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#1) Cubs (89-73)
#2) Reds (85-77)
#3) Brewers (80-82)
#4) Cardinals (79-83)
#5) Astros (70-92)
#6) Pirates (68-94)
Be very careful of the Reds. The have some significant young hitting talent in Votto and Bruce. Look for Bruce to have a fantastic year. Cincy's defense up the middle should be much improved with the acquisition of Taveras and Alex Gonzalez returning after surgery. Those two with Phillips should be very solid. The also traded for Ramon Hernandez which is a huge updgrade at catcher over The Bako, and Ryan Hanigan duo. The Reds' pitching staff should be very solid with Volquez, Harang, Cueto, Arroyo, Owings/Bailey. Cueto, Owings, and Bailey have had excellent springs so far (albeit with limited innings). In fact, they are some of the best numbers in the entire league. Owings (10.2 IP, 12 K, 2 BB, 1.69 ERA) Bailey (8 IP, 7 K, 1 BB, 1.13 ERA) Cueto (3 IP, 3K, 1BB, 0.00 ERA plus 4 scoreless in the WBC). '
I know most people are discounting the Reds because of Dusty and the fact that they have sucked for many years. I think they will be much improved this year and are the most likely team to contend for the division with the Cubs.
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The Reds always scare me a little. Now that they actually have some pitching, they scare me a lot.
I do think Dusty will abuse Volquez, Harang, Cueto into TJ surgery pretty soon, though. In fact, he may have already wrecked Harang last season.
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You think the Cubs are only gonna win 89 games when every other team in the Central had gotten worse? Are you sure you didn't mean to type 98 instead?
"I'm not sure I know what ball cheese or crotch rot is, exactly -- or if there is a difference between the two. Don't post photos, please..."
- Butcher
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I've been hearing peopel say "The Reds are gonna be good this year" for about 10 years now and it never happens.
I do think the Reds have a lot of young talent and there is a *chance* they could have a very good team. But I think they are probably 2 years away. For them to really contend this year they would need a lot of young guys to put up numbers they never have before. They really don't have any established producers on offense. Even Phillips has really only had one good year before.
Getting Harang right would obviously be a big step in the right direction, I'm not so sure I buy Owings, Bailey and Cueto turning it around that fast, they all struggled last year.
Id predict
1. Cubs
2. Cardinals
3. Brewers
4. Reds
5. Astros
6. Pirates
I agree the Reds have the best chances to surprise and break out but I think its unlikely.
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cubs win 93 games and win the central by 7 games
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These are all off the wall predictions, but what the hell:
1 - Cubs (90-72)
2 - Cardinals (84-78)
3 - Brewers (82-80)
4 - Reds (79-83)
5 - Astros (77-85)
6 - Pirates (65-97)
Never count out the Cards.
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<!--quoteo(post=22531:date=Mar 9 2009, 11:36 AM:name=PcB)-->QUOTE (PcB @ Mar 9 2009, 11:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->You think the Cubs are only gonna win 89 games when every other team in the Central had gotten worse? Are you sure you didn't mean to type 98 instead?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, I'm sure.
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<!--quoteo(post=22536:date=Mar 9 2009, 11:21 AM:name=Coldneck)-->QUOTE (Coldneck @ Mar 9 2009, 11:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=22531:date=Mar 9 2009, 11:36 AM:name=PcB)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (PcB @ Mar 9 2009, 11:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->You think the Cubs are only gonna win 89 games when every other team in the Central had gotten worse? Are you sure you didn't mean to type 98 instead?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, I'm sure.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Can I ask for your reasoning as to why you think the Cubs will be 8 games worse this year? If your answer is Mark DeRosa then don't bother typing it out.
"I'm not sure I know what ball cheese or crotch rot is, exactly -- or if there is a difference between the two. Don't post photos, please..."
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Cubs 95-67
Cardinals 82-80
Reds 80-82
Brewers 79-83
Astros 75-87
Pirates. 70-92
Worst division in baseball and the Cubs benefit greatly.
