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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 10, 2004 14:04:43 GMT -5
TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS
Manager: Lou Piniella Home: Tropicana Field (43,772) '03 record: 63-99 (5th in AL East)
THE LINEUP 2003: BATTING | RUNS SCORED (715 -- 12th in AL) NO PLAYER POS 13 Carl Crawford LF Crawford can flat out fly and has tremendous athleticism. Still young -- he won't be 23 until August -- Crawford is very much a work-in-progress. But the potential is there for a .300 hitter and 60 steals on offense and a gold glove on defense. 10 Damian Rolls 3B Was penciled in as a utility man when the spring started, but raked at the plate all March. Combine that with Geoff Blum's poor spring showing and Rolls all but forced Lou Piniella's hand into giving him the starting job. 5 Rocco Baldelli CF Like Crawford, Baldelli is a phenomenal athlete. He had an outstanding rookie season collecting 184 hits and that should only go up this year. As Baldelli matures and fills out his six-foot-four frame, the power should increase with it. With a year of experience under his belt, an increase in production is expected. 19 Aubrey Huff DH Huff quietly had a fantastic season last year, setting a half-dozen offensive team records. With a little more protection now behind him in the lineup, his production could go up yet again. He's the Rays lone power-hitting player. 22 Jose Cruz Jr. RF Cruz is never going to be the star he was projected to be when he first came up with the Mariners, but at age 29, you know what you're going to get out of him. If he can repeat his .366 OBP from last year and continue to provide gold glove defense, it'll be a happy reunion with Lou Piniella. 24 Tino Martinez 1B Martinez is clearly in the twilight of his career after posting two sub-800 OPS seasons with the Cardinals. He does still have occasional pop in his bat and while with the Yankees was considered a great clubhouse presence. One of the slowest players in the league, Martinez can still pick it at first base. 23 Julio Lugo SS After coming over from Houston last season, Lugo surprised many with his production at the plate. With off-the-field issues behind him, Lugo should continue to hit near the clip he was at last season, although if he provides more power it will likely be at the expense of his on-base percentage. 44 Toby Hall C Once thought to be a future middle-of-the-order hitter that could anchor a lineup, Hall has settled into the second tier of catchers. Defensively, there are no questions about his arm strength. At the plate he rarely strikes out, but still needs to hit more if he's going to keep a starting job in the years ahead. 1 Rey Sanchez 2B Sanchez is the classic all glove, no hit middle infielder. If this was 30 years ago, he might well be an All-Star -- that's how solid his fielding is. He'll generally hit for a good average, but that's about it as he draws few walks and provides no power. Bench: Geoff Blum, Eduardo Perez, Robert Fick, Brook Fordyce
THE STAFF 2003: PITCHING | RUNS ALLOWED (852 -- 11th in AL) NO PLAYER POS 47 Victor Zambrano No. 1 SP Zambrano has teased the Devil Rays for a few seasons now with what might be the best stuff on the team. His hard sinking fastball can be dominating at times, but his tendency to nibble gets him in trouble. If he can cut down on his walks, a goal of 15 wins is attainable. 54 Jeremi Gonzalez No. 2 SP Gonzalez was probably the pitching staff's most pleasant surprise last season after he posted a team-high 16 quality starts. If he could get any run support at all -- he was last in run support in the American League last season -- he could move into double-digit win territory. 30 Mark Hendrickson No. 3 SP Acquired in a three-way trade with the Blue Jays and Rockies in the offseason, Hendrickson is out to prove he's best suited as a starter. Despite his six-foot-nine stature, the former NBA player doesn't throw very hard and struggles against right-handed hitters. His future may lie in the bullpen facing tough left-handed hitters. 40 Doug Waechter No. 4 SP Waechter pitched well as a late-season call-up last year earning some notice as he tossed a shutout in his first big league start against the Mariners. Now the big test for the 'local boy makes good' is to have success once he makes a full tour against all the teams. 34 Paul Abbott No. 5 SP A former 17-game winner, Abbott has struggled with injuries in the two years since his breakout performance for the '01 Mariners. Originally manager Lou Piniella was planning to start the season with a four-man rotation, but Abbott pitched so well in the spring that Piniella gave him a spot in the rotation. 28 Danys Baez CL Never quite sure what to do with him and not willing to shell out a big payday to a closer who ended up losing the job, the Indians cut Baez loose in the offseason. Baez is more suited for short-relief due to his mid-90's fastball and lack of a quality second pitch. Baez can be effective if he can control his emotions, but Lance Carter might be back in this role sometime during the year. Bullpen: Lance Carter, Trever Miller, John Halama, Damian Moss, Jorge Sosa, Chad Gaudin Carter moves from closer to setup man for new closer Baez, a role Carter is more suited for. Having three lefties in the bullpen was a bit of a surprise as was the performance of Gaudin in the spring.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 10, 2004 14:02:50 GMT -5
BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Manager: Lee Mazzilli Home: Camden Yards (48,190) '03 record: 71-91 (4th in AL East)
THE LINEUP 2003: BATTING | RUNS SCORED (743 -- 10th in AL) NO PLAYER POS 1 Brian Roberts 2B Jerry Hairston's broken right ring finger has given the job to Roberts at least for the time being. Despite both being patient hitters, neither draws many walks. Hairston still hits too many fly balls for the amount of speed he possesses. Once Hairston returns, it's possible one of them could be dealt. 6 Melvin Mora 3B Mora was enjoying a career-year last season before injuries derailed him. A utility man when he first came up through the minors, Mora can play any position except catcher. He now must prove his hitting from last season wasn't a fluke. 10 Miguel Tejada SS The prized free agent pick-up for the O's, Tejada will anchor the lineup in the third hole. After struggling at the beginning of last season, Tejada's production picked up to the tune of a .924 OPS after the All-Star break. While it's unlikely he'll approach that number for a whole season -- he was at .862 for his MVP year -- somewhere north of .850 is achievable. 25 Rafael Palmeiro 1B Returning to Baltimore after a five-year run with Texas. Palmeiro, now 39, hasn't seen an increase in batting average since 1999. At his age, that trend is likely to continue. There's also a question of how many games he can actually play at first base with cranky knees. 18 Javy Lopez C Enjoyed a career-year last season with the Braves setting the single-season record for most home runs by a catcher with 43. Has had injury troubles in the past and that, along with a natural regression, make it unlikely he will repeat last year's production. 31 Jay Gibbons RF Gibbons has been a steady producer each of the three years he has seen big league action. He has steadily improved his on-base percentage and should continue to do so while still showing power as he enters his prime years. 23 David Segui DH Injuries and age have put Segui's best years behind him. Once a slick-fielding first baseman, most of his work this year will come in the DH role. When he's healthy, he does have good gap power. 3 Larry Bigbie LF The former first-round pick is finally getting a chance to show his wares after struggling in limited opportunities in previous years. After hitting .345 over the last 46 games of the previous season, Bigbie has picked it right back up with a solid spring. 32 Luis Matos CF Matos has always had the tools to be an excellent player, but it was just a matter of staying healthy for an entire campaign to exhibit his skills. If Matos could improve his walk to strikeout ratio, you could find him in the O's lineup for years to come. Bench: Jerry Hairston, B. J. Surhoff, Jack Cust, Keith Osik, Luis Lopez
THE STAFF 2003: PITCHING | RUNS ALLOWED (820 -- 9th in AL) NO PLAYER POS 43 Sidney Ponson No. 1 SP Back in Baltimore after being dealt to the Giants at the trading deadline last season. Not a true ace, but the O's don't have much of a choice. Last year's totals will likely be what he achieves this season. 59 Eric DuBose No. 2 SP Injuries will have the Orioles watching DuBose's pitch counts closely, but when healthy, the lefty has been effective. In a division that lacks many left-handed starters, DuBose could move rapidly to the top of that list. 29 Kurt Ainsworth No. 3 SP Ainsworth was the key to the Ponson trade to the Giants last season. And while injuries have slowed him some since then, he's been very good this spring. Ainsworth could be a double-digit winner this year provided he stays off the disabled list. 35 Matt Riley No. 4 SP Riley has always been a highly thought of prospect since he came into the O's organization. But a brash attitude and one Tommy John surgery later, Riley is a much more humble player. Still with a gifted arm, Riley is more polished now and has had a strong spring. 79 Erik Bedard No. 5 SP A spot in the rotation was originally penciled in for Rodrigo Lopez, Rookie of the Year runner-up just two season ago, but manager Lee Mazzilli said he felt compelled to put the left-handed Bedard in the rotation. Coming off Tommy John surgery in Sept. 2002, Bedard sparkled in the spring with a 2.04 ERA. Lopez will have to get comfortable in the bullpen. 50 Jorge Julio CL Julio routinely works in the mid-90s with his fastball and that, combined with a tight slider, should be enough to make him an effective closer. But his bouts of inconsistency throwing strikes is enough to get the closer duties yanked away from him. Bullpen: Buddy Groom, Mike DeJean, B.J. Ryan, Rick Bauer, John Parrish, Rodrigo Lopez After a stellar 2002 season, Groom struggled mightily in '03 posting a 5.36 ERA. If he can regain that '02 form, he'll likely be a valuable trade commodity. DeJean provides closer insurance and is tough on right-handers. Ryan, meanwhile, is nasty on left-handed hitters.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 10, 2004 14:01:02 GMT -5
