30 Clues for 30 Clubs
With Opening Day only about 127.5 hours off--not that I'm counting or anything--here are my picks and predictions for the 2005 baseball season.

AL West

1. Anaheim: the AL Rookie of the Year comes from this team, Vlad wins 2nd MVP, and for once this division doesn't go down to the wire
2. Oakland: terrible first half, great second half, Harden finishes in Cy Young top 5
3. Texas: Texiera, Blalock, Young, Hidalgo and Soriano combine for about 150 home runs. Kenny Rogers retires in-season. Orel Hershiser quits pitching coach job to "walk the earth" doing good deeds.
4. Seattle: Mariners improve by 10-12 games but still can't escape the basement.

AL Central

1. Minnesota: Opponents dread visits to "the Island of Dr. Morneau"
2. Cleveland: Taking-stock year for .500-ish Tribe
3. ChiSox: Frank Thomas released after beating Ozzie Guillen within an inch of his life
4. Kansas City: Greinke and the Royals do a "'72 Phils with Lefty" thing
5. Detroit: Bonderman gets injured, team gives back half of what it gained in '04

AL East

1. Boston: Under Schilling's tutelage, Matt Clement wins 18
2. New York (WC): A-Rod puts up season for the ages, but team struggles to win 90
3. Baltimore: Like their northern neighbors in Philly, will play many 9-7 games.
4. Toronto: Vernon Wells a top 5 MVP candidate for non-contender
5. Tampa Bay: Main goal of season to keep Kazmir healthy; Upton gives some glimmer of hope

NL West

1. San Diego: Pitching is a little worse, but hitting is a lot better, and Pad people win the weak West
2. LA: Barely .500 Dodgers give ammo to "Moneyball" haters
3. Arizona: A weak third-place; team still hemorrhages $$. Shawn Green gets fewer Bar/Bat Mitzvah invites
4. Colorado: another lost season finally convinces mgmt to embrace its destiny and just load up on uber-mashers
5. San Fran: Team starts slow, Bonds sits all year, and the fire sale leads to 100 losses

NL Central

1. Chicago: Carlos Zambrano sacrificed to Baker's dark god of pitching injuries, but Nomah goes .300-40-115 to lead Cubs and win league MVP.
2. St. Louis (WC): Late fade costs Cards division crown, but they're the WC team that scares everyone.
3. Houston: Pettitte bounces back, but not nearly enough to compensate for personnel losses
4. Pittsburgh: Top-five pitching team, first 80-season in many years.
5. Cincy: Dunn approaches 50 HR, 200 strikeouts; Kearns plays 130 games and makes an all-star team
6. Milwaukee: There's hope as stud prospects start showing up at Miller Field; trendy "sleeper" pick for 2006

NL East

1. Philadelphia: league-best offense gets just enough pitching to win division; Thome breaks 1.000 OPS again
2. Florida: bullpen proves solid team's undoing, even after re-acquisition of 2003 hero Urbina
3. New York: Pedro wins 20-plus, outfield provides offense, but rest of rotation stinks and team shows a baffling inability to win consistently at home
4. Atlanta: no offense, little bullpen, and patented July surge never comes
5. Washington: DC fans discover the joys of harshing on Jim Bowden