Opinion

The brief preseason series between the Dodgers and the Angels, known as the "Freeway Series" featured a little bit of everything.

Good pitching and strategic "small ball" dominated the first game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Friday night.

Saturday, however, both teams exhibited their offense to the fullest at Dodger Stadium.

Fans were treated to games that lived up to the expectations, although Dodgers fans may be disappointed with dropping both contests to the boys in red.

I am not trying to be a buzz kill.

I am not anti-Heyward.

I am not doubting the Braves' decision to start the McDonough Manchild out in right field.

I am, however, saying what I think needs to be said.

Jason Heyward is a rookie .

Not so dramatic there, was it?

There is zero doubt that Jason Heyward earned his spot on the Opening Day roster with his more-than-solid Spring Training.

How could you deny an .846 OPS and more hype than that movie with all of the blue people (you know, Avatar )?

Drafted: 17th Round, 2006 (Middle Georgia JC)

Height: 6′2″; Weight: 180 lbs

Born: February 19, 1987

Josh Reddick hails from Effingham County, Georgia, which is located approximately twenty miles north of the magnificent Antebellum city of Savannah. He was born to be a baseball player.  It’s all he has wanted to do since he was four years old and it’s all he wants to do for the next 15 or 20 years.

It seems to me that he may get his wish.

Warning: You're about to get roughly 1,000 words detailing another person's fantasy draft. If that sort of thing doesn't appeal to you, then I completely understand. Live Drafts are usually incredibly boring, especially after the first five rounds, which is why I have chosen to go another direction in this column.

The Yankees scored the go-ahead run in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. Yankees pompous radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling boasted the team was on its way to win their fourth straight championship.

It's hard to blame him. With Mariano Rivera pitching against the feeble part of the Diamondbacks order, Sterling would be a fool not to like his chances.

Nationals.com beat reporter Bill Ladson is reporting that Garrett Mock has been named the team’s fifth starter.

Heaven help us all.

They used to be scattered all over the state, particularly in the tri-county area.

The tony suburbs of Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills were popular for them, but towns like Washington and Livonia were home to some of them as well.

Theirs was a time when you not only played baseball for the Detroit Tigers, you stuck around to experience our winter months, too.

Let me start by stating up front, as a Minnesota Alumni, I bleed Maroon and Gold.

John Anderson, Minnesota Head Coach, has done a tremendous job coaching the University Men's Baseball Team. In 2009 he became only the 39th coach win 1,000 games in Division I College Baseball.

"First and foremost I would like to thank the Minnesota Twins organization and Pohlads for giving us the opportunity to be part of the experience of bringing outdoor Major League baseball back to the state of Minnesota," said Anderson.

In his first spring training ever—and with last year's Arizona Fall League listed as the only professional fodder on his Major League résumé—Mike Leake snagged the role of fifth starter for the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.

The move makes Leake only the 13th pitcher to completely skip the minor leagues since the amateur draft was introduced in the mid '60s. 

It's been 16 years since the last one, Ariel Prieto. He went 15-24 during a six-year career—a possible indicator as to why it has been so long.

The 2010 Cincinnati Reds roster is set. Most of the the roster is not a surprise. We pretty much knew 20 out of the 25 guys going in. Today, the roster was announced.

This list focuses on the guys who surprisingly made the big club. With the possible exception of Mike Leake, these guys are not going to be the difference between a playoff team and a disappointment.

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