Welcome to another edition of "From the Sports Gutter." This week, the topic is Major League Baseball. The American League has been putting a beating on the National League for the past decade-plus. Will any NL team step up to the plate and win the World Series this year? Maybe if the AL has an off year. To see what else the sports desk has to say about the 2008 MLB season, read on.
Despite a bizarre opening for AL East, the American League shows promise
by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
Take a glance at the American League East standings, and you'll get an indication of just how bizarre the opening weeks of the Major League Baseball season can be.
Leading the division is 6-1 Baltimore, which has won five in a row after dropping its season opener. Yes, these are the same Orioles who finished 69-93 last season, a good 27 games out of first place in the division.
And in second-to-last place in the AL East is none other than the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, who have struggled to a 4-4 start. Starting pitching woes, such as injuries to Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling, have contributed to these struggles, while Baltimore was fortunate enough to have played all six games at home.
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Obviously, I expect things to change as the season progresses. I've been told the East isn't the only division in the league, so here is my 2008 division-by-division breakdown of the AL:
AL East
There are going to be some more rough stretches, but I expect Boston to climb out of the early-season funk, rise back to the top of the division and stay there. It's been a weird start to the season for the defending champions - starting the season in Japan and learning that Schilling will be out for a good chunk of the season and Beckett's back injury, which kept him out for opening week.
Beckett's first start back didn't relieve Red Sox fans, but it's hard to imagine him not returning to form coming off a 20-win season to lead a solid rotation, with any aid from Schilling coming as a bonus. Boston's biggest rival, New York, hasn't gotten off to a blazing start either, but the Yankees are always a threat.
The biggest question is whether the Yankees will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1995. The offense will be explosive again, led by alleged home-wrecker Alex Rodriguez. By the way, if you haven't had a chance to read Jose Canseco's accusations against A-Rod, be sure to do it. It will improve your life.
I'm not going to make any friends in Baltimore, Toronto or Tampa Bay, but those three clubs have a lot to prove before they can be taken seriously in a division that has been owned by New York and Boston in the past decade-plus. Expect Boston to win its second-straight division title and New York's pitching staff to be good enough to get the Yankees into the playoffs yet again.
AL Central
Detroit's 0-7 start to the season is among the most surprising stories of the early season. With the addition of Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers were supposed to have one of the more powerful lineups in baseball. Instead, Detroit has been anemic on offense, scoring an AL-worst 15 runs through seven games.
And the pitching hasn't been much better, as the Tigers have given up 44 runs so far, the worst in the league. To top it off, they played the first six games at home this season. You'd expect the bats to become more active as the season goes along, but what the Tigers don't have is a dominant pitching staff to get them out of this funk.
Cleveland looks to be returning the strongest group from last season, when the Indians won the division by eight games over Detroit. With Detroit's struggles, I don't expect a team from the Central to steal the Wild Card spot from the Yankees.
So, unless the Johan Santana-less Minnesota Twins can make a run at the division, expect Cleveland to be the Central's lone representative in October.
AL West
Los Angeles, the defending champion of the West, is in the best position to win the division again. The Angels have looked solid this year, especially on offense. The way they have given up runs is a bit of a concern, but they have enough experience with the pitching staff to be one of the better teams in that category.
The Oakland Athletics are always a feisty team despite the personnel changes they make every year, and they seem to have at least one extended run in them every season. At the very least, Joe Blanton and Rich Harden provide enough of a one-two punch in the rotation to make the Angels work for the division.
Seattle can be a dark horse in the race for the West, especially after signing ace pitcher Erik Bedard. The Rangers didn't make enough improvements to be a serious threat in the division yet.
So, my four playoff teams are Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles and New York. I can see Cleveland finishing with the best record and drawing the Yankees in the first round, and Boston taking on Los Angeles.
The Indians will pitch their way past the Yankees, and Boston's power will be too much for the Angels. As hard as it is for me to do, I'm picking Cleveland to knock off the Red Sox in the ALCS and represent the AL in the World Series.
I'm afraid age and injuries will catch up to Boston sooner or later this year. Besides, a little reverse jinx couldn't hurt, right?
American League may be in the lead, but don't count out the National Leaguers
by Isaac Avilucea
Daily Lobo
With all the talk about rampant steroid use in baseball, and with a juiced-up American League, one thing is apparent: Somebody forgot to send a memo to the National League.
