On Base But For What ?

On Base But For What ?

By tophatal

Well the MLB season is now upon us with Opening Day being 4th April ,2012 but a slew of games being played over the next several days as the teams kick off their opening schedules. Now with so much having come to the fore during the off-season with the idiocy of the Ryan Braun ” fiasco “ and the asinine stance taken by Bud Selig and Rob Manfred of the league hierarchy , I would like to think we are going to see at least a modicum of common sense being shown not just merely by the players but also the team owners , front office executives , managers and game officials , alike ! God knows , we need some semblance of intelligence when one considers the recent developments within the NFL and the lack of real leadership by the NFL hierarchy and that of the New Orleans Saints , specifically from the team’s owner Tom Benson . But then it’d would be remiss to expect anything else , given the lack of integrity from all quarters within the NFL to begin with ! You’re certainly not going to find any whatsoever coming from Roger Goodell , the team owners or from the executive committee of the NFLPA (union) as they seek ” damage control” and look to brush their latest ” mea-culpa” underneath a carpet that has enough hidden underneath that it would put to shame the actions of the Mafia or the Medellin drug cartels to shame !

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Slide show for your perusal .

As usual with Opening Day ballparks around the country may be packed to capacity , well at least I’d like to think so ! But that may well not be the case in a number of situations because with a downturn in the economy a great number of families will certainly be looking to take their discretionary income and put it to some other use . That being said , many of us will be looking to see how our teams fare in their opening games . I’m a Central Florida resident but a fervent Atlanta Braves’ fan , and my goal this season as it regards the team will be to attend at least 15 games over the course of their schedule . In the off-season GM Frank Wren and the coaching staff led by Fredi Gonzalez made certain moves to improve the roster in a number of aspects . Certainly , after last season’s inexplicable crash in the during the final month of the season , that saw the team miss the playoffs , was obviously a profound disappointment to the coaching staff and players but in particular for the fans . Nevertheless , there’s a lesson to be learned and that is , complacency , is something that cannot be tolerated under any circumstance , no matter what situation arises ! Clearly , there was a great deal of that to be seen from the players during that final month of September , 2011 .

During the Braves’ Spring Training schedule Chipper Jones made the formal announcement that this would indeed be his last season with the Atlanta Braves , where he has spent his entire professional baseball career. And assuredly so , one can only hope that he is destined for enshrinement in Cooperstown , New York as part of the Braves’ ” celebrated ” inductees in the Hall of Fame . Undoubtedly however, Jones would like nothing better than to see this team in its current guise not only obtain a playoff berth but round out an illustrious career by winning a World Series title. Having won every other accolade of note within the game , this switch-hitting third baseman joins a select group of players with a career average above .300 and over 400 home runs .

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Fredi Gonzalez leads this team into an opening month schedule that sees them pitted against in a three game series against the New York Mets at Citi-Field , Flushing , New York . That first game where the starting pitchers are likely to be Tommy Hanson of the Braves and Johan Santana of the Mets . From my own perspective given the issues that the New York Mets faced last season and their final standing within the NL East I believe that they will continue to struggle throughout much of this year . You simply have to look at how they fared over 2011 simply to realize that this is an organization whose decline has been quite swift over the last five years .

If the Atlanta Braves are to be successful this season and specifically within the NL East where the pitching staffs of the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies are amongst the very best within baseball . Then most certainly the pitching rotation of Hudson , Hanson , Beachy , Jurrjens , Mike Minor and Randall Delgado will have to be at their very best and certainly more productive than last season by way of their showing .

As I alluded to earlier the team’s free-fall last season, during which they missed the wildcard berth , came by way of a lack of productivity in terms of overall offense where it mattered most . I would certainly like to see Dan Uggla , Freddie Freeman , Brian McCann and Chipper Jones produce with the sort of efficiency that was on display in 2011 . If they can produce that sort of form then there’s no reason not to believe why they cannot make the division one that is truly competitive throughout the year . Also , Jason Heyward needs to remain healthy throughout the season , rather than seeing his 2011 sojourn curtailed by being on the DL , during which his participation and productivity was limited . If they can produce that sort of form then there’s no reason not to believe why they cannot make the division one that is truly competitive throughout the year .

