By Rick Hummel
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/11/2007ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
1. Will the Cardinals successfully defend their World Series championship?
Probably not. No other team has done so this century. The last to repeat as World Series champions were the New York Yankees, who won three straight World Series from 1998-2000. But get this. In the National League, no team has repeated World Series titles since Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" in 1975-76. And before that in the National League, you have to go back to the 1921-22 New York Giants.
No, the Mets will kick their ass regardless of what our IM D-man says.
2. Will Barry Bonds break Henry Aaron's record before he retires or before the Feds get him?
Probably. Bonds enters the season needing just 21 homers to catch Aaron and recently he said he intended to play beyond this season ??? presuming he isn't suspended if found guilty on perjury charges. If he doesn't hit the home runs this season, he'll easily do it as a DH next year. Commissioner Bud Selig will be on hand to see Bonds' potential record-breaking homer. Aaron probably won't be.
Fuck that A-Hole.
3. Will Roger Clemens play and, if so, for whom?
Clemens won't turn his back on an eight-figure contract for three months of work. Even though pal Andy Pettitte has gone from Houston to New York as a free agent, look for Clemens to play again with the Astros sometime after mid-June. Clemens isn't able to condition himself for a whole season anymore but for half a season, he is as good as anyone. The rest of the Astros , however, may not be.
I doubt he'll return to the Bronx....too bad he didn't, oh yeah....Fuck the Red Sox.
4. Who will be the first manager fired and who are the others on the hot seat?
Remarkably, Seattle's Mike Hargrove survived a last-place finish by his team last year. If the Mariners don't start quickly this season, even Jeff Weaver won't be able to save Hargrove. Others who might follow are Baltimore's Sam Perlozzo, whose team has spent considerable money in an effort to try to catch the Yankees, Boston and Toronto, and Philadelphia's Charlie Manuel. Manuel had one foot out the door last year before St. Louis an Ryan Howard and a pitching revival sparked a late second-half surge.
Something tells Torre will be gone if he doesn't win this year, or he may just leave.
5. If there is an eighth different World Series champion in eight years, who are the leading candidates?
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who, if not quite like the old days, are pitching-rich. The New York Mets, if they can find two starting pitchers. The Atlanta Braves, if their retooled bullpen works and if Tim Hudson bounces back. And the Chicago Cubs. Yes, the Cubs, although wouldn't it be better if they waited until 2008? Then, it would be an even 100 years between World Series titles, a record that isn't likely to be broken.
The Mets, without a doubt.
6. Will Sammy Sosa make a successful comeback with Texas and hit the 12 home runs to reach the 600-homer mark?
Probably not. The last time a former Cubs star laid out a year and tried to return, Ryne Sandberg did little to add to his Hall of Fame candidacy. Sosa will hit one less home run for Texas than he hit for the Rangers the first time around. He had one homer for the Rangers in 1989 before being traded to the Chicago White Sox.
Fugetaboudit Sammy.
7. Will J.D. Drew find happiness in Boston?
Are you kidding? Drew didn't find lasting peace in St. Louis, Atlanta and Los Angeles ??? all cities that are less demanding of their baseball players than Boston is. In Fenway Park, the fans almost are on the field with the right fielder, in this case Drew. Playing 120 games, as has been more his norm except for a couple of seasons, will get him in trouble and he will be able to hear their dissent. On the other hand, if he starts quickly, he could be golden.
He's a Fag. No offense Bigdee
8. Can the Kansas City Royals, having spent $55 million on Gil Meche to be a No. 1 starter that he never has been, compete in the American League Central?
Unequivocally, no. And not just because the Royals aren't very good, though they seem improved. The Cleveland Indians, who finished fourth to the Royals' distant fifth last year, were the best, next-to-last team in any division. Not only are the Indians out of sight for the Royals, but so, too, are Detroit, Chicago and Minnesota.
9. Will the Detroit Tigers' pitchers spend more time fielding bunts this spring training?
Yes, but not to the point of exhaustion. Teams just don't bunt in the American League, where there were 461 sacrifices in 1,134 games last year, compared to 1,190 in 1,295 games in the National League. But manager Jim Leyland (above) might conduct a refresher course before the Cardinals play in Detroit in mid-May.
Ditto
10. Will the National League, winless in the past 10 All-Star Games, finally win one?
Book it. National League manager Tony La Russa won't want to lose this game in front of his family and friends in the San Francisco area. Expect some late-inning moves
I can see Tony lighting a fire on their asses.
