Sunday, October 25, 1987 - World Series - Game 7 vs Minnesota Twins at the Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome - Attendance: 55,376 - Starting Pitchers: Joe Magrane vs Frank Viola
It was a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise exemplary 1987 season for Whitey Herzog's Cardinals - succumbing to the Minnesota Twins at their hostile, high-decibel home ballpark, by a score of 4-2.
It was a predictable outcome to this best-of-seven series - when home-field advantage was never more prominently on display: Minnesota had it - and won all four games played at home. It was no coincidence when they also won the World Series four years later by taking all four games played in this noisy hell-hole over the Atlanta Braves.
The Cardinals were able to muster up enough offense early in this relatively quiet game to take a short-lived 2-0 lead.
Back-to-back-to-back second-inning singles by Jim Lindeman (playing in place of the injured Jack Clark), Willie McGee and Tony Pena staked the Cards to a 1-0 lead. Two outs later, with Pena and McGee still occupying first and second, ninth-place hitter Steve Lake - a pretty good first pitch fastball hitter - grounded Frank Viola's first pitch fastball into left field for a run-scoring single. And just like that, the St Louis offense had been shut off.
Trying to protect a 2-0 lead, the rookie Joe Magrane pitched admirably through the first four-innings - allowing one run on four hits. He got some defensive help in the second-inning from left fielder Vince Coleman - who cut down Don Baylor at the plate, trying to score from second on a base hit off the bat of Tim Laudner. At the time, it preserved the shutout, but later in the inning, the Twins scored a two-out run on an RBI single from Steve Lombardozzi.
Still nursing a 2-1 lead, Magrane yielded a one-out fifth-inning single by Greg Gagne - prompting Herzog to bring Danny Cox in from the bullpen to face Kirby Puckett. However, the strategy backfired when Puckett's RBI double tied the game at two runs apiece.
With the crowd's decibel level rising, a distracted Cox walked Gary Gaetti - then, with Don Baylor batting, manager Tom Kelly put the runners in motion - but the lead runner - Puckett - was thrown out trying to steal third, as Gaetti advanced to second.
When Baylor delivered with a clean single to left field, Vince Coleman once again played the ball well and made yet another strong throw home - this time, to nail Gaetti at the plate. Two outfield assists in one World Series game. Vince Coleman was the last player to accomplish that feat in World Series play. Had the Cardinals managed to win Game Seven, chances are Vince Coleman would have won World Series MVP honors.
The game was still tied, but it was the Cardinal defense that got Cox out of that jam. Danny apparently had nothing left in the tank at this point - further evidenced by the back-to-back walks he issued to Brunansky and Hrbeck to start the home half of the sixth-inning.
Herzog then brought in his closer - Todd Worrell - in an attempt to preserve this precarious tie. He retired the first batter - Laudner - on a foul popup to first baseman Lindeman - however, he walked pinch hitter Roy Smalley to load the bases. After striking out Dan Gladden, the irrepressible Greg Gagne scored Brunansky on an infield hit which utility infielder Tom Lawless - playing in place of the injured Terry Pendleton - couldn't handle at third base.
Minnesota had taken the lead on three walks and a scratch hit. Worrell struck out Puckett to end the threat, but the damage had been done.
With the decibel levels reaching new highs as the game progressed, Viola regained his mastery over the patch-work Cardinal lineup. After the Twins tacked on an eighth-inning insurance run on a two-out RBI double by Dan Gladden, closer Jeff Reardon finished 'em off in the ninth.
The Twins had their first-ever World Series championship - ironically, two years after the Kansas City Royals won their first title - also at the expense of Herzog's Cardinals.
