Josh Hamilton Doesn't Get It

I completely believe at this point in my life that Josh Hamilton just does not get it.

This guy was given an opportunity to revive his career with the Texas Rangers.  Fans in Arlington, for the most part, never even made mention of his prior drug abuse issues.  Now, with that said, no one can deny that Hamilton was phenomenal on the field.  During the first four and a half seasons he wore a Rangers uniform, there was no denying which player was responsible for helping get the Rangers to back to back World Series.

There were other players who played key roles along the way, but Hamilton provided fans with someone to get behind.  I was working in the Metroplex during the 2008 season when Hamilton was as good as anyone we have seen in the last couple of decades.  Talk radio was abuzz all day long with conversation about "The Great Hambino" or "Ham Slamwich".  For just a few seasons, the Rangers were more relevant in the fall than the Dallas Cowboys.

I was in the crowd during an American League Championship Series game against the Yankees, and for one game each during both World Series appearances.  I never left the ballpark on any of those nights thinking to myself, "Baseball fans in Texas are not real baseball fans."  I left the ballpark on all three of those nights proud that I was a fan of the Rangers.  The Yankees game I attended was the Colby Lewis gem in Game 2 during the 2010 ALCS and I attended Game 5 of the 2011 World Series against the Cardinals, both wins.  Of course fans are going to be excited during those moments.  But I was also there for Game 5 of the 2010 World Series, which was the Giants' clinching victory.

And that night, Rangers fans got it.  They were disappointed that the Rangers fell short of winning it all, but they understood a couple of things.  I remember just a few moments of silence as fans watched the Giants celebrate, but then I remember 15-20 minutes of Rangers fans applauding not just the Giants, but the Rangers.  They cheered the Rangers for the season they had given them and the ride they had been on with the team.  Yeah, we all wanted a World Series title, but more than that, we did not want the season to end.

The original comments made by Hamilton about Texas baseball fans could have been understood, based on the intent of the comments.  Dallas is and always will be a football town.  There is no reason for it not to be.  I do not wish to argue about the Cowboys and how good they are or are not, but Texas as a state is football crazy and always will be.

But Tom Grieve made the best point of the day on Friday afternoon's broadcast.  Arlington does not have to be a baseball town for there to be great baseball fans in the town.  And Hamilton's comments angered all of us who sat and watched the Rangers not just during the good years or late, but the bad years, when the Rangers were a laughingstock in Major League Baseball.  Yes, there are bandwagon Rangers fans, but that happens when any team has success.

The Dallas Stars are not any good, but the fans that fill up the American Airlines Center during home games are great hockey fans.  The same goes for Mavericks fans.  Fans are fans, not necessarily representatives of their towns.  Yes, fans are formed by their environment, but the only requirement for being a "fan" is to follow your team and support them during the good and the bad.

Rangers fans have done that.  Rangers fans have filled the ballpark (and sometimes not filled the ballpark) and cheered for the Rangers as long as I have been going.  The team has not always been very good, but they were our team.  Have I wanted to jump ship from time to time? Absolutely.  I am the same way with the Cowboys.  But I am a fan, and even if I wanted to leave, I could not.

The fans showed up on Friday, booing Hamilton any time he was involved in the game, whether during at-bats, pregame introductions or even when fielding (or not fielding) balls hit at him during the game.  Some fans joined in on the Silence4Josh movement and read newspapers during his at-bats, but they all cheered loudly as Hamilton struck out during his first two at-bats.  Hamilton was in classic form, flailing at bad pitches and appearing unfocused at the plate.

Hamilton may hit two home runs on Saturday, but on Friday, in his first chance to shut the fans up, he failed miserably, just as he did to end the 2012 season with the Rangers.

Josh felt the need to hold a pregame press conference, in which he said that he expected fans to boo him and that he had 12 year old kids say worse things to him than what he would hear on Friday, so it did not bother him.  After the game, Hamilton held another press conference, coming across as quite a jerk with most of his comments about the fans and in his demeanor with the media.

The following video was not from the press conference, but it does give you a glimpse into his true feelings about Rangers fans.

The comment that furthers my hatred for Josh Hamilton was his comment about comparing his return to Arlington to Jesus and how he was treated in his hometown.  I cannot find a video of the press conference at this time, but let me quote what Hamilton said.

"He said, 'Where was Jesus got-after the most? His hometown,' " said the deeply religious Hamilton, who declined to name the source of inspiration. "Baseball-wise, this is my hometown."

I don't feel like I even have to respond to that comment.  Make of it what you will, but this guy has a serious ego issue that makes him think he is way more important than the rest of the world sees him.

And after the fire the Rangers fans showed on Friday, did Hamilton make any changes to his feelings about those fans?

 "I will never take back what I said until they show up every night for 30 years," Hamilton said. "But I'm glad I can help create spirit and fire in this town."

Nope.  He does not get it.

Apparently, Hamilton feels as if he has left Arlington and gone to baseball nirvana in Anaheim.  Ha.

