Nine Reasons To Look Forward To Baseball Season

I found this great article on MSNBS about the 2008 baseball season, and I thought I would share. It was rather long, so I trimmed out some parts, although it doesn't appear that way, so click here if you would like to read it in its entirety.

We come to you today from the performance enhancing drug-free zone, with zero tolerance for grandstanding, blame-gaming and WADA references. Instead, in the spirit of moving forward, we bring you nine reasons for delicious anticipation of a new season that is about to unfold:

1. The Boston Red Sox, and this century’s first shot at a mini-dynasty. They have won two World Series in the last four seasons, and are the odds-on favorite to win another as they return virtually intact from a sweep of the Colorado Rockies, and have emerging young talents such as Dustin Pedroia, Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury and Jon Lester to cushion the effects of age on a roster that includes 40-somethings Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield and Mike Timlin, and a mostly-mid-30s lineup.

2. The Johan Santana question. Has a pitcher of this magnitude ever been stuck in this must-be-dealt situation? And where he goes — Red Sox, Yankees, Mets or surprise late-bidder — will alter the balance of power in either league. The Twins are trying their best to maximize their return, but in reality, they are up against it here. You can only ask for so much young talent for a pitcher who will be signing an extension in the $150-million range, and both the Red Sox and Yankees wisely aren’t willing to go any higher than they’ve already gone. The Mets might be willing to, but don’t really have as much to offer.

3. Joba Chamberlain, Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy. We pretty much know what to expect from the rest of the Yankees’ roster . What we don’t know is just how good Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy will be, and how soon they will get there. And so these three young pitchers who will make about $1 million between them could be the key to the Yankees’ fortunes in 2008 — an interesting twist from the franchise that brought you the first $200-million payroll.

4. The Detroit Tigers’ lineup. Any way Jim Leyland decides to go — and knowing him, he will go in many different directions — this is a potential 950-run monster. Here is one possible combination: Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Guillen, Jacque Jones, Edgar Renteria, Ivan Rodriguez. With this group in place and healthy, there’s little reason to worry about Dontrelle Willis’ adjustment to the American League.

5. The National League West race. Good luck winning it, as the division that gave us the 2007 NLCS matchup is poised once again. The Dodgers have added Joe Torre, Andruw Jones and Hiroki Kuroda in hopes of erasing the memory of their late-September meltdown. Meanwhile, the comebacks of Jason Schmidt, Rafael Furcal, Hong-Chi Kuo and Yhency Brazoban are on schedule. The Diamondbacks pulled the winter’s biggest coup by landing Dan Haren for a bunch of prospects they can do without, giving them their best 1-2 rotation combination since their 2001 World Series title season. And you have to figure that young core players Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Mark Reynolds, Justin Upton and Chris Young will get better. The Rockies lost more than they added this winter, but there is little debating the fact that they were the best team in the National League during the entire second half, not just their late-September run. And they should get full seasons from No. 2 and No. 3 starters Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez, which they didn’t get in 2007.

6. The Milwaukee Brewers. While Commissioner Bud Selig finds himself embroiled in a mess that won’t go away, his former team is doing its best to fight the fight of the small-to-mid-market franchise. Look no further for a team poised to improve in 2008 behind emerging stars Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, J.J. Hardy, Yovani Gallardo, Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun.

7. The Chicago Cubs. They needed a corner outfielder and some left-handed power to balance their lineup, and got both in Kosuke Fukudome. He could hit second, or he could hit fifth, and his power should translate to Wrigley Field, adding another threat to the combination of Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. There are plenty of quality late-inning bullpen options in Carlos Marmol, Kerry Wood, Bob Howry and Jose Ascanio, rotation depth has been added with Jon Lieber and Ryan Dempster, and it says here Carlos Zambrano is poised for his first 20-win season in a bounce-back year of sorts. Felix Pie and Geovanny Soto will have to do what Ryan Theriot was able to do last season in establishing himself as a regular, but things are pointing to a return trip to the post-season.

8. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson, Trevor Hoffman, Curt Schilling, Jamie Moyer, Kenny Rogers: We’re running out of time to appreciate this stellar group of 40-somethings that could include up to five future Hall of Famers. And in fact, it could be our last chances to watch Maddux and Glavine, two 300-game winners who did it in the biggest offensive era in the game’s history.

