Keep in mind, I am by no means a Major League Baseball expert. 

American League

AL East Champion:  Boston Red Sox

AL West Champion:  Seattle Mariners (John Lackey's hurt, who knows, I'm probably being too optimistic)

AL Central Champion:  Cleveland Indians (Not the Tigers believe it or not)

AL Wildcard:  Toronto Blue Jays

ALCS:  Cleveland vs Boston

AL Champion:  Cleveland

National League

NL East Champion:  New York Mets (If they're healthy behind Santana, wow look out!)

NL West Champion:  Los Angeles Dodgers

NL Central Champion:  Milwaukee Brewers (I wouldn't consider them a long shot this year)

NL Wildcard:  Chicago Cubs (I could go with Braves or Phils here too, well maybe just ATL)

NLCS:  New York Mets vs Chicago Cubs (sorry Cubs fans)

NL Champion:  New York Mets (They have the pitcher's park, the ace, the offense)

World Series Champion:  New York Mets (though I think it will be a good series.  Mets will become my new Yankees/Red Sox and I will hate them for the rest of my life)

The Hardware: 

AL Rookie of the Year:  Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays

AL Manager of the Year:  John Gibbons, Toronto Blue Jays

AL Cy Young:  Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners (He will have a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Everest with the addition of Erik Bedard.  He'll be out to prove who's really numero uno.)

AL MVP:  Grady Sizemore, OF, Cleveland Indians (This guy is going to be great.  I also think Miguel Cabrera or Manny Ramirez could end up with the hardware here.  We'll see.)

NL Rookie of the Year:  Homer Bailey, SP, Cincinnati Reds (Maybe Fukudome wins here)

NL Manager of the Year:  Lou Piniella, Chicago Cubs

NL Cy Young:  Johan Santana, SP, New York Mets (This guy should dominate the NL.  Keyword: Should)

NL MVP:  Mark Teixeira, 1B, Atlanta Braves (In a contract year and then he celebrates by signing with the Yankees. Maybe one of the Mets.  David Wright?  I picked him to win last year)

As we all know the fantasy football and baseball on this site are terrible, so join me and several other celebrity Foxsports bloggers in playing fantasy baseball on Yahoo.

Fox Blogger's MLB

Password: beavers

League id #: 57745

@ Yahoo.com

We are about 8 teams short of starting this thing.  Refer to my list of favorite blogs.  If your name is on that list, you should check out my league.  It should be fun!

Again Red Sox and Yankees fans are welcome to play as well, eventhough I dislike those teams immensly

SS NO LOVE FOR A-ROD!  I often forget that the man who signed the richest contract in Baseball history ever played for the Mariners, so that being said he won't make the cut.  Just another #### you to A-Fraud, courtesy of a loyal Mariner fan.

SS.  Omar "Little O" Vizquel (The only shortstop, who's excellent defense came close to that of the "Wizard" Ozzie Smith.  He didn't have the offensive game that he would later develop in his years with the Indians, but with the kind of defense he played, he didn't have to.  To think Butthead Bavasi damn near brought Little O back, a couple of seasons ago, which would have been a huge mistake.  Then again so was replacing Carlos Guillen (It pains me how good this guy is in Detroit) with Rich Aurillia made little to no sense either.)

Backup:  My brother would say Wilie "Boom Boom" Bloomquist, but he would fill my back up role as the team's super-utility man.  SS Yuniesky Betancourt (A star in the making, who many baseball still don't know about.  He is the Mariners current shortstop and forms a dynamic double play duo with last year all-star second baseman Jose Lopez.  This kid from Cuba, who's probably an old man, is the second coming of Little O, except he can consistently hit, makes me forget about the loss of Carlos Guillen.  The team has these two guys locked up for many years to come, and I guarantee they'll make regular appearances on ESPN's Web Gems.)

DH. Edgar Martinez, My personal favorite player in M's History (Edgar Martinez defined the position of DH, and may prove that it is Hall of Fame worthy.  He started the legacy that guys like David "Big Papi" Ortiz, as a player that could absolutely hit the stuffin out of the ball, but couldn't field to save his life.  The result, at least in the AL, the designated hitter.  Edgar was the best pure hitter I've seen since, my earlier baseball watching years, Wade Boggs, George Brett, and Tony Gwynn.  Edgar could hit the ball to any part of the field for a hit, and could hit with pop when necessary.  Still the greatest game I ever attended was Game 4 of the 1995 ALDS, where Edgar had seven RBIs to lead the Mariners to a series-deciding Game 5 (You know the one where Griffey slides into home and the crowd goes bananas?)  It was amazing how many doubles Edgar collected in his career, because he was never exactly a speedster on the base paths, more likely the complete opposite.)

