MLB '08 Season Discussion

[Headspace]

Adam Dunn to D-Backs for 3 prospects, after the deadline lol.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I do like how the Reds are going to be really young, just need the prospects to actually develop.

[Akiyama]

Yeah, just caught that on the new Live SC.

[Kyo]

I am a braves fan and I agree, injuuries have raped us hard this year, once smoltz was done for the season I knew we were done, and srsly we need to fucking get rid of mike hampton what a pos. Right now from my view I say angels win it all, playing cubs or phillies in the series, angels are just hard to beat even tho I think the rays will give angels a good run for their money.

[Reality]

You have to remember, he was a reliever at that time as well. Depending on who you ask, it's easier to maintain your arm as a starter (since you know you are going out every 5 days) compared to a reliever. And remember, Lee was demoted to the minors for a good stint last year as well.

Duchscherer on the DL.

Whoops.

[Akiyama]

White Sox and Rays start a series tonight, and Twins/Angels continue theirs. Two great series this weekend. Looking forward to them both.

[Kang]

It might be a bit early but who do you guys see as being in the playoffs? I like Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Anaheim (obviously) and Boston for the WC in the AL.

In the NL, I like Philly, LA and Chicago and Milwaukee as either the NL Central or the WC but both will make it.

[Soa]

Tampa, Chicago, and LA winning their divisions with Red Sox winning Wild Card in the AL.

Philly, Chicago, and LA as champs, Brewers as WC in the NL

If Philly can ever get out of their offensive slump, and if Manual wises up and plays Werth everyday instead of platooning with Jenkins, I think they'll win the East. Either way I think it'll go down to the final day again this year. I'm looking forward to some great division races in September.

[Kang]

Tampa, Chicago, and LA winning their divisions with Red Sox winning Wild Card in the AL.

Philly, Chicago, and LA as champs, Brewers as WC in the NL

If Philly can ever get out of their offensive slump, and if Manual wises up and plays Werth everyday instead of platooning with Jenkins, I think they'll win the East. Either way I think it'll go down to the final day again this year. I'm looking forward to some great division races in September.

I think a couple of divisions will go down to the wire. Would be cool if there can be another one game playoff like we had last year with the Rockies and the Padres (the Rockies are my team and I hope they can still try to put forth a strong effort to win the division. They've been down about 8 games for a long while now but I think the Dodgers just have too much momentum).

[Orph]

Tampa, Chicago, and LA winning their divisions with Red Sox winning Wild Card in the AL.

Philly, Chicago, and LA as champs, Brewers as WC in the NL

If Philly can ever get out of their offensive slump, and if Manual wises up and plays Werth everyday instead of platooning with Jenkins, I think they'll win the East. Either way I think it'll go down to the final day again this year. I'm looking forward to some great division races in September.

Jenkins was put on the DL so the Phillies catch a break now that Werth will have to play everyday.

[Akiyama]

Tampa Bay bandwagon go!
East: TB
Central: Chicago
West: LAA
Wild Card: Twins

East: Mets
Central: Cubs
West: Dodgers
Wild Card: Brewers

[Viq]

As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Akiyama's AL predictions. The Red Sox bullpen is horrendous, their offense struggles to score runs without Lowell in the lineup (see also: M. Ramriez), and their starting pitching is simply too inconsistent. Byrd helps shore up the bottom of their rotation a little, but Beckett hasn't been himself this year. Lester has really broken out despite a poor performance the other day. Matsuzaka has been baffling. He leads the league in pitches/inning, is 2nd in the AL in walks, yet he maintains a .209 BAA with an ERA somewhere around 3.00.

I don't think that either the White Sox or Twins are more talented than the Red Sox, but they both are more capable of being consistently good down the stretch than Boston is.

[Melena]

anyone else thing if Lincicum pitched for just about any team but the Giant's, he'd be considered a front runner for the NL Cy Young award this year?

