MLB 2012 Season Preview: NL West

The Major League Baseball season gets underway on April 4. But before all the fireworks, the seventh-inning stretches, the awe-strucking homers, the captivating steals, hustle plays, and pitching performances commence, we preview all 30 teams by division. Next up, the National League West. 

Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 94-68 (NL West Champions)

Lost 3-2 to the Brewers in the Division Series

From last place to first in the division, it was quite a turnaround for the D-Backs. Strong starting pitching aided the D-Backs 'rags-to-riches' story, giving them their first NL West title since '07. Even though they fell to the Brewers in five games of the NLDS, the future looks bright for Kirk Gibson's crew.

Ian Kennedy, Joe Saunders and Daniel Hudson will remain the arms to watch, but they solidified the rotation by adding former A's pitcher Trevor Cahill. J.J. Putz's closing arm will remain huge in save situations.

On offense, they will again rely on Justin Upton, Chris Young, Gerardo Parra, Willie Bloomquist, Miguel Montero and Aaron Hill to produce some runs. The health of Stephen Drew, who failed to finish the season because of a fractured ankle mid-season, will be another key for the D-Backs defending the NL West title.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 82-79 (3rd in NL West)

Missed Postseason

The moment former owner Frank McCourt decided to sell the Dodgers and the controversial events that followed, Dodgertown was embroiled in a soap opera that threatened the Dodgers' season. After a slow first half, the Dodgers rebounded to post a winning record, though a game at Nationals Park was left unfinished due to weather. And the good news: Magic Johnson and co. are closing in on purchasing the Dodgers.

Clayton Kershaw ran away with the NL MVP and Cy Young diadems, leading in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. Still 23, Kershaw will be a key figure in the Dodgers' future. The other dependable arms will be Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly and Chris Capuano, who will take Hiroki Kuroda's spot.

Matt Kemp finished behind Kershaw for NL MVP, and led the NL in homers, RBIs, and runs. That's impressive news. The question is, how will Kemp keep up that performance?The Dodgers also need the bats of Andre Ethier, Dee Gordon, Tony Gwynn Jr. and a healthy A.J. Ellis to step up, if their want to return to the postseason.

San Francisco Giants

Record: 86-76 (2nd in NL West)

Missed Postseason

The Giants led the NL West for half a season, but 2010 NL ROY Buster Posey's season-ending injury and lack of run support doomed them in the end. Now the Giants find themselves with little pressure whatsoever, as they look to reclaim the division, if not the World Series.

Buster Posey looked to have regained his pre-injury form  in spring training, and it should help the Giants defensively and offensively. Aubrey Huff looked lost last season, and needs to be more focused at the plate Freddy Sanchez should be healthy once the season starts after dislocating his shoulder midway last season. Pablo Sandoval was consistent last season, and should continue that way. New additions Angel Pagan and Melky Cabrera should be a huge help for their lack of run support.

The pitching arms remain strong, with former Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong and bearded closer Brian Wilson the defensive keys for the Giants. 

San Diego Padres

Record: 71-91 (5th in NL West)

Missed Postseason

Maybe they should have returned to the classic gold and brown motif of Tony Gwynn's rookie year. The Padres were a mess throughout the season, as the hits and homers were few and far between. After the near-success of 2010, 2011 was a disaster for manager Bud Black. The loss of Adrian Gonzalez to Boston hurt them the most, as they failed to find a slugger of Gonzalez's caliber to offset his departure. The losses didn't end though.

Even after the season ended, they saw dependable closer Heath Bell defect to Miami, Aaron Harang leave for the rival Dodgers, and Mat Latos traded to the Reds. The rotation will be led by new pitcher Edinson Volquez, and mainstays Tim Stauffer and Clayton Richard, while Huston Street will be the likely replacement for Bell at closer.

Carlos Quentin's acquisition should be a huge help for the Padres' run support, as the former Silver Slugger has proved with the White Sox that he can hit for power well with the best of them. Cameron Maybin was a surprise on defense last season, while Chris Denorfia and Jason Bartlett need to be more productive. It'll be another rebuilding season for the Padres, as far as their fans are concerned.

