The Fourth Strike

Kyle Gibson: The Man, the Myth, the Legend

2010-06-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

As May has drawn to a close, I have named Kyle Gibson as the Fourth Strike Prospect of the month for May. It is an honor I know he will always cherish as much as his future Cy Young. There was a lot of excitement when he was drafted as people imagined a Matt Garza like quick move through the minors and impact. Well, he has certainly had a Garza-like first two months as a professional. In 7 starts at Fort Myers, Gibson was 1.87 ERA 43.1 IP 40 K 1.038 WHIP. Garza in 8 Fort Myers starts was 1.42 ERA 44.1 IP 53 K .857 WHIP. Gibson similarly has moved the domination train to New Britain. In 4 starts he is 1.37 ERA 26.1 IP 23 K .949 WHIP.

The excitement about Gibson is not just the domination but how he is going about it. He has a very good 8.1 K/9 rate but if they don't strike out they will ground out. His ground out / fly out ratio is 3.48 so far on the year. Keep in mind "ground ball" pitcher Nick Blackburn has a ratio of 1.56 for the year. So to put in perspective how good his potential think of a pitcher who strikeouts players like Liriano but also gets groundballs twice as much as Blackburn. He does this with a 91-92 mph sinking fastball, a plus slider at 82-85 and a solid changeup.

Gibson was drafted in the same class as Stephen Strasburg and Mike Leake. While he will be the last one to make the majors, he certainly appears to have all the makings of joining those two to make a very impressive trio. GM Bill Smith was stated recently that they are going to limit his innings this year ending any thought he would be a September call-up or likely see the Twins this year. If Garza can be used as an example of the plan for Gibson, after 8 starts at High A he made 10 starts at AA before finishing the year at AAA with 5 more starts. Garza ended up with 135.2 innings for the year at the 3 starts. Gibson has been pitching further in starts but that would seem to be a reasonable plan for the first year.

The Twins would never admit it but they already know when he will debut barring any injuries. He will be a call-up in mid-June next year so they can delay his arbitration so those that predict he will be an opening day start don't understand the economics of the game. Until then just enjoy the ride of watching his progress in the minors.

Quick Strikes

2010-05-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

There is good Pavano and bad Pavano. Today was simply bad Pavano. Expect his next start to be 7 innings and 2 runs.
Twins record is still very good but they are 5-6 in the last 11 games.
Yes, Mauer and Morneau are clearly the best players, but the DL stint of Hardy is showing that he is one of our most important players. There is a world of difference between him as short versus Brendan Harris or Alexi Casilla.
Did anyone out there expect the Wolves to get a top 3 pick. Never the less I am now hoping for the Wolves to draft Wesley Johnson. They are 6-7 players away from a decent team but he can be the scoring wing they need.
I just realized how big of a Magic fan I am when it occurred that I was cheering J.J. Reddick. Dwight Howard is making me do crazy things.
I know Detroit is only 2 back and has uber-slugger in Cabrera but does anyone still see them as a legitimate threat. Yes, we have Punto but they are putting Carlos Guillen at 2nd base and give consistent at-bats to Brandon Inge and Gerald Laird.
It is a shame that the NHL does a horrible job of promoting its product and Americans hate anything Canadians love because playoff hockey is so underrated. On just a pure entertainment level it is surpassed only by March Madness and October Baseball. This San Jose - Chicago series is so fast and intense.
If Trevor Mbakwe does actually leave the Gophers the program in one year will go from an up and coming perennial Big Ten title contender to a perennial NIT team. I don't think excitement can leave a team without Kevin McHale involved. Also if he is found not guilty, the pitchforks may be headed for Joel Maturi's office as he essentially guided the exit of Royce White and Mbakwe for a misdemeanor theft and trespassing.

Lets Give This Another Shot - Prospect Power Rankings

2010-05-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Let's put the key in the ignition and see if this thing still works. After almost a year of not putting anything on this blog, I have decided with a new faster computer and an abundance of free time to start back up here. I can just picture a polite golf clap now from my two readers, my dad and my girlfriend. I will tread softly back into the blogosphere with a Twins Prospect ranking that will differ greatly from the last post last year. The previous ranking would be where I had them going into this current season.

1. SP Kyle Gibson - AA New Britain
Age: 22
Pre-Season Ranking: 3
Total Stats: 50.2 IP 1.60 ERA 50 K
AA Stats: 7.1 IP 0.00 ERA 10 K
The Twins 1st round pick in last year's draft had the expectation that he had the chance to be an ace and move quickly through the organization, but he has blown away the expectations. He already has a complete game 1-hitter to his name. His first start at the AA level may have been even a better start with 10 K's. If he doesn't strike out the batter they ground out. He has a ground out to fly out ratio of 3.57. Think Nick Blackburn but with Liriano's strikeout ratio. Baring injuries he won't be seen this year but he could easily be in the opening day rotation in 2011.

2. OF Aaron Hicks - Low A Beloit
Age: 20
Pre-Season Ranking: 1
Stats: .272 3 HR 10 RBI .395 OBP .800 OPS
By almost all publications he the biggest prospect in the Twins system. He was ranked as the 19th best prospect by Baseball America. He has shown flashes of the skill that has lead to all the rankings but he has been marked by inconsistency all year. He started the year batting 1-30, then hit around .400 for the next couple weeks. He has recently hit another rough patch hitting .194 in the last 10 games. The most encouraging aspect of his game so far is his patience at the plate. He has 25 walks so far on the season in which has lead to the one of the highest OBP in the farm system. He will spend most of the season in Beloit, but should get a taste of Fort Myers by July.

3. C Wilson Ramos - AAA Rochester
Age: 22
Pre-Season Ranking: 2
MLB Stats: .296 0 HR 1 RBI .321 OBP .729 OPS
AAA Stats: .160 3 HR 9 RBI .190 OBP .487 OPS
Even the Twins fan who doesn't track the minors at all is aware of Wilson Ramos. When Mauer went down with a bruised heel, he came up and made his presence felt. He even had people having heated debates on what to do with him. Some of the less intelligent fans calling for Mauer to move to 3rd to make room. He then did cool down and showed why he is still a prospect and not a finished product. He still has the potential to be an all-star catcher. I am of the camp that he can be a factor next year as the backup catcher and right-handed DH.

4. 3B Miguel Sano
Age: 17
Pre-Season Ranking: 4
While he has not officially been assigned to a team it is believed he will join the Gulf Coast Rookie League when they start in late June. Sano combined with Gibson where the 1st signs that the Twins budget had changed well before the re-signing of Mauer. He signed last summer for the second -largest bonus in team history right behind St. Mauer's. He profiles as a slugging 3rd baseman. It is hard to project a 17-year old but his ceiling would be a .300-35-120.

5. 3B Danny Valencia - AAA Rochester
Age: 25
Pre-Season Ranking: 6
Stats: .305 0 HR 20 RBI .343 OBP .747 OPS
He is known to many as the next 3rd baseman for the Twins. He is currently being blocked by the Gardenhire-Punto love fest. Don't get me wrong I have no problem that he is not currently up here but even if Punto is batting .180 I can still see him sticking with him and Valencia toiling away in upstate New York. He got off to a slow start and has still not hit a home run, but is currently on a 20 game hitting streak. I haven't reached it yet but the more at bats people like Tolbert, Harris and Casilla get the closer I will get to the boiling point that he is not in Minneapolis yet.

6. OF Ben Revere - AA New Britain
Age: 22
Pre-Season Ranking: 5
Stats: .279 1 HR 10 RBI .353 OBP .680 OPS 11 SB
I have never been a huge fan of his despite being back-to-back minor league player of the year in the organization, and his start in AA has not changed my opinion. He somehow has a lower slugging percentage than a on-base percentage. He has 34 hits on the year and only 4 extra base hits. There are signs that his success in the lower levels will not translate. The two biggest issues are that his batting average has decreased at every level with him hitting only .279 so far and that his stolen bases has gone down. He had 45 stolen bases last year and to date has only 11 in 15 attempts. You would have trouble to find a player that stolen bases go up as they hit the majors. The only way I see value for the Twins for him is he moves to 2nd base. I just can't see them making room for him on the roster by moving out Cuddyer, Kubel or Young when the best he could be is another Denard Span. My guess he is more likely to be traded than don a Twins uniform.

7. SP David Bromberg - AA New Britain
Age: 22
Pre-Season Rankings: 8
Stats: 37.2 IP 3.58 ERA 25 K
Bromberg was finally recognized as a big-time prospect in the system after repeating his Beloit stats and dominating in Fort Myers. He has not been outstanding in AA and has not been dominant with some of his control issues. That being said he is holding his own at age 22 and his star has not diminished. Some warning signs are the strikeout ratio has fallen considerably so far and only pitching 37 innings in 7 starts means he is not cruising out there. It looks like he is going to be passed by Kyle Gibson in line to jump in the rotation but he could be in the Twins rotation by 2011 or opening day 2012.

8. OF Angel Morales - Low A Beloit
Age: 20
Pre-Season Ranking: 7
Stats: .244 3 HR 18 RBI .324 OBP .714 OPS 10 SB
There was some that thought with his strong second half in Beloit he would start the season in Fort Myers. He hasn't exactly forced the Twins hand to promote him yet. He has never hit for a high average and has always had issues with strikeouts. He has increased his stolen bases showcasing his overlooked tool, speed. It also gets lost because he has been around for awhile that he is only 20 and the same age of Hicks. He and Hicks will likely see Fort Myers by the second half of this year.

9. RP Anthony Slama - AAA Rochester
Age: 26
Pre-Season Ranking: 9
Stats: 24.1 IP 1.85 ERA 27 K
I don't know what more he has to do to finally get his chance at the Majors. He has dominated at every level on his way up. He was dominant in Spring Training. Batters are currently hitting .123 against him. The standard line is that he needs to work on his control but he has walked only 9 batters in 24 innings. Alex Burnett got the call and has walked 10 in 17 innings and he's doing fine. They then say it is because he is not on the 40-man roster and they would have to make room, but Clay Condrey can easily be moved to the 60 day DL to make room. Even more frustrating was info that they may finally get rid of Crain but that it might be Kyle Waldrop who would get the call. Waldrop is also not on the 40-man roster. I know his stuff doesn't blow you away but results speak louder than any scouting report should.

10. SP Liam Hendriks - High A Fort Myers
Age: 21
Pre-Season Ranking: NR
Total Stats: 41 IP 1.32 ERA 47 K
High A Stats: 7 IP 1.29 ERA 8 K
He wasn't on anyone's top 10 list coming into the season. He was not in the top 30 by Baseball America and not in the top 50 on Twinkie Town, but his performance to this point can not be ignored. There have not been many scouting reports on him to this point so I don't know if his stuff will translate to the higher levels but the stats are amazing. Of the starters in the farm system he is second in ERA, strikeouts and leads the organization in WHIP with 0.56 and hitter batting average with .136. If he keeps it up he will certainly make a few lists next year.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings

2009-07-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

1. 3B Danny Valencia AAA - Rochester
Age: 24
Total Stats: .307 12 HR 51 RBI
AAA Stats: .352 5 HR 22 RBI
I was in the minority having him as the best Twins prospect but a lot of minds have changed with the production he has had. If Crede ends up on the DL, the Twins might go with Valencia this year.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .312 2 HR 37 RBI 33 SB
With Denard Span already on the team, it is thought that Revere will likely be used more as trade bait. That is if the Twins ever make a trade.

3. OF Aaron Hicks Low A - Beloit
Age: 19
Stats: .216 1 HR 14 RBI 3 SB
The buzz surrounding him has dimmed given his struggles this year. It would not be surprising to see him start 2010 in Beloit again.

4. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Age: 21
Stats: .308 3 HR 18 RBI
This is officially a lost year for Ramos, which is disappointing but the talent is still there.

5. OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .258 14 HR 56 RBI
I would like to see him and Revere get some time in New Britain this year but that is not likely to happen.

6. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Age: 25
Stats: 54.1 IP 2.98 ERA 77 K
Is stuck in AA this year but he should be in the Twins bullpen next year.

7. OF Rene Tosoni AA - New Britain
Age: 23
Stats: .277 10 HR 53 RBI
Only got a pinch-hit appearance in the Futures Game but he used it to hit the game-winning double and win the MVP award.

8. RHP David Bromberg High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: 103.2 IP 2.86 ERA 92 K
Has struggled a little in July with a 3.91 ERA but the fact that that is struggling for him is a good sign.

9. RHP Carlos Gutierrez AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Total Stats: 91 IP 3.96 ERA 50 K
AA Stats: 36.1 IP 7.93 ERA 17 K
He is still on this list for his 1st half and the potential but he has been absolutely brutal in AA. He will definitely be starting 2010 in AA. Hitters are hitting .333 against him in AA. His WHIP in AA is 1.89.

10. 1B/C Danny Rams Low A - Beloit
Age: 20
Total Stats: .327 10 HR 32 RBI
Low A Stats: .286 4 HR 6 RBI
I said if he kept hitting he would make the list and he has not stopped hitting. He stikes out way too much but his numbers are video game numbers. In 110 at-bats he has 10 home runs and 24 extra base hits. On the year he has a slugging percentage of .736 and an OPS of 1.144. If you need to know how good that is Albert Pujols has similar numbers with a slugging percentage of .711 and OPS of 1.161.

Mid-Season Awards

2009-07-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

NL Rookie of the Year: Tommy Hanson, ATL
He hasn't been up that long but he has lived up to the hype so far. In 7 starts he has gone 4-0 with a 2.85 ERA and 25 K in 41 innings.
Runner-up: Colby Rasmus, STL

NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, SF
Lincecum gets the nod over Haren because he is on a superior team and the number of strikeouts. He has had a great follow-up to last year going 10-2 2.33 ERA 149 K.
Runner-up: Dan Haren, ARI

NL MVP: Albert Pujols, STL
There is no debate regarding this award. He could not play the second half and he would still get votes for the award. He is on pace for the best year of his career with .336 32 HR 85 RBI. Those are full-season numbers if you are lucky. He is a virtual lock for his 3rd MVP Award.
Runner-up: Prince Fielder, MIL

AL Rookie of the Year: Andrew Bailey, OAK
The AL Rookie Award race has been a little disappointing with David Price and Matt Wieters getting off to slow starts. My money is that one of them will have a big second half and win the award but for the first half it goes to the Oakland closer who has a 2.03 ERA and 57 K in 48.7 IP. He is the Oakland representative in the All-Star game.
Runner-up: Rickey Romero, TOR

AL Cy Young: Zach Greinke, KC
He hasn't pitched as well lately and may not hold on to the award over the full year but he still had an awesome first half going 10-5 2.12 ERA 129 K. He should have more wins but he is a Royal.
Runner-up: Felix Hernandez, SEA

AL MVP: Justin Morneau, MIN
This is the toughest award to call. It depends on what you are looking for in an MVP. There are almost 10 candidates who could legitimately win this award. The factors I used to decide this is a player producing runs with a good average. This lead to Justin Morneau. All the attention is paid to Joe Mauer but Morneau is quietly a Triple Crown threat. He is tied for 2nd in HR, 2nd in RBI and 11th in AVG going .311-21-70. Mauer will likely keep him from winning the Triple Crown and will steal votes from him but he does it all for the Twins.
Runner-up: Jason Bay, BOS

All-Star Break Power Rankings

2009-07-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 55-31 (1st in NL West)
With Manny back and having not missed a beat this team is rolling in a surprisingly good NL West. This team should add a starter because I have a hard time seeing a team with a 21- year old #2 starter winning the World Series even if it is Clayton Kershaw.

2. Boston Red Sox
Record: 52-34 (1st in AL East)
This team has so much pitching it is ridiculous. Justin Masterson and Clay Bucholz would be starters on any other team but they are in the bullpen and AAA respectively. This team doesn't even care that Dice-K has imploded this year. With David Ortiz having returned to form this is my current pick to win it all.

3. New York Yankees
Record: 51-35 (2nd in AL East)
As a Twins fan it is hard not to rank them #1. They are 7-0 against the Twins and only 44-35 against the rest of the league. They have done this and A-Rod isn't really producing this year hitting only .257. Surprise, when they are winning no one is talking about the number of home runs at Yankee Stadium. The numbers are crazy though. Jeter with 10 and Damon with 16 so far.

4. Texas Rangers
Record: 48-37 (1st in AL West)
This team is an absolute surprise. The weirdest part is that they have done this to date without the help of Josh Hamilton. This team I do think is all smoke and mirrors. They will not make the playoffs this year.

5. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 47-37 (2nd in AL West)
This team has dealt with so many issues this year and it continues with Hunter and Guerrrero headed for the DL. This team is still the favorite to win the AL West but I don't see this team piecing it together to compete against the Sox and Yankees.

6. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 48-39 (3rd in AL East)
You know you have it tough when you have the 6th best record but are 3rd in your division. This team has so much talent with Upton, Crawford, Longoria, Pena and Zobrist but it takes more than talent to win the AL East. If they are to make the playoffs they need bullpen help and Pat Burell and David Price to contribute like they can.

7. San Francisco Giants
Record: 48-38 (2nd in NL West)
If Boston has the best pitching staff, San Francisco has the 2nd best as evidenced by Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter yesterday. Lincecum is a legitimate threat to win his 2nd Cy Young. This team could stand to add a bat to help Pablo Sandoval but I like their chances to win the NL Wild Card.

8. Detroit Tigers
Record: 47-38 (1st in AL Central)
This team may regret not putting away the division earlier as both the Twins and White Sox are capable of a run. The biggest reason for the turnaround from last year is Verlander pitching like he should and Edwin Jackson.

9. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 46-38 (1st in NL East)
It seems as if the Phillies just have to stay afloat and they will win the NL East. How a team can be in 1st place without a starter with an ERA under 4.00 is beyond me. Chase Utley doesn't get enough recognition. He is by far the best second baseman and is proving it again this year with .308-20-61.

10. Saint Louis Cardinals
Record: 48-40 (1st in NL Central)
This team is a three-man team. Albert Pujols, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. The rest is just average. The good news is that looks to be all that it will take to win the NL Central. If there is someone who doesn't think Pujols is the best player in the league I would like to meet them. He is simply not human.

11. Colorado Rockies
Record: 46-40 (3rd in NL West)
This team is headed in the right direction. Started the season 20-32 and has gone 26-8 since. I don't think they can catch the Dodgers but it is looking like a 2-team race for the Wild Card with them and the Giants.

12. Seattle Mariners
Record: 44-42 (3rd in NL West)
This team is what an average team looks like. They have talent (Hernandez, Bedard, and Suzuki) but there is not enough there to compete or have a chance to play in October.

13. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 44-42 (2nd in NL Central)
This team is headed in the wrong direction and the reason is easy to find. They have no starting pitching outside of Yovanni Gallardo. They need to acquire a pitcher if they want to turn this around. It is a shame that they are wasting the efforts of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.

14. Minnesota Twins
Record: 44-43 (3rd in AL Central)
This team seems to perpetually on the verge of breaking out but they have yet to. There is also not a single thing you can point to as the problem. People like to say the bullpen but now that they rid themselves of Ayala and Crain they have been fairly good. People talk about the disappointments of Delmon Young, Liriano and Alexi Casilla, but no one talks about how disappointing Scott Baker has been this year.

15. Florida Marlins
Record: 45-43 (2nd in NL East)
This team has Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson but they need more to compete with the Phillies and the Marlins aren't a team to go out and get it. I can't wait for Hanley to get his release from the Marlins so the rest of the league can see how good he is. They don't have the Reyes-Ramirez debate anymore because the answer is clear.

16. Chicago White Sox
Record: 44-42 (2nd in AL Central)
It is surprising that a team that almost acquired Jake Peavy has yet to make a move since. I don't think they have figured out yet whether they are sellers or buyers. This is still a very dangerous team with that lineup especially if Carlos Quentin gets on track.

17. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 44-44 (4th in AL East)
This team is .500 now but they are a good bet to end up below .500. They are in full-blown sell mode. Whether Roy Halladay gets moved or not is one thing but the fact that he is on the trading block shows you its an anything goes sale. They have teams just lining up to see what they can get from them.

18. Atlanta Braves
Record: 42-44 (3rd in NL East)
This team isn't going to do it this year but the future is bright in Atlanta. Tommy Hanson looks like an ace and they have in Jason Heyward the #1 prospect. If they can get a few more years out of Chipper Jones they can return to winning division titles.

19. Chicago Cubs
Record: 41-42 (4th in NL Central)
They have been nothing but a disappointment so far this year and Soto going on the DL does not help. The talent is still there to win the NL Central but the complete implosion at this point seems more likely.

20. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 42-43 (4th in NL Central)
This team has a lot of young talent but issues have stopped this team from reaching their potential this year. Volquez has had trouble staying healthy and Votto has been dealing with personal issues. Jay Bruce will be a stud and has hit for power but he has had a very disappointing sophomore year.

21. Houston Astros
Record: 43-43 (3rd in NL Central)
With talent like Berkman, Tejada, Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence you can be competitive but the question is where they are headed. They need to decide if they are buyers or sellers because standing pat will just result in mediocrity for the foreseeable future.

22. New York Mets
Record: 40-45 (4th in NL East)
At least they aren't going to have to worry about another September collapse. There lineup has been destroyed by injuries with Beltran, Delgado and Reyes going down. They will probably try to make some moves but unless those guys get healthy and contribute this will be another lost season in Queens.

23. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 38-48 (5th in AL East)
It is hard not to be pessimistic in the AL East if you are not New York or Boston but Baltimore does have some things that give hope. Adam Jones has broken out into a star with his first all-star appearance at age 23. They just need to find some pitching and they could be an up and coming team.

24. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 37-50 (4th in NL West)
They have some great talents in Justin Upton, Dan Haren, Mark Reynolds and Max Scherzer and some waste of talents in Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson, Eric Byrnes and Chris Young. Not having Brandon Webb all year also hurts.

25. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 38-48 (6th in NL Central)
It must be hard to justify being a Pirates fan. In the last year they have traded away Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Nate McLouth, and Eric Hinske. It must be a good motivation for the players that the second you are any good you will be able to get out of Pittsburgh.

26. Kansas City Royals
Record: 37-49 (4th in AL Central)
At some point in the offseason someone will say the Royals have a bright future and are a dangerous team. They will then finish at the cellar with 100 losses again. This team is a perpetual disappointment.

27. Oakland A's
Record: 35-49 (4th in AL West)
Moneyball is not paying off this year as they rebuild. The question is what do they do with disappointment and pending free agent Matt Holliday.

28. San Diego Padres
Record: 35-51 (5th in NL West)
At least the weather is still nice in San Diego.

29. Cleveland Indians
Record: 34-53 (5th in AL Central)
I always doubted the talk of them being the favorites in the AL Central but I never thought they would fall this far. This team is wasting the talent of Sizemore and Victor Martinez.

30. Washington Nationals
Record: 25-60 (5th in NL East)
This team is a joke that is challenging the 1962 Mets, but they claim to not trading Adam Dunn. That makes no sense because they need all the prospects they can get. It is a shame that this team gets Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings

2009-07-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

1. 3B Danny Valencia AAA - Rochester
Age: 24
Total Stats: .304 9 HR 37 RBI
AAA Stats: .405 2 HR 8 RBI
It is basically a forgone conclusion that he will be a September call-up and the starting 3rd basemen in 2010. He has had no problem adjusting to AAA.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .304 2 HR 31 RBI 29 SB
Has struggled a little bit lately hitting .264 in June and .195 in his last 10 games. He is still having a good year striking out only 25 times in 313 plate appearances. Joe Mauer has struck out 29 times in 246 plate appearances.

3. OF Aaron Hicks Low A - Beloit
Age: 19
Stats: .233 0 HR 8 RBI 2 SB
Has struggled so far in Beloit, but 13 games is too small of a sample size to make any judgments.

4. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Age: 21
Stats: .308 3 HR 18 RBI
Is apparently still far away from returning from a hamstring injury.

5. 1B/OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .262 10 HR 44 RBI
In the last 10 games he has gone .355-2-11 and went .293-4-15 in June.

6. RHP Carlos Gutierrez AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Total Stats: 82.2 IP 2.72 ERA 45 K
AA Stats: 28 IP 5.46 ERA 12 K
Finally had a good start in AA giving up 1 hit in 5 innings. Problem is that it was probably his last start of the year as they are moving him to the bullpen to limit his innings this year.

7. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Age: 25
Stats: 46.2 IP 2.70 ERA 65 K
Should be in Rochester. Should be in Rochester. Should be in Rochester.

8. OF Rene Tosoni AA - New Britain
Age: 23
Stats: .273 10 HR 47 RBI
Watch for him representing the World team on Sunday in the Futures Game.

9. RHP David Bromberg High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: 86.1 IP 2.71 ERA 76 K
Has only given up 4 home runs so far on the year and has an impressive 1.29 WHIP.

10. RHP Billy Bullock Rookie - Elizabethton
Age: 21
Stats: 5.1 IP 1.69 ERA 7 K
His professional career has gotten of to a very good start as the closer for Elizabethton.

Honorable Mention 1B/C Danny Rams Rookie - Elizabethton
Age: 20
Total Stats: .382 6 HR 23 RBI
Rookie Stats: .405 6 HR 20 RBI
Is not currently in my top 10 but needed a mention given the damage he is doing in Rookie ball. The second round pick in the 2007 draft is coming on strong. In only 11 rookie games he has 6 home runs, 20 RBI and an OPS of 1.486. The only issue is that he has struck out 17 times in 49 plate appearances. Another week or two of this and he will be in Beloit and on this list.

Twins Mid-Season Projections

2009-07-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

With the mid-way point of the season upon us it is a good time to project the Twins final stats if they have a second half like the first half. In some cases that would be a good thing and in other a disaster. Here are the current projections for your Minnesota Twins:

Joe Mauer: .390 28 HR 90 RBI
If anyone expects these to be his final numbers they are stupid. He had a once in a lifetime May and came back to reality in June going .353-3-11. While he may not put up those numbers he is well on his way to his 3rd batting title and has been healthy since coming back in May.
Second Half: May reach 20 home runs and may bat .350 but will not be able to repeat first half stats.

Justin Morneau: .320 40 HR 134 RBI
A lot of attention has been paid to Mauer and his prowess, but what is getting lost in the shuffle is Morneau is having one of his best years and another MVP-caliber year. He has typically lost a little power in the second half so I don't see 40 home runs happening but I do see .320 average and 130 RBIs.
Second Half: May see a dip in power with around 30-35 home runs but the production should still be there.

Jason Kubel: .300 26 HR 84 RBI
Now that he is four years removed from his knee injury he has finally reached the potential the Twins saw in him when went .300-2-7 as a September call-up in 2004. It could be argued that he is the most productive DH the Twins have had.
Second Half: As long as he doesn't face too many lefties he is right on target.

Michael Cuddyer: .280 26 HR 90 RBI
After an injury filled and disappointing 2008, there were many fans (including me) who thought he should be the odd man out in the outfield. He has proved them wrong by returning to 2006 Michael Cuddyer.
Second Half: If healthy he can reach projections.

Joe Crede: .230 24 HR 72 RBI
He was brought in to be the power source and be 2nd on the team in home runs. He is currently 5th on the team but has not been a disappointment at all. There isn't anyone who would argue that he is a significant upgrade from Brian Buscher. He has provided just what the Twins hoped he would provide.
Second Half: He could get really hot and hit near 30 home runs or go and the DL and not do anything. I think he will end up .240-26-80.

Denard Span: .288 8 HR 52 RBI 26 SB
He has had some issues with dizzy spells but he has shown that last year was not a fluke. He is the ideal leadoff hitter. He is patient, doesn't strike out and has speed.
Second Half: If the dizzy spells don't come back I could see a big second half for him with him batting around .300.

Brendan Harris: .274 8 HR 44 RBI
Everyone seems to be praising him for his contribution this year, but in his last year with Tampa he went .286-12-59 and he wasn't batting in front of Mauer and Morneau. Yes, he is our best offensive option in the middle infield but that isn't much of a claim on this team.
Second Half: He should get plenty of at-bats and he should be able to duplicate 1st half and hopefully better.

Delmon Young: .264 6 HR 48 RBI
Those who were disappointed with last years (.290-10-69) have been truly disappointed this year so far. Yes, he dealt with the loss of his mother but the production has been brutal. Has actually shown some signs of improvement recently with 6 extra base hits in his last 8 games compared to 3 extra base hits in his previous 44 games.
Second Half: It is almost impossible for him to not do better than his first half. The Twins aren't asking much from their #7 hitter, just hoping that he will provide some power and run production.

Carlos Gomez: .224 2 HR 24 RBI 14 SB
This has been a lost season for the 23 year old so far. He has become the 4th outfielder. He is on pace for only 348 at-bats compared to 577 last year. They need to figure out how to use him better because he is never going to realize his potential on the bench. It only makes him try to do more in his at-bats.
Second Half: Barring an injury, I don't see a lot of at-bats coming his way especially if Delmon starts to produce. His talent is being wasted.

Nick Punto: .217 0 HR 32 RBI 14 SB
Yes, he is good defensively but he is absolutely worthless at the plate. He has 4 extra base hits. Only the Twins would have a career .250 hitter with 11 career home runs in 2,018 at bats as an everyday infielder.
Second Half: More of the same.

