Hell Has Frozen Over

The title says it all. For the first time in 14 years, the Kansas City Royals will be appearing on "Sunday Night Baseball", as they will be taking on the Angels in Los Angeles for an Independence Day showdown. I guess the folks in Kansas City feel like they are in a major league city once again, now that their beloved Royals are finally back on the premier game of the week. Now that the Royals are finally good enough for national television once again, let's see if they can do something about that nasty little playoff drought of theirs, which is at 25 years and counting....

While I am happy for the Royals and their fans that they will finally get some national exposure, I am anxiously hoping that Zack Greinke will start that game against the Halos. For you see, the Royals playing just about anybody will be an absolute stinker of a game, no matter if it is a Tuesday night game, or if it is a game on ESPN's "Sunday Night" telecast. However, if Zack Greinke is pitching, it will definitely be worth tuning in. My guess is that ESPN is hoping for the same thing too, because I do not think that watching Brian Bannister or Gil Meche start against the Angels will inspire the same kind of excitement.

Even though I am all for equal coverage of teams on national television, I still believe that "Sunday Night Baseball" games should be reserved for teams that are worth watching. No matter what Fox might claim with their Saturday afternoon regional telecasts, "Sunday Night Baseball" is the premier game of the week, and it should be treated as such. If it means living with another Red Sox/Yankees showdown at the expense of a Padres/Astros game, so be it. Besides, if you are going to show a stinker of a game like San Diego versus Houston for the sake of equity, that's what you have "Monday Night Baseball" on ESPN for. Oh well. Here's to hoping that Zack Greinke gets the nod on the Fourth of July.

I think I am going to be sick...

A word of warning: What you are about to read here is a rant. It may not completely make sense to you all, but, of course, that is the purpose of a rant. I'll probably have a coherent response to this news once Spring Training begins, and I have cooled off.

Anyway, in this developing piece of absolutely revolting news, Big Jim Thome has officially signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins- the hated, reviled, disgusting, rotten, putrid, wretched, absolutely loathsome, Minnesota Twins- worth $1.5 million, plus another $750,000 in incentives. As much as I utterly despise that franchise, I would like to wish the big man the best of luck. He has always, and will forever be, one of my all-time favorite players to watch, regardless of the uniform he's in, and him donning a wretched Twins jersey will not change that one bit. However, the thing that absolutely made my blood boil was not the fact that he's on the Twins, but it is the fact that the Sox did not even try to bring him back!

The first thing that really got under my skin was seeing that the Sox did not plan on bringing Thome back, despite him expressing an interest in returning. Thome appeared to be very willing to come back at a hometown discount, and knowing that the Sox have a glaring hole at DH, his return would have been a very good move for the club. Well, I guess signing Thome would have made wayyyyy too much sense to Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams. He would have been more than adequate at filling their hole in that part of their lineup. Meanwhile, Ozzie continues to spew this garbage about being a more flexible team, while their biggest rival (and defending AL Central Champion) just added more depth to an already explosive lineup. If you knew the Twins were interested in Thome, and if you knew that you still had a large hole to fill in the lineup, why on earth did you not try to bring him back?

So what now? What is it that Sox fans can look forward to at the start of the season? Well, they can look forward to having a rotating DH featuring Andruw Jones (who has not had a productive season since 2006), Mark Kotsay (who is nothing more than a back-up outfielder), and Jayson Nix (who is okay, but someone I'd rather not see in the lineup more than once per week). This problem is just one among several in a lineup that is already full of question marks. Some of the other problems in their lineup include whether or not Carlos Quentin can stay healthy and whether or not Alex Rios will ever become productive again. Those two guys need to be healthy and producing if the Sox want a shot at the division title. Konerko cannot carry this offense by himself anymore like he did in 2004-2005; he needs help. If he is not going to get help from the DH hole, and if Quentin and Rios are not healthy and producing, where is he going to get help from?

I'd never thought I would say this about this team, but for the first time in a long time, I am not confident about their starting lineup heading into this season. Also, I never thought that a decent offseason would be negated by such a stupid move (or lack thereof) until now. I was confident that the Sox would bring back Thome at a discount, but now I have to look forward to the triumvirate of garbage at the DH hole. Ozzie and Kenny better know what they are doing with this year's team.

Rundown of the White Sox's Offseason

Hello again, everybody! It has been a while since I have had the opportunity to really talk about the Sox in-depth on here, so let's get down to business and make up for lost time, huh? I have missed quite a bit of their transactions this winter since the Vizquel signing back in November, so let's recap the Sox's offseason so far, starting with their most recent moves.

Arbitration Sensations

Just yesterday, it was announced that left-handed starter John Danks avoided arbitration, signing a one-year contract worth $3.45 million. Danks was the final player in what ended up being a metaphorical game-winning grand-slam for the Sox in the game of arbitration, as they locked up all four of their arbitration-eligible players (Danks, reliever Tony Pena, Carlos Quentin and Bobby Jenks). While Danks and Quentin were virtual no-brainers for the Sox to lock up (Quentin signed a one-year, $3.2 million deal himself), Jenks was possibly the most surprising signing of them all.

When the Sox signed reliever J.J. Putz to a one-year deal worth three million dollars back in December, it seemed as if Jenks' days on the South Side were numbered. After all, Jenks appeared to be heading into arbitration at full-steam, which prompted rumors that the Sox might have looked into trading him during some point this offseason. However, the Sox have not gone to arbitration with a player since Keith Foulke in 2001, and in recent years, owner Jerry Reinsdorf has been willing to spend a considerable amount of money on players he feels are worth it. This time would be no different, as the Sox inked Jenks to a one-year, $7.5 million deal for the 2010 season. Now that the cloud of uncertainty around Jenks has cleared, the Sox can look forward to the prospect of another solid bullpen for 2010, as Jenks, Putz and Thornton will hopefully prove to be an effective trio. Their presence during the last three innings of a game will effectively shorten it, and when you combine them with a starting rotation that will feature Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd and John Danks, their pitching staff will as formidable as ever this year.

