Spring Training Spotlight: Atlanta

(L to R) Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux
dominated hitters for 7 seasons together

For 11 straight years, there were six divisions in baseball--but only five of them were really competitive. Every year, the Atlanta Braves won the division; every year, fans in Montreal, Philadelphia, Florida, and New York watched Bobby Cox lead his team to the playoffs. Every year, pitchers like Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Greg Maddux would mow down opposing hitters, winning 15+ games so often it was almost unfair. All three are likely Hall-of-Famers, with Smoltz the first pitcher to win 200 games while saving 100, while Maddux and Glavine might be two of the last pitchers to amass 300 wins. It didn't help that the Expos (now the Nationals) and Phillies were under horrible management, playing in outdated stadiums, while the Braves had still-popular Turner Field as well potentially the best coaching staff in the league, with Cox and pitching coach Leo Mazzone putting out quality team after quality team, led by those unflappable pitching staffs. 

After 11 years, however, the dynasty crumbled--Atlanta didn't make the playoffs from 2006-2009, with their highest win total at 86 (their lowest during the 11-season streak? 88 wins, in 2001). Not to say that wasn't expected--in today's game of parity, even quality franchises are going to have down years--but it's about how quickly teams rebuild that keeps the fanbases intact. In the Braves case, they've managed to put together a solid playoff contender just a few years after losing some of the best pitchers in the last few decades, by adding pieces from around the league as well as within--plus one old vet hoping to bridge the gap. All winter, the talk the NL East has been about the Phillies and their dominating pitching staff--but with the Phils getting hurt, do the Braves have what it takes to win a division? Hit the jump to find out.

Spring Training Spotlight: Kansas City

With Greinke no longer a Royal, who's 
going to step up in Kansas City?

As spring training finally winds down, with just two days until the first pitches (at least, the ones that count) are thrown, we turn our eye to what has to be one of the most-ignored franchises in major American professional sports. If not for Carlos Beltran's 2003 season, when the Royals won 83 games, they would be only one season behind Pittsburgh's seasonal losing streak--that was the only winning season since 1993. Two years ago, a once-renowned pitcher named Zack Greinke (right) got his mojo back and won a Cy Young, but you had the feeling it was only a matter of time before he found greener pastures. Indeed, Greinke now pitches for the Brewers, and it feels like it's back to page one in KC. However, just because Greinke left doesn't mean the Royals weren't able to bring in a few pieces to add to the puzzle. Sometimes, putting a player in a new situation, a new city, can really restart a younger veteran's career, and Kansas City has really put their hopes on that happening this season. Similar to Pittsburgh, the Royals need to build some sort of momentum as a franchise in order to attract more talent. The rotation is a major problem, however, and it seems like it will take the discovery of a new Greinke to really put the Royals in any position to be competitive. So, who are those old faces trying to find a new home in Kansas City? Hit the jump to find out who--and how they're doing.

Spring Training Spotlight: Pittsburgh

Continuing our recent trend of spotlighting long-suffering NL Central teams, we shift our focus over to the Steel City of Pittsburgh. It's been a long few decades for the 'Burgh's remaining baseball fans, as the recent success of both the Penguins (2009 Stanley Cup champion) and Steelers (2005 + 2008 Super Bowl champs) has drawn most of the city's sports fans away from PNC Park. It's a shame that the Pirates have been so poor lately, because, having been to PNC Park multiple times, I can say it's actually quite the ballpark--they could just use a competitive team to fill it. So what's happened to the franchise of Clemente, Bonds, and Stargell--why haven't the Pirates had a winning season since 1992?

Huntington, 41, enters his 4th season as Pirates GM

For years, the Pirates had a cycle going: get decent players who rise out of their farm system, under-perform as a team, and then trade those good players to contenders for more promising prospects...who would then improve enough to the point where a contending team would want them, and get traded for more prospects.  Players like Jason Bay, Nyjer Morgan, Nate McClouth, Adam LaRoche, Jack Wilson, and Xavier Nady have all been traded away in recent seasons for minor leaguers--not all great major leaguers, for sure, but some could be parts on successful teams. However, the Pirates finally seem to have a few young, promising hitters in the lineup at the same time, and GM Neal Huntington (above)  has had a few years to develop the farm system in his image to the point where the players coming up through it are his picks, and not the old regime's. Could this be the year the Pirates approach some level of respectability? Hit the jump to find out!

