it's about the team where we should each post how our respective teams look at this point, and what our expectations are. note: i still think it's too early for us to give our full scale predictions, but not too early too just talk about our teams.
well, my giants have about a trillion ifs. the biggest one is jason schmidt. if he can come back and be the real schmidt, then i can see us getting to the series, cause our rotation with schmidt is lowry, cain, morris and hennessey. of course the chances of schmidt becoming his old self again is virtually non existent. i guess if bonds plays amazing we could do pretty well, but who knows. i just have to say, thank god we got rid of bret "the gutless wonder" tomko and edgardo "had only 7 XBH after May" alfonzo. unfortunately we have probably the worst corner infield combo ever. pedro feliz, mark sweeney and lance niekro. 3 pretty pathetic players. why we got rid of snow if all we were gonna do is get sweeney is ridiculous. i hope we suck so they fire sabean, i'm so sick of him. also, we need to get rid of benitez and let the kids take over the 'pen. walker, accardo, taschner, munter. we might win the division, but we are still part of the pathetic NL.
can anyone actually tell me one team in the NL who's really good? if scott rolen is 100% then the cards could be good, but he hasn't even started running yet, and he has a completely new shoulder.
I have no hope for the Orioles. Next question.
Terpy Wrote:I have no hope for the Orioles. Next question.
true, they lost one of the most talented closers they've ever had, and their farm system is kinda bare.
BJ was good, but he wasnt that good, if we signed him paying what the Blue Jays paid to get him I would of been pissed. He is not worth that kind of money. He was good the past couple years but before that he was completely worthless except against lefties. Im not worried about losing Ryan he wasnt going to make or break this team, we were broke with him and we will be equally broke without him. We didnt address any of our many needs this offseason and it is going to be another pathetic season for the Orioles.
Terpy Wrote:BJ was good, but he wasnt that good, if we signed him paying what the Blue Jays paid to get him I would of been pissed. He is not worth that kind of money. He was good the past couple years but before that he was completely worthless except against lefties. Im not worried about losing Ryan he wasnt going to make or break this team, we were broke with him and we will be equally broke without him. We didnt address any of our many needs this offseason and it is going to be another pathetic season for the Orioles.
but he was quite talented. i don't see them having any other good reliever. plus, we gave you that bum hawkins, he's a disease. one of the most gutless pitchers ever.
I'm very confident about the Braves in ever area except one, and that's obviously closer. If Reeksma wins the job, our bullpen is in for another very long year. I'm hoping Devine, Boyer or Villerreal can win the job, one of those three. At least those three are young, hard throwers with some upside. If nothing else, that position just needs to be settled so the rest of the bullpen can fall in line. No one knew what their role was last season.
I like our rotation a lot. Smoltz and Hudson give us that 1-2 punch, and I think you'll see Davies and James make an impact with Homeracio slowly getting weeded out. Don't be surprised if he's traded for more bullpen help.
Our lineup is solid 1-through-8, the only real concern is we don't have a true leadoff hitter, although I think Marcus can do the job. I expect Renteria to bounce back with a much better year. We'll see if Francoeur has a sophomore slump. I kinda get the feeling he might.
If I had to guess today, I'd say we're a 90-95 win team right now, give or take a few either way.
GDawgs88 Wrote:I'm very confident about the Braves in ever area except one, and that's obviously closer. If Reeksma wins the job, our bullpen is in for another very long year. I'm hoping Devine, Boyer or Villerreal can win the job, one of those three. At least those three are young, hard throwers with some upside. If nothing else, that position just needs to be settled so the rest of the bullpen can fall in line. No one knew what their role was last season.
I like our rotation a lot. Smoltz and Hudson give us that 1-2 punch, and I think you'll see Davies and James make an impact with Homeracio slowly getting weeded out. Don't be surprised if he's traded for more bullpen help.
Our lineup is solid 1-through-8, the only real concern is we don't have a true leadoff hitter, although I think Marcus can do the job. I expect Renteria to bounce back with a much better year. We'll see if Francoeur has a sophomore slump. I kinda get the feeling he might.
