Last year, some of us got all googly-eyed at the potential of seeing a World Series where Manny Ramirez would go against the very same team that traded him just a few months prior. It had all the makings of the perfect media circus.

But then it never even happened.

Nick Johnson, the player that came to the Marlins in the final minutes of the trade deadline, is now a free agent. 

To obtain Johnson, the Marlins had to send starting pitcher Aaron Thompson to the Washington Nationals.

Nick is known for his patience at the plate. During his '09 season he posted a .426 on base percentage—which leads all free agents.

He may not have very good power numbers, but if a team needs consistency he provides it.

During his 35 games with the Marlins, he walked 36 times and was consistently on base every time Hanley was at the plate. 

It has been exactly 14 years and six days since that fateful evening in October when the Mariners toppled the mighty New York Yankees to advance to the 1995 American League Championship Series.

(Apologies to Jonathan Swift)

Following the infamous Game Three baserunning error, Nick Punto may be one of the most hated men in Minnesota. He ignored the (possibly late) stop signal from third-base coach Scott Ullger in favor of the roaring crowd. Punto probably ended up costing the Twins a run in that fateful Game Three, which ended up being the last of 2009, and the last in Metrodome history.

But that one mistake cannot replace a surprisingly solid season from the veteran utility infielder.

I don't know what to do right now, as we still have two more days until Yankee baseball. 

This should help you kill some time (it certainly helped me).

I'm a big Ian Kennedy fan. He absolutely tore up the minor leagues in his first full professional season, something that very few pitchers do. No, Kennedy doesn't have the front-line potential that Hughes and Joba have, but he still is a valuable asset. Check this out, his numbers speak for themselves:

I received the news as most others seem to receive news these days—via an online social network. According to the A's Facebook fan page status update, what Oakland loyalists had suspected and dreaded was official, delivered with all the cheeriness of Pravda reporting that the Politburo had again thrown its support to Dear Leader Stalin:

It was the kind of moment where legends are born.

Two outs.

Two on.

Two strikes.

Trailing by two.

The stage was set. Except that the man standing in the batters box had already started writing his legendary story years before.

Rookie of the Year.

Fastest to 100 home runs.

National League MVP.

And his most recent accolade, 2008 World Series Champion.

Quite a resume for any baseball career.  Yet Ryan Howard is just warming up.

Recently, the home movies of a New Hampshire family contained new, never before seen footage of the legendary Babe Ruth.

The footage can be seen here: http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/10/08/sports/baseball/1247465064285/the-great-bambino-resurfaces.html?th&emc=th

Without question, the most thankless job in sports is held by officials.

Referees, umpires, line judges—all are as greatly despised as they are under-appreciated. And in many cases, the vitriol aimed at them is entirely unjust.

No one ever congratulates an ump for calling a good game or a ref for throwing a flag. Instead, fans rain vicious auditory attacks down upon the weary officials, whether or not they've earned them.

In this year's baseball playoffs, however, the bleacher creature jeers and jests are well-deserved.