During the 2008 season, the AL Central was most analogous to a Rocky Marathon.\u00c2\u00a0 At the top, the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins provided drama, intrigue, and quality play.\u00c2\u00a0 Rockies I and II gave us an Oscar-winning movie and Mickey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to eat lightning and crap thunder\u00e2\u20ac\u009d speech, as well as a training montage, during which Stallone chased a chicken around the back lots of Philadelphia.\u00c2\u00a0 Just like Rocky III and the mildly homoerotic training sequence between Apollo Creed and Rocky\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich culminated with an awkward man hug on the beach\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe Cleveland Indians failed to meet expectations.\u00c2\u00a0 Just as Mr. T offered a ray of sunshine with his performance as the truly villainous Clubber Lang, the Cliff Lee Reclamation Project outshone the team\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mediocrity for much of the season.\u00c2\u00a0 In fourth, the Kansas City Royals provided glimpses of hope for the future as their young pitching staff became a thorn in the side of opposing offenses and young talents Billy Butler, Mike Aviles, and Alex Gordon discovered a level of comfort at the Major League level.\u00c2\u00a0 Though much of their season was unwatchable, similar to the first hour of Rocky IV, they ended with the equivalent of Rocky, while training in the Russian hinterlands, outracing a car, climbing a mountain, and ultimately putting an end to the Cold War.\u00c2\u00a0 As for the last-place Detroit Tigers, like Rockies V and VI, most are more comfortable believing that they did not exist.<\/p>\n
Chicago White Sox:<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 The White Sox and their 89 wins squeaked past the upstart Minnesota Twins in a dramatic one-game playoff at the end of the season.\u00c2\u00a0 However, the Sox were quickly bounced out of the postseason, losing the ALDS 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays.<\/p>\n What worked:<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0 Offense, and lots of it.\u00c2\u00a0 Despite always entertaining manager Ozzie Guillen throwing his offense and his general manager under the bus in late May, Chicago led the major leagues in home runs, slugging 235 — 21 more than the Philadelphia Phillies.\u00c2\u00a0 The Sox also finished in the top five in the American League in runs scored, runs batted in, and slugging percentage.\u00c2\u00a0 This offensive explosion centered around the powerful heart of Chicago\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s order: Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, and off season acquisition Carlos Quentin.\u00c2\u00a0 All three smashed over thirty homers and drove in more than 90 runs.\u00c2\u00a0 They were joined by the revelation of Alexei Ramirez at shortstop.\u00c2\u00a0 The rookie middle infielder filled in admirably for the oft-injured Joe Crede, and in 136 games, batted .290 with 21 homers, 77 RBI, and 13 stolen bases.<\/p>\n Furthermore, two young arms provided a spark and kept the Sox in games long enough for their potent offense to do the necessary damage.\u00c2\u00a0 Gavin Floyd, 25, and John Danks, 23, led a solid pitching staff, which also comprised Javier Vazquez, Jose Contreras, Mark Buehrle, and consistent closer Bobby Jenks that posted a 4.06 team ERA, sixth best in the American League.\u00c2\u00a0 Though both Danks and Floyd tired down the stretch, it was Danks who, on September 30th<\/sup>, pitched eight innings of two-hit ball against the Minnesota Twins and led the Sox into the playoffs.<\/p>\n What didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t:\u00c2\u00a0 <\/em>Despite their league-leading home run and slugging totals, the White Sox offense struggled with timely hitting.\u00c2\u00a0 Chicago ranked eleventh in the league in team batting average and ninth in on base percentage.\u00c2\u00a0 While first baseman Paul Konerko posted 22 HR and 62 RBI, he hit an anemic .240.\u00c2\u00a0 Similarly, the winter signing of Nick Swisher did not pan out the way general manager Ken Williams would have hoped.\u00c2\u00a0 Swisher missed some time due to injury, slumped badly through most of the season, hitting a measly .219 and striking out 135 times.\u00c2\u00a0 The mid-season trade for Ken Griffey Jr. made headlines, but did little for the club, as Junior batted .260 with only three homers with the Sox.