If I had to guess today, I'd say we're a 90-95 win team right now, give or take a few either way.
i agree with the win total
flyingswoosh Wrote:can anyone actually tell me one team in the NL who's really good? if scott rolen is 100% then the cards could be good, but he hasn't even started running yet, and he has a completely new shoulder.
No kidding. I still consider the Cardinals the best team...maybe. The Braves are always up there but are never a factor in the playoffs. Houston...bleh. There's just no one that really stands out. The Mets are going for it this year, but we'll see if it works out. I've seen it blow up in their faces before.
GDawgs88 Wrote:flyingswoosh Wrote:can anyone actually tell me one team in the NL who's really good? if scott rolen is 100% then the cards could be good, but he hasn't even started running yet, and he has a completely new shoulder.
No kidding. I still consider the Cardinals the best team...maybe. The Braves are always up there but are never a factor in the playoffs. Houston...bleh. There's just no one that really stands out. The Mets are going for it this year, but we'll see if it works out. I've seen it blow up in their faces before.
i think the braves are the best the NL has to offer. They have the best 1-2, barring injury, and have an excellent infield. is there a better infield than laroche, giles, renteria and jones? if rolen is 100% then the cards infield could come close simply because of pujols superiority. the mets have a lame rotation other than pedro. if bonds plays well for his 120 games this season and schmidt is schmidt, then i think the giants are the best in the NL, but as i've stated, those are two huge ifs.
I'll throw my hat into the ring.... My Yankees are again going to have an amazing offense but the pitching is in my opinion very bad...... Also it seems that our offense doesn't always show up in the playoffs(if we make it this year)..... Just look at A-rod... he had an amazing season BUT was gone in the playoffs.... So I say we should just make the playoffs but the pitching is what matters in my eyes...
UCF_AlumniLXA Wrote:I'll throw my hat into the ring.... My Yankees are again going to have an amazing offense but the pitching is in my opinion very bad...... Also it seems that our offense doesn't always show up in the playoffs(if we make it this year)..... Just look at A-rod... he had an amazing season BUT was gone in the playoffs.... So I say we should just make the playoffs but the pitching is what matters in my eyes...
I'm interested to see how Kyle Farnsworth and Octavio Dotel do under the pressure of playing in the Big Apple.
Farnsworth was one of the best relievers in baseball for two different teams last year. But does he have the personality to thrive in New York?
And can Dotel come back from Tommy John Surgery?
If both those guys perform like they can, the Yankees bullpen will be damn good. Jaret Wright gives you another power arm down there if they decide to keep him out of the rotation.
we saw what happens to farnsworth under pressure last season. didn't he blow a game against the astros?
flyingswoosh Wrote:we saw what happens to farnsworth under pressure last season. didn't he blow a game against the astros?
Yeah, he couldn't hold a 6-1 lead. Although in fairness, he came in with one out in the eigth and the bases loaded with Berkman coming up, so I don't think it was a total implosion people made it out to be.
Still, I don't care how tough the situation is, a closer should hold a five run lead no matter what, period. I personally get the feeling he'll flop in New York. Atlanta was a good situation for him, as was Detroit.
GDawgs88 Wrote:flyingswoosh Wrote:we saw what happens to farnsworth under pressure last season. didn't he blow a game against the astros?
Still, I don't care how tough the situation is, a closer should hold a five run lead no matter what, period.
for sure. he has always been a gutless wonder. if i were a yankee fan, i wouldn't trust him. But, with that in mind, it's still a good move for the Yanks, they had to take a shot.
the dotel signing is an excellent one. if he doesn't come back, they're out a few million, big deal! that's nothing to them. But if he's his old self, then their pen will be improved 10 fold.
.....METS...
TailgateTiger Wrote:.....METS...
I'll kneel when you win 14 consecutive division titles. So you get back to me in 2019. ;-)
GDawgs88 Wrote:TailgateTiger Wrote:.....METS...
