NHL: Last Week of the Season

What to watch for:

As we enter the last week of the NHL season, the yearly tradition of the race for 8th place in bother conferences is in full swing.
In the Eastern Conference, the best word that can be used to describe the situation is definitely a clusterfuck. Case in point, Montreal sits in 6th place with 86pts and the NY Rangers sit in 9th with 82pts. Including the Thrashers with 81pts in 10th, 5 points separates five teams in the Eastern Conference. The question is, who will end up making the playoffs in the East? The Montreal Canadiens have 3 games remaining, but all 3 are against 3 of the bottom 4 teams in the East. They will likely win at least 2 of those, allowing them to secure a playoff spot, likely in 6th. The Bruins have the toughest road out, as they have to play the Caps twice in their remaining 4 games. They have a game in hand on everyone except the Rangers, so I think that they will be able to scoot into that 7th place spot, in spite of their 2 tilts with the Caps. The Thrashers, I’m going to say, are out since they have only 3 games left and are 3 points behind the Flyers who are in 8th. The Rangers and Flyers play a home and home to close the season, so whoever wins that will get the 8th place spot. As much as I would like to see the Rangers not make the playoffs so they can get a better pick since they’re just going to lose in the first round anyway, I get the feeling that they are going to pull of another late season run to sneak into the playoffs.
The Western Conference picture is much more clear. There is only one possibility of change in the 8th playoff spot. The Avalanche at this point have a 2 point advantage in the standings of the Flames with a game in hand for 8th place. I’m fairly confident that they will be able to hold off the Flames, even though the ‘Lanche have been dropping a lot of games lately.
Once the seeding has been all hammered out, I will do a playoff preview and give you my picks for the Stanley Cup. Should be a fun week to watch some hockey.

-THE-A-TRAIN-

Quick Slant: The Al Skinner Situation

I've taken some time and let a lot of different ideas float through my head before commenting on this situation. I suppose it breaks into two parts. Fire Skinner? and Replace Skinner.

Fire Skinner?

I understand. Al Skinner did a great job here. He made the program what it is today. He consistently found diamonds in the rough in recruiting (Though he had a lot of recruiting help from his assistants), and he consistently got more out of players than you would have expected. He also did a very nice job preparing his kids to play professional basketball. However, he seems to have brought BC as far as he can. His flex offense is useful in creating basketball players out of kids with legitimate skill sets, however it fails to take advantage of kids with exceptional skill sets. Skinner doesn't know what to do with a player like Reggie Jackson, who needs to get out in the open. You were able to see Rakim Sanders, who advanced so fast, simply plateau in his junior year. BC needs a coach that can take the team to that next level. If recruits can see these advances, the plan can extend outward, bringing in better players and then showing future recruits what can be made of these better players. Skinner's offense is also very plain and didn't inspire the BC students to get excited about their team. Fans of sport can appreciate what he does, but a college fan base needs to extend well beyond that. Skinner was great, but now it's time for BC to try to be exceptional. I don't personally know if that is possible. I'm typically fairly pessimistic about the issue. The Northeast is not a basketball recruiting pool. There are too many teams fighting for NY players, so BC doesn't stand much of a chance. Boston is not a huge draw for a lot of the players, as it is a pro town, with little regard for BC, even during times of greater success. Even the students don't turn out for games not featuring Duke or UNC. Frankly, BC just doesn't stick in the heads of these guys. It was time for Skins to go.

Replace Skinner.

The main candidates seem to be:

Chris Mooney, Richmond: Has recently removed his name and signed an extension with the Spiders.
Steve Donahue, Cornell
Bill Coen, Northeastern (Former Assistant)
Brad Stevens, Butler
Ed Cooley, Fairfield (Former Assistant)
Jim Baron, Rhode Island

My main argument against firing Skinner when I first heard he news was: "Do you really think you can do better?". As the search rolls on, although I don't agree with the complete validity of that argument, I start to worry about the answer to that question. My #1 to-do upon firing Skinner was: "Talk to Bruce Pearl". I didn't expect Pearl to take the job, because he seems to have fallen in love with Tennesse, and it is a better job. However, I thought that it needed to be done. Not only was Pearl born in Newton, Ma and a former Manager and Mascot for BC Basketball, he is the exact type of coach, running the exact type of team that Gene DeFilippo is looking for. He runs the floor, presses, excites the crowd. He gets involved in the school, has no problem becoming a poster-face for the University. This is they guy painted orange at a Lady Vols game, a guy who always wears a hideous Orange blazer. A report surfaced late last week that DeFilippo had called Pearl "to talk about other candidates". During this phone call, Pearl declined the position he wasn't yet offered. Like I said, I didn't expect him to take the job, but we didn't even try. GDF called him after a list of coaching candidates already absented him. DeFilippo has already dismissed the questions, saying Pearl "wasn't a candidate yet". And when he finally called him, it was "to talk about other candidates". If you want a guy like Pearl to leave TENNESSEE and come to BOSTON COLLEGE, you better grovel at his feet. Make him feel like he is the only coach that could ever make BC right again. Don't call him as an afterthought later in the week. I can only hope Gene called him right away and was turned down, but didn't want to reveal the rejection.
Anyway, after Pearl, my next choice would have been Mooney. He recruits well for a smaller school and runs an offense that would be better suited for the current cast of characters. However, he is not out.

Of the remaining I would take Bill Coen. From what I hear, he did a lot of the recruiting for Skinner and a lot of the in game play-calling. Players loved him and thought he could be a great coach by himself. He seems to be more adaptive and could bring in some new ideas, without upsetting what already exists. Brad Stevens would be nice, but I doubt he'd take this job. Butler is in the National Championship game, so he's already getting farther than BC ever has. Besides that, he is now at the top of the list for any team that is looking for a coach after next season, and Stevens returns, I believe, 4 starters next year. So he should wait and take a great job for 2011.

I suppose all we can do now is see what happens.

-APT

Breaking in Your Glove

I just caught a quick things on MLB Network, where Harold Reynolds showed me how he breaks in his gloves. Here is the step-by-step.

