Baseball

There are eight teams remaining in Major League Baseball that began playing in the National League during the 19th century: The Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals.

Even though I’m not a basketball fan, I find myself rooting for the New Jersey Nets.

They’re on pace to break the record for worst NBA season this year, surpassing the 1972-1973 Philadelphia 76ers.

I want to keep the city of Philadelphia associated with failure.

Major League Baseball, a sport blighted by drugs cheat scandals in the last decade, has announced it is going to introduce testing for Human Growth Hormone in the minor leagues.

The minors have always been the method of introduction used by baseball’s governing body with regard to drug testing. In 2001, the MLB introduced random urine testing in the minor leagues before rolling it out across the majors the following year.

Not since Shawon Dunston have the Cubs had one of the top middle-infield prospects in baseball, but that has changed. There's a kid skyrocketing through the Cubs' organization that might show up at Wrigley Field at some point in 2010.

If you haven't heard of Starlin Castro, here's your introduction.

Since bringing an end to a long history of setbacks and tragedy by winning the 2002 World Series, the Angels have had a stranglehold on the AL West, winning the division four of the last five years. After winning the division by 21 games in 2008, things tightened up considerably last season. The hard-hitting Rangers finally got some pitching, riding the Angels' coat tails into September.

Spring training isn’t even a week old, and already questions are piling up for the Red Sox.

Will David Ortiz return to form? Will the Sox extend Josh Beckett’s contract? What will become of Mike Lowell? Can Jon Papelbon bounce back from his ALDS meltdown? What can we expect from the offense?

Yet out of all these questions, there remains one that I simply cannot wrap my head around: Will Tim Wakefield get a spot in the rotation? 

Red Sox 3B Mike Lowell has been a class act since the day he arrived in the City of Boston. He was a throw-in from the Florida Marlins—added to the Sox haul in the Josh Beckett deal because The Fish wanted to dump his contract.

He is universally considered to be a positive influence in the clubhouse, serving as a liaison between the anglo and hispanic players on the roster. Off the field, he embraced the city. He routinely made himself available to Red Sox Nation, participated in the charitable endeavors of his teammates, and undertook charity work of his own.

Compared to teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox the Rockies really do not have what anyone would call a storied history.

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | No. 11 | Joe Benson

(Alternate Title: How to Beat a Dead Horse with a Keyboard)

Once upon a time, the Kansas City Royals were the class act of baseball. A consistent, winning ballclub with a group of great players, a beautiful stadium, and a fantastic fanbase. 

Fast forward to 2010, and it's something akin to I Am Legend. The stadium still stands, as pristine as ever, but it's almost devoid of life. The players who do inhabit it, are for the most part, hardly even qualified major leaguers.

Originally published at TwinsTarget.com.

The Twins’ scouting department had a down year in 2003, drafting just three players who eventually reached the Big Leagues. Of those three, just Scott Baker is putting together a solid career. Here are the more notable picks in the 2003 draft.