Liria-No, God, Please, No.

What on earth is Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano's problem? Coming off a 2010 season that saw career highs in wins (14), strikeouts (201), innings pitched (191.2) and ERA (3.62), Liriano has been simply atrocious in his first 5 starts this year. He's 1-4, has a 9.13 ERA, with as many walks as strikeouts. Keep in mind, this is all in 23.2 innings. During those innings, he's given up 24 runs, 4 of them being homers. This would all be fine and dandy if two things were true: the Twins were doing well otherwise, or if Liriano was playing on the Pirates or Astros. However, he's on a team that is considered a perennial contender, so his performance this season is simply a poor showing of what's likely to come this year. It seems he's lost his control, throwing too many fastballs right down the middle (one of the easiest pitches for hitters in the major leagues to drive) and allowing too many men to get on base on balls. This is very reminiscent of his 2009 season, where he garnered a 5-13 record and a 5.80 ERA. He managed to get everything back to normal and turned it around for his 2010 season, but he's facing an uphill battle this year. He's also notorious for his frequent injuries, so he needs to stay healthy if he hopes to make a comeback.

Ryan Braun, one of 3 good Jewish ballplayers today (so you know how I feel about him), recently signed a 5 year/$105 million extension with the Brewers, making him one of two players (the other being Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki) contracted through the 2020 season and ensuring that Milwaukee has him through the prime of his career, if not the entirety of it. This was a very good move, as Braun is one of the most consistent power hitters on their team: he's only hit less than .300 once, and has only his less than 30 homers once. His slugging percentage has never been below .500, and he had a 1.004 OPS in his first year. He's stolen between 14 and 20 bases every season, meaning he won't ever be known for his speed, but that he can be fast when the need arises. He's been a Silver Slugger every year except his rookie season, and has only committed 31 errors in 4 seasons (his first season, which he spent at 3rd base, he committed 26 of those errors, so he's only committed 5 since the move to left field). He beat out fellow 2020-er Tulowitzki for Rookie of the Year in their 2007 season, and has been steadily producing ever since then. The only question about this extension is, do the Brewers have enough money now to retain Prince Fielder? As good as Braun is, having Fielder in that lineup makes a dominating 1-2 punch in the 3-4 spots.

Bilateral leg weakness. What is that, you may ask? Basically, it's an after-effect of knee surgery, when your legs tend to give out easily when you spend an extended amount of time in an uncomfortable position for your legs, such as, say, crouching behind home plate. This is the reason star Twins catcher Joe Mauer is on the DL. This is also part of the reason why the Twins are 4th in the Central (another reason, of course, is Liriano). Mauer, contracted through the 2018 season, is one of the best players/hitters in the game, if not the best catchers today. But if he's going to be injured as much as he has been in the past few seasons, will that title hold true? More importantly, will it matter? Is a move to the infield or outfield a better idea for Mauer? We already know he's got pop at the plate, and his defensive abilities are highly competent. With a little work, he could easily be a star shortstop or outfielder. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire seems very turned off to the idea of converting Mauer, but if it's something that will prolong Mauer's power and give him the fantastic career he has the potential to attain, then why not do it? It's not like they a) don't have other options at catcher, and b) couldn't use a stronger defensive player in the infield (11 errors this season). While it might not be the worst idea, only time will tell if Mauer will spend his entire career as a backstop.

Dodging Responsibility.

After the long, drawn-out saga of Frank and Jamie McCourt, the co-owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, finally came to a head, commissioner Bud Selig has made a pre-emptive move to have a representative of MLB (as of yet unannounced) take over the day-to-day and "big picture" operations of the ballclub. While the move is somewhat surprising, it's certainly not unnecessary.

In the middle of the 2009 season, Jamie filed for divorce from Frank, days after he fired her as chief executive of the Dodgers. They both cited petty personal reasons, and the messy litigation had an adverse effect on the team, who faltered in the LDS against the Phillies and then missed the playoffs entirely in '10. After losing key pieces like slugger Manny Ramirez and manager Joe Torre, this ugly brawl amongst the estranged owners has been a nasty mark on an otherwise talented team. In the best interests of almost everyone involved, Selig moved to have Major League Baseball take over the functions of the McCourts, seeing as they were and are too invested in their personal matters to effectively make positives decisions regarding the franchise.

