The Twins have experienced a tremendous amount of loss this year for sure.  They had to trade Santana and they lost Torri Hunter and Carlos Silva to free agency, and those are just the off-season moves.  After the success this team enjoyed-although they should have twice gotten to a World Series and failed both times (in 2002 I felt they were better than the Angels and in 2006 they were better than Oakland-losing both times)-they are clearly stretching for something this coming season.  Going into the 2008 with a starting rotation that can barely drink would have any team scared.  The Twins tried to answer some of those questions today, although did they go a bit too far?  Signing the "33" year old Livian Hernandez certainly helps, but is it enough to allow them to compete in the brutal AL Central?

With only a few days left until pitchers and catchers report, it seems only fitting that those of us in the Chicago area are about to go face to face with the coldest week of the winter.  It seems this is an annual thing-the cold before the season.  Cold happens, but it is a refreshing cold this time of year, because in just a few days, when we all turn on Sportscenter the lead story will be about baseball. 

I am not certain there is anything more romantic, with Valentine's Day just around the corner, than seeing grown men throw a ball back and forth for no reason other than they can.

Just about one week left until opening and I am pretty **** excited.  For the first time in a few years, I do not have tremendously high expectations for the Cardinals though.  That said I am still jazzed about the upcoming season. Is there anything better than hearing everyone else say, "Pitchers and Catchers?"

So I am a day behind on this, but here is the conclusion to my 6 Teams With Something To Prove.  Recall my NL teams with something to prove were the Phillies, Cubs and Padres.  I thought it was a pretty easy call in the National League, but in the AL it is much more difficult, so let's get it going:

AL East-It's much easier to talk about the one team with nothing to prove, and that's the Orioles.  They are bad, and not going to get any better.  Certainly any one of the other teams have something to show.  The Rays need to show they can play, the Jays need to show they can play with the big boys, the Yankees need to show they can get back to the World Series, and the Red Sox need to sustain greatness.  I'll give the Sox a pass as World Champions and the Yankees a pass with new leadership in place.  The teams I feel has to prove the most is Toronto.  The Blue Jays have talent and have spent some money, but it is time for them to make that move to 90 plus wins and being in the post-season mix annually.

AL Central-Hmmm...the Tigers or the Indians?  The Tigers had the best off-season of any team for sure, adding not only talent, but talent who has won.  The Tribe ended the year on such a sour note though.  With that in mind I am going with the Indians having the most to prove.  There is a deep team who had the Red Sox down to their last game, but couldn't close the deal.  Not only do they have to win the division, but they have to actually close the deal in the postseason.

AL West-This is a no brainer for me, as the Angels have been and will be the best team in the West.  It seems like an eternity ago they won their World Series, and now is as good a times as any to take the next step and get back to the World Series.  Unfortunately for them, I still think they are at best the fifth best team in the American League...prove me wrong.

Which one team in each division has something to prove and why?  Read my thoughts on the NL today and my AL thoughts coming Saturday:

NL East-The easy answer is the Mets.  After the way they dropped off at the end and blew a huge lead, they need to come back and show everyone how great they are.  Of course the easy answer never seems to be the right answer, and this is no exception.  The team which needs to show something this year has to be the Phillies.  Philly finished with a flourish and then went out with a whimper in the post season.  Of course making the playoffs was a big step, but this club should have been in the playoffs the past couple of seasons and grossly underachieved.  Certainly there are questions with the bullpen, but a lineup with Rollins, Utley and Howard in it will produce runs-especially in that goofy ballpark.  This team needs to be near the front from start to finish and really rise to the top or face total breakup come the deadline.

NL Central-Certainly you could say the Brewers, but they are still a developing club so you can forgive them.  The Cardinals dominated the division for so long, and while I would like to see them atop the Central all year, there are certainly no expectations.  In the Central, I am going with the Cubs-the easy answer.  The Central is not a very good division, and the Cubs were the one team who could have really spent money this off-season, but chose not to.  Of course they did sign Fukudome, but they are still relying on pitchers who need to overachieve again, a defense that may or may not be able to catch the ball, as well as a few players who seem to like being injured more than being healthy.

