2009 Baseball Season

[TheSecretsInTheCrust]

My Picks:
AL East
BOSTON
TAMPA *
New York
Toronto
Baltimore

AL Central
CHICAGO
Cleveland
Detroit
Minnesota
Kansas City

AL West
ANAHEIM
Oakland
Texas
Seattle

NL East
PHILADELPHIA
NEW YORK *
Altlanta
Florida
Washington

NL Central
CHICAGO
Cinncinati
St. Louis
Milwaukee
Pittsburgh
Houston

NL West
SAN FRANCISCO
Los Angeles
Arizona
San Diego
Colorado

* Wild Card

[RinglingRingling]

Here's how Boston.com's Mazzerotti has this years AL East race....I agree with most of it but would pick the Sox starting pitchers over the Yankees. I see it as a 2 team race, with injuries deciding 1 & 2, and the Yankees a half dozen back.

I saw an article a few days ago that the Yankees are going to limit Joba Chamberlain to about 140 innings this year. The next sentence said they expect him to get 30 starts. That's less than 5 innings/start. Why even bother?

he'll have more free time for community service, or driving school

I think it's pathetic to think that you're getting value from a starting pitcher that can barely get you to the 6th.
The game really has devolved in that sense...

with the advances in physiology, training, and the like, one would think that pitching 9 innings should be doable for anyone in the position for at least 10-12 years.

[BottleofRum]

why not
AL
E: Bos
C: Min
W: Anh
WC: NYY
MVP: Mauer
CY: Lester
ROY: Matt Wieters
Suprise: OAK
Dissapoitment: TB
AL Champ: Bos


NL
E: NYM
C: CHC
W: LAD
WC: ARI
MVP: Manny
CY: Tim Lincecum
ROY: John Mayberry
Suprise: SF
Dissapoitment: PHI
NL Champ: Ari

WS CHAMP: Bos

[LIPH]

I remember two recent can't miss pitching prospects that requested and got a lot of money, Brien Taylor and Mark Prior both turned out to be MLB busts. Mark prior had "some"MLB success but for what he was paid and projected to be a 42-29 through 6 seasons equals a bust but not as bad as Brien Taylor who never played a game in the major leagues.

I wouldn't call Brien Taylor a bust, I'd call him a jackass. The reason he never played a game in the major leagues was he got into a fight, dislocated his shoulder and was never able to come back from the injury.

[TommyBahama]

WHY IN THE WORLD DIS THE METS GET SHEFFIELD!!!....I WOULD OF NEVER TOUCHED THAT GUY!!!...NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS!!!

[TommyBahama]

National League

East
-----
Mets
Braves

Central
--------
Cubs
Brewers

West
------
Dodgers
Giants


Wild Card The Braves

NL Champs.....METS


American League

EAST
------
Red Sox
Yankees ( Tampa misses by a game)

Central
--------
Twins
Royals

West
------
Angels
A's


Wild Card....Yankees
AL Champs ....Angels (just to be different)

WS Champs Mets

My sleeper team this year....The Marlins....a ton of young very good arms!!!

[Karin]

WHY IN THE WORLD DIS THE METS GET SHEFFIELD!!!....I WOULD OF NEVER TOUCHED THAT GUY!!!...NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS!!!

So the Phillies wouldn't.

Look at it this way, you can blame Sheff when you don't make it to the WS this year.

[Wino you know]

My predictions
(For the only baseball that really matters):

MIDWEST LEAGUE
_________________

Eastern Division
_____________
1-Great Lakes Loons
2-Dayton Dragons
3-Lansing Lugnuts
4-West Michigan Whitecaps
5-South Bend Silver Hawks
6-Fort Wayne Tincaps


Western Division
_____________
1-Cedar Rapids Kernels
2-Clinton Lumber Kings
3-Kane County Cougars
4-Quad Cities River Bandits
5-Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
6-Burlington Bees
7-Peoria Chiefs
8-Beloit Snappers

[TSU86]

Curt Schilling official retires. Now is he a HOFer? Very tough call.

Yes. But others should get in before him. 214 wins and roughly 3100 K's . . . there are better HOF options out there. His name - persona - bloody sock - etc. put him over.

Yup. If voters value postseason performance as much as they like to say they do, Schilling has to be in. Plus wasn't he on a lot of bad Phillies teams before getting traded to the Diamondbacks?

I remember that Schilling came up in the Orioles organization......but was traded away for people I can't even recall now (the O's have made so many bad trades over the years.....kind of tough to keep them all straight! ).

The O's actually got Schilling from the Red Sox - I believe in the Mike Boddiker trade. They then, a couple of years later, made the worst trade in franchise history -- Schilling, Pete Harnisch and Steve Finley for Glen Friggin Davis

[BottleofRum]

I remember two recent can't miss pitching prospects that requested and got a lot of money, Brien Taylor and Mark Prior both turned out to be MLB busts. Mark prior had "some"MLB success but for what he was paid and projected to be a 42-29 through 6 seasons equals a bust but not as bad as Brien Taylor who never played a game in the major leagues.

I wouldn't call Brien Taylor a bust, I'd call him a jackass. The reason he never played a game in the major leagues was he got into a fight, dislocated his shoulder and was never able to come back from the injury.

I think I saw a documentary on him recently, he was living in a abandon house in South Carolina and was flat broke. It talked about how he was this can't miss prospect but was a head case and always in fights. I am pretty sure it was about Brien Taylor.
It really makes people appreciate how Josh Hamilton came all the way back.

