Chicago Cubs…I think that Captain Lou is going to lead this team to the promised land. Of course, the health of key players like Prior and Wood is important, but I think the money they spent this offseason is going to pay off in the first World Series Championship for the Cubbies in 3000 years!
It’s tough to talk about a team that will surprise. I think two teams with poor 06 records that you hear a lot about are the Cubs and the Indians. But i think you hear so much that neither would be a surprise. I could of course biasedly say the Pirates, but I won’t. I’m gonna have to do some more thinking and get back to you on this.
The way baseball’s contracts are set up, a young player really doesn’t make much money (which is something i love). The amount he got is similar to Pujols at the same time, so I’m completely fine with Howard’s contract. I think it’s safe to say if he keeps it up, he’ll have a lucrative career.
One year does not define a player and Ryan Howard will get his due once he can produce similar numbers year in and year out. I mean RP’s are getting huge contracts, he will too.
It’s really hard to pick sleeper teams because of the state of baseball so I will pick teams who I think will have Surprising years.
AL- Seattle Mariners- This is still a bit of a young unit, but I think in the AL West anything is possible. They added Jose Guillen this year to an already potent line-up, have solid starters with a young ace and JJ Putz is someone who can close the door night in night out.
NL- Hoss presented the Pirates and my Pittsburgh friend’s agreed that the division is up for grabs, but I think the Brewers could be the team to finally turn heads. They finally have the pitching staff in tact and if Ben Sheets can stay healthy he would give them 4 proven starters with the offseason addition of Jeff Suppan, along with a solid 5th in Claudio Vargas. Their line-up should have no problem putting runs on the board while Francisco Cordero should be able to serve as a solid closer for the Brew-Crew.
Although I was born a Yankees fan I will be following the Brewers and Rockies very closely this year as well as the progress of the D-Rays.
Best Free Agent Acquisition: Gary Sheffield.He was not a FA, but got traded. Still, in a move I loved for both teams I think Sheff brings the missing link to the Tigers lineup. He brings more protection for the Tigers sluggers, a veteran bat with some pop and will be able to rotate in RF with Magglio Ordonez to keep the two players fresh for another postseason run.
NL East: New York, although I love Florida’s young talent
NL Central: Chicago, although the Cards are still scary
NL West: Los Angeles, although SD’s pitching is good
NL Wild Card: St. Louis
AL East: New York, although I like what I see in Toronto
AL Central: Chicago, although I like Cleveland’s potential
AL West: Los Angeles, although I always root for Oakland
AL Wild Card: Detroit
NL Champs: New York, with a new Pedro leading the charge
AL Champs: New York, because I can’t pick against them
World Series Champs: New York…Mets, that is!
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy
AL Cy Young: Johan Santana
Sheffield is a great addition to the Tigers. I never saw him as a mal-content in the locker room, although the New York media played that out a little bit. I was disappointed in some of his recent comments about the Hall of Fame. Basically he was approached about how his career numbers are adding up to Hall of Fame credentials. He said that the Hall of Fame didn’t really mean much to him since not all the best players were in the Hall. I didn’t realize that he was such a big Pete Rose fan.
All kidding aside, Major League Baseball mirrors our Great American history. Segregation has been present in this great game since its inception. The shame of the game started to turn around after WWII when it was determined that there were some pretty good players in the Negro Leagues. But still, it took some clubs a long time to integrate their rosters. We all know that Jackie Robinson joined the then Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Why then did it take the Yankees eight more years before they added their first black player to their roster in 1955? His name was Elston Howard, and he was League MVP in 1963. (Mantle and Maris were on that 63 team.) The first Japanese player to make a major league roster came up with San Francisco in the middle 60’s (about 20 years after WWII. It took awhile for the nation to forgive the Japanese for Pearl Harbor). Let’s not talk about the integration of the Red Sox (Pumpsie Green circa 1960).
Slowly, MLB has evolved racially just as our nation has. Although, up until 1965, Roberto Clemente’s baseball cards listed him as Bob. What’s that all about? Why is Mickey Mantle’s rookie card worth more that Mays’ and Aaron’s put together? Even through the spin-off business of baseball card collecting, John Q. Public got into the act by prejudicial-pricing. Was the cart leading the horse?
Getting back to Sheffield, he could have gone about saying what he said differently. Let’s face it, coming into the league as Doc Gooden’s nephew had to be difficult. Will he live up to the success of his uncle, or will he fall to the depths? He was just a kid. He was wearing braces when his rookie card picture was taken. He was a Brewer shortstop, a champion in Florida, and he survived the Bronx. He has made more money playing this game than what most of us will see in a lifetime.
His numbers may add up to Cooperstown. If he is invited to that dance, he should go and make the case for equal recognition there. It just sounded like he was making a statement of indifference to the Hall in the event that he wasn’t inducted.
I’m not sure who my picks are to go to the playoffs yet. Instead I’ll list some teams that I would be happy about if I rooted for them:
1. I like Arizona.
I always like young cores of talent. Look at all the players who are predicted to advance their production this year- Carlos Quentin RF, Connon Jackson 1B, Chad Tracy 3B, Chris Young CF, and Stephen Drew SS. They have Justin Upton on his way as well. They also have some solid players who play defense and are in their prime, even if that prime isn’t awesome. Eric Byrnes and Orlando Huson come to mind. I like both of these guys as role players. I also met Byrnes at the bar one time and tried to get him to become a client. It didn’t really work, but we bullshitted for about an hour, after which I was convinced he was a solid clubhouse presence. Chemistry isn’t proven to be worth anything but I like it anyway.
The rotation is anchored by Brandon Webb, the cy young winner, and the Big Fuckin Unit. I always thought Doug Davis was underrated, and Livan Hernandez will give them some solid starts. In the bullpen, Velverde isn’t awesome but he and Julio have experience closing, and Brandon Lyon is solid with some upside.
Definitely cheating but it’s still the most recent question. I think Dice-K will win 17 games. The Red Sox will win a lot of games this year and while some starters have to lose, they no longer have “4 aces” but “just” 3. It’s premature but I think Dice-K will lead the Bo Sox in wins.
I’m going the opposite way with Kei. While you have to love the run support, even the best team in the majors will lose around 60 games. Not that I think Kei will be horrible but I look for a record with about 10-11 wins and 10-11 losses.
Dice looks crafty but I heard an interesting comment today. Somebody said that his fastball is nothing special, which it may not need to be with all his other weapons, and that patient lineups like the Yanks may chew him up on occasion.
I like the guy and I love his style but it made me think a bit.
I don’t think that MLB should punish Torii Hunter for his champagne gift to the Royals. I mean we’re talking about champagne here, not hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plus, as Torii said, “I do good things; if you want to make a good thing into a bad thing, then so be it.”
I am rooting against Barry Bonds simply for the fact that I do not like him. To boot, his career will be clouded with mystery until/if is he found guilty/innocent of steroid use. I don’t think that it matters that balls are leaving the park so frequently; if Bonds breaks the record, I don’t think it’s going to be a situation where it’s guaranteed to be broken by someone playing today (A-Rod, Pujols, etc.). It is extremely difficult to maintain the level of consistency that it takes to hit over 700 HR; look at Griffey…he was a guy who was probably on pace to break records, but what seems like 100 injuries have struck him to the point where he isn’t considered a threat to break the record.
I’m really not surprised by the success of the Brewers this year due in large part to the fact that they seemed to be a popular choice among the so-called “experts” as this year’s version of the Tigers. And why not? Chris Capuano, Prince Fielder, Bill Hall, a solid bullpen anchored by Francisco Cordero, and so on and so forth. While I would be shocked if the Brewers experienced as much success as last year’s Tigers (AL Champs), I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Brew Crew win the NL Central, which seems to be up for grabs thanks to the slow start of the Redbirds.
I can’t wait for Bonds to break Hammerin’ Hank’s Home Run Record. Not to sound too cliche’, but records are made to be broken. I also want to believe that when the record falls, it will usher in the era of the cleansing of the perception of the game.
The outstanding performances of any player today is greeted by the skepticism. Guilty until proven innocent. I think that over the years Major League Baseball has handled the whole scandal so poorly that the World Public has trouble believing in the MLB product.
In spite of itself, MLB has one thing going for it. THE GAME.
The Yankees are a freakin’ (Dave) mess right now, what with Mo Rivera doing absolutely nothing, Jason Giambi admitting to steroid use, and the hopes of the season riding on the aging arm of Roger Clemens. With that said, this is the freakin’ Yankees, people, and I will still be SHOCKED if they do not make the Playoffs, with Roger probably good for at least 10-12 wins along the way.
As for Giambi, I give him props for coming clean; if it were me, however, I would have shut up until proven guilty. I don’t think that the Yanks should take any action, positive or negative, toward him, nor should MLB.
AL—
1B: Justin Morneau
2B: B.J. Upton
SS: Derek Jeter
3B: Alex Rodriguez
C: Victor Martinez
OF: Magglio Ordonez (CF)
OF: Gary Sheffield (LF)
OF: Vladimir Guerrero (RF)
SP: Dan Haren
NL—
1B: Prince Fielder
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Jose Reyes
3B: Miguel Cabrera
C: Russell Martin
OF: Matt Holliday (RF)
OF: Carlos Lee (LF)
OF: Eric Byrnes (CF)
SP: Jake Peavy
Looks like I agree for the most part so will only comment down the list
1B-Morneau with the narrow edge over Big Papi but not only is he having a slightly better season, he’s a real 1b.
Prince is a slam dunk (even though I’d still bet on Pujols finishing with better end of season statistics)
2B-Utley another slam. As for the AL, I’m goin with Brian Roberts. Really a big group of guys that are close but I think Roberts is the head of the class.
SS-Reyes, duh! Jeter probably gets the edge because he’s Derek Jeter, but Raible’s boy Orlando Cabrera is every bit as deserving. I’ll actually go with Cabrera here, not so much because he’s on a better team but because he’s Raible’s boy!!!!!!
3B-ARod and Miggy. Yes please.
C-Same as Raible again.
OF-AL probably has the 3 best in Magglio, Vlad and Sheffield. Holliday is the top in the NL and then no one jumps out. I’m goin Barry Bonds, as he’s still the most feared in the world. Ok, maybe not but his BB to K ratio, OB% and SLG% are top notch as usual. I guess I’ll go with Carlos Lee but if any one of the top 10 NL OF’s has a hot week they could catapult to a starter.
SP-Once again, (I) can’t argue with Raible’s selections here.
To sum up, only differences with Raible are…..
AL 2B: Brian Roberts over B.J. Upton
AL SS: Orlando Cabrera over Derek Jeter
NL OF: Barry Bonds over Eric Byrnes
Also considered
AL- Posada, Kevin Youkilis, Papi, Roberts, Cabrera, Guillen, Hunter, Sizemore, Sheffield, Beckett, Lackey
NL- Howard, Aramis, Chipper, JJ Hardy, Lee, Penny
I strictly gave Peavy the nod because Penny started last year. Obviously this list could be bigger, but at first glance these would be my squads. There are a bunch of one category guys like Sosa and Dunn who have either RBI’s OR Hr’s and not avg or the other category.
I truly think it would have been interesting if Howard had been healthy all year for NL 1B same with Aramis and Chipper. The NL is loaded at 1b.
If Posada’s power production was better he’s having a hell of a year and would be my pick, but Victor is just so good.
Polanco’s numbers as far as HR/RBI’s and the fact that his team wins gave him the nod over Roberts in my book. But you have to love B-ROB.
How could I not have Youkilis on this list?
-He’s the Greek God of Walks
-He plays 2 positions
I guess David Wright has to be thrown into 3b TALK, but definitely not doing anything spectacular.
In both leagues you have 3-4 guys who could be the starting SS.
I was talking with Haver today and the NL is so thin in the OF. Raible I loved the Byrnes pick, but what about a guy like Aaron Rowand? The guy is having a monster year and because he’s not a marquee name the average fan doesn’t hear too much about him.
Speaking of which, how are the Phillies not better? Oh, right their pitching is awful.
Should Ken Griffey Jr. be in the Hall Of Fame? Is this really even a question? I mean, you are talking about one of the five best talents to ever play the game! While injuries may have derailed his chase at the record books, Junior still recently passed Frank Robinson on the all-time career HR list…clearly HOF stuff!
Is Pudge the best Catcher of all time? Great Question. Let’s look at the candidates before deciding…
Johnny Bench hit as well as anyone not named Piazza and fielded as well as anyone not named Pudge (as witnessed by his 10 Gold Gloves. Bench won 2 MVP awards and his team won 6 pennants in 8 years (2 World Championships). Career .267 hitter with 389 HR, 14-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year in 1968.
