2010 Preview - NL West

The NL West may be, year-to-year, the most difficult division to predict. There have been very few clear-cut favorites and only the Giants have not made the playoffs in the last 4 years. Twice in that span the Wild Card has gone to the Rockies, one of those times just ahead of San Diego. The Dodgers have finished on top the last two seasons, but this is the year the Rockies put together a total season and bring home the first division title in franchise history.

1. Colorado Rockies

After a slow start last season the Rockies may have been the best team in the league for the final 3-4 months. The NL version of the Rays (in a division without the Yankees and Red Sox), Colorado is building a low cost team from within the organization and enters 2010 with another year of maturity for players like Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Ian Stewart. Add prospect Dexter Fowler and a return of Jeff Francis to the mix and this team looks to be even better than last year.

The Rockies boast a deep bench, solid batting order, and enough pitching to win the division. But it is the intangibles (never clear on what that means, but it seems to get the credit for teams who show up better in the field than on paper) that will make the difference. The bullpen should be fine without Huston Street for awhile, but this could show up as the fatal flaw if the injury lingers. Franklin Morales could be the next choice, although that would cost Colorado a key lefty in other critical situations. Whoever it is, they will find a way to plug the gap and make a late run if needed.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers


An interesting thing happened late last September or so when the Dodgers, with the best record in the NL and the biggest run differential in the majors (that's right, even better than the Yankees), were suddenly tabbed as the longshots heading into the playoffs. Sure, the Cardinals had two aces and Philly was defending champ, but how did things turn so quickly? When a team wins 95 games they aren't exactly pushovers. What the Dodgers lacked, and what many suggest they still lack, is a reliable front of the rotation to be an automatic win in a short series. (Ask the Cardinals how well that went). Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley might be the hope of the future, but there are questions about whether they can lead the charge and take the ball in big game situations. The Dodgers will need those two to stay healthy and live up to expectations because of the weak three behind them. The team will miss Randy Wolf more than they expected.


Los Angeles still looks strong at the plate and in the bullpen and will be tough to beat in close games. Expect Manny Ramirez to come back strong from a disappointing year, but don't look for him to put up the kind of numbers he used to. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier make this a threatening 3-4-5 in a deep lineup. The Dodgers really need more production out of Russell Martin and Rafael Furcal, but this is a team that will score runs even if they don't. LA will be in a dogfight with Colorado all season, but in the end will be battling the Braves for the Wild Card.


3. San Fransisco Giants


If Brandon Webb had been healthy and back to form, this would likely be the slot for Arizona. His slow recovery opens the door for the Giants to make a push for the NL West race. However, San Fransisco faces the same problem that Seattle does in the AL...how will they score runs? This is probably the best pitching staff in the league, top to bottom (even with Wellemeyer), but run prevention, as they say, is only half the game. Brain Sabean made sure to lock up his core young pitchers for the next few years this offseason, but it will take a few offensive pieces for this team to make it over the hump to division favorites. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain will be as tough as anyone and Jonathan Sanchez should take a step forward this year, but I am interested to see how Barry Zito does after his best season since leaving Oakland.


With glaring needs on offense all San Fran mustered in the offseason was picking up utility man Mark DeRosa, which just isn't going to cut it. The Giants have future star Buster Posey waiting in the wings, but need to find a way to get his bat into the everyday lineup (first? left?) since it does not appear he will be their opening day catcher. They will need all the help they can get for Kung Fu Panda Pablo Sandoval and Posey's readiness behind the plate is the real reason SF brought Molina back for another year. The Giants will need some unexpected heroes if they are going to make a run at the playoffs, whether revitalized veterans or quick sprouting youngsters. Unfortunately those heroes aren't on this team yet.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks


Dan Haren, Brandon Webb, Edwin Jackson sounded good...but that looks like it won't happen for awhile and it is hard to tell if Webb will be the same pitcher anytime this season. That trio would give Arizona a chance to compete, but without dominating starters going deep into games, the bullpen will be overworked and exposed. After a solid turn in the closer's role in '09, the Diamondbacks will need Chad Qualls to take it to the next level to lock up the leads they can get to him.

