NL & AL East Preview

So we close out our preview of the 2013 Major League Baseball season today. We have already predicted the West and Central Divisions, so today it only natural that we look at the National and American League Eastern Divisions. These two divisions may be the most competitive divisions in all of baseball. Of course we will be predicting where each team will finish when the year is over. So now here is how I see the National and American League East playing out in 2013. And we start it off with the American League East.

Last year the American League East had three 90 win teams and two of them made the playoffs. The New York Yankees won the division with a 95-67 record, followed by the wild card winner in the Baltimore Orioles at 93-69. Tampa Bay Rays came in 3rd at 90-72, while the Toronto Blue Jays came in 4th at 73-89 and finally in last were the Boston Red Sox at 69-93. That was last year. This year the East seems to have gotten tougher to play in. Here is how the East will go down this year.

1. New York Yankees.
-Last year the Yankees were once again the AL East Champions with that 95-67 record. This year its going to be an uphill climb for the Yanks as some of their regulars are missing time with injuries to start the season off. Alex Rodriguez had offseason hip surgery and will be out until after the all star break. Mark Texiara is out with a strained wrist till early may and Curtis Granderson is out till early may with a broken forearm. Derek Jeter will also miss the start of the year while still recovering from the ankle injury he suffered in the playoffs last year. Throw those factors in along with the loss of Russel Martin and Raul Ibanez to free agency and it looks like it could be a tough year by Yankees Standards. So now with all the injuries the Yanks opening day rooster looks different then what people are used to seeing. Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli will handle the catching duties this season, while with Tex out Juan Rivera will hold down first, Cano is back at 2nd and is the best 2nd baseman in the game right now. With A-rod out the Yanks signed Kevin Youkilis and he will be holding down 3rd, with Eduardo Nunez playing for the injured Derek Jeter. Brennan Boesch, Brett Gardner, and Ichiro Suzuki make up the outfield, while Travis Hafner is the DH. New York's starting rotation is the same from last year, and the greatest closer of all time Mariano Rivera is back for his final big league season. Yes the Yankees aren't as much of a power hitting team from last year, but they are still the beasts of the East and will take the division.

2. Toronto Blue Jays
-Last year the Jays finished 73-89 and in 4th place in the East. This year might just be a different story. The birds from North of the Border have undergone a few changes since last season. J. P. Arencibia will hold down the everyday catching duties while Henry Blanco is his backup. Edwin Encarnacion, Emilio Bonifacio, Brett Lawrie, and Jose Reyes make up the rest of the Jays infield. Adam Lind is serving now as the DH but can switch back and fourth with Edwin Encarnacion at first base and DH. Melky Cabrera, Colby Rasmus, and Jose Bautista make up the Jays outfield and they have Rajai Davis as the utility outfielder. Last year the Toronto pitching staff was decent at best. This year their rotation has gone a step up with the Addition of R.A. Dickey. So now the Jays starting rotation looks like this: R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow, and J.A. Happ. It may not be the most effective rotation but it may be the most balanced. On paper, the only downside is the Jays don't have much of a bench, if any. Yes the offense and pitching staff has been retooled, but there isn't much worth anything else if any of their regulars get hurt.

3. Baltimore Orioles
-Last year Baltimore surprised everybody by finishing 2nd in the East at 93-69. This year Baltimore looks like they just might do it again. The Orioles did lose some pop in the lineup when Mark Reynolds left for the west coast, but the O's still have a pretty good lineup in tact from a season ago. Baltimore still boasts a pretty good infield of Matt Wieters, Chris Davis, Brian Roberts, Manny Machado , and J.J. Hardy. The outfield right now in Baltimore consists of Nate McLouth, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis, which was great for the O's a season ago. Baltimore boasts a starting rotation that consists of Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez, Chris Tillman, and Jake Arrieta. Chen was the only O's starter who hit double digits in wins a year ago. Jim Johnson will be closing games in Baltimore this year. The problem with the O's is going to be their pitching staff. They have a good offensive ball club that is fairly obvious, but their starting rotation and bullpen are nothing really to write home about. Its ultimately that pitching staff that is going to keep them out of the playoffs. No doubt they will finish above 500 but it won't be a playoff birth this year.

4. Tampa Bay Rays
-Last season the Rays finished 90-72 and placed 3rd in the East. Nothing really changed between last season's club and this years. Jose Molina once again holds down the catching duties for the Rays, while the rest of the infield is made up of James Loney, Kelly Johnson, Evan Longoria, and Yunel Escobar. Ben Zobrist is set to be the utility man for the Rays, while Luke Scott is the DH. Matt Joyce, Desmond Jennings, and Ben Zobrist will be patroling the outfield down in Florida. David Price and Matt Moore head up the pitching staff. Tmapa doesn't seem to have the pitching as the rest of the division. Every body else in the division has gotten better, but the Rays kept the same lineup they had last year. Tampa is still a good club but its going to be an uphill club against an imporved Eastern division. They will be over 500 but slip just out of the playoff reach.

5. Boston Red Sox
-Last year Boston finished almost 30 games under 500 and it doesn't look much better in Red Sox Nation this year. Now to be fair to the Red Sox, this year won't be as horrible as last year, they have gotten a little better then last year's club. Boston isn't as great as it was a few years ago and are trying to rebuild. Stephen Drew and Shane Victorino have been added to bolster that lineup. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Mike Napoli, Dustin Pedroia, and Will Middlebrooks comprise the rest of the Boston infield, the same infield that was thrown out there everyday last year. Jonny Gomes and Jacoby Ellsbury join Victorino in the Boston outfield. David Ortiz will once again be the DH. Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and Ryan Dempster are the studs of the Boston Pitching staff. the Red Sox still have a decent team on the field don't get me wrong, but there isn't enough that I can see here that will be really competitive in as tough a division as this. Boston will be near the bottom again this year.

