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\u00a0FINAL:\u00a0 Catching up on past BSB stuff,\u00a0we decided to update our 2008\u00a0MLB Competition.\u00a0 The regular print was the original preview.\u00a0 The\u00a0italicized portion was the midseason update (during the All-Star Break), and this italicized and underlined portion is the final assessment.<\/u><\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n UPDATE:\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0As many of you know, BSB runs its season previews a little differently than most.\u00a0 We have a little game in which Doogan and Bry pick teams, like a draft, and whether they think that they will be better or worse than they were a year ago.\u00a0 The baseball preview was done about a week into the season, and is reference below.\u00a0 In italics, are the updates to this picks, as of the All-Star break.\u00a0 All “projections” are based strictly on winning percentage at the All-Star break.\u00a0 The scores after each one represent how it would play out if the second half mirrored the first (with the “locks” in parentheses).\u00a0 So, without further ado, here is the update to our Baseball Preview.\u00a0 If you have already read the preview, just skip through to the parts in italics.<\/em><\/p>\n As some of you may know, the way we do season previews is a little different than the norm (shocking, huh?).\u00a0 Instead of just writing who we think will win their division or the MVP or who we think will be a “sleeper,” we like to make it a little competition between the two of us.\u00a0 What we do is a draft.\u00a0 Since\u00a0Bry went first in the NBA preview, Doogan will have\u00a0the first pick for MLB.\u00a0 He\u00a0will pick any team and then choose the over\/under on their total wins this year, with the line being last year’s win total.\u00a0 He can pick any team and either over or under for any team.\u00a0 It involves a little strategy, a little knowledge, and a little je ne sais quoi<\/em>.\u00a0 Okay, well, maybe it doesn’t take any of them, but it’s still a somewhat fun way to do a season preview.\u00a0 So, without further intro, Doogan is on the clock…<\/p>\n DOOGAN 1. Colorado Rockies – UNDER 90 wins: <\/strong>Admittedly, we’re kind of cheating by doing this over a week into the season but, honestly, I would have picked the Rockies here even if we had done this before the season started.\u00a0 Their slow start only makes it easier.\u00a0 I don’t see their pitching staff repeating what they did last season, and I certainly don’t see them winning 21 out of 22 games at any point.\u00a0 Especially in a fairly tough division, this looks like a .500 team to me, not a 90-win team.<\/p>\n UPDATE:\u00a0 Doogan\u00a0is on his way\u00a0to grabbing an easy victory with his #1 pick, as the Rockies have been rather terrible this year, and project to no where near the 90 wins that they had last year.\u00a0 They currently project to only 66 wins, and are actively shopping Matt Holliday (to teams like the Phillies, by the way).\u00a0 Even if, as some are predicting, they get red-hot again in the second half and win the division, I do not see any way that they can hit the 90-win mark.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 An easy opening win for Doogan, as the Rockies, despite a strong August, finished 16 games worse this year than last at 74-88 UPDATE:\u00a0 Bry also seems to be well on his way to hitting with his #1 pick.\u00a0 The surprise story of the year was predicted here first (well, unless you count the part that says “I do not see 81 wins out of this team.”\u00a0 But, it is nice to be right, even when you are very wrong).\u00a0 The Rays project to an astronomical 95 wins for the season.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Bry’s first pick proved…uh…a pretty good one.\u00a0 You all know the stories of this turnaround, so I won’t bore you with more. UPDATE:\u00a0 Well, Bry thought this division was one of the best in baseball, and it turns out to be THE worst.\u00a0 He is on his way to losing his second pick, though it is still up in the air.\u00a0 Since the Dodgers need 83 wins to win it for Bry, and they only project to 78, we hand the point to Doogan, but it is still too close to call.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Thank you, Manny.\u00a0 It looked like Bry was going to lose his #2 pick until that fateful day that Manny Ramirez headed to LA.\u00a0 Though despite the NLCS appearance and the crazy media that followed the Dodgers for the last 2 months, they still only cleared this number by 2 wins, finishing 84-78.\u00a0 Hey, a win is a win. UPDATE:\u00a0 Doogan follows up on his great Colorado pick with another great pick at #4.\u00a0 The White Sox project to 93 wins, as of the All-Star break, and Doogan only needs them to hit 73.\u00a0 This one will come safely in for Doogan.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Another great pick for Doogan, as he nails his first two selections.\u00a0 The White Sox had a really surprising year, winning their division and 89 games. UPDATE:\u00a0 Though, you do not think of the Reds has being one of this season’s positive surprises, they are well on their way to going over their win total of a year ago.\u00a0 In fact, Bry predicted 75-80 wins, and they are on pace for 78.\u00a0 He should get this one, but with only a 5 game cushion, we will still not call this race (especially since the Reds do not really look that good and could collapse).<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 A “surprising surprise,” as the Reds actually covered the OVER this year.\u00a0 Under the radar, as it may be, and still disappointing for their fans, the Reds did actually improve by two games this year, winning 74.\u00a0 Bry gets this one, barely. UPDATE:\u00a0 As solidly as Doogan nailed his first two picks, he seems well on his way to solidly missing his third pick.