Of course, Frank didn't take the news very well, and is planning on suing Selig and MLB for damages. This seems like a move of desperation, as McCourt continues to lose ground in the media and the clubhouse. It also seems very childish, as Selig did this for the betterment of the team. When an owner allows himself to be overtaken by personal matters, especially those heavily played out in the public arena, he loses the ability to take into account what matters most as the owner of a team: giving the players an opportunity to win a championship, and to give the fans a club they can believe in for the same reason. Selig simply did what he thought was best, and it seems that the general opinion would agree with him. Obviously, Frank and Jamie have split opinions: Frank is embarrassed and upset, whereas Jamie believes this is the best move possible. But the fact remains that, if an owner is going to allow marital problems to affect a ballclub, whether financially or otherwise, he needs to be removed from his position and stripped of his power, at least temporarily. If he and Jamie were able to reconcile, or settle their differences, there shouldn't be any reason why he or she couldn't return to the ownership position and resume their control of operations. However, Selig is apparently considering selling the franchise to the highest bidder, or appointing someone else to take control, implying that the McCourts will probably not be owners much longer. It's a sad indication of what's happening to the Dodgers, long considered one of the greatest franchises in baseball, but if personal matters are going to start affecting the game, then this is something that needs to be done.

The Rise Of Troy.

As the baseball season continues to heat up, we're beginning to take notice of a fire that's been burning for quite some time in the ice-cold city of Denver, Colorado. It started as an ember, but quickly grew into a huge flame that only seems to be getting bigger by the day. It ignites a certain team that is notorious for freezing up when it counts, and turning it into a well-oiled machine. Oddly enough, it seems to have a penchant for terrible pop musicians (Katy Perry need not apply). This fireball of excitement has a name: Troy Tulowitzki.

This time last year, nobody on either side of the Mile High City was paying any attention to the young shortstop. A first round draft pick in 2005, Troy quickly shot through the Rockies' minor leagues and made the major league roster near the end of the 2006 season. He spent the next 4 seasons toiling in moderate obscurity, although there were some highlights: he turned an unassisted triple play in the first month of his first full season (2007) and also hit more home runs in a single season than any NL rookie shortstop (24). The Rockies made it to the World Series that year, and even thought Tulowitzki only batted .195 in the entire postseason, it was simply a small bump in the road for him, and he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting. The next few years were plagued mainly by injuries that prevented him from the kind of production he'd shown flashes of in '07.

Then, near the end of the 2010 season, something clicked: he hit 14 home runs within a 2 week span, and finally burst out onto the national baseball scene. People began to take notice of this kid, who'd quietly been racking a .297/32/92 season the year before the madness began. He started becoming notorious for the power he provided to an already-solid Rockies lineup. With outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, another young phenom, hitting in the 3rd spot in the lineup ahead of Tulo, they became the one of the best 1-2 hitting punchs in the game.

His amazing offensive abilities have also translated into excellent defensive abilities: in 5 seasons, he's only committed 41 errors while being a part of 412 double plays. He also has 1802 assists, meaning that in just half a decade, he's been directly or indirectly responsible for a large amount of outs for the Rockies. Needless to say, these stats coupled with his offensive numbers show what a fantastic all-around player Tulo is and will be.

Now, as 2011 begins, the expectations are higher than ever for Tulowitzki. There's a good reason for that, though: he's shattering all of them as quickly as they can be made. He's already got 16 hits in 44 at-bats (good for a .364 average to date) with 7 home runs and 14 RBIs. Without him, it's difficult to believe the Rockies would be 10-2, the best record in the league so far and the best start for the Colorado crew in franchise history. Even though he had his breakout year last season, so to speak, expect 2011 to be the year Tulo shines brightest.

A Brief Exposition Of Random Musings Regarding The 2011 Season Thus Far (Part 1).

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki seems to have Bieber Fever. For the first 2 games of the season, when his at-bat song was Katy Perry's "Firework", he hit 0-8 with 2 strikeouts. However, since switching to Justin Bieber's "Baby", he's shown signs of his breakout half-season last year, with 8 hits in 24 at-bats, 4 of those hits being bombs. If this annoying girly-sounding singer is all it takes to bring out the best in a hitter, maybe the Pirates ought to consider making any of Miley Cyrus' albums the permanent music on the loudspeaker system (introducing your 2011 World Series champs, the Pittsburgh Hannah Montanas).

