Sure, the future hall of famers are aging and reaching the twilights of their careers, but the New York Yankees no longer feel like a team whose window of opportunity will close once their iconic core hang up their cleats.

Alex Rodriguez (36 years old) is no longer the stud that set an MLB record by producing at least 30 homers and 100 RBI in 13 consecutive seasons, but he is still a solid run producing option in the middle of a loaded lineup. Yankee Stadium is a hitters park, and regardless of how you feel about Arod, it is hard to argue that, when healthy, he is still a feared number three/four hitter. With the retirement of Jorge Posada, Arod should benefit from spending more time at DH in 2012.

Derek Jeter (37) had a nice bounce back season after a disappointing 2010, but make no mistake about it, signs of decline are obvious. His range isn’t what it used to be, and he is no longer legging out infield hits on a consistent basis. He is no longer a feared leadoff hitter, but he is a true professional, and always a tough out. While the MVP type seasons are behind him, it is impossible to deny that Jeter can contribute. He doesn’t strike out, and works the count. Maybe not the flashy contributions we are used to, but nevertheless, an important role when it comes to winning ball games.

Mo Rivera (42) continues to defy logic, and remains an elite closer. He has yet to show real signs of decline, and can once again be counted on in the 9th inning. He won’t pitch on back to back nights very often, but his 65 innings and 40 saves are nearly guaranteed.

Freddy Garcia (36) is a journey man, and it would be risky for the Yanks to count on him for much this year. So with the elderly covered, let’s take a look at why Bronx Bomber fans should embrace 2012.

With the hitter friendly ballpark, Curtis Granderson (31) should continue to thrive. He produced MVP numbers last season, and a move up in the order sparked his great season. Mark Teixera (31) figures to be entering the prime of his career, and hitting behind Granderson and Arod, will certainly continue his streak of seven consecutive campaigns of at least 105 RBI. These are guys in their prime, who everybody knows about. Let’s take a look at some baby Bombers who will fill the role of the aging superstars.

Brett Gardner (28) brings a new dimension to the power oriented Yanks. He stole 49 bases last season, and is a pure leadoff hitter who can spray hits to all fields. Pessimists point to his putrid batting average (.259 last season), but Jeter hit 20 points under his career average when he was 28 years old too. Expect Gardner to bat closer to .280 and distract pitchers when he gets on base.

The remaining infielder that we have not touched on is an absolute stud. It is rare that an offensively explosive team is paced by a middle infielder, but Robinson Cano (29) has the skills to do just that for this years Yanks. He combines durability (he’s played in at least 159 games in each of the past five seasons) with the power of a cleanup hitter and the eye of a leadoff man. Cano had 81 extra base hits a season ago, and figures to at least match that this season. He will likely supplant Arod as the teams cleanup hitter before long, meaning more at bats for the best second basemen in the game.

So we’ve established that New York is still a potent offense, now onto the other facet of the game: pitching. Typically a sore area for the Yankees, as they tend to lack depth. CC Sabathia (31) is a true ace, and the innings eater battles every fifth day. He still has plenty of gas in the tank, and has shown the ability to carry a team (just ask any Brewer fan). But he is not the only reason this team can do some serious damage this season. Michael Pineda (23), recently acquired in the trade that sent hot shot catching prospect Jesus Montero to Seattle, is an ace in the making. In his rookie season, he stroke out more than a batter per inning, a key stat as balls tend to fly out of Yankee Stadium. He will get much more run support this season, and is a sure bet for 15 wins.

Second year starter Ivan Nova (25) will follow Pineda in the rotation after an ultra impressive 2011. He won 16 of his 20 decisions and walked less batters than established superstars like David Price, Matt Cain, and Felix Hernandez. Don’t get me wrong, he is not in the class of pitcher, but as the Yanks third option, he’s a far cry from the AJ Burnett’s of the world. Phil Hughes (25) was just inked to a one year deal, and is in a put up or shut up season. He is a young gun with plenty of potential, but has been unable to establish himself as the major league pitcher that most projected him as. I like Hughes to have a serviceable season, and make the Yanks rotation four deep.

The final reason for my optimism is middle inning man David Robertson (26). He has already emerged as the best at his craft, and will be called on more heavily should Rivera begin to tire. The confidence that Girardi has in him will result in the starters being well rested, as they won’t need to go eight innings on a regular basis. The bullpen is a strength, and typically gets a night off when CC takes the hill, so I expect them to be strong for 162+ games.

