MLB Preview: AL and NL Awards

AL MVP

Robinson Cano - you read that correctly. I am going on a limb and saying the young 2B will silence critics with a monster year hitting behind Tex and A-Rod.

Runners Up - Kevin Youkilis, Joe Mauer, Miguel Cabrera, Felix Hernandez

NL MVP

Albert Pujols - why not take the easy road here? A bold prediction in the AL and a safe bet in the NL.

Runners Up - Chase Utley (which hurts Howard), Ryan Howard (which hurts Utley to some extent but that means we actually understand the voters), Ryan Braun, Roy Halladay.

AL CY Young

King Felix - my stock is very high on the talented righty. The best pitcher in baseball brings home the hardware this year.

Runners Up - John Lester (if Felix is #1, Lester is 1A. Take Lester out to the West and he wins 22 games with ease), CC Sabathia, Justin Verlander, Mariano Rivera.

NL CY Young

Roy Halladay - moving to the NL will only enhance his gaudy K totals...and lower his extremely low ERA too.

Runners Up - Tim Lincecum (not ready to repeat w/Halladay in town), Tommy Hanson (don't sleep on this one, he's the goods), Josh Johnson (another great East starter), Johan Santana (yeah, he's ready to resume his role as one of the top starters in baseball).

AL ROY
Brian Matusz - ready to lead the young O's back to contention in the East, Matusz is the real deal

Runners Up - Austin Jackson (A-Jax is ready to prove he's the goods now the he's given a shot to shine in Motown), Scott Sizemore (another young Tiger), Michael Brantley (young Indians' OF that just may sneak up and win this thing).

NL ROY
Jason Heyward - believe the hype. It's times like these I wish TBS still broadcast all them Braves' games.

Runners Up - Pedro Alvarez (it's not if, but when the Bucs call him up), Stephen Strasburg (I hope his call comes sooner rather than later because the ROY race will be interesting with these three)

**Note - I do not support pitchers winning the MVP and felt it was a travesty ever since Don Mattingly did not win the award in 1986. That said, I add them to the mix here because I know that the voters and I do not see eye to eye on this subject.

MLB Preview: AL West

In a division that has been dominated by the Angels in recent years, we may be seeing a shift in the balance of power. The Halos have serious contention coming from the likes of the Mariners and Rangers, while the A's are lurking in the sewer of the division.

Los Angeles - Coming of a thrilling ALCS loss to the eventual 2009 Champion Yankees, the Angels made a flurry of big moves this off-season. Notable losses include big Vlad Guerrero, John Lackey, and Chone Figgins. Of the three, I think they'll miss Figgins the most since he brought versatility, speed, and the ability to play many positions. Losing Vlad will hurt but adding Hideki Matsui as a likely full-time DH replacement offsets that handily. Matsui's a proven RBI machine and he's a very clutch hitter that has the patience at the plate that has always eluded Vlad. Lackey's a head of the rotation guy that eats innings but there's a good amount of pitching depth in Orange County. The biggest question, to me, is who is finishing games? Brian Fuentes is far too erratic to be a dominant closer - he is at the top of the middle tier but that's not a good bet come playoff time.

Seattle - They grabbed Chone Figgins and the rest is outlined here. Can this team go from pretender to contender? King Felix and Cliff Lee will have their say.

Texas - Vlad went south and east and landed within the division, notice a trend out West? The rest of Ryan's Express is outlined here.

Oakland - Last and certainly least, the A's were previewed in full, here.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

1. Angels - 94 wins
2. Mariners - 85 wins
3. Rangers
4. Athletics

Eating Out: The Big Apple

In the city that never sleeps, there are tens of thousands of places that one could eat at/from. Choosing a place is never that difficult, but finding a good spot can prove to be elusive. I've spent many years combing the streets of NYC and I was on the hunt for Asian food one night but did not want the typical Chinese or Japanese fare that is commonplace in NYC. I'm also fairly picky when it comes to Korean and I just wanted something different. That different, led me to the L.E.S. where I encountered Village Mingala, a Burmese restaurant that has existed long before Burma was trendy or part of most people's vocab.

