MLB Franchise Four: Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Jason

I didn’t realize that the voting for this Franchise Four ended this week. No way I’m gonna be able to cover every team before Friday. Oh well. Here’s a few more.

Pittsburgh Pirates Franchise Four

I definitely wanted to vote on this one before the ballots close to cast my mark for Roberto Clemente. Clemente is one of my favorites and I think he’s a shoo-in for this, but still. Here are the Pirate nominees:

  • Barry Bonds
  • Roberto Clemente
  • Ralph Kiner
  • Bill Mazeroski
  • Willie Stargell
  • Pie Traynor
  • Honus Wagner
  • Paul Waner

Tough choices here. But this is my ballot:

  1. Roberto Clemente. What a player. I can’t remember what first drew me to Clemente; obviously, I never saw him play. But after reading David Maraniss’s excellent bio a few years ago, I’ve had a deep appreciation for Clemente as both a player and a human being.
  2. Willie “Pops” Stargell. Franchise leader in HR and RBI. Another quality person, too.
  3. Honus Wagner. Another no-brainer. One of the best players ever.
  4. You could really go a number of ways here. But I’m going to cast my vote for Paul Waner. A lifetime .333 hitter, including a franchise record .340 clip in a Pirate uniform. Honorable mention to Traynor and Kiner.

I think my first three are money; the final spot is really up for grabs. Should be an interesting vote.

Cincinnati Reds Franchise Four

Here are the 8 Reds nominees:

  • Barry Larkin
  • Pete Rose
  • Johnny Bench
  • Eric Davis
  • Dave Concepcion
  • Joe Morgan
  • Frank Robinson
  • Tony Perez

And here are the players I voted for:

  1. Pete Rose. When I think of the Cincinnati Reds, I think of Rose. No matter how you feel about his HoF chances, he deserves this recognition.
  2. Joe Morgan. According to Bill James, Morgan is the best 2B to ever play the game. He makes a compelling argument, too. Though he only played 8 seasons in Cincy, I still voted for him.
  3. Johnny Bench. Perhaps the best catcher ever, too. No wonder those Reds teams were so dominant back in the Big Red Machine days.
  4. Barry Larkin. I love Robinson, but my heart says Larkin (a lifelong Red) deserves this final nod.

I think the final vote will line up with my ballot. Outside chance that some Eric Davis fans rock the vote, but I doubt it.

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MLB Franchise Four: Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Jason

This is the next installment in my ongoing series covering MLB’s Franchise Four initiative.

910Today, we look at two of the oldest franchises in the majors, the Tigers and the Indians. I love working through these lists from these long-tenured franchises; lots of great players to choose from.

Detroit Tigers Franchise Four

The first thing you notice with the Tigers list is the dearth of pitchers. Justin Verlander is the only nominee, which is mildly surprising given the love Jack Morris gets from nostalgists. It’s also a bit surprising that Norm Cash didn’t make the list, although I’m not sure who you’d exclude. This is a fine eightsome:

  • Miguel Cabrera
  • Justin Verlander
  • Ty Cobb
  • Al Kaline
  • Charlie Gehringer
  • Sam Crawford
  • Hank Greenberg
  • Alan Trammell

So here’s my ballot:

  1. Ty Cobb. Up there with Ruth in the discussion for the greatest player ever.
  2. Al Kaline. Franchise leader in HR. Great defensive right-fielder.
  3. Hank Greenberg. A two-time MVP and a Hall of Famer.
  4. Miguel Cabrera. It’s hard to leave Gehringer off the list, but I think Cabrera probably deserves this final spot. A two-time MVP, three-time batting champ, and winner of the first triple crown in 45 years.

I think Alan Trammell may win a spot in the final fan vote, perhaps edging out Greenberg.

Cleveland Indians Franchise Four

Here are the nominees for Cleveland:

  • Nap Lajoie
  • Jim Thome
  • Bob Feller
  • Larry Doby
  • Omar Vizquel
  • Tris Speaker
  • Earl Averill
  • Lou Boudreau

Jim Thome is the franchise leader in homers by a large margin, but I’m not sure you can include him in the final four.

