Turn up your hearing aid, Bud... You've got a problem to deal with.

• Seven years and $142 million given to Carl Crawford by the Boston Red Sox.
• Seven years and $124 million for Jayson Werth given by the Washington Nationals.  (No, that’s not a typo).
• Three years and $51 million for a 36-year-old Derek Jeter by the New York Yankees.  (Again. No, that’s not a typo.)
• Four years and $56 million for Adam Dunn by the Chicago White Sox.

Lest we forget the impending super contract that will most likely be given to lefty super ace Cliff Lee, most likely by the Yankees.  These are the first few contracts handed out this baseball off-season, and for the most part, it has been business as usual for the usual suspects.

You’re not hearing a lot from the Minnesota Twins.  You’re not hearing anything from the Milwaukee Brewers (except not resigning Prince Fielder).  The only thing you’re hearing out of San Diego is the “two piece and a biscuit trade” of Adrian Gonzalez, their only marketable player, to the Boston Red Sox coincidentally.

Folks, I’ve never been the kind of person who tells other people what to do with their money because I freely admit I’m horrible with mine.  I do, however, scream from the rooftops that money should be spent to promote parity in every major sport in the United States.

The NFL, NBA and NHL all have some kind of salary cap to promote this idea that at any given time, anyone can win a championship.  Major League Baseball seems to be the only entity that refuses to get with the program, and every year is starting to get more and more boring as the usual suspects – the Yankees, Red Sox and any other free spending team – are always the ones spending the bucks to put a quality product on the field.

Burns-ian ownerships like Pittsburgh's Robert Nutting are a continuing problem.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig – who Dr. Sports Fan debates is a worse leader than George W. Bush at this point  – introduced a revenue sharing program that was supposed to be a way to correct the problem of teams not having the kind of money necessary to compete with the bigger market teams.  A new problem has unfortunately surfaced that Selig should get on and tackle because baseball fans in several markets in the United States are quite frankly getting a little sick and tired of some of the Mr. Burns-ian ownerships.

As a sports fan, I tend to really feel bad for other fan bases like the Pittsburgh Pirates for example.  The team hasn’t had a winning record since 1992, and their owner, Robert Nutting, seems perfectly content with spending only $30-$35 million on his team and being a laughing stock of Major League Baseball.  I equally feel bad for the San Diego Padres as a resident of America’s Finest City.  I’ve seen the Padres at their best winning back-to-back NL West titles in ’05 and ’06, but not spending money and sending their best players away for basically pennies on the dollar makes me upset, and I’m not even from here.

Don't tell me "small markets can't compete" when Minnesota does so EVERY YEAR.

I’m so sick of the “small markets can’t compete” argument because there are small market teams that are widely successful in today’s MLB.  The Minnesota Twins, for example, are a model for how successful a small-market team can be.  The Twins are contenders every year (until they get to the post season, that is), and they spend the dollars to keep their team competitive.  The contract extension they gave Joe Mauer (8 years, $184 million) is a prime example of that.  Playing “moneyball” works if you want to be mediocre, but at some point, you have to spend money, and even with revenue sharing, some teams just aren’t doing it.

Here’s where I step into the shoes of a commissioner (like I’ve done many times in the past with my columns) and promote a solution since I like to consider myself a man of the people — someone who has their finger on the pulse of the fan for the most part.  With that said, I’d like to submit a concept for you to contemplate and perhaps … implement down the line.

The idea of a maximum salary cap in Major League Baseball really wouldn’t solve the growing problem in this league because revenue sharing was supposedly supposed to take care of the issue.  The issue is not teams not having the money (well, I guess in SOME cases it is).  The problem is owners not SPENDING the money they get, which is why I propose a minimum salary cap.

Honestly if I were MLB Commissioner, I'd dress like this every day. Honestly...

If you want to play ball in Commissioner Royster’s MLB, there is a certain amount of money you are required to spend or face fines and outspoken criticisms by me.  I’m not saying you have to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars that the Yankees and Red Sox spend, but you can’t spend San Diego Padres/Pittsburgh Pirates money, either.

In the 2010 MLB season, the 32 franchises averaged about $84 million in payroll.  What’s wrong with having a minimum salary cap of somewhere between $65 to $85 million?  Is that range really that bad when you consider using that money will more than likely put a quality product on the field which in turn put butts in the seats generating more revenues.

Last year the following winning teams’ payrolls were in the range I’m proposing:

• Cincinnati Reds (91-71) – $71.7 M
• Tampa Bay Rays (96-66) – $71.9 M
• Colorado Rockies (83-79) – $84.2 M
• Atlanta Braves (91-71) – $84.4 M

The AL Champion Texas Rangers only spent about $55 million for their pennant run, but a lot of their success was a result of their trade for Cliff Lee from Seattle.  A $70-$75 million minimum cap seems reasonable enough for ball clubs to turn a profit while putting a quality (key word) product on the field.

If $70 million is the cap, only nine teams would be under that amount according to ’10 payrolls.  Granted, this plan is contingent of every MLB team having a general manager that has some idea what he’s doing (see Omar Minaya for an example of how NOT to do it – seriously, Omar… Jason Bay?)

C'mon, Texas. Act like you've been here. Oh wait, you haven't, which is why your run was fun.

As corny as it all sounds, this plan goes a long way in to what I believe will be better for baseball because Cinderella sells.  The San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers World Series run may not have had the glamour or flare that  other series have had in the past (i.e. no Boston, New York, Los Angeles), but I watched every game of the 2010 World Series.  Why?  Because two teams who haven’t been there in a while (or in Texas’s case, ever) were playing for a championship.  The last World Series had so much passion behind it because it was two teams that acted like they’d never been there before.

That’s what makes sports exciting, and it’s a concept that owners don’t understand, which is a shame because we as fans get it.  When you support a team operated in a league with parity and fairness across the board, you know your team could be hoisting a championship trophy in any given year.

Sometimes, I wonder why people buy professional sports teams.  If you’re buying one of those, I’m assuming it wouldn’t be just for yearly profits because that just doesn’t make sense.  If anything, you’d want to buy the franchise, win a couple of championships, then sell it for double or triple what you paid for it.

Owning a major league baseball team is an investment, but just like any investment, you have to spend some capital to make it a worthwhile investment.  Note to MLB owners everywhere: make it worthwhile to your fan bases, and we will thank you ten fold.

I promise…

The Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants have shocked the rest of the baseball world into submission — none of us predicted the Giants to advance to the World Series in our League Championship Series predictions!

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to predict who will win the World Series and why. And for bonus points, why not try to guess the World Series MVP for good measure…

-DSF

Dr. Sports Fan

I really have no clue which team will win, after all, I picked the Yankees and Phillies to win their respective LCS. Overall, I think the American League was better than the National League this year, but I think AT&T Park favors the pitching heavy Rangers. The only problem, Cliff Lee will be pitching one of those games. The problem for SF is that the Rangers offense is as good on the field as it is on paper (not mentioning any names on this one… COUGH-Phillies-COUGH). While I think the Giants have enough fight in them to take this one the distance, I don’t think it will be enough to finally end Frisco’s title drought.

So here goes nothing: Lee and the Rangers take game one, lose game 2, take 2-of-3 at home, and hold on for a win in either of the final two games in San Fran.

World Series Champion: Texas in 7

MVP: Why not? Cliff Lee

P.S. Even though the Giants beat my favorite team, I’m still excited to watch them (and the Rangers) play in the World Series. Am I alone?

