Baseball

With Spring Training now fully underway, the 2011 Major League Baseball Season has officially begun. While we won't know much about the upcoming season until after Spring Training ends, there are five things that baseball fans can expect to hear about this year.

1. Derek Jeter's 3,000 hit.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS 

Last Year: 69-93, 5th in NL East  

Manager: Jim Riggelman 

PROJECTED LINEUP 

C - Ivan Rodriguez (R) 

1B - Adam LaRoche (L)

2B - Danny Espinosa (S) 

3B - Ryan Zimmerman (R) 

SS - Ian Desmond (R)

LF/CF - Roger Bernadina (L)/Nyjer Morgan (L)/Rick Ankiel (L)/Mike Morse (R)

RF - Jayson Werth (R) 

Despite a tough, injury-plagued spring training, today’s Philadelphia Phillies are about to break camp surrounded by the type of lofty expectations that are attached to very few ballclubs.

Yes, injuries to Chase Utley and Brad Lidge have scaled down some of the unchecked optimism about the regular season (okay, they won’t win 115 or so games), but they are still the odds-on choice to advance to the World Series for the third time in the last four years.

The 2011 Opening Day lineup is out, and it's a little surprising.

1. Martin Prado (R/LF)

2. Nate McLouth (L/CF)

3. Chipper Jones (B/3B)

4. Brian McCann (L/C)

5. Dan Uggla (R/2B)

6. Jason Heyward (L/RF)

7. Alex Gonzalez (R/SS)

8. Freddie Freeman (L/1B)

Weeks of speculation have finally come to an end.

The rotation shuffling that saw the A’s top four starters all in the running to make the opening night start over the past two weeks finally concluded when manager Bob Geren named Trevor Cahill his opening day starter this morning.

Just last season, Cahill battled through spring for the fifth and final spot in the rotation before he finally found himself starting the season in Sacramento on a rehab assignment.

The Diamondbacks have recently been in contact with the Texas Rangers about acquiring third baseman Michael Young, however it appears as though no serious talks have since proceeded. It was recently reported that the Rangers would be willing to pay half of his remaining $48 million contract, or $16 million per season through 2013.

There is a general feeling among many people that Elvis Andrus is overrated.  When you look at his numbers from 2010, it isn’t a surprising thought:

588 At Bats
.265 Batting Average (156 Hits)
0 Home Runs
35 RBI
88 Runs
32 Stolen Bases
.342 On Base Percentage
.301 Slugging Percentage
.317 Batting Average on Balls in Play

Buck Showalter recently criticized Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter on his overly dramatic acts on the baseball field. Apparently he didn't like seeing Jeter pretend to get hit by a pitch.

Showalter, the new Orioles manager who led Baltimore to a winning record during his short stint towards the end of the 2010 season, is just trying to catch the public's eye, and he succeeded. It is obvious that he is showing that he cares about his team, and perhaps he's trying to motivate them, too.  

The San Francisco Giants of 2010 were a great story. They had amazing pitching, solid hitting and a great cast of characters. You had the freak Tim Lincecum, the bearded Brian Wilson, the man whose contract is fun to rip nonstop, Barry Zito, and Kung Fu Panda himself, Pablo Sandoval.

Now, this cast of characters will have their own reality show. A trailer for the Giants' new reality show, "The Franchise", has been released, with a special preview of the show airing April 13 on Showtime.

In our newest installment of the Draft Day Debate, we look at two of the top first basemen, Joey Votto and Adrian Gonzalez. 

Votto is coming off an MVP year while Gonzalez seems set for his best year yet as he enters the Red Sox offensive powerhouse. While undoubtedly fantasy owners will choose Albert Pujols first off the board and first for 1B, who will be the better pick as the second 1B to go? You decide...