It is upon us.\u00a0 The dawn of the baseball season is here.\u00a0 And, after an interminable Spring Training, we are more than ready.\u00a0 And, here at BSB, as has been the norm, we will kick off our baseball coverage with our unique style of preview. \u00a0We will go back and forth trying to pick teams that will be better or worse than they were in 2012.<\/p>\n
This will be the sixth season that we do this. \u00a0Bry won the first three of them, but Doogan has responded with two convincing wins in a row, including a 17-13 win in 2012<\/a>.<\/p>\n The interesting part of the 2012 preview is that both of us missed our first picks. \u00a0Doogan took the Over 72 on the Marlins at #1, and Bry took the Over 56 on the Astros at #2. \u00a0Since Doogan went #1 last year, Bry will get the first pick in 2013.<\/p>\n FINAL SCORES posted below in RED.<\/span><\/p>\n 1. BRY- Toronto Blue Jays – OVER 73 wins: <\/strong>Stop me when this sounds familiar. \u00a0The team I’m taking a team at #1 that has been an afterthought in a good division for at least a decade now. \u00a0But, they have blown away the rest of the league with their offseason acquisitions, including SS Jose Reyes and SP Mark Buehrle. \u00a0They also enter the year with a brand-new manager. \u00a0No, I didn’t learn from Doogan’s Marlins mistake last year, and I suckered into the Blue Jays. \u00a0That being said, while I think they’re a safe bet to go over 73 wins, I do not think that this is some juggernaut all of a sudden. \u00a0Think about it – they added the core of a 69-win team last year plus the NL Cy Young Award winner, who just so happens to be 38 years old and not exactly “well-established.” \u00a0I’d like to pump the brakes on the Blue Jays as World Series favorites, but I will take my chances on them being better than they were a year ago.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record: \u00a074-88 2. DOOGAN – Baltimore Orioles – UNDER 93 wins: <\/strong>No major roster changes here, just a team that greatly overachieved a year ago and should’ve won at least 10 games less than they did, based on run differential.\u00a0 With a rotation fronted by the likes of Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen, and in the AL East, I have to think you’re winning much less than 93 games.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 85-77 3. DOOGAN – New York Yankees – UNDER 95 wins: <\/strong>So our first three picks are all from the AL East.\u00a0 The hits this team has taken to its lineup are well-documented: ARod could miss the year, Granderson broke his arm, Teixeira is out for a while, Jeter’s coming back from injury.\u00a0 But I also don’t have confidence in this pitching staff.\u00a0 I’m not convinced that Kuroda can match what he did last year, Andy Pettitte is overdue to run out of gas, I’m not ready to say that Phil Hughes will be good.\u00a0 And I hate to doubt Mariano, but he is coming back from a major injury in his 40’s.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 85-77 4. BRY – Boston Red Sox – OVER 69 wins: <\/strong>If nothing else, I’m a man who loves a good theme, so let’s make it four in a row from the AL East. \u00a0A Red Sox team that didn’t win 70 games? \u00a0Almost impossible to believe for this generation. \u00a0I can’t imagine that will happen again. \u00a0They are probably not serious contenders for any banners in 2013, but if the reports are right on John Lackey’s fitness are anywhere near accurate, and they can get anything remotely close to the “old” John Lester or Clay Bucholz then this pitching staff should be much <\/em>improved. \u00a0And, they do still have Pedroia, as well as adding a now healthy Jacoby Ellsbury, our old friend Shane Victorino, and some guy named Jackie Bradley, who has been tearing up the Grapefruit League. \u00a0Alright, Doogan, be a man and make a pick on Tampa…<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 97-65 5. DOOGAN – Oakland A’s – UNDER 94 wins: <\/strong>Sorry, can’t go Tampa here.\u00a0 I’ll take a team that is in sort of in the Baltimore mold, even though I think they’re pretty clearly better than Baltimore.\u00a0 Still, a young team that overachieved last year and is in a tough division.\u00a0 Pitchers like Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone kind of came out nowhere last year and should regress.\u00a0 I don’t see Brandon Moss being .950 OPS guy again.\u00a0 The bullpen is good, but probably not as good as they were last year, either.\u00a0 Easily could be a third place team in this division.