At 3:05 PM today, February 25th, 2011, San Francisco's Tim Lincecum threw out the first pitch to Arizona's Willie Bloomquist to kick off the first spring training game of the 2011 MLB season. And although it ended with few surprises (aside from the Diamondbacks somehow scoring 6 runs, still losing to the Giants who scored 7), it provided us with something we haven't been treated to since November 1 of last year: a Major League Baseball game. And that is more than enough reason to celebrate.
Yes, my faithful readers, baseball is finally, pardon the pun, in full swing yet again. Tomorrow we'll be treated to a fond reminiscence of the 2009 World Series with the Phillies facing the Yankees, which should be fun to watch for the extra reason of Cliff Lee once again meeting the team he so monumentally snubbed this winter, and a late-night matchup between the exciting Rockies and the boring Diamondbacks. Admittedly, it's far too early for any of our burning questions for 2011 to be answered, but it's a nice way to thaw out the winter cold and invite the warm spring air into our hearts. We finally have some stats to pore over tirelessly, grasping for some indication of who will do what in '11, and we get to see our favorite players getting back into their regular playing shape. We have some box scores, however inconsequential, to fuel our flames when arguing with our friends about who the best team will be in 2011.
And yet, even though spring training won't answer many questions, it sure will raise hundreds more. Who will be the best team this year? Is it the Red Sox? The Phillies? The Giants? The Rangers? Who could the sleeper teams be? The Brewers? The Cubs? The Orioles? Dare I say it, the Yankees? Where on earth will Albert Pujols be playing next year? Can CC Sabathia pitch every 3 days? Will Kendry Morales and Justin Morneau bounce back? Is there a Second Coming for His Holiness Strasburg this year? Can Jason Heyward carry the Braves into October on his back again, or will Dan Uggla help carry the weight? Can Ichiro make it 11 straight seasons of 200+ hits? Will Jose Bautista be the only person to hit 50 or more homers this season? Will even Bautista hit 50? Does Prince Fielder feel neglected and overshadowed in the "I'm a free agent first baseman after this season too!" category? Will the Pirates score any runs, even with Andrew McCutchen in the lineup? Are the Rays too depleted of pitching and batting to continue to be a threat in the potent AL East? Will I begin to like Roy Oswalt as a part of the ridiculously good pitching staff in Philadelphia? Well, that won't happen. But you see my point here: spring training does anything but quell the constant rumors and guessing as to what 2011 will hold.
It's the time of year where the excitement reaches the boiling point, even as the hot stove cools. It's when we start gearing up and bracing ourselves for an even crazier season than the last. We finally get a taste of what we've been craving since last year, but instead of satisfying our hunger, it makes us even more rabid for Opening Day. But we must sit tight, because this is going to be a bumpy ride. See you all on March 31st!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
For Better Or For Worse? NL West Division.
In this post, we'll be taking a look at NL West division, or "There's No Dodging This Giant Struggle, Padre."
NL WEST:
Arizona Diamondbacks - Well, at least the Diamondbacks are still doing better than the Pirates. That being said, there's not a lot the D-backs have going for them. Things may have been all right for them, but with a surprising display of dominance from both the Giants and Padres, it seemed fated from Opening Day that these Diamondbacks weren't going to experience any sort of victory in '10. Even though they spent nearly all year at the bottom of the division, there were a few highlights: Mark Reynolds and Adam LaRoche, the men at the corners of the infield, combined for 57 home runs (and 383 strikeouts); outfielder Justin Upton provided just as much defensive power as offensive (only committing 4 errors all season); and Edwin Jackson threw the first no-hitter in a franchise that also housed Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. However, of these 4 players, arguably the best ones the Diamondbacks had last year, 3 of them are now playing on different teams, 2 of them in the other league. Only Justin Upton remains, and there is heavy speculation that he'll be traded sometime in 2011. They did pick up nearly-perfect pitcher Armando Galarraga from the Tigers, but their other acquisitions were mainly assorted ineffective players that most likely won't have much of an impact. The offseason dried up the last remaining drops of water keeping this arid lineup sustained, so expect to see these desert dwellers gasping for air in 2011.
Colorado Rockies - Rocky Mountain High? Not just yet. After showing everyone that they were strong enough to make it to the Fall Classic (so what if they got swept by the Red Sox?), the Rockies have truly been a force to be reckoned with in the NL West. 2010 held a lot of promise for them: Ubaldo Jimenez threw the first no-hitter in franchise history (along with posting an ERA under 1.00 for the first half of his starts), outfielder Carlos Gonzalez hit .336, which was good enough for the best batting average in the National League, and 2nd overall only to the Rangers' Josh Hamilton and his .359 BA, and Troy Tulowitzki turned September into his own personal offensive punching bag, hitting .376/15/40 in that month alone (not to mention, this came after he missed most of June and July). Even after 83 wins, they only managed to place 3rd in the division and missed the playoffs, a disappointing outcome for a team that had such a strong season. In the offseason, they added super utility man Ty Wigginton from the Orioles, who is sure to add a large degree of pop to a lineup that's already a mile above most other lineups. Their biggest stories this winter, however, were those regarding the contracts they bestowed upon the golden boys CarGo and Tulo: Gonzalez got a 7 year deal, while Tulowitzki is signed through the next 10 years. With these big names and big bats signed for the majority of the next decade, don't be surprised if these Colorado boys rock the division pretty hard in 2011.
Los Angeles Dodgers - Mannywood is now Hollywood once more. In reality, Mannywood ended sometime in October 2009, seeing as the Dodgers spent the majority of the time they had with him before they shipped him off to the White Sox without him. And, shockingly enough, they still managed to win games! Can you believe it? Still, they ended up in 4th place, completely missing the playoffs a year after making it to October for the fourth time in the past 10 seasons. 2010 wasn't a stellar season for the Blue Crew: Clayton Kershaw led the rotation with only 13 wins, Matt Kemp led the lineup with only 28 home runs, and Jonathan Broxton led the bullpen with only 22 saves (and his loss of control in the second half led to manager Joe Torre shutting him down for the rest of the year). These unimpressive numbers were indicative of the mediocre season for the NL LA team, so they're hoping that 2011 will be a little kinder to them. With Torre calling it a career and handing the reins over to fellow legend Don Mattingly, and the addition of utility player (and member of the 2010 world champion Giants) Juan Uribe as a full-time power-hitting second baseman, things sure are looking up for the Dodgers; however, with the resurgence of the Giants...and the Padres...and the Rockies...well, let's just say that it's a long, uphill battle for these boys to get back into the top of the West.
San Diego Padres - Bless me, Padre, for I have sinned...in 2010, I was given an amazing opportunity, to potentially win a World Series, something I have never experienced. I had a large lead over the second place team in the division, and I got too comfortable and blew the lead in a stunning 10-game losing streak that eventually led not only to that second place team toppling me in the division, but they went on to win the World Series from occupying the space that should have been mine. I know I had a great young pitcher who I neglected to let fully develop (Mat Latos, 14-10, 2.92, 189 Ks), a star first baseman I sent to the opposite side of the country after he did all he could to help me (Adrian Gonzalez, .298/31/101), and a closer who saved so much, even when I didn't deserve it (Heath Bell, 47 saves, 1.93 ERA). And even though I did so much to squander the blessing bestowed upon me, Padre, I ask your forgiveness. Yes, I let my first baseman go, but will bringing in Orlando Hudson at second and a promising young outfielder in Cameron Maybin redeem me? Is there a large enough number of how many times I must say "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" to absolve my sin of letting go of such a large lead in such a tough division to be dominant in? Oh, Padre, please tell me, will 2011 yield a holier me? Or are my problems too big to overcome? Metaphorically, do I have a Giant problem? In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Selig.
San Francisco Giants - The Giants won the 2010 World Series! Hooray!! ...Now what? Normally, when a team wins it all one year, the analysts, experts, and the Baseball Freak predict that the team will repeat, or at least make it back to the first round of the playoffs. This year, though, it seems like everyone focused on the losing team's chances of returning more than the winning team's. Hell, the fact that the Giants made it into the playoffs was unexpected in itself, seeing as the Padres led the division for roughly 2/3 of the season. 2-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum led a rotation that racked up wins like Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, and rookie phenom Buster Posey racked up runs to support those wins, and the feared Beard, Brian Wilson, successfully saved 48 of the 92 wins this team made (by the way, that's over half of their wins...the Beard should indeed be feared). Of course, I can't go without mentioning the fact that the rest of the rotation and lineup played a highly integral part in this team's run to October, so I'll simply say that 2010 was a Giant dream come true. They let go of Juan Uribe and World Series MVP Edgar Renteria, but brought in another veteran shortstop in Miguel Tejada; other than that, they have basically the same team that won the first championship title for the franchise since the 1950s, so who's to say that they couldn't do it again? With a 2-years-in-a-row Cy Young winner on the mound, a Rookie of the Year catcher who's quickly maturing into one of the best offensive and defensive backstops in the game (look out, Mauer), a superstitious thong-wearing first baseman who led the team in every offensive statistical category (.290/26/86), and the scariest facial hair this side of Jayson Werth saving games that weren't in any danger, it's a safe bet that, even if they don't repeat in October, they'll damn sure get there yet again in 2011.
Projected 2011 NL West Standings:
San Francisco Giants - stay the same
Colorado Rockies - move 1 spot up
San Diego Padres - move 1 spot down
Los Angeles Dodgers - stay the same
Arizona Diamondbacks - stay the same
And so, our analysis of all 30 teams comes to a close. In just a short month and a half, we'll begin to see how 2011 will be. But one thing's for sure: no matter what, it'll be exponentially more exciting than 2010, a thrilling year on its own. Stick around throughout spring training for any more important updates before Opening Day.
NL WEST:
Arizona Diamondbacks - Well, at least the Diamondbacks are still doing better than the Pirates. That being said, there's not a lot the D-backs have going for them. Things may have been all right for them, but with a surprising display of dominance from both the Giants and Padres, it seemed fated from Opening Day that these Diamondbacks weren't going to experience any sort of victory in '10. Even though they spent nearly all year at the bottom of the division, there were a few highlights: Mark Reynolds and Adam LaRoche, the men at the corners of the infield, combined for 57 home runs (and 383 strikeouts); outfielder Justin Upton provided just as much defensive power as offensive (only committing 4 errors all season); and Edwin Jackson threw the first no-hitter in a franchise that also housed Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. However, of these 4 players, arguably the best ones the Diamondbacks had last year, 3 of them are now playing on different teams, 2 of them in the other league. Only Justin Upton remains, and there is heavy speculation that he'll be traded sometime in 2011. They did pick up nearly-perfect pitcher Armando Galarraga from the Tigers, but their other acquisitions were mainly assorted ineffective players that most likely won't have much of an impact. The offseason dried up the last remaining drops of water keeping this arid lineup sustained, so expect to see these desert dwellers gasping for air in 2011.
