Major League Baseball Preview 2009 (part deux)

Nothing like spending the wee hours in the morning talking about baseball. Let's see..where did I leave off last? Aaah yes, the Red Sox just defeated the Rays in seven games of the American League Championship Series.

Mmm, I can already taste the champagne. Although, if the WBC continues to chew up and spit out key contributors for the Sox the plans may change. (Did you see Jeter "accidently" land on Youk's ankle, sending back to Fort Myers in the process. Coincidence? I think not. Take note Japan: You force Dice-K to get injured in an over-glorified exhibition and this means war! Forget WWII!) Nevertheless, I digress.

The senior circuit, suffering a 12-game winless streak in the Mid-Summer Classic while losing seven of the last twelve Fall Classics, has lived up to its nickname playing like a bunch of geriatrics compared to their AL counterparts.

Having said that, the National League looks to be on the rise with promising teams young teams (Arizona Diamondbacks, Florida Marlins) battling for supremacy with teams poised for greatness (Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs). Opposite of the American League, in the NL pitching is at a surplus. So it will be up to the offenses to produce against superior starting pitching.

The Phillies are the reigning World Champions, but the road back will filled with congestion. The Chicago Cubs have reloaded and look to break the Curse of the Billy Goat. My advise to the Cubs: keep Bartman out of the stands, because this could be your year!

NL East:
1. Philadelphia Phillies: A top-flite rotation from top to bottom; anchored by a perfect closer; add an offense featuring three MVP candidates; throw in Raul Ibanez's consistent .290 Avg, 20 HRs, & 1o0 RBI and you have a recipe made for a repeat. Too much salt in the wounds (SP Cole Hamels' sore elbow) may spoil this dish for the Philly Phanatics. Potential wins: 90-92

2. New York Mets: The additions of RHP J.J. Putz and record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez seem nice on paper, but K-Rod looked real shakey at times in the laid-back OC. How will he fair when his back's against the wall under the lights of CitiField. How much longer can 1B Carlos Delgado continue to be productive? If the Mets do anything this September, it will be on the shoulders of Delgado and SP Johan Santana. But expect another Fall collapse. Potential wins: 85-88

3. Florida Marlins: The only two reasons anyone will be mentioning the Marlins all year: stud shortstop Hanley Ramirez and their promising young rotation (RHP Rickey Nolasco-3.52 ERA, RHP Josh Johnson-7-1 '08 record, RHP Chris Volstad- 2.88 ERA, Anibal Sanchez-threw no-hitter in 2006, LHP Andrew Miller-Key player in Miguel Cabrera trade). Potential wins: 80-83

4. Atlanta Braves: Geez, what happened to this franchise? Wasn't it only a few years ago that Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz anchored that rotation? Wait..wait. You're kidding me, right? You mean to tell me that Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, and a 42-year-old Glavine are the starters? Llllooooollll! Potential wins: 75-79

5. Washington Nationals: Do you think self-proclaimed sports fanatic, President Barack Obama, knows there's a professional baseball team in his backyard? Me neither. A Light at the End of the Tunnel: Draft San Diego State Aztecs pitcher Stephen Strausberg no. 1 overall. The dude is the truth. Potential wins: 59-64

NL Central:
1. Chicago Cubs: An already professional lineup 1-9 (Zambrano can hit clean-up on my team any day!) received a facelift with the addition of switch-hitting hothead, OF Milton Bradley. Bradley gives fellow hothead, manager Lou Pinealla, lefty-righty flexibility; a flaw exposed in the NLDS against the Dodgers last October. Potential wins: 95-100

2. St. Louis Cardinals*: Outside of 1B Albert Pujols and the back-from-the-dead Rick Ankiel, they have questions offensively. But with a healthy Adam Wainwright and a healthier Chris Carpernter (2005 Cy Young winner, remember him?) they can compete with any team come October. Plus, never count out manager Tony LaRussa; the Mastermind of the Bullpen always has a few tricks up his sleeve he plays during the stretch run. Potential wins: 87-91

3. Cincinnati Reds: A solid top three in the rotation (Aaron Harang, Edinson Volquez, and Johnny Cueto) with better-than-average guys in the back (Bronson Arroyo and Micah Owings). All-Star 2B Brandon Phillips is a fantasy stud, but is even more valuable to his own team. Potential wins: 73-76

4. Houston Astros: A hick, Fat Elvis, a steroid-abuser, a metrosexual asain, and a guy who actually prefers the nickname "El Caballo". The newest hand-picked cast of The Real World? Oh..just the 2009 Houston Astros. I guess I'll wait to catch the marathon. Potential wins: 70-74

