Perched atop baseball's high chair is a commissioner, players' union, and collection of affluent owners that are proud of how far Major League Baseball has come since the league hammered out a substantial revenue sharing deal during collective bargaining in 2002.

In October 2006, Selig and Donald Fehr, head of the players' association, announced that the league and union reached a five-year labor agreement that will ensure baseball is played without stoppage through the 2011 season.

These agreements have been imperative for MLB to continue to build its brand while supplying the loyal fans of America an entertaining product that they can feel eager to support to unconditional lengths, fiscally and emotionally.

The byproduct of these movements have been an ubiquitous increase in parity and a tantalizingly competitive landscape during the last five years. Both beautiful things.

With the Phillies, Red Sox, Cardinals, and White Sox winning the last four World Series, and the Rays, Rockies, Tigers, and Astros being their counterparts, it is obvious that homegrown talent is the preferred path to success, and the loot is becoming more of a moot point.

The sheer irrelevance of the economically powerful Yankees in October during the better part of this decade is enough in itself to solidify that point.

Okay, that much we know. We know what it means to the spirit of fans when the majority of ball clubs have a legitimate chance to compete for a title at the outset of a season.

But what we also know is that it takes much more than a fat bankroll to roll through October and size up a city for championship rings, so I'm not ready to sympathize for poorly-ran, small market clubs that can't come within a Babe Ruth long ball of postseason play.

And, to be honest, there is a major void in the sport when the power houses at the top of the food web aren't battling each other for playoff spots and playoff victories.

I've enjoyed every underdog story that has erupted onto the national scene in recent years including the improbable run of the '08 Rays only to fall to a championship-starved city of Philadelphia; the resurgence of Kenny Rogers and emergence of Justin Verlander in '06; 'Rocktober' in '07; and the most memorable moment for a White Sox franchise, that has been historically paralyzed by Shoeless Joe Jackson and the rest of his 1919 Black Sox gang, in '05.

But for us to enjoy the most entertaining league possible, from top to bottom, there has to be a level of elite teams, a level of contending teams, and a level of teams that are reading fantasy football magazines instead of scouting reports come September.

That will surely infuriate the fans that don't usually get to buy playoff seats, but there has to be some sacrificial being for the betterment of any league. And putrid franchises CAN become contenders with the right process; you don't need to look any further than Tampa Bay.

That is why I couldn't be more excited that the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox appear to be strong and waltzing down the same collision course destined for autumn.

Ever since Dave Roberts swiped a precious bag on a cool evening in Fenway in October '04, and the Red Sox completed The Comeback against Pedro's self-proclaimed 'Daddy', the Yanks have been busy scuba diving on the bottom of the Hudson River while Boston has been building its empire sans its legendary foil.

I'm sorry, but baseball has not been better for this. You don't have to be emotionally invested in either one of these clubs - you can hate them, if anything - but the dramatic theater that they provide is second to none. Rivalries, especially one as storied as NY-BOS, create a galvanizing buzz throughout the entire world of sport.

Playoff baseball has not been more exciting since the days of grilling Grady Little and exalting Aaron Boone. They just haven't, and that's because every great playoff needs  a little history.

Don't get this twisted. I'm not proposing that it would be good for baseball if the Red Sox and Yankees appeared in 10 of the next 12 World Series and won eight of them combined. That is NOT what I'm saying.

What is important, is their presence and relevance in October, for two distinct reasons.

First, having the behemoths in the playoffs is great for the fans. Well, how could this be great for fans that don't root for the Yankees and Red Sox, you ask? Simple.

Without the Yankees, what would be the crowning moment of the Florida Marlins franchise? A hyperventilating collapse of Jose Mesa?

Without New York, how sweet is October '01 for the Arizona Diamondbacks and their fans? Not nearly as tasty, right? Of course not, because they are the official slayers of the Bronx stranglehold on October. Their World Series title sucked the magic out of the majestic, and launched this whole era of even competitiveness (yeah ... I made that phrase up).

Without the Red Sox pushing the Tampa Bay Rays to reach for the ultimate prize, would they have even gotten to the World Series last year? I think so, but you can't say that playing the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS would be as appealing to them as kicking the snot out of Boston, the bad boys they brawled with only months earlier.

