03

Tim Hayes’ baseball predictions for the 2008 season:

A lot has changed about baseball since I began following the sport as a little kid.

The stadium that I first saw a Major League game in – Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium – has been demolished and is currently a parking lot.

The baseball card industry is all but dead.

Nobody steals bases any more.

Stats like WHIP, OBP and VORP have emerged, plus a host of others which I don’t even know what they mean.

Opening day is more like opening week. Two games in Japan earlier this week. A Sunday night game in Washington, D.C. Why not play all the games on Monday instead? Nah, that would make too much sense.

Braves Baseball on TBS no longer exists. Sure, Ted Turner’s former network will still televise a Major League game of the week and the Braves will be available on SportSouth, FSN South, Peachtree TV or whatever stations will carry the games. But a part of Southern tradition came to an end with the cancellation of the nightly broadcasts of the Braves on the SuperStation. Remember when the Braves would be on Channel 7 (at least that’s what it was when I was a kid) 120-140 times a year? How bad the Braves were in the late-1980s (see: Ozzie Virgil, Ken Oberkfell and countless others)? How about the great Sanford and Son reruns during rain delays?

In the end it doesn’t matter

However much the game has changed and however much negative press it receives, I still love the sport. From Monday’s first pitch until the World Series champion is crowned in October, I will be captivated every bit of the way.

So now time for some predictions:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Central Division Champions: Cleveland Indians

The talking heads at ESPN would make you believe there’s only one division (the AL East) and two teams (New York and Boston) in the American League, but the Central is where it’s at.
Cleveland is loaded and probably still smarting after last season’s collapse in the ALCS. Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore lead the offense, while C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona spearhead the rotation.
Detroit is loaded as well after making some offseason moves. Chicago and Kansas City are improved, while Minnesota still has the M&M boys (Mauer and Morneau).
It will look like this: 1. Cleveland, 2. Detroit, 3. Chicago, 4. Kansas City, 5. Minnesota

East Division Champions: Boston Red Sox
From tough-luck losers to a model franchise. That’s what Boston has become after the Red Sox won their second World Series of the decade in impressive fashion in 2007.
The pitching staff appears to have no weaknesses and whatever you think about Manny Ramirez, he can flat out hit.
Sorry Yankees, you’re just too old.
1. Boston, 2. N.Y. Yankees, 3. Toronto, 4. Tampa Bay, 5. Baltimore

West Division Champions: Seattle Mariners
Two keys for any MLB manager are winning on the road and knowing how to manage a bullpen. John McLaren doesn’t have to worry about the latter as the Mariners have an outstanding, but somewhat unknown, bullpen. J.J. Putz handles the closing duties well, while guys like Sean Green, Mark Lowe, Brandon Morrow and Eric O’Flaherty quietly get the job done in the middle innings and get the ball to Putz in the ninth inning.
1. Seattle, 2. L.A. Angels, 3. Oakland, 4. Texas

AL Wild Card: Detroit Tigers
Detroit might have the best lineup in the game, but Cleveland has a core of guys that have been playing together for a while and that all-important cohesiveness and clubhouse chemistry is there. But don’t get me wrong, Detroit will give Cleveland all it can handle and the Tigers will join their AL Central brethren in the postseason.

American League Playoff Picks
Divisional Playoffs: Boston defeats Detroit
Divisional Playoffs: Cleveland defeats Seattle
ALCS: Cleveland defeats Boston, 4-3

American League MVP: Travis Hafner, Cleveland
The best home run hitter from North Dakota since Roger Maris, Hafner is an old-school, hard-nosed player. The man known as “Pronk” could hit 60 homers this year and pluck up the MVP award.

American League Cy Young: J.J. Putz, Seattle
A reliever hasn’t won a Cy Young Award since Eric Gagne took the NL prize in 2003 and it hasn’t happened in the AL since 1992. Putz is probably the best reliever in the game at the current time and he had 40 saves and a 1.38 ERA last season. Could Bobby Thigpen’s single-season saves record be in danger? The new record-holder might come from the Pacific Northwest.

