Bleacher Report - Articles by John Botelho

Angels in the Outfield: A Tragedy Turned Miracle for Jonathan Wilhite

John Botelho — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:11:34 -0500

Last week Mariano Rivera induced a Shane Victorino groundout that crowned the Yankees World Series Champions and officially put an end to the Major League Baseball season.

2009 was certainly a memorable one; there were steals of home, a perfect game and some historic pennant races down the stretch. At least one memory, though, isn’t a good one.

On April 9th, in just the first week of the MLB season, tragedy struck in a big way. After pitching six shutout innings against the A’s, easily the best start of Nick Adenhart’s young and promising career as an Angel , the 22-year-old made plans to celebrate with three friends. Just a block away from their destination, a drunk driver blew through a red light at 65 miles-per-hour, smashing into the car the four young adults were traveling in.

Courtney Stewart, the driver of the vehicle Adenhart was traveling in, was pronounced dead on the scene. Later that night, both Henry Pearson and Adenhart passed away at a nearby hospital.

The news of this terrible event sent waves of sadness and gloom over the families and friends of the victims, as well as the Angels organization, the entire MLB, and the country as a whole.

Three innocent people who should’ve had plenty more time on this planet had their lives torn away.

It was no surprise when a grieving Angels organization canceled the team’s game the next night. There was a much bigger and completely unforeseen surprise coming though, and from it perhaps the most memorable and touching moment of the '09 season.

The fourth passenger in Stewart’s car was 24-year-old Jonathan Wilhite. During the accident, Wilhite suffered substantial injuries including internal decapitation. Wilhite’s skull separated from his spine and was left attached to his body by only skin and muscle.

That injury kills 95 percent of the people who suffer it immediately. Of the other 5 percent, most victims end up passing in the hospital, or paralyzed in a wheel chair and hooked up to a ventilator for their remaining days.

Not Wilhite.

No, the former Cal-State Fullerton catcher survived the long odds of the injury. He survived the intensive 30-person, five-hour surgery that followed and ultimately saved his life.

He battled hard with therapists to regain his life in the months that followed. He regained more motor skills than anyone could’ve imagined.

When the Angels squared off with the A’s on August 29th to make up the game canceled the night after the tragedy, he was even able to make the trip to Angel Stadium for the game.

In fact, not only was he there but he was honored by the Angels, and in turn able to honor his fallen friends. Wilhite took the mound before the game to throw out the first pitch. The Angels had fitted him with a custom made jersey sporting his name on the back.

It was the three black patches on the front though that might have meant the most that day. One patch had Adenhart’s #34 on it.

The other two had the initials of Stewart and Pearson. The crowd welcomed him to the mound with a standing ovation that didn’t subside until he left the field.

Wilhite delivered the ceremonial first pitch to his collegiate teammate and friend, A’s catcher Kurt Suzuki in front of a crowd that featured the families of Pearson, Stewart, and Adenhart.

He later talked about how he was never alone on the mound that day, as there were three others there with him.

Maybe those three have become Wilhite’s own Angels.

The miracle that is his life continues to grow each day as he gets more and more of his normal function back.

In fact, he plans to surf and snowboard as soon as his doctor gives him clearance because he wasn't willing to try those things during his playing days at Fullerton for fear of injury. As far as those playing days are concerned he’s even planning to return to the playing field and play in Fullerton's alumni game next year.

Most Valuable Debate: Figuring Out the AL MVP

John Botelho — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:46:15 -0400

As the Major League Baseball regular season winds down and the playoffs are in sight, an annual off-field discussion has already begun to grow.

The Baseball Writers of America pick the Most Valuable Player in both the American and National Leagues at the end of each season.

The National League MVP looks to be an obvious choice, as Albert Pujols has established himself as the best player in the senior circuit with another Ruthian (or at this point, Pujolsian) type of season. Sure Hanley Ramirez will receive attention for a remarkable offensive year—.353 batting average, 23 HR, 26 SB, 100 RBI, and 95 Runs scored—but with the Cardinals streaking towards the playoffs and Pujols approaching 50 homers, it would be a safe bet that the St. Louis first baseman should clear some room on his mantle.

In the American League, however, the choice isn’t nearly as cut and dry. There’s a slew of Yankees that have catapulted the Bronx nine to another AL East crown after putting together incredible 2009 campaigns, a pair of Twins who have become usual suspects in the MVP race, and several Red Sox who have the Boston fans gearing up for another October filled with baseball.

As a Red Sox fan, I wish I could sit back and announce that my prediction of Jason Bay stepping right in as Boston’s next great left fielder, while winning the MVP was going to be a correct one. Despite being perhaps the most productive player in the hub this year (he’s leading the team in homers and RBI) a midseason funk that helped his average plummet for an entire month will ultimately cost him this honor. If Bay then doesn’t have much chance at winning the award, it would be hard to make any kind of serious argument for the other players on the roster, even if Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis put together years similar to 2008 (when Pedroia did win the honor).

Having eliminated anyone from Beantown for consideration, we’re left with some pinstripers and the duo that play their home games in the Metrodome. There is a member of each group that has claimed the award in the past and regularly are among the leading vote getters. Both players have set the bar a lot higher for their own production than the numbers of this year though, and Alex Rodriguez and Justin Morneau will have to sit back as someone else collects the award.

Realistically, we’re left with three candidates that could have a legitimate case for winning the award in the league that features the designated hitter. Mark Teixiera and Derek Jeter have led the way for the Bombers all year, while Joe Mauer stormed onto the season in May following an injury and hasn’t slowed down one bit.

Teixiera has been the Yankees' biggest run producer all season. His 37 homers (10 more than anyone else in New York) and 118 RBI (31 more) clearly establish him as a candidate for the award. What will cost him votes though is that he is a 1B, a position where top end production is expected. Also, compare his line to Jason Bay’s and its eerily similar. In fact the only reason Teixiera is receiving more consideration than the British Colombia native is that his batting average sits about 20 points higher. Even with the severe discrepancy in average though, the players are within five points of each other in OPS (on base plus slugging, a stat that measures the overall productivity of any hitter).

The final two candidates are enjoying career years and will likely each garner a number of first place votes.

Derek Jeter is hitting at a clip of .330 so far this year, good for fourth in the AL and second among shortstops in the MLB. He’s already scored more than 100 times and knocked 17 balls over the fence, while swiping 26 bases. Throw in the fact that he’s one hit away from 200 for the season, and his batting average, on-base, and slugging percentages are all higher this year than his career averages and it's easy to see why many New York fans and media members agree that Jeter deserves to add an MVP to his already impressive resume.

As good as his season has been though, there are a few areas that voters will consider when making their decisions. His OPS is at a very respectable .862. While this mark is near the top of the shortstop totem pole, it still ranks 49th in the MLB and eighth among full-time Yankees hitters. Voters will also recognize that his RBI total could be a lot higher given the productivity of the rest of the Yankees' lineup. The final thing voters will consider is how all of this compares to Mr. Mauer’s 2009 season.

Mauer missed all of April, but there isn’t another negative thing that could be said about his performance this year. As soon as he returned to the lineup, he began hitting for power and average and hasn’t significantly slowed down all year. As impressive as Jeter’s average looks, especially as a shortstop, Mauer’s dwarfs it. Mauer is the only AL catcher to ever win a batting title and looks like he’ll have his third when the season closes. Mauer’s .373 is ahead of Ichiro’s second place total by 19 points. AJ Pierzynski is the second best hitting catcher in the MLB this year at .309, and is the only other one over .300.

Mauer’s offensive production isn’t limited to an absurd batting average. He’s also leading the American League in both on-base and slugging percentage and only ranks behind the aforementioned Pujols in either category. No catcher in the history of baseball has ever lead either league in all three totals.

He’s also crushed 28 home runs and played Gold Glove defense, while keeping the Twins competitive in the AL Central. That last bit of information is probably the biggest indicator of why Mauer deserves the award considering the state of the Twins this year.

Consider that the Minnesota’s pitching staff has been in shambles; Scott Baker regressed, Kevin Slowey was lost to a season-ending injury before the All-Star break, and Francisco Liriano wasn’t even a shell of what he was a couple years back before an arm injury. Justin Morneau—the Twins only other premier run producer—has essentially been useless since Aug. 15 as he hit just .122 with two homers in a month before having the Twins shut him down due to a stress fracture. Despite all of this, the Twins sit just 2.5 games behind the Tigers for the division lead.

All of this makes the decision pretty clear for me. Joe Mauer should capture his first ever MVP award, while Derek Jeter has to settle for second place in the wake of putting together another Hall-of-Fame season in a Hall-of-Fame career.

A Fond Farewell

John Botelho — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:02:37 -0400

Many students are aware that the school year is in its final hour. While many underclassmen are getting ready to burn the midnight candle as they get ready for final exams and papers for the first time, other students are preparing to do it for the last time. While those same underclassmen will be returning to beaches and part time jobs, the students, or seniors, closing on commencement will look towards graduate school or turning their degrees into a full-time job. Knowing that many of my own friends will be those seniors not returning to campus next fall got me to thinking about farewells in other aspects of life, namely in the sporting world. Players retire from their careers in the sporting world every year. Some go out as future hall of famers, while others might win world championships. Though not every player can end their career with one of these things being true, it is easy to think of a number of athletes whose careers have ended in grand fashion. The following list is a countdown of the top-10 farewells – or retirements – the sporting world has seen.

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Springfield College's James Naismith Still Effecting Basketball

John Botelho — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:10:45 -0400

Throughout the school year, the Student sports editors have worked their way through the annals of legend and lore of Springfield College’s fine athletic history.

We’ve examined fifteen teams to date and found names attached to creation and innovation of sports, people enshrined in the school’s or sport’s halls of fame, as well as athletes and coaches alike who have rewritten record books during their careers.

This week, our focus turns to perhaps the most notable alum in SC’s illustrious sporting history, James Naismith.

Naismith’s name adorns the schools basketball court inside Blake Arena. The court is also emblazoned with “birthplace of basketball” as a result of him creating the game while teaching at Springfield (then the YMCA Training School) in 1891.

Harsh New England weather and a rowdy class of male athletes who didn’t take well to being cooped up indoors push Luther Gulick, the head of the Springfield YMCA Physical Education, to order Naismith to create a game that could be played inside and would cause an “athletic distraction.”

Gulick also gave Naismith a timeline of just 14 days to create such a game. In less than two weeks time, Naismith had laid the ground works for what we now know as basketball. His goal of creating a game similar to other popular sports of the day while minimizing contact lead to his creation of “Basket ball.”

He had combined aspects of rugby, lacross, soccer, football, and baseball and had outlawed running with the ball, or dribbling or hitting it because he found that is when the most contact took place in sports.

He also decided to put the goal in the air to further alleviate contact from happening. The first ever game of basketball was a nine on nine match up, featuring a soccer ball as opposed to what we know today as a basketball.

Additionally, the hoops were made of peach baskets. The players were not very excited but followed Naismith’s lead and played anyway.

The lack of excitement for the sport was short-lived. A year later the game had grown so much on campus that the school paper covered it’s popularity, and people wanted to name it “Naismith Ball,” a name which he adamantly refused.

In 1893, only two years after its invention, basketball was officially introduced in the YMCA movement. The sport continued to grow and develop, and by 1904 was even displayed at the Olympic Games.

In 1936, the sport became an official Olympic event for the first time. Since then the game has continued to grow and some of today’s biggest stars and icons have laced up their sneakers to play the game one of our own created on the campus of Springfield College.

Naismith’s impact on the game of basketball didn’t end with creating the sports. He also established the basketball program at Kansas University, now a division one power house. The JayHawks program has earned 37 NCAA tournament berths, advancing to 12 final fours while capturing two national titles.

In addition to starting one of the most elite athletic programs in NCAA history, Naismith also coached future hall of famer Adolph Rupp while there. Rupp is currently third all-time in coaching wins, and lead the University of Kentucky to four NCAA championships.

Like many of the other legends we’ve examined this year, Naismith has been honored for all of his accomplishments by a bevy of hall of fames. He was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the Ontario Sports Legends Hall of Fame, the McGill University Hall of Fame, as well as multiple others.

Though many of the ghosts of Alden Street are considered to be hall of famers in their given sports, none can lay the same claim that Naismith can.

The hallowed halls of basketball, like SC’s hoops court, are adorned with his name. The Naismith Hall of Fame opened in 1959 and has housed some of the greatest to ever be a part of the game including Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, and Isiah Thomas, and at the end of next summer, Michael Jordan.

