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Charlie Manuel announced this afternoon that Cliff Lee will start Game 1 of the NLDS against Colorado, with Cole Hamels going in Game 2. You can’t really go wrong either way, but Hamels has been the Phillies’ ace for years now and was named MVP of both the NLCS and World Series last October. On…

* All the hub-bub was apparently for nothing, because FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal reports that the Marlins will stick with Fredi Gonzalez as their manager in 2010. Gonzalez won 87 games this season and 84 games last season with an extremely limited payroll and relatively modest talent, so it’s tough to see an on-field reason for…

Will the Twins’ dramatic late-season turnaround continue long enough for them to defeat the Tigers in a one-game playoff tomorrow and then make some noise in the playoffs for the first time since 2002? Who knows. Minnesota’s one-game playoff against Chicago last year ended in disappointment and the Twins’ last furious late-season comeback against Detroit…

Miguel Cabrera’s wife called 911 when he returned home from a night of heavy drinking Friday and the Detroit News has the very disturbing audio. Some of it is hard to decipher because Roseangel Cabrera is distraught and sobbing for much of the call, which was made at around six o’clock in the morning. However,…

Terry Francona announced yesterday that Tim Wakefield will not be on the Red Sox’s roster for the ALDS, but added that the team may decide to use him in the ALCS or World Series if they get past the Angels: And he’s on board with that, which we appreciate a lot. He’s not going to…

When the Twins lost in Detroit last Wednesday it looked (to me at least) like their season was over. They were three games back in the AL Central with four games left, which put their playoff odds at around five percent with a deficit that no team in baseball history had come back from. So…

* Jessica Camerato of WEEI.com wrote about the sad story of Alex Gonzalez’s three-year-old son, who slipped into a coma in July of 2007 after battling complications as a result of being born premature. “Fight until the end,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve been fighting for three years. I think he’s a strong kid. He’s had around…

Michael Weiner is the guy in that photo who isn’t David Ortiz and has been elected as the new executive director of the Players Association. He’ll take over the position when Donald Fehr steps down. Players voted 1,055-to-4 in favor of Weiner being the choice to replace Fehr, who will retire at some point before…

Las Vegas police have issued an arrest warrant for former Rockies, Yankees, Pirates, and Astros pitcher Shawn Chacon after he allegedly failed to pay $150,000 in gambling debts to Caesars Palace. Chacon was let go by the Astros in the middle of last season after having a physical altercation with Ed Wade, reportedly grabbing the…

Last night Garret Anderson became the 89th player in baseball history with 2,500 career hits, which is what happens when you’re a lifetime .295 hitter who rarely takes a walk and have played in 2,145 games. Anderson has been a solid player for most of his 16 seasons, but a lack of plate discipline and…

* It’s not often that you’ll see a batter get plunked in the leg by a pitch and then angrily yell at someone in his own dugout, but that’s exactly what happened yesterday with Delmon Young. And the Twins are blaming rookie reliever Jose Mijares for the whole mess. * Billy Wagner has pitched in…

After six months and 130 columns, this is the final “Daily Dose” of the 2009 season, although Rotoworld’s baseball coverage is far from over. Our player news page has constant updates 365 days per year, so whether you want to keep up to speed on all the playoff action this month or get the latest…

* Impending free agent Kevin Gregg said yesterday that he’d like to re-sign with the Cubs and be a closer again in 2010. Neither will happen. During the past three seasons Gregg has blown 20 of 104 save chances while losing 19 games and posting a 3.86 ERA. He’s a second-tier setup man, at best.…

Here’s footage from the Indians’ press conference yesterday, in which general manager Mark Shapiro explains why he fired manager Eric Wedge after seven seasons on the job and Wedge shows a remarkable amount of class in discussing his firing: Getting laughs from the assembled media at the press conference announcing his firing might be more…

For the second straight year Jim Riggleman took over a horrible team at midseason as interim manager. For the second straight year he helped the team become slightly less horrible. And for the second straight year he probably won’t be asked back. Here’s what Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo–himself an “interim” GM until just recently–said…

Boston’s blowout loss to Toronto last night featured all sorts of amusing stuff, as long as you’re not a Red Sox fan. And really they shouldn’t even mind too much, after clinching a playoff spot the previous night. For starters, the third-highest-scoring team in the league trotted out a lineup that surrounded cleanup hitter David…

Ricky Nolasco put on a show Wednesday, setting a Marlins record with 16 strikeouts and nearly made history with nine punchouts in a row. Tom Seaver holds the all-time record with 10 straight strikeouts, but Adam LaRoche snapped Nolasco’s streak with a double. Jake Peavy in 2007 and Mickey Welch in 1884 are the only…

* Rookie outfielder Sam Fuld has been very productive in 61 games with the Cubs, hitting .302 with a .417 on-base percentage, six extra-base hits, and 16 runs in 103 plate appearances, but is still looking for his first career RBI. Fuld has 26 hits, including five with runners in scoring position, but amazingly none…

Boston lost last night for the fifth straight game, but still managed to clinch a spot in the postseason when Texas lost 3,000 miles away and a few hours later. Most of the Red Sox stuck around after their loss to watch the Rangers on television in the clubhouse, but getting into the playoffs that…

Last week I wrote that Eric Wedge was unlikely to be back for his eighth season as Indians manager in 2010 because “general manager Mark Shapiro probably needs to make someone the fall guy before all of the attention turns to him.” Sure enough, this morning Shapiro cleaned house by firing Wedge and his entire…

* After clinching their third straight division title, the Angels scratched Scott Kazmir from last night’s start and have also bumped Jered Weaver from tonight’s scheduled outing. Matt Palmer will take Weaver’s place against the Rangers. Lyle Spencer of MLB.com speculates that the Angels’ postseason rotation will have John Lackey in Game 1 followed by…

Clay Buchholz pitched his way into the Red Sox’s postseason rotation by going 7-3 with a 3.21 ERA through 14 starts, but turned in a disastrous outing Tuesday against the Blue Jays. Buchholz served up a career-high five homers after allowing a total of seven long balls through his first 84 innings this year, coughing…

Ron Gardenhire did his best to over-manage the game by calling for five bunts–including a suicide squeeze that resulted in an inning-ending double play–but the Twins still prevailed in extra innings this afternoon to take Game 1 of the crucial doubleheader in Detroit. Nick Blackburn and Rick Porcello both turned in strong starts, combining for…

Shannon Drayer of ESPN radio in Seattle has chronicled the amazing psychic abilities that announcer Mike Blowers displayed yesterday. You really ought to read Drayer’s amusing recap, which includes the actual audio clips, but here’s the short version … On the pregame show Blowers selected Matt Tuiasosopo as his “pick to click” and then jokingly…

Last night Peter Moylan set a Braves record by appearing in his 85th game, which is pretty remarkable for a guy who missed nearly all of last season following Tommy John elbow surgery and was no sure thing to be healthy by Opening Day. In fact, even after making the team out of spring training…