NL East Preview

The long awaited NL East is finally here. I know you've all been waiting for this one (we have two loyal readers at the moment and they are both Mets fans), so here it is. At this point I don't need to bother pointing out to you how wrong David always is... and yet I just did, go figure. Without further ado, your NL East:

NL EAST

New York Mets
2007 Finish: 88-74, 2nd
David’s 2008 Prediction: 102-60 (+14) 1st

Josh’s Analysis:
To say that the end of the Mets’ 2007 campaign did not go quite as planned would be an understatement indeed. While columnists and pundits tend to throw around the words "historic collapse" without much regard for the facts, this was the largest division lead squandered with seventeen games to play in history. The Mets' fall from grace was agonizing to watch; I can't even imagine what it must have been like for a Mets fan. If Minaya had chosen to stand pat this winter, he still could have made an argument that the Mets were the best in the East. However, to truly move on from the 2007 debacle, he needed to do something big.

Well, we all know that the Mets did the biggest thing possible: they traded a handful of decent (and that’s being generous) prospects for the best pitcher in baseball. While the Red Sox and Yanks weren't particularly excited about giving up prospects in addition to an historic contract, Minaya knew that this was a pivotal moment for the organization. If Santana stays healthy, he should dominate the weaker league in one of the best pitcher's ballparks (and don't forget that he gets to face pitchers now instead of designated hitters!). The contract the Mets gave Santana is certainly a reflection of his ability to dominate the league; now it remains to be seen if he can deliver

Beyond the Mets’ new southpaw, the “other New York team” is quite formidable. The rest of their rotation looks solid, though unspectacular. If Pedro can return to even his 2005 form, the Mets will have arguably the best top two they have had in thirty years. Like most teams these days, their bullpen is a big question mark, but it could very well be above average if things go well. Jose Reyes had a terrible second half last year, but should remain the best shortstop in baseball if he can return to pre All-Star break form. Delgado had an off year in 2007, but could have a bounce back year if he can manage to stay healthy. Moises Alou is out till at least May and the Mets will miss his bat early on, but Endy Chavez (whose Game 7 catch in the 2006 NLCS buys him a free pass for life with the Flushing Faithful) will be there to fill in. Lastly, let’s not forget that David Wright was the true MVP of the 2007 season. As the Mets ship was sinking, Wright fought valiantly to keep it afloat. If he can reproduce last season’s effort in 2008, he'll finally have that MVP award adorning his mantle.

Here, have some chills, my treat:

Video: Endy Chavez's leaping catch

Mets Questions:

1. Will the Mets win the NL Pennant? (They are clearly the NL's best team heading into the season, but if 2007 taught us anything, it is that they play the games for a reason)
2. Will they win 100 games? (I don’t think they will, but they are the one team in the majors with a real shot at triple digits)
3. Will John Maine be the incredible pitcher that Mets fans seem to think he already is? (Nope, but he should be a perfectly acceptable number three man, which is exactly what the Mets need him to be)
4. Will Pedro find a way to be effective? (The best pitcher in baseball history doesn’t need his old stuff to get you out)
5. Will Santana be clearing space in his trophy case for his third Cy Young? (If he stays healthy it is hard to think of who would be a better choice)
   
   
   

Philadephia Phillies
2007 Finish: 89-73, 1st, Lost to COL in NLDS
David’s 2008 Prediction: 85-77 (-4) 3rd

Josh’s Analysis:
When Jimmy Rollins announced to the world during spring training last year that the Phillies were “the team to beat” in the NL East, the general consensus was “get me a pipe of whatever he’s been smoking”. But as we all know, the deus ex machina reared its ugly head in September, ignoring what we know to be true about Hubris and allowing the heavily favored Mets to blow a seven game lead with seventeen to play. Ignoring for the moment that as a New Yorker I will generally root for the Mets, and there is certainly no love lost between myself and any team calling Philadelphia home, I was downright livid that Jimmy Rollins’ absurd and cocky prediction came to pass. While Rollins may be a superb shortstop and a very good offensive threat, his OBP is too low to convince me he is an elite player; he simply doesn’t walk. Last season’s MVP award (twist the knife, why don’t you?) was only conferred because the Mets’ epic collapse prejudiced the voters against David Wright (who hit .352 during September and was the sole Met who didn’t look like he was suddenly playing for the Bad News Bears).

The Phillies are unquestionably the best offensive team in the National League. They boast the last two NL MVP’s as well as the man who would have been last year’s MVP had he stayed healthy (Utley). Chase Utley is without a doubt the best second baseman in the majors, and the Phillies big three should send most pitchers crying home to mommy. That said however, Ryan Howard is not quite the Adonis people think he is. He broke Adam Dunn’s inauspicious record for strikeouts in a season with 199 last year, and he did it in only 144 games! He would lose a race to first base with a paraplegic, he is a fielder of Ortiz-like proportions and he is either hitting a home run or flying out. Still, he walks a ton and has impressive power so I think the Philies will take the good with the bad.

Pat Gillick had a nice little off-season for himself, giving up rather little for closer Brad Lidge and effectively swapping Aaron Rowand for Geoff Jenkins through free agency. The Phillies of 2007 were built on power hitting and passable pitching. Cole Hamels and Brett Myers are a fine one-two punch at the top, but the rest of their rotation is a complete mess and not to be trusted. Here’s a nickel’s worth of free advice for all pitchers: If your rookie year coincides with the last time the Mets won the World Series, it might be time to consider retirement! Yes, I’m talking to you Jamie Moyer!

Phillies Questions:

1. Will Brad Lidge finally overcome being manhandled by Pujols in the 2005 NLCS and become and elite closer again? (He’s had two full years of therapy, might be time to move on)
2. Will Chase Utley be the third straight Philly to win the NL MVP? (He finishes in the top three or your money back)
3. Will Jimmy Rollins say something stupid to the press? (Some people make the seemingly daunting task of predicting the future quite simple indeed)
4. Will Ryan Howard top 200 strikeouts this season? (Look on the bright side, at least he’s not hitting into double plays)
5. Will Jamie Moyer’s fastball ever cross home plate? (Might be time to start calling it something else)

Atlanta Braves
2007 Finish: 84-78, 3rd
David’s 2008 Prediction: 88-74 (+4) 2nd

Josh’s Analysis:
The 2007 Braves are a classic example of a “worst of both worlds” team (See my Toronto Blue Jays preview for definition). They were just good enough to finish a handful of games above .500, but not good enough to really threaten the Mets or Phillies. I am predicting more of the same for 2008. The Braves are an interesting case study; half of their roster is locked in and solid, and the other half is a complete mess. They could have the best three man rotation in the National League (Smoltz, Hudson and Glavine), but they have five guys competing for the final two spots. One of the men looking for a roster spot is none other than Mike Hampton; yes, he is still alive. The thirty-five year old hurler who is apparently made of fiberglass looks to pitch for the first time since mid-2005. Nobody is particularly enthusiastic about his ability to perform, but at the very least he can provide a legitimate power threat off the bench for the tomahawkers. Many scouts think that Rafael Soriano will be a reasonable closer, but if he isn’t, the Braves will be in trouble.

