Gigantic Sox and Dawgs 2015 MLB Preview – Day 3 – NL Central

Welcome to the Gigantic Sox and Dawgs 2015 MLB preview. Over the next few days you will get a team by team look at its key players, new faces, their potential MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year candidates, their possible starting lineup and rotation as well as a quick summary.

SOX & Dawgs 2015 MLB Preview - NL CentralWe will also select a MVP candidate and Cy Young candidate for each team no matter what their predicted team outcome is.

And once again this year is some home stadium information along with dates the teams will play against the Boston Red Sox. The red shaded games are at Fenway; the blue shaded games are road games.

I hope you enjoy this look at the upcoming season.

Yesterday we looked at the AL West and we started on Sunday with the NL West, today it’s the NL Central.

National League Central

This is one of the divisions where there will be a pretty good battle for the top spot. The division is so up for grabs that I have Pittsburgh Pirates not only as a playoff team for the third year in a row but this time winning the division over St. Louis despite identical records. The top three teams will be very similar record wise to last season and you will see an up tick in Chicago and better record in Cincinnati.

  1. Pittsburgh – Manager: Clint Hurdle (5th year/13th overall)

Best ballpark, one of the best players in the game, a fundamentally sound team that plays hard for their manager and fans. This winter they went out and strengthened the bench with Corey Hart, Sean Rodriguez ad Pedro Florimon and bullpen with Antonio Bastardo and Radhames Liz and brought back A.J. Burnett so this year they don’t have worry about the wild card game.

SP Charlie Morton will miss a few months of the season and SP Jameson Taillon is expected to miss most of the year.

Projected Record: 88-74

Home Field: PNC Park; Playing Surface: natural grass Opened: 2001; Capacity: 38,362

2014 Attendance: 2,442,564 (9th in N.L.)

Key Players: CF Andrew McCutchen; 2B Neil Walker; RF Gregory Polanco; 3B Josh Harrison; SP Francisco Liriano

MVP Candidate: CF Andrew McCutchen

Cy Young Candidate: SP Francisco Liriano

ROY Candidate: P Nick Kingham

Key Additions: C Francisco Cervelli; 1B/OF Corey Hart; IF Pedro Florimon; 2B Sean Rodriguez; SP A.J. Burnett; RP Antonio Bastardo; RP Radhames Liz; IF Jung-Ho Kang; SP Stephen Tarpley

Possible lineup:

  1. Harrison 3B
  2. Polanco RF
  3. McCutchen CF
  4. Walker 2B
  5. Marte LF
  6. Alvarez 1B
  7. Mercer SS
  8. Cervelli C

Possible rotation:

  1. Liriano
  2. Burnett
  3. Cole
  4. Locke
  5. Morton

Adjusted rotation:

  1. Liriano
  2. Burnett
  3. Cole
  4. Locke
  5. Worley

Games against Red Sox in 2015: None

  1. St. Louis – Manager: Mike Matheny (4th year)

You can expect nearly and identical record to 2014 it’s only a two game drop but it’s enough for them to relinquish their two-year hold on the NL Central. Their big pickups this winter were trading for RF Jason Heyward and signing FA Mark Reynolds they also added two good arms in Jordan Walden and Matt Belisle to the bullpen.

SP Jamie Garcia is questionable for the start of the season.

Projected Record: 88-74

Home Field: Busch Stadium III; Playing Surface: natural grass; Opened: 2006; Capacity: 43,975

2014 Attendance: 3,540,649 (2nd in N.L.)

Key Players: C Yadier Molina; 3B Matt Carpenter; LF Matt Holliday; SP Adam Wainwright; SP Michael Wacha

MVP Candidate: C Yadier Molina

Cy Young Candidate: SP Adam Wainwright

ROY Candidate: RF Stephen Piscotty

Key Additions: RF Jason Heyward; 1B/3B Mark Reynolds; RP Jordan Walden; RP Matt Belisle; INF Dean Anna; IF/RF Ty Kelly

Possible lineup:

  1. Wong 2B
  2. Carpenter 3B
  3. Heyward RF
  4. Holliday LF
  5. Adams 1B
  6. Molina C
  7. Peralta SS
  8. Bourjos CF

Possible rotation:

  1. Wainwright
  2. Lynn
  3. Wacha
  4. Lackey
  5. Garcia

Adjusted rotation:

  1. Wainwright
  2. Lynn
  3. Wacha
  4. Lackey
  5. Martinez

Games against Red Sox in 2015: None

  1. Milwaukee – Manager: Ron Roenicke (5th year)

There will be a battle for third between Milwaukee and Chicago most of the season and Cincinnati may even sneak in there for a time. All three teams right now are pretty average as you can see from the record projections and I give a slight nod to the Brew Crew for third due to some deeper veteran presence.

