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2009 Baseball Preview- Quarter Mark

Alright, so after 40 games of the season let’s re-evaluate my original predictions and make new ones at the point of the season.

American League

American League East

Original Prediction

1. New York Yankees (100-62)
2. Boston Red Sox (95-67)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (94-66)
4. Toronto Blue Jays (80-82)
5. Baltimore Orioles (60-102)

New Prediction

1. New York Yankees (96-66)
2. Boston Red Sox (92-70)
3. Toronto Blue Jays (86-76)
4. Tampa Bay Rays (84-78)
5. Baltimore Orioles (70-92)

A-Rod is leading this Yankee resurgance with 7HR/.259 ba/.672 slg

American League Central

Original Prediction

1. Detroit Tigers (89-73)
2. Cleveland Indians (87-75)
3. Chicago White Sox (85-77)
4. Minnesota Twins (82-80)
5. Kansas City Royals (79-83)

New Prediction

1. Detroit Tigers (90-72)
2. Minnesota Twins (88-74)
3. Chicago White Sox (85-77)
4. Kansas City Royals (84-78)
5. Cleveland Indians (75-87)

Can Detroit ride the D-Train to November?

American League West

Original Prediction

1. Oakland A’s (85-77)
2. Texas Rangers (82-80)
3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (80-82)
4. Seattle Mariners (72-90)

New Prediction

1. Texas Rangers (86-76)
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (84-78)
3. Seattle Mariners (80-82)
4. Oakland A’s (75-87)

Ian Kinsler is becoming an Elite player and he’s bringing the Rangers too!

Playoffs

Wild Card Round

New York Yankees over Texas Rangers
Detroit Tigers over Boston Red Sox

Championship Round

New York Yankees over Detroit Tigers

Awards

Cy Young- Roy Halladay (P) Toronto Blue Jays

Rookie of The Year- Elvis Andrus (SS) Texas Rangers

Manager of The Year- Ron Gardenhire Texas Rangers

Most Valuable Player- Alex Rodriguez (3B) New York Yankees

Where Amazing Happens

2009 Baseball Preview-American League

There’s a lot to get to so let’s just get right to it…

AL West

This is a tough division to call, since winning the world series in 2002 the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have won the division every year. However with the losses of Mark Teixiera and Francisco Rodriguez it may be hard for the Halos to repeat. The A’s added some much needed power with Matt Holiday and  Jason Giambi. The addition of those two sluggers and the already strong rotation in Oakland could give the Angels quite a scare. Unfortunately there isn’t much to say about the Mariners however I believe that the Rangers may be more competitive than most people would think

Prediction

1. Oakland A’s (85-77)
2. Texas Rangers (82-80)
3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (80-82)
4. Seattle Mariners (72-90)

will this Holliday give the Angels a vacation?

AL Central

This division provided quite a bit of excitement down the stretch last season and I believe that it will continue into this season. The “blockbuster” deal of last year that brought Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera to Detroit really did not pay any dividends to the Tigers but I think that that will change this year, the city of Detroit desperately needs something good to happen and ace Justin Verlander will be back to form. The Indians finished 8 games back (mostly because of their slow start). And the Royals were not as awful as they could’ve been and maybe some of the Rays’ magic will rub off on them.

Prediction

1. Detroit Tigers (89-73)
2. Cleveland Indians (87-75)
3. Chicago White Sox (85-77)
4. Minnesota Twins (82-80)
5. Kansas City Royals (79-83)

maybe the real Tigers will be as good as this movie one

AL East

Here we go the three-ring circus that is the AL East is open for business. The Yankees provided their own corporate bail out with the 400+ mil they spent on C.C., A.J., and Teixiera. The Red Sox absolutely stole an ace by signing Brad Penny and have the reigning AL MVP. The Rays will try desperately to hold on to their momentum (and the AL Pennant). Oh and there are two other teams in this division (i think)

Prediction

1. New York Yankees (100-62)
2. Boston Red Sox (95-67)
3. Tampa Bay Rays (94-66)
4. Toronto Blue Jays (80-82)
5. Baltimore Orioles (60-102)

the house that Juice built? (there it is the obligatory A-Roid reference…uh oh there’s another)

