AL West

Baseball and Relativity



"Please God, let me hit one. I'll tell everybody you did it." Reggie Jackson

AL West

With all due respect to my National League counterparts I'm more than a little happy to be finished with the Senior League and safely back where I belong both geographically and existentially; the American League. At one time, if you can recall, Montreal's Expos represented Canada in the NL. With the Expos serving as only a memory as a Canadian I'm bound, by proximity and television contracts, to watch American League baseball. Not only do I love the DH (I've never had the urge to watch Roy Halladay wiff at three and sit down, give me the Big Hurt) but I also enjoy the high octane offense that enables me to bring my mostly disinterested friends to ballgames with me to enjoy the over-priced beer and the home runs. That aside, the AL West is looking to be a one team race in 2008. That doesn't mean it will always be that way. Oakland, with firesale'n Billy Beane smartly disassembling his underachieving 2007 roster, will compete sooner than later with a young talent base (as usual). Texas is quickly building a young, powerful team that may bring them back to the playoffs in the next 3-5 (not as usual). Seattle, unfortunately, has a number of highly talented players nestled between an underachieving rotation and a few overpayed, unskilled dinosaurs (nee. Richie Sexson).

The League's Best: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim



Stupid name, great team. The Angels added John Garland and dropped the slumping and injured Bartolo Colon to improve their already stellar pitching staff. They have a very good bullpen and a bizarrely stacked outfield that will compliment their speedy/defensive infield. One must wonder why they didn't add a big offensive bat to the infield, but upon a review of the available options this year one realizes that they were slim. Expect the Angels to run away with the race early on.

Key Players:
K-Rod: Excitement is mounting in Los Angeles and Anaheim. K-Rod is well aware that he's pitching for a contract this year and he's hoping to cash in, big time. He'll want the ball often and he'll want to mow down batters with his dominating combination of pitches. Fear this man.

Vladdy Guerrero: Vlad needs to do what's required of him to stay healthy and play 150+ games. That may mean that, much to his chagrin, he plays the bulk of his games at DH. With nagging leg injuries just around the corner Vlad needs to come to term with the fact that a .325+, 40hr, 125 rbi season is much more valuable than outfield assists when the Angels have ample talent to spell him in the field.

Chone Figgins: I enjoy writing Chone's name for obvious reasons. The super utility man will need to keep his offensive/defensive numbers high while he mentors the younger members of the squad.

The League's Worst: Oakland A's



After the fire sale Oakland stands to be blown out in 2008. That's more than acceptable considering the draft picks and young talent that Beane managed to secure may provide Oakland with their next renaissance. Expect the A's to be a team to watch in the future, that is if their fans would show up to the ballpark.

Key Players:

Eric Chavez: Let's hope that Chavez really is back at full strength and can provide the fans with something to watch this year and can mentor the youth of Oakland.

The Youth: Both those that are already and those that are to come are key to Oakland's success from here on in.

Watch Out For: Seattle Mariners



It's not as though I expect the Wild Card to be won here. In fact I would be shocked if it wasn't won in the East. Not that I'm doubting the Central's quality, just that there are more competitors in the Central with the Orioles and the Rays playing in the East that will equate to inflated win totals. The Mariners have a good combination of talent. They're not good enough to make the playoffs but they'll provide quality games and fans shouldn't be terribly disappointed. I'm frustrated with the Mariners because they blow money on big name players who fail to succeed. If they could capitalize on some young talent and shed some of their dead weight they would easily compete with the Angels. In 2008, however, this is not a reality.

Eric Bedard: Don't think I'll write about the Mariners without discussing Bedard. Let Adam Jones go. Bedard in Seattle makes a lot of sense. Way more than Brad Wilkerson and slightly more than Carlos Silva (who may prove to be a real asset).

Ichiro: McLaren has said it; its time for Ichiro to step up! Baseball's best for-average hitter has the potential to lead his team back to the playoffs if he really wants to.