Mr. Dude and Stuff

Man, some egg on our faces with our LCS picks, huh?  Even my MVP picks were duds with Teixeira pulling the hammy running to first and Howard caught looking to end the whole series.  Sheesh, did I call it wrong.

This could be a pretty epic World Series considering both teams played spoilers and upset elite defending champions who were all but shoe ins for a rematch.  Both teams played their asses off to get where they are so I tip my cap to both of them.

That being said, I like the Rangers in this series.  Granted, I could be totally wrong again so that bodes well for the Giants, but Texas has been playing with that magical winning run grit that stifled the Yankees.  At first I thought it was just pure luck (and some pretty questionable umpiring) with the Tampa Bay series, but after what they did to the Yankees, I’m sold.  Cliff Lee will very likely gun down these Giants hitters as well as a big series out of CJ Wilson I think as well.

World Series Champion: Rangers in 6 or 7.

MVP: Josh Hamilton if it’s in 6 or Cliff Lee if it’s in 7.  Sorry, I can’t decide.

Sports Drone

I have no interest in watching this World Series.  And it’s not because I’m not a baseball fan.  I will watch any team… any time.  I reserve the right to pull my “poor sport” card out at this moment.  I am so pissed off about the Phillies catastrophic failures at the plate that I don’t want to watch another game until April.  That being said… I probably will anyway and I’m going with Texas in 5.  Texas is batting something like .286 BAA as a team.  The Giants are batting .230 BAA.  Texas went through the Rays and the Yankees like a hot knife through butter and they’ll take down the pack of nobodies and journeymen that are the Giants.  The Giants went through a tired and depleted Braves team and a Phillies team that refused to play small ball and seemed content to stare at pitches down the heart of the plate and swing at balls that bounce on home plate.  The Giants could have rolled the ball from the mound and the Phillies players would have probably swung at it.  Plus… I want to see Cliff Lee win a World Series title.

World Series Champion: Texas Cliff Lee’s.
MVP: Oddly enough, not Cliff Lee.  I’m going with Nelly Cruz, he’s been a beast.

Interesting side note… Bengie Molina will get a World Series ring no matter which team wins since he played for the Giants earlier in the season.  Lucky him.

The Phoenix

Okay .. stop me when you’ve heard this one:

The Giants are going up against a team with a vastly superior offense…

“.. stop ..”

…their pitching as a team may be the difference in this series…

“.. please stop ..”

…and their inexperience in this situation may come back to haunt them at the wrong time.

“.. I beg you to stop because it still hurts ..”

In short, I’ve heard this argument before, and I’m not going to get fooled into thinking Texas can pull this off. Unless Cliff Lee is pitching nine innings in every game, the Giants are winning this series. Texas’s offense is just as good (if not better) than Philadelphia’s was. They may be swinging a bit hotter of a bat, but as we saw in the NLCS, Lincecum, Sanchez and Cain sprinkled with that re-donkulous bullpen was enough to keep CBP quiet until March — much to my chagrin.

World Series Champion: Giants in 6.

MVP: Tim Lincecum.

Jack Bauer of All Sports

World Series Champion: Rangers in 6

MVP: Josh Hamilton

Both teams are playing great, especially Texas. I think both teams are equal in pitching matchup, but offense slightly favors Texas. I know its a cliche argument, but I’m Jack Bauer of All Sports, and I approve this prediction

Living on the West Coast has its privileges — nicer weather, better countryside, and year-round beach towns — but that little 3-hour time difference tends to be a major hindrance as a sports fan. Yesterday’s afternoon NLCS game, in particular, is just one of many sports events that people like me on the West Coast, with normal 9-to-5 jobs, cannot watch live. For anyone that’s ever heard of the term “East Coast Bias”, I think this is where it gets its name. And as much as I like to know how my team is doing, I’d much rather watch the game myself and enjoy all the drama and uncertainty that comes with watching a live event — even if that means watching a live event several hours later.

As any passionate sports fan knows, if you’re taping a game, you have to avoid hearing anything — and I mean anything — about the game. No scores, no injury news, NOTHING! Luckily out in San Diego, I am almost certain to avoid hearing a co-worker mention a Phillies game score. Unfortunately, the information age that we live in — a world dominated by cell phones, internet, and social media — can just as easily burst my bubble.

With that, I give you the All Media Blackout. You turn off your cell phone; you don’t check Facebook, Twitter, or (if you’re still holding out) MySpace; and you must definitely do not go on any sports websites — in fact, general avoidance of any and all news websites is a best practice — because in today’s world, there are just far too many ways to find out if your team won or lost to take any chances. Even if it means you have to party like it’s 1989.

After watching the first three uneventful innings during my lunch break, I commenced the All-Media Blackout until at 5:30 Pacific Daylight Savings Time. We’ll pick it up in the 4th inning…

Top 4

After Placido Polanco made a quick out, both Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth reached base for Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies have had a lot of runners on base and hit some balls hard off Cain thus far. You have to think they’ll break through soon, right? Well, not in this at-bat after Rollins flies out to left on a 1-2 pitch. McCarver and Buck both seem to think Pat Burrell had trouble with that sun — nevermind that he caught it easily. File this one under the much ado about nothing category. Speaking of much ado about nothing: Ibanez strikes out on a high fastball just after the stadium operator puts up a “Wave Your Rally Towels” graphic.

In other news, the Giants didn’t sell out their first NLCS home game in 8 years. Note to one particular Frisco scribe: Take a good look at your own fans’ short-comings before ripping our fans, asshole. (Or look at New York fans.)

Bottom 4

Cole Hamels and his 2010 revival have continue through three innings here in the Bay Area as he is perfect through three innings. That is until Edgar Rentaria leads off with a line drive over Utley for the Giants first base-runner. As Bob Uecker might say, “I think I’ll wet my pants.” Freddy Sanchez follows with a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second, leaving rookie catcher Buster Posey with a duck on the pond. After Hamels throws an inside strike to get the count to 1-2, FOX cuts to a quick shot of that bastard Cody Ross. His presence alone leads to two straight balls from Hamels. No matter, Hollywood gets Posey to chase a high 94 mph fastball for strike three. Burrell’s turn now and after whiffing badly on the first pitch, Hamels throws him four straight balls later. Here comes that Ross guy with runners on first and second and two outs.

The first pitch to Ross was an inside fastball for a ball. The 1-0 pitch was a changeup for a swinging strike, followed by a high looping curve for a borderline ball. Amid a “Lets go Cody” chant, Babe Ruth reincarnated lines a low and away fastball to left field for a 1-0 Giants lead. &#$@!!!!!!!

At this point, can’t we just intentionally walk him?

Aubrey Huff steps in and he quickly grounds one off the glove of Chase Utley to score Burrell. Rare emotion from Utley after that one after that ball tipped off his glove. That was a tough play to make, and he really shouldn’t feel too sorry about that one. Give Huff credit for hitting it an inch too far from him. If we can give credit for that…

Now it’s Juan Uribe in another first and third situation. Need to stop the bleeding here, Cole! After falling behind 0-2, Uribe looked to have offered big time on the next pitch, but the first base ump disagreed. Even the Fox announcers are a bit flaggerghasted by that call. More much ado about nothing as Hamels got him to pop up to Utley on the next pitch.

Inning over but the damage has been done. A pair of RBI singles with two outs have SF in the lead, 2-0.

