.

Over the course of two games in two days in San Francisco against the Giants, the Red Sox lost two of their best players to injury.

Dustin Pedroia, arguably Boston's best position player, fouled a ball off of his foot on Friday night. While just believed to be a bruise, Pedroia ended up being pulled from the game. It was later revealed that Pedroia had more than just a bruise: he has a fracture in his foot that could end up keeping him on the DL for four to eight weeks. Pedroia has been a spark plug for the Red Sox ever since being called up in 2007, and has been the vocal leader of their team. Almost two or three months without Pedroia could really cost the Red Sox big time in the division standings, as they are currently in third place behind the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. The loss of Pedroia could be the defining blow that knocks Boston out of the playoff picture. He was batting .292 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI. He was on pace for at least 30 home runs.

The next day, Saturday, the Red Sox lost their best pitcher in Clay Buchholtz. After getting his first major league hit, Buchholtz had to run to second. He ended up injuring his knee, and now has a hyper-extended knee. He'll miss at least 1 or 2 starts. He lasted just 1 IP. In 2010, Buchholtz is at 10-4 with a 2.45 ERA in 92.0 IP.

It seems as though injuries have been the recurring theme of the 2010 Red Sox: Josh Beckett, Mike Cameron, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeremy Hermida, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, Victor Martinez, Dustin Pedroia and now Clay Buccholtz. Injuries and an early season struggle have really hurt the Red Sox this season.

You can't help but think that this is why AL managers hate inter-league play. We saw it in 2008 when the Yankees lost Chien-Ming Wang to a foot injury while running the bases in Houston. He ended up missing the rest of the season and never regained his 19-game winning potential in 2009. When you look at it, the 2010 Red Sox and 2008 Yankees aren't all that different: both teams were losing key players to injuries left and right, both teams had minor league journeymen starting, and both teams finished in third place. While the season isn't over, it looks like that's where the Red Sox are headed, thanks to the Rays and Yankees. Losing two key players in two days is a big blow to a team that struggled early and is now trying to play catch-up in the best division in baseball.

You can only hope that Buchholtz and Pedroia recover quickly and help Boston out. While I don't want Boston to win the division (seriously, did you honestly think that was what I meant?) I would like the division to be competitive. It's no fun beating the Red Sox when they suck.

UPDATE 9:35 PM: Whaddya know? Victor Martinez broke his thumb today. What are the odds?