Show r J Baseball 5 IJ jd Too Boring Born J 1 Neil Oracle cle l li i I l. l Lance 1 l. l rF 1 WITH th the start star of baseballs baseball's 1 spring tr training g u upon n us usi cited are are w we for another nother n 6 2 j jg g games games m that f co contain tai ii m three e hours of excitement free free s J sport O Or is there ec t w 1 ri j i F lj I b baseball as c A I Im I'm t toe the but Maybe e lave ilove v the sport port While hil it true that rat the basic basl concept conc pt of hitting a b ball with a b bat doesn't q quite it g get 11 the L the bl blood f flowing o iJ g 1 how now w ati 9 vV 1 putting g the the ball in a basket aSke t To enjoy y bas baseball ball you nee need to pay y d' d tod t attention Xo 10 to the me little things things' f What little things Wei wasn't for th the el elements ments of f theP diec the die c If P- P u uI i j game me like M the hit I- I and nd v. v e es sacrifice s bunt infield files flie and double p plays s I w would t i be beas t tr as bored r d as everybody else V But there must 1 be e sot something g i intriguing about a sport y 5 million to its top pIaye players Even EY Even more q e intriguing are are the the players players l i who make 5 millon then doil nothing to help ih their i te win wiri team m a championship And if yo youre you're re still not i inter interested t r j es ested ed- ed this off s season off as n ha has provided provid 4 at t least one or two things worthy of mention Fir First t the realignment that occurred in Major jor League a Baseball b ll The The- Cl Cleveland Indians are inthe hithe in iii the American League Ce Central tr Y Does Poes a anybody want 10 to bet et be i tween the two best teams in the NL last year Now the Atlanta Braves Philadelphia Phillies are in the saI same division Ouch If you are looking for something something some some- thing a little closer to home gone are the lovable and good Salt Lake Tr Trappers In come the pe new new to Y Utah ah team the Utah tah B Buzz i. i a Maybe it would ul be a good or or nie e to make m my baseball lt predictions for the upcoming year In the the AL East I l take the Toronto Blue Jays They are the i two time defending world cham champions after all The AL Cen Central looks like Uke the Chicago White So Sox taking the pennant t For or a surprise p pick ck the Cleveland J Indians l ns' ns get the wildcard wildcard wild wild- c card d out of the AL Central In the theAL h AL West the possibilities are so so boring I might as well go wi with l the Seattle Mariners Ken Griffey Griffey Grif Grif- Griffey fey Jr is the best player in in the the theAL theAL AL so so he should be able to carry carry the Mariners over the st of the West n i. i Test v 1 The rea real bas baseball baU is js in the Hier NL NL The Buffalo baseball the Atlanta Braves f should make the race in the 1 NL i Fast East t fun un before winning the title title The most interesting race wi willbe l b in n the he NL Central th the Chicago Cubs Houston Astros Ladd L a said id Cincinnati Reds Red it s should ou d be bethe be bethe bethe the the best do Go wi play off race with the he Cubbies ies' ies Yes I said Chic Chicago go The NL West should see B Barry Bonds win the title O Oh h he might g get t a little help from the rest of the San Francisco Giants to win the pennant pennant rs ii ito t hd U f ff ks k's r J o q k t It |