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
Manager: Carlos Tosca Home: Skydome (50,516) '03 record: 86-76 (3rd in AL East)
THE LINEUP 2003: BATTING | RUNS SCORED (894 -- 2nd in AL) NO PLAYER POS 37 Reed Johnson RF Johnson surprised everyone last season with a .353 OBP after being tossed into the leadoff spot following the Shannon Stewart trade last summer. Now it's a question of whether Johnson can maintain it or will pitchers catch up to him. A sub-.200 spring batting average might be an indication. 27 Frank Catalanotto LF The versatile Catalanotto will likely get the first chance of his career at 500 at-bats and no matter where he plays, Catalanotto will hit. Has a career .824 OPS and hitting in front of Vernon Wells and Carlos Delgado will only help those numbers. 10 Vernon Wells CF Wells made the jump to star last season playing a gold-glove caliber center field and producing MVP like stats. Only 25, Wells has a chance to improve on those numbers and move into superstar territory. 25 Carlos Delgado 1B Delgado enjoyed a monster season in '03 leading the American League in OPS (1.019) and finishing second in the MVP race. In the last year of his contract, there's no reason to expect anything less than his career averages of 38 HRs and 120 RBI. 17 Josh Phelps DH A position-less player for the most part, Phelps has been told he's going to get somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 at-bats. If that's the case, 30 HRs is not out of the question. 11 Eric Hinske 3B After an injury-plagued sophomore slump of a season last year, the Jays expect and need Hinske to improve his production. If the spring is any indication, he should bounce back nicely to his rookie-of-the-year numbers. 29 Kevin Cash C Cash is an outstanding defensive catcher with an above-average arm, but for what he has with the glove, he lacks at the plate. In 106 at-bats last season, Cash was downright awful with a .377 OPS. A consistent .270s hitter in the minors, don't expect much more than .240 over the course of a full season. Greg Myers will still get his share of at-bats. 5 Chris Woodward SS With Mike Bordick retiring, the job is Woodward's for the year. In the Jays on-base percentage emphasized system, he'll have to improve on his .316 mark. He's had a bad spring and if things don't improve, this might be his only year starting for the Jays. 1 Orlando Hudson 2B Hudson's first full season in the Show was a solid one as he showed gap-power at the plate and a steady glove in the field. If the switch-hitting Hudson doesn't demonstrate improvement at the plate from the right side (416 OPS), he could be in a platoon situation down the road. Bench: Dave Berg, Chris Gomez, Greg Myers, Chad Hermansen, Simon Pond
THE STAFF 2003: PITCHING | RUNS ALLOWED (826 -- 10th in AL) NO PLAYER POS 32 Roy Halladay No. 1 SP The reigning Cy Young Award winner is a bona fide ace and another solid spring has him poised for a repeat performance. Adding a changeup this spring will only make his repertoire all that more devastating. 43 Miguel Batista No. 2 SP A swingman for most of his career, Batista comes to the Jays from the Diamondbacks off one if his best seasons as a pro. The concern is durability. Batista has never thrown over 200 innings in his career and struggled in September last season, as fatigue seemed to have set it. 31 Ted Lilly No. 3 SP Lilly enjoyed a fine end of the season for Oakland (6-1 in Aug. and Sept.), allowed only two hits to Boston in the ALDS and now the Jays might have acquired a pitcher who's coming into his own at age 28. A wrist injury has limited Lilly this spring, and he may not be good for more than six innings for a while. 41 Pat Hentgen No. 4 SP Returning to where he won a Cy Young in 1996, Hentgen isn't the same pitcher he was then as injuries and age have taken the zip off his fastball. But with that said, Hentgen showed enough at the end of last season (6-3, 3.10 ERA post All-Star break) that he's still capable of posting double-digit victories. 7 Josh Towers No. 5 SP Towers had some solid outings over the last two months of last season and compiled an 8-1 record for the year. He'll never overpower anyone with a fastball that rarely hits 90 on the gun so he must rely on pinpoint control. With that, be prepared to see more hits given up than innings pitched. 44 Aquilino Lopez CL Lopez is the closer to start the season, but this could turn into a closer-by-committee situation should he struggle. His slider can be filthy at times as evidenced by his .186 average vs. right-handers. Bullpen: Justin Speier, Terry Adams, Kerry Ligtenberg, Jason Kershner, Valerio de los Santos Speier, Adams and Ligtenberg will share the late inning setup duties. Adams has been far more effective as a reliever in his career while Ligtenberg is tough on right-handed hitters. Speier is the wild card here as he has nasty stuff, but has been inconsistent.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 10, 2004 13:58:17 GMT -5