Outfield Additions

In the field, the Sox would acquire two new outfielders this offseason, one via trade and the other through free agency. Andruw Jones- who was once the star center fielder for the Atlanta Braves- signed a one year minor-league deal worth $500,000 on November 25, with the potential to earn $1 million if he performs well enough. A couple of weeks later on December 15, the Sox would acquire center fielder Juan Pierre in a trade with the Dodgers, sending two players to be named later to Los Angeles in exchange for him. The Sox have also agreed to pay part of his contract as well, as Pierre will receive $3 million from the Sox in 2010 and $5 million in 2011. While I believe that both of these deals were pretty good for the Sox, I especially liked the Jones acquisition in particular, because it came at a dirt-cheap cost, and it gives the Sox some flexibility in the outfield, and the DH hole, provided that he becomes remotely decent at the plate this year. While he is certainly not my number one option as a DH/outfielder, he is a good insurance policy for them if they cannot land a DH in free agency, or if someone in the outfield gets hurt this season.

As for the Pierre acquisition, I am all for it; however, getting him still raised some questions for me, though. Scott Podsednik, in his return to Chicago last year, put together a fine season in the lead-off spot, as he hit a team-best .304, with a modest .353 OBP and 30 steals in 132 games with the club. These numbers are pretty solid for your lead-off hitter. Well, when the Sox let "Pods" walk after the season and acquired Pierre to take his place, I told myself: "They're getting the same player!" How so? Well, for starters, Pierre will usually hit for around the same average as Podsednik will, as evidenced in the four point difference in their averages last year (Pierre- .308, Podsednik- .304). Also, they will steal roughly the same amount of bases (they both had 30 steals), score just as many runs (Pierre- 57, Podsednik- 75; Pods was the beneficiary of a slightly better offense), and feature the same kind of fielding in the outfield (below-average glove, weak arm). Comparatively speaking, the Royals would end up signing Pods to a one-year deal worth $1.75 million, which the Sox could have easily given him, considering that they're paying Pierre $3 million this year to do the same thing!

I would understand the Sox's motives behind this if Pierre was much younger than Podsednik. But he's not! Podsednik will be 34 in March, while Pierre will be 33 in August. Oh well, perhaps I am just being too sentimental with Pods, seeing that he was one of the key members of the 2005 championship team. My hope is that Pierre will provide the same kind of spark and excitement from the lead-off spot, and that he will be just as productive as Pods was in '05, if not, better.

A Growing Concern

In spite of all of these transactions, the Sox are still in need of a legitimate DH as Spring Training draws closer. Their preference for a DH who can play the field has been a puzzling one, at least for me. General Manager Kenny Williams had to know what he had in mind for this offseason as the 2009 season was coming to a close, and he had to have at least an idea of who would likely be available in the free agent market. If it was in his shopping list to have a DH who could also play the field, then why on earth did he not at least try to bring back Jermaine Dye? While I know that Dye had a sub-par second-half last year, he still finished with some solid numbers, hitting 27 home runs while driving in 81. Since it was pretty much a given that the Sox were not going to go after Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, that relegated them to the second-tier of available DHs in free agency. They were really pursuing Hideki Matsui aggressively at one point, before ultimately losing out to the Angels in that chase.

Why on earth would you rather have Matsui instead of Dye? "J.D." will hit for roughly the same average, will drive in more runs and hit more homers than Matsui. Also, Dye is more more capable of playing an adequate right field whenever necessary, and he would not be the defensive liability that Matsui would be. So why would the Sox let Dye go, when he still has probably two more good seasons in him as a DH/outfielder?

Now that Matsui is off of the market, and Dye won't be eligible to re-join the Sox until May 1 (since they failed to re-sign him during the allotted negotiating period immediately after the season), the Sox are now stuck with two options: they can either take a gamble with what they already have heading into Spring Training, or they can possibly entertain the idea of bringing back Jim Thome to fill the DH void. It is not out of the realm of possibility that they could do this; Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Heyman hinted at this possibility just the other day on MLB Network's "Hot Stove" program, and, in my opinion, bringing the big man back is not such a bad idea (considering the situation they are in at this point). Trading him to the Dodgers back in August gives the Sox a loophole they never would have had if he would have finished the season in Chicago; they no longer have to wait until May 1 to sign him, and they can also bring him back at less than half of the cost of his previous contract (basically meaning that they can get him at a discount).

Plus, we all know that Thome can still mash, and that is all the Sox need for him to do for at least one more year. What is even better is the fact that if Jones ends up panning out, the Sox could potentially platoon Jones and Thome at DH, having Thome hit against righties and Jones against lefties. I know that this idea sounds goofy, but if they do sign Thome and if Jones becomes a major-league player again, it is what they will likely have to do.



Well, to sum things up, it was just another "wheeling-and-dealing" kind of offseason for Kenny Williams and the White Sox, one that is likely not over yet if they decide to go after a DH. Even though I do not exactly agree with every move Williams makes, I do appreciate the fact that he is an aggressive GM that will do all he can to try to assemble and maintain a championship-caliber team. It is also nice to have an owner who is more than willing to spend the bucks to make Williams' vision become a reality as well. When you have a pair like those two, whose primary goal is to win another championship, the offseason will always be an interesting one for Sox fans.

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 30- New York Yankees

Alas, we have reached our final report card of 2009 (even though it is 2010). Today's final team will be the World Champions, the New York Yankees. Let's take a look at the Bronx Bombers of 2009:

New York Yankees:
Record: 103-59 (AL East Champions, World Series Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Derek Jeter (.334)
Home Runs: Mark Teixeira (39)
RBIs: Mark Teixeira (122)
On-base Percentage: Derek Jeter (.406)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: CC Sabathia (19)
ERA: CC Saabathia (3.37). Bullpen- Mariano Rivera (1.76).
Strikeouts: CC Sabathia (197)
Innings Pitched: CC Sabathia (230)
WHIP: Mariano Rivera (0.90). Starters- CC Sabathia (1.15)
Saves: Mariano Rivera (44)

Highlight of the Season: Winning their 27th World Championship on November 4, over the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Duh!

Lowlight of the Season: Tie between getting clobbered by the Indians at home, 22-4 on April 18, and losing two out of three at home to the lowly Nationals on June 16-18.

