It is almost time for the All-Star Game, which is a good time to review the predictions that I made at the beginning of the season. It is also a good time to make some mid-season adjustments. Let’s take a look at how I had the AL East finishing:
1 Blue Jays
2 Orioles
3 Rays
4 Red Sox
5 Yankees
Well, the Blue Jays are in last place and further out of first than any of my other first place picks. The rest of the division is within 5.5 games and anything can happen.
Lets take a look at how I saw the AL East before the season:
1 Blue Jays – They had a very successful offseason. They picked up Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle from the Marlins and signed NL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey. Considering the fact that they already had Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brandon Morrow, the Blue Jays should be the team to beat in the East. They may be in last place, but they are only a couple of games under .500. Look for them to work their way over .500, but it looks like I was wrong about them winning the division.
2 Orioles – The Orioles were the surprise team of the AL East last year, and there is no reason to believe that they will slip from how they finished. Their pitching staff is coming back pretty much intact. The only question is whether or not they can win the 1-run games like they did last year. The Orioles are still playing good baseball, but they will need to overtake the Rays and Red Sox while holding off the Yankees.
3 Rays – The Rays have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, including AL Cy Young Award winner David Price, and they are going to need that pitching staff this season. Other than Evan Longoria, their lineup does not seem to have a lot of run production. But once again, the Rays will field a competitive team with a low budget. The Rays are holding their own once again in a powerful AL East.
4 Red Sox – The Red Sox lost Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers. This is going to be a rare rebuilding year for the BoSox. The Red Sox have been playing great baseball this season, posting the best record in the AL. So much for rebuilding.
5 Yankees – The Yankees are getting old and beat up. Derek Jeter is coming off of a serious injury and Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, and Michael Pineda are all out. That being said, this is still the Yankees, so they cannot be counted out until game 162. What can I say? The Yankees are the Yankees. Even with all of their injuries and the ARod scandal, the Yankees are putting together a solid season and will be playing for a playoff spot.
The AL East definitely looks like it has been turned upside down. It is still a strong division, but there is a changing of the guard in progress. It is a strong division, but the changing of the guard did not happen like I thought it would.
So how will the AL East look at the end of the season? Maybe something like this:
1 Red Sox
2 Orioles
3 Yankees
4 Rays
5 Blue Jays
The Red Sox look like they are going to take the division. The Orioles, Yankees, and Rays may only be separated by a game or two at the end. And the Blue Jays will end up with one of the best records for a last place team.
Our Babe Ruth team had a wonderful opportunity to have members of the St. John’s River State College Vikings baseball team work with them. Head coach Ross Jones was not able to be there, but assistant coach Will Coggin was amazing with the kids. Joining Coach Coggin were 5 members of the team: AJ Stevens, Matt Pennington, Jose Hernandez, Casey Eddinger, and Blake Swann. Each of their players took a keen interest in teaching and sharing baseball with our team.
Coach Coggin led us into their hitting facility where he went through a number of hitting drills. Once he taught a drill, the kids spread out to 6 different batting tees where they practiced the drill. Each of the Vikings helped 2 of the kids with the drills. After each of the drills, Coach Coggin gathered the kids together to teach them the next drill. After the batting tee drills came some soft toss in the batting cages. There were 3 cages, and the Vikings worked with each kid, making sure that they were swinging properly and hitting line drives up the middle.
All of the kids had a great time and will probably remember this for the rest of their lives. I know I will. It was fun to watch the college players and their coach pass on their love of the game. They went above and beyond anything that I could have asked for.
That Saturday we went to the Vikings game. We got to see Matt Pennington throw a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Blake Swann also had a great game, going 3 for 4 with 4 solid line drives. The Vikings came out on top 3-0. After the game, we had 3 of our players left. Head Coach Ross Jones invited us into the dugout and gave them each a game used ball. Matt Pennington, AJ Stevens, and Coach Will Coggin all signed my daughter’s ball.
The 2013 regular season should be an exciting one. Several of the races should come down to the last week, maybe even the last game. It will tough to match the competitiveness of the 2012 playoffs, with all 4 Divisional Series and one of the League Championship Series going the distance.
