Reinstate Romero!
Major League Baseball officially suspended J.C. Romero this afternoon. While some hoped Commissioner Bud Selig
might step in and do the right thing, he chose to stand firm on
baseball’s drug policy, even when the guilty party did nothing wrong.
Before taking the suppliement, Romero ask his nutritionist, his
trainer, and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) to
review the contents, and all three approved its use as no substances in
listed were on Major League Baseball’s banned list.
Well just because the commissioner of baseball chooses to turn a
blind eye to flaws in his drug policy doesn’t mean you, the fan, have
to. We at Hot Stove Philly have started an online petition in support of J.C. Romero and his innocence.
While he did test positive, Romero took all the necessary
precautions to ensure this would not happen, and if Commissioner Bud
Selig chooses not to do anything it doesn’t mean fans of Major League
Baseball can’t show their displeasure.
I use the phrase “baseball fans,” not Phillies fans, for a reason.
This could happen to any player taking supplements they buy at a
vitamin store. Fans of other teams may laugh that Romero was suspended
and they might even label him a cheater, but I’m sure if it was a
player on their favorite team and the circumstances were the same,
they’d feel the same way.
In fact, it did happen to another player, the Yankees’ Sergio Mitre, who also unknowingly took a banned substance contained in an over-the-counter supplement.
“We strongly disagree with the Commissioner’s discipline and with the
arbitrator’s decision,” said the Major League Baseball Players
Association in a statement.
“Mitre and Romero both legally purchased nutritional supplements from
national chain stores in the United States. Nothing on the labels of
those supplements indicated that they contained a trace amount of a
substance prohibited under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug
Prevention and Treatment Program. Neither player intentionally ingested
this prohibited substance, but the arbitrator nevertheless found,
wrongly in our view, that the players’ conduct violated the program’s
‘no fault or negligence’ standard.
“The union respects the arbitration process and treats the decision as
final. In our view, though, the resulting discipline imposed upon Mitre
and Romero is unfair.”
So click on the link below and let Bud Selig know what might be
acceptable to him isn’t acceptable to the fans of Major League Baseball!
http://www.petitiononline.com/romero16/petition.html
http://www.hotstovephilly.com/2009/01/06/reinstate-romero/
Father’s Day Retrospective
Let me also take a moment to wish all the dads out there a Happy
Father’s Day. I am doing what I do every Father’s Day, spending it
watching baseball and golf with my dad, my hero. Later we’ll go get
some pizza and maybe go to a movie I really want to see and he has
absolutely no interest in. Father’s Day is a special day for my dad and
I, as I never met my grandfather because he died when my dad was 26,
over 35 years ago. My dad didn’t get to spend many Father’s Days with
his father, so wen try to make the most of each one we have together,
because you just never know how many you have left. My dad has always
been my hero, and my best friend, and its a day I get to spend with him
and try to let him know just how special he really is.
Father’s Day is also a special day for the Phillies, as 34 years ago today Jim Bunning threw the Phillies’ only Perfect Game. To make the game even more special, it was against the New York Mets.
Bunning became the only player (at the time) to ever throw a no-hitter
in both leagues, and the first pitcher to throw a perfect game in the
National League in 84 years.
Bunning was pitching in his first season with the Phillies after being traded during the off season from the Detroit Tigers.
The previous year Bunning went a disappointing 12-13 after several very
successful years, including 20 wins in 1957. The following year Bunning
threw his first no-hitter, this one against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. In 1958 and 1959 he led the American League with 201 strikeouts each year. (Kind of like Adam Dunn hitting exactly 40 home runs in the last three consecutive seasons.)
Behind the hard hitting bats of Dick Allen and Johnny Callison,
some solid defense that the current Phils could take a page from, and a
6-2 record by Bunning, the Phillies found themselves in first place by
June 20th. Despite the dark ending that would eventually befall the
Phillies (who would only be relieved of the terrible burden of the
greatest collapse in baseball history last year by those same Mets),
the Phillies were hot coming into a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon.
Bunning came into the game in the bottom of the first already with a 1-0 lead, and never to look back. Leadoff man Johnny Briggs started the game off with a walk, went to second on a sac bunt by John Herrnstein, and scored on a single by, who else, Dick Allen.
As is needed for any no-hitter or perfect game, Bunning was the
recipient of some good breaks that day. Some of those breaks came early
on, as he described to author James Buckley Jr. for his book entitled Perfect: The Inside Story of Baseball’s Sixteen Perfect Games.
It was one of those wonderful starts to a game. I got away with some pitches early. Against Jim Hickman leading off the game for the Mets, I got away with some pitches that should have been hit. But he fouled them back.
The hard-throwing, 6’3″ Bunning was also very intimidating. According to Hickman,
He threw me too good pitches in the first, good
pitches to hit and I fouled them off. Then he stood out there on the
mound and laughed at me! After that, I didn’t see a good pitch to hit
all day.
Bunning had all his pitches working that day, his slider, his curve,
and most importantly, his fast ball. This had the Mets flailing around
after pitches early, and often. The Mets didn’t get good wood on the
ball until the fifth inning. Bunning tried to slip one right by Mets’
catcher Jesse Gonder with the only change up he would throw all
game, which Gonder got around on and drove hard between first and
second. Phillies’ second baseman Tony Taylor dove to his left
and managed to knock the grounder down with his glove. However, the
ball bounced away several feet. Taylor jumped up, grabbed the ball, and
threw a bullet to first to just barely get Gonder.
‘Taylor made an unbelievable play,’ Bunning
remembers. ‘If it weren’t Jesse Gonder running, he wouldn’t have thrown
him out. When he did that, I thought I might have something special
going. But looking back, man, that was the play.’
Buckley makes a great point in his book about how the little things end up making all the difference in a game like this.
As happened in several perfect games, a play in the
early or middle innings that would have barely been noticed in a 6-3
game suddenly loomed large in the postgame discussion…So many things
had to go just right on that play, any one of which would have changed
the outcome, ended the perfect game, and sent the play and the game
into baseball obscurity.
After that play, Bunning realized that he was flirting with baseball
history, and started moving his infielders around. Then in the sixth
inning, Bunning helped his own cause with a two run double to
left-center. According to Buckley, the cat was out of the bag and
Bunning went against every baseball superstition in the book and began
chatting openly with his teammates about what was going on.
