In this post, we'll be taking a look at the AL East division, or "The White Flag Of Surrender Now Has Pinstripes On It."
AL EAST:
Baltimore Orioles - After losing 30 more games than they won and being used mainly as a punching bag for the rest of the division, the O's were slightly rejuvenated down the stretch by old hand Buck Showalter joining them as manager. They began to play pretty well, beating teams they hadn't all season, but 34-23 doesn't pull you into first when your record prior to that was 32-73, so the Orioles securely held onto last place. However, with the addition of infielders Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy, and Derrek Lee, plus power hitter Vlad Guerrero in the DH spot and righthander Justin Duchscherer on the mound, there's a good chance they could make a legitimate run for 4th place, or even 3rd, in the East this year.
Boston Red Sox - 2010 was certainly a year the Sox would like to forget: they were riddled with injury, couldn't seem to hold on to 1st or 2nd place for very long, and missed the playoffs entirely for the first time since 2006 after being eliminated in the final week or so of September. With most of their injured players (Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Cameron) healing nicely and trying to bounce back, things began to look up for them. And then, the Red Sox managed to pull off the stunner of the offseason: they acquired first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego, a move that meant switching Kevin Youkilis to 3rd base and closing the door on the return of Adrian Beltre, and signed Carl Crawford, one of the speediest free agents this year. As long as their pitching staff can hold up and avoid injuries as they were prone to last season (their bullpen can help; they added Bobby Jenks from the White Sox to assist existing closer Jonathan Papelbon), many are projecting the BoSox to take the East by storm in '11.
New York Yankees - Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It seemed like my Bronx boys would make a strong showing to possibly repeat from their 2009 championship, but halfway through the season, it became apparent that they might have to settle for the Wild Card. They tussled with Tampa Bay for most of the second half, but around the middle of September, the Red Sox were eliminated from playoff contention, meaning the Yanks would be playing in October no matter what. Still, it would have been nice to win the division, but I digress: they swept the Twins in the LDS, but lost 4 games to 2 to the Rangers, effectively ending any chances of a World Series repeat. They failed in their heated pursuit of Cliff Lee this winter, so their rotation is in disarrary (even more so, now that Andy Pettitte officially announced his retirement), aside from the signing of closer/setup man Rafael Soriano, who's clearly pegged as Mariano Rivera's successor come 2013. Other than that, the Yanks added a few players past their prime (Andruw Jones, Bartolo Colon, Eric Chavez) to a lineup that they didn't really need to help. 2011 isn't looking terribly bright with their pitching, but CC Sabathia's a sure thing, Phil Hughes may surprise everyone, and A.J. Burnett may start earning the money he's making.
Tampa Bay Rays - I almost feel bad for the Rays: through trades and free agents unsigned, they lost a huge part of what made them a championship-caliber team the past 3 years. Even though they handily kept the Yankees out of the top spot and won the division by a few games, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual AL champion Rangers. They failed to resign Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, and Joaquin Benoit, and traded Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett, depleting an infield, outfield, rotation and bullpen that made them so fierce. Sure, they still have Evan Longoria, David Price, Ben Zobrist and B.J. Upton, and their big acquisition this year was to add Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, two good older players, but I highly doubt this means they'll rebound easily and be a dominant force in 2011. They've got a great farm system, from what I hear, so maybe in 2015 or 2016 they'll be back, but I find it hard to believe they'll finish higher than 3rd place in the division this year.
Toronto Blue Jays - 1993 seems so long ago for the once-great Bluebirds. Even though they were boosted by Jose Bautista's highly surprising 54 homers this season, and they managed to gain a winning record of 85-77, that was only good for 4th in the division. With that kind of record in any of the other 5 divisions in the MLB, that could be at least a 2nd-place team; unfortunately for the Canadians, they're stuck with the Yankees and Red Sox. Losing the insanely good Roy Halladay certainly didn't help them this year, but trading outfielder Vernon Wells to the Angels this winter, along with catcher John Buck to the Marlins early in the offseason, can only hurt their chances of improving a floundering lineup. As far as their rotation goes, they sent Shawn Marcum over to the Brewers, but they've still got Brett Cecil and Ricky Romero, their main hurlers, to help strengthen their defense. It's tough to say if they'll do any better this season than they did last season, but they seem to have gained just as much as they lost.
