Boski's Blogopoluza!

Hello teens, sorry I have been away, it has been hectic at work and at home. Last weekend and until Midnight Tuesday Team Boski was prepping the house for a house guest and since we had a lot of stuff to move. But enough of that and lets talk some baseball.

Ah yes it is Opening Day and I am excited, not at the fevered pitch I use to be as young lad, when Opening Day was the one day the White Sox were not eliminated from playoff contention. This year it is more trepidation since the White Sox had a scintillating Spring Training where they went 10 - 22 - 1. Most of those beating where at the hands of D'Backs and Rockies. Since those and two and '27 Yanks are mirror images I really should not be worried.

Right now I am both angered and scared by many of the preseason projections. Sure there were a couple that have the Sox winning, but most say 4th, including Baseball Prospectus that has the Sox going 70 - 92. Which would be great news for the Broncos, since it will mean more time getting excited about them. The other scary thing is this team may have a good season and still finish 3rd, since the AL Central has four teams that can make a case for the title and I hate it.

This years Sox team has so many questions:

1. Have Buehrle and Contreras hit the wall? Mark has no velocity and Jose looked awful in the second half. I pray that they can forget 2006.

2. Is it Podsednik or Podsedsuck? Last year was a disaster, sure he drove in some runs, but that is not his job. His job is to be a pest, get on base and help manufacture run. They were 24-6 in games he swiped a bag, but too many nights you could find his name next CS. Also Scott, I love you but you D last year was so bad that Jose Canseco squirmed.

3. Speaking of D - Mr. Mackowiak you are going to get yourself killed out there either by the ball, Ozzie or a rabid Sox fan, so please, please use your glove for good. That goes for everyone else, please.

4. Building a bridge - Hopefully this team can get back to getting starters getting throw Complete games, but since that won't happen I will settle for getting to the 7th. Because what killed this team was the bullpen was awful. Too many guys pitching too many inning and pitching them terribly. Jenks had to do too many Inning plus appearances and he ran out of gas. So this year we will see if power arms Kenny has brought in will work. The key to me is the two lefties. If Sisco and Thornton can be effective that will be huge. Cotts could not never get out of Jury Duty. McDougal will be the Set-up man and Bobby will close it. Ozzie and Don, make this work since I do not want to see the Charlotte Shuffle this season.

5. Javy, just throw %$#*ing strikes, have confidence in your stuff and also you have people playing defense behind you so let me work for you. You got an extension and a live arm, so use it!

6. Manufacutre Runs - The Sox got too comfy with the big inning. Look this team beat the World Champs silly last season and it got us no where. This team O is still potentially potent, but we need to create runs when guys are not hitting. Which leads me to.

7. Get back to winning the close ones. The Sox won it all in 2005 because it played playoff baseball as soon as they broke camp. This goes back to pitching, defense and get runs when the hits are scare.

8. Toby we hardly knew ye - The Sox brought in someone to spell A.J. (Please hold your boos to the end) but that possibly ended with his shoulder popping out. So to start the season the Sox will have to roll with Gustavo Molina. No he is not a part of the Catching Molina's. So if everything works out Toby will be back by May. If not the dreaded call for the Zombie Sandy Alomar Jr. will be made and nobody wants that.

9. Ozzie - I love Ozzie, I don't love everything that comes out of his mouth, but he is what this organization needed when he was brought in. Ozzie please get this team to focus and back to playing that brand of ball we all know and love. It does not have to be pretty, just get the W's. Also Ozzie, let Brian Anderson play, the kid plays D and he will hit, have faith.

10. Darin Erstad is still alive? Look guys I love grinder ball, but Darin is busted up. I will be happy if he can be the new Ross Gload.

11. Is it wrong to hope that all the AL Central other than the Sox suffer from bad soup all year?

So the time has come for the questions to be answered. Oh wait as I type the Sox are already down to the Casino Owners. Great.

