NL West Preview

Saving the NL Central for last because it's the most important one of the six divisions.  So we move on to the NL West where it should be an interesting year.  

1. Colorado Rockies- KEY ACQ: Miller Brewing Company (seriously they kept most of their team, nothing new) I LIKE: Jorge De La Rosa- It's crazy to think how bad he was with the Brewers and average at best with the Royals, I think he could be a big contributor to the Roxs.  I HATE: Huston Street- Sort of an obvious one, but he is already hurt proving why it never pays to bring in a closer.  PREDICTION: Amazed to hear that Buster Olney picked them to win it all, but I think they could make a deep run with some of the talent they have this season.

2. San Francisco Giants- KEY ACQ: 1B Aubry Huff  3B Mark DeRosa  SP Todd Wellenmeyer I LIKE: Pablo Sandoval- I think Kung Fu Panda keeps getting better and eases the Giants' mind on their offensive woes.  I HATE: Barry Zito- Are we convinced that he is a different player now? I mean he still throws so slow and unless he becomes like Jamie Moyer, I don't see him being very effective. PREDICTION: They will fight all year for the NL West title and if Jonathan Sanchez/Wellenmeyer come through they could have a huge year. Also they need runs from the middle of their order.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers- KEY ACQ: Jamie McCourt's defense lawyer I LIKE: Clayton Kershaw- Another great young player that will be growing within the years and I believe will probably be their best pitcher this year. I HATE: Manny Ramirez- I could see him being a huge problem for the Dodgers as they struggle and wouldn't be shocked if he gets shipped out in July.  PREDICTION: The divorce of the owner and CEO sent this team for a tailspin leading to no new free agents. In addition, Vincente Padilla as your Opening Day starter is never a good idea.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks- KEY ACQ: 1B Adam LaRoche 2B Kelly Johnson SP Edwin Jackson SP Ian Kennedy SP Rodrigo Lopez  I LIKE: Justin Upton- I know it's a sexy pick but he is a man. I love the things he can do with his bat and hopefully he for average more. I HATE: New pitcher 1, 2, or 3- You cannot tell me that all three of those guys will work out for the Dbacks, I see much change in their rotation. PREDICTION: If Brandon Webb stays healthy, they become a better team by probably 7-10 wins but they will need the bottom half of the rotation to go against my opinion if they want to move higher than fourth best.

5. San Diego Padres- KEY ACQ: SP Jon Garland I LIKE: Clayton Richard- A big part of the Peavy deal who I think can flourish in the upcoming season. He will be a vital asset for the Fathers. I HATE: Chase Headley- Not so much him as a player rather where he is batting. There are maybe three teams if that where he is a clean-up hitter.  PREDICTION: I really think they have a young group that could do some things but I am willing to bet they trade Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell by the deadline so that will hurt their second half numbers severely.

-Charlie.

LCS Picks Where the Nation Endures Chip Carey & Joe Buck

Here are the picks for the final four of baseball. I think even though there were sweeps during the division series I thought the playoffs were off to a good start. The Cardinals-Dodgers had a lot of competitive games and the Twins-Yankees was also a great series despite the sweep.

NL
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers- I think this has the makings to be a great series because you have a team in LA who might not have a better time then now to win a World Series. In addition, they have a solid bullpen, which is like having a great offensive line in playoff football. The Phillies have this great offense and Cliff Lee has proven already he can take a team on his back yet their bullpen is still shaky. I could care less what you say about Brad Lidge two saves in the first series, he is still Lidge aka better version of Derrick Turnbow. I would like to pick LA but I have to stick to my guns at the beginning of the season. PHILLY in six

AL
Los Angeles Angels vs. New York Yankees- The Angels played great in the first series and so far has been getting thrown under the table so far. No one realized how good their pitching staff is and Torii Hunter has been playing out of mind so far. You can tell he wants a ring and they have a lineup of guys hitting .300. The Yanks have Alex Rodriguez now hitting out of his mind thanks to Kate Hudson and now they become a true threat. I worry about the three-man pitching staff but CC Sabathia looked impressive in the first series. None of those pitchers struggled and its a big risk for Yanks if they lose. I think New York offense is too tough for anyone. NY in five.

