Play Ball!

Well now that the NCAA title game is over, we know it's now time for baseball. As I wrote earlier, I can't see how this coming regular season will possibly top the postseason and offseason, but I'm happy to have the game back. Baseball is kinda like the radio- you leave it on for a long period of time but you never have to play really close attention. However, there are always a few very interesting stories that pop up during the season, much like a great song coming on the air unexpectedly. Here are my random thoughts to start the season:

* There's an interesting poll on Page 2 this morning, which asks the question: Is this the best week of the sports year? The Final Four, opening day and the Masters is a pretty tough bill to top, but in this poll I'd give the edge to the first week in January. I'm primarily a football fan, and it's hard to top the combination of the college and pro postseason. However, I personally think the best week of the year is somewhere about the third week in October- baseball LCS, a great college football slate, the usual NFL goings-on, plus the anticipation of the NBA's opener.

* The Marlins and Angels of the past two years have taught us that a powerful rotation is overrated in the playoffs. Both of these squads won without pricey pitchers, instead using solid, crafty lesser-known guys to get enough outs for their small-ball lineups to win. It kind of reminds me of how the NFL is all about plugging a linebacker drafted in the 3rd round into the starting lineup and then having him lead his team to the Super Bowl.

* I love Albert Pujols and I think it's a shame that he won't get any help from that mediocre Cardinals pitching staff. They really haven't recovered since Darryl Kile's death. Pujols has become the Tracy McGrady of major league baseball.

* That being said, I'm highly skeptical of the conventional wisdom that this will be the year Pujols overtakes Barry Bonds to win the MVP award. Go ahead and bet against Barry. I dare you.

* Is there a more joyous player to watch in the field than Torii Hunter?

* I love new ballparks. The new additions in San Diego and Philadelphia continue this fabulous era of shiny new retro-parks. But this naming rights thing has gone too far. Petco? And now SBC Park in San Francisco?

* I just can't get very excited about the Giants this year. Barry of course will be great again, but I don't see another reliable bat in that lineup. Alfonzo, Pierzynski and Michael Tucker are capable of driving in some runs but it will take a while before they earn my confidence. As for the pitching staff, Schmidtty is a Cy Young candidate of course, but after that it's Rueter, Tomko, Hermanson and Jerome Williams- yikes. I trust Felipe Alou to coax 85-90 wins out of this club but I'm not rushing to get in line for postseason tickets.

* So let's see: the Giants have a one-man rotation, the Dodgers will be lucky to score 200 runs all season, Randy Johnson looks like he's finally peaked and Schilling is gone, the Padres have a lot of hype but no major roster additions and the Rockies can't possibly compete in Coors Field. My prediction: no one will win the NL West.

* I know I pray for this every year, but this will be the season the Braves don't win the East. They've finally lost Maddux, as well as Sheffield and Javy Lopez. Their big acquisition is J.D. Drew, a career underachiever. Andruw Jones doesn't have enough heart to carry this team.... they can't win again, can they?

* Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are in a class by themselves as broadcasters. I watched their Boston-Baltimore telecast and I found myself thinking "this is the first time I've tuned in to a sporting event just because of the broadcasters."

* One more chance for the A's rotation before they become free agents. It would be a terrible shame if that staff goes to waste without winning a playoff series.

* NL Postseason picks:
- Phillies over Astros (WC)
- Cubs over D-Backs
- Cubs over Phillies

* AL Postseason picks:
- Yankees (WC) over White Sox
- Angels over Red Sox
- Yankees over Angels

* World Series: Cubs over Yankees