Having Mark Texeira’s loaner bat in the lineup for a full season will be a plus, but I still think the trade was a mistake. The Braves gave up some good prospects to get Texeira for a season and a half with little chance of resigning him when his contract is up this winter (he’s a Boras client and the Braves have a very strict table of what they are willing to spend on players). He simply didn’t make the team good enough to legitimately challenge the Phillies or Mets for a playoff spot. With a little improvement Jeff Francoeur might just be about average for a corner outfielder. Backstop Brian McCann had a disappointing showing last season after a stellar performance in his rookie campaign. The Braves are counting on it being a sophomore slump and nothing more. Replacing Andruw Jones and his .220 batting average in center field this season will be Mark Kotsay… the one center fielder in the majors who fared worse (.214 in 56 games), well done. Overall, three future first ballot hall-of-famers won’t be enough to get this mix of young talent and past-their-prime veterans into October. Maybe next year Atlanta.

Braves Questions:

1. Will Smoltz get his 3000th strikeout before May 1st? (I think 25 K’s in his first four starts is a pretty safe bet)
2. Will McCann leave his sophomore slump behind him? (The Braves sure hope so)
3. Will Glavine be good for 200 innings? (As long as Bobby Cox doesn’t bench him for sucking, he should get there)
4. Will Hudson continue to perform as well as he did in 2007, or will we see a repeat of 2006? (Trying to predict a pitcher’s performance here so lets be scientific about this: Heads: He’s good, Tails: He sucks)
5. Will Mike Hampton hold on to a starting job all season? (Vote No on proposition Hampton)
6. Is anyone else noticing that most of the Braves’ questions pertain to pitching? (And what does that tell you?)

Washington Nationals
2007 Finish: 73-89, 4th
David’s 2008 Prediction: 70-86 (-3) 4th

Josh’s Analysis:
The Minnesota Twins responded to the 2002 contraction discussions by making it to the ALCS, the Nationals (formerly the Expos) have done pretty much the opposite. The Nationals are one of only four franchises to have never won a pennant (even as the Expos). I’d like to say that things will be changing for them in the foreseeable future but alas, it looks like it will be more of the same for quite some time. Not a single one of their starting pitcher’s (and they have seven listed) has a winning record for his career, and only Tim Redding has more than two years of experience. The only truly solid part of their pitching staff is closer Chad Cordero.

On the offensive side of things there are a handful of good players sprinkled in with the mediocrity that is the rest of the team. Ryan Zimmerman is an above average hitter at the hot corner, but his numbers have been in a steady nose dive since his much ballyhooed debut as a September call-up in 2005. Just about every player on this team strikes out far too much. From Dmitri Young to Wily Mo Pena (who turned striking out into an art form) this team has absolutely no plate discipline. Lastings Milledge (one time pearl of the Mets’ farm system who has since fallen from grace) and Elijah Dukes (one time pearl of the Rays’ farm system who has since fallen from grace) join catcher Paul LoDuca as the Nat’s big off-season acquisitions. But it is doubtful that these minor changes will amount to much in terms of team wins. From top to bottom this team has no chance of competing in the NL East and will continue to be irrelevant until Jim Bowden completely cleans house (at the very least, please stop signing guys like Dmitri Young and Ronnie Belliard!).

Nationals Questions:

1. Will the Nats be last in the league in runs scored again? (I see no reason to believe otherwise)
2. Will any of their pitchers win fifteen games? (I wouldn’t put money on it)
3. Will Ryan Zimmerman finally become the premier player everyone seems to think he will be? (Its starting to look more and more like 2005 was the fluke and not the other way around, but maybe leaving the confines of hitter-hell RFK will help)
4. Will the Nats at least end up with good draft position? (Ah, the one upside to sucking so consistently)

Florida Marlins
2007 Finish: 71-91, 5th
David’s 2008 Prediction: 65-97 (-6) 5th

Josh’s Analysis:
The old adage goes: hitting wins pennants, pitching wins championships. Turns out you need some pitching en route to a pennant as well. Don’t believe me? Ask the Marlins. Like the Nationals, the woeful Marlins’ pitching staff is in shambles. Not one of their six potential starters has a career ERA under 4.80. The Marlins gave up more runs in 2007 than every single team except the Devil Rays. So what was the Marlins’ solution to this dilemma? Trade away the one pitcher they had who had ever shown a glimmer of excellence. Clearly Dontrelle Willis needed to go. After his phenomenal 2005 campaign (22-10, 2.63, 170), his numbers have been in a tailspin the past two seasons. Of course Florida also traded away their one marquee player in Miguel Cabrera. There isn’t a lot to be excited about when it comes to the Marlins. Hanley Ramirez may be the only All-Star on the team. You know what? My mother always told me that if I have nothing nice to say, I shouldn’t say anything at all. And I just can’t come up with a single good thing about the Marlins right now.

Marlins’ Questions:

1. Will the Marlins suck this season? (Yes)
2. Will the Marlins give up over 900 runs? (A real possibility, how sad is that?)
3. Should I bother coming up with any more questions? (Does anyone really care about the Marlins?)

AL West Preview

Ah, the powerhouse AL West, the four-teamed division so significant that it has produced exactly one pennant winner since the restructuring of the divisions in 1995. Since you are all on the edge of your seat waiting for the analysis, I'll let you get right to it. Just a reminder David=wrong, Josh=right. Enjoy:

AL WEST

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California, USA, Earth, Sol, Milky Way, Virgo Supercluster...
2007 Finish: 94-68, 1st, Lost to BOS in ALDS
David’s 2008 Prediction: 95-67 (+1) 1st

Josh’s Analysis:
The Angels seem to be the class of the AL West. With the A's “rebuilding” and the Rangers just generally sucking, only Seattle is capable putting pressure on the Angels. Still, it seems unlikely that that pressure will amount to much as October rolls around. The Angels of 2007 were successful due to good starting pitching, a solid bullpen, and an average offense. Expect more of the same in 2008.

The Angels big off-season move was the signing of centerfielder Torii Hunter (formerly of the Minnesota Twins of Minneapolis AND St. Paul). As I mentioned in my Twins preview, giving Hunter ninety million dollars over five years was clinically INSANE. Hunter's reputation for putting up impressive offensive numbers and stellar defense were clearly why he was given such a… shall we say generous deal? But reasonable empirical studies show that both reputations are undeserved. Hunter's power is made essentially irrelevant by his low OBP, and his defense is slightly above average at best. While Peter Gammons seems to think that Hunter is the best human being since Mother Teresa, there is no evidence that a sunny disposition leads to more team wins (except in the case of Patron Saint of New York, Derek Jeter).

My Hunter rant aside, the Angels only real worry is injuries. Escobar, a borderline Cy Young candidate, has already had some early problems. Vlad the Impaler is always gimpy to some degree, and his style of all-out play certainly lends itself to injuries. Their rotation did perform above expectations last year, and relying on pitching consistency is a little like relying on the weatherman to be accurate. This is likely K-Rod’s last season with the Angels and he is not a happy camper after his arbitration letdown. But that may just mean he has something to prove. The 2002 Angels (they of Anaheim, but not Los Angeles) proved that all you need to do is make the playoffs and then get hot. I’m punching the Angels’ October ticket now, whether they get hot or not, is up to them.

