Bruce Drennan is enjoying the Indians as much as the rest of us

via Joe Posnanski

Really?

Report says Indians most-hated team

A shocking development in Houston

In case you haven't been following the MLB season closely yet, the Houston Astros are pretty terrible.  They currently sit at 5-10 (which actually isn't that bad considering they started 0-8), and their 41 runs scored are 13 less than the next fewest total in the National League (Pittsburgh's 54). 

All of this was more or less expected coming into the season.  The shocking thing is that the Astros' leader in home runs and RBI is none other than former Indians fourth outfielder Jay-Mike himself, Jason Michaels! 

Michaels has the amazing line of .286 BA, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .286 OBP (a walk is the pussy way on-base to Jay-Mike), .786 slugging, and 1.071 OPS.  Granted, he has done all of this damage in only 14 at-bats, and I'm sure his numbers are going to come down to his usual replacement-player level, but let's ride this thing while we can.  Jay-Mike for MVP!

Dear 2009 MLB Season: END ALREADY!

I'm not just saying that because the Indians are terrible (and will be terrible next season, too).  If I were to rank how interested I am right now in any given sport, baseball would rank behind both tennis and golf (while holding a slight edge over soccer, if only because I can't bring myself to watch a soccer game).  I can't remember a more boring season in any sport ever.  Are the missing steroids the problem?  Maybe.  Just for shits and giggles (like this video, which involves George Brett shitting and you giggling), let's compare the 2009 season to the 1999 season.  While 1999 wasn't necessarily the beginning of the steroid era, it is smack-dab in the middle of its peak, and, besides, it's exactly 10 years ago, which is always a nice round number to use to compare eras.  I've broken things down into different categories, some of which are pretty cut-and-dry (best team, for example) and some which are a little more strange (appeal of the Colorado Rockies, for example).  Enjoy, if you dare.

You'll never guess who threw out the first pitch at the Indians game last night...

The annoying Progressive commercial lady!  (photo taken by Mark Duncan -AP via Let's Go Tribe).  Just when the Indians couldn't get more depressing, they pull this stunt. 

Solving the AL-NL problem

In the April 7 issue of ESPN The Magazine, writer George Milkov explores the inequality between the American League and National League in Major League Baseball. On page 70, Milkov has a list of suggestions for how to correct this inequality, including realignment. Milkov then proposes a Northeast Division comprising of the Yankees, Mets, Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto. This led me to wonder what the rest of the league would look like. The following is my proposal (which assumes that the DH would now be employed by both leagues).

For starters, the Northeast Division would headline the AL. In order to provide the balance that is really the ultimate goal of realignment, the NL would need to answer with a powerhouse division of its own. Thus, the Great Lakes Division would headline the NL, which would include Cleveland, the Cubs, the White Sox, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Minnesota. Since the Great Lakes would have six teams, the AL would need a six team division to counter, thus the Midwest Division, comprised of Cincinnati, Texas, St. Louis, Houston, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Rounding out the AL would be the Northwest Division, comprised of Seattle, the Dodgers, Oakland, and San Francisco, while the NL will be completed with the Southwest Division, comprised of Anaheim, Arizona, Colorado, and San Diego, and the Southeast Division, made up of Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Washington, Florida, and Baltimore. The new leagues would look like this (with my notes and thoughts following each division):

AL

Northeast

NY Yankees

Boston Red Sox

Philadelphia Phillies

NY Mets

Toronto Blue Jays

This would be the most competitive division, as well as the most expensive. The Yankees and Red Sox would be able to continue their war, while the rest of the division would battle to see who could be the biggest thorn in the big two’s sides, with the Yankees-Mets potentially edging Yankees-Red Sox as baseball’s biggest rivalry somewhere down the line.

Midwest

Cincinnati Reds

Texas Rangers

St. Louis Cardinals

Houston Astros

Kansas City Royals

Pittsburgh Pirates

Geography is the key here, as the natural rivalries between St. Louis and Kansas City and Houston and Texas will be allowed to blossom. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t see putting Cincinnati with Cleveland or Pittsburgh with Philadelphia.

Northwest

Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Dodgers

Seattle Mariners

San Francisco Giants

I would have liked to get Oakland in here, but in an economic sense, they would be more competitive in the Southwest. Also, replacing the A’s with the Angels allows the rivalry with the Dodgers to develop, as well as keeping them with the Mariners. San Francisco would continue their rivalry with the Dodgers, while also gaining the opportunity to bring back Barry Bonds as the designated hitter.

