Texas Rangers Win Bidding War To Talk To Japanese Pitching Phenom Yu Darvish

By: Tyler Ward

It was announced late Monday night that the defending American League champions Texas Rangers have won the Yu Darvish sweepstakes, successfully making a record bid of $51.7 million to talk to the Japanese pitching phenom, who was heavily courted by many teams including the Rangers, New York Yankees and others.

Although Rangers general manager Jon Daniels did not say how much the bid was, sources say it eclipsed the $50 million mark. Bidding closed last Wednesday and Darvish's former team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, had until 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday to accept.

The Rangers now have thirty days to negotiate a deal with Darvish and his representatives, Don Nomura and Arn Tellem. If the Rangers and Darvish fail to come to an agreement, the posting fee will be voided and the pitcher will return to Japan to pitch next season. Along with the winning bid, the Rangers will likely spend over $100 million on the pitcher if they reach an agreement.

Darvish is considered to be one of the best pitchers in Japan, along with being noted as one of the most highly-touted prospects in recent history.

Tellem said of the Rangers' winning bid, "We were pleased to learn that the Texas Rangers were the high bidders for Yu Darvish. The Rangers are an extraordinary franchise in an exceptional city with equally exceptional fans. Yu is honored to be prized so highly and recognized as a once-in-a-generation pitcher. We look forward to getting negotiations under way."

The bid on Darvish is slightly higher than the one given to Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2007 by the Boston Red Sox. Matsuzaka and his representatives were paid $51.1 million. Boston eventually signed Matsuzaka to a six-year, $52 million contract, so the Red Sox invested a total of $103.3 million in the pitcher.

However, it is questionable as to why the Rangers placed a bid on Darvish, as they already seemingly have their rotation set for the 2012 season with Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Alexi Ogando, Matt Harrison and Neftali Feliz, who spent last season as the team's closer, but will enter the starting rotation next season -- the Rangers signed former Twins closer Joe Nathan in the offseason to take the place of Feliz in the closer role.

Texas lost their No. 1 starter C.J. Wilson during the offseason, as the left-handed ace signed with the Rangers' division rival, the Los Angeles Angels, on a five-year, $77.5 million deal -- and as we all know, these same Angels agreed on a 10-year, $252 million contract with Albert Pujols.

The 6-foot-5 right-hander posted an 18-6 record last season with a league-leading 1.44 ERA and 276 strikeouts. He also pitched in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Darvish started pitching professionally when he was just 18 years old.

Although putting up mediocre numbers in his first professional season, Darvish came back to post a 12-5 record in his second season with a 2.89 ERA and 115 strikeouts. He has slowly gotten better and better since then and has become arguably the best pitcher in Japan and now will take his talents to the United States if he can reach a deal with Nolan Ryan's Rangers -- a team who has won the American League pennant the last two seasons, but failed to win the World Series in both years.

The 25-year-old is thought to have an amazing collection of seven different pitches that also includes a two-seamer that he added to the repertoire in 2010.

For his career, Darvish has a 93-38 record in Japan in seven season with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He has started a total of 164 games, completing 55 of those contests and also posting 18 shutouts. Darvish has also registered 1,268.1 innings pitched, giving up just 916 hits and 281 earned runs -- which comes out to a 1.99 ERA. He has also struck out 1,259 batters, which averages a shade under one strikeout per inning.

He has also posted an ERA under 2.00 in five straight campaigns, with his best season coming last season, as the right-hander posted an 18-6 record with ten complete games and six shutouts -- he also struck out 276 batters and accumulated a 1.44 ERA in last year's juncture.

However, with the unfortunate history of Japanese and Chinese pitchers lately, it is unclear as to how Darvish will fare in the majors. Many scouts project that he will be a team's No. 1 or 2 pitcher and he will be the best prospect thus far.

But for the team's sake, they better hope that Darvish will eventually become one of the team's top starters, if they can come to an agreement with the pitcher. Hopefully, he would perform better than former Japanese players that have decided to take their talents to the United States.

Let's take a look at some of the former players that have come to America before Darvish:

* Kei Igawa, New York Yankees: 2-4 record, 6.66 ERA, 53 strikeouts; $46 million investment

* Kazuhisi Ishii, Los Angeles Dodgers: 39-34 record, 4.44 ERA, 435 strikeouts; also pitched for the New York Mets

* Hideki Irabu, New York Yankees: 34-35 record, 5.15 ERA, 405 strikeouts; also played for the Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers (Died in 2002)

* Tomo Ohka, Boston Red Sox: 50-67 record, 4.20 ERA, 573 strikeouts; also pitched for the Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians

* Akinori Otsuka, San Diego Padres: 13-15 record, 2.44 ERA, 217 strikeouts, 39 saves; also played for the Texas Rangers

* Shingo Takatsu, Chicago White Sox: 8-6 record, 3.38 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 27 saves; also played for the New York Mets

* Kazuhiro Sasaki, Seattle Mariners: 7-16 record, 3.14 ERA, 242 strikeouts, 129 saves

* Mac Suzuki, Seattle Mariners: 16-31 record, 5.72 ERA, 327 strikeouts; also played for the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers

* Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Los Angeles Angels: 45-44 record, 3.71 ERA, 447 strikeouts; also played for the Seattle Mariners

* Hiroki Kuroda, Los Angeles Dodgers: 41-46 record, 3.45 ERA, 523 strikeouts; currently a Free Agent

* Takashi Saito, Los Angeles Dodgers: 21-15 record, 2.18 ERA, 389 strikeouts, 84 saves; also played for the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers -- signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2012 season

* Junichi Tazawa, Boston Red Sox: 2-3 record, 7.46 ERA, 13 strikeouts

* Koji Uehara, Baltimore Orioles: 5-9 record, 3.13 ERA, 188 strikeouts; was traded to the Texas Rangers on July 30, 2011

* Hisanori Takahashi, New York Mets: 14-9 record, 3.55 ERA, 166 strikeouts, 10 saves; signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Dec. 2, 2010

* Hideo Nomo, Los Angeles Dodgers: 123-109 record, 4.24 ERA, 1,918 strikeouts; considered the best Japanese pitcher of all-time -- also played for Mets, Brewers, Tigers, Red Sox, Rays and Royals

* Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox: 46-27 record, 4.18 ERA, 542 strikeouts; underwent Tommy John surgery in early June 2011

* Hideki Okajima, Boston Red Sox: 17-8 record, 3.36 ERA, 215 strikeouts

Of course, since Japanese players have immigrated to Major League Baseball, there have been more pitchers, but the ones listed above are just the notable ones and as the readers can see, most of these players have been mediocre throughout their MLB careers. Few have actually stood out and had decent careers, such as Nomo, Matsuzaka, Okajima, Kuroda and Ishii. Some of the others were just flat out mediocre and were never able to make a name for themselves, other than checking their names in the "Bust Box", most notably Igawa.

