Phillies Hire Sandberg as AAA Manager

What could have been

In 1982, a terrible mistake was committed.  Contract negotiations between the Phillies and long time shortstop Larry Bowa had broken down, and he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for their shortstop, Ivan Dejesus.  That Bowa remains a Philadelphia legend to this day and nobody remembers Dejesus as anything other than a name in a trivia question about this trade should tell you just how bad this trade was to begin with.  However, the real travesty is that the Phillies also threw in a minor league prospect to send to Chicago, a young second baseman by the name of Ryne Sandberg, who went on the become a hall of famer and one of the greatest second baseman ever.

Now, in an attempt to right this horrible wrong, Sanberg has returned to the Phillies organization as the manager of the AAA Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.  Sanberg was recently named the AAA Manager of the Year after a successful stint as manger of the Cubs' affiliate, and was thought to be one of the front runners to replace Lou Pinella as Cubs manager.  Sandberg is a rising star as a manger, and could possibly be groomed as an heir to Charlie Manuel, which would result in the sight that should have been an icon of the 1980's and 90's; Ryne Sandberg in Phillies red.

Where are they now? Quincy Douby

Before former Villanova assistant Fred Hill ran Rutgers' basketball program into the ground, the school produced a star known as Quincy Douby.  Douby was the face of Rutgers for three years, and was the Big East's leading scorer for the 2005-06 season, during which the Scarlet Knights achieved a great moral victory by taking a highly ranked Villanova team to overtime. A 6'3" gurad, Douby weighed only 175 pounds, but despite looking like an awkward stick figure on the court, Douby was a pure scorer. Douby left Rutgers after his junior year, and was a first round selection by the Sacramento Kings in the 2006 NBA Draft.  Douby played three seasons with the Kings, but never averaged more than 11.8 minutes per game.  Last season, Douby played in Turkey and was the top scorer in the Turkish League; a league that will soon feature Allen Iverson.  Douby is currently playing for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the China, helping to spread New Jersey's fine culture into new markets.

Eagles, Vick, Return with a win

Vick was sharp in his return

The Eagles returned to action after the bye week yesterday with a 26-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.  It was Michael Vick's first start since sustaining a rib injury against the Washington Redskins in Week 4.  Receiver DeSean Jackson also returned from a concussion, and immediately resumed his exciting connection with Vick.  Vick threw for 218 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another touchdown, while Jackson had receiving yards.

The controversial hit

Credit must also be given to oft-maligned defensive coordinator Sean Mcdermott, who had an effective game plan to contain Peyton Manning which was well executed by the defense.  Cornerback Dmitri Patterson made his first career start replacing the ineffective Ellis Hobbs, and did a commendable job covering Reggie Wayne.  Unfortunately, the most talked about play on the defensive side was the hit by rookie safety Kurt Coleman that resulted in a concussion for the Colts' Austin Collie.  A penalty was assessed on the play, and Coleman potentially faces a fine under the NFL's new rules to eliminate hits to the head.  While it is certainly regrettable that Collie was injured, the officials clearly reacted to the result of the play rather than the intent, and made a horrendous call.  It is clear while watching replays of the hit that Collie was pushed into Coleman, who made no attempts to hit or injure him, any contact to the head was purely accidental.  What should have been a fumble with an Eagles' recovery turned into a penalty which ultimately resulted in a Colts' scoring drive.  This was a potentially game changing call by referees far too anxious to enforce the league's controversial new rules.

Following this win, the Eagles are now 5-3, with key divisional matchups against the Redskins and Giants the next two weeks.

 In other news, the Dallas Cowboys were humiliated by the Green Bay Packers on national television by a score of.  The loss drops the Cowboys' record to 1-7, and reports indicate that Wade Phillips will be fired as head coach.  

Werth's Replacement?

