Baseball Returneths - The MLB Thread: Spring Training Edition

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also to giddy not to make predictions

American League

AL East:
Blue Jays : 90-72
Yankees: 88-74
Red Sox: 81-81
Orioles: 79-83
Devil Rays: 70-92

AL Central
WhiteSox (too superstitious to make a pick. still first place)
Indians: 95-67
Tigers: 88-74
Twins: 70-92
Royals: 68-94

AL West:
A's: 95-67
Mariners: 90-72
Rangers: 85-77
Angels: 81-81

Wild Card: Indians

Division Series:

Whitesox Defeat Bluejays 3-2
Indians Defeat A's 3-0

ALCS:

Whitesox Defeat Indians 4-3

National League:

NL East:
Braves: 90-72
Mets: 89-73
Phillies: 85-77
Nationals: 81-81
Marlins: 60-102

NL Central:
Cubs: 90-72
Cardinals: 85-77
Pirates: 80-82
Brewers: 80-82
Astros: 70-92
Reds: 66-96

NL West:
Giants: 100-62
Padres: 95-67
Diamondbacks: 81-81
Dodgers: 75-87
Rockies: 50-112

Wild Card: Padres

Wild Card Round
Giants Defeat Braves 3-0
Cubs Defeat Padres-3-1

NLCS
Giants Defeat Cubs 4-0

WORLD SERIES:

WhiteSox Defeat Giants 4-3 (sorry barry)

other notes:

bonds will hit 50 home runs

one major player will test positive for steroids

My predictions are most likely horribly wrong
:wink:
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
so what exactly makes you think that the national league west, with one team barely over .500 last year, will have two 90+ win teams this year?

yea those are kind of ridiculous, but

I think barry bonds can carry any team a long way

the padres played well in the beginning of last year

I think their pitching can be good enough to carry the load the entire year:|
 
the astros will go from making it to the world series to a 70-92 record behind the brewers and pirates?

:coocoo:
 
Chizip said:
the astros will go from making it to the world series to a 70-92 record behind the brewers and pirates?

:coocoo:

I personally, don't see anything special in the bullpen (or maybe the whitesox just caught them all on bad days:wink:)

bagwell is a huge question mark, and biggio is aging

berkman hasn't been hitting as well as he used too

who knows what clemens will do this season, or if he will be affective

can pettite stay healthy?

how consistent will the hitting be?

there are plenty of problem spots that can rationalize my prediction
 
I'm going to miss Curt Cowdy. I'm a little young to really appreciate what he did as an announcer, but man did that guy have a sweet voice for calling games.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2006/02/20/sportscaster_curt_gowdy_dies/

By Howard Ulman, AP Sports Writer | February 20, 2006

FORT MYERS, Fla. --He was the smooth voice of sports history, a welcome companion who brought listeners Ted Williams' last home run, the first Super Bowl and dozens of other dramatic moments.

Curt Gowdy, who died Monday, told generations of Americans about the games they loved from the broadcast booths at 13 World Series, 16 All-Star baseball games, numerous Rose Bowls and the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
 
I'm Ready said:
My predictions are most likely horribly wrong
:wink:

This is just about the only prediction you made that I agree with (although I hope you're right about the White Sox repeating)

Seriously, though! The Giants will be the best team in baseball? 90 wins will be enough to take the AL East? The Angels will only win 81 games? The Astros will only win 70 games? The Padres will win 95 games? :coocoo:
 
Presenting your defending AL Batting Champ

p1_young_si.jpg


And your soon to be 2006 AL MVP

deportes-20040818-08.jpg
 
Keith Foulke is such a great guy - some comments he made in the Boston Globe:

''I'll never be channeled toward baseball," he said. ''That's just not going to happen. I'm not a baseball fan. I actually find baseball kind of boring. It's not my life. Pitching is something I enjoy doing. I'm probably going to get a lot of people that are a little chapped at me for saying that, but just don't take it the wrong way. I can't sit around and watch nine innings of a baseball game. The reason why I play this game is that I love the camaraderie with my teammates and I love to pitch. All the downtime of baseball is what I don't like."


At least he honest about his motives out there. :huh:
 
after a season riddled with injury problems, foulke should probably just keep quiet and concentrate on getting back to form... when he was the only pitcher in baseball history to have 6 straight seasons with 60+ appearances and an ERA under 3.00. comments like these will only irk fans more if he struggles when he returns.

as for houston... bagwell hardly played last year, and when he did he was on the bench... biggio's getting up there, yes. but he's a complimentary player now and actually had a good year last year and didn't show any signs that he was going to break down, and is motivated to get to 3000 hits (which i have to be reminded of every day at practice by the friggin total hits hanging up under his retired jersey :mad: )... berkman was hurt at the start of last season and was fine when he came back... and unless you think his bad post-season is gonna ruin him, lidge is still one of the top 3 closers in all of baseball.

baring a ton of injuries, i can't see the astros finishing below .500
 
I'm Ready said:


yea those are kind of ridiculous, but

I think barry bonds can carry any team a long way

the padres played well in the beginning of last year

I think their pitching can be good enough to carry the load the entire year:|



I don't think Bonds will carry the Giants when he only plays 7 innings, gets taken out as a defensive replacement and he will certainly be a liability in the field. The giants do not have enough quality starters or a deep enough line up for them to win 90+ games.

