Jersey Joe's Corner

A Mets Fan's View of the Other Team in New York

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:15:55 GMT

First, let me say that my contempt for the disaster that is the wildcard in baseball is stronger than my contempt for the New York Yankees. Even with the wonderful celebration that took place on the field in Detroit, I can't stand second place teams making into the playoffs.

Okay, I'm off the soap box. There has been a lot of talk about Joe Torre getting fired for losing to Detroit. Today it was confirmed that Torre is not getting fired. That's good news for Yankees fans as Torre is a class act and his departure would most likely have ignited a return to the circus mentality that surrounded this once proud franchise in the 1980's. Serenity and class aside, does Joe Torre's performance as manager this year, merit his being fired?

Torre's job is tricky. Yes, he's given a team of all-stars to manage and no one should have any sympathy for him. That's understood, but take a closer look. How many of those guys are still all-stars and when was the last time a team of all-stars made for a good team. The Yankees roster is an embarassment of riches to be sure, but that formula is not conducive to winning it all. World Series winners are made up of a combination of stars and role players. Role players are necessary to victory.

Look at the regular season. The Yankees trailed the Red Sox for the first half of the season and overtook the Sox without Sheffield or Matsui in their lineup. The quiet elder statesman, Bernie Williams played a role. Young Melky Cabrera played a big role and even the only player on the roster who can actually play first base, Andy Phillips, played a role. Joe Torre's mistake was feeling obligated to Matsui and Sheffield instead of feeling obligated to continue doing what got this team into first place in the first place. That and not being able to get more out of his all-star lineup represent Joe Torre's failures this October.

If there is blame for any non players for the Yankees' failure to win a World Series, it belongs to Brian Cashman and George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner put his foot down after the Yankees lost the 2001 World Series to Arizona in part because his team didn't hit well. George is the reason the Yankees got Jason Giambi. Giambi has struggled,been proven to have used steroids and proven he can't play first base. He has had a couple of seasons where he put up good numbers. Big deal. George is the reason the Yankees signed Hideki Matsui. Matsui has been quiet and consistently good, but the Yankees didn't need him. They needed pitching at the time. Matsui was a luxury, but George lives for signing players that garner headlines. George signed Gary Sheffield at a time when the younger, better Vladimir Guerrero was available at a reasonable price. All three hitters have put up good numbers at times, but are examples of a true lack of thought by the Yankees brass.

Consider the offshoot of signing Jason Giambi instead of keeping Tino Martinez after the 2001 World Series and this is where Brian Cashman must take some heat. Let's say the Yankees don't sign Giambi. Instead they re-sign Tino for two years. By the second year of that contract, Nick Johnson takes over for Tino. Tino gets to walk away a Yankee and the Bombers have a first baseman who can actually play first, has a high on base percentage and even has a little pop in his bat for the next decade. AND.. they would not have traded Johnson and Juan Rivera to National Expos for Javier Vazquez who lasted all of one season in pinstripes. So imagine the Yankees with no Giambi and Nick Johnson at first and Juan Rivera in the outfield.

Maybe you want to say that Cashman had no choice since George wanted Giambi. Okay, let's look at another Cashman trade. The Yanks traded Ted Lilly to Oakland, they got Jeff Weaver from Detroit, Detroit got Calros Pena and a minor league pitcher named Bonderman. Oakland gave up Pena and Bonderman and got Lilly from the Yankees. This means the Yankees could have gotten Bonderman themselves instead of getting beaten by him this October. Sure, it's hard to project things like this. Who knew Bonderman would be the kind of pitcher he is now? Apparently, the Detroit Tigers did. The win it all now mindset that keeps the Yankees from trading for guys like Bonderman truly came back to bite them this year. Now consider what Jeff Weaver did as a Yankee and that Weaver became Kevin Brown and consider what Brown did as a Yankee.

The Yankees also spent so much time pursuing Randy Johnson that they didn't know when to stop. They signed the big unit to a big contract that he has not lived up to. Johnson at least has been productive, just not Randy Johnson productive. To get Johnson, the Yankees traded Javier Vazquez and Dioner Navarro. Navarro was the next catcher in line to replace Jorge Posada when the time came. Navarro was injured this year and has found himself playing for Tampa Bay. He's still a better catching option than John Flaherty, Kelly Stinnett or Sal Fasano.

