Hmmm what can I say, MLB is for sure the US sport that I like the best. Recently I started following the NHL, NBA, NFL and even the NCAA a bit, but the MLB I've been following for years now, so I can't wait for it to start again.
I don't have a single team that I'm fan of, but I've been watching a Blue Jays game back in 1999 when I was in Toronto, so they will always be one of my favs. Other teams I liked in recent years were the Red Sox, White Sox, Athletics, Padres and Cardinals. I was supporting the Phillies in the WS but I was hoping for the WS to go to a decisive game
I don't have a single team that I'm fan of, but I've been watching a Blue Jays game back in 1999 when I was in Toronto, so they will always be one of my favs. Other teams I liked in recent years were the Red Sox, White Sox, Athletics, Padres and Cardinals. I was supporting the Phillies in the WS but I was hoping for the WS to go to a decisive game
The World Champs are my team ... Phils are still the team to beat in the NL - should be in the 92-96 win range, but I think the AL pennant winner will win the WS in '09 .... in the AL I'd say the Red Sox take it with the Yanks a close 2nd, but don't forget about the still underrated Rays or even the Halos (if Fuentes works out and they can sign a bat).
Cubs are my team. They won 97 games last year. While, I think they got a little bit worse this offseason, I still think they are a 90 win club. Their bullpen looks pretty bad on paper, they will need somebody to step up in the middle innings... possibly Chad Gaudin. My sleeper pick is Angel Guzman. They should be able to score plenty of runs again this year. The starting rotation is very good if they stay healthy. Always a big if when talking about pitchers.
Cubs are my team and I think they fight it out with St. Louis while the BrewCrew declines a little. Sick pitching pulls us through to another shitty postseason appearance.
W.S. Matchup: Mets v Sox (of Red)
Watch out in the NL West, I might put a little on San Fran winning the division just for shits and giggles...... and I do know about AZ's sick pitching too.
W.S. Matchup: Mets v Sox (of Red)
Watch out in the NL West, I might put a little on San Fran winning the division just for shits and giggles...... and I do know about AZ's sick pitching too.
Of course in my case, I'm a Huge Yankees Fan and you either hear that someone Hates the Yanks or Loves them.
So What can I say about my Yankees Chances This Year ??
I Don't have to, Everyone Knows what They did on the Off Season.
BUT, Just to name 3 LOL...................
CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira
Given the First 3 Starting Pitchers : CC, AJ and Wang....and Maybe you can throw in Joba ( even though I rather see him as the Set-up man )
Right there You have the Best 1,2,3 Punch Starters in MLB.
:cripwalk:
So What can I say about my Yankees Chances This Year ??
I Don't have to, Everyone Knows what They did on the Off Season.
BUT, Just to name 3 LOL...................
CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira
Given the First 3 Starting Pitchers : CC, AJ and Wang....and Maybe you can throw in Joba ( even though I rather see him as the Set-up man )
Right there You have the Best 1,2,3 Punch Starters in MLB.
:cripwalk:
wfc phils. east champs 3 time in a row
if our pitching staff can stay healthy and just keep us in games i think we should cruise. i really think ibanez will really help our offense this year, we needed that consistent bat to help prevent cold streaks and then we will all see how things go in the playoffs, way to hard to predict what happens then.
if our pitching staff can stay healthy and just keep us in games i think we should cruise. i really think ibanez will really help our offense this year, we needed that consistent bat to help prevent cold streaks and then we will all see how things go in the playoffs, way to hard to predict what happens then.
STL CARDINALS
Well this team finds a way to win games even when it look like they shouldn't. The bullpen which was pretty disastrous last year remains unchanged. GM Mozeliak is catching some heat from the fans for talking a big game and then sitting on his hands. This will be the number one thing to watch for this team to be a contender.
Offensively this is a good young club. If the rotation stays healthy the starting pitching could be very strong...Carpenter-Lohse-Wellemeyer-Wainwright-Pineiro, LaRussa and Duncan always find a way to compete and this season all boils down to a lot of what iffs...
Will Carpenter be healthy?
Will Glaus return healthy?
Will a closer emerge?
Will Ankiel and Ludwick get signed?
This team could be a contender for the wild card or injuries could bite again and the bullpen could blow game late and make them a 75 win club. But I can't wait to see what happens.
