AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens
QB Joe Flacco is now the face of the franchise after a stellar Super Bowl run.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
Huge opportunity with Baltimore and Pittsburgh having many question marks.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
An inconsistent O-line, no rushing attack and a lack of playmakers on defense spells no playoffs.
4. Cleveland Browns
Two winning seasons since their return in 1999 and only one playoff appearance. Enough said.

Ravens

Head Coach: John Harbaugh

Key Position: Defense – There is a new identity to the franchise and many new additions to the 17th ranked defense last season. With the departures of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, Baltimore’s defense will take a hit. They weren’t that great with them last year, but a Super Bowl title debunks all that criticism.

Key Acquisitions: DE Marcus Spears (Dallas Cowboys), DT Chris Canty (New York Giants), S Michael Huff (Oakland Raiders), LB Elvis Dumervil (Denver Broncos), LB Daryl Smith (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Key Rookies: S Matt Elam, LB Arthur Brown

Bengals

Head Coach: Marvin Lewis

Key Position: Offense – The Bengals first two picks of the draft were used to help get the offense going after being ranked 22nd overall (18th in rushing, 17th in passing). There’s far too much talent here for them to not be ranked in the top 10 in the league.

Key Acquisitions: LB James Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Key Rookies: TE Tyler Eifert, RB Giovani Bernard, S Shawn Williams

Steelers

Head Coach: Mike Tomlin

Key Position: Running Back – Only the Green Bay Packers seem to have gone longer without having a 1,000 yard rusher. They need to get back to running the ball (26th in rushing) and take less pressure off QB Ben Roethlisberger.

Key Acquisitions: CB William Gay (Arizona Cardinals), QB Bruce Gradkowski (Cincinnati Bengals)

Key Rookies: LB Jarvis Jones, RB Le’Veon Bell

Browns

Head Coach: Rob Chudzinski (Carolina Panthers)

Key Position: Offense – It will be hard to improve the 25th ranked offense with a new coaching staff, but QB Brandon Weeden should thrive in new coordinator Norv Turner’s system. If not the Browns will have to look elsewhere.

Key Acquisitions: DT Desmond Bryant (Oakland Raiders), LB Paul Kruger (Baltimore Ravens), LB Quentin Groves (Arizona Cardinals), QB Jason Campbell (Chicago Bears)

Key Rookies: LB Barkevious Mingo, CB Leon McFadden

MLB Recap – August

Best Hitter – 3B Miguel Cabrera (.356 AVG 11 HR 31 RBI) Detroit Tigers

Best Pitcher – Jose Fernandez (3-1, 1.15 ERA) Miami Marlins

Best Team – Atlanta Braves 83-52 (49-18 home record)

Division Leaders

American League

Boston Red Sox 81-56

Best Player – OF Shane Victorino (.328 AVG 7 HR 22 RBI)

Detroit Tigers 80-56

Best Player – 3B Miguel Cabrera (.356 AVG 11 HR 31 RBI)

Texas Rangers 79-56

Best Player – 3B Adrian Beltre (.381 AVG 5 HR 21 RBI)

National League

Atlanta Braves 83-52

Best Player – P Alex Wood (2-0, 0.90 ERA)

Pittsburgh Pirates 79-56

Best Player – OF Andrew McCutchen (.384 AVG 2 HR 15 RBI)

Los Angeles Dodgers 80-55

Best Player – P Zach Greinke (5-0, 1.23 ERA)

Wild Card Teams

American League

Tampa Bay Rays 75-59

Best Player – OF Matt Joyce (.350 AVG 3 HR 11 RBI)

Baltimore Orioles 71-63

Best Player – 1B Chris Davis (.287 AVG 9 HR 23 RBI)

Cleveland Indians 71-64

Best Player – C Carlos Santana (.240 AVG 5 HR 12 RBI)

Oakland Athletics 77-58

Best Player – 1B Brandon Moss (.288 AVG 8 HR 19 RBI)

New York Yankees 72-63

Best Player – OF Alfonso Soriano (.257 AVG 11 HR 31 RBI)

Kansas City Royals 69-66

Best Player – 1B Eric Hosmer (.323 AVG 4 HR 20 RBI)

National League

St. Louis Cardinals 78-57

Best Player – OF Carlos Beltran (.366 AVG 4 HR 15 RBI)

Cincinnati Reds 76-60

Best Player – 2B Brandon Phillips (.304 AVG 4 HR 17 RBI)

Arizona Diamondbacks 69-65

Best Player – 3B Martin Prado (.374 AVG 4 HR 30 RBI)

Washington Nationals 68-67

Best Player – OF Jayson Werth (.380 AVG 6 HR 21 RBI)

