2011 Pre-Season Preview: AL Central – Kansas City Royals

Royals Designated Hitter Billy Butler Kansas City Royals (2010 record: 67-95) Kansas City is one more year away from beginning their slow, inexorable climb up the standings. While Royals fans have heard similar promises for years, their patience is finally (mercifully) about to pay off. GM Dayton Moore and his front office staff have developed […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: AL Central – Cleveland Indians

Indians CF Grady Sizemore Cleveland Indians (2010 record: 69-93) If there is little reason to buy a ticket in Houston, there is even less reason to buy a ticket in Cleveland. The Indians did very little this winter in terms of improving the roster… and since everyone else in the division is as good or […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: AL West – Texas Rangers

  Rangers LF Josh Hamilton Texas Rangers (2010 record: 90-72) The Texas Rangers won their first American League pennant, but eventually lost the World Series to the San Francisco Giants. Their drive to the Fall Classic was spurred by an MVP season from LF Josh Hamilton, a Rookie-of-the-Year campaign from closer Neftali Feliz, and all-star […]

2011 MLB Pre-Season Preview: AL West – Oakland Athletics

Athletics staff ace, Brett Anderson Oakland Athletics (2010 record: 81-81) The Oakland Athletics finished last season with a .500 record after three consecutive losing seasons. They were able to do so thanks largely to an excellent young rotation, a good bullpen and a solid defense. Little of what they accomplished was owing to their offense […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: AL West – Los Angeles Angels

LA Angels right fielder Torii Hunter Los Angeles Angels (2010 record: 80-82) The Angels had a rough off-season. It pales in comparison to the one suffered by the NY Mets (the Madoff effects, a lawsuit, a loan from MLB, cleaning house in the front office, etc), but it was bad nonetheless. The team failed to […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: AL West – Seattle Mariners

Staff ace, Felix Hernandez Seattle Mariners (2010 record: 61-101) Many pundits believed the Mariners could win the American League West last season – I am numbered among those people. The joke was on us. Instead of making a run at the Angels and the Rangers, the Mariners turned in one of the more disappointing efforts […]

Gonzalez’ Agent Encouraged After Negotiation Session With Red Sox

John Boggs, the agent for Red Sox 1B Adrian Gonzalez, arrived in Fort Myers yesterday afternoon. He didn’t waste any time getting down to business, as he met earlier today with Theo Epstein and Ben Cherington to discuss a contract extension for A-Gon. After the meeting, he said he would be “extremely surprised” if the […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL East – Philadelphia Phillies

Phillies 1B Ryan Howard Philadelphia Phillies (2010 record: 97-65) The Phillies entered the new year as one of the handful of teams with a legitimate claim to the designation as the best team in baseball. They entered the free agent fray towards the end of the process and lured southpaw Cliff Lee away from both […]

Is Marco Scutaro Clearly The Starting Shortstop For The Red Sox In 2011?

Red Sox shortstop Marco Scutaro There was an excellent article about Marco Scutaro in today’s Boston Globe. Columnist Nick Cafardo crafted an insightful story in which he detailed the shortstop’s health issues last season, providing a considerable amount of behind-the-scenes information that fans had not previously known. But does that mean Scutaro should be the […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL East – Atlanta Braves

Braves 3B Chipper Jones The Braves begin the new season without long-time manager, Bobby Cox, who stewarded the team to a succession of fourteen consecutive division titles (from 1991-2005, absent the strike-shortened 1994 season), five World Series appearances and a world championship in his 20+ years at the help. The 2011 season will usher in […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL East – Florida Marlins

Florida’s enigmatic shortstop, Hanley Ramirez Florida Marlins (2010 record: 80-82) The Marlins finished 2010 with an 80-82 record, in third place in the National League East, and it appears they’re destined to finish the upcoming season in much the same position. They won’t be able to compete with the Phillies and it is unlikely they’ll […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL East – New York Mets

Mets 3B David Wright New York Mets (2010 record: 79-83) The NY Mets had what is widely considered to be the worst off-season among all of Major League Baseball’s thirty clubs… maybe it was a case of “lesson learned”. Like their cross-town rivals, the Metropolitans have tried to buy a contending team over the last […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL East – Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals (2010 record: 69-93) The addition of free agent Jayson Werth speaks volumes about the Nationals’ growth in terms of the perception of the team as it continues its journey towards baseball relevance. The trade-off from Adam Dunn to Werth may or may not make an impact on the field in terms of wins […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL Central – Cincinnati Reds

Reigning NL MVP, Joey Votto  Cincinnati Reds (2010 record: 91-71) The Cincinnati Reds won the National League Central last year and, in the process, made the post-season for the first time since 1995, when they swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS but were, in turn, swept by the Atlanta Braves in the Championship […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL Central – Milwaukee Brewers

Brewers all-star 1B Prince Fielder  Milwaukee Brewers (2010 record: 77-85) The Milwaukee Brewers front office entered the off-season with one primary task: improve the pitching staff. The club finished last season with the third-worst ERA in the National League – the primary reason the club finished with a sub-.500 record. General Manager Mark Attanasio immersed […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL Central – St Louis Cardinals

Could 2011 be Albert Pujols’ last season in a Cardinals uniform? St. Louis Cardinals (2010 record: 86-76) As spring training got underway a few weeks ago, the Cardinals were a serious threat to win the NL Central division title. But with the Albert Pujols contract situation hanging like The Sword of Damocles above everyone’s head […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL Central – Chicago Cubs

Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro Chicago Cubs (2010 record: 75-87) Notable additions: RHP Matt Garza, 1B Carlos Peña, RHP Kerry Wood Notable subtractions: 1B Xavier Nady The Cubs suffered through a disappointing 75-87 campaign and a fourth-place finish in the NL Central last season. They looked on as the other clubs in the division improved this […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL Central – Houston Astros

