April 5, 2010 will mark the return to the world of baseball of the Boston Red Sox, no the team never left they just suffered a lot of setbacks last season. Those setbacks are now a thing of the past and as a result there is a new found energy that is coming from the locker room of the Red Sox. They feel that this will be their year to make an impression on the world of baseball. This impression will be the key to the Red Sox getting back to their former winning ways.

Now we all know the importance that a strong bullpen will play when it comes to making the best out of a baseball game. The bullpen is where things either go good for you, or where you are made to be miserable when playing the game.

Beyond there needing to be a strong starter, there will also need to be several other players that will be able to close out for the Red Sox. These closer are a part of the team that many people tend to overlook when talking about the power that they can offer the team. These closers will need to be in place in order to make sure that the Red Sox win their games.

There will need to be a lot more in the way of offense than just great pitching that will make the team one of the more dominant forces on the field this season, the Red Sox will need their big hitters to step up and bring the heat, these players will be the heart and soul of getting the team out there and making the big plays. The more power that the hitters bring, the more of a force that the Red Sox will be on the ground.

The Red Sox have the infield and the outfield covered on all bases, there will not be many plays that will get past them, last season the team led the MLB in the most double plays for the year. This great field play will be the key in getting the team to make the plays that will shut the offense of other teams completely down.

The Red Sox have what is considered in baseball to be one of the best infields in the entire baseball world. There is rarely a play that gets past the Red Sox and as a result keeps the other teams from scoring several runs as a result. This is the one area of the team that needs little to no work. This is the strongest part of the teams entire defense. This is why Boston in a lot of people’s eyes this season is destined to do great things on the field.

The power that will be heading to the plate this season will be some of the strongest that has played for Boston is a long while. There will be a lot of players this season that will be aiming for the outside of the park when they hit their balls. This will as a result lead to several home runs that the opposing pitcher will just have to stand a watch. Expect to receive a souvenir anytime you head out to a Red Sox game this season. This will be a season of home runs for the team.

No matter what you may want to think about the team this season, there will be little doubt that the team will be able to compete with the best of teams this year. There will be a lot of teams this season that will need to have a back up plan when it comes to playing against the Red Sox this season.

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When October comes around this year, one of two things will happen, first the Braves will be sitting at home watching the playoffs, or two they will be giving Bobby Cox the best send off as a manager that they can with a World Series win.

Now if the previous years are an indicator as to what kind of season to expect then there will be a long year ahead of them. Now there is a little bit of hope, that the Braves can try to aspire for in this the final season for Bobby Cox. Now is not a good time to be a fan of the Braves. There are several reasons for this and here they are.

So let’s see what there is i the way of pitching power in the bullpen, That was a quick inventory, there is a bunch of players that are either prone to injury, or are too young to even know all that Bobby Cox has forgotten about baseball. I will be honest here, there is a better chance of Bobby Cox being a good pitcher for the Braves than some of the prospects that there are now.

So there is a severe lack of a starting pitcher that is capable of getting the job done from the mound. Well maybe there is a closer that can seal the deal. One that note you strike out as well. There is not a closer that will be able to make up for the lack of leadership in the bull pen.

Now let’s look at the hitting of a baseball. This is one area that the team seems to also have a lot of trouble in getting the job done. Maybe the Braves need to go back to the basics that we all learned in tee ball, aim for the ball and hit it with your bat. I have no idea as to why this concept escapes the team, there is no reason why the Braves should struggle in the hitting department. I say let’s give Bobby Cox a chance to hit the ball, after all this is as good of a chance as any other player will have. Maybe he would actually do better.

Now there is a glimmer of hope when it comes to the infield, there are a few players that appear to be working out in the infield positions, this will be the only saving grace for the team. This will be the items that will help to make the team a lot more powerful when it comes to scoring runs and winning games.

