Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
The frequent and occasional humorous musings behind two of the World's greatest underappreciated sports minds.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
MLB 2K6....should be an excellent game, but these are my picks.
NL East
1) N.Y. Mets -- This is based on the assets they possess and the fact that they have options to bolster the rotation if things get desperate. Overall I wasn't sure about the Benson trade, but now that he's divorce I think the spotlight in NYC would kill him. With the exception of the rotation age, this team has depth on offense, defense and in the bullpen. Billy Wagner adds five wins and Carlos Delgado adds 35 homers and five wins at 1st base. That's a 94-win season and a division title.
2) Atlanta -- Wouldn't it be funny if the Braves got the wild card and went on to win the World Series? If Smoltz holds up than he and Tim Hudson are a better top-of-the-rotation than the Mets. But what happens without Leo Mazzone to work his magic with the 3-5 starters?
3) Florida -- I think this team will finish at or barely above. 500 with a strong second half of the season. There's a ton of young, exciting talent and a good managing prospect in Girardi to work with them.
4) Philadelphia
5) Washington
NL Central
1) St. Louis -- Quietly and calmy the Cardinals win 95 games a season. A lineup that's always punches in a lot of runs and a solid staff with Mulder and Carpenter. They are actually even better than Atlanta at being a great regular season team that seems to fail in the playoffs.
2) Houston -- Once Roger Clemens returns (and he will return) the rotation of Clemens, Pettitte and Oswalt will post up another strong run in the summer months. They don't have the depth on offense to go so far, but pitching and defense could carry them in the post season.
3) Milwaukee -- Improving team, will be very tough to face in Miller Park.
4) Pittsburgh
5) Chicago Cubs -- Yep, fifth-place. Zambrano is a great pitcher but I'm not banking on more than 25 starts combined for Wood and Prior.
6) Cincinnati
NL West
1) San Francisco -- I expect this team to make a final run for Bonds and as long as the investigated one is healthy, he's going to put up serious numbers and hit about .500 OBP.
2) San Diego -- The classic overachievers will continue to push the 84-88 win area and challenge for both the division and the wild card.
3) LA Dodgers -- With Jae Seo in the rotation (yes I'm bitter) I expect the Dodgers to also push for a division and wild card. This is going to be a great three-team race.
4) Colorado
5) Arizona
NL Wild Card -- Atlanta
NL Division -- Mets over Cardinals in six.
NL Cy Young -- Jake Peavy (21-6)
NL Aaron Award Winner -- Albert Pujols (.331, 48 HR, 134 RBI)
Bonds' Numbers -- (.326, 39 HR, 101 RBI, .547 OBP)
As for the American League, I don't care and I really don't follow the league, so fuck 'em and here's a quick rundown.
AL East
1) N.Y. Yankees
2) Toronto
3) Boston
4) Tampa Bay
5) Baltimore
AL Central
1) Cleveland
2) Chi White Sox
3) Detroit
4) Minnesota
5) Kansas City
AL West
1) Oakland
2) L.A. Angels
3) Texas
4) Seattle
AL Wild Card: L.A. Angels
AL Division: Cleveland over Yankees in seven
AL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia (22-4)
AL Aaron Winner: David Ortiz (.341, 51 HR, 133 RBI)
All Star Game: AL 9, NL 4
World Series Champion: Mets over Indians in six.
I biased..I don't deny it.
NL East
1) N.Y. Mets -- This is based on the assets they possess and the fact that they have options to bolster the rotation if things get desperate. Overall I wasn't sure about the Benson trade, but now that he's divorce I think the spotlight in NYC would kill him. With the exception of the rotation age, this team has depth on offense, defense and in the bullpen. Billy Wagner adds five wins and Carlos Delgado adds 35 homers and five wins at 1st base. That's a 94-win season and a division title.
2) Atlanta -- Wouldn't it be funny if the Braves got the wild card and went on to win the World Series? If Smoltz holds up than he and Tim Hudson are a better top-of-the-rotation than the Mets. But what happens without Leo Mazzone to work his magic with the 3-5 starters?
3) Florida -- I think this team will finish at or barely above. 500 with a strong second half of the season. There's a ton of young, exciting talent and a good managing prospect in Girardi to work with them.
4) Philadelphia
5) Washington
NL Central
1) St. Louis -- Quietly and calmy the Cardinals win 95 games a season. A lineup that's always punches in a lot of runs and a solid staff with Mulder and Carpenter. They are actually even better than Atlanta at being a great regular season team that seems to fail in the playoffs.
2) Houston -- Once Roger Clemens returns (and he will return) the rotation of Clemens, Pettitte and Oswalt will post up another strong run in the summer months. They don't have the depth on offense to go so far, but pitching and defense could carry them in the post season.
3) Milwaukee -- Improving team, will be very tough to face in Miller Park.
4) Pittsburgh
5) Chicago Cubs -- Yep, fifth-place. Zambrano is a great pitcher but I'm not banking on more than 25 starts combined for Wood and Prior.
