Unfortunately I have found myself attending many family functions in recent weeks, and at one of them, one of my sweet but undereducated sports fan relatives asked me a question “What are you looking forward to this baseball season… It does begin soon, right?”  After explaining that yes, the season has just recently begun, I told her that her question was difficult for me to answer, as there are so many things I look forward to each year.  After letting her question marinate in my head for a few days, I decided to share some of the many things I am looking forward to in 2012, both from a Nationals perspective and as a general baseball fan.

As a Nationals fan…

1) I look forward to watching Stephen Strasburg make 25+ starts for the Nationals this season, as his stuff is magical and each time he steps on the mound he has the potential to throw a no-hitter.

2) I look forward to watching Bryce Harper’s debut in Washington and watching his physical talents develop at the major league level.  Also, I look forward to getting to the park early to watch his impressive displays of power in batting practice.

3) I am looking forward to watching a full season from Jordan Zimmermann as he steps forward as one of the best young starting pitchers in the National League.

4) I am looking forward to many random little events… Watching Rick Ankiel make one of his incredible throws from the outfield, watching Ryan Zimmerman charging a slow roller at 3B and throwing the runner out at first, watching Gio Gonzalez’s knee-buckling curveball, watching Henry Rodriguez throw a 100mph fastball, Tyler Clippard fooling opposing hitters with his devastating changeup, and finally, seeing Mike Morse demolish a home run deep into the outfield bleachers.

5) I am looking forward to a summer with the Nationals in playoff contention – I have been living and dying with each pitch so far this season, and I cannot imagine how much fun meaningful baseball in September will be in the Nation’s capital.  Mark my words, this will be a baseball town in six months.

6) I look forward to visiting Hagerstown and Potomac this year to watch Anthony Rendon, Matt Purke, Brian Goodwin, Alex Meyer, and Matt Skole and others develop their talents as they march toward the big leagues.

7) I am looking forward to watching Ross Detwiler flourish for the Nationals this season.  As captain of Detwiler’s fan club, I have long awaited Ross’s opportunity at the big league level, and after a difficult decision from the Nationals front office, he now has his chance to shine at the back end of the rotation.

8) I am looking forward to the first home series against the Phillies this season, especially after the Nationals’ “Take Back the Park” promotion this offseason.  Will Nationals fans flood the park and keep Phillies fans away, or will it be another year of Phillies caps and jerseys infesting Nationals Park?

9)  As I have shared on a few occasions, I spend each Nationals home Opening Day in the stands with my Dad, and in light of some recent events, this tradition will be even more special to share with him this year.  Yesterday was our 6^th consecutive opener, and we were very happy to see a Nationals win.

Major League Baseball…

People wanting to gain weight, should make It generic tadalafil cipla a routine to consume maximum amount of dates on a weekly basis. On the same time, these veterinarians usually select a ordering cialis unique method to promote their clinic. Therefore, men should increase 25mg barato viagra ejaculation time and sex duration to continue a normal and successful love life. Watermelon has qualities similar as viagra online . 1) I am looking forward to the addition of a 2^nd Wild Card team and how it affects the July trade deadline and the September playoff races.

2) The Wild Card “Play-In” games – The occasional “play-in” games in recent years have been some of the most nerve-wracking and excellent baseball games and now we are guaranteed two of these games each year.  Count me in, I cannot be more excited for these games in the fall.

3) The MLB Rule 4 Draft – As someone with a website with “GM” in the title, the idea of building through the draft is paramount to me, and this 2-day event can set up an organization for years, or conversely, set them back as well.  This draft will not be mistaken for the talent-rich 2011 draft, but this prospect group has improved their luster in recent months, and I am curious how the new rules regarding signing bonus limits put in place this winter will affect this year’s draft.

4) I am looking forward to watching the real-life soap opera that is the Miami Marlins.  With the trouble Ozzie Guillen has already gotten into, along with questionable clubhouse characters in Carlos Zambrano, Jose Reyes, and Hanley Ramirez,  I look forward to watching this powder keg to see if they have a successful season or if they implode upon themselves.

5) Visiting Oriole Park at Camden Yards – Still the best of the new generation of baseball stadiums, there are few better ways to spend a summer evening than in Baltimore taking in a ballgame.

6) I am looking forward to watching the emergence of several young players on the brink of stardom, namely Dustin Ackley, Madison Bumgarner, Yu Darvish, Eric Hosmer, Brett Lawrie, Jesus Montero, Matt Moore, Buster Posey, Mike Trout, and Matt Wieters.

