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| 2008 Season Previews: San Diego Padres |
| Thursday, April 03, 2008 |
Welcome to the 23rd of 30 "2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm running out of time since the season is underway, but I'll try to churn out these last few asap!I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is.... San Diego Padres 2007 Record: .546 (89-74), 3rd place in NL West
2006 Record: .543 (88-74), 2nd place in NL West
Who’s Out: Mike Cameron (OF), Marcus Giles (INF), Rob Mackowiak (OF), Terrmel Sledge (OF)
Who’s In: Randy Wolf (P), Jim Edmonds (OF), Tad Iguchi (INF), Mark Prior (P), Tony Clark (1B)
Notes: I wrote some delightful poems for FanHouse previewing teams in rhyme-form, so I shall share with you here my Padres poem! Nothing's more disappointing than missing a post-season chance
(Just ask the Yankees, who've become used to that song and dance)
The Padres were so close but the Rockies wound up on top
This year San Diego wants to put that to a stop
With Peavy, Hoffman, and Young their pitching is great
PETCO's a beast for batters so in the pitchers' hands lie their fate
Like the Giants their offense is weak
Kouz and A-Gon better step up lest they leave the team up a creek
If they can stay injury-free the division is theirs for the taking
I have a good feeling this is a division champ team in the making!
Next up: Philadelphia Phillies
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
posted by Yankees Chick @ Thursday, April 03, 2008   |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Seattle Mariners |
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Welcome to the 22nd of 30 "2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm running out of time since the season is underway, but I'll try to churn out these last few asap!
I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....
 Seattle Mariners 2007 Record: .543 (88-74), 2nd place in AL West 2006 Record: .481 (78-84), last place in AL West
Who’s Out: Adam Jones (OF), George Shirrell (P), Ben Broussard (1B)
Who’s In: Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, Carlos Silva (P), Miguel Cairo (INF), Brad Wilkerson (P), Erik Bedard (P)
Notes: The Mariners came so close yet so far last year - will they fare better this year? No. Too many better teams. "Good" ain't good enough these days, and one Erik Bedard does not a playoff team make. Sorry.
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Thursday, April 03, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Detroit Tigers |
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Welcome to the 21st of 30 "2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm running out of time since the season is underway, but I'll try to churn out these last few asap! I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is.... Detroit Tigers 2007 Record: .543 (88-73), 2nd place in AL Central 2006 Record: .586 (95-67), AL Pennant
Who’s Out: Jason Johnson (P), Jair Jurrjens (P), Gorkys Hernandez (OF), Jose Capellan (P) Who’s In: Dontrelle Willis (P), Edgar Renteria (SS), Denny Bautista (P), Miguel Cabrera (3B)
Notes: Offense = gold. I've got them pegged as having the fourth-best record of the season, mainly because of their bats. The lineup includes the likes of Cabrera, Sheff, Pudge, and Guillen, a veritable monster for opposing pitchers. Of course, their pitching is pretty solid too, further indication of another great year. See you in the playoffs... Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Thursday, April 03, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: New York Mets |
| Monday, March 31, 2008 |
Welcome to the 20th of 30 "2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm running out of time since the season is underway, but I'll try to churn out these last few asap! I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....
 New York Mets 2007 Record: .543 (88-74), 2nd place in NL East (sorry to remind you)
2006 Record: .599 (97-65), 1st place in NL East
Who’s Out: Paul Lo Duca (C), Lastings Milledge (OF), Guillermo Mota (P), Carlos Gomez (OF), Phil Humber (P)
Who’s In: Johan Santana (P), Ryan Church (OF), Brian Schneider (C), Angel Pagan (OF), Brady Clark (OF), Matt Wise (P)
Notes: Mets fans are praying to whatever deity suits them (Jesus, Allah, Hashem, Greg Graffin, etc.) in thanks for having Johan Santana fall in their lap. The prospect offers from the Red Sox and Yankees were better than the four eventually shipped from Flushing to the Twin Cities, but it seemed the two AL East teams were just as happy to see The Best Pitcher On the Planet in the National League. Out of sight, out of mind.