Matt Tolbert: .184 2 HR 22 RBI
It is bad enough to have one Nick Punto, but this team has two of them with Matt Tolbert. He is simply not a major league infielder.
Second Half: Twins having to be hoping that Casilla turns it around so they can send Tolbert back to Rochester.

Other projections not worth commenting on:
Alexi Casilla: .180-0-10
Brian Buscher: .198-4-18
Mike Redmond: .229-0-8
Jose Morales: .350-0-4

Brewster Stealing Some Cheese

2009-06-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

One Brewster first walked on campus he made a promise to close down the borders and stop the flow of Minnesota talent to other schools, mainly Wisconsin. While he has not completely stopped the gap (Floyd, Mobley, he has done a pretty good job. In Glen Mason's last full recruiting class of the top 10 Minnesota recruits 3 choose Minnesota (Weber, Eric Ellestad, and Sean McWhither) and 3 choose Wisconsin (Kim Royston, Brandon Hoey, and Issac Anderson). Interestingly both Royston and Carufel have both come home. In Brewster's last class of the top 10 Minnesota recruits 6 choose Minnesota with Bryce McNeal (Clemson) and Casey Dehn (Wisconsin) escaping.

It wasn't enough for Brewster to stop the flow of Minnesotans to Wisconsin he wanted to reverse the flow and bring the Wisconsinites to Minnesota. In the past week Brewster has received commitments for two Wisconsinites in Matt Eggen and Zac Epping. They join Tom Parish giving the Gophers currently 3 commitments from Wisconsin. They would have had 4 if not for this fool. So far 3 of the top 7 Wisconsin recruits are headed to Minneapolis. Of the top 10 in Wisconsin Konrad Zagzebski is the only one to commit to Wisconsin with even Iowa and Indiana getting commitments.

While the jury is still out on Brewster with this year being a turning point, nothing makes me happier than him getting kids from Wisconsin. While the results are not there yet he is bringing in a lot more talent and has done better recruiting than Mason ever did or even thought about doing. The result is our future looks brighter and Bret Bielema has the Badgers headed in the other direction much to the chagrin of Badger fans and the delight of me.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings

2009-06-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

1. Danny Valencia AAA - Rochester
Age: 24
Stats: .301 8 HR 33 RBI
Has shown that he was deserving of promotion to AAA on June 22 by hitting .500 (9-18) 1 HR 3 RBI in his first week. He is looking like a September callup.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .318 2 HR 30 RBI 28 SB
Is a model of consistency. There are some rumblings about moving him to second base because of his weak arm and a logjam in the outfield.

3. OF Aaron Hicks Low A - Beloit
Age: 19
Stats: .235 0 HR 3 RBI 1 SB
I have no idea why the Twins waited until the short-season started to move him to Beloit. Either he has a great eye or pitchers are pitching around him to get to the otherwise weak Beloit lineup because he has 5 walks in only 22 plate appearances.

4. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Age: 21
Stats: .308 3 HR 18 RBI
Was on an absolute tear in June hitting .400-2-6 but then strained his hamstring and is out for a month. He has only played in 36 games so far this year.

5. OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .264 9 HR 41 RBI
This may be a little high for him, but there is a large gap between the top 4 and the rest. He is the best power hitting prospect in the system as evidenced by him winning the Florida State League Home Run Derby. The best thing he has done is cut down on the strikeouts this year. In roughly the same amount of at-bats this year he has 57 strikeouts compared to last years 83.

6. RHP Carlos Gutierrez AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Stats: 73.2 IP 2.32 ERA 41 K
He has struggled in the promotion to AA by going 19 IP 5.21 ERA 8 K in four starts. AA batters are hitting .284 with 4 home runs against him while in High A they hit .192 and only 1 home run in 54.2 innings.

7. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Age: 25
Stats: 39.2 IP 2.50 ERA 55 K
With the rash of promotions around the minor league all-star games I have no idea why he is still in New Britain. He needs to be in Rochester if the Twins want him to help the bullpen next year.

8. OF Rene Tosoni AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Stats: .271 9 HR 45 RBI
Is the Twins representative in the Futures Game in St. Louis for the World team (He is from Canada). He is showing his potential after finally being healthy. One problem: he is hitting .143 against left-handed pitching.

9. RHP David Bromberg High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: 74.1 IP 2.66 ERA 69 K
Last start was a little rough but he is still a very good pitcher and has very good stuff.

10. RHP Billy Bullock Rookie - Elizabethton
Age: 21
Stats: 1 IP 0.00 ERA 2 K
Highest signed 2009 draft pick after being the Twins 2nd Round selection. Has a 96-98 mph fastball and needs to work on his second pitch, but as a college reliever he should move quickly up the system and could end this year in Beloit and will likely start 2010 in Fort Myers.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings - Week 9

2009-06-08T18:17:00.001-07:00

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Age: 24
Stats: .284 6 HR 26 RBI
He is mired in a horrific slump hitting .074 in the month of June. He is still a top-notch prospect and the slump may be due to the fact he should be in AAA right now.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .327 1 HR 23 RBI 24 SB
Yes he has some issues with a slugging percentage of only .381, but he deserves a promotion to AA after the All-Star game that he will be participating in. He appears to a be a Denard Span carbon-copy.

3. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Age: 21
Stats: .292 1 HR 14 RBI
Has come back from his injury swinging. Since coming back he has hit .370 with 4 doubles and 5 RBI in 7 games. He will be in AA the entire year especially with Jose Morales in Rochester.

4. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Age: 19
Stats: N/A

5. RHP Carlos Gutierrez AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Stats: 59.2 IP 1.96 ERA 36 K
Not a very good first start after getting a much deserved promotion from Fort Myers. He went 5 innings giving up 5 runs on 7 hits. This will be as far as he moves this year as there is talk of limiting his innings this year to 100 because he has never pitched that many innings before.

6. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Age: 25
Stats: 31 IP 2.90 ERA 47 K
Still strikes out an amazing amount of players but gives up a little too many hits and walks with a WHIP of 1.52. It would still be a crime if he is not in Rochester by the end of June.

7. 1B-OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .249 5 HR 28 RBI
Has not hit a home run in a long time but has a decent OBP of .327. He will spend the whole year in Fort Myers. The question is whether he will perform well enough to make it to New Britain next year.

8. 2B Brian Dinkelman AA - New Britain
Age: 25
Stats: .330 3 HR 32 RBI
Not alot of power but he has 14 doubles and is doing well driving in runs in the 3 hole for New Britain. They need to clear the logjam in Rochester to make room for him so he can be challenged.

9. OF Rene Tosoni AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Stats: .272 8 HR 32 RBI
Continues to produce hitting .379 in the last 10 games. He will likely spend the season in New Britain.

10. RHP David Bromberg High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: 56.2 IP 2.06 ERA 50 K
While a lot has been made of Carlos Gutierrez in Fort Myers, Bromberg has quietly been producing and stiking out more batters. With a lack of quality starters in New Britain outside of Gutierrez he should get a call up at some point this year but probably not until at least July.

With the MLB Draft tommorrow, I will post a very uninformed reaction to the draft, but it will list who was drafted. Who knows by the end of the year, one of those players may be on this list.

A site I like is TFLN (Texts From Last Night). Here is your TFLN of the Day:
(315): I told him to come back in 5mins cause i needed to take a few more shots before i could talk to him

Update on the Worst Fantasy Team Ever

2009-06-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

I ranted earlier about the disaster that was my fantasy team and it has only gotten worse. Players that were performing have stopped or gotten injured and it is a complete disaster. However, I did finally get my first win this week to go to an awesome 1-8. Here is the list of players destroying my life:

C Geovanny Soto: He was on the original list and has not done anything since. .204-2-13 is absolutely terrible for someone coming off a .285-23-86 rookie season. I have been trying to find a replacement all year but catcher is not a very deep position. I have been hoping Matt Wieters can take his place but he is also not off to a good start. It is not a large enough sample for me to rant on him but it is a very slow start for Baseball America's #1 prospect.

SS Jose Reyes: He was also on the original list but the reason has completely changed. Before it was due to a lack of production and now it is a lack of playing. After my post it seemed he had turned the corner and started to produce. He then tore his hamstring and has not played since May 20th. He is still a couple of weeks away from coming back and I doubt he will be the same when he comes back. Of course, Reyes would have a lost year the year I use my 1st round pick on him.

OF Jay Bruce: He is not that frustrating because the expectations were that great. Yes, he has hit 14 home runs this year but he is doing it batting .216. The most frustrating part it is all in spurts. He has had two big weeks that he has produced and has done nothing the rest of the time.

OF B.J. Upton: He has started to produce a little lately but it has still been a terrible season for someone who should be a .300-20-80-30 player. Instead he is currently .220-3-15-17.

OF Josh Hamilton: I have never hated a recovered crackhead more. First he wasn't producing and then he had nagging injuries and now he has torn abdominal muscle and is out for over a month. I will never touch him again because the drugs have destroyed his body so much that he can never stay healthy. In the last 3 years he has played 281 games out of a possible 380 games. That makes Joe Mauer look like Lou Gehrig.

1B Joey Votto: Votto was one of the bright spots in the first couple weeks. He then suddenly came down with bout of dizziness. He played every so often and produced when he did but missed a lot of games. It was first related to an ear infection and he sat for awhile. He then came back but the problem persisted. He then went on the 15 day DL for personal reasons. It is believed to be related to the dizziness (some have speculated that it is vertigo) but it has not been said why he is on the DL. There is no idea of when he will be back or if he will ever be back. I understand you have to respect his privacy but he is killing my fantasy team because I have no idea when he will be back.

P Brandon Webb: Has not pitched since Opening Day and does not appear close to doing so. The most annoying thing is that the site I use since he is supposed to be a Cy Young contender is not able to be dropped so I have had to hold him the entire time.

Players that have also hurt me this year: 3B Garrett Atkins, P Rich Harden, P John Lackey, and P Brian Wilson

Players that have surprisingly done well this year: 1B James Loney, 2B Brandon Phillips, P Cole Hamels, P Erik Bedard, and P Edwin Jackson

Twins Prospect Power Rankings - Week 8

2009-06-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 1
Age: 24
Stats: .324 6 HR 24 RBI
Only 6 home runs may not be impressive but he has an impressive slugging percentage of .570 thanks to 9 doubles and 4 triples.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 2
Age: 21
Stats: .346 1 HR 23 RBI 21 SB
The dude just makes contact. When you have more stolen bases than strikeouts (15) in 179 AB you are doing something right.

3. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 3
Age: 21
Stats: On Sunday he appeared as a defensive replacement for the first time since May 8th when he broke his finger.

4. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Previous Rank: 4
Age: 19
Stats: N/A
The wait for Aaron Hicks is near the end as Elizabethton starts their season on June 23.

5. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 5
Age: 25
Stats: 27 IP 3.00 ERA 41 K 10 SV
Had a couple bad appearances but still ready to be moved to AAA and I don't see why he hasn't been moved yet.

6. RHP Carlos Gutierrez High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 6
Age: 22
Stats: 49.2 IP 1.09 ERA 32 K
I guess that is one way to keep your ERA low in his last start 7 runs were scored in 3.2 innings but he was only charged with 1 earned run because of 7 errors in the game. The problem is that 2 of them were his.

7. OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 7
Age: 21
Stats: .260 5 HR 27 RBI
Has gone a while without a home run but he is in a very pitcher friendly league as he is tied for 12th in home runs. Good news is that he is hitting .297 in the last 10 games and hit .318 in May.

8. 2B Brian Dinkelman AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 8
Age: 25
Stats: .337 3 HR 30 RBI
Despite his numbers the Twins promoted Steve Tolleson who was hitting .258-2-13 in AA to replace Alexi Casilla in Rochester. Yeah that makes sense.

9. DH Luke Hughes AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 9
Age: 24
Stats: .261 6 HR 28 RBI
Has not played since May 22 and I have not been able to find out why. It must not be a big injury as he is not on the disabled list.

10. OF Rene Tosoni AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: NR
Age: 22
Stats: .266 8 HR 30 RBI
Struggled with injuries last year but showed enough to get moved to New Britain and has started to show why. In his last 4 games he has gone 6-13 with 2 HR and 8 RBI. Of those 6 hits only 1 is a single.

Demoted of List: OF Evan Bigley

Fourth Strike Studs and Duds of the Month

2009-06-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

I have done away with the Power Rankings at least for now as it took more time than I wanted to spend debating who is better between the Rockies and the Astros. I still would like to name my studs and duds of the month of May.

Stud Hitter of the Month: C Joe Mauer, MIN
Stats: .414 11 HR 32 RBI .500 OBP
Honorable Mention: Mark Teixiera NYY, Justin Morneau MIN, Carl Crawford TB

Stud Pitcher of the Month: Zack Grienke, KC
Stats: 3-1 46 IP 1.57 ERA 44 K 3 CG
Honorable Mention: Justin Verlander DET, CC Sabathia NYY, Roy Halladay TOR

Dud Hitter of the Month: OF Jordan Schafer, ATL
Stats: .158 0 HR 5 RBI 40 SO in 101 AB
Dishonorable Mention: Garrett Atkins COL, Chris B. Young ARI, Mike Fontenot CHC

Dud Pitcher of the Month: Daniel Cabrera, WAS
Stats: 3 Starts 15.2 IP 8.04 ERA 7 K 18 BB 22 HA
Dishonorable Mention: Scott Kazmir TB, Ervin Santana LAA, Armando Galarraga DET

Are These Teams for Real?

2009-05-31T22:49:00.001-07:00

As we draw a close to the second month of the baseball season, there are teams that are surprising the prognosticators who did not believe in them. I am going to look at these teams to see whether they have staying power or whether they will fade into the background.

Detroit Tigers
Record: 28-21 (1st in AL Central)
Expectations: Most had them finishing 3rd or 4th in the division and behind the Indians and Twins.
What Has Worked: Justin Verlander has been reminded that he has the stuff of a God. Edwin Jackson built off last year with the Rays and is putting up All-Star numbers. Rick Porcello has justified the Tigers who some thought were rushing the 20-year old stud. They also have a guy named Miguel Cabrera who is hitting like Miguel Cabrera going .355-10-37.
Future: The actually have room to improve. They are getting Jeremy Bonderman back soon and I would be willing to bet Magglio Ordonez is going to break out at some point and hit for power. This team was punished for last year's disappointment and not given enough credit for what they do have. It also helps that the AL Central is not really competitive at this point. Until a second team in the Central shows up they have to be the favorites to continue and win the division.

Texas Rangers
Record: 30-20 (1st in AL West)
Expectations: 2nd or 3rd in division and a distant one from the Angels.
What has Worked: The Angels have been struggling with injuries and tragedies and they have taken advantage. They have a ridiculous lineup with Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz leading the way. The biggest surprise is the pitching staff. They have never been able to get pitching in Texas. While it is not gangbusters the staff has allowed the 5th least runs in the AL.
Future: They do have some room for improvement with Josh Hamilton struggling to stay healthy but not much room as Nelson Cruz is a career .263 hitter hitting .299 and I still don't believe in a pitching rotation of Kevin Millwood, Brandon McCarthy, Matt Harrison and Scott Feldman. The Angels are getting healthy and are playing better. They may make it to the All-Star break but unless the Angels don't get it together they just don't have the pitching to keep it up.

Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 30-20 (1st in NL Central)
Expectations: 3rd in NL Central
What Has Worked: Yovanni Gallardo is an All-Star pitcher and has stayed healthy. The lineup has not missed a beat with Braun, Fielder, Cameron and Hardy. Most importantly though 41 year old Trevor Hoffman has yet to give up a run this season throwing 14 scoreless innings with 12 saves.
Future: This team was supposed to be left for dead with the departure of Ben Sheets and C.C. Sabathia. Problem no one told the Brewers. They finally have found a closer they haven't had since Coco Codero. The biggest thing is they look poised to again use their deep farm system to make an acquisition. Fans want them to make a run at Peavy but with Rickie Weeks out for the year they may address second base. At this point I still believe more in the talent of the Cubs and the Cardinals. It should be a three team race all summer long and if they make a move before the deadline they could easily win the division.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings - Week 7

2009-05-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 1
Age: 24
Stats: .339 5 HR 22 RBI
The Twins need to solve the logjam at 3rd base in Rochester because Valencia is wasting everyone's time dominating AA.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 3
Age: 21
Stats: .335 1 HR 20 RBI 18 SB
He clearly is a very good hitter but he is strictly a singles hitter. It is also a little concerning that he is only 18 for 28 on stolen base attempts. I think the Twins should still push him to AA at some point this year.

3. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 2
Age: 21
Stats: .269 1 HR 10 RBI
Has not played since May 8th due to a broken finger.

4. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Previous Rank: 4
Age: 19
Stats: N/A
Many fans are growing impatient of not seeing him play.

5. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 5
Age: 25
Stats: 24.1 IP 2.59 ERA 38 K 9 SV
The Twins have determined he isn't ready yet for the Majors but why he is still in AA is beyond me. He is already 25 and dominating AA.

6. RHP Carlos Guetierrez High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 7
Age: 22
Stats: 46 IP 0.98 ERA 29 K
All indications are that he will be moved to AA by June. He does not strike out a lot but batters are hitting .159 against him.

7. 1B/OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 9
Age: 21
Stats: .267 5 HR 26 RBI
Is in a little of a home run drought but is hitting .324 in his last 10 games and has an OBP of .346

8. 2B Brian Dinkelman AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 10
Age: 25
Stats: .343 3 HR 29 RBI
Is another player in AA who should be in AAA. The Twins have got to make room for him, Valencia and Slama to move up in June. Could be called up once they move Casilla back up.

9. 3B Luke Hughes AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 8
Age: 24
Stats: .261 6 HR 28 RBI
Yes, he can hit, but he has no position to play and his main function right now is to block Valencia at 3rd base.

10. OF Evan Bigley High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: NR
Age: 22
Stats: .308 2 HR 22 RBI
Has not slowed down after getting called up from Beloit in the middle of May going .311-0-4 in 12 games at Fort Myers.

Promoted off List: RHP Anthony Swarzak

Players of Interest
2B Alexi Casilla: .328 0 HR 7 RBI 6 SB
C Jose Morales: .267 0 HR 5 RBI
RHP Phillip Humber: 25 IP 6.12 ERA 19 K
RHP Juan Morillo: 15 IP 3.00 ERA 19 K 7 BB
RHP Deolis Guerra: 46.1 IP 5.05 ERA 32 K
OF Angel Morales: .223 5 HR 20 RBI

Dreaming of What Could Be

2009-05-13T23:56:00.001-07:00

Rivals has updated its Top 150 recruits for the Class of 2010 and it leads to dreams dancing in the minds of all Gopher fans. Here is where possible Gopher recruits fall on the list.

#2 Harrison Barnes - A 6'6" wing from Iowa who has some connections to the U.
Positives: Played on the same AAU as Royce and Rodney. His mom is a huge fan of Tubby and if he wants to stay close to home it is probably his best option.
Negatives: We are competing against every team in the nation and he is a Duke fan.
Likely Destination: Duke or Kansas

#6 Cory Joseph - 6'3" guard who is the brother of Devoe Joseph.
Positives: Brother is a major component on the current Gophers team. We have been recruiting him since before his junior year.
Negatives: With his stock soaring a lot of teams have gone after him with Louisville going hard after him.
Likely Destination: Depends on how the Pitino - Louisville situation ends up but it is likely the Gophs or Louisville.

#11 Jelan Kendrick - 6'6" wing from Georgia.
Positives: RSIII is from Georgia and we have been watching him for awhile.
Negatives: Isn't being recruited as hard as others and does not seem to be a priority compared to others.
Likely Destination: Kentucky or Georgia Tech

#26 Vander Blue - 6'3" guard from Wisconsin
Positive: Just recently de-committed from Wisconsin and it has been reported the Gophers are going to go hard after him.
Negative: It is believed he left Wisconsin to head to either Marquette or Louisville who were still after him while he was committed.
Likely Destination: Marquette

They may not get any of these players, but it is just another sign of the Tubby effect that 4 of the top players in the nation who aren't from Minnesota are giving the Gophers legitimate consideration. The Gophers have 3 scholarships for 2010. I think they will get 1 of these 4 players, a big man like Elliot Eliason or Alex Kirk and Jacob Thomas for 2010. We were all excited for the big class with Royce and Rodney but it is possible that would look like small potatoes. If we got Barnes and Joseph we would possibly have the #1 class in the nation. The future is truly bright in the Barn these days.

Quick Thoughts and Quick Rants

2009-05-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

Stan Van Gundy needs to lose his job. How the best center in the game is only averaging 11 shots a game is beyond me. Last night in the 4th quarter he spent the whole time setting picks at the top of the key. I don't remember a single time him posting up in the 4th quarter. When Rafer Alston is taking 5 more shots than an NBA 1st team player you have a problem. Van Gundy needs to go so they can replace him with someone who can utilize this team properly.
There are just certain players that could really use a AAAA level, and Alexi Casilla looks like he might be one of those players. After struggling all year at the majors, he has gone down to Rochester and been the Joe Mauer of AAA going .462-0-5 with 3 stolen bases in 6 games.
A lot was made of Casilla's struggles so far this year but I would guess that he will be back quick because Matt Tolbert does not seem to be the answer. He is not as good defensively and he is only hitting .190 so far. The thing he does well is patience at the plate drawing 4 walks already.
The Twins need a middle infielder who can hit. Punto is hitting .200, Casilla was .167, Tolbert .190, and now that Harris has come back to earth he is hitting .174 so far in May.
Whenever Joe Mauer hits a home run, I immediately start laughing. I have never seen a player who has the inability to pull a pitch. I don't think this is the start of the 20 home run seasons we thought we would get, but I can't imagine how anoying it must be to a pitcher to see Mauer slice a ball over the left field wall. He is playing the best he has ever played so far in his career because he is hitting but it is for power and not just singles up the middle. His OPS is currently 1.488.
I do not get at all why Gomez is not playing. Yes, he is struggling at the plate but he is hitting .286 in the few appearances he has had in May. Even if he is struggling he is maybe the best defensive centerfielder in the MLB. I am still a fan of Delmon Young but currently he should be the odd man out. Gomez despite his struggles still has a higher slugging percentage than Delmon Young. He causes more issues on the base paths and miles better defensively. A crazy idea to help Gomez would be to bat him second in the lineup. With Denard Span on the basepaths and Mauer behind him he would see a lot more fastballs and with his increased patience at the plate he could see the kind of success that Casilla had in the 2 hole last year. When he hits 8th or 7th with Nick Punto protecting him he is not getting any fastballs or pitches to hit.

MLB Power Rankings - Week 5

2009-05-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 22-11
Previous Rank: 1
They have enough power in Kemp, Loney and others to ride out the Manny suspension and I don't yet see a reason why he won't be back in the middle of the lineup on July 3rd.

2. Boston Red Sox
Record: 20-12
Previous Rank: 2
They should be getting Dice-K back soon and they should soon be moving Big Papi down soon. His on-base percentage is higher than his slugging percentage. Delmon Young has a higher slugging percentage.

3. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 22-12
Previous Rank: 3
The Blue Jays play the Yankees this week signaling the first time they play one of the big 3 in the AL East so far this season.

4. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 20-12
Previous Rank: 4
They are struggling a little going 5-5 in the last 10, but that can be expected with Carpenter and Ankiel on the DL.

5. Detroit Tigers
Record: 17-13
Previous Rank: 8
Joel Zumaya is reminding people of how good he is when he is healthy with 6 scoreless innings so far and Justin Verlander seems to finally remembered how to pitch with 1 ER in the last 3 starts with 31 strikeouts in 23 innings.

6. Kansas City Royals
Record: 18-14
Previous Rank: 10
They are riding the wave of Zach Grienke and if recently called up #1 overall pick Luke Hochevar contributes this team might just pitch into contention this year.

7. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 18-14
Previous Rank: 11
The lineup is clicking with Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips awaking, but the success of this team depends on Jonny Cueto and Edinson Volquez.

8. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 18-14
Previous Rank: 16
Ryan Braun is an absolute stud but what is really driving this team is the breakout of Rickie Weeks who is hitting .277-7-21.

9. Chicago Cubs
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 5
The team is staying afloat with disappointing starts from Milton Bradley, Derrek Lee, and Geovanny Soto but they have also allowed to the NL Central to be a 4-team race.

10. New York Mets
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 20
This team must hate Johan Santana. Last year the bullpen let him down and this year in his two losses he has yet to give up a earned run. He is still well on his way to a 3rd Cy Young.

11. Florida Marlins
Record: 17-15
Previous Rank: 7
The team is struggling a little but it is not because of Hanley Ramirez who is hitting .348-6-19 with 6 stolen bases.

12. Texas Rangers
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 17
Playing well winning 7 of the last 8 and they should get Josh Hamilton back on Tuesday. The problem is that they still don't pitch well and the Angels are getting healthy.

13. San Francisco Giants
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 14
The most surprising thing about this team is the return of Barry Zito to a respectable pitcher with a 3.57 ERA and 4 earned runs in his last 4 starts.

14. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 16-14
Previous Rank: 21
Things are starting to look brighter with a sweep of Kansas City and John Lackey returning on Friday with Ervin Santana not far behind him.

15. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 15-18
Previous Rank: 18
Evan Longoria is currently on a pace for .358-52-216. I don't expect that but he is making my MVP pick look very good. Most impressive stat so far by Longoria: He has 44 hits and 44 RBI.

16. New York Yankees
Record: 15-16
Previous Rank: 6
Much was made of A-Rod's home run in his first at-bat back but he has gone 1-10 since then against Baltimore. I am not anticipating him putting up big numbers this year and New York looks headed for disaster.

17. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 15-14
Previous Rank: 12
Cole Hamels had a good start this week but he isn't the only problem on a team with an ERA of 5.39. This team is wasting the offense being provided by Utley, Ibanez, Howard and Werth.

18. Minnesota Twins
Record: 15-17
Previous Rank: 15
I may be called a homer but if they ever sort out the bullpen this team is primed to go on a huge run with a productive offense and a rotation that can all give you quality starts. Joe Mauer looks determined to win a 3rd batting title this year but he needs to stay healthy.

19. Atlanta Braves
Record: 16-16
Previous Rank: 19
Interestingly, the Braves do not have a player with 4 home runs yet on the season but they have 6 players who have 3 home runs.

20. Seattle Mariners
Record: 16-16
Previous Rank: 9
They have been brought back to earth last week losing 6 of the 7 games. This team is headed to the cellar of the division with a bullet.

21. Chicago White Sox
Record: 14-17
Previous Rank: 13
Have won 2 out the last 9 games. There does not seem to be a specific reason for the collapse but this team is old and seems to have passed their prime.

22. Houston Astros
Record: 14-17
Previous Rank: 24
The curious case of Lance Berkman continues. He is a career .300 hitter hitting .184 but he has 7 home runs on the season.

23. San Diego Padres
Record: 13-19
Previous Rank: 25
This team is in a free fall getting swept by the Astros and losing 16 of the last 20 games. The countdown until the trade of Jake Peavy has started.

24. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 13-19
Previous Rank: 29
There is hope for the future with Markakis and Adam Jones but this team is in the wrong division to ever realize that hope.

25. Colorado Rockies
Record: 12-18
Previous Rank: 28
This team has talent, the problem is that Colorado will never be able to develop a pitcher as evidenced by the struggles of Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 12-19
Previous Rank: 22
The team is hitting an absolutely brutal .236 as a team. The main culprits are Chris Young (.193) , Conor Jackson (.182), and Eric Brynes (.216). The bright side is Justin Upton has broken out hitting .384-7-17 since April 24th.

27. Cleveland Indians
Record: 12-21
Previous Rank: 26
This team is a officially a failure and I would expect heads to roll in Cleveland soon. To be 12-21 with the talent assembled is a shame and someone needs to be held accountable.

28. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 12-19
Previous Rank: 23
The bottom has finally fallen out for Pittsburgh losing 8 games in a row to plummet to the bottom of the NL Central.

29. Oakland A's
Record: 11-18
Previous Rank: 27
The good news is Matt Holliday is starting to hit home runs again hitting 4 in the last 11 games. The bad news is that he is hitting .200 in those last 11 games.

30. Washington Nationals
Record: 10-20
Previous Rank: 30
Finally something of to draw the interest of National fans: Ryan Zimmerman has a 29 game hitting streak.

Stud of the Week: SS Hanley Ramirez, FLA
Stats: .533 4 HR 7 RBI 3 SB
Honorable Mention: Joe Saunders, Zach Greinke, Johnny Damon, Jason Bay

Dud of the Week: OF Jordan Schafer, ATL
Stats: .120 0 HR O RBI 12 strikeouts in 25 at-bats
Dishonorable Mention: Brandon Inge, Adam LaRoche, Phil Hughes, Bronson Arroyo

Twins Prospect Power Rankings - Week 5

2009-05-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Note: With a lot of recent demotions by the Twins there are a lot of players in the minors that I do not deem prospects (prospects to me mean players that have yet to be on the teams 25 man roster). To cover them I have also added a section of players of interest.

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 1
Age: 24
Stats: .275 3 HR 9 RBI
Did not play this week due to a sore wrist but should be back at any time.

2. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 2
Age: 21
Stats: .269 1 HR 10 RBI
Is struggling a little on offense with a .289 OBP and a .344 SLG with only 5 extra base hits.

3. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 3
Age: 21
Stats: .308 1 HR 17 RBI 15 SB
Basically a singles hitter with only 3 extra base hits but he gets on base and steals a lot of bases when he does.

4. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Previous Rank: 4
Age: 19
Stats: N/A

5. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 5
Age: 25
Stats: 15.1 IP 2.35 ERA 26 K
Has struggled a little recently but 26 strikeouts in 15 innings is a very good rate.

6. RHP Anthony Swarzak AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 6
Age: 23
Stats: 31 IP 2.03 ERA 23 K
A sign he is favor with the Twins brass. He has only walked 6 batters in 31 innings.

7. RHP Carlos Guetierrez High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 7
Age: 22
Stats: 30 IP 1.50 ERA 19 K
Had his worst start of the season this year and it still was a quality start at 7 IP 3 ER and 6 K. Batters are only hitting .162 against him.

8. 3B Luke Hughes AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 8
Age: 24
Stats: .286 5 HR 20 RBI
Had a big week taking the organization home run lead from Parmelee. Has a very respectable OPS of .903.

9. 1B/OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 9
Age: 21
Stats: .241 4 HR 21 RBI
Has done a good job recently cutting down the strikeouts striking out only 6 times in the last 30 at-bats. That may not sound impressive but before that he had struck out 15 times in 57 at-bats.

10. 2B Brian Dinkelman AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 10
Age: 25
Stats: .337 1 HR 17 RBI
Is hitting .436 in the last 10 games but only one extra base hit which was a double.

Players of Interest
2B Alexi Casilla - .429 (6 for 14) 0 HR 4 RBI 2 SB
C Jose Morales - .300 (6 for 20) 0 HR 4 RBI
RHP Phillip Humber - 10.2 IP 5.06 ERA 8 K
RHP Juan Morillo - 8 IP 3.38 ERA 10 K 4 BB

Why my Fantasy Team is a Disaster

2009-05-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

After draft day in mid-March I was pumped. I had an awesome team and was envisioning running through the league on the way to a title. One month later my team is 0-4 and in shatters. I have almost completely given up on this team. Here is a list of culprits that I currently detest:

C Geovanny Soto: Coming off a rookie of the year award hitting .285-23-86, I was not expecting huge numbers but I was expecting similar numbers. Instead I have gotten .167-0-4. Awesome.

2B Brandon Phillips: He isn't Chase Utley or Ian Kinsler but he is a good offensive 2nd baseman at a thin position with decent speed. I have gotten .204-3-11 and only 4 stolen bases. Cool.

SS Jose Reyes: He obviously was my first round pick. He is assumed to be a lock for 70 stolen bases and 15 home runs while hitting around .300. He hasn't been brutal but he is not playing like a first round pick. He currently .257-1-8 and only 6 stolen bases. Great.

OF Jay Bruce: I was looking for him to breakout and become a star in his first full year in the majors. His stats don't look that bad so far at .253-6-14 but the problem is that he hit 4 of those home runs and 8 rbis in the one week I sat him. Super.

OF Josh Hamilton: He has been labeled as the real Roy Hobbs and has otherwordly talent. He is coming off a great season and in the middle of the crazy Texas lineup I expected great things. Instead he is the only guy on the Texas team not hitting. He is .242-2-10 and currently on the DL. Fantastic.

OF B.J. Upton: He was coming off a great postseason in which he hit 7 home runs. He has the power to hit 20-30 home runs, speed to steal 40+ bases and hit around .300. He also is on a very potent lineup in Tampa Bay. Instead I have been dealing with a player hitting .152-0-2 and only 6 stolen bases. Magnificent.

P Cole Hamels: I am so sick of him. He started with a couple bad starts and currently leaves every game early with a different injury. I have no idea when he starts and he only gets through 4 innings when he does. He started the year with elbow problems. He then got hit with a line drive in the shoulder. Last start he rolled his ankle and sprained it. Terrific.

P Brandon Webb: He was supposed to be my reliable staff ace. He had pitched 200+ innings 5 straight years and with an ERA under 4.00 and around 180 K. He got blown out his first start and went onto the DL with a shoulder problem that was only supposed to be two weeks. He is currently not expected to return until at least early June. Incredible.

All of these players are quality players and were not seen as gambles or terrible risks. If these guy played to their potential I would be in great shape but my team is filled with all of the disappointments in the majors. I do have some players who are pulling their weight like James Loney, Joey Votto, Erik Bedard, Aaron Harang and Clayton Kershaw. I am still hoping they can turn it around and I can still win the title but I am already this week well on my way to 0-5.

MLB Power Rankings - Week 4

2009-05-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Previous Rank: 2
Record: 18-8
They have some questions with pitching rotation depth but they have the best lineup in the Majors.

2. Boston Red Sox
Previous Rank: 6
Record: 15-10
The record is truly impressive considering Beckett is struggling, Dice-K is on the DL and Ortiz has yet to hit a home run.

3. Toronto Blue Jays
Previous Rank: 3
Record: 18-9
They have certainly gotten off to a quick start and I think it is possible for them to steal a wild card.

4. Saint Louis Cardinals
Previous Rank: 7
Record: 17-8
MLB has to be praying that Albert Pujols is never found to have taken steroids because he should erase all of A-Rod and Bonds' records.

5. Chicago Cubs
Previous Rank: 1
Record: 13-11
Team has players stuggling but Soto and Marmol are too good to be held down. The NL Central race between them and the Cardinals could be very fun to watch.

6. New York Yankees
Previous Rank: 5
Record: 13-11
They went above .500 without A-Rod and Wang a disaster. They should get A-Rod back this weekend and the circus will really begin.

7. Florida Marlins
Previous Rank: 4
Record: 14-11
Getting swept by the Cubs was not good and Philly is playing better but this team is still currently the best in the NL East.

8. Detroit Tigers
Previous Rank: 11
Record: 13-11
I don't think Brandon Inge can keep it up but he is pacing this team with .316-8-19.

9. Seattle Mariners
Previous Rank: 18
Record: 15-10
This team is praying for the continued injury problems of the Angels. Felix Hernandez does not get enough publicity, he is a serious canidate to win AL Cy Young this year as a 23- year old.

10. Kansas City Royals
Previous Rank: 17
Record: 14-11
It may be the fault of the Twins terrible bullpen but this team has a lot more fight in it than the typical Royals team. That being said the lineup is not good enough to win the division this year.

11. Cincinnati Reds
Previous Rank: 16
Record: 13-11
This team still has pieces that have not starting contributing yet and if they do this team could make the NL Central a three-team race.

12. Philadelphia Phillies
Previous Rank: 14
Record: 12-10
If Hamels ever decides to stop getting hurt and becomes this team's ace again this team should repeat as the NL East champs. Chase Utley is an absolute stud.

13. Chicago White Sox
Previous Rank: 9
Record: 12-12
I am suprised by the slow start of Alexei Ramirez who is hitting .210-1-10. I thought he would be an absolute stud.

14. San Francisco Giants
Previous Rank: 27
Record: 12-11
The Giants have gone 8-3 in the last 11 games partly because the return to form of Tim Lincecum who has gone 2-0 4 ER in 23 innings with 33 K.

15. Minnesota Twins
Previous Rank: 13
Record: 12-13
The offense is not the issue espcially with Joe Mauer back in the lineup, but if they don't fix the bullpen this team is in for a rough season.

16. Milwaukee Brewers
Previous Rank: 23
Record: 13-12
Talk about doing it yourself. Yovanni Gallardo beat Pittsburgh 1-0 by pitching 8 innings and hitting a solo home run. It was also his second home run of the season.

17. Texas Rangers
Previous Rank: 21
Record: 12-12
The offense is redicilious with 140 runs in 24 games. The really scary part is Josh Hamilton has yet to contribute batting .242-2-10.

18. Tampa Bay Rays
Previous Rank: 8
Record: 11-15
They are probably the only team that wishes they could only play the Red Sox. They are 4-2 against the Red Sox and 7-13 against the rest.

19. Atlanta Braves
Previous Rank: 12
Record: 11-13
After starting 5-1 they have struggled going 6-12. Why they have not called up Tommy Hanson yet is beyond me. He has 38 K's in 26.2 Innings.

20. New York Mets
Previous Rank: 10
Record: 10-13
This team needs to find some pitching or they are going to waste another stellar season by Johan Santana.

21. Los Angeles Angels
Previous Rank: 15
Record: 10-13
There is hope on the horizon as Ervin Santana and John Lackey have started their rehabilition and could be returning soon.

22. Arizona Diamondbacks
Previous Rank: 22
Record: 11-14
Dan Haren is a stud and Justin Upton has been hitting well lately but until they get Brandon Webb back this will be a .500 ball club.

23. Pittsburgh Pirates
Previous Rank: 26
Record: 12-12
The pitching has been very good so far but the offense will keep them from competing this year.

24. Houston Astros
Previous Rank: 29
Record: 11-14
Lance Berkman a career .300 hitter is hitting only .184 so far. He does have 6 home runs so far though.

25. San Diego Padres
Previous Rank: 19
Record: 11-14
They have come back to earth by going 2-10 in the last 12. That is not a suprise given a lineup that has Luis Rodriguez getting regular at-bats.

26. Cleveland Indians
Previous Rank: 24
Record: 9-16
It is a shame they don't have the pitching to compete because Sizemore and Victor Martinez are putting up big numbers this year.

27. Oakland A's
Previous Rank: 20
Record: 9-13
Oakland can not be happy with Matt Holliday going .233-2-15 because he is not helping them win games and he is hurting his trade value, which is why they picked him up from Colorado.

28. Colorado Rockies
Previous Rank: 28
Record: 9-14
Troy Tulowitzki has gotten off to a terrible start going .208-3-5. It gives even less reason to be excited about the Rockies this year.

29. Baltimore Orioles
Previous Rank: 25
Record: 9-16
It is going to be a long season in Baltimore this year but Adam Jones looks to be the real deal going .355-5-19 at only age 23.

30. Washington Nationals
Previous Rank: 30
Record: 6-17
There is really nothing to say about this team except that it is a total disaster.

Stud of the Week: Dan Haren ARI
Stats: 2-0 17 IP 1.58 ERA 21 K
Honorable Mention: Carl Crawford, Jorge Cantu, Evan Longoria, Justin Verlander, Johnny Cueto

Dud of the Week: Brian Tallet TOR
Stats: 0-1 4 IP 22.50 ERA 2 K
Dishonorable Mention: Anibal Sanchez, John Danks, Anthony Reyes, Cristian Guzman, Travis Snider

Stud of the Month: Zach Greinke KC
Stats: 5-0 36 IP 0.50 ERA 44 K
Honorable Mention: Albert Pujols, Ian Kinsler, Evan Longoria, Chad Billingsley, Dan Haren, Johan Santana

Dud of the Month: Chien-Ming Wang NYY
Stats: 0-3 6 IP 34.50 ERA 2 K
Dishonorable Mention: Jose Contreras, Oliver Perez, Scott Baker, Felix Pie, Geovanny Soto, Edwin Encarnacion

Twins Prospects Power Rankings

2009-05-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 1
Age: 24
Stats: .275 3 HR 9 RBI
Is just consistent but has yet to make a huge push and might spend the entire year in AA.

2. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 2
Age: 21
Stats: .275 1 HR 8 RBI
Not a bad start for a 21 year old catcher in AA, but he has not hit for much power with 5 extra base hits in 80 at-bats.

3. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 3
Age: 21
Stats: .283 1 HR 14 RBI 12 SB
Batting average may not be as impressive as last year but a 12 walks and only 7 strikeouts is likely to impress the Twins brass.

4. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Previous Rank: 4
Age: 19
Stats: N/A

5. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 5
Age: 25
Stats: 11.2 IP 2.31 ERA 20 K 3 SV
Struggled a little this week giving up his first runs, but the Star Tribune mentioned that Gardenhire has asked about Slama with the struggles of Dickey, Breslow and Ayala.

6. RHP Anthony Swarzak AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 7
Age: 23
Stats: 24 IP 2.25 ERA 17 K
Looks to have finally realized his potential the 2004 2nd round pick and has put the Banned Substance suspension of 2007 behind him.

7. RHP Carlos Guetierrez High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 8
Age: 22
Stats: 23 IP 0.78 ERA 13 K
Somehow has yet to get a win despite a WHIP of 0.65 and batters are batting only .135 against him. He will be in New Britain by June if he continues.

8. 3B Luke Hughes AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 6
Age: 24
Stats: .246 3 HR 15 RBI
20 strikeouts in only 70 at-bats is not a good sign. Combined with the 5 errors he has a lot of work to do if he wants to be the Twins third baseman of the future.

9. 1B/OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 10
Age: 21
Stats: .239 4 HR 16 RBI
Has actually hit .282 in the last 10 games. He is the only Twins minor leaguer with 4 home runs so far and is tied for 6th in the FSL in home runs.

10. 2B Brian Dinkelman AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: NR
Age: 25
Stats: .343 1 HR 15 RBI 2 SB
Has adjusted to AA very well and continues to produce. The problem for him is that he lacks power and speed that will make the Twins make room for him in the future. He is very similar to Matt Tolbert.

Fell from Rankings: Joe Benson

My All-Metrodome Team

2009-05-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Here is why and how I filled out my All-Metrodome team ballot:

First Base: Justin Morneau

This is the hardest position to choose. It is known and widely assumed that Morneau will put up better career numbers than Kent Hrbek, but that is not what this is about. I think Hrbek will win the position because he is a Minnesotan who was on the 2 World Series teams and somehow has his jersey retired despite no possibility of going to the Hall of the Fame. I chose Morneau because while Hrbek was a key component on his teams, Morneau is a better hitter and fielder and has 1 MVP and could have easily won a 2nd. Runners-up: Kent Hrbek and Gene Larkin

Second Base: Chuck Knoblauch

Became a joke at the end of his career but he was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1991 and was a multiple All-Star as a Twin. He also lacks any real competition at the position with utility player Runners-up: Al Newman and Steve Lombardozzi.

Shortstop: Greg Gagne

This is a no-brainer decision. Was on both World Series teams. While he lacks outstanding statistics as a .254 career hitter with little power he win based on longevity and lack of competition. Runners-up: Cristian Guzman and Pat Mears.

Third Base: Gary Gaetti

Won 4 Gold Gloves as a Twin and hit over 30 home runs in '86 and '87. Was a crucial player in the 1987 World Series team. Runners-up: Scott Leius and Corey Koskie

Catcher: Joe Mauer

The Golden Boy should easily win this position. Already at such a young age has two batting titles and one Gold Glove. He will also benefit that neither World Series team had an outstanding catcher and Pierzynski is currently hated by Twins fans. Runners-up: Tim Laudner and A.J Pierzynski.

Outfielders: Kirby Puckett, Torii Hunter, and Tom Brunansky

It is kind of surprising on how easy it is to pick the outfield. Puckett and Hunter are locks for their defense and being the face of the team for many years. The only debate is Gladden or Tom Burnansky. Burnansky had the much better career but Gladden might get some votes just on the memory of him scoring the winning run in the '91 Series and his role as the team's radio announcer. Runners-up: Dan Gladden, Shane Mack and Matt Lawton

Designated Hitter: Chili Davis

This position is kind of a joke and it should really be filled by the loser of the Hrbek - Morneau race. I don't think Davis will win the position with home-town players Molitor and Winfield on the list but this isn't who is the best player but who was the best as a Twin and Molitor and Winfield were in the twilight of their careers on terrible teams. David Ortiz also turned into a good player but that was in Boston not here. Davis was only on the team for 2 years but played a very vital role on the '91 team hitting .277-29-93. Runners-up: Paul Molitor and David Ortiz

Starters: Frank Viola, Johan Santana, and Bert Blyleven

This is a very hard position to only choose 3 players. Viola and Santana are locks with 3 Cy Youngs between them. Then it gets hard to pick one out of Blyleven, Brad Radke, Kevin Tapani and Jack Morris. Morris was only here one year but it was one hell of a year, Radke was the face of many terrible Twins teams and also some of the early success in the 2000's, Kevin Tapani was the best pitcher in '91. I went with Blyleven despite that his best years with the Twins were at the Met the first time around. He helped win the '87 title and he is the best pitcher overall (it is a travesty he is not in the Hall of Fame) and I really enjoy him as the Twins Color Commentator. Runners-up: Brad Radke and Kevin Tapani

Relievers: Rick Aguilera and Joe Nathan

Rick Aguilera is a lock as the stud closer from 1989 to 1999 with 3 All-Star appearances and twice had over 40 saves. Joe Nathan is more debatable. Jeff Reardon was a great closer for the '87 team but was only here for 3 seasons. Guardado was a good closer on the early 2000 teams but was never overwhelming. Joe Nathan gets the nod because he is one of the most dominating closers in the game today. In 6 years he has made 3 All-Star appearances and 203 saves. Runners-up: Jeff Reardon and Eddie Guardado.

Manager: Tom Kelly

If anyone does not vote for Tom Kelly they should have the rest of their ballot voided. He won 2 World Series and led the team for 16 of the 27 seasons at the Metrodome. Runner-up: Ron Gardenhire.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings - Week 3

2009-04-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 1
Age: 24
Stats: .309 2 HR 6 RBI
Was a single short of the cycle on Sunday. He has an OPS of .978 so far. He has all the look of the perennial .300 hitter.

2. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 2
Age: 24
Stats: .250 1 HR 7 RBI
He is struggling a little at the plate, so far but he still has the talent. The success of Jose Morales for the Twins is creating even more of a logjam at the catcher position.

3. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 4
Age: 20
Stats: .290 1 HR 12 RBI 7 SB
Has continued to hit and steal bases in a very pitcher-friendly league. He is the real deal.

4. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Previous Rank: 3
Age: 19
Stats: N/A

5. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 5
Age: 25
Stats: 7.2 IP 0.00 ERA 15 K
He is an absolute stud only giving up 4 hits and 2 walks so far this season. He will be in the majors at some point this season.

6. 3B Luke Hughes AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 7
Age: 24
Stats: .245 3 HR 14 RBI
His average may not be ideal but he is doing very well as a force in the middle of the Rochester lineup.

7. RHP Anthony Swarzak AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 6
Age: 23
Stats: 17 IP 1.59 ERA 11 K .88 WHIP
His team must hate him because he is 0-3 in 3 starts with a 1.59 ERA. With Humber clearing waivers it is unlikely he will get a call to the majors this year, but he is on track to get a chance as a starter down the line.

8. RHP Carlos Guetierrez High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 9
Age: 22
Stats: 18 IP 0.50 ERA 9 K 0.56 WHIP
Strikeout rate is not very high, but he is dominating High A ball and should get moved up to New Britain by June.

9. OF Joe Benson High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 10
Age: 21
Stats: .314 1 HR 8 RBI 2 SB
Continues to hit for a good average and the important thing is that he is still healthy given his history.

10. 1B/OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: NR
Age: 21
Stats: .182 3 HR 9 RBI
Is very similar to Adam Dunn. He is either going to hit a home run, strikeout or walk and each is equally likely. Hitting 3 home runs in the FSL is an accomplishment. He far and away has the most power in the Twins system, but in the Twins system he will need to improve the average.

Promoted off List: Jose Mijares

The Joe Mauer Lineup Conundrum

2009-04-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

We are all looking forward to the return of Joe Mauer next weekend, but his return will pose an interesting question on how to structure the lineup. Jason Kubel and Justin Morneau have been far and away our two best hitters so far batting back to back. If you are to put Joe Mauer in front them then you have three left-handed hitters in a row. That is not something any manager likes to do although Philadelphia is currently doing it with Utley-Howard-Ibanez. I don't think that is something Gardenhire would like to do but the question is whether he even has a chance.

One option is to bat Mauer 2nd and put a righthander in the 3 hole. The problem is Mauer does not like batting second and who do you put in the 3 hole. This would be the solution if Cuddyer, Crede or Young were hitting well but they are all around the Mendoza line. The other option is to put a righthander between Morneau and Kubel but then you have the team's rbi leader batting 6th in Kubel and I don't think the Twins want to break up Kubel and Morneau.

I don't think the Twins currently have a choice but to bat them in a row, at least until a right hander starts to hit consistently. I also think it can work because they all do hit left-handed pitchers reasonably well. Mauer is a .300 hitter in his career against lefties, Morneau is only .261 against lefties for his career but hit .284 last year and is actually hitting .417 so far this year, and Kubel is 3 for 8 so far this season against lefties.

It is not ideal but I think the Twins don't have a choice since the three are their best hitters. I think this is what the lineup will look like when Mauer returns.

RF/LF Denard Span
2B Alexi Casilla / Brendan Harris
C Joe Mauer
1B Justin Morneau
DH Jason Kubel
3B Joe Crede
LF/RF Delmon Young / Michael Cuddyer
SS Nick Punto
CF Carlos Gomez

The Beast that is Justin Morneau

2009-04-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

I thought I would do a post professing my love for Justin Morneau since I don't think he gets the attention and praise he deserves. This was brought up by Peter Gammons on the Mike and Mike Show today. He listed Joe Mauer as one of the players he would like to build a team around. Mauer is good and yes two batting titles is impressive but I would rather build the team around Justin.

We have seen in these 3 weeks what this team would look like without Mauer and while it isn't that good this team is functioning. Imagine this team without Justin Morneau in the middle of the lineup. It should be noted that we can only imagine since he has yet to get injured for a significant period of time. Who would hit for power? Who would be a threat? Who would drive in the runs?

Morneau has driven in over 100 rbi's for three consecutive seasons, and while we take that for granted Kirby Puckett went over 100 rbi's only three times in his career. Kent Herbek only hit over 100 rbi's once in his career. If he gets over 100 rbi's this year he will do something Harmon Killebrew never even did. In those 3 years he has driven in 370 runs. Only Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Howard have driven in more runs in that time. He drove in more runs as such stalwarts as Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez and David Wright.

He has hit over 20 home runs four straight years and was the first Twin to hit over 30 home runs since Hrbek in 1987. In the last three years he has hit 115 doubles and 88 home runs. It is also forgotten that he is one of the best defensive first basemen in the game and should win multiple Gold Gloves before he is done. I know winning batting titles is special, but I would take Morneau's bat and the assurance that he will be in the lineup every day over Joe Mauer's .330 all single average any day.

Two Week Assumption of Twins Players

2009-04-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of some position players and starters and how they have fared so far this year. A lot have room for improvement and only Perkins and maybe Kubel are playing out of their league.

Denard Span: .300 1 HR 9 RBI 3 SB .397 OBP. He is the prototypical leadoff hitter. I was worried about him regressing, but he takes professional at-bats every single time. He should be exempt from the outfield rotation and leading off every game.
Alexi Casilla: .196 0 HR 2 RBI 0 SB. He has struggled hitting from the right side, but he has fully come into his own playing second base. With his compact swing and speed, I am not worried about his offense yet. He will benefit a lot from having Mauer bat behind him.
Justin Morneau: .321 2 HR 9 RBI. Same old, same old. Simply a professional hitter. He is currently on pace for .321-23-104. He is guarenteed to get at least that but should end up even better.
Jason Kubel: .333 2 HR 12 RBI. Surprise give this guy at-bats and he produces. While his average is likely to drop, there is no reason if he gets plenty of at-bats in the 5 hole once Mauer gets back that he doesn't go .285-25-100.
Michael Cuddyer: .235 1 HR 5 RBI. Gardenhire loves this guy symbolized by him only sitting one game so far. Why he is not platooned more I have no idea. He takes a lot of bad at-bats. It is too bad that both him and Delmon Young are right handed or else the rotation would be solved.
Joe Crede: .175 1 HR 3 RBI. A disapointment so far. Very good defensively, but with Buscher and Harris hot so far, I wouldn't mind him sitting a few games. He should hit better once he settles into this team.
Delmon Young: .212 1 HR 7 RBI. He is oft-maligned and took absolutely terrible at-bats swinging at every pitch. When he gets patient and takes pitches he has more success. He is better than Cuddyer if he does not force it at the plate.
Carlos Gomez: .200 0 HR 1 RBI 2 SB. He definitely has been more patient at the plate and it is a shame it has not paid off yet. To show how important he is to the offense he has reached base 9 times with 7 hits and 2 walks and he has scored 5 times. He is also the best defensive centerfielder in the AL, he may struggle at times but he should be in the lineup close to every game.
Brendan Harris: .407 1 HR 2 RBI. He has settled very well into his role as a bench player. He deserves to get spot starts for Casilla, Punto, and Crede. They need to use his bat while he is hitting so well, because it is not likely to last.
Glen Perkins: 1-1 1.50 ERA 12 K. He is off to a great start and should be 3-0 but has gotten little offense behind him. He may not continue to be an ace but he looks to be a very solid starter and not the #5 starter that he came into the season as.
Francisco Liriano: 0-3 5.09 ERA 11 K. He just can't seem to break through. In the Seattle start he was undone by a few bad pitches and someone golfing a shot out. In Chicago he was undone by a small strike zone and unraveling in one inning due to not getting calls. He seemed to be closer to reaching his potential by holding the hot Blue Jays to 1 run in 7 innings. He is still the best pitcher on this team.
Nick Blackburn: 0-1 5.71 ERA 5 K. He is skirting the fine line between Derek Lowe and Carlos Silva. Batters are batting .310 against him. He can give the team innings but he worries me a lot because you can not continue to succeed being that hittable.
Kevin Slowey: 2-0 5.89 ERA 12 K. Had an absolutely terrible start against the Blue Jays but fared much better against the Angels. He is the type of pitcher who needs to outsmart instead of overwhelm and he has yet to do so this year.

MLB Power Rankings - Week 2

2009-04-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

1. Chicago Cubs
Previous Rank: 2
Record: 7-4
Took 2 out of 3 from main challengers in St. Louis and the lineup is producing without much help yet from Geovanny Soto, Milton Bradley and Derrek Lee.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers
Previous Rank: 9
Record: 10-3
Simply has the best lineup in the NL and maybe all of the majors. Billingsley and Kershaw have pitched like absolute aces so far.

3. Toronto Blue Jays
Previous Rank: 7
Record: 10-4
Lineup has been amazing so far but the team has yet to play the powers of the AL East and I am still unconvinced they are a legitimate threat to win the AL East.

4. Florida Marlins
Previous Rank: 8
Record: 11-1
Off to a torrid start and could very well win the NL East this year with that pitching staff, but they have already played 6 games against Washington.

5. New York Yankees
Previous Rank: 5
Record: 7-6
This team would be a lot better if they stopped throwing Chein-Ming Wang out there every 5th game. The Yankees are 7-3 in games that Wang does not pitch.

6. Boston Red Sox
Previous Rank: 4
Record: 7-6
They have a decision on what to do with David Ortiz as he is hitting .170 with 0 home runs. He is not the force he used to be.

7. Saint Louis Cardinals
Previous Rank: 14
Record: 8-5
The team is off to a great start due to Albert Pujols (whose Sportscenter commercial I love) in full effect. The question is whether they can survive without Chris Carpenter. They won't win the NL Central but they are a threat to win the Wild Card.

8. Tampa Bay Rays
Previous Rank: 1
Record: 5-8
This team is struggling to get production out of Upton, Crawford and Burrell so far, but the team does not need to panic yet. The bullpen on the other hand is a big issue.

9. Chicago White Sox
Previous Rank: 15
Record: 7-5
Carlos Quentin is mashing just as like last year as he leads the majors with 7 home runs. Just think how many he will hit when it warms up in Chicago. He could hit 50 this year.

10. New York Mets
Previous Rank: 6
Record: 6-6
They are struggling to find pitching after Johan, but Pelfrey and Maine are better than their 8 and 7 ERA's show. They should still contend in the NL East.

11. Detroit Tigers
Previous Rank: 13
Record: 7-5
This team is playing well and might actually be getting Joel Zumaya back. Miguel Cabrera is an absolute masher.

12. Atlanta Braves
Previous Rank: 9
Record: 6-6
Fell back to earth by getting swept by the Marlins but they still have enough pitching and hitting to compete with the Marlins and the rest of the NL East.

13. Minnesota Twins
Previous Rank: 10
Record: 7-7
The bullpen is a big concern especially with Jesse Crain headed for the DL, but the rotation is starting to look better and if Glen Perkins keeps pitching 8 innings it might not be such a huge problem.

14. Philadelphia Phillies
Previous Rank: 12
Record: 5-6
The lineup is producing as Raul Ibanez has made the transition to Philly very nicely, but if Cole Hamels can not turn it around they have no chance of winning the NL East.

15. Los Angeles Angels
Previous Rank: 3
Record: 4-8
I don't know what this organization did but they seem to be cursed. John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Kelvim Escobar, Dustin Moseley, and Vladimir Guerrero are all on the DL and they have to still deal with the tragedy of Nick Adnehart. If they can get healthy they should still win the AL West.

16. Cincinnati Reds
Previous Rank: 21
Record: 6-5
Is over .500 despite slow starts by Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips, Jonny Cueto, and Edinson Volquez. That could be attributed to playing Pittsburgh, Houston and Milwaukee.

17. Kansas City Royals
Previous Rank: 23
Record: 7-5
Zach Grienke is out of the gates fast with a 34 inning scoreless streak dating back to last year, but they will be without Alex Gordon for two months. I just don't see enough offense to win or compete in the AL Central.

