A.L. West Preview: Movers and Shakers Out West

A.L. West Preview: Movers and Shakers Out West
By Robert McIntosh

Baseball’s most exciting games were played in the A.L. West by the end of the regular season.  After a season that literally came down to the final day to determine a division winner, the Oakland A’s stole the crown away from the Texas Rangers in the season’s last game.  There could be more excitement in store for this year.  Both the Rangers and Angels have retooled to make a strong push to overtake the A’s. 

There are some changes after an active offseason.  This division is all about movement.  First, the most obvious, is the addition of the Houston Astros that requires Major League Baseball to play interleague games every day of the regular season.  The other big story of this division is the cash that was thrown at players to play within the division.  The Angels offered Josh Hamilton big money to change his allegiance and make them the early favorite for a World Series appearance.  Then you have Felix Hernandez being paid $175 million to spend the remainder of his career with the Mariners, the team he started his career with.  These stories headlined the off-season, but now going into Spring Training, the play on the field will speak for itself.


Upstart A’s (Oakland Athletics)
2012 Record:  94-68

Raise your hand if you expected the Oakland Athletics to finish with 94 wins and go on to become winners of this division last year?  No one?  I thought so.  Led by a talented group of young pitchers and outfielders, this team exceeded all expectations and made their way into the playoffs after what would seem to be a rebuilding season given their off-season.  The previous winter saw the trades of one of the best pitchers in baseball in Gio Gonzalez to the Nationals (which nabbed 13 game winner Tommy Milone) and Andrew Bailey to the Red Sox (receiving Josh Reddick and his 32 homeruns in return).  That same winter, the A’s signed Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes to a four year deal.  The return looks good so far as the 27 year old belted 23 home runs and added 16 stolen bases, showing a blend of power and speed.  The team now has a target on its back, so the question is, can their young players do it again?

Missing Gunslingers (Texas Rangers)
2012 Record:  93-69

After losing mainstays Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and power hitting catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli during the winter, the Rangers enter Spring Training with a completely different look to their lineup.  To help make up for the loss of these players, the Rangers signed Lance Berkman, who looked revitalized coming off of the 2011 season but followed that up with an injury plagued 2012.  If he reverts back to 2011 form, when he hit 31 homeruns, the Rangers will hardly feel the sting of Hamilton’s loss.   The visions of the Rangers back-to-back World Series appearances are still fresh in fans’ minds.  After last year’s let down, can the Rangers bounce back from a disappointing finish?

Angel in the Outfield (Anaheim Angels)
2012 Record:  89-73

In what is perhaps the biggest move in the division, the Angel’s netted the biggest fish in the free agent pond.  Josh Hamilton was signed to play alongside the outstanding Mike Trout in the outfield and hit somewhere in the middle of the lineup next to Albert Pujols (last year’s big off-season acquisition) and Mike Trumbo.  To say the least, the middle of this lineup is scary.  But, as is always the case with established players of their ilk, can Pujols and Hamilton stay healthy and live up to their contracts?  After a slow start, Pujols finally came on last year.  Will Hamilton succumb to the pressures of his big contract, just as King Albert did?  A slow start by either of these players cannot be covered up if the Angels hope to win the division.

King Felix’s Reign (Seattle Mariners)
2012 Record:  75-87

The Mariners are looking forward to big things in the 2013 season despite finishing in last place in the division in 2012.  Their headlining move this offseason was locking up their young Ace for at least the next seven years.  This contract ensures that King Felix will anchor the Mariners pitching staff for the better part of the next decade, but this was not the only move they made.  On paper, it looks as though the Mariners have made great strides to improve their lineup, particularly the additions of Michael Morse and Kendrys Morales.  Along with these two players, the acquisitions of Jason Bay and Raul Ibañez provide experience and leadership, but if either of these players could revert back to the halcyon days of their career, then the Mariners could possibly be a force in the West. 

