Marco's Baseball Blog-O-Roonie 2017: Baseball...Even Better than Team Handball!!

MARCO'S BASEBALL BLOG-O-ROONIE 2017: BASEBALL...EVEN BETTER THAN TEAM HANDBALL!

I've been in Europe for two weeks with the Mizziz. We had a lovely time cruising down the Danube in one of those Viking boats you see on PBS all the time. Must admit, it was cushy, tasty and relaxing. We loved Budapest, the Austrian countryside and the Czech wine country.

After our Central European sojourn we stopped off in Iceland for a little midnight sun action...(it never goes down in the summer) and were entertained by all of my wife's Icelandic relatives. Ten minutes from Reykjavik you can see geysers, waterfalls, glaciers and volcanoes. They say you can see elves too but I didn't. I looked though. If you could see that country you'd believe in mythical creatures too….it's truly awe inspiring.

One misfortune on our trip: no baseball! My cell phone died a mysterious and hideous death somewhere in Slovakia and never recovered. No scores! I was reduced to watching Team Handball on the tele with my Iceland in-laws. They were quite excited by this spectacle. It seemed like basketball with unlimited fouling to me, but I am not quite initiated of course.

So anyway, we get back to the States and I am curious as to what has transpired baseball-wise in my beloved country. Hah! I was gratified to see that all my predictions were coming true! Well...not really…

NL East:

We knew that Philly and Atlanta would be rebuilding and the field should be clear for Washington and New York to duke it out. But New York had already folded by May and they sure look bad now. Harvey, Syndergaard, Matz, and Familia all hurt or indicted. Team ERA 5.00. So much for competition in the East. The Mets have been reduced to sending Yoenis Cespedes out to beg Yasiel Puig not to show them up by strutting after he homers. What?...Reggie wasn't available?

Florida has some hitters but no pitching. Maybe if Jeter buys that team the Marlins will somehow rally. I can't help but think that they should have just let Florida have Spring Training instead of basing major league teams there. Tampa and Miami don't deserve major league baseball the way they haven't supported their teams.

Atlanta has really improved and has gotten lucky with acquisitions like Brandon Phillips and Matt Adams. Inciarte has been a shocking surprise as a hitter with 102 knocks. They lost Freddie Freeman for awhile but have maintained. Looks like the Braves will be able to contend soon if their young pitchers cooperate.

Philly has gone backwards...all the young hitters who looked so promising last year are barely hitting and even loafing (Franco). The minor league pitchers are a disaster too. What happened? Fire somebody, Philly.

Washington finally has all their hitters hot at the same time. Their lineup of Trea Turner, Harper, Zimmerman, Murphy and Rendon is chewing up pitching staffs. Led by Scherzer, the pitching is great too, except in the bullpen. If they get a closer they could win it all.

Ooops! Tre Turner just got his wrist broken. That's too bad because he was starting to dominate games just with his speed. Very exciting player. No matter...the Nats will cruise to the division title.

NL Central:

What happened, Cubbies? Too much adoration, probably. You started to think your armpits smell like honeydew or something after your storybook 2016. Somebody forgot to set the alarm clock for this season. They're a .500 team with inconsistent pitching and no real offense. Schwarber went to the minors trying to remember how to hit. That poor guy really got screwed up. He's got to get back to just meeting the ball and hitting to all fields. And check his eyesight. He's missing some of those pitches badly. I guess the kid is so great in the clubhouse that his teammates wanted him back anyway. That's kind of heart-warming.

Funny thing is, the Central is just laying there waiting for the Cubs to take it back. They're only four games out! One hot streak away. If they get Zobrist, Heyward, Hendricks and Brett Anderson back and Schwarber recovers his mojo they could still dominate this division. Currently, however, you have to rate them as the fold-job of the year.

St. Louis is even more wretched than the Cubs. What the hell is happening down there? I know they've won 7 of 8 lately, but how have they managed to remain below .500 in that weak division?

You can't expect anything out of Cincinnati with that pitching staff and Scooter Gennett ain't gonna hit 4 homers in every game! (I even heard about that in Slovakia!)

Pittsburgh is just waiting to see who wants to take their stars off their hands. Since Starling Marte betrayed them with PEDS, he should be first to go.

Milwaukee is a surprise, I grant you, but they are hardly a juggernaut. I like that guy Eric Thames who learned to hit curve balls in the Korean League, though. Good story, that. But after an historic start, he's batting .169 in June.

NL West:

Finally! Some excellence! Three teams playing over .600 ball! The Rockies have shown they are a force. They are 26-21 on the road! That's really incredible for a Rockies team that is always better at Coors Field. Nolan Arenado is a strong MVP candidate. And Mark Reynolds has been epic and among the league leaders in homers and ribbies. Even more amazing...he's batting .295! This from a guy who only once hit over .230 in 8 full seasons in the majors. (He did a little better in a couple of half seasons.) The Mark Reynolds who led the league in striking out 4 years in a row from 2008 to 2011, including the all time record of 223 in 2009! The wonders of Coors Field, I guess. However, the Rockheads have picked a bad time to go sour...losing the last 8 games while Los Angeles has reeled off 10 straight wins. Still a strong wild card position though.

Arizona is Diamondhumping the shit out of the ball! Finally Goldschmidt (my MVP favorite) has some guys hitting in front of and behind him and they are a solid second place team. Greinke is back as a staff Ace. They'd be the favorites if it weren't for…

The Dodgers! My prediction that this is their year is looking better all the time. Even though they lost Adrian Gonzalez and Andrew Toles for a long spell, they have Chris Taylor and Cody Bellinger (he's Aaron Judge with a slim Hollywood body!) to plug in. And this guy Bellinger. That beautiful swing! (Of course Joey Gallo has the same swing and he bats .190 and strikes out 300 times a year.) Bellinger is channeling Ted Williams or something with that splendid splintery uppercut from his heels. They just got Justin Turner (.390!) back from an injury and lost Seager for a little while but the Dodgers look really strong. They always seem to step on the gas about this time of the year and durn me if they're not doing it again. They should win the West by plenty, even with Arizona and Colorado playing so much better.

All three of those teams are feeding on the rotting carcasses of the San Diego Pudrigs and the...(hurts to say it) Giants.

It's a shame that Buster Posey is having his best year when the Giants are in last place IN A DIVISION WITH SAN DIEGO IN IT!

AL East:

Okay Aaron Judge...I know I belittled him recently, saying he was the second coming of Shane Spencer. (You remember...Spencer of the 10 homers in 67 at bats in a September Yankee call up many ages ago) but Judge has now finished the first half and is leading the league in homers, ribbies, runs and is even second in batting average! I guess we will be reevaluating Mr. Judge.

In deeply scientific mode I watched reruns of every homer that Judge has hit. I learned this:

1/There are some really bad pitchers in the American League. Almost every homer was hit on a BAD mistake...most of them on balls up in the zone while the catcher was waiting for a breaking pitch on the lower outside corner.

2/His swing is short and contained. No Joey Gallo or Hanley Ramirez type swings where he totally sells out.

3/He likes Yankee Stadium. Only a third of his 30 dings have been hit on the road (9). Since the Yanks have only played 37 games at home vs. 43 on the road, expect a few more long balls out of His Honor.

4/As a probable result of number 3, Judge uses the whole field. He's so strong that he can take pitches out over the plate into the center/right bleachers, no problem. 14 out of 30 homers are to center or right. This makes him a problem to pitch to.

