Tony Gwynn, Mr. Padre

When he went to San Diego State in the late 70's, Tony Gwynn dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player. It looks like he took the right choice when he chose baseball. Gwynn turned out to be one of the best hitters in baseball history. He won 8 batting titles in 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres after they drafted him in 1981. Unfortunately, he lost his battle with cancer on Monday. Gwynn was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and had part of his jaw removed in 2012. He blamed the cancer on his chewing tobacco habit.

Gwynn was a fan favorite and known as one of nicest guys in baseball. Like Ted Williams and Stan Musial, Gwynn spent his entire career with the Padres. He had chances to leave, but chose to stay. He even stayed during stretches when the Padres were terrible and selling off other players. Gwynn was also around for the good times, playing in both World Series the Padres have made. As a young player, he starred for the league champion 1984 Padres, and as a veteran played for the 1998 league champion Padres.  He is as revered in San Diego as Musial is in St. Louis or Williams in Boston. During his career, Gwynn made 15 All Star teams.

Film study was a new concept when Gwynn entered the league. He had a scientific outlook on hitting and would watch tapes of himself for hours to look for any mechanical flaws. Today, many batting coaches and players do the same. He rarely struck out, and never struck out more than 40 times in a season. Gwynn would often try to get hits in the "5.5 hole" between shortstop and third base. He was thought of as one of the smartest players in the league.

Gwynn was a good all around player in the first half of his career. He won 5 Gold Gloves during his career, his last coming in 1991. Gwynn also had some speed, stealing 319 bases over his career. Gwynn's career high was 56 in 1987. Even when he got bigger, his bat never cooled off. In the strike shortened 1994 season, Gwynn made a run at hitting .400. When the strike took place, Gwynn was batting .394, the highest since Williams hit .401 in 1941. Gwynn had a lifetime .338 batting average and only hit under .300 once during his rookie season.

Hitting for power wasn't part of Gwynn's game, but he wasn't just a punch and judy hitter. He finished with 543 career doubles, which is 28th all time. Gwynn mostly was a leadoff and second place hitter, but finished with 1138 career RBI's. He had a career high 117 RBI's during the 1997 season. Gwynn never won a MVP, but finished in the top ten in voting seven different times.

There isn't really a player with Gwynn's skill set in today's MLB. In today's game, especially with the sabermetricians, batting average isn't valued as much, walks are more emphasized, and strikeouts aren't as frowned on. Gwynn still was a patient hitter, finishing in the top ten in on base percentage 10 times. Ichiro Suzuki is the most similar player to Gwynn playing today, and he is in a part time role at age 40 with the Yankees. During his career, Gwynn was often compared to Wade Boggs and Kirby Puckett. He was also compared to past greats such as Rod Carew, Musial, Williams, Honus Wagner, and Ty Cobb. Speaking of Cobb, he was the only player to win more batting titles than Gwynn. Cobb won 12, and Gwynn is tied with Wagner for second place with 8. Gwynn finished his career with 3,141 hits, which is 19th all time.

There were many memorable moments of Gwynn's career, especially towards the end. He hit a home run of the facade of old Yankee Stadium in the first game of the 1998 World Series. He held up Ted Williams when he threw the first pitch of the 1999 All Star Game in Fenway Park. Gwynn also got his 3000th hit against the Montreal Expos that season. In the exciting 1994 All Star Game, Gwynn scored the winning run in a extra innings win for the National League. Early on his career, Gwynn had some key hits during the 1984 NLCS when the Padres came back from a 0-2 deficit to beat the Cubs in 5 games.

During Gwynn's career, the Padres were constantly trading their best players, but they never parted with Gwynn. Gwynn played with several Hall of Fame teammates including Goose Gossage, Roberto Alomar, and Rickey Henderson. He also played with All Stars such as Steve Garvey, John Kruk, Mark Davis, Joe Carter, Andy Benes, Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff, Ken Caminiti, Steve Finley, Trevor Hoffman, Andy Ashby, Greg Vaughn, and Kevin Brown during his career. He saw several different managers come and go, from Dick Williams to Jack McKeon to Bruce Bochy. Three different ownership groups controlled the Padres during Gwynn's career. zHe holds almost all of the Padres hitting records(besides home runs), and has almost 2,000 more hits than Garry Templeton, who is second on the Padres all time hits list. Gwynn is definitely the best player in Padres history by far.

10 Players Who Should Make Their First All Star Team

Angel Pagan, Giants

Pagan started his career as a part-time player with the Cubs in 2006, and didn't become a starter until 2010 with the Mets. Pagan was traded to the Giants after the 2011 season and played a big role in their championship season in 2012.  Last season, Pagan was limited to 77 games, which was a major reason for their disappointing 2013. Healthy this season, Pagan is off to the best start of his career. The Giants leadoff hitter is third in the National League with a .325 average this year. Pagan has also stole 11 bases and played terrific defense for the team that leads the majors in wins.

