1.  Rays – The Rays appear to have another run in them after making it to the World Series two seasons ago.  This team is made for a deep playoff run with great pitching 1-4 and a decent #5 in Wade Davis.  They have a solid closer in Rafael Soriano who is 15 for 15 in saves and their offense is led by the best third basemen in baseball, Evan Longoria.

2.  Yankees – As much as I hate the Yankees it almost felt unatural when they missed the playoffs a couple seasons ago.  With AJ Burnett pitching at the top of his game to go along with CC Sabathia, they have depth in their SP.  Their offense is one of the best for obvious reasons and it will take a miracle for them NOT to make the playoffs in some form.

3.  Rangers – This division is so poor and their hitting is too good.  Vlad Guerrero has revamped his career in Texas and Nelson Cruz (when healthy) is hitting like an MVP candidate.  Their closing situation seems to be right on track and, other than starting pitching, this team is poised to win the division.

4. Braves – I think the Braves will win the NL Wild Card, but I put them as the 4th likliest team to make the playoffs because I feel with their pitching and the combination of veteran hitters, they can win this divison but won’t because the Phillies will snap out of this funk.  So, to clarify I think the Braves are above and beyond (by the time the season is over) teams like the Reds, Giants, Rockies and Mets, and they will win the Wild Card by a larger margin than the Phillies will win the divison.

5.  Twins – Right now the Twins are in good shape to make the playoffs after last year’s exciting one game playoff to get into the playoffs.  The AL Central isn’t very good and the Tigers should compete for this spot; but the Twins honestly have the best overall pitching, defense and hitters in this league.

6. Padres – The NL West is so bad that the Padres seem like a lock at this point, but I have them at 6 because the NL West has 2 of arguably the best pitchers in baseball.

7. Phillies – The Phillies are struggling really bad right now, and with their struggles, combined with how strong the NL East is, I think the Phillies may have the toughest time winning this division.

8. Cardinals – The Cards and the Reds have been dukin’ it out game after game, series after series, and the best part is they play 18 times against each other.  The Cardinals have two of the best pitchers in the NL, the best player in baseball and one of the best offensive OF in the league, but it’s those position role players and the rest of their starters that put this team in jeporady of making it to the postseason.

9.  Reds – The Reds are like this year’s Cardinals and I firmly believe both of these teams will battle it out until the end.  The Reds have 2-3 really good hitters and 2 pretty good pitchers at any given time.  The Reds have always been strong but it was the 3-5 starters on the Cards that would help propel them. However, since that isn’t there this year the Reds definitely have the pieces to succeed and possibly make the postseason.  If they don’t I think they are the first one out.

-Jason

1. Nelson Cruz (Rangers) – .306-.397-.837 – Despite there being no order on the list I’d probably list Cruz first anyway.  The guy has major pop and was minor league player of the year multiple times until finally breaking out last year for the Rangers with 33 HRs.  He is off to a hot start already leading the Majors with 7 HRs and has 16 RBI to go with it.  He will definitely hit that 35+ HR plateau this year as long as guy like Hamilton start hitting to provide Cruz with protection.  Cruz also has 10 runs scored this year in 14 games and his 3-3 in stolen base attempts.  30-30 guy?  It’ll be close.

2. Ricky Romero (Blue Jays) - 1-1, 1.57 ERA, 0.74 WHIP – Romero already took a no-hit bid into the 8th inning of his second start this year and he also leads the league in WHIP, surrendering just 11 hits all season in 23 innings of work.  Romero is a former 1st round pick who was injured and was questioned about his ability to pitch in the Majors.  Since then Romero has emerged as the Jays ace despite not starting on opening day.  I definitely see 14-15 wins out of Romero this year with an ERA in the 3.00-3.50 range.

3. Casey McGehee (Brewers) – .377-.435-.717 -  Who?  That’s right, Casey McGehee, the Brewers starting 3B who entered the league last year and hit 16 homers in just 116 games while batting over .300 as a rookie.  McGehee is off to a much better starter than his teammate Prince Fielder.  McGehee already has accumilated 20 hits including 4 home runs and 13 RBI.  He is a power hitter who should be pitched around carefully in the NL Central because he proved last year to the Cardinals he can cause some damage.

4. Matt Garza (Rays) – 3-0, 0.75 ERA, 0.88 WHIP – Matt Garza has started off the season more dominant than Greinke did last year it seems.  He’s off to a great start giving up only 2 earned runs all season and doesn’t have a blemish on his record.  Granted 2 of his starts were against the 2-12 Orioles but still he dominated and he is a front of the rotation type of guy.  In all 3 starts this year Garza has pitched 8 innings which helps preserves his teams bullpen as well.  Here is another guy I expect to land in that 14-16 win range; he’s that good.

