Comedy Central ( AL Style )

Hello Chief Wahoo !

LINEUP:

1. SS Asdrubal Cabrera

2. CF Grady Sizemore

3. RF Shin-Soo Choo

4. DH Travis Hafner

5. 3B Jhonny Peralta

6. 1B Matt LaPorta

7. 2B Luis Valbuena

8. C Lou Marson

9. LF Michael Brantley

ROTATION:

1. RHP Jake Westbrook

2. RHP Fausto Carmona

3. RHP Justin Masterson

4. LHP David Huff

5. LHP Aaron Laffey

THE INDIANS WILL CONTEND IF ...: RHP Jake Westbrook and RHP Fausto Carmona win at least 15 games each, closer RHP Kerry Wood, who will start the year on the disabled list, saves 30 games, and DH Travis Hafner rebounds from two awful years with a more typical 30-homer/100-RBI Hafner season.

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON: RHP Fausto Carmona, after two horrendous seasons, had a sensational spring training, and he finally might be ready to return to something close to his form of 2007, when he won 19 games. Working under new manager Manny Acta and new pitching coach Tim Belcher might help refresh, if not restart, Carmona's career.

ON THE DECLINE: LHP Jeremy Sowers, a former first-round pick who was 7-4 as a rookie four years ago, is coming o

ff three ugly seasons; he posted a combined 11-26 record in that span. Sowers was two weeks behind the other pitchers in training camp due to a sore shoulder, and is out of minor league options. Even when healthy, it's questionable whether there's a spot on the roster for the 26-year-old lefty.

Royalty lives in KC !

LINEUP:

1. RF David DeJesus

2. LF Scott Podsednik

3. 3B Alberto Callaspo

4. 1B Billy Butler

5. DH Jose Guillen

6. CF Rick Ankiel

7. C Jason Kendall

8. SS Yuniesky Betancourt

9. 2B Chris Getz

ROTATION:

1. RHP Zack Greinke

2. RHP Gil Meche

3. RHP Brian Bannister

4. RHP Luke Hochevar

5. RHP Kyle Davies

THE ROYALS WILL CONTEND IF ...: RHP Zack Greinke wins his second straight Cy Young Award and the offense shows up on the days he starts so he would have 20-plus victories, not 16 like 2009. RHP Luke Hochevar, the first overall pick in the 2006 draft, pitches as he did Sept. 19, shutting out the White Sox; July 25, striking out 13 Rangers; and June 12, needing only 80 pitches for a complete-game victory over the Reds, but not as he did most of the last half of the season, when he went 1-10 with an 8.21 ERA in his final 13 starts. RHPs Roman Colon and Juan Cruz can be trustworthy setup men, not blowing leads before the Royals can get the ball to closer Joakim Soria.

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON: RHP Zack Greinke won his first Cy Young Award at the age of 25 and could add his second this year. Greinke has all the pitches and pinpoint accuracy. In his eight losses last season, the Royals scored just 13 runs, an average of 1.6 per game. Even if he fails to duplicate his 2.16 ERA from last season, he could win more games.

ON THE DECLINE: DH/OF Jose Guillen turns 34 on May 17, and the bat speed he showed while hitting 43 homers and driving in 196 runs in 2007-08 may be slowing down. Guillen's foot speed has declined enough that the Royals want him DHing most days, not playing right field.

MINNESOTA

TWINS

LINEUP:

1. CF Denard Span

2. 2B Orlando Hudson

3. C Joe Mauer

4. 1B Justin Morneau

5. RF Michael Cuddyer

6. DH Jason Kubel

7. LF Delmon Young

8. SS J.J. Hardy

9. 3B Nick Punto

ROTATION:

1. RHP Scott Baker

2. RHP Nick Blackburn

3. RHP Carl Pavano

4. RHP Kevin Slowey

5. LHP Francisco Liriano

The Twins have great hope that their rotation, led by Scott Baker and veteran Carl Pavano, will thrive this season. Kevin Slowey has been lights out in spring training, quelling any concerns that his surgically repaired right wrist will be an issue this season, and Nick Blackburn, the team's biggest innings-eater in 2009, has been just as impressive.

