2015 American League West Predictions

***The Division Preview that follows is not betting advice in any way shape or form.  Please do not bet any money based in any part on these predictions.***

Don't forget to check out the National League East, National League Central, National League West,  American League East, and American League Central previews and check back next week for the Final Predictions.

Seattle Mariners Logo Courtesy of Sports Logo.net

Seattle Mariners

Who's New:

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Carlos Rivera, IF (Waiver Claim from Red Sox)
Rickie Weekes, 2B (Free Agent frrom Brewers)
John Baker, C (Free Agent from Cubs)

OUTFIELDERS

Nelson Cruz, OF (Free Agent from Orioles)
Justin Ruggiano, OF (Trade from Cubs)
Seth Smith, OF (Trade from Padres)
Shawn O'Malley, OF (Free Agent from Angels)
STARTING PITCHERS
J.A> Happ, SP (Trade from Blue Jays)
Joe Saunders, SP (Free Agent from Orioles)
Kevin Correia, SP (Free Agent from Dodgers)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Justin Germano, RP (Free Agent from Dodgers)
Mark Lowe, RP (Free Agent from Indians)
Rafael Perez, RP (Free Agent from Pirates)
Mike Kickham, RP (Waiver Claim from Cubs)

Who Left:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Justin Smoak, 1B (Free Agent to Blue Jays)
Kendrys Morales, 1B (Free Agent to Royals)
Humberto Quintero, C (Free Agent to Red Sox)

OUTFIELDERS
Xavier Avery, OF (Free Agent to Tigers)
Michael Saunders, OF (Trade to Blue Jays)
Cory Hart, OF/DH (Free Agent to Pirates)
Chris Denorfia, OF (Free Agent to Cubs)
Xavier Nady, OF (Released)

STARTING PITCHERS
Blake Bevan, SP (Free Agent to Diamondbacks)
Brandon Maurer, SP (Trade to Padres)
Chris Young, SP (Free Agent to Royals)

RELIEF PITCHERS

Logan Kensing, RP (Free Agent to White Sox)
Joe Beimel, RP (Free Agent to Rangers)
Winter Headlines: 
Mariners look to navigate the waves to the front of a watered down West.
What to Expect?:
With the improvements made and the money spent combined with the weakened competition Mariners fans should expect October baseball.  The top of the lineup with Austin Jackson, Kyle Seager, Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz is definitely impressive.  The pitching staff is the key.  Felix Hernandez is still king but will the rest of the rotation hold up?  Iwakuma and Taijuan Walker had injuries last year.  Still, if they can get healthy, with the addition of J.A. Happ, this could be a very strong rotation and could push Seattle into the post season.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
Seattle entered the league in 1977 and have watched a parade of other teams beat them to the World Series.  Since the Mariners came into the league the Phillies, Royals, Twins, Marlins, Padres, Diamondbacks, Angels, Astros, Rockies, Rays and Rangers have either reached or won (or both) their first World Series.  The Mariners have never even reached the World Series.  In fact, the Tampa Bay Rays, who beame the pinnacle of bad play in the late 1990s-early 2000s and have only been in existence for 17 years, have already had more post season success than Seattle.  It's time for something to go right in the Pacific Northwest.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Mariners Fans Want?:
There are questions about the health of Iwakuma and Walker and everything rests on their arms.  If the rotation breaks down this team could falter.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Kyle Seager had a break out year in 2014 winning a Gold Glove, All Star appearance and consideration for the MVP.  Although his RBI were up significantly from 2013, the rest of his numbers did not have a significant jump.  He certainly benefitted from having Cano in the lineup and having Austin Jackson and Nelson Cruz in the lineup won't hurt but don't expect a drastic jump in numbers.
Expect Great Things From:
Felix Hernandez is still King Felix.  Despite having Cy Young caliber years every year, four other All Star appearances and a perfect game, 2014 may have been his best year yet.  At 15-6 and a 2.14 ERA his pitching kept Seattle in the Wild Card race and his durability was much needed in a year where the other starters suffered injuries.
Prediction:1st in AL West

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Logo Courtesy of Sports Logos.net

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:

Who's New:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Drew Butera, C (Trade from Dodgers)
Josh Rutledge, IF (Trade from Rockies)

OUTFIELDERS

Daniel Robertson, OF (Trade from Rangers)
Matt Joyce, OF (Trade from Rays)

STARTING PITCHERS

Nick Torpeano, SP (Trade from Astros)
Cesar Ramos, SP (Trade from Rays)
Andrew Haney, SP (Trade from Marlins)
Adam Wilk, SP (Free Agent from Pirates)
Zach Stewart, SP (Free Agent from Braves)

RELIEF PITCHERS

Atahualpo Severino RO (Free Agent from Braves)
Alex Sanabia, RP (Free Agent fromm Marlins)
Scott Snodgress, RP (Free Agent from White Sox)
Ryan Mattheus, RP (Free Agent from Nationals)
Matt Lindsrom, RP (Free Agent from White Sox)

Who Left:  
CATCHERS/INFIELDERS
Hank Conger, C (Trade to Astros)
John Hester, C (Free Agent to Phillies)
Howie Kendrick, 2B (Trade to Dodgers)
Gordon, Beckham, 2B (Free Agent to White Sox)
Ian Stewart, SS (Free Agent to Nationals)
John Buck, C (Free Agent to Braves)
John McDonald, IF (Retired)
OUTFIELDERS
Brennan Boesch, OF (Free agent to Reds)
Tony Campana, OF (Free Agent to White Sox)
Shawn O'Malley, OF (Free Agent to Mariners)
STARTING PITCHERS
Wade LeBlanc, SP (Free Agent to Japan)
Chris Volstad, SP (Free Agent to Pirates)
Randy Wolf, SP (Unsigned Free Agent)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Michael Kohn, (Free Agent to Braves)
Jairro, Diaz, RP (Trade to Rockies)
Kevin Jepsen, RP (Trade to Rays)
Joe Thatcher, RP (Free Agent to Astros)
Buddy Boshers, RP (Free Agent to Rockies)
Dustin Richardson, RP (Free Agent to Dodgers)
Jason Grilli, RP (Free Agent to Braves)
Michael Roth, RP (Free Agent to Indians)
David Carpenter, RP (Free Agent to Braves)
Sean Burnett , RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Dane De La Rosa, RP (Free Agent to Orioles)
Jarrett Grube, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Winter Headlines: 
Players recovering from injuries leads to a million questions
What to Expect?:
The thing working in the Angels' favor is that this is now a very weak division.  While I certainly expect them to hang around the top, they may need to make some in-season moves to be able to make the playoffs and certainly if they wan to advance.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
The Angels are often the "forgotten" California team in the league.  The A's Giants and Dodgers have the winning histories with multiple World Series wins each and even San Diego has the baseball world buzzing with their big spending this winter.  in the west coast mix, the little town of Anaheim gets lost in the noise.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Angels Fans Want?:
The A's have weakened themselves greatly and the Astros are probably a few years from a playoff run but the Angels are heading into the season with health questions of several key players. Josh Hamilton is coming off an injury plagued year.  Garrett Richards had a nasty knee injury and Jared Weaver (whether he admitted it or not) was not the same after leaving a start early with a back injury. Pujols has struggled with injuries since arriving in Anaheim and the lineup has lost a leader in Howie Kendrick. A healthy group could be frightful group to the AL West but injury questions are everywhere on this team.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Garrett Richards seemed to have gotten everything working his way last year and would have gotten consideration by many for a Cy Young. His record was at 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA when his season ended with an injury.  He finally was able to get in some mound work on 2/26 but the team limited him to about 50 pitches.  It would be great to see him pick up where he left off but the truth is we will have to wait and see.
Expect Great Things From:
Mike Trout is probably the top player in the game.  You will get some argument for Miguel Cabrera or Andrew McCutcheon (and I could probably be persuaded to vote for McCutcheon as well) but Trout is clearly one of the top in the game.  Expect Trout to be in the MVP discussions again this year.
Is this his last Chance?
Josh Hamilton and C.J. Wilson both signed big contracts with the Angels in a year that looked like the team would walk to a division title.  Neither has performed to their expectations.  Wilson was knocked around in the ALDS last year leading Angels fans to sour even farther on him.  Hamilton has battled injuries and slumps and comes into camp with an injury plagued off season again.  The Angels want to win with these two but if the season goes sour they may be shipped somewhere else.
Prediction: 2nd in AL West

Oakland Athletics Logo Courtesy of Sports Logos.net

Oakland Athletics

Who's New?: 

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Billy Butler, DH (Free Agent from Royals)
Ike Davis, 1B (Trade from Pirates)
Brett Lawrie, 3B (Trade from Blue Jays)
Semien Marcus, IF (Trade from White Sox)
Josh Phegley, C (Trade from White Sox)
Chris Bassitt, C (Trade from White Sox)
Luke Montz, C/DH (Free Agent from Red Sox)
Niuman Romero, IF (Free Agent from Orioles)
Ben Zobrist, IF (Trade from Rays)
OUTFIELDERS
Andrew Brown, OF (Waiver Claim from Mets)
Jason Pridi, OF (Free Agent from Rockies)
Nick Buss, OF (Free Agent from Diamondbacks)
STARTING PITCHERS
Rudy Owens, SP (Free Agent from Astros)
Brad Mills, SP (Free Agent from Blue Jays)
Kendall Graveman, SP (Trade from Blue Jays)
Sean Nolin, SP (Trade from Blue Jays)
Jesse Hahn, SP (Trade from Padres)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Kevin Whelan, RP (Free Agent from Tigers)
Ryan Verdugo, RP (Free Agent from Red Sox)
Eury De La Rosa, RP (Trade from Diamondbacks)
Tyler Clippard, RP (Trade from Nationals)

