Before the season, if you would have predicted Major League Baseball’s strongest division, you probably would have answered the American League East, while giving some serious consideration into the AL/NL Central. All three of those are being outdone by a laughing-stock of the past couple years, the National League West.

San Diego: 34-23
Arizona: 35-24
Los Angeles: 34-24

In our preseason previews of these three teams, we emphasized their pitching staffs. You can make the case for any of these teams having the best pitching in baseball. Most people would take the side of the first place Padres in that argument. After all, they boast the top two pitchers in the National League in NL Pitcher of the Month Jake Peavy and underrated Chris Young. The Padres’ pitching staff has compiled a 2.94 ERA, which leads the entire league by a mere .39.

With the Giants and Rockies just a couple of games under .500, you have to make the case for this division being the best in baseball. No other division has two teams that are ten games over .500. The National League West has three teams. It’s a deep division with absolutely filthy pitching staffs. Even the 4th place Giants have two of the game’s future Cy Young contenders in Matt Cain and Todd Lincecum. These clubs won’t be in the spotlight on ESPN but they’re all worth taking a look at.

You’d have to look real hard to find someone that is a Barry Bonds fan. Despite being one of the finest players of our era, Bonds is despised in all Major League Baseball cities not named San Francisco. Now, just nine homers shy of Hank Aaron’s all-time record, Bonds might snub the Baseball Hall of Fame of any record-setting memorabilia.

“I’m not worried about the Hall,” the San Francisco slugger said during a recent homer drought. “I take care of me.”

“Doesn’t everybody have the right to decide to do it or not do it?” he said last week.

While this definitely won’t win Bonds any new fans, let’s take a look at this thing from his shoes. He’s become Public Enemy #1 for steroid use in the same league that condoned encouraged it just ten years ago. Baseball was hurting when McGwire and Sosa’s needle-induced Summer of ‘98 rolled around. The same steroids that won Sosa and McGwire millions of fans have turned the entire sport against Bonds. Why should he be generous now?

If my own sport’s commissioner was threatening to be a no-show when I broke the sport’s ultimate record, I think I’d be angry too. This doesn’t change the fact that Bonds has always been a selfish asshole, I’d say that’s pretty obvious. But I would say he’s played the role of both villain and victim in this entire thing. Bonds can keep his bat and helmet. Real fans want to see memorabilia that isn’t tainted, whether it was used by Bonds or the heroic McGwire and Sosa.

Barry Bonds is on a tear this year, and he’s doing it relatively quietly. Bonds currently has nine home runs, good enough for a tie for second in the National League behind only Chipper Jones. He is hitting a cool .343 and has driven in 21 runs this year.

Do we all hate Barry Bonds? Yes. Can we deny the fact that he is absolutely dominating this year, and for that matter his entire career? No. The question is no longer if Barry will pass Hank Aaron this year, the question is will he do it before the All-Star break. We are seeing what happens when a dominant athlete who is aging can do when he has fresh legs. Bonds basically took the entirety of last year off, and because he can pick and choose when he has to try, he can save his energy for hitting home runs. This of course, is assuming that Barry is clean this year, which is an assumption that I am willing to make.

Bonds is a mere 13 home runs away from breaking Hank Aaron’s record. Do I want to see it happen? Honestly, no. But it’s going to, and that’s something that I have zero control over. So I’m going to sit back, and watch one of the best players of the steroid era continue to dominate, because that’s what I’ve done the last 10+ years. And if you really can’t stand to see this happen, just rest assured knowing that A-Rod will be along shortly to break Barry’s record.

I guess I expected more out of the highest paid pitcher in the history of the game. I guess I set a higher bar for a Cy Young winner than I should. I guess I overlooked the talent age surrounding him.

Barry Zito’s line yesterday was hardly a $120 million effort. The looping lefty threw 5 innings for the Giants yesterday, surrendering three runs and was tagged with his first loss in his first start in a Giants uniform. I’m not sure what was more uninspiring, Zito’s 86 pitches in five innings, showing just two strikeouts to go with two walks, or the flat taste of the Giants offense.

While the Giants boast one of the greatest home run hitters to ever step on the field, they managed just three hits in six innings against Padres starter Jake Peavy, and only got two players in scoring position the entire game. The most exciting moment for the Giants offense yesterday under new manager Bruce Bochy was the unexpected steal of second by Bonds in the first inning. From there on, it was bland. The Giants are faced with an enormous problem in regards to their lineup. It’s old and it sucks. Randy Winn has seen better days, Ray Durham and Omar Vizquel both qualify for senior citizen discounts at Dennys, and the youth movement of offensive talent doesn’t exist.

With the media circus surrounding one Barry, and the amount of money tied up to the other, I’d be concerned if I lived in the Bay Area. Sure, it’s only one game of a 162 game season but know this; the last time the Giants were shut out on opening day was 1967 and the Padres had never had an opening day shut out in team history until yesterday. I’d say it’s a little more to be worried about than one game.

Bruce Bochy spent 24 years in the Padres organization, dating all the way back to his playing days as a catcher. Bochy managed the Padres for the past 12 years, leading them to a World Series and four division titles. Now, he’s a Giant.

“That’s behind me,” Bochy said of his 12 seasons as skipper in San Diego. “What’s important to me is it’s opening day and doing all we can to win the game. Who we’re playing doesn’t matter — whether it’s San Diego or L.A.”

Bochy swears that he has no harsh feelings for the Padres. How could he? Despite the fact that the Padres weren’t immediately prepared to offer a contract extension to Bochy, it was he who left the team and signed with the Giants. He, along with center fielder Dave Roberts and first baseman Ryan Klesko, are now in Giants brown and orange and aim to hand it to their former squad.

This match up is intriguing because of the rivalry between the two teams. Sure, their rivalry can’t hold a candle to Mets Yankees or Cubs White Sox, but there definitely is something to be said for the hatred these two teams have for each other. “It’s the Padres versus the Giants — not Black versus Bochy,” Padres Manager Bud Black said.

For the entire month of March, the Sportable Staff will look at one Major League Baseball team a day. We?ll look at their lineups and pitching and in the end, assess their playoff chances. Previews will be done by division, starting with the American League East. Each new division will also feature a new podcast devoted entirely to that division.

Barry Bonds: Record Breaker, Season Wrecker
In case you haven’t heard, Barry Bonds is a bit of a distraction. After whispers of Bonds going elsewhere in 2007, he managed to rob the San Francisco Giants blind with a one year, $15.8 million contract. This signals severals things in San Francisco. Bonds continues to hold this franchise hostage with his traveling circus of media. But it also shows that the Giants are poised to cash in on what could be a record-breaking season.

Read the rest of this entry »