Chapter 89.3: Baseball 2011

For those of you who aren't baseball fans, I'm sorry. You'll probably gain very little in your life from this post, and I permit you to leave. I hope you come back for the next post, which shouldn't be too long from now, and I'm pretty sure it won't be about baseball, since I've already begun writing it.

For the rest of you, this is what I'm thinking about when it comes to baseball 2011: Transition.

I think we're going to see a major power shift in the divisions. Let's start in the AL East.

AL East: The Boston Red Sox still have a great pitching staff, but even there the word of the day is transition. This staff isn't about Josh Beckett and it's certainly not about Diasuke Matsuzaka. The question is going to be whether the Cy Young Award goes to Jon Lester or Clay Buchholz. Combine this great staff with an improved lineup — which added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez — and the Sox should be a powerful team.

But now I see a major transition. My sleeper team is the Baltimore Orioles. They played excellent baseball after Buck Showalter arrived in late August. Sure, they had nothing to lose at that point, but they played like they actually wanted their jobs. It's hard to say they're improved enough to actually take the AL Wild Card, but they might be able to keep the Yankees from taking it. I see the Yankees having problems with their starting rotation. Let's face it, the back end of their rotation (Freddy Garcia and Ivan Nova) are a has-been and a not-yet. The front end will do fine, but in the mostly improved division, the Yankees bats will need to step up to overcome mediocre starting pitching. The bats are capable, even those that are aging, but this is a team on the decline. And if they fall behind, how long will it be before CC Sabathia's contract status (he can opt for free agency at the end of the season) becomes a distraction?

The Blue Jays have a lot of question marks in their rotation, too, and it'll be interesting to see if new manager John Farrell, the former Red Sox pitching coach, can help put this team on the same page. They have bats, they have arms, but I'm not sure they have enough of either. The Tampa Rays took a major back step. They've still got stars and will be asking them for more productivity, but I don't think they can compete this year.

My picks: Red Sox; Yankees; Orioles, Rays, Blue Jays

AL Central: Here's another area of transition, but this division has been rather flexible the past few years. The Twins still have a solid core, but injuries may have slowed down Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Can a pitching staff that relies heavily on Carl Pavano really continue to thrive? I think the White Sox have improved their lineup and have a strong enough rotation to at least give the Tigers and Twins a run for their money. I like the additions the Tigers have made in their lineup, and this team is still capable of amazing people. The Indians, not so much. Who pitches for this team? The Royals have some amazing talent, but there too it may be too green to flourish in this division.

My picks: White Sox, Twins, Tigers, Royals, Indians

AL West: The home of the AL Champion Rangers could be headed for a new leader, and it's not the team you'd expect. It may not be too thin a limb I'm going out on, but I think the A's have the arms to win what has been a remarkably successful division the past ten years despite having such terribly weak teams. The Rangers lost their ace when Cliff Lee departed, and I'm not just sure their revised rotation can handle it. There was a lot of talk of moving stud closer Neftali Feliz to the rotation and if this team starts off poorly, expect that talk to regain momentum. They may struggle to hold off the always tough Angels. But this team is far removed from its world championship in 2002. As for the Mariners, they have the reigning Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez and former MVP Ichiro Suzuki, but not a whole lot more. It's possible Eric Bedard might make a resurgence, but it seems more likely to me that the team will once again languish and come July we'll see them shopping Hernandez and maybe even Ichiro.

My picks: A's, Angels, Rangers, Mariners

Now to the National League.

The NL East. Only a fool would bet against a rotation that consists of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, (an aging but capable) Roy Oswalt, and Joe Blanton. Sure, things could go wrong, there's a lot of age and with age come injuries. But I think the Phillies will start off strong and the league will fall by the wayside. Fredi Gonzalez takes over a changing lineup in Atlanta, where I expect we'll see Chipper's final go-round the league. But this team won 91 games last year and could do so again. They'll have to fight off Gonzalez's former team from Miami. The Marlins keep winning 80-plus games, but I think this year they boost things up a notch. Their pitching staff has talent — not Phillies-level talent, but it'll be interesting to watch. My Mets are a mess, but if new manager Terry Collins can get them moving and keep the team's play in the papers rather than the ridiculous nightmare in their owners' offices, perhaps they can surprise some folks. I'm not holding my breath. The Nationals have made major improvements, but it still comes down to pitching, and they don't have a whole lot, with Stephen Strasburg recuperating.

