Fastball Fans

On the South Side of Chicago, fans were euphoric after winning the World Series in 2005, and fans were looking forward to the boys in black to have a back to back championship season. White Sox GM, Ken Williams worked in earnest to improve the team from what it was in 2005 into 2006 with more wheeling and dealing. In the end, their mission was not successful and the White Sox finished third with 90 wins in a stacked division featuring the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers. The White Sox were strong throughout the season, but a bad August & September all but doomed the team.

In light of not heading to the postseason in 2006, the White Sox seem ready to make a run at the AL Central once again in 2007. Under the watchful of charismatic, yet controversial manger, Ozzie Guillen, much of the core of the team returns as well as several new additions, such as former Angel Darrin Erstad, Andrew Sisco from the Royals, along with Gavin Floyd, Toby Hall, & David Aardsma. The team jettisoned several players such as Freddy Garcia, Andre McCarthy, Neil Cotts & a few others via trades. As well, the team traded Brandon McCarthy to Texas for 3 players who will probably be in the minors for now.

The powerful offense of 2006 should return this upcoming season, as they led in most statistical categories and once again put the fear in opposing pitchers.

As with every team, the key to a good season lies with starting pitching and the White Sox have a great staff, but it went through some changes as well in the winter. The rotation seems pretty much set with Jon Garland, Jose Contreras, Javier Vasquez, Mark Buerhle and possibly Gavin Floyd in the fifth spot being that Freddy Garcia got traded to Philadelphia.

The White Sox starting pitching which was so dominant and efficient in ’05 went to through quite a bit of struggle. Garland won 18 games in ’06, although he had an ERA and the mid 4 range and will have to improve on giving up runs; however, it may not be much of a concern providing the offense the team has. Mark Buerhle and Javier Vasquez finished with records below .500 and will need to regain their ’05 form for the team do well. Considering their track records, especially Buerhle, you should expect some improvement amongst the staff.

Jose Contreras went 13-9, but had bouts of inconsistency after a great 2005. He’s one of the guys who will need to get better as well.

The wild card in the starting rotation is Gavin Floyd. A young pitcher with a lot of upside, he went 4-3 with an ERA above 7 in 2006. He will have to get it all together in the Windy City in which the crowd can rival anything he faced in Philadelphia. The White Sox will need him to maintain stability within the rotation and contend in the ever-tough AL Central.

Now, let’s move onto the bullpen. Closer Bobby Jenks also had a down season from 2005, as his ERA was at 4. However, he did save 41 games and showed at times flashes of brilliance which made his 2005 so great. Hopefully, he can bounce back and help the team in the bullpen. New members to the White Sox, David Aardsma & Andrew Sisco will share in the setup role for Bobby Jenks. Also in the bullpen will be Matt Thornton, Mike MacDougal, Boone Logan and possibly Gavin Floyd if he’s not a starter.

In terms of the everyday starting lineup, the offense should look just as formidable as it did last year, with key members Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Joe Crede and AJ Pierzynski in the fold.

Jim Thome will be the DH, as he hopes to maintain his level of play and focus behind the plate en route to a possible spot in Cooperstown. After his struggles in Philadelphia which saw him traded from the team in favor of Ryan Howard in 2006, he picked himself up from his struggles and batted .288 with 42 home runs and 109 RBIs. He should be able to keep his numbers as he will be 37 in August, but could the period of decline. With exception of 2005, his track record shows he should be a nightmare to opposing pitchers in 2007.

The infield for the White Sox features two of the best corner infielders in the game, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede who played a huge role in the White Sox winning 90 games. Paul Konerko carried a big stick as he hit 35 home runs with 113 RBIs and considering the past few years, he should be counted on keeping up his production. Joe Crede has a career year, as he hit 30 home runs and drove in 94 runs, as well as played great defense. Crede has always been a player to watch, and in 2006 he cemented himself as one of the premier third baseman in the game. Only 28, he should be expected improve and he can be a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come.

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* The Reds have agreed to a 4-year, $36.5 million contract with pitcher Aaron Harang that includes a club option for 2011.

* The Rangers have signed Bruce Chen to a minor league contract. I’ll have an ode to him sometime Wednesday, but I am tired of typing.

* The Nationals have signed plenty of players for 2007. Ryan Church, John Rauch were among 12 players on Tuesday Nationals signed to contract for the 2007 season. However, key players Ryan Zimmerman, Chad Cordero and John Patterson have yet to agree to deals.

* The Arizona Diamondbacks and outfielder Eric Byrnes agreed to a $4,575,000, one-year contract Tuesday, avoiding arbitration.

