Silently Super Spartans

It’s incredibly difficult to get to the Final Four. Just ask the 343 schools who didn’t make it this year. To do it multiple times in a short span is even more difficult. Ask the eight schools who have done it since 2000 and they'll tell you it's no cake walk. In other sports, getting to the finals or playing in the last round of a tournament is just as hard to do. That’s what makes Michigan State so astounding. They are the definition of consistency in college basketball. This trip to Indianapolis and the Final Four is their 6th in the last 12 years. With the new style college basketball has taken on the last ten years, to be that talented every year is incredible.

Here is what college basketball has become in the last decade: If you have a good player, they're off for the NBA come mid-April. That means every year it is the coach’s job to start fresh and find the best players possible. And the best players in the country do not go to the same schools anymore. The competitiveness in the sport has never been greater. Since 2000, the top 5 recruits coming out of high school have gone to a combined 18 schools. Sure, UNC and Duke led the way with 6 and 4 Top-5 recruits, respectively, but some less history-rich schools have stolen some prospects. You probably wouldn't believe me if I said Washington, Seton Hall, and Alabama have as many top prospects in the last decade as UConn, Syracuse, Indiana, and Louisville, but it's true. It’s not like coach Tom Izzo has had the same core group of players for all 12 years. Each fall he takes a different group of kids, full of potential and expectations, and executes. That's right, they've been more consistent than North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas, and even a certain school from Durham, North Carolina... (Warning to any and all NCAA officials reading this: You will probably find the next statement highly offensive. Like adults say to their 6-year-old children, which most of you are, "Eyes closed children!")... the precious, can-do-no-wrong Duke Blue Devils.

(Tangent Time! Sunday night I was watching Duke-Baylor, steaming that Duke would win and go to the Final Four. The Bears need to foul, so they trap Jon Scheyer just beyond halfcourt. He calls a timeout and swings his elbows. In that order. As in the timeout was granted by the official standing 2 feet away, then a good second and a half after the whistle was blown he swung his elbow like he was a 13-year-old girl and Roman Polanski was coming at him. Of course nothing was going to be called on Scheyer. Yet when Baylor's Quincy Acy disagrees with it and bumps into a Duke player, he gets a technical foul. I'm not complaining over the technical. Acy deserved it. He got into Nolan Smith's face and made contact with him. Fine. Whatever. However, the fact that Scheyer's excessive elbow-throwing was in clear violation of NCAA rules. Section 13, Article 1 of the NCAA Men's and Women's Rule Book states "A player shall not excessively swing his or her arm(s) or elbow(s) even without contacting an opponent." Article 3 says "Action of arm(s) and elbow(s) resulting from total body movement as in pivoting or movement of the ball incidental to feinting with it, releasing it, or moving it to prevent a held ball or loss of control shall not be considered excessive." Scheyer was not moving either foot. It was a clear elbow after the whistle. Yet because he's from Duke, no call. Can't upset the fragile preppies.)

Can you tell I don't like Duke that much? I personally hope West Virginia kicks the crap out of them. So, right, back to the Spartans! When you think of some of the best teams in sports over the last dozen years few have comparatively matched the boys from East Lansing. The Los Angeles Lakers have made it to 6 NBA Finals with 4 titles. The New England Patriots made it to 4 Super Bowls and won 3. The Yankees made it to 4 World Series and won 2. But remember, all of those teams are professionals. That means they can keep players for as long as they please, pay them as much as possible, and have to contend with 30 other teams. In college the 70th best team can take down the best on any given night. Anyone who filled out and repeatedly swore at their NCAA Tournament brackets can tell you that.

To sustain success on the college level is something not many teams can do. So you'd think that a team like Michigan State would be constantly among the pre-season favorites to win the NCAA title, right? Wrong. And you'd think they would be loaded with the best talent in the land, right? Wrong again. Every season the Spartans are overlooked, largely due to their lack of superstars. When they won the national title in 2000, they had 2 All-Big Ten first teamers in Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson, but neither were Player of the Year worthy. In 2001 they had one all-conference first teamer (Jason Richardson). In '04-'05, their best players (Maurice Ager and Alan Anderson) made All-Big Ten second team. The last 2 years their best player was Kalin Lucas, whose career high in points is 25. Izzo didn't exactly work with Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Durant. But he takes what he has, utilizes his players' strengths, and turns them into a team. Every year they get pushed aside by the media, and every year the Spartans tell the media to shove it. How do you like them apples?