Colorado Rockies - Rocky Mountain High? Not just yet. After showing everyone that they were strong enough to make it to the Fall Classic (so what if they got swept by the Red Sox?), the Rockies have truly been a force to be reckoned with in the NL West. 2010 held a lot of promise for them: Ubaldo Jimenez threw the first no-hitter in franchise history (along with posting an ERA under 1.00 for the first half of his starts), outfielder Carlos Gonzalez hit .336, which was good enough for the best batting average in the National League, and 2nd overall only to the Rangers' Josh Hamilton and his .359 BA, and Troy Tulowitzki turned September into his own personal offensive punching bag, hitting .376/15/40 in that month alone (not to mention, this came after he missed most of June and July). Even after 83 wins, they only managed to place 3rd in the division and missed the playoffs, a disappointing outcome for a team that had such a strong season. In the offseason, they added super utility man Ty Wigginton from the Orioles, who is sure to add a large degree of pop to a lineup that's already a mile above most other lineups. Their biggest stories this winter, however, were those regarding the contracts they bestowed upon the golden boys CarGo and Tulo: Gonzalez got a 7 year deal, while Tulowitzki is signed through the next 10 years. With these big names and big bats signed for the majority of the next decade, don't be surprised if these Colorado boys rock the division pretty hard in 2011.
Los Angeles Dodgers - Mannywood is now Hollywood once more. In reality, Mannywood ended sometime in October 2009, seeing as the Dodgers spent the majority of the time they had with him before they shipped him off to the White Sox without him. And, shockingly enough, they still managed to win games! Can you believe it? Still, they ended up in 4th place, completely missing the playoffs a year after making it to October for the fourth time in the past 10 seasons. 2010 wasn't a stellar season for the Blue Crew: Clayton Kershaw led the rotation with only 13 wins, Matt Kemp led the lineup with only 28 home runs, and Jonathan Broxton led the bullpen with only 22 saves (and his loss of control in the second half led to manager Joe Torre shutting him down for the rest of the year). These unimpressive numbers were indicative of the mediocre season for the NL LA team, so they're hoping that 2011 will be a little kinder to them. With Torre calling it a career and handing the reins over to fellow legend Don Mattingly, and the addition of utility player (and member of the 2010 world champion Giants) Juan Uribe as a full-time power-hitting second baseman, things sure are looking up for the Dodgers; however, with the resurgence of the Giants...and the Padres...and the Rockies...well, let's just say that it's a long, uphill battle for these boys to get back into the top of the West.
San Diego Padres - Bless me, Padre, for I have sinned...in 2010, I was given an amazing opportunity, to potentially win a World Series, something I have never experienced. I had a large lead over the second place team in the division, and I got too comfortable and blew the lead in a stunning 10-game losing streak that eventually led not only to that second place team toppling me in the division, but they went on to win the World Series from occupying the space that should have been mine. I know I had a great young pitcher who I neglected to let fully develop (Mat Latos, 14-10, 2.92, 189 Ks), a star first baseman I sent to the opposite side of the country after he did all he could to help me (Adrian Gonzalez, .298/31/101), and a closer who saved so much, even when I didn't deserve it (Heath Bell, 47 saves, 1.93 ERA). And even though I did so much to squander the blessing bestowed upon me, Padre, I ask your forgiveness. Yes, I let my first baseman go, but will bringing in Orlando Hudson at second and a promising young outfielder in Cameron Maybin redeem me? Is there a large enough number of how many times I must say "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" to absolve my sin of letting go of such a large lead in such a tough division to be dominant in? Oh, Padre, please tell me, will 2011 yield a holier me? Or are my problems too big to overcome? Metaphorically, do I have a Giant problem? In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Selig.
San Francisco Giants - The Giants won the 2010 World Series! Hooray!! ...Now what? Normally, when a team wins it all one year, the analysts, experts, and the Baseball Freak predict that the team will repeat, or at least make it back to the first round of the playoffs. This year, though, it seems like everyone focused on the losing team's chances of returning more than the winning team's. Hell, the fact that the Giants made it into the playoffs was unexpected in itself, seeing as the Padres led the division for roughly 2/3 of the season. 2-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum led a rotation that racked up wins like Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, and rookie phenom Buster Posey racked up runs to support those wins, and the feared Beard, Brian Wilson, successfully saved 48 of the 92 wins this team made (by the way, that's over half of their wins...the Beard should indeed be feared). Of course, I can't go without mentioning the fact that the rest of the rotation and lineup played a highly integral part in this team's run to October, so I'll simply say that 2010 was a Giant dream come true. They let go of Juan Uribe and World Series MVP Edgar Renteria, but brought in another veteran shortstop in Miguel Tejada; other than that, they have basically the same team that won the first championship title for the franchise since the 1950s, so who's to say that they couldn't do it again? With a 2-years-in-a-row Cy Young winner on the mound, a Rookie of the Year catcher who's quickly maturing into one of the best offensive and defensive backstops in the game (look out, Mauer), a superstitious thong-wearing first baseman who led the team in every offensive statistical category (.290/26/86), and the scariest facial hair this side of Jayson Werth saving games that weren't in any danger, it's a safe bet that, even if they don't repeat in October, they'll damn sure get there yet again in 2011.
Projected 2011 NL West Standings:
San Francisco Giants - stay the same
Colorado Rockies - move 1 spot up
San Diego Padres - move 1 spot down
Los Angeles Dodgers - stay the same
Arizona Diamondbacks - stay the same
And so, our analysis of all 30 teams comes to a close. In just a short month and a half, we'll begin to see how 2011 will be. But one thing's for sure: no matter what, it'll be exponentially more exciting than 2010, a thrilling year on its own. Stick around throughout spring training for any more important updates before Opening Day.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
For Better Or For Worse? NL Central Division.
In this post, we'll be taking a look at the NL Central division, or "Reds And Redbirds And Bears...Oh, My!"
NL CENTRAL:
Chicago Cubs - Ask any 114-year-old baseball fan, they'll tell you that the Cubs are one of the best teams in the game. Anyone younger than that probably isn't old enough to remember the last time the Cubs won a World Series (some are too young to remember a time they were even in it). With a star-studded lineup consisting of past-his-prime Alfonso Soriano and...uhh...hmm...and Carlos "Big Temper" Zambrano heading up an otherwise unknown pitching staff, 2010 really showed us that when a team pulls together, believes in themselves, and tries to defy the odds...they fail. Miserably. 5th place in a division with the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers means that only the Pittsburgh Pirates were worse than this team. Is it any wonder Lou Piniella, who had been in the game for over 40 years, decided enough was finally enough and retired before the end of the season? Sure, newbie Starlin Castro looks promising, and Tyler Colvin could add some power once he's done removing bat splinters from his chest, but how can-wait...what is that? Is that a ray of light at the end of the tunnel? No, it's 2 Rays. First baseman Carlos Pena and pitcher Matt Garza, teammates in Tampa, have reunited in Chicago to try to help the Cubbies taste that sweet October honey. Will it be enough, especially considering other teams in this division? Probably not this year, but it's a safe bet that the Astros better watch out, because there's a new 4th-place sheriff in town.
Cincinnati Reds - With their last World Series title coming roughly a year after I was born, the Reds finally returned to the postseason for the first time since 1995, winning the division over their new internal rivals, the Cardinals. Pitchers Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo dominated the mound, combining for 29 wins, while veteran Scott Rolen and Jay Bruce helped light up a powerful lineup. The real heart and soul of this division-winning team, however, was undoubtedly first baseman Joey Votto, now the reigning NL MVP. Only 27, he hit .324 with 37 homers (second only to fellow first baseman Albert Pujols) and 113 RBI (again, second to Pujols). Without him, it's hard to see these Reds, regardless of how good the rest of the offense may or may not be, as a true contender. Even though they've got most of the pieces of the puzzle together in Cincy, they added veteran shorstop and World Series MVP Edgar Renteria to assist them in returning to the World Series like they want to. Their biggest question is in regards to reliever Aroldis Chapman. This hot Cuban hurler threw a pitch that clocked in at 105 miles an hour, or the fastest pitch ever recorded. So, the question is, do they make him at least a part-time closer? Throw him into the rotation? Or keep him purely as a setup man with unhittable speed as a smooth defensive transition from starter to closer? The Reds brass needs to decide what to do with this rookie before 2011 heats up for them.
Houston Astros - Amazingly enough, since they're in the same division as the Pirates, the Astros AREN'T the worst team in the NL Central. But they're trying their best to be the worst. They somehow managed to stay ahead of the Cubs in 2010 as well as the Pirates, but they couldn't get past the 3 teams ahead of them. Their season was disappointing, which has been the standard for them since their exciting run to the World Series in 2005. The few players that made them even slightly watchable (namely Lance Berkman and, it kills me to say this, Roy Oswalt) were traded halfway through the season, taking away even the smallest remaining bit of hope that they could propel themselves into the top half of the division. 2011 holds nothing positive for them yet again: they made no moves of any consequence, and their returning players are just the same ones that have helped them fall further into the Worst Teams In The MLB this decade. I almost wish I could say more about this team, what they did last year and what they could do next year, but it just looks pretty bleak and uninteresting. The only real thing to look forward to is the further maturation of Hunter Pence, who hit .282/25/91 last year in his 4th major league season, but if he keeps that up, he'll be traded to a better team soon enough. It would take a wish on a shooting star for these Astros to have a shot at the playoffs this next season, and, most likely, for a number of seasons to come.
Milwaukee Brewers - Something good is BREWing in Milwaukee. All right, bad puns aside, 2011 can only be an improvement over 2010 in Brew City. Very little of any real importance happened, aside from much speculation that first baseman Prince Fielder was going to be traded midseason to avoid any nasty mess regarding his free agency after this next season. The Brewers quietly placed 3rd in the division (with a 77-85 record, which should tell you a lot about the 3 teams below Milwaukee), with batters such as Ryan Braun (.305/25/103), Rickie Weeks (.269/29/83) and Casey McGehee (.285/23/104) helping the offense heavily while ace Yovani Gallardo recorded 14 of those 77 wins. However, in a division with the Cardinals and the surprisingly good Reds, 3rd place was about as good as the Brewers could hope for. This promises to change, though, in 2011: taking a cue from Philadelphia, the Brew Crew managed to add another 2 aces to their rotation by acquiring Shawn Marcum from the Blue Jays and Zack Greinke from the Royals. This will be a perfect fit all around, seeing as Greinke and Marcum were great pitchers on teams with minimal run support, whereas the Brewers are notorious for blasting in runs while the pitchers give up twice as many to the opposing team. It's hard to say whether they can stand up to the two powerhouse teams ahead of them (personally, I like their chances at getting past the Reds), but if they don't improve their standings, they'll certainly go down drunkenly swinging.
