A giant pin-striped cloud hangs over Manhattan, as mighty Alex Rodriguez has struck out. But there's still joy in Mudville. Alex has proven once again that he's no Casey, or Babe, or Lou, or Joe, or Derek, or even Jorge. Alas, there would be no story-book ending (unless of course you were from Lansing, Michigan or some such place). But that's alright, as A-Rod seems to be a real nice fellow, especially when you see him out in those seriously tailored suits. As a movie star once said, "there's no crying in baseball," and it is hard to cry for this guy or his teammates, who are making tons of money while most people are trying to just get by. The good ones make over a hundred grand a game, sometimes more, even if they don't play.

● When things got dicey between Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Jen's mother did what any reasonable mother would do and e-mailed Ben Affleck for advice. Mom's love Ben Affleck. [Us] ● Ear pressed against Yankee Stadium, a New York Times music critic hears a symphony. [NYT] ● There are two new Kardashians on the market! Kendall and Kylie, 15 and 13 years-old, are ready to date. "I guess we're allowed to date, but we have to find a good guy, I guess," they said, sounding less than excited. [E!]

The name Bernie Williams usually conjures images of the Yankees center fielder during his record-breaking days, or the four World Series wins he has under his belt. But Williams fans are now talking about an entirely new kind of record. The Puerto Rico native is trying his hand at the music game, with two albums, The Journey Within and Moving Forward, that combine eclectic influences like smooth Jazz, Latin, and Pop for an easy-listening effect. Here, the baseball star talks about moving from team to band.

I never much followed sports. Whether the Rangers beat the Knicks or the Yankees defeated the Celtics was of little importance to me, except that the games often interfered with my business. Yesterday's NBA finals left local pubs and sports bars sated and clubs empty—at least early in the evening. While many ignore all the hoopla, big games like these keep patrons away from nightclubs for many hours, and often altogether. The games are a great excuse for house parties and visits to the local watering hole. Patrons that go to the clubs after the game, when the interviews and the replays are finally over, are often close to their saturation point on local swill or deli beers. This week’s subway series will have a smaller but similar effect. Come late September and October, if the Yankees—and maybe even the Mets—are in contention, every game becomes a big one, and the bottom line is impacted. Club doorman yawn and check their Rolex, knowing they will be slammed about an hour after the all important clashes.

Sixth borough, my ass. Call Philadelphia whatever you want any other time, but this week, in New York, we call them one thing: "Fucked." Because the Yankees have the best team they've had in years, and they're about to win their first World Series since 2000. Granted, it's eight years late, but sometimes we need to play catch-up. For those who will have to tolerate watching the seven games with you -- or watching the Phillies lose in four -- we've come up with some decent alternatives to your average digs you'd watch baseball, for those who might find this a less-than-pleasurable experience. Batter up.

Everything is relative in the Bronx. Watching their team take home a record 26 World Series titles including four from 1996-2000 made Yankees fans accustomed to greatness. By most standards the team has done pretty well since the end of their late-nineties dynasty but they haven't won the championship, and that's all that matters to most of the Yankees faithful. Now, after missing the postseason in 2008 for the first time in thirteen years, the Yankees are entering the postseason with more wins than any other team in the Major Leagues. After beginning the playoffs with a victory against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, the'yre just six wins away from the World Series. The pressure is on to bring home the title.