Full disclosure, I am a Yankee hater and tend to root against the pinstripes every night. But if I take a step back and look at this roster, I see 93 wins and a playoff berth.

Prior to hearing Brutus’ rousing speech about the validity of Julius Caesar’s murder in the Roman Capitol, a plebeian suggests that Rome should “Give him [Brutus] a statue with his ancestors!” Those familiar with Shakespeare’s play know that this venerable request comes much too eagerly following the morally ambiguous murder of Caesar. Two acts later Marc Antony laments on the good intentions of Brutus, who lay dead after his own suicide.

Great intentions – poor decisions.

Good thing the commons avoided that awkward moment of returning to Rome with a massive reminder of Brutus’ misguided judgment awaiting them.

That awkward moment, however, has not escaped some famous athletes and institutions this past year. Usually a professional athlete’s consecration of his or her accolades comes in the form of a bust for the Hall of Fame. Such an honor only comes after the athlete’s career has concluded and sometimes, an athlete’s choices play a role (see Pete Rose and Mark McGwire).

Nowadays sports fans can find statues outside most arenas and on campuses all around the country, many for players and coaches not yet retired but indeed still very active.

Surely before this year the national consensus on Joe Paterno, former Penn State head football coach, was that he’d be immortalized as one of the most morally upstanding coaches in all of sports. Not only a coach, but a “humanitarian” as his statue outside Beaver Stadium states. For some, that has changed.

No matter which side one’s opinion may fall, it is hard to dispute that Paterno’s legacy has been altered by the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse allegations. That statue, once thought to be for a man who would retire with the utmost respect of all sports fans, now serves as a symbol of hypocrisy to others.

© 2011 Tornoe Ink – Rob Tornoe. All Rights Reserved. http://robtornoe.com/2011/11/paterno-statue/

The issue is not to question or forget the many honorable acts a coach like Joe Paterno has done for many student-athletes, but to question the premature consecration of those who can still reveal flaws. Damaging, consequential flaws. Or maybe not even flaws, but rather just make a mistake. A mistake that seems to outweigh all other great decisions.

Much like Brutus’ case in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, statues can serve as a means to express loyalty while a person is still serving. It’s always unsettling when a deserving athlete has to be posthumously inducted into a Hall of Fame (see Ron Santo and Dennis Johnson). And, just as in Brutus’ case, how awkward would it be to erect a god-like statue when that loyalty is not reciprocated.

Look no further than St. Louis. After winning his second World Series title with the Cardinals this past season, Albert Pujols entered free-agency as the most coveted player in years. Nine time all-star; three time NL MVP; a legitimate threat to break the all-time homerun record; a guaranteed first ballot hall of famer. All for a player barely in his thirties. And all for a player who has done it in one uniform.

An anonymous donor from the St. Louis community decided it would be best to show St. Louis’ loyalty to Pujols by paying for a 10-foot bronze statue to sit outside Pujols’ restaurant. Ironically, the statue was unveiled after the 2011 season.

A security guard protects the Albert Pujols statue outside the Pujols 5 restaurant in St. Louis. (Photo: Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Pujols ultimately signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim leaving some fans in St. Louis feeling betrayed. As if the statue won’t be a hurtful reminder of what a record-breaking career could have been in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform, just think of this Cardinal fans: What hat will Pujols decide to don upon his bust’s consecration into the Hall of Fame? Was this a mistake on Pujols’ part? Should his loyalty to the Cardinals have outweighed his business decision?

Regardless, Pujols’ decision makes it all the more awkward for Cardinal fans to revel at a 10-foot bronze mammoth that they some no longer, well, feel loyalty towards anymore.

Paterno and Pujols certainly aren’t hardened criminals or oppressive dictators who deserve their statues to be torn from its supports like Saddam Hussein’s in Iraq. It’s not that their flaws or mistakes (if you even consider them such) should result in some kind of sacrilege of what their statues should represent from their careers.

In fact, try to find two sports figures more philanthropic than these two. It’d be difficult to do. Mistakes? I think we all know Paterno would do things differently. Flawed? Some might now think so about Pujols. But both also certainly have a litany of great choices and benevolence beyond what any would expect.