Projected 2011 AL East Standings:
1. Boston Red Sox - move 2 spots up
2. New York Yankees - stay the same
3. Baltimore Orioles - move 2 spots up
4. Tampa Bay Rays - move 3 spots down
5. Toronto Blue Jays - move 1 spot down
Next, we'll take a look at the AL Central division.
Friday, February 11, 2011
So Close...SO CLOSE...
In 2 days, it will be February 13th. This is a good day. It may not seem like it, but trust me, it is. "But Baseball Freak," you may be asking, "why is February 13th such an important day?" A valid question, faithful reader. This Sunday, February 13th, 2011, is the voluntary reporting date for pitchers, catchers, and players who finished the season on the disabled list.
Know what that means?
THE 2011 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.
Sure, actual exhibition games don't start until the 25th, and Opening Day isn't until March 31st, this date is when we finally start to get our daily fix of baseball, no matter how small or inconsequential it may be. So, with the offseason now a small dot in the rearview mirror and the 110th Major League Baseball season fast approaching, we'll revisit each team over the next few posts (don't worry, I'll limit myself to 1 or 2 sentences each...maybe 3 for the Yanks) and see how they've improved or gotten worse, and how 2011 might fare for them.
Know what that means?
THE 2011 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.
Sure, actual exhibition games don't start until the 25th, and Opening Day isn't until March 31st, this date is when we finally start to get our daily fix of baseball, no matter how small or inconsequential it may be. So, with the offseason now a small dot in the rearview mirror and the 110th Major League Baseball season fast approaching, we'll revisit each team over the next few posts (don't worry, I'll limit myself to 1 or 2 sentences each...maybe 3 for the Yanks) and see how they've improved or gotten worse, and how 2011 might fare for them.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Worth The Wait? It Sure As Heck Better Be.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm over hearing about the final, inconsequential free agents scrambling to find a new home before April; I'M READY FOR SOME GAMES. The buildup to this season has been, if possible, even more intense than last year's offseason, and the anticipation has made me antsier than Roger Clemens in Washington. Let's think about some of the things we might see in the near and distant future.
We've got a lot to look forward to this year. We're about to see, quite possibly, the greatest starting rotation in baseball history with the Philadelphia Phillies; the Boston Red Sox promise to be a nearly-unstoppable offensive force; and, of course, the Arizona Diamondbacks are being very cute in pretending like adding near-perfect Armando Galarraga and a slew of other, somehow less effective pitchers and players will help them reach October. We're still wondering (well, some of us are) if Andy Pettitte will finally make a decision to either retire or play another year; Lord knows the Yankees sorely need his expertise...the thought of A. J. Burnett as the number 2 starter sounds like, well, number 2. We're hopeful that the Rangers, who've been busy making quite a lot of noise in signings and soundbites alike, can back up their talk and their recent postseason victories with an impressive season, but since they too missed out on the Cliff Lee Sweepstakes, chances are good Adrian Beltre's bat won't raise their spirits much.
Tampa Bay reunited former "Idiots" Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez on the Rays roster for next season. It's looking like Damon will play some outfield and split time with Ramirez at the DH position. Now, to be honest, I like the Rays. Sure, they knocked my precious Yanks out of the running for the division pretty handily in '10, but that just meant they were a strong team. They lost a lot of vital parts of that championship-caliber team this year, but I like their scrappiness (remember, scrappiness isn't something to turn your nose up at; if it didn't matter, the phrase "San Francisco Giants, the 2010 World Series Champions" wouldn't exist). That being said, what were they thinking? Two players well past their prime won't restore them to recent glory. Sure, both Damon and Ramirez have 2 World Series rings (1 together), but their time is clearly coming to a close. At 37 and 38, it would make more sense if they played a minimalized role and served as mentors to the young core of Rays players, in the interest of passing along knowledge and skills useful in the postseason. But it seems like they've been brought in to seriously try to revitalize this sputtering team. Really? In a game where 19 year olds are viewed as ready for The Show, you expect 2 players twice that age to be as effective as they were 6 years ago? Wishful thinking, Joe Maddon. Wishful thinking indeed.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently said that he could see Derek Jeter switching to the outfield before his current 3-year stint is over. Let the scoffing commence.
