The pride of the Yankees knows no bounds. A-Fraud took the bait and affirmed King George’s assertion that they Yankees will win the World Series. What, with THAT pitching?
Oh, the Yankees will be good. But the Cards have the good sense to merely say they have the talent (and they do), but recognize that anything can happen over the course of a season.
The adage is: pitching & defense wins championships. The Red Sox finally put those 2 together in 2004. They had the pitching, but not the defense until they traded away Nomar.
This year, have lots of pitching, and an improved defense. I don’t think their offense will be affected much by the changes. It will still be among the most potent in MLB. The Sox have the talent. Will they stay healthy and develop the chemistry? That remains to be seen. Unlike Yankees camp, there will be no promises here- but we still believe. As Schilling said about the end of the season- “I hope they’ll be calling us champions.”
I agree that this is not the Yankees’ year. They still have an incredible lineup, but the pitching is so old and could fall apart at any second. The Red Sox, in my humble opinion, could possibly have taken a hit offensively. Will Lowell get back to his pre-2005 form? Will Mark Loretta continue to hit for a high average? Alex Gonzalez has never been a great hitter. Youkilis at first? It’s a good thing pitching and defense win championships because the Yankees definitely have a better offense than the Sox. Morgan’s Playoff predictions: NL: Mets, Cubs, Cardinals, Dodgers
AL: Red Sox, White Sox, Indians, A’s
Well, I still think the Yankees will make the playoffs, though Toronto could knock either the Sox or Yanks out of the picture.
I think Loretta will be fine. He’ll see something to hit with Papi & Manny behind him. Youk will get on base- he’s the Greek god of walks for pity’s sake. I think Lowell should bounce back driving doubles off the Monster. I think they’ll be more than good enough offensively.
I’m worried about the Indians’ pitching. They lost Millwood, and I don’t remember them getting anyone to replace him. They’ve got good, young players, but I fear they fall short again. But I could be wrong.
Yeah, you are right about the Indians, but it’s just my way of expressing my annual hope that the Yankees won’t make the playoffs.
We can all dream.