This weekend I can guarantee you this storyline will be overlooked. After all, Butler's gym is where the boys of Hickory High fictitiously won the state title in Hoosiers in 1951. And the Bulldogs are playing a whole 5-miles from downtown Indy, where the Final Four is being played this year. And West Virginia is playing in their first Final Four since the days of Jerry West. And of course Duke is playing, so we'll hear loads about how good Kyle Singler is (7-for-26 shooting his last 2 games, including 0-for-10 in the Elite 8) and how Nolan Smith is underrated. Spare me. I say focus on how amazingly consistent Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans are, and how for the 6th time in 12 years, they are quietly in the Final Four. Watch it closely. Who knows when another team will make such a run on the college level. And if you don't it's okay. The Spartans will keep on winning anyways.

Pretty Good for A Couple of Smart Guys

I need someone to explain this to me. Why exactly is it a surprise that Cornell is in the Sweet 16? Am I the only one who saw this coming? Through 2 rounds my NCAA bracket has SUCKED, thanks in large part to the Big East's decision to not show up. However, the one thing I can say is that I had the Big Red beating their first two opponents. The fact that people are having spastic heart attacks over this is a little idiotic.

To start with, let's get on the NCAA Selection Committee, because they caused most of this commotion. How on Earth is Cornell a 12-seed? The team went 27-4 in the regular season, and two of their losses were on the road to #1 seeds in Kansas and Syracuse (both of which were close games mind you... they were leading the Jayhawks at the half). They were at one point ranked in the ESPN/USA Today poll. I cannot comprehend how Missouri, Clemson, BYU, Old Dominion, and Florida were all seeded higher than the Big Red. Missouri was blown out twice by Kansas and beat a spiraling Texas team. Clemson had two wins over Top 25 teams, one of which was #13 North Carolina, who went to the NIT. That win is captivatingly unimpressive. BYU went 28-4, but had a resume that was as pathetic - if not more - as Cornell's. Old Dominion beat Georgetown in Washington, DC, so they get brownie points there. Other than that they are a very unflattering team. Florida beat #2 Michigan State early in the season, but went 9-7 in the SEC, which is okay at best if you leave out Kentucky.

Don't get the wrong idea about this team folks. This is not George Mason. They are much, much better. George Mason slipped by teams and had everyone on the edge of their seats, which is probably what made them so lovable. But the Big Red haven't done that through their first two games. They didn't need to hold on for dear life. They weren't playing survive and advance. They went out against Temple and Wisconsin, punched both teams in the mouth, and kicked the living crap out of them. They were up on the Owls by 19 before Temple made a 6-0 run over the last 3 minutes to end it. Before Wisconsin could blink they were down 16-4 and by the second half were completely overwhelmed. Cornell was merely more dominant for all 40 minutes of both games. Not bad for a couple smart guys from Ithaca, New York eh?

Sure, they stumbled a little bit with a truly awful showing at Penn, who at the time was 3-15. But that was a month ago. Let's see what else has changed in the last month:

THEN: Charlotte, Rhode Island, UAB, Tulsa, Dayton all received votes for the Top 25 polls.
NOW: None made the NCAA Tournament, and only URI was a controversial snub.

THEN: After a convincing win over #7 West Virginia, the UConn men were a lock for the Big Dance as long as they showed up in the last week of the season and the Big East tournament.
NOW: 4 straight losses later, the Huskies were NIT bound, and after barely beating Northeastern, their season ended Tuesday in Blacksburg, Virginia at the hands of Va. Tech.

THEN: Republicans were fighting hard with the Democrats over the health-care reform process.
NOW: There are a lot of pissed off GOPs out there.

THEN: The Big East was the conference.
NOW: 5 of the 8 teams to reach the NCAAs lost in the first round, 2-seed Villanova barely beat 15-seed Robert Morris then lost in the 2nd round.

THEN: Corey Haim was bringing entertainment much joy.
NOW: May you all bow your heads in silence.............................................
...............................................................
Thank you. Now stop reading this and don't come back until you've watched License to Drive and Lost Boys.

