American League West Preview: It's gonna be the toughest division in the league, despite having the putrid Astros. I can see any one of the Rangers, Angels, or A's winning it, and I think both wild cards are gonna come from here.

Texas: The biggest news is the great Josh Hamilton left in free agency to join the rival Angels. Josh left a sour taste in a lot of fans' mouths with his second half production, questionable body language, poor plate appearances, and pointing out that Dallas is a football town first. With that being said, he can be the most talented, dynamic player in the game at any point. There is no more exciting play in baseball than a Josh Hamilton triple...Also gone are Michael Young, coming off the worst season of his career, and Mike Napoli, two huge staples to the greatest team in Rangers history(2011). But that was 2 years ago, and you move on. Replacing that production will be up to Lance Berkman, who got talked out of retirement for some more dough. Berkman has had a fantastic career, compiling a lifetime OPS of .953. That's 21st in the history of baseball, yeah he's been that good. Berkman's patient approach at the plate is the inverse of Hamilton's free-swinging PAs. However, Berkman is coming off an injury-plagued 2012 that saw him only rack up 97 PAs. It is imperative for the Rangers that Lance stay healthy and give the type of production that his past seasons have provided...AJ Pierzynski will be the new starting catcher. Throughout his career he's been hated by rival players and fans alike. But AJ calls a good game, is a solid competitor, and is coming off a career high season in OPS of .827. He is also a Florida Gators fan...A platoon of speedy outfielders Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin will take over CF duties. The defense will be improved but it's still to be seen if Martin can come close to replicating his offensive numbers from AAA. The double play combo of Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus are, to quote manager Ron Washington, "Proven". Expect them to be among the best in the league at their respective positions...David Murphy and Nelson Cruz are what they are, solid players that could reasonably be among the top corner OFs in the league...Adrian Beltre, along with Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria, is the best third baseman in the league. He provides pop, stellar defense, and locker room leadership, especially amongst the Latin contingent.

The starting rotation looks very good with the top 3. Yu Darvish is a legitimate Cy Young candidate, Matt Harrison has now compiled back-to-back all star type seasons, and Derek Holland has great, if sometimes inconsistent, stuff. Alexi Ogando is a question mark in the 4th spot. He's been a great set-up man, and even made the All Star team as a starter 2 years ago. However, his long term durability and lack of a plus 3rd pitch leaves some question marks. The 5th spot will be Nick Tepesch's to start the season. The 24 year old compiled a 3.67 ERA and 1.290 WHIP in 162 innings last year, splitting time between High A and AA. The Rangers are counting on Colby Lewis to return by early June, and take this spot in the rotation. But who knows how he'll perform, this could be an Achille's heel for the Rangers...The bullpen lost stalwarts Koji Uehera and Mike Adams. Closer Joe Nathan and lefty Robbie Ross return. Ross is more than just a LOOGY, and the Rangers will be looking at him, Jason Frasor, and Michael Kirkman to provide set-up innings.

Overall, the Rangers will be in the hunt for the division crown. A healthy Berkman, consistent Holland, and solid work from the revamped bullpen will be the keys.

Los Angeles: The Angels have 3 guys that could potentially be the best player in the league. Mike Trout is coming off of one the best seasons in decades, not just by a rookie but any player. It's hard to imagine he could repeat his 2012, but he could still be the best player even with regression. Albert Pujols is, of course, one of the best hitters of all time. After a horrid first 2 months, Phat Albert provided his normal production in the last 4, last year. No one knows how old he really is, and it's painful to watch him run but I imagine he's still got a few great seasons left. Josh Hamilton, when on, is the most dynamic player in the game. A massive man that can destroy a baseball(4 times in a game, even) and also turn a gapper into a triple, rounding the bases like an Olympic 200 meter runner. The noggin' is his biggest concern...The rest of the lineup doesn't really provide much to worry about. Mark Trumbo could be the key as the potential 4th big bat...CF Peter Bourjous and SS Erick Aybar will provide great up-the-middle defense, 2B Howie Kendrick line drive gap offense, and C Chris Ianetta the occasional pop.

On the mound, the Angels will be led by the competitive and great Jered Weaver. CJ Wilson will be the number 2 man, and expect him to bounce back from a mediocre 2012. Joe Blanton, innings eater Jason Vargas, and former uber-prospect Tommy Hanson will round out the rotation. The Angels season really depends on what these 3-5 guys can provide. They have the potential to be solid, and the unpredictability to make it a long season.

Expect a season full of grimaces from manager Mike Sciosca due to the back end of the rotation. However, those 3 star players on offense, along with Weaver and Wilson, should have the Angels in the thick of it all season.

