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Left Field ParrotHead wrote:Having trouble deciding who to root for this year? This flow chart could help you decide...

http://www.interpretationbydesign.com/w ... wchart.jpg

Lightning Bolt wrote:This won't exactly stun the baseball world....

16-yr. veteran catcher Greg Zaun, 39, announced his retirement from Padres camp today.

Bfan53again wrote:

Lightning Bolt wrote:This won't exactly stun the baseball world....

16-yr. veteran catcher Greg Zaun, 39, announced his retirement from Padres camp today.

I saw Zaun play while he was with the Orioles (he is the nephew of former Oriole catcher Rick Dempsey). Greg was one of those guys that just played hard every day to the best of his abilities and managed to have a long major league career......

Tequila Revenge wrote:

Bfan53again wrote:

Lightning Bolt wrote:This won't exactly stun the baseball world....

16-yr. veteran catcher Greg Zaun, 39, announced his retirement from Padres camp today.

I saw Zaun play while he was with the Orioles (he is the nephew of former Oriole catcher Rick Dempsey). Greg was one of those guys that just played hard every day to the best of his abilities and managed to have a long major league career......

Wasn't Dempsey on the 88 Dodger World Series team too?

CaptainP wrote:Time for my predictions:

AL EAST
1. Red Sox Yep. I'm on the bandwagon. They made the right moves, even if bringing in guys like AGone and Crawford for big $$$ makes them smell kinda Yankee-ish. They have the most talent in the most talented division.
2. Yankees But the Yanks are still the Yanks. An offense built for New Yankee Stadium will offset a below-mediocre rotation, and I predict this is the year Mariano becomes human. But the offense will be fine, and help them to a distant second place.
3. Rays I still love my Rays, but I don't like their off-season. Revamped bullpen is scary. Manny & Damon were cheap for a reason. There is still a TON of young talent here, but don't be looking for veteran leadership from Manny Ramirez. They need some time to grow up again...B.J. Upton as your team leader can be an explosive situation.
4. Orioles I'm not one of those guys picking the Orioles to improve because of Buck Showalter....but he sure doesn't hurt. I'm picking them because they are talented enough to finish 2nd or even 1st in a lesser division.
5. Blue Jays Sorry, Toronto. Someone has to finish last. There is talent here, but not in this division...

AL CENTRAL
1. White Sox Like them just a bit more than the Twins at this point. Positive additions and positive subtractions in the off-season. This team is solid in most areas now...despite the head-case Managing them. Chris Sale is the real deal. Alexsei Ramirez is ready to take a big leap forward. We'll see how third base works out, but this team is good.
2. Twins The Twins are always in the mix. Just a few too many guys on this roster that feel like AAAA players. They're guys that produce, but I'd love to see a couple more All-Star types. Granted, this is usually the case with the Twins, and they usually find a way to win. I'm still putting them down for second.
3. Tigers This team has talent, but every time I look at them, I wonder what direction they are trying to go. They feel like a team that was thrown together, not molded. Just can't get confident in them.
4. Royals Close. So close. NEXT year, I'll likely pick them near the top of the division. 2013, they could win it all....their minors are THAT good...and THAT close. But not yet.
5. Indians A shame to see a young talent like Carlos Santana go to waste in this pile of junk. Of course, I said something similar about the Padres last year....so who knows?

AL WEST
1. A's I think this might be the year that they pull it together. I'm going out on a limb, but if MoneyBall gives you anything, it's a team that doesn't beat itself very often. They could be very good....and I'm putting myself on the line saying that they will be.
2. Rangers Last year's AL Champs still have a lot of talent. There are a few gaps in the lineup, though. And I don't trust a pitching staff that had that many Career performances in one year. Some are bound to fall back.
3. Angels Scoscia is still a great manager. But I don't see as much talent as in the past. The rotation is 3, maybe 4 deep. But the bullpen only has 2 guys who had an ERA under 4.00 last year, and one of those is hurt. The lineup is full of guys like Alberto Callaspo, Erick Aybar, and Peter Bourgeous. The vets that they do have are all dinged up already. Might be time to start from scratch.
4. Mariners I like Jack Z. a lot as a GM. But his tinkering is not working here. Other than King Felix and Ichiro, I don't see one guy that makes me really excited (maybe Justin Smoak, but he's too young).