BOSTON RED SOX
Manager: Terry Francona Home: Fenway Park 33,993 (night); 33,577 (day) '03 record: 95-67 (2nd in AL East)
THE LINEUP 2003: BATTING | RUNS SCORED (961 -- 1st in AL) NO PLAYER POS 18 Johnny Damon CF Of all the regulars last season, Damon had the lowest OPS on the team (.750), although his .345 OBP was equal to Nomar Garciaparra's. Damon does offer value at the top of the lineup, providing patience at the plate and speed on the base paths. If anything, Damon's nighttime numbers should improve with his werewolf look this spring. 11 Bill Mueller 3B A career .286 hitter coming into last season, Mueller was one of the most improbable Sox players to capture the batting crown with a .326 average. While he's unlikely to duplicate last year, he should still put up strong numbers at Fenway where his swing puts the Monster to good use. 24 Manny Ramirez LF Now that Ramirez has 10 toes back in Boston, the residents of Red Sox Nation can pacify themselves once again with the familiar phrase: "That's just Manny being Manny." One thing that Ramirez unquestionable does is hit. Pencil in .320, 35HRs and 110 RBI. 5 Nomar Garciaparra SS Being the competitor that Garciaparra is, it's doubtful the Alex Rodriguez debacle will have any on-field effects for the five-time All-Star. Batting fourth is nothing new to Garciaparra. He won two batting titles in '99 and '00 regularly hitting cleanup. 34 David Ortiz DH After finding little playing time early last season when he was stuck behind Jeremy Giambi, Ortiz exploded from May until the end of the year, finishing fifth in the American League MVP voting. With a chance to log over 500 at-bats for the first time in his career, Ortiz could surpass last season's numbers. 15 Kevin Millar 1B After being plucked away from the Marlins/Japan last season, Millar was the face, voice and Karaoke-guy of the '03 Cowboy Up Sox. After a hot start, Millar faded after the All-Star break. He is, however, one of the few Sox that's a good bet to improve on his numbers from last season. 33 Jason Varitek C Is a rock defensively and one of the best-prepared catchers in the game. Enjoyed a career season last year with a .863 OPS. Cause for worry is his age. 'Tek will turn 32 in April and that's an age where catchers tend to lose some tread on their tires. 19 Gabe Kapler RF With Trot Nixon out until at least May, Kapler is the man who's going to get the majority of playing time mostly due to his defensive prowess. Once Nixon does return, look for Kapler to get some innings at third base where he's been working out this spring. If he can duplicate his .350 OBP from last year with the Sox, Boston will be happy. 3 Pokey Reese 2B Reese is a defensive wizard who some former Reds teammates call the best defensive middle infielder in the game. His defensive stats are equal to and exceed in some cases Roberto Alomar's in his prime. The downside to Reese is at the plate where he hasn't had an OPS above .700 since 2000. Bench: Ellis Burks, Mark Bellhorn, Doug Mirabelli, Brian Daubach, David McCarty
THE STAFF 2003: PITCHING | RUNS ALLOWED (809 -- 8th in AL) NO PLAYER POS 45 Pedro Martinez No. 1 SP It seems you could write the same thing every year for Martinez in a Spring Preview: Will put up Cy Young numbers, health is a concern. Martinez says he's feeling his best since he first came to the Red Sox. If that's the case, look out for a monster season. 38 Curt Schilling No. 2 SP Schilling is the horse the Sox have searched for to complement Martinez in the six years Martinez has been in town. While at 37 Schilling is getting up there in years, his stints on the disabled last season (appendix, broken hand) were not pitching related. With Schilling working on ways to cut down his pitch counts, 220-plus innings is not out of the question. 32 Derek Lowe No. 3 SP After winning 21 games in 2002 in his first full year as a starter for the Sox, Lowe tacked on 17 more last season thanks in large part to ample run support. Now that the emotional Lowe has put a cancer scare he had last spring behind him, his numbers should fall somewhere in between '02 and '03. 49 Tim Wakefield No. 4 SP Always considered the most versatile and arguably the most valuable pitcher on the Sox not named Pedro, Wakefield will have another go in the rotation this season. Expect another solid season with an ERA around 4.00. 61 Bronson Arroyo No. 5 SP The fifth starter spot was penciled in with BK Kim's name, but shoulder troubles for the sidearmer have the Sox going to plan-B in Arroyo. Arroyo pitched outstanding as a September call-up after being named the International League's Most Valuable Pitcher and figures to have success until Kim's rehab is complete. 