And now, to the Cardinal-sized elephant in the room: the teensy-weensy matter of St. Louis' dedication to making Albert Pujols a Redbird for the entirety of his career. The Cardinals brass is somewhat uneasy about giving Pujols an A-Rod caliber deal; not because they have any doubt in his ungodly abilities, but their payroll is comparable to that of a high-profile little league team. They've done a lot to put good players (Matt Holliday, Adam Wainwright, Colby Rasmus) in the field and on the mound to support him in taking St. Louis back to the Fall Classic, but with a ton of moolah reserved solely for him, it'll be tough for the Cards to pay any of those players for the chance to continue playing with Big Al, let alone bring in more good players to further that support. Therefore, the most prudent option is the one that nobody, but nobody, wants to happen: Albert Pujols, possibly the greatest overall baseball player of this generation, becomes a free agent and signs with another team. Scary thought, right? Pujols recently stated that he would veto any trade proposals, and talks about how he wants to remain a Cardinal for his whole career, but the facts are unfortunate...if they can't offer him the kind of money he's looking for (and deserves), he'll take his talents elsewhere. There have been frightened whispers he could go to the Cards' longtime "rival", the Chicago Cubs (remember, while they did sign Carlos Pena this offseason, they only signed him to a 1-year deal); this would certainly mix the NL Central division up nicely. Only time will tell what the next phase in this ongoing "will-they-or-won't-they" scenario, since Albert has made it clear that all talks and negotiations stop when spring training starts (in roughly 3 weeks).
We've got a lot to look forward to this year. We're about to see, quite possibly, the greatest starting rotation in baseball history with the Philadelphia Phillies; the Boston Red Sox promise to be a nearly-unstoppable offensive force; and, of course, the Arizona Diamondbacks are being very cute in pretending like adding near-perfect Armando Galarraga and a slew of other, somehow less effective pitchers and players will help them reach October. We're still wondering (well, some of us are) if Andy Pettitte will finally make a decision to either retire or play another year; Lord knows the Yankees sorely need his expertise...the thought of A. J. Burnett as the number 2 starter sounds like, well, number 2. We're hopeful that the Rangers, who've been busy making quite a lot of noise in signings and soundbites alike, can back up their talk and their recent postseason victories with an impressive season, but since they too missed out on the Cliff Lee Sweepstakes, chances are good Adrian Beltre's bat won't raise their spirits much.
Tampa Bay reunited former "Idiots" Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez on the Rays roster for next season. It's looking like Damon will play some outfield and split time with Ramirez at the DH position. Now, to be honest, I like the Rays. Sure, they knocked my precious Yanks out of the running for the division pretty handily in '10, but that just meant they were a strong team. They lost a lot of vital parts of that championship-caliber team this year, but I like their scrappiness (remember, scrappiness isn't something to turn your nose up at; if it didn't matter, the phrase "San Francisco Giants, the 2010 World Series Champions" wouldn't exist). That being said, what were they thinking? Two players well past their prime won't restore them to recent glory. Sure, both Damon and Ramirez have 2 World Series rings (1 together), but their time is clearly coming to a close. At 37 and 38, it would make more sense if they played a minimalized role and served as mentors to the young core of Rays players, in the interest of passing along knowledge and skills useful in the postseason. But it seems like they've been brought in to seriously try to revitalize this sputtering team. Really? In a game where 19 year olds are viewed as ready for The Show, you expect 2 players twice that age to be as effective as they were 6 years ago? Wishful thinking, Joe Maddon. Wishful thinking indeed.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently said that he could see Derek Jeter switching to the outfield before his current 3-year stint is over. Let the scoffing commence.
And now, to the Cardinal-sized elephant in the room: the teensy-weensy matter of St. Louis' dedication to making Albert Pujols a Redbird for the entirety of his career. The Cardinals brass is somewhat uneasy about giving Pujols an A-Rod caliber deal; not because they have any doubt in his ungodly abilities, but their payroll is comparable to that of a high-profile little league team. They've done a lot to put good players (Matt Holliday, Adam Wainwright, Colby Rasmus) in the field and on the mound to support him in taking St. Louis back to the Fall Classic, but with a ton of moolah reserved solely for him, it'll be tough for the Cards to pay any of those players for the chance to continue playing with Big Al, let alone bring in more good players to further that support. Therefore, the most prudent option is the one that nobody, but nobody, wants to happen: Albert Pujols, possibly the greatest overall baseball player of this generation, becomes a free agent and signs with another team. Scary thought, right? Pujols recently stated that he would veto any trade proposals, and talks about how he wants to remain a Cardinal for his whole career, but the facts are unfortunate...if they can't offer him the kind of money he's looking for (and deserves), he'll take his talents elsewhere. There have been frightened whispers he could go to the Cards' longtime "rival", the Chicago Cubs (remember, while they did sign Carlos Pena this offseason, they only signed him to a 1-year deal); this would certainly mix the NL Central division up nicely. Only time will tell what the next phase in this ongoing "will-they-or-won't-they" scenario, since Albert has made it clear that all talks and negotiations stop when spring training starts (in roughly 3 weeks).
