NL West

[Skindiana bon3z]

ok....so many people are counting the Dodgers out now....is it because of what happened with the Lakers?  Yeah, the Dodgers lost Beltre....but it's not like he isn't irreplaceable like Shaq....I really do think the Dodgers have one of the best line ups in the league and their pitching isn't great but it's adequate

1. Cesar Izturis
2. Jayson Werth
3. J.D. Drew
4. Jeff Kent
5. Milton Bradley
6. Jose Valentin
7. Hee seop Choi
8. Jason Phillips
9. Pitcher's slot

Now Tell me what's wrong with that line up?  That's a good, complete line up 

GO DODGERS

[Javier]

Hell yes.  People underrated the production we are going to get from the 3 and 4 slots.  A team with 9 JD Drews is more productive than a team with 9 Adrian Beltres.  Valentin is clutch with runners in scoring position and hes going to switch hit again which he changed last year, so expect Valentin to be better than last year and still hit 20+ Home runs.  Since Valentin is clutch...Bradley is a very good batter for a number 5 he has power, speed, patience move runners into scoring position.  Also, what pisses me off is the huge drop off predicted in the overall defense of the team.  We used to have an Outfielder at 1b, and a below average defensive catcher, and some serious OF problems through most part of last season.  So our defense isnt going to be that much worse...maybe from like 1st to 4 or 5.  Another thing is that we have a group of players that can have HUGE years.   Izturis is getting close to his prime, Bradley is getting there, Werth is getting there, Choi is getting there.   Just if ONE of these players come out with a huge year...95+ wins is easily reachable. and if two of them breakout...shit forget about it.  Our rotation is up there with the other two contending NL West teams...if bonds is actually out for the year....its just Padres and Dodgers.  I can not wait.


On a side note...

Choi has decided to be more aggresive at the plate and instead of taking some hittable strikes when the count is on his side he will swing at those pitches...since then he has hit 2 home runs in less than 8 At bats...maybe he was being TOOOO selective.  Nothing is wrong with being selective though

[eS El Duque]

ESPN has Giants winning the east

October 01
The Giants clinch the National League West, but their celebration is dampened when Moises Alou douses them with bottles of his urine.

^^LOL, ESPN does have some comedians though.


Man, Dodgers are gonna be running shit. Trust me

[Javier]

Yea ESPN "baseball experts" mostly suck...except for Rob Neyer.   

Mitch Litchman, the statistical analysist for the cardinals stated that he ran over 10,000 simulations of the NL west....and the Dodgers came out in first the most out of all NL West teams. 

[Skindiana bon3z]

Opening Day Tuesday

Derek Lowe vs. Jason Schmidt.....Schmidt is a more dominant pitcher, but Lowe is a good ground ball pitcher and if the 2004 playoffs was any indication of his future then Dodgers will be fine.....I expect the Dodgers to win on opening day especially with Barry out....

[Tay]

should be interesting, i hope my giants can take it this year, the starting 5 has potential but needs to prove themselves. the dodgers look pretty complete, a lot of their lineup hasnt proven themselves to be consistent yet

[Skindiana bon3z]

1. Cesar Izturis (gold glove winner last year, 193 hits)
2. Jayson Werth/Hee Seop Choi (good players, could easily hit 20 hr's)
3. J.D. Drew (has had playoff experience with St. Louis and Atlanta)
4. Jeff Kent (most hr's by second baseman in mlb history/been to world series with Giants)
5. Milton Bradley (great defensively, could easily have a breakout year)
6. Jose Valentin (proven 25 hr's 70 rbi's)
7. Ricky Ledee (solid backup outfielder, holds record for batting average in world series, having played all games in series)
8. Jason Phillips (well, its better than Ross)
9. Pitcher's slot

 

[madsamoan]

All the baseball experts are picking the SF Giants to win the NL West this year. The Dodgers lost Adrian Beltre and Steve Finley during the offseason so there goes all there power in the lineup there not to mention their  pitching staff is kind of shaky.
Derek Lowe? Are you kidding me? The SF Giants will win it and it all starts tomorrow Opening Day when we sweep L.A.Barry Bonds will continue his quest for the home run record as soon as he gets back from the DL list but in the meantime the rest of the team will hold it down.

