If the Cubs are smart...

...they'll continue to rest players in earnest against the Mets. If New York and Philadelphia make the postseason, the two NL East rivals cannot play each other in the first round of the playoffs. The division winner, which would more likely be Philadelphia, gets the Dodgers in the division series. The Cubs would get the Wild Card.

Playing the Mets in the first round is a much better situation for Chicago than playing the red hot Dodgers. If Chicago gets its way, Philly and LA will beat up on each other for the right to go to the Windy City.

Then again, the Cubs have to watch what the Phillies are doing tonight. If Philadelphia loses, the Cubs might want to go ahead and win. I don't think they want New York to catch them and force the Phils to visit Chicago.

Yankees on elimination, MLB playoff fairness

The Yankees elimination from the postseason race was met with general disappointment from the players. Disappointment, according to Mike Mussina, that goes back further than this year.

"We've been disappointed for a little longer than just today," Mussina said. "Yeah, mathematically [the team was alive], but realistically ... for us to win them all and [the Red Sox] to lose them all ..."

Hank Steinbrenner, however, was not willing to blame the Yankees, but instead the system that governs postseason selection. This is an excerpt from The Sporting News

"The biggest problem is the divisional setup in Major League Baseball. I didn't like it in the 1970s, and I hate it now. Baseball went to a multidivision setup to create more races, rivalries and excitement. But it isn't fair."

I actually understand what he's saying. In the past, the winner of the National League played the winner of the American League. The best teams made the world series, regardless of geography. Now there's a team selected from the East, the Midwest and the West, plus one Wild Card. It makes no sense for an average team from a weak division to make the postseason. It makes sense for a good team from a strong division, whether than finish second or third, to make the postseason. The NFL has similar problems with its structure. There's no way that a team like the Dodgers had as difficult a time making the playoffs as the Yankees did.

If baseball were smart, they'd end the divisional format and make a single division in the AL and the NL. A balance schedule would make this very possible. The top four teams make the postseason. First place would play fourth place in the first divisional series. Second place would play third place. It makes more sense to open the race up to everybody, especially when you have a division as tough as the AL East.

Cabrera helps the BoSox?

Asdrubal Cabrera began serving his suspension Tuesday. He'll miss the entire Indians-Red Sox series, which can't hurt Boston's chase for Tampa.

Piniella to play starters

If you were wondering about the Cubs cashing it in for the final week of the season after clinching the NL Central, think again. Lou Piniella will be resting players, but it looks like he's got his team's best interests in mind by getting the regulars their at bats.

"I can't let these guys all sit," Piniella said. "We have to use them to keep them as sharp as possible. We'll play our regular lineup in these games [against New York]. The worst thing that can happen is Major League Baseball calls us and tells us, 'Hey, you people have a responsibility,' and we're going to honor that.

"At the same time, if I need to rest a player here or a player there, that we can do," Piniella said. "I can't play a lineup like we're playing [Sunday] the rest of the week. It wouldn't be fair to the rest of the teams."

The article talks about players like Micah Hoffpauir, Chad Gaudin, Jeff Samardzija, Randy Wells and Bob Howry as potential bubble players for the playoff roster.

Everyone's a Yankees fan

Just a note on my only experience at Yankee Stadium. It was in the late 90's. 1999, I think. I cannot remember. I don't recall the final score of that lone Yankees game I had the opportunity to travel to with my college buddy Adam, but I know they won. We drove down from Syracuse through tiny upstate New York towns, taking 3 1/2 hours to reach the Bronx. It was worth every minute of a 15-hour day.

In the deepest recesses of my mind, I remember looping through the final portion of the interstate alongside the biggest baseball park I'd ever seen. Some parks may be bigger, but in sure stature with those concrete walls, Yankee Stadium seems the biggest.

Once inside we didn't tour monument park. There was a 45-minute line, and we wanted to take in batting practice, instead. I wasn't into nostalgia, and I'm not into it in general, but Yankee Stadium overtakes you. It is big, heavy, homey and magical. It is old and dark. It is still beautiful.

