The first BCS rankings have come out. Not many people are too happy. Comprised of the Harris Poll, USA Today Coaches' Poll, and six computerized polls, the BCS still doesn't have it right. They have the wrong team at number one, and almost everyone agrees. Here are my rankings for the week:
1. Oregon- Computers will never take over the Earth. They are much too stupid, as shown by their rankings of this high-powered offense. No doubt they deserve number one.
2. Boise State- Cruising through their schedule now has gotten almost too easy. Good thing they are joining the Mountain West next year.
3. Oklahoma- They are good, just not better than Oregon or Boise State like the BCS says.
4. TCU- Big game against Air Force this weekend. They can prove their defense is lights out if they stop the Falcons' option attack.
5. Auburn- If anyone thought that this team would score 65 points, they should go to Vegas. Big game against LSU this weekend.
6. LSU- Les Miles is the luckiest coach alive. Period. End of story. He makes no sense- just youtube "Les Miles let er rip." You will see. They should get annhialated by Auburn.
7. Michigan State- Who would have thought this team would be here? They flew under the radar for the early season, and last week avoided a possible trap game against Illinois. They are here to stay.
8. Utah- Their quarterbacks are very solid. They win games, and that's why they are here.
9. Missouri- Blaine Gabbert is a very good quarterback, however he is still slightly banged up. They will not only need his passing skills but his running to have a chance to beat Oklahoma. Remember, they only beat San Diego State by a miracle last minute play, so they have looked human.
10. Alabama- They haven't impressed me too much, and it pains me to put them this high. But, they are here until they lose or are outplayed by another team.
Most intriguing matchup: OREGON vs. UCLA Oregon is going to be under the spotlight for the rest of the season as everyone finds out whether they can sustain their explosive offense. Meanwhile, UCLA is trying to figure out who they are, the good team that beat Texas and Houston, or the bad one who got romped by Cal. Very interesting matchup in the Pac-10.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Rankings, Week 5
After what seemed to be the biggest week of college football yet, there is some shake-up in my top ten:
Game of the Week: Stanford vs. Oregon- If you wanted offense, you got it here. Oregon just put on a fireworks show, and Stanford did for at least the first half. It really solidified Oregon as a Pac-10 forerunner, and even a national championship candidate.
1. Alabama- They asserted themselves as the number one team this weekend with a blowout of Florida. I was at least expecting some kind of a fight from the Gators, but Alabama just flexed their muscles and stomped them in the ground. It will be a tough task for anyone to beat this superpower this year.
2. Oregon- I wasn't buying into this explosive offense, thinking that they weren't consistent enough to win every game and rack up copious amounts of yardage while doing it. Well, I was converted this week. After a wipeout of Stanford, who I thought was pretty darn good, they seem unstoppable. I would love to see them take on an SEC team in some bowl, whether the national championship or not. However, their sophomore quarterback is the weakness. He doesn't make the right read on the read option every time, and he is not the best passer. If anything led to a loss for the Ducks, it would be Darron Thomas.
3. Boise State- A rout of New Mexico State- what did you expect? Still, impressive.
4. Ohio State- A victim of circumstances. Oregon and Boise State are better than Ohio State right now in my mind, so that drops them out of 2. They got quite a scare against Illinois, but proved they were still calm with a clinching drive at the end of the game.
5. TCU- There are just too many good teams to rank TCU where they probably should be. The Horned Frogs proved dominant on defense this week against Colorado State, but their offense was a little concerningly unproductive.
6. Oklahoma- What a sweet victory over Texas for the Sooners. They were dominant until the 4th quarter where they, yet again, let their opponent make it interesting. Still, it is a quality win.
7. Nebraska- They were on a bye. How interesting.
8. Auburn- They whooped Louisiana-Monroe, and looked pretty good doing it.
9. Arizona- They were on a bye. Maybe they shouldn't play for the rest of the season if they can move up 5 spots every time.
Still, they look good and should be a huge challenge in the Pac-10.
