2010 MLB Season Preview

Well the time has come. It's the beginning of April again. The weather is changing for the better, it's light out until well after 7pm, girls are wearing skimpier clothing by the day (not always a good thing), and most importantly.......baseball is back!!!!  The 2010 season has an abundance of potential. Can the Yankees repeat? Can the Phillies win the NL for an unprecedented 3rd straight year? Will those 2 teams meet again in a compelling World Series rematch? Can the Red Sox hitting overcome a very mediocre lineup? Is Stephen Strasburg really the next Nolan Ryan? Is Jason Heyward really a God sent here to destroy baseball records? Are the Rangers going to host 80's style coke parties in their clubhouse after games? Ok maybe that one was inappropriate, but then again, I'm not entirely sure it's completely out of the question. Ultimately no one can answer any of these questions. We just gotta sit back, relax, have 14 beers or so, and find out. The one absolute thing we do know is that come Monday April 5th, baseball is here to bring us 6 months of joy, and if you dont live in Phila, pain. As for one esquire's opinion on how the season will play out, here ya go:

NATIONAL LEAGUE
East
1. Philadelphia Phillies -  99-63
2. Atlanta Braves         -  89-73 (wild card)
3. Florida Marlins        -  88-74
4. New York Mets       -  78-84
5. Washington Nationals - 65-97



Central
1. St. Louis Cardinals  -  92-70
2. Milwaukee Brewers - 83-79
3. Cincinnati Reds       -  82-80
4. Chicago Cubs          -  80-82
5. Houston Astros        -  75-87
6. Pittsburgh Pirates     -  61-101

West
1. San Francisco Giants     -  91-71
2. Arizona Diamondbacks -  87-75
3. Colorado Rockies          -  86-76
4. Los Angeles Dodgers    -  78-84
5. San Diego Padres          -  70-92

Team to watch out for - New York Mets 
-As much as it pains me to say it, because I whole-heartedly despise the Mets, they have a chance to make some noise this year. I think people are underrating them because of their poor output last season. People are quick to forget how banged up they were in 09 and how much talent they have on that roster. With the addition of Jason Bay, they now have 4 all-stars in the lineup (if Reyes and Beltran can get healthy) and the always untouchable Johan Santana at the helm of the rotation. I don't think they will get back on track this year, but it definitely wouldn't surprise me if they do.
Other Sneaky Team - Cincinnati Reds - I just have a feeling they may surprise people this year, although I think next year is more likely in terms of being a contender




AMERICAN LEAGUE
East
1. New York Yankees -  98-64
2. Tampa Bay Rays     -  95-67
3. Boston Red Sox      -  93-69
4. Baltimore Orioles    -  75-87
5. Toronto Blue Jays   -  65-97



Central
1. Chicago White Sox -  88-74
2. Minnesota Twins    -  87-75
3. Detroit Tigers          -  86-76
4. Kansas City Royals -  72-90
5. Cleveland Indians    -  67-95

West
1. Texas Rangers      -  90-72
2. Seattle Mariners    -  88-74
3. Anaheim Angels   -  87-75  (fuck calling them LA)
4. Oakland Athletics  -  70-92
--Still totally confused as to how MLB can justify the fact that the AL West has 4 teams when every other division in baseball has 5, and the NL Central has 6!! How have they not moved one of those 6 teams to the AL West yet?? How is this fair?? I guess with Bud Selig runnin the show, fair isn't always Plan A.

Team to watch out for - Detroit Tigers
-Led by perennial All-star Miguel Cabrera along with newcomer Johnny Damon, the Tigers lineup has enough pop to carry even the shittiest of pitching.....and lucky enough for them, they get another chance to prove it. The Tigers don't have much depth in their rotation, but if Max Scherzer can realize his potential this year, and Justin Verlander puts up similar numbers to last year, this squad can definitely go places.
Other Sneaky Team - Baltimore Orioles - They're building something nice out near the Inner Harbor, it's just too bad they're stuck in a division with 3 of baseball's top 5 teams.