5. Milwaukee Brewers: They will feel the aftershock of going all or nothing with C.C. Sabathia. The losses of Sabathia and Ben Sheets leave the Brew Crew's rotation thinner than Calista Flockhart on Yom Kippur (Chalk one up for all the Jews reading this!) Prince and Ryan Braun can only carry this team so far. Potential wins: 72-74

6. Pittsburgh Pirates: You'd think the Pirates would pick up a few tips from their football counterpart. 1. Like a good defense wins Super Bowls, good pitching always beats good hitting. 2. Get an Emergency-James-Harrison-In-A-Glass and carry it with you whenever you need a big play. Potential wins: 65-69

NL West:
1. Arizona Diamondbacks: Two Cy Young caliber starting pitchers. An above average bullpen. A lineup that has something to prove (i.e. Can 2B Mark Reynolds strike out less than 200 times? Will Jackson, Upton, Drew, and Young finally breakthrough to All-Star status?) Sounds like a similar D-Backs team. Ask a Yankee fan, I'm sure they know. Name to Remember: SP Max Scherzer. Potential wins: 89-91

2. Los Angeles Dodgers: Even more important than the second helping of Manny-Being-Manny in LaLa Land will be the emergence of young stud LHP Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw faced some bumps in the bigs (5-5, 4.26 ERA), but showed signs of brillance (6IP, 1ER, 1BB, 6SO in ND against MIL 8/17). First baseman James Loney will continue to ascend in the rankings as one of the best young hitters in the league. Potential wins: 88-90

3. Colorado Rockies: The Rox have a silver slugging infield (Helton-1, Barmes-2, Atkins-3, Tulowitzki-SS, & Iannetta-C) That lineup thrives off the thin Denver air, but the pitching staff must despise seeing their breaking pitches flaten out. A pitcher's graveyard; which makes SP Aaron Cook's success even more impressive. Potential wins: 79-82

4. San Francisco Giants: They were known around the country for their prolific hitter in left field. Thanks to age, drugs, tell-all books, high profile court cases,ex-mistresses with loose lips- take your pick- the Giants now don't have a hitter. Period. SP Tim Lincecum a.k.a The White Pedro Martinez won't give up his Cy Young trophy easily, especially with HOFer Randy Johnson's brain to pick. Potential wins: 73-78

5. San Diego Padres: Didn't Trevor Hoffman leave the Pads? Ppphh. If he doesn't want any part of them, why would anyone? Jake Peavy will be the bell of the ball come July 31. Potential wins: 63-65
(*-denotes Wildcard Team)

Playoff Picture:
Cubs over Diamondbacks
Phillies over Cardinals
Cubs over Phillies

MVP: Hanley Ramirez, FLA
Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, SF
ROY: Matt Gamel, MIL
Manager of the Year: Fredi Gonzalez, FLA

2009 World Series- The Dream Series: The once cursed Boston Red Sox face off against the currently cursed Chicago Cubs. While many in the Windy City will have their blades raised ready to slay their sacrificial lamb--err goat, do not forget that Terry Francona is a perfect 8-0 in World Series play and a team that is bursting at the seams with experience. It won't be a clean sweep, but the Cubs will have to wait until next year because Bartman will buy a ticket to game 6 and ruin any chance of a historic comeback. Red Sox over Cubs, 4-2.

Call me biased. Call me unprofessional. But before the hypocrites cast thy stones remeber this: the 2008 Sox were one game away from reaching the World Series, and they have a healthy David Ortiz, the reigning MVP, and some of the best all-around pitching in the league.

If that didn't do it for ya, well, avoid the face. It's my money maker.

Major League Baseball Preview 2009 (part one)

The month of March is loaded with action for the 20-something sports fan: the NBA playoff picture becomes clearer, the NHL gears up for their second season, and March Madness sweeps the nation for two and a half weeks. It would easy to write about the diaper dandies, bubble bursters, and prime-time players. But this week, I'm choosing to stay away from the over exposure of the immortal Dick Vitale (Anyone else find it ironic that a creep like Vitale is the number one spokesman for Hooters?) and the madness. In the meantime let's talk about the national pastime.

Yes, folks, the 2009 baseball season is nearly among us and what better to get ready for than to make another slew of bold predictions?

Despite a woeful off-season filled with steroid-abusers, a lack luster World Baseball Classic, and obnoxious Phillies fans still hung over from October I still have very high hopes for the season. One thing Major League Baseball has done well in recent years is develop young, marketable talent (i.e. Tim Lincecum, SF, Dustin Pedroia & Kevin Youkilis, BOS, Hanley Ramirez, FLA, Josh Hamilton, TEX, and the entire Tampa Bay team). These players are guys who play the game right and can be respected by the youth of America.