Angels Questions:

1. Will Howie Kendrick finally make the leap to stardom? (I think his stock is a sound investment)
2. Will Vlad manage to stay healthy and productive? (The Angels should definitely use Hunter to get Vlad to DH most of the time, it would help)
3. Will the Angels pitching have a solid follow up year? (Sure, why not?)
4. Will the Angels manage to accomplish being both from Los Angeles and from Anaheim? ("Only God should be all places at once." The gospel according to Samuel L. Jackson)
5. Will I ever stop making jokes about the naming thing? (No, Sir!)

Seattle Mariners
2007 Finish: 88-74, 2nd
David’s 2008 Prediction: 89-75 (+1) 2nd

Josh’s Analysis:
The 2007 Seattle Mariners were a bit of a smoke and mirrors act. They finished six games out of a playoff spot at a very respectable 88-74 and they were in the hunt until late September. However, a closer look at their numbers will reveal that the M’s gave up nineteen more runs then they scored. According to the widely accepted formula that turns run differential into an expected win-loss record, Seattle should have finished with nine fewer wins than they did… or four games under .500. In laymen’s terms, this means that the M’s were luckier than they should have been. I’ll keep saying it: luck is not a repeatable skill.

Seattle did not choose to stand pat this winter, vigorously pursuing Erik Bedard from Baltimore. The M’s gave up a lot to get Bedard, including highly rated prospect Adam Jones. Bavasi likely could have negotiated a better deal for himself considering that Baltimore was committed to moving Bedard and Seattle was seemingly the only serious bidder. Nonetheless, Bedard is definitely a good fit for Seattle and should do quite nicely in the confines of Safeco Field. Maybe this will be the year he finally hits 200 innings. Ichiro might be overrated due to his high batting average, but his value as a center fielder is off the charts.

Adrian Beltre, who set the bar for overachieving in a contract year (He hit 48 HRs and slugged nearly two hundred points above his career average!) is finally starting to make the contract he conned Seattle into giving him look somewhat reasonable when you take his defense into account. Besides, when you put him on the same team as Richie Sexson (.205/.295/.399 100K’s, 51BB’s in 2007… no, those aren’t typos) Beltre suddenly looks like the second coming of Babe Ruth. ESPN reported false rumors that Sexson was claimed off of waivers last year by Detroit before Seattle pulled him back. I assure you that if Detroit had claimed Sexson off waivers, he would have been a Tiger as soon as Bavasi could physically have bought him a plane ticket. But look at the bright side: considering the numbers Sexson put up last season, even a below average showing in 2008 should make him a shoe-in for Comeback Player of the Year. Overall, the acquisition of Bedard, combined with the fact that Texas and Oakland should be pretty pathetic this season, means that Seattle will finish about where they did last season: second in the West and home by October third.

Mariners Questions:

1. Can Seattle make a legitimate run at the playoffs? (Sure, but it would probably involve a team-wide case of avian flu for the Angels)
2. Will Bedard become the ace people seem to think he is? (Well, the Seattle faithful have already penciled him in for 240 innings, so… probably not)
3. Will King Felix finally be crowned with a Cy Young? (He already has the best stuff in baseball, with Santana is in the NL, this might be his year)
4. Who will show up this season, Richie Sexson, or Richie Sexson’s rotting corpse? (It is not possible to perform worse than he did in 2007. I’m predicting some improvement… I know what you’re asking yourself: When will he stop with these insane predictions?!)
5. Will J.J. Putz continue to have the best name in baseball? (I don’t know of any prospects named Quincy Loquacious Douchebag, though my MVP Baseball 2005 once generated a player named Dick Smallenberg… seriously)

Oakland Athletics
2007 Finish: 76-86, 3rd
David’s 2008 Prediction: 68-94 (-8) 4th

Josh’s Analysis:
Despite what you may have read in Moneyball, Billy Beane and the Oakland A’s have not done a good job of drafting in the last half decade or so. After catching lightning in a bottle more times than you might expect in the nineties, (Giambi, Tejada, Zito, Mulder, Hudson) Beane has essentially crapped out in recent drafts, the law of large numbers coming back to bite him in the ass I suppose. The inevitable result of poor drafting is a bankrupted farm system, which means that when starters get injured (as professional athletes are wont to do) there is no one of major league caliber to replace them. With no reasonable shot at making a run at October this season, Beane did the smart thing and opted for a legitimate rebuilding job. Having wisely let Giambi and Tejada seek greener pastures already this decade, Beane decided to commit to Eric Chavez as the face of the franchise. Boy was that a mistake. Chavez’ numbers have been in a steady decline over the last six years in nearly every measurable category.

Dan Haren was incredibly lucky last year, with a large percentage of balls put into play against him being caught. By now you should be able to say it with me: luck is not a repeatable skill! Beane capitalized on Haren’s lucky season by trading him when his stock was highest. One could argue he waited a little too long to trade Swisher, but the A’s got a nice mix of prospects back for the pair. All that’s left is for Beane to trade Blanton, Street and the Oakland Coliseum to finish the job. Rich Harden may never stay healthy enough to become the pitcher that everyone thinks he will be, but with the dawn of each season comes new hope, so A’s fans, keep your fingers crossed. Jack Cust was often billed as a natural DH when he was coming up with the Rockies in 2002. Congratulations Jack, you’ve achieved your destiny. By and large, the A’s are a bit tricky to predict. They were very unlucky last season, with injuries decimating their roster early on. The A’s should be healthier this season and their young players are a year older; they may just be good enough to outperform the Rangers.

Athletics Questions:

1. Will Bobby Crosby finally win that MVP that Gammons predicted two years ago? (When Gammons is in a coma one day, I will still be making fun of him for that one)
2. Will the A’s finish their fire sale and trade Blanton and Street? (We’re talking about one of the few rational GM’s in baseball, so yes)
3. Should we bet on Rich Harden’s health? (The same way that guy at 7-11 is betting on scratch-offs)
4. Will Eric Chavez have a bounce back year? (In the interest of protecting the environment, this question has been recycled from 2007… and 2006, 2005, 2004…)
5. Will the A’s be competitive again by 2010? (In Beane we trust…)
6. Will Billy Beane, author extraordinaire, finally get fair credit for writing Moneyball from baseball scouts? (Hey, Joe Morgan… HE DIDN’T WRITE THE DAMN BOOK!)

Texas Rangers
2007 Finish: 75-87, 4th
David’s 2008 Prediction: 74-88 (-1) 3rd

Josh’s Analysis:
One might think it odd that on the night the Red Sox clinched the World Series in Colorado, the owner of a last place team was popping proverbial champagne corks 888 miles away. But that was exactly what Tom Hicks, owner of the downtrodden Texas Rangers, was probably doing on the evening of October 29th last year. A-Rod’s decision to opt out of the final three years of his contract saved the Rangers – who had agreed to pick up roughly $7 million a season as part of his trade to the Yankees – a fortune. Still, when you’re a last place team and your only significant off-season acquisition is $21.3 million dollars in cash, it is hard to predict good things.

The 2007 Rangers were horrid; I don’t even know where to begin. Their “ace” went 10-14 with a 5.16 ERA, and they are counting on Vincente Padilla, a pitcher with a career ERA over four, to have a “bounce-back” year. They don’t even have a pitcher assigned to close going into the season. They were smart to trade Texeira to the braves at the deadline, but they made a mistake by resigning Michael Young. Young, a fan favorite, is a natural second baseman playing shortstop (and believe me, it shows) whose offensive numbers are inflated by virtue of playing in one of the best hitter’s parks in the majors.