In addition the hall being named for him, Naismith’s name is attached to quite a few other things in the basketball world. The NCAA rewards its best players and coaches annually with the Naismith Awards, or the Naismith College Player of the Year and the Naismith College Coach of the Year.

The game of basketball has continued to evolve and is one of the most popular sports on the planet and is played all over the globe. Lebron James and Kobe Bryant are some of America’s most recognizable celebrities. March Madness is of the biggest sporting events in the country ever year.

Without James Naismith, none of these things would be true. Naismith’s invention not only changed this school, but changed this country and even the world.

Naismith’s impact gets bigger each day, and his legend is one that should be celebrated with Pride, and be well-known throughout the entire Springfield College community.

Springfield College Powerlifting

John Botelho — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:05:41 -0400

Buried deep under the new field house is a room many people have never experienced. One would go past the track, down the stairs, and through the heavy maroon doors. Through those doors is a hallway that appears as if it could go on forever. A hint of music floats from open doors that look like you would need a taxi ride to reach them on the end of the hallway. Moving closer to the doors, past the life size images of All-Americans Chris Sharp and Jane Kelleher that are mounted on the wall on the right side of the hallway, the music grows louder, and is accompanied by more clatter of noise.

The grunting voices coupled with the clanging of weights are the first indication of what is going on through the doors. Once through the doors a group appears, covered in sweat and red in the face. They likely won’t notice anyone who walks in joining them after the long trip to what is the varsity weight room. Only, Monday through Friday from 7:30-9:15, and twice on Tuesday and Thursday this one particular group isn’t in there hitting the gym for off-season workouts.

This group is recognized on campus the same way ice hockey, rowing, and skiing are-as a club sport. The Powerlifting club though receives at least one special perk that other club teams do not. “We are the only club sport allowed to work out in {the varsity weight room},” said club president and founder, grad student Dan Jaffe.

He originally formed the idea of bringing a powerlifting club to the SC campus with sophomore Eric Discko, who serves as the club’s vice president. “The personal satisfaction of getting the club together, then garnering a following as we have over the past three semesters makes me ecstatic,” said Jaffe. “I can only imagine the potential a team like this has on a campus such as this. I said to the team at our first lift, we will become national competitors, and do our best to give schools like LSU and Texas A&M a run for their money. We’ve got the athletes (at Springfield) do it.”

The club has already started to take steps towards achieving some of that potentially that Jaffe is talking about. This past November a dozen lifters trekked across the state to the ACS Fitness Center in Abington, Mass to compete in a state powerlifting competition. The team finished 2^nd overall and had 11 competitors bring medals back to Alden Street. Additionally, the team had three of it’s lifters win state titles at the event. Allison Bradshaw, Evan Gross, and Mark Bruno each laid claim to a state crown.

The club plans to continue to grow and compete. Several it’s members will be competing in an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) event next weekend in Scituate, Mass. Three members of the team have also qualified for AAU Nationals in Smithfield, RI on April 21^st. Joining Jaffe at nationals will be Bradshaw as well as Chad Nelson.

The next time the whole team will enter a meet could be later this year. Jaffe is hoping that Springfield College can host an event of it’s own, bringing about 300 lifters to gym hidden away in the dungeons of the field house. “We’re hoping to host right before reading period and give people a chance to vent before they have to crack down,” said Jaffe.

Hosting a tournament could effect the club not only on campus, but on a potentially national and international level. “It would be through the AAU. I want it to be a national qualifier and a world qualifier,” said Jaffe.

Having the event on campus would mean that every single one of the club’s athletes would have the opportunity to compete. Having the more than 40 people on the roster all lifting at a qualifying event would open up greater possibilities of having people earn the right to attend those national and world events, also gaining exposure for the team and school.

Even though the team has athletes capable of competing with the nation’s best, Jaffe made it clear that any one of any skill is level is welcome and encouraged to join the club. He also pointed out that the lifters comer from a variety of backgrounds. “The roster is basically composed of half the rugby team, the whole wrestling team, some of the football players, and 20 or so individuals who don’t play a sport (at Springfield College). We also have lifters of all sizes, ranging anywhere from about 100 lbs to a little over 300.”

The team has been practicing all year. Practices consist of a warm up to change the core temperature then the team works on movement-specific dynamic flexibility for the various lifting events-squats and bench press are both included in this. The team also takes part in light plyometrics which help develop joint stabilization, balance, and coordination. The team then moves to a metabolic circuit, core work, and finishes up with “strong man” type of activities such as the fire-man carry. Jaffe can easily explain why these athletes go through these rigorous practices day in and day out, and what exactly they get out of it.

“It becomes obvious when someone works their heart out to get what they want, and when others just go through the motions and come up short. People, including other lifters, seem to have a pretty good sense of these things and will respond to it,” he said. “The camaraderie among both teammates and competitors alike is something I never thought possible. Even at competitions, other lifters will come up to congratulate you after a good lift, ask for advice, or even give some pointers of their own. At the NE Championships (in Abington), every single one of our lifters received huge recognition from all the other competitors.”

For Jaffe and the other 40 or so members of Springfield College’s powerlifting club, making the long journey to the depths of the field house is a frequent one. The repeated trips past the track and down the stairs, through the doors and along the length of that hallway have already helped the club find some success.

With any luck, those hallways will soon play host to lifters visiting from other schools for a competition as well as members of the SC community who have competed against the Tigers of LSU and the Aggies of Texas A&M.

Sobel, Pearsall Lead the Way for Springfield College at NEWMACS

John Botelho — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:59:24 -0400

The men’s swimming and diving team traveled to Norton, Mass last weekend hoping to duplicate the women’s championship efforts. Though they fell short in their bid for the NEWMAC crown, they did put forth an admirable showing and were able to return to campus with a number of things to be excited about.

On the diving board sophomore Brian Sobel continued to handle his competition as easily as Barack Obama does a speech. The Stratford, Conn native saved his best performance to date for the conference’s grandest stage.

Sobel’s weekend saw him complete dives that created new school, conference, and pool records as well as establishing the best score to date nationally.

The SC diver had already garnered conference diver of the week honors eight times, and was name the NEWMAC Diver of the Year after his performance at Wheaton College last weekend.

Sobel’s teammates have already taken notice of his immense talent.

“His dives are so complex you first wonder how and what he is doing and then you get amazed when enters the water perfectly, like a cat landing on its feet when dropped from any height,” said senior captain Greg Pearsall. “Sobel deserves every award he’s received, and more. He is a class act.”

Pearsall also sang appropriate praise for several of Sobel’s diving companions. “Sobel, (Matt) Fitzgerald, and (Tyler) Gunningsmith along with the diving staff headed by Pete Avdoulos are just amazing.

"It is an honor to be on the same team as these guys, and I can’t wait to see what they can do at the next level. They always find a way to wow me.”

Fitzgerald and Gunningsmith spent the weekend proving that SC’s diving program was as amazing as he advertised. The claimed the second and third spots, respectively, in the whole conference. With Sobel taking his place on top the best three divers in the NEWMAC all called their home pool the Linkletter Natatorium.

The team’s success wasn’t limited just to the divers. The swimmers-individuals and relays- enjoyed their share of success last weekend as well. Pearsall claimed the conference title in the 50 free with a time of 20.46.

The time registered as the third best in the country this year, and he automatically qualified for NCAA championships which will be held over spring break in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

His own success allowed the All-American to achieve a goal he had set for himself. “I have just always wanted to be at the top of podium ever since I started swimming here. It is a great honor and I can’t wait to represent SC in Minnesota,” said Pearsall.

Brian Way was another individual who realized incredible success in the racing lanes for the Pride. He won the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 1:54.33-which set a NEWMAC record and also qualified the freshman for NCAA “B” cuts, meaning he has a chance to join Pearsall in the pool for nationals.

Way also set a school mark in the 400 Indivdial Medley, again qualifying for the “B” cuts. The first year collegian has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with.

“People around the country are going to remember his name and they better watch out for him,” said Pearsall. “He has great goals and works very hard, which always results in great things.”

Additionally, the team saw relay success during the NEWMAC meet. The 200 medley team, made up of Ryan Mackstutis, Andrew Blakesly, Anthony Bruno, and Pearsall, finished third overall and also earned another “B” cut for the Pride.

The 200 free team of Pearsall, Mackstutis, Blakesly, and Matt Manoni took a second place finish while also earning a “B” cut.

The team finished third overall with 613 points. Finishing ahead of the Springfield College swimmer’s and diver’s were Coast Guard with 784.5 points, and conference champion MIT who recorded 1,030.

The team will find out at the end of the week how many of their “B” cut athletes will get the opportunity to join Pearsall, as well as Sobel, in representing SC in Minnesota.

Springfield College Alum Dominates For Big Red Machine

John Botelho — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:55:22 -0400

Our historical venture into the annals of Springfield College athletic lore has brought the lives and careers of star athletes and coaches, and those of founders and innovators of sport into the spotlight.

We have seen many athletes who made their legacy while passing, running, and jumping their way to glory on Alden Street, and this week we look at an athlete whose biggest successes came after he threw his final pitch for the Pride.

Wayne Granger pitched for Archie Allen’s SC baseball team in 1964. Despite underwhelming size, the St. Louis Cardinals still believed that Granger could be an effective Major League pitcher and signed him as an undrafted free agent in 1965.

He was assigned to their Carolina League affiliate and quickly established himself as a reliable pitcher for them.

The Springfield native spent the next couple of seasons working his way toward the big leagues, finally arriving on June 5, 1968 just three months after turning 22. He worked one inning and struck out two batters that day against the Houston Astros, all without allowing a baserunner.

He spent the rest of the season proving he deserved to be with the Cardinals, pitching 44 very effective innings. He finished the season with an ERA of just 2.25 and earned four wins and four saves for St. Louis.

The Cardinals finished the season with 97-65 record, the best in the National League, and the Cardinals won the NL pennant that October.

The team’s run at success ended in Game Seven of the World Series when they lost to the Tigers.

Granger was one of the best pitchers on the roster that season, and only Hall of Famer Bob Gibson and the team’s closer, Joe Hoerner, posted better ERAs that season. Granger’s mark was even better than eventual hall of famer Steve Carlton.

Wayne Granger continued to thrive at baseball’s highest level the next season, but before the 1969 season began, the Cardinals traded him to the Cincinatti Reds.

The change of scenery didn’t change his effectiveness, as Granger appeared in 90 games for the Reds, something only three pitchers have ever done in the history of Major League Baseball.

In addition to pitching often, he was also very successful. He worked 144 innings, saved 27 games, and posted an ERA of 2.80. His work on the mound saw him finish 15th in NL MVP voting that season, and it allowed him to garner the first ever Sporting News Fireman of the Year award.

A year later, Granger continued to rank as one of the best relief pitchers in all of baseball, putting together a third consecutive successful campaign. He recorded 35 saves for the Reds, which at the time, established a Major League record.

He again posted a stellar ERA-this time at 2.66, and finished eighth in Cy Young voting. He also collected his straight Fireman of the Year from the Sporting News, once again naming him the top reliever in baseball.

Granger once again was a part of a team that won the NL pennant and found his way back to the World Series.

Despite losing to the Baltimore Orioles, Granger was part of a very important Cincinatti Reds team that year. That team laid the groundwork for the organization’s success to be had for the rest of the decade.

The team’s prowess in the 70s earned them the nickname "The Big Red Machine".

Granger continued to be an effective big leaguer, though his star wasn’t quite as bright after that season.

He spent one more year with the Reds before taking his game to Minnesota.

Before his career he ended in 1976 Granger had made a return trip to St. Louis and also pitched for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, and the Montreal Expos.

He finished his career 35 wins and over 100 career saves. His ERA was just 3.16 in a time when the league average was 3.55. He was also inducted into the Cincinatti Reds Hall of Fame in 1982.

Granger went on to great things in the game of baseball after taking his Springfield baseball jersey off for the last time.

He became one of the most elite pitchers in baseball, and having an MLB team recognize that certainly means Granger and his legacy should be discussed any time great SC athletes and innovators are being talked about.

Springfield College Gymnastics Steeped In Tradition

John Botelho — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:49:37 -0400

Coming into this season, the SC men’s gymnastics program was already steeped in tradition and success. Stephen Posner’s athletes continued to add to that already extensive history last week when they participated in the USAG Championships in Williamsburg, VA.

Before this season Posner had coached 128 All-Americans as well as 17 more athletes who have claimed national titles. When the team returned to Alden Street after the USAG championships, both those numbers had increased.

