2011 NL EAST preview

NL EAST Predictions:
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Atlanta Braves
3. New York Mets
4. Washington Nationals
5. Florida Marlins

Florida Marlins
Key additions: RHP Javier Vasquez, LHP Randy Choate, 2B Omar Infante, RHP Burke Badenhop, C John Buck, INF Greg Dobbs

Rotation:
Josh Johnson, Javier Vasquez, Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad, Anibal Sanchez

Bullpen:
Clay Hensley, Ryan Webb, Randy Choate, Mike Nunn, Edward Mujica, Leo Nunez (CL)

Starting Lineup:
C    John Buck
1B  Gaby Sanchez
2B  Omar Infante
3B  Wes Helms
SS  Hanley Ramirez
LF  Logan Morrison
CF Chris Coghlan
RF Mike Stanton

Atlanta Braves
Key additions: RHP Rodrigo Lopez (BAL), 2B Dan Uggla (FLA), RHP Scott Linebrink (CWS), INF/OF Eric Hinske (BOS)

Rotation:
Derek Lowe
Tim Hudson
Tommy Hanson
Jair Jurrgens
Mike Minor

Bullpen:
Scott Linebrink, Peter Moylan, Scott Proctor, Jonny Venters, Craig Kimbrel, George Sherrill (CL)

Starting Lineup:
C    Brian McCann
1B  Freddi Freeman
2B  Dan Uggla
3B  Chipper Jones
SS  Alex Gonzales
LF  Martin Prado
CF Nate McClouth
RF Jason Heyward

Washington Nationals
Key additions: LHP Oliver Perez (NYM), 1B Adam LaRoche, LHP Tom Gorzelanny (CHC), INF/OF Jerry Hairston, INF Alex Cora, OF Rick Ankiel, OF Jayson Werth (PHI), OF/1B Matt Stairs

Rotation:
Livan Hernandez
John Lannan
Jason Marquis
Jordan Zimmerman
Tom Gorzelanny

Bullpen: Tyler Clippard, Sean Burnett, Todd Coffey, Doug Slaten, Craig Stammen, Drew Storen (CL)

Starting Lineup:
C    Ivan Rodriguez
1B  Adam LaRoche
2B  Danny Espinosa
3B  Ryan Zimmerman
SS  Ian Desmond
LF  Michael Morse
CF Rick Ankiel
RF Jayson Werth

New York Mets
Key additions:  RHP R.A Dickey (TEX), RHP Chris Young (SD), OF Scott Hairston, OF Willie Harris, LHP Chris Capuano, C Ronny Paulino (PIT). Named Terry Collins Manager (11/22/10)

Rotation:
Mike Pelfrey
Jonathan Niese
R.A. Dickey
Chris Young
Chris Capuano
Johan Santana (currently of DL to start season)

Bullpen: Bobby Parnell, D.J. Carrasco, Taylor Buchholz, Pat Misch, Francisco Rodriguez (CL)

Starting Lineup:
C    Ronny Paulino
1B  Ike Davis
2B  Brad Emaus
3B  David Wright
SS  Jose Reyes
LF  Jason Bay
CF Angel Pagan
RF Carlos Beltran

Philadelphia Phillies
Key additions:  INF/OF Delwyn Young, 2B Luis Castillo, LHP Cliff Lee (TEX)

Rotation:
Roy Halladay
Cliff Lee
Cole Hamels
Roy Oswalt
Joe Blanton

Bullpen:  J.C. Romero, Danys Baez, Kyle Kendrick, Ryan Madson, Jose Contreras (CL)

Starting Lineup:
C    Carlos Ruiz
1B  Ryan Howard
2B  Chase Utley
3B  Placido Polanco
SS  Jimmy Rollins
LF  Raul Ibanez
CF Shane Victorino
RF Ben Francisco



Butler Bulldogs: 2011 and How It's Happening (Again)!!

With Butler losing Gordon Hayward to the NBA draft after his sophomore season and BU's magical run to almost winning the National Championship over Duke, they were considered to just have a mediocre season by many critics out there in the world of college basketball.