Alexei Ramirez, White Sox

Before Jose Abreu, the White Sox imported Ramirez from Cuba in 2008. Since joining the team, he has been one of the American League's better shortstops. Ramirez has won a Silver Slugger and is a good defensive player. Despite all of this, he has never made a All Star team. This season, his .329 average, 7 home runs, 36 RBI's, and 11 stolen bases should put him on the team.


Shin-Soo Choo, Rangers

Choo has been one of baseball's best kept secrets. Last season, Choo had an on base percentage of .423 and perennially among the league leaders in that category. Choo isn't great at any one aspect of baseball, but is good at every aspect. The Rangers gave Choo a 7-year deal this past offseason.

Johnny Cueto, Reds

This pitcher earned the wrath of Cardinals fans after he kicked Cardinals backup catcher Jason LaRue in the back of the head during a 2010 brawl. However, Cueto has been one of the best pitchers in baseball the past few years. Cueto finished fourth in the 2012 National League Cy Young Award voting. Injuries limited Cueto to only 60 innings in 2013, but was still selected by then Reds manager Dusty Baker to start in Cincinnati's wild card playoff game. This year, Cueto leads the NL in
WHIP, innings pitched, and strikeouts.

Kyle Lohse, Brewers

Early in his career, Lohse was a very inconsistent pitcher. He would have moments of brilliance, but didn't know how to pitch. After signing with the Cardinals in 2008, Dave Duncan turned Lohse's career around. He won 15 games that year, and was given a four year deal with the Cardinals. The first two seasons were mired by injury. Since 2011, Lohse has became a way better pitcher. Lohse has a career 4.30 ERA, but hasn't had a ERA higher than 3.39 since 2011. In his second season with Milwaukee, Lohse is 7-1 with a sub-3.00 ERA.

Josh Donaldson, Athletics

The Athletics had no idea that Donaldson would become the player he is today when they acquired him from the Cubs in 2008 in the Rich Harden trade. Last season, Donaldson finished 4th in American League MVP voting. Donaldson is the best hitter on the American League's best offense. The Athletics have had only 3 All Stars the last two seasons despite winning the division both years. This year, they should have several players on the team, and Donaldson is currently ahead in the All Star voting.

Yasiel Puig, Dodgers

Puig plays with a lot of flair, but he has been one of the league's best players this season. Puig is second in the National League with a .344 average, has a .436 OBP, 11 home runs, and 40 RBI's. He has shown no signs of having a sophomore slump.

Michael Wacha, Cardinals

It is hard to believe that Wacha was drafted only 2 years ago. Since debuting with the Cardinals a year ago, Wacha had a brilliant postseason in 2013. Wacha won 4 games in the playoffs and the NLCS MVP. This season, he ranks 8th in ERA, 7th in WHIP, and 7th in strikeouts. It looks like the Cardinals hit it big on one of their compensation picks for losing Albert Pujols.

Koji Uehara, Red Sox

During 2013, Joel Hanrahan started the year as Boston's closer before he got injured. Andrew Bailey replaced Hanrahan, then got injured himself shortly thereafter. Uehara was the third closer and he went on a historic run after taking over the role. Uehara closed 21 games, posted a 1.09 ERA and a miniscule 0.56 WHIP. He went on to save 7 games in the postseason. Uehara has been just as dominant in 2014.

Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees

Tanaka has lived up to the hype so far this season. Tanaka dominated Japan last year, going 24-0 with a sub-1.00 ERA. He hasn't had a perfect record in the American League, but is 8-1. Tanaka also leads the AL in ERA and WHIP. The Yankees spent a lot of money to get Tanaka, but where would they be without him? He has solidified a rotation that's dealt with injuries to CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova.



Other Candidates

Jonathon Lucroy, Brewers
Sonny Gray, Athletics
Brian Dozier, Twins
Michael Brantley, Indians
Brett Gardner, Yankees
Neil Walker, Pirates

Cardinals Yet to Hit Their Stride

About a quarter of the way through the season, the Cardinals stand at 21-20 and at second place. They haven't been terrible, but have yet to play consistently. The offense has had trouble scoring runs, starters haven't been going deep into games, the bullpen has been shaky at times, and the defense has had some rough moments. This probably isn't how John Mozeliak and Mike Matheny envisioned the start of this season.

Still, this team is only five games behind the division leading Brewers. If the Redbirds were to get on a hot streak, that lead could evaporate. This year's edition of the Cardinals is a team that should and can contend. Their is a lot of talent on this team, especially on the pitching side. Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, and Matt Carpenter lead a offense that led the National League in runs scored. The offseason moves to bring in Mark Ellis, Jhonny Peralta, and Peter Bourjos were supposed to shore up weaknesses on the club.

Besides Adam Wainwright, the other starters have had some hiccups. Shelby Miller and Lance Lynn have both racked up big pitch counts and haven't pitched as deep into games as Matheny would like. Miller's strikeouts have been down, walks up, and even worse has allowed a team high 8 home runs. Michael Wacha has fallen into some of the trouble that Miller and Lynn have, but to an lesser extent.