Seven athletes earned at least All-America honors at the event, and freshman Ty Evans was even able to capture the national championship in the vault. Senior Ken Sloanhoffer wasn’t at all surprised with the first year’s performance.

“Ty has been our most consistent gymnasts all year and his vault is just amazing. It’s awesome to see one of our freshmen stand out and claim the national title on a vault that was one of his best all year.”

His national crown was the first for the program since 2004, when Tim Goetz also won the vault. Evans also finished second in the All-Around, barely missing a second national championship. His success this season was a bit unforeseen, for reasons that had nothing to with him being a freshman.

“I had surgery over the summer and doctors told me that I probably wouldn't be able to compete this year.”

Evans was able to overcome the surgery and prove his doubters wrong this season, but hopes to continue to build on his performance.

“I have to train about 10 times harder this summer to improve everything.” He added what the 2nd place finish meant to him as well. “The guy who beat me is a junior now and I almost beat him. This will also motive me to win next year’s all-around.”

Evans was flanked by six other members of the gymnastics team who garnered All-America honors. Kyle Bartgis and Andy Kelly both earned the award in the parallel bars as they finished 2nd and 4th, respectively, in the event.

Kelly shared what it’s like to finish his career in All-American fashion, “It was a great accomplishment for me. As an athlete it made a statement of consistency and career achievement,” he said. “As a senior it was a cap-stone for my career and quest for athletic achievement at Springfield College.”

The Pride also had All-Americans in three other events. Michael Freundlich took 5th on the pommel horse. Matt Bolognese and Josh Spencer both finished 6th in their events—the rings and high bar—to round out SC’s top performers.

The USAG also saw fit to bestow significant honors on the Springfield College coaching staff, as the trio of Greg Monaco, Gary Loomis, and Matt Davis were named the Varsity Collegiate Assistant Coaches of the Year. It is pretty obvious that members of the team agree with the USAG decision to recognize their coaches.

“They have been nothing short of awesome. They each bring different dynamics to the team and contribute differently. Together they have worked hard to keep us working hard,” said Sloanhoffer.

Kelly agreed with his fellow senior saying, “the coaching staff this year was the best I have witnessed in the past four years. We have a complimenting assistant staff comprised of knowledge, competition, and experience for the sport, and great support from them in and out of the gym.”

The Pride still have some action ahead of them as they have the ECAC and NCAA championships for those who qualified. With the success they’ve experienced already this year, it wouldn’t be a surprise to even more trophies added to the programs case before the season comes to an end.

Springfield College's Frederickson Records 1,000th Kill

John Botelho — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:46:04 -0400

If someone goes into Blake Arena to watch a men’s volleyball game there is a good chance of seeing libero Bob Waters bumping a ball from the back row to Erik Shoemaker who will set it. Shoemaker’s set is very likely to be followed up by a Ryan Frederickson spike.

Bump. Set. Spike. That is the standard order of events in a volleyball attack. Frederickson, a senior, is very familiar with the final part of such an attack, and has established himself among the best attackers in school history.

Since arriving on campus as a freshman, Frederickson has not only spent much of his collegiate career spiking balls in NCAA matches, he (and everyone else) has grown accustomed to them to resulting in successful points the Pride.

The resulting points, also known as kills, have continued to mount throughout his four years. He currently sits sixth on the program’s all-time kills list. On Tuesday night Frederickson joined an illustrious in the team’s (6-6) three games to none victory over visiting Endicott College.

When he spiked a ball down the line that in inbounds of the 3rd game of the team’s win, it marked the 1,000th time in his career he had recorded a kill. Only five other people have achieved the feat for a program with five national championships under its belt.

The team’s junior setter understood exactly what this mark meant. “We are all proud of Ryan for his accomplishments and are glad to have him on our side of the net. Ryan has contributed a ton to our team’s success over the last three seasons, and continues to do so this year,” said Shoemaker.

“His 1000th career kill was a benchmark in the statistics, but he's going to keep swinging and racking them up as the season progresses. He has worked hard and deserves to be in the company of the 1000 kill club members.”

That hard work and success Shoemaker refers to is evident. Since Frederickson came to Alden Street, the team has compiled a 55-32 record, good for a .632 winning percentage.

Additionally, the team hosted and won last season’s division three Molten National Championship. His tens of hundreds of kills would equal a little more than 33 individual volleyball games, or 11 matches. That means his offense alone has accounted for one fifth of the team’s victories while he’s worn the maroon and white of SC.

Add in his defense, which this year is among the best on the team as he ranks 2nd in digs per contest and 3rd in blocks, and it’s easy to see why the Springfield College men’s volleyball program has encountered so much success while he has putting on the number three uniform.

The team’s .500 record this year may seem like a bit of a let down following last season’s national championship performance, but the team has run into a streak of non division three teams. After beating Elms College on January 29th, the Pride played six straight games against opponents from bigger schools and went 1-5 over that time. Two of those losses came to last year’s division one national champion, Penn State.

Two more losses came in the Morgan Classic, an event in which Springfield was the only non division one competitor. That part of the season is behind them now, and the Pride return to facing schools in their division again.

Despite being a non-conference game, the win over Endicott was good for the team. “The win over endicott certainly has set us in the right direction. With a more difficult season schedule this year (than last), we have not been coming away with as many wins as in past seasons.

However, we are benefiting from the tough competition against ranked division one teams, and are excited for the second half of our conference play to come,” said Shoemaker.

“The convincing win over Endicott has boosted our confidence and set us off on the right foot for our trip to NYU this Saturday, which is a match that has great D3 final four implications.”

Knowing that the NYU match could be huge in regards to having a chance to defend last year’s championship, Shoemaker-last year’s Molten MVP- offered a simple explanation of the what to expect. “We will be ready to go on Saturday.”

Springfield College Diving @ TCNJ

John Botelho — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:42:08 -0400

The Lion Invitational at TCNJ was a very kind event to the divers of the men’s and women’s squads from Springfield College last weekend.

Five divers qualified for the diving Nationals in March based on their performances in New Jersey. Brian Sobel and Matt Fitzgerald both achieved the feat for the males, while Michelle Reggio, Meghan Kijanka, and Courtney Keefe all posted qualifying marks for in the women’s events.

Sobel, a sophomore from Stratford, Conn, continued his climb into SC’s diving lore as he captured four events over two days. After being named an alternate to the National event a year ago, Sobel has ensured he will be there this season.

Sobel’s marks were good for wins in the 1-meter and 3-meter 11 dive competitions on Friday. He saved his best performance of the weekend for Saturday, as he claimed the 1-meter and 3-meter 6 dive competitions.

By compiling his score of 329.63 in the 1-meter 6 dive contest, Sobel not only broke the school record-set by 2006 National champion Mike Shaw- but also established the top score recorded by any diver in the country this year.

He also missed a second SC record by less than a point in the 3-meter 6 dive on Saturday as he posted a score of 343.65. Sobel was named the NEWMAC Diver of the Week for the second time this season for his efforts.

Fitzgerald finished second to Sobel in three of the four events, and claimed third in the other. The junior from Pelham, NH, posted a score of 481.35 in the one-meter 6 dive on Friday. His score was good enough to qualify for Nationals at the end of the season.

Leading the on the women’s side was junior Michelle Reggio. The Brooklyn, NY native almost matched Sobel’s performance as she won three of the four events she competed in. Like Sobel, she also qualified for Nationals in all four events this weekend and managed to set a school record along the way. She established a new school mark in the one meter, as she posted a score of 468.08.

Kijanka was one of Reggio’s biggest competitors all weekend at the event. She finished behind Reggio’s record setting performance in the one meter on Saturday by just three points and was able to capture the Friday’s version of the one-meter. The junior from Methuen’s Saturday score was good enough to earn her qualifying status for the Nationals.

Courtney Keefe, a freshman from Waltham continued to make a name for herself on Alden Street as she made a big splash last weekend. On day one of the invitational, she qualified for Nationals after posting a score over 400 in the one-meter dive. On the second day, she continued to thrive, helping SC take the first three spots in the three-meter event.

There Goes My Hero....Where have you gone former MLB superstar?

John Botelho — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:48:01 -0400

In recent years Major League Baseball has seen new faces burst onto the scene and become annual members on the All-Star team. Players like David Wright and Joe Mauer have become fan favorites and household names as they've launched careers among the best in baseball. Other players have seen their personal stars dimmer over the last few seasons. The 10 players whose careers used to shine among brightest in the baseball sky and have since gone the other way are included in the following slides. (Note: Two players who might come to mind for this list that are not included are Justin Verlander and Jeff Francouer. The belief with these two is that neither has even reached his prime yet, and could easily return to their former status as a player).

Begin Slideshow

2009 NL East Players to Watch

John Botelho — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:02:59 -0400

Every year players in the MLB take their individual performances to a new level. Sometimes it’s a player who becomes a superstar, while others a back-up becomes an everyday regular.

Last season, players like Nate McLouth and Carlos Quentin went from relative unknowns to All-Stars with MVP upside. Chad Billingsley and Tim Lincecum established themselves as bona fide aces while Andre Ethier and Jed Lowrie both played their way into everyday roles.

Check out this year’s breakout candidates in the N.L. East in part four of a six-part series.

2009 N.L. East Breakout Candidates

Atlanta Braves: While many 23-year old professional baseball players will be bussed from city to city as they climb through the minors, the Braves Jair Jurrjens will be pitching this one in Atlanta as something of a veteran.

With 38 starts at baseball’s highest level under his belt already, Jurrjens could catapult himself into elite-starter status with a solid 2009 campaign. After winning 13 games and posting an ERA of 3.68 as a 22-year old in the A-T-L a season ago, Jurrjens looks primed to improve on both of those already admirable stats as he has already been through the rigors of an entire season.

Seeing his ERA fall under 3.50 and his win total upwards of 17 are both very real possibilities. Results such as those would surely help him find his way towards All-Star consideration as well as give the Braves a big boost they could severely use.

The Curacao native won’t be the only young player on the roster to take steps towards becoming a household name this season. Atlanta fans could also be delighted with what they see in on-field performances from young talents Martin Prado, Casey Kotchman, and Yunel Escobar.

All three have intriguing offensive upside, while both Kotchman and Escobar could also become elite defenders. Escobar could establish himself as one of the game’s premier shortstops with any kind of a power surge (something that isn’t unreasonable considering he hit 10 homers last year while playing the entire season at just 25).

Florida Marlins: When Jeremy Hermida launched a ball into the right field seats with the bases loaded for a grand slam in his first MLB at-bat, he became the first and only player in modern baseball history to do so.

Such an incredible event seemed to yell to the world that a great player was about to burst onto the baseball scene.

Instead of the promise of greatness that that hit delivered, Hermida has spent the first few years of his career being closer to mediocre than great. Sure, he posted some sweltering numbers as a 23-year old in 2007 when he slugged over .500 but his overall performance has been something of a let down.

Despite that high slugging percentage, he still only managed 17 home runs after being hampered by injuries.

Had he been able to build off of that performance in 2008 he would already be among the league’s most recognizable up and coming talents, instead of someone the Marlins considered trading this off season. After a disappointing year in which he hit just .249, Hermida needs to re-establish himself as an effective bat this year.

The Marlins decided to show their former first rounder some faith and instead dealt away Josh Willingham, his only real in-house competition in left field. Hermida has now had a little pressure lifted off his shoulders as a result.

Now consider that he’ll be entering his fifth Major League season and will spend the whole year as a 25-year old and there is no reason to think he can’t put things together and thrive in an already solid Marlins lineup. Hermida should eclipse 20 dingers for the first time, while also pulling his average up to a more acceptable mark.

Hermida isn’t the only Marlin who has yet to live up to advanced billing created by an inaugural big league campaign. Josh Johnson flashed brilliance early on in his big league career, and a couple years later still hasn’t become even a regular starter.

The only thing holding Johnson back is the injury bug, something he has yet to be able to shake. Johnson would be the ace of a staff as he has more electric stuff than any of the other arms in Florida.

After a successful September debut in 2005, he’s been limited to just 42 starts the last three seasons. When he has been healthy during that time he’s looked the part of an All-Star, posting an ERA as low as 3.10 when he made 24 starts in 2006.

Like Hermida, Johnson will play this season as a 25-year old. As last year came to a close it seemed like Johnson had put the injury issues behind him. If that is indeed the case Johnson will shine in the sunshine state, compiling in an ERA among the league’s best while easily winning at least 15 games in a tough N.L. East.