I'll kneel when you win 14 consecutive division titles. So you get back to me in 2019. ;-)
or next year with our one champion
I think my Indians are in about the same shape as they were last year. They didn't do anything HUGE in the offseason. Coco Crisp is a good player, and will be missed by the fans, but the guy they got back is a STUD at a position where the Tribe has no prospects. WINNER!
The loss of Kevin Millwood won't be as bad as everyone thinks. Losing Riske and Rhodes out of the bullpen is no big deal. I wish Howry was still in there, but nobody should pay a middle reliever 3 million per year.
Indians win the AL Wild Card this year. I don't think they'll catch the White Sox to win the division, but I think the Indians changes have been less drastic than most other contender-level teams in the AL, and consistency, when you're winning, is a good thing.
In the NL, I like the Mets to the Series, but I think they're a wild-card team behind the Braves. The Braves always seem to win the marathon, but lose the sprint.
i'm not sure how many of you recognized this, but jeff weaver signed with the angels. a great signing for the halos.
Weaver's a solid No. 3 on a good team. He should give the Angels 200 good innings.
What that move also does is allow Hector Carrasco or Kelvim Escobar to move to the bullpen. Escobar showed in the playoffs how good he can be as a setup man.
GDawgs88 Wrote:Weaver's a solid No. 3 on a good team. He should give the Angels 200 good innings.
What that move also does is allow Hector Carrasco or Kelvim Escobar to move to the bullpen. Escobar showed in the playoffs how good he can be as a setup man.
i think he's somewhere between a 2 and a 3, but there's no point in splitting hairs. you're right, it allows scioscia to keep escobar in the pen. because even though they lost byrd and washburn they still have colon, lackey, weaver and santana. that's a damn good top 4.
Cincinnati Reds: Haven't had a winning season in a while, I don't look for that to change this year. Like always we have some great bats (this should be one of the top 3 offenses in the NL) but we are severly lacking in the pitching rotation. Dunn, Pena, Griffey and Felipe Lopez look to be the stars offensively, with a real sleeper being Edwin Encarnacion (starting 3B). Edwin is only 22 and he showed flashes last year. He's got great power. I look for .275 22 homers 85 rbis from him this year. If Kearns starts performing like he did a few years ago before he got hurt (was leading the NL in rbis and homers in june) this offense could be scary good.
Pitching: added Dave Williams in the Casey trade. Claussen and Harang are very good but after that there is nothing. Hopefully Wagner emerges as the closer, if he gets his slider right he could be dynamite.
Prediction: 70-78 wins==>4th in NL central
Just curious, JFlight, who do you see the Reds finishing ahead of in that division? Obviously it won't be St. Louis. The Astros should be decent. The Brewers are a .500 club that is only getting better. The Cubs still have lots of potential. And the Pirates made some solid moves in the offseason.
JFlight21 Wrote:Cubs and Pirates.
you think the reds can beat a cubs team that has better starting and relief pitching and equal hitting? the pirates are pretty much as bad as the reds, so it's really a wash.
flyingswoosh Wrote:JFlight21 Wrote:Cubs and Pirates.
you think the reds can beat a cubs team that has better starting and relief pitching and equal hitting? the pirates are pretty much as bad as the reds, so it's really a wash.
I know we are better than the pirates, i guess you could say that it is wishful thinking for me to believe the reds will finish above the cubs. I just think our young guys will improve even more (Harang, Claussen, Wagner, Lopez, Encarnacion and Kearns) and it will push us to fourth.
How are you better than the Pirates? Their rotation isn't great, but it has potential with Zach Duke, Oliver Perez and Paul Maholm. If Perez pitches like he can (ala 2004), they've got a strong 1-2 punch with him and Duke. I've given up on Wells, though. He doesn't seem like he'll ever turn the corner like we keep waiting on him to. I can't remember who their 5th starter is supposed to be, but there's still potential there.
They've also got strong late inning relief with Roberto Hernandez and Mike Gonzalez, who I think could be this year's B.J. Ryan.