Well here is my lame-ass baseball predictions. If I had done this a couple weeks back it would have been better when I was prepping for my baseball draft, but I have been neck deep in NFL Draft stuff. Ask me who the Broncos should take I can answer that, but we are hear to talk baseball.

NL West

1. Dodgers - Love their pitching now if they can scrap enough runs together they win the division and maybe do some damage in October
2. Padres - Great pitching, but Wells and Maddux are not going to do it.
3. Rockies - I have been hearing the buzz and I think they are do to at least stay in the hunt till Sept.
4. D'Backs - Moving in the right direction, they are putting together some good young players.
5. Giants - Sorry Silly, but this team is too old. Love Bochy as manager, but they need to get Barry to 756 and then start building.

NL Central

1. Milwaukee - No I have not been drinking, I am just trying to be cool. If Shield can stay healthy they will make the post season for the first since Pete Ladd walked the earth.
2. "Gulp" - Chicago Cubs - I hope I am wrong. I would love nothing more than see the Cubs finish 0-162.
3. St. Louis - Showing that getting hot at the right time can go a long way. But I think they may not have enough arms.
4. Houston - Carlos Lee $100 Million. Really? I hope you kept your receipt
5. Cincinnati - I am curious to see if they can stay in the hunt with only two starter, no real closer and about 15 middle relief guys. Also Ken Griffy Jr. has been injured twice since I started this entry.
6. Pittsburgh - Arrrrrr it tough being a Pirate.

NL East

1. New York Mets - We will see what this team is made of after losing the NLCS. I think they will spring back
2. Philadelphia - Again will knock on the door, but will they get in?
3. Atlanta - They made some nice moves, but not enough to get by Philly or New York
4. Florida - great young talent, but they are down this far because I loath the MIL from the Bay Area is a fan.
5. Washington - Cue the Comic Store Guy - "Worst National League team ever!"

AL

East

1. Yankees - Will hit but can they get the pitching. They might be able to if Carl Pavano is monitored.
2. Red Sox - Loaded as well, but the key will be Schilling and not Dice-K. He has to hold up. They did make the right call moving Pappelbon to the pen.
3. Toronto - The Jays are a starter away, that and if Halladay can stay healthy. Could be a very dark horse.
4. Baltimore - Mr. Angelos please sell the team, hell sell it to Marlow. He knows how to run an operation. I would have suggested Stringer and Avon, but Stringer is dead and Avon is in lockup.
5. Devil Rays - Two words that could really help this team - Insurance Fire.

Central

1. Twinkee - Santana will pitch 140 games this year and I will spend a miserable summer as the Twins celebrate and annoy the crap out of me.
2. Pitty Kitty's - Screw the whole lot of you. May Gary be the biggest locker room cancer of all times.
3. The Casino Owners - Jacobs Park this. I hate you as well
Tie 4. The Constitutional Monarch & the White Sox - Right now the 70 - 92 that was predicted may be what we get. It is 9 - 2 already and it is not even the bottom of the third. So with that and probably an improved Royals. I see a basement in the future. Damn, damn, damn, damn it!

AL West

1 Anaheim - If they can find some hitting then they would be scary. Still they will win this division.
2. Oakland - They will miss Barry come September and October.
3. Texas - Until I see them get pitching past July 4th I will never believe in these guys.
4. Seattle - No not even the Dr's as Seattle's Grace Memorial Hospital can save this team.

Playoffs

NL

Phillies (Wild Card) over Brewers
Dodgers over Mets

Dodgers over Phillies

AL

Anaheim over Boston (Wild Card)
Minnesota over New York

Anaheim over Minnesota


World Series

Anaheim over Los Angeles

A Freeway Series or another World Series America will tune out since it will not have Yankee, Mets, Red Sox or Cubs in it. Also most of America will not care and since every game will end after 1 AM.


So please feel free to make fun of those picks, I know I will. Excuse me I have to get back to crying under my desk as the White Sox get Little Big Horned today.