Kuzul

The Chicago White Sox have most of their usual suspects returning to the everyday lineup in 2012. Manager Robin Ventura is charged with the task of putting together a regular batting order on his lineup card. One area in which Ventura is considering a change is the second spot in the order.

Ventura is making a case for catcher A.J. Pierzynski to inhabit that spot. Pierzynski did not bat in the second slot all season in 2011, though he did spend most of the 2008 season there.

Six different players hit second last season. Five are back with the club, including Alexei Ramirez, who batted second in 100 games.

Ventura doesn’t really have a true two guy to rely on to move runners and get on base for the big bats in the lineup. The closest thing he has to that player is Alejandro De Aza, who is slated in the leadoff spot. Here is a look at the candidates available to Ventura this spring.

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Continuing in Dugout Central’s annual pre-season ritual, I am going to present my predictions for the National League Heartland – er – Central Division in 2012. Last year saw an early-season surge by the generally hapless Pittsburgh Pirates, only to see them fall right back in the race where they’ve been for the better part of 20 seasons. July 17 saw Milwaukee Brewers pick-up Zack Greinke out-duel then-Cub Carlos Zambrano 2-0 to put the Brewers up half a game on the St. Louis Cardinals and 1.5 on Pittsburgh. The Brewers didn’t look back, going 41-17 from that game to win their first division title in 29 years. However, the last laugh was had by the Cardinals, who snuck into the wild card spot and defeated the Brewers in the NLCS en route to their NL-best 11^th World Championship.

There were some major shake-ups both in the front office and on the field, ensuring that 2012 would be an exciting new year for the division.

Chicago Cubs

2011: 71-91, 5th Place, 25 GB, Scored 4.04 R/G (8^th in NL), Allowed 4.67 R/G (14^th in NL)

Key Losses: Aramis Ramirez (3B), Carlos Pena (1B), Carlos Zambrano (SP)

Key Additions: David Dejesus (OF), Ian Stewart (3B), Paul Maholm (SP)

Why they could win it all: The bright spot on the Chicago Cubs last year was the left side of the infield. While Aramis Ramirez packed his bags and moved up north, the Cubs feature one of the bright young stars in the game in Starlin Castro. Just 21 years old, Castro led the National League in hits last year with 207. A little more patience on both sides of the ball (he had almost as many errors as walks) will result in him being one of the players that the Cubs can build around moving forward.

Why they could fail: The Cubs completely revamped their front office by bringing in Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, both of whom have been successful executives at the big league level. However, the damage from the Hendry regime has been done. Alfonso Soriano is eating a tremendous amount of payroll to play poorly (just 2.0 WAR total since 2009), as is Carlos Zambrano (to play for Miami). A 1-year turn-around just won’t be possible with the mess left-over. However, a big payroll and smart people to manage it may mean good things for the Cubs in the future as it did for the Red Sox.

What to watch: Alfonso Soriano needs to go, as he is deadweight in most aspects of his game. His .289 OBP and lackluster outfield defense have made his 136 million dollar contract one of the worst in history. Look for the Cubs to exploit a possible fast start by Soriano and turn it into a trade to an AL team, where he could potentially serve as a platoon DH. The key won’t be the player acquired, but rather the amount of salary his new team will be willing to eat.

2012 Prediction: 66-96, 5^th place

Cincinnati Reds

2011: 79-83, 3^rd Place, Scored 4.54 R/G (2nd in NL), Allowed 4.44 R/G (12^th in NL)

Key Losses: Francisco Cordero (RP)Edgar Renteria (SS), Edinson Volquez (SP), Travis Wood (SP), Yonder Alonso (1B/OF)

Key Additions: Mat Latos (SP), Sean Marshall (RP), Ryan Madson (RP)

Why they could win it all: Remember that the Reds did win the division in 2010, posting over 90 wins before falling to Roy Halladay and the Phillies in the NLDS. The Reds did out-score their opponents on the year, and made a couple of nice pick-ups in Ryan Madson and Mat Latos. The offense is as potent as ever, with Joey Votto leading the charge as the best 1B in the division with Fielder and Pujols gone (though some may argue he had already reached that plateau).