Saturday, January 1, 2011
What To Expect When You're Expecting (To Win): Offseason Edition.
With 2011 finally beginning and 2010 nothing more than a fond memory, we continue to push forward to the beginning of spring training; with it, a new slew of opportunities in the game we all love.
Many teams will be in rebuilding mode: the Orioles and Dodgers immediately spring to mind. Both teams performed well under what they would have liked last season, both made multiple moves that, while not receiving the same amount of attention as the bigger signings, were made in the interest of improving their chances at a winning season at the least. While these teams probably won't make the playoffs or win the division, they're going to play in the hopes of getting recognized in the near future as contenders.
Other teams, like the Diamondbacks and Royals, are skewing younger in the hopes that fresh faces will bring them something they're moderately unfamiliar with: a postseason berth. These teams are in similar positions as teams in the above category, but they're taking a different approach. They're going straight past revamping and looking straight towards October. Pie-in-the-sky as their views may be, they're putting a lot of faith in the abilities of the young to rocket them into the playoffs.
Some teams, like the Rays and Marlins, will be scrambling to make up for their supposed losses this offseason. These teams lost strong players that made the teams noteworthy, and didn't add much back. They'll have to get a lot out of the players they have left to resemble something of their former glory, but it certainly won't be easy with so many significant parts missing. In fact, it's more likely that they'll perform worse in 2011 than they did in 2010, a shame for some but the same old for others.
A few teams, such as the Pirates and Mariners, will just be glad to still be in existence. They've been so pathetic in recent memory that many fans not living in the teams' cities tend to forget them. It'll likely be a few more years until they return to some prominence, and they seemingly stick around simply to serve as window shopping for larger market teams. Time heals all wounds, though; these wounds just run a little deeper than others and won't be healed by Opening Day 2011.
Teams like the Giants and Rangers will be doing their best to prove to everyone that their impressive runs in '10 weren't flukes or mistakes, and that they are more than capable of holding their own in the playoffs once again and for years to come. It won't be easy, though; they've lost some important players that will be difficult to replace. They have more on the line than most teams, as they can't let their hard-earned reputations slip away.
There will be big teams, such as the Yankees and Cardinals, who will be in somewhat uncomfortable positions: they've fallen short of expectations, and not much has been done this offseason to remedy that. They either didn't make a push for the big guys, or massively missed out on them. They might have to do the most retooling out of any of these teams to put on a stronger display than last season, and even then, without the sorely needed help, it may end up being for naught.
And, of course, teams like the Phillies and Red Sox will be watching all of this, smirking; they both stacked the decks pretty roughly against any and all opponents this winter. They'll breeze through the regular season and handle the postseason accordingly, being the favorites to either be in or win the World Series. The only thing that could deter them is catastrophic injury, but other than that, little will stop them.
So, as we inch closer to March 31st, we continue to keep a scrutinizing eye on all the teams, hoping to see an inkling of future outcomes. But the best thing about this sport is that it's truly and completely unpredictable, so all we can really do is sit back and enjoy our time before we're consumed again by the magic of this game.
Many teams will be in rebuilding mode: the Orioles and Dodgers immediately spring to mind. Both teams performed well under what they would have liked last season, both made multiple moves that, while not receiving the same amount of attention as the bigger signings, were made in the interest of improving their chances at a winning season at the least. While these teams probably won't make the playoffs or win the division, they're going to play in the hopes of getting recognized in the near future as contenders.
Other teams, like the Diamondbacks and Royals, are skewing younger in the hopes that fresh faces will bring them something they're moderately unfamiliar with: a postseason berth. These teams are in similar positions as teams in the above category, but they're taking a different approach. They're going straight past revamping and looking straight towards October. Pie-in-the-sky as their views may be, they're putting a lot of faith in the abilities of the young to rocket them into the playoffs.
