MLB Preview: American League East

With baseball season right around the corner and the Orioles lacking any sort of hope for the 12th straight Opening Day, I figured a good way to depress myself would be to take a look at some teams who actually, you know, have a shot to make the playoff, which pretty much extends to the entire American League East except for my beloved O's. This year's AL East may be the best division in baseball history. By my estimation, 3 of the best 5 teams in the league reside in this division, which is going to make August at Camden Yards tons of fun.

I'll be doing this for each division, and then ending up with playoff and award predictions. Please, keep the applause to a dull roar.

1. Boston Red Sox

This pains me, so so deeply, but I have to admit that the Red Sox look to to be the class of the American League. A deep pitching staff and a well balanced offense should be enough even in the brutality of the East.

Biggest strength: Starting pitching. The trifecta of Beckett, Matsuzaka and Lester give Boston arguably the best top 3 in baseball. If Brad Penny can rebound from a few years of injury and John Smoltz actually comes back and is effective in July or August, no one else can match up with them.

Biggest Weakness: Catcher. Jason Varitek, while always insanenly overrated, was at one time an important cog in a championship team. Now, however, he is in steep decline both offensively and defensively. Not that this will make or break Boston, but Varitek could turn into quite the albatross late in the year.

Player to Watch: David Ortiz. After his first injury plagued year in Boston, Ortiz needs to rebound to give the Red Sox a legitimate power threat other than Jason Bay. I don't think we'll ever see the days of .320 and 40 homers again, but if he can hit 35 the Boston offense could be dynamic.

2. New York Yankees

Who says you can't buy a championship? Well, actually, the last 8 years sort of shows that, as the Yankees haven't won the World Series since 2000 and missed the playoffs last year for the first time since the time of Christ. The championship teams of the late '90's were built on home grown talent and shrewd free agent signings and trades. So, how do the Yankees try to get back to the top? By spending almost $500 million on free agents! Despite my general disgust at how they do things, the sheer amount of talent on this team should be enough to grab the wild card.

Biggest Strength: Power. The Yankees ripped every Baltimoreans heart out when they signed The Traitor (whose real name will not be uttered) and banking that he will hit 40 homers. Probably a decent bet, especially in that lineup. If A-Rod is really gonna be back by Mid-May, this offense is loaded.

Biggest Weakness: Age. While the trend in MLB has been to go younger, the Yankees have decided that age is real path to victory. Including A-Rod when he gets back, New York has 6 players over 30 in the every day lineup and at least 2 in the rotation. Also, CC Sabbathia (one of the big signings) is only 28 but has logged over 500 innings the last two years combined.

Player to Watch: AJ Burnett. For a guy who has made 30 starts just 3 times and won more than 12 games only once in his 10 year career, you probably wouldn't pick him to get an $80 million contract. Then again, you aren't the Yankee front office. Burnett is very talented, but extremely risky. Him living up to his billing might be the difference for this team.

3. Tampa Bay Rays

Last year's shocking World Series team is back and might actually be better. Unfortunately, it might take 95 wins to get into the playoffs again. They can certainly do it, as they may have the most talented roster in baseball, but can they keep it together for another full season?

Biggest Strength: Young talent. The Rays are loaded with young talent up and down the lineup. Longoria, Upton, Crawford, Pena, Shields, Kazmir, and so on and so forth. If the Rays can keep the core together, they will compete for the next 10 years.

Biggest Weakness: Pitching depth. With an uncertain closer spot and question marks at the back end of the rotation, this may be the only thing that keeps the Rays out of the AL East hunt. If Andy Sonnanstine can reproduce last year's numbers and David Price gets an early call-up, all bets are off.

Player to Watch: David Price. One of the most talented young pitchers in baseball, Price burst onto the scene in the playoffs last year. He will start the year in the minors, but if he gets called up quickly and pitches to his capability, he may be the most important player in the East.

4. Toronto Blue Jays

It looked for a while there like the Blue Jays would become what the Rays were last year. A young team with good arms, the Jays were poised to make their move. Unfortunately, injuries and performance issues have hampered their progress, and it seems unlikely they will be truly competitve in the division. Of course, they could probably win the NL West...

Biggest Strength: Roy Halladay. What else is there to say? Doc Halladay looked to be on a bit of a decline, but came back strong last year, posting one of the best strikeout ratios of his career. There isn't much after him in the rotation, but he's the kind of pitcher that ends losing streaks.

