If you're like me and have been distracted by the World Cup and LeBron-gate over these past few weeks, you were probably shocked to learn that baseball's midway point is already upon us.

So to help you get into the swing of things as we head toward the playoffs, here are 50 Reasons To Be Excited For The Second Half of the season...

1. Major League Baseball Home Run Leader, Jose Bautista: So are we sure George Mitchell caught everyone who was using steroids? Just asking.

2. The Hope That The Cardinals Make An Unexpected Run To The World Series: Just to see Tony LaRussa managing the 2011 All-Star game in Phoenix.

3. The Ongoing Texas Rangers Bankruptcy Trial: You knew things were bad when reports came out last week, that Nolan Ryan was opening a lemonade stand.

4. David Wright and “The Situation”: I don’t care if the Mets end up making the playoffs or not. This video clip will always be the highlight of their 2010 season.

5. The White Sox Resurgence: Question: We always hear about Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein, but why doesn’t Kenny Williams ever get credit for being one of the elite GM’s in baseball? This roster has been made over more times than Joan Rivers face, yet here come the White Sox again, closing in on another division title.

6. The Pittsburgh Pirates: Going on 14 straight sub .500 seasons and counting. Well at least Pittsburgh still has that Roethlisberger guy… Umm, never mind.

7. The Summer of Strasburg: Strasburg has sold more jersey’s in six months than anyone ever has as a rookie. I don’t care what the experts say, he should have been on the All-Star team.

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When news broke Tuesday morning that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner had passed, predictably, I got a few texts from friends asking if I was planning on writing about “The Boss.”

At first I hesitated. Too much had happened before I was even born. I had never met him in person. What perspective could I possibly give that a million other writers couldn’t?

Then I really started to think about George. Think about the way he ran his organization with the iron fist of a South American dictator. Think about the way he controlled every word that came in and out his clubhouse like the Russians controlled information during the Cold War. Think about the way he struck fear into multi-millionaire ballplayers and fired managers like they were clerks at CVS. Think about the way he was equal parts loathed, feared and at the same time respected by fans of the opposition.

I really started to think about how there might be a million more Mark Cuban’s in my lifetime. But there will never be anyone quite like George.
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I choose write about sports for a living for three reasons:

1. I Love Writing: Always have, always will. The first time I realized it was when my third grade teacher gave my class a free writing assignment, and I wrote a piece called, “The Top Newcomers in College Basketball.” Everyone else decided to write about their summer vacation, the Tickle Me Elmo they got for Christmas or the color orange. I went in a different direction. Their loss I guess.

2. I Love Sports: I suppose that goes without saying. Whenever you rearrange your Saturday afternoon to catch the College Softball World Series (And you’re not related to any of the players), you know you’ve got a problem.

3. I Love Sharing My Opinion and Getting Feedback From My Readers: That alone is the biggest reason I get up every day, and write on this website. The idea that one person, somewhere, is typing my domain name into their browser and hoping to get my opinion on the World Series, Final Four or Tiger Woods’ latest dalliance is what drives me. Hearing back from all of you- whether you agree or disagree- is my favorite part of this job.

But today, I’m putting all that aside. I’m not writing to provide any insight, or to stir up a debate or argument.

I’m writing for myself. Writing so that in 10, 20 or 30 years, I can look back in my archives and tell my children and grandchildren everything about Tuesday night: The sights and sounds, and most importantly the emotions of Stephen Strasburg’s first career Major League start.

Because Tuesday wasn’t just about Strasburg, but about you and me too. About being a sports fan, and about watching history unfold in front of our eyes.

So excuse me this morning if I’m being selfish by choosing to write for myself. But these are memories I want to have forever.
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Congratulations and welcome to the 3,287th column, article, blog post, essay, profile, feature, kindergarten free write and poem you’ll read about Stephen Strasburg this week. Please feel free to check your coat at the door, and be sure to leave your name and address with my secretary. Your parting gifts will be arriving by mail in 7-10 business days...

Just kidding of course.

There’ll be no gifts, at least not from AaronTorres-Sports.com. Instead, tonight’s gift comes from Strasburg himself, when he takes the mound against the Pirates.

Because when Strasburg does make his debut, this will be bigger than just a baseball game. It’ll be a potentially historic event, and certainly the greatest unveiling of an American professional athlete since LeBron James hit NBA courts in 2003. Arguably it’ll be the most hyped regular season baseball game in recent memory, and certainly the biggest for the Nationals since the franchise moved to Washington a few years ago.

Maybe the most intriguing part of this game though, is the uncertainty surrounding Strasburg himself.

Either way buckle up. We’re in for a wild ride.

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I'd always assumed that the first time I'd feel old as a sports fan would be when LeBron James retired.

Made sense, right? After all, The King and I were born just six months apart, and graduated high school the same year. We attended our Senior Proms just two weeks apart (Although, as hard as this might be to believe, mine wasn't a national news story.). And right as LeBron was getting his first taste of the NBA lifestyle after being drafted in 2003, I was getting my first taste of independence as a college freshman.

I always pictured the day, in 2019 or 2020 or 2021, when a graying, balding LeBron stepped in front of the cameras, and said that he couldn't do it anymore, that he was retiring from basketball. Somewhere, a graying, balding me would be watching, holding back a tear, realizing, "Man, I'm gettin old." When LeBron James, the greatest contemporary athlete of my generation couldn't do it anymore, I always thought a little piece of me as a sports fan would retire with him.

Then Wednesday night happened.

While the nation was transfixed on Armando Galarraga-gate, another, smaller baseball headline scrolled at the bottom of our television screens. Ken Griffey Jr., my first sports hero, announced his retirement.

