2012 MLB Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

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-Digger's Daily-

2011 Philadelphia Phillies were picked by many to go all the way. They seemed on the right track until getting stymied in NLDS by eventual World Series winners St. Louis. More bad news. Slugging 1B Ryan Howard was injured on the series final play (ruptured Achilles). Howard will miss at least the first month of 2012.

2012 offense has many question marks. Predicted again to win the NL East by many. Health is already a nagging concern. In addition to Howard double play combination Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins haven't posted solid numbers in years. Blossoming LF John Mayberry is getting a chance to win the everyday job. Ty Wigginton opens up the season filling in for Howard at first. All in all, Phils lineup should be able to generate runs.

The heart and soul of this club has been a stellar starting rotation. 1-2-3 is Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. Vance Worley put together a solid rookie campaign going 11-3. Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick battle it out this spring for the last rotation slot. Phils pitching domination will make it difficult for any team to take 2 of 3 from these guys. New closer is ex-Red Sox fireman Jonathan Papelbon.

Prediction: NL East is Philadelphia's to win or lose. They shouldn't get too confident with Atlanta and suddenly competitive Washington aiming to knock off the top seed. 92+ wins well within reach.

In Case You Missed It...

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NCAA
March Madness has arrived. Time for the best of the best in college basketball to rise to the top. Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh & Duke represent this year's tourney number one seeds. Will one of the favorites win it all or will a long shot peel off upset after upset? Thousands of fans entered their predictions in office pools and online forums hoping to walk away with a few extra bucks. Even President Obama, with the world on fire from wars to earthquakes to nuclear meltdowns, found time from his busy vacation schedule to create a self fulfilling bracket selection video. Too bad he's not as energetic when it comes to restoring fiscal stability to the United States!

MLB
Phillies players, coaches and fans have good reason to be concerned about Chase Utley's injury. There's a good chance he'll begin 2011 on the disabled list. His achy knee will probably be a chronic problem throughout the year. The Phils are cash strapped and publicly state they're not interested in any trades at this point to fill voids created by injury. 3B Polanco gave everyone a scare when coming up lame (elbow). He'll be ready to go after a few days rest. Utley is the main concern. His injury creates lineup and defensive problems while creating an excellent opportunity for NL East opponents to challenge for division title honors.
One of baseball's all time greatest players retired without much fanfare last year. Just the way he wanted. Ken Griffey, Jr. remained silent on his retirement until today. "I just felt that it was more important for me to retire and instead of being a distraction, it no longer became the Seattle Mariners, it became, 'When is Ken doing this? When is Ken doing that?' and that's something I didn't want to have my teammates, who I truly cared about, having to answer these types of questions day in and day out," Griffey said in Peoria, Ariz. "Second, I gave myself a little bit of a head start. There are a lot of people that are friends of mine that would have tried to talk me out of it. And I just felt that it was best for me and the organization to retire. Through no fault of its own. Things happen. I'm not upset," he told reporters. "I think people thought I was upset about certain things, but that's not the case."

Griffey was one of baseball's good guys on and off the field. His skills were second to none until injury problems started popping up. He always gave 110% every night leading to full speed crashes into outfield walls and torn hamstrings. I think almost all of his fans hoped for one last season of respectability before Griff hung up his spikes. It wasn't to be but shouldn't diminish anything "Junior" accomplished. A certain soon to be first time Hall of Famer.

New York Mets troubles never end. Management is being sued for $1billion, team up for sale, players hurting and ticket sales guaranteed to be way down in 2011. Oft injured Carlos Beltran's knees continue to flare up. He lost starting CF duties (now plays RF). It's now all but official Beltran will begin 2011 disabled. His career will never be the same. Add his name to the growing list of Mets free agent busts. Beltran's been a complete waste of money. Johann Santana and Mets officials continue to deny injury rehab rumors. It's been suggested, and strongly denied, Santana will not pitch this season. He was one of the games most dominant pitchers when healthy. Unfortunately, it appears he's done from live action for a very long time.

NFL
It really stings me when professional sports unions and owners do battle. It's absolutely disgusting hearing grown up athletes complaining they aren't getting paid enough? Does anyone know what the minimum salaries are in pro sports? High enough to place them in the upper 1% of world earners. To watch them moan and grown is pathetic. Are the players being treated unfairly by owners? No. Are they compensated at the highest rates in the world? Yes. What more do they want? When is enough enough? They don't deserve their current salaries yet it's not enough. Owners must cringe every time a player gets arrested for beating his wife, rape, drugs, DWI or murder. Coaches cringe when overpaid narcissists don't hustle or give up at key moments. And these guys want more? What is the average price of tickets to any major sporting event? Throw in transportation, food etc and tell me how a middle class family of four can afford a trip to the ballpark? Why are ticket prices to high? So owners can afford over priced players. Do the players care fans have to shell out big bucks? Not a chance. Time for the millionaire cry babies to take stock of how good they have it when the rest of the world struggles to put food on their tables and gas in their cars. Grow up!

NBA
NBA push for the playoffs is on. Would anyone have believed me if I told you months ago that the Chicago Bulls would own best record in the Eastern Conference? One really has to feel for Cleveland fans. Cavs basketball was strong. One of the leagues best. Advanced to conference semi-finals in 3 of last 5 years (lost), conference finals (lost) and NBA finals (lost). Star LeBron James toyed with them for much of the off season before deciding for big Miami Heat money. Now Cleveland is in shambles. 13-53 represents the NBA's worst record. Quite a turnaround. Cleveland owner's felt duped. Fans outraged. It will be a long time before Cleveland turns around this train wreck.