No, the issue lies with why society feels the need to prematurely idolize sports figures. We know great players and coaches will eventually receive their due respect in some form (retired jersey, Hall of Fame bust), but to erect a statue of a man not yet completed with his career seems selfish and misguided.

Man is not flawless; for that reason, a statue should try to sanctify the closest form of ethics and performance in mankind. Much like religions and nations do for their pioneers and vanguards.

If St. Louis values unbridled loyalty, perhaps retiring Pujols’ jersey number or putting his name in the stands would have sufficed after his retirement from baseball.

Perhaps if Penn State had waited to honor their beloved coach upon his retirement, they would have been content with the library bearing Paterno’s name and maybe added it inside the stadium as well.

A statue after all is an artist’s rendition of a person in his or her absolute perfection, whether it be as a coach, player, president, or activist. The only problem is that man is not perfect and may simply give fodder to those who wish to only focus on flaws rather than endearing qualities.

Ultimately, it would be wise to wait and choose more carefully. Allow each and every man to complete his athletic journey and then decide if he is worthy of such a sacred, prestigious sculpture.

Four wins is all these teams need to do to raise the ultimate trophy

By Kyle Soppe

Setting: The upstart Cardinals will benefit from home field advantage for the first time in this postseason, thanks in large part to Prince Fielder’s All Star game HR. Both teams have used hot bats to make it here, but the pitching consistency should determine this year’s World Series Champion.

Plot: CJ Wilson will battle Chris Carpenter in game one, under the arches in Saint Louis. Wilson was the Rangers ace over the 162 game season (16-7 2.94), but in the postseason (0-2 8.04), he has been a liability. In his three postseason starts, he has watched six balls leave the park and opposing teams hit .318 against him. Carpenter (2-0 3.71) on the other hand, has excelled when his team has needed him most. The staff ace pitched a gem against Doc Halladay in game five of the first round, but this line up is superior compared to the ones he has shut down thus far. Carpenter is one of the better pitchers in the game that doesn’t have a good nickname, thoughts or ideas?

Neither manager has showed their hand as far as starting pitchers go. The Cardinals rely heavily on a bullpen that may be overworked, as none of their starters last more than 5 innings in the NLCS. Lance Lynn, Arthur Rhodes, and Jason Motte have made a combined 17 postseason appearances (15 innings pitched), and have yet to surrender a run. Texas boosts a similar trio (Scoot Feldman, Mike Gonzalez, and Yoshinori Tateyama) that has a scoreless streak of 10.2 innings this postseason. The Cardinals and Rangers pitching staffs have allowed opponents to hit an identical .241 in the 2011 postseason.

When it comes to swinging the lumber, both teams excel. The redbirds have hit for a much higher average this postseason (.288 compared to the Rangers .259), but the runs per game is just about even. The Rangers have used Nelson Cruz in the 7 hole to make their lineup well balanced from top to bottom, but they are expected to move him up in the order to ensure he gets more at bats. While Cruz has garnered all of the attention, and rightfully so with six homers in six games against the Tigers, the Rangers are as deep a lineup as there is in the MLB. With burner Elvis Andrus at the top of the order, and power 2-7 in the forms of Ian Kinsler, Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, Mike Young, and Nelson Cruz, Texas plans punish the Cardinal starters. The big bats have struggled with strikeouts from time to time, a strength of the Cardinals bullpen. As for the when Saint Louis takes their cracks, the attack begins with Albert Pujols. The best hitter in the game dictates how pitchers approach this powerful lineup, and has been well protected by a healthy Matt Holliday. Lance Berkman, the NL Comeback Player of the Year, has struggled this postseason (.237 batting average with only two extra base hits) and needs to step it up if these games are as high scoring as projected. The Cardinals, not to be outdone by the Rangers game plan, have had David Freese producing at the bottom third of their lineup. This postseason has seen Freese hit .425 with more than half of his hits going for extra bases. Expect runs early in these games, and the team that is leading after six innings most often to win the series.

Final Word: The Cardinals are 28-12 in their last 40 games. For the regular season, the Cardinals and Rangers struck out fewer than any other team in the league. The Rangers, however, have relied on striking batters out this postseason, with five pitchers registering more K’s than innings pitched. Hard to imagine that the Cardinals K rate increases much, so the Rangers will have to find a new way out of jams.

