Spring is for hope -- not cold reality

Updated: March 23, 2004, 9:21 AM ET

This is the time of year when all things are possible, and everyone has a chance to contend.

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By By Jim Baker
MLB Insider

Look, do you really want to hear objective analysis about your team this time of year? Do you absolutely have to know that their weaknesses are? Do you even want to know that they have weaknesses in the first place? Of course not! It's spring. The ice is melting. The flowers are in bloom. Love is in the air and so on. This is the time of year when optimism runs highest. This is when all things are possible for all. Until they start playing the games for real, everyone has a chance.

With that in mind, far be it from me to burst anyone's bubble. In fact, what I aim to do today is make your bubble even bigger. What follows are my First Annual Happy Time Spring Predictions. If you are a fan of a National League team, you'll want to pick out your club below and bask in the warm glow of an unabashedly optimistic forecast.

Enjoy!

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