\u00c2\u00a0 Finally, the season-ending wrist injury of Carlos Quentin, the team leader in homers, runs batted in, and a major part of the team\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s success, sealed the fate of the Sox.\u00c2\u00a0 For a team that relied so much on the three headed monster in the middle of its lineup, Quentin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s absence was a crushing blow.<\/p>\n Shopping List:\u00c2\u00a0 <\/em>Jermaine Dye\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s contract expires at the end of the year, and the Sox have already begun stirring up some trade talks involving the right fielder.\u00c2\u00a0 Besides the uncertainty of Dye\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s future, the main issue facing Ken Williams and Ozzie Guillen this winter is age.\u00c2\u00a0 Jim Thome will turn 39 this season.\u00c2\u00a0 A.J. Pierzynski turns 32 in December.\u00c2\u00a0 Paul Konerko, who played much of 2008 as if he were 75 years old, turns 33 in March.\u00c2\u00a0 Due to the success of youngsters Danks, Floyd, and Ramirez, the White Sox are looking towards a youth movement in 2009.\u00c2\u00a0 They have already inserted Josh Fields into the lineup at third base, and aim to platoon Brian Anderson and Jerry Owens in center and Jayson Nix and Chris Getz at second.\u00c2\u00a0 As of November 20, they also signed Cuban sensation, 19-year-old pitcher Dayan Viciedo to a major league contract for four years and reportedly $11 million dollars.\u00c2\u00a0 As such, they are attempting to shore up the back of the starting rotation.\u00c2\u00a0 While Floyd, Danks, and Buehrle had successful seasons, Vazquez and Contreras were less consistent.\u00c2\u00a0 And with an offense that is growing increasingly older and reliant on the long-ball, pitchers that will consistently put up quality starts are in high demand on the south side of Chicago.<\/p>\n Minnesota<\/strong> Twins:<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 In 2008, the Twins bid farewell to one of the best pitchers in the league and a fan-favorite perennial All-Star centerfielder and missed the playoffs by one run.\u00c2\u00a0 They finished 88-75, losing the play-in game against the Chicago White Sox on a home run by Jim Thome.<\/p>\n What worked:<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0 Two words: fundamental baseball.\u00c2\u00a0 Ron Gardenhire deserves a raise.\u00c2\u00a0 He entered the season having lost Johan Santana and Torii Hunter and had an opening day roster that included Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Willie Mays Hayes, Roger Dorn, Pedro Cerrano,\u00c2\u00a0and Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn.\u00c2\u00a0 Nevertheless, the Twins piled up the wins and refused to quit throughout the season, falling just one win short of the postseason.\u00c2\u00a0 Young outfielders Denard Span and Carlos Gomez provided speed and base runners.\u00c2\u00a0 The Twins were the equivalent of a Nicholas Cage movie.\u00c2\u00a0 Though they excelled at very little, they did everything pretty well and ultimately left you feeling very satisfied.\u00c2\u00a0 They ranked fourth in the majors in runs scored, runs batted in, and batting average.\u00c2\u00a0 When Francisco Liriano returned from elbow surgery and the minors on August 3rd<\/sup>, he provided a tremendous lift to this young team.\u00c2\u00a0 In 11 starts, Liriano went 6-1 with a 2.74 ERA, recording 60 strikeouts in a little more than 65 innings of work.<\/p>\n What didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t:\u00c2\u00a0 <\/em>Although the Twins excelled at situational hitting, moving runners along and pushing runs across, they sorely missed the big scary bat in the middle of the order.\u00c2\u00a0 In an American League that has increasingly become the home of the bopper, Morneau led the team with 23 homers.\u00c2\u00a0 Besides Morneau and Mauer, the Twins had no one that truly scared the opposition.<\/p>\n Similarly, the signing of Livan Hernandez did not exactly work out.\u00c2\u00a0 Despite posting ten wins and living up to his reputation as a pitcher that eats up innings, he accrued a 5.48 ERA before being traded to the Rockies before the deadline.<\/p>\n Shopping List:\u00c2\u00a0 <\/em>With Joe Nathan still consistently anchoring the bullpen, the Twins are free to focus on finding some power and starting pitching.\u00c2\u00a0 However, many of the big names will command outlandish contracts, which will not allow Minnesota to contend in the bidding process.