First, happy Labor Day! Always a good holiday to celebrate. It’s a time to reflect on the end of the summer and prepare for the fall. It’s also the start of the best period of the sports season. I mentioned this in my Reflections yesterday, but there are so many sports active right now or or going to start up in a few weeks. Football, both pro and college, dominates this time of year, but don’t forget about baseball.
At this stage, if you’re a team like the Yankees or Dodgers, you are what you are and no more excuses can be made. This goes the other way. We shouldn’t be shocked by the Rays or Twins anymore, they are legit playoff teams.
As usual, at the beginning of every month, I review my MLB picks and seeing how I did.
Let’s get to the picks.
Here were my choices before the season started for the National League:
NL East- Phillies (The Mets are actually a game up right now, but that frickin bullpen will give this division to the Phillies)
At this stage, if you’re a team like the Yankees or Dodgers, you are what you are and no more excuses can be made. This goes the other way. We shouldn’t be shocked by the Rays or Twins anymore, they are legit playoff teams.
As usual, at the beginning of every month, I review my MLB picks and seeing how I did.
Let’s get to the picks.
Here were my choices before the season started for the National League:
NL East- Phillies (The Mets are actually a game up right now, but that frickin bullpen will give this division to the Phillies)
NL Central- Milwaukee (They’re still only four games out, but I think that the Cubs take this one. The Brewers get the wild card)
NL West- Arizona (Terrible division, but the pitching of Arizona wins out) Wild Card- Colorado (They aren’t going to win the wild-card, but they are only six games out of the division. They need to go on a major winning streak now.)
NL Champions- Arizona (All signs point to a battle between Milwaukee and Chicago for the NL pennent. However, Arizona can throw some major pitchers out there for a short playoff series, so whoever gets them in the first round needs to be careful.)
NL MVP- Prince Fielder/Ryan Howard (It can go to almost anybody right now.)
NL Cy Young- Johan Santana (Johan has had a good year, he just has so many games get blown by that awful bullpen. Brandon Webb is going to have his 20 wins and he’s good, but I would seriously consider CC Sabathia. He’s been the best pitcher in the NL for the last few months.)
NL Manager of the Year- Bob Melvin (Arizona is doing well, but the Cubs are rolling right now and you have to make Pinella the favorite. I also think that Tony LaRussa, Gonozalez at Florida and Ned Yost of Milwaukee)
NL Surprise Team- Cincinnati (The natti has moved on to next year and that’s a good thing. The Marlins and Cardinals have had solid seasons )
NL Disappointment- Chicago and San Diego (This Cubs pick continues to look worse and worse by the day. I was on with San Diego)
NL Worst Team- San Francisco (even worse than Pittsburgh) The Giants still stink and are making me look good. Only the Braves, Washington, Pittsburgh and San Diego have worse records. Wow, bad times for Atlanta and San Diego. The National League is terrible overall.
My standings predictions for each division and the current ones:
My NL East:
1) Philadelphia
2) New York
3) Atlanta
4) Washington
5) Florida
Current NL East:
1) New York
2) Philadelphia
3) Florida
4) Atlanta
5) Washington
Thoughts: The only thing that has changed in the past month is the flip between the Mets and Phillies. It seems like either team can just take a stranglehold on this division if they won a few games in a row and weren’t so inconsistent. I still think Philly takes this in the end, I gotta stick with my pick.
Florida has been a nice surprise. The crappiness of Atlanta has been a personal highlight for me. I love that Atlanta sucks right now, it makes me so, so happy. I wish I was still living in Atlanta so see how terrible they are up close. I absolutely hate the Braves and am a happy fan right now. How’s Jeff Francoeur doing right now? Yeah, I thought so bitches!
I don’t even acknowledge the Nationals right now. They need to change the direction of that franchise immediately.
My NL Central:
1) Milwaukee
2) Cincinnati
3) Chicago
4) St. Louis
5) Houston
6) Pittsburgh
Current NL Central:
1) Chicago
2) Milwaukee
3) St. Louis
4) Houston
5) Cincinnati
6) Pittsburgh
Thoughts: The Brewers can win the division technically but the Cubs are rolling. The Natti isn’t finishing second. Houston is actually a few games over .500 but get no attention. St. Louis has done well and I see hope for Pittsburgh, if they can sign their first-round draft picks.
Look, I don’t know Pedro Alvarez personally but have followed his career being a Vanderbilt fan and I’ve heard he’s a good guy. The minute that he signed with Scott Boras, I knew that problems would develop. Boras is a bad influence and I know some of you out there are saying that Scott’s main job is to get the most money for his client.
