New York Nine

    

            I kind of forgot about doing my National League preview, and since we’re a week in now I should probably get on that.  A lot has been made in the past few years about the National League being the inferior league to the American League, and while that remains true this year, I don’t think the division is as dramatic as it has been in recent years.  Teams like the Phillies and the Rockies are developing great talent from within and spending some money when need be and putting together lineups and rotations that would make any junior circuit team jealous.  Indeed, the easy thing to do is to point to the presence of the Designated Hitter as to why the American League has routinely done better than the Senior Circuit, but how does that explain the fact the National League routinely drubbed the AL all throughout the seventies and into the early nineties?  I digress.  Same deal as my American League picks, no playoff winners because the playoffs are a crapshoot, but I still try to give some analysis.

The winner of this division was arguably the easiest for me to pick of the National League because the Phillies are just so ridiculously good.  Great lineup that got a little better with the loss of Pedro Feliz for Polanco, great rotation that got even better with the World’s Best Pitcher, Roy Halladay, and a bullpen that isn’t great but good enough.  The Braves, even with the loss of Javy Vazquez have a great rotation and a solid lineup that should see some improvement with the J-Hey Kid in the lineup, and a bullpen that is very underrated with the presence of Billy Wagner.  The Marlins and Braves could easily have been swapped, thanks to Josh Johnson and that great lineup around Hanley Ramirez, but that bullpen is flat out garbage without a shred of talent.  As for the Mets, well, sorry to say Mets fans but they kind of suck.  The addition of Bay is good and a healthy Reyes will help a lot, but that rotation is just horrible after Johan, and even he’s no sure thing anymore.  The Nationals will probably be better, but after last year that isn’t saying a whole lot.

There’s not a whole lot of good to say about this division, because after the Cardinals it’s pretty much garbage everywhere.  The Cardinals with Pujols and Holliday are the class of the division in every aspect, great lineup, great top of the rotation, and a bullpen with a  lot of interchangeable solid arms.  The Reds I do like a bit, love Jay Bruce and some of their young guys to take a step forward and love the potential of their rotation, especially when Chapman comes up shortly because he’s been nasty.  The Brewers should be better than last year with the maturation of Gallardo, a true ace, and a lineup that is as good as any in the National League with that great tandem of Fielder and Braun, but a lot of holes in the rotation and pen.  The Cubs unfortunately had their shot a few years ago and now they’re just old, right handed hitter heavy, and stuck with a has-been ace in Zambrano who just looks horrible out there.  As for the Pirates, it looks like their never-ending rebuilding project will show some improvements with McCutchen and Garrett Jones, but the Astros are just terrible from top to bottom; I don’t think I’d want anyone on that roster.

The Rockies here are the class of this division by a long shot because of their superb lineup full of young talented guys, a rotation that is super deep and about to get even better as Ace Ubaldo Jiminez has a breakout year and a bullpen that is not too shabby.  I like the young Diamondbacks young talent a lot as well, with a lineup that will only get better as they mature, especially Justin Upton, and a deep rotation with the additions of Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy, but Brandon Webb is too much of a question mark for me right now to put them at top, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the wild card.  I really hate the Giants lineup, especially the additions Huff and DeRosa, but any rotation with Lincecum and Cain, as well as a much improved Barry Zito and Jonathan Sanchez is just too good to suck.  As for the Dodgers, they were division leaders last year but their rotation is just bad right now; I mean Christ, Vicente Padilla is their opening day starter, do you really want to bet on a team when that washed up has-been is your Opening Day Starter?  Finally the Padres, well, at least they have Adrian Gonzalez, but they’ve got a whole lot of work to do before they’re good again.   

A lot has been made in the past week or so of Umpire Joe West’s comments about Yankees Red Sox games and for good reason.  Joe like many fans and members of the baseball community have grown weary of the pace of games, particularly Yankees-Red Sox which last on average three hours and forty minutes compared to the less than three for everyone else.  Now I am no fan of Joe West, particularly his irritating grandstanding and characterization of the teams as “embarrassing” and a “disgrace” but the man has a valid point.  Indeed, the if you watch a Yankees-Red Sox game these days it’s downright excruciating.  Of course, my agony is accentuated by the fact that I hate seeing the Yankees ever lose to the Red Sox, but the fact remains that the two teams drag everything out, and for good reason.  These two teams are easily the best in baseball, with lineups full of the most potent and patient hitters, pitching rotations stuffed with the best arms, and management that is unparalleled in intelligence and wherewithal.  Consequently, it is only natural that these games would last so long because every pitch and every maneuver is carefully contemplated, every decision thoughtful and purposeful.  To be sure, Joe Girardi and Terry Francona are going to make sure they have the best pitcher in for each particular situation, and they’re going to make sure that speedy runner on first is checked is as much as needed to stop him from stealing; you don’t like it?  Change the channel.  The same goes for the players, like the hitters who are going to do everything to keep that man on the mound from getting into a rhythm even if that means stepping out of the box ten times an at-bat because they want to give themselves every opportunity they can.  For certain, it’s hard to really blame these guys for doing these things because they’re doing what smart teams do; they’re taking every advantage possible to get an edge over the other team.  However who you can blame for this is the people who run baseball whose job it is to ensure that the game is running at an optimal level and that abuses of the rules are checked against and stopped.  Unfortunately this is not happening right now, but there are in fact several minor changes that could be made that could dramatically improve the game and save us fans from the agony of the four hour, nine inning game. 