Yogi Berra was a 3-time MVP and a member of 14 pennant-winning teams (10 World Championships). Career .285 hitter with 358 HR and 14-time All-Star. Also a gem when it comes to quotes: “Nobody goes there anymore…it’s too crowded.”
Carlton Fisk (.269 with 376 HR), Roy Campanella (3-time MVP), and Gary Carter (.262 with 324 HR) also immediately come to mind when thinking of the best catchers of all-time.
Then there are the 2 best of our generation: Mike Piazza and Ivan Rodriguez. Piazza is a 12-time All-Star and holds the career record for HR hit by a catcher (419). Piazza is also a career .309 hitter and is generally regarded as the best hitting catcher in history. Pudge, meanwhile, is considered by many to be the best defensive catcher of all-time. .304 career batting average, 285 HR, 12 Gold Gloves, and 15 All-Star appearances dot his resume.
As for my Top 5 Catchers of All-Time:
1. Johnny Bench – HOF in 1989
2. Ivan Rodriguez – Future HOF
3. Mike Piazza – Future HOF
4. Roy Campanella – HOF in 1969
5. Yogi Berra – HOF in 1972
Ken Griffey is without a doubt a Hall a Famer. A strong end to his career like he’s having this season will only cement that and make his numbers more impressive than ever. I sediment Raible’s thoughts that this isn’t even a debate.
As for Pudge, I think the question is good for a few reasons. A. It really causes you to look back at the all-time greats and their stats and accomplishments and B. It causes you to stop and realize just how good not only Pudge and Piazza are. I think in every sport it’s human nature to think higher of a player that played in the past that is playing in the present day.
Johnny Bench never hit over 300 (the 52 game season doesnt count) but did have a couple of monsterous 40 HR plus years. Raible also listed MVP, Gold Glove and team accomplishments, all incredibly impressive facts. For me, it’s too tough to rank the top catchers of all time and really be comfortable saying I’m confident with my rankings. I think what the numbers and facts prove, is that Ivan Rodriguez and Mike Piazza could and should be part of the discussion as the best catcher of all time.
Griffey is definitely a Hall Of Famer, I just wish we could discuss whether or not he is the best player ever.
Pudge has a great resume, but like you guys mentioned, you can never clearly say this guy is better than this one, or worse than this one, because they have all played during different era’s.
It is safe to say that Pudge would be in my top 3 though.
I thought that the Braves’ acquisition of Mark Teixeira was a fantastic one. Big Tex was the biggest name on the Trading Block, and for Atlanta to come away with him was a major coup. It might have cost the team Salty, but Tex is still a great, young hitter who is under contract through 2008. In addition, Tex went to college at Georgia Tech…so there’s a chance that Atlanta will be able to resign him. Tex fills a big need at 1B for the Braves, who deemed Salty expendable after signing catcher Brian McCann to an extension last season. And to say that Tex has started off strong would be the understatement of the week!
With that being said, I still don’t think that the Braves are the favorite in the NL East…in fact, they still might only be the 3rd best team in a very competitive division. Atlanta’s rotation still leaves a lot to be desired, and I am convinced that Bob Wickman pretty much sucks at this point.
As for the division favorite, I would still say that it is the Mets. New York still boasts a lineup as good as Atlanta’s after the Tex trade, and the Mets hope to receive a giant boost when Pedro Martinez, pretty much Jesus himself, returns to the rotation sometime in late August or September. The Luis Castillo trade was a solid one for the Mets, filling a hole at 2B with a solid veteran who can still move well around the bases, can field the position solidly, and has excelled hitting in the #2 hole for a World Series Champion in the past.
The Tex trade, however, clearly forced other NL teams to make trades. How else could you explain the Pirates’ acquisition of Matt Morris? I mean, it was clear that the Buccos felt they needed to make a move to stay competitive with the Braves, and the team certainly found its man in the ageless Morris. This move should allow Pittsburgh to remain near the top of the NL for decades to come.
It’s been awhile since there has been some baseball talk on here…
-Interesting that the teams with the best overall records in each league get to pick which series (dates of games) they play in this year. With that in mind, a quick look at each league:
AL –
1. Boston: Still the best team in the Junior Circuit
2. California: Postseason experience makes them a threat
3. Cleveland: How will they respond when it matters?
4. New York: Another Yanks-Angels series?!?!
5. Detroit: Trail Tribe by 5.5, Yanks by 4
I like the Red Sox to win the American League here. Their lineup is obviously stacked, can go Beckett/Schill/Dice-K in the playoffs, and have Papelbon/Gagne/Okajima coming out of the pen. I don’t trust the Angels’ pitchers (Lackey has proven himself, but no one else really has in the postseason), I don’t think that the Yanks have enough pitching, and the Indians seem a year or two (and a pitcher or two) away. Big series this weekend at Fenway.
NL –
1. New York: The clear favorite
2. Arizona: How they keep winning I’ll never know
3. Chicago: Cubs should win the Central
4. San Diego: Want no part of a Mets vs. Pads Best-of-5
5. Philadelphia: Trail Mets by 7, Pads by 3
6. Colorado: Trail D-Backs by 5.5, Pads by 3
7. Los Angeles: Trail D-Backs by 6, Pads by 3.5
8. Milwaukee: Tied with Cubs, Trail Pads by 5
Clearly, I like the Mets in the National League. The return of Pedro seems to have sparked the team, and you get the feeling that the boys are just itching to get into the postseason and make it back to the World Series for the first time since 2000. However, a potential Best-of-5 first round series with the Padres could be staring at them, which could prove more difficult than the NLCS; the Padres’ trio of Peavy, Young, and Maddux are gonna be a tough out for whoever has to play them. I still feel like the Cubs can put it all together and make that run, but I don’t particularly like anyone in that bullpen other than Marmol.
-The MVP/CY talk has picked up on the Worldwide Leader recently, so there’s no reason for Raibs not to chime in:
Don’t really see how A-Rod doesn’t win this award, especially with Maggs and the Tigers falling off and the Yanks making a surge toward the playoffs. Guys like Sheff, Papi, and Lowell could have been on this list, too.
Wow, this race is WIDE open. I think that the winner should be Matt Holliday in Colorado, but I don’t think he will win. Prince is the sexy pick because he leads the league in HR, but he might not even be the best hitter on his own team (Braun). Wright has really turned it on since the All-Star Break, Rollins has been the most consistent Phillies producer, and Miggy is just having a stupid good year for a bad Marlins team. Utley, Howard, Hanley, Reyes, etc. could all make a case to be on this list.
Seems like C.C. is picking up steam from the folks on ESPN in his quest to put his name somewhere below Pedro’s. A number of other guys could have made this list, including Haren, Carmona, Lackey, Bedard, etc. The best part is that if I had to win 1 game, I would take Johan Santana over anyone else in the AL.
Peavy is the best pitcher in baseball right now and should relatively easily win this award. A couple of closers make the list here for being lights out (like James Toney). Other guys considered were Hudson, Smoltz, Big Z, Young, etc.
-I also like the league winners getting to pick if they play in the 6 day or 7 day series’s. I think Mike and Mike fail to realize that what might be more important in deciding is not who you have, but who your opponets have.
-I think previous postseason success/proving themselves in playoffs is overrated. Just think whoever plays better plays better. With that said, if the Red Sox will beat the Angels, everyone will probably point to that fact as if it mattered and Raibs will look like the genius.
-How the heck are the DBacks any good? Seriously. I don’t get it either.
-Mets would dominate the Padres in a series
-I wish the NL Central was just good so us Pirates fans couldn’t complain. But it sucks and we continue to have hope.
-David Wright. So much for the “Raible curse”
-NL MVP really is wide open.
-AL MVP should go to Big Papi. After all, he has the best song.
-Braun definitely is the Brewers best player. Lloyd Braun that is.
-AL Cy Young is basically whoever has the last best start. So tight.
-First off, I am definitely rooting for the Rockies tomorrow against the Padres. I love how the Rockies have finished 13-1 to force this 1-game playoff, I love the youth and energy that the team plays with, and I love FUENTES! The game itself should be interesting in that you have the game’s best pitcher, Jake Peavy, playing in what has traditionally been the toughest pitcher’s park, Coors Field. While I want the Rox to win, I fully expect Peavy to be brilliant and lead the Pads into the postseason.
-As for the Postseason, how about some predictions:
NLDS –
Cubs over Diamondbacks
Phillies over Padres/Rockies
ALDS –
Red Sox over Angels
Yankees over Indians
NLCS –
Phillies over Cubs
ALCS –
Yankees over Red Sox
World Series –
Yankees over Phillies
-And now, it’s Award Time:
NL MVP: Jimmy Rollins
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy
AL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia
NL ROY: Troy Tulowitzki
AL ROY: Dustin Pedroia
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Dmitri Young
AL Comeback Player of the Year: Carlos Pena
NL Manager of the Year: Clint Hurdle
AL Manager of the Year: Eric Wedge
You know, for being a MVP-caliber player, Matt Holliday has pretty much sucked tonight. He is like 1-for-90, with his only hit being a single. More importantly, he badly (BADLY!) misplayed a Brian Giles routine fly ball that cost the Rockies their lead…a lead that has since been turned over to the Padres in extra innings. Sorry, dude, but MVPs don’t play that poorly in the biggest game of their lives.
Couldn’t you say the same thing about Jake Peavy? 6 ER in 6.1 IP? J-Ro was my MVP before this game, with Holliday, Fielder, Wright and Peavy rounding out the top 5 and nothing has changed, but I don’t think anything could have changed in my mind anyway. 3 K’s are bad, but I don’t see why the attack on (Wells’s boy!) Holliday but if you’re gonna critique stars for not comin to play tonight, Peavy’s name has to be involved.
I think I might be biased in my next comments but:
Nothing better than an ALCS other than the Yankees-Sox.
Nothing better than two teams who weren’t supposed to do anything in the NLCS. I mean St. Louis and Houston owned this distinction the last three years, and the Mets are just a poor mans blueprint of the yankees/sox.
Matt Holliday should win the MVP, but he may not even be his team’s MVP. Rookie Troy Tulowitzki has really made this team believe they can win.
Is there any doubt that pitching wins playoff series? More importantly, RELIEF PITCHING
I saw on the bottom line tonight that the steroid investigation is about to blow up after OCT 31ST, anyone think that Papi might be targeted and they just dont want to hurt tv ratings?
Once I research a little further I would like to post my thoughts on rebuilding the Yankees….
I would like to direct everyone’s attention to scroll up and see Tim Dean’s team to watch this year, i.e. March 15th.
It’s teams like the DBacks and Rockies that give people like me, a Pirates fan, hope. Both situations illustrate great, and completely different ways a team can have success. The Dbacks really don’t have great stats, other than Brandon Webb. They were outscored this season 732-712. I read a quote recently from Eric Byrnes that was along the lines of, “I don’t blame you computer guys for not understanding why we do so well.” They won tight games when they needed to. Got the hits at the right times and the outs at the right times.
I also always preach that if you can get to around September 1 at 70-70 you have 22 games left. If you go 17-5 you might make the playoffs. If you go 5-17 you’re not even close. But stick around and get hot is exactly what the Rockies did this year. Now, one of these two teams will be in the World Series. It’s great stuff.
I think the perfect way to put the NL MVP is applying my favorite thing Lou Holtz has ever said. “I can tell you why ____ deserves it but I can’t tell you why _______ doesn’t.” Put Matt Holliday in either of those spots and Jimmy Rollins in the other.
Dean doesn’t predict the future. He already knows it’s gonna happen. That’s a great call. Short of predicting Randy Johnson would get injured, he was so on the money.
You have me really really scared about Big Papi now.
FIRE JOE TORRE. I think he’s the most overrated manager in the history of professional sports.
Anyone up for some World Series Predictions? I stumbled across the following…
Champion: Red Sox in 4
MVP: Beckett
Goat: Taveras
Champion: Rockies in 7
MVP: Holliday
Goat: Youkilis
Champion: Red Sox in 5
MVP: Beckett
Goat: Fuentes
Champion: Red Sox in 4
MVP: Manny
Goat: Fuentes
First and foremost, Fuentes is not a Goat! Now, with that being said, the real question is: Will Wells root for his Rockies or his boys Lowell and Youk?
