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Every year, managers, coaches and writers from around Major League Baseball award honors and trophies to the players. And every year, they screw up.

This week, Bleacher Report’s Featured Columnists kicked off our preemptive response to the BBWAA’s ineptitude: a 16-part series in which 33 writers weighed in on who should win the game’s top honors, starting with the AL Gold Gloves on Monday and the NL Gold Gloves on Tuesday.

Today, we turn our attention to the AL Silver Sluggers—the best hitters at each position in the Junior Circuit.

So read on, see how we did and be sure to let us know what we got wrong.

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The two regular season favorites for the American League MVP award have continued their battled into the ALCS. Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano and Rangers centerfielder Josh Hamilton are leading their teams as the American League championship heads to Texas for Game 6.

While their performances in the ALCS do not count toward the American League MVP award, they are both leading the charge for the ALCS MVP. All votes are already in for the regular season award that has yet to be announced.

Cano, who is becoming the leader of the Yankees lineup, batted .319 this season with career highs of 29 home runs and 109 runs batted in. Cano also had career highs in slugging percentage (.534) and on base percentage (.381).

Not only was Cano a leader with the bat, he also had a Gold Glove-quality season from his second base position. He committed only three errors in 776 total chances. His range has improved tremendously and Cano is the best in the league at turning a double play.

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton led the league with a .359 average while belting 32 home runs and driving in 100. While he did commit four errors in 267 chances, Hamilton had nine outfield assists.

Continue to full article on Double G Sports.

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The bats finally woke up for the New York Yankees last night. CC Sabathia stepped up like any ace should, battling through six innings and giving his team the lead.

Staring elimination in the eye, the Yankees used their bats and took advantage of some sloppy play by the Texas Rangers to force a Game 6. The series now returns to Texas with the Rangers holding a three games to two lead in this best of seven series.

In order to defend last seasons world series title, the Yankees will need to win the final two games in Texas, starting Friday night. One step at a time though.

Before a big matchup between Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte in Game 7, the Yankees will need to win Game 6 behind Phil Hughes. Hughes was roughed up in Game 2, also played in Texas.

Early in the series, the Yankees bats had been silenced by the Rangers pitchers. Robinson Cano had really been the only hot hitter.

Last night, some others woke up a bit. With a three run lead in the third inning, Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano hit back-to-back home runs to give Sabathia a 5-0 lead. Seven of the nine Yankees in the lineup had at least one hit. The team totalled nine on the night.

Read full article at Double G Sports.

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The Texas Rangers lost their first ever game when attempting to clinch a pennant. On an overcast day at Yankee Stadium, it was the Yankees who fought off elimination, bringing out the bats against C.J. Wilson. This game went the Yankees’ way, the same way it had gone the Rangers’ way over the last three games.

It’s not as if the Rangers couldn’t hit CC Sabathia—they just couldn’t come through in the clutch, and after some home runs by New York, it was a 7-2 defeat for Texas in Game 5 of the ALCS.

Tomorrow will be an off-day in the series, as it shifts back to Arlington for a Game 6 on Friday and potentially Game 7 on Saturday.

The Rangers are still in the driver’s seat with Cliff Lee ready for a one-and-done Game 7 if needed.

Here’s a report card for the Rangers, breaking down what went wrong in their loss on Wednesday.

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The Yankees had a lead with A.J. Burnett on the mound, but manager Joe Girardi got greedy and left him in too long as the Rangers eventually broke the game open for a 10-3 victory at Yankee Stadium.

Here are some highlights:

• Burnett held the Rangers to two runs over five innings, but gave up a three-run shot to Bengie Molina in the sixth that put the Yankees behind 5-3.

• Mark Teixeira seriously injured his groin running to first base. He’s likely out for the remainder of the playoffs no matter how long the Yankees go.

• Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter each had multiple hits, including a Cano solo shot. Nobody else had more than one hit.

