The Road to Perfection Goes Through Scottsdale

While Matt got his first taste of New York Mets’ baseball with a 4-4 tie yesterday, I had to wait until today to start my 2008 Cubs season. It was worth the wait. I know it is early, but you can just feel that this maybe the team to finally do it…162-0.

Ok, ok. Perhaps that is a bit over the top but I’ve slowly learned that the pain of a letdown is no different if I set my expectations at the playoffs, World Series’s champions, or the Perfect Team. They did look like a team today though. It wasn’t the awkward group of athletes that walked into spring training last year. They looked different and to be honest, it made me excited about the season. I am not basing this on a win over the Giants in spring training. They just looked different, and sometimes the smallest things are reasons for excitement among us fans of the Cubbies.

That isn’t to say the game didn’t have its moments. Kosuke Fukudome made his Cub debut and got on base in 3 consecutive at-bats (HBP, BB, and a single). Again, it is spring training but it must be nice to step onto the field and not go 0-3 with 2 strikeouts. More importantly, Ryan “I am playing so far over my head I don’t even know what to do with myself” Theriot was 3-3. I rode the fantasy drain that was Ryan Theriot simply out of love for him last season. He is trying to suck me in again with his empty numbers. Yes it is only spring training (is that the forth time I mentioned that?), but today will be the beginning of a Matt and Joe exclusive: The Ryan Theriot Watch. Take a look at our side menus later on tonight as we monitor Ryan Theriot throughout the season. I think the only question you need to ask yourself: Is he the NL MVP or the unanimous NL MVP?



Sorry for that little detour. The game didn’t show much else. Felix Pie homered as he attempts to convince me he isn’t Juan Pierre and Noah Lowry couldn’t find the strike-zone for the Giants. The Cubs's lineup will look a lot different if Pie lives up to the potential everyone says he has (especially if Soriano will forfeit the lead-off spot and make the 3-4-5-6 of this lineup one of the best in recent history).

It is early, but it wasn’t pretty. As a fan of baseball, it was nice to see a Giants team without Barry Bonds penciled into the lineup. While we are going to be dealing with the fallout of the steroid era for many years, it is small things like this that remind me that the game is moving in the right direction. We’re moving away from a period where our greatest hitter and our greater pitcher may have been supplementing their tremendous talents with who knows what.

All in all, it was a good day for the Cubs and a good day for baseball. Opening Day here we come!

Classic Mad Dog Moments

I've been listening to Mike and the Mad Dog since I was about 10 years old, and I know there have been some fine moments on that program. A friend passed along a few to me on Youtube, and there are worth a listen.

Here's a nice rant on Pacman Jones. It's about 7 minutes, but the Mad Dog gets going...




Here's Mad Dog absolutely snapping at his San Francisco Giants. This gets great at about 1:30...




You'll appreciate these if you're a Mad Dog fan or just a sports talk fan. Absolute classic. I'll do more of these for now on.

Jose, Jose, Jose

Jose Reyes went from maybe the most lovable guy in a Mets uniform to one of the many having the finger pointed out for fault of the collapse. All winter the long, any talk revolving around Reyes has been "will he be okay?" or "will he break his bad habits?". If you ask Reyes, he says he'll be a new guy out there, one that's focused on baseball.

Reyes was only back and forth in his first few years in the bigs. He'd get hot, but then the holes in his game would become glaring. In 2006 though, he exploded, being one of the many reasons the Mets were as dominant as they were. Last year, Reyes was a force for about four-and-a-half months, but then just seemed like a different player. He wasn't running out ground balls, he was making errors, he was getting picked off of first and he was starting to strike out a lot like the Jose Reyes of 2004 and 2005.

But now we put the past behind us and look to 2008. Reyes says the dancing and the handshakes will be much less this year compared to the past. While we definitely want Reyes to be focused on baseball, we don't want to take away Reyes having fun, because it really is a huge part to his game.

There's been a lot of talk that all the celebrations the Mets have fire teams up to beat them. If that's the case, then it didn't really make a difference in 2006. Reyes handled himself exactly the same in the dugout and on the field in 2006 and 2007. He was always first one on the step after a homerun to do the certain handshake with that player, he always had his smile on before, during and after games, and he just knew how to enjoy a game that really is a fun. My point here is that Jose Reyes was the life of the 2006 Mets party, and that was for the most part a successful one. The reason the Mets collapsed last year isn't because teams got so fed up after almost two full seasons of the same things that everyone just outplayed the Mets. The Mets just stunk, it's the simple.

Absolutely I'm all for Reyes saying he wants to focus more on baseball, but I want to see the same fun-loving Jose Reyes I've seen since he came to the bigs in 2003. He brings a lot of energy and excitement from the dugout that carries over to any energy or excitement this team has on the field.

All I want Jose Reyes to worry about is hitting, running and fielding. If he takes care of all that the way Jose Reyes does it, then the Mets will win. And then maybe they'll dance.

AL Central: Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers used to be a 100 loss team. Now, two years removed from a visit to the World Series, this might be a 100 win team. They have reloaded and are one or two good years from a few starting pitchers from running away with the AL and possibly the World Series Championship.

Lineup: What does it mean when you have one of the best offensive catchers of our time, Pudge Rodriguez, batting 9th? It means that your team might score enough runs so that you never have to worry about bringing Todd Jones in with the game on the line. The lineup is loaded. Even if Granderson and Magglio come down to Earth a little, the lineup doesn’t have an out. The lineup may change and you can expect to Marcus Thames in place of Granderson and Jones when tough lefties are on the mound, but that is about it. The additions of Edgar Renteria and Miguel Cabrera turned this team from a good offensive team to one of the best in recent memory. For me, Placido Polanco is going to be the key part of this lineup. He is often overlooked but if he stretches pitchers out and gets on base like he has been in the last few seasons, Sheffield, Magglio, and Cabrera are going to knock in 350+ runs together.

Bench: With the addition of Miguel Cabrera, Brandon Inge moves from starting third basemen to back up infielder/potential back up catcher. He will most likely be traded. Marcus Thames will see a good amount of time in place of Jones or Granderson. Again, American League benches are very small and relatively pointless since the DH is like having a pinch hitter ever 8 batters.

Rotation: While everyone is talking about Miguel Cabrera, I like the idea of having Dontrelle Willis as your number 2 or 3 starter. While moving from the NL to the AL usually means a jump in a pitcher’s numbers, there are some benefits awaiting Dontrelle. The AL hasn’t seen his delivery as much as the NL did, so there is at least some element of surprise there. He is returning to a competitive team and Dontrelle is a very emotional player that can feed off something like that. It is hard to get up and pitch every fifth day when you know you are destined to finish right above the Nationals in the NL East, but when you have a chance to win a division and maybe even a World Series? That’s a different story. Justin Verlander is the ace here and he is probably one of the best pitchers in the game and will continue to get better. Bonderman and Robertson are both potential 15 game winners and if they play up to this potential, you could be facing a rotation that has its ace, a former ace only 2 years removed from dominating the game, and two starters who are just as good as many of the #2 starters in this league. The fifth spot is Kenny Rogers’ until he gets hurt/realizes how old he is. Zach Miner is waiting in the bullpen, but the fifth spot shouldn’t be a major concern if Robertson and Bonderman pitch to their potential.

Bullpen: The closer will give you an ulcer. Rodney is already complaining of discomfort. Zumaya is at least half a year away. It is going to be interesting, but the rotation is solid and there are some options here. Todd Jones will never be the dominant closer that teams love but he isn’t as bad as the one they got in Cleveland. When Zumaya returns and if he is back to form, the bullpen will be good. Until then, it is more of a luxury anyway for a team that has this lineup and this rotation to have options in the bullpen as well.

Outlook: It is hard to call them anything but one of the top 3 teams in the AL. While they shouldn’t look past winning the AL Central first, it will be hard because this team knows what it gave up to get the All-Star third basemen and potential ace from the Marlins.

