It's always a sad day

I got a call from my dad today.

We talked about my kids and how we are doing... then my dad said what was on both of our minds.

"Sad day today," he said.

"Yup" I agreed.

End of another year.

Not sad because the Yankees won... but because we baseball fans lost that daily companion.

My dad lamented "Am I supposed to get excited about the WARRIORS?"

Of course that would be impossible.

We agreed that one of the great things about baseball is it on EVERY DAY. It's like a friend you can count on on the drive home... or something to have on in the background around the house.

Every night you know there will be a bunch of highlights to watch.
Every morning box scores to read.

I like a good football game, but the "once a week" element would drive me batty if it were my main sport.

And hockey and basketball are great, but I have a hard time getting into the first 2 periods of a hockey game nor the first half of a basketball game.

I suppose there are a lot of people who would have trouble with the first 6 innings of a baseball game... but chances are they aren't reading this blog.

And the end of baseball blues haven't elluded Yankee fans either.

My dear friend Nicole Korkolis, a great comic based in New York, wrote to me saying she was sad to see the season over because you always have that ball game to come home to.

So between now and April I will have my wife's birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Oscars and my kid's birthday... a lot on my plate.

But rest assured, Sully Baseball no longer takes the off season off!

Can we PLEASE just start the playoffs now?

Seriously... after tonight there is officially no suspense left in this 2009 regular season.

THE RED SOX ARE NOT CATCHING THE YANKEES

It's not happening. 

If they swept the Royals and were within a few games in the loss column for this weekend's series, then it might be possible.

But if the Sox can't win the series in KC, then they just aren't going to do it. 

Tonight's game didn't get me mad. The Sox were up against the guy who will probably win the Cy Young Award and Paul Byrd was pitching.

He has as much chance of pitching in the playoffs as Robin Byrd (no, I am not posting a link you pervert!)

THE YANKEES WILL HAVE HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE THROUGHOUT THE POST SEASON

As well they should!

They are the best team in baseball and they gutted out a tough win tonight in Anaheim.

Hate them all you want (and I do) but they have a good product on the field. And if you think money buys you happiness, go across town and ask the Mets how they are doing.

THE TIGERS ARE NOT GOING TO BLOW THIS DIVISION LEAD

The Twins needed to sweep them last weekend. Instead they only got 2 out of 3... which wasn't enough.

OK fine, they have 4 games head to head next week. Just splitting that series at home would trim 4 off of their magic number which at this writing is at 10.

It's safe to say the Tigers will lower that number to single digits by next week.

The Twins made it interesting but alas will fall short. It would behoove the Twins to come out of the gate quickly next year.

I'M SORRY RANGERS FANS... IT IS NOT HAPPENING THIS YEAR

The Rangers have held on a lot longer than anyone could have imagined going into this year.

They pitched, they hit and they made Red Sox and Angels fans wonder if a return trip to the playoffs was in the cards.

But alas they couldn't take advantage of the Red Sox AND the Angels losing. They are a week behind the Halos in the loss column for the AL West.

They are also a week behind the Sox in the loss column for the Wild Card.

With less than 2 weeks to go, that's just not enough time. The foundation is set for 2010... but the suspense is over this year.

THE SUSPENSE IS OVER FOR THE NL DIVISION RACES

All of them are done.

The Cardinals can clinch tomorrow with a win and a Cubs loss. 

The Phillies can whittle the magic number to 3 with a win tomorrow.

The Dodgers have a 5 game lead with 11 to play.

And none of those teams seemed poise to do a 2007 Mets impersonation. I suppose there is some suspense on who will have the best record... but that is overrated.

Besides, in 2006 the Twins passed the Tigers on the last day of the season. Both were post season bound, but the Twins got the better match up with the A's while the Tigers were stuck playing the powerhouse Yankees.

Remember what happened? The Tigers beat the Yankees and the A's swept the Twins.

Match ups are overrated. You've got to beat a good team to win the World Series anyway!

IT JUST ISN'T THE GIANTS YEAR

I'm sorry Poppy.

