Albert Pujols

Every year, there seems to be some trendy prediction that everyone loves to make before the season. For example, last year, everybody (myself included) seemed to think the Mariners were looking like a playoff team. Or the year before that, when several people were convinced that the Royals had a shot to be that year’s Rays.

America's favorite past-time evolved into the first major professional sports league in the United States—Major League Baseball.

The MLB was founded in 1869, and now has 30 teams, one of them in Canada.

The nicknames of these teams helped create the names of sports teams ever since. For those of you curious baseball fans and history buffs, here are the origins of each MLB team nickname.

Note: If you are also interested in NCAA, NFL, NBA, and NHL nicknames, check out my profile for the articles.

St. Louis Cardinals (2010 record: 86-76)

As spring training got underway a few weeks ago, the Cardinals were a serious threat to win the NL Central division title. But with the Albert Pujols contract situation hanging like The Sword of Damocles above everyone’s head and the subsequent injury (elbow) to RHP Adam Wainwright (who will be lost for the season), it is suddenly difficult to foresee the Cards posing a serious threat to the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers.

"Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I’ll win a pennant every year"

-Sparky Anderson

A contract year seems to always bring out the best in players. From being a good teammate inside the clubhouse to playing well on the field, nothing seems to motivate, and focus, players like a contract year. 

Nowadays, with massive amounts of money on the line, and with teams willing to pay big bucks for a player with only a season or two of proven success, players on their contract year have a lot on the line.

Forget which players are the best and which would be your fantasy players.  The real question is what would be the best lineup you could make from all of the players in MLB?  You are trying to make a team that can hit, run, play defense, and pitch.  Which twelve guys would you want to win a ballgame:  eight position players, a starting pitcher, a setup man, and a closer... Here is mine. 

Begin Slideshow

Ever since last season, there have been rumors of an Albert Pujols for Ryan Howard swap between the Cardinals and the Phillies. Since Albert Pujols did not get a contract extension done with the Cardinals this offseason, St. Louis may want to get something out of their star first basemen, instead of having him walk. The Cardinals want to avoid being "Lebron'd" in other terms. The Phillies would benefit greatly from this trade, gaining the best first basement in baseball, and losing a power-hitting, strike-out machine Ryan Howard.

We have been waiting since last October for the fun of the MLB season to start anew. On Mar. 31, 2011 we will get our wish. By that day, all clubs are required to reduce rosters to 25 players and play ball! We have seen changes occurs this offseason as we typically do each year but one thing seems to remain consistent. The same powerhouse teams appear to be set to make a run at the postseason and the World Series.

Spring Training is in full force now, and we now have some insight into the teams of the MLB.

This piece is second in a series of seven, each predicting the records of teams in each division and then predicting the entire postseason (the schedule for which can be found on the last slide).

The NFL took a firm shake of the magic eight ball on Friday and gave just about every waiting fan a valid answer after tossing it aside: There will be no season in 2011.

What a shock, what a surprise.  

Not really.

We expected it to happen, that picture was painted long ago.  From the undetermined outcome of last week, to the past 24 hours of humming and haring, an answer was coming, one way or another.

Bobbleheads, t-shirts and refrigerator magnets.

Oh, my!

One of the pleasures a fan of a lousy team has to look forward to every season are the cool promotions that sucker you in to handing over a hundred bucks you may not have otherwise.

I've become an expert at this in recent years rooting on the Mariners, unfortunately. I have more dolls than any 31 year old man should, thanks to the annual Ichiro bobbles. Though, they're sucking me in again this season.