The Blue Workhorse

The Blue Workhorse 2009 Outlook:
Last season, the Twins unloaded their starting shortstop, their Gold Glove centerfielder, and three starters — including one of the best pitchers in the league and last season’s ALCS MVP — during the offseason…and still came only a game shy of the postseason.

This offseason, the Twins uncharacteristically made an addition. In adding veteran third baseman, the Twins hope to shore up the infield and add some pop to a lineup that ranked last in the American League in home runs last season.

AND…more…including why the Hometown feels…The Minnesota Twins WILL win the World Series…

The Blue Workhorse 2009 Outlook:
In 2008, Tampa Bay went for a near complete overhaul. They jettisoned the Devil out of their name and cancers Elijah Dukes and Delmon Young out of their locker room. Combined with making quality moves, and Tampa Bay was a brand new team with a brand new sunny outlook to match their sunny uniforms.

Seems like a huge advertising gimmick, right? Might have in March, but then when the (no longer Devil) Rays came out strong at the beginning of the season, they started to catch people’s eyes. They continued to catch eyes (and fights with perennial AL powerhouses and division rivals Boston and New York) all the way to their first winning season in the club’s history… and then all the way to their first playoff appearance… and then all the way to their first AL East division title… and then all the way to their first playoff series win over the White Sox… and then all the way to their first World Series appearance after a 7-game thrilling series with the Red Sox.

AND…more…including why the Hometown feels…The Tampa Bay Rays WILL win the World Series…

April 15, 1947 - Sixty years after the first African-American player in the major leagues, Moses Fleetwood Walker was unofficially banned from baseball (no, Jackie Robinson was not the first to play baseball in the major leagues), Jackie Robinson takes to the field for his first official game in a #42 Brooklyn Dodgers uniform. He plays first base instead [...]

In 2005, the Chicago White Sox walked away as World Series champions after sweeping the Houston Astros. The following season, the Detroit Tigers fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Then last year, the Cleveland Indians fell in the ALCS to the eventual champs, the Boston Red Sox.

This season, however, hope abounds for each of the division rivals in the American League Central. The Indians look to move past the championship series for the first time since 1995 and are hoping they can get a World Series title on the 60 year anniversary of their last title in 1948.

Detroit, who was the pre-season pick of several analysts to win the World Series, now will have to dig themselves out of an 0-6 start to their season if they want to make it back to the promised land of the October (now partly November) Classic. The White Sox just finished off a sweep of the Tigers and are hoping a rejuvenation to the heart of their lineup can return them to the 90 win plateau they have abandoned the past two seasons.

The Red Sox, with two World Series titles in the last four years, are one of the favorites again this year. While the Red Sox are looking for championship titles, other division rivals have other goals: the Toronto Blue Jays are looking to move pass either the Red Sox or Yankees and get back into the top two in the division. However, they may have to hold off the upstart Tampa Bay (no longer Devil) Rays just to keep the #3 slot. The Rays first goal will be to finish above .500 for the first time in team history, but greater goals are just beyond the horizon.