Signor Baseball's 2021 AL Preview

Since my favorite NBA team has decided to find as many new ways to blow a lead as is humanly possible, which means all of the games we record get deleted from the DVR without being viewed (we are not masochists, after all), I find myself with plenty of free time to analyze the American League.

East: the Yankees are loaded offensively. But they've been loaded offensively for years and have nothing much to show for it. And, if the recent past is any indication, when they need another arm, they invariably go out and get...another bat. However, they are, on paper at least, still the class of the East. And if they can get something approaching consistent pitching they might just run away with the division. Tampa will be right there if they don't, and are a good bet for a Wild Card.  Even without two top starters, Morton and Snell, the Rays are a solid team with a history of beating seemingly superior Yankee teams. Toronto also has a strong everyday lineup, but their pitching is a little too shaky. And, because of the CoVid pandemic, they're stuck playing "home" games down in Florida until at least early in May--and probably longer, what with mutations and many Americans dimwitted hesitancy to get vaccinated or wear masks. That dislocation has to be weird for everyone involved. Boston has Alex Cora back as manager and, as a result, will probably lead the league in sign stealing. The Red Sox pitching is also weak (a theme is emerging) and they just don't have the offense they once had. (They should have tried harder to keep Mookie Betts). And down the road in Baltimore, it will be a loooong season yet again. Repeat after me: great town, great fans, great ball park, bad Orioles. It feels like they are in the tenth year of a 3 year rebuild. People usually get fired for that sort of thing. And so it goes...

Central: should be a three team race for first. Minnesota, Chicago and Cleveland all have things to recommend them. And all have things that make you go hmmm. The White Sox have strengthened their rotation and have a couple of interesting young bats. And, of course, manager Tony La Russa, who actually invented baseball. Just ask him. The Twins are the defending division champions, which ought to count for something. However, their starting pitching looks like a collection of number 3 starters, discarded by other teams. That may be enough to win the Central, though. And in Cleveland, city of lights, city of mystery, the Indians lost their best everyday player and wish they had a collection of number 3 starters to plug in after Shane Bieber. Still, since neither Chicago or Minnesota is that good, the Indians have a shot. Which is more than can be said for Kansas City and Detroit. It wasn't that long ago that the Royals won a couple of pennants and a World Series. But it probably feels like centuries to their fans. If they can get anywhere near to 75 wins it will be surprising. Same goes for the Tigers. Apparently they have lots of young arms just waiting for a chance. Good luck with that. By the time they're ready, if they're ever ready, Miguel Cabrera will be in the Hall of Fame. 

West: miserable cheaters though they may be, the Astros are still the best team in this division. (see "Life Isn't Fair" part one trillion). And while they have lost a few key pieces along the way, they're just better than the A's and Angels. So, Houston in first, Los Angeles and Oakland battling it out for second and a possible Wild Card. It would be nice to see Mike Trout, Ohtani, and Pujols in the playoffs together just once. But I suspect that the Angels' pitching will have to really step up to get them there. Oakland lost some key players. This seems to happen nearly every year, usually for monetary reason. And yet the A's has been weaving serviceable tapestries out of scraps of burlap for years, so if L.A. doesn't get enough pitching, Oakland will slide past them into second. Maybe someday they'll get a new stadium, too. In Seattle, the Mariners have a very young, unproven team. This does not bode well for their season. Some of the youngsters will pan out, some will not. Such is life. And in Texas, the Rangers are officially in tear-it-down mode. Maybe by the time they're finally competitive again, Texas will have gotten rid of their 2 ridiculous Senators. Maybe not.

Signor Baseball's Midseason Update

Repeat after me, "the balls are not juiced, the balls are not juiced, the balls are not juiced."

Feel better?

Apparently the powers that be have decided that what the fans really want is a season long episode of Home Run Derby.

So, anyway, as we race past the halfway mark of the MLB season, let us pause to ask the eternal questions: where the hell are we and what the hell is going on?

In the AL, several surprises surprise us. Minnesota is much better than anyone expected, and if the Indians don't get their asses in gear, their reign in the Central will be over. The Yankees are also out performing expectations, especially considering that they've been without their best starter and their two top power hitters practically all year. I still expect Boston to make a race out of it, but like  Cleveland, they better do it soon. Tampa is also a surprise, and has a good shot at a Wild Card berth.

