@rsp: From what I've heard, they've gotten rid of the rule about teams in the same division playing in the first round.

So without further ado, my predictions:

NL:
Giants (1)
Phillies (2)
Brewers (3)
Braves (4)
D-Backs (5)

Play-in: D-Backs over Braves

Divisional Series:
Giants over D-Backs
Brewers over Phillies

League Championship Series: Giants over Brewers

AL:
Tigers (1)
Rangers (2)
Yankees (3)
Angels (4)
Rays (5)

Play-in: Angels over Rays

Divisional Series:
Tigers over Angels
Rangers over Yankees

League Championship Series: Rangers over Tigers

World Series:
Rangers over Giants

I'd be VERY happy to see that rule go. What difference does it make if playoff teams are in the same division? 1 should play the WC and 2 should play 3 regardless of who the teams are.

Posted by rsp777 on 2/3/2012 2:53:00 PM (view original):

Posted by winner77 on 2/3/2012 1:22:00 PM (view original):

Posted by Got_Worms on 2/2/2012 2:35:00 PM (view original):

Posted by Crump123 on 2/2/2012 7:47:00 AM (view original):
Reds win the Central and STL has a losing record.

Yep, I like the moves Cincinnati has made although they way overpaid for Latos!

Eh, Reds may win the division, but I don't see the Cardinals having a losing record.  Lose Pujols, that hurts....add Beltran and get Wainwright back, helps.  I think they will be a 90+ win team.

NO.......*******.......WAY.......

Uh huh, please explain WHY?  If Beltran plays 135-140 games, hits like he did last year, he is a very nice addition.  No reason to believe he won't....he has always been a top notch hitter, so....why not?  Losing Pujols HURTS ANY TEAM, but Wainwright is back....Beltran is good, you still have a productive Berkman and Holliday in the middle of the lineup.  You also still have Carpenter and Garcia, a solid overall bullpen, and some other young guys (like Freese) continuing to develop.  90 wins is "No ******* Way"?  They SHOULD smack the Cubs, Brewers, and Astros around in a pretty weak division too.  The Reds are looking damn good, but would not be surprised if both of them won 90+ games.

and OH, they also get to smack the Pirates around again.....forgot about their putrid pitching

N.L. East:  Phillies
N.L. Central:  Cardinals
N.L. West:  Dodgers
N.L. Wild-Card:  Reds
N.L. Wild-Card:  Nationals

A.L. East:  Yankees
A.L. Central:  Tigers
A.L. West:  Rangers
A.L. Wild-Card:  Angels
A.L. Wild-Card:  Red Sox

Playoffs:

Nationals beat the Reds
Angels beat the Red Sox

Nationals beat the Phillies
Cardinals beat the Dodgers
Angels beat the Tigers
Yankees beat the Rangers

Cardinals beat the Nationals
Yankees beat the Angels

World Series:  Cards repeat

Posted by antoncresten on 2/5/2012 10:28:00 AM (view original):

WHITE SOX WILL HAVE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE FANS THAN THE SCRUB YUPPIES WHO JUST WANT TO BE SEEN AT THE SHITHOLE WRIGLEY

WSOX WILL WIN AT LEAST 11 MORE GAMES THAN THE 1908ers

Sox don't have fans.  Try again, dipshit.

Posted by winner77 on 2/5/2012 5:46:00 PM (view original):

Posted by rsp777 on 2/3/2012 2:53:00 PM (view original):

Posted by winner77 on 2/3/2012 1:22:00 PM (view original):

Posted by Got_Worms on 2/2/2012 2:35:00 PM (view original):

Posted by Crump123 on 2/2/2012 7:47:00 AM (view original):
Reds win the Central and STL has a losing record.

Yep, I like the moves Cincinnati has made although they way overpaid for Latos!

Eh, Reds may win the division, but I don't see the Cardinals having a losing record.  Lose Pujols, that hurts....add Beltran and get Wainwright back, helps.  I think they will be a 90+ win team.

NO.......*******.......WAY.......

Uh huh, please explain WHY?  If Beltran plays 135-140 games, hits like he did last year, he is a very nice addition.  No reason to believe he won't....he has always been a top notch hitter, so....why not?  Losing Pujols HURTS ANY TEAM, but Wainwright is back....Beltran is good, you still have a productive Berkman and Holliday in the middle of the lineup.  You also still have Carpenter and Garcia, a solid overall bullpen, and some other young guys (like Freese) continuing to develop.  90 wins is "No ******* Way"?  They SHOULD smack the Cubs, Brewers, and Astros around in a pretty weak division too.  The Reds are looking damn good, but would not be surprised if both of them won 90+ games.

Well because he'll be 35 this year... 2009+2010 he managed as many games as he did in 2011... the signs point to him breaking down and thus declining. Berkman will be 36...  Players don't often improve at those ages so the only way is down.

