Some lighthearted baseball talk (NL East edition)

The following is not a preview, but a lighthearted conversation about the NL East, baseball and other things: 

Freeman: Was it always this lonely? Chipper: Nah man, it was beautiful and busy and full of life. 

Atlanta Braves

Has no one in the Atlanta Braves front office seen The Lion King?

All season Simba laid claim to everything the light touches.

Has no one in Atlanta's front office seen The Lion King?

Bachelors, Baseball, and Johnny Cueto

When Johnny Cueto pitched his first home game for the Kansas City Royals, my uncle posted to Facebook that he was in attendance at the game against the Detroit Tigers. I read this in midst of watching The Bachelor in Paradise, where Claire, a tried and true sojourner for love, was in the midst of telling her fellow contestants—all of them—that they were not in paradise for all the right reasons. She then stormed out of the rose ceremony in existential crisis about the meaning of love and commitment.

The Powerful Yawn of Andruw Jones

Other than the years where this blog has gone into complete hibernation because neither Langston nor I could keep up with it, this summer has seen the least amount of baseball discussion.

For me, this nadir is mostly due to the haphazard fire sale the Atlanta Braves conducted before the season even began. Every player I cared about, from Jason Heyward to Craig Kimbrel to even each Upton brother, was gone, and I was left to face the fact that their time together really had not added up to much other than discussions on met and unmet potential, mostly the latter.

Ryan Braun Eyes Bathsheba

Bill Simmons once described Milwaukee (or maybe all of Wisconsin) as a time warp, that the city's buildings and parking lots were pretty much the set of That '70s Show, and having visited the city a handful of times since reading that article, I can see his point. Despite a few urban retail centers, nestled against the shores of Lake Michigan, the city is, for the most part, still full of the warehouses with their steel beamed ribcages that supplied two coasts, the sweaty hearts that loaded the trucks and the boats, and the fat-bellied beer breath that conquered the cold center of the continent and made America great.

I bring this up because last night's revelation that Milwaukee Brewer, Ryan Braun, tested positive for a PED also feels like a time warp, only not the kind that brings about nostalgia for the working class and classic rock, but rather it is the kind of news that returns the baseball dialogue back to shadowy accusations and calloused calculations about whether dollar bills can drip from a syringe into the bloodstream. With nostalgia, we want to go back and relive the glory, but with what we have here, we will wind up wanting none of it; and because we will want nothing to do with it, this story will most likely fall on deaf ears, disobey Dylan Thomas, and go gently into that good night. Case closed. Another ballplayer gave into temptation and pricked his unblemished legacy.

When Belief Becomes Bankable: The Rays Uprising

Carlos Pulido

Josh Spilker is a Tampa Bay Rays fan, and he's written here before about that and other things. He also has a novella out now (digital), which you should definitely check out (hard copy...scroll to bottom), but he's here today to talk about baseball, money, and miracles. Enjoy:

At this dinner meeting with people from church, with a small smoky fire, bratwursts and italian sausage, pumpkin bread, it was fall, near the end of September and the whispers of October hum on the horizon. Things turn inside and then wrap up, and the St. Louis Cardinal fan/homeowner turns on the television. St. Louis taking care of business, Braves stumbling, Boston in a rain delay and the Rays left for dead. A Red Sox fan looks at the TV-- “Call the game,” he says and “Yankees killing the Rays.” There may/

may not have been a high-five and I fell back into a recliner. The recliner sunk and sighed; relieving itself.

The Braves Collapse: The Epitome of Southern Anxiety

It grew out of it, so it must be a part of it, right?

Summer baseball, fall football, and church are pretty much the cliches that felt apart of my southern boyhood, and all those things taught me that most heroes are destined for tragedy: Moses couldn't reach the Promised Land. Jesus was crucified. Robert E. Lee surrendered. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Eric Zeier couldn't overcome Spurrier. Bill Clinton was impeached. And the Braves, well, the Braves pretty much lose (except for in '95) once autumn comes.

Hang In There: Watching the Braves Struggle

I threw a remote yesterday. I didn't want to do it, but my fiancee was on the phone with her mom, making plans for my future, while the Atlanta Braves were simultaneously letting go of theirs, and throwing the remote was all I could do to quit from screaming. They say love hurts, and I hope it doesn't; but if it's anything like baseball than it's got to be absolutely devastating.