I actually went and watched the Rangers play in Anaheim last summer, and their crowd is just like the Dodgers crowd.  Arrive late, leave early.  30 years of filling a ballpark before you are considered a baseball town?

What about Boston? The Red Sox are about to have their consecutive sell-out streak broken at Fenway Park.  Sorry Boston, you have to wait another 30 seasons before we can consider you a baseball town.

Let's compare the attendance history of the Rangers and Angels.

The Rangers appeared in the World Series in 2010 and 2011.  During those two seasons, the Rangers ranked 5th in American League attendance, drawing an average of just over 36,000 in 2011 and just under 31,000 in 2010.  During those two seasons, the Angels ranked 3rd in American League attendance.  So just maybe they have us there.

But the Angels went to a World Series as well in 2002, and even won it.  That season, the Angels ranked 7th in American League attendance, averaging over 28,000 each night.  The Angels won 99 games that season.  If you look right above the Angels on the attendance numbers for 2002, you will see the Rangers in 6th on the American League attendance list.  Texas averaged just over 29,000 fans each night, who showed up to cheer on a team that won a whopping 72 games.

So choose to think what you wish based on those numbers, but just like any other numbers, you can manipulate them to match your opinion.

I am getting long winded, so I will wrap this up.  I just want to address those of you who criticize Rangers fans for their attitude towards Josh Hamilton.  I understand that there are some of you who wish to remember the good times we had with Hamilton in Texas.  And he provided us with many.  But at his first opportunity after leaving, he ripped the very fans who welcomed him with open arms.

I will not sit here and say that the fans were in the right for chanting "crackhead" at Hamilton during the game, but just like each of you reading this, your history is part of your story.  Hamilton may have turned from his ways and changed his life, and on a personal level I am happy that he has been able to do that.

I had a phone conversation last night with a friend who said, "You know, Rangers fans would have let it go a lot easier if he had not opened his mouth."  Truer words have never been spoken.  When you tell a group of people what they are not, they will spend all of their time trying to prove you wrong.

Have fun booing him the rest of the weekend, and I can only hope that a fastball from the hands of one of our pitchers finds itself near the ear-hole of the biggest a-hole in sports.

Darvish Almost Perfect; Angels Next

The Rangers second game of the season was much better than the first.  I have not had the opportunity to make a post since the Sunday night loss to the Astros, and to be honest I have not yet seen the game from Wednesday afternoon yet.  I have it on DVR and will watch it Wednesday night or Thursday night.

There was not a lot to talk about in the opener on Sunday, as the Astros showed up ready to play and the Rangers looked flat.  What is amazing to me about a season opener is the importance placed on one game.  True, I was one of those who said Texas would roll into Houston and steamroll the Astros, placing more than enough emphasis on one of 162 games.  There were fans who posted all kinds of things on Sunday night about the Astros beating the Rangers, and hey, it was on national television and it looked much better for Houston than most of their other games will look.  I believe my Facebook post summed it up the best, when I said "Enjoy this one Astros fans, you will only see about 65 more of these all season."

Houston got a great pitching performance from Bud Norris, who by the way, is phenomenal at home.  The numbers they showed for Norris pitching in Houston as opposed to on the road were mind-blowing.  Anyway, Houston got a clutch home run from Rick Ankiel, and a terrific night from Jason Maxwell, who is slowly becoming the star in Houston.  Texas looked flat offensively, and could never really get anything going.  Matt Harrison looked alright, but was not at his best.  So congrats to Houston, you scored 8 runs and got the first win of the season.

But then Tuesday and Wednesday happened.

Yu Darvish was perfect on Tuesday night.  Okay, ALMOST perfect on Tuesday night.  I know that you may not believe this, but as I sat on the couch and watched the first couple of innings, I thought to myself that there was a chance he could no-hit the Astros.  The breaking stuff was working as well as it ever has for Darvish.  Half of the Astros lineup, if not more, looked foolish at the plate.  It was the type of performance that he might not have again this year, but if he does, look out American League, the Cy Young is coming to Arlington.

Darvish was dominating, striking out 14 Houston hitters.  As a matter of fact, after the game on Wednesday, the Rangers set a record for most strikeouts in the first three games of a season (43).  Texas exploded offensively for 7 runs in the win, blanking the Astros, 7-0.

Wednesday, Alexi Ogando took the mound and delivered a performance that most teams would consider a great one, but after the game Darvish pitched on Tuesday, it looked like it was nothing.  Ogando pitched 6.1 innings, allowing just four hits and recording 10 strikeouts of his own.  Another shutout for Texas, as the Rangers won today, 4-0.  As I mentioned, I have not seen the game yet, but will take the time over the next couple of days to watch it and I will have more comments.

So here we sit, at 2-1 with the hated Angels coming to town on Friday for a weekend series.  Friday night it will be Derek Holland on the hill for Texas against Jason Vargas, and Saturday features Matt Harrison in his second start against Tommy Hanson, the newest addition to the Angels starting rotation.  But boy I cannot wait until Sunday night.  Jered Weaver for the Angels and Yu Darvish again for Texas.  One can only hope that Darvish is back on his hot streak and the Ballpark will be rocking!