With the Houston Astros still remaining in NL Central this being their last within the division before moving to the AL West in 2013 . It will be interesting to see how they will fare taking on the likes of the Milwaukee Brewers , Cincinnati Reds , Pittsburgh Pirates , St Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs . Brad Mills , his coaching staff along with Astros’ team owner Jim Crane and GM Jeff Luhnow have assembled a team through free agency and none roster invitees along with elements from last season’s roster to be in line with a payroll that it would appear the front office seems to be happy with .

Jim Crane’s $775 million purchase of the Houston Astros and then the financial inducement for the organization to change leagues , was simply too good a gift to overlook . Most certainly , Bud Selig felt it worthwhile in order to create some equity but I don’t know that the move will prove to be all that amenable . Especially , in light of the dominance of the Texas Rangers , the two-time defending divisional champions within the AL West and pennant winners . And with the acquisition of Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson by Los Angeles Angels to add to that already potent offense , is there really anyone who’s of the opinion that in 2013 Astros will be able to compete against the might of Angels and Rangers well as the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics ?

Before the Houston Astros embark upon their regular season schedule they do in fact have one remaining game against the Chicago White Sox and their new manager Robin Ventura .

If there’s said to be two managers under a great deal of pressure to succeed then it would have to Joe Girardi of the New York Yankees and Bobby Valentine of the Boston Red Sox . The AL East remains the division which everyone else is simply judged by . Granted , the fact that it possesses two of the most storied franchises within the game gives credence to the fact this simply is where some of the most competitive … games are played in all of baseball. The Red Sox face their own demons this season in the aftermath of September of 2011 and the fact that having gone 7-21 in the aftermath of the regular season the idiocy of the organization’s fans remained intact , with the thought that they would indeed make the playoffs.

Now while both the Red Sox and Yankees to reaffirm themselves as the dominant teams within the AL East , the other residents Baltimore Orioles , Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays will seek to usurp the two financial behemoths within the game . Ben Cherington and Brian Cashman the general managers for both of these ball-clubs must know that even with the acquisitions made by both organizations they are still under pressure to see their teams succeed .

Joe Maddon a former AL Coach of the Year with a new team in place knows that he’s in an ever-increasing situation where his task becomes all the more difficult . Stymied by the cost cutting exercise in terms of the payroll and the mere fact that GM Andrew Friedman and Stuart Sternberg , sooner , rather than later will have to come to a decision as to the franchise’s long-term future of either remaining within the state or simply relocating outside the state of Florida . The asinine naivete` of the fans within this locale simply never ceases to amaze me ! There’s talk of signing a petition to “save our Rays ” but it would appear that they aren’t overly concerned that the cost to the community in terms of resources being directed from the locale’s deteriorating infrastructure . Apathy , and complete idiocy , now seems to be the norm with the fan-base rather than showing common sense !

This off-season the Rays saw the return of first baseman Carlos Pena and Luke Scott joining the team as a free agent having left the Baltimore Orioles. With that addition to the roster it gives Maddon that much-needed offense sought for this team . And with the skill-set of BJ Upton , Evan Longoria , Ben Zobrist , Reid Brignac alongside Pena and Scott , it is hoped that these players will prove to be effective against their AL East counterparts .

The Tampa Rays over the course of their season will face the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees a combined 36 times during 2012. These series will be home and away at Fenway Park , Boston , Massachusetts and Yankee Stadium , Bronx , New York . And just as with last season Joe Maddon and his players are hoping to more and hold their own against these two perennial powerhouses within the game. There’s no denying the Rays’ players that there will be a playoff type atmosphere at each of the scheduled games against their divisional foes . And that’s not to relegate their other divisional opponents to the lower ranks but in reality when the Tampa Bay Rays face the Baltimore Orioles or Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg , Florida , it is easy to understand why there isn’t the level of attendance normally associated with either the Red Sox or Yankees . With a hardcore fan-base of no more than 15,000 fans the struggles of this organization (Rays) have been well chronicled to such an extent , that it has become all too repetitive !

The Tampa Bay Rays’ Opening Day schedule begins with a series against the New York Yankees in-front of what is sure to be a sold-out crowd at Yankees Stadium this Friday . The projected starting pitchers are expected to be James Shields of the .Rays and CC Sabathia of the Yankees , with their lineups likely to be as designated by the respective managers .