NHL
Can the Devils do it? New Jersey was left for dead during one of their worst starts in team history (5-13-2 & 10-29-2). Players were puzzled and disgruntled. Superstar net-minder Brodeur was playing terribly. After a 23-4-2 run the Devils find themselves within reach of the playoffs. Coach Jacques Lemaire to the rescue. They've won 24 since he took over a team in disarray. Brodeur's been stellar of late winning 15 of 18 after dropping 8 contests in a row during late December, early January. Devils still have work to do currently 6 points off the playoff pace. However, they're the leagues hottest team and playing exceptional hockey. Go Devils!

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Philadelphia Phillies: Dynasty in the Making?

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Roy Halladay. Roy Oswalt. Cole Hamels. Introducing returning fan favorite... Cliff Lee. Philadelphia Phillies fans get ready to watch great baseball for years to come. Barring any major physical setbacks, the 2011 Phillies starting rotation rivals some of the greatest ever.

Living up to hype is always difficult. Philadelphia management should be commended on pulling off this stunner of a move. All eyes were sharply focused on New York Yankees vs Texas Rangers as front line contenders to sign baseball's most coveted 2011 free agent. I'm not surprised at all by his decision to spurn New York after the vicious treatment bestowed upon his wife at Yankee Stadium during the ALCS. Texans staying up late Monday night were hit hardest. Rangers fans heard the news of Lee turning down the Yankees multi-year multi-million dollar offer and started celebrating prematurely. They were certain Lee was about to return for another season in Arlington. Moments later the news of Lee to Philadelphia hit the airwaves. Rangers fans are in a state of disbelief. Phillies fans will be celebrating for a long time to come.

Will the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies dominate baseball behind their star studded rotation? Next moves better be to settle a very erratic bullpen. Once accomplished, the Phillies will have a legitimate shot of four 20-game winners. 110+ wins seems well within reach. 115? 120? Don't forget about their potent lineup and solid all around defense.

Dynasties are created over years. Phillies have been NL East champs four years running. Two time NL champs. One World Series. They've just locked up the East for another 3 years in my book. Plenty of minor league talent on the rise. Trade-able players on the major league roster. These guys are clearly in the drivers seat able to maneuver through most hiccups teams normally encounter during a season.

It's Philadelphia's time. How will they be remembered in baseball history? As a dynasty of the early 2000's? Or, as what could have been if...?

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All Time Baseball Lineups

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MLB Playoffs bring back memories of yesteryear. Sitting here this afternoon watching the Yankees trying to keep the ALCS alive vs Texas gave me inspiration for putting together a list of all time lineups.

The following teams are composed by level of personal preferences based on a wide range of criteria. Players have been selected not necessarily by whether or not they were the best. A few qualify as fan favorites from platoon players to one year wonders. A large portion made the grade based on my generation (1965+) so get ready for a few classic slugging old timers, fire-ballers or juicers to be left off. By the same token, a few old timers I never had the privilege of watching could sneak in too. Hundreds of possibilities have been condensed into 30 player teams.

Since we're in baseball's version of the final four... let's begin with teams currently playing in the Championship Series.

New York Yankees
1B- Lou Gehrig
2B- Robinson Cano
3B- Craig Nettles
SS- Derek Jeter
LF- Roy White
CF- Bernie Williams, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio.
RF- Babe Ruth
C - Thurman Munson
DH- Don Mattingly, Reggie Jackson.
Bench: Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra, Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada, Tino Martinez.
Rotation: Andy Pettitte, Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, Mel Stottlemyre, Mike Mussina.
Relievers: John Wetteland, Graham Lloyd, Jeff Nelson.
Set Up: Dick Tidrow, Sparky Lyle.
Closer: Mariano Rivera

Texas Rangers
1B- Rafael Palmeiro
2B- Julio Franco
3B- Buddy Bell
SS- Toby Harrah
LF- Al Oliver
CF- Josh Hamilton
RF- Jeff Burroughs, Richie Zisk.
C - Ivan Rodriguez
DH- Larry Parrish, Frank Howard.
Bench: Jim Sundberg, Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, Claudell Washington, Tom Grieve, Bump Wills, Pete O'Brien.
Rotation: Nolan Ryan, Ferguson Jenkins, Cliff Lee, Charlie Hough, Kenny Rogers.
Relievers: Jeff Russell, Steve Comer, Darren Oliver.
Set Up: Jeff Zimmerman, Paul Linblad
Closer: John Wetteland

Philadelphia Phillies
1B- Dick Allen, Ryan Howard
2B- Chase Utley
3B- Mike Schmidt
SS- Jimmy Rollins
LF- Greg Luzinski,
CF- Richie Ashburn, Shane Victorino
RF- Chuck Klein
C - Bob Boone, Carlos Ruiz.
Bench: Jay Johnstone, Johnny Callison, Tony Taylor, Bake McBride, Pete Rose, Bobby Abreu.
Rotation: Robin Roberts, Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton, Jim Lonborg, Curt Schilling.
Relievers: Jim Konstanty, Warren Brusstar, Don Carmen, Gene Garber, Ryan Madson.
Set Up: Ron Reed, Brad Lidge.
Closer: Tug McGraw

San Francisco (New York) Giants
1B- Willie McCovey
2B- Jeff Kent
3B- Darrell Evans
SS- Rich Aurilia
LF- Kevin Mitchell
CF- Willie Mays
RF- Mel Ott
C - Bob Brenley, Buster Posey.
Bench: Chris Speier, Gary Thomasson, Bobby Thomson, Jack Clark, Will Clark, Bobby Bonds, Juan Uribe, Matt Williams.
Rotation: Juan Marichal, Carl Hubbell, Tim Lincecum, Gaylord Perry, Jason Schmidt.
Relievers: Scott Garrelts, Tim Worrell, Gary Lavelle, Greg Minton, Rod Beck.
Set Up: Randy Moffitt, Brian Wilson.
Closer: Rob Nenn

I have a few more teams in mind for the coming days. A lot of great 70's players from Baltimore to Cincinnati to Oakland. Let me know some of yours. Might have to send away for Strat-o-Matic baseball game sets or hunt down a good online old timers simulation game. Stay tuned... more to follow...