Projected Record: 81-81

Home Field: Miller Park; Playing Surface: natural grass/retractable roof; Opened:2001; Capacity: 41,900

2014 Attendance: 2,797,384 (4th in N.L.)

Key Players: LF Ryan Braun; SP Matt Garza; SS Jean Segura; CF Carlos Gomez; C Jonathan Lucroy

MVP Candidate: LF Ryan Braun

Cy Young Candidate: SP Matt Garza

ROY Candidate: SP Jimmy Nelson

Key Additions: 1B Adam Lind; 1B/3B Luis Jimenez; IF/OF Matt Long; CF Kyle Wrenn; INF Luis Sardinas; RP Neal Cotts

Possible lineup:

  1. Gomez CF
  2. Gennett 2B
  3. Braun RF
  4. Ramirez 3B
  5. Lucroy C
  6. Lind 1B
  7. Davis LF
  8. Segura SS

Possible rotation:

  1. Garza
  2. Lohse
  3. Peralta
  4. Fiers
  5. Nelson

Games against Red Sox in 2015: None

  1. Chicago – Manager: Joe Maddon (1st year/12th overall)

While I have the Cubs behind the Brewers by one game I do like Chicago’s up side much better than that of Milwaukee or Cincinnati. Lots of good young players led by Anthony Rizzo and a pitching staff led by the FA starter Jon Lester. This is a team made for Joe Maddon. We saw what he did for years in Tampa Bay with young players with upside. Now the guy has the money of the Ricketts family behind him and two smart guys in the front office in President Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer to help fill in the gaps. I believe next season they could challenge for the top spot in the NL Central. Most underrated pickup of the offseason will be Dexter Fowler who will be a star in Chicago.

Projected Record: 80-82

Home Field: Wrigley Field; Playing Surface: natural grass; Opened: 1914; Capacity: 41,019

2014 Attendance: 2.652,113 (6th in N.L.)

Key Players: 1B Anthony Rizzo; SP Jon Lester, CF Dexter Fowler; SS Starlin Castro; RF Jorge Soler

MVP Candidate: 1B Anthony Rizzo

Cy Young Candidate: SP Jon Lester

ROY Candidate: 2B Javier Baez

Key Additions: Mgr. Joe Maddon; SP Jon Lester; CF Dexter Fowler; SP Jason Hammel; C Miguel Montero; C David Ross; 2B/3B Tommy LaStella; RP Jason Motte; OF Chris Denorfia

Possible lineup:

  1. Fowler CF
  2. Castro SS
  3. Rizzo 1B
  4. Soler RF
  5. Montero C
  6. Coghlan LF
  7. Baez 2B
  8. LaStella 3B

Possible rotation:

  1. Lester
  2. Arrieta
  3. Hammel
  4. Wood
  5. Hendricks

Games against Red Sox in 2015: None

  1. Cincinnati – Manager: Bryan Price (2nd Year)

The Reds were held back by the injury bug last season they lost Joey Votto for most of the year, Jay Bruce was never really right all season. They remade the starting rotation out are Alfredo Simon and Mat Latos while they brought in Anthony DeSclafani via trade and are using in house depth as well. They also added LF Marlon Byrd to give them the power they needed on the outfield corner and 4th spot in the lineup.

RP Sean Marshall may start season on the DL.

Projected Record: 78-84

Home Field: Great American Ball Park; Playing Surface: natural grass; Opened: 2003; Capacity: 42,319

2014 Attendance: 2,476,664 (8th in N.L.)

Key Players: 1B Joey Votto; 2B Brandon Phillips; RF Jay Bruce; P Johnny Cueto; LF Marlon Byrd

MVP Candidate: 1B Joey Votto

Cy Young Candidate: P Johnny Cueto

ROY Candidate: SP Anthony DeSclafani

Key Additions: SP Anthony DeSclafani; LF Brennan Boesch; IF Ivan DeJesus Jr.; RP Jose Mijares; 2B/SS Eugenio Saurez; LF Marlon Byrd; RP Burke Badenhop

Possible lineup:

  1. Hamilton CF
  2. Cozart SS
  3. Votto 1B
  4. Byrd LF
  5. Bruce RF
  6. Frazier 3B
  7. Phillips 2B
  8. Mesoraco C

Possible rotation:

  1. Cueto
  2. Bailey
  3. Leake
  4. Cingrani
  5. DeSclafani

Games against Red Sox in 2015: None

Tomorrow: the AL Central.

