Stuff from the pre-season magazines:
Street and Smith's
East: Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Devil Rays, Orioles
AL Playoffs: Yankees, White Sox, Angels plus Athletics
NL Playoffs: Atlanta, Cardinals, Giants plus Mets
World Series: Angels over Cardinals
MVPs: Vladimir Guerrero, Albert Pujols
Cy Youngs: Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez
Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger wrote the AL East intro. New York's pitching staff is "a mixture of young talent and veteran savvy. ... The questions in New York are about age, but until guys like Johnson and Rivera prove they can't do it anymore, it's unwise to bet against them."
As for Toronto, an improved staff and Troy Glaus's bat "combined with Boston's disintegration" will lift the Jays into second place. Graziano dubs the Red Sox "Team Turmoil" and an organization that "continued to gut the core" of the 2004 team.
[Yeah, we shoulda kept that 2004 roster around forever. Any idea what Millar's OPS would be at age 58? ... Doesn't anyone remember all the talk about how "the window" was closing with that group of players and the Sox had better win in 2003 or 2004 or else?]
Graziano says the best thing that happened to the Yankees over the winter "may have been the disarray in which the rival Red Sox found themselves." Boston's four-page preview (which was written before the Crisp deal) ends: "The 2006 Red Sox could be good enough to hold off the improved Blue Jays for second place in the division. But it remains to be seen just how good they can be with so many changes."
The Sporting News
TSN includes the predictions of eight staffers. In the East, the Yankees were picked six times, Red Sox two. No one picked an East team for the wild card. Both writers who picked the Sox had them losing in the ALDS. ... No one picked any Boston players for any awards; one guy tabbed Damon as AL MVP.
AL Pennant: Cleveland 4, White Sox 4
NL Pennant: Cardinals 4, Mets 2, Atlanta 1, Cubs 1
World Series: White Sox 3, Cardinals 2, Cleveland 2, Atlanta 1
Overall the TSN Power Poll had the Yankees 2nd (2nd in AL), Toronto 8th (6th in AL) and Boston 10th (7th in AL). The MFY rotation has to "delay a trip to the glue factory for one more year", while Boston's rotation "again is shut-you-down-in-a-series scary. Can the bullpen -- and closer Keith Foulke -- return to lights-out form?" ... Papelbon is one of three "Hotshots to Watch".
Ian Browne of redsox.com wrote the preview, noting correctly that the team has "reloaded with pitching and better defensive players". When they went to press, Youkilis was the leadoff hitter and "TBD" was in center, batting 9th.
Lindy's
East: Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox ("Key additions, key defections keep Red Sox running in place"), Orioles, Devil Rays
MVPs: Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Delgado
Cy Youngs: Johan Santana, Mark Prior
AL Playoffs: Yankees, White Sox, Angels plus Cleveland
NL Playoffs: Atlanta, Cubs, Giants plus Cardinals
World Series: Cubs over Yankees
The Sox preview sings the same tune we've been hearing from the national media: "the front office fell apart and Boston got outflanked in offseason maneuvers. ... [There are] a lot more questions than answers heading into 2006."
Also, possibly anticipating a move to fill the CF gap: "If the team can put together another blockbuster deal before the season, it may right the ship. Otherwise, Boston took a noticeable step back."
Athlon Sports
East: Yankees, Red Sox ("Trying to win with pitching?"), Blue Jays, Devil Rays, Orioles
MVPs: Mark Teixeira (Jeter 2d), Albert Pujols
Cy Youngs: Roy Halladay, Jake Peavy
AL Playoffs: Yankees, White Sox, Athletics plus Angels
NL Playoffs: Atlanta, Cardinals, Giants plus Mets
AL/NLCS: Yankees over White Sox, Cardinals over Atlanta
World Series: Yankees over Cardinals
The Red Sox, having "drastically overhauled" their roster since 2004, are "one of the most difficult teams to handicap" for 2006. ... The Final Analysis (which had Cora and Stern at SS and CF): "[F]or the Sox to win another championship -- or merely make a fourth straight trip to the postseason -- many things must break right. If things do not, the Sox may well finish looking up at both New York and Toronto..."
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I actually agree with this last statement. But what I have not yet read is that the same could be said about the Yankees. A couple of key injuries and good news for the Sox and Jays could leave the Yankees in third place.
3 comments:
Fella at Foxsports predicted the Jays to win the World Series, and that's with all the information! He admits it's not a likely outcome, but...I think the guy just wanted to write about the Jays. Who I insist on putting at 83-84 wins.
Jack, the appearance of these magazines is one of the first signs of spring. Tradition keeps me buying them. Plus predictions and best of lists are always fun to read (and make fun of).
I'll also be posting writers' picks as I find them this weekend.
P.S. The Fox guy is Ken Rosenthal.
He says: "Right now, on paper, the A's look like the best team, particularly if Frank Thomas is healthy enough to make 450 plate appearances as their DH. The A's have almost as many starting pitchers as Manny Ramirez has mood swings ..."
Ha ha ha! That's so clever! All that writing talent -- and a sense of humor? Wow!
Oh, I know, I know; I buy the damn things myself. I just hold you to a higher standard.
Why?
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Rosenthal is a dope, no three ways about it. Yet every so often, he's lucid. ... Like so many of us, I suppose.
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