‘I really didn’t care about the superstitions,’ he
says. ‘I had been through one where I almost had total collapse [the
Boston no-hitter]. So it was important to me to relax. Having gone
through that game in Fenway really helped me in the perfect game. No
one said anything then, and when it was over with, it was total bedlam.
I didn’t want that to happen again, so I tried to talk about it during
the game in Shea.’
He was jabbering at his teammates after each half inning, counting
down the outs. “Nine more, six more…” Despite tempting fate, Bunning
shut down the Mets in perfect fashion, striking out six of the final
nine hitters.
As happens during most such games, the Mets faithful switched sides that day and began rooting for Bunning to pull it out.
It was unusual to have everyone there rooting for me. It
was kind of strange. everyone stood up. You don’t expect the whole
crowd to stand up during a game. But they all stood up.
The only thing left for Bunning to do was close it out. Charlie Smith led off the bottom of ninth with a weak pop up to Rojas in foul territory. Next up was pinch hitter George Altman. Altman fouled off the first two pitches and then Bunning threw him a slow, outside pitch that Altman swung on and missed.
With one out to go, Bunning needed a little pick me up to calm his
nerves. Pausing behind the mound to wipe off his sweat drenched face as
he prepared to face pinch hitter John Stephenson, Bunning motioned for Gus Triandos to come out. Triandos had been traded with Bunning from Detroit to Philadelphia that past off-season.
‘He wanted me to tell him a joke,’ Triandos said.
‘But I couldn’t think of anything! I just told him to go get this guy,
and that was it.’
Not exactly a Vince Lombardi speech, but it did the trick.
“‘I just wanted to relax a bit,’ Bunning remembers.” Stephenson was
batting a paltry .074 on the season and Bunning knew if he threw three
curveballs over the plate he would get him. It was just a matter of
hitting the spots.
Bunning started him out with two quick strikes, but then followed that up with two pitches out of the strike zone.
Then came curveball-to-a-spot number three. It broke like a jet fighter going into a dive, and Stephenson swung over the top.
The crowd at Shea Stadium erupted, understanding that even though
their Mets just got shut down in a way only 16 other teams in history
would go down, they were seeing a rare piece of history. Even though
four other players would go on to do it, Bunning was then the first
player to ever throw a no-hitter in both leagues. Due to the rule
changes over the years, it can be said that Bunning was the first
pitcher to throw a perfect game in the NL.
The Phillies ran onto the field and surrounded
Bunning, thr proud father who had just given birth to a perfect,
two-hour, 19-minute, 90-pitch baby.
Bunning was, to be sure, overwhelmed by all the media attention he received as a result of the perfect game.
‘It was obviously the best game as far as results
that I’ve ever pitched. I’ve had better stuff, though, just not as good
control. I mean, to pitch a no-hitter against the Red Sox, with the
hitter they had, was a tougher feat, I think, than the Mets. I’m not
knocking the Mets, but the Red Sox had Ted Williams and Jackie Jensen and Pete Runnels and a lot of other good hitters.’
Bunning would go on to win 19 games that year for the Phillies,
despite always having mixed feelings about 1964. He would continue to
pitch well for Philadelphia, with two more 19-win seasons followed by a
17-win season in 1967.
Jim Bunning retired in 1971 with 224 career wins, and at the time
was third all time in strikeouts. He would be elected to the Baseball
Hall of Fame in 1996.
Bunning, now a father of nine, honored the love and hard work and
dedication of fathers everywhere, particularly fathers who are long
suffering Phillies fans like my dad, by making history on Dad’s Day.
As Bunning says in the Foreword of Perfect,
After the game was over and the initial thrill had
worn off a bit, I realized that the best part about a perfect game is
that your teammates are perfect with you…That made it a little more
special because on that one summer day in 1964, our team was flawless -
in pitching, fielding, and communicating on the field – and the thrill
that comes with working so closely, so perfectly, with your teammates
is beyond words for me.
I think that is very fitting for Father’s Day, as no one can go
through life and be successful without the help of those around him (or
her), and that often starts with our parents. As far as baseball goes,
there is no greater honor or tribute to be had on that late Sunday in
June. Here’s to you Dad(s).
MLB Considering Instant Replay By August
Has Major League Baseball Commissioner Alan “Bud” Selig finally seen the light? According to an Associated Press article by AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker, MLB executive vice president for baseball operations Jimmie Lee Solomon
is pushing to get instant replay instituted by August 1st and has found
a receptive audience in the once staunchly opposed Selig.
The
baseball world has been calling for Selig to institute instant replay
over the past couple years, with the calls turning into shouts this
season after a rash of blown home run calls, including one during a Phillies game that cost the Phils a win.
The idea is that by instituting instant replay for home runs by
August 1st, it would give the league enough time to fine tune it in
time for the playoffs. According to Walker,
MLB and the umpires’ union need to reach agreement
before replay can be tried, and the sides have started talking.
Previously, it was thought replay would get its first look in the
Arizona Fall League and then the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
In addition to fans and commentators, players have been lobbying for
instant replay, as they stand to gain more out of its implementation
than anyone.
“The game needs it and I think it does need it soon,” said former Phillie’s pitcher Jon Lieber. “With technology the way it is today, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be a part of the game.”
That being said, nothing has been finalized as of yet. There is
still time for Selig to step in and squash it, as this is something he
has been opposed to from the get go.
“It’s all still premature,” MLB spokesman Rich Levin said Friday. “A final decision has not been made.”
Selig is not the only one against instant replay. “I don’t think it’s needed at all, to be honest,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella
said Friday. “How many times do you see players make errors? Baseball
has talked about speeding up the game. It’s all you hear. All of a
sudden, they want instant replay? You’re going to have slower games and
more restless people in the stands.”
Despite the reservations of Piniella and others, baseball appears to
be headed down the path of so many other sports before it. The NBA, NHL, NFL, NCAA and major tennis tournaments all utilize some type of replay system.
According to Walker,
A person briefed on MLB’s preliminary plan told The
Associated Press that baseball wants to create an NHL-style “war room”
in New York where video feeds would be reviewed by a supervisor. The
umpire crew chief wouldn’t see replays– instead, the supervisor would
describe what he saw, but leave it up to the umpire to make the final
call.It was not certain whether managers, umpires or the video supervisor
would ask for a replay, said the person, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because negotiations were in progress.
The umpires have indicated that they would be open to the idea of
instant replay, after blown calls last month on home runs by the Mets’ Carlos Delgado and the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez.