Conclusion: The pitchers of the American League will start giving Judge the Bryce Harper treatment and not throw him anything good at all. Walks be damned. Then we'll see if he's patient enough to compile an on base percentage of

.500+ and help his team win that way. If he expands the zone trying to live up to his press releases he's dead.

Good sign: Judge resisted joining the home run derby at first because he wanted to concentrate on the regular season. I think MLB squeezed him a little bit on that and now he and fellow Yankee bopper Sanchez are both in it. Should be a great showdown with Giancarlo Stanton in Miami...but don't count on homers to right in that Yellowstone Park!

Final word: Aaron Judge is just what baseball needs...a big (real big!), sweet natured, slightly self-deprecating Man Child in the Promised Land that kids love and Yankee announcers lose bladder control over.

The Yankees as a team are one of the surprises of MLB as the first half ends. They slumped recently to give up the top position to Boston but their young everyday players are pretty good, they're getting contributions from enigmas like Ellsbury and Gardner and they have won some games late to build fan interest. Unfortunately their starting staff is eroding fast and their bullpen is getting tired.

The Red Sox have been losing key players to the DL all season but are still somehow in first place. They don't hit homers but peck out singles and take walks and keep players on base all the time. They picked up Doug Fister of all people to be the fifth starter while they wait for Eduardo Rodriguez to heal...(they always seem to be waiting for Eduardo to heal). The Sox have one distinct advantage in this division: They have the dominant starter in Chris Sale and the dominant closer in Craig Kimbrel. Both should get heavy Cy Young consideration. Kimbrel's WHIP is 0.518...unheard of. He's only allowed 14 hits and 5 walks in 36 innings and has struck out 65 men. And that, my friends, is a CLOSER.

Here's another of my predictions that is looking pretty shaky: I picked Tampa Bay to finish last in the East. Instead, they might be the big competition for Boston to win it. AS usual, the Rays have a good rotation led by Chris Archer, Alex Cobb and Jake Odorizzi. The bullpen is weak, but they've finally got Evan Longoria some offensive help with Logan Morrison, Steve Souza and Corey Dickerson all hitting long balls. The Rays have a 3-game set coming up with Boston just before the All-Star break that might be very interesting.

Baltimore was a boutique pick to win the East in some quarters but I said they didn't have enough starting pitching. So far, I was right.

And Toronto can't get to .500 after their execrable April. They lost too many starters and without Edwin Encarnacion their offense has crumbled. They're at the bottom of the League in every important offensive category. Only Justin Smoak is having an outstanding season. Sometimes one player can make a huge difference in a team's morale. Big Papi Ortiz was that kind of guy for Boston and I think the Sox are still looking around the dugout for him when they need a big hit. I think Encarnacion was that player for Toronto.

AL Central:

...And Edwin Encarnacion is plying his clutchness over in Cleveland. As usual, he flopped around looking terrible all Spring while the weather was cold and as soon as it warmed up he started raking. Cleveland has a balanced offense with Chisenhall, Santana, Brantley and 24 year old third baseman Jose Ramirez all performing. Lindor looked like the offensive leader early and has a surprising 14 homers. But I think the homers went to his head and he's slumped to

.248 and only a .309 on base percentage. Cleveland has by far the best pitching in the division, led by starters Kluber and Carrasco and reliever Andrew Miller.

It's a shocker that Cleveland hasn't pulled away yet. Kansas City and Minnesota have kept pace and are only 3 games out, even with .500 records.

Minnesota, I think, has played over its head. They've allowed a lot more runs than they've scored, and that fact should prove out in the second half.

Kansas City started so slow that just getting to .500 has been a major achievement. Pride will keep the front office from selling off the stars, but free agent inevitability will soon decimate the Royals. Facts of Life. They're surging now so maybe they have one more party in 'em before they break up the old gang. I love the guys on that team and it's been too short.

The Chicago White Sox got screwed by the schedule makers. They played 44 road games vs. only 34 home games through the end of June. No wonder they're in last place. No other team has had to exhaust themselves on the road as much as the White Sox and they have a legitimate complaint with the league.

The Detroit Tigers. As usual their pitching went south on them. Especially the bullpen. Verlander is only too mortal. They cut KRod. And this year their offense hasn't been potent enough to compensate. Sad to watch.

AL West:

Last year the Astros had the second most strikeouts in the league with 1452. They were 9^th in homers with 198. This year they have the fewest Ks in the league with 588 and the most homers with 142. That's a stunning reversal for their offense. In addition to Altuve, Correa and Springer having awesome seasons, (which you kind of anticipated) their new guys at third (Bregman) and first (Gurriel) have really come through and Marisnick's new upper cut swing has him hitting with power. Marwin Gonzalez has been a wonder as a utility guy, hitting .313 with 15 taters and 51 ribbs. So that batting order is now deep, deep. The Astros are first in runs, hits, doubles, homers, ribbies, average, on-base percentage, slugging...you get the picture. Welcome to the fun house, rest of the AL.

If the hitting wasn't enough to turn it around, the pitching is good. Kuechel started looking Cy Youngish again until he got hurt. They have the luxury of keeping him out until he's good and healed. McCullers and Morton have been strong starters and Devenski and Will Harris are hellacious in the bullpen. They'll even get McHugh back for the last month or so. Houston...(Oh My God! Houston!) ...could win 110 games!

I had Texas and Seattle real close to Houston for the division but I really didn't think Houston could be this good. And I really thought Seattle would be better. Their pitching staff got assassinated and they've rolled over and played dead ever since.

There are a lot of Zombie teams on the West Coast all of a sudden...Seattle and San Francisco have joined Oakland and San Diego as walking deaders. And the Angels are on the brink of joining the marching groaners.

Texas just doesn't have the pitching to make a run at Houston. They have 8 guys with double-figure homers. The Rangers are 2^nd in the league to Houston in that and 3^rd in runs scored. But they're way down the list in everything else...especially pitching.

Like I said, the Angels are not a good team, but they're in second place by default...albeit 16 games back!

And Oakland. What can I say about Oakland? Well...they're 20 and a half games behind Houston. There. Is that enough?

Who will they trade Sonny Gray to? That's the only interesting thing about the A's.

So at the break, betting money should be on either the Dodgers or the Nationals in the NL with only Milwaukee, St. Louis, Chicago, Colorado and Arizona challenging. Of those last five, I think only Arizona could really do something.

The AL has Houston way above every other team with Boston and Cleveland maybe rising to the occasion. I think New York, Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Kansas City are all good Wild Card contenders and of those I'd bet on Kansas City being the most dangerous.

Enjoy the all Star game and I'll be back when the second half gets going.

Marco

MARCO'S BASEBALL BLOG-O-ROONIE 2017: DANGER- BASE AND OTHER OBSERVATIONS

1/ DANGER-BASE!...the ridiculous prehistoric attachment to hard bases.

Mike Trout just tore his thumb ligament sliding headfirst into second base. The Alpha-Star of the game is sidelined for two months. Earlier this year, Adam Eaton, newly acquired by the Washington Nationals, was severely injured when his ankle turned as he raced down the line and planted his foot sideways on an unforgiving first base bag, tearing his ankle and knee ligaments and threatening his career.

These are just two of the innumerable injuries past and present and future that have been and will continue to be sustained in base path accidents caused by runners and fielders attempting to transfer momentum from a flat dirt base path to a huge lump of cloth and plastic incongruously secured to a no-give base clamp and planted like a land mine in various strategic places around our beloved baseball diamond.