The Motor City was in a celebratory, party-like mood as the Detroit Tigers were in the World Series for the first time since 1984. After an amazing wave of momentum going into it, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals who’d limped their way to finish the regular season. Although the team lost the AL Central title on the last day to the Minnesota Twins; nevertheless, they got into the playoffs via the wild, they dismantled the Yankees and the Athletics on an impressive playoff run.

Having been to Detroit a few times, I know the city loves their sports teams and 2006 was a magical year for the city. The Tigers and their spirit woke up a city that in the eyes of many was dead & like the team last year; the city is on the upswing.

Under the guidance of the grizzled, yet passionate Jim Leyland, the Detroit Tigers were the surprise team in all of sports and the feel good story of all baseball. Now, after their amazing 2006, the Tigers need to prove the baseball world that their past season was not a fluke heading into 2007.

After the amazing success of 2006, the fans returned to a franchise that was moribund, are now backing itching for more. This offseason, GM Dave Dumbrowski ushered in a few more changes. The Tigers lost pitcher Jamie Walker to free agency and traded Humberto Sanchez, but added Gary Sheffield, Edward Campusano along with Jose Mesa.

For the most part, the team that led the Tigers on their magical run to the World Series will return. Armed with incredible starting pitching and an offense that was potent, but at times undisciplined at the plate & free swinging, the city will expect bigger and better from the Tigers this upcoming season.

The pitching rotation in 2007 is very much in the same as it was last season with Justin Verlander, Nate Robertson, Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers & Mike Maroth returning from an injury-riddled 2006. Although the young starters Verlander, Bonderman, and Robertson were not dominant at all in the World Series, they impressed the baseball world with their pitching. Even though the young trio faltered somewhat towards the end of 2006, 2007 should bring a lot of promise and improvement. Verlander won 17 games en route to the Rookie of the Year Award, and the Tigers are hoping he does not regress at all. Bonderman won 14 games and also should be a candidate to stay at the same level or improve. Robertson was 13-13 with a 3.84 ERA, but he’s got the makeup and araensl to improve on his 2006.

Kenny Rogers dominated opposing lineups in the playoffs, and even though the pine-tar thumb incident was a focus, his ability to mix the changeup and curveball up was an arsenal that few in the league could master. He’ll be 42 when 2007 begins, but he was 17-8 with a 3.84 ERA. Even though there’s a chance age may catch up to him, it’s not likely for now, after what he displayed in the playoffs.

The wild card in the pitching rotation is Mike Maroth. He once lost 20 games in a season, but yet worked his way to a 14-14 record a 4.74 ERA, and he started off 5-2 until he sat out the rest of the year with bone chips in his elbow. He should be healthy for 2006, and if he can build upon his 2005 and 2006 campaign, the Tigers should be in excellent shape for the upcoming season with their pitching.

The Tiger bullpen was a source of strength in 2006 with amazing performances from their staff, and 2007 should provide more of the same. Jones ended up with 37 saves, a 3.94 ERA and only 24 strikeouts. The big question will is since Jones will once again be the closer, at 39, could he still be effective? The bullpen will be stacked with fireballer Joel Zumaya who wowed with his 100 mph plus fastball, 1.94 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 83 innings pitched, Fernando Rodney, Wil Ledemza, and newly acquired Jose Mesa, Felix Heredia and Edward Campusano.

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* The Brewers settled agreed to a four-year, $24 million contract with Bill Hall, avoiding arbitration and locking down a potential young star to a long term deal.

* Reds reliever Eddie Guardado agreed to a minor league contract with the club while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament and tendon in his throwing arm.

* According to St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Twins are reportedly working on a four-year contract offer worth about $33 million star Joe Mauer.

* Happy Trails: Rick Helling is retiring from baseball after pitching in the major leagues for 12 years.

The Seattle Mariners in the early part of the decade were the class of the American League West & always counted on being contenders, however, they have struggled in the past few years. In 2006, the team improved from their 2005 campaign, but they still finished in last place for the third year in a row.

With the development of the young talent, the Mariners inched closer to .500, but were still far from contending. For the upcoming season, quite a few changes were ushered, especially with the pitching corps, but will it be enough to get the Pacific Northwest excited?

The team added former Washington Nationals players Jose Guillen, Jose Vidro, along with World Series hero Jeff Weaver, pichers Horacio Ramirez, Chris Reitsma and Miguel Bastista. However, the team lost Gil Meche as he signed a huge deal with the Royals, Eduardo Perez, Joel Pineiro, along with Chris Snelling, Emilino Fruto and Rafael Soriano to trades.