-Charlie.

Whose Ready for the Four-Hour Drama?!

In my opinion, I enjoyed the baseball playoffs a lot because it is very simple and clear cut plus there have been those years where every game has been an absolute classic. Who can forget 2003 with the Red Sox losing to Aaron effin' Boone and the Cubs losing thanks to Steve Bartman. Then in 2004, you have the Red Sox epic comeback along with the Brad Lidge game against Albert Pujols. Here are the picks for the first round of games.

NL
Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies- This is probably the least exciting series out of the four for sure and I really feel that this series could go either way. Colorado has struggled with left-handed pitchers this season, which isnt a good thing when they are facing Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in the first two games. But here is the kicker, if the Rockies keep it close they get to face the arguably the worst bullpen in the playoffs right now. We all know how Colorado are the comeback kids. I am taking Philly because I have rolled with them all year might as well stick to it. Wont be easy though. PHI in 5

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers- Everyone is talking about the Cardinals going to the World Series and I have been saying that since early July. The pitching staff they have, add the offense, and they play pretty good defense too. I really cannot find a chink in their armor. It also tough to pick the Dodgers when they have struggled all second half but never count out Joe Torre/Manny Ramirez. STL in 4

AL
Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees- Honestly, the game tonight that the Twins won was epic. They were down a bunch of times and just battled back consistently. Now they play a Yankee team who has looked strong on the offensive end but you have to wonder about their starting pitching. Also CC Sabathia has been less than stellar in the playoffs. The Twins are the hottest team and the recent trends have signaled that leads to a big playoffs. The big spenders get it done though. NYY in 4

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels- Now this has been an absolute bashing whenever these two teams get together and the Sox have came out ahead every time. I feel like Mike Scioscia tends to choke when the playoffs are on the line in the past couple of years. The pitching staff of the Sox will be the difference in this one, they have the experience and they know how to handle this opponent. BOS in 4

-Charlie.

Whose the Beast of the NL?

If you didnt realize, last August was the slowest the blog has been in a long time and I really have nothing to blame that on not even the alcohol haha. Well now that class is beginning tomorrow that likely means more of my time will be wasted on this blog. We will hit college football hard in the upcoming days with our first set of picks coming Thursday then "Game of the Week" breakdown on Friday. All next week look forward to the NFL. Lets get going with the National League....

Some people believe that the National League is the "Quadruple A" of baseball but to be honest, I think its somewhat better than people believe. It still doesnt hold a candle to the AL, see John Smoltz or Matt Holiday. Now that all the deals are done and the dust is settle, who is the king of the NL right now... lets take a look.

Philadelphia Phillies: No one can argue that this is the best lineup in baseball right now. They have the deadliest 3-4-5 and a great lead off hitter. In addition, Ryan Howard has been known for his huge Septembers/Octobers. While they seem like the favorite of the NL, they have one large looming problem... their closer Brad Lidge. He is new version of Derrick Turnbow with his ERA in the sevens and he is as bad as closing games as I am closing women, another story for another time. I also am not convinced that past the combination of Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee have the ability to win big games. J.A. Happ remember is a rookie and you never know what you are getting come playoff time.

St. Louis Cardinals: My personal favorite to come out of the National League right now. If you watched the Brewers tonight, you got a perfect example of why Matt Holiday makes this team so much better. Its almost like you have to pitch to Albert Pujols in big situation now. Further with add of John Smoltz, their starting pitching staff has been terrifying of late. They had a stat that with their big three (Chris Carpetner, Adam Wainwright, Joel Pinero) have gone 30-4 since July Fourth when pitching. The other big key is they have the most reliable closer in Ryan Franklin who has shut opponents down for the most part.

Los Angeles Dodgers: L.A. has faltered in the past couple of months with no production from Manny Ramirez and a steady decline by Chad Billingsley, fans have began to worry. The one thing that has been consistent is the play of Matt Kemp, he is becoming the leader of this team. Now they bring in Jim Thome to give them a huge bat off their bench during the stretch run and the postseason which I think might prove to be the best acquisition of the season. Also adding Jon Garland who has been pitching very well lately will help out their starting rotation so much.

-Charlie.