Who Left?: 

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Adam Dunn, DH (Retired)
Josh Donaldson, 3B (Trade to Blue Jays)
Brandon Moss, 1B (Trade to Indians)
Alberto Callaspo, 3B (Free Agent to Braves)
Jed Lowrie, SS (Free Agent to Astros)
Kyle Blanks, 1B (Free Agent to Rangers)
Daric Barton, 1B (Free Agent to Blue Jays)
Derek Norris, C (Trade to Padres)
Luke Montz, C (Free Agent to Red Sox)
Geovanny Soto, C( Free Agent to White Sox)
Nick Punto, IF (Free Agent to Diamondbacks)
John Jaso, C (Trade to Rays)
Yunel Escobar, SS (Acquired from Rays with Ben Zobrist, Traded to Nationals for Tyler Clippard)

OUTFIELDERS

Nick Buss, OF (Free Agent to Diamondbacks
Johnny Gomes, OF (Free Agent to Braves)
STARTING PITCHERS
Josh Lindblom, SP (Waiver Claim by Pirates)
Jeff Samardzjia, SP (Trade to White Sox)
Jason Hammel, SP (Free Agent to Cubs)
John Lester, SP (Free Agent to Cubs)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Joe Savery, RP (Free Agent to White Sox)
Luke Gregerson, RP (Free Agent to Astros)
Winter Headlines:
After going all in for the 2014 pennant, A's look all out for 2015
What to Expect?:
This team has lost a lot of the heart of the playoff team that competed the last few years.  Cespedes, Donaldson, Moss and Barton are all gone.  Even the late season acquisitions that the A's fans believed would put them in the Fall Classic walked away in the offseason.  You should never count Billy Beane out, and this is a very weak division, but the A's likely do not have enough to compete.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
As always, this is a Cinderella team.  They don't have the budget that the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers and Angels (or even the Mariners) have and have found ways to win the old fashioned way: smart minor league scouts and smart free agent pick ups.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Athletics Fans Want?:
Pitching depth is a serious issue.  Past Sonny Gray the rotation looks like a mess.  Jarrod Parker is expected out until June and their number 2 starter is Scott Kazmir.  With Seattle and Houston improving the A's may find themselves near the bottom of this division.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
At one time Scott Kazmir had the stuff of an ace.  When he was traded to Tampa Bay as a prospect from the Mets, fan outrage played a big part in Jim Duquette getting fired.  When he was traded to the Angels in 2009 some felt the Angels punched their ticket to the Series.  His career fell apart after that and 2014 was a big step back towards reaching his potential with a 15-9 record and 3.55 ERA.  Realistically though he was too inconsistent to count on as a true #2 starter.
Expect Great Things From:
After a14-10 season Sonny Gray is now expected to be an ace for this team.  In what will be his second full year in the majors, Gray will be expected to take a major step into the leadership role and be the leader of this staff.  Expect him to be an All Star for this team.
Is This His Last Chance?:
Coco Crisp has been at the center of the A's rebirth the last few seasons.  He has suffered through some extreme pain with neck and back injuries over the last year but somehow was still able to help this team reach the post season.  Now entering his 14th Major League season, injuries may limit his production.
Prediction: 3rd in AL West.  

Texas Rangers Logo Courtesy of Sports Logo.net

Texas Rangers:

Who's New:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS
Chris Gimenez, 1B (Free Agent from Indians)
Kyle Blanks,1B (Free Agent from Athletics)
Thomas Field, IF (Free Agent from Pirates)
Elliot Johnson, IF (Free Agent from Indians)
Carlos Corporan, C (Trade from Astros)
OUTFIELDERS
Antoan Robinson, OF (Free Agent from Yankees)
Nate Schierholtz, OF (Free Agent from Nationals)
Carlos Peguero, OF (Free Agent from Royals)
Ryan Ludwick, OF (Free Agent from Reds)
STARTING PITCHERS
Ross Detwiler, SP (Trade from Nationals)
Yovani Gallardo, SP (Trade from Brewers)
Anthony Ranaudo, SP (Trade from Red Sox)
RELIEF PITCHERS
David Martinez, RP (Free Agent from Astros)
Anthony Bass, RP (Free Agent from Astros)
Ross Detwiler, RP (Trade from Nationals)
Kyuji Fujikawa, RP (Free Agent from Cubs)
Mitch Atkins, RP (Free Agent from Braves)
Ross Ohlendorf, RP (Free Agent from Nationals)
Joe Beimel, RP (Free Agent from Mariners)
Jamey Wright, RP (Free Agent from Indians)
Juan Carlos Oviedo, RP (Free Agent from Rays)

Who Left:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

J.P. Arencibia, C (Free Agent to Orioles)
Josh Wilson, IF (Free Agent to Tigers)
Mike Carp IF/OF (Free Agent to Nationals)
Carlos Pena, 1B (Unsigned Free Agent)
Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B (Unsigned Free Agent)
Brad Snider, 1B (Unsigned Free Agent)
Luis Sardinas, IF (Trade to Brewers)
OUTFIELDERS
Daniel Robertson, OF (Trade to Angels)
Alex Rios, OF (Free Agent to Royals)
Bryan Peterson, OF (Free Agent to Brewers)
Engel Beltre, OF (Free Agent to White Sox)
STARTING PITCHERS
Scott Baker, SP (Free Agent to Yankees)
Aaron Poreda, SP( Released)
Miles Mikolas, SP (Released)
Phil Irwin, SP (Released)
Robbie Ray, Jr, (Trade to Red Sox)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Justin Marks, RP (Free Agent to Diamondbacks)
Nate Adcock,RP (Free agent to Reds)
Scott Barnes RP (Free Agent to Blue Jays)
Wilmer Font, RP (Free Agent to Rangers)
Alexi Ogando, RP (Free Agent to Red Sox)
Neal Cotts, RP (Free Agent to Brewers)
Zack Segovia, RP (Free Agent to Padres)
Ryan Feirebrand, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Alfredo Figaro, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Pedro Figueroa, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Matt West, RP (Waiver Claim by Blue Jays)
Corey Knebel, RP (Trade to Brewers)
Ben Rowan, RP (Free Agent to Dodgers)
Winter Headlines:  
Nightmare season of 2014 is over but have the Rangers woken up?
What to Expect?:
Many Rangers fans had big expectations heading into last season.  Adding Fielder and Choo to the lineup were expected to keep this team in contention.  Injuries doomed all hopes from the start of spring training and only got worse as the year went on.  This team will certainly be improved from last year's injury derailed year but this is not a playoff team.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
Everything that could have gone wrong last year did go wrong.  Ace pitchers were out for the year.  Big free agent signings were either injured or didn't perform.  Their "can't miss" prospects missed and their manager resigned mid season.  After such a negative year it would be nice to have something positive happen in Texas.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Rangers Fans Want?:
The glory days of Young-Kinsler-Cruz seem like a distant memory at this point, though they were only a few years ago.  There is still talent on this team but the attitude and spirit of this organization seems to be drastically different.  They will need someone to spark this team if they want to avoid the basement.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Prince Fielder is a star in this league and when healthy is one of the best in the game.  Last year was  night mare for Fielder.  After having played well over 500 straight games Fielder missed most of the year.  Let's not kid ourselves.  This injury was serious.  He had serious neck and back surgery.  A neck and back that is strained with every big swing the big man takes.  Personally, I am rooting for Fielder to have a monster season because I like the guy.  The realist in me says there is a real possibility that his back and neck may not make that possible.
Expect Great Things From:
Elvis Andrus is quietly the veteran of this team and one of only a handful of players from the World Series teams remaining.  He may not get the recognition he should and he may not get an All Star appearance but anyone who enjoys watching baseball should enjoy watching Elvis.
Is This His Last Chance?:
Colby Lewis was a major part of the Rangers' World Series teams.  Although Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson got most of the recognition, Lewis was a major part of the success.  Injuries limited his availability in 2012 and 2013 and undoubtedly played a part in the collapse of the team.  Lewis reached double digits in wins for the first time since the World Series year of 2011 but he unfortunately also lost a league high 14.  The Rangers need solid pitching to compete but it is unclear whether Lewis can provide it.
Prediction: 4th in AL West

Houston Astros Logo Courtesy of Sports Logos.net

Houston Astros

Who's New:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Hank Conger, C (Trade From Angels)
Dan Johnson, 1B (Free Agent from Blue Jays)
Jed Lowrie, SS (Free Agent from Athletics)
Evan Gattis, C (Trade from Braves)
Luis Valbuena, 3B (Trade from Cubs)

OUTFIELDERS

Colby Rasmus, OF (Free Agent from Blue Jays)

STARTING PITCHERS

Will Harris, SP (Waiver Claim from Diamondbacks)
Pat Nesheck, SP (Free Agent from Cardinals)

RELIEF PITCHERS

Luke Gregerson, RP (Free Agent from Athletics)
Roberto Hernandez, RP (Free Agent from Dodogers)
Dan straily, RP (Trade from Cubs)

Who Left:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Jesus Guzman, IF (Unsigned Free Agent)
Carlos Corporan, C (Trade to Rangers)

OUTFIELDERS

Dexter Fowler, OF (Trade to Cubs)