This carnage must end! Our players shouldn't be expected to risk dismemberment just for trying to record an out or be called safe when they are moving with maximum effort on their appointed rounds.

Well I am here to tell you...FEAR NOT BASEBALL FANS! I CAN FIX THIS!

Very simply, replace the hard square base of baseball tradition with new, safer technology. Go to any toy store and pick up something made of the space age material called “memory foam”. It's that squishy stuff they make toys out of that you get for your grandkids so they can squeeze it in a pleasing, psychotically obsessive manner.

From Science Magazine:

“In the early 1960s, an aeronautical engineer named Charles Yost worked on technology designed to make sure that the Apollo command module and its astronauts could be recovered safely after landing. That experience came in handy four years later, when Yost was tapped to help NASA's Ames Research Center develop airplane *seating that could absorb the energy of crashes and increase passengers' chances of survival. Yost created a special type of plastic foam that had the seemingly miraculous ability to deform and absorb tremendous pressure, then return to its original shape.

Researchers discovered that the "slow springback foam," as it was called initially, not only made passengers safer, it also made sitting for hours on long flights more comfortable because it allowed for a more even distribution of body weight.”

(*bold italics are mine)

Hey! If it's good enough for John Glenn...right? Thank you Charles Yost! Thank you NASA!

Take the memory foam and sew it up in a square sack made of something FLEXIBLE but tough that will resist being torn up by baseball spikes landing on it's surface. Attach it to the same base clamps currently in use set into the middle of the base and secured at the bottom.

Now practice sliding into it. Ram into it with your extended foot. Go headfirst and hit it with your hand. Now practice running down the baseline and planting your foot on it. Hit it at an angle as you turn for the next base. Pretend you are a fielder and stab at it with your toe as you try to record an out by beating the runner to the base.

In all these experiments, I predict you will discover that the bag will give in such a way that you won't jam your appendages in the same way that a hard base will when suddenly retarding your momentum, thus sparing you from serious injury.

And after you remove your finger or foot or shin or knee or neck from the base, it will rapidly recover its original shape and docility, awaiting the next collision with its cohesive and pleasantly receptive squishiness. Voila! Base Path Salvation!

(applause...applause...Thank You! Thank You!)

So now let me hear from all you hard-headed baseball traditionalists who think it will somehow desecrate the game by making bases out of something new. You guys that think it's somehow good for the game for players to have to step on what is essentially a big rock with all their weight as they bravely try to do their sacred baseball duty and touch the base in the prescribed manner.

I pity you!

And let me hear from you, Mike Trout and Adam Eaton! Think you'd still have some working ligaments if you had hit a memory foam base? And keep hustling, by the way….you guys are great. (Send me your autographs, please…)

DEATH TO THE DANGER-BASE!!!

2/RADAR GUNS... and the Great Phony Fastball Conspiracy.

If modern radar guns are to be believed, about 50% of current major league pitchers can throw the ball at least 95 mph. That's faster than all but the greatest superstar pitchers of yesteryear. Only guys like Walter Johnson, Rube Waddell, Smoky Joe Wood, Lefty Grove, Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Jim Maloney, Sudden Sam McDowell and Nolan Ryan were purported to reach such velocities in the former generations of pitchers. Most pitching staffs featured a few men who could bring it at 90mph or above, but only two or three guys in the league could reasonably claim to throw the ball at upwards of 98 before the current era. Now it seems that dozens can and nobody gets excited at velocities below 95. There must be 15 pitchers in the majors who hit 100mph regularly. It's' not even news anymore.

Well. Are we to believe that modern training techniques, diet and Evolution have upgraded baseball arms? Has scouting improved that dramatically? Is everyone on PEDS again?

To the first four conjectures I answer a resounding “YES”. (I really don't think that many pitchers are currently using PEDS...at least I sure hope not.)

Training techniques are much better. Diet has improved and humans are taller and stronger.

Scouting is better and talent is recognized and hunted down much better.

Evolution is certainly having an effect. In most sports we see a dramatic improvement in physical performance. Dash times in Track and Field, swimming records...almost everywhere you look you find hard evidence that we are bigger, faster and stronger. Why not baseball pitchers? (Although there may be evidence of diminishing returns as increased musculature puts strain on ligaments which haven't correspondingly adapted in their ability to absorb torque. Thus the prevalence of Tommy John and shoulder problems amongst our Mound Marvels.)

The truth is, pitchers today are actually throwing as fast as the radar guns say...95,98,103mph. It's a Resounding “Wow.”

The radar guns are right. Aroldis Chapman's fastball is moving at up to105mph as he releases the ball which is measured by the radar gun 6 feet from his pitching hand.

Whoops! What was that again?

That's right….modern radar guns measure the ball at a point about 6 feet from it's point of release. At that point Chapman's fastball can occasionally be perceived to be moving at 105mph . By the time that same pitch reaches home plate, however, it is only moving at about 98mph. Still very fast, but not a world record.

“So what?” you say. Well ...this what.

In the early days of radar guns, the gun picked the ball up at about the moment it crossed home plate. Various models timed the pitches at various points on the way to the plate and thus recorded slower times than the pitches currently being timed by the modern radar guns at their fastest point of velocity just as they leave the pitcher's hand. And of course, in pre-radar days they tried to time pitches by matching bob Feller's pitch with speeding motorcycles and other cumbersome techniques. Feller's fastball was measured at 98.6 AS IT CROSSED HOME PLATE at the same moment that a motorcycle traveling at that speed crossed the same point. This was after Feller tried about 100 pitches to get the synchronization the day after he pitched a complete game. That puts him at about 104 (at least) if the modern radar gun had been in use.

So modern pitchers are getting about 6 to 8mph added to their fastball velocities with the modern radar gun as opposed to pitchers of the past. That's how much a pitch will slow from the time it leaves a pitchers hand until it gets to the plate.

The simple truth is that although there are undoubtedly more pitchers today who can “bring it” as opposed to past generations, the best of the famous Old Timers were throwing it just as fast or faster.

If you doubt me, I suggest you watch the documentary “Fastball” (available on Netflix) for more data.

According to that film, Nolan Ryan was timed with an older radar gun model back in the day when he was pitching for the Angels. They didn't get a clean reading of the ball until his last of 159 pitches during a complete game he was pitching in Anaheim. The ball was measured at about ten feet in front of the plate traveling at 100.8mph. That means the pitch was traveling at approximately 108 mph as it left his hand.

Nolan….you will always rule!

MARCO'S BASEBALL BLOG-O-ROONIE 2017: BEANBALLS AND HAMSTRINGS

MARCO'S BASEBALL BLOG-O-ROONIE 2017: BEANBALLS AND HAMSTRINGS

1/BEANBALLS:

It started early in April when Phillies pitcher Edubray Ramos threw a bullet just over and behind the head of Asdrubal Cabrera of the Mets. This was a leftover revenge killing from last year when Asdrubal hit a game winner off Ramos and not so politely threw his bat at the Phillies dugout before throwing his hands up triumphantly as he rounded the bases in celebratory fashion. This was just a bit much and I don't blame Ramos for wanting to punish him for his insolence. Cabrera had it coming.

But Cabrera didn't deserve to be killed for bat flipping.

Any “purpose pitch” thrown above the shoulders should be outlawed and especially one thrown behind a batter's head. A batter is trained to fall back from an inside pitch, but if that pitch keeps on going inside the batter is actually putting his head in its way.

