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ESPN has chosen not to renew the contracts of Sunday Night Baseball broadcasters Jon Miller and Joe Morgan.

ESPN flat out not did not extend Morgan’s contract, while Miller was offered the opportunity to return as a radio-only announcer.

For more than 21 years, the two have bludgeoned calls on air and turned national sports broadcasting into a joke.

Joe Morgan was a great baseball player, playing more than 20 seasons of Hall of Fame baseball. But as we all learned (rather painfully), good athletes don’t always equate to good broadcasters.

Morgan developed a reputation for his clear biases towards certain players and organizations, especially those who were prominent “back in his day.” Even the greatest players of today never seemed adequate in the eyes of Morgan.

His painfully obvious explanations of the game often times bordered on near ludicrousness, and he tended to provide little or no insight. This clip exhibits Morgan’s style just about as accurately as possible.

Jon Miller has a reputation for being equally irksome. He hit on anything and everything under the sun…except on what was actually occurring in the game.

Towards the end, I swear, he was egging Morgan on. The two were like an old married couple, squabbling back and forth in the booth with no coherency to anything they were saying.

ESPN has recognized that it’s time for a change. Names like Dan Shulman, Oral Hershiser, and Bobby Valentine have been tossed around as possible replacements.

But really, it can’t get much worse. Unless, of course, Joe Buck signs with ESPN.

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Despite a disappointing ending, 2010 was a fantastic year for the Texas Rangers; they won the AL West, and captured their first AL pennant in team history.

However, if the Rangers want to rebound and make it back to the Fall Classic in 2011, there are a few things they have to address.

Like every team, the Rangers have questions at a few positions that must be answered during the off season.

These 10 moves could help bring the rangers back to post season success.

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Recently, The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo entertained the idea that Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka could generate some serious trade interest if the Sox chose to put him on the block.

He cited an informal poll of baseball execs as the basis of his claims that moving Daisuke could generate a lot of interest among the baseball community

This is certainly not a new idea, as his inconsistency on the mound and unwillingness to adapt to a more aggressive style of pitching has frustrated many Red Sox fans.

Yet the talent is definitely there, and a change of scenery could be all it takes for Daisuke to finally figure it out on the major league level.

If the Red Sox really were going to seriously consider trading the Dice-Man, which teams would be lining up for him, and what could the Red Sox expect to get in return?

One thing’s for certain: The Red Sox would likely have to eat a portion of his remaining two years and $20 million to move him. 

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After two games, the New York Yankees are tied one game apiece with the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series.

There are a number of things that Yankees fans should be aware of as their team returns home for three games.

Starting Pitching

The Yankees starting pitching so far has, quite honestly, been brutal. In game one, CC Sabathia lasted just four innings, giving up five earned runs, six hits, and five walks. In game two, Phil Hughes found a way to be even worse, lasting four plus innings, giving up seven earned runs, 10 hits, and three walks.

The Yankees simply cannot afford more starts like this. If the trend of burgeoning ERAs continues, the Yankees won’t make it much farther in the ALCS. They can’t count on Texas Ranger bullpen implosions every night.

That being said, the Yankees starters are very capable of bouncing back. Andy Pettitte, who’s been very good all year, gets the ball in game three at the Stadium. Pettitte has been overshadowed by much of the national media; game three is the first landing destination of Cliff Lee, so naturally, there hasn’t been much talk about the Yankees wily left-hander.

Yet Pettitte is just as capable as anyone on the Yankees roster, and has as good a potential of bringing Cliff Lee’s postseason unbeaten record to an end.

And CC Sabathia will get a shot at redemption, that’s for sure. CC seems to be much better on short rest, for whatever reason, so look for a strong performance in game five (or four).

Offense

The Yankees have yet to put together a complete offensive display in either of the two games.

In Game 1, they were absolutely stymied through seven innings, and then exploded for five runs in the eighth.

In Game 2, they managed just two runs on seven hits and seven walks, leaving 12 men on base. Other than Robinson Cano, the Yankees are lacking serious points in the consistency department.

The Effect of the Stadium

So the Yankees haven’t pitched well, and haven’t hit the ball consistently. Fortunately, some home cooking is the best way to scrape away the rust and get back to playing great baseball.

The Yankees, like most teams, just play better at home. Their 52-29 regular season home record was the second best in the American League this year.