The Yankees have a tall order ahead of them. They have to win the next three games, and they have to face Cliff Lee again in Game 7, if it gets that far.

Related Stories

• October 18, 2010 — Yankees News: Rotation is Set, Cliff Lee’s Hat, Teixeira’s Thumb, and More
• October 7, 2010 — Yankees Notes: Teixeira, Burnett, Rivera, and Girardi
• September 28, 2010 — An A.J. Disaster
• September 22, 2010 — Yankees Notes: Teixeira, Marte, and More

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In 1996, a snot-nosed brat named Jeffrey Mair reached his hand into the field of play during the American League Championship Series. He grabbed a ball destined to be caught by Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tony Tarasco, thus allowing it to be called a home run hit by Derek Jeter because right field umpire Rich Garcia was out of position and uncertain of what exactly happened.

Instead of being ejected from Yankee Stadium, or vilified by the press, he was called a hero. Soon he was on televised talk shows and being given seats behind the Yankees dugout. The mayor even gave him a key to the city, telling the youth of New York City that cheating was heroic, acceptable, and rewarding.

The Yankees have spent most of the 2010 ALCS getting their butts kicked by the Texas Rangers. If not for a bullpen meltdown for an inning in Game One, the Rangers would have closed the series with a sweep tonight after their 10-3 win.

The Yankees and their fans are only like by them, but they are still respected because the team has won more World Series titles than any other team. Fans feel entitled by all this success, so actions considered barbaric by the rest of civilization are deemed acceptable by them.

In the second inning of Game Four, New York’s Robinson Cano popped a lazy fly ball in right field. In the bandbox known as the new Yankee Stadium, lazy fly balls often reach the wall. This was the case of Cano’s pop up. Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz easily got to the wall in plenty of time, then timed his jump.

He encountered the ghost of Mair, because a group of idiotic fans figured they were Patrick Ewing and decided to block Cruz from having a shot at the ball. Again, the right field umpire was out of position, but now Major League Baseball has reply.

A replay that clearly showed interference, but it did not matter because the umpire’s ruling made the use of replay is not allowed on such judgement call for some reason. Though replay is still being fine tuned by baseball, this play has given them an obvious impetus to refine this rule.

Now with Texas on the verge of knocking out a Yankees team most predicted to win it all, the Rangers need to realize they are still stuck in the Big Apple. A rotten apple of enabling media urging on fans to cheat for their team to keep tradition alive.

A tradition seen on National TV the past two games where 80 percent of Yankees Stadium was empty well before the game ended because these famous fans show themselves to be more fair-weathered than loyal. Leaving the field early cheats the team, but that seems to be the new Yankee Way thanks to their hero Jeffrey Mair.

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The Texas Rangers could very easily be up 2-0 on the New York Yankees right now and quite frankly should be.  They blew a huge opportunity on Friday night and they know it.  These MLB Playoffs are all about seizing the moment and making the most of your opportunity.  While the Rangers have done that well thus far in October, they could have had the defending World Champions on the ropes.  Now, the series turns to the Bronx with Cliff Lee opposing Andy Pettite in a pivotal Game 3 on Monday night.  Lee is undefeated in the playoffs and has owned the Yankees throughout his career.  Pettite is perhaps the best post-season pitcher of this era and has numerous rings to show for.  

This series has taken on an identity of its own and should provide even more fireworks now as it shifts to New York.  So far, the Rangers have gotten the better of the champs and are in striking distance of putting this thing out of reach.  The Yankees, now with the home-field advantage will continue to fight for their playoff lives and prove why they are the game’s best in October.

Let’s now recount the top performances in the early part of this year’s ALCS.

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It’s not going to be a sweep for the Yankees. The Rangers got their first postseason victory at home in their nearly 50 seasons with a 7-2 blowout win over the Yankees.

