Yardbarker: Kyle Farnsworth

Taking a look at the 2009 Free Agent Market..

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:34:49 -0500

Here is the complete list from MLBTRADERUMORS.COM :

Catchers
Brad Ausmus (40)
Paul Bako (37)
Rod Barajas (33) - $2.5MM club option for '09 with a $0.5MM buyout
Josh Bard (31)
Michael Barrett (32)
Henry Blanco (37) - $3MM mutual option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Johnny Estrada (33)
Toby Hall (33) - $2.25MM club option for '09 with a $0.15MM buyout
Jason LaRue (35)
Paul Lo Duca (37)
Miguel Olivo (30) - $2.7MM mutual option for '09 with a $0.1MM buyout
Ivan Rodriguez (37)
David Ross (32)
Javier Valentin (33)
Jason Varitek (37)
Gregg Zaun (38)
First basemen
Rich Aurilia (37)
Hank Blalock (28) - $6.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Sean Casey (34)
Tony Clark (37)
Carlos Delgado (37) - $12MM club option for '09 with a $4MM buyout
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Jason Giambi (38) - $22MM club option for '09 with a $5MM buyout
Eric Hinske (31)
Doug Mientkiewicz (35)
Kevin Millar (37)
Richie Sexson (34)
Mark Teixeira (29)
Daryle Ward (34)
Second basemen
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Jamey Carroll (35) - $2.5MM club option for '09 with a $0.15MM buyout
Craig Counsell (38)
Ray Durham (37)
Damion Easley (39)
David Eckstein (34)
Mark Ellis (32)
Mark Grudzielanek (39)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Orlando Hudson (31)
Tadahito Iguchi (34)
Jeff Kent (41)
Felipe Lopez (29)
Mark Loretta (37)
Nick Punto (31)
Shortstops
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Orlando Cabrera (34)
Alex Cintron (30)
Alex Cora (33)
Craig Counsell (38)
David Eckstein (34)
Adam Everett (32)
Rafael Furcal (31)
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Cesar Izturis (29)
Felipe Lopez (29)
Edgar Renteria (33)
Juan Uribe (30)
Ramon Vazquez (32)
Omar Vizquel (42) - $5.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Third basemen
Rich Aurilia (37)
Casey Blake (35)
Hank Blalock (28) - $6.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Aaron Boone (36)
Russell Branyan (33)
Craig Counsell (38)
Joe Crede (31)
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Mark Loretta (37)
Fernando Tatis (34)
Ramon Vazquez (32)
Left fielders
Moises Alou (42)
Garret Anderson (37) - $14MM club option for '09 with a $3MM buyout
Milton Bradley (31)
Emil Brown (34)
Pat Burrell (32)
Carl Crawford (27) - $8.25MM club option for '09 with a $2.5MM buyout
Adam Dunn (29)
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Luis Gonzalez (41)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Raul Ibanez (37)
Gabe Kapler (33)
Kevin Mench (31)
Jason Michaels (33) - $2.6MM club option for '09
Craig Monroe (32)
Greg Norton (36)
Jay Payton (36)
Wily Mo Pena (27) - $5MM club option or $2MM player option for '09
Manny Ramirez (37)
Juan Rivera (30)
Fernando Tatis (34)
Center fielders
Rocco Baldelli (27)
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Mike Cameron (36) - $10MM club option for '09 with a $750K buyout
Jim Edmonds (39)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Gabe Kapler (33)