Trading for Alex Rodriguez to show up the Red Sox who just missed getting him was another disaster for the Yankees. The Yankees traded Alfonso Soriano to get A-Rod. Statistically, A-Rod has performed a little better than Soriano since the trade, but given the disparity in their salaries, Soriano could be considered the better investment. A-Rod has been the focal point of every disappointed Yankee fan. Again, at the time of the trade, the Yankees were in greater need of starting pitching. Certainly, Soriano might have been able to get them a good young arm.

Consider some of the non trophy free agent signings, those that were Cashman's calls as opposed to George's. Tony Womack, Jaret Wright, Carl Pavano, Kenny Lofton. There were also the bad non re-signings. How much would Andy Petitte have helped the Yankees this October? How about a good decision followed by a bad decision. Jon Lieber was signed cheaply because the talented pitcher was rehabbing from an injury. He pitched for the Yankees in 2004 and pitched well. The Yankees did not re-sign him, opting instead to go for Jaret Wright.

So what's the point? The point is that money will only get you so far. The lineups that the Yankees put together in their championship run through the end of the century were about home grown talent, shrewd trades and smart free agent signings. The Yankees have not returned to October glory since 2000. In 2001 they lost a heart breaking Game 7 against Arizona. That was the end. That was the last of O'Neill, Brosius and Tino Martinez. They have since been replaced by players with gaudier numbers, but they have yet to truly be replaced. Since 2001 the Yankees have gone after one big name and then another. They are likea man in quicksand, the more they flail, they more they sink.

As a Mets fan, I dread teh idea that my team may be heading in that direction.

St. Mariano

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:44:17 GMT

Forgive me. I haven't written in this space for more than two months. During that time my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a shocking discovery as she is only forty and otherwise, quite healthy.

As one might expect from his friends and relatives, there were many expressions of hope and support. I was told by many if there were anything they could do, just call. Some friends and relatives told me they would include my wife in their prayers.

I could not offer my wife the promise of praying for her. Being an agnostic, I don't pray. I do, however, subscribe to a religion. Baseball. Baseball is my religion. I am well versed in its history and know its myths well. It has been a constant source of joy and sorrow in my life since childhood and I have reared my children to live according to its precepts. Christians have Jesus Christ, I have Babe Ruth. Jesus may have walked on water, but Babe called his shot.

So what solace could I offer my wife from my church? What would be appropriate? My wife knows a little about baseball, but is like the Christian who only goes to church on holidays; she'll go to a live ballgame, watch on Opening Day, the All-Star Game and the World Series. She likes the Yankees, but probably couldn't name half of their lineup. But she knows who Mariano Rivera is.

I am no Yankee fan, but I have marveled at the greatness that is Mariano Rivera. He was my answer. I went out to a local comic book/baseball card store and picked up a Rivera MacFarlane statue and placed it on the table next to our bed. My wife would now be the recipient of the positive power of St. Mariano.

Mariano Rivera represents everything positive about baseball. He is grace under pressure. He is reliability. He is the best at what he does. He does it with class, humility and confidence. He does it with the Yankees world on his shoulders. But, he can't get the save if the team doesn't get him the lead late in the game. That was the point I made to my wife. She faces a long road and she will struggle. She has a lot of work to do and she needs to remain positive. Mariano is the patron saintof sealing the deal but it takes a great effort to get the ball in his hands.

She has started to take notice of Yankee games a little more often, especially Yankee games as they end. The beauty of having St. Mariano in her corner is that he is human. He struggles just as she does. He usually wins, but sometimes he loses. Then he shows up in the ninth inning the next day. His emergence from the bullpen is her daily affirmation.

Another Promising Youngster

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 20:09:00 GMT

On the positive side of the street, the Mets called up Lastings Milledge after Xavier Nady needed an emergency appendectomy. I don't think Milledge will be going back Norfolk any time soon. Xavier Nady may have just gotten the Wally Pipp treatment.

Milledge has looked like a talented rookie. At times he seems as if he's never seen a curveball before. At others, he shows the talent that has justified the Mets' refusal to trade him for the likes of Barry Zito.