After a bullpen collapse Friday night, the Rangers were able to hold on to their lead. The Rangers’ bullpen was the complete opposite of what it was in their loss to New York on Friday. The Yankees were only able to obtain one hit in a little over three innings against the Rangers’ bullpen.

Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis pitched well into the sixth inning, and Texas threw in five relievers that completely shut down the Yankees’ star-studded offense. Y

ankees pitcher Phil Hughes had arguably one of the worst outings in ALCS history—the young pitcher had four innings of work, while surrendering 10 hits, along with seven earned runs. He also gave up three walks and struck out three. According to the Bill James Game Score rating system, Hughes had the third-worst ALCS pitching performance in baseball history, only behind Jim Perry (1970 Twins) and Fausto Carmona (2007 Indians). The rating system showed that Hughes scored a 14.

Texas’ Elvis Andrus got the Rangers off to a fantastic start, after an incredible steal of homeplate, putting the Rangers up 1-0. MVP candidate Josh Hamilton also stole second base on the play. 

“Opportunity seemed right, so I took a chance. That’s the way we play. It worked. Got us going,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said about the play.

Outfielder David Murphy would then hit a solo shot in the second inning, putting the Rangers up 2-0. Michael Young would then double later in the inning, scoring Mitch Moreland.

Murphy would come back in the third inning, doubling to right field and scoring Nelson Cruz on the play, while extending the Rangers’ lead to 4-0. Bengie Molina proceeded to double, scoring Murphy on the play.

The Yankees would finally get on the board in the fourth inning when Lance Berkman singled and scored Robinson Cano—Berkman was thrown out at second, trying to extend the play.

In the fifth inning, Ian Kinsler got the lone triple of the night, scoring Cruz, putting the Rangers’ lead at 6-1. Moreland then singled and scored the aforementioned Kinsler. The Rangers were now looking at a blowout, and had the Yankees at a 7-1 lead.

Robinson Cano hit a 448-foot blast in the sixth inning, but it was too late. The Yankees would not get another run, and the game would end at 7-2.

Neftali Feliz came in the ninth inning and pitched near-perfect. He did surrender two walks in the inning, but struck out Derek Jeter to start the inning. That set the tone for the rest of the inning and after walking Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixiera, he was able to get Alex Rodriguez to ground out and Cano to fly out to end the game.

Game 3 will be on Monday at Yankee Stadium. Cliff Lee, who has won his last four starts in New York, will start for the Rangers. Andy Pettitte will start for the Yankees. But, that is Monday night, and the Rangers are looking forward to it.

With their win on Saturday, the Rangers ended their 10-game postseason losing streak against the Yankees. With the momentum on their side, they’re hoping that they can take a 2-1 series lead on Monday.

“That’s what they have been doing for us all year. That’s how we got to this point. (Friday) night, we didn’t get it done. We didn’t make any excuses about it,” Washington said after the game. “We took the whipping, we took a shower…I was going to give the ball back to those guys if it presented itself. It presented itself, they did a great job. I expected that.”

And we expected it, too, Mr. Washington.

By Tyler Ward : Sports Guys Universe; SJ  Contributing Author

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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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All eyes were in Arlington Friday night as the Yankees and Rangers kicked off Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

The Yankees, who had almost a week of rest, sent their ace in CC Sabathia to square off against the Rangers lefty C.J. Wilson in Game 1.

The game quickly started in favor of the Rangers as Sabathia’s control was off from the start of the first inning.

Elvis Andrus walked to lead off the game and Michael Young singled to set up first and third with no outs.

Josh Hamilton then hit a line drive home run to right to quickly put Texas up 3-0. The Rangers fans were on their feet and going crazy following the Hamilton home run.

Sabathia quickly continued to struggle in the first inning, loading the bases for Jorge Cantu with two outs. Sabathia threw a wild pitch that Jorge Posada could not get to and went to the backstop, but Posada got the ball to Sabathia and tagged out Nelson Cruz trying to score to end a very crazy and busy first inning.