As with many new ideas in baseball, the concept of instant replay
has spurred intense debate amongst its fans and insiders. Many baseball
purists argue that blown calls are simply part of the game. They are
worried that this could lead us down the road to replay for balls and
strikes, which I personally find ridiculous.
Balls and strikes are an understood part of the game and game
strategy. The strike zone changes with each umpire and this is taken
into consideration by both teams. If that day’s ump is calling a very
narrow strike zone, then the pitchers know they have to pitch tighter
over the plate. It’s part of the strategy and, for the most part,
applies equally to both teams.
A home run being called a foul ball is not fair to both teams, is
not part of any team strategy, and was never intended to be part of the
game. A blown home run call can often times change the outcome of a
game, which can often times be all the difference between a team making
the playoffs or not. The past few years, last year notwithstanding, the
Phillies missed the playoffs by just one or two games. The blown home
run call that ultimately cost the Phillies the game could end up
costing them the playoffs if the season reflects the tightness of the
NL East of the past several years.
In my opinion, instant replay is a no brainer and purists who say it
will hurt the game are fools. This is not interleague play or the
stupid all star game. This is an opportunity to ensure the purity of
the game by making sure that the right call is made. Instant replay
can’t always 100% determine if a runner was tagged out at the plate, or
whether a called strike was accurate. But it can determine whether
Delgado hit a home run or not, and shouldn’t we all be in favor of
maintaining the integrity of the game?
I say, it’s about damn time Selig came around and removed his head
from his rear. After all, Selig is the one who considers interleague
play to be a significant part of his legacy, and that’s about as
anti-purist as you’ll get.
Season Full of Surprises
We are approaching the end of April which means that we are just about a entire month into the 2008 Major League Baseball season. So far this young season we have encountered our fair share of surprises.
For starters, who would have guessed that the Baltimore Orioles would be atop the American League East? Even better, who would have guessed that Tampa Bay would be tied with them? The O’s and the Rays are tied with Boston for the top seed in the East, one and a half games up on the Yankees. The Toronto Blue Jays
are sitting in the cellar, just three and a half games ack out of
firstr. Tampa has won six in a row and that is with staff ace Scott Kazmir on the disabled list. Filling the void is last year’s surprise James Shields
with three wins and a 2.54 ERA, including a complete game shutout. They
also have one of the youngest and most talented lineups in the game,
led by B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena. Nonetheless, most of us expected the Rays to be better than usual.
Not so with Baltimore. After the loss of Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard, everyone expected the O’s to be one of the worst teams in the majors. Instead they are winning, led by starters Brian Burres and Matt Albers. Burres is currently sporting a 2.49 ERA and three wins, Albers a 1.65 ERA and two wins. Closer George Sherrill
currently has nine saves on the year despite an ERA of 4.66. It’s not
always pretty but Sherrill gets the job done. He came over from Seattle in the Bedard deal and appears to have tipped the trade advantage to the east coast team. Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts are having their expected good year, but so are veterans Aubrey Huff (leads team in RBIs with 16) and catcher Ramon Hernandez. The Orioles’ success typifies the surprising start to this new season.
In the Central, the team many people picked (including me) to win the World Series, the Detroit Tigers,
have gotten off to an extremely sluggish start, losing seven of their
first eight games. Their potent offense has been anything but up until
just a week or so ago. The Tigers’ pitching has been even worse. Ace Justin Verlander has just one win on the season and a 6.50 ERA. Beleaguered former ace Dontrelle Willis
is currently on the DL, pitching only five innings and giving up four
runs. The lone bright spot for Detroit’s pitching has been minor league
journeyman Armando Gallarraga,
who has won two games so far, with an ERA of 1.50 and thirteen
strikeouts in just eighteen innings. That being said, their bats have
started to heat up. In just the past week Magglio Ordonez has hit three home runs and has ten RBIs. Newcomer Miguel Cabrera has two home runs and six RBIs. This team could explode at any moment and I still think has a great shot to win it all.
Another surprise is the abysmal start of Cleveland Indians’ ace C.C. Sabathia.
Sabathia has just one win on the season. In thirty-two innings he has
given up twenty eight earned runs and walked seventeen batters. He has
a league high ERA of 7.88. Fausto Carmona,
despite an astounding twenty two walks in twenty eight innings, has
pretty much picked up where he left off last season, with three wins
and a 2.89 ERA. The surprising ace so far for the Indians is veteran Cliff Lee,
with four wins and a ridiculous ERA of 0.28. Behind the solid pitching
of Lee and a solid offense, Cleveland has managed to stay in second
place behind dark horse Chicago.
Another surprise is in the NL West, where San Diego and Colorado are battling for last place. Even more surprising is that San Francisco is not only not in last place, but has actually won a game, despite Barry Zito
winless with a 7.53 ERA. Young star Tim Lincecum leads the team with
four wins and thirty-six strikeouts and I would argue has supplanted
Zito as the ace of that team. Even more surprising is that they are
actually hitting the ball a little; I said a little. Veteran catcher Bengie Molina leads the team with four home runs and sixteen RBIs. Aaron Rowand is batting .293 with ten RBIs and John Bowker
has provided some pop to compliment the two veterans. This won’t last.
Lincecum will continue to pitch well and Rowand and Molina may continue
to hit but the Padres and Rockies are not going to continue to play
this poorly.
This brings us to the NL East, where the surprising upstart Florida Marlins are atop the division, one and a half games ahead of the Mets and Phillies. What is it about Florida and young talented lineups? Josh Willingham, Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Mike Jacobs, Jeremy Hermida and Jorge Cantu (yea, that’s right) are all hittining the cover off the ball. Scott Olsen and Mark Hendrickson
lead the team with three and four wins respectively. Once again, the
Marlins prove that you cannot count them out and that you can actually
succeed in this game without a mega payroll. Screw Billy Beane, someone should write a book about Florida’s scouting department.
The Mets and Phillies have struggled to start season, in large part due
to significant injuries and considerable slumps by some of their best
players. Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes are all batting below .250. Of the big four, only David Wright
is having a good year, batting .292 with four home runs and twenty-one
RBIs. When the spark of your offense, your lead off man, is not getting
on base, it makes it hard to generate runs. Likewise for the Phillies.
