2013 MLB Predictions

The 2013 baseball season will soon be upon us.  I as usual will go out on a limb and make my wildly inaccurate baseball picks for the upcoming season.  Picking teams to win in baseball is something I like to do every year.  I cannot wait for the real games to get going.

American League

East

1. Toronto

2. Tampa Bay

3. New York

4. Baltimore

5. Boston

I am all in on the Blue Jays.  On paper that pitching staff looks beyond solid and the lineup looks good enough to score some serious runs.  They fleeced Florida and I think that trade pays off this year. The Rays as usual have a good young pitching staff that will keep them in games but that offense will have trouble scoring enough to be consistent. I don’t like the Yankees at all this season.  They have gotten really old at a number of positions. Their outfield looks anemic on paper.  It will take some magic to get to the post season this year. Whatever could go right did so last year for the Orioles and they rode their good fortune into a surprising post season berth that no one saw coming. I just don’t think they were as good as their record indicated and they will have a tough time repeating that success.  The Red Sox were a mess and dumped a lot of salaries. It wasn’t the worst idea but now they are left with a void of talent.  That means it is rebuild time in Bean Town and someone has to finish last in this division.

Central

1. Detroit

2. Kansas City

3. Chicago

4. Cleveland

5. Minnesota

On paper the Tigers are clearly the class of this one.  However, on paper they were last year as well and barely squeaked in to a division title. Of course they will score runs and the rotation is excellent.  The bullpen does scare me a tad but they have enough to win this one.  Every year we hear about the talent the Royals have in the farm system and that this could be the year they become respectable.  Well this season I think they finally do.  I love for the short term the Shields trade.  This team has lacked a front of the rotation arm since Bret Saberhagen.  He leads a nice pitching staff and if the young guys hit they will be dangerous. The White Sox played above their heads last year and got great years from a lot of if guys.  And again if Rios and Dunn are able to duplicate what they did they will be right there.  I just don’t buy it and the heart of the lineup is not getting any younger.  But I like the rotation so, maybe they can contend again. A lot of people like the Indians this year.  I am not one of them.  You don’t give Nick Swisher that kind of money.  I still don’t think their rotation is anything to get excited about and if you can’t pitch you are not going to win that many games.  The Twins are in a funk.  This was the model franchise in a lot of ways about 7-8 years ago.  But the Mauer and Morneau contracts have killed them and they have not really produced the young talent like they used to.  The margin of error is so small for teams like Minnesota and now you see why they have to be almost perfect in their talent evaluation. 

West

1. Texas

2. Oakland

3. Anaheim

4. Seattle

5. Houston

This one is a tossup, but despite some huge losses I think the Rangers re-group and take the west.  The pitching will be the key.  I still think they score enough to surprise some people and win this thing.  The A’s literally came out of nowhere to win the west last year.  Say what you want about Billy Beane but the guy does a hell of a job with limited resources.  The young pitching they have is quite good and they will score just enough to be in most games, almost built on the Tampa model. The Angles on paper should roll but something about this team just does not sit well with me.  The parts are solid. Pujos, Hamilton and Trout is beyond potent.  But I don’t like the chemistry and I think this could go south real quick. The Mariners will be better.  I like the move to get Morse and with King Felix leading the staff they might flirt with .500 this year.  The Astros might challenge the 1962 Mets.  That is how bad they are.  Young and inexperienced and switching leagues, it will not be pretty. 

National League

East

1. Washington

2. Philadelphia

3. Atlanta

4. New York

5. Florida

The Nationals are loaded on the mound and one adage I have always believed is that pitching wins ballgames.  They can also hit a little as well. This team should be very good.  The Phillies are old and a lot of people are predicting a bad season.  But, name a better first three then Haladay, Hamels and Lee?  That pitching will keep them competitive and I think they get one more good season from Howard and Utley to keep them in the race.  The Braves are a trendy pick and I do like them.  I just like the two teams I picked ahead of them a tad better.  For all of the Upton love neither player really has ever lived up to all the hype.  The Mets are not a good team.  Still, they have some nice players and David Wright is a true star.  But I worry that their pitching is not deep enough.  Maybe in a year or two they will get back to being competitive.  The Marlins are a joke.  No one is going to tell me that trade was anything less than an embarrassment to the game.  That owner is a fraud and lower then the lowest greasy used car salesman you can find.  A total disgrace and I hope they draw about 10,000 fans for the year because that is what they deserve. 