Soppe Score: Vegas put the Cardinals at long shots (+1800) to win the worlds series, and they figure to be an underdog for the third straight series. Some may argue that the Cards have beaten two teams (Phillies and Brewers) that have more total talent than the Rangers. I’ll ride the hot Cardinals who seem to be on a mission. Attempting to outslug Fat Albert and company is a risky proposition, and I think Dave Duncan and the Cardinals pitching staff can tip toe around Rangers bats. Champagne shower for the visitors: I’ve got the Cardinals in five.

Nelson has been Cruz-ing, but if the postseason ended today, is he your postseason MVP?

By Kyle Soppe

Nelson Cruz has led his Rangers to their second ever World Series, and second in as many years. The ALCS MVP smashed a postseason record 6 homers in 6 games against the Tigers, including a shot off Verlander. Of his 9 hits this postseason, 8 have gone for extra bases. Interestingly, he does NOT lead the postseason in slugging percentage (.784). Through 10 games apiece, Ryan Braun (.789) has had a more statistically efficient October.

Miguel Cabrera’s Tigers will be watching the 2011 World Series from their homes, but Cabrera is not to blame. The Tigers first basemen recorded a hit in all 6 ALCS games, raising his championship series hit streak to 13 games. The only players to top that are Pete Rose ANd Manny Ramirez, who both had 15 game streaks.

A Cardinal win tonight would signify a major league first. They have yet to have a starting pitcher make it through 5 innings in all 5 NLCS games. No team has ever won a series without a starter going at least 5 innings in any of the series’ first 5 games.

Aaron Rodgers is really good.

What three QB’s lead the league in number of completions of 40 or more yards with 6? Rodgers is a no-brainier, but if you answered Eli Manning and Matt Schaub, you would be in the vast minority. Victor Cruz has accounted for half of Manning’s total and ranks behind only Steve Smith and Mike Wallace (4 apiece).

Calvin Johnson has caught 9 TD’s in the first 5 games of the season, we all know that. But just how efficient is that? Only one tandem of pass catchers  in all of football has accounted for at least 9 scores: Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski have scored 5 times each.

Sebastian Janikowski (drafted 17th overall by the late Al Davis) has made just as many field goals from 50+ yards as any other kicker has attempted from 40+.

Sorry Philly fans, but this year is about a different kind of red October

By Kyle Soppe

The Cardinals just pulled off a monumental upset of the 102 win Phillies. Behind a gem from Chris Carpenter, a 1-0 victory in game 5 sets up a clash of NL Central powers from a trip to the 2011 World Series. Will this surprise success be enough to keep Pujols in Cardinal red next year? Will LaRussa ride of into the sun set?

Equally important, a prop bet among analysts was settled, as “the field” will win the NL, not the Phillies. I won’t name names 

Saint Louie is peaking, will it be enough to carry them over the Brewers, who held off the Cardinals for the entire second half? How about the AL: will the most valuable pitcher (notice that’s pitcher, not player) be enough to carry the Tigers over the powerful Rays?

In the NLCS, we have 2 teams that are very familiar with one another. The Brewers have used superior pitching depth (Marcum, Gallardo, and Grienke) to outlast teams. They are near unbeatable at Miller park, and will have home field in this series. The Cards will be hurt a bit by pitching staff ace Carpenter on Friday, meaning that his first start in the NLCS would likely be game three. Pitchers like Jamie Garcia and Kyle Lohse have played big roles all year, and will be asked to do more of the same here. With a healthy Matt Holliday, the redbirds can match the Brewers powerful lineup. Braun and Pujols are two of the top hitters in the game today, but I am expecting lesser known players to make the deciding impact. Another interesting story line will be the futures of the first basemen. Both are in the final year of their current contracts, and there is concern amidst both fan bases that their center piece will move on. The winner of the series has a pretty solid negotiating chip, as a trip to the World Series is hard t ovoerlook.

In the AL, we have no one from the feared AL East. Instead, we have two teams that may not generate great ratings, but will make for good baseball. Both teams rely heavily on loaded offenses, but both pitching staffs have proven more than capable of winning games. The Tigers elected to rest Verlander during their game 5 with the Yankees, so he will be well rested. Verlander is a near guarantee to win at least one of his stats, which puts the Tigers in the drivers seat. However, the Rangers battled through the Rays, who boast a better all around pitching staff than the Tigers do. I prefer the Rangers lineup to that of the Tigers, and I believe that nullifies the advantage that Verlander gives Detroit. Ian Kinsler is the key player in this series, as he provides a nice blend of power and speed that can produce runs in a hurry. For the Tigers, the continued slugging of Alex Avila would help provide the limited run support that they need.