18. Seattle Mariners
Previous Rank: 22
Record: 8-5
The team will hold 1st place in the AL West due to Bedard and Felix until the Angels decide to get healthy and take it back.

19. San Diego Padres
Previous Rank: 27
Record: 9-4
They have not cooled down yet beating the Mets and Phillies, but I still refuse to believe in this team. The only thing is this start will lead to them keeping Peavy and Chris Young until the All-Star break instead of the end of May.

20. Oakland A's
Previous Rank: 19
Record: 5-7
Taking 2 out of 3 from Boston was good and despite of going 1-2 against Toronto holding them to only 10 runs in 3 games is something to hang your hat on. The problem is Holliday and Giambi have yet to hit a home run. The team only has 3 home runs total.

21. Texas Rangers
Previous Rank: 18
Record: 5-7
This team is fun to watch unless you want them to win or you like pitching. 80 runs in 12 games is astonishing. The real astonishing thing is they are doing that while Josh Hamilton and Chris Davis are slumping.

22. Arizona Diamondbacks
Previous Rank: 16
Record: 4-8
The team is really missing Brandon Webb who should be back in the next two weeks, but the question is whether the team can improve on its .215 batting average. The offense will likely keep them from competing with the Dodgers this year.

23. Milwaukee Brewers
Previous Rank: 17
Record: 4-8
A poor start by Yovanni Gallardo has really hurt this team as the pitching staff lacks depth. But a schedule of Mets, Cubs and Reds have also contributed to a slow start.

24. Cleveland Indians
Previous Rank: 20
Record: 4-9
Improved slightly this week taking advantage of the Chein-Ming Wang and a good start by Cliff Lee but the pitching is just not good enough.

25. Baltimore Orioles
Previous Rank: 24
Record: 6-7
The were given a large dose of reality by being swept by the Red Sox. It may be a long season but Adam Jones so far looks like an absolute stud and #1 prospect Matt Wieters should be called up within the month.

26. Pittsburgh Pirates
Previous Rank: 29
Record: 6-6
Great starts by Paul Moholm or Zach Duke and enough pieces in the lineup should make this team not the worst in the MLB.

27. San Francisco Giants
Previous Rank: 26
Record: 4-8
Finally got a good start by Lincecum and Randy Johnson took a no-hitter to the 7th inning. They just don't have the offense to compete but could work it's way up to a .500 team.

28. Colorado Rockies
Previous Rank: 25
Record: 4-7
Terrible bullpen and pitching has been a problem but this team has had to play the Dodgers, Cubs, and the Phillies so far. That would raise any pitching staff's ERA.

29. Houston Astros
Previous Rank: 28
Record: 4-8
Being swept by the Cardinals and the Reds solidifies their status as a second-class citizen in the NL Central. They for some reason used this to give manager Cecil Cooper an extension.

30. Washington Nationals
Previous Rank: 30
Record: 1-10
This franchise is an absolute disgrace as they blew 9th inning leads in all 3 games to the Marlins and even the jersey makers don't care about this team.

Stud of the Week: Ian Kinsler, TEX
Stats: .555 2 HR 6 RBI 6 SB
Honorable Mention: Zach Grienke, Matt Kemp, Carlos Pena, Carlos Quentin, Chad Billingsley, Glen Perkins

Dud of the Week: Chien-Ming Wang, NYY
Stats: 2 Starts 2.1 IP 16 ER 14 Hits 2 K
Dishonorable Mention: Saul Rivera, Zach Miner, Ubaldo Jimenez, Ryan Spilboroghs, Jordan Schafer, Randy Winn

Twins Prospect Power Rankings - Week 2

2009-04-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 1
Age: 24
Stats: .314 1 HR 2 RBI
Hasn't shown much power but has shown patience at the plate with 10 walks and a OBP of .478.

2. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 2
Age: 21
Stats: .220 1 HR 5 RBI
Has been a little streaky so far at the plate, but does not look overwhelmed at the AA level.

3. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Previous Rank: 3
Age: 19
Stats: N/A

4. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 6
Age: 20
Stats: .316 1 HR 8 RBI 4 SB
Has continued to hit well at Fort Myers. Has hit .438 in the last 5 games.

5. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 5
Age: 24
Stats: 5 IP 0.00 ERA 9 K
Has continued his domination in AA. With the Twins bullpen issues it is very possible to see him up with the big club later this year at least by September.

6. RHP Anthony Swarzak AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 7
Age: 23
Stats: 2 Starts, 11 IP 0.82 ERA 9 K
Has had two very good starts with a WHIP of 0.82. Would likely be the first call-up to the rotation should someone go down for an extended period of time. That would change it Humber somehow clears waivers.

7. 3B Luke Hughes AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 4
Age: 24
Stats: .219 1 HR 8 RBI
Is struggling to hit for average and already has 4 errors on the season. Not a very good start.

8. LHP Jose Mijares AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 9
Age: 24
Stats: 6.1 IP 0.00 ERA 4 K
Has seemed to have bounced back for terrible spring with only 1 walk in over 6 innings. If he continues he should be moved up to the Majors by May.

9. RHP Carlos Gutierrez High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 8
Age: 22
Stats: 2 Starts 11 IP 0.82 ERA 8 K
The talk through the organization is that he could move up very quickly. With starts like he has had so far he could be in New Britain by June.

10. OF Joe Benson High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: NR
Age: 21
Stats: .343 1 HR 7 RBI 1 SB
Has been set back by injuries so far in his minor league career but is a great athlete and has gotten off to a very good start so far this year.

Fell out of rankings: Shooter Hunt

Weekend Preview

2009-04-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

With baseball in full gear and NHL and NBA playoffs starting the two month long playoff season, there is a lot for a sports fan to watch. Here is some of the things I look forward to watching.

Royce White will be involved in the Jordan Brand Classic on Saturday at 7pm on ESPN2. He will be competing against the best high school players in the nation, many of which are McDondald's All-Americans. It will be a very good measuring stick of what kind of expectations we should have for the kid when he hits campus next fall.
The Twins welcome Torii Hunter and the Los Angeles Angels into town for 3 games. The Twins have gotten off to an underwhelming start but it still should be fun to see Torii Hunter patrol centerfield in the Metrodome again. I will be attending the game on Sunday and hope to see another great start from Glen Perkins.
The NHL Playoffs started on Wednesday and have plenty of games on Versus or NBC this weekend. Teams I am cheering for: Boston Bruins (have Wheeler and Kessel) and the San Jose Sharks (like J0e Thorton and they can stop the hated Detroit Red Wings).
The NBA Playoffs start on Saturday and some of the steam has gotten taken out with Garnett missing the playoffs and wrecking the Celtics chances to repeat. Games will be on ABC, ESPN or TNT. Teams I am cheering for: Miami Heat (Wade is my favorite player and a big Beasley fan), Orlando Magic (Dwight Howard is an absolute beast), and the Portland Trail Blazers (He has started slow but I'm still a Greg Oden fan).

Why You Can't Trust a 17-year Old Kid

2009-04-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

There is now a football player from Wisconsin that I hate as much as Brett Farve and it is a 17 year old kid. Linebacker Konrad Zagzebski was the first commit to Brewster for the 2010 class. He spoke about the commitment to Gopher Illustrated. Here is what he said to Gopher Illustrated on January 22nd:

"I am psyched right now and super pumped to be a Gopher. I had a feeling that an offer was coming and I knew that if it did my recruiting process would be over. I don't care who else offers, I want to be a Golden Gopher." I knew that even if all the schools in the Big Ten were to offer that I would end up at Minnesota," he said. "I felt loyalty from the Minnesota staff ever since they started to recruit me last year. According to Zagzebski, this decision is final. "The way I see it Wisconsin and everyone else had their chance, but to be honest I really never saw myself playing at Wisconsin," he said. "Minnesota is where it is at right now and it doesn't take long to recognize that they are a program on the rise. There is a lot of excitement within the program and I cannot wait to play in the new stadium. I just want to be at Minnesota. My decision is over and I can now focus on one more year of high school ball."

Surprise, Surprise 4 months later he has de-committed and committed to Wisconsin.

I know kids are fickle and de-commit all the time but this is ridiculous. No one made him be so definitive. I have no respect for anyone who can not be trusted or taken at their word. I'm glad this kid isn't a Gopher and by his actions the Badgers deserve a little flake and tool like him.

MLB Power Rankings - Week 1

2009-04-13T13:11:00.001-07:00

(note: This ranking is not based only on record this early in the year. It is a combination of expectations and results. As the season progresses this will change.)

1. Tampa Bay Rays
Previous Rank: 1
Record: 3-3
They keep their spot at the top despite going 3-3 because they went 2-1 at Fenway and they are adding back B.J. Upton this week. Longoria is off to making my MVP prediction look pretty good.

2. Chicago Cubs
Previous Rank: 4
Record: 4-2
The offense has looked very good despite a slow start by Milton Bradley and missing Geo Soto for most of the week. Marmol will be the closer by the middle of May at least.

3. Los Angeles Angels
Previous Rank: 5
Record: 3-3
To take go .500 playing Oakland and Boston without Lackey, Santana and Escobar while dealing with the death of Nick Adenhart is quite the feat.

4. Boston Red Sox
Previous Rank: 2
Record: 2-4
Playing the Rays and Angels is a rough start to the season. We will get more of an idea after they face Oakland and Baltimore this week.

5. New York Yankees
Previous Rank: 3
Record: 3-3
This lineup needs A-Rod back in the lineup badly. Going 3-3 against Kansas City and Baltimore is not a very impressive start to the season.

6. New York Mets
Previous Rank: 8
Record: 3-3
A very noticeable difference with K-Rod and Putz in the back of the lineup. Santana is off to a very good start so far in the season.

7. Toronto Blue Jays
Previous Rank: 14
Record: 5-2
Offense is off to a blistering start, but it will be interesting how much off that is due to facing the Detroit and Cleveland pitching staffs. I still don't think they can make the AL East a 4 team race.

8. Florida Marlins
Previous Rank: 21
Record: 5-1
If their pitching staff stays healthy this could be a very dangerous team that could steal a wild card. Josh Johnson outdueling Johan Santana was a fun game to watch.

9. Atlanta Braves
Previous Rank: 15
Record: 5-1
Rookie Jordan Schafer is off to a very good start going .348-2-3. Glavine getting hurt may be a blessing in disguise at it clears the path for stud Tommy Hanson to get the call. The NL East looks like it could be a 4-team race all summer if Chipper can stay healthy.

10. Minnesota Twins
Previous Rank: 7
Record: 3-4
This team really needs Joe Mauer back to provide some consistency in a lineup filled with streaky hitters. The bullpen hasn't caused problems yet, but it has not introduced a lot of confidence.

11. Los Angeles Dodgers
Previous Rank: 9
Record: 4-3
Kemp and Loney are off to good starts which when combined with Manny makes this a really dangerous lineup. Taking 2 out of 3 at Arizona was also a good sign.

12. Philadelphia Phillies
Previous Rank: 6
Record: 3-3
The poor starts by Hamels and Myers raises a lot of questions as they don't have any depth behind them. This team is going to need a lot of offense from Utley and Howard this year to repeat as division champs.

13. Detroit Tigers
Previous Rank: 17
Record: 4-3
Miguel Cabrera is determined not to repeat the slow start of last year and Armando Galarraga looks like the real deal. Pitching depth could be their downfall.

14. St. Louis Cardinals
Previous Rank: 20
Record: 5-2
If Carpenter stays healthy with Pujols this team is dangerous. They look to be the 2nd best team in the NL Central. It will be telling to see how they do when they aren't facing Pittsburgh or Houston.

15. Chicago White Sox
Previous Rank: 12
Record: 3-3
If they can ride the Bartolo Colon revival they can be dangerous. It helps when they got of hitting well. The lack of a leadoff hitter could be a problem down the road.

16. Arizona Diamondbacks
Previous Rank: 10
Record: 2-4
They better hope Brandon Webb gets healthy and returns to form or else this team does not stand a chance. The lineup is also off to a less than stellar start.

17. Milwaukee Brewers
Previous Rank: 13
Record: 2-4
The offense should produce a lot of runs but the rotation is a serious question mark. Jeff Suppan is not going to win them a division.

18. Texas Rangers
Previous Rank: 19
Record: 3-3
The offense is an absolute machine especially considering Chris Davis has gotten off to a terrible start, but the lack of pitching will stop them from competing in the AL West.

19. Oakland Athletics
Previous Rank: 16
Record: 2-4
They are relying on a way too young pitching staff and Matt Holliday is off to a slow start but Trevor Cahill looks like the real deal.

20. Cleveland Indians
Previous Rank: 11
Record: 1-5
The pitching staff is brutal giving up 49 runs in 6 games. Cliff Lee is not going to repeat as AL Cy Young. They are starting off very similar to Detroit last year.

21. Cincinnati Reds
Previous Rank: 18
Record: 2-3
They don't look ready to make a Rays-like jump this year but Aaron Harang's return to form is very good to see for Reds fans. The offense should look better when Bruce and Encarncion get going.

22. Seattle Mariners
Previous Rank: 26
Record: 5-2
If King Felix and Bedard stay healthy this will be a very annoying team to face as they both have amazing stuff, but they can't rely on Endy Chavez hitting .379.

23. Kansas City Royals
Previous Rank: 24
Record: 3-3
This team is not brutal but they don't have the look of a contender in the AL Central. Alex Gordon and Billy Butler are still complete disappointments.

24. Baltimore Orioles
Previous Rank: 29
Record: 4-2
To go 4-2 against the Rays and Yankees is certainly impressive the problem is that they will still have to face them plenty and they will have B.J. Upton and Alex Rodriguez. Prospect Adam Jones is off to a very good start.

25. Colorado Rockies
Previous Rank: 25
Record: 3-3
Troy Tulowitzki is off to a good start and Franklin Morales and Ubaldo Jiminez had really good 1st starts, but they are not a competitor this year.

26. San Francisco Giants
Previous Rank: 22
Record: 2-4
Two bad starts by Lincecum are not really encouraging but he should be able to turn it around. The real problem is bad starts by Randy Johnson and Barry Zito.

27. San Diego Padres
Previous Rank: 28
Record: 5-2
I can not explain the start except that this team still has Jake Peavy and Chris Young. I am willing to bet they don't go 5-2 heading to face the Mets and Phillies.

28. Houston Astros
Previous Rank: 23
Record: 1-5
It is not fun for a bad team to start off with the Cubs and Cardinals, but this is a bad team that will likely be moving some key parts in Oswalt, Berkman and Carlos Lee.

29. Pittsburgh Pirates
Previous Rank: 30
Record: 3-3
Not a bad first week and if Zach Duke and Paul Maholm can repeat their starts this team may not be the worst in baseball.

30. Washington Nationals
Previous Rank: 27
Record: 0-6
This team is absolutely brutal. They have no pitching giving up 45 runs in 6 games so far. It is going to be a long summer in Washington.

Stud of the Week: 1B Miguel Cabrera, DET
Stats: .520 3 HR 10 RBI
Honorable Mention: Evan Longoria, Albert Pujols, Emilio Bonifacio, Kyle Lohse, Josh Johnson

Dud of the Week: LHP Carl Pavano, CLE
Stats: 1 IP 81.00 ERA 3 BB 6 HA
Dishonorable Mention: Andy LaRoche, Chris Davis, Scott Olson, Cole Hamels, Chien-Ming Wang

Twins Prospect Rankings - Week 1

2009-04-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 1
Age: 24
Stats: .286 0 HR 0 RBI
Showed off MLB ready glove during spring training and did not embarrass himself at the plate hitting .429

2. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 9
Age: 21
Stats: .176 1 HR 2 RBI
Has an absolute cannon of an arm, throwing out 3 of 4 stolen base attempts in spring training. Also hit .375 in spring training

3. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Previous Rank: 2
Age: 19
Stats: N/A
Twins showed off their conservatism again by not sending Aaron Hicks to Beloit. He may not be as fortunate as Ben Revere who took advantage of injuries last year to dominate Beloit.

4. 3B Luke Hughes AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 4
Age: 24
Stats: .250 1 HR 4 RBI
Missed parts of spring training due to WBC, but showed the offensive game when he was around hitting .429. Issue for him is Valencia is much better defensively.

5. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 5
Age: 24
Stats: 2 IP 0.00 ERA 3 K
Very impressive first outing in AA.

6. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 6
Age: 20
Stats: .111 0 HR 1 RBI 1 SB
Only 1 hit so far but already has 1 stolen base.

7. RHP Anthony Swarzak AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 7
Age: 23
Stats: 4 IP 0.00 ERA 4 K
Not a bad first start, but the ability of the Twins to get spot starts from Dickey, Duensing or Humber likely rules out Swarzak making a start this year. Pitched 3 shutout innings in spring training.

8. RHP Carlos Gutierrez High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: NR
Age: 22
Stats: 2 IP 0.00 ERA 2 K
Pitched a shutout inning for Puerto Rico in the WBC. The Twins think very highly of him and impressed following Scott Baker in his first appearance.

9. LHP Jose Mijares AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 3
Age: 24
Stats: 2 IP 0.00 ERA 2 K
Had an absolutely brutal spring with an ERA of 9.90 in 10 innings. Failed to make the team even though they gave him every chance to. If he can turn it around he will likely get the call but he has to avoid making this a lost season. First appearance in AAA was a good start.

10. RHP Shooter Hunt Low A - Beloit
Previous Rank: 8
Age: 22
Stats: 3.1 IP 8.10 ERA 1 K
First start of the year showcased what his issues are. He walked 4 batters in 3.1 innings. He has got to get control if he is going to showcase his amazing stuff.

Fell out of rankings: OF Angel Morales

Tragedy and Other News

2009-04-09T08:56:00.001-07:00

After throwing six shutout innings against the Oakland Athletics, 22-year old uber-prospect Nick Adenhart was killed in a hit-and-run accident after a driver ran a red light. This is a great tragedy to lose someone who was so young and future was so bright.
Travis Busch has left the Gophers Basketball program. This is not a great surprise as there wasn't a scholarship for him next year and their also did not seem to be a lot of playing time for him also. Busch may not have been blessed with a lot of talent but he worked hard and contributed more than anyone thought he would when he transferred here from Cal-Poly.
Royce White was named Mr. Basketball. The chairman of the award commented that he had the ability to score far more but chose to do whatever to make the team better and lead them to an undefeated season. For those that like to hate on Royce they fail to see how he came in to an already formed team and instead of making it his team and taking it over he found a role on the team that became one of the best in MSHSL history. I would look for him to do the same thing next year with the Gophers.
I attended my first Twins game of the year last night. It was student night so I was way up in the Upper Level GA seats. Sitting 3 seats away from me was on Adam Weber and it was a shock in more than one way. He is listed by the Gophers at 6'3" 217. That is not true, he was shorter than me and at best he is 6'1" 210. He also had a less that stellar posse. You would expect the Big Ten quarterback would have a girl on each arm at a game but his posse was 5-6 guys who all looked to be 17 years old and seemed more likely to play D&D than football. Weber did have a good time and was a little drunk by end of the game.

Welcome to the 2009 Season Twins Fans

2009-04-08T13:22:00.001-07:00

At roughly 9:55 pm on Tuesday, April 7th, The Twins 2009 season officially started. The problem is that they had played 17 innings that counted before that. Those 17 innings were filled with feeble at-bats and pitchers getting knocked around by a 39 year old Ken Griffey Jr. and Endy Chavez. It was brutal to watch and the Twins were as flat and lifeless as the fans. Then it happened, Gomez who already is taking much better at-bats coaxed a walk out of Brandon Morrow. Morrow then lost all control walking Kubel and Buscher (by the way I was suprised Gardenhire pinch hit for Punto). The Mariners brought in Miguel Batista but that was to no avail as Denard Span used his blazing speed to leg out a infield single and Alexi Casilla lined a single to center bringing in the tying and winning runs. In a single moment, Twins fans were reminded all over again why they love the Minnesota Twins. The question is now whether the Twins can play a full nine inning game. They should have a good chance of doing so against Carlos Silva tonight.

Way Too Early Reactions to the 2009 Twins

Span does not look like he will regress into a AAA player. He just gives a quality at-bat every single time and with his speed gets a lot of hits he has no business getting. He is a very good lead-off hitter.
Casilla and Punto might be the best double play combo in the league. They have looked very solid so far making a few amazing double plays.
Gomez looks a lot better at the plate. He still takes a few bad swings but it isn't three in a row. He should have a much better year this year.
Morneau looks off to another slow start. He didn't get a hit until his 5th game last year. He may start slow until Mauer gets back but he is still a lock for .290-20-100 at least.
Crede may not be off to a quick start but him in the lineup is much more dangerous than Brian Buscher. He can hit a home run on any pitch. Buscher can hit a single on any pitch.
Allowing opponents to bat .300 against him may catch up to Blackburn this year, I don't think he will be Silva bad but his ERA might be closer to 5.00 than 4.00.
Jose Morales has not looked like a MLB player so far. I thought he could be a surprise and provide some offense but his at-bats so far have been brutal with 3 strikeouts in 4 at-bats. Did you know that he is actually older than Joe Mauer by two months. It seems like Mauer has been around for ever but he only turns 26 on April 19th.

The first two games have not screamed AL Central Champs but some of that can be attributed to Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard who are no slouches and could both win a Cy Young sometime in their careers. These next two games against sub-standard pitching should give us a better look at just where the offense is at.

It is a Great Day in Sports

2009-04-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

My hand might suffer a little carpal tunnel tonight as I will be furiously switching between the NCAA National Championship and the Twins Season Opener. These are the days where I wish I had two TVs in the same room.

National Championship

If you watched UNC play MSU in Ford Field in Dec. 3rd in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, you had two thoughts. North Carolina is unbeatable and will walk to a national title and MSU will not be back to Ford Field. Well, UNC has proven throughout the season that they can be beaten and MSU has clubbed and clawed it's way into a rematch.

Why UNC will win: They are far and away the most talented team in the NCAA. This team doesn't even rely or use Hansborough that much this year. This team when it focuses can beat any team by 20 points. They are determined to win after all coming back to avenge last year's loss to Kansas.

Why MSU will win: They are the most underrated 2 seed in the history of the tournament. People are acting as if this is some Cinderella story but they are a 2 seed and if they had won the Big Ten tournament they would have been a 1 seed. This team can play fast and they can play slow. They will outrebound any team by 15. This team played UNC before without Goran Suton who has been an absolute force this tournament and should be able to control Hansborough. This team has a decided home field advantage and plenty of momentum.

Who will win: Teams have overlooked MSU all tournament only to get smacked in the mouth. UNC will not be overlooking them but they have to be thinking they are overwhelming favorites after beating them in December. The difference comes down to two things. One is the coaching, Roy Williams is a good coach and a great recruiter, but Tom Izzo is a wizard. He has outcoached Bill Self, Rick Pitino and Jim Calhoun this year. Williams is just not the game coach that Izzo is. The other difference is defense. UNC has faced this team before but they are a completely different team with Suton in the game. They will be a tougher defense than UNC has seen all year and the one UNC weakness is that they are a little soft. If MSU starts out hot and gets a lead this could be a magical night in Detroit.

Michigan St. 75, UNC 71

Opening Day

One of the best days of the year will only be diminished by the Dome for one more time. That said there is plenty of excitement surrounding the 2009 Minnesota Twins. This should be a great game with the duel between Felix Hernandez and Liriano. Seattle might steal this game due to Hernandez but the Seattle Lineup with out Ichiro is a joke. Here are the opening day lineups:

Minnesota
LF Denard Span
2B Alexi Casilla
RF Michael Cuddyer
1B Justin Morneau
DH Jason Kubel
3B Joe Crede
CF Carlos Gomez
C Mike Redmond
SS Nick Punto

Seattle
LF Endy Chavez
CF Franklin Guetierrez
DH Mike Sweeney
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Ken Griffey Jr.
2B Jose Lopez
1B Russell Branyan
C Kenji Johjima
SS Yuniesky Betancourt

Every one is looking at Young sitting and trying to read into it and make something out of it. Someone had to sit in the first game and it was Delmon Young. That being said I'm not surprised it is Delmon Young. Gardenhire loves Cuddyer and I see Gardenhire giving him all the chances in the world. I would guess it is going to be a lot of rotating and I would expect Young will be in the lineup on Tuesday. In place of who in the lineup I have no idea but this thing should play itself out that by the middle of June we will have three regular starters in the outfield and the odd man out.

Preview Recap, Awards and Post Season Predictions

2009-04-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

AL Central
Minnesota Twins (7)
Cleveland Indians (11)
Chicago White Sox (12)
Detroit Tigers (17)
Kansas City Royals (24)

AL East
Tampa Bay Rays (1)
Boston Red Sox (2)
New York Yankees (3)
Toronto Blue Jays (14)
Baltimore Orioles (29)

AL West
Los Angeles Angels (5)
Oakland Athletics (16)
Texas Rangers (19)
Seattle Mariners (26)

NL Central
Chicago Cubs (4)
Milwaukee Brewers (13)
Cincinnati Reds (18)
St. Louis Cardinals (20)
Houston Astros (23)
Pittsburgh Pirates (30)

NL East
Philadelphia Phillies (6)
New York Mets (8)
Atlanta Braves (15)
Florida Marlins (21)
Washington Nationals (27)

NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers (9)
Arizona Diamondbacks (10)
San Francisco Giants (22)
Colorado Rockies (25)
San Diego Padres (28)

LDS
Rays over Twins in 4 games
Red Sox over Angels in 3 games
Phillies over Dodgers in 5 games
Cubs over Mets in 4 games

LCS
Rays over Red Sox in 6 games
Cubs over Phillies in 7 games

World Series
Rays over Cubs in 5 games

AL Awards
ROY: David Price, Tampa Bay
Cy Young: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston
MVP: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay

NL Awards
ROY: Cameron Maybin, Florida
Cy Young: Brandon Webb, Arizona
MVP: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia

#1 Tampa Bay Rays

2009-04-03T10:30:00.001-07:00

Tampa Bay Rays
Last Year: 97-65 1st in AL East, Lost to Philadelphia in WS
This Year: 1st in AL East

There are those out there who claim last year was a fluke and that they will fall back to their "rightful" place as a sub .500 team at the bottom of the division. It is too bad those people have no idea what they are talking about. The actually in my opinion blossomed a year early. They won last year with Crawford injured and having a subpar year, Upton struggled with a torn labrum. Longoria didn't start until May, and Price wasn't even on the squad until the playoffs. This is supposed to be their year, Longoria is here for a whole year and Price will be able to join the rotation. Throw in Pat Burrell and you have the best team in the Major Leagues in 2009.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
2B Aki Iwamura .279 6 HR 45 RBI
LF Carl Crawford .307 15 HR 72 RBI 41 SB
CF B.J. Upton .292 26 HR 93 RBI 35 SB
3B Evan Longoria .289 38 HR 123 RBI
1B Carlos Pena .251 35 HR 108 RBI
DH Pat Burrell .252 31 HR 88 RBI
C Dioner Navarro .287 9 HR 59 RBI
RF Gabe Gross .242 15 HR 44 RBI
SS Jason Bartlett .280 2 HR 41 RBI 22 SB

Rotation
RHP James Shields 16-8 3.45 ERA 170 K
LHP Scott Kazmir 14-7 3.40 ERA 174 K
RHP Matt Garza 14-8 3.34 ERA 154 K
RHP Andy Sonnanstine 14-10 4.12 ERA 130 K
LHP David Price 13-5 3.47 ERA 148 K

CP RHP Troy Percival 4.34 ERA 32 SV 40 K

I know Upton is not ready for Opening Day and Price is starting in AAA, but this is how the team will look for the majority of the year and why they are the best team.

Best Case Scenario: Longoria doesn't face a sophomore slump and puts up MVP numbers. Upton stays healthy and builds off the postseason in which he hit 7 HRs in 66 at-bats. Crawford returns to all-star form. Kazmir decides to pitch into the 6th inning this year by not walking the bases full every inning. Garza builds off post season and becomes an all-star caliber pitcher. Price comes up and runs away with the AL ROY. The Rays find an answer in the closer role between Percival, Isringhausen and who ever is actually healthy. This team wins the AL East again and takes it a step farther by winning the World Series in the worst stadium known to man.

Worst Case Scenario: The injury bug hits the Rays hard. Kazmir gets injured or only pitches 140 innings. The bullpen collapses with the inability to find a closer and hold onto a lead. Garza still is inconsistent, and Price is not ready to be a dominant starter yet. This team struggles to live up to expectations on the team for the first time ever and struggle with the ultra-competitive AL East. This team finishes 3rd in the AL East and misses the playoffs.

Player Most Important to Success: Matt Garza. Garza has the stuff to be a front-line ace as he has been projected to be since he was called up with the Twins in 2006. He has slowly but surely moved closer to his potential but showed glimpses of what he can be in the playoffs last year. If the Rays are going to win the AL East again this year they are going to need Garza to reach his potential. If he becomes an All-Star pitcher this team's rotation will be able to match up pound for pound with the Yankees and Red Sox staffs, and then the Rays superior lineup will put them over the top and into the World Series again.

