1) Phillies Rotation….Best Ever?
A lot has been said and written about this Phillies rotation: Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Oswalt. This group will go down in the annals as the best set of starters ever put together. The four combined last year for a 2.84 ERA, which is better than both the ’71 Orioles (Cueller, Dobson, Palmer, McNally, 2.89 ERA combined) and the ’93 Braves (Maddux, Glavine, Avery, Smoltz 3.14 ERA combined). Obviously they are currently only good on paper, and the big question mark of course is age, but if they can all stay healthy, they might go down as the best ever, especially in this hitter dominant age.
2) The Return of the Mustache
This has been going on for a while now, but last night watching the Blue Jays and seeing Travis Snider saunter to the plate with his stache made me smile. Baseball used to be all about moustaches, and certain players had some great ones. Don Mattingly, Wade Boggs, Goose Gossage, Rod Beck, Keith Hernandez – those were some great staches. Guys are bringing them back! This could be the best year for mustaches in a decade.
3) The Baltimore Orioles are Back (not just b/c Jon says so)
Don’t sleep on the O’s this year. It has been a long, long time since the Orioles did anything productive in an off-season, and it has been even longer since they have been a legitimate AL East threat. I believe this years Orioles will scare the other teams in their division who play with Monopoly money. One down year and people have forgotten that Nick Markakis is an excellent player. Adam Jones is getting better. Weiters is getting better. Matusz is legit. Add the power (and K) threat of Mark Reynolds and the still intimidating Vlad Guerrero and this team is for real. Even as a Red Sox fan I can say this is very good for baseball. Baltimore has good fans and they deserve a good team.
4) The Reinvigoration of Giants vs. Dodgers
It took the Giants returning to championship form, but one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports seems to be reinvigorated. These teams used to hate each other. Back when justice and disputes were resolved on the playing field these guys were the masters at sliding spikes first, throwing at the head, and charging the mound. Sal Maglie was a head-hunter, Jackie Robinson was never afraid of a scrap, and Duke Snider was as tough as the came. Many in this new generation of Giants and Dodgers are home grown, and I have to believe that they are learned in the rich history between the two franchises. They may have transplanted coasts, but I believe the bad blood is still coursing through the Giants’ and Dodgers’ veins.
5) Albert Pujols wins First Batting Triple Crown Since Yaz
It has been 44 years since it has been done, but I think Albert’s unique skill set, and pursuit of a contract extension, will combine with the alignment of the stars and he will finally lead the league in average, home runs, and RBI. What makes him the Elite among baseball’s superstars? A few things of note: he has an career contact rate of 89%, last year he had a fly ball rate of 44%, in 9 years he has never had fewer than 100 RBI, he is a career .331 hitter. The Cardinals are not strong offensively this year, and he may not see many pitches to swing at, but he rarely swings at balls anyway, so this will only improve his average. As long as some guys get on base in front of him, he will drive them in. It will take a lot, but it is time for Albert, at the ripe age of 31, with one big contract left in his career, to have one of the greatest hitting seasons ever.