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For the tenth time since 2000, the Cardinals have Gold Glovers in their clubhouse.

This time, Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols paired up to make a defensive duo for the Redbirds.

For Molina, this award comes as no surprise. It’s his third straight, placing him on the verge of joining an exclusive club composed of Johnny Bench, Del Crandall, Charles Johnson, and former Cardinal Mike Matheny—the only National Leaguers to win the award more than three times.

“Winning the award for a third year means a lot to me,” said Molina. “It’s why I work hard every day to be one of the best at my position. I’ll continue to work hard to be the first to win four.”

With his most recent victory, the question has become not whether Molina is the premier defensive backstop in baseball, but by how much he outpaces his peers. This season, Molina’s 17 Zone Runs led all catchers, and was nearly double the total of runner-up Humberto Quintero. His 1.6 Defensive WAR also led all catchers by a wide margin, and Molina was fourth in the league in both categories.

Teammates have nothing but good things to say about the backstop.

“He’s unbelievable,” staff ace Chris Carpenter said of Molina, who has been his catcher since he won the Cy Young Award in 2005. “He’s like the guy in the book ‘The Blind Side.’ Everybody talks about the wide receivers and quarterbacks and running backs that make those great plays, but none of that happens if the lineman does not do his job. … Yadi is the unsung hero. He does so many things behind the scenes like calling pitches and blocking balls. It’s not just about throwing guys out. He’s an amazingly smart catcher, and it definitely gives me an advantage having him back there.”

What he really excels at, though, is shutting down the opponent’s running game. He led the league in caught stealing percentage once again this season, with 48.5% of runners caught.

Cubs fans will not soon forget the play Molina made against them last year. With a left-handed batter at the plate and a man on first, Molina deftly picked a breaking ball out of the dirt, wheeled around, and threw around the batter, picking the runner off at first.

Molina currently has 33 pick-offs through his first six full seasons. At that pace, he’ll shatter the record of 81 set by Ivan Rodriguez, and will challenge the major league record of 94, held by pitchers Andy Pettitte and Kenny Rogers.

This should come as no surprise to anyone who has watched Molina play. His laser-cannon arm, plus nearly telepathic connection with first baseman Albert Pujols, are reminiscent of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who, like Molina, is the most cerebral player in his sport.

Speaking of Pujols, this was his his second such award, and although he isn’t the revolutionary defensive wizard Molina is, he was still clearly the best player at his position. Albert led the league in putouts, double plays, fielding percentage, and range factor, and led all first basemen in assists.

He becomes the third Cardinal first baseman to win the award twice, joining defensive wizards Bill White and Keith Hernandez.

Pitcher Adam Wainwright and shortstop Brendan Ryan were also in contention for the award, but missed out to Bronson Arroyo and Troy Tulowitzki, respectively.

The winners were Arroyo, Molina, Pujols, Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, Tulowitzki, Reds third baseman and former Cardinal Scott Rolen, and outfielders Shane Victorino, Michael Bourn, and Carlos Gonzalez.

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World Champion San Francisco Giant’s shortstop Edgar Renteria had a great World Series, with seven hits in 18 at bats with two home runs and six runs scored and a .412 batting average. The five time all star delivered a three run go ahead home run in the top of the seventh inning of game five and was named World Series Most Valuable Player. Good work, but it seems that Renteria save his best work for the off season, where his contributions to his home country of Columbia are becoming  second nature.

When Renteria returns to his hometown of Barranquilla, Columbia on Thursday he is asking that the planned parade and parties in his honor be canceled and all the funds be donated to the thousands of his fellow country men and woman that are the victims of recent flooding. The port city in northern Columbia has been ravaged by floods recently, with an estimated 900, 000 people being left homeless. Renteria said that “there are more important things back home” other than parades and parties.

Some may argue that parade and parties would help people take their minds off of their troubles, and in some cases it does, but it seems that Renteria chose to use his great World Series as a platform to raise awareness rather than celebrate. It is a tough judgement call but sometime people need monetary help more than moral victory.

In 2003 Renteria and his brother Edison created the Colombian Professional Baseball League, it is owned by the Renteria Foundation, and other major league players such as Orlando Cabrera have owned teams.

In baseball the saying goes”hitting is contagious”  and with people like Edgar Renteria doing his part in a small Colombian community hopefully someday we can say that “generosity and common courtesy for our fellow man is contagious.” Sometime it is little gestures of good will and common sense that make a big difference in peoples lives. Although a parade would have been a great diversion for a few hours, the food and everyday necessities that these people might get with monetary help will last a lot longer. Lets hope that others follow Edgar Renteria’s lead and make stories like this the rule and not the exception.

