Once the World Series finishes, baseball’s off season begins. Baseball’s off season is more complex then just waiting for spring training to start. It is a time of reflection, hope and decisions. The General Managers of every team must assess what they have and determine what they need. Twenty-nine GM’s must look at their teams and ask what went wrong? And how can they fix that? While one GM celebrates briefly a World Series victory, he then has to worry about how to improve his team so it can repeat.
GM’s, who are plagued with questions about how to build a winning team, fail more often than succeed. Of course, what is success? Is success only when a World Series is won? Or only if the team reaches the playoffs? Maybe it is measured if the team substantially improves from the season before. Realistically it depends on the market and the expectations going in. The Pittsburgh Pirates may consider the season a success if they win 70 games, something they have not done since 2004, whereas for most other teams 70 wins would be a complete and utter failure. Then it is World Series or bust for teams like the Yankees or Phillies. 
College baseball fans are well aware that the season is fast approaching and teams will be beginning their games in February. That means they are wondering where their teams are going to stack up this year as well. Pre-Season rankings are being posted throughout the nation as the season grows ever closer. Check the list out and see where your team or even your alma mater falls according to sources such as Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Baseball America. Some of these rankings will come as no shocker, but others may have baseball fans a little surprised at where some teams have ended up in the pre-season polls. 
Every tiger fan has a soft spot for Jim Leyland. He is after all partially responsible for delivering the tigers from futility. In 2006 he inherited a team that had just lost 500 games in their previous 5 seasons including an abysmal 119 losses in 2003. In his first season he changed the clubhouse from a group of players who had no idea how to win into a team that worked hard for 9 innings and didn’t know how to lose. Or rather, they didn’t know how to lose in the first half.
Cliff Lee is the envy of his teammates these days, particularly those on his own pitching staff; two of which are better pitchers with smaller salaries. Actually, the signing of his new 5-year, $120mm contract with the Phillies is the envy of the entire baseball world since he doesn’t even crack the top 10 starting pitchers in MLB, and he wouldn’t even be in the conversation if he wasn’t left-handed (he didn’t even crack the top-10 in WAR in the AL last year, let alone MLB, and the Rangers made the playoffs in spite of his average performance down the stretch, not because of it). Controversial statement? Read my list of the top 10 pitchers in baseball and you decide where he should be.
And then I got home last night, and I heard the news: Legendary Indians pitcher Bob Feller had passed away at 92-years old, and everything changed.
Last season some of the tigers starting pitchers struggled, but by the end of the season the rotation was starting to look like the strength of the team. Justin Verlander at just 28 will be anchoring a younger staff with Scherzer and Porcello as the 2nd and 3rd starters. Phil Coke is supposed to be the 4th starter despite only starting one game in his career. He will be the oldest pitcher on the staff unless Galarraga wins the 5th spot. Galarraga will be 29 by the time the season starts and Coke will turn 29 during the season. The final spot is open for competition where the inconsistent Galarraga will have to win the spot from rookie Andy Oliver among other competition.
Even though I’m the Braves writer here, I have to speak up. This Cliff Lee stuff is getting out of control.
Last year college baseball was filled with exciting players to watch and future stars entering the professional ranks. Teams battled throughout the arduous 56 game regular season and exciting conference tournaments for an opportunity that only a few teams earn: a chance to play in the College World Series. UCLA, led by a top pitching prospect and former first rounder (soon to be first rounder again) Garrett Cole made their appearance and many expect them to be back in the big show again in 2011. TCU made an appearance on the big stage as well lead by young talent such as left handed starter Matt Purke. Other schools that went last year such as Florida State and Oklahoma are also expected to have a great shot at making back to back appearances in Omaha. But what other schools have a chance to make it to the big dance? Here are some of the other schools that people should be expecting to see late in the college season and why.