NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
Shake off the snow and frost, people. Major league baseball is BACK! As I’m writing this, the Dodgers most likely just added another great piece to the machine they are building. The games are played on the diamond and not on paper, so 162 games plus playoffs decide who gets to the Fall Classic. The last time we had a repeat champion was 2000, when MY New York Yankees got it done. That is just one of many questions we will get answers for over the next few months. This is the first entry to my new weekly column, “The Word on Baseball,” where I touch on topics throughout the season. To set it off, here are 10 questions I have on my mind.
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Is this a season where Fernando Tatis, Jr. reminds us who he is? After being dinged on PEDs and also being banged up a bit, can he get right? Lead a hungry Padres team looking for a better end to their season.
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Will the Mets get a new closer? After a freak knee injury, will we see Edwin Diaz come all the way back? Dedniel Núñez is waiting in the wings and has shown he is up for the job.
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How do the Yankees adapt to NO Gerritt Cole, who steps up and keeps the goals they have alive?
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Are the Boston Red Sox ready to make noise again? With some smart moves and improvement last season we will see the Soxs back in the postseason and be real contenders?
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Keep an eye on some electric young players who should make some noise. Remember the names James Woods, Jared Jones, Ezequiel Tovar, Masyn Winn to name a few. The league has fresh talent all over it seems more than ever.
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Is this one of the years that the San Francisco Giants make a run towards the playoffs? Have you seen the bullpen? You’ve been warned.
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The Atlanta Braves revenge tour will be fun but can they beat the Dodgers AND stay healthy? The return of two of their stars from injury and more experience are they primed and ready?
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Will Juan Soto led the Mets to postseason glory? He got the huge contract and they have either underperformed or got bounced early. Can his bat and leadership change things in Queens?
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Is this the year we see the Phillies rise the World Series Throphy? With a recent history or going home early, and an aging roster the time is now. The question is can they do it?
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Can baseball keep winning with the fans? Improved speed to the games, exciting young players, increased social media presence. Those are just some of the things the sport has done to light a fire under people and grab new fans. History shows us this is normally where MLB screws it up. Will this time be different?
162 games to answer these questions and more, look for my takes weekly with “The Word On Baseball”, hit me up on X with anything MLB related @JoeCardoso. Let’s PLAY BALL!!