\u00a0 Though, you cannot really blame him, as no one thought the Twins would be this good after losing their best hitter AND best pitcher in the offseason.\u00a0 But, Gardenhire and company keep that machine rolling.\u00a0 The Twins project to 90 wins, which is well over the 78 needed for Doogan to hit the under.\u00a0 I think it is safe to call this one over and award Bry the point.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Doogan, after nailing the White Sox in the AL Central, misses on the Twins.\u00a0 Any other year, Ron Gardenhire would have ran away with Manager of the Year, as the Twins were 8.5 games better this year after losing their best pitcher and, arguably, their\u00a0best position player.\u00a0 Doogan misses this one UPDATE:\u00a0 Maybe the best team in baseball at the All-Star break, the Cubbies are well on their way to hitting the over and winning this one for Bry.\u00a0 They project to 97 wins, and they just acquired Rich Harden.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 An easy win for Bry, who only needed 86 wins to cover this OVER.\u00a0 The Cubbies won 97 regular season games…oh, and 97 total games. UPDATE:\u00a0 Doogan said in his opening line, “this is a tough team to bet against,” and he is right.\u00a0 This team, led by one of the\u00a0two\u00a0best managers in baseball, is right there again.\u00a0 They project to 97 wins, which is only slightly over the 94 of last year, so this does not go solidly into Bry’s category, but it does look like Doogan will lose this one.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 The only 100-win team was the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, which is a 6-game improvement from a year ago.\u00a0 Doogan took a shot, but it didn’t come through as this team, again, was a great regular season team. UPDATE:\u00a0 Bry was right on with this pick, as it seems so far.\u00a0 They only project to 63 wins, which is WAY off their 89 of a year ago.\u00a0 This is safely into Bry’s pocket.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 An easy win for Bry.\u00a0 Did you realize that the Pads\u00a0lost 99 games this year?\u00a0 Ouch.\u00a0\u00a0And, while we’re here, how awful would it be to be a Padres fan these days?\u00a0 With your owner selling off his best parts because of divorce proceedings?\u00a0 Remember it wasn’t that long ago when this team was actually pretty good.\u00a0 Fortunately, there aren’t very many of Padre fans to have to suffer through this. UPDATE:\u00a0 For the first month of the season, Doogan looked like a genius with this pick.\u00a0 The D-Backs were, by far, the best team in baseball, through April, but then the wheels fell off–or, more accurately, they stopped hitting.\u00a0 As of the All-Star break, Arizona only projects to an 80-win team, which is far from the 91 Doogan needs for the over.\u00a0 I would not be surprised to see them recover and win the division and maybe 85-88 games, but it would take a miraculous second half to reach 91, so this will go safely to Bry<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Wow did the D-Backs season just fall apart?\u00a0 They were, by far, the best team in baseball for the first 6 weeks and they couldn’t even win a division that was won by an 84-win team–as they finished with 82.\u00a0 Pretty devastating.\u00a0 We’ll see if they can actually add a hitter in the offseason. BRY 11. Saint Louis Cardinals – UNDER 78 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>I know that they’re off to a really fast start, but this team is not very good (sorry, Mike).\u00a0 I know that Albert Pujols is the best player of all-time, but can you really count on a full year of health out of Troy Glaus and a full year of production out of Rick Ankiel?\u00a0\u00a0I know that Chris\u00a0Carpenter comes back around the All-Star break, but you do not know what you’re going to get when he gets back.\u00a0 And, I definitely know that\u00a0a weak lineup and a Wainwright-Lohse 1-2 combination in the rotation is a recipe for a 70-win team.<\/p>\n UPDATE:\u00a0 Dead wrong.\u00a0 That is all we can say about this assessment and the corresponding selection.\u00a0 Kyle Lohse looks like a Cy Young candidate and Rick Ankiel is becoming a star.\u00a0 Ryan Ludwick has emerged and the Cards will probably get the most trade deadline pitching help because they get Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright off the DL.\u00a0 It is a pretty safe bet that this team easily eclipses 77 wins, as they currently project to 89.\u00a0 Point:\u00a0 Doogan.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 If there is any doubt that Albert Pujols deserved the MVP, just look around at the rest of this roster and ask yourself how many games the Cardinals would have won if they traded Pujols for Howard straight-up last offseason.\u00a0 I’d be willing to bet, as an obvious Phillies fan, that that number wouldn’t be anywhere near 86–which is how many they won with Albert.\u00a0 Point to Doogan on the bad call by Bry. UPDATE:\u00a0 Doogan went with the money and took the Tigers.\u00a0 For a while, it looked like this was a lost cause, as they were wallowing around as the worst team in baseball.\u00a0 But, the Tigers have gotten a lot better recently, and they are a dark horse to come all the way back and win that division.\u00a0 They only project to 81 wins, and considering Doogan needs them to hit 89, it would appear pretty safe for Bry, but the talent of this team and the way they have played as of late, puts this in the too close to call category.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 This has to be the biggest disappointment in any sport in a long time.\u00a0 For all their offseason moves, for all the money they spent, and for all the expectations that were placed upon them this year, the only thing they got was a frustratingly bad 74-win season.