Reigning MVP Jimmy Rollins has not started a game since April 9, as well as worthy leadoff man Shane Victorino, who returns to action this week. Former MVP Ryan Howard
is batting a paltry .174 with five home runs and eleven RBIs. Howard
also leads the league in strikeouts with thirty-seven, a year after
setting the record for most strikeouts in a single season with
one-hundred and ninety nine. Nevertheless, MVP hopefuls Chase Utley and Pat Burrell have been carrying this team on their back, with help from outfielder Jason Werth and backup catcher Chris Coste.
Pitching has also had its ups and downs for these Turnpike rivals. Newly acquired superstar Johan Santana
has looked like the dominant force he is for much of the season but
only has three wins, in large part due to a lack of offensive support.
Beleagured former ace Pedro Martinez has again found himself on the disabled list and pitchers John Maine and Oliver Perez
have looked spotty this season. The Mets’ bullpen has been less than
stellar so far. Of the eight relievers to have five or more innings of
work this season, only four have ERAs less than 3.00. Of those four,
only Billy Wagner has at least ten innings of work. The three relievers
with the most innings for the Mets have an average ERA of 6.02.
The Phillies pitching, a source of much heart burn last year, continues to be a source of frustration this year. Adam Eaton,
who had the highest ERA in the National League last year, started the
season out beautifully, giving up no more than three runs in each of
his first three starts. He has since come back down to earth, going
five and three and two-thirds innings in each of his previous two
starts, respectively. He has yet to record a victory, or a loss, this
season. Last year’s surprising star, rookie Kyle Kendrick,
is going through a bit of a sophomore slump. He is 2-2 so far this
season with a 5.13 ERA. He has looked very good at times and looked
very shaky at others. The Phillies number one starter, Brett Myers,
is having a frustrating year, largely due to the loss in his velocity
(for more on Myers’ struggles this year see my post earlier today on
www.hotstovephilly.com).
That being said, true ace Cole Hamels,
despite getting knocked around in his two previous starts, has an ERA
of 2.75 with thirty strikeouts on the year. Seventh inning specialist J.C. Romero has yet to give up an earned run in over eleven innings. Set up man Tom Gordon,
after having a rough start to the season, has settled down nicely and
has an ERA of 2.08 and two wins over the past two weeks. New closer Brad “Lights Out” Lidge
has been just that. Lidge has yet to give up an earned run this season
and has four saves, with eight strikeouts in seven innings. Lidge has a
higher strikeout per nine innings ratio than any other reliever in
major league history. When Lidge is healthy (both mentally and
physically) there is nobody in baseball better.
Perhaps just as surprising as Florida’s success is Atlanta’s
lack of it. The Braves are only one and a half games back of the Mets
and Phillies, but are a game under .500, despite being picked by many
to win the division. Their pitching, when healthy, a problem this
season, has been solid. Unfortunately, oft injured Mike Hampton is back on the DL and Tom Glavine is making his first trip to the disabled list in his career. John Smoltz is banged up and will likely miss a couple starts. Closer Rafael Soriano only
pitched four innings before also finding himself on the DL. That being
said, when healthy, they’ve been very good. No starter has an ERA above
four and this has kept them in every game. Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann got off to slow starts and third baseman Chipper Jones
is, shocker here, banged up. Nevertheless, the Braves’ offense has
started to heat up in the past week or two, so look for them to make a
surge.
One of the great things about baseball, and sports in general, is its
ability to constantly surprise and amaze and I am looking forward to a
season of just that.
The Big Hurt
Future Hall of Famer and former Philadelphia Phillie non-draft pick Frank Thomas was released by the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday April 20th, one day after being benched for his lack of production and public criticism of manager John Gibbons.
While
there is always the possibility that someone will take a flyer on the
dangerous slugger, it appears that Thomas’ illustrious, if not
sometimes controversial, career has come to an end. There are few teams
that are in serious contention in need of an every day designated
hitter and it appears that, at least for now, Thomas refuses to play
off the bench. There is also a crowded market for heavy hitting DH only
players. Home run king Barry Bonds has yet to find a team willing to take on his circus and demeanor. Sluggers Mike Piazza and Sammy Sosa
are also without a team. Bonds, Piazza and Sosa all have somewhat of a
leg up on Thomas because they can all still play the field, if not on a
regular basis. Thomas is a major defensive liability at first base, not
to mention a serious risk of injuring himself.
It is unfortunate
that one of the best hitters to ever play the game would end his career
on such a note, but this type of incident is not without precedent for
Thomas. After playing for the Chicago White Sox
for sixteen years, the White Sox unceremoniously decided to not bring
Thomas back for a seventeenth year. After signing with the Oakland Athletics Thomas publicly complained about the way his tenure with Chicago ended, saying that White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf did not even call him to tell him they would not be re-signing him.
“I’ve
got a lot of respect for Jerry Reinsdorf, I do. But I really thought,
the relationship we had over the last 16 years, he would have picked up
the phone to say, `Big guy, we’re moving forward. We’re going somewhere
different. We don’t know your situation or what’s going to happen.’ I
can live with that, I really can,” Thomas said. “But treating me like
some passing-by-player. I’ve got no respect for that.”
He also knocked heads with manager and GM Kenny Williams
over several provisions in his contract and felt the Sox should have
just traded him after the playoffs in 2000. In response to Thomas’
publicly calling him out, Williams called the slugger an “idiot” and
said
“If he was any kind of a man, he would quit talking
about things in the paper and return a phone call or come knock on
someone’s door. If I had the kind of problems evidently he had with me,
I would go knock on his door.”
On January 25, 2006, Thomas
signed a one year deal with Oakland. He would go on to finish second
behind his replacement in Chicago former Phillie Jim Thome as AL Comeback Player of the Year, but would win the award for Player’s Choice Comeback Player of the Year.
Thomas’
career was filled with many records and distinctions. From 1991-1997 he
finished in the top ten in MVP voting every single year. He is only the
second first baseman ever to win the MVP Award in two consecutive years
(’93-’94). The other is Jimmie Foxx,
in 1932 and 1933. He actually won the AL Comeback Player of the Year
Award in 2000 and won the AL Batting Title in 1997. On June 28, 2007,
Thomas hit his 500th home run in Minnesota (ironically the sight of his
first home run), becoming just the 21st player in Major League history
to ever do so. Thomas, along with Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and later Alex Rodriguez,
are the only players to ever hit 500 home runs and have a career
batting average of .300 and above. He is also on a short list of
players to hit 500 home runs and acrue at least 1600 walks. With him
are the Babe, Mel Ott, Mickey Mantle,
Ted Williams, and Barry Bonds. Thomas currently ranks number one all
time in home runs as a designated hitter and eighteenth all time in
home runs with 516. He ranks twenty-second all time with 1,685 RBIs and
a .559 slugging percentage.
