Well it's time for me to make my predictions for the 2008 season, just before opening day.   While I'm very sad that I won't be attending spring training games anymore, I still am very excited to get the regular season going (not to mention getting going on my autographs).   So without further delay, here are my 2008 predictions:

AL East

Yankees

Red Sox

Blue Jays

Devil Rays

Orioles

What kind of Yankees fan would I be if I didn't pick my team to win the division?   I know we're counting a lot on young pitching, but I still think that young pitching leads the best staff we've had in years, and our offense will still score plenty of runs.   The Red Sox will be very good, but I think the Schilling injury has a bigger effect than people realize, and I don't think Ellsbury's going to hit anything like he did last season over a full 162 games.   He will be very good, but he's not there yet.   The Blue Jays are going to be a factor, no doubt about it.   But they don't have the depth to cover any serious injuries that the Yankees or Red Sox do.   If Halladay, Burnett, or Ryan miss any significant time, they're in a lot of trouble.   The Rays are starting to get noticed, and they will surely impact the race this year, and finish around .500.   I still don't think their pitching is ready to help them reach the playoffs, but they will be in contention next season.   Baltimore is going to be awful this season, but the moves they made had to be made, and they will be tough a few years from now.

AL Central

Indians

Tigers

Royals

Twins

White Sox

The Tigers made all the headlines this winter, but I still think it's Cleveland's division to lose.   Sabathia is in a contract year, so I think he'll put up similar numbers to last year.   Travis Hafner should bounce back, which will help their lineup out a ton.   The young guys are getting closer to their prime, and the experience they had last season will only help.   Detroit's going to score a ton of runs, but outside of Verlander, I don't see where they're going to get the pitching they need to contend over the full season, and I think getting Dontrelle Willis is highly overrated.   They're a scary team, but the lack of pitching will show over the full season.   My surprise team is the Royals, who I think are quickly on the way up.   I'm expecting big years from both Alex Gordon and Billy Butler.   Minnesota's definitely going to miss Hunter and Santana, but Liriano will help out the pitching staff a lot.   Delmon Young is going to add a ton to their offense, but they also don't have the pitching depth to contend.   I'm really not impressed with the White Sox, who I feel should have made the move to rebuild, not try to force one more winning season from this team.   Their offense is pretty good, but Thome and Dye aren't getting any younger, and I think the Garland/Cabrera trade was terrible from their standpoint.   Behind Buehrle and Vazquez, their rotation troubles me.

AL West

Mariners

Angels

Rangers

Athletics

I think this division is going to be very exciting.   I was going to pick the Angels, but all their injuries worry me, and while I think Torii Hunter is a good player, I don't think he's going to put up the kind of numbers he did last year.   Bedard and Felix Hernandez are a scary duo for the Mariners, and with Putz at the end of games, those two are going to win a lot.   The offense is decent, but barring any injuries, I think those two starters lead them past the Angels.   I think both the Rangers and A's are going to be a lot better than people realize, but somebody has to finish in last.   Josh Hamilton is primed for a monster year, and if Millwood can get healthy, the Rangers aren't going down easy.   The A's , assuming they don't trade anyone else, still have a good team.   There will be some days that they look awful, but I think they will turn a lot of heads.    This division should be a lot of fun to watch.

NL East

Mets

Phillies

Braves

Nationals

Marlins

No shocking picks here.    Santana obviously makes the Mets way better, and considering they didn't have to give up anyone from their 2007 team to get him, that was a great trade for the Mets.   I think Pedro's going to be the difference though.   He has apparently looked good this spring, and with his contract up at the end of the season, he has something to prove.   The Phillies are going to be right there until the end.   The offense is scary, and getting Brett Myers in the rotation is going to be a plus.   I actually think Brad Lidge is going to be an excellent closer for them, but I just don't think they have the depth in the rotation to beat the Mets.   The Braves are going to be there until the end as well, but recent injury concerns over Smoltz spells big trouble.   Their offense is as good as any other offense in the league, but Glavine doesn't really strike me as being a big signing, and I think they fall a little short.   The Nationals are getting better, but there's nobody on the team that really excites me.   Ryan Zimmerman is fun to watch, but they don't have the dominating players to make a difference in the race.    They're on their way up, they're just not there yet.   The Marlins aren't going to be as awful as a lot of people think, but they're clearly going to be well below the top 3 in the division.   Hanley Ramirez is the biggest victim of the winter, as he doesn't have much protection in the lineup with Miguel Cabrera gone.