The Lowdown:
At long last, after years of spending and even more spending, the Yankees were finally World Champions again, giving their long-suffering fans happiness and a reason for excitement once again. Of course, I was only being facetious with that previous statement, but the Yankees seemed to finally find that right mix of talent to carry them to the promised land in October for the 27th time. After years of bulking up their offense, and spending millions of ill-advised dollars on flukish or mediocre-to-terrible pitchers (does Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown or Kei Igawa ring a bell for anyone?), the Yanks finally found their front-of-the-rotation pitching aces that would carry them to October, and they would be in the form of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. However, it doesn't hurt to beef up your offense when you have the opportunity, and the Yankees did just that, as they were able to land Mark Teixeira as a free agent during the '08-'09 offseason. He would end up joining an already potent lineup that featured Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, and Hideki Matsui, among others.

The dawn of the 2009 season also marked the first time since 1922 that the Yankees would not be playing in "The House that Ruth built," as they moved across the street to the shiny, expensive, brand-spanking-new Yankee Stadium, that ended being even more of a haven for power-hitters than its predecessor. Home runs flew out of the new ballpark at an alarming rate last year, which no doubt made the Yankees' lineup all the more intimidating. However, they still had to have effective pitching to quell the offensive explosion at the new ballpark, and their staff, as a whole, was up to the task. When you combine one of the best offenses in baseball with some of the best pitching in baseball, it comes as no surprise that the Yankees finished atop the baseball world in 2009.

Offense:
Thanks to their homer-happy new ballpark, and to Mark Teixeira, the Yankees' offense was as explosive as ever in 2009. Their lineup featured a remarkable seven people who hit at least 20 home runs in 2009, and Teixeira led the way for them, as he drilled 39 in his first season in the Big Apple. It goes without saying that he put up a very MVP-worthy season, as he had a robust 122 RBIs, .292 batting average and .383 on-base percentage to go along with his 39 homers. However, he lost out in the MVP race to Minnesota's Joe Mauer, who put up an equally fantastic season behind the plate.

The other major power threat in New York's lineup was obviously, Alex Rodriguez. Despite missing some time due to injury, A-Rod still put up solid numbers, as he hit .286, with 30 homers and 100 RBIs, to go along with a robust .402 on-base percentage. Nonetheless, the aforementioned stats will not be what Yankees fans will remember about A-Rod in '09, as he was able to finally shake the postseason monkey off his back in October. He would end up leading the Yankees in all four major offensive categories during the play-offs, as he hit .365, with six home runs, 18 RBIs and a .500 on-base percentage. In fact, the only debate that you will find about A-Rod among Yankees fans is which of his home runs during the play-offs was bigger: his game-tying two-run homer off of Twins' closer Joe Nathan in Game Two of the Division Series, or his game-tying home run in the 11th inning of Game Two of the LCS against the Angels? Both home runs came in games in which the Yankees would eventually win. I'll let you be the judge.

Two other major contributors in the Yankees' lineup were the double-play tandem of Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano. Jeter was simply Jeter once again in 2009, as he hit for an outstanding .334 average, to go along with 18 home runs and a fantastic .406 on-base percentage. He also reached a major milestone during the season, as he passed Lou Gehrig for the Yankees' all-time hits record with his 2,722nd hit against the Orioles on September 11. His partner up the middle, Robinson Cano, also put together a fantastic season of his own, as he hit .320, with 25 home runs and 85 RBIs. It goes without saying that these are some excellent numbers for a second baseman, but despite this, his season was largely overshadowed by his other higher-profile teammates.

Overall, the Yankees would finish first in MLB in runs scored (915) home runs (244), on-base percentage (.362), and would tie with the Angels for first in hits (1,604). They would also finish second in batting average (.283), third in doubles (325) and first in total bases (2,703). While other lineups around baseball appeared to be just as potent on paper, the Yankees, by far and away, featured the best lineup in baseball in 2009.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
The biggest reason for the Yankees' success in 2009 lies not within their lineup, but within the pitching rotation. For the first time in several years, the Yankees had a solid rotation, and not one that could be considered "shaky, at best." Pitching was the key formula to their three consecutive championships from 1998-2000, and the Yanks found it again this year with a great rotation that featured CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain making up the bulk of the starts. Sabathia picked right up where he left off in his stellar '08 campaign, as he finished 19-8 this year, with a 3.37 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Innings also were not a problem for the big lefty either, as he gobbled up 230 of them on the rubber last year. He certainly silenced the prognosticators at the beginning of the season who said that he was due to regress in '09, and he would have definitely received more consideration for the Cy Young last season if it weren't for Zack Greinke's monster year in Kansas City.

Backing him up in the number two slot was A.J. Burnett, who finally put together back-to-back 200 inning seasons for the first time in his career. While he did not receive as many wins last year as he did in Toronto in '08 (when he went 18-10), he was still solid in the Yankees rotation, going 13-9 last year, with a 4.04 ERA and 195 strikeouts in 207 innings pitched. While many around baseball knew that a dominant Sabathia would be a big key to the Yankees success, many also knew that if they were going to go deeper into the play-offs than in recent years, Burnett had to be healthy and producing, too. The once injury-prone Burnett proved that he was healthy once again in '09, and that he was definitely up to the task.

In the number three spot was a familiar face, and that was Andy Pettitte. In his third season back with the Yankees after a brief sojourn to Houston, Pettitte continued to be the wise and experienced presence on the staff, as he was one of the remaining left-overs from the Yankees' glory years of 1996-2000. He would continue to prove to everybody that he still had something left in the tank, as he went 14-8 last year, with a 4.16 ERA in 194.2 innings. While he is no longer a front-of-the-rotation starter, he is still quite adequate as a number three starter, and he is still a guy the Yankees have no problem handing the ball to in big games.

Rounding out the major four starters for the Yankees is Joba Chamberlain. While he was certainly serviceable as a number four starter (finishing 9-6, with a 4.75 ERA in 31 starts), his season could have certainly been better, considering how much talent he has. However, 2009 marked his first full season as a starter in the bigs, so I'll cut him some slack. Plus, it seems that the Yankees have finally found out what they wanted to do with him, so I wouldn't be too surprised if he improved substantially in 2010. As long as they don't keep threatening to shuffle him off to the bullpen, he will be fine.

