LINEUP

BASEBALL 2013

(RE)PREVIEW

34 Pirates Treasure

There are sharks in the bullpen and hope in the Steel City

BY BEN REITER

The Cases for ...

The Red Sox, The A's, the Braves

42 5-Minute Guide

Revised predictions, breakout players, surprise teams and things to watch for during the dog days

BY JOE SHEEHAN

48 Buster Posey

A country boy who shuns the spotlight has become a poster boy for the team in the nation's most progressive city

BY TOM VERDUCCI

FEATURES

54 THE WIZARD OF KABUL

How a Peace Corps volunteer turned Afghan teens into a national team—and a winner

BY CHRIS BALLARD

DEPARTMENTS

4 SI Digital

6 Leading Off

12 The Mail

15 Scorecard

The NCAA's growing threat

21 Faces in the Crowd

25 Just My Type

Victor Cruz rues a tweet

BY DAN PATRICK

64 Point After

The death of a boarder

BY RICHARD O'BRIEN

SI HAS REGIONAL COVERS THIS WEEK: Photographs by John Burgess for Sports Illustrated (Posey); Hunter Martin/Getty Images (Grilli); Ryan Pierse/Getty Images (shark)

PHOTO

CHARLES LECLAIRE/USA TODAY SPORTS (MCCUTCHEN)

HIGHER ASPIRATIONS With Andrew McCutchen in center, the high-flying Pirates are one of several teams that have vaulted into the pennant race.

PHOTO

JUSTIN K. ALLER/GETTY IMAGES (GRILLI)

THREE PHOTOS