Mark Kotsay (33)
Corey Patterson (29)
Scott Podsednik (33)
Right fielders
Bobby Abreu (35)
Casey Blake (35)
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Brian Giles (38) - $9MM club option for '09 with a $3MM buyout
Ken Griffey Jr. (39) - $16.5MM club option for '09 with a $4MM buyout
Vladimir Guerrero (33) - $15MM club option for '09 with a $3MM buyout
Gabe Kapler (33)
Jason Michaels (33) - $2.6MM club option for '09
Fernando Tatis (34)
Brad Wilkerson (32)
DHs
Milton Bradley (31)
Pat Burrell (32)
Adam Dunn (29)
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Jason Giambi (38) - $22MM club option for '09 with $5MM buyout
Vladimir Guerrero (33) - $15MM club option for '09 with a $3MM buyout
Raul Ibanez (37)
Manny Ramirez (37)
Juan Rivera (30)
Mike Sweeney (35)
Frank Thomas (41)
Jose Vidro (34)
Starting pitchers
Kris Benson (33)
A.J. Burnett (32) - can opt out after '08 season
Paul Byrd (38)
Roger Clemens (46)
Matt Clement (33)
Bartolo Colon (36)
Ryan Dempster (32)
Shawn Estes (36)
Josh Fogg (32)
Freddy Garcia (33)
Jon Garland (29)
Tom Glavine (43)
Mike Hampton (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Livan Hernandez (34)
Orlando Hernandez (43)
Jason Jennings (30)
Randy Johnson (45)
John Lackey (30) - $9MM club option for '09 with a $0.5MM buyout
Jon Lieber (39)
Braden Looper (34)
Rodrigo Lopez (33) - club option for '09
Derek Lowe (36)
Greg Maddux (43)
Pedro Martinez (37)
Sergio Mitre (28)
Jamie Moyer (46)
Mark Mulder (31) - $11MM club option for '09 with a $1.5MM buyout
Mike Mussina (40)
Carl Pavano (33) - $13MM club option for '09 with a $1.95MM buyout
Brad Penny (31) - $8.75MM club option for '09 with a $2MM buyout
Odalis Perez (32)
Oliver Perez (27)
Andy Pettitte (37)
Sidney Ponson (32)
Mark Prior (27)
Kenny Rogers (44)
Glendon Rusch (34)
C.C. Sabathia (28)
Curt Schilling (42)
Ben Sheets (30)
John Smoltz (42)
Tim Wakefield (42) - perpetual $4MM club option
Kip Wells (32)
Randy Wolf (32)
Closers
Brian Fuentes (33)
Eric Gagne (33)
Eddie Guardado (38)
Trevor Hoffman (41)
Jason Isringhausen (36)
Brandon Lyon (29)
Francisco Rodriguez (27)
Salomon Torres (37) - $3.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Kerry Wood (32)
Middle relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (30)
Luis Ayala (31)
Joe Beimel (32)
Joe Borowski (38)
Doug Brocail (42)
Shawn Chacon (31)
Juan Cruz (30)
Alan Embree (39) - $3MM club option for '09
Scott Eyre (37)
Kyle Farnsworth (33)
Casey Fossum (31)
Keith Foulke (35)
Tom Gordon (41) - $4.5MM club option for '09 with a $1MM buyout
LaTroy Hawkins (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Matt Herges (39)
Bob Howry (35)
Jon Lieber (39)
Jason Johnson (35)
Damaso Marte (34) - $6MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Trever Miller (36) - $2MM club option for '09 with a $0.4MM buyout
Guillermo Mota (35)
Will Ohman (31)
Darren Oliver (38)
Chan Ho Park (36)
Horacio Ramirez (29)
Al Reyes (38)
Dennys Reyes (32)
Arthur Rhodes (39)
Juan Rincon (30)
Glendon Rusch (34)
Rudy Seanez (40)
Brian Shouse (40)
Russ Springer (40)
Mike Timlin (43)
Ron Villone (39)
David Weathers (39)
Kip Wells (32)
Matt Wise (33)
Jamey Wright (34)

