Believe it or not, there is baseball to talk about that has nothing to do with Alex Rodriguez. Pitchers and catchers are starting to report, so let's all take a break from thinking up new steroid-themed nicknames and talk about the only division in the AL to avoid A-Rod, the AL Central:
Last year, the top two teams, the Twins and White Sox, were so close, they forced a one game playoff. In the playoff the White Sox came out on top to get into the playoffs. This season Ozzie Guillen and company look to repeat.
Last year, the Sox had no problem driving in runs with outfielders Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin hitting 34 and 36 home runs, respectively. In addition to the corner outfield power, veteran DH Jim Thome continued to put up solid numbers with 34 homers and 90 RBI's.
The offense seems to be in great shape, but that was never in question. The real question as to how the Sox will finish lies in their starting rotation. Currently their rotation is Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, John Danks and the recently acquired Bartolo Colon. The fifth spot in the rotation still needs to be decided. Bartolo Colon has been a major injury risk for the last few years and his health may play a large role in the success of the White Sox.
The Minnesota Twins always seem to manage to keep up with the larger market teams and they've done it by finding great young players. For as close as they came to the White Sox in the standings, they could not be a more different team.
While the Sox boasted three players who hit at least 30 home runs, the Twins had none. Their team leader in home runs was former MVP Justin Morneau, who hit just 23. The Twins main focus is developing strong pitchers and a great defensive team.
The White Sox rotation includes a number of established veterans, while the Twins will have a rotation filled with 20-something unknowns like Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey and Glen Perkins. Even though the Twins do not put up flashy numbers they always manage to compete for the top spot in the division.
The Cleveland Indians would have been fighting for the division crown in '08, if it were not for all of their injuries. This upcoming season, the Indians will have a great shot for the division title if they can keep their key players of the DL.
As stellar as Cy Young Award-winner Cliff Lee was last year, the Indians could not overcome the injuries to Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook. If those two pitchers come back healthy this season, the Indians can have the best top of the rotation in the division.
The injuries did not only affect the pitching staff last year. Catcher Victor Martinez and DH Travis Hafner missed a substantial amount of time due to injury and they need to have a big season to take some pressure off star center fielder, Grady Sizemore. Another key to this upcoming season is the Cleveland bullpen that added right handed closer, Kerry Wood. The former Cub is known for having great stuff and a long injury history. The Indians' season depends on the health of these big stars.
When it comes to last year's bottom two teams, one makes perfect sense and one is very confusing. The Kansas City Royals, who finished fourth last year, are almost always near the bottom of the central division. The Royals have been a laughing stock in baseball for years. However, there are reasons to not ignore the Royals.
Kansas City decided to spend some money this offseason and re-signed ace Zack Greinke to an extension. This is good news for Royals fans who have felt the pain of losing young stars like Carlos Beltran and Johnny Damon. The Royals also have a number of young players who are waiting to break out like third baseman Alex Gordon and Mark Teahen.
Detroit has had a bad year, to say the least. The Lions went 0-16 and the Tigers finished in last, behind the Royals. What makes things worse is that the Tigers were thought to be better than they were when they went to the World Series in '07.
The Tigers added slugger Miguel Cabrera and lefty pitcher Dontrelle Willis. Cabrera had a great season putting up career highs in home runs and RBI's, but Willis fell completely flat going 0-2 with an ERA over 9. The pieces are there for the Tigers to be a great team. They still have many of the same players from their '07 run, but they need to have their pitchers throw a lot better than in 2008.
Prediction: NL Central Champion: Chicago White Sox, just ahead of the Indians.
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