One of the best games I have ever watched was Josh Beckett's impersonation of Tiger Woods' "Hello World" moment - Game 6 of the '03 Fall Classic. A baby-faced Beckett hurled a complete game in Yankee Stadium to clinch the second title for the upstart Marlins, tagging Jorge Posada for the final out of the game and giving the finger to New York history in the process.

Second, having storied franchises clash in October grows the game of baseball nationally and globally because those are the only games that will draw in the casual fan.

A baseball junkie, like myself, would become engulfed in any playoff series, because that's what we fanatics live for. But a man who is merely looking for a little entertainment to hold him over until his Sunday NFL binge is not going to worship a series like Rays-Phillies, especially when the teams have to trudge through a Nile River's worth of water to play.

It ain't happening. But Sabathia versus Beckett in Fenway, winner goes to the World Series? People are pausing their schedules for that.

I hear you fans in Atlanta and Chicago and Phoenix, but don't tell me you wouldn't watch. If you were truly a sports fan, you would. You just would.

And, ultimately, that is why I am giddy looking at the standings and seeing the Yankees and Red Sox atop the A.L. East as we close in on June. A remarkable summer is being assembled, and that is how it should be for baseball.

Really, I don't care who wins. I prefer some teams more than others, but I root for epic stories, performances, and games.

There will come a time - probably soon - when the Blue Jays (I plead guilty to premature praising), Orioles, Royals, Tigers, Rangers, and others, will be competing for their moment on the biggest stage, and they need the powerhouses in place to fully seize the spotlight.

Without the alpha dogs, there are no hungry, undersized fighters that we all can relate to and cheer for.

One servant's ascent to glory is accompanied by one king's fall from grace.

Teddy Mitrosilis is a staff writer for Around The Majors. You can reach him at tm4000@yahoo.com.

A day before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Dwight Howard attacked his keyboard like he attacks the rim on a nightly basis, firing off seven paragraphs full of frustration on his blog, stating the inaccuracies of the ever-present Kobe and LeBron puppet commercials.

Howard regurgitated his point that the commercials are disrespectful to the two other teams currently involved in the playoffs, as if everyone has already written off the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic.

The puppets are one thing, but the ire of the Magic is another entirely. With a 2-1 series advantage, the Magic had an opportunity to put a dagger into the heart of Cleveland with Game 4 at home, and they did just that with a character-revealing 116-114 overtime victory, leaving them one win away from a trip to the NBA Finals.

If you took the raucous Orlando crowd out of the picture and judged this game on play alone, you would think the Magic were the road team trying to climb out of a hole. Orlando didn't rest on the comforts of home, but instead played with an intensity and passion reserved for teams who are out to prove a point, to send a message to the rest of America.

With the series moving back to Cleveland and the Cavaliers facing elimination, the once-inevitable Finals appearance for LeBron and Co. is blowing up like his pre-game baby powder act.

For a series that has been heavy on highlights and light on clarity, we finally got down to the raw flesh of both clubs in Game 4. For three quarters, Orlando did exactly what has gotten them thus far ... live and die with the three pointer. Orlando shot 17-for-38 from behind the arc, playing a teeter-totter style of ball that left them scoring in spurts and trailing in handfuls.

Orlando tends to be streakier than a two-year-old pair of Hanes thanks to their love affair with the three ball, electrifying their fans when the shots drop and maddening them when they clank to their nearest opponent.

It is hard to argue with the philosophy when it has led them this far and they outscored the Cavaliers 51-18 on three pointers in Game 4, but they can indeed do other things if they wish.

The Magic have size advantages that they can exploit in the post on any possession. Cleveland has nobody that can match up with Howard, even given the fact that Superman Dwight himself doesn't possess one go-to post move. Instead, Howard relies on his bullish strength to back his defender under the rim before drop stepping and powering the ball through the hoop.

It's predictable, it's monotonous, and the Cavs still can't control him in the paint as Howard recorded 27 points to go along with 14 rebounds and four assists.

