Yeah I said, what the heck are you going to do about it?

So why is this big bad Boston Red Sox fan calling New York Yankees skipper Joe Girardi a major prick? Well one, because I can and two, because I can. And oh yeah, three, because he is.

With Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau still suffering the effects of a concussion from earlier in the week, he decided it would be best to skip the 2010 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday in Anaheim.

And with Morneau being a fan selection to the American League squad, it was up to Girardi to choose his replacement. So with Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox and Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox out there with All-Star credentials, the major prick picked Konerko.

Now I have absolutely nothing against Konerko for being chosen, he has the numbers to be there. But why in the heck isn't Youk there after finishing a close second to Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher in the AL All-Star final vote.

After all, Morneau was elected by the fans. Youk finished way ahead of Konerko in the final vote.

So why did the major prick chose Konerko?

It's quite simple actually. The rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees.

There's a time and a place to let the rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees come between things but the 2010 All-Star Game counts. While the two (Konerko and Youk) have similar numbers, Youk brings a different dimension to the game in that he can play first and third base.

If it weren't for the other members of the Red Sox being in the game, I'd probably boycott it. But knowing the major prick, he probably won't play them in the game and show us why he is a major prick.

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Starters				Starters
Pos	Name	Team		Pos	Name	Team
C	Yadier Molina	Cardinals		C	Joe Mauer	Twins
1B	Albert Pujols	Cardinals		1B	Justin Morneau*	Twins
2B	Chase Utley*	Phillies		2B	Robinson Cano	Yankees
SS	Hanley Ramirez	Marlins		SS	Derek Jeter	Yankees
3B	David Wright	Mets		3B	Evan Longoria	Rays
OF	Ryan Braun	Brewers		OF	Ichiro Suzuki	Mariners
OF	Andre Ethier	Dodgers		OF	Josh Hamilton	Rangers
OF	Jason Heyward*	Braves		OF	Carl Crawford	Rays
-	-	-		DH	Vladimir Guerrero	Rangers
Reserves				Reserves
Pos	Name	Team		Pos	Name	Team
C	Brian McCann	Braves		C	Victor Martinez*	Red Sox
1B	Adrian Gonzalez	Padres		1B	Miguel Cabrera	Tigers
1B	Ryan Howard	Phillies		2B	Dustin Pedroia*	Red Sox
2B	Brandon Phillips	Reds		2B	Ty Wigginton	Orioles
SS	Troy Tulowitzki*	Rockies		SS	Elvis Andrus	Rangers
3B	Omar Infante	Braves		3B	Adrian Beltre*	Red Sox
3B	Scott Rolen	Reds		3B	Alex Rodriguez	Yankees
OF	Michael Bourn	Astros		OF	Jose Bautista	Blue Jays
OF	Marlon Byrd	Cubs		OF	Torii Hunter	Angels
OF	Corey Hart	Brewers		OF	Vernon Wells	Blue Jays
OF	Matt Holliday	Cardinals		DH	David Ortiz	Red Sox
OF	Chris Young	Diamondbacks		P	Clay Buchholz*	Red Sox
P	Jonathan Broxton	Dodgers		P	Trevor Cahill*	Athletics
P	Matt Capps	Nationals		P	Fausto Carmona	Indians
P	Chris Carpenter	Cardinals		P	Neftali Perez	Rangers
P	Yovani Gallardo*	Brewers		P	Phil Hughes	Yankees
P	Roy Halladay	Phillies		P	Cliff Lee	Mariners
P	Tim Hudson	Braves		P	Jon Lester	Red Sox
P	Ubaldo Jimenez	Rockies		P	David Price	Rays
P	Josh Johnson	Marlins		P	Mariano Rivera*	Yankees
P	Tim Lincecum	Giants		P	CC Sabathia*	Yankees
P	Evan Meek	Pirates		P	Joakim Soria	Royals
P	Arthur Rhodes	Reds		P	Matt Thornton	White Sox
P	Adam Wainwright	Cardinals		P	Jose Valverde	Tigers
P	Brian Wilson	Giants		-	-	-
1B	Joey Votto	Reds		OF	Nick Swisher	Yankees

*Injury replacements:

