MLB Opening day

Long time no blogging, not really any specific topics I've been interested in writing but that is about to change. We are on the eve of Major League Baseball's opening day, this is a national (well international since I'm in Mexico) holiday for us baseball fans.

It's hard to explain why baseball is so great. I have a lot of friends who just despise baseball and I could rant all day on many of the beautiful aspects of the game they don't get but we I'll leave that for another day. I've some topics I'd like to touch on. We've got expectations for this season, playoff picks, MLB.tv and other random stuff

First off, lets talk about expectations for this season. 

• I expect tons of hitting, more so than last season. Temperatures will be hot so that definitely helps the ball travel, pitching won't be so dominating and some teams just have a brutal lineup that makes any pitcher cringe when looking at the box score.


• All "expert" analysis goes out the window after the first pitch tomorrow. Baseball is so full of surprise performances (José Bautista and 40+ HRs anyone?), injuries always come into play, off field issues also have a huge part on on-field performances. At the end of the day usually the teams with the most talent come out on top, that is until we get a team red hot at the right time of year... looking at you San Francisco Giants.


• Looking for the Atlanta Braves to have a huge season. They've got the talent, lets see how the new manager holds it all together.


• I expect huge things from John Lester of the Boston Red Sox.


• Adrian Gonzalez will have a monster season and get the publicity, money and success he deserves. As a Padre fan I was sad to see him go. but at the same time excited as he deserves to take his talents (a LeBron quote for a guy who is as far, class-wise, from #6 as possible) to a huge market. Hope he makes it big, his home will always be in SoCal.


• Jeter will continue to decline in every stat yet the Yankees won't notice that.


• Mets and Dodgers will keep spending money like crazy and get absolutely nothing in return.


• I expect the Giants to run away with the NL West (again, this saddens me as a Padre fan). I think Pablo Sandoval will be great this season. Lincecum could get have another Cy Young season (the kid is still only 26). Hope Wilson is back pretty quick, beard and all.


• St. Louis is a huge question mark. Their pitching is very suspect and with the Pujols' contract stuff we could have an off year for them.


• The NL Central is up for grabs between the Cards, Reds and (wait for it) Cubs...


• I think the Braves will run away in the East, the Phillies won't have the pitching and with Utley out they rely on Mr 200 K Ryan Howard to carry the load.


• Texas will have another great season, will they make it to the WS like in 2010? I doubt it.


• The AL Central is up for grabs.


• For another year no one will show up at Marlins games, and fill up Tropicana only for Yanks and Sox games. Florida is not a place for baseball.

Playoff picks
NL West: SF Giants
NL Central: St Louis Cardinals.
NL East: Atlanta Braves
NL Wildcard: Chicago Cubs

AL West: Texas Rangers
AL Central: Minn. Twins
AL East: Boston Red Sox
AL Wildcard: Tampa Bay Rays

MLB.tv
I'm no spokesperson for any product, but this is a great investment if you are a baseball fan. For 120 bucks you get every game in HD quality in a long list of devices. Really a great thing to get, not much more to say about it but this is my 3rd year buying it and have never been disappointed. 

Random

• I hope we get a great season with lots of surprises to, like every year, prove that this is the most beautiful and unpredictable sport there is.


• Hope my Padres put up a fight and make it fun for us fans. I see them finishing 2nd in the West.


• I'll constantly blog on baseball, there is so much to write about it.


• Hope I can fly out to Boston to watch my Padres in June take on the Red Sox. Wearing my Adrian Gonzalez jersey will make it so much better.


• Side note, I hope the NFL labor dispute gets worked out so we get a full 16 game (stop with the 18 game crap)

As the great Ernesto Jerez would say:
"No se diga más, solo PLAY BALL!"