Spring Training Spotlight: Chicago Cubs

After talking about the White Sox in our last Spring Training Spotlight, I thought it would only be fair to move our focus a few miles to the north and talk about the long-suffering Chicago Cubs.  Last season was an eventful one for the 5th-place North Siders, with the mid-season departures of long-time first baseman Derek Lee to the Braves as well as manager Lou Pinella (see right) for personal reasons.  The Cubs also kept volatile starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano on the trading block all year, and they finished under .500 for the first time since 2006.  An eventful season then transitioned into an eventful offseason for the Cubbies.  Hit the jump to read more about it.

Spring Training Spotlight: Chicago White Sox

To date, our Spring Training Spotlights have generally focused on teams on the coasts: only 1 of our 11 pieces to have profiled a team in the Central Division of either league.  That's why we thought it was important to show the Midwest some love, finally, and we're going to spotlight a team that I think could be a sleeper in the American League: the Chicago White Sox.  With everybody's attention focused on the Red Sox's big pickups and Cliff Lee's decision to return to Philadelphia, the South Siders have generally flown under the radar.  This has been a big offseason for them, too.  Hit the jump to find out why.

Spring Training Spotlight: Seattle

So far, most of our Spring Training Spotlights have focused on teams that we expect to contend for the World Series--the Giants, Rangers, Yankees, and Phillies--or at least a playoff berth, like the Mets, Cardinals, and Rays. This installment, however, will focus on a team that has, for years, been making bold moves to try (in vain) to lift itself out of the American League cell: the Seattle Mariners. Last offseason, the Mariners traded for Cliff Lee and paired him with Felix Hernandez (above) atop their rotation, hoping to ride that 1-2 punch to a playoff berth. The Mariners tanked instead, and they dealt Lee to the Rangers for prospects. This offseason, Seattle decided to avoid big, splashy pickups and opted to let their current players fight it out for roster spots. As you would expect with a struggling team, this has led to quite a few position battles. Hit the jump to see which one really caught our eye:

Spring Training Spotlight: San Francisco

“The San Francisco Giants are World Champions.”  The world heard this statement uttered for the first time in 2010, as the Giants won their first title since moving from New York to the West Coast in 1958.  They won on the strength of their pitching, with Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain leading a staff that wasn’t unhittable in the playoffs – but it was a notch better than the competition every step of the way.  Since that first day in November, when Matt Cain hoisted the circle-of-flags above his head in Arlington (see left), the Giants have not been complacent with the make-up of their team.  General Manager Brian Sabean has made a bunch of moves to bring the Giants from unlikely contenders a year ago to possible favorites to repeat in 2011.  Hit the jump to find out how.

Spring Training Spotlight: Boston

In what was a decade of incredible parity, the winners of the most World Series titles in the past ten years was the Boston Red Sox, with titles in 2004 and 2007.  That 2004 championship-winning club is almost entirely dismantled, and the 2007 club is fading away, with Tim Wakefield moving to the bullpen (or worse) and Mike Lowell retiring.  They also lost Adrian Beltre’s .321-28-102 line during the offseason, leaving a big hole to fill in the lineup.  However, the Red Sox rebounded by revamping their offense in a big way.  Hit the jump to see how:

Spring Training Spotlight: Washington

There are a few teams that, at least in the last few years, have made a few large signings in free agency. It's to be expected--the Yankees and Phillies, as well as the Red Sox, Mets, and Cubs, have millions of dollars to spend. The teams are mostly successful, with loyal fanbases, huge advertising revenues and massive merchandising sales, allowing them to spend over $130 million/year in salary. Each year, as free agency approaches, those same teams are always the ones first mentioned when the top free agents hit the market, so it's the rare free agent who takes big money to go to a bad team--usually, they just don't have the money to spend, and if they do, it's usually not as much fun to lose. So, when Jayson Werth signed a $126-million deal with the Washington Nationals this offseason, you could say it served as a bit of a shock to some in the baseball community. Add in #1 draft pick Bryce Harper, and the Nats actually had an aura of interest around their spring training facility in Viera Beach, Florida. Hit the jump to see how life is going in Nats camp:

Spring Training Catch-Up

He'll get better. Eventually.