I cannot recall for you a single play from that lone game I attended in the Bronx. I think Juan Encarnacion was patrolling left for the visiting Tigers. We might have visited a souvenir shop on the way out. It's not in my memory banks. It was deleted due to the overwhelming nature of what was around me. I only remember the dark hallways underneath the park, the eyehole passageways to the grandstand and the incredible view from right behind home plate in the upper deck. It was spellbinding, and seeing it for the final time tonight was altogether a disappointment and a thrill. What a way to go out. Thanks for the vague memories, as well.

I sent Adam a text tonight thanking him for taking me to my one Yankee game at Yankee Stadium. "Glad you could make it there," he said in reply. Me too. Anyone who's ever been to that ballpark and seen what a testimonial it is to baseball would instantly find a place in their heart for the Yankees. Even if you denied it you'd know it was true. Yankee Stadium was magic, is magic and forever will be a magical place where baseball really lived. If the new stadium is only half as successful as a monument to the world's greatest game, it will still be a great success.

Dodger blues? No.

A Rich Aurillia RBI single in the 11th was all that separated the Giants from the Dodgers in a 1-0 triumph in Los Angeles.

LA needs to be careful. With the loss and the Diamondbacks 13-4 pounding of the Rockies, the Dodgers NL West lead is down to 2 1/2 games. Then again, the D'backs have the tougher schedule over the final week of the regular season. They're at St. Louis and home to Colorado while the Dodgers have home games with San Diego before paying a visit to San Francisco. This is certainly the Dodgers' division to lose.

Phillies Phirst

With a 5-2 win over the Marlins, the Phillies pull ahead of the Mets to 1 1/2 games. With their remaining schedule consisting of visits from the Braves and Nationals, forget New York catching them.

Bye-bye from the Bronx

The Yankees certainly know how to send their ballpark out in style. Derek Jeter's speech to the fans can be read here. If you didn't have goosebumps, you're a Red Sox fan.

Red Machine fueling up

The young Reds claim they're learning to win, and if they carry over a nice win binge from this September into the spring, watch out. With an 11-5 record over their last 16 games against all winning teams, Cincinnati holds some competitive cards for next year.

Players like Jay Bruce and Joey Votto are pacing the late surge offensively. Edinson Volquez pitched in this year's All-Star game, and Johnny Cueto should be that much better after one year of experience. Even Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo showed some flashes late in the year.

We can't forecast Cincinnati as a playoff team next year, but the Reds should make some waves in 2009.

Saito to close this week

Takashi Saito is close to working back-to-back days for the Dodgers, which means he could return to the closer role by the middle of the coming week. That's what Joe Torre wants, even if Jonathan Broxton has filled in with remarkable ability.

"I think [Saito's] more emotionally equipped for that because he's done it," Torre said. "That's been his primarily role. I'm comfortable with Brox, but again, once Saito gets there, we have a little more length. Brox, I think, has done a fine job in the closer's spot."

Unless Saito gives them false confidence and then relapses after his right elbow problem, the Dodgers really can't go wrong here. Two closers cannot be a bad thing, especially with the consistency these two have shown.

Fantasy Impact: For Broxton owners, this couldn't happen at a worse time. It's championship week, and Saito might take a few saves away from a guy that's closed 14 of 16 opportunities. Hopefully you own them both and pick the right guy on the right day.

Mets mess one up

The Mets 7-6 loss at Atlanta leaves them a full game behind Philadelphia with the Phillies still playing and now just 1 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card. David Wright did hit his 32nd home run while Carlos Delgado hit number 37. Those two can't do this alone.

The bullpen really killed them in this one, giving up four runs in three combined innings. Scott Schoeneweis picks up the blown save as he gives up two of the runs.

AL Central showdown

The White Sox-Twins series this week likely decides whether the last regular season series means anything. With a 2 1/2 game lead going in, the White Sox need a sweep to clinch, while a Twins sweep steals first away from Chicago.

Both teams won on Sunday, and both will treat this like a mini playoff series. Buckle up! The first meeting comes Tuesday night.

It's not in the Cards

The Chicago Cubs' "B" team beat St. Louis handily at Wrigley Field, 5-1. Only one regular starter, Kosuke Fukudome (who recently lost his spot in right field), was in the lineup. The Cubs did throw Ryan Dempster, but he only worked five innings in picking up his 17th win.