How often do we hear Mark Reynolds name without immediately hearing about his prodigous strikeout totals? What really matters is his production and he has proven to be more than a slugger with a good onbase percentage and 24 steals to boot. Oh yeah, he also hit 44 homers in case anyone missed it. On top of that, Justin Upton is poised to become a superstar after his breakout last year...but they will need Stephen Drew to follow a similar path if the offense expects to make waves. If notorious slow starter Adam LaRoche can get out of the gate quickly the D-backs will have a stout middle of the lineup. No matter how good the offense becomes the only question Arizona fans are concerned with is what will become of Brandon Webb.

5. San Diego Padres

Sadly, the most interesting storyline for the Padres in 2010 will probably be the Adrian Gonzalez saga. If San Diego manages to hold onto him they will have a foundation stone to build their young pieces around. Kyle Blanks impressed last year and Will Venable and Everth Cabrera should be core members of the club for years to come, but my personal curiosity is how many people Kyle Blanks will eat this year...have you seen that guy? He's huge!

What might be most telling about the pitching staff is that Jon Garland was named opening day starter. Truth be told Kevin Correia had an excellent year and Chris Young should rebound from a forgetable season, so the rotation shouldn't be terrible. Fans of the Fathers will want to watch for the development of Clayton Richard, as well. Even the pitching side could have mid-season drama if San Diego decides Heath Bell's best value is trade bait. So, that's the excitement for the West's 5th place team. You stay boring, San Diego.

2010 Preview - AL Central

Everyone agrees this is a three team race (Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota) and after Joe Nathan went down for the season a few weeks ago it has become even more of a toss-up. This is a division that has gone down to the wire the last two seasons and looks to do so again. The winner might only need 86 - 88 wins to pull that off, but the other two should be close at their heels in the mid-80s. This is a study in contrasts with the White Sox deep pitching staff, the Twins thundering bats, and the Tigers infusion of youth at key positions. It should be fun to watch them battle it out! So, who will come out on top?

1. Minnesota Twins

The bottom line is it is hard to bet against the Twins and Ron Gardenhire with their track record the past several years. Every time they lose key players (to free agency, trade, injury) someone seems to step up and push them into the playoffs. Even without Joe Nathan this team looks tough to beat. After reports this spring, it appears Fransisco Liriano may be back to form and recovered from his surgery a couple years ago. If he continues to throw as well as he has, Minnesota won't might just forget all this Joe Nathan drama. The bullpen still has quality arms and while the rotation is not dominant, they should give the offense a chance most nights. But with this lineup that could be any night...

The primary reason to bet on the Twins winning the Central again in 2010 is their stacked lineup, which could rival the Yankees for the AL's best. In addition to All-American boy Joe Mauer, the Twins have another former MVP in Justin Morneau, who is healthy again after finishing on the DL. On top of that you have to deal with Kubel and Cuddyer, not to mention the additions of Jim Thome and JJ Hardy, making this a power packed lineup from top to bottom. Denard Span is more than just a nightly highlight reel in center...he can hit and run, too, giving Minnesota a little versatility. They should put on a pretty good show for those fans freezing their butts off at Target Field in early April...and likely early October.

2. Chicago White Sox

I hesitate to pick the Sox ahead of Detroit, but their pitching staff looks like it should be the best in the AL, with a deep rotation and hard-throwing bullpen. All five starters will give Chicago great innings every night and having a healthy, full season of Jake Peavy gives them another veteran leader to go with Mark Buehrle. Gavin Floyd and John Danks are looking better and better. The only question mark is whether they can get 25+ starts from Freddy Garcia, who has not pitched a full season since 2006. If he is healthy, Garcia is a workhorse who will go 200+ IP and will keep the bullpen well rested. The White Sox shouldn't give up many runs this year.