With Nathan out, the bullpen is shaken up considerably, but the Twins still have Matt Guerrier, who was one of baseball's best setup men in 2009; Jesse Crain, who bounced back from a tough start and a demotion to the minors to pitch well once called back up; and Jon Rauch, the imposing 6-foot-10 reliever who compiled a 1.72 ERA after joining the Twins in late August.

THE TWINS WILL CONTEND IF ...: GM Bill Smith finds a suitable replacement for RHP Joe Nathan. The Twins spent the offseason building a lineup designed to win the AL Central and contend in the playoffs. Smith has put in too much effort and money to let one lost piece of the puzzle jeopardize the season. ... C Joe Mauer and 1B Justin Morneau can stay healthy .... SS J.J. Hardy's abysmal 2009 season was really an aberration ... LHP Francisco Liriano's slider stays every bit as brilliant as it's looked this spring ... The rotation can transition its stout spring into a staunch start to 2010 (through March 26, four of Minnesota's starters had spring ERAs of 2.00 or lower)

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON: LHP Francisco Liriano's slider has been devastating this spring, with manager Ron Gardenhire calling it unhittable at times. If Liriano can maintain that slider and consistently locate his fastball, he could revive a career that has been in decl

ine since he made the 2006 AL All-Star team as a rookie.

ON THE DECLINE: RHP Clay Condrey, who had a 3.00 ERA working out of the Philadelphia bullpen in 2009, labored throughout the spring. He's almost certain to make the team, but the Twins could not be encouraged by Condrey's results early on — in eight innings of work, Condrey allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on 12 hits, four of them homers.

LINEUP:

1. CF Austin Jackson

2. LF Johnny Damon

3. RF Magglio Ordonez

4. 1B Miguel Cabrera

5. DH Carlos Guillen

6. 3B Brandon Inge

7. C Gerald Laird

8. 2B Scott Sizemore

9. SS Adam Everett/Ramon Santiago

ROTATION:

1. RHP Justin Verlander

2. RHP Rick Porcello

3. LHP Dontrelle Willis

4. RHP Max Scherzer

5. RHP Jeremy Bonderman

THE TIGERS WILL CONTEND IF ...: They can avoid a serious injury to a key player. Their pitching should be decent-to-excellent, with a rotation anchored by RHPs Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello, while veteran RHP Jose Valverde waits at the end. Rookie CF Austin Jackson looks ready for prime time. RF Magglio Ordonez hit in the spring as if 2009 were an aberration. DH Carlos Guillen enters the season healthy for the first time in three springs, and 3B Brandon Inge's bad knees were greatly helped by offseason surgery. There are bottom-of-the-order hitting questions to be resolved, the team has the speed of a herd of hippos, and the lineup is laden with way too many right-handed bats, but there are lefties on the bench to use in late-game situations if necessary. There's a nice blend of youth and age, and it sure helps that Detroit isn't lodged in the rugged AL East.

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON: 1B Miguel Cabrera is way more relaxed than ever, appears to have put his off-field problems in the rearview mirror (the end-of-the-season drinking incident that hurt the team) and bombed the ball in spring training. If the rest of the team hits, Cabrera, whose statistics already parallel those of Hall of Famers, could take another big step upward. Another candidate would be RF Magglio Ordonez, whose miserable first half last year might have been related to his wife's battle with thyroid cancer; he has looked like the Ordonez of old in spring training.

ON THE DECLINE: DH Carlos Guillen has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, and it won't get any easier as he gets older. Moving him to DH could slow down the process, but there's no doubt he's on the back side of his career.

LINEUP:

1. LF Juan Pierre

2. 2B Gordon Beckham

3. RF Carlos Quentin

4. 1B Paul Konerko

5. C A.J. Pierzynski

6. CF Alex Rios

7. DH Mark Kotsay/Andruw Jones

8. 3B Mark Teahen

9. SS Alexei Ramirez

ROTATION:

1. LHP Mark Buehrle

2. RHP Jake Peavy

3. RHP Gavin Floyd

4. LHP John Danks

5. RHP Freddy Garcia

The best news, especially as far as Sox fans are concerned, was that team officials believe they have the wiggle room to add during the season if there is a missing ingredient. A lot of that will be predicated on a good start.

