[Matt from TN]

I mistakenly left some very important stuff out of the preseason report. Here's what I added:

In the AL, Cleveland looks primed for another pennant. Their pitching staff is one of the best in the game, and their offense is still dangerous. Several teams, however, have crept closer to the Indians' level of talent. Teams such as Boston and Chicago will be top competitors. Detroit and Philadelphia may surprise a lot of people and be right in the pennant hunt. Meanwhile, St. Louis and Washington are rebuilding very talented teams and could be surprising this season.

The three-time defending NL champion Cardinals may not be the early favorites this year. The injuries suffered to their pitching staff late last season may have lingering effects in 1917. Plus, the competition in the NL should be fierce this season. Teams like Cincinnati, New York and Philadelphia are ready to be kings of the National League mountain. Brooklyn and Pittsburgh are talented enough to also be in the mix, while the Cubs are rebuilding a formidable pitching staff.




Key Retirees:

Bowie Castellon, SP, Chicago Cubs 1905-1916, Boston Braves 1916: Bowie was an outstanding pitcher and he was a big reason why the Cubs did not have a losing season for 14 years. He put together 9 20-win seasons and in his other three seasons he won 19, 19 and 18. He finished his career with a 262-146 record (4th Most Wins All Time), 2.52 ERA (7th Best All Time), 1298 strikeouts, 397 complete games (7th Most All-Time) and 50 shutouts (8th Most All-Time). He won three POTY Awards and was part of the Cubs' only World Series championship team in 1905. He retired at the top of his game at age 37 just months after being traded to the Braves. "I am a Cub and I will always be a Cub," Castellon said. "If I can't play in Chicago and the Cubs organization no longer wants me, it's time to call it a career."