Six American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Teams Earn Bids to Postseason

From The American:

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Overall top-seed UConn, No. 6 seed USF and No. 12 seed Tulane were selected to the field of 64 teams that will compete for the 2015 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. Additionally, East Carolina, Temple and Tulsa were all chosen for the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), the organization announced Monday night.

UConn, the American tournament and regular-season champion, is the No. 1 seed in the Albany Regional. The Huskies will face NEC champion and No. 16 seed St. Francis (NY) in Storrs, Conn. on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. UConn is seeking its 10th NCAA Championship title.

USF opens tournament play in Tampa, Fla. against No. 11 LSU on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN2. The Bulls are making their 11th postseason appearance in 12 years and earned the highest NCAA championship seed in program history with Monday’s announcement.

Tulane, who earned their first NCAA championship at-large bid since 2003, will face No. 5 Mississippi State in Durham, N.C. on Friday (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in the Spokane Regional. The Green Wave was selected for the NCAA tournament for the 11th time and makes their first appearance in the Big Dance since 2010.

East Carolina (21-10) will host the Radford Highlanders in the first round of the WNIT on Wednesday, March 18 at 7 p.m. ET. Radford is the automatic qualifier from the Big South and enter WNIT play at 17-13 overall. The winner of Wednesday night’s game will advance to play the winner between East Tennessee State and NC State.

Temple takes on Marist in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on Thursday, March 19. The Owls are making their fifth appearance in the WNIT and finished with a 16-16 overall record. The Red Foxes are 23-11 on the year and earned the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) automatic bid.

Tulsa was chosen for the postseason for the fifth time in school history. The Hurricane travels to Springfield, Mo. on Friday, March 20 to face off with Missouri State. The Bears finished 18-14 and fell in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game to Wichita State. Tulsa was 17-13 in their inaugural season in the American Athletic Conference.

The 2015 Women’s Final Four will be held April 5 and 7 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. UConn is the defending national champion after claiming the 2014 title in Nashville, Tenn. with a win over Notre Dame in the title game.

The 2015 WNIT Championship will be played on April 4 and televised live on CBS Sports Network at 3 p.m. ET. All games are hosted by participating schools. Complete game times will be announced when available.

NCAA First Round – Friday, March 20

No. 12 Tulane vs. No. 5 Mississippi State – Spokane Region, Durham, N.C. (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

NCAA First Round – Saturday, March 21

No. 11 LSU vs. No. 6 USF – Albany Region, Tampa, Fla. (5:30 P.M. ET, ESPN2)

No. 16 St. Francis (NY) vs. No. 1 UConn – Albany Region, Storrs, Conn. (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

WNIT First Round – Wednesday, March 18
Radford vs. East Carolina – 7 p.m. ET, Greenville, N.C. (Williams Arena in Minges Coliseum)

WNIT First Round – Thursday, March 19
Temple vs. Marist – 7 p.m. ET, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (McCann Arena)

WNIT First Round – Friday, March 20
Tulsa vs. Missouri State – Springfield, Mo. (JQH Arena)

UConn Women’s Basketball NCAA Ticket Info

As you know, the UConn women’s basketball team will be hosting the first and second rounds of the 2015 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Gampel Pavilion on campus in Storrs, CT.

Here’s how to get tickets from UConn:

Tickets for the first and second round of the 2015 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament in Storrs will begin on Tuesday, March 17.

A first round doubleheader will take place on Saturday, March 21 in Gampel Pavilion with a second round game on Monday, March 23.

UConn Club members have an exclusive window to purchase tickets at UConnTickets.com from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., while the general public can begin to purchase at 2:00 p.m. Purchasers on UConnTickets.com can choose their own seat and use print at home.

Tickets are priced per session at $20 for adults and $15 for youth and seniors.

Tickets can also be purchased at the UConn Athletic Ticket Office in Storrs or by calling 1-877-AT-UCONN between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Parking will be available in the North and South Garages for $5 per car —  payable upon entry to the garage.

