Ten Story Lines for the 2011 MLB Season
Anthony Witrado - SportingNews.com
Mar 30, 2011
While the 2010 season featured pitching story lines galore -- from prospects to perfect games to postseason dominance -- it remains to be seen what will capture the bulk of the headlines this season.
There are milestones within reach, legal sagas of former superstars and myriad new skippers. Once again, baseball will provide plenty of situations to monitor and deliver plenty of surprises.
Ten story lines to track:
San Francisco repeat: Pitching carried the San Francisco Giants to the World Series championship, but the rotation was remarkably healthy. Four starters made at least 33 starts in the majors, and Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner all surpassed their previous career highs in innings pitched.
The Giants' offense remains questionable. But don't tell them that. "We're going to be better than last year," second baseman Freddy Sanchez said. "We were young when we went to the postseason last year, and now we know what it takes to get there and win it."
Road to 3,000: New York Yankees icon Derek Jeter will have his hit count monitored every day until he reaches 3,000 for his career. Jeter is 74 knocks shy of the mark and will become the first Yankee to reach the milestone.
Dream rotation: The Philadelphia Phillies have built one of the best starting rotations in the game's history -- on paper. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt still must perform, but if track records are any indication, this will be a dominant group. And unlike the case with the NBA's Miami Heat, this collection of superstars doesn't have to worry about meshing with each other because each will be on his own stage every fifth game.
Pujols possibilities: St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols couldn't get his contract situation settled before spring training and plans to test free agency. If so, he will be the most coveted free agent in recent memory. But if he expects $30 million per season, he could price himself out of a realistic market. No matter how it plays out, this saga will be closely monitored until Pujols' signature goes on a contract.
Fighting the law: Barry Bonds' trial already has featured testimony that paints him as a bigger villain than the public already perceived. In July, Roger Clemens will go on trial for perjury and obstruction charges. This is the ugly byproduct of the steroid era, with former friends and teammates testifying against each other and two of the game's all-time greats trying to keep their freedom. This isn't a story line baseball wants, but it can't be ignored.
The dozen: Twelve teams will begin this season with different managers than they had on opening day 2010. That includes the Atlanta Braves, who had mainstay Bobby Cox in the dugout for 21 consecutive seasons until he retired this past October. Fredi Gonzalez will be under the microscope as he replaces the legend. In Los Angeles, another legend, Joe Torre, is gone and will be replaced by former MVP Don Mattingly. Also in the NL West, Kirk Gibson, another former MVP, will lead the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Milwaukee' Brewers' Ron Roenicke inherited a playoff-ready roster. Now he just has to get to October.
All-Stars in Arizona: Many people, including players, already have come out against Arizona's immigration law that allows police to question the status of anyone who is stopped and suspected of entering the country illegally. With this season's All-Star Game in Phoenix, the law once again will be in the spotlight. The players union has denounced the law and Hispanic players have said they will boycott the event, although many have backed off those statements. Regardless of whether they play, this issue will be heavily debated come July.
Rising Sox stock: The Boston Red Sox targeted and landed the two best available hitters on the market -- first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and left fielder Carl Crawford. Going a bit away from their defense and pitching philosophies, the Sox revamped their lineup and could be an offensive juggernaut. Now if they could just get the rotation to live up to expectations.
Trading-deadline possibilities: The biggest name on the block could be Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder. He has been the subject of trade rumors for two seasons, and even he didn't expect to be in Milwaukee this season. Fielder is in a contract year and the Brewers have no chance to keep him, so if the team fades from contention by the end of July, Fielder could be dealt. Michael Young, Justin Upton and Carlos Lee are among other names that could appear in rumors.
Phenom watch: Last season gave onlookers Stephen Strasburg, Aroldis Chapman, Buster Posey and Jason Heyward. This season, the biggest name on the phenom list is Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper. Harper isn't expected to make his major league debut this season -- key word: expected -- but his progress will be watched closely as he shoots through the minors.
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