Kuzul

In today’s game of free agency and rebuilding sell-offs, it’s extremely rare for a player to stick with a team for much more than about a decade. Stars come and go, and the team’s is the only name that lasts through a fan’s lifetime.

But some players leave behind legacies that continue to capture the hearts of their fans long after they hang up their cleats.

Last week, Bleacher Report’s MLB Featured Columnists completed our hardest poll yet: picking the top players in the history of each NL franchise (for the AL results, click here).

Each voter was asked to name the top three players for each team, scored on a 3-2-1 basis. The greats were then ranked by points, with the number of first-place votes (in parentheses next to the vote totals) as a tiebreaker.

Some of the results were pretty predictable—I don’t think saying Hank Aaron and Willie Mays won for the Braves and Giants is much of a spoiler. But some of the winners were harder to see coming, and how the rest of the lists filled out was fascinating.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Note: I sent this survey only to the Featured Columnists who have been active in previous polls. If you are a new FC or you have changed your mind about wanting to participate, send me a message and I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop for next time!

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As of August 16, thirteen teams find themselves within six games of a playoff spot.

So while Boston, New York, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Chicago, Texas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco, and Colorado will relish playing each other, that doesn’t mean they should glaze over the rest of the schedule.

I’m sure Mets fans remember their own personal playoff spoiler. In both 2007 and 2008, the Mets were eliminated on the last day of the season by the Florida Marlins, who had nothing to gain in the game but the sweet satisfaction of ending New York’s playoff hopes.

Which cellar-dwelling teams will have that same feeling this year?

Here are five who hope to keep their division rivals home this October.

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As we get ever so close to the end of the 2010 MLB season, the playoff picture has begun to slowly take form. There are six teams in the American division and six teams in the National division fighting for a postseason berth, with everybody else 8 games or more away from even flirting with a wild card.

In no specific order, the Yankees, Rays, Twins, White Sox, Rangers, and Red Sox are the big six slugging it out in the American League, while the Phillies, Braves, Cardinals, Reds, Padres, and Giants are battling it out in the National League.

One of the key factors down the stretch will be whether or not the struggling pieces to each team’s puzzle will turn it around or not.

Whether it is due to injury, a slump, or just bad mechanics, there are 10 players I feel will significantly impact their respective team, in their quest for the postseason.

So let’s take a look at who needs to turn things around, before it’s too late.

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“Frustrating” is the perfect word to describe many MLB teams’ seasons.

High expectations have, in many cases, not been met. Injuries have been part of the reason, but much of it is lack of quality play.

But just because certain teams such as the Cubs, Nationals, and Indians have been virtually knocked out of the playoff picture doesn’t mean they can’t fight to do the same to teams that are in the race.

The reality is that someone is going to get hurt by a team playing spoiler down the road. Here are the five teams with the best chances at hurting someone and giving their fans a reason to end the year on a high note.

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In 2009, the Milwaukee Brewers’ second baseman Rickie Weeks missed all but 37 games of the Brew-Crew’s season.  It was the fifth straight injury-shortened season of Weeks’ career–out of five career seasons–and at the age of 26 it was beginning to look as though Weeks may never arrive.

Fast forward to 2010 and a shocking change has occurred.  Weeks has missed only one game, leads the National League in plate appearances and at-bats, and is on pace to hit 30 home runs after never having hit more than 16 in any previous season.

What’s more, through 118 games, Weeks league-leading PA’s and AB’s also represent career highs.  But it gets better: With 11 more games played and nine more runs scored, Weeks will have set career records in games, PA’s, AB’s, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, and total bases.

And oh by the way, he’s done all of this while also leading the league in being hit by a pitch.  Pretty sturdy for an ordinarily injury proned guy.

With the season Weeks is having in mind, let’s have a look at the Top 10 Most Shocking Statistics from the 2010 Season.

So far.

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Not everyone can be a winner.

These ten pitchers have found this out the hard way this season. Despite pitching very well for their teams this season they each have a losing record.

These ten pitchers have suffered from a lack of run support, poor defense behind them, and a case of bad luck.

Three of the pitchers on this list pitch for teams that are last place in their divisions, two play for teams that are still in the playoff hunt, and one pitcher on this list is actually on a first place team.

These ten pitchers have combined for eight all star selections, two NLCS MVP’s, a World Series MVP, a Cy Young, and a perfect game. Clearly losing can happen to anyone, but these ten pitchers have pitched better than most and don’t have the wins to show for it.

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As we’re headed down the homestretch of the 2010 Major League Baseball season, the divisional races in both leagues are heating up.

In every division, except for the AL West, teams are separated by three games or less.

The Yankees and Rays are battling in the AL East. In the AL Central, a half game separates the White Sox and Twins. And in all three National League divisions, all three are each separated by two games from the NL East to the NL Central to the NL West.

But even when you look at the AL West, with the Texas Rangers currently holding a seven game lead over the Oakland Athletics, can we call that division over or do the A’s still have something left in the tank to make a run?

There are so many story lines that will play themselves out over the next few months. We’re going to breakdown each division and where each race will stand at the end of August. How many lead changes will there be? Will the Yankees be able to distance themselves from the Rays? Can the Rangers put the AL West away for good or will the A’s find something a little extra and crawl back into the race? Can the Padres hold off the Giants in the NL West?

Just so it’s clear, the number at the very bottom of each slide is how many games that team will gain this month. We’ll answer all these questions and give you a glance at just how these races will look at the end of the month.

Ready? Let’s get it…

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Being a major league manager is a very tough job. You have to do stuff like make the lineup card every day, you have to pick what pitcher to start on a certain day, and you have to choose what player should come out of the bullpen at a certain time. It is stressfull and it is very hard to do it day and day out. These managers have not done a good job at all and in this list I will say the managers who will most likely be fired or who should be fired before this season is over. This list is not in a certain order it is just the managers who should be fired. I hope you enjoy!

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Surprise players can carry both a fantasy baseball squad and a major league baseball team to a championship.

Owners and managers may have hunches regarding certain players, but they remain pipe dreams until the production actually comes to fruition.

The true value of these players comes in their unexpected contributions, usually at very low salaries. A cheap all-star, in many ways, can be considered more valuable than a high-priced superstar.

Just as fantasy leagues are often won in the late rounds, division titles and championships are often decided not by the $20 million a year slugger, but by the bargain bin pitcher who turns into a solid #3 pitcher.

Or the early-season injury replacement that earns an everyday job.

The 2010 MLB season has produced numerous surprise players, and it is no coincidence that many of these players are on teams that have outperformed their preseason prognostications.

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Alex Rodriguez entered very rarefied air on Wednesday afternoon when he smacked his 600th career home run in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays.

What is singularly special about the achievement is that not only is A-Rod the seventh man to reach 600 home runs, but he is first infielder to reach the milestone.

That got us thinking about the best power hitting infielders of all-time. There are a few in the 500 Home Run Club and others who aren’t, but the entire group left an impact on the game for being the rare combination of a slugging infielder.

Note: This list only includes shortstops, second baseman and first baseman.

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