Thanks to Tim Dierkes for Compiling this list...

Definitely Listen to This

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:31:06 -0500

If you didn't already know, I love listening to Rocco after each and every game. You can listen to any show [here], but [this very short clip] called "Double Entendre '08" is absolutely hilarious. I demand that you click that link and listen to it right now. Silly and not very baseball-related (to say the least), but it is pretty darn funny. It comes at the very end of his [last show], but you can jump straight to the good stuff [here].
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Some other links:
Colin Dunlap of the PG covers [Pedro Alvarez's first Pirate workout] in extensive detail, including some towering bombs and a grounder off his cheek.
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[This MLBTR link] may raise some eyebrows. Potential players the Pirates might seek in free agency:

Casey Blake could make sense, or maybe Wily Mo Pena if he declines his $2MM player option. There's no obvious fit though.

Veteran starters such as Paul Byrd, Mike Hampton, Pedro Martinez, Odalis Perez, or Kenny Rogers could help tutor young Pirate pitchers. Randy Johnson could be an interesting signing as well. The righthanded setup man market includes Juan Cruz, Rudy Seanez, LaTroy Hawkins, Chan Ho Park, David Weathers, Bob Howry, and Kyle Farnsworth.
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Say what? Somehow I don't see any of the above happening, but it is true the Bucs have $10-15M to spend.
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Dejan [says thank you] and offers [his top games of the season] (something I will be doing in the near future). First of all, thank you, Dejan, for amazing, relentless coverage of the Bucs all season long. Second, the coverage here will continue. Obviously there is a lot less Pirate news now that the season's done, but look for more analysis and humor instead of game previews and recaps day in and day out. Posting may drop off a bit, but there's always football and basketball to write about if we get too bored. I'd like to stick to what I know best, though, and that is Pirate baseball.
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Lastly, I think [this statement by Pat] sums up the year pretty well:

From [late 2005 through the end of 2007,] all I ever really wanted was for the Pirates to throw up their hands, say, "This team sucks and our minor league system is really bad. The only way we're ever going to be relevant again is by tearing apart the team, giving up on a couple of years, and rebuilding this thing from the ground up." In 2008, the Pirates actually did that.

Yankee Elimination Day Comes Early

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:55:35 -0500

What did you get for YED? I always get the same thing: a simple moment of relief and peace as I realize that the rats with cocaine-like nature of Yankee Fan is being slowly but surely weaned into something more like, well, the rest of MLB fandom. Did you know that there are people who can use a restroom without assistance that have never known a Yankee championship year? That's change we can believe in, America!

Let us not let the corpse get cold. The finger pointing begins with...

> Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy winning fewer games than (many) middle relievers

> Robinson Cano's bad start that turned into a bad everything

> The usual bench woes that aren't defensible at any level for a team with this payroll (Morgan Ensberg! Wilson Betemit! Chad Moeller! The usual clown car parade of replacement starting pitchers!)

> A-Rod's injury in the early season, DP-filled August, and overall failure to walk on water while providing tabloid headlines (clearly, he needed the divorce to be spread out longer, as that was the only time this year that he was really raking)

> Derek Jeter being the most overrated player in MLB this year, and for much of the year, having a bad enough year that even the media noticed

> The Kyle Farnsworth for Ivan Rodriguez trade that wound up hurting both clubs

> Joba Chamberlain looking like an ace, then breaking down (really, the Fork Moment of the season)

But really, the single biggest thing that happened to the Yankees this year was that the doormats of the AL East got good. Tampa Bay might be the best story in baseball this year. Toronto was better. Even the Orioles were plucky for vast portions of the season, with an offense that was more like the Yankees' usual wrecking crew than the Bombers were. Add it up, and you've got a team that was, on some level, lucky to be in contention this long.

Will they be better in 2009? You'd have to think so, given that the new stadium isn't going to fill itself at the prices they're charging for it, and New Yorkers aren't likely to fill the place for years just because it's new. (That's more of a flyover country thing.) The starting 9 is liable to have huge turnover (Giambi, Posada, Cano and Cabrera being the primary targets), and what stays (Jeter, A-Rod, Nady, Damon) isn't getting any better at their ages.

As for the rotation, anyone that thinks the starting rotation has to be better with a more mature Hughes and Kennedy... well, they should realize that they are really not likely to get 19 wins from Mike Mussina again. Chen Ming-Wang should be a solid comeback candidate, but I would submit that a guy who puts a lot of balls in play with what usually is a bad defensive infield behind him really isn't something that you count on to be an ace.

There's also this: Tampa Bay isn't a one-year wonder. The Red Sox may have issues, but they've also got a farm system that gives them better than replacement level players, more often than not. Toronto and Baltimore don't look like utter doormats anymore. The new Stadium could (one would think have to) be less of a home-field advantage than what it's historically been. The new Stein is going to start flexing his muscles soon, and there's no reason to think that Joe Girardi will survive a second year out of the limelight; the resulting instability and opportunity to extend bizarre organizational politics into the manager's office could put them back in the bad old '80s days.

Add it all up, and you have a division where I think the Yanks are more likely to finish last in '09 than first. Which means we'll be celebrating Yankee Elimination Day earlier, which would be just peachy on many levels. Now, if we can only have them infect the Red Sox, too...

Detroit Tigers on the Verge of Last Place

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:47:41 -0500

I know people stopped watching the Tigers about a month ago and rightfully so.... They have been complete garbage this season. In spring training, what was once thought to be a World Series team is now barely hovering over 4th place in the division. And if the Tigers aren't careful, they may end up in last place. The Royals are rolling through Comerica next week and if the Tigers don't show up (sorta like what they've done all season), their 3.5 game lead over the last place Royals will be nullified. The season has been a huge disappointment to say the least, but can you imagine if this team somehow ended up in last place?