One upside to the fact that Texas has yet to finish better than third this decade is that they have an excellent farm system (which isn’t true of all lousy organizations). Backstop Jarrod Saltamacchia is expected to take the starting job from Gerald Laird (much to the chagrin of baseball announcers everywhere, I'm sure). But if he doesn’t perform up to expectations quickly, he may have to step aside for Taylor Teagarden, a highly rated prospect who hails from the Lonestar State. Contrary to what their state motto might say, this is definitely the year to mess with Texas.

Rangers Questions:

1. Does anyone care enough about the Rangers to still be reading this? (Doubtful)
2. Yea, I gotta be honest, I’ve got nothing... Stay tuned for the NL East over the weekend.

Farewell Favre

So Brett Favre is finally calling it quits. Sixteen seasons as the Green Bay Packers starting Quarterback was enough for the tough-as-nails gunslinger from Southern Mississippi. For better or worse he holds just about every record a quarterback could hold. In 2007 he took hold of Dan Marino’s record for career touchdowns thrown (442), but he also claimed George Blanda’s less than hallowed record for picks thrown (288). He has the most career passing yards in history (61,655) and as you might expect he holds the record for pass attempts (8,758), pass completions (5,377), wins by a starting quarterback (160) and most consecutive starts by a man under center (253 regular season starts). He also holds the record for most blue jeans commercials aired during an NFL season (758,231) and was voted the most rugged-looking, stubble-wearing, cleft-chin-having quarterback by just about every woman who watched a Packers game with their husband/boyfriend/father/brother over the last fifteen years.

Favre was a ton of fun to watch as a football fan. He was practically impossible to hate. As a 49ers fan, the Packers of the mid-nineties were the enemy. I still remember the wildcard playoff game at 3COM Park in January of 1999 when Favre led an 89 yard, two minute touchdown drive against the Niners which put the Pack up 27-23 with under a minute to go. Now true, the Niners eventually won the game on Young’s pass to TO as time expired, but even after it looked like my precious Niners would go down to the Pack in the postseason for a fourth consecutive year, I couldn’t find it in me to hate Favre. He’s too classy, too nice. He has too much fun playing the game. Even his admitted addiction to Vicodin during the best season of his career (1995: 38TD, 13INT, 4,413Yds, 63% Completion), a season that netted him the first of three straight MVP awards, wasn’t enough to make people dislike Favre. He led the Packers to two straight Super Bowls in the nineties, winning Super Bowl XXXI against the Patriots in 1997.

Fellow Official Scorer Josh and I have a bit of a motto. We call it the Koufax/Ryan Corollary; Better to retire after a short career of sustained excellence (Koufax) than continue to play past your prime to the detriment of your team simply to compile stats (Ryan). Favre’s gunslinging, fun-loving approach to playing made him a fan favorite and a joy to watch, he was an elite quarterback and a team leader, sure… but he doesn’t approach the title of greatest. He’s not in the top five. Favre has my deepest admiration and respect, and three straight MVP’s, two Super Bowl appearances and all the records he holds certainly put him in the conversation, but it doesn’t get him home. Favre had four seasons (including consecutive seasons in 05-06) where he did not throw more touchdowns than picks. He never cracked a one hundred quarterback rating (99.5 in 1995 was his closest). He had five seasons with a rating under eighty. Favre’s resurgence in 2007 was as unexpected as it was enjoyable to watch… but he isn’t in the top five; maybe he cracks the top ten. When it comes right down to it, Favre is a stats compiler (See: Hoffman, Trevor; Rose, Pete; Ryan, Nolan) he didn’t throw touchdowns better than anyone in the game, he just threw them for a longer period of time.

There is a competitor in Favre that couldn’t bear to retire following the two abysmal seasons he had in 2005 and 2006. I imagine that Favre hates the fact that the last thing he did as a professional football player was throwing a season-ending pick at Lambeau Field in overtime of the NFC Championship Game. It must be eating him up inside. But short of a Super Bowl appearance in 2008, it was as close as he will come to ending his career on top of his game.

With Favre’s decision to retire, the NFL is losing one of its iconic players. A true class act, and an ultimate competitor, he truly enjoyed playing the game. We don’t know what the future holds for Brett Favre, but one thing is certain; he’ll enjoy his retirement in comfort and heartburn free.

AL Central Preview

Sorry about the delay, real life got in the way for a few days, but I'm back, buckled down and ready to give you your American League Central preview. Once again, teams are listed in the order I think they will finish and David's predictions (which are always wrong) precede my in depth, expertise and always correct analysis:

AL CENTRAL

Detroit Tigers
2007 Finish: 88-74, 2nd
David’s 2008 Prediction: 96-66 (+8) 1st

Josh’s Analysis:
General Manager Dave Dombrowski gets my award for best GM in baseball. He is willing to sacrifice the future for now, a dangerous approach for a GM if it doesn’t work. Detroit traded away eight highly rated prospects this winter in two trades that essentially bankrupted their minor league talent pool. While many people favor a balance, I applaud Dombrowski for going out on a limb to give the fans what they want; a team that can compete today! It’s easy to fall into the trap of being safe and always planning for next year… and when next year never happens, it’s because the talent didn’t develop as planned. Fans appreciate a gamble… so long as the payoff can be immediate. Detroit probably had the best all around off season in the majors. They overhauled the left side of their infield with the addition of Shortstop Edgar Renteria and Slugging Third Baseman Miguel Cabrera. They are both coming off terrific seasons in the National League, and Detroit hopes that it will translate to the AL. Renteria gives Detroit a major upgrade at short on both sides of the ball. Cabrera has often been accused of taking a nonchalant approach to defense, but I think now that he is playing for no-nonsense Jim Leyland on a competitive team you will see a major change in his attitude.

The Tigers’ pitching is a big question mark. Zumaya is out till midseason. Bonderman and Rogers are both coming off disappointing, injury-shortened campaigns. Detroit is gambling that Willis will regain his 2005 (or even his 2006) form. They resigned closer Todd Jones who turns forty during the first month of the season. Detroit's offense is one of the two best in the majors. Gary Sheffield should provide power and consistency if he stays healthy all season. Their lineup boasts Pudge, Magglio, Granderson and now Cabrera and Renteria. Top to bottom, this lineup will terrify opposing pitchers all year. Overall, if the Tigers pitchers can turn in even an average showing, their lineup should make them the team to beat in the Central.