9. Ken Griffey Jr.’s 600^th homer (he’s seven away); Maddux’s 350^th win (three away); Manny Ramirez and Gary Sheffield’s 500^th homers (10 and 20 away, respectively); the 2,600^th hit for the game’s new active career leader — surprise! Omar Vizquel (two away); and maybe — just maybe — Johnson’s 300^th win (he’s 16 away).

Don't forget to value your baseball cards and manage your collection with us!

Artist Combines Sports And Art In Gallery

If you find yourself in Edmond, Oklahoma, this article outlines a gallery with a new concept worth taking a look at. David Fisk, artist, found a business that combines sports and art with “Images Gallery: The Art of Sport.” The gallery, which opened Dec. 20, features sports photography and artwork by about 100 artists. The artwork portrays a variety of sports, including basketball, football and golf.
“I always liked sports art and there’s nothing like this around here. It’s a niche I saw a great potential for in Edmond. There’s already quite a few art galleries in Edmond,” he said. Fisk previously worked in the newspaper business and did everything from page design to editing. “I was just ready to enter a new phase of life,” he said. “I did that for 36 years, and I was ready for something else.” Fisk said what he most enjoys about his new gallery is just sitting and looking at the different artwork on his walls. “I spend a lot of time in here,” he said. “It doesn’t really get old.”
The authentic sports memorabilia in the gallery ranges from $5 to $13,000. One of the most expensive is a painting of Roy Williams titled “Over the Top,” which was painted by Christopher Nick, a popular children’s book illustrator. “That’s a pretty famous shot,” Fisk said.
He said the gallery offers art on commission and art searches to find a certain image. He said they can convert a photograph into a painting. In the spring, Fisk plans to commission a few artists who will convert sports photos into art for parents who want paintings of their children playing or in their uniforms.
Fisk said he has sold a lot of OU and OSU paintings, but he’s been collecting artwork from all across the nation since last summer. “My goal is to represent some Oklahoma artists nationwide as an art representative,” he said. Two of his featured artists include Stephen Holland and Robert Hurst, who are considered top sports artists in the nation. Fisk said Holland is the official artist for the Baltimore Ravens and Muhammed Ali. Hurst is the official artist for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Steve Boaldin, Edmond artist, said he is submitting several paintings that feature everything from golf to baseball.

Intimidating Reliever Gains Election In Ninth Year On Ballot

According to the recently released Baseball Writers' Association of America article, Rich "Goose" Gossage, who tormented batters as one of the game's most intimidating relief pitchers over a 22-season career, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in balloting verified by Ernst & Young. He will be inducted into the Hall July 27 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Gossage will be honored along with one of his former managers, Dick Williams, who was elected last month by the Veterans Committee. Former owners Walter O'Malley and Barney Dreyfuss, former commissioner Bowie Kuhn and former manager Billy Southworth, all deceased, will also be enshrined at the ceremony that will include the presentation of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for baseball writing to the late Larry Whiteside. The Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting will be announced on Feb. 19. In the BBWAA election, 543 ballots, including three blanks, were cast by members with 10 or more consecutive years' service. Players must be named on 75 percent of ballots submitted to be elected. This year, 408 votes were required.

Gossage was listed on 466 ballots (85.8%) to win election in his ninth year on the ballot, a gain of 14.6 percent over his percentage in 2007 when he finished 21 votes shy of the necessary 75 percent. His election brings to 286 the number of elected members of the Hall. Of that total, 199 are former Major League players, of which 106 have been through the BBWAA ballot. Gossage is the 61st pitcher overall elected to the Hall and the fifth reliever, joining Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley and Bruce Sutter.

Gossage, 56, compiled a 124-107 record with a 3.01 earned run average and 310 saves in 1,002 games for nine clubs with his best seasons coming with the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The hard-throwing righthander led the American League in saves three times, twice won the Sporting News' AL Fireman of the Year Award and was selected to nine All-Star teams.
The closer on the Yankees' 1978 World Series championship club, Gossage also pitched in the 1981 World Series for the Yankees and the 1984 World Series for the Padres. He had a 2.63 ERA and two saves in 13 2/3 World Series innings. Primarily a closer in his career, Gossage did make 37 starts during his first five seasons with the White Sox and had 16 complete games.

To see a complete list of those to be inducted, check out the original article here. Find out your baseball card's value by adding it into our “What's My Item Worth” Collection, and organize and show off your authentic sports memorabilia using a collection of your own.