Being pretty much embarrassed at Louisville in mid-November, 88-73, people were talking about how much Hayward was already missed in the Bulldog offense. That could be true, but one player isn't the difference, not in their case. In early December, they had a rematch with of the National Championship game with #1 Duke on a neutral court, losing 82-70, but stuck close to the Blue Devils for most of the game. Five days later, Butler dropped a heart breaker at Xavier, 51-49.

That short two-game losing skid to Duke and Xavier lit a spark in this group. They then rolled off 10 wins in their next 12 games, including big wins during the holidays over Stanford, Utah, Florida State and Washington State.

Butler lost its next three games to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Valparaiso and Youngstown State. This was the wake-up call that Brad Stevens' squad needed in a big way. They've now won 13 games in a row and are in the Final Four this weekend in Houston.

Those wins include:
- Horizon League championship against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on its home floor, 59-44
- a buzzer-beater over Old Dominion in the first game of the NCAA Tournament, 60-58
- beating 1-seeded Pittsburgh in the final seconds on Matt Howard's free throw, 71-70
- dominating 4-seed Wisconsin 61-54 in a Sweet 16 game, where Butler led by 20 (47-27) with 11:34 left
- Shocked the basketball world (again) by beating 2-seed Florida in an epic battle 74-71 (OT) and   advancing to their second straight Final Four

Butler was considered a possible one-and-done against Old Dominion. Matt Howard's heroic offensive rebound and tip-in off the glass with 0.2 seconds left lifted the Bulldogs over the Monarchs, 60-58.

Playing 1-seed Pittsburgh, Butler was considered a big underdog by most, simply because Pittsburgh came from the giant conference of the Big East and won the regular season title. Not the case by any means. Butler overcame Pittsburgh's big gun shooters and tall towers that normally dominate the rebounding department. A unique sequence of fouls in the final seconds, turned the tide Butler's way in this battle with the Panthers. It started with Andrew Smith made a layup with 2.2 left. On the ensuing inbound play, Shelvin Mack tightly guarded Gilbert Brown near the half court line and brush against Brown enough for a foul to be called. Brown made one of two free throws to tie the game at 70. Upon Brown missing his second attempt, Matt Howard pulled down the rebound and was immediately fouled by Nasir Robinson. Howard made the first of two charity stripe attempts and Butler upset 1-seed Pittsburgh, 71-70, advancing to the Sweet 16.

Butler managed to dominate 4-Wisconsin for a majority of this Sweet 16 game. Leading 33-24 at halftime, the Bulldogs built a 47-27 lead with 11:34 remaining. Wisconsin wasn't real happy with being down like that, so they went on a 22-6 run to make it just a 53-49 Butler lead with 1:40 left. After a Bulldog timeout, with Butler dominating defensively and rebounding, Wisconsin was forced to foul. The rest is history as Butler held on for a 61-54 win over the Badgers and a second straight appearance in the Elite 8.

2-seeded Florida awaited the 8-seed Bulldogs for a shot at the Final Four. An Alex Tyus jumper with 9:25 remaining in regulation put the Gators up 51-40, their largest lead of the game. Down the stretch, the Gators and Bulldogs were neck-and-neck, Florida leading narrowly. Toward the end of regulation, Matt Howard came through again with 0:30 left with a free throw to tie it at 60. Freshman Khyle Marshall came through in the clutch. With a huge offensive rebound and basket, Marshall also made his free throw to break the 62-62 tie for a 65-62 Butler lead with 3:33 left in overtime. Four Ronald Nored swishes and two by Shelvin Mack from the charity stripe, along with a Mack 3, were a punch right the the Gators' jugular. Butler held on in overtime for a 74-71 victory and a second straight trip to the Final Four, a rarity in college basketball by any standards!!

Next, 8-seeded Butler (27-9) faces another high seeded team in 11-seed Virginia Commonwealth (28-11) in the first National Semifinal of this weekend's Final Four in Houston, Texas. The winner will face the winner of the second National Semifinal, which pits 4-seed Kentucky (29-8) against 3-seeded Connecticut (30-9).