Oakland: The defending AL West champs have my pick for AL MVP, Yoenis Cespedes. I could see Cuban Bo carrying them like Miguel Tejada did a decade ago(As an aside, Tejada made the Royals squad this year)...It's hard to imagine Josh Reddick and Brandon Moss matching their 2012 campaigns, but if they do, look out. C John Jaso and 3B Jed Lowrie were solid offseason pickups that fit into that Oakland A's mold.

The pitching staff is looking for a full season out of the talented, but oft injured, Brett Anderson. Anderson has the potential to be one of the league's better aces. Jarrod Parker looks to be a great #2, and Tommy Milone can provide better than quality innings from the 3rd spot. AJ Griffin and prospect Dan Straily look to round out the rotation, with veteran Bartolo Colon on the horizon once his PED suspension ends.

The A's are more than just a pesky team Moneyballin' their way into contention. They have a lot of talent both in the field and on the mound.

Seattle: The Mariners are probably the division's biggest question mark. Offseason acquisitions Kendrys Morales and Mike Morse will fill the 3 and 4 spots in the lineup. They both have good pop and the fences will be moved in this year at Safeco. However, they're not the kind of guys you expect to carry a playoff contending team. Former second overall pick Dustin Ackley needs to live up to his potential, and this might be former prospect Justin Smoak's last shot. Another former top prospect, Jesus Montero could still be a solid offensive major leaguer. The M's will get great defense up the middle from slick-fielding SS Brendan Ryan and CF Franklin Gutierrez, but don't expect much offense. RF Michael Saunders and 3B Kyle Seager will be the keys on offense. Expected to occupy the top two spots in the lineup, if they can produce the Mariners could cause problems.

Pitching in Seattle always revolves around ace Felix Hernandez. The cocky pitcher makes the Mariners favorites in all of his starts. The rest of the rotation is a hodgepodge of guys like Joe Saunders, Blake Beavan, and Brandon Maurer...Down on the farm, the M's have big time pitching prospects in Tajuan Walker, Danny Hultzen, and James Paxton. This team could be dangerous soon.

There just doesn't seem to be enough here to make a real threat this year. However, I do think the division rides on how the other contenders fare against the M's. They could really throw a wrench in the playoff chances of the big boys.

Houston: I don't know what to say here. A complete rebuilding team, I feel bad for manager Bo Porter.  They have a group of former prospects like the over-matched Chris Carter, Fernando Martinez, and former high pick Matt Dominguez. Brett Wallace is a big old boy that could provide some pop, and CF Justin Maxwell could be an interesting kid. Little man Jose Altuve is a legit major-leaguer, and the likely Astros representative in the All Star game.

The rotation is a bunch of meh. Lucas Harrell is the only guy I find interesting. They have perfect game thrower Philip Humber and former good pitcher Erik Bedard.

The only impact the 'Stros will have is if one of the top 3 teams can't have at least a .667 winning percentage against them.
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I think Oakland will repeat as division champs. Just love Cespedes, and I think their rotation will carry them thru the year. I expect Texas and Los Angeles to be the Wild Card teams in the AL, challenging the runner up in the East between Toronto and Tampa Bay.
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DIRK IS THE GREATEST HUMAN BEING EVER...What a fantastic performance from the Big German, keeping hope alive. Still one game back in the loss column, with a huge game in LA on Tuesday. The Jazz are really starting to be worrisome.  Randy Foye, 8-9 from three..come on.

Classic Album Review: must-have music.
Innervisions by Stevie Wonder, 1973.

Stevie followed up his smash album, Talking Book, with this masterpiece.

Track 1: "Too High"- A cautionary tale about drug usage, it features a bridge w/ Stevie killing it on the harmonica. Jim Gilstrap, who previously sang on "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", provides backing vocals.

Track 2: "Visions"- Least favorite song on the album. The theme of equality is fine, but it's just too slow-paced without a real hook.

Track 3: "Living For the City"- The greatest song of all time. Stevie plays every instrument and provides all the vocals. The tale of a young boy growing up in Mississippi, trying to escape poverty and racism to make it to the big city. When he grows up and makes it to NYC, he finds things are no better. The bridge is a spoken interlude voiced by Stevie's real-life brother. He is arrested and thrown in jail for 10 years, for a crime he didn't commit. The outro is a haunting, angry Steve disillusioned by the society he lives in. The radio version omits the bridge and outro, presumably for the use of the 'n word'. You have to get the full studio version to fully appreciate this gem.

Track 4: "Golden Lady"- A beautiful, soft-funk jam of Stevie professing his love for some fine fox. Steve paints images in this jam that belie his blindness.

Track 5: "Higher Ground"- Why is this song not played on classic rock stations? It fuckin' rocks, as evidenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers cover a decade and a half later. The clavinet is just stanky funk in this tune. Shortly after the release of  Innervisions, Steve was injured as a passenger in a car. It left him in a coma. Reportedly, this song was continually played in his hospital room as it got the most reaction from the comatose Wonder. Thankfully, as we know, Steve recovered and continued his wonderful career.

