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What are youre predictions for this upcoming year? how do you feel your team will do and how did the offseason effect your team?

Im a braves fan (i also like the rangers, white sox, and rays). since the season starts in a little over a month i would like to see the braves have a comeback like they did in the 90's. im real happy that we traded Derrick Lowe, he seemed to be dragging the team down from time to time. with all the younger players we have, freeman, heyward, hanson. i think we have a decent chance

 

lol i bet that was interesting. My brother in law is from chicago and is a big cubs fan, i like giving him hell. he takes it well

 

thats good. i did find it entertaining.

 

I have absolutely no idea what what the BoSox are going to do this year.

New GM, manager and coaches. Another attempt at platooning short stop. A reliever converted to a starter. A middle relief pitcher that should be a starter. Lackey on the shelf (thank god). Dice K set for a mid season return. Jenks back in the pen (wait and see how that works). Whats happening with Varitek. Questions about clubhouse leadership. Crawford's production a big question mark after off season wrist surgery. Youkilis is getting beat up playing third, can he stay healthy.

I have my eye on Salty and Ellsbury. Salty had a good year behind the plate backing up Varitek. He has always had a lot of potential. Hoping he lives up to it this year. I'm really hoping Ellsbury puts up more numbers like he did last year. I love watching this kid play. Its a shame he'll probably catch the first train out of town once his contract is up. The year he was injured, he took a lot of flack from the media, the fans and the team and now the last of his friends in the clubhouse was traded in the off season and, to add insult to injury (for the Sox at least), Boras is his agent.

I wonder how much more media attention the club will get at the start of the season too just because Fenway Park tuns 100 this year.

Gonna be interesting.

 

I've been a Cubs fan since I was 9 and got my first set of glasses. That's when I paid attention to WGN one summer and noticed that the Cubs third baseman had a pair almost exactly like mine. And that realization put me on a road that led to Chicago about 17 years ago.

Honestly, Borla, I've seen that exact situation play out at a bunch of Cubs/Sox games, and it's about evenly split between two fan bases. One video I trot out every year is the guy at the upper deck in Comiskey during one of the first Cubs/Sox series being led down the stairs by security and being so obnoxious that the security guys pull his Sox shirt up over his face and head. But there are enough morons on each side. I was at the Cubs/Dodgers game where a Cubs fan snatched the hat of a Dodgers player in the bullpen and started a brawl (I was in a box owned by a now-defunct insurance company right above it). I was at the game where Zambrano threw a fit at Comiskey. I was there when Barrett and Pierzinski went at it. And I've bought beers for Sox fans and had the favor returned.

The Cubs probably won't make the playoffs this year, but they might. And they're definitely going to be very interesting in 2 years.

 

/backs out of thread
//looking for the Major League Badminton thread

 

Cubs fan here also but never been a Sox hater. Have gone to several Sox games. Always the best fights at Comiskey, I did hate that old ballpark though.

Looking forward in anticipation for the Cubs. Maybe in a couple of years. The retooling has only just begun.

 

The Tigers are going to score a ton of runs, but every ground ball is going to be an adventure. They lack range at 3rd, short and left field. They have great starting pitching and a strong back end of the bull pen, but team defense could cost them a lot of games. If Cabrerra and Fielder combine for more home runs than errors, it'll be a good season.

 

I totally forgot that fielder ended up in detroit. I was too busy watching pujols go to the angels.

 

Only 44 more days 'til Opening Day! 45 if you're a Reds fan...let's go Cincy!

 

Just herd on the radio that Manny Ramirez signed a minor league deal and will serve his 50 game suspension. What are they thinking. I don't remember who signed him. I think it was Oakland.

 

Why only 50? He was looking at 100 when he retired.

 

Originally his suspension was 100 games but MLB reduced it to 50 in Dec.

Reduced because he retired? C'mon MLB, weak. Very weak.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Manny-Ramirez-seeks-return-in-2012-ending-retirement-120411

 

This isn't going to end well....

 

Personally I dint think he will ever be the same caliber player he once was.

 

Better baseball though chemistry.

 

I used to admire roger clement. Until...........

 

The BoSox get an unproven relief pitcher and a player to be named later as compensation for the GM leaving for the Cubs.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseba...es/2012/02/compensation_se.html?p1=News_links

I was expecting a bit more than that.