{"id":1865,"date":"2012-04-02T11:37:58","date_gmt":"2012-04-02T15:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=1865"},"modified":"2012-06-17T12:03:17","modified_gmt":"2012-06-17T16:03:17","slug":"2011-mlb-season-preview-bsb-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=1865","title":{"rendered":"2011 MLB Season Preview: BSB-Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

(UPDATE:\u00a0 BSB is about to begin the 2012 MLB Preview, so we figured it would be a good time to look back at the 2011 Preview in anticipation.\u00a0 The individual previews were posted on 3\/28.\u00a0 The updates (underlined) were made after the regular season ended.)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

With the end of a fantastic college basketball season this year imminent, it is time for Broad Street Believers to officially turn most of its attention squarely on the 2011 MLB season.\u00a0 And, to kick off what might be a prolific season of baseball coverage, we will run our annual tradition of previewing the MLB season in a unique way you won’t find anywhere else.\u00a0 We, here at BSB, like to have a little fun with everything and turn as many things as we can into competitions.\u00a0 And, we found a way to preview various seasons in a competitive manner.\u00a0 Over the next couple of days, Doogan and I will be “analyzing” all 30 Major League teams by trying to predict who is going to get better, who is going to get worse, and how confident we are in those assessments.\u00a0 This is the fourth year we have done this for baseball, and Bry has actually won all three – the first two very narrowly, and then last year’s\u00a0by an 18-12 score.\u00a0 (You can check out last year’s final recap here<\/a>.)\u00a0 So, if you are interested in our picks, check back as we will conduct this “draft” live, with updates, well, whenever we do them until we have picked all 30 teams.\u00a0 Doogan picked first last year, so Bry will kick off 2011 with the #1 draft pick…<\/p>\n

FINAL RESULTS:\u00a0show final record, winner of the pick.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. BRY – Seattle Mariners – OVER 61 wins:
\n<\/strong>Doogan, judging by the trouble I had with #1, this year might be the most difficult yet.\u00a0 Usually, there are at least 2 or 3 that are obvious right off the bat, but I am not 100% confident with my very first pick.\u00a0 That being said, I cannot imagine how the Mariners will be worse<\/em> than they were last year.\u00a0 They do have talent and the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, who is only getting better.\u00a0 I don’t think they are anywhere near contenders, but they will not lose 100 games again.\u00a0 Your move…<\/p>\n

FINAL:\u00a067-95
\nBRY leads 1-0
\nThe M’s didn’t have a good year, by any stretch, but they did manage to avoid another 100-loss season and get Bry the first point.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. DOOGAN – San Diego Padres – UNDER 90 wins:
\n<\/strong>Well, let’s see, nobody could figure out how the Padres won 90 games last year, and they traded away their only legitimate offensive threat, Adrian Gonzalez<\/a>, in the offseason.\u00a0 They also lost Jon Garland<\/a>, who gave them a very solid season.\u00a0 They could very easily lose 90 games this time around.<\/p>\n

FINAL: 71-91
\n<\/span>DOOGAN ties it up\u00a01-1
\nBry’s first pick was a bit of a sweat, but Doogan’s was drama-free, as the Pads were 19 games worse in 2011 than 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. DOOGAN – Milwaukee Brewers – OVER 77 wins:
\n<\/strong>Zach Greinke’s injury may give a moment’s pause here, but with him joining Yovani Gallardo<\/a>, the also newly-acquired Shaun Marcum<\/a>, and the still-steady Randy Wolf<\/a>, the Brewers have one\u00a0of the better rotations in the game.\u00a0 The offense still has Prince Fielder<\/a>, Ryan Braun<\/a>, Corey Hart<\/a>, and Rickie Weeks<\/a>, and Takashi Saito<\/a> has joined the pen.\u00a0 In a weak division, they should be able to push for 90 wins.<\/p>\n