Baseball Memorabilia Showcased In Our Own Gallery

Check out some of the great baseball memorabilia I found in the iTaggit gallery:

iTaggit user kihm8787 has an amazing collection of baseball memorabilia in the community collection. Within the collection are a Limited Edition Ted Williams 50th Anniversary Autographed Plaque, Hank Aaron Autographed Baseball with Certificate of Authenticity, Rod Carew Autographed Baseball with "HOF 91'" Inscription (pictured left), Lou Brock Autographed Baseball with "SB 938" Inscription, all of which can be considered almost antiques these days.

iTaggit user comic_relief added a baseball cards collectors box with over 500 cards in it!!! (pictured right) In the description, the contents consist of over 500 baseball cards from different manufacturers and years, including one original card from the 1950's, two original cards from the 1960's and five original cards from the 1970's. Other interesting cards I've found include Wheezy's autographed Bobby Doerr Baseball Card and itaggitfather's 2003 Upper Deck Sammy Sosa Limited Edition Baseball Card, which is in it's own display case. Lastly, one of the most impressive collections I have found across the board would be the_baseball_guru's The Topps Baseball Cards Complete Set from years 1986-1989, consisting of approximately 3,168 cards collectively.

I love finding new stuff in the iTaggit Gallery on a daily basis, and I hope you do to. If you find something that you feel needs to be shared, blog about it!

Five Elected To National Baseball Hall of Fame

The baseball card collectors have seen many ups and downs this past season, what with Bonds' record setting hit, to the Colorado Rockies' cinderella story, and the steroid scandal that made Americans question their favorite pastime to name a few. The off season has been considerably quieter and a historical vote has brought the classic baseball era back into the limelight. The National Baseball Hall of Fame recently revamped their rules and created a separate Veterans Committee ballot. On Monday, under these new rules, five managers and executives have been elected to enter the NBHoF. Joining the Class of 2008 will be World Series-winning managers Billy Southworth and Dick Williams, as well as former Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and owners Walter O'Malley and Barney Dreyfuss.
Williams played for the Dodgers in the 1950's, and as a manager, won the World Series in Oakland and pennants with Boston and San Diego. Southworth won the Series twice with St. Louis. They were both included on a ballot of ten that combined umpires and managers, and each received 13 votes from the 16 members on that particular committee.
A separate ballot of ten executives included O'Malley, who was the Dodgers owner during the teams' move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles 50 years ago. “I'm very happy and he would be very happy,” said O'Malley's son Peter, who sold the Dodgers in 1998. Kuhn is the fourth commissioner to be elected into the Hall of Fame and was active from 1969 to 1984. Dreyfuss is a former owner of the Pirates. He received 10 votes from the 12 members on the committee, while Kuhn received nine.
“This is a historic day for the Dodger franchise,” Dodger owner and chairman Frank McCourt said. “Walter O'Malley was a visionary who changed the face of baseball forever and we couldn't be more proud to see him earn his rightful spot in Cooperstown. We're very excited for both him and Dick Williams as they join the many Dodger players, managers and executives in the Hall of Fame.” Memorabilia from the era of any one of these influential gentlemen just had its stock rise a little more. If you have any items from a classic baseball team, be sure to post them on iTaggit.

Barry Bonds Memorabilia Value In Question

The saga of Barry Bonds took another turn last Thursday. The Giants' power hitter who surpassed Hank Aaron last year to become the home run king was charged with four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice after a four-year investigation by federal prosecutors. If found guilty, he could serve a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison along with countless hours of community service, probation, and fines. He is just one of several elite U.S. athletes who are being sought for questioning about their involvement with BALCO, the company responsible for the production and distribution of an untraceable steroid known as “the clear.” It is unknown at this time how the allegations will affect his baseball card's value. I personally believe that his sports memorabilia, especially the autographed ones, will rise in value, not because of the record that he set, but because of the infamy that will forever surround the era he rose in. He could very well be the proverbial figurehead in the record books of the darkest moment in baseball history. Leave your comments as to how you feel the whole situation is being treated, and be sure to value your collections of Bonds' cards, etc. with iTaggit so everyone can see how the market reacts to his downfall from the top.