NL Central

Brewers

Cubs

Reds

Astros

Cardinals

Pirates

I think the Brewers are underrated.    I think Ben Sheets stays healthy and wins 17-18 games.   I think Eric Gagne bounces back as a closer.   I think Manny Parra and Yovanni Gallardo stabilize the rotation, and the offense crushes the opposition.   The Brewers were very good last year, and like the Indians, I think their experience in '07 will allow them to take the next step.   As for the Cubs, I'm not sold on Kerry Wood as a closer, and I don't like their rotation beyond Zambrano and Hill.   Even if they get Brian Roberts, he's not going to be a huge improvement over what they have.   I think they'll be good, but Milwaukee will be better.   The Reds are going to be good.  Are they good enough to win the division?   Maybe, actually.   But it will take some luck, and they can't afford many injuries.   In the end, I think they just miss out, but any small turn of events, and they could end up winning it.  The Astros are definitely a better team than they were last year, but they should have gone for rebuilding.   The weak division will allow them to possibly contend through the summer, but they're not really that good.   Their lineup should be pretty good, but other than Oswalt, their pitching is suspect,and won't be enough to keep them in the picture in September.   The Pirates are still awful, enough said.

AL West

Diamondbacks

Padres

Rockies

Dodgers

Giants

This is another exciting division to watch, and really, the top 4 teams could end up in any order.   I just think the Dan Haren trade, and a healthy Randy Johnson, makes Arizona very scary this year.   If they can get some more out of their young hitters, and I think they will, they will be the best team in the National League.   I think the Padres are going to be right there, and people seem to forget, if it wasn't for the Rockies and that streak at the end of last season, the Padres would have been in the playoffs.   If Prior can come back in June and be a fairly good 5th starter, they are going to have an outstanding staff, and nobody is going to want to play them in October.   The Rockies are still going to be good, but I just think Arizona and San Diego are better.   Colorado does not have the pitching to keep them in the race, and teams will be looking out for them this year.   I think the Dodgers are overrated, and while they could win the division, they're gambling too much on an unknown (Kuroda) and Jason Schmidt.   Nomar and Juan Pierre should not be playing, but they will due to their contracts.   When they can get rid of some of those veterans, the Dodgers will be an excellent team.   The Giants will beat teams on certain days thanks to their stellar rotation (at least the first 3 spots), but they have no offense, and will finish far behind the top 4.

AL Wild Card: Boston Red Sox

NL Wild Card: San Diego Padres

World Series: Yankees over Diamondbacks in 6.

There ya have it.   In truth, no division has a clear-cut winner, which is outstanding.   It promises to be another exciting season, and I can't wait to get it underway.

I had to take a break from my spring training entries and mention the game the Yankees are playing this afternoon against Virginia Tech.   There aren't many times that fans across the nation join together and say something nice about the Yankees, but today is one of those days.   I am always proud of being a Yankees fan, maybe even a little too proud for some people, but I have never been more proud than I am today.   The fact that all of the starters in the lineup (except Matsui) not only made the trip, but wanted to be there, despite the fact that it throws off their spring training routine, says numerous things about the team.   For a team that often looks like a corporation, it was just great to see the players legitimately touched by the whole situation, and they came off as real people, not superstars.

Nothing will ever cause everyone to forget about the tragedy that happened last year, but the Yankees are doing everything they can to give something back to all the people touched by the tragedy.   For all the students at the game today, and especially the ones on their team, this is a day that they will never forget.   As I watch the game, and I see Alex Rodriguez sitting in their dugout, talking with all their players during the game, this is going to be one of the best moments of their lives.   Most, if not all, of the players on their team will never make the Majors, so to be able to take the field with the Yankees will be something they can tell their grandchildren, 60 years from now.

Say what you want about the Yankees, there's no denying that they care about more than just their personal image.   They didn't have to make this trip, but they did, and most importantly, they wanted to.   And by doing so, they are making dreams come true for a lot of people affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy.   I will never be prouder of being a Yankees fan than I am today.

Well I am finally going to catch up on the spring training games I've been going to.   This will be a short entry, since the games took place a few days ago, and there are other things I want to say in my next entry.    I don't have another game until Friday, so that gives me a chance to write about the remaining games I've been to in the past week.   First of all, I went to Scottsdale to see the Giants host the Diamondbacks.   Brandon Webb started for Arizona, and he clearly was not himself.   He gave up a lot of hits, and it was clear his sinker was not sinking like it normally does.   Jonathan Sanchez looked solid for the Giants, who were clearly the better team.   It was nice to see the Giants running so much, and stealing so many bases.   Eugenio Velez in particular was giving Webb all sorts of trouble on the basepaths, stealing a couple bases.   He also made a very impressive play at 2nd base.   The Giants themselves played some excellent defense, and were better by far than the other times I've seen them this spring.

The second game I saw was this past Saturday at Maryvale, with the Brewers facing the Royals.   Both starting pitchers were very solid.   Gil Meche was throwing strikes, and taking care of the Brewers hitters with ease, while Manny Parra was almost unhittable for Milwaukee.    Hideo Nomo struggled again in relief for Kansas City, and has since been told he is no longer in the running for a rotation spot.   Let me just say that if Parra pitches anything like he did today in the season, he will be an outstanding asset for the Brewers.   One guy they need to work on though is Rickie Weeks.   He struck out a couple more times, and it seems like he strikes out at least twice every time I see him.   I'm rooting for him, but in order to reach his potential, he is going to have to make more contact.

As always, there are photo albums of the games on the right side of the page.