St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols has set the deadline for negotiations for a new contract with the team as the day he reports to training camp, which apparently will be Feb 16.  “Pujols and the Cardinals had been negotiating under the player’s original deadline of Feb. 19, the first day he was scheduled to arrive in training camp,” it says on ESPN.com.  ”After he begins spring training, Pujols does not want his agent, Dan Lozano, to discuss a contract with the Cardinals because he doesn’t want to have any distractions, a stance he has taken throughout his career.”

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ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick likes what he’s seen out of the Detroit Tigers this offseason.  A team that had a rather underwhelming 2010 season could be in for a bounce back year this year.  The signing of catcher Victor Martinez was the team’s biggest acquisition of the offseason.  Martinez gives the Tigers a big bat to pair with slugger Miguel Cabrera.  Martinez won’t be playing first base very often, as he did with the Boston Red Sox last season, because of Cabrera, though, so he’ll be playing DH a lot.  Martinez just isn’t a great catcher anymore and needs to transition to another position.

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For the first time in history, the San Francisco Giants are World Series champions.  The organization won its first championship since 1954, when the team still played in New York, last night with a 3-1 victory over the Texas Rangers.  The Giants took the series four games to one thanks to Tim Lincecum’s brilliant Game 5 performance.  The San Fran ace went eight innings and gave up just one run on three hits, striking out six batters in the process.  The diminutive hurler’s lone mistake came on one eighth inning pitch to Nelson Cruz that the Texas slugger belted into the seats; aside from that Lincecum was as good as it gets.

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The San Francisco Giants are one win away from taking home the World Series title after rookie hurler Madison Bumgarner dazzled in his World Series debut last night.  Bumgarner was fantastic in the team’s 4-0 win over the Texas Rangers last night, throwing eight shutout innings in which he allowed a mere three hits and fanned six batters.  “It’s certainly been pitching as advertised,” Texas manager Ron Washington said of the Giants’ staff after the game. “They’ve got good stuff.  They’ve got velocity.  They can spin the baseball.  They can change speeds and they keep their defense engaged.”

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The World Series begins tonight as the Texas Rangers head to the Bay Area to face the San Francisco Giants for Game 1.  It will be a matchup of ace pitchers, as Texas’ Cliff Lee goes up against San Fran’s Tim Lincecum.  The two hurlers have three Cy Young awards between them and have pitched extremely well in the postseason thus far, especially Lee, who is establishing himself as a historically great playoff performer.  Lee recently acknowledged Lincecum’s unorthodox style when talking to reporters.  “I like when unorthodox works and it works to that kind of an extent, back-to-back Cy Young winner.  He throws in a way that you probably wouldn’t want to show your kid how to throw,” Lee said. “He definitely is doing something right.  He’s different.”

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Ever wondered what the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was like before he was, well, George Steinbrenner? Fans may never get that chance if the Yankees have anything to say about it. Mary Jane Schriner received many letters from the young Steinbrenner when he was in college and now wants to put them in a book.

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As usual, the Yankees are poised for a busy offseason, which is pretty much the case any time the club doesn’t finish the season with a World Series victory.  New York kicked the offseason off yesterday by firing pitching coach Dave Eiland.  “Dave spent his entire coaching career with the Yankees organization, and there is little doubt the impact he had on a great number of pitchers during his tenure,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said in a statement. “He was a passionate and knowledgeable pitching coach on the major league level, and he played a valuable role in our team’s achievements in recent years. I wish him continued success moving forward as his baseball career continues to evolve.”

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The Texas Rangers are headed to their first World Series after dispatching the reigning champion New York Yankees on Friday night to win the ALCS in six games.  The Rangers bested the Bronx Bombers by a score of 6-1, powered by a fantastic outing from starting pitcher Colby Lewis.  Lewis allowed just three hits and one run in eight masterful innings.  “The World Series is coming to Texas,” third baseman Michael Young, the longest-tenured Ranger in his 10th season with the team, told reporters after the game. “These fans have waited longer than we have. I know how bad we wanted it, and they must have wanted it more.”

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The New York Yankees kept themselves in contention in the American League Championship Series, but on Friday, October 23, the Texas Rangers managed a 6-1 win that knocked the Yankees out of contention for the World Series. The game didn’t start with much of a band, with the Rangers scoring one run in the first inning. Then, the Yankees tied the game in the fifth inning when Alex Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch by Colby Lewis. The tie didn’t last long, because the Rangers scored four in the firth and added another in the seventh.

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Despite having tweaked his groin, Philadelphia starter Roy Halladay was able to outduel San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum last night to keep the Phillies’ season alive.  Halladay didn’t have his best stuff, but was able to power through and hold the Giants to two runs in six innings of work.  The hurler addressed the injury after the game.  “It was just something to deal with.  You make adjustments and pitch your way through it,” Halladay told reporters.  “We know we can win.  It’s a matter of going out and doing it.  We continue to plug away.”  Game 6 will be played on Saturday night.

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