I don’t want to go so far as saying that the Atlanta Braves are a bad baseball team, there is just a lot of work on the team that no amount of spring training will be able to work off. There will need to be a small miracle when it comes to the Braves reaching the Post season, if all else fails then maybe Bobby Cox can strap up and show these young players how the game is supposed to be played.

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The Ohio State University is proud to be represented by the Ohio State Buckeyes in its baseball games and tournaments. The baseball program was initiated in 1882 and since then, the Ohio State Buckeyes has consistently managed to perform for the University.

The Ohio State Buckeyes has been coached by hall of fame coach Bob Todd. He has been coaching the baseball team for the Ohio State Buckeyes for at least 20 years now and still going strong. Even though baseball was not that strong game, the Ohio State Buckeyes have made a significant amount of progress during their playing years.

They have been known to take part in a number of competitions which included the National Championships, CWS, NCCA Tournament and the Conference Tournament Champions. Despite being criticized about not being able to produce enough quality star players, there are a selected few that have made it through.

The Bill Davis Stadium has always been witness to the Ohio State Buckeyes’ home games. The stadium can hold a roaring crowd of up to 5,500 people. The team can easily be set apart from its rivals because of its distinctive colors, Scarlet and Grey.

Ohio State Buckeyes has also produced some top quality players who have found their way in major league baseball. Some players include Nick Swisher, Steve Arlin, and Frank Howard.

Another player that made it to major league through the Ohio State Buckeyes was Steve Arlin. Steve was born on September 25th, 1945. He played his debut game for the San Diego Padres on June 17th, 1969. He had some amazing career statistics before he retired. Being a pitcher, he was able to maintain an earned run average of 4.33 and a pitching record of 34-67.

His total amount of strike outs achieved was 463. He did change his team in the final year of his career where he moved to the Cleveland Indians. His final performance was on September 14th, 1974.

Another remarkable player was Frank Howard, born on August 8, 1936. He made it to the major league baseball scene when he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 10, 1958. He also played for the Washington Senators, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and the Taiheiyo Club Lions. His 15-year career ended on his last game for the Detroit Tigers on September 30, 1973.

Swisher, Arlin and Howard are just some of the Ohio State Buckeyes players that made it big in the major league tournaments. With such a rich historical record, and a reputable coach, the Ohio State Buckeyes is surely on its journey to success and victory.

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Few teams have been looking to the start of the 2010 baseball like the San Diego Padres have been. Putting the miserable season of 2009 behind them and getting a fresh start is just what the doctor ordered. Everyone starts out with a fresh slate on opening day and the Padres will look to star to turn their organization around.

While San Diego may not win a championship or even a division this season, there is reason for the fans to start to get a buzz again. This team has some players and if they can avoid the funk that they slipped into last season, they are going to give plenty of teams in the league a battle whenever they take the field.

Starting pitching is usually the anchor of any good team. While Peavy may be gone, Chris Young will be expected to pick up the slack. There is no denying the fact that he had an off 2009 season, but there is a solid history of good seasons for him to fall back on and try to build 2010 around. After all, he won close to 30 games total in 2006 and 2008. This is an even numbered year so if the trend continues he will have a great season this year.

Heath Bell is the one arm that the Padres know will stand up to any team. He converted close to 90% of his saves last season and will be expected to do the same this year. The team will need to get to him even more this season if they are going to be competitive. To do this, they will have to produce offensively.

San Diego needs to get players across the plate and to do that this combination of veterans and young talent is going to have produce in every aspect. Adrian Gonzalez is their big slugger, but players like Eckstein and Hairston need to show these young guys how it is done. If they can lead and the youngsters heed their advice, who knows what can happen.

Looking at the opening schedule will show that San Diego will have to step it up right away. Fans are going to see some of the best teams in baseball right away and this is where San Diego needs to shine. They may catch some of these giants lying back a little and if they do, they can rip off some huge wins.

Every new season brings about a fresh start and the Padres need to make the most of this one. This is their chance to get their fans back behind them and once again show how great of a baseball town San Diego can be. The start will be the key and it would be nice to see that stadium filled up in the middle of July as the Padres start ticking off some wins.