5. Matt Kemp (Dodgers) – .333-.400-.750 – Kemp may be a stretch to some people but I don’t consider him a superstar on Pujols’ level quite yet because this is only his 3rd year in the Majors as a full time player.  Do I think he will get to a super star level?  Absolutely since he is a five-tool player.  This year he is tied for 1st in the Bigs in HRs with 7, leads the league in RBI (20) and leads the league in runs too (19).  His only problem thus far is he is 2-6 in stolen base attempts after swiping at least 34 in each of the past 2 seasons.

6. Adam Wainwright (Cardinals) – 3-0, 1.50 ERA, 0.75 WHIP – Wainwright put up big time number last year and was top 3 in the Cy Young voting but not many people realize how dominant he actually is and how good his stuff is.  Maybe he is overshadowed by Carpenter or maybe because Halladay is now in the NL.  Regardless, Wainwright has one of the best curveballs in baseball and was a 19 game winner last season and is already off the a fast start this year.  If you don’t know who Wainwright is or haven’t seen him pitch maybe you will after this season.  With the Cardinals lineup, Wainwright will definitely be in the mix for 17-20 wins yet again.

7. Chase Headley (Padres) – .368-.429-.509 – Headley is the reason the Paders got rid of Kouz and shipped him to the A’s.  Last year he started 156 games in his rookie season and so far has looked pretty good offensively.  Already Headley has 5 stolen bases and has scored 11 runs.  Even more importantly the Padres are off to a 9-6 start and in first place out West.  Then again, they did virutally the same thing last season and finished up as one of the worst teams in baseball.  Headley’s downside: defense.  He’s committed 5 errors already this season.

8. Jon Rauch (Twins) – 6 saves, 1.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP – You know I had to put a Twin on this list!  Not really, but in all seriousness Rauch has been impressive to say the least.  Sure a few other guys have more saves and better ERA’s but they were the closer going into the season.  With the Nathan injury the Twins were clueless as to what they were going to do and Rauch is a perfect 6-6 in saves this year in the teams 11-4 start.  He doesn’t blow guys away but he will get the job done, for this season at least.

9. Jason Heyward (Braves) – .286-.407-.592 – With all the hype surrounding Heyward in the preseason every baseball fan already knows who this kid is but the fact that he is actually performing is the best part.  The “Jay Hey” kid already has 4 HRs and is 3rd in the NL with 16 RBI.  He has 14 hits on the season and half of them have gone for extra bases.  Plate discipline and contact are some things that Heyward needs to improve on but at the same he is a very powerful kid at just 20 years old and it seems as if he is going to hit 22-25 HRs in his rookie season which is quite impressive.

-Jason

1.  Will the Yankees and Phillies meet in the WS again in 2010?  On paper they seem to be the top 2 teams in baseball yet again with the Yankees losing no one (other than Damon) yet gaining Granderson, and the Phillies getting Roy Halladay.  It will be interesting to see and if you look at our season previews you will know what the staff thinks.

2.  What impact will free agents have on their teams this year?  Will Jason Bay lead the Mets to a division title?  Will John Lackey prove to be the Red Sox 3rd ace of the staff and lead them to another World Series?  Can Orlando Hudson be the missing piece for the Twins to make a playoff run (ok, so this was a stretch of me being biased).  Matt Holliday is a Cardinal for an entire year, will that help the Cardinals run away with the division?

3.  Can the Cubs FINALLY overcome the curse of the billy goat and win the WS?  It’s highly unlikely, the Cubs seemed to be cursed forever.  I don’t care if they had A-Rod, Pujols, Lincecum and Roy Halladay; they have no shot.

4.  What impact will rookies make this year?  It’s a huge year for rookies and Jason Heyward of the Braves appears that he will make the club and start the season in RF for the Braves.  The Nationals have already sent Strausburg to Double-A where he was striking guys out on command basically.  Chapman is impressing the Reds and opposing hitters and is making it hard for the Reds NOT to make him the 5th starter.  Will guys like Pedro Alvarez (Pirates) and/or Drew Storen (Nationals) make it to their respective clubs by May or June?  It’s going to be fun to watch because I feel at least two of these rookies will have a direct impact.

