The Whole Delivery

A year after Mario Rivera has returned, Derek Jeter has announced that he will retire after the 2014 season. The Yankees captain announced on his Facebook page that his 20th season would be his final one. "So really it was months ago when I realized that this season would likely be my last. As I case to this conclusion and shared it with my friends and family, they all told me to hold of saying anything until I was absolutely 100% sure." (More to come in a bit) 

Two weeks remain in the long winding road of ups and downs that is the Major League Baseball season, with two marquee series tonight. Both the American and National Leagues have their East divisions come down to the wire races and featured them starting their important series tonight. After a thrilling series last week, the Rays and the Yankees will duel in the Stadium tonight, while the Braves and the Phillies battle in their final three meetings this year (unless both make the postseason) at Citizens Bank in Philly. For the two time defending NL champs, they will send the resurgent Cole Hamels to the mound, as he oppose rookie Brandon Beachy, who replaces the injured Jair Jurrjens. You would favor the Phillies to pan their NL East lead to four games tonight in this matchup, but the Braves are coming off a confidence boost sweep over a Mets team that has packed it in for the rest of 2010. Meanwhile, Matt Garza will look for better success against the reigning World Champions, as...

FINALLY, off of Shaun Marcum of the Blue Jays in the first inning of the ongoing Yankee game in the Stadium. Now we can move back on to "The Life And Times Of Brett Favre." In all seriousness, Rodriguez becomes the youngest player the reach the coveted milestone, getting the monkey off of his back and possibly getting the Yankees to right the ship a little in the midst of their three game losing streak.

The Yankees owner has suffered a heart attack at his Tampa, Florida home and rushed to the hospital. Steinbrenner, who turned 80 on July 4, had been reclusive in his appearances in the last few years, as his team has been slowly taken over by his songs Hal and Hank. More to come, as Steinbrenner is in serious condition at the moment according to reports. Updated: Now Tampa News ABC affiliate are reporting that George Steinbrenner has died.

Strike me as one surprised by this The Yankees' search for another starting pitcher has led them back to an old friend, reportedly agreeing to re-acquire right-hander Javier Vazquez from the Braves on Tuesday as part of a five-player trade. New York is set to send outfielder Melky Cabrera, Minor League left-hander Mike Dunn and Minor League right-hander Arodys Vizcaino to the Braves in exchange for Vazquez and left-hander Boone Logan, according to the New York Post. Now the deal is also in part to possibly bring back Johnny Damon after appearing to be done with him in signing Nick Johnson last week. Still, this move is kind of a head scratcher for me, though nowhere near the Phillies sacrificing Cliff Lee virtually for Roy Halladay. Though he wasn't a colossal Carl Pavano mess in New York, there is a reason why Javier Vasquez was gone from the Yankees. He just wasn't good enough to be a headline starter for this time like they thought he was he first time around. However,...

In a three team trade at the winter meetings, Detroit Tigers' talented centerfielder Curtis Grandson is headed to the Yankees In the seven-player trade, SI.com's Jon Heyman reported that the D-backs would receive right-handers Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy from the Tigers and Yankees, respectively, while the Tigers would get pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from Arizona and outfielder Austin Jackson and left-hander Phil Coke from New York. From a Yankees' fan standpoint, it wasn't a bad thing at all to part ways with Ian Kennedy, who showed nothing meriting a future front line starter for the Yankees in 2008. Between poor pitching and injuries, Kennedy is a lost that really isn't merited at all. And despite pitching well throughout the latter end of the regular season, Phil Coke didn't show the stuff in the playoffs to make him an untouchable in the bullpen at all for the Yankees. The only part that will make Yankees fans potentially cringe a little i...

That won't be going down in Philly right now: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Watch live video from LATENCHISUSA.COM on Justin.tv The key to this game is well known of course: How long can Pedro/Andy go, which bullpen will be stable tonight, and what will Howard and Teixiera do at the plate tonight. But as always with big games, errors can play a big factor, and will Shane Victorino's hand be okay? The full revie and updates, as I think this is clinch night at the new Yankees Stadium.

Will Burnett pitching this game hurt Giradi here? We'll see. The few review from me to come. But enjoy the one at MLB.com .