Boom of the Year: Kenny Rogers, Detroit
Detroit made all kinds of offseason moves. Miguel Cabrera, Jacque Jones, Edgar Renteria and Dontrelle Willis were brought in to help bring a championship to Motown. The biggest beneficiary may be Rogers. With no pressure to carry the rotation and being injury-free, look for the 43-year-old Rogers to win 16-19 games, keep his cool and not attack any media members. The Gambler just gets better with age.

Bust of the Year: The New York Yankees
The Yankees’ streak of postseason appearances should come to an end. The Red Sox are simply better and you could say the same about Toronto. It might get so desperate for New York, don’t be surprised if Barry Bonds is in pinstripes by midseason.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Central Division Champions: Milwaukee Brewers
While certainly not the best, this might be the most competitive division in all of baseball. A lot of people are picking the Chicago Cubs, but I have 100 reasons not to pick the perennial underachievers.
Milwaukee has one of the top young lineups in the NL in Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart and Tony Gwynn Jr. The pitching is a little suspect, but isn’t every teams in this division?
1. Milwaukee, 2. Chicago Cubs, 3. Cincinnati, 4. St. Louis, 5. Houston, 6. Pittsburgh

East Division Champions: New York Mets
After last season’s choke job, the Mets enter the season with a chip on their shoulder. Outfielder Carlos Beltran has already predicted the Mets as the team to beat in the division. The acquisition of Johan Santana was the biggest move obviously, but Pedro Martinez has earned rave reviews this spring and appears not to be done yet. Beltran, Billy Wagner and Carlos Delgado are three of the best in the game, but they lack one thing – that coveted World Series ring.
1. N.Y. Mets, 2. Atlanta, 3. Philadelphia, 4. Washington, 5. Florida

West Division Champions: Arizona Diamondbacks
The reason I picked the Diamondbacks: these five guys – Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Randy Johnson, Doug Davis and Micah Owings. Those guys combined for 57 wins last year and comprise the best pitching staff in the majors. The San Diego Padres also have a strong pitching staff, but the Diamondbacks have an offense to back their pitching.
1. Arizona, 2. San Diego, 3. Colorado, 4. L.A. Dodgers, 5. San Francisco

NL Wild Card: Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves have never won the Wild Card since its inception in 1995. True, the Braves won the division title every year from 1995-2005 and didn’t have to worry about the Wild Card, but this might be the year the Braves experience a new passage to the playoffs. Most Atlanta fans couldn’t pronounce his last name when he was acquired last year, but Mark Teixeira is the latest Braves superstar.

National League Playoff Picks
Divisional Series: Atlanta defeats Arizona
Divisional Series: N.Y. Mets defeats Milwaukee
NLCS: N.Y. Mets defeat Atlanta, 4-3

National League MVP: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee
I thought the young Prince should have won it last year after he hit .288 with 50 home runs and 119 RBIs. He probably lost some votes because he didn’t lead Milwaukee to the postseason. I don’t think that will be a problem this year.

National League Cy Young: Brandon Webb, Arizona
The master of the sinker is fun to watch. The former University of Kentucky star will have a mantle full of Cy Young awards by the time he retires.

Boom of the Year: Jason Bay, Pittsburgh
The Canadian slugger has been playing in relative obscurity in Pittsburgh and even though he struggled at times last year, he still connected for 21 bombs and 84 RBIs. Look for his production to improve and some contender will give up the farm at the trade deadline for the Pirates outfielder.

Bust of the Year: Colorado Rockies
It happens all the time. A team makes the World Series one year and misses the playoffs the next. This season it will be the Rockies. True, Colorado is young and talented, but the Rockies also have plenty of question marks. It will be a letdown in the Mile High City this summer.

