It's A Bronx World: 2010 Major League Baseball Predictions

Somehow, I pulled it off, despite my best efforts!

Anyway, we got all six divisions picked. But it's not just about the division races.

Here are all my (wrong) predictions for the upcoming (already started, I guess) baseball season.

If you weren't paying attention last year, the Yankees won it all last year, and they have a very good team returning this year. Sunday's loss to the Red Sox showed that they're not appreciably deep in the bullpen, but Joe Girardi made it work last year. No reason why they can't make it happen again.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
1. N.Y. Yankees
2. Tampa Bay
3. Boston
4. Baltimore
5. Toronto

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
1. Minnesota
2. Chicago White Sox
3. Kansas City
4. Detroit
5. Cleveland

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
1. L.A. Angels
2. Seattle
3. Texas
4. Oakland

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
1. Philadelphia
2. Atlanta
3. Florida
4. N.Y. Mets
5. Washington

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
1. Chicago Cubs
2. St. Louis
3. Milwaukee
4. Cincinnati
5. Houston
6. Pittsburgh

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
1. Colorado
2. San Francisco
3. L.A. Dodgers
4. Arizona
5. San Diego

WILD CARDS
Tampa Bay (American)
Atlanta (National)

DIVISION SERIES
American
Angels over Rays
Twins over Yankees
National
Rockies over Braves
Phillies over Cubs

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
American
Angels over Twins
National
Rockies over Phillies

WORLD SERIES
Angels over Rockies

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
AMERICAN LEAGUE
MVP: Kendry Morales, 1B, L.A. Angels
Cy Young: Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox
Rookie of the Year: Austin Jackson, OF, Detroit
Manager: Don Wakamatsu, Seattle

NATIONAL LEAGUE
MVP: Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee
Cy Young: Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs
Rookie of the Year: Alcides Escobar, SS, Milwaukee
Manager: Bobby Cox, Atlanta

Mile High Pennant: 2010 National League West Preview

There are two easy scenarios here.

First off is the repeat. In 2007, the Colorado Rockies went on an improbable late-season run to earn the National League Wild Card. They swept through the Phillies and Diamondbacks on their way to the World Series, where Boston finally put an end to this silliness.

With expectations at an all-time high in 2008, the Rockies fizzled badly, finishing under .500 and leaving people wondering exactly how the hell they did what they did in 2007.

Last year, they fired manager Clint Hurdle, and the change to Jim Tracy -- an abject failure as a manager in Pittsburgh -- worked perfectly. Colorado got hot again, went 74-42 under Tracy, and they found a way to win the Wild Card.

Once again, expectations are at an all-time high. So will the Rockies repeat 2008, or carve out a new path for themselves?

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
1. Colorado
2. San Francisco
3. L.A. Dodgers
4. Arizona
5. San Diego

The emerging power. The Rockies have built a franchise the right way, using shrewd drafting, smart trades, and a few key signings to make themselves into a major contender. Now, the franchise once a laughingstock because of their poor pitching and perennial slugfest games at Coors Field has some top-notch pitching. And they can still hit. Look at their staff. Guys like Ubaldo Jimenez, Aaron Cook, Jorge de la Rosa, and Jeff Francis (when healthy) can throw, and they have Franklin Morales and Huston Street (when healthy) to anchor a strong bullpen. The bats will be led by veteran Todd Helton, emerging star Troy Tulowitzki, and an impressive outfield of Brad Hawpe, Dexter Fowler, and Carlos Gonzalez. No reason to think this team won't be very good, as long as they don't sour on Tracy like they did Hurdle.

All-pitch, no-hit. Well, that's too simple. Maybe not. Outside of Pablo "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval and maybe Aubrey Huff, there isn't a lot to talk about with the hitting on this team. Veterans Aaron Rowand, Mark DeRosa, and Edgar Renteria might help a little, but the ceilings aren't high. Walk machine Benjie Molina is only holding the catching position until the team has no excuse to leave Buster Posey in the minors any longer. The story of the Giants will be the pitching. Two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum leads the staff, but Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and Barry Zito make for what could be the game's best rotation. Todd Wellemeyer isn't a bad option for a fifth starter. Brian Wilson serves as the closer. The Giants won't give up a lot of runs, but they won't score many, either. How the offense develops is the key to this team's success, because the margin for error is quite low, even with their pitching.