Oh yeah, and the bum Hamilton is back in town.  Make sure and let him know how you feel about him!

American League Predictions and Playoff Predictions

Alright guys, I have had a busy last few days, so I have not gotten a chance to roll out my extended American League previews yet. I will do so, over the next few days, mainly because I spent a good bit of time on them, and because I want my picks to be out there in case I am right!

I wanted to take a second, even though Opening Day is now in the books, to let you know the short version of my picks in each American League division and then my playoff predictions.

Remember, I will give you more detailed predictions over the next few days!

American League East

This division is the best in baseball.  Not one of the best, not possibly the best, but absolutely the best.  The defending division champions, the Yankees, are perhaps the worst team in the division entering the season.  The defending divisional runner-up, Baltimore, could be perhaps the fourth best team in the division.  Boston made the most changes to their roster this off-season, and I think they are talented enough to win the division.  Tampa Bay always finds a way to compete, and Toronto made some major moves, but still has some holes to fill.

I think Toronto has some major question marks, but if they are able to get the production from guys like Bautista and Encarnacion they have been getting, and get productive years from Jose Reyes, Brett Lawrie and Melky Cabrera, they will win the American League East.

American League Central

Detroit was rocking along during the end of the 2012 season, and ran through the American League playoffs.  And then the Tigers ran into a buzzsaw in the form of the San Francisco Giants.  But Detroit has every reason to believe they are the class of the American League Central again in 2013.  Verlander is back on the hill for the Tigers and they have the best hitter on the planet, Miguel Cabrera.  Kansas City added James Shields to the top of their rotation, and they are hoping their young position players will take the next step this season.  Cleveland also added more than a handful of players, including Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher.  The addition of Terry Francona as the skipper in Cleveland also adds to their playoff chances.  The White Sox and Twins have a handful of talented players, but neither team has enough to compete.

Kansas City and Cleveland are going to make this an interesting division at least through July and August, but at some point Detroit will pull away, leaving everyone else in the dust.

American League West

Raise your hand if you do not live in the Bay Area and had Oakland winning the American League West prior to last season.... oh wait, none of you? Exactly.  But Oakland found a way to do it, and they did it with an amazing hot streak that concluded with the division title being won on the final day of the regular season.  Oakland stood firm with their approach this off-season, and they hope to ride strong young pitching and hot hands at the plate to a repeat.   Texas led the division for almost the entire year, but let their third straight division championship slip through their hands (or the glove of Josh Hamilton) during the final week of the season.  The Rangers have to replace the bats of Hamilton, Michael Young and Mike Napoli in their lineup and must fill holes in their bullpen.  The Angels signed away Hamilton from the Rangers, and now have an even more intimidating lineup than their underachieving lineup of 2012.  Pitching is the true weakness of the Angels.  Seattle is a team that could sneak up on the top three teams in the division, but consistency will be their biggest enemy.  Seattle added a big bat in Michael Morse, but he is now in one of the least hitter friendly parks in the league.  Houston is in their first American League season, and with a young roster and a bare minimum payroll, the Astros could be an exciting team to watch on some nights, and an embarrassing one on the next.  Houston will be really strong in 2015, but that is still two years away.

Texas has to fend off the Angels for the division title.  Oakland will finish third, or maybe even fourth depending on Seattle.  Texas may have the weaker lineup between them and Los Angeles, but the Rangers are definitely deeper in the rotation and the bullpen.  Texas should edge out the Angels in the final series of the year in Arlington.

Alright, now I have made my American League picks, and in previous posts have made my National League picks.  Just a recap, here are my division picks for each league:

National:
East - Nationals
Central - Reds
West - Giants

American:
East - Blue Jays
Central - Tigers
West - Rangers

Here are my Wild Card picks for each league:

National:
Cardinals, Dodgers

American:
Angels, Red Sox

So here we go with my American League playoff picks:

Wild Card Game - Angels over Red Sox

Divisional Series - (1) Tigers def. (4) Angels, (2) Rangers def. (3) Blue Jays

Championship Series - (1) Tigers def. (2) Rangers

And my National League picks:

Wild Card Game - Dodgers over Cardinals

Divisional Series - (1) Nationals def. (4) Dodgers, (3) Reds def. (2) Giants

Championship Series - (1) Nationals def. (3) Reds

So basically I see a World Series featuring Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals against Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers.  And due to the National League winning the 2013 All-Star Game (just a hunch) the Nationals will have home field advantage and use that to win three home games and one on the road to win the 2013 World Series in six games.

2013 World Series Champion - Washington Nationals

2013 NL West Preview and Predictions

The San Francisco Giants won their second World Series in three years in 2012, sweeping the Detroit Tigers in convincing fashion.  The Giants once again used strong pitching and timely offense to become World Champions.

While the Giants may not have competition from every team in the division, their long time rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, spent tons of money in the off-season in hopes of dethroning the champs and bringing a title to Chavez Ravine.

