It’s all about things being broken this week. Broken bones, broken hearts, and as painful as it sounds, even a testicular fracture. Before I become a broken record, let’s just get to the tomato throwin’…


Throwing Tomatoes – Volume IX


Seattle SuperSonics and its Ownership
…for packing up and moving to Oklahoma City.
It’s always tough to see a team move. I feel for the fans of Seattle… for a lot of reasons. The Mariners enter the season with hype and falter. The Sonics never quite got it done in the 90’s. Now they add a potential star in Kevin Durant, only to have their team pack up and leave for the nation’s heartland.

A-Rod’s Love Life
…for finding a way to get all intertwined into the sports pages.
If I wanted to read about A-Rod and something besides his game (baseball game that is), I would pick up a Cosmo or People, or maybe even turn on TMZ. The only splitting I want to hear about is his bat after a high-and-tight fastball. Unless soon-to-be ex Cynthia has some more vulgar shirts, perhaps directed at Madonna. Maybe A-Rod has one for Lenny Kravitz… such as: “If You Can’t Say No”, then don’t “Dig In” with an “American Woman”. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Chris Snyder
…for not taking better care of the “family jewels”.
Poor Chris Snyder. He’s on the DL. But wait, it gets worse. He’s out with a testicular fracture. A busted nut if you will. The irony is, Snyder was replaced on the Arizona roster by Robby Hammock. Get well soon Chris.

Michael Beasley
…for getting injured minutes into the Heat’s opening camp practice.
OK fine, so it’s a cracked bone. That still counts as being broken. I get that he can still play, but stemming off the drama that already existed with Pat Riley apparently not being crazy about the pick, now this happens to Beasley in his opening practice? Get ready for some drama on South Beach this year.

George Sherrill
…for not trusting his fastball.
Blowing a save hurts a closer… and a team. But how about blowing back-to-back games when your team has the lead, two outs, and two strikes in the 9th inning. That’s what Sherrill did last week. I believe both pitches were on hanging sliders too.

The Brett Favre Saga
…for not going away.
This tomato is not directed at Favre himself, but more so at the rumors and sources that desperately continue to resurrect stories on Favre making a triumphant return to “Cheeseland”. C’mon people, let’s figure this story out and put it to bed.

Aaron Rodgers
…for ticking off some of the best fans in football.
Aaron Rodgers has upset Green Bay fans already and he hasn’t even taken the field yet. To further explain, Rodgers was quoted as saying “I don’t need to sell myself to fans, they need to get on board now or keep their mouths shut”. I wonder if the Brett Favre rumor came out to try and “stir the pot” more, perhaps making some Green Bay fans long for their Hall of Fame QB to change his mind and return for one more year? Rodgers later apologized, but something tells me he’ll still hear some boos at Lambeau Field when the season starts.

The Colorado and Florida Pitching Staffs
…for giving up 35 runs and 43 hits in one game
OK, so I throw a tomato at the pitching staffs of the Marlins and Rockies for their Fourth of July slugfest that provided fans with plenty of offensive fireworks. It was like teeball out there. Still, how I wish I was one of the fans sitting in the seats at Coors Field on the night when Colorado walks off with a crazy 18-17 victory over the Marlins. Now that’s exciting!

Troy Tulowitzki
…for injuring himself out of frustration.
It’s just been one of those years for the Colorado shortstop. This time, he’s visiting the DL due to a cut on his hand (that required stitches). How’d he get it? Try by slamming his bat down, only to have it slice his hand open. That’s call for an extra-large tomato… and a little Neosporin too.

People Drinking Wimbledon “Haterade”
…instead of watching the Finals this weekend.
Tennis fan or not, if you missed this weekend’s Wimbledon finals, then you missed something special. Especially on the men’s side, where Rafael Nadal was able to knock off five-time Wimbledon champ Roger Federer in a match that lasted nearly five hours.