For those not in the know, watch Rambo for a taste of what life is like when John Rambo is there.

Located in the heart of NYC, Village Mingala serves up some really amazing food that is sure to satisfy any pallet. Portions are large and the dishes are both savory and spicy and packed with flavor. A must to start every meal is the 1000 Layer Pancake. A must to end every meal is to have the dessert variety of that same dish.

Located at 21 E. 7th, Village Mingala is a must for anyone that enjoys Asian cuisine but wants something that's a little more unique that the run in the mill American-Chinese that is rampant in NYC.

Movie Minute

Let's see what I've been up to in the world of cinema...

2012 - Trash. It's so bad that it's not even a little good. Even the most staunch John Cusack fan cannot watch this.

Where the Wild Things  Are - Trash. Maybe even worse than 2012. Stopped it after 24+ minutes because continuing to watch would have resulted in me busting my TV.

District 9 - Another terrible experience. Watched about 9 minutes of this one and it was the LONGEST 9 minutes I've ever endured.

Black Dynamite - The redeemer of the bunch! This movie is so good! Such a low-budget, sleeper that is sure to gain a cult following. BD stars Michael Jai-White as Black Dynamite in this present-day blaxploitation film. If you are not familiar w/the genre, shame on you. I grew up watching a mix of blaxploitation and dubbed kung-fu flicks on channels 5 and 9 here in Brooklyn and I'm a better man because of it. This action/comedy/drama is a must see!

Hitting .250 on this stretch but we'll find some more redeemers on the horizon soon.

McNabb back to Pass...

Throughout my college life, those words were etched into my memory for mostly bad reasons. My good friend often used the Eagles in Madden and Pat Summerall used that line ALL the time. Most of the time, my friend dipped out of the pocket and ran but when he hung in the pocket, the guy was unstoppable.

Fast forward to 2010 and McNabb is older and often criticized by fans that want to cite the fact that he never brought the Eagles over the hump. I'm sorry but making the playoffs in each year he's been in the league except 1999 (rookie) and 2005 must count for something. Further, he took them to five division titles, and one Conference title. Not too shabby and most fans would kill for that kind of production from their starting QB.

Are the Redskins getting McNabb in his prime? No but at 33 he's not quite over the hill either. He brings a winning attitude to a city that needs a winner. The Redskins' franchise has mired for years with a number of sub-par QBs leading the charge. Donovan changes that. He is a winner and will win the close games that has eluded the team for years. He gets the 'Skins over the hump of mediocrity and suddenly there's more of a reason to pay attention to the once-proud franchise.

The cost? Not much, a couple of picks for a QB that is  a game-ready warrior. A QB that can teach the next young guy how to run an offense and carry himself in the NFL. A QB that keeps 'Skins fans from wondering if Tim Tebow or Colt McCoy are really good enough to lead the team at the next level. Save those questions for the next team and focus on the needs of the franchise. One that is now in your hands. A franchise that also has a proven football guy in Bruce Allen pulling the strings.

MLB Roundup

Yanks-Sox - What else is new? Multiple lead changes, terrible pitching - from Sabathia and Beckett of all people, lots of runs, and sloppy play. Yet somehow these two teams are widely considered the top two in baseball. Funny how things work out...

Lee to DL - Is there reason for concern that the big lefty will perhaps miss the first month? Can the M's stay in contention while he is out? The argument that it's a "long" season is irrelevant since losing games in April count just as much as losing games in September. The only difference is that when you lose in September, and are in contention, you are surely digging your own grave in front of the MLB audience. Nobody remembers those April losses quite as much but believe me, they count.

Cust to Minors - In my Oakland preview I questioned why he was even retained for $2.6MM. Now Cust questions how he didn't make the team and perhaps rightfully so. Coco Crisp went to the DL and Cust can play a little in the OF in the interim. He does hit homers but he lost his DH job to Eric Chavez. Fear not Jack, accept the assignment to the minors and you'll be back in a flash since Chavez is sure to break down.

Fantasy - I love the flurry of activity in fantasy leagues the day after the first game!