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter also made some hitting-related news, in that he decided to revert back to his old stance that gave him wonderful numbers last season, such as a .270 batting average (lowest of his career) and 106 strikeouts. And really, why shouldn't he? After a winter of working on a new stance with hitting coach Kevin Long, who's suddenly revered as a hitting guru, Jeter has obviously thought this through and come to the conclusion that if it's broke, don't fix it. Come on, Jeet...don't make the treacherous path to 3,000 hits feel like a death march.

The Cardinals' offense is perfect proof that not only will there be an Apocalypse, but that it'll be headed by a commander with a slugging percentage of .545. Seriously, how on God's green earth does Lance Berkman have more home runs than Albert Pujols? Someone explain the logic behind that to me, because I really don't get it.

The Indians have won 8 straight? That can't be right. Despite yielding some fantastic pitchers like CC Sabathia (now with the Yankees) and Cliff Lee (now dead to me since signing with the Phillies), the Indians haven't had more than 3 winning seasons since the late 90's when they made 2 World Series. I wouldn't expect this to last too long, although young catcher Carlos Santana is showing real promise, and outfielder Shin-Soo Choo won't be forced into military time (mandatory in his home country), so maybe they can keep this momentum going for a little longer than anyone expects.

Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton is out 6-8 weeks with a broken arm, and my fantasy team is really going to suffer for it. I guess it'll affect the Rangers as well, but they already have their postseason experience, it's time for Team Secret Recipe to get a taste.

The Red Sox are 2-9, which is currently the worst record in the entire league. Just wanted to say that, because it's one of those little things I give thanks for before I go to sleep. I mean, the Super Godly Red Sox have the worst record in the league to start off the season! The Astros are doing better than them! Even the Diamondbacks are 5-5! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! Was this winter worth it, Theo? What do you think about this, Terry? Things can turn around, but it's a long trek back to the top. And, of course, I couldn't be happier about that.

It's rare to hear me rooting for the Brewers, but I just can't help it this year. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are really lighting it up at the plate, and I can't wait for Zack Greinke's NL debut, whenever that may be. I wouldn't be upset if they ousted Cincy and St. Louis out of the top spot in the division and made the playoffs. A man can dream...

I don't believe The Beard has been heavily Feared yet in '11. Brian Wilson's 48 saves last year was not only good enough for most in the game, but was a big part of why the Giants won in October. And while he started off the season on the DL, it seems like his return was quietly welcomed and nothing more. He's only pitched in 3 games (as they were pretty much the only ones worth using him in), and he has as many saves (1) as blown saves (also 1). Maybe The Beard is too overdone...could this be the Year of the Chest Hair? Just throwing that out there, Brian.

To conclude this first post of unrelated thoughts, I'd like to post a link to a blog I've been reading recently: http://maxfrankel.com/. These guys are as articulate and passionate about baseball as they are witty, and seeing as you're reading this blog, those are all obviously qualities you like to see in baseball writings.

First Is The Worst, And Most Highly Paid.

It's no secret that, to play in the major leagues, you've got to be the best of the best. You've got to be able to not only hit pitches upwards of 90 miles per hour, or be able to field hard line drives efficiently, but you've got to be able to do all this better than everyone else, and more (stealing bases, calling plays, etc.). But let's face it: if there's any position on the diamond that's easier than the others, it would have to be first base. Sure, there are tons of highly-paid and highly-touted first basemen (and trust me, we're about to get into that), but the rest of the infield and outfield is where plays are made or broken. It all depends how quickly they can throw any advancing runners out, and seeing as the majority of runners have to go through first base before going anywhere else, a first baseman is basically the catcher of the outfield. It's rare that a first baseman makes a defensive play that's outrageous or has people talking. Again, this position isn't to be taken for granted, it's just that second basemen, shortstops, third basemen, even pitchers tend to have more impacts on how a play goes than the man at first.

