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Each AL team is represented below, marked by a not-so-subtle nod to the general managers we focus so much of our site's attention towards and our namesake. Send me a Direct Message on Twitter (@CR_Reina) if you have a link worth considering for a future edition. The Brian Cashman ? Benjamin Kabak of River Avenue Blues: "This year, though, is truly Cashman?s year, and while it won?t determine his immediate future with the organization, it will showcase his talents as a GM. Did the Yanks make the right move in moving Robinson Cano to the five hole? Sticking Joba back in the bullpen and entrusting a starting spot to the youngest guy on the team? Letting the chronically injured Matsui walk in favor of the chronically injured but younger Nick Johnson? Bringing back Javier Vazquez for one year?" The Theo Epstein ? Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe: "Josh Beckett?s deal also gives the Red Sox more freedom to include a young pitching prospect to obtain a player such as San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez later this season or afterward." The Alex Anthopoulos ? Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star: "Vernon Wells, the team's most likely comeback-player candidate, and Adam Lind, the team's most likely MVP candidate, both came through, and the team will need that quite often this year. The Jays' 3-4 hitters combined for six hits, two homers, four RBIs and three runs. Wells, whose clutch bat was AWOL last year, hit a two-out homer in the first and a go-ahead single in the eighth, an important time of the game where he had been particularly invisible in 2009. The Mike Flanagan ? Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun: "One positive coming out of spring training that really wasn?t discussed much was the health of center fielder Adam Jones, who batted .293 with a team-leading five home runs and 12 RBIs. Jones, an All-Star and Gold Glove winner last season, has missed significant time the past two years with injuries, prompting questions as to whether he can stay healthy for an entire season. While saying the questions about his ability to stay healthy are fair, Jones said people have to remember the nature of the two injuries." The Andrew Friedman ? Marc Tompkin of the St. Petersburg Times: "INF Reid Brignac's strong March performance won him a spot on the opening day roster. It also won him the Al Lopez Award given annually to the top rookie of spring training. Brignac, who hit .359 with 18 RBIs, will receive the award prior to Thursday's game from Al Lopez III, grandson of the Hall of Famer." The Dave Dombrowski ? Kurt Mensching of Bless You Boys: "After six innings, KC had a 4-1 lead. Nearly 30 minutes of fun in the top of the seventh later, the Tigers were up 8-4. Exciting times? Austin Jackson had his first hit that inning, a double to left field that scored fellow rookie Scott Sizemore. What about Sizemore going from first to third base on a single to set Jackson up? (What is he, a Twin? Are other teams allowed to do it, too?) Then we also have Johnny Damon, who doubled to right field a batte later for the 5-4 lead." The Mark Shapiro ? Ryan of Let's Go Tribe: "It's possible that the Indians were shut out by the best starter on the best starting staff in baseball. Or it's possible that the Indians' lineup is destined to be one of the worst of the game. We won't know for sure the relative strengths or weaknesses of the offense until about six weeks into the season." The Bill Smith ? Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune: "In their first game without pinstripes on the road since 1986, the Twins were haunted by a player who shed his Yankee pinstripes to sign with the Angels. Hideki Matsui, always a tough out for the Twins when he was in New York, delivered the go-ahead, run-scoring single in the fifth inning and added a home run in the eighth, as the Angels secured a 6-3 victory." The Kenny Williams ? Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer: "In the fifth, Mark Buehrle made one of the best plays ever by a pitcher or any other position player. With one out, catcher Lou Marson sent a hard bouncer back to the mound. Buehrle stuck a leg out and deflected the ball toward the first-base line. Buehrle, in hot pursuit, cut in front of Marson on the baseline, grabbed the ball and flipped it between his legs with his glove toward first base, sight unseen, as he fell. First baseman Paul Konerko snatched it out of the air barehanded to get Marson by a half step. CR Note: Extremely YouTube worthy. The Dayton Moore ? Ryan Young of the Kansas City Star: "Zack Greinke threw six solid innings, allowing six hits, two runs, one earned, four strikeouts and a walk against a Detroit Tigers lineup that figures to be one of the division?s best. A Tigers lineup that an inning later would mince three Royals relievers for six hits and six runs on the way to an 8-4 Detroit win, spoiling opening day for most of the 40,052 fans coloring Kauffman Stadium in blue." The Billy Beane ? Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle: "The A's showed the full depth and breadth of both their strengths and weaknesses Monday, getting base runners at the very top (Rajai Davis and Daric Barton) and bottom (Cliff Pennington) of the order and nothing in the capacious middle (1-for-20 with four walks from Ryan Sweeney, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Suzuki, new designated hitter Eric Chavez, Mark Ellis and Travis Buck). Then, after the torpor of the first five innings, they showed what they can do when they actually coax walks and put bat to ball. The crowd very nearly roared their approval, and doubtless would have had they gotten over the top." The Jack Zdurencik ? Dave Cameron of USS Mariner: "Offensively, the approach to the at-bats taken by Figgins, Kotchman, and Bradley were fun to watch. Those guys took advantage of the dancing strike zone and Sheets? control problems, running up his pitch count and getting themselves on base. They might not be sluggers, but there are going to be a lot of innings where those three take 20 pitches between them, and that has value." The Tony Reagins ? Doug Padilla of the Los Angeles Daily News: "Erick Aybar's ability to adapt to the leadoff spot was most promising. Chone Figgins had 101 walks in the leadoff spot a year ago by showing excellent plate discipline. Aybar wasted little time at the plate in 2009, collecting just 30 walks. But he turned in a Figgins-like performance Monday. "I don't think you could have scripted it any better for Erick," Scioscia said. "He was on base three out of four times and he probably saw 25-30 pitches. Erick is obviously trying to bring a piece of the puzzle that Chone did last year." " The Jon Daniels ? Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News: "Nelson Cruz is and will probably always be a streaky hitter, but the 33 home runs last year were not a fluke. If the wind keeps blowing like it did Monday, he might give Roger Maris a run. Not only did Cruz deliver in the seventh, he doubled in the tying run in the ninth, when the Rangers showed the kind of mental toughness that Ron Washington always talks about." |
Opening Day is in the books and there is already a lot to digest from the first games of 2010.