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Mid-Season Awards ---> Rest of 2009 predictions

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:34:08 EDT

Well, a disappointing 2009 for me as a Cubs fan so far. I'm hoping to see the Cubs turn it around, get a few games above .500 and win the division. Anyway, my point wasn't to gripe about how poorly the Cubs are playing, this is the mid-season edition, looking at who's doing well, and who's not... Without further ado, let's start with the MVP awards:

AL MVP

Torii Hunter - Los Angeles Angels

.305 BA, 17 HR, 65 RBI, .380 OBP, .938 OPS

My All-Stars ---> as of June 21st (ish), 2008

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 2:04:52 EDT

Since the All-Star Voting isn't all that it is cut out to be, here is my list of All-Stars, those players who are most deserving and should be playing on the national stage (I'm basing the positions off of what the All-Star ballot lists those players as): American League

Position Players

Starters

1B Justin Morneau - Minnesota Twins

2009 Pre-season College Football Poll

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 11:18:53 EDT

Here's my entry for TBDPITL 1. Florida Gators - I bet it's great to be a Florida Gator. The defending champs return much of their national championship team and are the clear favorites for the title once again this year.

2. Texas Longhorns - I still don't like Colt McCoy. I hardly ever felt he had the mental (and sometimes physical) toughness to be playing at such a high level at D-I college football for a team in the Big XII conference. Last year changed my opinion somewhat on him. If he has a great senior year, there might not be a whole lot stopping the Longhorns from charging through the Big XII once again.

3. Southern Cal Trojans - Pete Carroll always seems to throw out a very talented team onto the football field. Of course, he also seems to lose to a lesser team at least once a year ever since Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush left. Who will be that team this year? Can somebody dethrone the Trojans?

GBR203's MLB Standings and Other Stuff for 2009

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 1:03:34 EDT

All right... So, Spring Training is about to start and people have been wondering who will be in the '09 playoffs. Well, I just couldn't wait for Manny Ramirez to get signed, so I just decided what the heck and I'll fix them whenever Manny gets signed. I apologize, I don't have the team logos, it keeps making them large, I have no idea why I can't fix it... I've decided to add playoff projections and projected lineups and starters (don't have the bullpen) (as according to CBS (all stats are from 2008 season)). I just have AL East so far, I'll do the rest later..

AL East

New York Yankees - The addition of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, though both have had injuries in their past help the New York rotation while Mark Teixeira (I can never spell his name right) will provide some extra power.

MLB Predictions for 2009

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 2:07:54 EST

For the two people that do happen to follow my blog at all for any of the predictions I do (which are usually beginning of the season), I've been thinking about posting them, but Manny Ramirez has yet to be signed. Seeing as that will heavily influence my decisions, especially for the NL West (seeing as a lot of the action is there), I'm holding off on my predictions until he gets signed. I know Ben Sheets remains a free agent among a couple other big names (Ken Griffey Jr. was just signed by the way), Manny's signing will indicate the timing of my predictions. Last year was an OK year for my predictions...though I can't remember them all that much... Anyway..that is all..

Final Regular Season Poll

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:14:49 EST

Well, here's the link to my pre-season poll so that you can compare this one to that one. Hope you enjoy this and enjoy the bowl season. I might have something special up for the bowl season, but we'll see...

Pre-season poll

1. Florida Gators (12-1) (8-1) - Counting the SEC championship game within the record, the Florida Gators had an outstanding season. There were concerns about the defense to begin the year, but the Gators were able to go against these odds and are now SEC champs and in the national championship game.

Bowl Game: National Championship vs. No. 2 Oklahoma - Jan. 8

Remaining 2008 Husker schedule

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 1:30:55 EDT

Well, the Huskers are about where I expected them to be. 4-3 after a win against Iowa State, a pretty good win as a matter of fact. Despite the 5 forced fumbles, the Huskers played well for most of the game. The defense has stepped up and the offense, led by Joe Ganz, hopes to continue successful production as we head into the last 5 games. I think in these last five games (vs. Baylor, @ Oklahoma, vs. Kansas, @ Kansas State, vs. Colorado) that the Huskers should win at least 2 of them, if not 3 of them. Here's what I think.

vs. Baylor - October 25

The Huskers should win this game. Baylor is a tougher team than in previous year though. They did destroy Iowa State in Waco on October 11th. The way the Huskers played against Iowa State, if that's any indicator of future performance, should help pave the way for a victory against Baylor.

