OT: Major League Baseball 2006 Season Discussion

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:04 pm

Well guys...since pitchers and catchers have all started reporting to camp now, we should get the season discussions started. It should be an interesting year...

I'm all jacked up for the season...another season where everyone and their mom are picking someone other than the Braves to win the NL East. I love it. I will admit though...this will probably be the most difficult year. The Mets really do look to be legit. If they get their rotation squared away it's going to be really tough to beat them. We'll see though. I mean, it is the Mets. Most of their big name signings go on to be just hype (see Beltran for exhibit A). Hopefully that trend will continue.

I love spring!

JackDiggity · Post by **JackDiggity** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:13 pm

I am pretty pumped myself. I think my Reds will score plenty of runs but the pitching staff sucks. So they will be out of the race by the All-Star break. But I love em anyway.

The Mets have made some good moves, but like you said they never seem to pan out. I think it takes a certain type of person to play in NY. The Mets can't seem to find them and I take great joy in that.

Play ball!!

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:20 pm

The Giants are another year older, but the NL West still looks pretty weak. If Bonds can hold up for 400PAs and the pitching comes together, who knows?

In the NL East, the Mets look stronger on paper. The Phillies and Nats have a bunch of question marks and the Marlins look to fold before the flop.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:22 pm

sfz_T-car wrote:The Giants are another year older, but the NL West still looks pretty weak. If Bonds can hold up for 400PAs and the pitching comes together, who knows?

As much as it pains me to say, I think the Dodgers will actually win that division. They have finally added a few pieces that could allow them to win the division. If Nomar pans out and they get a full year from JD Drew, I think they could be dangerous. Adding Furcal will help at the top of the lineup as well. I think it's going to be another year in the NL West that the winner is barely over .500 though...which is pretty bad.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:41 pm

As usual, the Cubs will go as far as Prior and Zambrano can take them. Adding Pierre was nice, but Dusty-approved veteran barnacles like Marquis Grissom and Jacque Jones will help make sure that I have plenty of reason to scream at the TV all summer.

On the bright side, only a couple weeks until my annual Spring Training pilgramage. Watch for me on the news, as I'm considering civil disobedience in the form of an arrest stemming from my hurling copies of Baseball for Dummies at Dusty during a pitching change.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:18 pm

I'm excited to watch Jason Bay and some of the young pitching prospects on the Pirates, but the only way they make the playoffs is if the same crew that officiated the Super Bowl (I believe I heard on talk radio that all where from Pittsburgh and half are related to either the Heinz or Rooney families) become MLB umpires.

jLp vAkEr0 · Post by **jLp vAkEr0** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:31 pm

Can't wait for the season to start.

Mets still need at least one more arm on the pen and another starter.

David Wright is going to explode this year.

blueduke · Post by **blueduke** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:05 pm

Getting jacked up for the upcoming season as well. My Cards should win the Central but I think Milwaukee will really give them a run. The East I'm going with the Mets and the Braves win the West.

The AL I think will go like this: a suprise pick.....Toronto with also Chicago and Anaheim (Or is it California now?)

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:08 pm

blueduke wrote:Getting jacked up for the upcoming season as well. My Cards should win the Central but I think Milwaukee will really give them a run. The East I'm going with the Mets and the Braves win the West.

You do know that the Braves haven't been in the NL West in over 10 years don't ya?

blueduke · Post by **blueduke** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:12 pm

I'm so used to the old Braves\Dodgers clashes I typed before I thought. Yes, I am a moron

Cards
Braves
Dodgers
Mets (wildcard)

SoMisss2000 · Post by **SoMisss2000** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:16 pm

Well, my Rangers have finally acquired some decent pitching. It remains to be seen what effect The Ballpark will have on them. Hopefully they do well so other FA pitchers will want to come here. That said, if those guys have good years, the Rangers should be dangerous in the AL West.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:27 pm

The Twins have to hope the White Sox pitching staff comes back to Earth and Thome continues to be brittle.

Mauer should improve to be one of, if not the top offensive catcher in the AL, Hunter is in the top half of CF offensively, and Castilla will be 100x better than anything else that lined up at 2B last year, but the offense still looks weak. Tony Batista is slated to start at 3rd, which makes me want to puke. Justin Morneau needs to be the 30+ HR guy they thought he'd be last year.

The pitching staff should be right behind the White Sox, but the middle relief is a little thinner this year.

I'm fired up, though. Hope springs eternal for this baseball fan.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:55 pm

I'm fired up as well. The Brewers should be fun to watch and I can't wait to see Encarnacion in a Cardinals uniform.

Only 11 days until MLB The Show is released.

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:00 am

Watch out for the Brewers also.

snaz16 · Post by **snaz16** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:13 am

Ohh my Central Division foes..how soon you forget the Cleveland Indians

Sizemore,Hafner,Peralta.Martinez,Belliard,and Co. will score some runs,and though we lost Millwood,Elarton,and Howry,with CC Sabathia,Cliff Lee,Westbrook,and newcomers Paul Byrd and Jason Johnson and one of last years best bullpens back intact(less Howry,add G. Mota)this team will be a force to be reckoned with.
And lest we forget the Tampa Bay Rays...(get used to that..the Devil part of that nickname will soon be history). Tough division for them,but they finished over .500 in the 2nd half last year,and had winning record over the Indians,Yankees,Angels,A's,and Rangers. Pitching is thin,but the offense with Cantu,Gomes,Crawford,Huff,and Co. and some of the best young talent in BJ Upton,Delmon Young,and others....this team will be far from the pushover they used to be,and personally I think they can approach .500 for the year. They are going to score some runs....I'm ready....PLAY BALL!!!

