Monday, February 13, 2012
Move over football. Your time is up.
While hockey and basketball are in the middle of another captivating season, baseball is gearing up to kick off its 2012 campaign.
Throughout the rest of February, teams will report to their spring training facilities in Florida or Arizona to prepare for the season.
Even though spring training games won’t start for another month and the season won’t begin until April, it’s never too early to discuss the big storylines heading into the year.
The Albert Pujols Effect
In a move that sent shockwaves around the sporting landscape, future hall of famer Albert Pujols decided to leave the St. Louis Cardinals and join the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The two-time World Series champion and nine-time all-star had been a fixture in the St. Louis lineup for 11 years and was recognized as one of the most dominant players during the 2000s.
Coming off an incredible run to the World Series last season, the Cardinals must move on without Pujols. In his 11 seasons with the Cardinals, Pujols averaged 40 home runs and 121 RBIs. That reliable production is gone now.
Cardinals fans can only hope 2011 World Series MVP David Freese can pick up where he left off in October and continue his success in 2012.
Carlos Beltran was signed during the offseason to bolster the offense. With the addition of Beltran to complement Freese, Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday, the Cardinals offense won’t significantly drop off even though Pujols will be sorely missed.
Meanwhile, on paper, the Angels are a prohibitive favorite to advance to the World Series, but the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers might have something to say otherwise. Not only will Pujols strengthen the Angels’ offense tremendously, but C.J. Wilson will strengthen a pitching staff that had the best ERA in the American League. The pitching staff simply did not get enough run support last season. On average, the Angels scored 4 runs-per-game.
A New Era in Marlins Baseball
Even when they won their two World Series championships, there has never been as much excitement and anticipation surrounding the Marlins
The Marlins made drastic, aggressive changes this offseason to galvanize their long-lost fans and persuade them to attend games at their new state-of-the-art ballpark. Some major changes the Marlins made include their name — The Florida Marlins are now known as the Miami Marlins — their logo and their roster.
Unlike previous offseasons, the Marlins spent lots of money on free agents. Notable pickups include Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell, Carlos Zambrano and their new manager Ozzie Guillen. The Marlins also made an aggressive push to sign Albert Pujols, but failed to do so.
The National League East is ruled by the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, but the new vibe surrounding the Marlins has forced the teams in the division and the rest of the National League to be aware of the fish.
Brewers’ Tumultuous Offseason
For a team that took a big step forward last season winning their division for the first time in 29 years and advancing to the National League Championship Series, the Milwaukee Brewers took a big step backwards this offseason.
Three-time all-star slugger Prince Fielder left the Brewers to sign with the Detroit Tigers, and 2011 National League MVP Ryan Braun reportedly failed a drug test that could have him suspended for the first 50 games of the season.
Last season, Fielder and Braun accounted for 38 percent of the Brewers’ home runs, 33 percent of their RBIs and 25 percent of their hits.
The Brewers’ pitching staff is still among the best in baseball, but their lineup took a huge hit. They will count on Aramis Ramirez, Nyger Morgan, Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart throughout the season, especially during Braun’s suspension. However, the Brewers’ offense doesn’t pose a threat like it did when Fielder and Braun were in the lineup. This season has the potential to be a long season for the Brewers after coming off one of their most successful seasons.
— Edited by Max Lush
From basketball to baseball
Kansas center to throw ceremonial first pitch in Royals-Twins match-up.
Rains: Baseball on the way
Here’s the wind-up.
Brew: Braves blow chances of postseason
The Brew’s take on Atlanta dropping the ball
Brew: MLB playoff predictions
Although it’s early in the season, two teams are showing why they ...
Brew: Award show doesn’t need to rebuild
The Academy tried livening up the Oscars with young stars but couldn’t ...
Brew: Soccer leagues entice fans to keep ...
Soccer leagues around the world use a format that keeps fans watching ...
Brew: Marlins get a makeover
Florida’s professional baseball team gets a new name, logo and stadium that ...
Morning Brew: Taking a swing at MLB ...
The Kansan steps into the batter’s box as America readies for opening ...
Brew: Drawing parallels between MLB and family ...
Berkman, Pujols and Molina could be a trio of villains, while Hamilton ...
Boultinghouse: The ethos of today's logos
As some companies age, their logos become more youthful.
Morning Brew: Pujols races to milestone
Albert Pujols hits the most home runs in his first 10 years ...
Brew: One-and-done rule should be reconsidered
The NBA requires student athletes to attend one year of college before ...
Shroyer: Major league baseball fails to inspire ...
Decades after Jackie Robinson, the MLB abandons its populist roots, racial integration
Sprints and hurdles coach inspires team
Sprints and hurdles coach Elisha Brewer’s leadership has helped her athletes in ...
Intramurals create memorable sports moments
Clutch moments happen at all levels of sports, including intramurals.
Brew: Manning’s destination is the NFL offseason’s ...
Peyton Manning signing with the New York Jets is the most logical ...
Morning Brew: MLB lacking satisfaction
This season’s injuries and lackluster performances have been disappointing.
Students look for tax advice online and ...
The University of Kansas offers resources for students who need help filing ...
Womens basketball players recognized in the Big ...
Carolyn Davis, Angel Goodrich and Aishah Sutherland were all recognized for their ...
Morning Brew: Bronx Bombers are truly MLB’s ...
The Nielsen Company’s conclusion that the Cleveland Indians are the most-hated MLB ...
Dwyer: Snubbed teams deserve explanation from NCAA ...
Colorado, Alabama, Saint Mary’s and Virginia Tech were glossed over in favor ...
Robinson named to Wooden watch list
Thomas Robinson joins three other big 12 players to compete for the ...
Softball matches last season’s win record
The team claimed four victories in the North Florida Tournament.
Van Slyke begins major league career
Brew: Stanley Cup Playoffs bring the intensity
The NHL postseason features more game sevens and overtimes than other sports.
Brew: American League loaded at first-base position
Jonathan Rosa lists first basemen that he predicts will be All-Star contenders.
Shroyer: Past year holds memorable MLB highlights
From record-breaking home runs to record-breaking losses, 2007 has been a year ...
Volleyball team undefeated
Three teams will challenge the Jayhawks’ clean start to the season at ...
Cross country teams hope to make nationals
Kansas faces a wide field of competition at regionals, including Nebraska and ...
Women's basketball defeats Emporia State
The Jayhawks' team play paid off in 83-61 victory over the Hornets ...
Roesler: Study examines student-athletes' graduation rates
If NCAA tournament were based on academia, Kansas, Texas, Butler and Princeton ...
Brew: Timberwolves coming out of the woods
With a history of disappointments, the Minnesota Timberwolves are making noise in ...
Students attend journalism career fair
Students met with potential employers at the journalism career fair.
Turner Gill fired after two seasons
Kansas head coach Turner Gill was fired Sunday afternoon, less than a ...
Withey steps up to help Jayhawks against ...
The junior center contributes in both scoring and blocking, along with aiding ...
Rock Chalk Social-Media-Hawk
KU ranked No. 8 in the nation for college social media savvy, ...
Men’s golf to start season at Louisiana ...
The team will travel to Lafayette, La., for the Louisiana Classics on ...
Lavieri: Nike could bring the swag back ...
Not only would Nike bring the swag, but it could bring recruits ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID