Manny Ramirez’s home run in the 6th inning was the stuff that sends chills down any baseball fan’s spine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a “called shot” in my lifetime. All the stories about Babe Ruth pointing his finger and unleashing the infamous home run are the stuff legends are made of, but tonight I got chills down my spine watching Manny pull that shot over the wall. You could tell Manny Ramirez was pissed about the 7 runs the Cleveland Indians scored in the bottom of the 5th and he was going to take matters into his own hands. Forget the fact he knew that a back to back to back combination would be the first ever in ALCS history, he was focused on taking his aggression out on that ball. The guy is a phenomenon. Screw A-Rod and the “one man wrecking crew. What good is A-Rod under pressure? Manny has the “real stuff”. As with all champions, it’s not if you win or lose it’s how you play the game. I love this picture..

Unfortunately for Sox fans the Indians are on the warpath and it doesn’t look good at the moment for the Boston Red Sox. Even though I’m an National League fan and my favorite team in the American League is the Indians because I was born in cleveland, I’d have to say the Red Sox are my second favorite team in the American League because the Sox play as a team. This series is a real treat for me. Regardless of the outcome, both teams have shown the true determination and sportsmanship that is the most important aspect of professional sports. No matter who wins and who advances to the World Series to face the red hot smoking Colorado Rockies, they’re all winners in my humble opinion. This is what baseball’s all about !!!

Feel free to discuss the “Called Shot” on our forum…
Red Sox lost Game#4 but Manny’s the MAN !!!

Wow, talk about the “comeback kids”, the Colorado Rockies have certainly set a pace for this years pennant race with their miraculous season finish to clinch the wildcard position in the National League. The Rockies have been on fire recently and won 14 of their last 15 games, including a franchise record 11 game winning streak, the longest winning streak in the major leagues this season.

During that 15 game stretch, the Rockies hit .316 as a team and outscored their opponents 102-61. Matt Holliday, Troy Tulowitzki and Brad Hawpe all have emerged as league leading sluggers and led the Rockies in their scoring frenzy. Holliday homered 11 times in a 12 game September stretch and became just the fifth player since 1949 to lead his league in both batting (.340) and RBI (137). Troy Tulowitzki

Despite having to pitch at home in the thin air at Coors Field, the Rockies managed to post the best ERA (3.86) in the National League since the All-Star break . Jeff Francis, who tied the single season Rockies franchise record for wins with 17, was the only pitcher with 30 starts. It’s not just the starters who powered the Rockies into the playoffs, the bullpen posted a impressive 2.26 ERA during the final 15 games of the season.

Although the Philadelphia Phillies were a huge underdog story this year, coming from the back of their division to beat the Mets for the title, the Rockies are the most suprising entry into the playoff picture. Congratulations to skipper Clint Hurdle and his staff for all their efforts to bring the Rockies into the post-season.

This Article Submitted by Paul J.

Matt Holliday, while only in his 4th season in the Major Leagues, is already
showing a lot of promise.

Matt Holiday is 27 years old, 6-4 235 lb right hander currently playing for the Colorado Rockies. He was a 1998 7th
Round Draft pick for the Colorado Rockies.

In his first year he had a solid .290 batting average and 14 home runs. Since then his batting average and home runs have both increased steadily every year. In ‘06 he had 34 home runs last year and batted .326. More then a month into this season he is batting over .370 and already has 8 home runs.

Matt Holliday is a balanced hitter. He his not a home run hitter nor a contact hitter. He has a excellent combination of batting average and power hitting. He is an excellent mistake hitter and enjoys pitches up high in the strike zone.

Very few players have such a solid full rookie season and then go on to keep improving season after season to the degree Matt Holiday has done. While its still very early to tell the full potential Holliday’s career, he looks promising to be an all-star for many seasons to come.

Thanks to Paul J. for this article. Check out his sites…

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