Spring Training ReviewPart I

A full Weekend in Review of Dave and my Spring Training trip will be coming soon. (We don't want to leave anything out.) Until then, here are a few players, primarily non-roster invites, who caught our eye.

Players Who Should Make the Team and Will

7. Matt Treanor, C, Marlins: The backup catcher is having a great spring at the plate. Plus, keeping him on the team allows for many gratuitous crowd shots of his wife, olympic beach netter Misty May-Treanor.

6. Todd Hollandsworth, OF, Indians: Hollandsworth is expected to be the Tribe's fourth outfielder. He didn't do anything spectacular at the plate, but he does have an absolute cannon for an arm.
5. Xavier Nady, RF, Mets: He never lived up to expectations in San Diego. All five of his tools have been working well this spring. Can the Mets projected starting right fielder keep it up during the regular season?
4. Paul Byrd, SP, Indians: It's no surprise that he'll make the team. He should serve as a capable fourth starter. Byrd gave up three hits and no runs in four innings of work against the Pirates.
3. Matt Diaz, OF, Braves: Yet another stud prospect from the Atlanta organization. He hit third in the game we saw. I wouldn't be surprised if he broke camp as the fourth outfielder for the big league club.
2. Julio Franco, 1B, Braves: C'mon, how can you not have Julio Franco on your team?
1. Lenny Harris, PH, Marlins: Dave put it best. Somehow Harris will make the team under the guise of "veteran presence." That, or he'll be Jake Taylor-ed into a coaching position. (Wow, two Major League II reference in one column?)

Players Who Shouldn't Make the Team and Won't

4. Samir Nagganamaketheteam: Let's face it: if you don't have a name on your jersey, you aren't in the program, and the announcer doesn't even know who you are, then you're in pretty bad shape.
3. Kanka, UT: You've seen me play. Would you want me on a Major League team?
2. Todd Self, 1B, Mets: So says Dave.
1. Sandy Martinez, C, Mets: I didn't keep score at that one, but Martinez had something like 3 errors in 2 innings. He started with an errant throw to first on a bunt and a passed ball. Then, on a base hit to left, Lastings Milledge made a perfect throw home - only to have Martinez completely forget to catch the ball.

Players Who Should Make the Team but Won't

7. Joe Girardi, Manager, Marlins: Pretty soon he's going to realize he's better than most of the guys on his team. Can anyone name the last player-manager in the MLB?
6. Edward Mujica, , : Argh, I couldn't find a more recent picture. But picture this guy with a beard and long hair, and then tell me that he's not an intimidating reliever.

5. Jose Lima, SP, Mets: The first three innings of Lima's start went well. He didn't give up a run and was first pitch strike to almost every batter. But, as soon as he gave up a home run, he completely lost all composure. Still, he's Jose Lima - fun for the whole family! (And again there's the gratuitous wife crowd shot factor.)
4. Steve Karsay, RP, Indians: Supposedly he's been inconsistent this spring, but he looked decent in two appearances last weekend.
3. Lastings Milledge, OF, Mets: The #1 Mets prospect has been given an opportunity to play, and he hasn't disappointed. Now the natural center fielder just needs to find a position with Carlos Beltran in his spot.
2. Andy Marte, 3B, Mets: Aaron Boone has been hitting the lights out this spring, but Marte is definitely Major League ready.
1. Brian Bannister, SP, Mets: He's been the best pitcher in Mets camp this spring. Maybe he will make the team after all.

Players Who Shouldn't Make the Team but Will

7. Scott Sauerbeck, RP, Indians: OK, he should make the team. I'll give him that. But he's far too inconsistent to be the team's lone lefty in the bullpen.
6. Anthony Lerew, RP, Braves: The Braves are auditioning closers, and Lerew flopped. He's still a good prospect, but he didn't show it on Thursday. I wish I could give you pitching stats, but the Mets program didn't have space for them.
5. Jeff Keppinger, IF, Mets: Keppinger is expected to be the Mets utility infielder. He may be decent, but he didn't show it filling in for Kaz Matsui on Thursday. Keppinger ended with two groundouts at the plate. In the field, he missed several balls that should be well within a Major League second baseman's range.
4. Preston Wilson, OF, Astros: No batspeed whatsoever.
3. Jorge Julio, RP, Mets: Julio is expected to be the 7th inning man for the Mets. The former Orioles closer had an ERA of 5.90 last year, and he hasn't shown signs of major improvement this spring.
2. Danny Graves, RP, Indians: The strike zone can be a tricky thing to find. On Friday, Graves gave up three walks, a hit, and a run in 2/3 an inning of work. On Saturday the numbers looked better - 1 hit, 0 walks, 1 K in 1 inning - but his control still wasn't there.
1. Kaz Matsui, 2B/SS, Mets: To quote Dave's dad, "We sent five guys to Japan and all we found was Kaz Matsui." Top 10 Mets prospect Anderson Hernandez had better keep his bus pass to Shea handy.

The Best Names

Yurendell DeCaster, IF, Pirates
Dan Uggla, IF, Marlins
Charlton Jimerson, OF, Astros
Felipe Paulino Del Guidice, P, Astros
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, Braves: This catching prospect has an outside shot of breaking camp with the team.
Bartolome Fortunado, P, Mets
Lastings Milledge, OF, Mets: The top prospect in the Mets organization has given a decent performance this spring.
Nate Bump, SP, Marlins: Believe it or not, he's one of Florida's top returning starters.
Gookie Dawkins, IF, Pirates
JJ Furmaniak, IF, Pirates: Cause when you're a Furmaniak, you're a Furmaniak 4 Life.

Indians Prospect Report

Jason Cooper, OF: Cooper has risen through the ranks quickly. He just needs to complete the journey.
Jason DuBois, OF: 2 for 2 in the one game I saw. He's shown flashes of MLB competency. Has he finally put everything together?
Ryan Garko, 1B: A very large man. A year or two learning to become a first baseman and honing his hitting skills should be all he needs.
Jeremy Guthrie, P: The supposed burnout looked good in two innings of work. Of course, that was at the end of the game against seven second-stringers.
Franklin Gutierrez, OF: He's got tons of talent. Another year in the minors should do it.
Andy Marte, 3B: He'll start the season at AAA, but it looks like the Tribe got their money's worth.
Brandon Phillips, 2B/SS: Two K's and a walk in one game. He still looks like Willy Mayes Hayes in Major League II. (That is, a line-drive hitter who thinks he needs to be a power hitter.)
Kelly Shoppach, C: Hasn't had a great spring, but it's been attributed to trying too hard. He may still break camp with the team.

Notre Dame Alumni in Big League Camps

Craig Counsell, IF, Diamondbacks: Nursing a sore shoulder, Counsell is 3 for 8 with 3 RBI in two games as a DH this spring.
Aaron Heilman, SP, Mets: Back in the starting rotation, Heilman has given up 1 run in three abbreviated starts (9 total IP). The most impressive stat: 8 strikouts to 0 walks; he has hit two batters, however.
Brad Lidge, RP, Astros: Returning to the Astros after a stint as Team USA's closer, Lidge has pitched two uneventful innings.
Steve Stanley, OF, Athletics: Stanley played five games in the big league camp from 2003-2005. He is not with the A's Major Leaguers this year.
Brian Stavisky, OF, Athletics: In his first big league camp, Stavisky has played one game, going 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Danny Tamayo, SP, Royals: Tamayo is well-respected in the Kansas City organization. He did earn a start in the Major League camp, but surrendered 5 runs in 1.2 innings pitched.

World Baseball ClassicRound 1 Update

• Pool A: Japan and Korea advanced, which wasn't a surprise. The surprising thing was the order or finish. In the final game of opening pool play, with both teams 2-0, Korea relied on an 8th inning 2-run home run to beat the mighty Japanese 3-2. Japan takes great pride in their dominance of Asian baseball, so this loss won't sit well with them.


• Pool B: As everyone knows, the big news out of Pool B was Canada's 8-6 upset of Team USA. The US responded with a mercy-rule rout of an overmatched South African team. Teams USA and Canada tied with Mexico atop the rankings, but tiebreakers allowed USA and the Mexcans to advance.


• Pool C: Two things stood out in this pool. One, a Panama team with several Major League stars failed to win a game. Two, Cuba is a legitimate team with legitimate talent. Cuba put up a fantastic effort, and renewed some bad blood with Panama. In the end, though, Puerto Rico proved to be the best team in this pool and was one of three teams to start a perfect 3-0 (along with Korea and the Dominican Republic).


• Pool D: No surprises here. The Dominican Republic breezed through its games, while Venezuela's lone loss came to the Dominicans.


• KankaNation has gotten a good surge of hits from people, both American and international, Googling WBC players' names. I'll try to compile search numbers when the Classic is done, but right now the leaders are Kalin Dreyer of South Africa and Jong Beom Lee of Korea. Pitcher Kalin Dreyer was born in South Africa, but currently resides in Georgia. Now that South Africa is out of the WBC, Dreyer, who did not get into a game, will return to his high school baseball team. Yes, you heard me right. Lee's single set up what became the game-winning home run against Japan. Lee is hitting .556 in the Classic, with two singles and three doubles in nine at bats.


• I was critical of US manager Buck Martinez' decision to bat Ken Griffey, Jr. third and place him in center field. Griffey, no longer "the Kid" by any means, did struggle in Chase Field's spacious outfield against Canada. He misplayed a ball that went for a triple over his head. Later, when left fielder Matt Holliday pulled up lame, Griffey was late backing up on what became an inside-the-park home run. (Although, in Griffey's defense, the ball hit an odd-angled wall in the left field corner before caroming into left center.) Griffey made up for it at the plate, though. He's leading the Classic with a .750 average. Against South Africa, the USA's next game after Canada, Griffey went 4-for-4 with 2 HR and 7 RBI.


• If I'm a member of the Orioles front office, or if I'm Peter Gammons, I'm very pleased with the performance of Baltimore's pitchers in the WBC. Erik Bedard and Adam Loewen (Canada), Rodrigo Lopez (Mexico), Daniel Cabrera (Dominican Republic), and Bruce Chen (Panama) combined for a 3-1 record, an ERA of 1.80, and 11 K to 8 BB on 20 innings of work. Loewen, who shut out Team USA in 3.2 innings of work, has yet to pitch above minor league Class A. I'm willing to bet he'll move up a class or two (or three) this season.


• If there's a "Cuba Defection Watch," the leader so far is Yulieski Gourriel. If I had to compare him to someone, it would be Jose Vidro. Gourriel is a muscular second baseman who bats third for the Cuban team. He's only hitting .250 in his first 16 at-bats in the Classic, but it's obvious the experts know all about his ability.


• The award for Gammonsesque Breakout Star so far goes to Canadian outfielder Adam Stern. Stern, who had a cup of coffee with the Red Sox last year, has 6 hits in 9 at bats so far. That includes a triple and an inside-the-parker against the US.


• How'd he do that? On a pitch count of 65, Shairon Martis of the Netherlands pitched a 7-inning complete game shutout in a 14-0 rout over Panama.


• I've suddenly become a big fan of the Japanese style of baseball. Fundamental baseball. Good defense. Speed. Taking the extra base whenever possible - especially when the opposing defense is napping. Quick line drive swings. If you're going to hit a home run, it's going to be a line drive produced by bat speed and body torque, not just by pure muscle. The way baseball is supposed to be played. Fun to watch, too.


• Indians update (since this is a Cleveland sports site, after all):
  2 BB

  Victor Martinez	Venezuela	2 H/10 AB	.200	2 RBI

  
  Well, not that many Indians got to play, obviously. Maybe next round.


