I think the Braves have the most potntial and a great lineup. If Gonzalez comes back and is successful and Glaving and (gulp) Mike Hampton are decent then the Braves can be a force. OF and P just worry me. They will easily win the Wild Card if those things happen...hell, I just talked myself into changing my pick.
it will come down to the wire. they're a better club than they were last year, but so are a lot of other NL teams. a lot of others picked the Sox and I love them, but will pitching depth become an issue with stories about Schill, Beckett and Dice-K already and it's not even the season.
That's the reason I didn't completely dismiss your prediction. Dice-K is ready (starting opening day), Beckett supposedly feels much better (it's even rumored that the injury was a ploy so he didn't have to go to Japan). Schill hasn't been anything great in the regular season for a while. As long as Tavarez doesn't get to many starts, I'm not too worried about that yet.
pronunciation key for your Cubs starting RF Kosuke Fukudome: KOH-skay (like dice-k) foo-koo-DOUGH-may
Francoeur and Kotsay both are looking real good. LF is a mystery, but even if it's a soft-spot, they should still be fine. a: Kotsay Johnson Jones Tex McCann Francoeur Escobar LF Pitcher lineup is real good. What you think of the 5th starter? rumblings tell me it won't be chuck james.
A week or so ago it was down to Jair Jurrjens and Chuck James. I think Chuck will win it, mainly because I dont want him to.
could be the best 3 team race in baseball. the braves success depends on Rafael Soriano's ability to stay healthy. chipper most definitely will not. James is projected as the 5th starter but Jair Jurrjens (acquired in renteria deal) may surpass him. or maybe they use both. escobar kotsay (back) chipper (knee, back, foot, leg) teix mccann franc diaz (brandon jones waiting) johnson
I totally forgot Matty Diaz, the .345 hitting machine. Bobby Cox, for whatever reason refuses to let him start full-time. Let's hope this year is his year.
Kerry Wood was scratched from the Cubs game today--back spasms...and so it begins again. I have a feeling Marmol will take the job by July.