The Orioles on Sunday
… and the fact that they just can’t win.
Make that 13 consecutive losses for the Baltimore Orioles on Sundays. Yes, that’s 13. The O’s haven’t won on Sunday since the opening week of the season, with the latest setback being a difficult 11-10 loss to the Rangers at Camden Yards. Maybe the Baltimore faithful can give Adam “Pacman” Jones a call. I hear he can make it rain and he’s free on Sundays until the Fall. Oh wait, that’s… nevermind.

Tyson ####
…for only qualifying for the 100m in the upcoming Olympics.
#### suffered a severe cramp during the 200 meter Olympics Trials race, therefore knocking him out of the competition for a medal in Beijing. One of the fastest men on the planet, and because of a cramp, he won’t have a shot.

Honorary Tomato Throwers of the Week
Because those who found success earn a chance to sling one at their opposition

Milwaukee Brewers – at the NL Central after reportedly trading for Cleveland ace C.C. Sabathia
Kyle Busch – at the NASCAR field after winning his sixth race of the 2008 season.


This has been “Throwing Tomatoes”… let the countdown begin until the next “Brett Favre to Return” rumor surfaces.

Many have seen the classic comedy Office Space, which is filled with memorable lines, among which include “Show me your ‘O’ face”… and that is where the title of this series of posts comes from.  “Show Me Your O’s Face”, a weekly recap of baseball starting in Baltimore, and expanding beyond… but not only to discuss the week in baseball, but also trying to fit in popular culture at times, as well as provide the facial expressions and feelings that come along with each baseball story within the post.  Recapping a week of baseball in Baltimore, and sometimes beyond… it’s time to show me your O’s face…

Show Me Your O’s Face: 2007 Volume I

Today’s focus:  A recap of last week’s performance by the Orioles, along with discussions on Roger Clemens, Josh Beckett, and home run leaders in the American and National Leagues.

Today’s Intro

Losing happens in baseball.  Let’s face it… it happens a lot… even to the elite teams in the league.  A team can win 100 games during the regular season and still lose 62 times.  That’s a heckuva lot of off nights, especially for the really passionate fans to have to take.  I don’t know about you, but when my team loses, I would rather the game be an overall poor performance across the board, say for example, a 10-0 loss.  I understand that you can take positives out of solid pitching performances and what not, and I totally get that.  Yet, it’s still the heartbreakers that kill me.

It’s one thing to lose late in the game… but another to blow a lead in the 9th… and worse to lose it on a walk-off hit… and even worse to blow a 5-0 lead in the 9th inning with one out, on a two-run error that could have ended the game with a victory.  The aforementioned occurrence was the result of what would be a painful 6-5 loss to the division rival Red Sox… and that heartbreaking loss is what happened to the Orioles a week ago yesterday, and worse yet, that wasn’t the first heartbreaking loss of the 2007 season for Baltimore.  Yet, that setback, likely hurt the most.  The real question remained… how would the O’s respond going into this week?

In Baltimore…

Monday May 14:

Blue Jays 5, Orioles 3

I’m not sure how to respond to the first game the O’s had following the debacle in Boston on Sunday the 13th.  I can only say that there was some anger and frustration, and not just on my part, but also that of the Baltimore players.  Specifically, there was a dugout altercation between Melvin Mora and Jay Payton.  Mora made an unnecessary baserunning move late in the game that distracted Payton.  However, what is more puzzling to me at this point are two other topics, one being the rumors swirling that manager Sam Perlozzo could be fired soon, and that his decision to remove Jeremy Guthrie against Boston in the 9th inning was a bad one.  I read on the Baltimore Sun website that Perlozzo stated that he would take out Guthrie if he allowed a man to get on base.  OK, so someone got on base, but it wasn’t Guthrie’s fault… it was a blunder by catcher Ramon Hernandez.  But I digress, and move on to the other thing that grinds my gears, and that is this team’s inability to drive the ball and get clutch hits.  I want to track down a stat that can tell me how many games a team outhits its opponent.  That kind of information has to be out there, and the Orioles have to be near the top of the list in the Major Leagues too.  Anyway, this game featured another wasted quality start by Erik Bedard (7IP, 3 runs, 7 K’s), and another poor outing by setup man Danys Baez, who give up two runs late, including the game-winning home run by Toronto’s Troy Glaus.  Combine this loss with the one on the previous night, and you have a result more painful than Roseanne Barr singing the National Anthem.