The rest. Reality is that the McCourts' highly-publicized divorce hampered the team's offseason spending. How do we know? Because their biggest signing was probably Jamey Carroll, while they lost pitchers Randy Wolf and Jon Garland. Vincente Padilla is the Opening Day starter. The unimpressive Ronnie Belliard should be an everyday player. This could be a rough year for a team that won 95 a year ago. Arizona has Brandon Webb and Dan Haren atop the rotation, and 3TO throwback Mark Reynolds hitting home runs and striking out a lot. There is some good young talent like Stephen Drew and Justin Upton, but probably not enough to get the Diamondbacks over .500. The Adrian Gonzalez drama still hangs over San Diego like an ugly cloud. He has two years left on his contract, but all the talk is that he could be moved during the season. The Padres won't hit much outside of Gonzalez, which means he'll see a ton of walks, and there will be a ton of pressure on Garland, Chris Young, and Kevin Correia to pitch well every game.

The Genius vs. The Curse: 2010 National League Central Preview

This isn't meant to belittle the Milwaukee Brewers. I think they have a shot at the playoffs this year, but they need a lot of things to happen -- especially with the starting rotation -- that didn't go right last year.

In all likelihood, this division battle is down to two major factors.

The Genius is Tony LaRussa, St. Louis' egomaniac of a manager who thinks way too highly of himself, but does so with good reason because he's truly one of the best.

The Curse? Well, you know what that is. So does every Chicago Cub fan around, and there are a lot of them. No one wants to talk about it, but it's around until someone breaks it.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
1. Chicago Cubs
2. St. Louis
3. Milwaukee
4. Cincinnati
5. Houston
6. Pittsburgh

The curse. The players can say they don't think about it. The manager can say it doesn't matter. But the fans think about it, and they're tired of it. It's been 100-plus years since the Cubs ... blah, blah, blah. This team is solid. Carlos Zambrano will bounce back, and it's not like he was bad last year. Rich Harden is gone, so there should be a lot less strain on the bullpen. Carlos Marmol should only get better as the closer. Guys like Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez can still mash, and you know Lou Pinella can still get them ready. As long as the pressure isn't too great, and the health is good, the Cubs are a contender.

The genius leads the consistent. LaRussa might be full of himself (might be?), but he's a hell of a manager. Not only that, but the consistency and stability he and his staff offer are a huge reason why St. Louis has been so good. The other reason? Talent. They have Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday to lead the offense, with help from guys like Skip Schumaker and Ryan Ludwick. Their bullpen is always solid, and Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright top the rotation, giving the Cardinals two of the best pitchers in the National League. What's the hole? The Cardinals don't have a lot of depth anywhere, so they're vulnerable to the injuries they avoided all of last season. Also, they benefited greatly last year from the Cubs being banged up and not performing to expectations. That isn't bound to happen again.

The rest. The Brewers could be a contender, depending on the ability of guys like Randy Wolf and Doug Davis to help the starting rotation not be terrible. Milwaukee has a lethal offense, especially if Rickie Weeks stays healthy and Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder keep growing up. Their bullpen will be very good, anchored by LaTroy Hawkins and Trevor Hoffman. Cincinnati is building a strong team, and they could crack the top three of the division if someone falters. Joey Votto is a very good young hitter, and watch for Aroldis Chapman to earn a spot in their starting rotation after a quick stint in the minors. Houston should be better, but they won't be. Lance Berkman will start the season on the DL, and the Astros lack any semblance of depth. As for the Pirates, the futility will continue, but there are signs of hope, thanks to young players like Andrew McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Lastings Milledge, and prospect Pedro Alvarez.

The Overwhelming Favorites: 2010 National League East Preview

If the pundits are to be believed, the NL East might as well cancel the season. The Atlanta Braves might have a nice team, but they can't hold a candle to the mighty Philadelphia Phillies. Neither can the Marlins, Mets, or Nationals.

That might sound extreme, but it's not that far off the map. The Phillies are a very good team, one that is capable of dominating this division, no matter how improved it is.

The big question surrounding the Phils is whether or not they can continue to avoid being crippled by injuries. This year, it seems that the injury bug is starting out on their bullpen, but they were a really good team last year despite having a shaky bullpen. Now, that shaky bullpen isn't healthy. Should be interesting to see how it plays out.