Joe Kelly has been out for a month with a hamstring issue. His replacement, Tyler Lyons was rocked against the Cubs earlier in the week and put on the disabled list himself. Oft-injured Jaime Garcia will make his season debut this Sunday vs. the Braves. The Cardinals are hoping that Garcia is finally healthy, but still have some minor league depth if he isn't.

The bullpen has had some problems as well. Trevor Rosenthal, Carlos Martinez, and Kevin Siegrist got some much-deserved hype after what they did in the stretch run last season. This season, they've all had some rough games. Non-roster spring invitee Pat Neshek has actually been the team's most reliable reliever so far. Jason Motte is close to making a comeback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The Cardinals have a luxury of many talented young pitchers who throw gas. I think they will get it turned around soon.

With the David Freese trade, the Cardinals intended to open a spot up for Kolten Wong by sliding Carpenter to third base. Bourjos was acquired in the Freese deal to play center field, but got off to a slow start and lost time to Jon Jay. Wong lost time to Ellis and was sent down in late April to work on his swing. Bourjos has been playing better and more often as of late, showing off his speed and defensive skills. Wong has recently been recalled to the big leagues after hitting .344 with 2 homers and 5 steals in 15 games with Memphis.

Mozeliak seems to be committed to the Cardinals playing Bourjos and Wong everyday, but is Matheny? Matheny has shown a preference for playing Jay and Ellis(and Daniel Descalso to a lesser extent). However, Matheny rode Jay during his April hot streak and has been playing Bourjos more often of late. If Bourjos and/or Wong can be productive starters, it would add a element of speed to a otherwise slow club.

The Cardinals lack of power has been discussed frequently this year. The Cardinals rank dead last in the National League with 23 home runs. Peralta leads the team with 8 home runs, and has been on fire after a very slow start. Matt Adams was expected to be one of the team's power hitters, but only has 2 homers so far(but has 12 doubles and a .299 average). Allen Craig has been off to a very slow start, and hasn't been getting the timely hits he did last year. Craig's struggles isn't the only reason the Cardinals are 11th in the National League in runs scored. Even All Stars like Holliday and Carpenter haven't hit as well as they did last year.

If the Cardinals offense continues to struggle, the calls to promote top prospect Oscar Taveras will get louder and louder. Then the question would be, who would lose playing time because of Taveras? Mozeliak isn't going to promote Taveras to see him ride the bench like Randal Grichuk did(or Wong to a point). Taveras is primarily a right fielder, but can play center field. An Taveras promotion would likely cut into the playing time of Jay, Bourjos, Adams, and even Craig. Taveras will be a big leaguer before long, so it's up to those players listed to play better to stay in the lineup.

In the past, the Cardinals have been able to flip the switch midway through the season. There is no reason to panic. I would expect this team to not only contend for the division title, but make another run at a World Series championship this year.

2014 MLB Predictions

NL East

1) Nationals
2) Braves(WC)
3) Mets
4) Phillies
5) Marlins

After high expectations coming into last year, the Nationals dropped from 98 to 86 wins in 2013. Injuries played a role in that, and they came on strong late in the year last season. They added Nate McLouth and Doug Fister in the offseason. Fister joins Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez, and Stephen Strasburg to form an impressive rotation. The Braves were able to win the division last year despite getting sub-.200 seasons from BJ Upton and Dan Uggla. Most of their team returns this year. Atlanta will have to make up for the loss of pitchers Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, who both are out for the season for their second Tommy John surgery. The Mets front office thinks they can win 90 games this season, and so does David Wright. They did add Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon, but will be without Matt Harvey this season. Everything would have to go right for their management's rosy predictions. Most likely, the Mets are a .500 team this year. The Phillies are an aging team with many big names on their roster. New manager Ryne Sandberg and veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins had some disagreements in spring training. Does this Phillies team have one last run, or will this team implode this year? In my opinion, Philly would need a time machine to contend this year. With Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez, the Marlins have two young stars to build around. That's been said many times in this organization, but Miami has a habit of selling off their stars. Some have predicted the Marlins could be a surprise team this year, but I think they have too many holes to contend.

NL Central

1) Cardinals
2) Reds(WC)
3) Pirates
4) Brewers
5) Cubs

The Cardinals enter the season stronger than the team that fell short in the World Series last year. They lost Carlos Beltran, but added Peter Bourjos, Jhonny Peralta, and Mark Ellis in the offseason. Led by Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, this team and its young pitching is primed for another run at the championship. After losing to the Pirates in the NL Wild Card Game, the Reds fired Dusty Baker and named pitching coach Brian Price manager. Of these two teams, I see the Reds in better shape because of their starting pitching. The Reds did have one major loss in Shin-Soo Choo, but they hope that rookie speedster Billy Hamilton can replace him. I don't see Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates going back to being a losing team, but I don't think they'll be quite as good this year. Still, I expect Pittsburgh to contend for at least a wild card spot this year. The Brewers had a lost season in 2013 because of injuries and the suspension of Ryan Braun. Their pitching has been there downfall the past two season, but they added Matt Garza this offseason. Milwaukee could make a run at a wild card spot, but they have some tough competition in this division. The Cubs were ranked as having one of the league's best farm systems, but their major league roster is one of the league's worst. I don't see anyway that the Cubs aren't in last place this year.