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Underdogs Leading NL Division Races

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Yes, baseball is a funny game. Has anyone taken notice of what's happening in National League divisional races? East favorite Philadelphia seems destined to surrender their hold as ranking NL pennant winners (2008 & 2009). They've fallen victim of a vicious injury bug continuing to sideline key players. SS Jimmy Rollins and RP Brad Lidge are back after missing most of the first half. Unfortunately, both 2B Chase Utley and 3B Polanco will miss considerable time after recent injuries. It's up to replacement players to keep Philadelphia in the hunt. Atlanta and New York are two hot teams who would love to dethrone their cocky arch rival Phillies .

Cincinnati leads the Central and appears more than ready to challenge '09 division champion Cardinals. As of this moment, the Reds have a 0.5 game lead after completing three consecutive winning months. Cincinnati's offense ranks #1 in NL. Most runs (389), hits (758), total bases (1218), batting average (.276), slugging (.444) and OPS (.785). It's a good thing their bats are producing runs because pitching remains a potential division race killer (4.44 ERA). Reds roster is a good mix of young stars on the rise and solid veterans. Don't take this crew lightly. We've all witnessed teams like Colorado and Florida come out of nowhere to shock rivals. Perhaps 2010 is Cincinnati's turn? Time will tell.

Los Angeles won the West last year but can't seem to find any sustainable rhythm this year. Pitching has been inconsistent and 58 combined home runs is well below NL team average (71). NL West gem thus far is San Diego led by the majors best pitching staff (3.10 ERA). It's safe to say nobody outside of San Diego imagined the Padres challenging for the West title. They're an NL best 46-32. If they could only hit (.247 is 14th) then these guys might have 60 wins. 1B slugger Adrian Gonzalez represents SD's only starter batting over .280 and slugging double digit home runs (.302, 16 HR). Their future beyond 2010 is bright. Lack of run production could haunt them in the 2nd half as only a few believe these pitchers can continue dominating. LA, Colorado and SF are within striking distance. Baseball fans will be treated to another wild west finish.

Hopefully all learned never take anything for granted after recent dramatic late season races each and every year during the new millennium. Don't be at all surprised to watch all three division races go right down to the finish line. Buckle up! National League baseball promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Coincidence? Phils Offense Struggles Without Sign Stealing

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Philadelphia has been slumping at the plate and in the standings. Is it a coincidence their slump coincides with being caught stealing opponents pitching signals? For those of you who forgot or missed the hub-bub... Phillies bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer was caught on camera peering through binoculars from the bullpen bench at Coors Field earlier in May. He then tipped off Phils hitters which pitch would be thrown. During the same game centerfielder Shane Victorino was spotted on the bullpen phone before stepping up to the plate (also caught on camera). MLB issued a penalty free warning to stop. Philadelphia has been on a steady decline ever since. Coincidence? Or, was sign stealing directly related to Phils success?

One can hardly ignore the National Leagues top offense has since been sputtering. Philadelphia was 20-12 leading NL East by 3 games. They've since gone 12-17 and were shut out six times dropping them from first to third. A few hitters, including All Star 2B Chase Utley, have been slumping. On May 12th, Utley was enjoying a fine season batting .314. His batting average now stands at .255 and dropping. Jayson Werth dropped from .348 down to .281 (after a career year in 2009). Ryan Howard now struggles to drive in base runners and has lost his power stroke which produced 4 straight seasons of at least 45 home runs and 136 RBI.

Sign stealing is nothing new in baseball. It's not against the rules either. If a team is sloppy enough to let their opposition catch on it's one thing. From time to time pitchers tip pitches. However, using binoculars to peer in towards home plate and then signal hitters is off base. Before this incident, Phils were accused of using cameras or planting personnel in perfect position to let hitters know what was about to be thrown.

Time will tell if all of this is all just a pure coincidence. However, all signs point to the Phils being lost without knowing what's coming next. Stay tuned.

Philadelphia Fans: Loyal & Classless

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Philadelphia. A city rich in sports tradition. Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia Flyers. Philadelphia 76ers. Each had their fair share of time in the sun. Each produced a long list of beloved sports heroes and championship teams. Mike Schmidt, Robin Roberts, Julius Erving, Wilbert Montgomery, Chuck Bednerick, Reggie White & Bobby Clarke are just a few. Philadelphia is famously known as "the City of Brotherly Love". That is, unless you happen to root for an opposing player.

Philly has a long history and strong reputation of hosting rogue, rowdy fans. A long list of incidents have taken place in Philadelphia hosting stadiums and arenas. Even Santa Claus was soundly booed and snowballed during an Eagles 1968 halftime show soon to be made famous around the country by Howard Cosell's national sports tv show. Car fires, fields trashed, near riots, drunken spectacles and clashes with police led city officials to create a temporary prison at Veterans Stadium during football season. Current state of affairs demonstrate police seem fed up with unruly behavior when only two weeks ago a foolish fan was tased after streaking onto the baseball diamond during a Phillies game. Most recently, during Game 1 of NHL's Eastern Conference Finals, a Montreal sportswriter's car was badly vandalized during the Flyers/Canadians contest.