• Leaders
  

  R	Nobuhiko Matsunaka	Japan	6
  H	4 tied		6
  2B	4 tied		3
  3B	15 tied		1
  HR	Seung-Yeop Lee / Adrian Beltre	KOR / DOM	3
  RBI	Beltre / Ken Griffey, Jr.	DOM / USA	8
  SB	Tsuyoshi Nishioka / Trent Durrington	JAP / AUS	3
  AVG	Griffey, Jr.	USA	.750
  OPS	Griffey, Jr.	USA	2.550
  W	25 tied		1
  ERA	19 tied		0.00
  SV	Yadel Marti / Chan Ho Park	CUB / KOR	2
  IP	Johan Santana / Marti	VEN / CUB	8.1
  K	Santana	Venezuela	10
  WHIP	Naoyuki Shimizu	Japan	0.00

Bubble Watch

The women's tournament has 33 at-large bid and the men's 34. Theoretically, if you are one of the top 33 or 34 at-large teams in the latest RPI rankings, you should make your tournament. The "bubble magic number" is calculated by taking your current RPI - the number of automatic bids above you - the number of conference leaders above you (for conferences who haven't finished their conference tournaments yet). So, if your bubble magic number is 25, for instance, there are 24 at-large teams with higher RPIs than you.

Notre Dame Women's Basketball

Current RPI	28
Automatic Bids with Higher RPI	4
Conference Leaders with Higher RPI	5
Bubble Magic Number	19

This assumes that UConn beats West Virginia in Tuesday night's Big East final. Nineteen is much lower than 33, so the women should be in. CollegeRPI.com has the women as a 9 seed. The women, by the way, beat South Florida - a team with a similar RPI - in the first round of the Big East tournament before losing by 11 to UConn in the quarterfinals.

Notre Dame Men's Basketball

Current RPI	87
Automatic Bids with Higher RPI	6
Conference Leaders with Higher RPI	15
Bubble Magic Number	66

Well, it looks like the men will have to win the Big East tournament. They'll start by facing Georgetown at 2 PM Eastern Wednesday on ESPN.

The Weekend in Review"Baby, You Can Drive My Car" Edition

Highlights from the Cleveland Auto Show

I was offered a free ticket to the Cleveland Auto Show at the last minute Saturday. The Auto Show was held at the fabulous Internation Exposition (IX) Center. (Emily, I know I just put the IX Indoor Amusement Park jingle in your head. Best. Jingle. Ever.) Some highlights:

• There was a general entrance, and an entrance marked "Exhibitors, Employees, and Chrysler Tickets." Chrysler sent out tickets to all local Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge owners, including my Grandpa (a Pacifica owner). Somebody put a lot of money into this car show.


• I was standing around in the foyer for a bit when I saw Brian Brennan and his wife walk in. He looked at the insanely long line to buy tickets, and walked over to the Exhibitor/Employee/Chrysler line. "Yeah, I know one of the dealers here." He was let in. By the way, I believe his wife is some sort of fitness instructor. Brennan is about 6'0 even, his wife about 5'3, and together they probably weigh as much as I do.


• I was walking by the Pontiac area when I noticed two cars that looked a little too nice to be Pontiacs. Well, they weren't - they were Lotuses. Loti? Apparently, there's a Lotus dealer in Bedford, OH, one of the nice southeast suburbs of Cleveland. I'll have to check it out some time, or not.


• I'm sure Klondike isn't surprised, but Jeep had the coolest setup by far. There was a kid's rock climbing wall, complete with a vertically-suspended Wrangler. Also for the kids was a Jeep Power Wheel racetrack. For the big kids, there was the obstacle course. At first I thought it was a roller coaster-type track system, or that a Jeep employee. Nope, it was the regular show-growers who were driving all types of real Jeeps by themselves. There were about seven Jeeps - Wranglers, Liberties, Cherokees, and Commanders - going simultaneously. You started out by going over two sets of logs set up as a bridge. Apparently all Jeeps have the same axle width (assuming that's the correct term). Next was a four-foot hill designed to be taken on two wheels. Then was the big test - a thirty-foot hill. But not just any thirty-foot hill. It was about a 45-60 degree grade, both uphill and downhill, made out of steel grate. Of course, none of the Jeeps had trouble. Finally, it was over a normal wooden bridge and into some water. Then, you turned your Jeep over to the next person waiting in the 30 minute line. (No, I didn't try, partially because of the line.)


• The Jeep area also featured a road rally-style concept car that you were allowed to take pictures in front of. Grandpa and I stopped in front of the car whilst plotting our next move. The Jeep/auto show employee saw us and asked, "Do you want a picture?" Grandpa explained to the employee that he had no need for a picture of himself, as he already knows what he looks like. However, he said, he would have been more than happy to accept a picture of the employee, an attactive young female.


• The basement held the "Classic Car Show," populated by cars with private owners. Most cars were from the 50s through the 70s, with one or two from the 30s or 40s. Then we got towards the end of the line of cars. The second-to-last aisle featured a DeLorean. I didn't realize it until then, but the Delorean's exterior is unpainted stainless steel. I also didn't realize that Grandpa got to drive a DeLorean a few times for work.


• But wait, the Classic Car Show got better. Remember the car Steve Urkel drove? (The one pictured below.) Well, we moved past the DeLorean into the next aisle, and there it was. The car was actually produced, by BMW no less. It's the Isetta, with a motorcycle engine and a chain drive. See, you learned something today.
  

On Sunday, Emily and I drove up to catch the Bengal Bouts with Dave and his family. Topics of conversation on the car ride up ranged from church to comedian Demetri Martin's appearance on The Daily Show to talk about MySpace (song here) to work to the cranial nerves that cause all of my nerdy medical problems. Also, expecting Klondike to be there, I tried to give Emily a primer on the greatest Klondike stories. (By the way, Klondike, if you don't start your own blog, you definitely need to type your stories up someday so I can post them here.)
When we got to campus, we stopped to eat at Reckers. (Fancy, I know.) We picked a table where we could watch both bowling and the random movie that was on. (I looked it up - it was Shakespeare in Love).
Walking to the JACC for the Bengal Bouts, who did we see but Mr. Schmitt and Mr. Bradley. Mr. Schmitt explained that Dave was stuck in weather and would be late. Mr. Schmitt then asked if I had Dave's cell number. I explained that I didn't have his phone, and that I wrote his number down but left it in the car. I expected Mr. Schmitt to give me Dave's number at that point, but instead he just wandered off. As Dave explained later, Mr. Schmitt is anti-cell phone, and probably doesn't know Dave's number.
We entered the JACC to buy tickets. An usher handed Emily a ticket for a free ringside seat, and I was only charged the student rate for my ticket, so we were both pretty fired up.
We entered the basketball ring of the JACC and walked around looking for Dave. Who did we see again but Mr. Schmitt and Mr. Bradley again. We sat down with them, and Michael, and Dave showed up a few minutes later.
There were some decent fights, but only a handful were spectacular. I'm personally a fan of the fists-of-fury Latino fighters who have been training their whole lives. Unfortunately, there was only one fight that featured two such boxers... and it lasted a whopping one minute and seven seconds. That's right, 67 seconds into the first round, a freshman knocked out a sophomore. Most other fights featured a tall, skinny, awkward guy (usually in the blue trunks, oddly enough) fighting a short, strong, fast guy (usually in the gold). In most cases the short, fast guy won. There was one upset, though. In that fight, the shorter guy had some powerful punches. The tall, skinny guy didn't have much force, but he technically was landing his punches correctly. Tall guy won in a split decision.
The crowd was an interesting mix. There was a rather large and organized Fisher section, and it turns out there were about three Fisher men in finals. There was a small but spirited Morrissey contingent; the Manorites also had multiple finalists fighting. Zahm had perhaps the biggest turnout. But, in true Zahm form, there was no organization - the Zahmbies were split into three sections. I take that back - Zahm might have been only the second largest contingent. The entire section next to us was a single fighter's posse - family, friends, random girls who created shirts and shorts for the fight. Emily said she saw no less than six Facebook friends, most of whom she couldn't remember the name of. As the crazy old man, I recognize no one. I take that back - Fr. Bill Seetch was there. He's everywhere.
During the fights, Emily read a Scholastic article that raised an interesting point. After this school year, Jeff Samardzija is eligible to play professional baseball. (Players are eligible for the baseball draft after their senior year of high school and their junior and senior years of college.) If he does join a professional baseball team this summer, the article pointed out, he would still be eligible to play football in the fall. Why is this? NCAA eligibilty and amateur status is by sport, according to section II.D.2 of this summary document. Samardzija would simply have to take a scholarship reduction equal to the amount of money he makes playing baseball. Why, then, was professional skiier Jeremy Bloom declared ineligible to play football. Bloom was trying to raise money to cover skiing costs by accepting endorsement deals. According to section V of the above linked document, all bets are off once you start accepting endorsements, no matter the sport.
After the fights, Dave and I went to BW3's (an awesome South Bend establishment, right Ellen), while Emily went off to visit friends on campus. Dave and I are both "weak sauce," so we ordered mild wings (just in case you were wondering). Now, Emily had been hoping all week that there would be snow on the ground when we got to ND. There wasn't any snow... until I left BW3's. By the time I met Emily on campus to visit the Grotto, the ground was covered with a decent layer of snow.
We got to the Grotto and of course lit a few candles. I knelt to pray, and when I got up to turn around Emily was talking to a student and two nuns dressed in habits. The nuns asked Emily to take a picture of the three, and she complied. (The camera was digital, and Emily later said that when she turned it on, the previous picture on it was of the two nuns and a priest at the Grotto. Apparently the nuns were a big fan of the place.) Emily handled the camera back to the one nun, and as the nun went to put it back in her back, she accidentally snapped a picture of her face. That's right, she pulled a Klondike, only not on purpose. It almost made up for Klondike not being there.
As we walked back to the car, we passed a priest coming out of Old College. Fr. Jay Steele. Morrissey rectors all over the place.
Reason #1 why I probably shouldn't do the ND round trip all in one day: I completely forgot to refill my gas tank for the ride home. As it turns out, I would have had just enough to make it to Emily's, but I played it safe and filled up at the border. As it turns out, I had 2.7 gallons left, which theoretically would have gotten me 81 miles. Emily's place was about 55 miles away at that point. Now, wasn't that the best anecdote ever?!
When we got to Emily's place, she offered me a drink for the road. Choice one was Diet Pepsi. Now, I normally like Diet Pepsi as much as Dave likes cheese, and caffeine after 6 PM usually means I can't get to sleep. Choice one was half a bottle of wine. Would have made the trip home a lot more fun. Choice three was milk. Considering warm milk is supposed to help you fall asleep, that probably would have been as bad a choice as the wine. Of course, I probably would have kept myself awake by proclaiming, "Oh milk was a bad choice!" in my best Will Ferrell voice every thirty seconds for the entire ride home. I went with the Diet Pepsi, and it ended up being a good decision. As it turns out, I don't hate the syruppy taste as much as I used to, especially considering how thirsty I was. The caffeine also did just well enough to keep me awake for the drive, but not enough to keep me awake that night. In fact, I struggled to stay awake during the Academy Awards. But, then again, I'm probably not the only one.
That's my story the end.

World Baseball ClassicPool D

Australia

Lineup
2B Trent Durrington (Brewers)
LF Tim Auty (Mariners)
1B Justin Huber (Royals)
C Dave Nilsson
DH Ben Risinger (Padres)
SS Glenn Williams (Twins)
CF Trent Oeltjen (Twins)
RF Brett Roneberg
3B Brett Tamburrino (Twins)

Bench
C Michael Collins
C Trent D'Antonio (Marlins)
C Allan De San Miguel (Twins)
C Andrew Graham (Tigers)
C Matthew Kent
C Joel Naughton (Phillies)
C Joshua Roberts (Indians)
C Andrew Utting
C Ben Wigmore
IF Lachian Dale
IF Gavin Fingleson
IF Matthew Gahan
2B Bradley Harman (Phillies)
SS Luke Hughes (Twins)
IF Justin Humphries (Astros)
IF Timothy Kennelly (Phillies)
IF Brendan Kingman
2B Paul Rutgers (Twins)
1B David Sutherland (Dodgers)
IF Rodney Van Buizen
SS Dean White (Braves)
OF Tom Brice
OF Tom Vincent (Padres)

Australia will be an interesting team to watch. They won silver in the last Olympics, but how will they fare against the big boys? Everyone is pegging Huber the player to watch on this team. The Royals prospect only had a cup of coffee in the Majors last year, but he's expected to be one of the next big things in Kansas City. Nilsson, you may remember, left American baseball several years ago to dedicate himself to his country's team. One thing you may notice about this roster is that there are only five true outfielders (as opposed to 10 catchers). Will that have any affect on the Aussies?