All the better for Mets fans, as they add Santana to a team that, collapse or not, was one game away from the playoffs last year. The front four of Santana, Pedro, Maine and Perez can match up with anyone in the league. As long as Wright, Reyes and Beltran can remain relatively healthy, expect the Mets to go back to the postseason in 2008. In a short series fall scenario, having Santana and Pedro back-to-back could create some great matchups with Peavy and Young, Webb and Haren, or Smoltz and Hudson. If the older Mets are healthy at that point, I'll give them the edge to win the pennant.
Next up: Detroit TigersPrevious Profile: Chicago Cubs
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Monday, March 31, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Chicago Cubs |
| Sunday, March 30, 2008 |
Welcome to the 19th of 30 "2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is.... Chicago Cubs 2007 Record: .525 (85-77), 1st place in NL Central 2006 Record: .407 (66-96), last place in NL Central
Who’s Out: Cliff Floyd (OF), Steve Trachsel (P), Jaques Jones (OF), Craig Monroe (OF)
Who’s In: Omar Infante (INF), Tim Lahey (P), Kosuke Fukudome (OF), Jon Lieber (P)
Notes: Before I say anything else, make sure you take a gander at the 2006 and 2007 records. With a few changes - Soriano, Piniella - the team was able to surge from last place to first in just one year. This year, the team looks even better. I simply do not see any holes. The lineup has the likes of the aforementioned Soriano, Fukudome, Ryan The Riot, and Lee (hopefully Felix Pie isn't unable to bat due to that unfortunate and frightening twisted testicle). As for pitching, their bullpen is ridiculous with Wood, Marmol, et al. I would be VERY surprised if this team didn't finish at the top of their division again, and I personally have them pegged as the NL pennant winners. Of course, they will then lose to the Yankees in the World Series. Obv.
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Sunday, March 30, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Atlanta Braves |
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Welcome to the 18th of 30 "2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....
 Atlanta Braves 2007 Record: .556 (84-78), 3rd place in NL Central 2006 Record: .488 (79-83), 3rd place in NL Central Who’s Out: Jose Ascanio (P), Joey Devine (P), Jamie Richmond (P), Willy Aybar (INF), Chase Fontaine (INF), Tyler Yates (P), Andruw Jones (OF) Who’s In: Tom Glavine (P), Will Ohman (P), Omar Infante (INF), Mark Kotsay (OF), Jeff Ridgway (P), Todd Redmond (P), Ruben Gotay (INF), Notes: Jayson Stark has made the bold prediction that the Braves will be the WS champs in 2008, and while I have to respectfully disagree, I do concur that this team is dark horse of sorts. This is certainly the best roster they've had since their 2005 post-season bust. Their offense is packed with power-men like Tiexeira, Kotsay, the Chipster, and Francoeur, and let's not forget about the starting pitching: they have Hudson, Glavine, Smoltz, Hampton, and Jair Jurrjens holding down the fort. Most people are looking to the Phillies and Mets to battle it out this year, but I'm putting the Braves miles ahead of the Phillies - the Mets should be far more worried about this team. Next up: Chicago Cubs
Previous Profile: Milwaukee Brewers Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Sunday, March 30, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Milwaukee Brewers |
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Welcome to the 17th of 30 "2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....
 Milwaukee Brewers 2007 Record: .512 (83-79), 2nd place in NL Central 2006 Record: .463 (75-87), 4th place in NL Central
Who’s Out: Corey Koskie (3B), Geoff Jenkins (OF), Johnny Estrada (C), Matt Wise (P), Who’s In: Guillermo Mota (P), Jason Kendall (C), David Riske (P), Eric Gagne (P), Mike Cameron (OF),
Notes: Despite what many would consider to be a disappointing 2007 season, the Brewers have kept much of the roster the same and have another chance to make the post-season this year for the first time since 1982. They've got a fantastic core of young players in Fielder, Bran, Hardy, Hall, and Weeks, and if Ben Sheets stays healthy their pitching is great, too - he's in a contract year, so maybe he'll be more motivated so stay in shape? Signing Mike Cameron was brilliant, as it actually fixed three positions. Braun was horrendous at third base last year and Hall is really an infielder, not a centerfielder, so Braun can head out to left field where he's less of a liability and Hall can play third while Cameron takes over in center. As for the Gagne pickup... time shall tell. If everyone stays relatively healthy, expect to see them in October and start peeing your pants.
