Patrick inquired as to whether AJ and any of his teammates had ever done the same, and AJ responded, well, he responded like really only he can or would; thusly:

“Yes, absolutely I have before,” Pierzynski told “The Dan Patrick Show.” ”Sometimes you’re just really struggling and you just say, ‘Hey, you know what, I need something to calm me down and let’s have a beer.’ A couple of us will do it together, and sometimes it works out.

“It’s just, sometimes you just need a rally beer. If you’re in extra innings and you’re in about the 15th inning and you really need to get going again, that sometimes works for you.”

He apparently clarified that he wouldn’t have a whole beer, just a few sips. (Yes, because a few sips of a beer for a guy of AJ’s size will have a relaxing effect…)

Look, I’ll admit that the White Sox have driven me to many a rally beer during my days watching (mostly suffering) this constant enigma of a franchise. But I have to say that I’d never considered the players doing the same thing during a game.

There was also this from AJ:

He also said that he and other Sox players drank shots before one of the 2008 Division Series playoff games in Tampa.

For the record, the White Sox lost that series in four games, but AJ went 5-13 (.385). Maybe everyone should have been taking shots!

I don’t really have a whole lot of analysis to add to this post. I’ve never been in a baseball clubhouse before, so I don’t know what the typical rules, regulations, and norms are, but I do think it’s a bit jarring to hear a professional athlete admit to grabbing a beer during competition. Maybe this is more common than we/I thought? I don’t know.

Whatever.

I’m just waiting for the report that Adam Dunn was shooting heroin, smoking meth, and dissolving LSD on his eyelids in between at bats. That remains the only logical explanation for his complete tumble off the cliff this year. (Unless the sips of beer did it. Hmm…)

Update: I don’t know why I found this so funny, but this is what I saw just now upon doing a Google search for A.J.’s name:

I wonder if the second headline is related at all to the first? Obviously not, but the juxtaposition made me chuckle. (Leave me alone, it was an awful season and I’m still bitterly trying to find ways to laugh about it.)

In closing, here are some random pictures of AJ Pierzynski enjoying drinks with some blonde at a bar. (No word on if these are “rally shots” or not.)

Image source: Sportress of Blogitude

Image source: Flickr via MopUpDuty.com

Image source: Here

What a great, great night of baseball. Wow.

And for the record, my favorite part was the ending.

Sure, Shaughnessey was just saying what everyone else was thinking, but when your franchise has a history of curses and jinxes…you think it, don’t say it!

Take a look at the screenshot below and tell me what you see:

Yes, incredibly, both Wild Card races in both leagues are tied on the final day of the regular season, which sets up an absolutely epic set of games to pay attention to tonight. The word “epic” gets overused a lot on the web; not here.

Here are the particulars of the four big games being played today.

Boston at Baltimore

• Time: 7:00 ET
• TV: ESPN
• Pitching Matchup: Jon Lester v Alfredo Simon

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays

• Time: 7:00 ET
• TV: ESPN
• Pitching Matchup: TBA v David Price

Philadelphia at Atlanta

• Time: 7:00 ET
• TV: ESPN2
• Pitching Matchup: Joe Blanton v Tim Hudson

St. Louis at Houston

• Time: 8:00 ET
• TV: ESPN2
• Pitching Matchup: Chris Carpenter v Brett Myers

In terms of national coverage, all games are listed as being on ESPN or ESPN2, so I have to assume it will be regionally divvied up. Surely MLB Network will be following all four closely; that’s the channel that will be on at my house.

Now, you may be wondering what will happen if the standings remain tied at the end of today. Easy: there will be a play-in game to determine the Wild Card representative. And the schedule is already set for these games, should they occur:

AL Play-In Game*

• Location: Tampa Bay
• TV: ESPN
• Time: 4:07 ET

NL Play-In Game*

• Location: St. Louis
• TV: ESPN
• Time: 8:07 ET

* – if necessary (and first pitch times won’t change if there is only one play-in game and not two)

I have been relatively disengaged from baseball over the past few weeks with the beginning of football and the collapse of my thoroughly disappointing White Sox. Today will be nice a primer for the playoffs to get me re-amped up.

Remember all that talk about how there were no pennant races? Ha. At the time I suppose such talk was apt, but things can change quickly in baseball, as they did this year. What a day, and possibly two days, this will be.

Play ball!

According to today’s Hot Clicks, the series has now come to an end, and the final installment may be the best one in the series.

The Odd Couple

Obviously Alec Baldwin pissing himself is funny, and his facial expressions (like the one below) are hilarious throughout, but my favorite part is Krasinski threatening to tell Baldwin’s brothers where he lives.

Well played Halpert.

Below are the other videos in the series if you haven’t seen them. Seems like Baldwin ended up getting the best of Krasinski, which is appropriate considering how the season, especially the last month, has gone for the Yanks and Red Sox.

The Trash Talking Begins

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One Hitter

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Dog

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JumboTron John

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912

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That’s all of them. So you tell me: which one is your favorite?

My only question about the Moneyball movie is: how braggy is Billy Beane that he wrote, produced, and is starring in a movie about himself?!