In the context of a 4-or-5 week spring training, 8-10 days can make a lot of difference in who's in the running for a spot and who's already played themselves out of contention. Injured veterans (see right), prospects who aren't just quite ready, and spring surprises have sorted themselves out quite a bit, at least in a few of the towns in Florida and Arizona. Pitchers are starting to go into the 5th and 6th inning when they're pitching well, batting averages are approaching something resembling normal, and sample sizes are starting to get sorta big enough that they might just actually mean something. So with all that in mind, it's time to look back at a few of the teams we spotlighted earlier this month. 

What Does Spring Training Mean?

Every year, baseball teams pack up and head south for the spring. Every year, fans across the country dream about what could be--that young prospect who could bust out, the crafty veteran who could pull the team together. And, every year, a few teams have springs bad enough that those same fans are ready to give up entirely before the season even starts! So, that got us thinking here at Sports, Stats & Stuff about what the preseason really means, if it means anything. Do playoff teams perform better in the spring than non-playoff teams? Which teams tend to under-perform, and which teams over-perform? At what point should I begin pulling my hair out? If these questions interest you (and if they don't, why are you still reading?) hit the jump!

Spring Training Spotlight: New York Mets

            The New York Mets have certainly had more than their fair share of non-baseball distractions this offseason. The big one has been the omnipresent Bernie Madoff affair, with Madoff victims’ trustee Irving Picard suing the Wilpon family – majority owners of the Mets – for at least $1 billion.  This post, thankfully, will focus exclusively on baseball issues, namely, the battle to be the 2011 Mets starting second baseman. This battle is really wide-open, with several players vying for the spot, from veterans left from an old regime to unproven rookies.  All Spring Training long 4 candidates have been given a shot to win the job: Luis Castillo, Daniel Murphy, Brad Emaus, and Justin Turner.  Who will ultimately prevail is up to how they perform this spring and into 2011, as the Mets look to catch up in an increasingly powerful National League East.  Here’s our take at who gets the nod on opening day:

Spring Training Spotlight: Texas

            After winning the American League pennant in 2010, the Rangers naturally come into 2011 with their eyes on a repeat, and maybe even the franchise’s first World Series title this season.  However, they have seen a surprising amount of turnover among their core players.  Vladimir Guerrero, the Rangers’ top RBI man last year as well as their #2 home run hitter and middle-of-the-order slugger, is gone to the Orioles for a paltry $8 million.  To replace him, they added third baseman Adrian Beltre with a six-year $96 million dollar deal that will take him past his 38^th birthday.  Furthermore, Beltre’s best season before last year was in his 2004 contract year, when he was voted the National League MVP.  He proceeded to underwhelm for his entire tenure in Seattle, never hitting better than .276 in a season.  This is a perplexing decision to be sure, but I can understand Rangers fans’ optimism given Beltre’s .321-28-102 line last season during a one-year stint with the Red Sox.  However, the less understandable decision by the Rangers’ front office comes with regards to Neftali Feliz, the 2010 American League Rookie of the Year.

Spring Training Spotlight: Colorado

When I was thinking about which team I should spotlight next in our Spring Training series, I happened to realize I was in the Rocky Mountains. So, today we're finding out how those same Rockies are doing down in Arizona. Last year wasn't a great one for the Rockies, who went from a 2009 Wild Card appearance to finishing 3rd in their division in 2010. Last year wasn't a complete loss, however, as a few players in particular give hope to the 2011 squad.

It seems like in sports, there are two types of players who end up being superstars. The first are the "Tiger Woods" category: famous from youth, destined for greatness, and having America watch them grow up, mature, and eventually dominate their sport. Think about a young Kevin Garnett, fresh out of high school, or Shaun White winning X-games medals in his early teens. However, there are also the type of superstar that you never really see coming--at least, not for greatness at that level. This is the "Tom Brady" category, named after the 6th-round draft pick who will retire as one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time. Keep reading for who the Rockies' newest Tom Brady is...