New York Mets: Mike Pelfrey powered his way through college relying mostly on an electric fastball. In fact, he used that very same speed ball to rocket his way through the minor leagues. Upon arrival in Queens though, his fastball wasn’t enough to survive anymore.

After refining command and off-speed pitches in the minors following a rocky start in 2007, Pelfrey returned to the Mets last year and provided them with a sound pitching option all season long. At just 24 he amassed more than 200 innings, won 13 games, and posted and ERA if 3.72.

Those numbers showed vast improvement and he was essentially still learning how to pitch as he’d never been truly challenged before reaching the MLB. With a full year under his belt Pelfrey could be primed to take another big step forward.

His strike out rate was very low last year, especially for a pitcher with his stuff, and he could start inching closer to striking out a guy an inning this summer. With an improved K rate his ERA and whip will both fall too, giving the Metropolitans one of the best one-two punches the National League can offer.

The Mets will also look to at least one other young player to bolster their roster. Daniel Murphy was toiling away in the minor leagues at this time last year, and now is the starting left fielder for a team many think can win the N.L. Pennant.

In a brief late-season showcase, Murphy showed Mets fans a glimpse of what could come as he posted a batting line of .313 .397 .470 in 49 games last year. He has a knack for getting on base and rarely strikes out which means he should be able to jump right in and help out the big club.

Had Murphy not exceeded rookie status by 6 at-bats he’d be a front runner for Rookie of the Year honors, but could still make his presence known to the entire baseball world by season’s end.

Philadelphia Phillies: Jayson Werth is probably best described as a late-bloomer. He is still a relative unknown, especially to those who don’t closely monitor Major League Baseball but Werth has become a player interwoven with Phillies success.

He originally debuted in the majors at just 23 but showed little to warrant being there over parts of the next four seasons. It wasn’t until he signed with Philly as a free agent that he began his ascent up the baseball ranks.

In two seasons in the city of brotherly love, Werth has put together a solid .282 .379 .483 resume and swatted 32 home runs in 228 games. Last year he posted a career high with a slugging percentage of .498 after crushing 24 homers- also a career high- all while appearing in 134 games.

The way Werth has produced for the world champions in his seasons there has earned him a starting role. Barring injury Werth will likely appear in more games this year. If he can reach 150 it wouldn’t be unthinkable for him to also reach the 30-HR plateau as he continues to demonstrate improvement.

Washington Nationals: Washington’s roster is littered with young talent on the verge of breaking out. While much of the talent won’t peak for a year or so, Lastings Milledge is one player who could make leaps forward this season.

The center fielder turned 24 on Apr. 5, and was able to more than hold his own in his first full-year last season. He’s going to continue to get better and learn to trust his skills more as he matures which could result in fits for any Nats opponents.

Fourteen home runs, 23 stolen bases, 65 and 61 runs and RBI all hardly seem like scary numbers at the big league level. Consider though that Milledge put those numbers together while many players his age were just a year removed from college ball.

That coupled with his already impressive to get on base indicates all those numbers are on the rise. He has showcased the ability to reach base at a clip 60-70 points better than his average, something many young hitters simply can not do.

Realizing that he is still mid-development makes those numbers from last year appear as a big warning sign of things to come as opposed to just mediocre MLB stats.

Milledge could bust out this season and show the world why he was a first-rounder in 2003, while making the Mets regret dealing him away at the same time.

If he can improve his average as he matures it is very possible that he could hit 20+ balls over the fence annually, while swiping 30 bases and becoming a threat to drive in and score well over the century mark.

Very few players have the ability to impact each of those categories so significantly and Milledge could begin to show the world that he can be comparable to the likes of Grady Sizemore and BJ Upton.

The Nats have another potential budding star who could shine a bit more brightly this season. Joel Hanrahan has electric stuff out of the pen, and has taken the closer’s role in Washington.

Hanrahan uses his mid-90s heat and wipe out slider to pile up strike outs. He K’ed 93 batters last year while working 84.1 innings. Hanrahan will reach at least 30 saves this year, and will make the All-Star team if he improves on control that allowed 42 walks a season ago.

He’ll likely see a lesser amount of innings as his role has been shifted to the back of games but if he starts pummeling the strike zone could become a reliever in the mold of Brad Lidge, capable of striking out over 100 guys annually.

Are the Washington Nationals the Next Tampa Bay Rays?

John Botelho — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:47:46 -0400

Recent history has seen a number of teams turn their franchises around in short order. A few years ago, the Tigers had lost more than 90 games in eight of the 10 seasons prior to winning the Wild Card and AL Pennant in 2006.

Last year, everyone’s whipping boy, the Tampa Bay Rays, avoided over 90 losses for the first time in franchise history. In capturing the AL East, it was just the second time they finished better than dead last in the division.

The Washington Nationals could be the next team (even if it’s not until 2010 or 2011 before they do so) to make the jump from being a squad you feel bad for to one you’d rather not seeing on the other side of the field from your favorite team.

This idea might seem laughable given their ability to dwell in the cellar recently, but a closer look will prove other wise.

They boast a solid lineup without a glaring hole to fill anywhere on the field. Throw in ages and likely development and they have an offense that could be down right scary very soon. Don’t believe me, check it out:

C Jesus Flores: Without question, the team’s weakest bat. Flores is just 25 though, and entering his third year at the big league level.

He’s already shown that he can be at least serviceable behind the plate, and his offensive abilities will likely increase to about .270 with 12-15 homers as he matures. Not too shabby for someone who dons the tools of ignorance.

1B Nick Johnson/Josh Willingham: Both players have 25 homer power, and when healthy, Johnson has been a doubles machine in the past.

These two hitters are very capable at getting on base, and have posted OBPs of .361 (Willingham) and .415 (Johnson) in their careers.

2B Ronnie Belliard: He has become a very quality 2B option since joining the Nationals. In his two seasons in Washington, he has reached double digits in homers each year, while hitting .287 and .290 respectively.

3B Ryan Zimmerman: Even if it feels like Zimmerman has been around forever and failed to reach the expectations the Nationals had of him when they drafted him in 2005, people must realize that as he enters his 5th MLB season that will play the majority of it at just 24 years old.

He has already showcased over 20-homer power, the ability to hit 40 doubles, and hit .287 in his best year. As Zimmerman matures he could improve on all of those numbers and become one of the elite third basemen in all of baseball.

SS Christian Guzman: Guzman had all but disappeared from Major League Baseball after hitting a meak .219 in 2005. He has re-emerged as a very good shortstop, capable of hitting well over .300 as he has done so since rejoining the Nationals in 2007. He's not the stolen base threat he used to be, but who is going to complain about a shortstop who hits .315 and plays above average defense?

LF Adam Dunn: Dunn is the most proven player on the roster and provides Washington with one of the best power hitters in baseball in the middle of their order. He’s going to continue to knock crush 40 big flys a year while knocking in more than 100 runs.

His presence will allow other players (Zimmerman, Lastings Milledge) develop and reach their potential.

CF Lastings Milledge: After coming over from the Mets last season, Milledge began to showcase exactly why the Mets made him a first round pick out of high school in 2003.

He still has star potential, and swatted 14 homers and stole 24 bases last summer. Consider that he turns 24 the day before opening day, and its not out of the question that he could become a 20-20 player as soon as this year.

His power totals will continue to increase for a few years, and he could become a very similar to a healthy BJ Upton.

RF Elijah Dukes: His question marks are mostly off-field ones. His baseball talent though finally had a chance to shine through last season. He is just 24 years old and in 133 career games has blasted 23 home runs and drawn 83 walks.

With more playing time, he could develop into an on-base plus slugging machine in the next few years and could easily become an annual 30-homer threat.

As it stands their pitching staff isn’t quite as ready as the offense to make the jump towards overall success. It does however have at least as much promise and with any luck at all could become one the NL’s best staffs.

At the top, the Nationals have John Lannan and Scott Olsen, who are just 24 and 25. The two have already shown that they can be formidable big league pitchers and will move towards the back of the rotation in D.C. as their top prospects begin to reach the big leagues.

One of those prospects has already arrived. Jordan Zimmerman will open the season as the team’s No. 5, but his ceiling is that of an ace.

Very few pitchers have the ability to throw four above-average major league pitches, but he is one of those guys. He’s already shown enough ability that Washington is willing to plug him into the last spot despite never pitching above AA.

Throw in Ross Detwiler, Jack McGeary, and Collin Ballester (all of whom have been branded with the upside of a future front line starter) and they could boast a rotation known for putting opposing offenses into slumps.

Add in Shairon Martis (who will also assume a rotation spot this year) and the Nats should have zero problem filling out a viable starting rotation.

Oh yeah, the pitcher who could be not only their ace but one of the best arms in all of baseball isn’t even in the system…yet.

Steven Strasburg is lighting up radar guns and making scouts and fans alike drool as he just mows hitter after hitter down at San Diego State.

Through April 4, he was 6-0 with a 1.49 ERA and an incredible 94 strikeouts in 48.1 innings. He’s allowed just 27 hits and 10 walks in that time while allowing opposing teams to hit a paltry .160 against him.

Despite the ridiculous money figures that have been thrown around this year, Strasberg and the Nationals will ultimately agree to terms before the Aug. 15 deadline.

Fans can expect to see him dueling in a big league uniform by mid-May of next year and his presence will immediately give the Nationals one of the better rotations in the NL.

Beyond the offense and budding pitching staff, the Nats bullpen is also nothing to scoff at. They’ve added Joe Biemel, who's had an ERA under four every year since 2005.

Garrett Mock struck out more than a guy an inning his debut season last year whil putting together an ERA of 4.17. Saul Rivera has been an innings-eater whose never posted an ERA over 3.96.

The best arm they have in the pen will be their closer of the present and future. Joel Hanrahan struck out an incredible 93 batters as a reliever last year.

He uses a two-seam fastball in the mid-90s and a wipe-out slider to send hitters back to the bench disappointed.

The Nationals are on the verge of removing the laughing stock stigma they’ve worked so hard towards developing this decade. Given that the answers to their problems are all already in house (except Strasburg who will be in short order) it won’t be long before emerge as a young and talented team capable of beating anyone.

If management wants to expedite the winning process they’ll look to add another big time arm to take pressure off of their young arms next off-season. Whether that happens or not, they will be a team that causes fits for others by 2011.

2009 AL West Players to Watch

John Botelho — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:56:29 -0400

Every year, players in the MLB take their individual performances to a new level. Sometimes it’s a player who becomes a superstar, while others a back-up becomes an everyday regular.

Last season, players like Nate McClouth and Carlos Quentin went from relative unknowns to All-Stars with MVP upside. Chad Billingsley and Tim Lincecum established themselves as bona-fide aces, while Andre Ethier and Jed Lowrie both played their way into everyday roles.

Check out this year’s breakout candidates in the A.L West in part three of a six part series.

2009 A.L. West Breakout Candidates:

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are still capable of winning the west despite losing Mark Teixiera, Francisco Rodriguez, and Jon Garland. To take the west, the Angels need a pitcher who took a big step forward a year ago to continue his success.

In his first full season, left-hander Joe Saunders knocked more than a full point off of his ERA (down to 3.41) from the year before. He finished last year with very impressive totals in wins and whip as well, posting 17 and a mark of 1.21 respectively.

If Saunders can repeat those marks, he will take steps towards becoming an elite AL starter and will likely return to the All-Star team.

Many doubters believe that Saunders season last year likely won’t be repeated, as his strike out numbers are not very good. If Saunders can put together another season of that caliber though, people will have no choice to but to accept Saunders as a frontline starter.

The team will also need to fill the offensive void left by the vacated 1B spot. While Kendry Morales is expected to see the majority of the time at the position, very few people expect to emerge as a middle of the order that can help the Angels get back to the playoffs.

Instead, LAA brass will look to Howie Kendrick to be an impact bat. Kendrick has demonstrated the ability to be one of the best hitting second basemen in baseball, and could likely contend for batting titles if he could stay on the field long enough to do so.

At just 25, Kendrick could emerge as a No. 3 hitter in Anaheim if he can stay on the field for more than 140 games.

Oakland Athletics

The A’s have an arm in their rotation who needs to answer questions as well. Justin Duchsherer moved from the bullpen to the starting five last year and emerged as the team’s ace.

The 30-year old has a chance to become one of the game’s best starting pitchers, but needs to prove he can hold up for close to 200 innings. If he can make 30 or more starts, he could win 15-18 games and give the A’s a shot to make the playoffs for the first time in a few years.