In the American League, I believe that the Toronto Blue Jays will win the East and have the best record in the AL, the Los Angeles Angels will win the West with the second best record, and the Detroit Tigers will win the Central. The Wild Card teams will be the Kansas City Royals and the Baltimore Orioles.
In the National League, the Washington Nationals will win the East with the best record in all of baseball, the Cincinnati Reds will win the Central with the second best record, and the San Francisco Giants will win the West. Both of the Wild Card teams will come out of the Central: the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals.
In the Wild Card Round, I have the Kansas City Royals beating the Baltimore Orioles in the American League and the Milwaukee Brewers finally getting the best of the St. Louis Cardinals in a playoff round.
Next up is the Divisional Series. In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays will take the series against the Kansas City Royals 3 games to 1, and the Detroit Tigers will stun the Los Angeles Angels 3 games to 2. In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers will upset the Washington Nationals 3 games to 2 and the Cincinnati Reds will sweep the San Francisco Giants 3 games to none.
Both of the League Championship Series will come down to game 7, with the home team coming out on top. The Milwaukee Brewers will fall to the Cincinnati Reds and the Toronto Blue Jays will out last the Detroit Tigers.
The World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Toronto Blue Jays will go down as one of the most exciting. Neither team will be up by more than one game the entire series, and game 7 will be a back and forth extra inning game that ends with a game winning double hit by Joey Votto scoring Shin-Soo Choo and Brandon Phillips.
The AL West may be one of the toughest divisions. The addition of the Astros will only help the top teams to win more games.
1 Angels – The Angels are the tops in the league. With Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo and Josh Hamilton providing the offense and C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver at the top of their rotation, the sky is the limit for this club.
2 Athletics – The A’s proved that a small budget team can make it through a full season and come out on top. They will probably not repeat as division champs, but their youth will serve them well. They should be competing for a wild card spot when September rolls around.
2 Rangers – They lost Josh Hamilton (to the Angels), but the picked up A.J. Pierzynski. Pierzynski will not fully replace Hamilton’s bat, but he will provide offense, defense, and he tends to ruffle the feathers of opponents. The Rangers and the Athletics will battle all season, and they may pick up both of the wild card spots.
4 Mariners – The Mariners have Felix Hernandez, but the rest of their rotation is questionable. Their defense is also suspect. They will score some runs, but it won’t be enough to overcome the Rangers, Athletics, and Angels.
5 Astros – Two straight 100 loss seasons and a switch to a different league are not promising indicators for how this season is shaping up to be. Add to that the lowest paroll in baseball, and things look downright awful for the Astros. They may break 100 losses for a third straight year. But their uniforms sure do look nice this season.
This looks like a very strong division. The Angels should win it pretty easily, with the Athletics and Rangers tying for second. The Mariners are not yet ready to crash the party and the Astros will struggle in their first year in the AL.
The World Series Champion Giants look like the team to beat in this division. The Dodgers made some off season moves, but they may not be enough to catch the Giants.
1 Giants – The Giants are looking to back up their World Series win with another deep playoff run. Buster Posey will be leading the Giants offensively. The pitching staff that he will be handling includes Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, and Barry Zito. If they stay healthy, they will be the team to beat in the West
2 Dodgers – The Dodgers picked up Zack Greinke, who should help their rotation. With Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez leading the charge, they should score some runs. An injury to Hanley Ramirez will keep him out for the first six weeks and leaves a big hole at third base. Any early slide will make it difficult to catch the Giants this season.
3 Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks will have a young rotation, all under 30 years old. Losing Justin Upton does not help matters. They finished 81-81 in 2012 and look like they will finish with about the same record in 2013.
4 Padres – Other than Chase Headley (who will start the season on the DL), the Padres do not have any stars on their team. Rookie phenom catcher Yasmani Grandal will be missing 50 games due to a PED suspensioin. Their pitching rotation is underwhelming.
5 Rockies – The worst pitching staff from 2012 does not look like it improved much for 2013. Troy Tulowitzki is the undisputed star of the Rockies, but there is not much more on this team. If the pitching comes around, they may battle the Padres for 4th place, but even that looks like a long shot.