Colorado Rockies

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

Missed Postseason

Year III of the 'Cargo and Tulo' era saw another step back performance for the Rockies. After earning the NL Wildcard in 2009 and 83 wins the next, 2011 was a disappointment for Rockies fans, as they won only 73 games and far from the form they had the previous two. A lot had to do with pitching, which didn't support the offensive prowess of Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki, hence their downfall.

They acquired Jeremy Guthrie and Guillermo Moscoso to support ace Jhoulys Chacin, but it remains to be seen whether they fit well within the rotation. As for 49-year-old Jamie Moyer, well let's see if his arm remains reliable for the season. 

The only big noise the Rockies made was acquiring former Twin Michael Cuddyer, who made the All-Star team last year. They also added Marco Scutaro away from the Red Sox, whose bat had been dependable throughout. However, they will continue to depend on the bats of Tulowitzki, Gonzalez, and franchise mainstay Todd Helton, to produce those runs. 

MLB 2012 Season Preview: AL West

The Major League Baseball season gets underway on April 4. But before all the fireworks, the seventh-inning stretches, the awe-strucking homers, the captivating steals, hustle plays, and pitching performances commence, we preview all 30 teams by division. First up, the American League West. 

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Record: 86-76 (2nd in AL West)
Missed Postseason

Mike Scioscia has a World Series ring (2002) in over a decade of managing the Angels, but hasn't seen the postseason light since 2009. Twice the Angels fought tooth and nail with the Texas Rangers for the AL West title, but fell short each time. This season however the Angels may have a legitimate reason to reclaim the division throne, as they plucked away the Rangers' ace pitcher C.J. Wilson to their camp. However, the Angels weren't done yet.

Signing former St. Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols proved to be the biggest news coming out of the Angels camp. Pujols, a career .300 batter, has been one of the most powerful hitters today, and his arrival may hint at a power shift from the NL to the AL. The question is, will Pujols' be the Angels' most dependable hitter this season?

The Angels now boast a three-headed monster of starting pitchers in Wilson, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana, as well as the bats of Pujols, Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells, and last year's rookie surprise Mark Trumbo, which may cause headaches for opposing rotations and starting lineups. If this team starts strong, watch out.

Oakland Athletics

Record: 74-88 (3rd in AL West)

Missed Postseason

In the film Moneyball, A's general manager Billy Beane used sabremetrics to assemble a competitive team despite its lack of revenue. Beane's approach have drawn mixed results, and after initial success, the A's have never been competitive since, missing the playoffs five straight seasons since 2007. This year, the A's look to a highly-touted Cuban to bring back the glory days.

Yoenis Cespedes has been on the wish list of many GMs, but decided to join the A's for four years and $36M. The A's needed some offensive firepower, hence the addition of Cespedes. Other dependable bats will come from last year's rookie sensation Jemile Weeks, Coco Crisp, Brandon Allen, Jonny Gomes, and Kurt Suzuki. 

With Gio Gonzalez going to Washington, Brandon McCarthy has established himself as the team's best pitcher in spring training and it's no surprise they'll start him as the ace pitcher. However, the starting rotation is still unsettled, as they await the return of Brett Anderson and 2010 perfect-game pitcher Dallas Braden to return to pre-injury form and several pitchers were unproven commodities. Look for manager Bob Melvin to tinker with the rotation throughout the season.

Seattle Mariners

Record: 67-95 (4th in AL West)

Missed Postseason

Last season was not what Ichiro Suzuki wanted to see. He batted .272 and recorded only 184 hits, uncharacteristic for a man who was used to record over 200 hits and bat .300 a season. As a result, he wasn't selected for the All-Star Game for the first time in his career. But Ichiro wasn't the only problem; the offense was.

The M's attempted to rectify the situation by adding Jesus Montero, who came out of nowhere late last season as the substitute DH/catcher for the Yankees. Now Montero was tasked to play even more, whether as a catcher or a DH and proved that last year' surprise was no fluke. Also a surprise last season was Dustin Ackley, who will now become the full-time starting 2B. However, the Mariners' fortunes will still depend on Ichiro's health and bat, which is becoming a concern as he nears 40.

