NL East Preview

The NL East was an electric division last year. The New York Metropolitans dethroned the Atlanta Braves of their dominance in the division and were only a curveball away from making it to the World Series. This year it is clear though that the Braves (although improved) won’t be back on top. The two best clubs in the East are the Mets and Phillys. Both have great bats and solid rotations. One defining difference however is Billy Wagner the Mets closer who can always be banked on in the clutch. The rest of the division (Braves, Marlins, and Nationals) will take a backseat role this year as the top two teams battle it out. Lets see how it looks.

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AL West Season Preview

After writing a combined 3,052 words for my AL East and AL Central previews, and because I lack much interest in the AL West, I’ll keep this one short and simple. In my personal opinion, the AL West is the second worst division in the majors, just ahead of the NL West. But, it does posses a legitimate World Series contender in the Los Angeles Angels (Sports Illustrated even picked them to win the World Series). Oakland is also poised to make another run at the division title, as they did not lose much from last seasons’ team, who made it all the way to the ALCS. The Rangers could see improved success in 2007, as they made some bold moves in the off-season. The Mariners could be the surprise in the West, as they stockpiled on pitching, but the lack of an impact player and a dominant pitcher will quickly see their hopes of a possible wild card finish disappear in the thick Seattle fog. Alright, enough, let’s break this bad boy down.

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Quote of the Day

I just couldn’t resist…

“Was that one of the more satisfying dumps you’ve had?”

– Sideline reporter Suzy Shuster to Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan after he was doused with Gatorade

AL Central Season Preview

The AL Central is the best division in baseball. With four teams that have the chance to make legitimate playoff runs, and the other team who possess some of the most highly touted prospects in years, this division will be fun to watch this season. For most of last year, Minnesota, Detroit, and the then defending world champion Chicago White Sox, battled it out for a chance to claim the division and the wild card berth. In the end, it was Minnesota, who had both the Cy Young Award winner (Johan Santana) and the MVP winner (Justin Morneau), finished one game ahead of the Detroit Tigers to claim the division. Detroit’s magical season did not end prematurely, though, as they made it all the way to the World Series. The White Sox were left out of the playoff pictured, even though they had a better record than 9 out of the 14 teams in the American League. The top three teams in the AL Central each had 90 or more wins, a feat that was not matched by any other division in baseball. And this year, with an up-and-coming Cleveland Indians ball club, the AL Central may be the division to watch in the 2007 season. Let’s break it down.

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Photo of the Day

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Ohio State center Greg Oden (20) and teammate Ivan Harris (3) walk on to the court for their final practice before taking on Georgetown in their Final Four semifinal basketball game. The Buckeyes and Hoyas tip off at 6:07 pm at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Quote of the Day

The 1st ever Quote of the Day is drawn from Bill Simmons’ QOTD archive on ESPN.com. Most of the quotes we use will come from The Simmons Vault. Today’s selection goes along well with our MLB season preview.

“Because I want to have my arm in good shape, I need to have my legs in good shape. Without a leg, there is no arm.”

– Pedro Martinez

AL East Season Preview

The AL East has been, and still is, synonymous with two teams. If you don’t know who these teams are, you cannot call yourself a true sports fan (you cannot call yourself a sports fan for that matter), and I ask you to please leave this website (I’ll give you a hint though: One team is from New York, one team from Boston; they hate each other’s guts; and the team from Boston is normally the one who suffers the most, which is much deserved). Yes, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have been the poster boys of the AL East since the days of Babe Ruth and Harry Frazee (yeah, that guy who sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees). The two continually compete for the division title and normally finish 1st and 2nd in the Division (though last year Boston placed 3rd, their lowest placing in 9 seasons) and have played each other in 2 of the past 4 American League Championship Series. And once again this year, these two teams will battle it out for the division and possibly the pennant. The Blue Jays, while they a have solid baseball team, never seem to get the best of the Yankees or Sawks. The Orioles have a well-rounded lineup, but their pitching flat-out sucks. And the Devil Rays. Those poor ol’ boys from Florida. They have about as good a shot of winning the division as…well, lets just say they have no shot of winning. So, I’ll quit the babbling and break down the division.

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Photo of the Day

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Michigan senior forward Brent Pettway gets creative with his hair by shaving in his number and a basketball player (someone say Air Jordan?) Pettway was competing in the Slam Dunk and Three Point Championships, which are part of the Final Four festivities in Atlanta. Pettway finished second in the dunk contest, which was held at Georgia State.

NL Central Preview

This division could be highly competative especially because it houses the reigning World Series Champion, The St. Louis Cardinals. The rest of the division will be looking for revenge and attempting to dethrone the current kings of the MLB.

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NL West Preview

The NL West race to the finish last year was one of the best because of the equality amonst the teams. This division isn’t privee to putting up big numbers in the wins column and usually comes down to which team has the heart in the final stretch of the season. This year will have a different ring to it though. The bottom half of the division is clearly a notch or two bellow the top tier.

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