2009 MLB Predictions

Well, it’s that time of year again. I do this every year and I’m always wrong, but I won’t let that stop me.

American League

American League East: Yankees. Yeah, big surprise for me, right? But our starting pitching is (on paper) so much better this year. I really don’t think Tampa will repeat as AL East champs. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t make the play-offs. I think they will take a step back. Their starting rotation had virtually no hiccups last year. I don’t see that happening again.

American League Central: Twins. They almost did it last year, only losing to the White Sox 1-0 in a one game heart-breaker. They’re a young, athletic team and they are well managed. The Tigers are all messed up, and their pitching that looked so strong in ’06 has mysteriously been shot to hell. The Indians seem to be regressing and the White Sox, I don’t even understand how they win at all – they’re very Yankee-like, in a bad way. Old veterans, and not athletic.

American League West: Angels. They’re not going to win a hundred games, and their pitching is all banged up, but their division is so bad, they should win again anyway. Maybe Texas can slug their way to the top, but I doubt it.

AL Wildcard: Tough one. The Wildcard will come out of the East. I hate Boston, so I’ll pick Tampa.



National League

National League East: Phillies. I don’t like the Mets’ rotation, outside of Santana. The fact that Livan Hernandez, who gives up a TON of runs, is their fifth starter, is scary. I also think Citi Field is going to be a problem. It looks to be a very deep park, a pitchers’ park, and they will need young, highly athletic outfielders to keep singles from becoming triples. It could be a nightmare, though Reyes may steal 70 bases in that park.

National League Central: Cubs. I would like to pick a team other than the Cubs, since I feel they will not be as dominant in their division this year, but honestly, what other team has the pitching? Not Houston. Not the Cardinals. Perhaps the Reds, if Volquez, Cueto and Harang pitch up to form, but that never seems to happen for the Reds. The Brewers lost Sheets and Sabathia, so we won’t be hearing from them again, which is a shame, since they’re a fun team to watch.

National League West: Diamondbacks. This is the WORST division in baseball. God-awful. So much so that I think any team BUT the Padres can win it. However, I don’t think the Dodgers will repeat, since their pitching hasn’t improved. I think the Giants will be better than last year, and will contend. The Rockies are a nice team, but I just don’t see the pitching.

NL Wildcard: Another tough one. Again, I think the wildcard will come out of the East. I say the improved Braves will battle the Mets for this, and I think the Mets will fall short again.


ALCS: Yankees vs. Twins: Yankees prevail.

NLCS: Phillies vs. Cubs. Phillies prevail.

World Series: Yankees vs. Phillies. Yanks win.

AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
NL Cy Young: Cole Hamels

AL MVP: Grady Sizemore
NL MVP: Hanley Ramirez

My baseball wishes for today

My baseball wishes for today, the final day of the season.

Since my Yankees are out of it, I wish the most pain on everyone:

• I hope the Mets lose today and the Brewers also lose, forcing a one-game playoff on Monday, which Pedro will start. And I hope he gets shelled.

• I hope the Twins and the White Sox both lose today, forcing the White Sox to play a makeup game on Monday vs. the Tigers. I want the Sox to win that game, which will force a one-game playoff on Tuesday, which I want the Twins to win.

• I want the Angels to sweep the Red Sox.

• I want the Rays to defeat the Twins.

• I want the Rays to defeat the Angels in seven games and Kazmir to throw his arm out, requiring Tommy John surgery, killing his 2009 season.

• In the NL, I want the Dodgers to defeat the Cubs, extending their misery to 101 years. I want Manny to blow out his ACL, requiring surgery in the off-season.

• I want the Brewers to sweep the Phillies as a reminder that this 100 year-old team has only one championship under its belt.

• I want the Brewers to defeat the Dodgers in five games. I want the Brewers to come in to the World Series rested while the Rays come in banged up. I want the Brewers to take the Rays in seven sloppy, horribly pitched games that generate an all-time low in ratings for Fox. Questions will be raised about the ability of both Sheets and Sabathia to come through in post season play.

Have a great day, everyone!

