The outlook for the 2011 version of Noblesville baseball was pretty much a coin flip. Coach Justin Keever knew that he had a lot of experience coming back, but didn't know how those inexperienced players would adapt to playing at the varsity level.
The then 4A #4 Noblesville Millers baseball team opened up play on March 29 by dominating 3A #5 Crawfordsville on the road, 8-1.
On Final Four semifinal Saturday, because Butler was back in the Final Four, Noblesville hosted the 1st Annual Miller Classic at Dunker Field. It was an all day affair that featured Homestead (Fort Wayne), Louisville St. Xavier and Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller. Homestead topped Noblesville in Game 1. Cincinnati Moeller outslugged St. Xavier in Game 2. Noblesville hit solid in their Game 3 (consolation) win over St. Xavier. Homestead poured in on Moeller in the final innings of Game 4 (championship) of the 1st Annual Miller Classic to hoist the trophy.
Three days later on the first leg of the Spring Break trip, Keever's crew returned the favor and played at Louisville St. Xavier. The Miller took this game in Kentucky, 9-5, to get a good start on the trip as they headed south for a week of baseball.
The Farragut Invitational (Tennessee) gave the Millers a chance to see how they measured up against some nationally ranked opponents in the likes of Grove City (OH), the hosts in Farragut (TN), Tullahoma (TN) and Anderson County (TN). On Thursday, Grove City posed no problem, as Noblesville cruised to a 12-6 win. Farragut, currently 15-3 and Baseball America's #8 team nationally, dropped a goose egg on the diamond Millers, 7-0. Friday's games were a little more the way the Millers planned. Noblesville edged Tullahoma 6-4 in their early game and thumped Anderson County 17-9 in the nightcap.
A nice 4-1 record on their 2011 Spring Break trip was just the dose of what Keever's Millers needed heading into Hoosier Crossroads Conference play. That 4-1 trip record brought their record to 6-2 overall.
Since returning home from their successful trip, the Millers have been in quite the past week. With a home-and-home last week with Fishers to open HCC play, the "White River Rivalry" at Carmel this past Saturday and a Monday date at Brownsburg, Noblesville has found itself in quite a hole. A pair of losses (7-6, 9-8 in 8 innings) to Fishers, a 6-2 loss in an odd affair at Carmel, then opening this week with a 3-2 loss at Brownsburg, there are questions to be answered this week.
Noblesville sits at 6-6 overall and 0-3 in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference. Brownsburg is currently 4-3, 2-1 in HCC games. Tonight, the Bulldogs come to Dunker Field with a possible chip on their shoulders. Since last Monday (April 12th), Brownsburg has won 3-of-4 games by the combined score of 33-12, including at 16-2 drilling of Speedway and 10-0 blanking of McCutcheon.
Tonight, if Dunker's conditions allow, will serve as a test for both Noblesville and Brownsburg. After visiting Noblesville tonight, the Bulldogs have a home-and-home with HCC and 4A powerhouse Hamilton Southeastern. Noblesville faces a tough task this weekend. Zionsville comes to Dunker Field on Friday night for a very key HCC game at 7pm. Saturday, the Millers and Eagles collide in Game 1 of the 4th Annual Victory Field Classic, game time is TBD.
The Millers will be ok and get better, I promise. There is too much talent and leadership on this 2011 group to let things go any further than they have. I look to see a good crowd at Dunker Field tonight, despite the low temperature of 38 degrees.
If you come out to Dunker Field tonight, which if you don't know, is located at SR 32 and Hazel Dell in Noblesville on the campus of Hazel Dell Elementary School. The voice you'll hear throughout the game will be my voice. I am the Public Address voice of Noblesville Miller baseball, Craig Adkins.
GO MILLERS!!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
NBA Playoffs...Game 1 upsets and surprises
It all started Saturday afternoon at the United Center in Chicago. The Bulls trailed until the final 3 minutes, overcome 10-point deficit for win. The Heat felt pressure pressure from Philly throughout, but escape. Atlanta torched Orlando for 38 in 2nd quarter for upset of Magic. Dirk's double-double lifts Mavericks over Portland. On Sunday, Memphis shocked the Spurs for the franchise's first playoff win. Chris Paul's 33 points and 14 dimes help take down the Lakers. Durant/Westbrook combine for 72 as Thunder nip the Nuggets. Ray Allen hits a late 3, nets 24 as Celtics edge the Knicks.
Chicago Bulls 104, Indiana Pacers 99
The Eastern Conference top-seed Chicago Bulls got quite the scare from the 8-seed Indiana Pacers, but held on to top the feisty youngsters from Indianapolis, 104-99. Indiana led for the first 45 minutes of the game, but couldn't quite hold on to steal the series. With 3:38 remaining, Tyler "Psycho T" Hansbrough dunked and was fouled by Carlos Boozer. Sinking his attempt at the charity stripe, Hansbrough helped extend the Pacers' lead to 98-88 and a steal of home court advantage in sight. The Bulls used a 16-1 run in the final 3:38 to stun the Pacers in their tracks.
Unfortunately, the United Center crowd got rowdy for the final few minutes. The Pacers defense had a complete letdown. Kyle Korver broke a 99-99 tie and gave the Bulls a 102-99 lead, drilling a 25-foot three. Derrick Rose knocked down a couple free throws for the final of 104-99, giving him a game-high 39 points (19-of-21 free throws), along with 6 rebounds, 6 assists and three blocks to pace the Bulls.
Game 2: tonight in Chicago, 9:30 p.m.
Miami Heat 97, Philadelphia 76ers 89
The Miami Heat had some early trouble with the 76ers, but being at home, they probably figured they might be alright in Game 1. Down 31-19 after one, I think I would be a little worried. LeBron, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade were in control from there out. The Heat outscored Philly 78-58 over the final three quarters to hang on for the eight-point win.
Chris Bosh was the surprise leading scorer with 25 points and 12 rebounds, followed by 21 and 14 rebounds from LeBron James and 17 points and 7 boards from Wade.
Game 2: tonight in Miami, 7 p.m.
Atlanta 103, Orlando 93
Normally when a player like Dwight Howard dominates the box score with 46 points and 19 rebounds, it means that the opponents couldn't find an answer and didn't win. The problem for the Magic was that they weren't able to rely on anyone else to pick up slack the when Howard and Jameer Nelson weren't scoring. Nelson had 27 to help out, but Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, J.J. Redick and Gilbert Arenas all combined for the remaining 20 points, in a ten-point loss to the upset-minded Hawks.