The National League West features three teams with young talent (Arizona, Colorado and San Diego) and two teams who are top heavy and will be fighting all season long atop the standings.  The Giants and Dodgers open the 2013 season against each other and we will see the fireworks from the very beginning, and hopefully until the very end.

Here is a quick look at each of the teams in the National League West:

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Martin Prado

Arizona traded away their best player, Justin Upton, during the off-season, leaving everyone in baseball baffled by the move.  Why trade away your best player, who you still have under control, when you do not have to?

Fans of the Diamondbacks will be asking themselves that all season long, especially when the team fades out of contention sometime around the middle of June, if not earlier.  Arizona did land a couple of nice players in all of their deals this winter, including Martin Prado, who the Braves sent to Arizona in the Upton trade.  Prado can play any infield position and corner outfield, but he will start at third base for the Diamondbacks in 2013.  The Diamondbacks spent all winter looking for a shortstop, and the end result was landing prospect Didi Gregorius.  Gregorius will not start the season as the teams shortstop, but expect him to be the man at the position before the end of the season.

Miguel Montero, Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Hill are guys who return to anchor a lineup that with some help from the young guys on the roster could be formidable in a division that is loaded with top flight pitching. Veteran free agent signing Cody Ross will start the season on the disabled list, but will bring some much needed grit to the lineup upon his return.

The one thing Diamondbacks fans can be excited about is all of their young pitching.  Arizona will not contend in 2013, and their young starters will struggle at times, but over the next few years, the young trio of Trevor Cahill, Wade Miley and Patrick Corbin will give Opening Day starter Ian Kennedy some much needed help in the rotation.  Brandon McCarthy was brought in to provide veteran leadership to a young rotation.  The bullpen is solid as well, with J.J. Putz closing out games and David Hernandez and Heath Bell scheduled to bridge from the starters to the ninth inning.

COLORADO ROCKIES

Troy Tulowitzki

Fans of the Rockies must get tired of hearing the question of "What if Tulo was healthy?"

There is no denying the raw talent and ability of Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.  But the issue is keeping him healthy over a full season.  From 2009-2011, Tulowitzki played in at least 122 games, with a high of 151 in 2009.  He averaged right at 30 home runs during those seasons and averaged 99 RBI.  Given that the Rockies have other talented offensive players like Carlos Gonzalez and rising star Wilin Rosario, a healthy Tulowitzki is key for the Rockies to have any chance of competing in their division.  Todd Helton is an aging star on his last leg, and the Rockies have young talent like Nolan Arenado waiting his turn in Triple-A.  Dexter Fowler and Tyler Colvin had career years in 2012, and look to build on that in 2013.

Pitching at Coors Field is never easy, and the Rockies will struggle even more with an inexperienced and unimpressive rotation, led by Jhoulys Chacin and Jorge De La Rosa.  The bullpen as a whole is not very talented either, but Rafael Betancourt is able to shut down opponents in the final inning if the Rockies hand him a lead to defend.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Clayton Kershaw

The Dodgers have upgraded their roster very well this off-season.  Los Angeles has gone from a solid team to perhaps the most talented (on paper) in the National League.

When you spend over $100 million on a starting pitcher, you would think he would be your ace.  Not the case when you are talking about Zack Greinke.  Greinke is a very good starting pitcher, but he will be second in the rotation behind Clayton Kershaw, perhaps the second best pitcher in the game behind Justin Verlander.  Josh Beckett will be looking to revive his career in Chavez Ravine, and the Dodgers have foreign import Hyun-Jin Ryu penciled in as their fifth starter.  The Dodgers have enough starting pitching to scare any team in the division.  The bullpen will be tested early, as their are questions about anointed closer Brandon League and his ability to close out games consistently.  If he fails, Kenley Jansen will be the next in line to close games.

The Dodgers hope that they get everyone in their lineup healthy as soon as possible.  The heart of the order for Los Angeles will feature Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, but guys around them will include Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford and the surprise of 2012, A.J. Ellis.  Veteran Mark Ellis will be the starter at second base, and Luis Cruz will start the season at shortstop to replace the injured Ramirez.  Once Ramirez returns, Cruz will move over to third base, where he will replace Juan Uribe.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

Yonder Alonso

The San Diego Padres enter the 2013 season with low expectations.  As a matter of fact, this team will be doing well to avoid finishing in last place in the division.  For all of the problems facing teams like Colorado and Arizona, San Diego may be in the worst situation among the three teams.

The Padres have one true star, Chase Headley, but he will miss the first month of the season with an injury he suffered in Spring Training.  Yonder Alonso hit five long balls in Cactus League play, but he hit just nine during all of 2012.  There is a little bit of hope however, as Jedd Gyorko appears to be ready to take over as an everyday player in the San Diego infield.  Gyorko is going to fill in for Headley at third base to open the season and then move over to second base upon his return.  Carlos Quentin and Cameron Maybin will return as starters in the outfield, and an increase in their production would help the Padres tremendously.

