In the offseason, the Los Angeles Angels made the splash of all splashes by signing Albert Pujols to a deal worth $240 million. Pujols, regarded by many as the best hitter in all of baseball, was supposed to come to the Angels and make Los Angeles elite once again. So far, that hasn't happened. Not even close.

All eyes were on Yu Darvish as he pitched for the first time for the Texas Rangers. The rookie from Japan took on the Seattle Mariners. The results? They weren't good. Darvish already has baseball fans wondering if the expensive import is going to be a bust.

In the first inning, Darvish gave up four runs.

If you don't replace the foundation, the building might fall down. This applies to the national team. The upper floors of international US soccer have been furnished over the last decade with consecutive World Cup appearances and thrilling moments. We can hang the portraits of the heroes Landon Donovan, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, and Tim Howard on the walls and admire their commitment to the colors.

One of my favorite videos and books is 212° The Extra Degree, by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson.
212 degrees is the extra degree of effort that often separates the good from the great. 212° The Extra Degree captures a simple, yet powerful concept.

The New York Yankees are looking into adding some depth on their roster by signing Bill Hall. Hall can play multiple positions in both the infield and the outfield. Last season, he played with the Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants.

In 185 at-bats last season, Hall hit only .211 with two homers and 14 RBIs.

The 2011 baseball playoffs begin tomorrow. Yesterday was one of the most exciting days in baseball history. Can the 2011 baseball playoffs match that level of excitement? Probably not ... but you never know.

Here are our 2011 baseball postseason predictions:

American League
Texas Rangers Defeat Tampa Bay Rays (3-2)
New York Yankees Defeat Detroit Tigers (3-1)
Texas Rangers Defeat New York Yankees (4-2)

National League
Milwaukee Brewers Defeat Arizona Diamondbacks (3-2)
Philadelphia Phillies Defeat St.

Welcome back, Matt Diaz. The Atlanta Braves sent a player to be named later to the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Matt Diaz. The 33-year-old played for the Braves from 2006 through 2010. He signed with Pittsburgh last offseason.

So far this season, Diaz has been a bust. He's hitting .259 with no homers and 19 RBIs.

By Chris Wright

Wow wow wow wow wow wow wow. What the f**k just happened? 'Men against boys' doesn't even come close to covering it in fact, try something along the lines of 'competent footballing unit against a small gaggle of spoilt children ' or thereabouts.

Ignore Rudy and the Barca v. Madrid love-in. Check out that little nugget in the bottom left corner of the cover. That's what we need to be concerned with.

Juan on Juan

While today's front of Marca focused on this small matter of a Spanish Super Cup, rightfully so, there was some information on a potential bid from Chelsea for Valencia winger Juan Mata.

Have you ever had a live bat supersonic its way millimetres from your ear in the dead of night? I am not a boy easily prone to fear, I have sat through many-a defensive set-piece with mouth set and hand steady, but hearing a creepy chirrup and a sudden beating of wings next to my earlobe as I was peacefully taking a whizz in my college lavatory scared the bejesus out of me.

Have you ever had a live bat supersonic its way millimetres from your ear in the dead of night? I am not a boy easily prone to fear, I have sat through many-a defensive set-piece with mouth set and hand steady, but hearing a creepy chirrup and a sudden beating of wings next to my earlobe as I was peacefully taking a whizz in my college lavatory scared the bejesus out of me.

When the Chicago Cubs signed Kosuke Fukudome out of Japan, they had huge hopes for him. As it turns out, Kosuke Fukudome disappointed. However, the 34-year-old outfielder will now get a new start. On Thursday, Kosuke Fukudome was traded to the Cleveland Indians for a pair of minor leaguers.

Kosuke Fukudome is hitting .

Luke Scott is having arguably the worst season of his career. And now it's over. Due to a torn labram in his right shoulder, Luke Scott of the Baltimore Orioles will miss the remainder of the 2011 baseball season.

His shoulder injury could explain why he's been so bad this year. In 209 at-bats, the outfielder is hitting .

This is a guest post from Sam of Anfield Asylum.
Once again my cheerful nature leads me to tackle a wonderful subject, this time about just which player wasted the most time and money we'll never get back. The fact that there are so many contenders for this award on Liverpool alone this season lets you know just how bad it was at times.

Today's post is courtesy of Sam from Anfield Asylum.

Once again my cheerful nature leads me to tackle a wonderful subject, this time about just which player wasted the most time and money we'll never get back. The fact that there are so many contenders for this award on Liverpool alone this season lets you know just how bad it was at times.

The New York Yankees signed a potential future baseball Hall of Famer. However, this one didn't cost an arm and a leg. Andruw Jones, whose best days are obviously behind him, signed with the Yankees. The contract could be worth as much as $3.2 million for one season with Jones guaranteed to make at least $2 million.