This year’s World Series was dominated not by the players, but by the managers. While Tony La Russa emerged victorious, Ron Washington’s accomplishments far outweigh his failures. However, it’s that final failure that lingers in the minds of Rangers fans. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler reminds you why that shouldn’t be.

The Detroit Tigers aren’t exactly hard up for newsworthy stories (what with Justin Verlander on the mound, Miguel Cabrera in the batter’s box and Jim Leyland holding the reins in the club’s smoke-stained dugout), but late in the 2011 campaign they may have gained another. TheGP Baseball explores the validity of Delmon Young’s return to prominence.

Though Major Leaguers themselves may welcome the baseball offseason – its luxuries, freedoms and vacations, for example – fans of the game are left out in the cold in more ways than one. Aside from the winter homes and relaxation, though, what does the time of year have in store for the men who play the game? What about the masses avidly working their way up the minor league ranks?

Lonnie Chisenhall is no stranger to pressure. As a first-round pick he really has no other choice. Since debuting with the Cleveland Indians in June, however, he’s shown that living up to hype and expectations isn’t going to be such a big deal. TheGP Baseball caught up with the first-year stud who joined a struggling team in the middle of a heated division race.

For eight long years Steve Bartman’s silence has echoed throughout Major League Baseball. His infamous decision to reach for a contested foul ball in the eighth inning of a critical Game 6 is all that remains. After all this time, what – if anything – can bring the man out from wherever he’s been hiding since Oct. 13, 2003?

Pete Rose and his illustrious career have been topics of conversation since the 1960s; between his accomplishments on the field and his behaviour off of it, it’s hard not to see why. Not content to leave his legacy alone, TheGP Baseball’s Eric Rosenhek brings up a forgotten chapter – his half-year stint with the Montreal Expos.

Aaron Hill’s stock was at an ultimate low when he was dealt from the Toronto Blue Jays to the contending Arizona Diamondbacks last season. Was it the pressure of joining a team in the middle of a playoff run, the NL West ballparks and pitchers, or simply just a change of scenery that helped him rebound? Regardless, the strong performance has revitalized the second basemen’s career.

Call it appreciation or adoration, The Good Point has a soft-spot for Doug Fister. After an August feature following the man’s debut at Comerica Park, Jared Macdonald followed up with the hurler to get a thorough account of how he’s changed his game. Now as he stars for the Tigers in the ALCS, there’s no looking back.

Joe Savery may not win any MVP or Cy Young awards as a fringe Major League player with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he does have a rare ability that could help him – yes, him – change the way managers and executives look at their rosters. Can Savery, his respectable arm and serviceable slashline change baseball’s status quo?

A midseason trade sent him from the Toronto Blue Jays to a veteran Cardinals team on the verge of an historic wild card run and Marc Rzepczynski couldn’t be more appreciative. The left-handed reliever opens up about the trade and what it means to play in St. Louis.