Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006 (merged)

[a308936]

Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

Okay... here it is... I've been a die-hard baseball fan since my father took me to Yankee Stadium 11 years ago. It was the game where Don Mattingly hit his last major league homerrun. I loved the sport in so many ways- the atmosphere, the rules, the players and the history of the game.

This year should be an interesting one with many storylines in effect. Will Bonds break the Babe and Hank's homerrun record? Will the White Sox be the first repeat champions since the '99-'00 Yankees? Or will their crosstown rivals break their own elongated streak? How loud will Red Sox fan boo Johnny Damon when the Yanks visits Boston? Can the Braves hold off the Mets for another division title?

So, I'm just putting my two cents in.. here's my predicted standings and results..

AL East:
1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
5. Baltimore Orioles

AL Central:
1. Chicago White Sox
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Kansas City Royals

AL West:
1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2. Oakland Athletics
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Texas Rangers

NL East:
1. Atlanta Braves
2. New York Mets
3. Washington Nationals
4. Florida Marlins
5. Philadelphia Phillies

NL Central:
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Houston Astros
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Chicago Cubs
5. Milwaukee Brewers
6. Pittsburgh Pirates

NL West:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants
3. San Diego Padres
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Colorado Rockies

AL Playoffs
1. New York (AL) over Los Angeles
2. Boston over Chicago

3. New York (AL) over Boston

NL Playoffs:
1. Los Angeles over Atlanta
2. St. Louis over New York (NL)

3. St. Louis over Los Angeles

World Series: New York (AL) over St. Louis

AL Awards:
MVP- Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Cy Young- Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox

NL Awards:
MVP- Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Cy Young- Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves

... and also, don't think Bonds can stay healthy or elude steroids allegations long enough to break Hank Aaron's record this season... but I see him breaking Ruth's sometime before everything catches up to him.

Okay... your predictions?

 

[a308936]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

All that matters is the Oakland A's will win the over San Diego Padres 4-2 in the World Series.

Ha... looking for an all Cali-World Series... don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon, but hey, that's why they play the games... we'll find out soon enough.

 

[a308936]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

Pity the poor Atlanta Braves fans, they win over a decades worth of divisions and have only one world championship to show for it. That has to be frustrating for their fans.

Yeah. When I lived in FL with tons of Braves fan, they get frustrated easily. The thing is that, their team is always built for the regular season... not so much for the short playoff series.

 

[zoltan]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

Gee. You're a Yankee's fan and you're predicting that they're going to win the world series. I was shocked.

 

[a308936]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

Gee. You're a Yankee's fan and you're predicting that they're going to win the world series. I was shocked.

Ha. I know. Shocking, isn't it?

 

[Junior99]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

I think the first time Johnny Damon comes up to bat he will be cheered loudly, mostly because of his Game 7 performance against the Yanks in 2004. However, starting the second game in Boston the boos will start and get worse as time goes on, and depending how successful he is.

 

[naked gent]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

Ha. I know. Shocking, isn't it?

Big Red Sox fan here so i agree with everything you say except for the Sox taking the division and beating the Yankees in the playoffs after we spot them 3 games.

Really now A30 with your 3 and 4 starters its hard to see the Yanks winning a playoff series.

 

[a308936]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

Big Red Sox fan here so i agree with everything you say except for the Sox taking the division and beating the Yankees in the playoffs after we spot them 3 games.

Really now A30 with your 3 and 4 starters its hard to see the Yanks winning a playoff series.

Even if Wang and Chacon doesn't fit the bill, Johnson and Mussina would be enough for a short series. Also, being the Yankees... you know Steinbrenner will pressure Cashman into buying another starter before the deadline... Clemens, perhaps? Who else is a free agent next season?

Also, am glad someone else is not buying the Toronto Blue Jays... they can come in second or better in any other division except the AL East.

 

[sherman]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

Gee. You're a Yankee's fan and you're predicting that they're going to win the world series. I was shocked.

Is there any other team Yankee's all the way in 2006.

 

[naked gent]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

Even if Wang and Chacon doesn't fit the bill, Johnson and Mussina would be enough for a short series. Also, being the Yankees... you know Steinbrenner will pressure Cashman into buying another starter before the deadline... Clemens, perhaps? Who else is a free agent next season?

Also, am glad someone else is not buying the Toronto Blue Jays... they can come in second or better in any other division except the AL East.