\u00a0 This is far below the 89 that Doogan needed. UPDATE:\u00a0 Bry is looking pretty good with this pick, as the Brewers (without Sabathia) project to 89 wins.\u00a0 With Sabathia, it is hard to imagine that they will fall off enough to go under 83.\u00a0 Bry should get this one pretty safely.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Bry was right on with this one, as the Brewers hit the 90-win mark, though much of it was because of a guy who did not enter the original equation–CC Sabathia.\u00a0 Either way, this team is young and talented and might be around to stay. UPDATE:\u00a0 Well, they kept Eric Bruntlett and the Phillies have been up and down all season.\u00a0 Doogan needs 90 wins to get this one, and, as of the All-Star break, the Phillies projected to reach 88 wins.\u00a0 So, just for now, Bry will get this point–though very uncomfortably, as this one is still far from over.\u00a0 If making the prediction now, I would say that Doogan will actually win this one.\u00a0 I think the Phillies will win the division with 90-95 wins.\u00a0 But, as the numbers go, we tenatively place this one in Bry’s category<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Breaking news–THE PHILLIES WON THE WORLD SERIES…WOW!!!!!!!\u00a0\u00a0Technically this point goes to Doogan, but don’t we all win with this one?!? UPDATE:\u00a0 Bry made the right move here, at least as far as the first half went.\u00a0 But, does anyone remember the second half that the Yanks put together a year ago?\u00a0 Right now, they project to 85 wins, but it will only take 94 to beat Bry on this one.\u00a0 Yes, that is a long way off, but we are still not going to call this one over just yet.\u00a0 It goes to Bry, but tenatively.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Another strong second half for the Bombers, but it wasn’t enough to get in the playoffs or hit that number.\u00a0 In the end, it was the unproven pitching staff that did them in, just as Bry predicted–and he gets the point. UPDATE:\u00a0 Doogan went with his head, not his heart–and is paying the price.\u00a0 The Braves have been a big disappoinment this year, and it only looks like it is going to get worse.\u00a0 They are on pace for 77 wins, which is sort of striking distance from the 85 they need to win it for Doogan, but BSB is confident in calling this one over because the Braves are really going in the wrong direction.\u00a0 Give this one safely to Bry.\u00a0 Somewhere, Doogan is okay with losing this one.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Not only did the Phillies win the World Series, but the Atlanta Braves only won 72 games.\u00a0 This looked like a great mid-round pick for Doogan when the season started because of all the expectations on the Braves, but they just never got it together. UPDATE:\u00a0 Yet another disappointing season for the Toronto Blue Jays looks like it is going to cost Bry a point here.\u00a0 There is no reason that this team is under .500, but they are.\u00a0 They project to 80 wins for the season, which puts them below the 84 that Bry needs for this point.\u00a0 Because that is a close margin, we will label this one too close to call, but Bry cannot feel confident about recovering this one.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Trivia question:\u00a0 Which team had more victories this year, the Toronto Blue Jays or the Los Angeles Dodgers?\u00a0 Shockingly, it was the Blue Jays.\u00a0 They won 86 games!\u00a0 Who knew?\u00a0 A great second half might be a sign of things to come next year for the Jays.\u00a0 But, the big story is that red-hot team hit the OVER for Bry, and this is getting ugly. UPDATE:\u00a0 Doogan got the bad luck of being the one who sucked it up and took the Marlins.\u00a0 There is no doubt that whomever decided to take Florida was going under because, well, they stink.\u00a0 The only question was just how bad were they going to stink?\u00a0 Well, as it turns out, they do not stink AT ALL.\u00a0 They are actually a scrappy, solid, somewhat scary team (if you are the Phillies or Mets).\u00a0 They project to 85 wins and will easily surpass the 70 needed for Doogan to lose this one.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 I find it ridiculous that Fredi Gonzalez did not win the NL Manager of the Year.\u00a0 This Marlins team is terrible, yet somehow that were in the race for 5 months and won 84 games.\u00a0 That’s incredible!\u00a0 What a job by Gonzalez.\u00a0 And, it cost Doogan yet another, as Bry’s magic number is down to 2. UPDATE:\u00a0 It does not look like Bry will be right with his “worst team in baseball” prediction, but the Giants are pretty bad.\u00a0 They project to 68 wins, which is just barely hitting the under, so this is too close to call, but Bry will get the point for now.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Bry was right that the Giants were bad, but he was wrong in just how bad they would be.\u00a0 Thanks to a Cy Young season by Tim Lincecum and a gritty second half, they ended up covering this spread by 2 wins, picking up 72 for the season. UPDATE:\u00a0 Doogan seems to be heading for a miss on a pretty good pick at the beginning of the season.\u00a0\u00a0The Orioles have been a real surprise this year, and even if you live in Baltimore, it is relatively inexplicable.\u00a0 Either way, the O’s are projected to reach 78 wins, and since Doogan needs 68 or less to hit this one, it seems like Bry is pretty safe on this one.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Doogan won the last one by two games, and he hit this one ON THE MONEY, as an absolutely atrocious second half ended the Baltimore win total at the exact number that Doogan needed for the win.\u00a0 Although, they did not make up a rainout during the season and only played 161 games, so Bry is protesting this decision, saying that they could have won that game and hit the 69 that he needed. UPDATE:\u00a0 It looks like the hesitancy\u00a0to pick Oakland, despite a bad team on paper, was warranted.