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
1. Philadelphia
2. Atlanta
3. Florida
4. N.Y. Mets
5. Washington

The juggernaut: Yeah, the Phils have some issues in their bullpen, but it can't be much worse than it was last year, when closer Brad Lidge had a 7.21 ERA and allowed 72 hits in less than 59 innings. Still, Philadelphia won 93 games and made the World Series. The rotation is bolstered by the addition of Roy Halladay (Cliff Lee threw a ton of innings last year, and it's probably a good thing Philly moved on). Cole Hamels is due for a huge bounceback year, while J.A. Happ and Jamie Moyer are just fine at the bottom of the rotation once Joe Blanton is off the DL. Ryan Madson and Chad Durbin will have to fill some huge shoes in the bullpen, but they're capable. The lineup is lethal, led by Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Raul Ibanez. This is a 90-win team, even if they aren't much better in the bullpen.

The swan song: Bobby Cox has carved out a legend for himself in Atlanta. He has won nearly 2,500 games (87 wins this season will move him to that mark) and will be done after this season. The team he has should be good enough to contend for a playoff spot, even though they lost pitcher Javier Vasquez and didn't get much from the Yankees in return. Derek Lowe will anchor the rotation, and veteran Tim Hudson should hold down a spot. Youngsters Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens should play huge roles. The signing of Billy Wagner comes with some risk, as Wagner's career has been wrought with arm problems in recent years. Look for rookie Jason Heyward to have an up-and-down season, but the Braves should get solid offense from Brian McCann, Matt Diaz, and Yunel Escobar. They'll be fine.

The rest: Florida should be better, but they're still a low-budget team as they await their new Little Havana ballpark. Their fight against the high-brow Mets should be fun to watch, as New York aims to rebound from an unmitigated disaster that turned the opening of their new ballpark into a season-long hell. A healthy Johan Santana should help a great deal, but the Mets need the rest of their pitching staff to produce better, and they need more out of star third baseman David Wright, who hit just ten home runs last year. Citi Field took the brunt of the blame for that, even though it wasn't like Wright did anything on the road, either. Florida leans on ace pitcher Josh Johnson and shortstop Hanley Ramirez, but they have some intriguing young talent, too. Washington won't be bad enough to lose 100 games, but unless Stephen Strasburg arrives quickly, becomes a star, and multiplies himself, the pitching isn't good enough. Adam Dunn can mash, and Nyjer Morgan is a good table-setter atop the order.

Angels Wannabes in Seattle: 2010 American League West Preview

If you can't beat them, try to be like them.

Why not? The Seattle Mariners appear headed in that direction, choosing to chart a course similar to that of the perennial division champion Los Angeles Angels. While the Angels are still favored to win the AL West this year, the Mariners took a big chunk out of their lead over the rest of the West last year, and Seattle looks primed for a run at the playoffs this year.

Following the Angels' way, they're going to do it with less power and more speed and defense than they have had in the past. Manager Don Wakamatsu and general manager Jack Zduriencik are a hard-working group, with Wakamatsu having experience in the Angels organization and looking like the type of manager who wants to be aggressive and play a similar style.

Now, they're starting to build up the personnel to contend. Should be a neat year in the Pacific Northwest.

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Seattle
3. Texas
4. Oakland

The consistent. The Angels have eight winning seasons and six trips to the playoffs under manager Mike Scioscia. That's not changing anytime soon. This team is built to contend again, thanks to a lineup that can hit, get on base, and has enough power. Last year's team was first in batting average, third in on-base percentage, and fifth in slugging percentage. They struggled a little bit on the mound, and that's where they need to improve this year. Losing John Lackey to Boston won't help at all, but the Angels still believe they have a solid rotation, led by Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, and Scott Kazmir, who appeared to find himself again after being traded by Tampa Bay. As long as the Angels have Bobby Abreu, Kendry Morales, and Torii Hunter in the lineup, they'll hit. They hope to get a good year out of Hideki Matsui, who will DH and hopefully keep his knees healthy by staying away from the outfield. The bullpen got Fernando Rodney to help set up Brian Fuentes, but the latter needs to work on keeping people off the bases to reach maximum efficiency.

The rising. We already mentioned Seattle, which stole Chone Figgins from the Angels and will use him with Ichiro at the top of the order. The Mariners also added Cliff Lee from Philadelphia and have a strong one-two punch atop their rotation with Lee and Felix Hernandez. That's a strong team, one that should contend for the playoffs. Texas could be right there if they can get more consistent offensive play. The Rangers are improved along the pitching staff, thanks to 17-game winner Scott Feldman and the addition of former A's and Cubs star Rich Harden. While Harden's health is always a question, his ability is not. If he can keep the arm intact, Harden will be a big part of this staff. The Rangers also need a bounceback year from Josh Hamilton, who struggled with injuries a year ago, while guys like Nelson Cruz and David Murphy will continue to grow as major-league hitters.