Of course, Billy Beane was the subject of Moneyball. Michael Lewis, of The Blind Side fame, penned the surprisingly engaging tale of a small market team thinking outside the batters box in order to compete with big money clubs. Now it seems Lewis and Hollywood are hoping lightning strikes twice after The Blind Side grossed a staggering $255 million during its theatrical run and garnered an Academy Award for star Sandra Bullock.

Perhaps nothing in recent baseball memory has provoked as much controversy as Moneyball. It certain finds itself on a shortlist with PEDs, Barry Bonds, and the All-Star Game deciding home field advantage as one of the most polarizing issues in MLB. Fire Joe Morgan did an excellent job calling out players, managers, journalists and, yes, announcers who railed against the idea that players could be whittled down to an equation. And those same media types delighted every October when Billy Beane’s teams lost to the Yankees or Red Sox, as if playoff loses negated all of the incredible work the Athletic’s front office managed on a shoestring budget.

Moneyball came along at a perfect time for baseball, when star players were highly overvalued and contracts were running amock. Teams wised up – notably the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers, who were run by various Beane disciples at different times over the last decade. There was a paradigm shift in baseball, a conscious decision to look at different skill sets in players, pick up reclamation projects and Rule 5 draft guys on the cheap. Obviously, not everything has changed – my hometown Mets owe about $500 billion to Jason Bay, Luis Castillo and the victims of Bernie Madoff (numbers approximate). But teams began to look at the draft, free agency and trades in a new way.

Of course, that does not necessarily translate to reality. The top 12 budget teams in baseball spend over $100 million each, and the Angels, Mets, Cubs and Dodgers are all languishing below .500 in the standings. That would be a bad investment. Meanwhile, the low budget Rays are storming towards the two most expensive teams in baseball and the thrifty Indians are atop the $100 million Tigers.

The principles may not be in practice at the moment, but Billy Beane was undoubtedly on to something, and Lewis does a great job of threading it all together. The Moneyball movie will be inextricably linked to The Blind Side, and will be judged against the latter’s huge box office gross. This is slightly unfair – the book is really good (seriously, who knew Scott Hatteberg was compelling?), but it has a downer ending. In The Blind Side, Michael Oher gets drafted and is currently mauling defense ends in Baltimore. In Moneyball, Billy Beane basically tells everyone to go eff themselves – his tactics only work in the regular season, and the playoffs are a crapshoot. Not exactly a Hollywood ending.

Maybe Moneyball captures that same magic. Somehow, I think it would be more poetic if it snuck into the Best Picture nominees list out of nowhere, only to lose to the big budget Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates of the Caribbean is the New York Yankees of films – big, bloated, full of stars and universally hated.

Plus you just KNOW Alex Rodriguez wishes he could wear eyeliner like Johnny Depp.

However, the expected dominance has not materialized. Slow starts by some normally stellar hitters plus disastrous pitching has led to a shocking 0-6 record for the Sox. Friday Boston plays its home opener at Fenway Park, where the team hopes that some home cooking can cure its ills. It won’t be easy though; the hot hitting Yankees will be in town. (Including the ever-photogenic ARod…)

It goes without saying that Red Sox Nation is in full-on panic mode. Thursday evening, after lowly Cleveland completed its sweet of Boston, the two most famous Red Sox fans – Matt Damon and Ben Affleck – decided to voice with their frustrations. MSF was there and it’s all captured in our latest photo story.

If for some reason the image doesn’t load, click here to view it in a new window.

If you lol’d, we’ve done a lot of these. Click here to see all our photo stories.

Note: If you haven’t seen the movie Good Will Hunting, it means that many of the jokes in this photo story went over your head. It also means that you have missed out on a true classic that is just as good and relevant today as it was when it was released. My weekend suggestion for you: watch it.

Note #2: The first version of this photo story that I posted had Joe Girardi saying that no team had ever started 0-6 and made the playoffs. That was a typo. Two teams have started 0-6 and made the playoffs, but no team has ever started 0-6 and won it all.

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The top two early season stories come from the AL East, where the long struggling Baltimore Orioles are winning while the Rays and Red Sox sit in the cellar still winless.

Under Buck Showalter, the O’s have been among the top teams in the MLB. He took control of a very young team last year and made them successful, and that momentum has continued into 2011.

The Orioles joined the other AL East teams in the offseason by signing big name free agents. They signed first baseman Derrek Lee and DH Vlad Guerrero. Both are near the end of their careers, but they can help the Orioles’ offense while mentoring the young players at the same time.

The other storyline involves the two teams who are currently at the bottom of the AL East: the Rays and the Red Sox. The Rays lost in the ALDS to the Rangers last year while the Sox missed the postseason. The Red Sox went out and signed Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, formerly of the Padres and Rays respectively.

The storyline is how they are both 0-4 to start the season.

The Rays were swept by the Orioles and were nearly no-hit in the second game of the year. The O’s rookie pitcher Chris Tillman was pulled after pitching six no-hit innings because of his pitch cout. The Rays finished with 4 hits, but it was not the way the Rays wanted to start the season. They lost their first game against the Angels 5-3, and face them again today.

The Red Sox 0-4 start is already stirring the panic discussion in Boston. They were swept by the defending AL champs the Texas Rangers to start the year. Nelson Cruz of the Rangers hit a home run in all three games and Ian Kinsler hit two leadoff home runs. Jon Lackey gave up 9 runs in 3.2 IP in the second game of the year.

