Minnesota Twins – Bret the Hitman Hart
Why Austin? – This one is simple. Ozzie Guillen is to baseball what Stone Cold was to the WWE powers that be. McMahon always played the role of trying to silence Stone Cold’s antics eve.jpg)
n though he knew it was good for ratings, and I truly believe deep down the MLB knows Ozzie is too. I mean let’s be honest, when Ozzie goes on his rants, do you have any idea what the fuck he is talking about? No, me neither, but they are still hilarious. The White Sox also wear the same colors as the Texas Rattlesnake, and they have the bad boy reputation (as compared to the cross-town Cubs) like Austin. Look, I’m an Indians fan, therefore I do not like the White Sox. They are a rival. However, if I were to be asked if I would take Ozzie Guillen as the Tribe’s manager I would say “yes” in a heartbeat. And that’s the bottom line…cause Stone Cold said so!
What I like – I like the pitching staff a lot. Jake Peavy looks healthy and when he is, he is still an elite pitcher. He went 3-0 with the Sox last year with a 1.35 ERA. Not only is he a great pitcher, but he is apparently a great clubhouse guy, who will help Mark Burhrle mentor youngsters John Danks and Gavin Floyd. Those four pitchers could be a deadly rotation. I think the bullpen should hold up OK, but I have some doubts about Bobby Jenks. He will benefit from having J.J. Putz and Matt Thornton setting him up, but both of them need to lower their ERA’s from last year drastically.
The lineup leaves something to be desired. The Juan Pierre pickup could be smart. He played great for L.A. last year when Manny was suspended. Gordon Beckham is a player I like along with Alexi Ramirez. I know a lot of people felt Alexi had a big drop off last year, but he still hit .277 with 15 HR. That isn’t too bad for a ninth hitting shortstop. I think adding Omar Vizquel could do wonders for Ramirez as far as learning the game a little better. The big questions for the Sox comes in the heart of the lineup: Carlos Quentin, Paul Konerko and Alex Rios. These three need to have good years for this team to score enough runs behind that pitching staff to be a contender. Konerko is aging, and Quentin and Rios are coming off less than stellar years. Everybody is talking about Andrew Jones and his comeback year he had with Texas last year. He only hit .214! Add that to Quentin’s .236 and Rios’s .199 and they could have trouble hitting in runs.
Questions – Can the lineup win them games when the pitchers don’t? I have my doubts about this lineup. It has some pop, but I think they will miss Jermaine Dye’s bat. It falls on the veterans to carry this lineup. Is the pitching as good as anybody in the majors? I think with the exception of maybe the Yankees and Red Sox, this could be the best pitching staff in the majors one through five. Well, maybe one through four, Freddy Garcia should not be starting anymore.
Detroit Tigers – Mankind
Why Mankind? – The Tigers are Mankind because I sometimes wonder if they have idea what they are doing or if they are just committing slow suicide much like Mank
ind. A couple years ago they were a very veteran team, and faltered after their pennant winning season. Now their 1-2 hitters and CF and 2B are rookies. Identity crisis anyone? If the old Tigers are Cactus Jack, last year was Mankind and this year is Dude Love.
What I like – The first two pitchers in the rotation, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello will be really good. The AL Central has become a pitching division. The Tigers loss of Edwin Jackson will hurt this rotation after Verlander and Porcello. The lineup is a mystery to me. I know Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez will produce. The rookies are a big question mark. I also hate the bottom three of the order: Ryan Raburn, Gerald Laird, Adam Everett.
Questions – Will the rookies be good enough to play 2B and CF and hit 1-2 and compete in the Central? I honestly do not know. I haven’t seen either Austin Jackson or Scott Sizemore play so I can’t say. Is the rotation any good after Verlander and Porcello? I don’t think it is very good. Armando Galarraga, Jeremy Bonderman and Max Scherzer do not impress me, and I think they will struggle when Verlander or Procello is not on the mind.
Cleveland Indians – Shawn Michaels
Kansas City Royals – Jerry the Kind Lawler
Why Lawler? – The obvious connection is the royalty aspect. Jerry the King could be the Royals mascot. The other connection is timeline. Both were powerhouses in
the 80’s. Jerry the King was a big deal, as was George Brett, Bret Saberhagen, Bo Jackson and the Royals. Then, in the 90’s and early 2000’s they were pretty much turds. Lawler was entertaining as an announcer, I admit, but he was no Bobby Heenan. Now, Lawler is trying to reinvent himself as a straight announcer instead of the villain announcer, much like the Royals are trying to reinvent themselves with Zack Greinke and Billy Butler.