Rotation
SP Damian Moss (Mariners)
SP Chris Oxspring (Padres)
SP Travis Blackley (Mariners)
SP Craig Anderson (Mariners)
SP Adam Blackley (Red Sox)

Bullpen
RP Jeff Williams
RP Phil Brassington
RP Adam Bright (Rockies)
RP Adrian Burnside (Tigers)
RP Tim Cox (Red Sox)
RP Tristan Crawford (Twins)
RP Kyle Edlich (Twins)
RP Donavon Hendricks (Braves)
RP Josh Hill (Twins)
RP Mark Kelly (Phillies)
RP Craig Lewis
RP Wayne Lundgren (Cardinals)
RP Aaron MacKenzie (Angels)
RP Paul Mildren (Marlins)
RP Scott Mitchinson (Phillies)
RP Peter Moylan
RP Wayne Ough
RP Glen Richards (Braves)
RP Ryan Rowland-Smith (Mariners)
RP John Stephens (Red Sox)
RP Phil Stockman (Diamondbacks)
RP Rich Thompson
RP Brendan Wise (Tigers)

Moss was once a rising star in Atlanta. Now he's trying to resurrect his career in the Mariners system. A familiar face for him is Travis Blackley, a Seattle farm prospect.

Dominican Republic

Lineup
SS Miguel Tejada (Orioles)
LF Moises Alou
1B Albert Pujols (Cardinals)
DH David Ortiz (Red Sox)
2B Alfonso Soriano (Rangers)
3B Aramis Ramirez (Cubs)
CF Jose Guillen (Nationals)
RF Sammy Sosa
C Miguel Olivo (Mariners)

Bench
C Juan Brito (Diamondbacks)
C Alberto Castillo (Athletics)
C Sandy Martinez (Tigers)
C Ronny Paulino (Pirates)
2B/3B Ronnie Belliard (Indians)
3B Adrian Beltre (Mariners)
2B Robinson Cano (Yankees)
IF Pedro Feliz (Giants)
1B Julio Franco (Mets)
SS Rafael Furcal (Dodgers)
SS Julio Lugo (Devil Rays)
SS Jhonny Peralta (Indians)
IF Neifi Perez (Cubs)
IF Placido Polanco (Tigers)
SS/2B Jose Reyes (Mets)
SS Juan Uribe (White Sox)
2B/OF Victor Diaz (Mets)
OF Juan Encarnacion (Cardinals)
OF Wily Mo Pena (Reds)
OF Luis Polonia
CF Willy Taveras (Astros)

Even without Manny Ramirez and Vlad Guerrero, this is a lethal lineup. This team has some options, too. Aramis Ramirez and Beltre are virtually interchangeable, and I'm still not convinced that Guillen and Encarnacion are different people. The 60-man roster has 9 starting Major League shortstops, so it will be a tough task to juggle playing time. In fact, every batter on this team except Polonia saw time in the Majors last year. Polanco led the AL in batting average, and he may not even start. With the thinned outfield, the Dominicans will rely on Pena for some pop off of the bench, and Tavarez for some speed.

Rotation
SP Bartolo Colon (Angels)
SP Odalis Perez (Dodgers)
SP Daniel Cabrera (Orioles)
SP Jose Lima
SP Claudio Vargas (Diamondbacks)
SP Ervin Santana (Angels)

Bullpen
RP Armando Benitez (Giants)
RP Jose Mesa (Rockies)
RP Yhency Brazoban (Dodgers)
RP Miguel Batista (Diamondbacks)
RP Jose Valverde (Diamondbacks)
RP Julian Tavarez (Red Sox)
RP Damaso Marte (Pirates)
RP Guillermo Mota (Indians)
RP Jose Acevedo (Rockies)
RP Eude Brito (Phillies)
RP Francisco Liriano (Twins)
RP Fernando Rodney (Tigers)
RP Felix Rodriguez (Nationals)
RP Wandy Rodriguez (Astros)
RP Duaner Sanchez (Mets)
RP Jorge Sosa (Braves)
RP Salomon Torres (Pirates)

Like the Dominican batters, everyone on the pitching staff was in the Majors last year. Pedro Martinez won't be participating, so the DR will have to make due with just one Cy Young winner in Colon. Perez has turned himself into a solid starter, and Cabrera is just another member in a long line of young breakout starters in Baltimore. The bullpen features five players with closer experience. Brazoban filled in for Eric Gagne last year, and Batista has both started and closed games in his career. Valverde is the other closer. My advice, looking at those first two names? Build a big lead and use your middle relievers to hold it. With established middle men like Tavarez, Marte, and Mota, and rising starts Liriano, Sanchez, and Sosa, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Italy

Lineup
SS Marco Scutaro (Athletics)
3B Mark DeRosa (Rangers)
1B Joe Vitiello
C Mike Piazza (Padres)
RF David Dellucci (Rangers)
LF Frank Catalanotto (Blue Jays)
2B Frank Menechino (Blue Jays)
DH Jairo Ramos Gizzi
CF Jim Buccheri

Bench
C Luca Bischeri
C Matt Ceriani
C Mike DiFelice (Mets)
C Thomas Gregorio (Angels)
IF Phil Barzilla (Astros)
IF Marc Cerbone
1B Vito Chiaravalloti (Blue Jays)
IF Mario Chiarini
IF Davide Dallospedale
IF Maximiliano De Biase
IF Riccardo De Santis
SS Tony Giarratano (Tigers)
IF Todd Incantalupo
IF Seth David La Fera
IF Claudio Liverziani
IF Gino Lollio
IF John Mangieri
IF Nick Mattioni (Athletics)
3B Guiseppe Mazzanti
IF Greg Montalbano
IF Ivan Naccarata (Mets)
IF Giuseppe Norrito (Dodgers)
IF Orlando Oberto
IF Kasey Olenberger (Angels)
2B Jay Pecci
IF David Rollandini
3B Mark Saccomanno (Astros)
SS Jack Santora
IF Igor Schiavetti
1B Vince Sinisi (Rangers)
OF Frank Candela
OF Dustin Delucchi (Mariners)
OF Gabriele Ermini
OF Giovanni Pantaleoni
RF/1B Val Pascucci
OF Peter Zoccolillio

Like the Netherland, Italy greatly benefits from the lax eligibility rules. However, Piazza and Catalanotto aren't young any more, and Scutaro, DeRosa, and Menechino are career utility players. Dellucci, on the other hand, may just be hitting his prime. This lineup, chock full of slap hitters, would be a decent day-to-day team in the Majors, but it will struggle against the talent-laden rosters in the Classic.

Rotation
SP Jason Simontacchi (Cubs)
SP Ron Villone (Yankees)
SP Lenny DiNardo (Red Sox)
SP Brady Raggio
SP Tony Fiore (Orioles)

Bullpen
RP Matt Mantei (Red Sox)
RP Dan Miceli (Devil Rays)
RP Mike Gallo (Astros)
RP Jason Grilli (Tigers)
RP Marc Lamacchia (Rangers)
RP Alessandro Maestri
RP Mike Marchensano
RP Fabio Milano
RP Sandy Patrone
RP Mattia Salsi

Well, it's not great, but it will have to do. Simontacchi is decent. Villone hasn't started in a decade or so, so it will be interesting to see if he does so in this tournament. DiNardo has only started one game in The Show, but he's put up good numbers as a reliever. Mantei is a former closer, so he should be able to handle that role. Miceli is a cagey veteran that seemingly has been around forever. If he actually speaks Italian, he'll be a good tutor to some of these younger players.

Venezuela

Lineup
3B Carlos Guillen (Tigers)
SS Omar Vizquel (Giants)
LF Miguel Cabrera (Marlins)
CF Bob Abreu (Phillies)
DH Magglio Ordonez (Tigers)
RF Juan Rivera (Angels)
C Ramon Hernandez (Orioles)
1B Edgardo Alfonzo (Giants)
2B Cesar Izturis (Dodgers)

Bench
C Henry Blanco (Cubs)
C/LF Alex Delgado
C Wiki Gonzalez (Mariners)
C Victor Martinez (Indians)
C Eddie Perez (Braves)
C Humberto Quintero (Astros)
C Guillermo Quiroz (Blue Jays)
1B/RF Alex Cabrera
IF Miguel Cairo (Yankees)
2B Jose Castillo (Pirates)
IF Alex Gonzalez (Red Sox)
IF Luis Gonzalez (Rockies)
2B Omar Infante (Tigers)
IF Cesar Jimenez (Mariners)
SS Jose Lopez (Mariners)
3B Victor Moreno
2B/SS Tomas Perez (Phillies)
1B Roberto Petagine (Red Sox)
IF Luis Rodriguez
IF Marco Scutaro (Athletics)
OF Tony Alvarez (White Sox)
CF Endy Chavez (Mets)
OF Franklin Gutierrez (Indians)
OF Richard Hidalgo (Rangers)
LF/RF Robert Perez
OF Alex Ramirez

This is the lineup Baseball America projected. OK, let's go with it. Hernandez is a Gammonsesque veteran catcher with a decent bat. I see him splitting time with Vic Martinez, both for talent reasons and to make sure neither overexert themselves. Martinez could theoretically see some time at first, too. Three MLB starting shortstops in the infield, plus a 3B/2B at first, should be great infield defense. Izturis, Guillen, and Vizquel will have five Major League starters ready to back them up (Cairo, Castillo, both Gonzalezes, and Infante). Scutaro is of Italian descent, but he shows up on the Venezuelan roster as well since he was born in the town of Yaracuy. Where was the big todo over which team he'd choose to play for? The outfield has some options. Abreu isn't a true centerfielder, but Chavez is, and top prospect Franklin Gutierrez is athletic enough to play all three outfield positions. Rivera may also be the same person as Jose Guillen and Juan Encarnacion. Ordonez isn't a textbook example of health, so DH may be the perfect role for him. Hidalgo is money in small ballparks, so he'll be a suitable backup.

Rotation
SP Johan Santana (Twins)
SP Carlos Zambrano (Cubs)
SP Freddy Garcia (White Sox)
SP Kelvim Escobar (Angels)
SP Carlos Silva (Twins)
SP Gustavo Chacin (Blue Jays)
SP Victor Zambrano (Mets)
SP Tony Armas (Nationals)

Bullpen
RP Francisco Rodriguez (Angels)
RP Rafael Betancourt (Indians)
RP Giovanni Carrara (Dodgers)
RP Marcos Carvajal (Rockies)
RP Jeremi Gonzalez (Red Sox)
RP Felix Hernandez (Mariners)
RP Jorge Julio (Mets)
RP Wilfredo Ledezma (Tigers)
RP Juan Rincon (Twins)
RP Francisco Butto (Phillies)
RP Carlos Hernandez (Astros)
RP Fernando Nieve (Astros)
RP Ricardo Palma
RP Yusmeiro Petit (Mets)
RP Reynel Pinto (Cubs)
RP Anibal Sanchez (Red Sox)

The US will go with a normal starting rotation (minus CC Sabathia, who just pulled out) and then rely on seven closers to finish the game. Venezuela is going with a different approach. Three starters will each pitch three innings in the first game. Then, three more starters will each throw three innings in the second game. Three more starters will handle the third game, and then its back to the original trio. As you can see, this team certainly has the arms to pull that off. They also have just enough of a bullpen to help out, especially with K-Rod, Betancourt, Julio, and Rincon.