Clearly, a lot can happen in a month. Plus, every team is allowed a slip-up right? Last year Michigan State lost at home to Northwestern and they made it to the title game. Kansas lost at home to Oklahoma State in 2008 but won the national championship. If a team has an off night in a game outside of March, it's not the end of the world. It's only when it happens every other game that it becomes a problem. The smart guys from Ithaca can get a pass for that.

To call Cornell a Cinderella story is ridiculous. Cinderella has to come up from nowhere to rise to success. George Mason did that in 2006. Villanova did that in 1985. If you ask Kansas or Syracuse, they'll tell you the Big Red are very much somebody. It could be easy for a team to go into the Carrier Dome or Allen Fieldhouse and get rocked. Sure Cornell lost both games, but not without putting up a fight. And now they are in the Sweet 16, taking on what is probably the most talented team in the country in Kentucky. If the Wildcats were to lose it would be an upset, but I hope John Calipari doesn't take this new "Cinderella" nicely. If he does, expect the boys of Cornell to smack him over the head with the glass slipper.

March Madness Baby!

After a week off because 1) It was a quiet week all things considered, and 2) My commentary, which is essentially the very, very shortened rough draft of the blog, was written in 7 minutes at 10 pm. I had no intention of expanding upon it, because there really wasn't a whole lot to expand on. So here we are this week, and obviously it's one of the more wonderful times of the year. Let the Madness begin in college basketball! Last week there were plenty of fantastic games in the conference tournaments (notably the SEC final, A-10 final, and the entire Big East tourney), and if those games were any indication as to how the NCAA Tourney will turn out, college basketball fans everywhere will be in for a wild few weeks. But before you fill out those brackets, take these tips. I would guarantee them, then I remembered how my method turned out last year... anyways follow these 8 steps and you should be good to go. Here's my bracket if you wanted to take a look.

Obviously, take a 12-seed over a 5-seed. A must have for any smart bracket. This year there are some prime candidates in UTEP over Butler, Cornell over Temple, and Utah State over Texas A&M. I picked 2 of these 3 (UTEP and Cornell), and expect at least 1 to pull the upset.

There's a reason teams are ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. If you pick a 15- or 16-seed to pull off a first round upset, or even a 14- or 13-seed, do the following: stop reading this now, put down your pen, and shred your bracket into a million pieces. Why? Because you are an idiot. There's a difference between taking a risk and being flat out ridiculous. The only team that could lose among any of the top 4 seeds is Purdue because without Robbie Hummel, they aren't that good. Picking Siena to topple the Boilermakers is the exception to this rule.

The Big East is the best league in the country. Of the 15 Big East Tournament games, 9 were decided by 5 points or less. The difference between West Virginia (2-seed in the NCAAs and tournament champs), Cincinnati (NIT bound), and Louisville (9-seed) is 3 points. South Florida and UConn, both going to the NIT, beat top 15 teams multiple times this year. If you go .500 in the Big East, you are pretty darn good. In a field where 57 of the 65 teams are not from the Big East, the 8 who are in should be licking their chops. In fact, 3 of my 4 Final Four teams are from the Big East: Syracuse, West Virginia, and surprisingly, Notre Dame.

Throw any and all allegiances out the window. My favorite video game for a long time was NCAA March Madness 2000. And because using Connecticut was too easy, I liked to challenge myself using awful teams like Arkansas Pine-Bluff, UTEP, and San Diego State. But I'm not stupid, none of those teams will advance past the 2nd round, and for the Golden Lions of A-PB, they might lose the play-in game. Just because I began to kind of follow them doesn't mean I've lost sight of reality. You shouldn't either. Sorry to all the Lehigh and Wofford fans out there.

Do not, by any means, talk trash without the results to back it up. You think just because you watch a lot of college basketball that you're gonna automatically win your pool? Think you have more sports knowledge than everyone else? Fine. But by no means should you brag until the money and/or bragging rights are yours. I've heard of stories where people have won their pools for ridiculous reasons, ranging from liking the team name or logo, to flipping a coin 64 times to determine winners. So, yes, there may be a guy who hands his bracket to his 10-year old daughter to fill out, who picks anyone named the Wildcats because she really, really likes High School Musical. Should you mock that person? NO. Because having Kentucky, Villanova, and Kansas State as 3 of your 4 Final Four teams isn't ludicrous.