5.  Is “Dome Field Advantage” gone for the Twinkies?  The Twins are opening up the 2010 season with a new ballpark that is an open field with real grass and did I mention open field with real grass?  The Metrodome was a HUGE homefield advantage and although the Twins got better this off season they definitely lost an edge opening up this ballpark.

6.  Can the Mariners take over the AL West again?  John Lackey and Vlad Guerrero are out of LA, but is that enough for the Mariners to overtake the division with the additon of Cliff Lee, Chone Figgins, Casey Kotchman and Milton Bradley?  I say yes, but it’s going to be tough with the Angels adding Rodney to sure up the bullpen and Joel Pineiro in the rotation.

7.  How much more will realignment (of the divisions) be discussed before Selig retires in 2012?  Will Selig actually write out his plan for realignment and present it to the Players Association?

8.  How much will offseason trades have an impact on this year?  Halladay is now a member of the Phillies, Cliff Lee now a Mariner, Curtis Granderson now a Yankee.  Cliff Lee was dominant for the Phillies and they gave up a lot to get Halladay.  This trade may prove to be valuable this year but may hurt the Phillies down the road.  The Mariners may have a shot to win the West with Lee.  The Yankees lose Damon and actually IMPROVE their team.

9.  Will any mediocre teams be a surpise this season like the Rays of 2008?  IE – Marlins, Orioles, Royals, Pirates, Reds?

Bonus:  Will my fantasy franchise be over .500 in it’s second year of existance?  Building around Albert Pujols after a deadline deal last year my team is on it’s way to becoming a dynasty… I hope.

-Jason

9.  Referring to a team as ‘we’ – If you refer to your favorite team as ‘we’ you are a front-runner.  I’m sorry but I didn’t realize you had ownership in your team’s franchise.  Oh wait, you don’t.  That’s right; you are just a front-runner.  I can’t stand when people say ‘we’; you aren’t on the damn team, get over it!

8.  Just plain being a Yankees fan – If you are a Yankees fan, then you are a front-runner.  If you can’t name at least 10 of the 26 years they won a World Series, then you are a front-runner.  And from 1996-present doesn’t count, anyone can name them.  If you can’t identify them, you’re a front-runner.

Big time front runner. He grew up in Ohio!

7.  Matching your hat to a t-shirt – If you match your clothes with a New ERA fitted hat, then you are a front-runner.  Let’s face it, your black shirt goes great with the Rockies black cap/purple brim fitted but you are NOT a Rockies fan so take that damn hat off! Oh yeah, and if you leave the stickers on your teams fitted, you are a front-runner.  No one needs to know what size hat you are wearing or how much you paid for it so just take the damn stickers off.

6.  Not knowing the team’s past – It’s one thing to be caught up on a team’s present and another when you know NOTHING about your team’s past!  At least know something about the team’s past i.e., the last World Championship or playoff appearance. By not knowing something about the past, it’s hard to say you really follow them.

5.  Overstating players on your team – If you think every position player on your favorite team is better than everyone else in the majors, then you are a front-runner.  Clearly you know nothing about stats and you just obnoxiously root for names and faces, not the numbers that go along with it.  This may not make perfect sense, but I know people that this statement is fully accurate of them.

4.  Not knowing the players – Even though there is a lot of turnaround on rosters, you have to at least know the core of your favorite team. This includes knowing more than just a couple of players on the roster. If you only know 2-3 players on the team, then rooting for them makes you a front-runner.

3.  Changing your team often – If you change your favorite team every few seasons, then you are a front-runner.  Odds are if you’re changing your team over and over, it’s not to start rooting for a worse team. Just pick a team and root for them.

2.  Ignoring the regular season – If you don’t watch your ‘favorite team’ play a regular season game and you just watch the playoffs, then you are a front-runner.  Baseball is a 162 game season.  You have to stick with it from day 1 until 162.  Unless of course you are an Orioles fan, then it doesn’t really matter when you stop watching.

1. Coming out of the woodwork – If you don’t follow a team when times are rough, then you are a front-runner.  Being a true fan is a tough job, that’s why you must earn it by continuing to support your team when times are rough.  Coming out of nowhere to root for a team is the definition of being a front-runner.

1. Bernie the Brewer  (Brewers) – Bernie the Brewer is the best mascot in sports, period.  He sports a sick ‘stache and has a kingdom in center field of Miller Park.  Whenever the Brewers hit a homerun Bernie slides down is awesome yellow slide (into what I believe is beer, but in reality is just nothing).  How cool is that?  The Brewers invested so much money for this guy to have the coolest props in the Majors and it has totally paid off.  He is the man.