FINAL: 96-66
\nDOOGAN leads 2-1
\nIf his first two picks are any indication, Doogan is on point here, as the Brew Crew also wins the point for him with 19 games to spare.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. BRY – Tampa Bay Rays – UNDER 96 wins:<\/strong>
\nI strongly considered San Diego with #1, so nice pick there.\u00a0 I am going to go with Tampa here because 96 wins is a lot for anyone in any division, but this team did lose, arguably, its best offensive player, and most of its bullpen, and they still play in the AL East.\u00a0 All that being said, I still think this is a very, very good team that could seriously contend because of their incredible pitching, but 96 wins is just too much.<\/p>\n

FINAL: 91-71
\nBRY ties it up 2-2
\nThe Rays made the playoffs with 91 wins, but it wasn’t enough to cost Bry the point.\u00a0 Still “on serve” after 4 picks.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. DOOGAN – Oakland A’s – OVER 81 wins:
\n<\/strong>They have a very promising young rotation with Brett Anderson<\/a>, Trevor Cahill<\/a>, Gio Gonzalez<\/a>, and Dallas Braden<\/a>, and they took a flier on\u00a0their former young star, Rich Harden<\/a>, who has maybe one more shot to get his career back on track.\u00a0 They’ve made a couple nice additions to the bullpen with Brian Fuentes<\/a> and Grant Balfour<\/a> joining young closer Andrew Bailey<\/a>.\u00a0 They may still struggle to score runs, but newcomers Hideki Matsui<\/a>, David DeJesus<\/a>, and Josh Willingham<\/a> will certainly help.\u00a0 They can definitely contend in the underwhelming AL West and win 90 games.<\/p>\n

FINAL: 74-88 – WRONG
\nBRY takes the lead 3-2
\nThe first “break” of the game goes to Bry, as Doogan thought the A’s would be above .500.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. BRY – Pittsburgh Pirates – OVER 57 wins:<\/strong>
\nIf I had to bet on a team to be the worst in baseball, I would absolutely bet on the Pirates.\u00a0 But,\u00a0I also\u00a0find it really hard to believe that in a National League that is very short on great teams will give us any <\/em>team that loses 105 games again.\u00a0 Again, if anyone can do it, it would be the Pirates because they have been terrible for so long and haven’t really added anything to make us think they won’t, but young’ins like Andrew McCutcheon and Pedro Alvarez<\/a> have to improve a little bit, right?\u00a0 Maybe?<\/p>\n

FINAL: 72-90
\nBRY leads 4-2
\nThis point was probably won in July, as the Pirates improved by 15 games in 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. DOOGAN – New York Mets – UNDER 79 wins:
\n<\/strong>You definitely stole my next pick with there with the Buccos, and that’s the end of the gimmes, in my mind.\u00a0 Considering the new regime in Queens and the whole Madoff situation with the owners, I really see this season being the end of an era and the Mets trading away guys like Carlos Beltran<\/a> and Jose Reyes<\/a> in July.\u00a0 I mean, by that point they’ll be, what, 20 games behind the Phils?<\/p>\n

FINAL: 77-85
\nDOOGAN trails 4-3
\nIn a point that was more dramatic than it may seem, it remains difficult to believe that the 2011 Mets won 77 games, but they did – it just wasn’t enough to cost Doogan the point.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. BRY – New York Yankees – UNDER 95 wins:<\/strong>
\nSince we’re in the Big Apple, let’s just head over to the other Borough and pick against them too, while we’re at it.\u00a0\u00a0I know that this team always wins and almost assuredly will end the season with at least one or two more\u00a0major pieces than they started it with, but I really can’t find 95 wins on this roster – particularly, this pitching staff.\u00a0 With Andy\u00a0Pettitte retiring, the Bombers are all of a\u00a0sudden counting on A.J. Burnett<\/a> as their #2 starter?\u00a0 That’s incredibly scary.\u00a0 Maybe Phil Hughes<\/a> progresses\u00a0even more, but still do they win 95 games when Freddy Garcia<\/a> and Ivan Nova<\/a> are starting 30-40% of their games?\u00a0 Yes, in true Yankees fashion, they added the best closer on the market – Rafael Soriano<\/a> – to be a handsomely paid setup man, but the rest of the bullpen is somewhat shaky, and there will be a time when Mariano is just too old to keep getting it done.\u00a0 And, speaking of old\u00a0– have you seen the left side of the infield?\u00a0 All of a sudden two of the best players of my lifetime look like they’re ready to become the centerpieces of the “stories of my youth.”\u00a0 I do think Robinson Cano<\/a> is one of the best players in the game, but I don’t see 95 wins in the Bronx this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 97-65 – WRONG
\nDOOGAN ties it up 4-4
\nBry’s first misstep comes at #8 with the Yanks.\u00a0 They actually got 2 games better in 2011, despite injury-riddled seasons from A-Rod and Jeter and a no-show from AJ Burnett.\u00a0 Curtis Granderson<\/a> is probably to blame for the improvement of the Bombers this year.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