Pittsburgh Pirates - However bleak the future may look for the Astros, as I said earlier, they've got some excellent years coming to them in comparison with this sorry team. The Pirates of yesteryear were incredible, but today's Pirates make the Mariners look like the Yankees. 2010 saw their 6th season in the past 10 in last place, and their second 100+ loss season. All 10 years, they didn't place higher than 4th, and didn't post a winning record once (never more than 72 wins, 9 less than a .500 record). Plus, every team has at least 2 names that fans overall can recognize. The Pirates have one, Andrew McCutchen, and chances are good that you haven't even heard of him (no wonder, he only went .286/16/56 in '10). None of the starting pitchers had anything that resembled a winning record, and only 1 starter, Kevin Correia, had a .500 record with 10 wins and as many losses (that is, with a 5.40 ERA and only 115 strikeouts). Sure, they've got some good young guys such as Pedro Alvarez and Jose Tabata, but if you're waiting for a return to form for these Buccaneers, I wouldn't hold your breath while these mateys walk the plank towards the NL Central cellar.
St. Louis Cardinals - Even with a star-studded lineup and rotation, the road has been rocky for the Redbirds this past decade. After a championship win in 2006, they posted winning records in 3 of the following 4 seasons, but only made the playoffs in 2009 where they were swept by the Dodgers in the LDS. In 2010, they tussled with the Reds, both in the standings and in a bench-clearing brawl during a late season matchup, but they were ultimately toppled, despite going 86-76. Expectations were high with the previous year's midseason acquisition of Matt Holliday, who brought a lot of power to a lineup that was already notorious for hitting homers like they were in batting practice, thanks to a certain first baseman. Second-year player Colby Rasmus wowed everyone with an impressive offensive year, but caused a minor disruption when there were claims that he was asking for a trade elsewhere. The reason was given that he supposedly didn't vibe with manager Tony La Russa, but as of this writing, he's still projected as the starting center fielder, so the issue seems to be resolved. And, of course, Albert Pujols went .312/42/118, but that's not news. However, he placed 2nd in the MVP voting behind winner (and fellow first baseman on their new rival team) Joey Votto, which is news. With pretty much the same team they had last year, 2011 will hopefully see this incredibly strong team return to the postseason, so that there will be something else to talk about regarding the Cards. Otherwise, all eyes, ears, and mouths will be dedicated to the biggest question for the next year: where will Albert Pujols be playing for the rest of his career?
Projected 2011 NL Central Standings:
St. Louis Cardinals - move 1 spot up
Milwaukee Brewers - move 1 spot up
Cincinnati Reds - move 2 spots down
Chicago Cubs - move 1 spot up
Houston Astros - move 1 spot down
Pittsburgh Pirates - stay the same
Finally, we'll take a look at the NL West division.
NL CENTRAL:
Chicago Cubs - Ask any 114-year-old baseball fan, they'll tell you that the Cubs are one of the best teams in the game. Anyone younger than that probably isn't old enough to remember the last time the Cubs won a World Series (some are too young to remember a time they were even in it). With a star-studded lineup consisting of past-his-prime Alfonso Soriano and...uhh...hmm...and Carlos "Big Temper" Zambrano heading up an otherwise unknown pitching staff, 2010 really showed us that when a team pulls together, believes in themselves, and tries to defy the odds...they fail. Miserably. 5th place in a division with the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers means that only the Pittsburgh Pirates were worse than this team. Is it any wonder Lou Piniella, who had been in the game for over 40 years, decided enough was finally enough and retired before the end of the season? Sure, newbie Starlin Castro looks promising, and Tyler Colvin could add some power once he's done removing bat splinters from his chest, but how can-wait...what is that? Is that a ray of light at the end of the tunnel? No, it's 2 Rays. First baseman Carlos Pena and pitcher Matt Garza, teammates in Tampa, have reunited in Chicago to try to help the Cubbies taste that sweet October honey. Will it be enough, especially considering other teams in this division? Probably not this year, but it's a safe bet that the Astros better watch out, because there's a new 4th-place sheriff in town.
Cincinnati Reds - With their last World Series title coming roughly a year after I was born, the Reds finally returned to the postseason for the first time since 1995, winning the division over their new internal rivals, the Cardinals. Pitchers Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo dominated the mound, combining for 29 wins, while veteran Scott Rolen and Jay Bruce helped light up a powerful lineup. The real heart and soul of this division-winning team, however, was undoubtedly first baseman Joey Votto, now the reigning NL MVP. Only 27, he hit .324 with 37 homers (second only to fellow first baseman Albert Pujols) and 113 RBI (again, second to Pujols). Without him, it's hard to see these Reds, regardless of how good the rest of the offense may or may not be, as a true contender. Even though they've got most of the pieces of the puzzle together in Cincy, they added veteran shorstop and World Series MVP Edgar Renteria to assist them in returning to the World Series like they want to. Their biggest question is in regards to reliever Aroldis Chapman. This hot Cuban hurler threw a pitch that clocked in at 105 miles an hour, or the fastest pitch ever recorded. So, the question is, do they make him at least a part-time closer? Throw him into the rotation? Or keep him purely as a setup man with unhittable speed as a smooth defensive transition from starter to closer? The Reds brass needs to decide what to do with this rookie before 2011 heats up for them.
Houston Astros - Amazingly enough, since they're in the same division as the Pirates, the Astros AREN'T the worst team in the NL Central. But they're trying their best to be the worst. They somehow managed to stay ahead of the Cubs in 2010 as well as the Pirates, but they couldn't get past the 3 teams ahead of them. Their season was disappointing, which has been the standard for them since their exciting run to the World Series in 2005. The few players that made them even slightly watchable (namely Lance Berkman and, it kills me to say this, Roy Oswalt) were traded halfway through the season, taking away even the smallest remaining bit of hope that they could propel themselves into the top half of the division. 2011 holds nothing positive for them yet again: they made no moves of any consequence, and their returning players are just the same ones that have helped them fall further into the Worst Teams In The MLB this decade. I almost wish I could say more about this team, what they did last year and what they could do next year, but it just looks pretty bleak and uninteresting. The only real thing to look forward to is the further maturation of Hunter Pence, who hit .282/25/91 last year in his 4th major league season, but if he keeps that up, he'll be traded to a better team soon enough. It would take a wish on a shooting star for these Astros to have a shot at the playoffs this next season, and, most likely, for a number of seasons to come.
Milwaukee Brewers - Something good is BREWing in Milwaukee. All right, bad puns aside, 2011 can only be an improvement over 2010 in Brew City. Very little of any real importance happened, aside from much speculation that first baseman Prince Fielder was going to be traded midseason to avoid any nasty mess regarding his free agency after this next season. The Brewers quietly placed 3rd in the division (with a 77-85 record, which should tell you a lot about the 3 teams below Milwaukee), with batters such as Ryan Braun (.305/25/103), Rickie Weeks (.269/29/83) and Casey McGehee (.285/23/104) helping the offense heavily while ace Yovani Gallardo recorded 14 of those 77 wins. However, in a division with the Cardinals and the surprisingly good Reds, 3rd place was about as good as the Brewers could hope for. This promises to change, though, in 2011: taking a cue from Philadelphia, the Brew Crew managed to add another 2 aces to their rotation by acquiring Shawn Marcum from the Blue Jays and Zack Greinke from the Royals. This will be a perfect fit all around, seeing as Greinke and Marcum were great pitchers on teams with minimal run support, whereas the Brewers are notorious for blasting in runs while the pitchers give up twice as many to the opposing team. It's hard to say whether they can stand up to the two powerhouse teams ahead of them (personally, I like their chances at getting past the Reds), but if they don't improve their standings, they'll certainly go down drunkenly swinging.
Pittsburgh Pirates - However bleak the future may look for the Astros, as I said earlier, they've got some excellent years coming to them in comparison with this sorry team. The Pirates of yesteryear were incredible, but today's Pirates make the Mariners look like the Yankees. 2010 saw their 6th season in the past 10 in last place, and their second 100+ loss season. All 10 years, they didn't place higher than 4th, and didn't post a winning record once (never more than 72 wins, 9 less than a .500 record). Plus, every team has at least 2 names that fans overall can recognize. The Pirates have one, Andrew McCutchen, and chances are good that you haven't even heard of him (no wonder, he only went .286/16/56 in '10). None of the starting pitchers had anything that resembled a winning record, and only 1 starter, Kevin Correia, had a .500 record with 10 wins and as many losses (that is, with a 5.40 ERA and only 115 strikeouts). Sure, they've got some good young guys such as Pedro Alvarez and Jose Tabata, but if you're waiting for a return to form for these Buccaneers, I wouldn't hold your breath while these mateys walk the plank towards the NL Central cellar.
St. Louis Cardinals - Even with a star-studded lineup and rotation, the road has been rocky for the Redbirds this past decade. After a championship win in 2006, they posted winning records in 3 of the following 4 seasons, but only made the playoffs in 2009 where they were swept by the Dodgers in the LDS. In 2010, they tussled with the Reds, both in the standings and in a bench-clearing brawl during a late season matchup, but they were ultimately toppled, despite going 86-76. Expectations were high with the previous year's midseason acquisition of Matt Holliday, who brought a lot of power to a lineup that was already notorious for hitting homers like they were in batting practice, thanks to a certain first baseman. Second-year player Colby Rasmus wowed everyone with an impressive offensive year, but caused a minor disruption when there were claims that he was asking for a trade elsewhere. The reason was given that he supposedly didn't vibe with manager Tony La Russa, but as of this writing, he's still projected as the starting center fielder, so the issue seems to be resolved. And, of course, Albert Pujols went .312/42/118, but that's not news. However, he placed 2nd in the MVP voting behind winner (and fellow first baseman on their new rival team) Joey Votto, which is news. With pretty much the same team they had last year, 2011 will hopefully see this incredibly strong team return to the postseason, so that there will be something else to talk about regarding the Cards. Otherwise, all eyes, ears, and mouths will be dedicated to the biggest question for the next year: where will Albert Pujols be playing for the rest of his career?
Projected 2011 NL Central Standings:
St. Louis Cardinals - move 1 spot up
Milwaukee Brewers - move 1 spot up
Cincinnati Reds - move 2 spots down
Chicago Cubs - move 1 spot up
Houston Astros - move 1 spot down
Pittsburgh Pirates - stay the same
Finally, we'll take a look at the NL West division.
Monday, February 14, 2011
For Better Or For Worse? NL East Division.
In this post, we'll be taking a look at the NL East division, or "4 Aces Stack The Deck."