Speaking of the bullpen, the Yankees had a very youthful crew coming into ballgames in '09, as Phil Coke, Phil Hughes, David Robertson, Brian Bruney and Alfredo Aceves were all 27 or younger during the season. This young bunch would be backed up by the sage-like presence of the great Mariano Rivera closing out games, who no doubt had to be a big influence on the rest of the 'pen this year. While the youngsters were effective during the season (four out of the five aforementioned pitchers would finish with ERAs under four except for Coke), it was Rivera who was the best of them all in the 'pen once again, finishing with 44 saves in 46 chances, a 1.76 ERA and a ridiculous WHIP of 0.90. Rivera- who was 39 during the season- seems to be like a fine wine; he just continues to get better and better with age.

Overall, the Yankees rotation definitely held their own amongst all of the teams in MLB, as they tied for 11th in ERA (4.26), finished 17th in runs allowed (753), 13th in walks (574), fourth in strikeouts (1,260) and fifth in "batting average against" (.251). While they weren't in the same category of pitching excellence as the Giants and Dodgers, they were still better than most teams in MLB.
Final Grade: A-

Wild Card: Homegrown Talent
Yeah, that's right, I said it. The Yankees have much more homegrown talent than most people realize. These weren't just marginal players either who contributed very little to the team's success. These were major players, guys who made a difference to the team this year, who, without them, the Yankees would not have achieved the level of success they earned this year. Here is a list of the major contributors on the Yankees in 2009 who came out of their farm system at some point:
Derek Jeter
Andy Pettitte
Jorge Posada
Mariano Rivera
Robinson Cano
Phil Coke
Phil Hughes
Joba Chamberlain
Brett Gardner
Melky Cabrera
David Robertson
Alfredo Aceves

By my count, that is twelve people, which is damn near half of their team. I might have still left out some people, but those were the guys who came to mind for me. While the Yankees do spend a lot of money (the last team to have a higher opening day payroll than them was the 1998 Baltimore Orioles), they also have a great eye for finding talent as well. The only difference is that they have the money to lock them up once contract time comes. You can rip the Yankees all you want for spending big bucks for free agents, but don't accuse them of not being able to develop their own talent, because clearly, they have.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
Don't let the Phillies' acquisition of Roy Halladay fool you, the Yankees are still the team to beat coming into 2010. They are the best team in baseball right now.
Final Grade: A+

Well everybody, that will do it for our "Report Cards" series. I would like to thank each and every one of you that decided to take time out of your day to come on to my little website to read about baseball! We had the opportunity to learn about the some of the best and worst baseball had to offer in 2009, and some of the surprising stars and unsung heroes of many teams as well. With that, I bring the "009 Report Cards"series to a close. Make sure to stay posted for updates on the White Sox and MLB right here on "Miracle on 35th Street!"

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 29- Los Angeles Angels

It's time to head down the road from Dodger Stadium to Angel Stadium, where our next report card will be issued to the Los Angeles Angels!

Los Angeles Angels:
Record: 97-65 (AL West Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Erick Aybar (.312)
Home Runs: Kendry Morales (34)
RBIs: Kendry Morales (108)
On-base Percentage: Chone Figgins (.395)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders (16)
ERA: Jered Weaver (3.75). Bullpen- Darren Oliver (2.71).
Strikeouts: Jered Weaver (174)
Innings Pitched: Jered Weaver (211)
WHIP: Jered Weaver (1.24)
Saves: Brian Fuentes (48)

Highlight of the Season: Finally taking out their postseason nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, in dramatic fashion, sweeping them in three straight during the first round of the playoffs. It is also worth mentioning that on August 18, in a game against the Indians, the Angels became the first team since 1930 to feature a starting lineup with all nine batters hitting at least .300, with at least 200 at-bats.

Lowlight of the Season: The death of their future star pitcher, Nick Adenhart, in a car accident just hours after his start against Oakland, on April 8.

The Lowdown:
It was certainly a great time to be a baseball fan in Los Angeles in 2009, as fans of both the Dodgers and Angels were treated to some outstanding baseball during the regular season. Last year would mark only the third time in MLB history that both L.A. teams made the playoffs (joining 2004 and 2008), and it was also the first legitimate chance of there being a "Freeway World Series" as both teams made it to the LCS. The Angels though, unlike their National League counterparts to the west of them, reached the postseason on the strength of their overall hitting, instead of their pitching. While the Angels still featured a solid pitching staff, their lineup was one of the most potent in baseball, as there was not a single easy out in their order.

The Angels were also a team of perseverance, as well. They battled through injuries to some of their key players in 2009, including Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey, and on April 8, the most devastating blow of them all came when 22-year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart died in a car accident just hours after starting a game against the Oakland A's. The death shook the team to its very core, as Adenhart's personality and demeanor clearly made an impression on everyone that was around him. The team fought on through this though, and as the season wore on, they only seemed to get stronger mentally, as they overcame a 5.5 game deficit at the hands of the Texas Rangers on May 30 to eventually win the division by a commanding 10 games.

Offense:
The Angels were a team that did not feature one weak link in their lineup. Not one. Out of all of the people on their team that played in at least 100 games, eight of them hit over .290, which is nothing short of incredible. Even the people who did not reach .290 were still dangerous, as left fielder Juan Rivera hit .287 with 25 home runs and catcher Mike Napoli hit .272, with 20 home runs. This was a well-balanced lineup as far as power goes too, as six people hit 15 or more homers, with switch-hitting first baseman Kendry Morales leading the way with 34 of them. The emergence of Morales certainly made up for letting first baseman Mark Teixeira walk as a free agent after the '08 season.

Also, the presence of Bobby Abreu on this ball club would prove to be a big influence on this team, as far as their approach to the plate goes. While the Angels were once known as a free-swinging kind of team (no doubt influenced by 2004 MVP Vladimir Guerrero), the Angels followed Abreu's example and took a much more patient approach to the plate this year, waiting for their pitch to come and working deeper into the count instead of hacking away early in the count. This was likely a big influence on the increase in batting averages that you see on the team. While the Angels hitters were certainly a talented bunch long before Abreu's arrival, they certainly became even better with his influence rubbing off on the other players.