Prince Will Destroy You Like 80's Mike Tyson

I am guessing that most of you assumed that I would be writing another rant after the 17-4 ass whooping that the Brewers suffered last night but like I said on Sunday, my expectations are lowered therefore there is no reason to get upset. What I am going to discuss is the fact that former Brewer fuck up Guillermo Mota hit Prince Fielder in the 9th and basically everyone is calling out Fielder for being a girl about it. I tend to disagree here and you can call it bias all you want.

I think that Fielder expected Mota to come back out to talk to him after the game was over. I also dont think he expected a guy who he played with last year and according to all sources, they were friends on the team. I personally could have Jason Schmidt tonight hitting Braun/Fielder in the first or second inning for retaliation. People are saying that Prince went about this immature way by trying to storm the Dodger clubhouse when I really think the media on the coasts have it completely twisted. He was trying to do the right thing and talk to Mota after the game then he felt disrespect leading to him going ape shit.

People who arent Brewer fans are saying that Prince is immature and really doesnt get the game baseball just like this jackass for CBSSports but we all know especially Badger Basketball fans that CBS hates Wisconsin. Prince knows that if he were to get suspended 5-10 games for a fight, the Brewers will likely lose almost all of those games. I feel like he gets that therefore you have your reason why he didnt just tackle Mota.

Any of you Dodger fans who really believe this Brewer team wouldnt kick your ass is foolish. I really hope there is a brawl tonight because for J Russell Martin (can someone inform me why there is a J., my buddy Doz's reasoning "He's fucking Canadian which seems right) who thought this is how the game is played is an idiot. Look you kicked our ass last night, there was no need to go after our best player despite bad ass extraordinaire Chris Smith hit your precious Manny Ramirez. He barely hit him in the arm; its not like he went for his head, knees, or hip like the asshole Mota did.

Also to any of people who say "Thats what he gets for looking at his homers." I will tell you to suck it because Albert Pujols looks at his homers as does A-Roid as does Manny. Every big power hitter looks at his home runs and I have no problem with it. Its been going on for years now get use to it already.

I hope for two things tonight to happen, either Prince hits one out of Dodger Stadium or Prince form tackles Jason Schmidt to the ground. Which ever happens I will be happy with it. Oh and win would be nice too.

-Charlie.

Just Release the PED List.

Once again, the mysterious 2003 PED list has struck again. The New York Times have once again reported two more players with that big list of hunderd and three players. Those two were Los Angeles Dodgers' outfielder Manny Ramirez and Boston Red Sox's first baseman David Ortiz. If you forgot, Ortiz was the same guy who called for a one year ban if someone was doing steroids.... rut roh.

I dont really care about Manny because he already has been suspended this year for the PED issue. I mean he did say that this was his only time and he never did it any other times during the other years. But that not has proven to be false. Big Papi is another story for a couple reasons...

a. Like I said before, he was such a big proponent of steroids are a bad thing and they are completely wrong. Ortiz was adamant about getting PED's out of baseball and seemed like one of the good guys. That's why him saying he was shocked by all of this makes a little sense to me because when the list came out they were made aware.

b. He is Boston's sports hero for baseball right now more so than Manny when he was there and trust me when I was down in the Dominican Republic, he was so iconic there as well. Outsiders like me loved Ortiz for his clutch hitting in the playoffs and his happy-go-lucky attitude about the game.

c. Ortiz making claims that he will try to explain all of the details to his fans through the media is an admirable gesture but who knows what we will actually learn from Ortiz. If Big Papi says look I screwed up and took a doctor's advice to help (insert any injury) didnt realize one of the banned substances was in there.

I have said before a million times, it wasnt banned at the time of using therefore why should it really be that big of a deal? I mean I can only imagine what some of these players were thinking "Oh man, this guy is getting such advantage with steroids, I need to get my hands on those." You really dont think that thought went through a lot of guys heads during the fifteen to twenty years.

Just release the list and let all these guys in the Hall of Fame if they deserve it.

-Charlie.

Los Angeles' Answer.

The Los Angeles Dodgers knew that they had to make a move with the Philadelphia Phillies trading for Cliff Lee and they have deliver that answer with dealing for Baltimore Orioles' George Sherrill for a couple of prospects.