0-4 is a bad start, but there is no reason to panic yet – although panic time could come quickly if Boston gets swept by the Indians. They lost against the Indians last night in Cleveland 3-1 when their offense was shut down by Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin.

If the Sox cannot get things turned around, the Boston Celtics will be Boston’s only hope for a title this season.

The yearly success of the Red Sox and Yankees has started talk of division realignment in the MLB. The Rays recent success could help stop that talk, but the Rays might have been just a short-term wonder after losing their star player Carl Crawford. This opens the door for the Orioles and the Blue Jays.

The Orioles haven’t been to the playoffs since ’97, and a return could help revive baseball in Baltimore. Many baseball fans are sick of the constant success of teams like Boston and the Evil Empire in New York. The Orioles would be a fun team to see in the playoffs, as would the Blue Jays. A change in the playoff teams would have a positive effect on the league and fans alike.

It’s still quite early, and I don’t gamble nor predict — especially in baseball where nothing is guaranteed and parity reigns supreme — but I’m pretty confident Cincinnati and Texas will be “just fine” in 2011.

The teams have opened a combined 9-0.

The Reds return basically the same team from last year, which was a solid  one that happened to run into two unhittable Philly pitchers (Roy Halladay was literally unhittable n Game 1, and Cole Hamels was close in Game 3, and Cincy gave away Game 2 with errors). Cincinnati simply is not the “one year playoff wonder” that perhaps the 2008 Brewers have proven to be.

The Rangers are solid, especially offensively, which should cover up any bullpen mishaps or back-end rotation holes. Former all-star and one of the best pitchers in baseball through 2009, Brandon Webb, is another great pickup by Texas that could work out very well.

Exchanging Vlad Guerrero for Adrian Beltre (9th in AL MVP voting) is a wash, at worse. Cliff Lee did win three playoff games, but also was disastrous in the World Series, losing two times when it mattered most. I love Clifton Phifer, but we forget he was 4-6 with an ERA of 4 during the 2010 regular season for Texas. Lee didn’t hurt the Rangers, but he also didn’t get Texas into the playoffs; the other pitchers and the bats did.

So the Rangers already swept the Red Sox, while Cincy swept trendy Milwaukee; therefore let’s wait and see about them, okay capricious New York and Philadelphia Media? Perhaps focus on your teams, like you normally do.

(I recently chronicled how the east coast media, especially in NY, is allergic to facts, humility, and reality. New Yorker Joel Sherman said the 2010 ”Phillies Yankees World Series battle was inevitable” last October, while arrogant Yankee broadcaster Michael Kay declared “the series is over” after New York beat Texas in Game 1 of the ALCS. Texas demolished the Yanks in 4 of next 5, yet Kay, like Sherman, were not reprimanded and kept their jobs.)

With the AL East being the best division in baseball, and the NL West being highly competitive, the Reds and Rangers could easily utilize the unbalanced schedule to their advantage — and to other teams’ disadvantages.

*After Cole Hamels horrific performance last night, Philadelphia’s “Fab Four” have a combined ERA of around 5. Yes, Hamels hurt that, but despite what the obsequious Philly media (which is as arrogant as the NY media now, it seems) pontificates, the other three guys weren’t exactly brilliant versus a winless Houston team over the weekend.

In this post, the final in our division-by-division MLB predictions, we analyze whether the Rangers can repeat, or whether the A’s, Angels, or Mariners can rise up and knock Texas down a rung.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers lost Cliff Lee and Vladimir Guerrero to free agency, and signed Adrian Beltre to play third base. Josh Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP, will move to left field in an attempt to keep him fresh. Julio Borbon will start in center and Nelson Cruz will play right. David Murphy will get the fourth outfielder spot, with Craig Gentry also vying for a spot on the roster.

Mitch Moreland will start at first base, with Mike Napoli and Michael Young getting some time as well. Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus will fill the middle infield spots. Michael Young and Andres Blanco will be the utility infielders, with Young getting most of the DH at bats.

Catcher is a log jam in Texas, with four players capable of making it as the teams starter. Mike Napoli and Yorvit Torrealba appear to be the front runners, with Matt Treanor and Taylor Teagarden also in the mix. Somebody has to go, and one could be trade bait before spring training is over.

The Rangers could use another starter, but appear to have the rotation settled with C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis 1-2, then Brandon Webb whenever he gets healthy (at least that’s the hope), and Matt Harrison, Tommy Hunter and Derek Holland bringing up the rear (with Alexi Ogando filling in for the injured Hunter to start out). Neftali Feliz will be the closer after an impressive season last year.

Ron Washington will have this team playing well again, and another post season run could be on the way.

Prediction: The Rangers will win another 90 games this year, and that could be enough, but the Angels will give them a battle.

Oakland Athletics

The Oakland A’s surprised a lot of people last year, finishing the season at 81-81. Bob Green, in his fourth season as manager, will try and get his team to perform at the same level again this year. Josh Willingham, who signed in the off season, will be the starting left fielder. CoCo Crisp will play center and David DeJesus will play right field. Daric Barton will start at first base and be counted on to have better numbers this year. Hideki Matsui, who signed a one year contract, will take over as DH for Jack Cust, who signed with Seattle.

