Minnesota Twins

You saw the title but I’ll go ahead and say it again. Baseball is back! And so am I here at Binge Sports. Welcome back to our continuing coverage of my favorite time of the year in sports. We’ve already gotten through the madness of March and last night’s Final Four. We’ve got that championship game tomorrow night. We’ve got the Masters coming up later this week (of course I’ll have a preview). The NBA and NHL playoffs are right around the corner, and I’ll be covering every single round of both. The NFL Draft is later this month and we’ve got The Kentucky Derby and Mayweather-Pacquiao on the same day in less than a month. So you’ll be seeing plenty of Binge Sports coming your way.

But today, we’re here to talk about one of my favorite days of the year. No, not that one, but Happy Easter to you anyway. No, it’s the start of baseball season. It’s the time of year where every team gets a fresh start. Believe me, as a fan of the Chicago Cubs, that’s a constant issue. But I’ll get to that shortly. Two years ago, I wrote a little piece about baseball on my personal blog, The Luke Norris Experience. Cheap plug, I know, but I went back and read it before I started writing this to once again remind myself why I love this game. I had actually forgotten what I wrote, but I kinda liked it, so I thought I’d share it with you here.

“Throughout the years, the game of baseball has certainly had its share of problems. From the color barrier to the steroid problem to work stoppages, the sport that once ruled the country has certainly taken a hit in popularity. Television ratings are down, as are attendance figures. Football has blown by it as the most popular sport in America. So why do I keep coming back every single year? What is it about baseball that makes me so sentimental?
Maybe it’s the fact that baseball was my first love. Maybe it’s the fact that one of the main reasons I know how to read is that I used to sit on my grandfather’s lap as a child as we read the Chicago Tribune to catch up on our beloved Chicago Cubs (yes I know, even more torture to myself). Maybe it was playing home run derby in the street with my friends until we couldn’t even see the ball. Maybe it was catching the end of a game on WGN when I got home from school. Maybe it was a 75 cent pack of Topps cards if my mom let me get them at the grocery store. Maybe it was a fun rivalry with my dad, a lifelong Cardinals fan, watching a weekend series at Busch. Maybe it’s taking a break from working in the yard, having a cold drink and listening to the game on the radio. Maybe it’s because that every time I walk up the ramp at Wrigley Field and see the scoreboard, the green grass, and the ivy, I immediately turn into my eight year old self again.
Or maybe it’s just the game itself. Maybe it’s a suicide squeeze. Maybe it’s a 5-4-3 double play. Maybe it’s a 95 mph fastball followed by an 85 mph breaking ball that buckles a batter’s knees. Maybe it’s a ball that’s certain to leave the yard until an outfielder reaches over the fence to bring it back. Maybe it’s watching a group of innocent kids in a little league game that play for the love of the game. Maybe it’s watching a minor leaguer in countless small towns throughout the country strive to achieve his dream of one day making it to the show. Maybe it’s watching your favorite big league ballplayer hit a walkoff bomb and seeing the joy on his face as he rounds third toward the mob that awaits him at home plate. Maybe it’s just watching the complexities within the simplicity that is the game of baseball.
Whatever it is, baseball is back. Will I be watching? Definitely.”

So after reading that, you know that I had to obviously be excited with the game that gets the season started tonight. It’s the St. Louis Cardinals visiting my beloved Chicago Cubs. Fanfreakingtastic.

Believe me, I could write for days and days on the beauty of the Cardinals and Cubs rivalry, but I’ll spare you that today. But this really is a great opener for baseball. The Cubs have very high expectations this season, but I’m not one of those fans to say that this is THE year. Naturally, I hope that every year is finally the year for the Cubs, and they’re certainly in better shape than they’ve been in a long time. But so many of their young superstars haven’t spent a full year in the major leagues. There’s talent everywhere, but this is the show. This is where the best players in the world are. So to my fellow Cubs fans: Calm down a little. It’s okay to be excited. I am too. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There’s 162 games between now and October. The division is tough. There’s a lot of good teams in the NL Central, and to get to the ultimate prize, we’ve got to dethrone the team that’s owned this division for years. Yes, it’s the St. Louis Cardinals. They’ve got to be thrilled with all of this hype surrounding Chicago. With all of that talk and hype, the Cardinals still have to be considered the favorite to win the division. Of course, it pains me to say that, but it’s true. The Cardinals just find a way to win, so although I don’t necessarily like the Cardinals, I respect the hell out of them as an organization. Okay, that’s enough of that. I feel dirty.

But seriously, this is one of the best rivalries in baseball with loads of history to back me up on that, so it’s really great to know that the next chapter begins tonight.

And one more thing before I move on. I understand that some of you may be upset with the Kris Bryant situation. This guy is a monster and I would have loved to see him on the roster to start the season, but let’s keep this in perspective. He’ll be up very soon and he’ll be ready. If keeping him in the minors for a few weeks gives us an extra year, I’m all for it.

