02-27-2009, 06:07 AM
<!--quoteo(post=20727:date=Feb 27 2009, 02:42 AM:name=KBwsb)-->QUOTE (KBwsb @ Feb 27 2009, 02:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->If all goes to form, we should coast in the Central. But does MLB ever go to form? Last year at this time, most of us had the Tigers as pennant-winners, and the Rays struggling to win 70.
It's a long, hard slog through the 6-month season, and we should take nothing for granted.
I don't think it's even remotely realistic to try and "save" Harden, Bradley, whoever, for October. We have to <i>get</i> there first, and that has never been easy.
If we have an 18-game lead at the ASB, sure, then give The Delicate Porcelain Mouse (Bradley) a day or two off per week, and rest Hardin and Marmol a lot. But I wouldn't count on that.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is how I see it though: Another division title, but getting swept in the first round? 70 wins? They're the same to me right now. Fuck, I'd rather they finished last place than looking amazing in the regular season, teasing the living shit out of us, then pissing down their legs again like they did in the last 2 seasons.
Harden wasn't the same pitcher in October as he was when we got him. He's the most dominating pitcher in the game when he's right, and a month of him pitching that way(which is how he was when we got him) could carry you in the playoffs a la Josh Beckett. Nobody's going to score more than a run or two off of him, I don't care what lineup it is. I'd rather gamble that we get that guy, rather than starting him 30 times and watching him go from 97 mph in May to 91 in October. Yeah maybe he'd be absolutely fine but history's shown the odds are VERY much against that.
And Bradley, remember again, we won 97 games with Fukudome getting 590 plate appearances. We won 97 games with Soriano missing a month. We won 97 games with our #3 hitter batting .266 with 5 homers in the 2nd half of the season. We won 97 games with our cleanup hitter having his lowest batting average and ops in the last 5 seasons. People will point out how Edmonds and DeRosa had huge years, but there's just as many arguments you could make about guys underperforming, particularly from the 3 hitters we had counted on before the season started(Soriano, Lee, and Ramirez). This lineup could take out 2 or 3 key parts daily and still be very good, and the starting rotation is still the best in the division without Harden. I understand you have to get there first, it's never easy, there's going to be a team challenging them through August, blah blah blah. The talent difference is just too large and the economy won't allow for these teams to significantly upgrade their teams. There's not going to be any Sabathia trades this year in the NL Central.
It's a long, hard slog through the 6-month season, and we should take nothing for granted.
I don't think it's even remotely realistic to try and "save" Harden, Bradley, whoever, for October. We have to <i>get</i> there first, and that has never been easy.
If we have an 18-game lead at the ASB, sure, then give The Delicate Porcelain Mouse (Bradley) a day or two off per week, and rest Hardin and Marmol a lot. But I wouldn't count on that.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is how I see it though: Another division title, but getting swept in the first round? 70 wins? They're the same to me right now. Fuck, I'd rather they finished last place than looking amazing in the regular season, teasing the living shit out of us, then pissing down their legs again like they did in the last 2 seasons.
Harden wasn't the same pitcher in October as he was when we got him. He's the most dominating pitcher in the game when he's right, and a month of him pitching that way(which is how he was when we got him) could carry you in the playoffs a la Josh Beckett. Nobody's going to score more than a run or two off of him, I don't care what lineup it is. I'd rather gamble that we get that guy, rather than starting him 30 times and watching him go from 97 mph in May to 91 in October. Yeah maybe he'd be absolutely fine but history's shown the odds are VERY much against that.
And Bradley, remember again, we won 97 games with Fukudome getting 590 plate appearances. We won 97 games with Soriano missing a month. We won 97 games with our #3 hitter batting .266 with 5 homers in the 2nd half of the season. We won 97 games with our cleanup hitter having his lowest batting average and ops in the last 5 seasons. People will point out how Edmonds and DeRosa had huge years, but there's just as many arguments you could make about guys underperforming, particularly from the 3 hitters we had counted on before the season started(Soriano, Lee, and Ramirez). This lineup could take out 2 or 3 key parts daily and still be very good, and the starting rotation is still the best in the division without Harden. I understand you have to get there first, it's never easy, there's going to be a team challenging them through August, blah blah blah. The talent difference is just too large and the economy won't allow for these teams to significantly upgrade their teams. There's not going to be any Sabathia trades this year in the NL Central.
@TheBlogfines