Here is how I see the World Series breaking down…
Game 1: Red Sox defeat Rockies (Beckett over Francis)
Game 2: Red Sox defeat Rockies (Schilling over Jimenez)
Game 3: Rockies defeat Red Sox (Fogg over Dice-K)
Game 4: Red Sox defeat Rockies (Wakefield over Cook)
Game 5: Red Sox defeat Rockies (Beckett over Francis)
MVP: Josh Beckett
Goat: Matt Herges
I think that the layoff is gonna kill the Rockies, much like it did to the Tigers last year. Colorado’s pitching staff isn’t all that impressive, and winning 20 of 21 games (or whatever the hell it is) in the NL is a little different than doing the same against AL competition. I think that Beckett will continue to be the man and take home the hardware again, while I expect Josh Fogg to lead the Rockies to a Game 3 win in the first ever World Series game in Denver. As for Herges, I think that he is going to allow Boston to open up a lead in Game 1 after Francis and Beckett have a classic pitching matchup. Herges will then reappear later in the series, only to see a Manny HR sailing out of the Denver sky.
With how hot Boston has been, and the recent increased production from Pedroia, I just can’t see a scenario that has the Sox losing to the Rox. It might go past 5 games, but I don’t see it going 7. If the Rockies have any desire to win this series, taking Game 1 would certainly behoove them. Additionally, they would be well schooled not to allow the series to get back to Boston, as Cleveland did.
Man, I live on WCG and ESPN SportsNation when I am at work anymore. And there’s nothing quite like bringing the two together. I saw a couple of sweet things on SportsNation today that I would like to share (along with my thoughts)…
What is your rooting interest in the World Series?
-Red Sox (Boston’s tenth man could not be wrong!)
Which team has the better projected starting rotation?
-Red Sox
Which closer is a better bet in the ninth inning?
-Jonathan Papelbon
Which team has a better overall bullpen?
-Red Sox
Which team has a more dangerous heart of the order?
-Red Sox
What impact will a week off have on Colorado?
-Negative Effect
Which manager’s hunches would you trust more?
-Terry Francona
Which veteran would you rather see win a title?
-Todd Helton (instead of J.D. Drew)
Where will fans be the loudest?
-Boston
Which team will win the World Series?
-Red Sox
All-Time World Series Team –
DH: Reggie Jackson
C: Johnny Bench
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Bill Mazeroski
SS: Derek Jeter
3B: Mike Schmidt
LF: Rickey Henderson
CF: Mickey Mantle
RF: Roberto Clemente
UT: Jackie Robinson
RP: Mariano Rivera
SP: Bob Gibson
-I admit that I am biased toward Maz and Clemente, but Maz was actually the leader in the clubhouse in the national voting, too (Clemente was trailing two decent guys named Ruth and Aaron). Picking between Jackson and Big Papi at DH was tough, as was the Starting Pitcher between Gibson and Koufax. I took Robinson as my Utility over Pete Rose.
Best Managers of All-Time –
1. Joe McCarthy: 2125-1333, 7 World Series
2. John McGraw: 2763-1948, 3 World Series
3. Casey Stengel: 1905-1842, 7 World Series
4. Connie Mack: 3731-3948, 5 World Series
5. Billy Martin: 1253-1013, 2 World Series
6. Tony LaRussa: 2375-2070, 2 World Series
7. Earl Weaver: 1480-1060, 1 World Series
8. Leo Durocher: 2008-1709, 1 World Series
9. Joe Torre: 2067-1170, 4 World Series
10. Bobby Cox: 2255-1764, 1 World Series
11. Davey Johnson: 1148-888, 1 World Series
The combination of McCarthy’s incredible record and 7 titles gets him the nod in my book. It’s tough to figure out where these guys should slot in, especially guys like McGraw, Stengel, and Mack. I may be exhibiting some bias toward Martin after watching the Bronx is Burning this Summer, but I don’t care. I don’t mean to discredit Torre’s accomplishments, but I don’t consider him to be as good of a manager as LaRussa. I think Cox is somewhat overrated, too.
No Wakefield on the Sox roster. What does this mean for Game 4? Beckett on short rest? Jon Lester returns to the rotation? It will probably depend on how the series plays itself out.
It was also announced that Aaron Cook would officially get the call in Game 4 for the Rox, following starts from Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Josh Fogg.
Does anyone besides me consider not pitching Francis tonight? Obviously this will look stupid if they pull out a close one tonight, but Francis isn’t going to pitch three times no matter what, and I’m leaning towards pitching him against Dice in game 3.
You can’t not pitch your ace to dodge Beckett. Francis is an emerging star in this league and has pitched very well down the stretch. It’s not out of the question that the Rockies will knock off another ace in this magical run…..They’ve taken down Peavy(2), Penny(2), Lowe, Cole Hamels and Brandon Webb….
I think you just go out there and play ball…They are well managed have a tough lineup and a good bullpen. If Francis keeps it close, they could steal one later in the game.
Wow, Dean, I know this is obviously after the fact, but I love that idea and THINK I would have yesterday, too. You said it perfectly, there’s no chance of pitchign 3 times, so because of that you can at least toss around the idea. If your #1, #2, #3, and #4 are all worse than their equal counterpart why not try to manipulate the matchups to get some in their favor?!?
Obviously I can see downsides but I love this idea.
Yo Wheels, how bout some homework (or Raible)? You mentioned all of those aces the Rockies have beaten. No doubt the Rockies dominated just about everyone in their way. Here’s my question, though, and I’m not sure if this will lead to being a point for your point or Dean’s as I don’t know the answer, BUT, how many of those wins against those aces were by Francis? How many were by other pitchers and by what pitcher? I guess my point is that that stat proves aces can be beaten and there’s at least no way that every single one of those wins was by Francis. Im just simply curious. And I like this so much just because it’s something different. Not necessarily right. I think the fact the Rockies were such underdogs that it could look bad if they woulda done something like that. I also think with so much time off you might not want Francis to rest even longer. So im not saying this is the exact series to try this in (although it coulda been) as much as I like this point in general.
I was thinking more about this topic. I think this is a classic example of something different, so it sounds like it shouldn’t be done. I even think if teams did this it would be criticized but all it would take is working in just one series and could then catch on and be a normal occurance.
I think that the Yankees are going to go with Don Mattingly as their next manager. Rumors say that the Yanks are somewhat concerned about having Joe Girardi manage players with which he played, while I consider Pena to be #3 on their list. I just think that Mattingly is an ideal candidate for the Yanks as he would seem to fit the mold of someone who would listen to the bosses, yet he has enough Yankees in him for the fans to love him.
According to ESPN, it looks like Girardi will be named the next manager of the Yankees (I’m wrong again).
As for the rest of MLB, I think that the offseason is just as sweet as the regular season (the postseason trumps it all). You have the Yankees, with a new manager in tow, attempting to rebuild themselves into a WS contender. You have Boston, the defending champs, on the verge of a potential dynasty with a couple of key free agents (Schill and Lowell). You have the Mets, having suffered the one of the biggest collapses in history, looking to rebound and stamp themselves as the NL favorites once again. And you have A-Rod, with all of the drama that follows him, looking for a new contract and, potentially, a new home.
Anybody else get the feeling that Torre and A-Rod are going to stick it to the Yankees, like Al Damato and Steamin’ Willy Beamin did to the Miami Sharks when they left for Albuquerque?
I like the A-Rod to LA idea. Rob Neyer shut it down, arguing that the Dodgers have good young players at the corners. But I think if Rod would be comfortable back at short it would work. He’d be the unquestioned top dog on a young team featuring Andy LaRoche, James Loney, Matt Kemp etc. With all the youth it wouldn’t be crazy if they had some growing pains, but if everything clicked they could easily make a run in the NL.
On the downside they do have some high, and questionable, salaries on the books from 2007 including, Nomar, Gonzo, Pierre, Kent, and Furcal. I’m not sure who is coming back for sure besides Pierre at $7.5M. Nomar and Gonzo are part timers at this point, and Kent probably splits time with Loney at first in an ideal situation. Could Furcal move to 2nd, or could Rod play 3rd with LaRoche as trade bait for pitching? I think it’s worth the manuevering to get Rod.
I could see a lineup like this doing damage in the NL:
1. Furcal SS
2. Martin C
3. Rod 3B
4. Loney 1B
5. Kent 2B
6. Kemp LF
7. Ethier RF
8. Pierre CF
I really like the Girardi signing. I could be looking WAY to into this but that’s what I do……..
-Girardi could be an amazing manager. He’s also hard-nosed and tough which not only do I love in a manager but think will be good and needed for the Yankees. If they passed up a potential super manager for an unproven Don Mattingly they might have regretted it forever. They now give Girardi the full chance to succeed. However, while Girardi is trying to replace Torre, Mattingly is still learning the game elsewhere. If Girardi fails, you have to believe Mattingly could still be for the taking. If Girardi fails, New York fans will be dying for someone unlike Girardi and like Torre, which seems to be Mattingly. He won’t be the guy replacing Torre he’ll be the guy that replaced the guy that replaced Torre, which is usually a better situation. I think hiring Girardi now, with full intention of having him manage for 20 years successfully but in the back of their mind thinking Donny baseball could take over if Girardi fails is the perfect way to go.
“Anybody else get the feeling that Torre and A-Rod are going to stick it to the Yankees, like Al Damato and Steamin’ Willy Beamin did to the Miami Sharks when they left for Albuquerque?”
I just came in my pants here at work…Any Given Sunday is arguably my favorite movie ever! Wow, what a mess I have created.
I love how much Haver hates Torre. LOL! With that in mind, I really don’t care how well the Yankees or Dodgers do. I have said my peace about the Yanks and how I think they need to go younger (which is why the Girardi hiring is the right move), while the Dodgers do indeed have a lot of young talent. The Dodgers were actually a pretty solid team last year before Schmidt got hurt and Penny faded down the stretch. Maybe Torre is the right guy at the right time for the job. If so, I am sure Haver will have a party!
Ya I’m sure the Dodgers will sign ARod, all of their young talent will develop (it does look real good), their pitching will be healthy and Joe Torre WILL GET ALL THE CREDIT. I can already see the crock of shit brewing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Raible you won’t find another Yankee fan(some may argue, but I’ll always have the Yanks at heart) who hasn’t been more against their philosophy or the last 5 or so years than me.
When we were winning championships in the ’90’s we were doing so with solid sp, real good bullpen, young players from our farm system and solid vets to fill the rest of the holes. I think Buster Olney wrote aqn article or book about the night the Yankees dynasty died. (Luis Gonzalez single in game 7) The funny thing is he was right, before anyone even thought the Yankees could be beat. That was the year I think George completely lost it and went away from what NY rings and began signing every big name guy off the market, either to fill a hole or steal them away from their direct competitors.
I’ll reiterate that I have been saying it for years and have actually lost interest in the Yankees, because they have robbed me and every fan of everything that’s beautiful with the game. They need to let all this high priced talent go, cut their losses for MAYBE a year and continue to develop talent, while bringing in Vets to fill the holes. Moreover, they need a complete overhaul in the bullpen, and to let their young arms continue to gain experience at the big league level.
With that said, can’t believe they picked up Abreu’s option of $16M. Ok, maybe I can, and when I take a step back I realize that Abreu and Melky are really the only two guys on the roster right now who can patrol the OF every night. I mean for god sakes they were DHing Damon and Matsui is having arthroscopic knee surgery.
That’s all I have to say right now…can’t wait for the FA season to begin. Oh and go Rockies!!
Miguel Cabrera was the big name being bandied about Tuesday as baseball general managers waited to hear what the Florida Marlins would want for their young slugger. Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams acknowledged he was listening to offers for Joe Crede. The New York Yankees, who lost Alex Rodriguez when he opted out of his contract and became a free agent, could get involved in talks for both Cabrera and Crede. Florida appears less eager to trade Dontrelle Willis. While the Yankees have top young pitchers such as Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy, Cashman is reluctant to part with them. The Minnesota Twins want to hold onto pitcher Johan Santana, who is eligible for free agency after next season. GMs voted to recommend the limited use of instant replay.
I would hate to see the Yankees acquire Cabrera, namely for the fact that I think Cabrera is one of the top 3B in the league and wouldn’t be that much of a downgrade from A-Rod (P.S. I don’t like the Yankees). I think that Florida is going to want something big, though; remember, it cost the Red Sox Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez to acquire Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. Since Cashman won’t part with one of his young studs, I would think that trading for Crede might make more sense. I heard a rumor that it could be Johnny Damon for Joe Crede, straight up. If the Yank$
As for Cabrera, I’m not sure where I see him ending up. Rumors are running rampant that A-Rod will end up with one of the 2 Los Angeles teams (although he is meeting with the Mets, supposedly…wow, by the way), so maybe Miggy goes to the team that loses out on A-Rod. The important point to remember is that Cabrera would have to be traded for, though, which would obviously cost a team some prospects. The Dodgers, though, might have the prospects that the Marlins are looking for.
