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In this day and age where hype overshadows pragmatism, dented cars mean more than practicality and age tends to mean more than relative production, it’s no wonder that Atlanta Braves centerfielder Nate McLouth is being glossed over.

Imagine you are responsible to select an all-time starting rotation for the San Francisco Giants in a fantasy league.  Your team would then have to compete against all other selected teams.  Who would make your team?  Who would you select for back up?

The rules for eligibility are simple.  Pitchers selected must have pitched 1000 innings for the Giants.  Relief pitchers considered must have logged 250 games for the team.

You may draw from any era the team was in existence.

Pirates fans haven't been treated to much good baseball or many star players since former Pirate Sid Bream raced home to win the NLCS for the Atlanta Braves in 1992.

But 2010 could be different, even if the won/loss column does show the Pirates with an above-.500 record when everything is said and done.

There is plenty to like about this years team and plenty of reasons to watch the Pirates as they continue the long journey back from the cellar.

A lot of baseball fans will remember the name Mark Prior. He was a young right-hander out of USC that burst on to the scene in 2003 with the Chicago Cubs. He made 30 starts that season, finished 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA and struck out an eye-popping 245 batters.

While running a major league team, there are only so many ways you can gain a real advantage. Having more capital then your opponent is the easiest way, but teams continually look for other ways to better themselves at an inexpensive price.

This is termed a market inefficiency. Basically, the best thing a team can do is find something of value that isn't being valued properly on the open market.

The Cleveland Indians are looking to bounce back from an awful 2009 season in which they went 65-97 and finished dead last in the AL Central. The worst season led by Eric Wedge since he took over the team back in 2003 when they were 68-94. The poor 2009 performance led to Wedge being fired during the offseason. He was replaced by Manny Acta.

In 1972, the Phillies Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton went 27-10 and won the Cy Young Award on a bad Phillies team.

The team went 59-97, but on every fourth or fifth day when Carlton pitched, the Phillies were a different team and played like champions.

Fast forward to today, as another Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay took the hill against the Atlanta Braves in pre-season action Tuesday night. Halladay pitched three scoreless innings, giving up three hits, striking out five and walking none.

The Phillies won the game, 7-4.

Last season, Joe Nathan saved 47 of Minnesota’s 87 victories.

The All-Star closer will be lucky to get one this year.

Nathan was removed from Saturday’s pre-season contest against the Red Sox after just one batter, citing elbow tightness and soreness. It was originally thought that the discomfort was due to breaking up scar tissue from an October surgery to remove bone chips from the reliever’s elbow, but an MRI showed the damage to be much more severe.

By now we’ve all heard about the injury to Joe Nathan, which has the potential to end his 2010 campaign before it even begins.  According to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minnesota Star-Tribune (click here for the full article):

Barring an injury that keeps Albert Pujols out of the line-up for any significant amount of time, the St. Louis Cardinals are the prohibited favorites to win the NL Central again this year.

Entering the 2010 season, the Cardinals top the division in several important factors. They have the best player (Pujols), the best catcher (Yadier Molina), the best manager (Tony LaRussa), the best starting rotation, and the best fans.