UConn Women Selected as No. 1 Seed in Albany Region

From UConn:

STORRS, Conn. – The UConn women’s basketball team has been selected as the No. 1 seed in the Albany Region of the 2015 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, as announced by the NCAA on Monday evening.

The Huskies (32-1) will play their opening round game vs. No. 16 seed and Northeast Conference Tournament Champion Saint Francis Brooklyn at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs on Saturday, March 21 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

No. 8 seed Rutgers will challenge No. 9 seed Seton Hall in Saturday’s other first-round game set to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The winners of Saturday’s games will advance to the second-round game on Monday, March 23 at a time to be determined, also in Storrs.

The winner of the second round tilt will advance to the NCAA Regional Semifinal, which will be played at Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y.

Each game of the 2015 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament will be televised live on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3.

Connecticut owns the sport’s all-time winningest record in NCAA Tournament play, checking in at 97-17 (.851). The team is making its 27th-straight appearance in the event and has advanced to the Regional Semifinals in each of the last 21 seasons.

The team will enter the tournament as a No. 1 seed for the 18th time in program history and the ninth season in-a-row. UConn is 79-9 all-time as a No. 1 seed, including wins in 61 of its last 66 games. Eight of the program’s nine national championships have come when the squad began play as a No. 1 seed.

Husky head coach Geno Auriemma, who was tabbed as The American’s Coach of the Year on March 6, has guided the program to all 97 of its NCAA Tournament wins and will attempt to join former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt (112) as the only members of the NCAA Tournament 100-win club.

UConn earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by virtue of winning its second-straight American Athletic Conference Championship.

Ticket Information

Tickets for the first and second round of the 2015 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament in Storrs will begin on Tuesday, March 17.

UConn Club members have an exclusive window to purchase tickets at UConnTickets.com from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., while the general public can begin to purchase at 2:00 p.m. Purchasers on UConnTickets.com can choose their own seat and use print at home.

Tickets are priced per session at $20 for adults and $15 for youth and seniors.

Tickets can also be purchased at the UConn Athletic Ticket Office in Storrs or by calling 1-877-AT-UCONN between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Parking will be available in the North and South Garages for $5 per car — payable upon entry to the garage.

Five American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Teams Selected for Postseason Play

From The American:

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – SMU and Cincinnati will compete in the 2015 NCAA Championship, highlighting a group of five American Athletic Conference teams that were selected Sunday for postseason play.

In addition to the two NCAA tournament teams, Temple, Tulsa and UConn were chosen for the National Invitation Tournament.

The American, which saw a member school (UConn) capture the national title in the conference’s first year, enjoyed the best postseason record of any league in 2014 as five teams were a combined 13-4 in the NCAA and NIT tournaments (.765).

SMU, which is ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press poll, won The American’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament after the Mustangs punctuated their regular-season conference title by winning the American Championship crown Sunday – their first conference tournament championship since 1988. SMU was seeded No. 6 in the South Region and will face No. 11-seeded UCLA Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky (3:10 p.m. ET, truTV).

SMU will play in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1993. The Mustangs have made 10 previous NCAA appearances, including a national runner-up showing in 1956. SMU coach Larry Brown, who cut the nets with Kansas in his last NCAA tournament game in 1988, served as UCLA’s head coach for two seasons (1979-81).

Cincinnati will make its fifth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and its sixth postseason appearance in the last seven years as the Bearcats face Purdue in Louisville as part of the Midwest Regional (7:10 p.m. ET, CBS). Seeded No. 8, the Bearcats take a 22-10 overall record into the tournament. Cincinnati will make its 29th NCAA appearance as the Bearcats bid for a seventh Final Four appearance and third NCAA title. Cincinnati won the NCAA title in consecutive seasons in 1961 and 1962 and last reached the Final Four in 1992.

Temple, which narrowly missed a spot in the NCAA field, was chosen as a No. 1 seed in the NIT. The Owls will face Patriot League regular-season champion Bucknell Tuesday at the Liacouras Center (7 p.m. ET, ESPN3). Temple will make its 18th NIT appearance and their first since 2006. The Owls previously won NIT championships in 1938 and 1969.

Tulsa was selected to the NIT as a No. 2 seed as the Golden Hurricane host William & Mary Tuesday at the Reynolds Center (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN3). Tulsa won NIT titles in 1981 and 2001 and is making its 11th appearance in the tournament.