I had been hoping that the Mets would put together a package involving Milledge, a pitcher (Pelfrey perhaps), and something else to acquire Johan. Now, though, it looks like the Twins aren’t interested in trading Santana.
Arod to the Mets is sweet. Dwright at 2B would be ridiculous and even at corner OF would help at a spot they need help at. This rumor has been floating around for a little while now and I of course talked to Hoss about it. He dismissed it, but more so because he sees it as Arod or Johan and wants to save up for Johan. I say get Alex now and Johan later!
Part of me would love Arod in Boston as a replacement to Lugo. I’d love to see that lineup. The only thing that worries me is there’d be so much pressure for the Sox to win and if they didn’t you’d start hearing why it was Arod’s fault.
I always wonder if he waits long enough to sign if the Cubs ownership will be cleared up by then and they could offer the boatload that was always talked about. Also wonder if a team is just gonna swoop in one day and no one sees it coming or if it’s gonna be something we all expect.
Is it any surprise that the Yankees are resigning all of their high priced talent?
No, absolutely not. Maybe Abreu surprises me but Arod, Posada and Rivera don’t. Even if you want to get rid of your older players, you’re probably not including A. the best player in the game, B. a top 5 catcher if you don’t have one waiting in the wings and C. a top 5 closer of all-time that you’re in love with. Those people/positions are tough to give up on. I would think the Yanks coulda come up with a nice, young role playing corner outfielder instead of Abreu but I remember a few weeks ago Wells alluded to the Yanks not having many other options there. Regardless he seems like he would have been a good candidate not to have return. Another thing is it doesn’t appear that Pettitte or Clemens will return. That right there will lose payroll and increase youth. I don’t know offhand but perhaps there’s another situation or two like those on the team?!? I still believe that Hank Steinbrenner would like to go younger but I think it’s possible that the guys he’d like to let go aren’t the players they could currently let go. Maybe one more season of some guys and one more season of their farm system developing and we could see more of this next year.
An addition to the Yanks comments is the rumor that they are going to ship Johnny Damon to the White Sox for Joe Crede. Now, it might not make as much sense now that A-Rod seems to be in the fold, but maybe the Yanks can find a partner willing to give up a 1B in exchange for Damon.
Is there anything more intriguing in the baseball world right now than the Johan Santana saga?
Joahn, in my opinion, is the best pitcher in baseball, one who’s contract is up after the 2008 season. Santana currently pitches for a potential contender in Minnesota, who, by all accounts, won’t be able to afford him once he hits the free agent market.
So what are the Twins to do? Hold on to Santana and make a run at the title? Trade Johan prior to the season? Hold on to him until July and see what you can get for him at the deadline?
While Minnesota has yet to make up their minds, the trade possibilities seem to be endless…
-Johan to the Angels for Gary Matthews Jr., Ervin Santana, and Reggie Willits
-Johan to the Dodgers for a package surrounding Matt Kemp
-Joahn to the Red Sox for Jacoby Ellsbury/Coco Crisp and Clay Bucholz
-Johan to the Yankees for some kind of package including any of Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Melky Cabrera, and Robinson Cano
-Johan to the Mets for some kind of package including Lastings Milledge, Mike Pelfrey, Carlos Gomez, Phillip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Fernando Martinez
Personally, I would love to see the Mets be able to package up Milledge, Pelfrey, and someone else for Santana, but who knows what is going to happen. Stay tuned, though, as it should be fun!
The Pirates, with new GM Neal Huntington directing yet another rebuilding process, are discussing sending corner outfielder Xavier Nady (.278 batting average, 20 homers, 72 RBI in ‘07) and center fielder Nate McLouth (.258, 13, 38, 22 steals) to San Diego for third base prospect Chase Headley (.330, 20, 78 for Double-A San Antonio).
Not sure how this would impact Jose Bautista and Neil Walker, or Steve Pearce and Andrew McCutcheon for that matter, but it is certainly interesting.
Was there anything more disappointing or frustrating from a fan’s perspective than making Neil Walker a full time 3B last season? They couldn’t have played him at Catcher and Third Base and just brought him along slowly at each? It’d be so nice to make a trade like mentioned above and have the newly acquired Headley at 3B with Walker at C. Perfectly fine with Pearce or anyone else taking over for Nady. Obviously, it might be easier said than done to have a young guy play two positions in the minors and maybe they just realized Walker would never be a major league catcher but that’s why I said frustrating from a fan’s perspective. Huntington means business.
Jason Bay and Ronny Paulino for Franklin Franklin Gutierrez, Kelly Shoppach, and Cliff Lee?!?!
Is this the worst trade in history? Why would the Pirates trade Bay at his lowest possible trade value, especially when his contract is Pittsburgh-friendly? I REALLY hope this doesn’t happen.
The Tigers acquiring Miggy and Dontrelle was HUGE and immediately puts them on par with the Red Sox and Yankees. Florida, meanwhile, continues to get solid prospects when they sell off their talent, acquiring Maybin and Miller in this deal (after getting Hanley and Sanchz in the Beckett/Lowell deal).
It always seemed like the Angels were going to be the ones to nab Cabrera, so it will be interesting to see what they decide to do. They obviously have 1 too many CFs with both Hunter and Matthews, so I have a feeling that they’re not done wheeling and dealing. Could they put together a package for Santana?
Hoss called me the other night and said that the Mets are trying to work a deal for Bedard, which would be sweet. If Minnesota is asking for Reyes, then the Mets are appropriately telling them to “pound salt” (why don’t more people use this phrase?). I like trying to acquire Bedard more so than Haren.
The Pirates are rumored to have made inquiries regarding Brandon Inge and Chad Durbin (or is it J.D.) from the Tigers. Why? Better question: When does Johan become a Met?!?!
Favorite Move So Far: How can’t it be the Tigers acquiring Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis? While the move cost the team two of its top prospects (Maybin and Miller), it also allows the Tigers to vault right back into the mix when talking about the most talented teams in all of baseball. The Red Sox made a similar trade a few years back for Lowell and Beckett, and look how well that turned out for them.
Least Favorite Move So Far: Lastings Milledge was supposed to be this great prospect whom the Mets were reluctant to trade. So when all he fetched via trade was Ryan Church and Brian Schneider, I was more than a little puzzled. Hopefully, Omar Minaya has at least 1 more deal up his sleeve (Santana, Bedard, Haren, etc.?).
Let’s revisit the MLB predictions, shall we, now that we are about 1 month into the season…
I had the Mets in the NL East, and I think this is still looking strong. New York hasn’t even played all that well yet and are still only 1.5 GB of Florida, of all teams. Pedro is due back in about 3 weeks or so…then the Mets will be ready to roll to the division title.
I had the Cubs in the NL Central, which is looking good. St. Louis has been a surprise thus far, but you have to think that this division will come down to Chicago and Milwaukee. Kosuke has been studly for the North Siders.
I had Colorado in the NL West…man did I underestimate the D-Backs, who I had 3rd. With that being said, you have to love the make-up of the D-Backs. The majority of their talent is young, including Snyder, Jackson, Drew, Reynolds, Young, and Upton. The team is led by Eric Byrnes, who just goes out there and busts his ass every day. A gold glove 2B in the O-Dawg and an amazing pitching staff led by Webb, Haren, & The Unit. Their only question is in the ‘pen, but Chad Qualls has simply been lights out while Lyon has done an admirable job of replacing Valverde.
I had Philly winning the NL Wild Card, which I am still comfortable with. Really, the only thing that I have been relatively wrong on is the D-Backs, and we all know how hot Colorado can get. However, the Rockies are already 6 GB and, if they don’t get it together soon, could be looking at a Wild Card race before long.
In the AL, I had New York, Detroit, Seattle, and Boston. The Yankees and Red Sox should both be fine and should both make the postseason. Detroit, for as terrible as they have been, are only 4 GB in the Central while the M’s sit at 1 GB in the West. All in all, not too shabby.
I had Detroit beating New York in the World Series, which isn’t looking so hot with the Tigers’ ineptitude thus far. It remains to be seen if the Tigers have enough pitching, and while I am not jumping off the bandwagon just yet, I do think that Boston has established themselves as the favorites in the AL and a legitimate threat to repeat as World Series Champs.
Only 1 month in and there’s still about 9 more to go. Go Baseball!
Chicago Cubs…I think that Captain Lou is going to lead this team to the promised land. Of course, the health of key players like Prior and Wood is important, but I think the money they spent this offseason is going to pay off in the first World Series Championship for the Cubbies in 3000 years!
Raible
March 3, 2007
It’s tough to talk about a team that will surprise. I think two teams with poor 06 records that you hear a lot about are the Cubs and the Indians. But i think you hear so much that neither would be a surprise. I could of course biasedly say the Pirates, but I won’t. I’m gonna have to do some more thinking and get back to you on this.
The way baseball’s contracts are set up, a young player really doesn’t make much money (which is something i love). The amount he got is similar to Pujols at the same time, so I’m completely fine with Howard’s contract. I think it’s safe to say if he keeps it up, he’ll have a lucrative career.
Haver
March 3, 2007
Ryan Howard: I agree with Haver that in baseball, more than any other sport, he will get his money in due time.
Biggest Surprise: As I mentioned before, the Cubs.
Best Free Agent Acquisition: Alfonso Soriano got 8 years and $136 million from the Cubs to lead them to the playoffs; I believe he will do just that.
Raible
March 5, 2007
One year does not define a player and Ryan Howard will get his due once he can produce similar numbers year in and year out. I mean RP’s are getting huge contracts, he will too.
It’s really hard to pick sleeper teams because of the state of baseball so I will pick teams who I think will have Surprising years.
AL- Seattle Mariners- This is still a bit of a young unit, but I think in the AL West anything is possible. They added Jose Guillen this year to an already potent line-up, have solid starters with a young ace and JJ Putz is someone who can close the door night in night out.
NL- Hoss presented the Pirates and my Pittsburgh friend’s agreed that the division is up for grabs, but I think the Brewers could be the team to finally turn heads. They finally have the pitching staff in tact and if Ben Sheets can stay healthy he would give them 4 proven starters with the offseason addition of Jeff Suppan, along with a solid 5th in Claudio Vargas. Their line-up should have no problem putting runs on the board while Francisco Cordero should be able to serve as a solid closer for the Brew-Crew.
Although I was born a Yankees fan I will be following the Brewers and Rockies very closely this year as well as the progress of the D-Rays.
Best Free Agent Acquisition: Gary Sheffield.He was not a FA, but got traded. Still, in a move I loved for both teams I think Sheff brings the missing link to the Tigers lineup. He brings more protection for the Tigers sluggers, a veteran bat with some pop and will be able to rotate in RF with Magglio Ordonez to keep the two players fresh for another postseason run.
Wells
March 8, 2007
Predictions…
NL East: New York, although I love Florida’s young talent
NL Central: Chicago, although the Cards are still scary
NL West: Los Angeles, although SD’s pitching is good
NL Wild Card: St. Louis
AL East: New York, although I like what I see in Toronto
AL Central: Chicago, although I like Cleveland’s potential
AL West: Los Angeles, although I always root for Oakland
AL Wild Card: Detroit
NL Champs: New York, with a new Pedro leading the charge
AL Champs: New York, because I can’t pick against them
World Series Champs: New York…Mets, that is!
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy
AL Cy Young: Johan Santana
NL ROY: Mike Pelfrey
AL ROY: Daisuke Matsuzaka
Raible
March 13, 2007
Sheffield is a great addition to the Tigers. I never saw him as a mal-content in the locker room, although the New York media played that out a little bit. I was disappointed in some of his recent comments about the Hall of Fame. Basically he was approached about how his career numbers are adding up to Hall of Fame credentials. He said that the Hall of Fame didn’t really mean much to him since not all the best players were in the Hall. I didn’t realize that he was such a big Pete Rose fan.
All kidding aside, Major League Baseball mirrors our Great American history. Segregation has been present in this great game since its inception. The shame of the game started to turn around after WWII when it was determined that there were some pretty good players in the Negro Leagues. But still, it took some clubs a long time to integrate their rosters. We all know that Jackie Robinson joined the then Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Why then did it take the Yankees eight more years before they added their first black player to their roster in 1955? His name was Elston Howard, and he was League MVP in 1963. (Mantle and Maris were on that 63 team.) The first Japanese player to make a major league roster came up with San Francisco in the middle 60’s (about 20 years after WWII. It took awhile for the nation to forgive the Japanese for Pearl Harbor). Let’s not talk about the integration of the Red Sox (Pumpsie Green circa 1960).