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 96-66 6. BRY – Chicago Cubs – OVER 61 wins: <\/strong>Just playing the numbers here. \u00a0The Cubbies aren’t good, but they’re also not 100-loss bad. \u00a0Starlin Castro is \u00a0going to be the most unimpressive 3,000-hit guy in baseball history, when it’s all said and done, but he’s still a SS who gets 200 hits every year, which kind of kills any argument against him being a franchise player (though, I continue to make them). \u00a0Their rotation isn’t terrible now that they added Edwin Jackson and Scott Feldman to Matt Garza and Jeff Samardz…however it’s spelled…and Travis Wood. \u00a0So, if they even get 100 starts from those five (very consevative), I think they could win 40-45 of those, leaving only about 20 more wins to find somewhere. Again, they’re not good, but should give me 65-70 wins, at minimum. <\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 66-96 7. DOOGAN – Cleveland Indians – OVER 68 wins: <\/strong>It was an active offseason for the Tribe.\u00a0 They didn’t upgrade the pitching staff much, which is a pretty huge concern.\u00a0 Still, this is a strong lineup with the likes of Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher joining Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana, and Jason Kipnis.\u00a0 Bourn and Drew Stubbs give them a pretty fantastic defensive outfield and a nice dose of speed.\u00a0 Only the Mariners scored less runs in the AL last year.\u00a0 That will change, and this team will win 75 games.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 92-70 8. BRY – Kansas City Royals – OVER 72 wins: <\/strong>Since I make this pick every year, I might as well get it over with early enough, so I don’t have to stare at it every time I want to make another pick. \u00a0This year, I mean it, though, this team could be good. \u00a0The offense is actually somewhat solid, particularly the underrated Billy Butler, the uber-talented Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, and the somehow always forgotten, Alex Gordon, who only led the majors in doubles last year. \u00a0And, as we all know, they acquired a total horse at the front of the rotation in James Shields. \u00a0But, as people may not know, they also brought in new #2, #3, and #4 starters in Jeremy Guthrie, Ervin Santana, and Wade Davis. \u00a0It remains to be seen if they actually pitch like #2-4 starters, but at least they don’t have to throw Bruce Chen and Luke Hochevar out there are their top 2 starters any more.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 86-76 9. DOOGAN – Cincinnati Reds – UNDER 97 wins: <\/strong>Really a strong team with a ton of talent, but this pick is more than just “picking under on a big number.”\u00a0 Even though they have enough in place to contend for a championship, the bottom line is that this is no juggernaut than can be expected to get back to upper-90’s in wins.\u00a0 The starting rotation is very solid, but there isn’t any ace.\u00a0 I know Johnny Cueto was one last year, but let’s see him do it again before we call him an ace.\u00a0 Ryan Ludwick is a rock solid hitter, but if he’s your cleanup hitter, I have my doubts about how good your line-up really is.\u00a0 Again, it’s a good team, but not a great team, so I feel pretty good about Under on this big a number.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 90-72 10. BRY – Texas Rangers – UNDER 93 wins:<\/strong> It is amazing how quickly your “window” can close in this game. \u00a0I’m not saying that the Rangers can’t get that elusive championship, but it looks like they are on the downside of the best opportunity this franchise has ever had. \u00a0Maybe Nelson Cruz should have, ya know, caught that fly ball that would have ended Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. \u00a0Anyway, by downgrading Josh Hamilton to Lance Berkman and Mike Napoli to A.J. Pierzynski, the juggernaut offense that this team has leaned on for this long run of dominance is not the same. \u00a0They also lost the heart and soul of their clubhouse in Michael Young. \u00a0And, without C.J. Wilson, whom they lost last offseason to free agency, and Neftali Feliz and Colby Lewis, whom they lost this offseason to various injuries, their rotation looks – all of a sudden – rather pedestrian. \u00a0Unless Yu Darvish is a Cy Young-caliber pitcher and Matt Harrison and Derek Holland are borderline All-Stars, the front-end of this rotation may not make up for the gigantic question marks at the back-end. \u00a0They should be in the mix, but 93 is a big number for a team that is likely on the decline.