Titanic Shipwreck in Boston

On the 100th anniversary weekend of Fenway Park which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the Red Sox have a disaster of their own.  With VIPs in attendance to celebrate the centennial of the park's first game, the Yankees took an early 3-0 lead to quell the excitement and never looked back.  After the 6-2 loss on Friday, the weekend turned worse for the Sox.  Saturday, Boston would enjoy their only highlight of the weekend by jumping off to a 9-0 lead on the hated bums from the bronx.  The Yankees then scored 15 unanswered to crush the spirits of the Fenway faithful who responded with boos for new manager Bobby Valentine.  The good news was that Sunday's game was cancelled due to rain, perhaps avoiding an ugly scene in Boston.

This 4-10 start may be the signal of an end of an era.  With the departure of Theo Epstein and Terry Francona, the Sox amazing streak through most of the 2000s may have officially came to an end.  While the end of last season raise concerns, I think the ship's captain may have abandoned ship rather than trying to save her or at least prolong her life.  I have no reason (yet) to not support Valentine but the previous regime deserved a better fate than they received.

The Sox head out of town this week to visit the Twins and the White Sox.  Hopefully their departure will allow them to escape the negative atmosphere in the city and refocus on the season.  It is early and there is still a lot of baseball to be played.  Go SOX!

Reds Ready to Take the NL Central

With the exporting of Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and Company look to take the NL Central this season.  April can't get here fast enough for OhioMLBfans!  The Reds make their way south for camp which opens February 19th for pitchers and 24th for the rest of the squad.  Get the rundown at Reds on MLB.com

Papi,Sox Agree to 1-year Deal

The Red Sox have come to terms with David 'Big Papi' Ortiz on a one-year deal for $14.575 million.  This agreement comes on the heels of Spring Training opening camp and allows Papi to focus on the season.  For more see Big Papi at mlb.com

A Brief History of the Single Season Homerun Record

 

 Source:  http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/ss_home_run/ruth_60th_photo.htm

The National Baseball Hall of Fame website has a great timeline of the single season homerun record.  Starting with just 5 HRs by George Hall in 1876 to the current (and disputed) 73 by B.B. whom I refuse to name or give credit.  It's a great story that you can read in 5 minutes.  It's worth the read.
http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/ss_home_run/index.htm

Swept by the Indians......the Cleveland Indians

Red Sox Nation is ready to explode.  The Sox got swept by the Indians this week......yes, those Indians.  How is this possible?  Well, with lack of hitting and poor pitching anything is possible.  Just when you thought the Sox would have a chance to right the ship and get back to 3-3 or 2-4 at worst, the wheels fall off.  Unfortunately, the bums from the bronx are coming to town this weekend.  Maybe the ball club will be energized by the rivalry or the fans as the Sox open Fenway Park for the first time this season.  Surely they can win one in front of the home crowd.  Although I said the same thing about the Indians, there is hope following the Yankees series.  The 0-6 Sox will play the 0-6 Rays.  Something has to give.  You can't have a scoreless tie in baseball, right?  No team has ever won the World Series after starting 0-6, but you may recall that now team had ever won a series after going down 0-3, but we all remember that glorious comeback against the hated Yankees.  Ah, the joys of yesteryear.  Remember Sox fans, the season is a marathon, not a sprint.  We still have 156 games left.  By the end of April this little sputter out of the gate should be an afterthought.

On a much more positive note, the Cincinnati Reds are 5-1 for the first time since 1990 when they went wire-to-wire and won the World Series.  The Reds are hot right out of the gate and firing on all cylinders.  I don't see why they shouldn't win the Central this year and at least make the NLCS if they can manage to avoid a fiasco like the Phillies series last year.

Could two teams, that of course I'd like to see in the postseason, start off the season any different?  This is what makes baseball so exciting.  Go Red Sox and Go Reds!

Opening Weekend-Is the Season Over Already

The Red Sox got swept by the Texas Rangers and start the season 0-3 for the first time since 1996.  Tampa Bay starts 0-3 as well after losing Carl Crawford in the offseason and find out that superstar third baseman Evan Longoria has a strained oblique and is on the DL.  The Yankees start out hot….again and the O’s have run away with the East!  What?

