MLB Playoff Power Rankings

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Make your World Series Prediction

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With the teams almost set, who do you want to see in the World Series?

Coincidence Torres Dodgers make the playoffs the Yankees do not?

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K-Rod bests Thigpen, sets record for saves in a season with 58

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By striking out Raul Ibanez, the Angels' No. 57 had a new number: 58. K-Rod put himself in the record books with his 58th save this season, closing out the Los Angeles Angels' 5-2 win over Seattle on Saturday night. Saving Grace Two days after tying Bobby Thigpen for season saves record, Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez broke the record. He recorded his 58th save against the Mariners. Here's a look at the all-time best: Most Saves in a Season Saves Player Year 58 Francisco Rodriguez 2008 57 Bobby Thigpen 1990 55 John Smoltz 2002 55 Eric Gagne 2003 53 Mariano Rivera 2004 52 Trevor Hoffman 1998 53 Randy Myers 1993 "I knew it was going to be a really special moment, the way the fans cheered for me when I was coming in. It was amazing," Rodriguez said. "I haven't felt like this since we won the World Series." With his third save in four days, including Wednesday's AL West-clinching victory, Rodriguez topped Bobby Thigpen's mark with the 1990 Chicago White Sox. Rodriguez said he sensed the presence of his grandfather, who helped raise him in their poor neighborhood in Venezuela. "I felt like he was right next to me," Rodriguez said. "He's with me every day. I would give up anything to have him right next to me and enjoy this moment. But I've got to deal with it. "I know he's happy and proud of me right now." After his quiet moment on the mound at the end of the game, his teammates surrounded him and the other Angels relievers came running in from the bullpen to join the celebration. Rodriguez ran over toward the first-base dugout and blew kisses to his young daughters in the stands, then went over to the third-base dugout and doffed his cap for the crowd. "It's unbelievable. Finally I did it. "It's been an amazing year," he said, praising his fellow relievers. "Without them I couldn't have done this." Cameras flashed as Rodriguez came on in the ninth. He quickly got in trouble, allowing a leadoff double to Miguel Cairo and walking Luis Valbuena on four pitches. Ichiro Suzuki followed with a chopper up the middle that second baseman Sean Rodriguez tapped to shortstop Brandon Wood for the forceout. Rodriguez then struck out Wladimir Balentien and Ibanez. Seattle starter Ryan Feierabend was hoping the Mariners would delay Rodriguez's record. "Closers aren't perfect at all times," he said. "After we got a couple of people on, I thought we had a good chance. "But he battled back and got his 58th. Good for him." Los Angeles starter Jon Garland noted that Rodriguez has closed out 58 of the Angels' 91 wins, and said, "He's probably our MVP, being in that many games and shutting them down the way he has. "The guy's got a reputation over seven years in the big leagues that when he comes in, he's not going to give in. When he's coming in, you know the door's going to be shut." The saves record safely secured, Rodriguez has a goal for next month. "The next step is to get the ring," he said. A postseason sensation as a 20-year-old rookie in 2002 when the Angels captured their only World Series, Rodriguez hopes to help them win another. The Angels have baseball's best record, so that doesn't seem much of a stretch. "I just want to continue the way I'm pitching right now and stay sharp for the playoffs," he said. "My next goal is trying to win a championship." Juan Rivera, filling in for Vladimir Guererro, had four hits that included a two-run homer and club record-tying three doubles. He pulled up lame at second base in the eighth on his third double and came out of the game with a slight injury in his right hip. Garland (14-8) went six innings, giving up two runs in the first, then blanking the Mariners over the next five. Darren Oliver pitched the seventh and Scot Shields the eighth to set the stage for Rodriguez. Feierabend (1-3) pitched into the sixth and gave up four runs and seven hits. Adrian Beltre's sacrifice fly and Yuniesky Betancourt's RBI single staked Seattle to a 2-0 lead in the opening inning, then Rivera tied it up with his homer to left-center off Feierabend after Torii Hunter singled in the second. Those same two combined to give Los Angeles a 3-2 lead in the fourth, with Hunter doubling and coming home on Rivera's two-base hit. Rivera doubled again leading off the sixth inning and scored on Wood's single to build the lead to 4-2. Wood's sacrifice fly in the eighth provided the final run