What I like – I think the Royals arms are good. Zack Greinke is coming off a tremendous season where he was near unhittable. Gil Meche, Kyle Davies and Luke Hochevar are all capable of winning some games. Brian Bannister also have potential. The lineup is not good. This will be the pitchers downfall: lack of run support. Billy Butler is a star on the rise, but Jose Guillen and Alex Gordon have been un-spectacular, Mike Aviles had a down year in 2009, Jason Kendall is old as balls, and Mitch Maier only hit .243 in center last year. With the exception of Greinke, Joakim Soria may be the team’s biggest star.
Questions – Will the lineup score any runs? As I said, I do not like the lineup. There is too many washed up veterans and youngsters with low upside. Will Greinke repeat as Cy Young winner? – I don’t think so. I think he will have a very good year, but 2009 was a great year and I don’t see that happening back-to-back seasons.
Why Bret Hart? – The Twins are baseball’s “Excellence of Execution”. The Twins never have the top payroll, or the most hyped players at any position (except of cours
e for Joe Mauer), and they are usually not picked to win the AL Central, but yet, somehow they always do. Bret Hart used intelligence, confidence, scrappiness and heart (no pun intended) to become one of the best wrestlers to ever step into the squared circle. Then he used that same intelligence to write a phenomenal book about his life in wrestling, which I’d suggest any wrestling fan read. The Twins under always underrated coach Ron Gardenhire are classic overachievers. They have the pieces in place this year to possibly make a run at the playoffs and perhaps even a pennant. Wouldn’t it be nice to go to an October baseball game in the lovely Minnesota fall weather? If I know Minnesota fans, I don’t think they would mind one bit.
What I like – I am a fan of the 2010 Twins. Joe Mauer is the best catcher in all of baseball, hands down. He hit .365 last year on his way to the AL MVP. Justin Morneau is still an elite first baseman, and if he stays healthy all year, benefits from hitting behind Mauer. Denard Span and J.J. Hardy will have to get on base a lot in front of Mauer and Morneau to produce runs. Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel both had good seasons last year combining for 60 HR’s between them. They have another DH waiting on the bench in the form of Big Jim Thome. Also, I love the Orlando Hudson pick up, and I think he will see a lot of playing time at second base.
The pitchers all look good too. Scott Baker had 15 wins last year. Nick Blackburn had 11 and Kevin Slowey had 10. Francisco Liriano has looked great in the spring, and if he puts it together along with Carl Pavano coming off a good injury-free year, watch out for this staff.
Questions – How much will losing Joe Nathan hurt? Honestly, it will hurt a bit, but, I think national “experts” are more worried about it than Twins fans. If you remember back to last October all the Twins fans were saying “I told you so” after Nathan blew a save against the Yankees. It remains to be seen how the other bullpen pitchers fare as the closer, but I don’t think it will be as big of deal as it is being made out to be. Were the Twins smart to extend Joe Mauer’s contract for so long? Absolutley. There are fears of his knees giving out, as there is with any lifetime catcher, however, the Twins are riding a high after their playoff run last year and the opening of new Target Field, and signing the hometown hero was a must.
e for Joe Mauer), and they are usually not picked to win the AL Central, but yet, somehow they always do. Bret Hart used intelligence, confidence, scrappiness and heart (no pun intended) to become one of the best wrestlers to ever step into the squared circle. Then he used that same intelligence to write a phenomenal book about his life in wrestling, which I’d suggest any wrestling fan read. The Twins under always underrated coach Ron Gardenhire are classic overachievers. They have the pieces in place this year to possibly make a run at the playoffs and perhaps even a pennant. Wouldn’t it be nice to go to an October baseball game in the lovely Minnesota fall weather? If I know Minnesota fans, I don’t think they would mind one bit.What I like – I am a fan of the 2010 Twins. Joe Mauer is the best catcher in all of baseball, hands down. He hit .365 last year on his way to the AL MVP. Justin Morneau is still an elite first baseman, and if he stays healthy all year, benefits from hitting behind Mauer. Denard Span and J.J. Hardy will have to get on base a lot in front of Mauer and Morneau to produce runs. Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel both had good seasons last year combining for 60 HR’s between them. They have another DH waiting on the bench in the form of Big Jim Thome. Also, I love the Orlando Hudson pick up, and I think he will see a lot of playing time at second base.