Tuesday May 15:

Blue Jays 2, Orioles 1

Any team in baseball would likely have a tough time losing more than half of its starting rotation in the early part of the regular season.  The Orioles lost Kris Benson, Jaret Wright, and Adam Loewen from their opening day starting rotation… and all three for significant time.  However, the current rotation has pitched well enough to win games, but the bullpen and offense have both faltered.  This day was no different, as Daniel Cabrera pitched a complete game, going 8 innings, giving up two runs, walking five, and striking out six.  As for the offense, well, the Baltimore run totals have been about as miniscule as one of Nicole Richie’s dinner plates.  On the other side, Toronto countered with Jesse Litsch, who was having his major league debut.  For some reason, the Orioles are unable to prepare for the “newbies” in baseball, and always make them look magical.  This has happened this year already a few times (e.g. Dallas Braden for Oakland), and to my recollection, it happened in previous seasons too.  I almost want to recommend to every team in baseball to call up three minor leaguers from its AAA franchise to face the O’s in a three game set.  Roy Halladay?  Nah, call up Jesse Litsch.  Roger Clemens?  C’mon, bring on the next Clippard.  Johan Santana?  I laugh at you… bring on… well, you get the idea.  Getting back to Litsch, the kid dominated the O’s, going 8 2/3 innings, and giving up one measely run.  His second start for the Jays?  Litsch went four innings and gave up four runs against the Phillies on Sunday.  Is it the pitcher, or the preparation by the O’s?  Either way, it is frustration with a Capital “F”.

Wednesday May 16:

Blue Jays 2, Orioles 1

Déjà vu, the O’s can only score once, yet again, the Jays score two.  I’m a poet, and I didn’t know it.  Right now, the Birds remind me of Steve Carrell’s character in the 40 Year-Old Virgin… they just aren’t scoring.  People want to give them all kinds of advice on how they can score, but right now it just isn’t happening, but you know that eventually they will.  This time, it was A.J. Burnett who would make the Baltimore offense look silly, with Brian Burres again pitching well enough to give the O’s a shot to win the game.  Burnett went through the Baltimore batting order faster than Rosie O’Donnell can say “All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet”, posting a complete game three-hitter, in which he also struck out ten batters along the way.  The result would be the Orioles heading back home with a five-game losing streak, and a number of additional questions.  Next up would be interleague play, in which the O’s have never faired well.  However, this time, Baltimore would be facing the Beltway rival Nationals, who even though the team from D.C. had the worst record in the National League, they were riding an impressive stretch of winning 6 of 7 games, including taking 3 of 4 against the talented Atlanta Braves.

Thursday May 17:

Day Off

With the losses mounting, the frustration adding up, I personally was happy to see an off day arrive.  As for the Orioles, some players likely want to keep playing to try and break out of the funk the team is in, but as a fan… not playing a game today was a victory.

Friday May 18:

Orioles 5, Nationals 4

While it feels great to get back in the win column, the O’s certainly did their best to try and blow this game.  After almost having twice as many hits as the Nats, Baltimore had to hold on for a 5-4 victory.  On two different occasions in the contest, the O’s opened up a three-run lead over Washington, only to have a two-run homer close the gap to one.  The second two run shot was by Ryan Zimmerman, who crushed one off of Danys Baez, who continues to struggle in recent weeks.  Zimmerman would get another shot in the 9th off of closer Chris Ray, and hit one sharply, but the ball was caught in left field by Freddie Bynum, barely sealing the victory.  I have to go back to Baez again though, who was horrible again in the ‘pen.  This guy’s year in Baltimore has been an absolute flop… and I’m talkin’ a Gigli, Ishtar, and Waterworld all wrapped into one type of flop.