Moving Westward (Houston Astros)
2012 Record: 55-107 (National League Central)

Moving to the A.L. West could be the fresh start that the Houston Astros need.  With a young developing team, a lot has to break right for the Astros to make an impact in the division this year.  But they do have a great starting point in José Altuve.  The All-Star second baseman broke out in his first full season to the tune of .290/.340/.399 with 33 stolen bases.  In addition to Altuve, the Astros signed free agent slugger Carlos Peña to fill their newfound designated hitter role.  This man can hit home runs with the best in baseball, but can he raise his batting average enough to justify his power?

Many MLB Teams Hoping to Cash in on a Championship

Many MLB Teams Hoping to Cash in on a Championship

By Daniel Holzhauer

 

With the Toronto Blue Jays acquiring Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey and the Washington Nationals stealing Rafael Soriano away from the New York Yankees, it has become clear that the race for the 2013 World Series is wide open and several teams are going all-in.

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers have pushed the most chips into the middle of the table with over $200 million in payroll, but it's the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that have three-of-a-kind in Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton. The Atlanta Braves made moves to secure a pair of Uptons, yet none of the aforementioned teams were even at last year's final table.

 

Reigning NL MVP Buster Posey led the San Francisco Giants to a second World Series title when he overcame Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers. Both teams are full of superstars and it will be hard not to predict them to repeat as division champions.

 

"We all start with a clean slate," Posey told the San Jose Mercury News, "Each year, you come in with the same hunger and know you've got a long road ahead. That's what we're here to do."

 

The Tigers reshuffled the deck last year when they acquired Prince Fielder to compliment Cabrera and their ace-in-the-hole Justin Verlander.  But they struggled early last season and were forced to chase down the Chicago White Sox in the final week of the season.

 

The surprise Washington Nationals, who have MLB's biggest bankroll in owner Ted Lerner, tore through the National League a year earlier than most expected, but issues at closer and the gamble they took on shutting down Stephen Strasburg made their season go bust. In 2013, they expect neither to be an issue.

 

“I think we'll have a better, more consistent team. I think it will be one year older, one year more experienced, one year more mature,” Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told MLB.com. “I think there is an opportunity to be better than we were last year.”

 

And let’s not forget the wildcard, or four, that will be tossed into the deck. Nobody expected the Baltimore Orioles to make the playoffs in 2012 and even fewer people expected the Oakland Athletics to win the AL West.

 

The St. Louis Cardinals were left for dead without Pujols and they almost shocked the world once again. If baseball has taught us anything, don’t be in a rush to fold your hand because you never know what the next turn may bring.

Hockey's Back!

Hockey’s Back!

by Robert McIntosh

 

It’s been a long, dark and cold winter thus far, but one thing that has warmed the hearts of many fans has been the return of the NHL hockey season.  With a compressed 48 game schedule and teams only playing games within the confines of their respective conferences, every game will be a battle for playoff positioning.

 

Due to the compressed schedule, there will undoubtedly be more intensity in each game played.  Old rivalries will be renewed and played with greater fervor.  What does greater intensity lead to?  It creates bigger hits, exhaustingly brutal fights, and more memorable moments that can shape a team’s season earlier in the year.  At least for this season, the regular season is a sprint and not a marathon.  Positioning is critical.  For the fans, this is exactly what they have been looking for.  It’s something they have waited for patiently.

 

As we are finally able to watch the start of the season, let’s appreciate the beauty of this wonderful game.  Let us embrace what is sure to be a season full of great saves, magnificent goals and bone crushing hits.  The players are back on the ice, so enjoy and let’s play some hockey!

Hope Springs

Spring Training 2013
by yr

Hope Springs eternal. Another year, another season begins. Full of hope. Full of optimism. Full of potential. And in 8 months from now, full of disappointment for 29 teams.  But as baseball fans, none of us want to think that far down the line.  We like to look at our teams in February and say we've got a chance. Anything can happen. Any team can be that Cinderella story.  The grass always looks greener in February than it does in October.  And that's the way we want it and love it.  That's why we come back, rooting for our teams, year after year, season after season.