  1. Tris Speaker. An all-time great. Bill James ranks him as the fourth greatest CF, one spot ahead of Joe Dimaggio. Speaker spent the first half of his career in Boston, but he still had a decade in Cleveland. He still ranks as the all-time leader in doubles.
  2. Nap Lajoie. A name very few remember these days, but Lajoie was one of the best keystoners to play the game.
  3. Bob Feller. A list like this must include Feller, the franchise leader in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts.
  4. Larry Doby. You could argue for Averill, but I’m going with Doby, an oft-overlooked five-tool talent. In Speaker, Doby, and Averill, the Indians have some of the best center fielders the game has ever seen.

How will the final vote shake out? Recency bias probably means both Vizquel and Thome make the cut, likely at the expense of Doby and another player, which is ridiculous.

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MLB Franchise Four: Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Jason

la-sp-dodgers-giants-trades-20140508Here’s another post in my ongoing series highlighting the Major League Baseball Franchise Four initiative, this time focusing on the greatest West Coast rivalry, the Dodgers and the Giants.

Los Angeles Dodgers Franchise Four

I really have a problem with the Dodger nominees. No Zack Wheat? Pee Wee Reese? Gil Hodges? Any of these would’ve been more deserving than either Fernando or Kershaw. Kershaw might go down as an all-time great, but it’s too early to say at this point. Anyway, you can’t change the nominees; here they are:

  • Don Drysdale
  • Sandy Koufax
  • Clayton Kershaw
  • Fernando Valenzuela
  • Steve Garvey
  • Jackie Robinson
  • Duke Snider
  • Roy Campanella

As with most of the storied franchises, this decision is a tough one. But here are my selections:

  1. Duke Snider. The franchise leader in HR and RBI, there’s no way you can leave Snider off this list.
  2. Sandy Koufax. We know his career totals were cut short by injury. What we don’t know is where he’d rank in our collective consciousness if we’d had the opportunity to watch him fade. There was no Jordan-in-a-Wizards-uniform phase for Koufax. Rather, we only remember him at his peak. And what a peak it was. Arguably the greatest pitcher of all-time deserves recognition on this list.
  3. Jackie Robinson. Even if Jackie weren’t an all-time talent, he’d be worthy of this recognition for his immeasurable impact in bringing racial segregation to an end in the big leagues. But Robinson merits inclusion here not merely as a cultural icon but as a Hall of Famer.
  4. With this final spot, I was torn. You could really make a strong case for Drysdale, although his final numbers are similar to Don Sutton’s, who didn’t even appear on this ballot. In the end, my final vote goes for Roy Campanella, the former Negro- and Mexican-Leaguer who earned three National League MVP awards and is widely remembered as one of the best catchers in history.

As I’ve said before, recency bias means Kershaw will likely be voted in by fans, which is really unfortunate. I love the guy, but bumping one of the four I’ve mentioned would be a tremendous oversight.

San Francisco Giants Franchise Four

Oh, boy. This should be interesting. What do you do with Bonds? This is another fantastic list of players. Here are the Giants nominees:

  • Barry Bonds
  • Wilie Mays
  • Mel Ott
  • Buster Posey
  • Willie McCovey
  • Christy Mathewson
  • Juan Marichal
  • Orlando Cepeda

At this point in his career, Posey is poised to be an all-timer: 3 championships, an MVP, and a Rookie of the Year award. But I can’t justify including him on my list…at least not yet. Here’s where I’m going:

  1. Barry Bonds. Look, it’s not the Hall. Bonds won five MVPs as a Giant. His 586 HR for San Fran is 2nd only to Mays on the franchise list. He slugged .666 over 6,263 ABs as a Giant. And don’t forget that he was a fantastic defensive player for most of his career. Bonds was a singular talent and, as much as I might try, there’s just no way to justify leaving him off this list. He may never be enshrined in Cooperstown, but I think he deserves this recognition.
  2. Willie Mays. A once-in-a-generation talent. Gotta put him here.
  3. Mel Ott. Do you realize that in Bonds, Mays, and Ott the Giants have one of the greatest left, center, and right fielders to ever play this game? Ott is a forgotten player from the 1920s and 30s, but he should be on this list.
  4. Christy Mathewson. One of the first five inductees in the Hall of Fame. Unanimously recognized as one of the most dominant pitchers the game has ever known.

