Boys of Summer are Getting Ready!

By Razor Sharp Sports

OK, so I am sitting here in Wisconsin looking out the window and seeing a couple feet of snow outside.  The weatherman is predicting another 6 inches tomorrow.  It is hard to believe that we are just 10 days away from pitchers and catchers starting to report for Spring Training.  Well the Saints are bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Bourbon Street and the NASCAR guys (and girl) are driving around Daytona, so I guess we better get ready for the Boys of Summer.  Last year New York Yankees took home their record 27th World Series title.  Once again the Bronx Bombers will be the favorite to bring home the title, but who else can make a run?

     Taking a look at the odds to win the World Series, the Yanks are sitting as the favorite at about 7/2.  The others that have small numbers would be the Yankees opponent in last year’s World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies at 13/2 and the Yanks main rival in the AL East, the Boston Red Sox at 7/1.  The next 3 would be the Dodgers at 13/1, The Cardinals at 14/1 and the Angels at 29/2.   Things start to become a little longer after that.  The Rockies are at 17/1 and the Giants are at 18/1.  Then we go to 22/1 where we find the Braves and the Cubs.  At 25/1 we find a group of 7.  They are the Tigers, the Marlins, the Twins, the Mets, the Mariners, the Rays and the Rangers.  After that you can pretty much forget about everyone else.  That is why my overall interest, and I believe many fans interest, in baseball continues to dwindel.  Unlike  the NFL, where everyone truly has a chance as they head into the season, baseball’s pay structure, with no salary cap, takes away the small market teams.
      So what are the big changes as we head into 2010.  #1 would have to be the big trade that sent Roy Halladay to Philadelphia and Cliff Lee to Seattle.  Godzilla has left New York, as Hideki Matsui has gone from the Yankees to the Angels.  Jason Bay has come to the Big Apple to play with the Mets from Boston.  The Cards kept Matt Holliday, resigning the slugger to protect Albert Pujols.  The Angels lost a couple of long time mainstays as Vladimir Guerrero is now with the Rangers and Chone Figgins is in Seattle.  The Halos did pick up closer Fernando Rodney and they resigned Bobby Abreu.  The Twins brought in JJ Hardy to replace Orlando Cabrera at Shortstop.  Cabrera is now in Cincinnati.  The Twins also added aging Slugger Jim Thome. The Brewers lost often injured hurler Ben Sheets, but have replaced him with past Brewer Doug Davis from Arizona and Randy Wolf from the Dodgers.  So with all those moves and many others, how have things changed?  Not that much.
     I still think that the Yankees are the team to beat in the AL, but I still do question their pitching staff.  But when you have the offensive line-up like they have, you can afford a few extra runs allowed.  The Red Sox haven’t stepped up this off season and the loss of Bay could really leave a whole in the middle of their line-up.  The Angels will have quite a few new faces, but I would have to put them in the #2 spot in the AL.  If Minnesota can stay healthy on the mound, the M&M combo of Mauer and Morneau could make some noise in the Central. I also think that the Mariners have made some moves that could make them a playoff contender. In the NL I see the Phillies being the favorite to head to their 3rd straight World Series.  The one team that may get back in the action this year is the NY Mets.  They were so decimated by injury last year.  If they can get healthy, and the addition of Bay, could put them back in the hunt.  It is hard to not keep an eye on a team with Pujols and Holliday in the middle of the line-up, so watch for the Cardinals.  The Giants has quietly put together the toughest pitching staff in baseball with “The Freak” Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain,  Barry Zito,  & Johnathan Sanchez.
     So here you go, my World Series prediction.  I am going to go away from the favorite and take the Minnesota Twins in the AL.  OK, so maybe I am just wishing, but if the pitching staff stays healthy the new Target Field should see plenty of W for the home team.  In the NL I am going with the St Louis Cardinals.  I am calling for a repeat of the 1987 World Series and since I took them this far, lets go with my Twins to win it all!   Just because we are talking baseball here doesn’t mean we aren’t focused in on the hoops.  Get all our winning hoops by going to www.FreePlays.com.  You can also get free winners daily there, so make sure you check it our everyday and if you can’t get to a computer, you can always get a free winner by calling the Razor Sharp Free Pick Phone @ 1-800-549-7111. Good Luck!