NL West-For my money, without question it is San Diego.  I thought, on paper, they were the best team in the game last year.  Of course that's why I blog here and will never be inducted in the writers wing or anything.  Certainly they have a question or two, but there are few players on that roster who are not at worse, consistent.  The additions of Iguchi and Edmonds filled some hole's they had, but working Mark Prior into the rotation certainly is not going to be easy.  Additionally the West is the most difficult division in baseball for my money, even more so than the AL East simply because there is talent and balance.

I will be posting my season predictions just before the season, like I always do.  However I thought its never to early to look ahead at what some of the more pleasant surprises of the 2008 season may be.

-The Rays will actually be able to compete.  Certainly do not get me wrong, I am not suggesting they will run away with the East, or even be in the wild-card race, but certainly for an organization which has never won more than 70 games, the chances of a .500% season and a potential third place finish (albeit they are still not as good as the Jays will be) ought to put some people in the seats for the late season games.

-Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis will NOT live up to their 2007 performances.  These are two guys who have been serviceable throughout their careers, but overachieved last year.  Ted Lilly is more likely to repeat what he did last year, and clearly he was a big reason for their success, but I still am not certain he is worth the confidence Cub fans are placing in him.

-The Red Sox will go undefeated.  Not really, but for all I read about their lack of depth in certain spots, they still are pretty **** good.  Between them and the Tigers, I am not sure anyone else can compete in the American League.

-And this last one isn't much of a shock, but Ozzie Guillen will punch a reporter or a pitcher during a change.  I really mean it.  The guy is on the verge of totally losing it.

There you have it.  Let's see what happens.

Like so many of you, I am a fan of all sports.  I have never hidden my passion for horse racing and my love of the Bears, but there is a special place in most of our hearts for Baseball.  That is what makes this next month or so my last favorite time of year.  With the Bears long out of the post-season picture, the days of spring are something I am waiting with nervous excitement for. 

Unfortunately it is only January, and an entire month until pitchers and catchers report-even longer until spring games actually begin-meaning the sports abyss is upon us.  The days are long, and hope continues to grow, but it cannot come soon enough.  Until then I will have to fill the days with baseball movies, vintage games, and of course a bit of horseplay.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a lot of sports.  I am an avid Bear and Blackhawk fan, as well as a horse player, but it's right about this time-after the calendar turns-that I become increasingly excited about what is about to happen.  In just a few short months, we will be able to spend the days at the local bar (and the week before opening day is when a new BW's is scheduled to open right down the street from me) watching the greatest game ever.  It is certainly still to early to begin predicting anything, but it is not to early to start looking forward to being able to predict things.  I also find myself, right about this time, beginning to watch baseball movies and documentaries more often.  In fact tonight, I think I will head home from the office and watch "Bull Durham," or maybe "The Sandlot."

Throughout the last year or so, many of us have touched on-at least with some regularity-the Steroid Investigation in MLB.  I have never hidden my feelings that the report is pretty bogus, and there are serious flaws in the system.

Among them, a person with a financial interest in a team heading the investigation.  None the less, MLB did need to do something and you have to credit them for trying-regardless of how flawed the report is.

That of course is the $64K question...how flawed is the report?  I am confident the information in the report, as it has been laid out, is accurate.  There was such a desire by the players union (with a little change being a good thing from time to time, maybe now would be a good time for them to consider moving Don Fehr elsewhere) to not allow players to talk to the investigators, and with MLB continuing to do everything except own up to their portion of the responsibility, there is no way of ever knowing how tainted the Mitchell report is. 

I am not usually the guy who advocates for government investigations, but I think the US Congress should bring in anyone who appeared in a Major League game between 1990 and 2007 and see what shakes out.  Then maybe everyone involved on a league and union level will be forced to actually make changes that impact the game.

...to jump back into the blogosphere.  With the Mitchell Report having just past, and Pitchers & Catchers only a few months away, I thought today would be as good as any to re-introduce myself to the bloggers at MLBlogs!

I trust everyone has had a pleasant offseason thus far-particulary those in Red Sox Nation.  While my Cardinals failed in their attempts to join the playoff party, I must say I still have enjoyed my offseason.  For those who are still out and about, and doing a little blogging, I though I would get re-aquinted by asking a simple question-what one thing about your team are you most looking forward to this coming season?