1. Find a glove that fits (less obvious than it should be)
2. Don't roll the pocket. The pocket needs to be open the way you want to field the ball. (Great advice. I certainly noted this) Harold used three baseballs. He took two side-by-side to hold the pocket open, and a third toward the palm.
3. Wrap tape around the glove to hold the pocket in the desired position.
4. Dunk the glove in a bucket of water. (This is not something I've heard much about) He said to leave it in the water for 3-4 minutes.
5. Remove the glove (Make sure you have a towel so Mom doesn't get mad (Harold's advice, not mine)).
6. Adjust a wire hanger so you can put it through the glove. Hang it to dry overnight.
7. The next day coat the pocket with glove oil or Vaseline to firm the leather.

Thanks Harold and MLB Network.

-APT

A New York Metropolitan 2010 Season Preview

I'm taking some time out this evening to do some bias sports reporting.

I let The BOMB take care of the Mets during out 30 team preview, so I could go all out with my own preview for anyone who cares to see it.

I've said this many times this off-season: There are a lot of question marks for the New York Metropolitans. Does this mean they will struggle? Not necessarily. But they definitely can. Many are seeing them as a 4th place team in the NL East. Let's explore.

The Line-Up:

The line-up can be tough to gauge, as we expect to see at least three different incarnations of the line-up early this season. I'll approach it as two, however, as I expect Jose Reyes to be back very soon. The line-up will likely look like this, at first:

SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
1B Mike Jacobs
LF Jason Bay
CF Angel Pagan/Gary Matthews Jr.
RF Jeff Francouer
C Rod Barajas
P Johan Santana et al

I base the 6 and 7 batters on the opening day line-up, which has Matthews 6 and Frank 7. The CFs are productive enough to drive in runs, and they both switch-hit, which does something for the line-up in between two right-handed outfielders.

I actually like how this line-up works, even though it lacks Carlos Beltran. I'll tell you what I like. I don't think that Mike Jacobs is a significantly better player than Daniel Murphy. Murphy I think will prove to be a far superior fielder after getting some time to work around the bag. Jacobs is certainly a more dangerous hitter, but Murphy should consistently hit for a higher average. However, I think that the way the line-up shakes out, the Mets are better off with Jacobs. I think that he will win this job while Murphy is on the DL and become the starter. Here's what he does for the line-up:

- putting Jacobs in the clean-up spot is going to allow him to thrive. This is a guy who did hit 32 homeruns for the Marlins two years ago. I know he struggled with the Royals, but most people would. Now you put him in between proven producers, David Wright and Jason Bay. This is a much better spot for him than it is for Dan Murphy. Jacobs is a fastball hitter (preferably down). He is tough to beat with out a very good fastball accurately placed up in the strike zone. Murphy can be beat with a simply above average fastball, especially inside. In this spot in the line-up, fastballs are going to be bountiful. Also, as much as Jacobs is prone to strikeout, he is actually a pretty patient hitter. This is going to allow him to find those fastballs that will be there for him. I think, in this situation, he will be a lot closer to Jacobs the Marlin than Jacobs the Royal. He definitely seemed to step it up at the end of the spring, as well.

- Jacobs is a middle or late in the order hitter. Daniel Murphy is not. He is probably best suited to bat 2nd when he is at his best. He is a Nick Johnson type hitter. When he is hitting well, he will take pitches, pick his spots and show the ability to drive it the other way. The problem is, the Mets have been stuck with one of the best 2-hitters in the league, Luis Castillo. Castillo sees tons of pitches, hits very well directionally, and has one of the highest OBPs in baseball (save a bad season in 2008. That is exactly what a 2 hitter, especially one behind a lead-off man like Reyes, should be. If you put Castillo 8th, he is wasted. He may be able to get rid of the pitcher in whatever inning he comes up, but that's about it. He's not going to clean up what's left on base. Rod Barajas fits better there, as he has longball potential to clean up what his teammates leave behind, and he also will need to be bunted along to get him around the bases. The mets have 2 #2 hitters and Castillo is the better of the two.

- I think Jeff Francouer is still a very good player. He definitely had some problems in Atlanta, after starting strong. However, it seems people have dismissed what he was able to do in his 1/2 season with the Mets. If Frank can play that kind of ball, he can be a huge threat batting 6th or 7th.

The line-up with Beltran will likely look like this:

SS Jose Reyes
2B Luis Castillo
3B David Wright
CF Carlos Beltran
LF Jason Bay
1B Mike Jacobs
RF Jeff Francouer
C Rod Barajas
P Johan Santana et al

It's easy to see what I like about this line-up: Beltran is in it. I would expect to see this line-up sometime around the middle of May. To be safe, let's say May 21 for the home series against the New York Yankees. I don't like Jacobs spot in this order as much, BUT Beltran is better than even the best Jacobs in the 4 spot. Also, if Jacobs really does thrive in the 4 spot, he can carry that confidence throughout the rest of the season. Then, perhaps, he will fill this 6 hole nicely. Also, if Francouer is producing, Jacobs is again in a nice spot.

- When Reyes returns to the line-up he should be healthy. The thyroid condition had nothing to do with his hamstring from last season. People seem to forget this. Once the thyroid issue is clear, it is gone, and it is just about getting into shape. Therefore, I think the same of Reyes that I did coming into the spring: That he is going to come out fully intent on being the Jose Reyes of old.

- I've already discussed Castillo

- David Wright should bounce back. He is not going to be a 30 HR guy in Citi Field. His power is to the gaps, and he will continue to lose homeruns in large ball parks. It is best, if David just accepts that and continues to play his game. He should not be coming up with a new Citi Field swing. He should go back to his Shea Stadium (no hitters park) swing and let things happen. He will collect doubles and some triples and be the run producer he can be, even though his HR total will be down.

- Carlos Beltran is a question mark, because you can't be sure how healthy he will be. Before Beltran went out last season, he had become a great hitter in Citi Field. He was by far the quickest met in adapting to the new home. He was driving the ball to the gaps, jumping on inside pitches when he could, and ended up batting at a well higher average than he usually would. Beltran's mindset should be healthy, and that is why I think he will produce as long as his body lets him.

- Jason Bay will do what he does. He's not going to hit for a tremendous average, but he will pop some balls over the wall and drive in runs. Despite his average, he does get on base often, and he does hit in the clutch. Bay will be who we thought he was. Hopefully that's all the Mets expect of him.

- I've talked too much already about Jacobs.

- As I've said, I believe the Frank is a better player than you hear. He really seemed to be putting things together. I guess we will have to see what he is able to do if games actually matter.

- Rod Barajas is hear to catch. His boost of power will be nice, as it is great to see his ENORMOUS swing connect. Other than that, he is an 8 hitter.