In the West, Seattle has been the biggest disappointment and Texas the biggest surprise. But Houston is still the class of this division, and the best the Rangers and maybe the A's can hope for is one of the Wild Cards. The Angels have the best player in baseball in Mike Trout, a future Hall-of-Famer in Albert Pujols, and that Japanese cat, Ohtani, who is very, very good. This makes them wonderfully entertaining for a dozen or so at bats every game, but isn't quite enough to make them contenders.

Over in the National League East, the Phillies aren't nearly as good as expected, but the Braves don't look strong enough to run away from them, so expect that race to go down to the last week of the season. The Nationals starting pitching is still very strong, but they seem stuck right around .500, which won't win them anything.

In the Central, the Cubs haven't been able to separate themselves from Milwaukee. In fact the entire division is bunched together, as they all take turns beating each other. This should give some measure of hope to fans of the Reds and Pirates and especially the Cardinals, who've spent the first half of the season muddling along. On paper, Chicago is still the class of this division, but until they start playing like it...

Out West it's all Dodgers. Colorado, San Diego and, quelle surprise, Arizona, have taken turns being second. But it is a very distant second...I guess the question to ask is whether L.A. is that good, or is everybody else that mediocre? I'm leaning toward the latter.

By the way, while I was writing this 10 guys you've never heard of hit 450 foot homers.

Signor Baseball's Somewhat Belated 2019 AL Preview

Signor Baseball has been plagued by a variety of nagging ailments (it is the years and the miles), an automobile accident (that was not his fault), and the knowledge that there are approximately 40 million Americans who are complete imbeciles. And, as a result, he has fallen a little behind in his prognosticating.

But, as the executioner says, the show must go on.

So, let's start in the East. If it's good enough for the sun, it's good enough for me. Once again the Yankees will hit many home runs and strike out many times. And once again their starting pitching will be precarious. New York might have the best bullpen in the Majors, but getting to it with a lead may prove problematical. Also, New York has already been hit with an outrageous injury bug. Starting to look like a MASH unit up in the Bronx. So, despite a very weak start, it looks like the Red Sox are the favorites--once again. Unless Tampa can continue to play .750 baseball, that is. But they can't do that...can they? I mean honestly, name two Rays. Go on. Snell and, uh, that other guy...Toronto isn't nearly strong enough to compete, though Vlad Guerrero Jr. may liven things up in the Great White North. Baltimore is a disaster zone. Nice town, good people, great ballpark, bad team. So, Boston, Yankees, maybe Tampa if they're for real, Toronto if they're not and the Orioles way, way back. One, possibly two Wild Cards.

Central: Cleveland, city of lights, city of mystery. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or as I like to call it, The Hall of You're Kidding Me, They're In and They're Not?! is in Cleveland. The Indians seem to win the Central every year, and 2019 should be no different. They have a solid everyday lineup and the best pitching in the division. And that's more than enough. The Twins have improved to the point where they can keep it relatively close, at least for awhile. Chicago is also better than they have been. So, Minnesota and the White Sox in whatever order pleases you, for second and third. The Royals have fallen on hard times. It wasn't that long ago that Kansas City was the class of this division, but now they will struggle to stay out of the cellar. They will be helped in this endeavor by Detroit. The Tigers have fallen on even harder times than the Royals. Sad. Sad. Sad. On the plus side, both teams are just a couple of players away--if those players are the spitting image of Willie Mays and Sandy Koufax.

West: Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. Mike Trout just signed a new contract with the Angels for close to half a billion dollars. Mike Trout will have a typically great year. The Angels will not win the West this year. That is how baseball, unlike, say, basketball, works. So, who will win the West? Probably Houston. They have a great lineup and good starting pitching--though it's not quite as good as it has been. Seattle and Oakland will battle for second, with a chance for a Wild Card. The aforementioned Angels of Anaheim, or whatever they call themselves now, will be lucky to play .500 ball. And poor old Texas is in tear it down and start again mode, and a fire sale of their more expensive players should begin sometime in late June, early July. Maybe a Wild card from this division.

Signor Baseball's "Down The Stretch They Come!" MLB Update

Let's see...where are we?

In the American League, the biggest surprises have been how good Oakland has been and how bad Baltimore and Kansas City have been.

In the AL East, New York is good, but Boston is better. So it looks like the Yankees will have to play the one game, winner take all, Wild Card game against probably Oakland. And the way their starting pitching has looked lately...well, they may be taking their 100 plus wins and all of those home runs home earlier than they'd like. What the hell happened to Baltimore? Jesus. It's one thing to go from good to average. That happens all the time in sports. But to go from good to tragic so quickly...that's the kind of thing that gets managers fired.