UConn, which finished as the American Athletic Conference Championship runner-up, will play in the NIT for the 13th time overall and the first time since 2010. The No. 4-seeded Huskies, who won the NIT title in 1988, will host No. 5 Arizona State Wednesday at Gampel Pavilion in the first round of the tournament (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

American Athletic Conference Selections to the 2015 Postseason

NCAA Championship

Second Round – Thursday, March 19

No. 6 SMU vs. No. 11 UCLA – South Region, Louisville, Ky. (3:10 p.m. ET, truTV)

No 8. Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Purdue – Midwest Region, Louisville, Ky. (7:10 p.m. ET, CBS)

National Invitation Tournament

First Round – Tuesday, March 17

No. 1 Temple vs. No. 8 Bucknell (7 p.m. ET, ESPN3)

No. 2 Tulsa vs. No. 7 William & Mary (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN3)

First Round – Wednesday, March 18

No. 4 UConn vs. No. 5 Arizona State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Gigantic Sox and Dawgs 2015 MLB Preview – Day 2 – AL West

Welcome to the Gigantic Sox and Dawgs 2015 MLB preview. Over the next few days you will get a team by team look at its key players, new faces, their potential MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year candidates, their possible starting lineup and rotation as well as a quick summary.

We will also select a MVP candidate and Cy Young candidate for each team no matter what their predicted team outcome is.

And once again this year is some home stadium information along with dates the teams will play against the Boston Red Sox. The red shaded games are at Fenway; the blue shaded games are road games.

I hope you enjoy this look at the upcoming season.

Yesterday we looked at the NL West, today it’s the AL West.

American League West

Last year the West was Oakland’s to win for the third consecutive season but they floundered down the stretch and made the postseason as the second wild card losing to Kansas City. This year the AL West will look a little different once again with it’s third different champion in three season as the Seattle Mariners are poised to take the division flag.

  1. Seattle – Manager Lloyd McClendon (2nd year/7th overall)

So many positive changes over the last few seasons and they rounded out their lineup this off season by signing free agent DH Nelson Cruz who helped the Orioles get to the ALCS and OF Seth Smith who had a nice season playing for the Padres in Petco Park. The pitching is solid from starters through the bullpen and the lineup is nicely balanced. This is the year they not only make the playoffs but win the West and make an October run.

IF/OF Willie Bloomquist (microfracture knee) is doubtful for the start of the season.

Projected Record: 93-69

Home Field: Safeco Field; Playing Surface: natural grass/retractable roof; Opened: 1999; Capacity: 47,476

2014 Attendance: 2,064,334 (9th in A.L.)

Key Players: 2B Robinson Cano; SP Felix Hernandez; SP Hisashi Iwakuma; 3B Kyle Seager; DH Nelson Cruz

MVP Candidate: 2B Robinson Cano

Cy Young Candidate: SP Felix Hernandez

ROY Candidate: none

Key Additions: DH Nelson Cruz; RF Justin Ruggiano; SP J.A. Happ; OF Seth Smith; IF/OF Rickie Weeks

Possible lineup:

  1. Jackson CF
  2. Seager 3B
  3. Cano 2B
  4. Cruz DH
  5. Morrison 1B
  6. Zunino C
  7. Ackley LF
  8. Smith RF
  9. Miller SS

Possible rotation:

  1. Hernandez
  2. Iwakuma
  3. Paxton
  4. Walker
  5. Happ

Games against Red Sox in 2015: May 14-17; August 14-16

  1. Los Angeles – Manager Mike Scioscia (16th year)

After a four year absence the Angel made the post season in 2014 getting swept by Kansas City in ALDS 3-0. This year they will once again compete for the top spot most with Seattle and Oakland among others for a wild card slot. Biggest deal here is gone is Howie Kendrick sent to the Dodgers in a deal for highly touted SP Andrew Heaney. Josh Rutledge takes his spot at second and Matt Joyce was brought in from Tampa Bay to be the DH and play some OF.

LF Josh Hamilton (shoulder) and SP Garrett Richards (ACL) will most likely start season on the DL. SP Tyler Skaggs (TJS) will probably miss the season.