NL West

1) Dodgers
2) Giants
3) Diamondbacks
4) Rockies
5) Padres

The Dodgers have surpassed the Yankees for the game's highest payroll. There are big expectations in Los Angeles, and ownership is expecting a World Series. Still, there are some questions about this club on injuries, team chemistry, and a couple of positions. The Giants are hoping that they continue their luck on even numbered years. They won the World Series in 2010 and 2012. In the offseason, the team added Michael Morse and Tim Hudson. I see the Giants performing better this year, but I don't see them better than the Dodgers. Arizona added Mark Trumbo, Bronson Arroyo, and Addison Reed this offseason, but ace pitcher Patrick Corbin is out for Tommy John surgery. The D-Backs have a solid, but unspectacular team. The Rockies are looking to avoid a third straight last place finish. They added Justin Morneau, Brett Anderson, and some bullpen help to attempt that. Bud Black is a solid manager, but has the misfortune of managing weak Padres clubs. San Diego doesn't have a terrible team, and Black keeps them competitive, but they don't have many standout players.





AL East

1) Rays
2) Red Sox
3) Yankees
4) Orioles
5) Blue Jays

This division is one of baseball's most competitive. I look for the Rays to give the Red Sox a run for this division this season. Tampa Bay has a young, talented team that is deep in young pitching. Almost everything went right for Boston in 2013, and I don't look for that to repeat their championship this year. I still think the Red Sox are a good team with high expectations, but they may fall back in a tough division. The Yankees lost their best player in Robinson Cano, but added Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, and Masahiro Tanaka. Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte retired at the end of last season, and captain Derek Jeter plans to at this season's end. This is still an aging club, but they should be an interesting team in 2014. I feel that I may be underrating the Orioles by picking them fourth. They have a solid core with Adam Jones, Chris Davis, Manny Machado, and Matt Wieters. Baltimore added Nelson Cruz and Ubaldo Jimenez in the offseason. Last season was a nightmare for the Blue Jays, with their additions not paying off. Their is some talent on this Toronto team, but they have the worst pitching in this division, so I picked them last again.

AL Central

1) Tigers
2) Royals(WC)
3) Indians
4) White Sox
5) Twins

Detroit made some major changes this offseason. Jim Leyland retired and first year manager Brad Ausmus takes over. The Tigers traded Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler,  and moved Miguel Cabrera from third to first. They also traded away Doug Fister, and added closer Joe Nathan. The Royals had their best finish since 1989 last season, and look for their first playoff appearance since 1985 this season. I think that is very possible since they play in a weak division and have emerging young players on their roster. Terry Francona guided the Indians to the wild card spot in his first season. However, Cleveland lost Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir, and Chris Perez in the offseason. The White Sox are starting a transformation of their club. Paul Konerko will retire at season's end, and the team has acquired several young players they think will help them in the future. The Twins have one of the game's best farm systems, and Joe Mauer can't wait for them to come help him.

AL West

1) Rangers
2) Angels(WC)
3) Athletics
4) Mariners
5) Astros

The Rangers made many additions this offseason, including Prince Fielder, Shin-Soo Choo, JP Arencibia, and Joe Saunders. I think they have the most talent and depth in this division, but that depth will be tested. Jurickson Profar, Geovany Soto, Derek Holland, and Matt Harrison will start the season on the disabled list, and Yu Darvish may not be ready to start the season. I look for the Angels to rebound this season. Albert Pujols appears to be fully healthy, and Josh Hamilton hopes to hit better this year. Mike Trout may even be better, and the team made some moves to improve their pitching. It may not be wise to pick against the Athletics, who have defied expectations winning two straight division crowns. They lost Bartolo Colon, replaced him with Scott Kazmir, who starts the season hurt. AJ Griffin is also hurt and Jarrod Parker is lost for the year because of Tommy John surgery. I think Oakland will put up a strong showing, but will have more competition this year. The Mariners added Robinson Cano to help a weak offense. Seattle has two outstanding pitchers in Felix Hernandez and Hishashi Iwakuma, but not much else. I don't think the addition of Cano turns the Mariners into serious contenders. The Astros are trying to avoid their fourth straight 100 loss season in 2014. They added Dexter Fowler, Jesse Crain, and Scott Feldman, and have the game's best ranked farm system. Still, 2014 looks to be another long rebuilding season in Houston.