In the Central, the Indians have run away from a mediocre field. No other team in this division has a winning record, so it's kind of hard to know how good Cleveland really is. They do have strong pitching, though, and could cause some problems in the playoffs.

Out West, Seattle has been the biggest disappointment. So what else is new? Astros remain the class of this division, with Oakland a huge surprise. The Babe Ruth of Japan didn't quite pan out for the Angels, though he did show some flashes before the injury bug got him. And Texas is just plain bad.

So, let's take the A's over the Yankees in the Wild Card, and this is based entirely on how unpredictable New York's starting pitching has been. I suppose they could pull it together and make a run all the way to the Series, but...probably not. I wouldn't expect Oakland to go much farther than winning the Wild Card game. Cleveland is good, but not as good as Boston and Houston. Now that both of those teams are reasonably healthy, they should give us a very good AL Championship series. And whichever team wins will be the favorite in the World Series.

In the National League, the biggest surprises are Atlanta and Philadelphia. They were supposed to be a year or two away from contending, but with the Nationals mired in mediocrity, the Marlins being plain awful, and the Mets falling apart, those timetables got sped up.

So the East will come down to which team, the Braves or the Phillies, stands up to the pressure best. I suppose they could both stumble badly, and Washington could somehow sneak through, but that's a long, long shot. Slight chance for a wild card team from this division.

In the Central, the Cubs pulled away as expected, but the Brewers and the Cardinals still have a good chance at at least one of the Wild Cards.

And in the wild, wild West, Arizona, L.A., and Colorado should go down to the last weekend before anything is decided. None of these teams seems capable of pulling away from the others. The Dodgers, on paper, and when healthy, seem like the strongest team--but they sure haven't performed like the strongest team. Still, at this point I like them to win the West. The Diamondbacks and Rockies have a very good chance at one of the Wild Card slots, but getting both slots looks unlikely. So, flip a coin...

Diamondbacks vs Cardinals in the Wild Card. Cubs win the NL pennant. Cubs vs Red Sox in the Series. Wrigley Field and Fenway Park? Should be loads of fun!

Of course, I could be wrong about all of this....which is why I never, ever, bet on sports. Too many variables.

Signor Baseball's 2018 AL Preview

Baseball is unique among the team sports in that you only put your best team on the field every 4th or 5th game.

That's when your "ace" pitches. The next 3 or 4 games you will start, by definition, an inferior pitcher.

Now, on the better teams, the drop-off from your number 1 starter to your number 2 starter may not be that great. And the same thing applies between your 2 and 3, 3 and 4, and 4 and 5.

But on the bad teams, the drop-offs will be precipitous and calamitous.

So, yeah, it is a cliche, but it does almost always comes down to pitching...

AL East: the Yankees will hit 300 home runs...and they will strike out well over 1000 times. They seem to be overloaded with right handed bats, and there will be games they look like the reincarnation of the fabled Murderer's Row and games where they strike out 15-20 times. They have a great bullpen--on paper, though I'm not entirely sold on Aroldis Chapman as a closer. He ain't no Mo Rivera. Their starters also look superior on paper--but again, I'm not sure they can stay healthy for the entire year. Add in a new manager, who's never managed before, and a pennant begins to look problematical. I suppose they could figure it all out, have everything fall into place, and win 115 games...but, no. So let's go with the Red Sox to repeat, with New York and Toronto close behind, with at least one Wild Card coming from this division.  Boston is loaded with big bats, too. And for some reason, their starting pitching doesn't worry me as much as the Yankees. Toronto will score many runs and hope for the best from their starters. Baltimore's window seems to have closed, and God only knows what they're thinking in Tampa.

AL Central: even though they fell apart in the playoffs, Cleveland is still by far the class of the Central. They can hit, they can field, and even though the bottom part of their rotation is sketchy, they still have enough to run away with this division. Chicago, Kansas City and Detroit all look very mediocre. The Tigers are in complete tear down mode, the Royals are attempting to rebuild and still stay relevant, and if anyone can figure out what the White Sox are doing, please drop me a line. Minnesota isn't mediocre, but the Twins aren't anywhere close to Cleveland, at this point. Slight chance for a Wild Card coming out of this division.