STARTING PITCHERS

Rudy Owens, SP (Free Agent to Athletics)
RELIEF PITCHERS
Paul Clemens, RP (Free agent to Phillies)
David Martinez, RP (Free Agent to Rangers)
Jose Cisnero, RP (Free Agent to Reds)
Nick Torpeano, RP (Trade to Angels)
Anthony Bass, RP (Free Agent to Rangers)
Jose Veras, RP (Free Agent to Braves)
Matt Albers, RP (Free Agent to White Sox)
Jesse Crain, RP (Free Agent to White Sox)
Kyle Farnsworth, RP (Unsigned Free Agent)
Mike Foltynewicz, RP (Trade to Braves)
What to Expect?:
Expect improvement.  The Astros have a strong young crop of players on their way but this is still not a playoff contender.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
Since the end of the Bagwell-Berkman-Biggio days, this franchise has gone through hell.  They are rebuilding from the ground up and it would be nice to see some  youthful grins in the post season,
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Astros Fans Want?:
It likely won't.  With the weak division they are currently in there is always the chance of a surprise success but they are probably a year or two away.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Evan Gattis surprised a lot of people in 2013 with his success behind the plate in Atlanta.  He improved in a lot of ways in 2014.  In Houston he will be playing Left Field, not catching, and will have to adjust to the AL pitchers.  Expect him to be a solid contributor but don't expect him to lead the team to the post season.
Expect Great Things From:
Jose Altuve won a batting title last year, the first Astros player to do so.  Despite playing on some very poor Houston teams, Altuve is one of the best players in the league.  Unfortunately playing in Houston has kept him under rated in the national spotlight.
Prediction:5th place in AL West

*-Please be aware that these predictions are based on the rosters as set at the end of February.  There are still several key free agents unsigned which could alter these previews.  Also, injuries during spring training could alter my outlook.  Check back next week for the NL East Preview and continue following to see my final predictions at the start of the season.  

TRIVIA QUESTION:

Mike Trout won the 2014 MVP. Since 1969 when the league moved to the division format, how many times has the American League MVP come from the American League West ?

Answer to Last Week's Question:

The Tigers first won the AL East title in 1973, although they lost to the A's in the ALCS.  They would not win again until 1984 when they would beat the Royals in the ALCS and the Padres in the World Series.  

Their third division title came in 1987 when they won the division in dramatic fashion on the last weekend of the season.  They then lost to the Twins in the ALCS.

Following 1987 the Tigers fortunes took a bad turn and they fell to the bottom of the league.  They would not win another division title until 2011.  They have won every year since.  The four straight division titles gives them 7 division titles overall.

Almost a Dynasty 1980's Athletics

What actually makes a sports dynasty?  Obviously a teem needs to be successful for a continuous amount of time.  Every sport has that one iconic dynasty that fits the Dynasty category.  The NBA had the Boston Celtics who won nine out of ten championships.  The Montreal Canadiens won 7 of nine Stanley Cups (including six straight).  The NFL had several dynasties including the 49'ers, the Steelers, the Cowboys and, most recently, the Patriots.  Baseball itself has had the Yankees dynasties in several incarnations including the 1930's, 1950's and 2000's.

So what actually makes a team a dynasty?  There can of course be several definitions since there are varying levels of success.  A team can dominate their division for a decade but be bounced out in the first round of the playoffs year after year.  We could of course consider that to be a divisional dynasty but you wouldn't call it an overall baseball dynasty.  So let us set the parameters for this series of articles.  A dynasty, for our purposes here, is a team that wins multiple World Series championships (above two as back to back is nice but not a dynasty) within a 5-10 year period.  That being defined, this series will explore those teams that may have been a divisional or league dynasty but for whatever reason could not get over the hump to that World Series dynasty.

This series will show an array of near dynasties.  Some are teams that made the World Series year after year but fell short.  Others will be teams that competed right down to the end of the regular season year after year just to be beaten out.  It will be a series of near misses and what could have beens.

Don't miss the other almost dynasty articles: The Detroit Tigers of the 1900's, The Chicago White Sox of the 1910's and the Pittsburgh Pirates of the 1920's, the Boston Red Sox of the 1940s and the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s, the Milwaukee Braves of the 1950s and the Los Angeles Dodgers of the 1970's.  Now let's get started with this weeks "almost dynasty": The Oakland A's of the 1980's

Bashing in the Bay:
Billy Martin was born and raised in Berkeley California, just five miles or so outside of Oakland.  He was a Yankee at heart but when the Yankees fired him he came home and managed an A's team with few stars.  Led by Tony Armas and Rickey Henderson, Martin was able to fire up the A's enough to get them into the 1981 ALDS against the Kansas City Royals.  They swept the Royals but were then swept by the Yankees (who would in turn be humiliated by the Dodgers). Martin's success was short lived.  In 1982 the team added Davey Lopes but it wasn't enough.  They lost more than 90 games and fell to 5th in the division.  By 1983 Martin was gone but the A's did not improve.  They were an afterthought in the races and they started to realize they needed to completely rebuild.  The team in charge of the rebuilding process were General Manager Sandy Alderson and Farm Director Walt Jockety.  Oakland had a smaller budget than most and they felt they needed to be more aggressive in scouting and find gems with talent that others had missed.  Alderson and Jockety started to pick players off the scrap heap.  If someone else thought a player was finished the A's would look at their talent.  They drafted well.  Their scouts found payers that would fit their team concept.  While the other dynasties had a a few key players the A's had a ton:

Terry Steinbach:  The Catcher in the almost dynasty.  he shared duties behind the plate with Ron Hassey who was Bob Welch's personal Catcher but Steinbach was the force behind the plate.  He was a three time All Star and would stay with the team long after most of the rest of the "almost dynasty" was gone.  He made his debut in 1986 but 1987 was his first full year.

Mark McGwire:  Like Steinbach, "Big Mac" made his debut in 1986 but 1987 was his first full season.  He would hit 49 Home Runs (setting a rookie record) and win the Rookie of the Year.  Big Mac would be a 12 time All Star, set the single season Home Run record and become one of the game's biggest stars.  When the "almost dynasty" started he was considered second  to Canseco.  By the end of the almost dynasty he was second to none.

Walt Weiss:  Weiss played 17 games during the 1987 season.  In 1988 he was the full time Shortstop. During the 1988 season he would captain the defense and would win Rookie of the Year.  Injuries would slow him down.

Carney Lansford:  Carney Lansford had talent.  No one could possibly deny it.  The Angels had known it when he came in third in the Rookie of the Year voting.  The Red Sox had known it when he won a batting title with them in  1981.  For whatever reason (likely because the Red Sox had Wade Boggs at third) teams passed on him.  Sandy Alderson and Walt Jockety would not.  Lansford would be a versatile hitter and spark plug for the team.  He was able to hit anywhere in the lineup and quietly led by example by his willingness to adapt to the team's needs.

Jose Canseco:  Jose was the headline grabber  The big name in the lineup.  In 1986 he was an All Star and Rookie of the Year.  Considered one of the great young talents in the game he would reach the height of baseball fame in 1988 and would fall quickly from it one year later.

Photo of Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco Courtesy of USA Today

Dave Henderson:  Unfortunately,  when the A's almost dynasty is discussed Dave Henderson is often overlooked.  Like Lansford there was no denying Henderson's talent.  Every team seemed to want him but none kept him.  The Mariners had sent him to Boston where he put the Red Sox on the brink of a World Series.  At the trading deadline the next year he was sent to the Giants where he arrived early enough to help them win the division but too late to be included on the post-season roster.  He signed with the A's following the 1987 season.

Rickey Henderson:  Rickey came a bit late to the party, or alternately you could say there was no party before Rickey arrived.  Rickey had played for Oakland through 1985 when he left for the Yankees.  Unfortunately playing for the Yankees in the 1980's was not the experience it would become 10 years later.  In mid season 1989 Rickey was sent back to Oakland in a blockbuster deal that gave the A's the final ingredient.

Dave Stewart:  Known to his teammates as "Smoke" because of his blazing fastball Dave Stewart defined this "almost dynasty". An intimidating presence on the mound.  He had the talent and power of Roger Clemens with the class of Bob Gibson.  Stewart had been released by the Dodgers, the Rangers and the Phillies.  The Phillies of 1985 had an abundance of young arms in Kevin Gross, Shane Rawley. Bruce Ruffin and Charles Hudson.  Without room for all of them they chose Stewart as the expendable one.  Like the Phillies of that era often did they chose wrong.  He was released by the Phillies and signed by the A's.  It would be one of the best signings the organization ever made.  Without Smoke there would have been no almost dynasty.  His importance to the success of this era cannot be over estimated.

Bob Welch:  Welch had been a big part of that 1970's-80s almost dynasty in Los Angeles.  He went 15-7 in 1987 and during the off season he was part of a gigantic three team trade with the Dodgers, A's and Mets that would play a big part in the NLCS and World Series.  He and Stewart would form the top 1-2 punch in the 1980's.

Dennis Eckersley:  "Eck" redefined the role of the relief pitcher.  He was the closer and when he hit the mound the other team knew they were fighting an uphill battle.

Rise of the Bash Brothers:
The A's 1986 team may not have looked like the start of a dynasty but the signs were there. Lansford was at third base.  Stewart was learning to become the ace he would be.  Canseco was on his way to rookie of the year.  Yet by June they were in last place.  They replaced their manager, Jackie Moore at about the same time that the White Sox were making a managerial change.  When the White Sox manager became available Sandy Alderson jumped at the chance to sign him.  Tony LaRussa turned the year around.  They may not have caught the division leading Angels but they improved to third place.