Number of the Day: Kimbrel's 40th

I know, you were probably expecting something on a richter scale, or maybe some hyperbole about how I survived the most devastating disaster to hit the east coast since I-95, Pilgrims, or the British in 1812. But, no, the number we're talking about is Craig Kimbrel's rookie record 40th save. He's carried my fantasy team. He's anchoring the Braves' bullpen. It's August, and I'm not sure what's more depressing the start of school or the fact that the NBA may not have a season; so let's converse over baseball.

(This is also that annual summer tradition where I start to get my hopes too high.)

Pretty Uggla

It was something my future brother-in-law said that made me pull out my go to reaction when trying to hide my own ignorance, or the fact that I am out of the loop. "You guys got Dan Uggla." That was it: five words. I nodded my head and muttered something to the extent that yeah, hopefully that helps. I knew he was a baseball player, and I was pretty sure he played for the Florida Marlins; and the fact that I kind of recognized the name of a non-Brave player told me that he must be halfway decent or somewhat of an idiot--you know, the kind of guy who drives in reverse on the interstate, drunk, locked, and loaded.

I then feigned going to the bathroom, but actually made a bypass of it, and looked up Dan Uggla's stats and I liked what I saw: a second baseman who consistently hit more than his age in home runs. I then returned to the room my future brother-in-law was in, head held high, dreaming of a postseason filled with tomahawk chops, and said, "yeah, he's gonna definitely boost the offense. . . hitting either before or after McCann in the lineup. . . you know, McCann's the only offense we had in last year's postseason."

Then Dan Uggla lived up to his name, which wasn't a good thing, breathing life and memories into dead lines of poetry: April is the cruelest month. . . .

Dan Uggla began the season in horrific fashion, so horrific--I'm not even sure it needs detailing. But here's the bare bones of it: Through July 4th (86 games), Dan Uggla was hitting .173, and while his 12 home runs were solid power numbers, he'd amassed only 29 RBIs. For any baseball player, terrible. For a cleanup hitter, embarrassing. And the only good that probably came from Uggla's ugly hitting was that it did a decent job of distracting the baseball world from the equally abysmal season that former phenom Jason Heyward was/is having.

Then the meaning of Uggla changed, and with a 33-game hit streak, he resuscitated a lineup, that without the injured Brian McCann, would have failed to fog up a silver spoon that some backwoods doctor might have held in front of its nose, to check for life. And, as the sun grew hotter in the summer sky and flowers bloomed, all Braves fans could feel was the numbness of hope leaving the body, like blood spilling from a cut. The Phillies had a big division lead, and the Wild Card was a dead limb. But then a 33-game hit streak happened.

I'll bring up Jason Heyward for one more reason: he's family. He grew up in Georgia, was drafted by the Braves, came through the Braves' farm system, and has shaped our hearts and minds with busted out parking lot windows and mystical gum chewing. And, for all that, the kid has earned not our wrath, but our pity and encouragement--c'mon, Jason, you can do it. . . bust out of this. 

In contrast, Dan Uggla was an outsider, pulled onto the boat by net, like a slimy, slippery fish. And, when the marlin didn't taste good, we were ready to toss him back. But then 33 straight games with a hit happened, and the pronunciation of Uggla no longer left a scowl on our faces or a bitter taste in our mouths--Infante who? And, as the batting average climbed and he rounded the bases, the sliminess of his scales was transformed before us, and we saw a glimmering light reflecting off his silver scales that were as bright and shining as a suit of armor, as bright and shining as the day our future brother-in-law said: You guys got Uggla. 


And now I know how to respond.


--------

Since Uggla's hit streak began, he's hit .350 with 17 homers and 36 RBIs, and according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's David O'Brien "Uggla has exactly the same number of hits in his past 41 games (55) as he had in his first 86 games." The article is also worth a read because he details why the Braves' offensive production and Wild Card lead over the Giants has to do with the entire team and not just #26.

Is Iceman in the Major Leagues?

When Bryan Harvey was a successful Major League pitcher in the early '90s, strange old men at The First Presbyterian Church, in Athens, Georgia, would come up to me, lean over, and grin at me with one hand in their pocket. Then they would hand me a Topps baseball card with my name on it, and the coolest part was that the man with a 2.49 career ERA and 177 career saves (46 in his best season) spelled his name not with an "i" but with a "y."

LCBInsider: The Reason for Riggleman's Resignation

When the dust finally settled in the June haze of another humid District of Columbia baseball game, the hometown Washington Nationals not only were 2-1 winners over the visiting Seattle Mariners, but they were also a .500 ball club and winners of ten out of their last eleven ball games. Still, all this success wasn't enough for manager Jim Riggleman, whose Secretariat sized heart cringes at the thought of even one individual not getting what they deserve at the end of the day. Riggleman is a man who believes in hard work coming to fruition, and when hard work proves fruitless, it breaks his Progressive little heart, which is why Washington Nationals' mascot, Teddy Roosevelt, is the heart of Riggleman's resignation.

