Hello baseball world, I hope you’ve all been well.  I just wanted to briefly discuss the American League Central, seeing as it’s the division that I pay the most attention to.  Is anyone else baffled by the standings as of today?

1. Cleveland Indians: 13-8
2. Detroit Tigers: 12-10
3. Kansas City: 12-10
4. Minnesota: 9-12
5. Chicago White Sox: 8-14

Now it makes sense that the Tigers are quickly moving up the standings, but how weird is it to see Kansas City and Cleveland still hanging in there.  Now, I’m sure the final standings won’t look like this at years end, but as a Detroit fan, I’m pleased to see them having a winning record, despite their inconsistencies.

I remember reading an interview with White Sox GM Ken Williams in the preseason saying something along the lines of ‘If we don’t sell seats this year, we’re going to lose a lot of money.’  Call me crazy, but they aren’t winning, and that sure makes selling seats difficult.  Ozzie needs to have another one of his annual blowups with the media, or else this season could prove to be both long and expensive for the White Sox.

As promised, here comes my answers to my last blog, where you’re stuck between two similar players, but you can only have one or the other.  Here’s my picks, along with a brief explanation as to why I chose them.

1. Miguel Cabrera or Albert Pujols
I had to go with Miguel Cabrera, but I’ll admit it took some mulling over.  Cabrera is younger, and that was ultimately the biggest factor.  If Pujols can stay healthy, he’ll continue to be the force that he’s been throughout his career.  I don’t see either being a ‘wrong’ answer though, since both are MVP caliber players.

2. Justin Verlander or Tim Lincecum
The hardest part for me to choose between Verlander and Lincecum is what do I think of their futures.  Both have proven to be dominant aces for their respective teams, and neither has shown any ability to slow down.  I’ll take the extra experience, and take Verlander by a very small margin.

3. Adrian Beltre or Alex Rodriguez
Despite all of his off the field distractions, I do think you have to go with Alex Rodriguez.  Rodriguez has been a significantly more career hitter throughout his career, and has a lot more playoff and big game experience.  That, and Beltre just always seems angry when he’s playing, so I’ll take the more jovial A-Rod.

4. Robinson Cano or Chase Utley
Cano has been quietly becoming one of the most offensively productive second basemen in MLB history.  Not only is he playing well, he’s arguably playing in the hardest city, too.  I do like a lot of things that Utley brings to the table, but ultimately I think Cano brings a little bit more.

5. Adrian Gonzalez or Joey Votto
I’m going to go slightly against convention, and I’ll go with Joey Votto.  Really, there’s no reason to think that his 2010 MVP season was a fluke, and with a better lineup to protect him, it’s not hard to believe his numbers won’t improve.  I do think Gonzalez will put up quality numbers in Boston, but I really do like the prospect of Votto becoming better in time.

6. Brian Wilson or Jonathon Papelbon
I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to not like Brian Wilson, unless you’re not a fan of awesome things.  He’s a quality closer and a fan favorite.  Nothing against Papelbon, but I think any dream team needs to have some personality, and Wilson comes with plenty of that.

7. Kurt Suzuki or Joe Mauer
I think this was one of the easiest pairings, but there’s a reason I put it.  First of all, I’d take Mauer.  The guy is a tremendously talented hitter, and seems to be nothing but a professional at all times.  The reason I would be tempted to pick Suzuki instead, is due to the fact that there are a lot of people in baseball who wonder how long Mauer will be able to catch.  If he becomes an outfielder for instance, I think Mauer loses a lot of value as a player.  With that being said, he’s still catching, so he’s still my pick.

8. Vladimir Guerrero or Johnny Damon
I go with Vlad the Impaler here, out of the fact that I think he has more left in the tank than Damon.  Both provide a lot of clubhouse presence and veteran leadership, but I think having Vladimir in your lineup will make you more likely to win.

9. Ichiro Suzuki or Jayson Werth
Despite being older, I have to go with Ichiro.  I like Werth a lot, so it’s not an attack against him, but Ichiro has year in and year out been one of the most consistent hitters within the last 10 years.  As long as Ichiro still has his legs underneath him, it really does seem like there’s no slowing him down.  I might have gone with Werth, but he really doesn’t have a proven enough track record for me to take him.

I was talking with some people the other day about some hypothetical situations.  It’s a game I enjoy playing, so I thought I would share it with you.  The rules are quite simple.  I give you two options, and you pick one or the other.  Imagine you’re a GM of a team (either fantasy or an actual MLB team) and you’re stuck picking one player or the other.  With all of these, assume their salary is not an option.  Tomorrow night I’ll post my selections along with why, but I’m curious who you all would pick.

1. Miguel Cabrera or Albert Pujols
2. Justin Verlander or Tim Lincecum
3. Adrian Beltre or Alex Rodriguez
4. Robinson Cano or Chase Utley
5. Adrian Gonzalez or Joey Votto
6. Brian Wilson or Jonathon Papelbon
7. Kurt Suzuki or Joe Mauer
8. Vladimir Guerrero or Johnny Damon
9. Ichiro Suzuki or Jayson Werth