There are more believers out there than there used to be. It's been reported that only two people in the ESPN pool of brackets has actually predicted both Butler and VCU to advance to the Final Four. Days of people having a perfect bracket are over. The NCAA Tournament is now where there are many pairs of "glass slippers," unfortunately there are only certain pairs that still fit. Butler is no longer considered an underdog. They're legit and we're all very aware of what the Bulldogs are capable of and they're proving it on a game-by-game basis. Kentucky and Connecticut have programs with storied, rich basketball histories. Virginia Commonwealth is still wearing the glass slippers and we'll find out if those slippers still fit when they meet up with the new "America's team" on Saturday night, the Butler Bulldogs.

Thursday night's games...BUTLER BULLDOGS WIN!!!!!!

Alright, I'll admit that I was 1-3 in my predictions that I made in yesterday's blog, but you and I both know that most of our brackets have taken quite the dump in the past week! Yes, Butler beating Wisconsin was my only win in last night's four games. It's probably a good thing that I don't bet on games like a few friends that I know or I'd be in the hole, just from last night!

WEST Regional (Anaheim, CA)

Connecticut 74, San Diego State 67

UConn just keeps on truckin' through the tournament just like they did with the Big East Tournament. The Huskies won five games in five days to capture the Big East crown in New York two weeks ago. They continued their 8-game winning streak Thursday night with a 74-67 hard-fought victory over San Diego State (34-3), advancing to the Elite 8 to take on Arizona on Saturday.

Kemba Walker (36) and freshman Jeremy Lamb (24) combined for 60 points and almost outscored the Aztecs themselves. The Huskies seem like the Energizer bunny, they just keep going and going and going! It seems like it's full-steam ahead as UConn (29-9) keeps rolling over opponents on a mission to get back to the Final Four.

Walker scored 22 of his game-high 36 in the second half. "I'm just trying to do the best I can do," said Walker, who scored 12 straight points for UConn in the final minutes. "Whether it's scoring, talking, getting their confidence up or giving an assist, I'm just trying to do whatever is possible to enhance this team." (courtesy of cbssports.com)

Connecticut is headed to its 10th Elite 8 appearance, winning National Championships in 1999 and 2004 and will face Arizona on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

Arizona 93, Duke 77

Derrick Williams put it to Duke and did it right away on Thursday night. Scoring 25 of his game-high 32 points, Williams and his Arizona (30-7) teammates dominated the 1-seed Duke Blue Devils (32-5) from tip-off en route to their first Elite 8 appearance since 2005.

"As a team, we came together and willed ourselves to win," said Lamont Jones, who added 16 points. "Derrick is a great player, but we all contribute." (cbssports.com)

Along with Williams' 32 and Jones' 16, Solomon Hill added 13 points for the Wildcats, who shot 54 percent and made 9 of 15 3-pointers, including five by Williams. Williams had 13 rebounds to help his team dominate the boards, 40-27, while playing 15 minutes from his hometown of La Mirada.

"It makes me feel great," he said. "If we win this game on Saturday, we'll be known as one of the greatest Arizona teams to play." (cbssports.com)

"A lot of people counted us out," Jones said. "We kept on beating on the door, beating on the door until we were in." (cbssports.com)

SOUTHEAST Regional (New Orleans, LA)

Florida 83, BYU 74 (OT)

Alex Tyus and his Florida Gator teammates did what it took to knock Jimmer Fredette and the BYU Cougars (32-5) out of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night. Tyus scored 19 and grabbed 17 rebounds, while Kenny Boynton also chipped in 17, while Erving Walker and Chandler Parsons both notched 16 each for the victorious Gators (29-7).

"The thing about Alex is he never really gets fazed with the moment or with what's going on," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "One of the things I've tried to pull out of him and get him to see is that when he has a lot of activity and he's flying around the court, because of his athleticism, he's got a great ability to impact a game."

Donovan is trying to get back to the Final Four for the first time since the Gators won back-to-back National Championships in 2006 and 2007.

"It's been so rewarding for me to see them make the journey they've made to this point now," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "It's been very, very rewarding and fulfilling for me, and I hope in some way I've been able to give them as much as they've given me." (cbssports.com)

Jimmer Fredette guided his Cougar teammates in the best way he know possible, but he didn't receive enough help from them as they fell short in overtime by nine. Fredette finished his illustrious career as a BYU Cougar with 32 points on 11-for-29 shooting.