Let’s get some thoughts on who will be in the World Series

Can you catch me? Better question, why do you insist on me proving to you that you can't?

By Kyle Soppe

Calvin Johnson caught two touchdowns for the fourth consecutive game. He is the first receiver to open a season with four multi touchdown games ever. The artist known as Megatron is a big reason why the Lions sit at 4-0.

Aaron Rodgers dominated the Broncos on Sunday in unique fashion. He became the first player to ever pass for 400 yards, four touchdowns, and run for an additional two scores.

The ever dangerous Devin Hester returned his 11^th career punt for a TD, breaking a tie for the all time record with Eric Metcalf. Why do teams kick  to this guy?

Cheers to Marion Barber for … um … identifying with Bills fans this week. Bottoms up!

When Curtis Granderson connected for an 8^th inning homer on Sunday, he homered against his former team, the Tigers. In his short career, Granderson now has a postseason HR while playing for the Tigers against the Yankees, and a postseason HR while playing for the Yankees against the Tigers.

Paul Goldschmidt’s first career post season at bat was a home run off of Zack Grienke. Speaking of Grienke, his win on Sunday improved his record to 12-0 at home this season. He has yet to record a loss at home when a member of the Brewers, a trend that could provide the Beer Makers a much needed edge should they face the pitching rich Phillies in the NLCS.

The votes are being tabulated, and we could see an MLB first when NL MVP and Cy Young award winners are announced. Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw are considered the favorites, and would become the first set of teammates to sweep the awards and not qualify for the playoffs. How can a team with the league’s best hitter and best pitcher not make the playoffs you ask? Well, paying Manny Ramirez to not be a part of your team is a good way to start.

Kershaw is the favorite for some offseason hardware, but take a look at just how good he has been this year.

By Kyle Soppe

This year, we have three pitchers who have won at least 20 games and have a winning percentage of .800 or higher (Clayton Kershaw, Ian Kennedy, and Justin Verlander). We haven’t seen this since 2002, when Pedro Martinez, Barry Zito, and Randy Johnson did it. Prior to 2002, 1910 was the only other season in which three pitchers have had such success.

Very outside chance, but Verlander and Kershaw could both win the pitchers triple crown this year. We haven’t seen it done in both leagues in the same season in over 85 years.

The long and storied history of the BoSox has never seen a season in which three of their players have reached the 40 doubles plateau, that is, until 2011. Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez, and David Ortiz all reached the mark this year, but they could use a few more, to punch their postseason ticket.

The Phillies have recently gone on cruise control, as they have everything locked up. Their 7 straight losses is the longest losing streak by a team with at least 98 wins in MLB history.

We have seen three players this year (Craig Gentry, Tony Campana,  Jose Altuve) have their first career homer be an inside the parker. The career inside-the-park HR record is 55 by Jesse Burkett, so they aren’t quite on pace.

Michael Young, officially listed as the DH of the Texas Rangers, is tied with Adrian Gonzalez for the second highest batting average in the MLB. The last time a DH ranked that high was 2005, and it was again Michael Young.

Jose Bautista has been walked 20 more times than any body else in the majors. You have to go back to the years of Barry Bonds (2004) to find a bigger gap between the league leader in walks and the runner up.

Devoted Expo fans will be celebrating (mourning?) the 7 year anniversary of the team’s last game, which was played October 3, 2004. Expo fans had to often deal with seasons ending in early September, as they rarely made appearances in the postseason.

Got any MLB splinters? Share them here.

Break out the rally cap Cardinals and Rays fans, this is going to be a tight one.

By Kyle Soppe

With 8-10 games left to be played, we take a look at the big series this weekend, and their playoff implications. The race for both the AL and NL wild card spots has tightened up, so instead of picking one series to preview, here is a brief rundown of the 4 teams playing for their postseason lives.

Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays have used a September surge to get within shouting distance of division rival Boston in the race for the wild card. The Rays have used dominating pitching to make their move, while Evan Longoria provides the timely hit. Youngster Desmond Jennings is a terror on the base paths, and manager Joe Madden uses his skills in an aggressive manner. Obviously the Jays have nothing to play for, but their top two pitchers (Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow) are expected to face the Rays this weekend. That is a tough break, but the desperation of the Rays should propel them to a series win. Even with the Toronto aces, Tampa has the pitching advantage in every matchup. The Rays should score a handful of runs per game this weekend, and with the way their starters are pitching, that should be more than enough to take at least 2, if not all 3.