NL

Great Lakes

Cleveland Indians

Detroit Tigers

Chicago Cubs

Chicago White Sox

Milwaukee Brewers

Minnesota Twins

This would be a deep, deep division that would provide for a pretty entertaining race. The White Sox-Cubs rivalry is pretty obvious, while the Twins and Brewers may develop one. The Indians and Tigers could continue to battle for divisional supremacy, while also maintaining bad feelings with the Twins and White Sox. While lacking the glitz and glamour of the Northeast, this may be my favorite division.

Southeast

Atlanta Braves

Tampa Bay Rays

Washington Nationals

Florida Marlins

Baltimore Orioles

This division would provide natural rivals in Tampa Bay-Florida and Washington-Baltimore while leaving the Braves alone to go on another division title streak. Tampa Bay could finally develop into a competitive club without the financial giants of the AL East to compete with.

Southwest

Arizona Diamondbacks

Colorado Rockies

San Diego Padres

Oakland Athletics

MLB actually has gotten this one right. I put Oakland here because they match up better financially with these clubs than with those of the Northwest. This would probably continue to be a wide open division.

Barry Bonds and 756

So the inevitable has happened and Barry Bonds is the new home run king, which is a shame. Henry Aaron carried the title with dignity and class. Bonds seems like he'll be a surly asshole about things, just like he always is. I mean, can you imagine Bonds congratulating the next home run king (likely Alex Rodriguez, which I'll get to in a second) the way Aaron did for Bonds, even though Aaron has done everything but say he doesn't think Bonds deserves to break his record? I wish the next crown-bearer will be more gregarious, honest, and nicer, but A-Rod--the inevitable suitor--is just as testy as Bonds, but in a completely different way (where Bonds will just ignore reporters, A-Rod will feed them cookie cutter lines lacking any empathy). A-Rod cheats, too, but unlike Bonds's shady, mysterious dealings with banned substances, Rodriguez lays it all out on the field, peeking back at the catcher, knocking the ball out of mitts, and yelling at fielders trying to catch fly balls. And while there is a certain edginess to cheering for Bonds, cheering for A-Rod just makes you a dork.

On another note, don't you think it's weird that the most memorable baseball call from 2007 won't be the call of 756 (which is a pretty good call, actually)...



...but this?

The Cleveland Indians: Stocking The Rosters of MLB Teams For (at least) 12 Years

(Note: This is an unfinished project of mine that I started back in April and just lost track of. I'm never going to finish it, but, since I did put a lot of work into it, I decided to just post what I had done. Also, Jeremy Guthrie has turned out a lot better for the Orioles than I expected (3rd in the AL in ERA). Oh, and most--if not all--of my stats came from baseballreference.com)

I have often said that the Cleveland Indians have produced more players playing somewhere in the majors than any other team, and I’ve never really counted to see if I am right (nor am I going to anytime soon). While I don’t know if I am right or not, I do know a lot of players, and more importantly, a lot of good players, have come through Cleveland. What follows is a comprehensive list of all active players who have spent some time with the Indians on the major league roster. I’ve decided to break it down by team to see who the biggest pilferer of Indians players is and to split up this gargantuan list.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Baltimore has an affinity for picking up former Indians golden boy pitchers, and they have the last three waves covered. Jaret Wright was the first, riding a wave of hope created by his unexpected 1997 playoff success for five years of pitching ranging from mediocre to atrocious. Danys Baez was next, a mysterious Cuban defector signed in hopes of being the next Livan or Orlando Hernandez, and then hoped to be the next Jose Mesa (pre-rape allegations), and finally discarded. Jeremy Guthrie is the latest, drafted amid hype (at least in terms of the baseball draft), starting fast at AA ball, and then failing to excel at any level beyond that. Good luck, Leo Mazzone.

