Opinion

Just in case anyone missed the month old occurrence, the BBWAA elected their Hall of Fame class for 2010.

Standard for the course, a lot of anger resulted from the public this year over some noteworthy omissions. Robbie Alomar was one, and Bert Blyleven was denied admission to the Hall in his next to last go around.

The wire services are crackling with what is deemed to be news today—Manny Ramirez is saying he will not return to the Dodgers in 2011!

This revelation ranks right up there with water being wet and the sky being blue.

Any Dodger fan who is paying attention knows this will be Manny's last season in Dodger blue. They also are aware if fate sends the season sideways, the team would look to deal Manny to an American League team.

For the first time in decades, financial constraints may have hampered the Yankees.

Whatever the cause, the Yankees enter 2010 as an inferior team. At least one compared to the unit that won the 2009 World Series.

For having the distinction as the longest standing professional sports franchise in one city spanning 128 years, it is somewhat amazing that a large concentration of the Philadelphia Phillies organization's postseason highlights have come in the most recent 30 years.

Certainly, some of this relates to Major League Baseball's format changes that first added a round of league playoffs with the initial formation of divisions and then expanded to the current four playoff participant approach in each league.

Ever since Theo Epstein took over as the Boston Red Sox GM, he has made sure the Red Sox have gone into each season with a quality starting rotation.

Starting with moving Derek Lowe into the starting rotation back in 2002, Boston has always had two upper-level pitchers at the top of their rotation.

The 2010 version of the Red Sox rotation might be their best ever under Epstein. With the addition of John Lackey in the offseason, Boston will go into the season with three potential No. 1 starters.

Pardon my boldness in this, my rookie attempt at writing for the B/R, but I genuinely believe that what you're about to read in this column is a potent rationale to reconcile the divide and to end decades of a truly bizarre era of major league baseball: an era in which a very significant rule was allowed to stay on the books that clearly divided the leagues in a fundamental way that no other professional sports league has ever permitted.

As a Mariners fan, I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't slightly apprehensive about the arrival of new outfielder Milton Bradley this year.

Along with other new arrivals such as Cliff Lee (starting RHP), Chone Figgins (1B), and a few other capable contributors, Bradley (who I'll now refer to as MB) comes with all the tools to help boost the M's into October this year. 

But he also brings with him quite a bit of baggage—a hot temper and what seems to be a distaste for authority figures (in which umpires and some managers might qualify). 

I am fan of Josh Towers.

He has the bulldog attitude, the will to win, the courage to push through when his stats tell us something further from the truth.

Towers saw early success while attending Oxnard JC, located in Oxnard California.  The Baltimore Orioles saw the promise and drafted Towers in the 15th round of the 1996 amateur draft.

1998 through to 2000 was when Towers put together three tremendous campaigns, going 30-21, with a 3.54 ERA in 500 innings.

With free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon reportedly signing a one-year, $8 million contract with Detroit, it appears as if two former Yankees will be prowling the Tigers' outfield in 2010.

Earlier this offseason, Austin Jackson was traded to Detroit in a three-team deal that also sent pitcher Ian Kennedy to Arizona and outfielder Curtis Granderson to the Bronx.

Jackson, a highly-touted prospect, hit .300 with four homers, 65 RBIs, and 24 steals in 132 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year.

Imagine you're Jim Leyland and you have the task of putting together a batting order for the 2010 Detroit Tigers.  Now I know Spring Training has just started and positional players aren't even in camp yet, but nonetheless it's fun to speculate.  Here's my go at it:

1.  Johnny Damon (DH / LF) / Clete Thomas (OF)

2.  Austin Jackson (CF) / Ryan Raburn (OF)

3.  Magglio Ordonez (RF)

4.  Miguel Cabrera (1B)