Guillen said as much, making it known that it was important for the team to have a strong April to send a message to the South Side fans that they can start spending their money on the product.

THE WHITE SOX WILL CONTEND IF ...: The pitching staff stays healthy and the DH-by-committee idea works. Rookie Daniel Hudson is waiting in the minors if the Sox lose a starter, but while someone like Freddy Garcia is replaceable, Peavy and Buehrle are not. As far as the DH, if Kotsay and Jones do close to what they did this spring, the Sox will show that life without the likes of sluggers Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome isn't hard to move on from after all.

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON: OF/DH Andruw Jones came into camp like the Jones from the Atlanta days, trimmed down and looking to prove he wasn't washed up. Jones not only has a chance to solidify the DH-by-committee idea, he could even get a lot of playing time in the outfield as long as he's swinging a hot bat.

ON THE DECLINE: RHP Scott Linebrink posted an 8.49 ERA in the second half of last season, and the Sox are no longer counting on him to be the key setup man they thought he would be when they signed him in the 2007 offseason. The leash will be a short one in 2010.

Hometown Bias

One of the cliches in baseball is that a team will go as far as its pitching takes it. If that's the case, the Blue Jays of 2010 are headed down an unknown path.

When they open the season April 5 against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, the Jays will sport a rotation that has three pitchers 25 or younger (Ricky Romero, Marc Rzepczynski and Brandon Morrow), a veteran who has spent the bulk of his career in the bullpen (Brian Tallet) and a No. 1 starter who missed 2009 because of elbow surgery (Shaun Marcum). And more youngsters are on the way.

Where that takes them no one knows, but the plan of new general manager Alex Anthopoulos is to get younger, get better and then fill in the blanks with a free agent or two.

The Jays say they aren't giving up on 2010 and have no intentions of finishing in the basement of the AL East. But to avoid that happening, their youthful rotation will have to overachieve. They could also get a boost later in the season with the expected return to health of right-handers Dustin McGowan and Jesse Litsch.

Offensively, the Jays should not score as many runs (798) or hit as many home runs (209) as they did in 2009 because of the changes at catcher (John Buck in, Rod Barajas out) shortstop (Alex Gonzalez in, Marco Scutaro out) and the outfield (Jose Bautista in, Alex Rios out). They will lean heavily on second baseman Aaron Hill and DH Adam Lind.

To stay offensively competitive, the Jays will require bounce-back seasons from center fielder Vernon Wells and first baseman Lyle Overbay as well as productivity from the likes of Bautista and third baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

The Jays figure to have a fluid roster during the season. Right-hander Kyle Drabek, the prize they received from the Phillies in the Roy Halladay trade, could make an appearance ahead of schedule. Ditto for Brett Wallace, who is being groomed to take over at first for Overbay.

One of the team's strengths is its bullpen, which will be manned by proven veterans. Given all the ifs in the rotation, those relievers need to live up to what's on the back of their baseball cards.

THE BLUE JAYS WILL CONTEND IF ...: The other four teams in the American League East get struck by meteors. Realistically, the Blue Jays have absolutely no chance of contending even in a best-case scenario. They are committed to rebuilding the franchise from the bottom up and will sport a youthful rotation that includes three pitchers 25 and younger in LHP Ricky Romero, RHP Brandon Morrow and LHP Marc Rzepczynski. At a later point in the season the rotation also could feature RHP Kyle Drabek, 22, the key player the Jays received in their trade of RHP Roy Halladay.

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON: CF Vernon Wells has been bogged down by nagging injuries the last three seasons — shoulder, hamstring or wrist problems — and his production has declined steadily. Wells, though, arrived this spring in great shape and, barring another injury, should bounce back from his 15-homer, 66-RBI season in 2009.

ON THE DECLINE: 1B Lyle Overbay has not had a productive season from a position that demands power and run production since his right hand was broken by a pitch in June 2007. The Jays are grooming INF Brett Wallace for the position and are expected to trade Overbay by the July 31 deadline if not sooner.