Some teams, like the Rays and Marlins, will be scrambling to make up for their supposed losses this offseason. These teams lost strong players that made the teams noteworthy, and didn't add much back. They'll have to get a lot out of the players they have left to resemble something of their former glory, but it certainly won't be easy with so many significant parts missing. In fact, it's more likely that they'll perform worse in 2011 than they did in 2010, a shame for some but the same old for others.
A few teams, such as the Pirates and Mariners, will just be glad to still be in existence. They've been so pathetic in recent memory that many fans not living in the teams' cities tend to forget them. It'll likely be a few more years until they return to some prominence, and they seemingly stick around simply to serve as window shopping for larger market teams. Time heals all wounds, though; these wounds just run a little deeper than others and won't be healed by Opening Day 2011.
Teams like the Giants and Rangers will be doing their best to prove to everyone that their impressive runs in '10 weren't flukes or mistakes, and that they are more than capable of holding their own in the playoffs once again and for years to come. It won't be easy, though; they've lost some important players that will be difficult to replace. They have more on the line than most teams, as they can't let their hard-earned reputations slip away.
There will be big teams, such as the Yankees and Cardinals, who will be in somewhat uncomfortable positions: they've fallen short of expectations, and not much has been done this offseason to remedy that. They either didn't make a push for the big guys, or massively missed out on them. They might have to do the most retooling out of any of these teams to put on a stronger display than last season, and even then, without the sorely needed help, it may end up being for naught.
And, of course, teams like the Phillies and Red Sox will be watching all of this, smirking; they both stacked the decks pretty roughly against any and all opponents this winter. They'll breeze through the regular season and handle the postseason accordingly, being the favorites to either be in or win the World Series. The only thing that could deter them is catastrophic injury, but other than that, little will stop them.
So, as we inch closer to March 31st, we continue to keep a scrutinizing eye on all the teams, hoping to see an inkling of future outcomes. But the best thing about this sport is that it's truly and completely unpredictable, so all we can really do is sit back and enjoy our time before we're consumed again by the magic of this game.
Monday, December 20, 2010
2011 Predictions.
Sure, it's too early to fully expect anything in the 2011 season...but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. Let's predict some highlights first:
Both Andy Pettitte and Chipper Jones will return after claiming they'd retire after this past season; Pettite will win 9-12 games, Jones will hit 10-15 home runs, and both will still consider coming back in 2012, even though both will be 40 then.
Alex Rodriguez will pass Ken Griffey Jr. on the home run records list; in the same vein, Albert Pujols will hit at least 30-35 homers and pass names such as Piazza, Ripken Jr., Jones, and Guerrero.
4 of the 5 pitchers in the Philadelphia Phillies' rotation will win between 15-20 games. No other pitcher in the National League (aside from Tim Lincecum, Ubaldo Jimenez, Adam Wainwright and Zack Greinke) will win that many, or even come close.
Derek Jeter will get his 3,000th hit, CC Sabathia will win 18+ games, and Mark Teixeira will hit 30+ home runs...and the New York Yankees will still only make the playoffs as a wild card for the second straight year.
Dan Uggla will continue his streak of 30+ home run seasons, bringing his total to 5, and the Atlanta Braves will promptly thank him by choking down the stretch as usual.
Bryce Harper will be called up by the Washington Nationals in May or early June, and every pitcher in the National League will do their best to give him a warm welcome by striking him out frequently.
The Oakland Athletics will slip behind the Seattle Mariners for last place in the AL West division.
Barry Bonds and Pedro Martinez will both talk about a possible comeback, then realize nobody wants them to come back.
Troy Tulowitzki and Joe Mauer will both make use of their long contracts by each hitting 20+ homers with 80+ RBIs and BAs of .330 or higher.
Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs will be banned from the game for strangling an umpire, a coach, a teammate, or all of the above, when one of them calls him a "sissy" and angers him.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will have another 100+ loss season, and the Arizona Diamondbacks will join them. The Kansas City Royals will just miss this by a few games, as will the Mariners.
The Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox will play a tiebreaker game at the end of the regular season; the White Sox will just barely win. A similar situation will play out between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres, with the Giants edging the Padres out.
The American League team will win the All-Star Game 6-3, returning postseason home-field advantage to them.
And now, award/playoff predictions:
AL Rookie of the Year: Jesus Montero, New York Yankees.
NL Rookie of the Year: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals.
AL Cy Young: CC Sabathia, New York Yankees.
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies.
AL MVP: Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox.
NL MVP: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies.
AL East: Boston Red Sox.