2011 MLB-AL Preview: A Cursory Look At The Season Ahead

AL East
Baltimore Orioles: If they were in any other division, they'd be heralded as a divisional contender, which is something you could say for every team (almost every year) in the East, but that hasn't been true of the O's recently. The reason it's different this season: Buck Showalter and the three low risk/high reward additions of Derrek Lee, Mark Reynolds, and Vladimir Guerrero. I call it low risk/high reward because if they don't help the O's win more it won't come as a surprise as that has sadly become commonplace in Bawlmer. But if Reynolds and Vlad mash the way they are capable of and Derrek gets back to being the do-it-all first basemen we've seen throughout his career, they will put a scare into the AL East powerhouses. And if they do, don't be surprised if Buck Showalter wins manager of the year then gets canned down the line for a manager that puts them over-the-top. FYI, he has been fired twice by teams that would go on to win the Series the very next year.

Boston Red Sox: 33 of 45 experts on ESPN picked them to win the World Series, basing their prognosis whole-heartedly on the additions of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. The former is a fantastic player, however, he does rely on his speed and is on the wrong side of 30. There is also the fact that he has never dealt with the type of pressure that comes from playing in New York or Boston. The latter is a proven slugger whose bound to be helped by the move from the cavernous Petco to the short porches of Fenway. But the most significant game he has played in is the all-star game and like Crawford has spent is whole time in a city with great weather and a happy group of reporters. Now, I'm not saying these are harbingers of doom for the Sawx but they aren't confidence builders either. They have too much talent to not win the division but Papelbon, Beckett and Jacoby will have to regain their old form for them to win the Series.

New York Yankees: $202,689,028 can buy you a lot of things; The Rangers and Dodgers, while still saving 6.2 million. 135,126,018 filet-o-fish from McDonalds. 184 2008 Bugatti Veyron's. 20,268,902 tickets to the movies. Or one veteran-laden team destined to finish second and lose in the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Rays: The only team to undergo worse news to start the season is the Cardinals. Evan Longoria is the key to this team, and without him they will have to rely heavily on B.J. Upton and hope that Zobrist can bounce back to his 2009 form for their offense. They'll still be the most cash-efficient team in the bigs, but when you have the second lowest payroll in the bigs, 70 wins would be a success. David Price will push for his first Cy Young, Longoria will return and put up MVP numbers, but the departure of Carl Crawford could loom large and the Rays will once again fall just short of making the playoffs.

Toronto Blue Jays: With their youth movement in full-effect, the Jays will take the O's annual spot as the divisions red headed step sister. The future may be bright, but the present will have us all questioning why we still have a team in Canada.

AL Central

Chicago White Sox: With the addition of Adam Dunn, the return of Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham's continual improvement, the Sox could boast an explosive offense. The rotation also has the potential to be fantastic, with Buerhle, Danks, and Gavin Floyd as the top three. The scary part is if Jake Peavy and Edwin Jackson can pitch more consistently, they'll have a rotation that will be tough to match for any team. However, Edwin has shown no reason to believe that will happen and Peavy earned his reputation playing in San Diego, which is the antithesis of U.S. Cellular. I like the Sox to push the Tigers, but I just can't trust that Ozzie makes it through the season without alienating his entire team.

Cleveland Indians: On paper their lineup looks okay, but that's going off of past success for a few and potential for the rest. Carlos Santana will continue to make Dodger fans lament the Manny trade (though it was a fun run), Matt LaPorta will have Brewers fans doing the same and Shin-Soo Choo will be their lone all-star; all-the-while Grady Sizemore and Pronk will again have fans on Lake Erie scratching their heads pondering where it all went wrong. They'll be better, but it'd be tough to match their futile efforts of 2010.

Detroit Tigers: In Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers have the best hitter and pitcher in the Central. And thanks to the addition of Victor Martinez via free agency, they have one of the most formidable lineups. They also are younger and deeper, thanks in large part to the trade with the Yankees that landed them Max Scherzer, Phil Coke, Daniel Schlereth and Austin Jackson.  From the top of the lineup to the bottom, they have the potential to score at any given moment. But most importantly, apart from the injury concerns of Magglio Ordonez, they have no glaring weaknesses and have the failure of the past two season's second-halves to drive them to the playoffs. Verlander wins the Cy Young, Cabrera plays so well that we will all forget he is battling alcoholism, and the Tigers win the division.