Another thing I like about the Pirates is that they have good young talent up the middle. They've got a good young catcher behind the plate in Ryan Doumit, a good DP combo in Jack Wilson and Jose Castillo, and a good young centerfielder in Chris (I believe it's Chris) Duffy.
No they won't make the playoffs, but I could see them finishing close to .500.
GDawgs88 Wrote:How are you better than the Pirates? Their rotation isn't great, but it has potential with Zach Duke, Oliver Perez and Paul Maholm. If Perez pitches like he can (ala 2004), they've got a strong 1-2 punch with him and Duke. I've given up on Wells, though. He doesn't seem like he'll ever turn the corner like we keep waiting on him to. I can't remember who their 5th starter is supposed to be, but there's still potential there.
They've also got strong late inning relief with Roberto Hernandez and Mike Gonzalez, who I think could be this year's B.J. Ryan.
Another thing I like about the Pirates is that they have good young talent up the middle. They've got a good young catcher behind the plate in Ryan Doumit, a good DP combo in Jack Wilson and Jose Castillo, and a good young centerfielder in Chris (I believe it's Chris) Duffy.
No they won't make the playoffs, but I could see them finishing close to .500.
I don't really see any good bats on the Pirates. You could make a case that Casey is the best hitter on the Pirates and he was the our 5th best bat. Yes Perez was good in 2004 but what has he done lately. Brandon Claussen was alot better than him last year as was Aaron Harang. I know Duke was outstanding last year and Molhom is a great prospect but the pirates are all relying on very very young players in the pitching rotation and on the field. The reds have outstanding hitters that are all established and two good starters , if another starter quality starter comes from within (maybe Paul Wilson) and Ryan Wagner becomes our closer, we have a chance to be pretty good
umm, you forgot about jason bay.
you think wagner is going to step in and be a good closer? i think the 6.11 ERA means he still needs some seasoning.
i checked out what claussen did, and i recognized he had a 4.21 ERA. That's actually not terrible. i didn't know he pitched that well.
JFlight21 Wrote:I don't really see any good bats on the Pirates. You could make a case that Casey is the best hitter on the Pirates and he was the our 5th best bat. Yes Perez was good in 2004 but what has he done lately. Brandon Claussen was alot better than him last year as was Aaron Harang. I know Duke was outstanding last year and Molhom is a great prospect but the pirates are all relying on very very young players in the pitching rotation and on the field. The reds have outstanding hitters that are all established and two good starters , if another starter quality starter comes from within (maybe Paul Wilson) and Ryan Wagner becomes our closer, we have a chance to be pretty good
No doubt you have a better lineup, but that's no new revalation. The Reds have been able to mash with anybody for the last few years and it hasn't produced much.
I like the addition of Dave Williams to the rotation, but the group as a whole still looks like a steaming pile of dog poo, although there is some potential. Claussen's a passable 2nd or 3rd starter with the Reds, Harang is underrated, and you have to figure Eric Milton will bounce back some, although I still think that move was a dreadful fit for the Reds and Milton. Wilson hasn't done anything in a couple of years so I wouldn't expect much from him.
It also seems like the Reds bullpen might be a little underrated. Hopefully they won't stick with Dave Weathers as the closer. They should at least let one of the youngsters like Wagner, Brian Shackleford or Todd Coffey get a shot. At least they have some upside. Weathers needs to be a middle reliever. He's solid in that role. So is Rick White, who was a nice addition.
So I guess the Reds pitching staff isn't as horrible as I thought now that I think about it, but of course, on March 5th, every pitching staff has potential. We'll see if there's any real improvement.
While our rotation is still in the bottom 10 of baseball it should be better than last year. And they bullpen shoudl be alot better if Wagner reverts back to his form of 03.
BTW, just wanted to tell you and swoosh its good to be back posting in this forum, i really enjoy talking baseball with you guys.
Yeah, glad to see you venture back over here, J.
Now if we could get a few more people....
GDawgs88 Wrote:Yeah, glad to see you venture back over here, J.
Now if we could get a few more people....
same on both comments. it's good to have a another sensible person to talk baseball with.