Despite going the distance and throwing only 95 pitches, Cliff Lee took the loss in his Rangers’ debut on Saturday, dropping a 6-1 decision to the Orioles. Nick Markakis, Cesar Izturis and Adam Jones all took him deep in his first experience playing in Arlington.

From SI.com:

” It was an electric atmosphere. They got a lead early and never lost it. That kind of kills that a little bit,” Lee said. ” They came out swinging. You have to tip your hat to them for their approach.”

Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young winner the Rangers got from Seattle in a six-player deal Friday, still threw his AL-best sixth complete game.

” It was just one of those weird games, every swing they took turned into a run somehow,” said Ian Kinsler , the Rangers’ All-Star second baseman.

” Cliff showed exactly what he’s capable of doing,” Michael Young said. ” He had to be tired from all the travel and all that’s been going on for the last couple of days, but he showed exactly what he’s capable of giving us. … We’re all excited about what we have.”

If this game were in Seattle, I highly doubt Lee would have given up six runs, but them are the breaks pitching in Texas. While the score suggests otherwise, he was highly efficient, striking out two and walking none. The complete game was his fourth in his last five starts.

Depending on how manager Ron Washington sets his rotation after the All-Star break, Lee will face either the Red Sox or Tigers in his next outing.

In order to help get you ready for the MLB season, we’re doing division-by-division rankings with quick overviews on how each club could fair in 2010. Next to each team, you’ll also find a corresponding number written in parenthesis, which indicates where we believe that club falls in a league-wide power ranking. Be sure to check back throughout the next two weeks leading up to the season, as we will be updating our content daily. Enjoy.

All 2010 MLB Preview Content | AL East Preview | AL Central Preview | AL West Preview | NL East | NL Central | NL West

First up is the AL East.

1. New York Yankees (1)
If you think I would get cute in these rankings and suggest that some upstart team would derail the Yankees this season, then you sir, are sadly mistaken. I just don’t have the conjones to bet against them, especially after they added Curtis Granderson, Javier Vazquez and Nick Johnson to their already stacked roster. Sure they lost World Series MVP Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon, the latter of which loved to work the count and provided the Yanks with some pop over the last couple of seasons. But thanks to Granderson, Johnson, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Texeira, Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada, the lineup is still stacked from top to bottom. Vazquez, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mariano Rivera will once again highlight a strong pitching staff and assuming they don’t suffer any major injuries, there’s nothing to suggest that the Bombers won’t make another championship run. That said, let’s not be oblivious to the potential problems that could arise for the Yanks this season. Age is a factor, as is the fact that Granderson can’t hit lefties and will be under the spotlight as the club’s biggest offseason acquisition. Plus, for as good as Vazquez was over the past couple of years, he was a disaster the last time he wore pinstripes (Boston fans remember this well.) Should the Yankees win another World Series? Yeah – especially considering they have the best-purchased roster in baseball. But just like last year, they still have to prove it between the lines and they’re not immune to hurdles getting in their way.

2. Boston Red Sox (3)
Based on the moves they made this offseason, you either love the Red Sox’s chances this year or you’re willing to write them off like your favorite tax exemption. The club acquired ace John Lackey, outfielder Mike Cameron and infielders Marco Scutaro and Adrian Beltre last winter. Every player will be counted on to contribute this season, but they all come with question marks as well. When healthy, Lackey is virtually guaranteed to win 15-plus games and pitch over 200 innings. But he has to stay healthy. Cameron is a huge upgrade over Jason Bay in the outfield, but he won’t fill Bay’s shoes offensively. Scutaro is coming off a career year but the law of averages suggest that he’ll take a step back in 2010 and there’s no telling what Boston will get out of Beltre after he only appeared in 111 games last season due to an injury. Plus, will Big Papi carry over his production from June to September last year or will he struggle as he did at the start of 2009? That said, the BoSox are still stacked. Along with Lackey, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz give Boston the best pitching staff in the division and their bullpen is solid as well. Ortiz, Beltre, Cameron, Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Victor Martinez comprise an offense that should help Boston win over 95 games this season and compete for a postseason berth. Their defense has also improved dramatically with the addition of Cameron and Ellsbury’s move from center to left. Do they have unanswered questions? Of course – all clubs do at this time of year. Will they overcome the Yankees? Maybe. Will they compete? Most definitely.

