My Picks:
AL EAST:
1. Angels- Easy pick here, as the rest of the division is...
2. Mariners- They have pieces here and there, but the Angels are five steps ahead
3. Rangers- Enough to get out of the cellar, but no pitching and a so-so offense means...
4. Athletics- Remember when this team was good, and fought the Angels and sometimes the Mariners every year and the division wasn't all Los Angeles... er, Anaheim... er, Los Angeles OF Anaheim (PICK A CITY!) ;)
AL CENTRAL:
1. Tigers- Just a feeling...
2. Twins- Again, the whole division's just a feeling...
3. White Sox- Plus points for Ozzie Guillen alone, minus points for being a Chicago sports franchise (its not 2005, and it SURE isn't 1908...)
4. Indians- What happened here? A couple years ago so close to the Series, now bottom-feeders
5. Royals- And in the traditional 5-hole...
AL EAST:
1. Yankees- I HATE THEM. I HATE THESE SENTENCES. But 1. YANKEES is, barring a catastrophe (or actually, for 29 teams it'd be a miracle?), the mandatory pick
2. Red Sox- And just as the Yankees must be #1, there behind them, maybe ahead and then blowing a lead to regain just-a-bit-but-not-quite-enough of their step late... Sox #2
3. Blue Jays- I just have a hunch this club is going to make something of a move this year, and maybe even contend for the Wild Card... but when the top 2 teams are from New York and New England in ANY of the sports (except basketball) you're in trouble
4. Rays- I just see a fall... or not so much as a fall as I don't see this team meteorically rising like some see... yes, 2 years removed from the Series, but that might be 2 years too many, even with their young talent... this IS the AL EAST...
5. Orioles- Remember when the Orioles were... the Orioles?
Wild Card- The Twins, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Rays will all have shots at it, some having better chances than others, but the RED SOX ultimately will win out... as usual...
NL WEST:
1. Dodgers- The third-most-hated team for me, but yes, Big Blue is on the fast track back to the playoffs... and hats off to Vin Scully for announcing Dodger games for now 60 YEARS... the only reason I ever watch the club... Vin Scully is THE official play-by-play man of baseball FOREVER... Harry Caray or Bob Uecker or Red Barber can do the color, and the Jacks Buck and Brickhouse can work the second game with Mel Allen and maybe Howie Rose or something... but VIN SCULLLY IS BASEBALL!
2. Giants- A young club, and I think capable of surprising people, including...
3. Rockies- Sorry, Colorado: I don't buy you being a long-term contender, I just don't see it, you seem such a hodge-podge job to me, and I'm still not convinced losing Holliday won't be something that will come back and bit you...
4. Diamondbacks- They're young, flashy... but they're also Arizona.
5. Padres- Remember when THIS team was good? What happened to the Padres adn Indians, two competitors that just seemed to go "poof!" before our eyes... how long will Jake Peavy stay?
NL CENTRAL:
1. Cardinals- Sorry, Chicago, 102 years of "Wait 'til next year!" doesn't compel me to give you the top spot here... Pujos and Holliday and Yadier Molina (WHAT HEPPENED WITH HIM, by the way... when he crushed the Mets in the NLCS' Game 7 back in 2006 he was known for his defense and as a light-hitter of sorts, now he's like another I-Rod sometimes... oh, wait... maybe that's why? PEDs? I hope not, don't think so, but suspicion's always there...) and a good staff put you down
2. Cubs- So close, and yet so, SOOOO FAR... don't despair (yet) Cubs fans, we have a lovely parting gift for you...
3. Reds- A HUGE hunch pick, but I'll stay with it... Cincy's got a nice young staff and some good hitters, and I think the Brew Crew is heading for a fall
4. Brewers- Again, heading for a fall... I do NOT see a good rotation for you, Milwaukee, and in the NL, no pitching means no playoffs
5. Astros- I just don't see anything too special... and this is a very good division...
6. Pirates- 17 straight years with more L's than W's, eh, Pittsburgh? Don't worry, Sidney Crosby and Big Ben (assuming he gets out of his little legal scrape) have you covered... so it'll be a bit painful in the summer, but come fall, you're set, Steel City
NL EAST:
1. Phillies- I HATE THIS PICK. I HATE IT. HATE. HATE. HATE. But try as I might, I can't not make this pick... even though I'm tortured, as the team I love with 300% of my heart is...
2. Mets- AAAAAHHHHHH!!! That's the sound of the Mets from 2007-2009. Why will 2010 be any better? First- hope, as in, I HOPE! I DO! It's spring, damnit, and I'm still allowed to hope and dream! Second- I LIKE the youngsters! Ike Davis is a nice-looking young RF/1B, Fernando Martinez might just make the outfield this year, and if they don't screw him up they did the first version of him, Jenrry Meijia MIGHT just be Dwight Gooden VErsion 2.0 (this time without drugs! Still love you though, Doc!) ;) Third- WRIGHT and SANTANA. Everything else around them crumbled last year... but they didn't; Santana was robbed of some wins and Wright lost some power to huge Citi Field, but they showed incredible grit, and, more importantly (and for this team its about time) LEADERSHIP SKILLS. Wright and Santana will be great again in '10, and solidly the leaders now, and good ones. Fourth- I like Reyes. I like Beltran to come back and play a good mid-May-October season. I like Murphy. I like Maine, and Pelfrey, and Jon Niese, can hope Oliver Perez gets it together, and I love K-Rod. Finally- JOBS. It's jobs-on-the-line time, and everyone can feel it a bit... and that tends to motivate you...
