AL Central

Prior to the Cinderella run the Cleveland Indians put together in 2007, they had not made the ALCS since 1998.

From 1998 through 2007?

The Tribe managed only two other playoff appearances in 1999, and then again in 2001.

Since 2007, however, Cleveland has seen a gradual decreases in wins in addition to simultaneously losing two Cy Young winners (C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee).

Well, Cleveland fans, the beauty of each new season is that everyone begins 0-0 and it's anyone's championship to win.

It's been a big offseason for starting pitchers on the move.

After months of speculation, Cliff Lee signed a five-year, $120 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies in the free-agent frenzy of the winter. The Milwaukee Brewers emptied their farm system for trade-market equivalent Zack Greinke and the Chicago Cubs then gave up an arguably better package of prospects for the good-not-great Matt Garza.

The American League Central division sometimes gets lost in the shuffle with big market teams like the Yankees and Red Sox eating up the national sports headlines.

Still, the AL Central boasts a great deal of talent and is typically a closely-contested division until the final week of the season.

In the past five seasons, six players from the division have won American League MVP or Cy Young awards:

MVP: Joe Mauer, 2009; Justin Morneau, 2006.

Cy Young: Zack Greinke, 2009; Cliff Lee, 2008; CC Sabathia, 2007; Johan Santana, 2006.

A good starting rotation can cure many ills, and with the AL Central up for grabs like it normally is, whoever assembles the strongest rotation could easily take the division come September. There is some real pitching talent in the division, but we've also lost three of the last four AL Cy Young Award winners (CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Zack Greinke).

At the end of the year, whichever rotation fares best will probably get a chance to strut their stuff in the postseason. With that, let's take a look at how the AL Central's rotations stand up to each other.

Because they’re the Twins, people generally expect their rotation to come through as expected. 
But let's quickly run though their five projected starters:

I grew up just outside Motown, during a time when the Detroit Tigers, much like the local economy, toiled to stay afloat in the midst of global change. This was the late-1990s.

The Cleveland Indians have bolstered their bullpen with the signing of right-hander Chad Durbin.

Durbin spent time during the 2003 and 2004 seasons with the Indians. He most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies, where he earned a World Series ring in 2008. 

Alcohol is a problem that affects not only the richest of athletes and businessmen, but also the middle- and lower-class workers who need a "relief" from their everyday stress.

Most know of the consequences and repercussions of taking a sip, but does that stop most individuals?

Most of the time, no.

It's impossible to judge Miguel Cabrera. During a news conference yesterday, last season's runner-up for the AL MVP award expressed regret and was apologetic for his actions that led to an arrest for suspicion of drunken driving and resisting arrest without violence nine days ago.

Cabrera, 27, will undergo treatment set up by doctors administrated by management and its players union.

For Ron Gardenhire and the Minnesota Twins, winning the AL Central six of the nine years Gardenhire has been manager doesn’t mean a whole lot without a single World Series victory under their belts.

But for fantasy baseball fans, the Minnesota Twins offer more selection than most teams in the league. Whether you’re looking for a quality second- or third-round pick, or undeniable value in the back end of your draft, the Twins are sort of a one-stop fantasy baseball shopping mall.