Sabathia was able to get through the second and third innings, but ran into more trouble in the fourth inning.

Young doubled to center field, scoring Matt Treanor and Andrus to make the game 5-0 in favor of the Rangers.

Sabathia only lasted four innings, allowed six hits, five runs, walked four and struck out three. In the most simple of terms, Sabathia was terrible on Friday night. He had no command of the strike zone, walked too many batters and if anything was lucky he didn’t leave the game losing at 9-0.

Could this be Texas’ night? It sure looked that way early on, especially because Wilson was pitching very well.

Wilson had the Yankees scoreless for six innings until Robinson Cano hit a solo home run to right off Wilson that made it 5-1.

Brett Gardner led off the top of the eighth inning by hitting the ball to Cantu at first. Cantu went to flip the ball to Wilson to record the out, but Gardner slid head first into first base and beat Wilson’s foot and was now on first to lead off the eighth inning.

That gutsy play by Gardner would be the turning point of the game and the spark to an eighth inning Yankees rally.

Following Gardner’s infield single, Derek Jeter doubled to right field to score Gardner and now the score was 5-2.

Jeter would be the final batter Wilson would see as Ron Washington pulled his starter from the game. Wilson pitched seven innings, allowed six hits, two runs, walked two and struck out four.

Relieving Wilson was veteran left-hander Darren Oliver, who came in and walked Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira to load the bases for Alex Rodriguez.

Washington pulled Oliver and put in Darren O’Day to face A-Rod. On the very first pitch, A-Rod smashed the ball down the left field line for a base hit that scored Jeter and Swisher and the score was now 5-4 with nobody out.

Washington then went to left-hander Clay Rapada to face Cano, and on his very first pitch, Cano singled to center to score Teixeira and now, the game was tied at 5-5.

Derek Holland replaced Rapada on the mound and Marcus Thames singled to left to score A-Rod and now the Yankees had taken the lead 6-5.

Can you believe that? After the Yankees looked all but dead through seven innings, they strike and strike hard and now have command of the game.

Holland was able to escape the rest of the eighth with no further damage, leaving it a one-run game.

In the bottom of the eighth, Kerry Wood came in and Ian Kinsler led off with a walk.

David Murphy was up trying to look for a rally, but Wood was able to pick off Kinsler trying to lead off first. With that one simple out, any magic Texas had in them seemed to vanish. Wood finished off the rest of the eighth with no problems.

In the bottom of the ninth, Mariano Rivera came in to nail down the save for the Yankees.

Pinch hitting for Cantu, Mitch Moreland singled up the middle to start the inning.

Andrus sacrificed Moreland to second, giving long-time Ranger Young a chance to be a hero.

After a long at-bat, Young struck out for the second out of the ninth inning.

Hamilton grounded out to third to end the game and gave the Yankees a 6-5 Game 1 victory.

Dustin Moseley, who came in to pitch the sixth and seventh innings, got the win for the Yankees. Pitching in relief of Sabathia, Moseley did a great job keeping the game at 5-0 and not allowing Texas to expand their lead.

O’Day took the loss for Texas. He was one of several Texas relievers who was terrible and blew a really good game pitched by Wilson.

For about 80 percent of this game, the Yankees looked like a beaten team in danger of falling behind 1-0.

But the Yankees never gave up. They showed tremendous heart and guts on the field and came alive in that eighth inning, almost hitting and scoring at will against the Rangers bullpen.

In a game the Rangers seemed like they were six outs away from enjoying an easy victory,ends up being a heart-wrenching defeat.

Game two will be on Saturday and will have Phil Hughes going for the Yankees to send it 2-0 back to the Bronx, while the Rangers will have Colby Lewis trying to split the series before heading to New York.

Game One was a huge victory for the Yankees that might end up dictating how this series ends up turning out.

Four down, seven to go until No. 28 for Yankees Universe.

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