My picks: Phillies, Braves, Marlins, Mets, Nationals

NL Central: This could get very interesting. In St. Louis we have a potential problem as the Albert Pujols contract watch will continue throughout the season. The Reds, last year's surprise, are losing pitchers by the day. The Cubs still have personality conflicts to resolve in the clubhouse. The Astros have little hitting and the Pirates have little of anything (though I think Clint Hurdle will find a way to make some magic happen.) Almost by default, I think the Brewers, which improved themselves by acquiring former Cy Young Award Zack Greinke, are ready to take control.

My picks: Brewers, Cardinals, Reds, Cubs, Pirates, Astros

NL West: The World Champion Giants look pretty much like the team that took it all last year, and that's ok, but when other teams improve, it's tough to keep winning when you're standing pat. The question, then, is how well have the Colorado Rockies improved? I think it's enough. They already have a surprisingly decent pitching staff and a powerful offense. But the Giants GM, Brian Sabean, has never been one to stand pat for too long. So I think it will be interesting to see how this division progresses throughout the season. It'll also be interesting to see how Don Mattingly fares as a manager. Usually, teams like to shift managerial styles when changing who heads the team, but Joe Torre retired, so the circumstances are a bit different. Still, the Dodgers were an underachieving team and I can't help but wonder if they need more of a fire-breather to get them going. The Padres, who fought the Giants to the wire last year, have fallen far and I wonder if Buddy Black will be packing his bags soon. And the Diamondbacks will need to show they can pitch.

My picks: Giants, Rockies, Dodgers, Padres, Diamondbacks.

Wild Cards: Rockies, Twins

Playoffs:
AL: Red Sox defeat Twins; A's defeat White Sox
NL: Phillies defeat Rockies; Giants defeat Brewers

ALCS: Red Sox defeat A's
NLCS: Phillies defeat Giants

World Series: Phillies in 6

x factor predictions 2010 belle amie bottom 2 for the results show

well for tonight's x factor results show i am going to predict that belle amie are probably going to be in the bottom two again, and if that happens i think the judges will vote them off in the final showdown, last week also belle amie was one of the acts to get the lowest votes.

and that's what it would seem might happen again, also belle amie did not seem to get tonight's song over very well either and did not get very good reviews from the judges which is not a good sign either.

so it looks very probably that belle amie will leave the show leaving simon cowell with only 1 act left in the groups category, but this is true to form as the groups always seem to suffer and get voted off the x factor competition quite early, so it looks like belle amie will be in the bottom 2, but who will be the other act with them that is difficult to predict.

but if belle amie are in the bottom 2 acts i think the judges will choose to vote belle amie out of the x factor live shows.

Chapter 85.1: Initial Thoughts on the 2010 Baseball Season

As usual, my life has been a fast-paced, loony series of days that band together to call themselves weeks and months. They get larger and more unruly as I get older.

For example, not many years ago I'd have been incredibly excited about the beginning of baseball season. I'd watch spring training games on television, read up on the next Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays coming up through the ranks, and prepare for a fantasy baseball draft or two. These days, I grumble about how my fantasy draft got moved to the girls' bedtime and whine (to myself) about how I rarely get to see an inning of baseball, what with the Elmo and Barney DVDs that play almost nonstop on our TV these days.

I can't even prepare for my usual World Series predictions properly any more. I don't know who half the pitchers are in baseball these days, and without that, such forecasts are about as accurate as predicting the weather for August 22 while looking out on the darkened streets on an April evening.

So here goes — my abridged predictions for the 2010 baseball season.

Division leaders
NL East: Philadelphia Phillies.
I don't think my Mets will do any better than third place. Even that might be tough to achieve. The Phillies, Braves, and even the Marlins all appear to be more potent than my inconsistent favorite team.

NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals.
Strong pitching and weak competitors should make it look easy for the Redbirds.

NL West: Colorado Rockies.
Because the whole division sucks.

NL Wild Card. Atlanta Braves.

AL East: Yankees.
I hate them, but they're strong.

AL Central: Minnesota Twins.
They've kept Joe Mauer. If they can pitch well enough, they might be able to do some serious damage to other AL teams.

AL West: Los Angeles Angels.
I wanted to pick the Mariners, who've made some great acquisitions during the winter (and one terrible one by getting Milton Bradley). But even I have heard about the injuries that keep happening.

