Now that my favorite team is out of the running for the playoffs I must embrace my other MLB teams for the playoff run. My frontrunners are the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Cardinals respectively. Of course I love the Dodgers. They are managers by Joe Torre. I have been a Torre fan for 28 years and I am only 35. The Dodgers have lasted through mannyless games and pitching woes to remain on top this season. They have some great young players including Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp. Also, they are equipped with some new additions such as Orlando Hudson and Ronny Belliard. Kershaw has led the pitching staff to the surprise of many. If they can just keep him going and restart Billingsly and Kuroda they may have a chance. Wolf and Garland are no slouches either. It won’t be easy but maybe the Dodgers can pull it off this year.

Any yankee hater will be rooting for the Red Sox this playoff season. Youk and Bay will lead the way for the Sox. I am only worried about their pitching. Wakefield is sometimey but I love to watch him hurl that spinless ball good or bad. Beckett has struggled as of late too. Once the adrenaline kicks in all the starters will bounce back to their impeccable forms. If the Sox and Dodgers both make it I will not mind seeing either lose but honestly I would love to see Torre get another ring on a team other than the yankees.

The Cardinals are silently becoming a super team because of recent trades. DeRosa and Holliday alone are great additions to Pujols crew. Carpenter, Pineiro, and Wainwright are elite pitchers on the Cards staff. The addition of Smoltz solidifies the awesome staff that also includes the “rookie” Lohse. If it came down to the Cards and the Sox I would have to pull for the Sox.

As for the Rays I know they can some back to compete again next season. They will have more options and much opportunity for next season.

It looks like the Rays have exhausted all their opportunities to appear in the playoffs in 2009. The pitching was just not there this year like it was in 2008. Maybe next year they can get the pitching and defense back to where they should be to compete with the super budgets of the AL East leaders.

I wish Joe Maddon would have pulled Shields after he gave up the hit in the 8th. The team win was more important than allowing Shields to get the win. Shields is a great player but it was obvious he was affected by losing the no hitter. Who wouldn’t be? Every game is a make or break game now and individual numbers do not matter. I understand Maddon’s loyalty to his star but we needed a win and Shields was used up (mentally). The Rays have a tough road to get to the playoffs. The Yankees are still winning and the Red Sox are turning on their dominant form as they always do. We still may be able to turn this thing around with the division series that are left. Shields valiant effort was erased because my favorite manager did not go get him in time.

It is hard to believe just how many players the Pirates have traded this year. I remember thinking how much potential and talent the Pirates had with McLouth, LaRoche, Bay, Sanchez, Nady … I guess the Pirates had to clean the slate to remove any bitter remaining players. La Roche spoke out about several trades and was eventually traded as well. It must be hard to be one of the few remaining Pirates from the team that could have been but was never given time to prosper. If I were a Pirates fan I would be crushed, but as a baseball fan I am disappointed and feel for the Pirates fans. I hope they can rebuild and be successful like my Rays.

The way they were in 2007. Hopefully, greater things are yet to come for the Pirates in the coming years.

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It seems unlikely that the Toronto Blue Jays can re-sign Roy Halladay for the 2010 season so why are they wasting this golden opportunity? They keep turning down offers for young talent. They have no chance of competing with the AL East as they are structured today so why not start the rebuilding process. If the Jays are not careful they are gonna keep stalling and be stuck with nothing—-a free agent they can’t sign in Halladay.

With all that has happened in baseball the past 10 years (the steroid era) a new light may be cast on the Pete Rose situation. I hardly believe that “Charlie Hustle” would compromise the integrity of the game. Apparently, steroid users did and are cheaters. So what! He bet on baseball. Gambling is not always a choice whereas steroid use is. If there is no penalty for using steroids then why must gambling be any different. He confessed after years of denial and has paid the price in isolation of his heart, his game. Selig needs to stop stalling and lift the Rose ban!

After seeing the Rays down 8-0 today,  I just knew they were done. My head hung in shame. After being on the wrong side of a perfect game the Rays showed that resilient surge and came from behind in back to back games. Where would the Rays be without Jason Bartlet? He has been instrumental in bailing out the Rays when it mattered most and he did just that again today with a game winning hit in the 12th. His heroics lifted the Rays above the Jays after a whole team effort to tie it up in the 9th.