Raul Ibanez: With the low-average joes that drag Seattle down Ibanez has to combine with the settled Beltre and the promising Betancourt to get on base and knock in the likes of Ichiro. Only then will the team possess the sort of balance that Suzuki has been talking about this offseason.


DB

NL East

Baseball and Relativity

"Don't call us (ballplayers) heroes. Fireman are heroes."
- Sparky Anderson

NL East:

While the West figures to be the best division in the National League, the East will be the best one to watch. Not only will the Phillies present a powerful squad, but the deconstructing Mets are coming in to 2008 with a dangerously improved squad. The Braves figure to compete again with a number of young players being primed for big years but the other two squads, the Marlins and the Nationals, represent some of baseball's weakest. Overall, though, with the firepower in the East and the opportunity to watch Pedro Martinez come back for a healthy year next to Johann Santana, who will be pitching in his prime, there will be sold out ballparks in many of these cities (Florida being the exception) all year long.

The Division's Best: New York Mets



Before the blockbuster deal that brought Johann Santana to the Mets from Minnesota that did not include the roster of high caliber prospects that should have went to the Twin Cities the Mets catapulted to the top of the Eastern division. Its rare in baseball that one player can swing a team's fate so drastically but Santana, now pitching in the lo-fi offensive environment in the National League, stands to win 20 games and post a sub 3.00 ERA. Combine that with the excellent offensive production that can be expected in New York and the only thing that stands between the Mets and the World Series is their closer's ability to forget about his late season collapse.

Key Players:

Johann Santana: Needs to post the wonderful numbers he's capable of.

Alou/Delgado: Healthy/productive seasons by these too veterans will give the Mets the kind of run supported needed to pace the National League.

Jose Reyes: Needs to overcome personal ego issues and run out ground balls to first. Reyes could be the best player in baseball this year if he wants it bad enough.

The Division's Worst: Florida Marlins



Despite having some of baseball's best young players such as Hanley Ramirez, Cameron Maybin, Jeremy Hermida and Dan Uggla the Marlins are destined for failure in 2008. Unfortunately their pitching staff is mostly unknown and contains very few potential stars. The Marlins, once again, are doomed to be trapped in their perpetual rebuilding stage. This is bound to continue until either they buy another championship or fans decide to support baseball in Florida.

Key Players:

Hanley Ramirez: If you can't expect a team to win you may as well expect them to be entertaining. Watch the Marlins to see other teams flex their muscles. Watch the Marlins to see Ramirez develop into a great five tool player.

Luis Gonzales: Now that his steroid use is behind him, his age is catching up to him and his production is slumping expect Gonzales to act as a mentor to the young players in Florida. Look past the steroid induced gawdy numbers from a few years back. Who wasn't juicing then? Gonzales will be a positive influence.

Watch Out For: Philadelphia Phillies.



In a near dead heat for first in the NL East the Phillies stand to field another excellent squad in 2008. With some added pitching depth and young sluggers that include consecutive MVPs Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins the Phillies should overpower, even if they can't outpitch, most teams in the National League. Carlos Beltran has responded to Jimmy Rollins and claimed the division for the Mets. Let's see how this battle develops.

Key Players:

Brad Lidge: Can Brad reclaim his past form or did Pujol's homerun in the NLCS from a few years ago really destroy Lidge's confidence.

Brett Myers: His return to the rotation may provide the Phillies with the edge necessary to compete with the Rockies for the Wild Card spot.

Cole Hamels: Has very exciting potential. Needs good run support.


DB

The NL Central Division

Baseball and Relativity



You can't hit what you can't see. - Walter Johnson

Since I'm sure ever other blogger/news site on the planet will be closely following the hubub surrounding the Clemens/McNamee HGH circus, I've decided to plug on with my divisional breakdown and to completely ignore the events that are disrupting attention that should be given to more interesting aspects of the sport.