Saturday May 19:

Orioles 3, Nationals 2 (11 innings)

Another no-name starter in baseball (Mike Bacsik) posted six shutout innings on the O’s during this game, and Jeremy Guthrie was once again stellar in getting a no decision (7 IP, one run, 10 K’s).  It is like déjà vu all over again.  However, Jay Payton saved the day for Baltimore delivering a clutch hit in the 11th inning that would lead the O’s to a 3-2 victory over the Nats.  The hard fought victory was another in which the Orioles could only score 3 runs, but in escaping with a victory, it left me feeling hopeful that the team could build some momentum, and possibly sweep away Washington in the first interleague series of the season… especially with a red-hot Erik Bedard (who was due for a victory) pitching the next day.

Sunday May 20:

Nationals 4, Orioles 3

This game would be the 5th consecutive one-run game the Orioles have played in this week.  Does anyone in Baltimore or the Nation’s Capital have any fingernails left?  Erik Bedard was dominant yesterday, and not just on the pitching mound.  Bedard went seven strong, giving up one run, and striking out 12 Nationals, which tied a career high for K’s.  He also went 2 for 2 with an RBI single, helping his cause.  However, in the 8th inning, the pricey Orioles bullpen would blow another quality start by a member of the rotation.  Once again, it was Danys Baez, who gave up another chunk of hits, including hitting a batter on a 1-2 count.  When signed to a 3 yr. 19 million dollar deal in the offseason, I clearly thought he was the weakest addition to the bullpen, but also the most expensive.  Still, I didn’t think he was this bad.  I think it’s about time that the O’s pull a “Houston Lidge move” and back this guy up to mopup duty during blowouts.  Heck, even better yet, use that 19 million to buy a boatland of Esskay Franks for the Oriole faithful, and call up Jim Hoey to let loose on the Baltimore bullpen.

Finally, getting back to the talk about firing Sam Perlozzo, what blows me away is that there is no mention of Leo Mazzone here.  Not firing him, but do people realize that these two are best friends?  If Perlozzo is gone, don’t you think that Mazzone will leave with him?  I understand that the pitching has not been perfect, but this guy is still a legend in the game, and has earned more time to work with the staff.

Next Up:  A six game homestand at Camden Yards, with three vs. Toronto, and three vs. Oakland.  The opening game of the week should be a dandy, with two fireballers facing each other, as Daniel Cabrera heads to the mound for Baltimore, and A.J. Burnett for Toronto.

And Beyond…

Here’s what else jumped out at me this week in Major League Baseball…

The Rocket Big Apple Relaunch

Roger Clemens gave up a home run in the first inning of his Single A Tampa debut.  Big deal.  Why is this news?  He did the same thing last year, and still pitched well in Houston!  The guy is 45 years old, and he just keeps on going.  I wouldn’t be worried about Roger’s performance, even though his ERA should be a little higher due to returning to the American League in 2007.  Still, how much can he really help the struggling Yankees?

Beckett, Oven Mitts, and Pirate Jokes

I don’t know what you think, but maybe Josh Beckett should start wearing oven mitts like George Costanza did in the episode of Seinfeld where he was a hand model.  C’mon, you know the one… it was also the “Puffy Shirt” episode.  “But I don’t wanna be a pirate!”  Ooh, there’s a Pittsburgh joke in there somewhere, but I’ll let it go this time.  This guy Beckett obviously needs to take care of these babies (his hands), because they are definitely hindering him.  Stop using the Palmolive!  Anyway, I would not be surprised if the absence of Beckett (7-0) did slow down the Red Sox the slightest bit, but with a 9 ½ game lead in the division, not enough to notice.

Sell High in Fantasy on New Power?