Kansas City Royals: The big news coming out of the Royals camp this spring was Jeff Francoeur's comeback story. Yeah, it's going to be that kind of year in KC, one of failure and missouri misery. But with Greinke gone and Soria surely soon to follow, what can you expect? And while the Royals may not have a lot going for them this season, with one of the best groups of prospects in the majors, it might not be for long.

Minnesota Twins: Every year we look at the Twins roster and scoff at the idea that they could make a return to the playoffs. And every year they find themselves as one of the last eight teams alive. Knowing this information, you would think that we would stop doubting Gardenhire's squad. But then February rolls around and we see Carl Pavano as their ace and Delmon Young as their fifth hitter, which eventually leads to openly questioning how they could beat the Tigers for the division and laughing at the idea that they could overtake NY, Bos, or TB for the wild card. So, with the Twins, we repeat the same mistakes and expect different results. Therefore, the Twins make us insane.

AL West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: With Dan Haren and Jered Weaver at the top of their rotation, they can match-up with any team in the bigs. However, the bottom of their rotation has a lot of ability with just as many questions; Can Santana do it two years in a row? Can Kazmir rebound after an atrocious 2010? Can Pineiro win on the road? And while all three are unlikely to be positive answers for the Angels in 2011, they do have a balanced offense that should be jolted by the addition of Vernon Wells and the return of Kendrys Morales. They'll be better this year, but I see them falling back late, losing the division by a couple games.

Oakland Athletics: Home to one of the youngest and most talented rotations in all of baseball but (at the same time) they're also one injury away from just being another so-so rotation. They will need career years from Dejesus, Willingham and Matsui to win the division. Matsui will do his job, but I don't see that happening for Dejesus and Willingham. As one has never hit more than 73 RBIs and the other hasn't had more than 61 since 2008. Just another year in Oakland of Beane continuing to stockpile talented pitchers while wasting them on an incomplete offense.

Seattle Mariners: King Felix and Ichiro are officially Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart of Rush. I like Geddy Lee as a bassist and I love watching them play, but how often would they come up in a debate discussing the best bands of all-time without "Canada" being the constraint? Never. If Rush had a lead singer who didn't sound like a cat being stepped on, maybe more would understand how talented they truly are. Michael Pineda may be a better frontman, but they may need to add a new manager and possibly a keytarist to make the full jump to become relevant in the conversation.

Texas Rangers: They will sorely miss Vlad's bat/attitude and Cliff Lee's pitching every fifth day. Adrian Beltre is fully capable of filling Vlad's shoes on offense and adds a great glove to the hot corner, yet, I wonder if he can bring the same energy to the clubhouse. Brandon Webb will to try fill the gaping hole that Lee's exit leaves, but he is so brittle that I can only see it ending badly. Neftali to the rotation is almost as bad an idea as Charlie Sheen's "Violent Torpedo of Truth Tour."And yet, they're my pick to win the AL West. I love how this team has been constructed. From the front office to the field, their focused plan has been executed and gives them the best balance in the West. 

2011 MLB-NL Preview: A Cursory Look At The Season Ahead

NL East

Atlanta Braves:  One of the best acquisitions in the offseason by any team was Dan Uggla, who had a career year in Florida last year with his highest totals in HRs, RBIs, and OPS.  The lineup has the potential to be stronger than the Phillies, especially in the heart of the lineup with McCann, Heyward, and Uggla.  They have a solid pitching staff with Hudson, Hanson, and Lowe, but it does not compare to the Phillies (nobody but the Giants do). As a Giants fan who saw the Braves give away the two games in Atlanta during the NLDS based on poor fielding, I can attest that defense will still be a major question in 2011.  Chipper Jones at age 38 has no range at 3rd anymore. Uggla has been a below average fielder at 2nd for the extent of his career. Martin Prado is being transitioned from infield to left field. Nate McLouth doesn't have half the range as Andruw Jones did in center.  The defense and the lack of an experienced closer will  keep them from winning the division, but they are my pick for the Wild Card.  

Florida Marlins: Everything adds up to third place again for the Marlins. They have a young pitching staff anchored by Cy Young candidate Josh Johnson. They have the best young shortstop in Hanley Ramirez and rookie Mike Stanton could have a future home run crown after hitting 22 home runs in only 100 games last season.  If they are placed in one of the other two divisions, they have a possibility to contend, but they won't beat the Phillies or Braves this year.  

New York Mets: The pitching rotation is full of questions as Johan Santana recovers from shoulder surgery and the lineup is full of questions as you have no idea what you will get from Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, or Jose Reyes. I don't see anyway they finish better than fourth.  

