Max Scherzer's girlfriend gave him a pair of mismatched goggles after the ALDS win. (Getty Images/@emaysway)

It hasn't been hard to spot Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer in the middle of all the team's champagne celebrations this month. The right-hander, who has heterochromia iridum (two different colored eyes), was recently gifted with a pair of mismatched goggles by his girlfriend Erica May.  Scherzer attracted attention after wearing them for the ALDS party over Oakland and then donned them again when the Tigers clinched a berth in the World Series on Thursday night.

(AP)In recent months we've had a pretty close eye on the Arizona Diamondbacks television booth due to the unusual circumstances surrounding broadcasters Daron Sutton and Mark Grace.

To recap quickly, at different points during the 2012 season both men disappeared from FSN Arizona broadcasts to deal with personal and professional issues. Sutton's absence was more mysterious at first because the team was vague when discussing his "indefinite suspension," but we later learned there were philosophical differences with the organization that went beyond his personal matter. Grace's situation was more cut and dry as he took an extended leave of absence in August after his second DUI arrest in 15 months.

Ultimately, the differences with Sutton were deemed irreparable, and with Grace's contract also running out, the team decided to overhaul their booth completely on Oct. 4. That announcement came as a surprise to few. In fact, at the time of Grace and Sutton's dismissal speculation about who would replace the duo was already well underway.

It appears the Diamondbacks' search was, too, because the team has already announced their replacements. And it turns out they landed two pretty big names to fill the roles.

Former manager Bob Brenly — who led the Diamondbacks to a World Series championship in 2001 — will handle the color commentating duties after leaving the same position with the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.

(AP)

ST. LOUIS — He has Alzheimer's disease and turns 92 years old in a month, so he doesn't always appear at his best, but Hall of Fame slugger Stan Musial looked pretty darned good Thursday night at Busch Stadium. Spry, alert, "there." Mostly. And happy. Happy to see the fans and players before the St. Louis Cardinals played the San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the NLCS. Happy to still be a part of things after all these years.

Musial rode in a golf cart around Busch Stadium's warning track before the first pitch and delivered a game ball to Cards manager Mike Matheny. And even though he was preparing for his start at the time, Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright took notice of the legend in his midst:

"Normally when I'm doing my pregame warmup," Wainwright said, "I don't really pay attention to anything that's going on. But I stopped and made sure I slapped and acknowledged 'Stan The Man.' What a huge figure in this town and for the sport of baseball. And I have so much respect for what he did here."

Robinson Cano leaves the dugout after New York's 8-1 loss on Thursday. (Getty Images)

The New York Yankees won the 2009 World Series, reached the ALCS three times and won a total of 390 regular-season games since missing the postseason in 2008.

By most any other team's measure, that sentence would be deemed a rousing success and one of the best runs in franchise history. But when it comes to the Yankees, the main question will always be why any other qualifiers past that first comma were necessary. The line between boom and bust in the Bronx is perhaps not a fair one, but it has always been clear. Nothing less than a World Series title can provide a satisfactory to a year in the life of the Yankees and so the 2012 season — which ended in a humbling ALCS sweep to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday — will be labeled a disappointment by those in pinstripes.

[Related: A-Rod says he won't waive no-trade clause]

Or will it be? While the late George Steinbrenner would've been breathing fire before the Yankees team plane ever came to Detroit for Games 3 and 4, manager Joe Girardi said his post-elimination remarks to his team were not of the tongue-lashing variety. 

(Getty Images)Score and situation: The St. Louis Cardinals took command of the NLCS and put themselves one win away from a World Series return with an overpowering 8-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.

Leading lads: Adam Wainwright bounced back from his awful Game 5 outing against the Washington Nationals with a real gem. The Cardinals right-hander tossed seven strong innings with the only damage coming on Hunter Pence's monster second-inning home run. He also struck out five and earned his first postseason win as a starter.

It might be great fun to spin the wheel of possible trade destinations for Alex Rodriguez, but the embattled New York Yankees star says our party is already over.

Speaking to reporters after the Yankees were swept out of the postseason on Thursday night, A-Rod says he will not waive the no-trade clause in his contract this offseason and wants to remain in pinstripes for the foreseeable future. The 37-year-old still has five years and $114 million left on the 10-year, $275 million deal he signed after opting out in 2007.

(AP, Getty)

Was Phil Coke celebrating a World Series berth for the Detroit Tigers or a touchdown for the neighboring Lions? It was a little hard to tell on Thursday night as the left-handed reliever channeled his inner Ted Lilly by spiking his glove to celebrate the final out of the Tigers' 8-1 victory over the New York Yankees. Though it wasn't quite Magglio Ordonez hitting a grand slam to start the pennant-winning party back in 2006, Coke's celebration has already taken a special spot within the hearts of Tigers fans.

Coke's perfect inning of relief in Game 4 garbage time against his former team capped off an ALCS that saw him appear in all four games and become the rotation's answer to lineup surprise Delmon Young. Coke has been perfect this postseason, pitching 13 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out 11 and allowing only four hits. Expect plenty of Coke vs. Jose Valverde questions of Jim Leyland before the World Series starts next Wednesday, though the debate shouldn't even be a close one.

At any rate, every Tiger fan can proudly call themselves a, uh, Coke head as he leads the bullpen into the Fall Classic. And in case any of you were wondering what happened after his glove hit the ground ...

(Big League Stew)

ST. LOUIS — No, he hasn't gone Hollywood, but St. Louis Cardinals closer Jason Motte looks as cool as a bearded cucumber before Game 4 of the NLCS. Despite heavily overcast skies and turned-off lights at Busch Stadium, Motte rocked some righteous reflective sunglasses. He's about to do a TV interview and those lights are bright. (And me might have a light sensitivity.)

With all of the light in the sport shining on Motte on Wednesday night, he closed out Game 3 with a six-out save, the first of his career, in a 3-1 victory. Motte needed only 19 pitches to set down the San Francisco Giants, who hope to even the series Thursday night and guarantee at least one more game on the West Coast.

Cards manager Mike Matheny has said that Motte will be available to pitch if needed after starter Adam Wainwright. For the Giants, Tim Lincecum returns from his bullpen adventure in position to help prevent his team from falling behind 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

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