7) July 31^st trade deadline – With the expectation that the Nationals should be in the playoff hunt, this trade deadline should find the Nationals as buyers, not sellers as they have been in recent years.  With a deep farm system and a creative general manager in Mike Rizzo, it will be very interesting to see what moves or non-moves the Nationals decide to make.

8) Bobby Valentine returning as manager of the Boston Red Sox and how the Red Sox respond this season.  As one of the most colorful baseball men around, major league baseball is only better for having Bobby V return to the dugout.  In addition to his return, it will be interesting to see how the Red Sox respond to their disastrous September and if they can return to the playoffs, which they have missed two years in a row.

9) Finally, I am making a trip to Chicago to visit Wrigley Field this summer, and as a baseball fan that has never been to Wrigley, I am really looking forward to that trip.

What are you looking forward to in 2012?  I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments section below… Thanks for reading.

I encourage you to follow me on Twitter @NatsGMdotcom, “Like” my Facebook page search NatsGM, and email me at NationalsGM@gmail.com.

Before I get started today, I want to apologize to my readers for being absent the past two weeks; unfortunately a sudden death in my family interrupted our usual baseball analysis and light-hearted chatter.  While this column is a bit belated, I still wanted to write a preview of this baseball season, and give my prognostications for the upcoming year.  With Opening Day now in our rearview mirror and little time to waste, here are my predictions for the 2012 season.

My Predictions…

AL MVP – Albert Pujols Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

There has only been one player (Frank Robinson) in baseball history to win a Most Valuable Player award in both leagues: this year, Albert Pujols makes it two.  Although many question how popular this contract will look a few years down the road, Pujols is the power bat that Anaheim has sorely lacked the past few seasons, and I believe his talents will help the Angels capture the AL West this season.

NL MVP – Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds

While I felt more confident in this selection prior to Votto signing his 10-year contract extension last week, I believe that Votto is poised for a monster season in Cincinnati as he enters his prime.  As the best player on a team expected to compete for the playoffs, I envision Votto narrowly edging Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp for the award.

AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez Seattle Mariners

While I grant that the Mariners underwhelming offense will likely keep Felix’s win total lower than he will deserve, I believe Hernandez bounces back from last season’s somewhat weaker than expected performance (14-14 3.47 ERA and 1.22 WHIP) and posts a career season while capturing the AL Cy Young.

NL Cy Young – Zach Greinke Milwaukee Brewers

Although Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay, and Clayton Kershaw are the trendier preseason selections, Zach Greinke is entering free agency this winter and thus, has the motivation to produce a monster season.  With the relatively weak lineups in the NL Central, I expect Greinke to feast on his competition this year and lead the Brewers to another division title.

AL Rookie of the Year – Yu Darvish Texas Rangers

Darvish is difficult to consider a rookie as he has five years of professional experience in Japan, but due to major league baseball rules, he is considered a rookie for their purposes.  Matt Moore from Tampa Bay and Mike Trout from Anaheim will give Darvish plenty of competition, but Yu’s experience and position as the Rangers staff ace should allow him to capture the award.

NL Rookie of the Year – Mat Gamel Milwaukee Brewers

Gamel has lost some of his prospect luster as he has languished in Triple-A the past three seasons, however, he is a career .301/.374/.512 hitter in Triple-A and now has the opportunity to play every day as he replaces Prince Fielder as Milwaukee’s first baseman.  Yonder Alonso from San Diego and Devin Mesoraco from Cincinnati are two other solid choices, but Gamel will bat in the middle of the order of a team expected to compete for the playoffs, which should give him the edge over his competitors.

The Division Winners and Wild Cards

AL East –                New York Yankees (98-64)

AL Central –         Detroit Tigers (91-71)

AL West –             Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (92-70)

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NL East –                Atlanta Braves (93-69)

NL Central –         Milwaukee Brewers (90-72)

NL West –             Arizona Diamondbacks (89-73)

NL Wild Cards – Philadelphia Phillies (88-74) and San Francisco Giants (87-75)

9 Bold Predictions

1)            The Miami Marlins will finish with a record below .500 this season.

2)            Adam Dunn finishes with 30+ Home Runs in 2012 in a comeback season for the rejuvenated Chicago White Sox offense.

3)            The Nationals will finish 85-77 this season, and fall just short of clinching the 2^nd NL Wild Card.