The Cubs' 2008 Year in Review

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:30:16 EDT

A memorable season that was, is, and is to come. You got Ron Santo going crazy again, Len Kasper making those memorable calls that all Cubs fans love to hear. The crowd singing "Go Cubs Go" to the tune of 55 home wins. 42-38 on the road isn't all that shabby either. That's 2nd best in the national league only behind the Philadelphia Phillies. Lou Piniella making the move to switch Kerry Wood out of the starting rotation and bringing Ryan Dempster into it. Reed Johnson (March 25th), Jim Edmonds (May 15th), and Rich Harden (July 9th along w/ Chad Gaudin; E-Pat, Matt Murton, and a catching prospect sent to the Athletics) becoming Cubs players during the season. Some statistical things to review:

Chicago Cubs --- NL Central Division champs --- 97-64, 7.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers

NCAA Football Conference Standings Predictions

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 0:01:46 EDT

Well..the first time I tried this, it got totally messed up. So anyway, here are my predictions as to how teams will finish record-wise and in their respective conferences. Have fun reading, enjoy, and hopefully you'll have some comments to share. I'm liking how this football season is shaping up to be a good one. I apologize for the unevenness.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Atlantic W-L Conf.

Florida State 10-2 6-2

Preseason Top 25

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 8:11:04 EDT

I don't know if I'll be using the preseason poll as I continue to post weekly polls once the season starts. I'll also be having a later one where I'll have where I think teams will be finishing, many projections yet to come from me, including the conference standings and possibly bowl games (though not likely, if requested, then fine, I'll try). Without further ado, my preseason top 25.

Edit note: I had completely forgotten to include Clemson. It wasn't as if I hadn't forgotten about how good Clemson could be this year, it's that I thought I had included them, so I had it in the back of my mind and just went on. Sorry ECU fans..The Pirates are no longer on the list. I hate admitting my mistakes..but this was a REAL slip-up on my part.

MLB midseason awards & 2nd half predictions

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:25:56 EDT

AL MVP:

Josh Hamilton : Texas Rangers

Stats: .312 BA 21 HR 93 RBI .368 OBP .558 SLG .926 OPS 6 for 6 on Stolen Bases

While Hamilton plays for a team that isn't necessarily great, he has been a big part of why the Texas Rangers are above .500 right now. 4 games above .500 to be exact. Still in striking distance, the Rangers have relied heavily on the bat of Josh Hamilton. He, and Milton Bradley, have been two of the better offensive players in the entire league. While Hamilton does strike out a little more than some people may want, he hits for great power and he drives runners in. If he continues to play like this, we could very well see him get 170 RBIs this year.

Who got the better deal?

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 1:20:09 EDT

Well, the question is, who got the better deal between the Cubs getting Rich Harden (and Chad Gaudin) from the Athletics and the Brewers getting C.C. Sabathia (and no one else) from the Indians. Well, if you want to be technical, we don't know who got the better deal. Maybe I should rephrase the question to say, who will have the better deal. I'll make a couple of predictions and scenarios here.

Now, I believe that the Brewers will have the better deal getting Sabathia to come play for them. He is a proven winner (defending AL Cy Young Award winner), he played on a winning team (see '07 Indians), and he is a gamer. Take a look at CC's stats, he went 19-7 last year w/ an ERA of 3.21. He struck out 209 and walked 37. He's already 2 over that walk total, but no need to worry. This year (if you combine his start w/ the Brewers), he is 7-8 with an ERA of 3.79. He has struck out 128 and walked 39. Sabathia's 2006 was a great year also. This guy is for real. The Brewers have definitely the best 1-2 punch in the NL w/ Sheets and Sabathia. (I have changed my mind)

My All-Star Selections through 6/30/08

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 3:42:19 EDT

All right..here it goes..not in any particular batting order and I'll add on pitchers also later in the post. (the way it should be by the way, I realize Carlos Quentin isn't on the ballot...)

