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Post by GEO on Mar 21, 2009 18:35:16 GMT -5
From past experience, the NL East will provably be represented more than any other division. Keep all general discussion in here. Use this thread to talk about the games, the injuries, and anything else. Make a new thread if it's a big story.
Let me start by saying: do the Phils have any shot as repeating as not only division champs, but World Series champs?
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Post by wiz'wit08 on Mar 22, 2009 15:47:14 GMT -5
As I said in a separate post, the Phillies have a great shot to repeat if Hamels is healthy, they're my pick to win it all. Below is my thoughts on the NL East and where they will place at the end of the season.
1.) The Phillies kept almost all of their World Championship team and Ibanez is piling up the RBI's already, Phillies will win the division closely again.
2.) The Mets have "improved" but being choke artists I am not worried. I do think that this may be the year where both the Mets and Phillies make the playoffs. Talk about an entertaining NLCS!
3.) The Braves are looking like a great team again, hopefully the Phil's can continue to beat Lowe but he is going to be a problem for all the teams.
4.) The Marlins are in the same boat as the Nat's with some good young pitching in Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco, as well as their new set up man Leo Nunez. and not to forget the incredible Hanley Ramierez and All-Star Dan Uggla.
5.) The Nationals aren't necessarily good but they can beat teams enough to be annoying. The addition of Adam Dunn makes their lineup more powerful as well and based on his WBC performance hes going to have a good year.
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Post by Nyi28nhl on Mar 22, 2009 17:47:16 GMT -5
The Mets have choked two years in a row, no doubt. That said, it's very wrong to not worry about them because of that. Especially now with a bullpen tandem of K-Rod and Putz, far from an injured Billy Wagner. IMO they take the division and the Phills take the WC. If you ask me, the Phillies made a big mistake letting Burrell in favor of signing Ibanez.
Braves a a huge question mark to me. They'll either be strong and take the division, or be out of it by August.
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Post by GEO's Backup Account on Mar 22, 2009 18:00:47 GMT -5
I can see the Phils winning the division, but not the Wild Card (I think it'll go to a team in the West) and I don't see them repeating, for the simple fact that it is so hard to repeat.
The East is going to come down to the Braves, Phils, and Mets and which team can stay healthy throughout the season. That being said, put my money on the Mets to be the last one standing when the dust settles.
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Post by philliesphan on Mar 22, 2009 18:36:05 GMT -5
Unless something drastic happens, I find it hard to believe that anybody but the Phillies will win the NL east. I think the Mets will play hard, and come close, but I still think the Phillies will win. As for repeating the World Series, I dunno about that. I'd love for it to happen, but two in a row, geez that'd be tough.
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Post by iPatriot on Mar 23, 2009 19:01:47 GMT -5
I agree with GEO. The Mets improved far more than any other team in the division. They've developed a reputation as chokes as a result of the past two seasons and how do they respond? By going out and grabbing one of the best stoppers in the league in KRod, and a former closer in Putz to set him up. They've theoretically made a 9 inning game into a 7 inning game.
That being said, I think the time has to be now for the Mets. Delgado, Beltran, and Castillo are all aging. They have no choice but to make this year the year. If their rotation doesn't blow up (though outside of Johan there is that possibility) I think they take the division.
As for the Braves, what made them great for a decade and a half was their pitching. Glavine, Smoltz, Maddux. It doesn't get much better than that. I think they've realized this and gotten back to it acquiring Lowe, Vazquez,and Kawakami this offseason (as well as Glavine, though he's a shell of his younger self). Jurjens and Hanson are two young guys who can anchor the staff for years to come.
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Post by BlackOps on Mar 23, 2009 21:05:09 GMT -5
Ibanez is a downgrade from Burrell... it was a mistake.
Almost all sabermetrics models peg the Mets between 89 and 92 games, while the Braves and Phils both come between 84 and 87.
Also, the Mets did not "choke" last year. pfft. 2007 was different, it was historic. It was a major choke job. Last year, they just couldn't hold on with Luis Ayala and Aaron Heilman's bad side running the pen. It's even possible this season that Wagner returns by August, and that would make this year's pen quite possibly the best bullpen ever.