So that takes care of the AL East. Now lets look at the National League East.

Last year the East saw a few changes within the standings. The division title went to the Washington Nationals who went 98-64, followed by the Atlanta Braves at 94-68, then the Philadelphia Phillies at 81-81, followed by the New York Mets at 74-88, then the Miami Marlins at 69-93. Between the end of last season and the start of this year a few things have changed within this division. So now lets take a look at how the National League East will play out in 2013.

1. Washington Nationals.
-Washington won the East last year and are looking to do it again this season,. Washington has managed to keep the lineup almost exactly the same they had from last year. The infield in DC will consist of Kurt Suzuki behind the plate, Adam LaRoche at first base, Danny Espinosa holds down 2nd base, Ryan Zimmerman holds down third, and Ian Desmond clogs up the middle at short stop. Bryce Harper, Denard Span, and Jayson Werth are going to be running down the fly balls in the outfield. As far as the Nats pitching staff is concerned it still looks the same with Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Dan Haren, and Ross Detwiler. Now most people remember that last season Strausburg had a limit on his innings and was shut down by the time the playoffs started. This year he is healthy, has no limit on his innings and will be ready to rock. Atlanta will make it close but the Nationals pull it out and take the division.

2. Atlanta Braves
-Last year Atlanta had a turn around year, finishing 2nd in the East with a 94-68 mark. Atlanta has had a few changes to its lineup since last year. Brian McCann will start off on the IR with an injury so Gerald Laird will be called apon to be the everyday catcher till McCann gets back. The infield this year looks a different without Eric Hinske, Lyle Overbay, and Chipper Jones all who left town. So now Atlanta has an infield that will have Freddie Freeman, Dan Uggla, Juan Francisco, and Andrelton Simmons. The infield will look different then what fans are used to seeing in Atlanta, but it is still a very solid infield and will be very competitive this season. As for the outfield, they have lost the likes of Martin Prado, Michael Bourn, and Matt Diaz, however they have made up for it in a big way. The Braves outfield this season will consist of, Justin Upton, B.J. Upton, and Jason Heyward. That outfield may be one of the most lethal in all of baseball., Pitching, which has been well documented in the past, has been a strength of the Braves. Tim Hudson, Kris Medlen, Paul Maholm, Mike Minor, and Julio Teheran don't really scare people like the Braves rotation of the past. They are however very very good. With the team that the Braves have, they are going to really give the Nationals a run for the Division crown and will no doubt be a playoff team again.

3. Philadelphia Phillies
- Last season the Phillies had a drop off year, finishing 3rd at 81-81. Injuries really hampered the Phillies last season that sort of kept them down from the start of the year. Erik Kratz takes over as the everyday catcher replacing Carlos Ruiz and Brian Schneider, who had handled the catching duties the past few seasons in Philly. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Michael Young, and Jimmy Rollins make up the Phillies infield. Rollins will be healthy, and Howard and Utley are starting the year off healthy unlike last year. The Philly infield has taken a bit of a hit with losing talent from last year, but they are still good enough to scare opposing pitchers. Laynce Nix, Ben Revere, and Domonic Brown make up the Phillies outfield, which looks a LOT different from what they have had in the past few years. I'll give the Phillies credit, they do have a pretty good bench, but its the starters that are having me worries as to how good they will actually be. Pitching is still the strength of the Phillies, on paper at least. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick, and John Lannan can still scare any opposing team with how lethal they are. Only problem with the Phillies is they have a weak pen and that is going ton hurt them. Philadelphia will be back over 500 this season but it won't be enough to get them into the playoffs.

4. New York Mets
-Last year the Mets finished 74-88, and once again had a tough go of it falling apart after the all-star break.  The rotation of catchers the Mets had last season are all gone to different ball clubs. Josh Thole went to Toronto with RA Dickey in that trade with the Jays. So now the Mets have John Buck as the everyday catcher, and its an improvement because Buck is not only more reliable behind the plate but he can also hit better than any of the catchers the Mets used last year. Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, David Wright, and Ruben Tejada make up the rest of the infield. With guys like Justin Turner, Mike Baxter and Jordany Valdespin, there are a few capable bats coming off the bench for the Mets. As for the outfield, there have been some big changes made as Jason Bay, Andres Torres, and Scott Hairston are all gone. Bay wasn't worth it, and Torres didn't work out so he is back with the Giants. Hairston though was a tough loss to take as he had been a good hitter, especially against left handed pitching. Now with those three guys out of the lineup, the Mets outfield is comprised of Lucas Duda, Collin Cowgill, and Marlon Byrd. That's not a bad outfield, but it isn't all that great either. Just the fact that Byrd and Cowgill are starting over the likes of Mike Baxter and Kirk Nieuwenhuis is a surprise. Both Baxter and Nieuwenhuis can hit compared to the other two, as far as I can tell. Now as far as the pitching staff goes, the Mets have taken a bit of a step backwards. RA Dickey is gone, as he was traded to Toronto over the winter, and Johan Santana is done for the year after having to undergo shoulder surgery. So with those two no longer factors, the Mets starting rotation will be comprised of Jonathon Niese, Matt Harvey, Dillon Gee, and Jeremy Hefner. The fifth starter in the rotation has yet to be named. Bobby Parnell is set as the closer as of now, while LaTroy Hawkins and Brandon Lyon have been added to try and bolster the pen. Yes the Mets have gotten better but I don't see them reaching the 500 mark yet as there are still too many holes on the club that need to be filled. I see yet another 4th place finish for the Mets and about 75 wins.