Why they could fail: The Reds continue to employ Dusty Baker as their manager, so it’s hard to be shocked when they underperform their expected win-loss (not that a manager is necessarily responsible for that, but he can be). The rotation is a mess; Bronson Arroyo’s over the hill, and yet, he was the only Reds starter to make 30 starts last season, besides Mat Latos, recently acquired from the Padres. Latos has had good numbers in his first couple seasons, but he’s going from pitching half his games at the most pitcher-friendly park in the game to starting those games at one of the most hitter-friendly.

What to watch: Drew Stubbs was the leadoff hitter for most of the year. His league-worst 205 strikeouts wouldn’t be so alarming if he followed them up with actual on-base ability…which he does not (just a .321 OBP last year). Here’s a guy with some good tools, but he’s depriving Votto and Bruce of RBI opportunities by reaching so sparingly. Not saying he should be replaced on the team – his center field defense alone makes him worthwhile – but he shouldn’t lead-off.

2012 Prediction: 86-76, 3^rd place

Houston Astros

2011: 56-106, 6^th place, 40 GB, Scored 3.80 R/G (13^th in NL), Allowed 4.91 R/G (16^th in NL)

Key Losses: Jeff Keppinger (IF) Michael Bourn (OF), Hunter Pence (OF) [all mid-season last year]

Key Additions: Like, 100 prospects (including Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart).

 Why they could win it all: Wandy Rodriguez was solid yet again last year; over the past three years, he has a very nice 118 ERA+ and 1.279 WHIP. Unfortunately, he’s no Old Hoss Radbourn, and as such, can’t start every game for the Astros next year. Also, he has about as much chance of being an Astro come the trading deadline as I do.

Why they could fail: They were 56-106, added nothing at the big league level, and will now be without Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn for the entire 2012 season, as opposed to just half of it. The team that once owned this division like nobody’s business in the Killer-B years is now poised to leave it for the American League West, where, on a brighter note, they will have the luxury of facing the Mariners 18 or so times a year. I’ll be nice and give them 55 wins…and I’m thinking that’s probably optimistic.  

What to watch: Carlos Lee is in the final year of a 6-year, 100 million dollar deal that I still don’t understand. Let’s see if he plays well enough to eek out another deal before hanging up his spikes or if El Caballo is happy being a rich guy with 350 career home runs.

2012 Prediction: 55-107, Last Place.

Milwaukee Brewers

2011: 96-66, 1^st Place,  Scored 4.45 R/G (5^th in NL), Allowed 3.94 R/G (6^th in NL)

Key Losses: Prince Fielder (1B), Casey McGehee (3B), Yuniesky Betancourt (SS), Takashi Saito (RP), LaTroy Hawkins (RP)

Key Additions: Aramis Ramirez (3B), Alex Gonzalez (SS), Jose Veras (RP), Norichika Aoki (OF)

Why they could win: The Brewers won the NL Central last season, and while they lost their superstar first baseman Prince Fielder, they patched up their two biggest holes – the left side of the infield. Despite winning 96 games last year, the Brewers featured the absolute worst third baseman and shortstop in the game. Aramis Ramirez has been a fixture in the division for the last decade with both the Pirates and Cubs, making two all-star teams. He won his first silver slugger last season, after hitting .306/.361/.510 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI for the hapless Cubs in 2011. Meanwhile Alex Gonzalez will take over at shortstop; he has roughly the same plate presence as Yuni Betancourt (horrific), but is a well-regarded fielder at the position and will certainly represent an upgrade. Finally, the Brewers have just received a major shot in the arm as their team leader and reigning NL MVP Ryan Braun has been cleared of all charges regarding a failed drug test last October.