Showing posts with label minnesota twins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label minnesota twins. Show all posts
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
July 17, 2000 - 3-Home Run Attack Silences Metrodome Fans - An 8-3 Winner Over Twins
Monday, July 17, 2000 - At The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (Pat Hentgen - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Minnesota Twins (Mike Lincoln - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 20,171
As the Cardinals discovered in the 1987 World Series - beating the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome, with 50,000 screaming fans serving as an eardrum-throbbing distraction for the visiting team, is virtually impossible. The 1991 Atlanta Braves came close to pulling it off, but they too were swept in four straight World Series games in that deafening hellhole.
It's a little easier when the decibel level is a bit lower than that of a jet's engine at take-off - when only 20,000 or so moderately enthused fans are in attendance - like in this particular inter-league game - when the Cardinals managed to take control early on, keeping the fans out of it - but then again, this wasn't the World Series.
The Cardinals scored first - on a second-inning solo home run from the soon-to-be-departed Chris Richard (traded to Baltimore for lefty reliever Mike Timlin). They added another run in the third-inning, on Thomas Howard's RBI single - scoring Jim Edmonds, who doubled to lead-off the inning.
However, the Twins scored a run off the veteran Pat Hentgen - a Cy Young Award winner in '96, having his last quality season as a starter in 2000. A young David Ortiz drove in Cristian Guzman from third with a ground-out to the second baseman, to make it just a 2-1 St Louis lead.
In the fifth-inning, the Redbirds got a two-run home run off the bat of Fernando "Double Grand Salami" Tatis, to extend the lead to 4-1.
Minnesota knocked Hentgen out of the game in the seventh-inning, after consecutive singles by Jacques Jones and Marcus Jensen suddenly brought the tying run to the plate. Heathcliff Slocumb took over on the mound and escaped major damage, when only Jones came around to score.
Nursing just a two-run lead, as the Cardinals began the eighth-inning, facing reliever Jason Ryan - Placido Polanco started a rally with a one-out single to center. Manager Jim Kelly went to the bullpen again - bringing in Travis Miller to pitch to Fernando Vina - and that worked, as Vina struck out. However, after Edgar Renteria walked, Edmonds gave the Cardinals some breathing room with a three-run bomb to right field. Just like that, it was 7-2, in favor of St Louis - putting the Homer Dome crowd noise on "mute".
Both teams exchanged meaningless ninth-inning runs, as the Cardinals won for only the second time in this facility since inter-league play began in 1997. With this win, Hentgen improved to 9-6 - and with his loss, Mike Lincoln had slipped to 0-3.
The home field advantage was diminished, but not vanquished in Minnesota - St Louis would still lose two out of three to a mediocre Twins team in this series. But at least their hearing wasn't adversely affected this time around.
As the Cardinals discovered in the 1987 World Series - beating the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome, with 50,000 screaming fans serving as an eardrum-throbbing distraction for the visiting team, is virtually impossible. The 1991 Atlanta Braves came close to pulling it off, but they too were swept in four straight World Series games in that deafening hellhole.
It's a little easier when the decibel level is a bit lower than that of a jet's engine at take-off - when only 20,000 or so moderately enthused fans are in attendance - like in this particular inter-league game - when the Cardinals managed to take control early on, keeping the fans out of it - but then again, this wasn't the World Series.
The Cardinals scored first - on a second-inning solo home run from the soon-to-be-departed Chris Richard (traded to Baltimore for lefty reliever Mike Timlin). They added another run in the third-inning, on Thomas Howard's RBI single - scoring Jim Edmonds, who doubled to lead-off the inning.
However, the Twins scored a run off the veteran Pat Hentgen - a Cy Young Award winner in '96, having his last quality season as a starter in 2000. A young David Ortiz drove in Cristian Guzman from third with a ground-out to the second baseman, to make it just a 2-1 St Louis lead.
In the fifth-inning, the Redbirds got a two-run home run off the bat of Fernando "Double Grand Salami" Tatis, to extend the lead to 4-1.
Minnesota knocked Hentgen out of the game in the seventh-inning, after consecutive singles by Jacques Jones and Marcus Jensen suddenly brought the tying run to the plate. Heathcliff Slocumb took over on the mound and escaped major damage, when only Jones came around to score.