AL West: the Angels are now in possession of the Babe Ruth of Japan! And honestly, he's looked pretty good so far, both on the mound and at the plate. However, it is a long, long season, and if you have a weakness as a hitter or pitcher, your opponents will figure out a way to exploit it. So we shall see if Mr. Ohtani really is the Babe Ruth of Anaheim. Even with the Sashimi Bambino and Mike Trout, the Angels aren't the best team in this division. That would be the Astros. You know, the World Champions? Houston has added pitching to an already strong staff. They're loaded with hitters, too. Everyone else is playing for second, with the Angels and Mariners having the best shot at a Wild Card slot. However, Seattle has disappointed everyone the last couple of years, so why pick them to do anything? Texas doesn't look to have enough starting pitching, besides Cole Hamels, to keep up and Oakland may be the worst team in the majors. That small market, small payroll, overachieving thing seems to have hit a wall.

Signor Baseball's "What The Hell Is Going On Here?" Sort Of Midseason MLB Update

Lots of crazy stuff going on here.

A couple of teams having great years. A handful of teams having awful years, including a perennial contender. Some good teams, and a whole lot of mediocre teams.

In the NL West, the Diamondbacks are much better than I thought they'd be and the Giants are simply bad. The former will still fade--I think. That pitching staff just isn't very deep. And the Dodgers are simply better than they are. But, with so many teams having indifferent years in the NL, Arizona may have a chance at a Wild Card slot. For San Francisco, losing their best pitcher to a stupid accident hurt them badly, but not "20 games out of first place" badly. Too many other players are having off years, and all at the same time. Which happens sometimes. The Rockies are also playing well above projections, but their fade will be more precipitous than the D-Backs.

In the Central, Chicago has been struggling all year, but they still have the best team and should come out on top. St. Louis is the only team with a realistic chance to keep pace with them. Milwaukee has been in first practically the whole season, but the Brewers just don't look like a legitimate contender to me and the Pirates, though they put a very solid lineup on the field, continue to have undependable pitching.

And in the NL East, injuries have doomed the Mets, and the Braves and Marlins just aren't good enough, so it looks like smooth sailing for the Nationals...until the playoffs, when I anticipate another melt down. However, if Scherzer and Strasburg get hot at the same time they could carry the team to the Series, just as Johnson and Schilling did for the Diamondbacks way back when.

In the AL East, the Yankees have a lot of good young bats, but are still sporting a less than stellar, prone to injury, pitching staff. Unless they can come up with some dependable arms via trade, I don't see them catching Boston, though they may have enough to grab a Wild Card berth. The same thing applies to the rest of the division, though Toronto has been a huge disappointment so far.

In the Central, Cleveland should hold on to first, barring any major injuries. Kansas City and Minnesota have an outside chance at a Wild Card, though both are currently mired close to .500. The Royals are the more likely of the two to rise from there.

Houston has run away from the rest of the West. At this point the Astros are the best team in the AL by far, and it would take a catastrophic collapse for anybody to catch them. With so much of the league languishing in mediocrity, Los Angeles, Seattle and Texas all have a shot at one of the Wild Card slots.

By my count there are 9 teams in both leagues that still are contenders for the Wild Cards. Which should make for a very interesting August and September...

Signor Baseball's 2017 AL Preview

The thing about Spring Training is, that while it might tell us a few things about the season ahead, it is completely unreliable about most things.

For instance, based on Spring Training 2017, you might think that the New York Yankees are going to win 120 games.

Ha ha ha.

AL East: For the aforementioned Yankees, too many unlikely things have to happen for them to really compete. No injuries to the pitching staff and big, full seasons from some young guys who have never played full seasons at this level. Of course, this could happen. But it's a long shot. Better to stick with the Red Sox and Blue Jays. Boston loses David Ortiz, and you never know how missing a dominant player and clubhouse personality will play out. However, their pitching should be improved and they have a lot of good hitters left. Toronto lost two big bats, but they'll still score plenty of runs and their pitching is strong enough to keep close to the Red Sox and in the running for a Wild Card. Down in Baltimore, the Orioles have a very good bullpen (when Buck Showalter remembers how to use them), which is good because their starters aren't impressive. They have a solid everyday lineup that can score runs in bunches. With those starters, they'll need them. One big question for the Orioles is whether or not Mark Trumbo can repeat his somewhat surprising homer barrage from last year. Unless everything miraculously falls into place, injury and young player wise, the Yankees look like a 4th place team and despite good starting pitching, the light hitting Tampa Rays once again pull up the rear.