Next up: Atlanta Braves
Previous Profile:Toronto Blue Jays
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Sunday, March 30, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Toronto Blue Jays |
| Saturday, March 22, 2008 |
Welcome to the 16th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....  Toronto Blue Jays 2007 Record: .512 (83-79), 3rd place in AL East 2006 Record: .537 (87-75) Who’s Out: Ryan Houston (P), Justin James (P), Troy Glaus (3B)
Who’s In: Buck Coats (Utility Dude), David Eckstein (SS), Marco Scutaro (INF), Armando Benitez (P), Scott Rolen (3B) Notes: Like the poems I wrote on FanHouse for the NL West, I am writing some for the AL East teams as well. I did the one for the Jays today, and since there simply isn't much to say about the team I'm cheating and just linking you to the poem instead of trying to write something new here.
Here's the beginning...
The Blue Jays are a perennial also-ran
This isn't a particularly good time to be a fan
It's tough to compete against the Yankees and Sox
We all know how it's gonna look in that standings box
The Injury God has been quite a beast
There's just no contending in the AL East Read the rest! It's rhyme-alicious!
Next up: Atlanta Braves
Previous Profile: Los Angeles Dodgers
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Saturday, March 22, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Los Angeles Dodgers |
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Welcome to the 15th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is.... Los Angeles Dodgers 2007 Record: .506 (82-80), 4 th place in NL West 2006 Record: .543 (88-74), 1st place in NL West Who’s Out: Manager Grady Little
Who’s In: Manager Joe Torre, Andruw Jones (OF), Gary Bennett (C) Notes: The biggest move the Dodgers made was obviously signing Torre, and not just because they didn't do much else. Ushering in a new manager is always exciting; it brings about the possibility of a new era - preferably one of success, obviously. It goes without saying that the Dodgers are counting on Torre to bring his winning ways out west with him, and he's actually got a good team to work with. If he's smart he'll bench the guys that were essentially wasting at-bats - Juan Pierre and Nomaaaaaaah, for example, should have been rotting on the bench in favor of youngsters like Ethier, Kemp, and Loney. The Andruw Jones signing was one of the best of the off-season, as they got a good deal on him and he'll add some power to the line-up.
Just like the D-Backs, Padres, and Rocks, though, their biggest hill to climb is the division. There's more competition in the NL West than any other division, and just being good isn't enough. Next up: Toronto Blue Jays
Previous Profile: Minnesota Twins
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Saturday, March 22, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Minnesota Twins |
| Sunday, March 16, 2008 |
Welcome to the 14th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....
 Minnesota Twins
2007 Record: .488 (79-83), 3rd place in AL Central
2006 Record: .593 (96-66), 1st place in AL Central
Who's Out: Johan Santana (P), Torii Hunter (OF), Matt Garza (P), Eduardo Morlan (P), Carlos Silva (P)
Who's In: 4 prospects from the Mets, Livan Hernandez (P), Delmon Young (OF), Jason Pridie (OF), Brendan Harris (INF)
Notes: The Twins have long been a model of consistency and resiliency, contending most years despite a low payroll, and even the threat of contraction years back. For 2008, they lose two faces of the franchise in Torii Hunter and Johan Santana, but still have homegrown Joe Mauer, and 2006 AL MVP Justin Morneau. Truth be told, the Twins probably got the best years out of Torii Hunter- while his character and intangibles in the clubhouse have a glowing reputation, $90 million and five years is too much for most teams, much less Minnesota.
Johan Santana is perhaps The Best Pitcher on the Planet, and Twins fans are lamenting that they don't have Hughes in the rotation and Melky in CF in return for him. While the Mets package isn't exciting, it's still a collection of four players who will likely contribute to the big team at some point, if not as All Stars. However, the Twins have a solid contingent of young pitchers available, including Fransisco Liriano coming off surgery. Promising young pitcher Matt Garza was swapped for Delmon Young this off-season, giving the Twins a potential offensive star, if he can ever settle down his temper and avoid throwing bats at umpires.
Unlike other teams I've previewed, while the Twins technically are in rebuilding mode for their new stadium in 2010, there's a minute chance they could pull off a miracle and contend. They have the 2006 AL MVP and batting champ, and if their young pitching staff comes together ahead of schedule, who knows. Regardless, with the surplus of young pitching and new position players they picked up this offseason (Young and Gomez), 2010 is looking bright for this team. No more garbage bags on the outfield walls either!