The Giants had a terrific building block season and had some memorable moments from Sanchez, Sandoval, Lincecum and Big Unit's 300 win.

But when there is no margin for error, you just can't lose a game where you score 8 runs and have Matt Cain on the mound.

The Giants have fallen into a tie with the Braves. If the Marlins and Braves get hot, the Giants could fall to 4th in the Wild Card Race.

As it is, the Rockies have this locked up.

So there you have it... the 8 playoff participants have the season locked up barring a cataclysmic collapse.

And the last 12 games of the season would essentially be a formality.

Let's skip all of that and start the playoffs this weekend!

Maybe that will assure us all that the World Series won't go into November!

April is done... and Sully can be right and he can be wrong

As we turn the calendar let's take a look at some of the predictions I made and see so far what has been right and what has been wrong.  

Yeah, I know it is only one month into the season. But there has been a lot of interesting subplots already unfolding this year and your pal Sully has looked pretty good so far in some and REAL bad in some others.

Unless indicated otherwise, my predictions come from my 40 Fearless Predictions.

And I am not going to address EVERY prediction because it is too early to say anything about some. My predicting Cliff Lee's Cy Young season was a fluke looked good after his first two starts, but Lee has looked like an ace in his last few starts. Let's wait and see.

And to show you this isn't a Red Sox only blog, I won't include any Red Sox predictions!

10 OF SULLY'S PREDICTIONS THAT SO FAR LOOK PRETTY GOOD

Vlad Guerrero will get hurt and the Angels will plummet in the standings.

Of course I get no pleasure in getting this right so far. Vlad's injury and the decimated rotation is one thing... the death of Nick Adenhart is something totally different.

It has been joyless so far in Anaheim this year.

The Astros will be a 90 loss team and Roy Oswalt will be dealt

At least the first part is looking good.

The 'Stros are on pace to lose 95 going into May. Oswalt is still winless but is pitching well. His last start against Cincinnati he went 7 innings and let up 1 run and got nothing to show for it.

He will be the most valuable commodity come the trading deadline and the Astros could get two big building blocks if they pull the right trade off.

The Florida Marlins will win 90 games

For a while there it looked like they were going to win 100 games!

They are young and will have some ups and downs. 

But they will also throw a good pitcher every night and have a dynamic lineup.

They are on pace to win 103 games after a month. That means they can slow down and STILL hit 90. I think it is a safe bet... especially if the Mets continue to slide.

The Pirates will make a run at .500

Part of this was wishful thinking because I have such a soft spot in my heart for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

But they do have a lot of talent, the law of averages say that EVENTUALLY they had to put together a mediocre season...

As long as they pick up their game in Milwaukee, they might able to pitch themselves to an 83 win season, which would sadly be quite an achievement.

The Rays will stumble at the beginning of the year, relax and make a run at the playoffs

If you only watched Red Sox games, you'd think the Rays were the greatest team since the Big Red Machine.

But even with the massacre last night, they are 9-14.

Their record against teams NOT called the Boston Red Sox is 6-13.

There's too much talent on this team to have them finish below .500.

The Royals will have a winning season

They are currently perched alone atop the crowded AL Central standings. So far that looks pretty smart.

To be fair, I said I didn't trust their starting pitching.

Oh yeah, like YOU predicted this start for Zack Grienke!!!!

There's nothing left in Gary Sheffield's tank and he'll be cut AGAIN

I suggested that he quit after his 500 homer, like Bernie Mac in Mr. 3,000. 

Truth be told his .691 OPS is impressive when you compare it to his .167 batting average.

But the Mets can't clog up a roster spot for too much longer with him.

The Best Team in Chicago won't be in Wrigley

Technically this is true, one month in.

The White Sox are 11-10, 1/2 a game out of first.

The Cubs are 10-11, 5 games out of first.

Yes the White Sox are benefitting from playing in a weaker division, but I was the only person on the planet Earth not handing the Cubs a crown this year. I stand by it.

Plus the White Sox are a good talented team... but as always, they never get love.

