Fastball Fans

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.

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More on the recent steroid scandal, this time from ESPN. Featured in the video are Gary Matthews with a canned statement, Angels’ manager, Mike Scoiscia, and former boxing champion Evander Holyfield.

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.

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Wow. I found this on Youtube and this is from one of my favorite Simpsons’ episode. I think is from 1990 or so and the episode is called “Homer at Bat”.

The Simpsons are my one of favorite shows, and it being the season of baseball - I decided to see what I could come up with.

This video was done by Sol Rosenburg, and I love what he did with the song and some of the images from the particular episode.

- 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.

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- from freewebs.com

In Southern Florida, the outlook for baseball in 2006 was grim as the Marlins were supposed to dead on arrival. However, the young team under the guidance of Joe Girardi had other plans.

The Marlins got off to a slow start, which most of the baseball world predicted; therefore, they were not supposed to be a contender. The team, filled with a plethora of young talent, came together and broke out in a big way. In light of a payroll that was less than what a few players make in the league, the Marlins nothing short of shocked the baseball establishment with their success last season.

The questions right now are will anyone on the team regress, and will they be contenders this season?

Well, to start of with, a few changes were made in the off-season; however, none bigger than the release of Joe Girardi as manager of the team due to personal issues with team owner Jeff Loria. He was replaced by Fredi Gonzalez, who hopes to have the same success with the Marlins that his predecessor had. During the winter, the team lost closer Joe Borowski, Wes Helms, Matt Herges to free agency and Chris Resop and Jason Vargas in trades. The team added veteran Aaron Boone, and received Kevin Gregg, Matt Lindstrom and Henry Owens all via trade.

Much of the success the Marlins had in 2006 was due to the strength of their starting pitching, and for 2007 staff will be the same as it was last season. The rotation should compromise of Dontrelle Willis, Josh Johson, Scott Olsen, Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco. The D-Train, Dontelle Willis was 12-12 with a 3.87 ERA, but was solid for the Marlins. He’s the ace of the staff at only 25, and with all things considered, he’ll probably improve on his numbers. One of the most electrifying athletes in the game, his presence will take this young team a long way.

After Dontrelle’s spot in the rotation, the Marlins have a bunch of young guns in the fold. First, Josh Johnson was impressive going 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA, and could have won the ERA title; however, he struggled towards the end of the season. Scott Olsen was another youngster who broke out going 12-10 and had an ERA a tad above 4. However, the Marlins should expect great things from both players if they keep up their progress.

The young pitcher that got everyone’s attention last season was Annibal Sanchez. He had an amazing year in 2007 where he went 10-3 with an ERA, and threw a no-hitter. However, it’s unknown whether some arm problems might impact his 2007 campaign. If Olsen can progress, and Sanchez can parlay his success from last season into the upcoming one, the Marlins will have a formidable pitching staff that could rival anyone in the National League.

The wild card in the rotation is Ricky Nolasco who was a rookie in 2006. He finished 11-11 with a 4.82 ERA and struggled mightily at times. However, he could be consistent in ’07 and put it all together, he’ll be a solid presence for the rotation.

Right now, the Marlins bullpen is in flux with closer Joe Borowski leaving for the Cleveland Indians. Right now, it looks like Taylor Tankersley will be the closer and he had a good year appearing in 49 games, winning 3 games and finishing up with a 2.85 ERA. Based on the numbers, he might be the best candidate to close out games to start off with. Joining Tankersley in the bullpen will be Kevin Gregg, Carlos Martinez, Logan Kensing & Randy Messenger. As well, the Marlins have a slew of potential minor league candidates they can call upon to fill the void.

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Manny, Manny, Manny: According to CNNsi.com, Julian Tavarez said Manny Ramirez, his teammate, would report March 1 as he did last year when he received permission from the Red Sox to show up late.

Tavarez said: “I spoke to Manny [Sunday] and he said he’s going to be here March 1,” said Tavarez, a reliever who joined the Red Sox before last season. “He’s been going through a tough time because his mom, you know, they told him that she had a tumor.

“It wasn’t a tumor. She had surgery in between those ribs. She’s at home right now recovering and Manny’s there with his mom. He’s working out,” Tavarez said. “Nobody believes that, but it’s the truth about his mom. That’s really true.”

Terry Francona believes differently.

“That’s unfair because I haven’t talked to [Ramirez]. There’s a lot of, ‘he said, she said,’ that I’m not too sure is true,” Francona said. “If somebody calls me and tells me something happens, it’s easier for me to comment than on his publicist [or] Julian, saying this.”

Is it always something with Manny (Mike and Ian, don’t flame me…)?

Now, Ramirez is a man of immense talent, and as such, I think he gets away with a lot of the stuff that the 25^th man on the team dare not think of doing. Is it fair, who knows?

I just have a feeling he gets away with it way too often.