It's one thing if Rafer Alston - who was a brilliant energizer for Orlando with 26 points - or Courtney Lee live on the three-point line, because that's their game. But Mickael Pietrus, Hedo Turkoglu, and Rashard Lewis have a distinct advantage on the post any time they want it, and can get into the paint, or to the free throw line, at will.

Pietrus and Turkoglu both shoot well from behind the three point line, but they are oftentimes matched up with the smaller Delonte West or Mo Williams. Why settle for 18-23 foot jump shots when they could easily back those guys into the post and either get a high-percentage jumper or create an open look for a sniper like Alston?

Lewis is the beast that can slash and shoot, and nobody can guard him well. If the Magic ran the ball through Lewis, he would score 40. West and Williams are too small - Lewis will just punk them - and Ben Wallace and Anderson Varejao aren't quick enough, Lewis will just dispose of them.

The Magic started doing this more in the fourth quarter and the overtime period, as Howard began to take over with four buckets in the paint early in OT and two big free throws.

Lewis finished with 17 points, including a huge three pointer that gave the Magic a two-point lead in regulation with only a few ticks remaining, and was 5-for-6 from the stripe.

Turkoglu had 15 points and 8 rebounds acting as the make-shift facilitator in Orlando's half-court offense. For Game 5, I say put the ball in Alston's hands and let him create.

Orlando can do that because they are clearly the deeper team.

Reality has two clammy palms tightly around the collective throats of Cleveland, and the only thing left to do for the Cavs is flail wildly and grasp for air. We thought this was the invincible team, the one with all the weapons, but upon further review, it appears the fuse blew a few victories too early on LeBron's supporting cast.

LeBron James is nothing short of amazing, and you can point to his seven combined turnovers in the fourth quarter and overtime, but that would be greatly undermining his performance, not only in Game 4 but the entire series, in an attempt to pin sunken expectations on a scapegoat.

James has had to do it all in this series for Cleveland, and nearly did just that on Tuesday evening with his 44 points, 12 boards, and 7 assists. He gave Cleveland its only victory with the best shot of his career - a shot that will have an eternal ESPN Classic shelf life - in Game 2, and yet nearly exceeded that monumental last second heave in Game 4. Twice.

LeBron sunk a bomb from Coral Gables in the waning seconds of OT to bring Cleveland within one point, and after Lewis made one of two free throws to put Orlando up by two, LeBron broke free at half court, caught an inbounds pass from Williams like a tight end running a slant over the middle, and took a couple dribbles before launching a prayer with his body drifting into the scorers table ... and almost made it.

If he was able to stop his momentum and square up to the hoop, we probably would be talking about LeBron's heroics once more.

But luck ultimately evaporates when you are playing a team as deep, and as tough, as the Magic. Delonte West is a gritty guard who attacks the paint and can score in the post, but collectively, Cleveland has lost its swagger and is more about false bravado than reassuring confidence.

Mo Williams undoubtedly added to Orlando's bulletin board by guaranteeing the Cavs would win the series before Game 4, but failed to realize that such predictions are incoherent to the ears of the national audience when you look lost on the court. Nothing spells panic like "reassuring" how confident you are to the masses.

If you are confident, shut up and prove it.

If you are not confident, shut up and quietly fade into a somber summer.

Either way, just shut up and play. It's better for both of us.

But, at this point, there are no more words to be said if you are Cleveland or Orlando. Orlando has a chance to do something that nobody thought was possible, and that's knock goliath into next season. It would be silly to wake up the beast now.

The Magic took an us-against-the-world mentality to this series and combined it with - who knew - superior talent, to give us an absolute tutorial on how to prevail in the playoffs.

Courage, guile, and enough faith to repeatedly shoot down a league drunk on an overblown marketing campaign.

Finally, Howard can go home and give his blog a rest, because no soundboard is needed for this one.

One more win would is all the Magic need to say.

You can reach Teddy Mitrosilis at tm4000@yahoo.com.

When you say Minnesota, I think blizzard, Mall of America, and funny, drawn out accents. In that order.

What doesn't necessarily spring to the forefront of my mind is the best player in baseball, and I can't believe I am even uttering those words after watching that guy in St. Louis continually amaze the baseball world year after year.

A month ago, I would have confidently bet my life - not my savings, not my house ... my life - that nobody would be better than Mr. Pujols, at least not while he was still playing, partly because I don't think Pujols would settle for that.