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees

An interesting series in which the playoff bound Yanks have nothing to gain, while the Red Sox have everything to lose. In the midst of a September swoon, the Red Sox have simply been awful in all facets of the game. They are 1-6 against the Rays this month, allowing a double digit wild card lead to be trimmed to 2.5. The Sox catch a break, as AJ Burnett (if you want to know how I feel about him, visit the “Playoff Push” podcast at the bottom right of this page) is the scheduled starter for Saturday’s matinée. Charlie Manuel said he “owed it to the game of baseball” to play his starters in games that will affect the playoff race, and I think Joe Girardi will have a similar approach. Don’t expect the Bronx Bombers to roll over this weekend, even with their postseason tickets punched. Mo Rivera won’t throw two innings, and CC won’t throw 120 pitches, but the powerful lineup figures to be assembled, in an effort to keep the BoSox out of October. Conspiracy Theory – The Yankees are only 4-11 against the Red Sox, while they are 8-6 against the Rays. Neither is impressive, but one would think that the Yanks would rather see Tampa in the postseason. Could this be little extra motivation for New York to try to win these games? That being said, Red Sox are in desperation mode, and will take 2 of 3.

Chicago Cubs @ Saint Louis Cardinals

The Redbirds are making a late push behind their stud Albert Pujols. Number 5 has been hot, and finally is batting over .300 for the year. When he goes into “Machine” mode, there isn’t a scarier or more imposing hitter in all of baseball. The Cardinals have won 12 of 14 keeping their opponent at four runs or less in nine of those contests. On top of a great rivalry and playoff implications, the Cubs are believed to be the front runner in the Pujols sweepstakes. The Cardinals need to be flawless to catch Atlanta, and they are simply a much better team than the Cubbies. Matt Holliday should be back in action, while Lance Berkman appears to be finding his stroke. Chris Carpenter has rediscovered his form, and is now the foundation to a patchwork rotation. I could very easily see the Cubs mailing it in a week or two early, especially with talented, but often unfocused, Starlin Castro as the teams leader. If the Cardinals don’t make the playoffs, it will be because The Braves hang on, not because the Cards implode. Saint Louis sweeps in front of a packed Busch Stadium.

Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals

Clearly, not only the Boston Red Sox are capable of making things more interesting than they need to be. The Braves have squandered their wild card lead (down to 1.5 games), and need to rebound quickly if they want a crack at that NL crown (that some columnist predicted would be in Atlanta this year). This collapse would be the biggest of all time in the final month of the season, surpassing the Angles who blew a 7.5 game lead in 1995. Consistent batting has been the major flaw all year for the Bravo’s. They have struggled against the middle to top tier pitching, scoring four or less runs 13 times in September already. They are a rather pedestrian 33-28 since the all-star break, and have been dealing with injuries to Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson. Both pitchers figure to be healthy come October, but will their team be playing? The Braves catch a tough break, as Steven Strasburg will take the mound for the series opener on Friday. I think Strasburg pitches well in front of the bright lights, and will come out victorious on Friday night. After the prodigy, the Nats are very limited when it comes to their rotation. Chien-Ming Wang (3-3 4.51) and Ross Detwiler (2-5 3.76) are projected to start this weekend, and it’s hard to imagine either beating a team that needs both games. Braves offense finds a way to score runs, and takes 2 of 3, but that means dropping another game to the Cardinals.

The Rays are going to have to come out swinging if they want to put any pressure on the BoSox

By Kyle Soppe

Plot:   Raise your hand if you saw the Rays making this interesting. Look around and there no hands raised. OK, this is a website, so I wouldn’t be able to tell if you were raising your hand, but the point remains. The Rays have won 8 of 9 (through Monday), with 5 of those wins coming over these Red Sox and the Texas Rangers. They have gotten extremely hot while playing at their excuse for a baseball field in St. Petersburg, and will have to win on the road to continue to threaten the BoSox. This series is the middle of a 10-game road stretch for the Rays, who trail the Boston by only four games for the wild card spot. They have made up ground with superior pitching, as they have allowed three or less runs in 7 of their last 10 contests. The Red Sox, on the other hand, have seen their powerful offense shut down in September. Of their 11 games this month (in which they are 2-9), the have scored four runs or less seven times. Slumps like this have been few and far between for the Sox, who rank second in the league in runs scored this season. These two talented teams played less than a week ago, and the Rays took all three games, including one against Boston ace John Lester. The stakes are high for both teams, but this is Tampa’s last shot, as they end the season with a much more difficult schedule.