Mark Ellis, Cliff Pennington and Kevin Kouzmanoff will fill out the rest of the infield from second to third. Non-Roster invitee Andy LaRoche could find a spot behind Kouzmanoff as a backup with Ryan Sweeney, Conor Jackson and Chris Carter also fighting for spots. Kurt Suzuki, who missed over 20 games last season, will look to continue to put up good numbers. Landon Powell will be his backup, but will get few opportunities, as Suzuki will see almost all of the playing time behind the dish.

The starting rotation is filled with young arms: Dallas Braden will get the opening day nod, followed by Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Brandon McCarthy. Rich Harden (out until at least mid April) will be given a chance in the rotation after he recovers. Adam Rosales  (due back in early May) will be given a chance to win a backup infield position.

It’s going to take every player having an above average season to win 81 games again this year. I don’t see that happening. The rotation is too young, the lineup lacks power, and Matsui is in the final stages of his career.

Prediction: If the A’s win 80 games again I will be surprised; 70-75 wins would be a more realistic goal.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Mike Scioscia and the Angels had a very disappointing year last season, finishing at 80-82, ten games behind the Rangers. Vernon Wells came over from Toronto, will play leftfield, and be counted on to put up the numbers he’s been accustomed to. The emergence of Peter Bourjos in center will allow Torii Hunter to move to right and keep him fresh as the season goes on. Kendry Morales (likely not ready for Opening Day), Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis will fill the infield from first to third.

Bobby Abreu will be the primary DH, and may get a few starts in the outfield. Brandon Wood will be the utility infielder, and Reggie Willits the fourth outfielder. Catcher Jeff Mathis will get a chance to start with the departure of Mike Napoli. If he can’t produce, Hank Conger will take over if he can shore up his defense this spring.

The rotation looks good, consisting of Jared Weaver, Dan Haren, Ervin Santana, Joel Pineiro and Scott Kazmir. Fernando Rodney will get the closers job. Scott Downs (currently out), who also came over from Toronto, will eventually serve as the set up man. Francisco Rodriguez, Michael Kohn and Rich Thompson could be used as set up men or closers if Rodney or Downs falter or suffer an injury.

The players are there for Scioscia, and if the main nucleus of starters can stay healthy, the Angels will give the Rangers a battle for first in the West.

Prediction: If the bottom of the starting rotation (i.e. Kazmir) can post respectable numbers, they could win 90-95 games, which would put them in first place in the division. For the first time in years, a Wild Card team could come from somewhere other than the A.L. East.

Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners finished last in the West, with a record of 61-101, and are probably headed for another cellar finish this year. Eric Wedge, hired in the off season, will get a chance to try and turn things around in Seattle. The only bright spot for the Mariners last season was Felix Hernandez, the A.L. CY Young winner. He will be the team’s opening day starter, and lead the rotation which will also have Jason Vargas, Doug Fister and Erik Bedard. Michael Pineda, David Pauley, Luke French and Nate Robertson (out until May) will battle for the fifth spot in the rotation, and are insurance for oft-injured Bedard.

The infield will probably open with Justin Smoak, Brendan Ryan, Jack Wilson and Chone Figgins first to third. If Jack Wilson struggles at short, Ryan will move there, making room for top rookie of the year candidate Dustin Ackley to get some playing time.

Ichiro Suzuki will again bat leadoff and start in right field. Franklin Gutierrez will play center and either Michael Saunders or Milton Bradley will play left. Jack Cust, who signed in the off season, will be the DH. If Greg Halman could cut down on the strikeouts, he would be the team’s number four outfielder and possibly a starter. Gabe Gross and Adam Kennedy, both non-roster invitees, could make the roster with great springs but is unlikely. Miguel Olivo will be the starting catcher. Adam Moore and Josh Bard will use the spring to battle for the backup spot.

David Aardsma (possible April return) would be the closer, if not injured, so Brandon League will fill that role until Aardsma is ready. Manny Delcarmen, a non-roster invitee, could make the roster and help in the bullpen. The Mariners will be better this year, but any thoughts of playoffs should be ignored.

Prediction: The realistic outlook would be for the M’s to win 70-75 games, maybe giving them a run at getting out of the basement.

(All rosters are taken from mlb.com active rosters, depth charts and non-roster invitee lists as of 03-20-11)

This year, the Boys of Summer are beginning earlier than ever (the regular season will end mid-week instead of on a Sunday for the first time in eons, so who says baseball cannot adjust? They actually do moreso than any other sport), on Thursday the 31st with half a dozen games —  before we’re presented with a full weekend slate.

Here are ten nationally-televised matchups to keep an eye on prior to the July All-Star Break in Phoenix:

Giants-Dodgers (Thurs, 3/31): There are just two small things I miss about living in Los Angeles: In-N-Out Burger and Dodger Stadium. A 5pm battle in the late afternoon sun between historic rivals on Opening Day– one now being the defending champs — is simply delicious.

Padres-Cardinals (Sat, 4/2):  Many believe these teams will be down in 2011, but baseball is too hard to forecast like that. An inter-divisional matchup of two strong second place clubs from last year on this season’s first weekend is very enticing — especially since I will be in attendance!