There is nothing really negative to say about this lineup; however, the gradual decline of DH Vladimir Guerrero is certainly raising some eyebrows among followers of baseball right now, including yours truly. While he's still hitting for average (he finished at .295 this season), he saw a drop in his power numbers, as he hit only 15 home runs and drove in 50 in 100 games this season. While he was injured for part of the season, his decline in power is still noticeable, as he has not hit 30 homers in a season since 2006. This decline likely made it much easier for the Angels to part ways with him after the season, as they let him walk away as a free agent at the close of the season.

The Halos would finish second in MLB in runs scored (883) and in batting average (.285), and they would also tie for first in hits (1,604) as well. They would also go on to finish third in on-base percentage at .350, and would tie for 11th in home runs with 173. While this lineup can certainly beat you with the long ball, they prefer to go about dismantling their opponents slowly and painfully, by rapping out base hit after base hit.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
The Angels rotation featured a decent group of starters, as Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver, John Lackey and late-bloomer Matt Palmer all put up great numbers in '09. Weaver and Saunders tied for the team lead in wins with 16, but it was Weaver that ended up being the better of the two, as he threw more innings than Saunders (211 to 186), had a lower ERA (3.75 to 4.60) and had a much lower WHIP (1.24 to 1.43). Although Saunders still had a great year, he was likely the recipient of great run support from a phenomenal offense.

John Lackey also had another solid season in the rotation, going 11-8, with a 3.83 ERA in 27 starts. This was probably one of the least surprising stats out of everybody in the rotation, because once he came back in May from a forearm strain injury, everybody knew he was going to be stellar. However, the most surprising starter in the Halos' rotation would have to be the mysterious Matt Palmer, who went virtually unnoticed by many in the media during the season. The 30-year-old righty out of Missouri State had only 12.2 innings of experience in the majors before becoming a major part of the Angels' pitching staff last year, and once he settled in, the Angels knew they found someone who they could depend on, in relief and as a starter. He appeared in 40 games last year, and started in 13 of them, as he would finish the season 11-2 overall, with a 3.93 ERA in 121.1 innings pitched. While he's not going to be their next number one starter obviously, he will definitely be someone who they can trust with the ball going into this upcoming season.

The rest of the bullpen proved to be a decent crew in '09, as Brian Fuentes, Jason Bulger and Darren Oliver were their top three pitchers in appearances last season (Fuentes- 65, Bulger- 64, Oliver- 63). Oliver was probably their best man coming out of the 'pen, ERA-wise, as he posted a staff-low 2.71 ERA. Fuentes' and Bulger's ERAs were considerably higher than Oliver's, as they recorded averages of 3.93 and 3.56, respectively. While Fuentes was serviceable in the closer's role, he was not quite as "lights out" in that role as his predecessor, Francisco Rodriguez. While he did record a MLB-best 48 saves last year, he still surrendered 53 hits in 55 innings, along with blowing seven saves. Even though he could definitely get the job done, the end does not always necessarily justify the means, as his high-wire acts during the ninth inning would often have Angels fans looking for their Pepto-Bismol after games.

Overall, the Angels would tie for 20th in ERA (4.45), tie for 13th in runs surrendered (761), and would let opponents hit off of them at a .272 clip, which tied for the seventh-worst in MLB. Despite the performance of some of their starters, this was a pretty mediocre staff overall last year.
Final Grade: C

Wild Card: Perseverance
Losing a teammate during the season is always something that is difficult to overcome, and the Angels managed to still do it, as they won the division title in honor of their fallen friend. They also had to endure the loss of one of their most respected members of their organization too, as long-time consultant and former big league manager Preston Gomez passed away on January 13 of last year at the age of 85. They were both honored with patches on their jerseys during the season, and the fact that they were able to still perform at a high level during this adversity is nothing short of admirable.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
The Angels were a stacked team this year, one that fell excruciatingly short of their goal of another World Series title. With all of the times they have fallen short since their first title in 2002, could they be becoming this generation's version of the Atlanta Braves? Only time will tell.
Final Grade: A

Check back soon for the final report card, which will be on the World Champion New York Yankees!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 28- Los Angeles Dodgers

Well, I am well past 30 days on completing this, and it isn't even 2009 anymore, but, whatever. Here is the report card on the Los Angeles Dodgers!

Los Angeles Dodgers:

Record: 95-67 (National League West Champions).

Batting Leaders:

Batting Average: Matt Kemp (.297)

Home Runs: Andre Ethier (31)

RBIs: Andre Either (106)

On-base Percentage: Casey Blake (.363)

Pitching Leaders:

Wins: Chad Billingsley (12)

ERA: Clayton Kershaw (2.79). Bullpen- Ronald Belisario (2.04).

Strikeouts: Clayton Kershaw (185)

Innings Pitched: Randy Wolf (214.1)

WHIP: Jonathan Broxton (0.96). Starters- Randy Wolf (1.10).

Saves: Jonathan Broxton (36)

Highlight of the Season: Slamming the door on a three-game-sweep of the Cardinals in the playoffs by defeating them 5-1 at Busch Stadium on October 10. The sweep was something that even 69-year-old manager Joe Torre enjoyed relishing in, as seen above.

Lowlight of the Season: Getting clobbered by the Phillies for the second year in a row in the NLCS, losing the series 4-1. They were outscored 26-8 in their final three games, which were all played in Philadelphia.

The Lowdown:

As many people expected, the Dodgers were much stronger in 2009, as they rolled to 95 victories and the NL West championship. They also took home the best record in the National League, something they haven't done since since 1983. They also just missed the century-mark in wins, which was something they haven't accomplished since 1974. This was truly a team in which the whole was greater than the sum of its parts, as there was no real standout pitcher in their rotation, and no real standout performer in their lineup, save for Andre Ethier. This was just a strong team from top to bottom, and they were also able to weather the storm of losing Manny Ramirez for 50 games due to a positive steroid test in May. It was no problem for them though, because once they took over first place for good on April 19, they never looked back.

Offense:

The Dodgers' lineup in 2009 featured a little more pop in it, but the man providing the power was the person you would expect. Andre Ethier was the big man in the middle of the order for the Dodgers in '09, as he hit .272, with 31 home runs and 106 RBIs. This has to be a very promising sign for Ethier's progression, as this was the fourth year in a row that he has increased his home run and RBI totals. The lanky right-fielder out of Arizona State is starting to blossom into a bonafide power hitter, and since he's in L.A., that means he will definitely become a star that everyone will take notice of in the years to come.