If you want to look at it on paper, there have been better hitters to come to the United States than pitchers -- including Ichiro, who is undoubtedly the best Japanese player to ever put on a MLB uniform. Others include Kosuke Fukudome, Hideki Matsui, Kaz Matsui, So Taguchi, Kenji Johjima, Tad Iguchi, Akinori Iwamura and Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who made his professional debut last season with the Minnesota Twins.

The point here is that there have really never been that many great players that have come over from Japan other than Ichiro, who is likely to eventually make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hideki Matsui, Matsuzaka and Nomo have all been good players -- so in reality, only four players out of the myriad of Japanese players have gone on to successfully build a solid career, which means the odds are stacked up against Darvish.

But personally, I believe Darvish will flourish in Major League Baseball and I haven't thought that since Ichiro arrived many years ago. The pitcher seems to have all the tools to become a great pitcher in the United States and he will definitely use those to his advantage. I believe that he will eventually become a top player in the Rangers' rotation, perhaps even their No. 1 starter in the next couple of seasons.

If the two sides are able to reach an agreement and if Darvish is able to make it into the Rangers' rotation and start thirty games, I believe his record will look like this for his rookie season: 14-7 record, 3.22 ERA, 167 strikeouts, 73 walks, along with two complete games, including one shutout. We'll see what happens.

I'm not going to guarantee it, but I have a good feeling that Darvish will succeed and it will be worth the $100+ million the Rangers will spend in order to bring him to their franchise.

Angels Agree To Terms With Albert Pujols And C.J. Wilson

By: Tyler Ward

In a very, very surprising move Thursday, ESPN has announced that the Los Angeles Angels have signed first baseman Albert Pujols and starting left-handed pitcher C.J. Wilson. Pujols will receive a ten-year deal worth $254 million, while Wilson will get a five-year deal worth approximately $77.5 million.

This comes as a humongous surprise, as the Angels really hadn't been in the Pujols sweepstakes until 48 hours ago. The Marlins seemed to be the front runners for Pujols' services until they backed out yesterday after signing pitcher Mark Buehrle to a contract. Pujols' former team, the St. Louis Cardinals, also had an offer on the table, somewhere in the range of a ten-year deal worth $220 million, but it wasn't good enough for Pujols to return to the team for a twelfth season.

Pujols' contract also includes a no-trade clause, which he had been seeking and it could have been the turning point for Pujols, as the Marlins were not offering him a no-trade clause.

Pujols' deal is the third-largest contract in MLB history, only behind Alex Rodriguez's ten-year, $252 million deal he signed with the Rangers before the 2001 season and Rodriguez's ten-year, $275 million contract he signed with the Yankees prior to the 2008 season.

The Cardinals' staff was hoping that Pujols would return to the only team he has ever played for and they wanted to talk to Pujols' agent before they left to head back to St. Louis. Their last offer was a nine-year deal worth a little under $200 million, which would have made the three-time MVP the fourth-highest paid first baseman in baseball. But with the contract the Angels gave him, he is the highest-paid first baseman. And the Angels are glad they were able to come to an agreement.

According to a report, Pujols, who led the Cardinals to two World Series titles over his 11-year career, and the Cardinals were farther apart on the negotiations than originally announced.

Cardinals chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr., said of Pujols' departure, "We are disappointed that we were unable to reach an agreement to keep Albert Pujols in St. Louis. Albert is a great champion and we will always be thankful for his many achievements in a Cardinals uniform, as well as his contributions to the St. Louis community. I have the highest regard for Albert both personally and professionally, and appreciate his direct involvement in this process. I would like our fans to know that we tried our best to make Albert a lifetime Cardinal but unfortunately we were unable to make it happen."

Last season, Pujols batted .299, while blasting 37 home runs and driving in 99 runs -- it was also the only season in his 11-year career that he didn't have 100 runs batted in or have a .300 batting average. However, the 31-year-old did miss some time in the middle of the season because of an arm injury.

Pujols, arguably the best player over the last decade, is a career .328 hitter and has belted 445 home runs, while driving in 1,329 runs over his astounding career.

After the announcement of signing the three-time MVP, the Angels also announced that they had signed left-handed pitcher C.J. Wilson, who has helped lead the Rangers to back-to-back American League titles.

The deal is for six years and is worth around $77.5 million. Wilson had been recently courted by the Miami Marlins, along with the Texas Rangers, now his former team.

Last year, Wilson posted a 16-7 record with a 2.94 ERA and was elected to his first All-Star team. He also made a league-high 34 starts, while just becoming a starting pitcher for a second season. He had spent the previous five seasons coming out of the bullpen.

Wilson had received a six-year deal from the Marlins and according to Wilson, his former team had no chance at re-signing him once the Marlins made their offer. He also said that he took less money to sign with the Angels, mainly because of their acquisition of Pujols.

In an interview with ESPN at the baseball winter meetings, Wilson said, "It's crazy, obviously, with Albert going over there. It's a big swing of the balance of power in the West. I thought I was going to make a little bit of difference and he's obviously going to make a huge one. I mean, nobody saw that coming."

The pitcher will go to perhaps the Rangers' main rival and it may just make the Angels the favorites in the AL West.

According to Wilson's agent, Bob Garber, they were surprised at the Rangers' offer, but apparently, it was less than half of what the Angels offered him. Wilson said of the meeting, "I was under the impression they were going to make a more serious run at me. The length of contract wasn't there. The money wasn't there."

Wilson also lives just 15 minutes away from the Angels' ballpark, which definitely factored in his decision to sign with the Angels.

"Being close to home in Anaheim, that was really the only factor that let me make an emotional decision instead of a financial decision," Wilson proclaimed.

Despite an ugly postseason, in which he became the first pitcher in history to lose a game in the division series, championship series and the World Series in the same postseason, Wilson is still a great pitcher and was the most coveted pitcher in this year's free agency class.

The Angels won the AL West from 2007-09, while the Rangers have been the division winner the past two seasons. With the signings of Pujols and Wilson, it could very well switch back to the Angels, who are now the favorites to win the 2012 World Series.

Marlins' Hanley Ramirez Wants Out Of South Beach; Where Will He Go?

By: Tyler Ward

With the acquisition of shortstop Jose Reyes, the Marlins considered themselves to have one of the best infields in professional baseball.

Except there's one problem... One of the key components of that "dream infield", Hanley Ramirez, wants to be dealt because he'd have to switch from shortstop to third base to accompany Ramirez. And he doesn't want to do that even though Jeffrey Loria has made the team exponentially better, including moving the team to brand new ballpark.

Although his stats declined drastically last season, he is still one of the best up-and-coming players in baseball. And the Marlins realize that and they know they could get a lot in return for him if Ramirez gets his wish.

However ESPN's Buster Olney reported yesterday, "If Ramirez wanted to be traded, the Marlins probably couldn't get a lot for him, because of his price tag and the growing questions about his play."

I couldn't disagree with Olney more. Ramirez is still a great player, despite his bad season last year. Every player seems to have one of those seasons in which they struggle, but then they somehow return to their true form the following season. And I expect Ramirez to do that for the upcoming 2012 season. And not to mention, Ramirez is still young (27 years old) with many years of great baseball in front of him.

