The Windy City: The Chicago White Sox.

If you live on the South Side of Chicago you are probably one of those crazy White Sox fans who have been around this game for years and if you’re not well that's your loss. The last World Series title the White Sox won was back in 2005 where they swept the Huston Astors in four games and since then they haven't won anything else. Their last postseason run was back in 2008 and after that they haven't been seen in the postseason. In 2011 they will try to take back what was once their American League Central Division, but it's not going to be easy. This is another division that might come down to the wire at the end of this season.




The White Sox pitching staff is filled with ups and downs in this rotation and they really don't have that "Ace" on this pitching staff to run this rotation and you need an ace on your team. My best bet if they were to pick an ace it would be Mark Buehrle. Buehrle who threw a perfect game in 2009 had an alright year in 2010. He did win a Gold Glove award for the American League pitchers but the thing that really stands out about Buehrle is that he's not a power pitcher like Halladay, Lincecum, Price, and so on and he still threw a perfect game.

Buehrle is more of a ground ball pitcher and lets the fielders field the ball the win balls game. Also he has been part of this White Sox team in his whole career since 2000 and is the leader of this ball club. In 2010 Buehrle had an ERA of 4.28, 13 wins, 13 losses, and 99 strikeouts. The Sox number two starting pitcher who is another guy who has been part of this team for a long time in right hander Gavin Floyd, now Floyd I think could be a lot better pitcher if he learned how to control his stuff and his best year was back in 2008 where he won 17 games and after that he never lived up to the hype that people talked about. Floyd is still pretty young at 28 years old but sooner or later he's going to reach back for a little something more. The best about this kid is he is an inning eater and always gives his team a chance to win. Floyd in 2010 posted a 4.08 ERA, 10 wins, 13 losses, and 151 strikeouts. The Sox number three starter is a young power pitcher in John Danks who could someday find himself the ace of this team at the age of 25 years old. Danks this a good fastball thrower and can really shut down hitters with his off speed breaking pitches, for a kid at the age of 25 he really knows how to pitch well. In 2010 he had a pretty year with a 3.72 ERA, 15 wins, 11 losses, and 162 strikeouts. Their number four start is the guy who they got during the trade deadline last year in Edwin Jackson.

Jackson who came over from the D-Backs last summer was one of five pitchers to throw a no-hitter last year and the thing about his no-hitter was he had 6 walks and 149 pitches thrown, at one point during that game he had the bases loaded with no outs and got out of that inning. A game that looked like it could have ended early, ended beautifully. Jackson when he came over to the White Sox won 4 games, loss 2 games and had an ERA of 3.24; altogether he had 10 wins, 12 losses, 181 strikeouts, and an ERA of 4.47 in 2010. Last pitcher in this rotation is Jack Peavy who in 2011 might have to fight for his spot. In one point of his career he wasn't that bad of a pitcher to have on your team; in 2007 he won the NL CY Young award with the San Diego Padres winning 19 games. But over the past few years Peavy has been battling shoulders issues and have really never came back the same pitcher he once was. When Peavy pitched in 2010 he had an ERA of 4.63, 7 wins, 6 losses, and 93 strikeouts.



The White Sox bullpen is a big time mess after losing closer Bobby Jenks the Sox have no idea who their new closer will be. During the offseason they did pick up hard ball thrower Jesse Crain from the Minnesota Twins. Crain still doesn't know what his role will be in the pen, closer or set-up man. Crain I think was a good pick up for the Sox because he knows this division really well playing with rival division team the Twins.

He will stay in the division and I think if he is used as a closer he will do a really good job. As a set-up man for the Twins his number looked like this - ERA 3.04, 21 HLD, and 62 strikeouts. Next is rookie star pitcher Chris Sale who is only 21 years and could be the closer for the White Sox, but I think they really want to see how well this kid does during spring training. It's never easy being a closer for a team at the age of 21. Last year Sale only saved 4 games, with 32 strikeouts, and an ERA 1.93. Next is set-up man Sergio Santos who is a big time inning eater and can really come in and get the job done. He throws a good fastball around 93 MPH and will be a key player this season. Last year Santos posted a 2.96 ERA, 14 HLD, 56 strikeouts. Last guy in the pen is set-up man Matt Thornton who might be their new closer in 2011 but again the Sox still have no idea who will take over this job. Thornton is a fastball thrower and can reach 96 MPH at times and last year he had an ERA 2.67, 21 HLD, and 81 strikeouts. Look out for him to have a pretty good year.




The White Sox line-up for the past few years has been one of the best in the AL and this year they will have a even better line-up. During the offseason one of big pieces they landed was first baseman Adam Dunn from the Washington Nationals and with Dunn in a power hitter’s field he could easily hit 50 or more home runs this season. The White Sox reported that Dunn with bat third in the line-up as their DH and he will play first base from time to time. The only thing that comes with a power hitter like Dunn is he does strikeouts a lot and I think if he can work on that he will have a shot at batting closer to .300 maybe around .280 or .285. I also think with having Dunn in this line-up it will help other players in front of him and behind him saying

"hey we got the big guy coming up next who can go yard" that's what Dunn brings to the table and I think the South Side of Chicago will be a great fit for him. Dunn in 2010 with the Nats hit .260, hit 38 home runs, and drove in 103 RBI's. Over to the catchers’ spot where they have one of the best in A.J. Pierzynski who has been in this league since 1998 and this will be his 7th year with the White Sox. A.J. is a great hitter who always hits for average every year and is a good catcher behind the plate. Last season he hit .270, hit 9 home runs, and drove in 56 RBI's. Over at shortstop they have who I think is one the best shortstops in the league in Alexei Ramirez. Here is a guy who I think a lot of people overlook him because he's not a big name shortstop but he has a great arm and last year he really showed that he is one of the premier shortstops in the game and last year he really showed off his power and speed. Last year he hit .282, hit 18 home runs, and drove in 70 RBI's. Next is long time veteran at first baseman who people love on the South Side of Chicago in Paul Konerko.

Now that Dunn is in this line-up it will help him out a lot more in batting in the fourth hole. Now he can be a little more relax knowing that not everything is put on him and knows that someone else in this line-up can get the job done. Konerko is one of the other leaders in this ball club and in 2010 he showed that once again batting .312, hit 39 home runs, and drove in 111 RBI's. Next is center fielder Alex Riso who is another big power hitter in this line-up and had a really good bounce year. Another thing about him is he also strikeouts out a lot but when he doesn't he can hit a ball a long way. In 2010 he had a better year than he did in 2009 batting .284, hit 21 home runs, and drove in 88 RBI's. Last guy in this line-up who they really need to have a better year from is right fielder Carlos Quentin. Now when this guy is on he is on but in the past 2 seasons he has had an off years. We all know Quentin has the power skills and doesn't strikeout a lot but for some reason he can't hit for average and if he did he would be one of the better hitters in the game. Last year Quentin hit .243, hit 26 home runs, and drove in 87 RBI's.



So in 2011 look for the White Sox to come on strong but also remember that they do have a weak pitching staff and if they can get through the whole season with that rotation and win a division title then more power to this team. But all and all I think when the 2011 trade deadline comes around they might have to make a move for a better pitcher on the market.

Should The NL East Worry About The Braves?

The 2010 Atlanta Braves had one of their best seasons in a few years with young and old talent they found themselves in the postseason, but not as division champs like they have been in the past but as a wild card team. In 2010 that would be the Braves first ever wild card berth and even though they didn't make it far into the postseason they might be a little more hungry this year, but Phillies will definitely have something to say about that. The 4 time NL East Champs, the Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent pitcher Cliff Lee this offseason and have put together one of the greatest pitching staffs of all time with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, ALL TIME?

