J.R. Hudson
Spirit Animal
The NL West
1.5 Game's from the last place to first place; I can't even take it.
1.5 Game's from the last place to first place; I can't even take it.
1.5 Games
- Thread starter J.R. Hudson
- Start date
Jeremy Ordan
Major Contributor
We've dropped 3 in a row... I'm becoming depressed.
-Jeremy
-Jeremy
HorseFilms
Look ma no hands
My Twins have won their last 7 games and they're still 11.5 behind Detroit. Is that a bad sign?
RichardVClark
Well-known member
Let's Go Buc's! At least we have the allstar game...
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
Go Mavericks! :cheesy:
Jeremy Ordan
Major Contributor
I was going to wait to post my mid season analysis, but now seems like a good time.
NLWest: This has become the tightest division in baseball. A couple of weeks ago there were only 2 games between first and fifth and they were all over .500. I think that this division will not be decided until the last week of the season with LA & SD fighting it out for the division.
NLCentral - Who would have ever guessed that Griffey would have the comeback this year that he has. If he stays healthy then I might have to go against my better judgement and pick the Reds to maybe pull a massive upset and make a huge run. The Cardinals, without Pujols, are not the same team, and depending on how he recovers from the first major injury of his career will be the deciding factor for what happens with this club. He reminds me of a Mattingly, a great player who had an injury (in Mattingly's case, his back) but it became a chronic injury and he never regained the earlier form he once had. Notables are the Brewers and the Pirates. The Brewers are the youngest team and in a couple of years their power could be incredible. The Pirates have an amazing team but continue to lose 1 run games. Next year this division will be tighter than an 18 year old on prom night, but right now it is like an 18 year old after prom night.
NLEast - One of my picks is shining bright, the Mets. I knew they were going to be good, but not amazing. They are one of the hottest teams in baseball and making an incredible run. Pedro has cooled off, but everyone else seems to be stepping up. Chavez, Wright, & Milledge are a young core that can carry this team for the next five years the way Jeter, Pettite, Posada, and Williams carried the Yankees. This team is brilliant this year and next year. The real shocker is the Braves, who I picked to win the wild card. This team is on meltdown alert and I expect them to completely sell every piece of gold in exchange to rebuild next year. It reminds me of 'The Devil's Advocate': "It was a nice run Kev, had to end some time". Time for the Braves and Bobby Cox to write off this year and focus on '07.
ALWest: Rangers or A's? It's too much of a toss up, but I'm sticking with the A's. I think that their pitching is coming around, Thomas has been healthy for the most part, Bradley, when healthy is amazing, and their pitching has settled in after a rough start. I pick them over the Rangers who I think are going to melt in the summer Texas heat.
ALCentral - I picked the White Sox and debated between the White Sox and Indians. Who knows where the Indians are now, but out of no where the Tigers have proved that there is life left in Detroit. I am sticking with the White Sox and really believe that the Tigers moment in the sun is going to fade, and fade hard. They are this years DC Nationals... Amazing first half run, great record, good pitching, power numbers, good team core, and then the All Star Break comes and washes them away as the summer fades into fall.
ALEast - The Red Sox have pitching and maybe the best 3, 4 combination in the history of baseball. One of the big shockers has been Toronto, but I don't see them really making a run this year. The improvements they have made don't make them a top contender in my eyes and I still think it will come down to the Red Sox and Yankees. The Red Sox have the rotation and timely hitting. They have a great young closer who never gets intimidated, but they haven't been challenged in close games. I see a similar team to last year, just with better defense. With the Yankees, a team that was built for a 5.00 ERA and scoring 1000 runs is hurting without Sheffield and Matsui. The struggles from the pitching rotation all the way through middle relief is amazing. Rookies have come up and really solidified their place in the organization, but this is a club that will come down to heart and passion. In the last three games the 7-9 hitters are batting .081. The original line slots for 7-9 up for the season would have been hitting .427. This is a significantly different team than the openning day one who rocked the A's 15-2. I think it comes down to the Yankees and Redsox with the season being decided in September when the Yankees play Minn, KC, Bal, Tam, BOS, TOR, Tam, Bal, & Tor. If the Yankees play +.500 baseball they win the division. If the Yankees don't, they lose and for the first time in a long time, the Wildcard won't come out of the ALEast. It is going to be a short season for one of these two teams. TOR needs at least an additional pitcher or big bat to really compete in this division.
Wild Card: NL: I am picking a team out of the Central...
Wild Card AL: I'm picking a team out of the Central, if Detroit stays hot, otherwise, it's going to be the East.