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Post by philliesphan on Mar 24, 2009 17:15:05 GMT -5
Ibanez is a downgrade from Burrell... it was a mistake. Are you kidding me? Look at their stats on baseball-reference.com. Burrell has 10 more home runs, but has less doubles, less hits, far worse batting average, and less RBIs. Anybody that thinks Burrell is better than Ibanez clearly has done no research on this subject...
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Post by Nyi28nhl on Mar 24, 2009 18:08:28 GMT -5
Ibanez is a downgrade from Burrell... it was a mistake. Are you kidding me? Look at their stats on baseball-reference.com. Burrell has 10 more home runs, but has less doubles, less hits, far worse batting average, and less RBIs. Anybody that thinks Burrell is better than Ibanez clearly has done no research on this subject... You're likely looking at the wrong stats. Burrell creates 0.7 more runs per game in 2008 (and Burrell had a career down year in that category, while Ibanez had one of his best). Burrell's OBP is higher than Ibanez in every year. Ibanez creates more outs per plate appearance. Burrell has 5 more career Batting Wins. OPS isn't even really close.. Burrell wins that one too.
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Post by wiz'wit08 on Mar 26, 2009 16:52:03 GMT -5
"They've theoretically made a 9 inning game into a 7 inning game." The Phillies have a much more potent offense and retained the best bullpen of last year headed by a perfect closer with more strikeouts, wins, an equal amt of walks, and a lower ERA than K-Rod. I thought the Phil's bullpen had proved itself a force to be reckoned with but i guess not.
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Post by iPatriot on Mar 26, 2009 17:03:22 GMT -5
First, I said nothing about the Phillies bullpen at all let alone in comparison to the Mets. All I said was the the Mets have improved their bullpen. Is that true? You'd be crazy to say it wasn't.
Secondly, I am a big Lidge fan, and was very proud to see him bounce back from his struggles in Houston. You took what I said out of context.
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Post by BlackOps on Mar 27, 2009 13:41:17 GMT -5
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Post by MxHT413 on Mar 28, 2009 13:38:50 GMT -5
Mx's 2 cents Worst to first: 5. Washington Nationals They added some pop in Adam Dunn to add to a team that can put the bat on the ball, but I don't trust the bullpen anchored by Hanrahan and Beimel to hold the games they happen to get a lead in. Also, the rotation looks like something out of "Major League." John Lannan stars as the lone stud, while Daniel Cabrera acts as the veteran Hispanic that can't quite get it done anymore. Then you got the one-man sweatshop in Scott Olsen, followed by 2-3 guys nobody's heard of. What a scrappy group of guys. 4. Florida Marlins Look for them to stay in the hunt and be at the top of the homerun list again. The young pitching could be a huge hit or miss throughout the season. 3. New York Mets iPatriot put it very nicely. They're the aging crew with the improved bullpen and the possible rotation breakdown. I feel like Mike Pelfrey will have a very productive year, but anybody past him and Santana is fair game for a Facebook bumper sticker with FAIL plastered all over it. I think their playoff hopes depend on how much Castillo, Delgado and Ryan Church can produce, and how solid they can be in the field. But what I'm looking forward to most is how they manage to get by when they have to throw someone out there before they get to Putz. "Swing and a long drive! Watch this baby...outta here! Back-to-back homeruns off Pedro Feliciano, and the Phillies take a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the 7th off the bat of Carlos Ruiz!" 2. Atlanta Braves They scare me. Solid lineup, above-average bullpen, and the return of the awesome Atlanta rotation. For right now, I think they're my wildcard pick. 1. Philadelphia Phillies How can you argue with the same team from last year? Set aside the subtle differences between Burrell and Ibanez, and look at a Brett Myers that knows what he's doing (I think). Also, take a peek at the now-painless Chase Utley, and the further seasoned Carlos Ruiz, who I think can have a very solid year at the plate. No Romero? No problem! We have the always-reliable Scott Eyre for the whole year now, and, what the hell, we have Jack Taschner. If J.A. Happ can be solid in the 5th starter spot, the Phillies are looking extremely scary all the way around.
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Post by BlackOps on Mar 28, 2009 14:34:07 GMT -5
Outside of Delgado, the Mets aren't "aging" at all...
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Post by MxHT413 on Mar 28, 2009 15:16:35 GMT -5
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