These four aces haven't even thrown a pitch yet and everyone expects big things from all four aces. They first have to win a World Series title before being named the "greatest pitching" staff in baseball. The Braves on the other hand do know what it's like having a "BIG FOUR" in the 90's they had hands down one of the greatest pitching staffs in baseball with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery.

These guys have won a World Series title back in 1995 and the only two players on this Phillies pitching staff that has a ring is Cole Hamels and their number five starter Joe Blanton. Also in the 2011 season for the Braves there will be a big new change in managers as long time manager Bobby Cox retied and new manager Fredi Gonzalez will take over and if Gonzalez can do what Cox did then we would someday be a Hall of Fame manager. Cox when he managed the Braves won 3 NL West Division titles before the team was moved to the NL East, then won 11 NL East Division titles and was the winning manager of his only World Series title in 1995. So Gonzalez has some big shoes to replace in the NL East in 2011




The Braves pitching staff in 2011 will feature veteran pitchers who were once part of a "BIG THREE" in Oakland and Boston. We start with veteran ace Tim Hudson, Hudson in 2009 won NL comeback player of the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2008. In 2010 he pitched like the ace he was expected to be winning 17 games, only losing 9 games, with 139 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.83. In 2011 he is expected another great year as he is a great pitcher. He throws a nice fastball around 92-93 MPH, and sometimes can reach 94 MPH and if the Braves are going to win games they are going to need him to be healthy.

After Hudson is young gun Tommy Hanson who is only 24 years old and last season had a pretty good year for a kid who has only pitched in the big leagues for 1 year. Hanson is the one of key future players and will someday most likely be their ace somewhere down the line. Hanson in his second year as a big league pitcher had an ERA of 3.33, 10 wins, 11 losses, and 173 strikeouts. Look for him to have a big 2011 season if he stays healthy. Next is another young key future player who the Braves really need to stay healthy and have a bounce back year in Jair Jurrjens who last season had a knee injury and missed most of the 2010 season. Jurrjens who is only 25 years old is a really good pitcher when he is healthy. He throws a good fast at 95-96 MPH and his off speed stuff is pretty nasty. If the Braves want to have any shot at winning this division they will need him to be 100% this year. Next is another long time veteran pitcher who was the other guy part of a “BIG THREE” in Derek Lowe who in 2004 won a World Series title back in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox has now pitched with the Braves for 2 years now and this season will be his third year. Lowe is a good sinker ball pitcher and is a ground ball pitcher. Not a power pitcher but knows how to get hitters out and he might have been one of the key reasons the Braves made it to the postseason last year. Lowe in 2010 had a 4.00 ERA, 16 wins, 12 losses, and 86 strikeouts. For the number five spot they have to young rookies in Mike Minor who is 23 years old and Brandon Beachy who is 24 years old. Now it's clear that only one of these young pitchers will earn this spot and the other might end up in the bullpen. Now I really have no idea who will earn this spot and that's the reason why baseball has spring training to see who looks fitting for situations like these. Minor last year who pitched when called up had an ERA of 5.98, 3 wins, 2 losses, 43 strikeouts, and Beachy pitcher when called up last year had an ERA of 3.00, 0 wins, 2 losses, and 15 strikeouts.



As for the Braves bullpen it is by far one of the best in NL and it showed last year and this year they added another arm in the pen with George Sherrill. Sherrill who came over from the Los Angeles Dodgers had a 6.69 ERA, 7 HLD, and 25 strikeouts. Now his numbers don't look that great but when you’re a bullpen pitcher moved to a better team and a winning team it could help knowing that every game is big and every pitch is a key pitch. We’ll how well he does this season. Next is Eric O'Flaherty who is another young player on this team at 26 years old and will only get better. O'Flaherty is a good left handed pitcher out of the pen and isn't really used as a set-up pitcher but comes in around the 5th or 6th inning to hold a tight lead. Last year he had an ERA of 2.45, 9 HLD, and 36 strikeouts. After him is set-up guy Peter Moylan who last season was a big part of this bullpen and helped the Braves hold a lot late inning games. Next guy in the Braves pen is closer who everyone thought was going to retire is Billy Wagner. Wagner who said it in the beginning of the 2010 season said

"I'm going to retire after this season" decided to give it one more year and why not? In 2010 he had one of his best seasons for a closer who is 39 turning 40 years old this July. Wagner who can throw the fast at 100 MPH had an ERA of 1.37, 37 saves, and 104 strikeouts in 2010. Moylan is their big right handed gun in the pen and can shut down innings mainly when it comes to the 7th or 8th inning. Last year he had a 2.97 ERA, 21 HLD, and 52 strikeouts. Next is left handed set-up man Jonny Venters who a lot of people thought would be the Braves new closer in 2011 but he is still their set-up guy. Venters is a good hard ball thrower and can get the fastball by hitters around 96 MPH at the age of 25 years old, future closer for the Braves. Last year he had an ERA of 1.95, 24 HLD, and 93 strikeouts. Last guy in the Braves pen is closer who everyone thought was going to retire is Billy Wagner. Wagner who said it in the beginning of the 2010 season said "I'm going to retire after this season" decided to give it one more year and why not? In 2010 he had one of his best seasons for a closer who is 39 turning 40 years old this July. Wagner who can throw the fast at 100 MPH had an ERA of 1.37, 37 saves, and 104 strikeouts in 2010.



Now the Braves line-up is filled with young and old talent and could someday find themselves in a World Series match up. I start off with catcher Brian McCann who I think is one of the best NL catchers in the league and was voted number 3 on my list of Top 5 Best Catchers Right Now. This guy is built like an outfielder and is very strong, probably one of the best power hitting catchers in the game since Mike Piazza that's how strong he is. As a catcher behind the plate he is a rock and weighs 230 pounds. He has a great arm to go along with the package but has never won a Gold Glove. In 2010 McCann hit .269, hit 21 home runs, and drove in 77 RBI's. Over at first base they will have rookie Freddie Freeman since Troy Glaus is not playing this year he will be called up to take over for him. Now Freeman did not play in 2010 but the Braves hope he will bring the same power that he had in the Minor Leagues and is their future first baseman. Next is the guy they traded for in the offseason at second base Dan Uggla.

Uggla who was long time member of the Florida Marlins was traded to the Braves and if you’re a Braves fan you must be happy with that you have over at second base. Not only that but it will help the line-up more by adding his bat in the line-up he will either bat in the third or fifth hole. The only thing about Uggla is as good as a hitter he is he does strikeout a little bit too much for a second baseman. If he works on that he should be a great addition for the Braves this season. Uggla in 2010 batted .287, hit 33 home runs, and drove in 105 RBI's. Over at third base in long time Braves player Chipper Jones who has been the heart and soul of this team, he is like one of those players who you can't see playing for anyone else. Jones last season was another player who said he was going to retire after the 2010 season but decided also to give it one more final run. Jones who is 38 years old has been battling a bad knee injury missed a good part of the 2010 season and the question will be how well will he move over at third base. There has been some talk they could move him at first base if rookie stud Freddie Freeman doesn't play as expected. Jones in 2010 when he played batted .265, hit 10 home runs, and drove in 46 RBI's. This guy is a future Hall of Famer someday. Last player on this line-up is star right fielder Jason Heyward and boy what a hitter this kid is at the age of 21 years old.

I'll tell you what he has everything you look for in a player, speed, power, and a great arm. He might be one of the only power hitters in the game that can steal about 30-35 bases a year and now that Dan Uggla is in this line-up he could only help him as a hitter know that he can’t always get the job done someone else will. As a rookie in 2010 he had a great season and was runner up for the NL Rookie of the Year award and I think if it would have been Heyward in the World Series and not Buster Posey I think Heyward would have won it. Heyward has a long future ahead of him as a Braves player and I think will have even a better year in 2011 then he did in 2010. Last year in 2010 he batted .277, hit 18 home runs, and drove in 72 RBI's. The future lies with him.