My thoughts on this one is the Dodgers did a great job at getting a solid reliever who will be their closer right now and then their eight inning guy when Jonathan Broxton comes back from injury. Sherrill has had a good year so far with twenty saves and a 2.43 ERA plus he throws from the left side making him more deadly. Baltimore has Jim Johnson who can be the closer for the Orioles and they didnt really give away a cornerstone. It was a very smart idea for the Orioles to deal Sherrill.

The one thing I didnt know about the Dodgers is the fact that they are the second highest bullpen innings in the league which is something to raise concerns. Los Angeles is going to need big innings out of guys like Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, and Hiroki Kuroda. If their bullpen begins to get over worked you have to worry about the Dodgers in September.

-Charlie.

Mannywood Back in L.A. Look Out NL

I am scared right now. The Los Angeles Dodgers who were the first team to fifty wins get their best player back tomorrow Manny Ramirez from his fifty-game suspension. This deserves the Chuck's Corner special rut roh. I think there is no reason right now without Manny to believe that the Dodgers are the best team in the National League but not its completely crystal clear.

First off look at the lineup the Dodgers trot out everyday as my buddy Doz said to me "Its like an All-Star lineup that really gets forgotten with the others like Boston and New York." Totally true. I really believe that Andre Ethier is one of the more underrated players in todays game and none of us have really took the time to realize how good of a player Ethier is. The only part of his game that needs some fine tuning is working on getting his batting average higher. Other than that, its all gravy. I enjoy Matt Kemp's play and just found out that Joe Torre really isnt a fan which is disappointing. Kemp has the opportunity to be a great 1-2 punch with Ethier in that lineup for years to come.

Now Mannywood is back and ready to get going again which I think will make the Dodgers if healthy a 100 win team this year. The Dodgers will be so feared for the rest of the year with Manny back in that lineup. He will energize the Dodgers way more than I think we even think about. I could see Los Angeles winning like six out of seven right out of the gates with Manny (lets hope not the Brewers play LA next weekend). I think there is no reason to believe that the Dodgers wont be in the NLCS for sure and possibly the World Series.

-Charlie.

Manny Did Do Roids

I apologize for my first article because I reacted to the original media story and didnt wait to get all the facts about Manny Ramirez steroid abuse. What we learned today was that Ramirez used a women's fertility drug called hCG which masks testosterone after a steroid cycle.

There you have it. Manny did steroids and destroyed his legacy as one of the best players in baseball in last twenty years. The legacy is blown up because Manny was such a well-like player by the fans more so than A-Rod and everyone in L.A. "loved him" at the same level of Kobe Bryant. He had his own section called "Mannywood" and many jerseys were bought. Who knows what fans will think of them now.

Although despite this I gained some perspective as I was talking to my friend Craig who said,"I dont know what to think about any player in that era, I think we all knew Clemens, McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds were all on something but after A-Rod and Manny, I just dont know." I couldnt agree more with that statement because it provide a new outlook on the "Steroid Era" in baseball. I have always been one of those guys who said these players are ruining baseball and they have no right to be in the Hall of Fame which is consider the highest honer out of any four major professional sports. But now after Manny's problems with steroids, I think you have to let these guys into the Hall of Fame.

Someone will ask me the question "Is it right to support cheating?" Well no, it isnt but heres the thing everyone did in the late 90s to early 2000s with the pressure from everyone to take performance-enhancers. These guys had loose drug rules and they took advantage of them just like the NFL in the 1980s. I guess I never understood why the players of the 80s in football never got criticized like Manny or A-Rod did in this day and age. The only real reason why is the ever-growing sports media. In the 80s you didnt have college sophomores like me writing articles about steroids and why these players should be ashamed of themselves.

I truly believe what you will see in the next ten years as baseball begins to become pure again, you might start seeing Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Manny Ramirez, and Alex Rodriguez's names getting closer and closer to the Hall of Fame. I will reiterate it once again, yes they cheated but everyone else did too so why should they be punished more than the others? I mean I am willing to bet some guys who get elected in the Hall of Fame in the upcoming years will have had performance-enhancers and never been called out on it.