A rumor has spread about the possible return of a certain Phillie.  He wasn't a Phillie for very long, but he was popular in his short time with the club, and recently played in the World Series.  I am talking of course about Aaron Rowand.  Rowand posted a career season with the Phillies in 2007, hitting .309 with 27 home runs and 89 RBI's while winning a Gold Glove. After that season, Rowand signed a five year free agent contract with the San Francisco Giants, where he hit only .230 this season and lost his starting job.  Rowand is a Philly kind of guy known for his competitive attitude, but skill wise he is clearly on the downside of his career.  While a change of scenery may help in out, his production would likely be a significant drop off from Jayson Werth. 

Werth Watch

This offseason we will be closely monitoring Jayson Werth's free agency.  Some potential good news is that according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, the New York Yankees are focused on acquiring pitching, particularly Cliff Lee, and are not planning on pursuing Jayson Werth.  With the Yankees supposedly out of the picture, the biggest threat to watch for appears to be the Boston Red Sox, who are hoping to land either Werth or Tampa's Carl Crawford to bolster their outfield.  Crawford is said to be the principle target of both the Red Sox and Angels. 

From the Phillies' perspective, we must hope for the Red Sox to sign Crawford, as it is unlikely the Phillies would outbid the kind of offer Boston would likely make.  If the Yankees and Red Sox were both uninvolved, one would hope that Werth would care enough about winning to stay in Philadelphia.

Election Update: Congrats Jon Runyan

I'm not one to interject politics into a sports blog, but I must congratulate one of my alltime favorite Eagles, Jon Runyan on being elected as the U.S. Representative from New Jersey's 3rd District.  Runyan anchored the Eagles' offensive line from 2000-2008.  His presence in the huddle will be missed, but his presence in Congress is probably for the greater good.  With the retirement of former Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning from the Senate, it is now up to Runyan to represent Philly sports on Capitol Hill.

Mediocre Middle Reliver of the Week: Peter Moylan

For this week's mediocre middle reliever of the week, we feature Atlanta Braves right hander Peter Moylan.  Moylan is coming off a solid season in which he appeared in 85 games and posted a 2.97 ERA.  Moylan is best known for his unconventional path to the big leagues.  A native of Perth, Australia, Moylan was first noticed by Braves scouts while pitching for the Australian national team at the 2006 World Baseball Classic.  Moylan has been a regular in the Braves' bullpen since 2007, and has helped open a whole new continent to mediocre middle relievers.

Where are they now? Rob Kurz

Former Notre Dame center Rob Kurz was one of the Big East's most infamous doofuses in recent years.  With teammate Luke Harongody, Kurz was part of a frontcourt not lacking in large, lumbering Caucasians.  After graduating in 2008, Kurz was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Golden State Warriors.  In his first season, Kurz appeared in 40 games, averaging 3.2 points per game and 2.0 rebounds.  Prior to the 2009-10 season, Kurz signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but did not make the final roster, instead playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA's Developmental League.  This season, Kurz has moved overseas, and is currently playing for Spain's CB Granada. 

Bye week review

As the Eagles go into the bye week at 4-3, it is still difficult to know what to think of this team.  My preseason prediction was that they would finish 8-8, which is still certainly possible.  However, with the lack of dominant teams in the NFC this season, the wide open playoff race can give Eagles fans reason to hope.

The most noteworthy story thus far is clearly the quarterback situation.  After Kevin Kolb was named the starter in the offseason, Michael Vick took over following Kolb's injury in the season opener.  After Vick played very well for two and a half games, he was injured himself, ceding the job back to Kolb.  Following the bye week, Vick is expected to start the next game against Indianapolis.  Kolb was considered the franchise's QB of the future and remains so, but Vick, with his form so far this year, gives the team a better chance to win right now.  With the wide open NFC, the Eagles cannot afford to not take a shot at the playoffs this year.

Celek has not met expectations

As for the rest of the offense, the wide receivers have performed as expected, but DeSean Jackson suffered memory loss and a concussion due to a hit during the week 6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.  LeSean McCoy has performed well at running back, averaging 4.5 yards per carry and scoring 5 touchdowns, although the Eagles continue to be a pass first team.  Perhaps the biggest disappointment on the offensive end is that the expected breakout season from Tight End Brett Celek never materialized, much to the chagrin of fantasy owners everywhere.  Also, the Eagles offensive line, though finally free of the overpaid "Andrews Sisters" Shawn and Stacy, has struggled immensely.  This is another factor in favor of Vick starting; with his mobility he is less affected by the poor pass protection than a conventional pocket passer like Kolb.