\u00c2\u00a0 One name on Minnesota\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s short list is Rafael Furcal.\u00c2\u00a0 In an organization that has young talent maturing in the outfield and Mauer and Morneau occupying catcher and first base, the free agent shortstop would shore up the middle of the field and also provide some veteran leadership to the younger speedsters.\u00c2\u00a0 Ultimately, it seems that the Twins are making a big push for next season, when they will replace the Metrodome and its marshmallow roof with brand new Target Field.\u00c2\u00a0 Though one does wonder what will happen when the weather of Minnesota wreaks havoc at this new open air facility.\u00c2\u00a0 Perhaps they should add a retractable roof to the shopping list?<\/p>\n Cleveland<\/strong> Indians<\/strong> (by Michael Taylor):\u00c2\u00a0 81-81, Third Place<\/p>\n What Worked<\/em>: Fighting for his professional life out of spring training, Cliff Lee found the corners of the strike zone with his fastball and soon found himself with an ERA under 1.00 midway through the month of May. He went on to finish the season 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA amid constant speculation that, for a guy who was demoted to Triple-A just a short season ago, he could not keep up this amazing statistical pace. Lee became the second Indian in a row to win the AL Cy Young Award following C.C. Sabathia.<\/p>\n Sabathia meanwhile was a part of the Indians sell-off of upcoming free agents at the trade deadline. The Indians, who had fallen out of contention, made a splash with deals for prospects that included 1B\/OF Matt LaPorta, catcher Carlos Santana, and outfielder Michael Brantley.<\/p>\n The Indians offense led by All-Star outfielder Grady Sizemore came to life late in the season by leading the AL in runs scored after the All-Star break. Sizemore became the Indians second 30-30 man in team history (the other was Joe Carter in 1987) and also added a second Gold Glove award and his first Silver Slugger award to his trophy mantle.<\/p>\n With Victor Martinez injured, backup catcher Kelly Shoppach broke out to hit 21 home runs, including a night in which he hit a major league record tying five extra-base hits against Detroit. Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo also finished the season on a tear, hitting .400 with five home runs and 24 RBI over the seasons last month, winning the AL Player of the Month in September. Choo finished with a .309 average with 14 homers and 66 RBI in 94 games.<\/p>\n What didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t: <\/em>It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tough for a team such as Cleveland with a smaller market payroll to be able to have their number three and four hitters, and number two and three starting pitchers all go down with significant injuries.<\/p>\n The Indians offense slumbered through the first half of the season, hitting as low as .218 during the month of May while Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner pulled the offense down with them before officially going on the disabled list for the majority of the season.\u00c2\u00a0 Cleveland also was without 2007 stud Fausto Carmona for two months of the season with a hip injury, and number three starter Jake Westbrook underwent Tommy John surgery in June and should return at some point in \u00e2\u20ac\u212209.<\/p>\n On top of the injuries, Cleveland\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s reliable bullpen from their 2007 playoff run crashed and burned, finishing 13th<\/sup> in the AL with a 5.11 ERA. Joe Borowski blew up early in the season as the closer before giving way to an array of fill-ins that included setup men Rafael Betancourt, Masa Kobayashi, and later Jensen Lewis.<\/p>\n Shopping List: <\/em>After a season of disappointment, GM Mark Shapiro has an important winter ahead of him. There is a glaring hole in the infield with the absence of a third baseman, a need for another experienced starting pitcher, and the biggest hole is at the backend of the bullpen.<\/p>\n The Indians have been exploring all options in the closer market, and with K-Rod and Brian Fuentes out of range, they likely will settle up with a shorter-term option such as a Trevor Hoffman while former top prospect Adam Miller (now in the bullpen) grooms for the job. The biggest move may come via trade, as the infield free agent market is quite thin. The move doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to be a third baseman either. Jhonny Peralta is playing third base in the winter Dominican League, and may be moved there permanently with Asdrubal Cabrera moving to his natural shortstop position. Kelly Shoppach is a key piece that may be on the move for the upgrade.