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Friday, March 26, 2004
Fearless Predictions
Every blogger has to do it (it’s required by law), so here are my predictions for the 2004 season:
American League:
East:
- New York Yankees
- Boston Red Sox
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Baltimore Orioles
- Tampa Bay Devil Rays
No surprises here. It's really a toss-up between New York and Boston, but if the Yank's pitching stays healthy they should pull it out. A lot of people are picking the O's to finish third, but remember, they finished 15 games behind Toronto last season, and I don't think they've picked up 15 wins. Oh... and the D-Rays play in this division as well.
Central:
- Minnesota Twins
- Cleveland Indians
- Kansas City Royals
- Chicago White Sox
- Detroit Tigers
Does anyone have to win this division? The Twins stand head-and-shoulders above the competition, but that isn’t saying a whole lot. They should lock it up by the break. Cleveland will be the surprise team of the season, and should finish near .500. The Royals will fall back to earth this year, and the other two teams are completely without direction- or hope.
West:
- Anaheim Angels
- Oakland A's
- Seattle Mariners
- Texas Rangers
Yeah, so I’m a homer. The Angel’s pitching may not hold a candle to Oakland’s, but you could say the same thing for Oakland’s offense. It should be a slugfest right down to the end. The Mariners are too old and too inept to stay in it this year, and Texas is… just sad.
MVP: Manny Ramirez
Cy Young: Kevin Brown
Div. Series: New York over Minnesota, Anaheim over Boston
Champ. Series: New York over Anaheim
National League:
East:
- Philadelphia Phillies
- New York Mets
- Atlanta Braves
- Florida Marlins
- Montreal Expos
The Phils’ run away with this one. The Mets, Braves, and Marlins are basically interchangeable. As for the Expos, it’s a real shame that a team that has put up an incredible fight over the past two seasons has been jerked around by the league like this. They had a title-run in them, but not anymore.
Central:
- Chicago Cubs
- Houston Astros
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Cincinnati Reds
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Milwaukee Brewers
This should be the best race in baseball this year. The Cubs and the Astros should have a knockdown drag-out the entire season with the loser getting the Wild Card. The Cards could join the in if they get their hands on some pitching (Benson? Sele?), and the other three are just embarrassing
West:
- San Francisco Giants
- Arizona Diamond Backs
- San Diego Padres
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Colorado Rockies
The Giants win by default. Every team in this division has holes you can drive a truck through. The Padres are clearly going to be year’s Pirates, not Marlins. Los Angeles’ pitching has taken a step back and that was the only thing keeping them afloat, and Colorado is yet another team with no direction.
MVP: Scott Rolen
Cy Young: Mark Prior
Div. Series: Philadelphia over Houston, Chicago over San Francisco
Champ. Series: Philadelphia over Chicago
World Series: New York Yankees over Philiadelphia
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