The following year saw individuals improve and the team started to come together.  As late as August 28 the team was tied for first.  They were led by the arm of Smoke, who was experiencing his first 20 win season, and powerful bats of McGwire and Canseco.  McGwire, on his way to Rookie of the Year hit 49 Home Runs.  They certainly  competed but finished third in the division.  It was clear that things  still weren't quite where LaRussa wanted them.  Stewart undoubtedly  was the ace but he needed help.  So during the off season the A's made some moves.  Given their penchant for finding talent where others missed they made a trade that worked out for them greatly but would also come back to haunt them greatly.  Jose Rijo was a great pitching talent but his results did not reflect his talent.  On December 8 the team gave up on Rijo and sent him to the Reds.  In return they received Dave Parker.  The next day they signed Catcher Ron Hassey to help Steinbach behind the plate.  December 11 was the big day.  With Walt Weiss set to take over at short Alfredo Griffin became expendable, as did reliever Jay Howell  with Eckersley in town.  So the Mets, Dodgers and A's (three of the four eventual playoff teams) got together on a trade.  The Dodgers got Alfredo Griffin, Jay Howell and Jesse Orosco.  The Mets got Kevin Tapani, Wally Whitehurst and Jack Savage.  The A's got  Matt Young and Bob Welch.  December 21 they signed Dave Henderson.  On January 11 they signed free agent Glenn Hubbard to play second base.  All of a sudden the team appeared complete.

Some predicted success for the A's in 1988.  Few foresaw the assault that would be launched against the league out of Oakland.  They won four of the first five games to jump out to first place.  A short three game losing streak to the White Sox led to a stop in fourth place (although still only 1/2 game out of first) but following that it was off to the races.  Smoke (21-12), Welch (17-9) and Storm Davis (16-7) would lead the A's pitching staff.  Eckersley's success (4-2, 45 saves) would send the rest of the league scrambling to find a closer.  Walt Weiss would won Rookie of the Year and Big Mac established himself as a legitimate star.

Photo of Dave Stewart Courtesy of MLB.com

The 1988 season, however, belonged to one man.  Jose Canseco.  An almost unbelievable combination of power and speed.  Canseco didn't just dominate the league, he owned it.  Canseco had an offensive season for the ages.  120 runs scored, 124 driven in, .307 average, 34 doubles, 78 walks.  But the thing that caught every one's attention was something that was considered impossible.  Canseco hit 42 Home Runs and stole 40 bases.  Never in history had someone reached a 40/40 mark and the world noticed. Canseco instantly became the best player in the league.  An instant lock for the Hall of Fame.  He was only in his third season but he was clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the world. The A's won their division by 13 games and swept a very good Boston Red Sox team in the ALCS.

Entering the World Series of 1988 they were considered unstoppable.  Most of the first game did nothing to change that view.  While the A's had cruised through the season and LCS the Dodgers had to fight and scrap.  They were tired, beat up and missing some key players.  Oakland had their full compliment of power on the field.  Los Angeles did not. Their key man, MVP Kirk Gibson was not available and with their ace Orel Hershiser pushing himself to the limit to win the NLCS  the Dodgers started Tim Belcher against Smoke.

The A's looked to do damage in the first.  After a Lansford strikeout Hendu lined a single and moved to second when Canseco was hit by a pitch. Which caused an argument.  Lasorda argued the ball had hit the bat not Canseco but it was clearly a hit by pitch.  Hitting the A's star was not unnoticed.  Dave Parker flew out but Big Mac walked to load the bases. With Steinbach coming up Dodgers fans got restless and Oakland fans smiled in anticipation.  The Dodgers survived as Steinbach popped up to end the inning.  Smoke was not happy that Belcher had hit Canseco and he wasted no time getting even.  On the first pitch of the game he came up and in against Steve Sax hitting him on the shoulder.  The Dodgers scored two on a Mickey Hatcher Home Run in the bottom of the first.  Hatcher's Home Run matched his regular season total.  Hatcher sprinted around the bases smiling and jumping like the kid who just got the ultimate Christmas present.  Smoke was not happy about it.  No worries.  These were the A's of the Bash Brothers.  If there were going to be fireworks the A's would supply them.  Glenn Hubbard singled.  Weiss struck out looking but Smoke drew a walk.  Lansford walked and the bases were loaded with the big boys coming up.  Dave Henderson is not someone you want walking to the plate when a big hit is needed but Belcher was able to get Henderson swinging.  In stepped the biggest man.  Canseco.  He took ball one.  On the second pitch he connected.  There was no doubt about where this was headed.  Dead center field.  He could have crawled around the bases, and he basically did.  He stood at the plate admiring the shot.  And why not?  It was impressive.  It landed in Center field on top of an ABC camera leaving a dent. The Dodgers cut the lead to 4-3 in the sixth but Stewart was brilliant and with Eckersley set to come in for the 9th there was a feeling of finality to this game before the 9th started.  Scioscia popped out to Weiss to start out.  Jeff Hamilton struck out looking and with the bottom of the order up Eckersley appeared to be in the clear.  He faced Mike Davis who had played in Oakland the year before.  Davis walked.  When the crowd saw who was limping to the plate as the pinch hitter for the pitcher's spot Dodger Stadium was rocking. It would soon rock so hard it would seem to be rolling down the 101.  Kirk Gibson, barely able to stand, was able to swing well enough to connect and send the Dodgers home with a Game 1 win.

Photo of Dennis Eckersley Courtesy of ESPN.com

Gibson did well in his only plate appearance in the series but it cost the Dodgers his services for the rest of the series.  The A's had Storm Davis on the mound for Game 2.  He was not quite on the level of Smoke or Welch but Davis was a very good starting pitcher.  His opponent in Game 2 was Orel Hershiser.  Orel, known as the bulldog, was in the middle of a season that was to pitching what Canseco's season was to offense.  He had continued it into the postseason. Hershiser allowed a single to Dave Parker in the 2nd but that was erased when Big Mac grounded into a Double Play.  Parker singled again in the 6th and was erased again when Big Mac hit into his second Double Play of the day.  Parker had a third hit in the 7th but the A's were unable to score. They were the only three hits Hershiser gave up. The final was a 6-0 Dodger win for a 2 games to 0 lead in the series.  The Dodgers provided the fireworks thanks to Mike Marshall's three run Home Run.  Unfortunately for the Dodgers Marshall had injured his back in the process. The Dodgers lineup was now short the two big power suppliers.

The A's had a powerful offense that had been quiet to this point.  That's the reason that Alderson, Jockety and LaRussa focused so heavily on pitching. Of course when your hitting is slumping good pitching can pull you through.  The A's offense finally scored their first run since Canseco's Grand Slam when Glenn Hubbard singled, stole second and took third on a Scioscia throwing error.  Ron Hassey, playing since Welch was on the mound, singled to score Hubbard and the A's led 1-0.  The Dodgers tied it at 1-1 with a single run on an RBI double by Franklin Stubbs.  It remained that way until the bottom of the 9th.  Dodgers relief pitcher Jay Howell was on the mound with the Bash Brothers coming up.  Howell got Canseco to pop out to second but McGwire sent the fans home happy with a bottom of the 9th Home Run to end the game.  It seemed like all was right with the world.  The A's were bashing the ball and beating the under matched opponent.  It was assumed that this would turn the tide.

The A's had 9 hits in Game 4, four of them by Hendu, and scored three runs.  With Smoke on the mound that should have been more than enough. It wasn't.  The Dodgers scored four runs, only two earned, and lost another starter when Scioscia was injured. Still, the Dodgers won the game and took a 3 games to 1 lead.  Dave Henderson continued his hot hitting going 4-5 but the rest of the team was quiet.  Hershiser pitched Game 5 and was even more dominant than Game 2.  The Dodgers beat the team that just a week before was considered unbeatable and they did it in convincing fashion.

A Force So Powerful It Shook the Earth:
The A's signed free agent Pitcher Mike Moore from Seattle in the off season.  With Stewart, Welch and Storm Davis it now gave the A's four strong starters. The anticipation of Canseco's follow up to his 40/40 was tremendous but it was clear that there were off field distractions.  There were the several speeding tickets that started the problem.  Then there was the issue at an airport when a traveling companion was found to be carrying a bag of pills.  The friend swore they were his. although there was a close link to Canseco.  The pills turned out to be steroids which woke up the question that had been shouted down just months before when Tom Boswell of the Washington Post had asked it.  Then came the wrist injury.  Canseco at first thought it was just strained but it got worse and he missed a great part of the season.  He had a few more speeding tickets and when he went to a doctor's appointment at the University of California, Berkeley, he was arrested for carrying a concealed, loaded, handgun.  Canseco's season seemed to be full of nothing but trouble.

Oakland struggled to get ahead of the Royals and Angels who surprised most people with their success.  The A's starters were doing what was expected of them.  In fact they had a chance to become the first team since the 1970 Orioles with four 20 game winners.  The offense still had problems thanks to injuries to McGwire, Lansford and Weiss and the question of what to do with the Outfield.  The final outfield puzzle piece came to town with a June 21 trade.  The A's sent Greg Cadaret, Eric Plunk and Luis Polonia to the Yankees and in return they received Rickey Henderson.  Henderson jump started the team and drove the offense.  The race in the AL West was close heading into September but the A's pulled away and won the division by 7 games.