At this moment he has two home runs. At home against San Francisco, he tied the game in the bottom of the ninth off former Met Armando Benitez. He did not take the requested curtain call, instead he high fived fans along the right field line as he took his place in the field the next inning. The Giants didn't care for it and said so after the game. Frankly, I don't see the difference between what Milledge did and taking a curtain call. Either way, Lastings might not want to dig in too much against San Fran next year.

His second home run was essentially a game winner in Los Angeles this week. Two big homers in his first thirty at bats. It doesn't get much better than that.

This is what I love most about baseball. A home grown player comes up and starts helping the team right away. In time he may become a big money ball player, but for now he's a kid and nothing beats watching young talent come through. I like Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, but watching Milledge succeed like this is encouraging for a Mets fan. It's a sign that the organizationis on the right track and that the Met lineup might have Reyes, Wright and Milledge in it for the next several years.

Bad Trades Always Hurt

Thu, 25 May 2006 02:23:38 GMT

Don't get me wrong. I'm very happy with the Mets being in first place. They got off to a great start and have held onto the top spot in the National League East. The Phillies and Braves have closed the early gap so that there are no delusions of a 1986 or 1988 runaway season for the Mets this year.

What slowed the 2006 Mets from pulling away from Philadelphia and Atlanta was a lack of depth in their starting pitching. Rookie Brian Bannister and Victor Zambrano both got hurt. Bannister has been out for three weeks so far with an injured hamstring and Victor Zambrano has undergone Tommy John surgery.

I know injuries happen and there are a lot of teams that don't have enough starting pitching. The frustrating aspect of the Mets lack of depth is that is unnecessary.

Okay, I know everyone is sick of Mets fans bemoaning the trade that sent Scott Kazmir to Tampa Bay for Victor Zambrano. Get used to it. As Scott Kazmir has developed into an American League Cy Young Award candidate (I know it's early), Victor Zambrano may not pitch again.

I don't think Kris Benson is going to win a Cy Young Award this year, but he does have six wins and an ERA below 4. John Maine started one game for the Mets and Jorge Julio spent most of April throwing gasoline on fires.

Forgive me pausing to think of how a Martinez-Glavine-Trachsel-Benson-Kazmir rotation might have looked.

This is not a fan's second guess. These were two trades that made no sense at the time they were made. When the team makes a bad trade that even the fans know is bad, it's infuriating. I'm sorry, not bad trades, stupid trades. Trading Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano was stupid and everyone but Rick Peterson, Dan Duquette and Fred Wilpon knew it.

But that was three years ago. This year, Omar Minaya made a stupid trade. Certainly, the Mets had depth in their starting pitching going into the 2006 season. Surprisingly, Minaya traded Jae Sao to the Dodgers for Duaner Sanchez. Mets fans were a little uneasy as Sao had pitched so well for the team last year. However, the Mets still have Pedro, Glavine, Trachsel, Zambano and Benson. And then Minaya traded Benson for nothing.

It is rumored that the Mets hierarchy wanted to get rid of Benson because his wife, Anna, was getting on their nerves. She said a lot of provocative things. She liked to get her picture taken with close to nothing on. What this has to do with the New York Metropolitans Baseball Club, I don't know. Apparently, she had to go and since he was married to her, he had to go to. So the Mets traded a solid starting pitcher for a weak prospect and a hard throwing meltdown artist.

Today, the Mets traded Jorge Julio to Arizona for Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. They had to because Jose Lima proved himself to be washed up and Jeremy Gonzalez isn't pitching much better. I like "El Duque," but he's older than Pedro and probably older than Glavine. Hell, he may be older than Julio Franco.

He is now a Met because Scott Kazmir was deemed as not having big time potential and Kris Benson's wife was too...whatever. The aquisition of Hernandez was a desperate move that was made necessary by the stupidity that was the Benson trade. Here's hoping "El Duque" still has some New York magic in his tank.

Reality Sets In

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 01:54:13 GMT

What did you expect? The Mets were not going to play at the same torrid pace they had at the start of the season. Certain realities have come into play that have leveled things out.

First, David Wright and Jose Reyes have cooled off considerably. Injuries to Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltran have forced the Mets to field weaker lineups in the past week, revealing a startling lack of depth. The Braves came to town last week and then the Mets had to travel to the west coast.