Backup.  Vince Coleman (A catalyst for success on the '95 team.  Not much room in the crowded outfield for Vince but he cannot be forgotten.  It isn't or never has been the Mariner's style to do many July 31 deadline deals, but in 1995 the M's traded for Vince Coleman, who was a Royal at the time.  The Mariners were making a serious run at the AL West Crown and AL Wildcard, needed a decent option in left field to complete that transition to winning.  Vince Coleman was there guy.  His ability to reach base but to also advance via a steal or two, really was the icing on the cake for what the team needed to be a championship contender.  Every great team has a good lead off hitter (Juan Pierre with the Marlins, John Damon with the Sox, Ichiro with the Mariners, and maybe one day Reyes with the Mets)

OF.  Ken Griffey Jr.  (It kills me that he even wanted to play for his hometown Reds over the surging Seattle Mariners.  Griffey was the sugar in the fan base's Kool Aid during the late eighties and early nineties to mid nineties.  He was one of those rare five-tool players that come around once in a generation.  My father had such players with Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays.  Jr.  had some serious pop, and I had the pleasure to see some of his greatest games, like the game winning walk-off upper deck HR against the Yankees, and the game where he made an unbelievable catch while breaking his wrist in the process.  The Kid almost single handedly kept baseball alive in Seattle instead of re-locating the team to sunny Florida.  It was a shame he only played one season in Safeco Field, because the field was built perfectly to the strengths of a power hitting, left-handed batter.  Oh well.  It was a blast watching him play in Seattle, while it lasted.  And his return this season was priceless, as I don't think he knew of how huge an impact he had on the Mariners and their fans.  He was the one player, who despite many freak injuries, could have made a fair, realistic attempt at Hank Aaron's illustrious record.)

OF.  Ichiro Suzuki (Some of you may scoff at Ichiro's latest contract, but whatever keeps him in Seattle works for me.  Ichiro took Seattle and the world by storm in his rookie season 2001.  He won the AL MVP, Rookie of the Year, and three outfield Gold Glove awards.  He also contributed heavily, if not the most, to the record setting win season of 2001.  He broke the single season hits record easily, and gets 200 or more hits a season.  His speed down the first baseline is still unparralled by anyone else in the Majors.  The only knock against Ichiro is that he doesn't hit for power.  He recently said he could probably hit 40 homeruns, but that he would probably hit .220 of he made a habit of swinging for the fences.  Ichiro and Jose Reyes showed the world, the importance of the lead off man during this year's All Star Game in San Franciso.  Ichiro made other teams salivate at the possibility of him joining their team via free agency, but the M's have been playing well enough to lock him up for years to come.)

OF.  Jay Buhner/Mike Cameron/Phil Bradley/Raul Ibanez (It will would be very hard to pick one of these guys.  Cammie excelled with the glove, and made a Mariner fan forget or not miss Jr's defense as much.  Bone had the canon for an arm in right field, and the occassional, but inconsistent HR power you look for in a corner outfielder.  Bradley with the ability to drive in runs, for terrible Mariner teams during the 1980's.  My pick, Mike Cameron.  He didn't need to contribute much offense, to bring importance to the team.  He was the slickest outfielder I've ever seen.  He could catch up with any line drive or fly ball.  He would hit 15 to 20 HRs a season, and keep his average around the .260 area.  He was one of those role players you really like.  Will Adam Jones find his way into this group one day?  Will Jose Guillen end up in Mariner colors long term and if so will he continue to produce good numbers?  As for Raul Ibanez is doing a decent job of manning left field and was excellent last season (an RBI machine, team MVP).  He is kind of slumping this season, but I expect he'll snap out it shortly. 

Next time it's all about the pitching staff.  5 SP, 1 CL, and the Righty and Lefty set up men

National League:

Catcher:  Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers

1st Base:  Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers

2nd Base:  Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies (the best 2nd baseman in all of fantasy baseball)

Shortstop:  Jose Reyes, New York Mets (the best all around shortstop in the NL East, though I think Hanley Ramirez will ultimately be better.)

3rd Base:  Miguel Cabrera, Florida Marlins (Chipper has more runs and dingers, but Miggy has the better batting AVG and more RBIs)

Outfield:  Matt Holliday, Colorado Rockies (If only they had pitching in Denver)

Outfield:  Carlos Lee, Houston Astros (He's crushing it this year, earning his hefty contract)

Outfield:  Carlos Beltran, New York Mets (Think Royal fans miss this guy?)