• Victor Martinez of the Boston Red Sox is on the DL and will not participate in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by John Buck of the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox is on the DL and will not participate in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers.
• Clay Buchholz of the Boston Red Sox is on the DL and will not participate in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Andy Pettitte of the New York Yankees.
• Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees is injured and will not participate in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Rafael Soriano of the Tampa Bay Rays.
• Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins is injured and will not play in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox.
• CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees pitched on 7/11 and is ineligible to pitch in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
• Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitched on 7/11 and is ineligble to pitch in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers.
• Trevor Cahill of the Oakland A's pitched on 7/11 and is ineligble to pitch in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by his teammate, Andrew Bailey.
• Adrian Beltre of the Boston Red Sox is injured and will not play in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Michael Young of the Texas Rangers.
• Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies is on the DL and will not participate in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Martin Prado of the Atlanta Braves.
• Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies is on the DL and will not participate in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Jose Reyes of the New York Mets.
• Yovani Galardo of the Milwaukee Brewers is injured and will not participate in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Heath Bell of the San Diego Padres.
• Jose Reyes of the New York Mets is hurt and will not play in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Rafael Furcal of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves is injured and will not play in the game. He's been replaced on the roster by Hong-Chih Kuo of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A look at the final vote candidates after the jump.

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The Tampa Bay Rays are coming into Boston for a two-game set with the Red Sox on Tuesday having lost seven of their last ten games. During that stretch, the Rays have fallen from first place to third place, a game behind the Red Sox and 2½ games behind the New York Yankees.

And to make matters worse, they had a little scuffle in the dugout on Sunday when Evan Longoria confronted B.J. Upton about his lack of hustle on a defensive play. And to make matters worse, Upton was picked off first base the next inning.

Here's the video of the incident:

I'm glad Longoria said something to Upton because something needed to be said. You're in the big leagues, there's no need for the lack of hustle.

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If we as Boston Red Sox fans want to see any of our players starting at the 2010 MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim on July 13th, then we really need to get to voting and quick.

With the latest update coming out today, the Red Sox still don't have anyone that is currently at the top of the voting at any position. The closest to the top at any position is second baseman Dustin Pedroia sitting in second place behind the leader, Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees by roughly 568,000 votes.

First baseman Kevin Youkilis is in fourth place in the balloting and trails new leader Justin Morneau by approximately 517,000 votes. Third baseman Adrian Beltre is in forth place as well over 1.1 million votes behind leader Evan Longoria. Victor Martinez is in third place at the catcher position, 1.5 million votes. And finally, David Ortiz sits in fourth place at the DH spot and  is roughly 810,000 votes behind leader Vladimir Guerrero.

None of the Red Sox outfielders are in the top 15 of the voting.

Our best hopes to get to the top are Pedroia and Youk, so fans of Red Sox Nation, it's time to vote Red Sox across the 2010 MLB All-Star Game Ballot. Votes for Sox players are like Dell coupon codes. The more the better!

A full look at the voting totals after the jump.

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Just as the Boston Red Sox are getting ready to come to town, Captain Kirk Dave Trembley has been relieved of his duties as commander of the USS Enterprise with the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles are off to a MLB-worst 15-39 start to the 2010 season.

Ironically enough, four of those 15 wins this season have come against the Red Sox including a three-game sweep the last time the Red Sox were in Camden Yards.

Third base coach Juan Samuel will take over as interim manager of the Orioles for the time being.

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Sure there are about five weeks left in the 2010 MLB All-Star Game voting but right now if Red Sox Nation wants to see any of it's players in the starting lineup, we're going to have get voting.

With the first ballot totals released on Monday afternoon, the only Boston Red Sox player that is even close to the top of the voting is second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who trails Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano by about a 112,000 votes. Heck if it wasn't for Evan Longoria of the Rays, the entire Yankees infield would the starters as of right now.

Right now, Kevin Youkilis is 5th in the voting at first base, Adrian Beltre is 4th in voting at third base, Victor Martinez is 3rd in the voting at catcher and David Ortiz is 5th in the voting at the DH spot. None of the Red Sox three outfielders on the ballot are in the top 15.

So fans of Red Sox Nation, it's time to vote Red Sox across the 2010 MLB All-Star Game Ballot.

A full look at the voting totals after the jump.

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I hope you enjoyed the gigantic SOX & Dawgs 2010 MLB preview.  Over the last week we gave you a team by team look at its key players, new faces, their potential MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year candidates, their possible starting lineup and rotation as well as a quick summary. This preview was sculpted over a nearly seven week period in January and February with some mild tweaking as we went along prior to publication.  It comes from a culmination of reading so many baseball magazines, periodicals, articles and websites that in some cases I may know a team better that its own management. After previewing all six divisions today is the day we look at the big winners and managers who could be in trouble in 2010.  You can check out all the division previews by following the links. Sunday: NL West Monday: AL West Tuesday: NL Central Wednesday: AL Central Thursday: NL East Friday: AL East Play Ball!