• Danys Baez, RHP

YEARS WITH INDIANS: 2001-03 (amateur free agent)

CAREER STATS: 502 IP, 31-37, 111 SV, 394 K, 3.78 ERA

AWARDS: 1 All-Star Game (2005)

CAREER YEAR: 2005, Tampa Bay, 72.1 IP, 5-4, 41 SV, 51K, 2.86 ERA

LOST: via FA to Tampa Bay

Baez was signed out of Cuba in a rare instance when the Indians outbid the Yankees. Danys was originally a starter, then shifted to relief, then shifted back to starting (10-11, 4.41 ERA for a bad 2002 team), before being shifted back to relief in 2003, this time as the closer. Baez had 25 saves for a 94-loss Indians team that year, but also blew 10 saves. This shaky performance persuaded the Indians to let Baez walk following the season, when Baez signed with Tampa Bay, where he saved 71 games in his two seasons. All in all, I don’t remember the Danys Baez era being a good one.

• Jeremy Guthrie, RHP

YEARS WITH INDIANS: 2004-06 (via draft 1^st RD 22^nd pick)

CAREER STATS: 50 IP, 1-1, 34 K, 5.22 ERA

CAREER YEAR: Guthrie is young, and in his brief cameos in the majors, he has been pretty terrible. He is off to a decent start with the Orioles, however, posting 13 IP, 1-1, 10K, 2.77 ERA

LOST: Waived (Claimed by Baltimore)

Guthrie didn’t spend much time in Cleveland, making only 16 appearances over 3 seasons, one of them a start, and none of them good, posting a 5.87 career ERA with the Tribe. I didn’t even know he wasn’t with the team anymore to be honest. When Guthrie was drafted 22^nd overall in 2002, he was somewhat of a risk because of his perceived unsignability (some had him in the top 5, but he dropped because of his high asking price, and he did in fact turn out to be a tough sign, failing to come to terms until October, 2002). I remember Guthrie dominating at AA Akron (62.2 IP, 6-2, 1.44 ERA, 35 K, 14 BB, 2 Shutouts) in his debut season, but then getting shelled at AAA Buffalo (96.2 IP, 4-9, 6.52 ERA, 62 K, 30 BB) after getting promoted. The reasons for Guthrie’s AAA struggles were cited as an inability to adjust to the better hitters he was seeing, and he apparently never gained the ability, posting a 7.91 ERA at Buffalo the next season. The fact that Guthrie was waived with absolutely no fanfare shows how far his star has fallen.

• Jaret Wright, RHP

YEARS WITH INDIANS: 1997-2002 (via draft 1^st RD 10^th pick)

CAREER STATS: 969.2 IP, 68-59, 2 SV, 693 K, 5.08 ERA

AWARDS: 5^th place 1997 AL Rookie of the Year

CAREER YEAR: 2004, Atlanta, 186.1 IP, 15-8, 159 K, 3.28 ERA

LOST: via FA to San Diego

This one hurts, not because of what he is now, nor because of what he was with the Tribe (save for one magical October), but because of what he could have been. In the 1997 playoffs, the relatively unknown 21 year-old Wright helped get the Indians within one out of a championship, posting a 3-0 record, including two wins over the Yankees and a win in the World Series (which should have been two World Series wins if Jose Mesa could have closed Game 7 vs. Florida). Following that October, no one was as revered in Cleveland as Jaret Wright. Rumor has it that the Indians could have had Pedro Martinez for a package including Wright or Randy Johnson straight up for him and passed, and no one in Cleveland could really blame them. Ouch. Wright imploded almost immediately the next season, beginning with a spring training beaning of Derek Jeter that led to Wright being labeled a headhunter, which invariably led to Wright fearing the inside part of the plate. The result was a constant shelling of Wright’s pitching on the rare occasions he wasn't injured. After beginning a meltdown in Game 3 of the 1999 ALDS versus the Red Sox that would cost the Indians a series and Mike Hargrove his job, Wright pretty much cemented his exit from the Tribe and killed the hope of Indians fans everywhere. Wright has gone on to show glimpses of his 1997 self, but injuries keep getting in his way. Here’s hoping he never regains his form, if only because the Indians could have had Pedro freaking Martinez for him and passed. Ugh.

BOSTON RED SOX

• Julian Tavarez, RHP

YEARS WITH INDIANS: 1993-96 (amateur free agent)

CAREER STATS: 1194 IP, 77-61, 22 SV, 691 K, 4.39 ERA

AWARDS: 6^th place 1995 AL Rookie of the Year

CAREER YEAR: 1995, Cleveland, 85 IP, 10-2, 68 K, 2.44 ERA

LOST: Traded with Joe Roa, Jeff Kent, and Jose Vizcaino to the San Francisco for Matt Williams and Trenidad Hubbard.