Track 6: "Jesus Children of America"- A funky tune calling out believers and non-believers alike. Once again, Steve is playing every instrument. Check out the dirty funk of the clavinet at 1:44 of this jam, makes you recognize.

Track 7: "All in Love Is Fair"- A ballad of heartache, with a building crescendo. Obviously, it's Ryin's favorite track, as he loves when Stevie sings about love and heartache.

Track 8: "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing"- Funky, Latin-inspired track with shakers, bongos, and the Latin gourd. Starts off with Steve riffing, 'Cause like I been to, y'know, Paris, Beirut, y'know, I mean, uh, Iraq, Iran, Eurasia... y'know I speak very, very, um fluent Spanish -- 'Todo 'stá bien chévere' -- you got that? ", and then boom, get down to this infectious number.

Track 9: "He's Misstra Know-It-All"- Second favorite song on the album. A scathing commentary about con men with a funky, gospel-infused background. Many believe the song was about Nixon. The bridge will make you holla "Preach!".

If you don't add this album to your collection, you're not very smart.

I'm gonna miss the beard.

Top 4 beards of all time:
1. Dirk
2. Abe Lincoln
3. Katie Holmes
4. Ryin A.

Get to know your LSBer...19 Q&A's with Ben aka benjihana. Thanks to Ben for his honest and prompt response.

1.      Do you find Manhattan overwhelming?  Would you rather visit than live there?

Sometimes… not overwhelming as much as frustrating. So many amazing things are available to me here and within such proximity, but normal everyday things… getting groceries, running out for a bite to eat, deciding to have a car and go somewhere, or go somewhere without a car – are all drastically more difficult, and it can be grating.

2.      Was an Ivy League school a goal over a state university? Did you consider UT w/ your bro?

Never cared about the Ivy League inclusion – I wanted to go to the best undergraduate business program I could get into. Wharton was #1 – so I went. I had already been accepted to BHP at McCombs at UT, but opted for Wharton. If Stanford had had a true undergraduate business program, I would have gone there over UT or Penn in a heartbeat.

3.      What is the biggest positive and negative of being a twin?

This is a tough one, since I don’t really know what it’s like to NOT be a twin.  The positives are that I basically have one other person that I can defer things to and trust implicitly. We all know that deep down, if we want something done right, we do it ourselves. I honestly have someone else that is an extension of my own capacity – which is, I think, the coolest part of being a twin.  Negatives? Non really. Honestly.

4.      Biggest fear, physical and/or emotional?

Death. Oh that death.

5.      Would you rather have $1,000,000,000 and no power, or $10,000,000 and power/influence?

Easily the $10M. I’d take power/influence with no cash over $1B.

6.      Who is the most fascinating, but notorious, person in US history?

Andrew Jackson

7.      Would you rather be a great musician, athlete, or artist?

Musician

8.      How do you feel about Dr. Kevorkian?

I’m not a fan of assisted suicide. I feel like a lot of proper processes need to be in place to determine the mental capacity and health probabilities of individuals IF something of that nature were ever common.  Cowboy’ing it like he did isn’t the answer.

9.      Do you feel emotional behavior or rational behavior is more healthy?

Depends on the context… I’ve long preached about passion being integral to life. Without passion for the activities and people in our lives – what’s the point?  That being said, a rational understanding of the purpose of the passion is just as important.

10.  How in touch were Penn students with the hoi polloi?

Notably detached.  To put it into perspective, I was considered down to earth or grounded within the Penn student body. The detachment from reality persists even after graduation for many, unfortunately.

11.  How many people would you entrust your deepest thoughts with(non-family)?

I’m very accessible all the way until my biggest sources of anxiety/worry/thoughts; more than most. However, those deepest thoughts are restricted to about 2-3 people outside of family and significant others.

12.  What physical attribute do you wish was better?

Height. 4’11” mother. Dangit.

13.  What is your worst trait?

Pride

14.  What trait do you take pride in?

Pride

15.  Last meal?

Sufficient helpings of soppressata, finnochiona, prosciutto di san daniele, a Cuban sandwich from Café Habana, a filet mignon with a compound butter, white truffles shaven over a spicy pasta dish, some Central Texas bbq, and a slice from Gino’s East. If I’m going to die anyway, might as well kill myself eating.

16.  Would you rather converse with a book-smart person or street-smart person?

Assuming they lack the contrasting quality? Book-smart, still.

17.  What is the biggest misconception of Ben?

The arrogance… I have a lot of confidence, and the bravado is entertaining to me – simply because of how many people react so strongly in a negative direction. Confidence pisses a ton of people off, and I thoroughly enjoy that… but I’m really just a pretty loving, caring, and passionate person who wants a wife I can love, a family I can raise, and the means/capacity to give them a life that exceeds my own.  I take care of those that I love and care about with an abundance of loyalty and support – very often in unselfish ways.