Florida's defense sensed that Jimmer was pretty frustrated. "That's just a credit to our guys on defense - especially Kenny Boynton," Chandler Parsons said. "He stayed with him and made it difficult for him out there." (cbssports.com)

The Gators will have a tough task when they face Butler at 4:30 p.m. Saturday

Butler 61, Wisconsin 54

Butler's defense was honestly just too much for Wisconsin's normally hot outside shooters to handle on Thursday night in New Orleans. Senior leadership from Matt Howard and Shawn Vanzant helped propel the 8-seed Bulldogs to a Sweet 16 victory over 4-seeded Wisconsin Badgers, 61.54. Howard led Butler with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Vanzant had 10 points and 4 assists and Shelvin Mack pitched in 13 points. Khyle Marshall (7 points, 7 rebounds) and Andrew Smith (8 points, 6 rebounds) were also very key components to the Bulldogs' success against the Badgers.

Smith looked to be out for the game with a twisted ankle, but returned to the lineup late in the second half.

"A lot of people just ignored us and said, 'Aw, they'll probably lose in the first or second round," Butler center Andrew Smith said after the Bulldogs won their 12th consecutive game since Feb. 5. "Here we are again, trying to prove everybody wrong. We'll try to win three more." (cbssports.com)

Jordan Taylor led the way for Wisconsin with 22 points, while Keaton Nankivil dropped in 9. Senior Jon Leuer was defended pretty well and was held to 3 points and 6 rebounds.

"We made plays that were uncharacteristic of us," Leuer said. "We tried to force some things and Butler did some good things defensively. They're just tough kids who are all around good players and they play to their strengths." (cbssports.com)

Leading 33-24 at halftime, Butler had things going their way from the get-go. They began the second half on a 9-0 run to lead 42-24 and led 47-27 with 11:32 left. They did get a little bit of a scare as Wisconsin gave it one last push to try and pull off the comeback of all comebacks. The Badgers pulled to within four at 53-49 with 1:38 remaining in regulation.

"That's human nature, a little bit," Butler coach Brad Stevens said of what he perceived as a letdown by his players after they had been firmly in control. "I really, in the moment, was disappointed in the way we played and now I don't care. Let's move on. That's the way I feel about it now. I'm not worried about it."

Butler made 6-of-8 free throws in the final 39 seconds to secure the Sweet 16 win to advance to the Elite 8 on Saturday night versus the Florida Gators

"We just needed to put a few more minutes together here tonight so we could keep dancing. But the music stopped tonight," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. "We wish Butler luck in their journey for what they're looking for." (cbssports.com)

Butler (26-9) will continue its quest for a second consecutive Final Four appearance when they meet up with the Florida Gators on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Check back Saturday midday for my Elite 8 picks! GO BUTLER BULLDOGS!!!!!!

Sweet 16: Thursday's games

Here's a look at what's coming up tonight in the NCAA Tournament.

WEST Regional:

2-San Diego State vs. 3-UConn: 7:15 pm tip-off
At this point in the NCAA Tournament, it's best to just throw the seeds out the window and take a look at the match-ups for what they are. These teams have advanced as far as they have for reasons that the other 48 tournament teams aren't in the Sweet 16. Bottom line.

One advantage that San Diego State is going to have is that they got on chartered buses and took a trip 90 minutes north of San Diego to Anaheim, where the West Regionals are being held. UConn, on the other hand, has traveled across the country from Storrs, Connecticut to Anaheim, 2.930 miles later to make their appearance in the Sweet 16.

It's going to be Kawhi Leonard vs. Kemba Walker. No other match-up is being focused on more in this 2-3 tilt at 7:15pm tonight that this. Leonard averages 15.4 points and 10.7 rebounds, while Walker puts up 23.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

With UConn's rich NCAA Tournament history under head coach Jim Calhoun, they're obviously expected to show-up the higher seeded Aztecs. San Diego State has something else in mind.

"You see the rankings and you see us up there, but people don't really know much about us," Aztecs forward Tim Shelton said. "We're finally getting an opportunity to let people see what we're about. Our guys feed off that. We understand that we're seen as a mid-major, so people feel like (we) don't deserve it because (we) don't consistently play the same type of competition. But we've won 34 games. That's a whole lot of wins."