AL Central: Chicago White Sox.
AL West: Texas Rangers.
AL Wild Card: New York Yankees.
NL East: Philadelphia Phillies.
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals.
NL West: Colorado Rockies.
NL Wild Card: San Francisco Giants.
ALDS: Boston Red Sox beat Texas Rangers in 3 games, Chicago White Sox beat New York Yankees in 5 games.
NLDS: Philadelphia Philles beat Colorado Rockies in 3 games, St. Louis Cardinals beat San Francisco Giants in 4 games.
ALCS: Boston Red Sox beat Chicago White Sox in 6 games.
NLCS: Philadelphia Phillies beat St. Louis Cardinals in 4 games.
World Series: Philadelphia Phillies beat Boston Red Sox in 7 games. Chase Utley is named WS MVP.
If I'm right about a single, solitary thing in this entire post, I'll be satisfied.
Both Andy Pettitte and Chipper Jones will return after claiming they'd retire after this past season; Pettite will win 9-12 games, Jones will hit 10-15 home runs, and both will still consider coming back in 2012, even though both will be 40 then.
Alex Rodriguez will pass Ken Griffey Jr. on the home run records list; in the same vein, Albert Pujols will hit at least 30-35 homers and pass names such as Piazza, Ripken Jr., Jones, and Guerrero.
4 of the 5 pitchers in the Philadelphia Phillies' rotation will win between 15-20 games. No other pitcher in the National League (aside from Tim Lincecum, Ubaldo Jimenez, Adam Wainwright and Zack Greinke) will win that many, or even come close.
Derek Jeter will get his 3,000th hit, CC Sabathia will win 18+ games, and Mark Teixeira will hit 30+ home runs...and the New York Yankees will still only make the playoffs as a wild card for the second straight year.
Dan Uggla will continue his streak of 30+ home run seasons, bringing his total to 5, and the Atlanta Braves will promptly thank him by choking down the stretch as usual.
Bryce Harper will be called up by the Washington Nationals in May or early June, and every pitcher in the National League will do their best to give him a warm welcome by striking him out frequently.
The Oakland Athletics will slip behind the Seattle Mariners for last place in the AL West division.
Barry Bonds and Pedro Martinez will both talk about a possible comeback, then realize nobody wants them to come back.
Troy Tulowitzki and Joe Mauer will both make use of their long contracts by each hitting 20+ homers with 80+ RBIs and BAs of .330 or higher.
Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs will be banned from the game for strangling an umpire, a coach, a teammate, or all of the above, when one of them calls him a "sissy" and angers him.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will have another 100+ loss season, and the Arizona Diamondbacks will join them. The Kansas City Royals will just miss this by a few games, as will the Mariners.
The Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox will play a tiebreaker game at the end of the regular season; the White Sox will just barely win. A similar situation will play out between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres, with the Giants edging the Padres out.
The American League team will win the All-Star Game 6-3, returning postseason home-field advantage to them.
And now, award/playoff predictions:
AL Rookie of the Year: Jesus Montero, New York Yankees.
NL Rookie of the Year: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals.
AL Cy Young: CC Sabathia, New York Yankees.
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies.
AL MVP: Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox.
NL MVP: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies.
AL East: Boston Red Sox.
AL Central: Chicago White Sox.
AL West: Texas Rangers.
AL Wild Card: New York Yankees.
NL East: Philadelphia Phillies.
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals.
NL West: Colorado Rockies.
NL Wild Card: San Francisco Giants.
ALDS: Boston Red Sox beat Texas Rangers in 3 games, Chicago White Sox beat New York Yankees in 5 games.
NLDS: Philadelphia Philles beat Colorado Rockies in 3 games, St. Louis Cardinals beat San Francisco Giants in 4 games.
ALCS: Boston Red Sox beat Chicago White Sox in 6 games.
NLCS: Philadelphia Phillies beat St. Louis Cardinals in 4 games.
World Series: Philadelphia Phillies beat Boston Red Sox in 7 games. Chase Utley is named WS MVP.
If I'm right about a single, solitary thing in this entire post, I'll be satisfied.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
When I'm Wrong, I Get Really Greinke.
Boy, I have yet to be right about a single thing this offseason, huh? Just like everyone else, I thought Cliff Lee would sign with the Yankees or the Rangers: WRONG. I thought Carl Crawford was going to be an Angel: WRONG. But more than anything, I thought Zack Greinke would somehow end up in New York pinstripes: WRONG WRONG WRONG.