AL Wild Card: Boston Red Sox.

World Series: Phillies vs. Red Sox
The Red Sox will win in seven games in what will be a classic.

Ok, for all you non-baseball fans out there, I suspect you'll be able to keep following this blog because this could be the last baseball-related item I'll be able to write, seeing as how my Mets will embark on a seven-game losing streak by the beginning of May and I'll just lose heart.

Chapter 79.8: Playoff Predictions

Ok, I'm a little late on this, but honestly this is what I thought before the games began:

AL
Red Sox vs. Angels: Angels in five. I believe their pitching is simply better than what the Red Sox can muster at this point. And Papelbon hasn't been as sharp lately, which must concern Red Sox Nation.

White Sox vs. Rays: Rays in four. With apologies to my friends in Chicago, I don't think there'll be a Windy City World Series because the Rays, while young and inexperienced, are simply too darn talented. And rested. But those Sox have pluck. They should be able to take at least one.

NL
Phillies vs. Brewers: Phils in four. I'd like to root for the Brewers, since the Phillies are the Mets' chief rivals these days. But I just don't see how the Brewers can do it with CC and God Save Us! as their pitching staff.

Dodgers vs. Cubs: Cubs in five. Ok, here's the one that got affected by last night's game. I honestly was surprised that the Dodgers beat Dempster, so instead of my prediction of Cubs in four, I've added a game. But this could easily be proven wrong. The Dodgers are almost as hot as the Rockies were last year.

Chapter 75.2: Are You Ready for Some Baseball?!

It’s that time again. Baseball season!

There are several enticing stories surrounding this season, not the least of which is that it’s the one hundredth anniversary of the last time the Chicago Cubs have won the World Series. My White Sox fan friends in Chicago notwithstanding, I think most baseball people would be pleasantly surprised to see them at least make the Series if not actually win it. Personally, I believe they lost their chance in 2003 – though I don’t blame Bartman, I blame their pitching and inept fielding.

Anyway, I open this season as I’ve opened each season since I started this blog: My annual predictions. Since it takes too long to actually report on every single team, I’m going to give more general statements.

NL East: As usual, I hesitate to predict the Mets will take the division because – as they proved last year – it’s always within their capacity to screw things up and steal defeat from the jaws of victory. That said, I believe the Mets pitching staff is much better than it was last year. Johan Santana is quite possibly the best pitcher in the game today, and by placing him the admittedly weaker National League, he should be able to dominate. I’m looking for an excellent season and the first Met Cy Young Award winner in more than twenty years (Dwight Gooden, 1985). Mets to take the division. Their competition will be Atlanta and Philadelphia. I have no faith in Washington or Florida.

NL Central: This division will be fun to watch. It’ll be either Chicago or Milwaukee, both of which are fun to watch. I can’t trust Milwaukee’s pitching however. Even their ace, Ben Sheets, is a risk given his injury history, though Jeff Suppan is usually steady. After them, their current staff is Dave Bush, Carlos Villanueva, and Manny Parra – not exactly John Maine, Oliver Perez, and El Duque. Plus their bullpen has more questions than a four-year old. They can hit, and it should be fun to watch Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun lead their offense. The Cubs have a better pitching staff going in: Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly are fairly solid. Jason Marquis, Ryan Dempster, and Jon Lieber seem like the likely other starters if Rich Hill isn’t able to hold onto his spot in the rotation.

The other possibility in this division are the Reds, though I honestly don’t expect them to do much of anything. The rest of the division has become pretty much a joke. It’s hard to believe that the Astros were in the 2005 World Series and the Cardinals won it all in 2006. Like most teams these days, they don’t have enough pitching. Pittsburgh doesn’t count. Cubs to take the division.

NL West: This division is a crap shoot because there are several teams with enough talent to win. The worst of the west, the Giants, actually have pretty decent pitching – and if Barry Zito can return to his old Cy Young form, they may actually be able to find enough offense to contend. But I doubt it. Coming from the West are the NL Champion Colorado Rockies as well as the resurgent Dodgers, the much improved Diamondbacks, and last year’s second worst chokers, the Padres – all of which have the ability to sneak out with at least the Wild Card. I think we’re going to see the baby snakes prove themselves. Diamondbacks to take the division, Rockies take the Wild Card.

