America’s past-time is back! Honestly it does not seem like it ever truly goes away as just four months after the last possible World Series game, pitchers and catchers report to training camp to refresh familiarity in working with one another.
But this off-season was no scene of unfamiliarity if you are a baseball junky of any sort, as the power shift transferred yet another big bopper to the American League. Check that, make that two big boppers.
It all began in December when free agent first basemen Albert Pujols made a big splash as one of the most coveted free agents in sports history.
Coming off a season in which he batted under .300 for the first time in his career (.299BA/37HR/99RBI), Pujols took his second World Series ring with him out to the “City of Angels” in Los Angeles, California. So that is one big bat testing his power elsewhere, surely there cannot be another big bat, let alone in the same division, that will leave, right?
Not so much. As the next best free agent stick, which is no downgrade by any means in terms of production at the plate, took his talents to the American League.
Prince Fielder inked a multi-year deal, with a $23million salary for the 2012 season alone, as he became the long-term option manning first base for one of the most prolific offenses in the game today.
So with this balance, or rather inbalance of powers, how can one not expect the World Series championship to not come out of the American League? Of course you can never count out the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals, but honestly I cannot put a finger on a team in the National League giving a decent fight come playoff time to any American League contender.
This goes along with not even mentioning teams which are already solid on offense such as the defending AL champion Rangers, Yankees, and Red Sox.
Only time will tell, but for now it seems as if once again the power shift has made its home in the American League for the next decade.