The M's pitching success remains in the hands of Felix Hernandez, but with the loss of surprising starter Michael Pineda to the Yankees, they'll be hard-pressed to replace Pineda with an equally-dependable arm. Brandon League remains their best closer; however, he may be moved to the starting rotation when necessary. The M's are still in rebuilding mode, so expect them to stay patient for the next few years.

Texas Rangers

Record: 96-66 (AL West Champions)

Lost 4-3 to the Cardinals in the World Series

If not for David Freese's heroics, the Rangers' may have won the World Series. This year, they'll be hard-pressed to defend the AL West title for the third consecutive year, as their rivals from Anaheim have reloaded and the A's and Mariners made significant progress.

With C.J. Wilson defecting to the Angels, the Rangers countered by paying $111M to acquire highly-touted Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish. Darvish is expected to be the team's ace, and will be supported by Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Alexi Ogando and former closer Neftali Feliz in the rotation.

Offensively the emergence of Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli in the postseason should help the runs coming, as are the dependable bats of Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and Adrian Beltre. However Josh Hamilton was a question mark prior to the season after an alcohol relapse. The Rangers hope Hamilton stays clean, otherwise any distraction may hurt their postseason chances. 

Chipper's Last Chop

Chipper Jones as a rookie in 1995.

The baseball stars of the 1990s are heading towards the sunset. Boston's Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek have hung up their cleats, as is New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada. On Thursday Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones will call it a career after the 2012 season.

Jones's Major League journey began in 1993, but he didn't make any significant impact until the 1995 season, during which he led all rookies in RBIs, games played and started, plate appearances, at bats, and runs. Moreover, he led the Atlanta Braves to the World Series title that year over the Cleveland Indians in six games. At the time, Atlanta's success was credited to the pitching prowess of John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, but who would've thought that Chipper would become their biggest beneficiary that season and in the years to come.

Jones continued to play a significant role in the Braves' success, even as they fall short of the World Series title twice to the Yankees in 1996 and 1999. Jones won the NL MVP award in the latter year and won the first of two consecutive Silver Sluggers for third baseman. However, the Braves fell out of contention as the new millennium began. They would win a playoff series only once from 2000-05, and then made the playoffs only once between 2006 and 2011, as Jones led a team in transition. During this period made the All-Star team from 1996-98, and 2000-01.

Injuries would then rob Jones of his once prodigious offensive talent, though he continued to rack milestones later in his career. In 2008, he averaged .364 to win his first batting title, the oldest switch-hitter to do so, while participating in his sixth All-Star Game and earned his 14th straight 20-homer season. In the 2011 season he hit his 450th homer, and also participated in his seventh All-Star Game. At season's end he had amassed over 200 doubles, 1,500 RBI and 2,500 hits. 

Chipper Jones in 2011

Those numbers will undoubtedly earn him a place in Cooperstown, and his jersey number 10 will be likely retired and will never be worn by another Braves player for good. Chipper Jones will go down as one of the greatest Braves players of all time, if not the greatest. If this was the last tomahawk chop for Chipper, this may be the sweetest of it all. 

Tebowing All the Way to New York

It's official: Tebowing leaves the Rockies and into the Meadowlands of New Jersey. With the Denver Broncos officially signing former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, they had no choice but to surrender the player responsible for their rebirth last season. Tim Tebow, who led the Broncos to an improbable run to the AFC Divisional playoffs, was traded to the New York Jets. Well, the Jets need a 'miracle', and they got one in Tebow.

The Jets fell short of coach Rex Ryan's promise of a Super Bowl berth last season. Despite signing Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress, they finished with an 8-8 record, second in the AFC East. Mark Sanchez, the Jets' incumbent starting QB, was criticized for his poor play that led to their demise. With Tebow added to the mix, it'll be a toss-up between him and Sanchez on who will be the incumbent starting quarterback for the Jets next season. 

Anyway, the addition of Tebow should help raise television ratings around New York City. Tebow's games were a ratings hit last season, and this should help raise the confidence level and attention on New York's other NFL team, after the Giants' surprising Super Bowl win last season. Good luck on Mr. Tebow in a green Jets uniform.

