Who'da thought?

Rays-Phillies.

It doesn't exactly roll off your tongue, does it? I didn't think so. I am the most excited for tonight's Game 1 than I have ever been for a World Series. Maybe because the Phillies are my favorite team and it's been a while or maybe it's the pitching matchup. Who knows. What I do know, though, is that this pitching matchup has some amazing potential in it.

Cole Hamels-Scott Kazmir. Two young and dominant left-handers will take the mound for what is the biggest start of their career so far. They're under pressure. Hamels has the entire city of Philadelphia on his back and has showed up so far this postseason (3-0, 1.23 ERA) while Kazmir brings Mets fans to tears (Victor Zambrano, anybody?) anytime they see him and has fans everywhere hoping Tampa Bay can complete their Cinderella season.

The media is on the Rays bandwagon. With the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers out of the playoffs, ESPN jumps on Tampa Bay, hoping the little man can pull one it. The Phillies become shunned again for the "better" marketing tool. The Phillies have the players in Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Hamels, but get pushed to the back whenever another team comes up. They will look to buck that trend in this series.

That being said, I cannot wait until 8:35 tonight, when Kazmir delivers the first pitch.

2008 Preseason All-AL East Team

I was originally going to do predictions for each division, but all the divisions are too close for me to call. So instead I have decided to go and create Preseason All-Star Teams for each division (First & Second teams). At the end of the series, there will be a vote on which team is the best. Please note I am factoring in last year's performance and this year's projected performance.

All-AL East First Team

C: Jorge Posada (NYY)
Posada's numbers from his career year last season trump all the other numbers of the other catchers in the East. I do not expect Posada to duplicate those numbers, but I definitely think he will still be the most productive catcher in the division.

1B: Carlos Pena (TB)
Like Posada, I do not think Pena will duplicate his numbers. That would be pretty cool if he did, but I do not expect him to hit 46 home runs again. Maybe 30, but not 46.

2B: Robinson Cano (NYY)
Cano had the best average and the most HRs and RBIs of any second basemen. He struggled in the field at times last season, but remains the top second baseman in the division. I expect him to only get better this season.

3B: Alex Rodriguez (NYY)

Need I say more?

SS: Derek Jeter (NYY)
Jeter is not the same player he was three or four years ago, but that does not mean he is not skilled. A .300 hitter, he comes through when needed and is adequately skilled in the field. Who cares if a study says he is the worst shortstop in baseball? I'm taking him over Julio Lugo, David Eckstein, Jason Bartlett, and Luis Hernandez.

LF: Hideki Matsui (NYY)
I originally had Manny Ramirez here because he is, well, Manny Ramirez. However, after looking at their numbers, Matsui hit more home runs and had more RBIs than Ramirez. Manny has adjusted his game away from being a power hitter a little bit, so he will not rake in the numbers we are accustomed to. However, I think Manny is in more of a decline than Hideki, so Hideki gets the nod.

CF: B.J. Upton (TB)
Upton will be a shining star in this league. He has 30+ home run power and batted .300 last year as a 22-year-old. I predict he will duplicate this performance.

RF: Nick Markakis (BAL)
Markakis is my newly christened mancrush, part of the reason he gets this spot. But love aside, I think he will have a better year than all of the other right fielders in the division. As a left-handed hitter, he has a short right field line in Camden Yards that he can exploit to his hearts delight.

DH: David Ortiz (BOS)
Ortiz was actually more productive last season even though he hit less home runs than he did in 2006. With no other team having a DH that can perform to Big Papi's level, he gets the nod.

SP: Scott Kazmir (TB)
Kazmir was the strikeout king for the American League last year and is only getting better. He should definitely be a 15-game winner behind his rising young offense. Kazmir will be one of the keys to the Rays projected success.

SP: Roy Halladay (TOR)
Halladay is only a few years removed from his Cy Young-winning season. He has declined recently, but can still hold his own against competition. He is still one of the best pitchers in the game on any given day.

SP: Josh Beckett (BOS)
There is not much to say about Beckett. He is a sure bet to win 17+ games and have an ERA under 3.50.

RP: Jonathon Papelbon (BOS)
The relief corps in the rest of the East pale in comparison to the staffs of the Red Sox and Yankees. Papelbon averaged a fantastic 13.0 K/9 and is still one of the most feared closers in the game.

RP: Mariano Rivera (NYY)
Rivera is most definitely on the decline, but he is still one of the better relievers in the East.

All-AL East Second Team

C: Jason Varitek (BOS)
This was a narrow choice over Baltimore's Ramon Hernandez, but with better offensive numbers and more able to handle pitching staffs, Tek gets the nod.

1B: Kevin Youkilis (BOS)
Youk gets the nod over Giambi, who is aging and has not showed anything recently. Youk is still Euclis, the Greek god of walks.

2B: Brian Roberts (BAL)
This was another close one, with Roberts getting the nod over Dustin Pedroia. Although Pedroia hit .317 to B-Rob's .290, I think that Pedroia will hit a sophomore slump as reigning AL Rookie of the Year.

3B: Mike Lowell (BOS)
Lowell will in no way repeat last year's numbers, but the Red Sox are betting on him to be a consistent presence in the order.

SS: David Eckstein (TOR)
See Jeter, Derek. Eckstein is the most proven and best fielder out the rest.

LF: Manny Ramirez (BOS)
I almost took Carl Crawford over Manny, but I expect Manny to rebound to 25+ HRs and 90+ RBIs this season.

CF: Vernon Wells (TOR)
Melky Cabrera almost got the nod here, but I Wells is a lot better than his stat line last year (.245/16/80) indicated. He should rebound to hit 30+ HRs with 100+ RBIs and bat over .270.