Thomas was the seventh overall pick
of the 1989 MLB draft. Picked at number five that year, out of Simeon
High School in Chicago Illinois, was Jeff Jackson,
to the Philadelphia Phillies. Jackson was a highly tauted outfielder
and the Phillies’ management spent several months debating between
whether they should take him or Thomas. Jackson never made it out of
the minors. Thomas was, and still is, one of the all time greatest
hitters to ever play the game. Just another in a long line of Phillie
management blunders. Don’t forget Von “Five for One” Hayes.
MLB 2008: NL East
We wrap up with my favorite division
in baseball, simply because it’s my division. The NL East is once again one of
the more intriguing divisions in the majors. The rivalry between the Mets and
the Phillies has once again heated up and is making for great theater. Flying
under the radar are the Braves, who I think are going to surprise a lot of
people.
The New York Mets made the biggest acquisition in years this past off season,
trading for Twins superstar Johan Santana. The Mets now boast one of the best rotations
in the league, although it is not without questions. Santana should win 20
games, will almost definitely win 15, and will make a strong run for the NL
Cy-Young. Pedro Martinez, if healthy, will make for one of the best #2 pitchers
in the majors. But Pedro has been anything but healthy in recent years and has
a history of not getting along with fellow superstar pitchers. John Maine and
Oliver Perez had great years last year, but it is still up in the air whether
they can be consistent. In three of his first six seasons, Perez has posted an
ERA above 5.00. All indications are that Maine is going to be a great pitcher
for years to come, but this is only his second full season and all too many
second year players fall into the sophomore slump. All four of them could very
well be dominate and healthy all year, but the track record for that is just
not there.
That being said, the offense is going to be good. Carlos Beltran, David Wright,
Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran make up an impressive and dangerous foursome.
Ryan Church adds a serious power compliment and Moises Alou, if healthy, will
15 home runs and 65 RBIs. Not a bad lineup at all.
Their rivals right down the New Jersey Turnpike, the Philadelphia Phillies, had
the most prolific offense in the NL last year. Led by NL MVP Jimmy Rollins,
former NL MVP Ryan Howard, and potential 2008 NL MVP Chase Utley, the Phillies
present a fearsome offense. Pat Burrell is always good for 30 home runs and 100
RBIs and Shane Victorino is always dangerous on the basepaths. The Phillies can
hit, no doubt about it. Unfortunately, their pitching is not as strong.
The two guys at the top of the rotation, Brett Myers and Cole Hamels, are two
really solid pitchers who can be, at times, lights out. Myers has had the best
Spring Training of his career and All-Star Cole Hamels continues to improve
from season to season. After that are Kyle Kendrick and Jamie Moyer. Kendrick
had a really good season last year completely out of nowhere, but he is having
a rough spring and could fall into the trap of the sophomore slump. Jamie Moyer
is a solid and serviceable middle rotation guy. But he is also getting old and
has a tendency to fall off as the season progresses. Then there is Adam Eaton.
He was terrible last year and is having an equally bad spring and could be out
of the 5th spot by May. New closer Brad Lidge is starting the season on the DL,
which will put aging set up man/closer Flash Gordon in the spot temporarily.
Lidge has been very shaky the past couple years and is going to have to prove
himself this season.
Last year the Phillies did not pitch great, but the offense made up the
difference. It’s going to be hard to do that two years in a row, but certainly
not out of the question. The offense could be that good.
The Nationals are going to surprise
a lot of people this year. They have a brand new ballpark that looks to be a
hitter’s park, which will benefit the likes of Ryan Zimmerman, Austin Kearns,
Nick Johnson, Lastings Milledge and Dmitri Young. They also have a pretty good
pitching staff. Look for Rutgers grad Jonathan Bergmann to emerge as the ace
before the year is out. They also boast one of the strongest bullpens in the
majors. They aren’t going to win the division, but they aren’t the Nationals of
old.
The Marlins are a young team in the
midst of a rebuilding, but don’t let their youth and inexperience fool you.
Scott Olsen is the real thing. So is Sergio Mitre. With Miguel Cabrera gone,
the Marlins are looking for an offensive leader to fill the void. Hanley
Ramirez is one of the top 3 shortstops in the game, batting .332 with 125 runs
scored and 51 stolen bases last year. He also posted 81 RBIs. Not bad for your
leadoff man. Second baseman Dan Uggla led the current batch of fish with 31
home runs last year. Josh Willingham and Mike Jacobs are poised for breakout
seasons and Luis Gonzalez adds a bit of winning experience to the youngest team
in the majors. Like the Nationals, Florida is not going to win the division,
but they are an up and coming good team.
That brings us to the Atlanta Braves, my pick to win the NL East Division. Not
the trendy pick New York Mets; not my beloved Philadelphia Phillies. No one is
talking about the Braves this spring, and that’s just fine with them. If
healthy, the Braves boast the best rotation in the East. gasp! Tim Hudson, Tom
Glavine, John Smoltz, Mike Hampton and Chuck James. Four top tier veteran
pitchers. The problem with this group is injuries. Smoltz is starting the
season on the DL but only for the first few games. He is 40 years old now and
injury is a serious risk factor now. Mike Hampton hasn’t had a full season in
years, including not playing at all last year. Nevertheless, when healthy, the
Braves boast the most solid rotation in the league. No pitching rotation is
without its some questions or risks and the Braves are no different. They just
have a lot more upside than the other teams.
The Braves also boast an offense that compete with any team in the majors, and
is better than most. Mark Teixeira, Chipper Jones, Jeff Francoeur, Brian
McCann, Kelly Johnson and Matt Diaz. Chipper is still one of the best hitting
third baseman in the majors, arguably the best in the NL. Mark Teixeira was the
most significant acquisition during the season last year and is one of the best
hitters in the NL. Brian McCann is one of the best hitting catchers in the
majors. This is the most complete team in the NL.
That being said, the Braves will not win the Pennant. I had mulled this around
for a while, but I just have no confidence in the Braves making it all the way
through the playoffs. I barely have faith that they would make it out of the
first round. I think that the Mets will win the NL Wild Card. The Phillies’
pitching is way way too shaky and I think it will ultimately be their downfall.
