Baseball

Fairmont’s boys of summer finished another season with a winning record.  The Varsity Baseball team’s final record was 18-11, placing them 2^nd in the GWOC Central.

Senior Alex Lilley led the GWOC in strikeouts with 93. He also was 2^nd in wins with 7. The senior pitcher was also named Co-Athlete of the Year, First Team All Conference and First Team GWOC Central.

Others receiving GWOC honors were: First Team GWOC Central: junior Nick Livingston and senior Adam Thompson; Second Team GWOC Central: seniors Brendon Cunningham and Alex Marcano; and Special Mention: senior David Steele.

The boys went into a three-game post season. They defeated Troy, 2-1, with the help of Lilley pitching a no-hitter. Then, the team beat Northmont, 1-0. In that game, junior Logan Lingle singled home junior Tyler Downing for the victory. At Districts, the Firebirds lost to the reigning State Champion, Cincinnati Moeller.

“We had a very proud season this year,” said Head Coach Kent Drake. “We’re already looking toward next year.”

Some of the Firebirds have college baseball on their mind. Marcano signed to Sinclair Community College. Others are undecided on exactly where they want to go. Lilley is being looked at by the University of Cincinnati.

Softball

The Varsity Softball team also had another successful season, finishing with a record of 16-9, placing them 3^rd in the GWOC Central.

The girls lost their first game of tournament to Wayne, the GWOC Central champions. “Our tournament run didn’t go as long as we would have liked it to, but overall we had a great season,” said junior Stacie Gilbert.

Three of the Firebirds finished among the the top 5 in batting averages in GWOC. Senior Jennifer Anderson placed 2^nd with .575; Gilbert placed 3^rd with .571; and junior Whitney Slone placed 4^th with .556.

Placing 5th in GWOC in runs batted in was senior Jamie Schnarr with 29 RBIs.

GWOC honors went to several of the girls: First Team GWOC Central: seniors Jennifer Anderson and Brianna Mulkey; Second Team GWOC Central: seniors Hannah Klink and Jamie Schnarr and junior Ashlee Wright; and Special Mention: senior Jenna Silverman.

The team awards were: Coaches Award: Jenna Silverman; Most Improved: Ashlee Wright; Sportsmanship: Brianna Mulkey; and Most Valuable Player: Hannah Klink.

Boys’ Volleyball

The Boys’ Volleyball season ended with a mixture of feelings. On May 18, the Firebirds beat Wayne, 25-14, 25-21 and 25-6, to ensure that they finished with a winning season for the 6^th consecutive year. In that game, seniors Eric Trent and Matt Lee kept Wayne on their toes with 7 kills each, assisted by senior Joel Sagasser, while seniors Tim Weissman and Mark Cridge guarded the floor with an equal number of digs.

Two days later, however, the boys tasted defeat at the Regional Semifinals at the hands of a bitter rival: Centerville. Sagasser again assisted a healthy number of kills, nine of which were executed by Trent. Cridge and Lee covered the court and the net, Cridge adding to his record-breaking number of digs. The senior back row defensive specialist leaves behind a record 588 digs in his career and a match record of 25, made earlier in May at Kilbourne, which Buirley called their biggest win.

The Firebirds played most of the season without junior Nick Braun, who had back surgery. “I thought we did a nice job working through that,” said Head Coach Bill Buirley. “I think Nick’s going to be ridiculously good next year. He has the tools.”

The boys finished the 2010 season at 13-11.  The team awards were: Coaches Award: Eric Trent; Most Improved: Tim Weissman; Sportsmanship: Zach Spangler; and Most Valuable Player: Mark Cridge.  Cridge was also named to the First Team, All West Region, and Braun and Trent got Honorable Mention.

The Firebirds have an up-and-coming player in sophomore Jon Watkins, who made seven kills in his first starting match of the season at Centerville. The younger Greg Sagasser may very well continue his brother’s legacy next year. Buirley said he sees plenty of potential for next year in sophomores Sagasser and John Borger, a first-year player.

Boys’ Tennis

The 2010 season has put Boys’ Tennis back on the map at Fairmont. The Varsity Firebirds finished 11-8 in their first winning season in four years and placed 2^nd in the GWOC Central.

Along the way, the boys won key matches against formidable opponents, including Alter and Carroll. A victory against Beavercreek catapulted the team to the GWOC Tournament, where they placed 2^nd out of six teams, their highest finish in six years. The season culminated with the Firebirds winning 5-0 against the Miami Valley School.

“It was a nice way to end the season with the boys winning all their matches,” said Head Coach Tim Voegeli. “We saw a good team effort.”

GWOC honors went to several of the boys: All GWOC First Team Singles: junior Scott Schwenker ; All GWOC Second Team Doubles: junior Crosby Simms/freshman Adam Wolfe ; and All GWOC Special Mention: senior Brad Sommer.

The team awards were: Coaches Award: senior Kevin Johnson; Most Improved: Brad Sommer; Sportsmanship: sophomore Paqui Toscano; and Most Valuable Player: Scott Schwenker.

Despite losing several key upperclassmen, the Firebirds plan to come back strong in 2011.

“Adam Wolfe is going to be the rock of the team next year. He played every varsity match this season,” said junior Crosby Simms, a three-year letterman who played 1^st doubles with Wolfe. Simms said he saw the freshman improve over the season.

Voegeli said JV member Corey Myers, a junior, has also shown good improvement and will be moving up to varsity, along with sophomore reserve player Tom Shine.

Track & Field

The Fairmont Track & Field team finished off a great season at the District Championships during the third week in May at Welcome Stadium. Out of the 15 teams competing at the event, the Fairmont girls finished 5^th and the boys finished 7^th.

At the District meet, several Fairmont athletes qualified to go to Regionals, including junior Kaydee Miller, who was the District champion for pole vault, and freshman Natalie Uy, the District champion for the high jump.  The 4x100m relay team of freshman Justine Miller, sophomores Allie White and Diane Kelley, and junior Lauren Brown were also District champions in their event. In addition, junior David Horney came in 2^nd in the pole vault,  and Justine Miller came in 2^nd in the 100m dash and 3rd in the 200m dash. Junior Maria Meredith placed 4^th in the 800m run and sophomore Jake Gentile placed 4^th in the 3200m run.

Senior Brandon O’Malley came in 2^nd in the 800m run at the District meet, then finished 3^rd at Regionals on May 28 to qualify him for the State meet. O’Malley has signed to compete for Ohio University in the fall.

The Firebird Track & Field Team also had great success in the GWOC Divisional Championship on May 5. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams finished 5^th, with many other Firebirds placing individually.

Pole vault competitor Cooper Dieterle, a junior, took a moment to think about the past season. “It was so fun,” he said. “I loved all the coaches, getting to pole vault, and hanging out with my friends.”

Athletic Director Brian Donoher confirmed April 22 that Aracri was Fairmont’s new coach. He replaces Brian Blevins, who resigned earlier this spring to take a coaching position at Wayne High School.

Aracri has been with the Firebird football program for nine years, most recently as an assistant coach and the defensive coordinator. “It feels unbelievable to be the head coach,” said Aracri. “It’s something that I’m excited about because I am a Firebird and Fairmont being a successful program is very important to me.”

Most students know Aracri as “Coach Rock,” the guy with the microphone at the pep rallies. He plans on using his spirited nature to get people eager to support the football program. “We need everyone to come excited to scream and yell,” said Aracri. “Overflowing stands and a student section that we will be remembered for are key.”

Donoher is pleased by Aracri’s selection and the enthusiasm he brings. “Coach Aracri heading the football program will be a positive thing for Fairmont,” he said.

