SubScorpTile Wrote: So who do you baseball fans think is gonna win in their division and who do you think can take it all the way... NL East - Marlins: 91-71 NL Central - Astros: 89-73 NL West - Giants: 93-69 Wild Card - Mets: 88-74, with the Dodgers and Braves finishing closely behind AL East - Yankees: 104-58 AL Central - Tigers: 89-73 AL West - Angels: 92-70 Wild Card - Red Sox: 91-71, with the Twins and Rangers finishing closely behind what do you guys think?

I dunno about the Astros winning the central cause the Cubs are still in there even though the first half of the season is almost completed. And I think The Dogers will give the Giants a good run. You have the Marlins where I also think they'll be, on top of the east. I think the Braves have to go through Philly to even have a Wild Card chance. It seems that the 10+ years of great success that they have had is coming to an end.

Of course "The Evil Empire" will win the east. The Tigers are good this year, but Minnesota is due for a good run after that All Star Break. And don't forget about the Rangers too. The Angels are red hot, but history tends to repeat and a second hald fade towards the bottom of the west isn't impossible with that team. But for now I'll say they'll win the west.

I'm still hoping the O's will find a relyable starting rotation to have at least a chance for the Wild Card. Our bullpen is being overtaxed lately which has contributed to our huge slide in the standings.


-LDF

I disagree with you with what you said about the phillies, the phillies WILL slip up down the stretch and the NL East will come down to the Marlins, Braves, and Mets, these 3 teams are gonna be rotating for 1st place till the end of the season until mid September I see the Marlins locking 1st and than the Mets and and the Braves along with the dodgers and maybe the Cubs if they can get their Starting Rotation healthy and if Sosa can remain healthy they'll take the NL Central, but I really dont see that happening.

SubScorpTile Wrote: So who do you baseball fans think is gonna win in their division and who do you think can take it all the way... NL East - Marlins: 91-71 NL Central - Astros: 89-73 NL West - Giants: 93-69 Wild Card - Mets: 88-74, with the Dodgers and Braves finishing closely behind AL East - Yankees: 104-58 AL Central - Tigers: 89-73 AL West - Angels: 92-70 Wild Card - Red Sox: 91-71, with the Twins and Rangers finishing closely behind what do you guys think?

Marlins, Astros, Angels, and Yankees are pretty much a given, but I wouldn't doubt the Dodgers just yet, they've been have big ups and downs, but the way Beltre and Lo Duca have been playing this year, and not to mention Gagne(although his streak ended to the fuckin DB's). I think the Red Sox will make it by wild card, but they gotta watch out for teams like the Rangers, which I think might have a chance to make it as well. Right now, my pick would be the Angels to go all the way, but we'll see what happens

two points i want to make before my predictions...

1. If Sosa remains healthy? hes the most overrated player in baseball, I cant believe everyone likes him...Moises Alou BY FAR is better then Sosa, by a long shot...and without Sosa the Cubs cant deny they need another bat and a bullpen, and to hell with Sosa's health, Prior and Wood are the main concerns for that team...they will come up short this year...but ehhhhhhh Sosa??? I cant stand hearin that, im sorry...hes jus not a great player...I THINK hes on steroids, regardless what he says, but I wont say nething unless he takes a drug test and fails...

2. either way, the Rangers will make the playoffs...I follow the Mariners every year, and you cant predict baseball, Ive learned that with this team...Seattle led by double digits the last two years and after runs from Oakland and Anaheim, they didnt make the playoffs either year...so no team is safe---yet...and another odd thing is the Mariners were projected to either win the division, or at least contend, theyre playing horrible and thats surprising, so be careful with your picks...also, as a Mariners fan, they play the Rangers a million times and let me tell you---theyre forreal, Rangers' lineup is too good, and with another decent starter, they are a threat to the world series IMO...

Predictions...

AL East
-Yankees
-Red Sox
-Devil Rays
-Blue Jays
-Orioles

AL Central
-White Sox
-Twins
-Tigers (Pudge batted .500 in the month of June...unheard of)
-Indians (with any better of a bullpen, they would be dangerous)
-Royals

AL West
-Rangers
-Oakland (their pitchin vs. the Angels injuries)
-Angels
-Mariners (they have probably the best minor league prospects along with Milwaukee...later this year when you see Bucky Jacobson and Jose Lopez...ull see what I mean...Jacobson hit a home run a few days ago at estimated 530 feet, hes compared to Jim Thome and Jose Lopez is compared to a young Alex Rodriguez...)

