Opinion

Marcus Stroman was nearly decapitated on Monday.

At the very least, the Blue Jays pitcher could’ve found himself picking Chiclets out of the dirt after a vicious comebacker zipped back toward the mound.

1. Atlanta Works to Save Its Season

Not that the Atlanta Braves offense has gone quiet, but the library just called asking them to please make a little more noise.

Watching the Atlanta Braves for the past couple of months has been like watching a train wreck in super-slow motion. Every few games, you can see a few fans jump off in anticipation of the inevitable crash. Every time a runner is left in scoring position, a fan changes the channel.

Pop quiz, hotshot: Which Major League Baseball team has spent the most days in first place during the course of the 2014 season?

Here's a hint: Check the picture up top.

Yep, it's the Milwaukee Brewers, who surprisingly sat atop the National League Central with at least a share of the lead from April 5 until Sept. 1.

Earlier this month, the Detroit Tigers expanded their playing roster with the annual September call-ups. This coterie of youngsters has arrived in Motown at the back end of Detroit’s roller-coaster season. They may play an important role, as the Tigers are currently looking up in both the division and wild-card standings and chasing their fourth consecutive berth in the postseason.

The critics have always been there, picking, prodding, scoffing.

They don't hand out Rookie of the Year awards in September.

If they did, the safe money would be on Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox and Billy Hamilton of the Cincinnati Reds taking home the honors in the American League and National League, respectively.

This is not on Billy Beane, and it is not a result of Yoenis Cespedes living in a different time zone.

This is just epic all on its own without placing blame or cause on either of those two men.

The last time the Kansas City Royals made the playoffs, Back to the Future was the No. 1 movie in America.

Looking back, KC fans probably wish they'd shoved Marty McFly aside, hopped in Doc Brown's DeLorean and set the coordinates for 2014.

Because only now, 29 excruciating years later, are the Royals finally poised for a return trip to the postseason.

Felix Hernandez has put together an illustrious career as the ace of the Seattle Mariners for nearly a decade, with 2014 ranking as his best season yet.