I pick Arizona to make it to the World Series over the Mets.
In the end, the Tigers will win the World Series over Arizona. The Braves have
the most complete team in the NL, but are professional choke artists when it
comes to the playoffs. The Mets pitching is shaky outside of Santana and Maine.
Arizona’s mighty one two punch of Webb and Haren put them in the best position
to make it to the World Series.
Should be a great season.
MLB 2008: NL Central
MLB 2008: NL West
The
National League is a little easier to predict than the AL, but not much and it is still just as intriguing. We’ll start in
the NL West. This is again the most competitive division in baseball, with four
teams legitimately contending for the division title. The Arizona Diamondbacks
are my pick to win the division this year. They added an ace in Dan Haren to a
rotation that already boasts two former Cy-Young award winners, although Randy
Johnson is not what he once was. Brandon Webb, on the other hand, continues to
improve. Last year he won 18 games and sported an ERA of just shy over 3.00
with 194 Ks. Haren won 15 games on a weak Oakland team with an ERA just above
Webb’s at 3.07. Haren and Webb’s numbers are remarkably similar. Haren won 15
games, Webb 18. Haren’s ERA was 3.07, Webb’s 3.01. Haren strukout 192 batters
last year, Webb 194. Haren had a WHIP of 1.21, Webb had a 1.19 WHIP. The only
stark difference is that Webb had 4 complete games and one shut out last year
while Haren had none. Not a bad one, two punch. And even with Randy Johnson no
longer the sure fire Hall of Famer that he was his first go around with
Arizona, if he can stay healthy (a big if) he is good for at least 10 wins,
which isn’t bad for your 4th or 5th starter. Doug Davis is a solid number 3 or
4 pitcher coming off his best season yet in the majors. Sophomore Micah Owings
is talented enough to win 12-15 games and should only improve as time goes on.
Arizona’s offense is led by, in my opinion, the best all around player in the
National League, Eric Byrnes. Byrnes hit .286 last season with 83 RBIs, 23 home
runs and 50 stolen bases. He scored 103 runs and had an on base percentage of
.353, which is above the league average. He is the unquestioned leader of a
team that is very young and lacking in experience. That is not to say they lack
talent. The team is chock full of untapped potential, particularly in
outfielder Chris Young and first baseman Conor Jackson. The Diamondbacks do not
have the most potent offense in the league, but they have also not hit their
potential yet either. They have one of the best rotations in the league and an
offense that is going to have to be reckoned with soon enough.
The NL Wild Card winner from last season, the Colorado Rockies, sport a offense
that will once again contest for the most prolific team. Led by MVP runner up
Matt Holliday and Rookie of the Year runner up Troy Tulowitski, the Rockies
have one of the best offenses in the majors. Holliday hit a ridiculous 137 RBIs
last year with a .340 batting average to go along with his 37 home runs. His
home run total was actually a little low compared with the rest of his stats,
considering where he plays half his games (Humidor be damned), so look for
those numbers to pick up this season. In his first full season in the majors
after replacing every hunter’s favorite shortstop Clint Barmes, Tulowitski had
99 RBIs, 24 home runs and sported a .291 average, all as a rookie at a
traditionally powerless position. Throw Brad Hawpe, Garret Atkins and Todd
Helton into the mix and you can see why they were so feared last year.
Unfortunately, even with the Humidor, playing at Coors Field has a negative
affect on your pitching. Staff ace Jeff Francis did win 17 games last year, in
part due to the fact that his team scores a load of runs. Francis sported an
ERA of 4.22, which is certainly not bad for a Rockies pitcher. Unfortunately,
that’s where the good news stops. Not a single pitcher other than Francis
currently on the team won more than 8 games last year, inclduing Kip Wells who
played for Pittsburgh and Josh Towers, who played for Toronto. (Note: Wells is
starting the year in the bullpen) Aaron Cook is a decent enough pitcher, but
really only a #3 or 4 guy, not someone I’d want backing up my ace. They are
going to struggle on the mound, but this is nothing they’re not used to. They
made it all the way to the World Series last year on hitting and Francis’
pitching alone, so it’s certainly not out of the question for them to do it
again. They are going to compete with San Diego for the Wild Card again this
year, as well as for second place in their own division, and they may not win
either one.
San Diego, while not having the high flying offense that Colorado does, has a
solid team once again this year. Their offense is led by hard hitting first
baseman Adrian Gonzalez and shortstop Khalil Greene. However, San Diego’s real
talent lies in its pitching. The Padres’ rotation is comprised of Cy-Young
winners Jake Peavy and Greg Maddux, Chris Young, Randy Wolf and Justin Germano.
Peavy is one of the top five pitchers in the majors and arguably the best in
the NL (although that argument got a lot harder with the addition of Santana
into the NL). Maddux, while getting up there in age and losing a bit of his
former luster, is still a serious pitcher to contend with. The sure fire Hall
of Famer is a lock for at least 12 wins a year. Big Unit, Jr. Chris Young is turning
into a perennial All Star and Randy Wolf is about as good a #4 guy as you’ll
find. Germano could be the #3 pitcher on a lot of NL teams and is looking to
improve this year. At the back end of the bullpen is the aging but still
dominant all time saves leader Trevor Hoffman. He’s no longer the best closer
in the game, but he is still in the top 10 in the league. Even though San
Diego’s offense isn’t as good as Colorado’s, their pitching is heads and tails
better and that is why I think they will beat them out for second in the
division.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a new skipper in town, former Yankees manager Joe
Torre. They have a pitching rotation, when healthy, that can compete with any
team in the NL, headed by Brad Penny, Derek Lowe and Chad Billingsley. After
the departure of Eric Gagne, Takashi Saito cemented his place as one of the
best closers in the game. Their offense is led by Russel Martin, who, after
batting .293 with 87 RBIs, 19 homeruns and 21 steals, solidified himself as a
top 3 catcher last year. He is also perhaps the most the versatile player in
the league. Dodgers Third Base coach, and former Phillies shortstop Hall of
Famer Larry Bowa, says that Martin could play his old position. Bill Bavasi,
current GM in Seattle, says he is the best third baseman in the NL. He’s a
catcher that stole 21 times last year. What’s that tell you?