Starting Pitcher:  Jake Peavy, San Diego Padres (One of the best pitchers to see live, other than the Rocket or Big Unit)

American League:

Catcher:  Jorge Posada, New York Yankees (a likable Yankee, didn't know there was such a thing?)

1st Base:  David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox  (I can't remember if it's AL or NL park this year, doesn't matter)

2nd Base:  BJ Upton, Tampa Bay Devil Rays (I like Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers here too)

3rd Base:  Alex (A-Fraud) Rodriguez, New York Yankees (slumping right now, but still having a solid last season in NY)

Shortstop:  Derek (Jesus) Jeter, New York Yankees (not a fan, but he's leading all shortstops in batting AVG.)

Outfield:  Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers (though I hope Ichiro is voted in a starter)

Outfield:  Torrii Hunter, Minnesota Twins (playing great in a contract year)

Outfield:  Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (My favorite non-Mariner.  One of the best all-around players in the game not named A-Rod or Pujols)

Starting Pitcher:  Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox (in the year of Felix and Dice K, this is guy is pitching like a real Cy Young candidate)

The WBC was great for baseball, and I enjoyed watching how much pride players like Big Papi and Ichiro had in playing and representing their respective countries.  The introduction of future stars like Dice K, and a dominant Cuban team with no professional players impressed the competition.  I was shocked when the Dominican power house of a team didn't win the whole thing.  Sports writers were picking the US to win, but the team, other than having stars like A-Rod, Jeter, and Clemens, was pretty weak.  Too many players opted not to play.  The following players are the players I picked to represent the US in the next WBC.  For the US to have a shot, the team must resemble a "Dream Team" of the best American players in the game.  I chose all positions and assume that each position will have one or two reserves. I also included other possible selections given that some players will opt not to play. This team would be tough.

Team USA

DH:  Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians. 

Reserve: Jason Giambi, New York Yankees. 

Other possible candidates:  Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox.  Frank Thomas, Toronto Blue Jays.

C:  Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins.

Reserve:  Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves.

Other possible candidates:  Jason Varitek, Boston Red Sox.  Paul Lo Duca, New York Mets.

1B:  Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies.

Reserve:  Derek Lee, Chicago Cubs

Other possible candidates:   Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox.  Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies. 

2B:  Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies.

Reserve:  Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers.

Other possible candidates:  Orlando Hudson, Arizona Diamondbacks.  Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles. 

SS:  Derek Jeter, New York Yankees.

Reserve:  Michael Young, Texas Rangers

Other possible candidates:  Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies.  David Eckstein, St. Louis Cardinals.

3B:  Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees.

Reserve:  David Wright, New York Mets.

Other possible candidates:  Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves.  Garrett Atkins, Colorado Rockies.

LF:  Matt Holiday, Colorado Rockies.

Reserve:  Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Other possible candidates:  Nick Swisher, Oakland Athletics.  Eric Byrnes, Arizona Diamondbacks.

CF:  Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays.

Reserve:  Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians.

Other possible candidates:  Torii Hunter, Minnesota Twins.  Juan Pierre, Los Angeles Dodgers.  Johnny Damon, New York Yankees.

RF:  Lance Berkman, Houston Astros.

Reserve:  Gary Sheffield, Detroit Tigers.

Other possible candidates:  J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox.  Jeff Francouer, Atlanta Braves. 

Starting Rotation:  Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays.  Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks.  Dontrelle Willis, Florida Marlins.  Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros.  Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals.

Other possible candidates:  Aaron Harang, Cincinnatti Reds.  Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox.  John Lackey, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  C.C. Sabathia, Cleveland Indians. 

Closers:  Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins.  Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox.  J.J. Putz, Seattle Mariners.  Billy Wagner, New York Mets.

Other possible candidates:  Chris Ray, Baltimore Orioles.  B.J. Ryan, Toronto Blue Jays.  Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres.  Huston Street, Oakland A's.

Well that's the team I would put on the field to represent the US.  I'm sure some would disagree, but it's my post and I can do what I want with it.  I learned that Jason Bay and Russell Martin are Canadian.  Had I not researched it, I wouldn't have known that.  Some of you may think that there aren't enough Yankees or Red Sox on the team, and that wouldn't suprise me.  Hopefully the selection committee will read this post, before making any decisions regarding Team USA's future roster.