10. LSU- Did they ever get a gift from the inept Tennessee when the last play of the game was overturned due to TWO extra men on the field for the Vols (guess too many people were just too eager to volunteer for defense). Still, they are 5-0 and have quality wins, and you can't ignore that.
Game of the Week: Stanford vs. Oregon- If you wanted offense, you got it here. Oregon just put on a fireworks show, and Stanford did for at least the first half. It really solidified Oregon as a Pac-10 forerunner, and even a national championship candidate.
1. Alabama- They asserted themselves as the number one team this weekend with a blowout of Florida. I was at least expecting some kind of a fight from the Gators, but Alabama just flexed their muscles and stomped them in the ground. It will be a tough task for anyone to beat this superpower this year.
2. Oregon- I wasn't buying into this explosive offense, thinking that they weren't consistent enough to win every game and rack up copious amounts of yardage while doing it. Well, I was converted this week. After a wipeout of Stanford, who I thought was pretty darn good, they seem unstoppable. I would love to see them take on an SEC team in some bowl, whether the national championship or not. However, their sophomore quarterback is the weakness. He doesn't make the right read on the read option every time, and he is not the best passer. If anything led to a loss for the Ducks, it would be Darron Thomas.
3. Boise State- A rout of New Mexico State- what did you expect? Still, impressive.
4. Ohio State- A victim of circumstances. Oregon and Boise State are better than Ohio State right now in my mind, so that drops them out of 2. They got quite a scare against Illinois, but proved they were still calm with a clinching drive at the end of the game.
5. TCU- There are just too many good teams to rank TCU where they probably should be. The Horned Frogs proved dominant on defense this week against Colorado State, but their offense was a little concerningly unproductive.
6. Oklahoma- What a sweet victory over Texas for the Sooners. They were dominant until the 4th quarter where they, yet again, let their opponent make it interesting. Still, it is a quality win.
7. Nebraska- They were on a bye. How interesting.
8. Auburn- They whooped Louisiana-Monroe, and looked pretty good doing it.
9. Arizona- They were on a bye. Maybe they shouldn't play for the rest of the season if they can move up 5 spots every time.
Still, they look good and should be a huge challenge in the Pac-10.
10. LSU- Did they ever get a gift from the inept Tennessee when the last play of the game was overturned due to TWO extra men on the field for the Vols (guess too many people were just too eager to volunteer for defense). Still, they are 5-0 and have quality wins, and you can't ignore that.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Rankings, Week 4
Well, another week has come and gone in the College Football world, so let's get the rundown:
Game of the Week: Alabama vs. Arkansas- A hard fought game by both teams that actually should have been won by the Razorbacks. However, the Crimson Tide came back and flexed their muscles and achieved an impressive fourth-quarter comeback.
1. Alabama- Ohio State looks more impressive so far, but you have to look at the strength of schedule. The Buckeyes want to have the easiest road to the National Championship, while Alabama has had challenges early, which they have won.
2. Ohio State- It makes me sick to think about how easy their schedule is. I can't wait to drop them from this spot.
3. Boise State- Again, they proved themselves, this time against Oregon State. Kellen Moore is my front runner for the Heisman this year, and look for him to lead the Broncos through the season undefeated.
4. TCU- They had a scare against rival SMU, but won big in the end. However, the score didn't tell the whole story, as it was a hard fought game. They did impress me by not getting worried at all. Good performance overall.
5. Oregon- This offense is just built for breakout offensive plays. What an explosive team, despite getting challenged by Arizona State. The Sun Devils have a good team, however. Big matchup against Stanford this week.
6. Oklahoma- Another really close game against Cincinnati, but they still looked impressive on offense. We will see whether they can make Texas look foolish again after their stomping by UCLA.
7. Nebraska- A scare by South Dakota State this weekend, but not on the scoreboard necessarily. They were fine on defense, only allowing three points, but on offense, it was a struggle. If an FCS team can stop their running attack, it'll be intersting to see what the Big 12 opponents do.