Spring Training Spotlight: New York Yankees

There was a time, just after the 2010 World Series ended, that the New York Yankees believed they were going to be set up for a 2011 World Series run. Now, this happens every year--having the highest payroll in baseball, not to mention more championships than any other professional team in American history, tends to keep expectations high. Andy Pettitte (right), who had gone from one of the Yankee's best young pitchers to one of their most consistent veterans over the course of his 16-year career, was sure to be coming back for a final season in 2011. Add in the fact that Cliff Lee, 2009 American League Cy Young award winner, was about to become a free agent looking for a huge contract, and Yankees fans could nearly taste a (potentially final) title with the Jeter/Rodriguez/Posada combination. But, obviously, things didn't quite work out--Lee signed with the Phillies, and Pettitte decided to call it quits--leaving the Yanks with an obvious hole in their rotation.

Spring Training Spotlight: St. Louis

There are two words no baseball fan ever wants to hear, especially about a player on their own team. Worse than "draft bust," "huge slump," or even "Adam Eaton." No, these words mean surgery and 12-15 months of rehab, a lost season, a lost year, and a what-could-have-been attitude. Those words are "Tommy John," and St. Louis Cardinals fans had to hear them in context with All-Star pitcher, and 2010 Cy Young runner-up, Adam Wainwright. Wainwright (above), who will be nearly 31 by the time he returns at some point next season, has put up some impressive numbers over the last two years: a combined ERA of 2.53, a WHIP of 1.13, and a K/BB ratio of more than 3.4:1, all while winning 39 games and a Gold Glove. Based on WAR (Wins Above Replacement), Wainwright was responsible for nearly 14 Cardinals wins over the past two seasons alone. It's fairly clear that the Cards have some huge shoes to fill behind Chris Carpenter (who's having some minor injury problems of his own), and they've only got a few weeks with which to do so.

Spring Training Spotlight: Tampa Bay

When they were last teammates, in 2005, Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez were talented outfielders with the Boston Red Sox. Damon, 31 at the time, hit .316 with 75 RBIs from the leadoff spot, a season that helped him get a nice deal with the Yankees that offseason. Manny was 33, with a few productive Boston years to go until his headline-making stints in both Los Angeles and Chicago. Now, Damon (37) and Ramirez (39 in May) are in a new phase of their careers, but back as teammates--with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Damon (left) and Ramirez both signed with the Rays 1/21/11

Ramirez now is being used solely for his bat as a DH in the American League. Early returns in Spring Training look good for the Rays after Pat Burrell (.202 average) and Willy Aybar (.230) failed to provide any pop from the offense-only position in 2010. Ramirez, through his first 12 at-bats, is batting a rather solid .500 with a double and a home run, a good sign after he hit only .261 in his 24-game stint with the White Sox last season. Ramirez is old for a ballplayer, but playing DH isn't nearly as strenuous in the field--and there is precedent. Jim Thome, just last season at 39 years of age, hit .283 with 25 home runs and 59 RBI in just 108 games--numbers Tampa would have loved to have last year. Damon, meanwhile, is off to a 2-for-9 start, as the Rays are taking it easier on the outfielder. We'll check back in periodically with these two older Rays to see how they're doing both in spring training and when the games really matter.

Spring Training Spotlight: Philadelphia

As the Philadelphia Phillies watched star right fielder Jayson Werth sign an immensely ridiculous 7-year, $126-million contract with the Nationals, a large hole opened up in the middle of the Fightin's lineup. Werth served not only as an athletic power-hitter with base-stealing potential, he also served as a righty to break up the Utley-Howard-Ibanez block in the middle of the lineup. As Spring Training neared, it became clear the Phillies were going to resolve the issue from within, using some combination of rookie Domonic Brown  (left) and vets Ben Francisco and Ross Gload. Looking at the early returns from Bright House Networks Field (the Phillies spring home in Clearwater, FL), however, it's clear that one candidate has already started to separate himself from the field.

Find out who after the break...