Astros RF Hunter Pence Houston Astros (2010 record: 76-86) Notable additions: SP Ryan Rowand-Smith, 2B Clint Barmes, INF Billy Hall Notable subtractions: SP Felipe Paulino, IF Geoff Blum, RHP Matt Lindstrom It doesn’t appear the 50th-anniversary season for the former Colt-45’s will be much of a celebration. The team played pretty well last year after […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL Central –Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen Pittsburgh Pirates (2010 record: 57-105) Notable additions: SP Kevin Correia, LF Matt Diaz, SP Scott Olsen, 1B Lyle Overbay Notable subtractions: SP Zach Duke The Pittsburgh Pirates’ current streak of 18 consecutive losing seasons is the longest such streak in history for any North American professional sports franchise. The drought […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL West – San Francisco Giants

2010 NL Rookie of the Year, Buster Posey San Francisco Giants (2010 record: 92-70) Notable additions: SS Miguel Tejada Notable subtractions: SS Edgar Renteria, INF Juan Uribe The offense: Catcher: Buster Posey Infield: Aubrey Huff (1B), Freddie Sanchez (2B), Miguel Tejada (SS) and Pablo Sandoval (3B) Outfield: Mark DeRosa (LF), Andres Torres (CF), Cody Ross […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL West – Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies (2010 record: 83-79) Notable additions: RHP Matt Lindstrom, INF Jose Lopez, C Jose Morales, INF/OF Ty Wiggington Notable subtractions: 2B Clint Barmes, RHP Octavio Dotel, SP Jeff Francis, 3B Melvin Mora, C Miguel Olivo The offense: Catcher: Chris Iannetta Infield: Todd Helton (1B), Eric Young Jr (2B), Troy Tulowitzki (SS) and Ian Stewart […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL West – Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda Los Angeles Dodgers (2010 record: 80-82) Notable additions: C Rod Barajas, RHP Jon Garland, RHP Matt Guerrier, C Dioner Navarro, LF Marcus Thames, 2B Juan Uribe Notable subtractions: C Russell Martin, LF Scott Podsednik The offense: Catcher: Rod Barajas Infield: James Loney (1B), Juan Uribe (2B), Rafael Furcal (SS), Casey […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL West – San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres (2010 record: 90-72) Notable additions: SS Jason Bartlett, 1B Jorge Cantu, RHP Aaron Harang, 1B Brad Hawpe, 2B Orlando Hudson, CF Cameron Maybin, SP Dustin Moseley, C Gregg Zaun Notable subtractions: 2B David Eckstein, RHP Jon Garland, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, CF Tony Gwynn Jr., SS Miguel Tejada, C Yorvit Torrealba, RHP Chris […]

2011 Pre-Season Preview: NL West – Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks (2010 record: 65-97) Notable additions: 1B Russell Branyan, LHP Zach Duke, RHP Armando Gallaraga, RHP David Hernandez, 3B Melvin Mora, OF Xavier Nady, RHP J.J. Putz Notable subtractions: 1B Adam LaRoche, 3B Mark Reynolds, RHP Brandon Webb Arizona is an organization that is floundering, always taking a step to one side and then […]

MLB Preview, 2011: Red Sox Rank Best in Positional Analysis of the AL East

A few weeks ago, I initiated a series of articles analyzing and ranking the starters for all of the clubs in the American League East. The series concluded with the belated publication of my analysis of the DH’s on Friday. So, now it’s time to rank the organizations within the division on the relative strength […]

2011 AL East Positional Analysis And Ranking: Designated Hitter

I am finally at the end of my series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the AL East, on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position have been ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in […]

2011 AL East Positional Analysis And Ranking: Closer

I am in the midst of a series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the AL East, on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position are being ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison […]

Ruminations On Carl Crawford: The Evolution From Ted To Jim-Ed To The Future

Throughout the years, the last few generations of baseball fans in Boston became accustomed to the “Red Sox brand of baseball”, characterized by slower, plodding players who routinely traveled 90 feet at a time around the base paths, except when they (or a teammate) launched a baseball over the Green Monster or into the right […]

Talkin’ Baseball: And Then There Was One… RIP, Duke Snider

Former Brooklyn Dodgers outfielder Duke Snider has passed away. The Hall-of-Famer died of natural causes this morning at the age of 84 at the Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido, Calif. Snider was a part of the fabled “Boys of Summer” with the Dodgers in the late-1940s and 1950s. He helped lead the club to […]

AL East Positional Analysis And Ranking: Starting Rotation (No. 5 Starter)

I am in the midst of a series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the AL East, on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position are being ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison […]

AL East Positional Analysis And Ranking: Starting Rotation (No. 4 Starter)

I am in the midst of a series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the AL East, on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position are being ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison […]

AL East Positional Analysis And Ranking: Starting Rotation (No. 3 Starter)

I am in the midst of a series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the AL East, on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position are being ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison […]

AL East Positional Analysis And Ranking: Starting Rotation (No. 2 Starter)

I am in the midst of a series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the AL East, on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position are being ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison […]

AL East Positional Analysis And Ranking: Starting Rotation (Staff Ace)

I am in the midst of a series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the AL East, on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position are being ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison […]

Spring Training Wrap-up, 2/18/11… Crawford: “I figure as each and every day goes on, I’m going to get more comfortable.”

OF Carl Crawford met the media today in Fort Myers Red Sox left fielder Carl Crawford spoke with the media today at the Red Sox complex in Fort Myers. He was glib and very animated. He laughed a lot, especially when asked if his stolen base totals would go down because he wouldn’t be playing […]

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