8. Florida- Finally they have an impressive performance, despite it coming from their backup quarterback. We shall see whether they can knock off the mighty Crimson Tide this weekend.
9. Stanford- They keep impressing me more and more, and I agree with the AP putting them so far up. They are just continuing to have impressive win after impressive win, and they should keep it going against top-5 opponent Oregon this weekend.
10. Auburn- They have some very impressive wins so far, and they deserve to be a top-10 team until they lose. Quarterback Cam Newton is very impressive so far, and what a shock to find three SEC teams in the top-10.
Game of the Week: Alabama vs. Arkansas- A hard fought game by both teams that actually should have been won by the Razorbacks. However, the Crimson Tide came back and flexed their muscles and achieved an impressive fourth-quarter comeback.
1. Alabama- Ohio State looks more impressive so far, but you have to look at the strength of schedule. The Buckeyes want to have the easiest road to the National Championship, while Alabama has had challenges early, which they have won.
2. Ohio State- It makes me sick to think about how easy their schedule is. I can't wait to drop them from this spot.
3. Boise State- Again, they proved themselves, this time against Oregon State. Kellen Moore is my front runner for the Heisman this year, and look for him to lead the Broncos through the season undefeated.
4. TCU- They had a scare against rival SMU, but won big in the end. However, the score didn't tell the whole story, as it was a hard fought game. They did impress me by not getting worried at all. Good performance overall.
5. Oregon- This offense is just built for breakout offensive plays. What an explosive team, despite getting challenged by Arizona State. The Sun Devils have a good team, however. Big matchup against Stanford this week.
6. Oklahoma- Another really close game against Cincinnati, but they still looked impressive on offense. We will see whether they can make Texas look foolish again after their stomping by UCLA.
7. Nebraska- A scare by South Dakota State this weekend, but not on the scoreboard necessarily. They were fine on defense, only allowing three points, but on offense, it was a struggle. If an FCS team can stop their running attack, it'll be intersting to see what the Big 12 opponents do.
8. Florida- Finally they have an impressive performance, despite it coming from their backup quarterback. We shall see whether they can knock off the mighty Crimson Tide this weekend.
9. Stanford- They keep impressing me more and more, and I agree with the AP putting them so far up. They are just continuing to have impressive win after impressive win, and they should keep it going against top-5 opponent Oregon this weekend.
10. Auburn- They have some very impressive wins so far, and they deserve to be a top-10 team until they lose. Quarterback Cam Newton is very impressive so far, and what a shock to find three SEC teams in the top-10.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Rankings, Week 3
A week of lackluster games turned into a night of intense watching for me. After playing golf as a substitute for the lack of interesting games on in the morning and afternoon, I was glued to the TV all night watching several nail-biters at once.
Game of the week: You can't beat the gamble that Michigan State took on a fake field goal in overtime to beat Notre Dame. All they needed was that field goal, and they went for all the marbles. Lucky for them, the play worked perfectly. Unlucky for them, their coach had a mild heart attack after the game. I didn't know I was that dead on when I described it as heart-attack football.
Now, here are my all-important rankings after Week 3.
1. Alabama- They routed Duke. No big surprise there. However, Mark Ingram looked great in his first game, just making this team even more powerful.
2. Ohio State- They routed Ohio. Again, no big surprise. They looked solid and even perhaps powerful against the Bobcats, but I was too busy watching the mascots duel it out to take any interest in the score.
3. Boise State- Impressive rout over Wyoming. They made Texas look silly with how embarassing they beat the Cowboys one week after Texas struggled for a while with the same team. Big game vs. Oregon State on Saturday.
4. TCU- This team has no weakness that I have seen. You have to love them to go undefeated. A potential upset alert however against SMU in the Iron Skillet Game.
5. Oregon- They continue to rack up points against no-name opponents, but they do indeed look very powerful and dangerous.