But where will their runs come from? While the pitching staff remains much the same, the offense received an overhaul, most notably losing long-time sluggers Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye and while adding Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones. Chicago will have a balanced lineup with a number of veterans, but need a star to emerge. It is probably still too soon for that star to be Gordon Beckham or even Alexi Ramirez, but perhaps Carlos Quentin will return to being the power threat he was before a rash of injuries slowed him the last couple seasons. To stay in the mix the Sox won't need to lead the league in runs, but they will need to find some production from this hard to predict mix.

3. Detroit Tigers

Detroit could just as easily finish first as third, but a lot of that will ride on the development of their young players, especially Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer. After a phenomenal showing his rookie season, Porcello will be tested to repeat that performance and will likely fall a little short given his lackluster K/BB ratio. Scherzer is also one to watch and turned in a solid first season himself for a poor Arizona club, striking out hitters at a K/IP clip. He provides another power arm behind potential Cy Young Justin Verlander. The Tigers will need all three to step up with the back end of the rotation bringing a lot of questions into the start of the year. Bonderman appears healthy, but he and Willis have a lot to prove after a few shaky years.

There is a lot to like in the Tigers rookie hitters, as well, and there are high hopes for Austin Jackson and Scott Sizemore to make an immediate impact. Jackson will have tough shoes to fill replacing Granderson at the plate, but might even be a step up in the field. And the addition of Damon should help make up for the loss of his bat. The Tigers D will be solid up the middle, helping their pitching staff tremendously. The real question for the lineup will be what kind of Magglio Ordonez Detroit will get. They will need him to get his power back to pose a threat behind Miguel Cabrera, who should have another excellent year.

If the Tiger's young players mature quickly, this will be the team to beat in the Central. I just see too much hanging on the production of those key players to put them in first.

5. Cleveland Indians

No, that is not a missprint. I am predicting the Indians and Royals to finished tied in the basement, just like last season. This is just a bad team. The fact that they finished last season tied with the Royals is already proof of that. But hearing that they might have Justin Masterson as their opening day starter says a lot about this team, too. They are counting on major comebacks from Jake Westbrook (who hasn't looked good), Fausto Carmona (who has), and Grady Sizemore (who should be solid again, but can't carry the team). Even assuming they all perform to their potential the Indians will not be a good club. That would put them ahead of the Royals, but not by a longshot.

I do like Shin-Soo Choo, though...and not just because his name is fun to say.

5. Kansas City Royals

How exactly were the Royals not in the contraction discussions a few years back? It seems like forever since they were relevant or even interesting, but at least they have one exciting player to watch. Zach Greinke is probably the only reason to pay attention to this team. I may throw in Billy Butler if I'm feeling generous. This team is just not going anywhere. Even their veteran signings don't make much sense...what are they really expecting out of Jason Kendall or Kyle Farnsworth? I admit that as a Cardinal fan I'm pulling for Rick Ankiel to develop into a great everyday player and it was probably a pretty risk-free move to sign him. So, that will certainly be my only reason to keep up with the Royals other than every 5th day.

Does George Brett have a son coming through the system, by any chance?

2010 Preview - NL Central

Least Changes in any division?

There weren't many significant moves made this offseason in the NL Central, the most notable probably being the Reds' signing of Aroldis Chapman, which has a lot more implications for future seasons than this one. The Cardinals basically swapped out Joel Piniero for Brad Penny, the Cubs played the addition by subtraction game shipping Milton Bradley as far away as they could (maybe even literally), and the Brewers signed Jimmy Edmonds...which would be dramatic had that been 6 years ago. With so few changes, does that mean the standings will remain the same, too? Yes. Yes it does.

1. St. Louis Cardinals

All the major pieces are still in place for last year's Division Champs and it is hard to argue against two Cy Young candidates, the reigning 'best hitter you've ever seen', and a full season of Matt Holliday. The depth of the rotation will ride on Brad Penny replacing Piniero's stellar year and Kyle Lohse returning to form, but the potential is high a solid 1-5. Jaime Garcia pitched his way into the rotation this spring and thankfully doesn't have big shoes (although big shoulders) to fill following Todd Wellemeyer's rough 2009 season. There are some concerns about Ryan Franklin as closer after he faded down the stretch last season, but the bullpen is solid on both sides of the mound.