9. DOOGAN – Boston Red Sox – OVER 89 wins:
\n<\/strong>Well, if the Yanks and Rays are both going under, then those AL East wins have to go somewhere, and the Sox look to be in a great position to take them.\u00a0 They had a ton of injuries last year, and I see improved seasons coming from Josh Beckett<\/a> and John Lackey<\/a> behind Jon Lester<\/a> and Clay Buchholz<\/a> in the rotation.\u00a0 And I haven’t even mentioned the two massive additions to the line-up, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford<\/a>.\u00a0 Add in a couple bullpen reinforcements in Bobby Jenks<\/a> and Dennys Reyes<\/a>, and this is team is the clear favorite to win the best division in baseball.\u00a0 That means 96-97 wins.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 90-72
\nDOOGAN takes the lead 5-4
\nMost people will remember the Red Sox losing game #162 as a devastating loss, little does everyone realize that they didn’t need that 91st win.\u00a0 Doogan had already hit his Over with their 90th win.\u00a0 Much ado about nothing…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

10. BRY – Baltimore Orioles – OVER 66 wins:<\/strong>
\nYa, that was my next pick as well, but I’ll stay here in the AL East.\u00a0 Trivia question:\u00a0 If we split last year into two 81-game seasons, who would have won the AL East in that second season?\u00a0 Answer:\u00a0 The Baltimore Orioles.\u00a0 That’s right, the Orioles had a better record than the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, and Blue Jays in the final 81 games.\u00a0 Now, I am not at all implying they are contenders for the title this year, but I think they will be a lot better than the 96 losses they had last year.\u00a0 They have Showalter for a full year, and I actually kind of like the additions of J.J. Hardy<\/a>, Mark Reynolds<\/a>, Derrek Lee<\/a>, and Vlad Guerrero.\u00a0 Plus, guys like Matt Wieters<\/a> and Adam Jones<\/a> are a year older, and guys in the rotation like Brian Matusz<\/a>, Brad\u00a0Bergesen,\u00a0and Jake Arrieta<\/a> have another year under their belts.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 69-93
\nBRY ties it up 5-5
\nWhile the O’s may not have “taken the next step” in 2011, they did improve by 3 games – which is enough to get Bry the point here at #10.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

11. DOOGAN –\u00a0Detroit Tigers – OVER 81 wins:
\n<\/strong>This is a slightly scary pick because there are a lot of “ifs” that need to turn out on the positive side, but there’s a lot of talent on this roster.\u00a0 The most important “if”: IF Miguel Cabrera<\/a> can keep himself alive and out of trouble, he should team with Victor Martinez<\/a> in the middle of a solid line-up that also features young outfielders Austin Jackson<\/a>, Ryan Raburn<\/a>, and Brennan Boesch<\/a>.\u00a0 I think Rick Porcello<\/a> will bounce back with a solid year, joining ace Justin Verlander<\/a> and Max Scherzer<\/a> at the front of the rotation.\u00a0 And Jose Valverde<\/a> and Joaquin Benoit<\/a> will form a dependable back-end of the bullpen.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 95-67
\nDOOGAN takes the lead 6-5
\nA stress-free point for Doogan at #11, as the Tigers were 14 games better in 2011 than the 2010 version.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