Last prediction: Clemmons will get 20 starts. He will go 12-4. I figure that the pitcher he will be replacing could have gone at least 10-10 (.500 record). This means that the Astros are paying $900,000 a week for +2 games. I don't think that he will have any impact and this team could have a fork stuck in it because it's done...
OK, so there you have it... Predictions.
-Jeremy
NLWest: This has become the tightest division in baseball. A couple of weeks ago there were only 2 games between first and fifth and they were all over .500. I think that this division will not be decided until the last week of the season with LA & SD fighting it out for the division.
NLCentral - Who would have ever guessed that Griffey would have the comeback this year that he has. If he stays healthy then I might have to go against my better judgement and pick the Reds to maybe pull a massive upset and make a huge run. The Cardinals, without Pujols, are not the same team, and depending on how he recovers from the first major injury of his career will be the deciding factor for what happens with this club. He reminds me of a Mattingly, a great player who had an injury (in Mattingly's case, his back) but it became a chronic injury and he never regained the earlier form he once had. Notables are the Brewers and the Pirates. The Brewers are the youngest team and in a couple of years their power could be incredible. The Pirates have an amazing team but continue to lose 1 run games. Next year this division will be tighter than an 18 year old on prom night, but right now it is like an 18 year old after prom night.
NLEast - One of my picks is shining bright, the Mets. I knew they were going to be good, but not amazing. They are one of the hottest teams in baseball and making an incredible run. Pedro has cooled off, but everyone else seems to be stepping up. Chavez, Wright, & Milledge are a young core that can carry this team for the next five years the way Jeter, Pettite, Posada, and Williams carried the Yankees. This team is brilliant this year and next year. The real shocker is the Braves, who I picked to win the wild card. This team is on meltdown alert and I expect them to completely sell every piece of gold in exchange to rebuild next year. It reminds me of 'The Devil's Advocate': "It was a nice run Kev, had to end some time". Time for the Braves and Bobby Cox to write off this year and focus on '07.
ALWest: Rangers or A's? It's too much of a toss up, but I'm sticking with the A's. I think that their pitching is coming around, Thomas has been healthy for the most part, Bradley, when healthy is amazing, and their pitching has settled in after a rough start. I pick them over the Rangers who I think are going to melt in the summer Texas heat.
ALCentral - I picked the White Sox and debated between the White Sox and Indians. Who knows where the Indians are now, but out of no where the Tigers have proved that there is life left in Detroit. I am sticking with the White Sox and really believe that the Tigers moment in the sun is going to fade, and fade hard. They are this years DC Nationals... Amazing first half run, great record, good pitching, power numbers, good team core, and then the All Star Break comes and washes them away as the summer fades into fall.
ALEast - The Red Sox have pitching and maybe the best 3, 4 combination in the history of baseball. One of the big shockers has been Toronto, but I don't see them really making a run this year. The improvements they have made don't make them a top contender in my eyes and I still think it will come down to the Red Sox and Yankees. The Red Sox have the rotation and timely hitting. They have a great young closer who never gets intimidated, but they haven't been challenged in close games. I see a similar team to last year, just with better defense. With the Yankees, a team that was built for a 5.00 ERA and scoring 1000 runs is hurting without Sheffield and Matsui. The struggles from the pitching rotation all the way through middle relief is amazing. Rookies have come up and really solidified their place in the organization, but this is a club that will come down to heart and passion. In the last three games the 7-9 hitters are batting .081. The original line slots for 7-9 up for the season would have been hitting .427. This is a significantly different team than the openning day one who rocked the A's 15-2. I think it comes down to the Yankees and Redsox with the season being decided in September when the Yankees play Minn, KC, Bal, Tam, BOS, TOR, Tam, Bal, & Tor. If the Yankees play +.500 baseball they win the division. If the Yankees don't, they lose and for the first time in a long time, the Wildcard won't come out of the ALEast. It is going to be a short season for one of these two teams. TOR needs at least an additional pitcher or big bat to really compete in this division.
Wild Card: NL: I am picking a team out of the Central...
Wild Card AL: I'm picking a team out of the Central, if Detroit stays hot, otherwise, it's going to be the East.
Last prediction: Clemmons will get 20 starts. He will go 12-4. I figure that the pitcher he will be replacing could have gone at least 10-10 (.500 record). This means that the Astros are paying $900,000 a week for +2 games. I don't think that he will have any impact and this team could have a fork stuck in it because it's done...
OK, so there you have it... Predictions.
-Jeremy
rogar-BigGrin(DBG)