In the midst of yet another New York Yankees World Series victory, it’s near impossible to find any headlines that deal with something not covered in pinstripes. But with the 2009 MLB officially behind them, it’s time for 29 teams to say goodbye to their new free agents and start shopping around for the replacements they think they need to improve and contend in 2010. It’s business as usual for the general managers, with the Yankees taking the weekend off to celebrate, beginning with the traditional parade down the Canyon of Heroes in downtown Manhattan planned for Friday. So who exactly is available to be sought and bought before Spring Training ’10?

Last week I got the Big Game right (Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings over the Green Bay Packers) and I got the Big Upset right (Baltimore Ravens over the Denver Broncos). But, after losing at home to the Miami Dolphins the New York Jets of 2009 are now hard-set into being the Jets of 2008 (very average). Yes, the New York Giants now have lost three in a row. But, as I wrote last week, don’t think Donovan McNabb’s winning performance against them is a permanent thing. He’ll let you down come playoff time (probably well before then). I go 3-2 last weekend for a 21-15 season record.

Coach Don Nelson might have success in his NBA career. Heck, he might even be considered by some to be a future Hall of Fame coach. He is, afterall, only one of four active NBA coaches with more than 1,000 victories under his belt. However, whatever he’s doing in Golden State—whatever he’s been doing in Golden State—isn’t working, and it may be time for a change.

Nelson’s “small-ball” approach, where the roster is filled with numerous versatile guards and small forwards instead of larger post players, hasn’t proven itself much in past playoffs. The problem with this approach is that, while it may work for the regular season, teams tend to slow down the pace of games in order to better execute in the half-court once the playoffs start. Since the small-ball style isn’t very effective at playing half-court defense, since there isn’t much size to combat the opposition’s post players, regular season success with the small-ball style seems a moot point.

Then there’s the next big question:  What happens when the small-ball style isn’t even working in the regular season?

The kings are dead. Pedro Martinez has re-discovered his daddy. The New York Yankees are World Champs. With a 7-3 defeat of the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, the Yankees un-crowned the defending World Series winners and christened New Yankee Stadium in exactly the way – and perhaps the only acceptable way – that Yankee fans had hoped for. They managed to redeem the woes of 2008 with a runaway season this year and a dominating October. And what better way to finish it than by once again playing father to ‘the only man who can incite fear in Yankee fans without taking the mound’?

The plight of the Anaheim Ducks continues. With a 4-7-2 record and a home in the basement of the Western Conference standings, the Ducks’ shortcomings are starting to become more significant. Every missed hit; every lost race; every battle in the corner is taking its toll on the former “Mighty” ones. They are also the only team to have lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, and that was a 6-3 defeat that the Leafs basically never had in doubt. It takes a special kind of team to have that happen so far this season, and clearly the Ducks are a special kind of team.

Chris Osgood put another 29 saves onto his resume as his surging Detroit Red Wings knocked off the slumping Boston Bruins 2-0. These denials came as a part of his 394th career victory. Added to these stats is the fact that those saves added up to his 50th career shutout, a milestone that only 22 others in the NHL have achieved. Osgood’s play of late has been somewhat below what is expected of him, as the Red Wings find themselves in a four-way tie for 8th place in the Western Conference, but he was in top form during Tuesday night’s victory.

A number of NBA experts were quick to label the 2009 NBA Draft as a “weak” draft. However, several rookies are showing nothing but brilliance at the start of the 2009-2010 NBA season and could have a lot more to offer than many had thought. While Blake Griffin, the rookie everyone thought would win the Rookie of the Year award hands down is out for the next six-to-eight weeks, several other youngsters are making strong cases.

Plan the parade route. The Toronto Maple Leafs have five points in their last four games, bringing their season total to a tremendous six. At this pace, they’ll be competing for 14th place in the Eastern Conference in a just a couple short weeks. With a 1-7-4 record this far into the season, the current Leafs find themselves mulling through the worst start in Toronto’s long history. There are many fans in Toronto who cannot remember – or were not alive for – the Leafs’ last Stanley Cup victory in 1967, and it already seems like 2009-10 is not the year of redemption.

Half the nation sat and held their breath last night as the other half erupted in cheers. The Philadelphia Phillies staved off elimination in the World Series, taking Game 5 from the New York Yankees with a 8-6 victory behind the first less-than-stellar performance by ace Cliff Lee. Aiding in the win was the long-overdue, yet widely expected blowup from Yankees righty A.J. Burnett, who couldn’t got the pull before managing to record a single out in the third inning. The six runs charged to him really set the tone for the game, as the Yankees rallied strongly, but not strongly enough as the series returns to New Yankee Stadium.

