Preview/Prediction

As sure as the ivy grows in Wrigley Field every summer, so do the Chicago Cubs in finding themselves the odd men out in October.

With more than 100 years of misplayed balls and missed home runs, this should be the year it changes. This should be the year they break the "Cubbie" curse and learn the magic of October glory—but they won't.

For the Minnesota Twins this spring there are only two battles remaining. While Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey are battling for the last spot in the starting rotation, there is also the battle to replace Nick Punto as the utility infielder.

At this point I am not including the bullpen, as there will more than likely be a year-long battle with a revolving door to the bullpen as the Twins tinker with the relief corp.

The Mets have a the fifth largest payroll in baseball. They have a shiny new stadium, they play in the largest market in America and have a roster loaded with talent.

For all this, the Mets are terrible. In every way imaginable.

After an award-winning 2010 campaign, with trade rumors constantly swirling around him, Felix Hernandez is set to enter his 10th season of professional baseball in the Seattle Mariners organization. Hernandez has enjoyed several successes in his 10 years in professional baseball, but he has much higher sights for himself.

The 9 Innings Blog will be bringing you previews of every Major League Baseball team for the next 30 days. This is in accordance with our 30 teams in 30 days series. Today, we are bringing you the 2011 preview of the Houston Astros. The Astros are looking to bounce back from a less than stellar 2010.

The Astros finished up the 2010 season finishing 76-86 which was good for fourth place in the National League Central, finishing better than the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Philadelphia Phillies have proved to be the class of the National League in recent years.  Their successes have included two World Series appearances (one title) and four straight NL East crowns.  As of late, they've done everything possible to keep the proverbial "window" open for as long as possible.  With winning comes more money; money that the Phillies have spent more and more freely.

Andrew Brackman is one of the biggest Yankees prospects in the system, both in talent and physical stature. He stands an enormous 6'10" and is listed at 240 pounds.

A product of North Carolina State University, Brackman played basketball and baseball for the Wolfpack before giving up hoops to further his dream of playing major-league baseball.

For the last five seasons, the Brewers have always had a dangerous lineup, but the pitching hasn't always been there.  They went out and traded for Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum.  To go along with Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf, Milwaukee has one of the better rotations in the National League.

The Brewers made the postseason in 2008 because they went out and got CC Sabathia before the trade deadline. 

The only constant in life is change. The San Diego Padres and their fans are certainly finding this to be true after the heartbreaking end to their 2010 season.

Two months after the season-ending defeat to eventual-champion San Francisco on the season's final day, the Padres made the move most Friar fans saw as inevitable. Homegrown superstar Adrian Gonzalez was shipped away to Boston, and the future seemed uncertain.

The offseason additions of Josh Willingham and David DeJesus created a log-jam in the Oakland outfield. The two offseason trade acquisitions joined returning A's outfielders Coco Crisp, Ryan Sweeney, Conor Jackson and Chris Carter, meaning that come the end of Spring Training, there would be one player headed to Sacramento to begin the season.