Central

1. Cincinnati

2. St. Louis

3. Chicago

4. Milwaukee

5. Pittsburgh

The Reds are clearly the class of this division.  I do question the logic of turning Chapman into a starter and Choo into a centerfielder.  And we all know Dusty will shit the bed come playoff time.  That train is never late.  The Cardinals are as always right in the thick of things.  I do question their pitching staff with the loss of Carpenter now.  But in a weak race they will finish second.  I may be drinking the kool-aid but I think my Cubs will be vastly improved and it all starts with the pitching. If the team stays intact and Garza cam get back and stay healthy we have five legit starters.  Offense will be the issue but I could see a 72 win season on the north side.  The Brewers are a mess.  If Braun gets suspended, then this will be the Titanic.  Other then Gallardo their pitching is very weak.  The Pirates the last two years have been a total tease.  But, I still don’t buy it and this year I think we see the real Pirates.  They have been playing over their heads the last couple of years and I see some regression in 2013. 

West

1. San Francisco

2. Los Angelas

3. Arizona

4. San Diego

5. Colorado

I like the Giants simply because they are the champs and they seem to always find a way even if on paper you look and think how in the hell do they win.  If they can get Lincecum back on track they will be tough.  The Dodgers on paper look to be unbeatable.  That pitching staff looks to be really good.  But yet there is something off about this team.  I am not sure how Grienke will handle the bright lights of LA and a lot of their stars have flamed out in other places.  We will see what happens.  It is hard to understand what the Diamondbacks are doing exactly.  That Upton trade did not make a ton of sense.  Still with that said this team still has a chance. They can pitch and when you can pitch you will hang around.  The Padres are a very non-descript team without really any household names.  But, Chase Headly can mash and there are some good young arms here.  But, they will struggle to score runs.  The Rockies are kind of a mess. Their rotation is very suspect and Tulo and CarGo just don’t seem like the same players anymore.  But, anything can happen and maybe it all gels again for them.

Playoffs

AL

Wild Card

Tampa Bay over Oakland

Division Series

Toronto over Texas

Detroit over Tampa Bay

ALCS

Detroit over Toronto

NL

Wild Card

Los Angeles over Philadelphia

Division Series

San Francisco over Cincinnati

Washington over Los Angeles

NLCS

Washington over San Francisco

World Series

Washington over Detroit

The Rosemont Cubs?

Before I even begin this vent I want to state right out, that if anyone actually thinks for one second that the Cubs are actually going to move to Rosemont then I have a nice bridge I can sell you in Brooklyn.  With that out of the way I like most Cub fans have an opinion about this whole situation.  This very topic is the very reason I no longer listen to sports radio.  Sure it is a hot button issue but not to sound pompous but the unintelligent, meathead things I heard the other day as I against my better judgment turned on the radio almost made my head explode.

First off, if you are too big of a suburban pussy to learn how to actually take trains then do me a personal favor and don’t go to Wrigley Field.  I grew up in the burbs and I still live in one.  But, somehow I was able to take ten minutes and actually figure out how the CTA works.  It really isn’t that difficult.  Ok, you don’t want to take a train, fine.  All weekend and night games you can park at Devry University and catch a shuttle bus.  It costs $6 and I have never seen that lot filled to capacity. 