AL Central: Looks like the Indians are a safe bet to repeat. Their pitching is superior and they've added a big bat in Edwin Encarnacion. Barring injury, Cleveland shouldn't have too much trouble winning the Central. Detroit is old and getting older, but premier players on the down slope are still often better than run of the mill players in their prime.  Verlander, Cabrera, Kinsler and Martinez are still potentially all-stars, and if the Indians slip a little the Tigers could sneak past them. Kansas City's pitching isn't nearly as dominant as it was a couple of years ago, and I can't see the Royals being anything more than competent. The Twins were awful last year. Minnesota should be better (they can't get much worse), and with the White Sox rebuilding, and liable to trade anyone of any value during the course of the season, the Twins could slip past Chicago and avoid last place. Little victories...

AL West: This has all the makings of a 3 team race to the bitter end, with the also-rans having a shot at a Wild Card slot. Houston, Seattle, and Texas seem very evenly matched.  None looks like a completely solid team. The Astros, with the addition of Brian McCann behind the plate, are incredibly strong up the middle. They are loaded with an excellent core of good, young, everyday talent. Their starters, however, once you get past Dallas Keuchel, are a big question mark.  The Mariners have better pitching than the Astros, but their everyday lineup is not as strong. Hamels and Darvish give the Rangers the best 1-2 starter punch in the division, but there's not much starting pitching beyond them. Their infield is solid, including Rougned "One Punch" Odor, and they will score a lot of runs, but their bullpen is just OK and their outfield is average at best. California, on the other hand, has the best all around player in the league, Mike Trout, and Albert Pujols, who even in the twilight of his career is still a potent hitter. But inferior pitching will doom the Angels to also ran status. And in Oakland, Billy Beane will eventually paste together another bargain basement contender with the A's. But not this year, alas.

Signor Baseball's Well Past Midseason, Hell, Let's Call It The Stretch Run, MLB Update

"And down the stretch they come!"

See what I've done there? Used the horse race metaphor!

Even though I'm pretty sure that none of the baseball teams trying to make the playoffs have tiny little men sitting on their backs whipping them.

Then again, who knows?

The thing about the one game MLB Wild Card playoff is that you usually have two flawed teams going at it. And while that may be fun for the fans in those cities, it doesn't often make much difference for the remainder of the playoffs. The winner will probably use their best pitcher, which kinda screws them for the next round. Not always--but often enough.

Anyway, as I write this, there are 7 teams still in contention for the two AL Wildcards and 5 for the NL.

In the AL, the Orioles, Red Sox, Yankees, Mariners, Tigers, Astros and Royals are all within 7 games of each other. And Toronto is only a game up in the East, so they should probably be considered, too.

Throw out the Yankees, because they just aren't as good as the Orioles, Red Sox, or Blue Jays. They have just one dependable starter, and Gary Sanchez is probably not the second coming of Babe Ruth.  The Mariners aren't any better. That leaves Detroit, Kansas City and Houston trying to catch Boston, Baltimore, and Toronto.

If you go by pitching, KC and Houston have the edge over both the Orioles and Red Sox.  Add in the East teams all playing each other the last month and it gets much harder for Boston and Baltimore. They do score a lot of runs, but will that be enough to overcome their pitching shortcomings? The defending champion Royals have muddled along all season and still find themselves in the race. One strong month could put them back in the post season. In fact, that could apply to any of these teams. A good winning streak and they're in. But which teams are capable of that? It looks like a last day of the season scenario, once again.

So you make the Wild Card. So you win the Wild Card. To move on, you need at least two top flight starters, a consistent bull pen, and some clutch bats. This is shocking to say, but other than Cleveland, who has that? It's a muddle, I tells ya. A muddle.

The NL is only slightly clearer. San Francisco has had such an awful couple of months that it's time for them to play well again. They'll either catch LA for the West or take one of the Wild Cards. That leaves the Cardinals, Mets, Pirates and Marlins battling for the second Wild Card.

The Cardinals are the strongest all around. The Mets have the best starters--when healthy. The Pirates have a very good every day lineup and no dependable starters. Not a one. And I have no idea how the Marlins have stayed this close. Maybe Barry Bonds' Magic Beans. So, sorry Pittsburgh. Sorry Miami.

If New York can somehow recapture last season's magic, and figure out a way to score a few runs, they can catch St. Louis. After that, who knows? The Cubs look unbeatable at times, but they fell apart in last year's playoffs, so...San Francisco and Washington have the 2 Aces needed to go deep, and the Giants have a history of playoff success. The Dodgers have the "best pitcher in baseball", but the "best pitcher in baseball" has proven to be very human in the post season. He's also coming off an injury. And the rest of their staff is hit or miss.

