100 years. That’s a long time to wait for anything. For Cubs fans, that’s how long they’ve waited since the team’s last World Series win. But, this year’s squad sports arguably their best shot to reverse the Curse of the Billy Goat.
The Brew Crew made a splash at the 2008 trade deadline by acquiring defending Cy Young ace C.C. Sabathia in exchange for top hitting prospect Matt LaPorta. Well, Milwaukee essentially gave up LaPorta’s big bat for a 3 month rental. This offseason, CC and former ace Ben Sheets (presumably) departed in free agency. That level of pitching is hard to replace for any team. The good news, though, is that LaPorta was just one piece in a very strong crop of young, talented players that have come up through the farm system in the last few years. Since 2002, the Brewers have cultivated a pair of big hitting corner outfielders (Corey Hart & Ryan “The Hebrew Hammer” Braun), a complete infield (1B Prince Fielder, 2B Rickie Weeks, SS J.J. Hardy, 3B Bill Hall – with highly rated prospect Matt Gamel on the horizon), and a young ace-in-making (Yovani Gallardo). Their bullpen is still a bit of an issue – maybe they should “home grow” some relief help. Carlos Villanueva and Jorge Julio are the best of the bunch backing freshly signed closer future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman, but Julio and Hoffman are running on fumes at this stage in their respective careers. Behind Gallardo, Dave Bush and Manny Parra both have shown promise as big league starters, but Jeff Suppan and Braden Looper are two guys just lucky to have a job in the majors. When it’s all said and done, I think this team will compete for a Wild Card berth, but ultimately, fall short based on needing a few more years for the group to gel and develop more. Look out for 2010-2011 though
This team is confusing to me. They have some good pieces in place, but then they just never can seem to put it all together at the same time. I like the Reds. I do. Their outfield of Jay Bruce (the top overall prospect in baseball prior to last season) along with newly signed centerfielder Willy Tavares and rookie Chris Dickerson is one of the most athletic units in the National League. Their infield boasts two of my favorite young players in Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto. The pitching rotation has a chance to either be really good or really bad with ace Aaron Harang due for a bounce-back year, and young guys Edison Volquez (fresh off an All-Star selection last summer), Johnny Cueto, Micah Owings, and former top pitching prospect Homer Bailey all ready to have good years. “Coco” Cordero is one of the best closers in baseball. The bad news is that recent history tells me that this team, despite its potential to be fairly good, will likely still not finish higher than 4th in this really deep division.
It’s been a long, long time since this team was even mediocre, let alone good. It’ll be much of the same this year in Steeltown, but the future is starting to shape up nicely for this downtrodden franchise. Centerfielder Nate McClouth had a real breakout last season and made the All-Star team. The brothers LaRoche (first baseman Adam and third baseman Andy) look like they’re finally starting to click at the major league level after years of potential. Catcher/outfielder Ryan Doumit really turned it on last year to finish with an average over .300 for the season. Two-time All-Star Freddy Sanchez had a down year last year, but is still only two years removed a batting title. The pitching staff reeks of potential with all 5 starters (Paul Maholm, Ian Snell, Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf, and Jeff Karstens) being under 30 years old. John Grabow and Craig Hansen are a solid young base for the bullpen in front of 25 year-old closer Matt Capps. This team has a little ways to go, but the future, for once, looks bright in Pittsburgh.
Everything is bigger in Texas…except for the upside of this team. Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee are perennial All-Stars. Hunter Pence is one of my favorites. Kaz Matsui and Michael Bourn are nice players, but the rest of the lineup is crap. Outside of Roy Oswalt (who started looking like damaged goods in the WBC, by the way) and closer Jose Valverde, the roster is nearly void of pitching. I really don’t have much else to say. I know the ‘Stros finished 3rd last year, but I feel like that was an aberration. A lack of pitching depth will ultimately prove to be this club’s Achilles heel, and they’ll finish in the cellar in ’09.
At first glance, this looks like a deep division. All 5 teams have made the playoffs at some point this decade. Upon closer inspection, it’s actually just consistently mediocre. Last season the Dodgers took the division crown with a paltry 84 wins. That total would’ve been good for only 5th place in AL East or NL Central, or 4th place in NL East. With the division basically being a toss up, I think ‘Zona has the best chance of emerging from this year’s pack. 
The “Manny being Manny” show is back for an encore at Chavez Ravine. After last season’s deadline deal with Boston brought the “Dominican Lou Gehrig” into Dodger Blue, Manny Ramirez ignited the team’s offense with a huge bat to carry them into the playoffs. After months of off-again-on-again negotiations finally ended in Manny resigning with L.A., the Dodgers are hopeful that ManRam can carry the team back to the promised land. Flanked by such up-and-coming stars as catcher Russell Martin, first baseman James Loney and rightfielder Andre Eithier, combined with veterans Rafael Furcal at shortstop and newcomer Orlando Husdon at second, this offense will undoubtedly hit a lot of baseballs. The pitching staff is not what it once was, however, with youngsters Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley providing the only real promise among the starters. The bullpen could be sneaky good with underrated guys like Hong Chi Kuo and Guillermo Mota supporting young closer Jonathan Broxton. The offense could rank among the game’s best, but with the pitching staff having so many holes, not even Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre should be able pull this team to a playoff berth.