The Red Sox have been picked by many to win the East and the World Series but are they over hyped?  This weekend was more of a testament to the hitting prowess of the Rangers.  Texas has 7 guys with at least 5 AB hitting over .300.  Although the starting pitching for the Red Sox (Lester, Lackey and Buchholtz) were far less than stellar, I’m not concerned…yet.  The good news for the Sox is that they start a series with the Indians, a team known to cure many ills.

The perplexing thing for me this weekend was Francona’s quick decision to move Crawford to the seven spot in the lineup.  Sure he had a bad weekend, but Crawford knows how to work through it.  He’ll be fine.

The good news for the Sox came by way of the bats of Adrian Gonzalez and Big Papi.  Gonzalez is hitting .385 with 3 RBI and Papi sent 2 balls screaming and drove in 4 just like the Papi we used to know.

The O’s had the perfect combination of a team on the decline in the Rays and superb pitching by some young stars.  Their three starters combined for 20 innings pitched giving up only 1 run and 6 hits while striking out 17.  Very impressive but I don’t expect those numbers all season.

Remember, the season is young so let’s climb down from the ledge and see what is to come.  I think we’ll find that everything will work out in the end.

Opening Day (Night)

As previously mentioned, I’m more of a traditionalist than not with the understanding that some things have to change to remain relevant and not get passed by.  And, as with everything else in the world, I realize that money drives everything.  However, is moving the greatest day in Spring, that being opening day of course, that can be shared by baseball fans throughout the country to a single ‘opening game’ on Sunday night really necessary?  ESPN already runs the sports world, would it hurt for them to carry games on Monday and get the buzz that is happening all around the sport in stadiums everywhere and to miss out on one Sunday night game?  Baseball should start in Cincinnati like it did for years.  The parade, all the pomp and circumstance to kick off the new season.  Instead, the baseball world has to watch one game the night before and not get to enjoy the experience of actually being at opening day.  Sure the teams have their own ceremonies the following day and everyone has a great time but now it is the second day of the season.  The Yankees and Red Sox are going to draw plenty attention throughout the rest of the season, let’s let the other 28 teams enjoy one of the few things some teams have to celebrate for the entire season.

Opening Day Excitement

Opening day has finally come and gone.  The weather could not have been better and the games likewise.  Sunday night the Red Sox come from behind on the strength of Kevin Youkilis’ three extra base hits and a solo shot from Dustin Pedroia to beat the hated Yankees.  Yesterday, Jason Heyward hits a long homerun on his first swing ever as a major league player and the Braves spanked the Cubs who tied an opening day record by allowing 16 runs.  Sir Albert Pujols hit not one but two opening day homeruns which puts him on pace for 324.  It could be a good season.  Roy Halladay pitched a gem in Philly as the reigning NL champs look to repeat.  Tim lincecum struck out 7 and gave up only 4 hits through 7 innings in a Giants 5-2 win over Houston.  Perhaps the play of the entire season has already occurred.  Mark Buerhle kicked a ball that was hit back at him, then chased it down as it careened toward the first base line between the pitcher’s mound and first.  He crosses the base path right in front of the baserunner and in one motion, scoops the ball with his glove and flicks it between his legs underhand to first to get the runner by about a half step.  WOW!  What does day two have in store?

Is OPS the Best Measure of a Players Offensive Worth?

OPS is the sum of a player’s on-base percentage and slugging percentage which calculate a player’s ability to get on base and to hit for power.  This seems like a very useful statistic for determining a player’s worth with the theory being that a player that is on base more would therefore score more by the law of averages.  Also, the same would be true that a player that hits for power more would score more as well.

 

The best way for me to grasp things like this is to put the numbers to the test and look at the results.  The top ten players in OPS for their career are Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, Rogers Hornsby, Manny Ramirez and Todd Helton*.  The only one I would possibly have a problem with is Todd Helton.  How did he get in there?  Looks like a pretty good list of the best ever to me.

 

The Adjusted OPS (OPS+) takes into account the ballpark and the league the player played in.  The top ten in OPS+ for their career are Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Barry Bonds, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, Mickey Mantle, Albert Pujols, Dan Brouthers, Joe Jackson, Ty Cobb and Jimmie Foxx*.  Again, a very impressive list.