Thanks to the collective-bargaining agreement, there is finally parody in this league (minus Kansas City, and Washington). That's definitely something that has been missing, and with it now present adds a whole new factor to watching the games. Come August and September there could be, potentially, 15 teams fighting for eight playoff spots--think NFL without the bone-crushing hits.

But Without further ado, here is how the season will transpire in the American League.

AL East:
1. Tampa Bay Rays- The biggest problem with the '08 Rays? Inexperience. Well, these young guns have a trip to the World Series under their belt. Expect the great to get greater (i.e. B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria). The addition of DH Pat Burrell will lengthen an already stellar lineup. The Rays are down-right scary in the starting rotation (James Shields, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine, and 2007 No. 1 pick David Price). Where is the break for opposing lineups? Potential wins: 96-100

2. Boston Red Sox*- The Sox have depth at pitching with the economic additions of Brad Penny, John Smoltz, and Takashi Saito. Look for Josh Beckett to rebound from a mediocre season and Jon Lester to have an all-star caliber season. Questions about DH David Ortiz's health are valid, but offensively this team is loaded with professional hitters. They get on base, and move runners along--something Sox of teams old did not always do. Potential wins: 93-97

3. New York Yankees- Their second straight year missing the playoffs. Why? They have become an aging soap opera. The Texiera signing will make losing A-Rod less painful, but I'm not expecting too much from the tabloid queen when he returns. Sabathia is a horse, but in the playoffs he's a less-than-stellar 2-3 with a 7.92 ERA with 22 earned runs and 22 walks. A.J. Burnett seems only to be great when no one is watching. If a pitcher is great in Canada and no one knows it, is he still great? I don't think so. Potential wins: 89-92

4. Toronto Blue Jays- They have some good core players on both sides of the ball (i.e. Halladay, Ryan, Wells, Rios) but can't seem to field a solid team year in and year out. They are going to be beat up by the three teams mentioned above, but against the rest of the league they will compete. Potential wins: 80-85

5. Baltimore Orioles- Oh, how this once well-respected franchise has fallen. Offensively, they have a good core of young players lead by 2b Brian Roberts and 3b Melvin Mora. Look for great seasons from OF Nick Markakis and Luke Scott. But expect their pitching to get pounded, because all-around it's pretty thin. They will regret putting all their eggs in the Texiera basket and not going for a front-of-line starter. Potential wins: 66-70

AL Central:
1. Minnesota Twins- What is it about these Twins' teams? No matter the team they put on the field, their players always produce. Credit manager Ron Gardenhire and his crew for stressing the fundamentals. Remember Francisco Liriano 2006 rookie campaign? 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 144 K's in 121 innings pitched. Well, this year he's fully recovered from Tommy John Surgery. You have been warned. Potenial wins: 92-95

2. Chicago White Sox- A somewhat aging team, but young studs 2b Alexei Ramirez and OF Carlos Quentin are the truth. Ramirez was the 2008 runner-up for the Rookie of the Year posting 22 HRs, 77 RBI, and 13 SB-look for those numbers to rise this year. An aging Buerhle will give you his usual 12-14 wins, but SP John Danks and Gavin Floyd will look to build off their strong '08 season. Potential wins: 88-90

3. Detroit Tigers- An injury-proned team that underachieved greatly in 2008. On paper, this team makes stat heads salivate, but count on injuries from one of the following: Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Gary Sheffield, Placido Polanco, Carlos Guillen. Potential wins: 78-83

4. Cleveland Indians- This team will go as far as DH Travis Hafner will take them. In 2005 and 2006, when he placed in the top 8 in the MVP voting, the Indians were a sexy pick to come out of the AL. Without him? A middle of the pack team. He must prove himself as a premier middle-of-the-lineup threat. Potential wins: 73-87

5. Kansas City- Young. Very, very young. I love what they're trying to do (i.e. DH Billy Butler, 3b/1b Alex Gordon, 1b Ryan Shealy). Their starting pitching has potential(Gil Meche, Zach Greinke, Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies, Luke Hochevar), but they will undoubtedly take their bumps. Think Detriot Tigers pitching staff circa 2003-05. Potenial wins: 60-64