I don’t remember Tavarez’s 1995 season being so good, but I do remember the 1996 Sports Illustrated MLB Preview Yearbook (which sadly only lasted 2 years, I think) ranked him as the best reliever in baseball, so I guess Julian’s 1995 was that good. The biggest thing I remember about Tavarez, however, is his face looking like a golf ball. What the hell happened to that guy? Also, how about that trade? While Tavarez pitched for the Giants for three seasons (two of them good), the real story is Jeff Kent, who of course became Jeff Kent while with the Giants. Matt Williams had the most frustrating 30 HR season ever (.263 AVG, 32 HR, 105 RBI, 12 SB (!), an amazingly putrid .307 OBP, and anger, anger, ANGER over some sort of custody battle with his ex-wife) for the Indians in 1997, and was eventually traded for Travis Fryman following the season. What would you be happier with: six years of unremarkable third base play (offensively, as Williams was above average and Fryman was excellent in the field) from Matt Williams/Travis Fryman (six year averages of .267 AVG, 17 HR, 74 RBI, .327 OBP, .433 SLG, .761 OPS) or six years of Hall of Fame second base play from Jeff Kent (six year averages of .297 AVG, 29 HR, 114 RBI, .367 OBP, .534 SLG, .901 OPS)?

• Alex Cora, SS

YEARS WITH INDIANS: 2005 (free agent signing, LA Dodgers)

CAREER STATS: .245 AVG, 32 HR, 219 RBI, 263 R, .311 OBP, .347 SLG, .658 OPS

CAREER YEAR: 2002, LA Dodgers, .291 AVG, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 37 R, .371 OBP, .434 SLG, .805 OPS

LOST: Traded to Boston for Ramon Vazquez

Cora was signed to be a defensive replacement for Johnny Peralta at shortstop, and filled the role adequately for half of 2005 before being traded to Boston for Vazquez, a younger, lighter hitting, worse fielding version of Cora. I don’t have much more about him except that he is Joey Cora’s brother (who also briefly played for Cleveland after John Hart stupidly traded David Bell to Seattle) and that prior to the 2005 season Sports Illustrated called him the best number 8 hitter in baseball (and the only reason he hit 8 is because he played for the Dodgers in 2004).

• Coco Crisp, OF

YEARS WITH INDIANS: 2002-05 (player to be named later in Chuck Finley-Luis Garcia trade, St. Louis)

CAREER STATS: .281 AVG, 43 HR, 218 RBI, 299 R, 78 SB, .327 OBP, .413 SLG, .740 OPS

CAREER YEAR: 2005, Cleveland, .300 AVG, 16 HR, 69 RBI, 86 R, 15 SB, .345 OBP, .465 SLG, .810 OPS, 1 RAP ALBUM

LOST: Traded with Josh Bard and David Riske to Boston for Andy Marte, Kelly Shoppach, Guillermo Mota, and cash

Coco was a somewhat exciting player with a more exciting name (which led to the best sign I’ve ever seen at Jacobs Field: “My Grandma is CooCoo for Coco Crisp!”). He has speed, but lacks the instincts necessary to consistently steal bases. He doesn’t get on base enough to lead off, but lacks the power to be a middle of the lineup presence. He is a borderline superb corner outfielder, but is overmatched in center. I am still shocked that the Red Sox thought Crisp was the answer after Johnny Damon bolted for New York. It looks like the best part of that deal is the cash (although Andy Marte is still young and Kelly Shoppach looks like he’s going to be a solid starting catcher for some team real soon).

• Manny Ramirez, OF

YEARS WITH INDIANS: 1993-2000 (via draft 1^st RD 13^th pick)

CAREER STATS: .313 AVG, 472 HR, 1527 RBI, 1267 R, .410 OBP, .597 SLG, 1.007 OPS

AWARDS: 2^nd place finish 1994 AL Rookie of the Year; 8 Top 10 MVP Finishes (1998-2005); 9 Silver Sluggers (1995, 1999-2006); 10 All-Star Games (1995, 1998-2006); 2004 World Series MVP

CAREER YEAR: 1999, Cleveland, .333 AVG, 44 HR, 165 RBI, 131 R, .442 OBP, .663 SLG, 1.105 OPS