2010 Post Season picks, Award winners and Managers on the Hot Seat

In the final day of the gigantic SOX & Dawgs 2010 MLB Preview I will reveal all my playoff picks, the World Series winner and the major award winners for 2010 but first let’s take a quick look at what managers are in dire straits as we begin the new season. In the National League, we already know that Atlanta will have a new field boss come the 2011 as Bobby Cox is retiring at seasons end but there is a strong chance of openings for the Mets as both Jerry Manuel and GM Omar Minaya need to prove their worth.  Any hint of 2010 looking like 2007, 2008 or 2009 and the Wilpon's need to bring out a huge broom and start cleaning house. In Milwaukee there are some preseason rumblings that Brewers manager Ken Macha could be in trouble if the Brew Crew doesn’t make some noise.  GM Doug Melvin lately has changed managers like some change their underwear so I guess anything’s possible but if his team contends Macha stays. Cincinnati’s Dusty Baker is in his third season and I sense some impatience there, especially with regard to his handling of young arms and the rep he has as someone who destroys them, see Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. The Reds don’t want any harm to come to Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto or Homer Bailey that’s for sure. Pittsburgh’s John Russell could be a bit uncomfortable as well but I view that situation as he is only doing with he is given. And face it he hasn't been given much  It's time for Buc's to show some stability and keep Russell around long-term. And San Diego’s Bud Black needs to make a good impression on new GM Jed Hoyer or someone like Boston 3^rd base coach DeMarlo Hale could end up in the Padres dugout in 2011.  The Padres aren't winning any titles anytime soon but as lng as Black has the same management values as Hoyer he will stick around. In the American League we already know that Toronto will have a new field general in 2011 as Cito Gaston kicks himself back upstairs but I also think time could be running short on Oakland’s Bob Geren and Texas skipper Ron Washington.  Washington needs to show this team is moving forward and gaining steam as the young pitching staff matures.  Geren's situation is much like Russell's in Pittsburgh but GM Billy Beane is known for his patience so he should be able to stick around. This season could also go a long way in whether or not Trey Hillman stays in KC.  It's his 3rd season at the helm and it's a make it or break it situation for him as he has to show the team plays hard for him and that the talent is improving.  If for some reason the Chicago White Sox don’t turn out like they should and Ozzie Guillen starts shooting off his mouth again he could shoot himself out of a job. Guillen is volatile and you have to wonder how much the GM Kenny Williams and the ownership will take if he starts spouting off like last season. At some point you can only blame the talent so much and then it becomes  mangerial issue. And finally Baltimore’s Dave Tremblay needs to guide his team to their potential.  The O’s could be close to a .500 team but another 90+ loss season in Camden Yards will spell doom for the William Shatner look-a-like. Now here are my picks for the 2010 playoffs and the major award winners: AL East: New York Yankees AL Central: Chicago White Sox AL West: Seattle Mariners AL Wild Card: Boston Red Sox NL East: Philadelphia Phillies NL Central: St.Louis Cardinals NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers NL Wild Card: Atlanta Braves AL Dvision Series: New York over Chicago, 3-2 and Seattle over Boston, 3-2 NL Division Series: Philadelphia over Los Angeles, 3-1 and Atlanta over St. Louis, 3-2. AL Championship Series: Seattle over New York, 4-2 NL Championship Series: Atlanta over Philadelphia 4-2 World Series Champion: Atlanta beats Seattle, 4-3 AL MVP: Ichiro Suzuki RF Seattle NL MVP: Brian McCann C Atlanta AL Cy Young Winner: Felix Hernandez SP Seattle NL Cy Young Winner: Roy Halladay SP Philadelphia AL Rookie of the Year: Brian Matusz SP Baltimore NL Rookie of the Year: Alcides Escobar SS Milwaukee AL Manager of the Year: Don Wakamatsu Seattle NL Manager of the Year: Bobby Cox Atlanta no comments