[Kang]

anyone else thing if Lincicum pitched for just about any team but the Giant's, he'd be considered a front runner for the NL Cy Young award this year?

They were talking about Sabathia being a contender for the NL Cy Young on Fox yesterday. They compared his season to Rick Sutcliffe in 1984 where both pitchers had sub par seasons then switched leagues and had an excellent season. Sutcliffe won the Cy Young that year.

They said if Sabathia wins (8-0 right now with the Brewers), then he will be the first ever player to win the Cy Young in both leagues in consecutive years.

[Kyo]

anyone else thing if Lincicum pitched for just about any team but the Giant's, he'd be considered a front runner for the NL Cy Young award this year?

That young pitcher has some good years ahead of him, if he had a better team to pitch for he would be in contention, the giants sucks ass and never get him run support, much like how the mets never get runs for Johan.

My main addition is im sad that more than likely John Smoltz and Tom Glavine's career's are done, I was really hoping greg would retir this year to sell all 3 of them go into the hall of fame together. Im a big braves fan and thats one thing I'd like to see.

On the note who's going to win their respective divisons.

AL Division Champs-Tampa,Chicago,Angels
Wild Card-Twins

NL Divison Champs-Phillies,Dodgers,Cubs
NL Wildcard-Brewers

Mostly agree with aki, the phillies are a much better tema than their record, their slumping is horrible.

[Akiyama]

Yeah, but I don't worry about the Red Sox scoring nearly as much as their pitching. After Daisuke (who Viq described perfectly) Beckett hasn't been good at all, and now he's hurt. After that, you have Wakefield, who can be good at times, you have Byrd, who has now started against the Blue Jays in three straight starts (he must really hate them by now), and then you have that #5 spot. Who's gonna be there? Masterson? Can't be Buchholz. He's back in AA.

Either way, the Red Sox pitching is really in shambles. D: Losing Manny was huge to their scoring, but not nearly as bad as their pitching has been. I think if the Rays stumble even a little, the Sox could catch them, but I just don't think so.

The Twins have some awesome pitching. If I said Slowey, Baker, Perkins, and Liriano at the beginning of the year, and said the Twins would be in the running for a playoff spot without Torii Hunter/Santana, you would have called me crazy. I actually predicted the Rays last, and Twins 4th. D: God, shows how much I know.

[Rhinox]

Cubs <3


holy shit@ Derosa the guy is one of the hottest hitter in baseball. talk about a pleasant surprise.

[Melena]

Damn Lincecum is higher up in wins for the year then I thought.

• Ranks 5th in NL in W (14) • Ranks 5th in NL in IP (177.2)
• Ranks 1st in NL in SO (200) • Ranks 8th in NL in BB (67)
• Ranks 1st in NL in ERA (2.48 ) • Ranks 11th in NL in WHIP (1.19)
• Ranks 2nd in NL in WPct (.824)

Man even with the Giants, I think he can get 4 more wins, be 18 wins. You have to strongly consider him. This guy would easily be 20 wins right now if he had some run support. And one of those 3 losses he had came from an incorrect balk call against the rockies in the begining of the year

[Rhinox]

Brandon Webb

Wins ERA K's Walks
19-4 2.74 153 45


Unless something bad happens to Webb, Dempster, Veloquez he wont win it.


I Feel your Pain Mel. As a lifelong diehard cubs fan I was at the point I didnt care if the Cubs win or not it was all about "did Sammy hit a homerun today?".

[Akiyama]

Yeah. Webb pretty much ownes the Cy Young now. But Lincecum's record on a horrid team is pretty impressive, just like Cliff Lee's record with Cleveland. He has like.. 28% of their wins.

[Kang]

Did you guys see Jason Bay's catch into the wall off Alex Rios's bat?

I know many people say he is no Manny Ramirez but his defense sure outshines anything Ramirez ever did.

The Bosox will make the playoffs. I think their pitching will get better. Their bullpen, which is shoddy at best, did well today against Toronto, so there's still hope.