I agree and most of the time he does his job. However, there’s a better way of doing it then he does.
Here’s my major problem with this situation. If Boras and Alvarez didn’t want to sign with Pittsburgh by the deadline, Aug. 15, that’s fine. He can then play independent baseball, reenter the draft and keep it moving.
However, don’t make a verbal agreement with the Pirates before the deadline and then go back on the promise after the deadline. You screw with the Pirates in that regard.
Now, Pedro looks like a conceited money-grabber, pretty much screwing over the early good will he would have had with the Pirates organizations and fans. Boras looks like Boras which I don’t think he minds.
Pedro gets blame too because he needs to handle his business better as well. Some players tend to forget that the agent works for you and not the reverse. I hope Pedro realizes that Boras needs to act in his client’s best interest and not the reverse.
Even the Pirates look unprofessional in this regard by not taking care of business. No one is a winner.
My NL West:
1) Arizona
2) Colorado
3) Los Angeles
4) San Diego
5) San Francisco
Current NL West:
1) Arizona
2) Los Angeles
3) Colorado
4) San Francisco
5) San Diego
Thoughts: Ramirez has been playing great for the Dodgers, yet they’re still below .500. Don’t look now, but Colorado is only six games back. Can they make another run like last year? Probably not. San Fran and San Diego, just playing out the string.
On to the American League:
AL East- Boston (Tampa takes it)
My standings predictions for each division and the current ones:
My NL East:
1) Philadelphia
2) New York
3) Atlanta
4) Washington
5) Florida
Current NL East:
1) New York
2) Philadelphia
3) Florida
4) Atlanta
5) Washington
Thoughts: The only thing that has changed in the past month is the flip between the Mets and Phillies. It seems like either team can just take a stranglehold on this division if they won a few games in a row and weren’t so inconsistent. I still think Philly takes this in the end, I gotta stick with my pick.
Florida has been a nice surprise. The crappiness of Atlanta has been a personal highlight for me. I love that Atlanta sucks right now, it makes me so, so happy. I wish I was still living in Atlanta so see how terrible they are up close. I absolutely hate the Braves and am a happy fan right now. How’s Jeff Francoeur doing right now? Yeah, I thought so bitches!
I don’t even acknowledge the Nationals right now. They need to change the direction of that franchise immediately.
My NL Central:
1) Milwaukee
2) Cincinnati
3) Chicago
4) St. Louis
5) Houston
6) Pittsburgh
Current NL Central:
1) Chicago
2) Milwaukee
3) St. Louis
4) Houston
5) Cincinnati
6) Pittsburgh
Thoughts: The Brewers can win the division technically but the Cubs are rolling. The Natti isn’t finishing second. Houston is actually a few games over .500 but get no attention. St. Louis has done well and I see hope for Pittsburgh, if they can sign their first-round draft picks.
Look, I don’t know Pedro Alvarez personally but have followed his career being a Vanderbilt fan and I’ve heard he’s a good guy. The minute that he signed with Scott Boras, I knew that problems would develop. Boras is a bad influence and I know some of you out there are saying that Scott’s main job is to get the most money for his client.
I agree and most of the time he does his job. However, there’s a better way of doing it then he does.
Here’s my major problem with this situation. If Boras and Alvarez didn’t want to sign with Pittsburgh by the deadline, Aug. 15, that’s fine. He can then play independent baseball, reenter the draft and keep it moving.
However, don’t make a verbal agreement with the Pirates before the deadline and then go back on the promise after the deadline. You screw with the Pirates in that regard.
Now, Pedro looks like a conceited money-grabber, pretty much screwing over the early good will he would have had with the Pirates organizations and fans. Boras looks like Boras which I don’t think he minds.
Pedro gets blame too because he needs to handle his business better as well. Some players tend to forget that the agent works for you and not the reverse. I hope Pedro realizes that Boras needs to act in his client’s best interest and not the reverse.
Even the Pirates look unprofessional in this regard by not taking care of business. No one is a winner.
My NL West:
1) Arizona
2) Colorado
3) Los Angeles
4) San Diego
5) San Francisco
Current NL West:
1) Arizona
2) Los Angeles
3) Colorado
4) San Francisco
5) San Diego
Thoughts: Ramirez has been playing great for the Dodgers, yet they’re still below .500. Don’t look now, but Colorado is only six games back. Can they make another run like last year? Probably not. San Fran and San Diego, just playing out the string.