Welcome to the gigantic SOX & Dawgs 2010 MLB preview.  Over the next week you will get a team by team look at its key players, new faces, their potential MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year candidates, their possible starting lineup and rotation as well as a quick summary. This preview was sculpted over a nearly seven week period in January and February with some mild tweaking as we went along prior to publication.  It comes from a culmination of reading so many baseball magazines, periodicals, articles and websites that in some cases I may know a team better that its own management. Yesterday we looked at the NL East, Sunday was the NL West, Monday was the AL West, Tuesday we previewed the NL Central, Wednesday we took a trip around the AL Central and today it’s the AL East. American League East 1. New York -  Manager: Joe Girardi (3rd year/4th overall) The New York Yankees won the franchises 27th World Series title in 2009 and they should very well be in contention into October this season.  The Yanks are my pick to win the AL East but as usual it won't be without a battle with Boston and Tampa Bay.  The Yankees in effort to play better defense this season went out and traded for CF Curtis Granderson, they also picked up free agent DH Nick Johnson and OF Randy Winn who expects to be one of the first options off the bench and can play all three outfield spots giving them the flexibility to rest the regulars.  The Yankees also looked to deepen their rotation with the acquisition of Javier Vasquez from Atlanta in a trade for OF Melky Cabrera.  The biggest questions now are who leads off (Derek Jeter or Granderson) and what do they do with Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and newly signed Chan Ho Park. Key Players: Alex Rodriguez 3B; Derek Jeter SS; Mark Teixeira 1B; Curtis Granderson CF; Joba Chamberlain P. MVP Candidate: Mark Teixeira 1B and Curtis Granderson CF. Cy Young Candidate: CC Sabathia. ROY Candidate: None. Key Additions: Nick Johnson DH/1B (FA-Fla); Javier Vasquez SP (Trade-Atl); Curtis Granderson CF (Trade-Det); Randy Winn OF (FA- SF); Chan Ho Park RP (FA-Phi). Possible lineup: Granderson CF; Jeter SS, Rodriguez 3B; Teixeira1B; Johnson DH; Swisher RF; Posada C; Cano 2B; Gardiner LF Possible rotaton: Sabathia; Burnett; Pettitte; Vazquez; Hughes 2. Boston - Manager: Terry Francona (7th year/10th overall) Boston is my pick for the wild card in the American League but they will need to beat out Tampa Bay and Los Angeles to get there. The Sox got better defensively this off season adding CF Mike Cameron, moving Jacoby Ellsbury to LF and acquiring an entire new left side of the infield with SS Marco Scutaro coming from AL East foe Toronto and 3B Adrian Beltre coming in from Seattle.  They also added more depth to an incredible starting staff by signing prized free agent John Lackey. Key Players: Victor Martinez C/1B; Kevin Youkilis 1B; David Ortiz DH; Dustin Pedroia 2B; Daisuke Matsuzaka SP; JD Drew RF. MVP Candidate: KevinYoukilis1B and Victor Martinez C/1B. Cy Young Candidate: Josh Beckett SP. ROY Candidate: None. Key Additions: John Lackey SP (FA- LAA); Jeremy Hermida OF (FA-Fla); Bill Hall IF (Trade-Sea); Adrian Beltre 3B (FA-Sea); Mike Cameron CF (FA-Mil); Marco Scutaro SS (FA-Tor) Possible lineup: Ellsbury LF; Pedroia 2B; Martinez C; Youkilis1B; Ortiz DH; Drew RF; Beltre 3B, Cameron CF; Scutaro SS Possible rotation: Beckett;Lester; Lackey; Matsuzaka; Buchholz/Wakefield 3. Tampa Bay -  Manager: Joe Maddon (5th year/7th overall) The Rays will once again compete for a post season spot but will fall just short and finish third in the AL East.  3B Evan Longoria will continue to get even better and drive AL clubs crazy while they could also see an impact from rookie OF Desmond Jennings and rookie SP Wade Davis.  The starting rotation is solid and gets better each year and James Shields will be in the running for the AL Cy Young Award. Key Players: Evan Longoria 3B; Ben Zobrist 2B; Carlos Pena 1B; Dionner Navarro C; David Price SP. MVP Candidate: Evan Longoria 3B. Cy Young Candidate: James Shields SP. ROY Candidate: Desmond Jennings OF and Wade Davis SP. Key Additions: Kelly Shoppach C (Trade-Cle); Rafael Soriano RP (Trade-Atl); Jesse Chavez RP (Trade-Pit); Wade Davis SP (Rookie); Desmond Jennings OF (Rookie) Possible lineup: Bartlett SS; Crawford LF; Longoria 3B; Pena 1B; Zobrist 2B; Burrell DH; Upton CF; Navarro C; Jennings RF Possible rotation: Shields, Garza, Price Niemann; Davis 4. Baltimore - Manager: Dave Trembley (4th year) Quite possibly the most improved team in the division is Baltimore.  It won’t get them to the post season but it will show their fans that they have a direction.  Young players will make a huge impact here as the O’s have a quality outfield, a very good young catcher who continues to grow in the most difficult position in the sport and a true ROY candidate in SP Brian Matusz. Kevin Millwood anchors the staff and should help the youngsters along while Mike Gonzalez gives them a better option  to hold onto a lead at the end of the game. Key Players: Brian Roberts 2B; Nick Markakis RF; Adam Jones CF; Matt Weiters C; Kevin Millwood SP; Mike Gonzalez RP. MVP Candidate: None. Cy Young Candidate: None. ROY Candidate: Brian Matusz SP. Key Additions: Kevin Millwood SP (Trade-Tex); Miguel Tejada 3B (FA-Hou); Garrett Atkins 1B/3B (FA-Col); Mike Gonzalez RP (FA-Atl); Brian Matusz S (Rookie) Possible lineup: Roberts 2B; Jones CF;Markakis RF; Tejada 3B; Scott DH; Reimold LF; Atkins 1B; Weiters C; Izturis SS Possible rotation: Millwood; Guthrie; Matusz; Uehara; Hernandez 5. Toronto - Manager: Cito Gaston (3rd year/12th overall) Cito Gaston’s final season won’t be very good for the Blue Jays.  This team is just a hodge podge of maybe’s, wannabe’s and used to’s.  The starting rotation is young, inexperienced and very slim.  They’re just waiting for Kyle Drabeck to be their savior but when he does get there he’s going to need help and a lot of it. Key Players: Vernon Wells CF; Aaron Hill 2B; Randy Ruiz DH; Ricky Romero SP . MVP Candidate: None. Cy Young Candidate: None. ROY Candidate: None. Key Additions: Zach Johnson RP (Trade-Cle); Brandon Morrow RP (Trade-Sea); Kyle Drabeck P (Trade-Phi); Alex Gonzalez SS (FA-Bos) Possible lineup: Hill 2B; Overbay 1B; Lind LF; Wells CF; Ruiz DH; Ecarnacion 3B; Snider RF; Buck C; Gonzalez SS Possible rotation: Romero; Marcum; McGowan; Richmond; Litsch/Mills