The short porch in right is always a plus, and look for Mark Teixiera to get his bat going. Through two games, Tex is 0-8 with two walks and one run scored. In 2010, Teixiera batted just .227 on the road, but his average jumps to .288 at home.

The Cliff Lee Effect 

Unfortunately, the Yankees have to go up against the mighty Cliff Lee in their first home appearance. But the Yankees are a complete, tenacious offensive team. I fully expect them to give Lee their best effort, and even if they aren’t able to score a handful of runs off of him, they can get him out of the game early. 

However, since Lee is almost always in the strike zone, the Yankees offense has to bring their A game with them. Long at bats and taking advantage of fastballs in the zone will be key in determining the outcome of game three. They can’t afford to leave myriad runners on base; they need to take advantage of the baserunners they do get.

Bullpen 

The Yankees bullpen has been very good so far. In two games, they have combined for nine innings of work, allowing no runs and just three hits and five walks. While the pen has been a strength so far, the early use could be harmful towards the end of the series, especially if Yankees starters can’t give them innings.

A start of seven or more innings from Andy Pettitte in game three would go a long way in conserving the arms of the Yankees pen; they’d have limited use in Game 3, combined with the day of rest as the teams travel to New York.

Yankees Fans Shouldn’t Panic

The Rangers are a great team, and there’s no shame in splitting on the road. Even if they do have to go up against Cliff Lee, the Yankees are still in great shape to return to the World Series.

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The New York Yankees won game one of the American League Championship Series 6-5, defeating the Texas Rangers at home in dramatic fashion.

After looking stymied by the pitching of CJ Wilson throughout the first seven innings, the Yankees staged a ferocious comeback, scoring five runs in the eighth inning to take the lead.

How did the Yankees perform? I’ve graded the performances of CC Sabathia and other contributing factors to the Yankees victory.

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The 2011 season is finally over for the Boston Red Sox.

The upcoming months should provide a lot of intrigue.

A number of current Red Sox could be hitting the free-agent market: David Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, and Bill Hall if their respective options aren’t exercised. Also, the bullpen woes must be addressed. 

But most importantly, catcher Victor Martinez is assuredly hitting the free-agent market. Letting him walk would be a huge mistake.

Victor doesn’t want to leave Boston. The onus is on the front office to make sure he doesn’t.

Martinez, when dealt to the Red Sox from Cleveland at the 2009 trading deadline, broke down in tears when he was told by Indians GM Mark Shapiro that he had been traded. Martinez is the type of player who stays loyal to an organization, and had envisioned retiring as a member of the Cleveland Indians.

Now that he has found a new home in Boston, a place where he has thrived on the diamond and fit in in the clubhouse, Martinez would probably prefer that he and his family stay put.

Unfortunately, the Red Sox haven’t gotten negotiations off on the right foot. 

Earlier in the month, the team offered Martinez a two-year deal, which caught the catcher off guard. He politely declined.

“That’s a business part of this game,” Martinez told Boston sports radio station WEEI. “They’re trying to do one thing, and we’ll see what happens. I don’t really have to do it. They came with something, and that might just be where the negotiations start, but I don’t see myself signing a two-year deal. I’m young enough. I work so hard and I give it all. I just want to be treated fair. It wasn’t hard because it was something I wasn’t expecting. I wasn’t expecting a two-year deal, anyway. I wasn’t expecting for them to come to me during the season anyways.” 

Victor’s agent Alan Nero had this to say about the dealings: “Victor, at this point, is looking to be with a team for the rest of his career. It’s not a matter of security, it’s a matter of trying to get comfortable in one place.”

Basically, it all sounds as if Victor wants more years. He believes that he can catch full time for the rest of his career, which he’s said he would prefer to do. The Red Sox probably wouldn’t have to overpay for his skills in relative comparison to the market to get him either, just give him peace of mind in knowing where he’ll be.

A Victor-less Red Sox is a scary thought, one which most fans shouldn’t be comfortable with.

When you discount an injury-filled 2008 where V-Mart was limited to just 73 games, his domination of the catcher position over the course of his career has been quite remarkable.

Since 2004, his first full-time season, Victor has ranked in the top three among catchers in home runs and average five times, and runs and RBI six times. Other than 2008, Victor has been first or tied for first in RBI among catchers in every single, including 2010 (he’s currently tied with Brian McCann of the Braves with 77; McCann has 15 games on him).