6. Nebraska- I expected Washington to upset the Huskers, or at least make it a game. Nebraska flexed its muscles and blew out the Huskies and limited Heisman-candidate (might as well call him a former one) to 4 completions in the game.
7. Oklahoma- Again, they struggled with an opponent they were supposed to manhandle, but I haven't lost confidence that they can show their power in big games like they did in Week 2.
8. Texas- Their defense was powerful, but their offense is about as exciting as a retirement home during the night. I am not impressed with them, but their win was enough to keep them ahead of Florida.
9. Florida- Aforementioned, Texas is just a little better at the fundamentals still. Florida is getting it together, but they still have leaps and bounds to perfection.
10. Arkansas- A very good game against Georgia. Ryan Mallett is very impressive, and the game against Alabama should be close. That is, unless Alabama is better than they have showed yet (a hard thing to accomplish).
Game of the week: You can't beat the gamble that Michigan State took on a fake field goal in overtime to beat Notre Dame. All they needed was that field goal, and they went for all the marbles. Lucky for them, the play worked perfectly. Unlucky for them, their coach had a mild heart attack after the game. I didn't know I was that dead on when I described it as heart-attack football.
Now, here are my all-important rankings after Week 3.
1. Alabama- They routed Duke. No big surprise there. However, Mark Ingram looked great in his first game, just making this team even more powerful.
2. Ohio State- They routed Ohio. Again, no big surprise. They looked solid and even perhaps powerful against the Bobcats, but I was too busy watching the mascots duel it out to take any interest in the score.
3. Boise State- Impressive rout over Wyoming. They made Texas look silly with how embarassing they beat the Cowboys one week after Texas struggled for a while with the same team. Big game vs. Oregon State on Saturday.
4. TCU- This team has no weakness that I have seen. You have to love them to go undefeated. A potential upset alert however against SMU in the Iron Skillet Game.
5. Oregon- They continue to rack up points against no-name opponents, but they do indeed look very powerful and dangerous.
6. Nebraska- I expected Washington to upset the Huskers, or at least make it a game. Nebraska flexed its muscles and blew out the Huskies and limited Heisman-candidate (might as well call him a former one) to 4 completions in the game.
7. Oklahoma- Again, they struggled with an opponent they were supposed to manhandle, but I haven't lost confidence that they can show their power in big games like they did in Week 2.
8. Texas- Their defense was powerful, but their offense is about as exciting as a retirement home during the night. I am not impressed with them, but their win was enough to keep them ahead of Florida.
9. Florida- Aforementioned, Texas is just a little better at the fundamentals still. Florida is getting it together, but they still have leaps and bounds to perfection.
10. Arkansas- A very good game against Georgia. Ryan Mallett is very impressive, and the game against Alabama should be close. That is, unless Alabama is better than they have showed yet (a hard thing to accomplish).
Monday, September 13, 2010
NCAA Fall Madness
Yes, I'm talking about college football. The amazing season has returned, and all teams are aiming for a shot at a BCS Bowl, preferably the National Championship Game. Since the BCS is not accurate nor published yet, and the AP and USA Today polls are terrible, I must right their wrongs with MY perfectly accurate standings, and of course, my reasons.
Call it the TCS (Tanner Championship Standings):
1. Alabama- How can you go against a national champion that returns their quarterback AND Heisman Trophy running back? As much as I hate the Crimson Tide, I couldn't have been more impressed with their defense in their convincing win over top-20 Penn State. They will be number 1 until they stop winning so convincingly.
2. Ohio State- I am a BCS buster advocate, but Ohio State also impressed me against a Miami team that I thought would beat them. Miami is a VERY good team, and Ohio State had no problem taking care of them. They will be my number 2 until they lose.
3. Boise State AND TCU- Boise State did nothing to drop in the rankings, and I love the Broncos, but I think TCU has deserved to be considered for the BCS buster team as well. They have really looked special this year and deserve more credit than they get. Boise State has only played one game, so I haven't had as much to base my impressions on.
