More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

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Well, the trophy comes back to the American League with the Yankees win tonight. The Bronx Bombers take home their 27th World Championship after a rather disappointing game six. Hideki Matsui drove in six runs as Pettitte outlasted Pedro in the dubious pitching duel; the final score was 7-3. There isn't much left to say about Mariano Rivera that hasn't already been said, but wow, does he still look good at 40!

So ends the baseball season of 2009. Here's to 2010!

The Phillies look like they have wasted their last chance; Chase chased a ball outside to strike out with two on. The Yankees hang on to a comfortable 7-3 lead, going to the bottom of the seventh.

More photos » by Matt Rourke - AP

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Okay, I know I say this all the time, but just watch it.You know you want to.

It will be one of the last baseball games of 2009 (possibly the last game), and it has Pedro Martinez going up against Andy Pettitte. The Phillies have their backs to the wall for yet another night, looking to tie the series with a win. Yankee Stadium is commanding an average of $1,000 to attend tonight's contest. It's the highest grossing event in StubHub history.

Pedro allowed three runs in six innings in the loss last week, but he will have the advantage of five days rest. His competition will be pitching on just three.

So who will be the hero tonight? Will the Phillies take it to Game 7 or will the Yankees celebrate yet another championship; the first one in their new park? The Game starts in thirty minutes.

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

21 days ago: The Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia, left, talks with third base umpire Tim McClelland about a fifth inning double tag by Angels catcher Mike Napoli against New York Yankees Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada at Game 4 of the American League Championship baseball series Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Anaheim, Calif. Posada was called out and Cano remained on third as a fielder's choice. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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I know this has been done before, but I think it's worth revisiting in light of Selig's quotes, and with the great minds of AN. I am curious to see what people think.

Let's start with this:

Selig said of implementing broader usage of instant replay, "I'm not afraid of change. We've made more changes in the last 17 years than ever before. But ... baseball's a game of pace, and when you go to a game, you can't have calls being looked at, pitchers waiting on the mound for three or four minutes. It breaks the pace of the game."

And this:

"This goes on every time there's a controversial call," Selig said. "I understand the Phil Cuzzi call and others. But frankly, I'm quite satisfied with the way things are.

"We need to do a little work, clean up some things. But do I think we need more replay? No. Baseball is not the kind of game that can have interminable delays."

Aside from the obvious, as in really?????? Are you sure we're talking about the right sport what with the pitching coach visits, the manager visits, the catcher visits, the arguing on the field, and the ten thousand other delays in baseball, would it really be the end of the world to usher in some of the advances in technology to call the game correctly?

I'm not asking for replays on every play. Obviously, I don't want robots behind home plate. I'm just asking baseball to take a look at what has been done with technology in other sports in order to have an opportunity for a team to not to win or lose a game on a bad call. And I don't think that's too much to ask for.

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We have an excellent game going on tonight; the score is 1-1 as the Yankees come to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Phillies scored on a single and the Yankees on a solo HR by Teixeira. Both pitchers are dealing.

More photos » by Jeff Chiu - AP

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So far in this playoffs (tonight was start #4), Cliff Lee has been incredible. Tonight was no exception, as he did nothing more than toss a complete game, not allowing an earned run. Lee went the distance, allowing 6 hits, zero walks, while striking out ten. It was that kind of a night.

Chase Utley gave the Phillies a lead they would never relinquish, hitting not one, but two solo homeruns; one in the third and one in the sixth. CC Sabathia was effective, but not especially sharp, and was definitely outpitched by Lee. He lasted through the seventh, and his bullpen replacements were awful. A combination of Hughes, Marte, Robertson, Bruney, and Coke gave up two more to the Phillies in the eighth, and two more in the ninth.

Taking a 6-run lead into the ninth, Lee allowed leadoff singles to Jeter and Damon, but induced a ground ball from Teixeira. Utley made a nice play to get the one out at second, but Rollins threw the ball into the dugout, allowing the Yankees to score a token run. Lee then struck out A-Rod for the third time on the night (cooling off the .438 postseason average, 5 HR, 12 RBI) and Posada to end the game.

Phillies lead the series 1-0.

We're in the top of the eighth inning. The Phillies are in command of this game, thanks to the brilliant pitching of Cliff Lee and two homeruns by Chase Utley.

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

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So, it's the World Series. The Angels aren't in it (small comfort for those of us living in or around the Orange County area), but neither are the A's. And frankly, I'm quite sick of the A's recent lack of appearances in this contest. Maybe we can change that as we approach a new decade.

In case you have been reading up on the Warriors (opening game tonight!) instead of watching the LDS or LCS, the 2009 World Series will feature the Yankees and the Phillies. Are we rooting for the Evil Empire or for a repeat performance by the Phillies?

Or are we watching basketball?

I'd like to encourage you to watch some more baseball. Barring snowstorms and freezing conditions as we rapidly approach the end of October, it should be a pretty good, well-matched series.

Game one is tonight at 7:57 ET (5:00 for us Pacific-types), and it will feature Cliff Lee against CC Sabathia. Both pitchers have been great so far this postseason; I would venture to say that tonight's game will be a pitchers' duel--with the small caveat that the game will be played in the homerun-friendly Yankee Stadium, thanks to the AL winning yet another All-Star Game. Additionally, with Howard and A-Rod simply teeing off in the post-season, we may see some homeruns.

We'll have all the action here on AN as we end the 2009 baseball season, looking forward to 2010.

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

I want to go back to Mannywood!

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The Phillies and Dodgers face off in Philly as the Dodgers try and get the series back home for Game 6.  The Phillies send 2008 playoff hero Cole Hamels to the hill to try and end the series while the Dodgers counter with Vincente Padilla who has been fanatstic in his two outings so far in these playoffs.

Game time is 5:07 PM...See ya then!

It's no surprise that I find both of these playoff series utterly captivating. I live in the Los Angeles area, so the action is taking place in my backyard every day, but there is something very "baseball" about a West Coast to East Coast ALCS (and a non-Red Sox/Yankees matchup; been there, done that) and a Dodgers/Phillies rematch. I attended today's NLCS game (hence the photos).

Media outlets everywhere are likely drooling over today's winners, hoping that games 2 and 1 are the first wins on the way to a Dodgers/Yankees series and all that comes with it. The Dodgers evened the NLCS today without benefit of a big hit, and the Yankees exploited some unusually sloppy Angels' play to take the first game of the ALCS.

Pedro Martinez, in what can only be described as an absolutely dominant performance, held the Dodgers to two hits and zero runs through seven innings, and was almost unhittable. I'm sure Manuel was loathe to take him out, but he was working on a pitch count. The Phillies bullpen was not nearly as good; although Utley's second huge throwing mistake in as many nights really gave the Dodgers the game.

On the other side of the mound, Vincente Padilla just about matched Pedro pitch for pitch; his only mistake here:

Howard is very good.

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