MLB Preview 6: AL Central

Chicago White Sox

Lineup
Scott Podsednik LF
Tadahito Iguchi 2B
Paul Konerko 1B
Jim Thome DH
Jermaine Dye RF
AJ Pierzynski C
Joe Crede 3B
Juan Uribe SS
Brian Anderson CF

Rotation
Mark Buehrle
Freddy Garcia
Javy Vazquez
Jose Contreras
Jon Garland
Brandon McCarthy

There are two (relatively) new names in the White Sox opening day lineup. Anderson is the next in a line of (supposedly) superstar CF prospects. Thome, meanwhile, continues the pipeline of 90s Cleveland talent to the South Side. (See: Alomar, R., Alomar, Jr., S., Belle, A.) The big question, of course, will be Thome's health. If and when Thome can't go, Chicago will have to rely on two capable backups. 3B/SS Pablo Ozuna put up very respectable numbers in an expanded role last year. New acquisition Rob Mackowiak was, for a time, one of the closest things Pittsburgh had to a star. He can play six positions and brings a decent bat, too. The nice thing about these bench players is that they allow Ozzie Guillen to matchup easily - Ozuna is a right-handed batter and Mackowiak a lefty.
The lineup is decent, but Chicago won games last year with their pitching. If they want to repeat, they'll have to win with pitching again. It looks like an easy task, especially after a seeming upgrade from Orlando Hernandez to Javy Vazquez. But not so fast my friend. Virtually all of Chicago's pitchers are coming off of career years, and injury-free years at that. It will be very difficult to stay as healthy and pitch as well as last year. Add to that the fact that the White Sox relievers are all old news. The pen worked wonders last year, but Major League hitters know how to adjust. Can Neal Cotts, Cliff Polittle, Bobby Jenks, and Dustin Hermanson repeat the lights out, closer-by-who's-hot results of Chicago's championship run?

Cleveland Indians

Lineup
Grady Sizemore CF
Jason Michaels LF
Jhonny Peralta SS
Travis Hafner DH
Victor Martinez C
Ronnie Belliard 2B
Ben Broussard 1B
Casey Blake RF
Aaron Boone 3B

Rotation
CC Sabathia
Jake Westbrook
Clifford Lee
Paul Byrd
Jason Johnson

A GM that took a step back? An owner that won't spend money? Bull. An organization without a third base prospect at any level traded away one starter for a guy who is perhaps the best third base prospect on any team. Sure, Andy Marte won't be an immediate impact, but when has an extra year (or month) of preparation ever been a bad thing? Boone is coming off of an atrocious year, but he's got a solid glove and is veteran enough to bounce back. Oh, and immediately after Cleveland gave up their one starter, they replaced him with a guy who, for all intents and purposes, is an identical player. Coco Crisp was a switch hitting LF/CF who did a good job of getting on base. Michaels is entering his first season as a full-time starter, and it looks like he'll put up numbers similar to Crisp's. He's a right-handed hitter in a lineup that needs balance for its lefties. Michaels also plays LF/CF. I haven't seen him play much. However, I do know that Crisp had slightly above average range and a below average arm. So, I'm going to assume that Michaels has a little less range than Crisp, but a stronger arm. As for the rest of the lineup. Well, four of the first five guys are fantasy studs (and, of course, if Michaels performs like Crisp, he'll be one too). Belliard is an emotional leader with a decent bat. He knows his strengths and weaknesses on defense, and he has mastered positioning himself to complement his strengths and counteract his weaknesses. He also has a knack for big defensive plays. Broussard is average on defense, and his long swing makes him incredibly streaky at the plate. Blake is coming off of a "terrible" year, where he hit .241 with 23 HR. Of this lineup, Broussard, Boone, and Blake's jobs are most in jeopardy. Broussard will platoon with new acquisition Eduardo Perez, who will mostly bat against lefties. Broussard also needs to worry about Kelly Shoppach and Ryan Garko. The young Shoppach is fighting for the backup catcher role. If his hitting comes along, Cleveland fans could see Shoppach behind the plate and Vic Martinez at first to give Martinez' legs a rest. Garko is a catcher by trade. But, with a lack of defensive development (and with the Tribe being set at catcher but needing a 1B), he is seeing more and more time at first. Blake will need to hit well to keep his job over fourth outfielder Jason DuBois. Also waiting in the wings is Franklin Gutierrez, a very athletic super-prospect from Venezuela. The utility infielder role will go to Ramon Vazquez, unless Brandon Phillips has a spectacular spring. Phillips, once the centerpiece of the Bartolo Colon trade that included "throw ins" Sizemore and Cliff Lee, still is a Gold Glove quality shortstop, but is lost at the plate.
The big question for this team looks to be the pitching staff. Scott Elarton and AL ERA leader Kevin Millwood are gone, replaced by Byrd and Johnson. Byrd may not put up Millwood-like ERA numbers, but everyone in Cleveland will be happy if he avoids Millwood's luck (Millwood was last in the league in run support in 2005). Elarton was a reconstruction project from a bad team when he joined the Indians. I expect Johnson to be similar. Top prospect Fausto Carmona and fireballer Jason Davis are waiting in the wings as emergency starters. The bullpen features Bob Wickman, a year older and a bit richer. He did tie for the league lead in saves, but he always made it interesting. The Indians lost shutdown lefty Arthur Rhodes. Scott Saurbeck is still around, but he's more of a finesse guy. Jason Stanford is back from injury, but he's more of a long reliever. For the righties, Guillermo Mota replaces David Riske. Fair trade off. Rafael Betancourt and Matt Miller are back. After them, will it be young talents Fernando Cabrera and Andrew Brown, or retreads David Graves and Steve Karsay? Of these four, only Cabrera seems assured of a roster spot.

Minnesota Twins

Lineup
Luis Castillo 2B
Shannon Stewart LF
Joe Mauer C
Rondell White DH
Justin Morneau 1B
Torii Hunter CF
Tony Batista/Mike Cuddyer 3B
Lew Ford RF
Jason Bartlett SS

Rotation
Johan Santana
Brad Radke
Carlos Silva
Kyle Lohse
Scott Baker
Francisco Liriano
Dave Gassner
JD Durbin

I clicked on the Twins website, and it said manager Ron Gardenhire was struggling to figure out a lineup. Yeah, where have you been the last 5 years? In Castillo, at least, he'll finally have a middle infielder at the top of the lineup that can actually hit. With an OBP of .391, I'd bat him leadoff, but Gardenhire will probably go with Stewart. Mauer put up good numbers when healthy. White gives the lineup some of the pop that this team has strongly needed for years. (Whatever happened to that David Ortiz guy?) Morneau didn't hit for average last year, and Hunter never did. Cuddyer hit .260, so they replaced him with a guy who hit .240. I'd stay with Cuddyer personally. Ford is a gritty fireplug. Bartlett is the future, but he may not be the present. Infielder Juan Castro had a career resurgance on defense and behind the plate, so look for him to steal a few at bats from Bartlett. Catcher Mike Redmond hit well in limited at bats. Jason Kubel is an outfield prospect who impressed in limited playing time last year. Nick Punto is a gritty backup infielder who can handle starting when needed.
Johan Santana may be as good as it gets. The guys behind him aren't too bad themselves. Radke is a staple in Minnesota. Silva and Lohse are decent bottom-of-the-rotation pitchers. Baker is a good young prospect, but not as good as Durbin. Durbin's the star in training. Oh, and if needed, they have Boof Bonser, too. The bullpen once again features a good young closer and a slew of young closers-in-training (and Terry Mullholland). Joe Nathan is of course the closer; he had 40+ saves last year. The closers-in-training are Juan Rincon, Jesse Crain, and Francisco Liriano. It looks like this team will need its pitching to do well this year.

Detroit Tigers

Lineup
Placido Polanco 2B
Carlos Guillen SS
Pudge Rodriguez C
Magglio Ordonez RF
Dmitri Young DH
Craig Monroe LF
Chris Shelton 1B
Brandon Inge 3B
Curtis Granderson/Nook Logan CF

Rotation
Kenny Rogers
Jeremy Bonderman
Mike Maroth
Nate Robertson
Justin Verlander
Wilfredo Ledezma
Roman Colon
Jason Grilli

Let's play Optimist/Pessimist. Optimist: Polanco led the AL in batting average last year. Pessimist: This is his second year in the league - pitchers are going to figure him out. Optimist: Guillen has broken out all over Detroit. Pessimist: Health - only 334 at bats last year. Optimist: Pudge and Mags are legit stars. Pessimist: Rodriguez normally stays in excellent health, but he is 35 this year. Ordonez has the body of a 45 year old. Optimist: Dmitri Young is a veteran staple who can play multiple positions. Pessimist: Have you seen him play third? Optimist: Brandon Inge hit well enough to spend some time in the leadoff spot. Pessimist: He struggled to find the good side of the Mendoza line in years past, and who knows if he'll go back. Optimist: Two capable guys can play center. Pessimist: Who are Granderson and Logan, and who are Shelton and Monroe for that matter? Optimist: The bench features Vance Wilson, Omar Infante, Carlos Pena, and Marcus Thames. Pessimist: The bench features Vance Wilson, Omar Infante, Carlos Pena, and Marcus Thames.
Kenny Rogers is an ace, and he's just the pickup this young rotation needs. The rest of the staff falls into one of thee categories:
Gammonsesque Established Star: Bonderman
Gammonsesque Up and Comers: Maroth, Robertson
Gammonsesque Super Gammonsesque Prospect: Verlander
The bullpen has two established, albeit old, closers in Todd Jones and Troy Percival. Also in the bullpen are fireballer Franklyn German and the rubber armed Jamie Walker.

Kansas City Royals

Lineup
David DeJesus CF
Mark Grudzielanek 2B
Mike Sweeney DH
Reggie Sanders RF
Emil Brown LF
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B
Angel Berroa SS
Mark Teahen 3B
John Buck C

Rotation
Zack Greinke
Scott Elarton
Runelvys Hernandez
Mark Redman
Joe Mays
Jeremy Affeldt
JP Howell
Denny Bautista
Mike Wood
Jimmy Gobble
Elmer Dessens

There are three key veteran acquisitions in this lineup. Grudzielanek fills a hole at second until Ruben Gotay can hit at the Major League level. Mientkiewicz allows the injury-prone Sweeney to move to full-time DH. Sanders is a solid all-around hitter. The only odd thing about these pickup is that they knock Matt Stairs out of the lineup. Sure, you could replace Brown, but Brown is one of the few young players hitting well. I suppose you could argue that Sweeney and Sanders will need their days off, and that Stairs can start at first if Mientkiewicz isn't hitting. Angel Berroa still sucks, and John Buck is disappointed that his last name is only a third as long as Grudzielanek or Mientkiewicz'. On the bench is veteran catcher Paul Bako and Team Canada outfielder Aaron Guiel.
Zack Greinke will continue to learn on the job. Behind him will be the recently improved Elarton and a trio returning from injury. Hernandez was the top young stud on this team until the injury bug bit him. Redman and Mays are solid veterans, but have always been injury plagued. Affeldt, after a trial as closer, will try to get back into the starting rotation. Returning to the closer role is Mike MacDougal, whose struggles put Affeldt in that spot in the first place. The bullpen includes Jimmy Gobble, another player who has split time as starter and reliever.