1. Yankees
2. Rangers
3. White Sox
4. Red Sox (Wild Card, and im picking them over Oakland ONLY if they add another starter, such as Randy Johnson)

Division Series
Yankees over Red Sox
Rangers barely over White Sox

Championship Series
Flip a coin...I would say the Rangers

NL East
-Marlins
-Phillies
-Mets (Glavine is having a quietly good year...but actions speak louder then words)
-Braves (starting to gel, but not this year...too many contendin teams in this division)
-Expos (They will move to DC even though the Orioles dont want them on their territory...and Portland is unlikely since Seattle wants the Northwest to itself)

NL Central
-Cardinals (with Edmonds healthy, and with their overall good defense, and solid offense...pitching is only concern)
-Astros (theyll make a run at the end, I think they will come up short)
-Reds (depends on Griffey getting out of his slump, they played better when he was making his comeback)
-Brewers (?!???! im serious...Podesnik and Overbay make for a solid lineup, Geoff Jenkins need to live up to last year and this team has the young pitching and young players, they could surprise some people)
-Cubs (im not risking to predict them in the playoffs, if Prior or Wood goes, so does the team, I dont think Aramis is going to keep the pace hes on)
-Pirates (they won several in a row, I would say fluke, and a preview of next year, theyll get better...all 6 teams are going to be close IMO)

NL West
-Giants (Grissom is back, Feliz is having a great year, and they have the best pitcher, give or take Prior...if it holds up, theyll be fine)
-Padres (pitching has been solid)
-Dodgers
-Rockies
-Diamondbacks

1. Giants
2. Cardinals
3. Marlins (Beckett is a huge concern right now)
4. Padres (surprise surprise...Phillies, and Astros could both be here)

Division Series
Giants over Padres
Marlins over Cardinals (upset)

Championship Series
Giants over Marlins

World Series
Rangers over Giants (the only way ill change my prediction is if the Rangers pitching collapses)

Slica - there is my well thought out, predictions...and Sosa is not a great player!!!! defense is average, only hits home runs, not a great situational hitter, average isnt great, strikes out too much, Alou is much better, he is in the top 5 for average, hes got a lot of homers, and hes an RBI machine---as he has always been...and Aramis Ramirez is having a better year then Sosa (the injury dont mean nothing when he is so far behind)

I read what you said about Sosa, I totally agree with you about him, he is very over rated and I do think he does steriods as well, and Moises Alou IS better than him, but that doesnt change the fact that he is a very important role player in the Cubs lineup and theyll need all the help they can get if they want to make a run at the Astros.

I think your way off about the AL Central...your top 3:

White Sox
Twins
Tigers

It Will be:

Tigers
Twins
White Sox

Here is how the playoffs will go

Marlins
Mets

Astros
Giants

Giants vs Mets with the Mets going to the big one

Yankees
Red Sox

Tigers
Angels

Yankees vs. Angels and the Yankees will get their inevitable Subway Series World Series with the Mets that'll see the Mets putting them away in 7 games, i cant see them putting them away in any less that that.

This is how the Season WILL go and how the season WILL turn out.

The first half is almost completed? I didn't even know they started playing yet.

I was going to make a witty remark to baseball predictions and the words Suck, maybe preceeded by will, and It. But I figured I'd be nice.

-Shoe

AL East: Yankees
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: Oakland
Wildcard: Anaheim*

*If Boston can start getting consistent starts from Wakefield and Lowe, then they will probably win the Wildcard

NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cubs *
NL West: San Francisco
Wildcard: Cardinals

*The Cubs will be much better now that Wood is back in the rotation. I don't think St. Louis has the pitching to win the division, but they could win the wildcard.

American League Champion: Yankees
National League Champion: Cubs
World Series Champion: Yankees

If Mussina doesn't start pitching well and Brown doesn't recover from his injury, the Yankees won't make it past Oakland in the ALCS.

It's too close to call so far this year. I mean Tampa Bay has a realistic shot at making the playoffs. I'll stick with the Yankees, though.

Yeah, Cubs all the way! Wood's back this weekend against St. Louis and we will arguably have the best starting rotation in baseball. I will agree though with some of the comments about Sosa being way too over rated. Though he has made some pretty nice defensive plays in the past week, he's pretty weak out in right, has no arm anymore, and he strikes out too much.