So the Atlanta Braves in 2011 I think will be a team to watch out for and though there isn’t much to worry about in the NL besides the Philadelphia Phillies they will be a team you have to play every inning against because if you don't they will beat you and beat you time and time again. The future for the Braves also looks very good with good young talent pitchers and infield and outfield players. The 2011 Atlanta Braves are here to say!

Top 5 Best Third Baseman Right Now.

Right Now I am counting my top 5 right now with the best third baseman heading into the 2011 season. See who made my top five.




1. New York Yankees - Alex Rodriguez

Now Alex Rodriguez might be the second best hitter in baseball right behind Albert Pujols but at third base he is one of the best hitter right now to play this spot. Rodriguez came to the Yankees from the Texas Rangers in 2004 playing shortstop his whole career and since the Yankees already had a shortstop in Captain Derek Jeter, Rodriguez deiced to move over to play at third base. Over the years Rodriguez has adjusted to the spot, has yet to win a gold glove at third base but he still has a really nice glove. As for his hitting that hasn't changed at all and after coming over to the Yankees he has hit 30 or more home runs, and drove in 100 or more RBI's in all 7 years with the Yankees. He is the man you want in a key moment to either tie a ball or win a ball game. As of right now Rodriguez has 613 career home runs and will most likely hit 700 home runs if he stays healthy and could past a fellow Yankee in Babe Ruth who hit 714 career home runs (3rd on the list). He could also even past Hank Aaron who is (second on the list) with 755 career home run and maybe even break Barry Bonds home run record (1st on the list) of 762 career home run set back in 2007 and become the new home run king. Rodriguez also has 2,672 career hits and could come close to hitting 3,000 hits but it's more likely that he would hit 700 home runs before he does that. He is one the game’s best power hitter at third base. In his career Rodriguez has won 10 AL Silver Sluggers award, won 3 AL MVP awards, and has won 2 AL Gold Glove awards at shortstop. In 2009 A-Rod helped the Yankees win their 27th World Series title and his first World Series title in his career over the Philadelphia Phillies. His postseason numbers are one of the best since he was drafted in 1996 batting .290, hit 13 home runs, and drove in 38 RBI's, In 2010 however he was off to a slow start but really picked it up in the second half in the 2010 season batting .270, hit 30 home runs, and drove in 125 RBI's. Coming into the 2011 season he still one of the highest paid players in baseball making $275 million dollars in his 8 year deal contract with the Yankees.



2. Tampa Bay Rays - Evan Longoria

Now that Carl Crawford is no longer a member of the Rays Evan Longoria is now the face of this team and as of right now he is by far the best hitter they have on this team. Playing in the AL East with the Yankees and Red Sox he has proved that he has what it takes to win after winning 2 AL East Division titles in 3 years. He might even be one of the most consisted hitters in the game and as far as fielding a ball is the best man for the job and it surprising that he hasn't won more gold glove awards. He is everything you look for in a player, a player with speed and power. If the Rays have any hope to making it to the postseason in 2011 they are going to need him for the whole season. In 2010 Longoria batted .294, hit 22 home runs, drove in 104 RBI's and in his career he has won the 2008 Rookie of the Year award, won the 2009 AL Silver Slugger and the AL Gold Glove award, and won the 2010 AL Silver Slugger award. As far as his postseason play it isn't all that great batting .195, hit 7 home runs and drove in 15 RBI's, I mean it's not bad but it could be better.



3. New York Mets - David Wright

David Wright was drafted as a Met and came up with the Mets and has been the face of this team since 2004 and is one the oldest players on this team at a pretty young age being 28 years old. Over the past 2 seasons before 2010 his play was down a bit after being hurt with a knee problem, but when this guy is healthy he is the most feared hitter in the NL. He has helped the Mets win a division title in 2006 but he has been part of the two biggest collapses in their team history in 2007 and 2008 where they would lose the division title by 1 game in 2007 and 3 games in 2008 to the Philadelphia Phillies. Other than that he has been money for the Mets when needed and is one the best fielders in the game beside Scott Rolen. In 2010 Wright came back strong and ready to show that is was 100% after batting .283, hit 29 home runs, and drove in 103 RBI's. Also in his only postseason appearances he batted .216, hit 1 home, and drove in 6 RBI's. In his career he has won the 2007 NL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards and won the 2008 NL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.



4. Washington Nationals - Ryan Zimmerman

Now many people might think Zimmerman should be higher on the list and the only reason he isn't higher on this list is because he is still very young at 26 years old. I know it sounds like a bad reason but when look at the three other players before him they are more deserving. Now I am not saying he isn't a bad player because I think someday day he will be the best third baseman in baseball and he is in the prime of his career. He has been the Nationals best players ever since he was brought up in 2005 and everyone knew he was going to be an impact player. Now the team he plays on isn't the best but be sure in the next 4 to 5 years they could wind up winning a division title if not sooner. Zimmerman is a star fielder and has great bat speed, not only can he hit home runs but he can hit doubles and triples and as a power hitter you will take that every time. Right now he might even be one the best third baseman in the National League right behind David Wright. In 2010 Zimmerman hit .307, hit 25 home runs, and drove in 85 RBI's and in the prime of his career he has won the 2009 NL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards and won the 2010 NL Silver Slugger award.



5. Texas Rangers - Michael Young

Now Young in my option is one of the most underrated third baseman in the league, everyone forgets about this guy but he is the real deal. Now they’re has been some question if he will start at third base in 2011 after the Rangers signed free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, Young asked to be traded, I would assume because he does not want to be a DH after being the key player at third base all those years and finally help this ball club win a AL West Division title since 1999 and making it to their first ever World Series. If the Rangers lose Young they will be losing a leader in the club house and guy who has been their best hitter. As a Ranger he has had the most hits on the teams franchise with 1,848 hits. Not only is he a good hitter but he is pretty good fielder and I think he should have more than one gold glove award and should have at least two Silver Slugger awards with having a career batting average of .300 with a last place team until 2010. In Young's career he has won the 2006 MVP All-Star award and has won the 2008 AL Gold Glove award. The 2010 season wasn't a bad season for Young after batting .284, hit 24 home runs, and drove in 91 RBI's, also in his first ever postseason he showed up and help the Rangers make it to the World Series batting .254, hit 1 home run and drove in 7 RBI's.




Players Who Just Missed The List

6. Boston Red Sox - Kevin Youkilis 2010 - BA .307, 19 home runs, and 62 RBI's
7. Cincinnati Reds - Scott Rolen 2010 - BA .285, 20 home runs, and 83 RBI's
8. Minnesota Twins - Danny Valencia 2010 - BA .311, 7 home runs and 40 RBI's (Rookie)
9. Milwaukee Brewers - Casey McGehee 2010 - BA .285, 23 home runs, and 104 RBI's
10. Philadelphia Phillies - Placido Polanco 2010 - BA .298, 6 home runs, and 52 RBI's.

Will The Indians Ever Be A Winning Team Again?

When you think of the Cleveland Indians you think of one of the oldest baseball teams in the American League, but you also think about one of the most unlucky franchises in baseball history after not winning a World Series since 1948. The Indians in the past have had a lot of great teams mostly through the mid and late 90's. Though 1995 to 1998 they won 4 American League Central Division titles, in 2001 they won their division and in 2007 they won their division as well. But the teams that stand out the most are the 1995, 1997, and 2007 teams because they were roughly the three best teams in their history.

I start in 1995 where like I said they won their division and won their first American League Pennant since 1954 and would go on the World Series with a line-up and starting pitching that was the best in the AL. In their line-up they had Sandy Alamar catching, Omar Vizquel at shortstop, Kenny Lofton in center field, Jim Thome at third base, Manny Ramirez in right field, and Eddie Murry as their DH. Their line-up was filled with power and speed and as for their pitching staff they had Dennis Martinez leading the way followed up by Charles Nagy and Orel Hershiser. They also had a good closer in Jose Mesa. In the 1995 World Series they would host the best National League team for years in the Atlanta Braves and the Braves would go on to win the World Series. Two year later the Tribe would find themselves in the Fall Classic again after with a little bit of a newer look.