How a team finishes is a heck of a lot more important than how they started. In November, Texas and Villanova would be 1-seeds and Wake Forest would be a Sweet 16 team at worst. 4 months later times have changed. The only reason the Longhorns or Demon Deacons will advance is because they play each other. 'Nova lost 5 of their last 7, and I expect them to lose in the Sweet 16.

Ohio State and West Virginia, meanwhile, have raised their games as of late. There is no one in the nation I would rather have take a game-winning shot than Da'Sean Butler of the Mountaineers (6 buzzer beaters this year). Did you see that game winner against Georgetown?! Are you kidding me? He is the reason I picked WVU to win it all.

Don't put all of the #1 seeds in the Final Four. It has only happened once since 1979 (2008: UCLA, Memphis, UNC, Kansas). There is just too much parity for it to happen.

There are no George Masons out there. Get over it. Don't put an 11-seed in the Final Four. Minnesota showed they can compete with some good teams, but the great ones are too much for them. San Diego State is good, but Kansas, Ohio State, Georgetown, and Maryland are all better. Washington would have to go through Marquette and WVU (see Big East, above), then Kentucky, who has the most talent in the country. Old Dominion has the best chance. But I'm not going to put too much money on them. Sorry.

When in doubt, flip a coin. It may seem rudimentary and dumb, but sometimes a little luck can go a long way. I did it 4 times because I was just that stuck. And all were Sweet 16 matchups too. I believe that round is the hardest to choose from. This should not by any means be done on a consistent basis, nor should it be relied upon. It is merely an easy way to relieve yourself of the headache that is sure to come otherwise.

For those of you who fill out a women's bracket too, one word: UConn. 72 game winning streak. Every win by double digits. The two best players in the country. Two other all-conference players. The smartest coach in the country. The nation's top offense and defense. Are you convinced yet?

Baseball Predictions that Will Likely Not Happen

So the Olympics are over, March Madness is still a week or two away from really heating up, and I have nothing better to talk about this week. I thought about talking about the USA-Canada gold medal game on Sunday, but everyone has beat it into the ground on ESPN. Do I want to re-hash what countless sportswriters, analysts, and Skip Bayless have already beaten to death? Nah, that ain't me. So because I have waaaaay too much time on my hands, I decided to make 42 predictions about what is going to happen this year in Major League Baseball. And because I really had nothing better to do, I divided up the guesses into 5 categories, and even gave each category a quirky name. Once the season is over, I will go back and score myself on these sure-to-come-true predictions. So here they are:

The Robert DeNiro Movie: No matter how bad a movie is, you can always be assured that DeNiro will give an A+ performance. No matter how bad my other picks go, these should surely work out as planned.

1) The New York Yankees will repeat as World Series champions. This pains me an incredible amount considering I'm a Boston fan, but I have to admit it. The Yanks have Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, and Mariano Rivera, all of whom are among the best at their respective positions, if not the best. They upgraded from Johnny Damon to Curtis Granderson, and will be in the hunt for Joe Mauer. The train to the Commissioners' Trophy runs through the Bronx.

2) The Phillies will make it to their 3rd straight World Series. This team is an American League-caliber power playing in the National League. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, Cole Hamels, JA Happ, and now Roy Halladay will be too much for the rest of the NL to compete in a 5- or 7-game series. We're looking at a repeat of last year's Fall Classic.

3) Curtis Granderson will become a superstar. Under the dim lights of Detroit, Granderson became just the 3rd player ever to hit 20 home runs, 20 doubles, 20 triples, and steal 20 bases in a season in 2007. He has an above-average glove in centerfield, and is a huge step up from an aging Johnny Damon and a young, but not as good Melky Cabrera. Now that the New York spotlight is on him, expect the same numbers, only a lot more face-time for Granderson.

4) In a related note, the Tigers will realize that replacing Granderson with Damon will be an issue. Johnny Damon is one of the league's best leadoff hitters, has great speed, and above-average power.... What's that? It's not 2005? My bad. In 2010, Damon is one step slower, a liability in the outfield considering he throws like Smalls from The Sandlot before Benny taught him to throw, and has no more power than Granderson. Going from a 28-year-old star to a 36-year-old has-been = nothing good.