WORLD SERIES: Cleveland defeats N.Y. Mets, 4-0
The American League is superior to the NL and that’s the bottom line. The Fall Classic will serve as a dominating landscape for the Indians. Move over Rick Vaughn, Jake Taylor, Roger Dorn and Willie Mays Hayes and make room for new Cleveland heroes C.C. Sabathia, Asdrubal Cabrera, Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore.

Posted by Tim Hayes

You know the baseball season has started when you hear the magic words, “J.D. Drew was scratched at the last minute with an injury.”
And although our chilly weather most of March tells a lie, it’s time for baseball season. So without wasting further time, here’s some intrepid predictions for 2008:
Division Races
NL East--1. Mets, 2. Phillies, 3. Braves, 4. Nationals, 5. Marlins.
NL (Comedy) Central--1. Cubs, 2. Reds, 3. Brewers, 4. Cardinals, 5. Astros, 6. Pirates.
NL West--1. Rockies, 2. Padres (wild card), 3. Diamondbacks, 4. Dodgers, 5. Giants.
AL East--1. Red Sox, 2. Blue Jays, 3. Yankees, 4. Rays, 5. Orioles.
AL Central--1. Tigers, 2. Indians, 3. White Sox, 4. Royals, 5. Twins.
AL West--1. Angels, 2. Mariners (wild card), 3. Rangers, 4. Athletics.
October’s Darlings
NL Playoffs--Padres over Mets, Rockies over Cubs, Rockies over Padres for NL title
AL Playoffs--Red Sox over Mariners, Tigers over Angels, Tigers over Red Sox for AL title
World Series--Tigers beat Rockies in six games in the highest-scoring World Series in MLB history. Even with humidor baseballs, the Tigers’ lineup in Coors might be illegal.
MVPs--National League: Ken Griffey, Jr. turns back the clock with 50 homers and the Reds barely miss the playoffs. American League: Miguel Cabrera drives in 150 runs as Detroit is baseball’s only 100-win team.
Cy Young--National League: Padres’ Chris Young wins 20 and beats out teammate Jake Peavy. American League: Seattle’s Erik Bedard leads MLB with 22 wins and carries his team to the playoffs.
Boom of the Year--Dusty Baker wears down pitching staffs over a period of years, but in the short term, his teams score runs and win more than they should. Don’t be shocked if the Reds, playing in a mediocre NL Central, push the Cubs for the division title and narrowly miss beating out the Padres for the wild card. Also don’t be surprised if in 2010, Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo are both undergoing Tommy John surgery after each works close to 250 innings the next two seasons.
Bust of the Year--The Dodgers hired the wrong Joe to manage this season. Joe Girardi would have been a better choice for this underachieving team which exhibited little fire, other than catcher Russell Martin, under Grady Little. Joe Torre has never consistently won without a $200 million payroll and his strategy is mediocre at best. In a division where low-run games require a deft touch at the wheel, Torre isn’t the answer. In fact, one could make the argument he might be the worst strategist in this division.

Posted by The Continuous News Desk

Sam Jackson’s predictions for the 2008 Major League Baseball season:

It’s time to rub the pine-tar rag over the keyboard, toe the pitching rubber under the desk and tighten the ol’ typing gloves. Rub on some eye black, pull up your stirrup socks and stuff a whole pack of Big League Chew into your mouth – it’s time once again for baseball.

Big deal, you say. It’s March, it’s too cold to think about baseball; the Final Four hasn’t been decided yet. Besides, we’re all disillusioned with the game after a winter spent listening to talk about doping, HGH and the Mitchell Report – and we’re not talking about the scouting sheet on former National League MVP Kevin Mitchell.

Yes, baseball is starting this season under a shroud of controversy thanks to 88 players being linked to performance-enhancing drugs in George Mitchell’s report. A few have admitted wrongdoing, but no other action has been taken as of yet, leaving many fans jaded. These days it’s hard to decide whether Commissioner Bud Selig appears more powerless or clueless to clean up the game after clearly turning a blind eye to its problems for at least a decade.