2008 Baseball Predictions

Here are my predictions for the 2008 season:

AL East: Yankees (Everyone is picking Boston, but outside of Beckett, you have Dice-K who is hittable and two rookies, one of whom had cancer. You can’t tell me Boston fans feel confident about that. As for the Yanks, I expect Wang to win 17-20 games, Andy to win 15 and Mussina to win 11 and we’ll get at least ten each from Hughes and Kennedy. The bats are enough to win the rest. And remember – the Yankees won 94 games last year after a historically shitty start. The Red Sox only won two more games. I’m picking the Yankees to go 95-67.)

AL Central: Indians (The Tigers lineup is awesome, but it was awesome last year – and Cleveland handled their candy asses with a team that’s inferior on paper. I don’t expect Dontrelle to do shit against AL hitters, so the Tigers’ rotation is suspect after Verlander.)

AL West: Angels (Everyone is picking Seattle, but Seattle was streaky as hell last year – win 8, lose 5 in a row, etc.)

Wild Card: Tigers (Yes, I’m once again picking Boston not to make the playoffs.)

ALCS: Yankees over Tigers

AL Surprise Team: KC Royals. They’re tough on the Tigers, of all teams, which is a great boon for the Indians.

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NL East: Phillies (Like the Yankees and Tigers, I think the Phillies can slug their way through the season. Their pitching is nothing after Hamels, though and they have bullpen concerns, like most teams.)

NL Central: Cubs (It’s hard not to pick the Cubs, but they should’ve won going away last year and the Brewers were in the mix until the end. The Cubs seriously underwhelm me, but the NL Central is piss poor in talent. Houston, Pittsburgh and St. Louis are going nowhere. I feel the Brewers will take a step back, and the Reds? Where’s the pitching? They have Harang and... I guess that all.)

NL West: Diamondbacks (I would like to pick the Rockies, but I think their shot was last year. How can they repeat that magic? And they lost one of their starters. I do think this a race that will go down to the wire, however. The Giants will come in dead last with the Padres slightly better. I feel the Dodgers will improve under Torre, but will not contend this year.)

NL Wild Card: Mets (With Santana they will improve, but there are so many people on that team that you KNOW will spend significant time on the DL – Pedro, El Duque, Alou, Beltran, Delgado. Willie will be fired this year, I’m sure.)

NL Surprise Team: The Nationals. I see them winning 80+ games and becoming like the Blue Jays are in the AL East – tough, but in an unforgiving division with superior teams.

NLCS: Cubs over Mets

World Series: Yankees over Cubs

AL MVP: A-Rod (with Robinson Cano, Manny Ramirez and Alex Rios in the mix)

AL Cy Young: Roy Halladay

NL MVP: Prince Fielder (with Hanley Ramirez in the mix)

NL Cy Young: Johan Santana

Leyritz Charged With DUI

What a shitty off-season this is for Yankees fans! First all the steroid stuff, now this gem:

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A former major league baseball player is in the Broward County Jail after being arrested on suspicion of DUI and vehicular homicide.Police said Jim Leyritz was behind the wheel of a Ford SUV that collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Southwest Seventh Avenue and Second Street in the Himmarshee area of downtown Fort Lauderdale.The impact caused the other car to roll over and the female driver of that vehicle was ejected and she died after being taken to Broward General Medical Center, police said.

Read more...

Mitchell Report Predictions

The report on steroid use in baseball is set to be released by former Senator George Mitchell at 2 p.m. today in New York, Rumor has it that there will be many former (and possibly current) Yankees on the list of 60-80 named steroid users.

Since Mitchell was an employee (actually, director) of the Red Sox, I kinda doubt there'll be any Sox names on the list, you know?

These are the Yanks that I expect to see on the list:

• Roger Clemens
• Andy Pettitte
• Tino Martinez
• Chuck Knoblauch
• Gary Sheffield (already busted)
• Jason Giambi (ditto)

I wouldn't be surprised to see A-Rod on the list too. As for the Mets, Piazza and Edgardo Alfonso are likely candidates.

Read more about Mitchell's report (and his Red Sox connections) here.

Ain't Gonna Happen

Nice job of Photoshopping, but this ain't gonna happen. If the Yanks want Santana they should wait till after 2008. Why give up half the farm for a guy who's gonna be a free agent after one season?

Image swiped from here.

