Baseball

Related: 2005 season overview

By Sean Holihan
For Outsports.com

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

1. 1. ANAHEIM ANGELS (WE'RE NOT CALLING THEM THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM)

Angel on your side: Francisco Rodriguez (right).  This cutie is posed to finally take over Troy Percival’s slot as closer.  Already with experience in the World Series, I don’t think this 23 year old will have much of a problem.  New Arrivals:  RHP Paul Byrd, SS Orlando Cabrera, CF Steve Finley   Departures:   RHP Aaron Sele, RHP Troy Percival, OF Jose Guillen, Ramon Ortiz (SP), 1B Andres Galarraga, 3B Troy Glaus, SS David Eckstein   Upside:  Vladimir Guerrero.  What else do you need?  This lineup actually got better this off-season even with losing both thumpers Glaus and Guillen.  Their bats can be replaced with the addition of Finley, Cabrera and rookie third baseman Dallas McPherson.  Look out for this kid, he can hit.  With this lineup, don’t be surprised for rookie of the year mentions.    Downside:  Their pitchers ERA’s are usually bloated.  Especially with Colon leading the pack with a lofty earned run average of 5.01.  And he’s the ace.  However, Anaheim probably doesn’t mind much as long as the offense continues to bail out their pitching staff.  While Colon would have lost his job anywhere else, he managed to win 18 games, tying for third in the AL.    Bottom Line:  When looking at the rest of the AL West, all you can think of is the Home and Garden network.  It’s a work in progress, a total renovation. While the Angels may have to fight off the Mariners, Rangers and A’s next year, this year the only way they can lose is if they beat themselves.    2004 record:  92-70, 1st in AL West 2005 prediction:  98-64, 1st

2. TEXAS RANGERS

Ranger you most want in your backyard:  Brad Fullmer; however, since he’s no longer with the team, we’ll have to settle with Laynce Nix (right).  New Arrivals:  RF Richard Hildalgo, C Sandy Alomar Jr.   Departures:  RHP Jeff Nelson, OF Brian Jordan and, sigh, eye candy Brad Fullmer   Upside:  It seems like these kids are ready to perform.  With an infield composed of Mark Teixeira at first, Alfonso Soriano at second, Hank Blalock at third, and Michael Young at short, this is the best infield in baseball.  All four of these guys are capable of hitting 25 HR and 100 RBI.  And the oldest is Soriano at 29.  If Kevin Mench and Nix perform up to their expectations, the Rangers could become an offensive juggernaut, and stay that way for a long time.    Downside:  Unfortunately, their pitching is downright terrible.  Kenny Rogers is 40 and their No. 3 pitcher is Chan Ho Park, who has gone 14-18 since 2002.  You might remember that’s when the Rangers signed him for five years at $65 million.  The only reason this pitching staff has a chance is because of the wonders Orel Hershiser, their pitching coach, can make out of scrap parts.    Bottom Line:  These guys are the Kansas City Chiefs of baseball.  Amazing offense while the defense takes a nap when it’s their turn.  It’ll be worth it to watch this young team develop offensively, but when its time to watch them pitch you might want to go get a beer … or four.  It will take a while.  2004 record:  89-73, 3rd   2005 prediction:  88-72, 2nd

3. SEATTLE MARINERS

Your captain this evening:  It was a brief struggle between Gil Meche from last year and Joel Piniero from 2003.  Meche ended up winning, because Piniero’s picture from last year is kinda creepy.  New Arrivals:  1B Richie Sexson, 3B Adrian Beltre, SS Pokey Reese, RHP Aaron Sele   Departures:  John Olerud, Freddy Garcia, DH Edgar Martinez (retired).  Upside:  With the signing of Sexson and Beltre, the Mariners have finally landed those big bats that the team has been looking for since Griffey and A-Rod left, Jay Buhner retired and Edgar Martinez got old.  Oh yeah, then there is the pitching staff.  Something must be in the water in Seattle, because everyone fell of the horse last year.  The only starting pitcher who didn’t go over his career ERA by at least half a run was Freddy Garcia and he got the hell out of there.  These pitchers are not this bad and will show it this year.    Downside:  Everything else.  Well, actually it includes Sexson and Beltre as well.  Sexson was out since April last year, because he partially dislocated and tore a muscle while checking his swing.  When Sexson came back in late May, he again hurt his shoulder by checking his swing.  Dangerous signs.  Beltre has been a player many scouts had thought would blossom into a star player.  After playing for six seasons in mediocrity, something clicked and Beltre hit 48 home runs and 121 RBI for the Dodgers last year.  Fluke season or not, Seattle is paying him $64 million to deliver.    Bottom Line:  This team won’t be as bad as they were last year.  As long as Sexson, Beltre and Boone keep healthy and Ichiro remains the best leadoff hitter in the majors, this team will be a force to be reckoned with.  To do this, the pitching staff has to rebound from a terrible year.  If all the pieces fall together, this team can again claim the AL West crown.  However, since I happen to be a cynic, I don’t see that happening.  At least not this year.  2004 record:  63-99, 4th   2005 prediction:  83-79, 3rd

4. OAKLAND A'S

Player most wanted as your high school coach: Jason Kendall.  That’s right, with the recent off-season moves made by GM Billy Beane, hot-ass pitcher, Barry Zito has been supplanted by their new catcher.  I’ll let you fill in the joke there.  New Arrivals:  C Jason Kendall, IF Keith Ginter  Departures:  RHP Tim Hudson, LHP Mark Mulder, LHP Mark Redman, LHP Arthur Rhodes, RF Jermaine Dye, IF Mark McLemore, RHP Jim Mecir, and LHP Chris Hammond  Upside:  OK, I’ll try.  With Mulder and Hudson traded away for what Beane thinks will be top players, the Athletics can concentrate on their hordes of young, cheap talent.  Downside:  Where is their pitching rotation?  Zito is the only pitcher left from the big three of Zito, Mulder and Hudson.  And in case you haven’t been looking, Zito’s numbers haven’t been that great since he acquired his own Cy Young award.  In the last two years, his ERA has shot up almost two full runs and his curveball has been lacking its famous bite.  And this is supposed to be the ace of the pitching staff.  The rest of the pitching staff has thrown 400 innings all together.  Let’s hope for them that Kendall can be a great teacher for the young pitching staff.    Bottom Line:  Beane traded away two-thirds of his big three because their contracts were coming up and Oakland doesn’t have the kind of money to keep them.  As soon as those trades went through, the Athletics went from being a perennial contender to rebuilding.  There are very few bright spots on this team besides third baseman Eric Chavez and designated hitter Erubiel Durazo, so if you’re an A’s fan, prepare for a long season.    2004 record:  91-71, 2nd     2005 prediction:  73-89, 4th