AL Central: Cleveland Indians

Maybe the biggest surprise in 2007, the Cleveland Indians look to compete for the tops of the AL Central once again. The exact formula for success last season came from getting hot at the right time. This year it will be a bit more of a war with the Detroit Tigers loading up big time and Chicago White Sox seeming to have a good group. The Indians will be putting a lot of stock in C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona. The good thing is those are two guys you should okay with depending on.

Lineup: Not lethal, but it's good. The Tigers have a lethal times 10 lineup, but the Indians aren't a push-over by any means. They won't kill you, but if it's like last year they'll beat you when they have to. Grady Sizemore is a great guy to have at the top and he will be the fuel that burns the Indians fire. Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez are a pretty good 3-4 punch in the American League. Maybe no Manny-Ortiz or even now Magglio-Cabrera (or Sheffield-Magglio), but it's still good, both having 20+ homerun and 100+ RBI seasons. After that you have the scrappy type players which I personally like, but they don't strike fear in anybody. Casey Blake, Ryan Garko, Johnny Peralta (who bounced back nicely in 2007) and the platoon of David Delluci and Jason Michaels are your typical "play hard" players, and all will annoy the hell out of a pitcher. It's a good mix of a lineup. The glarring holes are second base and right field, Asdrubal Cabrera (2B) and Franklik Gutierrez (RF), but neither are locks for the lineup.

Bench: Josh Barfield will be competiting to try and take the second base job from Cabrera. There's a chance the planned platoon of Delluci/Michaels becomes a three-man platoon with Gutierrez in that mix too. It's the AL, bench is insignificant mostly. But Barfield or even Andy Marte may be able to pump Cabrera out of the lineup, and Michael can easily win playing time in the outfield.

Rotation: Sabathia and Carmona were one of the best 1-2 punches in 2007. A great pair to head a rotation and there aren't necessarily slouches behind them. Paul Byrd was a 15-game winner last year, and while Jake Westbrook struggled with injuries, he was a 15-game winner in 2005 and 2006. The Indians will need Byrd to be as good and Westbrook to return to his 2005-06 form if they want to stand a chance with the incredible rotation of the Tigers. The fifth slot is open, watch out for Cliff Lee if he can bounce back to make the cut. 22-year old Aaron Laffey is still a possibilty.

Bullpen: Strange to have a not-so-solid closer and to have a great setup man. Joe Borowski had 45 saves last year with an ERA over 5. He's better than that, but not by a whole lot. He's your typical get-three-outs closer while giving up a run in the meantime. However, Rafael Betancourt is a great setup man. Last year in 79-1/3 inning pitched he had a 1.47 ERA with 80 strikeouts. It would be interesting to see if he takes away the closer role from Borowski if he doesn't get the consistent two or three run leads like last year. Also to note the Indians signed Japan free-agent Masahide Kobayashi, who saved 30 games over in Japan last year. He will be a good arm for this pen.

Outlook: Not as good as last year, but definitely a good season ahead. I feel this is a 90-win team. I like the offense, even though they don't pound the ball, and I like the 1-2 punch of the rotation. The Tigers will be great, and tough for the Indians. I feel this team is better than the White Sox and will compete for the AL Wild Card.

AL Central: Chicago White Sox

The good times shall return to the Chicago area, both in the AL and the NL. The Sox are primed for a season that should help people remember their World Series Champions rather than the Wanna-Be-Royals of last season.

Lineup: It is a decent blend of speed, talent, and experience. You still can’t write off Jim Thome and Paul Konerko. They make up a pretty nice middle of the lineup. The lineup gets even better if Joe Crede comes back healthy but he most likely will be traded after a strong start to make room for Josh Field (who did pretty well for himself last year). The biggest questions in this lineup (second base and centerfield) will be answered during spring training. Jerry Owens seems to be the likely centerfielder and leadoff hitter, which puts Carlos Quentin into the fourth outfielder role, which is pretty nice. The addition of Cabrera at shortstop and Swisher in the outfield makes the lineup even deeper. It has the potential to be a very good lineup but Konerko, Thome, and Dye need to avoid slow starts.

Bench: Having Carlos Quentin as a fourth outfielder is a nice luxury. The Sox are going to carry at 7 bullpen pitchers so the bench is a bit light. It is the American League, so it doesn’t matter that much. Is it even worth it to look at the bench of AL teams? That is a debate for another day.

Rotation: Well, it has Mark Buehrle. While his strikeouts have dropped in the last few years, he is still a good #1 starter. After that, this rotation is completely dependent on how Javier Vazquez and Jose Contreras perform. If they have down years ago, this is a very bad rotation because while John Danks has some upside, I don’t have much confidence in Gavin Floyd. If they both win 14-15 games, this is a good rotation with its #1 and two good pitchers to help balance the younger pitchers. Contreras is projected as the forth starter in an attempt to break up Danks and Floyd. So not only do they need 14-15 wins from Contreras, they also need him to step up during the times where both Danks and Floyd are struggling to avoid losing streaks.

Bullpen: Of all the teams we’ve analyzed thus far, this is my favorite bullpen. Matt and I are very vocal about our love of Bobby Jenks because his stuff is filthy. He does have some consistency issues but he is one of the best closers in baseball currently. The other reason I like this bullpen is just because of the number of options. There are a lot of question marks but a lot of live arms, and I’ll take live arms any day of the week. Even if some of the question marks don’t pan out, they have so many options that they’ll be able to bridge the rough spots with their other options.

Outlook: They have the potential to surprise the Indians but I don’t think they are on the same level of the Tigers. It should be a good time in Chicago, with the Cubs being one of the best in the NL and the White Sox returning to one of the better teams in the AL.

Matt and Joe on the Radio Now!

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AL Central: Minnesota Twins

It’ll be a new look for the Twins in 2008, with key departures of Johan Santana and Torii Hunter. Definitely a new time in Minnesota, but doesn’t necessarily mean a bad time. The core of Joe Maurer and Justin Morneau were given some more youth with the additions of Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young. Patience may be what the 2008 Twins are about.

Lineup: Not a deep lineup, but the top of the order can definitely be a hassle to some pitching staffs. While it’s not “murderer’s row”, while consistent it can do some damage with small ball. Carlos Gomez will provide a new look in the leadoff spot and in center field. Maurer, Young and Morneau follow, and provide some quality hitting with some pop. Unfortunately, any seriousness in this lineup will come from whether or not Young is ready to be somewhat of a big-time hitter. Time will tell. As for the rest of the lineup, it’s weak, and definitely won’t help late in games. Not much after the front four and this will ultimately bring down the Twins productivity.

Bench: Nick Punto and Craig Monroe will be good guys to have coming off the bench, at least it looks that way. I say expect Monroe to get into the everyday lineup in time, let’s see how his spring goes. The rest of the bench is not much, but it is the American League. So… who cares?

Rotation: One a difference a player makes. The loss of Johan Santana makes this a very weak rotation. Youngster Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey return after debuting in 2007 and look to be main parts of this rotation. Livan Hernandez was added to replace the going Santana. He’ll replace the innings, not so much the performance. Boof Bonser brings the strangest name in baseball to the rotation and Francisco Liriano attempts to stay healthy. If Liriano can be healthy and dominant, the Twins will have an ace. But that’s like playing roulette. Watch out for Phillip Humber, too, coming over from the Mets in the Santana deal.

Bullpen: They have Joe Nathan, so they have one of the best closers in baseball. If they can get to the 9th inning, that’ll be a huge plus for the Twins. Most of last years bullpen contributors will return in 2008. There’s hopes that Juan Rincon can return to form after a disturbingly-awful season in 2007.

Outlook: Okay. Nothing special. They’ll be a fun team to watch at times, the other times they’ll be a boring team. Maybe the biggest thing to watch for this year is whether or not they trade Nathan before the deadline.

Another Reason Why I Hate Philadelphia

Honestly, the only good thing to ever come from Philadelphia is Rocky. And obviously Philadelphia would be the place to lead to the disaster that was Rocky V.

