Spring begins: BASEBALL SEASON! Let's hear your predictions!

In My Humble Opinion
1

Some people think spring starts on the spring equinox when the Sun passes directly overhead at the Equator. Such people are fools and/or liars. Spring begins when baseball season starts, and it’s started, OHHHHH YEAHHHHHHH!

Let’s have some predictions! We’ll have a contest, and so as not to anger anyone that we’re just playing a game, explain some of your predictions.

Predict the winners of each of the six divisions AND the wild cards. The person with the most correct predictions when it’s all said an done wins.

If two people tie, the tiebreaker is how accurately they answer this question:

How many home runs will be hit in the Major League regular season?

Closest answer wins.

I’ll go first:

AL East: New York
AL Central: Cleveland
AL West: Oakland
AL Wild Card: Toronto

NL East: Philadelphia
NL Central: St. Louis
NL West: San Diego
NL Wild Card: Washington

Total home runs this year: 4,779.

I’ll explain my predictions when I get back from lunch.

2

AL East: Boston
AL Central: Chicago
AL West: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Rancho Cucamonga and San Salvador
AL WC: New York

NL East: Atlanta
NL Central: St. Louis
NL West: San Francisco
NL WC: NY Mets

3

American League
East: New York
Central: Detroit
West: Los Angeles
Wild Card: Toronto
National League
East: New York
Central: St. Louis
West: Brooklyn Dodgers of Los Angeles
Wild Card: Philadelphia
Don’t laugh at my Detroit prediction. I saw most of the opener against the Royals and that middle reliever Joel Zumaya absolutely blew me away. He looked like Randy Johnson in his prime. 98 mph several times with movement. That kind of speed plus movement is a rare commodity indeed.

4

I take back my AL predictions, upon a review of the AL East rosters, and repredict:

AL East: Toronto
AL Central: Cleveland
AL West: Oakland
Wild Card: Chicago

My justifications for my division of choice, the AL East:
TORONTO - Toronto’s added about 50-60 runs to the offense and already had the best pitching staff in the division so that’s good enough for me. I don’t see them being any better than 91-71, but that’ll win a weak division. I’m not actually thrilled with all these moves and I’m more picking them to win because the Yankees and Red Sox will be worse.

Strengths: Pitching. The Blue Jays last year had a team ERa half a run better than anyone else in the division and there’s no reason to think they’ll do worse in 2005. I think Gustavo Chacin was a fule, but more Halladay and some Burnett will make up for that.

Weaknesses: If any team has worse corner outfielders than this one, I don’t know who it is.

BOSTON - The addition of John Beckett could really help a team than really needed him. Curt Schilling is not a good bet for big success, but Beckett, if he’s healthy, could succeed big time. To be honest the Red Sox could win anywhere from 75 to 100 games, so I’m taking the middle road and guessing a bit low, 85 wins. I don’t like the bullpen and I don’t like the low-OBP direction some of the acquisitions took. But they could be anywhere.

Strengths: If there’s a better right-left punch than Manny and Big Papi, I don’t know who it is.

Weaknesses: The Opening Day starter is 39 years old and won eight games last year. That just doesn’t sound good to me.

NEW YORK - The Yankees are so old. The addition of Johnny Damon might help but not as much as they think; good chance his stats dive this year. The pitching does not look good, although Mike Mussina could have one big year left in him. 86 wins, and it won’t be enough to get to the postseason. In fact, I don’t like this team at all, and they might have a losing record.

Strengths: The Yankees still have significant power even assuming some aging. 200 homers or more.

Weaknesses: I hope they aren’t counting on Shawn Chacon to be a big ace. The pitching has more question marks than Jim Carrey’s “Riddler” costume.

TAMPA BAY - The D-Rays have significant hitting talent, which didn’t save them from another last place finish. They might surprise their fans with an 80-win season this year if they get some luck in the pitching. And if, in fact, they have any fans.

Strengths: I like this lineup; they were middle of the pack in opffense last year and a lot of they key names are good young players with a chance to get better. Jorge Cantu could be a superstar.

Weaknesses: The Rays need two kinds of pitching; righthanded pitching, and lefthanded pitching.

BALTIMORE - The Orioles are going to be awful. Baltimore was below average in offense in 2005 and their big lineup move was bringing in Corey Patterson. The rotation is young and has some talent but I don’t think they’ll be adequately supported and will likely not really take off until 2007.

Strengths: Best DP combo in the division, and like I said, the rotation is young, so you never know who might have a breakout season.

Weaknesses: I take it back; the Orioles have a worse outfield than the Blue Jays.

5

The Nationals will have a very, very bad year. They might have the worst record in MLB.

6

AL East: New York
AL Central: Cleveland
AL West: Anaheim
Wild Card: Oakland

NL East: Atlanta
NL Central: St. Louis
NL West: San Diego
Wild Card: Philadelphia

Total homers: 4,780 :smiley:

7

The Astros will start slow and then take off like gangbusters, that is if they can count on 200 innings of Roger Clemons.

8

Nice to see some hope for my dear Cardinals from you all.