3. Tampa Bay Rays (7)
The Rays stumbled out of the gates last year, although they fought through injuries in order to finish with a respectable 84-78 record. But they didn’t make any moves this offseason, so it’s hard to figure out whether or not they’re going to compete for a postseason berth or finish with roughly the same record as they did in 2009. If BJ Upton stays healthy for an entire season and rebounds, then the Rays have more than enough offense in him, Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Ben Zobrist to compete. And if a No. 1 emerges out of David Price, Matt Garza, Jeff Niemann or James Shields, then the Rays will compete. If, if, if, if. I want to believe that the Rays are the perfect team to unseat the Yankees and Red Sox (two teams that have had more than enough time at the top) in the division. But there’s no question that they’ll have to overachieve again like they did in 2008 in order to make the postseason. They have the talent, but they need an ace to emerge, Upton to be productive again and for Crawford (whose contract is up at the end of the year) to stay happy or else they’re destined for another third place finish.

4. Baltimore Orioles (22)
The O’s have several pieces that will get your heat pumping just like the time you stole that car and led the police on a two-hour joy ride down the interstate. Wait…what? Nick Markakis is already a fine ballplayer, Adam Jones showed his vast potential last year before getting hurt and Matt Wieters is already being described as the next Joe Mauer (only with more power). The club also improved in a couple of areas over the offseason, namely at third base with the acquisition of Miguel Tejada, at first base with Garrett Atkins and in their starting rotation with Kevin Millwood. But it’s hard to measure how good this club will be when they play in the AL East and their pitching still has the potential to be down right hideous again. It says a lot about a team’s starting staff when the team leader in ERA finished with a 5.04 mark (Jeremy Gutherie). Maybe Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta will surprise and overachieve this season, but chances are Baltimore will top out around 75-80 wins in 2010. They should be improved, but again, their division will keep them from competing for a postseason berth again this year.

5. Toronto Blue Jays (27)
Mom always said that if you don’t have anything nice to say then you shouldn’t say anything at all. But mom doesn’t have to complete this preview now does she? The Blue Jays traded away ace Roy Halladay in the offseason and while they may benefit from the deal down the road, they don’t have anyone to pick up the slack in 2010. They also lost one of their top offensive pieces from last year in Marco Scutaro and replaced him with Alex Gonzalez. That’s great news if you’re into defensive wizards that can’t hit over .250 on a consistent basis. The club does have a couple of nice/promising/okay/whatever pieces Vernon Wells, Ricky Romero, Brandon Marrow, Aaron Hill and Travis Snider, but the bottom line is that the Jays are in rebuilding mode and will wind up collecting dust all season in the basement of the AL East. They’re going to be horrible and there’s very little to like about their chances to succeed in 2010. Sorry, Mom.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/03/22/2010-mlb-preview-al-east/feed/ 1 http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/03/09/2010-fantasy-baseball-preview-outfielders/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/03/09/2010-fantasy-baseball-preview-outfielders/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:29 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=35916

All 2010 Fantasy Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

What’s great about the outfield position in fantasy baseball is that it’s like Wal Mart: you can get whatever you need and you’ll always be greeted with a friendly smile and a hello.

All right, so you won’t be greeted with a smile when you select outfielders in your draft. In fact, that doesn’t even make any sense so just forget we wrote it. The point we’re trying to make is that whatever you wind up needing for your team on draft day, you can usually find it in the outfield section. Need speed? The outfield has you covered. Need power? It has that too.

Below are a group of players that fit into certain categories based on need. You know that a guy like Ryan Braun is going to get you production across the board, same with Matt Kemp, Matt Holliday, Grady Sizemore and Carl Crawford. But the guys we’ve outlined below are players you can target in the middle to late rounds that will give you a boost in certain areas. You’re not going to get production in every category if you draft these players, but hopefully you’ll be satisfied in the specific categories we’ve highlighted.

Power Boosters:

Adam Lind, Blue Jays
Perhaps the most encouraging thing for fantasy owners about Lind’s breakout 2009 campaign, was that he was consistent throughout the entire season and hit right-handed pitching as well as he hit lefties. After hitting 35 home runs and driving in 114 RBI last season, we think Lind will be more apt to match those numbers (or even improve on them) this season than he will be to crash and burn.

Nick Markakis, Orioles
Even though he battled some major slumps last season, Markakis still wound up with decent numbers while hitting .293 with 18 home runs, 101 RBI and scoring 94 runs. At 26, there’s a good chance that he’ll finish right around his 2009 totals, which certainly isn’t a bad thing but if you’re expecting more out of the right fielder then you should probably lower your expectations.