The other key to the Mets cooling off is Victor Zambrano and the blind faith the Mets organization has put in him. Zambrano has been mediocre in his best days in a Mets uniform. This week, we all wondered how in hell the Mets could have traded for Zambrano, let alone giving up their best pitching prospect in the deal. Look at Scott Kazmir's numbers and look at Victor Zambrano's numbers. Since Tuesday, Zambrano has gotten his brains beat in by the Atlanta Braves at home and then in SanDiego he got pounded by a relatively weak Padre lineup. Victor, such an ironic name.

The Mets continue their west coast trip in San Francisco at Another Year, Another Name Park. All eyes will be on Barry Bonds and his illegitimate pursuit of baseball's home run record. I'm more concerned with who's playing in the Mets outfield. I'm hoping Jose Valentin and Endy Chavez will be watching from the dugout as Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltran take the field.

ROYALS TAKE 2 OF 3 FROM CLEVELAND!!!!!

So it's only a series, but you gotta start somewhere. Zach Greinke has started spring training, Angel Berroa went 4 for 4, raising his average up to a lofty .317. Reggie Sanders and Mark Grudzialanek have been consistent, which is why they were signed. This is the upside to being a fan of a small market team; little things mean a lot.

The Best Record

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 02:48:51 GMT

So it's only ten games. But the Mets needed to get off to a good start.

They have.

Carlos Beltran has shaken the early boo birds and has started playing like the player he was in Kansas City, a quality center fielder with an excellent all around game.

Carlos Delgado has proven to be an excellent hitter, not just a slugger. When opponents play him to pull, he shoots the ball the opposite way.

David Wright has been the best hitter in the National League during the season's first two weeks.

Jose Reyes has been more patient at the plate and has been getting on base.

Pedro won the beanball game against Washington and then went to Washington and pitched brilliantly.

Tom Glavine is pitching like he has an "A" on his cap again. Yes, that was Tom Glavine who struck out eleven batters in six innings.

Brian Bannister has pitched two promising games. He's pitched very effectively if not lights out.

Critics will point to the fact that the Mets have spent most of this good start playing Washington and Florida. That's true. Perhaps they will melt in the heat of better opposition. We'll see. The way they have won so far is the way they were supposed to win when the team was put together. The team is hitting very well. They are playing solid defensively. Their starting pitching has been good, getting games to Duaner Sanchez and then to Billy Wagner. It is no mistake that Jorge Julio has pitched in both Met losses.

The Mets have split their first two games with the Milwaukee Brewers, a quality opponent. They beat Chris Capuano and lost to Toma Ohka. Tomorrow they face Ben Sheets in his first start of the season.

It's a good start. The Mets needed to know they were capable of this. Atlanta comes to town later this week. We'll see.

For the Kansas City Royals things have not started well. They have a weak lineup and their pitching walks the ball park. For example, Wednesday in the Bronx. The Royals scored three runs in the top of the first. Impressive. Jeremy Affeldt walked Damon and Jeter to start the Yankees first inning and then gave up a game-tying three run home run to Gary Sheffield.

Tonight I watched Royals pitching walk eight Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After they took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh, they promptly gave it up in the bottom of the inning.

Let me ask this now: Who is the Reggie Bush of the Major League Baseball draft?

If You're Gonna Start A Rivalry...

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 19:14:43 GMT

Pedro Martinez is not an idiot. If you're going to pick a fight, fight someone you can beat. Like Don Zimmer for example. In initiating what could grow to be an ugly nineteen game season series by beaning three batters, Martinez is at least picking on a team that is least likely to hurt him after they've been plunked.

Nick Johnson, Alfonso Soriano and Jose Guillen. Is there anyone else in the Nationals lineup that has to be feared? Okay, if you're Billy Wagner, Ryan Zimmerman might be keeping you up at night. Seriously, Johnson despite homers in two consecutive games, is not a real power hitter. Soriano is a good hitter, but he just doesn't seem to give a damn about anything. Jose Guillen is a hothead who usually wears out his welcome with a team and Pedro may have gotten into his head after last night.

So remember kids, if you're going to throw at a player or players, make sure their team isn't one that will make you pay later.