The Golden Age Of Boston Sports

Who would have guessed 2007 would be the year of the Bostonian? I find myself wondering how much autographed baseballs, footballs, basketballs, cards, and any other memorabilia from this era will be worth in the future. Lets do a quick recap:

The Boston Red Sox:

The World Champion Red Sox had a nice blend of fresh rookies and seasoned veterans to create a winning concoction, closing out their season at 96-66. Not only did the Sox put up remarkable numbers in about every category imaginable, even their manager, Terry Francona, set a record by becoming the first manager to start 8-0 in World Series play. There is not enough room in this article to continue listing all of their stats from the 2007 season, so if you are curious, check out another one of my blogs, “The Joy of Sox”, for more information concerning the champs. Their first series of the 2008 season will be played on March 25th in the Tokyo Dome, Japan against the Oakland A's.

The New England Patriots:

As the NFL's only remaining undefeated team, the 9-0 start produced by the Patriots is a current franchise record. They have won 12 consecutive regular-season games dating back to last season, earning them the second longest regular-season winning streak in team history. They are also at the top of the rankings in terms of offensive points per game and yards per game, but their defense is not one to be overlooked either, allowing only an average of 275 yards per game. Their next game will be this Sunday at home against the Buffalo Bills.

The Boston Celtics:

The NBA's only remaining undefeated squad have started with a very healthy 6-0 record and show no signs of slowing. This record matches their last 6-0 start twenty years ago, when the Celtics' star trio was Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. Now they have Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen who have been running a muck around their opponents. The Celtics' overall best start was 14-0 in the 1957-58 season. Their next game will be away tonight against New Jersey.

The Joy Of Sox

Well the 2007 World Series was a quick and painless one... if you are a Red Sox fan. To the rest of the country looking for a sweet Cinderella story to top off a season of hard knocks in sports; guess we're just going to have to twiddle our thumbs 'til next year.

The Red Sox swept the Rockies with dominating form. “They beat us with the small ball. They beat us with the long ball,” Colorado's LaTroy Hawkins said. He continued, “They beat us every which way you could imagine, brother. I'm not going to sit here and say what Eric Byrnes said about us, that we outplayed 'em, because it ain't true. They got us. They got us good.”

Until Sunday, the only franchise in baseball's history to sweep two World Series in four seasons was none other than Red Sox arch rival, the New York Yankees. Of course, the Yankees have accomplished this feat a staggering four times, but now Boston has put one hash mark on that chart as well. And they did it in style. The Sox outscored the Angels and the Indians in the first two rounds of the postseason by a combined 99-46 total -- the greatest October run differential in postseason history. They continued with hot bats into the World Series and outhit Colorado .333 to .218, earning them the second highest World Series batting average to date. Not only did they get a hit a third of the times they were at bat, they batted .419 with runners in scoring position, and held the Rockies to only a .167 BA when in the same position.

Boston put up a few more worthy stats of note:

Terry Francona, manager of the Boston Red Sox, is the first manager to start 8-0 in the World Series.

In the last seven games the Red Sox played, they outscored their opponent 59-15. When ESPN writer Jayson Stark compared those stats with the other six teams in history to go on a postseason winning streak of seven games or longer, the closest anyone came to that plus-44 run differential was a plus-30 by the 2006 Tigers, who outscored the Yankees and A's 40-10. With as much hype as the 2004 Boston team created, they were only plus-24 in their 49-25 finish. What about the 1998 Yankees, who were viewed by many as the most dominant team of modern times? They managed a plus-23 while winning their final seven, and this Boston team nearly doubled that.

At this time last year, Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester, now age 23, was undergoing chemotherapy for anaplastic large cell lymphoma. On Sunday, Lester became just the third pitcher in history to win the deciding game of a World Series in his first career postseason start. The other two? Tiny Bonham in 1941 and Whitey Ford in 1950, both Yankees. Boston pitching coach John Farrell put it quite eloquently, “This is something you could make a movie about, when you think about all the challenges he's faced on a personal level and how much he's persevered... Not only is it a punctuation mark on how this year has gone, but it is on so many levels a personal triumph for him.”

Well, that'll wrap up this week's sports report. Now that the 2007 baseball season has closed, its time to turn focus on the downhill stretch of football, as well as turn up the excitement on the beginning of basketball season! But for today, I will leave you with a not so eloquent, but still effective, quote from Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling: “Jon Lester just pitched the clutchiest game I've ever seen pitched in my life.”

You may not have a collection of comic books, baseball cards, or antiques, but you have a home full of valuables that you have spent your life collecting. iTaggit will change the way you collect, organize, and enjoy your things.

