Peering into baseball’s crystal ball, Part I

Whew – I’m back! Last week, forty-four inches of snow dropped on my home in Colorado – and no, that’s not a typo. Between the resultant power outages and the endless digging out, I didn’t get a chance to write a column last week – my apologies. On the bright side, though – the frozen weather really made me ready for some hardball!

The 2003 season is almost upon us, and I’m sure many of you are evaluating your favorite squad and their competition in expectation of the next six months of pennant-chasing fun. I’m here to help. Today, I’ll give you a quick overview on each American League team – telling you what to look for, and what to watch out for regarding the fortunes of each. Next week, I’ll get to the National League, and the week after that; predictions for the postseason and the major awards. So, without any further ado…

American League East

Baltimore Orioles
What to watch for: The O’s pitching is better than most people think. Camden Yards is still one of the more lovely settings in baseball. They’re expected to make a serious run at Expos OF Vladimir Guerrero next winter.

What to watch out for: Runs – as they may not happen that often for the Orioles. Jeff Conine and B.J. Surhoff were in their prime six years ago, and as a rule, two “juniors” (Gary Matthews and Jerry Hairston) in a starting lineup is usually a bad sign…

Boston Red Sox
What to watch for: Is this the year the Curse ends? 29 year old GM Theo Epstein strikes a blow for fantasy baseball players everywhere. The Red Sox are loaded with offense, and still have the best righty hurler in baseball in Pedro Martinez.

What to watch out for: The Red Sox are injury prone, too. By mid-season, Sox faithful may have wished Epstein traded Shea Hillenbrand and Casey Fossum to the Expos for Bartolo Colon. It would also be best if nobody said something to the effect of “Wake up the Babe… I’ll drill him in the ass” again – right, Pedro?

New York Yankees
What to watch for: The best team that a $150 million payroll can buy. Imports Matsui and Contreras won’t live entirely up to their hype, but they’ll be very good players as the Yankees make their annual run at the World Series. By midseason, they’ll probably trade for Vladimir Guerrero, Ken Griffey, Jr., and the entire roster of the Yakult Swallows.

What to watch out for: Steinbrenner grabbing too much of the spotlight, David Wells taking Derek Jeter out for “a night on the town”.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
What to watch for: Joe Kennedy is a very good pitcher in a very bad situation. The outfield shows promise, but they’re very, very, very young. Other than that, you’ve got me.

What to watch out for: Balls hitting speakers (in play!) in the worst ballpark in the majors, Lou Pinella’s NC-17 rants, eventually leading to his head exploding a la “Scanners” mid-season…

Toronto Blue Jays
What to watch for: The young talent is there, and they will produce – but will it be this year? Roy Halladay is one of the best young pitchers in the major leagues. If nothing else, the Jays will be an entertaing team to watch this season.

What to watch out for: The young players don’t improve as quickly as hoped, smothering the aspirations of the entire team. 1B Carlos Delgado must slow his decline over the last two seasons.

American League Central

Chicago White Sox
What to watch for: The most underrated player in the majors, OF Magglio Ordonez. Is Frank Thomas serious about regaining his status as one of baseball’s most feared hitters? The Sox could have a lot of offense at their disposal with Paul Konerko and Carlos Lee, and phenom OF Joe Borchard isn’t far away.

What to watch out for: Besides the excellent 1-2 punch of pitchers Mark Buerhle and Bartolo Colon, the rest of the rotation is a crap shoot. Billy Koch must re-establish himself as the closer, and Thomas simply cannot become a distraction to his team again.

Cleveland Indians
What to watch for: First-time manager Eric Wedge will steward one of the youngest squads in the majors. There’s a lot of talent on the Tribe, but they’re also a long way from competing for the postseason. Visit Jacobs Field - it’s perhaps the best park in baseball, and the talented 2B Brandon Phillips, 1B Travis Hafner, and the ever-reliable SS Omar Vizquel will ensure that you enjoy your stay.

What to watch out for: Unless Vizquel decides to write another book, not much. SP C.C. Sabathia needs to watch his weight and get back to mowing down batters, but otherwise, there’s nowhere else to go but up for Cleveland.

Detroit Tigers
What to watch for: Alan Trammell and Kirk Gibson are tough, hard-nosed guys who… oops, they’re not playing? SS Omar Infante looks like a keeper, 1B Carlos Pena has some stability in his sophomore season, and RP Franklyn German could quickly become one of the most intimidating presences on the mound since Lee Smith retired.

What to watch out for: Everything else. There’s just not much here for new manager Trammell, one of the classiest people in baseball, to work with.