Last night's game was a weird one. There were all the hit batters, a delay because of an injured umpire, the Mets scored ten runs, Carlos Beltran got applause from the crowd at Shea and Frank Robinson got kicked out of a game as a result of a rule that he himself instituted when he worked for Major League Baseball.

The Mets play in Washington next week. Frank Robinson is an old school baseball man. Look for the Nationals to be throwing at the Mets. And look for the Mets to throw back. This is no longer the team that wet itself when big bad Roger Clemens was on the mound.

An Eerily Familiar Scenario

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 18:14:14 GMT

The more things change...

Last season the New York Mets had a lot of games where they scored runs early, stopped scoring and watched the lead slowly disappear.

Last night was a painful reminder of the 2005 Mets. Wright came through with a 2 out RBI single, Xavier Nady tacked on a solo home run and Carlos Delgado hit a massive two run homer to right field. Brian Bannister pitched decently in his first major league start. He actually had a no hitter going into the sixth inning. He did give up a three run shot to Nick Johnson in the sixth, but three runs in six innings isn't a bad major league debut at all.

He then handed the game over to Omar Minaya's bullpen. The offense was done scoring for the night. Duaner Sanchez and Aaron Heilman took care of innings seven and eight just as they were supposed to. As the ninth inning started, "Sandman" was playing as Billy Wagner came out of the bullpen to finish off another Met victory. Only, somewhere between teh warning track and the pitcher's mound, Wagner turned into Braden Looper. In Looperesque fashion, Wagner fell behind Ryan Zimmerman 3-0. He got the count to 3-2 before he served up nice high fastball that left Zimmerman's bat much higher and faster than it left Wagner's hand.

There it was. Fretful Mets fans will spend the rest of the season worrying that Wagner is either past his prime or unable to handle the pressure of playing in New York. Wagner didn't help himself by saying he'd give the song back now since Mariano Rivera has never blown a save. The best reaction is no reaction. If Wagner wants the song to be played, it should be played. And that should be the end of it. If he shows he's getting agitated it only plays into the hands of the radio clowns who initiated the controversy.

The game did not end with the Zimmerman home run in the top of the ninth. That's not the Mets' way. First, they needed to load the bases in the bottom of the ninth only to not score. Then they gave the ball to Jorge "Gas Can" Julio. The SNY announcers remarked about how all the new aquisitions were helping the Mets when the team was winning. They did not remark how one of Minaya's bigfree agent signings blew the lead and then his most inexplicable trade resulted in a horrible tenth inning meltdown.

The Mets have been picked by a lot of people to make it to the post season. If that is going to happen they need for a lot of things to happen. Wagner needs to reassure the team that last night was just one of those nights that every closer has once in a while and not his inability to deal with New York. Jorge Julio cannot be on this roster much longer. Carlos Beltran needs to play like the star he was in Kansas City. If he keeps pressing to live up to what he did in the 2004 playoffs with Houston, he will fail and the booing will get worse. Anderson Hernandez needs to be able hit over .200. Right now the young second baseman looks like a gold glover in the field and a relief pitcher in the batter's box.

The Mets did some good things last night. That's why the meltdown is unacceptable. The Mets are not young kids hoping to improve. This team is a team that expects to win now. We can accept that Brian Bannister pitched well for his first major league start and that was encouraging. That's the only moral victoy to take from the game. The Mets lost in a horrible fashion last night. For a team of high priced veterans that's unacceptable.

Opening the Season with a Win and a Debate

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:53:46 GMT

Maybe Soriano was safe. Maybe our new, big, bad lineup only scored three runs. Okay, if we're counting on Xavier Nady to generate a lot of offense, we're in trouble. But winning on Opening Day is a lot of fun.

David Wright hit a home run in the win and Tom Glavine pitched six quality innings. Okay, sure, Carlos Beltran did nothing and got booed after every at bat, so it wasn't all optimism.

Unfortunately, the big story emerging from Game One at Shea is the controversy started on WFAN over the use of "The Sandman" by Billy Wagner as he entered the game.

For those who are not familiar with New York baseball: When Mariano Rivera enters a game at Yankee Stadium, Metallica's "The Sandman" plays and continues playing as he warms up. Billy Wagner has used the same song since 1996 when he comes into a game at home. So there it was at Shea as he entered the game.

