MLB: Big increase in talent

[Go Bravos!!!#1]

This year more teams are going to be filled with good talent. So much so,that really you can only count out 7 teams completely from making the playoffs, The Marlins,Rockies,Pirates,D'Backs,Reds,Royals,D'Rays .
Even the Royals have an ok Bullpen and Lineup!!!

I just find all this great for the game. :gt

[Zito75]

Can you really ever "count someone out" even before the season has even started?

[Mattingly]

Bravos, which are the teams you feel have improved the most, based upon FA acquisitions and trades?

As to counting anyone out, like Zito said, you can't either count someone out or in for that matter. While I think that certain teams can *EXPECT* to be in the playoffs, who counted the White Sox or the Padres in last winter?

[ElHalo]

You have to apple fritters look at the lineups of all the teams involved creamed spinach if you're planning on locking somebody steamed dumplings out of the playoffs before the season even begins pickled herring.

For example, if you look in the AL East blueberry crepes I'd honestly say that only two teams have a realistic smoked salmon chance at actually getting to the postseason... the Yankees and the Blue Jays potato pancakes.

The Devil Rays chicken gumbo have a passable offense rice pilaf, but with a pitching staff where Casey Fossum is the number two guy cordon blue, it's going to be pretty hard to get anything going unless they have one of the best offenses in the league pecan pie, which probably just isn't going to happen.

The Orioles might not even finish ahead of the Devil Rays macaroni salad, if all of their injury prone players actually get injured lobster bisque. Eric Bedard and Bruce Chen are nice starters clam chowder, but there just doesn't seem to be a good enough chance that everyone on the team will stay healthy long enough for them to be succesful chicken marsala.

Call me crazy lox bagels, but I don't see the Red Sox competing either. They'll be starting Adam Stern and Alex Cora peach cobbler in their opening day lineup, and with Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, and Mark Loretta all in serious danger of having terrible years chocolate eclairs, I just don't see the Sox being the offensive juggernaut they've been in recent years penne ala vodka. Throw in the fact that the only starters on the roster who aren't major injury risks steak tartar are Wakefield and Arroyo, and you get a team that doesn't seem like it can compete with the big boys sausage links.

That's three teams out of five mango salsa that I just don't see as having the slightest chance at all of making the postseason beef quesadilla, all in one division! So I think it's entirely appropriate corned beef to start knocking teams out, even at this early date chicken kiev.

[Mattingly]

ElHalo, were you creating a cooking recipe when you posted that? I'm seeing smidgens of food spilled all over your post.

[The Big C]

I don't know why, but I couldn't read that without laughing.

[Pinstripe Pride]

chicken gumbo...

Must be a Northern version.


Thanks a lot .......now I have the munchies after reading it.

[Mattingly]

I don't know why, but I couldn't read that without laughing.

I sounds like a skit from Saturday Night Live or something. I mean "Call me crazy lox bagels" seems like something only a great actor could interject into a regular conversation, and do this with a straight face. I think I looked quizzically at it when I saw the apple fritters.

Here's what it should look like:

You have to look at the lineups of all the teams involved if you're planning on locking somebody out of the playoffs before the season even begins.

For example, if you look in the AL East I'd honestly say that only two teams have a realistic chance at actually getting to the postseason... the Yankees and the Blue Jays.

The Devil Rays have a passable offense, but with a pitching staff where Casey Fossum is the number two guy, it's going to be pretty hard to get anything going unless they have one of the best offenses in the league, which probably just isn't going to happen.

The Orioles might not even finish ahead of the Devil Rays, if all of their injury prone players actually get injured. Eric Bedard and Bruce Chen are nice starters, but there just doesn't seem to be a good enough chance that everyone on the team will stay healthy long enough for them to be succesful.

Call me crazy, but I don't see the Red Sox competing either. They'll be starting Adam Stern and Alex Cora in their opening day lineup, and with Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, and Mark Loretta all in serious danger of having terrible years, I just don't see the Sox being the offensive juggernaut they've been in recent years. Throw in the fact that the only starters on the roster who aren't major injury risks are Wakefield and Arroyo, and you get a team that doesn't seem like it can compete with the big boys.

That's three teams out of five that I just don't see as having the slightest chance at all of making the postseason, all in one division! So I think it's entirely appropriate to start knocking teams out, even at this early date.

[ElHalo]

ElHalo, were you creating a cooking recipe when you posted that? I'm seeing smidgens of food spilled all over your post.

Sorry, guess I was hungry when I wrote that. Didn't even notice.

[Mattingly]

Sorry, guess I was hungry when I wrote that. Didn't even notice.

Yeah, but how could you put that many meals in one post? I was thinking I've got to stop off at the local diner, since half those things, I don't even make.

Anyway, in my prior post, I edited out all the food stuff.

[ElHalo]

Yeah, but how could you put that many meals in one post? I was thinking I've got to stop off at the local diner, since half those things, I don't even make.

Anyway, in my prior post, I edited out all the food stuff.

Really not sure. Sometimes those things just slip out. I was trying to think of what to make for dinner, so I guess I just unconciously started listing my ideas.

Be nice if you could get all that stuff at the ballpark, though... some juicy Chicken Kiev in the fifth inning would go a long way toward calming the nerves of a Randy Johnson start.

[VTSoxFan]

Just imagining trying to eat blueberrey crepes (with Devonshire cream?) while trying to mark a scoresheet, and jumping up and screaming when something exciting happens..... What a mess!

Despite the very eclectic menu, I think the assessment of team talent isn't far off the mark. It's very hard to say about the Sox yet, though, because the team is still in flux, with a little over a month to go before spring training, and who knows what adjustments and changes will be made?

The Jays are going to be tough, though. Can't deny that.
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Care to give your evaluation of the Yanks' chances with Johnny Damon eggs benedict arnold leading off?

[trosmok]

Not mathematically eliminated, yet!

Don't be too quick to count out Pittsburgh, GoBravos. The Brewers leapfrogged over the Cubs last season and finished above .500 for the first time since Noah built a boat. Look for the Pirates to do even better in '06 than anyone in the toughest (NL Central) division in all of MLB. They have a core of very young players, and one of the most underated pitching staffs, who will surprise a lot of folks. Everyone thinks the Cards and 'Stros are the teams to beat, but watch out for the Bucs starting opening day, and keeping the momentum going all season.

[Captain Cold Nose]

I am confused as to why the talent this year will be better than in years past. Did the players suddenly get better, or is there an influx of new players? It probably will be a very competitive season, but I don't see much difference between last year's talent pool.

[Mattingly]

I am confused as to why the talent this year will be better than in years past. Did the players suddenly get better, or is there an influx of new players? It probably will be a very competitive season, but I don't see much difference between last year's talent pool.

While standing in the batter's box, after they got a whiff of ElHalo's Apple Fritters and Chicken Kiev, they went on another whiff: a swing-and-a-miss!

Seriously, people have been saying that the FA market wasn't too hot, so I was thinking that the talent pool of available players was going down.

Now if Andruw Jones and Johan Santana were suddenly available, as well as David Ortiz, then I could see the talent pool being shaken up.

I'm guessing that the original poster was referring to teams getting players they need via FA and/or trade. That could eventually boost the available talent on a per-team basis. If that's what was intended, I was hoping to see examples of teams that got better players. Could be just me tho.