 

Just for fun, I looked at last season’s (2009) OPS leaders.  They are Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Prince Fielder, Joey Votto, Derrek Lee, Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Mark Teixeira, and Ben Zobrist (Manny Ramirez was omitted due to lack of plate appearances).  Once again, what a list.  I would start a team with any of these guys.  I bet you didn’t expect to see Joey Votto in the top ten (unless of course, you are a Reds fan).

 

I think OPS and OPS+ are two of the best stats for finding great hitters.  All that being said, I would not determine a player’s worth solely on OPS or OPS+.  If you have a player that has great plate discipline and therefore has a high on-base percentage but rarely ever hits for power, their OPS would be affected.  However, I would love to have that player hit just ahead of a guy high on this list (like Albert Pujols), so that one run has a much better chance of becoming two.  Also, this is solely an offensive category that does not take into account fielding or intangibles such as leadership.  So unless you are just looking for a DH or a fantasy player, I would look at the OPS and OPS+ but not make a decision solely from those numbers.

 

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On-base_plus_slugging

Zito Plunks Fielder in Retaliation

Barry Zito decided that hitting Prince Fielder with a fastball in the back yesterday would teach him a lesson.  Fielder hit a walk-off homerun against the Giants in the playoffs last season and the team celebrated by falling like bowling pins when Fielder reached home plate.  There was no taunting or jestering in the direction of the mound or the Giants dugout.  But apparently celebrating a walk-off homerun in the playoffs is just unacceptable to the Giants.  This is one of the few opportunities when a professional ball player can enjoy the game.  This isn't tee-ball where everyone gets a trophy.  Let them enjoy the moment.  It was huge for him and his team.  Zito did all but cry na-na na-na na-na after drilling Fielder in the back on the first pitch of his first plate appearance.  In my opinion, there is a time for pitchers to ‘police’ the sport, but this definitely was not one of them.  Apparently, hitting a walk-off homerun in the playoffs is not a big event for the Giants.  Fielder handled the situation very well by tossing his bat back toward the dugout and even picking up and tossing the ball back toward Zito.  Given the choice of hitting a walk-off homerun in the playoffs and getting drilled the next year in Spring Training or losing the playoff game, I think I’ll take the walk-off every time.  The Brewers and Fielder obviously got the best of this deal but at least the Giants feelings aren’t still hurt.  My question:  Did Fielder even feel it?

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100304&content_id=8676528&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

2010 Predictions: AL East

First in the East this year should be a battle.  I went with the Red Sox due to their off-season activities.  After being swept in the first round of the playoffs last year, the Sox made some improvements.  Although Jason Bay departed for the Mets (and the money), the Sox signed Mike Cameron to take over in Center and moved Jacoby Ellsbury (my guy) to Left.  Cameron may be a slight downgrade from Bay, but the Sox also added Adrian Beltre at third and Marco Scutaro to fill the void that has been at short for awhile now.  With the trade of Lowell to Texas falling through, the Sox benefit with his services as a pinch hitter.  As long as Ortiz continues like he left off last season and Youkilis, Pedroia and Martinez stay on course, the Sox will put up good to great offensive numbers.  I didn’t mention JD Drew because 1)I’ve never been a big fan and 2)he can’t seem to stay of the DL but anything he can contribute will be a bonus.  The pitching staff easily rivals there New York counterparts.  Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Dice-K and Bucholtz is a dream rotation.  Wakefield can easily step into that 5th spot if Bucholtz struggles.  And Papelbon and Rivera might be 1 and 1a in the AL.

 

The Yankees slide back to second (maybe).  The loss of Damon and Matsui was not offset with the signing of Curtis Granderson.  Granderson should replace Damon well enough but there is still the hole left by World Series MVP Hideki Matsui.  Jeter is still putting up great numbers and plays a great shortstop but Posado is starting to show his age.  Cano should come back down to Earth a little since he showed some career numbers last season.  Arod and Teixeira will put up big numbers, of course, and Nick Swisher has the ability to although he strikes out a lot.  CC, AJ, Pettite, Vasquez, and Joba are sure to cause headaches for a lot of teams this year.  The jury is still out on Joba, but this is one of the premiere rotations in the league.  Rivera has shown no signs of slowing down at 40, but I’ve got to think he has to drop of a little.  Not to worry Yankee fans, the AL Wildcard will once again come out of the East so there is still post season play in your future.