Top 5

Ruiz led off with a fly out to the now-wearing-glasses Burrell. (Guess he got the memo.) Hamels follows with a hard hit ground ball to Huff at first, who in-turn flipped to Cain for the second out. Victorino walked thanks to a suddenly shrunken strike zone to bring up Utley with two outs. I sense that he wants to atone for coming up short in his diving attempt last inning. Victorino stole second thanks in no small part to a bouncing throw from Posey that ended up in shallow CF (Victornio did not advance). Not that it mattered because Chase Utley grounded out to second to end the threat.

Bottom 5

Former Phillie Aaron Rowand smashes the first pitch of the inning into the left field corner for a leadoff double. You have to credit manager Bruce Bochy, as Buck and McCarver just did, for inserting Rowand into the lineup and juggling his order. Each move as paid off big time. Of course, if you aren’t in the mood to give him credit with the Phillies losing 2-0, I don’t blame you one bit.

After a Cain strike out and Renteria fly out, Sanchez up now trying to salvage Rowand’s lead-off double. One pitch after Hamels just missed the outside corner at the knees on an 0-2 pitch, Sanchez sends an inbetween hop to Utley, who boots it into center field allowing Roward to score. Tough play as the ball was probably spinning weirdly, but definitely one you’d like to see your All-Star second baseman make. That’s his third error of the postseason.

Thankfully, Hamels blew a high fastball by Posey to end the threat, but not before the Giants add an insurance run for a 3-0 lead.

Top 6

We could use some runs or this column might begin to get a bit angrier. I’m holding it back now, but trust me, it’s beginning to bubble under the surface. This inning didn’t help as Polanco (ground out to second), Howard (ground out to second), and Werth (fly out to right) went down in order. Nice trip through the heart of the order…

In other news, Bob Uecker underwent successful heart surgery. Good luck in your recovery, Ueck!

Bottom 6

Is it just me or did Fox skip over the obligatory in-game interview with a coach or batter? Finally! Also the official scorer just gave Sanchez a hit on the Utley boot. Tough earned run for Hamels there.

Hamels gets Burrell swinging on a 3-2 pitch. Up comes Ross as well as another montage of Ross highlights from Fox — you know, in case we missed the last five times they showed those highlights this game. Ross’ follow through on a 2-1 strike nailed Ruiz in the facemask. I’ve had it with this guy. Luckily for Ross’ safety, Hamels finally gets him with a swinging strike. One pitch after his eighth strikeout of the afternoon, Hamels calls for and catches a pop up in front of the pitcher’s mound.

Nice to have a clean inning…

Top 7

As Rollins grounds out to second to start the frame, it’s beginning to look like the Phillies lineup — the same one that used to be the team’s undisputed strength — will probably be the reason that they lose today. Ibanez then follows with a hot shot right at Huff, who snared it before it dropped for out number two. Probably not going to be the Phillies’ day is it?

Jose Contreras is up in bullpen in case Ruiz reaches, and I’m thinking that Hamels might be a better option than our pitch hitters at this point. He did, after all, get the team’s lone hit back in that one Mets game right? Poor Hamels. He pitches another good game, gets no run support, and then his defense also lets him down.

Chooch gets hit by a pitch and up comes Ryan “I’m about to strike out” Gload. I missed that part of the season that he was good. I know it happened, but I wasn’t there to witness it. So naturally I think he’s an automatic out every time he walks up to the plate. Apparently, manager Charlie Manuel does not think that way as Gload has been his go-to pinch-hitter this postseason. So I will give Gload (and Charlie) credit for a good AB after working a walk after a falling into a 1-2 count.

Bruce Bochy out to se if Cain wants to continue, since he’s only allowed two hits in his 6.2 innings pitched, Boch lets him stay in for Victorino. You hope Shane can make something out of this at-bat with side-arm lefty Javier Lopez ready in the pen to face Utley. Victorino’s worked a 3-2 count, putting the runners in motion for what’s surely to be Cain’s last pitch, number 119, which was — you guessed it — another ground out to second base.

Punchless offense for Hamels once again. Maybe the Phillies will score some runs for the bullpen.

Bottom 7

The first pitch from Contreras was popped about 10 feet from home plate where Chooch was there to squeeze it for the first out. He then got Roward to strikeout on a nasty splitter that seemed to have very little spin on it. A groundout to the mound on the next pitch ended the inning.

Quick work by Contreras.

Top 8

Lopez in to pitch now and he gets Utley to pop out to second on the second pitch of the inning. Remember when he used to be good? With the black-bearded Brian Wilson warming up in the ‘pen, Polanco grounds out meekly to third and Howard follows with a strike out.

Three more outs to a 2-1 series lead for the Giants.

Bottom 8

Three up, three down. The much-maligned Contreras did his job today.

Top 9

Beard vs. Beard Round 2 as Wilson is on to face Werth. While Werth singled in their first meeting, this round goes to Wilson after Werth struck out swinging. J-Roll then launches a ball off the wall in right, but it was hit so hard — and JRoll’s so slow nowadays — that Ross was able to hold him to a single. It’s been that kind of day.

Wilson starts Ibanez with a generously called strike low and outside. Next pitch: 4-6-3 double play. Game. Set. And Match.

Amazingly, my DVR recording turned off just 30 seconds after the game ended. So instead of stewing on this loss — and talking about how the Phillies offense might just be bad enough to keep the team from the World Series — I’m just going to move on and wait for Game 4.

I suggest you do the same.

The weather is getting cooler, the leaves on the ground are beginning to outnumber the ones still in the trees, and the calendar has reached mid-October. That means final four time in the baseball playoffs!

With both League Championship Series set to start this weekend, the Taking Back Sports writers have taken the time out of their busy schedules to make some ALCS and NLCS predictions in today’s 5-Minute Break column. While none of these predictions will amount to hill of beans in this crazy world, it’s a time-honored sports writer tradition to attempt the impossible and predict the future.

ALCS Preview

Let’s start with the defending champion New York Yankees (95-67). Alex Rodriguez reached 600 home runs and owner George Steinbrenner passed away while the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays waged battle all season for the NL East title. New York faded a bit down the stretch and finished as the AL Wildcard. Yet losing home-field advantage didn’t seem to matter much for the Bronx Bombers, who beat Minnesota like red-headed stepchildren in the ALDS. The Yankees might not be clicking on all cylinders like they did in 2009, but their lineup will make for a tough out in any series. Just being a tough out in the playoffs is not enough because the World Series is the only series that matters in Yankeeland.

The Texas Rangers (90-72), meanwhile, are the unexpected guest at the postseason party. This team wasn’t supposed to emerge from bankruptcy. It wasn’t supposed to have new (and competent) ownership. It wasn’t supposed to have a productive Vladimir Guerrero. And it most certainly wasn’t supposed to deal for postseason ace Cliff Lee before the trading deadline. But thanks to all of that as well as an MVP-caliber performance from “The Natural” Josh Hamilton, Texas ran away with the AL West Division. Thanks to a pair of dominant starts from the aforementioned Lee, the Rangers upset the Rays in their ALDS series. Now Texas is four wins from the World Series. All the Rangers have to do is beat the team that had ousted them from all of their previous playoff appearances.

In the ALCS, either the Rangers will exorcise their postseason demons or the Yankees will once again rain on the Texas parade.

Dr. Sports Fan

That should be enough, but I have been wrong (many times) before. In the ALCS, I really just think New York is that much better than Texas. Josh Hamilton is too banged up, and Cliff Lee will not be able to match up with CC Sabathia. Bad news all around for the Rangers.