\u00a0 This team–somehow–is actually pretty good.\u00a0 They are even in the playoff hunt.\u00a0 Despite trading their #1 and #3 starters, it still does not appear that they will come anywhere near the\u00a087 losses that Bry needs to hit the under.\u00a0 In fact, they project to 87 wins, so this pick should be safe for Doogan.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 This just in from the commish’s office–Bry’s protest of the Orioles point has been denied for two reasons.\u00a0 One, because it’s stupid.\u00a0 And, two, because, in simply amazing irony, that rainout that the Orioles did not make up was against the Oakland A’s, and, shockingly, Bry took the A’s on the UNDER and hit that on the money, as well.\u00a0 You can’t make this stuff up–unbelievable!\u00a0 Bry clinches at least a tie, overall. UPDATE:\u00a0 Confidence in the Kansas City Royals?\u00a0 That is not something you hear very often, but Doogan has it and, so far, has been rewarded.\u00a0 Doogan’s prediction of 74 wins looks\u00a0somewhat prophetic, as the Royals, at the All-Star break, project to 73 for the full season.\u00a0 Doogan should get this one, but it is the Royals, and they are not blowing away the number, so it\u00a0is\u00a0still too close to call.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Doogan\u00a0predicts 74 wins for the Royals, enough to easily\u00a0clear the OVER, and\u00a0they give him 75.\u00a0 Great call for Doogan, as he\u00a0garners another point with a late pick. UPDATE:\u00a0 Talk about an awful pick!\u00a0 One of the two\u00a0worst teams in baseball is the Seattle Mariners and Bry had them pegged for over 88 wins.\u00a0 There is solace, however, in the fact that just about everyone got this one wrong.\u00a0 The Mariners were the sheik preseason pick for the AL Pennant.\u00a0 But, that does not change the fact that Doogan will clearly win this one.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Easily the worst pick in the whole competition, as not only did Bry miss this pick, but he missed it by TWENTY-EIGHT GAMES!\u00a0 Yes, the Mariners lost 101, when Bry probably had them down for 101 wins.\u00a0 Doogan, again, stays alive. UPDATE:\u00a0 This one should go down to the wire.\u00a0 The Astros have been up and down all year, and they project to 75 wins.\u00a0 Doogan needs 74 or better to win this one, so he will tenatively get the point for this one–very tenatively.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 A pick that looked really bad for a while actually turned into a comfortable win for Doogan, only needing 74 wins and getting 86.\u00a0 What a second half for the ‘Stros, and Doogan, again, stays alive with some really good late-round picks. BRY 25. Washington Nationals – UNDER 73 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>The pick’ins are getting slim here with six teams left, so I am going to go against a team that many people think is going to improve.\u00a0 Don’t get me wrong, I like the direction of the Nats, and I am excited to make the short trip down south to that beautiful new ballpark of theirs.\u00a0 I also really like Manny Acta and his solid cast of young players.\u00a0 I just think that they might be a season away from threatening for a .500 season.\u00a0 The division is a lot better, and they are still building.\u00a0 I hesitantly take the Nationals and the under on 73.<\/p>\n UPDATE:\u00a0 This team is so bad that their new stadium is not even drawing fans (not that Washington was all that great of a baseball town, to begin with).\u00a0 The ‘Nals are on pace for a mere 61 wins, which is an easy win for Bry with this pick.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 If you go back and read Bry’s assessment of why he picked the ‘Nats in the beginning of the year, you’ll see that he pretty much got everything wrong:\u00a0 The direction of the ‘Nats is not good, their stadium is not beautiful, Manny Acta does not a solid group of young players, and they are not about to threaten for a .500 season.\u00a0 But, the one thing he got right was the only thing that matters–the pick.\u00a0 Bry took the UNDER and the ‘Nals smashed it, winning a major league-worst 59 games.\u00a0 Game, set, match, as Bry clinches BSB’s 2008 MLB Competition. UPDATE:\u00a0 A pretty gutsy pick by Doogan, and he looks great in doing it.\u00a0 He was right on, and even understated, in the prediction that Milton Bradley and Josh Hamilton would offset the loss of Teixeira.\u00a0 Throw in Ian Kinsler (the best player in baseball that nobody’s ever heard of) and this team has a potent offense.\u00a0 Despite the fact that their bold-faced refusal to admit that pitching is an important factor in winning baseball games is keeping them from contending, they are still on their way to a solid season.\u00a0 They project to be an 84-win team, which is easily over the number Doogan needs, and with Hamilton, Bradley and Kinsler in a struggling division, this is a clear win for Doogan.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Another great late-round pick by Doogan is too little, too late.\u00a0 The Rangers had a pretty solid year, winning 79 games, and giving Doogan a late point. UPDATE:\u00a0 Yes, Bry risk all of his objective credibility, but he may hit on this just yet.\u00a0 Though the post All-Star break has been good to the Mets, as of the All-Star break (even with the 9-game winning streak), they were on pace for 87 wins–the EXACT number that Bry needs to win this one.\u00a0 Obviously, this is too close to call, and Doogan is probably in a better position because of the way they are playing, but we have to give the tenative point to Bry for now.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 In the exact opposite scenario as what happened with Bry’s pick of Washington, everything that was said in the pick’s justification was actually right this time.