Nursing just a two-run lead, as the Cardinals began the eighth-inning, facing reliever Jason Ryan - Placido Polanco started a rally with a one-out single to center. Manager Jim Kelly went to the bullpen again - bringing in Travis Miller to pitch to Fernando Vina - and that worked, as Vina struck out. However, after Edgar Renteria walked, Edmonds gave the Cardinals some breathing room with a three-run bomb to right field. Just like that, it was 7-2, in favor of St Louis - putting the Homer Dome crowd noise on "mute".
Both teams exchanged meaningless ninth-inning runs, as the Cardinals won for only the second time in this facility since inter-league play began in 1997. With this win, Hentgen improved to 9-6 - and with his loss, Mike Lincoln had slipped to 0-3.
The home field advantage was diminished, but not vanquished in Minnesota - St Louis would still lose two out of three to a mediocre Twins team in this series. But at least their hearing wasn't adversely affected this time around.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Numbers Don't Lie - Morris Not HOF Material
Jack Morris had a nice career, but was it really a Hall of Fame career? His won-loss record (254-186 - .577) is just slightly below average for all pitchers who have been enshrined (251-176 - .588). What should keep him out is his mediocre career ERA of 3.90, which is nearly a run per nine-innings higher than the average ERA for Hall of Fame hurlers (2.96). In fact, Morris never even had a single season (he played for 18 seasons) when he was able to post an ERA under 3.00. Those don't sound like Hall of Fame numbers to me.
His supporters tout him as the Pitcher of the Eighties because he happened to win more games in that particular decade than anyone else. However, that was attributable more to his durability (and stellar defense behind him) than his pitching ability. Yes, he was a workhorse, but Morris never won a Cy Young Award (his best finish was third-place) and that high ERA is barely better than what an average run-of-the-mill pitcher posted during the time he played (1977-1994). It's not surprising that his ERA+ of 105 is likewise, only slightly above average (100). So far, he seems to be a good candidate for the Hall of Above Average to Pretty Good But Not Great.
Digging deeper into the sabermetric evidence, we find that his career WAR of 39.3 is lower than such above-average-to-pretty-good-but-not-great pitchers as Brad Radke, Kevin Brown and Kevin Appier - all solid performers with flashes of excellence who will never, ever be enshrined in Cooperstown.
It seems that the Morris Hall of Fame candidacy really comes down to that one legendary postseason game - Game Seven of the 1991 World Series - when Morris, pitching for the Minnesota Twins, squared off against a young John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves in a truly classic duel. Morris would pitch ten shutout innings - good enough for the win - as the Twins finally broke through for the only run of the game in the bottom of the tenth-inning. As valiant as that effort was, Morris also had more than just a little bit of luck going for him, when the Braves hit him hard in the eighth-inning, but came up empty-handed - thanks in large part to a base-running gaffe by Lonnie Smith. Still, this effort by Morris on the grandest of all stages was certainly his most noteworthy episode - or flash - of excellence.
In the end, Morris became the iconic hero, as Minnesota won its second World Championship in five seasons; they've yet to win their third. The perception that Morris was a great postseason pitcher is largely based from that one sensational flash-in-the-pan performance; otherwise, his postseason career amounted to a fairly run-of-the-mill 7-4 record with a 3.80 ERA. Once again, not exactly Hall of Fame worthy.
If Morris does get the necessary support this year (2014 is his final year of eligibilty), he will supplant Red Ruffing (3.80 ERA) for the dubious distinction of having the highest ERA for any enshrined hurler. The fact that he managed to win 254 games (I thought 300 was the magic number?) is more a testament to the strength of the teams he spent time with - namely, three World Series champions - Detroit, Minnesota and Toronto.