Outlook: This lineup is ridiculous. They have 4 players who have the potential to hit 30 home runs and 2 in Pena and Longoria who have the potential to hit 40. The only possible whole in the lineup is Right Field but that shouldn't be a huge problem with Gabe Gross and Matt Joyce platooning. I don't see how a pitcher can go through this lineup without giving up at least a run every time. The rotation isn't bad at all. If Price comes in and makes a Liriano/Linecum splash this team might run away with the division. The only thing I can see tripping this team up is bullpen issues or if the injury bug riddles this team. Last year was a prelude to the explosion we should see this year. Last year was not a fluke this Rays team is around to stay and should be a player in the AL East for years to come.

If You Weren't Excited About Opening Day Enough

2009-04-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

You have even more reasons to be pumped about Monday's opening day. Due to Scott Baker being put on the DL as a precaution, Twins fans will be treated to a matchup of Francisco Liriano versus Felix Hernandez. The Franchise versus King Felix. Two of the youngest and brightest stars in the Majors will get the season off with a bang. I have never wished for a weekend to end as much as this weekend. 2009 is about to go down and it should be an exciting and possibly great season, and Liriano versus Felix is the perfect way to kick off the season.

#2 Boston Red Sox

2009-04-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

Boston Red Sox
Last Year: 95-67 2nd in AL East, Lost in ALCS to Tampa Bay
This Year: 2nd in AL East

The Red Sox have gone from a team of lovable losers to an almost dynasty in this decade. Last year they fell just short of winning their 3rd title in 5 years. They have also done a beautiful job of slowly transitioning from the team of Manny, Ortiz, Pedro and Schilling a problem that the Yankees are facing. This question is if they have fully transformed into another title team or if the younger players still need more seasoning.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
CF Jacoby Ellsbury .294 11 HR 53 RBI 55 SB
2B Dustin Pedroia .312 17 HR 78 RBI 23 SB
DH David Ortiz .274 27 HR 103 RBI
1B Kevin Youkilis .303 24 HR 108 RBI
RF J.D. Drew .284 21 HR 68 RBI
LF Jason Bay .282 30 HR 97 RBI
3B Mike Lowell .281 17 HR 70 RBI
SS Jed Lowrie .263 5 HR 54 RBI
C Jason Varitek .231 10 HR 42 RBI

Rotation
RHP Josh Beckett 18-11 3.78 ERA 183 K
RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka 18-7 2.72 ERA 188 K
LHP Jon Lester 18-8 3.09 ERA 148 K
RHP Brad Penny 13-9 4.17 ERA 130 K
RHP Tim Wakefield 10-13 4.75 ERA 112 K

CP RHP Jonathan Papelbon 2.56 ERA 39 SV 80 K

Best Case Scenario: Pedroia and Youkillis repeat career years of last year. Beckett and Dice-K stay healthy and dominant. Penny gets healthy and pitches like he cares again. Ortiz gets healthy and has a last hurrah hitting 35-40 home runs. Varitek still is a major league catcher. Ellsbury fully blooms into the Johnny Damon player he is supposed to be. This team wins the AL East and cruises to a 3rd World Series in 6 years.

Worst Case Scenario: Ortiz and Lowell struggle to contribute all year. Drew is an injured disappointment once again. Dice-K still has an aversion to throwing strikes and continues to throw 5 shutout innings with 110 pitches. Beckett gets a blister on every finger. Pedroia and Youkillis don't perform as well as last year. Prospects aren't ready to fill in for injuries. This team finishes third in the AL East and misses the playoffs.

Player Most Important to Success: David Ortiz. Ortiz could be considered the main reason for the two World Series titles. Manny helped for sure but Ortiz was an absolute force in the middle and had multiple huge clutch hits. He has struggled the past two years with injuries hitting 58 home runs in the past two year while he had hit 54 in 2006. He is only 33 years old so it isn't as if the sun has set on his career. He still possibly has another 40 home runs season left in him. This team has a good lineup 1-9 but they need Ortiz to be the slugger and fear-inducer of 2006 for this lineup to truly sing and make those around him even more effective.

Outlook: The Red Sox are built for years to come. They have integrated studs Ellsbury and Pedroria into the lineup and Lester and Papelbon into the pitching staff easily. If a couple pitchers go down this year, no problem they have Clay Bucholz (who has a MLB no-hitter) and Justin Masterson waiting in the wings. If Youkilis or Ortiz goes down they have sluggers Lars Anderson or Chris Carter ready to step up. The question is not whether this team is built for the long-run but whether this will be a special year. They have the best pitching rotation in the Majors, a shut-down closer in Papelbon and the lineup is very solid. The only thing holding them back is they don't have a certain 30-40 home run guy in the middle of the lineup and Lowell and Varitek have seen better days. If Ortiz can return to his old self it may be different but those minute differences will cost them the AL East title but they will still be very difficult in the playoffs. Given that pitching staff they have, they are very dangerous come October to win another World Series.

#3 New York Yankees

2009-04-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

New York Yankees
Last Year: 89-73 3rd in AL East
This Year: 3rd in AL East

Last Year in Joe Girardi's first year as manager of the Yankees they finished in 3rd place for their worst finish since 1992. The front office answered with vengeance signing big free agents in Sabathia, Burnett and Teixeira. The question is whether it will be enough to compete in the ridiculously competitive AL East. In fact just making the playoffs might be the hardest part of winning their 27th World Series title.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
SS Derek Jeter .294 10 HR 62 RBI
LF Johnny Damon .289 13 HR 68 RBI 22 SB
1B Mark Teixeira .312 36 HR 124 RBI
DH Hideki Matsui .282 20 HR 94 RBI
RF Xavier Nady .291 26 HR 96 RBI
C Jorge Posada .270 14 HR 78 RBI
2B Robinson Cano .287 16 HR 81 RBI
3B Cody Ransom .216 6 HR 23 RBI
CF Brett Gardner .240 3 HR 42 RBI

Other Player: Alex Rodriguez .294 26 HR 92 RBI

Rotation
LHP C.C. Sabathia 17-11 3.24 ERA 213 K
RHP A.J. Burnett 16-10 3.79 ERA 205 K
RHP Chien-Ming Wang 17-9 3.78 ERA 102 K
LHP Andy Pettitte 12-14 4.79 ERA 149 K
RHP Joba Chamberlain 12-9 3.67 ERA 189 K

CP RHP Mariano Rivera 2.29 ERA 37 SV 72 K

Best Case Scenario: Alex Rodriguez comes back before May and is business as usual. Aging players Jeter, Damon, Matsui and Posada all stay healthy and contribute. Sabathia stays healthy after pitching 250 innings last year and is just as effective competing for a Cy Young award. Somehow A.J. Burnett gets a big contract and still decides to stay healthy and pitch 180 innings. They finally stick with Chamberlain in the rotation and he proves he can be a starter. This team wins the AL East and wins the World Series.

Worst Case Scenario: Alex Rodriguez has a lost year with the hip injury leaving a huge void in the suddenly weak Yankee lineup. The old parts of the lineup spend more time on the DL than the lineup. Sabathia and Burnett fail to live up to the contract and the Yankees panic causing more harm. This team finishes third in the AL East and misses the playoffs for back-to-back years.

Player Most Important to Success: Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod has quite the rough spring so far. He was found to have taken steroids and he has hurt is hip and should be out until May. The question is whether he will be back in May and how effective he will be when he gets back. Chase Utley and Mike Lowell both struggled coming back from hip injuries. If he is ineffective and not vintage A-Rod this team doesn't stand a chance. In April they will be counting on 34-year old Hideki Matsui. This lineup without A-Rod being A-Rod is mediocre surrounded with aging, injury-prone players.

Outlook: This team has issues that could lead to a less than stellar introduction to the new Yankee Stadium. The rotation should be fine with Hughes and Kennedy ready to fill in for any injuries or Andy Pettitte, but the bullpen and lineup are serious problems. With Joba in the rotation who get the ball to Rivera. Demaso Marte? Edwar Ramirez? Some guy named Phil Coke? They will need the starters to pitch 8 innings all year or have Rivera pitch two innings every game. The lineup has the potential to be a disaster if A-Rod has a lost year. Posada is 37 and missed most of last year, Damon is 35 and is no longer the leadoff hitter, Jeter is 34 and has started a steep decline, Matsui 34 and has only been healthy 1 of the last 3 years, even A-Rod's backup Cody Ransom is 33. The other players are questions also. Cano is coming off a bad year and Gardner is an unproven rookie.The bottom line is they still have more questions than they have answers. Bottom line is both the Rays and Sox have a better lineup and the Sox have better pitching. This team would win the division in any other division but in the AL East that equals 3rd place and another disappointing year in the Bronx.

TCF Bank Student Seating Update

2009-03-31T22:34:00.000-07:00

The Star Tribune finally shines some light on a the situation for student seating in TCF Bank next year. I have been following this with great interest as I am a graduating senior this year and have been hoping to still be able find a way for student season tickets next year. With this news it is not looking good for me. I was hoping that a student could still buy two tickets as I had someone who will still be enrolled lined up but that is out the window. I don't have the money or Gopher Points to get season tickets elsewhere and will continue to look for a loophole but it looks like I'm going to have to scalp for the opener and spend the rest of the Saturday's tailgaiting then heading over to the bars to watch the game. The only possible loophole I see in the story is that they are sold online in April when I will still be a student and I am curious as to how they will make sure you will be a student in the fall.

On the price, 84 dollars is a steep jump from the 60 dollars I spent freshman year but that is still ridiculously cheap considering it is a brand new stadium and Wisconsin Student Tickets are around 200 dollars. I would guess the price might keep increasing after 2009.

#4 Chicago Cubs

2009-03-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

Chicago Cubs
Last Year: 97-64 1st in NL Central, Lost in NLDS
This Year: 1st in NL Central

It seemed that the cards were falling into place last year. The team had a great regular season in the 100th year anniversary of their last World Series title and then they imploded in October for the second straight year. The question about this team is not whether they can make the playoffs. The question is if they will ever do anything once they get to the playoffs.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
LF Alfonso Soriano .282 32 HR 77 RBI 16 SB
CF Reed Johnson .293 8 HR 56 RBI
1B Derrek Lee .295 19 HR 94 RBI
RF Milton Bradley .308 26 HR 93 RBI
3B Aramis Ramirez .284 27 HR 104 RBI
C Geovany Soto .294 27 HR 94 RBI
2B Mike Fontenot .297 13 HR 71 HR
SS Ryan Theriot .290 2 HR 37 RBI
P Carlos Zambrano .249 4 HR 12 RBI

Rotation
RHP Carlos Zambrano 16-10 4.04 ERA 141 K
RHP Ryan Dempster 15-11 4.13 ERA 171 K
LHP Ted Lilly 15-9 4.34 ERA 170 K
RHP Rich Harden 13-5 3.25 ERA 181 K
LHP Sean Marshall 9-7 4.35 ERA 114 K

CP RHP Kevin Gregg 3.49 ERA 36 SV 65 K

Best Case Scenario: Harden stay healthy and gives the team 160 innings and 25-30 starts. Gregg works as closer making all Cubs games 7 inning games with Marmol in the set-up role. Lee and Soriano still have one more year of production left in them. Dempster was not a fluke last year and is still an All-Star pitcher. Zambrano is still an ace. Milton Bradley stays healthy and out of trouble enough to finally become an All-Star. This team stops choking in October and heads to the World Series for the first time since 1945.

Worst Case Scenario: Harden and Zambrano go down with injuries and Dempster proves last year was a fluke leaving the rotation in disarray. Soriano and Lee continue to age and hit above .300 or over 20 home runs. Bradley headbutts a ump, player, team mascot or fan and is sent packing to his 8th team. This team fulfills the curse of the billy goat for another year and exits quickly from the playoffs.

Player Most Important to Success: Rich Harden. Rich Harden has incredible stuff. The problem is that no one ever gets to see it because he is always on the DL. He has a career ERA of 3.23 and 9.00 K/9, the problem is that that is in 612 innings spread over 6 years. He has only made over 20 starts in a season twice and one of those was last year when he went 10-2 2.07 ERA and 181 K in only 148 innings. If he every were to make 30 starts he would win the Cy Young. With Zambrano aging and Dempster being a flash in the pan, the Cubs need Harden to be healthy and give this team a rotation that can compete in October. A healthy Harden makes this team a legitimate shot to finally end the 101 years of futility.

Outlook: This team should again play great and exciting baseball all summer but the question is whether the fun will continue into the fall. One reason for the past two collapses has been the fans' expectation to fail. It can not be easy to take the field in Game 1 with your home fans sitting on their hands waiting for it all to implode. The first error or strikeout confirms their suspicions and it all snow balls from there. It is similar to Boston until they got a team that didn't care about the fans' myths or curses and just won. This is what the Cubs need. This team has all the talent to put it together but whether they do or not is up to them. The good news for Cubs fans is that even if October is sour again June and July sitting in the best ballpark in the world will still be the time of their lives.

#5 Los Angeles Angels

2009-03-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Angels
Last Year: 100-62 1st in AL West, Lost to Boston in ALDS
This Year: 1st in AL West

For the second straight year the Angels brought a gaudy record and division title into October only to get quickly dispatched to where they came from by Boston. They had a largely unsuccessful winter in attempts to get them over the hump being unable to land CC Sabathia or re-sign Mark Teixiera. They patched up some holes by signing Bobby Abreu but this team should once again cruise to a division title but might not have the pieces to win a World Series.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
3B Chone Figgins .279 3 HR 42 RBI 42 SB
LF Bobby Abreu .292 17 HR 87 RBI 18 SB
RF Vladimir Guerrero .307 26 HR 103 RBI
CF Torii Hunter .272 22 HR 83 RBI
1B Kendry Morales .271 18 HR 76 RBI
DH Juan Rivera .262 15 HR 66 RBI
2B Howie Kendrick .322 7 HR 62 RBI
C Mike Napoli .261 22 HR 52 RBI
SS Erick Aybar .262 3 HR 36 RBI

Rotation
RHP John Lackey 10-7 3.55 ERA 104 K
RHP Ervin Santana 14-8 3.81 ERA 202 K
LHP Joe Saunders 14-8 3.76 ERA 93 K
RHP Jered Weaver 13-9 4.03 ERA 144 K
RHP Dustin Moseley 9-7 4.56 ERA 87 K

CP LHP Brian Fuentes 2.73 ERA 38 SV 78 K

Best Case Scenario: Lackey and Santana both get healthy and become top flight aces. Guerrero bounces back from a disappointing year to put up MVP numbers again. Kendry Morales produces to round out the middle of the lineup and help fans forget about Teixiera. Fuentes fills the hole left by K-Rod very well. The bottom of the lineup combines to produce enough where it doesn't all fall on the shoulders of Hunter, Guerrero, and Abreu. They don't have to face Boston in the playoffs and this team makes a presence in the postseason.

Worst Case Scenario: Lackey's elbow issue becomes serious and is lost for the season. Santana can't repeat the breakout season he had last year. Jered Weaver continues to regress and live up to expectations. The outfield is just too old to carry the brunt of the offense. Youngsters Morales, Hendrick and Brandon Wood aren't ready to contribute on a full time basis. Fuentes blows saves and the Angels struggle to find a closer. This team still wins the mediocre division but are swept by the AL East in the ALDS.

Player Most Important to Success: Kendry Morales. A lot of pressure is being put on the 25 year old First Baseman with only 377 career at-bats. He is the succeeding Mark Teixiera at 1st and is being put at the 5 hole in the lineup. He has to make fans forget about the All-Star 1st Baseman they had last year and provide plenty of offense to round out the middle of the lineup. He has potential to do so as he went .341-15-64 in only 317 at bats in AAA last year but for his MLB career he is so far .249-12-45 in 377 at bats. If he can produce he will protect Hunter and Guerrero and give the Angels a well-rounded offense. If he can not it will be dependent on Hunter, Abreu and Guerrero to provide all the offense and that won't lead to a lot of success.

Outlook: Getting CC Sabathia would have been nice but they are going to miss Mark Teixiera. The middle of the lineup is filled with aging sluggers in Guerrero, Abreu and Hunter who are "34", 35 and 33. The rest of the lineup is full of forgettable pieces. They also have questions with the usually reliable rotation with Lackey and Santana not going to be ready by Opening Day. They are both solid if healthy but that is a question at this point. This team should cruise to a AL West title for the 5th time in 6 years but unless this team gets a slugging corner infielder to bat cleanup and move Hunter to the 5-hole this team will be a quick out in the playoffs.

#6 Philadelphia Phillies

2009-03-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Phillies
Last Year: 92-70 1st in NL East, World Series Champs
This Year: 1st in NL East

Last year the Phillies capitalized on another Mets collapse to repeat as division champs. They then marched through the playoffs going 11-3 on the way to the franchises' second World Series title with the other being in 1980. They have not made a lot of moves in the winter with the only major move being not re-signing Pat Burrell and replacing him with Raul Ibanez. It will be interesting to see if this team has the fire or desire to defend their World Series title.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
SS Jimmy Rollins .277 13 HR 62 RBI 44 SB
CF Shane Victorino .290 16 HR 63 RBI 34 SB
2B Chase Utley .307 34 HR 107 RBI
1B Ryan Howard .267 50 HR 140 HR
LF Raul Ibanez .289 20 HR 102 RBI
RF Jayson Werth .273 24 HR 69 RBI
3B Pedro Feliz .252 16 HR 74 RBI
C Carlos Ruiz .231 5 HR 39 RBI
P Cole Hamels

Rotation
LHP Cole Hamels 17-9 3.19 ERA 189 K
RHP Brett Myers 12-13 4.54 ERA 160 K
LHP Jamie Moyer 9-9 4.79 ERA 118 K
RHP Joe Blanton 14-10 4.24 ERA 113 K
RHP Chan Ho Park 6-9 5.31 ERA 97 K

CP RHP Brad Lidge 2.31 ERA 39 SV 87 K

Best Case Scenario: Cole Hamels stays healthy and is an absolute stud. Brett Myers pitches well and is a nice compliment to Hamels. Howard improves the batting average, cuts down the strikes and wins his second NL MVP. Utley is fully healthy and rakes all season. Ibanez fills in perfectly for Burrell. This team scores plenty of runs and wins the NL East for the third straight season. This team goes back to the World Series.

Worst Case Scenario: Hamels elbow becomes serious rendering him useless for the season. Myers blows up again and Moyer finally pitches like the 46-year old that he is. Ibanez hits like a 38-year old and fails to protect Howard like Burrell did. Howard strikes out 200 times and fails to hit 40 home runs. This team still scores but can't outscore the 8 runs the pitching staff gives up every game. This team finishes 3rd in the division and around .500

Player Most Important to Success: Brett Myers. The lineup will score runs in bunches, Hamels is a legitimate Cy Young contender and Brad Lidge is one of the best closers in the game. What this team needs though to have a chance to repeat is a second starter who can win games for them. That falls on the shoulders of Brett Myers. Consistency is not a word in Myers vocabulary. In 2007 he was coming off two straight seasons with an ERA under 4.00 and was the Opening Day Starter. He then blew-up so badly they moved him to the bullpen and eventually the closer. He was moved back into the rotation last year and had mixed results. If he can give the team 190 innings with an ERA under 4.00 again this team will have a very good chance of repeating as champs. If not the Phillies may have trouble getting the lead to Lidge in the 9th.

Outlook: How the Phillies start the season will be very important. They will be without the services of their best set-up man J.C. Romero for the 1st 50 games since he tested positive for a banned substance. They will also have to fight off any World Series hangover. They can not get off to a slow start and depend on another Mets collapse in August and September. This team should still put up plenty of runs but the pitching depth is a legitimate concern. The chips all fell into place last year by the Mets collapse in September and facing postseason experience challenged teams in the Brewers, Dodgers and Rays. I don't see this team repeating this year but they are still a very good team and could very likely return to the World Series but I don't think this team will be able to beat the American League again in 2009.

#7 Minnesota Twins

2009-03-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Minnesota Twins
Last Year: 88-75 2nd in AL Central
This Year: 1st in AL Central

Last year the expectations were low. They had lost Johan Santana and Torii Hunter. The pitching rotation had limited experience and the lineup had a lot of youth with Carlos Gomez leading off. They surprised a lot of people by playing well all summer. They just missed out on the playoffs by losing a coin flip and then losing the tiebreaker 1-0 to Chicago. They had a very quiet winter until they signed Joe Crede in February to shore up the hole at 3rd base. This team has the youth, speed and ability to take the next step and win the division for the 5th time in 8 years.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
RF Denard Span .286 7 HR 54 RBI 27 SB
2B Alexi Casilla .274 7 HR 61 RBI 17 SB
DH Jason Kubel .276 24 HR 86 RBI
1B Justin Morneau .308 32 HR 134 RBI
3B Joe Crede .254 24 HR 79 RBI
LF Delmon Young .296 17 HR 77 RBI
C Mike Redmond .280 0 HR 27 RBI
SS Nick Punto .272 2 HR 34 RBI
CF Carlos Gomez .267 11 HR 66 RBI 41 SB

Other Players
RF Michael Cuddyer .271 15 HR 73 RBI
C Joe Mauer .317 9 HR 72 RBI

Rotation
RHP Scott Baker 13-6 3.67 ERA 148 K
LHP Francisco Liriano 15-7 2.93 ERA 171 K
RHP Kevin Slowey 11-8 3.92 ERA 132 K
LHP Glen Perkins 12-9 4.24 ERA 98 K
RHP Nick Blackburn 12-10 4.15 ERA 104 K

CP RHP Joe Nathan 1.40 ERA 41 SV 77 K

Best Case Scenario: Joe Crede stays healthy and is an All-Star Third Baseman. Joe Mauer get healthy and stays healthy contending for a third batting title. Span and Casilla don't regress off of surprise success last year. Young and Gomez continue to mature and develop. Liriano builds off his second half success last year and returns to the dominant starter he was in 2006. The bullpen becomes the typical Twins bullpen again instead of the mess it was down the stretch last year. The team cruises to an AL Central title and gets to the ALCS.

Worst Case Scenario: Span and Casilla regress becoming .240 hitters, Joe Mauer never gets fully healthy and Redmond gets 300 at-bats. Crede's back flares up leaving the Twins to need Buscher to play every day. Gomez still can't settle down and swings at anything thrown to him. Liriano's arm troubles spark up again. The bullpen is a mess and can't get the lead to Joe Nathan. This team finishes around .500 and 3rd in the AL Central.

Player Most Important to Success: Francisco Liriano. Liriano was absolutely dominant in 2006 outpitching Johan Santana who won the Cy Young that year. He then went down with Tommy John surgery and missed 2007. He was rushed back before he was ready in 2008 and was crushed. It is often forgotten that when he came back from AAA in July he went 5-1 with an ERA of 3.02 in his last 10 starts. It is typically said that you don't get fully back from Tommy John until the second year. He has pitched very well this spring and looks to be ready to claim back his crown as The Franchise. The Twins rotation is full of good pitchers who give you a chance to win but Liriano is the one pitcher who can win a game for you. That is something you need especially if you hope to do something in October. Other players: Joe Mauer, Delmon Young, and Denard Span.

Outlook: Before the signing of Joe Crede there was little hype surrounding this team which I did not get. This was a very young team that was returning everyone from a team that won 88 games. If Mauer comes back and Crede stays healthy this should be the best Twins lineup they have had since 1991. They have 5 pitchers who are all capable of giving the team a quality start. One thing they need to do this year is pitch deeper into the game so the bullpen doesn't get as taxed as it did last year. They have some possible issues. Span and Casilla were pleasant surprises last year that might turn out to be one year wonders ala Lew Ford and Luis Rivas. This team can hold up for a little while without Mauer but they won't be able to go for an extended amount of time. This team also still has bullpen issues that were not addressed especially if Jose Mijares doesn't do anything this year. This team should definitely contend for the division title and win it but the question is whether this team can compete with the AL East and be more than a sweep in the ALDS. This still should a fun year for Twins fans and it is a shame it still has to be spent in the Metrodome.

Gillispie Out at Kentucky

2009-03-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

After only two years at Kentucky, Billy Gillispie has been fired from Kentucky. Kentucky missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1991. He was fired not just for the losses but how he handled himself by irritating everyone involved in the program. To date I have not been worried about Tubby leaving and was happy the Alabama job was filled but this one worries me. He is a former Kentucky assistant and Pitino protege. He is one of the hottest coaches in America and has been wanted by every AD with a vacant head coach. He would love to coach a big time program like Kentucky. I also think he would be perfect for the job. He handles his job with class and is loved by his players and staff. I think if Kentucky were to get Tubby he could turn the program around quickly. I could see him leading the Wildcats to a National Title, 3 Elite Eights, and 5 SEC titles. I think we might have seen the last of Tubby in maroon and gold and might have to get used to him in blue and white in Lexington.

#8 New York Mets

2009-03-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

New York Mets
Last Year: 89-73 2nd in NL East
This Year: 2nd in NL East, NL Wild Card

The Mets are moving into their new digs this season and they are still being overshadowed by the Yankees who are also moving into new digs. The Mets collapsed after starting strong for the second straight time. By the end of the season, Johan Santana seemed to be the only player capable of contributing. GM Omar Minaya promised to make drastic changes but all he did was add two closers to the team. Many blamed the bullpen for the collapse but this team still has issues which could lead to finishing behind the Phillies for the third straight year.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
SS Jose Reyes .303 17 HR 69 RBI 67 SB
LF Daniel Murphy .289 10 HR 73 RBI
3B David Wright .314 32 HR 121 RBI 17 SB
1B Carlos Delgado .261 30 HR 104 RBI
CF Carlos Beltran .281 29 HR 117 RBI 20 SB
RF Ryan Church .270 15 HR 74 RBI
2B Luis Castillo .251 2 HR 31 RBI 13 SB
C Brian Schneider .247 8 HR 47 RBI
P Johan Santana

Rotation
LHP Johan Santana 17-8 2.87 ERA 194 K
RHP Mike Pelfrey 15-10 3.67 ERA 116 K
LHP Oliver Perez 14-11 4.45 ERA 173 K
RHP John Maine 15-10 3.91 ERA 167 K
RHP Livan Hernandez 6-12 5.76 ERA 78 K

CP RHP Francisco Rodriguez 2.56 ERA 41 SV 73 K

Best Case Scenario: Rodriguez and Putz close up the bullpen and make Mets games 7 inning games. Delgado still produces at age 36. Starters 2-4 stay healthy all year and give quality starts to backup ace Santana. Mets find a way to get production from hitters 6-8. Leaving Shea Stadium rids the team of the August and September demons and they finish strong down the stretch. They win the NL East and head to the World Series.

Worst Case Scenario: K-Rod is worn down from last years work load and is ineffective. Injuries riddle the rotation and the Mets need 200 innings from Livan Hernandez. Delgado's bat is too slow to keep the clean-up spot. Hitters 6-8 do nothing putting a tremendous amount of pressure on Reyes, Wright and Beltran. The team gets off to a slow start leading to mass changes with the firing of the manager and GM and this team falls apart finishing 3rd in the NL East.

Player Most Important to Success: John Maine. If the Mets are going to win the NL East they need to get quality starting pitching behind Johan Santana. Pelfrey can be relyed on for the most part and Oliver Perez will win enough games for them but John Maine is the pitcher who if he produces moves this team ahead of the Phillies with 4 quality starters. He missed last September with a bone spur in his shoulder. It should not affect him but he has been underwhelming in spring with an ERA of 10.38. If he can give them 180-190 innings with an ERA under 4.00 like he did in 2007 this team will be fine, if he can't this team might be golfing in October.

Outlook: It seemed that people thought the bullpen was the only issue facing the Mets last year. While it definitely hurt the team last year they have other issues that have not been addressed. Their lineup has serious holes with Luis Castillo at 2B and Brian Schneider at C. Livan Hernandez won the 5th spot in the rotation. This team still has weapons to compete for the division but the main question is whether the ghosts of the past two years will haunt this team and stop this team again this year. If this team does make the playoffs, the lack of All-Star pitching behind Santana won't let them advance very far if they get there.

Good News for Gopher Fans

2009-03-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

BJ Mullens has decided to be the third straight Buckeye center to leave after his freshman year following Greg Oden (obvious decision) and Kosta Koufos (Could have used one more year). BJ Mullens is definitely not ready to contribute in the NBA but there will certainly be a lottery team willing to waste their pick on the 7 footers potential. With him leaving, the possible departure of Evan Turner and no incoming recruits in 2009, The Gophers should have one less team to compete for the Big Ten title with next year.