Another Great Weekend In October Sports

This weekend did not pass without its share of chills and thrills as we draw closer to Halloween. The Patriots are seemingly unstoppable. The usual Notre Dame vs. USC bonanza was overshadowed by two big SEC matchups, LSU vs. Auburn and Florida vs. Kentucky. And the Red Sox staged a surprising comeback to clinch the ALCS in Game 7. Let's start from the top:

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick seemed incensed at being accused of running up the score in the 49-28 smack-down of their long time division rival the Miami Dolphins, who are still without a win this season. Belichick had apparently reached his mercy point four minutes into the fourth quarter when he pulled his starting QB, and current team hero, Tom Brady from the line, and replaced him with second stringer Matt Cassel. However, when Cassel was picked off on his third snap by Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, who returned the interception for a 36-yard run and touchdown, Belichick hustled Brady right back in, taking no chances on an upset. Perhaps it was smart. Perhaps a bit overkill, as Brady promptly returned the lead to 28 points in a four-play drive.

Brady leads the way for the Patriots with a whopping 27 TD passes in seven games, eleven of which happened in the last eight quarters. He is right on target to break Peyton Manning's single-season mark by 13 TDs, or one more touchdown pass per game. Backing him up are arguably the best offensive and defensive lines in the NFL, who are one point short of averaging 40 points per game. The Patriots are on pace to score 638 points this season, shattering the old league record of 556, which is held by the 1998 Minnesota Vikings. Also, the league record for touchdowns in a season is held at 70 by the 1984 Dolphins, but the Patriots are charging ahead to put up 82.

But enough about pro-football, lets take it down to the NCAA, where upsets have become the norm. I like the way Pat Forde puts it:

“Stranger things have not happened, at least not since 1960. That's the last time a two-loss team claimed any share of a National Title, when Minnesota was crowned No. 1 by the AP..... That also was the only other time when Notre Dame started a season 1-7. So we could officially be in the midst of the weirdest season in 47 years. And in no place is it weirder than the Bloody South.”

The Florida Gators were off last week, giving them a chance to watch then No.1 LSU fall to the dominating powerhouse that is Kentucky. “The Gators are part of a preposterous pileup atop the SEC East – and if the nationwide epidemic of upset losses continues, two-loss Florida would love a shot at a title defense,” said Forde. Florida's preparation paid off as they outscored Kentucky 45-37 this past GameDay Saturday in a true QB heisman-candidate battle for the ages. Florida's sophomore Tim Tebow and Kentucky's senior Andre Woodson dueled it out in front of a rowdy Lexington audience. Woodson had 415 passing yards and five touchdowns against the defending national champs, which is not to go unnoticed, but was overshadowed by Tebow's prowess of the football field. Tebow worked out 334 yards of total offense and accounted for five touchdowns, four throwing and one running. All in all, Tebow has accounted for 27 TDs in seven games, more than the past six quarterbacks to win the Heisman through the same point in the season, which includes Carson Palmer, Jason White, Matt Leinart, and Troy Smith to name a few.

You are reading correctly: Tim Tebow has the same number of TDs in the same number of games currently in the NCAA as Tom Brady does currently in the NFL. I am looking forward to great things from this young QB.

And now to turn to the MLB. The Red Sox clinched the ALCS in Game 7 last night at Fenway Park after being down 1-3 at Jacob's Field, and are set to face the Cinderella story of the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. The Rockies have had an unprecedented eight days off after bolting by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 4-0 NLCS win, but their defense, which in this season earned the highest fielding percentage of any baseball team in history, needs to remain strong. Some believe that this extended rest will hurt the Rockies in the long-run by taking all the momentum out from under them. The Rockies have won 21 of their last 22 games but their next opponent is not one to be underestimated. Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett is one of the hottest pitchers in the league, who has the lowest postseason ERA in the last 70 years. Out of the 297 postseason pitches he has thrown, 210 have been strikes. It should be a good match-up between Beckett and the Rockies batting line-up, which has the highest ERA in the league during the second half of the season. They also led the NL in runs scored. When Beckett and the Red Sox last met the Rockies in Fenway, Colorado took two out of three in the series and outscored Boston 20-5. In my opinion, this series will be a rocky road for both teams, most likely resulting in six or seven games, and I honestly cannot choose an easy winner from all of the stats. It may be left up to who simply wants it more.

You may not have a collection of comic books, baseball cards, or antiques, but you have a home full of valuables that you have spent your life collecting. iTaggit will change the way you collect, organize, and enjoy your things.