Kevin Gregg and Milton Bradley won't work in Chicago

I will never understand why the Cubs cut ties with such a hard working fan favorite like Kerry Wood to make room for the guy who destroyed the Marlins season.

And the experiment to have him close lasted less than a month!

As for Bradley, I think his .118 average and .627 OPS speak for themselves.

The Cardinals will be better than the Cubs

I picked the Cardinals to be the NL Wild Card team and I predicted the Cubs would miss the playoffs all together.

Pujols may have already have won the MVP and the Cardinals have a stunning 3 1/2 game lead after one month.

As always, LaRussa cuts and pastes a team together that somehow wins. Talk about a Cubs fan nightmare.

10 OF SULLY'S PREDICTIONS THAT SO FAR LOOK PRETTY BAD

Francisco Rodriguez will flop with the Mets.

So far he hasn't been bad and has yet to blow a save. The rest of the bullpen, however has been horrific. 

The Mets had better hope K-Rod doesn't start blowing leads or this will be a long long LONG season in CitiField!

Ricciardi and Gaston will be canned by the Blue Jays

The fact that Toronto has the highest win total in the A.L. for April I think is the single most stunning fact of the month.

I thought they were rudderless... and I felt that Ricciardi was all but beheaded. 

Remember how I called for Cito to come back last year?

Since the Jays brought back the first manager to win back to back World Series titles in the Free Agency Era, Toronto has been 66-46. 

Any manager who can have THIS team 20 games above .500 should have a secure job for the rest of the year!!

The National League West won't be as bad as people think

Right now it is the Dodgers and a bunch of .500 teams.

That's pretty bad.

The Diamonbacks sluggish start is alarming and the Rockies are continuing to show that their pennant run in 2007 was simply a hot 2 months.

Unless someone steps up, this race could be over at the All Star break.

Josh Hamilton is for real

I am sure the Rangers were hoping for more than 2 homers in April.

And more alarming is a .379 slugging and a below average .660 OPS from their MVP candidate.

Granted, balls start to fly out when it warms up, but he's got to supply SOME of the heat!

Justin Morneau will lead the Twins to an easy Division Title

I still think the Twins will win this Division. But with 1 game separating four teams after one month, it will probably not be an easy victory.

Once Mauer comes back the Twins might go on a decent run.

Morneau, however is holding up his end of the bargain with 5 homers, a .318 average and an OPS of .921 over the first month. This is a prediction that looks bad now but could look good later.

Eric Chavez will win the Comeback Player of the Year

He's batting .100.

.100!!!!

He's on the DL now so clearly he was hurt... but he needs to raise his average 100 points to get to the Mendoza line!

Oh, you don't like batting average? You prefer OPS?

OK, his OPS is .262. There, does THAT show you why he ain't winning the comeback player of the year?

YOUR WORLD CHAMPION OAKLAND A'S!!!!

I stuck my neck out picking them to win it all... and at this point my neck seems like it is going to meet the same fate as Robespierre.

The veteran pick ups have not clicked so far. And if this year exposes Matt Holliday as yet another "Can only hit in Coors" slugger, it could cost him tens of millions of dollars!

The Upton Brothers will break out

B. J. is back from injuries but last night not withstanding he hasn't been lighting it up.

Justin has a .250 average and a .745 OPS... both are the definition of mediocrity.

If they are going to break out, they had better do it soon.

Griffey Jr's Farewell Tour in Seattle will be kind of sad

Griffey has been less than ordinary, as his .200 average and .676 OPS illustrate. But the Mariners have been the team to take advantage of the Angels plunge.

And maybe Griffey has one more hot streak in him for a pennant run in the Pacific Northwest!

There would be nothing sad about that!

Besides, the sight of Ichiro and Griffey, the two most popular players in Mariners history, playing side by side must be cool for M's fans.

There is going to be a Homosexual rumor about A-Rod

When I heard there was a new A-Rod bombshell this week, I figured that HAS to be it.

But instead we have him doing 'roids, tipping pitches and something with a toothbrush.

Borrrrrrrrrring!

We'll check back on my predictions when May ends!

I DEMAND to hear from all WBC fans today

Seriously. Where are you today?