Postseason

Wild Card
Reds over Braves
Angels over Royals

Division
Cardinals over Reds
Nationals over Dodgers
Rangers over Angels
Rays over Tigers

Championship
Cardinals over Nationals
Rays over Rangers

World Series
Cardinals over Rays


Awards

NL MVP

1) Yadier Molina
2) Freddie Freeman
3) Bryce Harper
4) Andrew McCutchen
5) Hanley Ramirez

AL MVP

1) Mike Trout
2) Miguel Cabrera
3) Evan Longoria
4) Prince Fielder
5) Dustin Pedroia

NL Cy Young

1) Clayton Kershaw
2) Madison Bumgarner
3) Adam Wainwright
4) Shelby Miller
5) Stephen Strasburg

AL Cy Young

1) Felix Hernandez
2) Yu Darvish
3) David Price
4) Jered Weaver
5) Masahiro Tanaka

NL Rookie of the Year

1) Billy Hamilton
2) Kolten Wong
3) Carlos Martinez
4) Mike Olt
5) Jonathon Gray

AL Rookie of the Year

1) Masahiro Tanaka
2) Xander Bogaerts
3) Nick Castellanos
4) Taijuan Walker
5) Matt Davidson

NL Manager of the Year

Matt Williams

AL Manager of the Year

Joe Maddon

A Look at the Wild AL West

Teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, and Red Sox have long been baseball's big spenders, but there has been some big spending done by AL West teams in recent years. The Angels have handed out big contracts to Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton, which hasn't produced the results they were hoping for. Despite being outspent by division rivals, the Athletics have won this division two seasons in a row. In their quest for a third straight division crown, the A's will have to compete with several re-tooled teams. The Mariners handed out a monster contract to former Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano. The Rangers traded Ian Kinsler for Prince Fielder, and then signed Shin Soo Choo. The Angels made some moves to improve their pitching staff. Even the lowly Astros made some additions, picking up Dexter Fowler and Scott Feldman.

So, who's the favorite to win this division? The Athletics proved they weren't a fluke last year and cannot be overlooked. They don't have the star power of some of their division rivals, but they have a very good team with a good pitching staff. The Rangers offense should be greatly improved with Choo and Fielder, but they lost Nelson Cruz, A.J. Pierzynski, and Kinsler. Derek Holland will also miss the first half of the season, hurting the Rangers pitching rotation. Pitching was the Angels downfall last season, and they acquired Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago in a traded involving Mark Trumbo. If Pujols and Hamilton play better, along with superstar Mike Trout, the Angels would have one of the league's best offenses. The Cano acquisition signals the Mariners intend to compete. However, they still have some holes on their team. Jeff Luhnow has greatly improved the Astros farm system and it is now ranked among the league's best. Still, they are coming off their third straight 100 loss team.

Right now, many people favor the Rangers to win the AL West. I lean towards that thought as well. However, they have faded down the stretch two seasons in a row. Texas decided to shake things up this offseason. It opened up a spot for Jurickson Profar at second in the Kinsler deal that brought Fielder. Fielder had a down year in 2013 and hopes to rebound with Texas. He should fare better in a more hitter friendly home park and represents a major upgrade from Mitch Moreland. Fielder also brings a powerful bat to help protect Adrian Beltre. Choo had one of the league's best on base percentages last year, and moves Elvis Andrus to the 2 hole from the leadoff spot. Alex Rios will play his first full year with the team and essentially replaces Cruz. The Rangers offense should be improved this season, but they have some questions about their pitching staff.

Yu Darvish finished second in the Cy Young Award voting last year. He has been one of the best pitchers to come from Japan. Lefty Martin Perez had a very good rookie campaign and was given a long term deal in the offseason. After that, there are some questions. Holland may miss half the season. Matt Harrison is coming off a season in which he only made 2 starts. Colby Lewis is competing for a spot after several injury plagued seasons. Alexi Ogando and Nick Tepesch are also candidates for the rotation. Closer Joe Nathan left to sign with the Tigers, leaving a void. The Rangers plan to fill that void internally, with Robbie Ross and Joakim Soria as candidates. There is also former Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz, who is now fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. Once a flamethrowing All Star closer, Feliz was moved into the rotation for the 2012 season after blowing a Game 6 save in the 2011 World Series. What will Feliz's role be this season? Will the Rangers put him in the rotation, use him in long relief or setup, or will he re-claim the closer role? There is some talent on the Rangers pitching staff, but there is also some concerns.

When Jered Weaver got hurt early last season, it threw a wrench into the Angels season. Besides C.J. Wilson, the Angels had no other reliable starters last year. Tommy Hanson and Joe Blanton flopped last season. The Angels are hoping that young pitchers like Skaggs and Santiago can fill in the gaps at the back end of the rotation. They also had some questions about their bullpen. Ernesto Freiri did well at closer, but the Angels had trouble with their setup guys last year. They signed reliever Joe Smith to a 3 year deal. Former Cardinal Mark Mulder is attempting a comeback as a reliever for the team. The Angels also dealt Peter Bourjos for David Freese, attempting to upgrade third base. This moves ensures that Trout will be at center field. Raul Ibanez was also signed to be the Halos DH. For the Angels to contend, they need two things to happen. They need comeback seasons from Pujols and Hamilton, and they need Santiago and Skaggs to be solid starters.