Has anyone taken a look at the stat sheets in recent days?  Say, Home Run leaders for example?  J.J. Hardy from the Brewers leads the National League with 14 homers, while Prince Fielder and Chipper Jones are not far behind him.  That’s a nice resurgence by Chipper… and nowhere to be seen among the leaders is Ryan Howard.  I’m thinking Hardy may be sellin’ high in a lot of fantasy baseball leagues right now, and quite frankly, I don’t blame people for doing that.  Over in the American League, there are a few other new faces in the mix as well.  Jhonny Peralta (SS – Indians) and Ian Kinsler (2B – Rangers) are tied for third in the American League with 10 home runs.  Not far behind them is Jack Cust, who has 8 HR’s with the A’s in only 46 at bats!  Isn’t this the same Jack Cust who tripped and fell as an Oriole on the way to home plate against the Yankees?  I’m sure Jack would love me bringing up that story, but again, I would sell high there too if you can.  Heck, Cust may still be a free agent in some fantasy leagues.

Final Thoughts

Well… it was another somewhat frustrating week for the Orioles, where the team went 2-4, yet somehow they managed to remain in second place in the AL East for most of the week.  The O’s certainly don’t deserve to be near there right now, but then again, neither do the rest of the teams in the division.  It is clearly smooth sailing for Boston at this point of the season.

Speaking of Boston, Josh Beckett had to go on the disabled list once again, and how much of a hit will that be on the Red Sox rotation?  There is also talk of cancer survivor Jon Lester coming back soon to Boston.  Can you imagine the ovation he will receive when he first steps onto the mound at Fenway Park?  Anywhere for that matter!  Can he regain his form in 2007, and will the early successes of Okajima and the rest of the Boston bullpen continue?  They can’t possibly remain at such a torrid pace, but still, Boston has built quite a cushion so far, with a 9 ½ game lead over Yankees.

Speaking of the Yankees, Roger Clemens will be returning soon, and how will he do back in the AL East?  Can he help push this Yankees team past mediocrity, or is this finally the year that Torre and/or Cashman finally fall out of the good graces of “The Boss”?  In order for New York to compete, the pitching has to get healthy, and the offense has to keep hitting home runs.

Speaking of home runs, there is some new blood atop of the home run lists in both leagues.  Raise your hand if you had J.J. Hardy leading the NL in HR’s this far into the season?  Pipe down and put your hands down… you did not!  How long will these guys stay there?  If you own them in fantasy, should you attempt to deal them away at top value now, or is it wise to keep them for the rest of the year?  I’m thinking you deal ‘em, and get some quality, more stable talent in return.  Don’t agree?  Does the name Chris Shelton change your mind?!

In closing, I would like to encourage you to rant and rave about any team in baseball.  Open this up as a discussion for the progress throughout the week in baseball, whether it is on a team-by-team basis, from a player’s standpoint, or anything at all.  I’m always open for some fun baseball discussions.  So c’mon… show me your O’s face!

 

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack… and grab me a beer while you’re at it.  Honestly, would Cracker Jack still be made today if it wasn’t for the game of baseball?  I don’t recall ever seeing it stocked at the grocery store, just being sold at a stadium at an exorbitant price from a big fat guy screaming “Crackahh Jack heeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrreeeeeee”.  OK, now I just went and typecast all the stadium vendors in baseball.  I had to be “that guy”.

Now that you have your snacks, sit back and relax.  Baseball season is finally upon us!  If you are as excited as me, perhaps you have a number of thoughts running through your head about Opening Day and the 2007 season.  If not, then let me present you with some random and tantalizing baseball thoughts that will hopefully keep you preoccupied until the first pitch crosses the plate…

Some Baseball Thoughts That Are Off Base

Pete Rose is back in the news, but this time he discusses how he gambled in baseball.  In fact, a few days ago, Rose was on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno discussing how often he gambled.  Rose did so quite nonchalantly I might add… and that struck me as odd.  How many years has this man adamantly stated that he never gambled in baseball?   Now, without any segway at all, Rose tells the story of how he bet on every game that his Cincinnati Reds played when he managed the team.  Hello?  Where have you been the last decade Pete?  I think Rose’s brain may be missing more than Mark Prior and Kerry Wood from the Chicago Cubs lineup.