5. Oklahoma- I was a little worried about the Sooners after they had problems with Utah State, but they sure proved themselves in what I thought would be a very tough game against Florida State. I was blown out of the water with the Seminoles after week 1, but OU really proved they can manhandle a good team.
6. Oregon- I was at the Oregon-UT game, and Oregon didn't play as well as the score looks like. Having said that, they have a very explosive offense, and this is why they are here.
7. Iowa- They have gained my respect. They are explosive on offense and dominant on defense. They should challenge Ohio State the most this year. Very impressive so far.
8. Nebraska- This was my preseason pick to win the Big 12, and they have been solid this year. They have played no better or worse than I have expected.
9. Texas- Texas hasn't wowed me this year. They should be beating their opponents a lot more convincingly than they are, and Garrett Gilbert has been less than spectacular this year.
10. Wisconsin- Whereas most people have Florida in the 10 spot, I have Wisconsin. They look good, despite a closer than expected score against San Jose State. However, this pick is more about why Florida doesn't deserve it. They look fundamentally awful for a top-10 football team. I am a Gators fan, and am disgusted at the way the team looks this year. It is disgusting. Otherwise, they are looking great... not.
Log in every Monday to see my wonderful top-10 rankings, and maybe I might get my rankings a little more accurate than the BCS this year (it's not hard to do).
Call it the TCS (Tanner Championship Standings):
1. Alabama- How can you go against a national champion that returns their quarterback AND Heisman Trophy running back? As much as I hate the Crimson Tide, I couldn't have been more impressed with their defense in their convincing win over top-20 Penn State. They will be number 1 until they stop winning so convincingly.
2. Ohio State- I am a BCS buster advocate, but Ohio State also impressed me against a Miami team that I thought would beat them. Miami is a VERY good team, and Ohio State had no problem taking care of them. They will be my number 2 until they lose.
3. Boise State AND TCU- Boise State did nothing to drop in the rankings, and I love the Broncos, but I think TCU has deserved to be considered for the BCS buster team as well. They have really looked special this year and deserve more credit than they get. Boise State has only played one game, so I haven't had as much to base my impressions on.
5. Oklahoma- I was a little worried about the Sooners after they had problems with Utah State, but they sure proved themselves in what I thought would be a very tough game against Florida State. I was blown out of the water with the Seminoles after week 1, but OU really proved they can manhandle a good team.
6. Oregon- I was at the Oregon-UT game, and Oregon didn't play as well as the score looks like. Having said that, they have a very explosive offense, and this is why they are here.
7. Iowa- They have gained my respect. They are explosive on offense and dominant on defense. They should challenge Ohio State the most this year. Very impressive so far.
8. Nebraska- This was my preseason pick to win the Big 12, and they have been solid this year. They have played no better or worse than I have expected.
9. Texas- Texas hasn't wowed me this year. They should be beating their opponents a lot more convincingly than they are, and Garrett Gilbert has been less than spectacular this year.
10. Wisconsin- Whereas most people have Florida in the 10 spot, I have Wisconsin. They look good, despite a closer than expected score against San Jose State. However, this pick is more about why Florida doesn't deserve it. They look fundamentally awful for a top-10 football team. I am a Gators fan, and am disgusted at the way the team looks this year. It is disgusting. Otherwise, they are looking great... not.
Log in every Monday to see my wonderful top-10 rankings, and maybe I might get my rankings a little more accurate than the BCS this year (it's not hard to do).
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Local Spotlight: BHS Golf
In the quietest sport that exists, the Brentwood High School golf team is quietly making ripples across the state. Around the course and around the state, the BHS golf team moves under the radar but leaves the impressions of an earthquake. Undefeated in the 2010 season, the team has grabbed the attention of far too few people. Fueled by new coach John Higgins and their overall positivism, the team continues to cruise through opponents.
