The National League West is not a division too many people are getting overly excited about entering the 2009 season. The return of Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles has made the Dodgers the division’s lone true contender for the World Series. Arizona will go as far as its pitching takes it, which could be far, but other than that, there’s not a whole lot to pontificate upon. Yet, somehow, I still managed to write 1,383 words.

To read The Sports Don’s AL East preview, click here, for his AL Central preview, click here, and for his AL West preview, click here.

1.  LOS ANGELES DODGERS (84-78, first place and lost in NLCS in 2008)

The star of the self-titled epic “Mannywood” has returned making the Dodgers one of the most feared lineups in the NL even if Ramirez doesn’t put up the redonkulous numbers he did while in Los Angeles. Should Manny produce at the pace he did after being acquired at the deadline, his year-end totals for ’09 will look something like this: 52 homeruns, 162 RBI, 42 doubles, 107 walks, a .396 batting average and a .489 on-base percentage. That, ladies and gentlemen, would be the greatest season for any hitter all-time.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's 2009 NL West Preview"

There are only a few sure things in the National League Central this year. The Chicago Cubs will win, the Pittsburgh Pirates will lose, and Albert Pujols will continue to be the best hitter in the NL. The Cincinnati Reds’ staff is intriguing, as is St. Louis’ if Chris Carpenter has a positive impact in his return from injury, and how much will Milwaukee miss CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets?

To read The Sports Don’s AL East preview, click here, for his AL Central preview, click here, for his AL West preview, click here, and for his NL West preview, click here.

1.  CHICAGO CUBS (97-64, first place and lost in NLDS in 2008)

The Cubs’ pitchers led the majors in strikeouts, and their hitters led the NL in runs scored last season making for a pretty potent team that should produce similar totals in 2009. Oft injured Milton Bradley was signed as a free agent, and the temperamental outfielder was the lone batter added to a lineup that already featured Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto. Chicago’s batting order offers some of the best balance in the league in terms of speed, power and average. If Kosuke Fukudome can hit like he did in the first half of ’08 (.296 average) and not like the second half (.207), he can keep his job and be a dangerous lefty in a right-hander oriented lineup.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's 2009 NL Central Preview"

The National League has four legitimate contenders for the World Series, and two of those clubs reside in the NL East. Along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, the New York Mets and incumbent champion Philadelphia Phillies are the league’s elite. The Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves should have respectable seasons while the Washington Nationals battle with the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates for the label of most horrendous team in the league.

To read any of the other five division previews, click here.

1.  NEW YORK METS (89-73, second place in 2008)

The Mets and their fans have spent the last two seasons dreaming of the team’s first World Series ring since 1986 only to squander division leads and endure consecutive nightmarish Septembers. New York’s excruciating downfalls have been the result of a perpetually unreliable bullpen, and in an attempt to correct its dilemma, management has completely overhauled the back end of its staff by signing two of the game’s premier relief pitchers in Francisco Rodriguez (major league record 62 saves in ’08 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels) and J.J. Putz (91 saves over the last three years in Seattle).

Continue reading "The Sports Don's 2009 NL East Preview"

People can jump up and down and scream their admiration for the first day of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday of the Masters or the NFL Draft, but Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season has been and forever will be my favorite day of the year. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain why. You either get it or you don’t. I’ll spare you the clichés. After months of hot stove talk, six weeks of spring training, the World Baseball Classic and hours of blog writing previewing each team in every division ( which you can read here), the regular season has finally arrived, and I couldn’t be happier.

In the latest posting of The Sports Don’s Sunday Musings, I present the remainder of my thoughts on the upcoming baseball season.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's Sunday Musings: Volume VI - A Special Baseball Exclusive Edition"

A lot of people have their proverbial panties in a bunch over Josh Beckett’s high-and-tight pitch in the first inning of Boston’s game against Los Angeles on Easter Sunday. Pundits, fans of other Major League clubs and even some who root for the Red Sox have labeled Beckett’s "misfire" as dirty, dangerous and suspension worthy. I say, relax people, stop being so sensitive. Boston’s ace was doing what his pitching brethren have taught him through the decades. Beckett was sending a message. You can call it archaic, but it’s part of America’s pastime.

Hitting a batter in the head is clearly wrong, but throwing a baseball in that general direction isn’t. I think this is where people are missing the point. No harm, no foul, message sent. Yes, it could have led to something painful, but since the ball made its way to the backstop without taking off a chunk of Bobby Abreu’s face, all’s good in the hood. Let me make a pop culture reference to help you better understand. Remember the scene in Top Gun when Maverick buzzed the tower? Sure, it was dangerous, but since Maverick didn’t actually crash into the tower, it really wasn’t that big of a deal, now was it? Beckett didn’t hit Abreu. He sent a message that loosely translated into “Even though I took forever to deliver the pitch, if you wanted to call timeout, you should have done it before I began my motion. You had plenty of time.” If the bodies that rule baseball decide to disallow the pitchers’ right to brush a guy off the plate, which has been suggested by some, it will have a steroid-like effect. If a batter can stand in the box and hover over the plate with no fear of catching one with their body rather than their bat, offensive numbers will increase in a game where hitting already dominates its counterpart.

Continue reading "Beckett Simply Keeping with Tradition"