Slowly, MLB has evolved racially just as our nation has. Although, up until 1965, Roberto Clemente’s baseball cards listed him as Bob. What’s that all about? Why is Mickey Mantle’s rookie card worth more that Mays’ and Aaron’s put together? Even through the spin-off business of baseball card collecting, John Q. Public got into the act by prejudicial-pricing. Was the cart leading the horse?
Getting back to Sheffield, he could have gone about saying what he said differently. Let’s face it, coming into the league as Doc Gooden’s nephew had to be difficult. Will he live up to the success of his uncle, or will he fall to the depths? He was just a kid. He was wearing braces when his rookie card picture was taken. He was a Brewer shortstop, a champion in Florida, and he survived the Bronx. He has made more money playing this game than what most of us will see in a lifetime.
His numbers may add up to Cooperstown. If he is invited to that dance, he should go and make the case for equal recognition there. It just sounded like he was making a statement of indifference to the Hall in the event that he wasn’t inducted.
pmryder
March 13, 2007
I’m not sure who my picks are to go to the playoffs yet. Instead I’ll list some teams that I would be happy about if I rooted for them:
1. I like Arizona.
I always like young cores of talent. Look at all the players who are predicted to advance their production this year- Carlos Quentin RF, Connon Jackson 1B, Chad Tracy 3B, Chris Young CF, and Stephen Drew SS. They have Justin Upton on his way as well. They also have some solid players who play defense and are in their prime, even if that prime isn’t awesome. Eric Byrnes and Orlando Huson come to mind. I like both of these guys as role players. I also met Byrnes at the bar one time and tried to get him to become a client. It didn’t really work, but we bullshitted for about an hour, after which I was convinced he was a solid clubhouse presence. Chemistry isn’t proven to be worth anything but I like it anyway.
The rotation is anchored by Brandon Webb, the cy young winner, and the Big Fuckin Unit. I always thought Doug Davis was underrated, and Livan Hernandez will give them some solid starts. In the bullpen, Velverde isn’t awesome but he and Julio have experience closing, and Brandon Lyon is solid with some upside.
NEXT TIME……….The Blue Jays…….
thegreatawakening
March 15, 2007
I think that Dice-K will win more games than Igawa; I’m thinking:
Dice-K: 17 wins
Igawa: 12 wins
Raible
March 25, 2007
Dice- K: 14 wins
Kei Igawa: 14 wins
NL East: Mets
NL Central: Brewers
NL West: D-Backs
NL WC: Padres
Mets over Padres
D-Backs over Brewers
NLCS: Mets over D-Backs
NL Cy Young: Ben Sheets
NL ROY: Troy Tulowitzki, COL
AL EAST: Red Sox
AL CENTRAL: Indians
AL WEST: Angels
AL WC: Yankees
Angels over Yankees
Indians over Red Sox
ALCS: Indians over Angels
AL Cy Young: John Lackey
AL ROY: Elijah Dukes
World Series: Mets over Indians
Wells
April 5, 2007
Definitely cheating but it’s still the most recent question. I think Dice-K will win 17 games. The Red Sox will win a lot of games this year and while some starters have to lose, they no longer have “4 aces” but “just” 3. It’s premature but I think Dice-K will lead the Bo Sox in wins.
I’m going the opposite way with Kei. While you have to love the run support, even the best team in the majors will lose around 60 games. Not that I think Kei will be horrible but I look for a record with about 10-11 wins and 10-11 losses.
Haver
April 10, 2007
Dice looks crafty but I heard an interesting comment today. Somebody said that his fastball is nothing special, which it may not need to be with all his other weapons, and that patient lineups like the Yanks may chew him up on occasion.
I like the guy and I love his style but it made me think a bit.
thegreatawakening
April 10, 2007
I don’t think that MLB should punish Torii Hunter for his champagne gift to the Royals. I mean we’re talking about champagne here, not hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plus, as Torii said, “I do good things; if you want to make a good thing into a bad thing, then so be it.”
Raible
April 25, 2007
I am rooting against Barry Bonds simply for the fact that I do not like him. To boot, his career will be clouded with mystery until/if is he found guilty/innocent of steroid use. I don’t think that it matters that balls are leaving the park so frequently; if Bonds breaks the record, I don’t think it’s going to be a situation where it’s guaranteed to be broken by someone playing today (A-Rod, Pujols, etc.). It is extremely difficult to maintain the level of consistency that it takes to hit over 700 HR; look at Griffey…he was a guy who was probably on pace to break records, but what seems like 100 injuries have struck him to the point where he isn’t considered a threat to break the record.
I’m really not surprised by the success of the Brewers this year due in large part to the fact that they seemed to be a popular choice among the so-called “experts” as this year’s version of the Tigers. And why not? Chris Capuano, Prince Fielder, Bill Hall, a solid bullpen anchored by Francisco Cordero, and so on and so forth. While I would be shocked if the Brewers experienced as much success as last year’s Tigers (AL Champs), I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Brew Crew win the NL Central, which seems to be up for grabs thanks to the slow start of the Redbirds.
Raible
May 11, 2007
I can’t wait for Bonds to break Hammerin’ Hank’s Home Run Record. Not to sound too cliche’, but records are made to be broken. I also want to believe that when the record falls, it will usher in the era of the cleansing of the perception of the game.
The outstanding performances of any player today is greeted by the skepticism. Guilty until proven innocent. I think that over the years Major League Baseball has handled the whole scandal so poorly that the World Public has trouble believing in the MLB product.
In spite of itself, MLB has one thing going for it. THE GAME.
pmryder
May 17, 2007
The Yankees are a freakin’ (Dave) mess right now, what with Mo Rivera doing absolutely nothing, Jason Giambi admitting to steroid use, and the hopes of the season riding on the aging arm of Roger Clemens. With that said, this is the freakin’ Yankees, people, and I will still be SHOCKED if they do not make the Playoffs, with Roger probably good for at least 10-12 wins along the way.
As for Giambi, I give him props for coming clean; if it were me, however, I would have shut up until proven guilty. I don’t think that the Yanks should take any action, positive or negative, toward him, nor should MLB.
Raible
May 24, 2007
All-Star Teams…
AL—
1B: Justin Morneau
2B: B.J. Upton
SS: Derek Jeter
3B: Alex Rodriguez
C: Victor Martinez
OF: Magglio Ordonez (CF)
OF: Gary Sheffield (LF)
OF: Vladimir Guerrero (RF)
SP: Dan Haren
NL—
1B: Prince Fielder
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Jose Reyes
3B: Miguel Cabrera
C: Russell Martin
OF: Matt Holliday (RF)
OF: Carlos Lee (LF)
OF: Eric Byrnes (CF)
SP: Jake Peavy
Raible
June 23, 2007
Looks like I agree for the most part so will only comment down the list
1B-Morneau with the narrow edge over Big Papi but not only is he having a slightly better season, he’s a real 1b.
Prince is a slam dunk (even though I’d still bet on Pujols finishing with better end of season statistics)
2B-Utley another slam. As for the AL, I’m goin with Brian Roberts. Really a big group of guys that are close but I think Roberts is the head of the class.
SS-Reyes, duh! Jeter probably gets the edge because he’s Derek Jeter, but Raible’s boy Orlando Cabrera is every bit as deserving. I’ll actually go with Cabrera here, not so much because he’s on a better team but because he’s Raible’s boy!!!!!!
3B-ARod and Miggy. Yes please.
C-Same as Raible again.
OF-AL probably has the 3 best in Magglio, Vlad and Sheffield. Holliday is the top in the NL and then no one jumps out. I’m goin Barry Bonds, as he’s still the most feared in the world. Ok, maybe not but his BB to K ratio, OB% and SLG% are top notch as usual. I guess I’ll go with Carlos Lee but if any one of the top 10 NL OF’s has a hot week they could catapult to a starter.
SP-Once again, (I) can’t argue with Raible’s selections here.
To sum up, only differences with Raible are…..
AL 2B: Brian Roberts over B.J. Upton
AL SS: Orlando Cabrera over Derek Jeter
NL OF: Barry Bonds over Eric Byrnes
Haver
June 23, 2007
AL/NL
C-Martinez/Martin
1B-Morneau/Prince
2B-Polanco/Utley
3B-A-Rod/Cabrera
SS-Jeter/Reyes
OF-Mags/Holliday
OF-Vlad/Bonds
OF-Ichiro/Griffey
SP-Haren/Peavy
Also considered
AL- Posada, Kevin Youkilis, Papi, Roberts, Cabrera, Guillen, Hunter, Sizemore, Sheffield, Beckett, Lackey
NL- Howard, Aramis, Chipper, JJ Hardy, Lee, Penny
I strictly gave Peavy the nod because Penny started last year. Obviously this list could be bigger, but at first glance these would be my squads. There are a bunch of one category guys like Sosa and Dunn who have either RBI’s OR Hr’s and not avg or the other category.
I truly think it would have been interesting if Howard had been healthy all year for NL 1B same with Aramis and Chipper. The NL is loaded at 1b.
If Posada’s power production was better he’s having a hell of a year and would be my pick, but Victor is just so good.
Polanco’s numbers as far as HR/RBI’s and the fact that his team wins gave him the nod over Roberts in my book. But you have to love B-ROB.
How could I not have Youkilis on this list?
-He’s the Greek God of Walks
-He plays 2 positions
I guess David Wright has to be thrown into 3b TALK, but definitely not doing anything spectacular.
In both leagues you have 3-4 guys who could be the starting SS.
I was talking with Haver today and the NL is so thin in the OF. Raible I loved the Byrnes pick, but what about a guy like Aaron Rowand? The guy is having a monster year and because he’s not a marquee name the average fan doesn’t hear too much about him.
Speaking of which, how are the Phillies not better? Oh, right their pitching is awful.
Talk amongst yourselves.
Wells
July 2, 2007
Should Ken Griffey Jr. be in the Hall Of Fame? Is this really even a question? I mean, you are talking about one of the five best talents to ever play the game! While injuries may have derailed his chase at the record books, Junior still recently passed Frank Robinson on the all-time career HR list…clearly HOF stuff!
Is Pudge the best Catcher of all time? Great Question. Let’s look at the candidates before deciding…
Johnny Bench hit as well as anyone not named Piazza and fielded as well as anyone not named Pudge (as witnessed by his 10 Gold Gloves. Bench won 2 MVP awards and his team won 6 pennants in 8 years (2 World Championships). Career .267 hitter with 389 HR, 14-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year in 1968.
Yogi Berra was a 3-time MVP and a member of 14 pennant-winning teams (10 World Championships). Career .285 hitter with 358 HR and 14-time All-Star. Also a gem when it comes to quotes: “Nobody goes there anymore…it’s too crowded.”
Carlton Fisk (.269 with 376 HR), Roy Campanella (3-time MVP), and Gary Carter (.262 with 324 HR) also immediately come to mind when thinking of the best catchers of all-time.
Then there are the 2 best of our generation: Mike Piazza and Ivan Rodriguez. Piazza is a 12-time All-Star and holds the career record for HR hit by a catcher (419). Piazza is also a career .309 hitter and is generally regarded as the best hitting catcher in history. Pudge, meanwhile, is considered by many to be the best defensive catcher of all-time. .304 career batting average, 285 HR, 12 Gold Gloves, and 15 All-Star appearances dot his resume.
As for my Top 5 Catchers of All-Time:
1. Johnny Bench – HOF in 1989
2. Ivan Rodriguez – Future HOF
3. Mike Piazza – Future HOF
4. Roy Campanella – HOF in 1969
5. Yogi Berra – HOF in 1972
Raible
July 19, 2007
Ken Griffey is without a doubt a Hall a Famer. A strong end to his career like he’s having this season will only cement that and make his numbers more impressive than ever. I sediment Raible’s thoughts that this isn’t even a debate.
As for Pudge, I think the question is good for a few reasons. A. It really causes you to look back at the all-time greats and their stats and accomplishments and B. It causes you to stop and realize just how good not only Pudge and Piazza are. I think in every sport it’s human nature to think higher of a player that played in the past that is playing in the present day.