Offseason Goldy News and Thoughts

2009-03-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

Scout and Rivals have revealed their top 300 and 250 respectively for the football class of 2010 and the Gophers are off to a good start. Offensive lineman Jimmy Gjere is #161 overall on Rivals and a 4-star and #159 and a 4-star on Scout. Linebacker Konrad Zagzebski is #239 on Scout. Other notables Sentreal Henderson is #1 overall on both lists by a wide margin according to reports. Beau Allen is #247 on Scout.
With Spring Football approaching the Daily Gopher noted that Brewster has started participating in the irritating fad that is Twitter. Here is his feed. Reading through this Brewster is devolving into just a characticture. Sometimes it is really hard to take him serious with the rah-rah nonsense that comes out of his mouth.
Speaking of a character babbling non-sense Pat Reusse is at it again. Nothing gets me more annoyed than Pat Reusse taking potshots at the University of Minnesota. I don't know what the University did to him but he clearly hates the U. He writes an article about how every Gopher program this year was mediocre and collapsed and while it is true in some cases, he is stretching and bringing pessimism to a whole new level. He then ranks the disappointments in order of most disappointing.
He claims the Volleyball team failed because it was ranked 10th nationally and lost at home in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Explain how to me that is a failure. The Washington Basketball team was ranked high and won the Pac-10 this year but lost in the second round in Portland to Purdue. Were they a failure? No, then why would the Volleyball team be one.
Next is the Women's Hockey team that only won the WCHA crown, was ranked #1 for a lot of the year and lost in the Frozen Four to Mercyhurst. While it is disappointing they could not win, never is a trip to the Frozen Four a failure or a collapse. When it is one and done anything can happen.
Wrestling came next. They were acknowledged to be in a down year and had a bad year but every powerhouse has a bad year as they finished 7th in the Big Ten tournament. I would take any bet that they will be a lot better next year.
Then he had the balls to list the Men's Basketball team as a failure or collapse. He uses the excuse that the team was ranked #19 and was mediocre down the stretch. He claims that Damian Johnson regressed in Big Ten play and anyone who actually watched the team knows the opposite is true as he became our best player down the stretch. He doesn't dwell on the fact that this team won 9 games two years ago and still has 4 players from that team contributing. This team met or exceeded any rational expectations for this team heading into the season. I think Reusse would fit right in as a Kentucky Wildcat fan.
He again thinks the Women's team failed for making the second round of the NCAA and beating a higher seed on its own home court. He was around when the Women were at the bottom and 100 people watched them in the Sports Pavilion and now being one of the top 32 teams isn't good enough.
He then brings up the Gopher Football "collapse". What always is failed to be mentioned is that the Gophers never beat a bowl team the whole year. They did not collapse they just beat crappy teams early. People thought the Illinois and Purdue wins were impressive but they ended up not to be. The Gopher football team definitely has not been an overnight success but they did improve over 2007 and there is no reason to believe they won't improve on 2008 next year.
Then finally he brings up the Hockey collapse. While I admit that it was a terrible collapse and this team had way too much talent to miss the NCAA tournament, he took it too far. Here is his quote about the hockey team "Don Lucia again turning his Yankees of college hockey into the St. Paul Saints". I don't even fully get the analogy and to say it is an overeaction is to put it mildly. They finished as the 15th best team in the nation and while they disappointed this year they certainly were not a minor league team.
I'm sorry for the rant and it is probably hard to follow and read but I hate Reusse and I don't get why he feels necessary to rip the U. If Tubby wins the Big Ten next year, Reusse will either write an article about some old football coach talking about his playing days at Gustavus or he will take the day off and wait until they lose in the tournament and rip the failure of the program.

#9 Los Angeles Dodgers

2009-03-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Dodgers
Last Year: 84-78 1st in NL West, Lost to Philadelphia in NLCS
This Year: 1st in NL West

Last year the Dodgers were a middling average team until they acquired Manny Ramirez and took off. He rejuvenated the team and the city and gave the Dodgers and exciting run that ultimately ended up a little short. After a long, withdrawn standstill Ramirez re-signed with the Dodgers and the excitement was back in Dodgerville. The question is whether they can repeat the results of last year and even get to the World Series for the first time since 1988.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
SS Rafael Furcal .286 7 HR 47 RBI 23 SB
2B Orlando Hudson .296 10 HR 61 RBI
LF Manny Ramirez .314 35 HR 118 RBI
C Russell Martin .291 16 HR 94 RBI 20 SB
CF Matt Kemp .303 22 HR 88 RBI 26 SB
1B James Loney .310 18 HR 88 RBI
RF Andre Ethier .304 24 HR 82 RBI
3B Casey Blake .268 18 HR 73 RBI
P Chad Billingsley

Rotation
RHP Chad Billingsley 18-8 3.04 ERA 204 K
RHP Hiroki Kuroda 13-10 4.12 ERA 110 K
LHP Clayton Kershaw 14-9 3.79 ERA 193 K
LHP Randy Wolf 8-11 4.76 ERA 155 K
RHP Claudio Vargas 7-13 5.13 ERA 112 K

CP RHP Jonathan Broxton 2.85 ERA 39 SV 94 K

Best Case Scenario: Ramirez repeats his tear through NL pitching winning the MVP award. Kemp, Either, Loney and Russell continue their development rounding out the best lineup in the NL. Billingsley moves into the role of ace very well. Kershaw produces for a full year living up to potential. Broxton makes Dodger games 8 inning games. The back half of the rotation provides enough innings to allow the offense to win the game. This team wins the NL West and heads to the World Series before losing to the mighty AL.

Worst Case Scenario: Ramirez does not feel like playing this year or his age catches up to him. Hudson and Furcal can't stay healthy leaving a hole in the middle of the infield. Kershaw is not ready and spends time in AAA. The back of the rotation is a disaster and no one can keep an ERA under 5. The bullpen can not get the lead to Broxton. This team finishes 2nd in the NL West.

Player Most Important to Success: Clayton Kershaw. Much was made of Ramirez in the offseason which overshadowed the departure of Brad Penny and Derek Lowe. This leaves the Dodgers very vulnerable in the rotation. Kershaw has the potential to make the Dodger fans forget all about them. Last year he was called up from AA with a Vin Scully slobbering all over him and he did not disappoint. In 21 starts he went 5-5 4.26 ERA and 100 K's in 107 IP. With a year under his belt he is being counted on to improve on those numbers. He just turned 21 on March 19 and has the weight of the franchise on his shoulders. If he can become an All-Star type pitcher he will give the Dodgers a 1-2 punch with Kuroda a decent third option. That should be enough pitching to win the division. If he falters this team will be in a dogfight all season trying to outscore opponents.

Outlook: This team has the most complete lineup in the National League. It is obvious by the fact that Casey Blake is batting 8th. There is not a weak link in that lineup except for the pitcher spot. Teams will be forced to pitch to Manny all summer because he is surrounded by players who can hit for average and have good speed. Loney, Kemp and Either are all big time breakout candidates. The thing that is stopping this team from walking into the World Series and division title is the pitching. The departure of Penny and Lowe will be felt. Having the back end of a rotation of Randy Wolf and Claudio Vargas is not an exciting prospect for any GM. That said if the Manny takeover of LA continues again this year there will be meaningful baseball in October again in Dodger Stadium.

#10 Arizona Diamondbacks

2009-03-24T12:35:00.001-07:00

Arizona Diamondbacks
Last Year: 82-80 2nd in NL West
This Year: 2nd in NL West

Last year the Diamondbacks flew out of the gates to a 20-8 start. They were then undone by their own doing and the Dodgers acquisition of Manny Ramirez. The team filled with young players has gotten a year older and this year looks to best the Dodgers this year and make the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
2B Felipe Lopez .274 8 HR 53 RBI
SS Stephen Drew .296 24 HR 75 RBI
CF Chris B. Young .251 25 HR 87 RBI
LF Conor Jackson .294 15 HR 89 RBI
RF Justin Upton .261 23 HR 79 RBI
1B Chad Tracy .266 17 HR 75 RBI
3B Mark Reynolds .255 30 HR 78 RBI
C Chris Snyder .238 17 HR 62 RBI
P Brandon Webb

Rotation
RHP Brandon Webb 19-9 3.11 ERA 176 K
RHP Dan Haren 17-8 3.15 ERA 198 K
LHP Doug Davis 10-11 4.40 ERA 149 K
RHP Jon Garland 13-9 4.79 ERA 103 K
RHP Max Scherzer 12-8 3.15 ERA 187 K

CP RHP Chad Qualls 3.27 ERA 27 SV 73 K

Best Case Scenario: The Arizona batters learn that contact is there friend. Upton blossoms into the All-Star player he will be. Drew, Jackson and Young further their development and become a force in the middle of the lineup. Scherzer stays healthy and is an immediate ace backing up Webb and Haren. This team wins 90+ games and wins the NL West and makes noise in the playoffs.

Worst Case Scenario: The strikeouts keep rolling as Mark Reynolds nears 250 strikeouts. Injuries riddle the rotation. Upton is still a .220 hitter. Scherzer is not ready to take the next step and also continues his shoulder struggles. Arizona can not figure out the bullpen leading to chaos and blown leads. This team finishes around .500 and might end up in 3rd place.

Player Most Important to Success: Max Scherzer. Scherzer made a lot of noise in his appearances last year with the Diamondbacks. He had an ERA of 3.05 in 7 starts and 56 IP and 66 K's in those 56 innings. The problem with Scherzer is that he has yet to throw over 100 innings in a single season yet. He is already not likely to be ready for Opening day and won't likely pitch until mid-April. If he can stay healthy he will be a very imposing 3rd starter in this rotation that will be the best in the National League. This pitching staff will be able to shut down the Dodgers lineup to win the division and will not a be a team anyone will want to face in a short series in October.

Outlook: What killed the Diamondback last year was the inability of the lineup to make contact. Mark Reynolds struck out 204 times, Chris Young struck out 165 times, Justin Upton 121 times in only 356 at bats and Stephen Drew also struck out 109 times. You can not win a lot of games with the middle of the lineup striking out 1 out every 5 at bats or worse. They absolutely have to cut down on the strikeouts and realize they don't have to swing for the fences every time. That being said the lineup has a lot of young talent that can produce throughout the lineup. If Scherzer develops this team has the best pitching staff in the NL. Webb and Haren will be able to win games for the team that they have no business winning. Those two were the only reason this team finished above .500 last year. I had this team winning the division before Manny went back to the Dodgers. While it is still close and should be a hard fought long race I think ultimately the Diamondbacks will fall short due to the lineup to the Dodgers and miss out on the playoffs again in 2009.

#11 Cleveland Indians

2009-03-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Cleveland Indians
Last Year: 81-81 3rd in AL Central
This Year: 2nd in AL Central

Last year Cleveland had expectations to compete for the division and take a step from 2007's run to ALCS Game 7. It quickly unraveled thanks to the disappearance of Travis Hafner and others. This lead to a sale trading away C.C. Sabathia and Casey Blake. They have re-tooled in the winter by adding Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa. A lot of outlets have the Indians as a favorite in the AL Central but they have a few holes that would need to be patched in order to do so.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
CF Grady Sizemore .281 33 HR 84 RBI 40 SB
3B Mark DeRosa .287 14 HR 76 RBI
C Victor Martinez .297 22 HR 107 RBI
DH Travis Hafner .237 19 HR 89 RBI
SS Jhonny Peralta .284 25 HR 96 RBI
RF Shin-Soo Choo .294 19 HR 83 RBI
1B Ryan Garko .267 14 HR 69 RBI
LF Ben Francisco .270 16 HR 62 RBI
2B Asdrubal Cabrera .266 8 HR 52 RBI

Rotation
LHP Cliff Lee 16-11 3.79 ERA 143 K
RHP Fausto Carmona 16-12 3.89 ERA 119 K
RHP Carl Pavano 5-9 4.98 ERA 89 K
RHP Aaron Reyes 6-12 5.34 ERA 103 K
LHP Aaron Laffey 7-8 4.12 ERA 79 K

CP RHP Kerry Wood 3.14 ERA 29 SV 78 K

Best Case Scenario: Hafner is rejuvenated and once again is a force in the middle of the lineup. Martinez and Sizemore stay healthy. DeRosa and Cliff Lee repeat the career years of last year. Kerry Wood stays healthy and is a dominant closer. Carmona bounces back and is a front-line ace again. Carl Pavano makes at least 15 starts. This team wins the AL Central.

Worst Case Scenario: Hafner can't find the power and is phased out for Matt LaPorta. Cliff Lee returns to his 4.14 career ERA and Carmona repeats last year's performance. Kerry Wood proves it wasn't just the curse of the Billy Goat and he is a oft-injured pitcher. Pavano is Carl Pavano and misses three months due to a paper cut. The team finishes below .500 and 4th in AL Central.

Player Most Important to Success: Kerry Wood. Last year Kerry Wood pitched the most innings he had since 2005 as he moved from a starter to a closer. It worked for the Cubs as he had 34 saves in 40 opportunities with an ERA of 3.26. The question is whether he can stay healthy again this year. The Cubs last year had an insurance plan of Marmol if Wood got hurt. The problem is the Indians don't. If Kerry Wood goes down the closer would likely be Rafael Betancourt who had an ERA of 5.07 last year and was 4-8 in save opportunities. If Wood is healthy they will have the lockdown closer they have not had in a long time. If he is injured this team will struggle mightily to hold leads and keep opposing teams under 6 runs with a mediocre pitching staff.

Outlook: People looking to the Indians as favorites see Sizemore, Martinez, Hafner, DeRosa, Cliff Lee, Carmona and Wood. They fail to see Hafner hit 5 homeruns and batted .197 last year. Martinez and Sizemore are often hurt. DeRosa and Lee had huge career years at age 33 and 29. Carmona had a terrible last year and ask a Cubs fan if you should bank a season on Kerry Wood. People see the names and they are more impressive than Span, Casilla, Slowey, and Kubel so they are made favorites but they have huge holes that are being overlooked. Even if Lee and Carmona pitch well they have no pitching after that. How can you pick a team that has Carl Pavano penciled in as the #3 pitcher. They have holes at LF and RF in Shin-Soo Choo and Ben Francisco. There bullpen is not very good even with a healthy Kerry Wood even worse without. This team will be decent but they are overhyped by those who see the big names and in actuality they are a .500 2nd place team.

#12 Chicago White Sox

2009-03-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Chicago White Sox
Last Year: 89-74 1st in AL Central, Lost to Tampa Bay in ALDS
This Year: 3rd in AL Central

Last year the White Sox were the beneficiary of a favorable coin toss and made the most of it beating the Twins in the tiebreaker game at Chicago 1-0 off a Jim Thome home run. In this offseason they got rid of some of their parts and have tried to get rid of more while adding none. The team is filled with aging sluggers who's best years are behind them but they still have some young talent in the lineup and pitching staff where they can still compete in the AL Central.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
CF Dewayne Wise .228 11 HR 37 RBI 21 SB
C A.J. Pierzynski .274 10 HR 57 RBI
LF Carlos Quentin .281 38 HR 112 RBI
DH Jim Thome .241 32 HR 87 RBI
RF Jermaine Dye .282 28 HR 81 RBI
1B Paul Konerko .249 24 HR 73 RBI
SS Alexei Ramirez .295 25 HR 87 RBI
3B Josh Fields .240 23 HR 65 RBI
2B Chris Getz .269 8 HR 31 RBI

Rotation
LHP Mark Buehrle 15-11 3.87 ERA 137 K
RHP Gavin Floyd 15-9 3.76 ERA 141 K
LHP John Danks 14-8 3.45 ERA 162 K
RHP Bartolo Colon 4-9 5.14 ERA 123 K
LHP Clayton Richard 5-9 5.34 ERA 84 K

CP RHP Bobby Jenks 2.89 ERA 28 SV 43 K

Best Case Scenario: Quentin proves last year wasn't a fluke and puts up MVP numbers again this year. Thome and Konerko still have one year left in them. Dye stays with the team and is able to produce. Floyd and Danks don't regress after breakout years last year. Alexei Ramirez continues to make his mark becoming the best shortstop in the AL. This team contends in the division and wins the AL Central.

Worst Case Scenerio: Thome and Konerko become irrelevent. White Sox can't find any pitching for starters 4 and 5. No true lead off or 2 hitter plaugues them all year. Quentin and Ramirez regress and Wise, Getz and Fields are AAA players. Ozzie Guillen blows up and the clubhouse goes into dissaray and this team finishes below .500 and 4th in the AL Central.

Player Most Important to Success: Alexei Ramirez. He is a Cuban defector who made a huge impact last year. He went .290-21-77-13 in 480 at bats helping make up for the loss of Carlos Quentin in September. He is not currently scheduled to be the number two hitter but he has the potential to be there this year. He is already 27 years old so it is not your typical sophomore year but he has the potential to be a .300-30-90-20 player this year. If he can produce on that level he will help form a very formidable middle of the order with him, Quentin, Thome and Konerko. If he becomes the best shortstop in the American League this will be a team that no pitcher will want to face and may repeat at AL Central Champs.

Outlook: The team unloaded Javier Vazquez, Nick Swisher, and didn't re-sign Joe Crede or Ken Griffey Jr. They also spent all winter trying to unload Jermaine Dye but didn't reach a deal. This team is in the process of fasing out the aging sluggers and moving in the young prospects. This year they are in the middle of the process. If Thome, Konerko and Dye can produce at ages 38, 35 and 33 this team will be very competitive. In the end though this team is too volatile, has no table-setters, and not enough pitching to go with the big boppers in the middle of the lineup to win the division again this year.

#13 Milwaukee Brewers

2009-03-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee Brewers
Last Year: 90-72 2nd in NL Central, Lost to Philadelphia in NLDS
This Year: 2nd in NL Central

Last year was a year long party in Milwaukee, they made the playoffs for the first time since 1982 and had plenty of memories. From Sabathia multiple complete games to Ryan Braun walk-offs it was a season to remember. Then came the inevitable offseason in which they lost Sabathia to the Yankees and Ben Sheets. They still have a very good lineup and if they can piece together a pitching staff they can have success but not on the level or excitement that was 2008.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
2B Rickie Weeks .231 14 HR 44 RBI
SS J.J. Hardy .279 25 HR 77 RBI
LF Ryan Braun .305 39 HR 113 RBI
1B Prince Fielder .281 38 HR 108 RBI
RF Corey Hart .274 22 HR 87 RBI 23 SB
CF Mike Cameron .239 23 HR 67 RBI
3B Bill Hall .231 16 HR 56 RBI
C Jason Kendall .248 1 HR 39 RBI
P Yovani Gallardo

Rotation
RHP Yovani Gallardo 16-9 3.45 ERA 156 K
RHP Dave Bush 12-10 4.59 ERA 119 K
LHP Manny Parra 12-8 4.09 ERA 164 K
RHP Braden Looper 9-10 4.45 ERA 102 K
RHP Jeff Suppan 8-10 5.11 ERA 97 K

CP RHP Trevor Hoffman 3.83 ERA 32 SV 47 K

Best Case Scenario: Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder put up MVP numbers. Gallardo stays healthy and becomes an ace. Hoffman still has a year left in him and is a solid closer. Rickie Weeks finally stays healthy, hits for average and becomes an average defensive player. This team plays well above .500 and contends for the division and has an outside chance at the wild card.

Worst Case Scenario: Gallardo fails to stay healthy and Parra and Bush fail to step up. The bullpen falls apart. Fielder's home run production mysteriously continues to decline. Rickie Weeks is officially a bust. This team finishes just below .500.

Player Most Important to Success: Yovani Gallardo. Gallardo was a big time prospect on his way up. He proved the hype in 2007 making 17 starts with an ERA of 3.67 and 101 K's in 110 innings. He then tore is ACL and only made 4 starts in all of 2008. He did pitch well in those starts but if he was healthy the Brewers likely don't trade for Sabathia as he would have filled the role. Now Sabathia and Sheets are gone and he is being counted on being the ace. The Brewers have a good offense but as evidenced by Sabathia they need someone who can win a game for them by himself.

Outlook: Last year's team was a contender to win the World Series. Everyone thinks the Brewers will fall off the face of the earth without Sabathia. They forget that this team went 83-79 in 2007 when Braun was a rookie and without Sabathia. They may not be a title contender this year but they still have the parts of a very good team especially in the mediocre NL. Their lineup is one of the best in the league. How successful this team is will come down to the pitching. One problem they had last year was the bullpen. Sabathia hid that problem by pitching complete games. If Hoffman is too old and can't close anymore this team is in serious trouble. This team should be competing for a playoff spot but ultimately they will fall short.

#14 Toronto Blue Jays

2009-03-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

Toronto Blue Jays
Last Year: 86-76 4th in AL East
This Year: 4th in AL East

It is safe to say that the Blue Jays are the best 4th place team in baseball. They have a good team but are in the wrong division. How much must it have hurt last season to see the Rays do what the Jays have tried so hard to do and pass the Yankees and Red Sox. The problem is how they go about trying to get better. They try to spend and acquire and you can not beat the Yankees that way because they will always outspend and outacquire. This season will be very familiar to Jays fans as they are a good team that has no chance to make the playoffs or contend.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
SS Marco Scutaro .261 6 HR 45 RBI
2B Aaron Hill .277 13 HR 58 RBI
RF Alex Rios .293 17 HR 83 RBI 26 SB
CF Vernon Wells .277 23 HR 89 RBI
DH Adam Lind .285 13 HR 76 RBI
3B Scott Rolen .259 11 HR 54 RBI
1B Lyle Overbay .264 14 HR 57 RBI
C Rod Barajas .241 9 HR 45 RBI
LF Travis Snider .278 16 HR 54 RBI

Rotation
RHP Roy Halladay 16-8 3.04 ERA 177 K
RHP Jesse Litsch 14-7 3.37 ERA 121 K
LHP David Purcey 8-10 4.78 ERA 121 K
RHP Casey Janssen 6-10 4.98 ERA 98 K
RHP Scott Richmond 3-8 5.23 ERA 103 K

CP LHP B.J. Ryan 3.15 ERA 29 SV 58 K

Best Case Scenario: Selig re-aligns the teams in mid season sending the Blue Jays to the NL West. Travis Snider explodes and becomes a reliable 5 hitter. Rios and Wells finally don't disappoint. Dustin McGowan comes back this year and contributes. Rolen spends the entire season pretending the baseball is Tony LaRussa. This team wins 85 or 86 games.

Worst Case Scenario: Halladay gets hurt. Snider is sent to AAA. Rolen and Overbay are totally ineffective. Fail to fill out the back half of the rotation and gets beat around by the top of the division. This team quits realizing the hill they face in the AL East and finish with 75 or 76 wins.

Player Most Important to Success: Travis Snider. He is the 6th best prospect acording to Baseball America. In only 73 at bats last year he showed glimpses of his potential going .301-2-13. He has serious .300-30-100 potential. The question is when does he realize it. If he can develop this year he can move up the lineup to the 5 hole and protect Rios and Wells better than Adam Lind. If he can hit 20+ homers this year the Blue Jays should have a solid middle of the lineup that can get them a few games.

Outlook: The Blue Jays despite the division won 86 games last year. That will be significantly more difficult this year because they lost A.J. Burnett to free agency, Shawn Marcum to Tommy John surgery and Dustin McGowan is out until the All-Star break because of his shoulder. They still have Halladay and a few decent hitters but there is not nearly enough to make a run. It must be hard to play knowing that the best they can hope for is 4th place and the worst they can do is also 4th place.

It's Been a Good Year and the Future is Bright

2009-03-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

Well, just like that the Gophers season is over. To break down what happened in the Texas game takes just one sentence. Abrams got hot and the Gophers panicked. It was a 3 point lead in the second half and then Abrams hit 4 straight threes. The Gophers then tried to score quick and from the outside and with this team that is a disaster. Damian Johnson did well on Damian James, but no one was stopping A.J. Abrams and no matter how hard Sampson and Iverson tried they were never going to be able to hold down Pittman who only Dejuan Blair might be able to stop.

This loss does not detract from what was a good season. The program has excitement that has not been around since 1997. This team made the NCAA tournament with NIT talent. This loss early should drive the returning players and especially the freshman to work hard in the offseason so this doesn't happen this year. Kentucky message boards in an effort to disparage the Tubby success says that the Gopher fans are just happy to be in the tournament and have low expectations. That was true this year but that is not the expectation for next year. I expect them to not be on the bubble and I expect them to be playing a lower seeded program in the opening round next year and not the 9 seed.

In a lame attempt at a season recap I will show the Gophers resume as if they were the next opponent.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (22-11, 10-10)

Wins to Showcase:

Vs. Louisville 70-64
at Wisconsin 78-74

Losses to Hide From:

at Northwestern 65-74
at Penn State 63-68

Assets:

Interior Defense: This team had four very capable shot blockers in Sampson, Iverson, Johnson and Carter. They also after some issues in the non-conference schedule became a very good rebounding team. With the addition of bulk in Mbakwe and White, I don't see any opponent having any success down low next year.
Free Throw Shooting: Outside of Colton Iverson, this entire team is very good at shooting free throws. That may seem small but many games were salted away by Westbrook and others not missing a free throw down the stretch. Sampson is very good at 75% that will be very benficial for a big man who should see the line a lot in his future.
Damian Johnson: I don't care what the coaches decided but Damian Johnson is the best defensive player in the Big Ten. He can guard almost every postion and is all over the place with blocks, steals and rebounds. Towards the end of the season his offensive game really started to develop. He ended the season with 9.8 ppg but in the last 8 games he averaged 12.1 ppg. If he continues to develop in the offseason he can be a 14-15 point scorer next year while providing his world class defense.

Issues:

Outside shooting: This was what held the Gophers back all season. They lacked a scorer who makes threes in their sleep that all successful teams have in College Basketball. Going into the season many asssumed it would be Blake Hoffarber but that just did not happen this year. Westbrook can make them but for often then not forced a contested one. Joeseph didn't shoot a lot and was also hot and cold. This is my biggest worry for next year as the recruiting class does not address this issue. The Gophers will need Hoffarber to bounce back and Joseph develop his shot and confidence where he can be that shooter. I think it is possible but we can not shoot like we did this year and be successful next year.
Turnovers: We were too sloppy with the basketball too often. Many blamed Nolen for this issue but he had an assist to turnover ratio of 2.5 which is pretty good. It wasn't one persons fault but the team as a whole. For a poor shooting team like the Gophers they needed all the possessions they can get. This should improve next year with everyone becoming more experience and improving.
Go-To Scorer: Lawrence Westbrook usually tried to fulfill this role but he is merely just holding it for someone else. A slow 6' footer with a mediocre shot is not who you want to be counting on down the stretch. The Gophers lacked some one like A.J. Abrams who you can count on to get hot and take over the game. They need a player or players that they can count on for 15-20 points a game and to get us through the lulls that plaugued us this year. I see Sampson, White and Joseph potentially be one of those guys but I don't know if that will be by next year. One thing I do see is Westbrook won't be the only player averaging double digits.

It was an exciting year and while sometimes frustrating it was a very enjoyable year. This will be a very long offseason as Midnight Madness can not come fast enough. This season was a stepping stone and next year should be the beginning of a long and beautiful run as a player in the college basketball scene.

My Fantasy Baseball Team

2009-03-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

I had my big fantasy draft on Wednesday and it was whopping success. I was picking up steals left and right. I had the 10th pick in a 10-team league. Here are the results in the form if I was to actually make a lineup:
LF Alfonso Soriano
CF BJ Upton
RF Manny Ramirez
1B Mark Teixeira
2B Chase Utley
C Victor Martinez
DH Milton Bradley/ Hideki Matsui
3B Chris Davis
SS Troy Tulowitzki

Rotation
RHP Josh Beckett
RHP Chad Billingsley
RHP Ervin Santana
RHP Chris R. Young
RHP Armando Galarraga

CP Jonathan Broxton

Other Pitchers: David Price, Kevin Slowey, John Maine, Kerry Wood, and Matt Lindstrom

The pitching is not overwhelming but I have enough collection that I can piece together a enough quality starts. April 6th can not get here soon enough.

#15 Atlanta Braves

2009-03-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

Atlanta Braves
Last Year: 72-90 4th in NL East
This Year: 3rd in NL East

The Braves tried to be a big player in the offseason but were less than successful. They tried all summer to get Jake Peavy in a trade. They were unsuccessful in signing A.J. Burnett. They also thought they had Rafael Furcal until he used them as leverage to return to LA. They did make some moves by signing Derek Lowe and Garret Anderson but they did not make the splash they needed to get in the conversation for the NL East.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
SS Yunel Escobar .305 12 HR 62 RBI
2B Kelly Johnson .281 14 HR 67 RBI
3B Chipper Jones .321 24 HR 88 RBI
C Brian McCann .304 22 HR 97 RBI
LF Garret Anderson .289 13 HR 78 RBI
RF Jeff Francoeur .251 15 HR 75 RBI
1B Casey Kotchman .274 12 HR 70 RBI
CF Josh Anderson .297 13 HR 49 RBI 27 SB
P Derek Lowe

Rotation
RHP Derek Lowe 14-9 3.56 ERA 142 K
RHP Javier Vazquez 12-13 4.77 ERA 189 K
RHP Jair Jurrjens 15-11 3.43 ERA 152 K
RHP Kenshin Kawakami 8-13 5.15 ERA 102 K
RHP Tommy Hanson 8-10 4.56 ERA 149 K

CP LHP Mike Gonzalez 4.45 ERA 24 SV 44 K

Best Case Scenario: Tommy Hanson makes the squad and makes an immediate impact and wins NL Rookie of the Year. Chipper Jones stays healthy and becomes a Triple Crown threat. Francouer bounces back with a decent average and power. They pull off the Peavy trade during the season boosting them to compete with the Phillies and the Mets for the wild card and division title.

Worst Case Scenario: Jones can't stay healthy and gets under 300 at bats. Tommy Hanson isn't ready and spends the year in AAA. Francouer struggles to bat above .230 and joins Hanson in AAA. Garret Anderson fails to contribute and Lowe and Vazquez fail to give quality starts or justify the offseason moves. This team finishes under .500.

Player Most Important to Success: Tommy Hanson. He is a big-time prospect. He was ranked by Baseball America as the 4th best prospect. He has been compared to Justin Verlander and Jake Peavy. Scouts are looking for him to make a Tim Lincecum impact right away. Are there any more aces I can compare him to to make my point? If he is able to come in and be a ROY canidadate he will along with Lowe and Jurrjens will form a very solid rotation. If he can't contribute this year this is just a mediocre rotation one injury away from relying on Tom Glavine.