Biggest Weakness: The rest of the rotation. Jesse Litsch is a nice pitcher who won 13 games last year, but you can't rely on him to be a number 2 in this division. With a bunch of journeymen and rookies after him, it could be a long year in Toronto.

Player to Watch: Alex Rios. Rios is one of the most talented players in baseball but has yet to have that transcendant year. He is a guy with 30-30 ability, but only hit 15 home runs last year, down from 24 the year before. At 28, it's time to stop talking about potential and actually go out and put it all together.

5. Baltimore Orioles

Jesus. Christ. After a decade of futility (to put it mildly) this year might end up as one of the worst in terms of win-loss record. However, the team finally seems to have a long term plan and the necessary pieces to implement it. At the major league level in 09 though, this team is in for what looks like another 100 loss season. There are definite building blocks in Markakis, Adam Jones, and Matt Wieters, with Matusz, Tillman, and Arrieta waiting in the wings. The biggest question: will enough fans care when they finally do get good?

Biggest Strength: Defense. The Orioles, despite my negativity, really do have one of the best defenses in baseball. They are strong all over the diamond (especially in the outfield) and that should ease some of the pressure off the pitching.

Biggest Weakness: Starting pitching. The O's have had some bad pitching staffs over the last decade, but man. The only established major league starter currently penciled into the rotation is Jeremy Guthrie, and he has looked absolutely terrible this Spring. Maybe Koji Uehara will be productive, but it is really a horror show after him. We might be seeing the young guys sooner than we hoped...

Player to Watch: Adam Jones. While Matt Wieters has gotten most of the attention so far, and justifiably so, Adam Jones is a guy who seems primed for a breakout. He was playing very well before he got hurt last year and has looked great so far this season. A 20-20 season really isn't out of the question, along with Gold Glove caliber defense.

Where are the parents at?

Thank God for sanity in...Utah? Governor John Huntsman vetoed a bill that would have imposed stiff fines on stores and movie theaters that allowed minors access to violent games/films. Huntsman said that, since the rating systems for both are voluntary, the industries would simply drop their warning system altogether to avoid being liable under this statute.

Now, let me first say that I don't think it's good for young children to be exposed to graphic violence or sexual content, whether it be in games or movies. This bill, though, is just more bullshit from lunatic (disbarred) lawyer Jack Thompson, whose hatred for video games is practically legend. The rating system that is currently in place is already effective. Hell, I get carded at theaters and in Best Buy when my five o'clock shadow looks more like midnight. There are already laws in place that prevent this type of behavior, so why do we need more legislation? Oh, right, because Jack Thompson is a preening asshole who needs to have his face on tv.

This is just one battle in the greater war against the video game industry by so-called "activists", whose moral indignation doesn't seem to extend past Grand Theft Auto or Doom. These people are more concerned that a minor might buy Halo at WalMart than about that same minor buying a gun at WalMart. The disconnect is truly staggering. Let's not forget, of course, that there are no legitimate studies that show direct and causal links between violent video games/movies and violent real life behavior. The fact that games in particular are used as scapegoats when mass murders are committed is both disgusting and disingenuous, with the "moral majority" playing on tragedy to further their own political ends.

I have always felt that the rating systems for both games and movies are both effective. Much of my childhood was spent trying to sneak in to R-Rated movies and convincing my parents that Doom was an educational exercise on the killing of hell demons. Of course, my parents also understood my maturity level and screened the games and movies I watched. And, let's be honest, that is where the impetus for change truly lies. Kids are going to get around laws designed to keep them from having fun. In the end, it is up to parents and guardians to determine what is best for their children and to play an active role in their lives. And, if they can't, do we really expect that stiffer fines for retailers are gonna do the trick?

What this really is, of course, is an assault on the entertainment industry. Now, let's be clear, an assault may be necessary. Much of what Hollywood and EA produces is complete crap that shouldn't be viewed by anyone, much less impressionable children. But to demonize video games as entertainment and an art form is the ultimate goal of Jack Thompson and his ilk. He is using children as an avenue for deciding what adults can and cannot do in their spare time and utilizing bullshit (at best) research to claim that video games are "murder simulators". So, bravo Utah. You showed Jack Thompson what's what (not that it's that hard to do). Mormonism has never looked so good.