2. Philly Phanatic (Phillies) – He is regarded by many as the best mascot in all of sports, so I had to put him at #2.  He is BY FAR my least favorite mascot…EVER!  I think he is so obnoxious when he pushes his chest out every 5 seconds.  That just irritates me to no end.  He is a top mascot though, so I don’t want to be too negative.  It’s pretty funny when he messed with the other teams while they are stretching but it’s even funnier when the other teams mess with him and then the Phanatic proceeds to get the other players arressted (to no avail).  i.e. – Mets 3B David Wright.

3 (tie). Mariner Moose (Mariners) – What’s cooler than a moose on inline skates, being dragged by an ATV?  Answer: Nothing.  This was what Mariner Moose was known for until the Mariners moved to an all-natural grass surface but I insist they bring back the skates!

3 (tie). Billy the Marlin (Marlins) – Billy the Marlin is always smiling no matter how many losing seasons the Marlins have had.  He is a  great supporter of the team and just looks cool rockin’ his Marlins jersey and hat.  Also if people get out of hand he can stab them with his long pointy nose.  Not really, but how cool would that be?

See what I mean!?

4. Dinger (Rockies) – Dinger is a purple triceratops who looks awesome!  Really a dinosaur has nothing to do with the Rockies franchise in any way, not even remotely close, but it just works.  Having a dinosaur as your mascot is bad ass and will definitely get you atop of a mascot list anyday.

So jacked

5. Sluggerrr (Royals) – Lions are the king of the jungle, unfortunately the Royals haven’t been on top of any division in years, but once they have that one year when they put it all together they will have an awesome mascot who can just taunt people, because honestly, what would you do if a lion messed with you?  I know my answer.

6. South Paw (White Sox) – No one is really sure WHAT South Paw is but according to this photo he looks like a pile of garbage to me; which is a direct representation of the White Sox organization.  Seriously, there is no way he does anything cool.  I’ve been to Chicago and I didn’t even see him show his face!

7. Screech (Nationals) – The Nationals mascot has to be worn by a midget.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, but Screech’s size is just too small and any mascot would crush Screech just as any team will crush the Nationals at any given time.  Also, Screech has no wings!  He is a friggin eagle!

His neck is exposed!

8. TC Bear (Twins) – TC Bear rides on an ATV.  What mascot playing on turf DOESN’T ride an ATV?  That is all he does, just rides the damn thing around.  What will be his claim to fame be next year at the new grass stadium, Target Field?  TBD.

Mr. Lame

9. Fredbird (Cardinals) – Just about the lamest mascot in baseball.  I can’t even tell the difference between his mouth and face.  He basically brings nothing to the table and is just flat out boring.  At least The Bird (Orioles) looks cool!  Fredbird is just flat out lame.

*All photos from wikipedia.org.

9) Philadelphia – It’s almost as if they just want something to boo. I was at a game there in 2006, and they mercifully booed 3B David Bell – in the THIRD game of the season!

8 ) New York (Mets and Yankees) – The two New York teams are combined due to my anti-NY bias. Yes, they are the most knowledgeable fans of every sport, BUT that is completely different from being the BEST. You can know everything about every player on the team, but if you choose to boo him after one bad at bat, then you are a terrible fan. NY fans are overrated.

7) Florida – Two WS championships in only 17 years in existence, and yet only 10,000 people go to the games, spoiled much?

6) Los Angeles (Dodgers) – Front runners, at least in the last 20 years. They show up to the games late, and they leave games early. If it wasn’t for Manny Ramirez, they’d still be praying that the Lakers were around 12 months a year. They truly are Hollywood’s team.

5) San Francisco – Anyone who would support Barry Bonds is stupid, but has to be a dedicated baseball fan.

4) Atlanta – The current generation of Braves fans may have come from the days of TBS coverage, but their loyalty paid off in many good seasons. Despite only one championship in the last 20 years, they made the playoffs every year since 1992 up until 2006.

3) Chicago (Cubs) – Every game is an event in Chicago, as you can see by the fans showing up early and staying the whole game. Even the roof tops on Waveland Avenue always sell out, despite so many day games. Most of all, they have been able to put up without winning for over 100 years. That’s dedication.

2) Seattle – Ever since the days of Griffey, Edgar, Buhner, and Johnson brought upon a genuine love for the sport, despite the record of the team. They never give up on the team and they appreciate good players and teams when they have the opportunity. Doesn’t hurt to have a homecoming either.