Despite the rash of spring injuries in the starting lineup, the thought of having a one-two punch of Pujols-Holliday all season surely brings a smile to the face of any St. Louis fan. The Cards should also see added production from Sophomore Colby Rasmus, whom Keith Law highlights as one of his potential breakout stars for the year. The way Ryan Ludwick and David Freese have been swinging the bat this preseason there is reason to believe this could be a much improved lineup. The only real concern will be the bench, where the Redbirds will rely heavily on super-utility Felipe Lopez to fill the gaps.

This is a team we should see not just competing for another Division title, but making a deep run into October. The only other strong challenger in the Central is the...

2. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs may have been the most disappointing team of 2009, being the preseason favorite to win the Central for the third year in a row following a 97 win 2008 season. Most of Chicago would like to pin the flop squarely on the shoulders of boardgame magnate Milton Bradley, but there were issues in the bullpen, lack of production in the entire outfield and behind the plate, a poor showing by supposed ace Carlos Zambrano, and a handful of significant injuries that all contributed to a mediocre year. With as much went wrong last season it would be hard to imagine that happening again for the Cubs in 2010...except this is the Cubs...it's what they do, right?

The 2010 team has some big question marks in the rotation, especially with the most consistent starter, Ted Lilly, out for the beginning of April, possibly longer. Chicago will need Zambrano to finally reign in his emotions and focus for an entire season if they are to match up with the front of the Cardinals rotation. Ryan Dempster turned in a solid 2009 after his breakout '08 season, but the Cubs will need all they can get out of him with Tom Gorzelanny and Carlos Silva to follow. Carlos Marmol now has been handed the reigns of the closer role and should step up to help stabilize a bullpen that could be shaky after Angel Guzman's recent surgery.

The Cubs' offense, a strength in '08, sputtered in 2009, finishing 10th in the NL in runs and 12th in BA. Marlon Byrd/Xavier Nady should be an upgrade over Bradley's bat (heck, I might be), but it will be Geovany Soto and Alfonso Soriano who will most be called on to pick up the slack and provide punch around Derrek Lee in the middle. This is especially important given questions about Aramis Ramirez getting back to full strength. With as poorly as Soto and Soriano played last season Chicago should get better production from both. The potential to do damage is still present in this lineup and if they turn enough around the 2010 lineup could put the Cubs in a dead heat with the Cardinals.

3. Milwaukee Brewers

Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun might be just as fearsome as the Cardinals tandem of Pujols and Holliday, but after that the Brewers just don't have the weapons to chase St. Louis. Milwaukee boasted a good offense in 2009 (2nd in runs behind the Phillies) but is counting on bounce-back years from Corey Hart and Ricky Weeks to continue that threat. Carlos Gomez helps make up for Mike Cameron's glove in Center but barely hits my weight at the plate...and while there are high hopes for rookie Alcides Escobar at short he won't likely hit much over a whole year.

Outside of young star in waiting Yovani Gallardo, the Brewers have cloned four of the same pitcher to round out the rotation, with soft tossing inning-eaters Randy Wolf, Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush, and Doug Davis. This is quite the durable bunch...they may not overpower you, but will keep Milwaukee in enough games to hover around or above .500 again this year, which could be Trevor Hoffman's last.

4. Cincinnati Reds

The question for the Reds of 2010 is, "How close will they look to the Reds of 2012?" With loads of young talent, especially on the mound, Cincinnati could be tough in a couple years. That starting five could feature Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, Aroldis Chapman, and Homer Bailey. This starting five might contain a number of those same names, but they have a long way to go to be the dominant rotation the Reds (and many) believe they can be. We should see flashes of that dominance this year, perhaps often enough to move past the Brewers into 3rd place in the division, but they are a couple years off from being contenders.

