NL-
NLDS-
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets (NYM wins 3-1)
The Mets will feed off the frenzy produced by the postseason in a new ballpark (Citi Field). With the best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana, the Mets are sure to be guaranteed at least one game in every series they play. The Dodgers’ starters will struggle against a finely tuned Mets offense fueled by Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran. Expect strong postseasons from these three.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs (PHI wins 3-2)
This will be the closest of any of the division series. The Cubs will be motivated to break a 101 year curse, whereas the Phillies will be looking to repeat as World Series champions. Alfonso Soriano, Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez will slug it out against Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Expect the Phillies to need a strong game 5 performance from Cole Hamels to advance.
Look for my ALCS and NLCS picks tomorrow!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
ALDS Playoff Predictions
AL-
ALDS-
Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox (BOS wins 3-0)
The Red Sox will take care of the Twins in convincing fashion. Beckett, Lester and Matsuzaka will take on Baker, Liriano and Slowey in 3 favorable matchups for the Red Sox. As long as the Red Sox lineup is healthy, it should be firing on all cylinders by the time the postseason rolls around!
New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (NYY wins 3-1)
The Yankees offense will carry them by the Angels. If A-Rod does not have any setbacks from hip surgery during the season, a lineup of Damon, Jeter, A-Rod, Teixeira, Matsui, Posada, Cano, and more will be too much for the Angels pitchers to handle. With Ervin Santana and John Lackey having injury concerns during spring training, who knows if they will even hold up for the playoffs.
I will post my NLDS predictions later today or tomorrow.
ALDS-
Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox (BOS wins 3-0)
The Red Sox will take care of the Twins in convincing fashion. Beckett, Lester and Matsuzaka will take on Baker, Liriano and Slowey in 3 favorable matchups for the Red Sox. As long as the Red Sox lineup is healthy, it should be firing on all cylinders by the time the postseason rolls around!
New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (NYY wins 3-1)
The Yankees offense will carry them by the Angels. If A-Rod does not have any setbacks from hip surgery during the season, a lineup of Damon, Jeter, A-Rod, Teixeira, Matsui, Posada, Cano, and more will be too much for the Angels pitchers to handle. With Ervin Santana and John Lackey having injury concerns during spring training, who knows if they will even hold up for the playoffs.
I will post my NLDS predictions later today or tomorrow.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
2009 MLB Preview: National League
NL-
East:
y- New York Mets: 93-69
w- Philadelphia Phillies: 91-71
Florida Marlins: 85-77
Atlanta Braves: 81-81
Washington Nationals: 66-96
The Mets took care of their glaring weakness, the bullpen, and should be in position to win the East. The Phillies still have the core of their team together but have some injury concerns (i.e. Chase Utley coming off of hip surgery and Cole Hamels having some elbow issues during spring training). As long as those two are healthy, though, the Phillies will have a strong enough record to take the Wild Card. The Braves made some quality offseason additions to their starting rotation and should be back around .500 (Bobby Cox always gets the most out of his players.)
Central:
y- Chicago Cubs: 92-70
St. Louis Cardinals: 81-81
Milwaukee Brewers: 80-82
Houston Astros: 78-84
Cincinnati Reds: 76-86
Pittsburgh Pirates: 68-94
Although I don’t think they will win 97 games again, the Cubs are clearly still the best team in the Central. The Brewers will struggle to play .500 baseball after losing their two horses C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets, and the rest of the teams in the division are mediocre at best. The Reds, with Dominicans Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto, have two young studs but will always have their difficulties pitching at Great American Ball Park. The NL Central is the biggest lock in the majors.
West:
y- Los Angeles Dodgers: 89-73
Arizona Diamondbacks: 82-80
San Francisco Giants: 79-83
Colorado Rockies: 71-91
San Diego Padres: 68-94
The Dodgers will win the West for the second year in a row. Although Manny Ramirez killed the Red Sox team chemistry, he was on his best behavior in L.A. and nearly led them to a World Series. Re-signing Man-Ram was a necessity for the Dodgers, and two years for $45 million is a pretty fair deal. Keeping Rafael Furcal and signing Orlando Hudson were also good moves. The Diamondbacks are going to have a good team, mostly because of their starting pitching, but may not have enough offensive consistency. The same goes for the San Francisco Giants.
There you have it: my projections for the American League and National League.
AL East: Boston Red Sox (96-66)
AL Central: Minnesota Twins (85-77)
AL West: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (89-73)
AL Wild Card: New York Yankees (92-70)
NL East: New York Mets (93-69)
NL Central: Chicago Cubs (92-70)
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers (89-73)
NL Wild Card: Philadelphia Phillies (91-71)
As a generality, while many of the game’s best teams are still holding their ground, the league’s worst teams have made improvements (there are two 95 loss club in my projections, compared to four last year).
I will begin posting my playoff predictions tomorrow.
