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NL WEST CAPSULES

Los Angeles Dodgers

2008: 84-78, first place

Manager: Joe Torre, second year

Projected lineup: SS Rafael Furcal, 2B Orlando Hudson, LF Manny Ramirez, RF Andre Ethier, 1B James Loney, CF Matt Kemp, C Russell Martin, 3B Casey Blake.

Rotation: RH Hiroki Kuroda , RH Chad Billingsley, LH Randy Wolf, LH Clayton Kershaw, RH James McDonald, RH Jason Schmidt (hurt)

Closer: RH Jonathan Broxton

Hot spots: Starting pitching and the bullpen. At 24, Billingsley has yet to prove he can be the replacement ace on a staff that lost veterans Derek Lowe and Brad Penny. Broxton moves into the closer role with Takashi Saito’s departure. Still, L.A. has built a reputation for stellar pitching.

Arizona Diamondbacks

2008: 82-80, second place

Manager: Bob Melvin, fifth year

Projected lineup: 2B Felipe Lopez, CF Chris Young, SS Stephen Drew, LF Conor Jackson, 1B Chad Tracy, RF Justin Upton, 3B Mark Reynolds, C Chris Snyder

Rotation: RH Brandon Webb, RH Dan Haren, LH Doug Davis, RH Jon Garland, RH Max Scherzer

Closer: RH Chad Qualls

Hot spots: The bullpen and outfield. Qualls inherited the closer’s job after Brandon Lyon’s meltdown, but setup men Tony Peña, Jon Rauch, Scott Schoeneweis and Tom Gordon are question marks. There’s a crowd in the outfield, with scrappy Eric Byrnes back and healthy. He likely will fill in at all three outfield positions.

Colorado Rockies

2008: 74-88, third place

Manager: Clint Hurdle, 8th year

Projected lineup: CF Ryan Spilborghs, SS Troy Tulowitzki, 1B Todd Helton, 3B Garrett Atkins, RF Brad Hawpe, C Chris Iannetta, LF Seth Smith, 2B Clint Barmes

Rotation: RH Aaron Cook, RH Ubaldo Jimenez, LH Franklin Morales, RH Jason Marquis, LH Jorge De La Rosa

Closer: RH Huston Street

Hot spots: Left field, rotation and closer. Seth Smith should get the first shot at replacing Matt Holliday in left, but Ian Stewart could see time with Carlos Gonzalez optioned to Triple-A. Glendon Rusch may crack the rotation. Street won the closer’s job over Manuel Corpas.

San Francisco Giants

2008: 72-90, fourth place

Manager: Bruce Bochy, 3rd year

Projected lineup: RF Randy Winn, SS Edgar Renteria, 3B Pablo Sandoval, C Bengie Molina, CF Aaron Rowand, LF Fred Lewis, 1B Travis Ishikawa, 2B Emmanuel Burriss

Rotation: RH Tim Lincecum, LH Randy Johnson, RH Matt Cain, LH Barry Zito, LH Jonathan Sanchez

Closer: RH Brian Wilson

Hot spots: The late innings. Bochy hopes his starting pitchers, with the addition of Johnson, 45, will allow the Giants to carry just six relievers, opening a spot for another bat on a team that could sorely use it. Zito’s durability has never been questioned, but everything else is still in doubt.

San Diego Padres

2008: 63-99, fifth place

Manager: Bud Black, 3rd year

Projected lineup: CF Jody Gerut, 2B David Eckstein, RF Brian Giles, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff, LF Chase Headley, C Nick Hundley, SS Luis Rodriguez

Rotation: RH Jake Peavy, RH Chris Young, RH Cha Seung Baek, RH Kevin Correia, RH Shawn Hill or LH Cesar Ramos or RH Walter Silva

Closer: RH Heath Bell

Hot spots: Starting rotation, bullpen, middle infield. Baek could miss the start because of a strained right forearm. Bell, who has two career saves, takes over for all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman (ex-UA), who signed with Milwaukee.

The Associated Press (order based on last year’s finishes)

Citizen Online Archive, 2006-2009

This archive contains all the stories that appeared on the Tucson Citizen's website from mid-2006 to June 1, 2009.

In 2010, a power surge fried a server that contained all of videos linked to dozens of stories in this archive. Also, a server that contained all of the databases for dozens of stories was accidentally erased, so all of those links are broken as well. However, all of the text and photos that accompanied some stories have been preserved.

For all of the stories that were archived by the Tucson Citizen newspaper's library in a digital archive between 1993 and 2009, go to Morgue Part 2

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