Johnny Bench never hit over 300 (the 52 game season doesnt count) but did have a couple of monsterous 40 HR plus years. Raible also listed MVP, Gold Glove and team accomplishments, all incredibly impressive facts. For me, it’s too tough to rank the top catchers of all time and really be comfortable saying I’m confident with my rankings. I think what the numbers and facts prove, is that Ivan Rodriguez and Mike Piazza could and should be part of the discussion as the best catcher of all time.
Haver
July 20, 2007
Griffey is definitely a Hall Of Famer, I just wish we could discuss whether or not he is the best player ever.
Pudge has a great resume, but like you guys mentioned, you can never clearly say this guy is better than this one, or worse than this one, because they have all played during different era’s.
It is safe to say that Pudge would be in my top 3 though.
Wells
July 23, 2007
I thought that the Braves’ acquisition of Mark Teixeira was a fantastic one. Big Tex was the biggest name on the Trading Block, and for Atlanta to come away with him was a major coup. It might have cost the team Salty, but Tex is still a great, young hitter who is under contract through 2008. In addition, Tex went to college at Georgia Tech…so there’s a chance that Atlanta will be able to resign him. Tex fills a big need at 1B for the Braves, who deemed Salty expendable after signing catcher Brian McCann to an extension last season. And to say that Tex has started off strong would be the understatement of the week!
With that being said, I still don’t think that the Braves are the favorite in the NL East…in fact, they still might only be the 3rd best team in a very competitive division. Atlanta’s rotation still leaves a lot to be desired, and I am convinced that Bob Wickman pretty much sucks at this point.
As for the division favorite, I would still say that it is the Mets. New York still boasts a lineup as good as Atlanta’s after the Tex trade, and the Mets hope to receive a giant boost when Pedro Martinez, pretty much Jesus himself, returns to the rotation sometime in late August or September. The Luis Castillo trade was a solid one for the Mets, filling a hole at 2B with a solid veteran who can still move well around the bases, can field the position solidly, and has excelled hitting in the #2 hole for a World Series Champion in the past.
The Tex trade, however, clearly forced other NL teams to make trades. How else could you explain the Pirates’ acquisition of Matt Morris? I mean, it was clear that the Buccos felt they needed to make a move to stay competitive with the Braves, and the team certainly found its man in the ageless Morris. This move should allow Pittsburgh to remain near the top of the NL for decades to come.
Raible
August 4, 2007
It’s been awhile since there has been some baseball talk on here…
-Interesting that the teams with the best overall records in each league get to pick which series (dates of games) they play in this year. With that in mind, a quick look at each league:
AL –
1. Boston: Still the best team in the Junior Circuit
2. California: Postseason experience makes them a threat
3. Cleveland: How will they respond when it matters?
4. New York: Another Yanks-Angels series?!?!
5. Detroit: Trail Tribe by 5.5, Yanks by 4
I like the Red Sox to win the American League here. Their lineup is obviously stacked, can go Beckett/Schill/Dice-K in the playoffs, and have Papelbon/Gagne/Okajima coming out of the pen. I don’t trust the Angels’ pitchers (Lackey has proven himself, but no one else really has in the postseason), I don’t think that the Yanks have enough pitching, and the Indians seem a year or two (and a pitcher or two) away. Big series this weekend at Fenway.
NL –
1. New York: The clear favorite
2. Arizona: How they keep winning I’ll never know
3. Chicago: Cubs should win the Central
4. San Diego: Want no part of a Mets vs. Pads Best-of-5
5. Philadelphia: Trail Mets by 7, Pads by 3
6. Colorado: Trail D-Backs by 5.5, Pads by 3
7. Los Angeles: Trail D-Backs by 6, Pads by 3.5
8. Milwaukee: Tied with Cubs, Trail Pads by 5
Clearly, I like the Mets in the National League. The return of Pedro seems to have sparked the team, and you get the feeling that the boys are just itching to get into the postseason and make it back to the World Series for the first time since 2000. However, a potential Best-of-5 first round series with the Padres could be staring at them, which could prove more difficult than the NLCS; the Padres’ trio of Peavy, Young, and Maddux are gonna be a tough out for whoever has to play them. I still feel like the Cubs can put it all together and make that run, but I don’t particularly like anyone in that bullpen other than Marmol.
-The MVP/CY talk has picked up on the Worldwide Leader recently, so there’s no reason for Raibs not to chime in:
AL MVP –
1. A-Rod: .319, 52 HR, 140 RBI, 133 R, 22 SB
2. Maggs: .358, 26 HR, 129 RBI, 108 R, 4 SB
3. Vlad: .327, 24 HR, 114 RBI, 81 R, 2 SB
4. Ichiro: .350, 6 HR, 59 RBI, 104 R, 37 SB
5. V. Martinez: .307, 21 HR, 101 RBI, 71 R, 0 SB
Don’t really see how A-Rod doesn’t win this award, especially with Maggs and the Tigers falling off and the Yanks making a surge toward the playoffs. Guys like Sheff, Papi, and Lowell could have been on this list, too.
NL MVP –
1. Prince: .290, 44 HR, 105 RBI, 96 R, 0 SB
2. Holliday: .335, 29 HR, 116 RBI, 100 R, 11 SB
3. D. Wright: .316, 28 HR, 96 RBI, 98 R, 31 SB
4. Rollins: .295, 27 HR, 82 RBI, 125 R, 30 SB
5. M. Cabrera: .316, 31 HR, 98 RBI, 84 R, 1 SB
Wow, this race is WIDE open. I think that the winner should be Matt Holliday in Colorado, but I don’t think he will win. Prince is the sexy pick because he leads the league in HR, but he might not even be the best hitter on his own team (Braun). Wright has really turned it on since the All-Star Break, Rollins has been the most consistent Phillies producer, and Miggy is just having a stupid good year for a bad Marlins team. Utley, Howard, Hanley, Reyes, etc. could all make a case to be on this list.
AL CY –
1. C.C. Sabathia: 17-7, 3.15 ERA, 185 K, 33 BB
2. Beckett: 18-6, 3.27 ERA, 173 K, 36 BB
3. Wang: 18-6, 3.69 ERA, 91 K, 52 BB
4. Verlander: 16-5, 3.56 ERA, 159 K, 59 BB
5. Escobar: 16-7, 3.04 ERA, 150 K, 60 BB
Seems like C.C. is picking up steam from the folks on ESPN in his quest to put his name somewhere below Pedro’s. A number of other guys could have made this list, including Haren, Carmona, Lackey, Bedard, etc. The best part is that if I had to win 1 game, I would take Johan Santana over anyone else in the AL.
NL CY –
1. Peavy: 17-6, 2.44 ERA, 215 K, 60 BB
2. Webb: 15-10, 2.91 ERA, 182 K, 67 BB
3. Penny: 15-4, 2.81 ERA, 125 K, 66 BB
4. Valverde: 1-4, 45 Saves, 2.83 ERA, 72 K, 24 BB
5. Cordero: 0-4, 41 Saves, 2.91 ERA, 73 K, 18 BB
Peavy is the best pitcher in baseball right now and should relatively easily win this award. A couple of closers make the list here for being lights out (like James Toney). Other guys considered were Hudson, Smoltz, Big Z, Young, etc.
Raible
September 13, 2007
-I also like the league winners getting to pick if they play in the 6 day or 7 day series’s. I think Mike and Mike fail to realize that what might be more important in deciding is not who you have, but who your opponets have.
-I think previous postseason success/proving themselves in playoffs is overrated. Just think whoever plays better plays better. With that said, if the Red Sox will beat the Angels, everyone will probably point to that fact as if it mattered and Raibs will look like the genius.
-How the heck are the DBacks any good? Seriously. I don’t get it either.
-Mets would dominate the Padres in a series
-I wish the NL Central was just good so us Pirates fans couldn’t complain. But it sucks and we continue to have hope.
-David Wright. So much for the “Raible curse”
-NL MVP really is wide open.
-AL MVP should go to Big Papi. After all, he has the best song.
-Braun definitely is the Brewers best player. Lloyd Braun that is.
-AL Cy Young is basically whoever has the last best start. So tight.
-NL Cy Young should clearly be Zydrunas Ilgauskas
thav916
September 14, 2007
I don’t know if it will come true, but scroll up to my post on April 5th….
With that said Let’s go ROCKIES!!!!
Wells
September 26, 2007
Let’s talk some baseball action:
-First off, I am definitely rooting for the Rockies tomorrow against the Padres. I love how the Rockies have finished 13-1 to force this 1-game playoff, I love the youth and energy that the team plays with, and I love FUENTES! The game itself should be interesting in that you have the game’s best pitcher, Jake Peavy, playing in what has traditionally been the toughest pitcher’s park, Coors Field. While I want the Rox to win, I fully expect Peavy to be brilliant and lead the Pads into the postseason.
-As for the Postseason, how about some predictions:
NLDS –
Cubs over Diamondbacks
Phillies over Padres/Rockies
ALDS –
Red Sox over Angels
Yankees over Indians
NLCS –
Phillies over Cubs
ALCS –
Yankees over Red Sox
World Series –
Yankees over Phillies
-And now, it’s Award Time:
NL MVP: Jimmy Rollins
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy
AL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia
NL ROY: Troy Tulowitzki
AL ROY: Dustin Pedroia
NL Comeback Player of the Year: Dmitri Young
AL Comeback Player of the Year: Carlos Pena
NL Manager of the Year: Clint Hurdle
AL Manager of the Year: Eric Wedge
Delivery Man of the Year: Francisco Rodriguez
Raible
October 1, 2007
You know, for being a MVP-caliber player, Matt Holliday has pretty much sucked tonight. He is like 1-for-90, with his only hit being a single. More importantly, he badly (BADLY!) misplayed a Brian Giles routine fly ball that cost the Rockies their lead…a lead that has since been turned over to the Padres in extra innings. Sorry, dude, but MVPs don’t play that poorly in the biggest game of their lives.
Raible
October 2, 2007
Couldn’t you say the same thing about Jake Peavy? 6 ER in 6.1 IP? J-Ro was my MVP before this game, with Holliday, Fielder, Wright and Peavy rounding out the top 5 and nothing has changed, but I don’t think anything could have changed in my mind anyway. 3 K’s are bad, but I don’t see why the attack on (Wells’s boy!) Holliday but if you’re gonna critique stars for not comin to play tonight, Peavy’s name has to be involved.
thav916
October 2, 2007
Wow, uge hit. Matt Holliday reads WCG in between at bats.
thav916
October 2, 2007
LOL! Clearly, Holliday read my post and was pissed. Great ending to an exciting baseball game!
Raible
October 2, 2007
So I slept on it, Matt Holliday for MVP…because of last night !!!! I love being hypocritical!
thav916
October 2, 2007
I think I might be biased in my next comments but:
Nothing better than an ALCS other than the Yankees-Sox.
Nothing better than two teams who weren’t supposed to do anything in the NLCS. I mean St. Louis and Houston owned this distinction the last three years, and the Mets are just a poor mans blueprint of the yankees/sox.
Matt Holliday should win the MVP, but he may not even be his team’s MVP. Rookie Troy Tulowitzki has really made this team believe they can win.
Is there any doubt that pitching wins playoff series? More importantly, RELIEF PITCHING
I saw on the bottom line tonight that the steroid investigation is about to blow up after OCT 31ST, anyone think that Papi might be targeted and they just dont want to hurt tv ratings?
Once I research a little further I would like to post my thoughts on rebuilding the Yankees….
I would like to direct everyone’s attention to scroll up and see Tim Dean’s team to watch this year, i.e. March 15th.
I’ll be back…
Wells
October 12, 2007
It’s teams like the DBacks and Rockies that give people like me, a Pirates fan, hope. Both situations illustrate great, and completely different ways a team can have success. The Dbacks really don’t have great stats, other than Brandon Webb. They were outscored this season 732-712. I read a quote recently from Eric Byrnes that was along the lines of, “I don’t blame you computer guys for not understanding why we do so well.” They won tight games when they needed to. Got the hits at the right times and the outs at the right times.
I also always preach that if you can get to around September 1 at 70-70 you have 22 games left. If you go 17-5 you might make the playoffs. If you go 5-17 you’re not even close. But stick around and get hot is exactly what the Rockies did this year. Now, one of these two teams will be in the World Series. It’s great stuff.
I think the perfect way to put the NL MVP is applying my favorite thing Lou Holtz has ever said. “I can tell you why ____ deserves it but I can’t tell you why _______ doesn’t.” Put Matt Holliday in either of those spots and Jimmy Rollins in the other.
Dean doesn’t predict the future. He already knows it’s gonna happen. That’s a great call. Short of predicting Randy Johnson would get injured, he was so on the money.