I am so sick and tired of hearing how it is a pain to get to Wrigley.  For those thinking that Rosemont is the answer have you ever driven anywhere near O’Hare airport on a Friday afternoon?  The traffic in that area rivals Toyko at rush hour.  And how about that airport and its proximity to the proposed site, does anyone remember watching a Mets game at Shea Stadium? If you thought the airplane noise was bad there can you imagine how bad it would be at this location?  I don’t know, you may not want to place a ball park that close to an airport, unless history means nothing to you.

I know all the arguments.  Wrigley is outdated, it hampers the Cubs ability to spend money, we don’t have a jumbotron, the clubhouse is small and so forth.  I have answers to all of those issues.  Of course it would depend on the city and Alderman Tuney excuse my obvious metaphor, to play ball. I know the chances of that happening are about the same as me being elected People’s sexiest man alive but I can dream can’t I?

First off, yes the park is outdated and needs some upgrades. It is almost 100 years old for god’s sake.  But you see that is what makes it great and also exposes a bigger issue in society.  We have this need to tear everything down and make everything look the same.  It’s like as long as there is a WalMart and Denny’s in close proximity to anywhere I am in this country everything will be ok. 

What makes Wrigley great is that it is not like any other park. Name the last new ballpark that was not built within the city limits and instead was built in the suburbs?  Teams figured out by using Wrigley as a model that working a park into a city’s landscape gives it character.  Have you been to PNC in Pittsburgh? That park is right downtown and is spectacular.  You cross the Clemente Bridge and view that skyline when you sit in your seat which creates a beautiful background to watch a game.  Much like the backdrop at Wrigley does. The park is part of a neighborhood and I for one like that.  I don’t want it sitting in a sterile suburb surrounded by parking lots and a TGI Fridays. 

With that said it will take some money to update the park.  The best idea I have heard is building a clubhouse and batting cages and such underground.  I know this won’t be an easy task but that is why engineers make a shit load of money.  I for one could care less about signage and advertising inside the park.  Put it wherever you want. If it helps pay for one free agent then god bless. 

Yes with a lack of parking it does take a huge chunk out of the Cubs revenue stream.  This is why on some weekend games I saw parking near the park for as high as $50.  My answer to this is how many other teams generate revenue from rooftop owners?  How many other teams sell tickets based purely on the park they play in?  Wrigley Field is a tourist destination something I have never been ashamed about.  People come from all over the world to see our park and I am supposed to be embarrassed about that.  I wear that badge with pride. 

I for one don’t feel the need or want a jumbotron.  I feel this may be a losing battle however.  I know it generates money in that you can sell advertising on it.  I get that.  But, part of what makes Wrigley great is that the focus is on the what is on the field itself not all the bells and whistles.  We don’t need a fan o’meter to tell us when to cheer.  We don’t need a kiss cam between innings to keep our attention. The park itself is so beautiful and picturesque that we just enjoy being there.

Another argument I hear is that Wrigley Field hampers the Cubs ability to compete.  To that I say over the last thirty baseball seasons the Cubs have made the postseason six times winning five division titles in that span.  No, that is not on par with the Yankees and of course I would like to see even more winning but they have proven you can win in that ballpark.  Yes, they bottomed out in the playoffs but how is that Wrigley Fields fault?  I tend to think the reasons they did not win in all those other seasons was that they didn't have the talent to compete.  Yes, having video monitoring, real batting cages and a modern clubhouse would be  nice and I do think is something the Cubs need to address with any remodeling plans.  But spare me the argument that playing in Wrigley Field is why the Cubs have not won a World Series.

I know the rooftop owners have Alderman Tunney in their pocket and he is a politician and will do what all politicians do and drag his feet until he knows his rich campaign donors are taken care of.  It is sad but typical.  I hold out hope that Wrigley gets the facelift it deserves and the Cubs continue to play in the greatest venue in all of sports.  I hope that happens without a noise polluting junbotron. But all of that is background fodder to the thing I have been holding out hope for my entire life.  That one day the Chicago Cubs will be World Series Champions.  When that happens and it will, all the pain, heartache and suffering will all be worth it.