The boys of summer are back

Ah, spring. The rain is falling, the grass is green, and the trees are beginning to bud. But while spring may mean warmer temperatures and shorter skirts, there's only one item the spring season brings that interests me -- the return of Major League Baseball. \nAfter a thrilling October, the 2004 season has quite a bit of hype to live up to. Here's how things look. \nThe American League East should have its name changed to the "it's not fair division." I haven't heard this much whining and crying since I took Jewel to the dentist. \nAll this stems from one of the most publicized off-seasons in history, as we awaited news on a possible A-Rod trade to Boston. The talks broke down, were rekindled, broke down, rekindled and broke down again before the Evil Empire that is the New York Yankees swooped in and snatched the Gold Glove shortstop. \nThat's when the bitching started. \nRed Sox management and ownership blasted the Yankees and, more directly, Yankees boss George Steinbrenner for adding arguably the best player in the game. Whatever happened to the competitive spirit in sport? Who cares who they have? Worry about your own team and how you're going to beat, not just those Damn Yankees, but the rest of the league. \nAll catfighting aside, the Red Sox will win the division solely on the fact the three-headed monster that is Pedro Martinez-Curt Schilling-Derek Lowe is as devastating as any trio in both leagues. A lineup that just keeps coming at you and the addition of a bonafide closer in Keith Foulke will ease the team's transition for new manager Terry Francona.\nNow don't worry Yankee fans, the Bronx Bombers will still make the playoffs. But the team's depth is an issue and the pitching has some question marks. We've found out good pitching stops good hitting, so I have to give the edge to Boston.\nThe American League Central is a tossup. Realistically, four of the five teams in this division can win it, excluding the Cleveland Indians. Yes, that means I'm saying even the lowly Detroit Tigers -- a team that finished one loss away from tying the worst record in league history -- has a chance. What!? Check my pulse and, more importantly, my blood for illegal substances. Did I say the Tigers? They've made the best off-season moves in the division, bringing in World Series heroes Ivan Rodriguez and Ugueth Urbina. \nUnfortunately for the Tigers, they have no starting pitching, but then again neither does anyone else in the division. But I still can't bring myself to pick the Tigers to win the Central. My heart says yes, but my brain says no, and seeing as my brain got me into college and my heart got me trapped in the trunk of a Taurus in Vegas, I'll go with my brain. So the Minnesota Twins will repeat as division champs, even without a closer.\nOn to the American League West, where the Anaheim Angels went on a shopping spree. The Halos brought in Kelvim Escobar, Bartolo Colon, Jose Guillen and the headliner Vladimir Guerrero. No disrespect to Mike Scioscia, but even Danny Glover and that kid from "Third Rock from the Sun" could steer the Angels right (I think they made a movie about that). \nThe Mariners and A's will make it interesting though. The A's have the pitching studs, but don't have enough bats in their lineup to overcome the ever-irritating Rally Monkey.\nLet's switch gears to the National League. \nThe East Division has been ruled by the Atlanta Braves for the last nine years, but this may be the year the streak ends. The Braves still have some offensive firepower, a decent rotation and a shutdown closer, but across the board the Philadelphia Phillies have a little more of each. The addition of Billy Wagner and the christening of the new ballpark has created a buzz in the City of Brotherly Love and anything less than a division crown would be deemed a failure. So with that, I pick the cheese steaks over the peaches, Geno's over The Varsity and Jay-Z over Ludacris.\nThe National League Central seems to be an enigma, yes, I said enigma. I'll admit, I'm a diehard Cubs fan and have been my entire life. And before you start shaking your head, let me explain. I'm not one of these fair-weathers who threw on a Cubs hat last October pretending to really care. I've been a Cubs fan in Atlanta, in South Florida and in Philadelphia. \nBut unlike most Cubs fans, I'm a realist. I know many have picked the Cubs to win the Central and even the World Series. The Cubs may very well win the World Series, but they'll have to do it as a wild card team because I'm picking Houston to win the division. \nIn a seven-game series, I think the Cubs can beat anyone, but over an entire season, I think the Astros are just going to win more games. Their lineup is stacked and their rotation, whether you'd like to admit it or not, is just as good as the Cubs'. Roy Oswalt is a budding star and having Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte around won't hurt a bit.\nThe National League West is another puzzling division to pick. No team really separates from the pack. The Padres made the most noise in the off-season, bringing in Brian Giles and David Wells, among others. The Dodgers lost their number one starter in Kevin Brown and the Giants lost their glue in Rich Aurilia. \nI'm going with the Fathers to take the West -- their deep bench might have more talent on it than the entire Indians roster. \nI've set up the field, so who do I have winning it all? The curse is over, no, not that stupid goat curse, the Curse of the Bambino as the Red Sox will beat the Phillies.