12. BRY – Toronto Blue Jays – UNDER 85 wins:<\/strong>
\nThis might be odd to talk about the Blue Jays regressing because they seem to a team moving in the right direction, in a weird way, but I just don’t see 85 wins of talent on this roster, especially in the AL East.\u00a0 They had a slew of career years offensively last year (Jose Bautista<\/a> comes to mind), so even with the normal regression to the mean for these guys, you have to expect that they will not hit 250 home runs again or score close to 800 runs again.\u00a0 Plus, as bad as a contract as Vernon Wells<\/a> had and as great as it was for the future of the team to move him, his loss will be felt in the short-term.\u00a0 I like the depth of their pitching staff, but it’s just a collection of decent #3’s.\u00a0 Put me down as surprised if this team goes .500 and pretty sure they won’t hit 85 wins again.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 81-81
\nBRY ties it up 6-6
\nA decent Blue Jays team was only good enough to go .500 in the brutal AL East, which means Bry takes the point and stays on serve.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

13. DOOGAN – Arizona Diamondbacks\u00a0– OVER 65 wins:
\n<\/strong>Not gonna lie, it took me a while to find a next pick.\u00a0 In the end, I’m going with one of the lower numbers out there.\u00a0 I don’t think this will be a good team.\u00a0 They don’t really have any stars that can carry them, but I do think they have enough to get into the 70’s in wins.\u00a0 Daniel Hudson<\/a>, Ian Kennedy<\/a>, Joe Saunders<\/a>, and Armando Galarraga<\/a> are guys that have gotten it done in the bigs for various lengths of time.\u00a0 The “future stars” on offense that look like they’ll never quite make it (Chris Young<\/a>, Stephen Drew<\/a>, maybe even Justin Upton<\/a>) are at least solidly productive.\u00a0 The weak bullpen could be what really derails them, but 70 wins isn’t too much to ask for.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 94-68
\nDOOGAN takes the lead 7-6
\nThe second-best pick of the whole thing comes at #13, as Doogan wins this one by almost 30 wins – wow!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

14. BRY – Minnesota Twins – UNDER 94 wins:<\/strong>
\nYa, it’s getting real tough already.\u00a0 Not sure how the rest of these picks are gonna go.\u00a0 And, as evidence for the difficulty, I have to go against a team that always seems to overachieve.\u00a0 But, 94 wins is a lot of wins.\u00a0 I know that they played most of the second half without their second-best player in Justin Morneau<\/a>.\u00a0 I know that they played the whole season without their star closer, Joe Nathan<\/a>.\u00a0 And, I know that they won 94 games last year, despite all of that.\u00a0 But, I just think that they may have overachieved a little too much last year.\u00a0 I could easily see them at 90-92 this year and winning the division again, but I just think 94 is a big number.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 63-99
\nBRY ties it up 7-7
\nThe second-best pick is followed up by the best pick in this middle section of the draw, as the Twins were an ungodly 31 games worse than they were in 2010.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

15. DOOGAN – Los Angeles Angels – OVER 80 wins:
\n<\/strong>The Angels have taken a bunch of steps back over the last couple years, but they still have two really important things going for them:\u00a0 starting pitching and money.\u00a0 Jered Weaver<\/a> and Dan Haren<\/a> are a great 1-2 combo at the front of the rotation, and Ervin Santana<\/a> and Joel Pineiro<\/a> are solid veterans.\u00a0 The underwhelming offense is relying on three over-the-hill outfielders (Torii Hunter<\/a>, Bobby Abreu<\/a>, and Vernon Wells) and the once-great bullpen has been largely gutted, but the starting pitching should help make them decent, and they have the money to add payroll mid-season and make a push in a winnable AL West.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 86-76
\nDOOGAN takes the lead 8-7
\nThese guys are good, as halfway through, there have only been 2 incorrect picks out of 15.\u00a0 Doogan hits this one with 6 games to spare.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