The umpires have been heavily scrutinized in this year’s MLB playoffs, and Game 2 of the World Series was no exception, with each team benefiting from a blown double-play call. Whether or not the Philadelphia Phillies’ blown call was more harmful to the outcome of the game or not is irrelevant at this point, but the debate on whether wider use of instant replay in baseball is needed. Some argue that it’s more important to get the “right” calls; some argue that baseball needs a “human” element. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig argues that more instant replay would slow down the already sluggish-pace of the game.

Predictably, I go 3-2 this past weekend (not blowing it out of the water, but ahead of the game). I am now 18-13 for the season. I got it right that the Pittsburgh Steelers would take Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. The Cincinnati Bengals won big over the Chicago Bears, and the New Orleans Saints had to come from behind to beat the Miami Dolphins. What’s up with the New York Giants who have now lost two in a row? The Atlanta Falcons had another chance to “legitimize” themselves as an NFL threat, but they could not muster enough to beat the Dallas Cowboys.

The state of Arizona is not short on competition for the sports dollar, which doesn’t help a team like the Phoenix Coyotes, whose chilly brand of entertainment isn’t what most fans in the desert care for. Sharing Glendale with the Coyotes are the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Up the road in the city of Phoenix play the NBA’s Suns, WNBA’s Mercury, and, less straining on the Coyotes woes, MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks. However, to add baseball’s imprint on the Coyotes revenues is the fact that 14 MLB teams bring in their Spring Training clubs in March for the Arizona Cactus Leagues. Throw college football, NASCAR, and golf into the mix throughout the year and that doesn’t leave a lot of room for the failing Coyotes to continue operating.

The World Series has officially begun, and in a surprising break from expectations with the New York Yankees, the game was over before midnight. But that was probably because Phillies starter (and finisher) Cliff Lee was used to not playing and wanted to get back to it. The last time Lee had pitched was Oct. 18 in Game 3 of the NLCS. His Phillies clinched the series three days later and then had six days off before last night’s game. There’s no doubt that Lee wanted to get back to his comfortable bed.

Most of the sports world focus rests in New York tonight, as the Yankees and Phillies kick off the World Series. I joined a packed house as the Toronto Raptors kicked off their season against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Some observations need to be made directly, and what follows are some overall impressions of the game, the teams, and the players, as well as some fantasy impact thrown in.

How does he do it? Going into Wednesday night’s action, New York Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton leads his team in plus/minus with a whopping +2 rating. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that he’s the only one on the Islanders on the positive side of zero. He’s outshining teammates like veterans Doug Weight (-2) and Mark Streit (-6), and he’s even soaring ahead of OHL scoring phenom John Tavares, who sits at an uncomfortable -6.

If the playoffs were to end before the first pitch of the World Series, who would be the Most Valuable Player? Who is even worth mentioning? What defines a “most valuable player”? Is it even fair to have a “Most Valuable Player So Far” (MVPSF)? These are important questions to ask, as is, if offense is any more important than pitching or vice versa. So let’s do both.

The first pitch of the World Series flies Wednesday night, and it will be thrown by the New York Yankees’ own CC Sabathia. Opposite him will be the Philadelphia Phillies’ Cliff Lee. The two will be dueling in the biggest game of their careers. These are two of the best pitchers in baseball, and both are throwing in their first World Series. Perhaps the most interesting part of this matchup is that these guys are former teammates with the Cleveland,Indians and both won Cy Young Awards with the Indians, Lee in 2008 and Sabathia in 2007. Fans in Cleveland must be watching this World Series with two black eyes.

If the start of the baseball season is the unofficial beginning of summer, then the start of the World Series has to be the unofficial beginning of winter. The 2009 edition of the so-called “Fall Classic” begins this Wednesday, and features the New York Yankees against the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies. This will mark the first time that any of the first four games will be played in November, as game four is scheduled for Nov. 1. The only other time a World Series champion was named in November was in 2001, due to the postponement of games from Sept. 11.

The Orlando Magic were so close to winning the 2009 NBA Championship, they could practically taste it. However, poor foul shooting by star big man Dwight Howard, and simply being overmatched by the Los Angeles Lakers snuffed that dream rather quickly. However, the Magic are back with renewed spirit and added depth in hopes of getting another shot. Meanwhile, the rest of the Southeast Division hasn’t gotten any easier. Some believe it to be one of the toughest divisions in the league. The Washington Wizards also added depth and seem to be healthier than last year; the Miami Heat hope its young prospects can emerge to give Dwayne Wade a decent supporting cast; and the Atlanta Hawks look to take its immensely talented, but immensely unproven roster to the court again.

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking like a fantasy basketball team this year. Coach Phil Jackson has the ideal challenge of which star to play at what times. Beyond that, the NBA’s Pacific Division should be competitive in 2009-2010. Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire hope to lead the Phoenix Suns back to the playoffs after a disappointing season in 2008-2009; the Los Angeles Clippers look like a playoff team on paper if they can stay healthy; the Golden State Warriors have plenty of talent, but no chemistry, defense or size; and the Sacramento Kings also hope its stars can stay healthy and the younger talent can continue to improve. Ring the bell, the fight for the Pacific Division is about to start.

It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings; or in the case of the ALCS, Frank Sinatra. The Los Angeles Angels managed to hold off elimination by beating the New York Yankees and sent the series back to New York. However, regardless of a Yankee win or loss in game five, the Bronx Bombers were going home to New York. But because they lost, they now have to play at least one game over the weekend. Assuming they do win game six or seven against the Angels, will this tire out the Yankees before the Phillies come into The Big Apple for Wednesday’s World Series debut? Absolutely not.

There is a lot of good talent available in the early middle rounds, but most of the players typically taken in this area have at least one tragic fantasy flaw. Otherwise people would nab them earlier on. This looks like a good year to pass on the top tiers of point guards, because a lot of useful players at that position are available now. Let us break down the players typically taken in the fifth round based on Yahoo’s average draft position rankings. As always, the advice will focus on head-to-head leagues.

They did it again. The Philadelphia Phillies are going back to the World Series, and they punched their ticket to The Show by doing the exact same thing they did in 2008 – by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. The only difference between this year and last is that the Phillies’ opponents in 2009 will not be the star-struck Tampa Bay Rays.

If it weren’t enough that the NBA’s Midwest Division looks much different than last season, a few teams, notably, the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks made key additions, and Rockets’ star big man, Yao Ming, just had to injure himself for the duration of the season. That curveball may open things up for younger teams to move into the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Spurs are seeing its NBA championship window close every year. In response, the team added several key free agents to make a push to compete with the Los Angeles Lakers in the West.

My record runs to 15–11 after going 3–2 last weekend. Why I ever back a Norv Turner team is a mystery to me. The Denver Broncos are out of the barn! Can they be placed back in? Their defense smothered the San Diego Chargers on Monday night. Their toughest upcoming games will be home games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants, plus a road game against the Indianapolis Colts.  The Arizona Cardinals showed some grit and beat the Seattle Seahawks up in the Northwest. The New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Minnesota Vikings came away with predicted victories.

Talk about a workhorse. CC Sabathia just may be one of the only pitchers in baseball who can pitch on short rest and make it seem like there’s nothing out of the ordinary. This was proven last year when he was with Milwaukee and pitched each of his final four starts of the year on three days’ rest. The New York Yankees put his arm to the test again for Game Four of this year’s ALCS against the Los Angeles Angels.

The saying is way too simplistic to capture how sophisticated some strategies are in fantasy sports, but for hoops, the first three rounds more or less involve drafting so-called “best available” talent. People have their preferences, but no one really goes too off the board. Generally in fantasy basketball, early draft picks end up as busts due to injury, not poor play. Match-ups are not as important as in football; for example, LeBron James might struggle against a good defensive team like the Spurs, but he will still get 25 points one way or the other. Contrast that to football where a high draft pick this year like Steve Slaton continues to struggle.

The middle rounds are where people try to mold their team. Injuries are out of anyone’s control, so if a top three pick succumbs to an unexpected health problem, there is not much you can do. However, you can soften the blow by hitting on a few of your picks from the fourth to eight rounds. These picks are often the ones that separate the strong teams in your league from the weak ones. Here is how the fourth round is shaping up using Yahoo’s average draft position rankings as of today. These numbers change often, and as we move past the early rounds, the stats will vary day to day, so use this tool yourself for the latest updates.

Love him or hate him, Alex Rodriguez came to play. As a notoriously poor playoff performer, A-Rod’s expectations going into the 2009 playoffs were low, and not only has he managed to raise the bar, he’s setting the standard for those around him as well. But will a hot October bat be enough for the much-maligned Rodriguez to finally shed himself of some of his negative steroid publicity?

The pairing of LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal for the Cleveland Cavaliers is grabbing the headlines for the NBA’s Central Division. Two of the biggest personalities in professional sports should create a Hollywood stir in Cleveland next season. Meanwhile, 2009 Rookie of the Year winner, Derrick Rose, strives to build on an exceptional first year with the Chicago Bulls.

There are plenty of reasons for NBA fans to be interested in the Northwest Division with several captivating stories to pique their interest. For starters, will the Utah Jazz go with Carlos Boozer as its starting power forward, or will it opt for up-and-comer Paul Millsap, thereby making Boozer expendable? Will Chauncey Billups be able to continue the great leadership role he exhibited with the Denver Nuggets last season? Will Greg Oden make strides to becoming a top flight NBA center? Will Al Jefferson and Kevin Love be able to coexist in Minnesota? Will Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder be able to become a true point guard?