Martinez is making an on-the-field case for why he should get a new contract from the Sox. After a thumb injury sidelined him for almost a month, an offensive surge over the last two months has shown why he’s so valuable.

In August, Martinez hit .298 with 4 HR and 15 RBI. In September, his numbers have been even better: a .324 average, 6 HR, 23 RBI, and a .941 OPS.

If Victor leaves, the catching situation in Boston next year would most likely be a platoon situation with Jarrod Saltalamacchia getting the majority of the time and Jason Varitek providing the occasional rest day and start against left-handers. 

To accomplish this, the Red Sox would have to re-sign the aging captain, despite the fact that he has more or less indicated that he believes this will be his last season as a member of the Red Sox.

Even in a platoon scenario, Saltalamacchia would well exceed the most at-bats he’s ever had in one year (308 in ’07).

And yet, Saltalamacchia hasn’t yet proven that he can hit consistently on the major league level, and he hasn’t been able to hold onto a starting job because of that. To bank on him finally doing that in 2011, while getting the most playing time of his career, isn’t sensible.

Also, Martinez has finally learned the nuances of the Red Sox starting rotation, something that was a minor point of criticism when he first arrived in Boston.

To show how far Victor has come in learning the staff, when asked about Martinez’s contract situation, Clay Buchholz openly endorsed him:

“We’ve got a bunch of catchers here, but he’s a special guy to this team because of his offensive capability and what he can do behind the plate.”

Martinez’s comfortability behind the plate with top-of-the-rotation guys like Buchholz will go a long way in a future re-signing with the team. 

And 2011 is a crucial year for Red Sox pitching; John Lackey and Josh Beckett have both had very disappointing seasons. The last thing either of them need is the uncertainty of who they’ll be throwing to on a day-to-day basis.

Letting Martinez leave could prove disastrous for years to come if Saltalamacchia doesn’t pan out. The Red Sox don’t have any legitimate catching prospects who are close to being MLB ready, and any struggles by Saltalamacchia could leave a gaping hole behind the plate until the Red Sox can fill that void.

Unfortunately for the Sox, quality free-agent catchers almost never hit the free-agent market these days, and it’s just as hard to trade for one. For the most part, you have to develop top catching talent, or get incredibly lucky like the Red Sox did in 2009, when the Indians practically dumped Martinez on the Sox.

For example, the free-agent catching class of 2011 (besides Victor) features such names as A.J. Pierzynski, John buck, Miguel Olivo, and Bengie Molina.

2012 is just as exciting. Jorge Posada and Pudge Rodriguez are both available, if the Sox want to go the 40-plus route.

Letting Victor leave would be the equivalent of the Red Sox organization saying, “We believe Jarrod Saltalamacchia is the full-time catcher of the future.” 

But if he isn’t, the Sox will have let one of the best catchers in baseball slip through their fingers, only to realize they need him more than anyone.

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It was a good run…right?

The Yankees defeated the Red Sox 4-3 in extra innings last night, a game that featured late inning dramatics from both sides.

The Yankees had a 3-2 lead going into the top of the ninth inning with Mariano Rivera on the hill.

Yet the resilient Sox would not go away. Ryan Kalish singled with one out, stole second, stole third, and scored on a Bill Hall single.

Mike Lowell would pinch-hit for Lars Anderson, and Hall followed the same suit as Kalish. He stole second and third, and with still just one out, Lowell hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field to bring the go-ahead run across the plate.

Unfortunately for the Red Sox, they could not hold the lead.

With Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon on the mound, Nick Swisher singled to right with one out in the bottom of the ninth and was immediately pinch-run for by Eduardo Nunez.

Mark Teixeira, up next, singled again to right, pushing the runners to first and second.

Nunez would then proceed to steal third, and with a 3-2 count, Ramiro Pena pinch-ran for Teixeira at first.

Alex Rodriguez walked, loading the bases for Yankee MVP Robinson Cano.

Cano singled to right yet again for the Yankees, scoring Nunez, but a great throw from Red Sox right fielder Josh Reddick held the winning run at third.

Papelbon managed to keep the scoring at that. He got Jorge Posada to strike out swinging and Lance Berkman to fly out to right to end the inning.