Projected Record: 91-71

Home Field: Angel Stadium; Playing Surface: natural grass Opened: 1966; Capacity: 43,250

2014 Attendance: 3,095,935 (2nd in A.L.)

Key Players: 1B Albert Pujols; CF Mike Trout, RF Cole Calhoun; P Jered Weaver; SP C.J. Wilson

MVP Candidate: CF Mike Trout

Cy Young Candidate: P Jered Weaver

ROY Candidate: SP Andrew Heaney

Key Additions: OF/DH Matt Joyce; 2B Josh Rutledge; C Drew Butera; IF Taylor Featherstone; SP Andrew Heaney; RP Cam Bedroisian; RP Cesar Ramos

Possible lineup:

  1. Calhoun RF
  2. Aybar SS
  3. Trout CF
  4. Pujols 1B
  5. Hamilton LF
  6. Freese 3B
  7. Joyce DH
  8. Rutledge 2B
  9. Iannetta C

Adjusted lineup:

  1. Calhoun RF
  2. Aybar SS
  3. Trout CF
  4. Pujols 1B
  5. Freese 3B
  6. Joyce LF
  7. Cron DH
  8. Rutledge 2B
  9. Iannetta C

Possible rotation:

  1. Weaver
  2. Wilson
  3. Richards
  4. Shoemaker
  5. Heaney

Adjusted rotation:

  1. Weaver
  2. Wilson
  3. Shoemaker
  4. Heaney
  5. Santiago

Games against Red Sox in 2015: May 22-24; July 17-20

  1. Oakland – Manager Bob Melvin (5th year/12th overall)

Last season the A’s looked to have another West title in the making on trade deadline day they had a 2.5 game lead ran it to 4 games in a few weeks and then just sank. They made possibly the biggest trade of the season swapping their clean up hitter Yoenis Cespedes for lefty starter Jon Lester who pitched his ass off but without Cespedes the lineup collapsed. This offseason they have shredded the roster with trades and signings bringing in IF/OF Ben Zobrist, DH Billy Butler, RP Tyler Clippard and 1B Ike Davis.

RF Josh Reddick (oblique)is questionable for the start of the season. RP Sean Doolittle (rotator cuff), SP Jarrod Parker (TJS) and SP A.J. Griffin (TJS) are expected to start the season on the DL.

Projected Record: 87-75

Home Field: O.com Coliseum; Playing Surface: natural grass; Opened: 1966; Capacity: 35,067

2014 Attendance: 2,003,628 (10th in A.L.)

Key Players: RF Josh Reddick; DH Billy Butler; 3B Brett Lawrie; SP Sonny Gray; SP Scott Kazmir

MVP Candidate: DH Billy Butler

Cy Young Candidate: SP Sonny Gray

ROY Candidate: SP Sean Nolin

Key Additions: IF/OF Ben Zobrist; RP Tyler Clippard; DH Billy Butler; 1B Ike Davis; 3B Brett Lawrie; SS Marcus Semien; C Josh Phegley; OF Mark Canha; SP Jesse Hahn; RP R.J. Alvarez; SP Kendall Graveman; 1B/OF Alex Hassan

Possible lineup:

  1. Crisp LF
  2. Zobrist SS
  3. Reddick RF
  4. Butler DH
  5. Davis 1B
  6. Lowrie 3B
  7. Vogt C
  8. Sogard 2B
  9. Fuld CF

Adjusted lineup:

  1. Crisp LF
  2. Zobrist SS
  3. Butler DH
  4. Davis 1B
  5. Lowrie 3B
  6. Vogt C
  7. Sogard 2B
  8. Gentry RF
  9. Fuld CF

Possible rotation:

  1. Gray
  2. Kazmir
  3. Parker
  4. Pomerantz
  5. Griffin

Adjusted rotation:

  1. Gray
  2. Kazmir
  3. Pomerantz
  4. Hahn
  5. Griffin

Games against Red Sox in 2015: May 11-13; June 5-7

  1. Houston – Manager A.J. Hinch (1st Year/3rd overall)

For whatever reason Bo Porter was not a fit as Astros manager and he was the first casualty last season and he’s been replaced by A.J. Hinch who has managed in Arizona and has been in the front office with San Diego. The Astros made some changes this year bringing back SS Jed Lowrie and acquiring OF Colby Rasmus, and got some thump with C/OF Evan Gattis. They also strengthened the bullpen with Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek. I have them standing pat at 70 wins and 4th place in the West.

SP Brad Peacock (hip) and SS Carlos Correa are questionable for the start of the season. RP Jose Cisnero (TJS) will miss most or all of the season.

