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.
Today’s focus is on a pair of AL East entries that have been experiencing radically different fortunes of late. One team has put their mythical curse to rest and they’re now expected to contend every season. The other has a rich history, but has been nothing short of horrendous lately. The Baltimore Orioles used to be a franchise that could counted on almost annually to be somewhere in the pennant hunt. But that was before Peter Angelos bought the team and began earning a reputation as a free spending but meddlesome owner who far too frequently overrode the decision of the baseball people he’d hired. The results have been a disaster. Unlike many of the consistent losers who have used limited market size and finances as an excuse for their shortcomings, the O’s have never been shy about opening the wallet. But they’ve made far too many foolish purchases and managed to ignore the farm system along the way. Things are finally changing for the Orioles as Angelos has evidently figured out that he doesn’t know more than his management team. And for the first time in ages, things are beginning to look much brighter for the Birds. It may not show in the standings this season, but there’s no doubt the Orioles are at last a franchise that is back on the rise.
The start of the 2009 MLB campaign is nearly here, so it’s time to shift into summer mode and start focusing on my favorite sport. I’ll have what will hopefully be some very solid baseball info nearly every day, some of it gaming-oriented, some geared to fantasy baseball and lots of general observations. Over the next several days, I’ll be zeroing in on individual teams and their projections for the upcoming season. For those of you looking to bet the MLB win totals, I think you’ll be able to pick up some fairly clear opinions here. Let’s start with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs managed to forge a winning record in 2008, and I would look for moderate improvement this season. The NL West looks like a two-team race between the Snakes and the Dodgers, and while I give the edge to LA, it’s no upset if Arizona winds up on top.
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This post was written by Editor on March 23, 2009
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