Baseball Preview - NL

With the arrival of spring comes the arrival of pitchers and catchers, which is one of the great joys of my life. The season started Sunday night when the World Champion Cardinals met the stupid Metropolitans. Why MLB & ESPN would both schedule and televise a great and entertaining team like the Cards with a bunch of ugly no talent buffoons like the Mets makes me question both organizations sanity, but at least the rest of the teams start the today. Unfortunately the buffoons won.

Since we're talking about the inferior circuit anyway, I'll do a quick rundown of the NL, starting out on the Left Coast.

San Fran signed one of my favorite pitchers, Baron von Zito, after losing former stud ace, Jason Schmidt to the evil Dodgers. The big issue with the Giants is that they continue to remain in the geriatric ward, with all their everyday players in the 30s, if not older. They do have some live young arms in the staff, however, like Mike Cain and Noah Lowry. I've been a fan of the franchise, but this team isn't terribly good, however, they live the the NL West, which is always competitive - in the sense that all the teams aren't real good.

Moving south to the ugly Dodgers, they have a lot of nice pieces, particularly in the staff, led by the Schmidtinator (if he can stay healthy), Derick Lowe, Brad Penny, and the Randy (the Wolfman) Wolf. They are kinda long in the tooth as well, with Nomah, Jeff Kent, and Looey Gonzalez being the most recognizable names, along with speed merchants Juan Pierre and Raffy Furcal. The guy I like the most on this team is C Russ Martin, a total throwback kid who wants to play everyday.

Moving on toward the border, the SD Priests also emphasize pitching, with 40 plusses Greg Maddux and David Wells, along with young talents Jake Peavy and Chris Young and Clay Hensley. 1B Adrain Gonzalex and SS Khalil Greene appear to be the real deal, and the team is looking for bounce back season from the Giles brothers, Brian and Marcus, to provide runs, which might be a problem. I like another young C here, Josh Bard, as well. Trev Hoffman still closes games here, which helps the team a lot.

The young AZ Diamondbacks look to the past while integrating the future as well, with the return of the Big Unit to town. Unfortunately, he starts the season on the DL. The staff also boasts NL Cy Young winner Brandon Webb and Livan Hernandez. Jose Valverde has been given the closer job again, the team hopes he can finally stay healthy. What I like most about this team is the young position players, such SS Steve Drew, 1B Connor Jackson, and slick fielding Gold Glover Orlando Hudson. If the kids start to develop some sticks and Unit returns, I like this team, assuming Jose can close games out for the club.

Going north across the mountains, the Rocks are starting to look like a real team, but probably are going into the season, as always, sorely lacking in quality arms. A number of fellas can rake, notalby 3B Garret Adkins, OF Matt Holliday, and OF Brian Hawpe, along with franchise player Todd Helton, who can still wield the stick a fair piece. Closer Brian Fuentes is pretty solid, and Aaron Cook anchors the no-name staff.

Everyone is talking up the Dodgers and Padres in this division, but I think the D-backs could surprise a lot of people. I don't expect the Giants could unless they stay perfectly healthy, but stranger things have happened.