The NL West may not have a 90 game winner in 2013, but their division champ could make a deep playoff run. The Giants and the Dodgers are the front runners.
The AL East appears to be going through an upheaval. The bottom feeders are looking strong and the perennial front runners are starting to slide.
1 Blue Jays – They had a very successful offseason. They picked up Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle from the Marlins and signed NL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey. Considering the fact that they already had Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brandon Morrow, the Blue Jays should be the team to beat in the East.
2 Orioles – The Orioles were the surprise team of the AL East last year, and there is no reason to believe that they will slip from how they finished. Their pitching staff is coming back pretty much intact. The only question is whether or not they can win the 1-run games like they did last year.
3 Rays – The Rays have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, including AL Cy Young Award winner David Price, and they are going to need that pitching staff this season. Other than Evan Longoria, their lineup does not seem to have a lot of run production. But once again, the Rays will field a competitive team with a low budget.
4 Red Sox – The Red Sox lost Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers. This is going to be a rare rebuilding year for the BoSox.
5 Yankees – The Yankees are getting old and beat up. Derek Jeter is coming off of a serious injury and Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, and Michael Pineda are all out. That being said, this is still the Yankees, so they cannot be counted out until game 162.
The AL East definitely looks like it has been turned upside down. It is still a strong division, but there is a changing of the guard in progress.
The NL East has been the powerhouse division in the National League in recent years. This may change this year with the potential of the NL Central. There are still three strong playoff contenders in this division.
1 Nationals – The expectations are high in the nation’s capital. After winning 98 games last season, the Nats will have Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper for the full season. Their starting pitchers are among the best in baseball and they have a solid young lineup. They are built to be contenders for years to come.
2 Braves – The Braves lost Chipper Jones, but they picked up the Upton brothers. They are coming off of a playoff season and are looking to repeat. If there is a team outside of the NL Central that gets a wild card spot, it will be the Braves.
3 Phillies – The Phillies are starting to show their age. Roy Halladay has lost some velocity, which may lead to opponents hitting a few more home runs off of him. Offensively, they don’t look so bad, but that is not going to make up for their pitching and defense.
4 Mets – The only reason that the Mets will not finish last is that the Marlins are in their division. David Wright is their bright spot this season. Johan Santana will start the season on the DL and Shaun Marcum may join him before opening day. This is going to be a long season for Mets fans.
5 Marlins – Trading Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, and Emilio Bonifacio forced the Marlins into a rebuilding year. It is a shame to see so many empty seats, but what do you expect from a team that continually gets rid of their best players?
The NL East is not what it once was, but the top three teams will be competitive. The Nationals are arguably the best team in baseball, and the Braves and Phillies are going to win their share of games.
The AL Central might be one of the hardest to predict this season. The Tigers are the front runners, but the rest of the division is up for grabs.
1 Tigers – The Tigers have added Torii Hunter to a team that already includes Miguel Cabrera (AL MVP and triple crown winner), Prince Fielder, and Justin Verlander. They are the team to beat in the AL Central.
2 Royals – The Royals have a good young core with Billy Butler and Alex Gordon. James Shields and Wade Davis should be welcome additions to the rotation. The Royals have a chance to break through and make a serious run at the playoffs in 2013.
3 Indians – The Indians made a big splash by signing Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn. Their offense should be above average, but their pitching staff has too many question marks. This team just seems to be average this season.
4 Twins – The Twins have some potential, but like most teams, the pitching staff will be the key to how they finish. If Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau can stay healthy all season, the offense will be productive. This is a team that could over achieve and surprise some people; but even then, it looks like a fourth place finish is about the best they can hope for.
5 White Sox – The pitching staff for the White Sox does not appear to be very intimidating. There is power in the middle of the lineup but they are starting to show signs of age. They are going to miss A.J. Pierzynski, who leaves a hole in the lineup, behind the plate, and in the locker room.
Besides the Tigers, the AL Central is made up of mediocre teams. None of them are horrible, but it looks like the wild card team will come out of the East and West this season.
The National League Central may prove to be one of the more competitive divisions this year.