John Gibbons: The Blue Jays and manager John Gibbons have agreed to a one-year, $650,000 contract extension, a team official said Monday. He guided them to 87 wins and a second place finish.

However, will he keep his hands to himself – that is the question…

* Nats’ News: Second baseman Ronnie Belliard agreed to a non-guaranteed, minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on Sunday that will pay him $750,000 if he makes the team.

All My Yankees: It looks like Pavano and Mussina have brokered peace in the little tiff that Mike had with Carl last week.

From the AP: A day after Pavano said the rift between him and teammates was largely a media creation and Mussina responded with the verbal equivalent of a brushback pitch, the New York Yankees’ pitchers said they were ready to move forward.

“I told him where I was coming from, and he told me where he was coming from,” Mussina said Friday. “It should have been done without what happened yesterday, and I told him that. I apologized for that. It shouldn’t have happened that way. But at some point we probably would have needed to do it anyhow.”

Isn’t that nice? It will not doubt be business as usual once spring training begins, and the team starts to take shape. As for Pavano, he just needs to pitch and show he belongs in the majors at this point.

Bernie? According to the NY Post, Bernie Williams is expected not to show up in camp at all.

From the NY Post: According to GM Brian Cashman, there was no contact between the Yankees icon and the team yesterday. The Yankees offered Williams a minor-league invite, a chance to make the team as an extra player, but so far Williams has rejected that avenue to continue his stellar career.

“I believe Bernie can still play,” Cashman said during a pitchers-and-catchers workout at Legends. “If he believes he can help, we would love to have him. This [minor-league contract] is the only vehicle I could create. If he doesn’t want to do it, I understand. That’s all I can say.

Although the game is more of business now, I’m hoping Bernie does come back and play for the Yankees. I cannot imagine him not that on the squad. Still, I see a man with a lot of pride, versus a GM who has the interests and the bottom line of his team at heart.

- 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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I found this video on YouTube, and this I think was from 1999. It is actually a Nike commercial featuring infamous and defamed slugger Mark McGwire, future Hall of Fame pitchers along with former Cy Young Award winners, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine who were both in the Braves’ organization at the time.

Good and funny stuff from back in the day…

The clip is from the classic science fiction TV show, the Twilight Zone. The basic premise is that a down and out team, the Hoboken Zephyrs is need of a jolt, and a robot that looks like a man is signed to pitch.

The team climbs in the standings thanks to Casey’s pitching prowess. After he’s beaned by a ball, a doctor discovers Casey has no heart. The rules say nine men make up a team, and without a heart Casey is not a man. His inventor, Dr. Stillman, gives Casey a heart, but he becomes too compassionate to strike out other players.

The Zephyrs lose the pennant, and Casey is washed up in baseball. Anyway, watch the rest and see for yourself. It’s a tad long at 26 minutes, but it’s worth a see.

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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Yankee Stadium to Get 2008 All-Star Game

The baseball world has chatted about this expected announcement for a while, but it is widely expected that Yankee Stadium will get the 2008 All Star Game. Bud Selig and the Powers That Be in this instance went against the trend of giving All-Star Games to showcase new parks.

Yankee Stadium is expected to be torn down in 2009, so the MLB brass must have felt the need to give the game to a place that has had so many historic moments take place.

San Francisco will get the 2007 All-Star Game, and Busch Stadium will have it in 2009.

According to the New York Times, the press conference announcing the official awarding of the game is planned for Jan. 31 at New York’s City Hall and will be attended by Commissioner Bud Selig and New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

As a person who went to school in New York City and spent a lot of time up there, Yankee Stadium has a distinct charm, lovely Memorial Park and a lot of history, but it is certainly time for it to go. 2008 will certainly be an emotional time for Yankee fans, as the House the Ruth built will be a footnote in history thereafter.

The new stadium will probably be a playground for the rich with nice plush corporate boxes and amenities for those with the cash to spend. New York City, of course, is a place with enormous wealth and the new stadium will almost certainly cater that clientele.

What is unfortunate is that the average fan will have almost no chance to get tickets, unless they enter in a contest or get lucky. Corporate sponsors, MLB officials and teams get first dibs at tickets, and the season ticket holders. If there are any left, they will be dispersed to the public and considering prices in New York City, it will come at a premium.

Fenway Park Expanding

Fenway Park is expanding.

According the official Red Sox website, the changes include renovations to some of the women’s restrooms, more luxury box seats ans suites, a new concourse behind the third base seating area to accommodate standing room fans, vending machines to purchase Charlie Cards to make stumbling onto the Green Line easier after the game, and a “Bleacher Bar” under the center field seating area.

The Red Sox have done upgrades in the offseason since 2002, and notable improvements and additions have included the famous Green Monster seating, more available seating in the mezzanine and third tiers, and adding batting cages for both the home and visiting teams.

The changes, more or less, are to “enhance� the fan experience, but also to pump more money into the team as well as bring more fans into a place already cramped and tight.

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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