Setting: Jeremy Hellickson (12-10 2.96) will oppose Kyle Weiland (0-1 6.75)as this series kicks off on Thursday. Hellickson has pitched well against Boston this year, recording two quality starts in three outings against them this year. However, both quality starts were at home, while he struggled with command when pitching at Boston (five walks). On paper, Hellickson doesn’t match up well with this Boston offense. He has surrendered 19 homers on the season (including at least 1 in 12 of his last 15 starts) and his pitch count often elevates quickly against patient offenses. His job isn’t to be dominating, but rather to get the Rays into the 7^th inning with a chance to win.

Rookie Weiland has only made four major league starts, including a no decision against the Rays only a week ago. He has more walks than k’s this year, but it is a small sample size. If there is a positive from his first month in the majors, it is that he has only surrendered one HR. The Sox will need to score runs to win this game, something they are capable of.

The second game of this 4 game set features James (insert own nickname) Shields (15-10 2.70) squaring off against Josh Beckett (12-5 2.49). Shields has embraced the ace role of late, winning his last four starts while only giving up three runs in 35.1 innings. The most recent of his victories was against Boston, as he scattered seven hits in 8.1 innings. He has pitched at least eight strong innings against the Red Sox in 3 of his 4 starts against them this year. The inning eater has more than doubled his career CG total this year with 11, tops in the majors. With their workhorse on the mound, this is a must win for the Rays.

Beckett is Boston’s big game pitcher, and if they drop game one, this game could determine the momentum going forward. Beckett is coming off of an ankle injury that forced him out of his start on September 5^th. His last start against these Rays was back on July 17^th, a start in which he gave up only a single hit in eight innings of work. We have seen “good Beckett” this year, and I expect him to step up to the challenge.

Jeff Niemann (10-7 3.97) tangles with Jon Lester (15-7 3.07) in a pivotal game 3. Niemann’s numbers aren’t on pace with the other starters in the Rays rotation, but he has owned the Red Sox this season. He has seen them twice this season and has gone a combined 17 innings allowing only five hits and two runs with 20k’s. Another stat in Niemann’s corner is his success on the road. He has won seven of nine decisions, and his ERA is 1.5 runs lowers away from St. Pete. He is an average pitcher, but it is hard to ignore his successes against Boston.

Lester took the L in his last start against the Rays, but has been rock solid other than that start. In 5 starts previous to Sunday, he had given up one earned run or less. Lester should have plenty left in the tank, and he is another ace to trust in a big spot.

The series wraps up on Sunday, where the wildcard spot could be up for grabs. The Rays are going with David Price (12-12 3.40) while the Sox trust Tim Wakefield (7-6 5.13). Price has been good, not great of late. He hasn’t given up more than three runs since August 7^th, but is only 3-2 over that span. However, the Price has been right against their division rival this year: 25% of his wins this year have come against Boston.. WARNING .. Price tends to give up HR’s in bunches, something that happened two months ago when he gave up 3 round trippers to this very lineup.

The Red Sox knuckleballer is fresh off of win #200. Wakefield has been more of an all or nothing pitcher these days, as the knuckleball is either impossible to hit, or impossible to miss. With young hitters, led by the speedy rookie Desmond Jennings, Wakefield will look to capitalize on their aggressive nature. The veteran should give the Sox about six innings, and if he can limit the damage, the Sox will be in good shape.

Final Words: The Rays are among the top 5 in stolen bases this year and are 75% effective when deciding to run. On the flip side, the Red Sox rank in the bottom half of the league in catching base stealers, only throwing out 25% of them. If the numbers hold, the Rays should be successful on 3 out of every 4 attempts, and that type of advantage could loom large late in a close game. Boston ranks in the bottom 5 in number of quality starts. The Rays hold opponents to a .235 average, 2^nd best in the MLB and even better than the team some are crowning as the NL Champs.