Aracri is a Fairmont and Miami University grad and was signed as a free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001. He played for the British Columbia Lions and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL and for the Los Angeles Avengers and the Cincinnati Swarm of the AFL.

In addition to coaching, Aracri is a health and physical education teacher at Fairmont.

Before he announced his resignation, Blevins had been a staple of the football program at Fairmont for seven years, compiling a 33-37 record and giving the school its first-ever playoff berth in 2008. He will remain in coaching as he is heading to Wayne High School to be the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

Aracri has been with the Firebird football program for nine years, most recently as an assistant coach and the defensive coordinator.

Aracri is a Fairmont and Miami University grad and was signed as a free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001. He played for the British Columbia Lions and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL and for the Los Angeles Avengers and the Cincinnati Swarm of the AFL. 

In addition to coaching, Aracri is a health and physical education teacher at Fairmont. 

Before he announced his resignation, Blevins had been a staple of the football program at Fairmont for seven years, compiling a 33-37 record and giving the school its first-ever playoff berth in 2008. He will remain in coaching as he is heading to Wayne High School to be the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. “I want to help what is a pretty good program get to the next level,” said Blevins.

Blevins says his resignation is no mark against Fairmont; instead, it’s all about family to him. “I am very pleased with the progress I have made with Fairmont,” said Blevins. “And now I’m taking an opportunity that I feel is best for my family.”

After Blevins’ resignation, the school posted the heach coaching position both internally and externally.  Just before spring break, Donoher said he expected to make a decision soon. “ I told the parents and players that this wouldn’t be a long process, and I don’t see it becoming one,” Donoher said then.

During Schnarr’s freshman year, she stayed busy with a different sport each season. She played volleyball in the fall, swam in the winter and played softball in the spring. After her freshman year, she was recruited to play varsity soccer the following year. This was a good change for Schnarr, considering she wasn’t too happy playing volleyball. “My coaches had me play setter, but I really just wanted to hit the ball,” she said.

Sophomore year, Schnarr got her younger brother involved in swimming. “He got better and I didn’t,” said Schnarr. She didn’t like it as much, so the following year, she decided to let her brother enjoy it without her.

As her years at Fairmont went by, Schnarr started focusing more on softball, her favorite sport. The past six summers,­­­­­ she has played for the Miami Valley Express, a club team. In the summer league, she played first and third base, but at Fairmont, Schnarr plays left field or catcher.

Personal and team goals

Being a senior on the softball team, Schnarr has many goals, but her main focus is bringing the team closer together. “In past years, we’ve had trouble bonding, but I hope it will change with our senior class,” she said.

Another goal of hers is to re-break Fairmont’s season homerun record. As a sophomore, Schnarr broke two records: season homerun and career homerun. The career homerun record still stands, but Katie Burianek broke the season homerun record Schnarr’s junior year.

After watching Burianek transform from sitting the bench to breaking the record, Schnarr was very excited about her accomplishment. “Watching her get that record was freaking awesome! I loved it,” said Schnarr. “But I’d like to get that record back.”

Even though Schnarr wants to do well herself, she also focuses on what she can do to support her team. This year, she’s playing on the field instead of behind the plate. “It’s different, but I want to do whatever I can to help the team,” said Schnarr.

Schnarr said she likes being involved in athletics because it helps build relationships and allows her to get to know people on different levels. “I try and help people through their struggles,” said Schnarr, “even though it can be hard to push through the pain.”

Active at FHS, planning for the future

While excelling on the softball field, Schnarr also excels in the classroom. Along with good grades and AP classes, she’s one of few girls in the Intro to Engineering and Design program at Fairmont. “It’s a more male-dominant career,” said Schnarr. “It’s 66 percent male and 34 percent female.”

Schnarr also is in Fairmont’s chapter of the National Honor Society, and she’s the Senior Class Council president. In addition, she also gets involved throughout the community. Schnarr is an assistant coach for the Van Buren seventh-grade girls’ basketball team and is a supporter of Young Life.

Trying new things and getting involved in so much has helped Schnarr get ready for her college years at Trine University in Angola, Ind. “This will definitely be a challenge,” she said. “The coach is tough and the town is awesome.”

Since Trine University is a Division 3 school, Schnarr was unable to receive an athletic scholarship. She did, however, receive scholarships for her academics. Schnarr has an engineering scholarship from Allen School of Engineering for $4,000 per year. She also got the Dean’s Scholarship for $9,000 per year.

Even though Schnarr is ready to move on to bigger and better things in college, she looks back on her high school career and says she loves sports at Fairmont. “It’s cool to just put on a uniform and walk down the hallway to represent the school,” she said.

At Trine, Schnarr wants to make her main focus academics, and make her second priority softball. “I want to focus on school because I’ll only be able to play sports for so long,” she said.

Baseball

Based on their 9-5 record as of April 19, the Boys’ Varsity Baseball team might appear to be headed for a ho-hum season. But this team seems to have just taken a few games to come together, and the future looks bright.

The team began the season on March 31 by splitting a double-header at Lebanon, losing the first game 5-6 but bouncing back the next game for a 6-3 victory. They followed their opener with wins against Troy, 4-2, and Middletown Fenwick, 5-4, but losses to Miamisburg, 2-3, and Springboro, 3-4. 

“We are off to a slow start, but looking to turn it on,” said Head Coach Kent Drake as the Firebirds’ season stood even at 3 wins and 3 losses on April 7. The boys have since had 6 wins and only 2 losses. Those wins included a big 18-2 win over Trotwood-Madison and shutouts in both games of a doubleheader with West Carrollton, 7-0 and 6-0.

Last year, the boys made it to the Regional Finals, where they lost to Cincinnati Moeller. Many key returning players are back on the field, including senior Brendon Cunningham, who finished last season leading the GWOC in runs (36) and RBIs (36), both GWOC records. Other strong returning players are seniors David Steele, Alex Lilley, Erik Terrell and junior Chris Donese. Lilley is currently 2^nd in GWOC with 30 strikeouts.

Softball

The Girls’ Varsity Softball team is in great shape at the halfway mark of their season. As of April 19, the girls’ record stood at 10 wins and 5 losses.

“I think we’re having a good season together,” said junior pitcher Jessie Walk, who placed 4^th in the GWOC in RBIs in 2009. “We’re going to work hard to get farther than last year.”

Last year, the girls finished first in the GWOC Central with a record of 20-5 overall and 7-3 in the league. Also returning to the Firebirds is senior Jamie Schnarr, who led the GWOC in RBIs at 43 last year.

The girls started their season by competing in Orlando, Fla., over spring break. They went 4-1 in the tournament at Disney, their only loss coming to South County Secondary in Virginia.

Back in Ohio, the girls are now 6-4 with losses to West Carrollton, Northmont, Wayne and Greenville. However, the girls have strong shut-out wins against Miamisburg 7-0, Springboro 10-0 and Trotwood-Madison 10-0.

As of April 19, senior Jennifer Anderson is leading the GWOC with a batting average of 0.711. Schnarr is also leading GWOC with 20 RBIs.

Boys’ Volleyball 

The Boys’ Varsity Volleyball team has roared back on the court and has compiled a record of 3-2 as of April 17.

“The team is very dynamic,” said Head Coach Bill Buirley. “We will run a very diversified offense and will be very exciting to watch.”       

Seniors Mark Cridge, Matt Lee and Eric Trent and Joel Sagasser are all returning letter winners for the Firebirds. Last year’s team finished with a record of 16-8.

The boys opened their season on April 13, when they beat Wayne at home in three games. Two days later, they traveled to Beavercreek, where they lost in a close five-game match.

