Fastball Fans

There are a lot of people not happy with Joe Torre more or less being shafted in the contract talks yesterday in Florida in returning to the Yankees.

Although the Red Sox and Indians are still battling in the ALCS, and the success of the Rockies in Denver is taking that area by storm, almost all the baseball related chatter yesterday was about the Yankees.

Boy, the timing of their announcements are impeccable.

My bud, Jason, who also runs a baseball blog, My Baseball Bias, says what I feel better than I could put into words. It also helps, he’s a huge Yankee fan…

12 Years as the Manager of the New York Yankees - 12 Playoff Berths

4 World Series Championships

6 American League Pennants

10 AL East Division Pennants

The Yankees organization shot themselves in the foot today. Sure, they’ll be just fine in the long-run because of their rather rich economic situation, but upper management went out and embarrassed the franchise today.

Why is this a sad day to be a Yankee fan? To put it bluntly, they treated one of their own like he s**t .

How do you suddenly ask a man who has led you to the playoffs in every year of his tenure to: 1. take a pay cut and 2. agree to an “incentives based contract�?? That decision by all who were involved, Yankee President Randy Levine, GM Brian Cashman, Owners Hal, Hank and George Steinbrenner, COO Lonn Trost and the rest of the organization is a total slap in the face to Joe Torre.

The Yankees always talk about how classy of an organization they are, how they always try to do the right thing. Well, today they failed miserably. Egg is on all of your faces. You can’t in your right mind think that Joe Torre needs a financial motivation to manage the New York Yankees into the playoffs. And you can’t tell me that by offering him only a one year contract is nothing less than being disrespectful.

And if you really wanted him back, why not negotiate? Why have him fly all the way down to Florida with only one option on the table?

Because you never wanted him back in the first place. If you knew this, you should have fired him right after the ALDS loss to the Cleveland Indians. As an organization, you “suits�? couldn’t have played this any worse. You all needed three days of meetings to decide that you were going to totally humiliate a person by offering him a contract that you knew he would reject?

Gimme a break.

and….

Let me just end with this:

just end with this:

A man who leads a team to the playoffs after a 21-29 start to the season is a man that deserves respect.

Good luck to the next manager of my beloved Yankees, I hope management doesn’t kick you in the ass when you take the job.

Could not have said it any better myself.

Like many fans out there in baseball, whether they root for the Yankees or not, are very much irked and angry that Joe Torre, the manager of the Yankees who has won four World series along with appeared in the playoffs for 12 straight years may be out of a job.

Well, a member from the enemy side now has put in his two cents - David Ortiz.

“Big Papi” Ortiz who has tormented the Yankees and just about every other team in baseball for years has a soft spot Torre and believes the Yankees would be damaged by his departure in an article from the New York Times.

He says:

“This is the way I see it,�? Ortiz said. “Every organization is like the human body. You have a head that, if you mess around with it, everything just goes down at the same time. I think Joe Torre is the head of that organization right there.�?

also…

“There’s no doubt about it, he’s one of the best managers in baseball,�? Ortiz said. “It’s because the way they played the first two months, and going through injuries, and going through everybody apart, and end up being in the playoffs, you got to give him a lot of credit. You need to have a good head to keep the body together that way. And I think he did.�?

Ortiz is irked that the Yankees are not expected to make a decision on Torre until they hold organizational meetings in Tampa, Fla. He said that the Yankees “need to give the man respect�? in how they dealt with Torre’s future.

To top it off…

Ortiz said that Torre, who has helped lead the Yankees into the playoffs for 12 consecutive years, might have done his best job this season because he prevented the Yankees from “falling apart.�? With or without Torre, the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry will continue. But if Torre is gone, Ortiz said, that will favor Boston.

“I tell you what, if he doesn’t come back to the Yankees, they’re going to feel that next year somewhere,�? Ortiz said. “I’m telling you that right now. The guy, he knows what he’s doing. To tell you the truth, he plays to win.�?

Thanks David. Though some in Boston may not be happy to hear what he had to say, it’s a classy thing to say about someone on the enemy side. It shows that ballplayers are not robots, or care solely about the money; they have heart.

‘The Hits Keep Coming’ internet radio show on Blog Talk Radio just had it’s fourth episode on the air tonight. Thanks to Ian and Jason for helping make everything go smoothly, as well as the conversation and taking out part of their evening to talk about the sport we love.

The first was live and streaming; whereas, the second hour was just recorded after we got off the air.

Website: http://blogtalkradio.com/oriolepost

Hour One:

• News with Ian
• The Civil Rights Game & Jackie Robinson
• Eddie Robinson’s Death
• Opening Day Reflections

Hour Two:

• Gil Meche’s Start and the Kansas City Royals
• Curt Schilling and his Blog
• Daisuke Matsuzaka’s first start of the season
• Players on the DL

Join us every Wednesday at 7PM Eastern Time for a live broadcast of the show.

Downloads:

• Windows Media Format
• MP3
• ITunes

• Download the Show in WMA (Windows Media Format)
• Download the Show in MP3 Format

Or hear it streaming:

I do an intenet radio show called ‘The Hits Keep Coming’ on Blog Talk Radio, and we had out first show last night.

To listen to the show, click one of the links above.

It’s amazing how fast 2 hours can go by, and the conversation was effortless.

The first was live and streaming; whereas, the second hour was just recorded after we got off the air.