Atlanta was led by Joe Johnson with 25 and Jamal Crawford with 23. Al Horford (16), Josh Smith (15) and Kirk Hinrich (13) pitched in to helped beat the Magic and steal the home court from Orlando.
Game 2: Tuesday in Orlando, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks 89, Portland Trailblazers 81
Dirk Nowitzki's 28 and 10 rebounds and Jason Kidd's 24 points and 4 assists put the Mavericks in cruise control and gave them the series lead, 1-0. LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 27 and Marcus Camby had 18 rebounds, but it wasn't quite enough.
Game 2: Tuesday in Dallas, 9:30 p.m.
Memphis Grizzlies 101, San Antonio Spurs 98
Zach Randolph (Marion HS) was the dominating force for the Grizz with 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Marc Gasol added 24 and nine rebounds to catch the 1-seed Spurs off guard. Mike Conley (Lawrence North HS) also chipped in 15 points and 10 assists. The Spurs were without guard Manu Ginobili, but they were hoping that a deep bench would make up for his absense. Tony Parker led San Antonio with 20 and Tim Duncan with 16 and 13 rebounds. George Hill (Broad Ripple HS) had 15, Richard Jefferson (13), Matt Bonner (12) and Gary Neal (10), but Memphis always had an answer. The Grizzlies take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Game 2: Wednesday in San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.
New Orleans Hornets 109, Los Angeles Lakers 100
It's always great to see Kobe Bryant and the Lakers fall flat on their faces, but we all know that this won't last long. They just honestly had no defensive answer for Chris Paul and his 33 points, 7 rebounds, 14 assists and 4 steals. Bryant still got 34 points, but Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom only combined for 26 points, which didn't help compliment the effort of Kobe. Getting outscored 52-34 in the paint by the Hornets was probably the biggest factor.
Game 2: Wednesday in LA, 10:30 p.m.
Boston Celtics 87, New York Knicks 85
The Knicks had their chances to win this game, but the veterans of the Boston Celtics weren't going to let that happen. The Celtics are still my pick to win the NBA Championship this season, despite how "old" they're being called by basketball experts on ESPN. Yes, they are a very veteran laiden squad. Ray Allen led Boston with 24, while Paul Pierce had 18, Kevin Garnett with 15 and 13 boards, Jermaine O'Neal had 12 and Rajon Rondo nearly had a triple-double with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Amare Stoudemire led all scorers with 28 (11 rebounds), while Carmelo Anthony had 15 and Chauncey Billups netted 10.
Beantown is starting to feel a lot better. The Celtics are up on the Knicks 1-0 and the Boston Red Sox are on the rise, winning two of three over the Blue Jays over the weekend to raise their record to 4-10.
Game 2: Tuesday in Boston, 7 p.m.
Oklahoma City Thunder 107, Denver Nuggets 103
When Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are shooting like some gun-slingers, the opponents really have no chance to win. Durant scorched the nets for 41, while Westbrook had 31. It will be interesting to see how long these two can last in the playoffs by scoring a majority of the Thunders' points. The Nuggets won't last too long either, mainly because they really don't have a dominant scorer, but that could also help them out in the long run. If they can get Ty Lawson, Wilson Chandler or Danilo Gallinari to lead them in scoring the rest of the series, they might be able to advance to the 2nd round. If Nene (22) leads them in scoring again, chalk up another L for Denver and an early exit.
Game 2: Wednesday in Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
Chicago Bulls 104, Indiana Pacers 99
The Eastern Conference top-seed Chicago Bulls got quite the scare from the 8-seed Indiana Pacers, but held on to top the feisty youngsters from Indianapolis, 104-99. Indiana led for the first 45 minutes of the game, but couldn't quite hold on to steal the series. With 3:38 remaining, Tyler "Psycho T" Hansbrough dunked and was fouled by Carlos Boozer. Sinking his attempt at the charity stripe, Hansbrough helped extend the Pacers' lead to 98-88 and a steal of home court advantage in sight. The Bulls used a 16-1 run in the final 3:38 to stun the Pacers in their tracks.
Unfortunately, the United Center crowd got rowdy for the final few minutes. The Pacers defense had a complete letdown. Kyle Korver broke a 99-99 tie and gave the Bulls a 102-99 lead, drilling a 25-foot three. Derrick Rose knocked down a couple free throws for the final of 104-99, giving him a game-high 39 points (19-of-21 free throws), along with 6 rebounds, 6 assists and three blocks to pace the Bulls.
Game 2: tonight in Chicago, 9:30 p.m.
Miami Heat 97, Philadelphia 76ers 89
The Miami Heat had some early trouble with the 76ers, but being at home, they probably figured they might be alright in Game 1. Down 31-19 after one, I think I would be a little worried. LeBron, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade were in control from there out. The Heat outscored Philly 78-58 over the final three quarters to hang on for the eight-point win.
Chris Bosh was the surprise leading scorer with 25 points and 12 rebounds, followed by 21 and 14 rebounds from LeBron James and 17 points and 7 boards from Wade.
Game 2: tonight in Miami, 7 p.m.
Atlanta 103, Orlando 93
Normally when a player like Dwight Howard dominates the box score with 46 points and 19 rebounds, it means that the opponents couldn't find an answer and didn't win. The problem for the Magic was that they weren't able to rely on anyone else to pick up slack the when Howard and Jameer Nelson weren't scoring. Nelson had 27 to help out, but Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, J.J. Redick and Gilbert Arenas all combined for the remaining 20 points, in a ten-point loss to the upset-minded Hawks.
Atlanta was led by Joe Johnson with 25 and Jamal Crawford with 23. Al Horford (16), Josh Smith (15) and Kirk Hinrich (13) pitched in to helped beat the Magic and steal the home court from Orlando.
Game 2: Tuesday in Orlando, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks 89, Portland Trailblazers 81
Dirk Nowitzki's 28 and 10 rebounds and Jason Kidd's 24 points and 4 assists put the Mavericks in cruise control and gave them the series lead, 1-0. LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 27 and Marcus Camby had 18 rebounds, but it wasn't quite enough.
Game 2: Tuesday in Dallas, 9:30 p.m.
