The Cubbies' spending spree was the NL's biggest story this offseason. So it’s only a matter of time before typewriters in press rooms across the desert come alive with the sound of time-tested talking points: Can a last-place team win it all? Can money buy a championship? Can the Cubs possibly break their impossibly unbreakable 98-year curse?

And from the mouths of the sage baseball interpreters, the answer to all of these standards will come:

Last year I examined a 16-year gap in Brewers history to determine if the fate of the 1990 Brewers held clues for the 2006 Brewers. Was I right or was I wrong and am I going to drudge up more names from the history books in an attempt to tell you what’s going to happen to the 2007 Brewers?

The 2007 season brings with it, as any baseball season does, the possibility of many milestone numbers being reached. Which are the most likely to be cracked in '07?

Let's take a look ...

When the hostilities had finally come to an end, the old general looked around. He saw his kingdom, once so mighty, so proud, so invincible, lying in ruins.

(Completing the Trilogy?)

Let's make one thing absolutely clear. No matter what I write about the 2007 Cincinnati Reds in this preview, it will be wrong. Don't believe me? Well, this is the third year in a row I've previewed my childhood's favorite ballclub, and the past two seasons, I have been -- let's be kind -- off the mark. Shall we review?

(Well, if we must ...)

Halladay starts out well against the Sox in a 4-1 win.

I think we're the team to beat.
- Jimmy Rollins

Spring training means worn-out cliches, sun-burned Caucasians, and friendly players if you happen to go to a game in Arizona or Florida. It also means BB's annual season previews. We hope you enjoy them this year. We begin with the Mets.

You might think that the Mets would be a prohibitive favourite in the NL East after a 97 win season, with contributions from a core of young players that rank among the best in the majors. They shouldn't be.

The BBFL has only one proposed rule change. It and additional league information are below the fold…

UPDATED at 11pm EST Feb 28...

When spring training games start this week most eyes will be on the pitching battles.  There are at least two starting pitcher jobs up for grabs and the bullpen has three vacancies.  If we expand our view to the Syracuse Chiefs the picture gets even more cloudy, by my count there are thirty-five pitchers battling for twenty-four jobs between the Blue Jays and the Chiefs.  Most readers are familiar with the major league battles but might not be aware of the AAA ones.

Some time back, we finished a series of Hall of Names teams for each of the 25 Most Common North American Male First Names; this is the 25th "other" male first name team to grace Batter's Box pages since early in 2003 ...

It won't feature celebrity softballers like Affleck or Stiller, or require a quarterback like Roethlisberger, but as you have surely guessed from the headline, we'll be gauging the Ben-efits of this team's quality as we meet ...

Sammy Sosa is in Rangers camp now ... In bigger Lone Star baseball news, Roger Clemens is in Astros camp (sort of) ... Another former Yankee hurler, El Duque Hernandez, has a real pain in the neck ... Meanwhile, still another veteran pitcher, Curt Schilling, says he definitely will file for free agency ...

In other news, the Cardinals are planning on using Braden Looper in the rotation, while the Dodgers plan to hit Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre (!) 1-2 in the lineup this season ...

What else?

Three divisions.
Twenty teams per division.
Twenty-Five players per team.
Twelve statistical categories.
Promotion and relegation.

Welcome to Year Five of the Batter's Box Fantasy League.

Jeff Blair reports that the Jays and John Gibbons have agreed to an extension through the 2008 season. The deal will reportedly pay Gibbons $650,000 in 2008.

Young Blue Jay OF (and future AL MVP) Alex Rios is 26 today, Feb. 18. He is one of no less than 49 big league ballplayers born on this day.

Not a single one of those four-dozen-plus-one is enshrined in Baseball's Hall of Fame (though there is at least one MVP already and a number of other All-Stars), but it is indeed possible that this is one of the most prolific Hall of Names birthdays in the entire calendar year.

What follows is a roster made up entirely of players born on Feb. 18. Let's see if this team would be any good as we we greet ...