The Padres will struggle on the mound even more so than they will at the plate in 2013.  Edinson Volquez is a quality starter, but is not quite talented enough to be the ace of any staff.  Jason Marquis is a crafty veteran, but not effective enough to get people out consistently.  Clayton Richard, Eric Stults and Tyson Ross will round out the rotation, each hoping to make a name for themselves, although Richard had a solid 2012.  Huston Street will close games for the Padres, but their best reliever is set-up guy Luke Gregerson.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Matt Cain

What is there not to love about the San Francisco Giants? From their down to earth ace (Matt Cain) to their young stud catcher (Buster Posey) even to their cheerleader/outfielder (Hunter Pence), baseball fans are intrigued by the defending World Champions.

The Giants return the same lineup as their 2012 version, including Pablo Sandoval, who exploded in the World Series, including a three homer game.  Angel Pagan will be back in center field for San Francisco after leading Puerto Rico to the World Baseball Classic finals.  Perhaps the two players needing to find more consistent results are Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford, who will both enter the season with no worries of being replaced, at least for now.

The Giants rotation is as talented as almost any other in the National League, being led at the top by Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner.  Rounding out the rotation are Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong and Barry Zito, all three of which have attained some level of success in their careers, especially Lincecum.  Lincecum has struggled in recent years, but the Giants hope he can return to Cy Young form.  The bullpen will once again be relied upon heavily, including Sergio Romo, who is back as the closer.  Javier Lopez, Jeremy Affeldt and Santiago Casilla will each play key roles as well in 2013.

2013 All National League West Team

C: Buster Posey, Giants
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers
2B: Marco Scutaro, Giants
3B: Martin Prado, Diamondbacks
SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
LF: Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
CF: Matt Kemp, Dodgers
RF: Hunter Pence, Giants

SP: Matt Cain, Giants
SP: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
SP: Zack Greinke, Dodgers
SP: Ian Kennedy, Diamondbacks
SP: Madison Bumgarner, Giants

RP: Kenley Jansen, Dodgers
RP: Luke Gregerson, Padres

CP: Sergio Romo, Giants

2013 Pre-Season National League West Awards

MVP: Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers
Cy Young: Matt Cain, Giants
Rookie of the Year: Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dodgers

2013 Projected Order of Finish

1. San Francisco Giants
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres

2013 NL Central Preview and Predictions

Although the National League Central was tightly contested prior to the 2012 All-Star break, the Cincinnati Reds convincingly won the division, besting the second place Cardinals by 9 games.  The Reds won the second most games in the National League (97), but were unable to knock off the San Francisco Giants in the National League Divisional Series.

This season, the Reds enter as favorites once again, but they will be tested by not only the Cardinals and Brewers, but possibly the Pirates, who appeared to be ready to break their streak of losing seasons, but fell apart once again after the break, and wound up 18 games out of first with just 79 wins.

The Cubs will once again be in rebuilding mode, and with the Houston Astros moving out of the division, the Cubs will be the whipping boy for the rest of the division.

Here is a quick look at all of the teams in the National League Central:

CHICAGO CUBS

Jeff Samardzija

While no one is preparing the Cy Young trophy for Jeff Samardzija, there are many who expect for him to breakout in 2013 and establish himself as one of the best starters in the division.

Samardzija will be the Opening Day starter for Chicago, ahead of veterans Matt Garza and Edwin Jackson.  Samardzija finished 2012 with just a 9-13 record, but had a 3.81 ERA and struck out 180 hitters. If the Cubs want to have any chance of improving their record in 2013, Samardzija will need to have a big year and hope for help from the rest of the rotation, including former Rangers pitcher Scott Feldman.

The Cubs feature a pair of youngsters on the infield that could soon establish themselves as superstars in the Windy City.  Starlin Castro is already considered one of the top shortstops in the game today, but will need help from slugging first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who led Italy to the second round of the World Baseball Classic.  The outfield is led by veterans Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus.

CINCINNATI REDS

Joey Votto

Unless you live in Ohio, or maybe even northeast Kentucky, you may not have a great understanding as to how good the Reds' Joey Votto has been over the last few seasons.

Votto is a three-time All-Star (2010-2012) and was the 2010 National League MVP when he hit .324 with 37 home runs and drove in 113 runs.  Injuries limited Votto to just 111 games in 2012, but he hit a career high .337 with 1.041 OBPS (On-Base plus Slugging Percentage).

The Reds are not void of talent around Votto, with second baseman Brandon Phillips and outfielders Jay Bruce and Shin-Soo Choo, who was acquired in a three team trade from the Indians.  Other players, like Ryan Ludwick, Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart have flourished in this lineup over the last few seasons, and there is no reason to think it will stop now.