LOST: via FA to Boston

Manny is the one that got away. I disagreed with overspending to re-sign Jim Thome, because while Thome is a tremendous slugger and has a personality tailor-made for Cleveland, Manny is one of a kind and one of the two or three best right-handed hitters ever. While everyone agrees that Ramirez is an elite hitter, rarely is he ever described as one of THE elite hitters of all-time. A lot of it has to do with his personality, which is a shame. If anyone needed to stay in Cleveland--and, more importantly, out of Boston—it was Manny. Here, Manny Ramirez antics are legendary and loved. My friends and I still laugh at the crazy stuff he pulled (climbing the wall at Jacobs Field only to see the ball land a good 25 feet in front of it; the Chad Ogea story; etc.) and marvel at his greatness (grand slams that everyone knew was coming; that 1999 season). Boston fans and the media tolerate Manny’s quirks as long as he produces, and acknowledge that he is a great player who they demand be better (the only time this wasn't the case was after Ramirez won the World Series MVP). Cleveland fans embraced Manny’s quirks regardless of production and marveled at the steady pace this Dominican savant pounded the baseball day after day, month after month, season after season. I guess I just miss my friend.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The Blue Jays have a couple of castoffs from the 2002-2004 rebuilding years of the Tribe, and have actually made useful players out of them.

• Brian Tallet, RHP

YEARS WITH INDIANS: 2002-03, 2005 (via draft 2^nd RD)

CAREER STATS: 92.1 IP, 4-3, 55 K, 3.90 ERA

CAREER YEAR: 2006, Toronto, 54.1 IP, 3-0, 37 K, 3.81 ERA

LOST: Traded to Blue Jays for Eddie Buzachero

Tallet was part of the wave of players tried out from 2002-03 as the Indians tried to find a new core following the end of their AL Central dominance. Tallet showed flashes (2 starts, 1.50 ERA 2002), but couldn’t stay healthy (if I recall correctly). I have no idea who Eddie Buzachero is, so I’m sure that Toronto got the best of that trade.

• John McDonald, SS

YEARS WITH INDIANS: 1999-2004 (via draft 12^th RD)

CAREER STATS: .244 AVG, 7 HR, 75 RBI, 134 R, .285 OBP, .321 SLG, .606 OPS

CAREER YEAR: 2006, Toronto, .223 AVG, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 35 R, 7 SB, .271 OBP, .308 SLG, .579 OPS (McDonald played the most games this season, so I’m assuming his glove was in the field the most this season; therefore, this is his career year.)

LOST: Traded to Toronto for Tom Mastny

John McDonald was supposed to be the heir apparent to Omar Vizquel, and Johnny Mac certainly had the leatherwork to back up that assumption. I remember when at AA Akron McDonald was widely considered the best defensive player in the minors. Unfortunately, the hits never came for McDonald, and he just couldn’t justify an everyday spot in the lineup. As the Indians built a powerhouse lineup, McDonald was squeezed out, eventually turning into Mastny, who has proven to be an effective reliever in a little over half a season for Cleveland. As for McDonald, I hear he is in a platoon at 3B with Jason Smith while Troy Glaus is on the DL.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Chicago has only one former Indian, but it just happens to be the all-time Cleveland home run leader (334 HR). Oddly enough, the White Sox also once employed the Tribe’s number two home run slugger, Albert Belle (242).

• Jim Thome, DH

YEARS WITH INDIANS: 1991-2002 (via draft, 13^th RD)

CAREER STATS: .282 AVG, 477 HR, 1312 RBI, 1271 R, .410 OBP, .566 SLG, .976 OPS

AWARDS: 4 Top 10 MVP Finishes (1997, 2001-03), 1 Silver Slugger (1996), 5 All-Star Games (1997-99, 2004, 2006)

CAREER YEAR: 2002, Cleveland, .304 AVG, 52 HR, 118 RBI, 101 R, .445 OBP, .677 SLG, 1.122 OPS

