#25 - The Seattle Mariners

As Frankie has once again fallen asleep at the wheel, you all get to read about the Seattle Mariners one day before you were supposed to. Think of it like a sneak peak of that movie you saw that preview for and weren't really interested but, hey, two free passes came your way and you have nothing else to do Tuesday night and could "The Vow" really be that bad? (It is.) Are the Mariners that bad? Well, no, nothing is that bad, and the Mariners are going to be quite competitive in 2012.

2011, like the previous year, was not kind to the Mariners. They finished second worst in the AL at 67-95, and finished dead last in the majors with a .233 average. They also finished last in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Pitching was a little bit better. They finished 15th in the majors with a 3.90 ERA. Unfortunately, two of the big pieces of the rotation, Doug Fister and Miguel Pineda are now with the Tigers and Yankees, respectively. It's got to get better though, right? It's probably Jesus. And those piercing eyes...

#27 - The Houston Astros

The Houston Astros actually jumped two spots from last year's draft to #27. That's a pretty strong showing for a team that finished with only 56 wins last year. Last in the majors and a full seven games worse than the next team. So why did the Astros get a little bump? Because this is their last year in the NL Central, and their reloading team is going to use 2012 as a launch pad to the AL West, and I'm sure all you A's fans out there want to know what to look out for.

It's a good thing the Astros are getting out of the Central. Though they did win the NL Pennant in 2005, they've recently struggled to compete against the likes of the Cardinals, Brewers, Reds, and Cubs. However, AL West fans, this Astro team is not a doormat, and they're going to enter the wild west with guns blazing, wanting to prove themselves against what has become an elite division.

The roller coaster the Astros have been on over the last decade is pretty unbelievable. They went from best in the NL and a new ballpark to worst in the majors and a team for sale. Now that the new ownership is in place, this is a team with new direction, new hope, and a new desire to win.... and a new logo/mascot perhaps?



The Astros started last last season 0-5 and were never over .500 once the entire season. Sound familiar? It should. They started 2010 0-6, but unlike 2010, they were never able to right the ship. They had some good pieces that will be back this season, but really, 2012 will be a work in progress for the 'Stros.

#29 - The Kansas City Royals

Here it is! The MLB preview! And no, you didn't miss draft pick number 30, Frankie didn't write it yet. So here, a day ahead of schedule, are your favorite hapless franchise, the Kansas City Royals. I'll give you a hint. They're not going to win again this year. Kansas City is in full youth movement, and get ready to embrace those who might develop into stars on other teams in the next few years.

I'll remind you, like I did last year, that the Royals have not played October baseball since 1985, making them just a little bit harder to root for than the Pirates. Oh, who am I kidding, the Pirates are pretty miserable. They probably go hand in hand. Kansas Cityites and Pittsburghers should probably all join hands and sing of peace and harmony and of a world where they can be competitive. Maybe it will be the subject of Scorsese's next film. Where the star crossed cities, like Romemo and Juliet, must fight adversity and Jack Nicholson in order to join forces and make the playoffs.


Which one is Romeo?

Mannyball

He's here. And here's a quick word.

After hearing the words "Frank Thomas is an Oakland Athletic" and "Mike Piazza is an Oakland Athletic," you would think that I could hear everything and not bat an eye. But, this is one I never thought I would ever hear myself say. Manny Ramirez is an Oakland Athletic.

He has to sit out the first 50 games after a positive PED test. He's going to turn 40. He's not the guy who compiled 555 home runs and 1,831 runs batted in while batting .312 for the Indians and Red Sox. He's the guy who's going to have to compete for the DH job. At about $500,000 for the season, he was in the bargain bin.

I've never really liked Manny as a teammate, but look, the A's need all the home run threats they can get, and if Manny Ramirez wants to play baseball for your team and his work out went fine, you let him play baseball for your team. It's not like the A's have a clear cut DH anyway. Currently it's a battle between the likes of Seth Smith, Jonny Gomes, Colin Cowgill, and Chris Carter. So, why not give Manny a chance? Either way, I'm sure, come June, there will one more reason to watch the Oakland A's.

Céspedes: A New Hope

After a full off-season of moves to save payroll and gain prospects, the A's have done the unthinkable and signed Yoenis Céspedes. That's right, the Oakland Athletics spent money and won a sweepstakes on a highly coveted nationally targeted prospect. Quick, everyone check and make sure pigs aren't flying outside. This is not the kind of guy that the A's get. This guy usually goes to one of the big market teams, or one of the teams with a little extra money lying around. Most people thought Yoenis would be a Marlin, but maybe they ran out of money. Instead, the also rans, the Oakland A's have made what probably will be the last big free agent splash this offseason.



As I'm sure you're all well aware, Céspedes, 26, is projected as a five-tool centerfielder. In a perfect world, he has a fantastic spring and earns the starting centerfield job for the A's, bats third, and hits 28 HR and 100 RBI. In the Cuban league last year, he hit 33 HR (a Cuban league record) while hitting .333 and driving in 99 RBI. Those are fantastic numbers for a 90 game season, though it doesn't quite measure up to the majors in talent level. Either way, this signing makes me feel like this.

The Lull

Sports fans, we've come to what I call the season of the lull. It's that time post Superbowl... (Congratulations WITT for calling that correctly. If only more had listened to us our friends would be very rich.) But yes, it's that time between the Superbowl and March Madness where not much is happening in sports. Sure, the hockey season is beginning to heat up, but it's not quite to the playoff push. The NBA is post all-star break where people start paying attention, but it too lacks the fervor of the late season or semi-finals of the playoffs (when people start actually paying attention). Same thing with college basketball. Yeah, it's happening, but it's not yet tourney time.

I know many of your disagree with me. It's your late June, early July that the sports world seems barren. It's just that, here at WITT, we disagree. Sorry you indoor sport fans, sport is truly meant for the outdoors. Soccer played on other continents does not count.



The Lull is a time to reflect. It is a time to play Stratego. It really only lasts until about March first, when things start to get interesting in basketball and hockey. And the great news, is starting February 20th, we will once again present the world with our 30 team major league baseball preview. All the hardhitting action that kicked this blog off last year will be back with a vengeance. We'll once again present you with a what to expect from the MLB, as well as the best and worst case scenario from all the teams. You're gonna like what you read.



Oh yeah.... this article: 3 things I'm excited for in this, year two, of We're In This Thing.