Major League Baseball approved the sale of the Houston Astros today, which brought with it more changes to baseball: the Astors will move from the NL Central division to the AL West, and there will be one more wild card playoff team in each league, creating a one-game playoff after the regular season ends. But while this will be good for competition across the league, it probably doesn't mean much to Mets fans out there right now, who are facing another disappointing, disheartening season, this time likely without star shortstop Jose Reyes. And prominent Mets supporter Jerry Seinfeld told David Letterman he's dealing with the stress in a unique way: by naming his new dog "Jose Reyes." Watch below: more ›

With one giant swing and a miss from star Alex Rodriguez, the $196 million Yankees season came to a pathetic ending last night against the Detroit Tigers. And with that final whiff (which you can rewatch below), the vitriol poured forth from sportswriters, Yankees haters and even Donald Trump across the web: "A-Rod is a less than average baseball player now that he is unable to use drugs. A-Rod misrepresented to the Yankees. He used drugs. They should cut his salary to $5 million a year -- tops!" Trump tweeted. more ›

Now that the Yankees have clinched their 50th playoff spot and are the American League East champs, 2011 post-season tickets are now on sale at Yankees.com. Here's what the Pinstripes say:

Due to a limited number of tickets available for sale, a maximum of two (2) Tickets to one (1) potential game (the "Ticket Limit") scheduled to be played at Yankee Stadium (each a "Game" and, collectively, the "Games") during the 2011 American League Division Series ("ALDS") and/or the 2011 American League Championship Series ("ALCS"). A maximum of four (4) Tickets in total, but no more than two (2) Tickets to one (1) potential game of the ALDS and two (2) Tickets to one (1) potential game of the ALCS may be purchased. Only a LIMITED number of Tickets (as determined by the New York Yankees in its sole and absolute discretion) will be made available during the On-Sale. more ›

Was a Red Sox pitcher rattled yesterday because he was served child-support papers before he started in a big game for the struggling team who are grasping at straws trying to hold on to their slim lead on the AL wild card? Or was it more because the process server was dressed in pin-stripes? more ›

Our Rangers are in the playoffs (and finally won a game yesterday), so it's time to talk hockey, in which toothless men beat the shit out of each other with wooden poles the sport of kings. After losing two consecutive games to the Washington Capitals, the Rangers pulled out a last minute win on Sunday and head back to the Garden on Wednesday night to even the score. But it seems someone forgot to clean the visiting locker room's bidet, because Caps coach Bruce Boudreau took to D.C.'s airwaves this morning to complain about the facilities and fans at Madison Square Garden. more ›

The Knicks tip off game one of their first round playoff matchup against the Boston Celtics tomorrow night; it's the first time the Knicks have made the playoffs in seven years, since the dreadful Isiah Thomas administration. Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have been making the talk show rounds this week, promising that "we're looking to do something special." But many questions hover over the series: can the Knicks play defense consistently? Will Shaq be healthy enough to play? And most importantly, what will Walt Clyde Frazier wear? more ›

Rangers 5 Devils 2: The Blue Shirts got the last playoff berth in the Eastern Conference last night with a win over New Jersey. (They were also helped when the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Hurricanes.) Goals came from Chris Drury, Wojtek Wolski, Ryan McDonagh, Brandon Prust and Vinnie Prospal. Now the Rangers will face off the Capitals in the playoffs. more ›

For the second straight year, the Jets sit one game away from the Super Bowl. Just as they did last season, the Jets won two road playoff games to get to this point and face another one in Pittsburgh. Last year, the Jets blew a halftime lead and fell to Indianapolis. This year, they face the Steelers with a berth in Super Bowl XLV on the line. more ›

After calling for ideas on what to wager with Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl on Sunday's AFC Championship game between the Jets and the Steelers, Mayor Bloomberg revealed what the bet would be today. Drum roll please: "The losing mayor will, while wearing the jersey of the winning team, take part in a volunteer service project to assemble care packages to be sent to members of the armed services who are from the winning city and recently have returned home." In addition, if the Steelers win, Mayor Bloomberg will hang a Steelers “Terrible Towel” on a New York City landmark and if the Jets win, Mayor Ravenstahl will place a Jets Fireman hat on a Pittsburgh landmark. more ›