Yankees-Red Sox (Sat, 4/9): The Yankees may struggle this season, while the Red Sox are considered the best team in baseball; but even though we midwesterners love to poke fun at this overhyped matchup, it’s still ‘special,’ particularly the first series each season.

Rangers-Yankees (Sun, 4/17): While the Rangers’ pennant-winning club of 2010 exorcised 40 seasons of frustration, it was extra awesome that they knocked off the hated Yankees along the way (since New York ended Texas’s season three times in the late 90s). This game will conclude the teams’ first matchup since the 4-2 ALCS win for Texas last October.

White Sox-Tigers (Sat, 4/23): Many expect the Twins to take a step back in 2011, and if they do, these two upper midwest rivals will duke it out for AL Central supremacy. Chicago and Detroit compete in six head-to-head series this season, but this will be the first round.

Padres-Cardinals Reds-Cardinals (Sun, 4/24): Though the Reds pulled away in September to win the NL Central with ease, Saint Louis still dominated the head-to-head series in 2010, including a huge sweep in August before the Cardinals fell apart down the stretch. And I don’t need to remind you about the unique brawl in Cincy during that key series, beginning with Brandon Phillips and Yadier Molina, ending with Chris Carpenter pinned against the backstop. No love here between these two rivals. This series will also be their first meeting of 2011.

Braves-Phillies (Sun, 5/8): The Braves first visit to Philly of 2011 culminates with a Sunday night telecast. (We can all be thankful to ESPN for finally putting the annoying Jon Miller/Joe Morgan broadcast team out to pasture last November.) These are arguably the two top teams in the NL East, and with the Phillies’ celebrated rotation, you have an 80 percent chance of seeing a top-tier pitcher in this one too.

Rangers-Phillies (Sat, 5/21): Interleague play returns with this unique matchup that was nearly your 2010 World Series. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers have fared through seven weeks at this juncture, as well as whether Philly’s Fabulous Four have lived up the hype, or floundered a bit like Miami’s “Heatles” so far.

Reds-Giants (Sat, 6/11): If the Reds perform to expectations, this could be a midseason matchup of two of the NL’s best, as Cincy embarks upon a west coast swing.

Yankees-Cubs (Sat, 6/18): Ten weeks in, one or both of these squads could be buried in 3rd or 4th place, but this is why Interleague Play exists: Yankees at Wrigley. If you want proof of baseball’s popularity, stop by Wrigley Field on Father’s Day Weekend.

*White Sox-Cubs (honorable mention,Sat, 7/2): A late Saturday afternoon start on 4th of July weekend at Wrigley for the cross-town showdown. Surely an epic scene, even if the game is often secondary.

Full season national broadcast lineup here.

The departure of several players to free agency, most notably Carl Crawford (Red Sox), Carlos Pena (Cubs), Rafael Soriano (Yankees), Joaquin Benoit (Tigers) and Matt Garza (Cubs), will make this season challenging for the Rays.

Will the Yankees or Red Sox reclaim the top spot in 2011?

Tampa Bay Rays

Several new players – Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, Kyle Farnsworth and non-roster invitee Casey Kotchman, to name a few, will be counted on to continue the Rays’ success. But it’s Tampa’s starting rotation that’ll tell the story this year for the Rays. If they pitch as well as expected, the team will continue to succeed. David Price will get the opening day start, with James Shields, Wade Davis, Jeff Niemann, and Jeremy Hellickson finishing out the rotation.

Evan Longoria will start at third base, and will either bat in front of or behind Manny, whomever Joe Maddon feels will produce from those slots. Dan Johnson will be the primary starter at first base, with Damon and Kotchman possibly getting some starts. Ben Zobrist will be an everyday platoon player, getting starts in right field, at second base, and perhaps first base, where he’s seen action this spring.

Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac will get most of the playing time at shortstop and second base. John Jaso and Kelly Shoppach will probably split time behind the plate, as Maddon likes to play matchup on a regular basis. B.J. Upton, the starting center fielder, will look to put up better numbers, as he’s pain free for the first time in almost two years.

With the departure of Soriano and Benoit, it will be closer by committee on the Gulf Coast, with J.P. Howell (out indefinitely, shoulder surgery, possible May return), Kyle Farnsworth, Jake McGee, and non-roster invitee Juan Cruz the most likely candidates to finish the game.

Maddon is very optimistic about this up and coming season, as the new faces will present yet another challenge for the philosophical manager.

The Rays may not win the division, but they will give Boston and New York a run for their money, even with a payroll lower than it has been in the past three seasons.

Prediction: I see the Rays winning 90 plus games, and battling it out with either New York or Boston, for the Wild Card spot.

New York Yankees

The Yankees finished one game behind the Rays last season at 95-67. So what do the big money Yanks do? Sign Rafael Soriano and Russell Martin to hopefully get that game or two back this season.

Looking at the starting lineup, it is impossible to think the Yankees don’t make the playoffs. The team is loaded with All Stars C.C. Sabathia(’03, ’04, ’07, ’10), Phil Hughes (’10), Mark Teixeira(’05, ’09, ’10), Robinson Cano (’10), Derek Jeter(’98-02, ’04, ’06-10), Alex Rodriguez (’96-’98, ’00-08, ’10), Nick Swisher (’10), Curtis Granderson (’09), Jorge Posada(’01-’03, ’07), Russell Martin (’07-’ 08), Mariano Rivera (’97, ’99-01, ’02, ’04-06, ’08-’10) and Rafael Soriano (’10) to name a few.

