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

Ben & Jerry's: Flavors for W

From Nimble Theory:

Ben & Jerrys created the ice cream flavor “Yes Pecan!” for Obama.

They then asked people to fill in the blank for the following:

For George W. they created “___________________________”.

Here are some of their favorite responses:

- Grape Depression
- Abu Grape
- Cluster Fudge
- Nut’n Accomplished
- Iraqi Road
- Chock ‘n Awe
- WireTapioca
- Impeach Cobbler
- Guantanmallow
- imPeachmint
- Good Riddance You Lousy Motherfucker… Swirl [LOL!]
- Heck of a Job, Brownie!
- Neocon Politan
- RockyRoad to Fascism
- The Reese’s-cession
- Cookie D’oh!
- The Housing Crunch
- Nougalar Proliferation
- Death by Chocolate… and Torture
- Freedom Vanilla Ice Cream
- Chocolate Chip On My Shoulder
- “You’re Shitting In My Mouth And Calling It A” Sundae
- Credit Crunch
- Mission Pecanplished
- Country Pumpkin
- Chunky Monkey in Chief
- George Bush Doesn’t Care About Dark Chocolate
- WMDelicious
- Chocolate Chimp
- Bloody Sundae
- Caramel Preemptive Stripe
- I broke the law and am responsible for the deaths of thousands…with nuts

It Happened.

Well, I Got That One Wrong

Congrats to the Phillies.

Man, that's gonna stick in the craw of the Mets all winter. LOL!

You know, after Game 5 of the ALCS, the Rays kinda reverted to the Devil Rays, you know? They really sucked in this series. What the hell happened?

I wouldn't be surprised if the Rays don't repeat as a playoff team. They have the stink of "one and done" to me, like the Rockies and the Tigers.


Caption:

Fans gesture to Philadelphia Phillies' Shane Victorino as the Phillies head down Broad Street during a victory parade in downtown Philadelphia Friday Oct. 31, 2008. Thousands of spectators packed downtown for Friday's parade celebrating the Phillies World Series victory against the Tampa Bay Rays.

World Series Predictions

I say Rays in 6. Their pitching is stronger. Also, the Phillies' ballpark works against them against a team like the Rays that hits a lot of home runs. I expect at least one game in Philly will have a football score like 14-10, or something like that.

Playoff Predictions: Round 2

Well, I got three of the four division series winners right. But I did say that the Cubs were the Cubs. What the hell is the matter with that team? They played tight. And the Angels? They played like $#!@. How come they never played so poorly vs. the Yankees?

ACLS:
Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays: The only thing standing between the hated BoSox and back-to-back World Series championships are the Rays. I pray that the Rays beat them. I’m sick of Red Sox and their front runner “fans.” Rays in 6. But they REALLY need to win the first two games at home.

NLCS:
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Don’t look now, but the Dodgers look like they’re gonna pull an ’06 Cardinals on everybody. My head says the Phillies are a better team, but my gut says the Dodgers are going to pull this off. Dodgers in 7.

Playoff Predictions: First Round

Brewers vs. Phillies: I like both these teams. There are nice young stars on both squads. I feel that the Phillies have the edge since they were in the playoffs last years and they have an idea what went wrong. Also, Sabathia can’t start game 1, and Sheets is done for the year, so those are big minuses for the Brewers. I’d say Phillies in 4, but I wouldn’t be sad if the Brewers managed to pull this off.

Dodgers vs. Cubs: The Cubs have much better pitching and the home field advantage, but they are the Cubs. This is essentially the same squad that got swept last year by the Diamondbacks, and that shouldn’t have happened. Manny is motivated, and that’s dangerous. But Joe Torre hasn’t gotten out of the first round of the playoffs since 2004. It would be interesting if he did so now, eh? But I say Cubs in 5.

Red Sox vs. Angels: I hate the Red Sox, but the Angels will probably find a way to lose this series. The Angels haven’t played a meaningful game all year, and I think some of their guys are hurt, but not as bad as last year with Garret Anderson getting pink eye, of all things. I’d like the Angels to win this one, but I’ll reluctantly say Red Sox in 5.

White Sox vs. Rays: The White Sox suck. The way they played down the stretch was pitiful. I was sad that the Twins lost yesterday, but either team is inferior to the Rays. The Rays have better pitching and younger, more athletic players. The only thing that could stop them would be if they get psyched out, or their manager, who has never managed an important game, drops the ball. Rays in 4.

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

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."

Read more...

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)