They added David Justice to play the outfield and Brain Giles to play third base; the players they lost were Kenny Lofton and Eddie Murry. On the pitching side they added two rookie pitchers in Bartolo Colon and Jartet Wright and lost Dennies Martinez. With these four new players they were picked to win the 1997 World Series over the Wild Card Florida Marlins who had a bunch of guys who were unknown. In Game 7 of the 1997 World Series the Fish would go on to beat the heavy favorite Indians and yet again the Tribe would fail to win World Series title and the drought would live on. In 2007, seven years later a new Indians team showed people in Cleveland there would be hope again after having the best record in baseball with 97 wins and winning the 2007 AL Central division title and they had a whole different kind of team, a team that could win.

They had by far one of the best catchers in the league with Victor Martinez, Jhonny Peralta at second base, Casey Blake at third, Grady Sizemore (still on the team) in center field, Trot Nixon in right field, and Travis Hafner (still on the team) at first base. They were almost like the power and speed house of the 1995 Indians team. The 2007 pitching staff was a whole a lot better with having C.C. Sabathia, Fausto Carmona (still on the team), Jake Westbrook, Cliff Lee, Paul Byrd, and bullpen pitcher Rafael Bentancourt. It's funny though because this team never made it to the World Series after losing in the ALCS to the Boston Red Sox after being up three games to one. Somewhere along those lines the Tribe fell apart and since then the Indians have yet to become a better team. Today the team is a whole a lot young with still a few more filmier faces but never the same after the 2007 team. As for the 2011 team I will break down some of the keys to this young team and tell you if they will ever be the teams of the 95', 97', and 07' teams were.



The Tribe's pitching staff is very young; I wouldn't say they are weak because most of these pitchers are still very young. The veteran of this pitching staff is Fausto Carmon who in 2010 had a year that wasn't all too bad. He is a good sinker ball thrower and throws the fastball in the mid 90's. It's still very hard to win when you have a team that is very young so run support is had to come by. There have been rumors that he could be traded to the Yankees or maybe the Tigers and I think if he gets traded to a different team that is a winning team he will be a lot better pitcher. If you remember in 2007 when they were a winning team he was a winning pitcher with a mindset like no other.

In 2010 Carmon posted a 3.77 ERA, had 13 wins, with 14 losses and 124 strikeouts. Then the Tribe has 25 year old Justin Masterson who could be a good pitcher but just hasn't developed into the pitcher the Indians would hope he would be. He throws hard but has to learn how to control his pitches; I think if he can control his stuff he could easily win 10 to 12 games. Masterson in 2010 had an ERA of 4.70, 6 wins, 10 losses, and 140 strikeouts. Followed up after him is Mitch Talbot who is another guy if he can learn to control his stuff he would be an OKAY pitcher. He doesn't throw hard but throws good enough to win a ball game. In 2010 he posted a 4.41 ERA, 10 wins, 13 losses, and 88 strikeouts. Next they have 23 year old rookie Carlos Carrasco who as we remember was part of the Cliff Lee trade in 2009. Carrasco did play in 2010 and showed that he could very well be the next ace of this pitching staff someday. As of right now he is their fourth starter and last year he posted a 3.83 ERA, 2 wins, 2 losses, and 38 strikeouts. Their number five starter is another 23 year old in Jeanmar Gomez who is also a rookie. Gomez is another young pitcher on the way to maybe being that ace or that number two starter in the Tribe's rotation someday. In 2010 he posted a 4.68 ERA, 4 wins, 5 losses, and 34 strikeouts. The Indians bullpen on the other hand isn't that bad with Aaron Laffey and Jensen Lewis. Aaron Laffey isn't a bad pitcher out of the pen; he can eat innings and save other arms in the pen. In 2010 he posted a 4.53 ERA, 5 HLD, and 28 strikeouts. As for Lewis he is another inning eater and throws pretty hard, there has also been a question will he get a chance to start this season or just keep him in the bullpen, guess will see come opening day. Last year Lewis had a 2.97 ERA, 1 HLD, and 29 strikeouts. Next in this bullpen is set-up man Rafael Perez and closer Chris Perez,

two of the best players on this team as for relief pitchers. Rafael Perez is a good hard ball thrower and is good for two innings of work and can hold a lead if they Indians ever have one. In 2010 he had a pretty good year with a 3.25 ERA, 13 HLD, and 36 strikeouts. As for Chris Perez he is one of the best young closer in the league and that's not to bad playing for a losing team. He is still somewhat young but he knows how to get the job done and close the door when needed closed. In 2010 he had pretty good year with 23 saves, an ERA 1.74, and 61 strikeouts.




As for the Tribe's line-up it isn't as strong as it was in 95', 97', and 07' but it has a chance to become better in future with a lot of young talent. We start off with both of their catchers In Carlos Santana and Lou Marson. Now Santana had a great rookie season and he had not gotten hurt I think he could have maybe won the AL Rookie of the Year award. He was off to a good start and the Indians said that he will be ready to come opening day.

He has great power and a really good arm. Now his speed might go down a little bit after hurting his knee last year but if he is 100% he will be a force to run and steal bases. In 2010 at the age of 24 Santana batted .260, hit 6 home runs, and drove in 22 RBI's. Lou Marson on the other hand hasn't really gotten a chance to play. He was another player part of the Cliff Lee trade in 2009 and as a back-up he might the youngest in the league to back-up another young catcher. Marson is also 24 years old and has a long way to go and in 2010 when he played he batted .195, hit 3 home runs, and drove in 22 RBI's. Now over at shortstop they have three players available for the spot but I think when everything is said and done two of these three player will either play second base or be used on the bench or even maybe win the spot over at third base or first base. I start with the player who already has the job in Asdrubal Cabrera who has also been part of this team since 2007 but didn't play. Now that Cabrera is a starter it's more likely he will keep the spot. Cabrera is a doubles - triples kind of hitter and hits for average. He is also another young player at the age of 25 and still has to learn a few more things. Last year Cabrera hit .276, hit 3 home runs, and drove in 29 RBI's. Next guy at shortstop is the player they signed during the offseason in Orlando Cabrera who is most likely to take the spot over at second base. Cabrera who came over from the Reds is a really good hitter and is a veteran player who can teach some of these younger players a thing or two. Cabrera could be a leadoff hitter or bat second in the line-up. Last year with the Reds he hit .263, hit 4 home runs, and drove in 42 RBI's. Last guy at this spot is 26 year old Jason Donald who was also another part of the Cliff Lee trade. Donald will most likely be a bench player or if he has does well in spring training they could use him at third base or first base. All depends on his arm ability if they use him at third base; they know he can hit because he isn't a bad hitter. Donald in 2010 hit .253, hit 4 home runs, and drove in 24 RBI's.

