2011 MLB Season

[Des]

My picks will reflect my West Coast bias, with the exception of my beloved Mariners finishing fourth in the AL West. If Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley, Michael Pineda fulfill their potential in their future then Seattle will return to relevancy. Michael, thanks for the topic and format. Here we go.

AL WEST
1. Athletics
2. Angels
3. Rangers
4. Mariners

AL EAST
1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Rays
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays

AL CENTRAL
1. White Sox
2. Twins
3. Tigers
4. Indians
5. Royals

AL DIVISION CHAMPS: Athletics, Red Sox, White Sox
AL WILD CARD: Yankees
AL CHAMPS: Red Sox

NL WEST
1. Giants
2. Rockies
3. Dodgers
4. Padres
5. Diamondbacks

NL EAST
1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Marlins
4. Mets
5. Nationals

NL CENTRAL
1. Reds
2. Cardinals
3. Brewers
4. Cubs
5. Astros
6. Pirates

NL DIVISION WINNERS: Giants, Phillies, Reds
NL WILD CARD: Cardinals
NL CHAMP: Giants

WORLD SERIES: Giants defeat Red Sox [in 7 games]

 

[Michael]

Just realized that I had also forgotten the Marlins--in my own home division no less.

Des, you may want to squeeze them into your picks as well...

 

[Des]

Ah yes, who can forget the soon to be Miami Marlins. Take a look at the Marlins beautiful new ballpark, which they will play their first game in April 2012 (Ballpark Information | marlins.com: Ballpark). It is on the site of the former Miami Orange Bowl, which had some baseball history.

"Miami Marlins -- An estimated 57,000 fans, the largest crowd ever for a minor-league baseball game, watched 50-year-old Satchel Paige pitch there for the Marlins on Aug. 7, 1956." - Miami Orange Bowl - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Joseph Scibbe]

I have Cleveland to win the WS this year....Ok, so I am from Cleveland and am a little biased but I can dream right? If the giants can do it...

 

[Michael]

The Braves magic number is now 161.

 

[Curt]

Opening Day for the Red Sox tomorrow. Twelve inches of snow forecast overnight tonight. Fortunately, they're in Texas.

 

[Michael]

For the life of me I can't figure out why the MLB divisions are so lopsided. Baseball could learn a lot from the NFL in a variety of areas, symmetrical divisions being somewhere near the top of the list.

My suggestion would be to move the Royals to the AL West [Kansas City historically being known as the "Gateway to the West"] and then have the Brewers move [back] to the AL Central. This would give each division in baseball 5 teams and balance the lopsided NL Central and AL West to make for a more consistent pennant race across the board. I'm pretty sure Kansas City fans wouldn't care too much since they haven't had much fortune in their current division anyway. And as for Brewers fans, it'd be like going home.

After that we could talk luxury tax vs salary cap...

 

[Notthemama1984]

Last year the Astros had the worst start ever at 0-8. They look like they want to better that record this year.

 

[Michael]

Love the attention Baltimore and Pittsburgh are getting for their start. Enjoy it while it lasts boys!

 

[torstar]

O's and Bucs, did I travel back to the 1970s?

And the Red Sox having troubles.

 

[tcalbrecht]

Prediction: the Phillies will not win the NL East.

Question: Is MLB's violation of the Sabbath more acceptable that the NFL's? Discuss.

 

[torstar]

In 40 years and more than 4000 games watched I don't ever recall seeing the 3rd baseman take the force off the runner and the catcher fail to notice.

Something new every week in this game.

 

[Notthemama1984]

Prediction: the Phillies will not win the NL East.

Question: Is MLB's violation of the Sabbath more acceptable that the NFL's? Discuss.

Of course it is not more acceptable.

 

[Claudiu]

The Red Sox need to winning some games already. There's too much talent not doing anything yet.

Living in the Bay Area, it was exciting to see the Giants win the WS last year. Word on the street has it that the A's will do good this year and that the Giant's are still the favorites, besides the Phillies, to make it to the WS.

As for me, I'm a Mariners fan. We'll fly low under the radar this year, but hopefully within two years the management can get things figured out.

 

[Theoretical]

Prediction: the Phillies will not win the NL East.

Question: Is MLB's violation of the Sabbath more acceptable that the NFL's? Discuss.

Of course it is not more acceptable.

It's not more acceptable, but I'd say its less egregious. For the MLB, games are almost every day, so while they shouldn't play on Sunday, it's comparatively not any more special or unique than playing on any other day. For the NFL, games are almost entirely on Sunday and particularly attract attention away from church services and dominate the Sunday schedules of many. Especially since the NFL's schedule is only one or at most (Thanksgiving) two games per week, scheduling the overwhelming majority on Sunday is a particularly egregious act.

I would see both as bad, but the NFL's as having significant aggravating factors against its practice.

 

[torstar]

The Red Sox need to winning some games already. There's too much talent not doing anything yet.

Living in the Bay Area, it was exciting to see the Giants win the WS last year. Word on the street has it that the A's will do good this year and that the Giant's are still the favorites, besides the Phillies, to make it to the WS.

As for me, I'm a Mariners fan. We'll fly low under the radar this year, but hopefully within two years the management can get things figured out.