On the college-friendly Facebook, I found something interesting today; an event where "Phillies Fans take over Shea Stadium". Are we serious? The event description is as follows:

“Are you sick and tired of stupid Mets fans taking over Citizen’s Bank Park? Well its time to return the favor! On Saturday September 6th Philadelphia will be taking over Shea Stadium. Right now we are in the process of talking to sales reps at Shea Stadium to get group tickets available. As soon as they are available we will post a log-in id and password so you can order your tickets! This game will be a FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL GAME which means its on NATIONAL TV!!!! I want as many Phillies fans there as humanly possible! Lets send Shea Stadium out with a bang! F@#K THE METS!!!!!!”

I guess their intention is to show the national public that fans from Philadelphia are a bunch of careless, obnoxious degenerates compared to those of New York. And as of now there are 647 confirmed guests with another 731 on the maybe list. Mets fans, let's do our job and keep these bastards out of our building.

There are some Philly fans I don't mind. I'm in Trenton, I'm around a lot of Phillies fans. And you know what, a large amount of them don't give a damn until there's any drop of success. I definitely don't wanna see any half-ass fans in my building.

Then over at Metsblog.com, Matt Cerrone addressed the issue and brought up the great point of there being two nationally televised Mets/Phillies games at Citizen's Bank in April (the 19th and 20th) and brought to Mets fans attention the back door link the Phillies post for their fans to purchase tickets before the actual sale date.

Click here to flood Citizen's Bank those days, Mets fans.

Also noted on Metsblog is that there are organized groups of Mets fans already planning to attend these games. So get going. The Phillies can go to hell.

Already, now I'm fired up. When does baseball start again?

AL Central: Kansas City Royals

It is weird to think of a Royals team without Mike Sweeney but the Royals are on a very slight upward swing as they start to expose their young stars.

Lineup: While times might be brighter in the future for the Royals, it won’t necessarily be without a few more dark years. The lineup leaves a lot to be desired but there is potential. If Alex Gordon, Mark Teahen, and Ryan Shealy produce as projected, it might be a decent year for the Royals. Realistically, they will have decent seasons with peaks and valleys. The lineup is protected with a few veterans (Grudzielanek and Guillen) to help try and bridge the gap when one or more of the younger stars struggles. It isn’t built to be a great lineup this season, but it could show some of the potential it has. Since this isn’t a 2011 preview, the forecast for 2008 is inconsistency.

Bench: Not much here, it is a pretty weak bench when all things are said and done. When the offensive isn’t offering much, it is hard to expect the bench to pack a huge punch. The names aren’t going to be household names anytime soon but no matter how bright the future could be, these are still the Kansas City Royals.

Rotation: This is actually a decent group. I mean, I don’t necessarily buy into Gil Meche as an ace. After that though, a rotation with Meche, Bannister, and Greinke is a nice starting point. Again, there isn’t a Cy Young in any of their collective futures, but it will keep them in games. The back end of the rotation could be anywhere from passable to very bad.

Bullpen: Again, it is a collection of names that you might have a hard time convincing people it is a professional baseball team but it is all they have. That being said, it is not much and therefore will be an issue throughout the season. Joakim Soria has a live arm that could be a bright spot this season for the bullpen. The question here: how do you bridge the gap between starters who are not necessarily 7-8 inning guys to Joakim? A lot of team find themselves asking that question and that’s why middle relievers are being paid so much more nowadays.

Outlook: Better than the last few seasons, but not ready to compete…yet. This season can be seen as a step in the right direction as the team looks to be competitive for years to come.

Carlos Beltran: We're the team to beat

The mood was light around Port St. Lucie for Mets camp on Saturday morning. Carlos Beltran was talking reporters, and before walking away, he had the following to say....

“With (Santana), I have no doubt we’re going to win our division. I have no doubt about that…So, this year, tell Jimmy Rollins we are the team to beat.”

Ah, bringing back the rivalry on only February 16. Who can forget Jimmy Rollins speaking so boldly about a team that finished 14 games out the year before? No one. Sure, he backed up his talk. And now of course Beltran has to back up his. But was he wrong to do this?

I've been hearing many mixed things about what Beltran decided to say. Santana is obviously a huge addition, and the feeling of 2006 should be there with such an improvement. Do I consider the Mets a favorite now? Yes. Santana and Pedro are a level above Cole Hamels and Brett Myers, and even John Smoltz and Tim Hudson if you want to throw the Braves into the conversation. And let's be honest, it was about time Beltran wasn't afraid to shake things up with the media. Always the soft-spoken one, it was only a matter of time after being a teammate of Pedro Martinez for over three years that he started opening up a bit.

Now there's a lot of talk that he shouldn't have said anything because no team wants to enter the year with a target on their backs. I've been a Mets fan my whole life and I've felt like every year there was a target on their backs. People want to beat the Mets, it's as simple as that. Beltran added some incentive to it, but even if he hadn't said a word the same target would be there. This is nothing new in the world of Orange and Blue.

I'm glad Beltran said it, because truth be told I'm sick of Jimmy Rollins, I'm sick of the Phillies, I'm sick of their fans, and I'm truthfully just sick of Philadelphia. The Mets collapsed last year, the Phillies picked up the pieces. The best way to get over a collapse is showing you haven't lost any swagger. The Mets are a team that should have a lot of swagger.

As far as Beltran goes, good for him I say. He started to open up a bit more I felt as last year went on. Now maybe he's finally ready to act like this is "his team". Obviously you figure Pedro and Wright to be the vocal leaders for the most part, but it would be nice to see more of this from Beltran.

And hey, April 8th at Shea the Mets and Phillies face off for the first time. See you there, Jimmy Rollins.

Pettitte Apologizes to Yankee Nation

He wasn't going to be able to stare down the media storm that is New York City like he has done to hitters and base runners since the early '90s. Andy Pettitte had to know what was waiting for him after the Mitchell Report and the Congressional Hearings about Steriods and HGH. There was no avoiding it and yesterday Andy stepped up to the media to address the organization, fans, and baseball world. Beyond just apologizing to both the Yankees and the Astros, Pettitte was pretty thorough in answering questions from the media, unlike many other players linked to steriods, HGH, or the Mitchell Report (He didn't go Jason Giambi on us). It is sort of a non-story since everyone was waiting for it but I thought it could be a nice bow on the steriod story with Pettitte.

I don't think this excuses him, but he came out and was open to almost any question as long as it didn't pertain to Roger Clemens's 'misremembered' statements.

The last bit I took from it was this assertion from Pettitte: "I wish I never would have done it, obviously, but I don't consider myself a cheater, no." That is sort of the question we have to ask as we analyze the Steriod Era in baseball? Did someone who took HGH when it wasn't banned by MLB officially cheat? Is someone like Pettitte, who is admitting limited use at the times given, really cheat?

That is what we have to decide.

Main Article: Pettitte Apologizes

NL Central: Chicago Cubs

Pain has been a regular thing in Chicago, but let's not forget the Cubbies are defending NL Central Champs going into the 2008. Sure, it was a wash of a showing in the playoffs, but Lou Piniella fired his team up for an impressive finish to 2007. Now the Cubs look to carry last year's momentum into this year.

Lineup: Overall it is pretty solid. Alfonso Soriano, Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez will be the keys to this offense. The good thing is they are all typically durable players. Both Soriano and Ramirez missed time last season, but have handled 150-game seasons before. Right now Piniella says Soriano will be his lead-off hitter, but that can very well change, even if Brian Roberts isn't brought in. Kosuke Fukudome comes in with hopes of changing the Cubs offense from serious to legit. The lefty power-hitter comes over from Japan hoping to find success in America. Maybe not on the level of Ichiro, but along the lines of a Hideki Matsui. With those four it's already a good looking offense, but the remainder of it is something Cubs fans should be satisfied with. Ryan Theriot and Mark DeRosa will fill the middle of the infield and the rest of the lineup is filled with two youngsters in Felix Pie (CF) and Geovany Soto (C). Pie by the way is labeled as a "can't miss" - you know I hate that label. Theriot is expected to be penciled in at No. 2 behind Soriano. But again, Piniella has openly said he'll shift around the lineup during spring training to find what "works". It's a well rounded lineup and will be able to put pressure on teams from all different angles.

