To read about #PasstheCrown and its holiday gift exchange rules, check it out here.

All right, the day has finally arrived. At 9am this morning, I received this clue in my email as to what my gift could be:

*If you like the embroidery work on that iconic Crown Royal bag, it’s available to adults (21+) on CrownRoyal.com for $9.95 and features a max of 40 characters – perfect for the person who says it short and sweet. Or, you can also personalize a Crown Royal bottle label – for free.

Open this for a lifetime of memories.

Help! What do you think the gift is and should I keep my gift or steal someone else’s gift? Here are the current gifts I can steal:

I need all of your feedback to make this important decision!

Although Thanksgiving just passed, I’d like to tell you what I’m thankful for: Crown Royal. No, seriously. This year, Crown Royal is introducing #PasstheCrown, its first ever digital gift exchange.

They’ve selected 20 bloggers and social media influencers to participate in their version of Yankee Swap / Chinese Gift Exchange / Dirty Santa; I was one of the lucky 20 chosen. Over the course of one month, each participant will receive a special gift from Crown Royal on a designated date.

Now comes the tricky part. Photos of our gifts will be sent to us but the gift will be virtually wrapped in an embroidered Crown Royal bag; hence, we don’t know what’s inside. Check out the image below for an example:

*If you like the embroidery work on that iconic Crown Royal bag, it’s available to adults (21+) on CrownRoyal.com for $9.95 and features a max of 40 characters – perfect for the person who says it short and sweet. Or, you can also personalize a Crown Royal bottle label – for free.

It’s up to each of us to decide whether we want to risk opening the bag and keeping our gift or whether we want to steal someone else’s gift that was opened before us. If I choose to steal someone else’s gift (he or she must keep my gift), I risk having that gift stolen by another participant later.

Here is where we currently stand with our gifts:

As you can see, I’m up tomorrow. I’m going to need your help in determining whether I ought to keep my gift or steal someone else’s gift. Still, I can’t get too comfortable with whichever gift I end up with because that gift could get stolen by a later participant.

I’ll get a hint as to what my gift is, and it will be up to all of you, collectively, to decide what I should do. I can’t wait!

I’m back from Hawaii and ready for another #SSsports chat. As always, please follow the chat from the Twitter account @SusanShanChat. There is only one requirement: please hashtag all tweets with #SSsports. To find out more about the chat, click here. Also, be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you’ve made the highlights!

For tonight’s #SSsports Twitter Chat, we will discuss the following topics:

1. NBA: LeBron James has again been accused of “checking out” of a playoff game. This time, it’s DeShawn Stevenson making the claim. James had a “playoff-low eight on 3-of-11 shooting in 46 minutes. The two-time MVP didn’t have a basket in the last 15 minutes of Game 4.” Did he check out?

2. MLB: Jose Reyes may not deserve Carl Crawford money; he may deserve more. Like Buster Olney writes, Reyes is “leading the National League in hitting, at .339. He’s got 30 extra-base hits already, and a slugging percentage of .512. He’s on pace for 49 doubles, 30 triples and three homers. Keep in mind that Reyes turns 28 this weekend. He’s younger than Crawford. Reyes plays a premium position, and is an excellent defensive shortstop . . . He is home-grown, he belongs to them, he is one of them. He has made it clear in the past: He loves playing in New York, and would like to stay.” Do you agree with Olney, and is Reyes on pace for an MVP season?

3. MLB: Chipper Jones talked about Jason Heyward’s injury and told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “I think where Jason might have erred was the comment that he made, ‘I’m not coming back until it doesn’t hurt anymore.’ That has a tendency to rub people the wrong way.” ESPN.com wrote, “Heyward, who has a sore right shoulder, could have returned from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, but because he hasn’t swung a bat in more than two weeks, he likely won’t be back for another week. Heyward likely is still a few days away from hitting off a tee, according to manager Fredi Gonzalez.” Jones emphasized that Heyward’s mere presence in the lineup would be a big boost to the ball club. Is Jones right or does Heyward deserve to get 100 percent healthy before returning?

I might be in Hawaii this week, but that’s not a reason to stop the #SSsports chat. The show must go on! Some dramatic occurrences have occurred this week in the world of sports, so let’s get going!

As always, please follow the chat from the Twitter account @SusanShanChat. There is only one requirement: please hashtag all tweets with #SSsports. To find out more about the chat, click here. Also, be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you’ve made the highlights!

