Maybe next season

Maybe next season I'll edit this more often. It happens.

Oh, and the successor to the Number 13 throne was Roberto Petagine, who falls into the category of "players on the Sox I really like." He was never given a proper chance by Tito, though, so he probably won't be here next season.

NL Central Preview

After two divisions in which I have little to no emotional connection, I finally breach one of the two in which I do. In the NL Central, I have a strong rooting interest in the Pittsburgh Pirates (long story why, really), so I’m going to do my absolute best to remain as unbiased as possible. I want to think that the prevalence of statistics in my predictions will help with this, as statistics don’t lie. They can be manipulated, but they don’t lie.

Without further discussion, then, the NL Central:

6. Cincinnati Reds – Before I started looking at the statistics and going off of just what I remembered, I was very high on this team. I even thought they might challenge for the NL Wild Card. But after looking through the 40-man roster, there are really only a few high points. This team has a fantastic outfield. Ken Griffey Jr. is back and (supposedly) healthy. His first half, during which he finally crossed the 500 HR mark, looked like (.253, 60, 20). That’s not even that good, really. Most defensive replacements can hit .250. But Griffey’s something different – a bit of an enigma, I must admit. He’ll be 36 this November, so he’s approaching the twilight of his career, having hit some great numbers. He’ll likely break Ted Williams’ HR total of 521 before he’s finished. Despite his low average, his slugging percentage was a healthy .513, helping his stats somewhat. I would project Griffey to have a (.275, 75, 24) season. Besides Griffey, in the outfield, you’ve got Adam Dunn (.266, 102, 46) and Austin Kearns, a young player with huge potential. But that’s almost where anything the Reds have going for them stops. The pitching situation for this team is poor. Yes, they do have Eric Milton, but even he’s not performing up to the standards the Yankees wanted before they nearly signed him. Milton had a (14-6, 4.75, 201.0) line last year. Not really that impressive, and he’s supposed to be this team’s ace. Kent Mercker is the high point in the bullpen, but after that, pretty much nothing of note. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe this team will do what my gut wanted them to and perform well, but right now, going off of previous seasons and reasonable projections, it ain’t gonna happen.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates – Here they are. To my Pirates-loving friend, I did the best I could. But this is as high as I can place them without showing clear and obvious bias. You’re not going to be happy to read some of this, unfortunately. We’ll start with the hitting. The Pirates have a good problem to have with a logjam in the outfield. Tike Redman, Rob Mackowiak, Jason Bay (reigning NL RoTY), and Matt Lawton are all going to be fighting for starting jobs. And if it weren’t for the necessity of a healthy, consistent first baseman in Craig Wilson, he’d be fighting for an outfield job, too. Who’s projected to end up starting in PNC Park’s outfield? Jason Bay is a shoo-in for left field. He had a phenomenal rookie season (.282, 82, 26) and you just can’t take that out of the lineup after only one year. On a more cynical note, what kind of press would the team get if they benched the Rookie of the Year? For center field, Lloyd McClendon (Pirates manager) is quoted as saying its Tike Redman’s job to lose, but Matt Lawton will likely be the person to take it from him. Tike had nearly-decent numbers (.280, 51, 8) but not good enough to start when there are so many more capable candidates. The average is fair, but only 51 RBIs with that average isn’t. Even for a lead-off guy, 51 is pretty low. I’m not expecting a Johnny Damon-like performance, but he’s not getting enough people over the plate. Matt Lawton was acquired from the Indians, and will take over the leadoff batting role. (.277, 70, 20). Those numbers are a great deal more respectable, granted he played for an American League team with the DH. Lawton will supplant Redman at center field either before the season or shortly after it starts up. Right field, Ben Grieve, newly acquired, will fit in pretty well. He’ll be fighting with Redman for that spot, but this is where Redman might have a chance. Their offensive numbers are comparable, Grieve with a (.260, 35, 8) line in somewhat limited time last year with Milwaukee and Chicago. Grieve sported a .964 fielding percentage last year, in limited time, while Redman, in center field, put up a .986 percentage. If Redman wants to start, here’s where he has to win the position. Infield has no logjam. In fact, there’s at least one gaping hole. Benito Santiago will take over the catching duties from MVP Jason Kendall, now with the Oakland Athletics. But Santiago’s no spring chicken, and an aging catcher’s knees can go at any point. First base belongs to Craig Wilson, who should be an outfielder. He may share time with Daryle Ward. Shortstop is Jack Wilson (no relation). And third base is Ty Wigginton, who’s performed marginally well. But second is a problem. Last season that was Jose Castillo, whose offensive numbers (.256, 39, 8) don’t justify his .980 fielding percentage. This gap needs to be filled. Pitching-wise, they have Oliver Perez, who, if healthy, can hold his own in a duel with any pitcher you choose. But then comes Mark Redman, who honestly, is a bit overrated. Look at last year’s numbers – (11-12, 4.71, 191). That’s an awful high ERA for a number two pitcher. The bigger problem though is that there’s nothing to indicate he’ll rebound. He had a good year once, in Florida (3.59 ERA) but nothing before that indicated progress. He looks like he might be a fluke guy. Jose Mesa will retain the closing duties, and will likely excel at them. But he’s getting old as well, so look for Brian Meadows to get some opportunities.