Andre Ethier, Dodgers
Ethier changed his approach at the plate last year and it worked wonders for him in terms of production. He concentrated on hitting more line drives into the gap and his power numbers rose. We like him to hit roughly the same amount of home runs (31) as he did last year, but with a higher average (he hit .272 in 2009) and more runs scored (92).

Josh Hamilton, Rangers
Let’s not sugarcoat things: Hamilton is coming off a tough year and we’re pretty sure he’s made out of chandelier glass. But he’s also only 28 and is two years removed from hitting 32 home runs and driving in 130 RBI. Do we think he’ll match his 2008 numbers this year? No. But he should at the very least hit 20-plus home runs and drive in 80-plus RBI.

Adam Dunn, Nationals
Ah, Adam Dunn. How we love your 40-home run production and 100-plus RBIs, but absolutely loathe your batting average. You bring fantasy owners so much joy and yet so much grief every single year.

Adam Jones, Orioles
We love this kid and his potential, although it would be nice if he would develop into more of a base stealer. (We think he has the potential, although he’ll probably finish right around 12-15 steals again this year.) Jones missed virtually all of September last season with a strained ankle, but he should be ready to go by the start of the season and considering he’s only 24, we see plenty of upside in the young Baltimore outfielder. If he can stay healthy, we like him to hit between 20-25 home runs and max out at around 85-90 runs and 75-80 RBI.

Nelson Cruz, Rangers
There seems to be a mixed reaction when it comes to projecting Cruz’s worth, but count us among those that are high on the Rangers’ outfielder. We like him to beat the 33-home runs, 76 RBIs and 75 runs he produced last year and as an added bonus, he’ll steal 15-20 bases as well.

Carlos Quentin, White Sox
Here’s the bad: Quentin spent a ton of time in the trainer’s room last year while batting foot and wrist injuries, limiting his overall production. But here’s the good: he still managed to slug 21 home runs when he played. If he can stay healthy, there’s no reason he can’t hit 30 dingers.

Speed Boosters:

Shin-Soo Choo, Indians
Bobby Abreu, Angels
Shane Victorino, Phillies
Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
Michael Bourn, Astros
Nyjer Morgan, Nationals
Rajai Davis, A’s
Julio Borbon, Rangers
Juan Pierre, White Sox
Dexter Fowler, Rockies
Drew Stubs, Reds
Michael Brantley, Indians

Speed kills and any one of the players listed above should be good for anywhere between 30 and 55 steals this season. So if you find yourself hurting in the speed department later in your draft, scooping up one of these players will add major value to your team. Just don’t expect much in the power department.

Below is our official ranking of outfielders. As we mentioned above, after you snag one of the top players to be your No. 1, there are plenty of players that can give you a boost in specific areas of production.

1. Ryan Bruan, MIL
2. Carl Crawford, TB
3. Matt Kemp, LAD
4. Matt Holliday, STL
5. Justin Upton, ARI
6. Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS
7. Grady Sizemore, CLE
8. Jayson Werth, PHI
9. Ichiro Suzuki, SEA
10. Jason Bay, BOS
11. Adam Lind, TOR
12. B.J. Upton, TB
13. Curtis Granderson, NYY
14. Nick Markakis, BAL
15. Andre Ethier, LAD
16. Josh Hamilton, TEX
17. Adam Dunn, WAS
18. Adam Jones BAL
19. Bobby Abreu, LAA
20. Shane Victorino, PHI
21. Carlos Lee, HOU
22. Manny Ramirez, LAD
23. Nelson Cruz, TEX
24. Shin-Soo Choo, CLE
25. Ben Zobrist, TB
26. Carlos Quentin, CHW
27. Hunter Pence, HOU
28. Andrew McCuthen, PIT
29. Nate McLouth, ATL
30. Torii Hunter, LAA
31. Nyjer Morgan, WAS
32. Raul Ibanez, PHI
33. Alfonso Soriano, CHC
34. Michael Bourn, HOU
35. Carlos Beltran, NYM
36. Jay Bruce, CIN
37. Denard Span, MIN
38. Jason Kubel, MIN
39. Johnny Damon, DET
40. Brad Hawpe, COL
41. Alex Rios, CHW
42. Michael Cuddyer, MIN
43. Garret Jones, PIT
44. Juan Pierre, CHW
45. Carlos Gonzalez, COL
46. Franklin Gutierrez, SEA
47. Dexter Fowler, COL
48. Rajai Davis, OAK
49. Ryan Ludwick, STL
50. Vernon Wells, TOR
51. Chris Coghlan, FLA
52. Julio Borbon, TEX
53. Nolan Reimold, BAL
54. Delmon Young, MIN
55. Lastings Milledge, PIT

Photo from fOTOGLIF

It’s getting down to pennant race times and there are some incredibly tight races and a lot of teams that are at least in contention. Here we’ll take a look at who we think the Top 5 teams are right now and who the Bottom 5 are as well.