The Jack Edwards Experience

No announcer in the National Hockey League has ever been this exciting, colorful and outright energetic than Boston Bruins play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards. His screaming antics whenever a Bruins player scores, makes a big hit, involves in a fighting major, and robs an opponent of a goal has become a highlight staple of every NHL weekly program, even ESPN's SportsCenter can attest to that. His insightful and humorous commentary in relation to NHL and Bruins history has also been embraced by Bruins fans and viewers of NESN, where the Bruins games are currently aired locally. 

Here are some of Edwards' most memorable calls.

Another particular Edwards moment came at the end of Game 7 of the 2011 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Bruins and their hated rivals Montreal Canadiens, in which he compared the Bruins' come-from-behind series win to the Boston Tea Party.

After watching some of Edwards' calls I came to the point that I somehow liked the guy because of his energy, wit and Johnny Most-like antics. Not that I didn't like Mike Emrick of NBC, Sam Rosen of the New York Rangers and Mike Lange of the Pittsburgh Penguins, annnouncers with the same, distinctive delivery as Edwards, but I prefer announcers whose distinctive brand of humor, bravado and high power would wake up the fans and viewers alike in games. Edwards is just that. 

More announcer features in the coming weeks.

The Curse of the Trail Blazers Center

The most famous curses have been the Boston Red Sox's 'Curse of the Bambino', the Chicago Cubs' 'Curse of the Billy Goat', and Philadelphia's 'Curse of Billy Penn'. But in Portland, Oregon, the Trail Blazers professional basketball team have a curse of their own, and that involves the center position, a rich tradition made famous by George Mikan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal. But the 'five' spot has been anything but great in Portland.

The Blazers' first No. 1 overall pick was LaRue Martin in 1972. Martin got a first impression by the Blazers front office after outplaying future Blazer Bill Walton in an NCAA regular season game between UCLA and Loyola. However, Martin was anything but spectacular, averaging just 5.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg. After just four seasons Martin decided to retire, having been supplanted by Walton as the team's starting center.

Bill Walton, from UCLA, was drafted first overall by the Blazers in 1974. However his 13-year career was hampered by foot injuries that ultimately forced his retirement. Nevertheless he became one of the first 'point centers' in the league, as his ability to pass the ball became one of his strengths. His best seasons came during the years 1976-78, where he led the Blazers to the 1977 NBA title and was then named an All-Star and the league's MVP the next year. His Blazers tenure ended in a rather conspicuous manner, sitting out the 1978-79 season for unethical and incompetent treatment by the Blazers training staff. After six fruitless seasons with the Clippers, he finished his career as the Boston Celtics' sixth man, winning the 1986 NBA championship. 

More well-known as the backup center on the Los Angeles Lakers' 1987 and 1988 championship teams, Mychal Thompson was the Blazers' top pick in the 1978 draft. He may have never fulfilled the expectations needed for a No. 1 pick, but Thompson played decently well on the Blazers teams that won a playoff series only twice in Thompson's eight seasons. Thompson averaged 16.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg and 3.4 apg in his Blazers tenure. 

On a draft class that included future Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, John Stockton and Charles Barkley, Sam Bowie was an exception. Drafted second overall in the 1984 draft, Bowie never got a chance to fulfill his potential. While he averaged 10.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg and 2.6 apg, he played in only 139 games in five seasons with Portland, limited by various leg injuries that eventually forced his retirement in 1995. To this day, Bowie was tagged as one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history.

Steve Johnson arrived in Portland in the Mychal Thompson deal with the San Antonio Spurs in 1986. Johnson and Bowie were expected to form a 'Twin Towers' combination similar to Houston's Ralph Sampson and Olajuwon, but when Bowie injured his leg, Johnson stepped up at center and averaged nearly 17 ppg on 55% field goal shooting. He was named an NBA All-Star in 1988, but an injury denied him a trip to Chicago. Kevin Duckworth's emergence made Johnson expendable, and was eventually let go in 1989. 