A lot of teams will be in a bidding war for Ramirez's services even though he had an off-year last season. I can guarantee that much.

Ramirez is a six-year pro and has been an All-Star in three of those seasons. Over his young career, he has batted a healthy .306. His career numbers include a .306 batting average, 134 home runs, 434 runs batted in and 216 stolen bases.

However, if a team chooses to deal for Ramirez, it will come at a hefty price after he signed a six-year extension with Miami in May 2008, worth approximately $70 million.

He is still under contract with the Marlins for the next three seasons and the team currently owes him $47 million until 2014.

Ramirez had also told the Marlins that he'd move to third base under one condition: the team restructures his contract and benefit him more for doing something that he doesn't want to do. His agent has since refuted this report, but there is still a good possibility that it is true since Ramirez has seen disgruntled since the acquisition of Reyes.

This apparently made owner Jeffrey Loria and Co. distraught and they instantly declined Ramirez's proposal. This could also potentially be the biggest reason that the Marlins part ways with the three-time All-Star.

To his resume, Ramirez has won a batting title with a .342 average and has had career-highs of 33 home runs, 51 steals and a .954 OPS.

Ramirez is a talent that will not go un-noticed. But of course, this could all be a ploy by the Marlins' front office, as to just make headlines and stir things up within the organization. However, this could be real and Ramirez could get dealt. We will find out in the coming weeks as to what happens with the Marlins.

Here are some possible suitors for Ramirez with some combinations of deals the Marlins could go for:

* Marlins trade shortstop Hanley Ramirez to Washington Nationals for 3B Ryan Zimmerman

* Marlins trade shortstop Hanley Ramirez to Boston Red Sox for SS Jed Lowrie, RP Daniel Bard, P Felix Doubront and RF Che-Hsuan Lin

* Marlins trade shortstop Hanley Ramirez to New York Mets for 3B David Wright

* Marlins trade shortstop Hanley Ramirez and CF Chris Coghlan to Kansas City Royals for LF Alex Gordon, 3B Mike Moustakas and SP Jeff Francis

* Marlins trade shortstop Hanley Ramirez to Milwaukee Brewers for 3B Casey McGehee, P Tyler Thornburg and 2B Scooter Gennett

* Marlins trade shortstop Hanley Ramirez to Cleveland Indians for 3B Lonnie Chisenhall, P Justin Masterson and C Lou Marson

* Marlins trade shortstop Hanley Ramirez to Chicago White Sox for 3B Brent Morel, P John Danks, and P Matt Thornton

* Marlins trade shortstop Hanley Ramirez and P Leo Nunez to Atlanta Braves for CF Michael Bourn, 3B Brandon Hicks and P Jair Jurrjens

Marlins, Mark Buehrle Agree To Four-Year Deal

By: Tyler Ward

The Miami Marlins have made yet another move in fee agency, officially signing left-handed starting pitcher Mark Buehrle to a four-deal worth approximately $58 million. The signing of Buehrle means that the Marlins are out of the bidding for the biggest prize in free agency, first baseman Albert Pujols.

Manager Ozzie Guillen, who the Marlins signed in the offseason to become their new leading man, had previously said continuing good things about Buehrle, who played for the White Sox his entire career.

"This kid is special. He pitched in the big scenarios, big moments, very tough city to pitch," Guillen said. "When people love you in Chicago, that means something."

 "I think he's comfortable because I know what I'm going to get from him, and he knows what's going to come from us, and I think that helps," Guillen continued.

And Guillen is right. People loved Buehrle in Chicago as he helped lead the team to a World Series title in 2005, successfully ending an 88-year drought.

Of course, the pitcher will need to take a physical before officially becoming a Marlin.

The signing of the left-handed pitcher means that the Marlins are currently out of the Albert Pujols sweepstakes. The team was hoping for an answer from Pujols last night and after he failed to do that, the Marlins' front office decided to move on without him.

That's where Buehrle came in. The Marlins were in desperate need of a starting pitcher, especially a left-hander as their rotation was abysmal last season.

The signing of Buehrle means that the Marlins have spent $191 million this offseason, which is more than they have spent the last fourteen offseasons combined. Once you look at it from that perspective, it is amazing that a team has just randomly started shelling out copious amounts of money.

Other than Buehrle, the Marlins have also signed shortstop Jose Reyes to a six-year, $106 million contract and closer Heath Bell to a three-year deal worth $27 million.

Clearly, the Marlins are trying to become a postseason team again and they have shown that with a myriad of moves since the 2011 season ended. They officially changed their name to the Miami Marlins, hired manager Ozzie Guillen and have signed three marquee free agents. Clearly, it's been a busy offseason and the front office has stated that they aren't even done, so there could be more in store for the spectators in the coming weeks.

Last year for the White Sox, Buehrle posted a 13-9 record with a 3.59 ERA and also won his third straight Gold Glove.

Buehrle, currently 32 years old, has been one of the most reliable and consistent over the last decade or so. In that time span, he has thrown two no-hitters, successfully joining elite company. And not to mention, one of those no-hitters was a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009.

Over his 11-year career, Buehrle is 161-119 with a 3.83 ERA and has logged 1,396 strikeouts.

Buehrle is also one of just six active pitchers with at least 150 wins, 1,000 strikeouts, and an ERA lower than 4.00 (C.C. Sabathia, Roy Halladay, Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe and Roy Oswalt are the others).

Even with the signing of Buehrle, the Marlins could still be in the hunt for another left-hander, C.J. Wilson, who helped lead the Rangers to their second consecutive World Series visit. The Marlins and Angels seem to be the main suitors for Wilson and the franchise has yet to rule out the possibility of acquiring Wilson to team up with Buehrle.

By fat, the Marlins have made the biggest splash in free agency this season and according to owner Jeffrey Loria, they are not done yet. Buehrle is just another piece to the puzzle in the Marlins' hopes of winning another World Series title.

Report: David Ortiz Likely To Accept Arbitration Offer From Red Sox

By: Tyler Ward

Reports have surfaced that Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz plans to accept the arbitration offer that the team has offered him.

If he does in fact accept the deal, he will return to Boston for the 2012 season.

He had been seeking a pay raise from the Red Sox after earning about $12.5 million last season. The arbitration deal could be worth about $15 million if he takes it.

According to some reports, a two-year deal worth $25 million would have kept Ortiz in Boston, but they retracted the offer before arbitration and instead, offered the hitter a two-year deal worth approximately $18 million.

The team would prefer that Ortiz take the two-year deal because they would only have to pay him about $9 million per season instead of the one-year deal because it would be a lesser hit against their payroll for luxury-tax purposes.

New Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said the sides are still talking and that the Red Sox "remain hopeful" that Ortiz will return to Boston for next season.

"That's been our position all along. We haven't agreed to anything yet," Cherington said.

"If there's a way to make it work, we'd like to have him on the team moving forward and potentially have him finish his career with the Red Sox. But we haven't reached an agreement on a contract. We've had good dialogue, and I think there's a good understanding of our respective positions and a lot of mutual respect," Cherington went on to say. "If we don't reach anything by tomorrow, we'll see what his decision is. If we don't and he accepts, then we'll be happy with that outcome."

