2014 MLB Preview

So Budweiser is petitioning to make opening day in Major League Baseball an official national holiday. As of March 21^st, the St. Louis brewing company had the required 100,000 signatures to bring the petition before the White House. The question now is how the administration will respond. Even though he can’t name any of the team’s players, our commander-in-chief is a huge Chicago White Sox fan, so we have that going for us. Plus who doesn't deserve another day off from work? While we’re at it, why not make the Monday after the Super Bowl and the first Friday of March Madness national holidays too? Sign me up.

In all honestly, I can appreciate what Budweiser is trying to do. The first day of the baseball season is a special day many people look forward to every year. It marks the beginning of spring, and thousands of fans across the country skip work anyway to go to the ballpark. It would recognize and celebrate America’s pastime. Most importantly, every team is given a clean slate entering the new season, where anything is possible.

The Boston Red Sox proved that last year, coming out of nowhere to win the World Series. Nobody (including this writer) could have predicted what they did. They had the right chemistry, good pitching led by a solid bullpen, were well managed, and stayed healthy. Things just fell into the right place.

Can the Red Sox repeat their magical season from 2013? According to recent history, probably not. No team has repeated as World Series champions since the New York Yankees in 2000. So with that logic, who has the best chance to be playing in late October? Along with Boston there are several quality teams that can make a postseason run in October, including Detroit, Oakland, Tampa Bay, Washington, St. Louis, the Dodgers and San Francisco. It might be a team that nobody expects and catches fire like the Red Sox last year. And regardless what happens with the petition for Opening Day, it’s always a good excuse to grab some Bud heavies. What’s more American than that?

American League

Division Winners: Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics

Wild Card Winners: Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays

American League Champion: Detroit Tigers

A.L. MVP: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

A.L. Cy Young: Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers

A.L. Rookie of the Year: Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox

National League

Division Winners: Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers

Wild Card Winners: Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants

National League Champion: Washington Nationals

N.L. MVP: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals

N.L. Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

N.L. Rookie of the Year: Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati Reds

World Series: Washington Nationals over Detroit Tigers

A.L. East (Projected Finish)

1. Boston Red Sox

2. Tampa Bay Rays

3. New York Yankees

4. Baltimore Orioles

5. Toronto Blue Jays

Koji Uehara

The New York Yankees are up to their same old tricks. Spend, spend and spend some more. They invested heavily in Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and newcomer Masahiro Tanaka. It’s no doubt that the Yankees have improved, but if last year proved anything it’s that big spending doesn’t always lead to a playoff spot. Tanaka has the makings of a future ace, but their hopes will still be riding on C.C. Sabathia, who’s ERA, win totals and velocity have declined over the past three seasons. He will have to stay healthy and be a reliable number one starter if the Yankees are going to contend in an already competitive division. Tampa Bay is one of the current models of success in baseball by developing talent through their farm system. Both the Rays and the Red Sox are bringing back similar rosters that met in last year's division series, but the champs losing table setter Ellsbury might dip into their run production. The Sox still own one of the best bullpens in baseball anchored by hidden gem Koji Uehara, which made a huge difference last October. If their pitching can hold up, Boston holds a slight edge over Tampa in the division.

A.L. Central

1. Detroit Tigers

2. Kansas City Royals

3. Cleveland Indians

4. Chicago White Sox

5. Minnesota Twins

Miguel Cabrera

Last season the Cleveland Indians surprised everyone by winning their last ten games to clinch the second wild-card spot. A lot of Cleveland’s success can be contributed to first year skipper and A.L. Manager of the Year Terry Francona, who should have the Indians competing for the playoffs again with a young and talented starting rotation. In Cleveland's way are the Kansas City Royals, who bolstered their first winning record last year since 2003. Their young offensive core is a year older and more experienced, and new additions Norichika Aoki and Omar Infante at the top of the lineup should increase their run production. The division still belongs to the Detroit Tigers, who have two time reigning MVP Miguel Cabrera and aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. They have a new manager in Braud Ausmus, but this group has enough talent to win their fourth straight division title and make another deep playoff run.

A.L. West

1. Oakland Athletics

2. Texas Rangers

3. Los Angeles Angels

4. Seattle Mariners

5. Houston Astros

Yu Darvish

The Angels own some of the biggest offensive names in baseball with Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton. But after Jared Weaver and C.J. Wilson, the rest of their rotation falls off. The Rangers should see an increase in their offensive production by bringing in Shin-Soo Choo and Prince Fielder into an already potent lineup. They have one of the best aces in Yu Darvish, but after that their starting pitching is a big question mark. Darvish will need the rest of the rotation to keep opposing runs in check in hitter friendly Arlington for Texas to compete for the playoffs. Oakland has a similar small-market model to Tampa Bay, winning on pitching depth and wise spending. It helps that they play the lowly Houston Astros nineteen times during the regular season, but their strong bullpen should keep them in games. Manager Bud Melvin will have them competing for their third straight division title.