29 Keith Foulke CL While the bullpen was magnificent in last year's playoffs, one of the top tasks of the Boston brass this offseason was to find a good old, fashioned closer. And that they did in plucking American League saves leader Keith Foulke off the free agent market. Foulke is a changeup specialist who can go multiple innings if needed. Bullpen: Scott Williamson, Alan Embree, Mike Timlin, Ramiro Mendoza, Jason Shiell Gone is the closer-by-committee and welcomed back is the traditional bullpen roles. Williamson and Embree provide power, strikeout arms from the right and left sides for the late innings while Timlin, who was unhittable in the playoffs last season, can now take his power sinker to the sixth and seventh innings. If healthy, Mendoza will probably make the club due to contractual reasons.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 10, 2004 13:53:12 GMT -5
NEW YORK YANKEES
THE LINEUP 2003: BATTING | RUNS SCORED (877 -- 3rd in AL) NO PLAYER POS 18 Kenny Lofton CF Gone are the days of the .400 OBP and the stolen bases at will. He's shown he can still get it done in spurts (.381 OBP with the Cubs last season), but a .350 OBP is what to expect at this stage of his career. While Lofton might have more range than Bernie Williams, it's a minimal defensive upgrade over a healthy Williams. 2 Derek Jeter SS Not the best shortstop on his team anymore, Jeter is still the leader of the Yankees. While it is likely he has peaked as a hitter, Jeter's still more than capable of an .850-.875 OPS, especially when you consider all the thunder behind him in the lineup. 13 Alex Rodriguez 3B After all the hoopla surrounding A-Rod this winter, it's highly unlikely any of it will affect the future Hall-of-Famer. He's shown this spring he can handle the hot corner and there's no reason to expect anything less than MVP-type numbers at the plate. 25 Jason Giambi 1B Despite an eye infection and tendinitis in his knee, Giambi managed to overcome a slow start to post a .939 OPS. Fully healthy, Giambi returns to first base on a full-time basis for the first time in New York with the departure of Nick Johnson. His defensive liabilities will be forgiven if he can return to his '00-'02 form. 11 Gary Sheffield RF One of baseball's best hitters over the past decade, Sheffield brings impressive credentials to the Yankees. If he can stay healthy, and that might be a big if with the possibility of his thumb injury flaring up, mark down another monster season at the plate. 51 Bernie Williams DH The biggest question with Williams these days is his health. Until last season, he had posted seven straight .900 OPS or better seasons. A healthy return will help restore Williams to his old production, but it remains to be seen how not playing the field will affect him at the plate. 20 Jorge Posada C Posada had a fantastic year last season as the American League's top hitting catcher and was recognized by the baseball writers with a third-place finish in the MVP vote. He'll be 33 in August and it'll be interesting to see if catching more innings than all but three catchers last year hurts his production. 55 Hideki Matsui LF With a year of American baseball under his belt, we have a better idea of what Matsui is going to bring to the table: a solid bat and glove. Even though he's not going to be the slugger he was in Japan, Matsui will still put up near All-Star numbers in the potent Yankee lineup. A pleasant surprise to the club was his defense, save for his throwing arm. 14 Enrigue Wilson 2B Yankees fans can forget about the days of getting offensive production out of their second baseman while Wilson is manning the bag. His career .654 OPS can attest to that. And while Bombers fans think they're getting a defensive upgrade over Alfonso Soriano, their defensive stats are similar when Wilson is pro-rated out over a full season. Bench: Ruben Sierra, Tony Clark, Miguel Cairo, John Flaherty, Bubba Crosby
THE STAFF 2003: PITCHING | RUNS ALLOWED (716 -- 4th in AL) NO PLAYER POS 35 Mike Mussina No. 1 SP Mussina played the role of ace for many years in Baltimore, so being tabbed for game one of the season is nothing new. What Mussina needs to do for the first time in his career is reach 20 wins. With all the offense that should be in support of him, it'll be a disappointment if he doesn't reach that plateau. 27 Kevin Brown No. 2 SP It's pretty simple when talking about Brown. When he is healthy, he is downright filthy. When he is not, it is not pretty. If the Yankees get 35 starts out of Brown and his cranky back, a big proposition, he could be the first pitcher since Bob Welch in 1990 to win 25 games. 