What's up Philadelphia? An extremely long history of pathetic actions during sporting events continues growing. To what end? For what purpose? Just to prove drunks should always be denied entrance to games? Who cares if a visitor roots for their team and against yours? What if it was your son, sister, daughter or wife getting pummeled, robbed and victimized? It's high time city officials enact legislation dictating extreme harsh penalties resulting from public disturbances at athletic events. Cut off all alcohol sales as your citizens have proven numerous times they cannot handle drinking responsibly. Team owners should be held to task for not hiring enough security to keep everyone safe. As the saying goes, it only takes one rotten apple to ruin it for everyone else. Time to crack down hard on unsavory Philadelphia fans.

Mets Magic Leading NL East

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New York's (13-9) sweep of LA put the finishing touches on a 9-1 homestand. Is the Magic back? Seven consecutive victories enabled New York to climb the NL East ladder all the way to the top. Holding onto first place may be only temporary unless these guys can carry their recently created magic down to Philadelphia for a crucial early season 3 game series in Citizens Bank Park.

The Mets were left for dead by most before spring training ended. Question marks remained everywhere from the front office down to reserve players and coaches. The first dozen games left fans wondering if this team was ready to challenge 100 losses. Injuries blossomed before one game was played. One of those players hurt is starting 1B Murphy. Not a household name by any means but his bat was expected to contribute for lineup lacking left handed pop. Murphy's replacements failed miserably. The Mets didn't waste much time deciding it was time to bring up their future star firstbaseman.

Introducing Ike Davis. An instant sensation was born in Flushing. The Mets won 9 of 10. Defense has improved. Pitching improved. Offense doing just enough to win ball games. Like Ike? New Yorker's are going crazy over their new hero. In 10 games Davis is batting .355, 3 2B's, 1 HR, 6 RBI. A massive improvement over platooning Mike Jacobs (.208) and Fernando Tatis (.214).

New York's seven game streak comes at a perfect time. Red hot Mets players head to play hated division rival and co-leading Philadelphia (13-9). These teams do not like each other. Plenty of barbs traded between players on and off the field in recent years. Philly's lineup packs a mean punch. It's stacked with run producers. Phillies starters haven't settled into groves yet. Anything can happen this weekend. Will Mets magic go poof? Or, does Philadelphia have something to worry about?

2010 Baseball Preview: NL East

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Philadelphia was the NL's first team playing in back to back World Series since Atlanta in 1995 (won) & 1996 (lost). They're front runners to make it three straight in 2010. Atlanta tries to regain NL glory. The Braves finished first 14 of 15 seasons between 1991-2005 including 11 consecutive East titles. Florida's youth finds ways to win. New York's club invented new ways to lose day after day in '09. Washington re-tooled for '10.

Who will be the beast of the east this year? Time to check out off season winners and losers (in order of 2009 standings).

Philadelphia Phillies (93-69, Lost World Series):
Key additions: Roy Halladay, Placido Polanco, Danys Baez, Jose Contreras, Brian Schneider.
Key losses: Cliff Lee, Kyle Drabek, Pedro Feliz, Brett Myers.
Toronto dangled Halladay and the Phillies got him by way of a three team blockbuster. Time to celebrate? Maybe, maybe not. How did Philly brass cut loose post-season hero Cliff Lee? They could have had Halladay, Lee & Hamels dominating foes for years to come. Phils will not miss a beat without Lee this year. BUT.. one can only wonder what could have been only if the front office was shrewd enough to think "dynasty" instead of instant gratification. Monster batting lineup is much improved with the addition of Polanco.
Projected rotation: Halladay, Hamels, Blanton, Happ, Contreras
Bullpen: Disasterous for much of '09 before finally settling down in September. Lidge rebounded just in time for post season play after nearly being demoted (0-8, 7.21). Relievers will battle for jobs during spring training and should be fine heading into regular season play.
Forecast: Barring injuries, NL East is the Phils to win or lose. Very strong, very deep team.

Florida Marlins (87-75):
Key additions: no standouts
Key losses: Nick Johnson, Russ Gload, Jeremy Hermida, Matt Lindstrom, Scott Proctor, Brendan Donnelly.
How does this team keep threatening to win the East year after year? Simple. Great scouting. Great development system. Florida plays fundamental baseball. This franchise keeps churing out strong pitchers for future champions. Great team chemistry & attitude. Don't be surprised if they're knocking on the door once again.
Projected rotation: Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez, ???
Bullpen: All jobs are open. Leo Nunez will be given first crack at nailing down the closer role. Spring training battles will be fun to watch.
Forecast: Never count these guys out. They play with heart and guts. Dangerous club. Signing a veteran slugger or flame thrower would instantly turn the Marlins into playoff contenders.

Atlanta Braves (86-76):
Key additions: Troy Glaus, Takashi Saito, Billy Wagner, Scott Proctor, Erik Hinske.
Key losses: Mike Gonzalez, Adam LaRoche, Kelly Johnson, Rafael Soriano.
2010 will be manager Bobby Cox final season. He's one of the all time greatest in baseball's history. The Braves got stronger gearing up for another pennant push. Atlanta hasn't finished higher than 3rd four years running since winning 11 consecutive division titles. Finger pointing begins with poor bullpen performances. It's been revamped for '10 so look out East. Now there's a new question... can this team score runs? Chipper and Glaus are nearing retirement and the rest of this lineup is very young. Defense could be troublesome too.
Projected rotation: Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrgens, Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, ???
Bullpen: Revamped and suddenly lights out group highlighted by newcomers Wagner & Saito.
Forecast: If Atlanta can create runs then they'll be back in the thick of things once again.

