My 2010 MLB Preview

Opening Night is just one night away with Yankees-Red Sox on ESPN. Here are my division previews. Sorry, I ran out of time to do a division by division preview like I wanted.

Anyway, here are my picks division by division.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AL East New York Yankees
AL Central Minnesota Twins
AL West Texas Rangers
AL Wild Card Boston Red Sox
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NL East Philladelphia Phillies
NL Central Chicago Cubs
NL West Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wildcard Colorado Rockies

ALDS: Yankees Over Twins
ALDS: Red Sox Over Rangers
NLDS: Phillies Over Rockies
NLDS: Dodgers Over Cubs

ALCS: Yankees Over Red Sox
NLCS: Phillies over Dodgers

World Series: Yankees over Phillies.

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez, Yankees
NL MVP: Albert Pujols, Cardinals
NL ROY: Colby Rasmus, Cardinals
AL ROY: Nefetali Feliz, Rangers
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Ron Washington, Rangers
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: Tony La Russa, Cardinals
NL CY YOUNG AWARD WINNER Roy Halladay, Phillies
AL CY YOUNG AWARD WINNER CC Sabathia, Yankees

The AP Sports Story Of The Year

Steroids' blemish on baseball has been picked as the Story of the Year by members of The Associated Press.

I sure hope that Manny Ramirez doesn't try to become pregnant again. The Dodgers need this guy on the field. He can change the outcome of a game with one swing, although I think his best days are behind him.

Alex Rodriguez Passes A Yankee Legend

Alex Rodriguez hit career homerun number 564, surpassing Reggie Jackson on the all time homerun list last night.

The Windy City Showdown is under way this weekend. The Cubs played the White Sox, and Milton Bradley is alienating people. After hos 0-3 performance, he became the latest Cub to attack the water cooler. He then got into an argument with manager Lou Piniella, who told him to change clothes and leave. Milton is expected back in the lineup tommorow.

Andre Ethier put on a show at Chavez Ravine as the Dodgers beat the Mariners.

Alex Rodriguez Unloads On First Pitch

The visual evidence speaks for itself below.

A-Rod must have made up his mind before he stepped in to swing at the first pitch.

That decision really paid off.

A-Rod homered on the first pitch he saw of his 2009 MLB Season. It was a three run homer to left field, that gave the Bronx Bombers a 3-0 lead. After a Johnny Damon RBI, the score became 4-0 Yankees. We finally saw the C.C. Sabathia the Yankees paid all of that money for, as he had eight strikeouts in a complete game shutout.


The AL East had better look out! The Yankees Are Coming!

Video: A-Rod Talks About His Past

ESPN Video has just put up the whole video of Peter Gammons' interview with Alex Rodriguez about the news he tested positive in 2003. Check It Out Below.


Now that you've seen the interview, answer the poll question: Do you believe that A-Rod has been clean since 2003?

Want to say something? Make a comment.

A-Rod Joke

On the latest news that A-Rod is a Roider:

"Of Course he's on steroids! What else would you expect from someone trying to keep up with Madonna?"

Report: Alex Rodriguez Used Steroids In 2003

According to a report on SI.Com, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids back in 2003.

2003 was Alex Rodriguez's last season with the Texas Rangers, a year before he was traded to the New York Yankees.

So, A-Rod, the supposed "Savior of Baseball", the guy who was supposed to be the guy to pass Barry Bonds and become the all time homerun King, and now it is revealed that he also used steroids.

A-Rod's legacy, just like Bonds and Clemens, is now forever tarnished.


SI Reporter Roberts Recaps A-Rod Timeline


Scott Boras and Michael Young talk about the positive test.


Fernando Montes, former Director of Conditioning for the Texas Rangers, comments on Alex Rodriguez.


ESPN's Buster Olney talks about A-Rod's Positive Steroid Test.


T.J Quinn Reports that A-Rod Was Aware Of the Positive Test.

Carlos Zambrano Wins Silver Slugger Award

For the second time in his career, Carlos Zambrano has won the Silver Slugger Award.

Here were the other Silver Slugger award winners, in both leagues:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
C Joe Mauer, MIN
1B Justin Morneau, MIN
2B Dustin Pedroia, BOS
3B Alex Rodriguez, NYY
SS Derek Jeter, NYY
OF Josh Hamilton, TEX
OF Carlos Quentin, CWS
OF Grady Sizemore, CLE
DH Aubrey Huff, BAL

NATIONAL LEAGUE
C Brian McCann, ATL
1B Albert Pujols, STL
2B Chase Utley, PHI
3B David Wright, NYM
SS Hanley Ramirez, FLA
OF Ryan Braun, MIL
OF Matt Holliday, COL
OF Ryan Ludwick, STL
P Carlos Zambrano, CHC

Congratulations to all the Silver Slugger Award Winners.