 

The Tampa Bay Rays are unfortunately in the East with the big boys.  Stick them in the Central and they win the division every year.  The clock is ticking in Tampa and the pressure will actually make it harder for the Rays to contend this season.  The offense has a nice mix of power and speed.  Longoria, Pena, Upton and Crawford are going to put up numbers but Shields, Garza, Niemann, Price, and Davis can not compete in the AL East.  Look for Kelly Shoppach to take over at catcher to add some power to the lineup but the Rays are destined to finish 3rd again.

 

The Orioles are young but should make a bit of a splash this season.  The birds signed Kevin Millwood to anchor the rotation and give some leadership to their young pitching staff.  The O’s have a decent offense with Markakis, Roberts, Jones and Reimold.  I would expect Weiters to improve over last season and Tejada is still serviceable but his better days are behind him.  This team could stir up the pot in the East in the next couple of years but this is still a growing year.

 

The Blue Jays lost Alex Rios and Roy Halladay this offseason.  I could stop here and no one would question why.  Adam Lind, Aaron Hill and Vernon Wells will give Jays fans something to be excited about although Vernon Wells best days are in the past.  Kevin Gregg should be a nice addition in the bullpen to hold those late inning leads (assuming they have some).  Ricky Romero looks to be the bluebirds ace this season which won’t bode well for him.  Although Romero is a good pitcher, I would look for his numbers to drop off a little this season.

2010 Predictions: AL Central

I look for the Twins to remain atop the Central once again.  I could mention that they won the division last year with Mauer, Morneau and Nathan and leave it at that but the Twins didn’t rest on last year’s accomplishment.  Due to a short post-season, Minnesota went out and got JJ Hardy and Orlando Hudson to fill the gap in the middle.  Althoug, they don’t have a real ace on the staff, with the M&M boys (part 2) and maybe the best closer in the AL, the Twins look to take home the pennant again.

 

The White Sox only added Juan Pierre but that should be enough to jump last year’s second place team, the Tigers, to take the second spot this season.  With a pitching staff that includes Peavy, Buerhle, Danks and Floyd, you have to pick them to be in contention. 

 

That moves the Tigers down to third this season.  The addition of Johnny Damon only offsets the loss of Curtis Granderson.  So I look for the Tigers to remain about the same.  Magglio Ordonez, Brandon Inge and Miguel Cabrera could have great seasons and help the Tigers challenge the Sox, but with only Justin Verlander to strike fear into their opponents, I don’t believe their pitching is going to do them any favors this year.

 

The Cleveland Indians should be thankful that the Royals are in their division to keep them from finishing last (again).  The Tribe’s big move this off-season was the acquisition of a re-tread in Russel Branyan.  If he was the answer, why did they get rid of him in the first place?  Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo should add some offensive excitement for tribe fans but that will be about it.  Jake Westbrook is no ace, yet he is first in the rotation.  Indians fans should home for the return of the Fausto from a couple of years ago.

 

The Royals will once again bring up the rear in the division.  While Zack Greinke might be the best pitcher in the AL Central, a division with names like Peavy, Buerhle and Verlander, he alone can’t save the lowly Royals.  Joakim Soria is another highlight of a dismal team.

2010 Predictions: AL West

The Angels should win the division again this year, but not without a fight from the newly revived Mariners.  Even with the departure of Vlad Guerrero, John Lackey and Chone Figgins, this team will still put up numbers.  The arrival of Hideki Matsui should wash out the loss of Vlad’s numbers and even without Lackey the starting rotation is still stacked.  Jared Weaver should move into the ace spot without much trouble and his supporting cast (Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Scott Kazmir and Joel Piniero) are very good.  Figgins will be missed, but the Angels won the division last year by 10 games so they have some room to slip a little.

The Mariners made a lot of off-season moves, possibly to get Griffey a ring before he retires.  The addition of Cliff Lee and Chone Figgins should be enough to move the M’s into second in the division.  The starting pitching is solid with Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee and Erik Bedard however the bullpen leaves something to be desired.  If Milton Bradley can get his head straight out West, look for good numbers from Figgins, Bradley, Griffey and Ichiro.

The Rangers should struggle this season due to questionable starting pitching.  The bullpen is strong and and Kinsler, Hamilton and Young should add some excitement for the fans but don’t expect too much in 2010.

The A’s are in bad shape.  This will not be a good season for them.  There pitching is young and they have next to zero offense.  It’s time to make some wholesale changes.