The Underdog In The Rockies

They say that this is the year of upsets in NCAA football. More often than not it seems the underdog becomes the victor. Well, that might be true across the board this year. The Colorado Rockies have a seemingly charmed life, pulling a stunning 21 victories out of their last 22 games, and they show no signs of slowing down. Mind you, this is the same Rockies team that have never won more than 83 games in one season. The same ball club that was a mere four games over .500 on September 15 and nine games under .500 in May. This Rockies team was six games back in the wild-card race in September, which narrowed to four and a half games back with only nine left to play in the season, which narrowed even further to two games back with two games left to play, while simultaneously watching the Padres, the team they were chasing for the wild-card spot, get within one strike of clinching it! Yes, this Rockies team came from two runs behind in the 13^th inning of the 163^rd game of the year to beat out the Padres for their chance to play in the postseason. A chance they have proven they were worthy of receiving.

The Rockies' story is full of great facts and trivia, so hold on to your baseball cards and check this out:

• The Rockies are the first team since the 1935 Chicago Cubs to win at least 21 of 22 after September 1^st, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and are the fifth team in the last 70 years to go 21 of 22 at any point in the season.

• Before this season, the Rockies only had one postseason victory to their name, back in 1995, when they eventually lost to Atlanta in the first round. Now, they have become the second team in history, along with the 1976 Big Red Machine, to sweep their first two postseason series in any given October.

• The Rockies have become the first team ever to find itself two games out of a playoff spot with two games to play and somehow survive to scramble into the World Series.

• They have become the fifth team of all time to make it from last place one year to the World Series the next.

• The Rockies have become the sixth team in history to fall nine games under .500 and still climb out of their hole to make it to the World Series.

• The Rockies trailed in just two of their 38 innings against the Diamondbacks.

• The Rockies' Game 2 was saved by Ryan Speier, who had no prior big-league saves.

• Seth Smith, who hit the game-turning two-run double in Game 4, was previously better known for being Eli Manning's backup quarterback at Ole Miss. It was also his first major league RBI, since he had just been called up from the minors on September 16^th.

• And lastly, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Colorado Governor Bill Ritter presided over a temporary renaming of 21^st St. in front of Coors Field to “Rockies Road” before watching the game together.

The Rockies have earned themselves a record eight days off before the beginning of the World Series, which will open in either Boston or Cleveland on October 24^th. So far the Indians lead the ALCS 2-1.

Need help getting through your piles of collectibles? Let iTaggit help! We help manage collections for those who need it most. Organize collections by adding in your item's important information and pictures on iTaggit. Show them off in our Gallery and send them to your friends to check out or add to. Research collections like your own through our search option and add new items you want to your wish list. Whatever it is that you seek for your collections, iTaggit will help you out.

New Affiliate Partnership With BCW Supplies Allows Users to Find High Quality Collecting Supplies!

iTaggit is now an affiliate of BCW Supplies! Since 1983, BCW Supplies has been providing high quality, cost-effective supplies designed to store, protect and display your valuable collectibles. BCW Supplies currently serves over 100,000 customers from around the world. Be sure to click on their ad when you see it on iTaggit, and you will be able to find the supplies you need to preserve the value of your collectibles.

The Hunt For October: Post Season AL Matchups

As the end of the regular season draws near, and the pennant race begins, the four teams to represent the American League in the post season are all but decided. This will hopefully be a good October for baseball fans and memorabilia collectors alike.

The Red Sox and Yankees have always been historic rivals, and this year is no exception in their heated fight to the finish. Although the Red Sox were dominating the AL East through the summer, the Yankee bats have been a blaze, as they've whittled away a Sox 14½ game lead in late May down to the 1½ game lead it is now. Red Sox fans have reasons to be tense. They've had a few injuries including Ortiz's right knee acting up, which has effected his batting. They also lost two of the last three to the yanks this past weekend and then continued on their spiral down, dropping three straight to the Blue Jays, who are 12½ games back in the AL East. The Yanks are leading quite an opposite life. They have won 12 of their past 14 games, racking up a whopping 103 runs in the 17 September games they've played, and show no sign of slowing down.

Cleveland has been this year's surprise success. They squeezed through the last three games against the Detroit Tigers, the second place team in the AL Central, winning by three runs or less each game, and will be well rested for next week.

The Angels have finished with the league's best record which bodes well for them in the post season, and their tendency to dominate their opposition at their home field will help them succeed in passing through the first round.

Enjoy the post season and don't forget to show off your sports memorabilia!