On the offensive side this year should look much better for Jay Bruce after a difficult first full season in the bigs. He and fellow future star Joey Votto are poised to anchor a young core that is complemented by a veteran left side of the infield after the Reds picked up Scott Rolen and Orlando Cabrera. They may not be part of the future, but should help solidify both the lineup and the infield defense.

5. Houston Astros

With the news of Roy Oswalt likely starting on the DL and Lance Berkman possibly joining him, I almost dropped the Astros into the cellar. Without those two for a good chunk of the season that's exactly where Houston will be. If they can return to health in the first month of the season the Astros should have enough to best an improving Pirate team. The lineup still has a few bangers with Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence, but won't score many runs without Berkman. Heck, they didn't score very many even with Berkman most of the year last year.

Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez should form a pretty good front of the rotation, but they will need a lot of help. Bret Myers? Bud Norris? Brian Moehler? That's not the help they need. Actually, the more I look at this team I have a hard time picking them to win more than 65 games...but I just can't pick the Pirates not to finish in the basement. They have to prove it to me first...it's just been too long.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates

Ok, the Pirates should be better. They really should. We know Pittsburgh has some exciting young guys like Andrew McCutchen, Garrett Jones, and Ryan Doumit. Even a couple starters like Ohlendorf and Morton look like they could be good, but this is a young, still maturing team. How young? The starting lineup includes just one player with over 350 games played in the majors (Ronny Cedeno - 434, not exactly an oldtimer), with most having much less than that. Even the rotation has but two guys with more than one full season of MLB experience (Maholm, Duke). In short, things are looking up in Pittsburgh, but you're always looking up from the cellar. Here's to hoping this is their year out of last place!

Not as Well(emeyer)

Buster Olney mentioned this on his blog today and it helped put the question marks about the Cardinals 5th starter into a favorable light. It shouldn't be too hard to do improve on the production they got from Wellemeyer last year...

"Wellemeyer suffered through an injury-plagued 2009 season, posting a 5.89 ERA in 28 appearances (21 starts) for the Cardinals. He was arguably the most hittable pitcher in the major leagues last season, with the highest batting average allowed and OPS allowed among the 117 MLB pitchers with at least 20 starts. The Giants are hoping he can turn it around next season."

The highest OPS allowed during the 2009 season (min. 20 starts):

Todd Wellemeyer: .907
Jason Berken: .906
Jeff Suppan: .899
Dave Bush: .886
Manny Parra; .865

And the highest OBA during the 2009 season:
Todd Wellemeyer: .328
Jason Berken: .327
Jeff Suppan: .309
Livan Hernandez: .308
Manny Parra: .306

I don't know what to expect from Rich Hill, Mitchell Boggs, Jaime Garcia, etc. but I would hope the mix of them could provide at least what Wellemeyer did last year.

Bud Doesn't Need a Statue, Bud IS a Statue

"Seriously??"

That was my first thought when hearing that Milwaukee will soon have a statue of Bud Selig towering outside of Miller Park with impressive grandeur.

"Doesn't Milwaukee have a player (Molitor, Gorman Thomas?), bench coach, Bernie Brewer, a ball boy...anybody...more deserving of a statue?"

That was my second thought.

I have a hard time believing that even Milwaukee fans are that excited about Bud, let alone a slightly less animated replica of him. Perhaps he is much more loved by Brewers fans than I realize...it is just a bit odd, don't you think? Generally the unveiling of a statue should be met with "It's about time", not "Those crazy Onion writers..."

Perhaps the oddest part for me is trying to imagine what inspiring or memorable "pose" Bud will be in...maybe they could put an MGD in his hand or a cheesehead on top...or even announcing the cancellation of the '94 World Series. After finding several pictures online of Bud with his hand up to his ear I am led to believe that is his trademark "move". (Does anyone know if he is hard of hearing?) More likely it will be Bud in his bespectacled glory, dressed in a fine suit and goofy grin. Stunning addition to the ballpark landscape.

I agree with Jim Caple's assessment...statues are for players and maybe the team's radio voice, not an owner (or commissioner).

By the way, doesn't Bernie Brewer look eerily like Robin Yount?

Just Walk Both Of Them?