Next up: Los Angeles Dodgers Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Sunday, March 16, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: St Louis Cardinals |
| Saturday, March 15, 2008 |
Welcome to the 13th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....
 St Louis Cardinals
2007 Record: .481 (78-84), 3rd place in NL Central
2006 Record: .574 (93-69), World Series champs (still baffles my mind)
Who's Out: So Taguchi (OF), Scott Rolen (3B), David Eckstein (SS), Jim Edmonds (OF)
Who's In: Kyle Lohse (P), Jason LaRue (C), Cesar Izturis (SS), Matt Clement (P), Troy Glaus (3B), Ron Villone (P)
Notes: Only two years removed from a World Series championship (most of us are still wondering how that happened, or we've just forgotten), the Cardinals have done some much needed house cleaning by unloading Eckstein, Rolen and Edmonds. The first two will take their "scrappy dirtbag (but in a good way!)" act upnorth to Toronto, where they will likely "scrap" their way to another 3rd-4th place finish for the Blue Jays. Edmonds takes his one time stellar glove to my home of San Diego, but injuries have taken their toll in these later years of his career. I'm not sure if there's enough Krazy Glue in this town to keep him together. Unloading these vets is definitely a positive moving forward. Unfortunately, there isn't much to look forward to for the Cardinals in 2008. The mains toryline for this season will be Pujols' fragile elbow, and whether he'll try to play through the pain, or just do the smart thing and get the surgery so he can come back healthy for 2009. The (hopeful) rise of Colby Rasmus is likely to be one of the bright spots for Cardinals fans this year. Sure, they're in the NL Central, but that really just provides false hope. Odds are quite short that they can out-perform the Cubs or Brewers. Cardinals fans will be patient and encouraging as always, so have another Budweiser, and look at that 2006 banner if you get sad.
Next up: Minnesota Twins Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Saturday, March 15, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Oakland A's |
| Saturday, March 08, 2008 |
Welcome to the 12th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....  Oakland A’s 2007 Record: .469 (76-86), 3rd place in AL West 2006 Record: .574 (93-69), 1st place in AL West
Who’s Out: Nick Swisher (OF), Emil Brown (OF), Jeremy Brown (C), Mike-a Piazza (C), Shannon Stewart (OF), Dan Haren (P)
Who’s In: Wes Bankston (1B), Ryan Sweeney (OF)
Notes: Pretty much taking "rebuilding phase" to the next level. Fans: Where'd all our players go?
Billy Beane: Fuck it! We're just gonna suck for a few years, then we're gonna get a new stadium and be good! Let's rebuild!
Fans: Well alright... we can accept that rebuilding is important. Can we at least keep Houston Street or maybe Rich Harden?
BB: No. They shall be traded away come July.
Fans: Blah... alright... can we please NOT get Bonds?
BB: We'll see.
Next up: St. Louis Cardinals
Previous Profile: Texas Rangers
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Saturday, March 08, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Texas Rangers |
| Thursday, March 06, 2008 |
Welcome to the 11th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....  Texas Rangers 2007 Record: .463 (75-87), last place in AL West 2006 Record: .494 (80-82), 3rd place in AL West
Who’s Out: Sammy Sosa (OF), Victor Diaz (OF), Freddy Guzman (OF), Tug Hulett (INF), Nick Gorneault (OF), Chris Shelton (P), Jason Jennings (P), Armando Galarraga (P)
Who's In: Chris Shelton (INF), Ben Broussard (1B), Milton Bradley (OF), Kazuo Fukumori (P), Eddie Guardado (P), Michael Hernandez (OF), Josh Hamilton (CF)
Notes: If you're an Angels/Mariners/A's fan, there's no need for you to be too worried about your team winding up in last place in 2008 - and if you're a Rangers fan, I hope you're ready for yet another year of non-contention. The Rangers showed they were serious about this continued rebuilding phase by ditching Tiexiera last season, and they continued this year by doing their best to hoard as many prospects as they possibly could. Their pitching last year was ABYSMAL: every pitcher who made nine or more starts ended with a losing record. That is so ridiculous I can barely wrap my mind around it. Kevin Millwood is going to be have to be the default "ace", and they have a gigantic gaping hole in the bullpen left by Akinora Otsuka - he missed the last half of the 2007 season and wasn't offered a new contract this year. Their offense is halfway decent with guys like Madhouse Milton and Josh "If Your Cold Dead Hearts Aren't Warmed By My Comeback Story, You Are as Good as Dead in YC's Eyes" Hamilton, but no one is expecting this team to do much this year other than work on their farm.