New York Mets (70-92):
Key additions: Jason Bay, Gary Mathews Jr, Kelvim Escobar, Mike Jacobs, Ryota Igarashi,
Key losses: JJ Putz, Brian Schneider.
Mets completely fell apart last year. Not many teams played sloppier baseball than these guys. Even their new ballpark was severly critiqued. Injuries plagued most star players in '09. Reyes, Beltran, Delgado, Santana, Maine, Wagner, Pagan, Putz and a host of others all missed significant time. I'm not a fan of their current front office and baseball related decision making. They should be considered big losers this winter. Heading into 2010... no bonified starting 1B, C and weak starting rotation. Plenty of bargain salaried free agents are still available from role players to potential starters and the Mets aren't making any moves. NY needs to get every break in '10 to win more than they lose. Health is key #1. Defense #2. Solid pitching #3.
Projected rotation: Santana, Maine, Pelfrey, Perez, ???
Bullpen: Francisco Rodriguez was often victimized by shoddy defense. Setup men blew it all year long. Japanese import Ryota Igarashi is being counted on heavily. Escobar is slated as a reliever. What are the Mets thinking? Obviously, not clearly.
Forecast: If healthy, they might challenge. Far from dominating rotation. Bullpen still in trouble. Lack of batting power and defense still a question mark especially on infield's right side. Looks like another long season for Mets fans.

Washington Nationals (59-103):
Key additions: Chien-Ming Wang, Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Marquis, Eddie Guardado, Adam Kennedy, Brian Bruney and many potential contributors to minor league contracts.
Key losses: No one who will be missed.
I like what Washington has done this winter. Don't get me wrong as I believe it would take a baseball miracle for the Nationals to contend any time soon. On the other hand, respectability and a winning attitude probably got a boost with the addition of a few soon to be instrumental conttibutors. Signing Pudge will help young pitchers. Rotation and bullpen positions up for grabs (as always). Pitching has always been a very big problem for Washington. These guys never seem to throw strikes. Batting lineup will put up runs led by Zimmerman & Dunn.
Projected rotation: Up for grabs. Lannan & Marquis are the only locks as of now. Wang rebounding after multiple injuries and lack of effectiveness for Yanks. If healthy, a great signing.
Bullpen: Spring training to determines who makes big league squad. Personally, I'd like to see Bruney win the job.
Forecast: Playoffs are way off in the distant future. 2010 should be better than recent seasons.

NL East race will be great. Philadelphia remains obvious front runners followed by Atlanta & Florida giving it their all. New York & Washington have a long way to go. As for predictions, lets wait and see how I feel when rosters are finalized. Stay tuned.

World Series 2009: Phillies vs Yankees

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Baseball's two best teams are getting ready to face off in tonight's opening game of the 2009 World Series. Philadelphia Phillies are trying to become the first team to win consecutive titles since 2000 and the first National League repeat champion since Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" went back to back in 1975-76. Standing in their way is the last team to repeat, New York Yankees. Yankees are taking aim at their 27th franchise World Series title.

World Series 2009 is one of the best pairings in recent history. Both teams have very talented lineups, pitching staffs, fielders and managers. Here's how I break it down position by position. On paper, Philadelphia vs New York could turn out to be one of the best ever.

Starting Pitchers: Even
Home ballparks for both clubs favor power hitters and pitchers had better beware. It looks like 3 man rotations for both clubs. Lee, Martinez & Hamels go for Philly vs Sabathia, Burnett & Pettitte for NY. All 6 rely in changing speeds for maximum effectiveness. None are strangers to post-season play. At times all have pitched like future Hall of Famers. Going deep into games is an essential ingredient for success which will be no easy task against baseball's best lineups. Philadelphia's bullpen during the regular season was very inconsistent. NY had better success. On paper, I'm rating them as equal. We'll soon see how well they can handle pressure packed situations with everything on the line.

Catchers: Even
Ok, before New York fans have a cow, here's why. Posada is by far the better hitter. But, he's yet to come through in the clutch this post-season on a consistent basis. If he does get hot then Phils are in trouble. His pitch calling is also very suspect. Plus, Burnett would rather pitch to backup Molina which could factor into Game 2. I don't see Posada riding the bench and this could throw off AJ's effectiveness or confidence.
Ruiz has been sensational in the playoffs for Phils (.346, 7 RBI). Defense has been solid, clutch hitting and good pitch calling. He's the hotter player right now (not the better player).

1B: Edge Phillies
Phils Ryan Howard is a monster at the plate. 14 post-season RBI in 9 games while batting .355. He's one of baseball's best clutch hitters. Howard vs Rivera in 9th inning situations will keep nervous fans sitting on the edge of their seats. Howard's defense has improved but is still shaky and a booted ball or bad throws could be game changers.
Mark Teixeira recovered from a slow start in pinstripes to become the AL leader in HR and RBI. However, he's struggling in the playoffs (.205). Time and time again he failed to deliver this postseason with runners in scoring position and is not looking good at the plate. Yanks need him to get back on track. Defensively, there's no better.

2B: Even
Phils fans turn to have a cow. Utley possesses great power (31 HR). His playoff defense hasn't been great. 2 playoff RBI isn't exactly clutch hitting either.
Robinson Cano is starting to turn it on after many failures to deliver with runners in scoring position. He must come through as bottom 3rd of lineup needs to produce. His defense has been excellent.

SS: Edge Yankees
Rollins can explode at any time. However, 2009 performance is far below career numbers. He struggled in playoffs so far (.244, 0 BB, 0 SB) except for a clutch game winning double on a meatball pitch. His defense is always strong. As Phils leadoff hitter, he needs to get it going vs a Yanks staff usually around the strike zone.
Yanks have Captain Jeter. He's been on fire (.297, 3 HR, .455 OBA). He's baseball's all time playoff hit leader (164). He's patient at the plate and usually comes thru in clutch situations. He's the table setter. Yanks will go as far as Jeter takes them.