Cincinnati scores a lot of runs, but their pitching has been key in their winnings ways of late.  In 2012, Mat Latos and Johnny Cueto were phenomenal, with Cueto winning 19 games and Latos tallying 14 wins.  Homer Bailey (13) and Bronson Arroyo (12) each finished with double digit wins as well.  And if the Reds get to the ninth inning with a lead, they are almost assured a win with flame-throwing Aroldis Chapman closing out games, as he did 38 times in 2012.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Yovani Gallardo

If you are looking for someone in the major leagues to go from stardom to super-stardom this season, look no farther than Milwaukee.

Based on how well he pitched against the United States in the World Baseball Classic, one would think Yovani Gallardo is ready to take the next step.  Gallardo has won 33 games over the last two seasons and has four consecutive 200 strikeout campaigns.  But something appears different in his approach to the game, and Gallardo is a sleeper pick to win 20 games and the Cy Young.  Do not discount the late signing of Kyle Lohse, as he deepens an already talented rotation.

Offensively, the Brewers got terrific seasons from Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and Aramis Ramirez as expected.  But it would be hard to believe that Milwaukee had any clue that guys like Jonathan Lucroy, Norichika Aoki, Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez would contribute the type of production that they did.  Lucroy wound up leading the Brewers with a .320 average, albeit in just 96 games due to an injury in mid-season.  Who knows how good the season could have been, as Lucroy hit .345 before the All-Star break and his injury problems.  Aoki was a nice surprise in the outfield, as was the progression of Gomez.  Both should have big years again in 2013.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Andrew McCutchen

If the 2012 season had ended in July, we would be talking about the Pirates as the defending division champions.  Instead, Pirates fans, as well as their front office, were left frustrated with yet another losing season.

The Pirates are led by one of the most popular, if not the most popular, players in the game today, Andrew McCutchen.  McCutchen, who hit .327 with 31 long balls in 2012, won the contest to see who would be on the cover of MLB 2013: The Show over the other stars in the game.  Perhaps his biggest contribution to baseball would be to lead the Pirates back to relevance and the playoffs.  The Pirates have attempted to build around their young star, but are still unable to land big name free agents.  Pedro Alvarez and Garrett Jones are both big time power guys, but strike out way too often to be considered a serious threat.  Russell Martin was signed in free agency, but he has never been a power threat.  If McCutchen can have an even bigger year, and young guys like Starling Marte and Travis Snider can contribute, the Pirates have the potential to duplicate their first half run of 2012 and sustain it into September and October.

A.J. Burnett will be the leader of a pitching staff that is biding its time waiting on the young arms in the minors to get to Pittsburgh.  The Pirates feature a wide array of veteran journeymen and castoffs in their rotation, including Wandy Rodriguez, James McDonald and Francisco Liriano.  Jason Grilli re-signed with the team in free agency, and will be the closer entering the season.  Mark Melancon has been around the league with a few different teams, but is a quality arm out of the bullpen.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Allen Craig

The Cardinals have offensive weapons galore, but none is ready to break out like Allen Craig.  Two seasons ago, Craig made a name for himself by hitting four home runs in the postseason, helping St. Louis win a World Championship.

Craig earned more playing time in 2012, appearing in 119 games and hitting .307 with 22 home runs.  It appears that Craig will be the everyday first baseman in St. Louis in 2013, and with that comes the expectation of more offensive production.  Craig is projected by many to be one of the leaders of this team offensively, along with veterans Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran.  Yadier Molina will once again be the leader on the field in St. Louis from his position behind the plate, and a trio of youngsters, Daniel Descalso, Pete Kozma and Matt Carpenter will man the infield for the first few weeks while David Freese recovers from Spring Training injuries.  Jon Jay will start the year in center field for the Cardinals, but Oscar Taveras, the top prospect in the organization, is waiting anxiously for his chance in Triple-A.

While the Cardinals will not have the services of Chris Carpenter for the entire season, and Kyle Lohse signed with division rival Milwaukee, St. Louis will not be suffering in the pitching department.  Adam Wainwright and Jaime Garcia will be the top two arms in the rotation, and they will be followed by Jake Westbrook, Lance Lynn and prospect Shelby Miller.  Lynn had an outstanding 2012, winning 18 games and being named to the All-Star team.  Jason Motte, the closer, will be out due to injury to start the season, but Mitchell Boggs is a more than able replacement, coming off of a 2012 season where he pitched in 78 games with a 2.21 ERA.

2013 All National League Central Team

C: Yadier Molina, Cardinals
1B: Joey Votto, Reds
2B: Brandon Phillips, Reds
3B: Aramis Ramirez, Brewers
SS: Starlin Castro, Cubs
LF: Ryan Braun, Brewers
CF: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
RF: Carlos Beltran, Cardinals

SP: Yovani Gallardo, Brewers
SP: Johnny Cueto, Reds
SP: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
SP: Mat Latos, Reds
SP: Jeff Samardzija, Cubs

RP: Jonathan Broxton, Reds
RP: Mitchell Boggs, Cardinals

CP: Aroldis Chapman, Reds

2013 Pre-Season National League Central Awards

MVP: Joey Votto, Reds
Cy Young: Yovani Gallardo, Brewers
Rookie of the Year: Shelby Miller, Cardinals

2013 Projected Order of Finish

1. Cincinnati Reds
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Chicago Cubs

2013 NL East Preview and Predictions

The Washington Nationals used the 2012 to capitalize on the "potential" that had been talked about for years.  A roster full of young stars energized the ballpark each and every night, and won 98 games en route to the National League East championship.