To use an old William Goldman quote in another context, "nobody knows anything."

All in all, it makes for a very interesting few weeks of baseball.

Signor Baseball's 2016 AL Preview

My God, it's Tax Day!!! The jack booted thugs are at the door, and...OK, deep breath. Now, let's put this ugliness aside for a moment, try to forget all those corporations that spend countless hours avoiding paying their fair share, and ponder instead the fate of the junior circuit.

The AL East is made up of 5 slightly above average teams. Any one of them could win. Any one of them could crash and burn.

Toronto scores runs like a beer league softball team. But their starting pitching isn't particularly imposing. If it were, they'd run away with the division. Boston was way down last year and they usually bounce back. They've added an ace and if they get their normal offensive output they'll be alright. On the other hand, they've relegated a couple of hundred million bucks to sitting on the bench...Baltimore may have passed its window of opportunity, but with no clearly superior team ahead of them, who knows? They can score a lot of runs, and if their pitching holds up...? Nah. In New York, I wouldn't expect the Yanks' aging stars to get any better. And their ace is always one pitch away from elbow surgery. I guess you could say that about any pitcher these days, though. Again, they don't have to be "great" to compete in this division. However, staying reasonably healthy is a must. Once again Tampa will play pretty solid baseball before mostly empty seats. The more things change...You know, with all those Cubans down there you'd think both Florida teams would have no problem attracting fans. But I guess the younger ones don't care and the older ones are still too busy plotting the overthrow of Castro to bother with baseball.

In the Central it looks like a Kansas City dynasty is taking root. Although it should be noted that if the Mets had been able to make a couple of routine plays, the Royals would be 2 time losers in the World Series. Still, their everyday lineup is the best in the division and that bullpen usually covers the weaknesses of their starters. Cleveland and Detroit should stay close. The Indians have the arms and the Tigers have the bats. Now, if Justin Verlander can overcome what might be Kate Upton Related Fatigue (and really, who can blame him?) and regain his Cy Young form, then the Tigers will give the Royals a good run for the money. Minnesota is a sleeper here. If their young talent lives up to the hype...Which is the biggest kind of "if" in any sport. And the White Sox, with or without a "kids free" clubhouse, will turn a lot of Chicagoans into Cubs' fans this year.

Out West, I'm taking Seattle to surprise everyone. Why? No idea. Call it a hunch. Or too much chardonnay and not enough sleep. Houston is probably the smart pick, but because of my fear of a Cubs/Astros World Series, which is one of the first signs of End Times, I'm eschatologically opposed to choosing the 'stros. The Rangers and Angels, despite having a handful of all stars between them, look like also rans this year. However, if Yu Darvish comes back and Cole Hamels has a big year, Texas has a better chance to compete than the Los Angeles/Anaheim/Inland Empire/OrangeCounty ballchuckers do. Mike Trout may be the best all around player in the sport, but this ain't basketball and one super dooper star doesn't guarantee anything. That leaves the Billy Ballers in Oakland. Unless I'm greatly mistaken, anything and anyone of value will be available by late July. Having no money will do that to you. Besides, the A's just love to rebuild every couple of years. Don't they?

Signor Baseball's 2015 AL Preview

Get out your needles and your "juice", A-Rod is back! That's right, it's time for our "National Pastime" to resume. Brace yourself for a summer of 4 hour games, endless pitching changes, blown calls even with replay, Tommy John surgeries, phenoms who fail, Cuban defectors, and all the other stuff that still fascinates those of us of a certain age or a certain mind set.

In general, the American League seems to be racing towards something like parity, irrespective of the amount teams can spend. This has nothing to do with the triumph of the free market, by the way. The smart boys in Vegas have a whole bunch of teams bunched around the 84-85 win mark, with none clearly dominant.

Which means Signor Baseball has no idea who is going to win.