The National League's Central Division

Despite being the largest division in baseball, the NL Central has the dubious honour this year to be considered the worst. While the AL West is sporting some of baseball's worst teams it is the NL Central that, this year, seem to lack a clear cut powerhouse. There are upsides on every squad, with the exception of the Pirates, but no single team seems poised to emerge as a potential World Series candidate. The Brewers have the firepower, but they dwindled down the stretch and they cannot count on their pitching to bail out their offense as the season goes on. The Cardinals, a mere shadow of their World Series team from two seasons ago, have shipped off most of their big name talent and will be forced to deal with injury woes from most of their remaining stars, Albert Pujols included. The Cubs, eternally damned as the Red Sox once were, have once again made some intriguing moves but don't present a compelling playoff threat. That being said...

The Division's Best: Chicago Cubs



Despite what I have just said, the Cubs are shaping up to be the best team in the division by a slim margin. Even without an outbreak season by young Felix Pie the Cubs have one of the better outfields in baseball with the addition of Japanese superstar Kosuke Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano. Combine that with an above average offensive infield and a serviceable rotation and we can almost forget that their bullpen is slight lacking.

Key Players:
Derek Lee: He's not likely to repeat his 2005 numbers ever again but expect Lee to at least repeat his 2007 showing. In the instance he can improve on 2007 Lee would once again be an elite 1B.

Kerry Wood: Years spent waiting for Wood to become an outright superstar have produced no results. With Mark Prior gone Wood has the opportunity to emerge as a force in the bullpen, sweetening his legacy slightly after the demise of the once feared young tandem of which he was one half.

The last two members of the rotation: After Big Z, Rich Hill and Ted Lilly the Cubs need a couple of young arms to win 12-15 and post sub 4.00 eras if they want to barnstorm the NL and make it to the World Series.

The Worst: Pittsburgh Pirates

Freddy Sanchez

Mail it in. If the Pirates were playing in any other division in baseball they would be a lock to lose 100 games this year. In fact, they may do that anyways. Their only salvation lies in that they will play the majority of their games against the weak Central division against opponents such as the Astros and the Reds. There is no redeemer on the Pirate's 2008 squad. Jack Wilson is aging rapidly at 31, Matt Morris figures to be their ace and Jason Bay wants out. That equates to an abysmal season in the once grand confines of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Unless the team can seriously rebuild like its Western counterparts with meaningful rookies or Willie Stargell comes out of retirement in top form the Pirates stand to be the worst team in baseball. Yes, far worse in fact than the Royals. There is little use in breaking down the key players for a team as bad as this one.

Watch Out For: Milwaukee Brewers



The Brew Crew did what baseball analysts had been predicting for a number of seasons: they burst out of their miserable multi year slump and became a force in the National League. With their youth movement, lead by Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, amongst the best in baseball the Brewers figure to compete until they lose their players to free agency. While their offense is wonderful and they added depth by signing the dependable Mike Cameron the Brewers lack dependable pitching and an offensively capable catcher. On staff they have a number of pitchers such as Jeff Suppan and David Riske who can contribute but due to injury their ace, Ben Sheets, has struggled to play the sort of role people come to expect from a young, talented pitcher such as himself.

Key Players:
Ben Sheets: Sheets may be the deciding factor in a playoff appearance for the Brewers. If he stays healthy he is a certifiable ace. If he falls ill, which is all too likely given his track record, don't expect for Milwaukee to find enough pitching elsewhere to cope.

Rickie Week: Still young, Weeks has a lot of room to grow. While he's in the right environment as a young, budding star Weeks will have to exhibit more discipline and better work habits to emerge into an elite 2B.

Ryan Braun/Prince Fielder: Move over Ramirez/Ortiz. The new lights-out duo in MLB will be wowing crowds and filling seats in Miller Park. Moving Braun into left field, where his defense will be less of a liability, is a wise move. Expect combined HR/RBI totals for these two to be around 100/230 with good averages and a couple of stolen bases increasing their value.