Early Sunday morning, the Royals, who've been dangling Zacky boy in front of other teams for months, shipped him off to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for some young players and prospects that Kansas City hopes will help turn them into a championship-caliber team in the next few years. For the Royals, this may not be the worst move they've made: sure, the rest of their starting pitcher is pretty weak, and their offensive power, in comparison to other teams, is like bringing a water gun to a friendly game of Russian roulette, but these young ones still have potential, the bright-eyed innocence and blissful ignorance that they're on a team that hasn't done a single important thing since 1985 (before the majority of them could even pick up a bat). Youth is a dangerous thing: you can't tell for sure what these kids will help Kansas City accomplish, and it's likely that's what the Royals brass is counting on. With the signings of outfielders Jeff Francouer and Melky Cabrera, they've already added a few more non-impactful players, so some fresh new blood could help jumpstart their dying batteries, but it will take a lot more than that to drive them into October for the seventh time in franchise history. The only problem that they had (and why they couldn't truly afford to keep Greinke, and vice versa) is that their run support is truly atrocious. If the players in the lineup can find the power they've been lacking in so heavily, maybe they can recoup their loss of a Cy Young-winning hurler and begin to lay the foundation for becoming a stronger team.
The Brewers, and Greinke, both benefit in ways the Royals do not. The Brewers get a reliable pitcher with good command and a high strikeout rate who's young and has only been on the disabled list once in his career, and Greinke gets to pitch in a different league with a stronger emphasis on pitching, and also with a team that has big hitter (literally and figuratively) Prince Fielder, as well as other sluggers like Casey McGehee and Ryan Braun. Now, this sounds like a nice 1-2 combo on paper, but by no stretch of the imagination does this make the Brew Crew sound anything like a contender. Sure, they probably won't end up in last place in the NL Central with this roster, and they will probably beat out the Astros and Pirates, and may even take down the Cubs. But they're also lumped together with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds are just returning to glory, while the Cardinals have Albert Pujols (at least through next year). And let's say, by some wild cosmic incident, that the Brewers win the NL Central, or at least make the wild card. A rotation of Greinke/Gallardo/Marcum sounds nice and threatening, but when you consider the powerhouse pitching in Philadelphia, they can't raise that white flag of surrender high enough. Still, they can make some noise in the division and possibly shake things up, so this just adds one more interesting component to the upcoming season.
Early Sunday morning, the Royals, who've been dangling Zacky boy in front of other teams for months, shipped him off to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for some young players and prospects that Kansas City hopes will help turn them into a championship-caliber team in the next few years. For the Royals, this may not be the worst move they've made: sure, the rest of their starting pitcher is pretty weak, and their offensive power, in comparison to other teams, is like bringing a water gun to a friendly game of Russian roulette, but these young ones still have potential, the bright-eyed innocence and blissful ignorance that they're on a team that hasn't done a single important thing since 1985 (before the majority of them could even pick up a bat). Youth is a dangerous thing: you can't tell for sure what these kids will help Kansas City accomplish, and it's likely that's what the Royals brass is counting on. With the signings of outfielders Jeff Francouer and Melky Cabrera, they've already added a few more non-impactful players, so some fresh new blood could help jumpstart their dying batteries, but it will take a lot more than that to drive them into October for the seventh time in franchise history. The only problem that they had (and why they couldn't truly afford to keep Greinke, and vice versa) is that their run support is truly atrocious. If the players in the lineup can find the power they've been lacking in so heavily, maybe they can recoup their loss of a Cy Young-winning hurler and begin to lay the foundation for becoming a stronger team.
The Brewers, and Greinke, both benefit in ways the Royals do not. The Brewers get a reliable pitcher with good command and a high strikeout rate who's young and has only been on the disabled list once in his career, and Greinke gets to pitch in a different league with a stronger emphasis on pitching, and also with a team that has big hitter (literally and figuratively) Prince Fielder, as well as other sluggers like Casey McGehee and Ryan Braun. Now, this sounds like a nice 1-2 combo on paper, but by no stretch of the imagination does this make the Brew Crew sound anything like a contender. Sure, they probably won't end up in last place in the NL Central with this roster, and they will probably beat out the Astros and Pirates, and may even take down the Cubs. But they're also lumped together with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds are just returning to glory, while the Cardinals have Albert Pujols (at least through next year). And let's say, by some wild cosmic incident, that the Brewers win the NL Central, or at least make the wild card. A rotation of Greinke/Gallardo/Marcum sounds nice and threatening, but when you consider the powerhouse pitching in Philadelphia, they can't raise that white flag of surrender high enough. Still, they can make some noise in the division and possibly shake things up, so this just adds one more interesting component to the upcoming season.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Cliff Lee Signs With The Phillies.