5. Miami Marlins
-Last year the Marlins finished in dead last with a 69-93 record. From last year to this year, the marlins have totally retooled their ball club. Rob Brantly, Casey Kotchman, Donovan Solano, Placido Polanco, and Adeiny Hechavarria comprise the infield and Juan Pierre, Justin Ruggiano, and Giancarlo Stanton make up the outfield. Stanton is by far the teams best hitter. Ricky Nolasco is the ace of the Miami pitching staff. The Marlins are the worst team in the division and will once again be in last place.

So there you have it. My predictions for the entire 2013 Major League Baseball season!

NL & AL Central Preview

So yesterday we started our preview of the 2013 Major League Baseball season and yesterday we looked at the western divisions in baseball. today we continue with the predictions and we look at the Central division. First we look at the AL Central and then the NL Central. With the American League, there were a few changes made in the division, but there is still some separation between the top tear teams and the lower level teams in that Central. So here now are how I see the American and National League Central is going to play out in 2013.

Last year the Detroit Tigers were the class of the AL Central winning the division with an 88-74 record. Right behind them were the 85-77 Chicago White Sox. Those two were the only teams in the division to finish above 500 last year. Kansas City finished with 72 wins, then came Cleveland with 68 wins, and finally Minnesota with 66 wins. This season, to a degree, is going to be a different look to how the Central will play out. Here is how I see the AL Central finishing this season.

1. Detroit Tigers
-Last year the Tigers won not only the Central division but the American League Pennant as well. With an 88-74 record, Detroit rolled through the AL playoffs but came in cold to the World Series and were swept by the Giants. Detroit has made a few changes from last years ball club. Alex Avilas is still the starting catcher and Victor Martinez is back as the backup catcher and 1st baseman but will be used mostly as a Designated Hitter. Last year's infield is still in tact, with Infante and Peralta up the middle, and the best one two punch in the middle of the batting order in the division with Prince and reigning MVP Miguel Cabrera. Biggest change made to the Tigers from last year's club is the outfield. Starting in the outfield this year looks like Tori Hunter, Austin Jackson, and Andy Danks.  Detroit has by far the best pitching staff in the division, capped off by Justin Verlander. Phil Coke has been added to an already good bullpen and Bruce Rondon is set to close. Detroit is still too good a ball club to falter, and they will win the Central for the 2nd year in a row.

2. Cleveland Indians
-Last year Cleveland finished 4th in the Central with a 68-94 record which put them in fourth place in the division last season. The team this year looks a little re-tooled from last, as the club lost Shin-Soo Choo to free agency. Cleveland made up for it and then some by adding two big bats to the lineup in the form of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn. So it makes a pretty good outfield with Bourn Drew Stubbs and Michael Brantley. Carlos Santana returns behind the plate again and joins an infield loaded with Swisher, Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Asdrubal Cabrera. Plus throw in Mark Renyolds as the DH and Mike Aviles coming off the bench, the Tribe are going to be a tough team offensively. Indian's pitching staff is a decent one all right. Joe Smith Vinnie Pestano and Rich Hill will be called apon a lot to get the ball to closer Chris Perez. Ubaldo Jimenez, Brett Meyers, and Scott Kazmir will be heading up the starting rotation. Now all three of those guys are not as good as they have been in years past but they can still hold there own and bring the Indians back to respectability.

3. Chicago White Sox
-Last year Chicago was the only other team besides the Tigers to finish above 500 at 85-77. Chicago still knows how to hit and still have a good offensive ball club. Adam Dunn will be the DH but as he has most of his career, he still has problems with the strikeout. Tyler Flowers will now take over as the everyday catcher with A. J. Pierzynski signing to play with the Rangers. Alexei Rameriez will be expected once again to leadoff. With Dunn hitting in the middle of the lineup, he has a bit of protection around him in the form of Paul Konerko and Alex Rios. Chicago still has pop in their bats but it doesn't seem as lethal as it has last year. Jake Pevy and Gavin Floyd are the studs of this White Sox pitching staff, which on paper has downgraded from what they had last year. Chicago still has a good ball club and will be around 500 but they will slip to 3rd in the division this year.

4. Kansas City Royals
-Last year Kansas City finished 3rd in the Central with a 72-90 record and this year it looks a tad bit better but not by much. The Royals kept the exact same outfield in tact from last season with Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, and Jeff Francoeur with Jarrod Dyson coming off the bench. Salvador Perez seems to have taken hold of the everday catcher job and will be the rock behind the plate, while Mike Moustakas will be the anchor of the offense. James Shields is once again the stud of the pitching staff, which may be one of the weakest in the American League. Lack of offense and lack of pitching will keep the Royals down for another year. They are getting better but this year isn't it.

5, Minnesota Twins
-Last year the Twins finished in last place in the Central with a 66-96 record. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau carried the offense of the Twins and will be looked to carry it again this season. Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham are also expected to help plug away at the production this year. If you're a Twins fan there isn't much else to look forward to for offense from the team this year. Pitching isn't any better in Minnesota. Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey are there best arms and that's really about it. Minnesota will be in the basement again this season.