But having no idea about what you're talking about is as American as, well, baseball, so here goes:

In the East, the Orioles are the class of the division, unless the dreaded--and inevitable--BSFS, (Buck Showalter Fatigue Syndrome), has started to set in. If it hasn't, Baltimore, which is loaded everywhere, might run away by mid Summer. By the way, Mrs. Franklin, young Ben Jr. and I had tickets to game six of the ALCS at Camden Yard last Fall. But there wasn't a game six because the Orioles got blown out by the Royals. The Royals! After a down year, Boston went out and bought bunches of ball players. A Panda now plays third base and a shortstop now plays left field. Most everybody in the Red Sox lineup can hit, a few of them can actually catch the ball, and if their pitching stays healthy they can hang close to the Orioles. Toronto has Russell Martin at catcher, which means the Blue Jays will probably make the playoffs, because teams with Russell Martin at catcher almost always make the playoffs.You can look it up, as they say. In the big city, the New York Yankees will need an injury free year from their entire team, especially their pitching staff, to contend. The odds of that happening are the same as the odds of Alex Rodriguez ever getting into the Hall of Fame. Derek Jeter's replacement, Didi Gregorius, has a major league glove, superior range, and a suspect bat--but if everyone else could hit, it wouldn't matter. Unfortunately, everyone else can't hit...Gardner, Texeira, McCann, Ellsbury, and a couple others can still play a little, but most of them are on the downward slope career wise, and unless everything falls into place the Yanks will battle the Rays to stay out of last place. How Tampa reacts to losing their manager and their best starter is anyone's guess. Their handful of faithful fans will be sad, but the vast majority of Floridians won't care a bit.

The Central should be a free-for-all right until the bitter end. Detroit has gone from having three number 1 starters (for all the good it did them in the playoffs last year) to just one to start the season. But they still have a lot of punch, and if Verlander can return to form the Tigers will be fine. Cleveland has a solid manager, a Cy Young winner and some good young hitters. Chicago added pitching and hitting. And Kansas City is the defending American League champion. So put those four teams in a hat and pick one. I'm going White Sox, Tigers, Indians, Royals. But it could be the exact inverse of that. Or something in between. Anything is possible in this best of all possible worlds. I mean, the Royals, for God's sake, were in the World Series last year. The Royals! That couldn't happen again this year...Could it? In this harrowing time, full of uncertainty, one thing is certain: The Minnesota Twins will finish last. Sorry Minnesotans...at least you still have all of those nice lakes to enjoy. 10,000, isn't it? That should keep you busy.

Out West, Texas had a nightmare, injury plagued season last year, and should've been primed to bounce back to close to a .500 record. Unfortunately, they've already lost their best starter for the entire season. A cynic might say this was God's punishment on Texas for giving us the Bush family. I will leave it to the theologians to hash that out. Besides, a .500 record wouldn't get the Rangers to the top of the division. Seattle is better, Oakland is better, California is better, and the Astros are, uh...never mind the Astros. But the A's traded away a big bat for a rent-an-ace only to fall apart late last year, and the Angels have spent a ton of money recently with disappointing results, so let's take the Mariners to win. I mean, why not? After the Super Bowl our hyper caffeinated friends in the Northwest need something to lift the gloom. Let's put the A's second, and the Angels, who seem to be acting like complete pricks in l'affaire Hamilton, third. That leaves the two Texas teams battling to stay out of the cellar. The Good Book tells us that one day the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Or something like that. But not this year. Sorry Houston.

Of course, like a Republican presidential candidate, I could be wrong about everything. No matter; nobody--besides the NSA--is keeping track of this stuff anyway...

Signor Baseball's 2014 AL Preview

Time to forget about your bracket--face it, it's irredeemably broken. Mercer?! Harvard?! Dayton?! Really? Time to pick up the old horsehide and start boning the bat. Yep, you guessed it, Spring has sprung, and ready or not, here's Signor Baseball's American League preview:

The East looks like another down and dirty race to the wire. Last season the Red Sox brought in a bunch of folks, none of them "superstars", rolled the dice, and ended up winning the World Series. That just doesn't happen very often in baseball. I suppose it could happen again, but...In New York, the Yankees are without the cursed A-Rod (finally) and have added a lot more power. The starting pitching could either be very, very good or very, very mediocre. Tanaka won't go 24-0 like he did in Japan, but he looks like a good bet to win 14-16 games. Kuroda and Nova are solid. CC Sabathia has lost something off his fastball, though he still is better than most, and Pineda is healthy for the first time in years. However, Rivera is gone, Cano is gone, Jeter is going fast, and second and third base look like big question marks. But who knows, maybe everything falls into place and New York can contend. Baltimore and Tampa are solid, on paper at least, and barring injury, should fight it out with Boston for the division and at least one of the Wild Cards. If the Orioles don't compete, Buck Showalter may be looking for another job. The Blue Jays, after the big spending debacle of 2013, can look forward to another also ran season. Having a knuckleballer as your #1 starter just doesn't work out. Sorry. At least it won't cost as much to finish last this year. Plus, Toronto has a very entertaining mayor. And that's something.

