Opinion

Heading east on Sunset, miles and miles away from where it becomes "the Strip" and just before it hits Alvarado, is a sign that reads "Slide Area." 

If you don't think this is relevant to an article about the Dodgers, who nearly ceded the NL West Division and their 15.5-game lead at the beginning of June to the Colorado Rockies, then may I introduce you to my old friend, the metaphor?

With the playoffs finally being set as of 9:46 p.m. Eastern time, the American League playoff picture has finally been painted. 

Beginning Oct. 7, four A.L. teams will begin a post-season that is sure to leave many fans holding their collective breaths. 

Not only does every team have a loaded lineup full of players with high on-base percentages, but each has a pitching staff of uncertainties that they will be reliant upon to help them capture the American League pennant. 

It's been a slow, painful ride, but the Detroit Tigers have managed to defy all odds and handed over the division title tonight in Minnesota.  No team had ever blown a three game lead with four games to go until the Tigers did this season.

But, the past is the past, and there is no reason to reminisce about the less-than-stellar 2009 Tigers campaign any longer.  We must look to the future and fill in some major voids that were apparent down the stretch.

Now that the smoke has cleared from this 2009 baseball season and all games are now in the books, it's a good time to objectively reflect on the regular season.

This is especially true for Mets fans, since once again, there will be no October baseball played in Queens.

...Chad Gaudin.

The Yankees broke from their season long stand of having Joba Chamberlain pitch strictly as a starter, and, in the last game of the season, threw him for one inning out of the bullpen.

Joba threw strikes, his velocity was in the mid-to-high 90s, and he punctuated a seven-pitch inning with a strikeout of Fernando Perez.  Perez swung and missed on a biting slider, and then whiffed on a 95 MPH high fastball.

It was like the Joba of late 2007.

As the Sox look forward to the first round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, there are a few things that we DO know:

1) According to the NY Daily News, the Red Sox and Angels will play in ALDS Series B, meaning they’ll play on Thursday and Friday nights in Los Angeles at 9:37 PM EST, followed by games here in Boston on Sunday and Monday…the fifth game in LA will be played on Wednesday, if necessary. No surprise here.

A few years ago, I wrote an article regarding the length of the Major League Baseball season, and some ideas as to how to shorten it.

Watching players and fans alike dressed more for an outdoor hockey game rather than a baseball game, not just an ordinary game,  but a World Series game, one that could decide the world championship, just gave me chills up, and down, my spine.

This year's schedule makes me shiver even more.

The inconsistency of the Sox offense was one of the bigger issues for the team this season.

At times they would crush the ball all over the yard, but far more often, they would struggle to put rallies together. It didn't take an elite pitcher to put the Sox offense to sleep either; in fact they could make guys like David Huff and Sergio Mitre look like Zack Greinke.

I'm a shade unclear as to the specific voting rules for Major League Baseball's regular season awards. Common sense would dictate the writers who select the winners have to wait until the last of the 162 games (including any one-game playoffs that might be necessary) so that they have a complete data set.

If that's the case, the official tallies should begin rolling in once the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers finish up their hostilities on Tuesday.

The Minnesota Twins are on the threshold of an unexpected berth in the postseason, and it may have more to do with someone other than the guy you'll be thinking about for MVP.

Yes, yes.  Joe Mauer has been spectacular this year, putting up huge numbers while playing the most physically demanding position in the game, and missing the first month of the season.  A .364 batting average, 28 dingers and 96 RBI are stellar, but there may be someone more deserving in that lineup.