East:
y- New York Mets: 93-69
w- Philadelphia Phillies: 91-71
Florida Marlins: 85-77
Atlanta Braves: 81-81
Washington Nationals: 66-96
The Mets took care of their glaring weakness, the bullpen, and should be in position to win the East. The Phillies still have the core of their team together but have some injury concerns (i.e. Chase Utley coming off of hip surgery and Cole Hamels having some elbow issues during spring training). As long as those two are healthy, though, the Phillies will have a strong enough record to take the Wild Card. The Braves made some quality offseason additions to their starting rotation and should be back around .500 (Bobby Cox always gets the most out of his players.)
Central:
y- Chicago Cubs: 92-70
St. Louis Cardinals: 81-81
Milwaukee Brewers: 80-82
Houston Astros: 78-84
Cincinnati Reds: 76-86
Pittsburgh Pirates: 68-94
Although I don’t think they will win 97 games again, the Cubs are clearly still the best team in the Central. The Brewers will struggle to play .500 baseball after losing their two horses C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets, and the rest of the teams in the division are mediocre at best. The Reds, with Dominicans Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto, have two young studs but will always have their difficulties pitching at Great American Ball Park. The NL Central is the biggest lock in the majors.
West:
y- Los Angeles Dodgers: 89-73
Arizona Diamondbacks: 82-80
San Francisco Giants: 79-83
Colorado Rockies: 71-91
San Diego Padres: 68-94
The Dodgers will win the West for the second year in a row. Although Manny Ramirez killed the Red Sox team chemistry, he was on his best behavior in L.A. and nearly led them to a World Series. Re-signing Man-Ram was a necessity for the Dodgers, and two years for $45 million is a pretty fair deal. Keeping Rafael Furcal and signing Orlando Hudson were also good moves. The Diamondbacks are going to have a good team, mostly because of their starting pitching, but may not have enough offensive consistency. The same goes for the San Francisco Giants.
There you have it: my projections for the American League and National League.
AL East: Boston Red Sox (96-66)
AL Central: Minnesota Twins (85-77)
AL West: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (89-73)
AL Wild Card: New York Yankees (92-70)
NL East: New York Mets (93-69)
NL Central: Chicago Cubs (92-70)
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers (89-73)
NL Wild Card: Philadelphia Phillies (91-71)
As a generality, while many of the game’s best teams are still holding their ground, the league’s worst teams have made improvements (there are two 95 loss club in my projections, compared to four last year).
I will begin posting my playoff predictions tomorrow.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Top 5 Football Coaching Rants
Over the next five days, On to the Pike will feature the top five football coaching rants of all-time.
Here is #5
Here is #5
Pats Roster Breakdown Part II
The much-awaited part two of the roster breakdown is here!
• Matt Light-His age and a quick pass-rusher worry me.
• Mark LeVoir-Good backup who did well in two starts last year at RT.
• Damane Duckett-Recently signed tackle played as a defensive lineman in his first few seasons in the NFL.
• Logan Mankins-I hope the Pats can resign him.
• Dan Connolly-The former Redhawk is a decent reserve.
• Dan Koppen-Great center.
• Russ Hochstein-Warren Sapp’s favorite player.
• Al Johnson-Should add some depth at center and guard.
• Ryan Wendell-Who?
• Stephen Neal-His age and mileage are troubling.
• Billy Yates-Did well starting at guard early on last season.
• Nick Kaczur-Okay RT.
• Ryan O’Callaghan-Sufficient backup.
• Wesley Britt- Provides depth and competition along the line.
• Ty Warren-Great DE who is locked up through 2013.
• Le Kevin Smith-Solid backup who keeps getting better and had a great game at Seattle last year.
• Vince Wilfork-A good NT is imperative in a 3-4 and Wilfork is one of the best in the game.
• Mike Wright-I’m glad the Pats resigned him as he can play both NT/DE and does well on special teams.
• Richard Seymour-A healthy Seymour in a contract year? Expect a great season.
• Jarvis Green-He will perform well this season and the Pats will resign him.
• Titus Adams-The former Cornhusker stayed on the practice squad for most of last season.
• Pierre Woods-If the season started today, he would start at OLB. Thankfully it doesn’t.
• Tully Banta-Cain-A decent backup who can rush the passer better than most anyone else the Pats currently have.
• Vince Redd-Faces a tough road to get on the 53-man roster, but the practice squad remains an option as he was only active for six games last year.
• Jerod Mayo-Should have another terrific season after an unbelievable rookie campaign. Since Vrabel is gone, will he now handle the on-field communication?
• Eric Alexander-Unless he plays great in camp, I think his time is up in Foxborough.
• Bo Rudd-Spent last season on IR and is a long shot to make the 53-man roster.
• Matt Light-His age and a quick pass-rusher worry me.
• Mark LeVoir-Good backup who did well in two starts last year at RT.
• Damane Duckett-Recently signed tackle played as a defensive lineman in his first few seasons in the NFL.
• Logan Mankins-I hope the Pats can resign him.
• Dan Connolly-The former Redhawk is a decent reserve.
• Dan Koppen-Great center.
• Russ Hochstein-Warren Sapp’s favorite player.
• Al Johnson-Should add some depth at center and guard.
• Ryan Wendell-Who?
• Stephen Neal-His age and mileage are troubling.
• Billy Yates-Did well starting at guard early on last season.
• Nick Kaczur-Okay RT.