The thing is, while the ugliness of the offseason is disturbing, most baseball fans have just wanted to get on with playing the games and quit worrying about all the mess. The fact is, we have no way of knowing who’s still doping and who’s not, so we might as well enjoy the season while we wait for the other shoe to drop.

With that in mind, some of us at the BHC have decided to post our picks and predictions on the 2008 season. We will be competing for the coveted $10 foam replica of the Million Dollar Belt, as worn by former WWF legend Ted DiBiase. The man who gets the most of his picks right at the end of the year will be crowned champion until next Opening Day.

So, then, let’s get on with it:

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Boston returns nearly everyone from last year’s World Series winner which looked like the best team in baseball all year. Boston rode a nice mix of veterans and youngsters to the title last year and has the talent, experience and confidence to repeat, but injuries or ineffectiveness in the starting rotation could just as easily put the champs in second or third.
The Yankees appear to be taking a cue from the BoSox by relying on an influx of youth to go with their star-studded lineup. Alex Rodriguez is back with a brand-new $275 million contract and will probably put up another MVP-caliber year. If guys like Pettitte, Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui and Mariano Rivera can continue to produce, there’s no reason not to expect New York to make the playoffs for the 14th straight season.
Maybe the best overall rotation in the AL East belongs to the Toronto Blue Jays, who quietly finished 83-79 last year despite failing to score a lot of runs. Toronto picked up Scott Rolen and David Eckstein from the Cardinals to help out Vernon Wells, who is coming off shoulder surgery. Star closer B.J. Ryan is recovering from an injured elbow. Still, if Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett provide leadership to the young rotation, Toronto could easily sneak up on the Big Two.
Tampa Bay has some juice in the order, with Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena. Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza and James Shields also give Tampa a decent top three in the rotation. This is not to say that the Rays will challenge for a playoff spot, but don’t be surprised if a team full of young guns with a chip on it shoulder gives Boston and New York fits when they play and flirt with .500.
As for Baltimore – eh, let’s just say that the phrase “the Orioles lose” will be uttered by announcer Gary Thorne more than once this year.
PREDICTED FINISH:
1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Blue Jays
4. Devil Rays
4. Orioles
WILD CARD: Yankees

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
While it looks to be a two-horse race, it’s very possible that non-division games will feel like Christmas presents to the teams in what easily appears to be the best division in baseball.
Cleveland made no major changes to a club that choked away a pennant after having the Red Sox down 3-1 in the American League Championship Series. C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona comprise as good a 1-2 punch as there is, and the lineup is still solid. However, it could very well take MVP-caliber performances from Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez and Grady Sizemore to keep Cleveland on top.
The Tigers have seemingly no holes in a lineup that is downright scary. Already potent, Detroit traded for Edgar Renteria (.332 with the Braves last year) and Miguel Cabrera (.320, 24, 119 with Florida). Even better for the Tigers is their rotation, anchored by Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers and Jeremy Bonderman. The problem with the Tigers, though, is the bullpen, which will be without the services of Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney for an extended period. Closer Todd Jones posted a 4.26 ERA, meaning the ninth inning will be an adventure.
Perhaps no team was as big a disappointment as the Chicago White Sox, who inexplicably lost 90 games two years after winning a World Series and still sporting a potent lineup. Orlando Cabrera and Nick Swisher have been added to a lineup with such bombers as Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko, though none are getting any younger.
Other than Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, the Twins will look very different this year, thanks to the departures of Johan Santana, Carlos Silva and Torii Hunter. In their places are Delmon Young, Livan Hernandez and Phil Humbler. The good news is young left-hander Francisco Liriano is back, but pitching to Detroit and Cleveland could very well make his arm start hurting again fast.
The Royals, lauded as MLB’s worst team in recent years despite not having the worst record in the majors in 2007, have a new manager in Trey Hillman, a roster full of eager young players, but still little power. They added perennial clubhouse cancer Jose Guillen to provide some punch, but when your leading hitter is Mark Grudzielanek, that spells trouble. Still, KC’s pitching staff could quietly be the most sound from top to bottom in the Central, which may give the Royals a leg up on Minnesota.
PREDICTED FINISH:
1. Tigers
2. Indians
3. White Sox
4. Royals
5. Twins

