Baseball

Since Jason Heyward has been anointed the opening day starter in right field, he is omitted from this list. Heyward is without a doubt the Braves' top prospect, but this list is compiled of players that Braves fans should keep their eye on for the next few years.

The amount of pitching depth in the Braves' system will be evident in this list, as seven of the 10 are mound dwellers.

Baseball fans have been repeatedly told that the New York Yankees are the greatest dynasty in sports history, but they are rarely told that since 1958, the Yankees' dominance with respect to winning the World Series, has decreased.

From 1921-1958, the Yankees won 24 pennants and 18 World Championships.

From 1960-2009, the Yankees have won 16 pennants and nine World Championships.

Yankees Supremacy 

Drafted: First Round, 2008 (Sarasota, FL)

Height: 6′3″; Weight: 195 lbs

Born: Oct. 4, 1989

It seems pre-ordained. It seems like only a matter of time before pitcher Casey Kelly develops into a star. When the Red Sox talk trade with other major league clubs, opposing GMs ask Theo Epstein to include the 20-year-old right-hander in the deal. Epstein declines and declares Kelly untouchable. He and Ryan Westmoreland appear to be the ONLY prospects who cannot be had in a deal. Period.

At 1 am, the Red Sox announced their 25-man Opening Day roster in an e-mail to the media. Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein made the announcement.

If you have any doubt as to the reasons this organization is successful, all you need to know is that the front office was toiling away at 1 am on Easter Sunday morning.

This season I wanted to try out something different from our normal look at two-start pitchers every week.  Please let me know what you think of these rankings as well as which you prefer.

The 2010 season kicks off this evening, so the time has come to start setting your line - up.  Who should start?  Whose matchup is a little bit too risky?  Let’s take a look at how I rank the starting pitcher for the upcoming week:

Opening Day is upon us.

The game tonight is really just a TV opportunity, and while it is a good one, the real fun gets started tomorrow.

This is without a doubt one of my favorite days of the year.  I won’t be attending any games, though I will definitely be watching, but there is just something about the start of baseball season that makes me happy.

Part of it has to be the signaling of the start of spring with sunny days, wildflowers, and the impending warm summer, but part of it is my love of baseball. 

Update

The Angels placed Kazmir on the 15-day DL yesterday. Kazmir pitched five innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, so this appears to be just a precaution.

Kazmir will use the time he will miss to build stamina in his shoulder. He will make two minor league starts and if all goes well he will rejoin the Angels for their April 13th series against the New York Yankees.

Matt Palmer will take Kazmir’s spot in the rotation.

With the division previews wrapped up, I'm now going to make some predictions regarding the major awards.

I'm also making a few misc. predictions, taking a look at potential cinderella teams, vulnerable managers, the All-Star Game, and trades that may happen.

I did not pick any of last year's award winners to repeat; if you want to read that Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols will repeat as MVPs, you can read ESPN or SI's season preview. I've decided to go a little off-the-wall and pick some dark-horses.

Enjoy!

This article is part two of a series of articles breaking down the Cubs' roster. You can view part one, which covers the bullpen, here.

On Monday, the Chicago Cubs will open up their highly anticipated season against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field, while thousands of the Wrigley faithful pray that this is the year. And we're ready. 

Though both are often overlooked in post-season predictions, Braves fans and Cubs fans alike may see the beginning of a heated wild card race. 

Each club has a very daunting task ahead of them in 2010, with two of the most competitive divisions in Major League Baseball.