- kevin: go blue...
- kevin: go blue...
- bigD: Mrs. Portis-Easton.....
- Gloria portis-Easton: U R 2funny! U jst ke...
- bigD: I never stole your "...
- bigD: Uh...YEAH? lol....
MLB PREVIEW – AL EAST
Like most seasons, the AL East is one of the best divisions in baseball but that being said, it’s mostly controlled by 3 teams – Toronto, New York and Boston. Either one of these 3 could win the division and make the playoffs however, it’s unlikely that this division will win the Wild Card due to the talent of the AL Central. New York is always a serious threat behind a tremendous offense and future hall of famers but seem to lack the pitching staff it’s had in the past. Boston may be the best overall team in the division due to the addition of Japenese pitching sensation, Dice-K. Toronto is really a juggernaut in this division because of a stacked offense and questionable pitching, but more then enough talent to compensate for where they lack. Baltimore and Tampa Bay probably won’t contend but it’s interesting to note that Tampa Bay plays their best baseball against teams in the division and upsets will happen. In the end, it will probably be Boston or New York once again taking the crown.
1. NEW YORK YANKEES
I hate the Yankees and their over the hill, overpaid and in many cases over-hyped players. That said this great offense of “Murderer’s Row and Cano†is more then enough to win some games on their own if the veteran Yankee pitching fails them. New found ace, Chien-Ming Wang (although currently on the DL) has a nasty sinker, good breaking stuff and could be one of the upper tier pitchers for years to come. Yankee SS – Derek Jeter is simply magic. He’s certainly a great all around player but his leadership of a team that must often keep their egos in check is outstanding. This isn’t the usual Yankee squad but they should still contend for a playoff spot.
#1 PLAYER TO WATCH: There are many players I could have mentioned here but I am going with 3B – Alex Rodriguez for a few reasons. The first is his tamazing ability. He is a tremendous talent and has been for a long time. I love his plate coverage swing and how he uses the whole field offensively. He puts too much pressure on himself and can struggle at times because of it but that being said, I’d take him on my team any dam day of the week. Defensively he’s a good 3B with a strong arm but again, he forces a lot of throws and plays because of the pressure that tends to hover around him. The second reason I put A-Rod here would be because of all the intangibles surrounding this man. I’ve already mentioned the pressure that he puts on himself and a lot of that is because he’s playing with Jeter and he’s always worried about comparing himself to him (I think that’s obvious). He constantly gets booed by the New York crowd and he needs a change of scenery badly. A man that produces like he does shouldn’t have to prove himself with every single at bat of every single season but that’s the sad realism of A-Rod in New York. He is a superstar player that simply isn’t living up to what he could do because of where he plays. The sad thing is…last season his numbers were .290/35/121. That’s a bad season??? And yet, Yankee fans boo him??? I’ve said enough. Next.
X-FACTOR: Closer – Mariano Rivera. He’s hailed by many as the best closer who ever lived and I have no reason to argue such a statement. The fact that he has had a dominating career with World Series titles and the ability to throw for more then one inning and dominate when this team has needed him the most has set him apart from other closers. Simply put, if you could get to the 9th inning it was almost a lock every time. Nowadays he’s a bit older but that hasn’t had that much of an effect on his results as you’d think. What amazes me about him time after time is that he has so much success with basically just one pitch (four seam cut fastball that moves differently at different speeds). His arm action is always the same (easy delivery) so his changes in movement and rotation on the same pitch throws off hitters. He’s the X-factor on this team without a doubt. If Rivera is coming in for your 9th it makes things relatively simple…get to him with a lead. Enough said.
THEY WILL HAVE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IF: The starting pitching stays healthy. As mentioned earlier, Chien-Ming Wang has begun the year on the DL. The Yanks re-signed Andy Pettitte (a four and two seam fastball, a slow moving curve and a change of pace) and dam…was it needed. Mike Mussina is getting up there in age as well but he’s still an intelligent pitcher who knows how to make adjustments. From there, Carl Pavano (missed all of last season) and Kei Igawa round out a pitching staff that certainly isn’t as loaded (at least not on paper) this season as it has been in the past which means that the Yankee bats must do what they are more then capable of doing – SCORE LOTS OF RUNS. Kyle Farnsworth is the setup man to Rivera and both can do a decent job. Farnsworth is a good counter to Rivera because he throws very hard. Simply put, if the pitching shows up at all this season for the Yanks they should win because they still have perhaps the best overall offensive lineup in baseball.
OUTLOOK: Even though I don’t believe this Yankee team is as strong as past clubs, they are still a contender because of their high powered offense. Plus, they have an owner who is willing to spend big bucks to see titles and not every owner has the money or is willing to spend it like George Steinbrenner is in order to win, year after year. If the Yankees falter, expect Steinbrenner to attempt to deal A-Rod before the trade deadline to better his pitching or expect any kind of a deal to better a starting staff that is very questionable going into the upcoming season. You can’t just automatically hand New York the AL East any longer. Not with Toronto and Boston also set up to make a run at the division but that being said, the Yankees are more then capable of winning it all again due to a tremendous hitting team (Giambi, Abreu, Damon, Matsui, Cano, etc.) and, as mentioned, above average pitching…BARELY.