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Tomorrow - We will look at the big winners in 2010. no comments

Welcome to the gigantic SOX & Dawgs 2010 MLB preview.  Over the next week you will get a team by team look at its key players, new faces, their potential MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year candidates, their possible starting lineup and rotation as well as a quick summary. This preview was sculpted over a nearly seven week period in January and February with some mild tweaking as we went along prior to publication.  It comes from a culmination of reading so many baseball magazines, periodicals, articles and websites that in some cases I may know a team better that its own management. Yesterday we looked at the AL Central, Sunday was the NL West, Monday was the AL West, Tuesday we previewed the NL Central and today it’s the NL East. National League East 1. Philadelphia - Manager: Charlie Manuel (6th year/9th overall) The Philadelphia Phillies will remain the class of the NL East in 2010 as they look to get to their third World Series in a row under Charlie Manuel.  Does anyone remember when they were ready to run Charlie out of town after the 2007 season and in early 2008? It's amazing what a good playoff run can do for you as a manager. But face it the reason his seat was hot was because of all the talent on this team.  Each and evvery season you have three potential MVPs and two Cy Young candidates.  The Phils made the biggest splash of the winter when they pulled off the blockbuster multi-team trade to get ace Roy Halladay from Toronto. That one deal once again made Philly the team to beat in not just the East but the entire National League. The rotation is solid 1 through 5, the lineup is deep and if closer Brad Lidge reverts back to 2008 look out. Key Players: Jimmy Rollins SS; Chase Utley 2B; Ryan Howard 1B; Jayson Werth RF; Cole Hamels SP; Brad Lidge RP MVP Candidate: Chase Utley 2B and Ryan Howard 1B Cy Young Candidate: Roy Halladay ROY Candidate: None Key Additions: Roy Halladay SP (Trade-Tor); Placido Polanco 3B (FA-Det); Brian Schneider C (FA-Was) Possible lineup: Rollins SS; Polanco 3B; Utley 2B; Howard 1B; Werth RF; Victorino CF; Ibanez LF; Ruiz C Possible rotation: Halladay, Hamels; Blanton; Happ; Moyer 2. Atlanta - Manager: Bobby Cox (21st year/29th overall) The Atlanta Braves know two things.  That Bobby Cox will guide them any tough times and that good pitching wins big games. Scroll down a bit and look at the starting rotation.  It is not only good enought to compete with Philly's starting five but if the Phils falter the Braves are good enough to over take them. If Philadelphia sticks to business they win but Atlanta is grabbing the wild card.  The Braves added a right handed power hitter in Troy Glaus who moves to 1B, a proven closer in Billy Wagner and a solid setup man in Takahi Saito. They also acquired OF Melky Cabrera from the Yankees in a trade and he should split time with Matt Diaz in left as ROY candidate Jason Heyward heads to the bigs.  The 20 year old outfielder is said to be the best prospect in all of baseball and if they put him in the lineup between Chipper Jones and Glaus he will get a ton of pitches to hit. This is Cox's last year so the Braves players want to send him out with a shot at another ring and on paper they've got the second best team in the league and may very well do it. Key Players: Brian McCann C; Chipper Jones 3B; Troy Glaus 1B; Tim Hudson SP; Billy Wagner RP MVP Candidate: Brian McCann Cy Young Candidate: Jair Jurrjens SP ROY Candidate: Jason Heyward OF Key Additions: Troy Glaus 1B (FA-StL); Billy Wagner RP (FA-Bos); Melky Cabrera LF (Trade - NYY); Takashi Saito RP (FA-Bos); Jason Heyward OF (Rookie) Possible lineup: McClouth CF; Prado 2B; McCann C; Jones 3B; Heyward RF; Glaus 1B; Diaz/Cabrera LF; Escobar SS Possible rotation: Jurrjens; Hanson; Lowe; Hudson; Kawakami 3. Florida - Manager: Fredi Gonzalez (4th year) The Marlins, who will finally get a new ballpark in 2012, will hang in most of the season before Philadelphia and Atlanta separate from the pack. 2009 ROY Chris Coghlan will once again lead off for a good Marlins lineup that could feature another ROY candidate in 1B Logan Morrison.  