The Cubs couldn't hit a ball in Milwaukee, but they are due for a great finish for the first half of the season. And the thing about them, sure they're 6 games out at the moment, they haven't had anywhere near the complete roster of players (pitching or hitting) due to injuries. The team was able to support it self quite nicely with bench players, minor leaguers, and pick-ups. Many of the starters will be coming back early in the second half, then it's on baby!

Well heres how the standings currently are:

2004 American League Standings
E A S T - RACE W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
NY Yankees 52 31 .627 - 30-12 22-19 462 411 Won 1 5-5
Boston 46 37 .554 6 28-14 18-23 456 390 Won 3 5-5
Tampa Bay 42 42 .500 10.5 23-18 19-24 378 411 Lost 1 5-5
Toronto 39 46 .459 14 23-20 16-26 392 403 Won 3 6-4
Baltimore 36 46 .439 15.5 19-24 17-22 421 461 Lost 2 5-5

CENTRAL - RACE W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Minnesota 47 37 .560 - 26-19 21-18 400 390 Won 4 6-4
Chicago Sox 43 38 .531 2.5 25-17 18-21 449 396 Won 1 5-5
Cleveland 40 44 .476 7 24-19 16-25 458 461 Lost 2 3-7
Detroit 39 45 .464 8 21-19 18-26 455 449 Lost 1 4-6
Kansas City 29 53 .354 17 19-24 10-29 340 465 Lost 8 1-9

W E S T - RACE W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Texas 48 35 .578 - 25-12 23-23 475 402 Won 2 5-5
Oakland 46 37 .554 2 27-12 19-25 411 383 Lost 3 5-5
Anaheim 44 40 .524 4.5 23-18 21-22 425 395 Lost 1 3-7
Seattle 32 51 .386 16 19-22 13-29 340 404 Lost 6 2-8

2004 National League Standings
E A S T - RACE W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Philadelphia 45 39 .536 - 25-20 20-19 441 411 Won 1 6-4
NY Mets 43 41 .512 2 24-16 19-25 377 352 Lost 1 7-3
Atlanta 43 41 .512 2 22-19 21-22 399 367 Won 4 8-2
Florida 43 42 .506 2.5 22-21 21-21 362 373 Lost 1 3-7
Montreal 29 55 .345 16 16-26 13-29 284 393 Won 1 4-6

CENTRAL - RACE W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
St. Louis 52 32 .619 - 26-17 26-15 440 345 Won 6 7-3
Chicago Cubs 46 38 .548 6 25-16 21-22 389 330 Lost 3 5-5
Milwaukee 44 39 .530 7.5 24-18 20-21 364 366 Lost 1 5-5
Cincinnati 45 40 .529 7.5 25-15 20-25 399 441 Won 1 4-6
Houston 43 42 .506 9.5 22-20 21-22 388 367 Lost 1 4-6
Pittsburgh 38 45 .458 13.5 18-22 20-23 377 396 Lost 1 8-2

W E S T - RACE W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Los Angeles 46 37 .554 - 27-16 19-21 370 344 Won 6 8-2
San Diego 46 39 .541 1 25-19 21-20 366 346 Lost 2 6-4
San Francisco 46 40 .535 1.5 26-20 20-20 434 431 Lost 1 3-7
Colorado 34 50 .405 12.5 20-21 14-29 451 514 Won 1 6-4
Arizona 31 55 .360 16.5 16-26 15-29 373 479 Won 1 4-6

credit to espn.com

Hmm, I was wrong about the Astros winning their conference, I didnt know they were that far behind, it looks like itll come down to the Cubs and Cardinals and for the AL Central I think itll probably come down to the Twins and White Sox, I'm pretty sure the Cubs will overtake the Cardinals early September because Their rotation seems to be getting healthier, and they do have the best rotation in baseball.
Im not really sure about the AL Central, but with the way the White Sox have been playing it looks like they'll take that division.
Im sticking with everthing else I said though.

We can forget about Seattle and Arizona getting anything this year. They're done. Randy Johnson couldn't help the Diamondbacks in April, or even now.

