No, seriously -- who wins the NL pennant?
| Mets |  59 (60.20%) |
| Cardinals | 5 (5.10%) |
| Reds | 4 (4.08%) |
| Dodgers | 22 (22.45%) |
| Other (specify) | 8 (8.16%) |
98 votes | 8 featured comments
For those wondering about the choices -- as the poll was posted, there were only four teams in the entire National League with records better than .500 -- and it was these four.
Yup, the Jays are the 9th best team in baseball by a hair, and that's playing in the AL East. In a way, they're being robbed of a playoff spot, potenially.
the Jays are the 9th best
team in baseball by a hair, and that's playing in the AL East. In a
way, they're being robbed of a playoff spot, potenially.
Well if being the 9th best team and yet not being one of the eight playoff teams constitutes getting robbed, consider how the Red Sox' fans must feel given that they are 3.5 games ahead of the Blue Jays and still 4.0 games out of a playoff spot.
It's worth noting that once the Angels overtake the Blue Jays the Jays will then be in 8th place in the 14 team AL, battling Texas for the second division lead. Can this result really be considered a success when you take into account that the Blue Jays increased their payroll by over 50% coming into this season.
And this is with Wells, Rios, Johnson, Catalanotto, Hinske, Zaun, Overbay, and Ryan exceeding even the most otimistic expectations. Seems that pitching and defense have not made the contributions that the Jays needed. What is a little distressing is any of these hitters that return to the Jays rate to more expensive to sign because of their 2006 success, and have a high probability of "regressing to their norm" in 2007.
Well if being the 9th best team and yet not being one of the eight playoff teams constitutes getting robbed, consider how the Red Sox' fans must feel given that they are 3.5 games ahead of the Blue Jays and still 4.0 games out of a playoff spot.
It's worth noting that once the Angels overtake the Blue Jays the Jays will then be in 8th place in the 14 team AL, battling Texas for the second division lead. Can this result really be considered a success when you take into account that the Blue Jays increased their payroll by over 50% coming into this season.
And this is with Wells, Rios, Johnson, Catalanotto, Hinske, Zaun, Overbay, and Ryan exceeding even the most otimistic expectations. Seems that pitching and defense have not made the contributions that the Jays needed. What is a little distressing is any of these hitters that return to the Jays rate to more expensive to sign because of their 2006 success, and have a high probability of "regressing to their norm" in 2007.
Diamondbacks. Because Fate really is that cruel.
It's worth noting that once the Blue Jays overtake the A's and Red Sox the Jays will then be in 5th place in the 14 team AL, battling New York for the East division lead. Can this result really be considered a failure when you take into account that the Blue Jays payroll is less than 50% of New York's?
And this is with Hill, Adams, Towers, Chacin, Schoeneweis, Walker, Chulk, and Frasor failing to meet even the most pessimistic expectations. Seems that the offence has made the contribution that the Jays needed. What is encouraging is that if anybody at all steps up from the farm in 2007 to make a significant contribution they will have been more fortunate than they were this year.
13 teams in the NL closer to the playoffs than the Jays (counting those in actual playoff spots). Those are some sad looking standings. Somewhere, an NL owner must be thinking, "Hey, I could buy a pennant in this league easy...maybe I should take a shot next year, just for the glory".
The best team in the NL, by far this year, is the Mets, and they are currently missing their best 2 starters. They are still possibly the best team without them.
I picked the Dodgers, because I'm always a sucker for a good hot streak, and they have been injured all year, so maybe they'll be fresh? Only one player, Furcal, has been healthy all year for them (maybe JD Drew counts, he's only missed 10 games), and only 2 starters (Penny and Lowe) who have made their starts. Also, I'd love to see Kenny Lofton and Sandy Alomar Jr. in the playoffs, just for the nostalgia factor, and maybe they get the rings the mid-90s Indians never could.
Also, I predict the NL will win the World Series this year, just because so many have conceded it to the AL already (no glory in that pick). 4 games out of 7 is hardly a monumental upset from even a clearly inferior team. So I guess I'm picking the Dodgers to win the championship...huh, that's odd.
The best team in the NL, by far this year, is the Mets, and they are currently missing their best 2 starters. They are still possibly the best team without them.
I picked the Dodgers, because I'm always a sucker for a good hot streak, and they have been injured all year, so maybe they'll be fresh? Only one player, Furcal, has been healthy all year for them (maybe JD Drew counts, he's only missed 10 games), and only 2 starters (Penny and Lowe) who have made their starts. Also, I'd love to see Kenny Lofton and Sandy Alomar Jr. in the playoffs, just for the nostalgia factor, and maybe they get the rings the mid-90s Indians never could.
Also, I predict the NL will win the World Series this year, just because so many have conceded it to the AL already (no glory in that pick). 4 games out of 7 is hardly a monumental upset from even a clearly inferior team. So I guess I'm picking the Dodgers to win the championship...huh, that's odd.
AWeb, I like your idea of the Dodgers winning it all, especially if they beat the Yankees. Man, a Dodgers-Yankees World Series... I'm sure MLB has already crossed their collective fingers hoping for that outcome.