Notre Dame 75, Cincinnati 66

Women's Basketball

I didn't realize this game was on TV here (Ohio News Network) until there were about 2 minutes left in the second half. As it turns out, I saw all I needed to see.
The Irish came out in green uniforms, and their gimmickry almost cost them the game against a team with a very similar record. This game was even for almost the entire contest. Notre Dame did build a six point lead with about two minutes left, but that lead quickly vanished. The game was tied with 22 seconds left, and Cincinnati had the ball. The Bearcat point guard tried to get the ball down into the post. Charel Allen came over to help, and knocked the ball away. Unfortunately for the Irish, the loose ball went right to Treasure Humphries, whom Allen had been guarding, and Humphries hit a jumper with 2.4 seconds left.
Muffet McGraw called time out, and drew up the above play. Well, techinically she didn't just draw it up on the spot, as the team had practiced it many times before. This time, they executed it to perfection. Megan Duffy (13) served as little more than a decoy on this play. Courtney LaVere (41) rifled a baseball pass to Lindsay Schrader (24). (And it was one heck of a pass. I wonder if softball coach Deanna Gumpf is looking for a 6'3 shortstop or right fielder.) Up to that point, it was shades of Christian Laettner. But, the Bearcat defending Tulyah Gaines (1) collapsed on Schrader, leaving Gaines open on the wing. Schrader fed Gaines a perfect touch pass. Meanwhile, Allen (2), cut under the basket, ready to take a pass from Gaines if necessary. But, Allen was too far under the basket, and her defender was in hot pursuit. So, Gaines drove to the basket, barely beating her man and Allen's. The shot went off the glass, the buzzer sounded, and the ball fell in. Tie game - overtime! The team couldn't have been happier. Indeed, had that play happened during the NCAA tournament, we would have been seeing replays for years to come.
What makes that play so perfect is the fact that everyone had options. Duffy served as a decoy, but she was also likely LaVere's safety valve had the 6' Schrader not been open. When Schrader caught the pass (and again, it was a great one), she had three options: shoot, pass to Gaines, or pass to Allen. Once the open Gaines caught the Schrader pass, she had two options: drive, or pass to the cutting Allen. (Or, in the worst case, shoot a jumper.) Likewise, had the pass gone to Allen, she would have had the option to drive or pass to a cutting Gaines. Things don't always goes as planned, especially when it comes to desperation shots. Having options, and properly practicing each and every one of those options, is what separates a well-coached team from a poorly coached team. Often, it's also what separates a winning team from a losing team.
In overtime, Notre Dame simply out-executed Cincinnati. After building a small lead, the Irish made 10 of 11 free throws to seal the game. That number includes a perfect 8 of 8 from the line by Duffy.
Duffy finished with 17 points, as did LaVere. Gaines had a career-high 14, and Schrader added 11.
Senior Day for Duffy and LaVere is this Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Then, the Big East Tournament starts March 4 from the "neutral" Hartford Civic Center. The win over Cincy moved ND into a tie for 10th in the Big East with the Bearcats. More importantly, though, it clinches a berth in the Big East Tournament for the Irish.

World Baseball ClassicPool C

Cuba

Lineup
C Ariel Pestano
1B Danny Miranda
2B Yulieski Gourriel
3B Michel Enrique
SS Eduardo Paret
LF Frederich Cepeda
CF Carlos Tabares
RF Alexei Ramirez
DH Eriel Sanchez

Bench
C Vladimir Garcia
C Yulexis La Rosa
C Roger Machado
IF Leslie Anderson
IF Ariel Borrero
IF Yorbis Borroto
IF Loidel Chapelli
IF Yorelvis Charles
IF Juan Carlos Moreno
IF Luis Miguel Navas
IF Hector Olivera
IF Joan Carlos Pedroso
IF Rudy Reyes
IF Vismay Santos
IF Amaury Suarez
OF Yoennis Cespedes
OF Alfredo Despaigne
OF Yoandy Garlobo
OF Rehutilio Hurtado
OF Juan Carlos Linares
OF Serguei Perez
OF Yoandry Urgelles
OF Osmany Urrutia
OF Dayan Viciedo
OF Andy Zamora

The big question mark of the tournament. For me at least. Peter Gammons has probably sipped brandy at Castro's estate, so it'd be better to go ask him. Cheesy Chris Berman Nickname #1: "He's not my Elvis, he's" Yourelvis Charles.

Rotation
SP Vicyohandri Odelin
SP Adiel Palma
SP Danny Betancourt
SP Fidel Castro

Bullpen
RP Pedro Luis Lazo
RP Vladimir Banos
RP Ubisney Bermudez
RP Alberto Bicet
RP Luis Borroto
RP Robelio Carrillo
RP Maikel Folch
RP Yosvany Fonseca
RP Jose Angel Garcis
RP Valery Garcia
RP Norberto Gonzalez
RP Ylieski Gonzalez
RP Yadel Marti
RP Jonder Martinez
RP Yunieski Maya
RP Alien Mora
RP Yadial Pedroso
RP Yosvany Perez
RP Luis Miguel Rodriguez
RP Ormari Romero
RP Alberto Soto
RP Israel Soto
RP Dennis Suarez

Netherlands

Lineup
LF Gene Kingsale (Orioles)
3B Vince Rooi (Nationals)
CF Andruw Jones (Braves)
DH Shea Hillenbrand (Blue Jays)
1B Randall Simon (Devil Rays)
C Chairon Isenia (Devil Rays)
2B Alexander Smit
SS Raylinoe Legito
RF Harvey Monte (Mariners)

Bench
C Maikel Benner
C Mark Duursma
C Kenley Jansen (Dodgers)
C Tjerk Smeets
C Sidney de Jong
2B Sharnol Adriana
IF Forstine Coenraad
3B-SS Ivanon Coffie
IF Robbie Cordemans
IF Yrendell DeCaster (Pirates)
IF Percy Isenia
IF Ferenc Jongejan
IF Jair Jurrjens (Tigers)
IF Shairon Martis
IF Sharlon Schoop
SS Hainley Statia (Angels)
IF Joseph Woerman (Mariners)
OF Quincy Ascencion (Orioles)
OF Wladmir Balentien (Mariners)
OF Johnny Balentina
OF Denny Beljaards
OF Rogearvin Bernadina (Nationals)
OF Adam Boeve
OF Bryan Englehardt
OF Gregory Halman (Mariners)
OF Ardley Jansen (Braves)
OF Danny Rombley
OF Dirk van Klooster

The Netherlands is one of the better beneficiaries of the lax nationality rules of this tournament. Most players here come from Western countries that are Dutch possessions, or are of Dutch decent. The 3-4-5 hitters in this lineup should win the Netherlands their share of games. Does anyone want to put an over/under on the number of Homsar-style "You sunk my Jongejan" comments I make during the WBC.

Rotation
SP Mark Mulder (Cardinals)
SP Danny Haren (Athletics)
SP Sidney Ponson (Cardinals)
SP Kirk Saarloos (Athletics)
SP Calvin Maduro (Yankees)

Bullpen
RP David Aardsma (Cubs)
RP Justin Huisman (Royals)
RP Andy Van Hekken (Braves)
RP David Bergman
RP Dave Draijer
RP Gregory Gustina
RP Duko Jansen
RP Diegomar Markwell (Blue Jays)
RP Jan Naterop
RP Simon Pantophlet
RP Nick Stuifbergen
RP Patrick de Lange
RP Robin van Doornspeek
RP Michiel van Kampen
RP Jurjen van Zijl

This is looking like the best rotation in this division. Haren was actually a part of the trade that sent Mulder to St. Louis. Mulder is the established star, and it looks like Haren will be joining his class soon. Ponson, Mulder's new teammate, has struggled as of late, so anything he does is a plus. I have a feeling that, as a knight in Aruba, Ponson will step it up with national pride on the line. The bullpen features three relievers with token MLB experience. A bit of trivia that will soon be worn out in true "Video Killed the Radio Star" style: When Aardsma made the Show, he replaced Hank Aaron as the player listed first alphabetically in a list of all-time Major Leaguers.

Panama

Lineup
2B Jose Macias (Cubs)
C Einar Diaz (Indians)
LF Carlos Lee (Brewers)
3B Olmedo Saenz (Dodgers)
RF Fernando Seguignol
1B Julio Zuleta
SS Vicente Garabaldo
DH Julio Mosquero
CF Sherman Obando

Bench
C Jose Camarena (Braves)
C/3B Damaso Espino (Royals)
C Carlos Lee (White Sox)
C Carlos Munoz
C Cesar Quintero
C Nelson Robeldo
IF Alberto Acosta
2B Avelino Asprilla (Pirates)
IF Norberto Batista (Marlins)
SS Javier Castillo (White Sox)
IF Angel Chavez (Giants)
IF Jonny Cordoba
IF Miguel Gomez
IF Joseph Guerra
IF Roberto Gutierrez-Betancourt
IF Freddy Herrera
IF Luis Iglesias
IF Jaime Jaen
IF Yoni Lasso (Reds)
SS Orlando Miller ()
IF Ramon Ramirez
IF Manuel O Rodriguez
OF Earl Agnoly
OF Cirilo Cumberbatch (Indians)
OF Audes De Leon
OF Maruis Loupadiere (Rockies)
OF Adolfo Rivera
OF Manny Rodriguez

This is an interesting mix of players. Lee, coming off of a steller first year in Milwaukee, is the big bat. Saenz did a solid backup job in Los Angeles last year. Macias is a versatile player, and Diaz is a former starter at the Major League level. Seguignol and Zuleta were both useful players in their Major League days. After that, it will be interesting to see what Panama can put out there.

Rotation
SP Bruce Chen (Orioles)
SP Roger Deago (Padres)
SP Ramiro Mendoza (Yankees)
SP Len Picota

Bullpen
RP Manny Acosta (Braves)
RP Rolando Altamirano
RP Abraham Atencio
RP Albenis Castillo (Dodgers)
RP Manuel Corpas (Rockies)
RP Jorge Cortes (Reds)
RP Paolo Espino
RP Jose Luis Gonzalez
RP Santos Hernandez
RP Rolando Herrera
RP Donald Julio (Diamondbacks)
RP Davis Romero (Blue Jays)
RP Elias Saenz

I don't think this rotation will strike fear into anyone's heart. Chen is a journeyman who's played everywhere east of the Mississippi except the Presidential Wiffle Ball game. Mendoza has spent all of his career as a long reliever. After Mariano Rivera declined to be in the WBC, the bullpen is left with a sprinkling of Minor Leaguers, but no recognizable names.

Puerto Rico

Lineup
LF Alex Rios (Blue Jays)
CF Carlos Beltran (Mets)
C Ivan Rodriguez (Tigers)
1B Carlos Delgado (Mets)
2B Jose Vidro (Nationals)
DH Javy Lopez (Orioles)
3B Mike Lowell (Red Sox)
RF Jose Cruz Jr. (Dodgers)
SS Alex Cora (Red Sox)

Bench
C Ramon Castro (Mets)
C Bengie Molina (Blue Jays)
C Yadier Molina (Cardinals)
C Rene Rivera (Mariners)
C Omir Santos (Yankees)
C/1B Geovany Soto (Cubs)
C Javier Valentin (Reds)
IF Carlos Baerga (Nationals)
IF Alex Cintron (Diamondbacks)
IF Willie Collazo (Angels)
2B Ruben Gotay (Royals)
3B/C Edwards Guzman
IF Jose Hernandez (Pirates)
SS/3B Felipe Lopez (Reds)
IF Ivan Maldonado (Mets)
SS Ramon E Martinez (Dodgers)
1B Eduardo Perez (Indians)
2B Rey Sanchez (Yankees)
IF Jose Valentin (Mets)
IF William Vazquez (Rockies)
CF David DeJesus (Royals)
LF Juan Gonzalez
OF Raul Gonzalez (Cardinals)
OF Ricky Ledee (Dodgers)
CF Luis Matos (Orioles)
OF Miguel Negron (Blue Jays)
OF John Rodriguez (Cardinals)
RF Ruben Sierra (Twins)
CF/RF Andres Torres (Rangers)
RF/LF Pedro Valdes
CF Bernie Williams

I'll say it now: If Team USA comes out flat in the World Baseball Classic - like their men's basketball counterparts in Athens or men's hockey days ago - this Puerto Rican team could win the tournament.
This is the starting 9 that Baseball America put out last summer. I'll go with it for now. Cora has the glove and experience at short, but Felipe Lopez had a great 2005 at the plate. I'd probably start Lopez and go to Cora as a defensive replacement in the late innings. The depth at catcher is still staggering, even without the third Fabulous Catching Molina (Jose) on the team. Ramon Castro, Yadier Molina, and Javier Valentin, all Major Leaguers (Yadier a starter), might not even make this team. Bengie Molina, the hottest free agent catcher on the market, will see some playing time, but only because Javy Lopez isn't a catcher any more. (Lopez is moving to first base/DH this spring.) Righty Juan Gonzalez (if he's healthy) and switch-hiting Ruben Sierra provide you with all the pop off the bench you need. Like Gonzalez and Sierra, Jose Hernandez and Jose Valentin are mirror images of each other. The right-handed Hernandez and left-handed Valentin both started as shortstops, but later in there career moved throughout the infield and even into the outfield. Alex Rios and Luis Matos are swappable as well, depending on who is hot at the moment. Rounding out the bench: Carlos Baerga is Carlos Baerga. Cintron and Gotay are both starting middle infielders in the pros. Ledee is a veteran who can play all three outfield positions. DeJesus is another Royals starter. And Bernie Williams should play center and bat cleanup! Wait, what? No!