Besides adding Cano, the Mariners have added Fernando Rodney, Corey Hart, Logan Morrison, and are attempting to sign Nelson Cruz. The Cano signing left Nick Franklin without a position and he could be traded. Franklin played well after being called up to replace the struggling Dustin Ackley. Ackley has since been moved to center field. Cano won't have as much protection in Seattle like he did with the Yankees. Kyle Seager could emerge as some help for Cano. Seager is one of the Mariners young players who has actually performed. They haven't gotten the results they wanted with many prospects, including Justin Smoak, Jesus Montero, Mike Zunino, Ackley, Michael Saunders, and others. The Mariners also have a poor defensive club, with several players playing out of position or lacking range.

The Mariners do have a strength with their top two starters. Felix Hernandez won the 2010 Cy Young Award and Hishashi Iwakuma finished third in the Cy Young voting last year. Taijuan Walker is one of baseball's top pitching prospects. If Walker pans out, the Mariners will have a really good staff. The Mariners bullpen was shaky last year and they recently signed Rodney to be their closer. Rodney had a terrific year in 2012 with the Rays, but wasn't as sharp last year. Lloyd McClendon will take over the Mariners managerial job. He is the team's 8th manager since Lou Piniella left after the 2002 season. The Mariners haven't made the playoffs since Piniella's 2001 team won 116 games. The Mariners are building their team around their starting rotation and hoping their offense will improve enough to get back into contention. It will be a tough task in this division.

The Astros aren't going to be contenders this season. They are just hoping to avoid a fourth straight 100 loss season. They added Fowler, Feldman, Chad Qualls, and Jerome Williams in the offseason. Top outfield prospect George Springer might make the club out of spring training. Like the Nationals drafting Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper #1 overall, the Astros have selected shortstop Carlos Correa and pitcher Mark Appel with their top picks. They also have the #1 pick again this year. This is a team that is hopeful for the future but dreadful in the present.

It's hard to write off the Athletics in this division. They shocked baseball in 2012 when they won the division title over the Rangers and Angels. Oakland proved they weren't flukes when they won it again last year. Oakland made a few moves over the offseason. They didn't re-sign closer Grant Balfour or All Star starter Bartolo Colon. They signed injury prone lefty Scott Kazmir and traded for former Orioles closer Jim Johnson to replace Balfour. The A's traded Seth Smith to the Padres for reliever Luke Gregerson. Craig Gentry was acquired to be the team's 4th outfielder. None of these are major moves, but Oakland is a team that has the best depth in the division. They added two solid relievers and still have Sean Doolittle and Ryan Cook in their bullpen. Oakland has Kazmir, Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone, A.J. Griffin, Sonny Gray, and Dan Straily as rotation candidates. While lacking big stars, Oakland has many underrated players such as Coco Crisp, Jed Lowrie, Josh Donaldson, and Yeonis Cespedes. The Athletics may not win the division again, but it would be foolish to write them off. They've proven they can compete with their big spending division rivals.

Will the Yankees Moves Pay Off?

The New York Yankees had their worst season in over two decades last year, missing the playoffs for only the second time since 1995. Manager Joe Girardi was lucky to get 85 wins out of the Yankees last year. The Yankees had an aging, costly roster with many cast offs in important roles last season. Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and Curtis Granderson missed most of the season with injuries. Alex Rodriguez was hurt most of last season and a distraction when healthy. Rodriguez will be suspended for the entire 2014 season because of his PED and Biogenesis connections. Longtime Yankee greats Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera retired at the end of the season. The Yankees entered the offseason with their best player approaching free agency and a bunch of holes on their team. They decided not to overpay for All Star second baseman Robinson Cano and let Granderson walk. The Yankees held firm and would not match Seattle's 10 year, $ 240 million offer for a player who is 31 years old.

Learning a lesson from A-Rod's contract, the Yankees decided Cano's demands were too much. That been said, the Yankees didn't get cheap this offseason. Instead, they spent big on several free agents to fill many holes. They added former Braves catcher Brian McCann to start off the offseason. Then Jacoby Ellsbury was signed away from the arch rival Red Sox. Soon after Cano's defection, the Yankees signed 8-time All Star outfielder Carlos Beltran. The Yankees also signed Brian Roberts, Kelly Johnson, Casey McGehee, Brendan Ryan, and Matt Thornton to one year deals. Last week, the Yankees made one more major move. They signed Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, a 25 year old right hander who dominated in Japan last year. In total, the Yankees spent over $ 400 million in player contracts this offseason.