NL EAST:
Atlanta Braves - Ahh, my hometown team. Well, close enough. 2010 saw a slight revival in the Braves, in that they finally reached the postseason again after a 5-year playoff drought, but it also reminded us why it's been so long after 14 straight division titles: the Atlanta crew always chokes when the season's on the line. Losing veteran third baseman Chipper Jones halfway through the season sure didn't help (especially since this was supposed to be his last season...he's now attempting a comeback for one more year), and Brooks Conrad's timely errors in the LDS against the Giants all but erased the memories of his 2 walk-off pinch-hit grand slams in the regular season. Rookie phenom Jason Heyward wowed fans and rivals alike, hitting a home run in his first career at-bat and providing much needed offensive and defensive power, but he just missed Rookie of the Year to San Fran's Buster Posey. Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson and Tommy Hanson held the rotation together, but Jair Jurrjens and Kenshin Kawakami did their best to tear it apart. 2010 wasn't terribly kind to the 91-win club, especially because the loss in the LDS meant that legendary manager Bobby Cox was finally retiring (who will be replaced by fired Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez), but 2011 looks bright: they traded utility infielder Omar Infante to the Marlins for Dan Uggla, a young second baseman who is a personal favorite here at The Baseball Freak, who is sure to further revitalize this club. Once they find a closer to replace Billy Wagner, who also retired, the Braves could sure give a certain other team in this division a run for their money.
Florida Marlins - With their name changing to the Miami Marlins in 2012 looming over them, the Fish are hoping to bring one more title to their Florida name before that. Much easier said than done. After winning 2 World Series in their first decade of existence, the club hasn't done much since, and 2010 wasn't very different: full of minor mishaps that create major gaps between them and 1st place. The season started interestingly for them, as Jorge Cantu started off the season with a hitting streak of around 13 or 14 games (the actual length escapes me here). Hanley Ramirez had a pretty good year statistically: he hit .300 with 21 homers and 32 stolen bases, but had a nasty run-in with then-manager Fredi Gonzalez, who accused him of lightly jogging for a ball he should have been racing to catch; Gonzalez promptly benched Ramirez for the rest of the game. Pitcher Chris Volstad and first baseman Gaby Sanchez taught Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan why you don't grab a Marlin by the nose when he took slight offense to a pitch thrown behind him. All these disagreements certainly didn't agree with the Marlins' standings, so they fired Gonzalez and promoted coach Edwin Rodriguez, signed free agent catcher John Buck to add a little more power to the lineup, and signed Javier Vazquez to aid hurlers Ricky Nolasco and Josh Johnson. Will 2011 see these Fish heading for calm October waters, or will they be swimming upstream again?
New York Mets - For a team with such an illustrious history in a shorter time than other non-expansion teams, New York's lesser team has been good lately, but not great, and 2011 was no deviation from the current norm. There was worry about Carlos Beltran's return from injury, seeing as he spent the first 2 months on the DL and performed poorly afterward (.255 with 7 homers in sporadic play from June-October); Jose Reyes made sure to play well so the rumors could heat up regarding his impending free agency after this upcoming season; Angel Pagan turned an unassisted triple play and hit an inside-the-park home run in one game, then preceded to do nothing of importance for the rest of the season; closer Francisco Rodriguez beat his girlfriend's father; and ace Johan Santana went 11-9 before season-ending surgery that still has many questioning when he'll be returning. Aside from hiring Terry Collins to replace Jerry Manuel as manager and Sandy Alderson as general manager (as well as a nasty little lawsuit involving money lost in Bernie Madoff's massive embezzlement), the offseason has been quiet in Queens. And, if Santana's inability to throw a ball again and Reyes taking time to make himself look more attractive to other teams leading to Jason Bay and David Wright having to pick up the offensive slack, it's looking like it will be another solemn October in New York.
Philadelphia Phillies - Don't worry, I'm going to talk about 2010 for the Phils before I say anything about next year. Coming off their second World Series appearance in as many years, the Phils fell behind Atlanta for a good portion of the season (which wasn't helped by Jimmy Rollins spending large chunks of April, May, June and September on the DL, as well as Chase Utley doing the same for all of July and half of August), but they were bolstered by Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth, who made up for their teammates' long disappearances. The offseason acquisition of Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays was far and away their best move this past winter: in his first season, he threw a perfect game (not to mention the second postseason no-hitter of all time), won over 20 games, and won his second Cy Young award. Even though previous number 1 starter Cole Hamels had a moderately mediocre year (12-11, albeit with a 3.06 ERA, as well as 211 strikeouts that can argue against that), midseason acquisition Roy Oswalt came in with his 6-12 record and went 7-1 for Philadelphia the rest of the regular season. Even though they swept the Reds in the LDS, they fell to the eventual champion Giants in 6 games in the LCS. As far as their offseason...hmm, did anything big happen for them? I don't remember hearing about anything regarding them signing one of the most dominant pitchers in the game...I guess we'll just have to wait until the season starts to see if the rotation is still the same, or if a certain Yankee killer (players and fans alike) has joined the staff.
Washington Nationals - Last in the division, last alphabetically, and always first in the draft. 2010 was supposed to be the Second Coming in the nation's capital, with expectations running high for a certain pitcher/savior blazing his way through the minors. Yes, the most important part of the Nationals' season was quick in coming, and just as quick in going: phenom Stephen Strasburg (AKA His Holiness, Baseball's Jesus, etc.) burst onto the scene, went 5-3 (while striking out 14 in his debut, good for second all-time in strikeouts in the first career game), then had Tommy John surgery, benching him until at least this upcoming September. Then, all eyes turned to what can only be called the Third Coming: Bryce Harper, 17 year old catcher/outfielder/deity, who will most likely race into the big leagues before coming to a crashing halt like the Holy One before him. Oh yeah, and Adam Dunn hit .260/38/103. Whatever. Nyjer Morgan's embarrassing displays of ignorance aside, 2010 was otherwise uneventful for the Nats as they slid into further obscurity. Then, it happened: they swooped in and signed ex-Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth to a 7-year, $126 million deal that they're hoping (with the combination of Christ Harper out there with him, and a healed Jesus H. Strasburg on the mound) will help shoot them into the top of the division. Lord knows they'll need some heavenly help after losing Dunn, but with these additions, they just might get it.
Projected 2011 NL East Standings:
Philadelphia Phillies - stay the same
Atlanta Braves - stay the same
Washington Nationals - move 2 spots up
Florida Marlins - move 1 spot down
New York Mets - move 1 spot down
Next, we'll take a look at the NL Central.
NL EAST:
Atlanta Braves - Ahh, my hometown team. Well, close enough. 2010 saw a slight revival in the Braves, in that they finally reached the postseason again after a 5-year playoff drought, but it also reminded us why it's been so long after 14 straight division titles: the Atlanta crew always chokes when the season's on the line. Losing veteran third baseman Chipper Jones halfway through the season sure didn't help (especially since this was supposed to be his last season...he's now attempting a comeback for one more year), and Brooks Conrad's timely errors in the LDS against the Giants all but erased the memories of his 2 walk-off pinch-hit grand slams in the regular season. Rookie phenom Jason Heyward wowed fans and rivals alike, hitting a home run in his first career at-bat and providing much needed offensive and defensive power, but he just missed Rookie of the Year to San Fran's Buster Posey. Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson and Tommy Hanson held the rotation together, but Jair Jurrjens and Kenshin Kawakami did their best to tear it apart. 2010 wasn't terribly kind to the 91-win club, especially because the loss in the LDS meant that legendary manager Bobby Cox was finally retiring (who will be replaced by fired Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez), but 2011 looks bright: they traded utility infielder Omar Infante to the Marlins for Dan Uggla, a young second baseman who is a personal favorite here at The Baseball Freak, who is sure to further revitalize this club. Once they find a closer to replace Billy Wagner, who also retired, the Braves could sure give a certain other team in this division a run for their money.
Florida Marlins - With their name changing to the Miami Marlins in 2012 looming over them, the Fish are hoping to bring one more title to their Florida name before that. Much easier said than done. After winning 2 World Series in their first decade of existence, the club hasn't done much since, and 2010 wasn't very different: full of minor mishaps that create major gaps between them and 1st place. The season started interestingly for them, as Jorge Cantu started off the season with a hitting streak of around 13 or 14 games (the actual length escapes me here). Hanley Ramirez had a pretty good year statistically: he hit .300 with 21 homers and 32 stolen bases, but had a nasty run-in with then-manager Fredi Gonzalez, who accused him of lightly jogging for a ball he should have been racing to catch; Gonzalez promptly benched Ramirez for the rest of the game. Pitcher Chris Volstad and first baseman Gaby Sanchez taught Nationals outfielder Nyjer Morgan why you don't grab a Marlin by the nose when he took slight offense to a pitch thrown behind him. All these disagreements certainly didn't agree with the Marlins' standings, so they fired Gonzalez and promoted coach Edwin Rodriguez, signed free agent catcher John Buck to add a little more power to the lineup, and signed Javier Vazquez to aid hurlers Ricky Nolasco and Josh Johnson. Will 2011 see these Fish heading for calm October waters, or will they be swimming upstream again?
New York Mets - For a team with such an illustrious history in a shorter time than other non-expansion teams, New York's lesser team has been good lately, but not great, and 2011 was no deviation from the current norm. There was worry about Carlos Beltran's return from injury, seeing as he spent the first 2 months on the DL and performed poorly afterward (.255 with 7 homers in sporadic play from June-October); Jose Reyes made sure to play well so the rumors could heat up regarding his impending free agency after this upcoming season; Angel Pagan turned an unassisted triple play and hit an inside-the-park home run in one game, then preceded to do nothing of importance for the rest of the season; closer Francisco Rodriguez beat his girlfriend's father; and ace Johan Santana went 11-9 before season-ending surgery that still has many questioning when he'll be returning. Aside from hiring Terry Collins to replace Jerry Manuel as manager and Sandy Alderson as general manager (as well as a nasty little lawsuit involving money lost in Bernie Madoff's massive embezzlement), the offseason has been quiet in Queens. And, if Santana's inability to throw a ball again and Reyes taking time to make himself look more attractive to other teams leading to Jason Bay and David Wright having to pick up the offensive slack, it's looking like it will be another solemn October in New York.