Speaking of gamblers…

Kenny Rogers, also known as “The Gambler”, is back in baseball news.  Rogers is going to open the 2007 season on the disabled list.  The injury has been labeled as a “tired arm”.  Yeah, so I’m not going to lie to you, having a “tired arm” before the season begins is not exactly a good thing.  At age 42, my diagnosis to Rogers would be that he has an “old arm”.  Who’s “The Gambler” now?  My money is on Detroit’s front office.

Speaking of players on the disabled list…

Kenny Rogers isn’t the only player missing from rosters in the early going.  In fact a number of others are missing from baseball as Opening Day approaches.  While players like Rogers hit the 15-day DL, I am left to think of Ugueth Urbina.  Today, I personally placed Urbina on the 14-year DL… but hey, don’t worry Urbina fans, I imagine that it’s probably retroactive to last season.  Therefore, he should be eligible to come off the DL in 2020.

Speaking of players not in the Majors this year…

There are a number of great prospects on the outer edge looking in.  Among the many talented minor league players waiting for his big break include the talented starting pitcher Homer Bailey, who has a career minor league record of 18-11, with an ERA of 3.36 and 290 strikeouts in just under 255 innings (all with the Cincinnati Reds organization).  There is no doubt that Bailey could get his chance real soon with the Major League club.  If you ask me, I think maybe his parents may have jinxed him at birth.  OK, honestly his full name is David “Homer” Dewitt Bailey Jr.  I assume the nickname came from family (to distinguish between father and son), but I’m not entirely sure.  But hey, it’s OK, Homer will mostly get to pitch at Great American Ballpark too.  Poor guy.

Speaking of homers…

Once again featuring talented, powerful, and expensive lineups, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will likely be hitting a lot of home runs during this upcoming season.  The real question will remain… “Can either of these two high profile teams translate its giant payroll into a World Series title?”  While watching the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry on TV is entertaining, I think the general baseball fan thinks that it’s getting old to see each of these two teams involved in the playoff chase almost every year.  With exception to the obvious, being the Sox and Yanks fans themselves.  Personally, I would rather see Sanjaya Malakar win American Idol than see New York or Boston take the title in 2007.  And I’m tellin’ you, I’m no Pavarotti, but I would never put that kid in a glass house and tell him to belt out his favorite tune.

Speaking of the Red Sox...

Everyone knows who will be receiving the most attention this year in Boston.  That’s right people, it’s Daisuke Matsuzaka… the new Red Sox hero.  The media has already opened the floodgates with Matsuzaka Mania.  Dice-K, D-Mat, and the list goes on… he’s already being called so many different names, that Daisuke is going to need to get a separate translator just for the nicknames.

Speaking of being lost in translation…

The talk of the season in Seattle is regarding Ichiro, and if this will be his last season in Seattle.  Suzuki could even be moved at the trading deadline, perhaps sign with another team in the upcoming offseason, or maybe make it back with the Seattle Mariners if an extension is signed.  Either way, wouldn’t it be extremely odd to see Ichiro playing in a different uniform?

Speaking of odd uniform changes…

I don’t know about you, but to begin the season, it is going to be difficult for me to see the following: “The Big Hurt” in a Toronto uniform, Alfonso Soriano playing with the Cubs, Andy Pettitte back in New York, J.D. Drew in Boston, Jason Schmidt playing for the Dodgers, and Barry Zito in a Giants uniform.  Then there’s Roger “The Rocket” Clemens.  Will he play again, and if so, will he come back to Houston, or instead travel to Boston or New York?