Top 5

1. New York Yankees (73-43)—Not only did the Yankees sweep the rival Red Sox last weekend and make quite a statement, they’ve won 10 of 11 and are 22-6 (.786) since the all-star break. That is just scorching.

2. Los Angeles Angels (68-45)—You have to feel for the surging Rangers and even the Mariners, because neither one is going to catch this fundamentally sound team. If Mike Scioscia isn’t the best manager in baseball, he’s surely the most underrated.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (65-52)—The Cards grabbed Matt Holliday before anyone else could and he’s batting .493 with a slugging percentage of .813 in his first 75 at-bats with St. Louis. Pujols/Holliday has got to be the most fearsome 3-4 tandem in baseball.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (69-47)—The Dodgers hung on without Manny for a few months, and then cooled off when he returned. They’ve lost 7 of 11 but still lead their division by 5 games and are 32-14 against NL West opponents.

5. Philadelphia Phillies (65-48)—Suddenly with Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, and Jimmy Rollins finally finding his stroke, the defending champs are poised to make another run deep into October and possibly November.

Bottom 5

1. Washington Nationals (41-75)—They recently won eight in a row but still trail the Phillies by 25.5 games and the fourth place Mets by 13.5. So yeah, they’re still the worst team in baseball.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates (46-69)—The Pirates actually looked half decent early in the season, but they did what they always do in July—made a whole bunch of trades and pretty much surrendered the season as well as the next three seasons, as they’ve lost 11 of their last 13 games.

3. Kansas City Royals (45-70)—Remember the Royals were 14-12 and everyone started talking about this team being decent for the first time in two-plus decades? We remember, but then they remembered that they were the Royals.

4. Baltimore Orioles (48-67)—This team has some great young players like Adam Jones and Matt Wieters and Nick Markakis, but playing in that division is almost unfair.

5. Cleveland Indians (49-66)—Once again, the Indians have disappointed and started selling off players. Cliff Lee, like CC Sabathia last year, is the reigning AL Cy Young winner, and the Tribe also dumped popular catcher Victor Martinez and infielder Ryan Garko. Next year sure has a familiar ring on Lake Erie.

There’s a different feel to baseball again – a good feeling.

Yeah, I know – there are probably still plenty of players who are cheating. But at least the league is (finally) making somewhat of an effort to clean up its image and for that, we as fans have hope that maybe someday the game will be juice-free again.

Those who have watched their fair share of baseball this season should be reveling in how the game is getting younger again. Instead of teams waiting for dingers in order to score runs, clubs are bunting, stealing and manufacturing scoring opportunities – the way the game is supposed to be played.

After watching how the Rays won last season, more and more teams are building their rosters by developing home grown talent rather than signing big-name free agents (save for the Yankees, of course) and it’s making the game exciting again. An onus has been made on youth and speed and for the first time in quite a while, baseball is once again a young man’s game.

That said, I’ve decided to have a little fun by constructing an entire 25-man baseball roster (I’ve named the team “Team Youthful Exuberance”) by using only players who are 25 years of age and younger. Rules and guidelines for the roster are below so enjoy and as always, feel free to make an argument for any players that I might have missed.

Rules, Guidelines & Notes:

- Any player that turned the age of 26 before April 5, 2009, which was Opening Day for the 2009 MLB season, was considered ineligible. Therefore, two current 26 year-olds (Joe Mauer and Miguel Cabrera) are eligible for this team because they didn’t turn 26 until after the April 5 deadline.

The reason for the deadline was to squash any debate about what players were and weren’t eligible for the team based on when they turned 26.

- Players can be moved from their real MLB positions, but within reason. For example, I can’t move Evan Longoria to catcher to free up a spot at third base for a player like Ryan Zimmerman, but I can move Justin Upton to left field even though his natural position is right.

- Starting pitchers are starting pitchers and relief pitchers are relief pitchers. In efforts not to stack my pitching staff with all starters, I couldn’t make a starter a relief pitcher. However, closers are considered relief pitchers, so I can have multiple closers if I choose.