Philadelphia Phillies - Don't worry, I'm going to talk about 2010 for the Phils before I say anything about next year. Coming off their second World Series appearance in as many years, the Phils fell behind Atlanta for a good portion of the season (which wasn't helped by Jimmy Rollins spending large chunks of April, May, June and September on the DL, as well as Chase Utley doing the same for all of July and half of August), but they were bolstered by Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth, who made up for their teammates' long disappearances. The offseason acquisition of Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays was far and away their best move this past winter: in his first season, he threw a perfect game (not to mention the second postseason no-hitter of all time), won over 20 games, and won his second Cy Young award. Even though previous number 1 starter Cole Hamels had a moderately mediocre year (12-11, albeit with a 3.06 ERA, as well as 211 strikeouts that can argue against that), midseason acquisition Roy Oswalt came in with his 6-12 record and went 7-1 for Philadelphia the rest of the regular season. Even though they swept the Reds in the LDS, they fell to the eventual champion Giants in 6 games in the LCS. As far as their offseason...hmm, did anything big happen for them? I don't remember hearing about anything regarding them signing one of the most dominant pitchers in the game...I guess we'll just have to wait until the season starts to see if the rotation is still the same, or if a certain Yankee killer (players and fans alike) has joined the staff.
Washington Nationals - Last in the division, last alphabetically, and always first in the draft. 2010 was supposed to be the Second Coming in the nation's capital, with expectations running high for a certain pitcher/savior blazing his way through the minors. Yes, the most important part of the Nationals' season was quick in coming, and just as quick in going: phenom Stephen Strasburg (AKA His Holiness, Baseball's Jesus, etc.) burst onto the scene, went 5-3 (while striking out 14 in his debut, good for second all-time in strikeouts in the first career game), then had Tommy John surgery, benching him until at least this upcoming September. Then, all eyes turned to what can only be called the Third Coming: Bryce Harper, 17 year old catcher/outfielder/deity, who will most likely race into the big leagues before coming to a crashing halt like the Holy One before him. Oh yeah, and Adam Dunn hit .260/38/103. Whatever. Nyjer Morgan's embarrassing displays of ignorance aside, 2010 was otherwise uneventful for the Nats as they slid into further obscurity. Then, it happened: they swooped in and signed ex-Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth to a 7-year, $126 million deal that they're hoping (with the combination of Christ Harper out there with him, and a healed Jesus H. Strasburg on the mound) will help shoot them into the top of the division. Lord knows they'll need some heavenly help after losing Dunn, but with these additions, they just might get it.
Projected 2011 NL East Standings:
Philadelphia Phillies - stay the same
Atlanta Braves - stay the same
Washington Nationals - move 2 spots up
Florida Marlins - move 1 spot down
New York Mets - move 1 spot down
Next, we'll take a look at the NL Central.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
For Better Or For Worse? AL West Division.
In this post, we'll be taking a look at the AL West division, or "How The West Wasn't Won."
AL WEST:
Los Angeles Angels - After dominating the West for nearly a decade, including a championship in 2002, the AL LA team fell from grace in 2010. From the very beginning of the season, the Rangers wrested control from the Angels and didn't let go. Matters weren't helped when star first baseman Kendry Morales broke his leg jumping onto home plate after a walk-off grand slam (the first of his career) that kept him out of commission for the rest of the season. The rest of the team didn't perform well enough to keep their momentum going, with Torii Hunter only hitting .281 (18 points down from last year) and the rest of the lineup following suit. The rotation, mainly held up by Jered Weaver (who, despite going 13-12, led the league with 233 strikeouts and managed a 3.01 ERA), was helped slightly by a midseason trade for Dan Haren, but it wasn't enough to kick these Angels into gear. The offseason was mainly filled with more disappointment: they missed out on Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre, two players many suspected would both sign with the Halos. They recently acquired outfielder Vernon Wells from the Blue Jays (who immediately sent utility man Mike Napoli to Texas), but it probably won't be enough to stop these fallen Angels from further descent in 2011. Since this division is sometimes the most difficult in baseball to pick a clear winner, I think they could feasibly move up to second place in '11. The only good news is that, even if the Athletics manage to stay in 2nd, after 3rd place, the only worse the Angels can do is last place, which is reserved for the Mariners.
Oakland Athletics - Remember 1989? Yeah, me neither. And from the looks of the Athletics, they're trying their best to recall those days as well. They just barely managed to pull into 2nd place in the West past the unholy Angels (by 1 game, mind you), but their stuff wasn't good enough to beat out the Rangers. Dallas Braden's perfect game on Mother's Day highlighted an otherwise dreary season in the rotation, with supposed ace Ben Sheets getting a season-ending injury for the second time in his career (he missed the entire 2009 season, and finished out 2010 with a 4-9 record and a 4.53 ERA in 20 outings); luckily, rookie Trevor Cahill managed to gain an 18-8 record in his first season, with a 2.97 ERA and 118 strikeouts, a good sign of things to come. Third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and shortsop Cliff Pennington helped boost the lineup offensively, but it wasn't enough: the A's were 23rd in runs scored and 26th in slugging percentage. Their offseason activity wasn't up to par either: they, like the Angels, missed out on Adrian Beltre (they supposedly made him an offer that he turned down well before signing with Texas), and were pretty quiet, aside from providing veteran slugger Hideki Matsui with a new home (his 3rd in 3 years). It's hard to say whether they'll be able to keep their loose hold on 2nd place this year, but considering the state Los Angeles is in, 2nd and 3rd place in the West is a real tossup.
Seattle Mariners - Every division's got that team that you know is destined for last place. Pretend all you want that it's not true, but it is. And in the AL West, that honor is reserved for the Mariners. Now only 1 of 2 teams (the other being the Nationals) that have not only never won a World Series but haven't played in one either, the Mariners' slide into obscurity is almost painful to watch. What can really be said about their 2010 season? The legendary Ken Griffey Jr. finally called it a career (after an embarassing story about him falling asleep in the middle of a game surfaced), Ichiro became the first player in history with 10 consecutive seasons of 200+ hits (making Mariners fans and outsiders alike wonder why he's still with the team when he could clearly be on a contender), Cliff Lee was traded from the Phillies to them for a few months until they shipped him off to Texas (probably one of the worst moves they made this year), and Felix Hernandez managed to win the AL Cy Young, proving that wins aren't everything (clearly, since he pitches for the Mariners). Sure, they've had just as many winning seasons as they've had losing seasons (5 each) in the last 10, but they have next to nothing to show for it, save the 2 future Hall of Famers and the reigning Cy Young winner. 2011 seems to be as unkind to the M's as it was in 2010: their major signing this year was new manager Eric Wedge, who's hoping to breath new life into the organization and make it seem like 2001 again. Good luck, Eric.
Texas Rangers - Team owner, HOF pitcher and notorious hardass Nolan Ryan made it clear to the rest of Major League Baseball in 2010: don't mess with Texas. After a rocky start to the season with manager Ron Washington admitting he was a cocaine addict, the Rangers were kicking butt and taking names from day 1. They were in 1st place the entire season, no doubt thanks to a career year for heavy hitting outfielder (and this year's AL MVP winner) Josh Hamilton, who batted .359 with 32 homers. DH Vlad Guerrero (now with Baltimore), Mitch Moreland, Michael Young, Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler all provided a fair share of power in the lineup, while the main staples of the rotation (C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Tommy Hunter, and a certain Mr. Lee) all had winning records with ERAs under 4.00, which certainly made Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz's job as a closer that much easier (he broke the saves record for a rookie as a result). It came as no surprise that the Rangers handily won the division; what was shocking, though, was that they beat the Rays in 5 games in the LDS, and even more amazing, that they beat the Yankees in 6 in the LCS to advance to their first ever World Series, where they lost 4 games to 1 to the San Francisco Giants. After a heavy push for Cliff Lee this offseason, they lost him to Philadelphia. However, they signed power hitter Adrian Beltre after his single season with the Red Sox, pitcher Brandon Webb to help fill the hole left by Lee, and acquired Mike Napoli from the Blue Jays just days after they got him from the Angels. With all this added depth, 2011 is already bringing drama for a multitude of reasons: they have to show their impressive run last year wasn't a fluke, they have to make up for Cliff Lee's performance, and longtime Ranger Michael Young now wants a trade instead of being a part-time utility man (go figure). The 2011 season will certainly be interesting when all this is taken into consideration.
Projected 2011 AL West Standings:
Texas Rangers - stay the same
Los Angeles Angels - move 1 spot up
Oakland Athletics - move 1 spot down
Seattle Mariners - stay the same
And we're finally finished with the American League. Next time, we'll start into the National League.
AL WEST:
Los Angeles Angels - After dominating the West for nearly a decade, including a championship in 2002, the AL LA team fell from grace in 2010. From the very beginning of the season, the Rangers wrested control from the Angels and didn't let go. Matters weren't helped when star first baseman Kendry Morales broke his leg jumping onto home plate after a walk-off grand slam (the first of his career) that kept him out of commission for the rest of the season. The rest of the team didn't perform well enough to keep their momentum going, with Torii Hunter only hitting .281 (18 points down from last year) and the rest of the lineup following suit. The rotation, mainly held up by Jered Weaver (who, despite going 13-12, led the league with 233 strikeouts and managed a 3.01 ERA), was helped slightly by a midseason trade for Dan Haren, but it wasn't enough to kick these Angels into gear. The offseason was mainly filled with more disappointment: they missed out on Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre, two players many suspected would both sign with the Halos. They recently acquired outfielder Vernon Wells from the Blue Jays (who immediately sent utility man Mike Napoli to Texas), but it probably won't be enough to stop these fallen Angels from further descent in 2011. Since this division is sometimes the most difficult in baseball to pick a clear winner, I think they could feasibly move up to second place in '11. The only good news is that, even if the Athletics manage to stay in 2nd, after 3rd place, the only worse the Angels can do is last place, which is reserved for the Mariners.
Oakland Athletics - Remember 1989? Yeah, me neither. And from the looks of the Athletics, they're trying their best to recall those days as well. They just barely managed to pull into 2nd place in the West past the unholy Angels (by 1 game, mind you), but their stuff wasn't good enough to beat out the Rangers. Dallas Braden's perfect game on Mother's Day highlighted an otherwise dreary season in the rotation, with supposed ace Ben Sheets getting a season-ending injury for the second time in his career (he missed the entire 2009 season, and finished out 2010 with a 4-9 record and a 4.53 ERA in 20 outings); luckily, rookie Trevor Cahill managed to gain an 18-8 record in his first season, with a 2.97 ERA and 118 strikeouts, a good sign of things to come. Third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and shortsop Cliff Pennington helped boost the lineup offensively, but it wasn't enough: the A's were 23rd in runs scored and 26th in slugging percentage. Their offseason activity wasn't up to par either: they, like the Angels, missed out on Adrian Beltre (they supposedly made him an offer that he turned down well before signing with Texas), and were pretty quiet, aside from providing veteran slugger Hideki Matsui with a new home (his 3rd in 3 years). It's hard to say whether they'll be able to keep their loose hold on 2nd place this year, but considering the state Los Angeles is in, 2nd and 3rd place in the West is a real tossup.
