Manny Ramirez

With Opening Day nearly a week away, the Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff is still the top topic of preseason predictions. On paper, the Phils should easily pitch their way to the World Series, but so many things can happen over the course of the season that nothing is certain.

Roy Oswalt's frightening experience on the hill on Wednesday proved that seasons can be altered in the swing of a bat.

If you've read some of my other articles, you may know that I'm a big numbers guy; I love sabermetrics and I love breaking down stats to analyze players. 

When I set out to determine the best fastball hitters in baseball, I was immediately confronted with a choice; since players' stats on individual pitches were not counted before 2002, I had to decide whether to build this list based on numbers or reputation.

Being the numbers guy that I am, I decided to go strictly by the numbers (and thus this list is only from 2002 onwards). 

When thinking of Manny Ramirez, many moments go through a person's mind. Many are good, but several are anything but.

On the side of being one of the better hitters of his time (or any time for that matter), are the moments that created the saying of "Manny being Manny".

The most common phrase in professional sports (also the most overused phrase) that players and coaches use to describe a recent transaction is "it's a business." As a student of business, I can confidently confirm this brilliant diagnosis.

As a business, the Tampa Bay Rays must first outline their goal for the 2011 season. A successful season would entail making the playoffs, most likely as the American League wild card, and compete in the postseason. Check that off.

Bobbleheads, t-shirts and refrigerator magnets.

Oh, my!

One of the pleasures a fan of a lousy team has to look forward to every season are the cool promotions that sucker you in to handing over a hundred bucks you may not have otherwise.

I've become an expert at this in recent years rooting on the Mariners, unfortunately. I have more dolls than any 31 year old man should, thanks to the annual Ichiro bobbles. Though, they're sucking me in again this season.

Baseball has always been a sport based mainly upon tradition. People fear change, and Major League Baseball is no different.

Nearly everything you see on this list comes from the past 35 years or so. Prior to that time, there was little room for individuality in the game. It was about tradition and the team. Players weren't supposed to bring any added attention to themselves except from their play on the field.

Rewind to a year ago, and the Tampa Bay Rays were thinking Championship; fast forward to today, and just making the playoffs seems a bit far fetched.

The Rays are one of the best teams in baseball at developing young talent and getting as much as they can out of a small payroll. Having won two division titles in three years, including an AL pennant in 2008, the Rays will rely heavily on youth once again to make a run in the 2010-2011 season.

The Tampa Bay Rays took home their second AL East title in the last three years in 2010 by finishing with a 96-66 record. A quick exit in the Divisional Round at the hands of the Texas Rangers would soon follow.

We're two weeks into spring training and now that pitchers and hitters have started to get their groove back, attention is going to shift towards results.  The Tampa Bay Rays bullpen is wide open, and many pitchers are vying for a spot.  From grizzled veterans to young phenoms, the Rays have a variety of arms to look at.

Not to mention a guy by the name of Manny Ramirez. 

I am finally at the end of my series examining the relative strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the AL East, on a position-by-position basis. The players at each position have been ranked in relation to their peers within the division, with each team being assigned points based on where their player ranks in comparison to the other players.

Today, the series concludes with a look at the Designated Hitters.

The best player will earn 10 points for his team, with the remaining players being assigned points as follows: 7-5-3-1.