For tonight’s #SSsports Twitter Chat, we will discuss the following topics:

1. NBA: Mike Brown is the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant is “confused by the decision” and has no comment. How do you feel about the hire and was it the best decision for the Lakers?

2. NBA: Last night’s overtime loss put the Chicago Bulls in a deep hole. All of a sudden, the team that couldn’t close in the regular season – the Miami Heat – has shed its skin and become expert closers and a “gritty” defensive team. Are we in line for a Heat-Mavs final?

3. MLB: New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon apologized to Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and David Wright for his asinine comments. Publicly, the team has forgiven its owner. Privately, what do you think is going on in the clubhouse and in the players’ heads?

There have been several hot issues around the world of sports this week. We’ll discuss three of them in this week’s chat. As always, please follow the chat from the Twitter account @SusanShanChat. There is only one requirement: please hashtag all tweets with #SSsports. To find out more about the chat, click here. Also, be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you’ve made the highlights!

For tonight’s #SSsports Twitter Chat, we will discuss the following topics:

1. NBA: The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally on the right side of karma. With the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in this year’s NBA Draft, they will no doubt find the foundations for rebuilding a championship-caliber team. Is Kyrie Irving the consensus No. 1 pick? Should they take Enes Kanter at No. 4?

2. NBA: With Phoenix Suns executive Rick Welts and former Villanova starter Will Sheridan both coming out about their homosexuality, there has been great debate about having gay teammates. Charles Barkley said he played with gay teammates and was never bothered by it one bit. What are your thoughts? How difficult, if at all, do you think it would be to have gay teammates?

3. MLB: The Jorge Posada saga has been grabbing headlines for nearly a week. The New York Yankees will have three options after the All-Star break: “stick with him, trade him or release him.” According to Andrew Marchand, “Posada is making $13 million this season. If the Yankees release him after the All-Star break, they would only lose around $6 million. If the Yankees were to eventually release Posada, then Jesus Montero would be the likely internal alternative as the DH.” Posada is 0-for-24 as a right-handed hitter this season and is hitting .179 on the season. Can the Yankees keep him out of loyalty even if he isn’t producing?

Baseball wasn’t my first love but it became my biggest love after I attended the Little League World Series last year. It’s the one sport where I still see pure joy on children’s faces.

The drama and selfishness of professional athletes can be extremely draining and off-putting. The constant stories of corruption and scandal in college athletics is disillusioning and despairing. Even high school basketball has become a commercialized product.

But Little League baseball washes all the dirt and grime away. Of course the LLWS is not without their own cheating scandals, but to me, it’s the closest thing to innocence.

I had the experience of a lifetime watching the Waipio Little League win the U.S. Championship last year. Ezra Heleski, the lefty who threw a complete game shutout, had a tremendous day on the mound. I got the chance to meet Ezra’s mother, Grace, and his grandparents. The kindness and generosity that the Heleski family showed me will always stay with me. (You can read the entire story here.)

When the Diamonds & Dreams charity contacted me to ask if I would partner with them in a giveaway, I immediately agreed; I had to choose an organization that would receive up to 100 free baseballs. Of course I chose the Waipio Little League; the organization is close to my heart and represents a big piece of home.

In order to earn them baseballs, I must #playcatch with my followers on Twitter for one day. For every retweet, the Waipio Little League will get one baseball.

Diamonds & Dreams is making this possible with sponsorship from Chevrolet in cooperation with MLB. The program provides 100 baseball prizes, including field makeovers, clinics, and equipment packages for youth baseball communities across America.

Anyone can enter for a chance to win their community one of the 100 prizes. You can get more information at ChevyBaseball.com. You can even win a trip for four to the MLB 2011 All-Star Game or a new Chevrolet.

Check out the incredibly inspirational videos below about how Diamonds & Dreams has changed lives and touched communities all across the nation.

I am glad that Diamonds & Dreams and Chevrolet asked me to take part in such a great cause. I hope the Waipio little leaguers enjoy their new baseballs! Now, let’s #playcatch!

If you missed Wednesday night’s #SSsports Twitter chat, there are some highlights below. And, thanks to @alaskansurveyor, we have an incredible photo as our #SSsports picture!

On the NBA playoffs…

On the future of the Lakers…

On the hugs between Albert Pujols and Cubs GM Jim Hendry…

First off, I apologize for not having a hockey topic this week (we’ll most certainly have one next week). However, there is plenty to discuss in the NBA, and no #SSsports chat is complete without an MLB topic. So, let’s get ready to verbally rumble!