On to the American League:
AL East- Boston (Tampa takes it)
AL Central- Cleveland (The Indians are playing well right now, just like they should have been doing since the beginning. They should have never been this bad.)
AL West- Seattle (terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible pick)
Wild Card- Toronto (They’re another team that should be better but their division is stacked. Put them in the NL and they contend for a championship)
AL Champs- Cleveland (let’s just move on)
AL MVP- Manny Ramirez (Yeah, no chance of this happening. It’s a wide open race.)
AL Cy Young- Roy Halladay (Cliff Lee should win it but the Indians are below average and that’s going to hurt him. I can see K-Rod getting the award because the Angels are so good. Halladay should still get consideration as well.)
AL Manager of the Year- Terry Francona (this is Joe Maddon’s award, manager of Tampa Bay, right now. Terry has done a good job and you have to consider that loser manager of Anaheim, the manager of the Twins and Ozzie.)
AL Surprise Team- Kansas City (Not the best choice. I wonder who this award should go to…)
AL Disappointment Team- Yankees and Anaheim (Yankees, yes…Anaheim’s in first place and cruising. Mixed bag.)
AL Worst Team- Baltimore (the Orioles aren’t that bad. Oakland, Kansas City and darn Seattle have worse records.)
My AL East:
1) Boston
2) Toronto
3) New York
4) Tampa Bay
5) Baltimore
Current AL East:
1) Tampa Bay
2) Boston
3) New York
4) Toronto
5) Baltimore
Thoughts: Nothing has changed in this division. Tampa is amazing. Boston is having a decent season as well.
Let’s talk about the possibility of the Yanks and Red Sox not making the playoffs. I know that ESPN would be mad because they can’t overkill us with coverage of those two teams, but I think it would be refreshing.
I get so tired of hearing about the Red Sox and Yankees. Don’t get it twisted. I get tired of hearing about the Mets and to a lesser extent the Cubs also.
I have no beef with the Red Sox and I used to hate the Yankees but really care less about them now.
If both teams miss the playoffs, it would be cool to see teams like Tampa and Milwaukee get some coverage.
My AL Central:
1) Cleveland
2) Detroit
3) Kansas City
4) Chicago
5) Minnesota
Current AL Central:
1) Chicago
2) Minnesota
3) Detroit
4) Cleveland
5) Kansas City
Thoughts: I still think that Boston wins the wild card so only one team from this division makes the playoffs. I’m going with Chicago.
Detroit has been underwhelming. Cleveland is starting to play better but it’s too late. Kansas City, well, they’re Kansas City.
My AL West:
1) Seattle
2) Anaheim
3) Oakland
4) Texas
Current AL West:
1) Anaheim
2) Texas
3) Oakland
4) Seattle
Thoughts: I have no thoughts on this division.
That’s it for now. I was catching up on some General Hospital while doing this post, so I know that none of you want me to embed some of that video on here. See y’all around.
My AL East:
1) Boston
2) Toronto
3) New York
4) Tampa Bay
5) Baltimore
Current AL East:
1) Tampa Bay
2) Boston
3) New York
4) Toronto
5) Baltimore
Thoughts: Nothing has changed in this division. Tampa is amazing. Boston is having a decent season as well.
Let’s talk about the possibility of the Yanks and Red Sox not making the playoffs. I know that ESPN would be mad because they can’t overkill us with coverage of those two teams, but I think it would be refreshing.
I get so tired of hearing about the Red Sox and Yankees. Don’t get it twisted. I get tired of hearing about the Mets and to a lesser extent the Cubs also.
I have no beef with the Red Sox and I used to hate the Yankees but really care less about them now.
If both teams miss the playoffs, it would be cool to see teams like Tampa and Milwaukee get some coverage.
My AL Central:
1) Cleveland
2) Detroit
3) Kansas City
4) Chicago
5) Minnesota
Current AL Central:
1) Chicago
2) Minnesota
3) Detroit
4) Cleveland
5) Kansas City
Thoughts: I still think that Boston wins the wild card so only one team from this division makes the playoffs. I’m going with Chicago.
Detroit has been underwhelming. Cleveland is starting to play better but it’s too late. Kansas City, well, they’re Kansas City.
My AL West:
1) Seattle
2) Anaheim
3) Oakland
4) Texas
Current AL West:
1) Anaheim
2) Texas
3) Oakland
4) Seattle
Thoughts: I have no thoughts on this division.
That’s it for now. I was catching up on some General Hospital while doing this post, so I know that none of you want me to embed some of that video on here. See y’all around.
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