18.  Amy Winehouse or Etta James?

Damn. Winehouse. By an eightball

19.  Favorite Ranger of all time?

Will Clark! He was the reason I started playing first base and wearing number #22 when I was about eight.  I played for another 10 years, and still wear that number to this day.

The Mavericks took down the Clippers in OT last nite, 109-102. The Big German led the way with 33 points and 9 rebounds, helping to offset Chris Paul's 33 points on a ridiculous 12-15 shooting nite...Former Mavs Caron Butler(lifetime pass), Ryan Hollins, and super-bitch Lamar Odom were a combined 8-21 from the field. Odom sat out most of the 3rd quarter changing tampons. Matt Barnes airballed a potential game-tying wide open three. Ha.

The Mavs are now tied with Utah, one game behind the Lakers for the 8th and final playoff spot. The final 11 games are v. Indiana, v. Chi., @LAL, @Den, @Sac, @Port, v. Pho., v. Den, @N.O., v. Memp., v. N.O.
I think they need to go 8-3 in this final stretch to secure the playoffs. The Jazz and Lakers have the tiebreakers, so we need to finish a game up.

Eddy Curry was a Mav this year, Ain't that crazy? He played 2 games and pocketed $55,678. Think about that when you're punching that time clock.

The pride of Duquense University, Mike James, went to high school in Amityville, NY.  You know the movie Amityville Horror? Follow Mike on Twitter @mikejames7. Dude's busting his ass every nite out there for us, lets show him some support.

I think Amity would be a nice name for a girl. Amity means friendly.

The Rangers have announced Leury Garcia has made the big league club as the utility infielder. The diminutive Dominican just turned 22 years old, last week. He spent the 2012 season in AA Frisco, mainly splitting time between 2B and SS with a few games in center. He has very little bat, more of good-field and speed guy. He put up a .756 OPS this spring in 31 plate appearances.  If he could do that in 120-150 PAs with the big club, well that would just be fantastic.

Our leader here at RVoB, Ryin, has given this roster move his 'stamp of approval'...Leury is a lucky guy.

I don't really know how to pronounce his first name.  I've heard 'Lurey' and 'Larry'.  Larry would be pretty cool..Larry Bird is great. Larry Fine gets no respect. I bet he eventually gets called 'Chipper'.

Lakers lost again last nite.  Mavs within a game and a half with a big one v. the Clippers, tonite.

This is the anniversary of Eazy-E dying, so put in some NWA and pour one out.

Steve McQueen woulda been 83, yesterday....Here are his 5 best movies:

5. "The Blob"- Made before Steve ever became a star. It's a cult classic,sci-fi, so crazy that it's cool.

4. "The Cincinatti Kid"- Great poker flick w/ the hottest woman ever, Ann-Margaret.

3."Papillon"- That's 'butterfly' for you suckas that don't speak French. McQueen is a prisoner on an island
    where he befriends a fellow prisoner played by the great Dustin Hoffman. I think Hoffman is
    the least pretensious person to ever come outta Hollywood. Seems like a great dude.

2."Bullitt"- Great chase scene and a young Jacqueline Bisset. If that ain't enough, Norman Fell aka Mr.
    Roper is in it.

1."The Great Escape"- Based on the true story of a massive escape from a German POW camp by
   Allied soldiers. McQueen is the loner who wants to plan his own smaller escape,
   but actions of the Germans cause him to join in on the big one. The movie stars
   other big names such as James Garner, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, and
   Richard Attenborough, but it's McQueen who shines as the biggest star...A must
   watch for any man worth a damn.


Derek Holland had a decent outing for the Rangers today, punching out 7...Lewis Brinson went deep in
a minor league game...Kyle Lohse signed a 3-year deal with the Brewers, proving once again that Scott Boras always gets the job done. He might be the best person in the world at his job.

Lakers v. Warriors on NBAtv tonite. Mavs can get within a game and a half with a Laker loss

Coach Izzo seems primed to get Michigan St. to another Final Four. Ever since Joe DiMaggio and Frank Sinatra took over the country, Italians been dominating. I mean, they were treated like second-class citizens and then Sinatra and Joe D are sleeping with Ava Gardner and Maryiln Monroe, respectively...Changed the whole landscape.

The biggest home run in Rangers' history before Benjie Molina's blast in the 2010 ALCS had to be Geno Petralli's pinch-hit game winner v. Roger Clemens on national TV....those were the days.

Ranger season is almost here...Lets hope Ronald Guzman's meniscus heals quickly.

Josh Hamilton is gone, doubt the Rangers can overcome that.

AJ Pierzsynski is now a Ranger. How 'bout that?

Whatta y'all think?