4. Milwaukee Brewers – Ben Sheets isn’t a fluke. And as much as people on the East Coast, where hardcore rivalries live, want him, he’s staying in the Cheese State for a while to come. His numbers last year were nothing short of amazing, (12-14, 2.70, 237), and if he had any offensive support, he’d have been a 20-game winner. Good pitching can only be effective if there’s marginal hitting to back it up. Sheets is going to pitch damn well next year. Perhaps not as well as 2.70 ERA, but almost certainly no worse than 3.50. Following him in the rotation is Doug Davis. (12-12, 3.39, 207.1). Those are deceptively good numbers. He had a .500 season with the poor offensive production of the Brewers, while maintaining a damn good ERA at the same time. A good deal of the pitching for the Brew Crew is going to hinge on Jose Capellan. The former Braves pitcher has very poor statistics (0-1, 11.25, 8) in a week’s worth of pitching, but is said to have some great potential. And at the age of 24, he’s got time to figure it out. If the Brewers are to avoid the cellar, they’ll need him to perform as well as he’s expected to by the organization. After Capellan is the enigmatic Victor Santos, who has some very, very strange splits. (Thanks, Pack87Man.) His day/night splits have led to him being dubbed the vampire. During the day, he threw a 7.19 ERA. But at night, 3.86. On turf, 3.18. On grass, 5.11. It’s quite bizarre. Overall, his numbers weren’t much to write home about, especially for a number three pitcher. (11-12, 4.97, 154). If he gets relegated to the number four spot, with Capellan taking the number three, those look a lot more attractive, but he can’t stay as a middle of the rotation guy with that. However, Capellan may start in AAA, just until he’s 100%. I’ve personally always been high on Chris Capuano, and not just because he’s a local boy from Springfield, MA. He’s got the stuff. (6-8, 4.99, 81). But he was playing injured from about June on, and before then, he had a sub-4.00 ERA. I really think he’s going to be a great player. Brooks Kieschnick is a high point in Milwaukee’s bullpen, with a sub-4.00 ERA. Offensively, this team’s a little bit weaker. Damian Miller (.272, 58, 9) is alright, at least in hitting for average. Lyle Overbay, if he can repeat his past numbers, is a legitimate threat at first base. (.301, 87, 16). Spivey, if he’s healthy, can produce at second. (.272, 28, 7). J.J. Hardy will be a question mark. The rookie shortstop was injured a bit last year, so it will be interesting to see if he can come back from that at the same time as he’s breaking into the big leagues.

3. Chicago Cubs – These guys have four solid, solid pitchers in their rotation. The question is whether they’ll all stay healthy. Mark Prior (6-4, 4.02, 118.2), Kerry Wood (8-9, 3.72, 140), Greg Maddux (16-11, 4.02, 212), and Carlos Zambrano (16-8, 2.75, 209.2) have enough that if they’re all clicking simultaneously, no team will win any series against them. They don’t even need that much offensive support, their pitching has the potential to be that good. John Leicester (5-1, 3.89, 41.2) and Ryan Dempster (1-1, 3.92, 20.2) will help to bridge between the starters and the closer, LaTroy Hawkins (5-4, 2.63, 25 saves). This is all assuming, of course, Dusty Baker doesn’t overwork his starters and actually gives the bullpen a chance. And as some people are aware, this isn’t any guarantee. Switching to the hitting, the team has Michael Barrett behind the plate, and he’s greatly outhit Henry Blanco, the backup. Blanco and Barrett are about equal defensively, so Barrett should see the majority of the time. The infield of Derrek Lee (.278, 98, 32), Todd Walker (.274, 50, 15), Nomar Garciaparra (.308, 41, 9), and Aramis Ramirez (.318, 103, 36) will produce offensively, for sure, but defensively, none of them are fantastic. The outfield, however, is this team’s doom. Jeromy Burnitz probably shouldn’t be starting anywhere anymore. Jerry Hairston only might turn into something. It’s too soon. Corey Patterson isn’t bad (.266, 72, 24) but he swings for the fences. Needs to take a lesson from Willie Mays Hayes.

