AL West

By Dr. Jekyll

AL West

Texas Rangers: Behind Josh Hamilton and Michael Young, this team was always going to score runs. The offensive addition of Vlad Guerrero has been a surprise, as he’s absolutely lit it up in Arlington this year. But what no one expected was the pitching to help out. Cliff Lee makes this team an instant World Series contender, with much thanks to the Angels for selling away the core of their team this past year and making way for a new face to emerge from the west. Welcome to the foray, Rangers.

Los Angeles Angels: Speaking of those Angels, Jered Weaver has given this club a chance to remain competitive for a lot longer than some (me) expected them to be this season. Mike Napoli is a stud behind the plate and with him leading up future young pitchers this will be a club that can still make threats even when in a rebuilding year. The loss of core players has definitely made an impact on the season, but this is a gritty club that has a bright future. Just not this season.

Oakland Athletics: At the start of the season I wrote that a healthy Ben Sheets made this an average team. Well, at their current record, I’d like to toot my own horn and say this is one of the few predictions I got right. They have a top order pitching staff, not that anyone who knows Billy Beane would expect any different. The team is still well of being strong, and the constant revolving door of characters that seem to take over this lineup makes it hard to get a feel for the direction of the club. This lineup needs pop, but with a few bats in the lineup they could make noise and play the spoiler role in this division.

Seattle Mariners: I hoped in this bandwagon and jumped off almost immediately. The Ken Griffey show was an awkward farewell, and was probably the most memorable part of the season for Seattle as well. The Cliff Lee trade was meant for a club looking to break through. All the Mariners did was break down. They couldn’t get Lee the run support, let alone any of their other starters, and have one of the worst records in the league because of it. King Felix and Ichiro haven’t gotten much mention this season, and this isn’t a fault of their own. Ichiro is still the best pure hitter of our generation, and will break 200 hits yet again this season. The lone bright spot in what’s otherwise a wash of a season.

MLB pre season peak - AL

By Dr. Jekyll

Ah, spring training. A time of high hopes and dreams, where everyone in the Major Leagues is convinced that this could just be the year. After a five month hiatus, baseball is ready to get back in full swing. The sight of the bright lights in the stadium, the scent of freshly trimmed grass, and the sound of Ozzie Guillen enhancing the Spanish to English vocabulary of every boy and girl.

But most importantly, a time for looking into crystal balls and knowing exactly how this season will unfold. Just a quick side bit, order of appearance is order of division standing. So, without further ado:

AL EAST

The Yankees consistently find ways to upgrade what is consistently the most talented roster in baseball, and barring a slew of freak injuries look to be playing postseason baseball once again. Upgrading with Curtis Granderson and letting a struggling Johnny Damon walk. Letting Wang walk after this past season may come back to hurt the Yankees on pitching depth, but let’s be honest, as long as Mariano Rivera is closing things out, there won’t be much to fear.

The Red Sox bring arguably the strongest starting rotation in the majors to the mound, with an All-Star ageless wonder in Tim Wakefield even battling it out for a roster spot. But the hits on David Ortiz over the past two seasons have to make you wonder if a team in such a strong offensive ballpark is going to be able to keep pace with the Bombers.

The Tampa Bay Rays are one of those teams you just consistently feel sorry for. With one of the youngest and most talented teams in the league, it’s got to be frustrating being consistently stuck behind big spenders in Boston and New York. Look for Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford to go off, as well as David Price to have a great season. But in this division, you need to be stacked top to bottom. Heart says they deserve a shot at the division, crystal ball says they fade all but out of the wildcard by August.

Things in Baltimore haven’t been this hopeful since Ripken Jr. retired, but unless Matt Weiters can pitch and bat for all nine roster spots, this team is still a year or two from being in contention.

As for the Blue Jays, at least they still have Roy Halladay… er, I mean hockey. Yeah, they still have hockey…

AL Central

Apart from Minnesota, there really isn’t a terribly strong team in this division. And by Minnesota, I mean assuming Joe Nathan is either able to go or they find someone else (John Smoltz anyone?) to solidify the back end of the bullpen. You can’t go against the League MVP in a division this week. Unless of course…

Detroit can find someone, ANYONE, in that lineup to hit. The Tigers have a pretty solid front side of their rotation between Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello, and Max Scherzer, but they’re a bat or two short.

Chicago sits in a similar boat as Detroit, and both will be paddling upstream without a decent set of batting gloves.

Meanwhile, Zack Greinke mops in more sympathy votes after the Royals fail to put together anything impressive over the offseason. Alex Gordon isn’t ready to carry this team to anything other than a third place finish in the division at best.

Which leaves Cleveland staring up at everyone. With all of their pitching traded away, this is looking like a clear cut rebuild.

AL West

Folks in Seattle are about to see the best team this city has put together since the 2001, 116 win team. Ignoring the additions of Chone Figgins and Casey Kotchman, putting Cliff Lee at the top of the order with King Felix Hernandez is a lethal one-two punch in this suddenly lackluster division.

The fact that the Rangers look to finish second in this division is more a testament to the bleeding out of their California rivals than anything remarkable that they’ve done.

And on the topic of those Angels, so long Chone, Vlad, and Johny Lackey. Staples from this team’s success have all departed the golden state, and the man to replace them? Hideki Matsui. Yeah, good luck with that. The saddest part is that with enough injuries to Seattle’s pitching staff, they could still make a push for the division.

Money Ball hasn’t been worth a dime in quite a few years, and it still looks to be another solid year for coming to fruition. A healthy Ben Sheets makes this an average team, but without him they could be looking at one of the poorer records in the league.

Look out for the NL tomorrow.

Refs worth all the zeros?

By Dan Rodgers

It all really took off during the 2009 MLB post-season. There were countless calls in just about every game that were questionable to the extent that it was hard to believe the referee or umpire couldn't see the play to make the correct call. For example: Game 2 ALDS, Twins vs. Yankees. Joe Mauer hit line drive right down the left field line and the ball is called foul even though it is clearly fair.

In the ALCS, Angels vs. Yankees, Nick Swisher was apparently picked off of second base but he was called safe. Later than inning, it was called that Swisher left early from third base even though he clearly did not. It is absurd to think that the umpires did such a poor job in the most important series of their careers and since it was a chance to go to the World Series for each team. I can only hope that the umpires were just consistently bad and did not feel the need to have a make-up call for a previously bad call. That would be dispicable and is not how the game of baseball is or should be conducted.

Don't forget about the NFL. Don't get me started on all these rules protecting quarterbacks; don't they wear pads and helmets? The thing that gets me the most in the NFL is the spot of the ball and how nonchalantly the refs just place the ball. The ball is supposed to be placed in its location when the players knee, elbow, etc. hits the ground. In many cases it seems like they are just guessing. Not to mention the forward motion rule. It is 100% speculation. The refs have to decide if they think the runner was trying to move forward or if he voluntarily moved backwards.

The worst might be the NBA and just basketball in general. I have a hard time watching basketball because I feel like a foul is called on every possession up and down the floor. All the player has to do is drive the lane and flail in the air and he will be awarded two shots.

Oh, by the way, these guys make six figure salaries just for the duration of the season.

Rodgers That