\u00a0 The Mets did have a disappointing season; Santana was phenomenal, John Maine was an okay #2, and there wasn’t really anything else; they clearly could not count on Pedro, Moises, Luis Castillo, or El Duquel and, Jose Reyes is <\/em>NOT a superstar.\u00a0 However, just as Bry got everything wrong except the pick for Washington, he got everything right, except the pick for the Mets, as, despite all of this, they still managed 89 wins and a point for Doogan.\u00a0 Oh, but they did not win the division, the NL pennant, or the World Series…some other team did. UPDATE:\u00a0 “96 [wins] sounds about right for the Sox this year, but I’m going to say under…”\u00a0 Well, if the projections hold up, Doogan should get several points for this one.\u00a0 As of the break, the Sox were on pace for 95 wins.\u00a0 Like Bry’s Mets pick, we have to put this win in Doogan’s column\u00a0for now, but it is way too close to call–obviously.\u00a0 Though, I would be more confident with the Red Sox staying under than the Mets.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 If Doogan could have just gotten some points with the “easier” rounds, this whole thing would be a different story because he is nailing these late-round picks.\u00a0 He said, “96 sounds about right for the Sox this year, but I’m going to say under just because they have a lot of core players that appear to be starting to age.”\u00a0 Well, 96 was <\/em>about right, but just UNDER was even righter. UPDATE:\u00a0 67 wins is not very many, and the Pirates are on pace to beat that.\u00a0 They are projected to reach 75 wins this year, so Bry will probably lose this one.\u00a0 Though a trade of either Jason Bay or Xavier Nady might help the under.\u00a0 And, they are the Pirates.\u00a0 For those reasons, we will place this in the too-close-to-call category, but it does look pretty good for Doogan.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 A really bad second half by a really bad team finished with 67 wins, giving Bry another pick right on the money (for the record, that is four teams that had exactly one fewer win than they had last year–and on all 4 of them one of the two of us chose UNDER). UPDATE:\u00a0 The very last pick; called “basically a coin flip;” the highest line in baseball; and, this one turns out to be a walk in the park.\u00a0 It appears that Doogan picked the right side of that coin, as the Indians are dreadful this year.\u00a0 They project to a mere 71 wins, which gives Doogan a TWENTY-FOUR game cushion to win this one.\u00a0 Write this one in for Doogan.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 The Indians did start to play well again in the second half, but there was no chance for them to catch the 96 that Bry needed to catch this point.\u00a0 The Indians did finish at .500, but 15 games worse than they were last year.\u00a0 Great last pick by Doogan (or the coin he flipped). OVERALL UPDATE:\u00a0 According to the BSB projections, as of the All-Star break, Bry was out to a huge lead, and projects to hold on–but not by that much.\u00a0 He has an overall 17-13 lead, but 7 of his picks are “too close to call.”\u00a0 16 wins wins it, so he needs to either hold 6 of his close ones or steal however many he loses from Doogan’s 6 close ones.\u00a0 Bry has the advantage (with a 10-7 lead on “locks”), but it should be interesting down the stretch.<\/em><\/p>\n FINAL:\u00a0 Bry holds on for a 17-13 win that looked like it was going to be a lot worse than that.\u00a0 Doogan’s great late-round picks made this one a lot closer than it looked like it was going to be.\u00a0 Overall, the worst pick was Bry’s pick of OVER 88 for the Mariners–they won 61.\u00a0 The easiest picks were Bry’s first pick of Tampa Bay and the OVER (31 games better), Doogan’s first pick of the Rockies and the UNDER (16 games worse), and Doogan’s last pick of the Indians and the UNDER (15 games worse).<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n Until next time…<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0FINAL:\u00a0 Catching up on past BSB stuff,\u00a0we decided to update our 2008\u00a0MLB Competition.\u00a0 The regular print was the original preview.\u00a0 The\u00a0italicized portion was the midseason update (during the All-Star Break), and this italicized and underlined portion is the final assessment.\u00a0 … Continue reading
\nDOOGAN 1 – BRY 0<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 2. Tampa Bay Rays – OVER 66 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>There is real hope in Tampa Bay this year about a potential .500 season.\u00a0 Honestly, I do not see 81 wins out of this team, in this incredible division, but I also do not think they will be the worst team in baseball again this year.\u00a0 I like Matt Garza\u00a0and they have a true stud at the top of the rotation, in Kazmir.\u00a0\u00a0Plus, they just\u00a0exercised their option on Carl Crawford, so he is probably\u00a0going to stick around for the whole season.\u00a0\u00a066 wins is a tiny number.\u00a0 They will probably hit the 70-mark, at least.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 1 – DOOGAN 1<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 3. Los Angeles Dodgers – OVER 82\u00a0wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>Yes, this division is\u00a0really deep, but I honestly think that this is the best team in the division.\u00a0 As Doogan hit on earlier, the Rockies are not a 90-win team, and the\u00a0Diamondbacks are still young, plus the Giants are atrocious.\u00a0 I like this team to win the division and probably around 90 games.\u00a0 They have a wealth of starting pitching with\u00a0Cy Young candidate, Brad Penny, the Japanese sensation\u00a0Hiroki Kuroda, veteran Derrick Lowe, and Chad Billingsley.\u00a0 Plus, apparently they have a lights-out prospect, Clayton\u00a0Kershaw, who is supposed to be\u00a0in the bigs\u00a0by June.\u00a0 <\/strong>Oh by the way, Joe Torre is the manager.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 2 – DOOGAN 1<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 4. Chicago White Sox – OVER 72 wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 This team definitely under-achieved last year and has added Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera.\u00a0 With returning\u00a0talent like Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras, and Bobby Jenks, it’s hard to imagine this team winning less than 80 games again.<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 2 – BRY 2