The pitchers all look good too. Scott Baker had 15 wins last year. Nick Blackburn had 11 and Kevin Slowey had 10. Francisco Liriano has looked great in the spring, and if he puts it together along with Carl Pavano coming off a good injury-free year, watch out for this staff.
Questions – How much will losing Joe Nathan hurt? Honestly, it will hurt a bit, but, I think national “experts” are more worried about it than Twins fans. If you remember back to last October all the Twins fans were saying “I told you so” after Nathan blew a save against the Yankees. It remains to be seen how the other bullpen pitchers fare as the closer, but I don’t think it will be as big of deal as it is being made out to be. Were the Twins smart to extend Joe Mauer’s contract for so long? Absolutley. There are fears of his knees giving out, as there is with any lifetime catcher, however, the Twins are riding a high after their playoff run last year and the opening of new Target Field, and signing the hometown hero was a must.
2009 Record – 87-76
2010 Prediction – 87-75
2010 Prediction – 87-75
Chicago White Sox – Stone Cold Steve Austin
Why Austin? – This one is simple. Ozzie Guillen is to baseball what Stone Cold was to the WWE powers that be. McMahon always played the role of trying to silence Stone Cold’s antics eve
n though he knew it was good for ratings, and I truly believe deep down the MLB knows Ozzie is too. I mean let’s be honest, when Ozzie goes on his rants, do you have any idea what the fuck he is talking about? No, me neither, but they are still hilarious. The White Sox also wear the same colors as the Texas Rattlesnake, and they have the bad boy reputation (as compared to the cross-town Cubs) like Austin. Look, I’m an Indians fan, therefore I do not like the White Sox. They are a rival. However, if I were to be asked if I would take Ozzie Guillen as the Tribe’s manager I would say “yes” in a heartbeat. And that’s the bottom line…cause Stone Cold said so!What I like – I like the pitching staff a lot. Jake Peavy looks healthy and when he is, he is still an elite pitcher. He went 3-0 with the Sox last year with a 1.35 ERA. Not only is he a great pitcher, but he is apparently a great clubhouse guy, who will help Mark Burhrle mentor youngsters John Danks and Gavin Floyd. Those four pitchers could be a deadly rotation. I think the bullpen should hold up OK, but I have some doubts about Bobby Jenks. He will benefit from having J.J. Putz and Matt Thornton setting him up, but both of them need to lower their ERA’s from last year drastically.
The lineup leaves something to be desired. The Juan Pierre pickup could be smart. He played great for L.A. last year when Manny was suspended. Gordon Beckham is a player I like along with Alexi Ramirez. I know a lot of people felt Alexi had a big drop off last year, but he still hit .277 with 15 HR. That isn’t too bad for a ninth hitting shortstop. I think adding Omar Vizquel could do wonders for Ramirez as far as learning the game a little better. The big questions for the Sox comes in the heart of the lineup: Carlos Quentin, Paul Konerko and Alex Rios. These three need to have good years for this team to score enough runs behind that pitching staff to be a contender. Konerko is aging, and Quentin and Rios are coming off less than stellar years. Everybody is talking about Andrew Jones and his comeback year he had with Texas last year. He only hit .214! Add that to Quentin’s .236 and Rios’s .199 and they could have trouble hitting in runs.
Questions – Can the lineup win them games when the pitchers don’t? I have my doubts about this lineup. It has some pop, but I think they will miss Jermaine Dye’s bat. It falls on the veterans to carry this lineup. Is the pitching as good as anybody in the majors? I think with the exception of maybe the Yankees and Red Sox, this could be the best pitching staff in the majors one through five. Well, maybe one through four, Freddy Garcia should not be starting anymore.
2009 Record – 79-83
2010 Prediction – 87-75
2010 Prediction – 87-75
Detroit Tigers – Mankind
Why Mankind? – The Tigers are Mankind because I sometimes wonder if they have idea what they are doing or if they are just committing slow suicide much like Mank
ind. A couple years ago they were a very veteran team, and faltered after their pennant winning season. Now their 1-2 hitters and CF and 2B are rookies. Identity crisis anyone? If the old Tigers are Cactus Jack, last year was Mankind and this year is Dude Love.What I like – The first two pitchers in the rotation, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello will be really good. The AL Central has become a pitching division. The Tigers loss of Edwin Jackson will hurt this rotation after Verlander and Porcello. The lineup is a mystery to me. I know Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez will produce. The rookies are a big question mark. I also hate the bottom three of the order: Ryan Raburn, Gerald Laird, Adam Everett.