Tigers Questions:

1. How many cameramen will Kenny Rogers punch in 2008? (The over/under is 3)
2. Will Bonderman figure out how to get that pesky ERA under 4.00? (Survey says: No)
3. Will a forty-three year old Rogers win fifteen games? (Define “win”)
4. Will the Tigers score at least 900 runs? (Money in the bank)
5. Will the Tigers win the Central? (By at least four games)
6. Will the Tigers win the pennant? (Nope, hitting will get you to October, but you need pitching… and the ability to field a bunt… to win it all)

Cleveland Indians
2007 Finish: 96-66, 1st, Lost to BOS in ALCS
David’s 2008 Prediction: 89-73 (-7) 2nd

Josh’s Analysis:
The Indians surprised everyone last season with their run to the ALCS, coming within one game of the World Series (three times). The Indians spent the off season desperately trying to lock up Sabathia long term, but the twenty-seven year old seems determined to test the free agency waters in 2009. Sabathia is likely to be the hot commodity next winter, but for now he will still anchor a surprisingly strong rotation in Cleveland. The Indians look like they will be suffering from an embarrassment of riches when it comes to starting pitchers this year. Carmona was positively stunning in his first full season as a starter, and if he can continue to deliver, the Indians will have a formidable one-two punch at the top. Paul Byrd enters his third and most likely last, season with the Tribe. The thirty-seven year old junkballer won a respectable fifteen games last year. Westbrook spent nearly two months on the DL with an abdominal strain and turned in a forgettable 6-9, 4.32 season, but the Indians are optimistic that he can be a viable number four guy this year. Highly rated prospects Laffey and Sowers will compete with Lee for the fifth spot, with Lee the early favorite for the job.

Full time DH Travis Hafner had an abysmal showing in 2007 slugging two hundred points below his improbable 2006 campaign that had everyone foaming at the mouth. Most people in baseball are shrugging off last season and saying that the real Hafner will be back this season, but that remains to be seen. Peralta is a serviceable shortstop but a lousy hitter who strikes out more than twice as often as he walks. The Indians let Lofton leave, and in doing so they lost their catalyst at the top of the lineup. The only .300 hitter the Indians had last year was backstop Victor Martinez and the Tribe can look for more of the same this year. Overall the Indians last year were far better than the sum of their parts and that kind of luck rarely translates year to year. Besides, Joe Borowski, the worst closer in baseball, still has “the full faith” of Manager of the Year Eric Wedge. The fact that Borowski had 53 save opportunities is testament to the number of close games the Indians played and that further reinforces my belief that the Indians were more lucky than anything else last season.

Indians Questions:

1. Will Joe Borowski become an elite closer? (Everyone should have a good belly laugh once a day, this one’s on me)
2. Will Hafner bounce back from his horrid 2007? (This is the key to the Indians season, so they better hope so)
3. Will Sabathia and Carmona perform at the levels they did in 2007? (Sabathia might, he’s in a contract year; Carmona is a mystery, but if he doesn’t, the Tribe has no shot)
4. Was 2007 an off year for Grady Sizemore at the beginning of a great career, or were we far too excited after his great 2006? (Odds are he bounces back)
5. Will Westbrook keep his job all season? (Look for Westbrook in the bullpen or as part of a deadline trade, either way, he will not start a game past August 1 for the Indians)
6. Will the Indians make the postseason? (If everything falls into place for them… I hope Shapiro ordered the midges!)

Chicago White Sox
2007 Finish: 72-90, 4th
David’s 2008 Prediction: 79-83 (+7) 3rd

Josh’s Analysis:
The White Sox had all sorts of problems last season; it’s hard to know where to begin. They probably had the worst pitching staff in the majors. Danks had a pathetic rookie outing putting up a 6-13 with a 5.50 ERA, and he wasn’t even the worst on the staff! Contreras went 10-17 with a 5.57 ERA. The lone bright spot for the Sox came in April with Mark Buehrle’s no-hitter.

Just about everything went wrong for Chicago in 2007 and that kind of bad luck is hard to duplicate. Here’s the amazing thing though; as bad as their pitching was, the real problem was their hitting. Yes, you read that right; the White Sox were one of only three teams in the majors, and the only one from the American League to score fewer than 700 runs (Nationals – 673, Giants – 683). Not one player on the team came within twenty points of hitting .300. While GM Kenny Williams missed out on opportunities to pick up Torri Hunter and Miguel Cabrera, the acquisitions of Nick Swisher in center and Orlando Cabrera at short should help. Honestly, just about anyone would have been an improvement over the woeful Juan Uribe. Cuban sensation Alexei Ramirez is expected to be the opening day second baseman and is considered to be a legitimate contender for Rookie of the Year. Thome and Konerko both underperformed last year and should have better showings this season. Luckily for Chicago they share a division with the Royals and the suddenly pathetic Twins. All in all Kenny Williams has taken a page from the Peter Angelos book on running a team; he bankrupted his team’s future for a handful of cosmetic stopgaps when his team has zero chance of competing this season.

White Sox Questions:

1. Will any of the White Sox starting pitchers finish with records over .500? (I suppose one of them might get lucky)
2. Will anyone on the team hit .300? (Konerko or Dye has an outside shot)
3. …or reach 100 RBIs? (See, the problem with RBI’s is that someone usually needs to get on base in front of you!)
4. How long will it take Ozzie Guillen to say something stupid to the press? (When’s opening day?)
5. Will the White Sox make the playoffs? (How many languages can I say no in? No. Nyet. Non. Nein. いいえ. 아니다. 不. Não. αριθ. לא)

Kansas City Royals
2007 Finish: 69-93, 5th
David’s 2008 Prediction: 71-91 (+2) 4th

Josh’s Analysis:
Because the Royals are the definition of irrelevant, I'm not feeling particularly inspired at the moment. If they refuse to make real attempts at competence, why should I have to buckle down for two paragraphs? I no longer think the Royals have an awful GM. He certainly made every effort to improve his team on the free agent market. Therein lies the problem though. There is approximately no chance that the Royals will contend in the next two years so why the hell would you go out and overpay an above average corner outfielder that won’t even be there if and when the Royals are ever good again?!

While I certainly understand the fact that the Royals have to overpay for free agents (essentially a Kansas City tax levied because of how little players want to play for a perennial loser in a boring city) I don’t see why GMs don’t find another path. Hell, take the cash you’re saving by having one of the league’s lowest payrolls and invest in a high yield money market account! When you’ve stocked up enough minor league talent and are actually good again, maybe you’ll be able to afford to compete with the big boys. I can only assume the Rays have been doing this for years (because nothing else makes sense with them). Unless the Royals opt for sacrificing to Jobu under the noses of the KC media contingent (Mark Teahen’s parents; one camera, one tape recorder), they aren’t winning 75 games. I’m not predicting good things.

Royals Questions:

1. Will Gil Meche get that ERA under 4.00 again? (If he does, the Royals should trade him and use the money they save to take everyone on the team out for ice cream)
2. How many Tony Pena stories will sports fans be subjected to when the Yankees play the Royals? (The over/under is 12)
3. Will the Royals finish above .500? (Will Mike Huckabee be the Republican candidate for President?)
4. Does anyone care enough about the AL Central that they are still reading the Royals questions?? (I’m going with no, feel free to tell me I’m wrong in a comment)

Minnesota Twins
2007 Finish: 79-83, 3rd
David’s 2008 Prediction: 66-96 (-13) 5th

Josh’s Analysis:
Twins neophyte GM Bill Smith sat down at a veritable high stakes poker game this off-season. He was dealt just about the fairest hand a first time GM could ask for; a pair of established stars (Mauer and Morneau), a team that was one or two good moves from contention, and the biggest chip at the table (Santana). Smith started out well enough, opting to gamble on controversy magnet Delmon Young. He got a relatively good price for Young from a Tampa Bay team that was desperate to move the former first overall draft pick. He wisely let Torrii hunter seek greener pastures and the Angels obliged by giving him a psychotic contract. But as Kenny Rogers (no, not that one, the other one) says; “You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away… know when to run”.

