ESPN "expert" picks

[Zagi-CRO]

SI had some crazy crap too.
1.They had the Yankees with the best W-L in the MLB
2. They had Tampa winning 80 games
3.They had the Cubbies going to the WS

I would like to see the Cubbies going to the WS, but... )
Ok, we could find 'experts' and experts. This one is 'expert'.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Winning is very much about getting some good breaks. The Cubs catch some, there's no reason to think they couldn't win a league that has not been too stable this past decade.

[Scoops]

SI had some crazy crap too.
1.They had the Yankees with the best W-L in the MLB
2. They had Tampa winning 80 games
3.They had the Cubbies going to the WS

I'm not sure any of those are particularly crazy.
1. The Yankees could win more than anyone, depending largely on how their young pitchers do. They tied for second best record last year, two wins behind Boston and Cleveland for best. They were ahead of all NL teams by at least 4 wins.
2. I know they've never won more than 70, but PECOTA has Tampa at 88 wins. If you believe they'll finish third in the AL East, as some do, you have to believe they can win 80 games - that's where the third place team tends to fall (83, 86, 80, 78, 86 wins the last five years).
3. Least crazy prediction by far. They won the division last year, and there's no particular reason they can't again this year. Once you get to the playoffs, anything can happen.

[Erik Bedard]

Once you're in the postseason, it becomes the first to win eleven games. Any team can easily do that, which is why I have such a big problem with people setting such store behind postseason success.

DBettino, welcome to BBF, and a great post to start off with. IMO, the Cubs are the NL's version of the Red Sox (to the Mets' Yankees). Overhyped beyond belief. But what really gets me was during the O's-Cubs negotiations (not on this site), when Cub fans would constantly claim that Brian Roberts was nothing special, despite his selection to two All-Star games, and that Hendry would be stupid to trade more than Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, and Ronny Cedeno. And on top of that, the Cub fans were bashing the O's front office because they couldn't trade their "All-Star second baseman" for more than what the Cubs were offering. That's why Cub fans annoy me.

Nothing against any of the Cub fans here, who are almost entirely polite, respectful, and are not wont to do this kind of thing. But from what I've encountered on other places, they can be pretty annoying.

[bob]

You say one reason the cubs dont have a chance of a WS this year is that their league is much weaker than the other NL leagues. But surely the Rockies last year proved that if your in the postseason then its all about good form and peaking when it counts. I can see the cubs winning their division and from there theyve got as good a chance as any of progressing.
Do i think they will win a WS? Of course not, hell hasnt shown any signs of freezing over yet.
But do i think they can get to the post season if they do as well as they did last year? Yes.

[whoisonit]

Three reasons they won't go to the World Series:

1. Lack of variety in their bullpen

2. Defense

3. The NL West is just plain better!

You forgot the forth:

4. The Curse !


btw - what's a hoodlehead ? Never heard that before !

[DBettino]

I cannot believe all the hoodleheads predicting the Cubs as NL Pennant winners. Oddly enough, people aren't talking that noise here in Chicago. Even Cubs fans have more sense! Kruk and a slew of other national commentators like the Cubs to represent the NL in the World Series. Someone heard that on TV the other night at this bar on the Northside, and said '...and Kruk knows baseball, too!' Give me a break.

Cubs talk is a major baseball pet-peeve of mine. If this team gets to the World Series, I'll eat my hat. Please allow me to elaborate on why they won't make it. Because of all the Cubs fans that surround me on a daily basis, I too seldomly have the opportunity to speak frankly about the Cubs. Three reasons they won't go to the World Series:

1. Lack of variety in their bullpen
Before the start of last season, Boston fans were all worried about their pen. One guy with an ERA of 5.00, another with an ERA of 6.00...everyone wanted to know how good the Sox' bullpen would be. Turns out they were great. Why? They have sidewinding lefties, 3/4-arm lefties, hard-throwing righties, sinker-sliderball guys...you never know what you're going to get from the 6th inning on. They come at you from a million different angles. Now, look at the Cubs. Their veteran lefty is Scott Eyre, and he's not even on the roster right now. Marshall is in the minors. Their new, young southpaw is the only left-handed arm in their bullpen. Are you telling me this guy's gonna get Prince Fielder out in the 7th inning in late August when one game can decide the division?! The Cubs pen, with maybe one or two exceptions, is one hard-throwing righty after another. The bullpen variety that enabled the Red Sox to be so successful is totally nonexistant in this team. They cannot advance beyond the first round of the playoffs with that bullpen. It's not possible.

2. Defense
Even in last night's loss to the Brewers in their home opener, the poor defense that has always plagued this team was evident. In the first inning, Ramirez was slow fielding a ball. Because of the wet conditions, he should have been playing a step in, anyway. He took too long to get to it and fumbled around, allowing a runner on base. Prince Fielder grounded into what could have been a double play, but wasn't because it was turned too slowly. Fast forward to inning 9, when Ryan Braun popped a ball up foul and the catcher was the only one chasing it. The ball landed in foul ground near the third base bag. That's Ramirez' ball. It's not even so much a question of bad defense; it's just laziness. I know it's just one game, but I guarantee you'll see the same thing from this team tomorrow. They don't smell blood. They have no instinct at all to win. They're a lazy team that doesn't care. If you don't believe me, watch them this year. See if I'm wrong.

3. The NL West is just plain better!
Picking the Cubs for the Pennant is absurd, but picking any team from the East Division is not a much safer bet. It's clear to almost anyone who pays attention that the West is easily the strongest division in the NL. That's really not up for debate. The idea that a team like the Cubs, in a piss-poor division, with no bullpen, a crappy defensive infield, and an inconsistent offense can top a West team in the playoffs is beyond ridiculous. Again, I'll eat my hat! As I watched, in abject disgust, the ESPN Baseball Tonight crew make their 2008 prognostications, I noticed that not one commentator picked a West team. NOT ONE!!! Perhaps they don't stay up late enough to watch the West Coast games...

Please, do not buy into the phony hype surrounding this mediocre Cubs team. You'd think they all lived in Lincoln Park, the way people have been talking about them. It's a pipe dream. Maybe there are people out there who want them to go to the show so bad that they're trying to will it to happen. It's like an erection in that regard: if it happens, great, if it's not going to happen it's best to call it an early night. And I can say, without fear of contradiction, the sun will set early on the Cubs.

[JerseySoxFan19]

SI had some crazy crap too.
1.They had the Yankees with the best W-L in the MLB
2. They had Tampa winning 80 games
3.They had the Cubbies going to the WS

[whoisonit]

ESPN 'Expert': Steve Phillips

The jokes on us, folks.

[EdwardMerrin]

pedro gomez

pedro gomez is hilarious.

angels over dodgers?

[stejay]

That isn't that crazy. Anything can happen in baseball. A Rod and Pujols do not own the MVP. Other people can win it. And what makes you think the Cubs can win the World Series. As I said, anything can happen in baseball.

[Dodgerfan1]

I am in agreement with those who think this list is pretty bad. There are a couple of decent picks, IMO, but most of it is obviously people trying to make controversial or 'different' picks, just to be contrary to popular opinion. That's what it appears to me, anyway.

[bob]

Yea i dont think pujols will be playing the whole season or wont be his usual self.

[ChrisLDuncan]

As to Pujols, he's been needing elbow surgery for a while now. If the Cards fall out of contention early, which is likely, he may have elbow surgery.

[Evangelion]

I remember Peter Gammons picking Bobby Crosby to win the MVP one year.

That's crazy.