Most homers allowed by a reliever

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:10:24 -0500

As Kyle Farnsworth allowed his 15th homer of the year, I was curious as to whether he was chasing any kind of history. After all, 15 homers in less than 60 innings seems like kind of a lot. Over 200 innings that would be 50 homers. It turns out that Farnsworth isn't [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Most homers allowed by a reliever", url: "http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/09/most-homers-allowed-by-a-reliever/" });

Most homers allowed by a reliever

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:10:24 -0500

Looking Ahead at the 2009 Free Agent Market!

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:17:46 -0500

Now with some glaring holes going into next year. The Mets will have a new ballpark but they also will have to replace some parts.

Obviously the bullpen is a mess starting with Billy Wagner.

The second base position can be resolved with a veteran and that means that Castillo will be traded for a bag of balls.

The starting rotation is also very interesting thing to look at with Oliver Perez (who is only 27)who is going to be a free agent and has Scott Boris as a agent.

The Mets will have Pedro Martinez coming off the books. As well as Moises Alou, who has been a disappointment because he never plays.

Here are the 2009 Free Agents from those positions mentioned:

Second basemen
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Geoff Blum (36) - club option for '09
Jamey Carroll (35) - $2.5MM club option for '09 with a $0.15MM buyout
Craig Counsell (38)
Ray Durham (37)
Damion Easley (39)
David Eckstein (34)
Mark Ellis (32)
Mark Grudzielanek (39)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Orlando Hudson (31)
Tadahito Iguchi (34)
Jeff Kent (41)
Felipe Lopez (29)
Mark Loretta (37)
Nick Punto (31)

Starting pitchers
Kris Benson (33)
A.J. Burnett (32) - can opt out after '08 season
Paul Byrd (38)
Roger Clemens (46)
Matt Clement (33)
Bartolo Colon (36)
Ryan Dempster (32)
Shawn Estes (36)
Josh Fogg (32)
Freddy Garcia (33)
Jon Garland (29)
Tom Glavine (43)
Mike Hampton (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Livan Hernandez (34)
Orlando Hernandez (43)
Jason Jennings (30)
Randy Johnson (45)
John Lackey (30) - $9MM club option for '09 with a $0.5MM buyout
Jon Lieber (39)
Kyle Lohse (30)
Braden Looper (34)
Rodrigo Lopez (33) - club option for '09
Derek Lowe (36)
Greg Maddux (43)
Pedro Martinez (37)
Jamie Moyer (46)
Mark Mulder (31) - $11MM club option for '09 with a $1.5MM buyout
Mike Mussina (40)
Carl Pavano (33) - $13MM club option for '09 with a $1.95MM buyout
Brad Penny (31) - $8.75MM club option for '09 with a $2MM buyout
Odalis Perez (32)
Oliver Perez (27)
Andy Pettitte (37)
Sidney Ponson (32)
Mark Prior (27)
Kenny Rogers (44)
C.C. Sabathia (28)
Curt Schilling (42)
Ben Sheets (30)
John Smoltz (42)
Tim Wakefield (42) - perpetual $4MM club option
Kip Wells (32)
Randy Wolf (32)

Closers
Brian Fuentes (33)
Eric Gagne (33)
Eddie Guardado (38)
Trevor Hoffman (41)
Jason Isringhausen (36)
Todd Jones (41)
Brandon Lyon (29)
Francisco Rodriguez (27)
Salomon Torres (37) - $3.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Kerry Wood (32)

Middle relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (30)
Luis Ayala (31)
Joe Beimel (32)
Joe Borowski (38)
Doug Brocail (42) - club option for '09
Shawn Chacon (31)
Juan Cruz (30)
Alan Embree (39) - $3MM club option for '09
Scott Eyre (37)
Kyle Farnsworth (33)
Casey Fossum (31)
Keith Foulke (35)
Tom Gordon (41) - $4.5MM club option for '09 with a $1MM buyout
LaTroy Hawkins (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Matt Herges (39) - club option for '09
Bob Howry (35)
Jon Lieber (39)
Jason Johnson (35)
Damaso Marte (34) - $6MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Trever Miller (36) - $2MM club option for '09 with a $0.4MM buyout
Guillermo Mota (35)
Will Ohman (31)
Darren Oliver (38)
Chan Ho Park (36)
Horacio Ramirez (29)
Al Reyes (38)
Dennys Reyes (32)
Arthur Rhodes (39)
Juan Rincon (30)
Rudy Seanez (40)
Brian Shouse (40)
Russ Springer (40)
Mike Timlin (43)
Ron Villone (39)
David Weathers (39)
Kip Wells (32)
Matt Wise (33)
Jamey Wright (34)