Smith overplayed his hand on the Santana deal. He forgot the cardinal rule of savvy GM’s; you don’t trade players, you trade contracts. He had one of the game’s best players, but one of the league’s worst contracts. An expiring deal with a no-trade clause that he’d waive for no less than a six year, 120 million dollar extension. Smith was convinced he could pull off a monster haul for Santana, asking for players such as Reyes, Joba, Hughes, Lester and Buchholz during negotiations with the Mets, Yanks and Sox. When the smoke cleared Smith had passed up the best offer he was going to get (Hughes, Melky and a second-tier prospect) and had traded the best pitcher in the game for a handful of nobodies that didn’t even include a can’t-miss prospect. Congratulations Bill, you set the world record for least amount of time between becoming GM and making a trade so bad it was a fire-able offense. Guinness will be contacting you shortly.

The Twins do have a few things going for them this year. Francisco Liriano, the pitcher with the most dominating stuff since the artist-formerly-known-as-Pedro toed the mound, is returning from Tommy John surgery. A healthy Liriano could potentially be the best pitcher in the game. The Twins have a ton of young pitching, but none of them have a particularly high ceiling. I don't like Delmon Young much, he’s a clubhouse cancer and he never walks, but some people think he'll be good and the price was right. Mauer and Morneau should be around for a while, but they won’t be sniffing the playoffs any time soon.

Twins Questions:

1. Will Liriano be dominating from day one? (He'll probably take his lumps early on, but look for the old Liriano by June)
2. Will anyone the Twins got from the Mets be a star? (With a little luck, one of them might even make the opening day roster!)
3. Will Mauer stay healthy all season? (Yea… I’m not too optimistic on this one)
4. Will the Twins offense miss Nick Punto if he doesn't win the starting job? (Not with Adam Everett poised to take his place… the Twinkies went from the worst full time offensive player in the sport to the second worst… baby steps I suppose)
5. Will Delmon Young settle in and be a model citizen? (Sure! He'll also draw a hundred walks, lead the Twins to October… and oh, grow wings!)

AL East Preview

I know you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting anxiously for my baseball preview, so here is part one in my six part series. Teams are profiled in the order I predict they will finish. Before each column David chimes in with his predictions (which don't always agree with mine). We'll start with the powerhouse AL East:

AL EAST

Boston Red Sox
2007 Finish: 96-66, 1st, Def. COL in WS
David’s 2008 Prediction: 98-64 (+2) 2nd (WC)

Josh’s Analysis:
The off season was a whole lot of nothing for the Sox, but oh what exciting nothing. After being involved in all types of trade talks, most notably the Johan Santana saga, the Sox basically chose to stand pat. Considering they won the World Series last year, it is hard to seriously question the strategy. Unfortunately, the recent (or recently announced) Schilling injury reduces the flexibility and insurance the Sox had in their starting rotation. They can't really count on Schilling to pitch at all, (despite their belief that a torn rotator cuff can be rehabbed without surgery) and that leaves them with five guys. These five guys include a theoretical ace, a Japanese disappointment with some upside, a knuckleballer with a bad back who had a terrible second half last year, the uber-prospect with the great change, great curve, and history of laptop theft (yeah, that was probably unfair), and the lefty who beat lymphoma.

I think the Red Sox rotation could be very good if everything works out. But if Beckett's 2008 campaign resembles his 2006 more than his 2007, they have a problem. They are also depending on two kids and a possibly washed up Wakefield. I think Buccholz has ace potential and Lester should be a solid two or three guy, but young guys often take lumps early on. Dice-K showed impressive stuff, but he'll need to show better command, bring that ERA below 4.00, and reduce the number of balls that end up on Lansdowne St. (25 HR allowed in 2007) to be a true number two.

Red Sox Questions (and possible answers):

1. Will their bullpen be able to continue the impressive (non-Gagne) run they showed in 2008? (Maybe)
2. Are the Sox going to be better off now that they have dropped Eric Gagne off at Boston city limits without a map? (Do you hear that soft sobbing coming from the Milwaukee area?)
3. Will the rotation dominate/be sufficient/explode? (I broke my Magic 8 ball on this one)
4. Will the likely decline of Lowell be balanced by a Manny resurgence or a J.D. Drew sighting? (Sure, why not?)
5. Will Ellsbury have enough success to at least balance out Coco Crisp in his first year? (Vote yes on proposition Ellsbury)
6. Will Lugo keep his job the whole year? (As a Yankee fan, I sure hope so)
7. Will Papelpon continue to be inordinately annoying? (Survey says…yes)
8. Will the Red sox beat out the Yankees in the AL East? (Reply hazy, try again)

New York Yankees
2007 Finish: 94-68, 2nd (WC), Lost to CLE in ALDS
David’s 2008 Prediction: 99-63 (+5) 1st

Josh’s Analysis:
The Yankees’ off season basically mirrored the Red Sox off season… in that they did absolutely nothing (in effect at least). Again, it is hard to object too strenuously; the Yanks have a pretty effective mix of aging veterans and young high-ceiling talent. Short of a kidnapping, there weren’t any viable options for the Yanks to improve their woeful bullpen. Adding Santana would certainly have made them a better team in 2008, but the Yankees did not want to give up former number one pitching prospect Phil Hughes, and I cannot fault them for that decision. They were also not particularly excited about giving Santana six or seven years at twenty million per. With Giambi, Farnsworth and Pavano coming off the books after 2008 however, money wasn’t the breaking point, but the Yanks opted to put their faith in their young pitchers and go after Texeira next year. One thing is for certain, Phil Hughes and Johan Santana will be forever linked, for better or for worse.

That said I personally liked the approach. There is something special about seeing the Yanks develop good young talent and sticking with them. The dynasty of the late 90’s was built the same way (Jeter, Rivera, Bernie, Posada, Pettite). I think most fans become more attached to the homegrown kids. Of course, if the kids don’t turn out to be any good, this all pretty much goes right out the window. Joba, Hughes and Kennedy almost certainly won't be the second coming of Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, but they do have a good shot at becoming a solid top three anchor for this rotation for years to come.

Yankees Questions (and there are plenty of questions, lemme tell ya):

1. Can Joe Girardi manage to get the production he needs out of the LF/DH/1B rotation while keeping all the players involved happy? (Not going to be an easy task)
2. Will Andy Pettite move on from the annoying steroid controversy and match his 2007 performance? (Quite possibly)
3. Will Wang rebound from his craptacular playoff debacle? (Most likely)
4. Will the bullpen be something other than horrible? (-sigh- will Farnsworth be heavily involved?)
5. Will the Yanks handle Joba correctly? (They’d better freakin’ hope so)
6. Will there be a bona fide Carl Pavano sighting in 2008? (Maybe on the 11 O’clock news)
7. Will the Yankees score at least 900 runs? (YES!)
8. Will Derek Jeter, my favorite Yankee, get to that groundball to his left? (NO!)
9. Will the Yanks edge out the Red Sox in the East? (Reply hazy, try again)

Toronto Blue Jays
2007 Finish: 83-79, 3rd
David’s 2008 Prediction: 88-74 (+5) 3rd

Josh’s Analysis:
I can't imagine I'd be happy to be a Blue Jays fan. They keep making sure they are just good enough to compete but not good enough to be a legitimate playoff threat. Here’s a note to Toronto upper management: eight of the last twelve AL Pennant winners have been from the East. The Yankees and Sox are consistently one and two in money spent, it will take more than cosmetic changes to be a factor in this division. It took an epic collapse by Boston in 2006 to get the Jays a second place finish (still 8 games behind Wild Card winner Detroit). The Blue Jays haven’t made the playoffs since they won it all in 1993. If you combine no October baseball with mediocre draft position every year, you get what I like to call "the worst of both worlds." Alas, the off season doesn't seem to have improved the situation much.