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MLB free agency has officially started and the New York Yankees have a full plate to say the least.

Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte are no longer officially Yankees. Than there is free agent pitching ace Cliff Lee, along with outfielders Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth—who will be the most sought after players on the market.

Cliff Lee has been on the Yankees “Christmas List” for quite some time and no one in the Bronx is denying that Lee is what they want.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman needs to get the iconic players all squared away before even getting to Lee. The Yankees should overpay, because no one can imagine the Yankees sans the Captain and the Closer, especially the huge and loyal fans. A group that Cashman and co. needs to keep happy as clams, making the above inevitable.

Unfortunately, Lee’s wife did not enjoy her time at the Stadium during the ALCS. A handful of stupid Yankees fans decided to taunt the ace’s Mrs., which was not a smart idea considering the circumstances. Any and every Yankees fan knows that we coveted Lee and that he was finally a free agent at the end of 2010 season. This makes it so hard to comprehend what the hell these fans were thinking. Obviously they were not at all.

What if these contract talks with Jeter do become “messy” and take up a lot more time, money and manpower than anticipated?

When will Southpaw Andy Pettitte decide if he is done with baseball or not? Hopefully, it will be sooner than later. The Yankees are going to need Pettitte more than ever, if for some reason Lee does not sign with New York.

So, what are the Yankees other options if the Lee deal doesn’t come about?

Do they move onto Crawford or Werth and forget starting pitching as the top priority?

Doubtful because they Yankees are still pretty stacked offensively in Crawford and Werth’s respected positions. Pitching has a necessary void that needs to be filled, considering CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Phil Hughes are going to need some help in the rotation.

Burnett needs to work his butt off before 2011 Spring Training, because having a solid Burnett again could be the difference maker for the team’s success.

Are there any other free agent arms the Yankees have in mind just in case?

Trust in the fact that there is not a pitcher even in the same league as Lee available, but here are three names that would be the next best thing:

Jorge De La Rosa – Doubtful that De La Rosa could resign with the Colorado Rockies but will test the free agent market to see what else is out there. De La Rosa is a solid lefty, finishing the last two seasons with a 4.31 ERA and 306 strikeouts in 306.2 innings of work. De La Rosa frequents the DL way too often, but with the short list of solid starters on the market, he can get a lot more this off-season.

Brandon Webb – Arizona Diamondbacks are not jumping to resign Webb, as he had shoulder surgery that kept him out since beginning of 2009-10 season. Still, Webb a former Cy Young winner before the injury was one of the best righties in the game from 2006-08 and could add nice depth to the back of that rotation. In 2008, Webb finished 22-7 for the season, with a 3.30 ERA, striking out 183 over 226.2 innings pitched. Webb is 31 years old and whether he can get back to two years ago is a risk, but one that could work.

Rafael Soriano – Not a starter, but was easily in the top three closers in baseball the past few seasons. Tampa Bay Rays would love to keep Soriano, but he will join a long list of other players the Rays can’t afford to resign. The Yankees did not pick up Kerry Woods option at $11 million for 2011, but they still could resign Wood at a lower and more reasonable price for his services. Still, if Lee is not going to be in pinstripes than why would the Yankees not throw their money at Soriano and make the bullpen absolutely ruthless and impossible to beat.

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Life for the last two World Series MVPs has been overrated.  Winning the trophy has been like a mini-Madden jinx for these players.    

MVP Edgar Renteria helped the San Francisco Giants earn their first World Series title since 1958.

Without his tiebreaking homer in the last game, the Giants may not have won.  It was the second World Series-winning hit of his career.

To thank him, the Giants let him go.

The Cardinals should go try to entice him back to St. Louis before the Cincinnati Reds sign him.  The Reds own a patent on scooping up ex-Cardinals.

A two-time World Series champion, Edgar Renteria had his 2011 contract option rejected by the Giants on Nov. 4.  For the Barranquilla, Colombia, native, the option was worth a reported $9.5-10.5 million.

San Francisco bought the veteran major leaguer out for $500,000, according to reports.

No longer a million dollar baby, Renteria turns 36 years old next Aug. 7.  He’s no spring chicken, but he is still a million dollar ballplayer—ask Cliff Lee. 

Renteria has been missed in St. Louis since 2004.  The Redbirds got horrific production and youth-type mistakes from their shortstops most of last season.

He is a clubhouse leader who is batting .287 for his career and is still more clutch than many younger players.  In fact, he’s probably forgotten more of his clutch hits than the current Cardinals shortstops have made.  In 1997, he hit a walk-off single in the seventh game of the World Series—in extra innings in his sophomore season—with two outs.