4)            There will be only one player in the National League to hit 40 Home Runs this season, and it will not be Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp, or Joey Votto… It will be Votto’s teammate, Reds OF Jay Bruce.

5)            The Houston Astros will lose 110+ games this season and Minnesota will lose 105+ games.

6)            This is the season that Matt Wieters becomes the undisputed top catcher in the major leagues, as he hits 30 home runs and wins another gold glove.

7)            The Red Sox will miss the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive season, and will finish with a record more similar to 4^th place Toronto than to the 2^nd place Tampa Bay.

8)            Vinnie Pestano from the Cleveland Indians supplants Chris Perez as the team’s closer by Memorial Day and finishes this season with 25+ saves.

9)            Finally, Bryce Harper is called up on June 1^st to start the Nationals home stand against divisional foes Atlanta and New York, and hits 15 home runs in the majors this season.

So what do you think of my selections…. Agree or disagree?  I encourage you to share your thoughts and prognostications in the comments section below.

This “Tip of the Fedora” is and forever will be for my Mother, who passed away a few days ago… She was the driving influence behind my starting NatsGM and the one that encouraged me to chase my dreams.  You left us far too soon and left behind a void that can never be filled, but we will never forget you and I will always love you.

Like many baseball fans, I sat around last weekend watching my NCAA tournament brackets bomb like a first-time standup comic while preparing for my upcoming fantasy baseball drafts.  With Norfolk St. solidly reminding me that I should stick to baseball (thanks Missouri!), I thought this to be an appropriate time to preview this upcoming season from a fantasy perspective.  Last season my predictions were mixed, as I missed wildly on Brian Matusz and Travis Snider, but I correctly predicted breakout seasons for Michael Morse, Jay Bruce, and Jhoulys Chacin.  With that being said, here are my fantasy predictions for the upcoming season.

2012 Breakout Players:

Dustin Ackley 2B Seattle – One of the best young collegiate hitters in the past decade, Ackley has tremendous talent and could find himself batting at the top of an improved Seattle lineup in 2012.  Safely count on a .290 batting average with 12 home runs and 15 steals while secretly hoping this is the year that he produces a 20/20 season.

Brandon Belt 1B San Francisco –  The Giants are financially tied to Aubrey Huff and are enamored with Nate Schierholtz which could force Belt back to Triple-A to begin the season, but make no mistake, he is a pure hitter with a career minor league batting line of .343/.457/.596. Belt simply needs opportunity and at-bats to breakout in 2012.

Colby Rasmus OF Toronto – Rasmus, a charter member of this list one year ago after producing a .276/.361/.498 with 23 home runs at the age of 23, struggled to get along with manager Tony LaRussa and was shipped to Toronto in a surprising midseason trade. Still only 25 years old, Rasmus has the talent to be a .280 hitter with 25 home runs and 10-15 stolen bases and could flourish with the change of scenery and hitting in the impressive Blue Jays lineup.

Neil Walker 2B Pittsburgh – This is my type of sleeper, an unsexy player on a small market team not expected to make the playoffs, now entering his age-26 season and poised to bat cleanup.  I am confidently predicting a .275-80-15-85-10 season for Walker, with potential for more, which compares nicely with my Brandon Phillips projection (.280-90-17-75-12) and Phillips gets taken, on average, 100+ picks earlier in drafts.  Take Walker later in your drafts and make yourself look very smart against your fellow league-mates this season.

Players I Like More Than Most:

Freddy Freeman 1B Atlanta Braves – Like that friend of yours that somehow always stays under the radar, Freeman had an outstanding rookie season last year as a 22 year old for Atlanta, and yet, has garnered little attention from fantasy players entering this year.  With a full season from Michael Bourn and bounce back seasons from Jason Heyward and Martin Prado, the Braves lineup could be better than people think this year.  Freeman produced a .282/21/76 batting mark last season, and I see little reason he will not improve to a .290/25/90 season in his sophomore campaign, making him a tremendous value pick in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.

Jose Valverde RP Detroit Tigers – Inevitably every fantasy draft I have done for the past 5 years has found Jose Valverde on my roster, as he is remarkably consistent and typically exceeds his draft position year after year.  Valverde has strong job security in an overall solid Detroit bullpen, and barring injury, he should produce another season of 3 Wins, 30-40 Saves, a 3.00 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.  Being undeservedly selected outside the top 10 closers, once again there is little chance I will leave my drafts without Valverde as a member of my squad.