ALCS: Yankees in 5 (CC Sabathia MVP)

Jack Bauer of All Sports

The Rangers seem to be a team of destiny this year with the acquisitions of Vlad and Cliff Lee, emergence of Nelson Cruz, and the MVP performance of Josh Hamilton. This is a very, very good team, and it showed with the Rangers surviving September with Hamilton on the DL. And the Rangers, yes the Rangers, have a better pitching staff than New York. The Yanks are the Yanks, and the defending champs, but I like the team with home field advantage in this series.

ALCS: Rangers in 7 (Vladimir Guerrero MVP)

Mr. Dude and Stuff

With the ALCS, the Yankees have a whole bunch of question marks and don’t feel as elite as they have before, but I still think it will be too much for Texas to overcome by anyone not named Cliff Lee.  I also see Mark Teixeira living up to that gigantic contract and getting himself some big late inning hits to win what I think will be relatively tight games.

ALCS: Yankees in 6 (Mark Teixeira MVP)

The Phoenix

In the AL, you have to keep your eye on one guy — not Cliff Lee, because I think we’ve figured out the guy is just good.  I’m talking about Josh Hamilton.  Ginger ale celebrations aside, the guy hit .111 in the ALDS vs. Tampa Bay with six strikeouts.  Seriously if it weren’t for Ian Kinsler (.444 BA, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 1.444 OPS), we wouldn’t be having this discussion.  We’d be breaking down the C.C. Sabathia/David Price matchup.

If the Rangers can steal game 1 vs. Carston Charles Sabathia with C.J. Wilson, they’ll have an early edge, but that’s a lot to ask – win game 1 of the ALCS in New York.  Lee wouldn’t go until at least game 3, and if Texas is down 0-2, this is going to be a really short series no matter how ungodly Lee is in the postseason.

I really hate to say it because I hate mentioning his name, but Alex Rodriguez needs to wake his bat up.  After all the talk about him breaking out in the postseason last year, A-Rod is back to being pretty pedestrian.  Teixeira is going to need all the help he can get, and I don’t think Robinson Cano is enough.

When all is said and done, these are still the Yankees.  It’s October, and somehow these guys somehow always win when everyone doubts them.  Well, I didn’t just walk in here from the cotton fields.

ALCS: Yankees in 6 (Robinson Cano MVP)

Jack Bauer of All Sports

Fact check, Adio: Texas is hosting Game 1. They have home field.

The Phoenix

Don’t the yankees have a better record..?!?

Dr. Sports Fan

Wildcard teams don’t get home-field advantage (regardless of record) unless its in the World Series after their All-Star team wins. Nothing I said makes any sense, but that’s just how MLB rolls…

Jack Bauer of All Sports

Just ask the ‘08 Eagles. Hard to argue a 9-6-1 team is more deserving than 9-7, but you get the idea…

Sports Drone

I’m not really an AL guy… but I think the Rangers are going to win this series.  Yes, the Yankees have the experience, but I trust the pitching of the Rangers much more.  Sabathia is really the only pitcher on the Yankees I trust.  I know, I know… Pettite is one of the best playoff pitchers of all time, but he’s coming off a recent injury and has only pitched 2 games since being back.  The way that the Twins were playing, I don’t really believe any of the Yankee pitchers had a challenge in the ALDS.  We’ve also seen what Cliff Lee could do against the Yankees from last year’s WS and if it comes down to 7 games… Texas has the huge advantage with Lee over the probable starter of Hughes.  Even if Sabathia pitches on 3 days… I think Lee will still have the advantage.  I think these teams match up really well, but I think it will wind up being Roy Halladay vs. Cliff Lee in game 1 of the WS.  Can you imagine what that would be like in Philly?

ALCS: Texas in 6 (Josh Hamilton MVP)

NLCS Preview

The two-time defending National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies (97-65) rode a rollercoaster season to white-hot finish with baseball’s best record. After spending much of the season in deep offensive malaise, the Phillies used a midseason trade for Roy Oswalt and the re-emergence of Cole Hamels to spark a 27-9 finish to clinch their fourth straight NL East Championship as well as the best record in baseball. Along with some pitcher named Roy Halladay, those pitchers are the main reason that Philadelphia is the odds-on favorite to win the 2010 World Series. Ironically, it’s the Phillies offense that causes most of the nail biting in the Delaware Valley. That same offense was once the strength of a team that’s been to the last two World Series and won it two years ago.

The Phillies trio of aces have nothing on the big 3 atop the San Francisco Giants (92-70) rotation. The Giants made the playoffs on the strength their big three of Tim Lincecum (reigned two-time NL Cy Young winner), Jonathan Sanchez, and Matt Cain. Thanks to an MLB-record 1.78 team ERA in the month of September, San Francisco surpassed the upstart San Diego Padres and clinched the NL West on the last game of the season. Newcomers Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell as well as rookie catcher Buster Posey have given Kung Fu Panda some offensive help. Even though Philly is the clear favorite, no one around the game would be shocked if the Giants advanced to the World Series.

Dr. Sports Fan

The Giants and Phillies have similarly matched pitching, but I give the edge to the Phillies in hitting, fielding, and experience.

NLCS: Phillies in 6 (Shane Victorino MVP)

Jack Bauer of All Sports

The Phils have the bat power to overcome the Giants pitching. The Giants do not have the offense to overcome the Phils’ pitching. That said, the Giants are a good team and will be able to compete in the series.

NLCS: Phillies in 6 (Roy Halladay MVP)

Mr. Dude and Stuff

The Phillies just have too much more offense than the Giants, even with it under-performing in the NLDS. The Giants are relying too much on their young pitchers and Buster Posey to produce in the middle of the lineup, I just find it too hard for them to overcome the Phillies, especially in a rowdy Citizens Bank Park atmosphere to start off.

NLCS: Phillies in 6 (Ryan Howard MVP – That’s right, my MVP money is on the first base power bats in both LCS.)

The Phoenix

CAUTION — LONG WINDED

.. .. .. as a devout Phillies fan, I must beg and plead you not to toy with the baseball gods. I like how Mr. “I Don’t do Predictions” is the primary author behind this, by the way.

Anyways…

Initially when the topic of NLCS predictions came up, my initial response was “I don’t want to and please don’t make me. I test not the baseball gods.” However, since I’m a responsible journalist of sorts, I shall submit.

First of all, can we just say that this is probably one of the greatest collections of pitching in the history of the postseason: Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt on one side with Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez on the other. Both teams were top-10 in ERA, and they’re 1-2 in ERA in the postseason.

Both trios of pitchers are equally impressive, so in my opinion, pitching is kind of a wash. With all the conversation about the anemia behind the Giants offense, people fail to realize that the Phillies were equally unimpressive against the Reds. As a team, they’re only batting .212 and only Chase Utley has a home run so far. Not good. The difference between the two offenses is that Philadelphia has the personnel to get runs on the board quick, fast and in a hurry. Putting up fat numbers against SF pitching keeps the bullpen (another strength) … well, in the bullpen. Of all the people that need to get going in the NLCS for Philadelphia, the most important is Placido Polanco. Batting .111 in the two-spot is NO BUENO!

You have to like the matchup if you’re a Phillies fan for one reason: who in San Francisco’s lineup scares you? Bottom nine, two on, two outs, two run deficit: .. who’s gonna get that home run? Burrell? Strikes out too much. Huff? Kinda doubt it. Posey? Not necessarily a home run guy. I would be worried if the Giants had some kind of speed on the base paths, but they don’t have that, either, really.