By Jake Kohler, article sponsored by TicketSeating.com. TicketSeating.com sells San Diego Padres Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and more to your favorite events around the world.

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The New York Yankees climbed to glory once again and have set the bar in the American League East. The Baltimore Orioles struggled a bit last season and have made some moves to once again compete for the division. While they will have to have a few players put up some career numbers, it is not out of the question that they sneak in for the wild card in 2010.

Every team that made deep playoff runs over the last couple of seasons has had a lights out bullpen. Baltimore chose to make this a primary focus and they look to be stacked for 2010. This may actually be the strong point of this ballclub.

The fact of the matter is that Baltimore will probably cut bullpen pitchers this spring that would be studs on other teams. This is a great problem to have because the quality of pitching fans will see is going to be incredible. This monster bullpen should be the reason that Baltimore gets off to a hot start this season.

It is no secret that starting pitching suffers in the beginning of the season. Most big armed pitchers start slow and take a month or so to get into their groove. It is not uncommon for starters to get yanked after five or six innings in the early going. If the Orioles bullpen holds serve and their offense can take advantage of the weaker clubs pitching, they will put up some wins.

The Orioles are going to be given every chance to get off to a hot start too as they open the season against Tampa Bay, Toronto and then swing out West before coming home to face the Red Sox. They have 16 games in 16 days against opponents that they should beat. If they can get momentum into that first meeting with Boston, look out.

The bolster the starting rotation, Baltimore signed Kevin Millwood. He is coming off a very nice year and looks to be back to the form that had Philadelphia drooling over him years ago. With him taking over the role of the number one starter, every pitcher in this rotation will benefit and should see better matchups.

If Baltimore fans were looking for a reason to get back to the ballpark, they finally have it. This team will contend and fan support will be what they need to get them over the hump. How can you not get excited about seeing the Yankees and Red Sox come to town in April? Get loud because this is their chance to make a mark and set the tone for the entire season.

Written by Heather Maxwell, sponsored by Stub.com. Stub.com sells Baltimore Orioles Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and many more tickets to your favorite events around your area.

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While 91 wins is a great season, losing in the wild card round of the playoffs makes that a secondary achievement. While you know someone has to lose, a team that is as stacked as the Cardinals is a complete surprise when they get swept under the rug. Not taking anything away from the Dodgers, but that was hardly the best effort that the St. Louis Cardinals put out all season.

The Cardinals are a team that is built for success. They have some of the best talent in baseball and match up well against every team that they will play. Being considered the favorite for the division is pretty much automatic; however, the division is not what this team has in mind.

The starting rotation is extremely impressive as any of their top 4 starters would probably be an Ace or number two on any team. How many rotations can claim that they have four pitchers that have won at least 15 games in a single season? While some of these pitchers are crafty veterans, there is also the likes of Wainwright, who is in his prime.

The talent continues into the bullpen where Ryan Franklin takes center stage. This is another product of the Seattle farm system that was once stocked like a brook in the middle of trout season. After struggling as a starter, he found his role in the bullpen and has excelled to what everyone knew he could be.

He is a perfect example of someone needed a change of scenery as the moment that he went to St. Louis, something just started to click for him. The second part of 2008 was incredible and he carried that right into 2009 and put up some of the best numbers in the league. He is still relatively young and the Cardinals can turn the ball over to him in good faith.

If you are talking about offense in St. Louis you have to be talking about Pujols. Here is a ballplayer that has lit up the league from day one and is actually averaging just over 40 home runs for each of his 9 seasons in the majors. He will surely surpass the 400 mark in the second half of this season and there are plenty more to hit after that.

It is not as though St. Louis fans need a reason to get to the ballpark, but they definitely have one. The starting rotation will probably win close to 80 games by themselves and if the bullpen can hold the games close when they get the ball, St. Louis can easily win close to 100 games this season. Get your gear and get your tickets St. Louis fans because October and November baseball is in your future.