The addition of Andruw Jones, despite having his worst year in the majors last
year, seriously bolsters their lineup. Jones has been one of the best hitters in
the majors in the last decade and is still only 31 years old and I am pretty
confident that he will bounce back this year. Added to that are Jeff Kent,
James Loney, Andre Ethier, Rafael Furcal, and leadoff specialist Juane Pierre,
as well as Normar Garciaparra for at least 10 or 11 games. This is a very
competitive and solid team from top to bottom. Unfortunately, their pitching is
not the best in the division and their offense is not the best in the division.
They do have the best closer in the West, but only so many games are won in the
9th inning. I predict that the Dodgers have a good year and wind up 4th in the
division. Like I said, it’s the best division in baseball.
The black sheep of the division family is San Francisco. To sum up the Giants,
I tell this one story. Last week they played their full time starters and put
ace Barry Zito on the mound against their AAA affiliate in a Spring Training
exhibition game. They lost 4-3. Zito pitched 6 2/3 innings and gave up all four
runs. The Giants were only able to score 3 runs against a bunch of minor league
players. Their lineup is made up of newly acquired Aaron Rowand, Bengie Molina,
Ray Durham, Randy Winn, Omar Vizquel, Rich Aurilia, Jose Castillo and Dave
Roberts. Not a single player hit more than 90 RBIs last year. Rowand, in his
best year ever, hit 89 RBIs on the highest scoring offense in the NL playing in
hitter friendly Citizen’s Bank Park. Rowand had a lot of protection arond him
last year. This year, he is the best hitter. Rowand is a good player, but not
as good as he was last year and definitely not as good to be considered the
best player on the team. Rowand is a great guy to have in the locker room,
something that is sorely needed to mend the wounds of the Barry Bonds era in
San Fran, but even his team building locker room demeanor is not going to help
this team hit.
The Giants pitching is not as bad as the hitting, and in all actuality, is not
that bad in general. Barry Zito is still the ace on the team, and making the
monstrous money that he is, he will likely be their ace for a long time to
come. They have some very good up and coming young pitchers however. Noah
Lowry, Matt Cain, and Tim Lincecum are all good, young pitchers who will only
continue to get better with time. Lowry led the team last year with 14 wins,
although he needs to get his WHIP down. Nevertheless, despite having some
pitching potential, the Giants are going to be last in the West, and in all
likelihood around the bottom of the NL. Let the post-Barry era begin.
MLB 2008: AL West
The
AL West is once again a one team show. Even with the addition of Erik Bedard in
Seattle, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California, West Coast, United
States, Western Hemisphere, Earth, are still the team to beat in the West. The
most underrated player in the American League, Vladimir Guerrero, is poised to
have his best season in years with the added protection that Torii Hunter
brings. Garrett Anderson and Gary Matthews, Jr. are really good second tier
guys. Howie Kendrick is a star on the rise and Chone Figgins is always good for
60 RBIs and 40 stolen bases. The Angels’ pitching is a bit of a question this
year however. Ace John Lackey is starting the season injured and perennially
injured pitcher Kelvim Escobar might have to have season (or possibly even
career) ending surgery. Ervin Santana is a decent #3 guy, as is newcomer Jon
Garland. Jered Weaver has the stuff to be a staff ace, but has not shown the
consistency needed to be number 1. Closer Francisco Rodriguez has been the best
closer in the majors over the past few years, but is disgruntled over a
contract dispute, which could affect him this season. Nevertheless, the AL West
is weak and the Angels are the most talented team.
That being said, the Mariners will give LAA stronger competition than they have
in recent years. Despite having a poor spring, the addition of strikeout king
Erik Bedard from Baltimore will significantly bolster an already good rotation.
Bedard will take the pressure off of young ace King Felix Hernandez and allow
him to fully develop and flourish without such an intense spotlight on him.
Carlos Silva is a serious number 3 pitcher, and Miguel Batista led the team
last year in wins with 16. And they still have Jarrod Washburn. Oh, and J.J.
Putz. Their offense, however, is not as strong. The Mariner’s lack a legitimate
star bat, with Raul Ibanez leading the team in RBIs and second in home runs.
Infuriatingly inconsistent Adrian Beltre is, well, infuriatingly inconsistent.
Ichiro is still the best hitter in the game, but lacks power and RBI potential
at the top of the lineup. He does get on base, a lot, but besides Ibanez and Beltre
there isn’t anyone to drive him in. Their lineup is chock full of second tier
guys who just can’t quite get over that hump, Yuniesky Betancourt, Brad
Wilkerson, Kenji Johjima, Jose Lopez, and Miguel Cairo. Richie Sexson was once
a great player, but those days are long gone. Seattle will be happy if he has a
batting average above .230. The Mariners are a really strong pitching team, but
they are seriously lacking on offense.
Oakland is also lacking in bat skill. Resurgent Jack Cust led the team last year
with 26 home runs and 82 RBIs. They are good numbers, but not what you want
your top production guy to be. Their pitching, like Seattle, is better than
their offense. Rich Harden, despite not having a good year last year, largely
due to injuries, has some of the best stuff in the AL. Joe Blanton picked up
the slack for Harden last year, winning 14 games with an ERA under 4.00. Huston
Street, when he can stay healthy, which is a big if, is a top 10 closer who has
yet to meet his full potential. Unfortunately for Oakland, that is pretty much
where the talent ends. But I loathe to ever count out a Billy Beane team. He
always sees things that we mortals fail to notice at first glance.
Texas *****. Sorry President Bush, but when a team becomes a dumping ground for
discarded mediocre Phillies pitching, you know you’re in trouble. Ace (if you
can call him that) Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, and Robinson Tejeda all
wore Phillies pinstripes and were all moved on. Not to mention Sydney Ponson is
a Ranger. I think that about sums up their pitching. They also don’t have a
closer with a secure job. Former set up man turned closer turned set up man
turned closer turn set up man Akinori Otsuka is, as you probably guessed, no
longer the closer. C.J. Wilson was named the team’s closer, but Joaquin Benoit
is right on his heels. And you never know, Otsuka is always just one pitch away
from being a former set up man turned closer. Unfortunately for Texas, their
hitting isn’t much better. They were led by SS Michael Young, who is a
legitimate top 5 player at his position. But he’s not Rollins or Jeter or
Tulowitski or Guillen. Young had 94 RBIs last year but a paltry 9 home runs.