Behind him were a slew of effective bats, which featured Matt Kemp (.297 average, 26 home runs, 101 RBIs), Manny Ramirez (.290/19/71), Casey Blake (.280/18/63) and James Loney (.281/13/90). It is also worth noting that left fielder Juan Pierre did an admirable job in filling in for the suspended Ramirez, as he came through with timely hits, and provided extra speed at the top of the order. He would finish the season with a .308 average, a .365 on-base percentage and 30 steals, which was second on the team to Kemp's surprising 34. Perhaps the only thing that was disappointing about their lineup was catcher Russell Martin, who watched his batting average fall 30 points from .280 in '08 to .250 last year. However, their well-rounded lineup was more than able to make up for Martin's absence.

The Dodgers would go on to finish 11th in runs scored (780), fifth in overall hits (1,511), fourth in on-base percentage (.346) and tied for fourth in batting average (.270). Even though their 145 home runs was only good for 23rd in MLB, this was a team that did not need to rely on the home run to beat you. They had a whole litany of hitters who knew how to come through with timely hits, time and time again.

Final Grade: A-

Pitching:

The Dodgers' starting rotation was pretty good as a whole in 2009, but who takes the cake as the best starter on the team? Well, my vote would go to Randy Wolf, who had a renaissance year in L.A. Wolf made a career-high 34 starts in 2009, and he proved to be very effective, going 11-7 with a 3.23 ERA, while putting together a WHIP of 1.10, which was the seventh-best in MLB. He wasn't the only top performer in their rotation though, as 21-year-old Clayton Kershaw put together a fantastic season of his own. Even though his 8-8 record seems unimpressive, his 2.79 ERA and his 185 strikeouts in 171.1 innings are something to be impressed by though. Chad Billingsley had a solid season of his own in 2009, as he led the staff with 12 victories, but he was possibly the receiver of good run support though, as his ERA rose to 4.03 from 3.14 in 2008. Hiroki Kuroda's performance is also worth mentioning, as he made 20 starts in '09, and went 8-7 in that time span, with a 3.76 ERA and an impressive WHIP of 1.14.

The Dodgers also had a bullpen that was pretty rock-solid, as they were led by the trio of Jonathan Broxton, Ramon Troncoso and Ronald Belisario. All three featured ERAs under three, and Belisario was especially impressive, as he sported a sparkling 2.04 ERA in 73 appearances. Fireballer Jonathan Broxton was also very effective in the closer's role, as he featured an impressive WHIP of 0.96, to go along with a 2.61 ERA, and a ridiculous 114 strikeouts in just 76 innings. The only downside to his great season was that he blew six saves, which is suspiciously high, but in any event, 36 saves is still pretty good.

Overall, the Dodgers featured the best team ERA in the majors at 3.41, tied for the least amount of runs surrendered with 611, and held opponents to the lowest batting average in MLB at .233. Even though division-rival San Francisco had an outstanding pitching staff in 2009, the Dodgers proved to be a perfect foe, as always. L.A.'s pitching staff is right up there with the Giants for the best in baseball.

Final Grade: A+

Wild Card: Joe Torre

Torre has proven to everybody during the last two seasons that he is not a push-button manager, as he has guided the Dodgers to back-to-back division titles. This year was especially impressive, as he kept a steady ship, despite the tumultuous waves of the Manny Ramirez suspension attempting to blow the ship over. The team did not flounder too much during the season either, despite a furious charge by the Rockies toward the end of the season. Most young teams would not have been able to withstand that kind of pressure, but Torre was able to keep everybody even-keel.

Final Grade: A+

Overall:

The Dodgers are a fantastic team that is capable of winning the NL Pennant, however, their only problem is an inability to "close" when the time counts in the playoffs. They simply need to find out a way to beat Philly in October.

Final Grade: A

Check back soon for the report card on the Los Angeles Angels!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 27- Boston Red Sox

Hello once again, everyone! I'm a little bit behind on this obviously, so I'm trying to knock as many of these out as possible before school gets into full swing again. Here is the next report card, which will be issued to the Boston Red Sox.

Boston Red Sox:
Record: 95-67 (Second place in AL East, eight games behind New York. AL Wild Card Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Kevin Youkilis (.305)
Home Runs: Jason Bay (36)
RBIs: Jason Bay (119)
On-base Percentage: Kevin Youkilis (.413)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Josh Beckett (17)
ERA: Jon Lester (3.41). Bullpen- Jonathan Papelbon (1.85)
Strikeouts: Jon Lester (225)
Innings Pitched: Josh Beckett (212.1)
WHIP: Josh Beckett (1.19)
Saves: Jonathan Papelbon (38)

Highlight of the Season: Clinching the AL Wild Card on September 29, despite losing to Toronto 8-7. It was their fifth Wild Card victory, and their sixth overall postseason appearance of the decade.

Lowlight of the Season: A devastating 7-6 loss to the Angels in Game Three of the Division Series on October 11, which eliminated them from the postseason. The Angels rallying from a 6-4 deficit to win the game in the top of the ninth, was especially stinging.

The Lowdown:
It was another fantastic season for the Boston Red Sox, as they rolled to their sixth postseason appearance of the decade, behind strong pitching and timely hitting. Finishing second with 95 wins was just another example of how strong the AL East is, as they still finished a whopping eight games behind the Yankees. It was still the usual suspects in their pitching rotation that led them back to the postseason, as Josh Beckett and Jon Lester were their usual selves during the season. Their lineup was also solid, despite the struggles of David Ortiz, as Jason Bay, Kevin Youkilis, and several others had solid seasons at the plate. Put it all together, and you have yourself a pretty good team. The only surprising thing that came out of this season from Boston was how they went down in the playoffs, which was a 3-0 wipeout at the hands of the Angels in the first round. While the Angels were great too, it was still shocking that such a good team would go out with such a whimper in the postseason. Let's take a look at their offense from last year, to see how they stacked up.