2. St. Louis Cardinals – These guys have lost a lot more than they’ve gained. Leaving are Edgar Renteria, Mike Matheny, and Woody Williams. Joining are David Eckstein, Mark Mulder, and Mark Grudzielanek. The newbies don’t exactly equal the old ones. The Red Sox, Angels, and Cardinals all did a shortstop swap, and St. Louis got the short end of it. Which isn’t to say that Eckstein is a bad player. (.276, 35, 2) But he’s no Cabrera or Renteria. Last year’s addition of Larry Walker was a godsend to the Cardinals. (.298, 47, 17 in half a season). He gave them the fourth outfielder they needed to be able to move Albert Pujols to first. And Pujols is a damn good outfielder, so think of what they’re getting on first. (.331, 123, 46) And then there’s Scott Rolen. His line, (.314, 124, 34) doesn’t really do this player justice. He’s an outstanding third baseman who had an OPS of over 1.000. Speed is the one tool he doesn’t have in his arsenal, and even with that, he’s not horrible. He’s not even 30 yet, and he’ll hit 300 home runs within 3 years. In the outfield, you’ve got Jim Edmonds, Reggie Sanders, and Walker, who despite his weight, plays the right field position quite well. And none of them, even with Sanders’ lower stats, is a bad hitter. Walker, Rolen, Pujols, and Edmonds put up some monstrous numbers throughout the season, which contributed to the questioning of why they couldn’t do it against the Red Sox pitching last October. Pitching-wise, this team is still strong. Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan, Matt Morris, and Mulder will make for a very strong front end of the rotation, coming before Julian Tavarez can hold the line for Jason Isringhausen. Their closer posted 47 saves and a 2.87 ERA over the course of the season. This Cardinals team is very likely going to the playoffs again. And quite honestly, if it weren’t for Houston’s obscenely good lineup, even with their losses, they’d win the division.

1. Houston Astros – Which brings me to the Astros. They lost Wade Miller, Jeff Kent, and Carlos Beltran. And yet I’m still calling for them to win the highly competitive NL Central. Why? Cause Andy Pettitte’s coming back. When your rotation starts out with the reigning Cy Young Award winner, Roger Clemens (18-4, 2.98, 214.1), you’re going to get a bunch of wins. But then when you follow that with Pettitte, (21-8, 4.02, 208.1 in 2003), and Roy Oswalt (20-10, 3.49, 237), that’s almost 60 wins right there. Which isn’t to mention their amazing closer. Brad Lidge is Mariano Rivera in the National League, if he continues with these numbers. (6-5, 1.90, 94.2). But that’s not even the incredible part. This next stat is NOT a typo: 157 strikeouts. In less than 95 innings. Without doing the math, he’s averaging better than a strikeout and a half each inning. That’s just unheard of. He’s also not yet 30, so he should have a long time dominating this league. I honestly can’t say enough about this guy. He’s very likely going to be top ten on my list of people for the fantasy league(s) in which I participate. How does a team that loses the likes of Jeff Kent fare to get better? Well, Mike Lamb is one way. He’s not an addition to the team, but he’s a damn good player. He’s a big guy who hits for average (.288 last year) rather than power (14 HRs), but he’s better defensively than many. Jose Vizcaino (.274, 33, 3) seems to be hitting at about his career averages, so fans shouldn’t expect more out of him than they’re getting currently. And Adam Everett’s numbers are very similar to Vizcaino’s, so the shortstop position will, unfortunately, not be one of great offensive production for Houston. I like Morgan Ensburg. (.275, 66, 10). Not fantastic numbers, but not poor, either. And defensively, he’s no star, with a career .952 fielding percentage, but the guy seems to leave everything on the field. The problem is who will take third, Lamb or Ensburg. And then there’s Jeff Bagwell. (.266, 89, 27). Looking to the outfield that lost Beltran, I can still see some damn good talent out there. Lance Berkman has an OPS of over 1.000, and given his placement in the middle of the lineup, should figure to hit triple-digit RBIs again. (106 last year). And Craig Biggio (.281, 63, 24), who’s been on the Astros forever, looking to get a ring for the first time. I don’t see anybody stopping this potent pitching rotation, and the Astros have enough offense to hold off a late Cardinals charge for the division.