Memphis Grizzlies 101, San Antonio Spurs 98
Zach Randolph (Marion HS) was the dominating force for the Grizz with 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Marc Gasol added 24 and nine rebounds to catch the 1-seed Spurs off guard. Mike Conley (Lawrence North HS) also chipped in 15 points and 10 assists. The Spurs were without guard Manu Ginobili, but they were hoping that a deep bench would make up for his absense. Tony Parker led San Antonio with 20 and Tim Duncan with 16 and 13 rebounds. George Hill (Broad Ripple HS) had 15, Richard Jefferson (13), Matt Bonner (12) and Gary Neal (10), but Memphis always had an answer. The Grizzlies take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Game 2: Wednesday in San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.
New Orleans Hornets 109, Los Angeles Lakers 100
It's always great to see Kobe Bryant and the Lakers fall flat on their faces, but we all know that this won't last long. They just honestly had no defensive answer for Chris Paul and his 33 points, 7 rebounds, 14 assists and 4 steals. Bryant still got 34 points, but Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom only combined for 26 points, which didn't help compliment the effort of Kobe. Getting outscored 52-34 in the paint by the Hornets was probably the biggest factor.
Game 2: Wednesday in LA, 10:30 p.m.
Boston Celtics 87, New York Knicks 85
The Knicks had their chances to win this game, but the veterans of the Boston Celtics weren't going to let that happen. The Celtics are still my pick to win the NBA Championship this season, despite how "old" they're being called by basketball experts on ESPN. Yes, they are a very veteran laiden squad. Ray Allen led Boston with 24, while Paul Pierce had 18, Kevin Garnett with 15 and 13 boards, Jermaine O'Neal had 12 and Rajon Rondo nearly had a triple-double with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Amare Stoudemire led all scorers with 28 (11 rebounds), while Carmelo Anthony had 15 and Chauncey Billups netted 10.
Beantown is starting to feel a lot better. The Celtics are up on the Knicks 1-0 and the Boston Red Sox are on the rise, winning two of three over the Blue Jays over the weekend to raise their record to 4-10.
Game 2: Tuesday in Boston, 7 p.m.
Oklahoma City Thunder 107, Denver Nuggets 103
When Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are shooting like some gun-slingers, the opponents really have no chance to win. Durant scorched the nets for 41, while Westbrook had 31. It will be interesting to see how long these two can last in the playoffs by scoring a majority of the Thunders' points. The Nuggets won't last too long either, mainly because they really don't have a dominant scorer, but that could also help them out in the long run. If they can get Ty Lawson, Wilson Chandler or Danilo Gallinari to lead them in scoring the rest of the series, they might be able to advance to the 2nd round. If Nene (22) leads them in scoring again, chalk up another L for Denver and an early exit.
Game 2: Wednesday in Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Baseball: If the Playoffs Started Today...
If the Major League Baseball playoffs started today, we might be seeing a few teams in the playoffs that no one, I mean NO ONE predicted in the pre-season.
Can you imagine if the Florida Marlins or Cleveland Indians or Kansas City Royals were to make it all the way to the World Series?? It's more than likely not going to happen, but as of right now, they're projected to be in the playoffs. Keep in mind that this is only through 13 (of 162) games and there is obviously plenty of baseball left in this 2011 season.
The Colorado Rockies (11-2) own the best record in the National League and all of Major League Baseball and they fully proved it last night at home by blanking the Chicago Cubs and winning their seventh game in a row, 5-0. They'll host the Cubs (6-7) tonight when youngster Casey Coleman (0-0) hurls against Jason Hammel (1-0). The Rockies have proved thus far that they're a legit contender all season long for the NL West division title. "Tulo is hitting like a mad man," according to my brother Brian, who lives in the Denver suburbs. It will be interesting as the season progresses to see what the Rockies can do.
The Texas Rangers (10-3) are sporting the best record in the American League. Coming off losing the World Series to the San Francisco, the Rangers started 2011 off 9-1. Despite Cliff Lee fleeing to Philadelphia, the starting rotation hasn't flinched a bit. As young as they are, C.J. Wilson, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, and Alexi Ogando have made their presence known by combining for 9 of Texas' 10 wins so far!
Laying the rest of the playoffs out, I'm not quite sure how bad the television rating would be if this were to actually happen.
The New York Yankees (7-5) currently have a slim lead over Toronto for the AL East. The AL Central will catch you all by surprise. The Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals are both sitting atop the division at 9-4. Whichever of these two that didn't win the AL Central, would wind up as the AL Wild Card team. Crazy as the season is, it probably won't end up with these two fighting for the Central title.
The obvious favorite to win the NL East is Philadelphia and they're currently leading the division at 9-4. Florida (8-5) has a slim margin on the Wild Card so far, but the Wild Card possibilities will change so many times throughout the season that it's not even worth talking about right now.
The Cincinnati Reds (8-5) are 1 game ahead of Milwaukee (7-6), 1.5 ahead of St. Louis (7-7) and 2 games ahead of Chicago (6-7) and Pittsburgh (6-7). It's honestly hard telling who will take this division outright when the season is over. The Reds look to defend the NL Central, but we'll see a whole summer of dogfighting for the NL Central.
Can you imagine if the Florida Marlins or Cleveland Indians or Kansas City Royals were to make it all the way to the World Series?? It's more than likely not going to happen, but as of right now, they're projected to be in the playoffs. Keep in mind that this is only through 13 (of 162) games and there is obviously plenty of baseball left in this 2011 season.
The Colorado Rockies (11-2) own the best record in the National League and all of Major League Baseball and they fully proved it last night at home by blanking the Chicago Cubs and winning their seventh game in a row, 5-0. They'll host the Cubs (6-7) tonight when youngster Casey Coleman (0-0) hurls against Jason Hammel (1-0). The Rockies have proved thus far that they're a legit contender all season long for the NL West division title. "Tulo is hitting like a mad man," according to my brother Brian, who lives in the Denver suburbs. It will be interesting as the season progresses to see what the Rockies can do.
The Texas Rangers (10-3) are sporting the best record in the American League. Coming off losing the World Series to the San Francisco, the Rangers started 2011 off 9-1. Despite Cliff Lee fleeing to Philadelphia, the starting rotation hasn't flinched a bit. As young as they are, C.J. Wilson, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, and Alexi Ogando have made their presence known by combining for 9 of Texas' 10 wins so far!
Laying the rest of the playoffs out, I'm not quite sure how bad the television rating would be if this were to actually happen.
The New York Yankees (7-5) currently have a slim lead over Toronto for the AL East. The AL Central will catch you all by surprise. The Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals are both sitting atop the division at 9-4. Whichever of these two that didn't win the AL Central, would wind up as the AL Wild Card team. Crazy as the season is, it probably won't end up with these two fighting for the Central title.
