MLB Season Preview

Overview:
-What an Off Season it was for Major League Baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals fresh off their 11th World Series in Club History. Only a few months later "The Machine"Albert Pujols left in Free Agency for the Halos in Los Angeles. He wasn't the only big time Free Agent to leave as C.J Wilson left the Texas Rangers to join Pujols in Los Angeles, and Prince Fielder left the Brew City to join Miguel Cabrera in Motor City. With all the big additions and subtractions made across the MLB this year, we will be in for another lively year of baseball.

Legends in Heaven:
  
       

Bob Forsch (1950-2011)

Andy Musser (1937-2012)

Gary Carter (1954-2012)

Matty Alou (1938-2011)

NL West:

If the Giants want to get back to the World Series, they
will have to hope Buster Posey can come back and make an impact

*1.) San Francisco Giants: (92-70)
2011 Record: (86-76) 2nd in NL West
Team Preview: 
-The 2010 World Series Champions struggled in 2011 both with injuries and on offense. The 2010 Rookie of the Year Buster Posey broke his leg in a plate collision early in the season that left a controversy among everyone in baseball. Their slugger from last year Aubrey Huff fell flat as did the rest of the Giants Offense. As a result of the
putrid offense, many fantastic performances by Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner were wasted. Now in 2012 the Giants will have a healthy Buster Posey, a top hitting 3B in Pablo Sandoval, and new additions in the OF with Melky Cabrera (.305 BA, 18 HR's 87 RBI's in 2011) and Angel Pagan can provide a serviceable offense. If the Giants offense can manage to rank in the middle of the pack in the National League, they could be contenders for the NL.

*2.) Arizona Diamondbacks: (90-72)
     2011 Record: (94-68) 1st in NL West
Team Preview:
-The Diamondbacks were the surprise team in the National League in 2011. Led by Cy Young finalist Ian Kennedy and All Star OF Justin Upton, the Diamondbacks rolled through the NL West in route to a 94 win season and their first playoff trip since 2007. Many things went right for the Diamondbacks, including their bullpen stepping up and the front of their rotation having big years. As the Diamondbacks prepare for the 2012 season there will be a larger target on their backs, and it will be on the rotation to repeat their performance from last year. One thing is for sure, the Diamondbacks will once again be in contention for the National League.

3.) Los Angeles Dodgers:  (84-78)
     2011 Record: (82-79) 3rd in NL West
Team Preview:
-The Dodgers were for the longest time always near the top of the NL West and making the Giants-Dodgers Rivalry ever so greater as both teams competed for the NL West Crown. However in the past few years there coming in at the bottom of the division and not competing. In 2011 the storyline was the McCourts, and the dynamic duo of Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw. Matt Kemp had a career year hitting 39 HR's while driving in 126 RBI's, and Ace Clayton Kershaw walked away with the NL Cy Young Award. As the Dodgers enter Spring Training they will be looking for a return to the promise land. Even though I don't think they are close enough yet, they are finally putting the pieces back in place.

4.) Colorado Rockies: (80-82)

     2011 Record: (73-89) 4th in NL West

Team Preview:

-The Rockies entered the 2011 season looking as a legitimate threat to compete for the NL West. Ubaldo Jimenez was coming off an impressive year and they had high hopes for Jorge De La Rosa. Unfortunately for the Rockies, very few things went right. De La Rosa had Tommy John Surgery early in the year, Ubaldo fell short of expectations and was shipped to Cleveland for top prospects. The Rockies spent the off season adding more bats across the lineup. The additions of Michael Cuddyer and Marco Scutaro will help solid the Rockies hitting. How well the Rockies will do, comes down to how De La Rosa, Chacin and the rest of the rotation fare.


5.) San Diego Padres (67-95)
     2011 Season: (71-91) 5th in NL West
Team Preview:
-The Padres were the biggest surprise in 2010. They came 1 game behind the World Series Champion Giants, and they were still a very young squad. However when they traded Adrian Gonzalez their team took a big hit. Their offense lacked any punch last year and because of it they only reached 71 Wins, and that was after they traded Heath Bell and Mike Adams. Now as the Padres head into 2012 they traded their Staff Ace Mat Latos for more prospects and up and comers. Needless to say it is going be a rebuilding year for the Padres, and they would be lucky to crack 70 Wins.

Should the All-Star game impact the World Series?

The 1st two games of the World Series will be in the NL, making
it a real possibility a NL team wins the 2011 World Series

For the second year in a row the National League handled the depleted American League to win the 2011 All Star Game in Arizona, and lock up home-field advantage in the World Series. Last year the Giants saw huge benefits from playing the 1st 2 games at home winning them both, giving them a crucial 2-0 lead going into Arlington. The Giants ended up winning the World Series in 5 games in large part because of their dominant pitching, but also thanks to that July 13th game in Anaheim, which gave them the crucial first 2 games at home in the World Series. The question still remains, should an exhibition All Star game,  a game in which key players don't show up, be so important that it can effect the result of the World Series

 In 2003 Bud Selig and the MLB Players Union agreed to a temporary deal through 2003-'04 that would award home field advantage in the World Series, to whichever team won the All Star game. After two years it was extended for the 2005 and 2006 season, where it was made permanent thereafter. The rule has faced countless criticism since it was made permanent, with opposing sides saying that it home field advantage should be based off who has the better record, not who wins an exhibition game, where 1/2 the players don't go due to injury, or personal reasons. It has been brought up countless times by members of the media, often going unanswered or with the common answer of "the system works fine as it is now". It is a question that has many arguments, but you are either for it or against it, and I am against it

 Starting the first two games of the World Series at home can be the two most crucial games of the series. If the home team sweeps at home and heads into Game 3 with a 2-0 series lead, it is nearly a lock they will end up as World Series Champs. It happened with the Giants last year playing at AT&T Park, taking both games and going on to win Game 3 and Game 5 in Arlington. In fact of the past 25 World Series the team with Home field advantage won 22 out of the 25 times. The difference between an AL team going on the road and having to decide what to do with their current DH, leaves them with a critical problem. While in the NL going to a team in the American League and deciding who to play as your DH and how to handle a more powerful lineup for your pitcher, is also difficult as well. An entire series that decides who is the best team in baseball is effected by a meaningless exhibition game in early July.

 The rule has been in play since 2003 and we likely won't see any change until Bud Selig is no longer Commissioner of baseball, but it is a rule that should be changed. If baseball wants to establish a reasonable more fair system giving home field advantage to whichever team has the better record is the best way to do it. There is a reason no other professional sport makes its All Star game about changing the result of the Championship just so it can seem important. The All Star game is for the fans to watch all their favorite players at once and put the best against the once a year. There should be no reason for it to effect the World Series, and the sooner a change is made, the better.