Once this situation was brought to attention on WFAN it created a firestorm. Yankee fans have taken offense that Wagner would dare to use Rivera's song. As I stated earlier, Wagner has been using the song longer than Rivera. Yankee fans don't care. Wagner is new to the city and apparently as a non-Yankee is not permitted to be himself.

This is the arrogance of the Yankee mentality vs. the thoughtlessness that is the Met mentality. First, it's a damn song, one that Wagner has used for years and longer than Rivera so Yankee fans should quit whining about it. The Mets, not Wagner, at some point should have realized that Wagner's song and Rivera's song were the same and maybe had Wagner pick a new song if for no other reason than the Mets have been second banana so long and having the same song for their closer reinforces that image.

At any point, Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer in baseball history. Billy Wagner is not. Does a song change that? I didn't think so. So Yankee fans should be happy they have Rivera regardless of the song issue. The only thing more annoying than people who whine, are successful people who whine. The Yankees are the most successful franchise in the history of baseball, I would think that would make their fans secure enough not to go nuts over such a silly issue. It's not as if the Mets are co-opting everything the Yankees do.

I wonder what the great "Babe" Kingman thinks of this nonsense.

The 2006 Season

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 03:04:43 GMT

There are a lot of angles from which a baseball fan can preview the upcoming baseball season. Because brevity is not my strong point I will share my view from each angle with you or anyone within earshot over the next six months.

First, I view the season as a fan of my favorite teams. I'll start with the Mets because they were very busy during the off season and have a lot of people buzzing about their chances this season.

The Mets and many of their fans have been envious of their counterparts in the Bronx. This year, the Blue and the Orange have a very strong lineup packed with expensive all-stars. Their pitching is a big question mark. The top two starters are future Hall of Famers, whose Cooperstown seasons are in their rearview mirror. Pedro and Glavine are the Johnson and Mussina of Flushing. The only difference between the Mets and Yankees this year would appear to be recent accomlpishments and Mariano Rivera.

Just as Yankees fans are concerned about their starting pitching, Mets fans have similar concerns. Pedro came into spring training, even missing some of it, with a bad toe. The fear here is that Pedro will try to compensate for his injured toe and end up on the DL with a different injury as a result. Tom Glavine has been streaky since coming to the Mets and I don't know if one can expect a pitcher to become more consistent at his age. Steve Trachsel was the Mets most reliable starter until he was injured in 2004, causing him to miss a lot of 2005. Victor Zambrano is in the roatation because Scott Kazmir is now the Devil Rays' number one starter. Now he is injured and I don't know that he will be missed. Rookie Brian Bannister will now pitch in the Mets second game. At least we have one guy whose best years are ahead of him.

The most frustrating aspect of this starting rotation is its lack of depth. That was a strength of the Mets before Omar Minaya traded away Jae Seo and Kris Benson. It appears Benson was traded away because his wife was a distraction. So the Mets get Jorge Julio and the Benson's get a divorce and Mets fans are a torn labrum away from Lima Time at Shea.

But enough with the worrying already. The Mets have a lineup that should outscore most opponents even when the starters falter. Jose Reyes has full, injury-free season under his belt. He is one of the most exciting players in the game today and I will enjoy watching him improve with age. Paul LoDuca is a smart ball player with the ability to hit second, seventh or eighth. Carlos Beltran was a huge disappointment last year, but has the talent to own Shea Stadium. Carlos Delgado is one of baseball's most consistent sluggers. David Wright is developing into one of baseball's better offensive players. Cliff Floyd is not a superstar, but he is a very productive left handed hitter. Right field and second base are question marks right now.

The Mets have enough talent to win the National League Eastern Division. That talent needs to stay healthy. Omar Minaya sacrificed starting depth to add depth to Mets bullpen. If he's right, the Mets will be playing in October. I doubt they'll get too far once there, but it's a step in the right direction.

As for the Kansas City Royals....yikes. Their top two young starters are Zach Greinke and Runelvys Hernandez. Greinke has yet to show up for camp because of personal problems. Hernansez was placed on the DL because he was overweight. Right now the Royals are making the Pittsburgh Pirates look like the Atlanta Braves.