I trust Philadelphia’s offense a lot more than San Francisco’s, and I trust that Howard and Utley will be “bashing the ball like the Cerrano of old.” However, since I respect the Giants starting staff, I’ll say Phillies in 6.

NLCS: Phillies in 6 (Roy Halladay MVP)

Sports Drone

The Giants really scare me as a Phillies fan. I’ve seen the Giants, even when they weren’t in the playoff race, come into Philly and dominate them the past few seasons. The fact the Phillies didn’t hit very well last series against pitching that was much, MUCH weaker than San Fran’s also scares me a little. I think the Phillies can do ok against Lincecum, but I’m really nervous about Jonathan Sanchez in game 2. He seems to always get the best of the Phillies. I still think the Phillies are going to win, but I think they’re going to have to scratch and claw to get there. I think the Phillies playoff experience is the difference here. San Fran is talented offensively, but they’re all a pack of journeyman. It won’t be enough for them to beat Philly.

NLCS: Phillies in 6 (Brad Lidge MVP — I know, I know, it sounds crazy… but I think every game is going to be won by 1-2 runs and I think Lidge will baffle the Giants hitters.)

The Phoenix

If what you say about Lidge is true, then I better go to the pharmacy and stock up on heart medication…

-The Phoenix (10-13-10)

The Phoenix

For me, there is only one answer: BUD BLACK!  The San Diego Padres weren’t expected to do anything this year.  They finished last year at 75-87; their big free agent signing was Jon Garland and the only player worth any mention was Adrian Gonzalez.  What did Bud do?  Oh, only have a first place team for virtually the entire season until the last week and a half.  The Padres were contending until the last weekend, but unfortunately, their youth and inexperience showed up at the wrong time (see 10-game losing streak in August).  I know what the main argument is going to be: “The Padres didn’t make the playoffs, so Black shouldn’t be considered.”  I call b/s on that.  In 2006, Joe Girardi was named NL Manager of the year with the fourth place Marlins, and in the American League for back to back years, the manager of a third place team (Tony Pena in ‘03 with the Kansas City Royals and Buck Showalter in ‘04 with the Texas Rangers).  Playoffs shouldn’t dictate this award nor should the retirement of a future Hall of Famer.

Black did more with less.  Give him the trophy!

Jack Bauer of All Sports

I’ve got nothing to add. It’s Black, hands-down. Only other person you could make a case for MIGHT be Bruce Bochy in SF, but the Giants’ success was much more a function of their trade activity and having a totally revamped team after the 7/31 trade deadline compared to the opening day lineup. That said, I’d vote Brian Sabbian as NL General Manager of the year.

Dr. Sports Fan

Bud Black is a fine choice, but why not Phillies manager Charlie Manuel or Houston manager Brad Mills. Manuel’s team ended the season with the best record in baseball despite a terrible year from the offense. For anyone that had Carlos Ruiz as the team’s most consistent hitter this year, congrats on assuming the Sports Nostradamus mantel. As for Mills, his team went 59-52 after June 1 despite losing the first 8 games of the season and a 17-34 start. For a team that was easily the worst in the majors at the start of the season to finish in the middle of the pack, that’s nothing to snicker at. Plus the Astros played their best without Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt.

As for my rebuttal of Black: How can we reward the man that steered the ship into the ground? I remember that little 10-game losing streak during the stretch run. Sorry, but my Manager of the Year’s team doesn’t choke away its shot at the playoffs.

Phoenix

I got nothing against “Uncle Cholly” for Manager of the Year since there is some weight to a manager who led the team to the MLB best record.  Can’t argue that.  I can’t say I completely disagree with Mills since Houston’s second half was MUCH better than the first — causing at least the pausing of Ed Wade effigies.

The ten game losing streak did hurt Black’s case a little, but even with that losing streak, the Padres were still in it until the last weekend.  Right about then is where the Padres could have just wrapped it up and called it a season, but they kept clawing and fighting.  Even with a ridiculous slide, the Padres showed some fight and some resiliency the rest of the way.  They didn’t give up, and that’s a byproduct of good leadership.  If Black doesn’t win the award, it doesn’t kill me one way or the other.  I just hearken back to my argument he did more with less.

Jack

Once again, I am 100% with the Phoenix. Houston was a good story, but they never competed for the playoffs, the Padres did. As for “Chuck”, he did exactly what he should have done, lead the Phils to the best NL record with the best team top to bottom, despite the hiccups of the offense at times. No props to “Chuck” for doing what he was expected to do with the most resources at his disposal.

DSF

Fair enough. Like I said before, Black is a good choice. But I take umbrage that Charlie just merely met expectations. I mean his entire starting lineup spent time on the DL and some players — Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley — spent significant time there during the season. Factor in the on-going Brad Lidge issues, in which Manuel stuck with him and was rewarded with a new Lidge by the season’s stretch drive, and I don’t see why Charlie isn’t as good a candidate. Yeah his team has more resources, but they could have very well turned into the 2009 Mets, whose season was ruined by devastating injuries. I credit Manuel (and GM Ruben Amaro) for avoiding that doomsday scenario.

Jack

Umbrage? That’s a big word! Good prodution, Mr. Phoenix.

Chuck has a long track record of success and getting the most out of a team, even when the injury bug strikes. While he may have done one of his best jobs this season given the up and down health of the team, we expect nothing less out of him. He was a good manager this year, but not the best.

DSF

That’s Dr. Sports Fan to you!

Jack

Sorry Doc!

Verdict

National League Manager of the Year: Bud Black, San Diego Padres

Where would Phillies fans be without the second coming of Johnny Bench? Okay, that’s a stretch and a half, but still, the Phillies catcher’s hot bat lifted the amazingly lifeless Philadelphia lineup during its August hot-streak with clutch RBI after clutch RBI. And with each big hit, the cheers have grown louder and louder, and his legend is equally magnified. In short, he has everyone and their mother in Philadelphia screaming:

CHOOCH!

CHOOOOOOOOCH!

Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz has emerged as one of the team's most clutch hitters.

Things weren’t always this way. Flashback to October 25, 2008, the night of Game 3 of the World Series, back when Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz was just another poor-hitting catcher. Sure he handled the pitching staff well, so we were told, and sure he had a cool nickname, Chooch, but there was nothing in him that suggested he was about to become one of the Phillies most dangerous and clutch postseason hitters.

Until that night, Chooch was a career .242 hitter in his three MLB seasons. His .300 slugging percentage was a joke, which gave opposing pitchers no reason to pitch around him to get to the pitcher’s spot. Every time he came up to the plate in the playoffs, I had the inner dread of expecting, or rather, knowing that Ruiz was about to make another out. Sure there were signs that he was rounding into form — his solid showing in the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, for instance — but I still didn’t believe in Chooch.

Then it happened, and I started to believe.

It wasn’t when Chooch ripped a towering solo home run off Rays starter Matt Garza that broke a 1-1 tie in a 1-1 series — although it helped. Later on, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard went back-to-back with solo home runs in the sixth inning, but the Rays would rally for three runs in the seventh and eighth, thus setting the stage for the biggest — as well as perhaps the shortest — hit of Ruiz’s career.