Jayson Werth OF Washington – Overwhelmed by the expectations placed on him after signing a 7-year $126 million dollar free agent contract, Werth struggled and finished with a .232/20HR/58RBI/19SB season last year.  However, I expect a big comeback season from Werth for one reason:  I believe Werth is better suited to being a Max Weinberg/Clarence Clemons type player rather than being Bruce Springsteen, as in, an outstanding supporting member of the band but not the superstar.  With Ryan Zimmerman’s contract this winter, a full season from Stephen Strasburg, and the arrival of Bryce Harper, he will shrug off much of the attention he received last year and rebound to produce a typical .275, 24 HR, 90 RBI, and 15 SB Jayson Werth-type season.  Being drafted outside of the top 100 this spring, draft him with confidence anytime outside the top 70 or so and he will provide excellent value to your fantasy team.

Players I Like Less Than Most:

Heath Bell RP Miami Marlins – Bell had another solid season as a closer in San Diego last season, but a closer look at the numbers indicates he was rather lucky, as his strikeout ratio decreased to 7.32 per 9 innings, down from a career 9.22 per 9, and his BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play) was .261, well below his career .301 average.  These warning signs, plus the move from spacious Petco Park to the new Marlins stadium have me fearing a terrible regression for Bell, and makes Juan Carlos Oviedo, aka the artist formerly known as Leo Nunez, a must handcuff (fantasy nerd term for drafting the reliever next in line to close) for Bell in 2012.  Currently the 5^th or 6^th closer being selected, ahead of more reliable options such as Brian Wilson and Drew Storen, I will be staying far away from Heath Bell this year.

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Adam Wainwright SP St. Louis Cardinals – Wainwright is an outstanding pitcher who had Tommy John surgery a year ago in February, and although the track record of success is extremely high for this surgery, it should be expected he will not throw 200+ innings this season, and typically pitchers struggle with command their first season back from this injury.  I think Wainwright will be solid this year, but to draft him inside the top 100 picks, ahead of other starting pitchers like Mat Latos, Ricky Romero, and Matt Garza, makes little sense to me.  Let Wainwright be someone else’s concern in 2012 and try to draft him on the cheap in 2013 when he is two years removed from the injury.

My Deeper Sleepers:

Adam Dunn 1B Chicago White Sox – Last season’s results are nearly impossible to explain (.159 batting average, 11 home runs, and 42 runs batted in) but Dunn is only one season removed from a .260/38HR/103RBI season.  I believe he shrugs off last season and bounces back with a more typical .250/30/95 season in the hitter friendly U.S. Cellular Field.

Chone Figgins 3B Seattle Mariners – Scheduled to bat leadoff for the Mariners this season, Figgins was dreadful last year, batting .188 with 11 stolen bases; however, he is only two seasons removed from a .298 batting average, 42 steals, and 114 runs scored.  Currently going undrafted in most leagues, I think Figgins has a bounce back season and produces a .270 batting average with 20+ steals and 80+ runs for Seattle.

Mat Gamel 1B Milwaukee Brewers – A bit forgotten as he has languished at Triple-A the past three seasons, Gamel will replace Prince Fielder as Milwaukee’s first baseman in 2012.  No one has ever questioned his bat, as he is a career .304/.376/.498 minor league hitter, and this former top prospect has a chance to hit 20+ home runs this season while helping your team’s batting average.

Jake Peavy SP Chicago White Sox – Going undrafted in many fantasy leagues, Peavy is the ultimate “boom or bust” pick, but he has considerable talent and posted 95 strikeouts in 111.2 innings last season in his return from career-threatening shoulder surgery.  Draft Peavy in the last round and I think he will return strong value for your squad this year.

Vinnie Pestano RP Cleveland Indians – The Indians current closer, Chris Perez, has been battling an oblique injury all spring and regardless Pestano is the better pitcher, producing a 2.32 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and 84 strikeouts in 62 innings in 2011.  Whether it is this injury or another sometime during the season, I believe Pestano seizes Cleveland’s closer job from Perez and produces 20+ saves along with excellent strikeout numbers, making him my favorite sleeper reliever this season.

I encourage you to share your predictions (or comment on my picks) in the comments section below.  Good luck this season everyone, except to those competing in my fantasy leagues.

Today’s “Tip of the Fedora” goes out to my Mother who celebrated her Birthday this week… Thank you for all that you do and I hope you had a wonderful day.

I encourage you to follow me on Twitter @NatsGMdotcom, “Like” me on Facebook search NatsGM, and email me at NationalsGM@Gmail.com – Thank you for reading!