Written by Jake Kohler, article sponsored by TicketSeating.com. TicketSeating.com sells St. Louis Cardinals Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and more to your favorite events around the world.

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While there are plenty of teams that would kill to finish second place, that will simply not do for the Chicago Cubs. They always seem to get close and then an injury or a cold streak comes around to kill the season. They are looking to break that trend in 2010 and have made some pretty big moves in order to make that happen.

One of the things to be most excited about is the addition of Greg Maddux to the front office of the team. Being one of the most dominant pitchers of his time, one can only imagine the impact that he will have on this pitching staff. He was one of the best control pitchers in recent history and should be able to improve the performance of every person on that team that takes the mound.

While everyone is surely excited to have him there, imagine the young pitchers knowing that they now have Maddux to go to for advice. Even the coach has said that he wants to sit him down and talk to him! Looking back at the success that Piniella has had over the years, that is a pretty hefty compliment.

Going back to the days of Dave Kingman, Cubs fans have always been treated to a big offensive machine in Chicago. The lineup that they feature this year will give more than one opposing pitcher indigestion. When you add the speed of Fukedome, Theriot and Byrd, it is an absolute nightmare for opposing teams.

The Chicago Cubs are also going to have a solid pitching staff once again. Zambrano will lead the way, but the big question mark this season is going to be Ted Lilly. Coming off of an off-season surgery, the Cubs will need every one of the 12 wins that he provided last season and more. If he can have the ERA of 2009 along with the strikeout total from 2008, he will be a candidate for the Cy Young.

The season will start out on the road for Chicago, but they come home pretty early and have a couple of nice series for the fans to see. Milwaukee and Houston should be very beatable and fans are sure to get their money’s worth with these tickets. Look for a lot of balls to be leaving the park in those games.

2010 should provide quite a bit of excitement for the Chicago Cubs fans. A legend joins the front office and a great team will hit the field from top to bottom. The pitching staff should be able to shut teams down and the offense will be stealing bases and knocking the ball out of the yard. What more could you ask?

By Heather Maxwell, sponsored by Stub.com. Stub.com sells Chicago Cubs Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and many more tickets to just about any event in your area.

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The 2009 baseball season was not kind to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but they have been very aggressive in the off-season in trying to rectify that situation. They have made some major moves and are giving fans every reason to believe that they can once again represent their city and fans in the playoffs in 2010.

While Eric Byrnes was a major factor in their success in 2007, he seemingly dropped off the face off the earth over the last two seasons and the Arizona Diamondbacks have lost patience and are allowing him to try and get untracked with another team. The fans will not miss his .218 AVG over the last two years, a far cry from the .286 he hit in ’07.

In order to get the offense back on track, the Arizona Diamondbacks have signed Adam LaRoche of the Atlanta Braves. The 30 year old popped 25 home runs last year and hit .270 and there is every reason to believe that both of those numbers will climb dramatically. The new ballpark and lineup should allow him to have a career year and lead the Diamondbacks back to glory.

The entire key to the new season will be how well Brandon Webb recovers from his surgery last year. Pitching all of four innings in 2009, the team was dealt a horrible blow when he went down. Up until the point, he had improved every season and is young enough that the general consensus was that he would continue to get better. Time will tell on this one.

If we assume that Webb is going to be 100%, Arizona has a pretty impressive 1-2 punch. Haren will follow him up and could put up 20 wins as the number two starter on this team. Players are going to be on their heels against this combo and having them together in the rotation equals a lot of wins in 2010.

The bullpen is lead by closer Chad Qualls and he is another player that is set up to have a huge year. With Webb back in there, he is going to see a lot more save opportunities during the season. While he only saw 29 save attempts last season, that number could very well climb to 50 this year. He would be a nice addition to any fantasy team looking for a dark horse closer.

If Arizona Diamondback fans are looking for a reason to head back to the ballpark, they have it. Webb’s return should get this team back above .500 and could very well put them in a solid playoff position. Their division will be a highly contested one and that means lots of exciting days at the old ballpark.