After Eric Bruntlet was hit by a pitch to leadoff the ninth, he took second and third after a wild pitch and a wild throw to second, respectively. Tampa manager Joe Madden, who wears some pretty cool glasses if I do say so myself, opted to intentionally walk the next two hitters to load the bases for Chooch. He even brought in outfielder Ben Zobrist to play gym-class second base to take away a base-hit up the middle. (Don’t you remember when that annoying kid in your class would call playing second base and then just stand on the bag like that was the position? If you don’t remember this then YOU WERE THAT KID).

At the time, I can remember running out of nails to chew. For us Philly fans born after May of ‘83, this was the time when we watched opportunities go down the drain, when hope sprung fatal, if you will. Here was our black-hole of an eight-hole hitter — the one batter in the lineup that really was really not an offensive threat — who had already shot his proverbial wad with his earlier home run. There was no way Ruiz was going to be the hero — or so I thought. Then, with a tremendous swing of the bat, Ruiz hit the ball all of 30 feet down the third-base line in what may be the greatest swinging bunt in Philadelphia Phillies history. Even the golden-gloved Evan “Eva” Longoria wasn’t able to bare-hand the ball and successfully throw home in time to beat the chugging Bruntlett.

So began the legend of Señor Octubre…

Has there been a more enigmatic Phillie than Eric Bruntlett?

(Quick side note on Eric Bruntlett. Has there ever been a Philly athlete with a more under-the-radar roller coaster season than Bruntlett. From his disastrous, error-plagued start for the injured Jimmy Rollins in Shea Stadium to scoring two winning runs in the World Series, Bruntlett was there and back again like a hobbit. Also, he had the alpha beard in Philadelphia long before Jayson Werth inherited the title. I mean look at this thing! If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good, shaggy beard that looks like it’s about three weeks overdue for a trimming. In honor of the Jersey Shore, I’m calling Bruntlett’s beard “The Beard Before the Beard”.)

(Also, congratulations to the people that got that Tolken reference in that last paragraph.)

Now it appears that Ruiz’s early career offensive woes are now safely in the rear-view mirror. He is hitting a career-high .292 in 2010 with six home runs and 20 doubles — all very solid numbers for an NL eight-hole hitter. Even with his numbers this year, no one can argue against the fact that Chooch has done his real damage in the postseason. According to Baseball Reference, he’s hit for over .300 in each of his last five postseason series, dating back to the 2008 NLCS. For his postseason career, Ruiz has a .303 average. His on-base-plus-slugging-percentage (OPS) for the past two World Series is a Ruthian 1.194. Even Albert Pujols would blush at that.

This past offseason, the Phillies front office rewarded his strong play with a three-year, $9 million contract extension. Now he’s stepping up once again when the Phillies need him, and we can only hope that Chooch continues to do so as we inch perilously close to another September to remember.

Let’s just hope that the rest of the Phillies bats join him so the team gets back on track for its scheduled season-closing hot streak.

The most recent example of such arrogance was demonstrated in the wacky and bizarre 16-inning game between the Phillies and the Astros this past Tuesday.  Let me set you up with what happened here, although there is plenty of video showing the Ryan Howard ejection as well.

Basically, Scott Barry wanted to solidify his position as a certified drama queen by reacting in a theatrical way to an appealed strike on a check-swing by Howard.  Howard became visibly upset when he reacted to Barry’s strike call, defiantly putting his hands on his hips.  Barry proceeded to mirror Howard, acting like a 5-year-old using the “I know you are, but what am I?” comeback.  Howard addressed the home plate umpire saying that he was mad at himself, not at Barry.  Regardless, Barry got his vengeance of douche-tastic proportions by having the opportunity to call Howard out on almost the exact same kind of check swing appealed strike, although on a closer call on the check-swing this time.  Howard threw his bat — no harder then any other player usually does — but that was all Barry needed as motivation to eject Howard, as though the big fella was showing him up.  What followed was Howard going berserk.

This was not an isolated incident. If you think Howard’s rejection was unwarranted, check out what happened last week when Barry ejected Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman in a similar manner. This time Barry thought Zimmerman showed him up after he broke for first on a strike call on a borderline backdoor breaking ball. It’s a presumptuous mistake made by a lot of hitters, but a fairly innocent one at that.  When Zimmerman later struck out swinging in that same at-bat, he threw his helmet and bat in disgust at himself without saying a word.  Barry didn’t like it and tossed Zimmerman, who is really one of the game’s all-around good guys and had never been rung-up before in his MLB career.

It’s very clear from both these objections that Scott Barry, normally a minor league umpire, used emotion as a catalyst to pick a bone with these two players.  Granted, Howard and Zimmerman did provoke him slightly by throwing their equipment, but rarely does a game go by without seeing that multiple times on a regular basis.

I would be remiss if I only mentioned Barry because he is not alone in this regard.  One of his umpire crew-mates for the Phils-Astros series, Greg Gibson, refused to confer with the home plate umpire, upon Charlie Manuel’s request, to seek a second opinion on whether Michael Bourne’s somewhat obvious route outside of the base path should have resulted in an out by the divot created in the grass.

Actions like these are nothing but blind arrogance by umpires that are so power-hungry that admission of guilt or wrongdoing somewhat emasculates their position of supreme caller of the game.  More often than not, on nights after controversial close-calls, these umpires also refuse to speak to the media so they won’t engage in conversation about it either. And that folks is the problem with MLB Umpires lately.  They refuse on every level humanly possible to take any accountability for their actions, right or wrong.  The only umpire I can think of in recent years that has manned up and admitted a mistake was Jim Joyce with his infamous safe call to erase Armando Galarraga’s perfect game.  Joyce was classy and is not one of the umpires I’m speaking of here.

Joyce is in the minority because there are other umpires, like “Cowboy” Joe West, who are more interested in putting on a theatrical show with their cockiness to put themselves in the limelight. (I wonder if Joe’s country music career might have anything to do with that.) Don’t even get me started on CB Bucknor either, the same umpire that tossed Shane Victorino last season from center field without any warning.  Both West and Bucknor have consistently been voted worst umpires by the players.

UPDATE: Ed Rapauno was the arrogant ump who ejected Shane Victorino from Center Field last year. (Thanks to Larry, whose comment corrected our error here at Take Back.)

(Editor’s Note: Bucknor was voted the MLB’s worth umpire in a players’ poll conducted by ESPN the Magazine, with West finishing a close second-worst. Joyce, despite his “perfect gaffe”, was voted Best Umpire.)

The problem here all comes down to the highest authority of baseball right now though, and that is Tweedle-Dee himself, MLB commissioner Bud Selig, the same man who allowed the steroid era to go on under his nose. Selig and baseball hold zero accountability to umpires. If they make a mistake, the worst punishment feels like a small slap on the wrist — if that. There is no system of checks and balances to maintain order amongst the personalities of these umpires and their incredible God complex.

Maybe it’s me, but I feel there’s more accountability and less arrogance in other sports because the threat of instant replay is near to keep the officials in checks.  The closest vanity we see amongst Basketball, Football, and Hockey officials is Ed Hochuli flexing in his tight shirts during the games.  That is why instant replay needs to be expanded to baseball.  It isn’t even so much about getting the call right, but it is keeping balance between the umpires’ egos and the game’s integrity.

Alex Rodriguez has his own segment on their bottom line to show his inefficiencies at the plate between his 599th and 600th home run.  (Something no one is really showing any hullabaloo about if you agree with our friend Knowsbleeds).

The Washington Nationals, a last place team, gets more airtime in one day (depending on which day Stephen Strasburg pitches) than the team at the center of this column gets in a month’s time.