The obvious favorite to win the NL East is Philadelphia and they're currently leading the division at 9-4. Florida (8-5) has a slim margin on the Wild Card so far, but the Wild Card possibilities will change so many times throughout the season that it's not even worth talking about right now.
The Cincinnati Reds (8-5) are 1 game ahead of Milwaukee (7-6), 1.5 ahead of St. Louis (7-7) and 2 games ahead of Chicago (6-7) and Pittsburgh (6-7). It's honestly hard telling who will take this division outright when the season is over. The Reds look to defend the NL Central, but we'll see a whole summer of dogfighting for the NL Central.
Friday, April 8, 2011
MLB: Funky Start to the 2011 Season...
After only 6 games played (Milwakee, Atlanta, Pittsburgh have played 7), the state of all six divisions really can't be dissected. You can't really tell a whole lot from just two series of action out of these 30 teams. There are reasons why the Major League Baseball season is 162 regular season games long. Some people think that they play too many games, but it makes things interesting to those who love baseball and it also gives teams a chance to get and/or keep players healthy as they compete for playoff spots and division crowns. There are just a few things going on that has the sports world talking, because they don't normally happen year-to-year.
AL East
--Baltimore is leading the division with a record of 5-1. The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are both 0-6. The Red Sox haven't started a season 0-6 since the 1945 season. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays are both holding tight right behind the Orioles at 4-2.
--Does this possibly mean that there could be a changing of the guard in the AL East?? This earlier in the season, probably not. But, it makes for good water cooler talk, because for once in a blue moon a team not named the Red Sox or Yankees are in first place.
AL Central
--The Chicago White Sox are sharing the division lead with, believe it or not, the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians, all with 4-2 records through their first two series. Minnesota and Detroit are hanging back at 2-4, just watching Cleveland and Kansas City climb their way out of the AL Central cellar.
--No real surprise that the Chicago White Sox are atop the AL Central. The White Sox, quite honestly, have the potential to keep the division lead for the season, unless the Minnesota Twins wake themselves up from this winter hibernation they're in to start 2011. What is surprising is that Kansas City and Cleveland are both playing lights out baseball to start the 2011 campaign. Minnesota was picked as a possibility to win the AL Central and Detroit to finish third. Maybe Miguel Cabrera needs to put down the tequila bottle and gather his teammates together and figure out that they might want to start playing now.
AL West
--The Texas Rangers are sitting real pretty at 6-0. It has nothing to do with the defending American League Champions playing their first two series at home, compared to the rest of the West. The LA Angels are 3-3, starting the season on the road. Seattle and Oakland are both 2-4 and not far off of coming back in the West, but Seattle has mediocre pitching and we're still not sure what's going on with Oakland's lineup. If either can get the least bit consistent, it could be a tight AL West.
NL East
--Philadelphia is doing exactly what they were expected to do to start 2011...dominate the NL East. They're 5-1 with a 2 game lead over Florida and the New York Mets who are both 3-3, 2.5 games ahead of Atlanta (3-4) and Washington hanging tight at 2-4. The bottom four spots in this division could flip flop for the rest of the summer, but Philadelphia will more than likely stay on top. Their bats are too strong and they obviously have the strongest rotation in the National League, bar none.
NL Central
--The Cincinnati Reds just lost their first game of the year yesterday (Thursday). Pittsburgh (4-3), Chicago (3-3) and Milwaukee (3-4) are all trying to fight for second place behind the defending NL Central champion Reds. St. Louis is surprising a lot of people by starting out 2-4, losing 2-of-3 in series at home vs. both San Diego and Pittsburgh. Houston (1-5) got their first win of the season last night at Cincinnati, but will still be living in the NL Central last place slot all season (in my opinion).
NL West
--Colorado is 5-1 and leading the West, but I'm not shocked at all by this. Tulowitzki and the Rockies are hitting hot and supporting their pitching well. San Diego is probably surprising all at 3-2, two of those three wins coming at the hands of the Cardinals in St. Louis. The LA Dodgers are 3-3, while the Arizona Diamondbacks are 2-3 and the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants are down in last at 2-4.
The season is very long and obviously we all expect that division positions will move around all too many times during the course of the regular season this summer. Stay tuned to my blog, as their will be different posts as the season progresses. Have a great Friday everyone! GO CUBS GO!!!!!
AL East
--Baltimore is leading the division with a record of 5-1. The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are both 0-6. The Red Sox haven't started a season 0-6 since the 1945 season. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays are both holding tight right behind the Orioles at 4-2.
--Does this possibly mean that there could be a changing of the guard in the AL East?? This earlier in the season, probably not. But, it makes for good water cooler talk, because for once in a blue moon a team not named the Red Sox or Yankees are in first place.
AL Central
--The Chicago White Sox are sharing the division lead with, believe it or not, the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians, all with 4-2 records through their first two series. Minnesota and Detroit are hanging back at 2-4, just watching Cleveland and Kansas City climb their way out of the AL Central cellar.
--No real surprise that the Chicago White Sox are atop the AL Central. The White Sox, quite honestly, have the potential to keep the division lead for the season, unless the Minnesota Twins wake themselves up from this winter hibernation they're in to start 2011. What is surprising is that Kansas City and Cleveland are both playing lights out baseball to start the 2011 campaign. Minnesota was picked as a possibility to win the AL Central and Detroit to finish third. Maybe Miguel Cabrera needs to put down the tequila bottle and gather his teammates together and figure out that they might want to start playing now.
AL West
--The Texas Rangers are sitting real pretty at 6-0. It has nothing to do with the defending American League Champions playing their first two series at home, compared to the rest of the West. The LA Angels are 3-3, starting the season on the road. Seattle and Oakland are both 2-4 and not far off of coming back in the West, but Seattle has mediocre pitching and we're still not sure what's going on with Oakland's lineup. If either can get the least bit consistent, it could be a tight AL West.
NL East
--Philadelphia is doing exactly what they were expected to do to start 2011...dominate the NL East. They're 5-1 with a 2 game lead over Florida and the New York Mets who are both 3-3, 2.5 games ahead of Atlanta (3-4) and Washington hanging tight at 2-4. The bottom four spots in this division could flip flop for the rest of the summer, but Philadelphia will more than likely stay on top. Their bats are too strong and they obviously have the strongest rotation in the National League, bar none.