9

They’ll be only marginally worse than my hometown Seattle Mariners. We’ve done virtually nothing to upgrade either pitching or hitting. I think we filled the yawning hole at catcher finally, but beyond that we’re hardly better than last year. Carl Everett? Gimme a break. We’ll win five more games than in 2005 and finish in the cellar again. Grrr.

10

But since they can’t, they’ll be scrapping it out with the Reds and Pirates for last place in the division.

Clemens, if he comes back, will be going to the Yankees or Boston. The Rangers won’t be in contention by June and the Astros won’t be able to afford him.

And there is no way the Blue Jays finish above 3rd in the AL East. Burnett’s already hurt and B.J. Ryan had one above-average season closing for the Orioles. I’m not convinced adding Glaus helps the offense, and Lyle Overbay doesn’t exactly inspire me either.

They’ll beat the Orioles and Devil Dogs handily, but I don’t think the Jays will do much else.

11

If you think 91 wins will take the AL East, you have to believe that the Orioles or Devil Rays (or both) will push 75 or so wins (if they both win 65ish again, Yankees and Sox will have 90+ by default), and neither the Yankees (with an offense that’ll push a thousand runs) nor the Sox (who will score, oh, 850 or so even with the lineup changes and go six starters deep) will have enough things come together to even get within five games of last year’s (very flawed and injury-riddled) teams. I’m not so sure about that, especially seeing how Schilling looked yesterday.

(hope that was enough parentheses)

AL East: Boston
AL Central: Cleveland
AL West: Oakland
AL Wild Card: New York

NL East: Atlanta
NL Central: St. Louis
NL West: San Diego
NL Wild Card: New York

Total homers: 5131

12

AL East: New York The Yanks have too much talent and the reserves to make July additions, they will win again while scoring over 900 Runs this year. I expect 98+ win.
AL Central: WhiteSox Still a little better than Cleveland, I like the pitching, Thome has to stay healthy or they could lose out to Cleveland.
AL West: Oakland Too much pitching not to win, solid line-up
AL Wild Card: Boston Still more talented than most other teams. Still has Manny and Ortiz to lead them.

NL East: Atlanta: I’ll keep picking them until someone finally knocks them off. On paper Philly and Mets might be better, but I will go on gut feeling this time.
NL Central: St. Louis Easily the best team in the NL
NL West: San Fran: If Bonds starts 100+ games they’ll win, otherwise LA or SD
NL Wild Card: Mets: Should be enough pitching and a solid line-up with a good mix of youth and Veterans. Of Beltran does need to show up this year.

Yanks beat St Loius in the World Series.

Jim

13

AL East: New York
AL Central: Cleveland - The Sox do have a deep bullpen but I think Cleveland has the talent and focus this year to make up for last season.
AL West: Los Angeles - Oakland has a solid lineup this year but LA has some serious energy that is going to be tough to deal with.
AL WildCard: Boston

NL East: Philadelphia - As hard as it is to bet against consistency, I cannot ignore the talent of the Phillies. This is the year that the ATL gets knocked off.
NL Central: St. Louis
NL West: San Diego - If Nomar can get healthy and stay healthy this season then I would have to lean towards the very talented Dodger team.
NL WildCard: New York - This is the year of the Mets.

Series: Cards over Yanks in 6.

Homers: 5081

14

AL East: Boston
AL Central: Chicago
AL West: Anaheim
Wild Card: New York

NL East: New York
NL Central: St. Louis
NL West: Los Angeles
Wild Card: Philadelphia

Total homeruns: 4,813

15

AL East: New York. In fact, I’ll say that the division finishes in the same way it did last year with Toronto in third. But hey, at least they made an effort this time.
AL Central: I honestly have no idea, but I’ll go with Cleveland and whoever comes in second as the Wild Card.
AL West: Angels. Oakland’s the favorite, but whatever. They won’t stay healthy and they don’t have the minor league depth to handle it. The Angels won’t stay healthy either, but the team could probably be improved by a few of the starters getting hurt and the studs in the minors getting in the lineup.

NL East: Braves. I’m never picking against them until they lose.
NL Central: Cardinals, with the Brewers taking the Wild Card.
NL West: Dodgers. Would have won last year if not for an epidemic of injuries that won’t be repeated (at least in its severity). Plus none of the other teams did much to get comfortably in the 90 win column.

16

Holy crap. I love you in the manliest and most straight way possible.

You elevated my tigers to the realm of “winners”. For that, I thanks you.
I’m stuck in Buffalo watching the Tigers game on a freaking podcast on espn.com.
I’d much rather have watched it.
I’ve heard Zumaya hits 100 mph regularly and doesn’t look like he’s strainign too much to do it. Miiiiiiiiight wanna go pick him up in my baseball leagues (I’ve already got Chris Shelton).

17

I would like to shake the hands of all of those who believe in my Tribe enough to think we’ll win the AL Central. Og bless you all!

And not one “burning river” joke yet!!!

18

The Yankees will win the World Series. Again.

19

Neurotik:

What positions do you think they won’t stay healthy at? They’ve got the most upper-level minor league pitching depth in baseball.

20

They also have some serious minor league talent in the field. Check out Daric Barton and Andre Eithier. No one should be sleeping on Oakland, still I have to lean towards LA in the west.