Outside Looking In

American League

Seattle Mariners 62-73

Best Player – OF Dustin Ackley (.390 AVG 2 HR 10 RBI)

Toronto Blue Jays 62-74

Best Player – P Mark Buehrle (4-0, 2.70 ERA)

Los Angeles Angels 62-72

Best Player – OF Mike Trout (.337 AVG 6 HR 16 RBI)

Minnesota Twins 58-76

Best Player – 1B Justin Morneau (.250 AVG 9 HR 21 RBI)

Chicago White Sox 56-78

Best Player – OF Avisail Garcia (.354 AVG 2 HR 11 RBI)

Houston Astros 44-91

Best Player – C Jason Castro (.338 AVG 5 HR 14 RBI)

National League

Colorado Rockies 64-73

Best Player – C Wilin Rosario (.351 AVG 5 HR 20 RBI)

Philadelphia Phillies 62-74

Best Player – P Cole Hamels (2-0, 2.00 ERA)

New York Mets 62-72

Best Player – P Jon Niese (3-0, 1.93 ERA)

San Diego Padres 60-75

Best Player – OF Will Venable (.367 AVG 8 HR 15 RBI)

Chicago Cubs 57-78

Best Player – 3B Donnie Murphy (.282 AVG 8 HR 15 RBI)

San Francisco Giants 60-75

Best Player – 1B Brandon Belt (.350 AVG 5 HR 13 RBI)

Milwaukee Brewers 59-76

Best Player – 2B Scooter Gennett (.423 AVG 4 HR 9 RBI)

Miami Marlins 49-85

Best Player – P Jose Fernandez (3-1, 1.15 ERA)

Happy Birthday

Another year has past and as much as I’d like to think the worst of it is over, I know there is much more in store for me. You need to stay positive no matter the outcome. I learned that a long time ago.

Going forward I know that I am truly grateful for what has been provided to me and for what I have earned. It seems from my perspective that some of my generation, not all, but some have either given up or are waiting for something to fall in their lap.

I was in your shoes for an entire year. I wasted an entire year of my life waiting and not acting. Thankfully I had a strong support system to wake my lazy self up and get moving. I know that some folks don’t have that support to help them through it, but there are great people out there ready to help.

Why am I writing this? My words are not the most influential, but I can relate to the way people are feeling these days. I’m here to tell you that going through tough times and coming out on top will give you the greatest feeling in the world that you can accomplish anything. Keep your chin up and good things always come to those who seek it.

Thank you for listening and checking in. Football is right around the corner. October baseball will be here before you know it. The NBA and NHL season will be starting as well. Lots of previews coming down the pipe and maybe some surprises along the way.

Check out the Instagram feed tomorrow for some incredible throwback photos of this former bat boy (see above).

The Face of PED Users

I never thought I would see the day that someone else would take the place of Barry Bonds as the most hated baseball player of the steroid era.

With that said, I will take a very limited approach with this post. I will not be discussing the outcome of Alex Rodriguez’s contract situation with the New York Yankees. As far as I’m concerned the bridge has been burned and it will be an uglier mess than Rodriguez’s fight with MLB on his suspension.

The other twelve players that were suspended with Alex Rodriguez have all accepted their 50 game suspensions. Ryan Braun would be number fourteen with his suspension a few weeks earlier for 65 games. Those players gave in and accepted their fate. Whether some like Texas Rangers OF Nelson Cruz and Detroit Tigers SS Jhonny Peralta, both of whom are free agents after this season actually get significant contract offers in the offseason is yet to be determined.

Alex Rodriguez has taken his own road. One that will be filled with many opinions, facts, misconceptions and lawyers to boot.

It has been a very telling road for baseball as they have tried to wipe away any sense that they didn’t care about players using steroids. Some have questioned the way in which they went about investigating the players that were suspended in the Biogenesis investigation. By coercing a man by the name of Tony Bosch, who ran this clinic in Miami, Florida to help baseball with threats of lawsuits and criminal prosecution.

My take with that is how else was baseball supposed to go about it? The fiasco that the federal government of the United States went through to prosecute Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens for lying under oath about their steroid use were absolute failures. Baseball did not want to go down that road. The evidence was there for everyone to see, not just baseball. The Miami New Times newspaper broke the story and showed the evidence they had for the whole world to see.

With that they began to launch into action and came out with one of the most damning steroid rings this country has seen. Balco is by far the worst, but with Biogenesis there is alleged evidence that one of the games best players, Alex Rodriguez, was a ringer for the dealer, Tony Bosch.

