New York Yankees

Purity of the game means passion and joy when on the field. It means players would be there competing even if there was no money involved.  Purists dream baseball, and live baseball when they are not near a field.   Baseball is who they are.  

Phillip Joseph Hughes, better known simply as Phil Hughes, has had a very tumultuous career thus far and has hurdled many challenges on his way to his postseason starting debut tonight in the Bronx.

In high school, Hughes was a first team All-American pitcher, while posting a combined 21-1 record between his junior and senior years, including a perfect game.

No matter what happens during the 2010 Major League Playoffs, the Yankees will immediately get to work in the offseason to either win a third straight title or try to get back on top after a one year hiatus.

One free agent target most everyone in the industry agrees the Yankees will get their hands on is current Rangers ace Cliff Lee. Lee has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past three seasons and is bolstering his playoff resume with each gem he twirls in October.

The New York Yankees are riding a wave of momentum heading back home up two games to zero over the Minnesota Twins. After relying on veterans CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte the first two games, the Yankees will be throwing 24-year-old Phil Hughes in hopes of closing out the series.

Hughes had an up and down year in 2010, although his statistics may indicate a more successful season. He finished the season 18-8 with a 4.19 ERA in 176.1 innings.

A lot of people will see this as a bad omen, and I can’t blame them; it appears that Mayor Michael Bloomberg is already planning another Yankees ticker tape parade.

When Jim Thome flied out to short left field in the bottom of the ninth Thursday night, that out secured the New York Yankees eighth straight postseason victory over the Minnesota Twins.

The things which the Twins have no control over, whether it is missed third strike calls or fair balls ruled foul, have always come back to haunt them against the Yankees. Add in the many base running errors of last season's ALDS, too.

Despite a little bit of controversy, the Yankees beat the Twins to put them on the brink of elimination.

Today is an off-day, but Phil Hughes goes tomorrow night back at Yankee Stadium.

Here are some notes:

The Yankees have been waiting a long time for Lance Berkman to do something. Actually, they've been waiting for him do to anything.

The big story of this Yankee season has been the starting pitching, so it is no coincidence that this list has only four batters included.

The Yankees have had disastrous seasons for how much they are paying both AJ Burnett and Javier Vazquez.

So it is without question that the Yankees need to address the top five arms on the squad and shore up their rotation when it comes time to make their offers to free agents this winter.

Without further ado, here are the 10 players that New York should take a run at this winter.