Outlook: This team is the definition of a .500 team. They have an average lineup and an average rotation. Everything about them smacks of average. They do have a bright future with 2 of the top 5 prospects in the league and 5 in the top 100. They have the parts to swing the Peavy trade. They have a decent future but it is not this year. McCann is good but he is not a cleanup hitter. Jones is aging and never healthy. Vazquez and Garret Anderson are on a steep decline. This team does not have the horses to join the Mets and the Phillies at the top of the division, at least not this year.

Texas Game Preview

2009-03-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

#10 Minnesota Golden Gophers (22-10) vs. #7 Texas Longhorns (22-11)

The whole season has been leading to this. Will the Gophers just be happy to make the tournament or will they strive for more? Regardless of the outcome this should be a good game with two great coaches and fairly equal teams. Here is Texas' resume:

Wins to Showcase:

Vs. Oklahoma 73-68
Vs. Villanova 67-58

Losses to Hide From:

at Arkansas 61-67
vs. Kansas State 81-85

Assets:

Interior Defense: Average 42 rebounds a game 22nd in nation and 5.5 blocks a game for 10th best in nation.
Damion James: Averages 15.4 ppg and 9.2 rebounds. Here is a ferocious rebounder for someone who is only 6'7".
A.J Abrams: Averages 16.3 ppg while shooting 38.9% from behind the arc.

Issues:

3-pt shooting: Shoot 32.1% from behind the arc for 257th in the nation.
Free throw shooting: Shoot 67.1% from the line for 236th in the nation.
Ball Control: 12.5 turnovers per game for 283rd in the nation.

There should be an asterisk by the Oklahoma win as Blake Griffin went down in that game with a concussion. Texas might be our long lost twin. Trouble with ball control and outside shooting. Good rebounding team that blocks shots. They went into the Kohl Center and took a win from Wisconsin. They lost at home to Michigan State. They were once highly ranked only to come back to earth in conference play. Outside of Wisconsin struggled to win on the road losing to Arkansas and Nebraska. Looking at the Texas team there is a lot of Gophers in them.

Interesting Things to Watch

DJ vs. DJ: That is All-Defensive Team Damian Johnson versus All Big 12 second team Damion James. They are both 6'7" slashers who rebound. Damian Johnson needs to win this matchup while producing on the offensive end if the Gophers are going to have a chance.
Dexter Pittman vs. the Twin Towers: There has been a lot made of this matchup but it is justified. The Towers have struggled to this point against physical big men like Goran Sutton. With this team's inabliity to score from the outside, the Gophers aren't able to win if Iverson and Sampson can't get touches and points inside.

Prediction

Texas and Minnesota play a very similar game and have similar faults. The difference is that once the shot clock is running down they have a guy who can take the shot in A.J. Abrams. They have the go to guy they can ride that the Gophers do not have. The Gophers will have to try to combat that with defensive intensity and depth. The biggest issue is that while Sampson and Iverson have grown and got tougher this year they are only freshman and having to guard Dexter Pittman on National Television is a tough task. This game should be close for the majority of the game but in the end an offensive drought somewhere in the game will be the Gophers undoing.

Texas 67, Gophers 62

#16 Oakland Athletics

2009-03-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

Oakland Athletics
Last Year: 75-86 3rd in AL West
This Year: 2nd in AL West

The Athletics do things their own way. They find success on a very small budget. While the goal is the same as the Twins they have a lot different way of going about it. The Twins like defensive minded, fast light contact hitters. Oakland likes slow, defensively challenged hitters that either hit a home run or walk. If a player steals a base he might get benched. They have taken an interesting approach this year by spending some money in an apparent attempt to win this year. The problem is this team is not capable of winning this year.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
RF Ryan Sweeney .286 7 HR 56 RBI
SS Orlando Cabrera .273 7 HR 59 RBI
LF Matt Holliday .333 27 HR 104 RBI
DH Jason Giambi .237 26 HR 94 RBI
3B Eric Chavez .245 17 HR 65 RBI
2B Mark Ellis .239 11 HR 54 RBI
RF Jack Cust .241 35 HR 79 RBI
1B Daric Barton .232 11 HR 53 RBI
C Kurt Suzuki .271 6 HR 45 RBI

Rotation
RHP Justin Duchscherer 10-12 3.12 ERA 112 K
LHP Dana Eveland 10-9 4.45 ERA 128 K
RHP Sean Gallagher 8-12 5.35 ERA 123 K
LHP Gio Gonzalez 5-10 5.45 ERA 135 K
LHP Dallas Braden 8-6 4.23 ERA 87 K

CP RHP Joey Devine 1.79 ERA 28 SV 63 K

Best Case Scenario: Holliday's numbers don't dive despite leaving Coors for the spacious McAfee Coliseum. Giambi and Cabrera stay relevant. Duchscherer gets healthy and builds off his breakout year last year. Gallagher and Gonzalez step up in the rotation. This team competes with the Angels in the division and gets close to 90 wins.

Worst Case Scenario: The team gets off to a slow start and Cabrera and Holliday are sent packing. Duchsherer can't get healthy and doesn't pitch this year. With a lineup averaging .235 they can't win games only hitting solo home runs. They end up in 3rd place and closer to the Mariners than the Rangers and Angels.

Player Most Important Success: Matt Holliday. There is a different reason why Holliday is important. It is not because of his on-field success it is because of which field he is on. When he was traded to Oakland from Colorado heads across the nation scratched. He is a free agent after this year and there was never a chance the A's planned on giving him a long term contract. They are also not a legitimate contender this year. The question is how long is he an A. I would guess he will be gone in July for a boatload of prospects to either the Mets or Yankees needing a corner outfielder for the stretch run. If he sticks out the year they will be a decent team just because of his talent.

Outlook: This projection is based on the team they have now and Holliday staying. Their lineup is not very exciting and neither is their rotation. However, Billy Beane always gets the most out of little talent and they always have a stellar bullpen. I have no idea what Billy Beane is up to this year. He signed aging veterans Orlando Cabrera, Jason Giambi and Nomar Garciaparra. They could be solid help on a veteran team looking for a bat off the bench but that is not this team. My guess is this team will look very different in September. I think Billy is hoping Cabrera, Giambi, Nomar and Holliday get off to hot starts and he collects an entire team of prospects. It will be interesting to see the moves of this team, certainly more interesting than watching this team.

Why I Can't Wait for the Gophers to be a Powerhouse

2009-03-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

In anticipation I was thinking about the upcoming Gopher game. I was happy to see that we are getting Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg doing the game because I do enjoy them. Then I thought about the thing I hate the most about the Gophers not being a known commodity. Those of us following the Gophers have to hear the same damn info about our team every time we get new announcers. So here is a checklist of what you are going to hear when Nantz and Kellogg cover us for the first time.

Did you know that Lawrence Westbrook is a cousin to Eagles running back Brian Westbrook? They will mention this after he makes a drive to the hoop. They will then comment how he is built like a fullback or halfback. They will remark on how he barrells into the lane like a running back despite going the speed of a truck and not a 4.4 running back. They may also mention that he scored 40 ppg as a high school senior.
Did you know that Ralph Sampson III is the son of legend Ralph Sampson Jr? They will make this comment after his first block or hook shot. They will then pan to his father for 15 seconds, who looks to not be enjoying himself at all. Clark Kellogg will then remark about how good Ralph Sampson Jr. was and how he won 3 Player of the Year awards.
Did you know Devoe Joseph is from Canada? After his first long range make, they will remark that the young freshman hails from Ajax, Onterio in Canada.
Did you know Damian Johnson has the wingspan of a 7 footer? This will be said after his first block how he is only 6'7" but he is quick and has a 7 foot wingspan.
Did you know Paul Carter has moved a lot? This will happen if he contributes but it usually is only spoken while he is at the free throw line.
Did you know Blake Hoffarber has been nominated for two ESPYS? This hasn't been mentioned much this year because he has had limited success this year. It might also not get mentioned because it is usually on ESPN to pimp their own awards.

This will all be mentioned in between non-stop gushing over Tubby Smith. They will mention his national title, NCAA appearances and consecutive 20-win seasons. They will mention how he was not appreciated by Kentucky and likely how Kentucky is not in the tournament.

This is why I can't wait for the Gopher powerhouse. I look forward to turning to ESPN and CBS and not having to listen to the announcers try and introduce the Gophers through unique meaningless stories. Instead they won't have to because the nation will already know about Ralph Sampson, Royce White and Rodney Williams.

#17 Detroit Tigers

2009-03-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Detroit Tigers
Last Year: 74-88 Last in AL Central
This Year: 4th in AL Central

The Tigers went into 2008 with great expectations. There was talk of scoring 1000 runs and cruising to an World Series title. I for one was swept up in the hype. Then they had to start without sparkplug Granderson, Miguel Cabrera got off to a slow start, Sheffield and Pudge aged very quickly, Willis devolved into a AA pitcher, and Verlander and Bonderman were a disappointment. They got off to a brutal start and it all unraveled from there. While no one is predicting a World Series for the Tigers, there are a lot of people who were burned last year that are underrating this current edition.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
CF Curtis Granderson .284 24 HR 65 RBI 23 SB
2B Placido Polanco .298 6 HR 55 RBI
RF Magglio Ordonez .312 18 HR 94 RBI
1B Miguel Cabrera .313 36 HR 131 RBI
LF Carlos Guillen .283 12 HR 83 RBI
DH Gary Sheffield .237 15 HR 55 RBI
C Gerald Laird .259 6 HR 40 RBI
3B Brandon Inge .215 14 HR 54 RBI
SS Adam Everett .215 2 HR 26 RBI

Rotation
RHP Justin Verlander 13-13 3.79 ERA 174 K
RHP Armando Galarraga 14-9 3.43 ERA 139 K
RHP Jeremy Bonderman 11-13 4.14 ERA 187 K
RHP Edwin Jackson 9-12 4.73 ERA 118 K
LHP Nate Robertson 7-13 5.13 ERA 123 K

CP RHP Brandon Lyon 4.46 ERA 28 SV 49 K

Best Case Scenario: Verlander and Bonderman stay healthy and become All-Star aces. Cabrera wins the MVP and competes for the Triple Crown. Granderson burns holes in the basepaths all year. Lyon and Zumaya hold up the back-end of the bullpen. Sheffield, Ordonez, and Guillen stave off old age and retirement for one more year. The team finishes with around 90 wins and 2nd in Central.

Worst Case Scenario: Verlander and Bonderman can't get the ERA under 4.00. Zumaya pitches 5-10 innings this year. Polanco, Guillen, Ordonez and Guillen become completely irrelevant and get released. This team unloads parts for anyone who will take them. Cabrera and Granderson struggle. This team once again battles Kansas City for 4th place in the division.

Player Most Important to Success: Magglio Ordonez. This lineup is old with the exception of Cabrera and Granderson. Guillen is 33, Polanco is 33, Sheffield is 40, Everett is 32 and even Inge is 31. Out of all of them Ordonez is the one who can still contribute the most. He is 35 but still is a solid hitter. He went .317-21-103 last year. If he can equal that production it would greatly help the lineup. Not only would he be able to produce runs it will protect Miguel Cabrera and not let them just pitch around him.

Outlook: Any team with Adam Everett placed on the opening day lineup has issues. This team is full of players in the twilight of their career. However, they also have a few players in the prime of their career. Much was made of Miguel Cabrera's huge contract and early struggles but it went unnoticed that he ended up .292-37-127. He is a huge talent and is still only 26. Granderson is 28, Galarraga is 27, and Jackson is 25. Also despite seeming to be around for ever Verlander and Bonderman are only 26. This team still has young and big talent, the problem is that is not surrounded by a likewise supporting cast. This team can still score runs and has pitchers with ability but they have too many issues that were not addressed during the offseason and if they get off to another slow start I would look for a fire sale to happen.

#18 Cincinnati Reds

2009-03-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Cincinnati Reds
Last Year: 74-88 5th in NL Central
This Year: 3rd in NL Central

After years of talks of doing so the Reds finally rid themselves of Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. While both great players the team needed to get away from the defensively inept Dunn and the aging, oft-injured Griffey. They could contribute but they were in the way of the total rebuilding process that needed to be undertaken. This team has a lot of young super prospects and they are ready to bloom this year. There is thought that this team could be the Rays of this year but I think they are still a year away. However I thought the Rays were a year away last year.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
CF Willy Taveras .283 1 HR 25 RBI 74 SB
LF Chris Dickerson .275 17 HR 64 RBI 22 SB
1B Joey Votto .307 28 HR 97 RBI
2B Brandon Phillips .267 25 HR 93 RBI 19 SB
RF Jay Bruce .296 33 HR 104 RBI
3B Edwin Encarnacion .264 23 HR 78 RBI
C Ramon Hernandez .263 15 HR 65 RBI
SS Alex Gonzalez .264 9 HR 52 RBI
P Aaron Harang

Rotation
RHP Aaron Harang 14-10 4.14 ERA 192 K
RHP Edinson Volquez 15-10 3.45 ERA 197 K
RHP Bronson Arroyo 11-12 4.79 ERA 157 K
RHP Johnny Cueto 10-11 3.79 ERA 189 K
RHP Micah Owings 6-9 4.45 ERA 117 K

CP RHP Francisco Cordero 3.13 ERA 38 SV 73 K

Best Case Scenario: Bruce and Votto break out and become MVP like hitters hitting .315-40-120 each. Harang returns to form after a subpar year and gives the team a solid 200+ innings. Volquez continues to pitch at a Cy Young level and Cueto becomes consistent and is an All-Star. Taverez gets on base and steals more bases than Jose Reyes. This team finishes above .500 for the 1st time since 2000 and contends for the division title and wild card into September.

Worst Case Scenario: Harang continues to disappoint with an ERA in the 5.00's. Volquez gets humbled and struggles with control. Cueto struggles to keep his ERA under 5.00. Owings fails and then Homer Bailey comes in and officially becomes a bust. Bruce strikes out to much and hits around .270. Taveras hits around .240. This team finishes under .500 again and finishes in 5th place in the division.

Player Most Important to Success: Aaron Harang. It would seem likely to pick one of the major prospects like Bruce, Votto, Cueto or Volquez but Harang is the biggest piece to the puzzle. In 2006 and 2007 he won 16 games each year for a terrible Reds team with an ERA around 3.70. He pitched 230 innings in both years. He followed that up in 2008 by going 6-17 with an ERA of 4.78 in only 184 innings. This team has young outstanding pitching but every staff needs a reliable ace. Harang needs to be that ace. If he can go out every fifth game and give 7-8 quality innings that will take the pressure off the bullpen and Cueto, Owings and Volquez. He is only 30 this year so he should still have a couple more All-Star years left in him. If he returns to form this team will have a very good rotation to go with their powerful middle of the lineup.

Outlook: This team has a lot of young super-talents. Bruce is 21, Votto is 25, Encarnacion is 26, Cueto is 23 and Volquez is 25. Homer Bailey is a borderline flop but he is still only 22. This team is on the road to success. The question is whether it comes this year. I think Votto is ready to break out this year but I think it will still be another year till Bruce truly breaks out the .320-40-130 line he is capable of. That said if Harang comes back and Volquez and Cueto build off of last year this is a very dangerous team. They aren't ready to rocket like the Rays but a 90-win season is not out of the question for this team. They are a young, exciting team that will be really fun to watch this summer.

Bring on the Longhorns

2009-03-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

I woke up Sunday morning confident about the Gophers chances. Then I had to watch Mississippi State win the Battle of who wanted to lose less to Tennessee. I started get to worried as both ESPN and CBS had the Gophers as one of the last four in. Then the show started and when Arizona was in I got even more nervous. Then Maryland was in as a 10 seed. Then a Wisconsin team that most had more in than the Gophers was a 12 seed. I thought for sure we were screwed. Then came the magical moment. The Gophers are the 10 seed in the East Bracket playing the 7 seed Texas. Thank God. Here is the Gophers' reaction. The game will be Thursday night at 6:10 PM, which means I will have to surf between the game and the hockey team's Final Five game against Minnesota-Duluth. My priority will definitely be the basketball game.

We made it to the tournament in Tubby's second season. We went from a 9 win team missing the NIT to a 22 win team in the NCAA tournament in two seasons. I think we all forget that sometimes. This team had to replace 32.7 ppg from an NIT team and turned it into an NCAA team. While not many tears where shed for the loss of Spencer Tollackson not many teams lose their top 3 scorers and improve the next year.

I will do a preview of the game later in the week but from here on out it is all gravy. The goal for this team was to make the tournament. It may have temporarily changed after the Louisville win and top 20 ranking but that was found to be fool's gold as the Gophers hit the road in the Big Ten. They came back to reality and so did the expectations. This team is supposed to just make the tournament for experience for next year which the expectations will be raised. We get at least one more game to watch the Gophers and we should enjoy it and reflect on all the excitement and intrigue they have given us this year and how bright the future is.

#19 Texas Rangers

2009-03-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

Texas Rangers
Last Year: 79-83 2nd in AL West
This Year: 3rd in AL West

The Rangers have had a parade of sluggers and hitters come through Arlington. Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez, Rafael Palmerio, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixiera. This year team is no different with sluggers Ian Kinsler, Josh Hamilton and Hank Blalock. The problem with Texas is always the same problem that has caused them to last make the playoffs in 1999 and to have never won a playoff series. Pitching, Pitching Pitching. This team has never been able to develop pitching. This is a Texas team that will need to win a lot of 10-8 games.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
2B Ian Kinsler .309 20 HR 69 RBI 25 SB
3B Michael Young .287 10 HR 77 RBI
CF Josh Hamilton .311 36 HR 137 RBI
1B Chris Davis .287 34 HR 105 RBI
DH Hank Blalock .281 24 HR 82 RBI
RF Nelson Cruz .275 24 HR 79 RBI
LF David Murphy .283 14 HR 72 RBI
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia .263 13 HR 43 RBI
SS Elvis Andrus .243 3 HR 28 RBI 23 SB

Rotation
RHP Kevin Millwood 8-13 5.14 ERA 120 K
RHP Vicente Padilla 14-10 4.94 ERA 125 K
RHP Scott Feldman 8-10 5.23 ERA 87 K
LHP Matt Harrison 9-10 5.13 ERA 84 K
RHP Brandon McCarthy 7-9 4.77 ERA 77 K

CP RHP Frank Francisco 3.78 ERA 27 SV 84 K

Best Case Scenario: Young uber-prospects Andrus, Saltalamacchia, Davis and Cruz produce making the Rangers the best lineup in the MLB. Hamilton puts up an entire year and wins the MVP. Millwood and Padilla give quality starts and McCarthy stays healthy and produces. The rotation gives them a chance to win every game and the lineup capitalizes. This team competes with the Angels to win the AL West.

Worst Case Scenario: Blalock can't stay healthy. Cruz, Davis and Saltalamacchia stike out almost every at-bat. Millwood and Padilla struggle to keep their ERA under 6.00. McCarthy only makes 5-10 starts. Andrus is not ready yet and spends the season in AAA. Hamilton doesn't get much support behind him and sees a lot of walks. This team finshes in 3rd well below .500.

Player Most Important to Success: Brandon McCarthy. Brandon was a big-time prospect for the White Sox before being traded to the Rangers for John Danks. Since coming to the Rangers he has struggled to stay healthy making only 4 starts last year with a strained tendon in his middle finger. In 2007 he was bothered by blisters and a stress fracture in his shoulder blade. When healthy he has great stuff and an ERA around 4.30. This team needs a third decent starter. Millwood and Padilla aren't world beaters but they can give a quality start. The Rangers need a third pitcher who can do so and if McCarthy can stay healthy he can be that guy.

Outlook: The Rangers have a very strong lineup. If the young ones produce this can be the best lineup in the league. Hamilton is a major contender for the AL MVP. If this team had some semblance of a pitching staff they would be the AL West favorites, but they don't so they aren't. Texas is a hitter's park but the best Texas pitchers are those that go elsewhere. Danks and Volquez both flourished after fleeing Texas. The team has some pitchers in the pipeline but the question is how they will perform once they land in Arlington. Until this team finds an ace or two they will just be a fun team to watch that will be around the .500 mark.

#20 Saint Louis Cardinals

2009-03-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Saint Louis Cardinals
Last Year: 86-76 4th in NL Central
This Year: 4th in NL Central

The Cardinals go about things differently than any other team. They bat the pitcher 8th, they fill the outfield with slow, plodding sluggers, moving Schumaker to second base, and they released Adam Kennedy on February 2nd. There seems to be a method to the madness with Tony LaRussa winning 7 division titles and 1 World Series in 13 years with the Cardinals. The question now is how much of his success is simply due to having the best player in baseball in Albert Pujols.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
2B Skip Schumaker .297 7 HR 44 RBI
LF Rick Ankiel .267 23 HR 67 RBI
1B Albert Pujols .341 43 HR 127 RBI
RF Ryan Ludwick .291 33 HR 105 RBI
C Yadier Molina .297 7 HR 72 RBI
3B Joe Mather .252 17 HR 58 RBI
SS Khalil Greene .243 15 HR 59 RBI
P Chris Carpenter
CF Colby Rasmus .253 12 HR 57 RBI

Rotation
RHP Chris Carpenter 14-7 3.34 ERA 157 K
RHP Adam Wainwright 15-8 3.57 ERA 128 K
RHP Kyle Lohse 9-10 4.45 ERA 118 K
RHP Todd Wellenmeyer 11-9 3.96 ERA 127 K
RHP Joel Pineiro 6-11 5.15 ERA 84 K

CP RHP Chris Perez 3.97 ERA 28 SV 63 K

Best Case Scenario: Colby Rasmus burts on to the scene and wins the NL Rookie of the Year. Carpenter finally stays healthy. Wainwright finally becomes the staff ace and Cy Young contender they were hoping for. Schumaker works at 2nd base. Troy Glaus comes back in May and returns as a force in the middle of the lineup. This team contends for the wild card and 90 wins.

Worst Case Scenario: Rasmus is not ready for the majors and spends the majority of his time in AAA. Wainwright and Carpenter both go down with injuries leaving Kyle Lohse as the staff ace. The defense is brutal with all the position changes. Pujols elbow flares up hurting his production. Glaus can't stay healthy and Ludwick comes back to earth. This team struggles to be .500.

Player Most Important to Success: Chris Carpenter. He has made only 4 starts in the last two years. He is now 33 years old which will not help him stay healthy. When he was healthy he was one of the best winning the Cy Young in 2005. If he can get healthy and give the Cardinals good innings with an ERA around 3 this team could be dangerous. Him and Wainwright will be able to win games that their offense could not provide. If he goes down or struggles this is a mediocre pitching staff to go with bad defense and nonathletic sluggers.

Outlook: This team has the best player in baseball and one of the best of all-time. That cures a lot of ills. He is also a gold glove defender which can not be said of anyone else on the team not named Molina. Ankiel has an arm but I would not be comfortable with him, Ludwick, and Duncan patrolling the outfield. This team has a lot of injury questions. Glaus, Carpenter, Wainwright, Ankiel, and Pujols are all injury risks. This team is going to have to slug their way to success and while that is possible I just don't see that happening for a staff counting on Kyle Lohse to repeat is career year. As a Twins fan I just don't see how you can ever be successful relying on Kyle Lohse.

And Now We Play the Waiting Game

2009-03-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

While not a lock to be in the tournament, the Gophers with the win over Northwestern and playing MSU very tough they are in very good shape. They played very hard, and fared the best out of the three matchups. They were done in the by the same issues (lack of outside shooting, turnovers) but they also found a new issue. They were terrible at free-throw shooting. They are typically a very good free throw team shooting 72.6% on they year. Today they went 13-27 or 48%. If they went 21-27 from the line it is a tie game. The Gophers have enough offensive issues that they do need to be creating more.

The player of the game was Damian Johnson. He lead all scorers with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. He drew the defensive assignment of Raymar Morgan and Delvon Roe. They combined for 5 points and 8 fouls. He is our best player and continues to prove it every game.

I know other blogs are doing this but here is a summary of what has hurt or helped the Gophers chances.

Hurt the Gophers

Baylor is hanging around by beating Texas. They are in the Big 12 title game against Missouri. They are not a at-large team but if they win they will steal a bid from a bubble team.
Maryland beat Wake Forest. Maryland was looking for a high-quality win and they got it by beating Wake. They have wins against UNC, MSU and Wake. They still have a worse resume than the Gophers but that will change if they beat Duke in the Semis.
Temple beat Xavier and San Diego State beat BYU. They both became likely at-large teams who can both be automatics if they win their conference title games. I don't think they knock off the Gophers but they will push them closer to the bubble with less at-large spots.
USC beat UCLA. They are a legitimate at-large team now. I still think they have a worse resume than the Gophers but that could change if they beat ASU in the title game and got an automatice bid.

Helped the Gophers

Penn State lost convincingly to Purdue. Penn State will be the first team from the Big Ten not invited. I don't think Penn State will make the tournament.
Kentucky lost to LSU. Kentucky is done and we don't have to worry about the legacy pick.
Virginia Tech lost to UNC. Virginia Tech is no longer an option.
South Carolina lost by 18. Another team with a worse resume than the Gophers.

What to hope for tommorrow

Missouri crushing Baylor
Maryland losing to Duke
Temple wins the A-10
USC loses to ASU

In summary, the Gophers are in fairly good shape but it is not for certain in the wacky NCAA. If Baylor, USC and Duquesne steal automatic bids the Gophers could be in real trouble. It looks like the Gophers right now will be a 11 seed. If they can bring the intensity and effort they have the last two days along with a confident Devron Bostick, this team can win the first round game but it would be safe to assume that it would end there.

#21 Florida Marlins

2009-03-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Florida Marlins
Last Year: 84-77 3rd in NL East
This Year: 4th in NL East

Florida quietly finished above .500 last year. The city of Miami does not really deserve this team. The Marlins have won 2 World Series in only 15 years of existence. They have been over .500 two of the last four years. They have stars in Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla. They have had stars such as Miguel Cabrera, Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett, A.J. Burnett and Moises Alou and no one shows up. They use the excuse that they play in a terrible stadium but I would much rather sit outside in Miami at a football stadium than indoors in the Metrodome. They are always full of exciting young talent which gets wasted on the 1,000 fans watching.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
CF Cameron Maybin .257 7 HR 33 RBI 27 SB
C John Baker .279 9 HR 63 RBI
SS Hanley Ramirez .308 36 HR 97 RBI 33 SB
1B Jorge Cantu .271 25 HR 91 RBI
2B Dan Uggla .263 30 HR 97 RBI
LF Jeremy Hermida .267 19 HR 69 RBI
RF Cody Ross .262 24 HR 77 RBI
3B Dallas McPherson .267 23 HR 57 RBI
P Ricky Nolasco

Rotation
RHP Ricky Nolasco 13-10 3.75 ERA 183 K
RHP Josh Johnson 12-8 3.41 ERA 154 K
RHP Chris Volstad 9-9 3.45 ERA 112 K
LHP Andrew Miller 7-12 4.87 ERA 112 K
RHP Anibal Sanchez 5-9 4.87 ERA 103 K

CP RHP Matt Lindstrom 3.44 ERA 32 SV 57 K

Best Case Scenario: Cameron Maybin and Dallas McPherson step up and contribute to compensate for losses of Willingham and Matt Jacobs. The pitching staff stays healthy and continues its development. Hanley finally cares about defense and Uggla replaces his iron mitt for a leather one and helps out the pitching staff. This team equals last year's record and place in the division.

Worst Case Scenario: Maybin is still not ready, McPherson hits 42 Home runs again but it is still in AAA. Sanchez and Johnson can't stay healthy. Miller continues his struggles and gets sent down. Lindstrom is not ready to be a closer despite his 100 mph fastball. This team finishes below .500 and wins 75 games in 4th place.

Player Most Important to Success: Josh Johnson. Johnson showed great promise in 2006 when he went 12-7 with an ERA of 3.10 in 24 starts at the age of 22. He was then sidelined with Tommy John surgery in 2007. He only made 14 starts last year but showed some return to his former self. If he can fully return to himself to his 2006 form or even better he will give the Marlins a very solid 1-2 punch with him and Nolasco. This team can score runs but if they can have two aces on the staff this team will be very dangerous and likely to win 85-90 games this year.

Outlook: This team surprised a few with its success last year without much help from Johnson or Sanchez. They did trade away Willingham and Jacobs who hit 47 home runs last year. They will be counting on Maybin and McPherson to live up to their potential and contribute this year. They will also count on Cantu repeating his breakout year. I also question the decision to move Hanley to the 3 spot. While he can knock in more runs, the team lacks a established leadoff hitter and it takes away his dangerous speed. There are to many question marks and hopes for this team to compete for the division title but they have enough talent to win a few games and be around a .500 team.