The A’s have added one of the biggest bats in baseball to help Duchscherer try and get Oakland baseball in October. Matt Holliday might have more to prove than any player in baseball this season (except perhaps CC Sabathia).

Many people question whether Holliday can be an elite hitter away from Colorado. If Holliday can put together an All-Star season in Oakland he will prove those doubts, and firmly establish himself as one of the game’s top notch hitting talents.

His numbers away from Coors Field aren’t quite as gaudy as they are when he was able to hit there. They do however point to Holliday putting together a solid campaign and ultimately cashing in because he can hit away from the thin air.

He still posted an OPS of .892 on the road last season, a mark better than budding star Ryan Braun.

Seattle Mariners

Before he even arrived in the big leagues, Felix Hernandez was anointed a pitching “King.” After bursting onto the season as a 19-year old kid, Hernandez has failed to live up to his kingly status.

He has shown signs of emerging as a frontline starter for the Mariners. Hernandez, who will turn 23 shortly after opening day, reached 200 innings for the first time last year, and allowed less than a hit an inning for the first as a full-season pitcher.

With more improvement, Hernandez could finally take the next step and emerge as a Cy Young candidate.

Jose Lopez also reached the MLB at an early age, joining the Mariners when he was just 20. Like Hernandez he hasn’t immediately become the player that members of the Seattle front office expected.

Last year, he took a big step forward toward becoming a top notch second basemen at the big league level. After swatting 17 homers and going to his first All-Star game, Lopez served notice to the rest of baseball that he is arriving.

If Lopez continues to develop, which isn’t expecting too much as he’s just 25 years old, he could emerge offensively and be in the same class as guys like Pedroia, Kinsler, Utley, and Phillips.

Given his big role in the Mariners offensive plans, Lopez could be a 2B who crushes 25 homers while driving in and scoring over 100 runs.

Texas Rangers

Chris Davis powered his way into Arlington last summer and slammed 17 homers in just 80 Major League games as a 22-year old.

The power wasn’t a fluke, either, as he crushed 40 homers and 44 doubles, and drove in 128 runs while scoring 119 runs between the majors and minors last season.

Davis is going to get a full year in the big leagues this season, and could erupt as one of baseball’s premier power threats. He immediately gives the MLB another legitimate 40-homer threat, and could wind up hitting in the middle of the AL All-Star team’s batting order for a decade.

Summer players don’t develop quite as quickly as Davis. In fact, some players take a lot longer to reach their potential. Nelson Cruz looks like one of those players. Cruz spent most of last year annihilating AAA pitching as he hit 37 round-trippers there en route to a slugging percentage upwards of .700.

Cruz didn’t stop when he got the Texas either as he posted a line of .341 .430 .609 in 30 big league games. Cruz has a chance to establish himself not only as a big league regular, but also as a potential All-Star as a player who will turn 30 in July.

He’ll benefit from hitting in one the MLB’s best batting orders, and hitting .300 with 25 HR and 25 SB isn’t out of the question.

Did you miss the other AL divisions? Check them out:

AL East http://bleacherreport.com/articles/142093-2009-al-east-players-to-watch

AL Central http: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/147321-2009-al-central-players-to-watch

2009 AL Central Players to Watch

John Botelho — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:59:30 -0400

Every year players in the MLB take their individual performances to a new level. Sometimes it’s a player who becomes a superstar, while others a back-up becomes an everyday regular.

Last season players like Nate McClouth and Carlos Quentin went from relative unknowns to All-Stars with MVP upside. Chad Billingsley and Tim Lincecum established themselves as bona-fide aces, while Andre Ethier and Jed Lowrie both played their way into everyday roles.

Check out this year’s breakout candidates in the A.L Central in part two of a six part series.

2009 A.L. Central Breakout Candidates

Chicago White Sox: Bobby Jenks seemed like he was arriving as a star closer when he closed out the World Series as a rookie. With three full seasons under his belt, Jenks looks primed to combine a lot of strike outs with a quality ERA.

He should use his electric fastball to return to All-Star form and by the end of the season could be in discussions among the game’s most elite closers.

Matt Thornton established himself as a solid bullpen guy for the south siders last summer, but could become a lockdown set-up man in front of Jenks. He piled up strike out after strike last year, and posted an ERA of 2.67.

He should strike out more than a guy an inning again, and could see his ERA fall towards the 2.00 mark.

Josh Fields arrived as a 24-year old two years ago by crushing 24 home runs and establishing himself as the 3B of the present and future in Chicago. That star diminished quite a bit last year as he only appeared in 14 MLB games and hit a meek .156.

The White Sox believe in him enough that they let Joe Crede walk and handed the job back to Fields. If he can get off to a decent start and stick in Chicago all year, he could easily jog around the bases 25 times or more and become a solid everyday third baseman.

Cleveland Indians: A year ago Shin-Soo Choo was able to see regular playing time at the big league level for the first time in his career last year for the Indians. As a 25-year old he hinted at becoming a budding star for the Tribe.

By the end of the season he was hitting third for Cleveland and finished the year with a very impressive .309 .397 .549 hitting line.

In 159 career games, the young outfielder has hit .291 with 17 homers. Given a full season at the MLB level this year, Choo could blossom into an outfielder who hits .300 with 25 homers and 15 stolen bases.

Choo’s future likely holds All-Star appearances and he’s going to combine with Grady Sizemore and Matt LaPorta to give the Indians one the best outfields in baseball for years to come.

Like Choo, Kelly Shoppach was able to see significant playing time for the first time in his career last summer. Shoppach appeared in 112 games and made sure he’ll see even more this season. He took advantage of Victor Martinez being hurt and swatted 21 homers.

With an increased workload this year, Shoppach could become a 25-homer catcher, something that is hard to find in baseball. He is already among the best catchers in baseball when it comes to on-base plus slugging, and with a full season under his belt now could even see improvement on his mark of .865.

Detroi Tigers: Edwin Jackson arrived in the major leagues on his 19th birthday in 2003 and quickly cemented everyone’s belief of him as baseball next big thing. After compiling an ERA of 2.45 in 22 innings that September, Jackson hasn’t been able to live up the hype that once surrounded him.

However, he did win 14 games and helped the Rays turn their franchise around last summer and will be asked to be part of something similar in Detroit this year. He has shown flashes of the brilliance once expected of him, and this year should pull his ERA under 4.00 for the first time since those first 22 innings.

He should reach 15 wins, and will establish himself as a good young starter at the big league level. Despite going into his seventh year in the big leagues, he is just 24 and still has plenty of time left to establish himself as a front line starter.

Armando Galarraga will be another starter asked to help the Tigers climb out of the mediocrity they’ve recently been mired in. Last season he was the only starter who pitched well in the motor city, and could establish himself as one of the more reliable arms in the AL with another quality season.

He allows minimal amounts of base-runners, which is why he is successful. He could surpass 15 wins while having an ERA near 3.50 this year, with All-Star appearances not out of the question in his future.

Those arms need someone to throw to, and the Tigers have a young catcher working his way through the minors that they plan on being that guy before long. Sure, they acquired Gerald Laird and Matt Treanor both this offseason, but Dusty Ryan will be donning the tools of ignorance in Detroit before this season is over.

Ryan is headed back to AAA to finish his development but once he is ready they won’t hold him back anymore. Laird is just a .255 career hitter and is merely a place holder for a better solution.

When Ryan arrives as that solution he will bring with him a rocket for an arm and a bat capable of blasting 450-foot homers on a regular basis. Ryan may never be an all-star backstop, but he will announce to the baseball world that he is going to be a starting catcher in the majors before 2009 comes to an end.

Kansas City Royals: A year ago the Royals got an offensive boost from a much unexpected source. It wasn’t one of the first round picks they’ve recently developed, but a seventhrounder that was barely a prospect before last year.

Mike Aviles first game in the majors was a lackluster 0-for-3 performance against the Minnesota Twins. The rest of his season was quite a bit better, and hitless performances became few and far between.

He batted a sweltering .325 and slugged 10 homers as the Royals shortstop en route to a fourth-place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting. If Aviles can hit at anywhere near the clip he did from the end of May on, he’s going to be an All-Star shortstop this July and could see multiple trips to the midsummer classic.

Alex Gordon’s career in the Major Leagues has been disappointing. While it may be harsh to call any 24-year old with two full seasons at the big league level a disappointment, it would be hard to argue anything else for Gordon.

He came up as one the most highly-touted prospects baseball has ever seen, a can’t-miss phenom that has so far missed.

After 285 games with the Royals he sports a career line of just .253 .332 .421 with only 31 HR and 119 RBI. After showing signs of improvement last year though, Gordon looks primed to continue towards reaching the hype bestowed upon him even if it ends up taking longer than originally expected.

It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him hit .275 this year while eclipsing the 20-home run mark. He may never be the .300-35 guy scouts drooled over in college and the minor leagues, but could turn himself into a hitter with All-Star upside in his prime.

Minnesota Twins: Kevin Slowey started to showcase some of his vast talents a summer ago for the Twin Cities faithful. He knocked nearly a full point off of his ERA and finished under 4.00 (even if it was just barely under at 3.99).

He is successful because he keeps base runners to a minimum by throwing a lot of ground balls while rarely surrendering a walk. Slowey could elevate his game to front-line starter status this year, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him post an ERA in the neighborhood of 3.50 while winning 16 or 17 games.

Delmon Young has started his career in similar fashion to the aforementioned Gordon. After being a super-prospect compared to the likes of Willie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr. Young’s career is off to a sputtering start.

After hitting just 26 round trippers in his first 344 games, Young could be ready to start circling the bases more frequently. A year older and a year stronger, Young needs to continue to have his strike out totals decrease.

If he can make more consistent contact it wouldn’t be out of line to think he could eclipse the .300 mark for batting average given that he has been within 12 points in both of the last two seasons.

Also, he would likely see a rise in RBI and runs scored and could push both totals over the century mark this year. Though the home runs may still take a few years to develop, he could ultimately hit close to 20 this year and begin to establish himself as a very viable outfielder for the Twins.

Alexi Casilla hit his way into being the everyday second basemen for the Minnesota Twins last season. Casilla could turn himself into a catalyst a top the Twins' lineup as soon as this year.

Gifted with dynamic speed, Casilla hit .281 as a 23-year old. Combine his ability to draw walks and Casilla could become a run scoring machine for years to come.

If he can continue to blossom as a hitter Casilla could regularly hit .300 and score 100 runs, which would certainly make him a lock for All-Star considerations given the scarcity of quality second basemen in baseball.

Did you miss part one of the series? If so check out the AL East.

2009 AL East Players To Watch

John Botelho — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:52:35 -0400

Every year, players in the MLB take their individual performances to a new level. Sometimes it’s a player who becomes a superstar, or a backup becomes an everyday regular.

Last season, players like Nate McClouth and Carlos Quentin went from relative unknowns to All-Stars with MVP upside. Chad Billingsley and Tim Lincecum established themselves as bona fide aces, while Andre Ethier and Jed Lowrie both played their way into everyday roles.

Check out this year’s breakout candidates in the AL East in part one of a six-part series.

2009 A.L. East Breakout Candidates

Baltimore Orioles: Matt Wieters has collected much of the Orioles publicity over the last year and he could be perhaps their biggest breakout candidate for becoming a household name over the next six months.

Beyond the catcher who is supposed to be an organization’s savior, several other O’s could break through this season.

One very bright spot in an otherwise dull scene in Baltimore over the last few years has been Nick Markakis. The face of the franchise could become one of the faces of the MLB this year.

He hit .306 with 20 homers as a 24-year old last summer, and will likely improve on ever front this year. With the ability to have upwards of 70 extra-base hits he and Wieters will form a very talented and very young duo in the middle of the Orioles lineup for years to come.

Adam Jones will also take steps towards being a go-to guy for Baltimore. He has more power coming and could push 20 homers this season. The Orioles are also primed to have one of the game’s better relief pitchers.

Chris Ray had taken steps towards being a lights out closer before needing Tommy John surgery. He’s healthy again and should start to pitch his way towards All-Star consideration.

Boston Red Sox: The Sox had some of the most impactful breakout players in baseball last year. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis became MVP-caliber players, while Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka were among the best pitchers in the American League.

This year’s class of potential breakout players doesn’t offer the same depth as the one a season ago, but quite a few names could be added to the list of impact Red Sox players before 2009 comes to an end.

The player with the most potential to join Pedroia and Youkilis (as well as a healthy David Ortiz) in MVP discussions is Jason Bay. Bay will finally get to spend an entire season on a team that hasn’t been mired in losing season since Aladdin was on the big screen and gas was $1.05 a gallon.

