Opinion

It all started on December 20, 2001 when the Red Sox were sold to a group headed buy John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino for $660 million. 

These men were not only shrewd businessmen but also baseball insiders.  They fired their general manager immediately and hired an interim one so they could take time to find their guy. They also fired their manager and hired Grady Little. 

The most important hire they made that off-season was for their assistant general manager position which went to Theo Epstein. 

Baseball writers and Met fans in particular are quick to blame Jerry Manuel when things go wrong. Many are down on Manuel for the way the Mets have played this season, despite the depleted roster he works with every day.

Some of that criticism is warranted. A consistent lineup would be nice, Ryan Church playing every day would likely improve his numbers, and perhaps a rookie righty shouldn't be facing Chase Utley. 

The last time the Yankees won the World Series was 2000. That is over eight years ago, and an eternity in Yankee land. They made it back to the World Series in 2001 and 2003 losing to the Diamondbacks and Marlins, respectively. 

The 2001 World Series was an especially tough series, as they lost in Game Seven after blowing a lead in the ninth inning. After that game the dynasty that was the New York Yankees had effectively ended, but no one knew at the time. 

In 1998, the Yankees won 114 games in the regular season, which at the time was an American League record (it would be broken in 2001 by the Seattle Mariners). 

The 1998 Yankees were not the most talented team ever, but they were the most complete team. 

Each of the 25 guys on the team had a role, and they each executed it. The 1998 Yankees had a great combination of youth and experience, power and speed, and right-handed and left-handed pitching. 

It's hard to imagine that the player who held the all-time home run record for 33 years as underrated, but Hank Aaron has lived his life being largely unnoticed and underappreciated by the baseball world.

Aaron was voted the fifth "greatest baseball player" by The Sporting News when they ranked the 100 greatest players in 1999. Aaron ranked behind Ruth, Mays, Cobb, and Walter Johnson.

In the storied history of the Chicago Cubs franchise, there are very few numbers that are retired from use. Those players that have been qualified as the best of the franchise's history proudly have their numbers hanging on flags from each foul pole.

Ernie Banks is the first, and most obvious, name and number that come to mind. He's "Mr. Cub" and is still the face of the franchise.

Billy Williams and Ron Santo, Banks' partners in the middle of the Cubs' order in the 1960's, have their numbers flying proudly from the poles as well.

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Let's call a spade a spade. It isn't ineptitude that A's manager Bob Geren displays—it is a total lack of competence. Geren should have been fired long ago, and general manager Billy Beane is allowing the most incompetent manager in baseball to still have a job.

If Geren was a rookie manager then maybe some of the mistakes being made could be considered as a rookie mistake and in time he'd learn from them. Yet, not only has Geren made mistakes, he keeps making the same mistake.

There's a saying that goes, "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."

For a rebuilding team like the Baltimore Orioles, minor league success is crucial to the team's future in the major league standings. The O's have gotten great contributions from various pitching prospects like Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Troy Patton, Chris Tillman, and others.

Going into the season, O's fans took a look at the minor league starting pitchers for each team. Let's analyze how those minor leaguers did.

The Aces

Norfolk Tides: Chris Tillman, RHP

Sammy Sosa is the latest name to be dropped in baseball's steroid era. With so many of these people being linked to steroids, it's really no longer news when another name is dropped.

But it gets some people, like myself, thinking that these guys are not the idols and role models we thought they were. Plus, any records guys like Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, A-Rod, Clemens, and any others should not be given credit for any of the records they broke.