3B: Edge Yankees
3B is the greatest disparity in my position by position analysis. Pedro Feliz will never be confused with Alex Rodriguez offensively or defensively. Feliz playoff stats are horrible (.161, 2 RBI). His defense hasn't been great either. However, never underestimate a slumping player. World Series are often won by non star-like characters when opposing pitchers take them for granted.
Alex Rodriguez has been enjoying the greatest postseason of his career. Can he keep it going vs Lee & Pedro? He's in the zone (.438, 5 HR, 12 RBI) coupled with flawless defense. ARod's biggest career challenge to date... producing in World Series play.

LF: Even
Phils might have a slight edge here with Ibanez. Ibanez was 1st half MVP candidate. But, he's struggled to regain his stroke at the dish. While Ibanez didn't hit for much of an average during playoffs (.236).. he has come thru time and time again with runners on base (9 RBI). He's been subbed out in late inning defensive situations but does play a decent LF.
Yanks Johnny Damon is a big game player waiting to turn it on. 24 regular season HR, 107 runs scored. So far, only batting .238. But, Phils pitching style is exactly the type he thrives on. We'll soon see. Damon has no arm in LF and can't throw anyone out. He's been lifted for stronger arms in late innings.

CF: Edge Phillies
Victorino is Phils leading hitter in playoffs (.361). He's showing no signs of slowing down after batting .292 during regular season. This guy will become a hero in the City of Brotherly Love if he remains the Phils catalyst. He's an excellent defensive CF to boot. He'll see plenty of activity.
Yanks free swinging Cabrera (.314) has deceptive playoff numbers. His average appears good in the surface, but he's failed in many clutch situations and is tied with RF Swisher with 11 K's. Not a good formula at the bottom of Yanks lineup. It might be time to give Gardner a shot. It won't happen since Gardner is Damon's late inning defensive replacement.

RF: Edge Phillies
Werth is tied with ARod for most playoff HR's this year (5). This kid keeps getting better. Werth is the Phillies key player in this series. Can he handle pressures of World Series play in NY? Probably. Coming in hitting .281, 5 HR, 10 RBI. Utley, Howard & Werth hit 3-4-5 and usually come through when needed in late game situations.
Swisher became Yanks everyday RF after Nady's season ending injury. He played very well during regular season (29 HR, .371 OBA). Playoffs have been another story (4-32, .125, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 11 K). He looks lost at the plate with feeble pop ups and plenty of strikeouts. He's a slug on the bases who is not alert. He seems to get picked off with ease. Luckily, his defense has been very good from tracking down balls to strong throws.

DH: Edge Yankees
Phils might play around with DH. Rumors state Ibanez might DH vs lefties with Francisco in LF. Matt Stairs might play vs righties.
Yanks strut out Matsui who has struggled (.233) in key playoff situations after a clutch '09 regular season (28 HR, 90 RBI). He was red hot during the final weeks but it hasn't carried into playoffs. His contribution in home games is vital.

Middle Relievers - Set up: Edge Yankees
Phils bullpen during regular season was horrific and cost this team a shot at 100 victories. They've done much better in '09 playoffs. Last season, their pen was instrumental is securing the title. They must pitch the games of their lives vs a potent Yanks attack in key situations for Phils to prevail. JA Happ, Chan Ho Park, Joe Blanton will be first out of the pen in early innings if needed or could take center stage in extra innings.
On the flip side, Yankees relievers enjoyed great success during the regular season after a horrendous '08 effort. Most have done well in the playoffs except for set up man Hughes who is clearly feeling the pressure of playoff baseball. Aceves has also faultered which might change Girardi's normal late inning plans. Joba Chamberlain will probably be the long middle reliever even though I'm all for him being used as a setup man and future closer.

Closer: Edge Yankees
Lidge was phenominal in '08 and pathetically bad in '09 until the playoffs. He might be back on track which is bad news for Yankees hitters. He's only given up 1 hit in 5 scoreless appearances spanning 4 innings. Not much of a litmus test but it's encouraging for a player coming off the worst year of his career.
Mariano Rivera owns the playoff record book for relievers. 37 postseason saves is 21 ahead of #2 (Lidge). He's most effective pitching only one inning per appearance.

Bench: Even
Not much to speak of here for either team. Matsui will be the big name off the bench when games shift to NL Phillies. Otherwise, it's mainly late inning defensive replacements in LF or pinch runners.

Managers: Even
Both teams love their managers. Most playoff moves have paid dividends (not all). Talented and well liked field generals who have kept clubs under control and believing in themselves no matter what the scoreboard reads. How they handle relievers could be the key to this series.

Prediction:
Philadelphia and New York lineups are very strong. Yankees have more power 1-9. Yankees play better overall defense. Yankees bullpen better. Yanks relying on early long ball power. Clutch hitting belongs to Phillies. Yankees pitchers used to facing tough lineups. Phillies pitchers used to NL DH-less weaker lineups. Yankees in 6.

(www.allworldallsports.com)

Pennant Fever - NL East

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-Digger's Daily-

National League baseball has been topsy turvy all season long. Classic battles are raging in each division. Teams in the playoff hunt had better beware of potential spoilers filled with players looking to secure their futures. Washington ran off 8 straight wins this month. San Diego 4 of 5. Arizona is 7-4 in August. No lead is safe as summertime heat gets turned up full throttle. My take on the NL East....