The youthful. No question that Oakland is not in a contending position, at least on paper. While the A's have some real nice pieces on their pitching staff, they don't appear to have much offense. Ben Sheets leads a rotation that should include the likes of Dallas Braden and Brett Anderson, and the bullpen is strong with closer Andrew Bailey and guys like Michael Wuertz and Craig Breslow in front of him. However, the bats have to produce. That means big years for the likes of Mark Ellis and Ryan Sweeney, while veteran Coco Crisp sets the table effectively and Eric Chavez finds some health. Probably too much to ask for in one season, and that's why Oakland is destined to sit far behind the rest of the West.

Twins Hope To Be On Target: 2010 American League Central Preview

Not too long ago, the American League Central was a laughingstock. It was in a position where it simply didn't appear that anyone in the division was worthy of a playoff spot, and it housed some of the worst teams in the sport.

They've come a long way since then. Detroit made the World Series in 2006, and though they bowed out meekly to St. Louis, the Tigers served notice that this division wasn't going to be a punch line anymore.

Now, we get to see one of the more competitive races the Central has had. That's saying something, because the last two division championships have been decided by a one-game playoff (White Sox over Twins in 2008, Twins over Tigers in 2009).

If all goes well in the Central this year, three and maybe four teams will be improved and perhaps worthy of at least playoff consideration.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
1. Minnesota
2. Chicago White Sox
3. Kansas City
4. Detroit
5. Cleveland

The ballpark. The Twins move into Target Field this season. It opens with a visit from the Red Sox April 12, and the state is excited. But are the Twins suited for a move outside? Statistically, the Metrodome tended to rate as a hitter's park, but not as overwhelmingly as a nickname like "Homerdome" might make you think. With that in mind, Target Field could end up being a bit of a hindrance to the Twins offense, but it will have the same effect on opponents. The newly-signed Joe Mauer leads the offense, which has some serious pop with the returning Justin Morneau, veteran free agent Jim Thome, and holdovers Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer. Don't forget that shortstop J.J. Hardy -- brought in from the Brewers in the Carlos Gomez deal -- popped 50 home runs over 2007 and 2008 before falling off the map last year. He should be able to recapture some of that with his change of scenery.

The pitchers. No one has a more dynamic starting rotation than the White Sox. Jake Peavy looked good once healthy last year, and he is joined by the more-than-capable John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Mark Buehrle, who threw that perfect game last year, but didn't do much after it. Veteran Freddy Garcia serves as the fifth starter as long as he's healthy. If the Sox hit at all, which is a reasonable doubt about this team, they're dangerous. Can Carlos Quentin bounce back? Will Andruw Jones get it together? How good is Gordon Beckham? Will they get anything near their money's worth out of Alex Rios? There are a lot of questions about the offense, and it's tough to imagine the Sox will figure out all the answers.

The rest. Both Kansas City and Detroit stand to be better teams. The Royals were a darkhorse pick of many a year ago, only to flop badly and threaten 100 losses. They somehow finished the season with a 4.83 team ERA despite a full season out of Cy Young winner Zack Greinke. That won't happen again. What they need are Luke Hochevar and Gil Meche to hold up their end of the rotation, and Alex Gordon and Mike Aviles to get healthy and start hitting. They need more power out of Jose Guillen. They need continued development from Billy Butler. Detroit has a rotation -- led by Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello -- but questions with the offense. Is Austin Jackson ready? If not, the Tigers have a huge hole in the leadoff spot. That's a bad place to have a huge hole. Manny Acta takes over in Cleveland, and he should be able to boost player morale. A healthy Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner would probably boost a moribound offense. The team hopes Matt LaPorta -- the prize of the C.C. Sabathia deal two years ago -- can play every day and make an impact.

Mike Montgomery Signs With Minnesota

Relax, Bulldog hockey fans. This is a different Mike Montgomery.

The former Packer defensive end agreed to a one-year deal with the Vikings for the minimum salary.

He joins an impressive parade of former Packers who have moved on to Minnesota. The Vikings have plucked guys like Ryan Longwell, Darren Sharper, Robert Ferguson, and that Favre guy in recent years, and now Montgomery is part of that group.

He's a good player, but Montgomery got lost a bit last year as the Packers switched to a 3-4 defense under coordinator Dom Capers.

"It just wasn't a good fit for me," Montgomery said, "just in the direction they were going to and just overall what I could do."