My pick: San Diego State

1-Duke vs. 5-Arizona: 9:45 tip-off (approx.)
The Duke Blue Devils are the defending National Champions. They're expected to win this game. But, the Arizona Wildcats want something to be said about them possibly upsetting Duke.

All-American Arizona forward Derrick Williams gives head coach Sean Miller's Wildcats 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds a game. They're no slouch. They won the Pac-10 regular season title and have quite honestly caught one team by surprise thus far in the NCAA Tournament. They took down 4-seed Texas last weekend and are quite excited to move onto the Sweet 16, and somewhat close to home as well.

They'll have their work cut out for them for sure, to say the least. Duke is led by seniors Kyle Singler (16.9) and Nolan Smith (21.0) in scoring, not to mention 16.4 from freshmen Kyrie Irving, who's coming off a toe injury back in early December vs. Butler. Irving's only played 10 games now, but will be a vital role in Duke's success down the stretch.

"He played significant minutes last week when I thought he was going to play limited minutes, so I mentioned that he will play significant minutes tomorrow," Mike Krzyzewski said. "I don't know what the hell that means. It means he's going to play great minutes hopefully."

I personally think that Duke overmatches Arizona, even though this game will be a somewhat close game because of the type of speed game that the Wildcats like to play.

My pick: Duke

Southeast Regional:

3-BYU vs. 2-Florida: 7:27pm tip-off
Even though All-American Jimmer Fredette averages 28.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, Florida knows that BYU has gotten this far with much more than Jimmer's heroic scoring. They're a squad that has nine players that average 11-plus minutes per game, six that average 20-plus minutes. Jackson Emery (12.6 points, 2.8 steals), Kyle Collinsworth (9 rebounds) and Noah Hartsock (6 rebounds, 2 blocks) are also key contributors to the Cougars' offensive attack to compliment Fredette.

Florida also spreads the playing time around. Seven players average more than 17 minutes per game. Erving Walker (14.7) and Kenny Boynton (14.0) lead the Gators in scoring, while Chandler Parsons also averages 11.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.

This first game in New Orleans will be quite the tune-up for the nightcap of Butler-Wisconsin. Florida is being looked at as an overrated 2-seed and BYU is trying to make people believe that they're a legit 3-seed, even without guard Brandon Davies, who was dismissed from the team last month for violating team rules. I guess having consensual sex with your girlfriend is frowned upon in a state where polygamy is accepted with open arms, haha! BYU has been just fine without Davies' help though. Jimmer will have his normal supporting cast with him tonight in The Big Easy, ready to take the Louisiana Superdome by storm!

"He gets all the attention, but deservedly so," BYU forward Noah Hartsock said. "It's fun watching him going out there and play. I think it helps our team because we get a lot of national exposure."

Fredette's given the school that exposure and they're eating up every bit of it! It's Jimmer-mania, as they're calling it.

My pick: BYU

8-Butler vs. 4-Wisconsin: 9:57 tip-off (approx.)
Tell me that you actually knew that Butler would be in the Sweet 16...can you do that??!! I sure can! I had them beating Pittsburgh, the Big East regular season champions. There aren't many that had the Bulldogs advancing far into this season's NCAA Tournament, because they're missing a key scorer from last year's NCAA Championship game run in Gordon Hayward. New season, same style with these Bulldogs. Different players step up and are counted upon with this Brad Stevens group.

Butler and Wisconsin aren't teams that rely on the media to beef them up to be this or that. They rely on what they do on the court. These two teams are quiet and they're just fine with that.

"They don't beat themselves so we're going to have to beat them," Wisconsin freshman Josh Gasser said. "That's a lot like how we play."

Gasser couldn't have said it any better really. Wisconsin and Butler don't have the flashy scorers. You could honestly call these two teams, two of the hardest working teams in the country, blue collar, if you will. Jon Leuer (18.7) and Jordan Taylor (18.0) lead the Badgers in scoring. They are complimented by the other three starters in Keaton Nankivil, Mike Bruesewitz and Josh Gasser, who combine for around 19 between the three.