Too many players have been seriously injured by pitches exactly like this. One was killed...Ray Chapman in 1920. Don Zimmer was in a coma for 13 days after a beaning. Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane never recovered from a beaning in mid-career. Tony Conigliaro, one of the best young power hitters in baseball, never really got over a ball to the face. Paul Blair, centerfielder for the Orioles, never was the same after a beanball. The Astro's Dickie Thon was one of the most promising shortstops of all time before he took one to the face. Giancarlo Stanton and Jason Heyward of the Cubs took balls to the face. I could go on, but these were just a few of the players who suffered from a dangerous pitch up high.

I realize that mistakes happen and balls get away from pitchers. That can't be helped. But any pitch that the powers that be think was an intentional purpose pitch up high should result in a severe suspension and fine...at least a month and a maximum fine. If the player hit is injured, the pitcher should have to stay out as long as the guy he hit and pay the medical bill.

And yet I'm not saying Ramos shouldn't have thrown at Cabrera.

But what he should have done is put that -Drubal in his Ass.

Almost at the same time as the Ramos incident we had Buster Posey beaned by Taijuan Walker of the Diamondbacks. It took Buster a week to shake it off. This apparently was not intentional...they just tried to pitch Posey high and tight. Still, the next time Goldschmidt...the Snakes best hitter...came to the plate, Samardzija nailed him in the posterior. Goldy was expecting it and never even looked at Samardzija. He just set his bat down carefully and ran to first. As far as I know, that was the end of the incident.

Now that's how to remind the other team that they better be careful or they can expect retaliation. Message received...play ball.

And pitchers...JUST HIT 'EM IN THE ASS!

The Boston Red Sox, on the other hand, went completely batshit about Baltimore's Manny Machado oversliding and accidently spiking Pedroia. Yes, his foot was high, but Pedroia knew he wasn't trying to intentionally hurt anybody and said so. Machado tried to help Pedey up even. But 2 games later, Matt Barnes decided to be the enforcer all on his own and threw one behind Manny's head. This set off a long running controversy that Pedroia disowned right away. If he was okay with Machado, why the hell was Barnes making trouble...especially with a killing pitch?

Shouldn't that have ended the flak? Especially since Machado and Pedroia seemed to be good and had expressed sentiments of mutual respect? Nah...let's have a war!

So Dylan Bundy, (That's Dylan, not serial killer Ted Bundy you Boston over-reactors!)clinging to a 2 run lead late in the next game throws an inside fastball on a 2-1 count that hits Mookie Betts in the hip. Not sure that's an ideal time to revenge hit somebody. Isn't winning the game kind of the best revenge? Anyway, it certainly wasn't clear that that was a purpose pitch since Betts is a “diver” and with the quickest hands in the league you have to keep it tight inside to keep him from turning on it and hitting it fair off or over the wall.

Well no matter. Just in case, the Sox started up the war again when Sales threw behind Machado's legs soon after. That was definitely a purpose pitch even though manager Farrell lied through his teeth about it “getting away” from Sale, who has impeccable control. That ball was 4 feet inside!

Eventually Machado got sick of the static and took a few extra minutes touring the bases of Fenway after a big payback home run off Sale. (He also made about 4 terrific fielding plays so you can see how intimidated he was.)

Meanwhile, some Boston fans turned Neanderthal and started making racial attacks on Adam Jones out in center field. Oh yeah, that is so classy you stupid jerks! Whatever, man...get over it Boston!

Next game in the second inning Baltimore's Gausman throws a curve ball that bounces off Bogaert's leg at about 60 mph and the brain dead umpire throws him out of the game! Idiocy all around in this series!

Now they have to play another game and Torre has called the owners and managers and told them cease and desist. I hope somebody on one of these teams exhibits some basic baseball sportsmanship real soon to remind everybody that this is a more beautiful game when fellow millionaires aren't trying to kill each other.

2/HAMSTRINGS (and other injured body parts):

For all of you who, like me, enjoy making predictions about the future and who will win what and who will absolutely for sure make the playoffs, you might as well forget it.

Ball players are too damn fragile to count on anything.

This year it seems like big stars essential to their team's fortunes are going down like turkeys on Thanksgiving.

The Mets have been totally discombobulated by early season injuries. Cespedes pulled his latest hamstring so he's out. And of course he is their one essential hitter. Their one essential pitcher, Noah Syndergaard, is lat torn and probably out til after the All Star game, if even by then he heals. Duda and Matz are both out.

The Mets have lost a lot of games with their special offensive philosophy: put together a lineup of all or nothing home run hitters, make sure everybody has a terrible on base percentage so all those homers are solo jobs and then put them in a ball park that hates home runs. Voila! Second worst offense in baseball!

And just for fun...have a terrible defense!

They won 2 games from the Nationals to show some life and then gave up 23 runs in a defeat. Last place in a division with rebuilders like Philly and Atlanta!

The aforementioned Nationals lost Adam Eaton for the season on an ankle turn at first base that tore his knee up as well. So much for trading your entire minor league pitcher A-list for him.

But the Nationals look great because their lineup has gotten hot all at once...Trea Turner, Harper, Murphy, Zimmerman...and Rendon came up with a 6 for 6 10rbi gem of a game. Zimmerman has been resurrected, revived, reincarnated...some kind of Magic Mojo. The guy is hitting .430 or something!

The Diamondbacks and Dodgers had all the injuries last year. This year it's the Giants who felt the pain when Madison Bumgarner checked his brain back at the hotel and went joy riding on his dirt bike. Thud! Have a nice little shoulder injury that could easily have been career ending Madbum! You just killed your team's slim playoff hopes. (Unless they overcome like the Dodgers did with Kershaw's injury last year). Cueto and an improved Matt Cain are hoping to take up slack. The Gigantes also lost Aaron Hill, Denard Span and Brandon Crawford for various amounts of time.

The Diamondbacks did lose Shelby Miller for the season, but he was pitching so badly this season and last that he was actually doing them a favor by removing himself from consideration. That sounds harsh I know and I wish him well....maybe he can get his thing together while recuperating.

The Dodgers have 10 guys on the DL, including starters Peterson, Forsyth, Riu, Kazmir and Rich Hill. S-N-A-F-U.

In the AL the Red Sox have suffered flu bugs and cold weather-type pulled knees and hammies as they limp to a .500 record. Panda out. Replacement at third Hernandez now also out. Steven Wright knee out (maybe for the season) Brock Holt out. Bradley Jr. out for awhile, now back. Latest big trade set-up stud Thornburg out with a bad shoulder, keeping up the tradition of hotshot new Red Sox relievers getting injured. They need David Price to come back strong if they are to salvage my prediction that they would win the East.

Baltimore lost their Number One starter when Tillman started the season hurt and Miracle Closer Zach Britton went down but they've kicked ass anyway.

Toronto? You already know that sad story but they aren't the same without Encarnacion and now Donaldson. For good measure Troy Tulowitzski and J. Happ are out. And their top pitcher Vasquez hasn't played because of a bad finger. (Badfinger!...“I remember finding out about Yoooouuuuu!”)

The Yankees have been the best story in the game so far, even though last year's phenom, catcher Gary Sanchez has been AWOL. But who needs him when you've got... Aaron Judge! On pace for 81 homers this year. Nice kid and fun to watch a big guy like that get a-holt of one (or twelve!) But he has yet to complete one circuit around the league. Pitchers aren't really dumb enough to keep throwing him fastballs in the zone. They'll eventually find a hole. (“He's Judge and Jury..and it's Judgement Day!” Non-Yankee fans just love John Sterling's radio rap, don't we?)