Bobby Valentine, who the Red Sox hired to replace Terry Francona as the team's manager, apparently traveled to the Dominican Republic to track down Ortiz and hopefully talk about his future with the team.

Ortiz seemed to be happy that Valentine came all that way just to talk to him. Ortiz would go on to say about the visit, "That speaks to me. That's good stuff."

Ortiz, arguably the face of the franchise over the last decade, has hit .289, including 320 home runs and 1,028 runs batted in over his nine-year stint with the Red Sox. Ortiz is also a seven-time All-Star.

MLB: Marlins Offer Albert Pujols 10-Year Deal

By: Tyler Ward

The Miami Marlins have reportedly offered first baseman and the biggest free agent, Albert Pujols, a ten-year deal. The monetary value hasn't been reported so it is unclear how much it approximately is, but reports have said that the deal is worth more then $200 million.

However, the key question that remains is whether the Marlins would include a no-trade clause in the contract if Pujols accepts the deal.

Miami has already landed shortstop Jose Reyes on a six-year/$106 million deal a few days ago and they have set their sights on the biggest free agent since Alex Rodriguez. They also signed closer Heath Bell to a three-year deal worth $27 million.

The Marlins also hired former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to become their new leading man. Guillen led the White Sox to a World Series title in 2005.

Not to mention, the Marlins will also be opening the season in a new ballpark in downtown Miami, starting in 2012.

St. Louis said that they had also submitted an offer to Pujols on Tuesday, in hopes of keeping the player who was a catalyst on their two World Series teams in the last six seasons.

Annual big spenders Boston and New York have just watched, as the Cardinals, Marlins and Chicago Cubs have attempted to sign the first baseman.

The Marlins seem to be dead set in signing Pujols, arguably the best player of the last decade. However, such talks could also be a ploy, as the Marlins could up the price for the Cardinals if they tend to keep Pujols, who has been with the Cardinals his entire career.

During his 11-year career, Pujols has typically been one of the best players in baseball. He has hit 445 home runs, while also driving in 1,329 runs. He has also batted .328 over his career, one of the best in baseball over that span.

Marlins president Larry Beinfest said of Pujols, "Look at the numbers. He’s definitely one of the most celebrated (players), and I would say he’s trending to be one of the best ever.”

But, it is hard to grasp the idea behind the Marlins' thinking, as they offered Pujols a ten-year deal, which means the contract will be up when the 11-time All-Star is 42 years old. And it is safe to say that Pujols will likely be retired then and the Marlins will be forced to pay him a hefty amount of money. But if that's what it takes to land him, then they need to do that.

It was also reported Tuesday night that the front office expects a decision from Pujols before he wakes up Wednesday morning. Of course they want him to accept, but they want to know by the end of the night if he will be taking his talents to South Beach or will be going elsewhere.

The Marlins have pressed Pujols and his agent, Dan Lozano, for an answer to their latest offer, a ten-year deal worth over $200 million.

It looks like we'll find out within the next few hours as to what Pujols will decide.

Red Sox Sign Pitcher Clay Buchholz To Four-Year Extension

By: Tyler Ward

The Red Sox announced Sunday that they have signed starting pitcher Clay Buchholz to a four-year extension, that guarantees him just under $30 million.

The contract also has two option years worth $13 million apiece that could potentially make the contract worth a total of $56 million.

General manager Theo Epstein said of the signing, "He's a homegrown core member of the ballclub. We expect Clay to be here a long time. We see this as a win-win. He is an entrusted, core member of the club."

"Clay certainly has earned our trust and developed a tremendous amount as both a person and a player," he continued to say.

Buchholz has just under two years of service time at the major league level, just like fellow teammate Jon Lester, who signed a five-year, $30 million deal in Spring 2009.

Here's a breakdown of Buchholz's contract:

2012: $3.5 million

2013: $5.5 million

2014: $7.7 million

2015: $12 million

With the signing, this means that the first four starters for the Red Sox are signed through the 2014 season - Josh Beckett (4 years, $68 million), John Lackey (5 years, $82.5 million), Lester (5 years, $30 million), and Buchholz (4 years, $30 million).

Buchholz, 26, is currently making $555,000 this season and it looks like he will be making a lot more in the following seasons.

The Red Sox now have the pitcher potentially wrapped up until his 40th birthday and with the options, he could be locked up until he's 32 years old.

"It's a honor," Buchholz said. "This is where I imagined myself to be 10 years ago. I don't think I could be with a better organization."

Perhaps the biggest moment of his young career, Buchholz threw a no-hitter against the Orioles on Sept. 1, 2007. The Red Sox won the game 10-0.

The Red Sox are hoping to get many more quality seasons from Buchholz, now that they have signed him to the four-year extension.

ESPN Sport Science: Fenway Park Edition (Video)

By: Stephen Patterson

Latest Updates On the Barry Bonds Trial

By: Stephen Patterson

Prosecution rests:


Defense rests:


Final arguments:

Tony LaRussa Frustrated With Cardinals 2-4 Start? (Video)

By: Stephen Patterson

I guess losing a series to the Pittsburgh Pirates would make me walk out on reporters too:

Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson Hospitalized

By: Tyler Ward

Robinson, noted as one of the best players in MLB history, became ill on Wednesday and was hospitalized with a fever and infection. He was rushed to the local hospital that night.

The Hall of Famer did not provide full details of his illness, but said that he expects a full recovery. Robinson said doctors admitted him early to "aggressively treat the infection".

He said that he is currently responding well to the antibiotics.

The 73-year old Robinson was treated for prostate cancer in 2009 and said that he is still cancer-free.

Robinson, one of the most well known Orioles ever, played for Baltimore from 1955-77. He was also elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

He has been noted to be the best defensive third baseman of all-time and was given the nickname, "The Human Vacuum Cleaner". Robinson won sixteen straight Gold Glove Awards, tied for second-most in baseball history with pitcher Jim Kaat.

For his career, Robinson batted a healthy .267, along with 2,848 hits. He also hit 268 home runs and had 1,357 runs batted in.

Robinson's awards throughout his career:

- 18x All-Star selection
- 2x World Series Champion (1966 & 1970)
- 1970 World Series MVP
- 16x Gold Glove Award Winner
- 1964 American League MVP
- 1966 MLB All-Star Game MVP
- 1972 Roberto Clemente Award Winner
- 1970 Babe Ruth Award
- 1966 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award Winner
- MLB All-Century Team
- Jersey (#5) retired by Orioles

Rangers Defeat Yankees 6-1; Advance To World Series

By: Tyler Ward

The Texas Rangers are moving on to their first World Series. Their opponent, though, we are still waiting to find out if it'll be the Phillies or Giants. But, for now, it's the Rangers' time. They will be appearing in their first World Series, even though they just won their first postseason series earlier this month when they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays.