In the Central, Detroit has had a big edge talent wise for the last few seasons. This year, Cleveland and, gasp! Kansas City, might give them a race. Might. Both the Indians and the Royals will score runs, but they also both have obvious holes in their pitching. The Tigers still have a big edge in starting pitching and Miguel Cabrera. And maybe, someday, they'll win another World Series. Just kidding. Should they make it again, trust me, they'll figure out a way to lose. Kind of like the Texas Rangers. For whatever it's worth, the White Sox will once again be better than the Cubs in the battle for Chicago supremacy. And the Twins? Looks like they're turning into the Astros of the American League Central. And no, that is not a good thing.

Out in the Wild West, last year the Angels were a huge disappointment, the A's over-achieved again (gee, somebody in Oakland must know something, huh?), and the Rangers were pretty much what we thought they were. This year, Los Angeles (or Anaheim or Orange County or whatever they call themselves) added a couple of solid everyday players and some young arms. But if Pujols and Hamilton don't hit it will be another disappointing year for Halo fans everywhere. Texas traded a big bat for a bigger bat, but pitching wins things and they better get comeback seasons from any starter not named Darvish if they want to compete. The A's still have that lean and hungry look. So, I guess it's a 3 team race until the bitter end. Elsewhere, Seattle over spent to get Robby Cano, who is a great player, but not worth A-Rod (in his prime) money. Hell, A-Rod in his prime wasn't worth A-Rod money. Years 7-10 of Cano's contract will be a very, very sad time for the Mariners. But that's years down the road...Unfortunately, they probably won't win anything before then, either. And finally, try to name one member of the Houston Astros. Go on. Anybody? No? Well, there it is.

Signor Baseball's 2012 AL Preview

Crack open a case of your favorite beverage, and let us debate the social, ethical, and legal ramifications of the designated hitter rule. It's time once again for Signor Baseball's AL preview:

EAST: The home for the elderly, infirm, and incredibly wealthy otherwise known as the New York Yankees creaks into yet another season. Hell, their bat boy is in his 50's. One of these days, this will come crashing to the ground with a thud. But not this year. In what looks to be the great Mariano Rivera's swansong, they'll have at least enough left in the tank to grab one of the wild cards. Tampa will probably take the division. The Rays have a more reliable set of starters than the Yanks and their starting lineup is a decade younger across the board. Now, if they just had some fans...In Boston Bobby Valentine will keep everybody entertained with his patter and disguises as the Red Sox Nation slowly discovers just how much they miss Theo Epstein and Terry Francona. I don't see them falling off the face of the earth, but the Blue Jays will be hot on their heels. Once again, Toronto is good--just not good enough. They are becoming the Glenn Close of MLB. And in Baltimore, those Oriole fans with extremely long memories can fondly recall when they had great teams. For the rest of us, well, there's always the crab cakes.

CENTRAL: Detroit, Detroit and Detroit again. The Tigers have opened up a talent gap and I don't see any of the other teams anywhere close to them. They have pitching, they have power, they have a good, solid manager. Unless the injury bug hits early and often they should have it wrapped up by July. The Indians and Twins need everything to go right to catch them. And really, when has everything ever gone right in Cleveland and Minnesota? Kansas City is much better than they were a couple of years ago. That doesn't necessarily make the Royals good, though. Just better. And the White Sox may win more games than the Cubs--which would make them the champions of Chicago at least.

WEST: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (what a stupid name) have spent like, well, like the New York Yankees of the Bronx. Billionaire owners can do that. Filthy largesse will get the Angels into the playoffs--but it may not be enough to win the division. Down in Rick Perry's Republic of Texas, y'all, the Rangers are still loaded and probably very bitter about the last two World Series. That could go one of two ways: either they channel their rage into another strong run for the pennant, or they start bickering with each other and, despite a ton of talent, fall apart. I'm guessing the former. Whichever team doesn't finish in first should have a lock on one of the wild cards. Look for another long season in both Seattle and Oakland. The Mariners still have Ichiro and a couple of pitchers. Not nearly enough in this division. Moneyball was a great movie. Unfortunately, Billy Beane's methods aren't a secret anymore. Everybody is looking for those kind of "hidden value" players, and as a result, Oakland is once again just another small market team trying to compete--but ultimately merely serving to develop talent for other, richer franchises. Oh well, win or lose Chez Panisse is only a short drive away. Bon appetit!