Projected Record: 71-91

Home Field: Minute Maid Park; Playing Surface: natural grass/retractable roof; Opened: 2000; Capacity: 42,060

2013 Attendance: 1.751,829 (12th in A.L.)

Key Players: 2B Jose Altuve; SP Scott Feldman; C Jason Castro; 3B Luis Valbuena; CF Colby Rasmus

MVP Candidate: 2B Jose Altuve

Cy Young Candidate: SP Scott Feldman

ROY Candidate: 3B Colin Moran

Key Additions: Mgr. A.J. Hinch; SS Jed Lowrie; OF Colby Rasmus; 3B Luis Valbuena; C Hank Conger; SP Dan Straily; RP Luke Gregerson; RP Pat Neshek; RP Will Harris; OF/C Evan Gattis

Possible lineup:

  1. Altuve 2B
  2. Valbuena 3B
  3. Springer RF
  4. Carter 1B
  5. Rasmus CF
  6. Gattis DH
  7. Castro C
  8. Lowrie SS
  9. Marisnick LF

Possible rotation:

  1. Feldman
  2. Keuchel
  3. McHugh
  4. Oberholtzer
  5. Straily

Games against Red Sox in 2015: July 3-5; July 21-13

  1. Texas – Manager Jeff Bannister (1st year)

The Rangers were crushed by injuries last season and then had their manager quit for personal reasons before the season ended. They must be hoping the injured players rebound and that the team does as well because they did very little of note in the offseason other than trading for SP Yovanni Gallardo and adding some other pieces for the bench, bullpen and back of the rotation. I don’t see the team any better than last year and I have them at fifth in the West.

SP Yu Darvish (elbow) could miss the season and 2B Jurickson Profar (torn labrum), SP Matt Harrison (spinal fusion) and SP Martin Perez (TJS) are expected to miss most or all of the 2015 season.

Projected Record: 63-99

Home Field: Globe Life Park in Arlington; Playing Surface: natural grass; Opened: 1994; Capacity: 48,114

2014 Attendance: 2,718,733 (5th in A.L.)

Key Players: 1B Prince Fielder; 3B Adrian Beltre; LF Shin Shoo Choo; SS Elvis Andrus; SP Yovanni Gallardo

MVP Candidate: 3B Adrian Beltre

Cy Young Candidate: SP Yovanni Gallardo

ROY Candidate: OF Michael Choice

Key Additions: Mgr. Jeff Bannister; SP Yovanni Gallardo; IF/OF Kyle Blanks; SP Ross Detwiler; SP Anthony Ranaudo; RP Kyuji Fujikawa; IF Adam Rosales

Possible lineup:

  1. Choo RF
  2. Andrus SS
  3. Fielder 1B
  4. Beltre 3B
  5. Moreland DH
  6. Choice LF
  7. Martin CF
  8. Odor 2B
  9. Chirinos C

Possible rotation:

  1. Darvish
  2. Gallardo
  3. Holland
  4. Lewis
  5. Detwiler

Adjusted rotation:

  1. Gallardo
  2. Holland
  3. Lewis
  4. Detwiler
  5. Tepesch

Games against Red Sox in 2014: May 19-21; May 28-31

Tomorrow: The National League Central

UConn Men To Host Arizona State In First Round of NIT

From UConn:

STORRS — The UConn men’s basketball team, fresh off its appearance in the American Athletic Conference Championship finals, has accepted an at-large bid to continue its postseason in the National Invitation Tournament.

200px-National_Invitation_Tournament.svgThe Huskies, 20-14, are a No. 4 seed in the 32-team NIT field and will play host to Arizona State out of the Pac-12 on Wednesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

UConn bowed to SMU, 62-54, in the AAC championship game Sunday at the XL Center after a thrilling run of three victories in three days over USF, Cincinnati and Tulsa to reach the title game against the Mustangs.

It will be UConn’s 13th appearance in the NIT and its first since 2010. The Huskies have an overall NIT record of 15-11, including an NIT Championship in 1988 under Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun.

Arizona State, 17-15 overall, finished 9-9 in the Pac-12, tied with Stanford for fifth place. The Sun Devils, out of Tempe, lost to USC, 67-64, in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament. It is also their 13th appearance in the NIT and they have an overall record of 6-12. Coached by Herb Sendek, the Sun Devils made their last NIT appearance in 2013.