MLB Uses Instant Replay for First Time

Note To THE AP: His name is Joe Maddon, not Joe Madden!

So Alex Rodriguez becomes the first player to ever have their homerun reviewed by instant replay. The Yankees won a key game against their AL East rivals, as they have to fight Boston if they want any hope to make the playoffs.

Baseball to Start Using Instant Replay Thursday

Baseball Wrap: Harden's Debut, 'A-Rod's Homer

Here's Saturday's AP Baseball Wrap!

Jimmy Rollins: National League MVP Alex Rodriguez: American League MVP

Jimmy Rollins edged out Matt Holliday in National League MVP Voting.

The American League MVP Was No Contest, with Alex Rodriguez picking up all but two votes. The two No votes came from two Detroit Sportswriters who voted for Magglio Ordonez.

Jimmy Rollins won the National League MVP award Tuesday, edging Matt Holliday in a close race after propelling the Philadelphia Phillies to their first playoff berth in 14 years with his speed and steady all-around play.

The Gold Glove shortstop received 16 of 32 first-place votes and finished with 353 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Holliday, the left fielder who led Colorado's surprising charge to the World Series, got 11 first-place votes and 336 points. Milwaukee slugger Prince Fielder came in third, with five first-place votes and 284 points.

In The American League, Alex Rodriguez won his third American League MVP Award. Rodriguez received 26 first-place votes and 382 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, while Ordonez had two firsts and 258 points.

Rodriguez won his first MVP in 2003, his last season with the Texas Rangers. He also won an AL MVP Award with the Yankees in 2005.

Alex Rodriguez Opts Out Of New York, Will Move On To "Greener" Pastures

Alex Rodriguez's days in a Yankee Uniform are over.

Alex Rodriguez opted out of his $252 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees on Sunday in what appears to be the end of his career with New York.

Rodriguez's decision, announced by agent Scott Boras during Game 4 of the World Series, makes him eligible to become a free agent.

Rodriguez loses the final $72 million in guaranteed salary in the contract, of which $21.3 million was to be covered by payments from the Texas Rangers to the Yankees. New York had said it would not attempt to re-sign A-Rod if he opted out.

Boras said during a telephone interview Rodriguez made his choice because he was uncertain whether Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte would return to the Yankees.

"Alex's decision was one based on not knowing what his closer, his catcher and one of his statured pitchers was going to do," Boras said. "He really didn't want to make any decisions until he knew what they were going."

Alex Rodriguez will not be back in New York next season. He never really fit in New York, and he was never liked by the fans. Alex Rodriguez will never become a "True Yankee", especially now that his days in a Yankee Uniform are certainly over.

What type of contract will Alex Rodriguwz get? I've been hearing numbers of 10 years, $ 300 Million Dollars, and part ownership of the team! This is a mindboggling contract offer to anybody, including Alex Rodriguez. The only reason I could see a team giving A-Rod a mindboggling deal like this would be because they are thinking about when Alex Rodriguez, if he keeps putting numbers like this for the next five years, breaks Barry Bond's record and becomes the new (and according to many, the true) All-Time Home Run King.

Alex Rodriguez is not coming back to New York. Who will be next to follow him out the door?

(We are currently in the ninth inning of Game Four of the World Series. If The Red Sox hang on and sweep the Rockies, you will see my post on it tommorow, right here on The Power Zone!)

What A Great Monday Night!

Grady Sizemore put the Yankees in a hole they were never able to climb out of with his leadoff homerun.

What A Great Monday Night! We finally know who the Boston Red Sox will play in The American League Championship Series. The Cleveland Indians wrapped up the series, defeating the New York Yankees 6-4. Alex Rodriguez hit his first postseason homerun since Game Three of the 2004 American League Championship Series, but it wasn't enough. Congratulations to The Cleveland Indians, as they try to win their first World Series dince 1948, as they will play The Red Sox at Fenway Park for Game One On Thursday. We have a great pitching matchup in Game One of the American League Championship Series, as Josh Beckett gets the ball for The Red Sox opposed by C.C. Sabathia. Watch The American League Championship Series on Fox.

