MLB 2009

[BasilisK]

Giants are looking very good. They have the best rotation in baseball ---

Whoooooaaaaaaa there



Anyway, the NL West is shaping up to be a punchline for the "experts" on ESPN again. Ramirez is the only player in the division they want to talk about anyway. I can't even project a winner. Every team got worse with the possible exception of San Francisco, who weren't contenders in the first place, and seem to have sort of moved laterally rather than making solid improvements.

It'll piss me off to see Randy get #300 in a Giants jersey since he has zero history with the team, but at his age the decision is based more on his career than his desire. Shitty, but it is what it is.

Guess I'll play the lottery and throw out a list.

Wins - Team

90 - Arizona
87 - Los Angeles
78 - San Francisco
72 - Colorado
66 - San Diego

The Padres could easily get 6-8 more within such a weak division though. Arizona could also finish third. Who the hell knows. The West is a wreck. No serious contenders here unless something big develops during the season. Then again, the NL overall doesn't have a clear favorite either. Everybody says NY/Chicago for the third or fourth year in a row. We've seen how that went.

Hopefully Arizona makes the season bearable at the least. I don't want the best seven months of the year for sports to be unwatchable.

 

[MasterOLightning]

The Dodgers are going to win 90+ games. San Diego and SF are still very bad, and they'll beat up on those teams. Is Benji Molina still the Giants' cleanup hitter? Colorado might be bad also.

This is going to be a weird year. The also-rans from smaller markets are going to unload players like crazy due to money concerns, so it'll be a buyers' market a few months into the year. After the all-star break there's going to be huge talent gap between the top 3-5 or so teams in each league and everyone else.

 

[Belligerent]

The Dodgers are going to win 90+ games.

Even if Manny decided to go elsewhere they would still achieve 90 plus. They looked great last year whooping up on the Scrubs.

 

[Matt]

Really? The Dodgers have a pitching staff riddled with injuries and they lost their best to the Braves. They'll win 80. Arizona sucks dick and have made no improvements since their collapse last year. Giants rotation may not be better than the Yanks, but overall it is in the top 3.

 

[MasterOLightning]

The Dodgers lineup is pretty deep. They'll hit enough to win that many games, especially with so many games against the pitiful teams in their division. You don't need ace pitchers at Dodger Stadium anyway.

 

[Matt]

I don't see the offense you keep going on about. Russell Martin is overrated as fuck, and Loney, Kemp, Ethier, and Blake are ok at best. I watch them every year expecting them to improve but they remain average. Manny is the only threat in their lineup and he won't put up the same numbers for them again.

 

[MasterOLightning]

They're still handily the best hitting team in that division.

 

[muzmaze]

I found some footage of this years Yankees first inter-sqaud game down at spring training.

 

[Xcommunicated]

Does anyone see the Astros doing anything besides sucking donkey dick this year?

 

[seedofvengeance]

The Central is pretty weak outside of the Cubs. Really, it comes down to Houston's bullpen and the 2-5 starters pitching like they're capable of. The lineup is pretty solid 1-8 and should produce enough runs, though I would expect Miguel Tejada to have a down year, it should be made up for by increased numbers from Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn.
The rotation, though is shaky after Oswalt and Rodriguez. Hampton is on the down side of his career and there has been talk of him moving to the bullpen, Brian Moehler has never been anything more than a bottom of the rotation guy, and Brandon Backe was awful last year with a +6 ERA, after having a few pretty good years. They need him to go back to being a solid middle of the rotation guy if they're going to compete.
They need to ask a lot out of their starters, because beyond Valverde at the closer, Geoff Geary is the only solid reliever that they have. If they can stay in it, though, look for them to make a move at the trade deadline for some bullpen help. If the Cubs continue to improve, though, they're going to be too far out of the division to worry about mortgaging the future.
I see them winning 80-85 games, and possibly competing for the wild card with the Mets and the Cardinals.

 

[King Richard]

BELLIGERENT AND SEED JOIN THE FUCKING FANTASY LEAGUE ALREADY

 

[Belligerent]

OK YOU PERSISTENT FUCKFACE
edit:just signed up

 

[Zoidfarb]

Rangers are going part of the way this year! I definatley see this team winning a few games this year! I think that this pitching rotation could break the ERA record! it may evven break 9.00! luckily our Runs Per Game will be around 8-9.

SAME FUCKING THING EVERY YEAR!!!!!!

 

[Belligerent]

this belongs here

 

[Zoidfarb]

this belongs here

I hate the Angels!!!!

 

[Xcommunicated]

I saw the Netherlands/Puerto Rico game and the second DR game, and their pitching was pretty damn impressive. But they haven't got a lot of offense, even though they were able to beat Marmol, so I think they're going to have a hard time in the coming round.

 

[MasterOLightning]

I hope the WBC fails. The World Series pushes into November this year. That sucks.

 

[seedofvengeance]

Rangers are going part of the way this year! I definatley see this team winning a few games this year! I think that this pitching rotation could break the ERA record! it may evven break 9.00! luckily our Runs Per Game will be around 8-9.

SAME FUCKING THING EVERY YEAR!!!!!!

Another Rangers fan?
Is this the twilight zone?

 

[Matt]

I hope the WBC fails. The World Series pushes into November this year. That sucks.

The WBC is fucking awesome and that is a good thing. I fucking hate when baseball ends

 

[Belligerent]

Boy Johnny Denks from the Sox looked good today. I think they have a good shot if Konerko gets back on his game, Quentin remains healthy, Alexis Ramirez keeps being a stud, and Bartolo Colon doesn't eat shit out there.