Bench: It's not the greatest, but it's suitable. Ronny Cedeno could see a good amount of regular time, so he won't be a typical role player. Henry Blanco will be a good backup for the young Soto at catcher. Daryle Ward will be expected to provide the pop off the bench. That fits him better than playing at a somewhat regular basis. It's a bench that will work, not necessarily strike fear into team's bullpens late in games though.

Rotation: It's good. Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly and Rich Hill at the top are a very solid 1, 2 and 3. The back end concerns me, Jon Lieber and either Ryan Dempster or Jason Marquis. It leaves your stomach a little unsettled, but how many teams really have a strong 4 and 5? Not many. The front three will need to be on like they were last year, especially during the Cubs hot streaks. It's really hard for me to see much support from any of the 4 or 5 guys. Unfortunately it will expose the bullpen a bit.

Bullpen: Bob Howry, Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood. A lot of the Cubs eggs will be in that basket for the bullpen. Howry may very well be the closer. He's serviceable, but beatable. Marmol was very impressive and will most likely take over the closer role at some point this year. If he's as good as he was last year, then it'll be a huge plus for the Cubs bullpen. Wood is the mystery, and this is where the weak 4 or 5 starters will hurt the bullpen. It's doubtful he'll be able to pitch back to back days. That's when the likes of Scott Eyre get exposed, and that's not good.

Outlook: Good, maybe great, but maybe sub-par. Disasters needing to be avoided seems like a theme in the NL Central. I think the bullpen will be serious issue other than Marmol for the Cubs and will leave Piniella with some very stressful days.

NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals

From the World Series Champions to potentially one of the worst teams in the NL. This is the story of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Lineup: Albert Pujols is there but he is hurting. The Cardinals are very concerned with his elbow and while he always seems to be productive while being hurt, he may not be playing enough to carry this offense. The starting outfield has some upside but is relatively untested. There is an offensive void at shortstop in Cesar Izturis and at second base with Aaron Miles/Adam Kennedy. This puts a lot of pressure on Troy Glaus to stay healthy and produce like an all-star third basemen. If Glaus gets hurt/struggles and Pujols is out for extended periods of time, this is the worst a very bad lineup that will struggle to score runs.

Bench: No bench is deep enough for the injuries that may await the Cardinals. That being said, this isn’t a great bench either. Unless they add a center fielder to shift Ankiel and put either Duncan or Ludwick on the bench, it is a very weak bench that offers little pop.

Rotation: The ‘#1’ of this staff is Braden Looper. Let that sink in. Carpenter is still working his way back but won’t be ready for awhile. Wainwright has a good arm and has some upside but he isn’t an ace. The last three spots in the rotation will be filled by some mixture of whoever isn’t injured between Matt Clement and Mark Mulder, Joel Pineiro, and Anthony Reyes. To end our misery early, it is a very bad rotation. Unlike the Astros, it doesn’t have that stopper to save it. This is just a bad, bad, bad, bad rotation.

Bullpen: The bullpen and rotation are always linked on teams because if a rotation stinks, even the best bullpens will wear out and become bad bullpens. This bullpen is old and doesn’t have a ton of upside to it. Issy is still the closer but who is going to get him the ball? It is a weak bullpen that will become worse as the rotation struggles.

Outlook: This preview of the Cardinals was hard to write because you don’t want to keep writing about such a bad team but the Cardinals at best are a 5th place team and at worst (if a few key injuries happen), are battling the Giants for the Worst Team in the NL honors.

NL Central: Houston Astros

The Astros are hoping that the additions to their offense will help carry a pitching staff that maybe one of the worst in the NL. Except for Roy Oswalt, he’s amazing.

Lineup: This lineup in this park could make pitchers request days off when the schedule rolls around to Houston. That being said, you never quite know with the Astros. Fixtures such Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee return to join new additions Miguel Tejada, Kaz Matsui, and Michael Bourn. The Astros also hope for a full season of production of Hunter Pence, who was a front runner for Rookie of the Year until he got hurt and Ryan Braun decided to destroy baseballs for a living. Ty Wigginton at third should produce decent numbers but he isn’t required to be a main cog in this offense. Tejada has rebounded this summer but we’ll see how he produces in the wake of the Mitchell Report. Again, this lineup can be destructive but the main question is: Will it be good enough to carry this pitching staff?

Bench: They have a deep bench with Erstad, Loretta, and Blum as the three big players. A deep bench is necessary since it seems like Lance Berkman always goes down for a small period of time. It will be nice to give some time off yet still fill your lineup with a Mark Loretta or Darin Erstad.

Rotation: Let us just begin with the fact that Roy Oswalt is one of the best 5 pitchers in the NL and will benefit from an improved offense and hopefully gain the national recognition he deserves. Now that we’ve separated Oswalt, the rest of this rotation is just bad. There is some upside in Brandon Backe, but it will be a long year for the Astros rotation. Without Oswalt, it would be one of the worst rotations in baseball. Oswalt is a stopper and an ace that few teams have and thus is a saving grace for this rotation.

Bullpen: While adding Valverde is an improvement over the closer-by-committee last year (or the Lidge experiment) on paper, I still don’t have a ton of confidence that Valverde will save 40 games a year like he did last year. The rest of the bullpen isn’t great either but it will appear to be even worse when it starts to get stretched out due to the horrendous starting pitching. The true cure for this bullpen would be to help the starting rotation.

Outlook: The lineup should score a ton of runs, but the rotation should give up just as many. For those who heard the show yesterday, I can’t see this team finishing 1st/2nd unless they really get a great season out of Backe and Valverde. Again, the NL Central is filled with question marks and 5 teams that could compete for the division (while the Pirates cheer from their pretty stadium).

NL Central: Cincinnati Reds

To me, this may be the most interesting team in the NL Central. I don’t think they have the power to push through and win the division, but it could be a very good year in Cincinnati or a very bad year. However, unlike in past years, that doesn’t rely on the frail body of Ken Griffey Jr.

Lineup: The line up is average. They still have Adam Dunn who seems to put up similar numbers each year (a painful batting average but beautiful power numbers), so they have that presence in the middle of their lineup. If Ken Griffey Jr. is healthy, then that is another added bonus. They also just signed their stud 2nd basemen, Brandon Phillips (.288-30-94), whose numbers compare well with the power infield position and are right up there with Chase Utley among second basemen (not as good as Chase, but last season he was fantastic). The excitement for the Reds is that they have two great rookies that will probably be starting this season: Jay Bruce and Joey Votto. Bruce was the Minor League Player of the Year and Votto tore things up last season (in a small sample size). While young, these two impact players could turn this lineup into a nightmare of opposing pitchers. These two players also make Cincinnati’s bench deeper with veteran Scott Hatteberg and Ryan Freel coming off the bench as pinch hitters/utility players. A lot of questions but that is what makes them exciting. If things fall just right, they have the potential to be one of the best lineups in the NL but a few injuries or a large learning curve for Bruce of Votto could make it a very long season in Cincinnati.

Bench: This depends on how they utilize Votto and Bruce but the bench isn’t necessarily a weakness for the Reds. You’d like to see the young players thrive in the starting roles while veterans adjust to the pinch hitting and utility duties. If Bruce and Votto start, the bench is pretty good with Freel, Hatteberg, and Norris Hopper. It is not great again, but good enough. A lot depends on Bruce and Votto though.

Rotation: Another youngster to watch is Homer Bailey. The bar might have been set a bit high for his first season but he has all the tools to be an ace. He has two good pitchers in front of him (Harang and Arroyo) so he doesn’t necessarily have to feel the pressure of being the ace just yet. Arroyo had a disappointing season last season but is only one year removed from his stellar 2006 campaign. The four-five spots leave something to be desired, but in today’s MLB it is rare to have the potential in the top three that the Reds do.