I don't see what BB64ff sees. Toronts spent lots of money but not too wisely I think. $47 mil is a lot for Ryan but at least he'll deliver, giving $55 mil to Burnett is crazy. Each team in the A.L. East now has their own over-priced pitcher: Burnett, Pavano and Clement.

I like Overbay.

Speaking as a Sox fan I glad the Yankees got rid of Ted Lilly. We change all the faces and he STILL kills us.

 

[a308936]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

Speaking as a Sox fan I glad the Yankees got rid of Ted Lilly. We change all the faces and he STILL kills us.

Ha. Yeah, Lilly never worked for us... besides the Red Sox, but man... there are too many games when they man just frustrates the crap out of me.

Who knows... here's a just a minor prediction... the Marlins will dish out Dontrelle Willis to the AL East. The Yanks or The Bosox will take their stab at him. I'm thinking whoever doesn't get Clemens will go after Willis like their wallet.

 

[jkirk3000]

As a long-time Red Sox fan, I can objectively evaluate this with two words:

Yankees Suck!

 

[CoolBlue71]

Why on earth has anyone been thinking White Sox will win the 2007 MLB AL Central? Twins, I can understand given it has won the AL Central every year since 2001 with exception of 2005 when White Sox captured that division plus the World Series. (Keep in mind: Twins won the division in 2006 thanks to Tigers blundering embarassingly in x-number of games leading into the homestretch and surrendering the division to Minneosta. And then Minnesota got swept by Athletics in the ALDS while Tigers routing the Yanks 3 games to 1.)

White Sox and Red Sox -- between 85 and 90 years of one World Series victory and another. Doesn't that have an impact? (Though I credit Red Sox for the pitching, and the team is serious this year.)

Yankees -- I love how the team's 2007 MLB season has been developing thusfar.

Indians and Tigers -- they deserve lots more focus.

Brewers -- this year's Tigers?

Cards -- I think that 2006 World Series victory cursed the team (good!).

Mets and Dodgers -- consistent.

 

[CoolBlue71]

I just realized, coming back to this thread, this was talk of the 2006, not 2007, MLB season. Interesting how this floated back a year later.

 

[Absolut]

Cards -- I think that 2006 World Series victory cursed the team (good!).

We just suck now. Period.

 

[sonny10305]

We just suck now. Period.

Aww they will bounce back, it happens to most teams.
Last year the powerfull Braves (God I hate em) played like little girls, this year they are back playing well.
Also, what better example of this is the Yankees, now they suck.
I think the Cards can rebound, but the Yankees are over for this year.
Yeah, I know it's early, but I just don't see them turning it around and they are NEVER gonna catch up with Boston.
Nope, not even a wild card for the Yanks.
But I am not one of those Mets fans sho gloat when the yankees play poorly.
Even though my Yankee fan friends beat up on me all the time when the Mets fail.
Gee, come to think about it, those guys sure are quiet this days

 

[TampaAEguy]

Re: Major League Baseball Predictions for 2006

Yeah. When I lived in FL with tons of Braves fan, they get frustrated easily. The thing is that, their team is always built for the regular season... not so much for the short playoff series.

I don't think the problem is so much the team's makeup, but rather the management. Yes, Bobby Cox is one of the winningest managers of all time, but given the talent level he's had to work with, even an average manager could have his numbers. Cox's strength is his ability to run a happy clubhouse, but he lacks in strategy and in maximizing the potential of his players. Over the course of a 162 game season, a talented and happy club will win. But when you are in a do-or-die short series against an equally talented team, he has been consistently outmanaged. Cox always starts his favorite guys, no matter how they are performing. How can you expect to win when you start a guy who is batting .120 and benching a guy hitting .398? This happens OVER and OVER again. I've been a Braves fan since the late 80's, and I have seen Cox cost us the championship time and time again. I can't wait until he retires and Pendleton takes over...

 

[JerryBoyz]

Now I scoff at all of you who had the Red Sox 2nd or 3rd in the Division! Oh what's that? FIRST in the Division? Oh, oh what? FIRST in the Division by 11 GAMES? Oh wait wait wait, BEST TEAM IN BASEBALL?? Surely I jest...but nooooooo

Go Sox!

 

[Absolut]

God I hate the Red Sox...

No offense Jerry..

 

[JerryBoyz]

Pffffft