In a pitching matchup that featured Colby Lewis and Phil Hughes, only one would do well. And that was Lewis. The pitcher, who was added to the roster earlier this year after spending two years in Japan, threw a spectacular game. Lewis pitched eight strong innings, surrendering three hits and one earned run. He also walked three batters and struck out seven. Hughes, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. The young pitcher managed to only pitch 4.2 innings, giving up four earned runs and four hits. He also walked four, struck out three, and had a crazy wild pitch.

The Rangers got off to a good start in the first inning when Vladimir Guerrero got the first of his three RBI's. He was able to ground out to second, but Elvis Andrus scored on the play to give the Rangers a 1-0 advantage.

New York would answer in the top of the fifth when Alex Rodriguez scored on Colby Lewis' only mistake - a wild pitch. But, there was some controversy on the play. Lewis' pitch clearly hit Nick Swisher in the shin, but the umpire did not see it that way. He ruled it as a wild pitch and Swisher did not reach base on the play. Rodriguez still scored on the play and the game was tied 1-1, but it wouldn't last for long.

In the bottom of the inning, Guerrero stepped up to the plate again, slapping a double to center and scoring Mitch Moreland and Josh Hamilton on the play. After the play, Hughes was relieved by David Robertson. However, Robertson would then proceed to give up a two-run homer to Nelson Cruz, sealing the Yankees' fate. The blast by Cruz put the Rangers up 5-1 and that's all they needed. Two innings later, in the seventh, Ian Kinsler hit a sacrifice fly to to left field, scoring long-time Ranger, Michael Young. As far as runs go, that was the end of it.

Neftali Feliz came into the game in the ninth, pitching a perfect inning. He would strike-out Curtis Granderson and get Robinson Cano to pop up. Alex Rodriguez was the last batter of the game and Feliz struck him out to end the game. Fireworks would go off and the celebration began. 

Outfielder Josh Hamilton was named ALCS MVP after he hit four home runs in the series, tying an American League record for most home runs in the championship series. Hamilton was also intentionally walked five time, a major league record, including three times in the clinching game. A humbled Hamilton was more than happy that he helped his team reach their first World Series. 

"I don't want to talk about myself," Hamilton said, "I want to talk about them, because we are the reason we're here." 

The ALCS MVP would then go on to say, "This group's here because they don't know how to fail. The chemistry on the team is something like I've never known anywhere. All the guys love each other and we support each other. And we love the fans."

Michael Young, the longest-tenured player on the team, was also more than happy. He was ecstatic. "The World Series is coming to Texas," Young said, "Totally worth the wait, totally."

Hamilton and Young weren't the only happy people on the field. Co-owner, team president, and former Rangers great Nolan Ryan witnessed their victory from the front row - he headed onto the field after Feliz struck out Rodriguez to end the game. Ryan was the first person to hold the ALCS trophy at the postgame celebration and the fans gave him a roaring ovation. "Our fans have waited a long time, this organization has waited a long time," Ryan said. "This team coming out of spring training was on a mission."

The Yankees were dominated in every aspect of the game in the series. Their run differential of -19 was the second-most in team history; they were -23 in the 2001 World Series when they lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, their first championship, too. They allowed 37 runs in the ALCS, also the second-most in team history - they gave up 41 runs in the 2004 ALCS when they lost in seven games to the Boston Red Sox.

When it comes to sports, it's not about which team is the best. It's about which team plays the best and the Rangers did that.

If there was a Game 7, Cliff Lee was expected to be the starter, but now with the Rangers' victory, it looks like Lee will start Game 1 on Wednesday against the Phillies or Giants. The Giants currently lead the series 3-2.

The Rangers' series win was somewhat bittersweet. The Rangers, in their only three postseason berths prior to this season, were knocked out by those very same Yankees. Now, the Rangers finally got their revenge. The Yankees and their $200+ million payroll could not withstand the Rangers' pitching and hitting. There were many questions entering the postseason, including whether or not the Yankees' pitching could hold up. It appeared that there was validity for those questions. The Bronx Bombers' pitching was nothing, but mediocre at best. As a team, they had an astounding 7.11 ERA for the series and frankly, that will not win games. New York will now have many questions to answer in the offseason, as they are still looking to claim their 28th World Series championship.

A disappointed Joe Girardi said after the game, "We didn't accomplish what we set out to. And as I told my guys, this hurts. I've been through it as a player. I've been through it as a coach and now I've been through it as a manager. It's not a lot of fun watching other teams celebrate. They beat us. They outhit us, they outpitched us, outplayed us and they beat us."

With the Yankees sent home, the Rangers are now looking forward to their World Series matchup against the Phillies or Giants. Game 1 will be on Wednesday and the Rangers are hoping they can bring Texas their first championship in the team's 50-year history.

Game 6 Box Scores (Courtesy of ESPN):

Rangers Power By Yankees 10-3; Take 3-1 Series Lead

By: Tyler Ward

Are the Yankees not going to make their third straight World Series? It's sure looking that way. I'm not going to say the Rangers are going to win because frankly, anything can happen if the 2004 Red Sox showed us anything. But, it's sure looking like the Yankees aren't showing any heart or passion and it looks like they could care less.

On Tuesday night, the Rangers blasted four home runs and beat the Yankees 10-3. The Rangers now have a commanding 3-1 series lead and could possibly close out the series in Game 5. The series is now rather lopsided in favor of the Rangers.

The matchup featured Tommy Hunter against A.J. Burnett, who has struggled this season. Most people already though (including myself) that the Rangers would win the game, simply because Burnett was pitching for the Yankees. And if you haven't watched much baseball season, then you don't know that Burnett has struggled mightily this year and has had one of the worst seasons for a Yankees pitcher, statistically. So, automatically, the Yankees were behind.

Rangers catcher Bengie Molina hit a three-run home run off of the great Burnett in sixth inning (please note that it was sarcasm). MVP candidate Josh Hamilton hit two home runs in the game to help seal the Rangers' victory.

It was thought to be an interesting game in the second inning when the Yankees' Robinson Cano hit a solo home run in the first inning. However, the Rangers answered back in the third inning when Elvis Andrus grounded out to first, but David Murphy scored on the play to tie the game up at 1-1. Michael Young also hit an infield single in the third and scored Molina. In the previous two games, the Rangers did not give up a lead when they had it, so many thought that the Rangers would pull away.

But, the Yankees weren't done. In the bottom of the third, Curtis Granderson hit an infield single and scored Derek Jeter. At that point, the game seemed interesting and the game was tied up once again. The Yankees would actually take a lead in the fourth when Brett Gardner grounded into a fielder's choice - Cano was out at third, Lance Berkman advanced to second, and Alex Rodriguez scored to give the Yankees the lead at 3-2.

However, the Yankees would not put up any more runs on the board. With the Rangers down 3-2, Bengie Molina hit a three-run shot in the sixth inning to give the Rangers a two-run advantage. They would not look back.

Molina, after the game, had a funny comment for the reporters after the game, stating, "It's not bad for a fat kid that everyone makes fun of when he runs."

Hamilton started off his great night in the seventh with a solo shot to put the Rangers up 6-3. Later in the inning, Ian Kinsler would single and score Nelson Cruz. 