Only 2 years ago, this team stunned the baseball world on a stampede through the National League playoffs before finally running out of gas against Boston in the ’07 World Series. The bad news for Rox fans is that the catalyst of that season’s surprise run, an MVP-runner-up performance by Matt Holiday, will not be making an encore appearance this time around. Holiday was shipped off to Oakland in the offseason for a package of prospects including the highly rated Carlos Gonzalez along with closer Houston Street, so the Rockies’ bats may be in a world of trouble in ’09. Past-his-prime former All-Star first baseman Todd Helton, along with outfielder Brad Hawpe, third baseman Garrett Atkins, and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki are essentially the only major league quality hitters in their lineup. Though Holiday didn’t contribute in the department, the pitching isn’t exactly in the best shape either. One-time ace Jeff Francis is already out for the entire 2009 season after having arthroscopic surgery in the offseason to help alleviate left shoulder problems that plagued him throughout most of the ’08 schedule and contributed to a paltry 4-10 record. Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales, and Jason Hirsch all have pretty good upside as young starters…but Jason Marquis? Closers Street and Manny Corpas, plus late reliever Taylor Buchholz can all really throw, but that’s all they’ve got worth a crap. The only thing keeping this squad from the cellar is that there just so happens to be two really bad teams already basement-dwelling in this division.
Tim Lincecum. That’s all about all I have to say about this team. At every position, they’re either too old, too young, or just plain not good. Lincecum is fresh off a Cy Young award from 2008, and, at only 24, the little dynamo looks like he could have a shelf full of them when it’s all said and done. Behind Timmy, the rotation actually isn’t terrible. Newcomer Randy Johnson, while not having much left in the tank, will undoubtedly seal his Hall of Fame bid with his 300th win at some point this season. Matt Cain along with lefties Jonathan Sanchez and Noah Lowry have all shown various shades of promise. (Ed Note: There is also a certain overpaid former Cy Young winner in the group that I’m not mentioning for the sake of all the Giants fans out there. I’d like to keep them from pulling all their hair out just seeing his name in print.)
What a way to celebrate the Padres 40th anniversary in San Diego! Last year, the team lost 99 ball games, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they broke the triple digit loss mark this time around. This team is awful. Don’t get me wrong, they have some nice players. Pitcher Jake Peavy is a true ace and still one of the best in the game. Newly minted closer Heath Bell was one of the best setup men in the league before taking the closer’s job following the departure of future Hall of Famer and all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez is one of the single most underrated big time players in baseball. And, if he can regain his 2007 All-Star form, starter Chris Young is a real top-rotation pitcher. Outside this short list, the Pads are a putrid bunch. David Eckstein and Brian Giles are both past their primes and were overrated to begin with. Cla Meredith is an above average reliever, but he’s one of only 3 guys currently on the roster (as of March 31) backing up Bell in the ‘pen. Besides Gonzalez and highly touted rookie Chase Headley (more on him to come), the batting order can be best described with a “dismissive wank motion”. At least the weather is perfect in SD, so the fans have something better to focus on all summer long.
Four Division title in the last five years is a pretty strong run in a division with only 4 teams. The Angels have emerged as a near lock to make the postseason in recent years on the strength of a multi-talented roster and solid coaching staff. Their pitching is strong and deep with 4 solid starters in John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, and Jered Weaver, plus former #2 man Kevlim Escobar who is recovered and due for a bounce-back year after suffering a season-ending shoulder ailment in 2008. The bullpen is among the game’s elite with new addition closer Brian Fuentes, veteran setup man Scott Shields, and young stud Jose Arredondo. The lineup is heavy on rake. Their outfield (the deepest in baseball) has 5 players that can hit over .285, including the newly acquired Bobby Abreu – one of the most underrated hitters in the game. All-Stars Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter have dipped in production in recent years but are still among the game top hitters. Third baseman Chone Figgins and Second baseman Howie Kendrick are two of the best hitters-for-average in the game. Losing slugger Mark Teixeira in the offseason was a major blow to their offense, but if youngsters Erick Aybar and Kendry Morales, along with power-hitting catcher Mike Napoli can turn it on this year, this team will finish first. But, Angels fans better watch out…the Rangers aren’t that far back in the rear view.
