The beauty of baseball is wrapped in the notion that somehow we can predict what will take place over the next six months in what is the greatest test for any sports team.

Who can predict injuries? Which rookies will make an impact?

Every spring each and every fan has an opinion on what will take place on the field over the course of 162 games.

Sometimes we get it right, often times we don’t.

Managers of the teams that we didn’t figure would have great seasons, usually win the manager of the year awards.

So, our predictions do have a place in the scheme of the baseball season. Predictions also give us a starting point to get the year underway.

Sort of like that first hot dog at the park. Now, you know baseball is back.

With that in mind here are a few of my picks for 2004.

Click below for more.BATTER UP APRIL 3RD

WILL THE A’S WIN THE WEST? CAN THE PHILLIES STOP THE MARLINS? WHO WINS THE IN THE NL?

THE A’S HAVE THE BEST STARTING PITCHING IN THE WEST. THE BIGGEST CONCERN WILL BE KEEPING THE BIG THREE HEALTHY ALL YEAR. BARRY ZITO, TIM HUDSON, AND MARK MULDER MUST MAKE ALL THEIR STARTS AND WIN A TOTAL OF 57 GAMES FOR THE A’S TO BEAT THE ANGELS AND MARINERS.

FOR SOME REASON, MARK MULDER’S HEALTH MAKES ME NERVOUS.

OAKLAND WILL NEED TO HIT HOMERS TO IGNITE WHAT LOOKS TO BE AN ORDINARY OFFENSE.

SLUGGERS ERIC CHAVEZ, JERMAINE DYE, AND ERUBIEL DURAZO MUST HIT 100 HOME RUNS BETWEEN THEM.

WILL THAT HAPPEN?

UNLIKELY.

THE BULLPEN IS DEEP. CAN ARTHUR RHODES SAVE 44 GAMES?
PROBABLY NOT, SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO STEP UP BY MIDSEASON. CHAD BRADFORD WILL BE THE MAN DURING THE STRETCH RUN.

OAKLAND HAS LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR. INJURIES TO OR SUBPAR YEARS FROM THE KEY PLAYERS NAMED ABOVE CAN SINK THE A’S.

ANAHEIM’S HOPES REST ON ITS OFFENSE.

VLADIMIR GUERRERO, GARRET ANDERSON, AND TROY GLAUS CAN SMOKE THE BALL. TIM SALMON, TROY GLAUS, DAVID ECKSTEIN, DARIN ERSTAD AND JOSE GUILLEN CAN RAKE TOO.

PRETTY SCARY LINEUP IF THEY STAY ON THE FIELD. WITH THEIR MEDICAL HISTORY THAT’S A BIG IF.

THE ANGELS WIN IF STARTERS BARTOLO COLON, KELVIM ESCOBAR, AND JARROD WASHBURN WIN 54 GAMES.

RELIEVERS TROY PERCIVAL AND FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ CAN CARRY THE PEN EVEN IF NEW LEFTY YOSHITAKA MIZUO IS NOT THE REAL DEAL.

SEATTLE HAS A DEEPER TEAM THIS YEAR. SCOTT SPIEZIO, RICH AURILIA, AND RAUL IBANEZ PLUS THE USUAL SUSPECTS WILL HELP SEATTLE STAY IN THE RACE.

THE PROBLEM FOR SEATTLE ONCE AGAIN IS THE LONG SEASON WHICH WILL TAKE ITS TOLL ON ICHIRO, BRET BOONE, EDGAR MARTINEZ, AND JOHN OLERUD IN SEPTEMBER.

SEATTLE’S FIVE STARTING PITCHERS CAN HANG WITH THE A’S.

CAN THE MARINERS WIN?

NOT WITHOUT EVERYTHING GOING THEIR WAY AND THAT’S UNLIKELY BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE KEY PLAYERS.

SO, WHO WINS THE WEST?

I’LL GO WITH ANAHEIM IN A CLOSE RACE BECAUSE THE ANGELS CAN WITHSTAND MORE BUMPS ALONG THE WAY.

BUT IT WON’T BE EASY.

AL CENTRAL:

I LIKE THE WAY THE TWINS PLAY THE GAME.

DEFENSIVELY, THE TWINS INFIELD IS THE BEST IN BASEBALL.

BRAD RADKE HAS TO STEP UP AND BE THE ACE. ROOKIE CATCHER JOE MAUER NEEDS TO BE AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED. THE MINNESOTA OUTFIELD IS SOLID.

KANSAS CITY WILL POUND THE BALL.

IS CARLOS BELTRAN AN MVP? CAN MIKE SWEENEY COME BACK HEALTHY? CAN JUAN GONZALEZ REGAIN HIS MVP FORM?

DON’T COUNT ON THE LAST ONE HAPPENING, THE OTHER TWO ARE POSSIBLE.

KC’S STARTING PITCHING WON’T FOOL ANYBODY. PITCHING WILL BE A BIG PROBLEM FOR ROYALS MANAGER TONY PENA ALL SEASON.

THE WHITE SOX ARE STILL A MESS AND WILL BE UNTIL FRANK THOMAS IS TRADED.

ESTEBAN LOAIZA AND MARK BUEHRLE AREN’T GOOD ENOUGH TO CARRY THIS PITCHING STAFF.

WHO’S THE CLOSER?

BILLY KOCH?

‘ENUF SAID.

MINNESOTA WINS THE CENTRAL, DESPITE A LESS THAN STELLAR BULLPEN, BECAUSE THEY PLAY THE GAME CORRECTLY.

NO ONE WILL STOP THE YANKEES IN THE EAST.

THERE ISN’T A SOFT TOUCH IN THE BATTING ORDER.

YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO 1976 TO FIND A PENNANT WINNING YANKEE TEAM WITHOUT A MAJOR LEFTHANDED STARTER.

WITH THE YANKEE OFFENSE IN FULL GEAR, RIGHTIES KEVIN BROWN, JAVIER VASQUEZ, MIKE MUSSINA AND JOSE CONTRERAS WILL BE JUST FINE ON THE MOUND.

A’S BEAT THE RED SOX FOR THE WILD CARD.

IN THE NL:

MARLINS WIN BECAUSE LARRY BOWA WILL NOT WIN A TITLE IN PHILADELPHIA. I LIKE FLORIDA’S TEAM, ESPECIALLY THE STARTING PITCHING AND DEFENSE.

HOUSTON WINS BECAUSE CUB STARTER MARK PRIOR’S INJURIES ARE MORE SERIOUS THAN ANYONE WILL SAY. PLUS CHICAGO CLOSER JOE BOROWSKI WON’T FOOL THE LEAGUE THIS SEASON?
ARIZONA WINS IN THE WEST BECAUSE RICHIE SEXSON WILL HIT 50 HOME RUNS AND BE NL MVP.

CUBS GET THE WILD CARD.

ALL IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE ONCE THE FIRST PITCH IS THROWN.

THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF BASEBALL