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 91-71 (the one-game playoff loss to Tampa doesn’t count for our contest – though makes no difference in terms of scoring here) 11. DOOGAN – Philadelphia Phillies – OVER 81 wins: <\/strong>It’s Opening Day, and as they say, hope springs eternal.\u00a0 You can punch holes in this team and find plenty of weaknesses, but I definitely think they are being underrated by the national media coming into the season.\u00a0 Hamels and Lee should be one of the best 1-2 combos in baseball.\u00a0 I’m buying into the concern about Halladay, but the guy’s still two seasons removed from being Cy Young-caliber, so he still could turn in a really strong season.\u00a0 I like (not love, but like) the bullpen, with the plan of Bastardo, Adams, Papelbon in the 7th, 8th, and 9th.\u00a0 I think the lineup will be at least average, and when paired with pretty clearly above-average pitching, that makes for more than 81 wins, and I don’t think 90+ is at all out of the question.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 73-89 12. BRY – Houston Astros – OVER 55 wins:<\/strong> This is a terrible team – one of the worst of our lifetimes (which may be why we passed on a 55-win line for 11 picks).\u00a0 But, every night, the team will consist of 25 people who make their livelihoods playing baseball.\u00a0 And, baseball – more than any other sport – rarely gives any team more than a 2-to-1 advantage on a given night.\u00a0 Therefore, it is really, really <\/em>hard to lose 107 games.\u00a0 Granted, if any team I’ve ever seen can do it, it would be this one, but they’re 1-0 right now, so I just need 55 more wins to hit this over.\u00a0 They might be a 104-loss team, but I don’t see another 107.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 51-111 13. DOOGAN – Colorado Rockies – OVER 64 wins: <\/strong>This pitching staff, in Coors Field or anywhere else, is a disaster.\u00a0 But, this lineup, in any ballpark, is pretty awesome.\u00a0 After finding success focusing more on pitching, the Rockies are back to their Blake Street Bomber roots (in some ways), and while that means a lot of losses, it also means they could be tough to beat at home, and 64 is a low hurdle.\u00a0 Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler, Michael Cuddyer, even the catcher, Wilin Rosario, has a power bat.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 74-88 14. BRY – Washington Nationals – UNDER 98 wins:<\/strong> I may have had more discussions about the expectations for the 2013 Nationals than anything else in my life over the past month, and I guess it’s time to put my money where my mouth is.\u00a0 Is this the best team in baseball?\u00a0 Possibly.\u00a0 Is it the best team in the NL?\u00a0 Maybe.\u00a0 Is it the best team in the NL East?\u00a0 Probably.\u00a0 On paper, are they better than they were last year?\u00a0 Definitely.\u00a0 Are baseball games – let alone seasons – ever played on paper?\u00a0 Absolutely not.\u00a0 If so, they wouldn’t have won 98 games last year.\u00a0 They were more like an 88-90-win team last year.\u00a0 I think they might be 3-5 wins better this year, but that still only puts them in the mid-90s, at best.\u00a0 98 wins is a HUGE number.\u00a0 I still have question marks about the durability of their rotation – Strasburg and Detwiler have combined for ZERO seasons with 165+ innings.\u00a0 (EDIT)<\/em> Danny Haren\u00a0is coming off of a season where\u00a0he broke down and looked\u00a0like he\u00a0felt every bit of his 1,800 innings, and Gio Gonzalez isn’t a safe bet, himself.\u00a0 And, they have NO pitching depth.\u00a0 So, even if they lose a starter or two for short DL stints, that could preclude them from the seemingly guaranteed 100-win season.\u00a0 Throw in health question marks about two of their most important position players – Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth – and a possible set back for the overachieving middle infield last year, and you have a FAR CRY from a sure thing.\u00a0 Yes, the bullpen is loaded.\u00a0 Yes, 20-year old Bryce Harper might be in for MVP numbers already.\u00a0 And, yes, I would call them pretty clear favorites to win the East, but 98 games?\u00a0 That is a LOT of games.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 86-76 15. DOOGAN – Miami Marlins – UNDER 69 wins: <\/strong>I was going Under on that Nats next also, but I’ll keep it in the division here.\u00a0 We know all they’ve lost with Reyes, Buerhle, Josh Johnson, and others gone.