Since I decided to do these previews in reverse order of 2007 win-loss records, these first 10 (and I imagine the next few) have been, to be blunt, a bit on the boring side for me. Rebuilding, stocking up on prospects, look out for them in 5 years, yada yada yada. I know that if it was the Yankees that were in rebuilding mode I would be thrilled about the future and following their farm - I'd be able to write scores of pages as a preview. Unfortunately, I simply don't have anything thrilling to say about this team. Que triste ... y lo siento. Pero no hay nada sobre que puedo escribir.
Rangers fans, if you're out there, comment away on what you've got to look forward to in 2008. Good luck.
Next up: Oakland A's
Previous Profile: Washington Nationals
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Thursday, March 06, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Washington Nationals |
| Tuesday, March 04, 2008 |
Welcome to the 10th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....
 Washington Nationals 2007 Record: .451 (73-89), 4th place in NL East 2006 Record: .438 (71-91), last place in NL East Who’s Out: RFK (Stadium), Ryan Church (OF), Brian Schneider (C), Glenn Gibson (P)
Who’s In: Nationals Park (Stadium), Johnny Estrada (C), Tyler Clippard (P), Willie Harris (OF), Rob Mackowiak (OF), Paul Lo Duca (C), Lastings Milledge (OF), Elijah Dukes (OF), Aaron Boone (INF), Wily Mo Pena (OF)
Notes: If not for the Mets and the Philles, this team would actually have a shot. They made some terrific moves during the offseason and have an exciting young core with Milledge, Dukes, and Pena (plus, Pena has one of the coolest names EVER), and they have 2 perfectly capable first basemen in Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young, which will give them the flexibility to test them both out, choose which one is the best fit, and trade the other. Additionally, they'll be playing in their brand spankin' new stadium, which will be more conducive to hitting homers than a football stadium. Their main weakness is pitching, as the guys are all very young and thus inexperienced. I'm not the only one that thinks they're going to have a good season - Bruce from 567 Miles From Home agrees. As he says, "For the first time since the Nationals migrated south from Montreal the organization is finally starting to show some promise. Ryan Zimmerman (the Nat’s version of Derek Jeter) has already started to hit home runs in spring training games, and with the new Nationals Stadium's dimensions the relatively young but talented team should be able to increase its offensive production much more than they were able to in the cavernous RFK. One of the biggest questions for this years squad is who will play first base. Returning Nick Johnson, who missed all of 2007 with a broken leg, and Dmitri Young, who just signed a ten million dollar 2 year contract are fighting that out right now, but I think the smart bet is that the oft injured Johnson gets traded before the season starts. As far as pitching goes, the staff is young and untested so that could lead to some trouble, especially as the season progresses. Still, look for a plus .500 season with an outside chance of finishing 2nd in the NL east behind the Mets."*
*if you have a non-Yanks blog and want to chime in when it's your team's turn, let me know!
Next up: Texas Rangers
Previous Profile: Houston Astros
Labels: 2008 team previews |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Tuesday, March 04, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Houston Astros |
| Monday, March 03, 2008 |
Welcome to the 9th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....  Houston Astros 2007 Record: .451 (73-89), 4th place in NL Central 2006 Record: .506 (82-86), 2nd place in NL Central
Who’s Out: Josh Anderson (OF), Chris Burke (INF), Juan Gutierrez (P), Chad Qualls (P), Craig Biggio (2B), Adam Everett (SS), Brad Lidge (P) Who’s In: Omar Villarreal (P), Geoff Blum (INF), Doug Brocail (P), Kaz Matsui (2B), Ryan Houston (P), Jose Valverde (P), Jack Cassel (P), Chad Paranto (P), Oscar Villarreal (P), Geoff Geary (P), Shawn Chacon (P), Darin Erstad (OF), Miguel Tejada (SS), Jose Valverde (P), Doug Brocail (P)
Notes: Wow, look at all those pitchers they added! Surely that must mean that their pitching will be greatly improved in 2008! Nope.
