Today’s previews are on a pair of teams that made the National League playoffs last season. One has a good chance to return, but the other figures to regress somewhat. First up, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the defending NL West champs. Unless a major surprise from the projected back of the division occurs, the Dodgers will be battling Arizona for the top spot in the sector and will also be in the hunt for the wild card should they trail the Diamondbacks. I think LA comes out on top and grabs the automatic spot in the playoffs. The reason for the optimism is what figures to be a solid lineup. Rafael Furcal is healthy again, and he’s a tremendous catalyst. I’m not sure who manager Joe Torre will hit second, but Dodger fans should hope it’s Russell Martin and not Orlando Hudson. Either way, they’re okay but I prefer Martin toward the top of the order.
Today’s reports are on a pair of teams that narrowly missed postseason play in 2008. I believe both teams have the stuff to get to October this season, but neither is a sure thing by any stretch. The Minnesota Twins should have won the AL Central last season. They failed to do so because they decided that saving a few bucks was more important than winning a couple more games, and in the end, that train of thought cost them a playoff spot. Francisco Liriano wasn’t ready to pitch at the big league level at the outset of the 2008 campaign. The talented lefty was still in recovery from his elbow surgery and needed to start the year rehabbing in the minors. The Twins eventually figured that out and sent Liriano down. To the surprise of nobody, Liriano eventually found his groove in Rochester and began stringing together strong performances. Naturally, everyone assumed the Twins would recall Liriano once he established his rhythm, particularly since No. 5 starter Livan Hernandez was getting torched with the big club. Everyone except the Twins, that is.
Two-a-day previews continue with a pair of entries that have established very definite tendencies over the last several seasons. One hasn’t won in ages, the other is in the hunt every season. The Kansas City Royals haven’t been relevant for many moons. A combination of an unwillingness to spend money, along with what can only be described as a bizarre front office mindset has seen what was once a great franchise turn into an annual laughingstock. The Royals did manage to finally vacate the AL Central cellar last year, however, and they seem to finally be inching toward respectability. This team will definitely not be the 2009 version of last year’s Tampa Bay Rays. The Royals could make a push toward .500, but they’re not yet a good baseball team. But at least there’s now some hope for their long suffering fans. Kansas City was aggressive in the offseason, and while I didn’t like all of their moves, I think the net result should be positive.
Today’s previews are on a pair of teams that produced winning records in 2008. One looks like it might be better than projected again, the other would appear to be in major trouble. The Florida Marlins have actually already scored their biggest win of the year. They’re finally going to get their new stadium after a protracted battle that at times looked like it would force the franchise to relocate. But the-soon-to-be Miami Marlins are going to get their new home after all, which means they might be able to start signing some of their better veterans instead of constantly turning them over for prospects. The Marlins have actually done a good job of maintaining respectability despite their financial issues.
Two-a-day previews continue today with a pair of teams that fell dramatically short of expectations in 2008. For one, there’s optimism that the new season will see a return to contention. For the other, things look mighty bleak once again. Is it only one year ago that the Colorado Rockies were entering the season as defending National League champs? The Rockies put together one of the all-time great stretch runs to capture the 2007 NL pennant. It’s now pretty apparent that surge represents one of the most amazing flukes in baseball history. The Rockies were back to their usual mediocre selves in 2008 and they figure to be even worse this time around. There’s just very little to like on this team. They dealt their one big star, Matt Holliday, away during the offseason, and the collection of holdovers still on the scene is about as uninspiring as it gets. Despite playing in what is still one of the best hitting parks in the game, the Rockies will be lucky to have two players reach 20 homers, and their pitching looks terrible.
Today’s previews are on the two Buckeye State entries, the Reds and Indians. The Cincinnati Reds are garnering lots of support as one of this year’s surprise teams. Well, first of all, it’s not exactly a surprise if it’s being talked about by so many analysts. Secondly, I’m not seeing why the Reds are suddenly about to break through and emerge as contenders. Yes, they’re getting better. But there are still some serious holes on this team, along with plenty of question marks. Let’s start with the potential strengths. I will agree wholeheartedly that the rotation has a chance to be very strong. I was touting Edinson Volquez before just about anyone and I drafted him on just about every one of my fantasy teams last season and obviously enjoyed the results.
Big League Baseball ‘09 previews continue today with a look at the two Windy City entries. The Chicago Cubs were the class of the NL Central in 2008, and seemed poised to get to the World Series for an opportunity at ending a century of frustration. Instead, it was just another brutal ending for their eternally faithful fans, as the Cubbies meekly bowed out against the Dodgers and extended the most storied streak of failure in all of sports. The good news is the team is still very well positioned to make another run, so there’s at least lots of reason for continued optimism at the friendly confines. There’s a good chance the Cubs will be even better offensively than they were a season ago. There’s not a single soft spot in the projected everyday lineup. Alfonso Soriano may not be the ideal lead-off hitter in terms of his approach, but I can’t see what’s wrong with a .350 OBP, big power and plenty of speed out of the top perch.
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