Fairmont hosted a quad match on April 17. In that event, the boys defeated Fairborn in two games, then turned around and beat Cincinnati Oak Hills in two games. At the end of the day, however, the Firebirds lost a close battle to a very tall Cincinnati McNicholas team, 26-24, 25-21.

Boys’ Tennis

Last year, the Boys’ Varsity Tennis team finished 4^th in the GWOC Central with an overall record of 7-8, and they hope to improve on that record in 2010. “We are looking very strong this year,” said Head Coach Tim Voegeli. “The dynamics of our team this year are excellent and the boys are playing very well.”

Returning this year for the Firebirds is junior Scott Schwenker, who made GWOC First Team last year in singles. Seniors to look out for are Anthony Ganz-Sarto and Brad Sommer.

The boys are off to a 3-3 start so far this season, with wins against Lebanon, 4-1; Carroll, 3-2; and Piqua, 5-0. The losses were to Troy, 3-2; Springboro, 4-1; and Talawanda, 3-2.

Track & Field

The track and field season is fully under way and the Firebirds are making their presence known.

The Firebirds hosted the Endurance Sports Invitational at Fairmont Park on April 9, and both the boys’ and girls’ teams placed third. First-place finishers included senior Brandon O’Malley in the 800m run, sophomore Jake Gentile in the 3200m run, senior Sam Francis in discus, freshman Justine Miller in the 100m dash, and freshman Natalie Uy in high jump. 

On April 13, the teams competed in the Rt. 48 Classic in Centerville, and several Firebirds again turned in superior performances. Junior Kaydee Miller broke the school record in the pole vault, going 10 feet. “I’m really happy to have finally broken the record,” said Miller. “Now there is a huge weight taken off of my shoulders.”

Also at the Rt. 48 Classic, freshman Justine Miller won both the 100m and 200m dashes, and also anchored the 4×100 relay of junior Lauren Brown, sophomore Allie White and freshman Rachel Herman to a 1st place finish. Junior Maria Meredith took first in both the 1600m and 800m runs, while Gentile again captured first in the 3200m run and Francis threw the discus 147 feet to lead the Firebirds.

On April 16, both teams competed at the Bellefontaine relays, where the girls finished in 5^th place and the boys finished in 7^th place.

Some of the other key athletes to watch this year in the running events are senior Alex Evers, juniors Tyler Baltzell and Lauren Brown, and sophomore Anne VonderBrink.           

In the field events, athletes who bear watching include junior David Horney in pole vault, senior Morgan Neiheisel in throwing, and senior Cassie Sant and junior Devon Snyder in the long jump.

(Staff Writer Dani Schaaf contributed the Track & Field portion of this story, since Hart is a member of the Track & Field team.)

The girls finished their season at 22-3, with the last loss coming against Toledo Waite in the State semifinals March 20 at the Schottenstein Center at Ohio State. The very physical game ended with the Firebirds on the wrong end of a 61-55 score.

Despite missing the chance to play for the State championship, the Lady Firebirds did add several trophies to the Fairmont trophy case. They became Regional champions by beating Princeton, 49-41, and Vandalia Butler, 39-37.  They also were District champions after defeating Miamisburg, 52-32.

And, of course, the girls captured the GWOC championship trophy by not dropping a single game in the conference, despite a couple of close calls. Games against rivals Centerville and Beavercreek had fans sitting on the edge of their seats. The girls went into triple overtime against Centerville on Dec. 16, winning the game 49-46. The girls also went into overtime on Dec. 19 to defeat Beavercreek, 50-44.

 “I’m very proud of this season,” said senior Cassie Sant, who will play for the University of Dayton next year. “The team worked very hard and played like a family. That’s how we won GWOC.”

Other than the loss in the State semifinal game, the Firebirds only other losses were to Alter and to Vandalia Butler earlier in the season.

Many Firebirds won individual awards this season. Head Coach Tim Cogan was named the Division 1 State Coach of the Year, District 15 Coach of the Year and GWOC Coach of the Year. Assistant Coach Chris Nissen was named District 15 Assistant Coach of the Year. In addition to scoring more than 1,000 points in her high school career, senior Cassie Sant was named District 15 Athlete of the Year and GWOC Athlete of the Year. Other awards included: First Team GWOC Central: Cassie Sant and Chelsea Welch; Second Team: Holly Carey; and Special Mention: Jessica Beatty.

Boys’ Basketball

The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team peaked at the right time this season. The team had somewhat of a rocky start with a record of 7-8, but then they turned things around and went on an 8-game winning streak. They finished the regular season at 12-8 and went on to win three more games in post-season play.

 The boys’ 6-4 GWOC Central record gave them the second-place spot behind unbeaten Wayne. “I am so proud of our team,” said senior Kevin Sharick. “I couldn’t ask for a better season.”

The boys fought through some close wins and losses. They beat Centerville by single digits both times they played, the first in overtime. They also beat Northmont by two, with the help of clutch free throws by senior Mark Shadowens, who signed to play at West Liberty University earlier in the year. The boys made it to the District finals on March 13, where they lost to Princeton 59-44.

Several of the boys earned GWOC Central titles: First Team: Mark Shadowens; Second Team: Kevin Sharick and Adam Westbeld; and Special Mention: Matt Lee.     

Wrestling

The Varsity Wrestling team powered through their season all the way to Districts, where they placed 10^th. It may not have been high enough to advance to State, but the Firebirds finished as the 2^nd highest team from Dayton. “We had a really good season and went undefeated in all of our dual meets,” said junior Kyle Chambers.

Freshman Matt Denlinger finished 5^th in the 130-pound division and was a state alternate. Senior Jake Sage placed 3^rd in the 135-pound division to qualify for State, but he fell to the defending state champion, Shawn Fayette of Miamisburg, in the quarterfinal round on March 6.

Sage may not have placed at State this year, but he leaves Fairmont with an impressive resume, including

~ 123 career wins (2nd most in school history)

~ placing 4th at State his junior year

~ making it to State three times

~ Sectional champion two times

~ District qualifier four times

~ GWOC champion in 2009

~ Two-year team captain

The Firebirds were led by Head Coach Frank Baxter, who was named the National Federation of State High School Associations 2009 Coach of the Year in Ohio.

Many of the wrestlers earned GWOC awards: First team: Nathan Streithorst (119), Matt Denlinger (125), Jake Sage (140) and Cory Smith (285); Second Team: Justin Kihn (112), Ian Delvalle (135), Garrett Conner (189) and Matt Jones (215); and Special Mention: Tommy Kimbrell (145).

Swimming and Diving

Senior Abby Galbreath lived every swimmer’s dream when she won the State championship in the 200 IM. Along with that first-place finish, she also placed third in the 500 Free. Galbreath also earned the title of GWOC Athlete of the Year.

Sophomore Natalie Rohr joined Galbreath at the State competition, where she placed second in the 50 Free. In addition, Rohr broke the Fairmont record in the 50 Free in the State Qualifier; the record was previously held by her older sister Brittney.

“It was my first year swimming and I really enjoyed it,” said junior Cooper Dieterle. “I was happy to see all of my teammates do well.”

In diving, senior Adam Nooe placed 8^th at Districts and just missed making it to State. Receiving the Outstanding Diver team awards were Nooe and junior Kaydee Miller.

Team awards were: Sportsmanship: Eric Whaley and Morgan Neiheisel; Spirit Award: Ian Brittain-Mynes, Liz Mercer, Tony Cannon and Natalie Munch; Most Improved: Nick Petty and Natalie Rohr; Coach’s Award: Jared Mayo and Maddi Montavon; and MVP: Matheu Rouhier and Abby Galbreath.