I don’t know if Bonds will make the final cut. I suspect Posey will be there, and perhaps McCovey as well.

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MLB Franchise Four: St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Jason

viewphotoHere’s the second post in my ongoing series covering MLB’s Franchise Four initiative. After covering the Yankees and Red Sox last week, I’m going to look at the four greatest players for two of the Senior Circuit’s oldest clubs: my St. Louis Cardinals and their rivals, the Chicago Cubs.

St. Louis Cardinals Franchise Four

This is ridiculously impossible. I mean, look at this list:

  • Stan Musial
  • Lou Brock
  • Dizzy Dean
  • Rogers Hornsby
  • Bob Gibson
  • Albert Pujols
  • Ozzie Smith
  • Red Schoendienst

I was in St. Louis a few weeks ago when they honored Red Schoendienst’s lifetime contributions to the franchise. The guys is absolutely a Cardinals icon. But he’s the one of the eight with the weakest body of work as a player. The other seven, however, have legitimate claims to the honor. This is going to be tough.

Here are my four greatest Cardinals:

  1. Stan Musial. The greatest Cardinal ever. No contest.
  2. Bob Gibson. A lifelong Cardinal with 251 wins. A sign of Gibson’s dominance: after the 1968 season, MLB lowered the mound by 5 inches and decreased the size of the strike zone in a move that has since been called “the Gibson rules.” Yeah, he’s gonna be on this list.
  3. Lou Brock. Hall of Fame leadoff man retired with the most stolen bases in major league history. For 30 years, has been involved in charitable and civic work in the greater St. Louis area. No way can you leave him off this list.
  4. This one hurts. You could make a case for Dean, although his final numbers aren’t quite as strong as some others. You could also make a legitimate case for Hornsby, whose best seasons were in St. Louis, although he spent many years in the back half of his career playing for other clubs. But for me, this one comes down to Ozzie and Albert. Pujols was the dominant hitter in the majors for the better part of a decade and a key member of two championship Cardinal squads. And his ongoing work in the community is certainly laudable. But I’m going with Ozzie Smith, if for no other reason than this: Ozzie is the reason I’m a Cardinals fan. Smith is easily the most iconic player from the Cardinals 80’s salad days when I came of age as a baseball fan. Although he eventually worked himself into a pesky offensive player, the Wizard will always be known for his Gold Glove defense. You can have your three-run homer; I’ll take Ozzie’s backhand-from-the-hole, acrobatic-throw-on-a-line all day long.

I’m not sure how the voting will pan out in this one. I’m thinking Lou might be left off of the casual fan’s ballot in place of Pujols, but who knows.

Chicago Cubs Franchise Four

For all their ineptitude, the Cubs have a nice list of all-time greats to choose from:

  • Ryne Sandberg
  • Sammy Sosa
  • Ernie Banks
  • Ron Santo
  • Fergie Jenkins
  • Billy Williams
  • Gabby Hartnett
  • Three-Finger Brown

Here’s the way I approach a list like this: I’m looking for all-time greats for that particular franchise. Case in point: Fergie Jenkins has some great career numbers. But I can’t include him as one of the four greatest Cubs because he spent an entire decade pitching for other clubs. Same reason I didn’t put Hornsby in as one of the Cards Franchise Four.