- The back-up center fielders will be adequate in their duties. I like what we are dealing with there. Hopefully one will fetch something come trade deadline, after he is no longer useful.

How can I see this shaking out, if things are at their reasonable best:

SS Jose Reyes: .273 16HR 71RBI, 28TR, 56SB
2B Luis Castillo: .287 3HR 41RBI 40SacB 21SB
3B David Wright: .291 24HR 101RBI 32DB 19SB
CF Carlos Beltran: .313 26HR 92RBI 26DB 16SB
LF Jason Bay: .263 30HR 103RBI 11OFA 12SB
1B Mike Jacobs: .257 26HR 79RBI
RF Jeff Francouer: .268 21HR 83RBI 13OFA
C Rod Barajas: .240 17HR 61RBI
CF Angel Pagan/Gary Matthews: .270 11HR 37RBI 20SB

Now if this all comes to pass, we are likely looking at a division winner, if not certainly a contender. What gets lost in a lot of discussion is the fact that, despite playing a ton of minor leaguers, the Mets led the National League in batting average. However, they were well last in HRs and very low in runs scored. What was missing was that power. If the Met line-up can find the power that was missing last season, they could be a force.

Trying to avoid my natural bias, here is a more modest prediction:

SS Jose Reyes: .271 13HR 63RBI 24TR 50SB
2B Luis Castillo: .280 2HR 39RBI 19SB
3B David Wright: .293 21HR 101RBI 16SB
CF Carlos Beltran: .307 18HR 84RBI 14SB
LF Jason Bay: .269 28HR 93RBI
1B Mike Jacobs: .240 18HR 51RBI
RF Jeff Francouer: .257 18HR 70RBI
C Rod Barajas: .248 13HR 58RBI
CF Angel Pagan/Gary Matthews: .271 9HR 24RBI

With these numbers, the Mets will still be a competitive ball club, which is what I expect them to be. Perhaps the numbers will fall in between those two predictions. That would please me. However, the Met line-up, especially with Beltran and Reyes, is not the main argument against the Met season. That issue lies in...

The Rotation:

The Rotation is full of questions. It looks like this:

LHP Johan Santana
RHP Mike Pelfrey
RHP John Maine
LHP Oliver Perez
LHP John Niese

I listed the pitchers as I think they should be listed when deciding who is a #1 starter and so on. The Mets will open the year Santana, Maine, Niese, Pelfrey, Perez.

- Santana is going to win the Cy Young according to my predictions. He had a cleaning out surgery. Last time he did so, he won the Cy Young the year after. It seems that this will be something that will come up with Santana. Occasionally his elbow will need some cleaning. Let's not forget that early in 2009, he was completely dominating. Judging from his ability to deliver the baseball in the spring, it looks as though he can be that pitcher again. In that case, the NL better watch out. Prediction: 19-6 2.31 ERA

- Pelfrey put forth a really pleasing final Spring outing. Perhaps it has affected my thoughts for him. Pelfrey has stuff. He has a heavy 2-seam fastball that he, at times, has been able to ride through entire games. Now he is starting to develop some secondary pitches. Big Pelf says he is very happy with where his new split-fingered change-up is. His slider and curveball have both shown promise at times. I didn't notice them as special during the spring, so we'll have to see. Ignore many of the HRs from the spring, as Pelf was working with his 4-seamer, which you won't see much of when the real things starts. Prediction: 16-9 3.78 ERA

- I think John Maine is a legitimate Major League pitcher. He has never led me to believe that he can't get hitters out. He has two problems: 1. Staying healthy & 2. Pitch count. John Maine's problem when pitching has been that he throws an effective 5 innings, but throws too many pitches to make it any deeper. He also shows issues with tiring late in starts, so you can't push him through these effective outings. If he can cut his pitches down, he can be a very, very good starter for the Mets. He either needs to be able to put hitters away or find a pitch that he trusts to be put in play modestly. I think he can put hitters away with his fastball if he is healthy and throwing his change-up well. Prediction: 12-6 3.59 ERA

- Oliver Perez is who he is. I find a hard time believing he can magically turn things around. The Mets have the same manager and same pitching coach. People make a big deal about Santana teaching him, but Santana has been here for 2 years already and Ollie is still static. I don't give high support in how the Mets handle Ollie. They want him to throw strikes, and think that his stuff will take care of itself. Ollie can't do that effectively. When he gets too worried about throwing strikes, he puts up gopher balls and lofty ER totals. He needs to be effectively wild. That means he needs to be able to find location on his 2 and 4 seamers when he needs them, but let the change-up and the slurve go crazy. If you don't have to worry about Ollies pitches going everywhere, it actually makes him less effective. Either the Mets don't realize that, realize they can't actually teach it or think that Ollie can't actually harness it. Prediction: 7-14 5.77 ERA

- John Niese has good stuff. His fastball has been good this spring, he is working in a cutter that will make him more effective against righties, and he has one of those curveballs that I love. However, he is still young. I expect him to have a good year for his experience and if things bend right, he is a sleeper candidate for Rookie of the Year. But more than likely, he will experience some growing pains, before things turn up in August and September. Prediction: 10-10 5.05 ERA

The pitchers who turn out to be the top 3 will make this rotation legit. It's possible you'll see Hisanori Takahashi get a shot if things go how I fear for Ollie.

Defense:

The Mets need a good Defense, as they play in a large park and they have some hitters that are going to let balls find the field. I think the outfield will be solid. Bay is a perfectly adequate outfielder, Beltran is great and Francouer is very good with a +++++++ arm. The infield will bring some questions. Wright's throwing has gotten better, but I still believe he should actually be a first baseman. However, he and Reyes, if they are playing, take good care of the left side with their leather. The right side can be a problem. Luis Castillo turns a great double-play, and he is solid when he's at the ball. However, his range continues to deteriorate. That combined with the fact that I don't think you'll see Dan Murphy at 1st means there could be a pretty big hole on the right side. Murphy has shown great range at 1st, though can be touch around the base. Jacobs is ordinary at best. Look for late game defensive substitutions of Murphy or Tatis, perhaps even a trade for a defensive minded 1st baseman at the deadline. The catching defense should be greatly improved with Barajas and Blanco. Blanco is great at caching runners and Barajas is above average. They both handle themselves well behind the plate.