In truth, these three measures may sound drastic, but I would venture a guess that most baseball fans would hardly notice the difference except for the result.  Despite what some baseball purists will tell you, baseball is a constantly evolving game, changing in technique and approach to winning all the time.  The guys out there playing and managing at the Major League are smart people (at least when it comes to baseball), and those people smartly try to take every advantage they can get by exploiting weaknesses in the rule book.  Consequently, the rules of the game need to be revised from time to time, and with these changes, and possibly some other ones, will ensure that the game’s best interests are being served and even two great teams like the Yankees and Red Sox can possibly finish a game before midnight.  I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve got finals in a few weeks and the shorter those games are the better because I need as little distractions as I can get this time of year.

                I should probably be studying for my legal research exam right now, but today is Opening Day in Major League Baseball and I would certainly be remiss if I didn’t post something today.  No “real” article per se, but I figured it’s high time I give you my projected standings for each division before the season really kicks off.  It’s not necessarily as scientific as say PECOTA or Marcel ratings (if you’ve never heard of those words don’t worry, you’re normal) but I have taken them in consideration, as well as my own analysis in deciding who goes where.  As last year, I’m not picking who wins in the playoffs because as the last ten years or so have shown us the playoffs is a crapshoot; all you need to do is take a look at the 2007 Rockies team to see that talent is not necessarily a great indicator of playoff success.  Anyways here is my take on the AL with a little analysis.

If anyone is wondering, no, this isn’t a reverse jinx on the Yankees, I’m no Bill Simmons.  The fact the of the matter is the Red Sox are a damn good team, they have great starting pitching, a great bullpen, excellent defense, and a lineup that maybe doesn’t have a “big bopper” like Manny was for them, but they’re deep and talented at virtually every position.  The Yankees in contrast aren’t that far off, their starting pitching is damn close and their lineup is definitely better, but the questions in the bullpen, as well as the high number of older players in integral roles.  While guys like Jeter and Jorge were great last year, they’re a year older and a little more susceptible to injury and decline, and that is the difference for me.  As for the rest of the division, the Rays are very solid, with great defense and a good lineup, but their bullpen has a lot of questions, and while their rotation is deep, but they’re going to need big years from Garza and Shields, and neither of those guys was particularly good last year.   The O’s are certainly improving, with a great young core of guys, but with the top three teams the way they are, and their starting pitching being so young and unproven its going to be a long season.  The Blue Jays, well, hey you still have hockey for a few more months, right?

Even with the loss of Joe Nathan at closer, the Twins are still the class of this division by a long shot, thanks largely to a solid but unspectacular rotation, great lineup, and solid defense.  The White Sox arguably have the best rotation 1 through 5 in the division, but their bullpen is pretty horrible and their lineup, full of guys who don’t get on base like Alex Rios and Alexei Ramirez are going to run into a lot of outs.  The Tigers will certainly be a competitive team in the long run thanks to the additions of Max Scherzer and Austin Jackson, but the losses of Granderson and Edwin Jackson will be sorely felt.  And yet even more than these loses, the late season swoon showed that this team is a very flawed one that has a long way to go.  As for the Indians and the Royals, expect them to be the punching bags for the rest of the Junior Circuit because frankly they don’t have a lot going on this year, aside from the Royals’ Zach Grienke.

Believe me when I say it pains me to put the Angels here at the top of the standings because I hate them. Not only do they usually embarrass my Yankees every time they play (except for the ALCS) but sabermetrically they always seem to defy the odds.  Every year they significantly outperform their expected win-loss record even though they seem to lose talented player after talented player and it pisses me off that they seem to figure it out and everyone sucks Mike Scoscia’s cock for working his magic.  I digress.  I love this Rangers team, loaded with young talent in the rotation and a great lineup, but they’re just not ready for prime time yet.  Guys like Netfli Feliz and Derek Holland are great young pitchers, but they’re not ready to step in and be great, and as a result the Rangers will lean heavily on Rich Harden, a guy who’s never healthy, and Scott Feldman, a nice pitcher, but probably not as a good as last year.  The Mariners are the media darlings this year with the addition of Cliff Lee and Chone Figgins and their “revolutionary” pitching and defense approach, but I don’t see enough pitching or hitting here to make them contenders.  They have little or no power in the lineup, and the rotation after the big two is at best questionable and at worst horrible.  Hell, I’m obsessed with baseball and I think I can name one other starter after Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, and he’s not that good (Ryan Rowland-Smith); that does not bode well for them.  As for the A’s, the signing of Ben Sheets is a good one, and their young rotation after him with Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill looks to get much better, but that lineup is beyond terrible, and that bullpen after Andrew Bailey is dicey.

I should have the National League up by tomorrow, but with my schedule who knows.