AL Central

Opening Day is just over a week away, and it is time to look at what this season holds for the Kansas City Royals.

With many new players being added to the team over the past year, many will be looking for players that have been on the team in the past to step up their game and take charge this season.

The following is my guide to five players that will be very crucial to the club's success in 2011.

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How many baseball fans know that the Minnesota Twins won one less game than the Yankees last year? Not many, I am sure. This is fantasy land though where wins in real life don't necessarily translate into fantasy points.

You will not find many Twins going as high as you might think. One thing that is perfectly clear though is that Target Field is holding back many Twins from decent power numbers.

9 Innings Blog will be bringing you previews of every Major League Baseball team for the next 30 days. This is in accordance with our 30 teams in 30 days series. Today, we are going to give you the 2011 preview of the Minnesota Twins who are trying to three-peat as American Central division champions. The Twins also have Justin Morneau coming back this season as he could add to this dangerous team.

After two disappointing seasons where he only played in 139 total games, Cleveland Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore seems primed and ready for a revival year. 

After only missing nine games from 2005 to 2008, Sizemore hit an unexpected injury bug in 2009, where he injured both his elbow and abdomen, and in 2010 where a microfracture surgery on his knee ended his season after only 33 games.

Ozzie Guillen has been skipper on the South Side of Chicago for seven years.

His career as a manager was met with quick and early success. By 2005, his club drenched an 88-year drought by winning the World Series.

Guillen, however, has always been controversial and remains so today. Only one thing is left to say, enough is enough.

It is time for Guillen to exit.

The Chicago White Sox held a meeting Friday to discuss the roles each player would play in the pursuit of a Central Division championship in 2011.

Apparently, Matt Thornton was told to get ready to close.

Many had Chris Sale penciled into that role, but I feel that Thornton should be the man Ozzie Guillen hands the ball to in the ninth. 

I thought that before spring training started and I still feel that way.

According to Jason Beck via Twitter, Detroit Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland has named Will Rhymes as the starting second baseman to start the season.

Back in early February, Texas Rangers third baseman Michael Young officially asked to be traded.

However, the Rangers have yet to be involved with any serious offers.

Part of the reason is that Young is set to make $48 million over the next three seasons. Also, Texas is asking for grade-A talent, which could only make matters more difficult.

The White Sox have had a busy offseason, piecing together a bullpen and nabbing a lefty bat in Adam Dunn. They have, as most would agree, gotten stronger since last season.

With the new mantra of “All In” leading the Sox into the new season, it raises the question of what could have or should have been done this offseason. Here are five moves the White Sox missed that would have helped them going into this season.

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Nowadays, when you ask someone young if they remember Cecil Fielder, the response is usually something along the lines of “Do you mean Prince?” For those of us old enough to remember Prince’s father, there is a tale of triumph and tragedy.