I’m blogging this morning with the proper bittersweet anticipation anyone would have upon learning that Old Friend Rudy Seanez may have a lot more time to pursue his Ultimate Fighting career– as he’s been released by the LA Dodgers just prior to their three game preseason set against the Sox.

Seanez was always in intense-looking guy and he had the fiercest body art ever seen in Fenway’s home clubhouse, so best of luck to him against guys like Rampage Jackson.



A couple of other notes of interest before I get on with the National League preview:

* I’m feeling the need for the first Hacks with Haggs rant on the 2008 baseball season. I will be the first to admit that Daisuke Matsuzaka has been guilty of nibbling around the strike zone in the past and not being aggressive enough with his pitches – a habit that was a portion of his problems from last season.

But when I hear people mention that Matsuzaka was nibbling against the A’s lineup on Opening Day it makes me want to scream “Bloody Murder”, “Buckaroo Bonsai” of maybe even “Great Googly Moogly.” It was obvious to anyone watching the telecast that Matsuzaka simply had no control over any of his pitches during the first two innings against the A’s, and at point you even saw catcher Jason Varitek go out to the mound and joke with Matsuzaka to try to listen him up.

Matsuzaka started laughing as ‘Tek left to go back behind the plate, and it took two innings and roughly 60 pitches for Boston’s projected No. 2 starter to get back on track.
Sometimes when pitches are walking batters they are simply wild rather than afraid to come into hitters, as some have speculated with the Japanese hurler that led the Sox in starts, innings pitched and strikeouts in a “disappointing” rookie campaign.

With that in mind, how could anyone not be encouraged by the return of Matsuzaka’s change up after its disappearing act over the final three months of last season. The pitch didn’t come back until his final start of the regular season, and it was unhittable on Opening Day. He threw 11 change ups, seven for strikes, and the A’s hitters didn’t once make contact against the pitch.

His ability to toss the changeup and keep hitters off-balance is the key to his season, and is far more important than the simple adage to “throw the gas” and “trust your stuff.” Baseball clichés aren’t going to help Matsuzaka out, making his pitches will.

*I can't help but feel like I hexed JD Drew when I wrote in the Boston Metro that Bowling was the key his back feeling so loose and good this spring. That was exactly what he relayed to me and I'm feeling comfortable blaming the 18-hour plane trip to Japan for Drew's Opening Day back troubles. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

*Interesting MVP odds from my friends at the online gambling site www.bodoglife.com. And yes, they are friends rather than associates if anyone was wondering.

According to their calculations, Josh Beckett has a better chance of capturing the American League MVP Award this season – something a starting pitcher hasn’t done since Roger Clemens went 24-4 in 1986 – than a revitalized Manny Ramirez. Beckett is 12-1 odds while Man-Ram is 20-1.



Mark it down: Ramirez in search of $20 million options and Hall of Fame consideration will have a monster year and will finish in the top three in AL MVP voting. I personally think he is going to win the hardware, but that’s just me.

Here are the odds:
Odds to win the 2008 AL MVP:
Alex Rodriguez                          5/1
Miguel Cabrera                          10/1
Vladimir Guerrero                       10/1
Magglio Ordonez                        10/1
David Ortiz                                12/1
Justin Morneau                          12/1
Josh Beckett                             12/1
Travis Hafner                              12/1
Ichiro Suzuki                             15/1
Grady Sizemore                         15/1
Erik Bedard                               20/1
Manny Ramirez                         20/1
CC Sabathia                              25/1
Justin Verlander                         25/1
Fausto Carmona                        25/1
Michael Young                           25/1
Derek Jeter                                25/1
Joe Mauer                                 30/1
Jim Thome                                35/1
Francisco Rodriguez                 50/1
JJ Putz                                     50/1
Roy Halladay                             50/1
Jonathan Papelbon                     50/1
Chien-Ming Wang                      50/1
Carl Crawford                             50/1
Francisco Liriano                       50/1

Be back with the NL Preview in a little bit…