Offense:
Boston's offense in 2009 was strong once again, but the person that led the way for them was somebody you would least expect. Jason Bay was the main power source in the Red Sox's lineup this season, as he put together a stellar campaign, hitting 36 home runs while driving in 119, to go along with a strong .384 on-base percentage. He was aided by an eclectic mix of power, contact and speed within the lineup, as Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury each put together solid seasons for the Carmines. Youkilis had another great all-around season at the plate, hitting a team-best .305, with 27 home runs and 94 RBIs, to go along with a robust .413 OBP. Lowell and Pedroia each hit well for average, to go along with modest power numbers, as Lowell hit .290, with 17 homers and Pedroia hit .296, with 15 homers. Ellsbury was the speed threat at the top of the order, as he pilfered a major-league best 70 bases in '09.

Despite all of the bright spots in Boston's order, the one person that received the most attention in their lineup was David Ortiz, and it was not the kind of attention that he would have liked, either. Ortiz struggled mightily during the first half of the season, as he hit only .222, with just 12 home runs and 47 RBIs before the break. Adding insult to injury during his dreadful season was the revelation on July 31 that he tested positive for steroids in 2003. He would eventually apologize for the "distraction" that he caused, and he would go on to have a modest improvement in the second half, hitting .258, with 16 homers and 52 RBIs to finish with a .258 average, 28 home runs and a solid 99 RBIs. Jason Bay's season, along with the overall depth in the lineup, was able to pick up the slack for Ortiz, who had an uncharacteristic down year.

Overall, Boston finished third in runs scored (872), second in doubles (335), fourth in home runs (212), second in OBP (.352) and tied for fourth in batting average (.270). Even Ortiz's poor season could not keep this lineup from being one of the best in baseball.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
Boston's rotation was buoyed by the strong performances of their two best pitchers, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. Beckett had another great season for the Carmines, as he finished 17-6, with a 3.86 ERA and 199 strikeouts in 212.1 innings. His 1.19 WHIP was also among the AL's best, as well. However, his performance was possibly upstaged by Lester, who went 15-8, with a 3.41 ERA to go along with 225 strikeouts in 203.1 innings. While his WHIP was slightly higher than Beckett's at 1.23, his ERA was significantly lower and his strikeout total was higher, despite throwing less innings than his counterpart. It was a fantastic season for the left-hander, and if he continues his brilliance, he will definitely be a Cy Young candidate in 2010.

Behind those two were injuries and mediocrity in the rotation, as many of the other pitchers had a hard time coming close to equaling Beckett and Lester's production. Ancient knuckleballer Tim Wakefield had a decent 11-5 record, but this was likely the result of good run support, as his ERA was 4.58. Brad Penny was a disappointment in 2009, as he started 24 games for Boston before being released on August 27. In that time though, he went a pedestrian 7-8, with a bloated ERA of 5.61. Daisuke Matsuzaka and John Smoltz weren't much better either, as Matsuzaka went 4-6, with a 5.76 ERA in an injury-riddled season, and Smoltz was just terrible, going 2-5, with an 8.33 ERA. It was a great thing that Boston had Beckett and Lester at the top of their rotation, because the team would have definitely sunk without those two.

If you are going to have a lackluster three-through-five in your rotation, you better have a great bullpen who can back them up. Boston did have this in '09, as the quintet of Ramon Ramirez, Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon, Takashi Saito and Daniel Bard proved to be very effective at maintaining leads and cleaning up the mess from the bottom three of the rotation. Ramirez appeared in the most games in the 'pen this season (70) and he did not disappoint, as he put together a solid 2.84 ERA in 69.2 innings. Okajima had another solid season as the set-up man to Papelbon, recording 24 holds and fashioning a 3.39 ERA in the process. Saito's performance in the bullpen was very underrated, as he appeared in 56 games and put together a great 2.43 ERA. Also, rookie Daniel Bard proved to be the possible closer of the future in Boston, as he struck out an impressive 63 batters in 49.1 innings. For right now though, the man at the end of games was still Jonathan Papelbon, and he was still very effective, going 38-41 in saves this year with a 1.85 ERA.

Collectively, the staff was pretty mediocre in '09, as they finished 16th in ERA (4.35), 20th in runs allowed (736) and 20th in opponent's batting average (.267). As I mentioned earlier, this team would have been in a heap of trouble if they did not have Lester and Beckett. Heck, they would have been in trouble if one of those two would have went down with an injury.
Final Grade: C+

Wild Card: Speed
The Red Sox are historically known for not having any real speedsters on their roster. However, that has been changing in recent years with the addition of Jacoby Ellsbury, who stole a MLB-best 70 bases in '09. Dustin Pedroia has also demonstrated his ability to steal bases, as he pilfered 20 of his own last year as well. Overall, the Red Sox stole 126 bases as a team last year, which was good for fifth in the majors. Adding the extra dimension of speed to their lineup makes them much more dangerous than in recent memory, because now, they do not need to beat you with just the longball.
Final Grade: A-

Overall:
This was another great season for the Red Sox. However, it just wasn't their year to go deep into the playoffs, because once the Angels defeated their two best starters to go up 2-0, you just knew that the fat lady had sung on their season. Their rotation is stronger heading into 2010with the arrival of John Lackey, but will they continue to put up enough runs now that Bay is gone, Holliday's off the market, and Ortiz is declining? We shall see.
Final Grade: A-

Check back soon for the report card on the Los Angeles Dodgers!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 26- Philadelphia Phillies

I would like to offer you my most sincere apologies for not being here with you during the past couple of days. As many of you may know, it is not the easiest thing in the world updating this blog everyday, but I still love doing this nonetheless because I love baseball!

Anyway, without further adieu, I bring you the report card for the National League Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies:
Record: 93-69 (National League East Champions, and National League Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Shane Victorino (.292)
Home Runs: Ryan Howard (45)
RBIs: Ryan Howard (141)
On-base Percentage: Chase Utley (.397)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Jamie Moyer (12)
ERA: J.A. Happ (2.93). Bullpen- Scott Eyre (1.50).
Strikeouts: Cole Hamels (168)
Innings Pitched: Joe Blanton (195.1)
WHIP: Cliff Lee (1.13)
Saves: Brad Lidge (31)

Highlight of the Season: Clobbering the Dodgers at home 10-4 on October 21, to advance to their second-consecutive World Series.

Lowlight of the Season: Losing to the Yankees 7-3 on November 4, to lose the World Series.

