Are Tigers Surpassing the Red Sox?

[Bosoxd212]

I don't know what this guy's thinking, it's too early in the season to be making these predictions :

http://www.sportsultra.com/mlb/team/boston_red_sox/72/news.jsp?cp=f&a=507

[GordonGecko]

I don't know what this guy's thinking, it's too early in the season to be making these predictions :

http://www.sportsultra.com/mlb/team/...jsp?cp=f&a=507

It won't be too hard to surpass the Red Sox this season, Boston doesn't have much of a chance. Get your pinstripes ready, this is the Yankees year in Yankee Nation.

[Charger567]

It won't be too hard to surpass the Red Sox this season, Boston doesn't have much of a chance. Get your pinstripes ready, this is the Yankees year in Yankee Nation.

..... Any reason for that? Well, have fun in Yankee nation (New York).

[Silver Blaze]

I don't know what this guy's thinking, it's too early in the season to be making these predictions :

http://www.sportsultra.com/mlb/team/...jsp?cp=f&a=507

When all is said and done it comes back to pitching and defense, and I think Boston has the better pitching.

[KCGHOST]

You're the champ until someone beats you. As for the Tigers, despite the spectacular addition of Cabrera, have serious rotation issues and their bullpen may be iffy. They have some names in their rotation that aren't as good as their reputations. Now if Verlander moves to the elite level and Bonderman and Willis are solid it could be a long year for other teams in the AL. The Tigers might score 1000 runs this year.

[Captain Cold Nose]

As a Tiger fan, I am absolutely taking nothing for granted. No fan of any team, should, although it seems like some from certain cities are doing so.

Spring Training is hardly too early to make a prediction. But a prediction is only a prediction, certainly nothing to get up in arms over.

If Colon is healthy and back to form, frankly . . .

[DoubleX]

The Tigers certainly deserve to be in the conversation, but the Sox return with essentially the same team that won the World Series last year, but now will get more help from promising young players like Buchholz, Lester, Ellsbury, and Lowrie. So you figure they're the team to beat now. Plus, the Tigers, as good as their lineup looks on paper aren't without questions.

[Jager]

The Tigers certainly deserve to be in the conversation, but the Sox return with essentially the same team that won the World Series last year, but now will get more help from promising young players like Buchholz, Lester, Ellsbury, and Lowrie. So you figure they're the team to beat now. Plus, the Tigers, as good as their lineup looks on paper aren't without questions.

I think Lester and Buchholz are big pieces to the puzzle this year. They must have good years in order for us to be an elite team. Frankly at this point you aren't sure what to expect. If we can get a little better than league average ERA's from them, then we should be in good shape. I think the offense will be quite a bit better this year. Lowell won't have as good a year, but Drew should do much better, Lugo can't do much worse, Ellsbury seems like a big upgrade over Crisp (offensively) at this point, and Manny should do better than last year, even if by a slim margin.

[DoubleX]

I think Lester and Buchholz are big pieces to the puzzle this year. They must have good years in order for us to be an elite team. Frankly at this point you aren't sure what to expect. If we can get a little better than league average ERA's from them, then we should be in good shape. I think the offense will be quite a bit better this year. Lowell won't have as good a year, but Drew should do much better, Lugo can't do much worse, Ellsbury seems like a big upgrade over Crisp (offensively) at this point, and Manny should do better than last year, even if by a slim margin.

Yeah, the Sox had some down parts last year that should be up this year, and up parts last year that should be down this year. Going around the diamond, I think Varitek will be about the same, I think Youkilis could actually improve a little (he's due for a good 2nd half), I think Pedroia will regress a little, you have to think Lugo will be better and if not, Lowrie looks like a good hitter, I think Lowell will be a little worse but still good, Manny should be better, I think Crisp could be better if he's out there, if not Ellsbury should be fun to watch, and Drew should be better but he could also miss a lot of time.