In Detroit, where he spent the early years of his career, he had the good fortune of having one of the greatest (if not "the" greatest) double-play combinations of all-time playing behind him: Alan Trammell & Lou Whitaker - both of whom deserve more Hall of Fame consideration than Morris.
With all the controversy surrounding this new batch of Hall of Fame candidates emerging from the dreaded Steroids Era, the time may be right for Morris to sneak in the back door of Cooperstown; no doubt steroid-free and a pretty darn good pitcher with an engaging personality who was a fierce competitor, to boot.
Another fierce competitor - Roger Clemens - is on the ballot for the first time this year, along with a few others that have been linked to performance enhancing drugs. It's highly unlikely for Clemens to get voted in this time around; however, it's interesting to note that he managed to win exactly 100 more games than Jack Morris, and he also managed to lose two fewer games than Morris. Clemens' ERA is almost a point lower (3.12), and his ERA+ is a very Hall-of-Fame-like 143. I don't know how much of all that is inflated by any possible steroid use; but here's a guy who won seven Cy Young Awards and an MVP Award, and is perhaps the greatest pitcher who ever lived.
How strange it would be to see Morris getting voted into the Hall of Fame while Clemens is forced to wait; possibly for more than fifteen years.
His supporters tout him as the Pitcher of the Eighties because he happened to win more games in that particular decade than anyone else. However, that was attributable more to his durability (and stellar defense behind him) than his pitching ability. Yes, he was a workhorse, but Morris never won a Cy Young Award (his best finish was third-place) and that high ERA is barely better than what an average run-of-the-mill pitcher posted during the time he played (1977-1994). It's not surprising that his ERA+ of 105 is likewise, only slightly above average (100). So far, he seems to be a good candidate for the Hall of Above Average to Pretty Good But Not Great.
Digging deeper into the sabermetric evidence, we find that his career WAR of 39.3 is lower than such above-average-to-pretty-good-but-not-great pitchers as Brad Radke, Kevin Brown and Kevin Appier - all solid performers with flashes of excellence who will never, ever be enshrined in Cooperstown.
It seems that the Morris Hall of Fame candidacy really comes down to that one legendary postseason game - Game Seven of the 1991 World Series - when Morris, pitching for the Minnesota Twins, squared off against a young John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves in a truly classic duel. Morris would pitch ten shutout innings - good enough for the win - as the Twins finally broke through for the only run of the game in the bottom of the tenth-inning. As valiant as that effort was, Morris also had more than just a little bit of luck going for him, when the Braves hit him hard in the eighth-inning, but came up empty-handed - thanks in large part to a base-running gaffe by Lonnie Smith. Still, this effort by Morris on the grandest of all stages was certainly his most noteworthy episode - or flash - of excellence.
In the end, Morris became the iconic hero, as Minnesota won its second World Championship in five seasons; they've yet to win their third. The perception that Morris was a great postseason pitcher is largely based from that one sensational flash-in-the-pan performance; otherwise, his postseason career amounted to a fairly run-of-the-mill 7-4 record with a 3.80 ERA. Once again, not exactly Hall of Fame worthy.
If Morris does get the necessary support this year (2014 is his final year of eligibilty), he will supplant Red Ruffing (3.80 ERA) for the dubious distinction of having the highest ERA for any enshrined hurler. The fact that he managed to win 254 games (I thought 300 was the magic number?) is more a testament to the strength of the teams he spent time with - namely, three World Series champions - Detroit, Minnesota and Toronto.
In Detroit, where he spent the early years of his career, he had the good fortune of having one of the greatest (if not "the" greatest) double-play combinations of all-time playing behind him: Alan Trammell & Lou Whitaker - both of whom deserve more Hall of Fame consideration than Morris.
With all the controversy surrounding this new batch of Hall of Fame candidates emerging from the dreaded Steroids Era, the time may be right for Morris to sneak in the back door of Cooperstown; no doubt steroid-free and a pretty darn good pitcher with an engaging personality who was a fierce competitor, to boot.