Now, with that being said, if you take a look around the league, you'll see that most of the buzz (and money) goes to these players. And rightfully so: Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Joey Votto, Adrian Gonzalez, and Prince Fielder, some of the most talked about players and some of the heaviest hitters in the game, all man the mild corner. They're all known much more for their offensive capabilities than defensive: they're all perennial winners or runners-up for Silver Slugger, and King Albert and Votto have won MVP awards for their efforts. But considering that they could, in actuality, be replaced by a tree with a glove glued to it (who would probably commit a similar number of errors), it seems like they're glorified DHs. Still, look at what they're paid: Votto signed a 3-year extension with the Reds worth $38 million, Teixeira plays for the Yankees, meaning he gets paid more than God, and Pujols is looking to give The Almighty a run for his money, with the majority of fans expecting him to pull down $300 million over the next decade for his talents. But with this kind of moolah being thrown at infield backstops, it just seems...well, a little gluttonous. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love all the first basemen I named. Their sheer presence makes a game fun to watch, simply because you just know they could hit a huge blast that will propel their team toward the win. I never said they don't make an impact; they just do it at the plate instead of in the field. But on most small-market teams with star first basemen, the majority of team payroll goes to keeping these boys happy and wealthy. And then if they get injured? You go from having a $14 million infielder to having a $14 million benchwarmer, while the rest of your infield gets paid a combined $10 mil a year and are losing games due to decreased run support.

So what can you do? It's a catch-22: you're shelling out tons of money for a player that won't make a humongous impact on the field, but will guarantee you 80-100 runs on his own. Considering the state of most teams' infields, that's a chance I'd be willing to take.

Live Each "Manny Moment" Like It Could Be His Last.

Word spread quickly today that Manny Ramirez, a 19-year veteran, has retired. And it already seems like the overwhelming response is, "Who cares?" or "Good riddance."

Ramirez, who has long been known for being one of the biggest characters in the game, received notice from the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program about an as of yet undisclosed issue regarding, obviously, steroids. Instead of complying and facing either a 50 or 100 game suspension, Manny decided to save himself and the Rays organization the lengthy process and called it a career. He finished 14th on the all time home runs list with 555, a .312 career batting average, and is 2nd all time in career grand slams with 21 (2 behind leader Lou Gehrig). After a 7 year tenure with the Indians (and 2 failed trips to the World Series), Ramirez signed with the Red Sox in 2000 and, in 2004, led them to their first World Series title in 86 years, effectively reversing the "Curse of the Bambino". He also brought them to the 2007 championship, but by that point, relations between him and most of Boston had soured, so he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, right around the time the skipper of his rival team, Joe Torre, signed on to manage. Joe and Manny helped bring the Dodgers to the postseason in '08 and '09 by winning the NL West both years, but never got past the LDS. Early in the 2009 season, Ramirez was suspended for 50 games for violation of the illegal drugs regulations of MLB (foreshadowing, perhaps?), and his numbers have been downhill since. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox halfway through 2010 as a DH, and then signed with the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason (reunited with former Red Sox teammate Johnny Damon) before this notice led him to retire.

Opinion is very split about Manny. Boston fans, regardless of whatever changed between them and Ramirez, will always have a special place in their hearts for him. He was an endearing player, one who could provide as much humor as he did power. But the fact still stands: he used steroids on more than one ocassion. It's going to be difficult for him to make it into the Hall of Fame with that stain on his records. If you don't believe it, check the Hall of Fame ballot from last year. See Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro? Two players who everyone was certain would be in Cooperstown as soon as they were eligible? Palmeiro received 11 percent of the vote last year, his first year on the ballot, and McGwire, who's been on it for 4 years, has yet to receive more than 24 percent. The minimum amount to get into the Hall? 75 percent. And these are players that were loved and adored by their fanbase just as Manny was and is. When he becomes eligible in 2016, maybe we'll have a better idea of whether he'll get in based on how McGwire and Palmeiro are doing (if either are still on the ballot, it's going to be a long 14 years for Manny). However, as it stands now, chances are good that Manny Ramirez, if he makes it into the Hall of Fame, won't be a first-balloter.

What do you think about Manny? Leave a comment and tell us if he deserves to go to the Hall.