Atlanta needs to pull a miracle out of their ass if they expect a wild card slot. There was so much hype in the newspaper about the Braves making it above .500, but look who they beat to get there, the damn Expos. That's the same as giving them above .500 for Christmas. If they had gotten there from beating a team that's actually a challenge, then hype it, but not over the Expos. Come on. And it still doesn't overshadow the Braves losing a series to the Royals. If you're supposed to be this super team, and you lose to someone like Kansas City, for shame.

And dammit, Dammit, DAMMIT, the Yankees are on top again. How is this possible? They're owning Boston in the rankings, when Boston started off owning New York. This isn't right. Hopefully New York gets eliminated right off in the playoffs and we won't hear from them again until next year.

I say Florida's got a strong chance to make it this year again. Not like the last time they won the World Series and crashed a crater into the earth the following year, would be nice to see if they can make it 2 in a row.

TPB seems to have alot of emotion on this, but the Yankees getting knocked out of the 1st round in the playoffs? I dont wanna see that and alot of people dont wanna see that I think people wanna see drama, Yanks vs. Sox ALCS rematch baby, a 7 game series that goes down to the final inning, thats what I wanna see this time I wanna the the Sox going to the big stage I hate the Yankees and Lets Go Mets!

The_Purple_Bunny Wrote: We can forget about Seattle and Arizona getting anything this year. They're done. Randy Johnson couldn't help the Diamondbacks in April, or even now. row.

I know Purple...our team is playing horrible, and Seattle is better then that...

as for most comments regarding the AL playoff race...once again, i ephasize how you cant have the Rangers in it...this team is forreal, their pitching has been shockingly consistent...and they have the best lineup in baseball...

Anaheim has as much a chance as Seattle does IMO, because theyve lost Troy Glaus, Erstad is playin hurt, Eckstein isnt as pesky, the starting pitching has been average as is the bullpen, and Garret Anderson isnt playing at his best...

I point out the Rangers in almost everything post ive made in this thread, and I dont even like the team, but every year i focus on the AL West, and I am tellin you the Rangers will be around, the only question is if their pitching can pitch big games...thats why its hard to pick between them and the Yankees...

as for NL Central, I put the Cubs low, 5th I think, but I still think the top 5 teams will be within 10 games of each other...Brewers finishing 4th is my out on a limb prediction...

and for the AL Central, the Tigers have the best average and Pudge is red hot, they need a better closer as Urbina fits better as a setup man, and their pitching is starting to dwindle around average...the White Sox got their starter, they got offense with Konerko and Thomas---snubbed from the all star game by Matsui might i add...the only reason why I think its close between those three 3 teams is Detroits average, the Twins consistency of being just a solid team...otherwise I would say the White Sox will run away with it...

next year, the Indians will be dangerous...

I am still shocked over the Mariners, they seem like their finding different ways to lose every night...n after last night, eh...

and I am glad I got everyone to agree with me about Sosa, I do hate him, but I only hate him because he gets way too much credit...but I did explain my reasoning...same goes for Mark McGwire, who as everyone knows is on steroids...anybody ever see Sosa when he played for the White Sox? he was a 2nd baseman n he was Barry Larkin-ish sized...he said he got bigger from Flintstone vitamins...pfft...

anyone else happy to see Griffey back? now that Bonds is bigger then life, people automatically think he was the best of the 90s...which he wasnt, Griffey, and Frank Thomas I think held the 90s...with M. Williams, W. Clark, and F. McGriff behind...amazing how the fans at Cincy laughed at Griffey at the game where he dislocated his shoulder, and now hes voted in as a starter...I hate fans...

Slica

I am thrilled to see Griffey back he is a great player and he was one of the players of the 90s, Bonds wasnt one of the players of the 90s, but he IS the player of the new milenium(sp?) so far, undoubtidly. I think Griffey sharred the 90s with McGriff, Johnson, and Pedro

I forgot to add Tony Gwynn...how could forget him...

Slica

Rangers beat Yankees in ALCS

Cardinals beat Cubs(lol) in NLCS


Rangers upset Cardinals in WS

Rangers are WS champs


Yea.....Im going out on a limb here

Im jumping the Texas bandwagon...they're the shit this year with M. Young, Soriano, and Teixeira. They are a pretty young team that has a pretty good chance of beating the Yankees this year....they just need to stay consistent in their pitching to really wrap up the AL....but then again.....those annoying ass yankess everyone loves to hate.

I hope A Rod loses to his old team......and the Yankees lose again. lol