American League Baseball
Boston won its first game of the year early this morning in Japan with a Manny double in the 10th inning. I guess it is time to start talking about baseball. I will make some predictions now so that you can all come back to me and laugh in my my face come September. That will not stop me from putting myself out there will my Top Five outrageously predictable predictions for the 2008 American League baseball season:
1. Mussina is done - stick a fork in him - with a fastball that peaks at 85 mph and a very hittable hanging curve, look for Moose's e.r.a to balloon up to the 6.00 range. He will, however, win 12 games and be instrumental in getting the Yankees to 90+ wins.
2. Detroit is better than advertised. The Tigers will present a formidable challenge for anyone trying to sneak into the WS from the American League.
3. Boston will not make the playoffs. You read that correctly. The Red Sox do not have the pitching or hitting to make the playoffs in the American League. Schilling was done last year. This year he is well done. Dice K spends too much time out of the strike zone to make an impact (plus he throws 100+ pitches by the fifth inning of every start). Big Papi is beginning to remind everyone of the NY Mets version of Mo Vaughn. He looks like he is in constant pain just walking to the plate. His knees will not support that weight for a full season and it is just a matter of time before his back starts to bark. Manny will be Manny and disappear for a good two months of the season. Varitek will continue to be the highest paid .260 hitter in the sport and will hit about the same amount of home runs as power-hitter Derek Jeter...Again. And don't be fooled by J.D. Drew's heroics in the playoffs. He is a dog with fleas. The Fenway Faithful will be begging him to leave by August.
4. Robinson Cano will have an MVP-like season at second base for the Yankees. Cano has learned to lay off the high fastball this past season. It seemed like the only pitch that caused him problems over the first two years of his career.
5. The gap is closing between the "haves" and the "have nots" in the American League. Youth is going to determine who gets out of the AL this year. There are a ton of young studs in the AL that will not simply lay down at the feet of the mighty Sox and Yankees this year. Parity will rule and the teams with the least least amount of injuries, and healthiest arms at the end of the year will win out. I think that that will be the Tigers, unfortunately.
1. Mussina is done - stick a fork in him - with a fastball that peaks at 85 mph and a very hittable hanging curve, look for Moose's e.r.a to balloon up to the 6.00 range. He will, however, win 12 games and be instrumental in getting the Yankees to 90+ wins.
2. Detroit is better than advertised. The Tigers will present a formidable challenge for anyone trying to sneak into the WS from the American League.
3. Boston will not make the playoffs. You read that correctly. The Red Sox do not have the pitching or hitting to make the playoffs in the American League. Schilling was done last year. This year he is well done. Dice K spends too much time out of the strike zone to make an impact (plus he throws 100+ pitches by the fifth inning of every start). Big Papi is beginning to remind everyone of the NY Mets version of Mo Vaughn. He looks like he is in constant pain just walking to the plate. His knees will not support that weight for a full season and it is just a matter of time before his back starts to bark. Manny will be Manny and disappear for a good two months of the season. Varitek will continue to be the highest paid .260 hitter in the sport and will hit about the same amount of home runs as power-hitter Derek Jeter...Again. And don't be fooled by J.D. Drew's heroics in the playoffs. He is a dog with fleas. The Fenway Faithful will be begging him to leave by August.
4. Robinson Cano will have an MVP-like season at second base for the Yankees. Cano has learned to lay off the high fastball this past season. It seemed like the only pitch that caused him problems over the first two years of his career.
5. The gap is closing between the "haves" and the "have nots" in the American League. Youth is going to determine who gets out of the AL this year. There are a ton of young studs in the AL that will not simply lay down at the feet of the mighty Sox and Yankees this year. Parity will rule and the teams with the least least amount of injuries, and healthiest arms at the end of the year will win out. I think that that will be the Tigers, unfortunately.
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