\u00a0 They’re in total rebuilding mode, with possibly Placido Polanco batting cleanup, I’ve heard?\u00a0 With three very good teams at the top of the division, and this team bereft of talent outside of Giancarlo Stanton, they’ll be lucky to avoid 100 losses.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 62-100 16. BRY – Chicago White Sox – UNDER 85 wins:<\/strong> This team is aging, and I think that they overperformed most of the season last year anyway.\u00a0 John Danks is hurt, and Chris Sale may take a step backwards (health or performance) after a much heavier workload last year than he had ever had before.\u00a0 Another year of age for Gavin Floyd, Jake Peavy, Paul Konerko (borderline, Hall of Famer, by the way), and Adam Dunn is not exactly a good thing.\u00a0 These picks are getting tougher, and I’m not in love with this one, but I’ll take my chances that things go wrong on the South Side and they’re a .500 team, at best.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 63-99 17. DOOGAN – Detroit Tigers – OVER 88 wins: <\/strong>Building off that last pick by Bry, this is a very good team in a division that could be very bad.\u00a0 They have the best pitcher in the game and three high-quality guys behind him.\u00a0 They have the absolute best 3-4 combo in the middle of their order, with a few other quality bats supporting them.\u00a0 The bullpen is a bit of a question mark, but could be solid, and I worry that their infield is basically a bunch of fat guys, including the shortstop (Peralta), but the talent is here, in a poor division, to win 93-95 games.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 93-69 18. BRY – Los Angeles Dodgers – OVER\u00a086 wins:<\/strong> Well, you took my next pick, Doogan, so I have to take the bait on the Dodgers.\u00a0 Other than the Blue Jays, this team was the talk of the offseason, so it’s a bit of a surprise (and possibly telling) that it took us this long to jump on them.\u00a0 And, honestly, I’m not even that comfortable making this pick, but it’s getting tougher to justify any of the teams left.\u00a0 And, I am – and always have been – completely enamored by talent.\u00a0 Obviously, I admire the gritty, determined overachievers and the teams that win on “clubhouse chemistry,” but part of the reason we love sports is because we get to see people play games that we have played on levels that are so far beyond imagination that it almost defies comprehension.\u00a0 I love elite talent.\u00a0 And, the Dodgers have a whole lot of that.\u00a0 Whether or not it materializes into elite team performance remains to be seen, but up and down this lineup\u00a0 – and now the starting rotation – they have some of the best players in the world.\u00a0 And, chemistry or no chemistry, they open their rotation with Clayton Kershaw (one of the 5 best pitchers on the planet), Zack Greinke (one of the 15 best pitchers on the planet), and Josh Beckett (who is rumored to be looking more like the old Beckett than the more recent Beckett, which could put him in the top 30 on the planet).\u00a0 Then,\u00a0they will post a lineup with a\u00a0first five of\u00a0Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez, and Hanley Ramirez, which is as talented a first 5 as I can remember, honestly.\u00a0 All that said, we still both passed on a somewhat low line 17 times – so, obviously, as awesome as I find pure talent, we are both wary of its ability to carry the day and actually win games.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 92-70 19. DOOGAN – Atlanta Braves – UNDER 94 wins: <\/strong>Sitting here watching the Braves-Phillies Opening Day game while I make this pick.\u00a0 I’m not factoring in this game at all, and this is a good team, but the fact that they just said that Johnny Venters is visiting Dr. James Andrews today makes this pick just a TINY bit easier.\u00a0 Their bullpen is devastating, but not nearly as much if Venters is hurt.\u00a0 Mainly, I think this starting rotation has more questions than people are talking about.\u00a0 There’s certainly no ace.\u00a0 Tim Hudson is 37.\u00a0 Kris Medlen, Mike Minor, and Julio Teheran are all basically potential guys that haven’t really done for long or at all in the big leagues.\u00a0 McCann and Uggla are on the decline, which is ok because they have Heyward, Justin Upton, and Freeman to make up for that, but I’m just not sure the lineup is quite as good as it looks at first glance.\u00a0 94 is a big number, especially at this point of the competition, so I like the Under.