As the Major League Baseball season begins, baseball fans hope this season will be the one their team finshes on top. Two months of spring training have warmed the athletes back up and the 162 game season is off to a fast start. After a close series last season, the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series for the third time in ten years. The loss was hard to take for fans like BYUH alumni and St. Louis native Matt Belliston. Now, he is looking forward to 2014 to be their crowning year, “The St. Louis Cardinals are the worlds greatest sports organization to ever exist. I'm picking them to win the Series this year.” Belliston said he travels to his hometown often and tries to watch the Cardinals as much as he can. He appreciates the team because they use players from their minor league teams. “They always have a good team that is mostly home-grown with players from their own farm system. They have great young pitching this year, ” said Belliston. Recent graduate Evan Glenn is a lifelong baseball fan who is rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Glenn said, “I’ve been a Dodgers fan since my first game at seven.” After winning the National League Division series in 2013 the Dodgers are on the right track to go far in 2014. According to Glenn, “This is the best team they’ve had in years.” Glenn added, “I’m hoping this year is the year they win the World Series.”Mike Bauman, a national columnist for MLB.com, predicts the Cardinals will be this year’s World Series champions. “The Cardinals are a much quieter operation than the Dodgers, but the Redbirds take life one pitch at a time and grind at-bats in a way everybody talks about but few actually accomplish,” said Bauman. In contrast, MLB.com studio analyst Steve Sax said, “In the World Series, the Dodgers' depth of pitching may be the difference maker. Los Angeles will beat Detroit in seven.”
Writer: Lauren Steimle ~ Multimedia Journalist