Lastly, the Bullpen:

Many are looking at the bullpen as a weakness, as it took till the very end of spring training to come-up with the final alignment. I think this is where my opinion differs from many experts. I think the bullpen could easily be a strength for the Mets. There are two reason why the decisions could take a while to finish. One is because you don't have anyone MLB ready. The other is that you have TOO MANY MLB READY. I think the Mets had a lot of arms that could do the job and simply had to pick. The Pen ultimately looks like this on opening day.

Hisanori Takahashi (Long Relief)
Jenry Mejia (Middle Relief for now)
Fernando Nieve (Middle Relief)
Sean Green (Righty Specialist)
Pedro Feliciano (Lefty Specialist)
Ryota Igarashi (Set-up)
Francisco K. Rodriguez (Closer)

I would have preferred the following:

Hisanori Takahashi (Long Relief)
Kiko Calero (Middle Relief)
Ryota Igarashi (Middle Relief)
Raul Valdez (Lefty Specialist)
Pedro Feliciano (Lefty Set-up)
Fernando Nieve (Righty Set-up)
Francisco K. Rodriguez (Closer)

Oddly enough, even though I thought the Mets had a bunch of arms to choose from, I didn't think Sean Green was one of them. They decided to bring him aboard. Look for green to find himself in Buffalo as soon as Kiko Calero gets enough work in. The Mets recently signed Manny Acosta as well, who could find his way to the Citi pen. I really thought the Mets should use Valdez as a second lefty in the pen. Takahashi is left-handed, but is much better suited to throw long relief. Feliciano is a great lefty specialist, but in the NL East, you really should have 2 of them, and having that second one would give Feliciano a chance to capture the 8th inning job if he proved he could take care of right-handed batters.

Ultimately I think the Mets have enough talented arms to get through the 2010 season in the pen. It seems they are committed to using Mejia in the pen. Although, I don't love the idea, I have seen him throw, and I am fairly certain he can be effective in that role. I don't know how it will affect the rest of his career, but for 2010, he can be an asset. I think if K-Rod is given consistent opportunities, he will stay effective all season. I'll take this time out to wish K-Rods two brothers who were in a bad car accident in Venezuela the speediest of recoveries. Feliciano will continue to be great at what he does. I think he is best off staying as the lefty. I think Nieve has some bat-missing pitches and will translate well to the pen, although it may take him some time to adjust to a specialized role. Adjusting to being a long man from a starter is a lot easier than to being a short man. As you can tell from my thought that he could be a starter for the mets, Takahashi looks like a major league pitcher. He is incredibly accurate and has a vast array of pitches. This makes him a long man, not a lefty specialist. Ryota Igarashi had an up and down spring, but never truly impressed me. I do love a good splitter, so he will get his chance, but I don't think he'll prove to be the 8th inning answer. He will be effective in middle innings though. If the roles are defined properly, I think the pen can be pretty darn good, but there is also the chance it gets flubbed up and creates problems. Luckily, even in that case, there are arms waiting in Buffalo.

The Bench:

Frank Catalanotto: Great last name, Italian, plays all kinds of positions, what else can you want. You need a guy like this on the roster, but I don't know if he'll stick around. It depends on what they want to do if Murphy lose his 1st base job.

Fernando Tatis: Great last name, all kinds of positions, not Italian, but I have a great nickname for him: "The Big Potato". Because of the nickname and his being right-handed, look for Tatis to be the downfall of Catalanotto. Tatis as a bench player I love. I just don't want him playing 100 games.

Alex Cora: As long as he spends most of the year right here on the bench, I love him on my team as that 25th player-coach.

Daniel Murphy: I have Murphy on my bench, and I think he can be a useful pinch hitter if he can find the mindset that created the hope among the Met high-ups. If he can take pitches and use the opposite field, he can be a useful pinch hitter.

Angel Pagan/Gary Matthews: I think Pagan will be the 4th outfielder when Beltran returns and Matthews will be traded or granted his release. Pagan has more range, more speed as a pinch-runner and a little better bat.

Henry Blanco: Great guy to have on a roster of pitchers with issues. He may turn into Johan's personal catcher (like he was in Minnesota) but either way, I'm glad to have him here. This is what you need in a #2 catcher: great defense, great game-calling, competent offense, and ability to work with the staff during practice.

All in all, I think the Mets are a competitive team. As much as it seems I may be overly optimistic about what we'll see this season, I think a lot of it is just curbing the negative onslaught that has followed this team from last season. This is probably a better team than the one that was picked to contend for a World Series last season. Unfortunately, several other NL Teams have improved their rosters from that point as well.

It is for THAT reason that I see the Mets as a 3rd Place team in the NL East, with a record similar to 89-73.

The Metropolitans may not have added every player their fans wanted this off-season, but they also didn't overpay for anyone (outside of Alex Cora). What they did do was add some solid depth, which is something that was missing last season, when they didn't know how badly it was necessary. Some key pick-ups combined with the development to MLB able of some key prospects (Ike Davis, Ruben Tejada, Fernando Martinez, Jenry Mejia) really fills in the bottom of that chart. This should be a season where we can watch from beginning to end, without embarrassment or shame. If the team stays moderately healthy, I think that they will be competitive to the end.

I don't know what that will mean for Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel. To tell you the truth, I would like to see them both gone at the end of the year. I like Omar, but he doesn't seem to hold the trust of ownership and I think, even though it may not be his fault, his regional and, to a lesser extent, national public image is more trouble than it's worth.

I don't like Manuel. I don't think he would inspire me to be the best I can be. He also obviously plays favorites, at times to the detriment of the team. I also like the idea that if Jerry leaves, the new manager has a chance to replace Dan Warthen at pitching coach. I don't see the positives that have come from Warthen that are the reason for him still having a job.

If you need a more in depth Mets preview than that, I don't know what to tell you.

Go Mets!

Later,

APT

Thoughts from Opening Night

- We've made it. Here we are. Opening night was a great idea for Major League Baseball, whenever they came up with it. It's nice to bring all the fans together to kick off the season with one game before we all split off to follow our respective teams. Baseball itself can be appreciated for this one night.

- Baseball that means something just has a different feel to it. I watched a fair amount of Spring Training baseball (Thank you MLB network), but you can definitely sense the increased intensity of the games, and it's wonderful. (Sadly I missed the pre-game festivities and the first 10 outs, but the Bonsai Kittens won their consolation game in my indoor frisbee league. Third Place.)

- (Nothing to do with Baseball) I just had sushi for the first time. (I've tried others' sushi but never ordered my own.) It's solid. Wasabi produces a great sensation and tastes very good. It's like horseradish on steroids. I loved it!

