Opening Day
. . . was, technically, yesterday. But my Astros play their first game of the season later this afternoon (weather permitting -- it was snowing in Philly this morning), so close enough.
Opening Day should be a national holiday, a celebration of the renewal of hope and limitless possibilities and unbridled optimism. It's all future and no past. It's also a good excuse for a bunch of predictions sure to turn out wrong. Here goes:
AL East -- How can you not pick the Red Sox, especially after they added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez? The Yankees are probably the second-best team in the majors, but in the wrong division to do any better than the wild card. I like Toronto in third (I would pick the Blue Jays to win several other divisions if they were in them, including both Centrals). Tampa Bay experienced too much upheaval to contend this year, and they will fight with Baltimore for fourth.
AL Central -- While none of these teams are exactly elite, the Twins always find a way to get it done. I like the Tigers second, and dropped the much-touted White Sox to third because of my personal dislike of manager Ozzie Guillen. I like Kansas City to sneak past a truly wretched Cleveland team to slip into fourth.
AL West -- Lots of people have tried, but I can't pick against the defending AL champion Rangers this year. The A's and Angels are both better than last year, and will make it an interesting three-way race. Seattle has two amazing players (Ichiro and Felix Hernandez) and 23 stiffs.
NL East -- It's very hard to pick against the Phillies and their Big Four starting rotation of doom, but they're not a lock due to injuries and other holes in the lineup. The Braves are the trendy pick to upset them, and I don't see why not. They will at least score the wild card. The Marlins will be better, but really only a .500 team. The Nationals are improving but still mediocre, and the Mets should be fascinating in a car wreck kind of way.
NL Central -- It pains me to write this, but I don't see my Astros finishing any higher than fourth here. The Reds, Cardinals, and Brewers all have decent shots, and could all collapse. The Cubs don't seem to have nearly enough, and while people say the Pirates will be better, I don't see it.
NL West -- The defending champion Giants had a magical run last year, the kind that doesn't repeat itself. The Rockies seem kind of a default pick here, because the Padres are worse off than last year, the Dodgers are still dysfunctional, and the Diamondbacks are just plain bad.
The World Series? In a shocker, give me the Braves over the Red Sox.
Opening Day should be a national holiday, a celebration of the renewal of hope and limitless possibilities and unbridled optimism. It's all future and no past. It's also a good excuse for a bunch of predictions sure to turn out wrong. Here goes:
AL East -- How can you not pick the Red Sox, especially after they added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez? The Yankees are probably the second-best team in the majors, but in the wrong division to do any better than the wild card. I like Toronto in third (I would pick the Blue Jays to win several other divisions if they were in them, including both Centrals). Tampa Bay experienced too much upheaval to contend this year, and they will fight with Baltimore for fourth.
AL Central -- While none of these teams are exactly elite, the Twins always find a way to get it done. I like the Tigers second, and dropped the much-touted White Sox to third because of my personal dislike of manager Ozzie Guillen. I like Kansas City to sneak past a truly wretched Cleveland team to slip into fourth.
AL West -- Lots of people have tried, but I can't pick against the defending AL champion Rangers this year. The A's and Angels are both better than last year, and will make it an interesting three-way race. Seattle has two amazing players (Ichiro and Felix Hernandez) and 23 stiffs.
NL East -- It's very hard to pick against the Phillies and their Big Four starting rotation of doom, but they're not a lock due to injuries and other holes in the lineup. The Braves are the trendy pick to upset them, and I don't see why not. They will at least score the wild card. The Marlins will be better, but really only a .500 team. The Nationals are improving but still mediocre, and the Mets should be fascinating in a car wreck kind of way.
NL Central -- It pains me to write this, but I don't see my Astros finishing any higher than fourth here. The Reds, Cardinals, and Brewers all have decent shots, and could all collapse. The Cubs don't seem to have nearly enough, and while people say the Pirates will be better, I don't see it.
NL West -- The defending champion Giants had a magical run last year, the kind that doesn't repeat itself. The Rockies seem kind of a default pick here, because the Padres are worse off than last year, the Dodgers are still dysfunctional, and the Diamondbacks are just plain bad.
The World Series? In a shocker, give me the Braves over the Red Sox.