Over at first base and DH is veteran player Travis Hafner who in 2010 had a down year after being hurt and that has been the problem with Hafner over past few seasons. Being injured has held him back from having a monster season and I think if he stays healthy the whole year he will be a treat in this line-up because when he drives a ball it goes a long way. They may use him as DH in 2011 to maybe give the first base spot to someone like Jason Donald or someone else. In 2010 Hafner hit .278, hit 13 home runs, and drove in 50 RBI's. Next is outfielder and future star center fielder Michael Brantley who is another young player at the age of 23. I think his kid will be the face of this come 3 or 4 years from now if he can become the play the Tribe hopes he can be. Now I don't know if he will play in 2011 but I think when he does get a chance to play he will prove his spot on the field. In 2010 he batted .246, hit 3 home runs, and drove in 22 RBI's. Next is right fielder Shin-Soo Choo who was the Indians MVP of this team last year. He was only player to hit .300, hit 20 or more home runs, and drove in 90 RBI's. It was a shock that he became this good of a player in such little time that he played before. As a fielder he isn't all that bad either and has pretty good speed. Look for him to bat higher in the Tribes line-up in 2011. Last player on this list who

had the worst luck in baseball almost like the team itself Grady Sizemore. Sizemore has been the Indians golden boy ever since he first came up. He has won a gold glove and has been the face of this team since 2006 when he first came up. But in the last 3 years he has been injured with a knee problem and that has been the reason he has not played well. There have been rumors saying he could also be traded as well to maybe the White Sox or Royals. But when Sizemore is healthy he could be a .290 hitter, hit about 25 home runs, and drive in about 95 to 100 RBI's. As for speed he might not be as fast as he once was.



So in 2011 I don't see the Tribe being a team to worry about but I will say this in about 4 to 5 years as this team matures they will get a lot better. They have a lot of young talent on this team that can play with the best of them but I don’t see them ever coming close to being as good as the 95', 97', and 07' teams.

Will The Rockies, Rock The NL West?

The 2010 season for the Colorado Rockies started off as if they were the favorite to win the National League West division but as we know they didn't after finishing (83-79), they didn't even come close to making it to the postseason after one point they looked like they had a shot near the end of the year. But bad pitching got them nowhere and before they knew it their season bad come to a close and in 2011 they aren't even picked to win their division because of the same issue "Bad Pitching". During the offseason the Rockies didn't make any moves to try and make their pitching staff better and to a team that in 2007 won the NL Wild Card, won the NL League Pennant, and went on to the 2007 World Series but lost to the Boston Red Sox, to now a team that doesn't look like they will reach the postseason again for a long time. Also don't forget in 2009 they won the NL Wild Card again but then lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. The Rockies don't look like they will rock much in 2011, here's a breakdown.




Like I said the Rockies pitching staff isn't the best in the NL, they only have one good pitcher but even he broke down during the second half of the season. The Rockies best pitcher is young hard thrower Ubaldo Jimenez who in 2010 was one of five pitchers to throw a no-hitter on April 17th and during the first half of the 2010 season he was the NL CY Young award winner having won 15 games up to the All-Star break and he was lights out on the mound. He had the lowest ERA at 2.20, the most wins in the NL, but after the All-Star break Jimenez only managed to win 4 more games and after that he was no longer the best pitcher in baseball. Now Jimenez is a great young pitcher and still

has a long way to go but after showing the he couldn't finish the rest of his job in 2010 it might raise a few eye brawls. Jimenez could have easily won 25-28 games in 2010 after having 15 wins during the first half. In 2010 he finished with an ERA of 2.88, 19 wins, 8 losses, and 214 strikeouts. After Jimenez the Rockies really don't have anyone else to really worry about, they have Jorge De La Rosa who in 2010 posted a 4.22 ERA with 8 wins, 7 losses, 113 strikeouts, Jason Hammel who posted a 4.81 ERA with 10 wins, 9 losses, 141 strikeouts, Aaron Cook who at one time was a pretty good pitcher but in 2010 didn't have great season with a 5.08 ERA, 6 wins, 8 losses, 62 strikeouts, and Jhoulys Chacin who posted a 3.28 ERA, 9 wins, 11 losses, and 139 strikeouts. As you can see this is a really weak pitching rotation and in the NL West things could either get tougher or get weaker but as we know in baseball pitching is key and they don't have that. As for the Rockies bullpen that is also pretty weak but there are three pretty good pitchers in the pen that aren't too bad in set-up man Rafael Betancourt, set-up man Matt Lindstrom, and closer Huston Street and that's really it.

Their bullpen might be one of the worse the NL with having a lot guys that aren't that good or are rookies. Lindstrom who came over from Huston didn't have a bad year with the Astors in 2010, saving 23 games with a 4.39 ERA and 43 strikeouts. He throws hard and is a gamer. Betancourt has been part of this team for 2 years now has been money for the Rockies in the pen with a 3.61 ERA, 23 HLD, and 89 strikeouts. Street who has been the Rockies closer for 2 years hasn't been that bad either saving 20 games with a 3.61 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 2010.




Now the best part about this Rockies team is their line-up, it isn't the best but they have about 3 or 4 guys on this team that can carry them throughout a whole season. We start with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki who might be one of the best shortstops in the game when he is healthy. When Tulow came off the DL last year he really went on a hot streak and when I mean hot streak it was hot. He was one of the best players in the game. He hit 15 home runs, and drove in 40 RBI's from July 27th to September 30th and I bet if he would have stayed healthy he could have had a good shot at winning the NL MVP award. But not only is he a good hitter but he is a great fielder and is a leader in the club house and that's the most important thing when your team isn't doing so well.

He knows how to win and when to step up in key moments. In 2010 after missing a good part of the year he batted .327, hit 27 home runs, and drove in 95 RBI's. Next is long time veteran first baseman Todd Helton, who 2010 is another guy who was on and off the DL and is another leader in the club house. He has been part of this team since 1997 and had one of his worst seasons of his career. This is a player who always bats .300 or more and in the last 3 years he hasn't really done much. In 2009 he had a really good year but in 2008 he had another off year. So it looks like as Helton gets older he's play has gone down, but I think if he has a bounce back year the Rockies will be fine in that line-up. In 2010 Helton batted .256, hit 8 home runs, and drove in 37 RBI's. After Helton is the new third baseman they got during the offseason form the O's is Ty Wigginton. Now what Wigginton brings to this lineup is more power the only problem is he strikeouts out a lot. I think if he can cut down the strikeouts he will be a dangerous hitter in this line-up. As a fielder he is okay, not the best but he gets the job done, he can also play first base as well and in 2010 he hit .248, hit 22 home runs, and drove in 76 RBI's. Last on this line-up is star player in left field Carlos Gonzalez. Talk about a player who has it all, well this kid has it. Speed, power, arm ability, and is a hitting machine.

His breakout season was really in the 2009 postseason when the Phillies pitchers could not figure how to get him out and everyone was asking themselves who is this guy? In 2010 he showed that he going to be the next best outfielder in the game and came oh so very close to winning the NL MVP award, he was about 35 votes short behind Joey Votto who won the NL MVP award. If this kid has a season like he did in 2010 there should be no reason why should not win the MVP award this year after batting .336, hit 34 home runs, and drove in 117 RBI's.



Now in 2011 I don't really see the Rockies doing much, yes their line-up is really good when everyone is healthy but their starting five is way too weak and so is their bullpen. In 2011 don't really expect much from the Rockies, but then again they could surprise everyone like they have in the past

Top 5 Best Second Baseman Right Now.

Now that spring training has begun I am still counting down the top 5 best players in the game right now and in this article it's about who are the top 5 best second baseman come opening day right now.




1. New York Yankees - Robinson Cano

Cano in 2010 had one of his best seasons in his career and for the first time in Yankees history he has put second base back on the map for the Yanks. He is now known as one of the best in game, not just at second base but also when it comes to hitting. Cano can put the ball anywhere on the field and can also run with the best. His speed, power and arm ability at second is one of the best in the game; Robbie Cano can do it all. He is also still in the prime of his career at 27 years old and can still play this game for another 10 to 15 years if he stays healthy. Cano in 2010 came very close at winning the 2010 AL MVP award and in 2010 he also made his first ever All-Star game it’s a crime that he hasn't been in more All-Star games, but he has won 2 AL Sliver Slugger award, won the 2010 AL Gold Glove award and helped the Yankees win their 27th World Series title in 2009. In 2010 Cano batted .319, hit 29 home runs, and drove in 109 RBI's, his postseason number aren't too bad either batting .248, hitting 6 home runs, and driving in 20 RBI's. Robbie can you say BOOM!