A 15-year veteran this season, he was on the disabled list for much of 2010.  He played in the fewest games he ever has.  The Giants almost left him off the playoff roster, but they’re glad they didn’t.

Now he has a big decision to ponder.  The temptation to walk away on top of his game —like many pro athletes wish to—may be too much to allow any team to sign him.     

“It’s always hard to think about retiring,” he said after the Giants’ World Series victory parade.

Not many teams are in the market for aging ballplayers.  Derek Jeter is 35 years old, and his contract negotiations with the Yankees could get messy, according to Hal Steinbrenner.

Hideki Matsui was let go by the Yankees after he won the 2009 World Series MVP.  He was 35 years old.  Matsui signed with the Angels, and they didn’t make the playoffs. 

It wasn’t his fault; in 2010, he batted .274 with 21 home runs and 84 RBI.

Q: Will what happened to the Yankees befall the Giants in 2011? 

A: Most likely.  The Yankees let Johnny Damon walk, too.  Now the Giants are looking at the same scenario: losing a World Series MVP and another important cog in the offense.  

Both organizations put the squeeze play on the money for their World Series MVPs.  That’s a big reason why no one should be expecting the Giants to repeat.

While they may have strong pitching, they could be losing two of their best bats.

Giants shortstop Juan Uribe will turn 32 in January—allegedly.  He has a $3.25 million contract, but free agency is pending. 

The Cardinals need a big-time bat to replace Ryan Ludwick’s. 

Uribe is probably more of a slugger than any middle infielder the Cardinals ever had.  Listed at 6’0″ and a generous 230 pounds, he is built like a running back.  He hit .248 with career highs of 24 home runs and 85 RBI in 2010. 

He lost his starting job with the White Sox to Alexei Ramirez in 2008.  Nobody else wanted to sign him until the Giants gave him a minor-league deal. 

He earned his current contract after batting .289 with 15 home runs in 122 games for the Giants.   

Albert Pujols’s contract is the team’s first priority, and it should be.  Pujols is possibly the best player baseball has seen in the last 15 years.  He wants to win, but he needs help.

The Cardinals opening day starting infield, other than Pujols, hit a grand total of 11 home runs last season.  11.

Pujols re-upping with the Cardinals could hinge on who else the Redbirds sign. 

I hope Tony LaRussa finally learns (1) to feature Brendan Ryan in a reserve utility role, and (2) that Skip Schumaker isn’t a championship-caliber leadoff man.

Under hitting instructor Mark McGwire, last season, Schumaker batted .265 with five home runs and five stolen bases.  He fanned more than he walked. 

Ryan batted .221—a big drop from the .295 he hit in 2009.

Uribe could possibly play third, shortstop or second base, and Colby Rasmus could be groomed for leading off.  If the Cardinals were to sign Renteria and Uribe, they would be adding much needed offensive punch.

By signing Renteria, who hit .330 in 2003 for the Redbirds, the Cardinals would add clutch hitting off the bench.  His veteran leadership skills and winning ways would bring the Cardinals’ quiet swagger back.

Besides swag, both Uribe and Renteria would add solid defense at third—something the Redbirds sorely lacked nearly all of last season.

I want to hear what you all—my seasoned readers—want to comment about.  What do you think about Renteria/Uribe wearing the birds on a bat in 2011?

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The MLB season is over and the offseason has officially begun. Some teams will look to improve, while others simply hope to keep the talent they have.

Many player will be on the move this offseason, perhaps a Hall of Fame shortstop, a notable pitching ace, or maybe one of the league’s best sluggers.

Regardless, always remember that these are bold predictions, and in honor of the title that they shall be.

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Two days after the Texas Rangers lost in the World Series to the San Francisco Giants, they were busy making plans for the 2011 season.

On Wednesday, the Rangers declined their $9 million option on DH Vladimir Guerrero. Big Vlad hit .300/.345/.496 with 29 HRs in 152 games in 2010 for the Rangers.

I think there are a couple of reasons the Rangers declined Guerrero’s option.

First, Guerrero really tailed off in the second half. After hitting .319/.364/.554 with 20 HRs in the first half, Vlad hit only .278/.322/.426 with nine HRs in the second half. On top of that, Vlad didn’t hit a HR in the postseason, and outside of one big hit against Phil Hughes, he didn’t hit at all in the postseason.

At 35, the Rangers are probably wondering if Vlad can make it through the entire season at a high level.

Second and the most important, paying an aging DH $9 million doesn’t make much sense. Even with Vlad’s great 2010 season, he only produced like a $10 million player, according to Fangraphs.