And man do I feel old.
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Saturday night.

There I was on my couch, watching the Magic-Celtics game, watching Kendrick Perkins physically abuse Dwight Howard like they were acting out a shower scene in a prison movie, when out of the corner of my eye, I caught a graphic on ESPN’s bottom line…

“Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka has no-hitter through six innings”

Wait what?

I quickly flipped channels, looking for the game, convinced that my eyes had mistaken me.

It just couldn’t be right. Daisuke Matsuzaka, the most hated man in Red Sox nation, hadn’t given up a hit through six innings? Daisuke Matsuzaka, the guy that up until this year refused to challenge hitters with fastballs, instead choosing to throw 3-1 changeup after 3-1 changeup and walk four straight batters without throwing a hittable pitch was tossing a no-no? The guy whose starts I’ve come to purposely avoid because he pitches at the same pace that my 94-year-old grandma walks up a flight of stairs… THAT guy was throwing… A NO-HITTER!!!

I was like a kid finding out there was no Santa Claus for the first time. “No, no, no, this can’t be true!” But it was.

Although I couldn’t watch any of the game because of FOX’s goofy blackout coverage, Matsuzaka pitched eight innings of one-hit ball, and the Red Sox went on to win, 5-0.

As I sat back late Saturday night to review it all, I started thinking. Crazy thoughts at first, like, “Did my Starbucks barista slip something into my frappuccino this morning?;” still not 100 percent sure I totally believed what I’d seen from Dice-K.

Then I started thinking about this baseball season as a whole. About how it seems like once a week we see a pitcher carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning and beyond. How more than ever, ERA’s seem to be bottoming out like the stock market 18 months ago. How every team seems to either have an ace on their staff or one that’ll be in the big leagues in six months.

And then it hit me: After years of watching 10-8, four hour baseball games… Is pitching back???

I’d say so.
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Alright, I'm finally ready to talk some baseball.

Not that I haven't been paying attention; quite the opposite actually. Because of my line of work, I find myself watching more baseball then ever before. On Monday's and Thursday's, Tuesday's and Wednesday's, not to mention the nationally televised games on Saturday and Sunday. I see more of Buster Olney and John Kruk then I do of my own family. I even hear Tim McCarver and Joe Morgan's voices in my dreams, which as you might guess, very quickly become nightmares.

But the real reason I haven't talked much baseball is that I haven't had a really good feel for my team, the Boston Red Sox.

Ok, I take that back, I do have a good feel for the Red Sox. And to quote the infamous words of former Arizona Cardinals football coach Denny Grenn, "They are who we though they were." To me, that was never a playoff team.
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Well, well, well boys and girls, as hard as it is to believe, another baseball season is upon us.

However, this year, things are different. After my disastrous preseason preview of a year ago (Which provided comedic fodder for my friends all season long), I decided to bring in a re-inforcement. That's right, I called my old buddy Tom Finn, formerly of CBS Sports.

Over the course of just under an hour, we discussed just about everything there was to cover, including:

- Can Tampa Bay be a real player in the AL East?

- Who Will Win the AL Central? (** Note, Finn and I had to agree to disagree on that one)

- What the Mets Must Do to Stay Competitive In the NL East

- Our Playoff and World Series Predicitions.... and much, much more.

So if you've got baseball fever, the only prescription is this podcast with AT and Finn (Wait did I really say that? Nevermind).

And if you can't listen, be sure to add Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres, where he'll reveal his Division winners before the first pitch on Sunday.

Oh, and one more thing, Happy Easter everyone! Have a great holiday.

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I know I mentioned it yesterday, but it's really worth repeating: We're less than a week away from Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season. Wow!

But with first pitch just days away, there is still a lot of preparation to be done, and I'm not talking about your favorite team deciding on their fifth starter. Nope, I'm talking about you making the final tweaks to your fantasy team.

On Monday, in Part I of the mega-preview, I provided fantasy baseball tips on how to approach the early rounds of your draft, and make sure that you get the best possible player with each one of your first few picks. Well I'm back again today, to provide you with additional information, on how to project sleepers, and avoid the busts that'll ruin your team. Remember, you don't win fantasy baseball championships by taking Albert Pujols or Hanley Ramirez in the first round. You win them by finding the best values in the latest rounds.

So sit back, relax and enjoy. And stick with this article until the end, when I reveal my 10 sleepers you need to know.
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Alright, so for those of you who might not be college basketball fans, I’d like to apologize. I know here at Aaron Torres Sports it’s been a long time since I’ve yapped about anything but hoops. For those of you who have no interest, I am sorry.

But no need to worry my dear friends. Because with Opening Day less than a week away, it’s time to talk some baseball! In specific, fantasy baseball. Because as hard as it might be to believe, of all the fantasy sports, baseball is my favorite…By far.

Weird I know. But what can I say, I love, love, love fantasy baseball. I love the length of the draft. I love the length of the season. And I especially loved all the Ron Washington jokes that have been incoporporated into my draft's this year.

But what I really love about fantasy baseball, is that unlike the other fantasy sports, to win in baseball, it requires more knowledge and skill, than just plain old lucky.

Take basketball for example. You can draft well, play the waiver wire like Warren Buffet does the stock market, and make Rotoworld your daily toilet reading, but it just takes one bad injury to completely derail your season. It happened this past fantasy season with Chris Paul, and previous years with Dywane Wade and Yao Ming. If one of your best players goes down, you’ll never be able to replace his stats. It’s impossible. Lose Chris Paul and you’ve all but lost your season. No trophies, no mock applause from your friends. Just a big-time empty feeling in the pit of your stomach. Thanks for playing.

Baseball’s different though.

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