33 Javier Vazquez No. 3 SP An unknown quantity to most fans due to his playing in front of only dozens of fans in Montreal, Vazquez could be the real horse of this staff. He has ace-type stuff, can eat innings and strikes out batters at a high rate. What isn't known by anyone yet, is how he will handle the intense spotlight of New York. 52 Jose Contreras No. 4 SP It's clear he has all the tools to be a phenomenal pitcher -- an overpowering fastball, an unhittable forkball and the build to take games into the late innings. Now it's just a matter of going out and doing it. If the spring is an indication, look out -- 23 Ks in 14 2/3 innings. 26 Jon Lieber No. 5 SP Lieber was thought to be a steal by the Yankees when they signed him for two years including last year's rehab after Tommy John surgery. But now a groin injury has likely shelved Lieber until May. Donovan Osborne is the choice to fill the fifth starter role in the meantime. While Osborne might be wearing No. 46, he won't make people forget Andy Pettitte. 42 Mariano Rivera CL The best closer over the past seven seasons, and arguably of all-time, will likely end his career as a Yankee after signing a contract extension this spring. After posting a career-best 1.66 ERA last season, Rivera has picked up right where he left off -- through March 24 he hadn't allowed a run this spring. Bullpen: Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill, Gabe White, Felix Heredia, Jorge DePaula An overlooked area of the Yankees' offseason, the pen is vastly improved with the addition of the power-armed Gordon and the rubber-armed Quantrill. The team had troubles getting to Mariano Rivera last season, but that won't be the case this year. The relievers might get another boost should Steve Karsay get healthy.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 10, 2004 13:25:28 GMT -5
In my opinion its got to be Mark Prior, when he's healthy.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 9, 2004 19:31:33 GMT -5
Yankees
Given that $190 million payroll, there's surprisingly little depth in the starting rotation but it looks like one of the best lineups in history. It's amazing how little talk there has been about Gary Sheffield, who is as good of a bet to win the AL MVP as Alex Rodriguez.
2. Angels
With Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar at the front of the rotation, this might be the most complete team in the majors. Troy Percival looked shaky this spring, but don't be fooled. He'll turn it up once the season begins.
3. Astros
Roy Oswalt looked great in spring training, as did Roger Clemens. The rotation is arguably eight deep, with Brandon Duckworth, Carlos Hernandez and Taylor Buchholz waiting in the wings.
4. Red Sox
Injuries to Nomar Garciaparra, Trot Nixon and Byung-Hyun Kim set a troubling tone for a team that hasn't done a good job getting its players under contract. The potential free agents after this season include Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe, Scott Williamson, Jason Varitek, David Ortiz and Garciaparra.
5. Cubs
If Mark Prior is healthy and on form by Memorial Day, this should be the best team in the NL. But Dusty Baker and everyone in Cubs Nation are holding their breath about Prior. Look for a big year from Sammy Sosa, who is in terrific shape.
6. Marlins
Hard to believe you can be the world champions and underrated, but that appears the case. With Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Dontrelle Willis and Carl Pavano on track, Florida is positioned to do something it never has -- win a division title.
7. Athletics
If you've got the Big Three, you've got a chance. But the A's have more questions than usual, with the biggest being the bullpen. Will Arthur Rhodes still be the closer in August?
8. Mariners
While 40-year-old Jamie Moyer remains the ace, few organizations have more good arms. Freddy Garcia appears poised for a significant comeback.
9. Phillies
Billy Wagner and Tim Worrell, who combined for 82 saves last year, are huge additions. This might be the deepest roster in the National League. But as long as Larry Bowa is the manager, it's hard to foresee smooth sailing.
10. Cardinals
With the Cubs and Astros spending more every year, St. Louis' excellent management team has been hindered by ownership's spending restriction. The failure to sign Greg Maddux, after veterans offered to defer some of their salaries, was a late demoralizing blow.
11. Diamondbacks
Go ahead, pull teams out of the hat in the NL West. They could finish in almost any order. But if any team has an edge, it's the one with a healthy Randy Johnson along with the unflappable Brandon Webb.
12. Braves
This should be the year that the 12-year streak stops growing. But never count out a team run by Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz.
13. Giants
Since J.T. Snow failed to make it home against Florida, San Francisco has had a huge talent drain. Rich Aurilia, Tim Worrell and Joe Nathan will be badly missed, and questions linger about Robb Nen and Jason Schmidt.
14. Twins
Joe Mauer has had an ideal spring, and Ron Gardenhire once again has Minnesota winning. But it's hard to see this thin pitching staff, especially the bullpen, holding up for a full season. And remember this: only two teams have won division titles with rookie catchers since 1969.
