Well - the season is drawing near. I don't think my NY Mets did enough to improve in the off season, though the bullpen is deeper adn will be better. However, I am going to pick them for the wild card.

NL East

1. Braves

NL Central

Cubs

NL West

Diamond backs

AL East

Red Sox

Al Central

Twins

AL West

Angels

NL Wild Card: Mets/AL Wild Card: Yankees

Teh yankees are goign to be sickeningly good if Sbaathia was even clsoe to what he was in milwaukee down teh stretch. I am just hoping he pithces more like he did in Cleveland in teh first half.

NL Eats is going to be fun - Braves are btter, phillies have all the heart in teh world and the Mets probably ahve the best team on paper. looks like another interetsing abseball summer

(And I note with soem unease that sports illustarted has pciked the Mets to win the whole thing this week. From their lips to god's ears and all that....)

lol a ws champ isn't worth any credit these days....thats ok i'll wait till the annual september choke from the mets to post again.

Should Curt Schilling get into the HoF? As soon as I heard the topic on talk radio, I thought of this thread and the discussions between Staglord and LoB.

ABSOLUTLEY.

He is a first ballot lock as far as I am concerned. his post season record is stunning and he was always the best or seocnd best pitcher on his staff. Everything that a guy like Blyleven isn't  - which is why he gets in and Blyleven stays home.

And Lars - your such a PITA. You don't even like baseball. Sorry - i don't take the flukey Phillies seriously and I don't think they are going back to October.

Stag Lord said:

What?? Blylveven was clearly always "one of the best one or two" on his staff.  

It's actually pretty funny that you compare the two, as they are remarkably similar (even in post-season stats, except that Schilling has 2x starts - due to more playoff rounds in present).  Blyleven's stats are a bit better than Schilling's for the most part.  But yeah, to me, Schilling's a HOF'r  (not as deserving as Blyleven, but deserving).   

The more things change...Stag and his ridiculous prognostications.  ;)

AL East:  Yankees (painful to type)

AL Central: Cleveland (if Carmona and Hafner are healthy) otherwise Minnesota

AL West: Angels

AL Wild Card: (flipping a mental coin)...Tampa Bay

NL East: Mets (Hamels elbow is a HUGE concern...no fold this year)

NL Central: Cubs

NL West: Dodgers (no one will be close)

NL Wild Card: Philly

World Series: A Subway Series with a different result from last time...Mets win  (so painful to feel sure about these two teams)

 And here are my predictions that will likely prove to be completely wrong:  

AL East:  

1) Boston, 2-WC) Tampa, 3) Yanks, 4) Toronto, 5) Baltimore

AL Central:

1) Cleveland, 2) ChiSox, 3) Minnesota, 4) KC, 5) Detroit

AL West:  

1) Angels, 2) Seattle, 3) Texas, 4) Oakland

NL East: 

1) Mets, 2) Phillies, 3) Braves, 4) Marlins, 5) Nationals

1) Cubs, 2-WC) Reds, 3) Brewers, 4) Cardinals, 5) Astros, 6(distant) Pirates

1) Dodgers, 2) Arizona, 3) San Fran, 4) Colorado, 5) San Diego

World Series:  Boston beats the Mets

Hmmm, I'm pretty sure I wanna play the "get a bunch of stuff wrong sweepstakes" too.

NL West: 

1. D'backs - if Scherzer and Garland are any good behind Webb and Haren, should be a good go.  The lineup has a lot of question marks, though.

2. Doggers - eff the Doggers.

3. San Francisco - I like the rotation, and they're the team I'm forced to watch on TV, but the lineup? Bengie Molina cleanup? Puhleeze.

4 & 5. Rockies and Padres - umm...they'll both suck.