Boys’ Bowling

The Boys’ Varsity Bowling team was the GWOC Central Champion, going undefeated in the league. The boys made it to Districts in attempt to return to State, but they were unable to place high enough to advance. They finished with an overall record of 19-1, losing to Troy in the first match of the year.

“I’m happy with how we ended up this season,” said junior Wes Gibson. “We worked really hard in GWOC.”

Senior Chris Schlegel was named GWOC Central Athlete of the Year, and Coach Rex Wolfe took the title of GWOC Central Coach of the Year. Other awards included: First Team: Zach Grubb, Ronnie Pohl and Chris Schlegel; and Second Team: Wes Gibson.

Girls’ Bowling

The Girls’ Varsity Bowling team ended their season with a record of 12-8, placing 4^th in the GWOC Central. They just missed advancing to Districts by 10 pins, but freshman Molly Crouch continued on individually.

“Overall, the season went really well and we improved a lot from last year,” said Crouch. “I’m proud of all the girls.”

Along with qualifying for Districts, Crouch was named to the GWOC Central 2^nd team. Individually, she placed 12^th in GWOC, averaging a 185.7. Senior Brandi Timm wasn’t far behind, coming in at 19th with an average of 182.5.

The National League is of particular interest to us because Lewis is a die-hard Cincinnati Reds fan, and I have been a loyal Chicago Cubs fan since I watched my first Major League game.

Because I’m a baseball junkie, I have scouted all 30 Major League teams and looked at last season, the off-season and how I see them moving into this season. Here are my predictions, in order in each division, of how each team will finish, along with Mrs. Lewis telling me I’m wrong:

NL Central

1.  St. Louis Cardinals
Manager - Tony LaRussa
Last year’s finish - 91-71 (1^st place)

Biggest Addition – SP Brad Penny
Penny did not play well for the Red Sox to start last year, but he pitched a lot for the six games he was with the Giants at the end of last year. The Cardinals hope that he can carry that over to the start of this season and help soften the blow of losing Joel Piniero.

Biggest Subtraction - UTIL Mark DeRosa
Granted, DeRosa did not play his best in Cardinal red last year, but I still have to believe losing a guy as versatile and unselfish as he is will hurt any club. He is also a tremendous presence in the locker room.

Kyle Says - As much as it hurts to say, I think the Cardinals will repeat as division champs this year. The division as a whole is worse than a year ago. The addition of infielder Felipe Lopez definitely helps their chances and gives them flexibility with Skip Schumaker. It also helps that they have the best manger in MLB to guide them.

Lewis Says - The Cardinals are pretty much the only thing I care about in the NL Central and really the only team that matters.

2.  Cincinnati Reds
Manager – Dusty Baker
Last year’s finish - 78-84 (4^th place)

Biggest Addition – SP Aroldis Chapman
The Cuban defector’s fastball has been clocked as high as 102 mph, and most scouts will tell you that his breaking stuff is filthy good. Win-hungry Reds fans cannot stop salivating. There are some questions whether or not he is polished enough to contribute in his first season on American soil. To me, that’s not the point, though. The point is that from the moment he was signed, he represented the Reds making an effort to compete.

Biggest Subtraction – CF Willy Taveras
After posting a miniscule .275 on-base percentage, a change of scenery was best for Taveras and the Reds, who want to get former eighth overall pick, Drew Stubbs, in the lineup.

Kyle Says – The Reds have a lot of unknowns and that’s the reason behind my second-place ranking. Edinson Volquez is coming off an injury, Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto’s brilliance are very inconsistent and Chapman may start in the minors. Their whole rotation to me is a question mark. If they solve some of these unknowns, they can make some noise in a pretty weak division. I definitely think they will compete for the Wild Card.

Lewis Says – I don’t think they have what it takes to compete just yet. The only thing I worry about is them getting off to a slow start and trading away the building blocks they have collected. I think I may be the only Reds fan who wants Chapman to start off in the minors and not in the rotation so he can develop correctly. Overall, I see a third-place finish.

3.  Chicago Cubs
Manager – Lou Piniella
Last year’s finish – 83-78 (2^nd place)

Biggest Addition – CF Marlon Byrd
Byrd allows Kosuke Fukudome to switch back to right field where he is more comfortable and is coming off a very productive season with the Rangers. He batted .283 with 20 home runs. He also worked with new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo in Texas, so that enhances his value.

Biggest Subtraction – RF Milton Bradley
This is arguably the worst personnel decision in Cubbie history. Bradley fought with Piniella, fans, the media and anyone else who was in his way. At the end of the year, it was decided that the lackluster production and monster salary weren’t worth the headache, so he was shipped to Seattle.

Kyle Says – It hurts me to say this, given I bleed Cubbie blue, but they are just an average aging team at this point. They also have a propensity for blowing it. I see a season filled with mediocrity and injuries ahead. A third-place finish, given the question marks in the bullpen.

Lewis Says – The Cubs always find a way to lose it. They are really good at that and have been for over 100 years (last Cubs World Series victory was in 1908). It’s always something with them.

4.  Milwaukee Brewers
Manager - Ken Macha
Last Year’s Finish – 80-82 (3^rd place)

Biggest Addition – RP LaTroy Hawkins
He should provide closer Trevor Hoffman with a very reliable set-up man. Hawkins, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated pitchers in the game and this is a very good signing. Good, too, was the acquisition of SP Randy Wolf, who should earn a rotation spot.

Biggest Subtraction – 2B Felipe Lopez
I don’t know why he was on the market for so long, considering how complete of a player he is. He is solid defensively and proved he is very capable of hitting last year. He hit .320 after landing in Milwaukee at the trading deadline. The fact that he signed with division rival St. Louis should also sting.

Kyle Says – To me, the Brewers are a simply average team, just as they were last year. I predict a near .500 record and dropping to fourth place behind the upstart Reds.

Lewis Says – They are just a bland team to me. There is nothing really exciting brewing in Milwaukee.

5.  Pittsburgh Pirates
Manager – John Russell
Last Year’s Finish – 62-99 (6^th place)

Biggest Addition – RP Octavio Dotel
I would venture to guess the role of closing pitcher will be handed to Dotel if he is able to stay healthy. This signing is a very good low-risk, high-reward signing for the Pirates.

Biggest Subtraction – None
The Pirates had already traded anyone with any talent that could have left.

Kyle Says – The Pirates get a little bit better with Dotel and 2B Akinori Iwamura. Not enough to compete, but enough to escape the division cellar.

Lewis Says – I don’t agree with putting them above the Astros. The Pirates are a team full of nobodies.

6.  Houston Astros
Manager - Brad Mills
Last Year’s Finish - 74-88 (5^th place)

Biggest Addition - SP Brett Myers
The ‘stros need to hope and pray that Myers brings the championship atmosphere with him from Philly to Houston, and not his 4.84 ERA. Seems like a longshot to me.

Biggest Subtraction – RP Jose Valverde
He has 25+ saves in each of the last three seasons and is considered one of the best closers in the game, but the rebuilding Astros lost him to Detroit and will no doubt suffer as a result.

Kyle Says – The Astros are just a bad team who let their two best players leave in Valverde and SS Miguel Tejada. The only competing they will do is with the Pirates to escape last place.

Lewis Says – They are so old and simply not talented, but they will beat out the hapless Pirates to finish fifth.

NL East

1.  Philadelphia Phillies
Manager - Charlie Manuel
Last Year’s Finish - 93-69 (1^st place)

Biggest Addition - SP Roy Halladay
Doc was finally able to join the Phillies rotation after a trade that was rumored as far back as before the trading deadline. In the end, the Phillies gave up a really great pitcher, Cliff Lee, and some blue-chip prospects to get their guy. Halladay to me is the best pitcher in baseball, but this move didn’t really make sense considering they gave up Lee, which leads me to the next segment.