I usually try to make a more clever title...but I just don't have it in me this time.
It's nearly official: Cliff Lee and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to terms for a contract still to be made public; sources have indicated that it's for 5 years/$100 million, a few steps down from offers made by New York and Texas, but this has yet to be confirmed. After weeks and months of speculations, rumors, and posturing, Lee's agent, Darek Braunecker, informed both the Yankees and Rangers Monday that both were out of the running for Lee, and now we all know why. Whether the Phillies made this offer a while ago and kept it completely secret, or if it truly surfaced and was signed in the matter of 2 or 3 hours, as it's sure seemed, is not clear as of now. Lee was originally acquired by the Phils in late 2009 from Cleveland, where he went 7-4 in 12 starts through the regular season, and went 4-0 for them in the postseason, including handing the Yanks their only losses of championship number 27.
And now, let's all sit back for a moment and take a look at (not in the specific order they may be in) the Phillies' starting rotation in 2011.
Roy Halladay
Roy Oswalt (ugh)
Cole Hamels
Cliff Lee
Insert any human being capable of throwing a pitch here, because they're basically redundant
You know that bully who used to pick on you when you were younger? He'd always dominate you and make you feel worthless, because you could never beat him? Yeah, he grew up and became the Philadelphia Phillies' 2011 starting rotation.
What's the regular season wins record for a team? 116 wins by the Seattle Mariners in 2001? That's child's play compared to what Philadelphia will unleash next year. The better, easier question to gauge is, how many games will they lose? That answer will be significantly smaller.
Keep in mind, all this praise and confidence in this rotation is coming from the most diehard Yankees fan this side of the Mason-Dixon line. Speaking of my Yanks, this monumental snubbing can really only predicate one logical conclusion: seeing banners in October that say "Congratulations to the 2011 American League Champions, the Boston Red Sox". Call me crazy, but with this opportunity forcibly passed up, and considering the way Mr. Epstein stacked his lineup, you can't call me wrong.
I need to go to bed...maybe I'll wake up and this will all have been a bad, bad dream...
It's nearly official: Cliff Lee and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to terms for a contract still to be made public; sources have indicated that it's for 5 years/$100 million, a few steps down from offers made by New York and Texas, but this has yet to be confirmed. After weeks and months of speculations, rumors, and posturing, Lee's agent, Darek Braunecker, informed both the Yankees and Rangers Monday that both were out of the running for Lee, and now we all know why. Whether the Phillies made this offer a while ago and kept it completely secret, or if it truly surfaced and was signed in the matter of 2 or 3 hours, as it's sure seemed, is not clear as of now. Lee was originally acquired by the Phils in late 2009 from Cleveland, where he went 7-4 in 12 starts through the regular season, and went 4-0 for them in the postseason, including handing the Yanks their only losses of championship number 27.
And now, let's all sit back for a moment and take a look at (not in the specific order they may be in) the Phillies' starting rotation in 2011.
Roy Halladay
Roy Oswalt (ugh)
Cole Hamels
Cliff Lee
Insert any human being capable of throwing a pitch here, because they're basically redundant
You know that bully who used to pick on you when you were younger? He'd always dominate you and make you feel worthless, because you could never beat him? Yeah, he grew up and became the Philadelphia Phillies' 2011 starting rotation.
What's the regular season wins record for a team? 116 wins by the Seattle Mariners in 2001? That's child's play compared to what Philadelphia will unleash next year. The better, easier question to gauge is, how many games will they lose? That answer will be significantly smaller.
Keep in mind, all this praise and confidence in this rotation is coming from the most diehard Yankees fan this side of the Mason-Dixon line. Speaking of my Yanks, this monumental snubbing can really only predicate one logical conclusion: seeing banners in October that say "Congratulations to the 2011 American League Champions, the Boston Red Sox". Call me crazy, but with this opportunity forcibly passed up, and considering the way Mr. Epstein stacked his lineup, you can't call me wrong.
I need to go to bed...maybe I'll wake up and this will all have been a bad, bad dream...
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