16. BRY – Kansas City Royals – OVER 67 wins:<\/strong>
\nI think I end up taking the Royals and the OVER every year, so why not get it over with now?\u00a0 By almost all accounts, this team has the best farm system in all of baseball and it seems like many of these guys are just about ready to contribute on the ML level – at least by July or so.\u00a0 I don’t think this team will compete this year – or even next – and they did lose their only real star in Zack Greinke<\/a> in the offseason, but I can see this team getting real feisty in the second half and winning 35-40 games in the second half.\u00a0 So, if they can just be not awful in the first half (which is no lock, by any means), then I think they’ll be hitting the almighty 70-win mark.\u00a0 Then again, this may be really stupid, considering their rotation consists of Luke Hochevar<\/a>, Jeff Francis<\/a>, Kyle Davies<\/a>, the immortal Bruce Chen<\/a>, and a 5th starter-to-be-named-later.\u00a0 Ugh…what did I just do?<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 71-91
\nBRY ties it up 8-8
\nThe youthful Royals are going to be the trendy pick to win the Central for the next decade, but we’ll see if it ever happens.\u00a0 Hey, they improved by FOUR whole games in 2011…Yankees watch out.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

17. DOOGAN – Texas Rangers – UNDER 90 wins:
\n<\/strong>It’s hard not to like the direction this franchise is heading in, but I’ve already gone OVER on the A’s and Angels, so that would put the Rangers in a tough spot.\u00a0 They also won’t get two months from a certain guy named Cliff Lee<\/a>.\u00a0 I feel like they’ll find a way to have a decent rotation, but C.J. Wilson<\/a> as your\u00a0Opening Day starter isn’t a great sign.\u00a0 Adrian Beltre<\/a> is a nice replacement for Vlad Guerrero in the line-up, but with him joining Josh Hamilton<\/a> and Nelson Cruz<\/a>, the\u00a0team’s three best hitters are all injury-prone, which could certainly\u00a0come back to haunt them.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 96-66 – WRONG
\nBRY takes the lead 9-8
\nThe streak of 8 straight correct picks is finished, as Doogan gets burned by another great year in Arlington.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

18. BRY – Colorado Rockies – OVER 83 wins:
\n<\/strong>I have been resoundingly critical of this Colorado team for a couple years now.\u00a0 I could never really understand how they were any good at all with an aging Todd Helton<\/a> and heavily struggling guys like Garret Atkins and Brad Hawpe<\/a> in the lineup every day.\u00a0 Plus, their leadoff hitter was Dexter Fowler<\/a>, who almost never got on base.\u00a0 But, I have come around on this team, particularly because of three guys (who are pretty obvious these days) – Ubaldo Jimenez<\/a>, Troy Tulowitzki<\/a>, and Carlos Gonzalez<\/a>.\u00a0 When you have a true #1 pitcher, an elite shortstop, and one of the best rising offensive stars in the game, you do not have all that much more building that needs to be done.\u00a0 Plus, I like Jorge De La Rosa<\/a> as a #2 and I think Huston Street<\/a> is an underrated closer (when healthy).\u00a0 I still don’t see this team as a pennant contender, but I can easily see them winning 85+ games in a mediocre division.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 73-89 – WRONG
\nDOOGAN ties it up 9-9
\nBry’s lead doesn’t last long, as he missed badly on the Rox in 2011.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

19. DOOGAN\u00a0– Houston Astros – UNDER 76 wins:
\n<\/strong>A mediocre rotation, a bad bullpen, and a line-up that really struggles to score.\u00a0 Ladies and gentlemen, Ed Wade in action!\u00a0 This team was lucky to win 76 last year.\u00a0\u00a0They’ll be\u00a0lucky to win 70 without any help from Mr. Roy Oswalt<\/a>.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 56-106
\nDOOGAN takes the lead 10-9
\nDid they really lose 106 games???\u00a0 Ouch…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

20. BRY – Los Angeles Dodgers – OVER 80 wins:
\n<\/strong>Clayton Kershaw<\/a> may be on the verge of being an elite starting pitcher.\u00a0 If Chad Billingsley<\/a> ever finds it again, he could be a solid #2; Ted Lilly<\/a> is already a solid #3; and, you can do a lot worse than Hiroki Kuroda<\/a> and Jon Garland as your #4-5.\u00a0 Plus, the bullpen is still very good, anchored by closer Jonathan Broxton<\/a>.\u00a0 All of those parts add up to a really solid all-around pitching staff and when your pitching staff is solid, you have a really good chance to win more games than you lose.\u00a0 And, it’s not like this offense is terrible.\u00a0 Andre Ethier<\/a> is not nearly as good as many people may think, but he’s solid.\u00a0 Matt Kemp<\/a> is not even close to as good as he probably should be, but he is immensely talented.\u00a0 Rafael Furcal<\/a> and James Loney<\/a> are solid pieces.\u00a0 This team is probably no better than a third-place team right now, but they could add a piece or two if they figure out their finances.\u00a0 I wouldn’t be surprised with pretty much any result between 75 and 90, but I think the chances are better they’re over 80 than under it.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 82-79
\nBRY ties it up 10-10
\nBy the skin of his teeth, Bry avoids back-to-back misses, as the Dodgers and Matt Kemp managed a 2-win improvement in 2011.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