Kevin Duckworth played seven seasons in Portland from 1987-93, but his best years came during the years 1990-92, when the Blazers made the NBA Finals twice under Clyde Drexler. Duckworth was named an All-Star twice in 1989 and 1991, but questions about his conditioning eventually forced a trade with the Washington Bullets for Harvey Grant after the 1992-93 season. Duckworth would retire in 1997 and died 11 years later to a heart attack.

A case of 'too little, too late', Arvydas Sabonis arrived in Portland in 1995 at 31 and a few pounds heavier. He was drafted in the second round of the 1986 draft by the Blazers, but an Achilles injury and the ongoing Cold War delayed his entry to the NBA. In between the draft and his Blazers debut, Sabonis played in Europe, where he had his best professional seasons. During his seven seasons with the Trail Blazers, he was a shadow of his former self, but still averaged 12 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 2.1 apg and led the Blazers to the conference finals in 1999 and 2000. He was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 primarily for his international play. 

Finally there was Greg Oden. Drafted first overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, Oden's career was marred by various knee injuries, and played only 82 games from 2008-10. He averaged 9.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg in those two seasons, but after a freak knee injury in a game against the Rockets in late 2009, Oden would miss the next two-plus seasons due to endless surgeries and rehab procedures. Finally on March 15, the Blazers decided to waive Oden as they rebuild for the future. 

Now, when will the center position in Portland be free from all misfortunes? Who knows, maybe in another few or several years more we'll have the answer, as the Blazers rebuild, again.

The Self-Destruction of the New York Knicks?

The afternoon of March 14, 2012 was anything but normal. Mike D'Antoni held a team practice for the embattled New York Knicks, who have lost six in a row and have been on the playoff bubble at that point. A few hours after practice ended, he informed the Knicks front office that he had enough. And so it did. Mike D'Antoni left the Knicks training room for the last time. 

Mike D'Antoni's Knicks record was 121-167
(.420), a far cry from his tenure with the
Phoenix Suns.

The Knicks under D'Antoni failed to buy into his 'seven seconds or less' philosophy he was known for. Even as D'Antoni added his old pal Amar'e Stoudemire away from Phoenix and traded for Carmelo Anthony, the lack of a point guard in the mold of Steve Nash doomed the Knicks. Sadly, they gave up Chauncey Billups, who had his Nash-like glimpses during his time in New York, and gambled upon Tyson Chandler to anchor the defense, which again didn't work out. 

The only time the Knicks thrived well under D'Antoni was when an unknown Taiwanese-American named Jeremy Lin took off like a rocket and brought hope to a fanbase that is hungry to recapture past glory. But when Amar'e and 'Melo returned, the Knicks were shot back down to earth, capped off by six straight losses, the final straw being a 104-99 loss at Chicago on Monday night.

D'Antoni's resignation added more frustration to the Knicks fan base, whose high expectations have deserted them despite the addition of two perennial All-Stars, and the emergence of another. As far as New York City is concerned, it hasn't been good times lately for their teams wearing the traditional blue and orange (Mets, Knicks, Islanders), teams with a history of winning. On the contrary their red and blue counterparts (Giants, Rangers) have performed well, with the Giants winning the Super Bowl this year and the Rangers currently in contention for the Stanley Cup. Which really doesn't help if you're wearing a blue and orange jersey.

The Knicks had a lot of problems in addition to D'Antoni's system being a bad fit. Anthony is not a good defender. Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert are not pure point guards. J.R. Smith and Baron Davis arrived way too late. Mike Bibby is on the doghouse. Landry Fields is slumping. Stoudemire has struggled after a back injury hampered him in the 2011 playoffs. Josh Harrellson and Jerome Jordan are unproven commodities. And Jared Jeffries is oft-injured. Aside from Lin, Steve Novak has been lights out, but other than that, the Knicks were a dysfunctional bunch, a far cry from Red Holzman's team oriented 70s squads and Pat Riley's scrappy and gritty 90s teams. 

If the Knicks were to salvage at least the eighth playoff seed, they need to perform well under interim coach Mike Woodson, otherwise another painful year is on the horizon.