It Keeps Getting Better

New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte comes onto the field after warming up before beating the Baltimore Orioles for his 200th career victory in New York in this Sept. 19, 2007 file photo. Pettitte declined his US$16 million option to return to the Yankees, still uncertain whether he wants to pitch next season, his agent, Randy Hendricks, said in an e-mail to the Associated Press on Monday, Nov. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, file)

Sigh. It just keeps getting better. A-Rod brazenly opts out before the World Series is even over, Torre gets kicked to the curb and quickly resurfaces as the Dodgers' manager, now Andy "isn't sure" if he wants to play here anymore.

So let's see where we're at:

The outfield consists of a platoon in left field of two guys that get injured a lot and have bad arms. Centerfield is manned by a young guy with a good arm who is good for about 10 homers and often lets catchable balls drop because of miscommunication with the right fielder. The right fielder's power numbers have steadily dropped in the last 3 years and he went into a deep 3-month slump at the beginning of the season.

At first base we have an aging DH who's often injured and two light-hitting, but strong defensive fielders. At second we have a young guy who put up near-batting champion numbers the year before, but whose numbers fell off last year. He also has a tendency to zone out. Our shortstop hits for average with little power and he had a poor post season -- but didn't get ripped for it. At third we have nobody, and we need to replace 150 RBI and 50+ homers.

At DH we have a switch-hitting utility infielder who strikes out a lot and a powerhitting right-handed nearly 30-year-old rookie who also strikes out a lot.

Both of our catchers have filed for free agency. The backup catcher is very good defensively, but has no power. The primary catcher will probably re-sign, but his career year with the bat won't be repeated.

Our starting rotation will consist of a sinkerball pitcher who was great in the regular season but killed us with two losses in the postseason. Then there's an ornery finesse pitcher who doesn't get calls off the plate anymore and three rookies, who could be great or, more likely, a mixed bag over the course of the season.

Our closer has filed for free agency. He is good, but no longer lights out. Our setup man can't be trusted, and has a huge contract that prevents him from being moved. The other setup man filed for free agency and might not be back. We have no middle relief. There are two rookies that will likely be added to the pen who looked bad in their late season and post season appearances.

We have a manager with only one year of experience who was fired from his previous position for beefing with intrusive ownership. Most of the coaching staff has gone to LA with the former manager.

Well, it should be an interesting year.

Asshole!

What an asshole Rudy is.

A real Yankee fan who isn't running for office would NEVER root for the Red Sox. The Rockies will be lucky to win one game, but I'm still rooting for them.

Joe Is Out! Rejects $5 Mil+ Deal

Lifelong New York Yankees fan Martin Silver encourages passersby to sign a petition to save Joe Torre's job as manager of the Yankees during a rally he sponsored near Times Square in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007. Silver hopes to gather a million signatures to send to Tampa where the team's hierarchy has been meeting to decide whether Torre can keep the job he held for the past 12 seasons.

Shocker from Yahoo Sports! Joe is out as Yankee manager.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Joe Torre rejected a $5 million, one-year contract to return as manager of the New York Yankees on Thursday.

Torre, who had held the job since 1995, made an unannounced trip from New York to the team's spring training complex in Tampa, Fla., accompanied by general manager Brian Cashman and chief operating officer Lonn Trost. Yankees president Randy Levine said Torre turned down the offer during the meeting, which lasted about one hour.

"It is now time for the New York Yankees to move forward," Levine said.

Torre made $7.5 million this year, the final season of a $19.2 million, three-year contract. His new deal would have included substantial bonuses for each round of the playoffs the team reached.

"We felt we needed to go to a performance-based mode," Levine said. "We thought it was very fair. It clearly was at the top of the market, but we respect Joe's decision."

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What else could Joe do? That's a huge pay cut. If you were making $75 grand and you had won major awards for your company, then your pay was slashed to $50 grand, what would you do?

But who the hell is gonna run this team now? Mattingly can't do this. I would prefer Joe Giradi over him, but he's younger than some of the vets on the team. LaRussa is okay with me too, but people keep saying he's bad with the media. I don't care. If he could win a championship with that joke of a Cardinals team in '06, he can advance the '08 Yankees to the World Series.

Is Davey Johnson available? How come no one mentions him anymore?