Seattle Mariners - Every division's got that team that you know is destined for last place. Pretend all you want that it's not true, but it is. And in the AL West, that honor is reserved for the Mariners. Now only 1 of 2 teams (the other being the Nationals) that have not only never won a World Series but haven't played in one either, the Mariners' slide into obscurity is almost painful to watch. What can really be said about their 2010 season? The legendary Ken Griffey Jr. finally called it a career (after an embarassing story about him falling asleep in the middle of a game surfaced), Ichiro became the first player in history with 10 consecutive seasons of 200+ hits (making Mariners fans and outsiders alike wonder why he's still with the team when he could clearly be on a contender), Cliff Lee was traded from the Phillies to them for a few months until they shipped him off to Texas (probably one of the worst moves they made this year), and Felix Hernandez managed to win the AL Cy Young, proving that wins aren't everything (clearly, since he pitches for the Mariners). Sure, they've had just as many winning seasons as they've had losing seasons (5 each) in the last 10, but they have next to nothing to show for it, save the 2 future Hall of Famers and the reigning Cy Young winner. 2011 seems to be as unkind to the M's as it was in 2010: their major signing this year was new manager Eric Wedge, who's hoping to breath new life into the organization and make it seem like 2001 again. Good luck, Eric.
Texas Rangers - Team owner, HOF pitcher and notorious hardass Nolan Ryan made it clear to the rest of Major League Baseball in 2010: don't mess with Texas. After a rocky start to the season with manager Ron Washington admitting he was a cocaine addict, the Rangers were kicking butt and taking names from day 1. They were in 1st place the entire season, no doubt thanks to a career year for heavy hitting outfielder (and this year's AL MVP winner) Josh Hamilton, who batted .359 with 32 homers. DH Vlad Guerrero (now with Baltimore), Mitch Moreland, Michael Young, Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler all provided a fair share of power in the lineup, while the main staples of the rotation (C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Tommy Hunter, and a certain Mr. Lee) all had winning records with ERAs under 4.00, which certainly made Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz's job as a closer that much easier (he broke the saves record for a rookie as a result). It came as no surprise that the Rangers handily won the division; what was shocking, though, was that they beat the Rays in 5 games in the LDS, and even more amazing, that they beat the Yankees in 6 in the LCS to advance to their first ever World Series, where they lost 4 games to 1 to the San Francisco Giants. After a heavy push for Cliff Lee this offseason, they lost him to Philadelphia. However, they signed power hitter Adrian Beltre after his single season with the Red Sox, pitcher Brandon Webb to help fill the hole left by Lee, and acquired Mike Napoli from the Blue Jays just days after they got him from the Angels. With all this added depth, 2011 is already bringing drama for a multitude of reasons: they have to show their impressive run last year wasn't a fluke, they have to make up for Cliff Lee's performance, and longtime Ranger Michael Young now wants a trade instead of being a part-time utility man (go figure). The 2011 season will certainly be interesting when all this is taken into consideration.
Projected 2011 AL West Standings:
Texas Rangers - stay the same
Los Angeles Angels - move 1 spot up
Oakland Athletics - move 1 spot down
Seattle Mariners - stay the same
And we're finally finished with the American League. Next time, we'll start into the National League.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
For Better Or For Worse? AL Central Division.
In this post, we'll be taking a look at the AL Central division, or "The Indians And Royals Still Exist?!"
AL CENTRAL:
Chicago White Sox - Since 2005, the ChiSox have hit a bit of a slide. Their championship caliber team has remained largely intact, but they've only returned to the playoffs once since then, when they lost in the LDS to the Rays, 3 games to 1. In 2010, their chances of winning the division started to look pretty good, with Mark Buehrle and Jake Peavy dominating the mound and a powerful lineup containing Paul Konerko, Gordon Beckham, and A.J. Pierzynski, but the Twins kept them out of first pretty handily for most of the second half. They shook things up pretty nicely this offseason by adding Adam Dunn, who is projected to be either a full-time DH and/or backup for Konerko on certain days. They also agreed to an extension with shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who's guaranteed to add some pop at the plate in conjunction with his effective defense (he's only committed 41 errors at shorstop, and turned 207 double plays, in 3 seasons). Say what you will about outspoken manager Ozzie Guillen (because he will sure say whatever he wants), this team he's got is certainly playoff-worthy. However, with the Twins taking the division 6 seasons out of the past 10 (compared to the White Sox's 3), it seems pretty bleak for Chicago to hope for anything other than the Wild Card.
Cleveland Indians - My first sentence in this post should tell you nearly everything you need to know about the state of this team. They're currently 2nd in number of years since their last World Series title (trailing only the Chicago Cubs, MLB's pariah team), and have little going for them. Sure, outfielders Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore are two highlights in the otherwise dark story of the offense, but they only shine when they're not spending time on the disabled list. Their rotation makes many pine for the days of Bob Feller (even those who, like me, weren't born for decades after he retired), or even just for 3 years ago, when CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee weren't making and breaking Yankees fans' dreams. Fausto Carmona is the only recognizable name on the list of pitchers, and he's lost 5 more career games than he's won in 5 seasons. Aside from recently signing Orlando Cabrera, and touting young catcher Carlos Santana as the hottest prospect since Bryce Harper (or His Holiness, Jesus H. Strasburg), there is really nothing to look forward to in Cleveland. Hell, that could apply to any of their sports teams, truth be told. Don't be surprised if even the Royals manage to pull ahead of this team in shambles in 2011.
Detroit Tigers - 2010 was neutral for the Tigers, right down to their final record of 81-81. There were some good times: Miguel Cabrera made a legitimate run for the first Triple Crown in the American League since Carl Yastrzemski, Armando Galarraga threw a 28-out perfect game, and Johnny Damon got his 2,500 hit in a Tigers uniform. There were some bad times: closer Joel Zumaya broke his arm early in the season and sat out the rest of it, Magglio Ordonez fractured his leg and missed the last 2 months of the season, and they provided the Rays and Matt Garza with the organization's and the player's first no-hitter. Not much was done to remedy their in-the-middle performance this offseason: they added catcher/DH Victor Martinez from the Red Sox while sending Galarraga to Arizona, so their team looks roughly the same as it did this time last year. It's a safe bet, then, that 2011 will most likely pan out the same way 2010 did: the expectations won't be met or exceeded, but they won't do worse than others in their own division.
Kansas City Royals - Do I really need to say it? THE ROYALS STINK. They're so bad, the Indians finished in 4th ahead of them. THE INDIANS. 2010 saw more of the same crap that the Royals have been slinging since 1985: losing, losing, losing, worst record in the division. They haven't had anything that resembles a winning season since 2003. This past season finally made Zack Greinke, 2009 AL Cy Young winner and the only reason Royals fans went to the games at all, get so fed up that he made it known that he would waive his no-trade clause regarding the Yankees and a number of other teams just to get the heck out of Kansas City (is it any wonder, after going 10-14 with a 4.17 ERA the season after he went 16-8 and 2.16?), and the Brewers made an attractive offer that got him to join their rotation. The addition of free agent outfielders Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francouer, their biggest acquisitions this winter, won't do much: Francouer hasn't been good since his days with the Braves, and Cabrera has never been good. Still, they could feasibly pull ahead of the Indians, but as the two teams are almost destined to be in the cellar, it begs the question: Who cares? As with the Rays, they supposedly have a fantastic farm system, so maybe we'll get a Back to the Future-type feeling in 2014 or 2015. Until then, the Royals could be on the way to their 5th 100+ loss season in the past 10.
Minnesota Twins - Finally, I get to discuss a team that has a few things going for them! I love the Twins. I really do. And if it weren't for the Yankees, they may be my favorite team. Joe Mauer is by far the best catcher playing today, Justin Morneau is arguably one of the best first basemen in the American League (I'm looking at you, Teixeira and Gonzalez), Carl Pavano is finally returning to form (at 35 years old, no less), and they've got a ton of young guys in the field and on the mound that are reason enough to party like it's 2006. After winning the Central 2 years in a row (and getting swept by the Yanks in the LDS both years), they've shown they can be a perennial contender, and by adding Tsuyoshi Nishioka, touted as the hottest player out of Japan since Ichiro and Hideki Matsui, along with bringing back many of the players who've made them so good lately, it looks like 2011 could be a big year for Target Field's second season. Considering some of their competition, I would bet they're poised to take the division by a pretty wide margin, winning it for the 3rd time straight. As long as they can all stay healthy (Morneau in particular, after missing most of the second half of '10 with the lingering effects of a nasty concussion), they might just advance past the broken Yankees pitching to the ALCS, and maybe beyond.
Projected 2011 AL Central Standings:
Minnesota Twins - stay the same
Chicago White Sox - stay the same
Detroit Tigers - stay the same
Kansas City Royals - move 1 spot up
Kansas City Royals - move 1 spot down
Wow, exciting changes in the AL Central, obviously. Next time, we'll go over the AL West.
AL CENTRAL:
Chicago White Sox - Since 2005, the ChiSox have hit a bit of a slide. Their championship caliber team has remained largely intact, but they've only returned to the playoffs once since then, when they lost in the LDS to the Rays, 3 games to 1. In 2010, their chances of winning the division started to look pretty good, with Mark Buehrle and Jake Peavy dominating the mound and a powerful lineup containing Paul Konerko, Gordon Beckham, and A.J. Pierzynski, but the Twins kept them out of first pretty handily for most of the second half. They shook things up pretty nicely this offseason by adding Adam Dunn, who is projected to be either a full-time DH and/or backup for Konerko on certain days. They also agreed to an extension with shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who's guaranteed to add some pop at the plate in conjunction with his effective defense (he's only committed 41 errors at shorstop, and turned 207 double plays, in 3 seasons). Say what you will about outspoken manager Ozzie Guillen (because he will sure say whatever he wants), this team he's got is certainly playoff-worthy. However, with the Twins taking the division 6 seasons out of the past 10 (compared to the White Sox's 3), it seems pretty bleak for Chicago to hope for anything other than the Wild Card.
Cleveland Indians - My first sentence in this post should tell you nearly everything you need to know about the state of this team. They're currently 2nd in number of years since their last World Series title (trailing only the Chicago Cubs, MLB's pariah team), and have little going for them. Sure, outfielders Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore are two highlights in the otherwise dark story of the offense, but they only shine when they're not spending time on the disabled list. Their rotation makes many pine for the days of Bob Feller (even those who, like me, weren't born for decades after he retired), or even just for 3 years ago, when CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee weren't making and breaking Yankees fans' dreams. Fausto Carmona is the only recognizable name on the list of pitchers, and he's lost 5 more career games than he's won in 5 seasons. Aside from recently signing Orlando Cabrera, and touting young catcher Carlos Santana as the hottest prospect since Bryce Harper (or His Holiness, Jesus H. Strasburg), there is really nothing to look forward to in Cleveland. Hell, that could apply to any of their sports teams, truth be told. Don't be surprised if even the Royals manage to pull ahead of this team in shambles in 2011.