The ALCS against the Blue Jays was contentious and several times came close to erupting into all out warfare.  The tension had begun in the regular season with two separate bench clearing brawls and when Rickey hit a Home Run and admired the feat he had angered the Jays. Toronto managed to win one game but LaRussa had this team focused.  He was not about to allow this team to suffer the same fate the 1988 group had.

Their opponent in the 1989 World Series was their neighbor in San Francisco.  Game 1 saw Stewart face off against Scott Garrelts.  The A's offense was strong.  They knocked 11 hits and scored five runs.  Dave Parker and Weiss hit Home Runs.  Stewart shut down the Giants on five hits.  Mike Moore started Game 2 and faced off against Rick Reuschel.  The A's had a four run inning in the 4th that included an RBI double by Parker and a three run Home Run by Steinbach.
Moore was strong in 7 innings allowing only 1 run.  The A's were up 2 games to 0.

Everything changed as the teams prepared for Game 3.  The scene shifted to San Francisco and as the teams prepared for the game, the A's were set to have Storm Davis start.  The pregame ceremonies were interrupted by Mother Nature.  An earthquake measuring 6.9 hit the San Francisco Bay area collapsing bridges, flattening homes and buildings, setting off fires and killing 63.  Baseball was unimportant as the area tried to rebuild their lives.  There was talk of cancelling the series completely but it was decided to wait.  After waiting two weeks the Series was resumed.  During the time off the A's flew to their spring training home in Arizona.  The Giants stayed in the area and had a few informal practices but few full team practices.  The A's won  Game 3, 13-7, behind Stewart and Game 4, 9-6, behind Moore.  They had won the World Series but few had noticed.

Rijo the Red Gets Revenge:
Storm Davis had been set to start the third game of the 1989 World Series when the earthquake interrupted.  When the series resumed LaRussa sent Dave Stewart to the mound instead of Davis and for Game 4 Davis was passed over in favor of Mike Moore.  Davis, a free agent, felt under aprecciated and decided it was time to move on so he signed with Kansas City.  Also gone on the free agent market were Dave Parker to Milwaukee and Tony Phillips to Detroit.  With Phillips gone a hole developed at Second Base so the Dodgers sent reserve outfielder Stan Javier to Los Angeles and in return received Second Baseman Willie Randolph.  By resigning Rickey Henderson the team remained strong at every position but they had lost some of their depth without Parker, Davis and Javier.

Still, when the regular season began the A's dominated.  They spent only two days (April 11 and 12) out of first place and even that was only 1/2 game out. Unlike the 1989 champions who struggled to gain traction against the Royals and Angels, the 1990 version seemingly won at will. They outpaced the Western Division by 9 games. Bob Welch won 27 games, Stewart won 22 and Scott Sanderson, the replacement for Storm Davis, went  17-11. The team that was already ahead of everyone even found a way to improve at the trading deadline.  They acquired Harold Baines from the Rangers and Outfielder Willie McGee from the Cardinals.  It certainly appeared this team was now perfect. In the ALCS they had little problems with the Red Sox taking Game 1, 9-1, and sweeping the rest of the way.

Photo of Bob Welch Courtesy of Detroit News.com

Their opponents in the World Series were the surprising Cincinnati Reds.  Smoke started Game 1 and faced off against Jose Rijo.  Rijo, whose father-in-law was Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, had originally started with the Yankees and was sent to Oakland as part of the deal that had sent Rickey Henderson to the Yankees. He spent three years as a starter for the Reds in their rotation but just as the team looked to turn the corner and begin the "almost dynasty" Rijo was sent to the Reds for Dave Parker.  Now he had his chance to show the powerful Oakland bats what they had missed out on. In Game 1 Rijo allowed 7 hits in 7 innings and walked only 2.  The best number he put up on the day was 0 as in 0 runs.  The Reds, on the other hand, pou ded Stewart and reliever Todd Burns for 7 runs to take Game 1.  The A's had a much better showing in Game 2 with Bob Welch on the mound but were tied at 4 when Welch left.  The Reds won in the bottom of the 10th for a 2-0 Series lead.

Few could believe that the A's could lose this series, let alone lose three straight but with Tom Browning on the mound for Cincinnati the A's certainly had their work cut out for them.  They didn't help themselves in any way.  The third inning was a 7 run disaster that included a McGwire error, a wild pitch,a pitching change and the Reds batting around.  The team was playing horribly. Everything had gone wrong for Oakland and everything had gone right for the Reds. The biggest disappointment for Oakland was Canseco himself.  After three games he was 1-12 for a .083 average.  In addition his defense had been causing problems when he was caught out of position on a few plays.  Given the poor results in the first three games LaRussa decided to  shake things up for Game 4 and made several line up changes.  Willie McGee started in Right Field in place of Canseco and Jamie Quirk started at Catcher in place of Steinbach.  The A's started Stewart against Rijo again.  Stewart pitched well.  He threw a complete game and allowed only 2 runs on 7 hits.  Rijo, however, allowed only 1 run on 2 hits.  The Reds won.  The team that looked unbeatable was not only beaten but embarrassed.

The downfall was quick and painful for the decade's most powerful team.  Stewart fell to just 11-11 in 1991 and Welch fell to 12-13.  Carney Lansford  and Weiss saw little playing time due to injuries and McGwire's numbers were suffering due to a painful back injury.  Not one player in the regular starting lineup hit .300 for the season and the A's dropped to 4th.  They would rebound for 1992 and reach the ALCS but by that time it was a greatly different team.

What had looked like one of the most dominant teams in history turned out to be a one time World Series Champion.

TRIVIA QUESTION:

The 1988 Dodgers had  several injuries during the World Series leading to a greatly different lineup than the one they had expected to play with entering the playoffs.  Among others Fernando Valenzuela, Kirk Gibson, Mike Marshall and Mike Sioscia missed some or all of the series.  Who was the Catcher that replaced Scioscia and caught the final out of the World Series?

Answer to Last Week's Question:

In 1976 Tommy Lasorda replaced Dodgers legend Walter Alston as manager of the team. Lasorda managed the team through the start of the 1996 season.  When Lasorda started having health issues he handed the reins over to Bill Russell, the former short stop in the "almost dynasty" of the Dodgers.  Russell would manage the team through the end of 1996, all of 1997 and part of 1998.

2014 American League West Preview

***The Division Preview that follows is not betting advice in any way shape or form.  Please do not bet any money based in any part on these predictions.***

Don't forget to check out the American League East and American League Central Previews and check back next week for the National League East Preview. 

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Logo Courtesy of Sports Logos.net

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:

Who's New:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

David Freese (3B) trade from Cardinals,
John McDonald (IF) free agent from Red Sox
Yorvit Torrealba (C) free agent from Rockies

OUTFIELDERS

Raul Ibanez (OF) free agent from Mariners,
Brennan Bosch (OF) free agent from Yankees
Chad Tracy (OF) free agent from Nationals

STARTING PITCHERS

Tyler Skaags (SP) trade from Diamondbacks, 

RELIEF PITCHERS

Wade LeBlanc (RP) from Houston,
Chris Volstad (RP) from Rockies,
Joe Smith (RP) free agent from Indians,
Frenando Salas (RP) trade from Cardinals,
Hector Santiago (RP) trade from White Sox,
Clay Repada (RP) free agent from Indians
Brandon Lyon (RP) free agent from Red Sox

Who Left:  
CATCHERS/INFIELDERS
Chris Nelson (3B) free agent to Reds
OUTFIELDERS
Peter Bourjos (CF)  trade to Cardinals,
Mark Trumbo (DH/OF) trade to the Diamondbacks,
Brad Hawpe (OF) released
STARTING PITCHERS
Jason Vargas (SP) free agent to Royals,
Jerome Williams (SP) free agent to Astros
Barry Enright (SP) free agent to Phillies
Tommy Hanson (SP) free agent to Rangers
RELIEF PITCHERS
Daniel Stange (RP) free agent to Nationals
Robert Coello (RP) free agent to Yankees
Juan Gutierrez (RP) free agent to Giants
Tommy Hanson (RP) released
Ryan Madson (RP) unsigned free agent
Scott Cousins (RP) free agent to Red Sox
Winter Headlines: 
New coaching staff: Don Baylor, Gary DiSarcina.
Pujols says ankle is 99.9 percent healthy.
Trout best player in the league?
Rebuilt bull pen.
Mark Mulder looks good in comeback attempt until injury ends experiment.
What to Expect?:
People in southern California are frustrated.  The Angels paid big money for C.J. Wilson and Pujols in 2012 and for Hamilton in 2013.  Add to that the spectacular additions of young talent Peter Bourjos, Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout and theoretically this should be a World Series contender every year.  Instead, Trumbo and Bourjos are gone and the Angels are on the verge of losing their manager and General Manager.  The addition of Angels legends Don Baylor and Gary DiSarcina to the coaching staff may help take some pressure off of Scioscia and a healthy Pujols and Weaver should play a big part as well.  If the revamped bullpen can support closer Ernesto Frieri this team may reach their potential.  Although the top three teams in this division are very close all three have pitching issues and the Angels seem to have the offense that will get them past the pitching issues.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
The perception is that this is an underachieving, over paid group of guys.  Realistically, the payroll is high but these are professional guys who have suffered through difficult injuries and have fought hard to come up just short several years in a row.  Each year they seem to get off to a slow start and have bullpen troubles that put them far enough behind that they can't catch up.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Angels Fans Want?:
The Angels have added Raul Ibanez to the outfield for some insurance.  Alberto Callaspo had been a solid third baseman for several years in Anaheim but they have upgraded with David Freese. The problem, as it has been the last three years, is the bullpen.  The pitching staff has been the big reason for the struggles in the big A and although it has been greatly revamped for the upcoming season there are still major questions.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Josh Hamilton's numbers were down greatly from his days in Texas.  If we're being honest the season was a bit of a disaster for him.  The more he struggled the harder he seemed to work and the worse the season got.  The stories this winter are that Hamilton is working hard and has refocused on training and is ready for a big season, though he is already injured this spring and may miss up to two weeks.  That being said, don't expect 40 Home Runs and 120 RBI's but 20-25 Home Runs and 90-100 RBI is a reasonable expectation.
Expect Great Things From:
Albert Pujols, according to most people, has been a disappointment for the first two years of his big contract.  In reality it is a false perception. True, his first month of 2012 was a slow month but Pujols greatly improved over the rest of the season.  Although the team did not reach the playoffs it was largely due to the bullpen and not Pujols.  Albert's numbers were down greatly last year but Pujols was trying to play through a major foot injury that was clearly effecting him.  At times it appeared to be painful for Pujols to even jog from the dug out to first base.  After a surgery to repair the foot and an off season program expect Pujols to come back strong.
Prediction:1st in AL West