2. BOSTON RED SOX
This is without a doubt a team that can rival the Yankees but one major question must be answered in order for them to do that. Can the heralded Japanese Pitcher – Dice-K be as good as they say? JD Drew was added as one more big bat behind Ramirez and Ortiz and that could be a big difference (minus his terrible attitude). The addition of SS – Julio Lugo was just plain smart. The Sox have flirted with starting their closer – Jonathan Papelbon but those thoughts have now been nixed and that’s probably for the best because, without him in the back end of the bullpen, they really have no one else with the exception of Joel Pineiro who will now move to setup man. The bottom line is it’s Boston, Toronto or the Yanks for the division title and 2nd place probably won’t get the wild card this time around so take your pick.
#1 PLAYER TO WATCH: Starter – Daisuke Matsuzaka. When it costs you 50 million dollars to simply talk to his Japanese team about buying out his contract and 50 million more just to sign him, it’s pretty obvious we are talking about the real deal here. He’s maybe the most anticipated Jap pitcher to come to the big leagues EVER. He has 3 dominant strikeout pitches. His fastball has great movement due to his outstanding delivery and overall mechanics. On top of that he has a curveball, a nasty slider, a changeup and perhaps the most interesting pitch of them all – the famed Dice-K GYRO. Gyro? That’s right. This amusing version of what some would call a changeup, some a slider (many refer to it as more of a backwards slider) has the potential to be just plain dominating, as does Dice-K. So far so good for the one player who could be the difference to Boston topping New York.
X-FACTOR: Starter – Curt Schilling. We all know what he can do but age makes him the X-factor because sooner or later you’d think he’d have a drop off in stats because of it. Like Dice, he’s got a handful of pitches he can throw including a nasty slider and splitter that he’s been successful with for years. He’s got excellent command of all of his pitches and he tries to outthink hitters. He’s very smart and at times, downright mean and un-hittable. He didn’t have a great opening day but he’s sure to bounce back. With Beckett, Wakefield and Dice, it’s sure to be an interesting starting staff if both Dice and Schilling can do what’s expected of them.
THEY WILL HAVE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IF: The dominant hitters stay injury free and get along. JD Drew is an excellent player with lots of ability but often his play suffers because of his “all about me†attitude. The great Manny Ramirez (terrific balance, bat speed and he makes quick adjustments up to bat) also has some attitude problems I am sure I don’t have to remind you of. That being said, David Ortiz (drives pitches and unloads on the inside pitch) is just the opposite and is really the key to keeping this whole offense together. If these guys all end up getting along and Manny stops being Manny when the time comes to being serious, this team has more then enough overall talent and depth to surpass the Yankees and win the division.
OUTLOOK: This Red Sox team will control its own destiny all season long because again, they certainly have the talent to topple the Yanks. It’s all a matter of doing it. One other thing to note is that Fenway Park is such a strange place to play with its unique layout and style that the Sox need to continue to take advantage of playing 82 games there. Players like JD Drew attempting to better their ability based on that ballpark would be a hell of an idea. In Boston, you’re clearly looking at one of the American League favorites but whether or not they’ll top the Yankees or not depends on who you ask. Obviously it’s easier said then done.
3. TORONTO BLUE JAYS
They have an offense that is absolutely loaded and an ace starter in Doc Holiday who can be Cy Young material. The trouble is they don’t really have much else in the way of starting pitching. AJ Burnett can’t stay healthy, Gustavo Chacin can’t stay consistent and Josh Towers/Shawn Marcum are nowhere near enough to close out the rotation to say I am wowed. The Blue Jays can definitely out hit you. The question is…Can they out pitch you? That must be answered before we can determine if they can hang with the Yankees and BoSox.
#1 PLAYER TO WATCH: Pitcher – Roy “Doc†Holiday. He has tremendous command and knows how to work both sides of the plate with basically just a fastball (moves like crazy) and a knuckle curve. He’s deceptive, can outthink you and always throws strikes. He is one of the best in baseball and is one of the few true blue ace pitchers and dominant starters in the game today.
X-FACTOR: This awesome lineup. From 2 to 7 it’s probably as strong as any in the league. When you can send up the very underrated 1B – Lyle Overbay, one of the best overall talents in the game in CF – Vernon Wells (2006 gold glove winner), a decent free agent pickup in dangerous DH – Frank Thomas, a solid deep hitting threat in 3B – Troy Glaus and an underrated All-Star in RF – Alex Rios. They are the X-factor of this team because the pitching is questionable and they are built a lot like the Yankees in that, if and when the starting pitching fails them, they’ll need to out hit teams and believe me, they can.
THEY WILL HAVE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IF: They get the starting pitching. Closer – BJ Ryan (very difficult to pick up because of the late life on his pitches) is as dominating a closer as the AL has but getting to him with a lead is what Toronto must hope for. Don’t be surprised if the Jays get to Ryan in 7-6 or 9-8 games this season because that’s just what it might take.