#22 San Francisco Giants

2009-03-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Giants
Last Year: 72-90 4th NL West
This Year: 3rd in NL West

Last year the team finally moved on from Bonds and was looking to start over. The question was what would draw the fans now that Bonds was gone. The answer was simple: Tim Lincecum. He came onto the scene in a big way turning from a big time prospect into a Cy Young Award winner. This team is building on something here with a stellar pitching staff. If they can find some hitting they could make some noise in the weak NL West. The hitting isn't there yet but not a lot of people are missing Barry Bonds in the Bay Area.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
RF Randy Winn .296 9 HR 59 RBI 19 SB
SS Edgar Renteria .281 9 HR 55 RBI
3B Pablo Sandoval .297 9 HR 77 RBI
C Bengie Molina .283 15 HR 92 RBI
LF Fred Lewis .291 11 HR 78 RBI
CF Aaron Rowand .283 15 HR 81 RBI
1B Travis Ishikawa .277 11 HR 57 RBI
2B Kevin Frandsen .261 8 HR 55 RBI
P Tim Lincecum

Rotation
RHP Tim Lincecum 17-6 2.73 ERA 257 K
LHP Randy Johnson 7-11 4.23 ERA 164 K
RHP Matt Cain 10-10 3.69 ERA 188 K
LHP Barry Zito 9-14 4.87 ERA 124 K
LHP Jonathan Sanchez 9-12 4.76 ERA 167 K

CP RHP Brian Wilson 4.12 ERA 45 SV 69 K

Best Case Scenario: Randy Johnson stays healthy, Zito finds out how to pitch without velocity, and Lincecum wins another Cy Young. Renteria is at home back in the National League and Rowand bounces back from a disappointing 2008. Young prospect Lewis or Sandoval breaks out and provides some offense. This team finishes above .500 and makes the NL West a 3-team race into August and September.

Worst Case Scenario: Johnson gets hurt and retires. Zito is San Francisco Zito and is moved to the bullpen. Lincecum struggles with expectations and lack of run support along with Matt Cain. No one on the team hits over .300 or 15 home runs. The team averages 2 runs a game. They finish with 70 wins and make it a 3-team race for last place in the NL West into August and September.

Player Most Important to Success: Aaron Rowand. Aaron Rowand coming off a big contract and expectations struggled through 2008. In 2007 with Philadelphia, he went .309-27-89. While no one expected 27 home runs moving from homer-friendly Philly to spacious SF but he went .271-13-70. He is still only 31 years old and has a few more years in him. If he can hit towards .300 and 20 home runs he can help out the middle of the lineup and provide the needed runs for the pitching staff to lead this team to a successful year.

Outlook: This team may have the best pitching staff in the NL West. Linececum and Cain are absolute studs who are still young and only going to get better. People may not be expecting much out of Randy Johnson but he quietly pitched 184 innings last year with an ERA of 3.91 and 2.41 in the second half of the second year. He isn't headed back to his glory days but if he can put his back issues behind him he can do very well in the spacious AT&T Park. This team will see a lot 3-2 and 2-1 games but that is what they would like to see. They have the staff to steal games they shouldn't but they will still need the offense to improve from last year to do so. This team is headed in the right direction but it is a few years away until uber-prospects Buster Posey, Angel Villalona, and pitcher Madison Bumgarner join the team.

#23 Houston Astros

2009-03-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

Houston Astros
Last Year: 86-75 3rd in NL Central
This Year: 5th in NL Central

Growing up as a kid, the Astros were my National League team. Once I had given up on Pat Mears, Pat Mahomes and Ron Coomer winning the AL Central I would turn my attention to Jeff Bagwell (clearly used steroids), Craig Biggio, and Derek Bell. My fondness of the Astros made me even temporarily tolerate Clemens, Pettite and Jeff Kent. It dissolved with the retirement of the Killer B's and them allowing the White Sox to win a World Series. This current team still has some big boppers but they aren't getting any younger and the pitching is not there for this team to have any hopes of competing in the NL Central.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
2B Kaz Matsui .285 4 HR 33 RBI 16 SB
RF Hunter Pence .297 31 HR 85 RBI 13 SB
1B Lance Berkman .308 33 HR 103 RBI
LF Carlos Lee .301 26 HR 95 RBI
SS Miguel Tejada .279 11 HR 63 RBI
3B Geoff Blum .247 14 HR 56 RBI
CF Michael Bourn .239 5 HR 33 RBI 43 SB
C J.R. Towles .245 9 HR 35 RBI
P Roy Oswalt

Rotation
RHP Roy Oswalt 16-9 3.56 ERA 161 K
LHP Wandy Rodriguez 11-9 3.79 ERA 154 K
LHP Mike Hampton 5-9 5.34 ERA 74 K
RHP Brian Moehler 8-12 4.73 ERA 87 K
RHP Brandon Backe 7-13 5.15 ERA 133 K

CP RHP Jose Valverde 3.54 ERA 38 SV 79 K

Best Case Scenario: Pence becomes an all-star and bats around .320 with power. Berkman and Lee continue to produce in the middle of the lineup. Tejada holds off father time for one more year. Oswalt has a Cy Young caliber year. Valverde remains solid at the back of the bullpen and the rest of the rotation scrapes through 6 innings to give the lineup a chance. This team ends up around slightly above .500 and fights to finish in 2nd but ends up in 3rd place.

Worst Case Scenario: The Tejada perjury issue dominates the team focus. Hunter Pence fails to get back to rookie year production. Berkman or Lee goes down with injury. J.R. Towles continues his struggles in the majors. Astros can't get a quality start out of anyone not named Oswalt. This team wins 70 games.

Player Most Important to Success: Hunter Pence. As a rookie in 2007 he hit .322 with 17 home runs in only 108 games finishing 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting behind Braun and Tulowitzki. Last year he struggled at times. He batted .269 and struck out 124 times. He still hit 25 home runs. He has the potential to be a Grady Sizemore or even better. He has the potential to be a .320-35-120-20 player. If he gets even close to that this year the Astros good surprise a few. Pence-Berkman-Lee is quite a force with all hitting for average and power. If they become a force they should be able to outscore their average pitching staff.

Outlook: This team is getting very old. Berkman is 33, Lee is 32, Oswalt is 31, Tejada is 34 (at least that is what is he says he is), and Kaz Matsui is 33. Out of the opening day lineup and rotation only Pence, Bourn, and Towles are younger than 30. They also have some huge holes. Tejada can't play shortstop defensively anymore. They are planning a Geoff Blum and Aaron Boone platoon at 3rd. They have Mike Hampton, who has made 25 starts in the last 4 years, penciled in as the #3 starter. They have 36 year old LaTroy Hawkins as the set-up man. They have Kaz Matsui as the leadoff hitter. This team has to many holes for Berkman, Lee and Oswalt to cover.

Gophers Now in Good Shape

2009-03-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

I was unable to preview the Northwestern game as I had a family matter to attend to but everyone knew the stakes for the game. Lose and we were NIT bound and win and we are very likely to be in. I hesitate to say that we are in because crazy things could happen like Cleveland St. stealing a bid by beating Butler. It also won't help if we get crushed by Michigan St. tomorrow. If we play tough and keep it close we should be in the tournament.

The player of the game was Ralph Sampson III. He put up 9 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 assists. He was a physical presence defensively down low and when ever the Gophers finally got the ball into him down low good things happen. He went 3-3 and that wasn't because of being timid it was because the Gophers were not able to feed the post. He has matured so much this year. In the beginning of the year most thought Iverson was the better player. Iverson still has flashes but Sampson has blossomed and has potetial to grow even more. He should be an absolute force down low next year.

The Gophers won but the problems that plauge them were still very present. They went 4-19 behind the arc and the half court offense was non-existent. This team also won for the same reason they always do. Defense. They play the best defense in the Big Ten when they want to. They had 11 blocks and 7 steals. They won this becuase once Northwestern tied the game the defense cracked down and held Northwestern scoreless for 7 minutes and went on a 14-0 run.

This was a much needed victory but it might get ugly tomorrow. We do not matchup well with MSU at all and they are finally healthy and playing their best basketball right now. The Gophers still need to show up and give their best effort. If they get blown out by 30 it won't be hard for the selection committee to leave them out. Prediction: MSU 77, Gophers 58

Stats of the Game

3-16: Craig Moore's shooting in the game. He had 8 points. He put up 22 in the win over Minnesota and was averaging 14.4 on the season.
9: Turnovers by the Gophers. It is the lowest total since turning it over 9 times against Eastern Washington on 11/26/08.
5-5: Sampson and Iverson from the field. We have to find a way to get it down low more often. If the guards can't shoot they could at least get it to someone who can.

#24 Kansas City Royals

2009-03-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Kansas City Royals
Last Year: 75-87 4th in AL Central
This Year: 5th in AL Central

It seems that it is always said coming into the season that Kansas City is dangerous and could surprise people. Then they always end up in last place and well below .500. The only time they finish out of the cellar is when other teams completely fall apart not because of an increased success of the Royals. Last year was the first time since 2003 that they did not finish last. This team has the tools to turn it around and finally be dangerous but I would never bet on the Royals doing so.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
CF Coco Crisp .281 7 HR 43 RBI 22 SB
SS Mike Aviles .305 11 HR 54 RBI
LF David DeJesus .291 9 HR 69 RBI
RF Jose Guillen .273 21 HR 96 RBI
1B Mike Jacobs .257 27 HR 89 RBI
DH Billy Butler .283 18 HR 77 RBI
3B Alex Gordon .267 21 HR 73 RBI
C Miguel Olivo .245 14 HR 53 RBI
2B Alberto Callaspo .287 0 HR 32 RBI

Rotation
RHP Gil Meche 14-12 4.04 ERA 163 K
RHP Zack Greinke 12-12 3.77 ERA 185 K
RHP Brian Bannister 7-11 4.78 ERA 119 K
RHP Luke Hochevar 6-12 4.98 ERA 103 K
LHP Horacio Ramirez 5-9 5.12 ERA 87 K

CP RHP Joakim Soria 1.69 ERA 38 SV 71 K

Best Case Scenario: Butler and Gordon finally reach potential and hit near 30 home runs each. Hochevar becomes a solid starter and makes good on his #1 overall pick. This team gets solid play out of journeymen Crisp, Guillen and Farnsworth. The team falls just short of .500 and finishes in 4th place.

Worst Case Scenario: Starting pitching struggles all year and can't get to Soria. Butler and Gordon officially become busts and Zach Greinke regresses. No one on this team hits over .300 or hits more than 20 home runs. This team struggles to win 70 games and is in its rightful place in the bottom of the AL Central.

Player Most Important to Success: Alex Gordon. When he came into the league in 2007 he was the #2 prospect behind Dice-K. He was supposed to be better than Ryan Braun and Evan Longoria. In two years Braun has hit .301 with 71 home runs and Gordon has hit .253 with 31 home runs. Watching him play for two years he seems to have all the tools to be a great hitter but he hasn't done it yet. He is only 25 so he has time to figure it out but it is running out. If he can find his .300-30-100 potential he can be the force in the middle of the lineup that the Royals haven't had in decades. If he continues to struggle the Royals will likewise continue to disappoint.

Outlook: The most interesting thing is that while the Royals are trying to rebuild with youth and within they still always make a curious free agent pickup each year. First it was paying 55 million to Gil Meche, then it was signing Jose Guillen, this year they outdid themselves signing Coco Crisp, Mike Jacobs, Kyle Farnsworth. These players do nothing to help the future and in the case of Mike Jacobs it is taking away at-bats from prospect Kila Ka'aihue who hit 37 home runs in AA and AAA last year. If they ever get there top prospects to meet potential they can compete in the AL Central, but the track record is not there. They have a good farm system but they don't have a good major system and that keeps them in the cellar.

#25 Colorado Rockies

2009-03-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

Colorado Rockies
Last Year: 74-88 3rd in NL West
This Year: 4th in NL West

Last year the Rockies were looking to build off a surprise run to the World Series in 2007. They had to go for large stretches without stars Troy Tulowitzki and Matt Holliday. The team fell apart and finished below .500. This year it figures to be similar to last year as they traded Holliday and Fuentes. This team still has talent and big-time prospects but without Holliday manning the middle of the lineup this team will struggle to be .500.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
CF Ryan Spilborghs .304 14 HR 56 RBI
SS Troy Tulowitzki .289 24 HR 97 RBI
1B Todd Helton .283 15 HR 89 RBI
3B Garrett Atkins .294 24 HR 107 RBI
RF Brad Hawpe .293 27 HR 109 RBI
C Chris Iannetta .269 23 HR 81 RBI
2B Ian Stewart .265 22 HR 82 RBI
LF Carlos Gonzalez .245 7 HR 44 RBI
P Aaron Cook

Rotation
RHP Aaron Cook 14-10 4.12 ERA 95 K
RHP Ubaldo Jimenez 10-8 3.77 ERA 187 K
LHP Jorge De La Rosa 9-12 5.27 ERA 127 K
RHP Jason Marquis 7-13 4.98 ERA 103 K
LHP Greg Smith 7-16 4.47 ERA 114 K

CP RHP Huston Street 3.89 ERA 23 SV 74 K

Best Case Scenario: Tulowitzki stays healthy, Helton gets healthy and produces, they find a spot for Ian Stewart in the lineup and he produces, and Jimenez develops into the staff ace that he can be. This team ends up .500 and finishes third in the division.

Worst Case Scenario: Tulo and Helton struggle to stay in the lineup, the starts off weak and starts a fire sale finally trading Atkins and Street. They can't find a bat to provide the pop in the middle of the lineup to replace Holliday and can not get any quality starts. Win 70 games and finish fourth in division.

Player Most Important to Success: Ian Stewart. Ian Stewart is a big time prospect hitting 29 home runs between AAA and Colorado. The issue is the team has not found a spot for him yet. His natural position is 3rd base but he is stuck there behind Atkins. He might be the 2nd baseman, the left fielder or if Helton gets hurt move to 3rd with Atkins going to 1st. It is very similar to the Twins and Michael Cuddyer. If he finds his spot and role on the team he can produce enough where this team can be a very formidable offense.

Outlook: This team still has a decent offense given the loss of Holliday. It will especially help if Tulo stays healthy and becomes the best all-around shortstop he was 2 years ago. The problem is the same problem it has always been in Colorado: Pitching. They have ace potential in Jimenez and Franklin Morales but they aren't there yet. Aaron Cook was good last year but he is not overwhelming and has a career ERA of 4.36. After that it is nothing but scrubs with De La Rosa and Marquis. This team will be able to score runs but I don't think they are going to be able to score enough runs to be a factor in the NL West.

Michigan Review

2009-03-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

It took me this long to be able to write about this game. I still don't fully understand how we lost that game. The Gophers played 35 minutes of some of the best basketball all year. They were making crisp passes, shooting and everyone was contributing. Then it just stopped. Westbrook tried taking it all on himself but we weren't playing the Badgers so it was unsuccessful. We shot 55%, 94.7% from the free throw line. We outrebounded them 30-13 but we lost.

There were a lot of questions with the amount of useage of the seniors JAS and Williams. JAS justified his by putting up 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 20 minutes. Williams did not do so getting 2 points, 3 rebounds and 3 turnovers in 16 minutes. It frustrated me to no end the fact that he played 16 minutes and Colton did not play. I then found that Iverson was injured during practice and was unable to play.

Looking back with sme clarity and understanding there were two reasons for the loss. One is the continued lack of someone who can consistently carry the team and take the big shots down the stretch of the game. The other was the foul trouble of Damian Johnson. He sets the intensity of the defense. He got his 4th foul around 8 minutes left. He came back with 4 minutes left but he played timid. He was scared of picking up the 5th foul so he lacked the defensive intensity of the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Michigan scored at will down the stretch and the defense that we have come used to wasn't there and it was due to DJ being in foul trouble. It was evident in DeShawn Sims ending up with 24 points.

Coming into this homestand I believed we needed to win both games to make the tournament, but with other teams blowing their chances (Kentucky, Penn State, Maryland, etc.) the Gophers are not out of it at all. As the 8 seed in the Big Ten tournament they will play Northwestern in the first round. I believe that if they beat Northwestern on Thursday they will be in the tournament. No one will expect them to then beat Michigan State so it will not hurt to lose in the quarterfinals as long as they don't get totally embarassed. It won't be for sure if they only beat Northwestern but I would expect them to make it. It would also help if Penn State loses right away and there are no major upsets in the other tournaments. Here is the bracket for the Big Ten tournament.

Stats of the Game

18: Turnovers by the Gophers. For a team with offensive problems it does us no favors turning the ball over as much as we do. Interestingly, the only Gopher who did not turn the ball over is much-maligned Al Nolen. DJ, Williams and Westbrook lead with 3 turnovers each.
4-32: Gophers behind the arc in the last 3 games. The way college basketball is played it is a shock we even won one of the three games. I'm worried that with all the hype of next year's team the lack of outside shooting will undue us next year also. We need Hoffarber and Joseph.
February 4: The last time Westbrook missed a free throw. He is 21-21 since then. I have never been a huge Westbrook fan but he is 88% from the line this year and it has helped us down the stretch in a few games this year.

#26 Seattle Mariners

2009-03-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Seattle Mariners
Last Year: 61-101 Last in AL West
This Year: Last in AL West

Last year the Mariners entered the season with great expectations. They had added Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva to a team that finished 88-74. They were hoping to contend with the Angels for the division title. It all unraveled very quickly. Bedard was never healthy, Silva threw batting practice for the opponent, and Richie Sexson became a joke batting .218 and they ended up with 101 losses. This year does not figure to be an improvement as they lost Raul Ibanez and J.J. Putz, and Ichiro is not getting any younger. They added Ken Griffey Jr. in a move to draw a crowd not to win games. They are in serious rebuilding mode.

Opening Day Lineup w/Projections
RF Ichiro Suzuki .321 6 HR 42 RBI 36 SB
2B Jose Lopez .291 19 HR 92 RBI
3B Adrian Beltre .271 25 HR 85 RBI
1B Russell Branyan .241 14 HR 57 RBI
CF Franklin Gutierrez .258 15 HR 53 RBI
DH Jeff Clement .247 15 HR 52 RBI
LF Ken Griffey Jr. .245 14 HR 62 RBI
C Kenji Johjima .259 9 HR 44 RBI
SS Yuniesky Betancourt .284 9 HR 57 RBI

Rotation
RHP Felix Hernandez 12-12 3.32 ERA 183 K
LHP Erik Bedard 9-13 3.79 ERA 184 K
LHP Jarrod Washburn 5-9 4.78 ERA 104 K
RHP Carlos Silva 4-16 5.97 ERA 73 K
LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith 6-9 4.15 ERA 104 K

CP RHP Mark Lowe 4.47 ERA 19 SV 55 K

Best Case Scenario: Bedard stays healthy and both he and Hernandez have Cy Young caliber seasons. Jeff Clement comes into his own and becomes the cleanup hitter. Ichiro fights off aging and produces as only Ichiro can. Either Mike Morse or Wladimir Balentien take over the corner outfield spot so the Mariners don't have to run Griffey out there. The team wins 70 games.

Worst Case Scenario: Bedard sneezes putting him on IR for the season. They have to use Carlos Silva every 5th day. The team's batting average is .245 and they have to keep Russell Branyan as the clean-up hitter. This team losses 100 games again.

Player Most Important to Success: Brandon Morrow. He is very similar to Joba Chamberlain. The team can not figure out what to do with him. Last year he was in the bullpen and filled in as a closer very well. Early indications is that they are trying to make him a starter this year. He has very good stuff. If he can find his role as a starter and give the team a solid 3rd starter this team can be a decent team. If he struggles with his role similar to Chamberlain last year this team will be in trouble and they lack any pitching depth behind Hernandez and Bedard.

Outlook: This team has two top-notch starters. It is hard to imagine that Hernandez is still only 22 years old and he has already thrown 666 innings. It is a shame he has to spend it on this Seattle team that will offer very little in support. If you have Russell Branyan in the 4-hole and relying on Ken Griffey to provide offense you are not in good position. This team is full of guys who will struggle to hit .250 and that does not lead to a lot of victories especially considering none of them are going to hit 30 home runs. It is also likely that Seattle will continue to rebuild trading Beltre and maybe Bedard if he healthy and effective. It will be a long season in Seattle.

#27 Washington Nationals

2009-03-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

Washington Nationals
Last Year: 59-102 Last in NL East
This Year: Last in NL East

The Nationals have been no more of a disaster than when they were known as the Montreal Expos. The only difference is they play in a brand-new stadium that they are not worthy of. Not only is the team a mess but the front office is a mess. It was discovered in February that prospect Esmailyn Gonzalez wasn't really Esmailyn Gonzalez. He was Carlos Daniel Alvarez Lugo. He was also 23 and not the 19 year old they thought he was. Since then Jose Rijo was fired as their Dominican scout and GM Jim Hendry has resigned under pressure and the fact that the FBI is investigating a possible scam of people skimming bonuses from Dominican prospects. It is not going well in Washington.

Opening Day Lineup w/projections
SS Cristian Guzman .305 7 HR 45 RBI
CF Lastings Milledge .274 15 HR 58 RBI 27 SB
3B Ryan Zimmerman .281 22 HR 97 RBI
1B Adam Dunn .245 40 HR 103 RBI
RF Elijah Dukes .263 25 HR 88 RBI
LF Josh Willingham .261 22 HR 83 RBI
C Jesus Flores .259 10 HR 62 RBI
2B Anderson Hernandez .263 1 HR 42 RBI
P John Lannan

Rotation
LHP John Lannnan 10-13 3.87 ERA 121 K
LHP Scott Olsen 10-14 4.14 ERA 120 K
RHP Shawn Hill 5-13 4.78 ERA 97 K
RHP Daniel Cabrera 8-15 5.15 ERA 151 K
RHP Collin Balester 5-12 5.32 ERA 102 K

CP RHP Joel Hanrahan 4.21 ERA 19 SV 82 K

Best-Case Scenario: Elijah Dukes and Scott Olsen stay out of police reports. Troubled prospects (Dukes, Milledge, Cabrera) finally realize their immense potential. Zimmerman reaches the next level and produces on a David Wright level. Cristian Guzman continues to be healthy and revive his career playing at All-Star level. This team battles the Florida Marlins for 4th place in the division.

Worst-Case Scenario: Guzman get hurt, unable to get any starting pitching, the scandal widens and brings down more in the organization, and Adam Dunn moves on. Prospects move towards failure as they bat .250. Cabrera continues to not be able to find the plate. This team losses 100 games for a second straight year.

Player Most Important to Success: Scott Olsen. He has the potential to provide what this team desperately needs. This team as most terrible teams lack good pitching. He has the abilty to pitch 200 innings with an ERA around 3.00. If he can win 12-15 games this will keep the team from being a laughingstock and give the National fans a reason to watch.

Outlook: This team was a mess in Montreal but it has only gotten worse in Washington. In Montreal while they couldn't afford to keep them this team developed Vladimir Guerrero, Larry Walker, Orlando Cabrera, and Rondell White. This current squad has no clue what they are doing. They should be rebuilding from the ground up with youth and talent but they are wasting money signing players like Adam Dunn. This team tried to pay 125 million for Teixiera. What is the point of that move. This team is not one player away from success they are 5-6 players away. Their proximity to Baltimore is making them make the same mistake by getting overpaid free agents every year stopping you from completely starting over which is needed. Hopefully, the new GM understands this. This year's squad will be boring, slow and will play absolutely terrible defense behind terrible pitching. Dunn will keep them from losing a 100 games but they will lose more than 90.

Michigan Game Preview-Regular Season Finale

2009-03-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

Minnesota Golden Gophers (21-8, 9-8) vs. Michigan Wolverines (18-12, 8-9)

Set your alarm clocks for tomorrow morning as this game will be at 11 am. It is also Senior Night. Usually that is an emotional and intense thing but I don't see many tears shed for the departure of Jamal Abu-Shamala and Jon Williams. With Penn State's win over Illinois and Northwestern's drive onto the bubble, Michigan might need more than a win in this game to be in the tournament. That being said they need to win this game or it is over for Michigan. Here is there resume:

Wins to Showcase:

vs. Duke 81-73
vs. UCLA 55-52

Losses to Hide From:

at Iowa 60-70
at Penn State 58-73

Previous Result

Michigan 74, Minnesota 62

Michigan thoughly beat Minnesota in the previous match-up. The problem wasn't Harris or Sims it was allowing Zach Novak, Stu Douglass, and Kelvin Grady to combine for 42 points when they average 17.6 points per game. Michigan hit 13 3-pointers shooting 46.4%. They average 32.7% from behind the arc on the year. That is worse than the Gophers. It is safe to say they will not shoot as well as they did in the previous game. The question is how much worse will they shoot.

The biggest problem for Michigan is taking the show on the road. They make the Gophers look like road warriors. They are 2-8 on the road this year with the two wins at Indiana and an overtime win at Northwestern. They average 60 points on the road versus 71.8 ppg at home. I know I have said that games in March come down to who needs it more and Michigan needs this more. However, I just don't see how a team that lost a must-win game at Iowa is going to come into the Barn and beat our ferocious defense that allows only 54.9 ppg at home. Tubby has this team seeing a chance to clinch a spot in the NCAA and the crowd should be able to help them accomplish this goal. I don't see the letdown happening at the Barn on Saturday.

Gophers 63, Michigan 56

Other News

The Gophers football team has had a good week on the recruiting trail. Early in the week they got the commitment of Antoine Lewis a cornerback from Illinois. He is listed as having 4.3 speed. That is obviously wrong but he should have good speed. They then finished the week getting the first 2010 commitment from the state of Minnesota by getting Jimmy Gjere an offensive lineman from Irondale. He is considered the 3rd best prospect in Minnesota behind Henderson and Beau Allen. He already had offers from Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio State. The rankings aren't out yet for the 2010 class but Lewis should be a 3-star and Gjere could be a 4-star recruit.
The Gophers basketball team has added a walk-on for the 2009 team. It added Dominique Dawson from Minneapolis Soutwest. He is a 6'7" forward who is averaging 21.9 ppg. He will not be getting any playing time and will be nothing more than a body but he is a big body that should help Mbakwe and Royce White in practice. He also might have the potential to contibute in a few years as he is big and athletic. He played wide reciever in high school catching for 34 passes for 664 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also wrestled as a freshman. If Bostick and Payton stick around next year which is questionable, the addition of Bryant Allen and Dawson will have 17 players on the roster. That is a lot of bodies.

#28 San Diego Padres

2009-03-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

San Diego Padres
Last Year: 63-99 Last in NL West
This Year: Last in NL West

This spot in the rankings is based on the fact they have probably the worst lineup and lack of pitching depth but it is also based on the fact that Jake Peavy, their All-Star ace, is not likely to finish with the Padres. They actively shopped him all winter because owner John Moores needs to cut salary because the team will be put up for sale when his divorce is finalized. The most active teams pursuing Peavy are the Cubs and the Braves. A deal didn't go through because they couldn't agree but I would be shocked if Peavy isn't on a different team by the All-Star break as Peavy won't stick around and he could drastically help another team that they will raise what they are willing to give up. Even if he does stay this is a terrible team that will do the impossible of ruining a San Diego summer.

Opening Day Lineup w/ Projections
CF Jody Gerut .285 16 HR 47 RBI
RF Brian Giles .292 12 HR 58 RBI
1B Adrian Gonzalez .283 37 HR 125 RBI
3B Kevin Kouzmanoff .263 24 HR 83 RBI
LF Chase Headley .273 17 HR 67 RBI
2B David Eckstein .277 3 HR 35 RBI
SS Luis Rodriguez .264 2 HR 27 RBI
C Nick Hundley .239 9 HR 44 RBI
P Jake Peavy

Rotation
RHP Jake Peavy 14-10 2.94 ERA 210 K
RHP Chris Young 12-10 3.21 ERA 160 K
RHP Cha Seung Baek 4-12 4.78 ERA 132 K
RHP Kevin Correia 4-10 5.11 ERA 82 K
LHP Wade LeBlanc 3-9 5.76 ERA 76 K

CP RHP Heath Bell 3.54 ERA 28 Sv 65 K

Best Case Scenario: Peavy stays all year and puts up an Cy Young caliber year. Chris Young stays healthy and is an All-Star along with Adrian Gonzalez. Chase Headley makes good on his potential and hits 20+ home runs. They find a third starter who can win a few games. Heath Bell makes the Padre fans forget about Trevor Hoffman. This team wins 70+ games.

Worst Case Scenario: Peavy leaves in Mid-June for a bunch of prospects a few years away. The fire sale does not stop with Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young being shipped. A slow, old lineup does not work in the spacious pitchers park. This team gets close to losing 110 games.

Player Most Important to Success: Chase Headley. I know from the preview it would seem that Peavy is the most important but he is consistent and they know what they will get from him regardless of whether he is on the team or not. Chase Headley has the potential to be a .300-30-100 guy in the future. That won't happen this year but he needs to improve on the .269-9-38 he put up last year. If he can start to utilize his talent which will make him cut down on the strikeouts he can provide some pop in the lineup and protect Adrian Gonzalez. This team needs offense and he is one who has the ability to provide it.

Outlook: Anytime your middle infield is a 34-year old David Eckstein and Twin reject Luis Rodriguez you are not bound for greatness. It figures to be even worse as they will be a seller come the trade deadline. The lineup lacks any speed or someone who is a lock to hit .300. That doesn't work in a spacious ballpark. They also don't have any starting pitching after Peavy and Young. It is so bad they are hoping for a resurrection of Mark Prior, who has not pitched since 2006 and has not pitched well since 2005. This is a slow boring team that will be tough to watch and has no reason for anyone to watch.