How good are the bats on this team? Well, they can threaten for the Wild Card this year while trotting out a starting rotation topped by Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla, both of whom would be lucky to crack the top 3-4 on nearly any other team. This squad is LOADED with guys top to bottom with guys who can flat rake. Josh “The Natural” Hamilton is one of the top multi-talented players in the game, and one of the best resurrections stories in all of sports. Second baseman Ian Kinsler is one of my dark horse candidates to win the AL MVP this year (had he not gotten hurt at the end of last season, his numbers were every bit as good as Dustin Pedroia’s). All-Star veteran Michael Young has moved to 3rd base to accommodate incoming rookie stud Elvis Andrus, who looks like a younger, better Edgar Renteria. David Murphy was one of the best rookies in the AL last year. Nelson Cruz and Marlon Byrd are due for really solid years. Catching tandem Taylor Teagarden and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are good, and still might not be as good a hitter as Venezuelan prospect Max Ramirez. Chris “Crush” Davis is a player who nearly every baseball scout is predicting to be a top tier slugger at first base. 
The Oakland glory days are long gone. For someone who grew up with the “Bash Brothers” and watched Rickey Henderson steal what felt like 40,000 bases, it feels strange to see the A’s in full blown rebuilding mode. There are a couple pieces on the roster that are worth building around, but this team still looks to be years away from true contention. The odd trade for outfield masher Matt Holiday definitely added some pop to the lineup. Bringing back old fan favorite slugger Jason Giambi was a nice move. Shortstop pickup Orlando Cabrera was a fantastic bargain in free agency. Masher Jack Cust is one of strongest hitters in all of baseball. The pitching looks a little thin up front with ace Justin Duchscherer looking like he could be a one-hit(year) wonder. The bullpen is fairly solid with Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler anchoring an underrated unit. But, overall, there’s not a lot to be excited about at The Coliseum for the 2009 season.
Not a lot of things make sense about this team. They traded away All-Star closer J.J. Putz without another closer waiting in the wings. Journeyman Russell Branyan looks like the opening day starter at first base. Carlos Silva might be the single worst starting pitcher on the planet. On the other hand, their outfield of Endy Chavez, Franklin Gutierrez, and future Hall of Famer Ichiro has a lot of athleticism, speed and range both in the field and at the plate. Third baseman Adrian Beltre can still hit for power. Former top pitching prospect Brandan Morrow is slated to take the reigns of the #2 spot in the rotation behind ace Felix Hernandez. It’s hard to peg which half of the roster will overcome the other. Ultimately, I feel like the worse half prevails this go around, and the M’s finish last in the West.
So, why isn't the Classic on in every home in America? Certainly the sentiment of national pride is still prevalent in this post-911 America, and you'd think the opportunity to prove our dominance in America's past time would be a prime time smash. As it stands, Team USA was barely able to sell out Dodger Stadium for an elimination game.
What’s not to like about this team? I hear a lot of chatter from some other baseball writers about the “cooldown” or “letdown” year this team is susceptible to, but I’m just not buying into that idea. They have a bit of everything, each piece is talented, young, and hungry to keep changing the way people have historically thought about the franchise. The team is almost virtually unchanged from the squad that not only posted the first winning season in club history, but also won a very tough AL East division title, gutted out a 7-game ALCS win over a heavily favored Boston team defending a world championship for their first AL pennant before running out of gas against Philly in the World Series. The only changes made were to trade away 5th starter Edwin Jackson to make room in the rotation for über talented super-rookie David Price (a MAJOR upgrade) and filling their gaping hole at DH for the streaky yet big-swinging Pat “The Bat” Burrell. Their bullpen is very deep with talent, both righties and lefties, and the back end is pretty solid with Dan Wheeler and flamethrower Grant Balfour setting the table for veteran closer Troy Percival. Along with Price, Scott Kazmir, James Shields, and Matt Garza form a quite formidable starting rotation with perhaps the highest ceiling of potential in the major leagues. Their positional lineup features excellent defensive players while being consistent contributors at the plate as well. 2008 AL Rookie of Year Evan Longoria is poised to be a big time player for a long time, as are centerfielder B.J. Upton, and catcher Dioner Navarro. They have all the tools to not only win the division again this year, but compete for the crown for years to come.
