Baseball is back

As the weather starts to warm and the skies start to clear a bit one can hear that pop from the ball to the glove if they are in either Arizona or Florida for the start of baseball season; Spring Training.

This year promises to be an exciting one as many questions will be answered soon enough such as how many teams will be in the playoffs? MLB Commissioner Bud Selig would like to expand the playoff format from 8 to 10 teams but nothing has been finalized thus far.

How will the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals fare without star first baseman Albert Pujols, now a member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim?

A healthy return of catcher Buster Posey
is pivotal to the Giants having success
in 2012.

Can the 2010 champion San Francisco Giants return to the promise lands with catcher Buster Posey back from injury?

How will the new-look Miami Marlins come together given all the egos and personalities on their team, led by manager Ozzie Guillen?

So many questions. The list goes on and on with heavy spotlight this season on the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies like usual and more intrigue in the Texas Rangers, after they’ve fallen short in the World Series the past two seasons.

As we look forward, I’ll make my playoff picks before going more in-depth in my next blog entry. I like the Giants, Cincinnati Reds, Phillies, and Atlanta Braves in the National League. With the Rangers, Kansas City Royals (surprise pick), Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays in the American League. This, of course assuming it is an 8-team playoff format after all.