AL West Preview

Before I begin on the AL West, which figures to be less competitive than in previous years, I need to make a short update on the NL West. Not too long after I made my post projecting the Diamondbacks to finish fourth, the team completed a trade with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays involving Jose Cruz Jr. and Casey Fossum. I don't think this helps either team in a substantial way. Arizona's getting a decent outfielder who walks like a woman (seriously, watch him after he flies out - he shakes his ass more than Vida Guerra) and Tampa's getting a crap pitcher who figures to never really make an impact. Arizona's lineup figures to get slightly better, while I hope Fossum somehow makes Tampa's rotation, if only because that means the Sox will face him multiple times, making a nice contrast from the effective Scott Kazmir.

And now for the AL West:

4. Oakland Athletics - I didn't want to put these guys here. Honestly, I didn't. Macha's always been able to make his teams, crappy as they might look before the season, pull it off. But Beane blew up the pitching staff this offseason. There's nothing left. Oakland's best starter looks to be Barry Zito (11-11, 4.48, 213), and that's not someone you want leading your staff. Some will give him the benefit of the doubt, as he was a fantastic pitcher in the not-too-distant past. Rich Harden, however, (11-7, 3.99, 189.2) could take the 'ace' title away from Zito if Barry's troubles continue. The bullpen looks great, though. Acquisitions of Kiki Calero (3-1, 2.78, 47 K's) and Danny Haren (3-3, 4.50, 4 HRs) help to strengthen a bullpen that already features Chad Bradford (the dude who scrapes his knuckles on the mound, he pitches so sidearm), Ricardo Rincon, and Octavio Dotel. Justin Duchsherer is nobody to sneeze at either. Hitting will also not be a huge problem for these guys. Jason Kendall, Erubiel Durazo, and Mark Kotsay will anchor a potent lineup. But emulating the Red Sox of old (all hit, no pitch) is not the way to win games. These guys won't be ridiculously bad (see Tigers, Detroit, 2003), but they haven't improved, and all three other teams have.

3. Seattle Mariners - My justification for this isn't entirely rational. Just glancing at the roster, it seems like Seattle's pitching is even worse than Oakland's. But look a little farther. Joel Pineiro (6-11, 4.67, 140.2) looks like he would not be a solid pitcher. But he only started 21 games. And he finished one of them. It might be slightly foolish, but I don't think anybody with the capability to throw a complete game is a waste of a pitcher. And his last game was on July 25th, indicating he was injured. How long do you think he was injured before he finally got shut down for the season? Look for him to rebound. His past numbers would indicate he will - (3.87 ERA in 2003, 3.24 in '02, both in a starting role). Ryan Franklin is the same. (4-16, 4.90, 200.1) in 2004, but past numbers are significantly better, and nobody can look at this Mariners lineup and say they haven't improved. In 2003, despite an 11-14 record, he threw a 3.57 ERA in 212 innings. His HR totals are a bit concerning, though. I think that with a stronger offense (see Beltre, Adrian) Franklin's numbers will turn around. And no team with Eddie Guardado closing for them can be counted out. Miguel Olivo doesn't seem to know how to hit for average. He had a (.233, 13, 40) line in 2004, but he only got 306 at-bats in 96 games. Pokey Reese is a huge defensive pickup, but the assumption has to be made that he won't be healthy all year. Under Ron Jackson, the Red Sox hitting coach, Reese had a decent average before he got hurt, and when he got healthy again, he'd lost his job to Bellhorn and Garciaparra, and later Cabrera. Beltre, in my opinion, was not a fluke. He will put those kind of numbers up again. Richie Sexson can put up good numbers, provided he plays a full season. And Randy Winn and the inimitable Ichiro Suzuki will get on base for Beltre to drive in. The Mariners won't be stellar, but they'll just outperform the Athletics.