Will Francisco Rodriguez break the all time save record he has 57 and tied the all time

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MLB power rankings By Aram Tolegian

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1 Cubs 85-50 1 1/13 The good: Aramis Ramirez has been relatively quiet this season, but perhaps his two-homer performance on Saturday means a stretch-run breakout is looming. The bad: Derrek Lee left Saturday's game with back spasms. The good: Aramis Ramirez has been relatively quiet this season, but perhaps his two-homer performance on Saturday means a stretch-run breakout is looming. The bad: Derrek Lee left Saturday's game with back spasms. Lee, like Ramirez, has been good, but not great this year. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy | Schedule 2 Rays 81-51 1 1/24 The good: The Rays have counted on Rocco Baldelli throughout the years only to get burned. But now with Carl Crawford gone and Evan Longoria hurting, Baldelli is actually coming through. The good: The Rays have counted on Rocco Baldelli throughout the years only to get burned. But now with Carl Crawford gone and Evan Longoria hurting, Baldelli is actually coming through. The bad: This should've been an easy upcoming week for the Rays, but the way the Jays are playing, there may not be a more feared team in the East. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy | Schedule 3 Angels 81-52 2 1/12 The good: We're not even to September and K-Rod has 50 saves. Let that be a sign the Halos will be just fine during close games in the postseason. The bad: The Angels rank in the league's bottom half in home runs, but that may not be an accurate indicator of the team's current capability since Mark Teixeira wasn't in the OC while the statistical damage was done. The good: We're not even to September and K-Rod has 50 saves. Let that be a sign the Halos will be just fine during close games in the postseason. The bad: The Angels rank in the league's bottom half in home runs, but that may not be an accurate indicator of the team's current capability since Mark Teixeira wasn't in the OC while the statistical damage was done. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy | Schedule 4 Twins 75-59 - 4/26 The good: We said last week that the Twins' performance vs. the Yanks was a stamp of quality. So what does their showing against the Angels mean? ChiSox beware. The bad: The Twins rank in the league's bottom 10 in home runs. The good: We said last week that the Twins' performance vs. the Yanks was a stamp of quality. So what does their showing against the Angels mean? ChiSox beware. The bad: The Twins rank in the league's bottom 10 in home runs. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy | Schedule 5 Brewers 77-56 - 5/23 The good: Despite a terrible first two months, J.J. Hardy has 20 homers and continues to thrive in the No. 2 hole. Chalk that up to Ned Yost making the switch. The bad: Ryan Braun's lower back issues don't appear to be going away. The good: Despite a terrible first two months, J.J. Hardy has 20 homers and continues to thrive in the No. 2 hole. Chalk that up to Ned Yost making the switch. The bad: Ryan Braun's lower back issues don't appear to be going away. That's an ominous sign for the stretch run and beyond. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy | Schedule 6 Red Sox 77-56 - 1/8 The good: Paul Byrd got his first Boston win last week. Byrd's arrival looks even better now that Josh Beckett is hurting/tingling. The bad: The Red Sox seem to lose their aura of invincibility a little more with each passing week. The good: Paul Byrd got his first Boston win last week. Byrd's arrival looks even better now that Josh Beckett is hurting/tingling. The bad: The Red Sox seem to lose their aura of invincibility a little more with each passing week. It's hard for us to believe this team is better than it was two months ago. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy | Schedule 7 White Sox 76-57 2 5/19 The good: The ChiSox lead the majors in homers and are in the top five in runs scored. The bad: The Twins are peaking at the right time and who knows just how long they can keep this going. The good: The ChiSox lead the majors in homers and are in the top five in runs scored. The bad: The Twins are peaking at the right time and who knows just how long they can keep this going. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy | Schedule 8 Mets 74-60 1 3/20 The good: Ryan Church is back after missing a significant chunk of time due to complications from multiple concussions. The bad: With Church's return, Fernando Tatis has been bumped back into a reserve role. The good: Ryan Church is back after missing a significant chunk of time due to complications from multiple concussions. The bad: With Church's return, Fernando Tatis has been bumped back into a reserve role. We're not sure Tatis isn't the better player. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy | Schedule 9 Cardinals 74-60 1 4/20 The good: Albert Pujols is giving every indication he'll finish the season with a rush. That's good news because there's no way Ryan Ludwick can be counted on to stay at this pace. The bad: If you're a believer that power pitching is what wins in the postseason, the Cards, who rank near the bottom of the league in Ks,