- The roster numbers are of that of a major league roster: (2) Catchers; (6) Infielders; (5) Outfielders; (5) Starters; (7) Relief Pitchers. (25 total.)

Owner: George Steinbrenner. If anyone was worried about how we’d pay for all of these contracts, fear not – Big Stienny is here. Dude blows his nose with hundred dollar bills.

Manager: Joe Torre. This club needs a father figure to keep all of these young players in line. The only problem is that we had to give Torre a truckload of money in order for him to agree to work with Steinbrenner again.

General Manager: Anthony Stalter. Why? Because I constructed this f’n team – that’s why. Theo Epstein who?

Now, without further ado, I give you: Team Youthful Exuberance.

Roster:

Catchers (2): Joe Mauer (26, Twins); Brian McCann (25, Braves)
At first, I had McCann penciled in as the starter and Orioles’ top prospect Matt Weiters backing him up, but then I stumbled upon this beautiful date in history: April 19, 1983, which is Mauer’s birthday. Even though he’s 26, he qualifies for this team because he was 25 on April 5, which is my made up deadline. With Mauer behind the dish, TYE (Team Youthful Exuberance) has a player that can hit for average and power, as well as someone that can take charge of a stacked pitching staff. It’s almost unfair that a player as good as McCann has been delegated to backup duty, but if Mauer’s back starts acting up again, then TYE has one hell of a replacement.

Infield (6): Evan Longoria (23, Rays); Hanley Ramirez (25, Marlins); Dustin Pedroia (25, Red Sox); Prince Fielder (25, Brewers); Jose Reyes (25, Mets); Miguel Cabrera (26, Tigers)
Look at that infield and tell me the hair on your ass doesn’t stand up with excitement. Longoria might be the one player TYE builds its entire roster around with his outstanding ability to hit for average and power. Ramirez is another player who can hit for average and drive in runs, all while swiping a fair amount of bases as well. It’s hard to argue against Pedroia being TYE’s starting second baseman given he’s the reigning AL MVP and we’re ecstatic to add his speed at the top of the lineup, too. TYE has options at first base in Fielder and Cabrera, the latter of which qualifies for the team because of his birthday (April 18, 1983). Depending on who gets the nod at first, the other can DH given that both players have a tremendous amount of power. Even though he’s been hurt most of the real season and needs to work on not running into outs while on the base paths, we figure Reyes is a tremendous middle infield addition who has loads of speed and adds to the overall athleticism of the club. Don’t forget that Cabrera can also play third base if Longoria needs a day off, so this club has options.

Outfield (5): Adam Jones (23, Orioles); Jacoby Ellsbury (25, Red Sox); Justin Upton (21, Diamondbacks); Nick Markakis (25, Orioles); Ryan Braun (25, Brewers)
The outfield position was incredibly difficult to pare down to just five players, because there are so many great young OFs to choose from in MLB. But in the end, we chose as many five-tool players that we could and we’re happy with the results. Jones is quickly emerging as one of the best young outfielders in the game, Ellsbury gives us a true leadoff hitter and a great defensive centerfielder, while Justin Upton is proving at age 21 that his potential is sky high. Markakis is struggling a bit this year with his average, but he has one of the better outfield arms in baseball and while Braun can be downright brutal defensively at times, it’s hard to pass up on a guy that can hit for a .300 average all while driving in 100-plus runs and blasting 30-plus dingers. This outfield is loaded with hitters that can hit for average, that have a good amount of pop, can run and also play some quality defense (save for Braun).

Starters (5): Tim Lincecum (24, Giants); Cole Hamels (25, Phillies); Zack Greinke (25, Royals); Chad Billingsley (24, Dodgers); Yovani Gallardo (23, Brewers)
Before I discuss the starters I did choose, here are some of the names that I had to pass on: Jon Lester, Max Scherzer, Jair Jurrjens, John Danks, Johnny Cueto, Edwin Jackson, Rick Porcello, Josh Johnson, Chris Volstad, Clayton Kershaw, Joba Chamberlain, Zach Duke, Matt Cain, Felix Hernandez, Matt Garza and David Price. It killed me to pass on Johnson, Kershaw, Chamberlain and Hernandez specifically, but in the end I chose the best five in terms of ERA, WHIP and strikeout potential. With so many great names to choose from, I know I’m going to get some backlash for who I passed on, but Lincecum is a freak of nature, Greinke has been absolutely phenomenal this season (although I’ll admit that had I done this at the beginning of the year, he wouldn’t have made the starting five) and Billingsley has been lights out. Hamels has struggled a bit with his ERA and he can be inconsistent at times, but his performance in last year’s postseason speaks for itself. I’m projecting a bit with Gallardo, but I would have been doing the same with Kershaw, Johnson and Chamberlain, so I feel good about the decision to go with the 23-year-old Brewer.

