"Where did you learn to climb like that?" "The Pacific Northwest!"

Ah March in Florida. Everyday is between 75 and 80 degrees, the Canadians are heading back north where they belong, and Opening Day is just around the corner. It’s almost here! For the last four and a half weeks we Sunshine Staters have been swept up in Spring Training frenzy. Just the other day I saw a group of teenagers wearing t-shirts that read “SPRING FEVER” and the 2010 Marlins batting practice caps. Yes, in a dozen days our passion for exhibition ball is rewarded with meaningful games for the next six (and hopefully seven) months.
Ok. Nobody down here gives a rip about Spring Training. Those games are full of snowbirds, tourists who plan their vacations around their favorite teams, and... um... the stadiums aren’t full people. But if there was ever a year for Florida fans to be looking forward to the regular season, shouldn’t it be 2010? When have the Marlins AND the Rays both been considered preseason contenders? At that, fans of the states two favorite teams have to be feeling good too. For those who may not know, Florida has more Yankees and Braves fans than those of the home teams. Those were the teams who played on television and radio before Bud Selig wrongly assumed professional baseball would work here. I have been meaning to provide the Flop Faithful with my insights and predictions on all things MLB, so here it is. The humbled return of pReedictions.

Part 1. AL West
1. Mariners 92-70

No East Coast bias here! From a fans perspective, can a team have a better off-season than Seattle just did? Trading for the most dominant left handed pitcher of the last two seasons, signing your division rival’s speedy 2nd baseman (providing the quickest 1-2 punch in all of baseball), and Ryan Garko! Yes it should be a fun summer in the Pacific Northwest. When this team does make the playoffs, which other team can say with a straight face they want to face King Felix and Cliff Lee back-to-back in a five or seven game series?

2. Rangers 87-75
The Rangers have quietly put together a great young pitching staff to compliment their always dangerous offense. I watched personally last year as Tommy Hunter shut down the Indians with his off speed pitches. Where else but BallFlop do you get the West Coast analysis first and Tommy Hunter praise!? Rich Harden joins Hunter, Scott Feldman, and Brandon McCarthy on a pitching staff that will keep the Rangers bats from having to score in the double digits to earn a W. Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler could be talked about as the best middle infield in the game by seasons end. Ron Washington has been said to have been giving some fiery, overly energitic, pre-game speeches of late, that has to be good for something.

3. Angels 78-84

How many years in a row do we need to see this pitching staff fall just short and the front office do nothing to address it over the winter? Now Lackey’s gone and Joel Pineiro comes from the National League to take his place. Hideki Matsui replaces Vladi Guererro which is like me crashing my Grand Marquis in high school, taking the insurance check and buying another Grand Marquis, but with less results. If Kendri Morales is unable to repeat his ‘09 performance this team will struggle to put many runs on the board.

4. Athletics 68-94

A fall from grace from the once great Billie Bean. I’m not going to pretend to know much about the A’s. But when your major off-season additions are Coco Crisp and Ben Sheets I know times are tough. 68 wins. 94 loses.