2008 MLB Season

[Mike S]

It has begun!!  Well, if you consider a Sox-A's game played in Japan (while there are still 100 spring training games to be played) a beginning.  Lets hear some predictions!!!

I'm calling the NL Central as:

Brewers 88-74
Cubs 86-76
Reds 80-82
Pirates 75-87
Cardinals 73-89
Astros 71-91

It's gonna be a tough, long season in the central.  Both Chicago and Milwaukee are lacking on the back end of their rotation.  A couple injuries could throw everything out the window.  Over/under on Kerry Wood's 1st DL appearance is May 31st. 

[mirth]

I dunno, depending on the amount of work he gets I could see Woody on the DL by April 30.

[discpro99]

  Over/under on Kerry Wood's 1st DL appearance is May 31st. 

i will take the under on that one for sure.

[Chainmeister]

I was going to wait for the usual suspects to bleed blue all over their keyboards.  In any case, I find it hard to believe the Cubs will fail to win 90 games which should easily win the division.  It doesn't really matter what Wood does as the Cubs are three deep in short inning relievers. The Sox will be much improved and will win 88 games.  Too bad it will take 95 minimum to win their division. I figure that it will still be exciting for me until registration fills for Rockford. Right around then it will be a little too big of a gap for the Sox.  

Tigers beat the Mets in the World Series.    Questions of the year- on September 1 who is the Sox 3rd baseman and who is the Cubs closer?  Can Jerry Owens lead off over a whole season?  Soriano will get more RBI's now that he is not a leadoff hitter. But will he have more RBI's or K's? What will Contreras' ERA be on June 1? It will still be a full point lower than Jason Marquis.  I still pick Ozzie to get thrown out of 5 more games than Lou.

[Dan Michler]

Picking on Woody is pointless.  Our season is not dependent on him at all with Marmol in the pen.  Wood was able to stay relatively healthy as a short reliever last season.  On the upside he did not walk a batter in spring training.

The Cubs are clearly tops in the division on paper.  The Brew have an awesome young lineup, but are severely lacking in the pitching department.  What is the over/under on Sheets' 1st DL stint?  By the way he has really been struggling in the spring and appears to have lost alot.

I'll put the the finishing order as follows:

Cubs
Brew
Astros (this team is greatly improved with Pence, Bourn, and Tejada in the lineup.  They could end up winning it when the inevitable Cubs/Brewers meltdowns come)
Cardinals
Reds
Pirates

[stpitner]

I'm not so sure about the Astros finishing 3rd.  They don't have much of a rotation outside of Oswalt.  Expect the Reds to finish a lot better this year with Dusty Baker as manager.  Reds always start strong and then fade out.  It will be interesting to see if they sputter quickly or cling for a while.

I'm thinking things will look like this:

Cubs
Reds
Brewers (rotation issues is why I put them 3rd)
Astros
Cardinals (if only because of Pujols do I not put them last)
Pirates (who from the Pirates gets traded to the Cubs this year? Jason Bay?)

[Dan Michler]

Yeah Dusty Baker is an awesome manager..................omfg.   i guess you were in a coma from 2003 to 2006?

[stpitner]

Yeah Dusty Baker is an awesome manager..................omfg.   i guess you were in a coma from 2003 to 2006?

*sigh*

To back up an informed opinion... the first year that Dusty joined the Giants they had a 31 victory improvement.  The first year he joined the Cubs they had a 21 victory improvement.  Harang and Arroyo are a more potent 1-2 top of rotation over most of what the other clubs have to offer this year in the Central.  Adding Francisco Cordero was a nice addition.

Now the stupid thing that the Reds did?  Signed Corey Patterson.  So maybe they won't have as great of a 2008 season, but I was there for every exhilerating and painful moment of 2003.  Don't be surprised if for the first year with Dusty as manager the Reds do a lot better than what you give them credit for.

[Dan Michler]

To backup an even more well informed opinion.......Dusty joined the Giants in 1993, the same year as what 1993 MVP left fielder??  ohhhhh thats right, Barry Bonds. maybe you have heard of him?  Do you think THAT might have had something to do with the large improvement in the Giants?  hmmmmm.   maybe.  Or maybe its just all about Dusty.

Then Dusty joines the Cubs 10 years later for the only season we ever had Wood, Prior, and Zambrano healthy for an entire year.  My Mom could have managed that team to the playoffs with the stacked rotation we had that year.   But by all means, give all that credit to Dusty there Pitner.  That makes alot of sense.  And as everybody knows, Dusty proceeded to use those 3 arms for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd most pitches thrown in the 2003 MLB season.  And go figure, Wood and Prior would never be the same afterwards. 

