Opinion

The Boston Red Sox have a familiar problem heading into spring training. Too many quality starting pitchers.

Back in 2005 the Red Sox were confident that, even though they had parted ways with consummate ace Pedro Martinez, there were plenty of pitchers to send to the mound to construct a rotation that would be effective. However, an injury to Curt Shilling had the team scrambling to find its ace, and its identity.

The 2009 postseason will forever provide fond memories for Yankees fans—a month of baseball that signaled the franchise's return to the apex of the sport.

But being a Sports Pessimist (the New York Jets did this to me), I still had a couple of minor gripes. One was Chris Rose, the Best Damn Sports Show hack who was inexplicably given on-field emcee duties following New York's Game Six clincher.

What do you think was the over/under for the number of Yankee games Rose watched last year? Eight? Four? One?

Today, my travels took me to the local Wal-Mart where I picked up some packs of 2010 Topps Baseball Series 1 and landed four Million Card Giveaway redemptions.

Unfortunately for me, the booty wasn't good today, so I've chosen the best of the bunch–1988 Von Hayes.

Good teams often have a certain attitude about them, a brashness that often borders on cockiness. That is why I enjoyed New York Mets third baseman David Wright's recent proclamation that the Mets are going to win the World Series.

According to the New York Post, shortstop Jose Reyes also got in the spirit shortly after Wright's bold prediction. According to Kevin Kernan, "Reyes said over in the minor league clubhouse that there is "no doubt" the Mets can make it to the World Series and win it all."

One of the clichés you hear in the weeks preceding the opening of spring training camps is that "competition brings out the best in players."

Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman both have said that during the last month. In fact, here is what Girardi said just yesterday:

Every Yankee fan knows the feeling. Walk anywhere outside of New York wearing the blue and white, and we're greeted with chants of derision. However, unlike what fans of the Red Sox or Mets might endure, we endure insults that challenge not our team, but our fanhood.

"Front-runner."

"Bandwagon-Jumper."

People who have heard these sorts of insults know that they hurt more than other ones, such as "Yankees suck" or chants of that ilk. At least there is a reasonable comeback to that, and inane arguments about whose team is better are a major part of being a sports fan.

Predicting how a team will perform before they even gather en masse for spring training is a dicey proposition. Some of the players won’t even be with the team when they break camp in six weeks.

But what’s the fun in being safe?

Ever since Kenny Williams stole Jake Peavy away from the San Diego Padres, I have been dying for the start of the 2010 MLB season.

The White Sox have loads of potential for this new season. They have one of the best and deepest starting pitching rotations in the league. But just how good can this staff be? I dream about the answer every night.

The Sox look loaded when it comes to pitching. But, it can come down to how you want to look at it.

Last season has come and gone. Dreams of back-to-back World Series titles have faded in a sea of despair. Ending like a cheese steak from Geno's, with Phans still salivating for more.

The 2010 season is here. Starting a little over 1,000 miles away from the snow-covered streets or Broad St., the Phightin's begin their defense of their National League title. In the words of J.C. Romero, "Somebody else has a trophy that I want. We have to go get it now." 

The shortstop position has been ever changing since Cal Ripken Jr. first stepped on a major league field.

The position that used to have only the smallest players and lightest hitters is now filled with tall and powerful baseball players who use their size to extend their defensive range rather than pure speed.

The trend of big, filled-out shortstops has developed so much that it now has branches of styles stemming from it.