Stewart Bradley

Meanwhile, the Eagles defense has welcomed back middle linebacker Stewart Bradley, who missed last season with an ACL tear.   Bradley's bolstered a shaky group of linebackers, but the defense has still had its struggles.  The biggest concern appears to be the secondary.  Corner back Assante Samuel continues to be provide sound coverage but poor tacking, but fellow cornerback Ellis Hobbs may be the weakest link of the defense.  Hobbs was exposed against the Tennessee Titans last week, allowing Kenny Britt to reach 255 receiving yards and score 3 touchdowns. Perhaps most worryingly, the defense lacks a killer instinct, always seeming to allow opposing teams to come back late in games.  It is for this reason mostly that speculation is rife over the job security of second year defensive coordinator Sean McDermott.

As for special teams, David Akers, aside from one poor performance against Atlanta, has been his old reliable self.  Punter Sav Rocca has been solid, averaging 47.1 yards per punt.

Updated prediction: Based on what we have seen so far, it is very difficult to determine just how good this team really is.  With several difficult games coming up after the bye week, we may soon find out.  For now, I stand by my original prediction of 8-8.

Scottie sent home

Just several months removed from an illustrious Villanova career in which he became the school's second alltime leading scorer, was named a first team All-American, and led to the Cats to four NCAA tournament appearances and a Final Four, Scottie Reynolds' future in basketball is at a crossroads.  After becoming the first first team All-American in the modern era to not be selected in the NBA draft, Scottie played for the Phoenix Suns summer league team before signing a contract with Prima Veroli of Italy's Serie A2 (the second highest league in the country).  Now, a mere four games into the season, Scottie has left the team.  Veroli was unhappy with Scottie's performance in relation to the lucrative contract they had given him, and were likely to cut him anyway.  According to an article in the Italian newspaper La Provincia, "In short, Reynolds gave up, threw in the towel after less than four league games, from "All American" which was to astonish Italy will be remembered as one of the biggest hoaxes of all time, a personal failure, and technical character, because if decide to do a professional player at the highest levels must deal with any difficulties of adaptation or at least longer engage in trying to do it." 

At this point, Scottie's future in basketball looks bleak.  He is likely to land a spot in the NBA's developmental league, but given his small stature, lack of speed, and defensive liabilities, the prospects of an NBA career are slim.  After the experience in Veroli, offers from European clubs will also be hard to come by, but could happen again down the road.  Despite these setbacks, Scottie continues to be an outstanding representative of Villanova, and we wish him the best.

The Evan Turner Era Begins

The Miami Heat's new big three of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh visited Philadelphia to open the season last night, but the game was also noteworthy for being our first look at #2 draft choice Evan Turner.  Turner was a first team All-American guard at Ohio St. last season, and was voted the top player in college basketball by numerous publications.  For a team that had been mired in mediocrity for nearly a decade, Turner represents the potential to develop into the superstar we have so clearly missed since Allen Iverson's departure.  Turner failed to impress during the preseason. According to Bill Simmons, "When you talk to NBA people, they keep lobbing red flags in the air about him. Bad body language, a step slow, doesn't really have a position, bad fit with Iguodala, Doug Collins already hates him. "  Despite these concerns, Turner's performance in his first regular season game was a bright spot.  Although Miami defeated the Sixers 97-87, Turner's team high 16 points and overall performance on the court gave Sixers fans reason to be optimistic.  Turner seems to carry himself with a confident swagger that his been missing from the team for quite some time, and has made highlight reels with his sick crossover on Dwayne Wade, seen below around the 40 second mark.