American League Playoffs

Wild Card Round

New York Yankees OVER Oakland A’s

Detroit Tigers OVER Boston Red Sox

Championship Round

New York Yankees OVER Detroit Tigers

American League Awards

Rookie Of The Year

Matt Wieters (C-Baltimore Orioles)

Manager of The Year

Jim Leyland (Detroit Tigers)

CY Young

Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers)

MVP

Matt Holliday (Oakland A’s)

there’s the American League…National League coming in a few days…

Bring Man-Ram to San Fran

I’ve waited patiently and silently for the Dodgers to make a move. I’ve waited for what seemed like inevitable news of the Yankees or Mets swooping in an breaking the bank. But the days turned to weeks and the weeks (almost inconceivably) turned to months and here we are 6 days until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training and the most prolific hitter available on the market is still just that…on the market

There are 5 legitimate reasons why the San Francisco Giants should sign Manny Ramirez today…let’s start with reason #5

5. Attendance

Last year the Giants dropped below 3,000,000 in attendance for the first time since moving to AT&T Park. In the struggling economy which we’re currently living in it’s going to be hard enough to get fans to 81 home games, and with the line-up the Giants currently have, the only reason to go to see a home game is every 5 days for Lincecum and for when Randy Johnson goes for his 300th win. However, with Manny Ramirez there is a whole new reason to go to the ballpark. Manny is currently at 527 HRs, so with a 2-3 year deal you could potentially have the added bonus of Manny chasing 600 HRs. From a purely Fiscal standpoint this decision makes sense.

4. Timmy Can’t Do It All

While it might seem like an obvious sentiment but no pitcher (no matter how great) can win a championship by themselves. Let’s assume (for argument’s sake) that a pitcher wins every start they make they would only win 34-37 games tops, the other 24 guys on the roster have to step it up. Winning the CY Young was huge for the Giants organization and if you combine that with Manny Ramirez then not only do you have a go to offensive threat but you have a legitimate Ace for a potential playoff run.

3. He’s Worth The Money

To sign Manny Ramirez today it would be more a matter of years than dollars. He turned down the Dodger’s 1 year $25 mil offer last week, so a 2 year 40 with an option for 3 years would probably do the trick and get the deal done right away. Sure for that some money you could probably get Orlando Hudson AND Adam Dunn, but the Giants aren’t going to do that so why not take the best player available and immediately make yourself a contender. Without Manny Ramirez you’re looking at 2-3 more years of being a .500 level team while young guys grow and get better. With Manny those same young guys can grow AND you have a chance to win at the same time. If that’s not a win-win then I don’t know what is.

2. Who Else Is Available?

There are 3 “sluggers” left on the market. Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu (Griffey Jr. only makes sense on an American League Team) . Adam Dunn seems like a great choice, he turns 30 after this season and averages 40 HR a year. BUT Dunn has played in hitter friendly parks in Cincy and Arizona, hasn’t proven himself to be a clutch player and his strike out prone. Bobby Abreu really has absolutely no upside, he’s 35 years old, averages 22 HRs and the Giants outfield is already so crowded that only Manny seems worth crowding it even more.

1. BEAT L.A.

To a Giants fan there may be no better reason than simply “Beat L.A.” It was painful to watch the Dodgers come so close to the World Series last season almost solely on the bat of Manny Ramirez. It is worth getting Manny Ramirez just to keep him off the Dodgers. Jackie Robinson retired from Baseball instead of being traded to the Giants, that is a hatred that runs deep and the thought of not only keeping the Dodgers from getting Manny but the Giants being able to utilize his services to beat the boys in blue would be fantastic.