\n<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 5. Cincinnati Reds – OVER 72 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>As the eternal optimist, I guess it is no surprise that I keep picking the\u00a0over on teams.\u00a0 I just think that this is another team that is going to be vastly improved this year.\u00a0 They have a couple potential superstar pitchers in their early 20’s (Johnny Cueto in the bigs already, Homer Bailey in AAA) and a very underrated 1-2 punch in Bronson Arroyo and\u00a0Aaron Harang.\u00a0 And, they added\u00a0Francisco Cordero to help the ‘pen.\u00a0 Oh, and they have 57 games against the Pirates, Astros, and Cardinals.\u00a0 Sounds like at least a 75-80 win team.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 3 – DOOGAN 2<\/u>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 6. Minnesota Twins – UNDER 79 wins:<\/strong> Wow, I feel like the easy ones are off the board already.\u00a0 I watched this team on Opening Night last week and it looks like they have Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, and a whole lot of question marks.\u00a0 If Francisco Liriano has a good, healthy season, they could push for 79 wins again, but any time you replace Johan Santana and Torii Hunter with Livan Hernandez and Carlos Gomez, you’re bound to take a step back.\u00a0 I see them in the low-70’s range for wins this year.<\/p>\n
\nBRY\u00a04 – DOOGAN 2<\/u>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 7. Chicago Cubs – OVER 85 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>You’re right, Doogan, there are no easy picks left.\u00a0 I would have also taken the Twins and the under, so nice pick.\u00a0 I am going to go with the Cubbies.\u00a0 They are a good team in a bad division, so I see them pushing 90 wins this year.\u00a0 Then again, an injury to Zambrano or, dare I say it, Kerry Wood, may have this team facing some pitching problems.\u00a0 Either way, I like them over 85 wins this year.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 5 – DOOGAN 2<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 8. Anaheim Angels – UNDER 94 wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is maybe a tough team to bet against, because they are always good and Mike Scioscia is a great manager, but it looks like age and general injury problems are catching up to them.\u00a0 Their ace, John Lackey, has started the year on the DL and Kelvim Escobar could potentially miss the entire season.\u00a0 Also, Francisco Rodriguez is hurt and Vladimir Guerrero always looks like he’s about one awkward step from completely ruining his back.\u00a0 They have a lot of money to spend, so they could always go out and get better, but this just has the makings of an injury-plagued season, which will make 94 a hard number to reach.\u00a0 I’ll mark them down for 87-88 wins.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 6 – DOOGAN 2<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 9. San Diego Padres – UNDER 89 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, again, Doogan took my next pick, so I will go with a similar team in a similar situation.\u00a0 It’s hard to bet against the Padres because of their recent success, but I just don’t see how this team wins 89 games again this year in such a tough division.\u00a0 Trevor Hoffman is, all of a sudden, a question mark, Jim Edmonds is pretty much finished, and Khalil Greene (as much as I love him) is a middle-of-the-order bat for them (5th or 6th, depending on the handedness of the pitcher), which should tell you something about their lineup.\u00a0 I don’t think they’ll lose anywhere near 89, but I don’t think they’ll win 89 either.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 7 – DOOGAN 2<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 10. Arizona Diamonbacks – OVER 90 wins<\/strong>:\u00a0 I’m slightly hesitant with this pick, because this team over-achieved a bit last year by winning 90 games.\u00a0\u00a0But,\u00a0now that\u00a0their plethora of talented young position players have the experience of winning a division title and a playoff series, and Dan Haren has joined Brandon Webb at the front of the rotation,\u00a0it’s easy to\u00a0see them\u00a0going a step further this year and winning the National League pennant.\u00a0 I’ll call them for 94 wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nBRY\u00a08 – DOOGAN 2<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 3 – BRY 8<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 12. Detroit Tigers – OVER 88 wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 I’m going to take\u00a0a bit of a risk here and bet on the 1-8 Tigers to right the ship and top 88 wins.\u00a0 There is just too much talent on this team, and Jim Leyland is too good of a manager, for them to not get things turned around and have a\u00a0successful season.\u00a0 If you asked me before the season started, I would’ve had them marked down for 100 wins,\u00a0so I think 88 is still well within their reach despite the horrendous start.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 9 – DOOGAN 3<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 13. Milwaukee Brewers – OVER 83 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>I must really think that the Cardinals, Astros, and Pirates are bad because of my first seven picks, this is the third NL Central team that I picked to go over their total from last year.