The Jays have the potential for a pretty impressive starting staff. Halladay is an impressive workhorse, and Burnett has ace stuff…but they both need to stay healthy (the odds of which are approximately… -crunches some numbers- ... zero). Dustin McGowan looked very impressive in his first full season, and could be a legit power pitcher for years to come. David Eckstein is the little engine that could; watching him put every ounce of himself into every throw in order to will the ball to first base is always quite a sight (if ever a player didn't have the arm for shortstop, it's him). The Jays traded their oft injured, steroid using, slugging 3rd baseman for a very oft injured, somewhat less slugging 3rd baseman. Advantage…hmmm…journalists who make their living reporting trade rumors? One upside for Toronto is that Vernon Wells’s contract might start looking reasonable considering the crazy contract Torrii Hunter got in free agency….Huzzah!

Blue Jays Questions:

1. Will the starting rotation stay reasonable healthy? (Why would they start now?)
2. Will Vernon Wells bounce back from his abysmal year? (Probably)
3. Will the ball get from Eckstein's hand to first base? (Eventually)
4. Will Rolen stay healthy for a full season? (Surely you jest)
5. Will Rios make the jump to a legit 30-100 player or will he continue to be criminally overrated? (Can’t it be both?)

Tampa Bay (Angelic) Rays
2007 Finish: 66-96, 5th
David’s 2008 Prediction: 70-92 (+4) 4th

Josh’s Analysis:
It is really quite amazing what picking in the top five of the amateur draft for a decade can do for you. Every minor league talent evaluator worth his salt and several of those who aren’t will tell you that the Rays farm system is absolutely stacked. They are the clear leader in minor league talent… but major league talent… not so much. The Rays do look like they are on the rise, though. The question is whether their terrible ballpark and low payroll will hold them back. Again.

A lot went right for the Rays last year, well as much can go right for a 66 win, fifth place team. B.J. Upton finally delivered on the promise that everyone said he had; his swing looks positively A-Rod-ish at times. Carlos Pena went from scrapheap to silver slugger. Kazmir's performance continued to make Mets fans everywhere cry themselves to sleep. Delmon Young defied all reasonable expectations and did not hit anyone with a bat. Some of their young pitchers showed some serious moxie (usually while getting hammered by opposing hitters).

Despite these positives, the Rays still have a long way to go, but the addition of Evan Longoria should help. The third baseman is said to have David Wright potential, and is the early favorite for Rookie of the Year. The Rays traded Delmon Young (who was actually pretty terrible for a corner outfielder last year) for Matt Garza of the Twins. While Garza may be a somewhat lesser prospect, one outfielder needed to go and Young was the clear choice. Several potential star pitchers await their chance to shine. The Rays might just be a team to contend with… in a couple years (at least for Toronto).

Rays Questions:

1. Will Pena repeat his 2007 performance? (Not bloody likely)
2. Will Upton continue to perform at this level? (More bloody likely)
3. Can Kazmir develop into a legit ace? (Sure, now that the Mets have Santana, maybe their fans will finally ease up on the Kazmir voodoo dolls)
4. Will Carl Crawford ever make the jump into the star everyone already thinks he is? (I'm going with no)
5. Will Evan Longoria ever be more famous than Eva Longoria? (NO!)
6. Will Evan Longoria at least win Rookie of the Year? (YES!)
7. Will the Rays finally fight their way out of the AL East cellar? (Now that they have abandoned the Devil, all things are possible)

Baltimore Orioles
2007 Finish: 69-93, 4th
David’s 2008 Prediction: 59-103 (-10) 5th

Josh’s Analysis:
When the topic of the worst franchise in all of sports comes up, as it tends to, I always argue strenuously for the Baltimore Orioles. Considering their impressive history and beautiful ballpark, this is quite the accusation. Obviously, you must take into account the vast difficulties inherent in playing in the AL East, however the Orioles fans have to deal with something the Jays and Rays just don't; the complete and utter lack of hope. Hope is at the core of everything that makes baseball great. In the case of the Orioles, hope is brutally strangled by Peter Angelos on a yearly basis. Angelos is the worst owner in sports (sorry James Dolan…so close). Since I am only devoting a few paragraphs to each team, I don't have the necessary space to properly rant about Peter the Cruel. Yankee fans have been subjected to George Steinbrenner’s meddling for a quarter century. But say what you will about George, he desperately wanted to win and he always did his best to field what he thought was a championship caliber team. That is an owner’s job (besides exploiting everything for profit, that is). An objective look at every move that Angelos and the Orioles’ front office has made in the last twelve years would convince any rational thinker that Angelos has been trying to do the exact opposite.

Despite all expectations, the Orioles seem to have finally made the decision to stop trying to win 70-75 games. It's rebuilding time! I believe that you are either trying to win a championship, rebuilding, or just robbing your fans. It's all part of the whole hope thing. Fans either need hope for the future, or hope right now. Maybe the Orioles finally got the memo.

I suppose I should still mention some substantive things about this likely hundred-loss team. Nick Markakis has a real shot at being one of the best right fielders in baseball over the next decade or so. The Bedard trade was very well done, even if Adam Jones is the only real acquisition; he is a very highly rated prospect. The O’s managed to get the Mariners to throw in an extra prospect when they had already committed to moving Bedard and the M’s were the only serious bidder. The Tejada dump occurred just before the Mitchell Report was released (good freaking timing). They did acquire a nice poo-poo platter of decent guys for him; however, in true Angelos fashion every upside has a bigger downside. The O’s waited one year too long to trade Tejada and were forced to accept thirty cents on the dollar for one of the game’s best shortstops. If the Orioles are committed to rebuilding, they must trade Brian Roberts while he has value. I hear that he is an Angelos favorite, and that might be holding things up. I believe Joe DiMaggio once said "I'd like to thank the good Lord for not making me an Orioles fan" (or something to that effect).

Orioles Questions:

1. Will the Orioles lose 100 games? (Quite likely)
2. Will the O's finally trade Roberts (and perhaps Mora) to complete their rebuilding effort? (Seems a bit too rational, so no)
3. Will I ever watch an Orioles game when they aren't playing the Yankees or Red Sox? (Is there coercion involved? Maybe some money changing hands?)
4. Does hope spring eternal? (Maybe next year?)

Top 15 Sports Movies of All Time

While we anxiously wait for Josh to finish consulting his magic eight ball, reading the chicken bones and tea leaves, and basically whatever other voodoo he employs in putting together his baseball preview column, I thought I would tackle one of the more pressing issues of our time: What are the fifteen greatest sports movies? We have seen many lists over the years, some of them more accurate than others, but mine will of course be the definitive one. For the purposes of this list we will define a sports movie as one pertaining to Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey or Boxing.