Soppe Score: The stats seem to suggest the Rays. They are a youthful team that is catching fire at the right time. That being said, I like the grit and experience of the Red Sox. Terry Francona has been here before, and they have too much talent to be kept down for long. I believe Lester and Beckett will deliver for the Fenway faithful. A split would put the Sox in good shape (they play the O’s down the stretch when the Rays get the Yanks), and I’ll say they do one better, and take three out of four.

"Hey this is no different than a Blue Jays game. I am only being pitched to when nobody is on base."By Kyle Soppe

By Kyle Soppe

Tim Wakefield finally recorded his 200^th career victory. It took him eight starts, but this win helped the Sox hold off the surging Rays late push for a wildcard spot. The knuckleballer (45 years and 42 days old) became the oldest player in the last 80 years to reach the 200 win plateau.

Mo Rivera closes to within 1 save Trevor Hoffman’s all-time record. Rivera recorded save number 600 with a game ending caught stealing, the fourth time he has finished a game in that fashion.

Adrian Gonzalez is in good shape to lead the majors in batting average. On the season, the BoSox slugger is 1-1 in stolen base attempts. The last player to lead the league in hitting and have less than 2 SB’s was Wade Boggs in 1986. Boggs went 0-4 in stealing bases that season (at least Gonzalez capitalized the one time he decided to run). Boggs’s lack of base stealing was more magnified than Gonzalez, as he was on first base 255 times (singles + walks) that season. Gonzalez has been on first base only 189 times thus far.

Albert Pujols is only 6 RBI away from his 11^th straight 100 RBI campaign to open his career. If he can raise his batting average up to .300 (currently sitting at .297) it would be the 11^th straight year for that as well. Lastly, another 6 runs scored, and he will have had 11 straight seasons with 99 runs (yea, he finished with 99 runs in 2007; a nice round 100 would look better, but still). All of these numbers, on top of his 30+ homers every year, are why Fat Albert is considered the best hitter in the game. The previous record for seasons like this (.300-100-30-99) to begin a career was 7. Despite injuries and ineffectiveness at times, it seems likely that Pujols will reach his typical numbers once again. Side bar: As Pujols neared this record, the Redbirds rostered Larry Walker in 2005. Walker and his 1994 Expo teammates are mourning the 17-year anniversary of their lost season, in which they had their best shot at a world championship.

Ryan Howard is leading the league in RBI (112) this year and has struck out 163 times this year. That is the third greatest amount of strikeouts by the MLB RBI leader in the last 14 years. He trails only the 2008 version of Ryan Howard (199k’s) and the 2006 version of Ryan Howard (181k’s). Strikeouts drive a manger crazy, but the runs in which Howard drives in seem to make it worth the occasional fundamental breakdown.

Jose Bautista needs 4 more home runs this season to bring his 2 year total to 100. If “Joey Bats” hits those 4 homers without knocking in 12 more runs this season, he will have the lowest RBI total of all players to hit 100 homers in 2 consecutive seasons. Mark McGwire (1996-97) hit 110 long balls, and only drove in 236 runs. Bautista currently has 96 homers with 224 RBI, with 14 games to play.

Bronson Arroyo leads the league in HR’s surrendered this year with 40. He is looking at roughly 2 more starts this season, and could approach the highest number of homers given up in the last 11 years. If he can find it in him to allow 5 more, he will have given up the most dingers since Jose Lima in 2000.

Justin Verlander recorded his 23^rd victory on Tuesday night, giving him the most win since Randy Johnson won 24 in 2002. If Verlander can win his remaining 2 starts, not much of a stretch considering he has won 11 straight starts, he would have the most wins since 1990, when Bob Welch won 27 times. Bob Welch didn’t win the MVP.

Johnny Cueto is tied for the lead league in ERA (2.36). Assuming he win one more time this year, and holds onto at least a share of the league lead in ERA, his 10 wins would tie for the least by the MLB leader in ERA, with a minimum of 150 innings pitched. Bill Swift won 10 games in his 1992 campaign in which he compiled a 2.08 ERA in 164.2 innings pitched.

Overpaid and overrated AJ Burnett has managed to throw 25 wild pitches this season. The AL record for wild pitches thrown in a season is 26, set by Juan Guzman in 1993. Burnett may only need one inning to catch and pass Guzman, but it remains to be seen how much more action he will see.