N.L. East

1. Washington Nationals

2. Atlanta Braves

3. New York Mets

4. Philadelphia Phillies

5. Miami Marlins

Stephen Strasburg

Due to injuries and age, veterans Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies have seen their plate appearances and production slip since their 2008 World Series title. The Phillies also lost work horse and ace Roy Holliday to retirement. Utley and Howard are entering the season healthy, but bringing in veteran A.J. Burnett to the rotation with Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels will not be enough to compete for the division. The Mets are heading in the right direction, but losing Matt Harvey to Tommy John surgery last year did not help. That leaves the Braves and the Nationals. The Braves are definitely young and talented, but losing starters Brandon Beachy, Kris Medlen and Mike Minor to injuries opens the door for the Nats, who underachieved last year before finishing the season 26-12. Washington has one of the top starting rotations in baseball, and if Stephen Strasburg can throw 200 innings for the first time in his career, then the Nationals will have the opportunity to play deep into October.

N.L. Central

1. St. Louis Cardinals

2. Cincinnati Reds

3. Pittsburgh Pirates

4. Milwaukee Brewers

5. Chicago Cubs

Andrew McCutchen

The Pittsburgh Pirates finally broke their playoff drought after a dismal twenty-one years, and MVP Andrew McCutchen and N.L. Manager of the year Clint Hurdle should have the Pirates competing again. With a healthy Johnny Cueto returning to a starting rotation with Mat Latos and Homer Bailey, the Reds have a slight edge in pitching though. Rookie of the year candidate Billy Hamilton is a speedster on the base paths, and should add to an already talented offense. But the Cardinals have the same team returning that made it to the World Series last year. Their depth at pitching and experience should lead them to a division title and another playoff appearance.

N.L. West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2. San Francisco Giants

3. San Diego Padres

4. Arizona Diamondbacks

5. Colorado Rockies

Clayton Kershaw

Both the Dodgers and the Giants have a chance to compete for the division this season. San Francisco added reliable starter Tim Hudson to their rotation. If Tim Lincecum can return to his Cy Young form, then the Giants have four quality starters that also includes Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner. The Dodgers though have one of the most potent offenses in baseball if Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp can all stay healthy. Yasiel Puig is one of the most dynamic players that baseball has seen in a while, and could be a break out candidate in his first full season in the majors. It also helps when you have the best pitcher in baseball in reigning Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw. If all things go right for the Dodgers, they should win their second straight division title.   

A Eulogy for the Big East

If there’s one thing that this college basketball season can be remembered for, it’s the merry-go-round whirlwind of realignment. After the announcement in 2011, Syracuse and Pittsburgh finally have abandoned the Big East for the ACC, while Connecticut is now part of the new American Athletic Conference. As Memphis also joined this new conference, their old Conference USA went from twelve to sixteen teams. The once mighty Big East deflated from fifteen to ten teams, and the ACC has become stronger. Xavier, Butler and Temple have also parted ways with the Atlantic 10. For serious fans, the new Big East makes up a nice conference focused specifically on basketball. For the casual college basketball fan, it’s hard to keep track.

Being from Boston, I always felt the Big East was the best conference in college basketball. Until UMass made their run in the early 1990s, Boston College was the biggest and most consistent college basketball program in the area, and their roots were in the Big East (even though BC was one of the first teams to jump ship in 2003). This was all resonated in ESPN’s most recent 30 for 30 documentary Requiem for the Big East. 

The conference had some great rivalries over the years, with the core being Syracuse and Georgetown, which began in the early 1980s with Patrick Ewing’s Hoyas and Pearl Washington’s Orangemen. The conference tournament at Madison Square Garden was always a special event to look forward to, and every year it always seemed to have classic games with many memorable moments. Last season the Big East sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament. This year that number is cut in half. For this writer, it’s the sad end of an era.

As much as things have changed, the tournament is made up of many of the same familiar faces (Duke, Kansas) along with some surprises (Virginia, Wichita State). We all know that nothing is ever certain when filling out your bracket, and this year should be no different. If I can offer any advice, bet on teams that are playing well going into the tournament and as always, look out for those twelve seeds. As for my picks, I’m going with the Florida Gators over the Louisville Cardinals in the national championship. But before we get that far, let’s have a look at each region.