Why they could fail: Losing Prince changes the landscape of this offense – Aramis Ramirez just isn’t going to be able to spell the same level of protection for Braun. Furthermore, there are just too many question marks. Will Mat Gamel be the hitter he was always projected to be, or will he be the hitter he has been in parts of 4 big league seasons? Will Randy Wolf continue to defy his peripherals? Will Greinke ever perform even close to the level he did in 2009? And what’s with this Aoki guy? He’s won 3 batting titles in Japan, but can we expect that to even remotely resemble what he does in the Majors? Lastly – does anyone think the Brewers will go 30-18 in 1-run games next season?

What to watch: Corey Hart is obviously going to be playing every day. That leaves two positions – either CF and RF or 1B and CF up for grabs. I say that because Hart can play 1^st and it isn’t clear that Mat Gamel can perform at the big league level. The Brewers have a solid center field platoon lined up with Nyjer Morgan (who hit over .300 last year) and Carlos Gomez (one of the best defenders in the game). But what about the Japanese batting champion, Aoki? Will Morgan show he can replicate his 2011 performance? All we know for sure is that Hart is playing every day and Gomez is only starting against southpaws and finding his ways into other games as a pinch runner and late-inning defensive replacement. All told, this makes for an incredible log-jam – and that’s before you start including all of Morgan’s alter-ego’s.

2012 Prediction: 87-75, 2^nd place

Pittsburgh Pirates

2011: 72-90, 4th place, 24 GB, Scored 3.77 R/G (14^th in NL), Allowed 4.40 R/G (11^th in NL)

Key Losses: Paul Maholm (SP), Ryan Ludwick (OF), Derrek Lee (1B), Jose Veras (RP)

Key Gains: AJ Burnett (SP), Erik Bedard (SP), Casey McGehee (3B), Rod Barajas (C), Clint Barmes (SS)

Why they could win: Gotta hand it to the Pirates – they made quite the turn-around last year. After winning just 57 games in 2010 (while placing last in both runs scored and runs allowed), the Pirates jumped out as contenders early-on and were in first place as late as July 25^th. They went just 19-43 from that point on, however, all while tacking on a pair of has-been veterans in an effort to put them over the top. There exists a fine young group of talented players on this team, however, led by Andrew McCutchen – who had a break-out first half and is one of the best players in the National League.

Why they might fail: Their first half made for a great story but it can be chalked up to flukiness. A lot of players came back down to Earth in a hurry, most of which were to be expected. All-star Kevin Correia struggled mightily in the 2^nd half, failing to qualify for the ERA title, not that his 4.79 mark would have gotten the job done. No Pittsburgh starter made it to 175 innings, and it’s highly unlikely that AJ Burnett will turn that around. No regular hit over .275 or OPS’d over .830 and only McCutchen was a measurable force of any kind. They’ve got a major talent on their hands in center field, but given the Pirates’ history, he’ll be fulfilling that potential in some place besides Pittsburgh.  

Things to watch: Joel Hanrahan emerged out of nowhere last season to be one of the National League’s premier relievers. However, like most closers, he was criminally mis-managed, as Clint Hurdle saved him only for save situations – including an 18-inning affair against the Braves that ended on a blown call. Has Hurdle learned his lesson? The fans at PNC better hope so.

2012 Prediction: 73-89, 4^th Place

St. Louis Cardinals

2011: World Series Champs, 90-72, 2^nd place, 6 GB, Scored 4.70 R/G (1^st in NL), Allowed 4.27  R/G (9^th in NL)

Key Losses: Albert Pujols (1B), Edwin Jackson (SP), Octavio Dotel (RP)

Key Gains: Carlos Beltran (OF), Adam Wainwright (SP)

Why they could win: The departure of one of the greatest players to ever play the game certainly could spell doom, but GM John Mozeliak did a fantastic job of overcoming that loss by signing future hall-of-famer Carlos Beltran to an affordable 2-year deal, locking up Lance Berkman and Chris Carpenter for 2 years before the season even ended, and bringing back spark-plug Rafael Furcal. They would be better off for 2012 with Albert Pujols, but 10 years at 24 million per season was just too much – and I think Mozeliak made the right call by thinking beyond 2012 (apparently, he doesn’t take Mayans too seriously). Holliday-Berkman-Beltran spell the best heart of the order in this division and the return of Adam Wainwright to the rotation means that the Cardinals have the pitching necessary to take them back to the post-season. They are my pick to win the division.