21. DOOGAN – St. Louis Cardinals – UNDER 86 wins:
\n<\/strong>Argh, you definitely stole my next one with the Dodgers.\u00a0 I hate betting against this Cardinal team, but losing Adam Wainwright<\/a> for the season is a massive blow.\u00a0 And I’m usually not one to buy into “distractions” affecting a team that much, but this Pujols contract situation is such a dark cloud hanging over this Cardinal season that its hard for me to see it not having a negative\u00a0impact on just about everyone in the organization.\u00a0 Also, isn’t about time this “Ryan Franklin<\/a> as competent closer” phenomenon came to an end?<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 90-72 – WRONG
\nBRY takes the lead 11-10
\nThis one burns…what I wouldn’t give for Doogan to have been right about this one.\u00a0 Then again, at least he didn’t pick…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

22 BRY – Philadelphia Phillies – UNDER 97 wins:
\n<\/strong>Okay, I’ve put this off long enough for\u00a0six reasons:\u00a0 (1) I have a hard time picking the Phillies and the Under, in general; (2) I’ve thought about picking them and the Under for the last couple years and I always talk myself into the Over and end up getting rewarded; (3) Roy Halladay<\/a>; (4) Cliff Lee; (5) Cole Hamels<\/a>; (6) Roy Oswalt.\u00a0 It is hard to believe that the best pitching staff of all-time won’t win 97 games, but I’m a little worried.\u00a0\u00a0Let’s do some math, by the dozen:\u00a0 I think that even these 4 great pitchers will probably throw out 3-4 “off days” a year, so say that’s\u00a0approximately\u00a0a dozen losses from them.\u00a0 Without Brad Lidge<\/a>, I think that the bullpen could blow at least\u00a0a dozen\u00a0leads.\u00a0 There will probably be 20-30 games with these starters lead tied.\u00a0 If the Phils win about half of them, that’s another\u00a0dozen\u00a0losses.\u00a0 A\u00a0non-stud starter will get at least 30-40 starts, so say that’s another dozen losses, at least.\u00a0 And, there will probably be another dozen losses when the offense just doesn’t do anything (especially without Utley)\u00a0and Halladay loses 2-1 or 1-0.\u00a0 So, that is, by my count, six dozen losses…or about 90 wins.\u00a0 Honestly, I would definitely take the Over on 90, but I think I have go with the\u00a0Under on 97.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 102-60 – WRONG
\nDOOGAN ties it up 11-11
\nThe best team in the history of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Bry went with the Under – he was unavailable for comment on this one…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

23. DOOGAN – Chicago Cubs – OVER 75 wins:
\n<\/strong>I was gonna go Over on the Phils at some point.\u00a0 Boo to you, Bry.\u00a0 As for the Cubbies, it must make their fans sick to see some of these contracts.\u00a0 This year they’re paying $19 mil. each to Soriano and Zambrano, $17 mil. to Aramis Ramirez<\/a>, and $14 mil. to Kosuke Fukudome<\/a>.\u00a0 Anyway, it looks like they have a .500 team.\u00a0 Zambrano, Dempster, and Matt Garza<\/a> is a serviceable trio of starters and Kerry Wood<\/a> returns to join Carlos Marmol<\/a> at the back of the pen.\u00a0 The offense definitely doesn’t thrill you but, again, not terrible.\u00a0 111 years and counting for the North Siders.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 71-91 – WRONG
\nBRY takes the lead 12-11
\nThe Cubbies are in trouble, as a franchise.\u00a0 A winnable division, a huge payroll, and 71 wins?\u00a0 That’s, uh, not very good.\u00a0 Bry takes the lead back, as the guys are starting to struggle here down the stretch.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