Handle With Care.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka, touted as the second coming of a strong wave of Japanese players to the MLB, broke his leg today while the Twins lost to the Yankees. After a number of teams (including the Yanks) made a bid for the rights to his contract this offseason, it's a shame that this happened so early in the year. Nishioka was supposed to add a large amount of power to a lineup that already included Justin Morneau (when he gets healthy, still suffering some minor side effects from a concussion he received last July), Joe Mauer (a perennial contender for the AL batting title), and Jim Thome (another DH ageless wonder, akin to Vlad Guerrero and Manny Ramirez). However, after today's debacle, it's likely he'll be out at least for a few weeks, during a time in which the Twins are currently in 4th place in the Central, behind the White Sox, Indians...and Royals? I'm sure Ron Gardenhire is praying to whatever Shinto deities there are that Nishioka heals quickly.

Star Rays third baseman Evan Longoria is also spending some time on the DL, further depleting the production of the 0-6 Tampa Bay team. The 2011 Rays are kind of like that kid that everyone grows up with: they start out cocky, prove themselves, and just when they seem poised for greatness, everything starts to go wrong for them and they can't stop the hemorrhaging. First, they go through an offseason that basically ripped the entire team apart, with longtime Ray Carl Crawford taking his talents to Massachusetts (which unfortunately meant he stayed in the division) and Carlos Pena and Matt Garza both landing on the Cubs' roster. Their bullpen, led by savvy closer Rafael Soriano (who, like Crawford, stayed in the AL East by signing with the Yanks), was completely cleaned out, leaving a lot of question marks for the final few innings of any game. In a futile, 11th hour-type move, they added aging vets Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez to platoon in the outfield and at the DH position, but through the first 6 games, neither has proven to be a wise decision for Joe Maddon and the Rays brass. Now, with Longo out for possibly a long-o time, it's easy to guess that the Rays' slide is going to continue for a while.

Can I talk for just a minute about how much I like Ian Kinsler? It doesn't even completely have to do with the fact that he's Jewish, but it certainly doesn't hurt his standing in my book. I mean, he's a 30-30 threat every year when he's healthy, he's part of a Rangers team that might potentially be the best in franchise history, and he's only 28, meaning he's not only got time to improve, but chances are good that we haven't even seen the best of what he's got yet. He has 107 stolen bases in 5 years; nobody's going to ever compare him to Rickey Henderson, but the boy's got some speed. Combine that with his burgeoning power and a swing that's as sweet as honey and apples during the Jewish New Year, and it's feasible that he, along with heavy hitter Josh Hamilton, could lead the Rangers back to the World Series at least one more time before all is said and done.

Did Aroldis Chapman get abducted back to Cuba? Why am I not hearing anything about him anymore? After wowing the baseball world with his pitches that consistently exceed 100 miles per hour last season, it seems like the Reds are keeping him under wraps for a while. To be honest, this may prove to be a good thing. While his insane speed will certainly fan plenty of batters, it's a strong indication that he'll burn out just as quickly as his flaming fastballs came to light. If the head Cincinnati honchos want to keep this Cuban Delight in their rotation, or bullpen, for as long as possible, maybe they should get their pitching coaches to help Chapman change his mechanics to throw more sliders or curves, anything that might take some focus off his fastball. That way, when he does throw it, not only will it surprise batters even more (how much more confused can you get when the ball's moving faster than any consumer car does?), the minimalized usage of it will keep his arm in the best possible shape for the maximum amount of time.

Yankees are 4-2. Red Sox are 0-6. Here's hoping for 7-2 and 0-9 after this weekend.

Hitting The Mark (And Mark's Hitting Back).

A notorious "slow starter", Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is having one of the best Aprils not only of his career, but of the majority of MLB players. In the first month of the last 3 seasons, Tex averaged around 84 at-bats. In those ABs, he hit 4 homers in 2008, 3 in '09, and 2 in '10, with 17, 10, and 9 RBIs respectively. In his first 5 games this season, he's already hit 4 home runs and 10 RBIs. So, in about 14 at-bats, he's already matched his average for the entire month. Compared to almost all the other players in the game, he's leading nearly everyone. Now, of course, it's far too early in the season to tout him as an MVP candidate, but if this month, known for being his worse, sees him with this kind of production, it's easy to see him reaching 50 homers or 100 RBIs this season, which would certainly be a big help for a team that has horrendously questionable pitching.

