I can't wait. There's too much freakin snow on the ground. It's too damn cold. I'm too damn depressed that I'm so damn excited it's going to be 40 degrees this weekend. Forty-freakin-degrees and I feel like throwing on some shorts and going for a jog.
I would say that only those in the northern parts of the country know what I am talking about, but I am pretty sure winter decided to ruin the lives of every single American citizen this year. From Dallas to Bangor, Maine, you know what snow, sleet, ice, and freezing rain look and feel like. For most of us, the world still looks like an igloo.
So, while a season preview of baseball seems almost ludicrous on February 11, a few days from when pitchers and catchers are required to report, more than a month from the beginning of the baseball season, and probably two months from when the weather will actually be good, I don't....freakin.....care.
This isn't for you, it's for me. I need this. I am cold, from my gonads to my hair follicles, and I would all but guarantee that winter hasn't finished with us just yet. The 14 inches of ice on my lawn (down from 24 inches just a week or so ago) will have some additional covering before it is all said and done, and I won't see grass or dirt until sometime in June.
So, where to start? Usually, I decide to begin with the AL East because those are the teams I know the best. The Yankees are my team so the rosters of the Sox, Rays, Jays, and O's are pretty well known to me. But, this time around, I am going to start with someplace warm. I bet today, the weather is nice in San Diego, and I want to dream about gorgeous women in tight outfits getting a tan right now. That seems pleasant to me.
So, let's begin with the NL West. Lasy year, I predicted a Colorado Rockies victory. I also made the statement that the only team I couldn't see winning the division was the San Diego Padres. For the record, I picked the San Francisco Giants to finish third.
The point?
My predictions are, for the most part, as valuable as those made by the experts.
NL West
San Francisco Giants
LA Dodgers
Colorado Rockies
San Diego Padres
Arizona Diamondbacks
I am going to say, right off the bat, I don't love this pick. The Giants, to me, were the perfect case of a team getting on a magic carpet ride during a down baseball year. All the big horses were down. Even the Phillies never seemed to have “it” when it came time for the playoffs. The Giants had great pitching and timely hitting, and they won a bunch of one-run games. I have a hard time believing that will happen again.
So, why am I picking them? Here's why:
Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are still on the team, and I love what Madison Bumgarner might bring after a little more big-league seasoning. Not much was done in terms of the offense, but the continued growth of Buster Posey and what has to be a better year from Pablo “Kung-Fu Panda” Sandoval will pay dividends, while I expect that Miguel Tejada will add a good, veteran bat to a team filled with good, but not great, hitters. Since no one in the NL West really improved all that much, I think Sandoval coming back to form could make up for some lost magic by the Bay.
In truth, however, I could see almost anyone winning this division. I like the Dodgers a lot, but I am slotting them in at third place primarily because there is such turmoil in the organization it is hard not to see that trickling down to the field. However, their lineup is solid, with Andre Ethier becoming a star, Matt Kemp looking for a breakout season, and Juan Uribe providing the double-whammy of helping the Dodgers and hurting the Giants. I also think a full year of Rafael Furcal will make a big difference.
I also like what they have done with their rotation, and they are now solid one through five with Clayton Kershaw at the top, Ted Lilly healthy and in the third spot, and Jon Garland adding a veteran presence and innings eater. If Chad Billingsley can find some consistency, they can be very good.
I like the Rockies as well but, for some reason, I feel a let down year coming. Is Ubaldo Jimenez going to be as good again in 2011 as he was in 2010? Is Carlos Gonzalez suddenly a perennial MVP candidate? Does Todd Helton have anything left in the gas tank?
Look, if the Rockies landed themselves a Michael Young to plug in at second or short, this team would be looking really good, but, again, I just don't quite buy them over the long haul. Of course, I say that almost every year, and almost every year the Rockies are sitting there battling for the division.
The team I think really falls off the map is the Padres.
We could get into the team's players, how Orlando Hudson will help at second base, how the team's young pitching might be able to duplicate what it did last year (I highly doubt it), and how Cameron Maybin is still only 23 and capable of being the impact star he was expected to be when he was in the minors. Truthfully, however, when the Padres decided to trade their best player to the Red Sox for non-MLB ready players, they should have sent their region's most famous anchorman out to make the announcement.
“I'm Ron Burgandy. Go F**k Yourself, San Diego.”
As for the Diamondbacks, as a Yankee fan I can tell you the following statement says everything you need to know about the team: the starting left fielder is scheduled to be Xavier Nady, the starting first baseman is slotted to be Juan Miranda, and the number one starter is rumored to be Ian Kennedy. If you're a Yankee fan, you know how bad things are in Arizona.
Best Player in the NL West: Justin Upton
Best Pitcher in the NL West: Matt Cain
Breakout Player in the NL West: Madison Bumgarner
Comeback Player in the NL West: Pablo Sandoval
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