AMRICAN LEAGUE WEST
The L.A. Angels will no longer be able to take the division title for granted this year, despite upgrading their outfield. With Hunter added to a group including Vlad Guererro, Garrett Anderson and Gary Matthews, the Halos may have the best outfield in the game. The rotation’s health, namely that of Kelvim Escobar and John Lackey, will be the key to holding Seattle at bay.
The Mariners scored a blow for their hopes by acquiring Bedard from the Orioles, and Carlos Silva from Minnesota. Closer J.J. Putz is lights-out in the ninth, and if Seattle scores enough runs, a division title may be in the works.
The Rangers probably will score plenty of runs behind Hank Blalock, Michael Young, Milton Bradley and Marlon Byrd, but their still isn’t much in the rotation behind Kevin Millwood. With another offseason filled with roster moves, Texas might again have to out-hit the opposition to be competitive.
Oakland, which is tied for first place the Japanese Central league after Wednesday’s win over the Red Sox, is in the midst of a full-on rebuilding campaign. Gone is starter Dan Haren, sluggers Mark Kotsay, Swisher, Mike Piazza and Shannon Stewart. They still have Eric Chavez, for what that’s worth.
PREDICTED FINISH:
1. Mariners
2. Angels
3. Rangers
4. A’s

AMERICAN LEAGUE MVP: Alex Rodriguez – A-Rod is a happy man with after opting out of his $250 gazillion contract, acting surprised when no one else would pay him more, then getting more from the Yankees anyway. He’ll still annoy most non-Yankee fans, delight ESPN and hit 50 homers and drive in 140 runs.

AL CY YOUNG WINNER: Justin Verlander – Josh Beckett or Sabathia may put up better numbers, but Verlander should approach 20 wins on what may be the best team in the league, giving him the edge.

BOOM OF THE YEAR: Curtis Granderson, Tigers – Granderson could sleepwalk during half his at-bats this year and still score 100 runs. Being a .300 hitter with speed (23 triples last year) will mean he gets on base often, even if he does strike out a lot. With the lineup he has around him, though, his numbers could be MVP material.

BUST OF THE YEAR: The Angels – L.A.-Anaheim has been so good in a bad division for so long that it will come as a surprise when they fall out of the playoff race this year. Their pitching could become suspect, and age and injuries could suddenly make their star-studded outfield seem average.

AMERICAN LEGUE CHAMPION: Detroit – If the Tigers get anything from their pitching staff, they’ll be hard to beat. Boston and New York’s stars are aging, and their young players can’t compete with the Tigers’ new lineup, which could hit more than 250 homers.

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Who’s the team to beat? Jimmy Rollins says it’s the Phillies, Carlos Beltran says it’s the Mets. In truth, they’re both right.
The Phils may have the better lineup with Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, but the Mets likely have the better rotation behind new ace Johan Santana. The Mets still have Carlos Delgado, David Wright and Jose Reyes, but Delgado and Moises Alou have seen better days. Other than Beltran, the Mets’ outfield could be its weak point. New York boasts Pedro Martinez and Oliver Perez behind Santana, and if they pitch well, the Mets could take over the division.
Cole Hamels is a star in the making for Philadelphia, and Brent Myers is back in the rotation. Rollins’ MVP season will be tough to top, but he might not have to if Howard continues to produce as he has the past three years. As the pitching goes, so go the Phils.
Does anyone remember the Atlanta Braves? What a tough fate it must have been to finish 84-78 and not even sniff the playoffs, but Atlanta, which has been in the hunt every year for almost two decades now, will be back at it again. The rotation is ancient – Smoltz, Hudson, Glavine, Hampton – but if each pitches like it’s 1999, Atlanta could upset the Phillies or Mets. Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira, Jeff Francour and Brian McCann give the Braves as solid a middle of the lineup as there is.
The Cincinnati Reds East – Er, the Washington Nationals, lead the league in Boones (Bret, Aaron, Bob), and troubled castoffs (Lastings Milledge, Paul LoDuca, Odalis Perez), as well as former Reds (Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez, Willie Mo Pena and the Boones). The won’t lead it in anything else.
Two things you can rest assured of regarding the Florida Marlins are – 1. You don’t know anyone on their team besides Hanley Ramirez, and 2. They will probably build a playoff team within five years on the strength of the trades they’ve made the past three to get everyone else’s prostpects for guys like Mike Lowell, Beckett, Willis and Cabrera. They also could finish above Washington by the time the season is over.
PREDICTED FINISH:
1. Mets
2. Phillies
3. Braves
4. Marlins
5. Nationals
WILD CARD: Phillies