PLAYOFFS
Division Series
NL - Phillies over Giants (3-1)  &  Cardinals over Braves (3-2)
AL - Yankees over White Sox (3-0)  &  Rangers over Rays (3-2)

Championship Series
NL - Philadelphia Phillies over St. Louis Cardinals (4-2)
AL - New York Yankees over Texas Rangers (4-1)

WORLD SERIES
The Philadelphia Phillies defeat The New York Yankees 4-3 in an epic series

--Yep, that's my prediction and I'm stickin to it. Well, till May at least. Anyway, can you imagine if we get to see a rematch of these beasts again this November? Just think of the historical implications for a second. The Yankees would be trying for yet another repeat, something they've obviously done more than anyone in sports. This group of Phillies, who are striving to become the greatest National League team of all time, could, with a 2nd World Championship in 3 years, grab that spot sooner than expected. These two teams have a combined 18 All-star caliber players: Howard, Teixeira, Utley, Cano, Rollins, Jeter, Werth, Arod, Victorino, Granderson, Ibanez, Posada, Halladay, CC, Hamels, Vazquez, Lidge, and of course Mariano Rivera. I mean the list just goes on and on. It's unfair to the rest of the league really. The elite few of that group have a chance to solidify their status as either First Ballot Hall-of-Famers, or just regular old run of the mill Hall-Of-Famers. It's too much to think about. I can't even contain myself. I need it to be November already. I need my revenge. Fuck New York, fuck the Yankees, and fuck my one-day-down-the-road-Brother-in-law for being a Yankees fan! Yea, take that!




AWARDS
NL MVP - Chase Utley (.304 avg, 37 hrs, 100+ runs and rbis, 25 steals)
AL MVP - Alex Rodriguez (.318 avg, 45 hrs, 100+ runs, 130 rbis, 20 steals)


NL Cy Young - Roy Halladay (22-6, 210 ks, 2.31 era)
AL Cy Young - Felix Hernandez (19-7, 215 ks, 2.94 era)


NL Rookie - Jason Heyward - i mean he better be with all this non-stop gushing
AL Rookie - Scot Sizemore - fits in nicely with the tigers lineup


NL Manager - Bruce Bochy, Giants
AL Manager - Ron Washington, Rangers (and I'm being completely serious)

NL Batting Champ - Matt Holliday (.345) - not the cardinal you thought i'd say
AL Batting Champ - Joe Mauer (.386) - i mean who else would it be??

NL HR Champ - Ryan "Big Ry" Howard (56) - no one's bat makes a sound like his
AL HR Champ - Alex Rodriguez (45) - full year of healthy play + less scrutiny = watch out

Most Lines Blown - (tie) Ron Washington & Josh Hamilton (too many to count)

BEST OF
NL Best Lineup - Philadelphia Phillies
Rollins, Polanco, Utley, Howard, Werth, Ibanez, Victorino

AL Best Lineup - New York Yankees
Granderson, Jeter, Arod, Teixeira, Cano, Posada, N. Johnson

NL Best Rotation - San Francisco Giants
Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Zito, Wellemeyer

AL Best Rotation - Boston Red Sox
Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Buchholz, Dice K



NL Best Bullpen - Los Angeles Dodgers
Broxton, Sherrill, Kuo, Troncoso, Belisario

AL Best Bullpen - New York Yankees
Rivera, Chamberlain (finally in the right role), Aceves, Marte, Mitre, Robertson

FANTASY BASEBALL 2010
BEST FANTASY PLAYER AT EACH POSITION
C - Joe Mauer
1B - Albert Pujols
2B - Chase Utley
3B - Alex Rodriguez
SS - Hanley Ramirez
OF - Ryan Braun, Matt Holliday, Jayson Werth
SPs - Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Felix Hernandez
RPs - Mariano Rivera, Jonathon Papelbon, Rafael Soriano
Sleeper (H) - Carlos Gonzalez (OF, Rockies) - If you don't have him, GET HIM!
Sleeper (P) - Tim Hudson (P, Braves) - If he's healthy, he's among the league's best

