A-Rod turns 40 and Yankees starting to look like Yankees of old

Alex Rodriguez was suspended for a year for PEDs after the Biogenesis scandal and is now more hated by baseball fans than ever. This year has showed just how great A-Rod truly was and still is and questions did he ever really need PEDs at all.

By: Lamar "L.A" Smith

The Bronx Bombers are back! The Yankees are currently (57-42), lead the AL East by seven games and have the fourth best record in the majors including a ML-best 16-5 record in July. The team has a formidable lineup one through five, a great bullpen and a good defense to match the team's hot bats.

The top of the lineup features two guys who would bat leadoff on most teams in the majors though are interchangeable in Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner. Both are great defenders and strong baserunners. Brian McCann has played at a high level after having a shaky first season in the Bronx last season. New York overall sent three guys to the All-Star game this year in: Mark Teixeira, Dellin Betances and Gardner.

The one All-Star snub wound up being none other than the face of the Biogenesis scandal and one of the most controversial faces of baseball ever. Who possibly would've thought Alex Rodriguez at 40 (turned 40 on Monday) would be one of the best hitters and contributors to the Yankees AL-East leading ball club? Anyone who told you Rodriguez would do this is either a liar or should be tested for psychic capabilities. 

A-Rod is batting .279 with 24 HRs, 60 RBIs and a .379 on-base percentage. He has more RBIs than anyone in MLB history not named Hank Aaron. He's fourth all-time in home runs with 678 and on Monday became the sixth player in MLB history to hit a HR on his birthday. The first player to hit a home run on his birthday since Chipper Jones in 2012 with the Braves. Rodriguez is the only the fourth player in MLB history to hit a home run as a 40-year old and as a teenager. He also has more home runs (6) than any other player in MLB history on his birthday.

A legacy tarnished by PEDs. One can only help to wonder why he ever took PEDs in the first-place considering the type of talent Rodriguez holds. He's 40-years old putting up numbers most MLB players would kill to put up at age 40.

A-Rod must have been watching a lot of Back to the Future during his year off from baseball because his 2009 impression has been spot on. The Bronx Bombers are currently the favorite to not only make the playoffs for the first time since 2012 but also have a great chance to win the AL-East.

The Yankees put up 21 runs in a laughable 21-5 win vs. the Rangers yesterday. A game which the team was down 5 runs in the bottom of the 1st then put up 11 runs in the top of the 2nd and never looked back. The team looks to possibly trade for Cole Hamels and David Price to bolster a mediocre starting pitching rotation. 

Although, as long as Rodriguez keeps hitting and putting up video game numbers as a 40-year old designated-hitter the Bronx maybe looking at a 28th World Series title come this October. 

The Serena Slam 2.0

Serena defeated Garbine Muguruza (6-4, 6-4) to win the 2015 Wimbledon trophy (balanced on her head).

By: Lamar "L.A" Smith

This year has been the year of Serena. During the French Open Serena Williams battled flu during the latter half of the tournament. Williams played in five 3-set matches and out of those five loss the first set four times.

Although, Williams did not face as much adversity during the Australian Open and was able to push through the tournament without much strife.

Winning Wimbledon for the 6th time proved to be Williams' biggest challenge thus far. She faced the best draw of all the tournaments she competed in this season. No. 20 Garbine Muguruza played well versus Williams despite the fact she loss in straight sets (6-4, 6-4). Muguruza was even down 5-1 in the 3rd set and won three straight games including breaking Williams' serve for the championship multiple times.

Watch Serena Williams win her 6th Wimbledon title

Williams wasn't at her best but she was good enough to win her 21st grand slam title. Muguruza jumped on Serena early winning the first two games and doing well on returns. Williams had 15 unforced errors in the Ladies' Singles Final. She also had eight double faults and at one point gave up consecutive points to Muguruza because she couldn't get her serve over the net.

However, none of this stopped Williams from being crowned the champ on one of the grandest stages of them all for the third time this year.

She won every point of her final championship winning game and kept her composure when Muguruza put on the pressure in the final set and several times throughout the match. Muguruza dominated Williams a year ago (6-2, 6-2) when she was ranked No. 35 in the world in the 2nd round of the 2014 French Open. She also played her first match with Williams in the 2013 Australian Open (6-2, 6-0) when Muguruza was only ranked No. 112 in the nation.

Muguruza is 21 and continues to get better year after year. She will get her moment in the sun soon enough shall she continue her level of progression.

No! Today is about Williams and her Serena Slam 2.0. She is now the reigning champ of every grand slam for the second time in her career. Williams has 21 Grand Slam Singles titles, 13 Grand Slam Doubles titles and 68 WTA victories which is fifth most all-time.

Williams is already in my opinion is the greatest women's tennis player of all-time though, shall she complete the calendar slam the first one achieved since Steffi Graf in 1988 and thus tying Graf with 22 grand slam titles not too many people could deny her greatness.

Germany's prolific offense no match for Team USA

Carli Lloyd lets loose a battle cry as she scores a goal in the 60th minute in the World Cup Semifinals vs. Germany.

By: Lamar "L.A" Smith

Team USA offense has not been great throughout the team's run through the Women's World Cup but vs. Germany, the team's offense was enough once again.

The US women beat Germany 2-0 thanks to a great defense and a little bit of luck. During the 60th minute Germany was awarded a penalty kick and missed a easy opportunity to score after Hope Solo did not time her jump properly and attempted to save the ball towards the right side of the net. Celia Sasic's kick went wide left and Team USA avoided a 1-0 deficit.

The goal was Germany's first penalty kick miss in Women's World Cup history. Germany was 12/12 before Sasic's miss in the Women's World Cup Semifinal.

The US' back line pressured the ball at the point of attack and did not allow Germany to get but only one shot on goal. Nine minutes later Carli Lloyd who has arguably been the team's best goal scorer, scored off a penalty kick. Lloyd scored for the 3rd straight game in a row and gave the American team the lead.

A lead which would not be relinquished with Kelley O'Hara scoring in the 84th minute to put the game away. The shutout versus Germany was the Americans' fifth shutout of this year's World Cup.

Team USA now will face Japan in the Women's World Cup Finals. This year's World Cup Final is a rematch of the 2011 World Cup Final between Japan and the US which Japan won on penalty kicks. The United States has not been as dominate versus Japan during the two teams last six meetings with the U.S. going (2-1-3) against Japan.

The United States wanted to get redemption versus Japan after giving up a goal late in the game allowing Japan to send the game to penalty kicks. America has not won the Women's World Cup since 1999 and since has not been able to bring home gold to the U.S. Both teams have scored 9 goals in the World Cup leading up to the Final. Team USA has allowed only 1 goal throughout the tournament and navigated through the "Group of Death" and Japan allowed only 3 goals in the tournament thus far.

Tomorrow's game shall see two rugged defenses battle with the one making the least amount of mistakes walking out with gold medals at the 2015 Women's World Cup. USA faces Japan on Sunday at 4 pm on FOX in Vancouver.