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As two seasons conclude, one season is just beginning. I am, of course, talking about baseball. For my money, baseball season is the greatest of them all. It starts on the cusp of spring and helps lead us into summer, which means no more cold, snowy weather. While baseball begins with great expectations, especially if you are a Red Sox or Yankees fan, the NBA and NHL playoffs are right around the corner. If you follow Boston sports, there is a lot of excitement as the season winds down. The Bruins are the number one seed in the Eastern Conference and the Celtics will be in the top three of their conference. Both teams look to go deep into the playoffs, but that discussion is for another day.
Instead, I would like to talk baseball. While the offseason saw the Yankees spend like a spoiled rich kid, most teams realized they had to budget their money. Most free agents got the money they sought, namely Mark Teixeira, Francisco Rodriguez and CC Sabathia. Some, including Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn and Jason Varitek didn’t. The season begins with several teams in serious contention in both leagues.
Starting with the American League, the East division is loaded again. The Rays bring back a terrific starting rotation and add Pat Burrell’s big bat to the middle of the lineup. This will help them, but it is doubtful they will repeat as division champions. The Yankees paid to upgrade their pitching, and Teixeira will add some pop, but the pressure is mounting on a franchise that does not handle losing. The new Yankee Stadium will provide some thrilling moments along the way, but the Yankees are probably destined for the wild card. That leaves the Red Sox. With a lineup that features a healthy Mike Lowell in the seventh spot there is no way this team will not make the playoffs. Instead of spending more than $400 million this offseason, the Sox locked up young guns Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jon Lester for a fraction of the cost. Throw in John Smoltz, Brad Penny and young reliever Ramon Ramirez, and this team could very well make and win the World Series. I pick them to win the East.
The Central division is a three-way race and could come down to the last day like it did last year. The Twins are the early favorites but the injury to Joe Mauer could be tough to overcome. Chicago will be a factor but they rely heavily on John Danks and Gavin Floyd to have superb seasons again, while their fifth starter is slated to be Bartolo Colon. Colon might be solid, as long as he doesn’t overexert himself swinging a bat. The Indians should win the division with new addition Kerry Wood closing games which they would have lost last year. A fast start for Travis Hafner is a must for Cleveland to be a factor in October.
In the West, the Angels are the team to beat once again. Oakland could contend with an overhauled offense including Nomar Garciaparra, Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi and Orlando Cabrera. Their chances hinge on their young rotation getting the job done, but that is highly unlikely. Texas may also be a factor if their rotation can get in order, but with Kevin Millwood as their ace, again probably not going to happen. The Angels have a solid lineup 1-9 and once John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar return their rotation will be the one of the best in baseball.
So there you have it, spring time and baseball are back again. It should be another interesting summer, so keep an eye out, but don’t count on all that spending getting the Yankees far in the playoffs. Stay tuned for the next installment of MLB predictions in Monday’s paper, which will focus on the National League and forecast the playoffs.