2. Texas Rangers - This team has some hardcore offense. Alfonso Soriano (.280, 28, 91), Mark Teixeira (.281, 38, 112), and Hank Blalock (.276, 32, 110) will continue to hammer the leather off the ball. And Michael Young, the guy asked to step into Alex Rodriguez's shoes last season, hit for (.313, 22, 99). And all of them are less than 30 years old, indicating that if Texas can acquire some strong pitching, they will be a force to be reckoned with. Of course, they have to hold on to their players. On the pitching front, like Oakland, the rotation is weak, but the bullpen is strong. Chan Ho Park is a guy many fans were hoping to have back, it seemed. (4-7, 5.46, 95.2) is not a good line. However, his 2001 numbers, granted the age, would show that he can be on his game. With the Dodgers, he put up a (15-11, 3.50, 234) line. Pretty impressive, especially the innings pitched. Pedro Astacio is a bigtime wild card. Can be nasty when he's on, but he's not on often. Nor is he healthy often. Ryan Drese (14-10, 4.20, 207.2) looks to be one of Texas' better pitchers. Kenny Rogers (18-9, 4.76, 211.2) is older than 40 now, but can still be counted on for about 15 wins. And the bullpen has Frank Francisco, Francisco Cordero, Juan Dominguez, and Doug Brocail as solid arms. Texas probably won't challenge for the wild card, but they'll do somewhere between .510 and .575 in win percentage.

1. Anaheim Angels - They just keep getting better. Getting Guerrero last off-season was brilliant, and it turned out he would produce. (.337, 39, 126) is a very impressive line in a strong American League. Garret Anderson will continue to hit about .300 (.301, 14, 75) and provide the baserunners needed to get Guerrero RBIs. And then there's Steve Finley. (.271, 36, 94). He might perform, he might not. It's kinda hard to say. This past year he had a big jump (14) in HRs and a big jump in RBIs (24). But Finley will be 40 before the season begins, and since that's the magical age at which everything starts to go downhill, look for a slight drop-off in his numbers. I like Dallas MacPherson. He's got one of the coolest names ever. But if he doesn't start hitting against lefties (.083 AVG against lefties in very limited time) his cool name will be appearing in a AAA town near you. Adam Kennedy is a strong player as well. (.278, 10, 48). His second and third numbers in that line are weak because he likely hits high in the lineup, making it his job to get on base for the big bats of Guerrero and (sadly) the Molina brothers. Chone Figgins is fast. 34 SB last year. And Orlando Cabrera, one of my favorite players in his short time here in Boston, is the whole package. He can run, he's got a Gold Glove, and I'm confident he can hit now that he's gotten out of the hellhole that is/was Montreal. He's also a fantastic clubhouse guy to have around. Pitching-wise, Bartolo Colon can't do any worse than his first half last year, so he'll start to live up to his contract. Jarrod Washburn (11-8, 4.64, 149.1) has some great potential. He did give up the dinger to David Ortiz in his first pitch of ALDS Game 3, which is why his name is so familiar, but Washburn is solid. John Lackey's numbers look very similar to Washburn's, only with more IP (198.1). Paul Byrd (8-7, 3.94, 114.1) figures to make the rotation after being signed this past offseason. And Kelvim Escobar, despite a losing record, had a sub-4.00 ERA last season, making him a very dangerous pitcher. Nobody can forget the spastic delivery of Francisco Rodriguez, who will now assume the closer's role after the departure of Troy Percival. K-Rod was brilliant in his setup role, but there are questions about how he'll handle the pressure. In the ALDS against Boston, he failed to live up to his moniker. Overall, the Angels are a very solid team, and generally you will be when you have a payroll like theirs (over $110 million, topped only by New York and Boston). The Angels will pretty much run away with the AL East, clinching quite early and leaving the only question: will the AAA scrubs they bring up in September be able to get them home field for the first round?

NL West Preview

I'm going to do these predictions individually by division, cause that way I can give a little more time to each one of them, and make sure I have a cogent argument for why each team will finish in a given position. For the purposes of stat quotation, I'm going to do it in the following way:

Starting Pitcher 12-10 (record), 3.63 (ERA), 223 (innings pitched).
Relief Pitcher 1-3 (record), 5.43 (ERA), 13 (saves, if applicable. If a middle reliever, I'll be explicit.)
Batter .265 (AVG), 32 (HR), 120 (RBI)
Defensive Stats .956 (fielding percentage), 12 (errors), 78 (total chances).