NL EAST
1. Phillies Despite their spring injuries, this is a REALLY good team. They'll get old fast, but I don't think this is the year. Their window is closing soon....but they have another run in them. What a rotation!!!!
2. Braves They've quietly built themselves back into a contender. Rotation is nearly as good as Philly's, but the lineup is still not quite there. Nate McLouth is starting to look like a bust, but he's surrounded by talent. Chipper came back for a reason, though. He's past his prime, but surrounded by a developing lineup.
3. Marlins Like the Braves, a talented team with a couple of holes. Close, and in another division, they could win. Is there a team in this division without a potentially very good rotation?
4. Nationals Yes. Any team with a rotation anchored by the 2011 version of Livan Hernandez is in trouble. Just biding their time until the Strassburg era resumes, and Bryce Harper arrives. The lineup is good, and they will win some games.
5. Mess No, I didn't spell that wrong. Not much to like.

NL CENTRAL
1. Brewers This might finally be the year. I've said it before, but I believe they made the RIGHT moves in the offseason. Greinke gives them a proven ace, Marcum gives them a solid #3. Gallardo is relieved of the pressure of being an ace, and can work on developing (was made the #1 starter at age of 22, wasn't ready). Nice rotation with 3 righties, 2 lefties. Bullpen still has question marks, but it's better than last year's version. The offense will only improve with a new, more aggressive Joe Maddon clone Managing them.
2. Reds Honestly, I believe the Reds are going to take a step or two backwards....too many overachievers last year. I don't love the pitching the way so many people do. But there is talent, no doubt. Call it a gut feeling. I still have them in 2nd because of the talent, but I could see them in 4th place, too.
3. Cardinals Everyone wrote this team off when Adam Wainwright went down. It hurt, no doubt, but there's still a couple of pretty good players wearing the Cardinal uniform. I nearly gave them second place.
4. Cubs I could also see the Cubs surge up to second place. I think it'll be a competitive division. Look for a bounceback from Aramis Ramirez. Look for Carlos Pena to love Wrigley. Look for Soriano to be happy for a change. The problem with the Cubs? Too many head-case-pitchers-named-Carlos. Carlos Marmol has a great arm, but walks more guys than any closer in baseball. Carlos Silva got into a fight-WITH A TEAMMATE-in their SECOND pre-season game! And then there is Carlos Zambrano....he's as close to getting jail time for assault during a game as he is to winning 10 games. At least they'll be interesting to watch. RIP Ron Santo.
5. Astros I have a friend dating a member of the Astros....but that doesn't make me a fan. This team is LOADED with mediocrity.
6. Pirates I put them in last because, well, they're the Pirates. Need I say more? I plan on picking them for last until they prove me wrong.


NL WEST
1. Giants Honestly, I don't really like any of these teams. I went with the Giants because of the pitching, no other reason. I find the lineup ordinary. But Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, and the bullpen are fantastic, and no reason they can't continue to be.
2. Rockies Two MVP candidates, and a potential Cy Young candidate. But I don't love much beyond CarGo, Tulo, and Ubaldo. We'll see.
3. Dodgers Maybe the most talent in the division, but until the McCourt situation is settled, I can't buy in. Sometimes off-field issues affect a team.
4. Padres Last year's overachievers faded badly late, and I think that was true colors. The lineup is interesting....I could see them being decent, but more likely I can see this group hitting a collective .245. The rotation might not be as good as people think. Periphery numbers tell me that beyond Latos (and maybe Stauffer), they will struggle.
5. Diamondbacks Another team that feels "thrown-together", not built. I just can't buy them as a winner.