Relievers (7): Joakim Soria (25, Royals); Jonathan Broxton (24, Dodgers); Jeff Samardzija (24, Cubs); Joel Zumaya (24, Tigers); Andrew Bailey (25, A’s); Daniel Bard (23, Braves Red Sox); Ryan Perry (22, Tigers)
Pick your poison with this bunch; Soria, Broxton and Bailey can all close games, while Zumaya would make an outstanding setup man. The only issue I have with this group is whether or not any of them can come in for long relief if one of the starters gets rocked and I’m projecting a ton with Samardzija, Bard and Perry. Either way, this relief staff is chockfull of guys that can throw absolute cheddar and the thought process is that the starting pitching will go deep into most games anyway, so why not build the back of the rotation with 7th, 8th and 9th-inning arms?

Projected Lineup:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Prince Fielder, DH
5. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
6. Joe Mauer, C
7. Hanley Ramirez, SS
8. Ryan Braun, LF
9. Justin Upton, RF

Obviously you can switch around a lot of these hitters, but it’s pretty sick when Hanley Ramirez is your seventh hitter and Ryan Braun is eighth. Not too mention the bench still has Adam Jones, Jose Reyes, Brian McCann and Nick Markakis sitting on it. Sick.

Starting Rotation:

1. Tim Lincecum
2. Cole Hamels
3. Chad Billingsley
4. Zack Greinke
5. Yovani Gallardo

The lack of lefties scares me a bit, which makes me question whether or not I should go with Clayton Kershaw and drop Gallardo…no, no – Gallardo is staying. But I do love Kershaw…no, Gallardo – final answer.

Team Youthful Exuberance: Go F yourselves Yankees and Red Sox.

When I was growing up, my friends and I used to walk down to an open field next to a church and play baseball with four rubber bases, one aluminum bat and a tennis ball.

On the way to the field, we used to have mock drafts where we pretended we were general managers picking players for our lineup. When we got to the field, we had to do our best to simulate what each player’s batting stance looked like and then hit like that player.

My favorite player growing up was Giants’ first baseman Will Clark, so after I drafted him I always had to bat lefty (which was a bit problematic since I was right handed and never mastered the art of switch hitting) and stick my right leg straight out in front of me in order to impersonate his stance. And just like “The Thrill,” I had to wear thick eye black and stick a wad of chewing tobacco (well, he had chewing tobacco, I had Big League Chew) in one of my cheeks.

Those are the memories that always make me laugh at myself as a kid. It’s also memories like those that also make me wonder what I would have done if I were a young baseball fan growing up in what should be known as “the steroid era.”

If I drafted Mark McGwire, I guess I would have had to put pillow cushions in each of my sleeves to replicate his big, steroid-enhanced arms. If I drafted Roger Clemens, I guess I would have had to mimic taking HGH before I took the mound and then subsequently pretend to give my girlfriend an injection just as the Rocket did to his wife. (And then lie about everything if I was questioned later about the allegations.)

And I guess if I had drafted Alex Rodriguez, I would have had to not only mimic the steroid use, but also tip one of my friends off about what pitch was coming so that he could pad his stats.

I feel bad for young baseball fans these days. Chances are that their favorite player is/was on the juice and therefore their sports heroes are cheating in order to gain a competitive edge. As it turns out, Will Clark was kind of a dick. But as far as we all know, he played the game the right way and never tried to gain an edge over his fellow players. And unlike A-Fraud, Clark would have rather cut off both his arms than tip an opponent to what pitch was coming.

In effort to help out the young fans across this fine nation, I’ve compiled a list of 10 MLB players (in no particular order) that people can root for as we drudge our way through the steroid era. As far as we know, none of these players have ever taken performance-enhancers, nor have they disrespected the game by playing solely for stats, money or anything else. These aren’t only good guys, but they’re also tremendous ball players that probably don’t get enough credit for staying clean in an unclean baseball fraternity.

(Side Note: I apologize for not mentioning any pitchers, but I was aiming for everyday players when I first decided to compile this list, so that’s what I went with.)

1. Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
If you’re looking for the best player in baseball, he’s currently parked at first base in St. Louis. Before the steroid reports surfaced, many believed that A-Fraud was the best player in the game, but there’s little debate now that it’s Pujols who holds that honor. Granted, some question if Pujols has ever used himself, but I’m willing to believe that he’s clean and all the amazing feats he has accomplished on the field to this point have all been steroid-free. Ever since he broke into the league in 2001, he’s been nothing shy of a marvel at the plate and is without a doubt the best pure hitter in baseball.

2. Derek Jeter, SS, New York Yankees
SI.com did a poll last year where over 495 major leaguers voted on the most overrated player in baseball and Jeter took home the (non) honor of ranking first. There’s no doubt his range at short isn’t what it used to be, but Jeter never takes a play off, rarely makes mistakes to cost his team victories and he’s still consistent (albeit unspectacular) at the plate. He also remains great in the clutch, which certainly isn’t easy to do considering he plays in the hardest media market in sports. He might get more attention and praise than his overall numbers suggest he deserves, but I’d rather watch 10 media features on Jeter than just one on A-Fraud.

3. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox
I get tired of the “Little Engine that Could” references when it comes to Pedroia. He was a stud at Arizona State and was drafted in second round of the 2004 MLB Draft, yet because he’s 5’9” and 180 pounds, people like to make him out to be the Rudy of baseball. He has always been a talented player, but his drive and devotion to the game is what made him an MVP. Simply put, Pedroia plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played. He thinks up at the plate, always knows the situation in the field and like Jeter, he never takes plays off. Some players have talent, but it goes to waste because of their lack of effort. Pedroia is both talented and a hard worker, and chances are he’s going to be great for a long time because he knows how to get the most out of his abilities.

4. Nick Markakis, RF, Baltimore Orioles
While his popularity is growing each year, Markakis is still a relatively unknown star in this league. He’s a rare five-tool player and because he plays in Baltimore, nobody knows it. He’s not a guy that’s going to hit 50 home runs a year or put up Pujols-like batting average numbers, but he will hit over .300, blast 20-plus dingers, score 100 runs and play a near flawless right field. He’s also incredibly durable, missing just one game in 2007 (that’s one game out of 162, mind you) and just six in 2008. Like all of the guys on this list, Markakis just loves playing the game.

5. Grady Sizemore, CF, Cleveland Indians
What’s not to like about Grady Sizemore? He can hit for power, steal bases and is quite possibly the best centerfielder in baseball. He also didn’t miss a single game in 2006 and 2007, and just five games in 2008, which is not only a testament to his durability, but also to his desire. He’ll probably never be a consistent .300 hitter because he isn’t selective enough at the plate, but he brings so much more to the ballpark on a nightly basis that it’s hard to dwell on his unspectacular average numbers. (Although he is a career .278 hitter, so it’s not like he’s hitting below the Mendoza line or anything.)

6. Aaron Rowand, CF, San Francisco Giants
The Giants grossly overpaid for Rowand as a free agent last year, but that shouldn’t take away from the recognition he deserves as one of the hardest working players in baseball. Rowand never complains, is the ultimate team leader and if I had kids that were interested in baseball, I’d make sure that they were studying how Rowand approaches the game. I’ve never seen a player sacrifice his body more than Rowand and if you’re a true baseball fan, you’ve got to appreciate how he attacks every play as if it were his last.

7. Orlando Hudson, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Orlando Hudson? Seriously? I know, Hudson isn’t the most spectacular player to ever don a pair of baseball cleats, nor will he ever be. But if you watch this guy on a semi-regular basis, you’d see how easy it is to root for him. He doesn’t have Pujols’ talent, but Hudson will stop at nothing to give his team a chance to win, which includes sacrificing his body, his at bats or going all out on routine plays. He also does everything with a smile on his face and it’s rare to see him not sharing a laugh with an opponent or teammate at second base. I hope him hitting in front of Manny Ramirez this year gives his numbers a boost and therefore garners him the attention he deserves.

8. Ian Kinsler, 2B, Texas Rangers
Kinsler is another one of those throwback players like Jeter and Pedroia in that he busts his ass on every play and his intensity exceeds his talent (although that’s not to say that he doesn’t have any, because clearly he does). Kinsler doesn’t excel at one facet of the game, but he does everything well. He can hit for average, a fair amount of power and will steal bases at a decent clip, too. Granted, he does benefit from hitting in a stacked Rangers’ lineup, but that shouldn’t take away from how talented he is and I’m willing to bet if he were in a weaker offense, he’d still put up solid numbers.

9. Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida Marlins
Ramirez has taken some flack recently for not going all out on every play, but I’ll admit, I’m so intrigued by how good he is at such a young age that I can get past the fact that he’s not Charlie Hustle like the rest of the guys on this list. Ramirez has the talent to be one of the best players in the game and that alone makes him easy to pull for. Hopefully some of his coaches in Florida will get him to realize his full potential and he’ll be a star in this league for years to come.

10. Curtis Granderson, CF, Detroit Tigers
Granderson needs to be more consistent at the plate before he’ll be considered among the best players in baseball, but he does have five-tool talent and what makes him incredibly likable is how much he gives off the field. He established his Grand Kids Foundation in 2008 in order to help underprivileged children in Detroit and other areas get a good education and keep them out of gangs. He also set up a celebrity basketball game last year in which all proceeds went to school systems and inner city children in the Flint and Detroit, Michigan areas. I know a lot of athletes give to charities, but it’s nice to see that a player like Granderson not only donates his time and money, but also continues to be a tremendous role model at all times.

Feel free to shot out a couple players that you feel are easy to root for. I know there are many, many more, which gives fans a little hope for baseball’s future.

1. The defending champs needed that one…
Staring 0-3 in the face, the Phillies rallied from a 10-3 deficit in the seventh inning to beat the Braves 12-11 on Wednesday. Raul Ibanez homered and drove in three runs as Philly went on to score eight runs in the seventh inning. While 1-2 isn’t the start the defending champs would have liked, maybe now their offense has awaken from their slump and they can use this game as a confidence builder.

2. And I was like, Emilio!
I know, I know – it’s only one sweep of the Nationals (and at home no less). But the Marlins’ 3-0 start (they beat Washington 6-4 on Wednesday) should raise some eyebrows because this team is loaded with bright, young talent. Granted, Emilio Bonifacio isn’t going to hit .571 the rest of the way, but he gives the Fish a strong table setter at the top of the lineup and catcher John Baker has been a nice surprise so far in the two-hole. If the young starting pitching can hold up and five-tool 22-year old outfielder Cameron Maybin can grow up in a hurry, the Mets, Phillies and Braves will definitely have competition this year in NL East.

3. The Tigers might not have a good year, but Miggie will.
For all intents and purposes, it looks like the Tigers are due for another down year, although outside of Justin Verlander, the starting pitching has looked good the past two nights. But one thing that won’t hold Detroit back this year is Miguel Cabrera, who hit two dingers and drove in four runs in the Tigs’ 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday. It’s early, but Cabrera looks like he’ll be a favorite for the AL MVP all season.

4. Yankees start 0-2 – the horror!
Yankee-haters love seeing the Bronx Bombers struggle no matter what time of year it is, but remember that this is a veteran club and their 0-2 start (NY lost to Baltimore 7-5 on Wednesday) means very little. Would they like to be 2-0 right now? Sure, but don’t buy into a Yankee-free fall just yet. Yes, the starting pitching has looked bad out of the gate, but the lineup will get Alex Rodriguez back in a couple weeks and CC Sabathia won’t look as out of control all season as he did in the Opener. Let’s give the O’s some credit here, too – they have a nice young lineup. Nick Markakis (3 for 3, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1 HR) is an absolutely stud and Brian Roberts is one of the better leadoff hitters in baseball. Throw in an emerging talent like Adam Jones and quality veteran bats like Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora, and Baltimore will give some opponents trouble this year.

5. Is it time to hop of the Volquez bandwagon yet?
Edinson Volquez had himself quite a season last year, compiling a 17-6 record and 3.21 ERA for the Reds after three lackluster years in Texas. But pundits were a little leery of the 25-year old’s breakout year and the word “fluke” was tossed around plenty this offseason. Well, Volquez did little to silence critics in his ’09 debut as the Mets smacked him around for six hits and four earned runs as he lasted just 4.1 innings in the Reds’ 9-7 loss. To be fair, it was only one loss, but would anyone be surprised if Volquez struggled this year?

6. Kazmir good, Lester…not so much.
Rays’ ace Scott Kazmir looked solid in Tampa’s 7-2 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out four in six innings of work. Boston’s Jon Lester struggled, however, giving up five runs on eight hits and served up the long ball to Carlos Pena in the fifth. Here’s hoping Kaz can stay healthy for an entire year and maybe knock on the door of 15-plus wins, because he certainly has the talent for it.