1 Reds – The Reds are coming off of a 97 win season looking for a repeat. A key trade with the Indians sent Drew Stubbs away, with his high strikeouts, and brought to them Shin-Soo Choo. There is no reason to believe that they will slip much, if at all. They are all set for a deep run in the playoffs.
2 Brewers – The Brewers are coming off of a disappointing season. They led the league in home runs, stolen bases, and blown saves. They overhauled the bullpen, and John Axford returned to form late in the season (converted 18 of his last 19 save opportunities). With their offense largely in tact, they could be looking at a serious run at the division title.
3 Cardinals – The Cardinals squeaked into the playoffs last season after an 88 win season. They were quiet in the offseason. They have a lot of depth to go along with the talent that is coming back this season. It is quite possible that both wild card teams will come out of the Central this season.
4 Pirates – The Pirates had another disappointing finish. After starting 63-47, they faded down the stretch and ended up with just 79 wins. They still have Andrew McCutchen to lead them. They also signed catcher Russell Martin, who is a vast improvement over Rod Barajas. The Pirates may be a contender, but there are three teams for them to overtake in this division.
5 Cubs – The only thing keeping the Cubs from being the worst team in the National League last year was the Astros, and they moved to the American League this year. The Cubs will probably not be as bad this year, but they will probably not improve enough to finish anywhere but last.
The top three teams all have a realistic shot at winning the division, and the Pirates are not that far behind (as long as they don’t have another late season swoon).
The subject of coaching youth pitchers is an important one. Pitchers should learn proper mechanics. Young pitchers’ arms are still growing and are susceptible to injury, both now and in the future. Young pitchers will need to limit the amount of pitches they throw. They should also refrain from throwing curve balls. Of course, some will teach younger pitchers a curve ball, so you will need to teach your pitchers how to be competitive with them. You do this by teaching them how to change speeds and how to locate their pitches.
One of the most important things for a pitcher to learn is proper mechanics. Pitching is extremely hard on a pitcher’s arm and shoulder. Proper mechanics limits the wear and tear to a certain extent. Good pitching form starts with good footwork. The pitching foot (the same side as the pitching arm) should be parallel to the rubber, with the outside of the foot up against it. This gives a good surface to push off of. This leg push generates much of the power for a pitcher. Once they push with their leg, they should lead with their chest. When their other foot hits the ground, the arm should finish the throwing motion, complete with a follow through.
It is recommended that a pitcher that is 16 years old or younger limit their pitches to 90 in a day. For a less experienced pitcher, I would recommend even fewer pitches. If a pitcher is laboring and is not able to pitch with proper mechanics, it is time to put another pitcher in. Another use for pitch counts is making sure the pitcher has enough rest between appearances. For each 20 pitches that a pitcher throws in a day, that pitcher should have one full day of rest before pitching again.
Now that they are pitching properly and they have a pitch count to help protect their arms, it is time to learn some pitches. The fastball and the change-up are the first pitches that should be learned. These need to be mastered before moving on to other pitches. For pitchers under 16 years old, throwing curve balls is discouraged. Curve balls are very hard on the arms. Even if there is not an apparent injury, by the time they are pitching in high school, they can develop a loss in velocity. Later in life, shoulder and elbow problems can start to appear. In this writer’s opinion, it is just better to not throw curve balls at a young age.
A young pitcher can be very effective without a curve ball. Even with just a fastball, if the pitcher can move the ball around the plate and up and down, they will have success. Then once you start mixing it up with a change-up the batter has a lot to think about. Is the ball going to be inside or outside? Is it going to be high or low? Is it going to be fast or slow? That is all on top of figuring out if it is a strike and whether or not to swing! That is a lot for a young hitter to go up against.
A young pitcher needs to start with the fundamentals of good mechanics. Then make sure to put reasonable limits on their pitch count. Teach them a fastball or two and a change-up. Forget about the curve ball for now, that can be learned later. For now, teach them how to command their fastball and change-up. They will be successful as long as they change speed and location. Then, when a pitcher is older (at least 16) and has good command of the fastball and change-up, a curve ball can be added.
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