Clemens is one of those players with a name that makes me think of non-baseball related things.  Do you have players like that, or am I the one losing my mind?  For example, I think it’s fitting for “The Rocket” to remain in Houston because the city itself is a main hub for NASA.  Clemens isn’t the only player that makes me think of other random things.  In fact, there are countless others.  Three more examples are:

#### Bonser (Minnesota Twins) – Bonser will be relied upon heavily to stabilize a Twins rotation that will have lost young phenom Francisco Liriano for the year due to injury.  But when I think of #### Bonser, I just think of the movie Teen Wolf.  C’mon admit it, you know what I’m talkin’ about people.

Coco Crisp (Boston Red Sox) – Yes, you guessed it… I think of cereal.  I think of that goofy bird in the commercials when I was a kid.  However, now I realize I was combining Cocoa Krispies and Cocoa Puffs, so maybe in the long run, I will be able to move on from this.  The question will be, can Crisp move on and improve on a subpar first season with the Red Sox?

Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) – While everyone else is thinking of the home run record or any allegations, I just picture Bonds as a tank… but in human form.  Let’s face it, I could work out EIGHT days a week, and I still wouldn’t look like that.

How will all of these players perform in 2007?  Especially the ones that are in new uniforms, as they will be under a microscope for sure.  Will each player’s respective fan base approve of his performance in the upcoming season?

Speaking of approval…

How will the D.C. faithful react to the Washington Nationals this year?  Can anyone out there name the team’s starting rotation without cheating?  Even better yet, bonus points if you are able to name the team’s 25 man roster.  Yeah, I didn’t think so.  Something tells me that the Washington fan approval may hover near the Mendoza line this season.  We’re talking similar to the approval rating of another figure in the Nation’s Capital, that being President Bush.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to go political on you… but hey, you should vote!

Speaking of voting…

Do you have any votes for the upcoming 2007 season?  It can be anything from MVP in the American League to comeback player of the year, biggest free agent bust to Cy Young in the National League, Wild Card in the AL to World Series representative in the NL.  If you were to bet on anything to happen, what would it be?  Bold predictions or minor mild predictions… whatever you wish.  On my side, I’ll come up with one of each, a mild prediction, a bold prediction, and a betting thought…

Mild Prediction: The Toronto Blue Jays are in arguably the most talented division in baseball, that being the stacked American League East.  After finishing in second place in ’06, there are high hopes in Toronto this year for the team to push its game to the next level.  I’m sure Canadians will no longer want to hear any more excuses after this season… you know, such as my prediction of… They’ll be the best team in Canada, eh!

Bold Prediction: I think the most interesting races of the season will be in both Central divisions, and if I were to make a bold prediction, I would guarantee that there will be one surprise division winner, coming from either the American League or the National League.  There are two teams that come to mind, both of which feature talented young core players along with improved health and pitching.  Therefore, I would not be shocked to see either the Cleveland Indians steal away a playoff spot in the AL Central, or the Milwaukee Brewers earn a playoff berth in the NL Central.

Betting Thought: At the moment, I’m not 100% sure on what I would bet on, as baseball has been becoming more and more unpredictable in recent years.  However, I imagine that if I were to put $1 down on a Pirates vs. Royals World Series in 2007, that with the odds I could get approximately a MILLION in return.  Is that mean to think such a thing?!  Perhaps.  I admit it though, it would be fun to see a surprise team become the World Series champs of 2007.

Speaking of the Champs…

The St. Louis Cardinals come into the 2007 season as the returning champs.  However, with less veteran talent in St. Louis and more need for the younger players to step up their game, Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa is going to have his hands full.  It will be a major challenge for the Cards to repeat.  LaRussa will definitely need to pull some magic with this team and he definitely can’t “fall asleep at the wheel”.  Hmm, maybe that was a bad choice of words.  Anyway, it is going to be an interesting year, not only in St. Louis, but throughout all of Major League Baseball.

With all that being said… is it Opening Day yet?  Let’s get this party started!