The hapless Cardinals produced just one run on seven hits. They can be eliminated from the postseason as early as Tuesday.

One more note: I understand Tony La Russa likes to tinker with lineup ideas, but Ryan Ludwick batting second and Jose Lopez hitting cleanup makes no sense to me.

Lewis wins third start

Cleveland's 10-5 win over Detroit is a study of pitchers headed in opposite directions. On Cleveland's side, the young Scott Lewis finally gets touched up, yielding three runs in five innings after two scoreless starts to start his career. Lewis only went five, meaning this is his first non-quality start, but thanks to a shaky outing from Dontrelle Willis, he's a perfect 3-0.

Willis, making his first start since September 9th, when he, too, threw five innings and gave up three runs, never had a chance. He gives up three in the first and three more in the third, never finishing the inning as his ERA balloons to 10.61.

Fantasy Impact: Keep an eye on Lewis. He's young enough with enough pedigree for a good future at the major league level. Willis is on the forgotten heap, but could always be comeback player of the year with what he's offered in the past. Don't lose sight of him in spring training 2009.

Brewers holding hope

Desperately needing wins after falling 2 1/2 games back in the National League Wild Card race, Milwaukee finally rights the ship against Cincinnati. Prince Fielder opened the game with a home run off of Bronson Arroyo, and the Brewers cruise, 8-1. They've won just five times in 20 times in the month of September.

Now they wait to see if they can earn another half game with a Mets loss. The Mets's magic number is six.

Rays of nope

A day after they partied over a playoff berth, the Tampa Bay Rays come right back with a loss to Minnesota, 4-1. Meanwhile, the second place Red Sox were busy beating Toronto, 3-0. That leaves Boston 1 1/2 games back with a magic number of seven.

Boston's got a great chance to catch the Rays, and winning the East is huge. The winner likely faces the White Sox in the first round of the playoffs. The loser gets the Angels. Nobody wants to see them.

Moores wants more

Padres owner John Moores says he's not going anywhere anytime soon. He'll retain the Padres for the foreseeable future.

“The goal has always been to play meaningful games in September,” Moores said. “We clearly have not met that target this year, but I want to do it again next year. That's the priority. Last year, we got within an out of postseason play. And I thought potentially we had at least as good a team coming back. Everybody thought the West was going to be whole lot stronger than it has been. I don't really understand why it hasn't. We're going to try and take it apart and figure it all out.”

I'm surprised the West wasn't better myself. It's been a big disappointment as a division.

Marcum out for next year

Shaun Marcum is out for the rest of the year and will require Tommy John surgery, meaning he'll likely miss all of 2009. Tough blow for Toronto, as Marcum was really looking to come into his own in 2008.

Fantasy Impact: While the website says franchise leagues should consider keeping him, we suggest to drop him in all leagues. Even if you can stash Marcum away there's no guarantee he returns to form in 2010. You can find something comparable as a mid-level starter.

Minnesota feeling the Pena

Carlos Pena became the first beneficiary of replay as his three-run sixth-inning shot was only award after a four-minute, ten second delay for umpires to review a hit that was originally ruled a double for fan interference.

Tampa toppled Minnesota, 11-1, leaving the twins two games behind the White Sox before the Sox result Friday night in Kansas City.

Cubs can clinch Saturday

Milwaukee's 11-1 loss at Cincinnati leaves the Cubs' magic number at one heading into Saturday play. Both Chicago and Milwaukee play at 3:55 p.m. EST, meaning the Cubs can clinch before they even finish their game with St. Louis. Here are the pitchign matchups.

Milwaukee - Sabathia (15-9, 2.88)
vs. Cincinnati - Cueto (8-13, 4.68)

St. Louis - Pineiro (6-6, 5.24)
vs. Chicago Cubs - (15-9, 4.13)

The Brewers have to be heavy favorites against Cincinnati, but the Cubs have a very favorable pitching matchup at Wrigley. While most of St. Louis' power comes from the right side, the left-handed Lilly is actually tougher on righties than lefties.