Major league baseball’s opening month has Loyola baseball fans filled with a sense of renewal and optimism about their teams’ chances in 2011.
Alex Failla, New Orleans native and accounting sophomore, has been a Chicago Cubs fan his entire life and can recall watching Cubs games as a young boy. “My great grandfather is a Cubs fan, and he first introduced me to the game. He would always have Cubs games on when I went over,” Failla said.
The Cubs, who are often referred to by their fans as the “loveable losers,” haven’t won a World Series since 1908; however, the start of a new season offers the Cubs a clean slate and a chance to compete for the National League pennant.
The Cubs have a mix of veterans, new acquisitions and young talent that they hope will mesh in order for them to make a run in the National League’s central division. “I’m really interested in seeing how the acquisitions of [Matt] Garza and [Carlos] Pena play out and if the big-money players can bounce back from disappointing 2010 seasons,” Failla said.
As members of the 2010 Tampa Bay Rays, Garza threw a no-hitter and had a 3.91 earned run average, and Pena was amongst the team leaders with 28 home runs and 84 runs batted in.
For Thomas, New Orleans native and business sophomore, family has also played a significant role in which team he calls his own. “My father’s family is from Cleveland. Every time we would go up to visit, they would take me to Indians games,” Thomas said.
The start of a new season offers the Indians the same chance to compete for a championship as any other team in baseball. “I’m always excited when Opening Day comes around, so I can see if it’s finally going to be our year,” Thomas said.
In the past few seasons, the Indians have traded veterans such as Victor Martinez and C.C. Sabathia for younger, highly touted prospects such as Matt LaPorta and Justin Masterson. “The Indians are currently in a rebuilding phase, accumulating and developing young talent in hopes that a good core comes together and produces at the same time,” Thomas said.
One of those young talents is catcher Carlos Santana, who will be relied upon to handle the Indians’ young pitching staff as well as produce at the plate. Santana, a switch hitter, was ranked as the organization’s number one prospect prior to the 2009 and 2010 seasons by Baseball America.
“He has shown a lot of promise at and behind the plate, and I expect him to one day develop into one of the League’s premier players,” Thomas said when talking about Santana.
The Indians are off to a hot start at 8-3, but Thomas is admittedly “pessimistically optimistic” about their chances to contend for a championship this season.
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