Starting in the West and moving East, and starting with the NL allows me to finish with my home division, the AL East. But for today, the NL West:

5. Colorado Rockies - Shawn Chacon is hard to judge. He didn't start for the Rockies last year, and in his relief role, put up some very poor numbers. 1-9, 7.11, 35. Blew 9 save opportunities. but if you look back at his 2003 numbers, a season in which he did start, he went 11-8, 4.60, 137. It will be interesting to see whether he reverts to his '03 numbers or if his struggles in '04 become more magnified in a starter's role. Todd Helton remains the high point for the offense. .347, 32, 96 last season. He'll be 32 this season, so he's just at his prime now, and his past numbers would agree with that as well. .358 average in 2003. He can play pretty well defensively as well, but speed is not something he possesses in large quantities. Overall, this is a team in a massive rebuilding stage. After losing Walker to the Cardinals last season, they could really use some help, and the thin air of Coors Field isn't going to be enough to get the bats working.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks - Javier Vazquez is good, but not good enough to be called anyone's ace. After losing Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson in successive seasons, the D-Backs acquired Vazquez and Russ Ortiz to fill the void. A team went from having two pitchers nobody wanted to face to having two pitchers who shouldn't be competing for a number one spot. And Casey Fossum and his 6.65 ERA from last year certainly aren't going to help. No pitcher with a line of 4-15, 6.65, 142 should be starting. In any rotation, let alone one in this quasi-competitive division. Offensively, however, the team has upgraded. Craig Counsell's back, and while he's not somebody I'd pick for my own fantasy team, he's played well in the heat. Luis Gonzalez is always a threat, and the addition of Troy Glaus makes the lumber a lot more serious than it was last year.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers - I have never liked Derek Lowe. I'm sorry, but when your big acquisition for your pitching staff is a guy with 14-12, 5.42, 182.2 numbers with the most dangerous hitters in the AL, you're not good anymore. I just don't see him reverting to his '02 numbers, when he put up a no-hitter and a 21-win season. Odalis Perez, however, is solid. 7-6, 3.25, 196.1. Jose Lima had a genuine love for the game, and he shows it every time he goes out onto that mound. However, he's currently on the Royals, as I found out a week after I initially posted this prediction set. But GM Paul Depodesta's made some boneheaded moves this past off-season, and the Dodgers don't look to contend for the Wild Card. Jeff Kent was a solid pickup, but Jose Valentin isn't. Cesar Izturis can run, but he can't hit for power. His average, .288, is decent, but it resembles Ichiro's 'go for a single' strategy too much.

2. San Diego Padres - The fluke of the division, maybe of the whole National League. Jake Peavy is going to have a huge season, even after last year's incredible numbers (15-6, 2.27, 166.1). Even as late as August, his ERA was an amazing 2.08. Look for Peavy to challenge Sheets for the NL Cy Young Award. The rest of the rotation isn't fantastic, but it's decent. Adam Eaton (11-14, 4.61, 199.1) will rebound from a tough season and put up numbers closer to his '03 season, where he had a 4.08 ERA. Brian Lawrence's 4.12 ERA will drop to be closer to his 3.91 career numbers. And the bullpen is equally solid. Scott Linebrink and his 2.14 ERA will anchor this. Akinori Otsuka (7-2, 1.75, 87 K's) will provide great stability in the bridge to the closer, Trevor Hoffman. Offensively, expect Khalil Greene to equal his numbers from his rookie season. No sophomore slump for this kid, who finished high in the ROTY voting. Ryan Klesko will hit well, once again, and the team's picked up a genuine base-stealing threat in Dave Roberts. If the Padres don't get the Wild Card, they're going to make a serious challenge for it.

1. San Francisco Giants - I really don't like Barry Bonds, but if nothing else, he's been consistent lately. And despite fielding what will possibly be the oldest outfield in baseball history (Grissom, Bonds, Alou) these guys can still hit. Omar Vizquel will become the regular shortstop, which isn't fantastic, but it's probably just a stopgap until next season, when they can make a run at Garciaparra. Edgardo Alfonzo will continue to excel. If it's not in the cards for the Giants, it will be because of pitching. Jason Schmidt will anchor a somewhat weak staff. Noah Lowry (6-0, 3.82, 92) will slip nicely into the number two spot, but after that, it's not so clear. Jerome Williams, Brad Hennessy and Brett Tomko all look to make the rotation, but in what order? The middle relief isn't crystal either, but the closer Armando Benitez is solid. Giants will make the playoffs after missing out last year by a slim margin.

Who was Number 13?

Well, this is my second journal, this one directed toward my passion for baseball. The title's kinda cryptic, I guess, but it suits me well. The last three men to wear number 13 for the Red Sox have all been favorite players of mine. This past year, it was Doug Mientkiewicz. Before that, Lou Merloni, the hometown boy. And before him, it was my all-time favorite player, John Valentin, Nomar's predecessor.

I plan on posting my predictions for order of finish sometime this weekend.