-Charlie.

Manny Didnt Do Roids

Well you can file this under another case of "Manny being Manny" I guess as today Los Angeles Dodger slugger Manny Rameriez was tested positive for banned substances by Major League Baseball and is now suspended for fifty games. Dammit.

According to the ESPN article, Manny said this..
"Recently, I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me," Ramirez said in a statement issued by the players' union.

Now Peter Gammons of ESPN has also said that the positive test was a personal health issue and not a steroid thing. The doctor said that he believe this would clear the MLB policy but Manny didnt care enough to took a look to make one hundred percent sure that he would clear the policy. Gammons also ask the Boston Red Sox front office about this and they didnt believe it for one second either.

Of course you will have people that will shrug Manny's story off to claim it's steroids but I really do trust in Manny that he wouldnt take steroids because he was so consistent, year in year out without much injury. I mean seriously think about a time where Ramirez seemed bigger almost like Barry Bonds? He never got overly big in muscle; actually Manny just got fatter as the years progressed. I think people should be ashamed of themselves if they decide to throw this one on steroids.

Another reason why this isnt steroid-related in my opinion is because Ramirez had so much guaranteed money on the line in these next two years that he wouldnt want to mess things up in that sense either. He now loses out on 7.7 million dollars off his contract for missing a third of the season and we all know Scott Boras will not be happy.

The Dodgers are thankful that they are in a division that sucks and they have already built a nice cushion therefore when Manny does return I expect them in the top two of that division. Also even without Manny, they have a good team with guys like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Russell Martin. In addition, a great pitching staff led by Chad Billingsley and a good closer in Jonathan Broxton.

-Charlie.

Manny Loves L.A.

Finally when the dust settled, Manny Ramirez finally got his deal that he always wanted from the beginning of the free agent season. Two years, 45 million dollar deal.

The Dodgers definitely caved in because they had to but thats to say that they wanted to. The reason they had to do it was because if the Dodgers didnt have Ramirez, they would be a possible National League West Division winner and maybe a long shot at the Wild Card. Now they are the contenders in the NL West because Manny is a guy who will give you 35+ home runs and over 100 RBIs every year. Then you combine the power Manny brings with the coaching of Joe Torre, you have got yourself a contender right there.

Now I dont really condone what happened with Manny throughout this free agent season. I think it was bullshit that he held out this long to get his contract but in the end, the shark that is Scott Boras made sure his guy on his money. Boras basically gave the middle finger to the baseball once again with making sure Manny was going to get his contract that he always desired no matter what. This just means that Boras is going to keep pulling this shit before someone stops him. The only thing is when people need his clients, they will do whatever means necessary to get his client.

Now I think the baseball media world is looking forward to a chance at a New York-Los Angeles World Series clash which first off all would pit the two biggest cities in the United States and second off, you get a matchup of all the new Yankees facing off against Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez, one of the most hated non-Yankees in the past five years.

-Charlie.

The Curious Case of Manny

I dont know think it can be called "Manny just being Manny" anymore. Its more like "Manny listens to his money-hungry agent for anything."

If you did not hear today, Manny Ramirez rejected the Dodgers offer today which was 2 years for 41.1 million dollars. This is the fourth offer made by Los Angeles this off season and every time, they have told L.A. no. This is just getting ridiculous for multiple reasons.

1. No one else is pursuing Manny anymore so I see no reason why Scott Borass thinks another team is going to come in and make an attempt at the desired 45 million over two years. I think its just time for Boras to bury the hatchet and realize he has lost this battle. I mean hell he got 180 million for Teixiera therefore he should be proud of himself.

2. Manny's image as a selfish player is now fully cemented. I love Manny, I think he plays like he is a 10 year old out there and really doesnt care what people say about him. I think its obvious that Manny is Boras' puppet and he just lets Scott control whatever is going on in contract negations.

3. This is killing me with a fantasy keeper draft coming up and I want to keep Manny. If he isnt signed in the next couple of weeks this becomes a major decision that I have to make.

4. How bad will this be for the Brewers when Fielder is a free agent in two years. Good god. Boras will try to milk the Milwaukee out of every beer they got. Its a scary thought to think about right now.

-Charlie.