[Skindiana bon3z]

^ yeah, so let's just not play the season since the experts seem to know who's gonna win....

and yeah....Dodgers obviously have no power....Drew, Kent, Valentin.....they have power all the way through.....yeah Derek Lowe only won 3 playoff games last year.....god damn, you're underestimating the Dodger's team....

[Javier]

All the baseball experts are picking the SF Giants to win the NL West this year. The Dodgers lost Adrian Beltre and Steve Finley during the offseason so there goes all there power in the lineup there not to mention their  pitching staff is kind of shaky.
Derek Lowe? Are you kidding me? The SF Giants will win it and it all starts tomorrow Opening Day when we sweep L.A.Barry Bonds will continue his quest for the home run record as soon as he gets back from the DL list but in the meantime the rest of the team will hold it down.

let me give you a little lesson on the effects Dodger Stadium has on pitchers.  Dodger Stadium reduces doubles and triples and is neutral in home runs.  Now lets take a look at Derek Lowe...most all AL parks, especially Fenway is doubles and triples Heaven so D. Lowe gave up a lot of doubles and triples and with that horrible defense behind him no wonder his ERA was sky rocket high, and Derek Lowe does not give up many Home runs so that gets killed.  So doubles, triples, small number of home runs given up, good KtoBB ratio, amazing OF defense behind him, GOLD GLOVE SS= a really good season from Derek Lowe.

real question is, Is brian sabean kidding?  Alou?!  HIs road stats were horrible last year...Wrigley Field helped him a lot and that wind.

These experts you see on TV are idiots.  I mean John Kruk picked the Padres because he feels that the players are going to be used to playing at Petco.  What a dumb reason to pick a team.  Gammons picked the team because they are deep, Reynolds picked them because their lineup is still strong without Bonds...which is absolutely not.  Without Bonds, from 3-8..the Dodgers are better

these guys are real experts, looking at it through the numbers and not gut feelings
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/tht-staff-predictions/

[Tay]

^^yah, i think the "experts" are jumpin the gun a little bit. the giants lineup without bonds is decent, but it lacks power...if he doesnt return by midseason, i think the only chance they have is if 2 of the young pitchers shine and force wack Brett Tomko out of the rotation.

[Skindiana bon3z]

All the baseball experts are picking the SF Giants to win the NL West this year. The Dodgers lost Adrian Beltre and Steve Finley during the offseason so there goes all there power in the lineup there not to mention their  pitching staff is kind of shaky.
Derek Lowe? Are you kidding me? The SF Giants will win it and it all starts tomorrow Opening Day when we sweep L.A.Barry Bonds will continue his quest for the home run record as soon as he gets back from the DL list but in the meantime the rest of the team will hold it down.

let me give you a little lesson on the effects Dodger Stadium has on pitchers.  Dodger Stadium reduces doubles and triples and is neutral in home runs.  Now lets take a look at Derek Lowe...most all AL parks, especially Fenway is doubles and triples Heaven so D. Lowe gave up a lot of doubles and triples and with that horrible defense behind him no wonder his ERA was sky rocket high, and Derek Lowe does not give up many Home runs so that gets killed.  So doubles, triples, small number of home runs given up, good KtoBB ratio, amazing OF defense behind him, GOLD GLOVE SS= a really good season from Derek Lowe.

real question is, Is brian sabean kidding?  Alou?!  HIs road stats were horrible last year...Wrigley Field helped him a lot and that wind.

These experts you see on TV are idiots.  I mean John Kruk picked the Padres because he feels that the players are going to be used to playing at Petco.  What a dumb reason to pick a team.  Gammons picked the team because they are deep, Reynolds picked them because their lineup is still strong without Bonds...which is absolutely not.  Without Bonds, from 3-8..the Dodgers are better

these guys are real experts, looking at it through the numbers and not gut feelings
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/tht-staff-predictions/

wow, the Dodgers are ranked either number 1 or 2 in the NL West by the list of all those guys....mostly number 1 though 

[Skindiana bon3z]

Dodgers up 2-0 in the bottom of the 3rd....Izturis hit a lead off hr off Schmidt 

[Skindiana bon3z]

top of 6th...2-2....Eguardo Alfonzo 2 run hr 

[Skindiana bon3z]

well....if this trend continues to happen....it's gonna be a long season ....like Vin Scully said, They get out to a lead and then all of a sudden the Offense leaves town....to make matters worse....another 2 errors