Lineups

American League

1B Justin Morneau - Minnesota Twins

My All Star selections

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:32:00 EDT

Here's who I have so far

American League

C Joe Mauer --- Minnesota Twins

1B Justin Morneau --- Minnesota Twins

Nebraska Spring Game

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:48:25 EDT

Well..The Huskers won first of all... Woo!

Second off, watching the offense, it was a little sloppy for the red and the white team. A lot of overthrown balls by Zac Lee and Beau Davis. Joe Ganz was accurate, but the receivers weren't catching for him. Patrick Witt also had some trouble. The defense played well for both the Red and the White. A fumble returned for a touchdown in the first quarter really exemplified how well the defense played. Armando Murillo made a nice catch also on an interception. Not much yardage, and like I said, sloppy offensive play, which also included a Quinton Castille fumble.

I would've been interested in seeing Niles Paul and Menelik Holt some more this year along with getting to see Marcus Mendoza and Roy Helu Junior.

Some suggestions for Piniella

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:09:55 EDT

Even though some good things have been done with the lineups lately, I have a couple of things I could suggest to Piniella while Alfonso Soriano is out..

We could have a lineup like this.

SS Ryan Theriot

CF Reed Johnson

The Real Losers?

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:24:58 EDT

I've been thinking about how the Cubs have been labeled losers of the past century only because we have failed to win a WS title since 1908 (not to mention not winning the NL Pennant since 1945). It got me to thinking though...are we the ultimate losers? I don't really think so. Sure, it's been a little miserable not seeing a WS title hoisted in Chicago's north side since for 99 season, but technically, I don't think we should be labeled "losers." It got me to thinking, remember last year when the Philadelphia Phillies became the first team to reach 10,000 losses? Sure, they've been successful in recent years, but yet, they still only have 1 World Series title (compared to the Cubs' two) and have won the pennant only 5 times compared to the Cubs' 16 (granted, the Cubs have been a team for 7 years longer). Do you think the label of "losers" should be planted onto the Phillies? Maybe, maybe not, the choice is yours. Just some food for thought..

Why in the world are people ALREADY crying...

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 0:18:16 EDT

...about Kerry Wood? He pitches one bad inning and people have the guts to say, "the same old" Kerry Wood??? The same old Kerry Wood was the pitcher that had the most electrifying stuff in baseball. He was able to lead the Cubs and be the strikeout pitcher that he is. Be patient. Kerry Wood has the veteran presence and he's adjusting. He's used to being a starter, but has learned how to pitch out of the bullpen. This is a learning experience and everyone just has to be patient. Same thing goes for Eric Gagne. He isn't learning, but he was at once the best closer in the game. I can't believe how unbelievably patient some people are...One game doesn't mean a season..

..Just like this loss doesn't mean a season...

What if version of my picks

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 13:24:58 EDT

I was thinking..what if Georgia and Illinois does win? I have 3 more sets of predictions if they happen to win their respective tourneys. You'll figure out which is which.

America East (1) - MARYLAND-BALTIMORE COUNTY

Atlantic Ten (4) - Xavier, Saint Joseph's, Massachusetts, TEMPLE

Atlantic Coast (4) - NORTH CAROLINA, Duke, Miami (FL), Clemson

NCAA Tourney teams by conference - as of March 15

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 13:24:30 EDT

Remember, all caps means that they I think they will/already have received the auto-bid. These are as of March 15th, 2008 and a big fat mess.

America East (1) - MARYLAND-BALTIMORE COUNTY

Atlantic Ten (4) - Xavier, Saint Joseph's, Massachusetts, TEMPLE

Atlantic Coast (4) - NORTH CAROLINA, Duke, Miami (FL), Clemson

NCAA Tourney teams by conference - as of March 11

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:17:42 EDT

Updated..

Time for another tough round of predicting. These are as of March 11th's results, it's not too terribly great.... All caps are the auto-bid predictions/already haves.

