Getting That Baseball Itch

(Picture from http://www.multimedia.foxsports.com/)

Hello one, hello all! It has been way to long. Again we are sorry for the lack of posts, and we hope we can lure you all back into this site with bigger, better, and uncut posts of pure crappy opinions!

But getting to the topic at hand, as many of you know, we are now three days into March, and I must admit, the baseball itch is stronger than ever.

Ladies and gents, baseball season is almost here! Those boys of summer are close and I can almost smell the scent of Pine Tar, chew tobacco, hot dogs, and Met fan's vomit.

So here is a little Top 5 of all the headlines, stories, and players I'm interested in for the state of this season:

5. Mark McGwire's impact on Colby Rasmus, Matt Holliday, Ryan Ludwick, and the rest of the Cards:
Sure he admitted using steroids for health purposes, and yes his brother said he put on 30 some pounds of muscle for his own gain in the book her wrote. No matter the story, there is one thing nobody can take away from Mark McGwire, he can hit. I don't care about the steroid thing for two reasons: 1. A lot of people were doing it, and baseball has always been a game of cheating. It was simply another phase the MLB has to deal with. 2. Him and Sammy "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" Sosa single handily saved baseball with their home run chase. But this story is beside the point for the Cards. In his interview with Timmy Kurkjian, you can see the passion Mark has for teaching. Him and Pujols together can have a huge impact on those younger players on the Cardinals (for god sakes they have 949 home runs combined).

4. One name, Stephen Strasburg:
It is going to be interesting to see what the Nationals end up doing with this kid. He has already been nicknamed "Jesus" by teammates (for the reaction people have when he throws, not for his ability to walk on water), and is turning heads and creating a massive buzz at the Nationals camp. The reports are that the Nationals will start him out in the minors, which is the right decision considering he is 21 years old and has yet to throw a pitch against a Major League player. I think keeping him down and getting used to the show is key and vitally necessary. The Nationals don't want a situation like the Cubs had with Mark Pryor (to many early innings, and half an arm after three years). They should honestly probably keep him down for the entire year, but knowing them they will fall early, and the media will put so much pressure on the organization to bring him up.
3. Keeping up with the prospect theme, Jason Heyward:
I've been caught red handed (or mouthed). I'm drinking the Jason Heyward Kool Aid, and I'm chugging it as if I was stranded in the desert for five years. The 20 year old has a following and I'm jumping in. He has a smooth swing, tremendous hand eye coordination, and an ability to crush the ball. He will be starting by the middle of the season, and I think he'll be a major reason the Braves make their way to the top once again.

2. The Seattle Mariners:
They nab Chone Figgins, Cliff Lee, Milton Bradley among other players to build on there successful season last year (85 wins, a 24 game jump from the 2008 season). They were first in the league in run prevention, but had problems at the plate. With all of the additions they made, it looks like the Mariners might just be the favorites to win the AL West.

1. Will Kahlil Greene ever stop being afraid of his shadow?:
This kid has the worst case of social anxiety disorder in the history of sports. He is once again unable to play baseball because of it. Send him back to San Diego somebody! This kid was a top prospect at one time, and a terrific ball player. That's what you get for punching things after you strike out I guess.