In the ninth, Hamilton would step up to the plate and hit another solo home run to give him two on the night. Even with a 9-3 lead, the Rangers still weren't done. Cruz would add to the barrage of home runs, hitting a solo home run of his own. The Rangers would hold on to that 10-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth and the game would be over.

A.J. Burnett, who signed an $82.5 million contract with the Yankees, hasn't been pitching like it. He lost seven of his previous eight starts and was taken out of the starting rotation. His start Tuesday night was his first since October 2. Burnett pitched six innings and gave up six hits, resulting in five earned runs. He also walked three and struck out four batters. The Rangers' starter, Tommy Hunter, also struggled, pitching 3.1 innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs in the process. Derek Holland would receive the win for the Rangers, as he pitched 3.2 innings and was nearly perfect. He gave up one hit, along with two walks and three strikeouts. Darren Oliver pitched 1.2 innings and got the save for Texas.

Texas is now just one game away from advancing to the franchise's first World Series. They are now just one step closer from beating the 27-time world champions. But, as stated above, I'm not going to count the Yankees out just yet. Even though they are one game away from winning the series, there is still a long way to go for the young Rangers.

Nelson Cruz, a key player for the Rangers, said after the game, "We're going to keep focused. We haven't done anything yet."

C.J. Wilson, Game 5's probable starter for the Rangers, mentioned after the game, "Tomorrow's game is the most important game in the history of this franchise." Yes it is, C.J. This is by far the most important game for the Rangers this season. 

The Yankees will be without power-hitter Mark Teixeira for the rest of the postseason as the first baseman suffered a hamstring injury in the loss Tuesday. It's a big loss to the Yankees, who could struggle even more without one of their best players. The Yankees better hope that the injury will generate some new people in the lineup and hopefully, they can get a spark, along with a Game 5 victory.

Game 5 will be held later in the day and will feature Wilson and C.C. Sabathia, a rematch of Game 1's starters. The Rangers are looking to not only clinch their sixth straight postseason victory, but also an improbable championship series win over the Yankees. We'll see what happens later today.

Giants Take Game 1; Defeat Phillies 4-3

By: Tyler Ward

Tim Lincecum vs. Roy Halladay. Could it get any better? In perhaps the most ideal pitching matchup of the postseason, Lincecum outdueled Halladay and led the Giants to a 4-3 win over the defending National League champions.

The stat line for the pitchers:

- Lincecum (W, 1-0):  7 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, 3 BB, 8 K's

- Halladay (L, 0-1): 7 IP, 8 hits, 4 ER, 0 BB, 7 K's

Although they weren't "great" pitching performances, it still turned out to be an exciting game. Both pitchers were coming off spectacular games and it was doubtful that they would repeat those performances - Lincecum last threw a complete game two-hitter against the Braves, while Halladay threw a no-hitter in his first postseason game ever against the Reds. However, Lincecum got the best of Halladay and got the outs when the Giants needed them and they held on to win Game 1.

Lincecum said of his Game 1 victory, "It was big, it sets the pace for the series."

Cody Ross, perhaps the MVP of the game, was able to hit two home runs off of the un-hittable Roy Halladay. Halladay pitched a perfect first two innings, but surrendered a solo home run to Ross in the third inning, thus leading to sub-par performance. The Phillies would then answer in the bottom of the inning, when catcher Carlos Ruiz hit a solo shot to tie the game, 1-1. However, Ross came up to bat again in the fifth inning and hit another solo home run to extend the Giants' lead to 2-1. The Giants would not look back and would hold the lead for the rest of the game.

Ex-Phillie Pat Burrell doubled in the sixth inning and scored rookie Buster Posey. Later in the inning, Juan Uribe singled to center and scored Nate Schierholtz on the play - Uribe was thrown out at second while trying to extend the single. Entering the bottom of the sixth inning, the Giants were up 4-1.

In the bottom of the inning, Jayson Werth, who was subject to trade talks during the regular season, blasted a two-run shot, scoring Chase Utley. The home run cut the lead to one, but the Phillies would not be able to capitalize.

The Giants' All-Star closer, Brian Wilson, came into the game with two outs in the eighth inning and got the four-out save.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said after the game, "I don't think we can do nothing to bring this game back tonight. It's a loss. So we come out tomorrow, and we come out and play in that moment, try to win that game. That's what we've got to do."

Cody Ross, who hit two home runs in the game, also stated after the game, "It's just awesome to be in this situation right now, to be able to come here and help this team where it wanted to be." Ross is considered by some to be a rival of the Phillies, so it was even more exciting for the veteran.

Game 2 will take place on Sunday - the Giants will be sending out Jonathan Sanchez, while the Phillies will be starting trade deadline acquisition Roy Oswalt. 

The Phillies are looking to appear in their third straight World Series, while the Giants are looking to win their first World Series title since the team moved to San Francisco from Brooklyn in 1958.

Rangers Even Up Series; Beat Yankees 7-2

By: Tyler Ward

It's not going to be a sweep for the Yankees. The Rangers got their first postseason victory at home in their 50 seasons with a 7-2 blowout win over the Yankees.

After a bullpen collapse last night, the Rangers were able to hold on to their lead. The Rangers' bullpen was the complete opposite of what it was in their loss to New York on Friday. The Yankees were only able to obtain one hit in a little over three inning against the Rangers' bullpen.

Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis pitched well into the sixth inning and Texas threw in five relievers that completely shut down the Yankees' star-studded offense. Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes had arguably one of the worst outing in ALCS history - the young pitcher had four innings of work, while surrendering 10 hits, along with 7 earned runs. He also gave up three walks and struck out three. According to the Bill James Game Score rating system, Hughes had the third-worst ALCS pitching performance in baseball history, only behind Jim Perry (1970 Twins) and Fausto Carmona (2007 Indians). The rating system showed that Hughes scored a 14.

Texas' Elvis Andrus got the Rangers off to a fantastic start, after an incredible steal of homeplate, putting the Rangers up 1-0. MVP candidate Josh Hamilton also stole second base on the play. Manager Ron Washington said about the double steal after the game, "Opportunity seemed right, so I took a chance. That's the way we play. It worked. Got us going."

Outfielder David Murphy would then hit a solo shot in the second inning, putting the Rangers up 2-0. Michael Young would then double later in the inning, scoring Mitch Moreland.

Murphy would come back in the third inning, doubling to right field and scoring Nelson Cruz on the play, while extending the Rangers' lead to 4-0. Bengie Molina would then proceed to double and scoring Murphy on the play.

The Yankees would finally get on the board in the fourth inning when Lance Berkman singled and scored Robinson Cano - Berkman was thrown out at second, trying to extend the play.

In the fifth inning, Ian Kinsler got the lone triple of the night, scoring Nelson Cruz, putting the Rangers' lead at 6-1. Mitch Moreland then singled and scored the aforementioned Kinsler. The Rangers were now looking at a blowout and had the Yankees at a 7-1 lead.