Philadelphia Phillies:  The Phillies' rotation is shaping up to be one of the best in the game's history. When your number two starter is a top five pitcher in the game in Cliff Lee and your number three starter is a top of the rotation quality pitcher in Roy Oswalt, the starting pitching is as deep as any rotation in memory.  With the loss of Jayson Werth and the injury to Chase Utley, the offense production will take a step back, but the starting rotation will be what wins the East for the Phillies.  

Washington Nationals:  2012 will be the season that the fans will have playoff aspirations. And 2011 will go a long way in determining if those aspirations are realistic. This season will be all about the team trying to develop their young players like Wilson Ramos, Danny Espinosa, Ian Desmond and Roger Bernadina.  Even with the signings of Jayson Werth and Adam Laroche, the pitching is still the worse in the division without Stephen Strasburg.  This team is still at least one year away from contending.  

NL Central

Chicago Cubs: The starting pitching is underrated. Carlos Zambrano was dominant from August on , going 8-0 to finish the season. They acquired Matt Garza from Tampa Bay. With Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells, that is a comparable top four to anyone in the division. If Aramis Ramirez can deliver in a contract season and Carlos Pena can be healthy and thrive on inferior pitching compared to the AL East, the Cubs could make some noise.  

Cincinnati Reds: Everything came together for the Reds on their way to the division title in 2010. The offense became a juggernaut behind a MVP season by first baseman Joey Votto. The offense is intact and is expected to be the best in the NL. The starting pitching did enough last season behind Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto, but if they can't stay healthy or don't perform as well, there could be a major regression that could open the door for Milwaukee or St. Louis. 

Houston Astros: I had to look up their roster as I don't anything about the 2011 Astros besides Carlos Lee. Long over are the days of the Killer B's. They will contend with the Pirates for last in the division.  

Milwaukee Brewers: With the likely possibility of Prince Fielder leaving after the season is over, the Brewers went all in for 2011 and acquired starting pitching in Zach Greinke and Shaun Marcum to go with their formidable offense that was 4th in runs in the NL last year. The defense will be have to improve markedly from 15th in UZR from last season. If the Brewers can acquire a SS or another starting pitcher during the season, they have a chance to win the division.  

Pittsburgh Pirates:  What happens first this century: The Pirates have a winning season or a woman becomes president of the United States? Let's move on.

St. Louis Cardinals:  The loss of Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery and the lack of consistent offensive production behind Pujols and Matt Holiday will be difficult to overcome this season. There is also no telling how the Pujols contract dispute will play out in the locker room through out the season.  My money is on someone else winning this division. 

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks: They are in a similar position as the Nationals, building towards the future by playing a bunch of young players. With the loss of Dan Haren and Brandon Webb, the Dbacks will depending on a young, inexperienced pitching staff that are not household names. Justin Upton needs to take the next leap and become a superstar instead of just treading water like he has done the past few seasons.  I don't see how this team increases its win total from 65 wins a year ago. 

Colorado Rockies:  The Rockies made a concerted effort in the offseason to keep their core players together for the foreseeable future by locking their young top two hitters in Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki to long-term contract extensions. Two things need to happen for the Rockies to win the West:  Young starters Jason Hammel and Jhoulys Chacin need to step up and establish themselves as surefire quality starters behind Ubaldo Jimenez.  They need to improve their road record as well after finishing 19 games below .500 and finishing 27th in runs scored on the road.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Matt Kemp will need to improve after a mediocre 2010 that saw his average, on base percentage, and slugging drop 40 points from 2009.  The back of the end rotation will need to be improved to compare to the rotations of the Giants and Padres.  Jonathan Broxton will need to become a dependable closer again.  If these things happen, they will contend.  

San Diego Padres:  With the loss of franchise 1B Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox,  the starting pitching of Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, and Tim Stauffer will be have to be just as good if not better for the Padres to have any chance of being in contention.  

San Francisco Giants:  Practically the same team as last year's championship team.  Miguel Tejada has replaced Juan Uribe at shortstop and Rookie of the Year candidate Brandon Belt will play first base.  Many people believed that last year's team was a fluke, but the Giants will be contenders for years to come because of their elite starting pitching.  If the starting rotation can stay healthy and intact, with the offense getting a full year of Buster Posey and Cody Ross, and the possibility of a 2009 Pablo Sandoval, they have the ability to contend for another championship.  