1) St. Louis – I’ve never been to St. Louis for a baseball game, but I’ve seen enough to know that they are the best there is. They will give a standing ovation for a great play, regardless of the team. Almost any baseball player would say that their favorite place to play is/was St. Louis because of the passion the fans show for the game.

9) Luis Castillo Drops Game Ending Popup (6/12 vs. NYY) – I can’t get enough of this play. I could watch Castillo watch this ball over and over without ever getting sick of it. Just another part of the Mets woes this year.

8 ) Gary Sheffield HR #500 (4/17 vs. MIL) – Normally, a 500th homer brings a lot of fanfare and anticipation, but Sheffield’s attitude, steroid linkage, and the fact that he had 499 HRs going into the season really diminished the accomplishment. Although, don’t tell Mets announcer Gary Cohen that, after he made everyone think he’s loved by all.

7) Bees Swarm in San Diego (7/2 vs. HOU) – There aren’t many rain delays in San Diego, but there was a bee delay on the field. Now we all know that the Padres have an official beekeeper on their payroll.

6) Ryan Zimmerman 30-Game Hit Streak – One of the best storylines of the 2009 season was following Ryan Zimmerman continue his franchise record hit streak. Unfortunately for Zim, it has been the only storyline for the Nationals all year.

5) Indians Score 14 Runs in One Inning (4/18 vs. NYY) – It was only the third game in the history of the new Yankee Stadium, and it instantly became a mockery of a stadium. The Indians scored 22 runs in the game for a pow-wow of a victory.

4) Seagulls interfere in Cleveland (6/11 vs. KC) – Royals OF Coco Crisp is not amused by this interference. He had a chance to save the game with an out at the plate, but instead it turned into a walkoff win for the Indians. Result: fireworks go off every half inning at the Jake.

3) Mariano Rivera RBI, 500th Save (6/28 vs. NYM) – The Mets continue to make this list, but only one was good. Not only did Rivera pick up his 500th career save (2nd all-time), but he also picked up his first career RBI, on a walk versus K-Rod.

2) Randy Johnson 300th Win (6/4 vs. WAS) – This may be the last time in history a pitcher reaches 300 wins. Good for the Big Unit, but he had to sweat it out in the dugout on a controversial third strike against Adam Dunn in the eighth inning.

1) Jonathan Sanchez No-Hitter (7/10 vs. SD) – Big time game from a pitcher trying to save his job. So many close no-hitters this in 2009, but only one actually made it all the way. Too bad Juan Uribe made that error or else it could’ve been a perfect game. Now he might actually provide some trade bait.

Did we miss any? (I’m sure we did.) Leave a comment on your favorites!

9) Super Baseball 2020 (SNES) – While not an “Official MLB” game, it was a blast to play. First off, almost everything was in fair territory allowing for a lot of high scoring games. There were sticky traps on the fields along with trampolines to add instant action into games. You could play as dudes, chicks busting out of their uniforms, or a distant cousin of R2D2. You also racked up money throughout the game, so you if needed a big hit or for your bullpen to be better than the 2009 Cleveland Indians, and not blow 5+ run leads, you could power up any player you wanted. When you hit those 900 feet home runs you always felt pumped up! – JON BUGGEY

8 ) MLB (NES) – I like to think of this game as the first baseball game ever on Nintendo, because I’m not sure if it really was. This game was a lot of fun to play because it featured great pitching duels and monster homeruns combined. The fielding was fun and challenging at the same time. The coolest part of the game is that it featured official MLB rosters and stats from 1988, but it only labeled players from their numbers. Therefore, you had to figure out who the players were from either the player’s number and/or stats. – CHRIS HORN

7) Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball (SNES) – This is absolutely the best baseball game ever created, quote it, site it, I don’t care… The game is that amazing. It’s an easy game to get good at, but a hard one to master. You have to legit practice or play as much as possible to acquire the necessary skills to beat the AL, which is a lost art in today’s video games. Two years ago, I actually played a full 162 game season with the Yankees, most fun while being a dork. It was superb, always a challenge, never boring, and I constantly found room for improvement. If I had time, I would do it again. I have that much fun playing the game. I could go on further, but I am tired and its past my bedtime. – DEREK SMITH.  This may be the last baseball game I’ve played. I’m not a video game player, but boy was this game AMAZING! – JASON COSMA

6) Baseball! (Odyssey) – Most of you are probably asking what Odyssey is and not focusing on the choice of game. Well, Odyssey is just a really old cartridge system that used about 2-bit graphics. Back to the game, this baseball game had to have been the first ever made. The field is literally the same shape as the screen, so yes, the outfield wall is completely straight across the top of the screen unlike any existing baseball field ever. Oh yeah, and every player in the field moves in the direction you move the joy-stick in unison. Hilarious. – CHRIS HORN

