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The New York Yankees continue to shock the baseball world with a great start to the 2013 campaign, and in that start, the Bombers are proving to themselves that it doesn't take a team loaded with $100 million players to win.After another victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night, the Bombers improved their record to 30-18 on the season and remain on top of the American League East division for another day.And, in what was a microcosm of the Yanks' season thus far, it was Lyle Overbay who came up with the big solo homer to put New York over the top in extra innings to beat its division rival Tampa Bay.Overbay continues what has been a sensational season for him up to this point, with plenty of clutch hits already. Along with Overbay, other players off the scrap heap like Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner have also ...

The New York Yankees faced very different prospects than they are normally used to when the 2013 season began, but in the face of adversity, this year's version of the Bronx Bombers has passed this special test with flying colors.At the start of this season, the Yanks had about $100 million on the disabled list in the names of Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson and Derek Jeter, all with varying injuries and return dates no earlier than May.Baseball pundits and fans of the sport overall doomed the Yankees to be an 85-win team at best with ESPN's Buster Olney and Jayson Stark going as far as to say that the Yanks would finish in last place in the American League East (per Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com).That prediction of this veteran team seemed a little strange at best when first stated by Olney and Stark, but now, it looks downright ...

Major League Baseball's 2012 postseason led to some incredibly exciting October baseball and this year's spring training will give us a chance to see some rematches from those series.The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals one-upped each other in the comeback department en route to a memorable National League Division Series.The San Francisco Giants started their improbable World Series-winning run by staging a comeback of their own against the Cincinnati Reds to make history in the other National League Division Series.In the American League Championship Series, the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers didn't provide as much offense as expected, but there were still some great moments to point to for both sides.Let's take a look back at each of these playoff series from last season and when you can catch the rematches during spring training.The full 2013 spring training schedule can be found on MLB.com. St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals: ...

In Major League Baseball, veterans are always a key component to the success of a team, but there are some elder statesman who will have a major role for their respective clubs in 2013.Guys like Andy Pettitte of the New York Yankees and R.A. Dickey of the Toronto Blue Jays will each be of vital importance to their respective team's pitching staffs. Meanwhile, A.J. Pierzynski will have to make an impact on both sides of the ball for the Texas Rangers.Age is just a number and these players certainly proved that with great statistics during the 2012 season.Let's take a closer look at each of these older vets and how they will benefit their teams in 2013. Andy Pettitte, Starting Pitcher, New York Yankees (Age: 40)When Pettitte takes the mound in April, he will be starting his 18th Major League season and is a huge piece of the Yanks' starting rotation in 2013.Pettitte ...

The 2013 Major League Baseball spring training schedule has been released and while it might not seem important to watch the MLB's preseason, that doesn't change the fact that there are some must-see matchups. Some of these matchups will feature players in new places who are going up against their old mates, as well as some major new additions to teams that plan on making a push for the postseason in 2013. Let's take a look at some exciting games to look forward to this spring. The full 2013 spring training schedule can be found on MLB.com.   Toronto Blue Jays vs. Detroit Tigers: Sunday, Feb. 23, at 1:05 p.m. ET This will be the second game of the spring for the reigning American League champion Tigers, and it will also be the first chance we get to see the plethora of new names on the Blue Jays' roster. Toronto ...

In what is another bizarre chapter in the career of Alex Rodriguez as a member of the New York Yankees, the controversial slugger may have once again soiled his image while donning the pinstripes. The Yankees didn't expect to hear much from A-Rod until midseason—with a few injury updates mixed in between—but a recent report by Christian Red of the New York Daily News couldn't make any more noise at a more quiet time in the offseason. Red's report details how A-Rod's doctor divulged far too much information on the Yankees star's hip injury that he is set to have surgery on. Here are the details: In the report, [Dr. Bryan] Kelly - the Hospital for Special Surgery physician who is scheduled to perform Rodriguez's left hip surgery this month – said Rodriguez's left hip muscles "just shut down" during the Yankees' 2012 playoff run, one in which the $275 ...

Cincinnati Reds ace Johnny Cueto left Game 1 of the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants with what appeared to be a back injury.Amy Gutierrez of CSN Bay Area gave more specifics on the injury. #reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto left game with back spasms. #sfgiants— Amy Gutierrez (@AmyGGiants) October 7, 2012 Cueto left the game in the first inning with Marco Scutaro at the plate and having recorded only one out.It isn't known for sure, but Cueto did have to start and stop his delivery just a few pitches before leaving the game as a result of Angel Pagan receiving a timeout by the home plate umpire.This is a huge blow for the Reds. As the team's ace, Cueto sported a 19-9 record with a 2.78 ERA this season. If he misses an extended amount of time, the Reds will have to beat the Giants and potential future opponents without their ace.More ...

Chipper Jones has played his last game for the Atlanta Braves, but there's no doubt his career finale went about as badly as possible. A stand-up player like Jones deserved the perfect send-off, but as we all know, that doesn't always happen. On the brighter side, Jones is leaving the game not having hit a wall at the age of 40. Jones hit .287 with 14 homers and 62 RBI, making it clear that he could still contribute in a big way if he chose to continue his career. But despite all that, Jones' last game was a nightmare and here's why.   Infield Fly Rule-Gate The 2012 National League Wild Card game won't be remembered as Jones' last game, but rather the game the umpires got it wrong with a controversial call. Andrelton Simmons' pop up to short left field looked like a routine play, but instead the ball ...

Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander will start Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Oakland Athletics and that leaves no hope the A's will take the first game of this series. Verlander had another sensational year for Detroit in 2012. The right-hander was 17-8 with a 2.64 ERA and 239 strikeouts. Oakland will have its hands full in this game. Sporting one of the youngest teams in the MLB, the A's roster doesn't have a lot of experience playing in big games, so most likely this is the most important game of the careers for the majority of the roster. Dealing with that kind of pressure will make this a tough game to win in and of itself, let alone facing a stud like Verlander. But beyond that, Verlander's past success against the Athletics this season is reason enough for manager Bob Melvin to be concerned about his team's chances in ...

After about half of a day of uncertainty—no thanks to Hall of Fame writer Peter Gammons—the Robinson Cano performance-enhancing drug rumors can be put to bed as false.Bob Nightengale of USA Today broke the news yesterday that a MLB official denied such rumors:A Major League Baseball official with knowledge of the league's drug testing confirmed that New York Yankees All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano did not test positive for a performance-enhancing substance.This is no doubt great news for the sport, and more specifically the Yankees and their fans. Losing Cano would have been a huge blow to the team's playoff hopes, and the league would've had to deal with another PED black eye had one of its best players tested positive.But thankfully, all that will be avoided.However, one can't help but be taken aback by the lack of care that was taken in reporting such rumors about Cano.The ...