LOST: via FA to Philadelphia

To many Cleveland fans, Jim Thome’s defection to Philadelphia in the winter of 2002 represents the end of the glory days of the 1990s and caused most of the casual fans to abandon the team for a few years (many, in fact, have yet to return). Losing Thome hurt many fans on a strangely personal level, due mostly to his low-key, ah-shucks, Midwestern personality, which lent to the belief that he would take a lesser deal to stay in a town so suited to him. The man was a staple of the community. In fact, he frequented two establishments I myself worked at (a golf course he lived on and a trout resort). For me, while Thome’s departure hurt, Ramirez’s stung more. Thome was wise to leave a club that was about to enter a major rebuilding period, while the Indians were wise to not match Philadelphia’s offer (although the Indians did offer Thome a statue at Jacobs Field, which would have been hard for me to pass up). The huge chunk of payroll Thome would have eaten up would have prevented Tribe GM Mark Shapiro from locking up his young nucleus (Victor Martinez, Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Jake Westbrook, C.C. Sabathia), not to mention blocking the development of Hafner. Ramirez left when the Indians were still contenders, when Ramirez was younger, and, as cited earlier, when Ramirez was in the prime of a once-in-a-generation career. Thome’s Indians career will always be remembered fondly in Cleveland; his departure, however, will never be completely forgiven in the hearts of most Tribe fans.

MLB Playoff Preview: National League

I was going to do an in-depth look at the NL playoffs just like I did for the AL bracket, but then I realized WHO CARES? No one does a preview of the NIT, so why should I waste my time predicting who will be the fifth best (or eighth best, since the Red Sox, White Sox, and possibly Blue Jays could all win the NL) baseball team? So, making things short, I’m going to go with the NY Mets to get swept in the World Series by whoever. I know Pedro is out (and I just heard that his replacement, Orlando Hernandez, is out too), but the Mets are the only team with a viable lineup. The team I really want to win, though, is San Diego, because who better to win the most insignificant pennant than the most insignificant team in the playoffs? Here’s how I see the series going.

NY Mets over LA Dodgers, 3-2

St. Louis Cardinals over San Diego Padres, 3-2

NY Mets over St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1

Anyone from the AL over NY Mets, 4-0

MLB Playoff Preview: AL Divisional Series

The playoffs are here, and baseball matters again for the first time since April (at least for Indians fans). I love playoff baseball. It’s probably my second favorite postseason tournament—behind March Madness, of course. Every inning, every at bat, every pitch matters. When someone hits a walk-off homer or pitches a 2-hit shutout, you can feel the history being made. The intensity and anxiety you feel while watching a tight playoff game cannot be matched by any sport, March Madness included. So to get you, and myself, ready for the playoffs, here’s how I see the Divisional round playing out. (Although many factors can determine a playoff series, none is more important than the starting pitching match-ups. Therefore, I will focus on these starter match-ups in making my predictions. Also, since it’s late, I’m only hitting up the AL today. Don’t worry, Mets fans, the NL will be here tomorrow.)

Detroit Tigers (95-67) vs. New York Yankees (97-65)

Detroit coming in: The Tigers limped down the stretch, going 12-16 in September and October and losing their last five to relinquish the AL Central crown on the last day of the season. More importantly, the Tigers showed a genuine fear of the Yankees, going all out in the last game of the season, even pitching Kenny Rogers out of the bullpen, in a futile attempt to clinch the division and draw the Oakland A’s in the first round. Are they going to be able to get over the late season funk and their obvious fear of New York?

New York coming in: The Yankees coasted down the stretch, going 8-9 in their last 17. The most important thing was getting confidence in Gary Sheffield at first base, and apparently they did, as he’s starting there now, making the Yankees’ lineup one of the deepest ever. The other concern was the bullpen in front of Mariano Rivera, which is still a concern as Kyle Farnsworth and Mike Myers blew leads in the last two games of the season. Will Sheffield be competent at first base, and will the bullpen step up and get leads to Rivera?

Game 1: DET: Nate Robertson (13-13 3.84) vs. NYY: Chien-Ming Wang (19-6, 3.63)

Robertson was moved up in the rotation so Rogers wouldn’t have to pitch at Yankees Stadium, where he’s terrible, which really says a lot about whether Rogers is an ace or not. Robertson is a battler, but hardly a Game 1 starter. While Wang hardly seems like ace material himself, his style matches up against the Tigers offense splendidly. The Tigers score all of their runs with home runs; Wang trails only Brandon Webb in his ability to get ground balls. Yankees take Game 1 (New York 1, Detroit 0).