Dating back to 1998, the NL has managed to capture an anemic three World Series titles. That leaves seven titles belonging to the AL.
Apparently, the NL has involuntarily become the AL's punching bag. Even last year was an embarrassment, with everybody throwing caution to the wind and aimlessly jumping on the Colorado Rockies' bandwagon.
In hindsight, if all those people would have known - and should have known - the absolute shellacking the Rockies were going to get from the Boston Red Sox, maybe they would have thought twice.
The point I'm getting at: The MLB is a one-conference league. We all know it - I'm just saying it. But for those of us who hold onto a slim, unwavering glimmer of hope, here's a preview of who has the best shot to sucker-punch the AL and bring home a title.
Los Angeles Dodgers
This year being the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Dodger baseball, L.A. hopes to make this season special.
Fresh Faces:
Looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2006, the Dodgers made some key off-season acquisitions this year. Most importantly, L.A. acquired long-time Yankee skipper Joe Torre.
Also among the newbies, former Atlanta Braves center-fielder Andruw Jones joins the cast in Los Angeles. In addition to reeling in those Jones-like web-gems, the 10-time Gold Glove Award winner hopes to bring some stability to the Dodgers' impotent offense.
Last year, the Dodgers ranked among the bottom of the NL in runs scored at 10th.
What Should Happen:
If Jones swings the bat efficiently, and with Torre at the helm, there is no reason the Dodgers can't break into this year's playoff conversation.
Chicago Cubs
Mainly because I'm sick and tired of hearing about all the supposed curses - The Curse of the Billy Goat, Bartman - Cubs fans suffer from, I hope the Cubs will break a 63-year drought and just get to the World Series already.
Fresh Faces:
There has been a lot of hype surrounding the Cubs' new outfielder, Kosuke Fukudome. However, will he live up to the hype, or become just another Ryan Leaf (sorry Ryan) of the MLB?
On Opening Day, in the bottom of the ninth, Fukudome neatly packaged and shipped an Astros offering to his native Japan, tying the game at three a piece.
Looks like Fukudome is handling the pressure of playing in one of America's diehard baseball cities.
What Should Happen:
With players like Alfonso Soriano, Derek Lee and now Fukudome, the Cubs should have a viable shot to be one of the four teams representing the NL in the playoffs. However, that's contingent on if Lee stays healthy. Last year, he missed 59 games with a wrist injury.
Atlanta Braves
Chipper Jones - enough said.
Fresh Faces:
You would think Father Time would have caught up to Tom Glavine by now. But the 42-year-old still has some gas left in the tank. After leading the New York Mets to two postseason wins last year, Glavine joins the Braves' pitching rotation via free-agency.
What Should Happen:
After 2007 saw the end of an 11-year reign over the NL East pennant and the first time an Atlanta team failed to reach the postseason in 16 years, look for the Braves to once again return to their old reliable selves.
Despite losing Andruw Jones in the off-season, look for other big-name guys like Mark Teixeira to fill the void left by Jones' departure.
Florida Marlins
Yes, I know, many of you will criticize me for even mentioning the Marlins. But forgive a guy for showing some bias - the Marlins are the parent organization for the Albuquerque Isotopes.
Fresh Faces:
After finishing last in the NL East in 2007, the Marlins parted ways with some of their top-notch talent, trading Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers.
However, the Marlins acquired Cameron Maybin and left-hand-pitcher Andrew Miller. While Maybin - still a prospect - will play in the minors this year, it is always a good idea to have guys who, at worst, can play in case of injuries.
On the other hand, Miller, who has already pitched in one game this year, has a big-body frame. At 6-6, 210, Miller fits the mold of a Randy Johnson-type pitcher. Let's just hope he proves to be just as good.
What Should Happen:
The Marlins will sneak into the NL playoffs as the Wild Card. But this is still a young ball club. Because of the lack of experience, they will lose to the Cubs in four, 3-1.
Representing the NL
What a great story this would make:
Joe Torre leaves New York and guides L.A. into the playoffs. The Dodgers slice through NL competition on their way to the World Series, where they take on the Yankees.
The Dodgers win the World Series in an epic seven games, followed by Torre laughing in George Steinbrenner's face while celebrating. It would be one for the ages.