Chamberlain placed on DL; Kennedy to start vs. Angels

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Griffey Jr. representing the Southside: Traded from Reds to White Sox. Will Jr. win a series before it's over?

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Ken Griffey Jr. approved a trade from the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, paving the way for the future Hall of Famer to pursue a spot in the World Series for the first time in his career. How do you see it working out for the kid?

Yanks Vs Angels ... And If Manny changed his ways would you like to see him in pinstripes?

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For those of you who didn’t watch the Yankees 12-6 loss last night to the angels it was not an easy thing to do. But I had the privilege to watch the game at Yankee Stadium in its final year. While my friends and I were watching the game, we got into a debate with a woman sitting in front of us. She had asked us what we thought of the Dodgers acquisition of Manny Ramirez. We stated that Manny would be a great guy to have batting for you in a clutch spot. Of course we do not agree that Manny’s personality would fit in the Yankee club house, but for arguments sake Manny the baseball player and not Manny the person would be a great addition to any team. At this point the woman became irate and starting accusing us of being Boston fans. This was completely ridiculous, we are by no means any where close to being Boston fans, and we were just saying that Manny the player could be the missing piece to winning that 27th Championship we all long for. The woman asked “how could we ever want a Red Sox player to be in pinstripes?” We replied by saying Johnny Damon is with us now and it’s not a problem. At that point the woman was completely dumbfounded and didn’t know what to say. She then said “it’s not all about winning”. As a Yankee fan I can honestly say that we are one of the few organizations that if we don’t win the World Series every year than the past season was a disappointment. Honestly if it’s not all about winning another World Series than why is Joe Girardi wearing number 27? All this leads me to ask you if the Yankees had made a late push before the trade deadline to acquire Manny Ramirez with the stipulation that he would shave his head and change his ways would you be supportive of the deal?