Junior! You are a faithful reader!

Here, I'll give you a plug. Click this link and you'll get Junior's blog.

Now write in! I want you to tell me how great Bud Selig's little tournament is.

Tell me how wonderful for baseball it is and that you really REALLY got into it. You said you'd rather see the USA win the WBC than your Yankees win the Division.

Do you still think that? Do you replay the games in your head?

Or have you completely forgotten what happened because it was f---king Spring Training!

Well, I'm glad that Bud Selig got an opportunity to have a few Dutch and South African players play. 

I'm sure he's thrilled to have the Koreans and Japanese have a wonderful final game in Dodger Stadium. (I am assuming it was a wonderful game. I didn't watch it.)

Well Daisuke Matsuzaka is on the Disabled List with arm fatigue. Your arm shouldn't be tired BEFORE you file your taxes!!!!

Why is his arm tired?

Oh yeah... he was throwing full speed before he should have been. He was participating in some stupid, meaningless, contrived, moronic and completely forgettable fake tournament!

Seriously... tell me I'm wrong! Tell me that the WBC is great! Tell me that it is baseball's answer to the World Cup or the Olympics.

All I know is the Sox lost their 18 game winner who is going to cash $8 million in checks. I don't know for how long he'll be gone.

But in four years, if the ironically named World Baseball Classic is back, I truly hope that all 30 GMs forbid their players from participating.

Where are you, apologists?

I have a feeling I am not going to hear from many.

It's too early to panic but...

If the Red Sox lose the division by a couple of games again... I'll be looking back at these early series and I'll be mad!

How's about going into Oakland and winning 3 or 4 in a row?!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Forget January 1.
THIS is the day the year truly begins.

Along with Christmas, my birthday, my kids birthday and my wedding anniversary this is the day that gives me unconditional happiness.

So to quote Marty DiBergi, enough of my yappin', LET'S BOOGIE!

It's a new year!
And to ensure that my wife will check in my blog today, I am posting the ABBA song "Happy New Year."

Sully Baseball's Fearless 40 Predictions for 2009

Because I don't have that Time Capsule from Knowing, I don't have real knowledge of what is going to happen this baseball season.

But one thing I DO know, is that after last season... there is no such thing as a crazy prediction.

If I had told you at the beginning of 2008 that the Tampa Bay Rays would be playing in the World Series, you would have put me in a straight jacket.

Then again, if on September 15, 2007, when the Rockies lost their third straight game to fall to 4th place, 6 1/2 games back with 14 to play, I told you those same Colorado Rockies would be playing in the World Series a month later... it would be straight jacket time.

If I told you going into the 2006 season, with the Red Sox, Yankees, Angels, White Sox and Twins all looking strong, that the AL Pennant would be won by the Tigers, coming off of 12 straight losing seasons and just three years removed from a 119 loss season... more straight jackets would be needed.

So we've had at least three straight years of completely off the wall results and yet still everyone prediction for the season looks almost the same around the country.

It's using conventional wisdom:
It's the same old teams every year. I even had someone posting on my comment section bringing up this Salary Cap nonsense again.

I said it last year... Conventional Wisdom Is Wrong!

Baseball will continue to be unpredictable.
Baseball will continue to go into the last month with very few teams out of it.

Big budget teams will crumble. (The top 3 payrolls and 4 of the top 6 payrolls missed the post season last year.)

Small budget teams will succeed. (In 2007, three of the final four teams in the post season were in the bottom third of payroll. Last year the Rays won the AL pennant with the AL's lowest payroll.)

And each lousy team one year will point to the '06 Tigers and '08 Rays for inspiration.
And every team teetering on the brink in September will point to the '07 Rockies.

Pitchers who had lousy seasons the year before will look to '08 Cy Young winner Cliff Lee.

Players who had never broken out will look to Carlos Quentin... before he broke his own hand.

There's no such thing as a crazy, dismissable prediction anymore.

And I am going to make a few predictions right here and now.