Of Note :

—3B Edwin Encarnacion, who had surgery on the hamate bone of his left wrist in the off season, played in his first spring training game March 25. Encarnacion said that he needs about 30 at-bats to be ready for opening day. If Encarnacion has any type of setback and opens the season on the disabled list, the position will be filled by Jose Bautista.

—RHP Brandon Morrow was scheduled to throw three innings March 29 after missing his last two starts because of soreness in his right shoulder. If all goes well, Morrow then will throw five innings against the Astros in Houston in an exhibition game April 3. That would set him up to make his first regular-season start for the Jays on April 8 in Arlington against the Texas Rangers.

—RHP Shaun Marcum was selected by manager Cito Gaston to be his opening-day starter. It will be the Jays' first opening-day starter not named Roy Halladay since RHP Chris Carpenter opened against Boston in 2002. Marcum missed all of 2009 because of Tommy John surgery. It will be his first start in the big leagues since September 2008. Marcum is 24-17 in parts of four major league seasons.

—SS Alex Gonzalez doesn't figure to give the Jays as much offense at the shortstop position as they got from Marco Scutaro, but they believe Gonzalez will supply more range at the position. "He can sure pick it. I've never seen a guy out there with so much confidence," manager Cito Gaston said.

—LHP Marc Rzepczynski said that one of his chief goals in 2010 is to pitch deeper into games. In 11 starts as a rookie in 2009, Rzepczynski's longest start was just 6 1/3 innings. Since turning pro in 2007, going deep into games has not been part of his resume. Not only has he never thrown a complete game as a pro, he said he has never pitched in the ninth inning.

BY THE NUMBERS: 7 — Consecutive years that RHP Roy Halladay was the Blue Jays' opening-day starter. With Halladay traded to the Phillies, that honor will fall to RHP Shaun Marcum.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We are on a path and we're going to have growing pains." — CF Vernon Wells on the rebuilding Jays and what he expects in 2010.

ROSTER REPORT

The Blue Jays suffered just one unexpected setback this spring when RHP Brandon Morrow, obtained from the Seattle Mariners in a trade, missed two scheduled starts because of soreness in his right shoulder. His status as the No. 3 starter in the rotation remains up in the air.

ROTATION:

1. RHP Shaun Marcum

2. LHP Ricky Romero

3. RHP Brandon Morrow

4. LHP Marc Rzepczynski

5. LHP Brian Tallet

ROTATION ANALYSIS: The rotation is untested and untried — Marcum has the most major league victories in the quintet with all of 24. Both Romero and Rzepczynski are entering their second season, and Morrow has made just 15 starts over parts of three seasons.

The rotation will receive a boost and reshuffle if/when RHP Dustin McGowan and RHP Jesse Litsch are able to recover from their injuries. McGowan, who missed all of 2009 because of shoulder surgery, is suffering from arm fatigue and could be ready by the beginning of May. Litsch, who had Tommy John surgery last June, could be ready by the All-Star break.

If any of the projected starters falters or suffers an injury, they could be replaced by LHP Brett Cecil, who was 7-4, 5.30 in 17 starts with the Jays last year, or coveted prospect RHP Kyle Drabek, who will open the season at Class AA New Hampshire.

BULLPEN:

RHP Kevin Gregg (closer)

RHP Jason Frasor

LHP Scott Downs

LHP Jesse Carlson

RHP Casey Janssen

RHP Shawn Camp

LHP David Purcey or RHP Jeremy Accardo

BULLPEN ANALYSIS: Gregg, who was signed as a free agent, has 84 saves over the last three seasons and will open as the closer. If he falters, the Jays have no hesitation in moving either Frasor or Downs, their veteran setup artists, into the role. Frasor has been the subject of trade rumors and could go for a top prospect, the type of player GM Alex Anthopoulos covets.

With a youthful and inexperienced rotation, the bullpen is tried and true and is considered one of the team's strengths top to bottom.

Purcey, a former first-round pick in 2004, has been converted this spring from a starter and has been cut back to two pitches — fastball and slider — in an effort to achieve consistency.