3. Braves- They're solid, and if not fopr the Phillies being the goddamn Phillies and the Mets having a "win win win or we lose our jobs!" sort of year, they might be higher.
4. Marlins- They change their players so often in so short a history, I forget half the players half the time... just not stable enough (though with 2 WS wins already...)
5. Nationals- They're the Nats- enough said.
Wild Card: The Reds will cause a bit of buzz over this, but fade and not be too serious. Atlanta and Florida will both come closer, but tough schedules and opponents will keep them short, and they aren't as good as the Cubs. And the Cubs will come very close. But that's the problem- they'll come CUBBY CLOSE. As in close enough to get Chicagoans cheering... and then... they'll... be the Cubs. And that will leave the METS. Now, Mets-Cubs is a battle of heartbreakers, I know. TRUST ME- I KNOW. But the Mets will have that "keep-my-job-and-it's-time" fire, and the Cubs will just have "102-and-counting" as a motivation. 103 years, Cubs fans, you'll come Cubby Close, but between you and the Mets... well, is it a coincidence the two Mets titles came in 1969 when they won the Pennant as the Cubbies collapsed and 1986 when... the Cubs burned sooner than in '69? Sorry, Chicago- the MET will make the playoffs again.
ALDS:
*3 games to 2, the YANKEES will add one more stich of hatred in the fabric of the SOX
*3 games to 1, the ANGLES will dispatch the TWINS with relative ease
NLDS:
*3 games to 2, the METS will shock the CARDINALS, who will be very over-confident, and lacking that big-game pitching Santana will provide
*3 games to 0, I see the DODGERS drubbing the PHILLIES... why I don't know, but I just feel it
ALCS:
4 games to 2, I... I don't want to say it, I like the Halos, but... it'll be 2009 all over again as the YANKEES just get by the ANGELS in a VERY tight 6 game war.
NLCS:
I must be crazy, but I will go with my gut on this and say 4 games to 3 the METS will beat Big Blue, and will do it in a Series that will be high-scoring, but Santana will pitch Game 7, and being THAT close for mighty Johan Santana, I see ANY Big Blue hurler opposite him getting blown away...
WORLD SERIES:
I wish we could have more Subway Series. Not EVER YEAR, that'd kill the charm (and who wants to risk the Yankees winning THAT MUCH?) but its one of baseball's best matchups, be it Brooklyn-Yankees, Giants-Yankees, or even Mets-Yankees, even that 2000 Mets-Yankees was a fun one, still talked about. What do I see HERE?
Game 1: John Maine starts for the Mets and gets SHELLED as the Mets fight back late but come up empty and drop the Series opener.
Game 2: Fresh off of beating the Yankees he missed Game 1, but Johan will have a HUGE postseason, and Game 2 will be a shutout winn for the Mets
Game 3: Looks like a safe Mets win, but Jeter gets on in the 9th against K-Rod and scores the winning run as the Mets choke and Citi Field groans the big groan
Game 4: John Maine starts again, and gets a no-decision; Joba Chamberlain pitches well through 6 and a third but gives up a couple hits and is left in one pitch too many, as the Mets have a big inning and K-Rod snuffs a late rally to close the door on the Yanks
Game 5: Johan Santana goes again, and against C.C. Sabathia, both starters going about 7 or 8 innings and giving up 1 run... but the Bronx Bombers drop a bomb late as Teixeira bombs one off of young Jenrry Meijia (called up around August) and the Yankees go back to New Yankee Stadium with a 3-2 Series lead
Game 6: Jerry Manuel stuns the NY and baseball media by starting Oliver Perez in the must-win game over the more-stable and better-thought-of Mike Pelfrey. Prez responds with 4 perfect innings before giving up 2 runs in the 5th to let the Yanks draw even, Reyes scores and Perez pitches another two good innings into the 7th before he walks two straight and is yanked, but the Mets bullpen for once holds down the fort, and a few great defensive plays have the Mets winning Game 6 and forcing a Subway Series Game 7.
Game 7: It's the game that Yankee fans have been waiting for, Mets fans have been waiting for, and baseball fans have been waiting for. The Yankees, Pride of the Bronx, the pedigrees, vs. The Mets, Agony of Queens, the mongrels. Pettitte starts for the Yankees, the Mets opt for a short-rest Johan Santana. Pettitte and Short-Rest Santana shut each teams out through 4 inning before David Wright lets loose a solo shot in the 5th, and A-Rod matches his 3rd base counterpart with a homer of his own in his half of the inning. Santana blanks the Yanks for six before coming out for... Jenrry Mejia. The rookie is wild and walks quite a few, but K's just enough and gets just enough fly balls to get the Mets out of some jams. The Mets offense has been nothing all night when Reyes gets aboard on an infield hit and is batted around and scores. K-Rod has trouble, getting an our before walking both the tying and winning run. Jeter grounds to Reyes in what seems sure to be a double play, but the Captain of the Yankees is a hero once again as he legs out the throw from Castillo to Murhpy at first, and the Yankees have runners at the corners with two out. The next Yank up hits a scorcher to Wright, who throws on the run to Murphy, and the throw just gets there in time to seal the deal for the Mets.
METS WIN!!!
And now... back to reality. :) (Hey, its still March, I can dream...)
New Game
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