Don't Worry, Yankee Fan, It Will All Be Over Soon

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:36:37 -0500

After tonight's thoroughly expected beatdown (Sidney Ponson was starting, after all, and he's now 3-13 against Boston for his career, with a 6.95 ERA), the worst team that money can buy is seven games out of the wild-card with thirty games left to play. Oh, and tomorrow for the sweep, the Sox run their best pitcher this year, Jon Lester, against the suddenly very hittable Mike Mussina.

This is also the last series in Yankee Stadium history against the Red Sox, and the hated invaders have outscored them by 18-6 in the first two games. Tonight was close until the 8th inning, when a 7-run eighth inning was punctuated by a Dustin Pedroia grand slam.

Let the history show that when the Yankees desperately needed outs in the eight inning, with a $200 million payroll, they didn't hand the ball to a John Wetteland, or a Mariano Rivera, or a Mike Stanton, Jeff Nelson, or even a Kyle Farnsworth. Instead, it was Jose Veras (heroic most of the year, out of gas tonight) and David Robertson (in the 21st and worst game of his career), in a game where the once-vaunted Yankee offense had mustered all of two runs in seven innings against Paul Byrd and Manny Delcarmen, who came into the night with a high 4-run ERA against the rest of the world.

Huge changes will be coming for this franchise, and the fan base is going to welcome it in a big way. If nothing else, the building deserved better than the utter walkover that the current tenants have provided.

Oh, and on the off chance that you have any moment of pity for the Steinbrenner Nazis, read what happens if you need to move during "God Bless America." George? Please die already.

TOP 10 GREATEST YANKEES FOR YANKEE HATERS

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:29:47 -0500

by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool

Note... this isn't a list of the worst Yankee players ever. Rather, this is the list of Yankees that me and my brethren enjoyed watching in pinstripes, because we knew they disappointed you so, Yankee Fan. (Inspired by the increasingly obvious rotting smell in the Bronx, as well as return to the public eye of Carl Pavano and Hideki Irabu. Welcome back, gentlemen!)

10. Irabu. The Fat Pussy Toad didn't actually keep the Yankees from winning, received two World Series rings for relatively little work, and his 29-20 won-loss record hardly seems worth the hate. But in terms of pure ire, it's hard to top the man that cost the then-exorbitant $12.8 million. New York was so disgusted with the guy, they sent him to Montreal with Jake Westbrook, getting back future whipping boy Ted Lilly. Now causing drunken scenes in Osaka bars.

9. Ed Whitson. This one might be before the time of most readers, but Whitson's epic flameout as a member of the 1986 Yankees was punctuated by death threats and people visiting his home. Ah, for the simpler time when millionaire ballplayers didn't live in gated communities with security personnel...

8. Dale Berra. Maybe he wasn't much in the way of real disappointment, in that it was pretty well established that he wasn't much of a player in the 8 years he spent mucking around Pittsburgh. But his 90 games of .230 hitting was punctuated by one spectacular play in Chicago in a nationally televised game, where he was one of several Yankees tagged out by Carlton Fisk in a baserunning blunder for the ages. When you think of the mid-'80s teams that were such delightful failures, you think of the Berra Play.

7. Kyle Farnsworth. Perhaps the greatest symbol of late era Yankee failure, this eternal whipping child threw hard, threw straight, threw often and generally made Yankee fan throw up. As the final piece de resistance, he brought them Ivan Rodriguez in trade, who hasn't hit worth a damn, seeing that he's cursed with Farnsy's essence. (On the bright side, Yankee Fan, Farnsy's got a 7+ ERA with the Kittens.)

