Samples: Major League Baseball preview
By CHUCK SAMPLES
ISL Correspondent
Pitchers and catchers report this week, and for the first time in a long time, I’m excited to say that.
Part of it is the time of year. Part of it, though, is the resurgence of my favorite team (Baltimore) and the interest surrounding the team closest to me personally (Kansas City). And part of it is college baseball teams are already playing games that count.
A few things to watch during this 2013 season:
As much as I hate to type anything on them, The Yankees. The latest performance-enhancing drug scandal tied to Alex Rodriguez, I think, only pinpoints (A) Rodriguez’s career was starting to spiral anyway, (B) the third baseman can’t help but be a distraction even when he’s not playing and (C) Rodriguez’s rapid aging process, PED-influenced or not, might just signal — finally — the end of the competitive Yankee core as we know it. Derek Jeter had a brilliant year offensively last year, but he’s approaching 40 and had a brutal ankle injury at the end of last season. Ichiro Suzuki is closing in on 40 as well, and his last two years have not been kind to his career. Mariano Rivera is 43 now and coming back from a nasty knee injury. True, there are younger players ready to step in, and you never count out the Yankees when it comes to postseason talk…but the wheels have to come off at some point.
The LA Connection. How does Josh Hamilton fare in Anaheim after apparently wearing out his welcome in Arlington? How will Zack Greinke do in Dodger blue, and will management’s Yankee-style approach of spending actually lead to postseason berths?
Media Darlings. Does Pittsburgh take another step towards the playoffs this year, or will the Pirates fade after the All-Star break again? Surely Baltimore can’t be as good in extra-inning games as they were last year, can they? And will R.A. Dickey perform as well north of the border as he did as a Met?
My gut feeling, absolutely shot-in-the-dark standings at the end of the regular season:
AL East
Tampa Bay
Toronto
New York Yankees
Baltimore/Boston
AL Central
Detroit
Cleveland
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota
Kansas City
AL West
Los Angeles
Texas
Oakland
Seattle
Houston
NL East
Washington
Atlanta
Philadelphia
New York Mets
Florida
NL Central
St. Louis
Cincinnati
Milwaukee
Pittsburgh
Chicago Cubs
NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco
Arizona
Colorado/San Diego
Play ball. Sure good to say that.