The Passing of Carl Crawford: A Retrospective

Josh Spilker has been here before, writing about the Vandy pipeline that gushes onto Soldier Field, basketball vignettes, and SEC picks. He also is the proprietor of the indie music blog Deckfight and writes an indie lit. column for Impose magazine, but all that is neither here nor there because, right now, Josh just needs to contemplate what the loss of Carl Crawford to the Boston Red Sox means to him and his fellow Tampa Bay fans:

2010 MLB Playoffs: Who we're rooting for

The 2010 season was an ugly one for both Berndon's Cubbies and my Dodgers, the former was led by a manager who seemed content with cashing a pay check while the latter appeared to take their rightful place as the forgotten children of divorce. That leads us here with no horses in the race and no idea who to pull for to win the big one. So we got out our copy of Baseball Prospectus, a couple pads of paper, three pouches of Big League Chew and got to work, dutifully working on a formula to find the most deserving team of our fugacious praise. This formula consists of six categories; Team history, city, team finances, notable players, their fans, and lastly (but certainly not least), our biased hatred for the teams involved.

New York Yankees
Langston: They call the greatest city in the World home, their fans are myopic yet as loyal as they are plenty, and the squad is chock full of talent. However, the operating expenses and last years World Series eliminate them immediately from my fleeting praise.

Berndon: I used to really hate the Yankees, but this hatred is seemingly dying out each passing year as the Cubs spend more and more money. How can I hate on a team for buying championships when my boys unsuccessfully do the same thing each winter. This Yankee team really isn't that bad in terms of likeability. That being said, despite the fact that I like guys like Jeter, Cano, and Nick Swisher, I still can't stand ARod or Posada. I would like to see Kerry Wood, former Cubs wunderkind, get a ring. There fans are still obnoxious and they still get overhyped all the time, so I'm still rooting for the Twins to take them out in the first round.

San Fransisco Giants
Langston: They'll always be the Gints to me..

Berndon: I really enjoyed the Buster Posey experience, as he's potentially a keeper on my first-ever championship-winning fantasy baseball squad. San Fran seems like a cool city, and they did produce the Grateful Dead. I also really like their announcers, Jon Miller and Mike Krukrow. Ex-Cub Mike Fontenot factors into my decision of liking them to advance, and I'll pull for them if they knock off the Braves, but for reasons I will mention later, I'm rooting for them to lose to Atl. 

Philadelphia Phillies
Langston: The balance between their great city, good food, likable players, rotten fans and two straight triumphs over my Dodgers in the NLCS make this a tough decision. But being the most recent World Series Champion from the NL eliminate them from eligibility.

Berndon: Philly gets a bad rap as a city, but I enjoyed my experience there last summer when I caught a Phillies-Cubs game. It reminded me a lot of Chicago, albeit a slightly more obnoxious version where you substitute cheese steaks for pizza. As for their players, I don't dislike anyone, but don't really have any strong feelings other than the fact that Ryan Howard can hit a baseball further than Uncle Rico of "Napolean Dynomite" fame can throw it, which is enjoyable for everyone. I hope they take down the Reds and then lose after that.

Tampa Bay Rays
Langston: Everyone, including the Rays, has been crushing the Tampa fans for not showing up the day they clinched their playoff spot. However this is a pretty ridiculous and shortsighted attack on the fanbase considering they never show up (23,024 average and 52.6% tickets sold for the season, good for 22nd in MLB attendance) and they play in the worst stadium (outside of Oakland) in the majors. Plus, after 81 games, can't the loyal 53% take a night off to prep for the postseason? Despite the unneeded chiding, they went to the series two years ago, so I'm ready for some new blood. Sidenote: They do deserve our scorn for DJ Kitty (aka meme that needs to die).

Berndon: Tampa loses points because I feel like their fans don't deserve a winning team. They can't even show up unless the Yankees or Red Sox are playing, and even then the crowd is mixed. I like their core group of players, although it's depressing to think that the squad will be broken up after this season. All in all though, it would be nice to see them get a crack at the Yankees in the ALCS, but I can't say I would mind if Texas took them down early.

Texas Rangers
Langston: This team has a whole lot of interesting subplots; from the drug histories of Ron Washington and Josh Hamilton to the change in ownership to the great Nolan Ryan to the down-and-up year of Vladimir Guerrero. They have a low payroll considering their exciting squad and lose points for terribly average attendance and lack of pitching. I want to root for them, I really do, but I can't root for a team that I can't answer the following question: Would anyone care if they won?

Berndon: Josh Hamilton is an inspiraton on a personal level, as anyone who read my Michael Vick story will realize. Other than that, I think the Vlad Guerrero comeback is a nice little story, and each game they win will be moving further in the postseason than they ever have. Seeing them battle the Twins in the ALCS wouldn't be the sexiest of matchups, but enjoyable nonetheless. I'd like to see them beat Tampa and lose to the Twins.

