Imagine another planet like Earth that also played baseball (or something along those lines, it won’t work for countries because I’m choosing the best of the best for an all MLB team which consists of players from many countries).  Who would you choose to be on your 25 man roster?   Would you choose the best overall player, the young and upcoming prospect that might save your franchise (e.g. “Jesus” Strasburg, I mean Stephen), the big game playoff performers, or your favorites from your team?  Who would you want to manage these superstars?  This is a list of those players and that coach.  However this list does not include your typical bullpen because I am doing this as more of an All-Star of All-Star’s team (or how players are chosen come All-Star time).  There are thousands of players to choose from with the options and possibilities being almost infinite.

Xavier Nady: Signed pretty quietly with the Cubs after undergoing Tommy John for the second time in his career, which should say something to his ability to recover from injury. After a career year in 2008 the Cubs  should be optimistic of the production a healthy Nady can bring. A line of .280-18-75 seems entirely possible.

Jay Bruce: Lets forget that Bruce plays in an extreme hitters park and his disappointing .223 AVG last year. Bruce hit 22 home runs in 68 fewer at-bats than when he hit 21 in 2008. He also missed 2 months with a broken wrist, but finished the year very strong with .326-4-17 in his final 46ab’s. Bruce turn’s 23 in April and has a very, very high ceiling. A .353 average in September points to a big 2010.

Brandon Webb: After throwing only 4 innings last season, Webb is primed for a comeback. The most recent reports have him feeling “good” after his latest throwing session and before this injury he was arguably the most consistent pitcher in baseball, never sporting an ERA above 3.59.  A lot of eyes will be on him for the rest of the spring and after picking up his 8.5 million dollar option, the D’Backs will probably be pretty cautious.

As Roger Hornsby once said, “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring,” and I can certainly understand exactly what he was talking about.

Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season kicks off on Sunday, April 4^th, and it just can’t get here soon enough.

Of course, Spring Training is great. It’s already arrived and is in full swing, but it’s been more than four months since a meaningful game of professional baseball has been played, and that’s about four months too long.

Regardless of whether or not you care about the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, it certainly will be a breath of fresh air when those two rivals take the field on Opening Night.  Just to see that packed stadium and those players take the field for a game that actually counts in the standings will surely be enough to bring a smile to any baseball fan’s face.

So, with that, I bring you my predictions for the 2010 Major League Baseball season.

On September 6th, 2009, Prince Fielder hit a walk-off home run against the San Fransisco Giants (video), flies like an airplane around the bases, untucks his jersey, and when he stomps two-footed on home plate, his teammates all fall down in either a bowling pin and/or bomb-type celebration.  Yesterday was the first time Fielder faced the Giants since the incident and he took the first pitch he saw from Barry Zito in the ribs – the way it should be.  Fielder didn’t take exception, he took his base and said afterword that he hopes they can move on and play baseball – again, the way it should be.  Some people, like Mike Golic on Mike & Mike in the Morning, see no reason for this type of retaliation, which is an argument that I don’t think you need to be a baseball lifer to find completely ridiculous.

Here is a look as to who I believe would be the best player available at each position from the AL West in 2010 Fantasy Baseball.  There are only four teams in this division so there are not as many choices as is the case with the rest of baseballs division’s but there is still plenty of talent.  Also included on the list are five close call players or quality backups worth having on your team from out west.                                                                                                                 

Here are some of the best baseball movies of all-time by category, starting with the Best Baseball Cult Classic of All-Time – Bing Long’s Traveling All-Stars and Motors Kings (pictured).

Unfortunately, no.  Juan Vasser Serrano doesn’t have the same hype surrounding him as the Major League character, signing for $250,000 and most likely to be assigned to either high-A or double-A following spring training.  ESPN.com reports he throws 89-92 with a slider, which sounds a lot like 80% of professional pitchers.

I’m putting the over-under at three for how many drunk fans tell Serrano, “Es very bad steal Jobu’s rum, es very bad,” per game.  Hats for bats, keep bats waaarm… gracias.

This is a fantastic deal for both Upton and the Diamonbacks organization.  Arizona buys out all of Upton’s remaining arbitration years plus two years of free agency, while Upton is set to become a free agent at age 28, entering his prime and likely getting ready for a big contract.