Oakland Athletics Logo Courtesy of Sports Logos.net

Oakland Athletics

Who's New?: 

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Nick Punto (IF) from Dodgers,
Fernando Abad (IF) free agent from Nationals,
OUTFIELDERS
Craig Gentry (OF) trade from Rangers,
Sam Fuld (OF) free agent from Rays
STARTING PITCHERS
Philip Humber (SP) free agent from Astros,
Scott Kazmir (SP) free agent from Indians,
Josh Lindblom (SP) trade from Rangers,
Drew Pomeranz (SP) trade from Rockies
RELIEF PITCHERS
Luke Gregerson (RP) trade from Padres,
Jim Johnson (RP) trade from Orioles,
Eric O'Flaherty (RP) free agent from Braves

Who Left?: 

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Jemile Weeks (2B) trade to Orioles, 

Kurt Suzuki (C) free agent to Twins

Scott Sizemore (2B) free agent to Yankees

OUTFIELDERS

Chris Young (OF) free agent to Mets,
Michael Choice (OF) trade from Rangers,
STARTING PITCHERS
Bartolo Colon (P) free agent to Mets,
Brett Anderson (SP) trade to Rockies,
RELIEF PITCHERS
Seth Smith (RP) trade to Padres,
Jerry Blevins (RP) trade to Nationals,
Hideki Okajima (RP) free agent to Japan,
Grant Balfour (RP) free agent to Rays
Pedro Figueroa (RP) released
Chris Resop (RP) free agent to Royals
Pat Neshek (RP) free agent to Cardinals
Winter Headlines:
Retooled Pitching Staff.
What to Expect?:
The A's and Billy Beane have surprised people two years in a row.  In 2012 they shocked the Rangers by winning the division on the last day with a budget team.  They retooled the team for 2013 and surprised everyone again.  For 2014 they have again revamped the team.  Expectations should be tempered as some of the new acquisitions, like Scott Kazmir, Jim Johnson and Craig Gentry have had major ups and downs in their career.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
Billy Beane always seems to find a way to win on a small budget.  Anyone who roots for a team that is not in a major market should be rooting for this group.  While the Rangers and Angels (and in some cases even the Mariners) seem to be spending at will, the A's are winning the old fashioned way.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Athletics Fans Want?:
As good as the team has been the last few years, they have not exactly dominated the west.  The Angels truly should have won this division the last three years and the A's allowed the Rangers to hang around late in the season both seasons before winning the division late.  With a retooled pitching staff there are still major questions.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Jim Johnson was a big acquisition from the Orioles.  Johnson was an All Star and nearly perfect when the Orioles made the playoffs in 2012 but struggled at times in 2013.  He will be replacing Grant Balfour, who played a major part in Oakland's success the last few years.  Don't expect Johnson to dominate the way Balfour did.
Expect Great Things From:
There was a perception last year that Yoenis Cespedes had a big fall off when his average dropped from .290 to .240.  True, the average was a big drop due mostly to injuries, but despite the low average, Cespedes managed to improve in Home Runs and Runs Scored and was only 2 RBI behind his rookie pace.  A healthy Cespedes could compete for an MVP.
Is This His Last Chance?:
Scott Kazmir has had an interesting career.  He was involved in a trade from the Mets to the Rays that basically got Jim Duquette fired as GM in New York. The pressure on Kazmir to become the ace of the Rays staff were tremendous and as the Rays went from joke to contender, Kazmir played a big part.  When he was traded to the Angels, it was expected that he would be the final piece for an Angels dynasty.  That quickly turned into a 9-15 season followed by stints in the minors and a year in Colorado.  Last year Kazmir went 10-9 for an Indian playoff team but it was hardly what was expected of Kazmir when he entered the league.  With big playoff hopes in Oakland this year Kazmir will need to prove he can fulfill the potential that was once seen in him.
Prediction: 2nd in AL West.  American League Wild Card

Texas Rangers Logo Courtesy of Sports Logo.net

Texas Rangers:

Who's New:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS
Prince Fielder (1b) trade from Tigers,
J. P. Arincebia (C) free agent from Blue Jays,
Brent Lillibridge (3B) free agent from Yankees,
Josh Wilson (SS) free agent from Diamondbacks,
OUTFIELDERS
Michael Choice (OF) trade from Athletics,
Kensuke Tanaka (OF) free agent from Giants,
Shin Soo Choo (OF) free agent from Reds,
STARTING PITCHERS
Tommy Hanson (SP) free agent from Angels
RELIEF PITCHERS
Jose Contreras (P) free agent from Red Sox,
Justin Germano (RP) free agent from Blue Jays,
Mike Mikolas (RP) trade from Pirates
Pedro Figueroa (RP) waiver claim from Athletics
Daniel Bard (RP) free agent from Cubs

Who Left:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Brendan Harris (IF) free agent to Dodgers,
Lance Berkman (DH/1B) retired
Jeff Baker (IF) free agent to Marlins
Ian Kinsler (2B) trade to Tigers,
A.J. Pierzynski (C) free agent to Red Sox,
Chris McGuinness (IF) trade to Pirates
OUTFIELDERS
David Murphy (OF) free agent to Indians,
Craig Gentry (OF) trade to A's,
Nelson Cruz (OF) free agent to Orioles
STARTING PITCHERS
Josh Lindblom (SP) trade to A's,
Matt Garza (SP) free agent to Brewers
RELIEF PITCHERS
Joe Nathan (RP) free agent to Tigers,
Travis Blackley (RP) unsigned free agent.
Winter Headlines:  
Profar or Andrus?  Answered by trade of Kinsler
Fielder impact over Kinsler tenure.
Rangers show lack of loyalty again.
Choo chooses Rangers
What to Expect?:
What to expect is a great question.  The Rangers seem to surprise people one minute and disappoint people the next.  Texas lost several key players this year again (Pierzynski, Murphy, Gentry, Nathan, Cruz and Kinsler) but they made some major moves as well (Choo and Fielder).  Last year when Hamilton and Young were allowed to leave Michael Young complained that the Rangers ownership had a lack of loyalty to their players. When Kinsler was traded it appeared that Young's charges could be applied again.  Ron Washington has done a great job as manager but at what point does the ownership allow too many of their long time veteran leaders to get away?  In addition to the loss of leaders through trades and free agency there is the pitching issues.  Derek Holland, looked on as the number two starter (and was looked at as the key to the rotation) will be out until near the all star break making a questionable rotation even more of a liability.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
Ron Washington is one of the best managers in the game and he constantly has this team in contention. Like Joe Maddon in Tampa, Washington is often able to do more with less.  After surprising everyone with a 2010 World Series appearance and coming within inches of winning it all in 2011 the Rangers had a disappointing end to 2012 and 2013.  For the few who remain from those teams it would be nice to see them win.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Rangers Fans Want?:
Despite adding Fielder and Choo the Rangers may have lost too much.  It is not just the number of players that have left since the World Series appearances it is more a matter of the heart and soul that has left.  The World Series teams were led by Hamilton, Kinsler, Young, C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Elvis Andrus, Nelson Cruz, Adrian Beltre and Cliff Lee.  Only Andrus and Beltre remain from that group.  It is true that Fielder and Choo will be strong additions but neither seems to have the leadership quality of the men who have left.  The pitching staff, past Yu Darvish, is a mess.  The team was relying heavily on  Derek Holland (who was only 10-9 in 2013) who will now be out until the All Star Break after having leg surgery and the bullpen appears to be a jigsaw puzzle with no real closer.  They will try using Neftali Feliz as closer again but the results have been hit or miss each time he tries to fill that position.  Although this is a strong team the pitching is the main reason I am picking them third.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Jurickson Profar has been pretty much anointed as the next great middle infielder.  The team even decided to move one of the faces of the franchise to allow him to play full time.  Granted it was a small sample size in 2013 but he only hit .234.  Profar will likely be much better than that small sample size (and his defense should get him consideration for a Gold Glove) but don't expect him to replace Kinsler's numbers.
Expect Great Things From:
Prince Fielder may not be the leader that Kinsler and Young were but his numbers may skyrocket in Texas.  The balls in Texas seem to fly farther faster during the summer months than in most parks and with Fielder's power you can expect his Home Run and RBI totals to soar.
Is This His Last Chance?:
Neftali Feliz has been the off and on closer for the last few years.  He was expected to contribute greatly to the Rangers last season but injuries sidelined him  for the better part of the year.  Feliz will have little time to ease back into the position as Joe Nathan has left for Detroit.  Feliz will need to be near perfect for the Rangers to compete.
Prediction: 3rd in AL West