I just about named an All Star for every spot in the lineup. Did I forget to mention Andruw Jones (’00, ’02-’03, ’05-’06), Bartolo Colon (’98, ’05) and Freddy Garcia (’01-’02). Mark Prior (’03) is another former All Star, who’s also a non-roster invitee with Colon and Garcia.

With all the talent the Yankees have, they still have to play baseball, which is a team game. Can manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild get the team to play as one? Can A.J. Burnett find his control? Will Derek Jeter have a better year, or will he continue to break down? Will A-Rod and Teixeira continue to produce? If the answer is yes to all these questions, the Yankees will win 100 games this year.

The Yankees will have hot streaks where they win 12 out of 15 games all year, but can they avoid the streaks the other way, i.e. losing 7 of 10?

Prediction: New York will be on top of the division all year, more than likely winning over 90 games this year, challenging Boston and Tampa Bay all summer. This is going to be an exciting race.

Boston Red Sox

The injury bug plagued the Red Sox last season, as Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury lost considerable playing time. Still, Boston finished the season at 89-73, only seven games behind the Rays.

In the off season the Red Sox acquired Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, which will help bolster an already potent offense. David Ortiz will have the pleasure of hitting in the middle of four great hitters, and Terry Francona will have an easy job filling out the batting order.

You could draw the names from a hat to put together this lineup. It could go like this: Scutaro, Pedroia, Crawford, Ortiz, Gonzalez, Youkilis, Drew, Saltalamacchia, Ellsbury. That’s just me —  and it was easy – but I know it will probably be totally different coming from Francona. Jed Lowrie will get some time at shortstop, Mike Cameron will be the fourth outfielder, and Jason Varitek will mentor and be backup to Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

The starting rotation will consist of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Bobby Jenks will pitch the eighth inning and Jonathan Papelbon will be the closer, looking to rebound from a disappointing 2010 season. Non-Roster invitee Andrew Miller, a southpaw, could get a spot in the bullpen.

The Red Sox have everything they need to win, again. Can they stay healthy, and will the talent on paper show up on the field? The AL East is a very tough division, and playing the Yankees and Rays, along with a better Oriole team will make it a tough task.

Prediction: I do see the Red Sox winning 90-95 games, which would put them fighting for the division, but more than likely battling it out with the Rays for the Wild Card spot.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays had a pretty good year last season, finishing at 85-77, eleven games out of first place. The Jays lost Vernon Wells to the Angels, and Lyle Overbay went to the Pirates. Rajai Davis came over from Oakland and Jaun Rivera joins Toronto from Los Angeles, while Travis Snider will get a chance to play everyday in right field.

The infield starters will be Adam Lind, Aaron Hill, Yunel Escobar and Jose Bautista, who led the league in homeruns last season with 54. Edwin Encarnacion will DH and play some first base. J.P. Arencibia will get a majority of starts behind the dish, and should he falter Jose Molina will take over.

The starting rotation looks to be set with Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, Kyle Drabek and Jesse Litch. Marc Rzepczynski will be available if any of the five have injury issues. Frank Francisco, acquired from Texas, looks to have won the closer job. Octavio Dotel will be the set up man, unless Francisco doesn’t perform or is slowed by injury, at which time Dotelwill become the closer.

First year manager John Farrell, who spent the last four seasons as the Red Sox pitching coach, will bring a different kind of baseball north of the border. This being his first season, I see some growing pains headed their way. Farrell already knows the AL East is tough, and now he will experience it from a whole new angle.

Prediction: If the Jays can win 80 games this year, I would consider that a success. But Toronto will more than likely finish last in the division.

Baltimore Orioles

Buck Showalter took over the manager job on August 2nd last season, and the Orioles went 34-23 with him calling the shots, finishing last in the division at 66-96.

I think Baltimore will continue to improve, as they acquired Derek Lee, J.J. Hardy and Mark Reynolds to solidify the infield, and hopefully give the offense a jolt. Brian Roberts will play second base, and looks to stay healthy as neck and back issues allowed to play in only 59 games last season.

The outfield is set with Nick Markakis in right, Adam Jones in center, and Felix Pie in left. Nolan Reimold will be the fourth outfielder; Jake Fox, who can play catcher, first base and some outfield, and Cesar Izturis will fill the bench as backups; Vladimir Guerrero will be the primary DH, with Luke Scott getting some starts between DH and first base.

Matt Wieters will get most of the starts at catcher, and Craig Tatum could be his backup with a good spring. Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Brad Bergesen and Justin Duchscherer will fill the rotation, with Chris Tillman going to the minors unless an injury occurs. Kevin Gregg, who faltered last year, will be given a chance at closing again. Koji Uehara will be the setup man unless Gregg has issues again. Non-Roster invitees Mark Hendrickson, Brendan Harris, Nick Green and Randy Winn will get good looks in the spring.