PREDICTION 1:
THE YANKEES WILL MAKE THE POST SEASON BUT NOT MAKE IT TO THE WORLD SERIES... AND JOE GIRARDI WILL BE FIRED IN NOVEMBER

Every year since 2001, the sense of urgency in the Bronx has taken on absurd proportions.

And every year since 2001, everyone acts that all of the Yankees new toys will mean a parade is a lock and people cry about a salary cap.

And every since 2001 except last year has ended with Jeter doing the 1,000 yard star watching another team celebrate.

Last year they didn't even have the decency to contend.

Missing the playoffs, the A-Rod zoo (the hooker allegations didn't even get our attention!), the new Stadium, the new players plus the elephant in the room (Jeter and Rivera's age) make this a make or break season.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK, TEIXERA AND SABATHIA!

PREDICTION 2:
THE RED SOX WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS BUT MISS THE WORLD SERIES. FRANCONA'S JOB IS SAFE

See, I can be objective!

They'll pitch and they'll score runs... but having Lowell, Varitek and Ortiz as question marks is tough to work around.

And the only way right field would be less secure health wise is if they signed Stephen Hawking.




PREDICTION 3:
IF DAVID ORTIZ'S BAT IS SLOWING DOWN, HE'LL BE ON THE TRADE BLOCK

Oh, that's impossible you say?
Does Theo Epstein strike you as a sentimental person?

Nomar, Pedro, Damon and Manny all left town on his watch.
He is part Vulcan. He has one concern. WIN NOW!

He would have dealt Yaz in 1979... and probably get something good in return.


PREDICTION 4:
THERE WILL BE A HOMOSEXUAL SCANDAL SURROUNDING ALEX RODRIGUEZ

At this point, what other scandals are left?

Besides, after the Details Magazine photospread, you know it is inevitable.

(I bet the Post has had a GAY-ROD headline prepared since he arrived from Texas.)



OK... enough Red Sox/Yankees predictions.



PREDICTION 5:
FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ WILL FLOP WITH THE METS

I've covered this already...
K-Rod as a "big game closer" is the biggest fallacy since "Bartman lost the 2003 NLCS."

People take it for granted.
3 minutes of research shows it is wrong.

Benitez phase two begins in New York.

PREDICTION 6: 

ORLANDO CABRERA WILL HAVE ANOTHER YEAR THAT MAKES RED SOX, ANGELS AND WHITE SOX FANS SAY "WHY DID WE LET THIS GUY GO?"

The A's are going to have a terrific season and winning just follows Cabrera. 

He's a new generation's Lonnie Smith.

PREDICTION 7: 

VLAD GUERRERO WILL NOT BE A FACTOR THIS YEAR DUE TO INJURIES... AND THE ANGELS WILL PLUMMET IN THE STANDINGS

The whole offense is built around Vlad. Ask Giants fans how it works out to put all your hopes on an incredibly talented yet falling apart superstar.

They lost their best chance to win Scioscia another ring last year.

PREDICTION 8: 

ROY OSWALT PITCHES IN THE WORLD SERIES THIS YEAR... JUST NOT WITH THE ASTROS

The Astros are probably going to be a 90 loss team and Roy Oswalt (along with Jake Peavy) will be the best trade chips of the lot.

Oswalt will be dealt off earlier than expected... and become a difference maker for which ever team gets him.

PREDICTION 9: 

J. P. RICCIARDI AND CITO GASTON ARE FIRED IN MID JULY


The Blue Jays are going nowhere and all reasons to believe Ricciardi will lead them to the promise land are over. Seeing Tampa become a contender and not a fluke will be the last straw.

Former Brewers manager Ned Yost takes over.

PREDICTION 10:
BOBBY COX CALLS IT QUITS IN MID SEASON AND TERRY PENDLETON BECOMES THE MANAGER

He's got nothing left to prove and while the Braves are stocked with talent, I don't see them making a post season run.

Pendleton gets his break with the team and he tries to put a 1991-esque stamp on the team.

PREDICTION 11
THE BREWERS SLIDE BACK INTO MEDIOCRITY AND PRINCE FIELDER HITS THE TRADE BLOCK


Hope you had fun last year, Brewers fans.