Robinson Cano hit a 448-foot blast in the sixth inning, but it was too late. The Yankees would not get another run and the game would end at that same score, 7-2.

Neftali Feliz came in the ninth inning and pitched near-perfect. He did surrender two walks in the inning, but struck out Derek Jeter to start the inning. That set the tone for the rest of the inning and after walking Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixiera, he was able to get Alex Rodriguez to ground out and Cano to fly out to end the game.

Game 3 will be on Monday at Yankee Stadium - Cliff Lee, who has won his last four starts in New York, will start for the Rangers. Andy Pettitte will start for the Yankees. But, that is Monday night, and the Rangers are looking forward to it. With their win on Saturday, the Rangers ended their 10-game postseason losing streak against the Yankees. With the momentum on their side, they're hoping that they can take a 2-1 series lead on Monday.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said after the game, "That's what they have been doing for us all year. That's how we got to this point. Last night, we didn't get it done. We didn't make any excuses about it. We took the whipping, we took a shower. ... I was going to give the ball back to those guys if it presented itself. It presented itself, they did a great job. I expected that."

And we expected it, too, Mr. Washington.

Mets, K-Rod Moving Towards Settlement

By: Stephen Patterson

The New York Mets and troubled closer Francisco Rodriguez are moving closer to a settlement, and the grievance hearing scheduled for Monday will no longer happen, according to a report by The New York Post. K-Rod has been surrounded by controversy since allegedly striking his girlfriend's father after a game at Citi Field in August. Rodriguez was arrested and charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, over the incident.

Following his arrest, Rodriguez appeared in only one game for the Mets before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn thumb ligament. The Mets have said that the injury occurred during the altercation, and that was their reason for trying to change his contract into a non-guaranteed deal. If the two sides reach an agreement, it is likely K-Rod will make most, if not all, of the $11.5 million he is scheduled to earn next season.

The altercation occurred in the family lounge at Citi Field following their 6-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies, and many players had relatives in the area at the time of the incident. According to the New York Post, Rodriguez went off on reporters after the game, but prior to the incident occurring. He also reportedly had confrontations with a team official, a coach, and an opponent during his time in New York prior to the incident in August. Along with his assault charge, Rodriguez also faces a charge of allegedly violating an order of protection by text messaging his girlfriend dozens of times. His criminal attorney, Christopher Booth, has recently indicated there may be a settlement reached on both charges before his next hearing, scheduled for Nov. 10.

Even if Rodriguez doesn't face any serious legal repercussions over the incident, he should at least be held accountable in some form by the team. In my opinion, that should come in the form of either a reduction in his salary for next season or a suspension of at least 15 games. To some people, these might sound like harsh punishments, but Rodriguez permanently ruined his name, and didn't do any favors for the Mets' either, by attacking someone twice his age, much less doing so in front of children who were in the lounge at the time. 

While Rodriguez apologized for the incident and seems genuinely remorseful, there is no excuse for exploding like that in front of the wives and children of your teammates. My temper is almost as short as Mike Singletary's hair, but I can't envision a situation where I would walk into a room filled with mostly women and children, and just start hitting someone right in front of them. There will be prices Rodriquez will have to pay for his actions that day, including his current situation of not being able to see his own children and forever having his name smeared by the incident, but Rodriguez still deserves more official punishment than some anger-management sessions and relatively inexpensive fines.

Dodgers' Broxton Loses Job As Closer

By: Tyler Ward

If there was a Worst-Pitching-Month-For-A-Closer Award, the Dodgers' Jonathan Broxton would win it by a landslide this month. Manager Joe Torre said on Friday that Broxton has officially been demoted as the closer. The Dodgers will now go to a "Closer by Committee" role, using such pitchers as Octavio Dotel, Hong-Chih Kuo, and rookie Kenley Jansen to replace the aforementioned Broxton (Kuo will be the primary closer).

Torre told the media before their game against the Atlanta Braves, "I just told Brox we're going to take him out of that role right now. He just needs to go out and have a couple of good outings to get that feeling back. This game gives you enough pressure, and he adds to it. Physically, he is fine. But for right now, we won't use him in save situations."

Broxton was later asked how he felt about Torre's decision. "The way I've been pitching the last four weeks? Until I can get back, Joe wants to get me out in non-pressure situations," Broxton said. "Just got to get some work in. Can't be doing it in the ninth, especially the way I've been struggling lately."

Since the All-Star break, Broxton has appeared in eight games for the Dodgers, with five of them being save opportunities. He failed to hold the lead in three of those games and has compiled a 10.13 ERA. 

For the three blown saves, his stat line looks something like this:

• @ St. Louis (L, 5-4): 1.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 walks, 2 earned runs
• @ San Francisco (L, 2-1): .1 IP, 2 hits, 1 earned run
• @ Philadelphia (L, 10-9): 0.0 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks, 3 earned runs

Torre said that he told Broxton that the Dodgers were planning to go by the Closer-by-Committee role earlier this week. He mentioned that Broxton would have to try exceedingly hard to get his role back. "We definitely want him to get [the role] back. He was the All-Star closer, and he is the reason the National League will have home-field advantage for the World Series. But this game can beat you up a little bit. You just have to be able to fight back. He is capable of that, and he will do that."

Since June, Broxton has a 5.87 ERA, compared to a 1.16 ERA from April to May. For this season, Broxton has appeared in 47 games, with a 4-4 record and a 3.50 ERA. The Dodgers are currently 4th in the NL West, ten games behind San Diego for the division lead.

Mets' K-Rod Facing Assault Charges After Fight

By: Tyler Ward

I think we can say that the MLB as been more like WWE this week - with a brawl that reminded us the Pacers/Pistons fiasco, Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto was suspended for 7 games and both managers (Tony La Russa and Dusty Baker) were suspended for 2 games each. Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter and catcher Yadier Molina, along with Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips and infielder Russ Springer, were fined for their roles in the first-inning brawl. 

So, there would be nothing eventful for the rest of the week, right? Wrong. 

Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez reportedly got in a fight with his girlfriend's father, Carlos Pena (No, not the Rays' Carlos Pena). According to a police report, Rodriguez grabbed Pena from a Citi Field lounge, brought him into a tunnel, and punched him in the face numerous times before leaving the scene.

Rodriguez has been released from jail without bail earlier today. Since the case is ongoing, Rodriguez has been told to stay away from his girlfriend's father. He was also suspended two games by MLB for his actions Wednesday night and was placed on the restricted list by the Mets.

The pitcher appeared at a New York courthouse earlier today - he was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree harassment. However, this apparently isn't the only outburst Rodriguez has had.

Police are investigating cases in Venezuela and California, involving Rodriguez and his common-law wife, Daian Pena. During his case Thursday morning, an order of protection was issued to Rodriguez by his wife. There is also a restraining order between the two in Venezuela. Rodriguez will now have to somehow resolve the visitation problem since the couple welcomed twins on September 15, 2009. A restraining order was also issued by her father, who had gotten into the scuffle with Rodriguez. Her father lives in one of Rodriguez's homes, so as long as the order is intact, the Mets pitcher cannot go to that house. 