Senior Matt Howard leads Butler with 16.7 points and 7.7 rebounds a game, while Shelvin Mack's 15.5 (22.5 in the NCAA Tournament) keeps the Bulldog scoring pretty consistent. This Butler team is slightly different, but yet the same kind of team they were a year ago when they made their Final Four run home to Indianapolis.

"It's definitely the character of the team -- the combination of a lot of things," Butler senior Zach Hahn said. "Guys are willing and able to step up when it's their time. It's about putting the team above self."


If that happens, Butler may very well find itself in a second-straight Final Four, which would be an unprecedented accomplishment for a so-called mid-major program. Just don't expect the Bulldogs to party on Bourbon Street.

My pick: Butler

Check back tomorrow during the day for Sweet 16 previews and predictions of the East and Southwest Regionals.

Los Angeles Angels 2011 preview

The biggest question this season is if/when will the Angels overtake the Texas Rangers in the AL West at some point this season. When will Kendrys Morales come off the Disabled List and be back to the consisten first basemen that he normally can be on a yearly basis? What kind of bullpen support will these Angels have until they get to the back of the bullpen where the confidence sits?

Vernon Wells was brought in via trade. He was traded from Toronto to the Angels for OF Juan Rivera and C/1B Mike Napoli. The Angels hated to see them do it, but sometimes a player has to hang up a career. That's exactly what OF Garrett Anderson and Right-handed relief pitcher Scot Shields did during the off-season. They both decided that it's time to retire and put their playing days behind them. While the Angels organization will miss the big bat and outfield play of Anderson and great relief work that Shields gave them, they will move on they thank those two for their contributions over the years.

Manager Mike Sciocia enters his 12th season with the Angels. In first 11 years, Sciocia has made the playoffs in six of those seasons, including a 2002 World Series Championship over the San Francisco. He has a career record of 980-802 with eight winning seasons.

The starting rotation is one of the best, on paper that is. Top to bottom, this lineup could do some serious damage in the American League this season.

1- Jered Weaver
2- Dan Haren
3- Ervin Santana
4- Scott Kazmir
5- Joel Piniero

The bullpen is what should concern manager Mike Sciocia. Scotty Downs will help lead the middle relieft department, along with Kevin Jespen, Rich Thompson, Hisonari Takahashi and set-up man Francisco Rodriguez. Fernando Rodney assumes the Closer role on a full-time basis this season. Rodney should be comfortable in those shoes, somewhat. He was the Closer for Detroit in 2009 with 37 saves, also had 14 saves and 21 holds in 72 appearances last year of out the Angels' pen.

The Angels might be playing more small ball than hitting for power in 2011. They don't pose to be a threat for the longball. Bobby Abreu, Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter aren't the young pups that they used to be. This group of Angels will probably get it done as best as possible while competing with the Rangers for the AL West title, but it obviously won't be an easy task. This lineup also has the feel that they will probably run on some teams and make them work.

C  Jeff Mathis
1B Mark Trumbo (Kendrys Morales on DL to start the season)
2B Howie Kendrick
SS Erick Aybar
3B Maicer Izturis
LF Vernon Wells
CF Reggie Willits
RF Torii Hunter
DH Bobby Abreu

To be honest, I've never heard of Mark Trumbo. Maybe he'll be a decent replacement for Morales while he's rehabing from his leg injury. Jeff Mathis will be okay at Catcher, but I don't think he's as good as Mike Napoli, who's now in Toronto from the Vernon Wells trade. Only time will tell what will happen for this Los Angeles Angels team. They'll find out for sure next Thursday, March 31st when they visit the Kansas City Royals for an opening weekend four-game series at Kauffman Stadium.

AL West finish: 2nd (right behind Texas)

Chicago White Sox 2011 preview

Now that the DH role is filled with the arrival of Adam Dunn from the Washington Nationals in the off-season, the Chicago White Sox may want to focus on their bullpen and how it's going to help out their starting rotation.

GM Kenny Williams did sign RHP Phil Humber and LHP Will Ohman to lend a hand, but letting Closer Bobby Jenks head off to Boston won't help things. Jesse Crain also was acquired from Minnesota as a middle reliever. In order to compete better or possibly win the AL Central Division this season, you would have thought that the White Sox would have made more moves than bringing in Adam Dunn's bat. Hopefully he doesn't think that will make up for the fact that his closer is now in Boston.