OUTLOOK: It all depends on how well they hit against the AL East teams. The Doc will allow them to take some hitting days off but there is no room for error after that. They have the talent to contend with the Yankees and Red Sox but with a lack of pitching up front, I just don’t see it happening and as a result, they should miss the playoffs.
4. BALTIMORE ORIOLES
They’ve made some offensive improvements but there’s nowhere near enough overall talent to compete in this division with the top 3 teams. The O’s do have some talent with players like Tejada, Bedard and Cabrera but it seems like this organization can never decide what they truly want to do. Do they rebuild again or sign free agents. Talk about stuck in the middle in a division where you really can’t afford to be.
#1 PLAYER TO WATCH: SS – Miguel Tejada. He’s an exceptional hitter with runners in scoring position. He’s got a great swing and handles breaking balls very well. He kills mistakes and has learned to cut down on his strikeouts. He’s an adequate fielder but has lost range over the years. He’s a good leader out there though when he’s happy and that hasn’t always been the case as trade rumors tend to hover around him almost constantly. He doesn’t play on a very good team and that seems to bring his game down a bit, particularly on defense but he’s still a great all around talent.
X-FACTOR: Starters, Erik Bedard (high heat thrower with great confidence) and Daniel Cabrera (overpowering hard thrower who approaches 100 mph). These 2 are the entire key to this entire team because top to bottom there really isn’t a ton of talent here. Bedard is the ace of the staff and is always improving. He has the ability to be dominant but this entire pitching staff needs time to improve itself and that takes more then one season obviously.
THEY WILL HAVE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IF: They probably won’t be that good this year but if they are to be the best they can be then they need to continue to get production from the same old cast. Their 2B – Brian Roberts, 3B – Melvin Mora (very good utility player), RF – Nick Markakis (they are really high on this rising star), DH – Jay Gibbons and even 1B – Kevin Millar need to all play like they can. That rarely happens. This team doesn’t come together very often and seldom does it click on all cylinders. That being said, when you face the Yanks, Red Sox and Jays 19 games each you’re not gonna be that successful.
OUTLOOK: Not very hopeful at this point. They have good young pitching but it desperately needs to improve. The thing is, by the time it does the offense will be too old so really there is no winning with the Orioles. When the young does improve they will have to go attack the free agent market pretty hard to have future success however, that doesn’t make for much of a season this year.
5. TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS
Basically they can’t outdo any of the teams in this division because they don’t have the money to outbid anyone and at this point, Tampa Bay is not very attractive to free agents. With that in mind, Tampa has been unable to upgrade the pitching staff so they basically try to grow their own talent and hope that eventually it gets to a point of where it can challenge the big teams in this division but that being said, Tampa is still nowhere close, even though they have a lot of strong young talent. The thing is, I’ve been saying that for years now. They lose players to free agency and it seems like they can never get to the next level because of it. They are a lot like the Montreal Expos used to be.
#1 PLAYER TO WATCH: It’s not so much one guy, it’s 3. They have the most athletic outfield in the majors but again, they’re still relatively young. CF – Rocco Baldelli (a 5 tool player with All-Star potential), RF – Delmon Young (great tools but a bad attitude) and Carl Crawford (the game’s best pure athlete and probably the fastest runner) have a very high upside but again, Tampa must keep them and must have patience with them so that they can improve. You have to wonder how long Crawford can take this though because every single year the D-Rays aren’t exactly successful and Crawford could probably be a big time player with big time recognition on another team.
X-FACTOR: Starter – Scott Kazmir (one of the best pure arms in the game with an overpowering fastball and slider) and closer – Seth McClung (he has starter, overpowering stuff but they say he’s more suited to be a closer). These 2 have awesome velocity and a good idea about how to pitch. If they ever reach full potential they have the kind of stuff to dominate for this organization for years to come. It’s just a matter of coming out of their growing pains.
THEY WILL HAVE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IF: A meteor strikes the Earth. In other words, playing in this division…it’s impossible.
OUTLOOK: If they finish ahead of Baltimore, consider this a successful season for Tampa Bay but if they play the top teams in this division tough it will give them hope. The immediate future isn’t much this season but taking it one season at a time is crucial because the future looks bright. This team has more then enough future stars to eventually be respected but it still won’t be for awhile.
Overall this will be a very competitive division that in the end will see one very strong playoff team coming out of it. Look for the Yankees to make some deals before trade deadline at mid-summer to try and lock up some more pitching to attempt to make a late run at the division title. Due to the fact that the Yankees spend more then anyone else it’s hard to take anyone over them in this division but this might actually be the year that Boston does it. This battle will be interesting to watch as the year goes on but don’t rule out Toronto just yet. They are more then capable of pulling upsets and are an outside possibility of winning the East. Tampa Bay and Baltimore have no chance but as mentioned above, this division should be more then fun to watch night in and night out.
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