As a Cardinal fan I was naturally excited about the re-signing of Matt Holliday on one hand, knowing he provided a counterweight to El Hombre, and on the other hand I had an uncomfortable feeling for what this might mean in the not so distant future. Yes, in some ways this gives the Cards a better chance to retain Albert when it comes time to sign another mega-contract, but as so many have pointed out, this may handcuff the team financially as they attempt to fill in pieces around the two stars. Certainly the biggest question will be whether there is money left to keep Carp and Wainwright at the front of the rotation and maintain the best chance of trotting out an unstoppable tandem in the playoffs.

That will be a critical decision in a couple seasons, but obviously one major reason for the move is that the front office senses the pieces in place over the next couple years to make a run at another World Series title. The conventional thought is that StL now has the protection for Albert they have lacked for so long and can begin to put runs on the board. That would certainly be a welcome sight...but is that what we can really expect from this 2010 Cardinal team? Is this lineup now a championship lineup?

Despite the monstrous year that Albert Pujols had in 2009 (as usual), it was predominently their pitching that led the Cardinals to the postseason. St. Louis finished 3rd in runs allowed in the NL, but just 7th in runs scored (numbers almost identical to the Braves, who finished 5 games worse, by the way). Repeating those numbers would likely put them in a similar spot in October, but if the pitching staff falters (or doesn't see much production from the last half of the rotation...Penny, Lohse, and ?), what could things look like?

(Thanks to the NL Central competitors, probably at least a playoff showing, but anyway...)

Here is the projected StL lineup, with BA/OBP/SLG splits from '09 (and OPS thrown in)...

1. Schumaker .303/.364/.393/ .757
2. Rasmus .251/.307/.407/ .714
3. Pujols .327/.443/.658/ 1.101
4. Holliday .353/.419/.604/ 1.023 (w/ STL)
5. Ludwick .265/.329/.447/ .775
6. Molina .293/.366/.383/ .749
7. Freese .323/.353/.484/ .837 (in 31 AB)
8. Ryan .292/.340/.400/ .740

A few things should be obvious on quick glance:

1. Holliday is not going to repeat those numbers for 162 games.
2. Freese, a rookie, is an unknown commodity, but nowhere close to the numbers listed.
3. Rasmus was a rookie last year and figures to improve with more playing time this year
4. Ludwick is the only other "power" bat...not a lot of pop in the lineup

Three of these could be cause for concern heading into the season, but the last of those 3 is my biggest concern with the lineup heading into the year. Pujols and Holliday are really the only plus hitters of the bunch (VERY plus). Outside of those two, there is just not much to be scared of when facing this order. St. Louis needs more production out of Ludwick this season if they hope to score towards the top half of the league. If he can land somewhere between his '09 numbers and his '08 numbers (.299/.375/.591 - .966OPS - that's not happening again) and the Cards can get reasonable production from Freese at 3B the lineup actually looks pretty solid, even if it isn't intimidating. For perspective, the Cardinals did not have any players log even 200 PAs at 3B last year and got almost no production from them (even Derosa, folks - .696 OPS), so Freese should be a decent substitute.

Most teams don't get lots of power from the middle infield or even catcher, so I'm fine with that. But that means the corner infield and outfield spots must be counted on to provide the pop. Albert and Holliday have half of that covered, but with Freese a question mark, that leaves a lot to Ludwick...and maybe Rasmus, too.

Think about how much better this lineup looks if Ludwick could put up a .280, 32HR season and if Rasmus can hit closer to .270 and provide 20-22HRs. With Molina, Ryan, and Schmaker able to hit near .300 and get on base there would not be many easy outs and you can see the potential for crooked numbers on the scoreboard. There is plenty of reason to think the offense will be improved this year, but I don't think it will be a dramatic improvement until another power source emerges. If the pitching holds up the Cards can win with this offense.