Rotation
SP Javier Vazquez (White Sox)
SP Joel Pineiro (Mariners)
SP J.C. Romero (Angels)
SP Kiko Calero (Athletics)

Bullpen
RP Roberto Hernandez (Pirates)
RP Fernando Cabrera (Indians)
RP Jonathan Aibaladejo
RP Carlos Alvarado
RP Federico Baez (Cubs)
RP Pedro Feliciano
RP Angel Garcia (Twins)
RP Dicky Gonzalez
RP Javier Lopez (White Sox)
RP Josue Matos (Blue Jays)
RP Hector Mercado (Rangers)
RP Juan Padilla (Mets)
RP Saul Rivera (Nationals)
RP Chris Rojas (Phillies)
RP Orlando Roman (Mets)
RP Jonathan Sanchez (Giants)
RP Jose Santiago (Mets)

I'm really surprised that there aren't very many big names on this pitching staff. So, this team will have to score a ton of runs to win. Well, they can do it. Vazquez is close to his family and his country, so look for him to play well at home. Romero and Calero are conditioned as relievers in the Majors. So, it will be interesting to see how they fare as starters in the WBC, especially just two weeks after reporting to Spring Training. Hernandez, who wins the Clifford Robinson Memorial "Wow, They're Still Playing? How Old Are They?" award, will likely be the closer. He'll be aided by Cabrera, a young up-and-comer in the Indians system. Cabrera is expected to be a major contributer in the Tribe bullpen this year. Santiago is a veteran journeyman. The rest of the Puerto Rican staff consists of a spattering of players with their cups of coffee in the Show, including Garcia, Gonzalez, Javier Lopez, Matos, Mercado, and Padilla. (For the record, Hernandez is 41 and Robinson 39.)

UConn 79, Notre Dame 64

Women's Basketball

Editor's Note: Scroll down for my NL Central preview.

OK, I'll start by ranting about the announcers, just to get it out of the way. UConn's radio announcers are more neutral than that ESPN crew. Hey, Gino Auriemma gave you four free copies of his book, and you're allowed to eat at his restaurant whenever you want. Ooh, look at me! I don't know what was worse: That the announcers couldn't believe a decent Notre Dame team, playing their rivals at home, was staying close to an overrated UConn team? Or, that the same announcers started cheering, "OK, here we go!" whenever UConn hit a big shot to swing some momentum? Was this game being called from the Huskies bench?
Now, on to the game. UConn built a nine point lead, until Notre Dame went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to two. But, just when it looked like the Irish had all the momentum, UConn's Renee Montgomery hit a jumper at the first half buzzer to make the score 37-33. I'm sure I wasn't the only Irish fan to have flashbacks to the 2001 Big East championship game. In that game, Sue Bird ended both halves with a buzzer-beater, the second to win the game for the Huskies.
But the Irish apparently did have some momentum left. A Crystal Erwin jumper made the score 42-41 in ND's favor, but it turned out to be the last lead Notre Dame would have. The Huskies would end the game by outscoring the Irish 38-22. Current Irish arch-nemesis Ann Strother had 11 of her 19 points in the second half.
What was the differnce in the game? UConn outshot Notre Dame from the field in the first half, but the Irish stayed close thanks to free throw shooting. In that first period, ND made 8 of their 12 foul shots, while UConn made only 1 of 4. In the second half, things changed. Shooting from the field was about even, but UConn dominated from the charity stripe. The Huskies got to the line 19 times in the second half, making 16. The Irish did go to the free throw line 11 times in the second half, but converted only 6 times.
UConn did a great job of holding Megan Duffy in check, to the tune of 2 for 7 shooting and 11 points. Duffy's teammates were able to step up, to some extent. Lindsay Schrader, Breona Gray, and Charel Allen each had 12 points. Schrader looked good early, and was playing with a passion, but that seemed to fade off quickly.

Where does this leave the Irish? With three games left, their RPI is at #43. They'll be fully on the Bubble Watch. Notre Dame's remaining games are at #118 West Virginina and #56 Cincinnati, and finally Senior Night at home vs. #61 Pittsburgh. If Notre Dame can beat Cincinnati and Pitt (as they should), and throw in a win or two at the Big East Tournament, they should sneak into the tournament.

MLB Preview 5: NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals

Lineup
David Eckstein SS
Junior Spivey/Aaron Miles 2B
Albert Pujols 1B
Jim Edmonds CF
Scott Rolen 3B
Larry Bigbie LF
Juan Encarnacion RF
Yadier Molina C

Rotation
Chris Carpenter
Mark Mulder
Jeff Suppan
Jason Marquis
Sidney Ponson
Anthony Reyes

Cardinals fans will see three new faces in the lineup this year. Both Spivey and Miles have been starters for the majority of their young careers. I'm assuming Spivey will get the nod based on potential, but Miles is very suitable backup. Encarnacion is too good to be a 7 hitter, but I know Tony LaRussa is a big fan of alternating left- and right-handed batters. That #6 spot may be Bigbie's to lose, though, as he hit only .239 in 272 at bats last year. As for the rest of the lineup? Not too shabby. Known for his flashy catches, Edmonds is actually underrated as a hitter. Rolen, meanwhile, will look to rebound from an injury-plagued 2005. The bench reflects the focus of this team: solid, professional players who get the job done. Catcher Gary Bennett was a starter in Montreal. Deivi Cruz is a veteran middle infielder. Hector Luna, who can play at least 6 positions, did a great job of filling in for Rolen last year. I wouldn't be too surprised if LaRussa finds a way to get him into the starting lineup. So Taguchi is a great defender at all three outfielder position. Rick Ankiel is on the 40-man roster as an outfielder.
The pitching rotation loses Matt Morris and gains Sidney Ponson. Ponson, once a rising star as Baltimore's ace, has struggled on and off the field over the past few seasons. Moving to the bottom of the rotation may help resurrect his career. With Carpenter, Mulder, and Marquis, St. Louis can afford to take that risk. The bullpen lost righty Julian Tavarez and lefty Ray King, but quickly replaced them with Braden Looper and Ricardo Rincon. Looper struggled as the Mets closer. A move to setup man could be just what the doctor ordered, but he will have to deal with the high expectations of a perennial pennant contender. Rincon has quietly become one of the best left-handed setup men in the game. Looper and Rincon will be setting the table for closer Jason Isringhausen, who is coming off of another stellar season.

Houston Astros

Lineup
Willy Taveras CF
Craig Biggio 2B
Lance Berkman 1B
Morgan Ensberg 3B
Preston Wilson LF
Jason Lane RF
Adam Everett SS
Brad Ausmus C

Rotation
Roy Oswalt
Andy Pettitte
Brandon Backe
Wandy Rodriguez
Ezequiel Astacio

The Astros struggled on offense last year. This year, they picked up hard-hitting Preston Wilson. Wilson has the power to enjoy hitting home runs over Houston's short left field porch, and the speed to enjoy hitting doubles and triples into the gauntlet that is center field. Houston will also need a healthy Berkman and a repeat of Ensberg's 2005 performance to stay afloat. Their bench features, of course, Jeff Bagwell. But there's also talented second baseman Chris Burke, who is learning to play left field in order to get some playing time. Mike Lamb is a decent backup at both first and third base. Young Eric Bruntlett will take over Luis Vizcaino's utility role. Veteran outfielder Orlando Palmeiro will be the team's primary left-handed pinch hitter.
Houston's pitching rotation starts out well, but goes downhill quickly. Oswalt is a true ace, and Pettite would still be a #1 starter on many teams. Backe has shown a tendency to play big in big games, but he's no star... yet. Rodriguez and Astacio both had ERA's over 5 last year, so they'll have to prove they belong as starters on a playoff-caliber team. One wonders if this still is a playoff-caliber team, though. Houston snuck into the wildcard with three aces last year. Essentially, you're asking Preston Wilson's offense to make up for the loss of Roger Clemens' pitching. In the bullpen, Brad Lidge is one of the best closers in the game. An old idiom states that closers have to have short memories. If that's the case, then Lidge's struggles in the 2005 playoffs are already behind him. Lidge will be set up by Chad Qualls, who hasn't gotten much acclaim for the steady job he's done over the past few seasons; Dan Wheeler, a member of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic; and veteran Russ Springer.

Milwaukee Brewers

Lineup
Brady Clark CF
Rickie Weeks 2B
Geoff Jenkins RF
Carlos Lee LF
Corey Koskie 3B
Prince Fielder 1B
JJ Hardy SS
Damian Miller/Chad Moeller C

Rotation
Ben Sheets
Doug Davis
Chris Capuano
Tomo Ohka
Dave Bush
Rick Helling
Ben Hendrickson

Milwaukee is already getting attention as a team to watch this year. If Houston truly has taken a step back, then the Brewers are in position to challenge for second place. The wildcard may be a ways off, but Milwaukee will have plenty of time to worry about that. The daunted young trio of infielders - Fielder, Weeks, and Hardy - is finally in place. Weeks and Hardy look like they're already ready for The Show. The only question, then, is Fielder. Sure, he'll be great someday, but is "someday" today? Fielder is replacing Lyle Overbay, who played surprisingly well these past few seasons. In a sense, this team's success could mirror the young Prince's this year. Clark is coming off of a breakout season at the top of the lineup. Lee surprised everyone by flirting with the triple crown. If Fielder can help Lee solidify the middle of this lineup, watch out for Milwaukee. Fielder isn't the only familiar name on this team, either. Tony Gwynn's son Tony is on the 40-man roster, but may not be Major League-ready. Jeff Cirillo will be a veteran presence coming off the bench, and insurance for Fielder's youth and Koskie's injury problems. Finally, how do you like these numbers coming off the bench: .291 average, .342 OBP, 17 HR, 62 RBI, 69 R in 501 at bats. Those are the 2005 stats of Bill Hall, who will be serving a utility role this year.
Those who know baseball know Ben Sheets has dominating stuff. But last year, Dale Davis and Chris Capuano also put up sub-4 ERAs. If this trio can repeat that performance, and if Milwaukee's offense can hold up their end of the bargains, the top of the Brewer rotation will see a big improvement on their combined 39-31 record from last year. Derrick Turnbow stepped in for the departed Dan Kolb as Milwaukee's closer, and Turnbow shined in that role. Kolb, back with the Brewers after a disastrous year in Atlanta, will now serve as Turnbow's setup man. After Turnbow and Kolb, there aren't any big names in the Brewers bullpun. However, a lack of big names doesn't necessarily mean a lack of success.

