2012 MLB discussion thread

[Blazedtown]

Chicago Cubs to win it all.

Go, Cubbies, go!

They have no chance this year, but I'm curious what Ricketts is going to do with the team over the next few years.

The same thing they've done for the last hundred years.

[Lithatrius]

As a Mets fan, I agree completely that we're gonna finish dead bottom this year, but it's nice to see that someone has the Astros still doing worse than my lot. Additionally, other than my boys, I'd love to see the Cubs do well. They deserve it

[Chetssaland]

My playoff predictions:

AL East: Red Sox
They were emmbarrassed last year, and I doubt they'll let it happen again. They were set up nicely before the collapse. Crawford should play better too.
AL Central: Tigers
All they did was get better, and they were good last year. Hopefully my Sox win it though.
AL West: Angels
Pujols.
AL Wild Card: Rangers
They're not going anywhere.
NL East: Phillies
No comment.
NL Central: Brewers (reluctantly)
Obviously the division lost its two best players. I think Milwaukee is still the best though. Reds could easily win it too though.
NL West: Giants
I think they'll be back this year (not that they were necessarily gone last year).
NL Wild Card: Diamondbacks
They have a lot of good young players again.

Rangers def. Tigers
Angels def. Red Sox
Rangers def. Angels

Phillies def. Diamondbacks
Giants def. Brewers
Phillies def. Giants

Rangers def. Phillies

[Welsh Cowboy]

My playoff predictions:

AL East: Red Sox
They were emmbarrassed last year, and I doubt they'll let it happen again. They were set up nicely before the collapse. Crawford should play better too.
AL Central: Tigers
All they did was get better, and they were good last year. Hopefully my Sox win it though.
AL West: Angels
Pujols.
AL Wild Card: Rangers
They're not going anywhere.
NL East: Phillies
No comment.
NL Central: Brewers (reluctantly)
Obviously the division lost its two best players. I think Milwaukee is still the best though. Reds could easily win it too though.
NL West: Giants
I think they'll be back this year (not that they were necessarily gone last year).
NL Wild Card: Diamondbacks
They have a lot of good young players again.

I agree except for three things:

I think the Rangers and Angels would switch spots, with the Rangers winning the division, and the Angels earning a wild card.

Also, the Red Sox or the Yankees could win their division, but I don't think it will be a runaway.

And finally, I think the Cardinals will win the NL Central, with the Brewers 2nd.

[Chetssaland]

My playoff predictions:

AL East: Red Sox
They were emmbarrassed last year, and I doubt they'll let it happen again. They were set up nicely before the collapse. Crawford should play better too.
AL Central: Tigers
All they did was get better, and they were good last year. Hopefully my Sox win it though.
AL West: Angels
Pujols.
AL Wild Card: Rangers
They're not going anywhere.
NL East: Phillies
No comment.
NL Central: Brewers (reluctantly)
Obviously the division lost its two best players. I think Milwaukee is still the best though. Reds could easily win it too though.
NL West: Giants
I think they'll be back this year (not that they were necessarily gone last year).
NL Wild Card: Diamondbacks
They have a lot of good young players again.

I agree except for three things:

I think the Rangers and Angels would switch spots, with the Rangers winning the division, and the Angels earning a wild card.

Also, the Red Sox or the Yankees could win their division, but I don't think it will be a runaway.

And finally, I think the Cardinals will win the NL Central, with the Brewers 2nd.

I could see the first one happening, I agree with the second point, and my opinion is biased for the final point because my NL team happens to be Milwaukee .

Also added real playoff predictions to my post.

[Welsh Cowboy]

I agree except for three things:

I think the Rangers and Angels would switch spots, with the Rangers winning the division, and the Angels earning a wild card.

Also, the Red Sox or the Yankees could win their division, but I don't think it will be a runaway.

And finally, I think the Cardinals will win the NL Central, with the Brewers 2nd.

I could see the first one happening, I agree with the second point, and my opinion is biased for the final point because my NL team happens to be Milwaukee .

Also added real playoff predictions to my post.

Yeah, I would have picked my NL team, but they're the Cubs, and that's not happening in the next century...

I see your playoff predictions happening, I think the Rangers are better than everyone thinks. However, in my mind, the Phillies would win that matchup, because of their better pitching.

[Chetssaland]

Despite being a Cubs fan, I believe the Phillies will probably win it.

Roy Halladay- NL Cy Young
?- NL MVP (Ryan Howard? Jose Reyes?)

Justin Verlander- AL Cy Young
Albert Pujols- AL MVP

I honestly do not see what the Angels are doing with Pujols. They are paying him for ten years, but he will only be good for another three or four. A shitty move by Los Angeles because Pujols will not be worth over 200 million dollars by 2015.