[hellborn]

It's the rotation that bothers me the most...Beckett probably can't get an awful lot better, I expect Dice K to improve but there isn't any ML history to back that up on, I don't know if Wake is really healthy again, and the young guys are promising but I hate to count on two of them. I don't want to see Tavarez starting any more. The whole Schilling thing is very disappointing, but counting on old guys is a lot like counting on young guys. Beckett is the only guy who really gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.

BTW, I've also heard that Papi is looking to reduce the strain on his knee from the big cut and has been studying Rod Carew over the winter. He's going to shoot for Hornsby's .424 and dropped the weight so he could beat out more choppers to the left side.
:cap:

[Jager]

It's the rotation that bothers me the most...Beckett probably can't get an awful lot better, I expect Dice K to improve but there isn't any ML history to back that up on, I don't know if Wake is really healthy again, and the young guys are promising but I hate to count on two of them. I don't want to see Tavarez starting any more. The whole Schilling thing is very disappointing, but counting on old guys is a lot like counting on young guys. Beckett is the only guy who really gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.

BTW, I've also heard that Papi is looking to reduce the strain on his knee from the big cut and has been studying Rod Carew over the winter. He's going to shoot for Hornsby's .424 and dropped the weight so he could beat out more choppers to the left side.
:cap:

I have to disagree on one point. I think Beckett can and will get better. He's just now entering his prime, last year he had a career year, and really challenged hitters, and plain out, when he's on people just can't hit him. I would be surprised if he wins the Cy Young this year. I think his ERA could very well drop to the high 2's, and I look for him to put up more innings than the past two years. I think he's going to be outstanding. Think about how automatic he is in the playoffs. Obviosly he can't stay that good over a full season, but let's be serious about this, Beckett is only 27 and can definitely get better in the regular season. In reality you can't improve much in the playoffs, as he's absolutely automatic. Every time he steps to the mound, you expect a win.

[Imgran]

RI = Rhode Island, presumably some combination of a reference his home state, the Pawtucket Red Sox, and the now-defunct former AHL squad called the Rhode Island Reds.

As for the Destroit Tigers I'd like to see them get through a healthy season with the club they have. They'll win a lot of blowouts with that lineup but I suspect that their bullpen will lose them a lot of close games and I don't know who they have left to replace for the inevitable injuries, a real concern with Kenny Rogers, and possibly Willis and Bonderman too.

[hellborn]

I have to disagree on one point. I think Beckett can and will get better. He's just now entering his prime, last year he had a career year, and really challenged hitters, and plain out, when he's on people just can't hit him. I would be surprised if he wins the Cy Young this year. I think his ERA could very well drop to the high 2's, and I look for him to put up more innings than the past two years. I think he's going to be outstanding. Think about how automatic he is in the playoffs. Obviosly he can't stay that good over a full season, but let's be serious about this, Beckett is only 27 and can definitely get better in the regular season. In reality you can't improve much in the playoffs, as he's absolutely automatic. Every time he steps to the mound, you expect a win.

I agree that Beckett can improve, and getting a full season of starts in would be fantastic. But, he went 20-7...maybe he can go 25-4 in an absolutely fantastic year, but he's really about at the top of the charts as far as contributing as a starter, at least the way they are used these days.
I wouldn't agree with the YBF that Dice-K had a good year...it was promising in many ways, but he looked pretty awful at times. And, he's got to get on the same page with Tek on how he wants to pitch his games. Tek calling 80% fastballs from a guy with 5 pitches is just stupid.

[Jager]

The problem with DiceK was that his changeup sucked. That was his best pitch in Japan, and due to the ball being different, it didn't work nearly as well. DiceK was very promising. He tired at the end of the year, but still managed over 200 innings, and 200 K's. Obviously he wasn't great, but he was solid.

[hellborn]

I just don't know how to predict what to expect from Dice K. Do we chalk last season up to getting adjusted and pencil him in to drop his ERA by 0.50 or better, or was he just showing us that pitching in the AL in the US is tougher than in his league in Japan?
I suspect the former more than the latter, but don't feel sure.