Very reminiscent of a crossover from another rookie Sixers guard

The Cliff Lee sweepstakes

Tonight is Game 1 of what is sure to be one of the least watched World Series ever, much to the chagrin of Fox. However, much attention will be paid to the pitcher taking the mound for the Texas Rangers tonight, Clifton Pfifer Lee. Lee, now playing for his fourth team in the past two seasons, has developed a reputation for postseason dominance, with a postseason record currently standing at 8-0. This offseason, Lee will be a highly soft after free agent, and could possibly receive a contract comparable to the 7 year $161 million deal that C.C. Sabathia signed with the Yankees two years ago. Let us take a look at Lee's possible destinations.

New York Yankees
The Yankees, recently defeated by Lee's Rangers in the ALCS, have a clear need for starting pitching given the under performance of A.J. Burnett and possible retirement of Andy Pettite. Lee's postseason dominance of the Yankees over the past 2 years has only served to further enamor them with him. A factor that may work against the Yankees is that Cliff Lee's wife was reportedly harassed and spit at in Yankee Stadium during the recent playoff series. However, the Yankees usually get their man, and they are further aided by Lee's close friendship with his former Cleveland teammate Sabathia.

Texas Rangers
There is much incentive for Lee to remain with his current team. They are in the World Series, and have a strong core that is likely to contend for the next several seasons. Texas is close to Lee's home state of Arkansas, and has significantly lower income tax than New York. With new ownership in place, the Rangers have secured a new tv deal and have money to spend, but it remains to be seen if they can prevail in a bidding war with the Yankees.

Philadelphia Phillies
Although only a Phillie for half a season, Cliff Lee reached folk hero status in Philadelphia during his dominant 2009 playoff run. Lee's legend has only grown given his current status as the one that got away. General Manager Ruben Amaro has been widely criticized for trading Lee to Seattle for three prospects last offseason, although his acquisitions of Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt seem to make up for it. Lee clearly enjoyed his time in Philadelphia, and was vocally upset when he was traded. With several contracts, including Jayson Werth, coming off the books, is it possible the Phillies could find the money to make a run at Lee? Although the prospect of a Halladay/Lee/Oswalt/Hamels super rotation is salivating, it is also extremely unlikely, especially considering that one of the major reasons for trading Lee is that Amaro didn't feel he would resign. With that being said stranger things have happened, and in the immortal words of Jim Carey, "You're telling me there's a chance!"

Verdict: It would not be surprising for Lee to resign with Texas given all the factors in their favor, but I just have a nagging feeling that the Yankees will tap into their financial resources and make Lee an offer he can't refuse. Look to see Lee in blue pinstripes next year.

Top 5 Spectrum Moments

Many things changed in the world when I was on deployment, among them the Spectrum, one of the nation's best loved arenas has closed.  The long time home of the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers, as well as countless college basketball games, concerts, and other events. Though not as large or sophisticated as the Core States/First Union/Wachovia/Wells Fargo Center, the Spectrum had a character that few buildings can match.  Let us take a moment to remember some of the Spectrum's greatest memories:

Honorable Mention: Rocky vs. Apollo
 Not eligible to be ranked being a fictional event and all, but the Spectrum served as the setting for one of the greatest movies of all time.


#5 J.J. Daignealt scores the winner
In the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers were pitted against an Edmonton Oilers team that included Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Yari Kurri, and is widely considered the greatest hockey team of all time.  The Flyers trailed the series 3-2 when they returned home for game 6.  After the Flyers tied the game late in the third period, J.J. Daignealt scored  the winner, in what was probably the Spectrum's loudest moment.  The Flyers went on to lose Game 7 in Edmonton, in what was one of the alltime greatest postseason series in NHL history.





#4 The Shot
Among the many college basketball games hosted by the Spectrum was the 1992 NCAA regional between Duke and Kentucky.  With Duke trailing by a point with just over 2 seconds left, Grant Hill threw a court length inbound pass to Christian Laettner and the rest is history



#3 The Flyers win the Cold War
In 1976, the Soviet Red Army team, one of the most feared hockey teams of the world, embarked on a North American tour in which they defeated several NHL teams, and tied the vaunted Montreal Canadians, before concluding the series in Philadelphia.   The "Broad Street Bullies"  had been the scourge of the league, but they now represented the hopes of a nation.  The Bullies did not disappoint, winning the game 4-1, and inflicting enough hard checks that the Russians threatened to walk out.