Papelbon’s performance, in a season where he struggled to locate the ball consistently, was marred by a few blatantly missed strike calls that would’ve retired Rodriguez and possibly allowed the Red Sox to escape from the Bronx with a sweep.

In home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi’s defense, however, the conditions by that time were less than perfect, with the rain and wind mixing for what must have been low visibility at best.

Even Mother Nature was against them, it seems.

The bottom of the 10th was set up when Curtis Granderson led off the inning with a single and was advanced to third on a bunt single by Brett Gardner and throwing error by Victor Martinez. Two Hideki Okajima walks later, the Yankees had scored the winning run.

The Red Sox got a dazzling performance from the inconsistent Daisuke Matsuzaka in what was perhaps his best start of the year. He pitched eight full innings, allowing only two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and just one walk.

Fate was cruel last night, and the Sox weren’t able to put together a victory despite Matsuzaka’s gem.

The win put the Yankees’ magic number at one. Essentially, the Yankees would have to lose the rest of their games while the Red Sox win the rest of their games just to force a one-game playoff for the wild card.

All in all, the game was a microcosm of the Red Sox season. It had everything that constantly tormented Boston fans throughout 2010. Papelbon blew his career-high eighth save of the season, they failed to win yet another extra-inning game, and they seemed to never get the pitching and offense to show up together, a problem that became evident especially during the second half.

Really, though, the Red Sox had no business thinking they could possibly make a September push. Injuries and inconsistency saw to that fairly early in the season.

Winter comes early this year in New England.

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The offseason is looming closer than most Red Sox fans had hoped for. 

The look of the 2011 Red Sox is still very much up in the air, as the organization has a number of unanswered questions about who they will or will not choose to bring back.

It’s very possible that an opening at first base or DH could appear next season for Boston, and they could very well choose to fill that void via free agency or the trade market.

One name that could be on the Red Sox opening day roster in 2011 might surprise some fans: Prince Fielder.

That’s right, “the bearded one” could well be on his way to Beantown.

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During his time in Boston, infielder Jed Lowrie has been the butt of many jokes by Red Sox fans. He has been criticized constantly for his apparent lack of any visible baseball skill set and has been labeled “injury prone” by the hometown fans.

In 2009, the former first round draft pick suffered a wrist injury that eventually led to his placement on the 60-day DL and arthroscopic surgery. He was out for almost three months and yet returned to the DL again a little more than two weeks after his return, again with another wrist injury.

In 2010, Mononucleosis delayed Lowrie’s first appearance with the club until late July.

Ironically enough, a rash of injuries opened the door for Lowrie to play full time, almost as soon as he returned from his third DL stint in two seasons.

And what did Lowrie do? Something he had never done before at the Major League level: hit.

In August, Lowrie went 17-56 at the plate (.304) through 20 games. His four home runs that month doubled his major league total through two prior seasons.

Lowrie also posted a blistering .971 OPS through August, second on the team only to Darnell McDonald.

He no longer looks utterly confused at the plate, swinging at mythical fastball after fastball, only to discover later that pitchers in the big leagues can actually throw good breaking stuff.

While Lowrie’s numbers have cooled off a bit in the month of September, the damage has been done. He’s shown that he can play well for an extended period of time on the Major League level, something that, quite frankly, he’s never proven before.

Lowrie’s success provides complications for the 2011 Red Sox but in a good way.

Continued improvement could lead to Jed finding more and more playing time next year, especially with the potential departure of super-utility man Bill Hall. 

Hall is due $9.25 Million in 2011 but also has a $500,000 buy-out clause which the Sox most certainly will exercise, making him a free agent.

The Sox still could resign Hall, but his success this season could make it harder to get him at a cheap enough rate. Even if he was to return, Hall would be one of the priciest backups in the game.

The departure of Hall would open a roster spot that Jed Lowrie would most certainly be first in line to inherit. Lowrie has experience at all the infield positions other than catcher and can provide reliable albeit less-than-flashy defense.

Lowrie could also find more playing time next year, depending on the status of current Red Sox shortstop Marco Scutaro. 

Scutaro will be 35 next season, as he enters the final guaranteed year of his contract with the Red Sox. While Scutaro’s play has been one of the most consistent things about the Red Sox in 2010, one has to wonder if 2011 will prove to be the same for the veteran.

