The Carlson Corner

33ish

2008-02-13T00:31:52Z

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?

The cold before the season

2008-02-10T13:42:51Z

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.

One week left

2008-02-09T02:13:37Z

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?"

6 Teams With Something To Prove

2008-01-20T13:31:43Z

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.

6 Teams With Something To Prove

2008-01-18T02:25:23Z

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.

My January Surprise's...Good and Bad

2008-01-14T17:37:27Z

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.

The worst time of the year

2008-01-13T13:29:17Z

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.

The Calendar Has Turned

2008-01-02T20:59:34Z

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."

My Last Mitchell Report Posting

2007-12-26T14:17:55Z

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.

Now seems as fitting a time as any...

2007-12-19T13:12:37Z

...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?

The League Championship Series

2007-10-09T12:43:49Z

Well, I was pretty off on the postseason so far, but I figure I will give it one more shot during the ALCS and NLCS. Now that everything is set, lets take a look. The LCS' kick off Wednesday with the NLCS. How well are both these teams playing right now? Colorado is just sick. I only hope the 4 days off won't hurt them. The Diamondbacks have simply gone about business all year, and done so with little notice. I think this is a pretty evenly balanced series, but at the end of the day I really like Colorado to keep winning. Hopefully this one goes 7 though.

In the ALCS I see things a little different. The Red Sox and Indians are both good teams, but I really like the Red Sox. I picked them to win it all, so I see no reason to go off of them now. I think the series will be entertaining, but at the end of the day I just think the Red Sox win this thing in 6. I hope this is a fun series, but the Red Sox are just the better team.

Settle in though, as I don't think either series will be dominated by one team.

One game left

2007-10-08T15:47:08Z

So TBS has to be concerned about the NLCS match-up, considering nobody outside of Denver or Phoenix will actually watch the games. And Fox has to be salivating over the prospects of getting New York V. Boston again. Even so, Boston is a draw in itself and Cleveland has a growing fan base throughout the upper Midwest, so it is not a total loss.

One down...

2007-10-07T00:41:04Z

The Cubs became the first team to go down tonight. Cub fans had the "well at least we made it" excuse dusted off the other day though. Lou managed them out of game 1, Ted Lilly showed the poise of a 7 year old in game 2, and Chris Young silenced the crowd before many of them even got there in game 3...who's the next out?

The Postseason

2007-10-02T11:25:15Z

Again, MLB has worked their magic, ensuring that many games will not be watched by fans in a teams market, much less out of it. Are you serious? When will they learn that fans-young and old-cannot be expected to wait up until 10PM or later, local time, to see a game. That being said, playoff baseball is upon us. And we all know, there are no better playoffs than baseball playoffs. So here goes...

NLDS (Keep in mind, the 5 game series is stupid and gives no advantage to the better team in any case)

Cubs V. Arizona

Do Cub fans get good Z or bad Z? That's the difference in this series. The Cubs have underachieved all season, and I think it is fair to say the D-Backs have overachieved, albeit just a little. This is a talented team all around, but I just don't think they are as good as the Cubs. The Cubs, to win, need two things--Zambrano to not **** and their starters in all games to get the ball to the 7th. If the Cubs get down early and have to rely on their bullpen for long stretches, they will be in trouble. The D-Backs need a win in game 1, from their ace. If they need a Doug Davis victory to even the series, it will be tough. As much as it pains me, I like the Cubs in 4.

Phillies V. Rockies

The parks are goofy...their respective playoff runs are improbable. Holliday and Rollins will finish 1-2 in MVP voting (not sure which order though), Helton will be taking his first postseason AB's, and former Cub great LaTroy Hawkins will be playing. This is an interesting series to say the least. The Rockies are playing the best of any team right now, but the Phillies have a bit more talent. All in all, I am excited for this series, and maybe more so than any other series. I am going to jump on the bandwagon of the team that wins this series, but in this series I just pray for close games. From a purely baseball perspective, this will be fun. At the end of the day though, I like the Phillies in 5.

ALDS

Yankees V. Indians

The Yankees are good. From where they were, to where they are is impressive. Its not like the Indians are a bad team either though. They won the AL Central, which is not an easy division to say the least. This series, more than the rest, is going to be the most impacted by the 5 game format. I really believe the Yankees have more talent, but CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona are, arguably, the most deadly 1-2 punch in the playoffs. It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that I like the Indians in 4.

Angels V. Red Sox

This is an interesting series as well. Both these teams are capable of winning the whole thing for sure. They also both have their issues. I have just never been sold on the Angels starting pitching, and the Red Sox bullpen, over the second half of the season, has had its issues. Plus you have so many talented, but old players on these teams and it will be interesting to see what kind of shape they are all in. This series could be a blood bath, and I am looking forward to it. At the end of the day, I think a team that gets to throw Beckett two times is better than a team that gets to throw Lackey two times. Although, I don't think either will appear two times, as I say Red Sox in 4.

Moving on...

Cubs over the Phillies in the NLCS and the Red Sox over the Indians in the ALCS. In an MLB wet dream series, I like the Red Sox in 5 over the Cubs.

WOW

2007-09-26T23:47:14Z

Does anyone else think it is odd that no NL teams have actually locked up their post-season spot? I personally enjoy it, and think it is great for the game. However in the AL, the Yankees are about to wrap up the last spot in the AL--Wild Card or Division still undecided...