Anybody remember Shane Spencer? Stocky, baby-faced outfielder for the Yanks in '98? Hit 10 homers in a September call-up in only 67 at bats? 3 grand slams? Whatever happened to that guy? Well, he lasted as a role player for about three years. Enjoy it Aaron...it may not be a permanent condition.

Tigers: Miggy down for awhile...came back with a homer.

Indians lose Kluber to a back strain.

The Cardinals lost 4 pitchers and Jhonny Peralta for time.

The Los Angeles Angels have 8 pitchers on the DL!

The Rangers lost Cole Hamels with a 2 month hurt to his oblique. He joins Adrian Beltre who has barely played this year because of calf problems. The Strangers were already in trouble....Houston is even beating up on them.

Houston has 4 guys on the 10-day DL including pitcher Colin McHugh but they have been pretty healthy and are playing well.

Seattle's King Felix? Shoulder...out indefinitely. I hope he gets better because he's been one of the great gamers in this sport.

And who wins the Good Health Mojo Medal for having Nobody on the DL? The World Champs! Chicago Cubs! Keep glowing with health you Adorable Baby Bears!

Hasta La Vista!

Marco's Baseball Blog-O-Roonie 2017: National League

MARCO'S BASEBALL BLOG-O-ROONIE 2017: TEAM RATINGS AND PREDICTIONS NL

So I took a week off and watched the action before I decided to commit on the NL predictions. So much easier to predict winners after they've already won.

My AL picks are discombobulated by cold weather injuries and flu bugs. I don't care. I am confident that my picks will prevail. Lindor and Correa have started hot, much as I foretold. Houston looks a little better than I expected them to...Texas a little weaker. Boston is diseased but game. Toronto can't beat Tampa Bay. Baltimore and Minnesota are murderously offensive. So be it. It's a long season.

And now...THE NATIONAL LEAGUE!

Let's start in the West. (Because it's more interesting than the other divisions, not because of some western bias.)

NL WEST

1^st place: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

I pretty much telegraphed this pick in earlier blogs, so no big stunner. The stunner at the start of the season is Arizona and Colorado both going 4-0. Kershaw gave up back to back homers and all the pundits had to change their pampers, but he started cold last year too. Not to worry.

Offense: 3 1/2*...what they're missing is that one big superstar bat that just scares the heck out of other teams. Like Ortiz did for the Sox or Trout does for the Angels. Encarnacion. Cabrera. Votto. In their own division the Trolley Dodgers (yes, that's where the nickname comes from all you denizens of a bygone Brooklyn era) have to contend with Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks and Arenado of the Rockies. We'll see if Seager develops into that kind of hitter.

Puig has always tantalized that he might become that guy but I think he's more likely to remain an agonizing tease. (Though he's lots better since Dave Roberts became his manager.) They have strong support throughout the lineup with Turner, Gonzalez and others. Not much right-handed pop if Turner and Puig don't produce.

Defense: 4*...the Dodgers are athletic and talented up the middle and in the outfield. Center fielder Joc Peterson plays a little too deep I think. Sometimes they have to play Scott Van Slyke at first or in the outfield but he's such an amiable guy I don't want to criticize him. I think it's interesting that a career bench player has stuck with the same team so long. (6 years so far.) That doesn't usually happen. So I figure he must be a great teammate in the locker room. He's a valuable back-up. No shame in that kind of career. Make Daddy proud, Scott!

Starting Rotation: 4*...it falls off a little after their Supremo Numero Uno Kershaw. but the depth is so amazing. And the youth with Maeda and Urias and Alex Wood. They are a little fragile with Hill's blister issues and Kershaw's back disc. Last year they used 16 starters. The thing is....they got 'em and won the division going away!

Bullpen: 3*...not as good here except for closer Kenly Jansen (the Flying Dutchman). We'll see how they've pieced it together as the season goes on. No lack of candidates in the Dodger's overloaded system.

Leadership: 4 1/2*...mostly for the manager Dave Roberts who has shown how effective good people skills can be in smoothing out the edges of an irascible clubhouse that was full of malcontents and head cases and getting them all on the same page. Now the Dodgers are enjoying themselves and winning. And they should send Magic Johnson down to the clubhouse more often to be the face of management.

19*: FIRST PLACE!

2^nd place...SAN FRANCISCO

Offense: 2 1/2*...too low you say? Well who scares you in that lineup? Buster Posey. Ok...I'm waiting. Shortstop Brandon Crawford is hitting cleanup a lot and he only hit .275 with 84 ribbies (to lead the club by the way!) Sure, AT&T Park is a joke when it comes to punishing the hitters, but that doesn't mean the Giants have an offense. They can't seem to get an outfielder who can hit and keep depending on injury-prone Hunter Pence every year. I like Nunez' speed at third. But that's their big addition for the year? How many 2-1 games will Bumgarner have to lose before he volunteers to play outfield on his off days? He may be the scariest hitter the Giants have.

Defense: 3 1/2*...great fielding percentage. Great keystone combo. Great Catcher. Really bad outfield arms.

Starters: 4*...because they have Bumgarner and Cueto at the top. Matt Moore and Jeff Samardzija posted high ERA's for the home ballpark they played in. Matt Cain is a ghost. Depth very uncertain so if one of the top two gets hurt knock off a star.

Bullpen: 1 1/2*...one closer does not a bullpen make. They got Mark Melancon from the Nats and he promptly coughed up a furball in his first game as a Giant (against the Diamondbacks) and managed to lose a game where Bumgarner had hit two homers and pitched great except for one stretch of three hitters that cost him. Not even Bruce Bochy can manage this bullpen full of losers.

Leadership: 5*...something must be helping them get to the playoffs every year, right? Bochy is the best manager in the game. Above Madden, Giradi and Francona. Buster Posey, Crawford and Pence...all game day leaders.

But number one is the Unicorn...MadBum. He's an evolutionary inheritor of whatever gene made pitchers like Lefty Grove, Bob Gibson and Randy Johnson the dominating, devastating, refuse-to-lose guys they were. You want that guy on your team for the Big Game? I guess you do!

16 1/2*: SECOND PLACE!

3^rd place...COLORADO

Every year somebody says...the Rockies are gonna be great this year! And every year the snow melts and they turn to Rocky Mountain Sludge. No matter that they have terrific hitting stars like Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon and D.J.LeMahieu. It's all an illusion created by the light air of the Mile-High city and the big power alleys of Coors Field.

Offense: 3 1/2*...see above.

Defense: 4 1/2*...Gold Glovers at second and third. Real good everywhere.

Starters: 3*...Chatwood and Anderson both had ERAs below 4!!! That seems so good. But Chatwood was 8-1 on the road with an ERA of 1.69 and 4-8 ERA of 6.12 at home. And you didn't think Coors made that much difference?

Bullpen: 1 1/2*...ERA last year? 5.13...Yarg. Gargle on that.

Leadership: 2*...good on the field leaders. But management somehow got themselves into a situation where their first pick in the draft this year will be number 48. ONE WINNING SEASON ON THE ROAD IN THE TEAM'S ENTIRE HISTORY....AND THEY CAN NEVER FIX IT.

14 1/2*: THIRD PLACE!

4th place...ARIZONA

They looked good beating the Giants at home to start the season. Are the 'Backs ...back? That's a lame pun indeed. Back from where? They've never been “here” except for that infamous year of 2001 where they knocked off the Yanks because they had Randy (Johnson)and Curt (Schilling) slingin' it for four games.