- Great to see Pedro throwing out the first pitch in Fenway to Jason Varitek. As much as I loved seeing Pedro with the Mets, Fenway is his home; and as much as I hate the stupid "C" on Jason Varitek's Jersey, he is the man to receive such a pitch.

- Unfortunately, here in Boston, I had to watch opening night on NESN, because they blackout almost every ESPN game. I actually enjoy Don Orsillo, but hearing Jon Miller's voice is hearing the sound of baseball, so I was sorry to miss out on that.

- Impressive for Curtis Granderson to open his Yankee career with a bomb of a homerun, and this one was not even in the Yankee Stadium jet stream.

- As for the NESN telecast, it was actually quite solid. As mentioned, Orillo does a great job and Jerry Remy was very bearable tonight. He had problems, at times, with a Joe West strike zone that I thought was legitimate and consistent, and performed some very shitty telestration on Don Orsillo's suit, but it has been pretty good. Rem Dawg did combat some Red Sox protests of pitches that were obviously strikes. If the Sox were to get frustrated, perhaps their gripe was better directed toward Angel Hernandez. Mike Cameron was safe by a good enough amount on the line-drive double-play, but Hernandez was in bad position, and Dustin Pedroia seemed to tie C.C. Sabathia to the base on a ground ball to first.

- Pretty sweet to open the season with some classic baseball, as the Yankees successfully completed a 1st and 3rd, run-scoring double steal in the 3rd. Have to give dap to the Rem Dawg who was all over this play. As soon as the count hit 0-2 he began to talk about the idea, and sure enough the Yankees went for it, despite the fact that you don't see too many of them.

- It must be the first game of the season as my pop-up-arm-raise reflex is showing signs of rust. (By the end of the game, it was loose, and shooting up like it should on those pop-ups)

- Josh Beckett had no curveball tonight. I think I saw him throw one for a strike. His release point may have been a little low. A lot of the pitches started at the knees and dropped lower, easy to lay off. Quite a few others just didn't have the sharp movement to come back at the corner, back door style against the lefties.

- C.C. Sabathia got tired. At around pitch 75, C.C. started to lose it. His change-up was coming in at 86 mph, and when his fastball lost it's consistent 94 mph velocity, the speed change became less effective. He also seemed to abandon his breaking pitch somewhere late in the start, even though it was very effective early.

- Very good to see Scott Schoenweiss pitch effectively. He had a really rough year in 2009, with his wife's suicide, and Scott's subsequent emotional trouble. He was cut by the Brewers towards the end of the spring, but beat out Alan Embree for the last spot in the Sox pen. Congrats Scott. I hope you have a much better 2010.

- These bullpens are struggling. Two bullpens that seem like they'll be pretty solid are off to a slow start. Outside of Schoenweiss, everyone has looked vulnerable, and sliders have been scooting past catchers at an alarming rate.

- Kevin Youkilis is having one hell of a night!

- Nick Johnson and, especially, Jorge Posada don't seem to be showing signs of the injuries that kept them out of some late spring training games.

- Sub-par outings from these Aces and shaky bullpen pitching is sure making for an exciting game. I'm currently at 8-7 Sox in the bottom of the 7th, but I doubt I've seen the last of the scoring.

- David Ortiz is the out the Yankees have been able to get when they are in trouble. This is something that could tell the story of the Red Sox season. He needs to at least be a threat for this line-up. I know it's game one, and a lefty started, but just a note.

- Brett Gardner made a pretty bad throw allowing runners to move up. However, the NESN guys thought it was a terrible throw home. It wasn't. It was a bad throw to third. He threw it high, and no one was backing up third, as they were backing up a potential throw home. That made it look worse. It was still bad. A left-handed thrower in left field will always be weird to watch.

- I don't know if ESPN showed it, but Steven Tyler did "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch. I'm an Aerosmith fan, but I wasn't particularly excited to hear Tyler, as he now sounds like his days on stage are quickly fading. (If you've followed any of the inter-Aero drama, it could be sooner rather than later) However, for those who are not Aerosmith fans you might not have noticed that the woman with Tyler (sorry I didn't know who that was) joined him for a harmony on the final words "home sweet home" from the song. That harmony is actually pulled directly from an Aerosmith song, "Home Sweet Home". I thought that was a nice touch.

- This game is going pretty late. I hope that everyone on the East Coast is staying up.

- Daniel Bard's arm sure seams ready for the season. I saw him reach at least 98 mph, as he tries to improve the numbers for these bullpens tonight.

- Mike Cameron's forever underestimated speed still screws with pitchers' heads, even late in his career. (I'll always love watching him patrol center field. The two best I've seen play the position were wearing Seattle Mariner Jerseys. (No disrespect to young Andruw Jones, Torii Hunter or Ty Lawson.) Might have to take Cameron even over Griffey, if only due to his ability to continue to be great into his later years. (MIGHT!))

- Seems that the close play at first that he ended up getting the short on has fired up Pedroia, as he has come up with big at bats since then. It was that first shot to the jaw from De La Hoya he needed before unleashing an array of Shaq punches. (Another season of Shaq Vs, I hope, I hope.)

- I have too many thoughts. Imagine if I did this with every game. That'd be ridiculous.

- Wouldn't be a real baseball game without a fake to 3rd, fake to first pick off bluff. I've, to this day, seen it work once in my lifetime.

-It will be Papel-Bones, not the great Mo Rivera that gets the chance to wrap this thing up. At 11:50 EDT, hopefully the young Sox fans were given special permission to stay up and see it.

- Doesn't feel right with all these adds on NESN about how Peter Gammons will be a part of their post game coverage. I know he's a Sox fan, but that just isn't where he belongs. I'm not his biggest supporter, but he will certainly be missed on Baseball tonight, Sportscenter, et al.

- You can close the book on this one, just before midnight here on the East Coast. It was a very entertaining opening night, and now I feel ready for the new season. (I have been antsy for the Met opener tomorrow since about the 3rd inning of this game.)

Hope you all enjoyed it. I will be at Fenway on Wednesday for game 3 of the series. Took off work tomorrow, to enjoy an entire day of baseball. Goodnight all.

Excitedly,

APT

Dip Yourselves in Magic Waters

BASEBALL

As we will every season until the end of time, we celebrate the beginning of the new year with this little piece of heaven in Iowa.

