Baseball Analysis

The NL boasts a bunch of All-Star game losses and also-rans or one-hit-wonders to show for their league. With the uncertainties of free agency and big spending, it is unclear when or even if the NL will regain its dominance. Read more »

The Tigers were able to get career years in right, center and second but were still unable to make the playoffs. But they were also injury-plagued and will retain much of the same core that did manage to win 88 games in 2007. How can they return to the playoffs and to the World Series? Read more »

For all of the Rockies' surge to tie for the Wild Card with 13 wins in their last 14, to coming from behind to beat the Padres in a one-game Wild Card playoff, to a sweep of the Phillies in the LDS and a sweep of the Diamondbacks in the LCS, they were sent a statement in Game 1: The Buck Stops in Boston. Read more »

Out of the three big free agent center fielders, Torii Hunter will likely be the domino that sets the other two in motion. His talent puts him in Andruw Jones' class, while his consistency and leadership puts him in Aaron Rowand's class. Read more »

Every year, the World Series gives us a match-up that provides interesting story lines and match-ups to end another baseball season. Will Todd Helton win his first World Series? Will this Red Sox drought end at three years? Who will become the new young player to shoot to stardom, Tory Tulowitzki or Dustin Pedroia? Read more »

Despite below average seasons from Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay and Troy Glaus, the Blue Jays did manage to be four games over .500 and also had one of the finest Pythagorean records for any team who didn?t qualify the playoffs. Over the next two or three years, the Blue Jays must be opportunistic in the AL East chase because both the Yankees and Red Sox will be transitioning. Read more »

In ten solid full seasons, all in Colorado, Todd Helton has never hit below .300 and has rarely been unable to play. But his team has never made the playoffs - until now with their incredible late-season run. Read more »

When you think about it, when the Boston Red Sox went down three games to one in the American League Championship Series to the Cleveland Indians, they had Cleveland right where they wanted them. Read more »

Why can?t people slap me in the face the way Joe Torre does? Fail miserably over the last four seasons and have the opportunity to get a raise? Of course, Torre?s bobos saw it a different way. Read more »

The Dodgers may have been the most talented team in the NL West, but the Giants were the only other club in the division not to play a playoff game in 2007. Despite the disappointment, the future looks bright, and this season marked the arrival of several young players (James Loney, Matt Kemp) who look like future All-Stars. Read more »

If the Red Sox get back into the ALCS, it won't be because of Josh Beckett shutting the Indians down again or David Ortiz providing a clutch home run. The true backbone of the Boston team, as it has been for the last seven years, is Manny Ramirez. If Manny starts clicking, Boston will rebound and take the AL crown. Read more »

This season of expansion success began in February when Peyton Manning?s Johnny-come latelys won the Super Bowl. Then came the horrible NBA playoffs, when the ABA leftover San Antonio Spurs (formerly known as the Dallas Chaparrals) beat the expansion Cleveland Cavaliers. And now the Rockies are in the World Series. Read more »

This is the winter of the centerfielder and though Aaron Rowand is less talented than Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones, there is expected to be more teams interested in signing him. He is coming off a career year and any GM would be thrilled to plug his contagious lunch pale style of play and underrated bat onto their roster. Read more »

With Joba Chamberlain, Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy, the Yankees have three of the finest young pitchers in the game, but if Alex Rodriguez is not in pinstripes in 2008, what will their lineup look like? Read more »

The Cubs spent big heading into 2007 by hiring Lou Piniella, signing Alfonso Soriano, Ted Lilly and Mark DeRosa and it paid off with their first playoff appearance since the fateful 2003 season. It was supposed to be a transition year, with 2008 being one where they could actually compete, so the club is ahead of schedule. Read more »

The Mets are in the middle of a win-now and win-every season mode and will continue to be through the first few seasons of Citi Field, opening in 2009, and likely through the entire David Wright/Jose Reyes-era. While the conclusion of their 2007 season was terribly disappointing, the present and future in Queens looks good. Read more »

For a lifelong Mets' fan and Yankees' hater whose first home as a baby was a few miles from Shea Stadium, it's all about the year to which you refer when talking Yankees. 2007 was an up-and-down one for all Yankee haters but ultimately satisfying. Read more »

We already know Will Clark and Matt Williams (2nd overall pick in 1985 and 3rd overall pick in 1986 respectively) aren?t walking through that door. But with two potential perennial Cy Young candidates, how will the Giants rebuild the club out of the Barry Bonds era? Can Brian Sabean ever develop a homegrown position player? Read more »

It?s often said that fans know their team better than anyone else. So heading into the Yankees? do-or-die Game Three against the Cleveland Indians you could say I was quite the psychological mess. Read more »

It has already been 11 years since Andruw Jones hit a homerun in each of his first two World Series at-bats in Yankee Stadium as a 19-year-old from Curacao. During his decade-long career with the Braves, he has taken Ken Griffey?s slot as the best all-around centerfielder in the game, but is he still the same player? Read more »