Joe Mauer, the catcher for the Twins, didn’t catch a whole bunch of attention in 2009 but he had one of the best seasons ever for a player at his position. He hit .365, had an on-base percentage of .444, a slugging percentage of .587 and an OPS of 1.031. His more tradition stats were stout as well — 28 homers, 96 RBIs, 94 runs and 30 doubles.

The 26-year-old from St. Paul, Minnesota set career-highs in homers, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage and OPS. The only possible case you can make against him is the fact that he missed the first month of the season due to a back injury. But game for game, there’s no one in the American League that can sniff his production.

We’ll find out if the attention that Jeter and Teixeira got this season will beat out Mauer’s true value. Hopefully not, for baseball’s sake.

Here's the 2009 AL MVP in Action (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: Knuckle Curve

In the fourth inning, Mark Teixeira hit a solo home run to tie the game. Then in the bottom of the sixth, Hideki Matsui hit a solo blast to put the Yankees up 2-1. New York would never trail again.

On the mound, Burnett was dominant. He struck out nine batters in his seven innings of work. Burnett gave up only four hits and two walks. Mariano Rivera pitched the final two innings to pick up another postseason save.

For the Phillies, starting pitcher Pedro Martinez wasn’t bad. He gave up three earned runs in six innings, while striking out eight batters. However, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were a combine 0-9 at the plate.

The World Series now travels to Philadelphia for Game 3, Game 4 and Game 5. Game 3 will be played on Saturday night and will feature Cole Hamels on the mound for the Phillies and Andy Pettitte on the mound for the Yankees.

AJ Burnett was fantastic for New York (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Although it wasn’t exactly a shocking development, the New York Yankees officially cemented a spot in the 2009 Major League Baseball playoffs with a victory on Monday. After a 6-5 victory of the Los Angeles Angels, the Yankees had an extremely mild celebration and continued on their goal to finish with the best record in baseball.

After starting the season slowly, the Yankees are now 95-56. They have a six-game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. Not only do they have the best record in either league, the Yankees’ run differential of +149 is also best mark.

On Monday, the Yankees got up 5-0 on the Angels, however Los Angeles was able to battle back to tie the game at five. In the top of the ninth, Alex Rodriguez hit a game-winning sac fly that scored Brett Gardner. In the bottom of the ninth, Mariano Rivera finished off the game to pick up his 41st save on the season.

While the Yankees weren’t too overtly thrilled with simply making the playoffs, star first baseman Mark Teixeira said that the team will celebrate more once they clinch the AL East.

“You don’t see any champagne tonight,” said Teixeira, “but hopefully in a couple of days you will.”

Derek Jeter and the Yankees are headed to the playoffs (Image: Zuma Press)

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The Angels’ offer is believed to have been an eight-year contract worth at least $160 million. Sources indicate that the Angels didn’t believe they were still in the running and didn’t want to waste time on a lost cause.

Now that the Angels have dropped out, the remaining four teams in the running are the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox recently said that they were no longer in the running, however many baseball insiders believe that talk from Boston was simply a contract negotiating ploy.

Now that the Angels are out of the running, they could look in a variety of different direction. One option is Manny Ramirez, the former Red Sox who finished last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Other bats they could be looking at include Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu. If the Angels opt for pitching, one option could be closer Brian Fuentes. Fuentas would make sense since the Angels lost Francisco Rodriguez to the New York Mets earlier in the offseason.

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2. Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are desperate to turn around their dying franchise. Mark Teixeira is a hometown kid who grew up as an Orioles fan. Even if Baltimore has to overpay him, it’d be worth it to the organization in terms of making their fans excited again.

3. Washington Nationals
Like the Orioles, Teixeira is a kid from the neighborhood. Also like the Orioles, Teixeira would give validity to their ballclub. The Nationals would have to pay a whole lot of money to woo him to Washington, but they may just be desperate enough.

4. Los Angeles Angels
Even though the Los Angeles Angels appear to be a long shot at the moment, they have deep enough pockets to get Teixeira to consider re-signing. He knows the team and by all accounts enjoyed his time as part of the Angels, so there’s definitely a chance.

5. New York Yankees
If the Red Sox are interested in a player, you know the New York Yankees will also become interested in that player. Though the Yankees have been concentrating on pitching, Teixeira would make New York an unbelievably potent offensive team.