5) Steven Strasburg will be average at best this season. They are calling him the next big thing. But a year removed from San Diego State, rookie phenom Steven Strasburg of the Washington Nationals will not meet his comparisons with Nolan Ryan - at least not this year. With any hope, he'll start off in the minors, get plenty of time to get his confidence up, and then get the call to the big-time. The thing the Nats cannot afford to do is throw him too early and too often, especially if he does achieve early success. If they do, they could be getting into a Mark Prior situation.

6) Roy Halladay will be fine in the regular season, but come the playoffs, he'll be in for a rude awakening. Last season Cliff Lee pitched brilliantly in the second half of the season and the postseason for the Phillies. So what do they do? Trade him to Seattle for Halladay. While he may be a workhorse, Halladay has never come close to sniffing the postseason, with Boston and New York to deal with in the AL East. That lack of experience, plus the fact that eventually you've got to think he'll break down a little, could cause problems in October and November.

7) Albert Pujols will win another MVP. Let's go down the list at what Pujols is the best at: hitting for power, hitting to all fields, fielding at 1st base, decision-making. There is no one smarter or more talented than José Albert Pujols Alcantara on the planet. A perfect combination of size, power, brains, ability, and deceptive speed, there's no reason to believe he won't win his 4th MVP, and compete once again for the Triple Crown.

8) Ivan Rodriguez, Adam Kennedy, and Willy Tavares may be names, but it won't stop the Nationals from finishing last in the NL East. An aging superstar, another aging role player, and a fast centerfielder with no power won't be enough to get the worst team in baseball out of the basement in the NL East, especially when the division's top four teams (Philly, Atlanta, New York, Florida) are all contenders for a playoff spot.

9) 3 of these 5 managers will be fired by August 1st: Manny Acta, Dave Trembley, Dusty Baker, Lou Piniella, Cito Gaston. Here are who these 5 coach, respectively: Cleveland, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago (NL), and Toronto. None of these teams improved over the winter, their opposition got better, and all will be near the bottom of their divisions except for Piniella, but time is running out for him at Wrigley. In a world where coaches and managers are fired ad nauseum, these are my 5 candidates who won't be able to handle the temperatures on the hot seat.

10) Texas will have one of the best offenses in baseball, but will be a .500 team. Every season it seems that Texas is found among the league leaders in home runs (2nd in the AL last year) and runs scored (top 6), yet they haven't won a division title or made the playoffs since 1999. Only twice have they finished above .500, even with the high-powered offense, and there's no reason to think things will change this year.

11) With the addition of Chone Figgins, Ichiro will score 120 runs. As I wrote 2 weeks ago, Chone Figgins going to Seattle drastically improves the Mariners' offense. With a solid 2-hitter who can move Ichiro into scoring position, I see no reason why he won't reach 120 runs for the first time since his rookie year in 2001.

12) ESPN won't be the same without Peter Gammons. Who knew that such a little man could have such an impact on the baseball world. No one was more respected in baseball media than Gammons, and the Worldwide Leader will have a hard time replacing him. The good news? He went to NESN, so Sox fans will be able to see him 130 times a year.

The Lindsay Lohan Return to Rehab: I'm expecting these to happen, and if they don't it wouldn't be the end of the world, but ultimately I would be surprised.

13) The only teams capable of beating the Yankees in a playoff series are the Red Sox and Mariners. In the playoffs two great pitchers can beat a great team (i.e. Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson beating the '01 Yankees). The Mariners have Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee. Boston has Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey, and Daisuke Matsuzaka, then Jonathan Papelbon in the bullpen. The only hope anyone has of beating New York will be through pitching, and only these 2 have the depth.

14) Josh Johnson, Tim Lincecum, and Jair Jurrjens will be the NL Cy Young candidates. Johnson and Jurrjens will almost single-handedly give their teams a chance at a playoff berth and will have breakout years. Lincecum has won the last 2 Cy Youngs, and now that he's making more than $600K, expect his happiness to equal numbers once again.

15) The NL West rides on the arm of Brandon Webb. Last year Webb was hurt and only pitched 4 innings. Not so coincidentally, the Diamondbacks finished last in the NL West, even though they had talent. The West isn't very strong this year, and if Webb can come back and pitch like he did in '08, Arizona could be contending for the division with Los Angeles.

16) These will be this year's playoff teams: AL - New York, Minnesota, Seattle, Boston (wild card) NL - Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco, Atlanta (wild card)

17) The Royals will be 2nd in the AL Central on May 1st. By June 30th they will be last. For a split second last year, Zach Greinke and the Kansas City Royals were in 1st place in the division. A few weeks and a 9-game losing streak later, they were last, where they remained for the season. If they played every month like they do in April, they would be decent.