Thank you to James Earl Jones, Phil Alden Robinson and Baseball.

Enjoy another wonderful season everyone.

-APT

X-FACTORS

With Opening Day just inches beyond the horizon, here is one X-Factor for each team going into the season.

San Francisco Giants- Barry Zito: The line-up for the Giants has not been their strength since Barry Bonds left. It is better this season, but it is still not what carries this team. If the Giants are going to emerge as contenders, they are going to pitch their way there. If they want to do that, Barry Zito is going to have to give them solid innings behind the pair of studs, Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Zito started to show some signs last season. He settled down, used the growth of a cutter to help add relative speed to his fastball. That made his curveball a weapon again. If that continues, and the Giants can throw 3 big guns in the rotation, they can make a real run at the West.

Cleveland Indians- Fausto Carmona: The Indians surely have a lot of question marks. However, there line-up is healthier than last season, and can be adequate. Fausto has had a very good spring. He is trusting his pitches again, throwing a lot of strikes and letting his hard sinker get him outs. If Fausto can be the Fausto of old, then the Indians have a bona fide ACE, despite trading away Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia. You cannot compete in this league without a pitcher that you can trust to come out and stop a losing streak.

San Diego Padres- Chris Young: Chris Young's impact on this team relies on health. He has not thrown a whole lot of innings recently, but when he has he has shown signs of retaining his potential. Young is another guy that can get a lot of outs quickly, and if he can pitch effectively, the rest of the Padres rotation actually falls into place very nicely.

Chicago Cubs- Aramis Ramirez: I have made it fairly clear that I'm not sure if Aramis Ramirez can come back and be the kind of run producer he has been. The problem is the Cubs NEED him to be that guy. If he can be, he transforms the line-up and makes the Cubs a wild-card competitor and a pest for the Cardinals as well.

Colorado Rockies- Jeff Francis: Before being lost to injury last season, Francis was asserting himself as a front line starter for this squadron. Last season, while he was out, other pitchers stepped into their roles effectively. If the Rockies can add Francis back into that rotation, behind Ubaldo Jimenez, this rotation can be very, very solid. The line-up is going to produce some runs. They have speed, and they have some solid gap hitters to find room in that expansive outfield. If they can hold teams to reasonable totals, they are going to win a lot of baseball games. Jeff Francis' performance will have a lot to say about that.

Kansas City Royals- Rick Ankiel: Ankiel wins this role above some others, because he has shown he can be effective. Gil Meche certainly gets honorable mention as an X-factor, but there are probably too many rotation question marks to rely on starting pitching to win games. The Royals need to score a few runs early, so that the bullpen gets a lead. If they can pair Ankiel with Billy Butler in the middle of that line-up, that is the way to do it.

Milwaukee Brewers- Carlos Gomez: By the same token, Jody Gerut could become the X-factor by taking the centerfield job from Gomez. One of these two players is going to have to step up and grab that position. That will also put them at the top of this order. Everyone is familiar with the talent in the production slots for Milwaukee. That is as solid a 3-4 as anywhere else in Major League Baseball (right up there with NYY and St.L). They need a presence at the top of the line-up and Carlos Gomez should get the first shot to provide it. He has natural talent their, but it is time to harness it.

Arizona Diamondbacks- Brandon Webb: If Brandon Webb cannot get healthy and be Brandon Webb, this is not a playoff team. If he can, it very well could be. The young bats are really starting to come around, but the pitching needs to make their contribution. Adding Brandon Webb to that equation completely transforms the result.

Angels of Anaheim- Brian Fuentes: Despite some subtractions the Angels are still a solid baseball team. The line-up is a touch under what it was, perhaps, but is still very strong. The pitching rotation has lost a little as well, but I'd take it on my team any day. What the LAA need to do is close down games. Maybe Fernando Rodney will be the one to step up and do it, but until then, Fuentes becomes the X-Factor.

Chicago White Sox- Carlos Quentin: I have Carlos Quentin as my MVP of 2010. This is not an unreasonable, long shot prediction. When Quentin is healthy, he is an MVP. He can carry this offense to a division title, especially if the Twins struggle to close out games. Even with a competitive foe in the Twins, the White Sox line-up can excel if Quentin's body allows him to be the kind of player he can be.

Oakland Athletics- Ben Sheets: A previously dominant pitcher coming off an injury, with a chance to lead a good rotation into stardom is certainly becoming a template for an X-Factor here. Well Ben Sheets keeps that coming. If Ben Sheets is healthy, he is a dominant pitcher. He has never pitched in the AL, but his stuff is too good for him to be taken down by AL line-ups. If he is healthy, he will produce, and if he produces he can take a healthy A's rotation to the midst of the AL West race.

Cincinnati Reds- Aaron Harang: Harang is going to give you innings. His arm takes a toll every year, but he keeps coming out throwing pitch after pitch. He's had some bad luck and some down streaks, but is primed for a comeback year. He has fellow innings-eater, Bronson Arroyo, behind him, and some young live arms. If Harang can be the stopper, the rest of the rotation can do some real damage. These young Reds will be fun to watch.

Los Angeles Dodgers- Chad Billingsley: Billingsley edges out Manny Ramirez for LAD X-Factor. After all, he fits our template. Billingsley can be the Ace of this staff, and with the emergence of Clayton Kershaw, that means double-barreled Aces for the Dodgers. The line-up is set up to produce yet again, and the bullpen is still very solid. This season depends on this rotation and this rotation depends on Chad Billingsley.

Seattle Mariners- Milton Bradley: Of course, a lot of this season will depend of Cliff Lee coming back soon and at full strength. However, Milton Bradley spend one hell of a year in the AL West with the Texas Rangers. He obviously didn't enjoy his time in Chicago, and regardless of whose fault it was, he is in Seattle now. Ken Griffey, Jr. could go a long way towards making Seattle a place that Bradley can thrive. If this is accomplished and Bradley can get his bat going in the middle of this line-up, the runs can come pouring in. The Mariners have the top of the order guys. In fact, they may have too many. But there will be runners on base. Someone has to bring them in. It's going to have to be Milton Bradley.

Texas Rangers- Rich Harden: Another case where this pitching template wins out over a prominent bat. The Rangers have bats though, with or without Josh Hamilton. Granted, Hamilton can turn this line-up into a top of the league type line-up, but without Harden this pitching staff stays down in the "satisfactory at best" area of things. Scott Feldman emerged last season as a pitcher that can come out and win games, but Harden can be an Ace. The Rangers have been searching for an Ace for some time, because the bats have always been there. If Harden can be that guy, the Rangers can be a division winner.

