Sox and Cubs?
Nah. If only because the majority matchup never happens.
In the AL I like Oakland to come through (despite my last post). That starting staff is the best in baseball.
Prior and Woods are great, but I'm really not fearing 3,4, and 5. Maddux is Maddux, but he's not a shut down starter any longer.
If Pedro catches a cold he'll be throwing in the high 70s, that's a thin line to pin your hopes to. Schilling is awesome, but again the rest of the staff is hittable. Nomar's as good as gone, there's poor, "I wanna be with my Yankee friends" Manny and a bunch of other ham and eggers who are pissed because unlike "Cowboy Up" they're not seeing a dime from "This is the year." I think Boston's going to have to go out and get an ACE. Who's out there to be had? We'll know in June, but right now two men, one free falling as we speak can't stop the Yankees.
Oakland's staff, back to my point is 1-5 great. We Braves fans thinnk we're tortured in the postseason, going 0-5 or whatever it is for the A's. Yikes. I think it's their year. Even if it's not, does anyone disagree that watching Zito's curve is poetry?
Who really cares about the AL Central. I guess the Twins, but let's be honest no one from the Central is coming out of the AL.
It's Yankees and Oakland for me. Too much offense for New York not to win the East, but every fan needs to get in church every Sunday and pray that staff holds.
Does Brown last the season? I like Javier, but the pitching ship's taken on too much water. The question is can anyone step up and beat them?
I'm saying Oakland does.
NL
The Phillies think they're better than they actually are.
Flordia's the pick. NL's best starting staff, and a lineup that shouldn't miss Lee or I-Rod too much. Lady Mo's with the Marlins for once. Can't stop that.
My Braves. It's over, for now. Thankfully we have one of the stronger minor league systems. I don't even know who John Thompson is but he's a 4th starter. If we don't trade for Drew, we're playing Skip or Don out in the Right, but still....giving up our #1 prospect, Adam Wainwright, for JD Drew seemed steep. Yeah, yeah we supposedly have more arms on the way, but after getting toasted by Woods and Prior, it hurts to see us give up young guns, for a guy who's more hype than hope.
On the plus side. I hear Ted and Jane are still *******.
Seriously, we're playing a rook at first, and I love seeing the new guys get a shot, seeing if they suck or not. Love Giles at 2nd, Furcal's solid at short, and greatest defensive center fielder of all-time takes the field day in and day out for us.
Be interesting to see if Chipper can stop his production slippage of the past three years. Drew if he plays should put up something good.
Derosa at 3rd will be short lived, but that's fine. Andy Marte is on the way.
Ramirez is an all-star this year. Wait and see.
Anyway.....Oakland over Flordia.