All signs point to a better year for Baltimore. If the acquisitions of Lee, Reynolds, Guerrero and Hardy help the offense be more consistent, they’ll give the rest of the division fits, causing a log jam at the top of the AL East. The Orioles could be a surprise this year.

Prediction: I think they can win 8o plus games this year, which still only gets them out of the cellar in the East, finishing in fourth place.

(All rosters are taken from mlb.com active rosters, depth charts and non-roster invitee lists as of 03-20-11)

In that time, a person forms an opinion about you based upon your appearance, body language, demeanor, mannerisms, and a veritable plethora of other factors, both conscious and unconscious. These initial impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, making these first encounters extremely important, as they set the tone for the all the relationships that follow.

First impressions also apply to the world of sports. An athlete being scouted can receive too much, or too little credit based on a five minute performance. For this reason, I am compelled to make this week’s player Chad Bradford. He is one of those players that almost never made it due to flaws in scouting. He also made me a fan after seeing only one pitch.

I have a long standing love affair with the utterly ridiculous. I eat cereal that should be served as dessert. My favorite TV show is the 1960′s Batman. But my biggest love are athletes that perform despite approaches that seem psychotic at best. And nobody embodies this like Chad Bradford.

Some would incorrectly call Bradford a side-arm pitcher. That does not do him justice. Bradford’s delivery begins not with a high leg kick, but a swivel of the hips, ending in an underhand delivery which occasionally results in his hitting the mound with his hand. His fastball is a paradox, usually topping out at around 84MPH, but he’s been incredibly effective over the span of his career. A career that almost never happened.

Bradford is not sexy. (Well, not to pitching scouts anyways. He’s really quite dashing, especially with that manly, lumberjack mustache) In fact, he was only scouted by one team throughout his high school and college career: Jerod’s beloved Chicago White Sox.

The Sox actually drafted him twice — both 1994 and 1996. He would make his “cup of coffee” debut in 1998, and was seen as the type of player who was not going to be more than a Quadruple A player. He didn’t have the pedigree of your prototypical major league pitcher.

Thankfully for Bradford, Billy Beane was in the process of “Moneyballing up” the Oakland A’s, and therefore saw just how good Bradford was, trading Miguel Olivo for him. Over the next four seasons, Bradford pitched 250 games with a 3.34ERA with an ERA+ of 133. This was thanks in large part to that zany delivery.

The reason his delivery is so effective is how it induces an extraordinarily high percentage of ground balls. In fact, Bradford routinely maintained a Ground Ball to Fly Ball Ratio of 70-80% and was in the top five every season from 2001-2008 in that category. In 515.2 career innings pitched, Bradford has only allowed 28 Home Runs (of which Carl Everett somehow has three and Manny Ramirez hit his 500th career dinger).

Bradford was traded by Oakland to the Boston Red Sox, and later signed with both the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles, before being traded to Tampa Bay in 2008.

Tampa proceeded to make The World Series that season but Bradford was only used twice in the Series (he only gave up one measly hit). This lead to my yelling loudly as I watched Tampa Bay lose. To this day, I still think the Rays should always have brought in Bradford. The numbers back me up on this too. In 24 career postseason games, Bradford posted a sparkling0.39 ERA, allowing just one run.

Bradford spent most of last season injured and currently remains unsigned. Last I read, he had been thinking of retirement, which would be a shame. I firmly believe any team in the league could benefit from having him in their pen. Apparently I’m the only one.

Every HR Bradford has given up

Bradford invited to play himself in “Moneyball” movie

If you have any suggestions for future Obscure Players, drop them in the comments.

Fox will broadcast their usual Saturday afternoon games, TBS will pick up on Sundays, and for the most part, you can expect ESPN to have games on Sunday and Monday evenings. (Mid-week, you might look for your local team networks and eventually, on Thursdays, the MLB Network will be back for their second season, though the schedule has yet to be released).

The MLB national TV schedule, which is always subject to change, is at the end of this post below.

Before getting to that, we provide the 11 “best” games during the first half of the season – at least so far as I can surmise in March.

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11 Best Early Season MLB Games on National TV

These are listed chronologically, not from best to worst or vice versa.

1. Yankees-Red Sox, April 4, 8pm EDT, ESPN2:

A baseball tradition unlike any other (cue Masters music — it’s that time of year too after all) — and on opening night, no less. You’ll probably see Sabathia vs. Beckett, Lackey or Lester. No further elaboration necessary.

2. Mariners-Rangers, April 10, 3pm, FOX (Regional):

Two major divisional challenges to the perennial champion Angels meet on the first weekend of the new season. Five days after the opener, the Mariners will be set to throw Cliff Lee or Felix Hernandez for certain in second 2010 start.

3. Rays-Red Sox, April 18, 130pm, TBS:

I cannot imagine the Red Sox have forgotten the upstart Rays ending their quest for back-to-back titles in the 2008 ALCS. Boston will probably also remember bold spring training predictions from Evan Longoria. These two teams now chase the Yankees, so every time they meet, it’s important.

4 & 5. Yankees-Angels or Mariners-White Sox, April 24, 4pm, FOX (Regional):

The Yankees and Angels have a lot of postseason history, with the Yanks finally topping Anaheim in the 2009 ALCS after losing to them in the 2002 and 2005 LDS – as well as constantly throughout the regular season this past decade.

