NL WEST - 10 Questions

1 ROCKIES 2 D'BACKS 3 DODGERS 4 PADRES 5 GIANTS

1 Rockies, magic last year or are they the real thing ?
Pitching, pitching, pitching especially terrific 'pen
Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklyn Morales, the returning Aaron Cook...
They;ll miss the injured Jason Hirsh because Mark Redman will be a disaster in Coors..
This team can hit...In any ballpark

2 What's left in the big unit ?
14 consecutive years more K's than IP - Didn't happen 2 years with Yanks
Back home 43 yrs old..and last year's K to innings pitched 72/56.2
plus his whip back under career average of 1.16...However he made just 10 starts
If they baby him...

3 Did the Dodgers waste their money on RHP Jason Schmidt ?
He got in just 6 starts - A little over 25 IP - But he's still only 35
Has had health issues at each stop Atlanta-Pittsurgh and-San Francisco
He rebounded every time - This spring he was still pitching in pain

4 Is it all all gloom and doom for Giants ?
Bonds era went on too long..not one young future star in the everyday lineup
young pitchers flopped or were traded
Jesse Foppert, Jerome Williams, Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan
There is hope on the mound and they're all relatively young
Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Noah Lowry, Kevin Correia, Jonathon Sanchez, Brian Wilson

5 Is Trevor Hoffman Done as a top class closer ?
Just doesn't throw hard enough any more, might make that great change less of a weapon
And there are questions surrounding encumbent Heath Bell

6 Which manager's job is on the line
Bruce Bochy Giants - That's a bad team surrounded by not one other bad team

7 Best Rotation in Division
When all is said and done..if Dodgers are healthy...
Jason Schmidt, Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda
Esteban Loaiza, watxh out for rookie CLAYTON KERSHAW

8 Division's best pen
Rockies right now - most solidified at the top
Dodgers great top 2 in Saito and Broxton
D'Backs ??? Brandon Lyon will have to prove himself as closer

9 Breakthrough player ? -
Brad Hawpe of Rockies
He had a good year last year but struggled against lefties.
His monor league numbers were amazing !
Conor Jackson Az...1B James Loney LA...SD Khalil Green...AZ Justin Upton

10- Barry Bonds has dominated this division for years, now that he's gone
does a desperate GM or owner reach out for him before season's end ?
I think there's gotta be at least one nut out there.
History says there's more than one !