[Bfan53again]

Curt Schilling official retires. Now is he a HOFer? Very tough call.

Yes. But others should get in before him. 214 wins and roughly 3100 K's . . . there are better HOF options out there. His name - persona - bloody sock - etc. put him over.

Yup. If voters value postseason performance as much as they like to say they do, Schilling has to be in. Plus wasn't he on a lot of bad Phillies teams before getting traded to the Diamondbacks?

I remember that Schilling came up in the Orioles organization......but was traded away for people I can't even recall now (the O's have made so many bad trades over the years.....kind of tough to keep them all straight! ).

The O's actually got Schilling from the Red Sox - I believe in the Mike Boddiker trade. They then, a couple of years later, made the worst trade in franchise history -- Schilling, Pete Harnisch and Steve Finley for Glen Friggin Davis

That's right about Schilling.....thanks for update!

And I agree, "that" trade for Davis was hands-down the worst trade (of many) that the O's have made over the years.

I just hope I can endure the 12th consecutive losing season in 2009 until some of the young pitchers develop in the minors. While painful to consider, I do think that the organization's recent practice of rushing pitchers to the majors has been the reason for so many busts.....

[BottleofRum]

Curt Schilling official retires. Now is he a HOFer? Very tough call.

Yes. But others should get in before him. 214 wins and roughly 3100 K's . . . there are better HOF options out there. His name - persona - bloody sock - etc. put him over.

Yup. If voters value postseason performance as much as they like to say they do, Schilling has to be in. Plus wasn't he on a lot of bad Phillies teams before getting traded to the Diamondbacks?

I remember that Schilling came up in the Orioles organization......but was traded away for people I can't even recall now (the O's have made so many bad trades over the years.....kind of tough to keep them all straight! ).

The O's actually got Schilling from the Red Sox - I believe in the Mike Boddiker trade. They then, a couple of years later, made the worst trade in franchise history -- Schilling, Pete Harnisch and Steve Finley for Glen Friggin Davis

That's right about Schilling.....thanks for update!

And I agree, "that" trade for Davis was hands-down the worst trade (of many) that the O's have made over the years.

I just hope I can endure the 12th consecutive losing season in 2009 until some of the young pitchers develop in the minors. While painful to consider, I do think that the organization's recent practice of rushing pitchers to the majors has been the reason for so many busts.....

Red Sox traded Curt Schilling and Brady Anderson to Baltimore for Mike Boddicker. Had Baltimore held onto Schilling it could have been one of their best trades ever.

It wasn't a completely bad trade for the Red Sox, Mike Boddicker helped them win the AL East in 1988 and 1990.

[aeroparrot]

When did the Orioles trade Schilling? (not trade for him trade him away)

[Hoosier PH]

My picks

NL East
Mets
Phillies
Braves
Marlins
Nationals

NL Central
Cubs
Cardinals
Reds
Brewers
Astros
Pirates

NL West
Dodgers
Dimondbacks
Giants
Rockies
Padres

AL East
Red Sox
Rays
Yankees
Blue Jays
Orioles

AL Central
Indians
Twins
White Sox
Tigers
Royals

AL West
Angels
A's
Rangers
Mariners

NL Wildcard
Phillies

AL Wildcard
Rays

[LIPH]

When did the Orioles trade Schilling? (not trade for him trade him away)

According to baseball-reference.com: January 10, 1991: Traded by the Baltimore Orioles with Steve Finley and Pete Harnisch to the Houston Astros for Glenn Davis

[Lightning Bolt]

well, it could be a looong season from where I'm seated (and seeded)

My Picks:
NL West
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Francisco Giants
San Diego Padres
Colorado Rockies

NL East
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Atlanta Braves*
New York Mets
Florida Marlins
Washington Nationals

NL Central
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds
Chicago Cubs
Pittsburgh Pirates
Houston Astros

AL East
BOSTON RED SOX
New York Yankees*
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles

AL Central
MINNESOTA TWINS
Cleveland Indians
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals

AL West
LOS ANGELES ANGELS of ANAHEIM
Oakland Athletics
Texas Rangers
Seattle Mariners

* Wild Card

NL: LA Dodgers
AL: LA Angels of Anaheim

SoCal Freeway Series
Halos will shine in 2K9!!

[BottleofRum]

When did the Orioles trade Schilling? (not trade for him trade him away)

According to baseball-reference.com: January 10, 1991: Traded by the Baltimore Orioles with Steve Finley and Pete Harnisch to the Houston Astros for Glenn Davis

What is funny about that is Schilling said he didn't start taking baseball serious until he had talks with Roger Clemens while playing with him in spring training.... but he only played with Clemens at most up until 1988. Schilling bounced from Bos-Bal-Hou to Phi before he made any impact in MLB. So either Schilling is FullOfSchit or Bos, Bal, Hou has really, really bad scouts..... or a combo of both.

Wouldn't be he first time Schilling was FullOfSchit .....

[SMLCHNG]

PLAY BALL!!!!!

[popcornjack]

My picks.



You ready?



The better teams will win, the not so better teams will lose. There will be closeness between some of the more winninging teams than the others, but eventually the more winningingess teams will separate themselves from the mathematical-not-so-winningess teams, but the mathematical team will win some, but not enough all the time, so a losingest team might actually find a dumbluck win, and then everything I've said is worth poop.

[SMLCHNG]

Bravo, Jack!!!