NL Central:

1. Cardinals - I'm think Carpenter will return to form, Pujols wins another MVP and they just outperform the Cubbies.

2. Cubbies - they got the pieces, but I don't trust most of them.

3. Reds - could be even better, but they're really young. Joey Votto is really impressive, though.

4. Brewers - poor Brewcrew...lost their horses.

5. Pirates - Yeah they'll suck...

6. Disastros - They'll suck more.

NL East:

1. Braves - I like what they're doing. Rotation seems strong enough, got some innings eaters. I like the lineup if Chipper's healthy and McCann too.

2. Marlins (WC) - They might have the best rotation in the East.  Really young team, but we need a crazy pick right?

3. Mets - Johan and...Johan...K-Rod is overrated.

4. Phillies - I don't trust that pitching staff at all.  Scary lineup, though.

5. Natty Ices - yup.

AL West:

1. Texas - just a hunch.

2. Angels - I think the injury bug hurts 'em a lot.

3. A's - they'll hit more than last year, but they hit none last year.

4. Seattle - still gonna suck.

AL Central:

1. Tigers - worst to first...Verlander can't be as bad as last year, and they're going to hit a ton.

2. White Sox - Not really any worse than last year.

3. Indians - seem to be a popular pick, but I don't know why, really. Hafner will probably still suck, and Lee won't be as good as last season.

4. Royals - why not? Could be a lot better than in recent years.

5. Minnesota - I don't know why I'm not respecting them...they never seem to be bad.

AL East:

1. Rays - They've got everything they need to win just as much as last season

2. Red Sox (WC) - also still very good.

3. Yankees - har. outta the playoffs again. A-Roid and the rest of 'em.

4. Blue Jays - they'll not be good. Poor Roy Halladay... 

5. Orioles - They're REALLY not be good. Poor...I don't even know who they have.

World Series? Rays over Marlins in the Retired Persons Series.

Yeha - I'm not following the Cleveland love here (well - I guess T Snow still has his Lake Erie blinders on). But really - they lost a ton of games last year, le can't possible duplicate his performance and Hafner got figured out really fast. The pick i am most comfortable about is that the Twins will win that division.

and I loathe the Yankees - freaking loathe them like no one outside of Boston can - but with that rotation, they are a lock for 90+ wins. Probably north of that. Sorry fox - i think you cna pencil them in for deep into October this time.

Stag Lord said:

The second half of last season Cleveland scored the second most runs in the American League without a healthy Victor and Hafner.  Saying Hafner "got figured out fast" is ridiculous if you look at his 2004-2007 #'s he's absolutely sick when healthy.  Lee will not be as good as last year, but Carmona will pick up the slack, and a returning Westbrook in July will be huge.  They now have a closer which stabalizes the entire bullpen.  They will be competing with the Twins come September if they stay healthy.

I'm thinking that if Texas gets any pitching this year...that lineup is WAY scary...1-8 is good, at least. Not sure if Elvis Andrus can hit or not, but I hear he's slick with the glove.

Seattle will be "rebuilding" for at least another 1-2 years...but they actually have some players to be excited about.

I will be going to at least 5 games just to see Griffey's swing at Safeco a few more times before he hangs it up.  I play an online baseball game (www.baseballboss.com) and it pains be to have to pick 1998 Griffey or 2007 Ichiro in CF.  At least I have the "super-rare" of 1998 Edgar to love... :)

Um, yeah.

Those 1-7 Indians are really tearing up the pea patch, aren't they? Wow - dropping your firth three series of the season, including one to the Royals. Um, yeah.

On the other hand, and seriously, I am not too impressed with CitiField so far (haven't physically been there - this is just based on what I have seen on TV). Tehre isn't enough blue and orange and there doesn't seem to be enough stuff commemorating teh Mets of the past. i get that we don't ahve a very storied history, but teh 69 and 86 teams were pretty famous - and there coudl be some stuff.

I guess I'll see if I change my mind when I actually go in a couple of weeks.

Stag Lord said:

see if you can play LF or RF for them. i'm sure you can catch better then who they currently have.

You just worry about the Flyers v the Penguins right now, OK? see if you guys cna knock off that dirty Crosby, thne come back and talk hardball.

will do. have fun with ovie