He will bring his career line of .282 .375 .516 to Fenway Park and hit in the middle of one of the most potent lineups in the MLB. Bay, who has never had a top-10 MVP finish, could easily put together a full season of the numbers he showed Sox fans over the final two months of 2008.

If he can produce at that level, Bay would wind up with more than 30 homer and 40 doubles. Add in over 100 runs scored and 100 batted in, and he could be the second consecutive Bostonian to capture the A.L. award.

Several others could take steps to establish themselves as household names. J.D. Drew who has shown flashes of being an elite player whose been hampered by injuries. Drew’s ability to get on-base could result in an absurd run total if he can stay healthy and would also enter the MVP discussion as a result.

Jacoby Ellsbury put together a solid year at the top of the Red Sox order last season, and should be even better this time around. Once Ellsbury puts all of his talent together, he’s going to hit .300 annually, while being near the top of the leader boards in runs and steals throughout his career.

Justin Masterson did whatever Boston needed him to last year, and will have the opportunity to spend this entire season in the big league bullpen. He flashed a fastball that was at times electric, and if the team didn’t have Jonathan Papelbon embedded as their closer, he’d be a candidate to finish games.

New York Yankees: The Yankees clearly demonstrated frustration with the lack of recent success throwing more money than Ft. Knox could’ve at CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira. The team still has a few question marks that they will look to internal options to fill.

Brett Gardner looks like the team’s center fielder because Melky Cabrera refused to grab hold of the job last year. Gardner could become a prolific run-scorer and base-stealer at the major league level and as long as he doesn’t flop will begin to showcase that this year.

One other big hole the Yankees have is filling the void Joba Chamberlain left when he moved to the rotation. At some point this season, Jonathan Albaladejo could assume the pre-Rivera role. He has pitched well in brief stints in the Bronx the last two years, and could rack up K’s and holds with a regular spot in their pen.

Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays broke out as an organization last year as they reversed their fortunes from perpetual loser to AL Champions in just one season. It took their pitching staff and offense enjoying a number of coming out parties and several players putting together career years to do so, but the team appears to be primed for continued success.

Matt Garza will be an “x-factor” in that success. His ERA will fall a bit, the win total will go up, and he will join James Shields and Scott Kazmir as some of the best arms in the AL.

On the offensive side BJ Upton looks ready to arrive in full-force. He has flashed quality ability in the past but his playoff performance last year indicates he is on the verge of putting everything together.

Upton could be a .300 average guy, who hits 30 homers and steals 30 bases. In that lineup, he’ll also push 100 runs and RBI and his center-field defense will be above average.

Grant Balfour used a power fastball to establish himself as a very good big league reliever. It won’t be long before Rays management asks the Australian to assume the closer role at which points his stock will look like Yahoo’s.

Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays have a ton of talent close to making an impact at the big league level (Travis Snider, JP Arencibia, Brett Cecil, among others) but need some of the guys already their to become the players they were projected to be if the club wants to be successful in the near future.

Aaron Hill can be one of the best 2B in baseball if he can stay on the field this year. Hill will be looked to put together a similar offensive card to the one he did in 2007. If he can slug over .450 again he could score 100 runs with the Jays offense filled with plenty of guys who could knock him in from scoring position.

Jesse Carlson needs to build off last year and prove he is going to be another very reliable arm in their bullpen in front B.J. Ryan. His ability to strike guys out could make him one of the better eighth guys in the American League.

Someone has to fill the void left by Burnett’s payday. Former first-round pick David Purcey reached the show last year, and while he won’t win 18 the way the departed-Burnett did, he has the ability to begin establishing himself as a reliable big league arm.

The Blue Jays would be ecstatic if he shows signs of being a guy they could on in the front half of their rotation.

Check out the A.L. Central's players to watch coming this weekend.

MLB: 2009 Pre-Season All Rookie Teams

John Botelho — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:43:31 -0400

Rookies are a big part of Major League Baseball.

They are as much are part of the game as managers and coaches, bats and balls, and even veterans or All-Stars.

Every year rookies go to spring training hoping when they leave they’ll do so wearing an MLB uniform.

Rookie years sometimes alert fans of a great career about to happen.

Perhaps, a rookie year can even be the best year of a career that will never again have the same kind of promise; other times a rookie year can show the public a player might not live up to hype and prospect status that surrounded him coming through the minor leagues.

In the last few years, the MLB has had several Rookies of the Year winners who have seemingly launched great careers.

Dustin Pedroia’s 2007 Rookie of the Year campaign certainly seems to fit into one that alerted fans of great things to come.

Not only did he capture the award, but he lead off the World Series by sending the first strike he saw into the seats on top of the green monster at Fenway Park.

After the Sox won the World Series in his first year, it seemed like his career really couldn’t get much better from there.

In fact, many people believed he was going to fall off a bit and experience a sophomore slump.

Pedroia spent the 2008 season continuing to prove anyone who doubted him wrong and ultimately lead the Red Sox back to the playoffs and captured the 2008 AL MVP.

Ryan Braun was the NL’s winner of the rookie award in 2007 after putting together one of the best rookie seasons the MLB had ever seen.

Braun followed up that campaign by hitting 37 home runs and helping the Brewers to reach the playoffs for the first time during his lifetime.

Last year, showcased two rookies who both carried their teams into the playoffs.

Geovanny Soto was one of the best offensive catchers in the MLB and allowed the Cubs to make the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 1908.

Evan Longoria was part of one of the biggest turn-around in sports history as he helped the Tampa Bay Rays went from the worst record in baseball to American League Champions—both players look like part of the next wave of MLB superstars.

Some rookie years aren’t as fruitful as those experienced by the award winners of the last two seasons.

Sometimes a player is anointed a team’s savior before he ever dons their uniform and not everyone can live up to that.

People forecasting the careers of Delmon Young and Alex Gordon were sure both were stars in the making with legitimate 40-homer power.

Last season, those two can’t miss prospects, missed once again combining for just 26 round trippers.

Homer Bailey, Clay Buchholz and Phil Hughes were both supposed to ascend to the top of the MLB’s pitching ranks, but all three spent the last season taking steps backwards instead of towards stardom.

Other players come up to the big leagues and showcase talent that initially triggers thoughts of future stardom, before that players stock comes falling down in the following seasons.

Eric Hinske hit 24 home runs, scored 99 times and drove in 84 runners in his first season for Toronto.

After looking like a budding star, Hinske’s career derailed a bit and those totals all still rank as career bests for him.

Other players like Ben Grieve and Marty Cordova also looked like potential regulars on the All-Star roster in their first season.

Grieve won the Rookie of the Year at 22-year-old and followed that with two solid seasons, but at 24, his career completely fell apart and he was out of baseball before reaching 30.

Cordova was very similar to Hinske as he homered 24 times in his first go-around in the majors and only reached 20 once more, in what turned into a mediocre career, following an elegant start.

Will this year’s top prospects turn into what is expected of them?

Is Matt Wieters baseball’s next big thing?

Will anyone surprise the baseball world as an unexpected rookie of the year candidate?

Is there a rookie out there this year that can influence a pennant race the way we’ve seen recently?

All questions regarding the who, what, where, when and why about 2009’s crop of rookies are answered in the following paragraphs which highlight the top rookie candidate for each position in the American and National Leagues.

Also find out who the top three finishers for the 2009 Rookie of the Year in each league will be and why those players have been deemed rookie of the year worthy.

Rookie of the Year by Position

American League

C-Matt Wieters, BAL

It seems likely that Wieters is heading to AAA to open the 2009 campaign despite obliterating the minor leagues a year ago.

Like Evan Longoria a year ago, he will reach the big leagues in short order and be productive as soon as he arrives.

Wieters won’t be going to the World Series the way Longoria did as a rookie, but he will be among the best fresh faces in the game this season.

He should arrive in Baltimore some time in May and should get a chance to play in upwards of 120 games, and projects to be among the elite-if not the best catcher-in baseball in the future, while beginning to establish himself as such upon arrival to the MLB.

The switch hitter won’t reach the pinnacle of his promise for a couple of years, but should wind up hitting .280 while pushing 15-20 homers and competing for Rookie of the Year honors this season.

1B-Justin Smoak, TEX

A high school teammate of Wieters at Goose Greek High in S.C., drew Mark Teixiera comparisons as the MLB draft approached a year ago.

Like Teixiera, he became a first round pick of the Rangers.

After signing, he tore apart LoA and established himself as one of the best 1B prospects in baseball.

There has been speculation that he could skip HiA and go right to AA.

Whether or not that happens, the Rangers plan to move him in a hurry as long as he hits. All signs indicate that will happen.

Smoak has above average power from both sides of the plate and is known for being able to show good patience.

He has demonstrated the ability to hit off speed stuff on a regular basis and his glove might end up being his best tool and he’ll be mentioned in Gold Gloves discussions very soon.

Though he’s blocked, because the Rangers are seemingly set with Chris Davis at first, Mike Young at third and Hank Blalock at DH, he should be able to push his way onto the field midway through ’09.

If any of the three go down or under-perform, Smoak will be waiting to join the Rangers lineup.

Once he arrives he’s going to hit about .290 and could swat double digit homers in about half a season.

2B-Chris Getz, CHI

Getz is one of three players who will be competing for the 2B job for the White Sox this spring.

The Rockies tried to give Jayson Nix their starting job last season and he flopped.

Brent Lillibridge was also acquired this winter, and hit a dismal .200 in 80 big league at-bats while posting just a .220 mark in AAA last year.

Getz offers the White Sox the most advanced bat of the trio and has the versatility to play all over the field.

He should take the job out of spring training, and with a full season at the MLB level could hit .280 and reach double digits in both homers and steals.

3B-Dayan Viciendo, CHI

Viciendo is the latest Cuban to sign on with the White Sox.

A year ago, Alexei Ramirez came to the USA big league ready and made an immediate impact on the field for the White Sox.

Viciendo’s impact might not be as swift, but it should eventually be even bigger.

At just 19-years-old, he is likely headed for AA to start the season.

The White Sox gave him a four-year big league deal and will move him to the Major League roster as soon as he is ready to play for them.

He should be entrenched next to Ramirez in the south side by June.

His conditioning is the biggest question: He’s listed at 248 lbs. already, but his overall ability should be able to compensate.

Down the road he could be one of baseball’s premier home run threats but it’s not fair to expect that of someone who would only be a year removed from high school if he grew up here just yet.

He has a .260 with 15 homers this year and would be not only be reasonable, it would give the White Sox an early return on its most recent investment.

SS-Elvis Andrus, TEX

The Rangers moved the face of their franchise from shortstop to third base to make room for Andrus.

The good news for Rangers fans is Andrus’ talent and potential are good enough that it forced Michael Young to make the switch.

Andrus will find his way to the top the Texas lineup before long and as a result will score a ton of runs.

As long as he doesn’t get overmatched this year and he shouldn’t, Andrus could swipe 40 bags and eclipse 100 runs before the season ends.

He’ll need to keep the K’s down, but an average of .270 wouldn’t be too much to expect from Andrus, who came to the Rangers as part of the Teixiera trade.

OF-Travis Snider, TOR

The sweet-swinging lefty played at four levels last season.

On his way to the big leagues Snider was named an Eastern League All-Star and showcased the power his bat holds when he won the league’s homerun derby.

He put on an impressive show, launching balls that approached 500 feet, including one that hit a light on top of a town in right center field.

His advanced approach and feel for hitting allowed him to reach the big leagues last September at just 20-years-old.

He showed the Toronto front office they had made a good decision by hitting .301 during his cup of coffee and even homered deep to right field as a visitor at Fenway Park.

Snider could be the best offensive rookie in baseball this year and should hit .270-.280 an easily eclipse 20 home runs.

OF-Michael Saunders, SEA

Saunders will be part of a group of young players who takes advantage of Seattle’s rebuilding the next few seasons.

Saunders has established himself as one of the top outfield prospects and will have a chance to break into the big leagues in a hurry, because of Seattle’s lackluster outfield situation.

He’s demonstrated the ability to hit double-digit homers as well as base running skills that have allowed him to steal over 20 bases and has a solid strike zone knowledge, which has lead to above average on-base percentages throughout this minor league career.

He could see half a season with the Mariners this year and should hit .270 with an on base of .350 or better while pushing 10 homers and steals.

OF-Matt LaPorta, CLE

LaPorta came to the Indians in exchange for CC Sabathia last summer and his bat should join Cleveland’s lineup in a hurry.