Why they could fail: They did undergo some changes, that’s for sure. Mike Matheny will take over for Tony LaRussa and the great pitching coach Dave Duncan will not be around for 2012, as he is helping his wife, Jeanine during her bout with cancer. And of course, Albert Pujols is no longer a Cardinal. This could have far-reaching effects beyond the .328/.420/.617, 42 HR, 126 RBI line he averaged in eleven years as a Cardinal. Losing Pujols means everyone gets pitched to differently, it means teams can approach situations differently, and it means that lesser players have to take up the slack. That’s not to hate on Berkman, Holliday, Beltran, or NLCS & World Series MVP David Freese – but there’s excellent ballplayers, and then there are transcendent ballplayers. Pujols was the latter.

What to watch: All eyes will be on Adam Wainwright, who returns this season after losing 2011 to Tommy John surgery. Wainwright placed top-3 in the last two Cy Young ballots, posting 11.9 WAR in that time span. He pitched over 230 innings in both years but is unlikely to reach 200 this season in his recovery. We’ll see how his new arm ligaments hold up.

2011 Prediction: 92-70, 1^st Place

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For the first few months of the Cubs new administration, it has been relatively quiet on the forefront despite being in the running for several free agents throughout the offseason. However, yesterday Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer acquired first baseman Anthony Rizzo and Zach Cates, a 23-year-old pitcher from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Andrew Cashner and Kyung-Nin Ma according to MLB.com writer, Carrie Muskrat.

Although this trade is not in the same league as signing Prince Fielder, nor does this mean that Rizzo will be the projected starting first baseman for the Cubs this season, but Rizzo is undoubtedly a promising prospect that will be a serious component in the Cubs future. It seemed evident Rizzo would be on his way out of Chicago after the Padres traded for Yondo Alonso. With this move, Epstein and Co. were able to jump and grab a premier prospect. 

Rizzo was called up to play for the MLB squad in San Diego last season, but flopped by only hitting .143 in only 35 games. In response to this, Jed Hoyer claimed on an interview with MLB.com that, “It was too early and a mistake on my part, and I don’t think I did Anthony any favors there.”Hoyer of course, was the one who decided to call Rizzo up last season, as he serves as the general manager for the Padres. Despite his lousy start, Hoyer believes that Rizzo is the future of the Cubs.

When asked about thoughts on Rizzo and his future with his new organization, Hoyer said that, “The way we see it is Bryan had a terrific year last year in Triple-A and has been terrific this year in Venezuela. We see him as our first baseman. It’s likely Anthony will start the year in Triple-A.” The Cubs have seemingly found their first baseman for the upcoming years, which is a very spectacular start to the re-building of the Cubs farm system, which has been beyond depleted for quite a while.

Alongside Rizzo, the Cubs also acquired a 23-year-old, Zach Cates, who went 4-10 with a 4.73 ERA in his first ever professional season within an organization. While he may not be the premier pitcher for the system, he seems to have some potential with a lot of time to develop before reaching the MLB level.

In return for these two prospects, the Cubs gave up Andrew Cashner, who was plagued by injuries and thought of by Theo Epstein as a reliever at best for the remainder of his career as well as Kyung-Nin Ma, a solid bat, but only a 20-year-old, who is far from reaching the big leagues. To say Rizzo was well worth it would be a massive understatement.

Disregarding his stint in San Diego, which is not going to do any hitter favors, Rizzo had a phenomenal tenure in Triple-A, hitting .331 with 26 home runs and 101 RBIs. While he will not be the starter this season, Rizzo definitely has a future on the Cubs. Without giving up too much, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer re-acquired a bat they have loved, but gave up for Adrian Gonzalez while serving in Boston last offseason.