It was a situation where he really didn't fit as a defensive end, and he wasn't quite fast enough to play linebacker. The Packers need more dynamic players at that position than what Montgomery could provide. He is big enough (280 pounds) to be a 3-4 end, but didn't seem to pick up the system very well.

He's going to be basically a backup to Ray Edwards for the Vikings, but he should get some chances to play, as Edwards has shown the ability to be a real dynamic force, but you can't have enough depth along the line.

It's hardly a crippling loss for the Packers, because they knew he wasn't much of a fit. They need to add a little more depth both at end and tackle in their 3-4 scheme, and Montgomery's presence wasn't going to change that any.

At some point, one has to hope general manager Ted Thompson will start developing players for other NFL franchises, because developing talent for your main rival to poach when they see fit is not going to make the fanbase very happy.

Brewers Claim Suppan Has A 'Stiff Neck,' Will Throw Simulated Game

The Milwaukee Brewers found a way to tease their fans without playing a game Monday. Manager Ken Macha dropped some hints in cryptic comments about veteran pitcher Jeff Suppan.

In the end, Macha's remarks led some to believe that the Brewers might be on the verge of cutting the very expensive cord on Suppan, who has done virtually nothing in a Milwaukee uniform to justify his $42 million contract.

Unfortunately for those made hopeful by that news, the Brewers don't appear to be ready to make that move, one that would require them to pay Suppan $14 million to go away ($12 million this year and then a $2 million buyout on his 2011 team option).

Reports began to surface on Twitter that Suppan was simply going to throw a simulated game in Arizona Tuesday. Tom Haudricourt has all the skinny.

Apparently Suppan has been dealing with a neck issue most of the spring. I saw him today walking around the training room with a big ice pack strapped to the back of his neck, but this is the first we’ve heard of him being in any kind of discomfort.

The sim game will be about 90 pitches for Suppan, and the Brewers are going to see if he comes out of that healthy. If he does, he’ll still be in the mix for the fifth starter spot – Dave Bush was just named the fourth starter – but if he comes out unhealthy, he could be headed for the disabled list to start the season.

“There’s a chance of that, too,” Macha said.

So as of right now, there is no roster move to report for Suppan, and Macha, knowing he was being somewhat vague and veiled with reporters, said that was as clear as he could be on the situation right now.

It's not a stiff neck. He has whiplash from snapping his head back to watch baseballs fly into the stratosphere. At one point during his pitching meltdown, former Braves pitcher Mark Wohlers was placed on the disabled list, and the stated reason was an "inability to pitch."

The Brewers could always try this. After all, Suppan hasn't been able to pitch consistently at a major-league level since the 2006 playoffs.

So, what is a simulated game? Let's ask the folks at Slate, who sat in on a Mark Prior simulated game when he was injured for the Cubs.

It's an informal scrimmage that allows an injured pitcher to test his arm. Simulated games take place at the stadium, with two or three hitters taking turns in live at-bats against a pair of pitchers. (It may happen that both pitchers are recovering from injuries, but most of the time a healthy teammate or coach is recruited for the exercise.) There are rarely any players out in the field, and there's no umpire behind home plate. Either the bullpen catcher or the pitching coach will call balls and strikes and determine what "happens" when one of the hitters puts the ball in play. If it's a hard line drive, they might say it's a "hit"; a weak grounder would be deemed an "out."

When Prior gave up a hit in one of his simulated starts, he had to pitch to the next hitter as if there were someone on base—from the stretch, perhaps. He'd continue to face the same few batters until three "outs" were recorded. At the end of a simulated half-inning, Prior would head to the dugout and wait until the other pitcher recorded three outs.

Simulated games rarely last for more than three or four innings. Sometimes stats are kept on the simulated runs and hits, but the more important figure is how many pitches were thrown. An injured player who makes a good showing in a simulated game and demonstrates that his arm has recovered might then be sent to the minor leagues for a tuneup start, or he might return to the team right away.

Some pitching coaches and trainers use recorded stadium sounds to make the simulated games more realistic. For a recent simulated start, Cleveland's Kevin Millwood faced fellow Indians in the replica jerseys of an opposing team—the hitters even imitated the batting stances of the players whose names they wore.

So instead of getting whipped around the diamond in a real game, Suppan will just be giving up simulated home runs and gappers.

That has to be considered better than the real thing.

Jeff Suppan Could Be Out

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Brewers beat writer Tom Haudricourt has been around the block a few times. This isn't to say the veteran scribe is old or anything, but instead meant to point out that things don't often get by him.

He has a pretty good idea when something is amiss, and he seems to smell a rat at Brewers spring training.