The starting pitching will compromise of Jarrod Washburn, Felix Hernandez, Jeff Weaver, Miguel Batista and Horacio Ramirez. Washburn is expected to be the number one starter, as he was anything but an ace last year as he finished 8-14 with a 4.67 ERA. If the Mariners expect to go anywhere in ’07, they’ll need him to perform like he did for the Angels in ’05 to justify the huge contract he received from the Mariners last winter.

The other pitcher from last year for the Mariners in starting rotation is amazing young phenom, Felix Hernandez. He was 12-14 with a 4.52 ERA, and had some growing pains, but showed flashes of brilliance, especially towards the end of last season. The Mariners hope that ’07 is the season where Felix puts his amazing ability and assortment of pitches together.

The pitcher I consider to be the wild card in the starting rotation is recently acquired Jeff Weaver. As we all know, he was a main reason why the Cardinals won the World Series, but the question remains, can he translate his playoff run into ’07?

However, his track record and career stats are not all that good, as he left ’06 with a 8-14 record and an ERA approaching 6. He found success in St. Louis during the playoffs after being released from the Angels in the first part of the season. The Mariners can only hope he can maintain the form and poise that made him such a force in the World Series.

The other pitchers who should get rotation spots are new additions, Miguel Batista and Horacio Ramirez. Batista also got a relatively large contract to pitch in Seattle and he was 11-8 with a 4.58 ERA for the Diamondbacks. Considering he is going to the AL, his ERA might stay the same or rise a bit, but they will need him to be effective. Horacio Ramirez had a down year for the Braves in ’06, as he was 5-5 with an ERA in the mid 4 range & the rest of ’06 on the DL. The Mariners will need him to serve as anchor for the rotation.

Young Jake Wood could also factor in the rotation if one of the starters falter. He was 7-4 with a 4.20 ERA and showed a lot of promise in ’06. However, he is most likely to be in the bullpen, most likely in long relief.

The bullpen should also have had a few additions as well. The closer, J.J. Putz is back in the fold and had a career year with 36 saves, 4 wins and a 2.30 ERA. He has progressed nicely in his career, and the Mariners will expect him to build upon his career year for the upcoming season.

The wild card in the bullpen is Chris Reitsma, and he struggled with the Braves with an 8.68 ERA and ended up on the DL for the remainder of the ’06 season. The Mariners hope he returns to his ’05 form with Atlanta, where he registered an ERA under 4. Another addition to the bullpen is longtime veteran Arthur Rhodes who hopes to jumpstart his career and beckon upon previous seasons which made him one of the better left handed relievers in the game.

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* Justin Morneau, AL MVP and Twins first baseman agreed Friday to a $4.5 million, one-year contract with the team. As well, Nick Punto and Lew Ford settled their cases.

* Well, I don’t know if you remember the case of the doctor who decided to sue the Angels over a Mother’s Day promotion with some bags, but it was dismissed.

“A judge has dismissed a lawsuit claiming the Angels discriminated against men by giving tote bags to women during a Mother’s Day baseball game.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Cannon ruled Thursday that the giveaway was not biased against men and that the May 8, 2005, event was a way to honor mothers.

The lawsuit, filed by Los Angeles psychologist Michael Cohn, claimed thousands of men and fans under age 18 were each entitled to $4,000 in damages because they were treated unfairly. Women over 18 received the gifts that day.�?

This fellow, Cohn filed a silly lawsuit, and to be perfectly honest, if he had probably just asked for a bag when he entered the park, he probably would have gotten one.

*The Game Spreading Across the Atlantic, this time: Dusty Baker, Major League Baseball vice president Bob Watson, and former major leaguers Dave Winfield, Reggie Smith and Al Jackson also are making the trip along with Omar Minaya to Ghana to spread the game of baseball. Basically, they want to spread the game to Africa and hopefully foster some talent and more importantly, get young kids over there into the game. Unlike what the Yankees and Red Sox are doing, this trip seems to be a sincere effort to get more minority involvement in the game and truly make it a global one.

* Brian Roberts: Second baseman Brian Roberts avoided arbitration with the Orioles, signing a one-year, $4.2 million contract Thursday & avoiding arbitration. One of the most popular players on the team, his new contract includes incentives for making the All-Star team, earning a Gold Glove or Silver Slugger Award, and being named MVP for the season or in the playoffs.

* Happy Trails: Former San Francisco catcher Mike Matheny was forced to retire due to post-concussion syndrome. After a 13 year career, his own doctor refused to clear Matheny to play in 2007 after a concussion sidelined him for the final four months of last season. He was a lifetime .239 hitter.