The Mariners and White Sox have excellent and deep starting staffs, and both teams can potentially do damage in the 2010 AL.

6. Angels-Red Sox, May 3, 7pm, ESPN:

Look at the Angels recent history with New York and flip it versus Boston, all the way to the Halos finally besting the Red Sox in the 2009 ALDS — after losing to them in the same round in 2004, 2007 and 2008. These teams nearly always play stellar games. Former Angel icon John Lackey now pitching for Boston will up the intensity.

7. Twins-Yankees, May 16, 1pm, TBS:

The Yanks have stomped out Minnesota’s postseason dreams multiple times in the 21st century, including again in 2009. This will be their first series meeting in 2010.

8. Red Sox-Phillies, May 23, 1pm, TBS:

A matchup of two of the past three world champions based in big markets. A great regional interleague battle between two teams who’d love to unseat the Yankees come October.

9. Cardinals-Cubs, May 30, 220pm, TBS:

This is the only series these bitter rivals face off prior to the All-Star break. Few disagree that they are the two best teams in the NL Central as we look toward the 2010 campaign.

10. Angels-Mariners, June 5, 4pm, FOX (Regional):

Arguably the two best teams in the AL West match-up in the northwest. Chone Figgins, who played his entire eight year career with Anaheim, goes up against his former franchise.

11. Dodgers-Red Sox, June 19, 4pm, FOX (Regional):

Manny returns to Boston. That should say it all. Other than that, a great Interleague matchup between two legendary coastal clubs that just might meet in the Fall Classic.

MLB National TV Schedule (FOX, ESPN, TBS)

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* – Jake Peavy photo credit: Viva la Vidro

For the third year in a row, and fourth out of six, they draw Boston, who, each time, has ended their season.

LA/Anaheim has won the AL West five of the past six seasons, but have yet to return to the World Series (they won in 2002 as aWild Card). The Angels have won 89 or more games for six years running, have captured three straight division crowns , and, unlike their opponents, three-quarters of their roster is homegrown. 

That’s some fascinating or troubling history, depending upon which side your allegiance falls.

Here is the TV schedule and the pitching matchups for the Angels-Red Sox ALDS series:

Angels-Red Sox ALDS TV Schedule and Pitching Matchups

While the Red Sox have been up and down the second half of the year, the Angels played .600 ball in putting away a solid Rangers team that did not finally fade until mid-September. They can hit, field, pitch and certainly run, which they’ll do versus a Boston team that cannot stop the run (to use a football analogy). Also consider mid-season acquisition Scott Kazmir, noted “Red Sox” killer who goes at Fenway in Game 3, has an ERA around two since joining the Angels.

While in years past, it was the Angels who came into October banged up and with question marks, this time it’s Boston, who though as talented as anyone, has many mysteries (Varitek, Ortiz, Lester’s health, Buchholz, Papelbon’s stamina and hype, even Beckett). So, if the Angels can win the first two in California, they’ll be set to exorcise those demons. If they can just split, it’ll be better than 2007 or 2008. Either way, every team must climb that hurdle: Boston over the Yanks, the Bulls over the Pistons in the late 80s NBA and so on.

Boston played poorly the last ten days of the season, dropping six in a row at one point. They were also under .500 on the road this season (39-42), while Anaheim was equally as strong on the road as at home.  While both teams have deeper starting staffs than the other two AL participants, the BoSox probably have a better staff as well as postseason’s best bullpen, including Daisuke Matsuzaka and guys you’ve likely never heard of. On the flip, Angels’ closer Brian Fuentes pitched poorly against Boston (8.10 ERA). The Angels though, are truly blessed with depth and versatility. Cuban defector Kendri Morales has a great story and should also be third in AL MVP voting for 2009. About a month ago, they put a lineup on the field in Toronto where every hitter, one through nine, was hitting over .300. The Angels have as good a shot as ever, are confident, and for one sentimental reason, they’re motivated in 2009.

Angels preview here.
Red Sawx here.

The Lineups for tonight should look something like:
Boston
P Wakefield
1. Ellesbury CF
2. Pedroia 2B
3. Youkilis 3B
4. Bay LF
5. Wilkerson RF
6. Lowrie SS
7. Bailey DH
8. Bard C
9. Velazquez

Minnesota
P Perkins
1. Span CF
2. Casilla 2B
3. Cuddy RF
4. Morneau 1B
5. Young LF
6. Kubel DH
7. Buscher 3B
8. T.Gardenhire/M.Redmond C
9. Punto SS

In other news, Boof Bonser opted to undergo surgery next week on his ailing shoulder. Expect him to be placed on the 60 day disabled list shortly. This means that the Twins may make a harder push for Juan Cruz, or that Phil Humber’s odds of making the opening day squad drastically increased over the last 48 hours.

Also the Twins Starting Rotation was announced and the opening day starter will be…..Scott Baker!
1. Scott Baker RHP
2. Francisco Liriano LHP
3. Kevin Slowey RHP
4. Glen Perkins LHP
5. Nick Blackburn RHP

It’s interesting that Perkins got the nod for the 4th spot. Maybe they really like following Slowey up with a lefty?

Kick back and enjoy some baseball tonight! Spring is just around the corner!