This is especially true in the NL, where the only team they can't match up closely with is the Phillies (Victorino, Rollins, Utley, Howard, Werth...). The National League just does not have as many of the kind of lineups you might see in the AL (NYY, BOS, MIN, LAA-well, maybe not the Angels this year). Some of the deeper lineups (COL, ATL, FLA) lack an explosive middle or teams like STL and MIL lack depth outside the big two (Braun, Fielder)...LA is closer to matching depth and explosiveness if Furcal and Manny come back with strong seasons to go with Kemp, Ethier and Blake. So, it wouldn't take much for St. Louis to push toward the top of the league in scoring.

While I focused on the Cardinals' hitting, here are my three keys to the Cardinals' 2010 season:

1. Finding another power source - namely, seeing Ludwick recover from a lackluster '09
2. Lohse and Penny - Penny needs to give the Cards similar production as Piniero last season (phenomenal year that was better than his 15-12 record suggests) it will be even more important that Lohse turns things around. They need at least a dominant 3 or solid 4 starters. Lack of an experienced number 5 won't be a glaring weakness if those two perform.
3. Health - This is a thin team, starting with the rotation, but even in the field. There is little on the bench beyond Julio Lugo and not even one outfielder listed on ESPN's depth chart. Significant injuries could submarine this team.

There's a handful of my thoughts on the upcoming season for the Cardinals...more to come as we approach Opening Day. How do you guys feel about the team, particularly the lineup?

I Think I'll Vote For Sean Casey

If you want to start a heated discussion with even a casual baseball fan, just bring up who should be in the Hall of Fame and who shouldn't. It is amazing how quickly cheeks flush and volumes raise when those borderline guys are mentioned...or even guys who are obvious choices for most people. I can't even utter the sounds "bee-zhee-oh" (Biggio) without an immediate reaction that "the Hall is for great players, not guys who were pretty good for a long time!!". It is kind of a running joke in my family, actually. If there is a ever a dull moment or need for some passion, just bring up Biggio (or the Hall, for that matter). Never fails.

There are all kinds of angles to argue...whether or not to factor in for "the steroid era", what to do with short stretches of greatness or accumulative stats, how to adjust for the team that surrounded a player, how to compare different eras, and so on. Whether or not I fall in the "Bonds was great even without steroids" camp (my brother) or the "steroid use (even suspected) precludes entrance into the Hall" camp (hordes of people) or if I think there is no room in the Hall for a DH, there are legitimate arguments to be made. And that's what makes it fun. The fact that there are defensible positions is what gets us going and even turns us into an advocate of sorts.

But this is just mind-boggling...how do you come up with a legitimate argument for Pat Hentgen or David Segui, who each garnered a single vote this year? Who chose to become an advocate for Kevin Appier (one vote)? Seriously? While it is tempting to analyze why Bert Blyleven fell just a few votes short again this year and how essentially the same voters gave him 11.5% more votes than last year (because he's a year older? Send out Christmas cards with his stats to voters?) it seems just as fascinating to speculate how anyone (let alone two!) could jot down Eric Karros or Ellis Burks (two votes each).

It is hard to imagine a writer thinking they were going to push those players over the top or create a groundswell of support with their vote. Or thinking any of those players truly deserving of the Hall. If that were the case, the revoking of their voting rights should not stop merely with the Baseball Hall of Fame, but any kind of democratic vote on this terrestrial ball. I can't see their whole ballots, but it is still troubling that of their 10 possible selections they chose these guys and left off several guys who were obviously at least more deserving, like a Dale Murphy or Don Mattingly.

The most likely option is they were simply nice gestures to nice guys. And I suppose it is heartwarming and all, but it does make one wonder how seriously these voters take other cases. Are they the kind who would also flip in a vote for a borderline guy because he was always a good interview? Or because their kid had his poster on every wall? Were they the same kinds of sentiments that caused 22 voters to select Andres Galarraga, a well-known nice guy with a cancer comeback to boot? Possibly.

No, this isn't going to get guys that far off the radar into the Hall...and might not play much into what happens to the guys always riding the fence. But it does raise the question of what kind of standards we are holding these voters to. And why Ray Lankford didn't get a token vote, too. I loved Ray.