Josh Johnson, with new contract in tow, will anchor the staff that has five good live young arms.  Should the Marlins fall out early look for the team to move 2B Dan Uggla prior to the July trade deadline. Key Players: Hanley Ramirez SS; Chris Coghlan LF; Cody Ross RF; Dan Uggla 2B; Josh Johnson SP MVP Candidate: Hanley Ramirez SS Cy Young Candidate: Josh Johnson SP ROY Candidate: Logan Morrison 1B Key Additions: Logan Morrison 1B (Rookie); Seth McClung RP (FA-Mil) Possible lineup: Coghlan LF; Bonifacio 3B; Uggla 2B; Ramirez SS; Ross RF; Morrison 1B; Baker C; Maybin CF Possible rotation: Johnson; Sanchez; Volstad; Nolasco; West 4. New York - Manager: Jerry Manuel (3rd year/9th overall) The Mets are lucky the Washington Nationals are in their division it's the only reason they won't finish in the basement in 2010. Despite signing LF Jason Bay to a 4 year contract for $66 million GM Omar Minaya did little to help the team losing out on a couple of solid backstops and a few starting pitchers. They even told free agent C Yorvit Torreabla they didn't have the $1.4 million he wanted in a one year contract and watched him sign elsewhere. Face it Mets fans the rotation after Santana is iffy at best, the catching is poor, there's not a lot of power in the lineup after 3B David Wright and Bay and they face the prospect of not having CF Carlos Beltran until mid-May or maybe later. This is the last year for both Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel it's time for the Wilpons to clean house and start over. Key Players: Jason Bay LF; David Wright 3B; Jose Reyes SS; Johan Santana SP; MVP Candidate: None Cy Young Candidate: None ROY Candidate: None Key Additions: Jason Bay LF (FA-Bos); Gary Matthews Jr CF (Trade-LAA); Rod Barajas C (FA-Tor) Possible lineup: Reyes SS; Castillo 2B; Bay LF; Wright 3B; Matthews Jr CF; Francouer RF; Murphy 1B; Blanco/Barajas C Possible rotation: Santana; Maine; Pelfrey; Neise; Fogg 5. Washington - Manager: Jim Riggelman (2nd year/10th overall) Jim Riggleman? Really? Well if the Nats want to be taken serious giving the job to Riggleman wasn't the way to do it especially when a guy like Eric Wedge, who was fired in Cleveland at seasons end was available. I give them credit though they did sign Stephen Strasburg the Number 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft and also have a very good young player in SS Ian Desmond waiting to make a splash. Throw in other youngsters like the Zimmerman(n)'s, Ryan at 3B and SP Jordan, CF Nyjer Morgan and veteran pick ups in SP Jason Marquis, C Ivan Rodriguez and 2B Adam Kennedy to help the kids along and they hope that former Yankee SP Chien-Ming Wang can return to his form of 2006 and 2007 when he won 19 games in each season in the Bronx. Talent wise the Nationals are coming around, I'm just not sure that Riggleman in the guy to take them out of the basement but if the Mets play poorly the Nats could find themselves in 4th place at seasons end. Key Players: Ryan Zimmerman 3B; Nyjer Morgan CF; Stephen Strasburg SP; Chien-Ming Wang SP; Jason Marquis SP MVP Candidate: None Cy Young Candidate: None ROY Candidate: Stephen Strasburg SP and Ian Desmond SS Key Additions: Adam Kennedy 2B (FA-Oak); Ivan Rodriguez (FA-Tex); Jason Marquis SP (FA-Chi); Chien-Ming Wang SP (FA-NYY); Stephen Strasburg SP (Rookie); Ian Desmond SS (Rookie) Possible lineup: Morgan CF; Kennedy 2B; R. Zimmerman 3B; Dunn 1B; Dukes RF; Rodriguez C; Willingham LF; Desmond SS Possible rotation: Marquis; Lannan; Wang; Strasburg; J.Zimmermann