Speaking of outrageous production, Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz has done something that no other player in the history of the game has done. He's hit a home run in every game of the season so far. Now, that's only 4 home runs, but as I said, no other player has hit a bomb in each of the first 4 games of the year. His teammates are also making strong showings that explain why they're the defending AL champs: Ian Kinsler hit a homer in his first 3 games, Josh Hamilton is already building towards having the highest batting average in the league, Neftali Feliz already has 2 saves, and C.J. Wilson has led the rotation to the first 5-0 start for the Rangers since 1996, the first time they made the playoffs. They're sure doing better than their October opponent, the defending World Series champion Giants, who are off to a 1-4 start after a 3-1 series loss to the Dodgers and dropping the first game in a series with the Padres. Aubrey Huff, who led the team in every offensive statistical category last season en route to his first postseason appearance, is 4 for 19 in the first 5 games, with no homers and 4 RBIs. Tim Lincecum had a no-decision in the Opening Day loss against the Dodgers, and the hurlers behind him (Jonathan Sanchez, Barry Zito and Madison Bumgarner) have all taken the losses, with number 3 starter Matt Cain recording the only win in the starting rotation. While it seems clear that the Texas boys are poised for repeat playoff appearances for the next few years, it seems as if San Francisco's crew is going to have to work their Giant behinds (oh wait, Pablo Sandoval lost 30 pounds this offseason) off to get back.

3 teams have yet to record a single win, and you might be surprised to hear who they are. The Astros, of course, are 0-4, thanks to shoddy pitching and an ineffective lineup. The other 2 teams? The Red Sox (yes, the same Red Sox that signed Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford in the offseason and were supposed to go 162-0) and the Rays (who won the AL East division twice in the past 3 seasons, and who had nearly every good player grabbed away from them this previous winter). If the season ended today, the AL East winner and AL Wild Card would be...the Orioles and the Blue Jays, respectively. The Yankees, THE YANKEES, are in 3rd place. The Red Sox and Rays, THE RED SOX AND RAYS, are tied with 0 WINS AND 4 LOSSES. If this was September, Theo Epstein and Brian Cashman would be in a bar in Connecticut consoling each other like old friends. I know the revitalized Orioles are supposed to make a splash in the division this year...but this is a little hard to swallow. Carl Crawford has a .133 average. Evan Longoria's on the DL already. Derek Jeter is looking more like the '10 version than the promised '09 version. And the Orioles have scored 17 runs to their opponents' 4? And I thought a Rangers-Giants World Series matchup was odd...

Surprisingly enough, the beginning of the season seems to have quelled most of the talk about Albert Pujols' impending free agency. King Albert only has 1 home run and 3 hits in 18 at-bats in 4 games, but if you think that's an indication of a poor season, you must be a Royals fan, like my mother. Pujols has never hit less than 32 homers and 103 RBIs in any season (while never having more than 93 strikeouts), and is a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. Considering that, after 10 years of playing, he's somehow just entering his 30's and is therefore in the prime of his career, it's no wonder that even this staunch Yankees fan reveres The Machine as the best player of this generation (yes, that's including fan favorite Alex Rodriguez). I'm just glad we're getting a break from the hullabaloo of contract negotiations and Cards fans starting grassroots movements to rename St. Louis "Pujolstown" and we can just watch him play...until the trade deadline, where there will be a massive resurgence of trade rumors...and then in October, regardless of whether the Redbirds will be playing then or not. And who knows? There's always a chance we'll see Pujols manning first base for the Cubs next year (when I referenced this in a post a few months ago, I actually got a hate message from a Cards fan I've never met), but with any luck, St. Louis will borrow enough money from the entire city to fund the next 10 years of Albert's life.

Early Airing Of The Grievances.

Let's face it, there's going to be a lot this season that I'm going to gripe about. I figured, with this post, I can start getting some of it out of the way early.