Hour One: (Live)

• Show Intro
• Pete Rose’s Admission this afternoon…
• Barry Bonds, his pursuit for the record, the BALCO Investigation and the San Francisco Giants
• Gary Matthews, HGH, the debate over his contract & even more steroid talk…
• Quick overview of the National League East (Mets, Braves, Philies)
• Alex Rodriguez
• Roger Clemens
• Show Closing

Hour Two

• American League East and the Northeast in General
• More Alex Rodriguez
• The Direct TV Issue
• Daisuke Matzusaka
• Baltimore Orioles and Peter Angelos
• The Tampa Bay Devil Rays
• Quick rundown of the American League Central & West

Join us every Wednesday at 7PM Eastern Time for a live broadcast of the show.

More info can be found at The Hits Keep Coming… page.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (92-70): For the past several years, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been one of the powerhouses of the American League and perennial division contenders. Stocked with plenty of pitching, young talent and offense, the Angels should once again compete toe to toe with the Athletics in the American League West. As the Angels share a portion of Southern California that compromises L.A. and Anaheim, Arte Moreno has taken steps to re-invest in the team and battle the Dodgers for area supremacy.

The Angels had incredible pitching, especially from Jered Weaver and flashes of brilliance from the other members of the starting rotation. However, the offense struggled and that in turn hurt the team.

Although the team came up short in the AL West in’06, Moreno has once again taken steps to improve the team. Gone from the team are Darin Erstad who signed with the White Sox, Adam Kennedy who joined the St. Louis Cardinals, J.C. Romero and Brendan Donnelly and Kevin Gregg who were traded. The team in the winter added Shea Hillenbrand, Gary Matthews Jr., pitchers Darren Oliver, Justin Speier, Phi Seibel and Chris Resop.

The starting corps has some of the best veteran and young arms in the sport of baseball, as they were formidable in ’06 and should remain the same in ’07. With ace John Lackey, the aforemtioned Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, Kelvim Escobar in the fold, the Angles will once again have one the premier staffs in the American League.

The bullpen for the Angels is just as impressive as their starting rotation. Returning to the closer role in ’07 is longtime mainstay, “K-Rod�? Francisco Rodriguez. He was his usual dominant self with a miniscule 1.73 ERA and based on his record should be lights out in ’07 as well. Only 25, he’s got the chance to be one of the best closers ever in the history of the game.

The offense last year for the Angels was nothing short of anemic at times in ‘06, but 2007 might be the year where things come together. With the new additions to the team, like Shea Hillenbrand, Guerrero should have some protection and contribute as he always has.

Expect Chone Figgins, Orlando Cabrera and Garrett Anderson to productive, and youngsters Howie Kendrick, and Casey Kotchman to show what they have got.

The great unknown so far is with Gary Matthews as he’s got a two-fold problem, the first being if he can replicate what he in 2006, and second the drug issue and possible reprimand from the team itself or Major League Baseball.

If the Angels pitching and their offense come together, then they could possibly win the AL West and find themselves in the playoffs. Southern California has two potential playoff contenders in the Angels and the Dodgers, and in the end, the Halos led by Guerrero, Lackey, Weaver, and company could make 2007 a year to remember in that part of the region.

Oakland Athletics (89-73): The Oakland Athletics in this decade, year after year have been able to compete in a stacked American League despite their market size and the economic reality of the sport. Under the tutelage of GM Billy Beane, the A’s have been able to build contender after contender, despite the economic disparity between the franchise and powerhouses like the New York Yankees. Although the team has seen a revolving door of stars leave like the organization, with the most recent being Barry Zito and Frank Thomas, through shrewd roster moves and great scouting, the A’s have remained an influential & a viable force in the game.

Changes were abound over the winter, as the aforementioned Barry Zito went to San Francisco, Frank Thomas parlayed his year to a big contract in Toronto, and maligned Ken Macha was disposed of, and Bob Geren took his place. In addition, Jay Payton and Jerome Williams left the team for free agency and Kirk Saarloos was traded. Over the winter, the team added longtime veteran and future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, pitcher Alan Embree, and the team acquired Donnie Murphy, David Shafer and Ryan Goleski via trades.

The A’s have been known for their efficient pitching and an always durable, reliable young core of talent. 2007 should bring more of the same, and expect the A’s to once again fight with the Angels for the reign of the AL West, as well as an American League wild card spot.

With the exception of Barry Zito, the pitching rotation from last season remains pretty much intact with young Rich Harden now as the future ace of the staff, with young Dan Haren, veteran Esteban Loaiza, Joe Blanton and Joe Kennedy.

The bullpen for the A’s was one the strongest in baseball, and should remain the same way in 2007. Huston Street will be back in the fold, and in his third year, A’s fans should expect more of the same production from him. Although his ERA was nearly more than a run higher than his previous season where he won the Rookie of the Year award, he finished the season with 37 saves. He did struggle at times in 06, but overall, he’s been solid for the A’s and is regarded as one of the better closers in the game

The starting lineup and offense for Oakland struggled at times, but were buoyed by the big bat of Frank Thomas in 2006 and helped get them into the playoffs. However, he’s gone, and the everyday players will need to do better to improve an offense which at times looked anemic and lacked run production. In addition, the team will need to find a way to stay healthy, as almost all the everyday players with exception of Kendall, had injuries or ailments to deal with and in turn, the offensive numbers suffered.

The big question for the A’s is will Mike Piazza produce and replicate the success he’s had for the last two years, or will he start to regress as he gets older?

As well, the A’s will need Eric Chavez, and company to step up at the plate.