But we can officially say it is a debate, because my gosh, Joe Mauer is becoming the most magnificent all-around ballplayer in the game today, and we would never notice if we didn't dig through the highlights to locate those Twins way up there in the North.

Granted, this isn't a revelation, because it is not as if Mauer has caught anybody by surprise with this ridiculous month of May he is having. Since making his 2009 debut on May 1 after missing the first month of the season due to a frightening back pain that was caused by inflammation of the right sacroiliac joint at the base of the spine, Mauer is hitting .429 with 10 homeruns and a1.360 OPS.

We always knew Mauer was a great hitter, possessing possibly the sweetest stroke in the sport, and we knew that he was a great catcher, winning his first Gold Glove behind the dish last season.

In 2006, Mauer became the first catcher in major league history to lead all of baseball in batting average (.347), and the first American League catcher to win the batting title. In '08, Mauer altered his resume by becoming the first A.L. catcher to win the batting title twice.

One more, and Mauer has the podium to himself. With his second title, Mauer joined Hall of Famer Ernie Lombardi as the only catchers in history to win two batting titles. Lombardi did it with the Cincinnati Reds in '38, and the Boston Braves in '42. It's a select company, especially considering that only one other catcher has ever won a batting title. That would be Eugene "Bubbles" Hargrave who won it in 1926 with the Reds.

A great defensive catcher who sprays balls from foul line to foul line is enough, right? Absolutely, and that is why you haven't heard anybody criticize Mauer since he broke into the big leagues. In an era of feeble-swinging backstops, Mauer is a jewel, a GM's dream.

But even amidst all of the greatness Mauer has put on display, there was one thing missing, and that was the pop. Scouts always say that power is the last thing to come as a young hitter develops, and that could still be the case with Mauer as he only turned 26 on April 19.

Since 2005 - Mauer's first full season in the big leagues - he has hit 9, 13, 7, and 9 homers, respectively. Ten homers from a catcher who is contending for batting titles, walking more than he strikes out, and playing premium defense is outstanding.

Except if you are Joe Mauer, that is. If you're Mauer, you aren't compared to normal standards, if only because your talent automatically places you in a separate realm. We look at Mauer's 6'5", 225 lb. frame and drool at the potential.

This is a guy with quick hands, an unbelievably short stroke, and hand-eye coordination that is only bestowed upon folklore legends. How good is Mauer? He struck out once in his entire high school career.

Taking Mauer as he has been thus far in his career is like cruising the freeway in an Aston Martin, gliding along at 90 mph with minimal amount of pressure on the gas pedal. It's wonderful, it's a thrill, there's absolutely nothing to complain about, but you're still not going full throttle on the autobahn like you should be with a ride that sweet.

After Mauer hit his tenth homerun of the season Sunday evening against the Milwaukee Brewers, it appears that he might be ready to crush the speed limit. Mauer has done more on the power side in one month than he did in his entire '08 season, and there's reason to believe that it is more than simply a power surge.

Will Mauer be a 30-35 homer guy? Probably not, but there is no reason that he shouldn't be a 20-25 homer guy with a swing that creates as much bat speed as his does.

If Mauer does indeed dig the long ball these days, this provides the Twins with an even more daunting middle of the order, a run through Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Michael Cuddyer that will pummel A.L. Central pitching staffs.

The Twins are going to be in the hunt for the division when August and September arrive - Ron Gardenhire always finds a way to get his boys ready, doesn't he? - and merely a solid effort from the pitching staff will get them there.

Can Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey continue to anchor the rotation while Francisco Liriano attempts to find his way back to pre-surgery form? Scott Baker can only improve on his 6.98 ERA, but will Glen Perkins give the Twins enough value from the back end of the rotation to prevent them from being desperate for pitching at the trade deadline?

There are some questions on this staff that will have to be answered over the next couple of months, but the Twins know they have Joe Nathan at the back of the bullpen to save games, something he has done over 100 times in his last three seasons.

All of this comes with the fact that Minnesota ranks fourth in the American League in runs scored while carrying the corpses of Nick Punto, Joe Crede, and Carlos Gomez. None of those guys are hitting .300 anytime soon, but they should improve enough to complement the Mauer-Morneau-Cuddyer trio.