Questions – Will the rookies be good enough to play 2B and CF and hit 1-2 and compete in the Central? I honestly do not know. I haven’t seen either Austin Jackson or Scott Sizemore play so I can’t say. Is the rotation any good after Verlander and Porcello? I don’t think it is very good. Armando Galarraga, Jeremy Bonderman and Max Scherzer do not impress me, and I think they will struggle when Verlander or Procello is not on the mind.
2009 Record – 86-77
2010 Record – 79-83
2010 Record – 79-83
Cleveland Indians – Shawn Michaels
Why Shawn? – Ok, I admit this is an obvious bias decision. My favorite team probably has no business being represented by The Heartbreak Kid, but bear with me. The 2007 Indians were one win away from the World Series, which was like Shawn’s time with the Rockers. Never quite was the elite team. Then the last two years they have shed some baggage (Marty Janetty) and started over.
They now have a new manager (Sensational Sherri) and are on their way to turn things around. The Indians are actually generating some excitement from fans that they have a little something to watch this year and in a couple years might be awfully good. The 2010 season is like when Shawn started his singles career, and the 2011 and 2012 seasons will equate to Shawn’s rise to stardom. Also, who better to be compared with the Heartbreak Kid than Grady Sizemore. You saw the pictures.
What I like – I think the lineup will be good this year. I like new manager Manny Acta moving Asdrubal Cabrera to the leadoff spot. He played great last year, and he is good defensively. Sizemore was never really healthy last year and it seems like a lot of people wrote him off. Don’t forget that in 2009 Grady won the Gold Glove Award AND the Silver Slugger Award. He can be THE elite centerfielder in the majors is he puts it all together. Shin-Soo Choo is an all-star caliber right fielder. He hit .300 last year with 20 HR and 21 steals. Now we just need to keep him out of the military. Travis Hafner and Jhonny Peralta look healthy and swinging better this spring, but I have my doubts about both of them. Hafner is bound to get injured and Peralta is bound to go into a couple extended slumps. The young guys will be exciting to watch. Luis Valbuena has the second base job, but he needs to hit better than the .250 he did last season. Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley have a lot of hype surrounding them, and rightly so since they were the centerpieces of the C.C. Sabathia deal. The catching spot is very deep. Lou Marson is likely to start the season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see top prospect Carlos Santana behind the plate at some point this summer.
The pitching staff is full of questions. Jake Westbrook hasn’t pitched in a year and a half, Fausto Carmona can’t throw strikes, Justin Masterson is extremely unproven and has a lot of pressure on him from Indians fans because he is the centerpiece of the Victor Martinez deal. Mitch Talbot and David Huff are both young arms who have potential, but could also self-destruct at any time. The bullpen is better than it is getting credit for I think. Kerry Wood is out for 6-8 weeks, but fill-in closer Chris Perez is the closer of the future anyway, so why not start now? Wood will likely be traded mid-season anyway. I know many are not, but I am still a fan of left-hander Rafael Perez. He was lights out in 2007 setting up for Betencourt and I think he could regain that confidence.
Questions – Will the Indians finish behind the Royals for last place? I do not think so. I think they have talent. Maybe I’m blinded by my fandom, but I think the pitchers will do well enough to get some wins behind this lineup to not finish in last place. Will the pitchers be surprisingly good or terrible? I think Carmona is set for a comeback year. His walks are way down this spring and that is really his downfall. Even when he has control problems, he is tough to hit because his sinker moves so much. Westbrook is steady when healthy. I expect him to have a slow start, but pitch well by the start of the summer. The youngsters are my concern but better seeing them than signing a washed up veteran like Ben Sheets to pitch. I’ll be back in a week or so to give my opening week thoughts on the Indians so look forward to that.