Another fierce competitor - Roger Clemens - is on the ballot for the first time this year, along with a few others that have been linked to performance enhancing drugs. It's highly unlikely for Clemens to get voted in this time around; however, it's interesting to note that he managed to win exactly 100 more games than Jack Morris, and he also managed to lose two fewer games than Morris. Clemens' ERA is almost a point lower (3.12), and his ERA+ is a very Hall-of-Fame-like 143. I don't know how much of all that is inflated by any possible steroid use; but here's a guy who won seven Cy Young Awards and an MVP Award, and is perhaps the greatest pitcher who ever lived.
How strange it would be to see Morris getting voted into the Hall of Fame while Clemens is forced to wait; possibly for more than fifteen years.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Ten Teams Most Likely to Improve in 2012
The 2011 MLB season will be forever remembered for that outrageously dramatic conclusion - Game 162 - which settled two of the wildest Wild Card races, ever. That final game capped off epic September collapses for both the Boston Red Sox, in the American League, and the Atlanta Braves, in the National League.
The beneficiaries of these epic collapses - the St Louis Cardinals and Tampa Rays both finished strong, and took care of business in Game 162; the Cards were easy winners with their ace, Chris Carpenter completely shutting down the Astros; while the Rays overcame an eighth inning seven run deficit to beat the Yankees, capped off by Evan Longoria's low-flying walk-off laser down the left-field line which barely had the height requirement to clear the lowest fence in baseball (excluding Little League fences).
Lost in the daily September Wild Card drama that was unfolding in both leagues, building up to that exciting night of baseball known as Wild Card Wednesday - Game 162 - was the contrasting lack of drama in all of the division races. In case you've forgotten, just take a look at the margin of victory each division champ enjoyed by season's end:
Yankees (97-65) - 6 games
Brewers (96-66) - 6 games
D-Backs (94-68) - 8 games
Rangers (96-66) - 10 games
Phillies (102-60) - 13 games
Tigers (93-69) - 15 games
Not only did these teams play extremely well last season, getting career years from many of their key players; their divisional rivals, for the most part, had unusually bad years, which helped foster a great deal more disparity than normal between the top teams and those on the bottom of the heap.
Many of the teams that struggled last year appear well-positioned to rebound in 2012; some even appear to have playoff-caliber talent after investing in some key free agents and/or making shrewd trades; some teams were decimated by injuries last season but appear to be relatively healthy now; while others have up and coming talent waiting in the wings to emerge as star players right now. The net effect in 2012 should be a great deal more parity from top to bottom, which should make the division races themselves, much more competitive, and - unlike last year - much more captivating for the fans.
Here are ten teams that should win a lot more games this time around. For some, those extra wins have playoff implications; for others, it's just a small step towards respectability:
*Chicago Cubs (71-91) - They probably won't make the postseason, but old school new manager Dale Sveum has already had a positive influence in changing the lackadaisical Cub culture; making the players accountable, getting them to hustle and play sound, fundamental baseball; that alone should bring them back to respectability; dishing their number one head-case, Carlos Zambrano off on Miami doesn't hurt. 2012 PROJECTION: 79-83
*Minnesota Twins (63-99) - Had the worst luck with injuries than any other team in baseball last year, losing both Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau for extended periods of time; everything seemed to go wrong with this team last year; however, if they can stay relatively healthy this year, they should come very close to .500 this year - giving them the distinction of easily being baseball's most improved team. 2012 PROJECTION: 80-82
*Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90) - This team played well enough in the first half of last season to spend a day or two in first place in the NL Central; lots of young talent here, featuring center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who keeps getting better every year. The rotation could be decent, if Erik Bedard stays healthy and AJ Burnett gets healthy and stays healthy while returning to his pre-Yankees pitching form. Finally, if former-Brewer slugging third baseman Casey McGehee rebounds from a disappointing 2011 to knock in close to 100 runs again (like he did in '10), this could be the year the Buccos play .500 ball for the first time in 20 years; Barry Bonds' last year in Pittsburgh. 2012 PROJECTION: 81-81