Bullpen: While I don’t have a ton of confidence in Francisco Cordero, he is definitely an upgrade over David Weathers. He also shifts everyone in the bullpen to a more realistic role and makes them better just by being a member of the staff. It isn’t the prettiest or flashiest bullpen, but they have a closer and a number of different options to try and bridge the gap. The bullpen might not hold up for long so I would expect the Reds to make a run at a middle reliever if they are truly in contention come the All-Star Break or trading deadline.

Outlook: It will be a better year for the Reds than the last few years. If Griffey is healthy for the whole season, Bruce and Votto step into the starting roles and produce as projected, Arroyo returns to 2006 form, and Bailey breaks out, this could be a dangerous team. That is a lot of ifs, so I think we’re still 1-2 seasons away from seeing a playoff team from Cincinnati.

NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers

A team that found success in 2007 and looked to be on the rise had a good off-season. Mike Cameron, Eric Gagne and Jason Kendall are among the new faces for Brew Crew in '08. Putting them with the young talent of Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy, Bill Hall and Derick Turnbow, the Brewers seem to have a good shot at not faltering as they did last season.

Lineup: Gotta be honest, it looks pretty good on paper. Even with Fielder, Cameron, Hardy and Hall, there's still a good cast around them. Youngster Ryan Braun is moving out to left field and should once again provide a good bat for the Brewers. As a rookie, Braun hit 34 homers with 97 RBI and hit .324. Cory Hart is also coming off a solid year (.295-24-81) and Rickie Weeks may finally start to turn the corner. Even if Weeks joins Kendall in being the weak-end of the lineup, the rest of the group definitely makes up for it. Just to note, Cameron will miss the start of the season due to failing the MLB stimulant test.

Bench: They still have Craig Counsell who will no doubt be a pain in the ass to any team in late games I'm sure. Tony Gwynn Jr. also provides a decent fourth outfielder and good bat for when you need a late base runner. With the offense they have, the bench for this team suits them pretty well.

Rotation: Ben Sheets is there, but will he be healthy? And after that you can't be too sure. Jeff Suppan is a No. 3, and then Dave Bush and Chris Capuanno are both coming off of a season with an ERA over 5. Yovani Gallardo is one to watch here, going 9-5 with a 3.67 ERA in his rookie year.

Bullpen: They lost Cordero and brought in Gagne. Can Gagne help? If not, Derrick Turnbow will need to return to his 2006 form. Dave Riske is expected to be in the bullpen, you can even assume the same goes for Salamon Torres and Guillermo Mota. But from there this will be another team rounding out the bullpen from what happens in camp.

I feel they could be on the rise once again. I like this team and it definitely has a good build to it for the 2008 season. The pitching needs work, maybe some people emerge. But it will be solid if Sheets and Gagne stay healthy and successful.

Outlook: Positive. Will continue to move forward and will compete with the tops of the division.

NL Central: Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates will basically be bringing back the entire 2007 group to the 2008 season. The problem is that if something is broke you should fix it, and nothing was fixed from the 68-94 disaster that came about in Pittsburgh last season. They at least had a change in manager, with Jim Tracy's time being up, and John Russell taking over. Unfortunately for Russell, he doesn't have a whole lot to work with.

Lineup: Jason Bay is very good, but he is not Superman. The cast that he has around him is decent, but in no way can help. Xaiver Nady, who would be a very useful third outfielder to any maybe any other team, has the burden of being a key 3, 4 or 5 hitter for this team. Adam LaRouche is another decent chip, but again, tough to be dependent on him as a significant bat. Then of course at the top you have Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez, both just average offense players. Ronny Paulino is the catcher, la-de-dah, and let's be serious, Jose Bautista and Nate McLouth are role players, not starters. Other than Bay, this is an offense filled with 6, 7 and 8 hitters, and unfortunately they have to fill out every spot but 3 or 4 (pending where Russell decides to throw Bay). I don't wanna say the worst offense in baseball, but I can guarantee you it will be close to the worst this year.

Bench: Considering I just mentioned two of their starters as guys who should come off the bench, the bench has a very bleak outlook. Chris Duffy is probably the only lock for the bench, assuming the role of backup outfielder, and that's what he is. Ryan Doumit can also be considered a lock for the bench, but after that a lot of it will be rounded out from their spring training. Unfortunately they didn't sign more free-agent role players to maybe compete for the starting jobs, since there's nothing positive coming from that end.

Starters: Matt Morris, Tom Gorzelanny, Ian Snell, Pat Maholm and Zach Duke will look to compete with the likes of Pedro and Santana or Haren and Webb in the NL this year. It's not happening, not even at a slightly competitive level. As I said the lineup is filled with 6, 7 and 8 hitters, this rotation is filled with No. 4 and 5 starters. Morris can be the exception, because he's had a good amount of success before. His days are behind him however, and if he can turn to smarts than maybe he can succeed again. Will be hard to do with this team. The rest of the guys are young, and it's hard to develop on this team. This will be a W-E-A-K rotation.

Bullpen: Matt Capps is the closer, he's not bad. They also have two lefties in Damaso Marte and John Grabow. The rest will be rounded out by whoever they want to look at this spring. Oddly enough this bullpen has succeeded in the past years with a constant changing cycle of "who's who" coming out of there. While it's not quite set in stone, this will probably be the most reliable piece to the Pirates season.

They're going no where folks; definitely not up because they don't have the talent to do so, and definitely not down because they just can't go to seventh place of the NL Central - there's only six teams

2008 Outlook: Painfully awful. Bleak. Depressing

Tune into Matt and Joe Radio on Sunday February 17 at 7pm for a full NL Central preview.

Roger v. The World - Part 2

Update 2:41

It just ended. I only missed one speaker. Sorry about that guys. The hearings are done for today.

Update 2:35

New Speaker! Joe's Guess: Pro-Clemens - 2:15 PM
Now, if this guy stays true to his statement that he's more interested in the course of the report, we may have our first neutral examination of the day. This is boring. It is the question Matt and I have been asking since this report was released: How can Clemens claim ignorance if Mitchell states each athlete was contacted and offered the chance to talk to him?

Clemens claims he did not receive any notice about a talk about steriods. He says they would not disclose the reasons for the meeting.

Verdict: I may give him our first neutral vote, but for fun I'll say Anti-Clemens since he stuck to Clemens the entire time. It is just a game anyway (possible the newest drinking game sensation in college dorms. That is right kids, start taping these hearings now!)

Little chaos on the speakers here. Things got out of control. I lost track of who went where. No real questions were asked or answered. No harm, no foul.

New Speaker! Joe's Guess: Anti-Clemens - 2:21 PM
I really am guessing before they go into their questioning, I swear it. This guy wants Clemens's blood. I hope he asks the questions necessary to get it. I will write the longest letter of apology if Clemens never did steroids, but for now let us try and get the truth out of him.

My hopes for this set of questions was so high. I had so much faith that we might get somewhere. Some old questions though: Why were Andy's allegations true and not yours? Same stuff over and over again. These hearings are starting to become very predictable. They have about 20 minutes to win me over with some really strong questioning.

Verdict: Anti-Clemens: This was interesting cause at the end he called Clemens one of his heroes, but he also said over and over again that he finds it hard to believe Clemens. He was there to gun at Clemens.

New Speaker! Joe's Guess: Pro-Clemens - 2:26 PM
Quote: "I view you as a police officer who was a drug dealer" - Congressman on McNamee. Mike Francessa just interrupted a string of questions to tell me Jason Kidd got traded. The NBA ruins everything.

Quote: "I only did what the players asked, and that was wrong" - McNamee

The congressman is trying to to have McNamee admit being a drug dealer. He got a roundabout admission "Were you giving drugs? - Yes Were they illegal? - Yes" sort of thing. This guy is getting at McNamee. We get it. Both of these guys are jerks.

Verdict: Pro-Clemens. Maybe better: Anti-McNamee.

I'm tapping out for awhile. Nothing new.

Fight the good fight.

- Joe

Update 2:15

New Speaker! Joe's Guess: Pro-Clemens. - 1:50 PM
I'm getting tired of the mandatory 2 minute rant by each speaker about whatever it is they want to say (one talked about how congress does a lot of important things, this guy is about the overall use of PED in all levels of sports). Sorry for that rant - back to the hearings.