Biggest Subtraction - SP Cliff Lee
In his first five games as a Philly, Lee went 5-0, struck out 39 in 40 innings and had a 0.68 ERA. He also went 4-0 in the playoffs. I just don’t know how trading an ace pitcher and some highly coveted prospects for another ace makes any sense.

Kyle Says - The team is very good, but it is a good division and I think two other teams are capable of making a run for the division crown. The Phillies did get better for this season and should win the division, though it won’t be easy.

Lewis Says - The Phillies have fabulous pitching and have put together another good team. They win the division for the fourth year in a row.

2.  Atlanta Braves
Manager - Bobby Cox
Last Year’s Finish - 86-76 (3^rd place)

Biggest Addition - RP Billy Wagner
If healthy, Wagner should be able to regain his form and remind everyone of how he once was considered one of the scariest pitchers in baseball.

Biggest Subtraction - 1B Adam LaRoche
LaRoche is a very good player and he played extremely well for the Braves after being shipped there at the trading deadline. He hit .325 with a Braves uniform on.

Kyle Says - Although it wasn’t a blockbuster offseason for the Braves, I think they acquired several players who can help them, such as Wagner, 3B Troy Glaus and OF Melky Cabrera. These guys can compliment a great nucleus of young talent such as SP Tommy Hanson, CF Nate McClouth and All-Star C Brian McCann. Given that it is Bobby Cox’s last year, I think they will have that extra bit of motivation.

Lewis Says - I completely agree that the Braves are young and good. The impending retirement of Cox definitely factors in and they should make the Phillies have to look over their shoulders.

3.  Florida Marlins
Manager – Fredi Gonzalez
Last Year’s Finish - 87-75 (2^nd place)

Biggest Addition - SP Josh Johnson
The big guy was given a contract extension in the offseason, and it’s so nice to see a small market team be able to keep such a talented guy for the foreseeable future. Johnson is an imposing presence at 6’7’’ and 252 lbs, he can hit 100 mph with his fastball and he’s only 26 years old. He won 15 games last year and racked up 191 K’s. Johnson is the best player no one knows about.

Biggest Subtraction - RP Matt Lindstrom
Lindstrom was unable to earn the role of closer last year, and when the Astros were looking for a closer given that Jose Valverde left, the Marlins dealt him for three pretty good prospects. Not a bad return for a guy who had a 5.89 ERA.

Kyle Says - The Marlins always find a way to compete with the lowest payroll in either league. I don’t see why this year would be any different, so I think they will compete with the Phillies and Braves. But in the end, they will finish a distant third.

Lewis Says - Couldn’t name many players on their team, but they are always right in the thick of things down the stretch, and I have to believe it will be the same story this year.

4.  New York Mets
Manager – Jerry Manuel
Last year’s finish – 70-92 (4^th place)

Biggest Addition - LF Jason Bay
A very good hitter, Bay is coming off a year where he had career highs in home runs and RBI’s. He helps out the lineup of the Mets instantly and is a very solid fielder. A good signing for the Mets, especially considering the outfield issues they had last year.

Biggest Subtraction - RP J.J. Putz and 1B Carlos Delgado
The Mets were very bad last year with a very high payroll. They let Putz and Delgado walk, given their inability to help the team last year. Delgado was injured and Putz didn’t make a good transition from closer to set-up man. This opened up some payroll, about $18 million, and got rid of some guys that didn’t really fit.

Kyle Says - The Mets are an old and perpetually wounded team in a pretty good division. I see another fourth place finish in their future.

Lewis Says – The only thing that slightly interests me about the Mets is the storyline of how long Manuel will last as manager, because they aren’t going to compete and he will get fired at some point during the season. The question is just when.

5.  Washington Nationals
Manager- Jim Riggleman
Last Year’s Finish- 59-103 (5^th place)

Biggest Addition - SP Jason Marquis
Marquis put up really good stats last year and this is especially impressive considering he did it playing for the Rockies. He won 10 games last year in hitter-friendly Coors Field and 5 more on the road. His ERA should go down this year because of the change in location. He is the Nationals No. 1 starter until No. 1 overall pick Steven Strasburg is able to take that spot.

Biggest Subtraction - None
When you win fewer than 60 games, anyone who leaves is a good thing, because it’s time to start over.

Kyle Says - I like Riggleman as manager and I like the moves they made this offseason. Obviously, they aren’t ready to compete, but they have at least laid the groundwork for success in the future.

Lewis Says - The Nats did do a lot to help themselves, but the bottom line is they won 59 games last year and are still a long way away from competing.

NL West

1.  San Francisco Giants
Manager - Bruce Bochy
Last Year’s Finish - 88-74 (3^rd place)

Biggest Addition - UTIL Mark DeRosa
DeRosa is one of the most clutch hitters in baseball and always seems to come through for his team. He can play nearly any position but is expected to play LF in San Fran. The anemic Giants batting order will definitely appreciate the pop he gives them. He is a gritty player who will do anything to win and one of the main reasons the Giants will win the NL West.

Biggest Loss - SP Randy Johnson
The Big Unit finally called it quits this offseason. Although Johnson was a shell of himself in early years and the Giants appear to have the young pitching to fill his spot without skipping a beat, as a fan of the game I will miss seeing big No. 51 on the diamond.

Kyle Says - The Giants showed me last year that they are willing to make a deal to get what they need going down the stretch. They have one of the best pitching staffs around and, given that the Dodgers lost a lot this offseason, I feel the Giants should have no problem taking this division.

Lewis Says - Whoa there, hold on a second. Although the pitching staff is great, you still have to hit to win. I just don’t see anyone in the lineup who is all that good, and I think they will suffer as a result. The Dodgers will win the division once again.

2.  Los Angeles Dodgers
Manager - Joe Torre
Last Year’s Finish - 95-67 (1^st place)

Biggest Addition - 2B Ronnie Belliard
He played well after being dealt to the Dodgers (L.A. average was .351). They will need that type of production from him, and not the .246 he had hit while with Washington earlier last year, if they think he can fill the void left by Orlando Hudson.

Biggest Subtraction - 2B Orlando Hudson
Hudson was an integral part of what the Dodgers were able to do last season, but the Dodgers don’t feel they will miss “O-Dog.” That’s just wishful thinking.

Kyle Says - They lost a lot in the offseason and given what the Giants were able to add, I think they fall to second place in a tough division.

Lewis Says - The Dodgers will win this division and the only question I have is Manny Ramirez. He hasn’t hit since the steroids suspension, and some Dodger faithful are getting worried. He’s also already come out and said this is his last year with the team, which should make for an interesting season.

3.  Colorado Rockies
Manager - Jim Tracy
Last Year’s Finish - 92-70 (2^nd place)

Biggest Addition - SP Jeff Francis
He’s been a member of the organization since 2004; however, he was forced to miss all of last season due to shoulder surgery. Colorado will be counting on him to be a part of the rotation if they want to compete in a top-heavy division.

Biggest Subtraction - SP Jason Marquis
I know his ERA was 4.04 and wasn’t great for the whole year, but he did put up very solid outings for the Rox in the launching pad known as Coors Field. In my opinion, the Rockies will miss the first-time All-Star.

Kyle Says - The chemistry they have amazes me each year, and I know that they will compete this year. But I just feel the Dodgers and Giants are both better in the end.

Lewis Says - I think they are right there with the other two teams you mentioned. To me, this is the toughest division to pick a winner in, and I think any three of these teams are well capable of taking it.