2. Philadelphia Phillies - Chase Utley

Chase Utley, one of the best second baseman in the NL and in Phillies history. It not often that you get a power hitter at second base and Utley has put a new meaning in the word "POWER" at second base. Utley came up with the Phillies in 2003 and before anyone knew it he would be the face of this team for many years to come. He has helped the Phils win 4 straight NL East Division title in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, won 2 NL League Pennants in 2008 and 2009, and won a World Series title in 2008. Not only is he a great hitter, but he is one of the best fielders in the game but somehow doesn't have a gold glove, that might be the only thing he is overlooked for but either way he is a team player and cares about the players in his club house and winning another title. In 2010 Utley had an off year due to a thumb injure where he would miss a good 2 months of the 2010 season but when he played he batted .275, hit 16 home runs, and drove in 65 RBI's, he has also won 4 NL Sliver Slugger awards. In the postseason Utley has been clutch for the Phils batting .243, hit 10 home runs, and drove in 24 RBI's. The "CASE" will be on in 2011.



3. Boston Red Sox - Dustin Pedroia

When you think of Dustin Pedroia you think of a small guy with a big bat. This guy is one of the game’s best hitters for a guy who is only 5'9. He is the peace to the Red Sox puzzle and might have been one of the key reasons why their infield was so bad last year. Pedrioa missed the second half to the 2010 season due to a broken foot. Other than him being injured when he is healthy he is a force like no other between hitting and fielding. He has been with the Sox for 5 years and has helped the Red Sox win their second World Series title in 2007 in his full rookie season and that’s when he really showed that he is for real. In 2010 when he was healthy he batted .288, hit 12 home runs, and drove in drove 42 RBI's. In his career he has won the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year award, won the 2008 AL Sliver Slugger award, the 2008 AL Gold Glove award, and the 2008 AL MVP award. In the postseason he has been one of the best hitters batting .252, hit 5 home runs, and drove in 18 RBI's. In 2011 now that the "LITTLE" man is healthy he is going to do his thing.



4. Atlanta Braves - Dan Uggla

During the 2010 offseason the Braves traded for Dan Uggla to play second base and fill in that power role in their line-up. Uggla is another guy that puts a new meaning in the word "POWER" at second base. Now Uggla might get overlooked in the division he plays in because of Chase Utley but he was to play in another division he might be the best second baseman in another division. Uggla who was a long time member of the Florida Marlins was a key member their ball club but had to part ways. Now Uggla has never been in the postseason or won his team a division title but he is going to be a good player for the Braves. He is a good fielder and is probably the second best hitting second baseman in the NL. Uggla in 2010 hit .287, hit 33 home runs, and drove in 105 RBI's and that help earned him to win his first NL Sliver Slugger award.



5. Texas Rangers - Ian Kinsler

Now Kinsler is an example of a second baseman underrated in the American League and maybe in all of baseball. Maybe playing for the Rangers might have something to do with it, but either way he is a great hitter and fielder when it comes down to the bottom line. Kinsler who has played with the Rangers his whole career since 2006 has never won any awards and like I said "UNDERRATED" but he has made the AL All-Star team twice in 2008 and 2010, he also batted .286, 9 home runs, and 45 RBI's during the regular season in 2010. In 2010 he helped the Texas Rangers win their first American League West Division title since 1999, help win their the first playoff series, help win their first AL League Pennant, and helped the Rangers get to their first World Series match up but in the end the Rangers didn't complete their goal on winning the World Series as the lost to the San Francisco Giants. In Kinsler's first postseason he batted .292, hit 3 home runs and drove in 9 RBI's.



Players who just missed the list.

6. San Franciscon Giants - Freddy Sanchez 2010 - BA .292, 7 home runs, 47 RBI's
7. Cincinnati Reds - Brandon Phillips 2010 - BA .275, 18 home runs, 59 RBI's
8. Milwaukee Brewers - Rickie Weeks 2010 - BA .269, 29 home runs, 83 RBI's
9. Arizona Diamondbacks - Kelly Johnson 2010 - BA .284, 26 home runs, 71 RBI's
10. San Diego Padres - Jason Bartlett 2010 - BA . 254, 4 home runs, 47 RBI's

Sox Well Loaded.

Now the talk around baseball heading into spring training has been about National League East with the Philadelphia Phillies and their pitching staff, but what about the American League East and the Boston Red Sox? It's clear to say if you’re a Sox fan you are just as excited as Phillies fans are to start spring training. During the 2010 offseason the Red Sox have made a lot moves with adding players to their team and now are picked to win the AL East Division title and go to World Series but as we know we should never expect anything. Last year the Sox with favorite to win the AL East Division because of signing free agent pitcher John Lackey and make a shot at returning to the Fall Classic but injuries played into roll in the 2010 season and from there, their season went down the drain. As for this year the Sox have re-loaded their guns and are ready to fight back for the division title in 2011.




The Boston Red Sox pitching rotation is almost just like the Philadelphia Phillies rotation. Almost every pitcher they have can be used as an ace for a team. The ace of this pitching staff is Jon Lester who was one of many players that didn't get hurt during the 2010 season. This guy is a power pitcher has already thrown a no-hitter in his career and he has also won a World Series title with the Sox in 2007. Lester was one of the runner ups for the 2010 AL CY Young award and he could also possible take home the award this year.

He is a leader on and off the field and knows what it's like to be a strong pitcher. In 2006 Lester was diagnosed with cancer and doctors didn't know if Lester would ever be able play the game of baseball ever again but he recovered from it at a good pas and by 2007 Lester found himself back on the baseball diamond where he would find himself being the winning pitcher in Game 4 of the 2007 World Series to win the World Series against the Colorado Rookies. His story is an amazing comeback story in baseball and people all around the world should be reminded to stay strong and never lose hope. In 2010 Lester had one of his best seasons in his career having a 3.25 ERA, 19 wins, 9 losses, and 225 strikeouts in 2010. To follow him is the young kid Clay Buchholz who really proved that he could be the ace of this pitching staff someday but for right now he is proved to be their number two starter on this staff. Buchholz is only 26 years old and will only get better as time goes along. He still may have to work on a few things but I think he has figured it all out after having a breakout season in 2010 having a 2.33 ERA, 17 wins, 7 losses, and 120 strikeouts.

He could maybe even win the AL CY Young award this year if he puts up number like that again. The number three starter is Josh Beckett who in 2010 started out as a mess with having back problems and just never fell into a grove on the mount and everyone is wondering will he be healthy come opening day. Beckett at one point was the ace of this pitching staff and was the ace opening day in 2010. Beckett was one of 19 players on the DL last year and messed a good amount of the season having a 5.78 ERA, 6 wins, 6 losses, and 116 strikeouts in 2010. The number four starter is the pitcher they signed in the 2009 offseason, John Lackey. Now Lackey didn't prove that he was going to be everything the Sox hopped he would be but he had an OK year. Lackey is an inning eater and if you give him the ball he always gives your team the best chance to win and there's really nothing more you can ask for out of a pitcher than that. In 2010 Lackey had a 4.40 ERA, 14 wins, 10 losses, and 156 strikeouts. The number five starter is Daisuke Matsuzaka who at one point was there number two starting pitcher in 2007 and in 2008 he almost won the AL CY Young award. But he is another guy on the list that has been on and off the DL with battling arm injuries. But if you had to ask me Matsuzaka isn't a bad number five starter to have on your team when healthy. In 2010 missing part of the year he posted a 4.69 ERA, 9 wins, 6 losses, and 133 strikeouts.