Expect more of the same in 2013.

The Nationals are once again loaded, with the best pitching staff in all of baseball, and a lineup full of guys who can hit and run as well as anyone in baseball.  Washington will look to draw on the experience of last season and their veteran manager, Davey Johnson, who is managing his final season.  The Nationals, who are the favorites in the National League, are talented enough and experienced enough to send Johnson out a winner in his final season.

Here is a quick look at all of the teams in the National League East:

ATLANTA BRAVES

Jason Heyward, B.J. Upton, Justin Upton

For years the Braves used their strong pitching staff to win division title after division title.  That strategy may still be the goal, but with a pitching staff that is young (although talented), the Braves will hope that a new and improved lineup will carry Atlanta back to the playoffs.

Gone from Atlanta are Chipper Jones, Michael Bourn and Martin Prado.  Enter the Upton brothers.  Justin Upton came to the Braves in a trade that sent Prado to Arizona.  Upton is one of the top young hitters in the game, and was an MVP candidate in 2011.  A dismal 2012 left fans wondering what happened to Upton, but the Braves are hoping a change of scenery will help.  And if the change of scenery is not enough for Justin Upton, perhaps having his older brother beside him in the outfield will help.  B.J. Upton was the first major free agent to sign this past off-season, leaving Tampa Bay to ink a big deal with Atlanta.  Upton has an amazing mix of speed and power that will more than offset the loss of Michael Bourn.

Atlanta has a couple of young arms that will be looking to break out in 2013.  Kris Medlen had a terrific 2012, going 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 12 starts.  Medlen pitched out of the bullpen as well, pitching a total of 138 innings, striking out 120 batters and only allowing 23 walks.  Mike Minor is the other pitcher to watch on this staff, coming off of an 11-10 season.  Minor is expected to take the next step in his career and become one of the next great Atlanta pitchers.

MIAMI MARLINS

Giancarlo Stanton

While Giancarlo Stanton may be smiling in his picture to the right, there will not be much to smile about in Marlins Park during 2013.  Miami went on a spending spree last off-season, signing as many big name free agents as they could.  This off-season, the Marlins spent all of their time unloading each of those players.

Stanton is the lone star on this team, and will struggle to produce his usual numbers due to lack of protection behind him in the lineup.  It appears that veteran Placido Polanco (103 career home runs in 15 seasons) will hit behind Stanton in the order for the Marlins.  Stanton was very vocal during the off-season about his frustrations with the management of the team, and there was even significant talk of Stanton being traded.  He will start the season with Miami, but when this team is well out of the divisional race in July, Miami could garner quite a package of prospects for the power-hitting outfielder.

If you want to find a bright spot on the Miami pitching staff, look at closer Steve Cishek, who was a part of the United States team in the World Baseball Classic.  Cishek earned 15 saves last season after taking over the closer responsibilities, and is expected to be the full-time closer in 2013.  Cishek is just 26 years old and is entering his fourth major league season.

NEW YORK METS

Ike Davis

No team has drawn more ire from their fans (including the Marlins) than the Mets have this off-season.  New York struggled during 2012 with a starting outfield that provided almost no offensive production and sub-par defensive play.  And for some strange reason, the most notable addition to the outfield was Marlon Byrd, who had been cut by two different teams in 2012.

David Wright is the leader of the Mets, and will once again be their best overall player.  But the guy on the radar screens of those who follow Major League Baseball is Ike Davis.  Davis enters 2013 after hitting 32 home runs and driving in 90 runs.  The downside to that production was his .227 batting average.  Most around the game feel that Davis is not that poor of a hitter, and that his average will probably be in the .270 range on an annual basis.  If Davis continues to produce home runs and drives in close to 100 runs, Wright could be the beneficiary as teams would be more willing to pitch to him instead of facing Davis behind him.

The Mets have a load of talented young pitchers, but the transition to the big leagues could be one that takes a year or two.  One of those guys who did not need much time to transition was Matt Harvey, who was phenomenal in 2012 after being called up to the Mets.  Jon Niese will be the Opening Day starter for the Mets in 2013, and many expect him to take the next step and have a breakout year.  Shaun Marcum was signed to a free agent deal this off-season, but injuries have already taken their toll on the pitcher, and he may miss the first week or so of the season.  Frank Francisco was scheduled to be the closer for the Mets, but he will miss the first part of the season due to injuries as well, opening the door for Bobby Parnell, who may be good enough to keep the job even when Francisco returns.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Cole Hamels

The Phillies enter the 2013 season coming off of a 2012 season that saw them finish 81-81 and in third place in the division.  Philadelphia upgraded their bullpen this off-season, and added pieces to hopefully fill holes in their lineup.  If the dominoes all fall the right way for the Phillies, a tight race with the Nationals for the division title is possible.