5) World Series Baseball 1995 (Game Gear) – World Series Baseball for Game Gear was terrific. Yeah, that’s not a typo, Game Gear ladies and gentleman, game gear. – DEREK SMITH.  I used to kill with Mickey Tettelton in that game. – JON BUGGEY.  I concur on World Series baseball for game gear. I played that game way too much, and it was awesome. – KYLE KAZIMER

4) Griffey’s Winning Run (SNES) – This was the very first video game that I ever owned, and it was one of the best purchases I have ever made. The game featured fake names for players, but they were so great and were like puns. There were guys like Bolt Lightning (Randy Johnson), Frank Liberty (Albert Belle), and Lou Junior (Cal Ripken Jr.). Oh yeah, and I remember being about 140 games into a full season when my bonehead neighbor came into my house, turned on the game, started a season with the Yankees (erasing mine), and then didn’t even finish one game. Was I annoyed? Umm, yes. – CHRIS HORN

3) MLB The Show (PS3) – Right now I own MLB The Show 09. It’s almost too realistic. – GALEN JOHNSON.  I haven’t tried this game because I do not have a system to support the game. Although, I’ve heard great things about it. – CHRIS HORN

2) MVP Baseball 2005 (PS2) – I still think this is better than any new baseball game out there and I still play it today. This game is just awesome. I love the franchise mode, the minor league players (though most of them aren’t real names, you can find a website that has all the names of the top 100 prospects which include Cole Hamels, Francisco Liriano, and Fausto Carmona to name a few off the top of my head). The game can be very challenging as well. You could win one game 10-1 but then lose the next three with scores of 3-2, 5-1, or even get shutout. – JON BUGGEY

1) Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest (N64) – Ken Griffey’s Slugfest is the baseball game that I played the absolute most. I must have played through at least 2 or 3 full seasons. It was the first Griffey game with real player’s names which was awesome. It also allowed you to use a hitting circle which provided more of challenge to hit the pitch. I was pumped that I could play with David Justice and no matter what team I played with I traded for him. I also liked that pitchers had different pitches you could use instead of controlling your fastball by how hard you press down on the D-pad – JON BUGGEY.  Slugfest is truly incredible. If I still had my N64, I’m pretty sure I would play this game throughout the baseball season. Depending on how good you were, you could change the difficulty to match your level of play. There were real stadiums and real players which brought a realistic part to the game. There was even a code you could punch in that would allow your outfielder to fly. That was pretty funny. – CHRIS HORN

1. Ichiro – Since coming into the Majors in 2001 at age 27 Ichiro has been one of the most consistant players of all time.  In 8 seasons, Ichiro has had at LEAST 206 hits and 103 runs.  Ichiro is just 118 hits shy of 2,000 just in America alone.  He holds a career batting average of .332 and an OBP of .377.  In his first season Ichiro won ROY and MVP and has been an all-star each year since entering the league.  Ichiro is a 1st ballot Hall of Famer in America and Japan in my opinion.

2. Grady Sizemore- Sizemore may have only hit .277 and .268 in each of the last two seasons, but I still believe he is the best leadoff hitter in the game.  He gets on base .366% of the time which is what you want from a leadoff hitter.  He also possesses a unique amount of power and speed which has lead him to score at least 101 runs the past four seasons including a Major League high 134 in 2006.  Over the last 4 seasons, Sizemore has 22, 28, 24 and 33 homeruns to go along with 22, 22, 33 and 38 steals.  If he could just bring his career average of .275 up to around .285 he could be one of the best ever.

3. Alfonso Soriano- Soriano is second all-time in leadoff homeruns behind Ricky Henderson.  He has 54 leadoff homeruns and he just surpassed Craig Biggio for that honor.  Soriano’s OBP is the lowest of leadoff hitters I will be talking about and his is a whopping .327 but carries a career .280 batting average to go along with a .517 slugging percentage which is tops on this list.  Soriano has seven consecutive years of at least 25 homeruns, all this from a leadoff guy.  He also has five seasons of at least 90+ RBI in his 8 year career.  In 2006 with the Washington Nationals, Soriano went 40-40 hitting 46 homeruns and stealing 41 bases.  In 2002, he was one homerun shy of performing the fate in what would have been his first time.  Soriano’s only gripe with me is he strikes out WAY too much and he chases pitches way out of the zone way too often.  Soriano is a 7-time all-star and right now is on pace for his 8th AS appearence in a row!  He is a wannabe Vlad but also my favorite player!