Rizzo is a quality bat and with the right training in Triple-A to start the season, Rizzo could prove to be the most underrated acquisition in the Epstein/Hoyer era. While San Diego technically didn’t lose anything, seeing as they have more faith in the abilities of Alonso, the Cubs did gain a very quality bat who could be a solid asset in the middle of Chicago’s lineup for years to come.

Follow DJ Rallo @Str8edgeRallo

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Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams is in dire need of a dictionary this Christmas.

It seems as if Williams needs to learn the meaning of the word “rebuilding”.

When it comes to that word, you’re either rebuilding or you’re not. Trying to go halfway doesn’t cut it. So why is Williams insisting on going off half-cocked on the White Sox this winter?

Earlier this week, Williams announced that the rebuilding had begun, moving Sergio Santos to Toronto for pitching prospect Nestor Molina. Okay, now where are the follow-up rebuilding moves?

You know, the trades involving contracts that pare down a bloated payroll and replace expensive players with younger more reasonably-priced talent? Because that’s what rebuilding is, Kenny.

Just days after his rebuilding pronouncement, Williams had this to say to Scott Merkin of MLB.com.

You know, if we have some guys have some bounce-back years and go back to their career norms, yeah,” said Williams of his team’s chances to contend with Detroit in the American League Central as presently constructed. “Mostly, if a number of things happen offensively, continued growth at third base and second, [Alejandro] De Aza continues to play the way he ended the year, and along with the obvious bigger names.

Wait a minute. What happened to the start of rebuilding? When are those big expiring contracts like Carlos Quentin, Gavin Floyd and John Danks going to be converted to talent for the future?

Williams said the following.

We will all have answers to that in the upcoming weeks and months. It’s still a work in progress, but I wouldn’t anticipate anything major unless the opportunity presents itself to add impact, young 0-3 [year]-type players. But if that doesn’t manifest itself, this just isn’t the time to make wholesale changes.

Now I’m really confused. We’re rebuilding, but we don’t want to make wholesale changes.

That’s akin to rebelling while not trying to make any waves.

Is Williams arrogant enough to think he can make questionable moves one day under the guise of rebuilding and not make obvious moves in the name of remaining a contender?

I only buy the Santos trade if it is the tip of a rebuilding iceberg. If that’s the rebuild, then it makes even less sense than when it went down Monday. The White Sox were looking to get younger and cut payroll. To do this, they traded their 28-year-old closer—who was set to make a million dollars in 2012—after resigning a 33-year-old set-up guy to a 2012 salary of $3.75 million.

Congratulations, Kenny. You got five years older in the pen and spent $2.75 million more to do it. I’m wrapping your dictionary as we speak.

Maybe Williams isn’t in an ego-driven mission to have his cake and eat it too. I have to believe that some of the trade candidates are moved before opening day this coming spring. Williams is just trying to maximize the value he gets for what he is putting on the trading block.

It had better be the case, because what Williams has accomplished right now is not rebuilding.

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With the Cubs attempting to make their way back into contention, many are calling for a culture change in Chicago. But what is Chicago Cubs culture, precisely?

The Cubs are an old team, old enough to have its own legends and mystique. But it is time to separate fact from fiction. Here are three pervasive myths about the Chicago Cubs and their fans.

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The Chicago White Sox have dealt with injuries throughout the 2011 season, using a deep starting rotation to accommodate injuries to Jake Peavy and John Danks.

Tyler Flowers is getting the job done so far replacing injured catcher A.J. Pierzynski, and Paul Konerko is swinging a dangerous bat in spite of a nagging bone bruise on his left knee.

Is losing Phil Humber going to finally topple the house of cards in Chicago?

Humber’s start ended early after being stuck by a line drive Kosuke Fukudome early in Thursday night’s loss to the Indians. It appeared that Humber was all right following his removal from the game and he even sounded positive about making his next scheduled start.

However, we won’t see Humber on the mound for a couple of weeks.

The White Sox placed the pitcher on the 15-day disabled list Friday, as reported by Evan Drellich of MLB.com. Zach Stewart replaced Humber and pitched two innings after finishing up for Mark Buehrle the night before.