That being said, here’s my ballot for the greatest Cubs:

  1. Ernie Banks. There are a couple of slam dunks on every club. Banks epitomized the moniker “Mr. Cub.” An all-time great.
  2. Ryne Sandberg. According to Bill James, Sandberg ranks as the 7th best 2B in baseball history. And to think, he could’ve been a Phillie.
  3. Gabby Hartnett. Nobody remembers Hartnett, but he was a fantastic catcher in the 20s and 30s. He probably won’t make the final vote (I’m sure he’ll be edged out by Sosa), but he absolutely deserves to be mentioned here.
  4. Ron Santo. James sees Santo as the 6th greatest 3B ever, ahead of fellow Hall of Famers Paul Molitor and Brooks Robinson.

In the final vote, Sosa will be there over Hartnett, which is kind of a shame. But what do I care? It’s the Cubs.

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Top Ten: Dwight Yoakam

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Jason

After a friend of mine recently began posting his “top ten” lists of favorite songs by his favorite artists and that got me thinking about my favorites as well. This post is part of a similarly-themed series that I’ll be doing over the next few months.

173643_1_fDwight Yoakam has always been one of my favorite artists. Even in the late 80s, Yoakam’s brand of “hillbilly rock” was well beyond the mainstream Nashville sound. Surprisingly, he found commercial success on his self-financed debut EP, “Guitars, Cadillacs, etc.” From the string of radio hits in the 80s and 90s to his more recent run of critically acclaimed work, I’ve always been a big fan. And it appears I’m in good company. The story goes that someone once asked Johnny Cash to name his favorite country singer. Yoakam was his answer.

With that, I give you my ten favorite Dwight Yoakam songs.

  1. “Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose.” This one, from If There Was A Way, was the song that put Yoakam on the map for me. I still love Pete Anderson’s guitar work on this track.
  2. “You’re The One.” Another stellar cut from If There Was A Way.
  3. “Train In Vain” from Under the Covers. By this point in his career, Dwight had absolutely mastered his “hillbilly country” sound.
  4. “Miner’s Prayer” from Dwight Live.
  5. “It’s Never Alright” from 3 Pears. This 2012 release might go down as his best album from top to bottom.
  6. “Fast As You.”
  7. “If Teardrops Were Diamonds” from Population: Me. This duet with Willie Nelson is Yoakam at his sad-sack best.
  8. “Bury Me” from dwightyoakamacoustic.net. This is a great set of songs, none better than the lead track.
  9. “Sorry You Asked.” This one cracks me up every time, especially the line about “certain third parties.”
  10. “I Sang Dixie.” Back in the day, I loved Yoakam’s louder, electric songs, but I think he really shines when he tells stories of loneliness. This classic is one of his best.

There’s the list of favorite Yoakam tracks. More to come in this series.

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MLB Franchise Four: New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Jason

yankees-vs-red-sox-rivalryMajor League Baseball recently unveiled a pretty cool initiative, “The Franchise Four”, a fan vote to determine each franchise’s four most important players. Along with the most important Negro Leaguers, Pioneers, and Greatest Living Players, MLB will unveil each team’s “Franchise Four” at the All-Star Game this summer in Cincinnati.

I think this is a great idea. Not only do baseball fans love a good argument (see the Pete Rose debate and each year’s Hall of Fame ballots), this is a great way to celebrate the game’s history at the Midsummer Classic.

As something of a baseball geek, I’m going to take some time in the weeks to come to give you my vote for each franchise’s best players. I’m beginning with two of the league’s most storied teams, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

New York Yankees Franchise Four

This is really not a tough call. The Yankee ballot, as you might imagine, is loaded with great players. I’m pretty sure that recency bias will put Derek Jeter in the Yankee four, but that means one of these all-time greats is going to be left out. Jeter is a winner and one of the game’s best role models of gamesmanship and hustle, but take a look at the ballot and tell me who you’d leave out to put him in.

  • Babe Ruth
  • Lou Gehrig
  • Mickey Mantle
  • Whitey Ford
  • Mariano Rivera
  • Joe DiMaggio
  • Yogi Berra
  • Derek Jeter

Here are my four Yankee greats.