You have me really really scared about Big Papi now.
FIRE JOE TORRE. I think he’s the most overrated manager in the history of professional sports.
thav916
October 13, 2007
Anyone up for some World Series Predictions? I stumbled across the following…
Champion: Red Sox in 4
MVP: Beckett
Goat: Taveras
Champion: Rockies in 7
MVP: Holliday
Goat: Youkilis
Champion: Red Sox in 5
MVP: Beckett
Goat: Fuentes
Champion: Red Sox in 4
MVP: Manny
Goat: Fuentes
First and foremost, Fuentes is not a Goat! Now, with that being said, the real question is: Will Wells root for his Rockies or his boys Lowell and Youk?
Here is how I see the World Series breaking down…
Game 1: Red Sox defeat Rockies (Beckett over Francis)
Game 2: Red Sox defeat Rockies (Schilling over Jimenez)
Game 3: Rockies defeat Red Sox (Fogg over Dice-K)
Game 4: Red Sox defeat Rockies (Wakefield over Cook)
Game 5: Red Sox defeat Rockies (Beckett over Francis)
MVP: Josh Beckett
Goat: Matt Herges
I think that the layoff is gonna kill the Rockies, much like it did to the Tigers last year. Colorado’s pitching staff isn’t all that impressive, and winning 20 of 21 games (or whatever the hell it is) in the NL is a little different than doing the same against AL competition. I think that Beckett will continue to be the man and take home the hardware again, while I expect Josh Fogg to lead the Rockies to a Game 3 win in the first ever World Series game in Denver. As for Herges, I think that he is going to allow Boston to open up a lead in Game 1 after Francis and Beckett have a classic pitching matchup. Herges will then reappear later in the series, only to see a Manny HR sailing out of the Denver sky.
With how hot Boston has been, and the recent increased production from Pedroia, I just can’t see a scenario that has the Sox losing to the Rox. It might go past 5 games, but I don’t see it going 7. If the Rockies have any desire to win this series, taking Game 1 would certainly behoove them. Additionally, they would be well schooled not to allow the series to get back to Boston, as Cleveland did.
Raible
October 23, 2007
Man, I live on WCG and ESPN SportsNation when I am at work anymore. And there’s nothing quite like bringing the two together. I saw a couple of sweet things on SportsNation today that I would like to share (along with my thoughts)…
What is your rooting interest in the World Series?
-Red Sox (Boston’s tenth man could not be wrong!)
Which team has the better projected starting rotation?
-Red Sox
Which closer is a better bet in the ninth inning?
-Jonathan Papelbon
Which team has a better overall bullpen?
-Red Sox
Which team has a more dangerous heart of the order?
-Red Sox
What impact will a week off have on Colorado?
-Negative Effect
Which manager’s hunches would you trust more?
-Terry Francona
Which veteran would you rather see win a title?
-Todd Helton (instead of J.D. Drew)
Where will fans be the loudest?
-Boston
Which team will win the World Series?
-Red Sox
All-Time World Series Team –
DH: Reggie Jackson
C: Johnny Bench
1B: Lou Gehrig
2B: Bill Mazeroski
SS: Derek Jeter
3B: Mike Schmidt
LF: Rickey Henderson
CF: Mickey Mantle
RF: Roberto Clemente
UT: Jackie Robinson
RP: Mariano Rivera
SP: Bob Gibson
-I admit that I am biased toward Maz and Clemente, but Maz was actually the leader in the clubhouse in the national voting, too (Clemente was trailing two decent guys named Ruth and Aaron). Picking between Jackson and Big Papi at DH was tough, as was the Starting Pitcher between Gibson and Koufax. I took Robinson as my Utility over Pete Rose.
Best Managers of All-Time –
1. Joe McCarthy: 2125-1333, 7 World Series
2. John McGraw: 2763-1948, 3 World Series
3. Casey Stengel: 1905-1842, 7 World Series
4. Connie Mack: 3731-3948, 5 World Series
5. Billy Martin: 1253-1013, 2 World Series
6. Tony LaRussa: 2375-2070, 2 World Series
7. Earl Weaver: 1480-1060, 1 World Series
8. Leo Durocher: 2008-1709, 1 World Series
9. Joe Torre: 2067-1170, 4 World Series
10. Bobby Cox: 2255-1764, 1 World Series
11. Davey Johnson: 1148-888, 1 World Series
The combination of McCarthy’s incredible record and 7 titles gets him the nod in my book. It’s tough to figure out where these guys should slot in, especially guys like McGraw, Stengel, and Mack. I may be exhibiting some bias toward Martin after watching the Bronx is Burning this Summer, but I don’t care. I don’t mean to discredit Torre’s accomplishments, but I don’t consider him to be as good of a manager as LaRussa. I think Cox is somewhat overrated, too.
Raible
October 23, 2007
No Wakefield on the Sox roster. What does this mean for Game 4? Beckett on short rest? Jon Lester returns to the rotation? It will probably depend on how the series plays itself out.
It was also announced that Aaron Cook would officially get the call in Game 4 for the Rox, following starts from Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Josh Fogg.
Raible
October 23, 2007
Does anyone besides me consider not pitching Francis tonight? Obviously this will look stupid if they pull out a close one tonight, but Francis isn’t going to pitch three times no matter what, and I’m leaning towards pitching him against Dice in game 3.
thegreatawakening
October 24, 2007
You can’t not pitch your ace to dodge Beckett. Francis is an emerging star in this league and has pitched very well down the stretch. It’s not out of the question that the Rockies will knock off another ace in this magical run…..They’ve taken down Peavy(2), Penny(2), Lowe, Cole Hamels and Brandon Webb….
I think you just go out there and play ball…They are well managed have a tough lineup and a good bullpen. If Francis keeps it close, they could steal one later in the game.
Wells
October 24, 2007
Wow, Dean, I know this is obviously after the fact, but I love that idea and THINK I would have yesterday, too. You said it perfectly, there’s no chance of pitchign 3 times, so because of that you can at least toss around the idea. If your #1, #2, #3, and #4 are all worse than their equal counterpart why not try to manipulate the matchups to get some in their favor?!?
Obviously I can see downsides but I love this idea.
thav916
October 25, 2007
Yo Wheels, how bout some homework (or Raible)? You mentioned all of those aces the Rockies have beaten. No doubt the Rockies dominated just about everyone in their way. Here’s my question, though, and I’m not sure if this will lead to being a point for your point or Dean’s as I don’t know the answer, BUT, how many of those wins against those aces were by Francis? How many were by other pitchers and by what pitcher? I guess my point is that that stat proves aces can be beaten and there’s at least no way that every single one of those wins was by Francis. Im just simply curious. And I like this so much just because it’s something different. Not necessarily right. I think the fact the Rockies were such underdogs that it could look bad if they woulda done something like that. I also think with so much time off you might not want Francis to rest even longer. So im not saying this is the exact series to try this in (although it coulda been) as much as I like this point in general.
thav916
October 25, 2007
I was thinking more about this topic. I think this is a classic example of something different, so it sounds like it shouldn’t be done. I even think if teams did this it would be criticized but all it would take is working in just one series and could then catch on and be a normal occurance.
thav916
October 26, 2007
BOYZ II MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS The Red Sox bullpen is so sweet with their chants!
thav916
October 26, 2007
I think that the Yankees are going to go with Don Mattingly as their next manager. Rumors say that the Yanks are somewhat concerned about having Joe Girardi manage players with which he played, while I consider Pena to be #3 on their list. I just think that Mattingly is an ideal candidate for the Yanks as he would seem to fit the mold of someone who would listen to the bosses, yet he has enough Yankees in him for the fans to love him.
Raible
October 26, 2007
Don Mattingly as the next Yankees manager which can only mean one thing….JOE GIRARDI to the Buccos!
thav916
October 28, 2007
According to ESPN, it looks like Girardi will be named the next manager of the Yankees (I’m wrong again).
As for the rest of MLB, I think that the offseason is just as sweet as the regular season (the postseason trumps it all). You have the Yankees, with a new manager in tow, attempting to rebuild themselves into a WS contender. You have Boston, the defending champs, on the verge of a potential dynasty with a couple of key free agents (Schill and Lowell). You have the Mets, having suffered the one of the biggest collapses in history, looking to rebound and stamp themselves as the NL favorites once again. And you have A-Rod, with all of the drama that follows him, looking for a new contract and, potentially, a new home.
Raible
October 29, 2007
Anybody else get the feeling that Torre and A-Rod are going to stick it to the Yankees, like Al Damato and Steamin’ Willy Beamin did to the Miami Sharks when they left for Albuquerque?
Wells
November 1, 2007
I like the A-Rod to LA idea. Rob Neyer shut it down, arguing that the Dodgers have good young players at the corners. But I think if Rod would be comfortable back at short it would work. He’d be the unquestioned top dog on a young team featuring Andy LaRoche, James Loney, Matt Kemp etc. With all the youth it wouldn’t be crazy if they had some growing pains, but if everything clicked they could easily make a run in the NL.
On the downside they do have some high, and questionable, salaries on the books from 2007 including, Nomar, Gonzo, Pierre, Kent, and Furcal. I’m not sure who is coming back for sure besides Pierre at $7.5M. Nomar and Gonzo are part timers at this point, and Kent probably splits time with Loney at first in an ideal situation. Could Furcal move to 2nd, or could Rod play 3rd with LaRoche as trade bait for pitching? I think it’s worth the manuevering to get Rod.
I could see a lineup like this doing damage in the NL:
1. Furcal SS
2. Martin C
3. Rod 3B
4. Loney 1B
5. Kent 2B
6. Kemp LF
7. Ethier RF
8. Pierre CF
thegreatawakening
November 1, 2007
I really like the Girardi signing. I could be looking WAY to into this but that’s what I do……..
-Girardi could be an amazing manager. He’s also hard-nosed and tough which not only do I love in a manager but think will be good and needed for the Yankees. If they passed up a potential super manager for an unproven Don Mattingly they might have regretted it forever. They now give Girardi the full chance to succeed. However, while Girardi is trying to replace Torre, Mattingly is still learning the game elsewhere. If Girardi fails, you have to believe Mattingly could still be for the taking. If Girardi fails, New York fans will be dying for someone unlike Girardi and like Torre, which seems to be Mattingly. He won’t be the guy replacing Torre he’ll be the guy that replaced the guy that replaced Torre, which is usually a better situation. I think hiring Girardi now, with full intention of having him manage for 20 years successfully but in the back of their mind thinking Donny baseball could take over if Girardi fails is the perfect way to go.
PS I hope Torre fails miserably in Los Angeles.
thav916
November 2, 2007
“Anybody else get the feeling that Torre and A-Rod are going to stick it to the Yankees, like Al Damato and Steamin’ Willy Beamin did to the Miami Sharks when they left for Albuquerque?”
I just came in my pants here at work…Any Given Sunday is arguably my favorite movie ever! Wow, what a mess I have created.
I love how much Haver hates Torre. LOL! With that in mind, I really don’t care how well the Yankees or Dodgers do. I have said my peace about the Yanks and how I think they need to go younger (which is why the Girardi hiring is the right move), while the Dodgers do indeed have a lot of young talent. The Dodgers were actually a pretty solid team last year before Schmidt got hurt and Penny faded down the stretch. Maybe Torre is the right guy at the right time for the job. If so, I am sure Haver will have a party!
Raible
November 2, 2007
Ya I’m sure the Dodgers will sign ARod, all of their young talent will develop (it does look real good), their pitching will be healthy and Joe Torre WILL GET ALL THE CREDIT. I can already see the crock of shit brewing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thav916
November 2, 2007
Raible you won’t find another Yankee fan(some may argue, but I’ll always have the Yanks at heart) who hasn’t been more against their philosophy or the last 5 or so years than me.
When we were winning championships in the ’90’s we were doing so with solid sp, real good bullpen, young players from our farm system and solid vets to fill the rest of the holes. I think Buster Olney wrote aqn article or book about the night the Yankees dynasty died. (Luis Gonzalez single in game 7) The funny thing is he was right, before anyone even thought the Yankees could be beat. That was the year I think George completely lost it and went away from what NY rings and began signing every big name guy off the market, either to fill a hole or steal them away from their direct competitors.
I’ll reiterate that I have been saying it for years and have actually lost interest in the Yankees, because they have robbed me and every fan of everything that’s beautiful with the game. They need to let all this high priced talent go, cut their losses for MAYBE a year and continue to develop talent, while bringing in Vets to fill the holes. Moreover, they need a complete overhaul in the bullpen, and to let their young arms continue to gain experience at the big league level.
