Boston Red Sox

The latest appearance of Fenway Park on the screen was in local boy Ben Affleck’s view of Beantown. In The Town, pleasant and upscale Charlestown serves a haven for bank-robbing Red Sox fans.  Stars Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner case the joint in the right-field stands during a Yankees game.

When it comes to Major League Baseball, it’s difficult to be a knuckleball Nostradamus when so many uncontrollable factors factor into your predictions.

Whether it’s a pitching staff plagued by injuries or a set of super slumps latching onto your middle-of-the-order stars, a team can go from playoff contender in the preseason to underachieving underdogs by September.

But, like all couch GMs, I have my own bold set of prophetic thoughts for my team, so move over meteorologists, because here’s my 2011 Boston Red Sox forecast.

I get a few butterflies in the ol' boilmaker when the Boston Red Sox throw a big time prospect into a trade. The butterflies turn into rabid raccoons when the Sox dump their entire farm team into a deal.

I love prospects. They are like your children in a way. They grow up in front of you, and before you even know it, they are making All-Star teams, start growing Lemmy Kilmister inspired facial hair and getting into fights with Manny Ramirez.

This past calendar year has been nothing but heartbreak after heartbreak for New England sports fans.

(All 29 other sports regions/cities roll their eyes collectively).

We're no Seattle or Cleveland, but these have been somewhat trying times for fans that have high standards for success.

Pretty simple. If I was betting on the season's final standings, this is where my chips would fall. I'm going to pass on predicting all the playoff stuff, but stick to the regular season, with my award favorites as well.

In the AL East...

Boston: 99-63

New York: 90-72

Baltimore: 83-79

Toronto: 77- 85

Tampa Bay: 70-92

Spring training is upon us. The Red Sox have been busy this offseason. The Yankees, on the other hand, were uncharacteristically quiet. How could the New York Yankees make noise this offseason with a payroll of over 200 million dollars? Yes, even the "Evil Empire of New York" has limitations on how much they can spend.

This article will break down the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry as it stands today and forecast what the 2011 season may hold for each team and/or their players.

With spring training just starting up, optimism about the upcoming season is at its highest. There is not a better time to make predictions about the upcoming season, which should be a great one.

The American League MVP award is awarded annually to the player who is considered most valuable to his team throughout the year. Recent recipients of the award include Josh Hamilton and Joe Mauer.

In anticipation for the 2011 season, I have decided to rank the five American League preseason MVP favorites.

I am in the midst of a series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the AL East, on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position are ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison to the other players.

Today, the series continues with a look at the No. 2 starters in each rotation.

As spring training gets underway in Florida and Arizona, we take one last look at the recent Major League Baseball offseason and how the various trades and acquisitions will affect the fantasy landscape for 2011.

One of the most exciting, positive "unknowns" about the 2011 Boston Red Sox is the combined impact Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury will have on the basepaths. 

Speculation has focused on the Sox' newly improved hitting lineup and its strong pitching rotation, but, relatively little attention has been given to just how extraordinary it is for a team to have two of the game's most prolific base stealers on the same side for nine innings.