The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

[Yanks22]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

Is there any particular reason you feel this way?

i just dunno if they can perform as well as they did last year and say the yankees and red sox this year both have pretty healthy teams with little or no major injuries throughout the season then it might be tough for them. but last year towards the mid/end of the season they didnt have to face manny in the red sox lineup and there were a few scattered injuries there and with the yankees they faced a mashed up pitching rotation that featured pitchers such as rasner and ponson instead of wang. hughes and kenndy didnt come through. there was no matsui or posada. i am not denying the talent of the rays and their young players and veterans. but last year they didnt face towards the end of the year the teams that the red sox and yanks are more capable of being. boston didnt take a huge hit but the yankees really did. and i think this year if the players on the red sox like smoltz and others and the yankees with sabathia burnett and tex if they all stay healthy and play hard then the red sox and yankees are def the two big teams to beat once again in the AL east and it would be more of a challenge i think for the rays this year then it was last year. if any of that makes sense hah. sorry just kinda tired right now and rambling but i hope i kinda got my point across or it made sense somewhat

[Ewing]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

i just dunno if they can perform as well as they did last year and say the yankees and red sox this year both have pretty healthy teams with little or no major injuries throughout the season then it might be tough for them.

The Sox roster is virtually the same as it was last year when the Rays ran up the lead in the AL East and then beat them in the ALCS. The Rays roster is healthy, too.

As for the Yankees, I don't think they're so good that it would bump the Rays down to fourth place.

but last year towards the mid/end of the season they didnt have to face manny in the red sox lineup

They don't have to face Manny in the Red Sox lineup this year.

and there were a few scattered injuries there and with the yankees they faced a mashed up pitching rotation that featured pitchers such as rasner and ponson instead of wang. hughes and kenndy didnt come through. there was no matsui or posada.

Yeah the injuries did help the Rays but you're forgetting a vital thing. Matusi, Posada and a lot of Yankees are on the wrong side of thirty. The oldest guy in the Rays lineup is Pat Burrell.

i am not denying the talent of the rays and their young players and veterans. but last year they didnt face towards the end of the year the teams that the red sox and yanks are more capable of being. boston didnt take a huge hit but the yankees really did.

Well if Boston didn't take a huge hit why do you think the Rays can't compete with them this year?

and i think this year if the players on the red sox like smoltz and others and the yankees with sabathia burnett and tex if they all stay healthy and play hard then the red sox and yankees are def the two big teams to beat once again in the AL east and it would be more of a challenge i think for the rays this year then it was last year.

Burnett has started 30 games twice in his career, both of which were contract seasons. His ERA was barely below the league average last year.

Teix and Sabatha are great players but two guys aren't enough to suddenly derail an entire other team.

Smoltz is irrelevant. He's not pitching until June 1st and he'll be 42 then. I doubt that's going to make a huge difference.

if any of that makes sense hah. sorry just kinda tired right now and rambling but i hope i kinda got my point across or it made sense somewhat

Barely. Not to be rude but you need to use capitilaztion and periods.

[Yanks22]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

The Sox roster is virtually the same as it was last year when the Rays ran up the lead in the AL East and then beat them in the ALCS. The Rays roster is healthy, too.

As for the Yankees, I don't think they're so good that it would bump the Rays down to fourth place.



They don't have to face Manny in the Red Sox lineup this year.



Yeah the injuries did help the Rays but you're forgetting a vital thing. Matusi, Posada and a lot of Yankees are on the wrong side of thirty. The oldest guy in the Rays lineup is Pat Burrell.



Well if Boston didn't take a huge hit why do you think the Rays can't compete with them this year?



Burnett has started 30 games twice in his career, both of which were contract seasons. His ERA was barely below the league average last year.

Teix and Sabatha are great players but two guys aren't enough to suddenly derail an entire other team.

Smoltz is irrelevant. He's not pitching until June 1st and he'll be 42 then. I doubt that's going to make a huge difference.



Barely. Not to be rude but you need to use capitilaztion and periods.

Just stating my opinion man that is all. i know that a couple of players overall aren't just going to derail a team. I'm gonna get some sleep for the night but the main point of this post was to post opinions and predictions. Mine is that if you're gonna look at the AL east the rays i think will be in third thats all i am saying. Sorry that i got everyone into this whole debate I didn't think there would be one. Just my opinion that is all and Ewing i dunno if before you were implying that i don't follow baseball but i do, i just feel like that's how this season will end up. I don't wanna get into heated debates with anyone about my opinion. And like i said sorry i am tired i just got in from work a while ago so if i was lacking on the capatlization and periods i apologize.

