The 2011 MLB Thread

[rodfarva]

Prediction time:

Brewers sweep Diamondbacks
Phillies over Cardinals in four

Tigers over Yankees in five
Rays over Rangers in four

Brewers over Phillies in seven
Tigers over Rays in five

Brewers over Tigers in six

World Series MVP: Prince Fielder

P.S. I can see Verlander going 5-0 (maybe even 6-0) in these playoffs.

End-of-season awards (prediction):

AL MVP: Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS)
NL MVP: Ryan Braun (MIL)
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander (DET)
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw (LAD)
AL Rookie of the Year: Ivan Nova (NYY)... really tough one to call
NL Rookie of the Year: Craig Kimbrel (ATL)... also tough to call
AL Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon (TB)
NL Manager of the Year: Kirk Gibson (ARI)

End-of-season awards (opinion):

AL MVP: Justin Verlander (DET)... although it's really hard not to pick Bautista
NL MVP: Ryan Braun (MIL)
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander (DET)
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw (LAD)
AL Rookie of the Year: Michael Pineda (SEA)
NL Rookie of the Year: Vance Worley (PHI)
AL Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon (TB)
NL Manager of the Year: Tony La Russa (STL)

And if I had it my way it would be the Phillies over the Rays. I really wanna see Roy Halladay win a much-deserved World Series ring.

 

[STDiva]

Anybody else think Crawford didn't want to win that game? He could have and should have made that catch, and that throw was weak. C'mon man. At least make it look like you're trying to win.

 

[BCT]

I can't believe my cards came back, absolutely stunned, I was sure Atlanta had that WC spot locked up a few weeks ago, goes to show you ya never know?

 

[zell]

With Ozzie now gone and from what I've been hearing from GM Kenny Williams, it sounds like its going to be a rebuilding year for my White Sox. I'm hearing that they're high on Davey Martinez and Sandy Alomar for the managerial post.

Kenny is the one that needed to go more than Ozzie.Don't know how Kenny is skirting blame for some of the horrible acquisitions that he's recently made.

 

[TrishFan27]

Shocking turn of events. People are now saying the Yankees intentionally lost yesterday so the Red Sox would be eliminated from playoff contention.

 

[eightones]

It looks like the Phillies and Yankees are strong contenders, but I wouldn't count the Brewers out either. Who do you guys like?

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

And if I had it my way it would be the Phillies over the Rays. I really wanna see Roy Halladay win a much-deserved World Series ring.

I want to see that too (even if it does mean if he is inducted to the HOF it will be as a Phillie instead of a Jay), but he is one of those players who is simply too good and on too good of a team to not win a World Series. There is just something special about the Brewers this season and I think the team & city deserve a championship pretty badly as well. They're going to have a drive that few, if any, of the teams in the playoffs can match.

 

[PJpenny]

i think Milwaukee has a chance to make it a long series with the Phillies. I do give them a chance to go 6 or 7 cause the Brewers have good enough pitching, but the Phillies constructed their pitching staff for this time, the Division is basically pre-season for them, and i think the big 4 will shine this time around

 

[Straight Shooter]

Kenny is the one that needed to go more than Ozzie.Don't know how Kenny is skirting blame for some of the horrible acquisitions that he's recently made.

I agree. But Reinsdorf always sides with management over the coaches. With the Bulls he chose Krause over Phil Jackson and with the Sox he chose Kenny over Ozzie.

 

[Red001]

For the Marlins Ozzie will be a great hire. it may take 2 years but watch out for the Marlins they have a ton of young talent and if the new stadium actually has fans they will be even tougher

red001

 

[Jagger69]

I am loving it that just about no one gives St. Louis any chance. Reminds me of 2006 when the Cardinals won their division with an 82-80 record and were basically considered to be mere fodder for just about anyone they played in the post-season that year. They ended up winning it all against a very stout and heavily favored Detroit team. I'm not saying the same scenario will necessarily unfold this year by any means but the similarities are certainly there.

 

[rodfarva]

Shocking turn of events. People are now saying the Yankees intentionally lost yesterday so the Red Sox would be eliminated from playoff contention.

If they did (which I'm not saying they did or didn't) then they're utter fools. Any team would be absolutely crazy to not want to face the Red Sox and their dreadful pitching staff in the postseason. If you ask me, the Yankees blew it by not beating the Rays in the season finale and they may very well pay for it in a big way come ALCS time (although I think that Detroit will beat them in the ALDS and the Red Sox still had virtually no chance of advancing to the ALCS, even if they had made the playoffs).

 

[Jon S.]

A Tale of Two Seasons: The Story of the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates.

 

[BCT]

Watch the Rays knock everyone's dick in the dirt in the playoffs!

 

[E-Ann-Hilden]

GO TIGERS! Bummed about the rain out!

 

[zell]

For the Marlins Ozzie will be a great hire. it may take 2 years but watch out for the Marlins they have a ton of young talent and if the new stadium actually has fans they will be even tougher

red001

Don't know if Ozzie hired Greg Walker as hitting coach now that he's left the Sox,but if he does,expect the team BA to drop about 40 points.

 

[feller469]

Francona not returning to the Sox is not a good sign. That locker room must be a disaster. Youk and Lackey bitching all the time and no one to tell them to shut the fuck up and play ball.

Spring Training will be interesting this year

 

[LukeEl]

Detroit and Arizona for the World Series.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Don't know if Ozzie hired Greg Walker as hitting coach now that he's left the Sox,but if he does,expect the team BA to drop about 40 points.

I doubt it, I don't think they're on the best of terms. I think their relationship has soured over the years.

 

[PJpenny]

A Tale of Two Seasons: The Story of the 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates.

If they can hold on to the young players for 2 or 3 more years, the Pirates are a team on the way back to winning ways.

I dont blame Tito for the Red Sox collapse, he didnt deserve to take the fall, the pitchers are the ones who should be ashamed, as well as Theo Epstien for not addressing it.