Manager Ozzie Guillen is entering his 8th season in the White Sox dugout. In seven years on Chicago's southside, Guillen is 600-535, with a World Series Championship in 2005 over the Houston Astros. During the 2005 World Series title playoff run, the Sox went a remarkable 11-1 in the playoffs, including a 4-0 series sweeping of the Astros for the World Championship. Prior to rejoining the White Sox as manager in 2004, Ozzie was the third base coach for the 2003 World Series Champion Florida Marlins.

Guillen has to feel somewhat comfortable with his starting rotation. Led by ace LHP Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Jake Peavy and Edwin Jackson round of the remainder of the five-man rotation. On Tuesday, March 22, Jake Peavy was sidelined because of shoulder pain. He'll probably be under close watch by the White Sox training staff as we're approaching the season in a week and a half.

Jesse Crain, Chris Sale, Tony Pena Jr., Will Ohman and Sergio Santos will be counted on to be the middle relievers. Matt Thornton has inherited the Closer role in the Sox pen. With 81 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.67 in 60 2/3 innings in 2010, Thornton might be what Guillen is looking for in a Closer to replace Jenks.

With a very seasoned, veteran lineup in the field, the White Sox should be in quite the dogfight with Minnesota for the Central crown this season. The only question is what kind of platooning will happen at third base. Mark Teahen and Brent Morel will all share time, as well as Omar Vizquel getting time at the hot corner, along with being the backup shortstop and second baseman.

C    A.J. Pierzynski
1B  Paul Konerko
2B Gordon Beckham
SS Alexei Ramirez
3B Brent Morel (or Mark Teahen)
LF Juan Pierre
CF Alex Rios
RF Carlos Quentin
DH Adam Dunn

With the strong bats of Konerko, Rios, Quentin and Dunn and the base-running legs of Beckham, Ramirez and Pierre, look for the Chicago White Sox to make a lot of noise this year. The Southsiders open the season on the road at Jacobs Field to face the Cleveland Indians on Friday, April 1st, diving right into AL Central Division action.

AL Central prediction: 1st

Cleveland Indians 2011 preview

Speaking of teams that need help! The Indians aren't as in need as the Royals, but let's face it, they're going to fight for the bottom of the AL Central with Kansas City.

Manny Acta enters his second season with Cleveland, going 69-93 in 2010. He was also that manager of the Washington Nationals from 07-09, where he was 158-252 before getting fired at the All-Star break midway through the 2009 season.

Cleveland did a very subpar job of shopping for talent during the off-season, but at least they picked up anyone at all. Veteran infielder Orlando Cabrera, OF Austin Kearns, INF Adam Everett and RHP Chad Durbin are the makup of the Indians' off-season transactions.

They might need to think about acquiring a big name pitcher to come and save them on the mound. Fausto Carmona is going to be pulling a lot of weight being the ace of the staff this season. He'll be backed up by Justin Masterson, Jeanmar Gomez, Carlos Carrasco and Josh Tomlin. Carmona might not be the ace that Cleveland wants to get them back to their winning ways. I honestly think that the Indians need a somewhat bigger named pitcher to take some of the load off of Carmona.

The bullpen is in need of really desperate help. Have you ever heard of Tony Sipp, Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, Jensen Lewis and (CL) Chris Perez?? I haven't either, so I'd have to say that I feel bad for Manny Acta in that aspect of having a subpar starting rotation and to follow it up with an even weaker bullpen that will faulter on command this season. Good luck with this team Manny, really!

The starting lineup is a mix of veterans and youngblood that could produce some runs that may or may not save the pitching staff.

C Carlos Santana (I wonder if this one plays guitar too?!)
1B Matt LaPorta
2B Orlando Cabrera
SS Asdrubal Cabrera (or Adam Everett)
3B Jayson Nix
LF Michael Brantley
CF Grady Sizemore
RF Shin-Soo Choo
DH Travis Hafner

This team has potential to do something with the bats, but like I said, I'm not sure if it'll be enough at points during the season to save the pitching staff from looking like opponents are taking batting practice on them for 9 innings at a time!

AL Central prediction: 4th