The Brewers signed free-agent pitcher Jeff Suppan in December 2006 after a strong playoff performance with the National League Central rival St. Louis Cardinals. He'd never been a hard thrower or a staff ace, but general manager Doug Melvin paid him like one, giving him $42 million over four years.

What's happened since is nothing short of disastrous for the smallest-market franchise in the sport. Suppan is 29-34 with the Brewers in three years, carrying an ERA of 4.93. He has one complete game in 95 starts. In 546 innings, he has allowed 650 hits, 329 runs, 73 home runs, and has just 284 strikeouts to 209 walks, a terrible K/BB ratio. Opponents are OPSing a hideous .839 against him ... over a three-year aggregate.

For Suppan, it isn't just one rough year hurting his overall digits. He's just a bad pitcher, and the Brewers probably can't wait to get rid of him.

In fact, the Brewers could be so anxious to cut the cord that they're willing to pay $12.5 million to make it happen. That's the amount owed Suppan in the final year of his contract, plus an additional buyout of $2 million on the team option for next year, one that probably wouldn't be picked up at this point unless Suppan wins 20 games this year.

It's a huge expense for a small-market team, but one Haudricourt senses could be on the verge of reality. Here is his latest update on the Brewers' rotation, as manager Ken Macha announced Yovani Gallardo will start Opening Day at the Keg April 5 against Colorado.

Macha said he probably wouldn't name a fifth starter before the end of camp, because he doesn't need one right away. Right-hander Jeff Suppan and lefties Manny Parra and Chris Narveson have been battling for the final spot in the rotation.

Macha said Parra and Narveson will split the Brewers' exhibition game Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels. But, when asked what Suppan would be doing that day, Macha said, "Hopefully, I'll be able to answer that tomorrow. That's my best answer."

That cryptic response made reporters wonder if something is going on with Suppan, if perhaps the Brewers are thinking about not keeping him despite his $12.5 million salary in 2010. An official from another club said he had not seen Suppan's name on the release waiver wire, so that process apparently had not begun.

Maybe it's nothing more than having to wait until Tuesday to hear that Suppan is pitching in a minor league game to get his work in. But usually a pitcher, especially a veteran pitcher, knows what his assignment is the day before he's scheduled to pitch.

Let's just say some red flags went up with Macha's response to that question.

Great pickup by Haudricourt. Keep in mind, this might not mean anything. It might just be Macha playing coy with the media. But it's a strange thing to do with something as largely meaningless as "fifth starter," even on a team like Milwaukee that's expected to at least contend for a spot in the playoffs.

If the Brewers are indeed at least considering dumping Suppan and eating his remaining contract, it could be cause for celebration. No one should celebrate someone losing his job, but Suppan will be handsomely paid to go away, and given how much torture he's caused baseball fans in Wisconsin, they have every right to do a little fist pump if the team cuts the cord.

Twins Name A Committee

When the Minnesota Twins lost closer Joe Nathan for the season to Tommy John surgery, I linked a LaVelle E. Neal III blog post where he speculated the Twins would avoid a "closer by committee" situation.

It was well-reasoned. As LVIII noted, manager Ron Gardenhire tried to use a committee of setup men in 2008, and it was an epic fail. The thinking was he would avoid such a situation for his closer's role in 2010.

Not only that, but "closer by committee" sets a manager up for a lot of second-guessing. If he designates a closer, sticks with that guy, and gets reasonable results, he doesn't have to deal with "Hey idiot, why'd you use that guy in the ninth instead of this other guy?" questions from the media after ninth-inning implosions.

Instead, Gardenhire appears ready to go with the ol' committee.

"Same with our setup roles," Gardenhire said. "We plan on bouncing those guys all around because we think we have four, five guys who are very capable going into those roles ... unless something changes."

Gardenhire said someone could emerge from the group to fill Nathan's role, but it's a lot to ask, considering Nathan's 246 saves are the most in baseball since 2004.

"We're going to try just about anything and see how we get them out," Gardenhire said.

The Twins do have options. Matt Guerrier, Pat Neshek, Jesse Crain, Jose Mijares, and maybe someday Francisco Liriano (no, I'm not letting that go) could all have a shot at closing at one point or another. Of course, if someone gets hot, expect Gardenhire -- who's far from an idiot -- to ride that horse as long as he can.

While you have to like the gusto of such a plan, it does set the manager up for a long year of stupid second-guessing reporters.

You put yourself in that position, you run the risk of ending up like Hal McRae.



Now put that in your (bleep)in' pipe and smoke it.