The Lowdown:
The Phils were back at it once again in 2009, bringing their high-powered offense and solid pitching with them en route to their second-consecutive National League Pennant. Their offense seemed even stronger this year with the addition of Raul Ibanez as a free agent, replacing left fielder Pat Burrell. Then, near the trading deadline, the Phils acquired left-hander Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians, in exchange for prospects. Once the Phils made this trade, they were seemingly invincible to the rest of the National League, as they won their division by a comfortable margin, and took the NL Pennant with ease, dispatching the Rockies in four games and the Dodgers in five during the postseason. Their only nemesis that stood between them and their second-consecutive World Title was the New York Yankees, another offensive juggernaut that won 103 games during the regular season. However, back-to-back championships were not in the works for the Fightin' Phils, as they fell to the Yankees in six games. Let's take a look at the 2009 National League Champions, beginning with their offense.

Offense:
You won't get too much of an argument from baseball fans if you say that the Phillies have the best offense in the National League, and probably all of baseball. Their lineup one through eight has enough muscle in it to make just about any pitcher tremble in their shoes. They have a blend of speed (Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Utley, and Jayson Werth each had over 20 steals), power (Howard, Werth, Ibanez and Utley each had over 30 homers) and contact hitting (Victorino and Utley each hit over .280) within their lineup to make things incredibly difficult for the opposition. Despite the power totals, this team can still beat you in many different ways, as evidenced in their stolen base leaders.

The most difficult question of them all could possibly be this: Just who exactly was their best (or most important) hitter in 2009? Was it Ryan Howard, who put up another MVP-caliber season by hitting .275, with 45 home runs and 141 RBIs? Could it be Chase Utley, who- as a second baseman, no less- hit .282, with 31 homers and 93 RBIs, to go along with 23 steals and a team high .397 on-base percentage? Maybe it could be Jayson Werth, who put up a relatively quiet 36 home runs and 99 RBIs, along with 20 steals himself? Or could it be Raul Ibanez, who hit 34 home runs and drove in 93? I'll let you decide for yourself.

Possibly the only downfall of their lineup this year was the lack of production from Jimmy Rollins, who hit a dismal .250, to go along with an equally horrific .296 on-base percentage. However, center fielder Shane Victorino picked up the slack for him, as he hit .292 in the lead-off spot. Rollins' lack of production this year was only a minor bump in the road for the Phils though, as they had more than enough offense to make up for it.

Overall, Philadelphia finished fourth in runs scored (820), fifth in doubles (312), tied for second in home runs (224), and finished 14th in on-base percentage (.334). The only thing that they did not do well as a whole was hit for average, as they tied for 22nd in that category (.258). They can be forgiven for that minor transgression though, seeing as they have one of the most dynamic and exciting offenses in baseball.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
Before the arrival of Cliff Lee on July 29, it was fairly noticeable to many following baseball that the Phillies' pitching had slipped a bit from 2008. Staff ace Cole Hamels had a sub-par year by his standards, as he finished 10-11, with a 4.32 ERA. This was down considerably from his stellar 2008 campaign, when he went 14-10, with a 3.09 ERA. Along with this, Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer were mediocre-to-below-average in the rotation themselves, as they finished with ERAs of 4.05 and 4.94, respectively. Their decent won-loss records (Blanton 12-8, Moyer 12-10) were only salvaged by the team's explosive offense. In any event, Moyer's season was bad enough for him to get demoted to the bullpen in favor of Pedro Martinez, who they signed after the All-Star Break.

It turned out to be the right move for the Phils, as Pedro proved to be a big shot in the arm for the team down the stretch. He started nine games during the season, and he proved to be pretty sharp in that time span, finishing with a 5-1 record, to go along with a 3.63 ERA. He wasn't the only shot in the arm for the Phils though, as they also received an outstanding performance from left-handed rookie J.A. Happ. The 27-year-old Northwestern alum was pretty sharp himself during the season, finishing 12-4, with a 2.93 ERA, along with a solid WHIP of 1.23. These numbers were obviously good enough to warrant Rookie of the Year consideration, and it came as a relative surprise to many when he did not win it, considering that he played on an outstanding team in a major market.

Lefty Cliff Lee came through big for the Phils in the second half, as he was the biggest difference-maker on this staff last year by far. In 12 starts with the team, he was fantastic, going 7-4, with a 3.39 ERA, along with an impressive WHIP of 1.13. He ended up carrying the staff during the second half, as he helped give the Phils a final surge to win their third straight NL East crown.

The bullpen was mediocre at best in 2009, as Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson were arguably the two best relievers on the team. Eyre would finish with an impressive 1.50 ERA in 42 appearances this season, while Madson was the jack-of-all-trades bullpen-wise, finishing with a 3.26 ERA in 79 appearances, while recording 10 saves and 26 holds. His save total came as a result of briefly replacing Brad Lidge as the closer, since Lidge fell considerably from his 2008 success. Lidge, despite recording 31 saves, also recorded a ghastly 11 blown saves, and a bloated ERA of 7.21. It is a testament to just how strong this team is as a whole that they managed to survive Lidge's woes throughout 2009, as the inability to close out games has crushed some teams in the past.

Overall, Philly finished eighth in ERA (4.16), 24 in runs allowed (709), 28th in walks (489), and tied for 18th in on-base percentage (.265). You would think that mediocre performances from some of the most important people on the staff would drag the team's numbers down, but this is truly a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts this year.
Final Grade: B+

Wild Card: Four 30-homer-men
Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Chase Utley became the first quartet of players on the same team to go deep at least 30 times each since the White Sox turned the trick in 2006, when Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede pulled it off. They also were the first National League team to accomplish this since 2004, when Moises Alou, Aramis Ramirez, Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee pulled it off for the Cubs. They are only the 12th team in MLB history to reach this milestone, as Chase Utley was the last to join the 30 homer club, drilling his 30th in D.C. on September 8. An impressive feat from an impressive team.
Final Grade: A

Overall:
Failing to win the World Series last year will only motivate this team heading into this year. With the addition of Roy Halladay, this team is locked in and ready to go, as they will attempt to become the first National League team since the 1942-1944 Cardinals to win three consecutive pennants. The bigger question heading into 2010 won't be who will make the World Series out of the NL, rather, who will be good enough to unseat Philadelphia?
Final Grade: A+

Check back soon for the report card on the Boston Red Sox!