AL East: This remains a Red Sox and Yankees division, but the Blue Jays are ready to surprise people. Their pitching staff sports former Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay as well as Dustin McGowan and A.J. Burnett. Their bullpen is a little sketchy, but should be ok, especially if BJ Ryan returns with anywhere near his past accomplishments. Both the Yankees and Red Sox remain quite well stocked, however, so anything less than second place for either must be viewed as a terrible failure. The Rays (formerly from hell, but now simply hailing from Tampa) have greatly improved but won’t reach 75 wins. Baltimore will probably find themselves in the basement of the division. Red Sox take the division.

AL Central: The Tigers are scary! They have pitching, they have "mad offense," and they have one of the game’s best managers. I expect great things from them. The Indians will be strong again as well, though I would be impressed if C.C. Sabathia can retain his Cy Young form in his walk year and especially if Fausto Carmona can match his accomplishments from last year. The White Sox should be improved, and if the Royals can pitch at all, they may surprise people; they’ve got some great young hitters like Billy Butler and Alex Gordon, who had a strong second half last year after an awful beginning. I don’t think the Twins can compete with these guys, though they always play hard and have lots of talent still. Tigers take the division, Indians win Wild Card.

AL West: Like its NL cousin, I expect this division to be fairly tight most of the season. But I don’t think it’ll be for the same reasons. The Angels could have run away with the division, but they’re already struggling with their pitching, which has been hit by injuries. John Lackey – out. Kelvim Escobar – out, possibly for the full season. Jon Garland is toward the top of the rotation now. He should be stronger than he was in hitter-friendly US Cellular in Chicago, but he’s got to prove himself again. The Mariners have replenished their rotation with young stud Erik Bedard, who along with Felix Hernandez, Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, and newcomer Carlos Silva should make the Mariners the biggest unexpected surprise of the year. The Angels could still squeak it out if they get their pitching back, but I’m going to go out on a limb. Mariners take the division.

I’ll update these predictions after I’m proven wrong. But with these eight teams, I’m making the following predictions. NL playoffs: Mets defeat Rockies, Diamondbacks defeat Cubs. Mets defeat Diamondbacks. AL playoffs, Tigers defeat Mariners, Red Sox defeat Indians. Tigers defeat Red Sox. Tigers beat Mets in World Series.

Chapter 65.7: Finally, Some Sense and (Perhaps) Honesty

I know a lot of Democrats (and probably a lot of Republicans) don't want to hear it, but anyone with a whit of sense would see that we have to have a significant presence in Iraq for the forseeable future. Not because of oil, but because we have a moral imperative. I completely agree that President Bush and Vice President Cheney led us into the wrong place at the wrong time, but we're there now and we will have to be there for years hence.

Apparently the major Democratic candidates for president are starting to acknowledge that too, though I hesitate to say they're just realizing it. I think they -- and certainly Sen. Clinton -- have known it for quite a while. Iraq cannot sustain itself if we were to leave. "That's their problem," I hear people say. But, no, it's not. It's ours too. While some Americans seem to wish we could go back to being a 19th century agrarian society in which we could afford to be xenophobic and isolated from other people's problems, that's simply not possible. And though at this point a majority of Americans say the war is going poorly and we should pull our troops out of harm's way, it's simply a bad plan.

Allowing Iraq to struggle for itself makes as much sense as allowing Germany or Japan to fend for itself after World War II. At that point, the concern was Soviet Russia and probably China too (I'm not a student of history, so I don't know if China was jonesing to jump into Japan). We had global concerns then, and we have similar concerns now.

Anyway, back to the 2008 presidential race: The three major Democratic candidates (Clinton, Sen. Obama, and former Sen. Edwards) would all keep some contingent of forces there. Gov. Bill Richardson says "Get out now," but, if memory serves, this is the man who allowed Los Alamos's secrets to walk out the door as Sec. of Energy and then somehow got elected governor of New Mexico. Sen. Biden, the future Sec. of Defense (only because Delaware's governor is a Democrat), says split the country three ways.

Quite clearly, a lot remains to be seen, but I'm just happy to see that the people who might become president recognize that even though the war is unpopular and divisive -- and politically devastating (hello, one-term presidencies!) keeping our troops there is what we have to do until Iraq is stable. We never should have invaded in the first place, but we're stuck in the sand till further notice

Chapter 62.5: The New Republicans

I find it odd that I'm in agreement more with a couple of Republicans than with the major Democratic presidential candidates -- at least on a couple topics. New York's Mayor Bloomberg -- who I guess can't be considered a Republican now, since he's dropped his affiliation with the party -- and (I can't believe I'm writing this) Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have outlined centrist positions and called for bridging the political divide. Of course, that's the type of thing that is always talked about during a presidential campaign, but neither of those men are running -- officially.