This poor team has no starting pitching. They have Roy "Gimme a Tractor!" Oswalt, but that is pretty much it. Brandon Backe hasn't pitched a full season in 3 years, Woody Williams is old, Wandy Rodriguez is average at best, and Chris Sampson has limited experience in the majors. The bullpen is slightly better - Brocail is decent and new closer Jose Valverde had a great year with the D-Backs in 2007, but even he is unpredictable as he has had off years as well. They are going to be relying on offense for all of their wins, and I don't care how stellar of a year Kaz had with the Rockies last year, it's going to take more than some stolen bases by Kaz, a bit of power from Tejada, and the occasional homer from Geoff Blum to make up for that pitching. The only thing working in their favor is the division they play in. Unlike the AL East or the NL West where the same teams win every year, the NL Central doesn't have a team or two that has dominated for the past several years. If their offense DOES heat up and stay hot, and Pujols gets injured, and Piniella's players revolt against him, this team has a definite shot at the division title.
Labels: 2008 team previews |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Monday, March 03, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Chicago White Sox |
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Welcome to the 8th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....  Chicago White Sox
2007 Record: .444 (72-90), 4th place in AL Central
2006 Record: .556 (90-72), 3rd place in AL Central
Who’s Out: Chris Carter (1B), Scott Podsednik (OF), Jon Garland (P), Alex Cintron (INF)
Who’s In: Octavio Dotel (P), Orlando Cabrera (SS), Nick Swisher (OF/1B), Scott Linebrink (P), Carlos Quentin (OF), Alexei Ramirez (2B) Notes: The Sox have been struggling like a turtle on its back for 3 years now, and despite their efforts to bring in some power and shore up their relief staff a bit, I don't envision a return to glory this year. They made two good trades, acquiring Linebrink and Swisher, but is that enough? Methinks not. They would be better off selling off their veterans - perhaps to the Mets, who are the new old Yankees when it comes to veterans - and rebuilding for a few years. Besides that, Ozzie Guillen is batshit insane.
Next up: Houston Astros
Previous Profile: Cincinnati Reds
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Monday, March 03, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Cincinnati Reds |
| Thursday, February 28, 2008 |
Welcome to the 7th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....  Cincinnati Reds
2007 Record: 72-90 (.444), 5th place in NL Central2006 Record: 80-82 (.494), 3rd place in NL Central
Who's Out: Craig Wilson (OF), Ramon Ortiz ( P), Jorge Cantu (INF),
Who's In: Manager Dusty Baker, Francisco Cordero (P), Ramon Ramirez (P), Josh Fogg (P), Jeremy Affeldt (P), Jeff Fiorentino (OF), Justin James (P), Edinson Volquez (P)
Notes: Dusty Baker is back to attack, and he's got a big task ahead of him: turn these Reds into something respectable and thrust them into playoff contention. Luckily for him, the team made some good moves this winter. They desperately needed pitching help - they tied with Florida last year for worst pitching in the league - and they addressed that need well. Signing Cordero was a huge move, and a wise one at that. David Weathers proved to be effective as closer last year, and with him and Cordero ready at the end of games the Reds will be in a much better spot. Their starting pitching is also looking pretty sharp, with Arroyo, Harang, and now Fogg. With the wacky way the NL Central always plays out, I see no reason why ol' Dustbag - with a little help from Griffey's personal injury gods - couldn't bring some success back to Cincy. Next up: Chicago White Sox
Previous Profile: San Francisco GiantsLabels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Thursday, February 28, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: San Francisco Giants |
| Wednesday, February 13, 2008 |
Welcome to the 6th of 30 " 2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....
