MLB Preview 09: About a week late

Again, been really busy lately. But I am here to bring you my one week in preview of the Major League Baseball season. Here we go.

I'll start with the National League:

NL East

This division hosts the defending champion Phillies and they will be back again. However, with the Mets improved bullpen and loaded lineup, I think they will be able to avoid the late season collapse this year and will come out on top of this division. Look out for the Braves to contend if their bullpen can hold up, although that probably won't happen.

NL Central:

Not a difficult division to call. The Cubs look to be the far and away favorite here and they deserve it. A lot of factors would have to go right for any team in this division to knock them off. The Cardinals have pitching and bullpen question marks. The Astros have no depth behind Oswalt. I actually think the Reds are going to provide the biggest challenge in this league. But the Cubs really shouldn't be challenged.

NL West:

Question marks all over this league. It is the weakest in baseball, and that usually means that anyone could take it. I think in the end it will come down to two teams, the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks. It all depends on the pitching. If Webb and Scherzer can be healthy, they will be formidable. I like their young lineup and they should contend. However, I am giving it to the Dodgers. Their lineup is stacked throughout and if they can get the year that everyone seems to expect out of Billingsly and Kershaw, they should take the west.

NL Wild Card:

I am giving the Wild Card to the Phillies. They didn't lose much and added Raul Ibanez. I think they come up short in the division, but get into the playoffs via the wild card.

On to the American League.

AL East:

The division with arguably the best three teams in baseball. The Rays, Red Sox and revamped Yankees will all contend, obviously. I am calling a Rays repeat in the division. I think they will actually be even better than last year. Longoria for a full year, Upton fully healthy, pitching depth. This team will be tough for anyone to beat. Of course I want to say the Red Sox, but I think they have too many "what ifs." They will be very good, but I do not believe they will win the division. The Yankees spent all kinds of money this off-season and they will prove once again that it is not a collection of superstar overpaid players that win a championship. I don't know why they haven't learned to go back to their late 90's tactics, but I am not complaining. I expect another third place finish.

AL Central:

The most interesting division in baseball. Anyone can win. I don't see a single great team, just a bunch of mediocre ones. That is why I am going to go out on a bit of a limb and say that the Kansas City Royals will make a Tampa Bay-esque run at the division and come out on top. They have a very strong young ball club. Good pitching, an excellent closer. I think that the White Sox will finish second and be their biggest threat, and the Indians are the most over-rated team of the year. Their pitching will kill them when Cliff Lee falls off this season.

AL West:

The Angels should be able to take this division again. They are the most balanced and experienced team. If Texas had anything that resembled a pitching staff they would pose a serious challenge with that lineup, but they don't, so I think the angels roll, once again.

AL Wild Card:
I am giving the wild card in the AL to the Red Sox. They may not beat the Rays, but they will be better than all the other teams in the American League. They hold off the Yankees and White Sox and get into the playoffs.

NL playoffs:

Mets over Dodgers
Cubs over Phillies

Mets over Cubs

AL playoffs:

Rays over Royals
Red Sox over Angels

Rays over Red Sox

World Series:

Mets over Rays

I think the Rays will get back to the World Series but this time, they will lose to the Mets. I think that team has everything going for it. I think their pitching staff has just enough to get them by. They have the best lineup in the league. Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, this team can crush the ball. Rookie Daniel Murphy will have a good year and even Gary Sheffield will have an impact. The Bullpen will be the biggest factor however. If they get to the 7th inning with a lead this season, they won't be blowing it like they have in the past.

Should be a great season and I can't wait o see how it unfolds!

Until next time

And now, the championship

Ok, I am so glad that Michigan State made it this far. So excited, completely ready for the game. I can't wait. That said... I can't see anyone in the country beating this North Carolina team. They are playing on an entirely different level. I love my Spartans, but they do not match up well with this team. They would have to severely slow down the pace and it will be nearly impossible. Unless the crowd becomes a huge factor, I can't see this one even staying close. I will be rooting for MSU, but my head tells me to pick North Carolina to win it all.

My Experience of the first two games in Citi Field History

Because my girlfriend is awesome, she got us tickets to go to the first two games ever played at the brand new Mets ball park, Citi Field, in two exhibition games against the Red Sox. The park is beautiful. I have been bouncing off the walls waiting for baseball and this was a great way to kick off my season. Take in a bit of history. We had to wait in line for a half an hour because stub hub screwed up everyone's tickets, and actually ended up sitting in better seats than we bought because of it the first game. I think the Mets fans will be absolutely pleased with their new ball park. It has a really cool rotunda dedicated to Jackie Robinson and a huge gift shop. The exterior is built to resemble Ebbets Field, the old home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. I was disappointed in the fans the second game, as the Red Sox took a 6-0 lead in the first inning and the rest of the game the fans continuously threw their trash onto the field. It was a mess. But I guess you can't expect higher of New Yorkers. I had a great time, and am completely ready for this season to start! What about you guys?

