Guest Redhawk Report post Posted February 25, 2003 I'm interested to see... What Ken Griffey Jr. can do if he stays healthy for a whole season. If Ivan Rodriguez is really as washed up as some people say he is. If Frank Thomas can justify his bitching by putting up some numbers. How Tom Glavine will do in New York. If the Phillies can make the playoffs with Jim Thome. Where the Expos will play their home games. Can the Yankees go 162-0? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kingpk Report post Posted February 25, 2003 - How long it will take for Nomar to punch out a media member, especially Steve Buckley (anyone in Boston catch Sports Final Sunday? Shaunessey is such a dick.) - Is Pedro going to whine about his contract, then go 23-5 to justify an extension? - The most important question: How long will it take for a drunken fan to fall off the Green Monster with those new seats? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest geniusMoment Report post Posted February 25, 2003 Opening day at Great American Ballpark or maybe not? I am thinking about selling the tickets on Ebay to make some cash. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted February 25, 2003 Will the Devil Rays finish with a better record than the Orioles? Its sad, but I think the Devil Rays are a better team than the O's. UGH. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest NoCalMike Report post Posted February 25, 2003 Will my precious Oakland Athletics finally break the first round curse. Also, I am excited to see if Billy Beane can pull off a blockbuster trade for the 3rd year in a row...Oh the A's open against Seattle in Japan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RevEvil Report post Posted February 25, 2003 I hope the pads can win some games. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted February 25, 2003 Can the Twins take the next step in make the World Series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Freakish_Twist_Of_Fate Report post Posted February 25, 2003 If the Phillies can make the playoffs with Jim Thome. They'd damn well better... After the suffering some of us Indians fans have gone through with him leaving. (Grumble) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Freakish_Twist_Of_Fate Report post Posted February 25, 2003 Can the Twins take the next step in make the World Series. If the Indians can't do it in the ALC... I guess I'd rather it be the Twins. (Dies from backing them evil Minnesota-ans) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest hardyz1 Report post Posted February 25, 2003 I want to see how much Dusty Baker improves the Cubs. </wishful thinking> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted February 25, 2003 Personally, I'd get more excited about Hee Choi and Bobby Hill. I'm looking forward to watching the Phillies. I'm also interested in seeing how the Red Sox do. Call me crazy, but I think they can knock off the Yankees. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Zero_Cool Report post Posted February 25, 2003 I want to see the Rangers struggle once again this year, which in turn will provide me with some free tickets this coming summer, since my mother's coporate friends don't like losers. Also, I want to see if Dusty Baker can co-exist with Sammy Sosa for an entire season and help turn around the Cubs, and maybe make them a threat in the NL Central. Lastly, it'll be fun watching the White Sox this season, as Frank Thomas is due for a good year, then a holdout next year before injuring himself tieing his shoes early in the '04 campaign. I think that Bartolo Colon will be awesome in Comiskey Park, as it's not exactly a hitter's ballpark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Youth N Asia Report post Posted February 25, 2003 I'm only going to tune in to see how many games over 100 can the Tigers lose...it's going to be a long year... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Brian Report post Posted February 25, 2003 Dusty's too inconsistent to do much. Sometimes he looks good out there, sometimes he looks incompetant. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted February 25, 2003 I've never heard anyone describe a coach/manager as inconsistent. Don't you think it was the players who were inconsistent? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DrTom Report post Posted February 25, 2003 Let's see if I can gaze into my magic crystal baseball and answer some of these... What Ken Griffey Jr. can do if he stays healthy for a whole season. If Ivan Rodriguez is really as washed up as some people say he is. If Frank Thomas can justify his bitching by putting up some numbers. How Tom Glavine will do in New York. If the Phillies can make the playoffs with Jim Thome. Where the Expos will play their home games. Can the Yankees go 162-0? In order... -- It's not likely to happen, but if he did manage that, he'd again show that he's a talented hitter. The speed skills are basically gone, but he could still put up .290-50-120 if he played 150 or so games without any real injury problems. -- He's not, but he's not going to shine in Florida. His power skills look to be on the decline, and since Florida isn't nearly as friendly to hitters as Texas was, he'll probably struggle. I think he'll still have a decent year, since he could probably roll out of bed drunk everyday and hit around .300, but it's not going to be the kind of strong