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 11:22 am

In the NL Central, once again it's good to be a Cardinals fan.

I don't see anything that would prevent them from their 3rd straight 100 win season and 5th trip to the NLCS in 7yrs.

The Astros don't look like their NL Championship team anymore, and their vets are kinda holding up the show not being able to decide if they should retire or not. They've pretty much done nothing this offseason, same with the Reds.

The Cubs will be par for the course, Completely Useless By September, unless of course Wood, Prior and Zambrano are actually healthy for 200+ IP this season.

The Brew Crew look to have some good young talent, they might actually hover around .500 and stay in the wildcard race this season.

The Reds are awful, and the only reason they won't finish last....

The Pirates - basically a team full of guys you've never heard of, unless you're a roto fantasy type. Essentially a team compromised of players that might not be starters on winning ball clubs.

NL Central prediction (same as last season, just flip the Cubs and Astros)

STL
CHI
MIL
HOU
CIN
PIT

In the East, the Mets have reloaded, but the Braves will do their same 'ol same 'ol and win the division only to lose early in the postseason (with noone at Turner Field watching, or seemingly caring)

In the West, the Dodgers should rebound from a bad 2005 season and walk to the division crown that was "won" by a pathetic 82-80 Padres.

nyisles16 · Post by **nyisles16** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:39 pm

well - a lot of anti Met fans i see

.. well i am getting stoked for the season to get going.. as far as the East goes, until ya can beat them, dont knock them - i say the Braves win the division once again (this coming from a Met fan).. the Mets have to have their pitching doing very well (Glavine like he did the second half last year, Heilman can prove he can go at least 5 without getting rocked).. Beltran has to come out of hiding, & Floyd has to be as productive as last year...

Millennium · Post by **Millennium** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:56 pm

The Orioles are going to win the AL East this year...

Yeah, that was about as pathetic looking as it sounded in my head...

nyisles16 · Post by **nyisles16** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:59 pm

Millennium wrote:The Orioles are going to win the AL East this year...

Yeah, that was about as pathetic looking as it sounded in my head...

.. Kris Benson is savior!!

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:32 pm

hulkster29 wrote:
Millennium wrote:The Orioles are going to win the AL East this year...

Yeah, that was about as pathetic looking as it sounded in my head...

.. Kris Benson is savior!!

and introducing Anna Benson as Mary Magdalene

JackDiggity · Post by **JackDiggity** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:19 pm

sfz_T-car wrote:
hulkster29 wrote:
Millennium wrote:The Orioles are going to win the AL East this year...

Yeah, that was about as pathetic looking as it sounded in my head...

.. Kris Benson is savior!!
and introducing Anna Benson as Mary Magdalene

kevinpars · Post by **kevinpars** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 7:28 pm

This is kind of a rant and a bit off topic:

I grew up as a Yankee fan and have a whole family still living up north who pull for the Yankees. I was a big fan for the big championships in 1978 and 1979. I moved south and started pulling for the Braves and the Yankees fell out of favor as the boss made bad decision after bad decision. Plus, I was working for the Durham Bulls and watched a lot of Braves talent on their way to Atlanta.

That said, I have to say that the whole "facial hair" rule that NY has right now stinks. If I was a ball player there is no way that I would cut off my beard or mustache. Not for 10 million dollars, not for 20 million dollars.

What does this rule say about Reggie Jackson, or Thurman Munson? Or Dave Mattingly? Would they not be able to play for the Yankees today because of their facial hair? Does being clean shaven mean that a player is disciplined, moral, good?

Jesus had a beard, Steve Howe didn't. Is that the criteria?

Now the Marlins are doing the same thing.

This is very, very, wrong.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 7:35 pm

kevinpars wrote:Would they not be able to play for the Yankees today because of their facial hair?

nyisles16 · Post by **nyisles16** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:58 pm

kevinpars wrote:This is kind of a rant and a bit off topic:

I grew up as a Yankee fan and have a whole family still living up north who pull for the Yankees. I was a big fan for the big championships in 1978 and 1979. I moved south and started pulling for the Braves and the Yankees fell out of favor as the boss made bad decision after bad decision. Plus, I was working for the Durham Bulls and watched a lot of Braves talent on their way to Atlanta.

That said, I have to say that the whole "facial hair" rule that NY has right now stinks. If I was a ball player there is no way that I would cut off my beard or mustache. Not for 10 million dollars, not for 20 million dollars.

What does this rule say about Reggie Jackson, or Thurman Munson? Or Dave Mattingly? Would they not be able to play for the Yankees today because of their facial hair? Does being clean shaven mean that a player is disciplined, moral, good?

Jesus had a beard, Steve Howe didn't. Is that the criteria?

Now the Marlins are doing the same thing.

This is very, very, wrong.

well its the "Yankee way" - & with the Marlins having Girardi as manager.... just wonder if the Mets have it with Willie.. ps- Mattingly was not only told to shave by Steinbrenner, but Mr Burns as well

Kazuya · Post by **Kazuya** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:44 pm

kevinpars wrote:That said, I have to say that the whole "facial hair" rule that NY has right now stinks. If I was a ball player there is no way that I would cut off my beard or mustache. Not for 10 million dollars, not for 20 million dollars.

Wow! I have to say I admire your resolve. 20 million dollars!

In real life I sort of flip flop, I will wear a goatee for a few months, get tired of it, go clean shaven for a few months, get tired of it, repeat... I'm trying to think what I would do if my job banned facial hair. I would not be a happy camper, but no way am I vain enough to quit over it.