Yes, but they are not signing him for what he'll do on the back end of his contract. It's for the front end. If Pujols can get them 2+ championships in the first five years, it'll be worth it.

[Saugeais]

Voting with my heart: Cubbies

Voting with my head: Angels

[Chetssaland]

I could see the first one happening, I agree with the second point, and my opinion is biased for the final point because my NL team happens to be Milwaukee .

Also added real playoff predictions to my post.

Yeah, I would have picked my NL team, but they're the Cubs, and that's not happening in the next century...

I see your playoff predictions happening, I think the Rangers are better than everyone thinks. However, in my mind, the Phillies would win that matchup, because of their better pitching.

No argument from me there. I just didn't have the heart to predict Texas losing three in a row.

[Welsh Cowboy]

Yeah, I would have picked my NL team, but they're the Cubs, and that's not happening in the next century...

I see your playoff predictions happening, I think the Rangers are better than everyone thinks. However, in my mind, the Phillies would win that matchup, because of their better pitching.

No argument from me there. I just didn't have the heart to predict Texas losing three in a row.

You couldn't predict the Rangers becoming the Buffalo Bills of the MLB?

[Michael VII]

As a Twins fan, I want them to win the World Series, and lets face it, crazier things have happened before in baseball, even as recent as 2011, so lets go Minnesota!

However, I think the Rangers yet again have the best shot of winning it all. Detroit really don't have a chance at all I don't think. Whoop de freaking doo, Fielder is in Detroit, honestly, that means nothing. One man doesn't make a team, and I don't see it happening this year. (Maybe its because I hate the Tigers, but then again I still don't think the ALC will win a WS title for a reasonable period of time).

But in the end, I want another 2004 to happen. Go the Cubs! They need a title for their ever so dedicated fans, I want a miracle to happen and for the Cubs to go wild over winning. C'mon its nearly 100 years, that's starting to get ridiculous! haha.

But of course, go Twins!

[Welsh Cowboy]

As a Twins fan, I want them to win the World Series, and lets face it, crazier things have happened before in baseball, even as recent as 2011, so lets go Minnesota!

However, I think the Rangers yet again have the best shot of winning it all. Detroit really don't have a chance at all I don't think. Whoop de freaking doo, Fielder is in Detroit, honestly, that means nothing. One man doesn't make a team, and I don't see it happening this year. (Maybe its because I hate the Tigers, but then again I still don't think the ALC will win a WS title for a reasonable period of time).

But in the end, I want another 2004 to happen. Go the Cubs! They need a title for their ever so dedicated fans, I want a miracle to happen and for the Cubs to go wild over winning. C'mon its nearly 100 years, that's starting to get ridiculous! haha.

But of course, go Twins!

And the Rams will win the Super Bowl.

[Alien Space Bats]

Detroit really don't have a chance at all I don't think. Whoop de freaking doo, Fielder is in Detroit, honestly, that means nothing. One man doesn't make a team, and I don't see it happening this year.

No, one man doesn't make a team; but Detroit had enough talent to win the division last year before adding Fielder, didn't they? It's a matter of critical mass.

I'm reminded of 1984, when Detroit went out and picked up Darryl Evans, formerly of the SF Giants and Atlanta Braves. Evans didn't carry the team; he wasn't even its MVP in 1984; indeed, he was considered by many an overpriced acquisition, given his less-than impressive lifetime batting average. But Evans had a good enough glove to keep what was already a great defense sound, had a high home run percentage and solid RBI numbers in spite of his mediocre average, and had a penchant for drawing walks at key moments. That allowed Detroit to confront opposing pitchers with a dangerous batting lineup that troubled starters and short relievers couldn't readily pitch around; the result was an explosive offense that won a club record 104 games, with an average of 5.11 runs a game.

The moral of the story? A few key acquisitions in the winter and spring (in 1984, the Tigers also acquired short reliever Willie Hernandez in a spring trade) can propel a team to the top. With 95 wins last year, the Tigers have enough talent to contend for the title; at that point, winning is a matter of adding those few little details that make the difference between a good team and a great one.

[Northwest Slobovia]

Voting with my heart: Cubbies

Voting with my head: Angels

Oh, if you're voting with your head, then the answer is "the owners" who make out like bandits regardless of which of their franchises wins.

[Qazox]

My playoff predictions:

AL East: Red Sox
They were emmbarrassed last year, and I doubt they'll let it happen again. They were set up nicely before the collapse. Crawford should play better too....

Seriously the Red Sox over the Yanks and Rays? Rays have a more stable bullpen and starting 5, the Yankees have a better top 3 than the Sox and a better pen. Only hope for the Sox is at least three of the following five things to happen:

#1- David Price and/or CC Sebathia get injured for a month.
#2- The Sox' pen becomes solid by May 15th. (least likely).
#3- The Yankees actually show their age. (most likely)
#4- Rays and Yanks get off to slow starts (7-16 or so) while Red Sox start 19-4 or so.
#5- Sox get a consistent 3rd starter behind Lester (who should be the #1) and Beckett. Bucholtz could do it, but I'm not 100% on that happening.

