MLB

There was Hal Newhouser, Prince Hal, who never got the credit he fully deserved because he had the misfortune of dominating during the so-called “war years,” as if he planned it out that way.

There was Jim Bunning, who’d one day baffle America as a Senate curmudgeon. But before that he baffled hitters.

The hottest position competition for the Oakland A's this spring is at second base, which is where one of their hottest hitters happens to play his defense.

Jemile Weeks has had an up-and-down career, having been called up from the minors in 2011, being deemed untouchable in trades that offseason and then being sent back to the minors in 2012.

With the A's trading Cliff Pennington and losing Stephen Drew in free agency, Weeks has gotten his chance to climb back to the top.  

Longtime New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has announced that he will be riding off into the sunset at the end of the 2013 season. 

It seems like each year in Major League Baseball, a dark horse seems to rise from the ashes to suddenly become a playoff contender.

The Baltimore Orioles and Oakland A's certainly rose from years of mediocrity last season. The Pittsburgh Pirates have been threatening to for the past two years as well.

For any dark horse to become a surprise contender, they need a few breaks to fall their way.

Here is one lucky break that each dark horse team needs in the 2013 season.

The Yankees offense has really thinned out since the start of spring training.

The team had lost Alex Rodriguez before the season even began and then lost Curtis Granderson to a broken forearm.

And with the most recent: Mark Teixeira's wrist injury that will sideline him until May.

In the 2012 MLB season, 27 different players hit 30 or more home runs. Only one team, the Los Angeles Angels, had three players appear on that list: Mark Trumbo (32), Albert Pujols (30) and Mike Trout (30). It was the first time since 2000 that three Angels players topped the 30-HR mark in a season.

The Boston Red Sox have had a number of young players like Allen Webster, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rubby De La Rosa make favorable impressions this spring. Most recently, catcher Christian Vazquez is starting to emerge as a top prospect.

Coming off a historic season, the Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera is clearly the top fantasy third baseman and arguably the top player in fantasy baseball in 2013.

Baseball is a fickle mistress.

She doesn't care how much money a player makes, what the numbers on the back of his baseball card says or how many individual awards a player may have picked up along the way.

The lady has one question: "What have you done for me lately?"

Around baseball, a handful of players are struggling to answer that simple query with anything other than, "Not much, dear."

The lady grows impatient.

She has taken notice.

We should as well.

MLB icons can't evaluate their baseball careers objectively until after retirement, but we sure can. Barring debilitating injuries, scandals or abrupt deterioration of skill, these accomplished individuals will eventually call themselves Hall of Famers.

First-ballot inductees are a very rare breed. Future members of that fraternity were identified as such.

And keep in mind that this sport wouldn't survive without innovative coaches, umpires and executives. Many were considered for inclusion and, as you'll read, several are undoubtedly Cooperstown-bound.