[rsox]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

AL East:
Red Sox (homer pick, sue me)

AL Central:
Twins

AL West:
A's

AL Wild Card:
Tigers

NL East:
Phillies

NL Central:
Reds

NL West:
Giants

NL Wild Card:
Marlins

[SpacemanSpiff]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

AL East
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. New York Yankees (WC)
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles

AL Central
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Chicago White Sox
3. Kansas City Royals
5. Minnesota Twins

AL West
1. Texas Rangers
2. Los Angeles Angels
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Seattle Mariners

NL East
1. Atlanta Braves
2. New York Mets
2. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Florida Marlins
5. Washington Nationals

NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs
2. Cincinnati Reds (WC)
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. St. Louis Cardinals
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Houston Astros

NL West
1. Arizona Diamondbacks
2. Colorado Rockies
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. San Francisco Giants
5. San Diego Padres

[Ewing]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

Just stating my opinion man that is all. i know that a couple of players overall aren't just going to derail a team. I'm gonna get some sleep for the night but the main point of this post was to post opinions and predictions. Mine is that if you're gonna look at the AL east the rays i think will be in third thats all i am saying. Sorry that i got everyone into this whole debate I didn't think there would be one. Just my opinion that is all and Ewing i dunno if before you were implying that i don't follow baseball but i do, i just feel like that's how this season will end up. I don't wanna get into heated debates with anyone about my opinion. And like i said sorry i am tired i just got in from work a while ago so if i was lacking on the capatlization and periods i apologize.

I'm didn't mean you don't follow baseball. What I meant was don't listen to the guys on ESPN who claim the Rays season was a fluke. I kind of have a vendetta against lousy sports reporting.

[Derrville]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

Mark my words:

Texas Rangers 2009 World Champs

[Brandon13]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

The Braves win the NL Wild Card as the Mets choke it away again on the last day of the season.

[Yanks22]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

I'm didn't mean you don't follow baseball. What I meant was don't listen to the guys on ESPN who claim the Rays season was a fluke. I kind of have a vendetta against lousy sports reporting.

alright man cool, yeah i unerstand what you mean though too.

[baseball66]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

Division Champions
American League
East- Rays
Central- Twins
West-Angels
Wild Card-Red Sox

National League
East- Marlins
Central-Cubs
West- D-Backs
Wild Card- Phillies

[BatsareBugs]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

My way too early 2009 season production?

The San Diego Padres 2009, the little team that couldn't.

Coming to a ballpark near you.

[rsox]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

My way too early 2009 season production?

The San Diego Padres 2009, the little team that couldn't.

Coming to a ballpark near you.

Really went out on a limb for that one didn't ya?

[Stumpy Santo]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

AL East
Yankees
Red Sox (WC)
Rays
Blue Jays
Orioles

AL Central
Twins
Indians
Royals
White Sox
Tigers

AL West
Angels
A's
Rangers
Mariners

NL East
Mets
Phillies
Braves
Marlins
Nationals

NL Central
Reds
Cardinals (WC)
Cubs
Astros
Pirates
Brewers

NL West
Diamondbacks
Dodgers
Giants
Rockies
Padres

AL Playoffs
Angels over Yankees
Twins over Red Sox
Twins over Angels

NL Playoffs
Mets over Cardinals
Reds over Diamondbacks
Mets over Reds

World Series
Twins over Mets

Bold predictions
Cubs won't make playoffs. Everyone seems to think the regular season is simply a formality. The Cubs won consecutive division championships for the first time in history last year. No way this cursed franchise wins three straight.
Royals will make a good run at the division title
Carpenter will be comeback player of year
Hafner will be name 2 of 103 to be leaked, to the surprise of nobody
Jim Leyland will be gone by the All-Star break
A Rod will still have a good year under unbelievable pressure
The Reds will be this years' Rays (Volquez, Cueto, Owings, Arroyo...pretty solid. Harang may even be good if Dusty can avoid using him in long relief )

[Ewing]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

You really think the Reds are going to take the AL Central crown? Even if the Cubs don't take it, the teams in St. Louis, Milwaukee and maybe even Houston are superior. I like Bruce, Votto and Volquez as much as the next guy but their pitching is atrocious right now.

Harang, Arroyo and Cueto were all below 100 in ERA+. Sure, Cueto is young but his WHIP was 1.4 last year. He's far from being an ace. Arroyo in 2006 was a fluke. He's never going to touch that kind of performance again. Harang absolutely bombed last year after three straight impressive seasons. I think he has a good chance of rebounding however. Not to mention Volquez falling apart in the second half last year. And I didn't even bring up Micah Owings who was outright horrible for the D-Backs last year and couldn't even get one inning in as a pitcher for the Reds after the Dunn trade.

The team has potential but there is absolutely no way they win the AL Central.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: The Way To Early 2009 Season Productions

You really think the Reds are going to take the AL Central crown? Even if the Cubs don't take it, the teams in St. Louis, Milwaukee and maybe even Houston are superior. I like Bruce, Votto and Volquez as much as the next guy but their pitching is atrocious right now.

Harang, Arroyo and Cueto were all below 100 in ERA+. Sure, Cueto is young but his WHIP was 1.4 last year. He's far from being an ace. Arroyo in 2006 was a fluke. He's never going to touch that kind of performance again. Harang absolutely bombed last year after three straight impressive seasons. I think he has a good chance of rebounding however. Not to mention Volquez falling apart in the second half last year. And I didn't even bring up Micah Owings who was outright horrible for the D-Backs last year and couldn't even get one inning in as a pitcher for the Reds after the Dunn trade.

The team has potential but there is absolutely no way they win the AL Central.

I'd be amazed if the Reds somehow managed to win the AL Central, it'd be a baseball-first for a team to win a division outside of its own division. :wink: