CHICAGO WHITE SOX - 1st Place
KEY ADDITION: Mark Buehrle - The Buehrle of '06 reeked with gopher balls and lost velocity on his fastball. The Buehrle of '07 is in his free agent year and is determined to earn the big pay day while anchoring the White Sox staff.
KEY SUBTRACTION: Crazy drunk fans - Where did all the psychos go from the Southside? I remember the good old days when a visiting first base coach had to fear for his life or a player's wife would endure the venom of four-letter slurred words only heard regularly in a Tarantino flick.
INTERESTING STORY: What the hell happened to the White Sox last year? Everybody was back from the 2005 World Series Champs and yet they stunk in the second half. Buehrle and Jermaine Dye are in their free agent walk years and will want the big pay day so expect them not to be playing in the black and white next year but to have good seasons. Ozzie Guillen will again call Jay Mariotti a "fag" but only because in his culture it means the guy likes big floppy ones with whip cream and a bottle of lube next to his bed.
YOUNG GUN: Charlie Haeger - Anybody who has ever tried to hit a knuckleball knows how humiliating it can be at times swinging at a ball that dances around like a drunk Ray Charles. Haeger was the youngest pitcher since Charlie Hough to reach the majors last season as a true knuckleball artist. His pitch dances and darts around at 75 mph and he could make the team as a fifth starter this season.
TEAM MVP: Jermaine Dye - He played brilliantly last season and should have an excellent season if he can stay healthy.
OUTLOOK: I love the murderous longball middle of the lineup this team sports with Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Dye, and Joe Crede. The pitching staff will be better and the White Sox will win the division by 4 games or more.

DETROIT TIGERS - 2nd Place
KEY ADDITION: Gary Sheffield - The guy puts fear into opposing pitchers by his intimidating look (not because he is black people!) and his crazy bat movements before the pitcher has a chance to even deliver. He should be the steroid/HGH rock in the middle of the Tiger's lineup.
KEY SUBTRACTION: The loser's mentality - Manager Jim Leyland got rid of the defeatist attitude last season and convinced his players they should expect to win and accept nothing else.
INTERESTING STORY: Will Sheffield be a welcomed addition or a headache for Jim Leyland? Jeremy Bonderman slumped badly in the second half of last season, will he be able to bounce back and avoid a sophomore slump? Does Eminem have season tickets? Kid Rock?
YOUNG GUN: Joel Zumaya - It's just a matter of time before the flame thrower who was clocked at 156 mph by the accurate Fox Jug's Machine is in the closer's role replacing Todd Jones.
TEAM MVP: Pudge Rodriguez - The future Hall of Famer's production has decreased the past few seasons but he is still a great catcher and the MVP till he tests positive for a banned substance.
OUTLOOK: The Tigers went to the World Series last year behind a pitching staff who surprised a lot of people including myself. You shouldn't expect them to pitch as well as they did last season because Bonderman is due for a sophomore slump and Kenny Rogers isn't an All-Star. The Tigers lineup and bullpen will keep them in games and make them a solid Wild Card contender.

MINNESOTA TWINS - 3rd Place
KEY ADDITION: Sidney Ponson - Good pitcher. Fat drunk.
KEY SUBTRACTION: Francisco Liriano - Better pitcher. Out for the season after Tommy John surgery.
INTERESTING STORY: The Twin's starting pitching staff looks horrible besides MVP Johan Santana. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau will be fun to watch and see if they can continue to get better.
YOUNG GUN: Matt Garza - The young stud righty could be ready to step in behind Santana and pitch like Liriano did last season.
TEAM MVP: Johan Santana - The most dominating lefty...oh wait, pitcher in the game.
OUTLOOK: The Twins should be the favorite to win the division but they have holes in their starting rotation now that Liriano is on the DL and Brad Radke retired. The lineup and bullpen will be good but I can't see the Twins winning or competing for the Wild Card with Carlos Silva, Ramon Ortiz, and Ponson penciled in as your starters following Santana.

CLEVELAND INDIANS - 4th Place
KEY ADDITION: Joe Borowski - The Indians bullpen was horrible last year and Borowski should save 35 plus games for them this season.
KEY SUBTRACTION: Aaron Boone - It's finally Andy Marte's time to shine.
INTERESTING STORY: The Indians can score a ton of runs and also give up a ton of runs. Grady Sizemore is a pimp and should contend for the American League MVP. C.C. Sabathia will again say something blatantly racist but get away with it because he looks like a clown.
YOUNG GUN: Andy Marte - Ever since making his major league debut with the Braves a few seasons ago, I thought Marte was on the way to be a star in The Show. Injuries, trades, and inconsistent performances have kept him from being a regular starter but now is his time to shine...or fade away.
TEAM MVP: Grady Sizemore - The kid has a cult following among the ladies and he has game on and off the field to earn it.
OUTLOOK: The Indians have a good lineup and some decent pitchers but they are still missing something-A leader.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS - 5th Place
KEY ADDITION: Gil Meche - The new "ace" of the staff got a big contract and huge expectations in Missouri's favorite city.
KEY SUBTRACTION: Nothing - Unfortunately this is still a last place team.
INTERESTING STORY: The Royals have some good young pieces including Mark Teahan and Alex Gordon and it should be interesting to see how they perform even when the Royals are losing games. Zach Greinke comes back from his hiatus AWOL stint last year and apparently wants to pitch again.
YOUNG GUN: Alex Gordon - He is my pick to win Rookie of the Year over Matsuzaka.
TEAM MVP: Alex Gordon - Yes, I think he will be great this season.
OUTLOOK: The Royals got a lot of shit for signing Meche to the 55 mil contract but honestly what else can they do to compete? I'm rooting for the Royals this season because I like an underdog but also because the people of Kansas City deserve so much more...but instead it will be last place again.

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