LaPorta is a premier power prospect that could be a 40-homer guy within a couple of years. He has already swatted 35 in just 141 minor league games.

Additionally, LaPorta has displayed an astute ability to draw walks meaning power isn’t his only calling card.

With Cleveland’s 1B and DH scene already full, he’ll continue to work out in the outfield and will put the pressure on Sin-Soo Choo and Ben Francisco to play well.

If either falters, LaPorta will step in and take the job. Even if both hold their own, LaPorta’s bat could force one of them out by midseason.

By the end of the year he’ll have an on-base percentage over .360 to go with 15 homers in the majors-offensive numbers the Indian’s lineup could severely use.

SP-Price, TB

Price has already pitched on baseball’s biggest stage and is very much in the Rays plans for this season.

They traded Edwin Jackson to open up a spot in the rotation for the young lefty.

His electric fastball and wipeout slider are a potent combination and he proved he could pitch against anyone in the AL East by shutting down the Red Sox in the ALCS last fall.

With a full season at the big league level, Price should push win 15 games.

Like Wieters, it’ll take a few years for the fireball to reach peak potential but he’ll post an ERA of about 4.15 to go with the quality wins total.

SP-Neftali Feliz, TEX

Feliz is part of a crop of very young, very talented arms that are almost ready to make an impact for their respective big league teams.

His fastball, which will be one of the best in the majors when he arrives, is a pitch he can live off of and his other pitches aren’t nearly as effective, but both his changeup and curve are at least adequate.

The power curve is a plus-pitch when it’s on, and will help pile on strikeouts as he matures.

He has already shown a great ability to finish hitters off and lead the minors with 10.8 per game nine last year and should debut after 21^st first birthday and arrive in time to make at least 15 starts.

He could burst onto the scene via Felix Hernandez a few years back, but winning six or seven of those starts while putting close to a K an inning in the books is more likely.

Both Price and Feliz will be challenged for these spots by Orioles arms Chris Tillman and Brian Matsuz, Feliz’s teammate Derek Holland, Oakland A’s products Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson, and Blue Jays lefty Brett Cecil.

If any of those guys can crack an MLB rotation out of the spring or shortly there after, they could end up with the best numbers this year.

RP-Kevin Jepsen, LAA

Jepsen took a long road to the big leagues.

After spending five years in class A, Jepsen used his mid-ninties power fastball and hammer 12-to-6 curves to pitch his way onto the US Bronze medal Olympic team and into the bigs last summer.

He even earned a spot on the club’s postseason roster and made sure is part of their future plans andwill help the Angels have one of the best bullpens in the AL.

He should throw a normal relievers share of innings—an ERA in the mid-3 isn’t too much to expect and he could pile on 60 or more K’s out of the pen.

Jose Mijares of the Twins and Mariners 2008 first round pick Josh Fields could both have big impacts in the pen this year too.

2009 American League Rookie of the Year:

Travis Snider;
Matt Wieters;
David Price.

Snider gets the nod over baseball’s two most touted prospects for a few reasons: Like Price, he has already debuted in the majors and held his own as 20-year-old.

He’s going to get more opportunity than Wieters and will end up with better power and RBI numbers, because he’s going to spend the whole season in Toronto.

Pitching in the AL East is no easy task and Price will soon find out that it’s not just the Red Sox and Yankees lineups that pack some punch.

Every team in the East can hit, as the division is easily baseballs best.

National League

C-Lou Marson, PHI

Marson’s bat is polished and big league ready, but he will head back to AAA to work on game calling skills.

Once ready, he will take the starting job for the Phillies and they’ll be happy to have him behind the plate.

His defense won’t win any Gold Gloves, but he won’t hurt the team either.

Despite having an average arm at best Marson threw out 37 percent of runners last summer, because of a quick release.

The defense is all a bonus at this point anyway, as his bat has always been his calling card.

He has a great feel for hitting and is very disciplined rarely swinging at bad pitches.

Marson should arrive in June or July and post respective marks in both average and on-base percentage the rest of way.

A .280 and .350 are fair numbers this season and though he’ll never be a huge home run threat, Marson will one day be one of the game’s better offensive catchers as he should routinely hit .300 at the major league level.

1B-Gaby Sanchez, FLA

When the Marlins traded Mike Jacobs an infield spot opened up in Florida.

Even though 3B Dallas MacPherson crushed over 40 minor league homers last summer in AAA, it looks like Florida plans to leave Jorge Cantu there and promote Sanchez to play first.

Sanchez could be this season’s version of Joey Votto.

He’s not a prototypical 1B as he lacks big time power but his overall hitting skill is above average.

Not only did he hit .314 in AA last year, but he also demonstrated plus plate discipline as he walked 69 times while striking out just 70.

He pounded out 42 doubles to go with 17 homers and showed he isn’t a clogger on the bases by swiping 17 bases.

Despite not having the same power as Jacobs, he will be a huge improvement for the Marlins there as he will push a .300 average, could outshine Jacobs’ OBP by 70 points, and isn’t a liability in the field—he is above average there.

2B-Jason Donald, PHI

Two Phillies injuries have created buzz about Donald.

With both Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz recovering from surgery, Donald could head north with the MLB club when camp breaks.

Even if he doesn’t he could arrive if he either has a set back or if Feliz starts slow.

As a hitter Donald punishes mistakes but is also patient enough to draw his fair share of walks.

He should hold his own in Philadelphia—if he isn’t traded to another with a better opportunity for him—and could hit .280 in the majors this season with double digit home runs and steals.

3B-Brett Wallace, STL

Wallace tore apart the minor leagues after being drafted last season and finished the year at AA and is in the mix to fill in for the injured Troy Glaus in St. Louis.

Though, it is not very likely, if Wallace is able to win the 3B job out of the spring he could own one of the most productive rookie bats in baseball.

Wallace uses a solid attack plan at the plate to hit and doesn’t have much trouble recognizing off speed.

A prolonged stint on the DL for Glaus could really open the door for Wallace but he could end up retaining rookie eligibility for the 2010 season.

He becomes the most eligible candidate for this spot though, because he is the rookie who likely sees the big league time this year.

Pablo Sandoval, Ian Stewart and Chase Headley have all exhausted rookie status.

Any one of them would top this list if they hadn’t surpassed 130 at-bats last season.

Pedro Alvarez and Mat Gamel could take this spot if they can get any kind of significant playing time with their parent clubs.

SS-Alcides Escobar, MIL – The Brewers have spent this decade developing home grown talent that has started to make its mark in Milwaukee. Alcides Escobar will be one more piece to the puzzle when he arrives for good. The slick-fielding shortstop has always been discussed as a potential Gold Glover and last season his bat started to receive praise of its own. He hit .328 in AA last season while swiping 32 bases. He projects to hit in front of the big bats and could become a catalyst for an already talented offense. Escobar is most likely ticketed for AAA but if Rickie Weeks or Bill Hall faces the struggles they’ve become familiar with Escobar will push them out of their spots. A better glove-man than incumbent SS J.J. Hardy, Escobar will eventually push him to 3B. He’ll settle in somewhere halfway through this season and could end up stealing 15 bases for the homer-happy Brewers, giving their offense a more dynamic look.

OF- Colby Rasmus, STL – A legitimate 5-tool talent, Rasmus struggled last season. Despite his average and power being down he still demonstrated quality big league talent as he walked 49 times in just 331 at-bats while playing a phenomenal center field. He still has all the makings of a middle of the order hitter and the Cardinals have already started to prepare for his arrival. They moved Skip Schumaker to 2B and as soon as Rasmus is ready will move Ankiel to LF. Barring another slow start he’ll arrive by June and will put last year’s offensive woes behind him. He could reach 15 homers and steals and will begin to give the Cardinals some of the return they expected when they drafted him in round one in 2005.

OF-Dexter Fowler, COL – Even if the 23-year old switch hitter heads back to AAA, it won’t be long before his bat is at the top of the Rockies order. Not only does he project to hit for a high average, he has already demo

The World Baseball Not-So-Classic

John Botelho — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:48:09 -0500

The World Baseball Classic starts next week and is supposed to determine which team has the best baseball talent in the world.

It’s supposed to prove who has more offensive clout, which pitchers are the most dominant, and what country can beat all the others. The tournament is supposed to be a collection of each country’s finest—the stars of respective nations aligning for a world war of baseball.

Much like soccer’s World Cup, when this “Classic” event concludes everyone on the planet should know who baseball’s true “world” champion is.

However, the problem is this tournament is ultimately an exhibition. It counts for very little and proves even less about baseball superiority. The reasoning is simple—the tournament is anything but a classic as many of the most elite players on the planet will be absent.

Many stars will not appear when the various countries take the field over the next few weeks. Players will be missing for a variety of reason ranging from recovering from injury, MLB parent clubs not allowing them to participate, not wanting to be absent from spring training, or simply just not wanting to participate in games during the offseason.

The players absent effect many of the countries involved and the star-studded list of those M.I.A. includes both hitters and pitchers. Throughout the tournament many teams will be effected by these missing athletes—from powerhouse countries considered favorites to win to the lower level teams who often fill the final spots on their roster with national players who don’t even play minor league baseball.

Without putting much effort, it’s easy to realize a number of names missing from teams' rosters. Players that would without a doubt make their respective countries chances in this event better.

Team USA is one of two rosters that in made up entirely of big league talent. They have some incredible arms in their rotation including Jake Peavy, Roy Oswalt, and Joe Nathan. However it is very clear that some All-Star names are missing.

Instead of seeing the likes of Jon Papelbon, Roy Halladay, and Brandon Webb, guys like Ted Lilly and Matt Thornton will drape a U-S-A uniform across their chest. Their outfield will be sporting either Brad Hawpe or Curtis Granderson along with Ryan Braun and Grady Sizemore. While both Hawpe and Granderson are very talented players, they pail in comparison to some missing Americans such as Josh Hamilton and Matt Holliday.

The Dominican Republic is the only other roster made up of all Major Leaguers, which immediately makes them one of the favorites to capture the “world championship.”

And sure, things looked great for them when A-Rod decided to jump ship from Team USA and represent the country of his parents. However, they’re also missing arguably not only their two best hitters, but the two best in the MLB. Manny Ramirez and Albert Pujols will both be elsewhere, as useful to their home country as a cracked fungo bat.

Team Venezuela found out this week that they will be without some of the best talent their country has to offer. Entering the week with a projected rotation that included former Cy Young winner Johan Santana and Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano—a formidable 1-2 punch-Venezuelan fans had reason to believe they could compete with anyone.

With “King” Felix Hernandez, Armando Galarraga, and Carlos Silva behind them, Venezuela was one of the few countries that could boast a starting five made up entirely of big league arms and had positioned themselves to make a run at the tournament’s title. They found out that both Santana and Zambrano would remain with their MLB teams during spring training causing their pitching rotation—and team—to take a serious blow.

It goes on and on from there as quality players are absent from teams the way underachievers are from class on exam day.

Japan will be without two former big league all-stars—Hideki Matsui and Hideki Okajima—as well as other MLB players Kuroki Kuroda and Kosuke Fukudome. Canada is going to be devoid of Erik Bedard and Italy’s Mike Napoli and Robert Fick will both spend the next few weeks at their respective spring training sites instead of wearing their native colors.

This event should be Major League Baseball’s showcase to the world to prove how good countries really are.

No this isn’t the Olympics, and the timing is tough considering it occurs during the MLB’s spring training, but the tournament still claims to crown a champion of the world.

Crowning a champion of the world should mean just that as opposed to the pseudo-champion we’re left with.

Until baseball gets its act together and has players and teams fully commit to their support to the WBC, this tournament will continue to resemble glorified spring training games and be anything but classic.

Brett Favre, John Smoltz Break Up with Teams

John Botelho — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:05:55 -0500

With Valentine’s Day upon us this weekend, many people are caught in dates and relationships, dinners and candy; however, there is another side to Valentine’s Day.

I’m talking, of course, of relationships that used to be and such instances occur not just from person to person, but in the athletic world, too, from team to player.

Some relationships have ended with everyone saying, “it doesn’t surprise me,” because they’re relationships that never should’ve started in the first place; a relationship like the one Brett Favre had with the Jets.

Compared to his last “relationship” with the Packers, this one was short-lived and extremely unsuccessful. The Jets essentially dumped their now “ex” at the same position, Chad Pennington, who wound up leading the Dolphins to the division title.

While Pennington was busy getting to the playoffs, Favre was throwing interceptions with the game on the line, costing Eric Mangini his job.