  1. Babe Ruth. This is the definition of a no-brainer. Even if he never picked up a bat, he probably would be in the Hall for his pitching prowess. But that bat: .342avg, 714HR, 2213RBI. The game’s greatest.
  2. Lou Gehrig. The best first baseman to ever play the game. Personified toughness. .340 lifetime average, 493HR.
  3. Joe DiMaggio. 15 years ago, I had lunch with a friend and his father, a man that played in the majors in the 1940s. I asked him the best player he ever played against. Without hesitation, he said, “DiMaggio.” Smooth. Graceful. Effortless. Made excellence look easy. My friend’s dad said he still had marks on his chest from a DiMaggio line drive. 60 years after the fact, he told the story with a smile. It’s amazing the pipeline of Yankee greats from Ruth through the Mantle-era.
  4. Mickey Mantle. This sort of exercise is tailor-made for Mantle enthusiasts to extol the Mick’s greatness. I’d be shocked if he’s not on the list.

My gut is that the final fan-vote will favor Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, and Jeter. That’s a shame, because DiMaggio belongs on this Mt. Rushmore.

Boston Red Sox Franchise Four

Another incredible collection of players. I was a little surprised to see Rice’s inclusion on the list over Wade Boggs, given Rice’s long, circuitous route to Hall enshrinement. But that’s really splitting hairs. There are really three no-brainers here, but the final spot will be interesting. You have a couple of players (Fisk and Pedro) whose career numbers were compiled with other clubs, so I’m not sure how the final vote will net out.

Here are the nominees:

  • Carl Yastrzemski
  • Carlton Fisk
  • Pedro Martinez
  • Ted Williams
  • Dwight Evans
  • Cy Young
  • Jim Rice
  • David Ortiz

At any rate, here are my four greatest BoSox players:

  1. Ted Williams. Universally recognized as one of the two or three greatest hitters to ever play the game. We can all imagine what his final numbers would be had he not sacrificed five prime years to serve in the U.S. military. An iconic figure and a shoo-in as the greatest Boston player ever.
  2. Cy Young. When the award for excellence in your field is named after you, I think your inclusion on a list like this is self-explanatory. The record that figures to stand longer than any other is Cy’s 511 career wins. Sure, he pitched in the deadball era, but that doesn’t matter. He’s here.
  3. Carl Yastrzemski. The phrase “professional hitter” might’ve been coined with Yaz in mind. The final no-brainer among Boston players.
  4. David Ortiz. I really wrestled with this. You could easily make a case for someone else here (like Fisk or Pedro), but I’m going with Ortiz in spite of my feelings about his “position” as a career designated hitter. For 40+ years, that’s the way the game has been played, so there’s no sense in penalizing Big Papi by excluding him from the Red Sox Franchise Four. In addition to his regular season body of work, Ortiz defies the sabermatrician objection to the use of the term “clutch” in the postseason. The bottom line is that he’s been the constant in Boston’s decade-long stretch of (mostly) success. Plus, he’s the current face of the franchise.

I have a pretty good feeling that these four will get the call in July as well. Maybe Fisk edges Papi, but I doubt it.

I’d love to know your thoughts on my vote. I’ll be posting more Franchise Four posts throughout the spring and summer.

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The Power of Words

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Jason

powerof-wordsA few months ago, we witnessed NBC News anchor Brian Williams’ precipitous fall from grace. Williams lost credibility after exaggerating his experience covering the war in Iraq back in 2003, prompting NBC to remove him from the NBC Nightly News desk. NBC execs remain tight-lipped as to when, or even if, Williams will return.

This week, on the heels of a 1-7 slide, Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price unleashed an expletive-laced tirade against a Reds beat reporter. The reporter’s crime? Divulging that the Reds All-Star catcher, Devin Mesoraco, was unavailable in Sunday’s prime time game against the St. Louis Cardinals. For simply doing his job, this poor guy received the brunt of Price’s venomous rant, a six-minute tongue lashing in which Price used a certain choice term a whopping 77 times. Price has since issued an apology and according to many baseball insiders, he’s a genuinely nice guy. But I suspect those six minutes will follow him for a long time.