The A’s the A’s should once again be counted as contenders for both the American League West and the pennant; however, but the team must avoid injuries and get better production from the offense. The pitching, even with Zito leaving for the National League should be among the league’s best and will be perhaps what gets Oakland into the playoff. The main competition for the American League West will be the Angels, but in a stacked American League, it may become a dog fight in the end for a playoff spot American League supremacy with the crowded talented AL Central and East.

Texas Rangers (81-81): The Rangers for the past two decades have always been known as a team with a dearth of power and offense, but the pitching has always lagged behind. Thanks to the cozy confines of the park, and perhaps due to sweltering heat, AmeriQuest Field serves as a launching pad, but a house of horrors for pitchers, both for the home and visiting team.

Changes took place during the winter in Texas, with taskmaster Buck Showalter being shown the door, and former Athletics’ coach Ron Washington taking the helm. Washington’s positive attitude should counteract the problems that players had with Buck Showalter.

The Rangers have not been contenders for the past several seasons, and they have had a backseat to the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Although the team has not gotten into the playoffs this decade, they have a great core in Mark Teixeira, Hank Blalock, Ian Kinsler and Michael Young. As well, the pitching corps may not have as much firepower as the Red Sox, or the Yankees, but they have capable starters Kevin Millwood in the fold, plus Vicente Padillia and recent addition Brandon McCarthy.

The bullpen for the Rangers remains pretty much like it did in ’06, though for one big addition – former Cy Young winner Eric Gagne. He’ll be the setup man for Akinori Otuska, who had a marvelous 2006 where he was 2-4 with a 2.11 ERA and 32 saves. Traded to the Rangers in ’06 from the Padres, Otuska was a reliable stopper for the team and should maintain at same level he was at in ’06 or possibly improve.

Although the team will miss the production of Mark DeRosa and Gary Matthews Jr., key players like Mark Teixiera and Michael Young return in ’07.

Right now, the wild card in the lineup is Sammy Sosa. As we know, he recently signed a minor league contract to join the team. He took of last season after struggling horribly in Baltimore in 2005 and as well trying to recapture his glory after a messy divorce with the Chicago Cubs. At 38, he’s attempting a comeback and Texas is a team that fits him well. Sammy will play in a hitters ballpark, and if makes the team and if he’s got some gas left in the tank, he may make the Rangers lineup formidable.

In the end, the Rangers may not have enough to win the AL West, but the team has a core of young and established veterans that could make an impact in ’07. A lot of the success that the team will have this upcoming season will depend on their pitching and if the weaker parts of the offense from ‘06 picking up the slack.

Seattle Mariners (77-85): 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. Sadly, they may finish last again for the 4th 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 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.

Felix Hernandez 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 bullpen looks improved on paper, though it has a few questions. 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.

The starting lineup for the most part remained the same at is was in ’06. For the Seattle Mariners, the main focus of the lineup is the amazing Ichiro Suzuki; however, the team will need a good year from Richie Sexson along with Adrian Beltre, Youniesky Betancourt, Jose Lopez, and new additions Jose Guillen and Jose Vidro to step up.

The Mariners play in a competitive American League West and it may be hard for the team to move up in 2007 in light of the additions made. The team has made a number of changes to attempt to get more competitive, but it looks like the Mariners may remain where they are unless the pitching rotation steps up and additions to the offense perform like they have in the past. Considering this is Ichiro’s walk year, it’s vital that the team make strides to move up the AL West standings.

The Mariners may be a few players away from seriously contending in 2007, but the young core that they have give the team hope for the future.

Read more here…

Los Angeles Dodgers (91-71): The team has had quite a few new additions, including longtime San Francisco pitcher Jason Schmidt, veterans Luis Gonzalez, Mike Leiberthal, Randy Wolf and the speedy Juan Pierre. However, during the winter, the team lost several players including Jose Cruz Jr., J.D. Drew, Eric Gagne, Toby Hall, Kenny Lofton, Julio Lugo, Jayson Werth and the ageless Greg Maddux.

In light of losing Greg Maddux, the Dodgers have once again put the focus on the upgrading their pitching, as they acquired Jason Schmidt from the rival Giants. With workhouse Derek Lowe, imposing Brad Penny, Randy Wolf, who’ll on be on the comeback trail, and as well, possibly youngster Chad Bilingsley, the Dodgers have a an impressive starting corps.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o />

The bullpen has a mix of young and veteran arms, and will look to help the starting pitching out of jams and close out games this upcoming season with Takashi Saito and fireballer, Jonathan Broxton.

The weakness with the Dodgers is the offense, and Dodgers did not hit very many home runs in 2006; however, they are a disciplined team at the plate and led the league in batting. The Dodgers tried to add a few marquee free agents to the mix, but failed, and with J.D. Drew, a productive Kenny Lofton, along with Julio Lugo leaving, the offense once again is devoid of power in comparison to their rivals.

With the addition of Juan Pierre, and teammates Rafael Furcal, veterans Luis Gonzalez, Nomar Garciaparra, Jeff Kent along with youngsters, Russel Martin, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, the Dodgers should have an adequate offense blessed with speed and patience at the plate.

In the end, the Dodgers should be counted on being contenders once again in 2007. With a good starting corps on paper, and a bullpen with reliable arms, the Dodgers should be the class along with the Padres of the National West. The glaring weakness is the offense with its lack of power, but overall, the team should be in fine shape for a division run.

I see the Dodgers being the odds on favorite to win the division.