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 96-66 20. BRY – Los Angeles Angels – OVER 89 wins:<\/strong> If I were an Angels fan, I would be very concerned about the pitching staff, particularly come October. \u00a0But, what I would not be concerned with is this offense. \u00a0Adding Josh Hamilton to an already LOADED offense with Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, this team could simply mash its way to 90 wins. \u00a0Plus, adding the Astros to this division should help. \u00a0Remember, they should have a little more health than they did last year, and they should get about 6 more weeks of Mike Trout – the game’s best player.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 78-84 21. DOOGAN – San Francisco Giants – UNDER 94 wins: <\/strong>Some nitpicking here on the defending World Champs and you can talk yourself into the Under.\u00a0 First off, it wasn’t noticed much because they won it all, but this was not a 94-win team, based on run differential, last year.\u00a0 They still don’t score a ton of runs, though they’re far from bad offensively.\u00a0 Lincecum still looks lost, but they still have one of the top couple of rotations in the game.\u00a0 They have a number of quality relievers, but they don’t have that shutdown closer they once did with Brian Wilson.\u00a0 Last year’s 94 was the most they’ve won in the regular season with this current core, and that includes their other title winning team in 2010, and they only won 86 in the year between those two runs.\u00a0 I think they’re a team that’s more built for October than the regular season, so after a long-winded talking-myself-into-this-pick, I go under.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 76-86 22. BRY – Seattle Mariners – OVER\u00a075 wins<\/strong>:\u00a0Not really sure why I like this one, but the pickins are getting pretty slim, and I think that the M’s are moving in the right direction.\u00a0 Any time you add 3- and 4-hitters, a #3 starter, and a veteran bench player you have to be improved, right?\u00a0 I’m not saying that Michael Morse, Kendry Morales, Joe Saunders, and Raul Ibanez will be wearing World Series rings after this year, but the team should be improved – at least, on paper.\u00a0 Plus, they do have one of the very best pitchers on the planet, so I see this team pushing 65 wins non-Astros wins and another 12-15 against the ‘Stros.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 71-91 23. DOOGAN – Milwaukee Brewers – UNDER 83 wins: <\/strong>A franchise that is sort of grasping at straws trying to stay competitive when the best (and inevitable) move may be a rebuild.\u00a0 The pitching staff, both the starters and bullpen, is just not very good, with very little starter depth.\u00a0 The offensive is still above average, but Corey Hart is on the DL and may not be fully healthy all season after offseason knee surgery.\u00a0 While he’s out, Alex Gonzalez is their starting first baseman.\u00a0 That’s not good.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 74-88 24. BRY – Minnesota Twins – OVER 66 wins:<\/strong> This team is not good, and with Vance Worley pitching on Opening Day, it’s clear that they have the pitching staff to loss 100 games. \u00a0Fellow newcomers, Mike Pelfrey and Kevin Correia will likely be the next two in the rotation – ouch. \u00a0But, they do have a promising pitcher in Scott Diamond that should be healthy come May or so, and they have Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Josh Willingham…at least until the trade deadline. \u00a0I’m not confident with this pick, but everything left is tough.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 66-96 25. DOOGAN – Pittsburgh Pirates – UNDER 79 wins: <\/strong>Well, we know that the Buccos are going to lose more games than they win, because they’ve done that 20-som straight years and it’s not like anything major has changed.\u00a0 So that doesn’t leave them much room to hit 79 wins.\u00a0 Yes, Andrew McCutchen is an elite player.\u00a0 Other than that, this team is not very good.\u00a0 The rotation is three middle-of-the-rotation types and then nobodies.\u00a0 Adding Russell Martin doesn’t excite me.\u00a0 The losing continues in the Steel City.