#2 The Doctor is In
The 1983 76ers, the last Philly team to win a championship until the 2008 Phillies, were one of the strongest squads in NBA history.  The Sixers added reigning MVP Moses Malone to a team that  already included Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, and Andrew Toney.  The Sixers stormed through the playoffs, sweeping the Magic and Kareem led Lakers in the Finals.  Although they clinched the championship in Los Angeles, the '83 Sixers provided many great Spectrum moments along the way.





#1 The Flyers win the Stanley Cup
The title says it all, Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent and company defeated the Boston Bruins  to win their first Stanley Cup in 1974. They would repeat as champs the following season. Legendary broadcaster Gene Hart made the memorable call.

Arcidiacono commits

Villanova has built a highly successful program in recent years largely on the strength of Jay Wright's recruiting.  That success has continued this week, as the Wildcats received a verbal commitment from their first class of 2012 recruit, Ryan Arcidiacono of Langhorne, PA.  Arcidiacono was ranked the #8 point guard in the country by Rivals, and the #45 player overall. Arcidiacono's whiteness will inevitably lead to Mike Nardi comparisons, but with all due respects to Nardi, Arcidiacono appears to have a much more complete game. Check out his highlights here:

Mediocre Middle Reliever of the Week: Chad Durbin

Lost in all the stories of Jayson Werth's pending free agency is the fact that the Phillies face a decision on another key contributor to the current run, our mediocre middle reliever of the week, Chad Durbin. Durbin, a right handed relief pitcher, was a typical MLB journeyman, beginning his career in Kansas City with subsequent stops in Cleveland, Arizona, and Detroit. Durbin was signed by the Phillies as a free agent prior to the 2008 season, an under the radar move that created confusion due to the presence of J.D. Durbin, who he is not related to. (J.D., a spot starter for the Phillies in 2007, is currently playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan). Chad had a breakout year in the Phillies championship season of 2008, appearing in 71 games and posting a 2.87 ERA. Over the past two seasons, Durbin has continued to be a solid contributor out of the pen. The Phillies have some major decisions to make about a bullpen which currently has only Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson under contract for next season: Let's hear from the readers, should the Phillies keep Durbin?

Where are they now? Curtis Sumpter

Brooklyn native Curtis Sumpter was an integral part of Jay Wright's prized recruiting class that also included Allan Ray, Randy Foye, and Jason Fraser. As a junior in 2004-05, Sumpter was the most prominent player as this group ended Villanova's 5 year hiatus from the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, an ACL injury caused Sumpter to miss the following season in which Foye and Ray led a team that started four guards to the Elite Eight. Sumpter returned to lead the Cats back to the tournament in the 06-07 season, but he never really seemed like the same player after the injury. After graduating, Sumpter was cut by Foye's current team, the LA Clippers. After a stint in Germany, Sumpter has caught on with a French team, JA Vichy. Check him out here in his ridiculous green and yellow uniform http://www.ja-vichy.com/joueurs.asp?id=2

The Origins of "Doofus"

If you have attended Big East basketball games in recent years, you have likely heard large Caucasian players on visiting teams serenaded with cheers of “doofus.” Most dictionaries do not include “doofus” as an official word, but it remains widely used in the vernacular. In the basketball sense, a doofus is best defined as a large, lumbering, white center or power forward.

The doofus phenomenon has mostly developed over the past 20 years. In the days of Bob Cousy and Jerry West, white basketball players were not considered a novelty, therefore making doofuses impossible. An important component of doofus-dom is badly sticking out amongst other players. The decline and retirement of Larry Bird was what finally made it possible for the doofus image to take hold.

It is difficult to identify an original doofus, but if we were to pinpoint the player who most put doofuses on the map, it would be former Indiana Pacer Rik Smits. Smits, a 7’ 4” native of the Netherlands, played center for the Pacers from 1988-2000. With the bulk of his career being inthe Jordan era, when baggy shorts became the norm, Smits, with his trademark high black socks, stuck out more than a New Jersey guido in Amish country. During this same time frame, we must also take note of Shawn Bradley; the man who was 7’6” and wore #76 for the 76ers, a feat that will likely never be topped.

