Don't Look Now...Baseball Season is Here!

By Trey Cosby

Now that the college basketball season has passed, as we wait for the NBA playoffs, another exciting time of year is here, and I for one can’t wait to see how the 2008 Major League Baseball season is going to pan out.  There are several teams who really went gung-ho to try and bolster their rosters this off-season, so the pennant races are going to be very tight all year long.  Some teams went for youth; some went for starting pitching, while still others went for young hitters and speed.  There is no perfect formula when you are building a team, you just have to go after the best mix of young and old that is going to fit your specific team.  Especially in the National League, where teams across the board went after free agents who they think will help their teams get over the top.

You have to start with the Mets, who won the sweepstakes concerning the number one pitcher in baseball right now, Johann Santana.  If the Mets can get solid contributions out of John Mayne, Pedro Martinez and Santana, then you would have to say they are the favorites to come out of the National League East.  However, Martinez is out with an injury right now, and the Mets look a bit out of synch.

 That opens the door for teams like the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Braves and the Phillies both look very good on paper.  The Braves have added centerfielder Mark Kotsay and several pitchers to the 2008 lineup.  The key acquisition has been bringing back pitcher Tom Glavine, who has been with the Mets for the past five years.  If Glavine can return to top form in 2008, then the Braves stand a good chance of staying with both the Mets and Phillies.  With the addition of Mark Texiera playing for an entire year this time around, the Braves could very well be the team to beat if the Mets falter or the Phillies go into a hitting slump.

If right-fielder Jeff Francouer and catcher Brian McCann can return to form in 2008, then this could be the year for the Braves once again.  Now that the bullpen is healthy again, and the starters look like they are ready to take charge on the mound as in years past, it could be a special team of winners similar to the teams of the 1990s.  Having Tim Hudson, John Smoltz and the aforementioned Glavine anchoring the pitching staff, the Bravos stand a wonderful chance of making it to the World Series this year.  Technically speaking, they are loaded at every position with plenty of men to spare.  Staying away from injury will be important, but if they can do that, they will certainly give the entire National League a tough time.

In the American League, you have the perennial powerhouses The Boston Red Sox and The New York Yankees battling each other in the East division once again.  Both teams will come to play again this year and it looks like the A’s out of Oakland, the Angels out of Anaheim, and the Orioles out of Baltimore are going to give each of them all that they can handle as we head into the middle of April.  As it stands right now, the Red Sox look like a very good choice if you are picking who you think might end up in the World Series.  They are loaded when it comes to closing the door in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings, and the wood bashing nucleus of Big Papi, Manny Ramirez  and Mike Lowell will scare the life out of most opposing pitchers.  Throw in the fact that the Sox have the best starting rotation in baseball, and you have the recipe for repetition when you are talking about another World Series Champion.

Spoken in plain English, the Red Sox basically have no weaknesses.  Teams might be able to get to them by knocking around their starters in the beginning of the year, but when those starters get back into rhythm, and they hit their stride in mid-May, then all takers better watch out!  This baseball team is just flat out scary!  They too, must avoid injuries just like the Braves, but if they can do the same thing, then I would pencil in a World Series of Boston vs. Atlanta. 

Based on the fact that Boston has played in very pivotal playoff games in the past five years, and the Braves haven’t played in any, then I would say the Red Sox would be the favorite if the two were to meet in the World Series.  The Braves are still learning how to win.  They have not been a mainstay in the National League Playoffs since the 1990s.  This team is fighting tooth and nail to earn respect once again, whereas the Red Sox are respected by everyone!

On paper, the two teams look like carbon copies of each other.  The main difference would be the fact that the Sox have the proven closer, and the Braves are looking for Soriano to fill that role.  It will be interesting to see how the year plays out.  If both teams can get strong starting pitching, timely hitting, and they both play good defense, the fans in both Boston and Atlanta could have some things to cheer about.