NL Central
--The Cincinnati Reds just lost their first game of the year yesterday (Thursday). Pittsburgh (4-3), Chicago (3-3) and Milwaukee (3-4) are all trying to fight for second place behind the defending NL Central champion Reds. St. Louis is surprising a lot of people by starting out 2-4, losing 2-of-3 in series at home vs. both San Diego and Pittsburgh. Houston (1-5) got their first win of the season last night at Cincinnati, but will still be living in the NL Central last place slot all season (in my opinion).
NL West
--Colorado is 5-1 and leading the West, but I'm not shocked at all by this. Tulowitzki and the Rockies are hitting hot and supporting their pitching well. San Diego is probably surprising all at 3-2, two of those three wins coming at the hands of the Cardinals in St. Louis. The LA Dodgers are 3-3, while the Arizona Diamondbacks are 2-3 and the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants are down in last at 2-4.
The season is very long and obviously we all expect that division positions will move around all too many times during the course of the regular season this summer. Stay tuned to my blog, as their will be different posts as the season progresses. Have a great Friday everyone! GO CUBS GO!!!!!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Butler Bulldogs' run ends in 2nd straight National Championship game disappointment...
There are so many things that went wrong during last night's National Championship game vs. Connecticut and they could have happened to the Huskies, but the Bulldogs were in fact victims of everything that could have gone wrong at the most inopportune times.
The Bulldogs played to the style of UConn and it worked for the Huskies. Connecticut outplayed and out-willed Butler to pull away in the 2nd half and win head coach Jim Calhoun's third National Championship, 53-41. Calhoun also won in 1999 and 2004.
UConn limited Butler to 12-of-64 (18.8 percent) shooting, the worst shooting performance in NCAA Championship game history. The Huskies can't really say that they shot considerably better. Shooting 19-of-55 (34.5%) overall and 1-11 (9.1 percent) from three-point range aren't numbers that come close to cracking any stat records by any means.
The problem that Butler had with UConn is that they weren't as big. The Butler frontcourt of Matt Howard and Andrew Smith just couldn't handle the size of the Huskies' inside presence of Alex Oriakhi, Roscoe Smith, Jeremy Lamb, Niels Giffey and Tyler Olander. Those five combined for 31 of UConn's 53 rebounds, including 11 from Oriakhi and Kemba Walker with 9.
Butler played with too much urgency in the second half to survive what UConn was throwing at them. Outscored 34-19 in the second half after leading 22-19 at halftime, the Bulldogs took every shot where they were given an inch to take one. With Chase Stigall knocking down a three with just 20 seconds gone by in the second half, Butler seemed confident. This was the point where UConn took over and didn't look back.
Alex Oriakhi's jump shot with 7:33 left, capped off at 22-6 run that left Butler stunned and trailing 41-28.
They say that all good things must come to an end. No one wanted this second consecutive Final Four and National Championship game run to end like it did. This Bulldog squad went through a lot in order to achieve the success that came with being exactly where they wanted to be Monday night in Houston.
Too many questions will be posed, if they haven't been already, all over television, print media and radio today. The bottom line consists of many answers that really aren't the best answers as to why Butler played they way they did last night. They almost played scared, taking so many inadvertant shots that they normally would feel a lot more confident when taking. They were forced to take shots that they just had to put up. UConn's defense was just in their face and Butler ultimately knew that shots had to be taken or they would have found themselves in a deeper hole than it ended up being.
It could have been a lot wider of a scoring margin than 12 points, that's for sure. Shawn Vanzant's two-point field goal with 12:32 left brought it back to a 33-28 deficit and still a glimmer of hope for the Bulldogs. Instead, Butler went stone cold from the field for the next 6:19 when Andrew Smith made a layup and the Dawgs trailing 41-30.
UConn shot 14-of-16 from the charity stripe. Butler struggled from the line, making only 8-of-14, most of those were missing the front or back ends of opportunities. It just puzzles me how players can't seem to capitalize and score at the free throw line with the clock stopped!
There are many questions that people want to ask, but won't get answered:
-Could they have been more patient on offense?
-Did free throws play that big of a role?
-Was their shot selection really as bad as it looked (12-of-64)?
-Were they out-matched size-wise down low?
-They defended Kemba Walker well. Should there have been more focus on defending Alex Oriakhi?
-Did the Bulldogs shoot way too many three-pointers (9-of-33)?
There are and will be plenty more questions or "what ifs" that people will always wonder about. Is it possible that Butler can get back to the Final Four next season. Absolutely. Seniors Matt Howard, Shawn Vanzant and Zach Hahn are three that will be missed at Butler, along with fellow seniors who were role players on the bench, Grant Leinedecker and Alex Anglin. There are already talks of Shelvin Mack possibly testing the professional basketball waters. He might think about attending the NBA camps this summer, but maybe just to get an idea from NBA scouts on where his personal game stands in regards to becoming a professional basketball player.
Next season, the Bulldogs could possibly do some more damage in the NCAA Tournament, just as they have these past two seasons. On the current roster, there are many returnees that could make Butler a great team again next year:
Name (2012 class)
1 Shelvin Mack (SR)
4 Erik Fromm (SO)
5 Ronald Nored (SR)
20 Chrishawn Hopkins (SO)
23 Khyle Marshall (SO)
30 Emerson Kampen
32 Garrett Butcher (SR)
33 Chase Stigall (JR)
44 Andrew Smith (JR)
Incoming 2012 freshman...
Andy Smeathers 6'6 forward Center Grove HS (Greenwood, IN)
Jackson Aldridge 6'1 guard Austrailian Institute of Sport (Austrailia)
Roosevelt Jones 6'4 guard/forward O'Fallon Township HS (Illinois)
Kameron Woods 6'8 forward Eastern HS (Kentucky)
I can't wait for the 2011-2012 version of Butler basketball. Brad Stevens will coach this team into something like they weren't predicted to do in 2010 and 2011. No one expected them to do what they've done. Stevens and his staff will find a way to mold this next group into another special team that is loved and appreciated, just like this group.
Congratulations on a great season Butler!! Also, to Matt Howard, Zach Hahn and Shawn Vanzant, thank you for 4 great years that you gave Butler Bulldog fans!! Your fame will live on forever in Butler Bulldog basketball lore!
The Bulldogs played to the style of UConn and it worked for the Huskies. Connecticut outplayed and out-willed Butler to pull away in the 2nd half and win head coach Jim Calhoun's third National Championship, 53-41. Calhoun also won in 1999 and 2004.