With Brett Favre announcing his quote/unquote retirement, it’s no doubt every national sports medium will be on “Favre Watch 2010″.  (Something citizens outside of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area don’t really care about).

… and yet the National League West leading San Diego Padres have gotten no kind of national media love and/or respect.

Am I the only one that thinks this is just a little bit crazy?

Someone needs to show these Friars some love. Since no one else will, I guess it's up to me.

The Finest Friars in all the land were the first team in the National League to win 60 games — an impressive feat considering most people thought the Padres would be the first team to 60 losses.  They’re 20 games over .500 and lead the NL West by two games over the San Francisco Giants and have better road records than any of the other division contenders or leaders (Braves @ 25-32, Phillies @ 25-31, Reds @ 27-24, Cardinals @ 22-30 & Giants @ 28-25).

Something else you should see (and love if you’re a citizen of the San Diego metropolitan area):

• 4-2 vs. Atlanta
• 7-1 vs. San Francisco
• 2-1 vs. St. Louis
• 2-2 vs. Philadelphia
• 2-1 vs. Cincinnati

For those of you scoring at home, that means the Padres are 17-7 against the top teams in the National League, but they aren’t getting any of the media coverage that these other teams are getting.  Well, as wrestler Owen Hart said when he joined the Nation of Domination:

“WELL ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, AND IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE!”

It’s true that the Padres don’t play the kind of baseball that blows your skirt up.  They’re last in just about every offensive category.  Adrian Gonzalez is the only Padre that has 20+ home runs, and only one other player before the trade deadline had 10 (Scott Hairston).  You know about Adrian Gonzalez, but do you know about Chase Headley? He leads San Diego in runs, hits, doubles and has 13 of the Padres 91 stolen bases.

The Padres added some MUCH NEEDED offense at the deadline (Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tejada), and I have to say they were pretty smart moves.  Ludwick’s second halves are pretty impressive (career .281/40/151), so he could just be the protection that A-Gon needs in the lineup.  Tejada is what he is at this point of his career.  While he’s not the same guy that bashed 25-30 HRs a game at a .300 AVG, but he does provide a bit more of a pop than Everth Cabrera or Jerry Hairson, Jr. for that matter.

The Padres do, however, boast a stat that’s worth noting: only the Mets have more stolen bases this year, which means that someone finally figured it out that the best way to score runs at PETCO Park is the old fashioned way … just manufacture runs, baby.  This team could remind you of the 2003 Florida Marlins.  Sure, they had Derrick Lee and Mike Lowell’s 31 and 32 home runs, respectively, but they also had three guys who stole 20+ bases — including Juan Pierre’s redonkulous 65 stolen bases.

Know what else about the 2010 San Diego Padres reminds you of the 2003 Florida Marlins: PITCHING!

Let’s play the comparison game: two pitchers.

• Pitcher A: 16-2, 2.67 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, .203 BAA, 126 K
• Pitcher B: 11-4, 2.45 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, .195 BAA, 113 K

Latos has been every bit as good as Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez, but he hasn't been getting the kind of media coverage he should be garnering. (SOURCE: AP Photo)

Pitcher A is pretty obvious (Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez).  Pitcher B?  How about Mat Latos.  Where’d this kid come from!  Latos leads the National League in WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched for those that don’t know) and Batting Average Against (BAA).  Even more impressive is the stat that among other NL pitchers that have logged 110+ innings or more, he leads the National League in hits allowed (84).  Reminds me of how I am when I get a fresh box of Dunkin’ Donuts .. STINGY!

As a team, the Padres lead the National League in ERA and WHIP, and they’re doing all of this without arguably their best pitcher since Jake Peavy left, Chris Young — obviously not anymore since Latos’s arrival.  Jon Garland has trailed off a little since starting the season 6-2, but he’s still a serviceable arm as the season gets close to its end.

If those starters get a lead, they get the great fortune of handing the game over to the NL’s best bullpen who are just as stingy and filthy as the starters as these numbers would suggest:

• Luke Gregerson: 50 appearances, 2.45 ERA, 0.66 WHIP
• Mike Adams: 42 appearances, 2.18 ERA, 0.94 WHIP
• Edward Mujica: 41 appearances, 2.74 ERA, 0.83 WHIP
• Joe Thatcher: 34 appearances, 1.64 ERA, 0.64 WHIP

Hope diminishes even further if you hear this song.  That means that Heath Bell is coming into the game.  ”Bell’s Hell” — as the top of the ninth is referred to in San Diego — hasn’t made everyone forget about Trevor Hoffman, but old school fans of the Hoff are starting to come around.  Kinda easy to do when only two other closers in the majors with 25 or more saves have lower ERAs than Heath Bell’s 1.99: Tampa Bay’s Rafael Soriano and Atlanta’s Billy Wagner.

Memo to the national media drones (i.e. ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, CNN/SI), you have just been put on notice!  The San Diego Padres may not have the glitz and glamour that the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves or even my hometown Philadelphia Phillies, but like it or not, their record of 62-42 suggests they’ve been doing something right since the season started.

For all of you who thought the Pads would just trail off into obscurity, you were wrong.  It’s not too late to give some kudos to this team. America’s Finest City will thank you, and their citizens won’t hold a grudge, either.

For those who don’t know the name, Mark Cuban is the notorious owner of the Dallas Mavericks. He has become famous for his high profile actions on reality TV shows, arguing with NBA referees and executives, and even quarrelling with NBA players. Some people — including other owners in Major League Baseball — are opposed to the idea of Cuban owning a team in their league. He tried to buy the near-bankrupt Chicago Cubs in 2009 but was quickly turned away. This writer thinks he could be very good for the sport, even though he could be the next George Steinbrenner.

Though it’s still one of the most popular sports, professional baseball has become stale in some ways. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is so set in his ways (which is usually the ways of the owners), that it has become a slow, painful process to get any sort of change in the game. The owners have become an old boys club that stays tightly knit to prevent any changes from coming to their beloved game.

For example, how many years have people been debating the appropriate use replays in baseball? How long have people been calling for a more balanced game with a salary cap?

As it stands, teams in the major markets have an advantage over smaller fan bases. Sure, a team can build themselves up with good trades, great scouting, well run management, and a little bit of luck; but these chances are much more unlikely for the small market team. The window of opportunity closes much faster for a team like Kansas City, which must have everything fall into place for them to contend, not to mention that it takes five to six years to build a team. And if everything does fall into place, they may be able to contend for only two to three seasons before a key player may leave for greener pastures.

On the other hand, a team like the Yankees can spend what they want and keep that window open for years at a time.

You may be asking yourself what all of this have to do with Mark Cuban. Well, first, the Texas Rangers have a chance to get an owner that almost every fan wishes would own their team. Unlike many owners who use their team as a tax write off or bragging point, Cuban has shown that he cares about the same thing that sports fans care about: winning. Cuban is a sports fan who just so happens to be wealthy enough to own professional sports teams. Rangers fans would be lucky to get him as their owner. If he wins the bid, Rangers fans can expect a new era of winning in Texas.

Personally, I am not a Rangers fan. But as a baseball fan, I would love to see a few changes made to the game I love so dearly, and I think Cuban is the fresh face that could catalyze some of those changes. Imagine him kicking in the door of the big-wig baseball owners meetings and nagging those stiffs until they’re forced to concede, or at least to attempt to make a change.