Nothing exciting here right now. They are just rehashing everything we already know/have known. Verdict: Anti-Clemens? We can debate that but it definitely wasn't pro-Clemens.

New Speaker! Joe's Guess: Anti-Clemens - 1:56 PM
This guy was short and to the point. Just stating that there are a ton of open questions left from both the report and these hearings.

Verdict: Pro-Clemens: The shot at the end at McNamee's credibility sold it. Nothing new though.

New Speaker! Joe's Guess: Pro-Clemens - 2:04 PM
Another 2 minute rant. This time: Why is Congress doing this? This lady doesn't like it. Well thank you, now ask Roger which cheek he prefers the needle in. Sorry about that (again).

Oh. I'm so right about this one. Her first question to McNamee: Are you going to try and make money off of this? McNamee wouldn't dare say yes to this, even though in 18 months we'll all be reading: The Rocket and Me: Blasting Steriods Into the Unknown by Mr. Dr. McNamee, SJ.

Clemens offers to read his wife's statement. I don't want to misquote any of it so I won't transcribe it but talks about Debbie's interest in human growth hormone after reading an article on it. Debbie admits using human growth hormone once with the help of McNamee. It is only once. Debbie feels like a pawn now that McNamee is coming out against Clemens. There is also a small section about why people should never do it now. Main point: Debbie Clemens admits to using HGH and admits that McNamee got it for her (offered it to her actually).

Ha! Now she is comparing pictures of Clemens before and after the alleged steriods use. He looks very similar in all the pictures. I nailed this one. She loves Clemens. Clemens must be loving this question.

Verdict: Pro-Clemens. If that is even fair to say. More like Pro-Pro-Pro-Pro-Clemens.

Update 1:45

This round of questions circled around a recorded conversation between Clemens's team and McNamee. It seems like Clemens's team was trying to find out what kind of evidence McNamee had on Clemens. Clemens claims no knowledge of the methods of his investigators. Good tactics, Rog.

Clemens, under oath: "This man has never given me HgH...or any steroids of any kind." I'll keep that to show my kids what it means to be a liar.

Interesting note from one speaker: From his experience as a lawyer, the needles would not be admissible in any American court. I'm going to make a few phone calls to see if that is true. That's interesting.

More sob stories from Clemens. These stories are meant to show that he is a very public/'findable' person. Basically, if anyone wanted to talk to Clemens about steroids and hear how much he hates them, they could have.

New Speaker!
There is a fun game to play if you're reading/listening/watching: Guess if the speaker is pro-Clemens or anti-Clemens before he starts to question and see how many you can get right in a row. If you've been listening to this all morning, no one is really staying neutral.

Fun moment: Clemens doesn't know what a vegan is. God Bless Texas. This speaker is trying to understand why a healthy, red blooded, meat-eating American would need additional B-12 injections if he wasn't a vegan, 90 years old, or anemic.

Clemens: "He jumped on me like he was trying to start a Harley-Davidson" in regards to his chiropractors trying to adjust his spine. This speaker is attacking why Clemens would use McNamee for so many of his medical procedures when McNamee isn't a trained professional (even if Clemens believed in his fake Phd).

New Speaker! Joe's Guess: Pro-Clemens.
It took all of 5 seconds for this guy to come out as Pro-Clemens. Just like his mother, we all should be taking B-12 injections. Nothing major from this guy. It is a good moment to refresh the blog.

Update 1:30

We are once again talking about the nanny. Clemens is explaining his contact with her and explains it as a meeting between old friends. He is not denying the nanny's claim that she was at the part or even that his family was there. He is sort of going back and forth here from he wasn't there to he could have been there to now he may have dropped them off but he definitely wasn't buying drugs there.

Questions pertaining to McNamee are interesting. Had he ever used Clemens' likeness without Clemens' knowledge? Does he have a degree? McNamee wrote his dissertation on training and increasing velocity in pitchers. That’s cute. It seems like he attended some mail-in school. 'Dr.' McNamee...hah! I forgot that from the Mitchell Report appendices. These questions went no where. What a waste.

New speaker (I'm bad at catching their names, mostly because most of them take a minute or so to realize they should speak into the microphones) is up.

Original Post

Now that Matt has gone to class, I will be picking up for a little bit. It’s about 1:20 PM and they just started up again. Here we go.

Clemens/McNamee at Congress

Update 12:53

Full attack on Clemens it feels right now. He seems very on edge and now has turned back to that uncomfortable side. I also see his lawyers beyond uncomfortable. They're going to a 15-minute break right now, and unfortunately I have to step out for about the next two hours. So for now, the live updates will be on hold until 3 PM.

To just sum things up from my point of view; neither of these men seem comfortable in front of congress, and there is way too much stalling and moving when trying to answer. At numerous times Clemens was reminded that he was under oath on numerous occasions. Right now I feel the same way I did not too long ago, and that's that Clemens is the one stumbling most here. It'll be interesting to see where this goes when resume shortly after 1.

I'll be back around 3 myself.

Update 12:43

Turn up the heat! McNamee mentioned that he had noticed the Nanny of the Clemens family at the Canseco party, and Congress was in touch with the Nanny. After two different stories, Chairman Waxman explains that the Nanny confirmed being at the party along with Mrs. Clemens and the four children and that they actually spent the night at the Canseco house. She also noted that Clemens was there indeed, she was not sure how long he was there. But the fact that he was there is the big story. Clemens also apparently invited the Nanny to his Houston home just this past Sunday, despite telling the committee he did not have her contact information. She declined to appear at his home. This has really gotten the lawyers of Clemens back on their heals, and very jumpy might I add.

Update 12:33

I'm liking Representative Souder. He got off to a good start pointing out how frustrating this already two-plus hour hearing has someone still lying. He was very passionate in explaining the problem steroid abuse was in baseball, and even just drug use in general everywhere. He used examples from Chuck Knoblauch's deposition. Representative Clay went right to questioning Clemens' honesty to playing the game of baseball. Clemens went the route of explaining how he was raised by his mother, developed a great work ethic and how he was already established prior to meeting McNamee in 1998. He points out how he didn't have a car in high school and ran home every day. Alright, and we care why? But anyway, Clemens is still defensive. Doesn't seem as uncomfortable, but more angry and looks to have turned to making him look like a victim by running off all these tough life stories. Nobody wants to hear the pity party.

Also to note, good twist on McNamee here by Representative Clay asking if McNamee had any probation deals in place for telling his stories. McNamee denied.

Update 12:18

The nerd sitting between Clemens and McNamee finally spoke. That session really went no where. When moving back to Clemens, it was all regarding the B-12 and Lidocaine injections. Yeah, yeah, already heard it. I feel we're starting to move backwards. We'll see if the New York Representative has anything good for Clemens. Representative Maloney is up next.

Update 12:03

We're finally getting somewhere with these MRI's and reports from doctors. The abscess Clemens developed either came from the B-12 shots or the botched injection of winstral. McNamee isn't helping his cause by not having known the dates of the trip to Tampa. It does create an inconsistency. I'll give credit to McNamee for once again openly explaining his involvement as a problem creator for Major League Baseball.

Update 11:58

All these reports from the doctors seem to be going no where in conversations with Clemens. Representative Davis moved back to McNamee after finally steering away from the MRI reports. We now moved to the Winstral matter and McNamee confirmed Clemens saying to "get rid of this stuff". It's apparently linked to a time the Blue Jays were in Tampa, and I'm really hearing too much regarding faulty memory from both these guys right now.

Update 11:43

Representative Burton had this round for McNamee. The bloody gauze and needles finally came about. This was the first I've seen McNamee caught off-guard in the 90-plus minutes we've been watching this so far. We also went back to the Canseco party, with Canseco's affidavit being presented stating Clemens was not present on the 1998 party. The main attack on McNamee is about his past lies here. My problem with this is McNamee has openly been saying he's lied prior to the Mitchell Report to protect his employers, such as Clemens and Pettitte. I feel we're turning back to a known issue here. Representative Braun also went to Clemens, who really took forever to say anything. Slowly moving through his answers still. Neither are looking too good right now.