Well this team finds a way to win games even when it look like they shouldn't. The bullpen which was pretty disastrous last year remains unchanged. GM Mozeliak is catching some heat from the fans for talking a big game and then sitting on his hands. This will be the number one thing to watch for this team to be a contender.
Offensively this is a good young club. If the rotation stays healthy the starting pitching could be very strong...Carpenter-Lohse-Wellemeyer-Wainwright-Pineiro, LaRussa and Duncan always find a way to compete and this season all boils down to a lot of what iffs...
Will Carpenter be healthy?
Will Glaus return healthy?
Will a closer emerge?
Will Ankiel and Ludwick get signed?
This team could be a contender for the wild card or injuries could bite again and the bullpen could blow game late and make them a 75 win club. But I can't wait to see what happens.
Totally ignorant reply. You guess Cain is good too? He's still only 24 (younger than Lincecum) and has a 3.74 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP over 654+ big league innings--if he pitched anywhere else (except maybe SD, Pitt, or Was), he'd be heralded as a stud. What about Sanchez, Johnson, and Zito at #5?
Easily the best rotation in the West, maybe in the NL.
Totally ignorant reply.
If he pitched anywhere else he'd be labeled a stud? The guy pitches in a pitchers park against the weakest hitting division in baseball. He's obviously an above average starter and a very nice #2 (who I complimented in a recent thread) but the guy still has work to do. He's a flyball pitcher who has most of his games in some of the biggest parks in the league... That helps his stats a ton. He has a great ceiling but still has command issues and his pitch counts are always high. He's a slightly above average #2 at this stage.
Randy Johnson can barely hit 92 on his fastball anymore. His slider is way down too plus he can't go deep in games. The guy is on his way out.
Sanchez is a guy who has upside for sure but he reminds me a little of Daniel Cabrera. Nice stuff and all but it's not worth crap if you can't control where it's going. Another guy with mechanical issues who had a 5+ ERA last season.
As for Zito... come on, seriously? His ERA was 5.15 last year. His stuff wasn't there last year and he's at a very old age for mechanical issues to be a problem.
You are excited about that? It's Lincecum and Cain and then guys with tons of issues.
That's not even taking into account the offense whose big signing was Edgar Renteria who lost 52 points on his average last year. Rowand can't hit HRs now that he's left Philly and for them to score runs this year, Sandoval better be all he's hailed to be.
Their #3-#5 pitchers are not going to go deep into games and that leaves the Giants with a closer who had an ERA at 4.62 who only has one freakin pitch that's any good. Their big relief signing was Bobby Howry and his 5.35 ERA last year and looks to be on his way out. Taschner might be 3rd on the relief depth chart and the guy had an 8.38 ERA last season. Are these the guys you want to count on since your starters don't go deep?
And that about sums up how ignorant my reply was. :toast:
Nationals.
Will be much better than last year where we had injuries galore. Excited to watch several youngsters (Dukes, Milledge, Zimmerman, Flores, Lannan, etc.) emerge into studs. I think the offense will be much improved especially if Nick Johnson comes back strong from injury.
The rotation is obviously the big question mark. I like Olsen and Lannan, both are young reliable lefties who are going to pitch 190-200+ innings with an ERA at or under 4.00. Daniel Cabrera is an enigma. He could have a breakthrough in the NL but I dobut it. I don't think much of him at all. The rest of the rotation will likely be filled by youngsters Collin Balester and Jordan Zimmermann. They're both young but have a lot of talent, specifically Zimmermann.
Anyways, I don't think we'll lose 102 games again. I'll go with 75 wins.
Will be much better than last year where we had injuries galore. Excited to watch several youngsters (Dukes, Milledge, Zimmerman, Flores, Lannan, etc.) emerge into studs. I think the offense will be much improved especially if Nick Johnson comes back strong from injury.
The rotation is obviously the big question mark. I like Olsen and Lannan, both are young reliable lefties who are going to pitch 190-200+ innings with an ERA at or under 4.00. Daniel Cabrera is an enigma. He could have a breakthrough in the NL but I dobut it. I don't think much of him at all. The rest of the rotation will likely be filled by youngsters Collin Balester and Jordan Zimmermann. They're both young but have a lot of talent, specifically Zimmermann.
Anyways, I don't think we'll lose 102 games again. I'll go with 75 wins.