So that is how I see the AL Central playing out. Now lets look at how things will turn out in the National League Central.

Last year the National League Central produced two playoff teams in the Cincinnati Reds, who won the division with a 97-65 record, and the St. Louis Cardinals who got the wild card at 88-74. Coming in 3rd was the Milwaukee Brewers at 83-79. In fourth was the Pirates at 79-83 followed by the last place Chicago Cubs at 61-101 and bringing up the rear was the now gone Houston Astros at 55-107. With the Astros in the American League, it leaves this division wide open for anybody to finish last. So here is how I see the Central playing out this season.

1. Cincinnati Reds
- Last year the Reds won the Central with a 97-65 record, the 2nd best record in the National league right behind the Washington Nationals. The Reds infield is exactly the same as it was last year. Ryan Hanigan is back behind the plate, with Joey Votto at 1st, the best 2nd baseman in the Central in Brandon Phillips, Todd Frazier controlls the hot corner, and  Zack Cozart back at short. Shin-Soo Choo was added to the outfield with Ryan Ludwick and Jay Bruce. The only question mark I have with the Reds is the bench, and the fact that they really don't have one right now. If the Reds get hit with the injury bug, then they may be in trouble. Cincinnati has one of the more solid starting rotations in baseball with Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, and Mike Leake and Aroldis Chapman closing out games. The Reds are still the top dog in the central and will remain that way again this year, IF they can stay healthy.

2. St. Louis Cardinals
-Last year the Cardinals picked up the wild card with 88 wins and might have a chance again at that this year. Lance Berkman left via free agency to the American League. Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter are the leaders on the Cardinals infield. The Cards outfield is the exact same as last year with John Jay, Carlos Beltran and Matt Holiday. St. Louis seems to have taken a step backwards with the loss of some of their offense from a year ago. Not really having much of a bench either will hurt their chances. With the pitching staff that St. Louis has they are going to be really tough to beat. Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Jake Westbrook, Lance Lynn, and Shelby Miller make for an intimidating starting rotation. Plus throw in Jason Motte closing games, the Cards are going to be a tough team. The only reason I have the Cards slipping a bit this year is due to the fact that the offense and bench of the Cards isn't as good as last year. They're still good but will come up just short.


3. Pittsburgh Pirates
-Last season the Pirates finished in 4th in the Central and finished under 500. This year its going to be a different story. Russell Martin adds a better bat to the lineup from behind the plate compared to what they had in Rod Barajas last year. Garrett Jones was added to play first base, thus moving a versatile Gabby Sanchez to the bench. The remainder of the infield still consists of Neil Walker, Pedro Alverez, and Clint Barnes. Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen, and Travis Snider make up the outfield and are going to have to move on without the services of Nate McLouth. Pittsburgh has a solid bench which is what is going to help keep them up in the division. With a starting rotation that consists of A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez, James McDonald, Jonathan Sanchez, and Jeff Locke, the Pirates may surprise a few people with their pitching staff. Granted its not as good as that of the Cardinals or Reds, its still good enough to keep them, in the race. Pittsburgh's only question mark for me is can their bullpen hold up over the course of a 162 game season. Now it could go either way with the Cards and Pirates in 2nd this year. What the Cards lack in a bench the Pirates lack in bullpen. Pittsburgh is going to be good enough to finally break the streak and have a winning season.

4. Milwaukee Brewers
-last year Milwaukee finished in 3rd with an 83-79 record. There have been a few changes made in Brewer country. Jonathan Lucroy has taken over as the everyday catcher. Alex Gonzalez, Rickie Weeks, Aramis Ramirez, and Jean Segura make up the rest of the starting infield. As it looks like right now, with Cory Hart out for the first few months with the injury, it leaves the Brewers limited on their bench, which could hurt them over the course of the season. Ryan Braun and Carlos Gomez are still the anchors of the outfield with the wildcard in the form of Norichika Aoki to round out the Brewer outfield. Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse are the workhorses and best pitchers in that Brewers rotation and John Axford will be closing games. That is what will be the downfall for the Brewers this year is the lack of pitching, especially compared to the rest of the division. Milwaukee has taken a down step this year and will fall to possibly below 500.

5. Chicago Cubs
-Last year the Cubs finished 61-101. Chicago had a revolving door at catcher but now it looks like Welington Castillo has taken hold of the everyday catching job. With Anthony Rizzo holding things down at the everyday first basebaseman, it gives the Cubs stability at the position. Everything else has stayed the same at the infield with Darwin Barney, Luis Valbuena, and Starlin Castro. Alfonso Soriano is the best bat in the outfield for the Cubs. Jeff Samardzija and Edwin Jackson are the top of the pitching staff and Carlos Marmol is the best pitcher out of the bullpen. Chicago still has too many holes to fill and will once again be an under 500 ball club.

So there you have it. That was my predictions for the American and National League Central divisions. Tomorrow we will have the AL and NL East preview!

NL & AL West Preview

So with the start of the 2013 Major League Baseball season less than a week away, we here at Solly On Sports figured now was just as good a time as any to start making our predictions for this season. What we will be doing over the next few days is taking a look at each of the divisions in baseball and predict where each team will sit come the end of the season. Also I will be giving my reasons for why each team will finish where they will in the division. So today we start off the predictions with the American and National Leagues Western Division. As we all know the AL West underwent the biggest change by adding in the Houston Astros so it is with the AL West that we start.