The Phillies have a trio of starting pitchers that will rival any top three in the league.  Perhaps the worry for Philadelphia is how their fourth and fifth starters (Kyle Kendrick and John Lannan) will perform.  Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay have a proven track record that gives the Phillies a chance to have quite a few three game winning streaks during the season.  Mike Adams was added to the Philadelphia bullpen, in hopes that he and closer Jonathan Papelbon can shorten the game with two shut-down arms at the end of the game.  Adams struggled in 2012 with Texas, but injuries seemed to be the issue, not his ability.

The Phillies added two new faces to their lineup, and both guys should be major contributors.  Michael Young comes to Philadelphia after spending his entire career with the Rangers.  Young will be the everyday third baseman and should hit fifth in the order, right behind Ryan Howard.  If Young can rebound from a disappointing 2012 season, this addition could be the most valuable of the off-season.  Ben Revere will be the new man for the Phillies in center field, and will hit near the top of the order.  Revere was acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Twins, and brings speed to the lineup that Philadelphia did not have before.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Stephen Strasburg

Although the Nationals won 98 games and won the National League East, fans will not remember the 2012 season for those successes.  Fans in Washington will remember how their best pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, was shut down due to an innings limit due to prior injuries.  The national media questioned for weeks whether or not it was the right move, but the Nationals stuck to their guns and ended his season early.

There will be no such limit in 2013, and the Nationals enter the season with one of the best starting rotations in recent history.  Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman, Dan Haren and Ross Detwiler enter the season with lofty expectations.  Haren was signed this past off-season in hopes he could return to the Haren of old, which won 16 games in 2011 with the Angels.  Detwiler is being touted as the next young starter to breakout in Washington, which would give the Nationals five quality starters and assure that the Nationals were never at a disadvantage in any pitching match-up.

Offensively, Bryce Harper has been ripping any pitcher he faces in Spring Training.  Harper won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2012, and most expect his home run and RBI totals to increase drastically in 2013.  Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche, two veterans will return to man the corner infield spots, while Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa have emerged as one of the top middle infield duos in baseball.

2013 All National League East Team

C: John Buck, Mets
1B: Ike Davis, Mets
2B: Dan Uggla, Braves
3B: David Wright, Mets
SS: Jimmy Rollins, Phillies
LF: Bryce Harper, Nationals
CF: B.J. Upton, Braves
RF: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins

SP: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals
SP: Cole Hamels, Phillies
SP: Gio Gonzalez, Nationals
SP: Kris Medlen, Braves
SP: Cliff Lee, Phillies

RP: Drew Storen, Nationals
RP: Mike Adams, Phillies

CP: Craig Kimbrel, Braves

2013 Pre-Season National League East Awards

MVP: David Wright, Mets
Cy Young: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals
Rookie of the Year: Julio Teheran, Braves

2013 Projected Order of Finish

1. Washington Nationals
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Atlanta Braves
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins

Rangers Taking on Diablos on Thursday Night

While the regular season home opener is still over a week away, the Rangers will open Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Thursday night to take on the Mexico City Diablos in an exhibition game.

The Rangers will take on Mexico City before heading down to San Antonio to take on the San Diego Padres in the Alamodome on Friday night and Saturday afternoon before heading to Houston for the season opener on Sunday night.

Mexico City has a few guys on their roster that Major League Baseball fans probably know, most notably starting pitcher Esteban Loaiza, who actually pitched for a couple of seasons in Arlington for the Rangers.  Loaiza is the most notable player on the roster, at least to American baseball fans.  Ben Broussard, another guy who spent a little time with the Rangers is also on the Diablos roster as a first baseman.

David Reyes will start for Mexico City tonight, given the opportunity by Mexico City manager Miguel Ojeda, also a former major league player.

Texas will counter with Yu Darvish, who will be making his final start in preparation for the 2013 regular season.  Darvish will be pitching in the Rangers second game of the year, Tuesday in Houston.

The Rangers will be using a split squad team tonight, with the "A Group" in Arlington and the "B Group" still out in Arizona taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks at 2:05 this afternoon.  Among the players who will be with the "A Group" is Julio Borbon, who by all accounts is enjoying his last few days as a Ranger.

Borbon has been quoted as saying that he does not have any negative feelings at all about his situation, which is rare in today's world of professional sports, where guys complain constantly about being dangled freely on the open market.  For those of you who are not up to speed on the situation, Borbon did not beat out Leonys Martin or Craig Gentry for the center field job, but cannot be sent to the minors because he is out of minor league options.  The Rangers must either trade him or release him outright before the 25 man roster is turned in to Major League Baseball on Sunday.

Have fun watching the Rangers and Diablos tonight, the game will be on Fox Sports Southwest with Steve Busby and Tom Grieve on the call.

Check back here on Friday, as I will be releasing the beginning of my 2013 Predictions, starting with divisional picks and playoff teams!