Top News:
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
Bombers sweep Sox, clinch AL East crown — The Yankees finally can christen their new home with Champagne after they clinched the American League East title and home field advantage in the playoffs Sunday afternoon against - of all teams - their bitter rivals, the Red Sox.
RELATED:
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Early lead gets away from Red Sox — Saito allows game-winning hit to countryman Matsui — NEW YORK — After winning their first eight head-to-head encounters with the Yankees this season for the first time since 1912, it seemed hard to imagine that the Red Sox wouldn't take the season series between the rivals.
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Party time: Yanks kings of AL East — Pettitte's solid start, clutch hit by Matsui secure title — NEW YORK — The expectation was always that the Yankees would bring championship baseball back to the Bronx, and though they had to know this celebration was coming for some time, it tasted just as sweet.
Henry Schulman / San Francisco Chronicle:
Keeping Uribe seems obvious — (09-27) 21:23 PDT San Francisco — There exists a player who sounds as though he wants to be a Giant next year. This year, he is hitting .299 in 378 at-bats. Project his numbers over 500 at-bats and he would have 20 homers and 70 RBIs.
Discussion:
Purple Row, McCovey Chronicles, Circling The Bases, MLB Rumors, MLB Daily Dish and MLB.com
Adam Rubin / Surfing The Mets:
Mets 4, Marlins 0: Dress-up time — Pat Misch shut out the Marlins on the one-year anniversary of the last time a Met blanked a team with a complete game, when Johan Santana had a shutout against Florida in the second-to-last game at Shea Stadium. And Jeff Francoeur homered and took away a homer with a leaping catch.
RELATED:
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Francoeur homers, Misch goes distance as Mets top Marlins
Francoeur homers, Misch goes distance as Mets top Marlins
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Pioneer League Top 20 Prospects — Top draft picks by Angels, Diamondbacks help stock list — The Pioneer League's season stretched to Sept. 11, making it anywhere from 10 days to two weeks longer than any other Rookie-level circuit. The quirky schedule gave several premium 2009 draft picks …
Discussion:
Purple Row
Zach Links / MLB Rumors:
Rangers Notes: Byrd, Holland, Feliz — It's hard to gauge what the Texas Rangers will look to do this offseason. There are reports that they are interested in acquiring outfielder Milton Bradley from the Cubs, who would likely eat a large chunk of the $21MM owed to him over the next two years of his contract.
Barry M. Bloom / Boomskie on Baseball:
Don't the Dodgers need to sign Colletti long-term? The answer is Blowin' in the Wind — I'm usually loathe to start any bit of prose with a question. But with the Dodgers having clinched the playoffs for the third time in the last four years, is it not time for management to re-up Ned Colletti?
RELATED:
John Perrotto / Baseball Prospectus:
On the Beat — Weekend Update — When Joe Torre began …
On the Beat — Weekend Update — When Joe Torre began …
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
TSN.ca:
TIGERS AND TWINS OPEN CRUCIAL SERIES AT COMERICA PARK — The Sports Network — (Sports Network) - With one week remaining in the regular season, the American League Central title remains very much up for grabs. The picture should become a little clearer, however, when the division-leading Detroit Tigers …
Discussion:
Bless You Boys
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Leader's choice: Yanks decide ALDS setup — With league's best record, New York determines length — NEW YORK — The Yankees have clinched. Now they must choose. — For the third consecutive season, by virtue of winning the All-Star Game, the American League team with the best record …
Discussion:
iYankees
Bill Conlin / Philly.com:
Bullpen issues led to 1964 Phillies collapse — JACK BALDSCHUN was the Brad Lidge of a generation that still bears the psychic scars of the most infamous collapse in baseball history. I heard Ray Didinger say on WIP Saturday that the trauma of what happened to the 1964 Phillies nearly caused …
Chico Harlan / Washington Post:
Nats Lose to Braves Again, Drop 51 Games Under .500 — It is the bleakest form of theater, watching the 2009 Washington Nationals in their final days, seeing them slump and stumble and lose almost without exception. They lose even when they can't quite figure out why.