News anchors and sports figures are in the public eye, I understand that. But what are the implications for the rest of us? Are there lessons to be learned here about the power of our words? Here are four that come to my mind:

Truth-telling should be our native language. Nobody likes a liar, a manipulator of the truth, an exaggerator. Truth-telling is a matter of dignity. If I tell you the truth, that means you matter to me. Likewise, you honor me when you speak truth to me. We should be striving to tell the truth, even in circumstances that make us uncomfortable.

Our words have the power to define us. What we say and how we say it will likely be remembered for a long time. In the words of Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” The words you use today will go a long way toward determining the words that are spoken about you long after you’re gone.

Our words have the power to define others. Do you still remember that criticism you received in junior high? The kid that made fun of you in high school? That embarrassing story someone told about you? Of course you do. But just as our words have the power to cut and wound, they also possess incredible power to heal and reorient. Children are especially hungry for this type of affirmation. I seek out opportunities to tell my children who they are as a counter to the deluge of false identities the world has for them. Use your words to help define others in ways that are affirming and encouraging.

You’ll never regret using your words to build up someone else. I’m sure Williams and Price deeply regret the things they’ve said. I know this because of how much I regret things I’ve said in the past. But I’ve yet to meet anyone who regretted encouraging someone else. Proverbs 25:11, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”

Think about the power of your words.

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Top Ten: Johnny Cash

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Jason

americaniv_2A friend of mine has recently been posting his “top ten” lists of favorite songs by some of his favorite artists. He’s inspired me to do the same thing and, after a draining couple of days, I thought I’d have a little fun tonight and post my favorite Johnny Cash songs.

Some of my earliest memories include listening to Johnny Cash songs with my Dad. He was a huge Cash fan and I think it made him happy to share that love with me. I’d have to say Cash is my favorite recording artist of all time (as evidenced by this post).

Trying to select my ten favorite Cash songs is pretty tough. Of course, I grew up with the “classic” Cash sound: Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the Line, and Ring of Fire. But with a career that spans 50+ years, Cash’s sound inevitably evolved and adapted, sometimes to commercial success (see the Highwaymen recordings), sometimes not (“Chicken In Black”, anybody?). As much as I love the classic Cash, I’m drawn more to his American Recordings period, a late career renaissance sparked by Cash’s partnership with producer / genius Rick Rubin.

So here are my favorite Cash songs:

  1. “Folsom Prison Blues.” The classic. That poor guy in Reno…
  2. “I See A Darkness” from American III.
  3. “Mercy Seat” from American III. “I See A Darkness” and “Mercy Seat” are covers that appear back to back on Cash’s fantastic American Recordings III. Cash completely makes these songs his own. I view them as companion pieces since I’ve listened to them back-to-back for so many years.
  4. “Tennessee Flat Top Box.” More than any other Cash song, this one reminds me of my Dad.
  5. “Spiritual” from Unchained (also called American II).
  6. “When the Man Comes Around” from American IV. This is the book of Revelation set to music. Just awesome.
  7. “Ring of Fire.”
  8. “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” My Dad had this record when I was a kid; this song used to scare the mess out of me.
  9. “On the Evening Train” from American V.
  10. “Hurt” from American IV. The video to this song is fantastic.

That’s my list. Ask me on another day and I’d probably have 5 or 6 others that I’d want to put in there.

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2015 MLB Preview: National League West

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Jason

The Dodgers have to be considered heavy favorites to win the NL West crown, possibly the pennant. Under this current ownership group, the Dodgers have reasserted themselves as a relevant championship-caliber ballclub. But after a second straight playoff dismantling at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers made some fairly significant changes during the offseason. The overhaul began in the front office with the additions of Andrew Friedman, Farhan Zaidi, and Josh Byrnes. The Dodgers allowed moody malcontent Hanley Ramirez to leave via free agency and traded away 2B Dee Gordon, SP Dan Haren, and CF Matt Kemp. In return, the Dodgers added lefty-hitting catcher Yasmani Grandal, 2B Howie Kendrick, and former NL MVP Jimmy Rollins to play shortstop. The flurry of moves also opens up a spot for top prospect Joc Pederson to play in center. Up the middle, the Dodgers defense should be much improved after ranking in the bottom third in fielding percentage in 2014.