San Diego Padres (89-73): In about a month or so, the Friars will once again try to repeat as National League West Champions. The team had great starting pitching last season, but was devoid of power throughout the year, and they in turn at times suffered.

Recently, the team hired former pitcher Bud Black and hopefully he’ll be the guiding hand for a team blessed with pitching and young talent. The team has had quite a few new additions, including Jose Cruz Jr., Marcus Giles and Greg Maddux via free agency, while acquiring Andrew Brown, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Heath Bell and Royce Ring via trades.

For the Friars, the starting rotation is very deep with a mix of young fireballers and crafty veterans, with ace Jack Peavy looking to bounceback, Chris Young and crafty veterans, David Wells and Greg Maddux.

Much like the starting pitching, the bullpen is also strong and deep with a mixture of young talent and experienced veterans. The closer will be future Hall of Famer, Trevor Hoffman, who saved 46 games with a 2.14 ERA in 2006. Also joining Hoffman in the bullpen will be Cla Meredith, who had an amazing 2006 with a miniscule ERA of 1.07 & will be counted on producing the same result in 2007.

The offense for the Padres was lackluster at times, and the team did try to make some moves in the winter, but the market for a big bat was a bit high for the team. However, the team did make a few additions, including signing Marcus Giles & trading heralded rookie Josh Barfield for hot youngster Kevin Kouzmanoff. The Padres lost speedy Dave Roberts and the big bat of Mike Piazza, so the team hopes the new additions, plus the current roster make up the difference of the loss of those who left.

In the end, the Padres should be counted on being contenders once again in 2007. With a good starting corps on paper, and a bullpen with reliable arms, the Padres should be the class along with the Dodgers of the National West.

Arizona Diamondbacks (85-77): Although the team had a season that saw many ups and downs, they have a great, talented core and should be primed to make an impact in the National League West. With the addition of an old friend, Randy Johnson, the Diamondbacks have the potential to be players in the National League pennant race.

For the Diamondbacks, the starting rotation has the potential to be in the top echelon of the National League, as they have an ace in the making the Brandon Webb, a legendary fireballer in Randy Johnson, a crafty veteran in Livan Hernandez, and a bunch of arms ready to make an impact.

The Diamondbacks offense once again, will be fairly young, but they have some quality bats easily capable of doing damage and taking their game to the next level. With up and coming players such as Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson and Chad Tracy in the fold, the Diamondbacks should be in great shape for the future.

Heading into spring, the Diamondbacks, if the pitching can hold up and the young players and offense improve from last year, they have a good of a shot as anyone in the National League West. The team is stacked with young players all across the board, the team has so much talent and promise along with good pitching, and so they cannot be discounted as a contender in the National League.

San Francisco Giants (81-81): 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.

As we know, the Giants signed Barry to a monster 7 year contract for 128 million dollars, and he’ll be the ‘man’ in the Giants’ pitching rotation.

The starting rotation for the Giants potentially could be formidable and make waves with veteran Matt Morris, youngster Matt Cain, Noah Lowry and a number of guys who may be the fifth starter, including Russ Ortiz who is on the comeback trail.

The bullpen was a major problem for the Giants in ’06. Closer Armando Benitez was out for much of the season due to an injury, and right now it’s looking unclear as to when he’ll return or if he’s healthy. Also in the bullpen will be Brian Wilson who could serve as a closer, Steve Kline, Kevin Correia, Jonathan Sanchez & Vinnie Chulk. Right now, there could be several other men favored for the bullpen, and with the retirement of Tim Worrell, things are in flux.

The batting order for the Giants has undergone some change, and is pretty old in comparison to other lineups throughout baseball and of course, much of the attention in the batting order is given to Barry Bonds. As we all know, Bonds is in pursuit of the home run and has been a force in the game since the 1990’s, but in 2006, age caught up with him as he missed a good portion of the season with knee and elbow issues, but came back strong finishing up with 26 homers and a .270 average. If he’s healthy, he’s a dangerous hitter and has a great on-base percentage. New additions to the offense include Ryan Klesko, Rich Aurilia, Bengie Molina, & speedy Dave Roberts.

The Giants may improve on their lackluster ending to ’06 in the upcoming season. The team may not be complete enough to win the NL West, but the division is wide open right now. Much of how the Giants fare will do with how Bonds recovers from his ailments in ’06 and if he can swing the bat as he did before the injuries (based on the end of last season – he can). As well, will the media attend surrounding Bonds and his BALCO case affects the ream.

What remains to be seen is can Zito be the ace and doubt the skeptics, as well can the young pitching step up and deliver? As well, the team is older and built to win now, but can they?

Colorado Rockies (77-85): While some baseball experts may not consider the Rockies at all in the playoff hunt for 2007, they are loaded with young players all on the club and in the minors; therefore, the team has so much talent and promise.

In light of it all, don’t discount the Rockies as a factor in the National League. With the emergence of Matt Holliday and several others, this season should be interesting in Colorado. For the team to make an impact, the pitching will need to step and move forward, and if the offense can repeat what they did last year, the Rockies could be a dark house in the National League West race.

Much of the team’s core is back, but some additions and changes were made. During the winter, the team traded Jason Jennings to Houston for speedy Willy Tavares, and pitchers Taylor Buchholz and Jason Hirsch. As well, the team acquired Rodrigo Lopez in a trade, and signed pitcher LaTroy Hawkins - but, the team lost reliever Jose Mesa in free agency.