Last season saw two teams from the West make the playoffs, as the Oakland A's won the division at 94-68 and the Wild Card winners the Texas Rangers got in at 93-69. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim finished 3rd and bringing up the rear were the under 500 Seattle Mariners. This year, with the added element of the Houston Astros, things are going to look a lot different in that division. So here is how I see the American League West playing out.

1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
-Last year the Angels just missed out on the playoffs and finished at 89-73. They already had a good team from last season. This year's club got that much better. Anaheim already had a loaded roster with guys like Albert Pujols, Howard Kendrick, Mark Trumbo and last years best rookie Mike Trout. Take that talent heavy roster and throw in the biggest free agent signing of the winter in Josh Hamilton, the Angels are LOADED. As it sits right now, Hamilton is set to play right, with Trout in left and Peter Bourjos to play center. That outfield is pretty good. Plus throw in the fact that Mark Trumbo is slated to be the DH, and he a pretty decent outfielder in his own right. Anaheim has a bullpen that doesn't really look very solid but the starting rotation is good enough with Weaver and Wilson and Blanton and Hanson and Vargas will be good enough to get the West division title to the Angels. Anaheim will take this division with one of the best teams in the league.

2. Texas Rangers
-Last year the Texas Rangers won 93 games and got into the playoffs as a wild card team, but were bounced in the one game playoff by Baltimore. Texas took a big loss in the offseason when Hamilton went to the Angels. Texas still has a decent outfield with the likes of David Murphy, Leonys Martin and Nelson Cruz. Don't get me wrong its still a good outfield, but the loss of Josh Hamilton is going to be evident for the Rangers this year. Texas still has a good infield with Morland at 1st, Kinsler at 2nd, Beltre at 3rd and Andrus at shortstop. Now add in an upgrade at both catcher in A.J. Pierzynski and with Lance Berkman at DH. Granted Lance Berkman isn't as good of a hitter as he had been earlier in his career, he still has pop in his bat and can help produce. Texxas kept thier starting rotation in tact from last season with Derek Holland and Yu Darvish at the top and have Jon Nathan set to close games this year. Texas looks to be on pace to play as good as last season and will once again be a playoff team.

3. Oakland Athletics
-Oakland won the AL West last season with 94 wins. Last year the A's were the underrated team of the year, as I don't think too many people had them finishing higher than 3rd. This year things are a bit different for the A's. The division has now gotten a bit tougher with teams getting better. Oakland has their team in tact from last year. Oakland has improved the infield a bit with the addition of Scott Sizemore and Jed Lowrie. The outfield in Oakland of Coco Crisp, Josh Redlick and Yoenis Cespedes is still a very solid outfield. All three guys can field and they all can hit, with Redlick being the power man of the three of them. Oakland's pitching staff, on paper, isn't going to be blowing anybody away. Brett Anderson is their ace and Grant Balfour will be the closer. Oakland still has a good ball club but they don't have the pitching to really go deep, and they will fall back to middle of the pack this season.

4. Seattle Mariners
-Seattle finished last season with 75 wins with a decent ball club. Only problem for the Mariners is the rest of the division, outside of Houston, is just too good. Jesus Montero is once again controlling things behind the plate and he has two decent backup catchers behind him in Kelly Shoppach and Ronny Paulino. Seattle has a solid outfield in the form of Michael Morse, Franklin Gutierrez and Michael Saunders, plus factor in Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez coming off the bench. Seattle's infield isn't  one that will knock you're socks off so it will be one of their weak spots. Pitching might keep the Mariners in a few games, with King Felix Hernandez at the top of the rotation and Hisashi Iwakuma Joe Saunders right behind him. Seattle will get closer to being a 500 club but it might not be enough to pull out a playoff team.

5. Houston Astros
-Jose Altuve was the leader in all offensive categories last season and will probably do the same thing again this season. Altuve and Ronnie Cedeno make a decent double play combo up the middle, and they have decent power from Carlos Pena at 1st, but there isn't much of a power output coming from the Astros. Rick Ankel is making strides in coming back and is in a set role coming off the bench at the start of the season. Houston's pitching staff doesn't really jump out at you, as they have Bud Norris and Philip Humber as their best pitchers. The Astros still have a long uphill climb in their re-building process and this year isn't going to be any better. Last year Houston lost 107 games in the National League and will be around there again this year in the American League.

So that is how I see the AL West playing out. Now we take a look at the National League West.

Last season proved that the NL West is anybody's division to win, with the Giants being the ultimate winner, finishing the year with 94 wins and the NL West title. Not only were the Giants the best in the West, they are also the defending world champions, after they swept the Detroit Tigers for the championship. Last season the Padres and Rockies were the only teams in the West to finish the season with losing records.Arizona finished the year at exactly 500, while the Dodgers finished the year ten games over 500. And there have been quite a few changes made in this division in the offseason. So with that in mind, here is how I see the National League West playing out this year.