2nd All-time in leadoff HRs.

4. Jose Reyes- Reyes’ career OBP of .337 may not be protypical for a leadoff hitter but he led the Majors in steals three years in a row (his 1st three full seasons in the Majors) with 60, 64 and 78 respectively.  He has also led the league in triples three times in his four years including 19 in ’08.  Reyes four-year averages for runs – 113, hits – 195, triples – 16 and stolen bases – 64.  Reyes leadership role is the only thing holding him back from being the best leadoff hitter in the game.

5. Johnny Damon – 100+ runs 9 consecutive seasons is quite the accomplishment.  In Damon’s career, he has score 1,421 runs and almost 500 doubles (429).  He is also an average hitting with a career average of .289 and a .355 OBP.  Damon has walked 50+ times in 11 consecutive seasons and has driven in 70+ runs 6 times.  Damon’s stolen base percentage is just under 80% and has swiped 367 bags for his career.

6. Brian Roberts- To me Brian Roberts is always flying under the radar because he plays in Baltimore and they are never in contention to compete.  In six full seasons in the Bigs, Roberts has scored over 100 runs three times.  In that span, Roberts has four seasons of 40+ doubles.  He one-ups Sizemore in the stolen base department after stealing 50 bags in ’07 and 40 last year.  Roberts career high in RBI is 73 vs. 90 for Sizemore last year.

7. Carl Crawford- Crawford is a high average type player.  His career average is .295 and when he gets on base he creates runs.  This will be Crawfords 7th full season in the Big Leagues and has already led the league in steals 4 times, each of those times with 50+ steals.  In 2005-2007 Crawford drove in 81, 77 and 80 runs respectively.  He, like Reyes, has led the league in triples 3 times as well including 19 in 2004!  Crawford only scored 100+ runs twice in his career, both early on in 2004 (104) and 2005 (101).  The reason being is Crawford doesn’t walk much at all, he holds a career .333 OBP and his career high in walks is just 37 in 2006.  For the most part Crawford is a contact hitter and struck out over 100 times just twice but for the most part hasn’t exceeded 85 Ks in any other season.

8. Jimmy Rollins- Jimmy Rollins bats .270 one year and .290 the next.  Rollins is an 8 year veteran and has stole 30+ bases in 7 of those seasons.  He has a career OBP of just .330 though which is a lot like most of the guys on this list.  Over the last two years, Rollins has been hitting for power and in 2007 jacked 30 HRs and drove in 94 runs on his way to his 1st MVP but again, the follow year he hit just 11 HRs and had just 59 RBI and his almost 20 points lower.  Rollins has collected at least 190 hits in each of the last 4 years which shows you that he gets on base a lot and during the span has scored at least 115 runs.

9. Curtis Granderson- The only player to ever go 20-20-20-20 (2B-3B-HR-SB) and he did it in 2007.  That is such an unreal stat if you ask me.  Granderson slugged .552 that year and I consider him a top leadoff man because he is always a threat to leg out a triple and has a .349 OBP.  Granderson averages 108 runs per year as well as 21 HRs a year and already has 13 this year.  For as speedy as Granderson is, he isn’t the best of baserunners and his career high in that category is just 26.

The 20-20-20-20 man.

Honorable Mention: Ian Kinsler – The only reason Kinsler isn’t in the top 10 is because in his 3 full years as a big leaguer he hasn’t played more than 130 games.  Although, in that span he has hit 14, 20 and 18 homeruns respectively and he already has 15 this year.  Kinsler hits for average as well and carries a .288 BA with a .359 OBP and a .483 SLG.  Kinsler would have won MVP last year if he didn’t miss the last 41 games of the season.  In 121 games he still scored 102 runs, stole 26 bases, hit 18 HR and drove in 71 runs.  Kinsler’s career high in strikeouts is just 83 which is good for a leadoff hitter, he puts the ball in play and uses his speed and smarts to generate runs.

Obviously there was others whose feelings may have gotten hurt during the making of this list like Rafael Furcal, Jacoby Ellsbury, Chonse Figgins etc. but remember this is my list my opinion.  Leave a comment on who you think should have made the list!