2010 Predictions: NL East

The NL East has a clear winner and a clear bottom dweller.  However, the middle is tough to pick.  Obviously, the three-time defending NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies, who added Roy Halladay to an already stacked rotation, are not only my favorite to win the East again but also my pick for the National League representative in the World Series. 

At the bottom, once again, are the lowly Nationals that have a young pitching staff and added an aging (old) Pudge Rodriguez.  Ryan Zimmerman and Josh Willingham should offer the fans some excitement and although I’m not a big fan, I suppose Adam Dunn does provide some power.  The big event this year for the Nats should be when rookie Stephen Strasburg gets the call to throw some for the big club.

The middle three were essentially a toss-up for me.  I made the safe bet and chose the Mets to finish second almost exclusively off of name recognition.  With guys like Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, David Wright and the addition of Jason Bay, you have to expect good things to happen.  The starting rotation brings the expectations back to Earth.  After Johan Santana, there are a lot of questions.  Francisco Rodriguez needs the game to be close to even have a chance of helping.  If the Mets can avoid the injury and the offense can put up some numbers, they have a chance to finish high in the standings but probably won’t have enough to earn the NL Wild Card.

The young talent in Florida could help the Marlins have a decent season.  Somehow they manage to hang around for most of the year, so with guys like Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco coming back with another year’s experience, perhaps they can make a viable run at that second spot.

The Braves outfield production was well below what was expected last year.  If Nate McLouth can bounce back and Melky Cabrera can bring New York-esque numbers with him, the Braves have a legitimate shot at second as well.  The addition of Billy Wagner could help shutdown the opposition late in the game to give the Braves the edge they need.  And of course there is always the Bobby Cox factor.  I’m sure this team wants to send him out on top, but the question is, can they?

2010 Predictions: NL Central

This one isn’t hard to pick.  The Cardinals look to stay atop the division in 2010.  Pujols still amazes and the addition of Matt Holiday last season adds another bat to the lineup, showing that the Cards are content with just winning the division.  As long as Wainswright and Carpenter are at the top of the rotation, this team will continue to win.  Brad Penny was added in the fourth spot but I don’t know if this helps or not.  I’m looking forward to see how their young stud shortstop Brendan Ryan betters his performance of a year ago.  As long as Big Mac doesn’t cause too much of a distraction, 2010 promises to be another good season for the Cards.

I look for the Reds to move up to second in the division this year after picking up Orlando Cabrera to help plug the hole up the middle.  There is too much talent (Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips) to think that this team shouldn’t do better.  With a starting rotation of Harang/Arroyo/Cueto and now the addition of Aroldis Chapman, the Reds should have what it takes to make a run this season.  As long as the can stay competitive until June, hopefully Edison Volquez will return from Tommy John surgery and give this team the boost they need for the stretch run.

Sliding to third then, is the Chicago Cubs.  Everyone says their window of opportunity is closing with guys like Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and Ted Lilly getting older but I think their window has already starting closing.  Although the Cubs will run out Zambrano, Lilly, Dempster and Wells, I think their age will hold them back.

The Brewers have possibly the best 3-4 hitters in the game with Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, but with the departing of JJ Hardy and Mike Cameron, they should struggle to score runs.  Still manageable for teams with good pitching, but the Brew Crew struggled last year from the mound and the addition of Randy Wolf doesn’t appear to be enough.

Hanging around in the fifth spot is the Astros for another season.  Essentially, the ‘stros are playing with 4 guys (Hunter Pence, Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman and Michael Bourn) and 2 pitchers (Wandy Rodriguez and Roy Oswalt).  I don’t look for the Astros to make much of an impact in 2010.

Bringing up the rear as usual are the Pirates.  This year, however, there is hope.  The bucs bring a lot of young talent to spring training this year.  2010 should be a learning season for Pittsburg, but look for a climb in the standings in years to come.

