The best time of the year—baseball season—officially begins on March 31st. The off-season leading up to the 2011 regular season was full of excitement and surprise. Two teams, the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, are believed to have had promising starts.
The Red Sox bolstered their line-up and bullpen, while the Phillies acquired the most sought after free agent: Cliff Lee. The front-runners campaigning for Cliff Lee during the whole off-season were the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers (Lee’s former team).
Then, out of nowhere, the Phillies signed Lee to a 5-year, $120 million contract. The Red Sox traded for Adrian Gonzalez, a position player they have been trying to acquire for over a year. Also, the Sox signed Carl Crawford, a player who has always been a thorn in the team’s heel.
It is safe to say that Boston and Philadelphia are the favorites to win their respective leagues. Teams that might surprise these favorites are the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox.
According to Tiger Times resident statistician Cale Ahearn, “The White Sox have a chance if Jake Peavy is healthy and if he pitches like he is capable of doing. If that all plays out, then they will have the pitching to compete with the Red Sox.”
Also, if Andy Pettitte returns from retirement, the New York Yankees have a chance to make it into the playoffs. As of now, the Yankees’ starting bullpen is not what it has been in previous seasons. Unless they trigger a mid-season trade, they are a definite underdog.
The Tiger Times 
Posted on March 4, 2011 by thetigertimes
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