Personally, I doubt Bloomberg will run. All this recent discussion, and possibly even dropping the Republican affiliation, seem to be timed to his placement on the cover of Time as much as anything else. Of course, speculation about Bloomberg's intentions have been bandied about for months, now -- and he's even egged it on, like the consummate self-promoting business man he is. While I think he'd make an interesting candidate -- perhaps even a likely nominee now that he's officially independent -- I don't think he can win the electoral votes of middle America (read, the Plains states) without being a conservative. I could easily be wrong; I don't live out there. Neither does Bloomberg. And the Governator is simply not eligible, as per the U.S. Constitution. (He was born in Austria.)

I expect Bloomberg will end up doing what he's said he'd do: run a philanthropic organization, which he's been quietly putting together for a while now. Still, it might be relatively easy for him to become Secretary of Treasury (though he's more business man than economist) and return to philanthropy afterward. But even ex-presidents can do impressive things in philanthropy after their political careers are done. Herbert Hoover did, Bill Clinton's foundation is quite active; and without his post-presidential charity work, Jimmy Carter might have become a political footnote instead of one of our greatest former presidents.

No, I think Bloomy will be just a former mayor.

Chapter 59.2: Game Two

Crain's Business is reporting that the Mets' second game of the season garnered a 4.3 rating, which people are quoted as saying bodes well for the Mets and their SportsNet New York network. I must admit, I'm pretty excited about the season, and I hope my prediction of the Mets not getting to the World Series is wrong. Personally, I'd love to see a Mets/White Sox series, and I suspect much of the country would too. Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, et al. versus Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, and Joe Crede and the other south-siders? Seems like a nice matchup to me.

Not only would it be excellent baseball, but it would have nice symbolism, in my opinion. The Yankees are considered the aristocracy in New York, and despite nearly a century of losing (and the White Sox 2005 championship), the Cubs are the favorite sons of Chicago. But to have these two teams from the country's top two cities compete in the World Series ... it would warm my middle-class heart.

Of course, both teams spend more money on salaries in a year than I'll see in my lifetime, and I can't afford to go to too many games. So having a decent broadcast is a nice plus as I root, root, root for the Metsies.

Chapter 59: The 2007 Season

Finally, the season is beginning. Tonight, the Mets take on the World Champion Cardinals in a rematch of last year’s NLCS. And without further adieu, here are my thoughts about which teams will be playing whom in the playoffs when October baseball begins again.

NL East:
Jimmy Rollins is right about one thing, the Phillies are going to be right in the heart of things. Their starting rotation has depth and they’ve got a lot of power in the lineup, most obviously the 2006 MVP Ryan Howard. But they’re much more than just him. Chase Utley is a solid ballplayer and potential MVP candidate himself. They signed Freddy Garcia to join a solid staff with Brett Myers, Adam Eaton, and especially Cole Hamels.

Of course, the Mets are the team to beat. They have a lineup that is tough to beat. What concerns me is the pitching – specifically the starting rotation. I’m fine with Glavine, but he’s going to the Hall of Fame as the best #2 starter in history. From his days with the Braves and his better years with the Mets, he’s been strongest as the second starter – behind Greg Maddux, behind John Smoltz, and behind Pedro Martinez. He’ll work hard to pitch as well as he can and the team will rally behind him, and it’s possible that he’s a better #1 than two-thirds of the other starters out there, and he’ll always pitch his heart out. For six innings. And he’s probably the strongest starter on the Mets, with the possible exception of John Maine. To me, Maine is the key for the 2007 season, if he pitches as well as I think he can, then the Mets will be fine. If he falls on his face, they’ve got a lot of problems.

The Braves don’t have the horses in the staff, and I foresee the Marlins having some growing pains. Behind Dontrelle Willis, their staff is more potential than proven ability. Anibal Sanchez threw a no-hitter last year, but that’s one game. The Marlins could end up winning the division, but I really don’t think they’ll do better than third place – if that. The Nationals are simply awful, and that’s all I’ll say about them.