Seattle Mariners Logo Courtesy of Sports Logo.net

Seattle Mariners

Who's New:

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Robinson Cano (2B) free agent from Yankees, 

Logan Morrison (1B) trade from Marlins,

John Buck (C) free agent from Pirates

OUTFIELDERS

Wilie Bloomquist (OF) free agent from Diamondbacks,
Corey Hart (OF) free agent from Brewers,
Cole Gillespie (OF) free agent from Cubs,
STARTING PITCHERS
Scott Baker (SP) free agent from Cubs
Zach Miner (SP) free agent from Phillies
RELIEF PITCHERS
Ramon Ramirez (RP) free agent from Rays
Logan Kensing (RP) free agent from Rockies

Who Left:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Henry Blanco (C) free agent to Diamondbacks,
Kendrys Morales (1B/DH)  unsigned free agent

OUTFIELDERS

Raul Ibanez (OF) free agent to Angels
Jason Bay (OF) released
Carlos Peguero (OF) trade to Royals

STARTING PITCHERS
Oliver Perez (SP) unsigned free agent
Joe Saunders (SP) unsigned free agent

RELIEF PITCHERS

Carter Capps (RP) trade to Marlins,
Winter Headlines: 
Poor Lloyd McClendon.
Cano asks for respect.  Gets money instead.
Can the top three starters lead to a surprise Mariners success.
What to Expect?:
Why do bad teams happen to good people?  Lloyd McClendon may be a good manager but it will be hard to tell.  McClendon is getting his second chance at managing and for the second time he will be taking over a team that has little chance to win.  The Mariners potentially have a great top of their rotation with Hernandez, Iwakuma and a young Taijuan Walker.  Although Iwakuma and Walker are already injured in spring training and will be out for an unknown amount of time.  These three (when healthy) should keep the Mariners in many games but the bullpen and offense may not be strong enough to win all of the games started by these three.  The Mariners spent a lot of money to get Cano from the Yankees but there is little hope that his numbers will be good enough to help this team compete with the rest of the division.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
There are some likable players on this team, like Felix Hernandez, who have been with this team for a long time and have seen some truly low times.  The Mariners often make a loud off season noise but it rarely works out for them.  The Mariners have been around since 1977 and have had very few moments to celebrate.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Mariners Fans Want?:
Although the Mariners made a big splash with Cano and some smaller ripples with signings like Corey Hart, and Logan Morrison, there is still not enough talent here to compete with the top three in this division. The strength of the team was intended to be the starting pitching with Hernandez, Iwakuma and Walker.  With Walker and Iwakuma already suffering injuries this season could  dissolve before it even starts.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Robinson Cano is a great player but there is very little support in Seattle.  With fewer big bats in the lineup it would be odd to expect the opposition to pitch to him in dangerous situations. Expect Cano to hit 20-25 Home Runs but don't expect him to raise a world series trophy in Seattle.
Expect Great Things From:
Felix Hernandez is one of the top pitchers in the league and regardless of how bad the team behind him is King Felix will always shine.  Hernandez's numbers will be great but don't expect those numbers to automatically translate into wins.
Is This His Last Chance?:
Lloyd McClendon is getting his second chance to manage but unfortunately he is getting a well below average team.  McClendon is a good manager but often managers who lead bad teams don't get many chances to prove they can manage.
Prediction:4th in AL West

Houston Astros Logo Courtesy of Sports Logos.net

Houston Astros

Who's New:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Jesus Guzman (1B) trade from Padres, 

Cesar Izturis (SS) free agent from Reds

OUTFIELDERS

Dexter Fowler (OF) trade from Rockies,

Adron Chambers (OF) free agent from Cardinals

STARTING PITCHERS

Scott Feldman (SP) free agent from Orioles,
Jerome Williams (SP) free agent from Angels

RELIEF PITCHERS

Anthony Bass (RP) trade from Padres,
Pete Moylan (RP) free agent from Dodgers,
Chad Qualls (RP) free agent from Marlins,
Matt Albers (RP) free agent from Indians,
Jesse Crain (RP) free agent from Rays

Who Left:  

CATCHERS/INFIELDERS

Brandon Laird (IF) free agent to Royals,

Matt Pagnozzi (C) free agent to Brewers, 

Ryan Jackson (IF) trade to Padres,

OUTFIELDERS

Brandon Barnes (OF) trade to Rockies

Trevor Crowe (OF) free agent to Tigers

STARTING PITCHERS

Philip Humber (SP) to Athletics,
Jordan Lyles (SP) trade to Rockies,
Eric Bedard (SP)free agent to Rays
RELIEF PITCHERS
Wade LeBlanc (RP) to Angels,
Edgar Gonzalez (RP) free agent to Reds
What to Expect?:
The Astros are making efforts to improve. They have upgraded their bullpen with Pete Moylan, Chad Qualls and Matt Albers.  They have improved their offense and defense with Dexter Fowler and they are working hard to improve the team.  Listening to their first spring training game the other night, the Astros announcers talked about the improved attitude this year.  There is much more optimism and a feeling of a light at the end of the tunnel.  The realistic truth is they are probably a few years away from competing for a division or wild card spot but their improvement makes this division the toughest in the AL.
Why Should You Root for These Guys?:
The Astros organization has come close to winning it all several times but they have rarely, in their brief history, been this far from competition.  It would be nice to see them surprise some people for the benefit of some players who are under rated stars.
Why Might This Season Not Turn Out the Way Astros Fans Want?:
The team has improved from two years ago to last year and the improvement should continue this year but truth be told it is not enough at this point to compete.  The offense and bullpen have been improved but the starting pitching is still atrocious.  The Astros are working on a five year plan and this year may be the tipping point to either confirm they are moving in the right direction or to tell them to scrap it all and start over.
Don't Expect Too Much From Him:
Dexter Fowler is easily the biggest addition the Astros have made but there is not enough in the lineup or rotation to expect Fowler to make a drastic impact.  Fowler will definitely improve the team and will likely benefit Jose Altuve in the lineup but Fowler will not lead this team to the playoffs.  At least not this year.
Expect Great Things From:
Jose Altuve is probably the most under rated second baseman in the league.  He may not have huge power numbers (he has only 14 Home Runs in three years) and his strike outs are a bit higher than you would normally like for a top of the lineup guy but Altuve is on the verge of becoming a great player.  Expect Altuve to hit near .300, steal 30 bases and hit about 25-30 doubles.  With some extra help in the lineup from Fowler, Altuve could take the next step in becoming a star in the league.
Prediction:5th place in AL West

*-Please be aware that these predictions are based on the rosters as set at the end of February.  There are still several key free agents unsigned which could alter these previews.  Also, injuries during spring training could alter my outlook.  Check back next week for the NL East Preview and continue following to see my final predictions at the start of the season.  

TRIVIA QUESTION:

The Angels, Athletics and Rangers have great offenses but their pitching staffs leave a lot to be desired.  Seattle has a great top of their rotation but little offensive support.  Pitching clearly is the key in this division.  How many American League West pitchers have won the Cy Young Award?

Answer to Last Week's Question:
Congratulations to TJD for last week's trivia question.

The American League Central division was founded in 1994 and contained the White Sox, Twins, Royals, Indians and Brewers.  When the league expanded to add the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays in 1998 there was a need to move one American League team to the National League to avoid having uneven numbers in each league.  The Brewers were moved to the National League Central.  The Tigers moved from the American League East to the American League Central.  The division has remained in that format since then.

10 Ugliest Uniforms in Baseball History

"There is more importance attached to the selection of a regular uniform for a base ball club than the fraternity generally think there is...one of the last things a club should do, is to change the colors or form of its uniform." 

These were the words of wisdom of Henry Chadwick, one of the founding fathers of organized baseball.  Way back in 1869 Chadwick knew that the appearance of a team made a big difference in how the team is perceived by the public.  Quite often people form allegiances based on locality, but just as often, appearance of the uniform makes a big difference in choosing sides.  The eye catching colors of the Giants' black and orange, the crisp blue and white of the Dodgers, the classy look of the Tigers' olde English D, the traditional blue pinstripes of the Yankees all play a part in the image of the organization as a whole. 

Twenty years later the 1889 Spalding's Baseball Guide and Official League Book, quoted Rule #17 as stating that "Every Club shall be required to adopt uniforms for its players, and each player shall be required to present himself upon the field during said game in a neat and cleanly condition..."  Of course, Spalding's being a sporting goods company, the back of that guide to the upcoming season featured an ad urging "clubs not to make the mistake of entrusting the making of their uniforms to local dealers, whose experience in this kind of work is necessarily limited."  At that time the top quality jersey would have cost you $5.00.    That's a hell of a bargain considering a replica Josh Hamilton jersey, not the expensive authentic replica,would cost you $100 plus tax plus shipping and handling.   The 1889 Brooklyn Bridegrooms (the ancestors of the Dodgers) could have clothed their first and second nines with top quality uniforms (with some left over) for that amount.