6. Jason Giambi. From hell's heart the Oakland A's stab at thee! The one-time AL MVP and OPS machine has delivered far less than the $90 million of salary he's sucked up from the Evil Empire, and while his 201 homers in 7 years in pinstripes seems OK, much more was expected from a hitter who seemed tailor-made for The Stadium. Plus, there's the whole Steroid Embarrassment thing going on.

5. Kei Igawa. This contract flameout may have crippled a lesser team with just the posting bonus paid to his old team, but Yankee Fan has been more or less spared his tender touch. How evil has the Keimaster been for the Pinstripes? His career ERA: 6.66. He's the lefthander of the Beast!

4. Ken Phelps. An '80s era DH who statheads liked because he combined patience with power, the Yankees acquired him from Seattle only to watch his doubles-gap power become long fly ball outs in the Stadium. After 130 games of .230 hitting with 17 homers and 51 RBIs, they gave up and sent him to Oakland. Too bad that the short-term rental cost them a mildly notable player named Jay Buhner. (Good grief, how good would the late '90s Yankees been with Buhner?)

3. Kevin Brown. What a spectacular contract flameout this was. For the $31 million and rights to Jeff Weaver (well, OK, that was a good thing to avoid) that the Yankees paid him, Brown gave them a 14-11 record, a 5+ ERA, and an utterly brutal start in the 2004 ALCS choke job to the Red Sox. Let's just say that if he gets to Cooperstown (and he's got a case), he won't be wearing pinstripes.

2. Randy Johnson. From the word go, the Unit was a bad fit in the Bronx, with snarls for from the start. The Unit went 34-19 in two regular seasons, but when it mattered -- i.e., the post-season, he was terrible, giving them two of the worst efforts of his career and a 7-run ERA. He's one more Hall of Famer (and an absolute lock of one) that won't be wearing pinstripes when he takes the call, and given that he destroyed them as a Diamondback, it's even more bitter.

1. Don Mattingly. The fact that Yankee Fan's greatest man crush was also the poster child for one of the longest championship-free eras of the team's existence is tragic to Yankee Fan, and proof of a God with some tender mercies for the rest of us. Isn't it nice, Yankee Fan, that we can agree on something?

(Oh, and if you really want Pavano on this list, I won't argue with you. Just give him a few more weeks to add to the legacy...)

Top 7 :: Cards/Cubs Moments of the Decade

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:20:59 -0500

Nationally, when baseball rivalries are discussed, it's usually the one that involves two teams called the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox that get the attention. Actually, it's always that particular rivalry, but there is also another one in the old Midwest that is pretty good too. This year, it's even more interesting, as the Chicago Cubs sit pretty comfortably on top of the Central Division with the St. Louis Cardinals right in the Wild Card race. The two teams have never met in the postseason, but if they did, families and friendships would be torn apart, and it would surely be one of the most intense NLCSes in history. This weekend, the Cards visit Wrigley Field for the first time this season, and it's one of the hottest tickets of the season in Chicago. The Top 7 this week takes a look at some of the best moments in this rivalry this decade.

7. Gary Freaking Bennett

Back in 2006, when the Cardinals were trying their hardest to blow a playoff spot and not eventually win the World Series, they kept blowing leads. They had a 6-3 lead early in the game but the Cubs came back to tie it at 6. In the bottom of the 9th, the Cards had the bases loaded, and Gary Bennett, who had the game-winning hit the day before, hit a grand slam to give them the win. The chances of Gary Bennett winning back-to-back games on walk-off hits, one of them being a grand slam, has to be someone in the one-in-a-trillion range.

6. Zambrano vs. Edmonds

Carlos Zambrano and Jim Edmonds had a strange thing going on for awhile. After a 2004 Edmonds homer, Zambrano screamed at him the entire way around the bases. He was later ejected after throwing at Edmonds for what seemed like the 10th time. Now the two are teammates, and it's nearly impossible to get used to seeing Edmonds in a Cub uniform, sort of the Cardinal fan equivalent of the "E" in WWE.

5. Cards Comeback I

On Sunday night baseball in 2002, the Cardinals scored an amazing six runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the game 10-9, capped by a three-run homer by Edgar Renteria. It showcased one of Cub fans' all-time non-favorites, Antonio Alfonseca.

4. Alex Gonzalez

No current Cub player kills the Cardinals more than Aramis Ramirez, but Alex Gonzalez was a former Cardinal killer. He had two walk-off hits against the Cards in 2003, one an extra-inning homer in May, and another on a bases-loaded single in July. 2003 was a brutal, brutal season for Cardinal fans in the rivalry, as later evidenced.