Okay, I know that the Cubs and Cardinals aren’t the only two teams in baseball. So since I’m such a nice guy, allow me to get you ready for Opening Day. Here’s a nice list of every single game on Monday, along with the starting time, so you’ll know exactly when you need to “get sick” at work.

 

BLUE JAYS @ YANKEES

1:05 Eastern/12:05 Central

ESPN

Shocking! The Yankees kick off the day on ESPN. But thankfully, I really don’t see New York being a contender this year. Jeter’s leadership is gone, but at least we get to hear about Alex Rodriguez’s comeback (need a sarcasm font). The Blue Jays, on the other hand, should be a contender in the AL East behind a powerful 3-4-5 in the lineup with Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and Josh Donaldson.

TWINS @ TIGERS

1:08 Eastern/12:08 Central

It’s a nice story to have Torii Hunter back in Minnesota, but it’s certainly not enough to keep the Twins competitive in this division. I just don’t think they have enough to keep up with teams like Detroit, who should contend for another AL Central crown. Justin Verlander will start the season on the DL, but the pitching they still have should keep them afloat at the beginning of the year, even with Max Scherzer jumping ship. If not, there’s always that good offensive attack led by perennial MVP candidate, Miguel Cabrera.

ROCKIES @ BREWERS

2:10 Eastern/1:10 Central

I don’t see either one of these teams contending in their respective divisions. The NL West not only has the defending champion San Francisco Giants, but also a really solid Dodgers squad. A fourth or fifth place finish looks to be in the cards for the Rockies. The same could probably be said for the Brewers, who may try for a while, but won’t keep up with teams like the Cardinals and Pirates in the NL Central.

RED SOX @ PHILLIES

3:05 Eastern/2:05 Central

The Red Sox are probably the favorites to win the AL East in a really down year for the division. They had a very good offseason, adding Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, and it should be enough to get them into the playoffs. Speaking of playoffs, remember when Philadelphia was in them? I think the most we’ll hear about the Phillies this season is when they decide to unload some of that pitching. Cole Hamels will be a hot commodity this summer.

ORIOLES @ RAYS

3:10 Eastern/2:10 Central

The question for the Orioles is whether or not they can repeat what they did last year. They dominated the AL East in 2014, but they didn’t really make any big additions in the offseason like the Red Sox did. But when you win the division by 12 games, maybe you don’t need to. They’ll still look different with key players like Manny Machado and Matt Weiters returning from injuries. If their pitching can hold up, expect to see them in the mix come September. Just don’t expect to see Tampa Bay there. Their pitching is really good, but they just won’t score a lot of runs. Unless they expect to win a lot of 2-1 games, the Rays might end up at the bottom of a mediocre division.

METS @ NATIONALS

4:05 Eastern/3:05 Central

ESPN

Can Matt Harvey regain the form he had before his Tommy John surgery? That’s the biggest question that the Mets will need answered this season. The rest of the rotation should be decent enough, and I’d say the Mets will finish in the middle of the pack in the NL East. They’ll probably hover around the .500 mark for most of the year, which won’t be enough to keep up with the division favorite, the Washington Nationals. These guys are stacked from top to bottom. When you have a guy like Stephen Strasburg get bumped to second in the rotation, you know you only have the good kind of problems. Adding Max Scherzer to the rotation that includes three other really solid pitchers in Jordan Zimmerman, Doug Fister, and Gio Gonzalez, and you’ve got a formula to win 100 games, if not more. If I had to pick one team right now to win the World Series, I’d pick the Nationals.

BRAVES @ MARLINS

4:10 Eastern/3:10 Central

Staying in the NL East, the Braves just aren’t the Braves anymore, are they? The rotation just isn’t where they need it to be. The Upton brothers have been split up, and Jason Heyward is now a Cardinal. Where’s the offense coming from? Freddie Freeman, most likely. But that won’t be enough to keep pace. Offense certainly won’t be a problem in Miami. If Giancarlo Stanton can mentally get past being hit in the face last fall, he’s primed for a monster year. They’ve got some good hitters surrounding him in Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna, along with some solid veterans like Ichiro and Michael Morse. I don’t know if they can steal the division from Washington, but they will be right in the wild card mix.

WHITE SOX @ ROYALS

4:10 Eastern/3:10 Central

The White Sox should be much improved after adding a ton of key players in the offseason. They got help on offense. They got help on defense. They got help in the rotation. But with all of the talk being on the North Siders, they’ve quietly put themselves in position to be a legitimate contender in the AL Central, assuming ace Chris Sale can come back healthy after breaking his foot, which he should. Gross. Now I have to get that dirty off of me as well. Much like I said about the Orioles, can the Kansas City Royals repeat the dream season they had in 2014? This exciting young team made it all the way to Game 7 of the World Series before losing to the Giants, but they sure were fun to watch. Expect some of the same in 2015, but they’re going to have to play good baseball all year long to contend in this very competitive division.