My goodness. After missing the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons, The Bronx Bombers decided to pull out all the stops to reload before moving into the new stadium. It’s been said before that “the Yankees don’t rebuild, they reload.” Never was that adage more true than this offseason when The Pinstripes went out and signed all 3 of the top available free agents on the market this winter. Facing the retirement of potential Hall of Famer and recent 20-game winning pitcher Mike Mussina, combined with the underdevelopment of former top pitching prospects Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes, the Yanks inked the top 2 pitchers available in 2007 Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia and former All-Star starter A.J. Burnett for a combined $340+ million to shore up their thin starting rotation. With Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu both departing via free agency, the Yankees solidified up their lineup with a $180 million deal for switch hitting, Gold Glove winning first baseman Mark Teixeira. It sure is expensive to miss the playoffs in New York…
Red Sox Nation has a lot to cheer for right now. Their beloved BoSox ended their infamous title drought in dramatic fashion in 2004 and won it all again in 2007. The re-tooled Celtics are the defending NBA Champs. The Patriots, despite falling short of their perfect season dream in 2007 and suffering through a Brady-less season in ’08, have still banked 3 Lombardi Trophies this decade. The Bruins are looking like a strong favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup this June. But, this year’s Red Sox club will, I predict, bring the fans back into this stratosphere. Not that I don’t believe the team is good. They are. Unfortunately, with the Yankees re-upping the ante and the Rays loaded for the foreseeable future, there can only be two teams make the playoffs from the division. Make no mistake, this team will compete. Their lineup, despite losing Manny Ramirez, is still stout. 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia and infield neighbor All-Star Kevin Youkilis can flat out rake. ’08 Deadline acquisition Jason Bay has the ability to perform a suitable job replacing Mr. Ramirez (that is, if anyone of the last half century can). JD Drew is, while still not deserving of his bloated contract, a very good major league hitter. David Ortiz is due for a bounce back year after struggling with some nagging injuries the past couple years, and regain his form as one of the most feared sluggers on the planet. Not to mention their pitching, which easily makes up for some of their offensive inadequacies (I’m looking at you, Mr. Varitek). Josh Beckett is still one of the premier aces in Major League Baseball, and Jon Lester has made “the leap” into the realm of All-Star-caliber starters. Japanese dynamo Daisuke Matsuzaka might be the best #3 starter around. Any team could do considerably worse than having newcomers John Smoltz and Brad Penny battling to earn the 5th spot in the rotation. The bullpen features a core group of youngsters that are the real deal. All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon is one of the most feared closers there is, Justin Masterson, while ultimately projecting as a top-middle rotation guy, is currently wreaking havoc out of the ‘pen, and Manny Delcarmen keeps getting better every year. 
86 wins make for a halfway decent season for most clubs. Unfortunately for The Canuck Birds, it’s only good for a disappointing 4th place in the rugged American League East division. That must be sad for this club to work so hard (and field an above-average roster, by the way) only to continue with a playoff drought that dates back to their 1993 World Series win. That’s right, they haven’t even made the postseason since they won their last chip. Toronto has some nice pieces in place, too. Workhorse Roy Halladay is truly one of the elite starters in the game, and is the definition of an ace. For the last 5+ years, Halladay has been among the league leaders in innings pitched, complete games, ERA, and strikeouts. Roy is supported by one of the American League’s more sneaky-good bullpens featuring righty Jeremy Accardo and closer BJ Ryan. The Jays are one of the better defensive clubs in baseball, and with guys like All-Star outfielders Vernon Wells and Alex Rios, and veteran third baseman Scott Rolen, they can hit as well. The bad news is, unless one these first 3 clubs listed above suddenly change divisions, Toronto will be stuck in 4th looking up at the rest of the division for the foreseeable future.
Well, the good news is that there are some exciting young players on the roster. The bad news is that those youngsters have a lot to overcome in order to become a winning ball club. Put it this way: When arguably the best pitcher on your staff is overrated closer George Sherrill, you could obviously be fielding a better squad. The outfield of Nick Markakis, Adam “Don’t Call Me Pac-Man” Jones, and Felix “The Cat” Pie are as young and multi-talented as there is. All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts, despite his ties to the infamous Mitchell Report, is still a steady glove and consistent bat at the top of the order. Outside that, this team is, put nicely, awful. The pitching starved Rangers couldn’t wait to rid themselves of the atrocious Adam Eaton, yet the O’s have him penciled in as their #4 starter. Former dynamite Cubs prospect Rich Hill was given away for “A Player To Be Named Later”, and he’s the #2 man. Jeremy Guthrie is a #3 or #4 starter masquerading as an ace. Unless something drastic happens, this Orioles team will be bottom dwellers for a long, long time.
"The Yankees … have reached the point where they will almost require a historic comeback to make the playoffs:
The Yankees’ deficit in the division race is 14.5 games. Only one team has won a division or league with a deficit of greater than 14 games — the 1914 Boston Braves.
The Yankees’ deficit in the wildcard is 8.5 games. Only four wildcard winners have overcome greater deficits than that — the ‘95 Yankees (who were once nine games out), the 2001 Athletics (once 10.5 games out), the 2003 Marlins (11.5 games out), and the 2005 Astros (11.5 games out).
Only two other times have the Yankees had a larger deficit in May — 1984: In the year in which the Tigers started 35-5, the Yankees fell 17.5 games out in May. 1913: the Yankees were as much as 18.5 games out in May."