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Tomorrow: The AL East no comments

Welcome to the gigantic SOX & Dawgs 2010 MLB preview.  Over the next week you will get a team by team look at its key players, new faces, their potential MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year candidates, their possible starting lineup and rotation as well as a quick summary. This preview was sculpted over a nearly seven week period in January and February with some mild tweaking as we went along prior to publication.  It comes from a culmination of reading so many baseball magazines, periodicals, articles and websites that in some cases I may know a team better that its own management. Yesterday we looked at the NL Central, Sunday was the NL West, Monday was the AL West and today it’s the AL Central. American League Central 1. Chicago - Manager: Ozzie Guillen(7th year) The Chicago White Sox are my pick in the American League Central in 2010.  The lineup is pretty good but will look better if they had a true DH option other than Tyler Flowers, Mark Kotsay  and/or Andruw Jones.  The starting rotation is one of the best in baseball and the back end of the bullpen got better by signing reliever J.J. Putz to the bridge to closer Bobby Jenks or even take over for Jenks should he eat his way out of the spot.  it could be an exciting summer on the South Side.  Look for Carlos Quentin to return to 2008 form and once again be an MVP candidate. Key Players: Paul Konerko 1B; Gordon Beckham 2B; Alex Rios RF; Carlos Quentin LF; Jake Peavy SP . MVP Candidate: Carlos Quentin LF and Paul Konerko 1B. Cy Young Candidate: Mark Buehrle SP. ROY Candidate: None. Key Additions: Ramon Castro C (FA-NYM); Juan Pierre CF (Trade-LAD); J.J. Putz RP (FA-NYM); Mark Teahan 3B (FA-KC); Andruw Jones DH/OF (FA-Tex); Omar Vizquel 2B-SS (FA-Tex) Possible lineup: Pierre CF; Ramirez SS; Konerko 1B; Quentin LF; Rios RF; Pierzynski C; Beckham 2B; Flowers DH; Teahan 3B; Possible rotation: Buehrle; Peavy; Danks; Floyd; Garcia 2. Minnesota - Manager: Ron Gardenhire (9th year) The Minnesota Twins will debut a new ball park and open air stadium, Target Field, this season.  While it might be cold in April and September the Twins said if they played in the open air in 2009 they would have had no weather related cancellations.  The team will once again compete for the division but will reigning AL MVP  Joe Mauer, former AL MVP Justin Morneau and veteran DH Jim Thome be enough to help overcome the questions in the starting rotation.  The team did a nice job of adding Thome and 2B Orlando Hudson via free agency and SS J.J. Hardy in a deal with the Brewers.  Deanrd Spann will get a chance to play everyday now that Carlos Gomez has been dealt and he should provide the team with a quality leadoff man. Key Players: Joe Mauer C; Justin Morneau 1B; Jason Kubel RF; Orlando Hudson 2B; Pat Neshek RP; Francisco Liriano SP. MVP Candidate: Joe Mauer C and Justin Morneau 1B. Cy Young Candidate: None. ROY Candidate: None. Key Additions: J.J. Hardy SS (Trade-Mil); Jim Thome DH (FA-LAD); Orlando Hudson 2B (FA-LAD) Possible lineup: Spann CF; Hudson 2B; Mauer C; Morneau 1B; Thome DH; Kubel RF; Hardy SS; Cuddyer LF; Punto 3B Possible rotation: Baker; Slowey;Pavano; Blackburn; Liriano 3. Detroit - Manager: Jim Leyland (5th year/19th overall) The Tigers intrigue me the most in this division they could finish literally anywhere but I’ll tag them for third. While the rotation is full of the power arms that GM Dave Dombrowski covets they had a huge question mark at the top of the order with a pair of