Chicago Cubs

Lineup
Juan Pierre CF
Todd Walker/Jerry Hairson, Jr. 2B
Derrek Lee 1B
Aramis Ramirez 3B
Jacque Jones RF
Matt Murton LF
Ronny Cedeno SS
Michael Barrett C

Rotation
Carlos Zambrano
Mark Prior
Kerry Wood
Greg Maddux
Glendon Rusch
Jerome Williams
Rich Hill
John Koronka

Chicago's 2003 playoff run seems like a distant memory considering their recent performance. Will this year be a step forward, or yet another step back? That remains to be seen. Juan Pierre replaces Corey Patterson in center, giving the Cubs the true leadoff man they had been missing for some time. Of course, Pierre did have a subpar 2005, so his performance will be under the microscope. Derrek Lee is coming off of a career year. He seemed to be a lock for the MVP until the Cubs slipped out of the playoff race. He may not hit .330+ again this year, but past performance has shown he'll put up similar numbers in home runs and RBI. And, oh yeah, he does have 2 Gold Gloves in his trophy case. Jacque Jones is said to be just as good as Torii Hunter, but without all the hype. I'll let you decide if that's a good thing. It will be interesting to see how Walker and Hairston are used. Walker is said to be subpar defensively, and Hairston did have an OK year at the plate. I'd take Walker and use Hairston as a fourth outfielder, but hey, I'm not Dusty Baker. Speaking of Dusty, one of his favorites, Neifi Perez, is back. Perez will likely be used as insurance for young Ronny Cedeno, but I wouldn't rule out time at second for Neifi as well. Another youngster looking to make an impression is Matt Murton. When not spending his time as an assistant director in the Notre Dame band or cutting a CD, Murton hit .321 with 7 HR and an OPS just over .900 in 140 at bats. Not bad at all. Besides the aforementioned Perez, the Chicago bench features catcher Henry Blanco, who may have the best throwing arm of any catcher in the game, and John Mabry, who will likely serve as the left pinch hitting specialist. If Blanco could hit, he'd be a starter somewhere. Since he can't, the cagey defensive-minded catcher makes a perfect backup.
If only. If only this rotation can stay healthy, it's a great one. Truly, I don't think much more needs to be said than that. Perhaps the only question is who will be the fifth starter, the veteran Rusch or the young Williams. The bullpen was upgraded by throwing money at the problem. Converted starter Ryan Dempster will remain the closer. Scott Eyre and Bob Howry are the new additions who will set him up. Howry had a career rejuvenating 2005, following which he is arguably the best 8th inning reliever in the game.

Cincinnati Reds

Lineup
Tony Womack 2B
Felipe Lopez SS
Adam Dunn 1B
Ken Griffey, Jr. CF
Wily Mo Pena LF
Austin Kearns RF
Edwin Encarnacion 3B
Jason LaRue C

Rotation
Aaron Harang
Dave Williams
Eric Milton
Brandon Claussen
Paul Wilson
Matt Belisle
Elizardo Ramirez
Justin Germano
Michael Gosling

Notably absent in this lineup is Sean Casey, recently traded to the Pirates. The move allows the talented Wily Mo Pena to move into the starting lineup, and also (perhaps unfortunately) allows Austin Kearns to stay there. Tony Womack takes over for D'Angelo Jimenez - that may be a toss-up at this point. In the world of good-hitting shortstops, Felipe Lopez is a name you may start hearing more often. He'll be playing next to young Edwin Encarnacion. Perhaps Cincinnati's strength is its depth on the bench. Ryan Freel, who stepped up to the plate 369 times last year, is a poor man's Chone Figgins. New addition Scott Hatteberg can allow Dunn to move back into the outfield when necessary, and he can fill in for Encarnacion at third. Rich Aurilia can theoretically play every infield position. Backup catcher Javier Valentin, Jose's brother, is a good hitter, and may once again see some time at first base if his bat is hot enough.
The rotation features three OK-but-not-great youngsters in Harang, Williams, and Classen; Milton, a former star trying to get back to his winning ways; and the veteran Wilson, whose performance on bad teams has lead to a decievingly poor career win-loss record. Harang and Claussen, former super-prospects, did turn in the best performances of any Reds starters last year. The bullpen features a slew of dependable no-name veterans. After the departure of Danny Graves, David Weathers stepped in at closer. This year, he'll be supported by Grant Balfour, Kent Mercker, Ryan Wagner, and Rick White.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Lineup
Chris Duffy/Jody Gerut CF
Sean Casey 1B
Jason Bay LF
Jeromy Burnitz RF
Joe Randa 3B
Jose Castillo 2B
Jack Wilson SS
Humberto Cota/Ryan Doumit C

Rotation
Oliver Perez
Kip Wells
Zach Duke
Paul Maholm
Sean Burnett
Victor Santos
Ian Snell
John Van Benschoten

If this team wants to get any better, it needs to start developing some young talent. However, for every Duffy and Castillo, there's large wads of money being thrown at the likes of Casey, Randa, and Burnitz. Granted, they're all good clubhouse guys, and should prove to be solid veteran leadership. But one of those types of players is enough. Really, these guys are best as role players on a pennant contender. If you're a Pirates fan, then, perhaps your best hope is that a few greedy win-now teams have some solid young talent to trade in return for one of these veterans. With all that being said, is it really that bad of a lineup? No, I guess not. Actually, no matter how you order Casey, Burnitz, and Randa, they should be the necessary pieces to help Bay develop as a hitter. Castillo had a decent 2005 season. Wilson is fun to watch defensively; anything he does at the plate is a bonus. Of course, this is a guy who had 201 hits in 2004. Duffy is listed as the starter in center. But, Jody Gerut was driven out of Cleveland after he felt he wasn't being paid enough. If that truly was the case, I don't see how his ego could handle settling for a backup role on a perennial celler-dweller. The Pittsburgh bench does feature some versatile players. Craig Wilson can play catcher and both corner infield and corner outfield positions. Former Boston super-prospect Freddy Sanchez can play anywhere on the infield except first base, and he did hit .291 last year.
If Pittsburgh wants to become a good team, they'll also need to hold onto their trio of young pitchers in Perez, Wells, and Duke. The Pirates often end up trading their good pitchers to a pennant contender, as common logic seemed to dictate that they'd do so much better if they'd ever get out of Pittsburgh. Well, starting with Duke, who went 8-2 with an ERA of 1.81 in 2005, Pittsburgh will have to find a way to keep their young guns in town if they want to turn the corner. Duke, meanwhile, will have to find a way to avoid the sophomore slump. It doesn't take long for Major League hitters to adjust to a pitcher. How long will it take Duke to adjust to those hitters? Mike Gonzalez will step in as Pittsburgh's closer. He'll be set up by Damaso Marte, who was an absolutely dominating lefty until Ozzie Guillen decided he couldn't get along with the reliever. Also in the pen are veterans Salomon Torres and Roberto Hernandez, and converted starter Ryan Vogelsong.

World Baseball ClassicPool B

Canada

Lineup
CF Aaron Guiel (Royals)
2B Pete Orr (Braves)
LF Jason Bay (Pirates)
1B Justin Morneau (Twins)
3B Cory Koskie (Blue Jays)
DH Matt Stairs (Royals)
RF Adam Stern (Red Sox)
SS Danny Klassen (Astros)
C Pete LaForest (Devil Rays)

Bench
C Russell Martin
C Max St. Pierre
SS Kevin Nicholson
IF Scott Thorman (Braves)
RF Ryan Radmanovich
UT Stubby Clapp (Cardinals)

Canada's final 30-man roster has been set, so this is it. The top of the lineup is rather Gammonsesque. Guiel has some Major League experience. Orr got a lot of experience filling in for an injured Marcus Giles. Bay is a star, and if all things work out Morneau will be too someday (but not yet). At the bottom of the lineup, Koskie and Stairs are established stars. There's not much on the bench, although Clapp has had his cups of coffee in the bigs.

Rotation
SP Erik Bedard (Orioles)
SP Jeff Francis (Rockies)
SP Adam Loewen (Orioles)
SP Chris Begg (Giants)
SP Aaron Myette (Reds)
SP Eric Cyr (Angels)
SP Scott Mathieson (Phillies)

Bullpen
RP Rheal Cormier (Phillies)
RP Jesse Crain (Twins)
RP Mike Meyers (Red Sox)
RP Paul Quantrill (Yankees)
RP Chris Reitsma (Braves)
RP Steve Green (Tigers)

The rotation is very Gammonsesque. Bedard broke out last year. Francis is your token "talented pitcher who would do very well if only he could get out of Colorado." Loewen is one of the top prospects in the game. The bullpen is solid and experienced, with the likes of Cormier, Meyers, Quantrill, and Reitsma. Crain is yet another Twins reliever who has the stuff to be a closer someday.

Mexico

Lineup
2B Juan Castro (Twins)
SS Alfredo Amezaga (Pirates)
DH Jorge Cantu (Devil Rays)
1B Erubiel Durazo (Athletics)
LF Karim Garcia
3B Vinny Castilla (Nationals)
CF Luis Garcia
C Miguel Ojeda (Padres)
RF Matias Carrillo (Marlins)

Bench
C Adan Amezcua
C Humberto Cota (Pirates)
C Geronimo Gil (Orioles)
C Adan Munoz (Braves)
C Noe Munoz
C Jorge Vazquez
IF Alfredo Aceves
SS Luis Cruz (Padres)
IF Luis A. Garcia
IF Carlos Gastelum
UT Benji Gil (Mets)
IF Heber Gomez
1B Adrian Gonzalez (Padres)
IF Ramon Orantes
IF Pablo Ortego
IF Javier Robles
2B Oscar Robles (Dodgers)
IF Flavio Romero
IF Jose Sandoval
IF Carlos Sievers
IF Joakim Soria (Dodgers)
IF Carlos Valencia
OF Victor Bojorquez
OF Edgar Quintero (Angels)
LF Mario Valenzuela

Mexico has a couple options here. Castro had a career resurgance in Minnesota last year, so he deserves to be in the lineup. But Cantu broke out last year, and could become one of the top second basemen on the market. If you move Cantu to second (his natural position), you can move Castro to short (or leave Amezaga in), put Durazo at DH (where he's played the past few years) and put (former) super-prospect Adrian Gonzalez at first. Castro, Amezaga, and Benji Gil are all utility infielders, so the Mexican squad has some options. Matias Carrillo has made it to the majors with Florida, but Mario Valenzuela is said to be talented as well. Geronimo Gil has started at the top level in the past. So, in a nutshell, this team is deep in the field.

Rotation
SP Esteban Loiaza (Nationals)
SP Oliver Perez (Pirates)
SP Rodrigo Lopez (Orioles)
SP Elmer Dessens (Dodgers)
SP Jose Silva
SP Sergio Mitre (Marlins)
SP Francisco Campos (White Sox)

Bullpen
RP Luis Ayala (Nationals)
RP Dennys Reyes (Padres)
RP Ricardo Rincon (Cardinals)
RP Antonio Osuna (Nationals)
RP Edgar Gonzalez (Diamondbacks)
RP David Cortes (Rockies)
RP Rigo Beltran
RP Jorge De La Rosa (Brewers)
RP Victor Alvarez
RP Alejandro Armenta
RP Edgar Huerta (Padres)
RP Isidro Marquez
RP Roberto Ramirez
RP Oscar Rivera

This is a very solid pitching staff. Loiaza had a great 2005. Lopez had an off year, but he's another great young talent out of Baltimore. Mexico doesn't have a dominant closer, but they do have more than their fair share of quality veteran setup men.