(9) April 18, 2009: 14-run inning for Indians – In the third ever game at the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees got straight-out EMBARASSED. Cleveland scored 14 runs in the second inning and almost hit around the lineup TWICE! SP Chien Ming Wang obviously didn’t make it out of that inning and was charged with 8 runs. I literally laughed after about the 10th run in the inning, and I know better than to laugh at sports, but I couldn’t help it! No one who follows baseball will forget this moment. And for anyone who was wondering if the fans booed in New York, well duh, of course they did; they booed more than they boo A-Rod in the playoffs, and that’s a lot of booing.

(8 ) June 11, 2003: Astros no-hit Yankees – An interleague matchup in New York resulted in history on this random June night. Astros SP Roy Oswalt left the game in the second inning, but that did not diminish the morale of the Houston bullpen. Six pitchers combined to pitch a no-hitter against the Yankees in their own ballpark. Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, and Billy Wagner combined to pitch nine innings of no-hit baseball. This showed the vulnerability of the Yankees and even Manager Joe Torre called it a low point for the Yankees since joining the team in 1996.

(7) 2001 offseason: Retirements aplenty – When you think of Yankees legends you think of names like Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, and Costanza (Seinfeld fans? haha). But when you think of recent Yankees teams you think of different names, less legendary. After losing the 2001 World Series, the Yankees image started to change from a bunch of role players to a bunch of megastars, who were more or less washed up, ending up in more losing. Number 7 on this list is the retirement of RF Paul O’Neill and 3B Scott Brosius, and the parting of 1B Tino Martinez to free agency. Each of them played significant roles for the Yankees for many years and if you ask any Yankees fan who they missed most on the roster, I bet they name one of those guys. Too bad Bernie Williams didn’t retire then as well, I really wanted to add him to this list also.

(6) 2007 offseason:  Joe Torre leaves team – When Joe Torre turned down a one-year offer and left the Yankees, all of the charm and luck that they’ve had since 1996 had left, just like that. George Steinbrenner seemed to always do his best to keep Torre happy, by keeping him on a constant hot seat. And you could see the relief on Torre’s face when this day had come.

(5) 2008 Season: Failed to make playoffs – Immediately following the absence of Joe Torre, the Yankees got their man, Joe Girardi; however, they did not have the transition they expected. This managerial change did not push the Yankees to another championship; in fact, it didn’t even get them to the playoffs. For the first time since 1993, the New York Yankees were not in the AL playoffs. A lot more relaxing coincided with this ordeal for Yankees haters everywhere.

(4) 2004 ALCS Game 6: Bottom 8, A-Rod smacks ball away – The playoff frustrations of Alex Rodriguez summed up the following play and may have summed up the 2004 ALCS. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Rodriguez hit a slow-roller to P Bronson Arroyo. In an attempt to dupe the umpires and prevent the obvious out, A-Rod purposefully and obviously smacked the ball away from Arroyo’s glove which led to runners on second and third. However, the umpires huddled and declared A-Rod cheated (sign of things to come?) and he was called out, forcing Derek Jeter to return to first base. I was in the upper deck on the first baseline for this game and knew he smacked it away. I loved the reaction of Yankees fans when they changed the call, even though they all knew he did it on purpose.

(3) 2003 World Series Game 6: Final out – Marlins SP Josh Beckett pitched one of the best games in the 100-year history of the World Series, on three days rest. He pitched a 5-hit complete game shutout, the first CG SH in a WS clinching game since 1991 (Jack Morris), against one of the most potent offenses of all-time, and as a result he was carried off mound in Yankee Stadium. The Marlins won their second World Series title in their short history, and Beckett was deservingly the WS MVP. I remember this moment as something surreal, something that could not have possibly happened, but it did happen and it was truly amazing.

(2) 2001 World Series Game 7: Bottom 9 – This was the inning where everything changed for the Yankees. This was the end of a dynasty, barely. After a homerun by 2B Alfonso Soriano in the top of the ninth to go up 2-1, the Yankees brought in the greatest postseason pitcher of all-time, Mariano Rivera. After a throwing error of all things from Rivera, it seemed inevitable, and it was. Luis Gonzalez hit a bloop single over the head of SS Derek Jeter to score the winning run and win the World Series. The Yankees have made the World Series since then, but have not won a World Series since the year before this, 2000; this was what brought them down a peg in the next years to come.

(1) 2004 ALCS Game 7: Final out – This moment stands above all the rest, simply because of the history and humiliation it created. Not only did the Yankees blow a 3-0 series lead, but they did it against their hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox. There is nothing worse for Yankees fans than losing to the Red Sox; I can only imagine what went through their heads. I was sitting in the right-field bleachers for this game and literally danced around the empty section after the game. It was amazing.

Red Sox celebrate historic comeback