15) Diggstown (1992)
James Woods, Louis Gosset Jr. – Boxing

The best movie you’ve never heard of. Kind of a cross between 1973 Best Picture The Sting and 1976 Best Picture Rocky. The movie is about the big con which is centered on boxing. James Woods turns in an incredibly convincing performance as con-man Gabriel Caine, Heather Graham is always welcome as the eye candy… erm… love interest and Oliver Platt is perfect as the comic relief. You’ll be hard pressed to see the movie’s big twist ending coming, but if you aren’t visibly giddy at the end then you’re dead inside. Rent this movie today.

14) Bad News Bears (1976)
Walter Matthau, Tatum O’Neal – Little League Baseball.

There aren’t too many people who haven’t seen this 1976 classic about a group of underachievers led to victory by a recovering alcoholic looking for redemption. So I’ll just remind you what the movie’s tagline was since that says it all: The coach is waiting for his next beer. The pitcher is waiting for her first bra. The team is waiting for a miracle. Consider the possibilities.

13) Slap Shot (1977)
Paul Newman, Joe McGrath – Minor League Hockey

The original slapstick, goofball, sports movie. Another instant classic. Not much else to say about this. In 1998, Maxim named Slap Shot the Best Guy Movie Of All Time eschewing such obvious classic choices as The Godfather, Raging Bull, and Newman's own Cool Hand Luke. While that probably speaks more to the crack intake of Maxim editors it should tell you something that it was at least a contender.

12) Brian’s Song (1971)
James Caan, Billy Dee Williams – Football

The quintessential black guy/white guy buddy movie aired sixteen years before Danny Glover was ever “too old for this shit” in Lethal Weapon. This movie could reduce the manliest of men to tears. Universally recognized as the greatest made for TV movie ever (The M*A*S*H finale notwithstanding). It was so popular after its TV release that it was re-released on the big screen.

11) Rocky III (1982)
Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers – Boxing

You wouldn’t think that a movie written, directed and acted by the Italian Stallion would be this good. After enjoying life at the top Rocky turns to his new best friend Apollo Creed to help him train to regain the title he lost to Mr. T. I pity the fool who doesn’t love this movie. (Yea, it was a cheap joke but you would have been mad if I didn’t make it.)

10) Rudy (1993)
Sean Astin, Jon Favreau – College Football

I don’t care who you are or if you even like football, you simply cannot dislike this movie about an overachiever whose lifelong dream is to play football for Notre Dame. Watching hobbit Sean Astin (look at you! five foot nothing, a hundred and nothing!) work his ass off, first to get accepted into Notre Dame as a transfer and then to get on the team is a great experience. In addition to all the feel-good and watching Rudy work out his daddy issues by getting his ass kicked repeatedly, we get one of the greatest inspirational speeches of all time. (Nobody and I mean nobody comes into our house and pushes us around!).

9) Major League (1989)
Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen – Major League Baseball

This 1989 movie about a diabolical owner trying to get a group of misfits to perform so poorly that she can move the Indians to Miami will have you rolling in the aisles. Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen, Wesley Snipes and Dennis Haysbert as the Jobu-worshipping slugger who can’t hit a curveball team up with a phenomenal Bob Uecker to make this gem. The tagline says it all: When these oddballs try to play hardball, the result is totally screwball.

8) Hoosiers (1986)
Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper – High School Basketball

Without a doubt, the greatest basketball movie ever made (Sorry Space Jam). Dennis Hopper shines as the town drunk and Gene Hackman’s signature role as Coach Norman Dale has this movie in just about everyone’s top 10 list. The ultimate David vs. Goliath team sports movie.

7) A League of Their Own (1992)
Geena Davis, Tom Hanks – Girls Professional Baseball

Penny Marshall’s movie about the All American Pro Girls League was an unexpected delight considering the cast. Just about every movie Madonna or Rosie O’Donnell have been heavily involved in (with the exception of Dick Tracy) have been so bad that no self-respecting man would spend two hours watching them. Yet against all odds, this movie was incredible. A feel-good film that sees Tom Hanks as a recovering alcoholic who finds redemption… you know what, I’m starting to see a pattern here. But if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

6) The Program (1993)
James Caan, Omar Epps – College Football

If you haven’t seen this behind the scenes look at a college football program, go rent it right now. This movie has it all, backstabbing, steroids, academic shortcuts, alcoholism, a Heisman campaign, you name it. Plus, grade A+ eye candy with Halle Berry and Kristy Swanson as the love interests. James Caan shines as the do-anything-to-win Coach Sam Winters (though amazingly he’s not a recovering alcoholic!). This film sets the bar for football movies.

5) Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Clint Eastwood, Hillary Swank – Women’s Boxing

I hesitated to put this movie on the list since the sports aspect of the movie quits halfway through and the rest of the movie is pretty depressing. But the movie did win Best Picture so I think that buys it a spot in the top 5. Hillary Swank won Best Actress for her portrayal of a waitress who wants to be a boxer. And anytime you throw Clint Eastwood into a movie you double your manly quotient. (with a few notable exceptions… I’m talking to YOU Bridges of Madison County!)

4) Raging Bull (1980)
Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci – Boxing

His rage made him a champ in the ring, and a chump at home. Directed by Martin Scorcese. Joe Pesci’s breakout role. DeNiro gained 45 pounds to play old Jake. Got a best picture nomination and DeNiro got his second Oscar for his portrayal of LaMotta. There really is nothing bad about this movie.

3) Rocky (1976)
Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire – Boxing

Despite the fact that this movie can be directly blamed for Rocky IV and V the original is still the best. Taking the Best Picture Oscar only solidified its place as the best boxing movie of all time and a clear contender for best sports film. While underdog stories permeate this list, this movie takes the cake. If Hoosiers was the standard for team underdogs, Rocky sets the bar for individual achievement.

2) Bull Durham (1988)
Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins – Minor League Baseball

This is one of those movies that you have to watch when you stumble across it on TV. Susan Sarandon turns in a memorable performance as Annie Savoy. Tim Robbins is great as the naïve Nuke Laloosh and Kevin Costner is perfect as Crash Davis. Bull Durham gave us one of the best movie monologues of all time (Costner’s I Believe In speech) as well as some serious comic relief. This movie has it all. Some cynics say that Bull Durham was a chick flick that centered on baseball, but I disagree. At least the love interest is portrayed wonderfully by Sarandon. By contrast, Kelly Preston’s performance in For Love of the Game has single handedly kept that film off this list.

1) Field Of Dreams (1989)
Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones – Baseball?

Kevin Costner gets the top two spots on this list and really, was there any doubt? While Field of Dreams isn’t about the team, the players or the game itself, the movie is rife with metaphors. Any child who has ever had a catch with their father will absolutely be choking up during the closing minutes. James Earl Jones’ monologue about baseball standing the test of time will give you chills. Despite the fact that the movie is essentially ghosts playing baseball, the depth of the movie is incredible. A cinch for number one.

Honorable mentions: Eight Men Out, Pride of the Yankees, Hurricane
Note: The most glaring omission on this list is probably The Natural, this is because fellow Official Scorer Josh hates it for its over-the-topness, so I left it off. Clearly there’s no accounting for taste.