3. Cards Comeback II

In 2004, nervous Cards fans still were not sure if they had a team that was for real, while Cub fans were still confident that their team would come back and win the division as was expected by nearly everyone at the start of the season. When they met in this game at Wrigley in July, the Cubs took an 8-2 lead into the sixth before Albert Pujols commenced destruction?5 for 5, three homers (including a go-ahead two-run dong), and 5 RsBI in the best game of his career. Another famous moment of this game was So Taguchi's game-tying bomb off of Kyle Farnsworth. After this game, Cards fans were pretty sure they had a squad, and the Cubs tailed off at the end of the season, failing to make the playoffs.

2. Five games in September

Yes, most of these entries are pro-Cardinals?of course they are, what do you expect? But this one still hurts five years later and is worth about three or four entries. Thanks to rainouts, the Cards and Cubs played a five-game series in September of 2003 in Chicago, and they were some of the most intense regular season games that either fanbase can ever recall. Cards fans will remember missed opportunities, blown leads, errors, and four out of five painful losses. Cub fans will remember putting the Cards away as they basically finished off a division title.

1. Pujols vs. Wood

July 4, 2003. Jim Edmonds had just hit a home run off of Kerry Wood. Albert Pujols stepped up and Wood threw a pitch right towards his head, sending him to the deck. On the very next pitch, Pujols annihilated one into the center field seats. It's very rare that Pujols doesn't eventually get the best of you.

The Top 7 is written by Jason Major. He lost in a game of tag to Pujols in under 10 seconds. Email him at jason@joesportsfan.com

Redbird Randoms ... Lohse 8/6/08

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:08:17 -0500

Tidbits regarding the St. Louis Cardinals.

New Sheriff in Texas

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:57:28 -0500

C.J. Wilson's mystery injury is finally revealed and he is headed to the DL. Eddie Guardado immediately becomes very valuable in fantasy, but several other relievers should be downgraded after recent performances. Adam Jones might be done for the year, and another Baltimore rookie dominated the Angels.

Ah, the closer by committee

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:46:31 -0500

The Tigers are going the route of closer by committee. Sort of. In the sense that Kyle Farnsworth, Fernando Rodney, and Joel Zumaya will all get opportunities there is definitely a committee of people who will be closing games. But it seems as if it will be pre-determined heading into the game [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Ah, the closer by committee", url: "http://www.detroittigersweblog.com/2008/08/ah-the-closer-by-committee/" });

Ah, the closer by committee

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:46:31 -0500

Stupid Farny [Bringing Back the Hate]

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:48:31 -0500

At one point in time in my life I think I could have been nominated for president of the Kyle Farnsworth Haters club. I didn't want the Yankees to sign him, thinking he would never come up big in a clutch spot and I got ticked off every single time (and it was often) that he gave up a big home run or struggled. For the first two years I was amongst the leaders of the anti-Farnsworth charge. And then something changed...

It seems to be a personal trait with me, but once an entire city/fanbase joins in on the hate cause I tend to shy off. It's happened with Arod last year when I pronounced I would no longer hate him citing his high socks, to a certain extent it happened with Gimabi (although the public didn't hate him quite as much) and this year it happened with Farnsworth. Coming into the year nobody on the Yankees roster was more hated than Farnsworth, nobody was more belittled. And then when he got off to a rough start to the season the fire under Farny's ass was at about 666 Degrees.

And then, well Farny actually started to pitch well. I started feeling a bit sorry for the guy, and started liking those ridiculously goofy glasses that he wears. Did I ever trust him to get a big out, hell no. But you rework your expectations and live with what you get. And then when he was traded to the Tigers and you see a 250 lb man crying and saying how much he wanted to be a Yankee I felt a bit of remorse. Man got treated like shit by an entire fan base and an entire city for 2.5 years and yet he really really wanted to be a Yankee. Despite knowing the deal made a ton of sense for the Yankees I felt a little bit like I wish they gave up some unnamed prospects rather than Farny.

And then last night Farny suited up with a 3 run lead against the Devil Rays in a possession to help the Yankees gain a game in the standings. And what does he do? He coughs up the god damn three run lead. Stupid Farny, you suck so bad.

Consider me refiling my eligibility for President of the Farny Haters Club.