Any injury-related issues or slippage of play for Scutaro could lead to Lowrie seeing more and more time at shortstop, his natural position. If the Red Sox feel he could handle the bulk of the time at SS in 2012, Scutaro’s $1.5 million buyout could be exercised.

Most importantly, the future of Jed Lowrie hinges on his performance for the rest of the season and whether or not he can carry his improvement over into 2011. The Red Sox seem generally unwilling to part with him, and it appears as if both the Red Sox coaching staff and GM Theo Epstein believe he can be a valuable piece to the team going forward.

We’ll see what the future holds for Jed. The ball is certainly in his court.

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For Daisuke Matsuzaka, the hype was unavoidable.

If it wasn’t the $51 million posting bid that the Red Sox gave to the Seibu Lions, Matsuzaka’s Japanese team until 2006, just to have the opportunity to negotiate a contract, it was the rumors of the dynamic stuff that Daisuke possessed.

Reports even surfaced regarding his ability to throw a legendary pitch known as the gyroball.

Fast forward almost three and a half years, and the general perception of Matsuzaka is very different. 

Matsuzaka’s time in Boston has been anything but consistent.

Matsuzaka followed a somewhat lackluster 2007 “rookie” campaign with a much better 2008 season, in which he finished 18-3 (fifth overall in wins) with a 2.90 ERA (third), and finished in fourth place in AL cy young voting.

Yet critics accused Matsuzaka of being too complacent on the mound.

They pointed to the fact that he loaded the bases too often, and walked too many batters. Indeed, his 94 walks in 2008 led all American League pitchers.

Naysayers also attributed most of his wins to the run support and bullpen help he received, for he averaged only 5.2 innings per outing in 2008.

His 2009 campaign was a disaster.

After missing most of spring training for the world baseball classic, where he led his native Japan to yet another title, Matsuzaka struggled early on in the season and was sent to the DL.

Upon his return in late May, a string of bad starts triggered the Red Sox to shutdown Matsuzaka yet again and place him on an extended rehab assignment. 

He didn’t pitch again until September 15 against the Detroit Tigers, where Matsuzaka dazzled, pitching 6+ innings of shutout ball, giving up only three hits and three walks.

From September until the end of the season, Matsuzaka was 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA.

Daisuke’s first half in 2010 has been almost as unpredictable as the summation of his first three seasons.

His first start was delayed until the first of May because of neck and back injuries suffered in spring training. 

Throughout the year, Daisuke has shown flashes of brilliance (a near no hitter against the Phillies on May 22), as well as reminders of the painstakingly deliberate Daisuke who is unwilling to challenge batters.

Now, with the trading deadline approaching, more and more average performances by Matsuzaka will lead to the growing faction of Red Sox nation who want him out of Boston.

Despite all the injuries the Red Sox have suffered this year, at the break they are only three games out of a second place finish and wild card berth. Matsuzaka could prove to be a valuable trading chip if the Sox choose to pursue an outfielder to help in the stretch run.

With long term deals in place with Josh Beckett and John Lackey, as well as growing confidence in young stars Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, the Sox can definitely afford to part ways with the inconsistent Matsuzaka if they so choose.

Daisuke has shown throughout his career that when he is at his best, he is a great pitcher that would be valuable at the top of any rotation. This potential could certainly attract many teams.

If Daisuke’s potential isn’t enough, his current contract yields him an average of only $8.7 million a year, fairly pedestrian by today’s standards. 

With many teams willing to take a chance on a starter with high upside, and the Red Sox looking for the right combination of players to lead to a World Series title, continued inconsistency by the Japanese hurler will fuel rumors of a deadline trade.

Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein has a history of blockbuster trading deadline moves.

In 2004, hometown favorite Nomar Garciappara was shipped out of town in a deal that brought Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz to Boston, ultimately resulting in the first World Series title for the Sox in 86 years.

In 2008, slugger Manny Ramirez was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deal that brought Jason Bay to Beantown.

In 2009, Epstein was able to acquire all-star catcher Victor Martinez from the Cleveland Indians at the trading deadline.

If Matsuzaka does not noticeably pick up his play and show that he deserves a spot on the Red Sox during their second half run, he could very well end up dealt at the 2010 trading deadline.

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