They got Pollock back from a year-long DL stretch and they need him to team with Goldy, Lamb and Tomas to keep the offense humming. You need a lot of offense to win at Chase Field. (They are going to humidify the baseballs to take the rabbit out of the them this year...ala Colorado.) Also, Greinke and Miller are better pitchers than they showed last year. (And least one would hope if one were a fan of the Diamondhumps.)

Offense: 2 1/2*...they really aren't that good except for those mentioned above. Chase Field makes them seem like an offensive monolith...they're really just a crumbling adobe brick.

They had to trade Jean Segura...a top-tier offensive (and defensive) shortstop to get Taijuan Walker. I don't like that trade. They give up a top five shortstop for a pitcher who couldn't consistently pitch in one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball? Walker is gonna gag when he sees what fly balls do at Chase Field. They also have nothing coming from the catcher or shortstop positions (Mathis and Ahmed).

Defense: 3 1/2*...might be four stars if they didn't have to play Yasmany Tomas somewhere.

Starters: 3*...see above comments about Greinke, Walker and Miller. Leftie Robbie Ray K'd 218 in 174 innings but still had a 4.90 ERA.

Bullpen: 2*...I really can't stand Fernando Rodney's “arrow” routine. I bet every player in baseball hates that.

How about when you blow a save Fernando, you mime an arrow going into your heart and drop dead on the mound, just to even up the theatrics?

Leadership: 1/2*...as far as management goes, the Titanic had better leadership. Baseball geniuses Dave Stewart and Tony La Russa traded the number one pick of the 2015 draft... shortstop Dansby Swanson... pitcher Aaron Blair and Gold Glove outfielder Ender Inciarte to the Atlanta Braves for Shelby Miller, a hard luck pitcher who proved that if it wasn't for bad luck he'd have no luck at all. He wound up in the minors while Swanson was revitalizing the Braves. Inciarte batted .291 while playing awesome center field. It would have been a bad trade if it was just Inciarte for Miller.

So they fired Stewart and “reassigned” La Russa. So their new GM Mike Hazen...just to make sure he didn't have a great shortstop...trades Segura for Walker. That's two trades giving up proven every day players and a number 1 prospect for two questionable pitchers. Wow.

11 1/2*... FOURTH PLACE!

5^th place...SAN DIEGO

They lost 120 games last year. And they have bad uniforms when they're not sporting the camys. Now they're calling it a “deep rebuild”. See you in 2022 San Diego.

Offense: 1*...it's Will Myers and the prospects. Hunter Renfroe is from Mississippi State and Bulldog draftees can usually hit...see Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro (though cursed be his steroid-tainted name!)

Defense: 2*...who really knows? Nobody has seen any of these guys play.

Starters: 1/2*...Oh My God. They may be historically bad. Maybe some of these guys can pitch but they are space fillers. The team doesn't want to spend money on starters until the rest of the prospects develop. That's actually smart. The Cubs did that too. But will any fans at all come to the park?

Bullpen: 1 1/2*...like I said. It's a bad, bad ball team.

Leadership: 1*...you've got to ask how they dug themselves into this tremendous hole. Baseball may not survive in San Diego.

6*: FIFTH PLACE! (congratulations are in order. San Diego, you are the lowest rated team in the history of this blog.)

NL CENTRAL

You just can't see anybody breaking up the Cubs/Cardinals death grip on the top of the division. I suppose Pittsburgh could finally put it together but it's hard to have confidence in them. (Maybe if I ignore them this year they'll start playing better.) Milwaukee and the Reds are rebuilds.

1^st place...CHICAGO

What? You thought I was going to give some shock prediction that the Adorables would crumble to dust overnight? Not likely. I did say earlier that they have a few concerns. Replacing Dexter Fowler at leadoff is one. (He went to the rival Cards which is double bad for Chicago.) He inspired them last year. Also I predicted that they would miss David Ross...Lester's personal catcher and a kind of Grey Eminence in the locker room for the youngsters. But unless a mutant goat charges the dugout with Steve Bartman on his back and pees on Kris Bryant, the Cubs will at the very least make the Playoffs.

Offense: 4 1/2*...talent from top to bottom. They have Schwarber leading off which is not perfect...I am aware of his .408 OBP though. Almora needs to hit in centerfield. But with the confidence these young hitters gained by winning last season...it's going to be a long season for the rest of the League.

Defense: 4 1/2*...very very good. Catcher Contreras needs to learn how to frame pitches but with that veteran staff he should be ok if he listens. Schwarber and Zobrist ain't exactly gazelles in the outfield, but that's why they have Almora between them. They may not even play Jason Heyward that much. He makes a great defensive backup for $180 million dollars, though, don't you think? Bryant can move around which is handy. Short, Second, First?...Gold Glove caliber.

Starters: 5*...Lester, Arrieta, Hendricks in their primes. Lackey still a force. Mike Montgomery had a primo ERA last year and he's a strong number 5. Other teams don't really want to deal with any of these guys...coming at them day after day is going to be depressing for them.

Bullpen: 4*...on paper. Four guys with power arms and good breaking balls. Edwards, Strop, Rondon, and Davis. (That doesn't even include Koji Uehara and his famous split) If Davis stay healthy this group should be yet another strength for the club. Maddon needs to treat them right and build up their confidence.

Leadership: 4*...I thought Maddon kind of dissed his bullpen guys in the Series by pitching Aroldis Chapman into the ground instead of letting somebody else take a shot. That caused some disgruntlement, But Joe is a dynamic guy and a good tactical manager too. The front office is the best in baseball. (Bunch of smarty pants-es!) On field leadership developing behind nice guys Rizzo and Bryant and old pros like Lackey, Lester and Zobrist.

I guess you'd call this a Dream Team. Let's see if they continue their Adorable Ways.

22*: FIRST PLACE!

2^nd place...ST. LOUIS

The Cards have a real good team. Good D, a fairly potent offense, some nasty pitchers and the best catcher in baseball. And they lost to the Cubs by 17 games!

Offense: 3 1/2*...they have a lot of pretty good bats but no great bats. They have a lot of 15-20 homer guys but no 35-40 homer guys. And they don't steal anymore which is kind of shocking for the Cardinals, who have always countered their cavernous Busch Stadium with a pesky speed game. They are ahead of the Giants offensively, but way way back of the Cubs, Dodgers, and Nats.

Defense: 4 1/2*...Aledmys Diaz is a great new shortstop. (Let's nickname him “Aladdin” shall we?) He led all rookies with a .369 On Base and his 17 homers was impressive. Matt Carpenter will be an upgrade at first and Jhonny Peralta moving to third works. If Wong can play well that's a terrific infield. The outfield is also very good with Grichuk, Piscotty and Fowler.

Yady Molina is worth a star and a half all by himself. Anytime your staff ERA is over a run better when a certain guy is behind the plate...well, Molina should have a couple of MVP awards by now. It goes to show you how people underrate what a great catcher means on defense. And Molina hits .300 as well. (In fact he hit .365 with a .529 slugging in the second half!)

Starters: 3 1/2*..Carlos Martinez...step right up. It's your turn. Alex Reyes could be great. But Wainwright is trying to do it with guile now and when he misses his target they light him up. Lance Lynn and Mike Leake? Big question marks there. Whatever happened to Michael Wacha? Can he ever come back from all those injuries? Last season...ERA over 5. He looked good in his first start of 2017 though.