*Kansas City Royals (71-91) - Sure, they were dealt a blow when they lost closer, Joakim Soria to season-ending Tommy John surgery, but they'll have Eric Hosmer for a full season with a strong supporting cast, including the slugging doubles machine, Billy Butler, defensive whiz Jeff Francoeur patrolling right field, and the talented Alex Gordon; they'll score a bunch of runs and could reach .500 level with any luck at all. 2012 PROJECTION: 79-83
*Colorado Rockies (73-89) - Many picked the Rox to win the NL West last season; that's how badly things unraveled for them; made many wholesale changes, including signing free agent Michael Cuddyer in the off season; returning to a hitter-friendly environment will help him return to old form, when the Metrodome was his home; throw in the hitting prowess of Troy Tulowitzki along with a healthy Carlos Gonzalez, and this team could lead the league in runs scored. Pitching may be an issue, but they picked up a reliable starter, Jeremy Guthrie from Baltimore, who should give them 200+ quality innings this year. Their number two starter is 49-year old Jaime Moyer, who would be the oldest human to ever win a major league game, if he does it; he'll probably do it at least twelve times if his body can hold out all season. 2012 PROJECTION: 83-79
*Cleveland Indians (80-82) - The Tribe got off to a sensational start last season, but gradually faded as the Tigers went on a late season tear; they have a solid pitching staff, but need Ubaldo Jimenez to pitch like he did in Colorado to make a serious run for the division title; Silver Slugger shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera should be even better this year; finally, if the oft-injured pair of Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore can play over 100 games apiece, that may help the magic return to Progressive Field all season long this time around. 2012 PROJECTION: 87-75
*LA Dodgers (82-80) - After getting off to a horrendous start last season, LA recovered nicely over the second half, fueled by Matt Kemp's monster near-Triple Crown-MVP-caliber season and the brilliant pitching of Cy Young Award winner, Clayton Kershaw. The offense should be much better, overall, assuming Andre Ethier and James Loney return to form; adding the potent bat of former-Angel Juan Rivera to this lineup should help them score enough runs to win the very competitive NL West. 2012 PROJECTION: 92-70
*Miami Marlins (72-90) - After spending tons of free agent money in acquiring shortstop Jose Reyes, pitcher Mark Buerhle, and aging closer Heath Bell, while importing volatile manager Ozzie Guillen to run the ship, and adding the volatile pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the rotation, this team is expected to be much better; along with changing the team name, they'll occupy a brand-new stadium, but will it be enough to reach the postseason in the competitive NL East? That's unlikely, but at least they'll escape the cellar. 2012 PROJECTION: 83-79
*Atlanta Braves (89-73) - They were one of the best teams in baseball for most of last season, boasting a young and very talented bullpen which simply ran out of gas in September. The starting pitching should be good enough, assuming a healthy Tim Hudson returns to the rotation sometime in May, while Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrgens stay healthy and pitch effectively. Second baseman Dan Uggla, who had a terrible start last year but came on strong at the end, should be able to put it all together for a full season; possibly good enough to earn him his first NL MVP Award; also, expect a healthy and trimmed-down Jason Heyward to swing the bat much better this year; finally, if Chipper Jones can keep his knee troubles to a minimum in his final season to play at least 120 games, it could be one to remember; yes, they should be able to get past the banged-up Phillies this time around. 2012 PROJECTION: 95-67
*LA Angels (86-76) - When the Halos landed Albert Pujols, they became the best team in the American League, just like that. Unless he sustains some sort of freak injury, Pujols will have a monster season for his new team, putting up typical AP numbers (last season was an aberration), and become a strong candidate for the AL MVP Award; especially if his new team wins the AL West this time. Not only will Albert do much damage of his own at the dish, he'll make the rest of the lineup better, with his mere presence, batting third in the order. Almost lost in all the Pujols hype is the addition of flaky lefty CJ Wilson to an already formidable starting rotation. 2012 PROJECTION: 96-66
These ten teams are projected to win 96 extra games, over last year. Most of the extra wins will be coming from the 2011 division champions; the end result for 2012 will be much greater parity throughout major league baseball; and that means each division race is likely to come down to the wire this time around, creating even more fun and excitement than last year's Wild Card Wednesday.