As always, please follow the chat from the Twitter account @SusanShanChat. There is only one requirement: please hashtag all tweets with #SSsports. To find out more about the chat, click here. Also, be sure to check back tomorrow to see if you’ve made the highlights!

For tonight’s #SSsports Twitter Chat, we will discuss the following topics:

1. NBA: The playoffs have been shocking and unpredictable thus far. Who would’ve guessed that last year’s champion would get swept and last year’s runner-up would be down 3-1 in the conference semifinals? Chicago has taken control of their series, but who will win the OKC-Memphis series? Let’s hash it out!

2. NBA: What’s next for the Lakers? With plaguing injuries, increasing age, and no head coach, where do they go from here? J.A. Adande has his opinions, but what are yours?

3. MLB: Albert Pujols and Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry shared a few hugs before yesterday’s game between the division rivals. Are they just hugs or do they mean something more (as in pertaining to Pujols’s upcoming free agency)?

Eduardo Sanchez fever is sweeping over St. Louis. The 22-year-old right-hander has exhibited a variety of filthy pitches, including a mid-to-high 90s fastball, a nasty slider, and a swooping curveball.

In fact, the last time Cardinal nation got this excited about a rookie pitcher was in 2006 when Adam Wainwright was thrust into the closer’s role. Wainwright went on to save four games in the postseason, including Game 5 of the World Series versus Detroit to win the championship.

Manager Tony La Russa has a reputation for favoring veterans over young players, but he gave Wainwright the job in 2006 and he’s in the process of giving Sanchez the job in 2011.

The process has been a wild and eventful ride. Eight blown saves later, the Cardinals are still struggling to find a legitimate closer.

Mitchell Boggs was cruising along with three saves until April 26 came along. In that game against the Houston Astros, Boggs came into the bottom of the ninth with a one-run lead. What transpired was one of the biggest choke jobs in recent memory.

After a passed ball by catcher Yadier Molina, Boggs committed a fielding error and threw a wild pitch. Two more singles followed before the first out was made. Boggs would only make that one out before a walk-off single gave the Astros the win.

Since that collapse, La Russa has shied away from giving Boggs another save opportunity; those have mostly gone to Sanchez. People who claim that La Russa is playing musical chairs at closer need to actually watch games instead of looking at the box score the next day.

Yes, Fernando Salas had two spot saves. The first was a four-out save where La Russa kept Salas in the game following a run in the top of the ninth to push the Cardinals’ lead to four runs. The second came on the heels of an 11-inning game where Sanchez threw 25 pitches in two innings of work (translation: Sanchez wasn’t available to pitch so Salas got the save opportunity).

Trever Miller has the only other save, and that was because La Russa wanted the lefty Miller to match up with the left-handed batting Nate McLouth for the final out. This occurred in the same 11-inning game mentioned above. It’s also worth mentioning that the two innings Sanchez pitched were the ninth and 10th. Jason Motte got the first two outs in the 11th before Miller finished up.

What does this all mean? Well, it’s pretty clear that all signs point to Sanchez being the closer.

There was a flutter of uncertainty as to what La Russa would do after Sanchez came into a tied game in the top of the ninth two days ago versus Atlanta and allowed a two-run homer. The skipper quickly answered that question the next night by giving Sanchez the opportunity to close with a three-run lead; he successfully converted the save.

The Cardinals are using a closer-by-committee approach as much as the Washington Nationals are with Drew Storen and Sean Burnett and as much as the Baltimore Orioles are with Kevin Gregg and Koji Uehara. Meaning, what a manager says and what he does are two different things.

Make no mistake about it – Eduardo Sanchez is the closer. And La Russa has shown that he’ll let Sanchez pitch through his mistakes, which says a lot about a manager who has a reputation for distrusting young players.

The Sanchez fever has fans whispering about the next Neftali Feliz. In fact, I-70 Baseball wrote about Sanchez as the “closer of the future” last August and even quoted a scout as saying, “Eduardo has very similar stuff. Neftali’s fastball may have more tail, but I would say Sanchez’s breaking pitches are a notch better.”

The last time the Cardinals had a rookie closer, they won the World Series. If nothing else, history supports the move.

If you missed Wednesday night’s #SSsports Twitter chat, there are some highlights below. And, thanks to @alaskansurveyor, we have an incredible photo of the Delta River riverbed as our #SSsports picture!

On Rashard Mendenhall’s controversial tweets regarding 9/11 and Osama bin Laden…

On the Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat series…

On the Jose Reyes to San Francisco trade rumors…