UConn limited Butler to 12-of-64 (18.8 percent) shooting, the worst shooting performance in NCAA Championship game history. The Huskies can't really say that they shot considerably better. Shooting 19-of-55 (34.5%) overall and 1-11 (9.1 percent) from three-point range aren't numbers that come close to cracking any stat records by any means.
The problem that Butler had with UConn is that they weren't as big. The Butler frontcourt of Matt Howard and Andrew Smith just couldn't handle the size of the Huskies' inside presence of Alex Oriakhi, Roscoe Smith, Jeremy Lamb, Niels Giffey and Tyler Olander. Those five combined for 31 of UConn's 53 rebounds, including 11 from Oriakhi and Kemba Walker with 9.
Butler played with too much urgency in the second half to survive what UConn was throwing at them. Outscored 34-19 in the second half after leading 22-19 at halftime, the Bulldogs took every shot where they were given an inch to take one. With Chase Stigall knocking down a three with just 20 seconds gone by in the second half, Butler seemed confident. This was the point where UConn took over and didn't look back.
Alex Oriakhi's jump shot with 7:33 left, capped off at 22-6 run that left Butler stunned and trailing 41-28.
They say that all good things must come to an end. No one wanted this second consecutive Final Four and National Championship game run to end like it did. This Bulldog squad went through a lot in order to achieve the success that came with being exactly where they wanted to be Monday night in Houston.
Too many questions will be posed, if they haven't been already, all over television, print media and radio today. The bottom line consists of many answers that really aren't the best answers as to why Butler played they way they did last night. They almost played scared, taking so many inadvertant shots that they normally would feel a lot more confident when taking. They were forced to take shots that they just had to put up. UConn's defense was just in their face and Butler ultimately knew that shots had to be taken or they would have found themselves in a deeper hole than it ended up being.
It could have been a lot wider of a scoring margin than 12 points, that's for sure. Shawn Vanzant's two-point field goal with 12:32 left brought it back to a 33-28 deficit and still a glimmer of hope for the Bulldogs. Instead, Butler went stone cold from the field for the next 6:19 when Andrew Smith made a layup and the Dawgs trailing 41-30.
UConn shot 14-of-16 from the charity stripe. Butler struggled from the line, making only 8-of-14, most of those were missing the front or back ends of opportunities. It just puzzles me how players can't seem to capitalize and score at the free throw line with the clock stopped!
There are many questions that people want to ask, but won't get answered:
-Could they have been more patient on offense?
-Did free throws play that big of a role?
-Was their shot selection really as bad as it looked (12-of-64)?
-Were they out-matched size-wise down low?
-They defended Kemba Walker well. Should there have been more focus on defending Alex Oriakhi?
-Did the Bulldogs shoot way too many three-pointers (9-of-33)?
There are and will be plenty more questions or "what ifs" that people will always wonder about. Is it possible that Butler can get back to the Final Four next season. Absolutely. Seniors Matt Howard, Shawn Vanzant and Zach Hahn are three that will be missed at Butler, along with fellow seniors who were role players on the bench, Grant Leinedecker and Alex Anglin. There are already talks of Shelvin Mack possibly testing the professional basketball waters. He might think about attending the NBA camps this summer, but maybe just to get an idea from NBA scouts on where his personal game stands in regards to becoming a professional basketball player.
Next season, the Bulldogs could possibly do some more damage in the NCAA Tournament, just as they have these past two seasons. On the current roster, there are many returnees that could make Butler a great team again next year:
Name (2012 class)
1 Shelvin Mack (SR)
4 Erik Fromm (SO)
5 Ronald Nored (SR)
20 Chrishawn Hopkins (SO)
23 Khyle Marshall (SO)
30 Emerson Kampen
32 Garrett Butcher (SR)
33 Chase Stigall (JR)
44 Andrew Smith (JR)
Incoming 2012 freshman...
Andy Smeathers 6'6 forward Center Grove HS (Greenwood, IN)
Jackson Aldridge 6'1 guard Austrailian Institute of Sport (Austrailia)
Roosevelt Jones 6'4 guard/forward O'Fallon Township HS (Illinois)
Kameron Woods 6'8 forward Eastern HS (Kentucky)
I can't wait for the 2011-2012 version of Butler basketball. Brad Stevens will coach this team into something like they weren't predicted to do in 2010 and 2011. No one expected them to do what they've done. Stevens and his staff will find a way to mold this next group into another special team that is loved and appreciated, just like this group.
Congratulations on a great season Butler!! Also, to Matt Howard, Zach Hahn and Shawn Vanzant, thank you for 4 great years that you gave Butler Bulldog fans!! Your fame will live on forever in Butler Bulldog basketball lore!