Update 11:31

Clemens got a nice attack from Representative Tierney, really proving how shifted Clemens' stories have gotten during the deposition. During this course, this was the most uncomfortable I've seen Clemens since the release of the Mitchell Report.

...Original Post...

We're through the first set of questions to both Clemens and McNamee. Representative Cummings questioned Clemens and Representative Davis questioned McNamee.

My overall feelings from the start to this is both men are very uncomfortable. I guess to no surprise. Clemens seemed to be stumbling a bit when the quotes for the Pettitte affidavit were being read. McNamee didn't seem so much stumbling, but seemed in a very tough place answering to congress.

The whole Canseco party and Golf outing thing seemed to be so out there. McNamee seemed pretty calm in explaining that story of seeing Clemens at the party, and Clemens was very much "I don't remember" when having to answer to the questions of his golf game. I found it very strange that he didn't really remember what his wife and kids were doing that day, especially for a guy who made the point of his family being such a priority.

Clemens and McNamee to testify at 10 AM

Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee will testify for congress today. You can watch the hearing on ESPN or listen to the stream on WFAN.com.

Someone has been lying here. We may know more today. Word has already been coming out today that there is another affidavit from Andy Pettitte. That affidavit seems to have the evidence regarding Clemens speaking openly about steroid use. It's definitely something to follow today.

Personally, I've felt Clemens was using steroids since his time with the Yankees, and so does the Mitchell Report. I hope he goes down, maybe not today, but I hope he goes down.

All baseball fans should be watching this.

It's Over.

While this is a few hours late day, just to follow up on Joe's post last night, Erik Bedard has officially joined the Seattle Mariners today with the completion of the deal we've been talking about for about 10 days now. In return, the Baltimore Orioles received Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Cam Mickolio and Tony Butler.

Goodbye hot stove and hello spring training.

Happy times at Matt and Joe.

New Bedard Post! ITS ALMOST OVER!

Hopefully this is the last time I have to update the world on Eric Bedard, but he is officially in Seattle and going for his physical. I would imagine that Bedard getting his physical is the last step and that all the other players have had their physicals and passed.

Heres the story: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-bedard207,0,7467653.story?track=rss

When it comes to Canadian fireballers, no one does the news like Matt and Joe.

Pedro Martinez: Baseball's Ace of No. 2's

Pedro Martinez will enter the 2008 season in a different role; as the Mets No. 2 starter.

With the addition of Johan Santana, the Mets are now able to take some pressure off of Pedro. All winter long people have been questioning Pedro's durability, being a year-and-a-half removed from major rotator cuff surgery. But now with Santana in the mix, Pedro is not counted on to be the 220+ inning ace the Mets would need to be successful. Pedro can now slide himself to the No. 2 slot, but don't think he'll pitch like a No. 2.

I get the sense that many doubt what Pedro can do. In 2005, he had a very impressive season, going 15-8 with a 2.84 ERA, along with 208 strikeouts in 217 innings. Then 2006, he was banged up and one thing lead to another. The Mets took their time getting him back, figuring he was being prepped for October baseball. While the Mets collapsed, Pedro was great, going 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA, with 32 strikeouts in 28 innings. And if you remember correctly, Pedro should have been 5-0 in his five starts. His one no decision was a game the bullpen blew to the Phillies (which cost them the season) and the loss was probably his best performance in the month, a loss against the Cardinals in which he went 7 innings only allowing two runs on seven hits.

Now I feel I'm one of the few who are banking on a great year from Pedro. And his September makes me confident enough. Yeah, the nay sayers will tell you that he can't hold up for an entire year, he's too old, and yada yada yada. While Pedro is now 36, that doesn't mean he can't be great. He's not the pitcher he used to be, obviously. But he's still a genius on the mound. He's accepted being a new pitcher since coming to the Mets. He's pulled away from this fastball and he now out-smarts everyone. Pedro will be the same genius this season and that gives me every right to believe he can be a 17-game winner.

Pedro holds a large key to any success the Mets have in 2008. And that fact makes me very confident as a Mets fan.

Uh-oh Roger...

According to WFAN and the NY Daily News, Brian McNamee has turned over evidence to help back up his claims that Roger Clemens has used both human growth hormone and steriods.

This all started with the Mitchell Report and was followed up with Roger's denial on 60 Minutes. According to an anonymous source, McNamee has turned over vials with traces of steriods and human growth hormone as well as blood stained gauze pads and syringes. Beyond the questions of why McNamee started this very creepy hobby, this could be the nail in the coffin for Roger Clemens.

Here is an article on it: http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-sproger0207,0,1696182.story

I've Got That Johan Feeling!

Johan Santana will be formally introduced to the New York Mets tomorrow, with a press conference at 1 PM tomorrow. The press conference will be aired live on SNY and you'll be able to listen on WFAN.

I'm personally pumped for the Santana press conference. Just one week ago it was announced that there was an agreement and then last night we all first saw the Santana jersey's available on Mets.com, as well as Santana in the Mets header. It'll be a fun way to kick off baseball season tomorrow afternoon seeing that No. 57 jersey being shown off.

Baseball is upon us, folks. And this is why we love life.

Superbowl XLII; A Night of Torture, Panic Attacks and Celebration

In Matt and Joe Radio's final football post of the year (unless Chad Pennington wants to chat with us one day), I figured I'd go through some of the personal highlights of Superbowl XLII.

Pre-game:
...The mood is calm, we're confident in the Giants. The location of course is the same room as the first three playoff games, obviously all Giants victories.

Quarter 1
...Giants start with ball, good. Near 10-minute drive, good. Settle for a field goal, we'll take it. Relieved that the Giants scored first but we hate Tom Brady and need to make some stops

Quarter 2
...Alright, nothing is happening. Mood in the room? Bored and nervous. Great defense, but the casual football fans are distracting those locked in the nerve-wrecking state of a Championship game. So what's happening? The commercials. And they aren't funny. Who cares? Tom Brady just lead the Patriots to a touchdown. Giants down 7 - 3.

Halftime
...Tom Petty looks old. He is old. Why isn't he playing with excitement? He's old. Is that a guitar or an arrow? It's a guitar. That would've been cooler if it was a guitar going through the heart on stage. It is a guitar...

That's just the ongoing conversation within the room during the halftime show. Mind-boggling, I know.

Quarter 3
...Plaxico keeps dropping passes, the defense keeps the stops going. Commercials are still bad, again... who cares? The Giants are 15 minutes away from being Superbowl Champs or Superbowl Losers.

Quarter 4
...Eli gives the Giants a lead, BAM! Oh crap, there's Tom Brady. Oh crap, there's Randy Moss. "I need you to be nervous, Dahl!" The Patriots just need to score. "Stop being calm!" Hold them to a field goal. Oh crap, pass interference. Touchdown Pats. Three minutes to go. Giants down four. "Wait, can they tie it?" No they can't. "I don't get it." Three minutes till either heart-break or happiness. It was up to Eli. Why the hell are we confident? Nervousness, excitement, praying; all the things being done during the biggest drive of the Giants franchise. SHIT! He's about to get sacked. No wait! He's stumbling backwards! Get up Eli! Catch it, Tyree! HE CAUGHT IT! How?! We'll call that one the Eli Magic Scramble. Keep it moving. Floater up in the air. Plaxico in the endzone. TOUCHDOWN GIANTS! We love you, Plaxxi. Are you kidding me?! Is this really happening? Oh wait, it's still Tom Brady down 17 - 14 with the ball on the 30. Kill him. Giants attack, incomplete. Giants attack, incomplete. Giants attack, SACK! And down goes Brady! One more play. ONE MORE 'EFFIN PLAY. Up in the air, INCOMPLETE. Holy crap! I mean HOLY CRAP!

Water shower, high fives and jumping. We were all truly relieved, and thankfully one of the most stressful nights a room could ever create ended with a Championship.