6) Cincinnati
NL West
1) San Francisco -- I expect this team to make a final run for Bonds and as long as the investigated one is healthy, he's going to put up serious numbers and hit about .500 OBP.
2) San Diego -- The classic overachievers will continue to push the 84-88 win area and challenge for both the division and the wild card.
3) LA Dodgers -- With Jae Seo in the rotation (yes I'm bitter) I expect the Dodgers to also push for a division and wild card. This is going to be a great three-team race.
4) Colorado
5) Arizona
NL Wild Card -- Atlanta
NL Division -- Mets over Cardinals in six.
NL Cy Young -- Jake Peavy (21-6)
NL Aaron Award Winner -- Albert Pujols (.331, 48 HR, 134 RBI)
Bonds' Numbers -- (.326, 39 HR, 101 RBI, .547 OBP)
As for the American League, I don't care and I really don't follow the league, so fuck 'em and here's a quick rundown.
AL East
1) N.Y. Yankees
2) Toronto
3) Boston
4) Tampa Bay
5) Baltimore
AL Central
1) Cleveland
2) Chi White Sox
3) Detroit
4) Minnesota
5) Kansas City
AL West
1) Oakland
2) L.A. Angels
3) Texas
4) Seattle
AL Wild Card: L.A. Angels
AL Division: Cleveland over Yankees in seven
AL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia (22-4)
AL Aaron Winner: David Ortiz (.341, 51 HR, 133 RBI)
All Star Game: AL 9, NL 4
World Series Champion: Mets over Indians in six.
I biased..I don't deny it.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
I'm BackMy annual break to enjoy spring training is over so now I am back to enjoy the Final Four (Go Mason!) and prepare for the 2006 MLB Season (a.k.a. the Mets World Series Tour 2K6) despite some of the saddest news in recent memory. (Although I wonder who Anna is going to "accidentally" get caught fucking in the Orioles clubhouse...My guess is Melvin Mora).
NFL Mock Draft -- It's starting on Monday, not sure if Cesar will take part in it this year, I might find another partner or go at it solo and give more in-depth reasons why each selection is what it is. Monday won't start the actual draft, but will start the moving and shaking (who will pick at No. 2? the Saints, Jets or Raiders?). I think I'm going to go through three rounds...
MLB Predictions -- Coming tonight or tomorrow. Any guesses with who I think is gonna take it all? And will Barry reach 756?
Off-season CFB Roundtable -- I'm late on that but I'll do it this weekend. FSU looks like a mixed bag during spring practices. I'm hoping they will decide to go with Antone Smith early and often.
NFL Kickoff Weekend -- Maybe the league really does hate the Seahawks, I really can't see any other reason for a Vikings-Redskins MNF opener...Ooooo, feel the excitement of the Brad Johnson-Mark Brunell matchup. The over/under on counter traps is sitting at 41.
If I were king of the NFL schedule, I'd schedule the Seahawks an opener against a team with a pulse (which excludes the entire NFC West) and give them the late MNF game. I'd move the Raiders-Chargers to the Sunday night game and make the Manning Bowl the early MNF game. Redskins-Vikings would be regional coverage at best.
MLB Investigation -- Don't get your hopes up. At best the MLB is looking for a scapegoat and the surprise villian in all this could very well be Tony La Russa. He happened to be the manager during Canseco's and McGwire's most noticable juiced era. And unlike the people at the St. Louis newspaper, the investigation crew isn't in bed with the Cardinals organization.
NCAA Final Four -- UCLA over George Mason in the finals.
More later, much more later.
NFL Mock Draft -- It's starting on Monday, not sure if Cesar will take part in it this year, I might find another partner or go at it solo and give more in-depth reasons why each selection is what it is. Monday won't start the actual draft, but will start the moving and shaking (who will pick at No. 2? the Saints, Jets or Raiders?). I think I'm going to go through three rounds...
MLB Predictions -- Coming tonight or tomorrow. Any guesses with who I think is gonna take it all? And will Barry reach 756?
Off-season CFB Roundtable -- I'm late on that but I'll do it this weekend. FSU looks like a mixed bag during spring practices. I'm hoping they will decide to go with Antone Smith early and often.
NFL Kickoff Weekend -- Maybe the league really does hate the Seahawks, I really can't see any other reason for a Vikings-Redskins MNF opener...Ooooo, feel the excitement of the Brad Johnson-Mark Brunell matchup. The over/under on counter traps is sitting at 41.
If I were king of the NFL schedule, I'd schedule the Seahawks an opener against a team with a pulse (which excludes the entire NFC West) and give them the late MNF game. I'd move the Raiders-Chargers to the Sunday night game and make the Manning Bowl the early MNF game. Redskins-Vikings would be regional coverage at best.
MLB Investigation -- Don't get your hopes up. At best the MLB is looking for a scapegoat and the surprise villian in all this could very well be Tony La Russa. He happened to be the manager during Canseco's and McGwire's most noticable juiced era. And unlike the people at the St. Louis newspaper, the investigation crew isn't in bed with the Cardinals organization.
NCAA Final Four -- UCLA over George Mason in the finals.
More later, much more later.