DB

Breaking down the divisions: NL West

Baseball and Relativity





After a lengthy lay off I'd like to return to this blog, retitled Baseball and Relativity sans my co-contributors and now with an obvious new solitary focus: that of baseball (not like I wrote about anything else anyways...). Look for, at the beginning of April, a lengthy ethical piece discussing the difference between performance enhancing drugs and drugs used legally for rehabilitation.

In the meanwhile I'm going to spend some time breaking down the divisions in baseball and assessing the likely division leaders, basement dwellers, an who I believe will surprise in 2008. Note that I will not be dealing with every team, as that would take too much of my time.

Firstly, allow me to present to you the National League's West division. Surprising many in 2007 as the Senior League's best division, considering their relative rot over the past half decade, the NL West looks to be the best again in 2008. With the exception of a surprise in the East where the Phillies and Mets will engage one another in near AL like combat, expect the Wild Card and likely the World Series representative to come from the West. I am almost regretting how scarce it is to find their games on Canadian television.





The Division's Best: Arizona Diamondbacks
Locked in a tight battle last season with the Colorado Rockies, the D-Backs presented a low scoring, pitcher-centric winning machine in 2007. What was most exciting about Arizona in 2007 is that different players came through on different days, making them a very watchable team. What's exciting about the Backs in 2008 is that they actually managed to improve on their pitching. Capitalizing on Oakland's bi-annual fire sale the D-Backs picked up the wonderful young ace Dan Haren, a player who should contribute mightily to the squad in the upcoming season. Move over Colorado, the D-Backs are going to return to their 2001 form when pitchers Randy Johnson (poised to contribute this year after returning from an injury-plagued 2007) and Curt Schilling combined to win 43 games. Haren, combined with 2006 Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb and a bevy of talented young defenders, are poised to barnstorm the West and head to the World Series to do battle with an AL Behemoth.

Key Players:

Dan Haren: Cy Young? Very possible against the less powerful NL batsmen.

Randy Johnson: Even a mediocre year from Johnson would constitute a significant improvement for Arizona in the fourth or fifth spot in the rotation.

Chris Young: Expect a Break out Year for this wonderful young fielder.



The Division's Worst: San Francisco Giants


With the loss of Barry Bonds (if he had a qualifying number of plate appearances in 2007 he would have paced the league in OPS and would have been amongst the leaders in slugging) and the continuing aging of the Giants, the Bay Area Boys figure to be the worst in the NL, not only the West. On the one hand the Giants sport a great nucleus of starting pitching of which Barry Zito, the rich free agent pick up, is likely the lesser. On the other hand the Giants offense and defensive play is amongst the worst in the League and figures to deteriorate over the season as aged veterans such as Dave Roberts and Rich Aurilia break down. If I were a Giants fan I'd watch the A's. While they are allergic to signing players to big contracts, at least they know when to rebuild.

Key Players:

Matt Cain and Tim Linecum: Young pitchers who may prove to be the best tandem in the Majors in the next five years.

The Seniors: Aurilia? Vizquel? Durham? Maybe in 1998, but certainly not in 2008


Lookout For: Colorado Rockies
Despite their best efforts to improve, including the additions of Joe Torre and Andruw Jones, the Dodgers are doomed to mediocrity once again. A stacked outfield will not make up for an underachieving infield and a pitching staff that's staggeringly behind what the rest of the division has to offer. Expect the Rockies to win the Wild Card and make a strong showing in the playoffs. Unless they are able to sign their flourishing young players to affordable contracts the Rockies will quickly deteriorate. Enjoy them while you can.

Key Players:

Troy Tullowitzki: Expect him to improve on his outstanding rookie year. Yes, I said improve. Yes, I said rookie.

Brad Hawpe: Many predict he's due for a decline. While he isn't the player that Holliday is, he may be the linchpin in the offensively superior NL West lineup.

Josh Towers: Really, he isn't a key player. Expectations are low for Towers considering his demise in Toronto. But as a Jays fan I just wanted to see his name in print concerning a team other than the Birds. This is a happy day.

DB