season that gets him a big long-term contract. Besides, his days of playing 130+ games a year are over. -- Thomas will have an OK season, but he's not even close to the player he was during his prime. I could see him doing as well as .300-33-110, but considering his strike zone discipline has eroded, I think those are very optimistic numbers. .285-28-100 is more likely, if he's healthy. -- Glavine's decline began last season, and at his age, there's no reason to expect the trend to reverse itself. He'll still be a decent pitcher for a few more seasons, but don't look for Atlanta numbers. I'd say 13-16 wins and an ERA around 4.25. -- They should, and not just because of Thome. Pat Burrell is a promising young hitter, and they absolutely bent the Braves over in getting Kevin Millwood for a sack of baseballs and a candy bar. The Phillies have a good chance to win the division, since Thome improves their already-solid offense, and Millwood improves their already-solid pitching staff. -- In Montreal, at least for now. I think they'll end up in Nothern VA within the next season or two. It will be a joke if MLB operates the team again next year. -- Not even close. They'll have a tougher fight with the Red Sux this year, I think, and Anaheim showed that teams that are able to put the ball in play a lot can exploit the Yankees' suspect defense. They're dreadful up the middle, and not much better anywhere else. The rotation is very susceptible to injuries, Rivera's health will always be a concern now, and no one knows just how Matsui will adjust to MLB pitching, as well as playing in NY. (Edit: forgot that last one...) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DrTom Report post Posted February 25, 2003 As for my own questions... Can Alfonso Soriano continue to have the worst plate discipline in recent memory and still put up gaudy numbers? How ridiculously good will the A's top three starters be this year? Can they get past the first round of the playoffs? Will the Orioles' very strong-looking bullpen be enough to carry the starting staff, which will already be burdened with carrying a crappy offense? Will the White Sux put it all together and give the Twins a real fight this year? Will Cleveland beat out perennial scrubs Detroit and KC in the Central? Can Barry Bonds and Randy Johnson continue to thumb their noses at Father Time? You'll forgive my AL bias, since I live in an AL city and play in an all-AL money Roto league. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted February 25, 2003 How many times will I SWEAR to never watch a Marlins game on FSN, but then watch one anyway? I can answer that one already. Way too many... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted February 25, 2003 -If the Blue Jays can finish higher than 3rd (not likely) -How many times I'll hear, 'This could be the Expos last year in Montreal' (approx. 3492, and they'll be back in Montreal in '04, says I) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted February 26, 2003 As for my own questions... Can Alfonso Soriano continue to have the worst plate discipline in recent memory and still put up gaudy numbers? How ridiculously good will the A's top three starters be this year? Can they get past the first round of the playoffs? Will the Orioles' very strong-looking bullpen be enough to carry the starting staff, which will already be burdened with carrying a crappy offense? Will the White Sux put it all together and give the Twins a real fight this year? Will Cleveland beat out perennial scrubs Detroit and KC in the Central? Can Barry Bonds and Randy Johnson continue to thumb their noses at Father Time? I'll answers Tom's questions for kicks. -No. Eventually, pitchers will stop throwing him strikes. -Same as the last two years. Which is, excellent. The question is, will they be joined by a fourth? -Yes. Every time they've gotten to game 5. They're just unlucky. -Absolutely not. The Orioles don't even have that good of a bullpen. -It's a real possibility. -Yes. Unlike KC and Detroit, they have several outstanding prospects. Victor Martinez is a star in the making. -Yes, especially Randy Johnson. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted February 26, 2003 How have the A's been unlucky in the playoffs. How good will Mark Prior be with a full season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Crazy Dan Report post Posted February 26, 2003 I think the A's have been unlucky in that they just never are able to get out of the first round of the playoffs the last three years. Despite the fact that they have had one of the best young pitching staffs in the league. As for the up comming year: Will the Angels continue their magic? Or will they just be added to the list of one year wonders. Will the Yankees return to the World Series, after picking up every good player the can get their hands on? How much sucess will Felipe Alou and Dusty Baker have? (Go Giants) Will there be any sleeper teams like the Twins of last year? Will the A's actually get out of the first round? (one can only hope) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted February 26, 2003 How have the A's been unlucky in the playoffs. A lot can happen in the course of a game. Someone hangs a slider in a game 5, a ball bounces the other way, and the A's advance. Simple as that. Will there be any sleeper teams like the Twins of last year? The Blue Jays. Josh Phelps can mash. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest jonstreich Report post Posted February 26, 2003 I think that the Indians will be relatively good this year, considering that the manager is as old or older than all but two of his players. 2-3 years from now, the AL Central should be fun to watch as the Twins, Indians, and ChiSux battle it out with all of their young players. One thing I haven't yet seen mentioned yet: the great Brooks Kieschnick experiment. Can any player, much less a career AAAA player, serve as two players on the 25 man roster, playing both a bench position and a long relief role? When will Mt. Pinella first erupt? Will Barry Bonds's offensive production return to earth this year? How many more top slugging prospects will John Hart trade away for crap before some one wises up and "relieves" him of his duties? Can Olympic Hero Ben Sheets become a true staff ace for a team that will be lucky to not lose 95 games this year? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted February 26, 2003 Will there be any sleeper teams like the Twins of last year? The Blue Jays. Josh Phelps can mash. The Blue Jays are going to need a whole lotta luck if they're going to do anything this year. They'll need Roy Halladay to be as good or better than he was last year and the same goes for Eric Hinske. If Phelps can keep up what he did in the second half of last year, they'll have good production from the DH spot, which they'll need. Basically, they need pretty much everyone to have a career year and hope that Delgado can hit 40 HRs and drive in a bunch of runs. I hope they can contend for at least the wild card, but I'm not holding my breath. I'd settle for just 2nd place in the division, personally. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Redhawk Report post Posted February 26, 2003 When will Mt. Pinella first erupt? Here's what will happen with Lou Pinella this year: He will blow up a lot early in the year out of frustration with his own team, not necessarily the umpires. Sure, he'll be taking it out on the umps, but the real reason would be he's pissed at a D-Ray. Eventually, though, Pinella gets beaten down by all the losing and just sits there all season, no longer bothering to care. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Freakish_Twist_Of_Fate Report post Posted February 26, 2003 I think that the Indians will be relatively good this year, considering that the manager is as old or older than all but two of his players. 2-3 years from now, the AL Central should be fun to watch as the Twins, Indians, and ChiSux battle it out with all of their young players. (snip!) How many more top slugging prospects will John Hart trade away for crap before some one wises up and "relieves" him of his duties? Relatively good IMHO = the Tribe winning anywhere between 70-75 games. They don't have the power in the lineup that they had the past 10 years. Their pitching, though full of young prospects with plenty of talent... Are still young prospects that don't have big-league experience. You can't expect these guys to come up to the bigs and turn out the lights. Kudos to them if they can, but you're looking at a Cleveland team that's score differential (What they score vs. what the opposition scores) is going to explode in the Tribe's 'un-favor' like we haven't seen in years. 2-3 years down the line is the magic number of 2005 that Dolan / Shapiro gave for being competitive again, so... We'll see. Maybe we'll catch a break and see Chi-Town and Minne-haha on the downtrend. As for your question on John Hart - Get used to it, Texas fans. Cleveland did. Sure, it got the Tribe two WS appearances, but... Completely shredded our farm. Good luck with that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Czech Republic Report post Posted February 27, 2003 I think that Bartolo Colon will be awesome in Comiskey Park, as it's not exactly a hitter's ballpark. I think you mean, *gag*, *cough*... "U.S. Cellular Field." Hey, I'm an avid Cubs fan, don't get me wrong. But even though I hate the White Sox, and most of the South Side, it still sucks to see our ballparks, something as synonymous with Chicago as our deep-dish pizzas and Vienna Beef hot dogs, fall by the wayside. Here's hoping that the Cubs stay at Wrigley for many mmany years to come and I don't have to watch a Cubs game at Chicago Tribune Park in Rosemont. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted February 27, 2003 Well no one was elected to the HOF in the Veterans Committee. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DerangedHermit Report post Posted February 27, 2003 My questions: - Will Mo Vaughn, Robbie Alomar, Roger Cedeno and/or Jeromy Burnitz rebound from their horrid 2002? - Will an unseen contender pop up in the NL East? (ie. Spos or teh Fish) - Will Jose Reyes overtake Rey Sanchez during the year? - Who's next to be sent away from Montreal? - How bad will the Rays be with REY F'N ORDONEZ as their #2 hitter? - Which new manager will do the best and worst? - Will the Red Sox make it far in the playoffs only to have their hearts broken yet a-gayn? - Will the relationship between Emperor Steinbrenner and Derek Jeter become further strained? - Which manager will hear the words "YOU'RE........FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRED!" first? - Will the Giants or Angels make it back to the World Series? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
