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03/05/07 Baseball Begins
It's that time again. Spring training is in the air and people are making their predictions about who is going to win the whole damn thing. Since I am a true baseball fan, I will also participate this fray of sport smarts. This will be a four week process. So get ready for some baseball.
Eastern Divisions
AL
New York vs. Boston
We all know by now that the biggest rivalry in sports is between the "Evil Empire" Yankees and the no longer "cursed" Red Sox. This year will make no difference when it will come down to the final month of the season. As usually, the Yankees will drop out for about two months (unless Derek and A-Rod become incredibly good friends) as Boston will lead for the majority if the first half. Injuries will come, but it is certain that players like David Ortiz from the Red Sox and Jorge Posada from NYY will make a huge difference. There is one last variable that I must say mention. The Toronto Blue Jays last year were second in the division by 1 game in front of Boston and 10 games behind NYY. With a teriffic performance they had last year and new recruitments like A.J. Burret and Frank "The Big Hurt" Thomas, they are surely not going to go down without a fight. My prediction for this division will be that the Red Sox will take the title, but within 3 games of the second place Blue Jays and thrid place Yankees.
NL
Streak is done, but is there a comeback?
Yes, we all know that the Braves ended their streak in the most humiliating fashion. Winding up third and more than 15 games behind of the NL east champs, the New York Mets. This year, they have a shot at making a comeback. With inexperienced players like Pete Orr, Ryan Langerhans and Jeff Francour now having at least two years under their belt, the Braves have stronger team chemistry. Not only that, but their bullpen now has a HUGE boost with Mike Hampton coming back from Tommy Jones surgery. However, both the Mets and Phillies have big advantages on their side. For the Mets, most of players from last year remains with the Mets, which includes talented players like Tom Glavine and Carlos Beltran. For the Phillies, Ryan Howard and Fabio Castro are determined to win the division and the World Series for Philidelphia. My prediction will be that the Phillies comes in third, Braves second and the Mets, for the first time in a while, will win two titles in a row.
I am a huge fan for the Braves and the Red Sox, but I must remain unbiased for the readers of my blogs. I personally want ATL and BOS to win, but I can't argue against stats and rosters. next week, the central will be tackled.
This is Schaffy signing off
*Due to the fact that Baseball is about to start, the previous series of my survival will contunie in April