rookies, CF Austin Jackson and 2B Scott Sizemore, penciled in to set the table until late February when they inked veteran OF Johnny Damon as a free agent. You can expect Damon, who gives the Tigers a true veteran top of the order guy, to bat leadoff with Sizemore behind him setting the table for the offense. Jackson should still play center but will now hit towards the bottom of the lineup for Jim Leyland. The Damon signing is big for Detroit but I still don't think it gets them past Chicago and Minnesota in the division. Key Players: Johnny Damon LF; Brandon Inge 3B; Magglio Ordonez RF; Miguel Cabrera 1B; Rick Porcello SP . MVP Candidate: Miguel Cabrera 1B. Cy Young Candidate: Justin Verlander SP. ROY Candidate: Austin Jackson OF and Scott Sizemore 2B. Key Additions: Johnny Damon LF (FA-NYY); Jose Valverde RP (FA-Ari); Austin Jackson CF (Trade-NYY); Phil Coke RP (Trade-NYY); Max Scherzer P (Trade-Ari); Daniel Schlareth RP (Trade-Ari); Scott Sizemore 2B (Rookie) Possible lineup: Damon LF; Sizemore 2B; Ordonez RF; Cabrera 1B; Inge 3B; Guillen DH; Laird C; Jackson CF; Everett SS Possible rotation: Verlander; Porcello; Bonderman; Robertson; Willis 4. Cleveland - Manager: Manny Acta (1st year/4th overall) When you look at Cleveland’s lineup you want to quote the movie “Major League” and ask “who are these guys?” Once again, Chief Wahoo is rebuilding, it’s the third time in the last 15 years. They did it in the 1990’s with Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Carlos Baerga and Kenny Lofton winning a pair of AL pennants. They did it again in the 2000’s with CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez to become a serious contender. This time they’ll try to do it with rookie LF Michael Brantley, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B Luis Valbuena and P Fausto Carmona. Patience is the key word on the shores of Lake Erie this season for not only 1st year skipper Manny Acta but Tribe fans as well. Key Players: Grady Sizemore CF; Matt LaPorta 1B/OF; Michael Brantley LF; Travis Hafner DH; Fausto Carmona SP. MVP Candidate: None. Cy Young Candidate: None. ROY Candidate: Carlos Santana C and Michael Brantley LF. Key Additions: Mitch Talbot RP (Trade-TB); Mike Redmond C (FA-Min); Austin Kearns OF/DH (FA-Was); Michael Brantley LF (Rookie); Carlos Santana C (Rookie); Russell Branyan 1B/DH (FA-Sea); Manny Acta MGR Possible lineup: Sizemore CF; Cabrera SS; Peralta 3B; Choo RF; LaPorta 1B; Hafner/Kearns/Branyan DH; Brantley LF; Valbuena 2B; Santana C Possible rotation: Westbrook; Carmona; Masterson; Huff; Sowers 5. Kansas City - Manager: Trey Hillman (3rd year) The Royals will once again be the bottom feeders in the AL Central.  This team needs to do something to bring this once proud franchise back to prominence.  Unfortunately George Brett, Hal McRae and Bret Saberhagen are too old to play any longer.  This year could go a long way in determining if Trey Hillman will continue as the manager.  In order to do so the team has to play hard and be inspired which might be hard when you’re 25 games out in August. Key Players: Yuni Betancourt SS; Alex Gordon 3B; Jose Guillen DH; Rick Ankiel CF; Zach Greinke SP. MVP Candidate: None . Cy Young Candidate: Zack Greinke. ROY Candidate: None Key Additions: Rick Ankiel CF (FA-StL); Scott Podsednik LF (FA-CWS); Jason Kendall C (FA-Mil) Possible lineup: Podsednik LF; Callaspo 2B; Ankiel CF; Butler 1B; Guillen DH;Gordon 3B; DeJesus RF; Betancourt SS; Kendall C Possible rotation: Greinke; Meche; Hochevar; Davies; Bannister

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