Baseball 2007

It is time for my 2007 baseball picks. In a few short months you will all be awed by my genius, or I will again look stupid. Here they are:

NL East – New York Mets – this division is weaker than last year, but the Mets are about the same. Even without Pedro, they should have what it takes to win this division.

NL Central – Pittsburgh Pirates – It is a wide open division, but with the Cardinals and Astros losing so much pitching, they will not hold on to their top spots. The team with the best pitching will win and that rules out the Cubs and Reds, leaving the Pirates young staff and improved offense to take the day.

NL West – San Diego Padres – This is another weak division, but no one really looks even competitive. The Padres have Jake Peavy and added Greg Maddox. Their offense should be good enough.

Wild Card – This is a little tougher. I do not think the Dodgers will stay healthy enough to make a run, so I am going to go with the Reds. The Brewers are overrated with an outfield that is untested and quarrelling. The Reds will not see the same sort of good pitching from Bonson Arroyo, but probably can hold off the Brewers and the Cubs, whose defense will do them in.

AL East – New York Yankees – Do not be fooled by pitchers from Japan. They start great, but will slow down by the end of the year. The Red Sox are a shell of their former selves, and the Blue Jays let Ted Lilly go, probably costing themselves the title. All that and Roger Clemens will probably end up in the Bronx.

AL Central – Minnesota Twins – The best division in baseball. The Tigers will put up a fight, but the Twins have great depth on the bench and on the mound. They have expendable left handers to trade in mid-season, and they have the most underrated manager in the big leagues. You will see Matt Garza as a starter. Remember last year they started Lirano in the bullpen as well. It is a formula that always works for the Twins.

AL West – LA Angels – I think the A’s are going to fall short and the pitching of LAA will be good. They have a great bullpen and Vlad Guerreo. With a lot of teams to beat up on, this team will look better than they are.

Wild Card – Detroit Tigers – These young arms may not flop like the White Sox staff did, but they will not be the same as last year. Plus, you can count on Kenny Rogers being much worse. The addition of Sheffield is good, but his defense is still suspect. They should take the Wild Card without much problem over teams like Boston and Oakland.

I will go on to predict the National League champions to be the New York Mets. The American League Champions will be the Minnesota Twins, but I think the Tigers and Twins are headed for a showdown. It may come down to who makes the best mid-season moves. I will take the Minnesota Twins as the World Champs.

Enjoy the greatest weekend in sports!!!