Arizona State is led by 6-5 senior Shaquielle McKissic, averaging 12.0 points per game, while 6-6 sophomore Savon Goodman (11.0) and 6-4 junior Gerry Blakes (10.9) are also double-figure scorers.

The winner of Wednesday’s first-round game will advance to the NIT round of 16, facing the winner of the game between No. 1 seed Richmond, 19-13, out of the Atlantic 10 and No. 8 seed St. Francis of Brooklyn, 23-11, from the Northeast Conference. The date and time and location of the second-round game are to be determined.

Two other members of the American Athletic Conference received NIT at-large bids Sunday night. Temple is a No. 1 seed and will face No. 8 seed Bucknell in a first-round game, while Tulsa received a No. 2 seed and will meet No. 7 seed William & Mary in the first round.

This year’s NIT will use two experimental rules in all games. The 35-second shot clock will be reduced to 30 seconds and the restricted arc in the lane will be widened from three feet to four feet.

The NIT semifinals are schedule for March 31 and the championship finals are on April 2, both at Madison Square Garden.

Ticket information

Tickets for Wednesday night’s first round game vs. Arizona State are priced at $10 apiece and $4 for UConn students.

UConn Club members and Husky season tickets holders can purchase tickets at UConnTickets.com during an exclusive time period of Sunday night through Monday at noon.

Tickets to the general public will go on sale Monday at noon at UConnTickets.com and will have the ability to select their seats and print tickets at home. Tickets can also be purchased by visiting the UConn Ticket Office in Storrs or by calling the UConn Ticket Office at 1-877-AT-UCONN from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

UConn students can purchase tickets at the box office in Storrs, including game night.

Parking at the North and South Garages will be available for $5 on Wednesday night, which is paid upon entry to the garage.

Photos – AAC MBB: UConn Huskies vs SMU Mustangs – 3/15/15

Here is a photo gallery from the 2015 American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship game between the UConn men’s basketball team and the SMU Mustangs at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. SMU beat the UConn Huskies 62-54 to win The American Championship.

To see full size picture or slide show, please click on image
(mobile/tablet users: to scroll through photos, you can swipe left or right; to remove caption, tap photo.)

photo credits: ©2015 Ian Bethune

Video: UConn Men’s Magical Ride Ends With Loss To SMU

A fan can't believe the call against UConn's Ryan Boatright (11) during the 2015 American Athletic Conference men's championship finals between the SMU Mustangs and the UConn Huskies at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

A fan can’t believe the call against UConn’s Ryan Boatright (11) during the 2015 American Athletic Conference men’s championship finals between the SMU Mustangs and the UConn Huskies at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

The UConn men’s basketball team came into the 2015 American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament with an unenviable task.

Win four games and garner the automatic bid from the conference. Lose at any point and they’d have a date in the NIT most likely.

All the UConn Huskies did is win the first three games but in the fourth game, they just didn’t have enough left in the tank as the SMU Mustangs won the championship game with a 62-54 win at the XL Center.

UConn finishes the season at 20-14 and will most likely host a game in the first round of the NIT. SMU moves to 27-9 and was given the 6th seed in the South region.

Rodney Purvis stepped up big time for the Huskies with 29 to lead them. Daniel Hamilton added eight points and 10 rebounds while Ryan Boatright had seven points. Amida Brimah had seven blocked shots on the afternoon.

Markus Kennedy led a balanced SMU attack with 15 points. Nic Moore and Yanick Moreira both had 11 points while Ben Moore had 10. Sterling Brown led the Mustangs with 12 rebounds.

UConn Huskies vs SMU Mustangs 2015 American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship box score

Here are SMU’s postgame quotes.

Here are UConn’s postgame quotes.

Here are the postgame notes from The American.

Here is a photo gallery.

Video: UConn Men on Energy From XL Crowd Against Tulsa

Just like Friday night, Saturday’s crowd was awfully loud in support of the UConn men’s basketball team in the 2015 American Athletic Conference Semifinals at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

It’s quite possible without the support of the fans, the UConn Huskies would have lost the game to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Instead, UConn beat Tulsa and will play in the finals on Sunday.

Watch and/or listen below as UConn men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie, Ryan Boatright, Omar Calhoun, Phillip Nolan, Daniel Hamilton and Amida Brimah talk about the energy from the crowd in the win over Tulsa.