[Hassett]

St Louis all the way! Defending champs.

[Pope Joan]

Yankees all the way

Thank God they finally got rid of Burnett, they should have done it 2 years ago

Why is it always the Pirates who get their discards?

[Qazox]

Yankees all the way

Thank God they finally got rid of Burnett, they should have done it 2 years ago

Why is it always the Pirates who get their discards?

Someone has to....

[Christmahanikwanzikah]

Despite being a Cubs fan, I believe the Phillies will probably win it.

Roy Halladay- NL Cy Young
?- NL MVP (Ryan Howard? Jose Reyes?)

Justin Verlander- AL Cy Young
Albert Pujols- AL MVP

I honestly do not see what the Angels are doing with Pujols. They are paying him for ten years, but he will only be good for another three or four. A shitty move by Los Angeles because Pujols will not be worth over 200 million dollars by 2015.

He has one year with a sub-1.000 OPS and a RBI shy of 100 and he's going to be done by 2015?

ololololololol

[Bacopa]

Yankees all the way

Thank God they finally got rid of Burnett, they should have done it 2 years ago

Why is it always the Pirates who get their discards?

I was hoping the deal with the Angels would go through so the next rotation he screwed up would be another AL opponent

[Christmahanikwanzikah]

Tickets to the Angels' home opener start at $30 for the upper upper deck seating. >.<

[Coffee Cakes]

Tickets to the Angels' home opener start at $30 for the upper upper deck seating. >.<

I only go once a year to Fenway usually, only because Boston is closer than NYC, Philly, and Atlanta...
But this year, I go twice. Got $12 seats to 2 games. Oakland in May and Baltimore in June.

[Lackland]

As a Mets fan, I agree completely that we're gonna finish dead bottom this year, but it's nice to see that someone has the Astros still doing worse than my lot. Additionally, other than my boys, I'd love to see the Cubs do well. They deserve it

I would like to say the Mets will do better than dead last, but I have my doubts as well. They're the perennial bad luck team, even without the fact that the lineup has been essentially gutted. Can't tell you how many times I've been to a game and they managed to lose it by 1 run ( even if they show signs of a possible win ), which isn't too bad when you think about it. I would probably in my opinion put them second to last ( Atlanta has lost some of their luster as well ), Washington will probably give Philadelphia a run for their money.

[Chetssaland]

As a Mets fan, I agree completely that we're gonna finish dead bottom this year, but it's nice to see that someone has the Astros still doing worse than my lot. Additionally, other than my boys, I'd love to see the Cubs do well. They deserve it

Ehhh, they don't deserve it that much.

A good amount of the fans that you'll see at a Cubs game are prep boys more interested in the drinks and "experiencing Wrigley Field" than the actual game. I'm not just saying that based off a bad experience at the place; I actually had fun both times I've went. Lots of people will tell you that.

In other words, this is me taking shot at my rival Cub fans. Come at me.

[SkillCrossbones]

My various unrelated thoughts on the 2012 MLB season:

The Cardinals have a better team this year than last year. Regaining their ace, Adam Wainwright; adding Carlos Beltran (the projections look very good on him, wOBA around .370; he was worth 4.7 WAR last year, I don't see any apparent reason for him to regress aside from injury,) having a real shortstop in Rafael Furcal, rather than the misery that is Ryan Theriot (he's your problem now, Giants fans! haha). Overall, I like their chances at repeating.

On the matter of Pujols: I fully expect him to go crazy and have an 8 WAR season this year. But, he will continue to decline, rearing his ugly GIDP head. His elbow will finally begin to show its age. I don't envy the Angels fans who have to watch the final 5-6 years of his contract.

The Astros will no doubt be the worst team in the league. The Cubs have made some positive moves but it's going to be a couple years until they are contenders. Don't buy high on the Reds. There are a lot of people picking them to win the division, but it's a lot of smoke and mirrors. Mat Latos is a fine pitcher, but his numbers were helped a lot from pitching in Petco Park. Moving to the bandbox that is Great American Ballpark is going to be a shock. The Brewers and the Cardinals will be fighting it out for the division. I absolutely think that taking the over on 86 wins for the Cardinals is a great bet.

The Phillies will win the NL East, but the Marlins will cause some trouble, as will the Braves. The Nationals are going to surprise everyone. The Mets will finish in the cellar.

It's going to be hilarious watching the Tiger's infield defense this year. I've heard Inge is moving to second. Just have the Benny Hill music set up to a button so you can play it on demand.