1. San Francisco Giants
-As mentioned before the Giants are the defending World Champions, and from the looks of things haven't changed much in the offseason. Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey are the most lethal power bats in that Giants lineup. Scutaro and Crawford are quick up the middle and are great complements to each other. Gregor Blanco, Hunter Pence, and Angel Pagan are a great three man outfield. Add in Andres Torres, who was brought back in the offseason from the Mets, will be a great utility outfielder coming off the bench. San Francisco hasn't touched its pitching rotation from last year, as it still has Matt Cain, Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum leading the charge at the top of it. The Giants are still the top of the food chain in the West and they will once again take the division.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers
-The Dodgers were the only real competition for the Giants last season, and LA finished eight games behind the Giants for the division and missed the playoffs. LA spent a ton of money this past winter to retool its ball club and they will be a serious threat to the Giants for the division crown. Adrian Gonzalez Mark Ellis and Juan Uribe are the big bats out of the infield for the Dodgers, while the outfield has taken on a whole new look. Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier will be the everyday outfield in LA, which may have the best outfield in the West. PLus factor in a guy like Skip Schumaker coming off the bench, he can play almost anywhere, and makes it tough for opposing managers to defend against. Los Angeles has the best rotation in the division with the likes of Clayton Kershaw Zack Greinke Josh Beckett Chad Billingsley and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Ryu and Beckett are the only real question marks for me in the rotation. Ryu because he, to me at least is an unknown, and Josh Beckett isn't getting any younger, and doesn't exactly look like the pitcher of ten years ago. With all that being said the Dodgers are going to make a very solid run at the Giants for the division crown and will get in as a wild card team.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks
-Arizona had a pretty good year last year, finishing with an 81-81 record. This winter they took a bit of a hit with the loss of BJ Upton. Hitting and finding offense won't be a problem for the Diamondbacks as they have plenty of it to go around. Aaron Hill, Ian Kennedy, and Martin Prado are going to be powering the offense, so will Paul Goldschmidt. The only thing I can see that is holding back the Diamondbacks at the moment is their pitching. It has to be one of the weaker ones in the west. Ian Kennedy and Trevor Cahill make that rotation, and sadly there is nothing else really behind it. JJ Putz is the closer but the team really has a lack luster bullpen and nobody as a real setup guy to bring in Putz. Arizona is going to be a decent team but they won't finish higher than 3rd place and just a shade over 500.

4. Colorado Rockies
-This is a team who last year had the worst record in the west at 64-98. This year will once again be another tough year in the mile high city for baseball. Colorado has something brewing in the way of offense for this season. Troy Tulowitzki, Told Helton, Dexter Fowler and Michael Cuddyer have the jump offensively to keep the Rockies in games. The only thing with Todd Helton though is he is getting on in years, by baseball standards, and isn't able to produce quite as well as he could in earlier years. He is still a good hitter, but isn't as feared as he once was. What will probably end up[ doing in the Rockies this year is their pitching staff. Basically put they don't really have one. Jorge De La Rosa and Jeff Francis are going to be the teams best pitchers. For a team to be successful they have to have good pitching and a solid bullpen. On paper the Rockies don't have that, and it will end up costing them games. The Rockies might be a better team then last year, but not really by much.

5. San Diego Padres
Last year San Diego finished ten games under 500 and missed the playoffs once again. This year will be worse for the Padres. There offense is weak and so is their pitching staff. Face facts, San Diego has nothing really to go on right now as they appear to be in a rebuilding mode and they will once again miss out on the playoffs.

So there you have it. My preview and predictions for the American and National League West. Tomorrow will be looking at the NL and AL Central!

Oswego State Women's Hockey Season Recap

The 2012-13 Season for the Oswego State Women's hockey team was a great success, to say the very least. Oswego had a lot to overcome this past season, and things turn interesting very quickly, before the season even started. Due to some possible NCAA rules violations, the exact problems the school had to face are still unknown, Oswego lost some it's top returning players from last year, and even a few top flight recruits. So Oswego State started, and played, the year with only 17 total players on their roster. By the time all was said and done, Oswego finished the year with a .500 record and hosted a playoff game for the 2nd year in a row. So lets now take a look back at the season that was for the Oswego State Lakers.

Oswego kicked off the year with an exhibition game against the Toronto Midget Aeros on October 20th and fell just short in a 2-1 loss, with Emma Smetaniuk scoring the loan goal. The regular season officially got underway the following weekend, with Oswego making a trip to New England area. First up was a road game in Castleton on October 26th, a game in which Oswego was blanked 3-0. Oswego turned things around the next night on October 27th, when they skated to a 1-1 tie against New England College to earn the first point of the regular season. Lizzy Marks scored the first goal, officially, for the Lakers on the year and Oswego finished off October 0-1-1.

November rolled around, and the Lakers started the month off with a weekend home and home series against the Utica Pioneers. First up was a November 2nd game at the Aud in Utica, a game which the Pioneers won 3-1. Laker Captain Olivia Boersen scored the only goal for Oswego on that night. Both teams turned right around and faced each other again the next night, November 3rd. This time the game was played at the Campus Center Ice Arena in Oswego. Changing locations for the game did wonders for Oswego, as they picked up their first win of the year, a 5-3 victory. Bridget Smith picked up her first win of the year. So after the Utica series, Potsdam made their trip to the Campus Center, and the teams traded shutouts that weekend. First up, thanks to 22 saves from Bridget Smith and four different goal scorers, Oswego beat the Bears 4-0. For Smith it was her first shutout of the season. Very next day,  Dawna Salvarinas made 19 saves for Potsdam as the Bears shutout the Lakers 2-0. Now after trading shutouts with Potsdam, Oswego took their act back on the road for a weekend series with Neuman College right before thanksgiving, a series Oswego would sweep. First up was a 4-2 win by Oswego on November 17th, a game that saw a pair of first career goals. Freshman Bailee Goodon and Senior Breanne Reith each scored their first career goals. For Reith it was her first goal in four years, and with her being the lone senior on the team this year, it made things all the more special. The next day saw another first career goal by a Laker, as Oswego beat Neuman again, this time in overtime, 2-1. Megan Hagg scored her first as a Laker to tie the game and junior Leslie Jarvis scored her first career goal, in Overtime, to win the game for the Lakers.