The beneficiaries of these epic collapses - the St Louis Cardinals and Tampa Rays both finished strong, and took care of business in Game 162; the Cards were easy winners with their ace, Chris Carpenter completely shutting down the Astros; while the Rays overcame an eighth inning seven run deficit to beat the Yankees, capped off by Evan Longoria's low-flying walk-off laser down the left-field line which barely had the height requirement to clear the lowest fence in baseball (excluding Little League fences).
Lost in the daily September Wild Card drama that was unfolding in both leagues, building up to that exciting night of baseball known as Wild Card Wednesday - Game 162 - was the contrasting lack of drama in all of the division races. In case you've forgotten, just take a look at the margin of victory each division champ enjoyed by season's end:
Yankees (97-65) - 6 games
Brewers (96-66) - 6 games
D-Backs (94-68) - 8 games
Rangers (96-66) - 10 games
Phillies (102-60) - 13 games
Tigers (93-69) - 15 games
Not only did these teams play extremely well last season, getting career years from many of their key players; their divisional rivals, for the most part, had unusually bad years, which helped foster a great deal more disparity than normal between the top teams and those on the bottom of the heap.
Many of the teams that struggled last year appear well-positioned to rebound in 2012; some even appear to have playoff-caliber talent after investing in some key free agents and/or making shrewd trades; some teams were decimated by injuries last season but appear to be relatively healthy now; while others have up and coming talent waiting in the wings to emerge as star players right now. The net effect in 2012 should be a great deal more parity from top to bottom, which should make the division races themselves, much more competitive, and - unlike last year - much more captivating for the fans.
Here are ten teams that should win a lot more games this time around. For some, those extra wins have playoff implications; for others, it's just a small step towards respectability:
*Chicago Cubs (71-91) - They probably won't make the postseason, but old school new manager Dale Sveum has already had a positive influence in changing the lackadaisical Cub culture; making the players accountable, getting them to hustle and play sound, fundamental baseball; that alone should bring them back to respectability; dishing their number one head-case, Carlos Zambrano off on Miami doesn't hurt. 2012 PROJECTION: 79-83
*Minnesota Twins (63-99) - Had the worst luck with injuries than any other team in baseball last year, losing both Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau for extended periods of time; everything seemed to go wrong with this team last year; however, if they can stay relatively healthy this year, they should come very close to .500 this year - giving them the distinction of easily being baseball's most improved team. 2012 PROJECTION: 80-82
*Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90) - This team played well enough in the first half of last season to spend a day or two in first place in the NL Central; lots of young talent here, featuring center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who keeps getting better every year. The rotation could be decent, if Erik Bedard stays healthy and AJ Burnett gets healthy and stays healthy while returning to his pre-Yankees pitching form. Finally, if former-Brewer slugging third baseman Casey McGehee rebounds from a disappointing 2011 to knock in close to 100 runs again (like he did in '10), this could be the year the Buccos play .500 ball for the first time in 20 years; Barry Bonds' last year in Pittsburgh. 2012 PROJECTION: 81-81
*Kansas City Royals (71-91) - Sure, they were dealt a blow when they lost closer, Joakim Soria to season-ending Tommy John surgery, but they'll have Eric Hosmer for a full season with a strong supporting cast, including the slugging doubles machine, Billy Butler, defensive whiz Jeff Francoeur patrolling right field, and the talented Alex Gordon; they'll score a bunch of runs and could reach .500 level with any luck at all. 2012 PROJECTION: 79-83