So there it is…you reading Brian Sabean? If you are…let’s make it happen

MLB Award Predictions

So here it is everyone’s favorite time of the year. The ivy at Wrigley has changed colors (but no one will see it), The weather in Anaheim is perfect (but no one will feel it) and C.C. doesn’t have to pitch on 3 days rest anymore (his agent sent a thank-you to the Phillies already)

so here we go my predictions for the 2008 MLB Awards

NL Rookie Of The Year

Geovany Soto, Catcher-Chicago Cubs

Soto was outstanding this year and pretty much had the award locked up at the All-Star break. He hit .285 with 23 HRs and 86 RBIs. Solid offensive numbers for a team that had the best record in the NL

AL Rookie Of The Year

Evan Longoria, Third Base-Tampa Bay Rays

Longoria (who didn’t start the season in the bigs) has been spectacular for the Rays, you could even make a legit MVP argument for him. He hit .272 with 27 HRs and 85 RBIs. But his biggest impact has been his energy and overall presence in the Rays clubhouse. Management took notice and locked him up longterm. At least one team in Florida is trying to keep its talent and be a constant contender

NL CY Young

Tim Lincecum, Pitcher- San Francisco Giants

This may be one of the closest races this award has seen in quite a while. Lincecum is an all out stud. He posted a 2.62 ERA (2nd in the NL) Had 18 wins (only 4 behind Brandon Webb) had a 1.172 WHIP, Averaged 7.22 H/9 (first in the NL) But the most impressive to me is his league leading 265 K’s…almost 60 more than the next closest picther. While some voters may be swayed by Webb’s record (keep in mind that Lincecum had a worse bullpen and a worse offense behind him) and other’s by Santana’s late season heroics (where were they all year) You cannot deny Timmy’s dominance on the mound.

AL CY Young

Cliff Lee, Pitcher- Cleveland Indians

This is a no brainer, and I won’t waste your time with a rehash of his stats. But just keep in mind that the Indians could’ve had the 1-2 punch of Sabathia and Lee and with that they would’ve posed a serious threat in the AL Central. If the thought of those 2 picthers sounds impressive that is reason enough for Lee who already has the stats.

NL MVP

Manny Ramirez, Left Fielder- Los Angeles Dodgers

I’ve gone back and forth on this one for quite a while. Is it fair to give the MVP to someone who only played half a season in that league? The best argument I can give is the same one Colin Cowherd gave about Manny “add Manny to the Dodger lineup and suddenly that’s an impressive lineup”. In 100 games in Boston Manny hit .299 with 20 HRs and 68 RBIS. Now consider that in 53 games with LA Manny hit .396 with 17 HRs and 53 RBIs. Granted his batting average is a bit infalted since he played fewer games, but the fact that in half the time he has been able to match his offensive production is impressive especially against tough picthers and defensive ballparks (PETCO, AT&T)

AL MVP

Dustin Pedroia, Second Base- Boston Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia in a line-up filled with power hitters David Ortiz and Kevin Youkillis spent most of the time after Manny left for LA as the Red Sox’s clean-up hitter. Think about that for a second. The Red Sox’s replacement for the power of Manny Ramirez was DUSTIN PEDROIA. Dustin was third on the team in RBIs but lead the team in Doubles (next to the HR the greates RBI producing hit) He also has great eye for drawing walks and his 20 stolen bases (out of 21 attempts) made him a defense’s worst nightmare. A guy who has the power to jack the ball, the speed to run one out, and once he’s on base can take another one. The Red Sox could’ve easily collapsed after losing Manny but they didn’t and Pedroia is this reason.

A Bengal Can’t Change His Stripes

Are you kidding me Marvin Lewis? Are you serious Cincinnati Bengals?

You want to try and change the perception around the sports world that you are the real life version of the team from “The Longest Yard”?

Is resigning Chris Henry the way to do that?

SURVEY SAYS?…. NO!!!!

Wake up Bengal fans and demand more from your team.

Or just lose the black stripes and Chris can wear his own Orange Jumpsuit…i’m sure he’s got a few

The Sports Blog is Back Jack!

Hello Loyal Readers!

Yes! I am back…but unlike the aforepictured “legend” I am staying put…

After being away for 9 amazing weeks at camp i’m back and ready to blog…so look forward to what’s coming in the days ahead…