One and Done

Doug Mientkiewicz of the New York Yankees kneels in the infield after failing to throw out Grady Sizemore of the Cleveland Indians during Game Four of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium. The Indians won 6-4 to take the series 3-1.(AFP/Getty Images/Jim McIsaac)

Do Or Die

New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens leaves the game in the third inning against the Cleveland Indians during Game 3 of an American League Division Series baseball game Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007 at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Wow, look at the faces in that picture of those mean-ass fans, tearing Roger a new one as he limped off the field last night. Was that necessary? Luckily, Phil Hughes came in and saved the Yanks' bacon, at least for one night.

Thank God we won that game. I didn't want us to get swept.

I can't believe that Cleveland is going with Paul Byrd! If it was me, I'd pitch Sabathia on short rest. I wouldn't be surprised if Byrd suddenly "pulls something" right before game time and they switch starters.

Chien-Ming Wang is capable of bouncing back and winning this game (he's 10-4 at home), but I'm concerned about the fact that Joba won't be available (30+ pitches last night). That means they may bring in Farnsworth, and I'll have to turn off the TV if they do.

Hey, Derek Jeter -- try not to hit into a freaking double play tonight, okay?

Rockies Continue to Roll

Colorado Rockies' Kazuo Matsui, right, is sprayed with champagne by pitcher Franklin Morales after the Rockies beat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of a National League Division Series playoff baseball game on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007 at Coors Field in Denver. The Rockies sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies advanced them to the National League Championship. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Unbelievable. The Rockies have lost like one game in the last two and a half weeks.

Although it's interesting to see new blood in the League Championship series, you gotta assume that the brass at TBS will be looking at some seriously poor ratings as the D-backs and Rockies, expansion teams from the 90's, fight it out to decide who represents the NL in the World Series. They had to have been praying for a Phillies/Cubs match up that would draw on large established fan bases.

As for this afternoon's Red Sox/Angels game, it would be nice if the Angels won one game, but I doubt it.

As for the Yankees, I don't care if we win or lose. I dreamt that we got blown out early and lost by the same score that the Mets lost by last week -- 8-1. If we win, I'll be ecstatic of course, but we don't deserve to win. Torre is incapable of thinking outside the box in the playoffs. It's not his nature. He did it last year when he stuck Sheffield and Matsui, both coming off of hand surgeries, in the postseason lineup and killed the chemistry established by Melky. He's done it again in this series by starting ailing Matsui at DH for two games when we have a healthy Shelly Duncan and a healthy Jason Giambi on the bench. Both of those players came off the bench and got hits and Matsui hasn't sniffed one yet.

I don't want to hear anything about A-Rod. He's not the problem. He's hitless, but so are Posada and Matsui. Jeter, Cano and Melky are all hitting under .200. The only one doing anything is Bobby Abreu! He may have saved his job here.

Lord Of The Flies

New York Yankee head trainer Gene Monahan rubs bug spray on New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain as small insects swarm around in the eighth inning of Game 2 of an American League Division Series baseball game against the Cleveland Indians Friday, Oct. 5, 2007, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

**SIGH**

We had this one won, I tell you. Andy didn't allow a run in 6.1 innings. We had Job for the 8th and Mariano for the 9th and we were going to head back to New York with a split. I felt good about our chances against Cleveland's third and fourth starters.

So what happens?

A swarm of insects descends on the Jake, a disconcerted Joba walks the leadoff batter in the 8th, the batter takes 2nd on a wild pitch, take 3rd on a bunt and scores the tying run on another wild pitch.

I knew the game was over then, even though it lasted another three innings before Vizcaino gave up the bases loaded hit.

Ironically, before the plague of locusts fell on Joba like a biblical curse, I was worried about Mariano in the 9th. I was worried that he might not be able to hold a 1-run lead and I was hoping that Joe would roll the dice and keep Joba in there. Naturally, Mariano pitched an effortless 1-2-3 9th. If Joba had held the lead, we would've won the game, 1-0.

I don't know what's wrong with this team. We don't play competitive post-season baseball. We can't manufacture runs. We're looking at getting swept now.

Please win games 3 and 4. PLEASE!

Oh, and game 5, too.

Dammit!