Their number two RBI guy was, gasp, former Phillies Marlon Byrd. That’s right
folks. The Texas Rangers have 4 former Phillies on their team. Ian Kinsler is
poised for a breakout a year after hitting 20 home runs and 61 RBIs in his
first full year. Josh Hamilton had a great comeback year last year for the Reds
and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia is another young player on the verge of a
breakout year. But none of these players are proven other than Michael Young.
Marlon Byrd came out of nowhere to hit .307 with 70 RBIs and 10 home runs last
year. What?! We saw flashes of that here in Philly but it was sporadic at best.
The potential is surely there, but it is unproven, which is the theme of the
whole offense.
I really had a hard time deciding who I thought would win the American League
Pennant this year. The AL is a really tough league with a ton of great teams.
It really could be a toss up between Boston, NYY, Detroit, Cleveland, LAA, even
Seattle makes a case because of their serious pitching. The trendy pick is to
pick Boston to win again and I think it’s so close this year that I’m going to
go with Detroit. I really like what Detroit has done. They have always been
right on the cusp of being a juggernaut team like New York and Boston and I
believe they made the necessary moves to put them over the edge. I don’t like
their pitching as much as the other top teams in the AL, and I know that
traditional thinking says pitching wins in the playoffs, but their offense is
just so good I think they’ll just outscore everyone. No one’s pitching is
strong enough one to five to contend with this potent lineup. Detroit makes it
to the World Series over Boston and Cleveland will win the Wild Card. I hate to
ever bet against the Yankees but Cleveland is just too good this year.
MLB 2008: AL Central
The
AL Central is going to be a lot of fun to watch. I pick the Tigers to win the
division. They have one of the fiercest lineups around. Magglio Ordonez, newly
acquired Miguel Cabrera, and Carlos Guillen all hit over 100 RBIs last year.
Gary Sheffield, Curtis Granderson, Brandon Inge, Jacque Jones, Pudge Rodriguez,
and Placido Polanco round out the lineup. Sheffie, Granderson and Inge had 70+
RBIs and Polanco is one of the best second baseman in the league, not to
mention he posts a .300+ average every year.
When Dontrelle Willis is your fifth starter, you know your pitching rotation is
pretty solid. The D-Train has admittedly derailed in recent years, but still
shows flashes of his old self at times and perhaps a change in scenery is what
he needs. Justin Verlander has solidified himself as a legitimate ace and
superstar in this league. Jeremy Bonderman is consistently a solid pitcher
(although he did not have a real great year last year). Nate Robertson should
also win 15 games and Kenny Rogers is still somehow a legitimate starter in
this league. This is not the most stunning rotation in the league, and its not
even better than rival Cleveland’s. Closer Todd Jones is good for a 4.00+ ERA,
but is also good for 30+ saves. Nevertheless, the offense is so good they are
still going to win a ton of games. The Tigers are the Phillies of the AL. They
have some legitimate pitching stars, but also some holes. Regardless, they
should score enough runs to make up for any pitching faults.
Like I said, Cleveland has a better pitching rotation than Detroit. With the
departure of Johan Santana to the NL, ace C.C. Sabathia is without a doubt the
best pitcher in the division, and arguably the best in the AL. He won 19 games
last year, with 4 shut outs, 209 Ks and an ERA of 3.21. Yikes. Fausto Carmona
came out of nowhere and also won 19 games with an ERA of 3.06. That’s right,
better than Sabathia’s. Jake Westbrook has yet to give up a run in 4 games in
Spring Training. I know it’s only Spring Training, but that is still quite an
accomplishment. Cliff Lee and Paul Byrd are still legitimately good pitchers. I
would love for the bottom of my rotation to be those two guys. They also have a
closer that can cause some heartburn in Joe Borowski with a 5.07 ERA last year,
but he still got 45 saves. While their offense isn’t as potent as Detroit, it’s
nothing to sneeze at. Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Casey
Blake, Johnny Peralta and Ryan Garko. Not a bad lineup for sure.
What was once one of the best divisions in the league is now just a two team
race. With the departure of Johan Santana and Torii Hunter, the Minnesota Twins
(who were the 3rd best team in the division even with those players) fall
farther behind Detroit and Cleveland. They still have some serious skill in the
lineup with 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Michael Cuddyer. Delmon
Young is poised to improve upon his already good numbers from Tampa Bay. But
the talent drops off after that.
Losing the best pitcher in baseball is obviously an enormous blow. Especially
because he was it, the entire staff. Rookie sensation Francisco Liriano is
coming off of Tommy John Surgery after not pitching at all last season. While
pitchers often times come back stronger from Tommy John, Liriano is young (only
his second full season) and hasn’t pitched in over a year. He is far from a
lock, but is still the best pitcher on the staff. This is also bad. Livan
Hernandez, Scott Baker, and Pat Neshak are all second and third tier pitchers.
They’re not bad pitchers to have round out your rotation, but not a group I’d
want at the top. While Carlos Silva is not an ace or even someone I’d like to
have as my number 2, losing him to the Mariners will definitely have an impact
on the Twins. Hernandez is just a shadow of his old self and Baker and Neshak
are unproven. The one area Minnesota is without a doubt superior to the other
teams in their division is at closer. Joe Nathan is one of the top closers in
the league, with 37 saves and a 1.88 ERA last season. Minnesota is clearly
having problems holding on to its top players, unable to compete with richer,
bigger market teams. I do not know enough about their minor league depth, but
they are going to have to continue to home grow their talent if they want to
compete in the tough American League.
The Chicago White Sox are another once was from the AL Central, although there
is a lot of talk of them being a dark horse surprise this season. Regardless,
even if they do have a good year, they are not going to be any better than
third and are certainly not making the playoffs. Their rotation is also shaky,
albeit more proven than Minnesota. Mark Buehrle threw a no-hitter last season
and was one of the most talked about pitchers at the trade deadline, but he did
not really have much of a year. Even with the no-no, he notched only 10 wins
with a respectable 3.63 ERA but only a 5.15 K/9. Javier Vazquez and Jose
Contreras are two proven but over the hill pitchers. The three of them combined
for 35 wins last year. They do have the second best closer in the division in
Bobby Jenks, but he can be erratic at times.
The White Sox offense is respectable, but not outstanding. No one hit over 100
RBIs, with the aging Thome leading the pack at 96. They have a lineup that
could seriously contend in the NL, but they are going to get pounded in the
American League.
Then there are the Royals. They have some rising young stars, but they are
still not even as strong as Chicago or Minnesota. It should be a better year
than normal in KC, but that’s not saying much.
jsatwood
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