South Africa

Lineup
C Willem Kemp
1B Nick Dempsey
2B Paul Bell (Brewers)
3B Jonathan Phillips (Brewers)
SS Brett Willemberg
LF Ian Butcher
CF Jason Cook
RF Kalin Dreyer
DH Glen Joseph (Reds)

Bench
C Kyle Botha
C Bradley Erasmus
C Warren Herman
IF Dylan Haynes
IF Zaid Hendricks
IF Glen Joseph (Reds)
IF Brendon Mitchell
IF Gavin Ray
2B Paul Rutgers (Twins)
IF Ricardo Siljeur
IF Ricardo Vieira
OF Ian Butcher
OF Kalin Dreye
OF Shannon Ekermans
OF Duane Feldtman
OF Marvin Jonathan
OF Patrick Naude
OF Ashley Scott

There are a few guys in Major League organizations right now, but most of these players belong on Dave's "Guys I've Never Heard Of" list.

Rotation
SP Barry Armitage (Royals)
SP Bruce McCleland (Royals)
SP Tyrone Lamont (Mariners)
SP Carl Michaels (Brewers)

Bullpen
Donavon Hendricks (Braves)
RP Darryn Smith
RP Tyrone Brandt
RP Matthew Dancer
RP Jared Elario
RP Lester Fortiun
RP Gavin Jeffries
RP Gary Maree
RP Jacobus Mostert
RP Nolan Schipper
RP Kevin Townend
RP Robert Verschuren

More of the same. Oddly enough, WorldBaseballClassic.com has most of South Africa's pitchers listed as infielders. Either they're all very athletic, or someone has messed up. Other than that, I can't tell you much.

USA

Lineup
LF Johnny Damon (Yankees)
SS Derek Jeter (Yankees)
DH Mark Teixeira (Rangers)
3B Alex Rodriguez (Yankees)
1B Derrek Lee (Cubs)
CF Ken Griffey, Jr. (Reds)
RF Vernon Wells (Blue Jays)
C Jason Varitek (Red Sox)
2B Michael Young (Rangers)

Bench
C Michael Barrett
C Brian Schneider
3B Chipper Jones
2B Chase Utley
RF Jeff Francoeur (Braves)
LF Matt Holliday (Rockies)
OF Randy Winn (Giants)

The final US roster is also set. This is how I'd order the nine probable starters. Now, allow me to tell you the order I'd use if I was fully in charge: 1 Young SS 2 Utley 2B 3 Lee 1B 4 Teixeira 3B 5 Wells CF 6 Jones DH 7 Francoeur RF 8 Varitek C 9 Damon LF. In both cases the 9th hitter plays "second leadoff." Teixeira played 3B in college, so I'll put him there to save Jones' legs. In the "real" lineup, Damon, Griffey, A-Rod, and Jeter, and Varitek's positions in the field are set. I'm simply assuming the rest. Either way, they could do better, but certainly nothing to complain about. (I'd love to see Travis Hafner out there, but since he and Teixeira are both lefties, Teixeira is the better pick for his versatility in the field.) Perhaps another power bat in the outfield would be nice. But, in a pinch, Jones, and even Teixeira, can play the OF.

Rotation
SP Jake Peavy (Padres)
SP Dontrelle Willis (Marlins)
SP Roger Clemens (Astros)
SP CC Sabathia (Indians)

Bullpen
Billy Wagner (Mets)
Brad Lidge (Astros)
Joe Nathan (Twins)
Huston Street (Athletics)
Chad Cordero (Nationals)
Todd Jones (Marlins)
Mike Timlin (Red Sox)
Scot Shields (Angels)
Brian Fuentes (Rockies)
Dan Wheeler (Astros)

I'd take this staff any day. The US is going with a 4-man rotation and a 10-man bullpen to save arms. I have no idea what Todd Jones is doing on this roster, but he does get the job done more often than not. The rotation looks good with two lefties and two righties. Even if the starters only go 3 innings per game, there's more than enough in the bullpen to finish the job.

MLB Preview 4: AL East

Boston Red Sox

Lineup
Coco Crisp CF
Mark Loretta 2B
David Ortiz DH
Manny Ramirez LF
Trot Nixon RF
Jason Varitek C
Mike Lowell 3B
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Alex Gonzalez SS

Rotation
Curt Schilling
Josh Beckett
Matt Clement
David Wells
Tim Wakefield
Bronson Arroyo
Jonathan Papelbon

My thoughts on the addition of Crisp have been fairly well documented over the past few weeks. Loretta is much better than the common Boston fan probably realizes. As an established veteran, he won't get rattled by the big city, either. Loretta should help Crisp's transition by batting behind him. The bottom of the lineup doesn't look like it's a huge step down from last year's. For those wondering, that's the Alex Gonzalez that's been a Marlin his entire career to this point. If Youkilis, Lowell, or Gonzalez falter, Boston has a deep bench infield-wise. JT Snow (son of the late Jack), Alex Cora, and Tony Graffanino were all starters at some point last year, and likely could still start on most teams this year. Catcher is also deep, not that Jason Varitek needs much help. Established veteran John Flaherty will compete with the young Josh Bard for the backup spot. Both are good at handling pitching staffs, but I don't know offhand if either has caught a knuckleballer before. (Tim Wakefield normally used former backup Doug Mirabelli as his regular catcher.) There's basically no depth behind the starting outfielders, so that is something Boston will definitely have to address.
If everyone stays healthy, and that's a bit of a question for Schilling, Beckett, and I'm sure Wells to some extent, this is a solid rotation. The bullpen was Boston's biggest question last year. Keith Foulke returns as closer for the time being. He has some new help, too. It will be interesting to see how both handle the pressure of the big city. Julian Tavarez is a veteran coming from a perennial pennant contender in St. Louis, so he shouldn't have much trouble. But, he's known for his temper as much as his pitching. David Riske has been shaky over the past couple seasons, and one wonders how well his psyche will handle the boos if and when they come.

New York Yankees

Lineup
Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Gary Sheffield RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui LF
Jason Giambi 1B
Jorge Posada C
Bernie Williams DH
Robinson Cano 2B

Rotation
Randy Johnson
Mike Mussina
Carl Pavano
Shawn Chacon
Jaret Wright
Chien-Ming Wang
Aaron Small
Sean Henn

Plan of attack versus the Yankee defense: start by hitting it to the deepest part of the park, left center. Johnny Damon has a notoriously weak arm, so Matsui will try to compensate by getting to as many balls as he can. Once Matsui starts shading towards center, start pulling the ball down the left field line. This lineup has improved, though. Damon should take advantage of the short right field porch. Jeter is a natural #2 hitter. Giambi put up surprisingly good fantasy numbers last year, and Matsui knows how to drive in runs. But New York's depth starts to show with the fact that Bernie Williams is playing DH. The bench features Miguel Cairo and Bubba Crosby, and then it's all downhill from there.
The Yankee rotation is, well, the same. I have no idea if that's good or bad. They'll probably figure out a way to win a bunch of games anyways. Mariano Rivera gets some big help in the bullpen with the addition of Octavio Dotel and Kyle Farnsworth. Dotel faltered as a closer, but his time in Houston proved he is one of the best setup men in the league. Farnsworth is a young(ish), brash(ish) fireballer, but does he run the risk of becoming the next Jeff Weaver? Weaver let it all hang out in Detroit, but he lost his edge when he tried to tone things down in the Bronx. Farnsworth is a few years older, so that remains to be seen.

Toronto Blue Jays

Lineup
Russ Adams SS
Reed Johnson LF
Vernon Wells CF
Troy Glaus 3B
Lyle Overbay 1B
Shea Hillenbrand DH
Bengie Molina C
Alex Rios RF
Aaron Hill 2B

Rotation
Roy Halladay
AJ Burnett
Ted Lilly
Gustavo Chacin
Josh Towers
Scott Downs
Dustin McGowan
Pete Walker

This team may not be great, but they are deep. Well, at least at some positions. Apparently, JP Ricciardi's master plan involves collecting as many corner infielders as possible. I'm not sure how Wes Helms, Ty Wigginton, and Russ Branyan escaped his grasp. In fact, Toronto got great production out of their corner infielders last year, and they added new ones. Former ROY Eric Hinske drops down to third string at both 1B and 3B. Last year's starting catcher, Greg Zaun, now becomes a very qualified backup. The team is very thin in the outfield and, to some extent, the middle infield. John MacDonald is a veteran infielder with one of the best gloves in the AL. Frank Catalanotto, a student of hitting, is the only backup option in the outfield. He started as a second baseman, so he could perhaps play an overall utility role as well.
Burnett is one of this team's four huge pickups (along with Glaus, Overbay, and BJ Ryan). The Jays now have one of the best one-two punches in the league, but injuries are a problem for both. Lilly is serviceable. Chacin broke out early last year, but can he repeat that success now that everyone's seen him? In the bullpen, was BJ Ryan worth the money? Time will tell. Ryan does have two capable veteran setup men, Scott Schoeneweis and Justin Speier.

Baltimore Orioles

Lineup
Brian Roberts2B
Luis Matos LF
Melvin Mora 3B
Miguel Tejada SS
Javy Lopez DH
Kevin Millar 1B
Ramon Hernandez C
Jay Gibbons RF
Corey Patterson CF

Rotation
Rodrigo Lopez
Erik Bedard
Daniel Cabrera
Kris Benson
Bruce Chen
Hayden Penn
Eric DuBose
Adam Loewen

I took some liberty with this lineup. MLB.com has Millar starting in left and Jeff Conine at first. But I can't see Luis Matos' bat being taken out of this lineup. He may end up batting 9th with Patterson 2nd in real life, even though the numbers dictate my order looks better. How will this lineup fare? It depends on a few things. Did Roberts have a career year - one that will be tough to repeat, or a breakout year - that is, a sign of things to come? Mora hit 27 HR last year, so he can handle the #3 spot. Lopez will hopefully stay healthy at DH. Hernandez is a great hitting catcher in the NL, but the level of competition is much higher in the AL East. Gibbons probably better than a #8 hitter, but this lineup alternates left/right-handed batters well. The bench is full of serviceable backups, but no one with a name as recognizable as Conine's.
This is a very good young rotation that will only get better in the future. Lopez and Bedard are stars, and Loewen is one of the top prospects in the game. Benson isn't a star, and shouldn't be considered one, but he'll do a great job of rounding out the bottom of the rotation. The bullpen has lost many of its key guys, including BJ Ryan and Jorge Julio. It looks like LaTroy Hawkins will step in at closer. He'll need help from a group of no-names. Despite a decent lineup and an improving rotation, this bullpen may all but assure Baltimore of another fourth place finish in this division.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Lineup
Carl Crawford CF
Julio Lugo SS
Jorge Cantu 2B
Aubrey Huff RF
Jonny Gomes DH
Travis Lee 1B
Toby Hall C
Sean Burroughs 3B
Rocco Baldelli CF

Rotation
Scott Kazmir
Mark Hendrickson
Casey Fossum
Seth McClung
Doug Waechter
Edwin Jackson

I'll say it: this lineup has the talent to win the NL West. Unfortunately, their pitching staff would betray them greatly. That, and they're stuck in the ultra-competitive AL East. Crawford is one of the premiere leadoff men in the game. Lugo broke out last year with great numbers, as did Cantu and Gomes. All three will be well-sought in the coming years. Huff, whose trade value has diminished over the years, is still a good young ballplayer. Burroughs was disappointing at best in San Diego, but he's still a major league caliber player. Baldelli, who's coming back from injury problems, hasn't turned into the next Joe DiMaggio. With that being said, I put him at 9th as a compliment to his skills. He's not bad; his ability to get on base and then steal bases make him into a type of secondary leadoff hitter.
Um, wow, yeah. Kazmir, good. Jackson, decent. Fossum, never lived up to huge hype. Moving on to the bullpen, the picture doesn't get any rosier. The Rays have lost their last two closers Danys Baez and Lance Carter, and I dare you to name anyone left in their pen.