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
On the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Cubs’ last World Series win, pitcher Ryan Dempster has declared that he believes the Cubs will win it all this year. First, though, they’ll have to get out of the Central. Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez give the Cubbies some punch, and they’re high on new outfielder Kosuke Fukodome (isn’t that where the Red Sox and A’s just played?). They still have Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Rich Hill in the rotation, but they also still have Jason Marquis, and has swapped roles with starter-turned-closer Kerry Wood. Fortunately, they Cubs play in the Central.
Fresh off a second-place finish, the Brewers added Mike Cameron, Jason Kendal and Eric Gagne, and they still have MVP candidate Prince Fielder, rookie of the year Ryan Braun and J.J. Hardy. The rotation must keep in line behind Ben Sheets, and Gagne will have to be able to close games for Milwaukee to challenge the Cubs.
Without Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds or David Eckstein, the Cardinals will look like a very different team this year. They also may look very bad other than Albert Pujols. The rotation includes Adam Wainwright, Braden Looper, Anthony Reyes and Kyle Lohse, who rode a 9-12 year with the Reds and Phillies last year into a possible No. 2 spot. The return of oft-injured Mark Mulder and Chris Carpenter may not be enough to lift St. Louis out of an unfamiliar spot at the bottom of the division – though the presence of the Pirates will.
The Cincinnati Reds spent big money on closer Francisco Cordero and added lefty Jeremy Affeldt to the bullpen, which was frighteningly bad last year. The question is, will the rotation keep them in games. Behind Cy Young candidate Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo, the Reds will turn to Josh Fogg and youngster Edison Volquez and 22-year-old Johnny Cueto, both of whom are promising but unproven. We know the Reds can score with Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr., and Brandon Phillips may be on his way to becoming the top second baseman in the league, but Cincinnati will need to keep the opposition off the board to have a chance.
The Astros added Miguel Tejada and Kas Matsuia to a lineup that features Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman, but how will the team respond without the presence of Craig Biggio for the first time in 20 years? Roy Oswalt is an all-star starter, but Wandy Rodriquez, Brandon Backe and Woody Williams are less than inspiring behind him. Houston got closer Jose Valverde from Arizona, but it won’t matter if he never has a lead to work with.
Pittsburgh lost manager Jim Tracy, Jose Castillo, Shawn Chacon and Cesar Izturis and Tony Armas. What they didn’t lose was the ability to get beaten a lot.
PREDICTED FINISH
1.Cubs
2. Reds
3. Brewers
4. Astros
5. Cardinals
6. Pirates