Friday, April 1, 2011
2011 NL CENTRAL preview
NL CENTRAL predictions:
1. Chicago Cubs
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates
Key additions: RHP Kevin Correia (SD), 1B Lyle Overbay (TOR), OF Matt Diaz (ATL)
Rotation:
Pat Maholm, Ross Ohlendorf, Kevin Correia, James McDonald, Charlie Morton
Bullpen:
Joel Hanrahan (CL), Jeff Karstens, Evan Meek, Garrett Olson, Jose Veras
Starting Lineup:
C Ryan Doumit
1B Lyle Overbay
2B Neil Walker
3B Pedro Alvarez
SS Ronny Cedeno
LF Jose Tabata
CF Andrew McCutchen
RF Garrett Jones
St. Louis Cardinals
Key additions: RHP Miguel Batista (WAS), C Gerald Laird (DET), SS Ryan Theriot (LAD), OF/1B Lance Berkman (NYY)
Rotation:
Chris Carpenter, Jake Westbrook, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse, Kyle McClellan
Bullpen:
Ryan Franklin (CL), Miguel Batista, Trevor Miller, Brian Tallet, Mitchell Boggs, Bryan Augenstein, Jason Motte
Starting Lineup:
C Yadier Molina
1B Albert Pujols
2B Skip Schumaker
3B David Freese
SS Ryan Theriot
LF Matt Holliday
CF Colby Rasmus
RF Lance Berkman
Houston Astros
Key additions: INF Clint Barmes (COL; on DL)
Rotation:
Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, J.A. Happ, Bud Norris, Nelson Figueroa
Bullpen:
Brandon Lyon (CL), Wilton Lopez, Mark Melancon, Jeff Fulchino, Enero Del Rosario, Aenury Rodriguez
Starting Lineup:
C Humberto Quintero
1B Brett Wallace
2B Bill Hall
3B Chris Johnson
SS Angel Sanchez
LF Carlos Lee
CF Michael Bourn
RF Hunter Pence
Milwaukee Brewers
Key additions: RHP Takashi Saito (ATL), RHP Sergio Mitre (NYY), RHP Shawn Marcum (TOR), INF/OF Mark Kotsay (CWS)
Rotation:
Yovani Gallardo
Shawn Marcum
Randy Wolf
Chris Narveson
Bullpen:
John Axford (CL), Takashi Saito, Zach Braddock, Kameron Loe, Sean Green, Brandon Kintzler
Starting Lineup:
C Will Nieves
1B Prince Fielder
2B Rickie Weeks
3B Casey McGehee
SS Yuniesky Betancourt
LF Ryan Braun
CF Carlos Gomez
RF Mark Kotsay (Corey Hart on DL)
Cincinnati Reds
Key additions: SS Edgar Renteria (SF), OF Fred Lewis (SF)
Rotation:
Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, Travis Wood, Mike Leake, Sam LeCure
Bullpen:
Francisco Cordero (CL), Arlodis Chapman, Nick Masset, Logan Ondrusek, Bill Bray, Matt Maloney
Starting Lineup:
C Ramon Hernandez
1B Joey Votto
2B Brandon Phillips
3B Scott Rolen
SS Paul Janish
LF Jonny Gomes
CF Drew Stubbs
RF Jay Bruce
Chicago Cubs
Key additions: 1B Carlos Pena (TB), RHP Matt Garza (TB), RHP Kerry Wood (NYY), OF Reed Johnson (LAD)
Rotation:
Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Carlos Zambrano, Randy Wells, Andrew Cashner
Bullpen:
Kerry Wood, Sean Marshall, John Grabow, Marcos Mateo, Jeff Samardija, James Russell, Carlos Marmol (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Geovany Soto
1B Carlos Pena
2B Darwin Barney
3B Aramis Ramirez
SS Starlin Castro
LF Alfonso Soriano
CF Marlon Byrd
RF Kosuke Fukudome
1. Chicago Cubs
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates
Key additions: RHP Kevin Correia (SD), 1B Lyle Overbay (TOR), OF Matt Diaz (ATL)
Rotation:
Pat Maholm, Ross Ohlendorf, Kevin Correia, James McDonald, Charlie Morton
Bullpen:
Joel Hanrahan (CL), Jeff Karstens, Evan Meek, Garrett Olson, Jose Veras
Starting Lineup:
C Ryan Doumit
1B Lyle Overbay
2B Neil Walker
3B Pedro Alvarez
SS Ronny Cedeno
LF Jose Tabata
CF Andrew McCutchen
RF Garrett Jones
St. Louis Cardinals
Key additions: RHP Miguel Batista (WAS), C Gerald Laird (DET), SS Ryan Theriot (LAD), OF/1B Lance Berkman (NYY)
Rotation:
Chris Carpenter, Jake Westbrook, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse, Kyle McClellan
Bullpen:
Ryan Franklin (CL), Miguel Batista, Trevor Miller, Brian Tallet, Mitchell Boggs, Bryan Augenstein, Jason Motte
Starting Lineup:
C Yadier Molina
1B Albert Pujols
2B Skip Schumaker
3B David Freese
SS Ryan Theriot
LF Matt Holliday
CF Colby Rasmus
RF Lance Berkman
Houston Astros
Key additions: INF Clint Barmes (COL; on DL)
Rotation:
Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, J.A. Happ, Bud Norris, Nelson Figueroa
Bullpen:
Brandon Lyon (CL), Wilton Lopez, Mark Melancon, Jeff Fulchino, Enero Del Rosario, Aenury Rodriguez
Starting Lineup:
C Humberto Quintero
1B Brett Wallace
2B Bill Hall
3B Chris Johnson
SS Angel Sanchez
LF Carlos Lee
CF Michael Bourn
RF Hunter Pence
Milwaukee Brewers
Key additions: RHP Takashi Saito (ATL), RHP Sergio Mitre (NYY), RHP Shawn Marcum (TOR), INF/OF Mark Kotsay (CWS)
Rotation:
Yovani Gallardo
Shawn Marcum
Randy Wolf
Chris Narveson
Bullpen:
John Axford (CL), Takashi Saito, Zach Braddock, Kameron Loe, Sean Green, Brandon Kintzler
Starting Lineup:
C Will Nieves
1B Prince Fielder
2B Rickie Weeks
3B Casey McGehee
SS Yuniesky Betancourt
LF Ryan Braun
CF Carlos Gomez
RF Mark Kotsay (Corey Hart on DL)
Cincinnati Reds
Key additions: SS Edgar Renteria (SF), OF Fred Lewis (SF)
Rotation:
Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, Travis Wood, Mike Leake, Sam LeCure
Bullpen:
Francisco Cordero (CL), Arlodis Chapman, Nick Masset, Logan Ondrusek, Bill Bray, Matt Maloney
Starting Lineup:
C Ramon Hernandez
1B Joey Votto
2B Brandon Phillips
3B Scott Rolen
SS Paul Janish
LF Jonny Gomes
CF Drew Stubbs
RF Jay Bruce
Chicago Cubs
Key additions: 1B Carlos Pena (TB), RHP Matt Garza (TB), RHP Kerry Wood (NYY), OF Reed Johnson (LAD)
Rotation:
Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Carlos Zambrano, Randy Wells, Andrew Cashner
Bullpen:
Kerry Wood, Sean Marshall, John Grabow, Marcos Mateo, Jeff Samardija, James Russell, Carlos Marmol (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Geovany Soto
1B Carlos Pena
2B Darwin Barney
3B Aramis Ramirez
SS Starlin Castro
LF Alfonso Soriano
CF Marlon Byrd
RF Kosuke Fukudome
2011 NL WEST preview
NL WEST predictions
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Colorado Rockies