18) Joe Mauer, Lance Berkman, and Derek Jeter, all in their last year of their contracts, will stay. Joe Mauer may be the 2nd best player in baseball and deserve big-time money, but he's a Minnesota guy. Berkman has only a few years left, and he'd like to finish them in Houston. Derek Jeter being anything other than a New York Yankee is like The Funky Bunch without Marky Mark - it's not right. Don't even joke about it.

19) Ozzie Guillen will feud with Jake Peavy at least twice. Mark Buehrle was already given the Opening Day nod, even though Peavy is clearly a better pitcher. Peavy begrudgingly went to Chicago to begin with, and milked an injury so he didn't have to play. Guillen has the ability to piss off a Care Bear. Not good for Chi-Sox fans.

20) The NL East will be the best race. This division will be the most exciting to watch not because the division title will be close (Philly will run away with that), but because Atlanta, Florida, and the Mets all have a legitimate shot at a wild-card berth. These three could very easily be separated by a game or two in early October.

21) The AL West will be the 2nd best race. Seattle is an up and coming franchise with Lee and Figgins joining. The Angels have run away with the division recently, but lost Figgins and Lackey, two cornerstones to their success. Texas came on strong late, and have the offense to make some noise.

22) The Pirates will trade Zach Duke and/or Andrew McCutchen.These are the 2 best players in the Pittsburgh organization. Because of this, they will be traded. Look at whom the Pirates have gotten rid of in recent years: Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Xavier Nady, Nate McLouth, Adam LaRoche, Tom Gorzelanny, Jack Wilson. That's not a bad lineup, especially the outfield. Are the Pirates owners associated with the NBA in any way? Because they sure know how to tank like an NBA team.

23) With José Reyes back, David Wright will once again hit 25 home runs. The Mets were a truly atrocious power team. They couldn't hit home runs. Wright had only 10 homers and 72 runs batted in last year, down from 33 HRs and 124 RBIs in '08. With Reyes back, it will take a lot of the load off Wright, who can return to his normal self.

The Johnny Depp Academy Award: These predictions very well could happen, but no one would be surprised if they didn't.

24) This is the penultimate year for Mariano Rivera. Rivera is one of 2 Yankees I can respect (Jeter is the other), but he's not getting any younger. I think this year he will be typical Mo, but towards the end of the year I think we'll see the beginning of a slow transition.

25) Evan Longoria will win AL MVP. If he can cut down on the strikeouts (262 in 2 seasons), expect another 30 HR, 100 RBI, Gold Glove season for the 3rd year player. And with the injury-prone Rays who have no one nearly as complete as Longoria, he'll be a big reason why the Rays will be in the hunt for the wild card. The stats and impact will make him a candidate for MVP.

26) JA Happ and Jayson Werth will launch into superstardom. Happ, reigning NL Rookie of the Year, went 12-4 in 35 appearances (23 starts) last year with an earned run average of 2.93. And with Hamels, Halladay, and rookie Kyle Drabek in Philly with him, he won't have the pressure of an ace. Expect another big year from him. Werth, also a Phillie, hit 36 homers and drove in 99 runs to go along with 20 stolen bases. Like Happ, he has Rollins, Utley, and Howard to relieve pressure off him. Another spectacular season should come with more recognition.

27) Daisuke Matsuzaka will milk another injury in Boston. a guy who once threw 250 pitches in a game, Matsuzaka missed an awful lot of time last year for what appeared to be a minor injury. That was when he was the 2nd go-to guy on Boston. Now he's not the 1st (Beckett), 2nd (Lackey) or 3rd (Lester) guy in the rotation, something that can't make Dice-K too happy. I'm feeling another small injury being extended a month or two.

28) Managers of the Year: Don Wakamatsu, Bobby Cox. Wakamatsu is in his second year with Seattle. Last year he turned a bad team into a .500 one. Now he has the most improved team in the AL (if not all of baseball). Cox, meanwhile, is in his final year as the Braves manager, and with an improved team, should go out with a bang.