I think the ride is now over.

PREDICTION 12 

THE UPTON BROTHERS BOTH HAVE BREAK OUT YEARS

Yes I know B. J. is recovering from surgery. But their recent tastes of playoff baseball and a desire to play in better places for baseball than Tampa and Arizona will light a fire under them.

(Better places than Arizona and Tampa Bay for baseball?)

PREDICTION 13 

CHAD TRACY WILL HIT 25 HOMERS AND MAKE THE ALL STAR TEAM


The Diamondbacks offense will strike out too much.

PREDICTION 14 

MANNY RAMIREZ WILL HIT 50 HOMERS, WIN THE NL MVP AND TAKE A WIZZ ON THE LEFT FIELD SCOREBOARD

(Author's note. I think "Take a wizz" is spelled W-H-I-Z. My wife thinks it is W-I-Z-Z. I am a dutiful husband and spelled it her way.)

PREDICTION 15 

THE GIANTS WILL CONTEND FOR THE NL WEST CROWN INTO SEPTEMBER

They can pitch with anyone and finally are letting kids under the age of 35 into their line up.

If they can pick up a bat, maybe the Wild Card isn't out of reach.

PREDICTION 16

THE NL WEST WON'T BE AS BAD AS PEOPLE THINK


People forget that in 2002, 2006 and 2007, the NL West had two playoff entries.

Those years aren't that long ago.

And last time I checked the NL East and NL Central aren't exactly overflowing with 100 win teams.

PREDICTION 17 

CLIFF LEE'S 2008 WAS A FLUKE

8-12... ERA of 4.70 is my pick.

PREDICTION 18 

KEN GRIFFEY JR'S FAREWELL TOUR IN SEATTLE WILL BE NICE BUT IN THE END KIND OF SAD

He saved baseball in the Pacific Northwest, but he's an adequate DH at best.

The greatest talent I have ever see play live will limp to the finish line... his best chance at a title all the way back in 1995.

PREDICTION 19 

THE FLORIDA MARLINS WILL WIN 90 GAMES

They have an MVP candidate in Hanley Ramirez.

They have a sickening amount of young talent on the team.

They have pitchers with filthy stuff.

And they won 84 games despite having a lower payroll than the vendors at Dolphin Stadium.

They will be a pain in the neck all year and will contend throughout September.

PREDICTION 20 

WASHINGTON NATIONALS WILL LOSE 110 GAMES AND PASS ON STEPHEN STRASBERG IN THE DRAFT

But don't worry... they have a plan!

PREDICTION 21 

MATT WIETERS ISN'T READY

The Orioles catcher is considered to be Rookie of the Year pick. But he'll disppoint and be sent down to the minors. I'm not saying he won't be a great player. But he'll need another year and lowered expectations.

PREDICTION 22 

TRAVIS HAFNER WILL BE TRADED, PAVING THE WAY FOR MATT LaPORTA'S ROOKIE OF THE YEAR SEASON

It will be like when the Phillies dealt away Jim Thome to make room for Ryan Howard.

If they can't find a trade partner, they'll just cut Hafner.

PREDICTION 23 

THE PADRES WILL DEAL JAKE PEAVY TO THE CARDINALS AND INCLUDE DAVID ECKSTEIN IN THE TRADE

Peavy will be a 20 game winner under Duncan and the St. Louis experiment at second will flop, causing them to bring back the former World Series MVP.

By the way, how awesome/awful are those yellow unis?

PREDICTION 24 

PADRES MANAGER BUD BLACK WILL BE FIRED BEFORE JUNE.

Tony Gwynn will be rumored as a replacement but it will wind up being Ted Simmons. It won't matter. The Padres and Nationals will still be the worst teams in baseball.

PREDICTION 25
THE PIRATES WILL MAKE A RUN AT .500

Adam LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez, Nate McLouth and friends will play better than expected. Paul Maholm will win 16 games and the Pirates will have a shot at a .500 season with a week to play.

PREDICTION 26

JOSH HAMILTON IS FOR REAL

He's going to put up MVP stats again... not that it will matter in Texas.

