Second baseman, last season's top rookie, beats out Minnesota's Morneau, teammate Youkilis

Boston Globe Nov 18, 08 1:36 PM CST
(Newser)
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Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia was named the American League’s Most Valuable Player today, the Globe reports, beating out Minnesota’s Justin Morneau and Red Sox teammate Kevin Youkilis. Pedroia, 25, was the AL’s top rookie last season, and finished 2008 with a league-leading 213 hits, batting .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs. He also won the Gold Glove at his position.
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Team concedes fans may have trouble paying Fenway premium

Boston Globe Nov 13, 08 1:15 PM CST
(Newser)
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Times are tough, and the Boston Red Sox know it—in a nod to fans, the team froze ticket prices at Fenway yesterday for the first time in 14 years, the Globe reports. At an average $48.80, tickets are still some of baseball's most expensive, but "We do not want to be the ballpark of the rich and famous," says a team exec.
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Chicago posted NL's most wins; Tampa Bay had first-ever winning season, reached World Series

MLB.com Nov 12, 08 3:12 PM CST
(Newser)
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Lou Piniella and his Tampa Bay successor, Joe Maddon, have been voted baseball’s managers of the year, MLB.com reports. Maddon’s first-ever recognition is no surprise after he led the Rays to their first-ever winning season and the American League pennant. Chicago’s Piniella won the honor—his third, after two with the Seattle Mariners—after leading the Cubs to a National League-best 97 wins.
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Both win easily, with Tampa star a unanimous choice in AL

Chicago Tribune Nov 10, 08 2:04 PM CST
(Newser)
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Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto and Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria were named the rookies of the year today in the National and American leagues, respectively. Soto, 25, was voted an All-Star Game starter and finished the season with a .285 batting average, 23 home runs, and 86 RBI, the Tribune reports. He easily beat out Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto.
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TBO Blogs Oct 29, 08 9:20 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The Philadelphia Phillies edged Tampa Bay 4-3 tonight to capture the team's first World Series pennant since 1980. Pedro Feliz singled home Eric Bruntlett in the bottom of the seventh to break a 3-3 tie and provide the winning run, the Tampa Bay Tribune reports. The two teams had to resume the game in the sixth inning tonight after it was halted because of rain Monday night.
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Associated Press Oct 26, 08 1:16 AM CDT
(AP)
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It took a while, but the Phillies finally beat Tampa Bay in the wee hours to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Carlos Ruiz hit an infield single—a trickler down the third-base line—with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth as Philly outlasted the Rays, 5-4. The game didn't begin until 10:06pm because of a rain delay, and it didn't end until 1:47am. Ruiz, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard homered for the Phils.
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TBO Blogs Oct 23, 08 10:46 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Tampa Bay starter James Shields shut down the Phillies, and the Rays used a classic game of small ball to even up the World Series with a 4-2 win, the Tampa Bay Tribune reports. The Rays scored their runs on two groundouts, a single, and a squeeze bunt. The Phillies finally got on the board in the 8th and 9th, but it wasn't enough. Game 3 is Saturday night in Philadelphia.
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Philadelphia Daily News Oct 22, 08 11:05 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Solid pitching and a dose of power gave the Phillies Game 1 of the World Series tonight in Tampa Bay. Chad Utley hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and ace Cole Hamels pitched 7 strong innings in Philadelphia's 3-2 win, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. Carl Crawford homered for the Rays, who will try to even things up Thursday night.
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Both league champions are full of next decade's superstars

New York Times Oct 22, 08 11:29 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The recent woes of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays belie what could be a truly classic World Series, the New York Times reports. With 13 of 16 starting position players under 30 and each team's ace only 24 years old, the future of baseball could be on display tonight at St. Petersburg’s domed Tropicana Field.
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Technical issues keep baseball playoff, NFL game off air long enough to drive fans nuts

Associated Press Oct 20, 08 2:38 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Power problems had fans hoping to catch the baseball playoffs and the NFL on TV this weekend howling, the AP reports, with a malfunction at TBS headquarters keeping the first 20 minutes of Tampa Bay’s Game 6 loss to visiting Boston off the airwaves Saturday. Yesterday, balloons snagged a transformer and cut power CBS needed to broadcast most of the first half of Chargers-Bills from Buffalo.
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Yankees' Chamberlain arrested in Nebraska on 3 charges

Associated Press Oct 19, 08 12:06 PM CDT
(AP)
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New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, speeding, and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle. Nebraska State Patrol said Chamberlain was stopped for speeding near his hometown of Lincoln at about 1am yesterday. Chamberlain was taken to the Cornhusker Place Detox in Lincoln, which is the normal protocol.
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Comeback kings 'played like it was their last game'

Associated Press Oct 19, 08 4:28 AM CDT
(AP)
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The Boston Red Sox, playing like the defending champs they are, came out swinging and beat Tampa Bay 4-2 last night to force a seventh game in an American League championship series that the Rays had all but wrapped up two days ago. "We went out there and played like it was our last game,” said Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis. “It was awesome."
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Fan unintentionally coins rallying cry for first Series berth since '93

Deadspin Oct 17, 08 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser)
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When a delirious Phillies fan called in to a radio show after Philadelphia's NLCS win, he inadvertently coined the team's new rallying cry. "Boston did it. The White Sox did it. Why can't us?," he asked. While waiting to see which AL team they'll face, Phillies fans have joyously embraced the grammatically challenged slogan, Deadspin reports.
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Boston Globe Oct 16, 08 11:31 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The Red Sox stayed alive tonight with a stunning 8-run rally over the last 3 innings, the Globe reports. Boston trailed Tampa 7-0 after 6 innings but scored 4 in the 7th and 3 in the 8th to tie the game. In the bottom of the 9th, a base hit by JD Drew brought home Kevin Youkilis with the winning run as t