Ah—the Dog Days of Summer . . . while this is usually the time when parents and children count the days until it’s school’s back in session—we baseball fans do some counting of our own—how many games up, back or out are our favorite teams from playing October baseball.

From opening day and beyond, this baseball season has seen many division rivals compete head to head for 1st and now that it’s coming down to the home stretch, expect these teams to show off with electrifying performances that will inevitably go down to the wire.

The National League Central division has experienced close and competitive races all season. While the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals are battling it out for division domination, it looks like the Pittsburgh Pirates have felt the bite of summer. Though they were previously on a tear, the Buccos have succumbed to summer’s sultry heat dropping their last 10 games in the L column and it looks like they are going to miss the playoffs for a record 19th straight year.

In American League news, it’s business as usual as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox battle it out to see who gets the division crown and who gets the wild card spot. The AL West has the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vying for a division title against the defending American League champs–the Texas Rangers. Although the Cleveland Indians are battling the Detroit Tigers for AL Central bragging rights, don’t count out the Minnesota Twins just yet—they are usually good for a late season surge in this mediocre division.

As for the rest of the playoff landscape, expect to see solid teams like the San Francisco Giants, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Philadelphia Phillies play strong through the rest of the regular season. And, as the summer winds down, now is the perfect time to take in a game at your favorite ballpark and we have sports tickets for every team and every league.

This year’s MLB Trade Deadline concluded with a slew of tactical and electrifying moves leaving obvious winners and losers in its wake. While the MLB Trade Deadline can be exciting, it also has the potential to disappoint as fans await the news—did their favorite franchise add to their arsenal of players for a late season playoff run or, is their already struggling franchise packing it in and cleaning house? No matter the outcome–one thing is certain—the 2011 MLB Trade Deadline brought about some serious game changers.
The San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers were among this year’s winners in the MLB Trade Deadline. San Francisco made all the right moves and added pieces to their already stacked lineup with outfielder Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets, and infielders Orlando Cabrera from the Cincinnati Reds and Jeff Keppinger form the Houston Astros. Reigning American League Champs, the Texas Rangers, shored up their bullpen with former San Diego Padres’ relief pitcher Mike Adams and Koji Uehara from the Baltimore Orioles.
High profile losers? The New York Yankees, who are usually making down-to-the-wire deals failed to land starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez who went to the Cleveland Indians instead. And finally, the Cincinnati Reds, who are in the thick of the National League Central race, failed to make a difference to their up and coming team.
There you have it—the MLB Trade Deadline of 2011. Sure—only time will tell the impact these trades bring their respective teams but one thing is certain; this year’s MLB provided fans with a flurry of activity, clock-busting moves and excitement.
If you want to score your MLB apparel for your team’s latest lineup addition, then head into our MLB Fan Shop where you can find a great selection of MLB jerseys, including stitched player jerseys, special edition jerseys, MLB hats and more.

Okay, so our 30 teams before the start of the season timeline was a little aggressive. So was our 500 word limit that regularly ran over for each post.

In hopes of simply completing my 10 required teams and in the way a desk calendar attempts to give you a brief chuckle in the morning, I now give to you my incredibly inadequate PostView of the 2010 Seattle Mariners.

Cliff Lee. Chone Figgins. They are new. Add them to Felix Hernandez, Ichiro and … Well that’s really the question isn’t it? Subscribing to the stars and scrubs strategy of the fantasy world, the Mariners have a few players of supreme talent and some other guys that are very enthusiastic clappers on the bench.

However, the Angels have lost some players, Texas still plays in Arlington and Oakland‘s everyday lineup includes only one guy I could potentially pick out of a crowd, so anything is possible in the AL West this year.

And hey, if it doesnt work out, we’ll always re-swap those prospects for Cliff Lee in Philly.

Predictions:

Team MVP – Ichiro…he’ll have to score 120 runs for them to have a chance

X Factor – Anyone claiming to be the cleanup hitter. Ichiro and Figgins will get on base for Seattle, but who will drive them in? Jose Lopez can’t do it all by himself from the six hole. Milton Bradley…just ask fans in Cleveland, San Diego, Chicago and I’m guessing most of the other spots Milton has spent a year–and only one year–in lately.

Standings – 2nd in AL West