First MLB Power Rankings

...From Aram Tolegian on Fox Sports.com...

The 2008 win-loss records follow the club name, and that next set of numbers is the clubs current ranking in this poll first followed by the ranking in the previous poll this season, of which there is not one since this is the first look at 2009.

1	Yankees	89-73	-	1/1	What recession? The Yanks had an offseason for the ages, signing CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira. But the luster was taken off by A-Rod's dirty little secret. It's doubtful this big distraction will be costly ... and it should take some of the heat off the new signees.
2	Rays	97-65	-	2/2	With all that young talent, the Rays figure to not only get a year older, but a year better. A bigger role for David Price makes them that much better.
3	Phillies	92-70	-	3/3	Like the move to replace Pat Burrell with the more steady Raul Ibanez. The champs have questions, though. Will Chase Utley really be 100 percent after hip surgery. And who's the fifth starter? The bullpen remains scary.
4	Red Sox	95-67	-	4/4	The Red Sox were reduced to taking stabs on pitchers like John Smoltz, Takashi Saito and Brad Penny, who are all coming off major injuries. Despite a truly disappointing offseason, the returning base remains among the league's best.
5	Mets	89-73	-	5/5	Adding K-Rod and J.J. Putz gave the Mets one of the better offseasons in the game. Now that the bullpen is stabilized, the big question becomes the backend of the rotation and overall depth.
6	Cubs	97-64	-	6/6	The Cubs had one main goal this offseason -- to land Jake Peavy. Had they done that, they'd easily be the NL favorites. Instead, they got Milton Bradley and Kevin Gregg. Not bad, but not necessarily good.
7	Angels	100-62	-	7/7	You don't get better losing K-Rod, Mark Teixeira and Jon Garland. The Halos did well to partially fill the gaps by adding Brian Fuentes and Bobby Abreu. Still, the club clearly took a step back.
8	Braves	72-90	-	8/8	The pitching staff has been heavily upgraded with Javier Vazquez and Derek Lowe at the top. The offense needs Chipper to stay healthy and several youngsters to step up.
9	Diamondbacks	82-80	-	9/9	The Adam Dunn rental is over and Orlando Hudson's sure glove at second is gone. Picking up Jon Garland and Felipe Lopez to fill some holes look like solid moves. This appears to be the NL West favorite for whatever it's worth.
10	Twins	88-75	-	10/10	The Twins rode their youth to an up-and-down ride last season. A year older, there's no reason to think the Twins aren't ready to be labeled favorites in the AL Central. They certainly look like the most complete team.
11	Cardinals	86-76	-	11/11	Other than adding SS Khalil Greene, the Cards did squat this offseason. Had they gotten Brian Fuentes, whom they fancied, we'd like their chances even more. But if Chris Carpenter is back and Chris Perez can close, they can push for 90 wins.
12	Marlins	84-77	-	12/12	You can't like the Marlins over the Phils or Mets in the NL East, but this club is surely in the upper half of the NL. The young staff could be scary.
13	White Sox	89-74	-	13/13	The ChiSox said goodbye to Javy Vazquez and Joe Crede this offseason. Signing Bartolo Colon is hardly an adequate replacement for Vazquez. Instead of being complimentary players, Danks and Floyd now have to help Mark Buerhle carry the rotation.
14	Athletics	75-86	-	14/14	Adding Matt Holliday, combined with the Angels' unproductive offseason, has many thinking the A's are a legit threat in the AL West. Holliday won't mash like he's 5,000 feet up anymore, but he's way better than the power threats who have occupied the middle of the order recently.
15	Indians	81-81	-	15/15	Adding Pavano, Wood and DeRosa look like solid wiseguy moves. The Central is wide open, so there's no reason to think the Tribe won't be in the thick of it and could be one of the AL's biggest surprises should Pronk rebound.
16	Astros	86-75	-	16/16	Houston needed to improve its rotation. If you call taking shots on Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton an improvement, then you have to love the Astros� offseason. The offense remains stout, though.
17	Dodgers	84-78	-	17/17	The Dodgers lost way more than they replaced. If Manny isn't around, this offense goes right back to being among the NL's weakest in terms of pop. The rotation and bullpen, once strengths, are now questions.
18	Blue Jays	86-76	-	18/18	Perhaps Travis Snider will offer some clues this spring as to how his first full season will go. Losing A.J. Burnett hurts, especially since he stayed in the same division.
19	Brewers	90-72	-	19/19	Subtracting CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets from the staff makes it hard to build a case for the Brewers to repeat last year�s success. Adding present-day Trevor Hoffman doesn't do much change that notion.
20	Royals	75-87	-	20/20	The Royals quietly had a nice offseason, landing Mike Jacobs to play first and Coco Crisp to man center. If the staff can improve, the Royals have a chance to be a decent little surprise team.
21	Rockies	74-88	-	21/21	The loss of Matt Holliday is a big blow to an offense that did nothing to replace him. Brian Fuentes is gone, too, but the Rox added Huston Street to close. Hard to see how this team got better this offseason.
22	Giants	72-90	-	22/22	Somebody tell the Giants they can't win every game 2-1. The offseason seemed simple -- add a power stick. Instead they bolstered the rotation and bullpen. The offense? It got Edgar Renteria on the downside of his career.
23	Reds	74-88	-	23/23	Another season older, the combo of Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto could be enough to make the Reds a sleeper. Unfortunately, in addition to those two Cincy will be relying heavily on youth elsewhere, i.e. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. Should make for some exciting moments, though.
24	Orioles	68-93	-	24/24	You have to love the long-term prospects of a Pie-Jones-Markakis outfield. That may not mean much this season, but the O's have quietly had a nice rebuild. Hey look, Brian Roberts is still around.
25	Tigers	74-88	-	25/25	Last offseason the Tigers made some big splashes. This year, their biggest addition was Brandon Lyon to take over closing duties. The pitching staff was left to its own devices, which is hardly a good thing.
26	Nationals	59-102	-	26/26	The late addition of Adam Dunn added a nice finishing touch on a good offseason. The Nats play in the NL�s toughest division, so they're not about to stun the world. But vast improvement can be expected.
27	Rangers	79-83	-	27/27	Following Elvis Andrus and Chris Davis this spring should be interesting. The Rangers hung in the Ben Sheets sweepstakes the longest, but fortunately never got him. That still doesn't solve the weak starting rotation issues.
28	Padres	63-99	-	28/28	Trevor Hoffman is gone, which may not be such a bad thing. And so long as Jake Peavy is still around, the Pads have a fighting chance. Peavy, coupled with Chris Young, gives San Diego a nice 1-2. Don't ask about the offense.
29	Pirates	67-95	-	29/29	Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny were disappointments last year as a young staff with big upside greatly underachieved. The Pirates still won�t hit much, so everything hinges on the staff.
30	Mariners	61-101	-	30/30	There seems to be no upside with the M's. There may be more wins with a good version of Erik Bedard, but this team is far from making a serious bid in the West. And there's nothing truly exciting to point to on the farm.