I actually like the Padres again. They made nice moves over the winter break. LA, isn't going anywhere with injury prone players like Nomah and JD Drew
 
Numb1075 said:

I don't think Bonds will carry the Giants when he only plays 7 innings, gets taken out as a defensive replacement and he will certainly be a liability in the field.

Bonds playing only 7 innings assumes that the Giants are ahead after 7, which typically means that he's had a good offensive performance up to that point.

And even given the decline in his D, I wouldn't take him out after 7 innings, unless his knees were really killing him or something like that.
 
id probably be bored if i was a relief pitcher too

if youre lucky you get to go out and pitch 1 inning in 60 of 162 games

thats a lot of downtime
 
i am going to have to be even stronger in the belief that bonds should be/should wanna be traded to the AL. Ok the man can;t play defense. As in no. Its a superman at the plate and then the giants playing with a 8 man defense. until the 7th inning defensive replacement comes in. Ya know, someone that can move. THE GUY CAN'T STAND! lol. literaly. he;s only gonna carry the team casue no team in the divison is worth 2 cents. He;s not worth having. Yeah he';ll make money for em, and then what after 2006? then the teams beyond done. if the giants are in last place in mid may but he's still hitting they should realy explore a trade cause whats the point of having him. Make some money and then nothing for years after this . The guy can't even walk. he can brisky job around the bases and can't stand in the outfield to catch anything. I mean hows this guy gonna play baseball? They wanna bat him ealier to get him more at bats. Like i heard the 2 spot. So that means alou has to bat 3rd and no one in clean up. Why not just bat him lead off. lol. The team overall sux. STINKS!
 
if barry bonds is hitting like barry bonds, i don't see the giants taking him out of the lineup too often, unless of course they have a sizeable lead. unless your name is buck showalter, you don't sub out your best hitter in a close game no matter what his defense is like. ya don't see the red sox subbing out manny ramirez in the late innings... (or bill buckner... boom tish :wink: )

if the game is close, bonds' bat is staying in the game... no matter what his fielding is like.

and not for nothing, barry bonds says a lot of things... many of them turn out to not be true. so let's see him play before we start saying that he's incapable of playing the outfield anymore.
 
The best thing about spring training having started is that there's mlb coverage in the LA Times every day. Yesterday the entire back page of the sports section was covered with mlb stories and news. Freakin' heaven. :drool:
 
yanks 99-63
blue jays 93-69
sawx 89-73
d rays 79-83
orioles 77-85

white sox 92-70
indians 90-72
twins 88-74
tigers 80-82
royals 74-88

a's 93-69
angels 88-74
rangers 86-76
mariners 74-88

mets 95-67
braves 90-72
phils 88-74
nats 76-86
marlins 60-102

cards 95-67
brewers 90-72
astros 88-74
reds 83-79
cubs 76-86
pirates 74-88

padres 91-71
dodgers 87-75
giants 76-86
d backs 74-88
rockies 71-91

AL Div Series
Yanks vs White Sox.........Yanks win
Blue Jays vs A's.........Blue Jays win

NL Div Series
one game playoff between Brewers and Braves........Brewers win

Mets vs Brewers......Mets win
cards vs padres.....padres win

AL Championship Series
Yanks vs Blue Jays.........Yanks win

NL championship Series
mets vs padres.......Mets win


World Series
Mets vs Yankees


Mets win in 7.

kaz matsui is world series mvp
:wink:
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
unless your name is buck showalter, you don't sub out your best hitter in a close game no matter what his defense is like.

:mad:
 
the very small iota of respect i had for buck showalter as a manager was forever lost in the 1999 divisional series against the mets, when he subbed out matt williams, at the time his most dangerous hitter and a gold glove third baseman to boot, because he was the last person to make an out, and by the book, you take out the last person to make an out when making a double switch.

i will never pick a buck showalter managed team to win the world series... until they fire him. then i'm betting the house.
 
Carlos Delgado article from MLB dot Com

A studious individual who keeps a personal log of his at-bats, broken down by pitcher, Delgado may have one of baseball's keenest eyes from the dugout. Chris Woodward recalls marveling at Delgado's talent in Toronto, spotting "tells" from several pitchers over the years.

"He sees little things that we can't even pick up," Woodward said. "He'll just say, 'I've got this guy,' and then hit a slider 500 feet. He's not only talented and gifted, but he does his homework."

:drool:
 
He had a good season last year in Florida and that ball park is "cavernous".....Toronto was no band box either.....

He's got the protection around him !
 
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