2009 Record – 65-97
2010 Prediction – 73-89
They now have a new manager (Sensational Sherri) and are on their way to turn things around. The Indians are actually generating some excitement from fans that they have a little something to watch this year and in a couple years might be awfully good. The 2010 season is like when Shawn started his singles career, and the 2011 and 2012 seasons will equate to Shawn’s rise to stardom. Also, who better to be compared with the Heartbreak Kid than Grady Sizemore. You saw the pictures.What I like – I think the lineup will be good this year. I like new manager Manny Acta moving Asdrubal Cabrera to the leadoff spot. He played great last year, and he is good defensively. Sizemore was never really healthy last year and it seems like a lot of people wrote him off. Don’t forget that in 2009 Grady won the Gold Glove Award AND the Silver Slugger Award. He can be THE elite centerfielder in the majors is he puts it all together. Shin-Soo Choo is an all-star caliber right fielder. He hit .300 last year with 20 HR and 21 steals. Now we just need to keep him out of the military. Travis Hafner and Jhonny Peralta look healthy and swinging better this spring, but I have my doubts about both of them. Hafner is bound to get injured and Peralta is bound to go into a couple extended slumps. The young guys will be exciting to watch. Luis Valbuena has the second base job, but he needs to hit better than the .250 he did last season. Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley have a lot of hype surrounding them, and rightly so since they were the centerpieces of the C.C. Sabathia deal. The catching spot is very deep. Lou Marson is likely to start the season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see top prospect Carlos Santana behind the plate at some point this summer.
The pitching staff is full of questions. Jake Westbrook hasn’t pitched in a year and a half, Fausto Carmona can’t throw strikes, Justin Masterson is extremely unproven and has a lot of pressure on him from Indians fans because he is the centerpiece of the Victor Martinez deal. Mitch Talbot and David Huff are both young arms who have potential, but could also self-destruct at any time. The bullpen is better than it is getting credit for I think. Kerry Wood is out for 6-8 weeks, but fill-in closer Chris Perez is the closer of the future anyway, so why not start now? Wood will likely be traded mid-season anyway. I know many are not, but I am still a fan of left-hander Rafael Perez. He was lights out in 2007 setting up for Betencourt and I think he could regain that confidence.
Questions – Will the Indians finish behind the Royals for last place? I do not think so. I think they have talent. Maybe I’m blinded by my fandom, but I think the pitchers will do well enough to get some wins behind this lineup to not finish in last place. Will the pitchers be surprisingly good or terrible? I think Carmona is set for a comeback year. His walks are way down this spring and that is really his downfall. Even when he has control problems, he is tough to hit because his sinker moves so much. Westbrook is steady when healthy. I expect him to have a slow start, but pitch well by the start of the summer. The youngsters are my concern but better seeing them than signing a washed up veteran like Ben Sheets to pitch. I’ll be back in a week or so to give my opening week thoughts on the Indians so look forward to that.
2009 Record – 65-97
2010 Prediction – 73-89
Kansas City Royals – Jerry the Kind Lawler
Why Lawler? – The obvious connection is the royalty aspect. Jerry the King could be the Royals mascot. The other connection is timeline. Both were powerhouses in
the 80’s. Jerry the King was a big deal, as was George Brett, Bret Saberhagen, Bo Jackson and the Royals. Then, in the 90’s and early 2000’s they were pretty much turds. Lawler was entertaining as an announcer, I admit, but he was no Bobby Heenan. Now, Lawler is trying to reinvent himself as a straight announcer instead of the villain announcer, much like the Royals are trying to reinvent themselves with Zack Greinke and Billy Butler.What I like – I think the Royals arms are good. Zack Greinke is coming off a tremendous season where he was near unhittable. Gil Meche, Kyle Davies and Luke Hochevar are all capable of winning some games. Brian Bannister also have potential. The lineup is not good. This will be the pitchers downfall: lack of run support. Billy Butler is a star on the rise, but Jose Guillen and Alex Gordon have been un-spectacular, Mike Aviles had a down year in 2009, Jason Kendall is old as balls, and Mitch Maier only hit .243 in center last year. With the exception of Greinke, Joakim Soria may be the team’s biggest star.
Questions – Will the lineup score any runs? As I said, I do not like the lineup. There is too many washed up veterans and youngsters with low upside. Will Greinke repeat as Cy Young winner? – I don’t think so. I think he will have a very good year, but 2009 was a great year and I don’t see that happening back-to-back seasons.
2009 Record – 65-97
2010 Record – 67-95
2010 Record – 67-95
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