FTF: MLB Power Rankings

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Pairs who've really shone

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It's late June in a presidential election year, and you know what that means: lots of campaign fundraising trips, sniping via surrogates and wall-to-wall vice-presidential speculation. Will Barack Obama and John McCain opt for geographical balance, ideological compatibility or electoral math in choosing their running mates? Only time and the vetting process will tell. At the risk of torturing an analogy until it screams, synergy is an equally valuable commodity in the baseball world, where double plays, doubleheaders and ground-rule doubles are part of the lexicon. The biggest difference is that baseball puts an end to the suspense in October rather than November. In this week's installment of Starting 9, we pay tribute to the game's best dynamic duos of 2008 -- guys who feed off each other and make each other better. The individuals mentioned below are all very good in their own right. But like a ballpark hot dog and a frosty cold beer, they're more effective in tandem. Maddon Friedman Best performance by a general manager and manager: Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay We really wanted to cite Baltimore's tandem of GM Andy MacPhail and manager Dave Trembley for their fine work. Trembley has injected the Orioles' clubhouse with a sense of energy and purpose, and MacPhail's fleecing of Seattle in the Erik Bedard deal looks better every day. But when it's late June and the Rays are 45-31 with baseball's second-lowest payroll, how can you ignore Tampa Bay? Maddon creates a productive environment for young players by giving them the freedom to fail, provided their mistakes are aggressive. He's shown he won't back down from the Yankees or the Red Sox, no matter how daunting their mystique, and lately it seems he's had a knack for pushing the right buttons. In a 4-3 victory over Houston last week, Maddon used three straight pinch-hitters in the ninth inning, and Eric Hinske and Dioner Navarro both reached base before Gabe Gross produced the game-winning double. You also have to love a guy who refers to an umpire's strike zone as "slightly amorphous" and to hyperintense pitcher Matt Garza as a "recovering emotionalist." Friedman is building an impressive body of work with assistance from consigliere Gerry Hunsicker. With the exception of Josh Hamilton's departure through the Rule 5 draft, it's hard to find a blemish on his résumé. In the past year alone, Friedman has made moves to fortify the Tampa bullpen (Troy Percival), defense (shortstop Jason Bartlett), starting rotation (Garza) and bench (Gross and Willy Aybar). In Tampa these days, nobody is lamenting the departures of Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes. Friedman acquired Dan Wheeler for Ty Wigginton, Navarro in a deal for Mark Hendrickson and Toby Hall, Edwin Jackson for Danys Baez, and workhorse middle man J.P. Howell for Joey Gathright. Carlos Pena, who hit 46 homers last year, was a non-roster invitee. Hinske, the team leader in homers and RBIs, signed for $800,000 in early February. Three years into his tenure with Tampa Bay, Friedman's résumé is starting to look like one giant heist fest. Honorable mention: MacPhail and Trembley, Baltimore. Santana Saunders Best starting pitching duo: Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana, Angels There was a reason Seattle emerged as a fashionable AL West pick late in spring training. With John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar out for an extended period with injuries, the Angels' big advantage -- depth in the rotation -- was all but nullified. Then Saunders and Santana stepped in and put an end to that nonsense. With the help of pitching coach Mike Butcher, they've tightened their mechanics and posted a combined 20-6 record with 21 quality starts. Most impressive, in a brutal year for road teams, they're 11-2 with a combined 2.57 ERA away from Anaheim. Saunders throws a fastball in the low 90s, makes deft use of his changeup and breaking ball and rarely throws anything down the middle. Santana routinely hits 96-97 mph on the gun and complements his fastball with a terrific slider. His stuff is so overpowering, you wonder how he went 7-14 last year. "A lot of teams are kicking themselves for not ponying up for Santana," said an American League executive. "I think if you were willing to trade value for value, you could have gotten him, but a lot of teams tried to pay 75 cents on the dollar. Who'd have guessed if you had stepped up on Cliff Lee and Ervin Santana this offseason, you'd have two All-Stars?" The best news of all for the Angels: Lackey has been superb since his return from a triceps strain, and Escobar is about to head out on a rehab assignment in his comeback from a torn labrum. Honorable mention: Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster, Cubs; Brandon Webb and Dan Haren, Diamondbacks; Roy Halladay and Shaun Marcum, Blue Jays. And feel free to raise your hand if you predicted that Kyle Lohse and T