The Red Sox bullpen last year was pretty healthy but it wasn't all that great either and during this year's offseason they added two more arms to join the bullpen in former closer from the Chicago White Sox Bobby Jenks and set-up man Dan Wheeler who came over from the Tampa Bay Rays. Now the Sox do have a pretty good closer in Jonathan Paplbon who last year didn't really have that great of a year for a closer. It just looked like he didn't really have it and in 2011 the Sox are going to need to him to get back to his old ways in saving ball games. In 2010 he posted a 3.90 ERA as a closer, 37 saves, 8 blown saves, and 76 strikeouts. As for Bobby Jenks moving from closer to set-up man he had a Jenks kind of year. Jenks isn't that power type closer that Paplbon is, he just knows how to get outs when needed and that's why I think the Sox signed him just in case they need him to get outs, Jenks posted a 4.44 ERA, 27 saves, 4 blown saves, and 61 strikeouts.

Now Dan Wheeler on the other hand will still be used as a set-up man but more likely to be used in the 6th or 7th inning. Wheeler isn't a bad arm to have in your bullpen; he is one of the better known bullpen pitchers in the game. Wheeler's ERA was a 3.55, 9 HLD, 46 strikeouts in 2010. Next they have a guy who can be used as a starter or bullpen pitcher in long time pitcher Tim Wakefield. Wakefield will most likely be used in the pen, but if they need another starter he will be called on, last year he posted an ERA of 5.32, 4 wins, 10 losses, 84 strikeouts. Last in the Sox pen is Hideki Okajima who can also be used as a starter, but never really got the chance to start a game yet? Okajima brings a lot of off speed stuff to the table to throw off hitter and their timing; in 2010 he had an ERA of 4.50, 11 HLD, and 33 strikeouts.




With the Sox infield and outfield is what really killed them last year having most of their key players put on the DL but in the offseason they signed a big free agent in left fielder Carl Crawford who came over from the Tampa Bay Rays and traded for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez who came over from the San Diego Padres. With both of these players it makes their line-up more dangerous than it's ever been. I start off with Crawford because he was the second biggest free agent outfielder on the market and the Sox locked him up for 7 years $148 million dollars and will most likely finish his career in B-Town.

Crawford who was a long time member of the Tampa Bay Rays was one of the first original players on the team decided it was time for a change. Crawford brings speed, power, and great ability to the outfield. Now we don’t know if he will be playing left or center field yet, but where ever he plays he will be a factor nonetheless. Last year Crawford had one of his best seasons in his 9 year career batting .307, 19 home runs, 90 RBI's, and stealing 47 bases. He is going to be an impact on this team a whole lot. Next is the player they traded for in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez who came over from the Padres. He is another player who is going to help them out a whole lot with having power and hitting left handed with the short foul pole in right field. A-Gon brings that number four sport in the line-up and will have players who can hit in front of him and in back of him and he fits this line-up very nicely. Now Gonzalez is recovering from shoulder surgery but should be ready to go come opening day. A-Gon hit .298, 31 home runs, and 101 RBI's in 2010.

Next is long time veteran catcher Jason Varitek who is the captain of this team and is getting up there in age and the Sox still don't know if they will use him as their catcher or DH in 2011. He is another player who was put on the DL with a broken foot that he still recovering from it. But Varitek when he is healthy he is one of the best catchers in the league and is a great contact hitter. In 2010 where he missed most of the season he batted .232, 7 home runs, and 16 RBI's. Over to second base where they loss their key player in Dustin Pedroia who was put on the DL and missed the second half of the 2010 season with a broken foot. This was the main reason the Sox had trouble in the infield with not having him over at second. When this kid is healthy he can do damage for a guy who 5'9, I mean he didn't the 2008 AL MVP award for noting. He is a great hitter and a good power hitter for a small guy. When he played in 2010 he posted a .282 batting average, 12 home runs, and 42 RBI's and told his general manager Theo Epstein that he is ready to go this spring training and that always good news to hear. The Sox have a guy in "Big Papi" David Ortiz who has been the heart and soul of this team just as much as Captain Jason Varitck is. As we know Ortiz has been the DH for this club for some time now and I think it might stay that way. The problem with Ortiz is in the last 3 years he has gotten off to a slow start but always finishes off strong. Ortiz is a clutch hitter in a key moment when the Sox need runs and despite him having a slow start he did finish off strong with a .270 batting average, 32 home runs and 102 RBI's.

Over at third base is probably one of the only players who didn't get hurt all of last year is Kevin Youkilis. Youkilis is either used at third base or first base either one doesn't matter. He is a great low ball hitter and never really strikes out; he always makes contact with the ball. He is also a great fielder as well winning a Gold Glove in 2007. Youkilis batted .307, 19 home runs, and 63 RBI's. Over in right field they have J.D. Drew who was another player battling an injury with a pulled hamstring and missed a good amount of the season but still played threw it. He will be the Sox number five or six batter in the line-up and has a really good arm in right field, Last year when he played he batted .255, 22 home runs, and 68 RBI's. Last but not least is a guy they are happy to have back is left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury who missed the whole 2010 season with a major rib injury and played in maybe 5 games but they are happy to have him back and ready to go. He brings speed to line-up and will most likely be their number two hitter in the line-up and if manager Terry Francona feels that he is healthy enough to lead off again then that's where he will be. Now with having new outfielder Carl Crawford in the mix one of these guys will be playing center or left field this year, guess will find out come opening day 2011.




Now as we know the Red Sox had to deal with a lot key injuries during the 2010 season and they didn't make the postseason and this year they are the heavy favorite yet again to win their division and make a trip back to the World Series. If they do make it the World Series and win it again it will be second time in team history the Red Sox would win three World Series titles in 8 years. It’s “GO TIME” in B-Town!

Pitchers and Catchers Report to Camp.

The 2011 major baseball season is now just getting underway as pitchers and catchers report to camp and for a lot of teams it’s that time of year to say our mine goal is to make it to the postseason and the World Series and for other teams it's a lot more than just making it there, it more about winning the World Series. It is also that time of year to start asking yourself which team has the best starting five on paper heading into spring training. Last year most people said between the Phillies because of adding free agent pitcher Roy Halladay and the Giants because of how young their staff was, they probably had the best starting five. As we know the Giants won the 2010 World Series

after defeating the Atlanta Braves in NLDS, the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS, and the Texas Rangers in the World Series. This season could have the same resolute in the National League. As for the American League a lot of people picked the Boston Red Sox to make it to the World Series last year after the big free agent signing of John Lackey. That gave the Sox one of the best rotations in the AL, but as we know the Sox didn't make it to the postseason last year after having 18-19 of the their starting players on the DL. As for the AL League Champ Texas Rangers they weren't even put on a list as teams to worry about only because of how unknown their pitching staff was. Last year when the Rangers traded for Cliff Lee that helped the Rangers win their first American League West Division title in their history and they would go on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, the New York Yankees in the ALCS, and then fell short to the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. This year a lot of people are going with the Boston Red Sox again and this might be a surprise to some but a lot of people are saying the Minnesota Twins might have the second best starting five in the AL.




I am going to start things off in the National League East and the buzz that has been the talk around baseball of the adding Cliff Lee to once again rejoin with the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee will be rejoined with already a really good pitching staff with Roy Halladay, Roy Owsalt, Cole Hamels, and Joe Blanton. Lee who came over to Phillies from Cleveland in 2009 when he was traded helped the Phillies win a division title and help them get back to the 2009 World Series, as we know the Phillies lost the 2009 World Series to the New York Yankees.