Memory Lane

Final Fantasy VII is the GREATEST GAME OF ALL TIME. I am not going out on a limb when I say this. It is so great that now all the cool kids say it's "overrated" and "I played a much more obscure, much cooler game" and "I'm a huge douche bag". Ok, maybe they aren't saying the last part. But they are douche bags. Totally.

Those of us who spend a great deal of time thinking about and playing video games have a desperate need to seem hip (paradox, thy name is gamer). "True gamerz" think they are above games like Halo because people outside of the fraternity also enjoy them. Of course, this also applies to me, as I look at most of the *ahem* "games" on the Wii and laugh derisively. But sometimes, shit goes too far.

It is fair to say that Final Fantasy VII, in many ways, created modern gaming. The developer's decision to go with the Playstation rather than Nintendo sent shockwaves throughout the industry and legitimized Sony as a video game giant. Additionally, the amazing full motion video made for great television ads, pushing what had once been an obscure genre (Japanese role playing games) into mainstream American conciousness. The game itself wasn't necessarily groundbreaking (though it did a lot of interesting things), but the presentation and cinematic genius made it ahead of its time and started a gaming revolution that hasn't stopped since.

Why am I telling you all this? Because it's my blog, that's why. Also, because I recently started playing it again. Unsurprisingly, it remains my favorite game of all time. While there are some fairly silly story bits as well as some crappy dialogue, it is epic in ways that other games only pretend to be. The combat system is fairly simple but fun, and despite the dated graphics the artistry is still apparent and beautiful. It also has the most unexpected death in the history of gaming. This is a game I sunk 150 hours into during my youth, and I'm currently 30 hours in with no end in sight.

One of the reasons I have been playing this again is to feel some nostalgia for my childhood, but also because it represents the apex of the medium that I love more than any other. There have only been a few games since that have filled me with the same wonder and joy of FF7. In these troubled times, what's wrong with wanting to save the world again?

Goodnight, sweet prince

God dammit.

Who Watches the Watchmen?

We all do. Except Alan Moore.

Watchmen has a lot to recommend as a film. In many ways the logical culmination of what started with Batman Begins, the Watchmen film is at its core a deconstruction of the super hero genre. Of course, the book came out two decades ago to rave reviews and instant cult status, but we are talking about the movie. For now. Zack Snyder's follow up to the visually stunning but ultimately pointless 300 is dense, dark, and beautiful in all the ways 300 was not. A relatively compelling whodunit that is ultimately eclipsed by the specter of nuclear war, the plot almost exactly mirrors that of Alan Moore's book. In fact, save for the costumes and an ending that actually makes some sense, the film is almost a shot for shot remake of the book. This, however, isn't necessarily a good thing.

I say that not because, as other reviewers have opined, the film feels stifled by its fidelity to the source material. Rather, I'd submit that the plot of the original just ain't all that good. In fact, the plot isn't even close to the point of the book. The subtleties in Moore's writing are difficult, if not impossible, to translate on screen, making the plot ever more important. And while there are some great bits in both book and film, there is a certain lack of narrative cohesion.

Snyder, to his credit dodges this by making Watchmen look simply amazing. Ever a fan of slow motion fight scenes, Snyder has found his niche in comic book films. And, if this whole thing doesn't work out, porn. Sex scenes, rape scenes, Dr. Manhattan's penis in every other shot, it's all there (lest you doubt, Leonidas has an 8 pack and some deformed lesbians he'd like to show you). The look is far different from the comic, and you rarely get the sense of impending doom that Moore was striving for in the 80's. So, while the story is the same, the feel is not.

What really holds the film back though is its choice of focus. While focus is placed appropriately on Rorschach (perhaps the best comic book character ever) and Dr. Manhattan, the lack thereof on Veidt/Ozymandias was a terrible, terrible choice. Spending a great deal of time on Nite Owl, Laurie, and their naked bodies seems far less important than advancing Veidt's character. In the end, the Nite Owl storyline does almost nothing to advance the plot, and while Patrick Wilson still does a good job as Nite Owl, Maline Ackerman makes Laurie even more dull and annoying than in the book. Matthew Goode was no great shakes as Veidt either, but Veidt as a character plays a far more important role in the storyline.