Trash has been talked, guarantees have been made, and the whole city seems to be united around the Jets in anticipation of tomorrow's AFC divisional round playoff game with divisional rivals the Patriots. The Empire State Building was lit in green and white Jets colors yesterday to support the team before the showdown. And according to Rex Ryan, it will truly be an old west style showdown: "It'll be huge. The second biggest game in the history of the franchise. You've got your rival, at their place, off a huge, embarrassing loss on a Monday night game...We respect 'em. We do not fear 'em. And we're gonna win the game." more ›

This weekend's anticipated AFC divisional round playoff game between the Jets and Patriots is already pretty personal for Rex Ryan, and it seems to be bringing out the fire in the rest of the Jets players. Asked about Pats Ugg-spokesman Tom Brady, virile cornerback Antonio Cromartie unleashed a verbal tirade to the News, calling him an "ass----," among other things: "F--- him...That's what I think about him. I don't really give a damn about him. I don't have to play against him. I play against the receivers." more ›

The Yankees play the Texas Rangers in a do-or-die Game 6 of the ALCS tonight at 8 p.m. The Rangers lead the series 3-2, led by the dominant pitching of potential future Yank Cliff Lee. But the Yanks, led by the hot bat of Robinson Cano, are hoping to sweep the last two games in Arlington, Texas; the last time they made a successful comeback was in 1996, when they were down 2-0 against the Braves in the World Series. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg tested the patience of the Jinx Gods yesterday when he mentioned that he had already begun planning the World Series ticker tape parade before the team had even won the ALDS. But fans face an even more irritating prospect: even if they were somehow able to scrum up playoff tickets (costing a couple hundred dollars), they're now going to be facing increased prices for the privilege of parking near the stadium. Increases of nearly seventy-five percent. more ›

For 41 years now, Jets fans have been dreaming of another Superbowl title. But one man from Chappaqua decided to actually do something about it. Tom Schonberg decided to name his son "Jake Edward Thomas Schonberg," or J.E.T.S. And hey, look at that, the Jets are one game away from the Superbowl. more ›

The upcoming Yom Kippur sure has been a day of atonement for event planners. After an official protest from Congressman Anthony Weiner, Major League Baseball and ESPN have switched back the starting time of the final regular season Yankees-Red Sox matchup September 27th, that originally had been moved to after sundown on the high holy day so that it could reach a wider television audience. The brouhaha over the conflict comes on the heels of both the Jets and U2 having to scramble their schedules for the same reason. more ›

With a chance to bury the Capitals, the Rangers fell flat on home ice Monday. The two wins in Washington appeared a distant memory in a 4-0 loss. Alexander Ovechkin didn't score but assisted on the first two Washington goals, which effectively buried the Rangers. This game turned on a 14-second stretch in the first period. Alexander Semin got the Capitals on the board at the 6:57 mark. Ryan Callahan had a chance to tie it but missed the open net, and, 14 seconds later, Semin scored his second goal at the other end of the ice. Given the Rangers' trouble scoring goals, fans at the Garden knew it would be a long night. And it was. more ›

The logic goes something like this. Because the Eagles won a huge game to get into the playoffs and then won a tough road game in the playoffs, they are the equivalent of the 2007 Giants. And because the Giants lost three of their last four games, they are the equivalent of the 2007 Cowboys. So, the Eagles will beat the Giants tomorrow just like the Giants beat the Cowboys last January. more ›

TBS proved a point Saturday, there is something worse than having to listen to Chip Carey cover the playoffs and that is not being able to listen to him at all. Thanks to a “router failure” TBS was unable to put Game 6 of the ALCS on the air until the middle of the first inning, seven batters into the game, Saturday night. The technical glitch just highlights a dismal postseason effort by baseball and its TV partners. more ›