Opening Day of Baseball Brings Back America’s Pastime

Spring training is wrapping up and the strong signs of warm weather mean the wonderful sport of baseball is set to return in America.  Summer truly is on the horizon, and by this time next week we will all be right back in the thick of the action.  With the games just around the bend, the question on everyone’s mind is surely, who will win the 2013 World Series?  Smart teams have assembled key free agents and puzzle pieces to help sustain a run, while other teams are struggling with injuries or the realization that those key pickups may not be so key after all!  How is baseball going to shape up this season?

One of the teams that intrigues me is the Los Angeles Dodgers.  With new and ambitious owners, the team has been stockpiling an expensive array of big name players.  Now they boast one of the best groups of starting pitchers in the nation.  Clayton Kershaw is an ace just one year removed from the NL Cy Young award.  Zack Greinke, a highly prized free agent, has also joined the side, which will help them compete against anyone with their top two pitchers.  3^rd pitcher Josh Beckett was a strange option brought in from the Boston Red Sox, and has been through a rough patch of his career.  But if he can approach any of his former greatness, Beckett could be another ace for the Dodgers.  Only 32 years old, Beckett is still young enough to return to form and has big game experience.  The Dodgers have a range of players to fill out the rotation including Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, and Aaron Harang.

For the reason that their pitching should be so good, I am predicting the Los Angeles Dodgers to reach the 2013 World Series.  Yes, their disappointment last year was embarrassing, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the new ownership is doing everything possible to make the Dodgers a contender.  I also envision them making another big trade late in the season to fix any weaknesses.

In the American League?  I’m picking the New York Yankees, for the simple reason that no one else is.  This overlooked team won the AL East last year, and although alarm bells have been ringing all offseason about injuries to Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, and mark Teixeira, the Yankees have added several veterans who could provide the necessary punch including Travis Hafner, Kevin Youkilis, and Ichiro Suzuki who arrived midseason last year.  With C.C. Sabbathia on the mound they have a proven ace pitcher.  Kiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettite can still compete, and the Yankees have a solid closer in Mariano Rivera.

The Yankees will probably struggle early in the season, but as players return from injuries and the rest of the team starts to click, they could get red hot in time for October.  Plus, if the engine needs a kick-start, who would doubt that the Yankees might make a blockbuster trade in June to get things moving?  They will find a way to get into the postseason as a wild card team, and make the run all the way to the World Series.  That’s right, I’m picking the New York Yankees to win it all against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 7 games.  Let the fun begin!

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Spring Training Brings a Re-Arranged MLB Back to Baseball

It is no surprise that some serious movement has occurred throughout the MLB this off-season. Baseball is a sport always geared around trades and what missing puzzle pieces can bring a World Series to a specific team. The owners and general managers sure were busy this offseason, and as spring training is set to begin in under a week, baseball fans will get a new look at how their teams will operate in the upcoming 2013 baseball season. Here are some of the more important questions facing several teams that may be partially answered in spring training.

Are the Dodgers ready to contend? With the Los Angeles Dodgers securing a high paying television deal recently that will provide them a revenue of around $250 million per year, they have continued their spending spree. Pitcher Zack Greinke joins a lineup that already boasts Clayton Kershaw, Josh Beckett, and new Korean pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu. Solid hitters Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Hanley Ramirez look great on paper too. The question is will this team actually click and produce a World Series or will they simply put up some big numbers and fail to make the playoffs like they did last year?

Will the New York Yankees be able to hit? With the departure of Nick Swisher and the serious injury to Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees signed several veteran hitters to try and reproduce some lost offensive production. However, these players come with loads of questions that will need to be answered. Kevin Youkilis, Matt Diaz, and Travis Hafner all bring along a storied past of big hits and runs, but have struggled recently to dips of form and injuries. None of these guys hit over .240 last year, and they are all in their mid 30’s. Will any of these guys spark a career comeback with the Yankees, or will they disappoint?

Are the Cincinnati Reds ready to take the next step? Last season’s playoffs ended in misery for the Reds as they let a 2 game lead slip to the eventual World Series Champions San Francisco Giants in the NLDS. They have brought back every major piece of the team including outfielder Ryan Ludwick whom they re-signed. They also brought in Shin-Soo Choo, a solid hitter with decent power. Lining up with Joey Votto and Jay Bruce the Reds will have a solid offense. Their pitching staff was also spectacular last year with Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo, and Mat Latos. Was last year’s division championship just a fluke or are the Reds set to take the next step and win a pennant?

Will the Washington Nationals lead the Major Leagues in wins again? The Nationals came out of nowhere last year to lead the entire MLB in win with 98. Although they fell in a disastrous manner to the St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs, the Nationals should be improved. They re-signed Adam LaRoche, traded for Denard Span, and signed free agent premier closer Rafael Soriano. With a slate of starting pitchers including Stephen Strasburg, Dan Haren, Gio Gonzalez, and Jordan Zimmerman, the Nationals could be the best team in baseball again, but will definitely want to see an improved playoffs should they get there.

So with spring training taking shape and the regular season beckoning in the not too distant future, let’s see if some of these questions get resolved over the next few weeks as these teams take shape in the spring.

Baseball is almost back!

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