4.  Arizona Diamondbacks
Manager – A.J. Hinch
Last Year’s Finish - 70-92 (5^th place) 

Biggest Addition - 1B Adam LaRoche
LaRoche is a thousand times better than last season’s 1B Chad Tracy, who hit .238 with 8 homers in 98 games. The D’backs should be better defensively and offensively with the departure of Tracy and arrival of LaRoche.

Biggest Subtraction - SP Doug Davis

Davis isn’t an ace by any stretch of the imagination, but losing him leaves Arizona awfully right-handed. Clay Zavada is now the only lefty expected to make the opening day roster.

Kyle Says - If Brandon Webb comes back and plays like we saw he could before missing last year, then the Diamondbacks are a force in the West and capable of competing. But if that isn’t the case, it will be a long season for the Diamondbacks

Lewis Says – They are a .500 team and nothing more.

5.  San Diego Padres
Manager - Bud Black
Last Year’s Finish - 75-87 (4^th place)

Biggest Addition - SP Jon Garland
Garland adds a veteran arm to a rotation that looked extremely young before that signing. I don’t think he is great, but he can win a few games and, trust me, the Padres need every win the can get.

Biggest Subtraction - 1B Adrian Gonzalez
He hasn’t been traded yet, but he will be. Gonzalez has the only big contract left on the team, and I’m hearing he will be moved sooner rather than later. What the Padres get in return will determine the path of the club’s future.

Kyle Says - An awful team that will be truly painful to watch if you are a fan. I guess you can hope that some of the young players gain experience and get better for the future, but if you think that San Diego can compete this year, you are absolutely insane.

Lewis Says - San Diego is simply pathetic.

Playoffs

My playoff teams from the National League are the Cardinals, Phillies, Giants (each winning their division) and your Cincinnati Reds earning the Wild Card. Maybe it’s just my love for Mark DeRosa and my desire to see him get a ring, but I believe the Giants will go on to represent the National League in the World Series and beat the Yankees in 7.

Mrs. Lewis has the Cardinals, Phillies and Dodgers winning their divisions and the Braves getting the Wild Card. She thinks the Cardinals will go on to represent the NL in the Series and lose to the Yankees in 4 games.

Click HERE to see Ratliff and Lewis’ predictions for the American League.

AL  East

1.  New York Yankees
Manager – Joe Girardi
Last year’s finish – 103-59 (1^st place)

Biggest Addition - CF Curtis Granderson
Granderson is just so young and so good that it is scary what he can do when put in this lineup in New York. He brings speed and athleticism, but the low average of .249 last season. Though that should improve, given the great hitters around him in the lineup.

Biggest Subtraction – DH Hideki Matsui
In the World Series, Matsui batted .615 and drove in 6 runs in the clinching game 6, which is the most RBIs in a clinching game ever. He was also the first Japanese-born World Series MVP and has been a Yankee his entire career. Although the Yankees saw him as expendable, I think I would have retained a guy who produced like that in the Fall Classic.

Kyle Says – Not much to say here. The Yankees got better in the offseason and seem to have purchased another World Series shot.

Lewis Says – You and I can hate the Yankees all we want, which we both do, but what fan wouldn’t want that kind of owner and aggressiveness? They do what it takes every year to compete, and this year is no different.

2.  Boston Red Sox
Manager - Terry Francona
Last Year’s Finish – 95-67 (2^nd place)

Biggest Addition - SP John Lackey
Although I’ve always thought Lackey was a bit overrated and the Sox gave a few arms and legs to get the guy, you can’t ignore the strength of their rotation and what he could add to the staff.

Biggest Subtraction - LF Jason Bay
Bay stepped in immediately following the Manny Ramirez trade and has done a pretty good job. I really just don’t see Jeremy Hermida or Mike Cameron matching his production.

Kyle Says - A very good team with great pitching should compete for the division and a spot in the playoffs.

Lewis Says - Even though their pitching is top-notch, their hitting is suspect, which is where the Yankees own their edge in the race. Second-place finish for the team.

3.  Tampa Bay Rays
Manager – Joe Maddon
Last Year’s Finish – 84-78 (3^rd place)

Biggest Addition – RP Rafael Soriano
Soriano is a pretty good relief pitcher and should be the closer in the upcoming season, given the departures of oft-injured closing projects Jason Isringhausen and Troy Percival.

Biggest Subtraction – None
The losses in Free Agency won’t hurt the Rays, given their depth in the farm system.

Kyle Says – Really good team, but they play in the East with the Yankees and the Sox, so they are third-place bound.

Lewis Says – You have to feel bad for the Rays. In any other division, they would have a legitimate shot every single season. But when you have the bloated budget teams ahead of you, it’s hard to compete year in and year out. A definite third-place finish this season.

4.  Baltimore Orioles
Manager – Dave Trembley
Last Year’s Finish – 64-98 (5^th place)

Biggest Addition - 3B Miguel Tejada
Fans will recognize Tejada from his first stop in Baltimore a few years ago; they can finally break out that old jersey they had tucked away in the closet. Tejada is a good signing not just for nostalgia’s sake, but he’s a legitimately good player. He hit .313 and made the All-Star team last year with the Astros. He will change positions from shortstop to playing the hot corner for the O’s.

Biggest Subtraction - 3B Melvin Mora and RP Danny Baez
These guys are big losses for all the right reasons. Between the two of them, they cost the team more than $15 million last year. Considering Mora’s lack of any sort of power and Baez’s 4.02 ERA, I think the City of Baltimore will agree with me and say good riddance.

Kyle Says - I like the moves they made in the offseason, bringing in Tejada and pitchers Kevin Millwood and Mike Gonzalez to help out the staff, but the division is just too tough for them to have any real chance. I predict a fourth-place finish.

Lewis Says - They are a really decent team, but as Kyle said, the division is just too good.

5.  Toronto Blue Jays
Manager – Cito Gaston
Last Year’s Finish – 75-87 (4^th place)

Biggest Addition – SP Kyle Drabek, 3B Brett Wallace and C Travis D’Arnaud
These are the pieces gathered in the Roy Halladay trade. I’m not all that sold on Drabek as a future ace, but Wallace should be a very good player once he converts to first, and D’Arnaud is one of the top catching prospects in the game. All three should be solid members of the team in a few years.

Biggest Subtraction – SP Roy Halladay
Halladay is the best pitcher in the game. Even though the Jays received some very solid pieces in the trade, losing a player like that definitely hurts.

Kyle Says - This is a team that doesn’t have much hope for this upcoming season and is setting sights for 2011-12.

Lewis Says – The Jays are not a great team, but they have some solid prospects in the farm.

AL Central

1.  Chicago White Sox
Manager - Ozzie Guillen
Last Year’s Finish – 79-83 (3^rd place)

Biggest Addition- CF Juan Pierre
The trade for Pierre looks good when you look at Pierre’s stats. He has stolen at least 30 bases in each of the last nine seasons, hit .308 last year and had only 27 strikeouts in 380 at bats. However, the trade looks better when you see that the Dodgers are on the hook for $19 million of the money left on his contract.

Biggest Subtraction - RF Jermaine Dye
While it’s true Dye had a down year last season and many believe there is nothing left in the tank, he was still a leader of this club along with Jim Thome, who is also gone. It should be interesting to see how this affects the team going into next season.

Kyle Says - General Manager Kenny Williams put together a whirlwind offseason and made his team exponentially better. J.J. Putz will help the bullpen, versatile 3B Mark Teahan should thrive in the winning atmosphere and make good use of his talent and hustle, and I’ve already touched on the speed and spark Pierre brings. With a rotation that stars Jake Peavy and Mark Buehrle, I see them running  away with this division, as long as Ozzie doesn’t blow up.