Tampa Bay Rays- James Shields: Shields was supposed to be the #1 on this staff last season. He pitched very well for the Rays as they rode a wave of momentum to a World Series appearance in 2008, but Shields was all to mediocre last season. He doesn't even need to be the #1 this season for the Rays, as Matt Garza could very likely assume that role. Shields does need to be a heavy contributor, though. The Rays are very high on their young second half of David Price, Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis, but they will need the slightly more experienced Shields to lead the way with Garza.

Detroit Tigers- Magglio Ordonez: Ordonez did not put together the kind of season that the Tigers were hoping for last year. But that's exactly the kind of season that gets you X-Factor status. Magglio has the ability to take this line-up to another level. They need his bat in the middle of the order to support Miguel Cabrera. If Maggs can stay healthy, he still has the potential to provide that kind of boost. The Tigers do have some questions marks in the back half of the rotation and the bullpen, but they could have the kind of line-up that erases those question marks. To do that, they'll need Magglio Ordonez.

Atlanta Braves- Troy Glaus: The Braves brought in two major impact players coming off of injury plagued 2009s. They are both key to this year's run. One is Billy Wagner, but he has the kind of resume, and had enough success at the end of 2009 to make me pretty sure that he will be successful closing games for the Braves. Troy Glaus has become a little more forgotten. He has been a major middle-of-the-order contributor in the past. And if you look at my fantasy teams, you can tell that I expect him to be able to do so again. (took him in the last 2 rounds of each of my drafts) Glaus has had a great spring. If he can continue that success, he is in the right spot (between Chipper Jones and Brian McCann) to put up some heavy numbers this year, and take this Braves order to the top of the NL East.

Philadelphia Phillies- Brad Lidge: Lidge starts the season on the DL, which is not a good start for X-Factor production. I'm not sure how long he'll be out, but he is a major cog in this Phillie machine. When Brad Lidge was invincible in 2008, the Phillies were World Series Champions. The Phillies had a strong year in 2009, but in a weaker division. They brought in Cliff Lee to solidify a starting pitching staff as Lidge and Ryan Madson struggled to close some games. Lidge was back in form for the play-offs, resulting in another WS appearance. If the Phillies want to find their way back to the WS, they are going to need Lidge to shut it down.

Boston Red Sox- David Ortiz: Papi took quite some time to get rolling last year. The rest of the Red Sox line-up this season has taken a half a step back in favor of defense, and are not in the same position to thrive without Ortiz. He needs to create problems for pitchers. Papi doesn't have to be 2004 Papi, but he does need to be a significant contributor in this line-up. I'd love to say that the Sox rotation is so good that they can just ride them all the way to the WS, but to find a comparable rotation, they just have to look at the opposing dugout on opening day. They are going to need the power that Ortiz can provide them if they hope to compete with the champs.

Saint Louis Cardinals- Ryan Franklin: This was the most difficult X-Factor to find in the Major Leagues. The Cardinals, as far as National League Teams, are all around solid. They will need some good numbers from the back end of the rotation, but they have 2 Cy Young candidates at the front, a well-balanced bullpen and a great line-up. Ryan Franklin had a lot of success closing games last season, but he still doesn't strike fear into National League Hitter Hearts. He is going to have to keep mowing down hitters by letting the ball be put in play. This is not the typical way to close out games in MLB, but Franklin has proven it can be successful. If he can avoid the pressure to try to strike out batters and keep doing what he's been doing, the Cardinals will be one tough customer.

Minnesota Twins- John Rauch: A few weeks ago, I would have had to think about this one, but with Joe Nathan sidelined for the entirety of the 2010 season, and John Rauch being named the closer, he is an instant X-Factor. Rauch has 26 career saves in limited opportunities, but he has been a premier 8th inning man in recent history. Rauch has to slightly alter his mindset, and pitch the 9th with the weight of the world on him. The Twins want to welcome fans to Target Field with a pennant contending team, but they'll need a major contribution from Rauch, whose filling big shoes. Luckily, the 6'11" has sizeable feet.

Florida Marlins- Sanchez: This is a purposefully ambiguous X-Factor for the Marlins, as it is shared by Anibal and Gaby, both of Sanchezian descent. The Marlins have been trying to fill an infield hole left by Mike Jacobs (at 1st; Cantu at 3rd), who was productive as a Marlin, but now will be starting elsewhere in the division. They tried Emilio Bonifacio at 3rd early, and although he at times provided a spark, he was not the answer. They brought in Nick Johnson later on (moving Cantu back to 3rd), but he once again justified his oft-injured reputation. This year they hand the reigns to Gaby Sanchez. He has to fill that void to bring this line-up, which is founded up on the infield, back into the NL East race. Anibal Sanchez has had some success and some injury problems. He needs to avoid the latter, and be the pitcher the Marlins know he can be. He showed signs of it last season, and has had a decent spring, but he will have a lot to prove. If Sanchez has success behind Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco, and the other Sanchez does his part, the Marlins can avoid some bumps along the road in the back half of the rotation.

Houston Astros- Brett Myers: The Astros have more than a few question marks going into this season, but Myers is a guy who has been a stud in the past. He has the history to give Stro fans faith in this team. Myers lines up with Brad Moehler and Bud Norris, behind proven starters Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez. Myers is the one of the three who has shown he can make this rotation more than formidable. Bud Norris is young and could produce, but Myers is the guy who likely will decide what kind of rotation this will be. The Astros will need a top notch rotation if they are going to carry the rest of their team into a playoff race.

Toronto Blue Jays- Shaun Marcum: It's hard to not be an X-Factor when you are filling the shoes of Roy Halliday. The Blue Jays need an ace in his absence, and they turn to Marcum to be that guy. The Jays line-up has some holes, but their bullpen is solid if Jason Frasor can assume the closer role. However, they need someone to pitch the first bunch of innings. Marcum is going to have to lead this staff there.

New York Metropolitans- Jose Reyes: The Mets have a lot of question marks; more really than any other team who has aspirations of a big run. However, most of their questions marks come in groups (The middle 3 of the rotation, the 8th inning crowd, the CF until Beltran returns). The most notable singular X-Factor is Jose Reyes. When Jose Reyes is in their, igniting the Metropolitan line-up, they are completely transformed. Carlos Beltran might be the best player, but you don't feel the difference the same way that you do when Reyes is gone. He needs to come back strong and be the player he has been on and off the field.