Carlos Pena went to the hospital last night, suffering a scraped face and a bump on his head (Can we say dignity, too?) Complaints were filed by Daian and Carlos Pena. "The victim suffered bruising, swelling, abrasions and redness to the head and pain to his neck, and substantial pain, annoyance and alarm as a result of the defendant's alleged actions," the complaint says. Rodriguez's girlfriend said in her complaint, "she observed the defendant pin her father against a wall and punch her father multiple times in the face and head."

Rodriguez has to appear in court again on September 14, one day before his children's birthdays. He was denied $5,000 bail and released under his own recognizance. Rodriguez could face up to one year in jail if he is convicted of both charges. 

Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said in a statement, "Ownership and the organization are very disappointed in Francisco's inappropriate behavior, and we take the matter very seriously."

"We support him 100 percent. I'm just hoping to get him back as soon as possible," Mets ace Johan Santana said. "He means a lot to this ballclub."

The pitcher signed as an undrafted amateur free agent to the Angels in 1998. He made his major league debut in 2002 and soon became one of the best closers in baseball history. He spent his first 7 seasons with the Angels, before signing a 3-year/$37 million contract with the New York Mets prior to the 2009 season - Rodriguez's best season came in 2008 when he saved an MLB record 62 games for the Angels.

For his career, Rodriguez is 30-25 with a 2.50 ERA, along with 268 saves.

Chipper Jones Likely Out For Season

By: Stephen Patterson

The Atlanta Braves will have to make their late season run for the postseason without Chipper Jones, who learned earlier today that he tore his ACL in his left knee in Tuesday night's game against Houston. Jones and the team appeared optimistic about the knee yesterday, but MRI results today appear to have killed any optimism between the two parties. If Jones has surgery to repair the ligament, which it is expected he will undergo the procedure, it would likely mean the end of his season, and potentially his career. 

Earlier this season, Jones said he would contemplate retirement after beginning the year struggling as he did in 2009. It's hard to imagine one of the greatest players in Braves' history going out on such a painful note. But even if Jones wants to come back and play another season, it will be extremely difficult for him to come back from a second major knee injury so late in his career. At 38, it is hard to imagine he would be able to return to his previous form, or anywhere near it, if he were to attempt to return next season.

There is no timetable on the amount of time it would take for Jones to heal if he undergoes surgery, as doctors don't want to make an assumption until they start the procedure and see how bad the damage is. Usually, in the best case scenarios, people heal from the surgery in about six months, which would mean Chipper's season would certainly be over, regardless of his teams' success in the postseason.

The Braves currently hold a 2 1/2 game lead over the Phillies for the AL East division crown, but they will need to find a replacement for Jones offensively and defensively if they want to hold that lead. While many people have been impressed with Brooks Conrad, who will take over for Jones for the immediate future, he has never been asked to play such a large role for the team. I expect the team will attempt to make a move through waivers to replace some of the production the former six-time All-Star provided for the Braves this season. If they can't make a move and Conrad struggles, expect the defending NL champs to make a serious run at stealing the division back from Atlanta.

St. Louis & Cincinnati Benches Clear; Cardinals Win

By: Tyler Ward

Even before the game, we all knew that Tuesday's Cardinals-Reds matchup was going to be a fun-filled game. But, why do I say this? Brandon Phillips - The Reds' All-Star second baseman. 

In what is a tight NL Central race, the Reds were leading the Cardinals by one game for the division lead entering Tuesday's game. Cincinnati hasn't been to the postseason since 1995, you know the Barry Larkin and Reggie Sanders era? Not to mention, the Reds haven't participated in a World Series since 1990 when they swept the Oakland A's. Can you say playoff hungry?

The Cardinals have been the complete opposite of the Reds - since the Reds' last playoff appearance in 1995, the Cardinals have made the playoffs eight times and won the World Series in 2006. St. Louis has also finished above .500 eleven times. Frankly, the Cardinals have dominated the Reds since the mid-90's and Cincinnati is tired of dealing with it. With this being said, Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips is probably the leader of the group.

Before the game, Phillips told the media, "We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is b**** and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little b******, all of ‘em. I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear – I hate the Cardinals." I don't think Phillips likes the Cardinals that much. And he also bats leadoff, which means he will appear in the first inning.

Did it run over smoothly? Eh, you can say that...if you didn't see the highlights. 

As Phillips stepped up to the plate, he had heated words with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and as they came closer and closer, benches started to clear. Next thing you know, it's just one big mob of white and gray jerseys. Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter is pinned against the fence. Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue gets kicked in the head. Tony La Russa says he has a concussion? There was a complete brawl on hand for the Reds fans.

Molina, who helped spark the incident, told the media afterwards, "The comment he made yesterday that he's got no friends over here -- then why you touch me? You are not my friend, so don't touch me. I mean, if we're no good for you, you are not my friend."

The brawl lasted a long seven fun-filled minutes. No players were ejected, but both managers (La Russa and Dusty Baker) were gone from the game. When play finally began again, Phillips grounded out and failed to back up his trash talk. 

The game featured a potent pitching matchup, with Cardinals' Jaime Garcia and Reds' Johnny Cueto facing off. Garcia, a rookie, held his ground for the first inning and didn't allow any runs. Pujols helped Garcia in the top of the inning, grounding out to second, but scoring Felipe Lopez in the process. The Cardinals would not give up the lead after that. Yadier Molina hit a solo home run in the top of the second, putting the Cardinals up 2-0. 

In the third, the Reds finally put a run on the board when Brandon Phillips grounded out to second and scored Drew Stubbs, bringing the score to 2-1. Later in the inning, MVP candidate Joey Votto singled and scored Ramon Hernandez and the game was successfully tied up. The game would not see another run until the sixth inning.

Pujols led off the inning with a single - the next batter, Matt Holliday, doubled to left with Pujols scoring and putting the Cardinals back on top. Colby Rasmus would then double, driving in Holliday. Rasmus advanced to third on the play after an error by outfielder Chris Heisey. St. Louis would put another run on the board after Molina hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Rasmus. After the top half of the inning, the Cardinals were up 5-2 with the win virtually in place.

Cincinnati's Drew Stubbs hit a single in the bottom of the sixth, scoring Votto and ex-Cardinal Scott Rolen on the play. The Reds were down just one run, but they would score no more for the rest of the inning.

The win was inevitable at the end of the seventh, after Holliday singled to left and scored Brendan Ryan and John Jay. Due to smart baserunning, Pujols was somehow able to squeeze in there and score on the play, putting the Cardinals up 8-4. 

Ryan Franklin got his 20th save of the year, after pitching only a third of an inning. Jaime Garcia pitched 5.1 innings, surrendering four runs and two hits, but also had five walks. The rookie is now 10-5 and is the first Cardinals rookie to win 10 games in a season since Jason Simontacchi in 2002. Cueto (11-3) also pitched 5.1 innings, but gave up seven hits and four runs. 

The Reds and Cardinals are now tied for the division and it can swing either way. And as of right now, it looks like it's going to come down to the final few games.