Bullpen: 4*...Seung-hwan Oh is the new closer and they are prepping Trevor Rosenthal to be an innings eater like Andrew Miller. They have other good arms out there and Michael Wacha might even wind up a reliever.

Leadership: 4*...Mike Matheny is a good, steady, motivating manager with a new 3-year contract. Mozeliak is the GM and the pipeline of great prospects is loaded with talent...both pitchers and position players. The Cards will be good for a long time.

On the field, they have perhaps the best leader in baseball...Yadier Molina. He's an extra manager. (I took off half a point because the Cardinals somehow allowed one of their minions to hack into the Astros scouting reports and steal info. The guy is in jail now!)

19 1/2*: SECOND PLACE!

3^rd place...PITTSBURGH

Offense: 3 1/2*...one of the best outfields in baseball with Marte, Polanco and McCutcheon. Trouble is, Marte is peaking, Polanco is still on the way up and 'Cutch is just now sliding down. Their timing is off if they want to win. Austin Meadows is a big stick in the minors, waiting for his shot. The rest of the lineup are nothing special...just nice, average players.

Defense: 2*...very bad in the infield. Atrocious in fact. Great outfield and catcher (Cervelli).

Starters: 3*...not enough of them. Gerrit Cole has to be an Ace and he's just not...not yet. Ivan Nova...does he really excite you? Tyler Glasnow (6'8”)is supposed to be the great Right(handed)Hope. Hasn't shown it at this level. 4.43 BB per 9 innings in the minors.

Bullpen: 3*...Tony Watson is the leftie closer and he's good. Daniel Hudson sets up and induces ground balls, which makes the Pirates organization so very happy. But, like the young starters, this group is largely composed of young pitchers trying to learn how to throw strikes. That's why the Buccos finished 78-83 last year and probably will again.

Leadership: 2 1/2*...this team may have lost its spirit. They were getting close but every time they do that, management has to dump salary and they lose very important players like Russell Martin, Mark Melancon, Francisco Liriano and Neil Walker. So it's the Myth of Sisyphus pushing that damn rock up the mountain only to watch it roll back down to the bottom again and again. The Pirates should get an owner who is not afraid to pay out for a few years to get a winner. The fans will come out and you'll get your money back.

14*: THIRD PLACE!

4^th place...MILWAUKEE

“What made Milwaukee famous...made a loser out of me...”

---Jerry Lee Lewis

What made Milwaukee famous wasn't baseball. At least it wasn't since 1957, the last time Milwaukee won anything.

(That was the Braves franchise that beat the Yankees in the World Series. The Brewers franchise won the division in 2011 with 96 wins.)

Yet another team writhing around in a moneyless hell. They don't have enough good players to draw well so they don't have enough money to get good players, so they don't draw well...etc. etc. etc.

Raise the luxury tax MLB...half your teams are never-wins! Socialism will be good for the game. For every Kansas City or Cleveland, there's a Milwaukee, a Pittsburgh, a Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Denver, Tampa Bay or Oakland. Teams that don't have big TV money, don't draw three million people a year, can't afford enough good players to win consistently. These teams get behind the eight ball of bad draft choices when they are any good at all, and lose their good free agents as soon as the control years are up. So it takes decades before they time it right and have controllable good young players mixed with a few stars before their free agent years and can actually win something over the large market teams. (Hello KC!) And then of course they can't sustain it. (Hello again KC!)

Think how exciting it would be if the deck got shuffled every year or so and more of these teams had a chance?

Offense: 2*...near the bottom of baseball in most categories. (Except first in steals with 181!) Not enough lefties in the lineup. They have one good hitter...He Who Must Not Be Named! They also have Jonathon Villar, who hit .285 with 19 dingers and 62 steals.

Defense: 2*...the lowest fielding percentage in baseball...point 978.

Starters: 1 1/2*...space fillers that will be released or traded as soon as younger pitchers can be fed to the flames. All right handed too.

Bullpen: 1 1/2*...unproven arms with bad numbers.

Leadership: 1*...they waited too long to start the rebuild. The Cubs, Indians and White Sox showed you how, Milwaukee...why wait? They will trade anybody who is worth anything and field a depressing team that will lose 100 games at least in this tough division.

8*: FOURTH PLACE!

5^th place... CINCINNATI

Baseball needs a good team in C-town, the first city to ever field a true, ongoing professional baseball team. That would be the Red Stockings of 1869. Ten players paid for eight months March 15 to November 15. Long may they be remembered!

I already bleated out my sullen small market protests in the Milwaukee segment so I'll shut up...except...the Reds finally traded Brandon Phillips!! 4 years too late!!

Offense: 2*...God knows what it would be without Joey Votto. Maybe ½ a star? They also have Adam Duvall who hit 33 homers and Sliding Billy Hamilton who had 58 steals.

One question: How did Votto hit .326 in that lineup? How did he get 97 rbi's? Why did anybody ever pitch to him? I think Joey has an outside chance of hitting .400 in a season if he could get on a good team with some protection. He hit .408 in the second half. His season OBP was .434 and he slugged .550. That means he doesn't swing at bad pitches and he can hit it long enough to back up the outfielders. He's also fast enough to beat out some hits and when they shift on him he can go to left with ease. His ego doesn't require him to combat the shift by pulling everything.

Defense: 3*...Duvall and Hamilton were Gold Glove finalists.

Starters: 1/2*...the Reds used 52 players last season and a whole lot of them were pitchers. 5 starting pitchers made their Major League debuts. Their only solid starter...Homer Bailey...is hurt AGAIN. This is a bad bad staff. Maybe these youngsters will improve but last season they gave up the most homers (258), most walks (636) and hit batters (78) in all of baseball. That, my friends, is a disaster.

Bullpen: 1/2*... as bad as the rotation. Most homers, most walks, most runs allowed. You get the picture. They don't seem to have improved in the off-season. Whatever starters blow up will be tried in the bullpen and then sacrificed on top of an Aztec pyramid.

Leadership: 1*...time for a new front office. These guys aren't getting anywhere.

7*: FIFTH PLACE! (How about a playoff series between the Reds and the Padres?)

NL EAST

It's getting pretty boring watching the Nationals and the Mets doing their little dance every year. Wouldn't it be great if Florida came up with a pitcher or two and surprised everyone? How about Atlanta's rookies suddenly becoming superstars and leading the Bravos to victory? The Philly Phoenix rising into the stratosphere?

Oh boy...if only. It's going to be the Nats and the Mets for another year. Whichever team gets hit by the injury goblins less will win.

1^st place...WASHINGTON

They've lacked the killer instinct the last few years to say the least. They seemed resigned when they choked two years ago and then couldn't beat the Dodgers in the clutch last year. Harper has to play bigger than his hairdo.

Offense: 4*...if everybody stays healthy for a whole season, which is doubtful if recent seasons are any indication. But Eaton, Turner, Harper, Murphy, and Rendon are impressive up top. (*note: Turner is hurt...for how long and how bad not sure...should be back in a couple weeks but it's his leg and he's a “leg” man.)

Defense: 3 1/2*...really pretty good if you ignore Daniel Murphy on second...he's really bad. Norris is second in the majors among catchers in defensive runs saved (and how they figure it I don't know!).

Starters: 4*...would be higher if they had any depth. Scherzer, Strasburg, Roark, Gonzalez and Ross...pretty damn good. If only Strasburg stays healthy! Scherzer right up there with Kershaw and Bumgarner as the best in the league.