The Lakers returned from thanksgiving break to take on Hamilton College at home, but they weren't able to muster much offense in a 3-1 loss. So with that Oswego finished November with a 4-3 record. Moving to December, Oswego would host Chatham for a weekend series to kick off the month. Oswego looked to bounce back from the loss to Hamilton, and they did in a big way. First it was a 6-1 win on home ice, followed up by a 4-0 shutout of the Cougars on December 3rd. With the 4-0 win, it was the 1st career win and shutout for freshman goalie Tori Trovanto. Oswego closed out the month of December and first half of the season against Amherst, but the Lakers couldn't capitalize and fell short 2-1. With the first half of the season in the books, Oswego stood at 6-5-1 overall, and 6-2-0 in ECAC West play.

With the 2012 portion of the calender in the books, Oswego started the 2013 half of the season with a weekend series against St. Norbert. the new year started off with a 3-2 win. But that wouldn't improve as Oswego would fall on a three game losing skid. First it was a 2-1 loss to St. Norbert at home. Then Oswego had to travel to the North Country to take on rival Plattsburgh in a weekend series. Things wouldn't go so hot for Oswego as they dropped both games of the series, 8-0 and 2-0. Oswego returned home licking their wounds when Buffalo State made the trip to town. Oswego had found their jump and took it out on the Bengals, beating them 3-0 and 2-0.  Bridget Smith picked up the shutout in both games, making 18 saves both shutout wins. The final weekend in January would bring in a weekend series with Stevenson making the trip to Oswego. Oswego would take the first game 5-1 but fell just short in getting shut out 1-0 in the 2nd game. So when January ended, Oswego stood at 10-9-1 and 8-4-0 in ECAC West play.

Now with February rolling in Oswego had four games left in the season, senior weekend against Elmira and a road series in Cortland heading into the playoffs. with the Soaring Eagles in tow it wasn't the way Oswego wanted to end the season at home, getting shut out in both games 2-0 and 6-0. So with that Oswego had ended its regular season on home ice, but it still had two more road games to go, in Cortland to cap the year off. Oswego walked away with two wins to end the year 3-2 and 3-1, sending the Lakers on a small roll going into the playoffs.

For the 2nd year in a row Oswego would play Neuman at the Campus Center in the opening round of the ECAC West playoffs. Last year, Oswego blanked Neuman 3-0 in the playoffs, and Oswego beat Neuman in both games at Neuman earlier this year. However the third time was the charm for Neuman as the Knights shut out the Lakers 3-0 to put an end to the season. Oswego finished the season with a 12-12-1 record overall and 10-6-0 in ECAC West play.

There were plenty of bright spots for the Oswego State Lakers this season. Oswego pitched four shutouts this year, one by Tori Trovanto and three from Bridget Smith.  Melissa Seamont led the team in goals (9) assists (15) and Points (24). Seamont's 15 assists set the single season mark for assists by a Laker forward, her 9 goals is good for the 7th most in school history and her 24 points ties her with Mackenzie Lee for the most points in a single season in school history. Melissa's 46 career points after her Junior year puts her in 4th place on the all time Oswego scoring list, just 4 points behind Kelly Collins for the school all time scoring record.

No Oswego player scored a hat trick this year but a couple of players came close with two goal games.  Melissa Seamont (11/3/12 vs Utica), Mady Paul (12/2/12 vs Chatham), and Olivia Boersen (1/26/13 vs Stevenson) had mulit-goal games.

The lone senior on this year's club was Breanne Reith, who had spent four years dominating the blue line for Oswego. In 94 games played she scored 2 goals 4 assists and 6 points. Reitih is known for being one of the best stay at home blueliners in program history.

I think I can probably speak for most fans when I say the following. Ladies it was one hell of a year. It truly was an honor to watch you guys do what you did this year, with what you had to work with. Congratulations on another successful season!

Marty Finds The Mark. Brodeur Scores Goal

For the third time in his career, Devils Goalie Martin Brodeur finds the back of the opposing goal. Last night against the Carolina Hurricanes Brodeur scored a goal on the powerplay to get the Devils on the board first in route to a 4-1 win. It was the 3rd goal of his career and 2nd during the regular season. That is the most goals scored by any netminder in the history of the league.

Lets set the scene. New Jersey was on a powerplay early in the 1st period in Carolina. Patrick Dwyer of the Hurricanes was hooked by defenseman Marek Zidlicky as Dwyer broke into the New Jersey zone. With a delayed penalty call in effect, Dwyer fired a shot that was stopped by Brodeur, who deflected the puck to the right corner. Carolina's Jordan Staal gained control and slid a pass back toward defenseman Tim Gleason at the left point, but he missed Gleason, and the puck went off the boards all the way back into the vacant Carolina net to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead at 3:54.

So this got me thinking about how many goalies have scored goals in the NHL. So here is the full list of NHL goalies who have scored goals.