The odds are that Guerrero won’t put up the same numbers in 2011 as he did in 2010. So at $9 million, there is a very good chance that he won’t outperform his contract. Now at $4 to $5 million, however, there is a very good chance Vlad will outperform his contract.

And that’s why I think the Rangers will bring him back for around that amount.

Bringing back Vlad for $4 to $5 million makes sense, as he can still hit around 20 HRs if he can stay healthy. He also can still pound lefties, as he hit over .330 against southpaws in 2010.

Guerrero is now a free agent and free to sign with any team. But I fully expect him to be back in a Rangers’ uniform in 2011.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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After various rumors circulating throughout the postseason as to who will manage the Florida Marlins in 2011, the ballclub wasted no timing in making a decision as they are expected to bring back interim manager Edwin Rodriguez on a full-time basis. 

Edwin Rodriguez went 46-46 with the Marlins, ending up in third place in the NL East but dealt with injuries to ace Josh Johnson, co-ace Ricky Nolasco, and injuries to Hanley Ramirez and Chris Coghlan.

Current Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was dismissed in late June at 34-36 and in fourth place in the NL East.

Whether Edwin Rodriguez remains beyond the 2011 season remains speculative and hinges on the team’s performance on this upcoming season eve to the new ballpark in 2012.

Reports are that owner Jeffrey Loria is craving on a high-profile name in time for the 2012 season after swinging and missing on Bobby Valentine and Ozzie Guillen in recent weeks.

The offseason now focuses on the Marlins filling out the rest of coaching staff and roster, which is expected to get a boost on the defensive side.

According to Juan Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel, an announcement is forthcoming on both Edwin Rodriguez’s hiring and the return of infield guru Perry Hill who was with the Marlins from 2002 to 2006.

Perry Hill might prove to be the biggest offseason addition for the Marlins who were in the bottom of most defensive categories last season. Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla and Gaby Sanchez had a combined 45 errors last season with the latter two setting career highs in that category.

Hill was most recently with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009 as the Pirates infield and first base coach but was out of baseball last season after the ballclub refused to release him of his contract he wished to leave behind.

Beyond the coaching end, the Marlins will now set their sights on retaining infielder Dan Uggla and pitcher Ricky Nolasco on long-term deals which figure to be the cornerstones to the new era of the Florida Marlins in 2012.

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As the old adage goes, “Good pitching will always beat good hitting.” In the case of the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers in the World Series, great pitching completely dismantled good hitting.

Giant pitchers completely dismantled the Rangers lineup in Games 1 through 4, and in Game 5 Tim Lincecum finished the deal. Lincecum tossed one of the more dominant games not only of the postseason but of the entire year, as the Giants beat the Rangers, 3-1, to win the 2010 World Series.

For six innings this game was flat out pitching porn. Lincecum and Cliff Lee were beautiful to watch. Both pitchers were on top of their game. Both pitchers were making hitters look extremely foolish.

Lincecum’s change-up, slider and fastball were almost unhittable. Even when the Rangers did mount any semblance of a rally, like when Mitch Moreland singled to lead off the inning in the bottom of the sixth, Lincecum just squashed it.

Moreland singled, and Lincecum then retired Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and Josh Hamilton on four pitches. It was as if Lincecum went from a 10 to a 15 on the “there is no way I am going to lose this game” scale.

Lee was equal to the task for six innings. In the first two-thirds of the game, Lee allowed three hits and struck out six. Then the top of the seventh happened.

If the first six innings were pitching porn, then the top of the seventh was the equivalent of the director cutting to the dude’s face in the middle of the scene—it just ruins everything.

Lee had Cody Ross and Juan Uribe down 0-2 in the count, and he lost them both. And if you think about it, he made the same mistake against both batters. Instead of throwing something off-speed to set up the fastball, Lee just came at them with fastballs—and paid for it.

The Giants were set up at first and second with nobody out and Aubrey Huff coming to the plate. The next sequence will tell you everything you need to know about why the Giants are World Series champs.

Huff has never had a sacrifice bunt in his Major League career. That is a fact. However, in this situation, a bunt was called for.

Huff proceeded to lay down a bunt that Juan Pierre couldn’t have done better himself. It was a bunt that went between Lee and Moreland, and Lee’s only play was to first. It was such a good bunt that Huff almost beat it out.

That’s how things went for the Giants this postseason. Bruce Bochy asked his players to do things—and not only did they do them, they executed to perfection.

Coincidentally, the Rangers and Ron Washington couldn’t do anything right. Moreland singled in the sixth, Washington called for a hit and run and Andrus flew out to center. Mission unaccomplished.

