MLB Preview: NL West

Can Matt Holliday and Troy Tulwitski lead Colorado to the NL West Pennant?

The National League West was home to team and individual records last season. The Colorado Rockies went on a tear, going undefeated for almost the entire final month of the season, enabling them to beat their NL West rival San Diego Padres in Game 163, The Tiebreaker Game. The San Francisco Giants watched one Barry (Zito) fail to live up to his then record contract, while another Barry (Bonds) on a night in August, broke Hank Aaron's then Major League Record of 755 homeruns.

Things have changed, and yet things are so much the same.

For Barry Bonds, the least of his problems rigt now is not playing baseball. Joe Torre left his Yankee Pinstripes to bleed Dodger Blue. Arizona and Colorado, two suprise teams from the West, will be expected to replicate their success. Mark Prior, the former Chicago Cubs Ace who's career was wrecked by injuries, is now in the ultimate Pitcher's Park, Petco Park in San Diego.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
The Diamondbacks, if it wasn't for the Colorado Rockies, would have been the biggest underdog story in Baseball last season. This "No-Name Offense" led by Chris Young, Connor Jackson, Justin Upton, and Mark Reynolds, helped lead Arizona to 90 wins. The team had great pitching. Brandon Webb, the 2006 National League Winner, had opponents scoreless for 42 1/3 scoreless innings including three straight complete game shutouts. The team had Randy Johnson for a while, but when his back gave out on him, Arizona turned to Micah Owings, who hit two home runs in his first Major League Start! Juan Cruz and Doug Davis did a solid job in the bullpen.

Arizona's Rotation was bolstered this season with the trade for Dan Haren from Oakland.

Arizona's Offense has been improved by veteran Trot Nixon, who was on the Red Sox in 2004 and was with Cleveland last season.


COLORADO ROCKIES
The Greatest Underdog Story this season, the Colorado Rockies suprised everyone by going to the World Series by sweeping Philladelphia in the NLDS and Sweeping Arizona in the NLCS, before getting swept in the World Series by the best team in Baseball all season, the Boston Red Sox.

The Rockies were led on offense by National League MVP Runner Up Matt Holliday, and were led defensively by Rookie of The Year Troy Tulowitski.

Pitching Wise, Jeff Francis developed into an ace before our very eyes, and the whole rotation, even when they gave up a run, they were confident their offense, led by Holliday, would give them that run back.

Offensively, If Willy Taveras is injured for an extended period of time, expect Scott Podsednik, the catalyst of the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox, to take over at leadoff and in center field. The Rockies will once again be driven by "The H factor" Todd Helton and Matt Holliday. These two will once again knock a bunch of homeruns at Coors Field, and that will enable Colorado to battle for the NL West Crown.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Joe Torre grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers Fan, managed the New York Yankees to four World Series Titles, before taking over in Chavez Ravine. Once Again, Joe Torre cost Grady Little his job. The first time was in 2003, when Aaron Boone hit the game winning homerun in Game Seven of the 2003 ALCS to send New York to their first World Series since 2001. Grady Little was fired by The Red Sox for his apparent Mismanagement of that game. Torre got Little fired again, this time because Torre just turned down an incentive-laced one year contract offer from the Yankees to take a three year deal to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers.

What did the Dodgers do after the luring of Torre to LA? They Signed Japanese Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a three year contact. Kuroda will compete with the rehabbing former San Francisco Giants Ace Jason Schmidt for the final rotation spot. Offensively they went out and signed Andruw Jones to replace Juan Pierre in Center. Andy LaRoche will compete with Nomar Garciaparra for the starting Third Baseman's job. Russell Marting will continue to mature behind the plate. This may be Jeff Kent's final Season, as he may retire at the end of this season. He holds the record for most homeruns by a second baseman, passing Hall Of Famer Ryne Sandberg.

SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Padres were one half inning away last season from killing Colorado's Dreams of a postseason appearance. They had an 8-6 run lead entering the bottom of the 13th inning, and they had Trevor Hoffman, the only closer in history with 500 saves, on the mound.

Rockies Fans know what happened next.

