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The National League East last year turned into a three team race
with the Braves, Phillies and World Champion Marlins. The Phillies look to dominate this year moving into a new park. The
Marlins look to keep their well-earned respect. On the otherhand the Braves look to start a new area with the likes of
Adam LaRoche and Mark DeRosa. The Mets have added to their big-budget and need to regain their
sunway series form of 2000. Meanwhile Le Expos are just looking fora home. In a strong pitching and power htiting dominated
division, one team must emerge and my pick and #1 favorite right now goes to the Phillies.  The Braves have won 12 straight division titles and were the dominance of the NL during the 90's. Their proais dwidndles now.
A new-line staff and good core lineup must carry this team. J.D. Drew must make a huge impact replacing Sheff but the
Braves will still compete and 1st place is there's to lose as the Phillies will try to unseed them.
 The Phillies led by a great rotation
with Millwood at the helm a strong bullpen and Wagner to close it out could win just with pitching. But add Abreu and Thome
and potent power offense and this team is awesome. The Phillies also have wild-cards or X-Factors in their New park, Citizen's
Bank, and the volatile Larry Bowa.
 The
Marlins are the defending Champs and are the team to beat. Faces like Pudge are gone , but the smae overall of the 1997 offseason
didn't take place. They have Miguel Cabrera and D-Train as new up and coming stars. They do have question marks in the bulklpen,
but the Marlins are still good enough to contend and will finish either 2nd or 3rd depending on how well the offense produces
behind a young staff led by WS MVP Beckett.
 The
Expos have no true home playing in both Olympic and Hiram Bithron Stadiums. There new home should be the Capitol in my opinion.
But for now without Vlad and Vazquez they have Vidro and Hernandez to lead this team. Unfortuantely with a bunch of aging
veterans like Everett they are just a step behind the other teams in the East and will probably finish in the cellar, but
only a few games back.
 The Mets should be much more competitive
this year with new additions Mike Cameron and Kazuo Matsui. While the rotations seems a little shaky despite Glavine at the
helm, Braden Looper shores up the semi-strong bullpen. Mike Piazza must continue to produce while youngsters like Jose Reyes
start to develop. New pitching coach Rick Peterson must make men out of a boyish staff. The Mets will finish in second or
third place, as they battle the Marlins and low-budget rival Braves.
PREDICTED 2004 FINISH:
Atlanta Braves:
Manager: Bobby Cox
Furcal-SS Giles-2B Jones-3B
Jones-CF Drew-RF LaRoche-1B
Thomas-LF Estrada-C
Wright
Hampton Thomson
Smoltz Cruz Alfonseca
Grybowksi Reitsma
Martin Colon
Capellan Meyer Ramirez
Ortiz
Byrd
Marrero DeRosa Franco
Green Betemit
Added:
Lost:
DeWayne Wise, Tim Drew, Travis Smith,
Offseason
Grade: Coming in March
Florida Marlins:
Manager: Jack McKeon
Pierre-CF Castillo-2B Cabrera-RF
Lowell-3B Encarnacion-LF Connine-1B
LoDuca-C Gonzalez-SS
Burnett
Willis Pavano Beckett
Valdez
Manzanillo Mota Perisho
Bump Howard
Seanez Benitez Treanor
Weathers
Easley
Mordecai Harris Redmond
Aguila Cordero
Dillon Wathan
Added:
Lost:
Aaron Small, Billy Koch, Ramon Castro
Offseason Grade: Coming in March
Washington Somethings:
Manager: Frank Robinson
Wilkerson-LF
Izturis-SS Carroll-2B Rivera-RF Church-1B Sledge-CF
Batista-3B
Schiender-C
Hernandez Kim Aramas Downs Patterson
Biddle
Tucker Ayala Cordero
Vargas Eischen
Majewski
Beltran Ohka Rauch
Mateo Chavez
Pascucci Harris Labandeira
Added:
Lost: Einar Diaz, Dan Smith
Offseason Grade: Coming
in March
New York Mets:
Manager:None
-SS Keppinger-2B Piazza-C Flyod-LF Cameron-CF
Hidalgo-RF
Phillips-1B/C
Wright-3B
Glavine Trachsel Leiter Fortunato
Benson Zambrano
Looper
Franco Bottalico Stanton Bell
Yates
Feliciano
Seo Heilman DeJean
Valent Garcia Hietpas Brazell
Diaz
Reyes Matsui
Added:
Lost:
Manager Art Howe, hitting coach Don Baylor, 1B coach Gary Pettis, 3B coach Matt Gallante, trainer Scott Lawrenson, Gerald
Williams, Vic Darrensbourg, Wilson Delgado
Offseason
Grade: Coming in March
Philadelphia Phillies:
Manager: Larry Bowa
Byrd-CF Polanco-2B
Abreu-RF Thome-1B Glanville-LF Liberthal-C
Rollins-SS
Bell-3B
Padilla Milton
Myers Lidle Millwood
Telemaco Cormier
Worrell Hernandez Geary Jones
Rodriguez
Howard Madson Wagner Aaron Fultz
Pratt Perez Utley
Michaels Collier Burell
Added:
Aaron Fultz,
Lost:
Shawn Wooten, Brian Powell, A.J. Hinch
Offseason
Grade: Coming in March
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