Robinson Cano , one of the litany of stars on this Yankees’ roster to my mind is the one player you knew will produce with a consistency one would come to expect of a player of his caliber. Cano , in conjunction with Curtis Granderson and > Mark Teixeira were the primary reasons why the New York Yankees proved to be one of the most explosive and productive offenses over the course of last season within the AL and baseball as a whole . In all likelihood , we should expect more of the same this season from a team looking to make an impact not just within the division but across the MLB landscape and into the postseason . I certainly don’t see the Yankees as the prohibitive favorites within the AL East and of the “so-called ” contenders for the AL pennant they might not be amongst the five best teams within the league . The free agent acquisitions made by the front office shed light on the very fact that pitching remains the ” Achilles’ Heel “ for the organization. And granted , obtaining Michael Pineda … bolsters the lineup behind CC Sabathia but even so , that still creates the perception that beyond the numbers 1 and 2 starters on the pitching rotation there still remains a great deal to be desired in terms of the staff. How Joe Girardi deals with these issues will give as an indication as to the direction of the Yankees’ season may well pan out . We certainly know that at the trade deadline this organization will be amongst the major players for any of the top free agents that are likely to be superfluous to a team’s needs .

As much as I believe that offense will play its part within the AL this upcoming season it is the pitching that I feel will be the determining factor that will determine the fates of the contenders within the division . The consensus appears to be that the Tampa Bay Rays may well possess one of the best ….. pitching lineups in all of baseball led by James Shields , David Price and Jeremy Hellickson . And that is with all due respect to the Philadelphia Phillies , San Francisco Giants , Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers , in terms of the rotations at their disposal.

This season we are likely to see a timely mix of pitching , offense and defense all adding to the aura of the game we all have come to love in spite of the reticence of the league hierarchy to deal with a number of issues that are stark and for which Bud Selig is either simply oblivious to or that he simply chooses to ignore . Your thoughts on the matter ?

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Picture and slide show for your perusal .

Of the teams coming into this MLB season which do you feel has the most to lose and the most to gain ? And what if anything is your greatest wish to see unfold as the year progresses within the game of baseball ? By all means do take time to leave a comment as you see fit .

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Picture and slide show details below .
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(1) From left to right , Ryan Braun , Ozzie Guillen , Matt Kemp , David Price , Yu Darvish , Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder . All are looking to be part of the postseason in some capacity for their respective organizations . AP Photo/ Getty Images @ copyrighted material … all rights reserved .

(2) Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie surveys the field during workouts in preparation for Thursday’s opening day Major League baseball game against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Wednesday, April 4, 2012. AP Photo/Amy Sancetta …

(3) Atlanta Braves’ Brian McCann calls for time after hitting a double to score a run in the fifth inning of an exhibition baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Future Stars Tuesday, April 3, 2012, in Lawrenceville, Ga. The game was called due to rain in the seventh inning with the Atlanta Braves leading 4-3 . AP Photo/David Goldman …

(4) Atlanta Braves’ Michael Bourn , right, gets a high-five from manager Fredi Gonzalez after hitting a double to score a run in the fifth inning of an exhibition baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Future Stars Tuesday, April 3, 2012, in Lawrenceville, Ga. The game was called due to rain in the seventh inning with the Atlanta Braves leading 4-3. AP Photo/David Goldman ….

(5) Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones announces that he will retire following the 2012 season during a news conference before a spring training baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Kissimmee, Fla., Thursday, March 22, 2012. P Photo/Paul Sancya …

(6) Atlanta Braves’ Jason Heyward swings at a pitch against the New York Yankees in the seventh inning of a spring training baseball game in Kissimmee, Fla., Wednesday, March 28, 2012. Heyward struck out in the at-bat, but hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning. AP Photo/Paul Sancya ….

(7) Tampa Bay Rays’ Luke Scott celebrates after crossing home plate on a solo home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tony Pena Jr . in the seventh inning of a spring training baseball game in Port Charlotte, Fla., Saturday, March 31, 2012. AP Photo/Charles Krupa …..

(8) Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon yells across the field as Rays third baseman Evan Longoria talks to fans before the start of a spring training baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, Fla., Thursday, March 29, 2012. AP Photo/Kathy Willens …….

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MLB regular season games 6th April 2012

MLB probable starters 6th April 2012

Opening Day schedule 4th April 2012 St Louis Cardinals @ Miami Marlins …. Marlins Ballpark , Miami , Florida .

Probable starting pitchers ………………. Probable starting lineups

Atlanta Braves news

Houston Astros news

New York Yankees news

Tampa Bay Rays news

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For my Creole and Haitian “massive” (posse) Wyclef Jean ….. ” Gone Till November “