15. White Sox
After underachieving under Jerry Manuel in recent years, the Sox are quietly poised to be a surprise. Frank Thomas has a perfect mindset for the season, and Mark Buehrle could join Esteban Loaiza to give the White Sox back-to-back 20-game winners.
16. Blue Jays
In another division, we'd be talking a lot about Vernon Wells, Kevin Cash, Josh Phelps and the rest of Toronto's good young players. But given the giants ahead of them, the only question is do they deal Carlos Delgado or find a way to keep him?
17. Royals
Tony Pena opens the season with an all-lefty starting rotation while he waits for Kevin Appier to get healthy. Kansas City hopes to build off the momentum it built in the first half of last season, but history says teams that improve 20 games from one year to another almost never do better the next season.
18. Dodgers
Given the lack of firepower, it appears this is a season when Los Angeles will have to take its lumps. Kevin Brown figures to be missed.
19. Reds
Right on schedule, Ken Griffey Jr. left Monday's game with an injury. But the strained calf doesn't appear serious. If Griffey can reassert himself as an elite player, Cincinnati could be a pleasant surprise, especially if outfield mates Austin Kearns and Adam Dunn are also healthy.
20. Expos
GM Omar Minaya continues to do an excellent job in an outrageous situation, but there's bound to be a slide without Vladimir Guerrero and Javier Vazquez. Lots of teams will also come around asking for middle infielders Jose Vidro and Orlando Cabrera at the trade deadline.
21. Rockies
Shawn Estes, a bust as a fifth starter for the Cubs, showed signs in spring training of being this year's Esteban Loaiza. Look for a big return from Scott Elarton and some Rookie of the Year mentions for second baseman Aaron Miles. It could add up to a winning season, and maybe even a rare taste of contention, for Colorado.
22. Orioles
This could be an interesting team, but it appears the pitching staff lags behind the lineup, which has added Miguel Tejada, Rafael Palmeiro and Javy Lopez. Kurt Ainsworth, added in the Sidney Ponson trade last year, could be a pleasant surprise now that he's healthy.
23. Padres
Brian Giles may finally be on a team worthy of his approach. But this probably won't be the year that happens, not with David Wells (not Greg Maddux) as the centerpiece of the off-season renovations.
24. Tigers
A fast start is imperative for Alan Trammell's team. If starters Mike Maroth, Jeremy Bonderman, Jason Johnson and Nate Cornejo are solid, the Detroit revival could be baseball's top story at Memorial Day.
25. Mets
With improved fielding and the arrival of pitching coach Rick Peterson from Oakland, Tom Glavine and Al Leiter could win 35 games between them. The health of Mike Piazza and Cliff Floyd is the great X-factor.
26. Devil Rays
They've had veterans in the lineup before, but never as productive as they should be after adding Jose Cruz Jr., Robert Fick, Tino Martinez, Eduardo Perez and Rey Sanchez, among others. This could be the year they don't finish last.
27. Indians
With Detroit's improvement, it seems more likely Cleveland will move downward rather than into the middle of the Central division. The Indians are paying four pitchers who won't throw a pitch in 2004 (Billy Traber, Brian Tallet, Mark Wohlers and Scott Sauerbeck) along with Bob Wickman, who's out until the All-Star break, and Bob Howry, who is also continuing to recover from elbow surgery.
28. Pirates
The starting pitching is decent, but this looks like the least productive lineup in the majors, especially if the Jason Kendall-to-Seattle rumors prove true. Don't be surprised if shortstop Jack Wilson represents Pittsburgh at the All-Star Game.
29. Brewers
The first four or five months of 2003 figure to be as dreadful as usual in Milwaukee but September, and maybe August, could be fun. A deep corps of prospects, highlighted by Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, J.J Hardy, Brad Nelson and Mike Jones is on its way.