Top 10 Hitters Not Named Above
Teixeira, Fielder, Howard, M. Cabrera, Kemp, Longoria, A. Gonzalez, Crawford, Ju. Upton, Tulowitzki

Top 10 Pitchers Not Named Above 
Greinke, J. Johnson, Lester, Hamels, Carpenter, Gallardo, Sabathia, Cain, Wainwright, Haren

Top Hitting Sleepers (besides gonzalez)
Coghlan (Marlins), McGehee (Brewers), Stubbs (Reds), Se. Smith (Rockies), Beltre (Red Sox), Rodriguez (Rays), Reimold (Orioles), Raburn (Tigers), Soto (Cubs), Montero (Dbacks)

Top Pitching Sleepers (besides hudson)
Latos (Padres), W. Davis (Rays) Romero (Jays), Oswalt (Astros), Nolasco (Marlins), Hughes (Yankees), Bergesen (Orioles), Frasor (Jays), Peavy (White Sox), Sheets (A's)

Most Likely To Be BUSTS (guys getting drafted too early who may destroy your team)
















D. Wright (bad circumstances), Lackey (overrated to begin with), BJ Upton (headcase), Bay (better off in boston), Cliff Lee (health concerns), Butler (no help in the lineup), Granderson (good but not as good as you may think), Reyes (can't be 100% this year, no way), Kinsler (just health wise), M. Reynolds (who knows if he can keep last year's pace), Rios (i despise him), Heyward, Strasburg, & Chapman (too much hype is getting each of them drafted way too high)

A Basketball Eulogy: "Homage to The Answer"

At first glance you’d be hard pressed to find any connection between a black kid from the hard streets of Newport News, Virginia and a white, Jewish kid from the not-so-hard suburbs of Philadelphia. But, for a decade that spanned the mid 90’s to the mid 00’s, Allen Iverson and I shared a special connection (well, special to me at least). The one and only thing we wanted was for the Philadelphia 76ers to become World Champions. He played, I watched. He bled, I bled. He scored, I bragged about his dominance. He held his hand to his ear on the Wachovia Center court, and you’re damn right I screamed as loud as I could.

Allen was more than a basketball player. He was more than just, “The Answer.” To this one little white Jewish kid; along with the rest of Philadelphia, the state of Virginia, and a growing worldwide culture, Allen Iverson was hope. He was greatness. He symbolized the very essence of life in this country. He made it from nothing to something. And most importantly, he did it his way.

To say that he was not loved by all would be an understatement, but that divide was created because older generations, and even whites from this generation, just plain old did not understand Iverson. And listen, I’m not saying I understand him either, how could I? But what I do understand is that he came from a different culture than I did. He saw different things as a child, he was raised in a different way, he had different friends, and he had a different view of the world we live in. But was this the wrong way, or the wrong view? No, it was just different. Allen was not afforded all that I was growing up. He wasn’t as lucky or as fortunate. He didn’t have money in his pocket, a father to teach him right from wrong, or even the safety and comfort of a home. What AI did have though was something that can’t be taught. He had the talent, courage, and desire to get out of the situation he was in. And he did just that. To not respect that, even if you don’t understand him as a person, would be foolish and ignorant to say the least.

I’m not going to get into everything Iverson overcame. Anyone who knows anything about Iverson or the NBA knows what he overcame. I don’t wanna dampen the mood of this, my first blog entry, with a depressing story about how a 17-year-old Iverson was jailed in the midst of a whirlwind of racism that swept through the entire Hampton, Virginia area in the early 90’s. Ultimately, that’s not going to be what’s remembered of the little warrior nicknamed “Bubbachuck” anyway. What will be remembered is that not one person who ever donned an NBA jersey tried harder. More importantly, what will be remembered is that there is a good chance that not one other athlete who reached the level of stardom that Allen Iverson elevated himself to, had to overcome more adversity than he conquered.

