Sean McAdam notes that as the Red Sox, Rays and Yankees prepare to begin the regular season
there's the unsettling feeling that while Tampa, Boston and New York are quite likely the three best teams in baseball, one of them won't be advancing to the playoffs.The Red Sox play 15 of their first 32 games against Tampa Bay and New York.
"That's amazing, when you think about it," said an executive from a team outside the East. "I think any one of those teams would win the other divisions going away. But one of them won't make (the postseason)."
***
Herald (2009 preview)
Michael Silverman:
Boy, winter just flew by, didn't it? [JoS: No, it did not.] ...More from the Herald:
Just one day before Red Sox Opening Day and one eternal truth remains: I love the smell of horsehide in the morning. Very little in life is more exciting than the start of the baseball season ...
AL East: Rays, Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles
The best division in baseball, bar none. In fact, the three best teams in the American League are the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees. ... The Yanks are the ultimate case study on whether money can buy happiness. ...
The Red Sox placed smart-bomb bets on John Smoltz, Brad Penny, Takashi Saito and Rocco Baldelli and while they wait to see if they collect, their payroll flexibility and farm depth allows them to pounce on the midseason trade market. There's no limit to how far the Red Sox can go if all their bets pay off.
Why don't the Rays get more love? The fluke factor vanished for me last September. I see a defending AL champ that is still young, loaded with talent and with a valuable year of playoff experience under its belt. ...
Steve Buckley
AL East: Red Sox, Yankees*, Rays, Orioles, Blue Jays
Others: Twins, Angels, Mets, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies*
World Series: Red Sox over Dodgers
Ron Borges
AL East: Rays, Red Sox*, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles
Others: Twins, Angels, Mets, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies*
World Series: Red Sox over Dodgers
Karen Guregian
AL East: Red Sox, Yankees*, Rays, Orioles, Blue Jays
Others: Twins, Angels, Mets, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies*
World Series: Red Sox over Cubs
Sean McAdam
AL East: Red Sox, Yankees*, Rays, Blue Jays, Orioles
Others: White Sox, Angels, Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers, Mets*
World Series: Dodgers over Red Sox
Michael Silverman
AL East: Rays, Red Sox*, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles
Others: Royals, Angels, Mets, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Phillies*
World Series: Rays over Cubs
John Tomase
AL East: Yankees, Rays*, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles
Others: Twins, A's, Mets, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Marlins*
World Series: Rays over Mets
***
Globe (2009 preview & staff picks)
AL EAST OTHER DIVS WS
Amalie Benjamin Red Sox White Sox Cubs
Rays* Angles over
Yankees Phillies Red Sox
Blue Jays Cubs
Orioles Dodgers
Tony Massarotti Rays Cleveland Cubs
Red Sox* Angels over
Yankees Phillies Rays
Blue Jays Cubs
Orioles Diamondbacks
Adam Kilgore Red Sox Royals Rays
Rays* A's over
Yankees Phillies Cubs
Orioles Cubs
Blue Jays Dodgers
Chad Finn Red Sox Cleveland Red Sox
Yankees* A's over
Rays Mets Cubs
Blue Jays Reds
Orioles Dodgers
Bob Ryan Red Sox Twins Red Sox
Yankees* Angels over
Rays Mets Cubs
Orioles Cubs
Blue Jays Dodgers
Dan Shaughnessy Red Sox Twins Cubs
Rays* Angels over
Yankees Mets Red Sox
Blue Jays Cubs
Orioles Dodgers
*: wild card
10 comments:
Gee Whiz, screw the cubs.
The Cubs are pretty much the only good team in the NL, but they're still not as good as the Sox, Rays, and Yanks. They're pretty much on par w/ the Jays, A's, Angels, and Twins. They're not winning the series w/ that team.
I just read the predictions of SI's 7 "experts."
Two picked the Cubs to win it all, two picked the Rays, one for the Red Sox, one for the Yankees and one for the Mets.
The Cubs are pretty good, but they have to get over that little "caving in the postseason" problem.
Why don't people see that Tampa is likely more of a Rockies team then a perennial favorite? They have one good year and all of a sudden they are the best team in the East. I think that cheapens the years upon years of excellence accomplished by both NYY and BOS. Let's wait for the Devil Rays to outclass the two big East teams before we anoint them.
Ha the Globe may get shut down.
Tampa is much more talented than the Rockies were, and their farm system is still absolutely stacked. They've got three pitchers who are established very good major league pitchers, the best pitching prospect in baseball, and above average players at 6 of 9 positions.
Don't be ridiculous. The Rockies best pitcher was Jeff Francis; the Rays have four pitchers who are all better than that.
Tampa is much more talented than the Rockies were, and their farm system is still absolutely stacked.
I agree that Tampa and Colorado isn't the strongest analogy. Colorado got hot at the end of the year and in the postseason and won the NL when the NL didn't have any especially strong teams. (I think 90 wins led the league that year?) Tampa won a monster division with 97 wins (Even Toronto was pretty decent), the toughest division in baseball in my book, with a couple of their main guys hurt for much of the year. I don't expect Tampa to go anywhere this year.
I will allow the Redsox to prove my Rays point for me.
Ha the Globe may get shut down
This is not funny.
Note to users of facts: best to ignore Andy's comments about Rays.
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