Its the Final 4!

The moment we've all been waiting for! UConn, North Carolina, Villanova and my Michigan State Spartans baby! Gotta love it!

Michigan state over UConn
I have to support my team. Why wouldn't I? I think this UConn team is beatable. Purdue could have beat them if they weren't intimidated and made too many dumb mistakes. Missouri came very close to beating them in a very close game. MSU matches up well against UConn, a team that doesn't run all game. The pace should favor MSU and being in Detroit will be a huge boost. MSU reaches the finals.

North Carolina over Villanova
North Carolina looks unstoppable right now. A healthy Ty Lawson has been the MVP of this tournament. Villanova has played excellent basketball, and will be NC's biggest challenge yet, but I can not see them pulling this upset. North carolina rolls on.

I'm off, for the second day in a row, to the brand new Citi Field for their second exhibition game against the Red Sox. I'll share my thoughts on the ballpark later on.

Film Review: Mosters Vs. Aliens

It had been quite a while since I had seen my last film in Real D 3D (Beowulf) and having absolutely loved the experience the first time (the 3D effects were a whole lot better than the film itself) I was sufficiently excited for Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D. The film looked absolutely hilarious and with that cast, I was sure to be there.

This time around, the experience had the opposite effect on me. I felt that the film itself was a lot better that the 3D effects (which is NOT a bad thing). I felt for this film the 3D was used much more to just add depth to the film, and it would have worked nearly the same in 2 dimensions. Obviously, this is what the film-makers were going for, which is why I say it is not a bad thing. There were a few “things popping out at you” moments but it was nothing like Beowulf, so I was slightly disappointed in that regard. However, I feel like they focused a lot more on actually making the film good than using the 3D gimmick to draw the crowd.

The film itself did not disappoint at all. I loved it. I thought it was absolutely hilarious. It was definitely one of Dreamworks’ best efforts so far. Seth Rogen completely steals the show. B.O.B is one of the most hilarious characters from an animated film in recent memory. Without him, the film would have felt empty, with him, it shines. Seth Rogen has risen to the top of comedic actors working today, and I really don’t see who is there to compete with him.

The other cast members were great as well. Reese Witherspoon does a great job of basically playing herself, only in 50 foot gigantic woman form. Hugh Laurie is great as always as Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. However, the other character that had me rolling was General W.R. Monger, brilliantly cast with the voice of Jack Bauer himself, Kiefer Sutherland. And I can not forget about the gigantic yet adorable Insectosaurus.

There were so many laugh out loud funny moments in the film and it works for kids and adults alike. With references to films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Spaceballs, there is hardly a dull moment. My only criticism with the film is that the pacing moved along so well for the first hour and ten minutes or so, and they felt like they needed to wrap it all up in 20 minutes, which I felt hurt the film a little bit. Damn kids and their diminishing attention spans!

The film has something for everybody. I have heard many criticisms that Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) was an awful villain. Ok, I understand that point of view, but my response: so what? This is, essentially, a kids movie. Who needs Darth Vader?

I absolutely recommend this film. If you have kids, take them along, as you will both surely enjoy it. You will both be laughing, and watch as Seth Rogen’s star power continues to rise. I give Monsters vs. Aliens a very well deserved 9/10.

Film Review: The Haunting In Connecticut

This is certainly not my type of movie. I am not a fan or the horror genre in general. It seems like that pump out about 10-12 of these films per year and they are usually terrible. For the most part, I have sworn off the genre.

However, I went to see this one because my girlfriend really wanted to see it (us being in Connecticut and all). So I went to appease her. I didn’t expect anything but an hour and a half of cheap gimmicks and a completely ridiculous plot. This movie, however, was a pleasant surprise.

Now its not the best movie in the world, not by any means, but it was good for what it was. Like I said, I’m not a horror fan, but this film actually had a pretty good story behind it. It was not terrifically scary, and anyone that is expecting to be sufficiently scared may be disappointed, but there were some very creepy elements. The bodies with strange lettering carved into them were legitimately creepy. There were quite a few times where they made me jump, which is to be expected, it’s a common horror technique.

I really liked the way the film ended. There was a nice little twist and the character arc of the two principle characters was wrapped up very nicely. This is not something you see often from a horror movie. I left the theater feeling satisfied with the experience, rather than wanting to go find the director and punch him.

I would recommend the film, especially if you enjoy horror. You might like it even more than I. I don’t think this film will be remembered 5 years from now, but it’s a nice little thrilling film that is good for a night out with your significant other. The Haunting In Connecticut gets a 7/10 from me.

Sorry about the delay, but back for you with 2 new reviews!

It has been a very busy week, so I haven't been able to post for a few days. Just have to say, where are all the Michigan state haters now? Had to throw that in there. Now I have for you two fresh, brand new reviews. One for The Haunting In Connecticut, the other for Monsters vs. Aliens. I will also have up a Final 4 Preview and my preview for the 2009 Major League Baseball season, complete with Playoff Predictions, coming later.