As for me, I’ll remember the time at Georgetown when Iverson jumped from the foul line to catch a missed free throw and seemingly defied gravity by hammering it down for a thunderous dunk that dropped the collective jaws of everyone watching.

I’ll remember when my Sixers won the 1996 Draft Lottery and we all knew we were taking the 5 foot 11 inch Allen Iverson over the 7 foot Center named Marcus Camby. Go back in history and find me another time when a player under 6 feet was drafted first ahead of an All-American Center. You won’t. It just does NOT happen.

I’ll remember the night a 20-year-old rookie had the balls to crossover Jordan, and with one quick dribble from left to right announce to the world, “I’m here and no one can stop me!”

I’ll remember when AI averaged 24 per game as a 150 pound rookie.

I’ll remember the time he set a playoff game record with 10 steals against the Orlando Magic on the way to his first playoff series win.

I’ll remember the time he traded 50-point games with Vince Carter in that epic playoff duel that, of course, Iverson came out on top of.

I’ll remember the night The Answer became the smallest player in NBA history to score 60 points in a game.

And obviously I will always and forever remember the time he stepped over Tyronne Lue. That was the greatest non-championship-winning moment of my sports watching life. It was so cool that I don’t even have to explain it and you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I’ll remember the night in June when he beat the unbeatable Los Angeles Lakers led by Shaq and Kobe, by far the best team the NBA has seen since Jordan’s Bulls. And if you forgot already, his sidekicks were Eric Snow, George Hill, Tyrone Hill, and a 73-year-old Dikembe Mutombo – not exactly a murderer’s row of talent.

I’ll remember the swagger with which Iverson carried himself, and his oversized heart that ran to the beat of a different drummer. A drummer that wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone, I mean.

I’ll remember practice. “We talkin’ bout’ practice, not a game, not a game, we talkin’ bout’ practice!”

I’ll remember the arm sleeve, the doo-rag, the incredibly artistic tattoos, the braids, the tears, the fallouts with Coach Brown, and then the time he sat on Coach’s lap to accept his MVP award.

And of course, who could forget the statistical accomplishments? The 56-win season, the Rookie of the Year, the MVP, the 11 All-Star games, 4 NBA Scoring Titles, and 7 All-NBA Teams.

Allen Iverson was a little warrior in every sense of the term. In fact, I want Webster’s to add that to the dictionary next year and next to it just put, “See Iverson, Allen.” No one was more fearless. No one tried harder. No one that size will ever take the beating he took and continue to play at the level he played. He was the greatest under-6-foot scorer the league has ever seen. He looked like a boy amongst men……until they threw the ball up at midcourt, at which time everyone came to know that he was the unquestioned Man of the court. The 76ers haven’t been the same since he left, and I’m not sure they’ll ever be the same again.

Well that’s my tribute to AI, or at least all I felt like writing for now. So please allow me to re-introduce myself, my name is HOV, H to the O-V. No, it’s really not, but Jay said it better than I ever could, plus I don’t feel like giving my real name yet and I thought it would be a little gay for me to put, “my name is The Esquire.” And to the man, the myth, the legend, The Answer – Allen Iverson – thanks for your unwavering effort and for the memories that will stay with me always. Oh yea, and thanks for inspiring my first blog. To everyone else (if anyone is actually reading this) I hope you enjoyed it. If you continue to read, and you fuckin’ better if you know what’s good for you, then here’s what you can expect to find:
Tons of sports articles, pictures of hot bitches, weekly movie reviews, weekly article entitled “This Week in Sports We Learned”, hilarious videos, top 10 lists, a few legal tips here and there because, I mean, that is my day job and all, and much more.

I know I’m lazy, but I know my sports, and I know I can write……or at least I think I can. So check me out, you won’t be disappointed.