But the A.L. Central isn't as strong this season, and getting Joe Mauer back suddenly gives the Twins an advantage that none of their opponents can claim.

And if we are talking about this Joe Mauer, the sweet-swinging slugger, not the singles machine, there's no other team in baseball that can say they have a weapon like that.

If you are still snoring, this is your wake up call. There's a guy in Minnesota who is making the leap from special to legendary, and it's time we take notice. My money says in fifteen years, we won't be thinking of Mike Piazza as the greatest offensive catcher in baseball history. 

Teddy Mitrosilis is a staff writer for Around The Majors. You can reach him at tm4000@yahoo.com.

The big dollars puffing the pockets of the menacing powers are supposed to produce the majority of wins in the American League East, and nobody typically thinks of the northern foe when it comes to the Eastern playoff race. Yes, the Yankees and Red Sox are always supposed to be in the mix -- the Rays are in the process of joining the elite - but the boys from Canada are routinely left above the border to rot.

The Toronto Blue Jays can't spend with the elite, can't garner attention with the famous, and can't fund ballpark palaces with the New Yorkers, but they certainly can play with anybody. Here we are knocking on the middle of May, and Toronto continues to be one of the best stories of the year, sitting atop the A.L. East as their division rivals struggle to piece together their own Rubik's cubes.

It's not your fault if you haven't noticed the Blue Jays thus far, because chances are manager Cito Gaston doesn't know a whole lot about his current club either. The Blue Jays have been decimated by injuries - especially in their starting rotation - but they continue to call up young players who immediately produce.

Toronto's starting rotation was billed as one of the best in baseball coming into the 2009 season, but that was before we knew the Jays would be without Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum, and Casey Janssen.

McGowan was regarded as one of the premier young pitchers in baseball, up there with the Jon Lesters and Joba Chamberlains of the sport, before undergoing shoulder surgery last season to repair a torn labrum. Marcum had a 3.39 ERA over 25 starts in 2008, but he was shut down last September with elbow pain, and ended up having Tommy John surgery. And Janssen missed all of '08 with his own labrum problems.

But Toronto isn't dwelling on who isn't in uniform, because they still have enough in the stable to win, led by Roy Halladay. Halladay is in a class of his own. If you had to pick one pitcher to build a team around, you couldn't go wrong with Doc. Halladay is rolling again, winning six of his first seven starts, and will probably end up being in the Cy Young talks at the end of the year.

It's a shame that a guy as good as Halladay has not had the opportunity to throw his devastating sinkers and cutters in the playoffs. But whether Halladay knows it or not, he is helping the Blue Jays get to the playoffs even on the days that he does not pitch. How? By having such a profound impact on the Blue Jays' young pitchers.

Halladay is a lot like Greg Maddux in that way. Maddux is revered as one of the masterminds of pitching - deservedly so - and has a reputation for rubbing off on the rest of the staff. Ask Chad Billingsley in Los Angeles or Chris Young in San Diego, and they will tell you the effect Maddux had on their careers.

That type of mentorship and tutelage is now going on in Toronto, and Halladay has undoubtedly shown Scott Richmond, Brian Tallet, David Purcey, and Ricky Romero how to go about being the best in the business. Halladay is at the park hours before everyone else, works harder and prepares smarter than everyone else, and the youngsters are taking notes in the process.

Richmond has been an unbelievable success story, posting a 4-1 record and a 3.29 ERA in 6 starts. Richmond, 30, didn't even make his way into professional baseball until last season when he was offered a minor league contract by the Blue Jays.

Richmond grew up in Canada, but his high school didn't have a baseball team so he had to settle for playing summer ball across Canada while working on the Vancouver dockyards in his spare time. Richmond spent one season at Missouri Valley College, an NAIA school, before transferring to Bossier Parish Community College in Louisiana for his sophomore season.

Richmond played his last two seasons of college ball at Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Conference, but went undrafted as a senior because he was already 25 years old. After spending three years playing for the Edmonton Cracker-Cats in the Independent Northern League, he impressed Blue Jays scouts enough in an open tryout to offer him a contract. And here he is in the bigs.

