Back in March, I made my 2007 Baseball Predictions where I made my picks for division winners and the wild card. I thought it’d be an appropriate time to revisit those picks to see how I’ve fared thus far.
AL East: Yankees
OK, so the Red Sox look like they’re pretty comfortable atop the AL East. But the Yankees have quietly been playing some pretty decent ball lately. Two months ago, the Sox lead over the Yankees was 14 games. Now as July is coming to a close, the Bronx Bombers have cut that deficit in half. It’s still a bit of a stretch, but the Pinstripers will only get healthier from this point on (Philip Hughes, Jason Giambi, Doug Mientwiczkdieakd or whatever his name is). Don’t sleep on Torre’s boys.
AL Central: Tigers
I’ve been pretty surprised by the Indians this year; I think they’re for real. But the Tigers are the superior team. I’d be surprised to see the Tigers cough up the division lead this year. Their bullpen is on the mend and it sounds like they’ll be players in whatever trade market develops over the next week. They could win it all, in my opinion.
AL West: Angels
I love the way this organization is run. Pitching, speed, defense…this is a baseball fan’s kind of team. It seems like they’re always one bat away from being an elite team, but I think they’re built for October as is. And who knew that the Mariners would be this competitive? I sure didn’t see that one coming. I guess you’re a lot smarter than we thought, Bill Bavasi.
AL Wild Card: Red Sox
All right, well, I can’t be right about all of ’em. This should be a pretty good race between the Indians, Mariners and Yanks. If I had to pick one, I’m going with New York.
NL East: Phillies
I admitted from the get go that this division was wide open and I was right. I suppose the Phillies have a Phigtin’ chance here, but I’m willing to modify my pick here. The team I like the most here is Atlanta. Their lineup is as solid as anybody’s 1-7 (although they make up for it by inexplicably playing Julio Franco at 1B more than they should). Smoltz and Hudson give them a pretty formidable 1-2 punch atop the rotation. If they can somehow acquire another arm, I think they’ll be set (although in order to do so, they’ll likely have to part with Salty).
NL Central: Brewers
Some scoffed when I picked the Brew Crew to win the NL Central. But they’ve proven they’re here to stay since storming out of the gates strong in April and May. Not to go all Nostradamus on you, but here’s what I said before the season:
Look for big things from Corey Hart, a multi-tool outfielder who Yost loves. This team has a great blend of veteran depth and youthful hunger. The biggest question will be whether or not Ben Sheets can finally stay healthy. If so, it could be a good year for the Beer-makers.
Looks like I was right about Hart. And, predictably, Ben Sheets has gotten hurt (again). The difference maker for the Brewers might be Yovanni Gallardo, who’s taken Sheets spot in the rotation. The kid is lights out. This might be the beginning of a run of division titles in Milwaukee.
NL West: Padres
I went oppo here as well, picking San Diego over Los Angeles. Although the Fathers are slipping somewhat, they’re still only a game or so back from the Dodgers. With the kind of pitching they have, I fully expect them to be in this thing until the end. For the record, I picked the Dodgers to win the NL Wild Card, so I can take credit for their success, too!
Well, there you have it. Just for the record, that’s 3 division leaders I picked outright (Milwaukee, Detroit, Anaheim) and 3 other clubs that are definitely in the hunt (Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles). But who’s counting, right?!
Jim Leyland has done a whole lot to fire up those Tigers. I really do think they could possibly make a run.Now, as a die hard Yankees fan, I must admit that about 3 months into the season, I almost gave up on them. There is no reason whatsoever they shouldn’t have the best record in baseball, even with their injuries. And, even though for their past 10 games or so, and their next 10 games or so, they are playing teams with under.500 records, its giving them some confidence. They have scored like 4000 runs in the past 5 games. The only problem is that that Boston continues to win as well.
I see the Brewers going all the way this year! Just a hunch!
Sunny, I seem to remember you picking the Cubs to win it all. Oddly enough, that could happen, the way they’re playing. I hate the Cubs….Lane, if the Yanks have made up 7 games in two months, they can certainly make up 7 more in the remaining two months. What’s more, they’re only 4 games back in the wild card. The giant is awake.
I can change my mind. Maybe the Cubs will go all the way next year.
Changing your mind….Typical.I’d rather you change your mind on this baseball stuff than on the placement of the bedroom furniture. Please don’t make me move all that furniture!
You know that I’ve been wanting to since we moved in back in March!
And I’ve avoided bringing it up ever since!
Are we still talking baseball?
Sorry…I don’t know how my blog digressed into couples therapy.
Yeah I feel pretty dumb for making fun of your Brewers pick. I think God made the Brewers play well just to put me in my place. But, can you blame me for it? I mean, after all, it is the Brewers!