June 25th MLB Rankings

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1 Cubs 1 - 1/13 The Cubs bounced back from being swept in Tampa to take their weekend series against the South Siders. There was talk last week of Alfonso Soriano returning earlier than expected from his broken hand. The Cubs have to hope Soriano isn't rushing back just to be a part of the All-Star festivities in New York. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 2 Angels 3 (+1) 2/12 If Ervin Santana keeps this up, he'll pitch his way into the AL Cy Young argument. Santana completely baffled the Phillies last Friday in a park where not many visiting pitchers can say that. The Halos' schedule lightens up a bit this week with sets against two sub-.500 clubs in the Nats and Dodgers. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 3 Red Sox 2 (-1) 1/3 Anything Curt Schilling gave the Sox this season would've just been gravy. So officially losing him for the season doesn't really change things. Taking a series in Philly without a healthy lineup was pretty impressive, but it didn't carry over into the weekend against the Cardinals. Dice-K's back, but he'd better improve off of Saturday's showing. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 4 Rays 4 - 2/24 The Rays are getting downright scary at home. Only Boston and the Cubs have a better home winning percentage. You can bet the Marlins will be looking for a little revenge this week after the Rays swept them at the Trop last weekend. Who knew a Marlins-Rays series could be so interesting? Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 5 Cardinals 5 - 4/20 What a fickle game baseball is. The Cards took their weekend series against the Red Sox, looking very much like a playoff-caliber in the process. But they spent the early part of the week being swept by Kansas City. Albert Pujols is scheduled to return this week in time for a revenge set against the Royals. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 6 Phillies 6 - 5/16 The Phils haven't won a series since taking a set against the Braves in early June. Granted, the competition has been stiff as the Phils have played arguably the toughest June schedule of anybody in the league. It only gets tougher this week with road tests at Oakland and Texas. With no clear No. 2 starter, it's obvious what the Phils need to do at the trade deadline. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 7 Brewers 11 (+4) 6/23 Ryan Braun has driven in a run in all but six games this month. But he hasn't been the catalyst to the Brewers getting over .500. That's been Russell Branyan, who has 10 homers this season. Starting Branyan over Bill Hall may have saved Ned Yost's job. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 8 White Sox 7 (-1) 7/19 The weekend set at Wrigley didn't go according to plan, but it's no fault of Jermaine Dye, who hit five homers last week. Pitching would be a better place to put the blame. Jose Contreras is giving every indication his hot start was an aberration. Perhaps the ChiSox will fare better at home this weekend vs. the Cubs. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 9 Athletics 8 (-1) 7/25 Friday's win over the Marlins was a perfect microcosm of the A's season. Just when you think they're done, they come back ... and it's usually from an unexpected source. It gets tougher this week with the Phillies hitting town before another weekend set against their Bay Area rivals. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 10 Marlins 9 (-1) 6/29 Dan Uggla is getting ridiculous. Raise your hand if you thought he'd cool off three weeks ago? Well, he hasn't. Uggla has quite honestly played his way past Chase Utley, but that doesn't mean he'll start ahead of him at the All-Star game. The Marlins get their chance at revenge this week when the Rays come to Dolphin Stadium. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 11 Yankees 12 (+1) 3/23 Nobody thought the Yanks' winning streak would last forever, but dropping a series at home to the Reds? The Yanks are still within striking distance in the East and the hitting is good enough to make it an interesting summer in the Bronx . But unlike the Red Sox, who seem to just absorb injuries and move on, we don't see the Yanks simply overcoming the loss of Chien-Ming Wang. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 12 Twins 16 (+4) 12/26 The Twins caught the Nats on a rare winning streak and quickly put that fire out with a sweep. They then took a series against Arizona, which isn't hard to do these days. This interleague stuff has worked out pretty well thus far and a set at punchless San Diego this week should continue the trend. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 13 Diamondbacks 10 (-3) 2/13 Eric Byrnes is nearing a return and that has some people grumbling that Justin Upton may be sent down when it happens. Upton's struggles over the last two months have hurt the D-backs. He was hitting .327 entering May and is now in the mid-.240s. But the D-backs have to take the good with the bad while starting such a young roster. Team: Home | Stats | Fantasy 14 Orioles 13 (-1) 12/30 The O's swept the Astros with two one-run wins and a two-run win. Closer George Sherrill, who has bee

MLB power rankings as of June 22nd 2008

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Do you agree?

Celtics claim Pierce's knee free of structural damage despite lack of MRI

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Ftf Blog : MLB Power Rankings

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MLB Power Rankings April 5

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Does the NL stand any chance at winning the AllStar game, or the World Series?

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AL Superiority to the NL

ARE THE HOUSTON ROCKETS GONNA BEAT THE LONGEST STREAK 33 WNS IN A ROW MADE BY THE LAKERSIN 71-72

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All Sports Scores for March 10th

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World Series Champ Falling Apart

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