And just when things couldn’t get any worse for the Rangers and Ron Washington, they hit the mother load.

After a Pat Burrell strike out (shocker there), Lee had to deal with Edgar Renteria. Lee fell behind 2-0, and the consensus was to walk Renteria and face Aaron Roward, who is pretty much an automatic out these days.

Lee decided to pitch to Renteria—that was a huge mistake. Lee threw a fastball right over the middle, and Mr. Clutch hit one into the left-centerfield stands.

Game over. Series over.

Here are some other observations from Game 5.

Washington brought in Neftali Feliz in the eighth inning this game. Congratulations to Washington for finally realizing he wasn’t playing in August. It only took him 16 games into the postseason to realize this.

If Jennifer Aniston knocked on my door and said she wanted to sleep with me, it would be less surprising than a Burrell strike out. Burrell struck out 11 times in 13 World Series at-bats.

Congratulations to Renteria on winning the World Series MVP. For all the sabermatricians that believe “Clutch” doesn’t exist, I will introduce you to Mr. Renteria. The guy is money when it counts.

Brian Wilson didn’t allow a run the entire postseason. Simply amazing.

105 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Just saying.

The team that won the World Series had Cody Ross and Juan Uribe batting fourth and fifth. Again, simply amazing.

Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Jonathan Sanchez—best home grown rotation since ________? You fill in the blank. I will say the Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, Barry Zito and Rich Harden foursome of the early-2000 Oakland A’s.

Once again, congratulations to the San Francisco Giants on winning the World Series, and in turn pissing all over Moneyball and everything it preaches. Statistical analysis is important, but character and heart are even more so.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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The San Francisco Giants won the World Series, knocking off the Texas Rangers in Game 5 today with a 3-1 victory.

Tim Lincecum edged out fellow ace Cliff Lee in a heated matchup where pitching fought it out till the end. The two-time NL Cy Young award recipient finished with ten strikeouts and only let three hits go through eight innings. And, as always, closer Brian Wilson came in and was able to seal the deal.

Of course, the game was ultimately determined by Edgar Renteria‘s three-run homer in the seventh inning. After the game, Renteria was deservingly rewarded with the World Series MVP honors. 

This team may not have tremendous star power, but they are fundamentally sound, with a solid pitching rotation and a lot of scrappy batters who have demonstrated the ability to make plays when they count the most. 

All in all, this is a team built for the playoffs, and even though they came in as underdogs they displayed perseverance and proved to be victorious. 

Interestingly enough, we learned that superb pitching can shut down top-notch batting as the team with the MLB’s highest ERA knocked off the team with the league’s top batting average. 

This is the franchise’s first championship since 1954, and the first champion the Bay Area has seen ever. That said, this is certainly a proud moment for any Bay Area sports fan, and is one that will undoubtedly be celebrated

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It’s official.

Joe Girardi will remain the New York Yankees’ skipper for three more seasons.

Many Yankees fans have been quick to blame Girardi for the team’s failure to repeat as World Series Champions. Fans were frustrated all season with Girardi, blaming any loss on unnecessary pitching changes or playing it by the book/binder.

I personally didn’t agree with the hyper-criticism most of the time. It isn’t going to accomplish anything. In 2009, Girardi was praised for moving Derek Jeter from the two-hole to the leadoff spot. This season, fans constantly complained about getting Jeter out of the spot, blaming Girardi and not Jeter’s problems at the plate.

Winning a World Series, followed by a trip to the ALCS is an excellent track record by my standards. Does that mean I agree with every move Joe Girardi made? No, it doesn’t. There are always going to be questionable moves, particularly when it comes to being the skipper of the New York Yankees.

It would be one thing if Girardi was lazy and his decisions were effortless, but that is not the case. Girardi wants to win as much as any fan or player. Girardi treats all the players fairly, not asking them to do anything he has not done or would not do himself. I trust him as a skipper, but more importantly as a person.

Being used to Joe Torre’s laid-back mannerism for so many years, it was hard to let go and move on. Torre’s shoes were the hardest to fill in baseball in 2007, no matter who replaced him.

Joe Girardi has brought the Yankees back to the forefront of baseball again. The team hasn’t been this fun to watch since 1998, because Girardi believes in every single player and truly wants him to succeed. This is a sentiment Torre did not share as Yankee fans learned from his book, which is not a quality characteristic in a manager, or any leader, for that matter.

Girardi isn’t perfect, but find me a better man more suitable for the Yankees. As of today, Joe Girardi is the right man for this job and I am happy he is around for three more seasons. I am looking forward to seeing  numbers 28, 29 and, god-willing, 30 on the back of his jersey.

Congratulations on a job well done!!!

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