Baseball

It has been almost four years since the Indians last finished a season with record of .500 or better. The last time, in fact, was 2007, when the Indians won the AL Central with a record or 96-66. Since that time it has been all down hill for the Tribe,  81 victories in 2008, 65 in 2009, and 69 in 2010. Had it not been for a hot 7-3 finish the Tribe would have finished in the AL Central basement for the second consecutive season.

Bad news for Tribe fans: this season may not be much better than any of those.

Aging and Injury Plagued Carlos Beltan Equals 2011 Fantasy Baseball Bust

The Mets are going to be awful this season and Carlos Beltran is going to be a big part of that.

The former Astros playoff hero has never lived up to the enormous contract the Mets threw at him in 2005.

Does a guy that hit .255 while hitting seven home runs and 27 RBI sound like a worthy pick-up to you?

After sitting out for half the season in 2010 with a knee injury, Beltran had an abysmal 66 games.

According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, the San Francisco Giants have decided to add Brandon Belt onto the 2011 Opening Day roster and start him at first base against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.

To be honest, this is a shock to everyone and anyone who has been involved in Giants baseball through the last several years.

Much to the surprise of the majority of knowledgeable San Francisco Giants fans, top prospect Brandon Belt has made the opening day roster for the defending champions.

In the past, Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean always took it slow with the young positional talent.

So, is this a change in philosophy or simply an exception to the rule?

Some are bolder than others, but here are 99 predictions for the upcoming 2011 season to whet your baseball palate.

American League

1. Matt Wieters will eclipse 20 home runs. With the additions of veteran hitters such as Vladimir Guerrero, Mark Reynolds and Derrek Lee, Wieters can relax and get back to what made him the highest-rated catching prospect since Joe Mauer. (Chris)

BALTIMORE ORIOLES 

Last year: 66-96, 5th place in AL East 

Manager: Buck Showalter 

PROJECTED LINEUP: 

C- Matt Wieters (S)

1B- Derrek Lee (R)

2B- Brian Roberts (S) 

3B- Mark Reynolds (R)

SS- JJ Hardy (R)

LF- Luke Scott (L) 

CF- Adam Jones (R) 

RF- Nick Markakis (L)

DH- Vladimir Guerrero (R)

With spring training now in the books, it's time to look ahead to the 2011 baseball season for the New York Mets, which will be a pivotal year for the franchise—both on and off the field.

Remember that there are serious issues with ownership that will be looming over this team the entire season.

Unfortunately, that's only the beginning.

The 2011 fantasy baseball season begins in less than 24 hours and now is the last chance to solidify your lineup.

While finding that unheralded utility man who ends up being Jose Bautista is always a thrill—a smart fantasy player is more concerned with avoiding guys that will severely disappoint them.

It's going to be hard to win your ERA and WHIP battle with a former stud that has been reduced to nothing more than a has-been that gets lit up on a regular basis.

TEXAS RANGERS

Last Year: 90-72, 1st in AL West  

Manager: Ron Washington 

PROJECTED LINEUP 

C- Yorvit Torrealba (R) 

1B- Mitch Moreland (L)

2B- Ian Kinsler (R)

3B- Adrian Beltre (R) 

SS- Elvis Andrus (R)

LF- Josh Hamilton (L)

CF- Julio Borbon (L)

RF- Nelson Cruz (R)

DH- Michael Young (R)

With several of our composite 2011 fantasy baseball rankings ( Top 50 | C | 1B |

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