Detroit Tigers - 2010 was neutral for the Tigers, right down to their final record of 81-81. There were some good times: Miguel Cabrera made a legitimate run for the first Triple Crown in the American League since Carl Yastrzemski, Armando Galarraga threw a 28-out perfect game, and Johnny Damon got his 2,500 hit in a Tigers uniform. There were some bad times: closer Joel Zumaya broke his arm early in the season and sat out the rest of it, Magglio Ordonez fractured his leg and missed the last 2 months of the season, and they provided the Rays and Matt Garza with the organization's and the player's first no-hitter. Not much was done to remedy their in-the-middle performance this offseason: they added catcher/DH Victor Martinez from the Red Sox while sending Galarraga to Arizona, so their team looks roughly the same as it did this time last year. It's a safe bet, then, that 2011 will most likely pan out the same way 2010 did: the expectations won't be met or exceeded, but they won't do worse than others in their own division.
Kansas City Royals - Do I really need to say it? THE ROYALS STINK. They're so bad, the Indians finished in 4th ahead of them. THE INDIANS. 2010 saw more of the same crap that the Royals have been slinging since 1985: losing, losing, losing, worst record in the division. They haven't had anything that resembles a winning season since 2003. This past season finally made Zack Greinke, 2009 AL Cy Young winner and the only reason Royals fans went to the games at all, get so fed up that he made it known that he would waive his no-trade clause regarding the Yankees and a number of other teams just to get the heck out of Kansas City (is it any wonder, after going 10-14 with a 4.17 ERA the season after he went 16-8 and 2.16?), and the Brewers made an attractive offer that got him to join their rotation. The addition of free agent outfielders Melky Cabrera and Jeff Francouer, their biggest acquisitions this winter, won't do much: Francouer hasn't been good since his days with the Braves, and Cabrera has never been good. Still, they could feasibly pull ahead of the Indians, but as the two teams are almost destined to be in the cellar, it begs the question: Who cares? As with the Rays, they supposedly have a fantastic farm system, so maybe we'll get a Back to the Future-type feeling in 2014 or 2015. Until then, the Royals could be on the way to their 5th 100+ loss season in the past 10.
Minnesota Twins - Finally, I get to discuss a team that has a few things going for them! I love the Twins. I really do. And if it weren't for the Yankees, they may be my favorite team. Joe Mauer is by far the best catcher playing today, Justin Morneau is arguably one of the best first basemen in the American League (I'm looking at you, Teixeira and Gonzalez), Carl Pavano is finally returning to form (at 35 years old, no less), and they've got a ton of young guys in the field and on the mound that are reason enough to party like it's 2006. After winning the Central 2 years in a row (and getting swept by the Yanks in the LDS both years), they've shown they can be a perennial contender, and by adding Tsuyoshi Nishioka, touted as the hottest player out of Japan since Ichiro and Hideki Matsui, along with bringing back many of the players who've made them so good lately, it looks like 2011 could be a big year for Target Field's second season. Considering some of their competition, I would bet they're poised to take the division by a pretty wide margin, winning it for the 3rd time straight. As long as they can all stay healthy (Morneau in particular, after missing most of the second half of '10 with the lingering effects of a nasty concussion), they might just advance past the broken Yankees pitching to the ALCS, and maybe beyond.
Projected 2011 AL Central Standings:
Minnesota Twins - stay the same
Chicago White Sox - stay the same
Detroit Tigers - stay the same
Kansas City Royals - move 1 spot up
Kansas City Royals - move 1 spot down
Wow, exciting changes in the AL Central, obviously. Next time, we'll go over the AL West.
Friday, February 11, 2011
For Better Or For Worse? AL East Division.
In this post, we'll be taking a look at the AL East division, or "The White Flag Of Surrender Now Has Pinstripes On It."
AL EAST:
Baltimore Orioles - After losing 30 more games than they won and being used mainly as a punching bag for the rest of the division, the O's were slightly rejuvenated down the stretch by old hand Buck Showalter joining them as manager. They began to play pretty well, beating teams they hadn't all season, but 34-23 doesn't pull you into first when your record prior to that was 32-73, so the Orioles securely held onto last place. However, with the addition of infielders Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy, and Derrek Lee, plus power hitter Vlad Guerrero in the DH spot and righthander Justin Duchscherer on the mound, there's a good chance they could make a legitimate run for 4th place, or even 3rd, in the East this year.
Boston Red Sox - 2010 was certainly a year the Sox would like to forget: they were riddled with injury, couldn't seem to hold on to 1st or 2nd place for very long, and missed the playoffs entirely for the first time since 2006 after being eliminated in the final week or so of September. With most of their injured players (Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Cameron) healing nicely and trying to bounce back, things began to look up for them. And then, the Red Sox managed to pull off the stunner of the offseason: they acquired first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego, a move that meant switching Kevin Youkilis to 3rd base and closing the door on the return of Adrian Beltre, and signed Carl Crawford, one of the speediest free agents this year. As long as their pitching staff can hold up and avoid injuries as they were prone to last season (their bullpen can help; they added Bobby Jenks from the White Sox to assist existing closer Jonathan Papelbon), many are projecting the BoSox to take the East by storm in '11.
New York Yankees - Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It seemed like my Bronx boys would make a strong showing to possibly repeat from their 2009 championship, but halfway through the season, it became apparent that they might have to settle for the Wild Card. They tussled with Tampa Bay for most of the second half, but around the middle of September, the Red Sox were eliminated from playoff contention, meaning the Yanks would be playing in October no matter what. Still, it would have been nice to win the division, but I digress: they swept the Twins in the LDS, but lost 4 games to 2 to the Rangers, effectively ending any chances of a World Series repeat. They failed in their heated pursuit of Cliff Lee this winter, so their rotation is in disarrary (even more so, now that Andy Pettitte officially announced his retirement), aside from the signing of closer/setup man Rafael Soriano, who's clearly pegged as Mariano Rivera's successor come 2013. Other than that, the Yanks added a few players past their prime (Andruw Jones, Bartolo Colon, Eric Chavez) to a lineup that they didn't really need to help. 2011 isn't looking terribly bright with their pitching, but CC Sabathia's a sure thing, Phil Hughes may surprise everyone, and A.J. Burnett may start earning the money he's making.
Tampa Bay Rays - I almost feel bad for the Rays: through trades and free agents unsigned, they lost a huge part of what made them a championship-caliber team the past 3 years. Even though they handily kept the Yankees out of the top spot and won the division by a few games, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual AL champion Rangers. They failed to resign Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, and Joaquin Benoit, and traded Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett, depleting an infield, outfield, rotation and bullpen that made them so fierce. Sure, they still have Evan Longoria, David Price, Ben Zobrist and B.J. Upton, and their big acquisition this year was to add Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, two good older players, but I highly doubt this means they'll rebound easily and be a dominant force in 2011. They've got a great farm system, from what I hear, so maybe in 2015 or 2016 they'll be back, but I find it hard to believe they'll finish higher than 3rd place in the division this year.
Toronto Blue Jays - 1993 seems so long ago for the once-great Bluebirds. Even though they were boosted by Jose Bautista's highly surprising 54 homers this season, and they managed to gain a winning record of 85-77, that was only good for 4th in the division. With that kind of record in any of the other 5 divisions in the MLB, that could be at least a 2nd-place team; unfortunately for the Canadians, they're stuck with the Yankees and Red Sox. Losing the insanely good Roy Halladay certainly didn't help them this year, but trading outfielder Vernon Wells to the Angels this winter, along with catcher John Buck to the Marlins early in the offseason, can only hurt their chances of improving a floundering lineup. As far as their rotation goes, they sent Shawn Marcum over to the Brewers, but they've still got Brett Cecil and Ricky Romero, their main hurlers, to help strengthen their defense. It's tough to say if they'll do any better this season than they did last season, but they seem to have gained just as much as they lost.
Projected 2011 AL East Standings:
1. Boston Red Sox - move 2 spots up
2. New York Yankees - stay the same
3. Baltimore Orioles - move 2 spots up
4. Tampa Bay Rays - move 3 spots down
5. Toronto Blue Jays - move 1 spot down
Next, we'll take a look at the AL Central division.
AL EAST:
Baltimore Orioles - After losing 30 more games than they won and being used mainly as a punching bag for the rest of the division, the O's were slightly rejuvenated down the stretch by old hand Buck Showalter joining them as manager. They began to play pretty well, beating teams they hadn't all season, but 34-23 doesn't pull you into first when your record prior to that was 32-73, so the Orioles securely held onto last place. However, with the addition of infielders Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy, and Derrek Lee, plus power hitter Vlad Guerrero in the DH spot and righthander Justin Duchscherer on the mound, there's a good chance they could make a legitimate run for 4th place, or even 3rd, in the East this year.
Boston Red Sox - 2010 was certainly a year the Sox would like to forget: they were riddled with injury, couldn't seem to hold on to 1st or 2nd place for very long, and missed the playoffs entirely for the first time since 2006 after being eliminated in the final week or so of September. With most of their injured players (Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Cameron) healing nicely and trying to bounce back, things began to look up for them. And then, the Red Sox managed to pull off the stunner of the offseason: they acquired first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego, a move that meant switching Kevin Youkilis to 3rd base and closing the door on the return of Adrian Beltre, and signed Carl Crawford, one of the speediest free agents this year. As long as their pitching staff can hold up and avoid injuries as they were prone to last season (their bullpen can help; they added Bobby Jenks from the White Sox to assist existing closer Jonathan Papelbon), many are projecting the BoSox to take the East by storm in '11.
New York Yankees - Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It seemed like my Bronx boys would make a strong showing to possibly repeat from their 2009 championship, but halfway through the season, it became apparent that they might have to settle for the Wild Card. They tussled with Tampa Bay for most of the second half, but around the middle of September, the Red Sox were eliminated from playoff contention, meaning the Yanks would be playing in October no matter what. Still, it would have been nice to win the division, but I digress: they swept the Twins in the LDS, but lost 4 games to 2 to the Rangers, effectively ending any chances of a World Series repeat. They failed in their heated pursuit of Cliff Lee this winter, so their rotation is in disarrary (even more so, now that Andy Pettitte officially announced his retirement), aside from the signing of closer/setup man Rafael Soriano, who's clearly pegged as Mariano Rivera's successor come 2013. Other than that, the Yanks added a few players past their prime (Andruw Jones, Bartolo Colon, Eric Chavez) to a lineup that they didn't really need to help. 2011 isn't looking terribly bright with their pitching, but CC Sabathia's a sure thing, Phil Hughes may surprise everyone, and A.J. Burnett may start earning the money he's making.