Today, thanks to the likes of David Lee, Aaron Gray and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the doofus brand is alive and well in the NBA. However, it is in the college game that the doofus is strongest. Several doofuses have risen to prominence in recent years; most notably UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough and Kansas’ Cole Aldrich. Doofuses ranging from star players to bench warmers fill rosters across the country, all sharing the same skill set of rebounding, inside scoring, and attracting the derision of opposing fans. Doofuses are well established throughout the sport, and are not going away anytime soon.

Where are they now? Pittsburgh doofus squad

Many college basketball fans will remember 7'0 Pitt center Aaron Gray. Fewer remember his 6'10 Canadian side kick, Levon Kendall. Together, these large, lumbering white boys brought life to the term "doofus." Gray was an All-American while at Pitt, and Kendall was most infamous for a haircut that would put Andy Rautins to shame. After graduating in 2007, Gray was selected in the NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, and was recently traded to the New Orleans Hornets. Meanwhile, Kendall moved on to Europe, and is currently playing for Panionios of the Greek league.

An Era Comes to an End

After 11 seasons, the Eagles have traded Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins. McNabb, a polarizing figure as of late, leaves behind a very mixed legacy. With all due respects to Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunningham, McNabb will likely be considered the best quarterback in franchise history. Over the past decade, McNabb led the Eagles to 5 NFC East championship, and appearances in 5 NFC Championships and Super Bowl XXXIX. Despite the successes, McNabb is most remembered for his failure to win a Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl loss, as well as the 4 NFC Championship losses, McNabb often came up short when it mattered most. Sabremetricians can crunch all kinds of numbers to make McNabb look good, but those of us that actually watch the games can tell you that when McNabb would come out for a final drive while trailing in the 4th quarter, we would all just have that feeling of knowing that he wouldn't get it done. There is a certain intangible that the Montanas and Bradys of the world possess that McNabb just didn't have. The blame cannot be placed squarely on McNabb; Andy Reid's pass heavy playcalling is laughably predictable, and the Eagles defense has often had a penchant for folding in the clutch as well. However, with the game on the line and the oppurtunity there to take charge, too many times McNabb came up small.

Another much discussed issue is McNabb's love/hate relationship with Philadelphis fans. Although the booing on draft day story is completly overblown, the Eagles' selection of McNabb with the #2 pick in the 1999 draft was not well received at the time. Although greatly supported during his initial successes, more and more fans turned against McNabb every year after watching the same mistakes result in the same ending over and over again. The national media will say that the horrible mean Philadelphia fans who booed Santa Claus just didn't appreciate what they had. But we know the real story. Much is made of the Philadelphia boobird stereotype, but in reality, Philly fans do not make ridiculous demands. All we ask is that you show that you care as much as us. Every time McNabb laughed and smiled after a game changing interception or fumble, he may have thought it was all in good fun, but in reality he was laughing in the face of every long suffering Eagles fan. While the past decade of contention has been fun, we all knew inside that the Eagles would never win a Super Bowl as long as the Reid/McNabb system was in place. Does Kevin Kolb have what it takes? Will Andy Reid ever figure out how to run the ball or manage the clock? Many questions will be answered this season.

MLB Preview

After the disappointing conclusions to the NFL and NCAA seasons, and as the NHL looks set to rig the playoffs for Crosby again, let us turn our attention to the bright spot in the sports landscape; the new baseball season. Like a good sports blogger, I have provided my predictions for each division below:

AL EAST

1. Yankees
2. Red Sox (WC)
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays

The defending champion Yankees, as usual field the best team money can buy. Despite the departures of Johnny Damon and Hidecki Matsui, the lineup remains stellar, and the already strong pitching rotation has been bolstered by the addition of Javier Vazquez. Someday time will catch up to ageing stars such as Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, but for now they are still going strong.

