AL Central Preview: How four big bucks bent KC over and did not call back

Man, this division is good. Kansas City could lose every single game, and they very well might, and it would still be the best division in baseball. The American League Central has pitching, it has powerhouse lineups, it has crusty old veterans and the next wave of superstar kids, it has a recent World Champ, and it has crazy fuckers like Ozzie and Sheff (who are guaranteed to scuffle at some point this season). Loaded.

I believe it was 1995 when baseball realigned, and Kansas City was not too far removed from being an actual major league franchise. MLB stuck the Royals in the AL Central, far from their old foes of the West and away from the powerful big-money Eastern clubs. This was a tremendous advantage for the Royals, as they were handed a schedule filled with easy ass games. So what did they do with it? Well, they pissed it all away through decisions that were cheap and stupid, and their division evolved into an insurmountable pit of death.

First, Cleveland got good and went to a couple World Series in the 90s. They wavered after the core of those teams left, but have rebuilt with new stars and little pitching. Then the Twins turned into the Oakland A’s of the Upper Midwest, a small-market club that actually thinks about how it conducts its business. The White Sox, under the maniacal leadership of HoG patron saint Ozzie Guillen, rode a stacked pitching staff to a World Series Win in 2005. And last season Detroit followed the same formula to advance to the all Classic, where they clumsily gave the title to the Cardinals (who are still celebrating, apparently).

I don’t have a gut feeling on this division, as I can legitimately see four teams winning it. Let’s break it down, with the assumption that the Royals are last in every category:

PITCHING ROTATION Minnesota 1, Detroit 2, Chicago 3, Cleveland 4. With the price of even mediocre pitching this offseason (see here and here), it’s understandable that the Tribe and the Sox didn’t go after any name arms. But at least Chicago’s Kenny Williams made some moves to get younger in the rotation, and Mark Buehrle may regain his form.

BULLPEN Minnesota 1, Detroit 2, Chicago 3, Cleveland 4. As good as Santana is, this is the strength of the Twins. Setting up Joe Nathan are reliable arms like Jesse Crain and Juan Rincon. Todd Jones is not much of a closer, but the Tigers’ pen is deep and Jim Leyland knows how to use it.

LINEUP Chicago 1, Cleveland 2, Detroit 3, Minnesota 4. This is the toughest call, but I think the White Sox have a veteran group that knows how to lay wood to leather. Sheffield makes the Tigers way better, and the Twins have a number of easy outs—placing more pressure on the pitching staff.

DEFENSE I think Ozzie might have to man short, as Juan Uribe was involved in a minor murder over the winter. Honestly, does anyone give a shit about defense these days? It’s not like it costs anyone a World Series or anything, Detroit.

RESOURCES Detroit 1, Chicago 2, Cleveland 3, Minnesota 4. If moves need to be made, the Tigers have shown a willingness to part with dollars and/or prospects to make it happen. They are taking advantage of their window. Williams has publicly stated that the White Sox will not engage in ludicrous spending, but they still maintain a $100 million-plus payroll. The Indians’ Mark Shapiro and the Twins’ Terry Ryan subscribe to the Bill Stoneman school of testicle-free GM’ing.

ALL IN ALL I think the White Sox still have it. Their pitching is iffy, and they could tune out their manager at any minute, but the sticks are there and I think they blew an opportunity last season. The wild card will almost certainly come from this division as well, and I see Detroit edging the Twins for that distinction.

Chicago 95 wins

Detroit 92

Minnesota 88

Cleveland 85

Kansas City 61