Written by Heather Maxwell, article sponsored by Stub.com. Stub.com sells Arizona Diamondbacks Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and many more tickets to your favorite events around the world.

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Cincinnati stepped up big by signing Aroldis Chapman. He is a Cuban player who defected last year and that many teams were in the running for. Cincinnati committed early and stayed true to their cause and they were rewarded by getting his signature on a contract. Hopefully, this kid will live up to the hype and once again breathe life into this franchise.

The bullpen of the Cincinnati Reds has been steady for years and this year will be no different. Cordero is a solid closer and with Burton finally signed, they have a very potent late inning staff. If the ball can get to these guys with a lead, they can more than likely close it down and get the win.

Of course, the question that is on everyone’s mind is who is going to get it to them. The reality of the starting rotation is that it is loaded with players that have a lot of talent, but have never seemed to get it focused. Harang is the ideal example as he can be lights out one day and then get knocked around the next. While this is not the Atlanta Braves rotation, it can be respectable if they play to their potential.

One of the keys of the offense is going to rest on young Jay Bruce. There was quite a bit of hype about him when he first came up in 2008 and after starting off hot, he tailed off and finished the season with a .254 AVG and 21 HRs. He still hit 22 HRs last season, but his average tailed off dramatically. He is flat out going to have to step it up for this club to be successful.

Hopefully, he is past the sophomore jinx and will put up huge numbers this season. He has made several appearances throughout the off season and looks be relaxed and ready to get back on the baseball field. If his production level matches his attitude, Cincinnati fans are going to have plenty to cheer about this season.

One way to make sure that the Reds get off to a quick start will be to get into those seats and show them a lot of support right from day one. A team this young is going to need a little support and the only way to do that is to be there in person and keep them pumped up. Who knows, that little push may be all they need to start a huge run.

By Heather Maxwell, article sponsored by Stub.com. Stub.com sells Cincinnati Reds Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and more to just about any event in the world.

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The days of Red Sox fans having to suffer disappointment after disappoint have been over for quite some time, but you wouldn’t know it from the talk around town these days. They put in another solid season last year, but the World Series is where the Boston Red Sox fans expect to see this team every year.

Most teams would be going nuts over a 95 win season, but it was not enough to get the job done in 2009 for the Boston Red Sox. While the wild card was never in doubt, one can only imagine what kind of post season success they would have had with home field advantage. A minor tweaking is all that was needed and fans will see pretty much the same team take the field this year.

The one thing that the Boston Red Sox wanted to do was shore up the middle of the infield. They did this quite nicely with the pickup of Marco Scutaro. If he could score 100 runs in Toronto, we can only imagine what he will do in Bean Town. This will give Boston even more production and see them score even more runs than last year.

The lineup that hits the field every night will be one of the best in baseball and a lot of fun to watch. While the long ball is great to watch, stolen bases add excitement add another dimension to a team. With Ellsbury likely to steal a base every time he gets on, pitchers will be serving up a lot of fastballs to the rest of the team.

Fans want to see the offense, but the pitching that Boston runs out there each night is going to win a lot of games. It is a nice feature to not have to worry about scoring 6 or more runs in order to get a win. Lester will lead them off this season and if he doesn’t get 20 wins it will be a crime.

The season is exciting right off the bat as the first home series will have the World Champion New York Yankees in town for a split 3 game set. While that should be enough to get fans fired up and in the seats, they should really be happy about the rest of the month as the schedule is begging Boston to finish April with close to 20 wins.

You want excitement? Well this season is going to have plenty of it! The ballpark should be packed every day and if tickets aren’t secured soon, they are going to be awfully hard to come by. Fan support will be like having an extra man on the field and that may be all they need to knock the Yankees around in Fenway.

By Heather Maxwell, sponsored by Stub.com. Stub.com sells Boston Red Sox Tickets, MLB Tickets, Sports Tickets and many more tickets to your favorite events around your area.

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