Lewis Says - The fact that Ozzie Guillen has a Twitter and is planning on keeping it going this season scares me. He is a really bad hothead and I think he will say something really stupid that will hurt the team. It’s bad enough he gets to talk to the media after games, but with Twitter, it’s instant with no filter. I see a blow up and a third-place finish.

2.  Minnesota Twins
Manager - Rob Gardenhire
Last Year’s Finish - 87-76 (1^st place)

Biggest Addition - 2B Orlando Hudson
He is so much better than 2009 Opening Day starter Alexi Casilla, who batted .202 last season. Hudson will improve the team on the field as well as off, as he is a good, light-hearted guy to have in the clubhouse.

Biggest Subtraction - SS Orlando Cabrera
The Twins did trade for ex-Brewer prospect J.J. Hardy, and they hope he can return to his 2007-08 form and forget that 2009 ever happened. But I still feel they will miss Cabrera’s consistency and leadership.

Kyle Says - The Twins are a pretty good team that has a chance to compete for the division if the White Sox stumble out of the gate.

Lewis Says - They are heroes to all the small-market teams and I have them winning the division. The only thing that scares me is they open their new stadium this year, Target Field, and I’m wondering how the open-air stadium will play in Minnesota.

3.  Detroit Tigers
Manager - Jim Leyland
Last Year’s Finish – 86-77 (2^nd place)

Biggest Addition – RP Jose Valverde
Valverde is better than former closer Fernando Rodney and should allow Leyland to get some more sleep and a lower blood pressure. Although there was some good talent collected in the Curtis Granderson deal, Valverde provides the most immediate help at a position where they really needed it.

Biggest Subtraction – CF Curtis Granderson
There is no question that Granderson is talented, but trading him was a good move. He had a down year and they still were able to get a few solid building blocks for the future.

Kyle Says – The Tigers are simply an average team that will place third in the division, trailing the Sox and Twins.

Lewis Says – They have a really good pitching staff and enough hitting to give them a second-place finish behind Minnesota.

4.  Kansas City Royals
Manager – Trey Hillman
Last Year’s Finish – 65-97 (4^th place tie)

Biggest Addition – C Jason Kendall
You could argue that Kendall hasn’t had a solid season hitting since 2006 with the A’s, and you would be correct with that analysis. However, Kendall’s value to the Royals is defensively. He should be able to control their young pitching staff and ideally help develop some young pitchers in the staff.

Biggest Subtraction – UTIL Mark Teahen
Teahen is a good player who was more than likely traded for finances rather than play. Teahen played four different positions last year, and the Royals will miss his versatility and hustle.

Kyle Says – They have some good players, but as a whole they are a bad team. Nothing better than fourth place.

Lewis Says – Zack Greinke is really the only high-caliber player they have, and he isn’t enough to compete.

5.  Cleveland Indians
Manager – Manny Acta
Last Year’s Finish- 65-97 (4^th place tie)

Biggest Addition – 1B Russell Branyan
Considering Branyan was seeking $20-$30 million early on in Free Agency, the Indians got him at a high discount ($2 million). Branyan had a career year, knocking in 31 home runs and slugging .520.

Biggest Subtraction – 2B Jamey Carroll
Given how bad the Indians were, no one leaving could hurt them that badly. But having batted .276, Carroll is the best of those who were let go.

Kyle Says – The Indians are the worst team in the American League. They will be lucky to win 60 games this year.

Lewis Says – It seems the Indians have gone from a major league team to a minor league team. All they do is supply big-market teams with talent such as C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee.

AL West

1.  Seattle Mariners
Manager – Don Wakamatsu
Last Year’s Finish – 85-77 (3^rd place)

Biggest Addition – SP Cliff Lee and 3B Chone Figgins
I considered Figgins to be the best free agent available, and when the Mariners signed him, it instantly put them atop the AL West. But when they pulled off the trade for Cliff Lee, they acquired one of the best pitchers in the game for minimal damage to their farm system. Lee will pair with Felix Hernandez to give Seattle a great one-two punch at the top of the rotation.

Biggest Subtraction – Team Chemistry
Milton Bradley being traded to Seattle is a subtraction by addition. If you watched any Cubs games last year, you could see how much of a drain he was on the feel in the locker room. If I was a Mariners fan, I would be concerned about him poisoning that locker room as well.

Kyle Says – The addition of Lee and Figgins to an already good team seals a division title for me.

Lewis Says – Although I don’t know much about the American League West because I’m usually going to bed around the time their games are starting, I do know that the Mariners are pretty darn good and should win this division.

2.  Texas Rangers
Manager – Ron Washington
Last Year’s Finish – 87-75 (2^nd place)

Biggest Addition – DH Vladimir Guerrero
He is one of the best hitters in the game and the fact that they stole him away from a division rival makes the acquisition of Vlad even sweeter for the Rangers. Since he stayed in the American League, he won’t have to play the field, where he is a liability, and he will give Texas plenty of power and a high average.

Biggest Subtraction – CF Marlon Byrd
Byrd is a guy who is a solid fielder and a good hitter. Not a crippling loss, but it certainly won’t help.

Kyle Says – A good team at the plate, but pitching is suspect and if there is an Achilles heel, it would be the rotation.

Lewis Says – Texas always seem to lose steam down the stretch and fall apart late in the season. I imagine that will be the case again this year.

3.  Los Angeles Angels
Manager – Mike Scioscia
Last Year’s Finish – 97-65 (1^st place)

Biggest Addition – SP Joel Piniero
When John Lackey inked his 5-year, $82.8 million deal in Boston, a lot of people thought the Angels had a huge hole to fill. But after signing Piniero to a 2-year, $16 million contract, they should feel quite frugal. They got a guy who had more wins and a lower ERA in ’09 for a fraction of the cost. The only question with Piniero is whether or not he can keep his winning ways going away from Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, who helped him resurrect his career.

Biggest Loss – DH Vladimir Guerrero
There is no question to me that the Angels will miss Guerrero. Even with missing some time last year, he is one of the best hitters in the sport. And with all due respect to World Series MVP Hideki Matsui, whom they signed to replace Guerrero, the Halos will miss the presence that Vlad brought to the lineup.

Kyle Says – The Angels are a team that was hurt by free agency and should slip to third in a four-team division.

Lewis Says – They sure did lose a lot. However, I just don’t think Texas will stay hot the whole year and will drop off at some point, and the Angels will finish second.

4.  Oakland Athletics
Manager - Bob Geren
Last Year’s Finish - 75-87 (4th place)

Biggest Addition - SP Ben Sheets
Sheets was outstanding in 2008 with the Brewers, but he sat out 2009 after having elbow surgery and hasn’t pitched in the big league in over a year. The A’s figured they would take a chance on the oft-injured pitcher. If he does well, look for him to be traded to a contender at the trading deadline.

Biggest Subtraction - None
The A’s were a bad team last year and every move in the offseason was in the right direction.

Kyle Says - They are a slightly better team this year. A few players will have good seasons and promptly will be traded for prospects. I see a last-place finish for the A’s.

Lewis Says - There was going to be a movie about GM Billy Beane and his “moneyball” strategy, but they must have scrapped the movie after seeing just how truly bad the A’s are.

Playoffs

I have my division winners from the American League as the Yankees, White Sox and Mariners. I also think the Rangers will finally bust into the playoffs by earning a Wild Card off the bat of Vlad Guerrero. I think they Yankees will win the AL and lose to the Giants in the October Classic.

Mrs. Lewis has the Yankees, Twins and Mariners winning their divisions and the Red Sox as the Wild Card team. She has the Yankees beating the other teams in the AL on their way to a second straight World Series title, as they will beat the Cardinals in 4 games.