With the trade of Jason Jennings, a quality starter, the young pitching will need to step up as the top of the rotation will be held by youngsters Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis, who have the potential to break out. Rodrigo Lopez will probably find himself in the middle of the rotation, and will look to bounce back from his horrid 2006 in Baltimore. The bullpen is not particularly strong, but it has some potentially good arms.

Rockies offense is a mix of young players and veterans, but they have some big bats easily capable of doing damage. Once again, expect Matt Holiday, Garrett Atkins to have big years for the Rockies. However, the big question is whether Todd Helton will bounce back and make the offense even more fearsome.

The Colorado Rockies play in a stacked division with the Giants, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Padres. While the Rockies are stacked with young players all across the board, the team has so much talent and promise, but it may fall short of being a contender because of the pitching.

In the end, for the Rockies to contend, the pitching will need to step and move forward, plus the offense has to do their job. Therefore, if it all comes together, Colorado might have enough firepower for to be a factor in the National League West race.

Read More Here…

Well, here’s some selected players I decided to pull from the simulation I did for the 2007 regular season using MVP Baseball 2005 modified for the upcoming season.

Most of the players did what I expect them to do, and I’m so glad Bonds gets injured and misses breaking Hank’s record. However, Derek will not 38 homers, and Alex Rodriguez will hit more than 29, and J.D. Drew will not 41 homers for the Red Sox.

I’ll post more players as I go along, and I’ll do the pitchers later. If there’s anyone whom you’d like to see, let me know.

See More Here

- photo from starpulse.com

For the past several years, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been one of the powerhouses of the American League and perennial division contenders. Stocked with plenty of pitching, young talent and offense, the Angels should once again compete toe to toe with the Athletics in the American League West. As the Angels share a portion of Southern California that compromises L.A. and Anaheim, Arte Moreno has taken steps to re-invest in the team and battle the Dodgers for area supremacy.

The Angels had incredible pitching, especially from Jared Weaver and flashes of brilliance from the other members of the starting rotation. However, the offense struggled and that in turn hurt the team.

Although the team came up short in the AL West in’06, Moreno has once again taken steps to improve the team. Gone from the team are Darin Erstad who signed with the White Sox, Adam Kennedy who joined the St. Louis Cardinals, J.C. Romero and Brendan Donnelly and Kevin Gregg who were traded. The team in the winter added Shea Hillenbrand, Gary Matthews Jr., pitchers Darren Oliver, Justin Speier, Phi Seibel and Chris Resop.

The starting corps has some of the best veteran and young arms in the sport of baseball, as they were formidable in ’06 and should remain the same in ’07. The top of the rotation should compromise of John Lackey who was 13-11 with an ERA of 3.56 in 2006. Although he had a down year from ’05 where he was 14-5, Lackey should bounce back this upcoming season.

The rotation will also have amazing youngsters Jared Weaver who earned an 11-2 record with a 2.56 ERA & could be considered the ace of the staff; Kelvim Escobar who was 11-13, but with a solid 3.61 ERA & Ervin Santana who was 16-8 with an ERA over 4. All three pitchers were good in 2006, but Weaver was nothing short of exceptional. Santana should maintain the same level, Escobar may chalk up a few more wins and Weaver may have his ERA rise; however, he if can pitch at the level he did in ’06, he could be a Cy Young candidate.

It looks like both Escobar and Lackey were victims of the offense, and could have easily tacked on a few more wins.

The wild card in the rotation is Bartolo Colon. He’s had a stellar career with the Angels, White Sox, Expos and Indians, but he struggled last year to a record of 1-5 with an ERA over 5 until he went down for the rest of the season with injury. If he’s fully recovered, in good condition, and in shape, he should bounce back and return to his form before his problems last season.

If all 5 starters are healthy, the team will have one of the most impressive & talented pitching rotations in the game. Another pitcher who could step in play a role is Joe Saunders, rookie in ’06 who went 7-3 with a 4.71 ERA. For now, he may be a long reliever in the bullpen, but he may spot start or find himself in the rotation if someone struggles or goes down with injury.

The bullpen for the Angels is just as impressive as their starting rotation. Returning to the closer role in ’07 is longtime mainstay, “K-Rod�? Francisco Rodriguez. He was his usual dominant self with a miniscule 1.73 ERA and based on his record should be lights out in ’07 as well. Only 25, he’s got the chance to be one of the best closers ever in the history of the game.

Read More Here…

- image from mlb.com

The Kansas City Royals for the past several seasons have been seen as probably the most moribund organization in all of sports. The team was a consistent winner in the 1980’s and won it all in 1985; however, since 1990, the organization has only had three winning seasons and fans know the team is out of contention for a title before the first pitch is ever thrown. Due to the economic reality of the sport, Kansas City over the years have lost stars like Johnny Damon and Carlos Beltran to free agency, thus never having the chance to see their young talent stick it through for the Royals.

A city with a proud baseball tradition, Kansas City has deserved much better, and owner David Glass this winter finally opened up the checkbook and signed some talent. There’s new found optimism as the team is finally taking steps to improve and had a huge free agent signing; albeit, a controversial one with pitcher Gil Meche.

Though pundits, the media and bloggers all around the internet blasted the organization over the Meche signing, the move did show fans that the team is ready to forge ahead. The Kansas City Royals now want to be respected, and see themselves on the rise, not to be the butt of baseball jokes. If all comes to together, the Royals may surprise the league and perhaps break through in 2007 and finally be on the road to respectability.