LINEUP:

1. LF Jose Bautista

2. 2B Aaron Hill

3. DH Adam Lind

4. CF Vernon Wells

5. 3B Edwin Encarnacion

6. 1B Lyle Overbay

7. C John Buck

8. RF Travis Snider

9. SS Alex Gonzalez

LINEUP ANALYSIS: 3B Edwin Encarnacion missed most of spring training with a wrist injury, and if he isn't ready to start the season then Bautista will move to third, Lind will shift to left field and right-handed hitting Randy Ruiz will serve as the DH.

The Jays got breakout seasons in 2009 from both Hill (36 home runs, 108 RBI) and Lind (35, 114), and the bulk of the offense will once again rest on their shoulders.

The Jays don't have a legitimate lead off hitter, a spot that was so productive for them in 2009 when filled by SS Marco Scutaro, who signed with Boston as a free agent. Bautista, who has not shown in the past that he's a contact hitter, got the job by process of elimination.

The Jays would love to get a productive season out of 1B Lyle Overbay if for no other reason than to drive up his market value leading up to the July 31 trade deadline. They are grooming prospect Brett Wallace for the job. Overbay has not shown any ability to hit left-handers, so against the better ones manager Cito Gaston might opt for Ruiz to take over at first.

RESERVES:

C Jose Molina

INF John McDonald

INF/OF Michael McCoy or OF Jeremy Reed

RESERVES ANALYSIS: Manager Cito Gaston has never relied much on his bench, and that will be the case again in 2010.

Ruiz will see the bulk of the action as a right-handed hitting alternative to Lyle Overbay at first and also as Gaston's first choice as a pinch hitter off the bench.

Gathright came into camp as the player to beat for the backup outfield spot, just a step ahead of another veteran, Jeremy Reed. McCoy, though, has proved more versatile, has just as much speed and base-stealing ability as Gathright and can handle the bat.

ROOKIE WATCH: Because of injuries and faltering performances, the Jays had 12 players who qualified as a rookie make an appearance in 2009, including six who made their major league debuts. But when opening day arrives in 2010, they will not have one rookie on their 25-man roster. The best bets as potential rookies to make an appearance in 2010 will be INF Brett Wallace, who will open the season at Class AAA Las Vegas and is being groomed to take over at first from Lyle Overbay, and RHP Kyle Drabek, who will open the season at Class AA New Hampshire. C J.P. Arencibia (Las Vegas) is also not that far away.

MEDICAL WATCH:

—RHP Dustin McGowan (surgery, right labrum) has been out of action since July 31, 2008. He was making great strides at spring training before suffering arm fatigue in a minor league appearance. A best-case scenario is a return in May.

—RHP Jesse Litsch (Tommy John elbow surgery) has not pitched since last April and underwent the procedure in June. He is not expected back until around the All-Star Game.

—RHP Scott Richmond (right shoulder) arrived in camp with the soreness and is in the early stages of a throwing program. He has yet to throw off the mound. He is not expected to be ready until mid-June.

So, would predict a 66-67 win season but with a bright future.

On the horizon, Cecil, Brett Wallace, Travis D'Arnaud and Drabek. With Hill, Lind and Snider, the blocks to build with are in place.

O's and Ray's

LINEUP:

1. 2B Brian Roberts

2. CF Adam Jones

3. RF Nick Markakis

4. 3B Miguel Tejada

5. DH Luke Scott

6. 1B Garrett Atkins

7. C Matt Wieters

8. LF Nolan Reimold

9. SS Cesar Izturis

ROTATION:

1. RHP Kevin Millwood

2. RHP Jeremy Guthrie

3. LHP Brian Matusz

4. RHP Brad Bergesen

5. RHP Chris Tillman

THE ORIOLES WILL CONTEND IF ...: The young pitchers blossom a year early and the young bats continue to advance. Young starters Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman and Brad Bergesen have impressed.

Matusz is close, but he is still a rookie. Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold and Nick Markakis are talented, but none is the cleanup hitter the Orioles desperately seek. The Orioles are close, but not quite ready to pop in 2010.

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON: RF Nick Markakis worked harder this off season than in years past, and the ball was carrying off his bat with impressive loft at Ed Smith Stadium. The club's No. 3 hitter has a good chance to elevate himself to All-Star status in 2010.

ON THE DECLINE: RHP Jeremy Guthrie seems a tad young to be on the downhill side of his career, but he has struggled through spring training, reminiscent of his homer-filled 2009. The two-time opening-day starter led the American League in losses and home runs allowed last year.