Hoffman gave up extra-base hits to the first three batters. Colorado second baseman Kazuo Matsui began the inning with a double. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki followed with a double of his own, scoring Matsui. Holliday then hit a triple, scoring Tulowitzki. The score was now tied 8-8 with no outs. The Padres then intentionally walked the next batter, first baseman Todd Helton. Jamey Carroll came up to bat, having replaced 3rd Baseman Garrett Atkins earlier in the game. His sacrifice fly to shallow right field allowed Holliday to break from third. Holliday slid into home head-first and to the outside of Padres' backup catcher Michael Barrett, whose left leg extended across the plate. Barrett could not hold on to the throw from right fielder Brian Giles, and the ball dribbled toward the backstop. During the slide, Holliday's right hand wedged under Barrett’s foot, his face hit the dirt hard, and he lay stunned on the ground.

It is that point in the play where some viewers questioned whether Holliday actually touched home plate. If he had not, then arguably Barrett could have retrieved the ball and tagged him out. The Rockies would then have had two outs with Helton still safe on base, and right fielder Brad Hawpe coming to bat.

As Barrett tried to gain control of the ball, home plate umpire Tim McClelland called Holliday safe. That call officially ended the game, and the final score was Rockies 9, Padres 8. Hoffman was credited with his 5th loss of the season.

The Padres will come back focused and ready to play in 2008. The 2008 Padres have an incredibly deep rotation, starting with Jake Peavy. Peavy won the pitching Triple Crown in 2007, leading the National League with 19 wins, 240 strikeouts, and a 2.54 ERA. On October 23, Peavy won the Players Choice Award for Outstanding NL Pitcher. He added the NL Cy Young -- a unanimous choice -- on November 15, becoming just the 10th National League player in history to win the Cy Young Award in a unanimous vote.


Let's Not forget about Greg Maddux. "Mad Dog" who has both 3,000 strikeouts and 300 wins. Maddux has an incredibly deep repetoire of pitches, making it a nightmare to be an opposing hitter. I remember when he was with The Cubs. watching Maddux get his 3,000th strikeout against Omar Vizquel of the San Francisco Giants. Maddux may join his brother Mike and be a Major League Pitching Coach after he retires.

Chris Young is another great pitcher. Young ended the 2007 season as the Major League leader in opponent batting average, and hits per nine innings. Young battled injuries late in the season and surrendered the ERA leadership to Jake Peavy in his August 30 start.

Randy Wolf will be in number four hole, and expect the number five spot in the rotation to go to Mark Prior. Prior, who was on the mound when Chicago self destructed during Game Six of the 2003 NLCS, appears to be on the fast track to recovery. Prior will no longer have to deal with that bandbox of a ballpark in Wrigley Field, and will get to regroup with former Cubs Greg Maddux, Michael Barrett, and Todd Walker.

Offensively, expect a lot of small ball from San Diego. There won't be a whole lot of Fence Swinging, as Petco Park is the closest thing to a Pitcher's Paradise in Baseball. Expect the defense of San Diego to improve, as Jim Edmonds will play Center Field for perhaps the final time this season.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
These are Tough Times now for McCovey Cove Baseball Fans. Barry Bonds, the guy that helped put people inside both Candlestick and AT&T Park, is not with the team and is battling the government on perjury charges. The Giants tried to Barry in Left Field by signing Aaron Rowand to a five year, $60 Million Contract. Rowand, who was another member of the 2005 White Sox, will have pressure on him to help San Francisco be competetive without Barry Bonds. Good Luck. Barry Zito Lost 13 Games in The National League After Coming Over From The American League! It can't get any worse than that for a pitcher like him. Expect him to do somewhat better this time around.

San Francisco won't lose 100 games, but they're too old to be competetive. They should be for high draft picks to replace this aging team.
MY PROJECTED ORDER:
COLORADO
SAN DIEGO
ARIZONA
LOS ANGELES
SAN FRANCISCO

That Concludes this MLB Preview. In Our Next MLB Preview, We Will Preview The American League Central. Will Detroit recover from their underacheiving season last year? Can Cleveland suprise Once Again? Will Chicago's improved bullpen help win more games? Can Kansas City stay out of last place? Find Out All This and more in our next MLB Preview.