24. BRY – Florida Marlins – OVER 80 wins:
\n<\/strong>Ya, I’m not a fan of my last pick, either, Doogan.\u00a0 The good news is – if I had to pick one team that I think has the best chance to win the World Series, it would be the Phils because I think that 97 wins or not, they are going to the playoffs and once they get there, with that rotation – watch out.\u00a0 Anyway, this paragraph isn’t supposed to be about the Phils.\u00a0 It’s getting pretty tough here with these last couple, but I’ll go with the Fish and their youngsters to at least go .500.\u00a0 When you have a top 5 starting pitcher and a top 5 shortstop, you should win a lot of games.\u00a0 Plus, the rest of the rotation is decent and they always have good young talent on the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 72-90 – WRONG
\nDOOGAN ties it up 12-12
\nThe 4th straight incorrect pick gives us another tie here after 24 picks.\u00a0 It’s hard to imagine that this Marlins team was a last-place team in 2011, but it’s true.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

25. DOOGAN – Cincinnati Reds – UNDER 91 wins:
\n<\/strong>Even though, in a lot of ways, this is an up-and-coming team, they look more likely to take a step back this year.\u00a0 Is Joey Votto<\/a> really going to repeat as MVP?\u00a0 Also, even though they have a bunch of decent arms in the rotation, none of them can be considered a sure thing, especially with two of them (Cueto and Bailey) starting the year on the DL.\u00a0 Aroldis Chapman<\/a> might turn into a beast in the pen, but they have a bunch of relievers that had really good years last year who could easily be very average this year.\u00a0 The good news for them is that 87 wins could definitely take the division title again.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 79-83
\nDOOGAN takes the lead 13-12
\nTo get an easy point at #25 is always a welcome relief, but after 4 straight incorrect picks, this one feels pretty important for Doogan’s chances at winning the MLB Preview for the first time.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

26. BRY – Chicago White Sox – OVER 88 wins:
\n<\/strong>The remaining picks are really, really tough, but the Ozzie Guillen\/Ken Williams Era has been very <\/em>underrated on the South Side, so I’ll go with the ChiSox.\u00a0 This team is always competitive\u00a0<\/em>and they always seem to make a big move if they need it.\u00a0 And, I think that they are arguably the best team in this decent division, which usually leads to 90+ wins.\u00a0 I really like the Adam Dunn<\/a> signing and the Paul Konerko<\/a> re-signing.\u00a0 And, even though Jake Peavy<\/a> will start the season on the DL, if they can get anything close to the Peavy of old, this staff could be excellent with Mark Buerhle, John Danks<\/a>, Gavin Floyd<\/a>, and Edwin Jackson<\/a>.\u00a0 We could even see breakout performances from guys like Gordan Beckham or Alexei Ramirez<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 79-83 – WRONG
\nDOOGAN leads 14-12
\nYet another bad pick by Bry, as he is fading quickly down the stretch here – Doogan’s magic number is 2.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

27. DOOGAN – San Francisco Giants – UNDER 92 wins:
\n<\/strong>As good as their starting pitching is, it’s pretty hard to see it getting better.\u00a0 <\/em>On the other hand, they’ll continue to struggle to score runs, and it’s easy to see Aubrey Huff<\/a>, Pat Burrell<\/a>, and Andres Torres<\/a> dropping their production level of last year.\u00a0 They’re hoping rookie first baseman Brandon Belt<\/a> will help with run production.\u00a0 This also a brutal defensive team, with Burrell in left, 37-year-old Miguel Tejada<\/a> at short, Pablo Sandoval<\/a> at third, and Huff moving to right field to make room for Belt.\u00a0 Throw in Brian Wilson<\/a> starting the year on the DL, and I like the Under here.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 86-76
\nDOOGAN leads 15-12 (clinches at least a tie)
\nA great call by Doogan here at #27 to pick against the defending champs has put him on the verge of the 2011 title.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