Game 2: DET: Justin Verlander (17-9, 3.63) vs. NYY: Mike Mussina (15-7, 3.51)

It’s experience versus youth as the wily vet Mussina faces off against the likely AL Rookie of the Year Verlander. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if Mussina—who has been battling injuries—struggles, but I don’t think Verlander’s going to do much better. Verlander has never thrown this many innings before, and fatigue may set in early. With fatigue comes a loss of control, and, against perhaps the most patient lineup ever, wildness leads to a lot of baserunners and, more importantly, a lot of pitches. Watch for Verlander to get knocked out after 5 innings and for the Yankees to come back on Detroit closer Todd Jones. Yankees steal Game 2 (New York 2, Detroit 0).

Game 3: NYY Randy Johnson (17-11, 5.00) vs. DET: Kenny Rogers (17-8, 3.84)

Exactly what Jim Leyland didn’t want: Kenny Rogers pitching a must-win game against the Yankees. Rogers will be defeated before he even throws a pitch, and the Yankees will simply outscore the Tigers, who should beat up Johnson and his herniated disc. Yankees clinch the series, 3-0.

Oakland Athletics (93-69) vs. Minnesota Twins (96-66)

Oakland coming in: The A’s rode their typical August push (21-6) into the playoffs, never really needing to worry about divisional competition. The A’s rotation is deep, with three starters winning at least 14 games (Barry Zito, Dan Haren, and Joe Blanton) and Esteban Loazia chipping in 11. With all of this depth, however, no one has stepped up as the ace. Zito has been that guy before, but if his curve ball isn’t working, watch out. The wild card could be Rich Harden, who has some of the best stuff in the league but is just rounding into shape after missing most of the year with injury. Also, the lineup has struggled to score runs despite Frank Thomas’s late season heroics. Will an ace emerge, and will someone other than Frank Thomas produce runs?

Minnesota coming in: No team is more feared than the Twins, who continued their furious last four months of the season with a 19-11 September and October, culminating in an improbable division title on the season’s final day. Johan Santana is the best pitcher alive, and with the maturation of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau the lineup finally has some punch. The rotation sharply drops off after Santana, however, making the Twins the anti-A’s. Will a pitcher besides Santana step up, and can the Twins keep up the focus that has gotten them here after a terrible start?

Game 1: OAK: Barry Zito (16-10, 3.83) vs. MIN: Johan Santana (19-6, 2.66)

The Metrodome is going to be rocking more than the Michigan-Minnesota game (but just barely), so the A’s are already going to be behind the 8-ball. Zito should keep the crowd at bay when the Twins are at bat, but the roof is going to come off as Santana buzzes through the Oakland lineup. Wanting to save Santana in case he’s needed for a Game 4 start, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire will turn a tight lead over to Joe Nathan, who will shut the door on the A’s one, two, three. Minnesota takes Game 1 (Minnesota 1, Oakland 0).

Game 2: OAK: Estaban Loaiza (11-9, 4.89) vs. MIN: Boof Bosner (7-6, 4.22)

This game is a slugfest to start, as both lineups tee-off on Loaiza and the Man Named Boof. With the games in the hands of the bullpens, the Twins take control after Mauer and Morneau beat up on the all-righty Oakland pen. The Twins survive a wild one (Minnesota 2, Oakland 0).

Game 3: MIN: Brad Radke (12-9, 4.32) vs. OAK: Rich Harden (4-0, 4.24)

Facing a do-or-die, the A’s give Harden a chance to be an ace, and he doesn’t disappoint. Harden goes eight shutout innings, outlasting a courageous outing from the one-armed Brad Radke, and Huston Street deals out of trouble to get the save. The A’s stay alive (Minnesota 2, Oakland 1).

Game 4: MIN: Johan Santana vs. OAK: Dan Haren (14-13, 4.12)

Santana is dominant yet again, but the lineup can’t get it going, and the Twins lose by one. Oakland forces Game 5 (Minnesota 2, Oakland 2).

Game 5: OAK: Barry Zito vs. MIN: Carlos Silva (11-15, 5.94)

Zito can’t match Santana’s dominate effort in the previous game, while Silva is adequate. The Twins get an early lead and the bullpen squashes any chance of a comeback. Minnesota clinches the series, 3-2.

Early prediction for ALCS: New York Yankees over Minnesota Twins, 4-2.

NL preview tomorrow.