South

Player to Watch: Andrew Wiggins, Kansas

Most Intriguing First Round Matchup: Dayton vs. Ohio State

Most Anticipated Potential Matchup: Kansas vs. Florida

Team with the Best Chance to Ruin Your Bracket: New Mexico

The biggest question out of the South region is which Syracuse team will show up for the tournament. Is it the team that started off 25-0 or the one that finished the season 2-5? They have the potential to make a run to the Final Four or lose in the first round. I wouldn’t be surprised with either outcome. A team to keep an eye on is New Mexico, who cruised through the Mountain West tournament and has won eight of their last nine games. They could definitely provide problems for Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen. Overall this is Florida’s region to lose, who haven’t lost since the beginning of December. Coach Billy Donovan knows what it takes to win, and he should have the Gators in the Final Four and eventually playing for a national championship.

East

Player to Watch: Shabazz Napier, Connecticut

Most Intriguing First Round Matchup: Harvard vs. Cincinnati

Most Anticipated Potential Matchup: Michigan State vs. Virginia

Team with the Best Chance to Ruin Your Bracket: North Carolina

There are some tough teams in the region, beginning with the number one seed Virginia. They play defense as well as anybody, and won both the ACC regular season and tournament. Iowa State has the chance to go deep as well, with a high scoring offense that has won eleven of their last fourteen games. North Carolina has a chance to do some damage as well. Before losing the last two games of the season, the Tar Heels were winners of twelve straight, and they have regular season wins over Louisville, Kentucky, Michigan State and Duke. But one of my general rules for the tournament is never bet against Tom Izzo, who has been to the Final Four six times. The Spartans are coming off the Big 10 title, and should make their way to North Texas with a matchup against Florida.

West

Player to Watch: Doug McDermott, Creighton

Most Intriguing First Round Matchup: Oklahoma State vs. Gonzaga

Most Anticipated Potential Matchup: Creighton vs. Arizona

Team with the Best Chance to Ruin Your Bracket: Baylor

I can appreciate what Sports Illustrated was trying to do by recreating the classic 1977 Larry Bird cover with Doug McDermott. 

It’s obvious the McDermott can score, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. As good as he is, he’s never reached the Sweet Sixteen in three seasons. Could that all change this year? I think it does. The Bluejays toughest challenge will be Wisconsin, but behind McDermott, Creighton should move on to the Elite Eight. Similar to Florida, this is Arizona’s region to lose. The West has to be the weakest region in the tournament, and the Wildcats couldn’t have asked for a better draw to make a Final Four run. They’re biggest obstacle will be their second round game against either Gonzaga or Oklahoma State, but they should make it to North Texas.

Midwest

Player to Watch: Jabari Parker, Duke

Most Intriguing First Round Matchup: NC State vs. St. Louis

Most Anticipated Potential Matchup: Duke vs. Michigan

Team with the Best Chance to Ruin Your Bracket: Kentucky

Every year there’s a region that’s loaded. This year it’s the Midwest, with Duke, Michigan, Louisville and undefeated Wichita State. If the Shockers are going to continue their miraculous season towards a Final Four berth, they have the toughest road out of all the number one seeds. Going undefeated during the regular season is a remarkable task, but Wichita State didn’t play a ranked team all season in the Missouri Valley Conference, and I’m not about to jump on the bandwagon. I don’t see them advancing past the winner of Kentucky and Kansas State in the second round. Everyone is balking that Louisville is a four seed, and deservedly so. The defending champions are on a tear, winning their last five games by an average of twenty-nine points. This is definitely the toughest region, but Louisville has the talent to advance to the Final Four and eventually play for their second straight national championship.

And This Year's Oscar Goes To...

When I was growing up, my extended family used to take trips during the summer to Cape Cod. At any one time there could have been up to fifteen people crammed into one small house. My cousins and I used to go to the beach, ride bikes, and hound our parents to take us for ice cream every night. It was something I looked forward to every summer.

On one of these trips my father took my brother and I to see Ghostbusters. I remember coming back to the house and telling everyone how good and how funny it was. I couldn’t stop talking about it. When it was on during the early days of cable and HBO, it was one of the first movies I recorded on our new VCR. I must have watched it dozens of times over the years, and now it is part of my Blue-ray collection. I could probably recite most of the movie by heart. It is a timeless classic, and it will always stand out as one of the first movies I saw in the theater along with E.T., The Goonies and Return of the Jedi.

Although Dr. Egon Spengler does not have the same screen presence as Peter Venkman, or even Raymond Stantz for that matter, he is still an essential character in Ghostbusters. He is the analytical and reasonable voice amongst his colleagues that are seen for their frivolous and sometimes childlike demeanor. The actor that played Egon, Harold Ramis, passed away this past week from complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis. Ramis, similar to Egon and the other limited roles he played, was never in the forefront like many of his contemporaries, such as Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Chevy Chase, and John Candy. But along with Ghostbusters, Ramis had a hand in some of the most significant comedies of all time, including Animal House, Caddyshack, Stripes, and Groundhog Day. Even though Ramis flew under the radar, he should be remembered as one of the most influential and true voices in comedic cinema.  