PREDICTION 27

THE RAYS WILL STUMBLE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, RELAX AND MAKE A RUN AT A PLAYOFF SPOT

Teams that come out of nowhere have a hard time surprising in back to back years... yet the talent on this team will be too great.

PREDICTION 28

DAVID PRICE WILL JOIN THE RAYS FOR GOOD IN MID MAY

And he will win 12 games with an ERA around 3.50. By 2010 he'll be a Cy Young contender.

PREDICTION 29

THE CINCINNATI REDS WILL BE THE MOST EXCITING TEAM TO WATCH ALL YEAR

Votto, Bruce and Phillips will be feeding off each other. With the veterans Griffey and Dunn gone, the clubhouse will be a joy, the park will be packed and Cincinnati fans, starving for a winner, will get their wish.

Harang will turn it around, and between Volquez, Cueto, Owings, Arroyo and a veteran filled bullpen, they'll make Cincinnati a baseball mad town again.

PREDICTION 30

THE PHILLIES WIN WIN THEIR THIRD STRAIGHT DIVISION TITLE

And Phillies fans start to get less angry.

PREDICTION 31

DESPITE CHRIS IANNETTA'S BREAK OUT YEAR, THE ROCKIES WILL BE OUT OF IT BY MAY

Garret Atkins, Brad Hawpe, Aaron Cook and Manny Corpas will all be available and Clint Hurdle will be checking Craigslist for job openings.

PREDICTION 32

THE ROYALS WILL HAVE A WINNING SEASON, BUT FINISH A DISTANT THIRD PLACE

They have become a trendy Cinderella pick. I don't trust their starting pitching, however their bullpen might be deep enough that they don't blow close games... giving the Royals some confidence that the 2010s will be better than the 1990s and 2000s.

PREDICTION 33

THE GHOSTS OF 2006 PERSIST IN DETROIT

The season will be nothing short of a disaster. Verlander, Bonderman, Willis and Robertson are cooked. The second an injury befalls Ordonez or Cabrera, they'll start chucking bodies over the side.

They've already started with Gary Sheffield.

Jim Leyland will resign after the season.

PREDICTION 34

GARY SHEFFIELD WILL HIT .198, 3 HOMERS AND BE CUT AGAIN IN JUNE

There is nothing left in that tank.

PREDICTION 35

JUSTIN MORNEAU WILL LEAD THE TWINS TO AN EASY DIVISION TITLE

Their talent is better by far than any of the other Division rivals and getting Liriano back is like a huge Free Agent signing. They'll win the Division by 11 games.

PREDICTION 36

THE BEST TEAM IN CHICAGO WON'T BE IN WRIGLEY

Nobody gives the Defending Division Champs any credit, but the White Sox knew when to fold 'em with Griffey and Joe Crede and the intensely overrated Javier Vasquez. Now they suddenly have a team with young hungry hitters and Floyd and Danks in their rotation.

Why aren't they getting more love?

PREDICTION 37

MILTON BRADLEY IS A TERRIBLE FIT IN CHICAGO

He can't play the field. He has a temper like Sonny Corleone and you are throwing him into a club house with Sweet Lou at the helm and on year 101 in Cub-town.

120 games TOPS out of Milton Bradley.

They might as well have traded for the Parker Brothers.

PREDICTION 38

SORRY CUB FANS...

Trading for Kevin Gregg, the reliever who basically torpedoed the Marlins wild card chance was the stupidest trade the Cubs have made in years.

No third straight Division Title in Wrigley-ville.

PREDICTION 39

PEDRO MARTINEZ RETURNS TO THE DODGERS...

But it won't be pretty. Still, seeing Joe Torre manage Pedro will be one of the strangest sights of the year.

AND FINALLY

PREDICTION 40

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR? ERIC CHAVEZ OF OAKLAND

He's going to love having Cabrera, Holliday and Giambi in the line up with him.

So those are my fearless predictions...

And at the end of October, I'll compare my picks to reality.

Keep in mind, my predictions are usually terrible.

But this year, I have a good feeling!