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 94-68 26. BRY – Arizona Diamondbacks – OVER 81 wins:<\/strong> I’ve never believed in the whole “addition by subtraction” theory in baseball. \u00a0Football, maybe. \u00a0Basketball, definitely. \u00a0But, in baseball? \u00a0I don’t understand why you would ever <\/em>ship off talent for less talent, but better “chemistry?” \u00a0So, the D’backs trade of Justin Upton was probably a bad move, but I actually think it was more of a calculated risk that he just doesn’t have the makeup to be a star, so they could sell high, get an underrated Martin Prado in return, and not be stuck with a bad contract in a year or two. \u00a0The problem is that they still need someone to drive in runs. \u00a0Can a team with a 3-4-5-6 of Aaron Hill, Jason Kubel, Cody Ross, and Paul Goldschmidt win 90 games? \u00a0No. \u00a0But, a team with Ian Kennedy, Trevor Cahill, Brandon McCarthy, and Wade Miley shouldn’t need all that much to get to 83 or so.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 81-81 27. DOOGAN – St. Louis Cardinals – OVER 88 wins: <\/strong>I’ve pondered the Under on this one a few times now, but everytime end up saying, “I don’t want to go Under on the Cardinals.\u00a0 I don’t like betting against that franchise.”\u00a0 So, I won’t bet against them.\u00a0 When I look at this roster, am I confident they have 90 wins in them, especially when they’re pretty clearly not the best team in their division?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 They also don’t get the Astros wins this year.\u00a0 But, they do still have three average-to-poor teams in that division, and they have a solid amount of talent in all phases of the game.\u00a0 Let’s mark ’em down for 90-72.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 97-65 28. BRY – San Diego Padres – UNDER 76 wins:<\/strong> This is going against what a lot of the so-called “experts” are saying. \u00a0I have heard several times how the Padres might be darkhorse contenders in the NL West, based on a blistering hot September last year and a decent spring training. \u00a0But, there is an old adage in baseball circles that says “never believe anything that happens in March or September.” \u00a0Now, I am not claiming that the Bryan “eye test” should be trusted over people who do this stuff for a living, but this “eye test” sees a talent level closer to 90 losses than anything resembling a .500 team. \u00a0Like Doogan went with his gut on the Cards, I am doing so here. \u00a0Let’s mark ’em down for 72-90.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 76-86 29. DOOGAN – New York Mets – UNDER 74 wins: <\/strong>You know, why not?\u00a0 I actually would’ve gone Over on them at least 5-8 picks ago if it hadn’t been for the Johan Santana injury.\u00a0 Sad for Santana that his career was really cut short by elbow\/shoulder problems.\u00a0 I know the Mets are off to a 3-2 start, but unfortunately for them they don’t play home games against the Padres and Marlins all season.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 74-88 30. BRY – Tampa Bay Rays – UNDER 90 wins:<\/strong> Not surprising that this is the last team on the board, as this is a really tough call. \u00a0Vegas has them at 87.5 as an O\/U. \u00a0At that number, I would definitely take the Over, but 90 is such a tossup that I guess I’ll trust my boys in Sin City. \u00a0That said, I think 94+ wins is much more likely than 84-.<\/span><\/p>\n 2013 Record:\u00a0 91-71 (one-game playoff win over Texas doesn’t count, though it would not have changed the scoring here) It is upon us.\u00a0 The dawn of the baseball season is here.\u00a0 And, after an interminable Spring Training, we are more than ready.\u00a0 And, here at BSB, as has been the norm, we will kick off our baseball coverage with … Continue reading
\nPOINT: \u00a0Bry, 1-0
\nBry bought into all the hype, and it almost bit him, but he barely avoids having the #1 pick lose for the second straight year.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 1-1
\nDoogan, cruises with his first pick, as this one never really looked in trouble.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 2-1
\nDoogan hits the Under on back-to-back 85-win AL East teams with another somewhat comfortable point here.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 2-2
\nThe four straight AL East teams to start the draft all hit, as Bry grabs the easiest point in the whole draft here at #4.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 3-2
\nOur first missed pick comes in at #5, as the A’s continue to shock even the most ardent baseball fans with their winning ways.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 4-2
\nIt wasn’t easy the whole way, but Bry called for 65-70 wins, got 66, and takes the point and the lead.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 3-4