That's my Superbowl 42 experience quickly summed up. I feel it was a good breakdown of the mood in the room from quarter to quarter, as well as some ongoing dialog. It may seem strange, but after all, the Giants are Superbowl champs... by beating the unbeaten. I think strange is the way to go here.

Below are some pictures from the late 4th quarter.



And now, football is closed. I'm sure Joe is happy.

-Matt

Bedard to Seattle Update

UPDATE (11:45 PM): Sherrill was in Baltimore today to take his physical. The way this trade is working out, it might take some time before it is finalized but it looks like Adam Jones and Nick Markakis will be patrolling the outfield next season.

UPDATE (2:23 PM): This trade seems close to done. The Baltimore Sun is reporting that there still haven't been any physicals yet, but we're almost there.

Possible trade announcement tonight? I think tomorrow is more likely

- Joe

I know Matt and Joe often aren't the source the breaking news in terms of trade whispers and soon-to-be deals, but every now and then we are pretty quick on updating you guys.

Here is the latest in the Bedard drama:

Little article here says that Jones is on his way to Baltimore for a physical that should be the last step in this monster deal.

As you can all remember, because you all read so frequently and memorize my posts, I still think this is a bad idea for Seattle. I'll stand by it, especially after seeing what the Mets were able to send over for Santana.

My guess is we'll hear Bedard-to-Seattle on Tuesday. That will mark the 3rd big name pitcher traded this winter (4th if you count Dontrell, but that trade is in a league of its own). Sounds like a perfect little segment for Matt and Joe: The Return on BTR. One Week.

Sunday Feb. 10th, 2008 - 7:00 PM EST - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mattdahlradio

Congrats to the Giants

Well just over an hour ago the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17 to 14, making them Superbowl Champions.

Football is not my sport, but that was the greatest game I've watched. I was very glad to be rooting for the Giants, it was a very fun game to be involved in.

Big time congratulations goes out to the New York Giants. Job well done, proving the doubters wrong really from day one. Great run on the year, and the best team won tonight.

I'm happy for Eli Manning, who for some reason I felt a great deal of confidence in with three minutes to go and the Giants down by four. And then he went on to leading the Giants down an impressive drive and the game-winning touchdown. In the middle he completed one of the biggest plays you could ever imagine, by avoiding a game-changing sack, and turning it into a momentum-shifting play, completing an amazing catch to Tyree, who somehow held onto that ball. It was only a matter of time after that, and then Eli to Plaxico... Superbowl Champions.

Tom Brady got his ass kicked by the Giants defense and my theory held up... nobody's perfect.

Most of all, I want to send out congratulations to the big Giants fans out there. I think I'm happy for you guys most being the die-hard Mets fan that I am. I know how big these games are to fans, and I know that a loss would be stab in the heart. Losses sit with fans forever, painfully. But I'm sure a Championship is the sweetest feeling you could ever imagine. Enjoy it, soak it in, and be happy.

I may come back tomorrow with a post of my Superbowl XLII experience, but for now, to satisfy Joe , I will follow up on his reminder that we are back in just ONE week. Mark your calenders, we'll be ready for baseball.

One Week 'til The Return

I feel I have made it pretty obvious that I was done with the Superbowl before the NFC/AFC championship games were completed two weeks ago.

In the spirit of ignoring SB XLII, I just wanted to remind everyone that in just 7 days Matt and Joe will be on the air again! Starting at 7 PM and going until Matt decides to cut me off, we'll be discussing the world of sports and talking about where we've been for the last 2 months.

If you guys have any specific topic you want to cover just leave us a message here and we'll make sure it is in the show. We're men of the people.

So mark your calendars: Sunday Feb 10th 7 PM EST. The Return.

- Joe

Time to Support New York

Well it can't be any secret, whether it be from knowing Matt and Joe Radio from the beginning, or just reading this blog for the past few days, or even knowing me and Joe since our beginnings; we are baseball people. But this weekend what is viewed upon as the biggest event in sports (not by me and Joe, of course) will be taking place. Superbowl XLII. While as I've gotten older, my interest has dropped in the Superbowl and the NFL in general, I've still watched without much care for the result. This year, however, will be different. New York Giants and the New England Patriots. What the hell, let's make another New York and Boston battle. The Giants come in as the red-hot team using all the momentum they've created. The Patriots come in 18-0 for the 2007 football season. Now can momentum lead David past Goliath, or will perfection be completed?

You know what they say; nobody's perfect.

I followed the Giants a little during camp; with all the Strahan issues and who could forget Tiki Barber running his mouth on the Today Show. I went into the year figuring they'd flop and Tom Coughlin would be fired and this organization could move on. But after two poor weeks, things changed. Sure, they had their bumps throughout the year (inconstancy in the offense and losing Jeremy Shockey for the year), they've battled through it all and have landed themselves in the Superbowl.

I remember Week 16 against Buffalo. Eli Manning had a dreadful first half and the Giants seemed like they'd lose another game they should win. But the defense came out with fire in the second half and clinched a playoff birth for the Giants. Then came the Pats. While the Giants lose that Week 17 battle in the Meadowlands, they showed more fire than we've seen all year. And that carried right over into the playoffs.

Sure, you could say the Giants have talked far too much since the playoffs began. Everyone said they needed to pull back on talking themselves up against Tampa Bay, everyone thought they were over their heads with confidence against the Cowboys, and how in the world could anyone think the Giants would beat Brett Favre at a FROZEN Lambeu Field? No one, but they did. And the talking from the players seems to do nothing but fire this team up.

So keep Plaxico in front of the press until Sunday. Let Strahan "threaten" Tom Brady that he'll feel pressure. And by all means, if the Patriots want to doubt, let them doubt.

Now for my ties to this game. I am a considerably neutral football fan. I will admit that if push came to shove, and I had to choose a favorite team, it would be the New York Jets. But I don't have to pick a team. Much like Joe, I am a loyal Chad Pennington fan, and therefore I strongly root for the Jets. But I'm a New York fan for teams that don't begin with a Y and rhyme with Stankees. Was that mean? Oh well, moving on. So yes, I support the Jets and Giants each football season and do get into their playoffs runs when it happens. So this year, with the Jets being a joke and ruining the days of Chad, the Giants have become a football focus for me. And come Sunday, it will be the same support I've been giving since that weekend in Tampa.

Tomorrow night, with perfection in balance, it will be Superbowl XLII in Arizona. One side will feature a team that has yet to be beaten, and the other will feature a team that hasn't lost on the road in five months. It'll be a battle of two teams that like to talk. One side has made the prediction of the final score, the other has a book ready for Monday morning release titled "The Perfect Season". Eli versus Brady, Plaxico versus Moss, New York versus Boston. At 6:30 tomorrow, I'll have my blue on, and my New York Mets hat on, and I'll be ready for some Giants football.

And remember, NOBODY is perfect.

Johan Santana and Mets reach agreement

ESPN 2 reports that the New York Mets and Johan Santana have come to terms on a contract extension, pending a physical.

It was only a matter of time before this happened. I felt confident it would be done, but probably would've jumped off the nearest bridge if it weren't completed. This is a relief and I guess now Mets fans can officially celebrate the acquisition of Johan. I know I'm happy. Me and Joe will continue to update this as the numbers begin to emerge.

SI.com is reporting that the deal is worth a total of $150.75 million over 7 years (including this coming season). $7 million will be paid as a signing bonus.
Here is the original article: Santana Signs With Mets
- Joe

Santana has passed his physical. Welcome to the Jr League, Johan. It is scary how much better his stats can get now that he gets to pitch at lineups with the pitcher in the 9 spot.

- Joe @ 6:11 PM EST

Check out Seven Train to Shea

As the Santana Friday continues past 5 PM, check out SevenTraintoShea for what's going down. Matt and Greg have done a tremendous job staying on top of what's become a stressing day for Mets fans.

The Mets have been granted two more hours which makes you assume it's close. But obviously being a Mets fan you're a pessimistic person and just want to hear it's been finalized.