LINEUP:

1. SS Jason Bartlett

2. LF Carl Crawford

3. 3B Evan Longoria

4. 1B Carlos Pena

5. 2B/RF Ben Zobrist

6. DH Pat Burrell

7. CF B.J. Upton

8. C Kelly Shoppach or Dioner Navarro

9. RF Matt Joyce or 2B Sean Rodriguez

ROTATION:

1. RHP James Shields

2. RHP Matt Garza

3. RHP Jeff Niemann

4. LHP David Price

5. RHP Wade Davis

THE RAYS WILL CONTEND IF ...: CF B.J. Upton finally realizes his potential and approaches the .300-30-30 numbers long forecast for him to go along with his Gold Glove-caliber defense. After saying all of last year Upton was fine, the Rays now acknowledge he was never 100 percent following November 2008 left shoulder surgery. He has meshed well with new hitting coach Derek Shelton, and the spring returns are good as he shows improved mechanics and more pop in his bat.

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON: RHP Matt Garza pitched better than his 8-12 record showed last season, and he plans to make up for it. Garza's 3.95 ERA was more indicative of his work, and after an extensive off season workout program, and a $3.35 million arbitration settlement, he seems ready to take the next step to the elite level the Rays project for him.

ON THE DECLINE: DH Pat Burrell's first season with the Rays was miserable, as he struggled with the adjustments to AL pitching and the designated hitter role and batted just .221 (lowest of all AL players with at least 450 plate appearances) with 14 homers and 64 RBIs. Now 33, Burrell didn't show anything in spring training to convince any observers it was going to get any better.

AL EAST

Let us take a look at the East, and we start with the Champs, the New York Yankees.

Potential opening day line up

SS Derek Jeter
DH Nick Johnson
1B Mark Texiera
3B Arod Rodriguez
2B Robinson Cano
C Jorge Posada
CF Curtis Granderson
RF Nick Swisher
LF Brett Gardner/ Marcus Thames

Key additions

Javier Vazquez and Curtis Granderson

Why they will repeat - need you ask ?
Hello, they added Curtis Granderson and Javier Vazquez to World Series line-up, what else is there ?
Why they won't - age and infield defense, I know it's a stretch .


















Boston Red Sox


Potential opening day line up

LF Jacoby Ellsbury
2B Dustin Pedroia
C Victor Martinez
1B Kevin Youkilis
DH David Ortiz
3B Adrian Beltre
RF JD Drew/ Jeremy Hermida
CF Mike Cameron
SS Marco Scutaro

Key additions
John Lackey and Adrian Beltre

Why they will compete ?
The addition of big game pitcher Lackey, the defense of Mike Cameron, and maybe a hungry Adrian Beltre ( a 1 yr contract ) will keep them in the hunt all year long.
Why they won't - Dice K not the same guy, 4rth and 5th starters struggle, and
no big bopper ( since Manny and Bay are gone ) Sox still know how to score, but are not as fearsome as they used to be.


Will provide Tampa, the Orioles and the hometown Jays soon !

March Madness

The calendar hits mid March, and it signals March break, the Ides of March, spring training in full gear and US College basketball's annual big dance.

If you are lucky, you are in a an office pool for bragging rights, or for a pot of money. If you don't even follow the game, who cares, there are always upsets, and the first 4 days are high octane wall to wall action.

Down in Arizona and Florida, they complain it's not warm enough, pitchers are starting to tire their arms as they stretch them to 4, 5 an 6 innings an outing. The ballplayers get caught up in this NCAA madness themselves, and most clubhouses have their own tournament with tables stakes.

Personally, I now take these first 2 tournament days off, and find the sheer weight of game action beginning with the Thursday tip off just fabulous entertainment. The 2 days off also allows me to get a little caught up on what is transpiring down south.

Of note, everyone is all gaga over Jason Heyward, and predicting monster results form this 20 yr old phenom, including his 68 yr old bench boss , one Bobby Cox. This apparently is Cox's last year as a manager, and it should prove an exciting one, when you are ushering in the next superstar. All apologies to Mr. Strasburg in Washington, Heyward is the real deal. So in the Braves camp this year, they have their own "March Madness" to contend with, as the press follow Jason from field to batting cage like he was a rock star.