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-With the Angels turning their attention to Sabathia, some baseball insiders are wondering if the team has given up on the idea of re-signing Mark Teixeira. If that’s the case, Teixeira will likely end up either with the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees. However, don’t overlook his hometown Baltimore Orioles or the Washington Nationals.

-Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek reportedly got a one-year offer from Boston. If that’s true, that may be a sign that the Red Sox are looking to move on without him. There are rumors that the Red Sox may be looking to trade for one of the many young catchers in the Texas Rangers system if Varitek signs elsewhere.

-Andy Pettitte to the Houston Astros has been rumored. However, the latest rumor has Pettitte considering the Los Angeles Dodgers. If Joe Torre in LA, it’s certainly possible that he can convince Pettitte to give the West Coast a chance.

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Mark Teixeira is perhaps the hottest name in all of baseball free agency right now. While players like CC Sabathia and Manny Ramirez get all the headlines, Teixeira is likely getting more widespread interest than any player.

Here are possible destinations for free agent Mark Teixeira:

Los Angeles Angels
His current team will undoubtedly want him to return. With their deep pockets, it’s going to be difficult to outbid the Angels.

Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are still a very good team but they need a bat to replace Manny Ramirez’s presence. Teixeira is the man in free agency who could do that.

New York Yankees
While it’s true that the Yankees want everyone, Teixeira actaully makes a lot of sense. The Yankees could play him at first base to replace the departing Jason Giambi. And while their hitting is already good, Teixeira would make it even better.

Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are the darkhorse team in this race. Teixeira is a local kid who grew up a big fan of the Orioles. If management offers a big enough contract, Teixeira will be very tempted to go home.

Washington Nationals
Need a big bat to wake up their sleeping franchise, the Nationals may think that Teixeira is the answer. His addition would undoubtedly sell tickets and give the team a chance to contend.

Photo credit: Newscom

Post from: Knuckle Curve

2. CC Sabathia
Although he had a shaky start to the 2008 baseball season with the Cleveland Indians, he was great once he got traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. PREDICTION: Signs with the New York Yankees.

3. Manny Ramirez
Even though Manny Ramirez was hated at the end of his tenure with the Boston Red Sox, he proved that he’s a great player once traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. PREDICTION: Signs with New York Mets.

4. Ben Sheets
The other Brewers pitching free agent, Ben Sheets will garner plenty of interest because teams would love to get a potential ace. PREDICTION: Signs with the Texas Rangers.

5. Adam Dunn
Adam Dunn is a very capable hitter who should help any team drive in runs in the middle of the lineup. PREDICTION: Signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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CC Sabathia
The 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner pitched great for the Milwaukee Brewers after they aquired him in a midseason trade. The Brewers want to keep him and are reportedly willing to give him $20 million per year for the next five years. However, it is also being reported that Sabathia is being wooed by Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees.

Ryan Ludwick
In 2008, Ryan Ludwick had a breakout season. He got named to the National League All-Star team and was simply a force in the middle of the St. Louis Cardinals lineup. The Cardinals appear ready to bring Ludwick back into the fold, however the Atlanta Braves are believed to be making a push for his services.

Derek Lowe
Almost every team in baseball could use a veteran starting pitcher who could also become a closer if need be. With that in mind, there’s no wonder that Derek Lowe is getting a lot of attention already in free agency. The Los Angeles Dodgers are believed to want him back but both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets are believed to be quite interested.

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4. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers were good before trading for CC Sabathia. However, now after adding Sabathia to their team and surviving an incident that saw Prince Fielder push a teammate, the Brewers are really rolling. Currently, the Brewers have won eight straight games. Sabathia has personally won seven straight games with the Brewers.

3. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays struggled heading into the All-Star break and many baseball experts were predicting the fairy tale could be over. But the Rays have bounced back and now have a healthy league in the American League West. Tampa Bay remains a longshot to win the whole thing — but this team has been proving experts wrong all season long.

2. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels have the best record in baseball and that is truly indicative of how well they’ve played this season. Adding Mark Teixeira in a trade was huge and that trade made the Angels even better. Right now, they have to be considered the favorite in the American League.

1. Chicago Cubs
While it is always dangerous putting the Cubs at the top of a power ranking, the Cubs have been on fire as of late. Winners of 13 of their last 16 games, Chicago looks like it has a real winner on its hands. Can the Cubs keep it up? History says no but the Cubs will try to prove history wrong.

Will the Chicago Cubs win the World Series to end their curse?

Photo: Newscom

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