\u00c2\u00a0 What worked:<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0 Much like the last decade, 2008 was a rebuilding season for the Royals.\u00c2\u00a0 The signing of Jose Guillen paid immediate dividends, as he led the team with 20 homers and 97 RBI, and did not physically attack or verbally abuse anyone from the front office.\u00c2\u00a0 Outfielder David DeJesus had another productive season, hitting over .310, with an OPS of .818.\u00c2\u00a0 Most importantly, the Royals experienced a youth movement of their own.\u00c2\u00a0 Highly touted prospect Alex Gordon had a year of experience under his belt, and produced respectable numbers throughout his sophomore season.\u00c2\u00a0 Gordon hit 16 homers, drove in 59 runs, and scored a team-high 72.\u00c2\u00a0 Rookie infielder Mike Aviles also made the future in Kansas City a little brighter.\u00c2\u00a0 In 102 games, he batted .325 while belting ten home runs, with 51 RBI, and scoring 68 runs.<\/p>\n The Royals also found a core of young pitchers around which to build.\u00c2\u00a0 Gil Meche and Zach Greinke posted strong seasons, both finishing with more than ten wins, ERAs under 4.00, and 183 strikeouts.\u00c2\u00a0 The twenty-four year old closer, Joakim Soria, had a fantastic year, converting 42 of 45 save opportunities and posting a 1.60 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts in 67.1 innings.\u00c2\u00a0 The Royals also played 81 home games at beautiful Kaufman Stadium and have access to the best rib joints in\u00c2\u00a0America.\u00c2\u00a0 So, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got that going for them, which is nice.<\/p>\n What didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t:<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0 Just about everything else.\u00c2\u00a0 The Royals offense ranked twelfth in the American League in runs scored, on base percentage, slugging, and OPS.\u00c2\u00a0 Their pitching ranked tenth in ERA and WHIP, and ninth in the number of quality starts.\u00c2\u00a0 Despite a fast start from Brian Bannister, the league quickly remembered that he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t throw very hard and throws a lot of pitches, most of them balls. \u00c2\u00a0There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a possibility that the Royals may have finished better had they hired Walter Matthau as an assistant coach.\u00c2\u00a0 Then they could have run Tatum O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Neal out to the mound every five days instead of Bannister\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s balloon-like 16 losses and 5.76 ERA.\u00c2\u00a0 On second thought, the crack budget would have been astronomical.\u00c2\u00a0 That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a tough hurdle to overcome for a small market team.<\/p>\n Shopping List:\u00c2\u00a0 <\/em>The Royals have already made some moves.\u00c2\u00a0 They just procured Coco Crisp in return for reliever Ramon Ramirez.\u00c2\u00a0 Crisp provides this offense with a spark at the top of the order.\u00c2\u00a0 Between him and Aviles, hitters like Gordon, DeJesus, and Guillen will find themselves in a higher number of RBI situations.\u00c2\u00a0 While the Royals are strong in the bullpen, they could really use some starters to go along with Greinke, Meche, and upstart Kyle Davies.\u00c2\u00a0 They have signed Brandon Duckworth to a one year deal, but that move is far from shoring up the rotation.\u00c2\u00a0 The Royals will not be in competition for some of the big ticket names, and as such, should focus on people like Julian Tavarez or Horacio Ramirez.\u00c2\u00a0 Ultimately though, instead of shopping, the Royals should work to lock up their core of Aviles, Gordon, Greinke, Meche, Billy Butler, and Soria for the long term.<\/p>\n Detroit Tigers:\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>Despite making headlines in the off season for the signing of Miguel Cabrera, much like 24\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most recent season (not to be confused with the recently released 24: Redemption, that was phenomenal), the Tigers fell far short of expectations in 2008.\u00c2\u00a0 The team many predicted would challenge for a World Series title finished 74-88\u00e2\u20ac\u201d14.5 games out of first place.<\/p>\n What worked:<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0 As many predicted, the Tigers had an incredibly formidable offense.