AL WILDCARD Yankees
NL WILDCARD Braves

AL CHAMP Red Sox
NL CHAMP Phillies

WORLD CHAMP Red Sox 4 to 3

Hate to do it, but I'm predicting the playoffs go according to the script. Red Sox over As in ALDS, and A's over Yanks. Red Sox sweep A's in the ALCS. NLDS-Phillies take down Milwaukee again, while the Braves topple the Giants. Phillies need 5 or 6 games to close out the Braves. Great World Series ends up with the Red Sox 3rd win in 8 years. But NO, Jon...that doesn't qualify as a dynasty.

drunkpirate66 wrote:
5 things:

1. If Toronto finishes last then you drink free for a year. This is your only prediction that I totally disagree with. Someone in that very good division has to finish last. I choose Toronto because: An abundance of mediocrity in the lineup (Lind, Snider, Rivera, Hill). Bautista came out of nowhere to be great. He'll regress. They also have a pitching staff that has potential but only one starter who kept his ERA under 4.00 last year, which won't fly in the AL East. And when is the last time a team which relied on Octavio Dotel to close games ended up happy? Approximately never.
2. Chris Sale is the real deal but he is stuck in middle relief. Using a middle reliever to predict a division winner is balls out but silly. I still take the Tigers. But I don't totally disagree with the White Sox. He's not my reason, my I can't type as fast as I think...so my thoughts are out of order. And he won't stay in middle relief...not with that arm.
3. Brewers could seriously come out of the NL. How many times has a team with 4 pitchers who won 15 + games won the World Series? Twice. Ever. Look it up. Phillies could be quite overrated. I hope you are right! But the Phils have more than just a rotation. Ruiz, Howard, Utley, Rollins, Polanco, Werth, Ibanez, Francisco. Not Murderer's Row, but pretty darn good.
4. 3 World Series in 8 years might not be a dynasty . . . but a 3rd World Series ring for Jason Varitek certainly adds to his already glorious Cooperstown resume'. Only 3? Wasn't he also on the 1918 team? He's old enough.
5. Time to bet on the 2013 Royals. They will win 95 or more games.Agreed, big time. Hosmer, Moustakas, Myers, Escobar, Cain, Jeffress, Crow, Montgomery, O'Sullivan....off the top of my head....this is the deepest minor league system I've ever seen.

popcornjack wrote:wasn't he on the 1918 team? I don't care who you are, THAT SH!T IS FUNNY!!!

CaptainP wrote:

drunkpirate66 wrote:
5 things:

1. If Toronto finishes last then you drink free for a year. This is your only prediction that I totally disagree with. Someone in that very good division has to finish last. I choose Toronto because: An abundance of mediocrity in the lineup (Lind, Snider, Rivera, Hill). Bautista came out of nowhere to be great. He'll regress. They also have a pitching staff that has potential but only one starter who kept his ERA under 4.00 last year, which won't fly in the AL East. And when is the last time a team which relied on Octavio Dotel to close games ended up happy? Approximately never.
2. Chris Sale is the real deal but he is stuck in middle relief. Using a middle reliever to predict a division winner is balls out but silly. I still take the Tigers. But I don't totally disagree with the White Sox. He's not my reason, my I can't type as fast as I think...so my thoughts are out of order. And he won't stay in middle relief...not with that arm.
3. Brewers could seriously come out of the NL. How many times has a team with 4 pitchers who won 15 + games won the World Series? Twice. Ever. Look it up. Phillies could be quite overrated. I hope you are right! But the Phils have more than just a rotation. Ruiz, Howard, Utley, Rollins, Polanco, Werth, Ibanez, Francisco. Not Murderer's Row, but pretty darn good.
4. 3 World Series in 8 years might not be a dynasty . . . but a 3rd World Series ring for Jason Varitek certainly adds to his already glorious Cooperstown resume'. Only 3? Wasn't he also on the 1918 team? He's old enough.
5. Time to bet on the 2013 Royals. They will win 95 or more games.Agreed, big time. Hosmer, Moustakas, Myers, Escobar, Cain, Jeffress, Crow, Montgomery, O'Sullivan....off the top of my head....this is the deepest minor league system I've ever seen.