America East (1) - MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY

Atlantic Ten (3) - XAIVER, Dayton, Massachusetts

NCAA Tourney teams by conference - as of Thurs.

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:53:29 EDT

Just decided to put it on my blog too..

These are my picks as of Thursday March 6th's games. Remember, the all caps teams are the auto-bid winners

America East (1) - MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY

Atlantic Ten (3) - XAIVER, Saint Joseph's, Massachusetts

Nebraska and Creighton B-ball

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:43:44 EST

First off, looking at Nebraska, they are on a 3 game win streak which were against Texas A&M, Kansas State, and Oklahoma. I think the daggers in their hearts, though, were the losses against Iowa State and Missouri that preceded this 3 game win streak. Nebraska has a tough match-up against Texas before they encounter must-win situations against Oklahoma State and Colorado. What's important here, though, is that the Huskers are finally learning Doc's style. They have matured and are playing with a whole lot more intensity. Nebraska fans sure are excited for some post-season basketball..

As for Creighton, they are now coming off a loss to Illinois State. This team cannot, I repeat, cannot make it to the NCAAs through virtue of an at-large bid. They need to win the Missouri Valley Conference tourney to make it to the NCAAs. Been looking at this team lately, and they're just young and learning. P'Allen Stinnett should become a great player in the upcoming years. Hopefully Creighton finds some way to right the ship and capture the MVC tourney...

Giants over Patriots - not THAT big a deal..

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:40:55 EST

So what? The Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Every year we see a team win the Super Bowl. So how's this any different that any of the other Super Bowls? I'll admit, this was a giant upset, but if the media gives it a full month's worth of attention, then it just spoils the teams and all of the fun. It's not that big a deal. If you all remember, the Giants were losers by 3 points the last week of the regular season to the Patriots. Sure, they were an NFC Wild Card team, but still..the Giants knew they could hang with the Patriots and ended up beating them. Sure, it stopped the Pats' run for an undefeated season, but it's not like this is the biggest upset in sports history. To sum it all up, this Super Bowl is like all of the other Super Bowls, a team won and a team lost. Don't play it out like it's really that big a deal.

NCAA Tourney teams by conference

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:03:51 EST

Well, here we go. This isn't necessarily by who's at the top now..but by who I think will make it. All caps is the predicted conference tourney winner. Well, shall we start?

Please make note that I posted these before I saw any results of the games from Wednesday, January 30th. Will be updated in 2 weeks or less..

America East (1) - MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY

Atlantic Ten (4) - XAIVER, Dayton, Rhode Island, Massachusetts

Some early divisional predictions

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 12:39:25 EST

As baseball season gets nearer, and looking at some of the moves that have been made around MLB..I'll make some early predictions for this season..

AL East

Boston Red Sox

New York Yankees

Some thoughts

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 7:02:40 EST

Looking at the way the college basketball has been going, I've noticed that this season is providing with it's usual surprises and disappointments. Looking at the surprises, I've got...

Mississippi at 15-1(2-1) with their only loss being to Tennessee, Ole Miss has gotten some good wins on their belt. Ole Miss has wins against Winthrop, Clemson, and most recently Florida. This team is making a beeline for the NCAA Tourney and looks like a strong entry.

Drake 15-1 (6-0) with their only loss being to a strong Saint Mary's team that's going to give Gonzaga a run for their money in the West Coast Conference. Drake beat their lowly in-state rivals Iowa and Iowa State (winning this one by 35 points) and have also beaten the likes of Southern Illinois, Missouri State, and Bradley. Can Drake help the Mizzou Valley get 3 along w/ the next team on this list?

Blog info

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:16:50 EST

Well..I've decided to stay a little on topic and try this blog option.. I'll probably talk about MLB, NCAAF, and NCAAB with a little randomness added in. Not a big NFL, NBA, or NHL fan... though I will pay a little attention to the Panthers and Magic and very little to the Minnesota Wild. Anyway.. I probably won't update this often..but thought I'd put a post in for the heck of it...

Go Big Red!