But fear not: the Dodgers still have plenty of star wattage. Clayton Kershaw will look to press on as the best pitcher on the planet. And co-ace Zack Greinke continues to roll along as well. With these two at the front of the rotation, don’t expect many long losing streaks. A spring injury to Hyun-Jin Ryu has created an opening in the rotation, putting more pressure on offseason additions Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson. If healthy, Anderson could put up fantastic numbers. The offense will be spear-headed by the effervescent Yasiel Puig, a truly remarkable talent. As he continues to refine his game, expect Puig to be a part of the MVP discussion for years to come.

The main competition for the Dodgers will likely come from a newly revamped Padres ballclub, helmed by flashy new GM AJ Preller. In a matter of weeks after being named to his post, Preller dealt away Grandal and a bevy of prospects in order to land catcher Derek Norris, third baseman Will Middlebrooks, and outfielders Kemp, Justin Upton, and Wil Myers. And a few weeks later, Preller struck again to fortify the rotation through the signing of free agent SP James Shields, whose presence rounds out an impressive starting five including 2014 All-Star Tyson Ross, flame throwing Andrew Cashner, Ian Kennedy (200Ks in ’14), and former Blue Jay Brandon Morrow. All of these moves leave the Padres with too many outfielders; perhaps Preller can continue to work the phones and find a trade partner interested in Will Venable, Cameron Maybin, or Carlos Quentin. But these new look Padres should be wild-card relevant for 2015. And as the Giants proved last year, all you need is a shot.

Speaking of the Giants, it’s an odd year, so expect them to fall back to mediocrity in ’15. Sure, they still have Madison Bumgarner, but the rest of the rotation is riddled with question marks. Can Matt Cain return to his pre-injury form? How much do Tim Hudson and Jake Peavy have left in the tank? And can Tim Lincecum be relied on at this stage of his career? Losing OF Hunter Pence for a significant period of time in the early going really hurts this offense that will also have to deal with the offseason departures of Pablo Sandoval and Mike Morse. Replacing them are Casey McGehee and Nori Aoki, solid but unspectacular veterans. I think the Giants will struggle to score runs and I just don’t see them having enough pitching to contend this year.

This we know: the bottom two teams in this division are among the worst in the majors. The Rockies and Diamondbacks will have the luxury of beating up on each other, so that might pad the win total for one club. But these teams are bad. You’d be hard pressed to fill out a major league rotation if you combined both teams.

But that sounds like a fun exercise. Here’s what a Rock-backs lineup could look like:

CF A.J. Pollock

SS Troy Tulowitzki

1B Paul Goldschmidt

3B Nolan Arenado

LF Carlos Gonzalez

RF Mark Trumbo

2B Christopher Owings

C Wilin Rosario

They’d still lose every game 10-8, but this would be a fun team to watch…during batting practice at least.

Seriously, these teams are pretty awful with very little shot at contending. I expect the Diamondbacks to finish in last since the Rockies pitching staff is better by the slightest of hairs.

In all, I think the Dodgers roll to a third straight division crown with San Diego being a part of the wild-card conversation. Otherwise, nothing much to see here.

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2015 MLB Preview: National League Central

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Jason

If you know ANYTHING about me, you know that I’m an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan. I’m saying that up front here, acknowledging that when it comes to the Cardinals and handicapping the division they play in, I might not necessarily be the most objective dude in the world.

That being said, I truly cannot understand the love the Cubs are getting this preseason.

Take the esteemed publication, The Sporting News, long known as “The Bible of Baseball.” In their grading of the two clubs, the Cards best the Cubs in every facet of the game: defense (B+ to C), rotation (A- to B), bullpen (B- to C+), and batting order (B to C). Yet these same geniuses pick the Cubs to win the division. I guess there are some other “intangibles” that factor in to the popular wishful thinking that the Cubs are serious contenders to the division crown.