RF: Alex Rios (TOR)
Almost took Bobby Abreu here, but Rios continues to improve and should be a 30+ home run guy around the second or third spot in the order.

DH: Frank Thomas (TOR)
The Big Hurt can still hurt, as his 26 HRs last show. He will still impact the lineup, but not as much as in the past.

SP: Chien-Ming Wang (NYY)
It was tough to leave Wang off of the first team, but I think that Kazmir will have better year. Wang will still anchor the Yankees rotation, but he is liable to get knocked around a bit.

SP: James Shields (TB)
Shields is my sleeper for the year. I predict 15+ wins for him and a sub-3.60 ERA.

SP: Jeremy Guthrie (BAL)
Guthrie over Daisuke Matsuzaka? Just a wild guess. Dice-K was not really as productive as he seemed. Guthrie should win 13+ for the hapless O's this year.

RP: Joba Chamberlain (NYY)
No other relievers really.

RP: Hideki Okajima (BOS)
See above. Okajima will not be as dominate as last season thought…

All-American League East First & Second Teams.

Loyalty Issues

If I were a fan of the Baltimore Orioles or Milwaukee Brewers, I would count on hating the current front office crew in about five years. That's right, I am willing to predict that Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis and Brewers first basemen Prince Fielder will not be with their current team in five-to-seven years.

These predictions are from the controversy stemming from their contract disputes in the off season. With the numbers both of them put up last year they deserved to get paid this offseason. But they did not. Instead they had their contracts renewed for one year each and they are both being paid less than $1 million. The teams need to show loyalty to their players. To quote my dad, both of these players were "low-balled."

Let's look at each of these cases individually.

I am beginning to think I have a mancrush on Nick Markakis. Actually, I would like to take this opportunity to officially announce that I, DJ, have a mancrush on Nick Markakis. There.

Anyway, I have been watching Markakis steadily move up through the Orioles organization. I always being this up, but I saw him play Single-A ball and even then he was amazing. When he was placed in right field on Opening Day 2006 by Sam Perlozzo, I knew the future had arrived. Markakis was the Orioles lineup at some points this year and he is one of Major League Baseball's rising young stars. The Orioles need to keep him. Renewing his contract for one-year, $455,000 does not show that they want to keep him. I hope the Orioles realize that they are playing in the same division has the Yankees and Red Sox. I would hate to see Markakis patrolling the Pesky Pole in Fenway next to Jacoby Ellsbury or in right field at the new Yankee Stadium next to Melky Cabrera. I want to see him next to Adam Jones in Camden Yards. Playing these two teams many times during the season adds intrigue into Markakis to the potential of playing there.

So kill that potential, pay the man.

Here are Markakis' stats from last year:

G: 161
AB: 637
R: 97
H: 191
2B: 43
3B: 3
HR: 23
RBI: 112
SB: 18
CS: 6
BB: 61
SO: 112
BA: .300
OBP: .362
SLG: .485
OPS+: 121
TB: 309

They compare favorably to J.D. Drew:

G: 140
AB: 466
R: 84
H: 126
2B: 30
3B: 4
HR: 11
RBI: 64
SB: 4
CS: 2
BB: 79
SO: 100
BA: .270
OBP: .373
SLG: .423
OPS+: 105
TB: 197

J.D. Drew is making $14 million.

Markakis is making $455,000.

That ain't right.

Now let's look at Fielder. Now, Fielder is not the physical specimen of say, Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds, but the man can hit the ball. Far. When I first heard of young Prince Fielder, it was in Michael Lewis' Moneyball, where Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane painted an unflattering picture of him. Because of that, I did not have the best thoughts about Fielder when I first started seeing him play. After seeing him play multiple times however, my viewpoint is totally changed. The man can play. David Ortiz is aging. The Red Sox are going to be in the market for a DH in the next few years. Teams and general managers know that Fielder is the ideal choice an American League DH in the future. What is there to stop the Red Sox, Yankees, or even Angels from signing him to a huge deal the small market Brewers cannot match? I know the Brewers are a low budget team, but if they were to sign Fielder to a long-term deal now, they would be able to negotiate a shorter deal later in time so they will be able to keep him for his prime. The Brewers need to pay Fielder if they want to contend.

Pay him.

Fielder's stats from last year:

G: 158
AB: 573
R: 109
H: 165
2B: 35
3B: 2
HR: 50
RBI: 119
SB: 2
CS: 2
BB: 90
SO: 121
BA: .288
OBP: .395
SLG: .618
OPS+: 156
TB: 354

They compare to Paul Konerko.

G: 151
AB: 549
R: 71
H: 142
2B: 34
3B: 0
HR: 31
RBI: 90
SB: 0
CS: 1
BB: 78
SO: 102
BA: .259
OBP: .351
SLG: .490
OPS+: 116
TB: 269

Konerko makes $12 million.

Fielder makes $670,000.

Yeahhhhhhhh.

To me, the Orioles and Brewers need to follow the lead of the Colorado Rockies who signed young Troy Tulowitzki to a six-year, $31-million contract with the same or less service time as Markakis and Fielder. For both of those guys to see someone with less time than them make more money than them, that has to hurt. The Orioles are committed to rebuilding (or at least trying to be). Lock up Markakis. Put him next to Jones in the outfield. Markakis needs to be the centerpiece of the Orioles rebuilding process. I have heard talk of the Orioles contending in four-to-five years, which would put Markakis in his prime. Markakis is necessary for the Orioles to win. Peter Angelos, be loyal to your team and players. Sign the man.

As for Fielder, the Brewers need him for the future too. Put him in the lineup with Ryan Braun, J.J. Hardy, and Rickie Weeks, and you have something special. If the Brewers want to be able to outplay the Cubs for the NL Central crown, they will need Fielder anchoring their lineup, the Red Sox or Yankees lineup.

Sign these men.