While Ramis made us all laugh, he never won an Academy Award for his efforts. It’s very rare that comedies receive nominations, let alone win. Out of this year’s group of nominees, The Wolf of Wall Street is probably the only film that could be considered a comedy (although I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as that). Throw in some action (Captain Phillips), suspense (Gravity) and a whole lot of drama to make up the rest of the list. There’s some familiar faces to Oscar (Meryl Streep, Christian Bale), and some newcomers (Lupita Nyong’o, Barkhad Abdi). Sunday’s award show has all the makings of another glamorous night where rich and famous people praise one another by giving each other fancy trophies. So now that I kept you all in suspense, let’s move on to making picks in some of the major categories (once again, my apologies to best sound mixing).

Best Supporting Actress:

Sally Hawking – Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave

Julia Roberts – August: Osage County

June Squibb – Nebraska

I really got a kick out of June Squibb as Kate Grant, the honest and always frank wife of Bruce Dern’s Woody Grant. But this is a two way race, and possibly the closest this year, between Lawrence and Nyong’o. Lawrence took home the Golden Globe, and if she wins this year she’ll be the first performer to win back-to-back acting awards since Tom Hanks in 1994 and 1995. But like any acclaimed prize, it’s tough to repeat. I’m giving the edge to the first-timer Nyong’o.

Best Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips

Bradley Cooper – American Hustle

Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave

Jonah Hill – The Wolf of Wall Street

Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

Every year there’s a category where the winner is a no-brainer. Last year it was Daniel Day-Lewis for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln. This year there’s two. The first is Jared Leto, another first time nominee who plays an HIV-infected transgender prostitute at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. Leto, who hasn’t been in a film since 2009, lost 30 pounds for the role. Oscar tends to recognize performers for going through physical and gender transformations. We can thank the other nominees for showing up, but just like Day-Lewis last year this is Leto’s award to lose.

Best Actress

Amy Adams – American Hustle

Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock – Gravity

Judi Dench – Philomena

Meryl Streep – August: Osage County

Talk about prestige. Between these actresses, they combine for thirty-seven nominations and six trophies, and Adams is the only one that hasn’t won despite her four previous nominations. Regardless of all of the talent here, this is the second no-brainer category. The award belongs to Blanchett for her performance as a wealthy New York City trophy wife that has to deal with losing her fortune and social status. If anything she also has history on her side. Female roles in Woody Allen films have earned eleven nominations and produced five winners. This would also be Blanchett’s second Oscar.

Best Actor

Christian Bale – American Hustle

Bruce Dern – Nebraska

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave

Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club

Although all of these nominees are justified, it’s difficult to not see Tom Hanks here for his role in Captain Phillips, although in the end it wouldn’t have mattered. This is DiCaprio’s fourth nomination, and his dynamic performance as real-life con-artist Jordan Belfort might arguably be the best of his career. It would seem like Leo’s time has finally come. Unfortunately for DiCaprio there’s not an actor that has been on more of a hot streak than Matthew McConaughey. Going back to 2011, McConaughey has reached critical acclaim in his selected roles, including his cameo in The Wolf of Wall Street and now the brilliant True Detective. McConaughey, who also lost significant weight for the role, has been cleaning up the awards for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, and the accolades will continue on Sunday night. He’s certainly come a long way since his days as Wooderson.

Best Director

Alfonso Cuarón – Gravity

Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave

Alexander Payne – Nebraska

David O. Russell – American Hustle

Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street

I have to go with Cuarón here, although McQueen has a very good chance of taking the prize. Cuarón has been previously nominated for writing and editing categories, but this is his first for directing. And deservedly so. Gravity combines dazzling effects and an emotional story, beginning with its epic seventeen-minute opening shot. Mastering the technical aspects of the film gives the slight edge to Cuarón.

Best Picture

American Hustle

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers Club

Gravity

Her

Nebraska

Philomena

12 Years a Slave

The Wolf of Wall Street

The odds are that either Gravity or 12 Years a Slave is going to walk away with the night’s biggest award. I don’t see any of the other films sneaking in and pulling an off an upset. On paper, the two front runners couldn’t be more different. One takes place in space, the other in the pre-Civil War South. Gravity earned over $200 million at the box office, 12 Years a Slave has earned just under $50 million. The one similarity in both films is their themes of determination and survival. As groundbreaking as Gravity might be, the true-life story of Solomon Northup, a free black man sold into slavery and his struggle for freedom, is too overpowering to be ignored. Similar to previous winners such as Platoon and Schindler’s List, 12 Years a Slave can be devastating to watch, but it deserves our attention. When the night is over, the incredible and intense storytelling of 12 Years a Slave will come out on top over Gravity and its stunning visual effects.