Billy Smith, NYI Nov. 28, 1979 at Colorado
Ron Hextall, Phi. Dec. 8, 1987 vs Boston
Chris Osgood, Det. Mar. 6, 1996 at Hartford
Damian Rhodes, Ott. Jan. 2, 1999 vs New Jersey
Martin Brodeur, N.J. Feb. 15, 2000 vs Philadelphia
Jose Theodore, Mtl. Jan. 2, 2001 at NY Islanders
Evgeni Nabokov, S.J. Mar. 10, 2002 at Vancouver (PPG)
Mika Noronen, Buf. Feb. 14, 2004 at Toronto
Chris Mason, Nsh. Apr. 15, 2006 vs Phoenix
Cam Ward, Car. Dec. 26, 2011 vs New Jersey
Martin Brodeur, NJ Mar. 21, 2013 at Carolina

PLAYOFFS
Ron Hextall, Phi. Apr. 11, 1989 at Washington
Martin Brodeur, N.J. Apr. 17, 1997 vs Montreal


So congratulations to Brodeur on his Goal!

Eric Selleck Gets Call to Panthers

It's a big day for Oswego State Alumni Eric Selleck. Afters playing 197 games in the American Hockey League, Selleck finally gets the call he's been waiting for. Tonight he will make his NHL Debut with the Florida Panthers as they take on the Carolina Hurricanes in Carolina at 7PM.

Selleck becomes the first player in Oswego State History to play an NHL game. He's going into the lineup tonight to replace injured Panthers tough guy George Perros. Selleck has played 60 games for the Rampage this season, scoring 17 points (5-12-17) with 181 penalty minutes. He has played in 197 career AHL games posting 42 points (15-27-42).

Selleck was signed as a free agent by Florida on April 21, 2010 after he finished his sophomore season with 54 points (21-33-54). Selleck also earned First Team All-America honors and was named the SUNY Athletic Conference Herb Hammond Most Valuable Player during the 2009-10 season. He finished his career with 80 points (34-46-80) in 54 career games.

Selleck joins a small list of players who have made the jump from a Division III college to the NHL. The most notable names off that list are former Ducks Goalie Guy Hebert ((Hamilton College), Kurtis McLean (Norwich University) and Keith Aucoin (Norwich University).

So best of luck to Eric Selleck on his career in the Big Leagues!

Oswego Falls Short. National Title To Wisconsin Eau-Claire

It was the last game in the careers of 14 seniors on the Oswego State Men's Hockey team. They looked to cap off their outstanding careers with the biggest prize in Division III Hockey, a national championship. As was the case last year, this years club fell short of their goal, taking a 5-3 loss in the title game to the Blugolds of Wisconsin Eau-Claire.

From the moment the puck dropped, Oswego State controlled play. The Lakers jumped out to an early lead, when at the 10:44 mark of the opening period, Bobby Gertsakis scored his 6th of the year. Oswego would increase their lead to 2-0 at the 11:15 mark, a little more than thirty seconds later, when Chris Muise scored his 13th of the season. For Muise it was his 3rd goal in the last two days. Oswego's lead would not last however. Wisconsin got on the board at the 14:25 mark on the powerplay, when Jordan Singer scored his 22nd goal of the year. The Blugolds would tie the game at two at the 19:06 mark when Andrew Wilcox scored his 6th of the season. Wisconsin Eau-Claire outshot Oswego 13-11 in the opening period and skated away with a 2-2 tie. The first half of the period was dominated by Oswego, but they let that slip away and Wisconsin worked they way back to an even footing after 20 minutes.

Wisconsin had the only goal of the middle period, when at the 6:29 mark Daniel Olszewski scored his 7th of the season. The middle period was definitely dominated by Oswego State. The Lakers outshot the Blugolds in the period 7-4 and had three powerplays in the later stages of the period, but came up empty on all of them. Wisconsin Eau-Claire held that 3-2 lead into the 3rd period.

Devin Mantha would score his 7th of the year, at the 7:20 mark of the period, to give Wisconsin Eau-Claire a 4-2 lead and would appear to have put the game out of reach. Oswego would not go away quietly just yet and at the 10:00 mark of the 3rd Bobby Gertsakis would score his 2nd of the game and 7th of the season, to pull Oswego within one with half the period still to go. Oswego would pour on the attack but Wisconsin Eau-Claire would hold off the barrage and with :59 left on the clock, Kurt Weston would score his 14th of the year, into an empty net, to put the game away and seal the victory.

Brandon Stephenson picked up the win for the Blugolds, capping his record off for the year at 22-4-2, while making 27 saves. Stephenson played great in both games over the weekend and was a big reason the Blugolds won it all. Andrew Hare picked up the loss for Oswego, dropping his record on the year to 21-5-0, and he made 20 saves in the loss.

So with the victory, Wisconsin Eau-Claire picked up the first national championship in school history, and a very well deserved honor for them. They were predicted to finish 5th in their 7 team conference and to go from that at the start of the year all the way to a title, speaks volumes about the team. Very well deserved victory for the Blugolds.

After the game the All Tournament team and the Tournament Most Outstanding player was announced. The winners were as follows:

Forward: Jordan Singer (Eau Claire)
Forward: Kurt Weston (Eau Claire)
Forward: Chris Muise (Oswego)
Defense: Drew Darwitz (Eau Claire)
Defense: Bobby Gertsakis (Oswego)
Goalie: Brandon Stephenson (Eau Claire)

 MOP: Jordan Singer (Eau Claire)

So there you have it. The National Championsip to the Wisconsin Eau-Claire Blugolds!

There will be full season recaps for the Oswego State Men's and Women's Hockey teams on the site later this week!

(Photo provided by the Oswego State Sports Information Department)