In the offseason the Royals obtained Doug Mientkiewicz, Mark Grudzialanek, Reggie Sanders, Scott Elarton and Mark Redman. Good pickups if you're adding depth to an existing roster. However, if they are making up a third of your starting lineup and key members of your rotation, you will do well to avoid losing 100 games.

Okay, now for the rest of the baseball world:

AL EAST: The Yankees and the Red Sox own this division. There's been a lot of talk about the Blue Jays making a run at the two traditional powerhouses. They added AJ Burnett and BJ Ryan to their pitching staff. Burnett's had a history of arm trouble and he starts this season on the DL. Ryan has been an excellent relief pitcher and had one great year as a closer on a team that didn't win. Are they improved? Yes. Overtaking the Yanks and Bosox? Barring an injury to key players on the two division bullies, Toronto will own thrid place. Can Tampa Bay overtake Baltimore? If anyone besides Kazmir can pitch, maybe.

AL CENTRAL: A lot of people think the White Sox will repeat. They are defending World Champions and they added Javier Vazquez and Jim Thome. I don't see them repeating. They won a lot of one run games last year and they are expecting Bobby Jenks to close all year for them this year. Those that are not picking the Chisox are naturally picking the Indians because Cleveland finished a close second last year. I think they'll miss Millwood. I'm picking Minnesota. They know how to win. They have the best pitcher in the game and one of the best closers. They have a solid starting eight and a savy manager.

AL WEST: The Angels and A's have the best pitching in the division. The Angels have a better lineup, better closer and a better manager. I can see Texas moving up in the standings they finally have some pitching and Buck Showalter has gotten rid of his biggest headache in the form of Alfonso Soriano. Seattle looks like they're still putting some pieces together.

PLAYOFF TEAMS: Yankees Twins Angels A's

AL PENNANT: Angels

NL EAST: Count me as someone who needs to see the Braves finish second before I believe it will happen. As a Mets fans, I see the Braves as a cornered rat. They seem doomed until they face a challenge. Florida is starting over again. Philadelphia doesn't have the starting pitching. Washington is hurting and the Soriano situation isn't helping

NL CENTRAL: Milwaukee. Go ahead and laugh, but I said it. The Cardinals are a little weaker, a little older and perhaps a little weary from being the team that should have. The Astros were a second place team last year that got hot at the right time. I think they will fall into the false belief that they were the best team in teh National League last year because they won the NL pennant. They were not the best team in the senior circuit or even their own division. They will not be the best team in the division this year. The Cubs rest their hopes on oft injured aces and are the nonsensical choice of people who believe this is their year to end their curse because the Red Sox and White Sox ended curses in the last two seasons. Pittsburgh has made some impressive moves and if the young and lefty dominated pitching can come through, they may finish .500. Cincinnati has no pitching. Milwaukee. How the hel can anyone in their right mind pick the Brewers? Capuano, Davis and (when he returns) Sheets, with Derrick Turnbow closing. A solid lineup, although admittedly inexperienced. This is the limb I'm jumping out on. You can e-mail me with snide remarks.

NL WEST: In what might still be the weakest division in baseball, it's close, very close. The Dodgers have undergone too many changes. The Rockies never seem to have enough pitching for that ballpark. That leaves the defending division champs, San Diego and the old men of San Francisco. I favor the Giants. Those old men can still hit, especially that freakishly large, flaxseed using left fielder of theirs. The Giants also have arms. I think Jason Schmidt comes back from a lackluster year with Matt Morris benefitting from being in San Francisco's pitcher friendly park. Add young arms Noah Lowry and Matt Cain and the Giants have a solid rotation. The problem is that they have Armando Benitez to close games for them. I think the Giants win the division by eight games. This way Benitez will survive September because there won't be much of a race and will only cost the Giants games after they reach October.

PLAYOFF TEAMS: Braves Brewers Cardinals Giants

NL PENNANT: Cardinals

WORLD CHAMPIONS: Angels

AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero, Anaheim

AL CY YOUNG: Johann Santana, Minnesota

NL MVP: Chipper Jones, Atlanta

NL CY YOUNG: Doug Davis, Milwaukeee

I've gone on too long at this point. The baseball investigation into steroid use will be discussed later. Let me just say that Bud Selig has taken action to avoid doing something.