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James holds up his New York Yankees hat during the fourth inning of Game 1 of an American League Division Series baseball game between the Yankees and Cleveland Indians Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

I predicted that we were going to lose, but I didn't want to be right. And we got ROCKED, too, to the tune of 12-3. Chien-Ming Wang didn't have shit.

Please, please, please let Andy win tonight. I just don't want to get swept. Baby Orlando was giggling at me while I prayed.

At least Derek Jeter fan LeBron James had a good time.

Oh, BTW, I like how an inept YES Network cameraman ran over our 1st baseman Doug Mientkiewicz and possibly ruined him for the postseason! Probably a Red Sox plant!

Playoff Predictions

Okay, I'll keep it short and sweet:

Cubs vs. Diamondbacks -- D-backs in 5. Although the Cubs (and the whole NL Central) are weak, if the Cubs were to win the series it would be because the D-backs have a lot of rookies on their team. Though the Cubs as a team haven't been in the postseason in a few years, many of their players have (Soriano, Lilly, etc.)

Phillies vs. Rockies -- Tough one. It's unfortunate that the two most exciting NL playoff teams will meet in the first round. Phillies in 4.

Red Sox vs. Angels -- Red Sox in 4. The Angels are as bad against the Red Sox as the Yankees are against the Angels.

Yankees vs. Indians -- Yankees in 5, though I could see the Yankees losing this one. I have no confidence in Mussina pitching a game four, and I can only pray that Clemens can summon up whatever he has left to win game three. We will probably lose game one in Cleveland to Sabathia with our lefty-dominated lineup.

Meet The Mess

New York Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca hangs his head in the dugout after after the Mets lost 3-0 to the St. Louis Cardinals in a baseball game, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007, at Shea Stadium in New York. (AP Photo/Ed Betz)

The Mets (87-72) were ahead by seven games with 17 remaining but have lost 10 of 14 overall and seven straight at home. No major league team has failed to finish first after having at least a seven-game lead with 17 to play.

Whoa! Shit is hitting the fan in Queens.

I can't believe this team is underachieving like this. Actually, the Mets are not unlike the Yankees, but unfortunately for them, they've chosen to bite the big one at the end of the season, not at the beginning.

Metstradamus, who writes a very entertaining Mets blog has been chronicling the agony:

Hope? Not for me. We're done. I'll pray I'm proven wrong. It will be futile. Any team that lets a first inning error by their second baseman, and a journeyman pitcher who was picked up off the scrap heap by a team that's out of the money dictate their night is exhibiting the classic signs of a team that is playing nervous, scared, whatever you want to call it. I'll go so far to say that if you used the C-word in this instance, you wouldn't be wrong. And any fan base that sings the "Jose Jose Jose" like it was a funeral march knows exactly what's going on.

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Unlike him, I think they'll be fine. It'll probably come down to a one-game tie-breaker on Monday, but they'll be fine.

On another note, I have to say I'm very impressed with the Phillies. Such heart! And the Rockies have won 11 in a row. How. HOW??

Sweet

New York Yankees' Joba Chamberlain, right, and Alex Rodriguez celebrate after the team clinched a playoff berth with a 12-4 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays during a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007 in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

What a crazy season! I freely admit that I did not think I'd be posting the above picture when we were 14.5 games out on May 29. That's about the time that I stopped doing my podcast. However, I should know by now that you can never count out the "evil empire."

This picture, however, is pushing it:

Link swiped from Can't Stop the Bleeding.

Funny Clemens Commercial

R.I.P. Scooter

Phil "The Scooter" Rizzuto passed away on August 14, 2007 at the age of 89. He was such a funny, upbeat guy. He made all of those awful Yankees teams of the 80's seem like they were going to win something when I was watching. He was an incredibly humble person, considering he had seven championships and an MVP award under his belt.

The current crop of broadcasters are all about the stats and it’s funny how people who never had the talent to actually play the came come off as so critical. Scooter, on the other hand always had an entertaining anecdote, and he was doing shout-outs before that term existed.

He will be missed.

He's Baaaaaack!

Newly signed New York Yankees starting pitcher Roger Clemens speaks at a news conference at Yankee Stadium in New York May 6, 2007. The New York Yankees have signed seven-times Cy Young Award winner Clemens to a minor-league contract, the American League club announced on Sunday. (Jeff Zelevansky/Reuters)