\nThe second-best pick of the draft (behind BOS) was the Indians, as Doogan takes an easy one here to climb back within 1.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 5-3
\nBry FINALLY get the Royals Over correct, as KC was actually in contention for much of the season.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 4-5
\nA 90-win season in Cincinnati was still a 7-game deprovement for the Redlegs, and Doogan wins on a solid pick here.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 6-4
\nBry sweats out another right pick, as the guys hit 9 of their first 10 picks in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 7-4
\nThe optimism burns Doogan here, as the Phils limp to an 89-loss season just two years after winning 102…ugh.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 5-7
\nBry misses his first pick of the year, as the Astros are historically <\/em>bad…losing 111 games after a .500 month of April is VERY impressive.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 6-7
\nA 10-win cushion for these middle picks is pretty solid, as Doogan takes an easy one at #13.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 8-6
\nBy the end of the season, the Nats looked like a 98-win team, but they stumbled through the first half of the year and could never make up enough ground.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 7-8
\nDoogan continues to roll with another relatively comfortable pick of the Marlins, who turned in an embarrassing 100-loss season.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 9-7
\nThese guys are good.\u00a0 Another comfortable point won here for Bry with the ChiSox barely avoiding triple-digit losses.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 8-9
\nDoogan said 93-95 wins, and NAILED it, as the Tigers hit 93 exactly.\u00a0 Wow.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 10-8
\nBry hits another one here.\u00a0 In retrospect, looking at it now, it’s a wonder that it took 18 picks for the Dodgers and the Over, but there were real question marks.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 11-8
\nDoogan breaks the streak of 7 straight correct picks by betting on the Braves to get worse, then they actually got a bit better.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 9-11
\nBry loses only his second pick of the round, but this one was REALLY bad, as the Angels were 15 games worse after Bry thought they’d be better.\u00a0 The guys go 6-4 with picks 11-20\u00a0and are 15-5 through 20 picks.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 10-11
\nDoogan is putting the pressure on with another correct pick, as the Giants got 18 games worse in 2013.\u00a0 It is hard to believe that all this talent could lose 86 games.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 11-11
\nBry’s second straight botched pick has pushed us back into a tie through 22 picks, as the Mariners continue to baffle with poor season after poor season.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 12-11
\nDoogan picks up his 4th straight point to take his first lead since the first pick of the draft.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 13-11
\nChalk up another one for Doogan, as Bry misses his 3rd straight – albeit, this one was right on the nose.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 12-13
\nWell, the streak of five straight points for Doogan ends in ugly fashion, as the Pirates actually got 15 games better.\u00a0 Man, we all knew they were good, but 94 wins good?\u00a0 Wow!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 14-12
\nOuch!\u00a0 Bry gets hit with his second-straight ON THE NUMBER loss, as the D’backs\u00a0are 162-162 over the past two seasons.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 15-12
\nDoogan’s crazy comeback has now clinched at least a tie for 2013, as he crushes pick #27 with the Cards going way Over.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 16-12
\nYou can’t make this stuff up!!!\u00a0 Doogan clinches the 2013 MLB Preview (his 3rd in a row) with Bry’s THIRD STRAIGHT pick that landed ON THE NUMBER.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Bry, 13-16
\nIt is small consolation that the “on the number” loss strikes Doogan with his final pick.\u00a0 That’s crazy that FOUR teams had the EXACT same record in 2013 as they did in 2012.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nPOINT:\u00a0 Doogan, 17-13
\nDoogan wins 17-13, as Bry misses his SIXTH straight pick (granted, three of them were on the number and this one was by a single game).<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"