Another great game Monday Night was the Dallas Cowboys-Buffalo Bills game. This was Buffalo's first appearance on Monday Night Football in 13 years, and Buffallo certainly made good use out of it, intercepting Tony Romo five times, including four times in the first half. However, Dallas battled back to make it a ballgame. If you went to bed early, you missed one heck of an ending to this game! i had the original 24 seconds of the game of the game on The Power Zone as of Yesterday (Tuesday), but that video has now been removed. Nick Folk kicked the game finning 53 yard field goal twice (it was waved off one for a time out) and Dallas stuns Buffalo to stay undefeated, 25-24.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and The Colorado Rockies will meet up in the National League Championship Series

The Diamondbacks contained The Cubs "Big Three" and outhit and outplayed The Cubs, and that's why they won this series.

Three solo home runs from Chris Young, Eric Byrnes, and Stephen Drew behind 6 innings pitched (1 run on 5 hits) from Liván Hernández, and 4 double plays turned on defense put Game Three out of reach for the Chicago Cubs who were swept out of the post-season by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

So, The Arizona Diamondbakcks and The Colorado Rockies are meeting in the National League Championship Series, which will begin on Thursday. Congratulations to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They've had a magnificent season, and they managed to sweep The Cubs in their house, Wrigley Field. Carlos Zambrano's next start will be opening day 2008, where the Same Old Chant of "Wait 'till Next Year" will be heard for the 100th time in Chicago.

Time for me for me to go off on the Cubs for a second.

Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, and Derrek Lee. Where in the world was your plate disipline at? Did you leave it in Cincinnatti or something? My Goodness, every time you guys had runners in scoring position, you guys grounded into a double play, killing your chance to win. I'm not gonna fall for this again. If they manage to win the division next season, I'm not gonna take their season seriously until they get to the World Series. There was so much promise for their season, and now I remember something I should have remembered a long time ago: They're The Cubs. The Cubs continue to use that stupid excuse of "We're cursed by a billygoat" to explain why they have not won a World Series, and I'm sick of it. It's way too early to talk about the 2008 Baseball Season, particularly because the American League Championship Series has not been determined yet, although it may be by tonight, as Boston and Cleveland are both going for sweeps of Anaheim and New York.

Speaking of New York, Joe Torre is about to be fired as manager of the New York Yankees. He will either be fired or resign as Yankee Manager. New York is dead come game three, and even if they win tonight, they're still dead. George Steinbrenner may already be looking for a new manager of the Yankees. He just hasn't said it publicly yet.

Let's talk about their archrival, the Boston Red Sox. Congratulaions guys. You guys swept The Angels and you're about to face Cleveland in the American League Championship Series. Boston has been the best team in Baseball since day one of the 2007 Season. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez may be about to bring home another World Series Pennant for the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox have the best rotation in Baseball, with Fireballer Josh Beckett, Wise Pitcher Curt Schilling, Japaneese Import Daisuke Mastuzaka, and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (Wakefield had a bad back, so he was not on the Red Sox American League Divisional Series roster.)

There are my random thoughts and feelings on the Divisional Series of the Baseball Postseason so far.

My Picks for the World Series: Boston meets Arizona in the World Series and beats them in five games.

The Greatest Weekend In The History Of Baseball!

This past weekend was the greatest weekend in Baseball History. On Saturday, Alex Rodriguez finally hit his five hundreth homerun, becoming the youngest man ever to hit five hundred homeruns. Alex Rodriguez became the first man since the great Mickey Mantle hit his five hundreth homerun at Yankee Stadium.

Saturday Night, Barry Bonds hit his reord tying 755th homerun (above), tying him with Hank Aaron. I watched it on ESPN and the reaction by the fans to Barry tying the record in San Diego was just what I had expected it to be, with a mix of cheers and boos, but with more cheers than boos. Reguardless of your feelings about Barry and how he did it, he is making people tune in to watch him break the record and he is causing people to come to wherever he goes in droves, so that they can say that they saw Barry Bonds tie (and soon break) the All Time Home Run Record.

The Final Milestone of the week I also saw on ESPN. Tom Glavine, the longtime Pitcher for the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets, got his three hundreth victory at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. Many people are saying that Glavine will be the last 300 Game winner, as "The Big Unit" Randy Johnson is currently stuck at 284 victories and may be stuck there, depending on how his back feels and if it can handle the load of pitching 16 more victories.

This was the Greatest Weekend in Baseball History and the Greatest Weekend in the History of Sports. Where else would you have seen three historic milestones in the same weekend?