Overall, the team is still infused with a lot of youth, but the team recently added veterans Octavio Dotel, David Riske and the aforementioned Gil Meche. As well, the team recently acquired Russ Gload, Jason LaRue and Brian Bannister via trade. The team lost Paul Bako, Mark Redman and Paul Mientkiewicz to free agency, and Donnie Murphy, Ambiorix Burgos, Andrew Sisco and Jeff Keppinger to trades.

The pitching for the Royals is a big question mark going into 2007, and the offense is devoid of power; however, there’s no question that new GM Dayton Moore is taking steps to improve the team.

The starting pitching for the Royals is a mixture of youth & veteran mainstays. The rotation includes Gil Meche as the number one starter, Odalis Perez, Luke Hudson, Jorge De La Rosa and Brian Bannister in the mix.

The wild card in the rotation will be Gil Meche, who will have a lot of pressure on him to deliver and be the ace. He finished 11-8 with a 4.48 ERA with Seattle; however, he’s got a lifetime of ERA 4.65 and will need to step it up with the Royals to justify his contract. Based on this track record, he should be a solid pitcher for the team, but they should not expect to be a Cy Young candidate. Veteran Odalis Perez should be the second starter and he struggled in 2006 with a 6-8 record and an ERA over 6. The team will need him to regain the form he had with the Dodgers if the Royals are going to move up in the win column. Luke Hudson will also be in the rotation as he was 7-6 with an ERA over 5; Jorge DeLaRosa, who as well struggled in ’06 should have a spot, and young Brian Bannister who came from the Mets, should round out the rotation.

Another possibly for the pitching staff may be Zack Greinke. Only 23, he shows a lot of promise to be a good pitcher in the big leagues, and had a good 2004 finished with a 3.97 ERA; however, while he struggled in 2005 where he lost 17 games and finished with an ERA under 6. Sadly, in 2006, he only got into 3 games before he left for the rest of the season due to personal issues. He’s on the 40 man roster, & if he returns to the team, he will be a big factor in the future of the Royals.

Also, Scott Elarton should be a choice to make the starting rotation as he was 4-9 with a 5.34 ERA. He’s a longtime veteran and he’s struggled the past several seasons, but won 11 games in ’05 and 17 in ’01. He may be in the bullpen, work as a spot starter, or perhaps might factor in the rotation if he has a good spring training.

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The only baseball team left in Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays, have longed for the days of the early 90’s where they won back to back championships; however, with the emergence of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox as beasts in the American League East, they found it hard to compete for the better part of ten years plus.

The organization opened up the purse strings last winter signing a plethora of free agents; therefore, under the guidance of general manager J.P. Riccardi the end result was a second place finish in the American League East and remaining in the playoff hunt until after the All-Star break. Although the team was about 10 games short of winning the division and just as much from the Wild Card last season, the team made a lot of strides.

The Blue Jays played well while mired in controversy with their manager, John Gibbons and run-ins with players. However, the team has given him the sign of approval and he’ll guide the team into the upcoming season.

While the team has a fearsome offense, as well as a deep bullpen, the starting corps is suspect. Back in the fold in the rotation is star Roy Halladay, but after that uncertainty awaits.

Gone from the team are Ted Lilly who went to the Cubs, Shea Hillenbrand who was traded to the Giants mid-season, Bengie Molina, Frank Catalanotto and Justin Speier. New additions to the team include the big addition, masher Frank Thomas, longtime veteran Royce Clayton, and pitchers John Thomson and Tomo Ohka.

In the end, the big question will be do the Jays have enough to be a contender?

Leading the charge in the Blue Jays starting rotation is perennial Cy Young candidate, Roy “Doc�? Halladay. Holladay is coming off a season where he went 16-5 with a 3.19 ERA; therefore, it’s needless to say that the Blue Jays will need him to maintain the same level and remain healthy for the team to have a fighting chance as a contender.

After Halladay, things get worrisome in terms of the starting pitching.

The probable second starter A.J. Burnett has loads of potential, and could be an ace in the hole along with Halladay; however, he’s had problems staying healthy for a full season. Given a 5 year, 55 million dollar contract last winter, he missed time with elbow problems, but managed a 10-8 record with a 3.98 ERA. A gifted pitcher, the Blue Jays hope his history of injuries are left behind and he can stay healthy.

Young Gustavo Chacin will be the 3rd starter, as he was 9-4, however with an ERA at 5. He will need to give up fewer runs, & pitch deeper into games in ’07 and beyond. Tomo Ohka will be at the bottom of the rotation, and although he will not ever be a top of heap guy, he’s a solid .500 pitcher who will eat innings. He was 4-5 with an ERA under 5 in ’06 for the Brewers.

The wildcard in the rotation is newly acquired John Thomson. The Blue Jays hope he’s got some stuff left, as he was only 2-7 last year with an ERA near 5. His best year recently was in 2004 where he was 14-8 with a 3.72 for the Atlanta Braves. To be quite honest, for the Blue Jays to have a shot in the AL East, they will need Chacin, Ohka and Thomson to find their way, step up and pitch well if they have any shot at contending in the stacked American League.

The bullpen for the Blue Jays this year will have an assortment of young arms, a lot of depth, but a very dominant closer in the fold. The bullpen was very strong last year, as imposing B.J. Ryan saved 38 games and had a miniscule 1.37 ERA. Although he received a record contract for a closer which brought some scrutiny, he was nothing short of golden for the Blue Jays. Only 31, he’s got many years left in the tank, and is already now one of the best relievers in the game.