An intensified look fills the golfers’ eyes as they maneuver through the course, but their competitiveness alone didn’t bring this on. First year coach John Higgins has taken the team to soaring heights that have easily met expectations so far. Higgins grew up in the Charlotte area, where he played golf on his school teams, as well as competing in amateur tournaments in high school. During his young career, he won eighteen Junior Golf and Amateur tournaments, as well as heading a high school team that won the State Championship. David Lipscomb offered him a scholarship to play golf in college, where Higgins graduated with a major in Communication Studies. He now owns an agency to help struggling athletes, mostly golfers, which have just graduated from college and are looking to make it to the next level.
Young and talented, Higgins was still impressed with the Brentwood High School athletics as well as the team. “What impressed me the most were the class of professionalism that they showed, as well as the talent of the team.”
Higgins brings an unusual coaching method to the team. He requires conditioning of the athletes to prepare them for the blistering heat that they must battle while walking 18 holes of golf. He also includes a lot of competitive games, such as a putting contest or a specific drill, where he will reward the winners with prizes. “I do this to prepare the golfers for the feel of competition,” says Higgins.
His focus, however, lies in the mind. Course management, and the “mental” game are two key elements of the game that will improve a golfer’s score no matter who it is. He also focuses on putting. The old mantra of golf, “Drive for show, putt for dough,” is reverberated by Higgins. “Putting ends up taking 40 percent of the holes in golf.”
Even though Higgins is very impressed with the talent of the team, he is still disappointed in each golfer’s expectation of him or her self. “These guys don’t realize how good they really are,” says Higgins.
An intensified look fills the golfers’ eyes as they maneuver through the course, but their competitiveness alone didn’t bring this on. First year coach John Higgins has taken the team to soaring heights that have easily met expectations so far. Higgins grew up in the Charlotte area, where he played golf on his school teams, as well as competing in amateur tournaments in high school. During his young career, he won eighteen Junior Golf and Amateur tournaments, as well as heading a high school team that won the State Championship. David Lipscomb offered him a scholarship to play golf in college, where Higgins graduated with a major in Communication Studies. He now owns an agency to help struggling athletes, mostly golfers, which have just graduated from college and are looking to make it to the next level.
Young and talented, Higgins was still impressed with the Brentwood High School athletics as well as the team. “What impressed me the most were the class of professionalism that they showed, as well as the talent of the team.”
Higgins brings an unusual coaching method to the team. He requires conditioning of the athletes to prepare them for the blistering heat that they must battle while walking 18 holes of golf. He also includes a lot of competitive games, such as a putting contest or a specific drill, where he will reward the winners with prizes. “I do this to prepare the golfers for the feel of competition,” says Higgins.
His focus, however, lies in the mind. Course management, and the “mental” game are two key elements of the game that will improve a golfer’s score no matter who it is. He also focuses on putting. The old mantra of golf, “Drive for show, putt for dough,” is reverberated by Higgins. “Putting ends up taking 40 percent of the holes in golf.”
Even though Higgins is very impressed with the talent of the team, he is still disappointed in each golfer’s expectation of him or her self. “These guys don’t realize how good they really are,” says Higgins.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Touch 'Em All: NL
The MLB season is getting down to crunch time, and it's shaping up to be an exciting September to set up an even more exciting October. Let's go through the NL division by division:
NL East: The Atlanta Braves are the "home" team of Nashville, so I get to see all of their games. They look just strong enough to hold on to the division lead for the remainder of the season, but the loss of Prado (for now) and Chipper Jones (season) will really make it hard. The Phillies now have Chase Utley back, and they know how to make a big run at the end of the season, and in the playoffs. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I think the Phillies will come just short of making the postseason this year. The Mets Francisco Rodriguez isn't used to blowing games, let alone blowing seasons by blowing his cool. His season ended after he injured his hand punching his girlfriend's dad. But, if he didn't go on the DL for that, his severely damaged common sense function would have landed him there. The Marlins are the Marlins> Miami doesn't know they exist, and the rest of the world could care less about an average team. A guy from my high school has been signed to a minor league contract with the Nationals, so he deserves a shout-out. Congratulations, Robbie Ray.
