2008 MLB regular season, playoff and award-winner prediction thread

AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Mariners
AL Wild Card: Tigers
AL Divisional Playoffs: Red Sox over Tigers (four), Indians over Mariners (five)
AL Championship Series: Indians over Red Sox (seven)

NL East: Mets
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Diamondbacks
NL Wild Card: Brewers
NL Divisional Playoffs: Mets over Brewers (three), Cubs over Diamondbacks (four)
NL Championship: Cubs over Mets (six)

World Series: Cubs over Indians (five, in Wrigley Field, of course)

AL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia, Indians
AL MVP: Ichiro, Mariners
AL Rookie of the Year: Evan Longoria, Rays
AL Manager of the Year: John McLaren, Mariners

NL Cy Young: Kerry Wood, Cubs
NL MVP: Jose Reyes, Mets
NL Rookie of the Year: Colby Rasmus, Cardinals
NL Manager of the Year: Lou Piniella, Cubs

Prediction No. 1: Another American League Cy Young Award and a trip to the World Series will not be enough for lefty C.C. Sabathia to hang around Cleveland in 2009. He will leave town as the most successful left-hander in team history -- and sign a six-year contract with San Francisco.

Prediction No. 2: Kerry Wood will save 50 games out of the bullpen for the Cubs, hence the Cy Young Award pick listed above and, in part, the World Series championship nod. Carlos Zambrano will also help a bit with 18 wins during the regular season and four more during the playoffs, and right fielder Kosuke Fukudome will lead the team with 38 home runs -- but finish second in the NL ROY award voting.

Prediction No. 3: Ichiro will surpass his own single-season hits record and lead the Mariners to within one win of the American League Championship Series. Lefty Erik Bedard will struggle early but finish with 18 wins. Mike Hargrove will remain in Richfield, Ohio, with his wife, Sharon, and will not express any interest in a return to Seattle or any other MLB dugout.

Prediction No. 4: Miguel Cabrera will thrive in Detroit but face early scrutiny, not because of any problems adjusting to AL pitching but because of a perceived lack of power. Because of the larger dimensions at Comerica Park, Cabrera will hit only 28 home runs but will finish the regular season with 60 doubles.

Prediction No. 5: Board favorite Kansas City will win 82 games and finish third in the American League Central. And Frank White will remain in purgatory, burdened behind Trey Hillman.

 

Yet you loosers had the nerve to question my picks.

 

All I have to say, and I made this prediction about 15 years ago — the Cubs will win the World Series in 2008. I don't know how at this point, but it's going to happen.

And then of course a few horses will come riding through the clouds . . .

 

I predict that Randy Wolf will not win the NL Cy Young this year

 

They had their burp. They'll slide back to their typical place in baseball this year.

 

AL East: Boston
AL Central: Detroit
AL West: Los Angeles
AL Wild Card: Cleveland

NL East: New York Mets
NL Central: Chicago
NL West: Arizona
NL Wild Card: Milwaukee

First round playoffs
Detroit over Los Angeles
Boston over Cleveland
New York Mets over Milwaukee
Chicago over Arizona

LCS
Detroit over Boston, 4-3
New York Mets over Chicago, 4-1

World Series
Detroit over New York Mets, 4-2

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
NL MVP: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee
AL Cy Young: John Lackey, LA Angels
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana, NY Mets

 

I hate making predictions, but for HB, I'll take a shot ...

AL East
Red Sox
Yankees
Blue Jays
Rays
Orioles

AL Central
Indians
Tigers (wild card)
Twins
White Sox
Royals

AL West
Angels
Mariners
Rangers
A's

NL East
Braves
Mets (wild card)
Phillies
Nationals
Marlins

NL Central
Cubs
Reds
Cardinals
Brewers
Astros
Pirates

NL West
Dodgers
Diamondbacks
Padres
Rockies
Giants

AL Playoffs:
Red Sox over Tigers
Indians over Angels

ALCS: Indians over Red Sox

NL Playoffs:
Mets over Dodgers
Cubs over Braves

NLCS: Cubs over Mets

World Series: Indians over Cubs

MVPs
AL: Victor Martinez
NL: Derrek Lee

Cy Young
AL: Justin Verlander
NL: Brad Penny

Mangers
AL: Terry Francona
NL: Bobby Cox

These picks are real fantasies and I will deny to the death that I ever made them.

 

AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Mariners
AL Wild Card: Yankees (beat out Cleveland and Anaheim by less than 3 games in the WC)
AL Divisional Playoffs: Tigers beat Yankees; Red Sox beat Mariners
AL Championship Series: Red Sox beat Tigers in six.

NL East: Mets
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Diamondbacks
NL Wildcard: Philadelphia
NL Divisional Playoffs: Mets over Cubs, Diamondbacks over phillies
NL Championship: Mets over Diamondbacks

World Series: Red Sox over Mets in reversal of 1986.

AL Cy Young: Josh Beckett
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
AL Rookie of the Year: Evan Longoria
AL Manager of the Year: Leyland

NL Cy Young: Johan Santana
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
NL Rookie of the Year: Joey Votto
NL Manager of the Year: Willie Randolph

 

DIVISIONS
AL East - BoSox
AL Central - Tigers
AL West - Angels
Wild Card - Yankees

NL East - the Amazins
NL Central - the Brew-Crew
NL West - the Brooklyn Brown Dodgers
NL Wild Card - the Phils

PLAYOFFS ALDS
Red Sox vs Angels - Red Sox
Tigers vs Yankees - Tigers
NLDS
Mets vs. Brew - Mets
Phils vs. Dodgers - Phils
ALCS
Red Sox vs. Tigers - Tigers
NLCS
Mets vs. Phils - Phils
WORLD SERIES
Tigers vs. Phils - Tigers in 6

i pick the phils to beat the mets because...well, fuck the mets.

 

First manager fired: Yost

(By the all-star break, please!)

 

Over under on "Fuck this fucking team" posts by AQB: 94.

Number of Twins games I will attend, in protest: 0

Number of hits for Joe Mauer: 187

Number of Johan-induced orgasms spnited will have: 42

Number of grueling fantasy exchanges BYH and I will have: 884

Money League titles for yours truly at the end of the year: 2

 

Please let it be over.

You forgot one ... Number of Bubbler blow-ups over Ned Yost dumbassary: 162.