\u00a0 I just think that the Brewers have way too much talent not to win 85-90 games.\u00a0 Prince Fielder is ready for another phenomenal year, and Ben Sheets is a true ace.\u00a0 I worry a lot about their bullpen, but you can say that for 20-25 teams in the league.\u00a0 I’ll put my faith in the Brew Crew.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 10 – DOOGAN 3<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 14. Philadelphia Phillies – OVER 89 wins:<\/strong> It’s really starting to get tough now, so I’m gonna go with a good karma pick.\u00a0 I took the under on the Sixers in our NBA draft, and they proved me wrong.\u00a0 I’ll put my faith in the Phils.\u00a0 J-Roll is calling 100 wins, so they should be able to hit 90, right? If they get rid of Eric Bruntlett, it will be no problem.<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 4 – BRY 10<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 15. New York Yankees – UNDER 94 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>I have been wanting to take this pick for 3 or 4 rounds now, but I just couldn’t get myself to bet against the Yankees.\u00a0 However, 94 wins is a lot for a team with a VERY unproven pitching staff and a ton of aging players.\u00a0 Posada already went down, Jeter has missed a few, and Mariano could go any day.\u00a0 They do have A-Rod, so they have a legit shot at the playoffs, but 94 wins in a much-improved division seems like a lot to me.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 11 – DOOGAN 4<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 16. Atlanta Braves – OVER 84 wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 I don’t like this pick nearly as much as my last one, but I think it’s the right pick here.\u00a0 It’s a team that some are picking to win the National League, so 84 wins doesn’t seem like such a tall order.\u00a0 They have Teixeira for a full year and Yunel Escobar is looking good as the replacement for Renteria.\u00a0 Tom Glavine has joined the rotation and the bullpen is pretty strong.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 12 – DOOGAN 4<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 17. Toronto Blue Jays – OVER 83 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>The pitching staff in Toronto is very much overlooked and under-appreciated.\u00a0 Everyone knows about Roy Halladay, but do people truly realize just how good he is?\u00a0 Plus, they have a presumably healthy A.J. Burnett.\u00a0 And, I expect big things from both Dustin McGowan and Shaun Marcum–both of whom won 12 games last year.\u00a0 They will not put up 1000 runs this year, but the offense should be solid.\u00a0 If B.J. Ryan comes back healthy, this team should win 85 and might win 90.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 13 – DOOGAN 4<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 18. Florida Marlins – UNDER 71 wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 They’re off to a good start, and 71 wins is not a lot, but this pitching staff looks downright awful.\u00a0 Right now they’re working a 4-man rotation and their Opening\u00a0Day starter\u00a0was Mark Hendrickson.\u00a0 Even with a half-decent young lineup, they should be headed for close to 100 losses.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 14 – DOOGAN 4<\/em><\/u><\/p>\n
\nBRY 19. San Francisco Giants – UNDER 71 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>Despite the Lincecum-Lowry-Cain trio, which may be one of the best young SP trios in the game, this team is dreadful.\u00a0 In fact, if I had to bet, I would bet on the Giants to have the worst record in baseball by the end of the season.\u00a0 Fortunately, that is not the bet–the bet is o\/u 71 wins, so I am going to go under.\u00a0 Yes, as Doogan said in his last choice, 71 wins is not a lot, but this team, just like the Marlins, is most likely heading for 100 losses.<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 5 – BRY 14<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 20. Baltimore Orioles – UNDER 69 wins:<\/strong> Sticking with the theme of picking bad teams to get worse, I’ll go with the Orioles, even though they are also off to a good start.\u00a0 Look at this roster and what is there to be optimistic about? Brian Roberts?\u00a0 Daniel Cabrera?\u00a0 This team stinks, and throw in 50-some games against the Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays, and this is another one of\u00a0the potential 100-loss teams out there.<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 6 – BRY 14<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 21. Oakland Athletics – UNDER 76:\u00a0 <\/strong>I think it says a lot about the type of organization that the A’s run that it took 20 picks before either of us picked them to lose more than 86 games.\u00a0 This team, as usual, has sold their best players (or is about to, in the case of Chavez), but also as usual, this team would shock no one if they contended.\u00a0 Their roster is pretty barren, though, so I am going to pick them to win less than 76 games–I would just be a lot more confident if their jerseys said anything else on them.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 15 – DOOGAN 6<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 22. Kansas City Royals – OVER 69 wins:<\/strong> Good points about the A’s, Bry.\u00a0 I didn’t really want to pick against that organization.\u00a0 As for the Royals, they’re generally very easy to pick against, but I’m not going to do it.\u00a0 I’ll admit, I might not have made this pick if it wasn’t for their solid start, but as you’ve seen in my other picks, I don’t put a whole lot of stock in the first 9 games of the season.\u00a0 If you look at this team though, you see some potential, and by potential, I mean potential to win 74 games this year.