Just that alone if true is the most damning thing against A-Rod. To my point about what should be done about PED users (Time to Face Facts) is that they should be shamed and told that youngsters have died doing what they did, but in the case of Alex Rodriguez I don’t know if that will affect him.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement that reads:

“Rodriguez’s discipline under the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program is based on his use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including Testosterone and human Growth Hormone, over the course of multiple years. Rodriguez’s discipline under the Basic Agreement is for attempting to cover-up his violations of the Program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to obstruct and frustrate the Office of the Commissioner’s investigation.”

With that statement and what is alleged to have taken place with Alex Rodriguez if true will have sealed his fate among baseball lore. He will appeal and try to have his suspension reduced or overturned. The suspension handed down to him is for the rest of the 2013 and the entire 2014 season.

Most players today are adamant that they want the sport cleaned up. Either harsher suspensions, cash penalties or both. It’s an encouraging sign as the sport is taking the lead, along with its players to clean it up. Yet I can’t help but wonder if they had been more pro-active to clean up the sport sooner would there have been places like Balco or Biogenesis?

MLB Recap – July

Best Hitter – OF Andrew McCutchen (.327 AVG 6 HR 17 RBI) Pittsburgh Pirates

Best Pitcher – David Price (5-1, 1.68 ERA) Tampa Bay Rays

Best Team – Pittsburgh Pirates 65-42 (36-18 home record)

Division Leaders

American League

Boston Red Sox 65-44

Best Player – DH David Ortiz (.344 AVG 4 HR 11 RBI)

Detroit Tigers 61-45

Best Player – OF Torii Hunter (.374 AVG 7 HR 22 RBI)

Oakland Athletics 63-45

Best Player – P Bartolo Colon (3-1, 1.74 ERA)

National League

Atlanta Braves 63-45

Best Player – C Brian McCann (.337 AVG 6 HR 17 RBI)

Pittsburgh Pirates 65-42

Best Player – OF Andrew McCutchen (.327 AVG 6 HR 17 RBI)

Los Angeles Dodgers 57-49

Best Player – P Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 1.34 ERA)

Wild Card Teams

American League

Tampa Bay Rays 64-44

Best Player – P David Price (5-1, 1.68 ERA)

Baltimore Orioles 59-49

Best Player – OF Adam Jones (.286 AVG 7 HR 17 RBI)

Cleveland Indians 59-48

Best Player – OF Michael Brantley (.318 AVG 2 HR 13 RBI)

Texas Rangers 59-49

Best Player – 3B Adrian Beltre (.369 AVG 9 HR 19 RBI)

New York Yankees 56-51

Best Player – 2B Robinson Cano (.330 AVG 4 HR 22 RBI)

Kansas City Royals 53-51

Best Player – P Greg Holland (11 SV, 0.82 ERA)

National League

St. Louis Cardinals 62-44

Best Player – 1B Allen Craig (.311 AVG 1 HR 16 RBI)

Cincinnati Reds 60-49

Best Player – OF Jay Bruce (.280 AVG 4 HR 18 RBI)

Arizona Diamondbacks 55-52

Best Player – P Wade Miley (4-1, 1.59 ERA)

Washington Nationals 52-56

Best Player – OF Jayson Werth (.367 AVG 7 HR 22 RBI)

Colorado Rockies 51-58

Best Player – OF Carlos Gonzalez (.338 AVG 4 HR 10 RBI)

Philadelphia Phillies 50-57

Best Player – 3B Michael Young (.265 AVG 3 HR 13 RBI)

Outside Looking In

American League

Seattle Mariners 50-57

Best Player – 3B Kyle Seager (.396 AVG 6 HR 14 RBI)

Toronto Blue Jays 50-57

Best Player – DH Edwin Encarnacion (.305 AVG 6 HR 18 RBI)

Los Angeles Angels 48-58

Best Player – OF Mike Trout (.379 AVG 4 HR 14 RBI)

Minnesota Twins 45-59

Best Player – C Joe Mauer (.360 AVG 0 HR 9 RBI)

Chicago White Sox 40-65

Best Player – OF Alex Rios (.282 AVG 1 HR 14 RBI)

Houston Astros 36-70

Best Player – 1B Brett Wallace (.273 AVG 5 HR 14 RBI)

National League

New York Mets 48-57

Best Player – OF Marlon Byrd (.336 AVG 5 HR 20 RBI)

San Diego Padres 50-59

Best Player – OF Carlos Quentin (.286 AVG 4 HR 20 RBI)

Chicago Cubs 49-58

Best Player – P Edwin Jackson (3-1, 1.83 ERA)

San Francisco Giants 47-59

Best Player – P Madison Bumgarner (2-1, 1.55 ERA)

Milwaukee Brewers 46-62

Best Player – P Kyle Lohse (4-1, 2.25 ERA)

Miami Marlins 41-65

Best Player – P Jose Fernandez (3-1, 2.06 ERA)