Will the Yankees be any better this season? They finished in fourth place last year and are in a very tough division in the AL East. They will have to replace Cano's production, along with losing the greatest closer in history in Rivera. They will be somewhat younger with McCann, Ellsbury, and Tanaka, but still one of the older teams in the league. They still have question marks with Jeter, Teixera, second base, third base, and the bullpen. Will David Robertson be a effective closer after several years of being Rivera's top setup guy. Can he replace Rivera, like Rivera replaced John Wettelend in 1997? Will CC Sabathia rebound from a down year? Will the team avoid the injury bug this year? Let's take a look at their starting lineup and see how it shapes up.

CF Ellsbury
SS Jeter
RF Beltran
C McCann
1B Teixeira
DH Alfonso Soriano
LF Brett Gardner
3B K Johnson
2B Roberts

On paper, the Yankees lineup looks like a pretty good one. They should be one of the better scoring teams in the American League. They have solid backups with Ryan backing up Jeter and Roberts, and Ichiro Suzuki as the 4th outfielder. Still, it is hard to expect Roberts, Jeter, and Teixeira to all stay healthy and be productive. Ellsbury, Gardner, and even Beltran have some injury concerns. Ellsbury will add more speed to the Yankees lineup, and Gardner is also pretty fast.  It is unlikely that the Yankees will have as bad luck with injuries like they did last year, but they are still relying on many older, injury prone players. Next, we'll take a look at their pitching staff.

LH Sabathia
RH Tanaka
RH Hiroki Kuroda
RH Ivan Nova
5th starter: to be decided

Assuming Sabathia improves this year, this could be a pretty solid rotation. Tanaka isn't going to go 24-0 in the majors, but should be a major upgrade to the staff. Tanaka has been compared to the Rangers Yu Darvish, although he is smaller. Kuroda has quietly been an effective middle of the rotation starter for the Yankees the past two seasons. However, he is now 40 years old. Nova is one of the Yankees youngest players, and has been a solid starter since coming into the league in 2011. For the fifth spot, the Yankees have Michael Pineda and David Phelps competing for the spot. Robertson will take over the closer spot for Rivera. The Yankees could still add someone like Grant Balfour or Fernando Rodney to fill out their bullpen.

So, will the Yankees contend for the postseason this year? They certainly have a chance to, but it is not a foregone conclusion. They will have an interesting team after some major spending this offseason. The Yankees felt like they could not stand pat after seeing the Red Sox win the World Series last year. The Red Sox are still the favorites to win the AL East this season, but I would expect the Yankees, Rays, and possibly the Orioles to compete for the division crown this year. The Blue Jays are no slouch, either. Still, I think the Yankees are a better team now than they were at the end of last season.

Maddux, Glavine, Thomas Enter Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame voters agreed on three players to send to the Hall after not electing anyone last year. The 2014 ballot was one of the most crowded in history, with many deserving players. Many players from the so-called Steroid Era have been on the ballot in recent years and the writers are unsure on how to vote for those players. That been said, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas were voted in Wednesday on their first year on he ballot. Craig Biggio fell two votes short of induction. Jack Morris was in his 15th and final season on the ballot, but fell short of the Hall. In December, the Veteran's Committee selected former managers Tony La Russa, Joe Torre, and Bobby Cox to join Maddux, Glavine, and Thomas for July's induction. This year's induction will be much more star studded than last year's trio of Deacon McGuire, Hank O'Day, and Jacob Ruppert, who are relatively unknown.

Maddux and Glavine are the first pair of teammate pitchers to enter the Hall together since Eddie Plank and Rube Waddell in the 1946. Along with John Smoltz, these two pitchers formed the foundation of the Braves run of division titles. Smoltz is eligible next year and should join his former teammates in the Hall sometime soon. This trio of pitchers help win a lot of games for their manager Bobby Cox, who is also a new Hall of Famer. One could make an argument that Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz were the best trio of starting pitchers on one team ever. Between them, they won 7 out of 10 Cy Young Awards in the National League during the 1990's. Smoltz was a power pitcher, but Maddux and Glavine were control artists.

For pitchers who began their career after World War II, Maddux has the most victories with 355. Maddux threw in the low 90's early in his career, but was known for his control. He walked very few batters and knew how to get people out. Maddux was also an excellent defensive player, winning 18 Gold Gloves. From 1992 to 1995, Maddux won 4 straight Cy Young Awards, the first with the Cubs, and the last three with the Braves. Maddux had his best years with Atlanta, but pitched 5 more seasons after leaving the Braves after the 2003 season. He pitched 23 seasons in the big leagues and pitched on 13 teams that made the postseason.

Glavine was one of the best left handed pitchers to ever play the game. He also won over 300 games, although barely with 305. Glavine won 2 Cy Young Awards and was the 1995 World Series MVP. Glavine pitched 17 out of his 22 seasons with the Braves and pitched 5 seasons later in his career with the Mets. He was a 10 time All Star and pitched in the postseason 12 times. Glavine also won the deciding game of the 1995 World Series.

