Preview/Prediction

Chicago Cubs

Baseball Musings Team Offense
Baseball America Top 10 Prospects

Lineup
Alfonso Soriano LF
Ryan Theriot SS
Derrek Lee 1B
Aramis Ramirez 3B
Milton Bradley RF
Geovany Soto C

After being a two-time Big 12 Conference Player of the Year at the University of Nebraska and winning Baseball America’s College Player of the Year Award, Gordon was drafted by the Kansas City Royals as the overall No. 2.  That is when the comparisons to the King of Kansas City, George Brett, began. 

Gordon continued his meteoric rise destroying Double-A ball by slugging .588 and batting .325.  He was promoted to Kansas City in 2007 and experienced his first down year of his baseball career. 

Just making some early predictions for all-stars in the NL.

Remember, the rules call for each team to consist of 32 players, and at least one from each of the teams in the league.

C: Russell Martin, Dodgers; Best catcher in the league, arguably.

1B: Albert Pujols, Cards; MVP is a guarantee.

2B: Chase Utley, Phillies; The best second baseman in the league, unarguably.  The ols MVP will be yet again an All-Star.

3B: David Wright, Mets; Maybe one of the best players ever.

Talk about a Jekyll-and-Hyde.

Talk about the difference between day and night.

Talk about what a difference a few years can make.

How do you describe Jamie Moyer's baseball career?

In his first nine seasons in the majors, Moyer amassed 59 victories and 76 losses for the Chicago Cubs, the Texas Rangers, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Baltimore Orioles.

Slide Moyer's mug shot alongside the definition of "journeyman" in any baseball publication you care to mention.

Last year I made a bet with a friend of mine about Major League Baseball.

The bet was: Who could more accurately predict the 2008 Major League Baseball season's final standings, league champions, and World Series winner? 

If you are like me, you cannot wait until opening day. The anticipation has been building since Brad Lidge whiffed Rocco Baldelli to wrap up the World Series. One can't help but to wonder what the 2009 season has in store for all of us. I am sure that there will be many incredible feats, wacky plays, and even an improbable playoff run. Here are ten things that the 2009 MLB season will bring us.

Tampa Bay finished 13th in the majors in runs scored with 774 last year.  They are looking to improve on those numbers with the additions of some hitters (Burrell and Joyce), the healing of some stars (Upton and Crawford), and the maturation of a stud (Longoria). 

I’m going to take a look at the Rays lineup to see what each player is looking to contribute to this year’s offense.

Time to go West, my friends. I don’t think we are going to find the best baseball out here this year. Lately, for some reason, the East Coast is dominating things in sports. In the NCAA’s, it was something like two or three teams from out west were one of the top four seeds, 16 overall. The only recent World Series winners from out west were the Angels and Diamondbacks, the latter's championship dating back to their Randy Johnson/Curt Schilling years.

I don’t see the trend changing this year.

During his 13-year tenure as a Major League executive, former Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan acquired the reputation of being a prudent horse trader and a proponent of developing players from within the organization's ranks.

Of course, this  was a philosophy borne of necessity.

Matt Stairs will forever be remembered for the game-winning home run in in a 7-5 win against the Los Angeles Dodgersin Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS.

That being said, when the season opens, or shortly thereafter, he could be gone.

I watched my first full exhibition game today against the Minnesota Twins (a 2-1 loss) and noticed a few things. Matt Stairs was playing left field and Raul Ibenez pinch hit. Geoff Jenkins played right and John Mayberry, Jr., shown above, played center.