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<!--quoteo(post=22539:date=Mar 9 2009, 11:52 AM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Mar 9 2009, 11:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Cubs 95-67
Cardinals 82-80
Reds 80-82
Brewers 79-83
Astros 75-87
Pirates. 70-92
Worst division in baseball and the Cubs benefit greatly.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ya know, I was actually gonna argue that it wont be the worst division in baseball, but I have no idea how to go about proving it. It very well could be.
"I'm not sure I know what ball cheese or crotch rot is, exactly -- or if there is a difference between the two. Don't post photos, please..."
- Butcher
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I think the NL West will be a close 2nd as worst in baseball, but given the pitching talent there, I think it is slightly better than the NL Central. We probably have 2-3 of the the worst teams in the league, if not all of baseball.
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<!--quoteo(post=22542:date=Mar 9 2009, 12:00 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Mar 9 2009, 12:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I think the NL West will be a close 2nd as worst in baseball, but given the pitching talent there, I think it is slightly better than the NL Central. We probably have 2-3 of the the worst teams in the league, if not all of baseball.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think the only team that's gonna be really bad in the NL West is gonna be the Padres. The Giants should be alot better, the Dodgers are gonna be fine, and I guess AZ is kinda of a crapshoot.
Actually I forgot about the Rockies, yeah they're gonna be bad too.
"I'm not sure I know what ball cheese or crotch rot is, exactly -- or if there is a difference between the two. Don't post photos, please..."
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i'm not one for predictions but here's one anyway: the cubs will be the only team in the division with a winning record.
here's another one: they'll win much more than 89 games.
Wang.
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<!--quoteo(post=22538:date=Mar 9 2009, 12:51 PM:name=PcB)-->QUOTE (PcB @ Mar 9 2009, 12:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=22536:date=Mar 9 2009, 11:21 AM:name=Coldneck)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Coldneck @ Mar 9 2009, 11:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=22531:date=Mar 9 2009, 11:36 AM:name=PcB)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (PcB @ Mar 9 2009, 11:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->You think the Cubs are only gonna win 89 games when every other team in the Central had gotten worse? Are you sure you didn't mean to type 98 instead?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, I'm sure.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Can I ask for your reasoning as to why you think the Cubs will be 8 games worse this year? If your answer is Mark DeRosa then don't bother typing it out.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No, it has little to do with Mark DeRosa. It has to do with the following:
1. I don't think Dempster will reperform his 2008 numbers
2. I think Harden will throw less than 125 innings
3. I think Marshall will throw less than 150 innings
4. Zambrano has trended for the worse for 4 straight years. It is logical that that trend will continue.
5. I think Milton Bradley will play less than 120 games.
6. We'll miss Marmol in the fireman's role. He saved a ton of runs while coming in with runner on base last year.
7. Derrek Lee is getting older and worse.
8. The Fuk/Reed combo will be sucktacular. Reed played over his head last year based on his career numbers. I don't know what to think of Fuk, but its obvious he needs somes dramatic changes to his swing to become a servicable MLB hitter.
9. We have nobody I'd be comfortable with if Theriot, Aramis, Bradley, or Soriano get injured.
10. We're the Cubs. Bad things happen.
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You had me at <b>We're the Cubs. Bad things happen</b>.
Fat Bastard is an immensely obese, hardly able to walk (weighing a metric ton) gardener and henchman hailing from Scotland. His extreme size endows Fat Bastard with super-human strength as exhibited by his prowess in the Sumo ring from Goldmember. This makes him a formidable enemy for Austin Powers. Fat Bastard is noted for his foul temper, his frequent flatulence, his vulgar and revolting bad manners and his unusual eating habits, which include taste for Human infants (which he calls "the other other white meat") or anything that looks like a baby, e.g. small people. Fat Bastard has been a regular at Cub games since the early 80's when he tried several times (unsuccessfully) to eat the visiting San Diego Chicken.
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