World Series Champs Philadelphia Phillies (62-48) have their fans sitting on edge lately. After a 20-7 July, they're stumbling in August (3-6). The suddenly surging Marlins swept three in Philly including a final game 12-3 romp over vet Moyer who lost his rotation spot to Pedro Martinez. Pedro makes his first start of 2009 for his new team tonight. Phils lineup is struggling to plate runs and bullpen woes continue to haunt. Closing in quickly is Florida (5 wins in a row) and Atlanta (4 in a row). When will Ryan Howard stop striking out at alarming rates (137 in 109 games)? I'm guessing the Phils are having a temporary lull and will snap out of it. Question is ... will they wake up before it's too late? I'm beginning to believe they will have a hard time qualifying as a wild card.

Florida Marlins (60-52) 5 straight wins has them hot on Phillies tail trailing by 3.5 games. These young Marlins can smell blood and are starting to believe. Florida's recently history has been to fade down the stretch. Right now, their bats are alive and well after struggling to find consistency most of the season. If their pitchers can start keeping teams to 4 or less runs then watch out... these fish will swim. I like the Marlins. They play inspired baseball with nothing to lose since no one expects them to win. Dangerous team if they stay hot.

Atlanta Braves (59-54) have come alive winning 4 in a row and 6 of 7. Since June 28th, they're 25-14. It's been all about pitching for the Braves. Rotation is getting stronger. Vasquez (2.90 ERA), Jurrjens (3.01), Hanson (3.05), Kawakami (4.12) & Lowe (4.15) compose the best cumulative 1-5 rotation in NL. Team ERA is 3.70. If Atlanta has one weakness, it's their lack of power. Chipper Jones leads with 15 HR's. They manage to score runs even without big power numbers. New acquisitions have helped energize their attack (Church, LaRoche). Bullpen has been very stingy and effective. Manager Bobby Cox is showing why he's one of baseball's best. Watch out for the Braves! I've never been a big Braves "fan". As of this very moment, they're the most well balanced team in the East. History shows, good pitching wins games. Braves sporting East's best staff top to bottom and will silence opponents down the stretch.

Prediction: Atlanta wins East in final week. I'll reserve judgement on whether or not Philadelphia has enough in the tank for a wild card birth. Marlins pitching needs to get better for them to make a September surge. 1-Atlanta, 2-Philadelphia, 3-Florida.

On deck... NL Central.

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SportsRagePage.com

2009 National League East Forecast

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by Digger

The World Champion Philadelphia Phillies wasted no time boasting of their lock on winning consecutive World Series. Cole Hamels and Jimmy Rollins have called division rival New York “choke artists” after Met back to back September failures. Atlanta might be on pace for 14 straight years of non-titles after more than a decade as East champs. Never count out the Marlins. Perennial youngest team is a wild card contender. Washington is the cellar dweller.


Philadelphia Phillies (Mgr. Charlie Manuel)The Champs added Raul Ibanez to the NL’s deepest team. Speed, power, pitching & defense. Manuel’s team will win 100 games.

Rotation: Hamels, Myers, Blanton, Moyer, Kendrick or JA Happ. Setup: Madson. Closer: Lidge. Gutsy cast of characters led by Cy Young candidate to be Cole Hamels. Ageless Moyer returns after leading Phils with 16 victories in ’09. J.A. Happ is only moments away from joining the big league staff. He’s been impressive this spring. Phillies staff will get deep into games. Bullpen is tough as nails but short on lefties. Ruiz & Coste will share catching duties.

Around the Horn: Howard, Utley, Rollins & Feliz. Howard (’06) & Rollins (’07) have recently won MVP awards. Utley could be next. Hands down, NL’s best hitting infield. Great defense up the middle. This bunch will come to play every day.

Outfield: Werth, Victorino, Ibanez, Jenkins. Ibanez stats should explode in his new home park after playing in pitching friendly Safeco. He’ll have plenty of RBI chances and could creep into an MVP caliber season. Solid defensive group.

Forecast: All systems go. Phillies will run away with NL East unless over confidence crumbles their game. Doubt it. Phils on pace for 100+ victories.


New York Mets (Mgr. Jerry Manuel)Where has the Mets magic gone? Back to back gut wrenching September failures. Gone is Shea Stadium. Replaced by new Citi Field (a.k.a. Bail Out Park, a.k.a. Taxpayer Field). Citi Bank is locked into a $400M sponsorship deal with the Mets for naming rights to the new stadium in Flushing. GM Minaya’s mission this off season was to strengthen their biggest weakness, relievers. Record breaking closer Francisco Rodriguez (62 saves) and JJ Putz have been brought in to shut down teams in 8th & 9th. However, getting there will difficult behind NY’s starting staff. Manuel’s slated to tinker with the batting order. Speedster Reyes will hit 3rd, 2B Luis Castillo to lead off. IS HE CRAZY? Reyes is one of the game’s best leadoff hitters. There are far better run producers who should be batting 3rd. I do not like this move one bit. September woes will not happen this season. April might shower their season early on.

Rotation: Santana, Pelfrey, Maine, Perez &?? Setup: Putz. Closer: Rodriguez. Santana is baseball’s best lefty but had early spring arm concerns. His health is suddenly in question. Pelfrey is a rising star. Maine had a rough time last year and has been off so far this spring. His #3 slot is essential to NY having a shot this year. Perez resigned after little free agent interest from other clubs. You never know which Perez will show up… wild man or untouchable. 5th slot is in shambles. Pedro remains unsigned after being one of the biggest busts in Mets history. The competition is between Freddie Garcia, Livan Hernandez and Tim Redding … all have been blasted this spring. They’re best days are long behind. Signing Pedro cheap makes sense if he can be had. Promote a hard throwing rookie. Something other than what’s on paper now. Schneider is not one of the better pitch calling catchers. He needs to start working OT with his staff.

Around the Horn: Delgado, Castillo, Reyes, Wright. Early season success is key in ’09. Delgado was out of synch in the 1st half before catching fire in July. Reyes has stolen 262 bases leading off since 2005. Manuel wants him batting 3rd. Ugh! Wright needs to find his clutch stroke this year. Way too many missed chances with games on the line. NY’s infield defense is one of baseball’s best.

