MLB

It was just a couple of days after the Phillies' 2008 World Series win when it was announced that Ruben Amaro, Jr. would be the team's new general manager.

Pat Gillick left on top of the world, a ring on his finger and a wonderful story to ride off into the sunset with.

Amaro, now 45 years of age, had been the team's assistant GM since 1998 and had been a part of both the Gillick and Ed Wade eras.

Hired after Gillick's retirement, not many people knew what to expect from Amaro.

No one bashes the Mets more than I do. That is a fact. My Mets' glass is always half-empty.

Lately, more and more fans and pundits have begun to feel the same way.  The Mets are going nowhere, fast.  All hope is lost. What is point of watching a team that continues to fall flat in every key situation?

Well, that's the reason why I'm picking the Mets for the NL playoffs this year. No one thinks they can win.

The Tampa Bay Rays are coming back from a disappointing 2009 campaign after a World Series run in 2008. The Rays have a long list of youngsters that are ready to break free and bust open the door.

The only real acquisition of a position player came in the form of C Kelly Shoppach, who was sent over from Cleveland. He will be platooning at the catcher spot with Dioner Navarro.

Bottom line, the Yankees are the defending World Series champions.

I think they have a very good shot for pulling off the repeat. The Yankees lost Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrerea and a great prospect in outfielder Austin Jackson, however they did bring in Curtis Granderson, Javier Vazquez, Randy Winn, and Nick Johnson.

The baseball season will officially be under way today with games finally beginning after a seemingly endless offseason (maybe only to me, those four months are agonizing). Today the Atlanta Braves take on their biggest rival, the New York Mets. The rivalry has been a bit calmer the past few seasons as both have been chasing the Phillies for titles and both the Braves and Mets have had injury-riddled seasons in the past two seasons. 

Throw open the sashes of your windows and let the spring air in, grab yourself some tin foil wrapped hotdogs, and sit back and enjoy; baseball’s hibernation is officially over.

The first certified spring training game between two MLB clubs will commence today at 1:10 PM EST in Port St. Lucia, Florida, and it will feature the New York Mets against the Atlanta Braves.

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In the coming weeks, I will attempt to create the most accurate 2010 big board available. This draft guide will be released 10 players at a time until my top 50 have been revealed.    

With the meteoric rise of Jersey Shore and the "gorilla juiceheads" that the MTV hit so lovingly glorified, I was starting to believe that America had turned a corner in its collective stance on steroids.

If you're a baseball fan, that was your hope anyway. Coming off a year in which Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, and Mark McGwire were either tied or outright admitted to PED use, we were juiced out on the juice.

With the first Spring Training game later today, it is time to look at the last four non-roster invitees that the Braves have in camp with them.

These four players include two infield and two outfield prospects.

Brandon Hicks

Originally drafted in the third round back in 2007, Hicks hasn’t lived up to the promise that made Baseball America project him to be the starter at third base in 2012.

On the one hand, you have the throwing of the 1919 World Series by eight players, which acts negatively and selfishly toward the team, fans, and everyone surrounding baseball.

However, although the thought process of steroids could be to support one's team, in most cases it's just as selfish and used by ego-maniacs in search of personal glory.

On the other side of things, the White Sox were throwing a World Series for a bigger cause; to revolt against a cheap owner in the form of Charles Comiskey.