No doubt Boston is contending for at least the wild card this year.

But it is sure fun watching them tank. And I have seen many good teams with pedigree just up and collapse unexpectedly. Eventually it becomes a lost season, but they get a pass until the end of May.

 

[Claudiu]

Kent, are you a Blue Jays fan?

 

[torstar]

Kent, are you a Blue Jays fan?

Not really. I know a lot about them though.

Was a Dodgers fan from 1972 to the 1994 strike. Jays came to town in 1977.

Now I"m mainly an AL East fan, PVR'ing and watching the best game of the day in an hour from Boston/NYY each day.

Toronto had a great run from 83 to 93 and I watched nearly all the games without cheering for them, a World Series campaign wasn't a novelty to me. I get to about 12 games in town, usually Saturday afternoon games.

And I hope to add to my list of 32 stadiums I've seen a game at during a trip to Denver at the end of the month for business.

Yourself?

 

[Claudiu]

I'm a Seattle Mariners fan. I do like the Red Sox though, at first because of my dislike of the Yankees, but I was able to attend a game at Fenway last year and I enjoy watching the Red Sox here and there. They've my favorite team in the AL East at least. Now that I'm in the Bay Area, I'll try and attend some A's games when there's good competition in town, and definitely when the Mariners are.

I thought maybe you were a Blue Jays fan since you're from Toronto and you enjoy watching the Red Sox tank.

 

[torstar]

I'm a Seattle Mariners fan. I do like the Red Sox though, at first because of my dislike of the Yankees, but I was able to attend a game at Fenway last year and I enjoy watching the Red Sox here and there. They've my favorite team in the AL East at least. Now that I'm in the Bay Area, I'll try and attend some A's games when there's good competition in town, and definitely when the Mariners are.

I thought maybe you were a Blue Jays fan since you're from Toronto and you enjoy watching the Red Sox tank.

Get to as many games as you can, it's therapeutic. How does Seattle look this year?

Grateful I still get to go with my father to US cities close to me for a short road trip for a few games in Detroit, Cleveland, Cincy or Pittsburgh, a good time each year.

Fenway is one I haven't been to, somehow.

I never liked the Red Sox, who were more of a threat to the local team during the good run here.

As for the Yankees, I respect their work and they are always of some interest to me when they play. It's an honour to watch their lineup day by day. NY has mastered the regular season grind of 162 games. It doesn't always translate to the playoffs though.

The guilty pleasure is enjoying Hawk call a White Sox game.

 

[Claudiu]

Get to as many games as you can, it's therapeutic. How does Seattle look this year?

Seattle doesn't look too good this year, especially with the Rangers and A's expected to be at the top. Hopefully in 2 years the story will be different.

 

[torstar]

Get to as many games as you can, it's therapeutic. How does Seattle look this year?

Seattle doesn't look too good this year, especially with the Rangers and A's expected to at the top. Hopefully in 2 years the story will be different.

Hang in there. Nothing like having a team you hold interest for on every single pitch for years. Hope you get one at some point.

When I got one game a week on TV I would cheer for a West coast team and now that I have every game available I haven't watched more than 3 games from out there in 10 years, unless NY or Bos was playing.

 

[Theoretical]

Get to as many games as you can, it's therapeutic. How does Seattle look this year?

Seattle doesn't look too good this year, especially with the Rangers and A's expected to be at the top. Hopefully in 2 years the story will be different.

Trust me, as a Rangers fan, I understand what it's like to be on the downside of the division, so y'all have my sympathies. That said, the Giants beat us last year with an anemic offense but overpowering pitching, so you're building the right way in terms of the pitching.

 

[Claudiu]

Get to as many games as you can, it's therapeutic. How does Seattle look this year?

Seattle doesn't look too good this year, especially with the Rangers and A's expected to be at the top. Hopefully in 2 years the story will be different.

Trust me, as a Rangers fan, I understand what it's like to be on the downside of the division, so y'all have my sympathies. That said, the Giants beat us last year with an anemic offense but overpowering pitching, so you're building the right way in terms of the pitching.

Well put.

 

[Michael]

The Phillies are scorching through April and the Red Sox are stuck at the bottom of the AL East. Looks like only one of my WS picks are getting out of the gate well this year.

 

[Notthemama1984]

But the Sox could go on a tear at any time and still make it. That is the beauty of a baseball season. It all averages out in the end.

---------- Post added at 06:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:47 PM ----------

Rumor has it that the Astros could be sold to some Crane dude. I hope so. Anything has to be better than what we have now. Our team stinks year after year and management does nothing to fix the problems.

 

[Michael]

Yeah Houston could use a little jolt from the top down.

My Braves are far from out of it but apart from the little on-the-field issues of closing out games we're now struggling with Lowe getting arrested for DUI and our pitching coach getting suspended for "reacting inappropriately" towards hecklers in SF. Hopefully the month of May will bring some momentum.

 

[Notthemama1984]

Edited my verb usage? Really? HHHMMMM.....

 

[Marrow Man]

Edited my verb usage? Really? HHHMMMM.....

Trying to do you a favor, friend.

 

[Notthemama1984]

I just realized that if Houston wins tonight, they will have the same amount of wins this month as Ryan Braun has home runs. I should be so proud.