Tampa Bay Rays - I almost feel bad for the Rays: through trades and free agents unsigned, they lost a huge part of what made them a championship-caliber team the past 3 years. Even though they handily kept the Yankees out of the top spot and won the division by a few games, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual AL champion Rangers. They failed to resign Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, and Joaquin Benoit, and traded Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett, depleting an infield, outfield, rotation and bullpen that made them so fierce. Sure, they still have Evan Longoria, David Price, Ben Zobrist and B.J. Upton, and their big acquisition this year was to add Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, two good older players, but I highly doubt this means they'll rebound easily and be a dominant force in 2011. They've got a great farm system, from what I hear, so maybe in 2015 or 2016 they'll be back, but I find it hard to believe they'll finish higher than 3rd place in the division this year.
Toronto Blue Jays - 1993 seems so long ago for the once-great Bluebirds. Even though they were boosted by Jose Bautista's highly surprising 54 homers this season, and they managed to gain a winning record of 85-77, that was only good for 4th in the division. With that kind of record in any of the other 5 divisions in the MLB, that could be at least a 2nd-place team; unfortunately for the Canadians, they're stuck with the Yankees and Red Sox. Losing the insanely good Roy Halladay certainly didn't help them this year, but trading outfielder Vernon Wells to the Angels this winter, along with catcher John Buck to the Marlins early in the offseason, can only hurt their chances of improving a floundering lineup. As far as their rotation goes, they sent Shawn Marcum over to the Brewers, but they've still got Brett Cecil and Ricky Romero, their main hurlers, to help strengthen their defense. It's tough to say if they'll do any better this season than they did last season, but they seem to have gained just as much as they lost.
Projected 2011 AL East Standings:
1. Boston Red Sox - move 2 spots up
2. New York Yankees - stay the same
3. Baltimore Orioles - move 2 spots up
4. Tampa Bay Rays - move 3 spots down
5. Toronto Blue Jays - move 1 spot down
Next, we'll take a look at the AL Central division.
So Close...SO CLOSE...
In 2 days, it will be February 13th. This is a good day. It may not seem like it, but trust me, it is. "But Baseball Freak," you may be asking, "why is February 13th such an important day?" A valid question, faithful reader. This Sunday, February 13th, 2011, is the voluntary reporting date for pitchers, catchers, and players who finished the season on the disabled list.
Know what that means?
THE 2011 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.
Sure, actual exhibition games don't start until the 25th, and Opening Day isn't until March 31st, this date is when we finally start to get our daily fix of baseball, no matter how small or inconsequential it may be. So, with the offseason now a small dot in the rearview mirror and the 110th Major League Baseball season fast approaching, we'll revisit each team over the next few posts (don't worry, I'll limit myself to 1 or 2 sentences each...maybe 3 for the Yanks) and see how they've improved or gotten worse, and how 2011 might fare for them.
Know what that means?
THE 2011 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.
Sure, actual exhibition games don't start until the 25th, and Opening Day isn't until March 31st, this date is when we finally start to get our daily fix of baseball, no matter how small or inconsequential it may be. So, with the offseason now a small dot in the rearview mirror and the 110th Major League Baseball season fast approaching, we'll revisit each team over the next few posts (don't worry, I'll limit myself to 1 or 2 sentences each...maybe 3 for the Yanks) and see how they've improved or gotten worse, and how 2011 might fare for them.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Worth The Wait? It Sure As Heck Better Be.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm over hearing about the final, inconsequential free agents scrambling to find a new home before April; I'M READY FOR SOME GAMES. The buildup to this season has been, if possible, even more intense than last year's offseason, and the anticipation has made me antsier than Roger Clemens in Washington. Let's think about some of the things we might see in the near and distant future.
We've got a lot to look forward to this year. We're about to see, quite possibly, the greatest starting rotation in baseball history with the Philadelphia Phillies; the Boston Red Sox promise to be a nearly-unstoppable offensive force; and, of course, the Arizona Diamondbacks are being very cute in pretending like adding near-perfect Armando Galarraga and a slew of other, somehow less effective pitchers and players will help them reach October. We're still wondering (well, some of us are) if Andy Pettitte will finally make a decision to either retire or play another year; Lord knows the Yankees sorely need his expertise...the thought of A. J. Burnett as the number 2 starter sounds like, well, number 2. We're hopeful that the Rangers, who've been busy making quite a lot of noise in signings and soundbites alike, can back up their talk and their recent postseason victories with an impressive season, but since they too missed out on the Cliff Lee Sweepstakes, chances are good Adrian Beltre's bat won't raise their spirits much.
Tampa Bay reunited former "Idiots" Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez on the Rays roster for next season. It's looking like Damon will play some outfield and split time with Ramirez at the DH position. Now, to be honest, I like the Rays. Sure, they knocked my precious Yanks out of the running for the division pretty handily in '10, but that just meant they were a strong team. They lost a lot of vital parts of that championship-caliber team this year, but I like their scrappiness (remember, scrappiness isn't something to turn your nose up at; if it didn't matter, the phrase "San Francisco Giants, the 2010 World Series Champions" wouldn't exist). That being said, what were they thinking? Two players well past their prime won't restore them to recent glory. Sure, both Damon and Ramirez have 2 World Series rings (1 together), but their time is clearly coming to a close. At 37 and 38, it would make more sense if they played a minimalized role and served as mentors to the young core of Rays players, in the interest of passing along knowledge and skills useful in the postseason. But it seems like they've been brought in to seriously try to revitalize this sputtering team. Really? In a game where 19 year olds are viewed as ready for The Show, you expect 2 players twice that age to be as effective as they were 6 years ago? Wishful thinking, Joe Maddon. Wishful thinking indeed.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently said that he could see Derek Jeter switching to the outfield before his current 3-year stint is over. Let the scoffing commence.
And now, to the Cardinal-sized elephant in the room: the teensy-weensy matter of St. Louis' dedication to making Albert Pujols a Redbird for the entirety of his career. The Cardinals brass is somewhat uneasy about giving Pujols an A-Rod caliber deal; not because they have any doubt in his ungodly abilities, but their payroll is comparable to that of a high-profile little league team. They've done a lot to put good players (Matt Holliday, Adam Wainwright, Colby Rasmus) in the field and on the mound to support him in taking St. Louis back to the Fall Classic, but with a ton of moolah reserved solely for him, it'll be tough for the Cards to pay any of those players for the chance to continue playing with Big Al, let alone bring in more good players to further that support. Therefore, the most prudent option is the one that nobody, but nobody, wants to happen: Albert Pujols, possibly the greatest overall baseball player of this generation, becomes a free agent and signs with another team. Scary thought, right? Pujols recently stated that he would veto any trade proposals, and talks about how he wants to remain a Cardinal for his whole career, but the facts are unfortunate...if they can't offer him the kind of money he's looking for (and deserves), he'll take his talents elsewhere. There have been frightened whispers he could go to the Cards' longtime "rival", the Chicago Cubs (remember, while they did sign Carlos Pena this offseason, they only signed him to a 1-year deal); this would certainly mix the NL Central division up nicely. Only time will tell what the next phase in this ongoing "will-they-or-won't-they" scenario, since Albert has made it clear that all talks and negotiations stop when spring training starts (in roughly 3 weeks).
We've got a lot to look forward to this year. We're about to see, quite possibly, the greatest starting rotation in baseball history with the Philadelphia Phillies; the Boston Red Sox promise to be a nearly-unstoppable offensive force; and, of course, the Arizona Diamondbacks are being very cute in pretending like adding near-perfect Armando Galarraga and a slew of other, somehow less effective pitchers and players will help them reach October. We're still wondering (well, some of us are) if Andy Pettitte will finally make a decision to either retire or play another year; Lord knows the Yankees sorely need his expertise...the thought of A. J. Burnett as the number 2 starter sounds like, well, number 2. We're hopeful that the Rangers, who've been busy making quite a lot of noise in signings and soundbites alike, can back up their talk and their recent postseason victories with an impressive season, but since they too missed out on the Cliff Lee Sweepstakes, chances are good Adrian Beltre's bat won't raise their spirits much.
Tampa Bay reunited former "Idiots" Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez on the Rays roster for next season. It's looking like Damon will play some outfield and split time with Ramirez at the DH position. Now, to be honest, I like the Rays. Sure, they knocked my precious Yanks out of the running for the division pretty handily in '10, but that just meant they were a strong team. They lost a lot of vital parts of that championship-caliber team this year, but I like their scrappiness (remember, scrappiness isn't something to turn your nose up at; if it didn't matter, the phrase "San Francisco Giants, the 2010 World Series Champions" wouldn't exist). That being said, what were they thinking? Two players well past their prime won't restore them to recent glory. Sure, both Damon and Ramirez have 2 World Series rings (1 together), but their time is clearly coming to a close. At 37 and 38, it would make more sense if they played a minimalized role and served as mentors to the young core of Rays players, in the interest of passing along knowledge and skills useful in the postseason. But it seems like they've been brought in to seriously try to revitalize this sputtering team. Really? In a game where 19 year olds are viewed as ready for The Show, you expect 2 players twice that age to be as effective as they were 6 years ago? Wishful thinking, Joe Maddon. Wishful thinking indeed.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently said that he could see Derek Jeter switching to the outfield before his current 3-year stint is over. Let the scoffing commence.
And now, to the Cardinal-sized elephant in the room: the teensy-weensy matter of St. Louis' dedication to making Albert Pujols a Redbird for the entirety of his career. The Cardinals brass is somewhat uneasy about giving Pujols an A-Rod caliber deal; not because they have any doubt in his ungodly abilities, but their payroll is comparable to that of a high-profile little league team. They've done a lot to put good players (Matt Holliday, Adam Wainwright, Colby Rasmus) in the field and on the mound to support him in taking St. Louis back to the Fall Classic, but with a ton of moolah reserved solely for him, it'll be tough for the Cards to pay any of those players for the chance to continue playing with Big Al, let alone bring in more good players to further that support. Therefore, the most prudent option is the one that nobody, but nobody, wants to happen: Albert Pujols, possibly the greatest overall baseball player of this generation, becomes a free agent and signs with another team. Scary thought, right? Pujols recently stated that he would veto any trade proposals, and talks about how he wants to remain a Cardinal for his whole career, but the facts are unfortunate...if they can't offer him the kind of money he's looking for (and deserves), he'll take his talents elsewhere. There have been frightened whispers he could go to the Cards' longtime "rival", the Chicago Cubs (remember, while they did sign Carlos Pena this offseason, they only signed him to a 1-year deal); this would certainly mix the NL Central division up nicely. Only time will tell what the next phase in this ongoing "will-they-or-won't-they" scenario, since Albert has made it clear that all talks and negotiations stop when spring training starts (in roughly 3 weeks).
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