Kansas City Royals
What to watch for: 1B Mike Sweeney and OF Carlos Beltran putting up big numbers for the Royals – just before they’re traded to someone else. 3B Joe Randa is as steady as they come. DH Ken Harvey is a promising hitter and RP Mike MacDougal has filthy stuff. Kauffman Stadium just oozes baseball, and it’s a shame it hasn’t seen any for some time.

What to watch out for: The once-proud Royals may be the worst run team in baseball, despite having one of its wealthiest owners. David Glass seems intent on running the Royals as cheaply as possible, and it’s a travesty. Kansas City is actually one the better baseball towns in America, and the fans there deserve a whole lot more than they get from Glass.

Minnesota Twins
What to watch for: Contract this, Bud. Stealing pages straight from the script of “Major League”, the Twins defeated the schemes of their owner, Carl Pohlad (another of MLB’s richest owners) and interim-commissioner-for-life Bud Selig by competing for the AL crown and winning America’s hearts in the process. I only hope that they didn’t pull pieces of clothing off of a cardboard Pohlad in the clubhouse…
The scrappy Twins are poised to do it again this year. They may be the finest defensive team in baseball, and they’re only getting better on offense.

What to watch out for: The loss of SP Eric Milton will hurt Minnesota’s rotation. The Twins played a bit above their heads for most of last season – can they do it again?

American League West

Anaheim Angels
What to watch for: Mike Scioscia may be the best manager in the majors today. OF Garret Anderson was the most underrated player in baseball until last season, and 3B Troy Glaus could become the next Mike Schmidt. SP John Lackey and RP Francisco Rodriguez are as good as they looked in last year’s postseason. SS David Eckstein brings a blue-collar work ethic that endears him to fans everywhere.

What to watch out for: Injuries. Glaus and staff ace Jarrod Washburn are already fighting them. The Halos won last year with grit and guile more than with raw talent. They can do it again, but they must walk a finer line than some of the more talented clubs in the AL.

Oakland Athletics
What to watch for: The best starting pitching in baseball. SPs Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder would all be the aces in most teams’ rotations. SS Miguel Tejada will play his final season in an A’s uniform. OF Jermaine Dye and RP Keith Foulke will both work to regain their All-Star form. 3B Eric Chavez and 1B/DH Erubiel Durazo could both make the leap to superstardom this season. The A’s have their sights set on the AL crown, and they have the talent to seize it.

What to watch out for: Dye and Durazo are injury risks, and the A’s would be hard-pressed to replace either of them. Foulke must rebound, or the bullpen could be in disarray. Former manager Art Howe got the most out of the A’s every day – can new skipper Ken Macha do the same?

Seattle Mariners
What to watch for: The Bob Melvin era begins with a bit of trepidation. Seattle has an outstanding bullpen, anchored by closer Kazuhiro Sasaki and setup man Arthur Rhodes. The Mariners are a veteran team, and as such, they’re not prone to long slumps that may plague other squads in the AL West. Ichiro Suzuki is one of the most exciting players in baseball.

What to watch out for: Did former manager Lou Pinella simply run his course in the Emerald City, or will the M’s miss his fiery leadership? Is SP Freddy Garcia really back, or was his miserable second half of 2002 as harbinger of things to come? Can OF Randy Winn put together another year resembling his startling out-of-nowhere performance of last season? Can 3B Jeff Cirillo really be as bad as he was in 2002? Will the young pitching perform as expected? The Mariners have a lot of questions facing them. They could win the West, or completely crumble under their own weight. They’ll be one of the most fascinating teams to watch all season.

Texas Rangers
What to watch for: The best player in baseball. Alex Rodriguez would probably be inducted into the Hall of Fame if he retired tomorrow, and he’s only 27. The play of young bucks Hank Blalock (who flamed out last season) and Mark Teixeira will go a long way towards determining the future of the franchise. 1B Rafael Palmeiro is one of the best and most consistent hitters of the last decade, and he’s not done yet. Manager Buck Showalter is the sand in the oyster – he’s irritating and abrasive, but more often than not, Showalter’s teams become pearls in time.

What to watch out for: The pitching is a complete mess. OFs Carl Everett and Juan Gonzalez could each become more of a hindrance than a help to the Rangers. Alex Rodriguez’ neck has a bulging disc, and if he misses any significant amount of time, Texas is dead in the water. If the team starts losing with regularity, Showalter’s style could easily grate on many of the Rangers’ players, causing further problems in the clubhouse.

***
The games start Sunday, and as an American, to my fellow citizens, I ask only this: when you hear the “Star Spangled Banner” before the first pitch, please take a moment to reflect on our comrades in harm’s way, and no matter where you may personally stand regarding this unfortunate conflict, take the time to appreciate the fact that you live in a nation that enables you to speak your mind, and follow your heart – wherever that may lead.