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
With the Diamondbacks and Rockies both making the playoffs and the Padres coming close last year, you can’t call it the National League Worst anymore. You can call it pretty darn competitive, though.
Arizona now boasts maybe the most impressive top three in its rotation with Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and Randy Johnson (if he’s healthy and not too old). The D-Backs also have a lineup of young stars-in-waiting like Chris Young, Orlando Hudson and Conor Jackson. The problem is, Arizona can’t hit its weight. That may not be a problem, so long as the pitching staff is equally stingy.
Colorado shocked everyone by surgin into the playoffs, then into the World Series, but their clash with Boston made them look like a Triple-A team. The Rockies hit a ton, but other than Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook, their pitching staff might be the weight that sinks them. Matt Holiday will have to duplicate his season and his stretch run to provide enough spark to overcome Arizona.
The only bigger mystery than how the Padres lost the Wild Card last year might be how they will win 89 games this year with a light-hitting lineup. Jim Edmonds will help, but how much he can do at his age will be the question. Expect San Diego to continue to rely on its sturdy rotation behind Cy Young winner Jake Peavy, Chris Young and Greg Maddux.
Joe Torre spurned a one-year deal from the Yankees to return to the NL, and his genius will be tested by a talented but inconsistent Dodger team with a strong rotation. Andruw Jones comes over from the Braves and will help with his bat and his glove, and L.A. could be talking about a championship if Torre can manipulate a mix of youth and experience.
The Giants are rebuilding without Barry Bonds, and the cupboard is pretty bare. There’s little power or speed, and though Ray Durham and Omar Vizquel provide leadership, they also provide lots of age. Barry Zito was a disappointment in his first year in Frisco, and a resurgence for him may be the only bright spot by the bay.
PREDICTED FINISH
1. Dodgers
2. Diamonbacks
3. Rockies
4. Giants

NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP: David Wright – If the Mets win the East – and only if the win it, Wright will get the nod over guys like Holiday, Howard and Rollins. If Howard gets his average up over .270 and blasts more than 50 homers, he might be the favorite, but Wright is the best all-around third baseman in the NL.

CY YOUNG WINNER: Brandon Webb – He might be the most under-appreciated pitcher in the game since he pitches in Arizona. His numbers are better than Dice-K and he gets just as many ground-ball outs as Wang for the Yankees, which is why everyone hates to face him. If there’s a 20-game winner in the NL this year, it will either be him or the Reds’ Harang.

BOOM OF THE YEAR: Brandon Phillips – Not only should Phillips have been an all-star, but he should have gotten a Silver Slugger award and a Gold Glove at second base. As a the official cleanup hitter behind Griffey, Phillips may not get enough steals to go 30/30 again, or he won’t get the pitches to hit 30 homers if Adam Dunn struggles, but he will continue to be the most consistent threat the Reds have. He’ll boom if he only duplicates his performance from last year – because this year people will notice.

BUST OF THE YEAR: Johan Santana – Not that Santana won’t be good this year, because he will. Expect 15-17 wins from him, but don’t expect him to be like Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson in 2001 and carry the Mets to a championship by himself, and anything less than that will make the Mets’ trade a failure in the eyes of many.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPION: Phillies – One of the World Series teams is almost always a Wild Card team these days. If someone other than Detroit or Boston wins the AL, they’ll probably win their division, too. The Phillies will stumble against everyone else but beat the Mets in the NLCS.

WORLD SERIES CHAMPION: Tigers – There’s too much of everything for Detroit to settle for anything less. They have the best lineup in baseball, and a top-notch rotation. Their bullpen may be suspect, but not bad enough to deny the Tigers a title.

Posted by From the Archives

Thank you to whomever invented the DVR. And thank you to whomever invented baseball (still lots of confusion on that one, Mr. Doubleday). And thank you to MLB for opening its season in Japan, Tokyo (which I’m now convinced has the greatest and most intelligent baseball fans on Earth).

I’m so glad MLB is back.

And I’m having a total blast watching my recording of the Red Sox-A’s game from last night/this morning/whenever.

Man, baseball in Japan is awesome.

Everyone in the crowd seems really excited, but also respectful. The PA speakers plays weird, tinny, Japan-pop versions of recognizable baseball songs. And Japanese girls in full uniforms (even batting helmets) bring extra baseballs to the umps. So cool.