During the 90's, Frank Thomas was one of the best hitters in the game, viewed the same way Miguel Cabrera is now. Thomas was a great all around hitter, he hit for average, power, and was patient at the plate, drawing many walks. He was known as the Big Hurt and was a former college football player. Thomas won back to back MVP's in 1993 and 1994, and won the American League batting title in 1997. Thomas spent 16 of his 19 seasons with the White Sox and is considered to be the best player in White Sox history. His last season with the club he was hurt midseason and missed the rest of 2005. In a bitter twist of irony, the White Sox won their first championship in 88 years, with Thomas relegated to cheerleading from the bench. He spent the last 3 years of his career with the Athletics and Blue Jays. Thomas finished his career with 521 home runs and a .301 lifetime average.

There are many other deserving candidates who weren't elected today. The Baseball Hall of Fame is the hardest to get in of all pro sports. Biggio was only two votes shy and only on his second ballot. The writers are tough on middle infielders, but he will get in within the next couple of years. It took Ryne Sandberg three years on the ballot and Roberto Alomar made it on his second. Another middle infielder, shortstop Barry Larkin, also got in on his third ballot. Jack Morris will be debated on the Veteran's Committee in three years. Morris was the most argued about player on the ballot. Some felt that his ERA and other numbers weren't good enough, but others pointed to his postseason heroics and ace status. Morris's voting pct. actually declined 6 % from last year.

Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell had Hall of Fame type careers, but haven't been able to gain the necessary 75 % to gain election. There is no proof or evidence of PED use on either player, but some writers have questions about these two players because of the era they played in. Piazza got 62 % and Bagwell got 54 % this year. Both players will likely gain election at some point in time. Other players with strong PED connections it is unsure. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have alltime great numbers and careers, but aren't getting Hall support because of the steroid cloud hanging over their head. Still, they are getting more support than Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmeiro have. McGwire and Sosa barely stayed on the ballot this year, and Palmeiro fell off the ballot in his 4th year after falling below the 5 % threshold. Palmeiro failed a steroid test in 2005 after denying use in front of Congress, but had over 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

There are also strong candidates left on the ballot with no PED connections. The best of these players is Tim Raines. Raines stole 808 bases during his career and was one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball history. Raines get overshadowed playing in the same era as Rickey Henderson and he spent his best years in Montreal. Raines played later as a part time outfielder for the Yankees, winning two championships. Many fans remember him at that point, but Raines was one of the best players in baseball in the 1980's. Raines broke the 50 % barrier last year, but fell to 46 % due to a crowded ballot. He was in his 7th year on the ballot and still has time to get in someday. Raines started off his first year on the ballot with 22 %, which is higher than recent Hall of Famers Bert Blyleven and Bruce Sutter fared their first season.

Alan Trammell is another candidate that gets overlooked. He was a terrific shortstop for the Tigers, but played in the same era as Cal Ripken Jr., Robin Yount, and Ozzie Smith. Barry Larkin also played during Trammell's second half of his career. Trammell is probably a better candidate than his former teammate Morris, but isn't as well known. Lee Smith and Don Mattingly are also long time candidates on the ballot. Both had very good careers, but I don't think either player is Hall worthy. Fred McGriff is someone I think deserves more support, but he was barely able to stay on the ballot this year. Larry Walker and Edgar Martinez are also two candidates on the edge, but managed to stay on for next year.

Jeff Kent and Mike Mussina were the other big names on their first year on the ballot. Kent only received 15 %, while Mussina got 20%. Both players have good cases for the Hall, but may of got lost on a crowded ballot. Kent has the most home runs for a second baseman ever, but wasn't known for his defense. Mussina, along with Curt Schilling, are two pitchers who have good cases for the Hall. Schilling got 9 % more than Mussina, due to his postseason heroics. Mussina doesn't have the postseason resume, but won 270 games in his career. Mussina also has a much better ERA than Morris, who has much more support. Schilling has the postseason greatness to match Morris, and had a stronger peak. It will be interesting to see if Mussina and Schilling get a bump in support next year. Moises Alou and Luis Gonzalez fell off the ballot in their first year.

Next year, there will also be some very good candidates appearing on the ballot the first time. Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez are slam dunk Hall of Famers. Smoltz, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Delgado, and Nomar Garciaparra will also be appearing on the ballot. In 2016, Ken Griffey Jr., Jim Edmonds, Trevor Hoffman, and Billy Wagner will be on the ballot. Vladimir Guerrero and Ivan Rodriguez will appear in 2017, Jim Thome and Chipper Jones in 2018, and Roy Halladay and Mariano Rivera in 2019. There will be many interesting votes in the coming years with many deserving players.

I think that most of the writers who vote for the Hall take it seriously. However, some don't. One writer only voted for Morris and said he wouldn't vote for any Steroid Era players. Morris retired in 1994, and there surely were players using steroids during his career. One writer voted for Jacque Jones, who wasn't even good enough to make an All Star team during his career. In the past, some writers have sent in blank ballots. I think that writers that don't take Hall voting seriously shouldn't be allowed to vote anymore. Still, I think they did a much better job than last year with Maddux, Glavine, Thomas, La Russa, Cox, and Torre going to Cooperstown this year.