Joining B.J. Ryan will be Jeremy Accardo who appeared in 65 games in ’06 in first year, Scott Downs, Brian Tallet, Brandon League who was impressive, Jason Frasor, Dustin McGowan and possible Davis Romero or Francisco Rosario.

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The ever so-controversial manager of the Chicago White Sox, Ozzie Guillen christened the infelders of the Minnesota Twins the “little piranhas�?, because of their style of the play, their tenacity & unwillingness to give in, along with the lack of household names. However, that should probably apply to the whole team.

The reasons above are how Minnesota came back from a horrendous April and May where they were well under .500 and pretty much buried to storming back to win the American League Central on the final day of the 2006 season. Under the guidance of manager Ron Gardenhire, and GM Terry Ryan, the small market Twins, despite their lack of resources in comparison to the powerhouse New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have been able to compete this decade thanks to intelligent scouting along with fostering a culture of winning and nurturing young talent.

Their amazing second half made for a great story for baseball and an unprecedented run for a division title, but things will probably be even more difficult in 2007. Sadly, the Twins due to their economic standing could not at all be players in free agency this winter and will probably need the same amount of good fortune it had in 2006 to be viable contenders this upcoming season. With the market is as it is right now, the Twins are handcuffed due to arbitration-eligible players, taking on Hunter’s $12 million dollar option, so much of the free agent signings were of journeyman players and reclamation projects.

Although the team wound up losing to the Oakland Athletics in the Division Series, the Twins no doubt had an amazing 2006 where hometown boy Joe Mauer won the batting title, Justin Morneau won the MVP, Michael Cuddyer broke out and had a career year, and Johan Santana was his usual dominant self. Minnesota became very scary, as a two headed monster was created in the starting rotation with Johan Santana and superstar rookie, Francisco Liriano.

Liriano went down with an elbow injury and missed pretty much the latter half of 2006 and he’s not expected to be back until 2008. As well, longtime Twin, Brad Radke struggled with arm and shoulder problems throughout the season and relied on guile as well as guts to succeed. However, after the playoffs, he decided to retire due to injuries.

As we head to spring training, the Twins have a lot of positives going for them, but they once again may have a mountain to climb. The positives are that the Twins really did not lose any of their core players, and much of the starting lineup you saw in 2006 should be back for 2007. With Twin mainstay and human highlight film, Torii Hunter returning, along with the aforementioned Mauer, Morneau, and Cuddyer, the Twins offense should be able to maintain or perhaps even exceed 2006. As well, the Twins also had some young pitching come up the pipeline and contribute as well in both the rotation and bullpen.

In light of the positives, the Twins also have a few negative forces to deal with. The forces working against them involve the lack of starting pitching, & with dealing with arbitration-eligible players. Based on the team’s track record in this decade, they might have a very good chance at working through their issues and once again surprise the league.

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The friendly city of St. Louis was awash in red after the underdog Cardinals surprised the nation & won the World Series. The Cards beat the heavily favored Mets in dramatic fashion to win the National League Championship Series and in the World Series, beat a Detroit Tiger team that was on an amazing wave of momentum. Skipper Tony LaRussa won his third World Series, while Albert Pujols won his first. The Redbirds may have limped their way only 83 wins to finish during the 2006 regular season, but they came through then it mattered.

Although Redbird Nation had an exhilarating end to 2006, the winter for the Cardinals has been relatively full of fanfare. Even though the Cardinals have not signed a marquee free agent, the team took the initiative to extend ace Cris Carpenter’s contract, as well as resigned Jim Edmonds and Scott Speizio, who was nothing short of clutch in the playoffs. Meanwhile, pitchers Jeff Suppan and Jason Marquis left the team for greener pastures and join rivals within the division.

However, fans should feel confident that the National League Central is fairly weak this season, and the Cardinals have a good as chance to win the division with exception of perhaps the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals have won consistently in the past decade, and there’s no reason to doubt the team can’t do it in 2007. The Cardinals do not look as strong on paper as they have in past seasons, but there’s no doubt that they will be contenders in the Nationals League.

Right now, the Cardinal pitching rotation remains unresolved. The only pitchers penciled in the starting rotation are ace Cris Carpenter, Mark Mulder, who resigned with the team and is coming off an injury riddled 2006, and Anthony Reyes, a young pitcher who showed amazing composure during the playoffs. Carpenter, of course is the man in the starting rotation as he’ll be expected to win and put up solid numbers as usual. Mark Mulder will be counted on returning back to pre-injury form; Anthony Reyes will need take his success from the playoff run in 2006 and translate into to big things in 2007.

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For the boys in pinstripe blue, every year brings high expectations from fans, the press and more importantly, George Steinbrenner. The Yankees have won the American League East division nine years in a row, but to most in Yankee nation, the season starts in October. In 2006, the Yankees lost in decisive fashion to the Detroit Tigers and disappoint reigned with all their fans. As a result of the loss, much of the offseason was spent wondering how it happened and to fix the team which seemed to lack chemistry and heart.

Since the New York Yankees missed their goal of winning the World Series, changes were abound and came swiftly. First, Randy Johnson, Jaret Wright and Gary Sheffield were traded and bench Lee Mazzilli was fired and replaced by Yankee legend Don Mattingly. Second, 2005 saviors Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon were released from the during the 2006 season along with a litany of other pitchers. However, the Yankee method of operation has been altered & instead of spending big bucks to entice superstars to play in the bright lights of New York, the Yankees have now started to cultivate and trade for young talent, while being fiscally more conservative.