Although their lineup has been weakened with the departure of Jason Bay, the Red Sox added John Lackey to what was already one of the best rotations in the league, and look like a good bet to clinch the Wild Card. Tampa Bay is a talented young team and would be a strong contender in most other divisions. The Orioles have a bright future with up and coming stars such as Matt Wieters, but right now the competition in this division is just too tough. The Blue Jays traded ace Roy Halladay, and are currently in full rebuilding mode. Toronto fans will have to follow Kyle Drabek’s AAA starts to hold them over until Maple Leafs season starts again.

AL Central

1. White Sox
2. Twins
3. Tigers
4. Indians
5. Royals

The AL Central will likely be a highly competitive division, with three teams fully capable of ending up on top. If Jake Peavy remains healthy and regains the form he had with the Padres, the White Sox will have a very strong chance. With a brand new stadium and a new contract for Joe Mauer, the Twins are also looking to contend, but they have been dealt a serious blow by the season ending injury to closer Joe Nathan. After losing the 1 game tiebreaker to the Twins last year, the Tigers will be hungry as well, and are led by a legitimate ace in Justin Verlander. The Indians are in rebuilding mode, and the Royals are, well, the Royals.

AL West

1. Rangers
2. Angels
3. Mariners
4. A’s

The Rangers have a stacked lineup led by Josh Hamilton, and will be a strong contender if they get serviceable performances from their pitching staff, which will rely heavily on the frequently injured Rich Harden. It is difficult to pick against the Angels since they usually win this division, but their rotation has been greatly weakened by the departure of John Lackey. The Mariners have a solid rotation with the addition of Cliff Lee, but their lineup is still suspect, and addition of clubhouse cancer Milton Bradley is unlikely to help.

NL East

1. Phillies
2. Braves (WC)
3. Marlins
4. Mets
5. Nationals

The Phillies have won this division three years in a row, and are likely to do it again. The addition of Roy Halladay and the probable resurgence of Cole Hamels give the Phillies a powerful 1-2 punch at the front of the rotation, and the return of Placido Polanco improves a lineup that was already the best in the National League by a considerable margin. Concerns have been raised over the bullpen, but Brad Lidge was as bad as humanly possible last season and the Phillies still won the division handily.

The Braves look like the strongest competition, and are a good bet to take the Wild Card. New outfielder Jason Heyward is already the clear cut favorite to win Rookie of the Year, and is definitely a player to watch. The Marlins finished above .500 last year and are only getting better. The Nationals remain the laughing stock of the league, but Nationals fans (if they do exist, think about it, have you ever met an actual Nationals fan?) can look forward to the debut of Steven Strasburg.

Perhaps the most noteworthy event in this division is that despite signing Jason Bay, this is the first year in the Omar Minaya era that the Mets were not crowned the “best team on paper” during the off season. It was a streak almost as impressive as the Eagles’ run of salary cap championships.

NL Central

1. Cardinals
2. Brewers
3. Cubs
4. Reds
5. Astros
6. Pirates

The Cardinals resigned Matt Holliday, and as long as they Have Albert Pujols, they remain the favorite in this division. The Brewers have a strong lineup led by Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, but their pitching is suspect. The Cubs remain bogged down by bad contracts, and the Reds remain mediocre. Its hilarious to watch the Astros run into the ground by the man that ruined my childhood, Ed Wade. Speaking of Ed Wade, perhaps the Pirates would be higher than last had they accepted his 2004 trade offer of Ryan Howard for Kris Benson (true story).

NL West

1. Rockies
2. Dodgers
3. Giants
4. Padres
5. Diamondbacks

After a late run to claim lat season’s wild card, the Rockies are the trendy pick. The Dodgers have been solid contenders the past 2 years, but when Vicente Padilla is your opening day starter, you know a team has issues. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain keep the Giants in the conversation, but they still have a great lack of offense. The Padres (who bear a striking resemblance to Ed Wade’s old Phillie teams) and Diamondbacks are unlikely to compete.

Playoff Predictions:
AL:
Yankees over Rangers
White Sox over Red Sox
Yankees over White Sox

NL:
Phillies over Rockies
Cardinals over Braves
Phillies over Cardinals

World Series:
Phillies over Yankees