In the Central, I think the Astros have regained their stride. After Roy Oswalt, they have Jason Jennings, and while Woody Williams may be on the downside of his career, he should still be capable of 10-12 wins. And their lineup (especially in their ballpark) has a lot of power. Carlos Lee should find the stadium to his liking and Lance Berkman now has a true bat to protect him in the lineup. Craig Biggio is now a nice complementary player at best, and Morgan Ensberg needs to prove that he wasn’t just a flash in the pan.

Of course, the Cardinals come in as the defending champs, but I find it hard to believe that they can even make the playoffs with Adam Wainright and Braden Looper in their starting rotation. The Cubs? I’d love to see them take the division, which really seems up for grabs. While their lineup appears strong – especially if Derek Lee stays healthy – they need to maintain a strong starting staff in order to truly compete. The team that could possible slip past and surprise people in this division is the Milwaukee Brewers. They have some decent starting pitching. If Ben Sheets remains healthy – and Chris Capuano, Jeff Suppan, and Dave Bush behind him – then their young hitters like Rickie Weeks, Bill Hall, and perhaps even the aging Geoff Jenkins might help propel this team into a serious playoff run.

In the West, the division seems wide open. The Dodgers have the strongest looking staff, and the Padres’ is good too, even if they’re counting on David Wells for 10 or so wins. The team that leaves me confused is San Francisco. They have the overpaid but talented Barry Zito, and if he pitches as well as he’s capable, he might be enough to keep the team in contention. And Zito isn’t alone. Matt Cain will either be a stud or a dud; I don’t see him as a .500 pitcher. Noah Lowry on the other hand may very well be exactly that. Perhaps Matt Morris will regain his stature, but I think he’s a bad-end-of-the-rotation guy now (see also Steve Trachsel). But the rest of that team is simply getting old, and I don’t think they can hold off the Dodgers or the Padres, and the Diamondbacks have the potential to jump into the fray. I doubt the Rockies have much of anything, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Clint Hurdle ended up looking for a broadcasting gig before the season ends.

AL
In the East, the Yankees start the season with Carl Pavano on the mound. Who’da thunk it? That won’t last forever, of course, and he’ll be on the DL eventually and when he falls by the wayside, we’ll probably see someone like young Phil Hughes get called up to join the aging veterans Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina, who are both still capable of keeping their team in the thick of the pennant race. I like what the Red Sox have done with their staff, and it might be enough to catapult them ahead of their perennial rivals from the Bronx, but if not, I think they’ll still be in the playoffs. I’m confused by what the Devil Rays have done in the off season. The Japanese third baseman is supposedly adjusting well, and they’re going with BJ Upton rather than Jorge Cantu, who had been the subject of trade rumors over the off season. Seems like they should have traded Cantu, since they’ve sent him to the minors. His value is probably plummeting as I type. The Orioles could be the feel-good story of the season. If I'm to believe what I read, the pitchers there are starting to gell under the tutelage of Leo Mazzone, but any staff that has Steve Trachsel, who will unfortunately be more remembered in New York for his poor playoff performance than the years of sturdy pitching he gave the franchise.

In the Central, the more I look at the Twins, the less I like them. After Johan Santana, I don’t have much faith in their pitchers. Can anyone expect 15 wins from a pitcher named Boof? Matt Garza went to AAA with a chip on his shoulder, so let’s see what he brings back with him to the majors when he eventually gets recalled. The White Sox still have capable pitchers and their hitting’s not bad.

As for the AL champion Tigers, however, I think they’ll remain in the thick of the division throughout the season, but a lot will depend on whether Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Verlander, and Nate Robertson come anywhere close to what they showed last year. Their entire season will fall on the shoulders of their starting pitchers.

The AL West should be the most exciting off all. The Angels have shown lots of improvement, and the A’s still have a few good horses in their staff. The Rangers are improved, and while I can’t base it on anything concrete, I think they’ve found a strong manager in Ron Washington. Willie Randolph showed that strong coaches can become strong managers; let’s see if Washington has what I think he has.

My predictions:
NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Astros
NL West: Dodgers
Wildcard: Mets

AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: Angels
Wildcard: Yankees

Division series:
NL, Mets beat Astros
Phillies beat Dodgers

AL, White Sox beat Red Sox
Angels beat Yankees

Championship Series
NL: Phillies beat Mets
AL: Angels beat White Sox

World Series:
White Sox beat Phillies