• Ryan O’Callaghan-Sufficient backup.
• Wesley Britt- Provides depth and competition along the line.
• Ty Warren-Great DE who is locked up through 2013.
• Le Kevin Smith-Solid backup who keeps getting better and had a great game at Seattle last year.
• Vince Wilfork-A good NT is imperative in a 3-4 and Wilfork is one of the best in the game.
• Mike Wright-I’m glad the Pats resigned him as he can play both NT/DE and does well on special teams.
• Richard Seymour-A healthy Seymour in a contract year? Expect a great season.
• Jarvis Green-He will perform well this season and the Pats will resign him.
• Titus Adams-The former Cornhusker stayed on the practice squad for most of last season.
• Pierre Woods-If the season started today, he would start at OLB. Thankfully it doesn’t.
• Tully Banta-Cain-A decent backup who can rush the passer better than most anyone else the Pats currently have.
• Vince Redd-Faces a tough road to get on the 53-man roster, but the practice squad remains an option as he was only active for six games last year.
• Jerod Mayo-Should have another terrific season after an unbelievable rookie campaign. Since Vrabel is gone, will he now handle the on-field communication?
• Eric Alexander-Unless he plays great in camp, I think his time is up in Foxborough.
• Bo Rudd-Spent last season on IR and is a long shot to make the 53-man roster.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
2009 MLB Preview: American League
Here are my predictions for the 2009 MLB Season, starting with the American League.
I used Baseball Mogul 2010 as my simulation tool and adjusted the standings as I saw fit. It was a very painstaking process: when I added a win for one team, I had to find another team to add a loss to. I also took into consideration last year’s results, as well as the teams’ improvements over the offseason.
AL-
East:
y- Boston Red Sox: 96-66
w-New York Yankees: 92-70
Tampa Bay Rays: 91-71
Toronto Blue Jays: 76-86
Baltimore Orioles: 73-89
The AL East is still the best overall division in baseball. Unlike last year, the Rays will be the odd team out. Demoting an impact player like David Price, whether it is for salary purposes or for player development, could be a crucial mistake in such a highly contested division. The guy proved in the 2008 ALCS that he is ready for the show. Although the Yankees will miss A-Rod for the first six weeks of the season, Price’s demotion should help them make up a couple of crucial games.
Central:
y- Minnesota Twins: 85-77
Cleveland Indians: 83-79
Detroit Tigers: 79-83
Chicago White Sox: 78-84
Kansas City Royals: 77-85
Cleveland could easily win the division, too. I simply admire the teams that Bill Smith and the Minnesota Twins put together year in and year out and don’t see Cliff Lee repeating his 2008 performance. The Twins have a nice core rotation with Liriano, Baker and Slowey. As long as Mauer’s back isn’t a long term issue, the Twins should have enough to win the Central.
West:
y- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 89-73
Oakland Athletics: 79-83
Texas Rangers: 78-84
Seattle Mariners: 74-88
They should take a team out of the NL Central and stick it here (kidding!) The Angels are still the best team in the AL West. They were smart to replace Teixeira with a greatly discounted Bobby Abreu and, if healthy, have one of the best rotations in the game. While Oakland made some nice offseason moves, their rotation has too many question marks. Texas isn’t going to win anything until they move out of that bandbox of a ballpark!
I used Baseball Mogul 2010 as my simulation tool and adjusted the standings as I saw fit. It was a very painstaking process: when I added a win for one team, I had to find another team to add a loss to. I also took into consideration last year’s results, as well as the teams’ improvements over the offseason.
AL-
East:
y- Boston Red Sox: 96-66
w-New York Yankees: 92-70
Tampa Bay Rays: 91-71
Toronto Blue Jays: 76-86
Baltimore Orioles: 73-89
The AL East is still the best overall division in baseball. Unlike last year, the Rays will be the odd team out. Demoting an impact player like David Price, whether it is for salary purposes or for player development, could be a crucial mistake in such a highly contested division. The guy proved in the 2008 ALCS that he is ready for the show. Although the Yankees will miss A-Rod for the first six weeks of the season, Price’s demotion should help them make up a couple of crucial games.
Central:
y- Minnesota Twins: 85-77
Cleveland Indians: 83-79
Detroit Tigers: 79-83
Chicago White Sox: 78-84
Kansas City Royals: 77-85
Cleveland could easily win the division, too. I simply admire the teams that Bill Smith and the Minnesota Twins put together year in and year out and don’t see Cliff Lee repeating his 2008 performance. The Twins have a nice core rotation with Liriano, Baker and Slowey. As long as Mauer’s back isn’t a long term issue, the Twins should have enough to win the Central.
West:
y- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 89-73
Oakland Athletics: 79-83
Texas Rangers: 78-84
Seattle Mariners: 74-88
They should take a team out of the NL Central and stick it here (kidding!) The Angels are still the best team in the AL West. They were smart to replace Teixeira with a greatly discounted Bobby Abreu and, if healthy, have one of the best rotations in the game. While Oakland made some nice offseason moves, their rotation has too many question marks. Texas isn’t going to win anything until they move out of that bandbox of a ballpark!
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