30. Rangers
The lack of pitching means another Groundhog's Day season for the faithful in Texas. The Rangers will get beaten up early, as they play their first 19 games against Anaheim, Oakland and Seattle. And with Alex Rodriguez gone, a 100-loss season seems more likely than not.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 10, 2004 14:27:10 GMT -5
I'd be just as mad if it was A-Rod, and I'm a Yankees fan. If he was passing Aaron, then I'd be okay with it. This whole celebration of himself makes me sick, he needs to get over himself. I respect his ability to play the game, he's by far the best power hitter in the game, no question. He just needs to do himself a favor, and be humble for once in his career.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 10, 2004 11:50:10 GMT -5
I don't like Barry, I hope he gets caught usin 'Roids and banned or something from baseball. You may get your wish. Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO -- Federal authorities probing an alleged steroid distribution ring have seized the results and samples of drug tests on selected major league baseball players from a drug-testing lab, a spokesman for the lab said Friday. Internal Revenue Service agents served a search warrant to obtain "documentation and specimens" from a Quest Diagnostics lab in Las Vegas, Quest spokesman Gary Samuels said. Samuels could not say whether IRS agents took the drug-test results or specimen of Barry Bonds, but said the agents took materials consistent with a federal subpoena that had sought test results and specimens from the San Francisco Giants' slugger and fewer than a dozen other players. Among them were New York Yankees Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi. "We've been cooperating fully and completely with the government throughout the criminal investigation," Samuels told ESPN Radio's GameNight. "When we were finally presented with the numbers that we needed to identify the documents and specimens, we gave them to the federal agent." Lab employees, however, could not identify the specimens taken. "The specimens are collected ... they're coded by a third party administrator and they arrive at the laboratory anonymously ... so the people in the testing facility, our laboratory, do not know any names," Samuels told GameNight. The raid occurred Thursday, shortly after the Major League Baseball Players Association filed a motion in a San Francisco court seeking to squash that subpoena. IRS spokesman Mark Lessler and U.S. Attorney's spokeswoman Ji-Yon Yi both said Friday they could not comment. Samuels said the IRS agents served the search warrant on the Quest lab after obtaining a coded list from California-based Comprehensive Drug Testing that matched players to the results and the samples. Teterboro, N.J.-based Quest and Long Beach, Calif.-based Comprehensive Drug Testing did the tests last year for Major League Baseball, which was trying to determine the prevalence of steroid use among players. When more than 5 percent of those tests came back positive, the major leagues began a new testing program this season that includes punishments for those caught using steroids. The tests were supposed to remain anonymous. But a federal grand jury in San Francisco that issued indictments in February against four men for allegedly distributing steroids to professional athletes sought the results as part of its probe. One of those indicted Feb. 12 was Greg Anderson, the personal trainer for Bonds -- who, along with Sheffield, Giambi and dozens of other pro athletes, testified before the grand jury. The grand jury's probe focuses on the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative and has led to charges against four men: BALCO founder Victor Conte, BALCO vice president James Valente, track coach Remi Korchemny and Anderson. All have pleaded not guilty and are free on bail. Bonds, Sheffield and Giambi have not been charged in the case and repeatedly have denied using steroids. Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, said Monday that approximately 500 urine samples remain from last year's drug tests. He could not say if samples for Bonds, Sheffield, Giambi and the other players named in the subpoena are among that batch. Two samples were taken from each of the more than 1,400 major league players last season. Most were destroyed, but about 500 were saved when the grand jury issued its subpoena. Since two tests were taken on each player, the surviving tests could have come from as few as 250 players or as many as 500.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 9, 2004 18:44:38 GMT -5
What do you think of the planned celebration at home plate when Barry Bonds ties Willie Mays for 3RD on the all time home run list? To me it's a complete joke. They plan on stopping the game when he does it, no matter where he does it, and no matter what inning it is. This just shows me why people don't care for him. Does 3rd place really need to be a big party? If I batted after him I'd be watching my head, because thats probably where the next pitch is going.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 9, 2004 17:25:06 GMT -5
I really like Miguel Tejada, even though I am a Yankee fan, he is way better than Jeter....who really isnt even the best shortstop on his team
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 10, 2004 16:00:33 GMT -5
They lost for the first time today, 10-5 to the Twins. The Brewers won again today 6-1, against Houston. But both teams are playing very well so far.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Apr 9, 2004 16:56:07 GMT -5
Brewers. The Sexson trade is going to help big time. 4 of the Diamondbacks they got have already homered and Chris Capuano picked up the win in his first start. I have to agree. I thought the trade of Sexson would kill them, but the guys they got in return are playing very well to start. I also think that the Rays are going to sneek up on some people, but won't have the impact that the Brewers will.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Jul 1, 2004 13:50:54 GMT -5
When I was in 10th grade I was moved up to Varsity for sectionals. In the second game of sectionals our starting small forward broke his ankle and I went in. I scored 29 points and had 13 rebounds, and a few blocks in just under 3 quaters. That was by far my best game in basketball. After 10th grade I stopped playing basketball all together because it was taking up too much of my free time, plus my parents MADE me get an after school job, and told me to pick 1 sport, so I stuck with football.......I regret not playing basketball so much.
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Post by YankeeClipper on Jul 1, 2004 13:53:15 GMT -5
I ended up getting both. IMO MVP is far better in most ways.
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