Stewart’s acquisition takes on more importance with each passing day since he came over from Toronto with Jason Fasor. It may be up to Stewart to hold down the back of the rotation as Chicago attempts to stay in the AL Central picture.

The White Sox pitching depth has been the saving grace of a disappointing offensive effort this season. Can that depth see them through a tough series with Texas, followed by a short jaunt out west?

Josh Kinney was brought up from Charlotte to replace Humber on the pitching staff. His job looks to be taking Stewart’s role in the bullpen so that the 24-year-old right-hander can make Humber’s starts. Stewart is scheduled to pitch Wednesday in Anaheim.

Kinney tossed three scoreless innings after Jake Peavy was done in by the long ball in the first six. Unfortunately it came in a losing effort, Chicago’s fifth in a row.

The White Sox now trail Detroit by five games and will be without Humber and Pierzynski for the rest of the month. Hopefully no one will join those two on the DL and the team can at least tread water in the standings for awhile.

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Moneyball isn’t set to hit theaters until later this year, but it’s already creating quite a stir on the web.

I’ve recently read everything from Brad Pitt not being a good fit as Billy Beane to people anointing the flick as the greatest baseball movie ever made—and it hasn’t even been seen yet!

While the buzz surrounding Moneyball is well-deserved—and it will surely land somewhere on this list after its release—I think it’s safe to say it won’t dethrone some of the all-time classics atop of the baseball-movie list.

In celebration of Americas Pastime, along with all the great quips and immortalized characters we have enjoyed over the years, here are the 25 Greatest Baseball Movies of All Time. 

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As the MLB season heads into the dog days of summer, we all sit in anticipation to see what big names will be moved at the deadline.

Will the New York Yankees get their top of the line pitcher? Will the Milwaukee Brewers make another surprising splash like they did in acquiring C.C. Sabathia in 2008?

We will find out soon.

At this point, we can just sit back and hold out hope that our respective teams can keep winning ballgames—pleading that they are in position to make a bold move at the deadline.

On the other hand, it doesn’t always work out as planned—as no one wants to be on the losing end of a bad deal.

We’ve seen many lopsided deals over the last 20 years—although in most cases it takes years to determine the winner.

Here are the 13 Most Lopsided Deals Since 1990.

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Recently, the Dodgers announced they would wear their Brooklyn Dodger throwback uniforms for a few home games this season. 

Other teams like the Braves, Reds and various others said they would follow suit and wear their own throwbacks during games this year too.

Some teams have great throwback uniforms, and others are terrible looking. 

Either way, they all stand out in a good or bad way from the other uniforms today.

Here is a list of the top 20 throwback jerseys in MLB history.

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Going to a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago is an experience that every passionate baseball fan should aspire to at least once in their lives. The baseball game itself is in many instances secondary to what’s going on throughout the ballpark.

While the beloved Chicago Cubs haven’t won a World Series championship since 1908, it doesn’t deter fans from making the trek to Wrigley Field and participating in the overall experience.

The Cubs have always done a terrific job in ensuring that its fans receive a great experience as well, and despite their lack of success on the field, Wrigley Field is still of the most unique arenas in all of professional sports in terms of atmosphere.

Oftentimes fans from across the world will plan trips to Wrigley during the summer. It is not uncommon to see travel buses from all areas of the country, loaded with fans looking to take in the Wrigley experience for the very first time.

Many articles have been written about the ivied walls, the rooftop views outside the ballpark, and the unbelievable food available at Wrigley, but unless it is experienced first-hand, it’s hard to get an idea of what the atmosphere is really like.

One particular videographer decided to conduct an interview with one “ardent” fan this past Opening Day at Wrigley, and no doubt he is ruing that decision.

The woman in question was a little bit more than he had bargained for. She obviously spoke about the experience at Wrigley, but she had clearly been “preparing” for her Opening Day experience at Wrigley Field for far longer than was necessary.

Check out this interview, and you will get an idea of exactly what we’re talking about.

By the way, if you’re at Wrigley Field, and you happen to have an extra ticket, you might want to reconsider approaching this particular woman.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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