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

Signs of Judgment Day, Part 1

From Gizmodo:

UK robotics professor Noel Sharkey is raising a fuss over the US Defense Department's intention to put $4 billion into "unmanned systems" in the next year or two. One fear is that spillover from all that R&D will give terrorists new ways to build effective GPS-guided suicide bombers for $500 or less.

"How long is it going to be before the terrorists get in on the act? With the current prices of robot construction falling dramatically and the availability of ready-made components for the amateur market, it wouldn't require a lot of skill to make autonomous robot weapons."

But Sharkey has other more philosophical issues, ones that echo Isaac Asimov's own concerns of more than a half century ago.

Says the New Scientist:

Sharkey is most concerned about the prospect of having robots decide for themselves when to "pull the trigger." Currently, a human is always involved in decisions of this nature. But the Pentagon is nearly two years into a research program aimed at having robots identify potential threats without human help.

But Ronald Arkin of Georgia Tech, the Siskel to Sharkey's Ebert, says that because a robot has no emotional baggage, it could be a much more "ethical" killer:

Arkin suggests trying to design ethical control systems that make military robots respect the Geneva Convention and other rules of engagement on the battlefield... "With a robot I can be sure that a robot will never harbour the intention to hurt a non-combatant," he says. "Ultimately they will be able to perform better than humans."

Hello!

Terminator? Battlestar Galactica? ED-209?

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Microblogging

I'm going to try microblogging -- just writing little snippets at a time. It's better than nothing, which is what I've been doing.

19 and... Oh Shit, They Lost!

LOL!

Too funny! I wonder how many pre-orders they had to cancel on Amazon.com?

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.

Oh, for God's Sake!

A Boston Red Sox fan holds up a sign while the Red Sox play the Cleveland Indians in Game 6 of Major League Baseball's ALCS playoff series in Boston October 20 2007. (Adam Hunger/Reuters)

Come on, Cleveland!

Up 3-1, now you have to place a game 7 in Fenway!

Why does everyone look like Cy Young when they pitch against us (Fausto Carmona), but they roll over and play dead against the Red Sox?? Disgusting!

For God's sake, man up and beat the brains out of Daisuke tonight, PLEASE? I can't stand another peep out of "Red Sox Nation."

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!

The Unkindest Kaz of All

Colorado Rockies batter Kazuo Matsui hits a grand slam in the fourth inning in Game 2 of their MLB National League Division Series playoff baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia, October 4, 2007. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (UNITED STATES)

Don't look now, but little ole Kaz Matsui, who was run out of town by the Mets, has 5 RBI today against the Phillies, including a Grand Slam!!

Rockies are kicking the Phillies asses, 10-4 in the 7th.

Looks bad for the Phillies, though J-Roll and Ryan Howard both have homered in the game.

Good Pitching Beats Good Hitting... But Man, Is It BORING.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett wheels to look at a line drive single off the bat of Los Angeles Angels' Vladimir Guerrero in the ninth inning of Game 1 of an American League Division Series playoff baseball game against Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007 in Boston. Beckett pitched a complete-game 4-0 shutout. The Red Sox and Angels play Game 2 in Boston Friday night. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

God, what a boring-ass game that was. The Angels looked so overmatched, they look like they might get swept. I couldn't see the Phillies/Rockies game because it was on in the middle of the freaking day and the Cubs/D-Backs game was on in the middle of the freaking night.

Hey, that reminds me of that Jodeci song:

Every freaking day
And every freaking night...

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.

Mr. Met Goes Home

ROFL!