New York Yankees- Joba Chamberlain: Chamberlain lost the competition for 5th starter for the Yankees. And as much as that may seem like a step down, his job just became more important. Phil Hughes will be a key in that he'll pitch ever 5 days, but when you have CC, Burnett, Petitte and Vasquez in front of you and depth (Sergio Mitre, Alfredo Aceves, Joba Chamberlain) behind you, your success is not as vital. Joba is expected to step back into an 8th inning role that he doesn't seem to want. The depth behind him isn't empty (Damaso Marte, David Robertson) but Chamberlain is supposed to be the guy to get to Mariano. He prepared this spring to start, and was a starter in 2009, so the transition will be difficult. Perhaps not having to worry about restrictions will help, and the fact that he can rare back and just fire away.

Baltimore Orioles- Kevin Millwood. The Orioles have a young line-up that is really turning into something. Their young rotation, however, is still trying to shape itself. Kevin Millwood has to come in and do two things: eat up innings for the sake of the bullpen, and be a second pitching coach to these young starters. If one or the other is more important, it's Millwood training these kids, because the Orioles are a team of the future and 2010 is an important step on that path.

Pittsburgh Pirates- Lastings Milledge: Once upon a time Milledge was a revered prospect in the Mets system. Since then he has really fallen off the map. He needed to mature and figure out what being in the big leagues is all about. Rumors coming from Pittsburgh say that Milledge may be finally figuring it out. He and Dexter McCutchen have become fast friends and are good for each other. They are needed at the top of that line-up. The bullpen actually looks good for the Rats, but they will need some runs to support the starting pitching on most days. Milledge will be a key cog in this line-up.

Washington Nationals- Josh Willingham: When the Nationals win games, it is going to be because they are putting up runs. They now have a line-up that can do that. Nyjer Morgan gives them a phenomenal top of the order presence, and the Zimmerman/Dunn combo in the middle is tough to deal with. Josh Willingham has to be that next guy. He is poised for a break-out year. He has finally been given a full time job, and showed last season that he can do something with it. Look for big numbers from Willingham protecting Dunn, and if those numbers come, so will the runs for the Nats and also some wins.

-APT

Manny BEING Manny

A lot of people say this, but I don't think that anyone can truly know what it means, besides Manny himself.

THIS is a great article. If you have any opinion on Mr. Ramirez at all, I recommend you read it.

Many Kudos to Ramona Shelburne for a brilliant piece.

-APT

You would think, of all people, she'd be paying attention.

The link right here tells of an unfortunate incident for the notriously fast Denard Span. As it turns out, Span struck his own mother with a foul ball during an at-bat in a Spring Training game against the Yankees. One would think your eyes would certainly be on the batter when your son is up. I don't know how well struck the foul ball was. Mrs. Span was okay, however. And she did confirm with our beat reported on the scene (that I just fabricated now) that she is also FAST!!!!

Stay tuned as I come up with a name for this fake beat reporter.

-APT

2010 Major League Baseball Predictions

With the beginning of the 2010 season just days away, it is certainly time to unveil our Blogger Predictions for the new year. Things have certainly evolved since the beginning of our trip around the majors, so expect some inconsistencies. Let's see what the bloggers are thinking...



NL East:
1. Phillies
2. Mets
3. Braves
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

NL Central:
1. Cardinals
2. Reds
3. Cubs
4. Brewers
5. Pirates
6. Astros

NL West:
1. Rockies
2. Dodgers
3. Diamondbacks
4. Giants
5. Padres

AL East:
1. Yankees
2. Red Sox
3. Rays
4. Blue Jays
5. Orioles

AL Central:
1. White Sox
2. Twins
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Indians

AL West:
1. Rangers
2. Mariners
3. Angels
4. Athletics


NLDS
Cardinals over Dodgers
Rockies over Phillies

NLCS
Cardinals over Rockies

ALDS
Yankees over White Sox
Rangers over Red Sox

ALCS
Yankees over Rangers

World Series:
Cardinals over Yankees

NL MVP – Albert Pujols, Cardinals
AL MVP – Ian Kinsler, Rangers

NL ROY – Jason Heyward, Braves
AL ROY – Julio Borbon, Rangers

NL Cy Young – Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez, Mariners



NL East:
1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Mets
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

NL Central:
1. Cardinals
2. Brewers
3. Reds
4. Cubs
5. Astros
6. Pirates

NL West:
1. Giants
2. Rockies
3. Dodgers
4. Diamondbacks
5. Padres

AL East:
1. Yankees
2. Red Sox
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays

AL Central:
1. Twins
2. Tigers
3. White Sox
4. Indians
5. Royals

AL West:
1. Mariners
2. Rangers
3. Angels
4. Athletics


NLDS
Cardinals over Giants
Phillies over Rockies

NLCS
Cardinals over Phillies

ALDS
Yankees over Twins
Mariners over Red Sox

ALCS
Yankees over Mariners

World Series:
Yankees over Cardinals

NL MVP – Albert Pujols, Cardinals
AL MVP – Alex Rodriguez, Yankees

NL ROY – Ian Desmond, Nationals
AL ROY – Wade Davis, Rays

NL Cy Young – Tim Lincecum, Giants
AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez, Mariners



NL East:
1. Braves
2. Phillies
3. Mets
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

NL Central:
1. Cardinals
2. Reds
3. Cubs
4. Brewers
5. Astros
6. Pirates

NL West:
1. Dodgers
2. Rockies
3. Giants
4. Diamondbacks
5. Padres

AL East:
1. Yankees
2. Red Sox
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays

AL Central:
1. White Sox
2. Twins
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Indians

AL West:
1. Angels
2. Rangers
3. Mariners
4. Athletics


NLDS
Cardinals over Phillies
Braves over Dodgers

NLCS
Braves over Cardinals

ALDS
Yankees over White Sox
Red Sox over Angels

ALCS
Yankees over Red Sox

World Series:
Yankees over Braves

NL MVP – Manuel Ramirez, Dodgers
AL MVP – Carlos Quentin, White Sox

NL ROY – Jason Heyward, Braves
AL ROY – Carlos Santana, Indians

NL Cy Young – Johan Santana, Mets
AL Cy Young – John Lester, Red Sox