But with a pitching staff that has been pieced together with youth and inexperience, Toronto needed a competent lineup to put runs on the board and give them a chance to make things work on the mound. Luckily, the hitters have done more than enough.

Vernon Wells is off to a decent start and Alex Rios needs to get going, but both of those guys need to be dynamic threats in the middle of the order if the Blue Jays are going to take this summer fight 15 rounds. Adam Lind and Travis Snider swing powerful sticks, and Marco Scutaro's contributions go unnoticed every season, regardless of what club he is on.

But the big surprise has been the utter explosion of second baseman Aaron Hill. Hill only played in 55 games last season after suffering from a concussion that was received in a nasty collision with teammate David Eckstein on May 29 in Oakland. But this year has been a completely different story, as Hill ranks in the Top 5 in the major leagues among second basemen in runs, homeruns, RBIs, and batting average.

General Manager J.P. Ricciardi deserves credit for having a vision with his club and sticking to it despite the turbulent economy and the falling Canadian dollar. Most people thought the Blue Jays would be pretty good, just not good enough to contend with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays in the A.L. East, and therefore Ricciardi should consider trading his biggest chip, Halladay, and bring in a jackpot of prospects while reducing the team's payroll. Ricciardi disagreed.

"Roy Halladay is not going anywhere. This has become kind of a hot topic in baseball, but we're not trading him. We have no intention of trading him. He allows us to be good. And we feel we are going to be good. And he's going to be The Guy," said Ricciardi during spring training.

Halladay is making $14.25 million this season, and is signed through 2010 for $15.75 million. If ownership tells Ricciardi that the Blue Jays must cut payroll, than he may have no choice but to move Halladay. But, until then, the Jays are hanging onto their ace because he gives them a legitimate chance to win.

And why not? Gaston led the Blue Jays to World Series titles in 1992 and '93, so he's no rookie to the post season, and this is a passionate fan base that is craving for a winning team. I mean, these fans really care, to the point where they at times go overboard.

In April, a Toronto win over the Detroit Tigers was delayed nine minutes after fans littered the field with debris and beer cups. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario had already suspended the liquor license at the Rogers Centre for three dates that had already been established prior to Monday's game. No, it's not the most sober baseball crowd in America, but at least the fans are pouring their soul into their team. They even have a website - www.drunkjaysfans.com. (WARNING: Explicit Language).

The good thing is that we will find out what type of team Toronto indeed is. The Blue Jays play the Yankees and Red Sox nine times in May before inter-league play starts. The Blue Jays draw Atlanta, Florida, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Washington from the National League before playing New York, Boston, and Tampa Bay 16 times through the end of July. That's quite a two and a half month gauntlet.

There's no excuse for fans littering a playing field with anything, but the Toronto Blue Jays are littering the A.L. East with wins, and their fans want to litter the Rogers Centre with some October love. This team has the talent to make it happen.

And wouldn't that be some kind of Canadian Oktoberfest?

Teddy Mitrosilis is a staff writer for Around The Majors. You can reach him at tm4000@yahoo.com.

There are many great things about sports, but two in particular stand out in my mind. First, are the moments that cannot be described in any realm, but you know you just witnessed something spectacular, something historical, something majestic.

You are caught in the most intense staring contest with the television screen. The type of moments that leave you playing tag with the 'forward' and 'backward' keys on your Tivo remote for two hours.

It's like the NBA's slogan 'Where Amazing Happens" ... except it's natural. Moments like Kobe's 81 against the Raptors; Jordan's jumper in Utah; anything with LeBron; the entire '09 Bulls-Celtics series; Derek Fisher's 0.4 heave; San Antonio's run of brilliance; Tiger at the '08 U.S. Open; '08 men's Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal; '07-'08 Patriots; Super Bowl XXXIV between the Rams and Titans and "The Tackle"; Super Bowl XLII and David Tyree; anything Rice, Montana, Elway, or Favre; '98 Yankees; '04 Red Sox and "The Comeback"; Cal Ripken Jr. and 2,131; hundreds more that aren't mentioned.

Second, are the moments that force you to roll up your sleeves and dig into an entire entr