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Last weekend, I presented the top 10 teams in my personal power rankings. That was before the Blue Jays officially acquired R.A. Dickey, so I updated my top 10 after that trade, and, to spur on more debate, now present the rest of my rankings. Agree ...

Two snapshots from the San Francisco Giants' 7-1 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of the NLCS that evened the series at a win apiece. 1. Top of the first inning, Matt Holliday on first base, Carlos Beltran on second base with one ...

Consider this: From 2002 to 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals appeared in more World Series than the New York Yankees. They won more championships than the Yankees. Over those 10 seasons, the Cardinals appeared in more league championship series than the...

We just witnessed one of the most amazing games in postseason history. Whether this game will eventually earn itself a place alongside other legendary games remains to be seen -- after all, Cardinals-Nationals doesn't quite have the same buzz to it a...

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't your typical 88-win team. When you go through their roster, it's difficult to find obvious holes. The lineup was second in the league in runs scored. The pitching staff allowed the fifth-fewest runs in the league and fe...

Well, that was insane. Fans of the new system will say this is exactly the kind of excitement baseball needs. Critics will suggest this game sums up everything that's wrong with a one-game playoff series. One bad throw (or three), one mental er...

With help from the blog network writers, here are reasons each team can win the World Series. St. Louis Cardinals 1. A potent, balanced lineup. The Cardinals had the best on-base percentage in baseball, including four starters -- Matt Holliday, J...

As we began the second half, it's a fun time to revisit some predictions. I polled the SweetSpot network bloggers before the season on their award predictions. Obviously, not everything has happened as we thought it would. (Tim Lincecum for Cy Young?...

Bryce Harper hits for Carlos Beltran. He's wearing gold cleats. Can't wait for some old-school columnist to bash him tomorrow. Baseball has been going downhill ever since they let those A's grow themselves some mustaches back in '72! Harper walks ...

There are few events in baseball more exciting than Opening Day. Or Opening Night. Er ... let's just go directly to some observations from the Cardinals' 4-1 victory over the Marlins, ushering in Marlins Park in disappointing fashion for the home crowd...

Could it be that the New York Mets won't be as bad as everyone thinks? After all, they did win 77 games in 2011. And, yes, they will be without Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, their two best hitters last season. On the other hand ... OK, I'm trying...

There are still some good free agents out there, perhaps even a few bargains. What kind of team could you buy if you signed the best of these guys? Let's find out. Here's a 25-man roster of unsigned players, with estimated salaries and WAR (wins abov...

DALLAS -- The hallways and lobby of the Hilton Anatole are filled with general managers, agents and media members. What will happen over the next three days? Nobody knows. But here's what I'd like to see happen ... 1. A good old-fashioned challeng...

Welcome to the National League West, baseball's most unpredictable division. I wouldn't be surprised if all five teams finished 81-81 in 2012. Here are three fixes or action items for each club. Arizona Diamondbacks 1. Rotation (Joe Saunders...

Ryan Braun still has a lot of baseball left to play -- at least four games in a worst-case scenario -- but his blazing start to the postseason (11-for-22, five doubles, two home runs, seven runs and eight RBIs) has us thinking of great October runs. ...

Baseball lesson No. 3,247: The trade deadline rarely is the cure for a team's ailments. Oh, sure, sometimes you find the right Band-Aid. And sometimes you trade for Carlos Beltran or Ubaldo Jimenez and the cut turns into a bleeding wound. Th...