Click HERE to see Ratliff and Lewis’ predictions for the National League.

Galbreath said she was unimaginably excited once she realized she had reached a longtime goal by winning at State. “I was really happy,” she said. “I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole day.”

Galbreath wasn’t the only one excited. “I was so proud of her,” Head Swim Coach Steve Hippenmeyer said. “She seemed to relish in winning the title for Fairmont. For me, I had to fight back the tears. I lost the fight, though.”

Galbreath had qualified to go to state her junior year, and it was important to her to return her senior year to accomplish her mission. “She has steadily progressed over her four years in high school, each year moving up another step on the state podium,” Hippenmeyer said.

In addition to being state champion in the 200 IM with a time of 2:03.58 this year, Galbreath placed third in the 500 free at 4:56.16. However, before the state meet came into play, she had to qualify at the district level. “I was really happy I qualified for State,” she said. “The district meet is always very fast; I was glad I made it my last year.

Started at a young age

Galbreath had spent thousands of hours in the pool training for this moment. In fact, swimming has been a huge part of Galbreath’s life since she was about 7 years old. “The people are always fun, and I love the satisfaction of having your hard work pay off,” she said.

It wasn’t the first jump in the pool that made Galbreath realize she had a talent for swimming, though. It took a comparison to a fellow swimmer to solidify that she really had a gift. “There was a girl I swam against that I considered to be very fast,” she said. “I kind of knew I might have a talent when I beat her at a meet.”

Hippenmeyer considers Galbreath one of the most unique athletes he has ever worked with. “She has a strong work ethic and dedication to the sport,” he said. “She is in the water practicing about 20 hours per week.”     

Along with swimming four years for Fairmont, Galbreath swam for the Christopher Club swim team and the Key swim team and currently swims with the Dayton Raiders.

As for Fairmont’s swim team, she has left some notable accomplishments. “I broke the 200 IM record my freshman year,” she said. She has continued to break her own record several times. The Individual Medley race encompasses four different strokes: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. Galbreath said the breaststroke is her favorite stroke because it catches her up the most in this race.

Swimming runs in the family

Galbreath wasn’t the first member of her family to find success in the swimming pool. After seeing her brother, Justin Galbreath, swim at a young age, she wanted to give it a try, too. He graduated from Fairmont in 2006 and is her biggest inspiration. “He kept swimming even if he didn’t have the best times,” she said.

Hippenmeyer sees many similarities between the two siblings. “Both were able to transcend the natural barrier between club and high school swimming by becoming fixtures and mainstays in the high school program,” he said. “Both were outgoing, caring athletes who seemed to enjoy being around swimmers of all abilities.”

Now that the high school swimming season is over, Galbreath is happy with her season, but has mixed feelings about it being over. “It’s just weird. Swimming was always something I looked forward to in high school,” she said.

While swimming consumes a lot of Galbreath’s life, she also excels in the classroom. “The same qualities that make her one of the top swimmers in the state also make her a great student. She has so little free time that she has to be organized,” Hippenmeyer said

Goals for the future

Galbreath will swim for the University of South Carolina next year. She will attend under a full scholarship for swimming. She also received partial offers from West Virginia and Ohio University. “I chose South Carolina because the coach reminded me of my high school coach,” she said.

When told this, Hippenmeyer said, “It seems she must be caught up in wanting to punish herself even more.”

While Galbreath has a lot of goals for her collegiate career, her ultimate ambition is to swim in the NCAA championship meet. However, she knows this will be tough. “The times are really fast,” she said.

However, there is no doubt in Hippenmeyer’s mind that Galbreath will excel on the collegiate level. “She is joining the top swimming conference in the country. It will only make her better,” he said.

While swimming will clearly be a part of her near future, Galbreath is undecided about her major. However, she has a general idea of what she will be doing in 10 years.  “I just see myself having a good job, starting a happy life and if that includes swimming, so be it.”

Looking back on his experience coaching Galbreath, Hippenmeyer simply describes her as a class act. “She understands what high school sports are intended to be … an extension of the classroom,” he said. “At every instance, she has represented Fairmont in a way that would make every teacher, student, administrator, coach and community member proud.”

Getting worked up also describes the Firebird fans these days as students are bringing spirit back to Fairmont sporting events. With catchy cheers and faces painted blue, Spirit Club is filling the stands at both Trent Arena and opposing teams’ gyms.

Why does Fairmont have spirit fever all of a sudden? Two seniors were unhappy with the weakness of the student sections at games and decided to do something about it. Those two students are seniors Anthony Ganz-Sarto and Margeaux Leakas, the co-presidents of Spirit Club.

Spirit Club was a club that faded in 2007, so Leakas and a few of her friends decided it was time to bring it back. “I felt like the spirit around school was decreasing a lot over my four years,” said Leakas. “And being a senior, I knew I could do something about it.”

She had to present her plan to Principal Dan Von Handorf and Athletic Director Brian Donoher. “They loved the idea and have supported me through it all,” said Leakas.

By painting up before big games and chanting cheers loudly, students are getting pumped. “Our goal is to always have a better student section than the other team,” said Ganz-Sarto. “And so far, no school has out-cheered us.”

Just show up and show spirit

The unique thing about Spirit Club is that anyone can be a part of it. There are no sign-ups; people just need to come to the games ready to cheer. Leakas and Ganz-Sarto strongly encourage everyone to come to games. “Just come out and support. We would love to see your face in the crowd,” said Leakas.

The duo comes up with themes, events and cheers to motivate people. “We try to have indoor tailgates before the bigger games,” said Ganz-Sarto. During these tailgates they paint up and think of cheers that can get the opposing team worked up. They even get spirit buses for big away games.

The students are going above and beyond the traditional spirit ideas. Along with white-outs, they come up with other themes. For the Varsity Girls’ Basketball Senior Night against Beavercreek, Spirit Club participants dressed up in business casual clothing. “We dressed in business attire because we wanted to show ‘Creek that we meant business,” said Ganz-Sarto.

With all of these unique ideas, games are becoming more than just a social gathering for teens. The excitement created by Spirit Club has attracted new faces in the crowd. “Anthony and I are like sidekicks in this,” said Leakas. “We’re always trying to think of ways to lure students to games and get them excited to be there.”

Attracting positive attention to Fairmont

With all the success and standout crowds, the club is catching some outsiders’ attention. Spirit Club’s events are seen by most of the community that attends the games. “Sporting events are showcases for our community,” said Donoher. “People are noticing our kids and saying great things about our support.”

Community members are impressed by the crowd’s spirit, and they especially appreciate that the students keep it positive. There is a fine line between what is an appropriate cheer and what is not. “Some schools get out of hand with what they say,” said Ganz-Sarto. “We don’t want to be known for stuff like that.” The cheers tend to be positive and are geared to motivate the Fairmont players.

Not all the credit can go to the students, though. The club needed a supervisor and math teacher Jeff Snider was eager to help. Donoher also does whatever he can to get as many students involved as he can. “Mr. Donoher has been so incredibly supportive,” said Leakas. “He donated ‘Kettering Krazies’ T-shirts to the club and helps to come up with ideas.”

The club has proven to be successful this year, but there is a lot of question as to whether or not the club will continue to thrive next year after Leakas and Ganz-Sarto graduate. The students and Donoher seem positive that Spirit Club is going to be around a while. “It will be better organized next year with more bus trips,” said Donoher.

The hope and purpose of the club is to give Fairmont a reputation for being a spirited school. “We may not be the best at sports, but we will always have tons of spirit,” said Leakas. “I know that the tradition will carry on for years to come.”