Cleveland

One of the most interesting races in baseball should be the AL Central Division.  The Midwestern division isn't the sexiest in baseball, but it's highly underrated. 

ESPN will give more coverage to one Red Sox/Yankees series than they will to the combined seasons of the five teams in the division, but the fans of those teams know it's shaping up to be a great race in 2011.

Can you believe the Tribe is already a week into spring training 2011? It seems like it was just yesterday when we saw manager Manny Acta sliding down the toboggan chutes at Progressive Field's Snow Days.

Although we are still about a month away from Opening Day on April 1st, there are already some headlines coming out of Goodyear, AZ.

Will Grady Sizemore be ready for Opening Day?

Are we still worried about Shin-Soo Choo's military obligations?

What's going on with Austin Kearns?

Fire at Goodyear Ballpark?

What's Manny Acta's favorite movie?

Last year, the Cleveland Indians finished second-to-last in the AL Central with a 69-93 record.  Considering how center fielder Grady Sizemore missed most of the season with a knee injury, along with the inconsistent pitching, that's still a pretty strong performance.

Thirty-six year old Justine Siegal has a passion for the game of baseball, and this has allowed her to make great strides in the sport.

No, she's not a player—that would be truly remarkable. What makes this event so special is that, for some reason, it's flown somewhat under the radar.

Siegal has spent the past four years as an assistant baseball coach at Springfield College in Massachusetts. Aside from coaching baseball at the college, she has been working toward her Ph.D. in sports and exercise psychology.

In articles like this, many websites give readers a list of the best overall prospects at any given position, but the intention here is to focus on those prospects that are most likely to provide a significant fantasy impact in the 2011 season. Thus, a guy like White Sox prospect Dayan Viciedo—who should be beaten out by fellow prospect Brent Morel—is not on my list.

Ditto for Josh Bell in Baltimore, who has been blocked by the recent acquisition of Mark Reynolds.

Major League Baseball features some of the most talented athletes in the entire nation, and it has done so for over a century.  Over the years, stories are told about Major Leaguers having dominant seasons and becoming champions, but being a winner does not make a player unique.

As the 2011 Major League Baseball season is just over two months away, it's appropriate to start thinking about the key pieces for every team this season.

While we saw the Giants win the World Series with a pitching-heavy formula, their championship counterparts, the Texas Rangers, road Josh Hamilton's bat the majority of the way there.

Every team has high expectations coming into the season, and here is a list of players who will have to produce in order for their teams to meet them.

Be prepared for some surprises, as several big-name players have changed teams.

Robert Alomar and Bert Byleven have been elected to Cooperstown this year. Both men narrowly missed out on being elected last season.

Alomar spent time with seven different teams during his Hall of Fame career. It is amazing to that a player of his caliber bounced around so often and never spent more than five seasons with one team. Alomar was a 12-time All-Star and won 10 Gold Gloves as a second baseman. In addition, he also won four Silver Sluggers and was the 1992 ALCS MVP, as well as the 1998 All-Star Game MVP.

As the 2010 season approached, it was expected that the American League Central division race would come down to the final games. The division had been decided by a tie breaking 163rd game in 2008 and 2009, so there was no reason to believe that 2010 would be any different.

Bob Feller, one of the greatest pitchers in major league history and a true icon in Cleveland sports, has passed away.

The 92-year-old was diagnosed with leukemia in August and underwent several additional health problems before moving to a hospice and passing away last night.

"Bob Feller is gone. We cannot be surprised," said Indians owner Larry Dolan. "Yet, it seems improbable. Bob has been such an integral part of our fabric, so much more than an ex-ballplayer, so much more than any Cleveland Indians player. He is Cleveland, Ohio.