Not to mention, Dusty's inability to make any effort to calm the team and Mark Prior down after the Bartman incident and Gonzalez' booted double play ball in Game 6 cost us a trip to the World Series.  You have total control of a game, then you see Prior losing it on the mound, cursing and carrying on after the foul ball, and you don't even bother to make a trip out there until the lead is vanished.  Solid managing.  Hey Reds!, have fun listening to the ridiculous press conferences and watching 35 year old utility players play every day instead of your young talent after you are 15 games out of 1st place.  Good times!

P.S. Did you enjoy the fact that Dusty ran Steve Stone out of town because he couldn't handle Steve making simple observations about his managing style?   THAT WAS AWESOME!   F*%@  Dusty Baker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[stpitner]

I never said I liked Dusty Baker's performance as manager.  I said that Dusty would help the Reds do better than you gave them credit for.  I'm fully expecting the Reds to blow it at some point this year.

Cubs could have won game 7 too...

But now Lou is the manager, Prior's gone, and it should be a fun season.

[airspuds]

as usual i predict cubs vs white sox world series

with the city imploding before game 7 at (can the club buy the naming rights ) Discontinuum Field

[CEValkyrie]

(can the club buy the naming rights ) Discontinuum Field

Membership dues going up in 2009 

[Stenky]

Ok all, time for a little homerism from the other side....

Prediction:
     Brewers: 89-73
         That back of the rotation may seem weak on first glance, but I look at the Gallardo, Villanueva,
         Parra 3-4-5 to be very positive, and the defense (which cost us the division last year) should be
         much improved.
     Cubs: 88:74
         Marmol will be closing by Memorial Day.They will have a tied for the lead going into the final
         weekend and will miss it by losing 2 out of 3 in Milwaukee.
     Cinncinati: 81-80
         The Reds will be improved due to having Joey Votto and Johnny Cueto playing this year.. Downfall
         will be the relationship between Dusty and his veterans
     Houston: 80-82
         As always a killer lineup supporting a very average pitching staff.
     Pittsburgh: 74-88
         Improvement is still going to be slow, but there may be a line at the end of the tunnel.
     St. Louis: 74=88:
         After Pujols, not much offensively. Pitching may be interesting

JMHO,

Steve

[stpitner]

There's a U Pick 'em on chicagosports.com where you can join the North or South side challenge (or both), and for each game you predict if the Cubs or Sox will win or lose depending on if you are in the north or south side challenge.

I'd set up a private group if anyone was interested in joining, but you can only manage one private group... and my private group is just for my family.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.upickem.net/upickem/index.asp?theprocess=1

You can pick north side or south side from the link above.

It's free to play, don't think there are any prizes - just playing for fun.  Predicting 162 losses is probably what some people would want to do, but it's interesting to see if you can pick better than what the clubs final record turns out to be.  I kept getting my series picks correct with the notion of winning 2 out of 3, but I would pick the wrong game they lose.  Frustrating!

[Dan Michler]

So what shirtless trailer trash White Sox fan wants to bet me 10 bucks on who has the better record in '08?  Airspuds?  I always take the bet in past years even when my team sucks on paper.   

We are going to kick your ass!  Nobody will even remember that the White Sox play in Chicago too.

[airspuds]

10 bucks over all win total
ill take that bet dan

[Chainmeister]

So what shirtless trailer trash White Sox fan wants to bet me 10 bucks on who has the better record in '08?  Airspuds?  I always take the bet in past years even when my team sucks on paper.   

We are going to kick your ass!  Nobody will even remember that the White Sox play in Chicago too.

I do not believe in betting with the heart rather than the head.  My head tells me that the Cubs should be a few games better than the Sox this year.  However, Dan, you bet me and then doubled me a couple years ago when the Cubs had zero chance of being better than the World Champion White Sox.  I am guilted into betting back this year. I figure my odds this year are still better than yours were that year...what the heck...you're on.  $10. I want to say this right now-- When the Sox make a little move in late August and come within a few games of the Cubs, I am not going to stand on my feet and exclaim in a high pitched voice, "ooh, ooh, ooh" in prayer that a warning track fly ball of a few games will go over the fence of this bet.  I know better.  After all, I'm not a Cubs fan.

[Tom McManus]

Looks like 2008 is off to a great start for both the Cubs and Sox. Lets see if Buerhle can maintain that stellar 37.80 era. With baseball season starting in Chicago heartbreak isn't far behind.

[reg-waters]

Looks like 2008 is off to a great start for both the Cubs and Sox. Lets see if Buerhle can maintain that stellar 37.80 era. With baseball season starting in Chicago heartbreak isn't far behind.

great game by the cubbies today woo hooooo go Brew Crew

[Mike S]

I think we are in for another brutal year.  Gonna be a close race all the way to the end.

BTW I have two extra tickets for tomorrow's Cubs-Brewers game available.  Field box Infield.  They cost me $40 each- I have them listed on craigslist right now, going to the best offer.  I've only gotten garbage offers so far.