4. San Diego Padres
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
Key additions: INF Russell Branyan (SEA), 2B Kelly Johnson (ATL), LHP Joe Saunders (LAA), INF Geoff Blum (HOU), LHP Zach Duke (PIT), INF Melvin Mora (BAL), C Henry Blanco (NYM), OF Xavier Nady (CHC), RHP J.J. Putz (CWS)
Rotation:
Ian Kennedy, Joe Saunders, Daniel Hudson, Barry Enright, Aaron Heilman
Bullpen:
David Hernandez, Juan Gutierrez, Sam Demel, Kam Mickolio, Emerling Valdez, J.J. Putz (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Miguel Montero
1B Juan Miranda
2B Kelly Johnson
3B Melvin Mora
SS Stephen Drew
LF Xavier Nady
CF Chris Young
RF Justin Upton
San Francisco Giants
Key additions: RHP Guillermo Mota, SS Miguel Tejada
Rotation:
Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner, Barry Zito
Bullpen:
Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Guillermo Mota, Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo, Brian Wilson (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Buster Posey
1B Aubrey Huff
2B Freddy Sanchez
3B Pablo Sandoval
SS Miguel Tejada
LF Pat Burrell
CF Andres Torres
RF Cody Ross
Colorado Rockies
Key additions: RHP John Maine (NYM), LHP Eric Stults (LAD), 2B Jose Lopez (SEA), INF Ty Wigginton (BAL), RHP Manny Delcarmen (BOS)
Rotation:
Ubaldo Jimenez, Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Hammel, Jhoulys Chacin, Esmil Rogers
Bullpen:
Matt Belisle, Rafael Betancourt, Matt Lindstrom, Franklin Morales, Manny Delcarmen, Eric Stults, Huston Street (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Chris Iannetta
1B Todd Helton
2B Jose Lopez
3B Ian Stewart
SS Troy Tulowitzki
LF Carlos Gonzales
CF Dexter Fowler
RF Seth Smith
San Diego Padres
Key additions: INF Jorge Cantu (FLA), RHP Chad Qualls (HOU), INF/OF Brad Hawpe (COL), CF Cameron Maybin (FLA), 2B Orlando Hudson (LAD), RHP Aaron Harang (CIN), SS Jason Bartlett (TB), C Rob Johnson (SEA)
Rotation:
Tim Stauffer, Clayton Richard, Aaron Harang, Dustin Moseley
Bullpen:
Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams, Chad Qualls, Pat Neshek, Samuel Deduno, Heath Bell (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Nick Hundley
1B Brad Hawpe
2B Orlando Hudson
3B Chase Headley
SS Jason Bartlett
LF Ryan Ludwick
CF Cameron Maybin
RF Will Venable
Los Angeles Dodgers
Key additions: OF Marcus Thames (NYY), RHP Lance Cormier (PHI), INF Aaron Miles (STL), OF Jay Gibbons (BAL), RHP Jon Garland (LAA), INF Juan Uribe (SF)
Rotation:
Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Hiroko Kuroda, Jon Garland
Bullpen:
Hong-Chih Kuo, Kenley Jansen, Matt Guerrier, Ramon Troncoso, Blake Hawksworth, Jonathan Broxton (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Rod Barajas
1B James Loney
2B Jamey Carroll
3B Juan Uribe
SS Rafael Furcal
LF Tony Gwynn, Jr.
CF Matt Kemp
RF Andre Ethier
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. Colorado Rockies
4. San Diego Padres
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
Key additions: INF Russell Branyan (SEA), 2B Kelly Johnson (ATL), LHP Joe Saunders (LAA), INF Geoff Blum (HOU), LHP Zach Duke (PIT), INF Melvin Mora (BAL), C Henry Blanco (NYM), OF Xavier Nady (CHC), RHP J.J. Putz (CWS)
Rotation:
Ian Kennedy, Joe Saunders, Daniel Hudson, Barry Enright, Aaron Heilman
Bullpen:
David Hernandez, Juan Gutierrez, Sam Demel, Kam Mickolio, Emerling Valdez, J.J. Putz (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Miguel Montero
1B Juan Miranda
2B Kelly Johnson
3B Melvin Mora
SS Stephen Drew
LF Xavier Nady
CF Chris Young
RF Justin Upton
San Francisco Giants
Key additions: RHP Guillermo Mota, SS Miguel Tejada
Rotation:
Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner, Barry Zito
Bullpen:
Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Guillermo Mota, Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo, Brian Wilson (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Buster Posey
1B Aubrey Huff
2B Freddy Sanchez
3B Pablo Sandoval
SS Miguel Tejada
LF Pat Burrell
CF Andres Torres
RF Cody Ross
Colorado Rockies
Key additions: RHP John Maine (NYM), LHP Eric Stults (LAD), 2B Jose Lopez (SEA), INF Ty Wigginton (BAL), RHP Manny Delcarmen (BOS)
Rotation:
Ubaldo Jimenez, Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Hammel, Jhoulys Chacin, Esmil Rogers
Bullpen:
Matt Belisle, Rafael Betancourt, Matt Lindstrom, Franklin Morales, Manny Delcarmen, Eric Stults, Huston Street (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Chris Iannetta
1B Todd Helton
2B Jose Lopez
3B Ian Stewart
SS Troy Tulowitzki
LF Carlos Gonzales
CF Dexter Fowler
RF Seth Smith
San Diego Padres
Key additions: INF Jorge Cantu (FLA), RHP Chad Qualls (HOU), INF/OF Brad Hawpe (COL), CF Cameron Maybin (FLA), 2B Orlando Hudson (LAD), RHP Aaron Harang (CIN), SS Jason Bartlett (TB), C Rob Johnson (SEA)
Rotation:
Tim Stauffer, Clayton Richard, Aaron Harang, Dustin Moseley
Bullpen:
Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams, Chad Qualls, Pat Neshek, Samuel Deduno, Heath Bell (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Nick Hundley
1B Brad Hawpe
2B Orlando Hudson
3B Chase Headley
SS Jason Bartlett
LF Ryan Ludwick
CF Cameron Maybin
RF Will Venable
Los Angeles Dodgers
Key additions: OF Marcus Thames (NYY), RHP Lance Cormier (PHI), INF Aaron Miles (STL), OF Jay Gibbons (BAL), RHP Jon Garland (LAA), INF Juan Uribe (SF)
Rotation:
Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Hiroko Kuroda, Jon Garland
Bullpen:
Hong-Chih Kuo, Kenley Jansen, Matt Guerrier, Ramon Troncoso, Blake Hawksworth, Jonathan Broxton (CL)
Starting Lineup:
C Rod Barajas
1B James Loney
2B Jamey Carroll
3B Juan Uribe
SS Rafael Furcal
LF Tony Gwynn, Jr.
CF Matt Kemp
RF Andre Ethier
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