29) Brandon Webb and Garrett Atkins will be Comeback POY: Webb pitched all of 4 innings in '09. If he shows even remote signs of his 2008 form, the award is his. Atkins is new to Baltimore, and will be one of the only bright spots for the lowly O's.

30) The Marlins and Braves will be 2 of the NL's 5 best teams. Both teams improved drastically in the offseason, and now have a bit more experience. Josh Johnson will have a breakout year on the mound for Florida, as will Jair Jurrjens for Atlanta. Unfortunately, with the talent in Philly, only one of them will go to the playoffs.

31) Alfonso Soriano is no longer in his prime. By a long shot. He has failed to play 120 games in each of his last two seasons. He hasn't reached 75 RBIs since 2006. He barely reached his 2006 HR total (46) in '08 and '09 combined (49). He has always been a defensive liability. Going on 34, expect a quiet year.

32) Adam Lind will be the Blue Jays offense.The young DH hit 35 HRs and had 114 RBIs with an aging Vernon Wells and an unhappy Alex Rios. The only other good player was Aaron Hill. I think Hill is a bust this year (note to all you fantasy owners out there), which means Lind will have to carry the offense.

The Backstreet Boys Triumphant Comeback: These are the picks that I really, really want to happen. I am praying for them to happen. However, unlike the Backstreet Boys, I want them to happen for reasons other than being able to laugh hysterically.

33) Matt Holliday will redeem himself for last year's error. Ask any Cardinals fan what all but killed their playoff hopes and all will say it was Holliday's 9th-inning drop that cost St. Louis Game 2 against the Dodgers. Having a major man-crush on Holliday, I am very much hoping that this happens. He's too good a player to not come back from that.

34) Brad Lidge makes a triumphant comeback this year. In 2008 Lidge was the best closer in baseball, going a perfect 48-for-48 in helping Philly win the World Series. In '09 he was worse than Major League II. For such a nice guy, here's to hoping he thrives once again in 2010.

35) Chan Ho Park will be the next Chien Ming Wang for the Yankees. What were the Yanks thinking? Signing a 36-year-old who played for 4 teams the last 4 seasons to replace injury-prone Wang? If the champs have one glaring weakness, it's on the mound. It's CC, Mo, and occasionally AJ Burnett. And, most importantly, never Joba.

36) Griffey, Edmonds, and Vlad go out quietly. None ever took steroids. All had the careers to prove it: great in their primes, but once they hit 33 their bodies began to deteriorate. Two of the greatest defensive centerfielders ever (Griffey and Edmonds), two of the most feared hitters of his generation (Griffey and Vlad), and two of the best arms from the outfield (Griffey and Vlad), they will be missed dearly.

The Alba-Simpson-Mendes Collaborative Nude Scene: My personal favorite of the 5 categories. These picks will never ever happen in a million years. However, if any of them ever came true, much like the nude scene, I would be so beyond joy I might explode. Like there's a 99.99% chance of it happening.

37) In his 1st at-bat of interleague play, Joba Chamberlain gets hit by a 95 mph fastball. A bit mean? Yes. Do I care? Not even a little bit.

38) Tim McCarver says approximately 1.5 idiotic things per inning. This number is up from last year's 1.25 stupid things an inning. With age comes senility. Ah, the things I look forward to....

39) Manny will say it's his last season in LA, then it's not, then it is again at least 10 times. It's already happened once, and the players have barely gotten the winter rust off. For once it'll be nice to hear Manny complain, but not have to worry about it because it won't be in Boston.

40) Minka Kelly is shown on camera at least five times per game. Jeter's most recent (and appearing to be most permanent) arm candy stars in Friday Night Lights, and my heart. I would contemplate watching the Yankees more often if this were to happen.

41) On a related note, Kelly will put the same curse on Jeter that Kate Hudson put on A-Rod. A-Rod sucked with Hudson just 200 feet away. With any luck Jeter will do the same. (Note: If this turns out to be similar to what Kim Kardashian did to Reggie Bush and the Saints, I will lose all respect for her and her hotness)

42) After breaking the single-season passing, rushing, and receiving records by Week 6 of the NFL season, Tim Tebow signs with a contender, wins MVP in the LCS and World Series, and in doing so makes his case for the Baseball Hall of Fame. This will be followed by Tebow returning to the NFL and winning the Super Bowl on a last second 76-yard touchdown run. Merely reason #14,752 why Tim Tebow is a god.