 San Francisco Giants 2007 Record: .438 (71-91), Last place in NL West 2006 Record: .472 (76-85), 3rd place in NL East
Who’s Out: Barry Bonds (Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater), Pedro Feliz (3B), Ryan Klesko (1B)
Who’s In: Hitting Coach Carney Lansford, Aaron Rowand (OF) Notes: Not since the deadball era has there been a team that seemed to care so little about offense. Apparently they are planning to rely on Rowand to hit for the entire team, or on new hitting coach Carnster to teach the rest of the boys how to swing their bats effectively. Unlike the O's and the Marlins, who are realistic about their situations and wise enough to forgo spending big bucks on a longshot in favor of rebuilding and focusing on the future, the Giants simply have not accepted the fact that they don't have a chance in the division for at least the next few years. Last year's signing of Barry Baked Ziti and the Rowand signing this year are evidence of that notion. This year would have been a perfect opportunity for the team to simmer down on the signings and stockpile prospects, and they missed the boat big time. Next up: Cincinnati Reds
Previous Profile: Florida Marlins
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams, steroids |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Wednesday, February 13, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Florida Marlins |
| Tuesday, February 12, 2008 |
Welcome to the 5th of 30 "2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....
 Florida Marlins 2007 Record: .438 (71-91), Last place in NL East 2006 Record: .481 (78-84), 4th place in NL East
Who’s Out: Marcos Carvajal (P), Aaron Boone (1B), Miguel Olivo (C), Dontrelle Willis (P), Miguel Cabrera (3B)
Who’s In: Luis Gonzalez (OF), Mark Hendrickson (P), Dallas McPherson (INF), 6 prospects in return for D-Train and Cabrera
Notes: It seems like just yesterday that the Yanks painfully lost to this team, but those days of glory are in the past at this point. They are apparently trying to set a record for lowest payroll in the history of organized sports (I believe my nephew's little league team has surpassed them simply by providing the kids with shirts and helmets); the Willis/Cabrera trade will save them many millions of dollars. Money, of course, cannot be used as a perfect indicator of a team's eventual success (just ask Big Stein), but it is not the lack of salary that will leave this team out of the running again but the lack of mature talent (well, with the exception of Gonzo, who fancies himself to be a man capable of extreme influence). They have focussed their efforts on stockpiling players in their minor league system, which, judging by the kids they have scouted out and traded for, will likely prove fruitful in the not-so-distant future. Hardcore Marlins fans (5 of you? 6, max) will have fun monitoring the farm and anticipating the eventual arrival of all of these prospects - and likely a return to out-of-last-place-ville in a few short years!
Next up: San Francisco Giants
Previous Profile: Baltimore Orioles
*PS: if you have a non-Yanks blog and want to chime in when it's your team's turn, let me know!
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Tuesday, February 12, 2008 |
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| 2008 Season Previews: Baltimore Orioles |
| Saturday, February 09, 2008 |
Welcome to the 4th of 30 "2008 Team Previews", where I'm - you guessed it! - offering up a little preview of the 2008 season for each of the teams. Nothing super fancy, (I'm not writing books here munecas), just a few notes on what major moves the teams made over the winter and a thought or two on their upcoming season. I'm going in reverse order of 2007 standings, so next up is....
 Baltimore Orioles2007 Record: .426 (69-93), 4th place in AL East 2006 Record: .432 (70-92), 4th place in AL East
Who's Out: Pitching coach Leo Mazzone, Kris Benson (P), Miguel Tejada (SS), Erik Bedard (P) Who's In: Roberto Novoa (P), Guillermo Quiroz (C), Luke Scott (OF), Troy Patton (P), Matt Albers (P), Dennis Sarfate (P), Mike Costanzo (3B), Roberto Novoa (P), Cory Doyne (P), Greg Aquino (P), Chris Roberson (OF), Chris Ray (P), Matt Albers (P), 5 prospects (in return for Bedard) Notes: The O's are clearly in rebuilding mode, a mode I strongly advocate for teams in their position. They've suffered 10 straight losing seasons, and president of operations Andy MacPhail wisely realized that they weren't going to bust out of the streak if they kept cruising with the roster in its current state. They scored a bevy of prospects in return their big name players - Tejada and Bedard - and ditched dead weight in Kris (and Anna) Benson, which is certainly a good start towards a future winning team. Distant future.
Next up: Florida Marlins
Previous Profile: Kansas City Royals
*PS: if you have a non-Yanks blog and want to chime in when it's your team's turn, let me know!
Labels: 2008 team previews, other teams |
| posted by Yankees Chick @ Saturday, February 09, 2008 |
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