Over the years some teams have paid particular attention to the continuity of their uniforms (the Yankees have made only minor changes to their uniforms since the early 1920's) while others seem to change every ten years or so (the Padres, Mariners, Astros and Angels were all expansion teams but have all continuously changed uniforms, color schemes and logos).

Some uniform changes are widely successful and others are disastrous.  Below are my choices for the ten ugliest uniforms in the history of the sport:

10. 1963-1974 Kansas City/Oakland Athletics
Charles Finley always tried to find new ways to draw attention to his teams.  Frequent readers will remember his antics as they were chronicled during our focus on baseball in music series.  Finley took over majority ownership of the Athletics in 1961 when they were in Kansas City.  The A's were one of the original American League teams and had used red and white or blue and white (occasionally a combination of all three) since the league began in 1901. Just a few years after Finley took over the team , in 1963, the color scheme changed drastically to Kelly Green and Canary Yellow.  The combination was usually used with a yellow shirt and white pants but as you can see from the picture of Vida Blue below, they sometimes used yellow pants with the yellow jerseys.  As ugly as these uniforms were the A's were very successful during their use.  In the time that they wore these uniforms the A's won division titles in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975 and won three straight World Series in 1972, 1973 and 1974.

Photo of Vida Blue in 1971 Oakland Athletics Courtesy of Sports Illustrated

Portrait of 1968 Oakland Athletics Uniform Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

9. 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates
Similar to the Athletics organization, the Pittsburgh Pirates used a varying red and white or blue and white color scheme for decades.  Although we might find it hard to believe that any team in Pittsburgh would use any color scheme other than black and gold, Pirates legends Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, Paul and Lloyd Waner and Pie Traynor never appeared in what we consider the traditional Pirates colors.  In 1946 the Pirates were purchased by a group that included the legendary entertainer Bing Crosby and two years later the team adopted the now famous black and gold.  The uniform had small variations throughout the years and were usually pretty nice looking but the 1979 "We Are Family" team used the gaudy all Canary Yellow combination seen in the below photo of Willie Stargell.  Also similar to the Oakland A's, the Pirates won the World Series the year these uniforms were used, coming back from a 3 games to 1 deficit to defeat the Baltimore Orioles.

Photo of Willie Stargell in 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates Uniform Courtesy of ESPN

Portrait of 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates Uniforms Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

8. 1982-1986 Chicago White Sox
This won't be the last time you see the White Sox on this list but these uniforms (seen modeled below by Pitcher Lamaar Hoyt) are definitely hideous.  It could be the font of the Sox across the chest, the odd positioning of the numbers on the leg or just the odd striping patterns that make these uniforms among the ugliest ever.  Regardless, the ChiSox won the 1983 American League West but lost in the American League Championship Series to the Baltimore Orioles.  These uniforms lasted until 1986.  They were replaced for a few years by slightly nicer uniforms with the same color scheme but with a script "White Sox" on the home jersey and "Chicago" for the away jersey.  The current black and white (a throw back to the days of the early years in the league) were debuted in 1990.

Photo of Lamaar Hoyt in 1983 Chicago White Sox Uniform Courtesy of Bleacher Report

Portrait of 1986 Chicago White Sox Uniforms Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

7. 2012 Miami Marlins
The Marlins have been in the league since 1993 and chose an odd Teal, Black and Gray color scheme to start off their existence.  They used variations of that color scheme until 2012 when the team had a complete overhaul.  As the team prepared to embark on a new chapter by moving into a brand new stadium with a new manager and a ton of new high priced free agents, they decided to change their uniforms and logo as well.  The team must have had little left in the budget for uniforms after the price of the stadium and payroll because the uniforms looked like a company softball uniform.  A debate can probably be started to discuss what was the bigger disaster:  the uniforms or the play on the field?

Photo of Heath Bell in 2012 Miami Marlins Uniform Courtesy of Yahoo Sports

Portrait of 2013 Miami Marlins Uniforms Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

6. 1975-1986 Houston Astros
When the Houston Colt .45's renamed themselves the Astros for the 1965 season, they switched their uniforms to a fairly simple "Astros" across the chest with a shooting star across the top.  The color scheme changed from a blue and white (with hints of orange) to an orange and white combination for the 1970 season.  Starting in 1975, they apparently couldn't bring themselves to decide on just two colors because their uniform had a little bit of everything but green in it.  Amazingly, some of the greatest Astros in the history of the organization wore the rainbow uniforms.  Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, Glenn Davis and Jose Cruz all spent the best parts of their careers in hideous fashion.  The results are what matter and the Astros won.  The team reached the playoffs in 1980, 1981 and 1986. All three times they lost to the eventual World Series champions (1980 Phillies, 1981 Dodgers and 1986 Mets). 

Photo of Jose Cruz in 1980 Houston Astros Uniform Courtesy of Houston Astros.com

Portrait of 1986 Houston Astros Uniforms Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

5. 1916-1917 Brooklyn Robins
We rarely see major variations of the base color of uniforms.  Throughout history home uniforms are usually solid white and road uniforms are solid gray with a logo, team name or city name across the chest.  The most common drastic difference is the pinstriped look that we see on the Yankees, Phillies or White Sox uniforms, for example. When I was recently reading up on the 1916 World Series I came across these beauties (modeled below by manager Wilbert Robinson) with the checkered pattern.  At any rate, they were only in use for two seasons but made an appearance in the 1916 World Series as the Dodgers lost to Babe Ruth and the Red Sox.

Photo of Wilbert Robinson in 1916 Brooklyn Robins Courtesy of Wikipedia

Portrait of Brooklyn Robins 1916 Uniform Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

4. 1916 New York Giants
The Giants-Dodgers rivalry was in the infant stages but was rarely more vicious than at this time.  The intensity of the rivalry at this period can largely be attributed to the hatred that grew between Wilbert Robinson and John McGraw, formerly the best of friends.  Coincidence or not, the Dodgers and Giants both sported the checkered pattern uniforms during the 1916 season.  The Dodgers had success with the pattern in 1916, reaching their first World Series.  The Giants did not and switched back to their previous pinstripes in red with a gray road uniform in 1917.  Apparently there is something to the success of a uniform as they returned to the World Series for 1917.  The classic Giants black and orange (the reason Duke Snider would hate Halloween) would not come to the Giants until John McGraw had retired.  The now famous Giants colors were introduced by McGraw's replacement, Bill Terry.

Photo of George Kelly in 1916 New York Giants Uniform Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

Portrait of 1916 New York Giants Uniforms Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

3. 1972-1973 San Diego Padres
The Padres may be able to consider themselves lucky that they weren't wearing floppy shoes and red wigs but we can doubt that any of them thought it could get any worse than these uniforms.  The Padres were owned by Ray Kroc, owner of McDonald's, who decided to dress his players in the same color scheme as his hamburgers.  The all beef colored brown with the mustard colored uniforms were only used for two seasons but the color scheme remained in variations up until 1985 when they moved to a more white, brown and orange scheme.  In the picture below Don Zimmer is seen looking pensive.  Considering Zimmer has worn the Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees and Cubs classic uniforms it kind of makes you wonder how disgusted he was wearing this thing.

Photo of Don Zimmer in 1972 San Diego Padres Uniform Courtesy of ESPN

Portrait of 1972 San Diego Padres Uniforms Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

2. 1975 Cleveland Indians
For the second ugliest uniforms in the history of baseball it was only fitting that the image used would be one of the ugliest pictures in the history of baseball.  1975 was a monumental year for baseball.  The Big Red Machine dominated the National League.  The Red Sox, led by Fred Lynn and Jim Rice won the American League.  One of the greatest World Series of all time took seven classic games to be decided and Frank Robinson had the honor of being the first African American manager  in major league history.  Unfortunately for Frank he was manager of the Indians.   Since 1960 the franchise had finished higher than 4th only once, which was a third place finish in 1968 (21 games behind the first place Tigers).  Robby's bitter sweet appointment to the lowly Tribe can lead to the philosophical question: why do bad teams happen to great managers? Another great question would be why do bad uniforms happen at all?  The 1975 Indians had a new look roster including Robinson as the DH Player/manager and a new first baseman in Boog Powell.  Powell dressed in the uniform for the first time, looked in the mirror and told his team mates "I look like a massive blood clot."  Given Powell's size and shape he probably could have better compared himself to a ripe tomato.
 

Photo of Dennis Eckersley in 1975 Cleveland Indians Uniform Courtesy of ESPN

Portrait of 1975 Cleveland Indians Uniforms Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

1. 1976 White Sox (3 games only)
Bill Veeck was very similar to Charlie Finley in some ways: always looking for ways to get people in the seats.  He was the mastermind behind Disco Demolition night and Five Cent Beer Night.  He once decided that the player's batting average was not as important a stat as their "failure percentage" and had his scoreboard operator display the percentage of times the batter had failed to get a hit.  The players were not too happy about that one but they flat out revolted when they were forced to wear Softball style uniforms with shorts.  Comiskey Park was not always well manicured so you can imagine the fear the players would have had of trying to slide in shorts.  Fortunately for the ChiSox Comiskey realized the mistake, or realized his players would probably completely revolt if he didn't switch back to normal uniforms.  After 3 games the shorts were gone.

Photo of Bucky Dent in 1976 Chicago White Sox Uniform Courtesy of ESPN

Portrait of 1976 Chicago White Sox Uniforms Courtesy of National Baseball Hall of Fame

Have any other suggestions or a different list?  Email me your list or leave a comment.