An update on some interesting stories,

Jermain Dye - still without a contract

Jarrod Washburn - same as Jermaine

Chin Ming Wang - soft tossing right now

Dustin McGowan - 2 simulated games, no pain, next step is a scheduled minor league test

Brian Roberts - recurrent back problems, off to see a Baltimore specialist

Cliff Lee - decked Chris Snyder, got tossed out of a spring start

Alex Anthopolus - chasing Cubans with bucks !

Ken Griffey - likely his last camp, he says he is treasuring every moment.

Aroldis Chapman - looks great, but will have to see some time in the minors

Ben Sheets - No Outs, 8 hits, 10 runs, 9 earned, 1 walk, no K's - tough day

Prepare for the madness, it is coming...

Boxscores

It is the beginning of the long romance, the baseball edition. once you have boxscores, you have measurement, you have action and reaction, and you something more than "we're good on paper".

When they begin to engage daily, it never stops until they hoist the World Series trophy in October. once they start appearing in print, or on-line, we begin to make decisions, too fast at times, because with so many "B" games, batting averages, and earned run averages can be misleading. Aaron Hill is hitting .800, so I guess he'll win the batting title.

Rickey Romero is mowing down guys destined to play in Triple AAA, or even Double AA, so can we really believe his gaudy numbers. No, well at least not until the last 7-10 days of camp.

That's when teams have dispatched the prospects that need more playing time, or seasoning, and we have 3-5 extra bodies fighting to avoid being the last few cuts. Those guys make the team, or they get released, so the talent level is at it's highest point. Until the bell rings.

So, boxscores, what do they mean right now ?

They show who is getting looked at, how many innings they throw, and against what opposite talent. What positions are being played by whom ? Is player A more valuable because he can play the infield and the outfield. Can anyone be an emergency catcher ?

Injury updates:

Alex Gordon , cracked his thumb , out 3-4 weeks, - gives Callaspo a shot of staying as a regular.

Russell Martin, out about the same length of time,- this hurts the Dodgers pitching staff more, as he

is integral to bonding with the staff.

Joe Nathan, maybe the year, maybe a month, ligament tear might spell a Tommy John solution

Some jobs just got easier with key players on the shelf, some fights are still developing.

Always , your intrepid reporter is watching, and reading the boxscores for clues like Sherlock Holmes, hoping to solve the mysteries of spring training games.

Long Shadows in March Sunshine

Here we go, spring training games have begun, lines have been drawn, and battles have begun.

Jobs are at stake, careers hang in the balance, those early March impressions you can make are important. A bad few outings, and you find yourself pitching more in B games across town, with the regulars are at home with guys with numbers like 6, or 18, or 42. When you find yourself in B games, you might see guys with 105 and 88 playing short and 2nd base.

Errors made there lead to runs, earned, or unearned, they pile up , and you desperately wait another chance to redeem yourself. It seems to take ages before your rotation turn comes again, so you work on the side, trying to get that sinker to sink, that breaking ball to break away in the right way.

Plus, the amount of competitors seems to grow as your arm aches between starts, and the pressures mount.

We do not see a lot of what goes on in each major league camp, but these stories exist in all of them, even the Yankees have there battles, and boy, if you think it's important for the Pirates, the Rockies, and the Royals to sort things out, just imagine for the defending World Champs !

Making the New York team means not only a major league gig, but what excitement, to play in New York, for as storied franchise, the pressure to crack a team that won that won last year would be doubly difficult.

Down in Florida and Arizona you will find battles for roster spots, so let's take a look at a few.

In the LA Angels camp, witht he departure of Chone Figgins, Macier Izturis and Brandon Wood will battle for 3rd base, and if Wood loses, he goes back to Triple AAA, but if Wood wins, he may platoon or bump Erick Aybar out of an everyday gig at shortstop.

it's only Week # 1, but both Wood and Izturis are impressive, while Aybar has struggled, so the dominoes can fall in a variety of ways. Brandon Wood is out of options, so his chances improve, because he has hit so well in the minors the last 2 years, and would appear ready.