*Colorado Rockies (73-89) - Many picked the Rox to win the NL West last season; that's how badly things unraveled for them; made many wholesale changes, including signing free agent Michael Cuddyer in the off season; returning to a hitter-friendly environment will help him return to old form, when the Metrodome was his home; throw in the hitting prowess of Troy Tulowitzki along with a healthy Carlos Gonzalez, and this team could lead the league in runs scored. Pitching may be an issue, but they picked up a reliable starter, Jeremy Guthrie from Baltimore, who should give them 200+ quality innings this year. Their number two starter is 49-year old Jaime Moyer, who would be the oldest human to ever win a major league game, if he does it; he'll probably do it at least twelve times if his body can hold out all season. 2012 PROJECTION: 83-79
*Cleveland Indians (80-82) - The Tribe got off to a sensational start last season, but gradually faded as the Tigers went on a late season tear; they have a solid pitching staff, but need Ubaldo Jimenez to pitch like he did in Colorado to make a serious run for the division title; Silver Slugger shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera should be even better this year; finally, if the oft-injured pair of Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore can play over 100 games apiece, that may help the magic return to Progressive Field all season long this time around. 2012 PROJECTION: 87-75
*LA Dodgers (82-80) - After getting off to a horrendous start last season, LA recovered nicely over the second half, fueled by Matt Kemp's monster near-Triple Crown-MVP-caliber season and the brilliant pitching of Cy Young Award winner, Clayton Kershaw. The offense should be much better, overall, assuming Andre Ethier and James Loney return to form; adding the potent bat of former-Angel Juan Rivera to this lineup should help them score enough runs to win the very competitive NL West. 2012 PROJECTION: 92-70
*Miami Marlins (72-90) - After spending tons of free agent money in acquiring shortstop Jose Reyes, pitcher Mark Buerhle, and aging closer Heath Bell, while importing volatile manager Ozzie Guillen to run the ship, and adding the volatile pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the rotation, this team is expected to be much better; along with changing the team name, they'll occupy a brand-new stadium, but will it be enough to reach the postseason in the competitive NL East? That's unlikely, but at least they'll escape the cellar. 2012 PROJECTION: 83-79
*Atlanta Braves (89-73) - They were one of the best teams in baseball for most of last season, boasting a young and very talented bullpen which simply ran out of gas in September. The starting pitching should be good enough, assuming a healthy Tim Hudson returns to the rotation sometime in May, while Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrgens stay healthy and pitch effectively. Second baseman Dan Uggla, who had a terrible start last year but came on strong at the end, should be able to put it all together for a full season; possibly good enough to earn him his first NL MVP Award; also, expect a healthy and trimmed-down Jason Heyward to swing the bat much better this year; finally, if Chipper Jones can keep his knee troubles to a minimum in his final season to play at least 120 games, it could be one to remember; yes, they should be able to get past the banged-up Phillies this time around. 2012 PROJECTION: 95-67
*LA Angels (86-76) - When the Halos landed Albert Pujols, they became the best team in the American League, just like that. Unless he sustains some sort of freak injury, Pujols will have a monster season for his new team, putting up typical AP numbers (last season was an aberration), and become a strong candidate for the AL MVP Award; especially if his new team wins the AL West this time. Not only will Albert do much damage of his own at the dish, he'll make the rest of the lineup better, with his mere presence, batting third in the order. Almost lost in all the Pujols hype is the addition of flaky lefty CJ Wilson to an already formidable starting rotation. 2012 PROJECTION: 96-66
These ten teams are projected to win 96 extra games, over last year. Most of the extra wins will be coming from the 2011 division champions; the end result for 2012 will be much greater parity throughout major league baseball; and that means each division race is likely to come down to the wire this time around, creating even more fun and excitement than last year's Wild Card Wednesday.
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