On the other hand, Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach is a sight to behold. Rivaling Heath Ledger's Joker, Haley's demented, sociopathic, and tragic Rorshach is the (weird) moral center of the film. Uncompromising and brutal, he embodies all that people fear and love about the "heroes" of Watchmen. At the same time, his psychosis is always at the ready, while the rest are intent on burying it in "normal life". Snyder pulls Rorschach off perfectly, and he is reason enough to go see the film.

So, the question is: Is Watchmen good? Short answer is yes. There are great action scenes, the opening credits set to Dylan's "The Times They Are A'Changing" is fucking awesome, and the new ending is far superior to the book. The film's biggest problem, and the one that it grapples with for most of its long running time, is how to get across the nihilism and philosophical underpinnings of the comic while at the same time being entertaining as a movie. The weirdness of the comic, i.e. when Dr. Manhattan leaves Earth for Mars, doesn't really work on screen, whereas in the comic it feels right at home. Alan Moore once said Watchmen is unfilmable. While he is wrong in the strictest sense, I think his sentiment is correct. The comic book medium is perfectly suited to his vigilante super hero opus, while a film is not. On the other hand, Watchmen the film is much more entertaining and could stand alone without the book. I think if Snyder had taken a few more artistic liberties and allowed his adapatation to breathe a little, Watchmen could rival The Dark Knight and Spiderman 2. As it is, still a worthy addition to the comic book film genre.

Kikouken!

See, this is what I'm talking about. This is what we don't need.

Street Fighter has never been something I was all that interested in. I was more of a Mortal Kombat guy (I even liked the movie). The games were fun enough, but I only played 2 briefly. So when the new Street Fighter movie featuring Chun-Li (along with Street Fighter 4, which actually looks good) came out, I paid it no mind. As most video game movies are, I assumed it would be bad. And, bad it is, racking up a 0% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Considering the movie also wasn't screened for critics, I doubt the studio expected anything less.

Now, I'd argue that a fighting tournament game is probably not the best genre to make a movie out of. While most video game narratives aren't exactly robust, fighting games are even less likely to have a story anyone cares about. Unfortunately, that seems to be true for the rest of the video game world as well. I can't think of any video game movies that are even halfway decent, and most are absolutely terrible. It's a shame, too, because I think there are a bunch of games that would make great movies.

The problem, as I see it, is three fold. First and foremost, game narratives are not set up like movies or books. Often, the story only takes place in between bouts of action. One of the newest narrative forms is to scatter story "material" throughout levels, in the form of audio recordings, notes, etc. I assume this is to make the story feel more organic, as well as to let players who just want to play skip the story entirely. The problem, though, is that it certainly relegates the story to the background of the game. If you can choose to skip it, why make it all that compelling to begin with? It is the rare movie that depends on something other than plot, yet video games can exist entirely outside of plot (with a few exceptions). When the game experience is memorable mostly for instances of action, does story really stand a chance?

Second, the games with great stories often don't need movie adaptations. Unlike the static images of a comic book, when story is an important part of the game, it is played out on screen. For a game like Metal Gear Solid, why bother with a movie since the game already essentially is one? GTA has an amazing, movie-like presentation and storyline, so why bother adapting it/ Role playing games with sprawling worlds and intricate dialogue options face the same issue, but on a different level. Those stories are designed around player choice and actions, and often would not have the same resonance if the choice was removed from the equation.

Finally, many main characters in games don't really speak. They are supposed to be your avatar, a virtual representation of the player. Through almost a dozen Legend of Zelda games, Link hasn't spoken. How could you make a movie where your main charactern doesn't speak? And if a Zelda movie was made, and Link started talking, the fan boy outrage would threaten existence as we know it. In many ways, the main character of a game, though the most important part of the action, if often ancilary to the story being told. You are merely a conduit through which the story reveals itself, and that doesn't make for a particularly engaging film.

The challenge, then, is to create films around games with a good story that is not entirely fleshed out. Forget the Resident Evil bullshit, and focus on games where a movie would add to the mythos rather than slap a recognizable name on and go in a completely different direction than the game. At the same time, don't be a slave to the game. Make a Half Life movie that doesn't feature Gordan Freeman. Use the rich world that Bungie created with Halo, but have Master Chief play a supporting role. Make the movie a seperate part of the same franchise, one that is as important as the games but not merely a hackneyed re-hash of what we've already played. If you make a movie based on a first person shooter, don't have first person sequences in the movie (Doom, I'm looking at you). And, above all, choose the right games. Oh, and don't let Uwe Boll out of his cage. Ever.