In an era where it seems every umpire call is constantly scrutinized (and it seems with great reason more recently), how is baseball the only sport not utilizing the technology afforded to them? In the past few weeks, there are been a few terrible calls that have changed the outcomes of a few games. Would you know who Jim Joyce is if not for the un-“Perfect Game”?

Bud Selig has done very little to advance this game during his reign as commissioner and continues to drag his feet. He’s very lucky that baseball fans are some of the most loyal fans in all of sports. Mark Cuban could be just the man this sport needs to get things done. When the owner of your team is also the president of a fan club of a player signed to his team (as is Cuban of Dirk Nowitzki of his Mavericks), isn’t that a team you’d want to play for? Isn’t that a team you could feel proud to root for?!

Why would MLB and its owners want to keep Mark Cuban out of their beloved game? The only answer that seems logical is fear. Fear of the winds of change that Cuban would bring.

As crazy as Cuban comes across in the press, he cares about winning, he cares about his team, he cares about his coaches, and he cares about his players. How many owners can you truly say that about?

Why not utilize Interleague play to maximize regional rivalries?

I’m proposing Interleague Play 2.0: Regional Tournaments. But before we get into the fine details of Interleague Play 2.0, let’s take a look at how something so cool somehow became so mundane.

Back when the internet was only a figment of Al Gore’s imagination, National League and American League teams only faced off when everything was on the line in the World Series. From 1903, when the AL’s Boston Americans stunningly defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates five games to three — that’s right, five to three — until the 1996 World Series won by the New York Yankees over the Atlanta Braves (four games to two), each league played its own schedule completely independent of the other.

Then it all changed when baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced before the 1997 season that NL and AL teams would meet in the regular season for the first time ever.

As much as I rag on old Bud, I’ve got to give him credit for this one. When the ‘97 schedule came out, I saw that the Phillies were hosting the Yankees on my birthday. My mom bought my friends and I tickets to the game, and we watched as Curt Schilling struck out 16 batters in a Phillies win. It was easily one of the coolest in-person sports fan experiences of my life. Without Interleague play, this wonderful birthday gift would’ve never happened.

So, um, thanks Bud! (We’ll just brush this little sports column under the rug for now.)

Anyways, I think I can pinpoint the exact moment Interleague play began to peter out. From 1997 until 2002, AL East teams played NL East teams, AL Central teams played NL Central, and — wait for it — the AL West played the NL West. Genuine geographical rivalries with several teams. I was able to go to another Phillies-Yankees game in 1999 and 2001, while my friends were able to make the short trip down I-95 to Camden Yards for road games against the Orioles.

Throughout the rest of the country, the story was the same. Geographical rivals in New York, Chicago, the Bay Area, Los Angeles and elsewhere finally played series against each other, turning garden variety regular season games into must-see TV.

But once Major League Baseball decided to have Interleague matchups with different divisions, it gradually lost its luster. I’m sorry, but a series between the Phillies and Twins really isn’t going to bring home the bacon for the ratings-starved advertisers right? Fans aren’t turning out in droves for that once-in-a-lifetime visit from Kansas City.

So where does that leave us now? I don’t think we can ever go back from Interleague play. Not after igniting these intense regional rivalries. Instead, we need to improve upon it.

That gets me back to my original point: Interleague 2.0 with regional tournaments. We scrap Interleague play, as we know it now, and in its place we have midsummer tournaments based on regions of the country. Not following? Listen to this example:

In Philadelphia, a group of city colleges called the Big 5 — LaSalle, Penn, St. Joe’s, Temple, and Villanova — play a round-robin tournament in basketball every year, despite being in different conferences. (LaSalle, St. Joe’s, and Temple are in the Atlantic 10 Conference, while ‘Nova plays in the Big East and Penn plays in the Ivy League.) Each team takes several games out of its non-conference schedule to wage war on the court with its main rivals. In fact, the annual St. Joe’s-’Nova matchup is actually called The Holy War. You can’t make this stuff up.

If you’re not from the Delaware Valley, believe me when I tell you that the Big 5 is a big deal to any Philly college hoops fan.

Let’s apply this to MLB. Instead of having teams play a random series with their Interleague counterparts, we organize the teams into regions and have them face-off in tournaments each year for a few weeks.

Granted there is some red tape to cover — flexible scheduling, over 100 years of backwards thoughts from the Commissioner’s office, etc. — but nothing outweighs the benefits of a midseason playoff. In the spirit of fair play, let’s talk about some obstacles between us and Interleague Play 2.0:

What’s the format for Interleague Play Tournaments?

Each region has a different setup, so we’re going to need to be a little bit creative.

Northeast Region

• Baltimore Orioles
• Boston Red Sox
• New York Mets
• New York Yankees
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Washington Nationals

*Subway series, Beltway Series & Phillies-Sox each get rotating byes in the first round. While they play each other, the other four teams play the first round series. Then those teams w/ byes play the winners in the next round. Losing teams play each other in the next rounds.

Great Lake Region

• Chicago Cubs
• Chicago White Sox
• Cincinnati Reds
• Cleveland Indians
• Detroit Tigers
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• Toronto Blue Jays

*Three round, single-elimination format. Losing teams play other losing teams that were their would-be opponents in the next round.

South Region

• Atlanta Braves
• Florida Marlins
• Houston Astros
• Tampa Bay Rays
• Texas Rangers

*Round-robin format. Teams with the two best records after round-robin series play a championship series. The teams with the next two best records play a series, and the last place team plays the Heartland’s worst as well.

Heartland Region

• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Colorado Rockies
• Kansas City Royals
• Minnesota Twins
• St. Louis Cardinals

*(Same format as the South Region.) Round-robin format, and the two teams with the two best records play a championship series.

Pacific Coast Region

• Anaheim Angels
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Oakland Athletics
• San Diego Padres
• San Francisco Giants
• Seattle Mariners

*Same format as Northeast. Bay series, “The 5″ series (Dodgers-Angels), and Padres-Mariners rotate each year for the first-round bye match-ups. (BTW: “The 5″ is Californian for Interstate 5.)

So how do we go about making flexible schedules in the middle of the regular season?

Baseball designates, in advance, which teams get to host games for a particular round. For instance, the Red Sox, Yankees, and Orioles all host round one games. The Mets, Phillies, and Nationals host second round games. Third round (or final round) is hosted by, say, the Red Sox, Phillies, and Nats. It’s a bit subjective, but so is having home field in the World Series decided by the All-Star Game. (Justifying something while referencing one of the strangest decisions in sports history — moving on…)

What do we do about the designated hitter?

Simple, when AL teams are home, the DH rule is in effect. And in case you’re wondering, pitchers must bat in NL parks. (I like how I answered this question better.)

What are these teams playing for?

What’s the matter, pride and bragging rights not good enough for you? Geographic rivalries are the bee’s knees! As a Phillies fan, I would be absolutely stoked for a Phillies-Yankees Interleague series with the Northeastern Cup on the line. Imagine the excitement for a Mets-Yankees Cup Final or, even better, a Yankees-Red Sox final? And I’m just talking about one region. Imagine the excitement for a Northside-Southside throwdown in Chicago. Or Los Angeles. Or the Bay Area.

(If that’s not enough for you, we can throw in a Regional Championship flag to hang somewhere near the Division Championship flags.)

At the end of the day, it’s an opportunity for Major League Baseball to turn some of the dog days of summer into a true midsummer classic (and not like that other Midsummer Classic). We can only hope that baseball is listening to a small sports website that gets about 40 hits a day.

Good think I’m back on good terms with Bud Selig…