Pitchers and catchers begin reporting to training camps this week, with the rest of the squads reporting by the middle of next week.  Spring training is also a time for the casual fan to get a glimpse into the team's future, by surveying some of the crop down on the farm.  Some teams are built for the now, some are building for the near future, and some others are building for the not-so near future.  You just hope your team is building towards something.

Spring is that time of year where anything is possible, as the weather starts to warm up, the trees start to bloom, and you get the feelings of new beginnings all around you.  The crack of the bat, the pop of the ball against the gloves.  For baseball fans, this is really the most wonderful time of the year. 

Hope springs eternal, but for some teams and some fans, it may just have to wait until next spring.  Just don't tell us that until October.

"So you're telling me there's a chance." - Jim Carrey, Dumb & Dumber

What Did We Learn this NFL Season?

What Did We Learn this NFL Season?

By Daniel Holzhauer

 

It is that time of the year again, when the football equipment is packed away along with the pom-poms and face paint. Football jerseys are replaced by hockey sweaters and we go from hard hits to the hard court. But before we move on, let's take a minute to look back at the things we learned in 2012.

  

The Importance of Coaching is Underrated

Look no further than the Super Bowl, where Jim Harbaugh led the 49ers to the title game in his second year as head coach after going to the AFC Championship in his first year. Before Harbaugh came to town, the 49ers were 18-22 under Mike Singletary and the core of the roster has changed little.
 

“Cannot play with them. Cannot win with them. Cannot coach with them,” Singletary said when asked about a confrontation with TE Vernon Davis in 2008, “Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win.”
 

And if you need more evidence, look at the New Orleans Saints. A perennial powerhouse with double-digit wins in three straight seasons and an elite quarterback, they fell to 7-9 thanks to the 'bountygate' scandal. But with all the arguing and media attention, it was Sean Payton and the coaching staff, not any players, that missed time.

 

The Importance of Regular Season Stats are Overrated

A player can put up all the stats he can, and fantasy owners will love him for that, but the slate is always wiped clean after week 17. Adrian Peterson may have the healing ability of Wolverine, but his 2,000 rushing yards couldn't carry the Vikings past the wild card round.
 

Peyton Manning joined Peterson in crushing preseason expectations, but Tim Tebow still has more playoff wins in a Broncos jersey than the 4x MVP Manning.
 

Joe Flacco didn't throw for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns, but he’s ‘going to Disney World.’
 

When Flacco followed Eli Manning and proclaimed himself elite, everyone laughed. Flacco still isn't in the same class as quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, but throwing 11 touchdowns in the playoffs without an interception and winning the Super Bowl MVP will forever etch his name in history.

 

The Game is Still Evolving

Ever since Walter Camp began to Americanize the rules of rugby and created football in the 1800s, the game has always been in a state of change. Today's changes are not as big as moving from 15 players to 11 or legalizing the forward pass, but the change is obvious.
 

It was once common knowledge that 'Defense Wins Championships,' but now quarterbacks rule the league. And NFL defenders are too fast for the read option or the spread offense, but are they faster than Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III?
 

As defenses are forced to change their tactics to avoid contact and adjust their tackling to avoid head contact, offenses are playing full speed ahead. Defensive backs must be prepared to cover monsters like Rob Gronkowski and Calvin Johnson.
 

The only thing to be sure of is that when one coach thinks he has figured it out, another will come to raise the bar.

  

Football is Still King

What happens when the lights go out right when the Super Bowl appears to be out of hand? More people tune in, of course. The game was delayed by more than 30 minutes and the broadcast booth, which was also hit by the blackout, could do little to fill the time, but people stayed glued to their televisions.
 

Even as prominent members of society, like President Obama, pontificate over the future of the sport, the country continues to tune in. Football is a truly American game that reflects our passion, commitment and strategic mindset.
 

More than 48% of all TVs in the country were set to the Super Bowl and we all sat around them with our friends and family to continue the greatest tradition in sports.