Ibanez causing the Yankees problems again, as Matt Stairs drives him home. 1-0 Phillies here in the bottom of the second as of this post. Watch live video from RYTE STATION 2 on Justin.tv

Coming into the postseason , Cliff Lee had yet to record a playoff win, let alone pitch in the postseason. After four starts, no question that Cliff Lee is the best pitcher in baseball at this point. A masterful performance that featured 10 strikeouts, no walks, and a jaw dropping behind the back fielding play from Lee spurred the defending champion to a dominant 6-1 Game 1 win in the World Series. This is how good the CY Young winner of 2008 was: He allowed no runner to third base before the 9th inning, and he also prevented two runners form being on base at the same time before the final frame. Outside of the always brilliant Derek Jeter (who again, with a 3 for 5 performance and the only run scored for the Yankees in this game), Lee flummoxed the entire Yankee lineup all night. He baffled the in form Alex Rodriguez with three strikeouts, took the confident bats away from dangerous youngsters Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera, and took any threat from the veteran bats of Jorge Posada ...

The Philadelphia Phillies look to become the first National League team since the Cincinnati Reds 33 years ago to repeat as MLB World Series Champions, as they take on a New York Yankees side looking for a 27th championship in their glorious franchise history. Both teams have obviously proven themselves to no question be the best two teams to reach the ultimate stage of professional baseball this year. There was no "timely peak at the right time" or "ride an ace pitcher on his shoulders" for neither side, as their play all season placed them in position to excel at the highest level in their league's playoffs. Since June, the Yankees were by far the best team in the American league, as there bullpen was solidified with Phil Hughes emerging as the set up man already with lefty Phil Coke to cover the immaculate Mariano Rivera. It also helped that Mark Teixiera showed what a great off season acquisition he was as well as Alex Rodriguez getting over his hip surgery,...

Philadelphia Phillies fans better tell The Roots, Eve, or Beanie Sigel to make a version of a "Brotherly Love" song or something : Rapper Jay-Z and Alicia Keys will perform their hit song “Empire State of Mind” this Wednesday (October 28) when the New York Yankees take on the Philadelphia Phillies during the World Series. The New Yorkers will perform the track at Yankee Stadium for Game 1 of the World Series verse the Philadelphia Phillies. And his reaction to all of this: The rapper called the upcoming performance a “once in a lifetime” opportunity and “thanked the lord” for making him a “Yankee.” New York defeated the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 in Game 6 of the American League Championship series last night (October 25). I wished someone asked if a third person would join them..... .....But I don't think that will be the case.

Image from MLB.com Brian Fuentes is the luckiest guy in California tonight .

Image from MLB.com The awesome headline form MLB.com says it all. And this Game 4 lost to me is just as deflating for the Angels than the heartbreak the Dodgers suffered last night, considering how much of an uphill battle it will be to beat this power Yankee team this year. Especially when Kate Hudson's boyfriend is handling business like this .

Now, full credit to be given to Mike Scioscia club in a game they needed real bad. They came back from a 3-0 deficit where their pitcher, Jered Weaver, didn't deliver on the ace performance he gave them in Game 2 of the ALDS. Their bullpen was amazing outside of one pitch from Kevin Jepsen pitch to Jorge Posada that lead to the tie game. And if it wasn't for that pitch and the one Brian Fuentes offered up to Alex Rodriguez in Game 2 , the Angels relievers would have a big zero in the earned run column. (Making Fuentes walking A-Rod in the 9th funny because he knew the consequences of facing him.) And what can you say about Howie Kendrick, Jeff Mathis, and Vladmir Guerrero of all people stepping up in the big moments today, as the latter two played part in the winning run off of Aceves in the 11th . But that moment, and the whole game, falls at the hands of Joe Giradi's ridiculous move to put Aceves in the game to replaced a confident and effective Dave Robertson. Though Ace...

A pie needs to be given to Maicer Izturis . And though Mike Scioscia remained calm at the podium, this is without question a crushing lost for them. All pressure will certainly be on Jared Weaver, no question, on Monday.

Just a quick, simple review, because the title says it. Sabathia just gets better and better, and uncharacteristically, I am still stunned to see all the errors tonight from one of the more fundamentally sound teams in all of baseball. But give credit once again to Derek Jeter. The man is just an amazing player, especially in the postseason.

Yankees celebrity their return to the ALCS for the first time in 5 years First, one the Angels-Red Sox's series, which I will have more on tomorrow. Well, Torii Hunter is no question the team leader of this team now. And really, all signs point to his three run shot off of Jon Lester in Game 1 as the symbol of this series. Until today. The fact that the Halos got Jonathan Papelborn to give up his first runs in the postseason ever, and come back to score 3 in the 9th on two outs is a testament to how focus, determined, and calm they were to overcome their Sox bugaboo this time. More on the Red Sox side of things tomorrow, but their big names just did not come through at all. And will that lead to Daniel Bard replacing Papelborn as the club's closer now, with Papelborn possibly headed out the door in terms of some rumors? I doubt it in my mind, but that is something to watch for indeed, and more tomorrow. To the Yankees-Twins series, just the little costly mistakes became magneti...