In the 2009 offseason Lee was then trade to the Seattle Mariners which brought Roy Halladay over from the Toronto Blue Jays. In the 2010 offseason Lee was the hottest free agent pitcher on the market and at the time only two teams had a bid on Lee between his current team the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees. The Yankees made the highest bid offering Lee 8 years $168 million dollars and the Rangers offered Lee 6 years $148 million dollars, but out of nowhere the Phillies got themselves back into the return of Cliff Lee. After Lee heard the Phillies were in this bid he got on his phone and asked his agent "Make something happen. I wanna go back to Philly, if they can come up with something in between that rang". The Phillies offered Lee 5 years $120 million dollars and Lee took it. He turned down $48 million and $28 million dollars more to play with the Phillies for less. Someone finally showed in this game isn't all about the money, now don't get me wrong Lee is still making out very nicely but at least he is doing it where we wants to be. Lee said during his press conference that "I never wanted to leave this place to begin with. When I found out Philly was in the mix it was a no brainier not to wanna come back and pitch along with Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels, and Blanton".

Now only paper this does look like the best rotation in baseball and I think it has a chance to be the best in baseball. But it doesn't mean anything yet until they win a World Series, they have to prove it before they do it. As for the Phillies catchers in Carlos Ruiz and Brain Schneider they will have the honor to catch for three of the game’s best pitchers in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt. Ruiz is heading into camp already winning a World Series title in 2008, catching a perfect game during the regular season and a no-hitter in the postseason in 2010. What more can you ask for? Well last year he showed that he has become a lot better hitter and looking down toward the ball more.

As for Schneider he is a really good backup catcher, might be the best in the league. He is also a great player to come off the bench and pitch-hit for someone. Now the Phillies bullpen is what won them a World Series title in 2008 but after that they really haven't put those pieces back together. The Phillies still have closer Brad Lidge who in 2010 had a lot better year after having I don't know if you call it a down year in 2009 or whatever it was, it wasn't pretty to watch. Lidge had 27 saves last year and only 5 blowns saves in 2010, and having alright ERA at 2.96.

Then they have set-up man Ryan Madson who could be the next Phillies closer after Lidges contract is up in 2011. Madson is a guy who can throw from 92-97 MPH if he keeps his head in the game. Then they another set-up man in Jose Contreras who really proved himself to be a bullpen pitcher in 2010, when he was with the Rookies he was used as a starting pitcher. After him they have left handed pitcher J.C. Romero who really hasn't been that good in the last 2 years. But for some reason the Phillies see something in this guy that we don't and during the offseason they resigned him. Last guy is new member Kyle Kendrick, and I think this roll for him will fix him best. As a starter he has had his chances but just never really came through. He's good pitcher but only for about a few innings. The reason the Phillies haven't traded him is because they know if they need a starting pitching during the year he is the going to be the man they call on.




Now about the National League West and who else but the defending World Series Champions the San Francisco Giants. A team that just got hot at the right time and sometime that's just what you need to win a championship. But I would have to say their pitching helped them win a World Series title. The start of the 2010 season a lot people said watch out for the Giants because of how young their pitching was and still is with young Tim Lincecum, young Madison Bumgarner, young Matt Chain, and young Jonathan Sanchez.

All of these pitchers are in there early and late 20's. The oldest pitcher on this pitching staff is Barry Zito who is 32 years old. This is the youngest pitching staff in baseball and if they all stay together they could be seen more and more in the postseason and maybe once again in the World Series. As for their catchers they have Buster Poesy and Eli Whiteside. Posey as we know won the NL Rookie of the Year award and won a World Series title at the age of 23 in 2010 as a rookie. This kid is going to be one of the best catchers in the in the National League someday, if he not already. He has a lot power and he's pretty fast as a catcher. As for Whiteside there's not much that we know about him, he has been in the league for three years but has never really got a chance to play. I think in 2011 he will get more chances. The Giants bullpen proved to be one of the best in the NL with the best closer Brain Wilson leading the way. "Fear the Bread"

This guy has to be one of the scariest closers in the league. He throws a really good fast ball at 95-96 MPH and his off speed stuff is really good. Next is set-up man Sergio Romo who was a key pitcher for the Giants in the postseason. No one could touch him and that helped the Giants out a lot in the later innings. Then the Giants have Ramon Ramirez who is another good set-up man and is the guy they call on to in the 6th or 7th inning. Then they have Jeremy Affeldt who is a good strong pitcher to come in early in the ball game and shut down innings. He's not a bad guy to come in and help you save a few arms in the pen. Last is Javier Lopez who is a guy he isn't that bad of a pitcher and can work innings and come in for a half an inning or to face 2 batters.




Now over to American League East to the Boston Red Sox who I think have the best pitching staff in the AL. If they are able to stay healthy I think we could see them in the World Series again either to face the Philadelphia Phillies or the San Francisco Giants. Last year the Red Sox were picked

to win the AL East Division but they fell to a lot injured players on their team and after that they had no shot of making the postseason. But in 2011 they have high hopes again as they have the best starting five in the AL with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Lester this year is picked to win the AL CY Young award as he was one of the runner ups for it in 2010. This team might even win over 100 games this year, but like I said this is a 162 games schedule and anything can happen. As for the Sox catchers they do have a few and veteran catcher Jason Varitck who is 38 years old who is near the end of his career. But Varitck is the captain and leader of this team and is the reason why the Sox have already two World Series titles in 2004 and 2007.

After him they have Jarrod Saltalamacchia who is most likely being their back-up catcher after losing Victor Martinez during the offseason. Saltalamacchia is going to have a lot more playing time this year. After him the Sox do have Mark Wangner who is another guy they don't really know much about. He could be a later call up in September this year. He has a lot to prove this year. Now the Red Sox bullpen could be the best in the AL after adding closer Bobby Jenks and set-up man Dan Wheeler. The Sox already have closer Jonathan Papelbon but had a really off year with a 3.90 ERA and 8 blown saves.

So I think they picked up Jenks just in case they need him to close a few games this. As for Wheeler he will used as the Sox set-up man to shut down late innings. Then they have Tim Wakefield who is known for his nasty knuckleball pitch. This guy has been around the league for many years and is often used as a starter. He is another one of those pitchers if the Sox need him to start a game they will call him to do so. Last guy is Hideki Okajima who is another one of those guys who can also be asked to start a few games if needed. He throws a lot of off speed stuff and is a good low ball pitcher out of the pen.




Now to the American League Central where I think the Minnesota Twins will finally get over that hump of the ALDS in the postseason. Their pitching isn't the best in the AL but I have picked them because they have showed even with not so great of a pitching staff they still find ways to win games and make it to the postseason. During the offseason they re-signed starting pitchers Carl Pavano, Francisco Liriano, and Kevin Slowey which is huge heading into the 2011 season. They also have Scott Backer and Nick Blackburn at the end of their rotation who are okay. Not great but they guys who can get the job done.

Pavano will most likely be the ace of this pitching staff heading into spring training and Liriano will be their number two guy to follow him up. The Twins catchers are Joe Mauer and Drew Butera, now we all know who Joe Mauer is, he is only one of the best catchers in baseball and is the heart and soul of this team being from Minnesota. As for Butera he just gets to sit back and learn from one the best. Last he has got to play a few games and didn't do that bad.

The Twins bullpen is also not the greatest but they have guys in the pen who know how to win and what it takes. They have two closer in Matt Capps who came over from the Nationals last year during the trade deadline and Joe Nathan who is recovering from Tommy John sugary a year ago. Capps really showed that he was one of the best closer and this year with a full season with the Twins he could maybe win the Closer of the Year award. Next is pitcher Randy Flores who will most likely be their set-up man who is an inning eater. He can be on mound for a good two or three innings. After him is Brain Duensing who is a young kid but not a bad arm to have in the pen, still has to improve a little bit but hey at least he's on the bullpen staff. Last is former Phillie Clay Condrey who hasn't pitched since 2009 and it's going to be curious to see how well he pitches after having a year off.




So I know that every team is reporting to camp but I have picked these four teams to be in this year’s National and American League Championship Series and for one of these National and American League teams to face one another in this year's World Series match up. These are the four best teams who look pretty good heading into spring training and it's only a matter of time to see if all four of these teams will prove right in 2011.