28. BRY – Washington Nationals – OVER 69 wins:
\n<\/strong>I have put off this pick for a while now because, while\u00a0<\/em>I think they have <\/em>to be getting better (right?), they really have no starting pitching.\u00a0 And, we all know that Strasburg is out with an injury, and Jordan Zimmerman may not be ready for The Show quite yet.\u00a0 But, they do have the most underrated player in the game (Ryan Zimmerman<\/a>) and they added some guy named Jayson Werth<\/a>.\u00a0 I think they’re probably more likely to hit 65 than 75, but I still think that they’re probably around 72 or so, so I’ll take the Over – barely.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 80-81
\nBRY trails 15-13
\nThe champagne will have to stay “on ice,” as Bry cruises to an easy point here, with the Nats nearly playing .500 ball in 2011.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

29. DOOGAN – Cleveland Indians – UNDER 69 wins:
\n<\/strong>I stayed away from this pick for so long because the Indians have a lot of guys that could either way: pretty good or really bad.\u00a0 The offense has the potential to be average (that’s about it though), but the pitching has the potential to be epically bad (which they showed when the first two starters combined to give up 17 runs in the first two games of the year).\u00a0 In a pretty tough division with three good teams to play 18 times each, it’s likely to be another long year in Cleveland.<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 80-82
\nBRY trails 15-14
\nDoogan misses another chance to clinch the title, as the Indians (despite playing about .300 baseball in the second half) had a good enough first half to nearly finish .500.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

30. BRY – Atlanta Braves – UNDER 91 wins:
\n<\/strong>After taking the Phils and the Under,\u00a0I\u00a0had a feeling that Doogan would set me up here to be the ultimate “bad guy” with a Braves and Over pick.\u00a0 But, in true stubborn fashion, I refuse.\u00a0 Give me the Under.\u00a0 I do like this Braves team, but I think that they are getting way too much love from the national pundits.\u00a0 Their starting rotation is good, on paper, and very deep, but Derek Lowe<\/a> and Tim Hudson<\/a> are another year older.\u00a0 Jair Jurrjens<\/a> and Kris Medlin have never proven they can stay healthy for a full year, and Tommy Hanson<\/a>, Brandon Beachy<\/a>, and Mike Minor<\/a> still have a lot more to prove in the bigs.\u00a0 And, on offense, everyone is talking about how great this offense is and I just don’t get it.\u00a0 This is the first four in their order:\u00a0 Martin Prado<\/a>, Nate McClouth, a 39-year old Chipper Jones<\/a>, and Dan Uggla<\/a>.\u00a0 Is that the first four of a title contender?\u00a0 No way.\u00a0 Jason Hayward is a stud, but does that mean that Freddie Freeman<\/a> is too?\u00a0 Plus, they lost Billy Wagner<\/a> and are now counting on a couple of really young relievers in Johnny Venters and Craig Kimbrel<\/a> at the back of the ‘pen.\u00a0 But, despite all of what I just said, I would absolutely have picked this team for the Over and possibly thought they had a shot in the NL East, if not for one thing – the best manager of our generation is no longer calling the shots.\u00a0 It’s hard to quantify what Bobby Cox did for that clubhouse, but I can say that, regardless of his replacement, they have downgraded.\u00a0 Give me the Under in Atlanta and a fifth straight NL East title for the Phightin’ Phils!<\/span><\/p>\n

FINAL: 89-73
\nBRY ties it up 15-15
\nThree straight wins for the Phils against the Braves to close out the season gives Bry three straight points to close out the Preview, and we’ve got ourselves a flat-footed tie, folks.\u00a0 And, for the first time in our four-year history, we have to go to the tie-breaker (win differential).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

TIEBREAKER:
\nDOOGAN – 96
\nBRY – 49<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Doogan takes the 2011 MLB Preview Title in a Tiebreaker, 96-49.<\/span><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(UPDATE:\u00a0 BSB is about to begin the 2012 MLB Preview, so we figured it would be a good time to look back at the 2011 Preview in anticipation.\u00a0 The individual previews were posted on 3\/28.\u00a0 The updates (underlined) were made … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,747],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mlb","category-season-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1865"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1865\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2993,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1865\/revisions\/2993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}