ANGELS @ MARINERS

4:10 Eastern/3:10 Central

These are probably the two best teams in the AL West. The Angels, despite not getting the production they expected with those big contracts, can still score runs with the best of them. Mike Trout is arguably the best player in baseball and should have another MVP-caliber season. The rotation is really solid with guys like Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson. Expect them to be right there come late September. The question is whether they’ll be chasing or fending off the Seattle Mariners, who come into 2015 looking really good. I guess we can’t really make fun of Robinson Cano anymore for signing in Seattle. It looks like he made the right choice. Add Nelson Cruz to hit behind him and teams will have some problems with that lineup.

PIRATES @ REDS

4:10 Eastern/3:10 Central

If Mike Trout isn’t the best player in baseball, then is Andrew McCutchen? This guy is a treat to watch and he will keep the Pirates near the top of this division. They still might not be as good as the Cardinals, but they’ll certainly contend in the NL Central again. The rotation has a solid top three in Liriano, Cole, and Burnett to boot. Can the Pirates take that next step? Don’t expect too many steps from the Reds. Sure, they’ve got a lot of power, but it’s homeruns and strikeouts for these guys. As with the Phillies, the most we’ll probably hear of the Reds will be whenever Johnny Cueto hits the trading block.

PADRES @ DODGERS

4:10 Eastern/3:10 Central

The Padres will be in the top half of this division, but how much is that really saying? I like some of the pieces in their lineup with Matt Kemp and Justin Upton, but will that be enough? The addition of James Shields to their rotation was a major upgrade and should keep them at .500 or better for most of the year. The problem is that they’ll be chasing not just the defending champion Giants, but a Dodgers ballclub that may be just behind Washington as the biggest threat that the National League has to offer. The rotation is great. When Zack Greinke is your number two, then you’ve got a good rotation. Ace Clayton Kershaw is just about as lights out as you can get. And the lineup is loaded. Rollins, Crawford, Puig, Gonzalez. That’s not a bad 1-4. The Dodgers have to be considered the favorite to win the NL West.

INDIANS @ ASTROS

7:10 Eastern/6:10 Central

ESPN

These are two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum right now. The Indians have been picked by some people to go to the World Series. They don’t have many well known players, but they’ve got a lot of guys that do the little things that are necessary to succeed. And in that division, they’ll need to do just about everything right. On the other side, you’ve got the Astros, who are still in the process of rebuilding. They’re doing exactly what the Cubs have been doing, but just aren’t as far in. I think that in a few years the Astros will actually contend, but this year certainly isn’t that year.

RANGERS @ A’S

10:05 Eastern/9:05 Central

The Rangers really took a hit when it was discovered that Yu Darvish will miss the entire season. Taking away a team’s ace is never a positive. I don’t know if they’ll be able to keep up with the Angels and Mariners in this division. They’ve got some power in the lineup with Beltre and Fielder, but they’ll need a lot more to contend in the American League West. The A’s might have problems as well. They’ve basically got an all-new lineup in Oakland. But that’s what the A’s do. They make you think they’ve got nothing, and then all of a sudden, they’re in a pennant race.

GIANTS @ DIAMONDBACKS

10:10 Eastern/9:10 Central

It’s an odd year, so I don’t know quite what to expect from the 2010, 2012, and 2014 champs. I still don’t know what to make of Tim Lincecum, but Madison Bumgarner became a star last fall. The Giants are hoping he and Matt Cain can keep them competitive after losing some offense to free agency. The Diamondbacks just aren’t good. My sincere apologies to any D-back fans that I offend, but you know it’s the truth. There’s not much more I can say than that. If you finish within 25 games of the Dodgers, call that a win for the year and look forward to the future.

There you have it. All 30 teams accounted for. But we’re not done yet. You know how much I love my fan voting, so I’ve got yet another one for you. From time to time throughout the season, I’ll be giving updates on what’s going on in MLB, and every time you’re going to see this fan vote. What I’d like to do is have you vote on who you think is going to win each division. I just want to see how much the voting changes as the season goes on. I haven’t put a limit on the number of times you can vote, so each time you see it, go ahead and make your pick. So let’s go ahead and start it now and we’ll see how things shake out throughout the year. And……..GO!

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

[yop_poll id=”205″]

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

[yop_poll id=”206″]

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

[yop_poll id=”207″]

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

[yop_poll id=”208″]

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

[yop_poll id=”209″]

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

[yop_poll id=”210″]

Did I miss anything? Who’d you vote for and why? You can leave your comments below or you can always catch me on Twitter @BingeSports and/or @THElukenorris. Check back later this week for my preview of one of my favorite events of the year, The Masters. Until then, enjoy some baseball.