Baseball/Softball Media Center
2009 Baseball Playoffs are Here!
It's October, which means it's time for the Major League Baseball Playoffs. After some thrilling down-to-the-wire pennant races, the eight teams for this season's playoffs are set. A large number of Mizuno Brand Ambassadors are featured in the 2009 MLB postseason.
Here is a breakdown of the Division Series, and the Mizuno Brand Ambassadors that will be playing in those games:
The first American League Division Series features the Western Division Champion Los Angeles Angels against the Wild Card Boston Red Sox. The Angels, 97-65, have four Mizuno Brand Ambassadors on their roster, including catcher Jeff Mathis, pitcher Darren Oliver, catcher Bobby Wilson, and third baseman Brandon Wood. The Red Sox, 95-67, have five Mizuno Brand Ambassadors, with pitchers Paul Byrd, Hideki Okajima, Takashi Saito, Junichi Tazawa, and catcher Victor Martinez.
The other ALDS includes the American League Eastern Division Champion New York Yankees and the Central Division Champion Minnesota Twins. The Yankees, 103-59, finished with the best record in baseball, and, with the AL winning the 2009 All-Star game, have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Yankees have two Mizuno Brand Ambassadors on the team, including designated hitter Hideki Matsui and center fielder Brett Gardner. The Twins, 87-66, defeated the Detroit Tigers in a thrilling one-game playoff to capture the Central crown. Minnesota features four Mizuno Brand Ambassadors, including starting pitcher Scott Baker and second baseman Alexi Casilla. The other two Mizuno Brand Ambassadors are pitchers Kevin Slowey and Pat Neshek, who are both out for the season with injuries.
The first of the National League Division Series includes the 2008 World Series Champion and 2009 Eastern Division Champion Philadelphia Phillies against the Wild Card Colorado Rockies. The Phillies, 93-69, are the only team in playoffs without a Mizuno Brand Ambassador on the roster. The Rockies, 92-70, make up for it though with five Mizuno Brand Ambassadors on the team, including shortstop Clint Barmes, pitchers Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis, first baseman Todd Helton, and catcher Chris Iannetta.
The final opening round playoff series is the NLDS featuring the West Division Champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Central Champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers, 95-67, have a strong roster full of Mizuno Brand Ambassadors, including third baseman Casey Blake, pitchers Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, and James McDonald, and outfielder Juan Pierre. The Cardinals, 91-61, also have five Mizuno Brand Ambassadors on the roster, with shortstop Julio Lugo, and pitchers Ryan Franklin, John Smoltz, Brad Thompson, and Adam Wainwright.
The entire 2009 Division Series and National League Championship Series will air on the TBS network, with FOX covering the American League Championship Series and 2009 World Series. For more information on the 2009 Major League Baseball Postseason, visit www.mlb.com.
“Good luck to all Mizuno Brand Ambassadors!”
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