NL East Question #9

2011 MLB Season Preview:
Biggest Questions in the NL East

9. Who is the most important player in the NL East in 2011?
Obviously, there are some important criteria to examine before we give the answer. In order to be the most important player in the division you have to be on a team that will contend for the division title. Therefore, that strikes everyone from the Mets off the list of candidates. You also have to play, so that would knock Steven Strausberg off of the list. Now let us look at the question.

The Nationals aren’t going to contend for the title, so you can knock them out of the running.

That leaves us the Braves, Phillies, and Marlins. In my opinion, Hanley Ramirez would be the most important player for the Marlins. Ramirez is coming off of his worst offensive season of his career. He hit 21 homeruns, the lowest since his rookie season and his slugging percentage and on base percentage were the lowest of his career. He played in the fewest games of his career because of injuries. There is no way the Marlins can keep pace with the Braves and Phillies if Ramirez does not return to his top form in 2011.

For the Braves, Chipper Jones is the key. Jones is coming off knee surgery that ended his 2010 season. At 38, it is hard to believe that he would be the key for the Braves, however, Jones is just a couple of years removed from a batting title, and his experience is invaluable to the Braves, as is his bat. Without Jones in the lineup, Martin Prado would have to play 3B, leaving Jordan Schaffer to play LF. The Braves are hoping that either Schaffer or CF Nate McLouth can bounce back after tough seasons, but expecting both to be everyday players in 2011 is just too much. With Jones in the lineup, new Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez will have much more flexibility. That is right Braves fans, 2011 depends on a 38-year-old knee that has been through two major surgeries.

The Phillies are the favorite to win the division and maybe not surprisingly, they have the man that I believe will be the most important player in the division in 2011, Cole Hamels. Hamels was at one time the ace of the Phillies staff, but now he is a #3 starter who hasn’t won more than 15 games in his career. Obviously, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are the best 1-2 pitching punch in the major leagues, but I believe that top to bottom, the Braves can pitch with the Phillies during the regular season. (The playoffs are a different story when you only need 2 great pitchers to win the World Series). There is a lot of hype around the Phillies pitching staff, but I’m not 100% convinced that it is as good as people think. Roy Oswalt is 34 years old and is considering retiring after the season. Joe Blanton seems to have gotten a lot better now that he is associated with the rest of the Phillies staff, but Blanton has only had double-digit wins in one of the last 3 seasons. Hamels is the key to the Phillies having a better staff than the Braves, and I believe he is the key for the Phillies to win the division. If Hamels can be more like the guy who went 15-5 in 2007 and less like the guy who has gone 22-22 in the last two seasons combined, then the Phillies might just have their 4th straight division title.

Only 28 days until Opening Day!

Coming Tomorrow: NL East Question #8 What Impact will the addition of Dan Uggla have on the Braves?

The Dog Days of February

I'm not really sure of another time of the year when there is less going on in sports than there is right now. Football is over (perhaps for a while). The NBA is unwatchable until the playoffs which don't start until April. The NHL is just unwatchable, even though it is probably my favorite sport to watch live. College basketball is entertaining, but the lack of juniors and seniors have made it hard to really get in to college basketball. Don't you remember when Dickie V would talk about his Diaper Dandies? They're all Diaper Dandies now.

There are a couple of bright spots on the sports calendar.

The Braves' pitchers and catchers reported to spring training today, so there is one very bright light at the end of this tunnel.

The date to look forward to is March 17. That's the day March Madness begins and so does the best month of sports. The Madness concludes on April 4 with the National Championship Game, the same day as the baseball season begins for all 30 MLB teams. That week ends with what I believe is one of the greatest events on the sports calendar each year. On April 7 at 8:00 am in Augusta, Georiga "The King" Arnold Palmer and "The Golden Bear" Jack Nicklaus will begin the 2011 Masters Tournament.

So let not your heart be troubled. As the weather warms we move ever closer to the end of the Dog Days of February.

Super Bowl XLV

The biggest football game of the year is here, and the entire world wants to know who will win the Super Bowl. I could honestly care less who wins the game, I just hope we get another good game like we have the past few years. The INT returned for a touchdown last year clinching the game for the Saints, Big Ben to Santonio Holmes to beat Arizona two years ago, and three years ago you get that dramatic last drive for the Giants over the undefeated New England Patriots.

I'll take any of those games again.

I'm really sick of the championship belt thing from Aaron Rodgers. I'm not sure how you can call yourself the champion before you win the championship, but I guess if Obama can win the Nobel Peace Prize, then Rodgers can have a belt.

Call me old fashioned, but grown men shouldn't have hair like Polamalu and Matthews have. How tough can these guys be when they have to spend 20 minutes in the locker room after the game blow drying before they go out to the post game press conference?

If the Steelers win tonight, Charlie Batch, the back up quarterback for the Steelers, will have three Super Bowl rings. How do you think Dan Marino feels about that?

Mike Vick won the 2010 Comeback Player of the Year Award. Not really sure you can consider the lack of dogfighting a comeback. Maybe he should have been awarded the return to being a productive member of society award for players who finally live up to their God-given ability. Hard to put that one on a trophy though.

Congratulations to "Prime Time" Deion Sanders for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Defensive tackle John Jenkins picked Georgia over Florida yesterday afternoon. Jenkins is 6-4 and 340 pounds. Other than Crowell, Jenkins will have the most impact for the Dawgs on the field in 2011. A true nose tackle will change the Georiga defense from day one.

You can watch ESPN if you want someone to break down the game for you, my prediction is simple: I hate Aaron Rodgers and the belt thing. Go Steelers!