They weren't a 90 win team with Berkman having an indian summer and Pujols playing.

Freese was an 800 OPS in the regular season, he just happened to get hot during the post season, he's as likely to regress as he is to maintain his production from 2011. Dave Duncan's left, no one knows what effect that will have on the pitching staff. Expecting them to gain 5+ Wins having lost Duncan, Pujols and LaRussa, who has been replaced by someone with basically 0 ML managing experience, is a stretch.

The Cards did win 90 games last year JFTR. Anyway I'm cautiously optimistic. I think they'll be around 90 wins again, but they're far from a shoe-in. Berkman, Molina, Carpenter, and Loshe will all perform worse. Beltran helps the Pujols loss some, but he'll also be worse than last season. Freese and Craig will both hit worse, but they'll both have more at bats. Nick Punto hit .278.388.421 in limited playing time and he's gone.

Jake "Replacement Level" Westbrook will be better, probably canceling out Loshe's decline. Holliday will be a smidge better. We'll have full season's (barring injuries of course) of Craig, Freese, and Furcal, but that still leaves a lot of loss for Wainwright to make up for. We led the NL in runs scored last year and probably will be favorites to do so again, but that pitching staff sure is old.

Overall, I think the talent leaving and the talent replacing is close to a wash. Hopefully!

Another thing that will help the Cardinals is not giving 755 innings at SS to Ryan Theriot.

Well, you can't predict injuries.  Berkman may regress some, and Beltran may too, but both are good overall hitters who draw walks.  Even if their average and power drop some, they will still be on base a lot.  I think Freese is going to improve.  Wainwright coming back is HUGE for them as well.  And like I pointed out, they get a TON of games against horrible teams in the division. The Astros?!  The Pirates!?  The Brewers took a step back without Fielder and possibly losing Braun for 50 games.  90 games in that division is not a reach.

Posted by winner77 on 2/6/2012 8:08:00 PM (view original):
Well, you can't predict injuries.  Berkman may regress some, and Beltran may too, but both are good overall hitters who draw walks.  Even if their average and power drop some, they will still be on base a lot.  I think Freese is going to improve.  Wainwright coming back is HUGE for them as well.  And like I pointed out, they get a TON of games against horrible teams in the division. The Astros?!  The Pirates!?  The Brewers took a step back without Fielder and possibly losing Braun for 50 games.  90 games in that division is not a reach.

You only list the Astros & Pirates as horrible NL Central Teams.  Are the Cubs considered terrible???

I was trying to compare the difference between this year's team and last year's team. Last year's team also played a ton of games against crappy NLC teams. I'm not sure if the 2012 schedule/realignment causes us to play more games within the division or not. If so, then you may have a point (@winner77). Don't think we'll be beating up the Astros anymore though.

Posted by Got_Worms on 2/6/2012 9:46:00 PM (view original):

Posted by winner77 on 2/6/2012 8:08:00 PM (view original):
Well, you can't predict injuries.  Berkman may regress some, and Beltran may too, but both are good overall hitters who draw walks.  Even if their average and power drop some, they will still be on base a lot.  I think Freese is going to improve.  Wainwright coming back is HUGE for them as well.  And like I pointed out, they get a TON of games against horrible teams in the division. The Astros?!  The Pirates!?  The Brewers took a step back without Fielder and possibly losing Braun for 50 games.  90 games in that division is not a reach.

You only list the Astros & Pirates as horrible NL Central Teams.  Are the Cubs considered terrible???

Good point - yes, the Cubs also suck.  I am a Cubs fan, so I did not want to have to point that out.

Posted by boogerlips on 2/6/2012 10:07:00 PM (view original):
I was trying to compare the difference between this year's team and last year's team. Last year's team also played a ton of games against crappy NLC teams. I'm not sure if the 2012 schedule/realignment causes us to play more games within the division or not. If so, then you may have a point (@winner77). Don't think we'll be beating up the Astros anymore though.

Well either way they will play them quite a bit.  The Cardinals definitely have an aging team, and one prone to injuries.  I think if they can remain healthy, they should do just fine in the Central.  Matt Holliday, Berkman, and Beltran are all "professional hitters" who draw walks, hit for solid averages and hit homers.  Not bad to have all 3 in the same lineup.

I keep wondering why nobody points out the fact that Wainwright is back either.  I think he will be a huge boost to their team, especially coupled with Carpenter.  Two aces and then Garcia....not bad.

Posted by boogerlips on 2/6/2012 10:07:00 PM (view original):
I was trying to compare the difference between this year's team and last year's team. Last year's team also played a ton of games against crappy NLC teams. I'm not sure if the 2012 schedule/realignment causes us to play more games within the division or not. If so, then you may have a point (@winner77). Don't think we'll be beating up the Astros anymore though.

No re-alignment yet, so you still get to beat up on the Astros for one more year!