By Tim Brown,
It’s not all about the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the American League, even if it sometimes seems so.
The top spring stories in the AL:
• Mauer power
Looks like the American League should have killed the Minnesota Twins when it had the chance.
Only eight years removed from the pointy end of Bud Selig’s contraction ideas, Jim Pohlad’s plucky franchise has a state-of-the-art open-air ballpark, a payroll approaching $100 million (more than the Dodgers, for one, will spend in ’10) and, on the horizon, a $200 million(-ish) commitment to their catcher. The first two-thirds of the Twins’ order will go Denard Span(notes), Orlando Hudson(notes), Joe Mauer(notes), Justin Morneau(notes), Jason Kubel(notes) and Michael Cuddyer(notes), or something close to that, and Francisco Liriano(notes) just rediscovered his fastball velocity and slider bite in the Dominican winter league, and the rotation looks a lot different with Liriano firmly on the front end rather than pitching for a place on the back end.
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By Tim Brown,
On a day that every year devolves into tantrums and hostilities, Andre Dawson didn’t wait for the vote – a simple yay or nay on a 21-year baseball career – to honor the people who put him there.
On a day the roar over the jilted and the process that bore the injustices would drown out the words of the gracious and appreciative, Dawson dragged himself on two rebuilt knees into a south Florida cemetery.
Yay or nay, whether what came was good news or bad, Dawson said his thanks. He might not run like he once did, might not be as strong as he once was, but he could still carry his share of gratitude.
To the uncle, who taught him the game.
To the grandmother, who taught him patience.
To the mother, who taught him so much more.
Together, they’d turned ”Pudgy,” his childhood nickname, into ”Hawk.” Together, they’d supplied the broom sticks that clubbed the pitched rocks off the neighbors’ houses on Southwest 7th Place in Florida.
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By Tim Brown,
INDIANAPOLIS – There’ll be no telling for weeks, maybe months, but for a few days in December the American League West leaned a little more toward the Pacific Northwest.
Not a lot. But, a little.
Source Getty Image
The Seattle Mariners have more talented teams in Anaheim and Arlington to overtake, which hasn’t happened. They dusted away that 101-loss 2008 season, however, tried a season of faux contention, started feeling good about themselves again, and then this week signed Chone Figgins(notes), so their gain was the Los Angeles Angels’ loss, when for a while now every inch is going to count.
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