AL West:
1. Los Angeles Angels- Unequivocally the class of the AL West. The losses of 1b Texiera and CL Francisco Rodriguez will hurt, but they have filled those holes (OF Bobby Abreu, and CL Brian Fuentes). Keep your ears open for a troubled clubhouse, however, with former starting OF Gary Matthews Jr. riding the pine. They will go far with one of the best rotations in the league. Potential wins: 89-93

2. Oakland Athletics- Made huge off-season moves by getting OF Matt Holliday, and INFs Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera, and Nomar Garciaparra. This team has a good mix of youth and veterans. However, with ace Justin Duchscherer hampered by arm problems, look for GM Billy Beane to make moves for pitching before the trade deadline. Fearless Prediction of the Year: Matt Holliday will not finish the year in an A's uniform. Potential wins: 82-85

3. Texas Rangers- Their offense will keep them afloat in the AL West race, but their pitching will sink them. And will the real Hank Blalock please stand up? Potential wins: 77-79

4. Seattle Mariners- Isn't Ken Griffey back on this team? I wonder how OF Ichiro Suzuki will handle not being the fan favorite anymore? This team is abysmal. Potential wins: 60-65
(*-denotes Wild Card team)

MVP: Evan Longoria, Rays
Cy Young: Jon Lester, Red Sox
Rookie of the Year: David Price, Rays
Manager of the Year: Ron Gardenhire, Twins

Playoff Picture:
Red Sox over Angels
Rays over Twins
Red Sox over Rays

Tune in later this week as I give my predictions for the National League!

Finding Rings on the NFL Coaching Carousel

It is of the general understanding that, as a head coach, the more rings you have on your finger the more sought after you are. Right? It used to be that teams would give up an arm and a leg for a reputable coach with some Super Bowl experience. Hell, it's the reason the name Bill Parcells is always within earshot of the NFL.

As of recent however, NFL teams have followed the trend of rich middle-aged MILFs; cutting ties with their older, more experienced coaches for a younger, energetic go-getter that may or may not have held the previous job as a pool boy. My thoughts: put down the playbook and pick up that Desperate Housewives box set!

Entering the 2009 season, there will be only three active head coaches who have Super Bowl Rings (Bill Belichick of New England, Mike Tomlin of Pittsburgh, and Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants). And closing out the 2008 season there were nine head coaching vacancies. Of the coaches who left, there were John Gruden (one Super Bowl ring), Mike Shannahan (two Super Bowl rings), and Tony Dungy (one ring). To top it off, there are also Brian Billick and Bill Cowher (one ring each) on the market from the past couple of years. With Cowher playing the seductive lead role of Eva Longoria-Parker (kinky!), as his name has been at the top of many teams off-season wishlists.

Why are teams changing their mentality from gaining coaches who know what it takes to win at the highest level? The young guns have proven themselves. The kid--err man who replaced Cowher in Pittsburgh is having his finger sized for his Super Bowl ring at the ripe age of 36. Jim Harbaugh, 45, brought his Ravens team to the playoffs, with a rookie quarterback no less. This after Billick suffered four up-and-down years with the team before getting the ax.

One of the most notable coaches to do well despite experience is the Miami Dolphins Tony Sparano, 47. After Cam Cameron was run out of town like the Plague, Sparano had a very high mountain to climb; Parcells or no Parcells. He certainly climbed high up that mountain as the Dolphins posted a most-impressive 11-5 record on their way to an AFC East title.

In this day and age, NFL teams don't put as much emphasis on the guys who are simply good with x's and o's (sorry Eric Mangini). They want a guy who is going to spark a team and light a fire under their asses; someone who can relate to the players. And have you noticed that these new head coaches are all a good face for the public relations people? Again, sorry Mangini.

And how else better to relate to the young talent the NFL brings in than a 32-year-old baby-faced offensive coordinator with a knack for creating explosive offenses. The baby-faced offensive coordinator is Denver Broncos new head coach, Josh McDaniels. Yes, he may have gotten carded to see the newest Saw sequel, but the kid can flat out coach. I mean, did you see that offense he ran in New England?! You've heard it first, here: Josh McDaniels will have the Denver Broncos in the playoffs--with or without Jay "I Never Saw A Receiver Who Wasn't Open" Cutler.

Another coach primed for an excellent season, as much as it pains me to say it, is Rex Ryan of the New York Jets. The Jets were playoff bound before Brett Farve choked...again, and Ryan has brought over some of his guys from the Ravens squad as well as CB Lito Sheppard to sit opposite of stud corner, Darrelle Revis.

All in all, of the nine new head coaches in 2009 seven are 46 years of age of younger. This seems like an inevitable turn of events for the league like the overall acceptance of the tandem running back in the past few years.