The break up was a messy one, with teammates speaking out against Favre, saying they never wanted him anyway and that they didn’t agree with the decisions he made.

Other relationships that end, though, completely catch us off guard.

Relationships that have existed so long and made so much sense, that them ending seemed about as likely as the sun not rising. The best example of one of these relationships came about when John Smoltz signed a contract to pitch this season for the Boston Red Sox.

It took 20-years for Smoltz's relationship with the Braves to end.

In that time, Smoltz won 210 games for the Braves, and compiled 154 more saves. He made eight all star games, and helped Atlanta win 14 straight division titles and five National League pennants.

They brought home a World Series title together, the first title since Hank Aaron, who led the Tomahawks to a championship while the team still resided in Milwaukee. The match seemed like one made in heaven, or at least on a well crafted dating website.

Then this winter, all of that changed.

Smoltz hit fee agency and all of a sudden the team based in Georgia was not the only one interested. Other teams wanted to experience a similar relationship, even if there was no chance that relationship could be as long or as great as what he had with the team he broke into the MLB with.

As I watched the press conference when Smoltz became a member of the Boston Red Sox, I knew that this was a great addition for the Yankees' biggest rival.

I also knew that even as a Sox fan, something felt wrong about it.

When he pulled the Boston B onto his head and settled it just above his brow, instead of a feeling of joy, I almost felt like someone had hit me in the stomach.

Seeing him with anything but the Braves cap on just seemed wrong.

The last time he didn’t don one, Ronald Regan was this country’s president when the MLB started its season, the Internet was still unheard of and Barack Obama was preparing for his first semester at Harvard Law School.

It also seemed especially off the mark when the reason he chose the Sox over them came out. His agent cited that the Red Sox had offered a more lucrative contract, giving him the opportunity to make a few million extra bucks if he pitches well.

A few million bucks to you and me is obviously huge, but consider that in his 20 seasons pitching for the Braves they wrote him checks totaling more than $130 million for his services.

They also showed him endless faith, resigning him despite one injury and surgery after another, even when they let go of sure-fire hall of famers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.

He was the face of their team, a guy who every fan loved, and an on and off field leader for one of the classiest organizations in all of sports.

If the reasoning for Smoltz ending his relationship had been a better one, I might feel better about this situation. If it was based on an opportunity to win or if he had a grown up in South Boston and was using this as a homecoming, it would make sense.

When Ray Bourque was traded from the Bruins to the Avalanche, people were okay with it because Bourque finally had a chance to raise Lord Stanley’s cup.

This situation with Smoltz is like so many others in sports and will always leave a bad taste in every Braves fans mouth. For those of you who don’t agree that this is a big deal, imagine the face of the franchise you grew up watching riding off into the sunset with someone else.

What if Ted Williams or Joe DiMaggio finished their career in a Braves cap?

What if Derek Jeter signs a one-year deal with the Twins when he decides to go out?

Just like Michael Jordan leaving the Bulls for the Wizards or Hank Aaron finishing his career wearing a Brewers hat despite setting the home run record as a Brave, when John Smoltz pulls the Red Sox jersey on, it will always look somewhat wrong.

The relationship between Smoltz and the Braves was the one everyone compared themselves to and tried to emulate.

The situations between Favre and Smoltz are very different, despite ending the same way.

While fans in New York are happy to see Favre’s relationship extinguished, the fans in Atlanta will always be left wondering what happened to the perfect marriage of player and team.

MLB Hall of Fame Injustices

John Botelho — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:25:52 -0500

The baseball Hall of Fame will announce the 2009 class of inductees on Jan. 12. Headlining that list could be Ricky Henderson, the all-time stolen base leader in MLB history. If elected, Henderson would achieve being enshrined among the greatest to ever play the game in the first year he was eligible to do so.

Other players, however, aren’t always so lucky. Many players have been called “borderline” Hall of Famers, and have had to spend years on the ballot before gaining entrance into Cooperstown.

Some players that many consider deserving of the honor never get the call to make a Hall of Fame speech. Players like Smokey Joe Wood and his career 2.03 career ERA, or Dave Kingman and Jose Canseco with 442 and 462 home runs respectively are left on the outside looking in.

Despite the gaudy numbers those players each put up during their careers, there are a number of other players easily more deserving. The top five HoF snubs are listed next, each accompanied with the reasoning they should be enshrined among the same walls as Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Henry Aaron.

5. Joe Torre

Sure, everyone knows of the work he did as a manager in Major League Baseball, and he will undoubtedly be enshrined for his work in that manner some day. Over 4,000 wins, four World Series rings, and two more A.L. pennants, along with two Manager of the Year Awards surely mean Torre will one day get to make an induction speech.

However, before he ever makes that speech as a manager, Joe Torre deserves to be inducted as a player. Torre spent his playing days at three different positions but is best known for his work behind the plate. Not only did Torre win a Gold Glove award in 1965 as a catcher, he also carried with him an incredible batting ability.

He was a nine-time N.L. All-Star. After moving to 3B in 1971, he hit .363-winning the batting title-and laying stake to the MVP award. He posted a career average of .297, drove in almost 1,200 runs while scoring almost 1,000 more. Gary Carter was inducted in 2003 with similar run production numbers but carried an average of just .262. Torre also out hit Hall of Fame catchers Yogi Berra (.285), Johnny Bench (.267), and Carlton Fisk (.269) throughout their big league careers.

4. Bobby Matthews

Matthews is only not in the Hall of Fame because of the time period he pitched in. His career lasted from 1871-1887. Despite pitching in a “deadball” era, Matthews still has numbers that very few in history can match.

His 297 wins are the most all-time of anyone eligible for the Hall of Fame not to be inducted. Critics could easily point to his accompanying 248 losses to keep him from enshrinement, but the other statistics he compiled speak for themselves.

In his baseball career, he made 568 starts and threw complete games in 525 if them. In comparison, Roy Halladay and CC Sabathia lead the majors last season with nine and 10. Matthews also was on the mound for over 4900 innings in his career, and walked only 533 batters.

His near flawless control helped him amass a career earned run average of 2.89, lower than Rollie Fingers, Bob Gibson, and Don Drysdale-all members of baseball’s Hall of Fame.

3. George Van Haltren

Another player lost in baseball’s lengthy history, Van Haltren was a good hitter when good hitters were hard to find. Van Haltren scored over 1600 times, drove in over 1000 baserunners, and stole 583 bases; He did all that while posting a career .316 batting average to accompany his more than 2500 hundred hits.

To put things in perspective his run total ranks ahead of other Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Eddie Murray. Throw in that he has more steals than Ozzie Smith and Hugh Duffy, both also member of the Hall, and an easy case can be made for Van Haltren.

Add in a batting average that ranks ahead of baseball legends Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron, and its more of a travesty that he does not have a plaque in Cooperstown.

2. Bert Blyleven

The best player to ever come out of the Netherlands, Blyleven should also be the country’s first Hall of Famer. Still eligible to be voted in by the Baseball Writers of America, Blyleven was one of the most consistent pitchers of his era. He could always be counted on to do deep into games, and give his team-even if it was bad- a very good chance to win.

Blyleven amassed 242 complete games in his career more than both Nolan Ryan and Jim Palmer. He also worked 4,970 innings in his career, more than Roger Clemens, and ranks 14th on the all-time list.

He posted 287 wins and struck out over 3,700 batters before he was done. During his 22 year career, he put together a career ERA of 3.31 in a time when the league average was 3.90.

1. Jim Rice

Rice was one of the most dominant hitters in baseball during his 16 year career. Six times, he finished in the top five in the American League MVP voting. Eight times, he was an All-Star.

He drove in almost 1,500 runs, while scoring close to 1,300 more. His career batting average finished at .298, and was only under .300 because of three straight less than Rice-esque years to finish his career.

The most telling stat that should guarantee that Rice does indeed deserve to have a spot in Cooperstown is the fact that his career slugging percentage finished over .500.

His mark rates ahead of Hall of Famers Tris Speaker, Roy Campanella, and Ernie Banks-a member of baseball’s illustrious 500 home run club. Rice will be on the voter’s ballot for the last time this season, and needs 75 percent of the vote to gain entrance to the Hall. A year ago, he garnered 72 percent.

Taking Boston's Championships for Granted

John Botelho — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 05:50:32 -0400

When I entered high school, I knew a few things to be true. The people I’d been friends with my whole life would always be my friends, the money I made from working six hours a week could buy me anything I ever wanted, and Boston's sports teams would ultimately find a way to lose.

The latter of the few things I absolutely knew were no longer true after a few short months.

The New England Patriots lost starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe, which signaled the end of any competitive season for the guys in Foxboro, until a no-named kid from Michigan took over and they kept winning.

When that no-name we've come to know as Tom Brady got hurt in the playoffs it should’ve been the end of the brief hope Boston fans had of success. Bledsoe came in and led a game-winning charge, despite spending previous months holding a clipboard rather than passing to receivers.

The team and their fans, who were used to losing in an unprecedented fashion (see the Patriots roughing the quarterback penalty that didn’t exist in 1976, or the Red Sox in '46, '75, '78, and '86), couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that something would go wrong at some point in the playoffs, sending the Patriots home with a crushing loss. Then, as sure as rain is wet, it happened.

Charles Woodson came off the corner and sacked Brady, causing a fumble that a Raider linebacker picked up. The game was over, the season was over, and once again fans were disappointed.

The refs reviewed the play, however, and decided the quarterback’s arm was coming forward, making it an incomplete pass and not a fumble. As a result, Adam Vinatieri kicked a 45 yard field goal as regulation expired to tie the game. After he hit another for the win in overtime, the Patriots moved on to beat the Steelers in the AFC championship.

Surely, though, this would be all the success they could muster as they were coming up against the Rams and the great Kurt Warner-led offense in the Super Bowl.

The Patriots seemed to never go away though, and when they took the ball over with about a minute left, the score remained tied. Someone forgot to tell Brady and Vinatieri they were 14-point underdogs as they led a charge down the field and hit a field goal as time expired, which brought the first sports championship to the Bay State since the Celtics in 1986.

When they failed to make the playoffs the next year, it seemed like a flash in the pan. The Red Sox reminded fans here that winning was hard to come by, and lost in a heartbreaking fashion in the 2003 playoffs to the New York Yankees. Everything seemed back to normal at that point.

A year later when they returned to the same spot in the playoffs it seemed like they were finally going to let fans off easy and lose. When they lost game three 19-8 and went down 3-0 in the best of seven series, the Sox served very little hope that Boston could become a winning town.

Then they took game five, and Schilling and Pedro led them to wins in five and six. The offense exploded in game seven, and the Red Sox became the first team in the history of baseball to win after a three-game deficit.

This couldn’t be. A city with a history scared with defeat couldn't pull off perhaps the greatest win in sports history. Surely something would go wrong in the World Series, reminding fans that it just wasn’t supposed to work out, however, they steamrolled the Cardinals, sweeping away St. Louis and 86 years of defeat.

When the Patriots captured their second NFL championship a few months later, New England had two teams atop the sporting world for the first time ever. It was only the second time in the area’s history that two teams had shown that kind of success within a year of each other. Not since the Bruins and Celtics, in the late '60s and early '70s, had fans seen such success.

The Red Sox and Patriots have both captured another crown since. The Celtics, who have been bad for the majority of any college-aged person’s life, even returned to prominence a year ago. After acquiring two All-Stars to accompany Paul Pierce, we were able to see the glory our parents and grandparents had as the Celtics brought home banner No. 17 at the end of the season.

Even Boston College has had its share of triumphs. The football team advanced to the ACC Championship game a year ago and ultimately won their eighth straight Bowl game. Their Hockey team crafted upset after upset a season ago, finally coming home with an NCAA championship.

Somewhere in all of those wins, fans stopped expecting losing, and started feeling they deserved to win. We now find that anything short of a championship makes the season a disappointment. The recent successes of the teams in the area have transformed an entire region into one of arrogance surrounding the local sports, and made them feel that losing is far off.

Taking these championships for granted is the wrong approach to being a fan at this point. We need to appreciate them as they happen, and should not forget that winning is an incredible rarity. As Sox fans, we waited 86 years for a celebration. The Patriots brought fans our first championship in 15 years. Cubs fans have been waiting for 100 years.

Our city has experienced six championships in professional sports in less than a decade, which is a feat that very few cities can stake a claim to. It is unfair to expect the sports teams we support to continue to recreate such success.

So sit back, love it if they win, and don’t feel cheated if a few years go by without another championship parade through the streets of Boston.