Something bothered me this offseason. Well, not just one thing (damn you, Ruben Amaro!), but this has been bugging me for a while: why is it, that while we were all talking about the shoddy state of the Yankees' rotation, no one was talking about Phil Hughes? While we were going crazy over a certain new Phillies pitcher, Hughes quietly won 18 games last year. Sure, his 4.19 ERA shows that he's got to learn how to keep his stuff under control, but he turns 25 this season, so he has time to fix his mechanics. He's been an erstwhile starter since 2007 (and went 5-7 in his first 2 seasons) and spent most of 2009 in the bullpen, where he went 8-3 with 3 saves and 18 holds. Of course, with A.J. Burnett turning out to be a colossal bust (at least at the time of this writing) and Andy Pettitte winding his career down, Hughes' necessary return to the rotation obviously proved positive for him. He only had 146 strikeouts in 176.1 innings, but seeing as there's more pressure and more expected of him in 2011, all indications are that he's ready to meet and hopefully exceed the expectations. To be honest, after the way things went down last season and in spring training, I was hoping that Hughes would be lucky enough to be the 2nd starter after CC, but instead, Burnett solidified his name as number 2 in New York (think about it for a second). But maybe, either when A.J.'s contract runs out, or the fans run him out of town, Hughes will get to shine like I think he's meant to.

Another thing I'm having trouble understanding, what is the big deal about Adrian Beltre? Don't get me wrong, I like him, and leading everyone in doubles with 49 last season points to a player that can produces runs like a true pro, but what's he got left that makes him so appealing? He turns 32 in a few days, has been playing for 13 years, and could feasibly reach 2,000 hits this season, as well as 300 home runs (he also hit a grand slam yesterday, leading me to begin to analyze his stats, leading to this post). However, he toiled in moderate obscurity until the past 2 seasons, as he spent 1998-2009 with the Dodgers and Mariners. He really became even more famous last season with the Red Sox, but even they didn't want him back after acquiring Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres and showed Beltre the door. Again, don't get me wrong, he is a fantastic player. A little past his prime, but you could say the same about one of my favorite players who will remain unnamed (hint: he plays shortstop (at least for now) for, surprise, the New York Yankees). Clearly, he's still got at least 3 or 4 more productive seasons in him, if he can avoid prolonged injury. But is he a piece of a championship caliber team? Is he one of those game-changing players, or simply a supporting character? He's in a market that, until very recently, didn't have much going for them. However, after the Rangers' incredible run to the World Series last year, Beltre's return was very welcomed but maybe a little poorly-timed. He's not going to supplant outfielder and reigning MVP Josh Hamilton as the golden boy in Arlington, and his presence alone has caused a great amount of trouble for longtime Ranger Michael Young, who's made 3 position changes in the past 4 years. I think he'll add a lot to this already powerful club, but a) is it really necessary, and b) how much more can he do?

Roy Oswalt, a favorite here at TBF, is scheduled to take the mound for his first official start of the season. I think Cole Hamels should have been given the 3rd spot in the rotation: of course, you won't get into the first or second slot, but a World Series MVP and champion should be before a completely neutral pitcher. Sure, Oswalt has more wins, K's, and a lower ERA, but he's been playing twice as long as Hamels has. He's also 5 years older than Hamels, at 33 and 28 respectively. And yet, look at what each has accomplished: Oswalt led an Astros team that surprised everyone to a World Series in 2005, won the NLCS MVP, and didn't do anything noteworthy before or after, aside from a 7-1 record in 8 games after being sent from Houston to the much better Philadelphia team. Hamels spearheaded a rotation that went to 2 straight World Series, winning the first one, was also the NLCS MVP and World Series MVP, and has managed to stay pretty healthy through his young career. Which one would you pick in a fantasy draft? Plus, I still haven't forgiven Oswalt for his monumental snobbiness last season when, with a 6-12 record, an ERA flirting with 4.00, and a 3.53 K/BB ratio, he demanded that whatever team plucked him out of the dying grasp of the Astros organization not only negotiate a new, lucrative contract for him, but also pay his $16 million option that Houston promised him. This, to me, is a glorious example of the truly gluttonous greed not only in baseball but in all sports. If he had more wins than losses and actually seemed like a pitcher that was making an impact, I would have understood. But 6-12? Really? You're going to be that arrogant with twice as many losses than wins? Give me a break. Oswalt would have to have a Cy Young-caliber season this year (and in a rotation with another, far more talented Roy) for me to begin to think about liking him.