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At first glance, some difference of opinions are apparent. The Yankees, Cubs, Braves, and Diamondbacks are overrated. The Twins, Cardinals, Athletics, Indians, Astros and Giants are underrated. The only sure things look like the Padres, Pirates, and Mariners are going to stink again this season.

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The "Carbon Footprint" of What You are Eating

Here is a website that helps you figure out what the environmental impact is of some of what you are eating. Fortunately the impact of one's consumption is akin to a drop of water in a lake to the impact of businesses and corporations across the nation and planet.


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http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/#
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Here is what I found out about a few items of my regular choice of meals that were available for analysis.
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Breakfast Cereal and Milk: 1224 points

Toast and Waffles: 933 points

Yogurt with Fruit: 918 points

Oatmeal: 144 points

Pepperoni Pizza: 4832 points

Caesar Salad: 558 points

Garden Salad: 401 points

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: 2544 points

Three Cheeseburgers: 5565 points

Spaghetti: 704 points

Lasagna: 1968 points

Steamed Mixed Vegetables: 83 points

Mashed Potatoes: 101 points

It is suggested to keep one's number under 7500, but that would seem difficult on some days. The main findings from this is that meat and dairy are all bad, and vegetables and grains are all good. I usually only eat meat about three days per week, but I have dairy probably six days a week in some form, usually as milk, which I believe is important for an aging individual like me to get the necessary calcium daily and help keep my bones and skeletal structure strong and solid. I try to substitute fish for meat a couple of days a week, in the form of tuna, cod, or salmon. But nothing beats a tasty juicy cheeseburger, meatloaf, pork chops, chicken, turkey, or steak: some more often than others due to price.

Thats the bottom line. As someone who tries to keep their monthly food budget to under $100 or so per month, I have to try to eat foods that are inexpensive and filling to keep my hunger at bay as well as have a nutritious content to some extent and more.

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