With that said, can’t believe they picked up Abreu’s option of $16M. Ok, maybe I can, and when I take a step back I realize that Abreu and Melky are really the only two guys on the roster right now who can patrol the OF every night. I mean for god sakes they were DHing Damon and Matsui is having arthroscopic knee surgery.
That’s all I have to say right now…can’t wait for the FA season to begin. Oh and go Rockies!!
Wells
November 3, 2007
Notes from Orlando…
Miguel Cabrera was the big name being bandied about Tuesday as baseball general managers waited to hear what the Florida Marlins would want for their young slugger. Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams acknowledged he was listening to offers for Joe Crede. The New York Yankees, who lost Alex Rodriguez when he opted out of his contract and became a free agent, could get involved in talks for both Cabrera and Crede. Florida appears less eager to trade Dontrelle Willis. While the Yankees have top young pitchers such as Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy, Cashman is reluctant to part with them. The Minnesota Twins want to hold onto pitcher Johan Santana, who is eligible for free agency after next season. GMs voted to recommend the limited use of instant replay.
I would hate to see the Yankees acquire Cabrera, namely for the fact that I think Cabrera is one of the top 3B in the league and wouldn’t be that much of a downgrade from A-Rod (P.S. I don’t like the Yankees). I think that Florida is going to want something big, though; remember, it cost the Red Sox Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez to acquire Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. Since Cashman won’t part with one of his young studs, I would think that trading for Crede might make more sense. I heard a rumor that it could be Johnny Damon for Joe Crede, straight up. If the Yank$
As for Cabrera, I’m not sure where I see him ending up. Rumors are running rampant that A-Rod will end up with one of the 2 Los Angeles teams (although he is meeting with the Mets, supposedly…wow, by the way), so maybe Miggy goes to the team that loses out on A-Rod. The important point to remember is that Cabrera would have to be traded for, though, which would obviously cost a team some prospects. The Dodgers, though, might have the prospects that the Marlins are looking for.
I had been hoping that the Mets would put together a package involving Milledge, a pitcher (Pelfrey perhaps), and something else to acquire Johan. Now, though, it looks like the Twins aren’t interested in trading Santana.
Raible
November 7, 2007
Arod to the Mets is sweet. Dwright at 2B would be ridiculous and even at corner OF would help at a spot they need help at. This rumor has been floating around for a little while now and I of course talked to Hoss about it. He dismissed it, but more so because he sees it as Arod or Johan and wants to save up for Johan. I say get Alex now and Johan later!
Part of me would love Arod in Boston as a replacement to Lugo. I’d love to see that lineup. The only thing that worries me is there’d be so much pressure for the Sox to win and if they didn’t you’d start hearing why it was Arod’s fault.
I always wonder if he waits long enough to sign if the Cubs ownership will be cleared up by then and they could offer the boatload that was always talked about. Also wonder if a team is just gonna swoop in one day and no one sees it coming or if it’s gonna be something we all expect.
I want Bonds on the Angels.
Miggy to the Bucs!
thav916
November 8, 2007
Is it any surprise that the Yankees are resigning all of their high priced talent?
No, absolutely not. Maybe Abreu surprises me but Arod, Posada and Rivera don’t. Even if you want to get rid of your older players, you’re probably not including A. the best player in the game, B. a top 5 catcher if you don’t have one waiting in the wings and C. a top 5 closer of all-time that you’re in love with. Those people/positions are tough to give up on. I would think the Yanks coulda come up with a nice, young role playing corner outfielder instead of Abreu but I remember a few weeks ago Wells alluded to the Yanks not having many other options there. Regardless he seems like he would have been a good candidate not to have return. Another thing is it doesn’t appear that Pettitte or Clemens will return. That right there will lose payroll and increase youth. I don’t know offhand but perhaps there’s another situation or two like those on the team?!? I still believe that Hank Steinbrenner would like to go younger but I think it’s possible that the guys he’d like to let go aren’t the players they could currently let go. Maybe one more season of some guys and one more season of their farm system developing and we could see more of this next year.
thav916
November 16, 2007
An addition to the Yanks comments is the rumor that they are going to ship Johnny Damon to the White Sox for Joe Crede. Now, it might not make as much sense now that A-Rod seems to be in the fold, but maybe the Yanks can find a partner willing to give up a 1B in exchange for Damon.
Raible
November 16, 2007
Is there anything more intriguing in the baseball world right now than the Johan Santana saga?
Joahn, in my opinion, is the best pitcher in baseball, one who’s contract is up after the 2008 season. Santana currently pitches for a potential contender in Minnesota, who, by all accounts, won’t be able to afford him once he hits the free agent market.
So what are the Twins to do? Hold on to Santana and make a run at the title? Trade Johan prior to the season? Hold on to him until July and see what you can get for him at the deadline?
While Minnesota has yet to make up their minds, the trade possibilities seem to be endless…
-Johan to the Angels for Gary Matthews Jr., Ervin Santana, and Reggie Willits
-Johan to the Dodgers for a package surrounding Matt Kemp
-Joahn to the Red Sox for Jacoby Ellsbury/Coco Crisp and Clay Bucholz
-Johan to the Yankees for some kind of package including any of Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Melky Cabrera, and Robinson Cano
-Johan to the Mets for some kind of package including Lastings Milledge, Mike Pelfrey, Carlos Gomez, Phillip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, and Fernando Martinez
Personally, I would love to see the Mets be able to package up Milledge, Pelfrey, and someone else for Santana, but who knows what is going to happen. Stay tuned, though, as it should be fun!
Raible
November 28, 2007
I just read this little tidbit of information…
The Pirates, with new GM Neal Huntington directing yet another rebuilding process, are discussing sending corner outfielder Xavier Nady (.278 batting average, 20 homers, 72 RBI in ‘07) and center fielder Nate McLouth (.258, 13, 38, 22 steals) to San Diego for third base prospect Chase Headley (.330, 20, 78 for Double-A San Antonio).
Not sure how this would impact Jose Bautista and Neil Walker, or Steve Pearce and Andrew McCutcheon for that matter, but it is certainly interesting.
Raible
November 28, 2007
If the Bo Sox could get Johan for Jon Lester, Justin Masterson, Coco Crisp and Jed Lowrie they might never lose again.
thav916
November 30, 2007
Was there anything more disappointing or frustrating from a fan’s perspective than making Neil Walker a full time 3B last season? They couldn’t have played him at Catcher and Third Base and just brought him along slowly at each? It’d be so nice to make a trade like mentioned above and have the newly acquired Headley at 3B with Walker at C. Perfectly fine with Pearce or anyone else taking over for Nady. Obviously, it might be easier said than done to have a young guy play two positions in the minors and maybe they just realized Walker would never be a major league catcher but that’s why I said frustrating from a fan’s perspective. Huntington means business.
thav916
November 30, 2007
Jason Bay and Ronny Paulino for Franklin Franklin Gutierrez, Kelly Shoppach, and Cliff Lee?!?!
Is this the worst trade in history? Why would the Pirates trade Bay at his lowest possible trade value, especially when his contract is Pittsburgh-friendly? I REALLY hope this doesn’t happen.
The Tigers acquiring Miggy and Dontrelle was HUGE and immediately puts them on par with the Red Sox and Yankees. Florida, meanwhile, continues to get solid prospects when they sell off their talent, acquiring Maybin and Miller in this deal (after getting Hanley and Sanchz in the Beckett/Lowell deal).
It always seemed like the Angels were going to be the ones to nab Cabrera, so it will be interesting to see what they decide to do. They obviously have 1 too many CFs with both Hunter and Matthews, so I have a feeling that they’re not done wheeling and dealing. Could they put together a package for Santana?
Hoss called me the other night and said that the Mets are trying to work a deal for Bedard, which would be sweet. If Minnesota is asking for Reyes, then the Mets are appropriately telling them to “pound salt” (why don’t more people use this phrase?). I like trying to acquire Bedard more so than Haren.
Raible
December 5, 2007
Will Billy Beane just step up and show who the smartest GM in the game is and sign Barry Bonds?!?!?!?!?
thav916
December 7, 2007
The Pirates are rumored to have made inquiries regarding Brandon Inge and Chad Durbin (or is it J.D.) from the Tigers. Why? Better question: When does Johan become a Met?!?!
Raible
December 12, 2007
Favorite Move So Far: How can’t it be the Tigers acquiring Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis? While the move cost the team two of its top prospects (Maybin and Miller), it also allows the Tigers to vault right back into the mix when talking about the most talented teams in all of baseball. The Red Sox made a similar trade a few years back for Lowell and Beckett, and look how well that turned out for them.
Least Favorite Move So Far: Lastings Milledge was supposed to be this great prospect whom the Mets were reluctant to trade. So when all he fetched via trade was Ryan Church and Brian Schneider, I was more than a little puzzled. Hopefully, Omar Minaya has at least 1 more deal up his sleeve (Santana, Bedard, Haren, etc.?).
Raible
December 13, 2007
Woulda been sweet if the Pirates coulda got Milledge for Ronny Paulino and Nate McLouth.
thav916
December 29, 2007
Gomez, Pelfrey, Humber, Heilman, Martinez, Whatever…Omar needs to get Johan!
Raible
December 31, 2007
That’s Fernando Martinez, by the way…OBVIOUSLY!
Raible
December 31, 2007
Got the following text from Hoss today…
“You ready for Santana?”
WOW! It looks like the Mets could be the frontrunners for Johan, and it might “only” cost them F. Martinez, Church, Humber, and Mulvey.
#1 Johan, followed by Pedro, Maine, Perez, and Pelfrey? Can you say CHAMPIONSHIP?!?!
Raible
January 25, 2008
Predictions!!!
AL East:
1. New York
2. Boston
3. Toronto
4. Tampa Bay
5. Baltimore
AL Central:
1. Detroit
2. Cleveland
3. Chicago
4. Minnesota
5. Kansas City
AL West:
1. Seattle
2. Los Angeles
3. Oakland
4. Texas
AL Wild Card: Boston
AL Champion: Detroit
NL East:
1. New York
2. Philadelphia
3. Atlanta
4. Florida
5. Washington
NL Central:
1. Chicago
2. Milwaukee
3. Cincinnati
4. St. Louis
5. Houston
6. Pittsburgh
NL West:
1. Colorado
2. Los Angeles
3. Arizona
4. San Diego
5. San Francisco
NL Wild Card: Philadelphia
NL Champion: New York
World Series: Detroit over New York
AL MVP: Manny Ramirez
AL Cy Young: Chien Ming-Wang
NL MVP: Matt Holliday
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
Raible
March 28, 2008
Let’s revisit the MLB predictions, shall we, now that we are about 1 month into the season…
I had the Mets in the NL East, and I think this is still looking strong. New York hasn’t even played all that well yet and are still only 1.5 GB of Florida, of all teams. Pedro is due back in about 3 weeks or so…then the Mets will be ready to roll to the division title.
I had the Cubs in the NL Central, which is looking good. St. Louis has been a surprise thus far, but you have to think that this division will come down to Chicago and Milwaukee. Kosuke has been studly for the North Siders.
I had Colorado in the NL West…man did I underestimate the D-Backs, who I had 3rd. With that being said, you have to love the make-up of the D-Backs. The majority of their talent is young, including Snyder, Jackson, Drew, Reynolds, Young, and Upton. The team is led by Eric Byrnes, who just goes out there and busts his ass every day. A gold glove 2B in the O-Dawg and an amazing pitching staff led by Webb, Haren, & The Unit. Their only question is in the ‘pen, but Chad Qualls has simply been lights out while Lyon has done an admirable job of replacing Valverde.
I had Philly winning the NL Wild Card, which I am still comfortable with. Really, the only thing that I have been relatively wrong on is the D-Backs, and we all know how hot Colorado can get. However, the Rockies are already 6 GB and, if they don’t get it together soon, could be looking at a Wild Card race before long.
In the AL, I had New York, Detroit, Seattle, and Boston. The Yankees and Red Sox should both be fine and should both make the postseason. Detroit, for as terrible as they have been, are only 4 GB in the Central while the M’s sit at 1 GB in the West. All in all, not too shabby.
I had Detroit beating New York in the World Series, which isn’t looking so hot with the Tigers’ ineptitude thus far. It remains to be seen if the Tigers have enough pitching, and while I am not jumping off the bandwagon just yet, I do think that Boston has established themselves as the favorites in the AL and a legitimate threat to repeat as World Series Champs.
Only 1 month in and there’s still about 9 more to go. Go Baseball!
Raible
April 23, 2008