More things I like about baseball in Japan:

- Fans hang items they’d like autographed over the outfield wall. They use long strings, and just let the items hang down. (You know what I’m talking about. You saw the picture.) In America, everyone would be freaking out over their precious items, worrying if someone in a Yankees hat was going to try and steal it. Or they’d cut other fans’ items down with scissors, just so they could get their own item signed. Not in Tokyo!

- Fans constantly take pictures. Of everything.

- Fans “ooh” and “ah” a lot when something interesting happens. They’re actually a much more reliable indicator of what’s going on in the game than old Gary Thorne and sometimes-decent Steve Phillips.

- There’s not a lot of chatter from the fans. They watch, listen, and cheer when something worth cheering happens. In American stadiums, the general sound of fans is an annoying buzz often sounds like a high school dance.

OK. Back to the game. Back to Tokyo.

Posted by Brian T. Smith

Davidson, Stephen Curry, and all those talking heads

“Learning more and more about less and less and less.” - Chan Marshall

You’d think at some point the national sports media would learn something. Just something. It doesn’t have to be a lesson. That would mean progress. Something would be fine.

Every year, highly paid analysts, self-taught wiz kids, genius bloggers and a gazillion average Joe’s with an Internet connection and a cable subscription spend months obsessing over NCAA basketball Goliaths, while gleefully pointing out “sleepers.” Every year, the know-it-alls blow money and hot air, talking the talk and pointing out just how much they know about everything. They pick everything and everyone apart. Shooting percentages, RPIs, interior defense, mid-majors, low mid-majors, non-conference schedules, “tough” road wins … it never ends. They rank the teams. They rank the players. They hold grudges and triumphantly proclaim favorites. And, every year, someone like Davidson shooting guard Stephen Curry comes around, reminding us all that we really don’t know anything.

I’m not going to lie. I’ve been up on Curry for a while. I followed Davidson’s season with interest. I watched them nearly down North Carolina and Duke. And my interest peaked when John Branch knocked out a solid feature in the New York Times on Curry, the Wildcats, and the kooky town of Davidson, N.C.

And, now, it’s fascinating to watch the experts come around. They point out Curry’s soft touch. His drive and determination and willpower. His NBA-brushed pedigree. He came out of nowhere, they say. Who is Davidson, they ask? How did they do this? How did we miss Curry?

It’s pretty simple. They never looked.

How does a team go 20-0 in conference play and roll of 22 straight wins heading into The Dance, and still not get attention? How does Curry shoot 48.8 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from behind the 3-point line, and drop at least 20 points 23 times before the tourney, and not get noticed?

Because no one’s watching.

Well, I mean, some people are. Davidson fans knew. Hardcore mid-major devotees knew. But while the rest of the sports-media world spent the entire NCAA men’s basketball season kneeling before the Hansbrough-Beasley-Mayo-Love-Singler-Rose shrine, and eating everything on the Calipari-Pearl platter, other less-fortunate souls had to actually go out and play (or watch) basketball.

Moreover, all the talk about an East Coast bias in the media or whatever the latest gripe/fad is pales in comparison to what happens every year as kids like Curry and teams like Davidson fight the good fight. They play good, honest, real ball. They do it for the right reasons. And it takes a “miraculous” run to even show up on the national radar.

--

And … in the “can’t help but point it out” department, I wonder what ETSU’s current athletic administration thinks of Davidson’s current run in the tournament.

Davidson is doing what ETSU should be doing right now. But the Bucs aren’t. The Bucs’ season is done, with nothing but a fourth-place showing in the lowly A-Sun to show for it. Meanwhile, Davidson is new news and commanding national attention.

Not that long ago, ETSU held its own with Davidson. The two were Southern Conference foes, with wins and losses going both ways.

Now? The Wildcats are front-page worthy, while the Bucs couldn’t buy a ticket to The Dance.

What’s wrong with this picture?

A lot.

Posted by Brian T. Smith
College Sports