Outfield: Church, Beltran, Murphy, Tatis. Rookie Murphy has won the LF job. It could be rough going if he falters. Beltran has been one month on, one month off two years running. RF can use a boost. Church is not the answer. Tatis will get plenty of AB’s filling in at multiple positions (LF, RF, 3B, 1B, PH) but lacks range.

Forecast: Magic is often found when christening new ballparks. The Mets have great defense and solid hitters. Question remains as to when they’ll finally put it all together? Phillies have challenged them. Phillies have insulted them. Mets have suffered two terrible Septembers. No team has more incentive to win than New York.

Florida Marlins (Mgr. Fredi Gonzalez)Young Marlins teams have been finding ways to win for years. Clearly one of baseball’s best scouting & farm systems cranks out future stars yearly. Problem is there’s rarely enough money in the kitty to keep them in South Florida. Marlins’ lineup has the potential to be explosive. Are their young pitchers ready to handle a long 162 game season?

Rotation: Nolasco, Johnson, Volstad, Sanchez, Miller. Setup: undecided. Closer: Lindstrom. Young, unproven bunch should receive plenty of run support. Throwing strikes and staying ahead of hitters is paramount to success. Lindstrom gets first crack at closing games. Bullpen might be a bit thin and overworked by the end of May. Catcher’s duties are up for grabs. None figure to contribute much run production.

Around the Horn: Cantu (Sanchez), Uggla, Ramirez, McPhearson (Cantu/Bonifacio). Many options are being considered this spring. Slugger Cantu (defensive liability) will start somewhere depending on spring battles. Cantu starts at 3B if rookie Gaby Sanchez wins the 1B job. Or, Cantu might start at 1B if rookie Emilio Bonifacio wins a job. Slugger to be McPhearson is also battling at 3B. Gonzalez will figure this one out soon enough. Uggla & Ramirez are two of baseball’s best. Marlins will be fielding plenty of inquiries around MLB’s trading deadline.

Outfield: Ross, Maybin, Hermidia. Corner OF’s Ross & Hermidia have huge upside potential. Big power numbers shouldn’t surprise anyone but they’re both probably one year away. Speedy Maybin is counted on to ignite Florida’s attack.

Forecast: Marlins will be streaky. This group will battle hard every game. Are they ready for prime time? Don’t be surprised if Florida is in wild card contention on September 1.


Atlanta Braves (Mgr. Bobby Cox)Volatile manager Bobby Cox is still one of baseball’s best. His team has aged before his eyes. New recruits have shown flashes in recent years. However, it’s been without enough consistency to keep Atlanta winning. Fans south of the border have complained I’m underestimating their beloved Braves. Lack of hitting power will make it hard for Atlanta to keep up with more potent attacks.

Rotation: Lowe, Vasquez, Jurrjens,??,?? Setup: Soriano. Closer: Gonzalez. Hudson is on the 60 day DL. Glavine’s return is on hold due to injury. This staff is hurting. Back end starters are struggling this spring. Cox entire bullpen figures to be burnt out early. NL backstop Brian McCann is one of baseball’s best.

Around the Horn: Kotchman, Johnson, Escobar, Chipper. 15 year vet 3B Chipper Jones hit a career best .364 during an injury riddled ’08. He’s already fighting an oblique strain. He’s one of baseball’s class acts. No signs of slowing down when he’s on the field. Keeping him there is another story. No power from the remaining infielders. Escobar needs to play mistake free SS.

Outfield: Francouer, Josh Anderson, Garret Anderson. Francouer struggled all of last season after a solid ’08. Josh A. is unproven but ranks high on Cox list. Garret Anderson has always been one of my favorite players. Steady (career .296), clutch, team oriented player makes his NL debut after spending 15 seasons as an Angel. He’ll be a force unless nagging injuries slow him down, again. Matt Diaz will get some AB’s vs lhp to give Garret some time off.

Forecast: Too many ifs keep Atlanta ranked in lower half of NL East. Cox will have to work miracles. It’s going to be a long summer in Hotlanta.


Washington Nationals (Mgr. Manny Acta)This team has been rocked by injuries nearly every season. Nats have some raw undeveloped talent. Question is when or if they’ll ever get it together?

Rotation: Lannan, Olsen, Hill, Cabrera, Ballister. Setup: undecided. Closer: Hanrahan (who?). Washington’s staff will be battered all season long. Shell shocked midway through May. Daniel Cabrera was signed after spending missing the strike zone in Baltimore. The others will tough it out. No upside to report here.

Around the Horn: Johnson, Belliard/Hernandez, Guzman, Zimmerman. 1B Johnson has played only 38 games in the past two years. He always seems to be one play away from getting hurt. Rookie Anderson Hernandez battles Ronnie Belliard for the starting nod at 2B. Guzman and Zimmerman are fine players roaming the diamonds left side.

Outfield: Dukes, Milledge, Dunn. Potentially explosive OF led by slugging Adam Dunn (40 or more HR’s 5 straight years). Dunn might see extensive time at 1B which is probably best for Nats chances to win. RF Dukes is tearing it up this spring. He needs to make headlines with good play instead of bad personal life choices. Milledge was a Mets future star. He’s a natural five tool player yet to reach full potential. Austin Kearns, once labeled a rising star, is an oft injured player who never lived up to the hype. He make get plenty of chances if Dunn takes over at 1B.

Forecast: Dark clouds hovering around Washington on the diamond too. It’s going to be a very long year in DC for Nationals fans. 100 losses could be on the way.

(www.allworldallsports.com)