Cincinnati Reds
Langston:  There are three things that come to mind when I think of Cincinnati or the Reds; Firstly, Marge Schott, and her racist comments. Secondly, Ken Griffey Jr signing a massive contract, only to see him rarely display the skills we came to adore him for while collapsing into a career of injuries. And lastly, Pete Rose, the best hitter of all-time and an absolutely loathsome human being. Now, I understand I'm not giving Joey Votto and his teammates enough credit, but with those images in mind how can you blame for not rooting for them. Sidenote: They do fit most of the criteria for our formula, but Marge Schott dude. Marge Schott.

Berndon: I'm conditioned to hate the Reds, since they reside in the NL Central, but I really don't have it in me. I hate the Cardinals for obvious reasons, and even the Brewers get more venomous hatred than Cincy, more than likely because they haven't been relevant for a while now. I can't truly root against Dusty Baker, but then again, there will be some bitterness because I will feel like he should have done it in Chicago. I hope Philly beats them in round 1. Joey Votto should have given Marlon Byrd daps at the All-Star game, instead of having his immature little attitude about how he couldn't shake his hand because he hates the Cubs. I hate you too Joey.

Minnesota Twins
Langston: The Twins are the ultimate team to root for; a great underrated city, haven't won the big one in the past couple of years, likable players/style of play, loyal fans(100.7 % tickets sold this season), and no rivalry connection to my Dodgers. I'll be pulling for them to win the AL,  I would be pulling for them to win the series if not for the last team on our list.

Berndon: The Twins get 5,000,000 cool points for demolishing the White Sox. That goes far in my book. Minnesota is an awesome city, despite my hatred for all things Vikings. Michael Cuddyer is from the same zip code that I now reside in, and I've just always liked the way they play. They bring web gems galore, get just enough key hits, and Ron Gardenhire has them going hard until the last out. I hope they knock off the Yankees and make it to the World Series, where 3 of there home games will inevitably get snowed out.

Atlanta Braves
Langston: My father's side of the family is from Knoxville. This is where I get my love for the Vols, the blues, BBQ, and seersucker. During summer break I would spend my time at my Papaw Jackson's house. My days consisted of going to the lake, playing hoops at the rec center, church, and the Braves. While church and the lake happened occasionally, the Braves were unending. When we weren't watching them, me and PaPaw Jack would question Bobby's decision making on the deck over a Mello Yello and a Moon Pie. When we went to watch the Smokies, we would point out guys that would fit in well with the Braves. On our weekly fishing trips, we'd breakdown Bobby's most recent ejection. While eating breakfast we would debate who was better; Greg or Tom. Looking back, the Braves were as big a part of the summers as my family, I was engulfed. So, for my Papaw, I will continue my tradition of rooting for the Braves when the Dodgers are out of the race. It's a sentimental pick, but it's not like our formula is a law.

Berndon: I kind of disliked the Braves as a child, because pre-Nats, TBS and 90's success spawned a lot of Fredericksburg Atlanta Braves fans. Two key factors make me want to root for Atlanta(although I did just bet a co-worker 20 dollars tonight that they would lose in the 1st round). One is the fact that Derrek Lee was one of the classiest and best Chicago Cubs over the middle part of the decade. D. Lee is definitely one of my favorite Cubs players ever, as he consistently went about his business as one of the best first basemen in team history. I'd love to see him get another ring after suffering through Cubs ineptitude for a while. Secondly, Bobby Cox getting a ring in his final season would be a great story in a postseason that seems a little lacking in terms of sentiment. He's only won one ring, but could very well had 4 or 5. Jason Heyward could prove to be the next Griffey, Omar Infante continues to prove to everyone he was actually a good All-Star pick, and the likable core of vets like Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, and Billy Wagner make the Braves my pick of who I'm rooting for.

In terms of actual predictions: I'm going with Philly vs. San Fran in the NL, with my preseason pick for the World Series being the Giants winning the pennant. Despite Philly's big 3, I feel like the Giants have both the starters and the bullpen to make it through. In the AL, I think it's going to be Tampa vs. the Yankees, with Tampa Bay running their way into the Fall Classic with Posada's arm practically falling off after Crawford, Upton etc. run wild. I think the Giants will knock off the Rays in 7, with their pitching again carrying the load. Atlanta-Minnesota would be nice to see as well. And if this works out like my NCAA tourney "Who to Root for," it'll be the Yankees and Reds battling it out.