NL Central: Another two horse race. Cincinnati has the lineup to win the division, but the young pitchers have to show themselves down the stretch. Leake and Wood are two up-and-coming sensations, and I think they can provide this young and talented team led by Joey Votto to a postseason berth. The Cardinals will have to play consistently stellar baseball to win this division, but aces Carpenter and Wainwright might spark them to have a late season run at the division title. The rest of the teams aren't even worth mentioning.
NL West: The Padres will win the NL West, guaranteed. They are a bunch of no-name, consistent players who have everything that it takes to make it to the World Series, and there is too much competition for one team to catch them. The Giants are a solid team with a little less hitting than they would like. They have made their lineup work, and that is why they lead the wild card race. They shouldn't be going anywhere. Unfortunately, the competition in the division will more than likely keep the Giants from making a run at the West-dominant Padres. The Rockies, despite having the best pitcher in baseball, can't keep the winning going enough to gain significant ground. The Dodgers just seem helpless despite their major additions to make a push. Whenever they seem to gain a game, they fall back again after a couple of games after that.
The Cincinnati Reds will win the NL Pennant this year behind their youthful hitting and pitching. Dusty Baker has been there before and can lead them to the World Series in a much weaker division than the AL. I can't see any team jumping out as the "best in the west," however, so in reality any of these teams has a shot to win the pennant. As you could imagine, I have to predict the AL team to win the World Series. If you recall, I picked the Rays to win the AL Pennant, so my World Series winner has to be those Tampa Bay Rays.
NL East: The Atlanta Braves are the "home" team of Nashville, so I get to see all of their games. They look just strong enough to hold on to the division lead for the remainder of the season, but the loss of Prado (for now) and Chipper Jones (season) will really make it hard. The Phillies now have Chase Utley back, and they know how to make a big run at the end of the season, and in the playoffs. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I think the Phillies will come just short of making the postseason this year. The Mets Francisco Rodriguez isn't used to blowing games, let alone blowing seasons by blowing his cool. His season ended after he injured his hand punching his girlfriend's dad. But, if he didn't go on the DL for that, his severely damaged common sense function would have landed him there. The Marlins are the Marlins> Miami doesn't know they exist, and the rest of the world could care less about an average team. A guy from my high school has been signed to a minor league contract with the Nationals, so he deserves a shout-out. Congratulations, Robbie Ray.
NL Central: Another two horse race. Cincinnati has the lineup to win the division, but the young pitchers have to show themselves down the stretch. Leake and Wood are two up-and-coming sensations, and I think they can provide this young and talented team led by Joey Votto to a postseason berth. The Cardinals will have to play consistently stellar baseball to win this division, but aces Carpenter and Wainwright might spark them to have a late season run at the division title. The rest of the teams aren't even worth mentioning.
NL West: The Padres will win the NL West, guaranteed. They are a bunch of no-name, consistent players who have everything that it takes to make it to the World Series, and there is too much competition for one team to catch them. The Giants are a solid team with a little less hitting than they would like. They have made their lineup work, and that is why they lead the wild card race. They shouldn't be going anywhere. Unfortunately, the competition in the division will more than likely keep the Giants from making a run at the West-dominant Padres. The Rockies, despite having the best pitcher in baseball, can't keep the winning going enough to gain significant ground. The Dodgers just seem helpless despite their major additions to make a push. Whenever they seem to gain a game, they fall back again after a couple of games after that.
The Cincinnati Reds will win the NL Pennant this year behind their youthful hitting and pitching. Dusty Baker has been there before and can lead them to the World Series in a much weaker division than the AL. I can't see any team jumping out as the "best in the west," however, so in reality any of these teams has a shot to win the pennant. As you could imagine, I have to predict the AL team to win the World Series. If you recall, I picked the Rays to win the AL Pennant, so my World Series winner has to be those Tampa Bay Rays.
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