Bullpen: 2*...a real trouble spot unless they get creative with a trade. But of course they blew their wad on the Eaton trade and lost all their minor league pitching depth. Now they are naked and exposed. (the Miley Cyruses of the League!)

Leadership: 3 1/2*...even though he bugs me sometimes with his whimsical in-game decisions I have to hand it to Dusty Baker: the players love him and play hard for him. His sense of humor is refreshing in a game that sometimes takes itself too seriously. But he hasn't had the same effect on his team of Sourpusses that Dave Roberts has had on the Dodger Discontents.

17*: FIRST PLACE!

2^nd place...NEW YORK METS

Oh, the Metskies! What a Teasin' Team! They play like world beaters one week and then curl up into a little ball of Puny the next. This team has no defense, a limited offense that depends on the home run (and especially Yoenis Cespedes) and lives and dies on its starting pitching, which is extraordinary when and if all these superstud Aces in waiting aren't tweaking their fragile elbows.

Healthy Mets? A major threat to win it all. DL Mets? Thud.

Offense: 3 1/2*...if healthy! (Broken record, I know.) 5^th in homers in the majors, but middle to bottom in most other offensive categories. (23rd OBP, 25th runs, 28^th steals etc.) Long ball hitters Duda, Cabrera, Granderson, Bruce, Walker and Conforto ...not to mention Cespedes...give them enough pop to win, but they are like Houston without an Altuve...no high averages, lots of strikeouts.

Defense: 2*...definitely weak in this category. Average outfielders except for Granderson. Cespedes throws lasers but he's really sloppy at catching the ball and misreads routes all the time. Conforto is similar. Jay Bruce is a pro but he's aging to play the big field at Citi. Ordinary to below average all over the infield. Catcher also a problem.

Starters: 4 1/2*...three full Aces on the squad: Syndergaard, Harvey and DeGrom. Zach Wheeler a Number 2 on most clubs. Matz is hurt. A lot of their back-ups are hurt now too...even this early in the season they are vulnerable. If the Aces start getting fragile again like they did last year you can start deducting stars. Gsellman is an exciting talent and could be pressed into service as the 5^th starter.

Bullpen: 2 1/2*...uh-oh. A very shaky bullpen got hit with the double whammy early this season when Lugo went down. The closer, Familia, beat on his woman and is suspended for a few more weeks. Will it affect his performance? Addison Reed has to be the stopper now.

Leadership: 3*...I know people like Terry Collins. He's a nice guy and everything but he's the oldest manager in baseball. I think he mishandles his bullpen. Management is good when they aren't being stressed by money problems. They sure have a good scouting system to pick up all these stud pitchers. On field they need a leader now that David Wright is hurt. Jay Bruce helps and Cespedes is an inspirational offensive force who has long dry spells.

15 1/2*: SECOND PLACE!

3^rd place...MIAMI

A star-crossed team. Jose Fernandez carried the rotation and his death was a terrible tragedy. The Marlins might have been a contender if he had lived. Stanton has played more than 123 games in only one of the last four seasons. He's the scariest power hitter in baseball when he's right. Dee Gordon was tearing up the league until he got busted for “enhancements”. That was another tough hit for the Marlins.

Offense: 3 1/2*...despite finishing 4^th in MLB in average the Marlins were at the bottom in everything else except on-base (13^th with .322) and steals (19^th with 71) This must be a result of their humongous ballpark because the Fish have offensive weapons up and down the lineup. Start with one of the best outfields in the majors: Stanton, Ozuna and Yelich. Add Dee Gordon and Martin Prado and 1b Justin Bour. Ichiro is on the bench whenever you need a hit. The Fish can compete.

Defense: 3*...nothin' special but solid.

Starters: 1*...it's a bitter pill. They don't have much. Wei-Yin Chen and Edinson Volquez are being counted on...too much probably.

Bullpen: 3 1/2*...potentially dominant. Big arms but a few too many walks last year. A.J.Ramos closes. Phelps, Barraclough, McGowan, Ziegler and Tazawa. They are deep and dangerous.

Leadership: 3 1/2* I think Mattingly is a better fit with the Fish than with the Dodgers as a manager. He is a steady hand right now, and the bruised hearts of the Marlins should respond. Martin Prado is their captain and on-field leader.

I hope they do well this year.

14 1/2*: THIRD PLACE!

4TH PLACE...ATLANTA

A rebuilding team that is getting closer to respectability but is not there yet. They moved to their new stadium this year and that should give them a psychological boost. They won't win anything yet. IN TWO YEARS WATCH OUT.

Offense: 3*...because of Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp and Ender Inciarte the Braves are not helpless. Dansby Swanson should be a better hitter this year and he already hit.302 for the Braves. He's still officially a rookie.

Defense: 2*...near the bottom of the Majors. Inciarte is a Gold Glover in center. Matt Kemp is a statue in left now. Infield caretakers at third and second.

Starters: 3*...young arms augment Ace Julio Teheran (4 to 1 K/BB ratio). They went out and hired Bartolo Colon and A.J.Dickey to give some veteran presence and comic relief.

Bullpen: 2*...we will be a'building. Jim Johnson is the closer. Mauricio Cabrera averaged over 100mph per pitch. Not very good control-wise though.

Leadership: 2 1/2*...Brian Snitker? Where did he come from to become the manager? He's been a loyal soldier in their organization for years and they think he's the one to lead the Braves back to Heaven. They've got a stocked system now and can build around Freeman and Swanson.

12 1/2*: FOURTH PLACE!

5^th place...PHILADELPHIA

Should compete with the Braves for fourth place but their pitching is more screwed up so I rank them last.

Offense: 1 1/2*...they have some good players but how can I rank them higher when they finished last or next to last in all of MLB in batting (.240), total bases, slugging, OBP, OPS, runs, RBIs...

Defense: 2*...they squeak by as almost average because of their stellar keystone combo, Freddy Galvis (ss) and Cesar Hernandez (2b), and center fielder Odubel Herrera. Pretty bad everywhere else.

Starters: 2 1/2*...Hellickson is the Number One and he had a 3.71 ERA and a 3-1 K/BB ratio. Jerad Eickhoff was a surprise at 3.65 and 4 to 1. They traded for Boston's Clay Bucholz and...wouldn't you know it...Clay tore something in his forearm in his second start. (His career just couldn't stay on track. Poor guy.) Aaron Nola also struck out 4 for every guy he walked. Vince Velasquez has the biggest upside on the staff. With some support, these guys aren't the worst rotation you've seen.

Bullpen: 1*...here is where it all falls apart. Their bullpen ERA was 5.01 which is truly horrendous for a bullpen. They gave up 86 homers! A few space fillers were added, but no proven lefties at all. The Phils will lose a lot of games late.

Leadership: 3*...once they get the core ready they have the cash to go get free agents and get good again. Philly will support a good team but they have to wait a couple of more years.

10*: FIFTH PLACE!

The National League is in a static condition with a few super teams running the show up top and everybody beating up on the 5 rebuilding clubs. That will surely change in coming seasons but this year it looks like:

East: Washington

Central: Chicago

West: L.A.

Wild Cards: San Francisco, St. Louis

Chicago and L.A. Will play for the pennant again and this time...L.A. Wins it!

MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

Cy Young: Madison Bumgarner

So there you have it. My next blogs will be much shorter I hope! Hold me responsible for all your betting mistakes.

May Spring baseball bring you much Joy!

--Marco