What a bunch of malarkey.

The Cardinals are not without question marks. Adam Wainwright is 33 years old and coming off elbow surgery and an abdominal strain. Can he be counted on for ace-level innings in 2015? 2013 NLCS MVP Michael Wacha will also be coming off an injury-marred campaign last season. In addition, the last time Wacha was on a mound in a big league game, he gave up Travis Ishakawa’s pennant-winning home run. Can he assert himself as a 200-inning #2 starter. Carlos Martinez is unproven as a big league starter. Yadier Molina was hurt last summer. Matt Adams still struggles against lefties.

But the Cardinals still loom as one of the most talented teams in the National League, certainly in the Central division. Offensively, there’s no more important Cardinal than Jason Heyward this season. Heyward has always possessed elite potential; staying healthy and productive has always been the issue. If he is finally able to put together an MVP-caliber season for the Redbirds, he could be in line for the richest contract in club history. With Matt Holliday, Matt Carpenter, Molina, and Adams, Heyward will form a strong core in the middle of the lineup. The key pitchers are all right-handed (Wainwright, Wacha, Jon Lackey, Lance Lynn, Trevor Rosenthal, Jordan Walden) but if they produce, it shouldn’t matter. The Cardinals look to be in line for another 90-win campaign. A fifth straight NLCS wouldn’t surprise me.

If there’s a team in this division that could push the Cardinals, it’s not the Cubs; it’s Pittsburgh. The Pirates were very balanced last year, ranking 3rd in the majors in OBP, 5th in batting average, 8th in ERA, and 6th in saves. Losing Russell Martin will hurt, but the rest of the team remains intact. Andrew McCutchen looks like the best player in the National League. Starling Marte could be the NL’s breakout player this year. Gerrit Cole will receive Cy Young votes. And the bullpen, anchored by Mark Melancon, Tony Watson, and Jared Hughes, will continue to be a strength. This is a fundamentally sound club that, with a few breaks, could contend for the division.

At best, the Cubs are a third-place team. Jon Lester will help the rotation, but there are still some holes here. And the bullpen…ugh. I’ll be rooting for Jason Motte, except when he pitches in high leverage situations against the Cardinals! The boatload of young prospects is on the way and I expect the Cubs to be formidable in the next few years…just not yet. Kris Bryant and Javier Baez have already been sent down for more seasoning; Addison Russell likely won’t get much big league playing time this year either. But Jorge Soler looks like the real deal already.

The Cubs will have to beat out Milwaukee for third place in the Central. When healthy, the Brewer lineup looks really solid. Carlos Gomez is electric from the leadoff spot. Jonathan Lucroy was incredible last year, leading the majors in doubles and looking like an MVP candidate for much of the summer before fading late. Ryan Braun looks to be healthy again. While it’d be a stretch to expect the same numbers he put up prior to his PED bust, he should still be a solid .290-20HR-80RBI bat. The quickest bat on the team belongs to OF Kris Davis. You could see a Chris Carter-like HR breakout this season. But the pitching looks pedestrian, which is about right for a mediocre team.

There’s not much to be excited about in Cincinnati these days. It wasn’t that long ago that the Reds were one of the league’s best teams: 97 wins in 2012, 90 in 2013. But after a lackluster 2014, GM Walt Jocketty looks to be in rebuild mode, dealing starters Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon. The offense ranked near the bottom of every significant offensive category last year. If the Reds are going to have success, they’ll need renaissance seasons from Joey Votto (.255avg, 6 HR, 23 RBI), Brandon Phillips (8 HR, 51 RBI) and Jay Bruce (.217avg, 18 HR). But even if the offense produces more in 2015, the pitching won’t be nearly as good, at least on days that Johnny Cueto isn’t pitching. Long season in Cincy.

Expect the Cards to win, with a wild card push by Pittsburgh.

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