Like with every winter as of late with the New York Yankees, this one was particularly newsworthy. The trades of Johnson, Wright and Sheffield netted a lot of young talent and also dumped salary. Meanwhile, it seemed that the Yankees were covered 24 hours a day with news of deals, trades, rumors and drama. Longtime Yankees manager Joe Torre was rumored to be on the chopping block right after the team was disposed in the playoffs, but George Steinbrenner gave Torre one more year. On the field, enigmatic third baseman Alex Rodriguez was rumored to also be traded after a turbulent year in New York.

Much of the attention in the offseason for the Yankees was focused on the starting pitching. Although the Yankees coasted to the AL East title, the rotation was a big concern as it dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness. Randy Johnson had an oft-ailing back, Jaret Wright also struggled with few ailments, and Carl Pavano sat out pretty much all of 2006 recovering with shoulder problems and injuries from an accident.

Randy Johnson, as well know by now was traded back to Arizona after 2 lackluster years with the Yankees. While in pinstripes, he won 34 games in 2 years, but he dealt with a bad back, bouts of ineffectiveness and bad outings. He also never did fit in with Yankee culture, and in he looked uncomfortable while a member of the team. More importantly, he did not do the job in playoffs, and that got him jettisoned from the Yankees.

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Hope springs eternal for every team before the first game of each and every team before a season, and some teams know they are contenders and some do not. Sadly, for the Washington Nationals, most experts and pundits believe they will not be contenders at all in the National League and perhaps will lose 100 games or more. However, even though the Nationals are rebuilding their organization for the future, the team has potential All-Stars like Ryan Zimmerman & Chad Cordero emerging as the cornerstone of the franchise. With the exception of a few players, 2007 will be a year for many to show they belong on a major league club.

2006 was a year which saw ground break on their new home in 2008, the release of Frank Robinson as manager, to the hiring of former Mets’ coach Manny Acta, the upcoming 2007 season will determine the road that the Nationals are on for the years ahead. The team lost superstar player Alfonso Soriano & the team was widely criticized for not trading him, but they made one of shrewd deals of 2006 in which they traded away some members of their bullpen for youngsters Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez.

Right now, baseball is in a period of economic boom, and from that result, the contracts free agents have received this offseason have been unprecedented. However, the Nationals have pretty much stayed out of the fray and have had no big signings during the winter. The Nationals’ front office, led by Stan Kasten and General Manager, Jim Bowden have a plan in place to rebuild from within via draft picks, talent in Latin America and lower level players than rather than investing heavily in the free agent market. The team was able to get some young talent via trades and had a good draft; so much of the energy in the offseason was spent trying to rebuild a moribund minor league. Hopefully under the tutelage of Manny Acta, the Nationals perhaps could do better than expected.

As we are heading into the New Year, the Nationals’ have a litany of needs, primarily in the pitching department. The batting lineup and bench are in better shape; however, besides young star Ryan Zimmerman, Nick Johnson and perhaps Austin Kearns to an extent, the Nats’ have a lack of power and impact bats in the lineup and on the bench. With second baseman Jose Vidro being traded, strong bench guy Daryl Ward gone, Alfonso Soriano now in the Windy City, the Nats are looking to become younger and have a core of players that will help them to compete.

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Needless to say, the Boston Red Sox had a very turbulent 2006. With a rash of injuries & ailments to key players such as Jason Varitek, Tim Wakfield, Trot Nixon, Manny Ramirez, along with David Ortiz’s heart condition and Jon Lester’s lymphoma diagnosis, the Red Sox who were at the top of the division during the first half, fell out of the AL East race after the New Yankees slaughtered them in a 5 game series at Fenway Park in August. That weekend tempered with the injuries, and Manny Ramirez controversy over his injuries pretty much a season with high expectations into a tailspin.

Red Sox Nation have gotten accustomed to going to the playoffs for the past few seasons and continuing their never ending war with the Yankees, but sadly that was not the case in 2006. The Yankees eventually won the division handily until getting beating by the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS.

As the dawn of the 2007 season approaches, New England and Red Sox Nationsis once again ready for the fever, and this winter for the team was nothing short of successful for fans of the team, in my eyes. With a fan base itching for another World Championship and unbridled love for their team, GM Theo Epstein and company are once again focused into making the Red Sox a winner.

During the offseason, the Red Sox made a huge wave going from one continent to another by signing Japanese uber-stud, Daisuke Matzsuaka, whom the team big an earth-stopping $51 million on, beating out the Yankees and Mets for his services. In addition, the Red Sox signed shortstop Julio Lugo, pitcher Joel Piniero, and probably one of the most controversial signings of the winter, J.D. Drew.

Much of the offseason for the Red Sox was shoring up the pitching rotation. Curt Schilling returns in what could possibly be his last season, as well as steady mainstay Tim Wakefield, and Josh Beckett who won 16 games, but had a propensity for giving up long balls, too many walks, had problems with his pitching and struggled his way to an ERA over 5.

The wild cards in the pitching staff are wonder kid Jonathan Papelbon and Japanese stuff, Matsuzaka. Papelbon had a breakout 2006, becoming one of the most dominant closer is the game, ending up on the All-Star team, and having an ERA well under one, until he ended up on the shelf for the rest of the year due to shoulder problems. The Red Sox are letting him go into the starting rotation where they expect him to translate the success he had as closer into a starter.

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