NL West Update, And A Blog That Never Was

I thought I had a decent idea when I decided to cover the NL West a couple of months ago. After struggling with trying to find a way to write about baseball like I wrote about college and pro basketball, I thought my idea of covering the one division that I thought would be the best race, and also a race that people on the East Coast really don't pay attention to would be solid. My computer and the Los Angeles Dodgers had other ideas. Said computer caught a virus, going on the 15 day DL which left me unable to start with my idea. Also, the Dodgers went into the tank, and at the time, the Rockies hadn't yet gone on their trademark run yet, making what is now the best divisional race not that exciting. I should have known better, so what follows is a poor attempt to sum up what has happened since then, and who is going to take the division.

I've liked the Giants all season, as I picked them to square off with the Red Sox in the World Series way back in April. Their pitching has carried them, but offensively, they aren't as bad as one would think. If you told me that Pablo Sandoval would struggle as much as he has, and that both Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito would have their share of problems, I would have said that the Rockies and Padres would be in the driver seat. Players like Andres Torres, Matt Cain, and Rookie of the Year favorite Buster Posey have more than made up for the others, and with games against my putrid Cubbies and the DBacks sandwiched in between showdowns with Colorado and San Diego, their schedule breaks nicely for them.

The Padres, much like the Rays two seasons ago, were supposed to have died by now. Like a punch drunk boxer who keeps coming back simply because they don't know any better, San Diego has continued to hang around and have a serious shot at taking either the division or the Wild Card with Teach's Braves continuing to lose. Unsung nobodies like Chris Denorfia have been put into the lineup everyday and have continued to produce. Their bullpen is the best in the game, and Clayton Richard has had a nice year as a number 2/3 behind young stud Mat Latos. Getting Chris Young back will help. They have to play Cincinnati after they finish their series with the Dodgers, making their schedule a little more daunting than San Fran's, plus that last series of the year I mentioned is in the Bay. I still think the Wild Card is a strong possibility for a team that was supposed to be planning golf outings for October by now.

The Rockies, just like the Astros and the A's in the mid 2000's, have become known for their second half Usain Boltesque sprints to the line. This season has been no different, with Carlos Gonzalez and Tulo seemingly going 3-4 with a HR and 3 RBI each day. They've gotten contributions from almost everyone on their roster, as even the ghost of Jason Giambi hit a walk-off homer last week. I don't like their pitching, but they do have decent arms with Jimenez and De La Rosa in the rotation, and Hutson Street and Rafael Betancourt in the pen. They've done it before, and I can see them sneaking in and getting the wild card in the last weekend while the Giants and Padres beat up on each other. They also get 3 games at home against the Giants this weekend, followed by closing it out with the Dodgers at home, and then in St. Louis, where the Cards will have probably packed it in as the Reds will have already clinched. I'm not betting against Colorado.

The Giants will win the division, with Colorado getting the Wild Card on the final day over the Braves. As for whom I'm rooting for in October, and who will win, you'll have to wait a couple of weeks. Guest bloggers Buster Posey, Troy Tulowitzki, and Adrian Gonzalez offer their apologies for not contributing. As a Cubs fan, I can offer you one final quote from them that I've gotten used to: "wait till next year."

Atlanta Braves, Don't Break the Ice

The days are getting shorter.  The nights are getting longer.  I drive home now, after work, and am left with what feels like a sliver of sunlight.  Cooler days are upon us, which would suggest that those whose fate relies on a layer of ice should be growing braver by the day, more adventurous, and more confident, but in Atlanta that's not the case.

Number of the Day: Atlanta Braves' 1 Game Lead in the NL East

Coming into Labor Day, the Braves have a one game lead over the Phillies in the NL East, the division they've led since beating Philadelphia on May 31st and a lead that at one time stood at seven games.

Breaking the Silence: Jason Heyward and the Atlanta Braves

During last year's Atlanta Braves season, I blogged frequently about the ups and downs of last year's team.  This year I haven't said a word.  They've been remarkably consistent, and I've acted like one word from me might disrupt the delicate balance that goes into making a first place division team.  I've acted like one syllable from me might awaken the wrath of the baseball gods, jinxing everything, ruining the perfect season, the farewell tour for Bobby Cox.  But that would be vanity wouldn't it?  I held my tongue for five months and Chipper Jones, my favorite player since fourth grade, still went down with a season ending knee injury, earned on probably the best defensive play he's made in almost a decade.  He went out with reckless abandon and the team kept winning, so I feel liberated from my muzzle.  Something is in the air, and I feel free to say that I love the 2010 Atlanta Braves.