\u00a0 They have some touted young hitters starting to come around in Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, and Mark Teahen.\u00a0 On the pitching staff, they have three capable guys\u00a0in the rotation, Gil Meche, Zack Greinke, and Brian Bannister, and they have an up-and-coming closer in Joakim Soria.\u00a0 It looks to me like a team that can win 70.<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 7 – BRY\u00a015<\/u><\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nBRY 23. Seattle Mariners – OVER 88 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>You’re right, Doogan, just as I said with the A’s, I think the fact that it took so long to pick the Royals and the over speaks to where that organization has been in the recent past.\u00a0 They definitely have 70+ win talent, but they are the Royals…Anyway, I am taking the Mariners with this pick because, well, they are very good and 88 wins is not all that much, considering the division in which they play.\u00a0 Just as Doogan said about the Braves, there are so many people picking this team to win their division, and even the AL, that 88 wins seems very reasonable.\u00a0 Plus, the A’s are down, the Angels are hurt, and the Rangers are the Rangers–someone has to win this division.\u00a0 I’m just betting that\u00a0that someone wins 90 games.\u00a0 With King Felix ready to be a star and the truly underrated Erik Bedard as a #2, they should pitch their way to the mark.\u00a0 And, with their offense, they may have to.<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 8\u00a0– BRY 15<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 24. Houston Astros – OVER 73 wins<\/strong>:\u00a0 Believe me, I’m not a big fan of picking Ed Wade to come in and make a team better, but he has made an effort to improve this team, even if he maybe should have been in rebuilding mode.\u00a0\u00a0Houston has quickly gone from a team with good pitching and little hitting, to the complete opposite.\u00a0 With Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, Miguel Tejada, and Hunter Pence in the lineup, they should score some runs.\u00a0 The big problem is the rotation behind Roy Oswalt.\u00a0 I think Shawn Chacon could give them a decent season and Jose Valverde has been a solid closer over the last couple years. Also, I don’t put as much faith in teams like the Cubs and Brewers as Bry does.<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 9 – BRY 15<\/u>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 16 – DOOGAN 9<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>DOOGAN 26. Texas Rangers- OVER 75 wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 Yeah, I’m not sure about this, but they still have a pretty strong offense.\u00a0 Milton Bradley and Josh Hamilton have come in to offset the loss of Teixeira.\u00a0 Obviously, the pitching is not good, but maybe they can hit their way to 78 or so wins.<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 10 – BRY 16<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nBRY 27. New York Mets – UNDER 88 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>Okay, here is the pick where I lose all objective credibility.\u00a0 I think that the Mets are going to have a disappointing season.\u00a0 After Santana (granted, the best pitcher in baseball), there are question marks in the rotation.\u00a0 I actually do like John Maine, but is he a #2?\u00a0 I also like Oliver Perez, but is he a #3?\u00a0 They really need a healthy Pedro–which probably isn’t going to happen.\u00a0 Plus, you can’t count on Moises Alou, El Duque, or Luis Castillo at all, at this point.\u00a0 And, maybe I’m the only one, but I have serious reservations about calling Jose Reyes a superstar just yet.\u00a0 People just see the speed and the flashy glove and the hype and think superstar.\u00a0 What they do not realize is that this leadoff hitter has a career on-base percentage of .329 and has never been higher than .354.\u00a0 Yes, he’s only 24 and has tremendous upside, but he really hasn’t done all that much yet.\u00a0 If he played in Pittsburgh or Kansas City or Seattle, he’d be another “rising star.”\u00a0 He is clearly the third best shortstop in the division, and I think the Mets are the third best team in the division.\u00a0 80-85 wins for this team this year, and about 80-85 million suicidal fans.<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 11 – BRY 16<\/em><\/u><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 28. Boston Red Sox – UNDER 96 wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 96 sounds about right for the Sox this year, but I’m going to say under just because they have\u00a0a lot of key players that appear to be starting to age.\u00a0 I know they have tons of young talent but the 3-4-5 hitters, Ortiz, Manny,\u00a0and Mike Lowell, aren’t getting any younger.\u00a0 Lost amid the World Series triumph last year was that Manny had probably the worst season of his career, and Big Papi’s knees have about had it.\u00a0 Jason Varitek is also getting up there in age and who knows what they’ll get out of Curt Schilling.<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 12\u00a0– BRY 16<\/em><\/u>
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\nBRY 29. Pittsburgh Pirates – UNDER 68 wins:\u00a0 <\/strong>Honestly, I really did not want to pick the Indians (the only other team left) because that is a tough line.\u00a0 I am going with a really, really bad Pirates team to be even worse than the really, really bad Pirates team that only won 68 last year.<\/p>\n
\nBRY 17 – DOOGAN 12<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 30. Cleveland Indians – UNDER 96 wins:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is basically a coin flip.\u00a0 Victor Martinez is hurt and maybe Fausto Carmona will have a sophomore slump?<\/p>\n
\nDOOGAN 13 – BRY 17<\/u>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n