* Austin Kearns: Austin Kearns signed a 3-year deal with the Washington, thus avoiding arbitration, but also he secured his future for the short-term. Kearns will get $3.5 million this year, $5 million in 2008 and $8 million in 2009; the Nationals hold a $10 million club option for 2010, with a $1 million buyout. The contract does not include bonus clauses, but Kearns would receive a one-time payment of $100,000 if traded. He will clearly be part of the rebuilding effort in the nation’s capital, as he’ll be part of the core.

* Brett Myers: Right-hander Brett Myers agreed to a $25.75 million, three-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, thus avoiding arbitration.

The San Francisco Giants expected 2006 to be a year where they’d contend and win the NL West title, along with a possible playoff run with their mix of young players and veterans. However, the plan did not go as envisioned, as the Giants were in the playoff hunt in a real weak National League West into September, but a poor run of luck dashed their hopes.

In addition, the team had to endure injuries, especially to big boppers Barry Bonds & Moises Alou, closer Armano Benitez, catcher Mike Matheny, as well as streaky play with both the pitching rotation and batting lineup. The world was left to wonder as the saga of Barry Bonds took center stage for the Giants, with the pursuit of the home run record along on-going legal situation with the BALCO case would affect the team.

The organization had a lot of turnoverr in the winter as Felipe Alou retired and joined the front office, pitcher Jason Schmidt signed with the hated Dodgers and Shea Hillenbrand, Mike Stanton, & slugger Moises Alou all signed with other teams. The Giants have had several new additions, most notably Barry Zito along with Ryan Klesko, Rich Aurilia, Bengie Molina, speedy Dave Roberts, Ryan Klesko and Russ Ortiz. Taking the reigns as the manager is Bruce Bochy, formerly of the San Diego Padres.

The starting rotation for the Giants potentially could be formidable and make waves. As we know, the Giants signed Barry to a monster 7 year contract for 128 million dollars. Although critics had issue with the signing for Barry’s lack of velocity, he relies greatly on his changeup and curveball to get hitters out. Barry Zito has gone to another pitcher’s ballpark, so he should do well. He’s still in his prime, and he’s been healthy and never on the disabled throughout his career, though the law of averages may catch up with him. He’s got an ERA of 3.55 in his career and has pitched over 200 innings in each of his last 6 seasons, so the Giants should expect him to be reliable.

Matt Morris should be a candidate to bounce back. As a solid pitcher in St. Louis, it was expect he’d translate his success to the Giants, but he had a 4.98 ERA and 10-15 record. His track record shows that he should bounce back to numbers more in line with his career stats.

The other starters include Matt Cain who’s coming off a great rook campaign where showed flashes of brilliance. He went 13-12 with a 4.15 ERA, so based on what I saw in ’06 from him, he should be able to build on those numbers heading into the ’07 season. Noah Lowry will also be slotted as a starter and he had a down year with only 7 wins and a 4.74 ERA. He had good year in ’05 as he went 13-13 with a 3.83 ERA and if he could get back to his ’05 level with a few more wins, he’ll pay the Giants huge dividends.

Right now, the fifth starter role is up for grabs, as Brad Hennessy was 5-6 with a 4.26 ERA. However, also vying for that role could be former Giant Russ Ortiz. He has been nothing short of awful these past two seasons, and I saw more than plenty of him in Baltimore. Anyhow, if he could somehow re-capture his ability and pitching from his days with the Giants and the Braves, he could be a steal. As well, Jonathan Sanchez might have a chance to start as well.

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Barry, Barry… Well, the commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig, has rejected Barry Bonds’ contract drafted by the San Francisco Giants. Originally, the contract signed by Bonds contained a provision giving the club the right to void the deal if he is indicted; however, his agent, Jeff Borris, says the language is unenforceable under baseball’s collective bargaining agreement. An issue with the contract also deals with the amount of appearances he’s required to make.

In the end, the contract will probably be done, whether it has to go to an arbitrator or it will be hammered out between the Giants and Bonds’ party. The Giants and Bonds need one another and when it is all said done, expect him to be a uniform.

Steroids and Baseball: The United States Congress could once again intervene in the business of baseball if MLB does not cooperate with the Mitchell Investigation. Basically, Congress wants all active players and owners to cooperate fully with the probe, or they will get involved. Personally, the only way baseball will ever get rid of the perception of the sport being tainted is to just adopt Olympic style drug testing advocated by the WADA, World Anti-Doping Agency.

More on Bernie: CNNsi.com reports that the Yankees have invited Bernie Williams to camp, but not offered a contract to him at all. It looks like the Yankees are ready to sever ties with a player integral to their team the last 2 decades, and considering he hit .281 with 12 homers as well as still productive something is not right about this. Even though he could play with another team, he clearly wants to be a Yankee. Bernie seems to very hurt and a victim a bruised ego, but I wish him the best.