2010 Predictions: NL West

I look for Arizona to shake things up a little bit this year in the NL West.  After a disappointing 2009, winning only 70 games, the Diamondbacks traded for Ian Kennedy to help out their better than average starting three of Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson.  Also, the addition of Adam Laroche at first base gives the snakes a regular contributor to go along with go to guys Mark Reynolds, Justin Upton and Miguel Montero.  While these changes should bolster the Diamondbacks up the standings ahead of cellar-dwelling San Diego, fourth place San Francisco and the slightly older not any better Colorado Rockies, the Dodgers still look to finish atop the standings.  While the Dodgers didn’t seem to get any better this off-season, I can’t see them dropping off too much from their 95 wins of last season.  Sure, I think it will be a struggle to get to 90 this year, but I think it will be just enough to hold off the Diamondbacks who may just win the wild card.  While the Dodgers did send Juan Pierre to the White Sox, they still may have the best outfield in the majors with Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier.  Although the Dodgers and Manny have announced that this will be his finally season in LA, Joe Torre and the boys in blue should be looking at another post season.

‘Big Hurt’ Calls it Quits; Awaits the Hall

Frank Thomas announced his retirement on Thursday in Chicago where he spent most of his amazing career.  Opposing pitcher feared Thomas throughout the 90s.  Frank put up some amazing numbers from 1991 through 1998.  Every year he had over 100 hits, 100 RBI, and 100 walks, all while hitting over .300 (except for 1998).  In the same time period he hit 32, 24, 41, 38, 40, 40, 35, and 29 home runs respectively.  Thomas ends his career with 521 homeruns which ties him for 18th all-time.  He is one of only three guys to be named MVP in back-to-back seasons which he did in 1993-1994 (Jimmie Foxx and Albert Pujols).  He hold 12 different records for the White Sox organization, including home runs (448), walks (1,466), runs scored (1,327) and RBI (1,465).  The White Sox have announced they will retire Frank Thomas’ number 35.  There is no doubt Thomas will be a HOFer, the only question is ‘will the writers play games or elect him on the first ballot which he deserves?’

Glavine Retires; Headed for Hall

Tom Glavine officially announced his retirement yesterday after 22 seasons as a major league pitcher.  Glavine was instrumental in the Braves unprecedented 14 consecutive NL East pennants.  He began his career with the lowly Braves of the late 80s before helping turn the team around going from worst to first in 1991.  The trio of Glavine/Smoltz/Maddux is still one of the best starting rotation in the history of the game.  Glavine won two NL Cy Young awards (1991, 1998) and is fourth on the all-time wins list for left-handed pitchers with 305, behind guys like Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton and Eddie Plank and just ahead of recently retired Randy Johnson.  He pitched his last game in 2008, which makes him eligible for the Hall of Fame induction in 2014, the same year that former teammate and friend Greg Maddux will be eligible.  Glavine went to the New York Mets in 2002 where he eventually won his 300th game before returning to the Braves at the end of 2007.  Glavine will be remembered as one of the good guys both on and off the field.

Reds Acquire Cabrera, Miles; Damon in their Sites?

After remaining silent thus far in the off-season, the Reds have waited out all the Hot Stove action and landed a few new guys looking for teams in 2010.  In a 4 way trade, Cincy acquires infielder Aaron Miles from the A’s who signed him from the Cubs in December.  Along with Miles, the Redlegs have signed veteran shortstop Orlando Cabrera from the Twins.  Cabrera is sure to fill a hole on the left side.  The Reds infield is shaping up with Rolen, Cabrera, Phillips and Votto.  Perhaps the Reds can hold out long enough to actually ink a deal with former Red Sox and Yankee, Johnny Damon.  For a team that has historically refused to open the check book, this could end up being a decent off-season.  Anything to make the NL Central more exciting is good with me.

Griffey, Mariners Ready to Compete in 2010

Ken Griffey Jr. has put his arthroscopic knee surgery from three months ago behind him and is getting ready for Spring Training.  Griffey, no DH for the Seattle Mariners, spent much of last season in pain due to bone spurs but says he feels much better now that the surgery is over.  "The Kid" tells the general manager that he'll be "ripped" for the season.   Is Griffey's renewed interest due to concerns that old age is catching up and he may only have a few seasons left or perhaps it is due to the Mariners added key guys this off-season to help Griffey get that elusive ring.  Whatever the reason, the Mariners look to be a force in the AL West this season.  Whether they are or not, I for one and happy that Grif will be back and perhaps we could see glimmers of the past.

This off season, the Mariners have added guys like Cliff Lee, Chone Figgins, and Milton Bradley.  Think what you will of Bradley, in the right situation he can still be a great addition to the team.  Of course, with Ichiro and Griffey returning, the Mariners could once again be relevant. 

MLB.com story