\u00c2\u00a0 With a lineup that featured Curtis Granderson, Maglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera, Gary Sheffield, Placido Polanco, Edgar Renteria, and Marcus Thames, the Tigers put up 821 runs, ranking fifth in the majors.\u00c2\u00a0 They also ranked in the top ten with 200 home runs (4th<\/sup>), 780 RBI (6th<\/sup>), and a .447 slugging percentage (4th<\/sup>).\u00c2\u00a0 Miguel Cabrera lived up to his contract, leading the AL with 37 home runs and finishing third in the league with 127 RBI.\u00c2\u00a0 Despite early injuries, Curtis Granderson continued to develop into a bona fide star, scoring 112 runs, just five behind the league leader and AL MVP, Dustin Pedroia.\u00c2\u00a0 Granderson also batted .280 with a .365 on base percentage, 22 HR and 66 RBI.<\/p>\n Armando Galarraga provided the lone source of comfort for Detroit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s embattled pitching staff.\u00c2\u00a0 In his first full year of service, the 26 year-old Venezuelan went 13-7 with a 3.73 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP.\u00c2\u00a0 Though he tired down the stretch, increasing his ERA 3.39 to 3.73 in the month of September, Galarraga provided hope for a future where Tigers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 pitchers would not commit ritual suicide on a daily basis.<\/p>\n What didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t:\u00c2\u00a0 <\/em>Simple, pitching.\u00c2\u00a0 The Tigers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 rotation was equivalent to Saturday Night Live over the past few years.\u00c2\u00a0 Galarraga, much like the performances of Tina Fey and Justin Timberlake, deflected attention from how truly dreadful the rest of the rotation had been.\u00c2\u00a0 While the Tigers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 offense scored 821 runs, their pitching and defense allowed 857 runs to the opposition.\u00c2\u00a0 Detroit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pitching ranked twelfth in the American League in ERA (4.90), WHIP (1.51), quality starts (67), and saves (34).\u00c2\u00a0 Remove Galarraga from the equation and those numbers get worse.\u00c2\u00a0 Despite striking out 163 batters, Justin Verlander lost 17 games and posted a 4.84 ERA.\u00c2\u00a0 No amount of steroids or pine tar could help Kenny Rogers, as he lost 13 with a 5.70 ERA.\u00c2\u00a0 Nate Robertson should have remained an undersized guard with the New York Knicks; he lost 11 and recorded a 6.35 ERA.\u00c2\u00a0 Finally, the Dontrelle Willis Reclamation Project did not go as well the Cliff Lee Reclamation Project.\u00c2\u00a0 Willis started seven games, won none and lost two.\u00c2\u00a0 He finished the season with a 9.38 ERA.\u00c2\u00a0 Armando Galarraga was the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153D**k in a Box\u00e2\u20ac\u009d video short, the rest of the rotation was anything involving the fat actor that used to star in the Keenan and Kel Show.<\/p>\n Shopping List:\u00c2\u00a0 <\/em>With Edgar Renteria filing for free agency, the Tigers need a shortstop.\u00c2\u00a0 They have already considered trading for Julio Lugo and Jack Wilson.\u00c2\u00a0 They also have looked into signing Alex Cora.\u00c2\u00a0 However, Detroit already has a strong lineup returning, what they need is pitching.\u00c2\u00a0 They can build around the success of Armando Galarraga, but Justin Verlander needs to return to his old form.\u00c2\u00a0 The Tigers must stock their bullpen with bona fide relievers.\u00c2\u00a0 The Tigers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 pen posted a gaudy 4.65 ERA and blew 28 save opportunities.\u00c2\u00a0 The late season trade for Kyle Farnsworth was not the answer they were looking for, as the righty finished with a 6.75 ERA in Detroit.\u00c2\u00a0 Though general manager Dave Dombrowski has stated that the Tigers are not interested in spending money on big name free agents, he should probably consider investing in a better training staff so that he can keep players like Granderson, Sheffield, Rogers, Joel Zumaya, and Fernando Rodney on the field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Kansas City<\/strong> Royals:\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>The Royals went 75-87 and finished 13.5 games behind the first place White Sox.\u00c2\u00a0 At the beginning of the season, no one really expected much from Kansas City.\u00c2\u00a0 The Royals quickly proved everyone right.<\/p>\n