WHO'S UP — KC Masterpiece

Kansas City ace Zack Greinke sweetened his bid for the American League Cy Young award with five shutout innings against Detroit that plunged his major league-best ERA to 2.14. Greinke leads the majors with three shutouts this season, is third with 224 strikeouts, second in the AL with a .231 batting average against and second in the majors with 224 strikeouts. In short: He's been the beacon in an otherwise murky season for the Royals. But can he win the Cy? No starter has won the Cy with fewer than 16 wins, and the Royals righty reached the weekend 14-8. The team is 1-7 in his no decisions despite his 1.95 ERA. Pitching for a losing club shouldn't dent his candidacy, as other pitchers have won the Cy Young despite their team struggling. Greinke's percentage of team wins would be sixth in the past 10 years:

Year	Pitcher	League	Personal Stat	Team	Team W	Pct.
2008	Cliff Lee	AL	22-3, 2.54	CLE	81	27.2
2003	Roy Halladay	AL	22-7, 3.25	TOR	86	25.6
2008	Tim Lincecum	NL	18-5, 2.62	SF	72	25
2002	Randy Johnson	NL	24-5, 2.32	AZ	98	24.5
1999	Pedro Martinez	AL	23-4, 2.07	BOS	94	24.5
2009	Zack Greinke	AL	14-8, 2.14	KC	60	23.3

WHO'S DOWN — The Rays

The defending American League champs have imploded, their postseason aspirations obliterated by an 11-game losing streak and their clubhouse percolated by frustration. According to reports, team icon Carl Crawford was seen yelling at Pat Burrell in the clubhouse before a recent game. Manager Joe Maddon insisted it was nothing, but the season sure makes it look like something. The Rays traded lefty Scott Kazmir and lost Carlos Pena to injury. Other cornerstones haven't been able to replicate last year's success. Said Maddon to reporters: "Some just ran out of gas. It just came down to fuel. … April caught us and September caught us."

CROOKED NUMBERS — Fit for a Crown

Back in the Roaring '20s, Cardinals second baseman Rogers Hornsby had more homers, more RBIs and a better batting average than any other player in the National League — winning the unofficial title of a "decade triple crown." As 2009 draws to a close, Albert Pujols is about to echo that feat, even after spotting the NL the entire 2000 season. But they are not alone. Research has revealed two other players have pulled off the "decade triple crown", including Ted Williams who did it in the 1940s. Here are three who have one, and Pujols' claim to one:

Designated

PLAYER	League	Decade	Games	Runs	HR*	RBI*	BA*	SLG
Honus Wagner	NL	1900-09	1,391	1,014	51	956	0.352	0.508
Rogers Hornsby	NL	1920-29	1,430	1,195	250	1,153	0.382	0.637
Ted Williams	AL	1940-49	1,035	951	234	893	0.356	0.647
Albert Pujols	NL	2000-09**	1,384	1,066	366	1,104	0.334	0.63

* Triple Crown statistics

** Pujols made his debut in 2001.

Sources: Post-Dispatch research, MLB.com, Cubs Journal, Baseball-Reference.com.