2007 NL East Predictions

[Alex44]

I think some of you are going to be shocked when Atlanta reclaims the East. One bad year in 15 and suddenly they're an afterthought. I'm not surprised though, sports columnists have been picking Atlanta to finish 3rd or lower for the past 3 or 4 seasons now.

What do those last 15 seasons have to do with now? They dont have the team they did any of those seasons. You cant base what a team will do based on what they did previous seasons that have no relation whatsoever to this one. Every team eventually falls. Atlanta = Fallen

 

[muscle979]

What do those last 15 seasons have to do with now? They dont have the team they did any of those seasons. You cant base what a team will do based on what they did previous seasons that have no relation whatsoever to this one. Every team eventually falls. Atlanta = Fallen

That's what you want to be the case. That doesn't mean it's true. Considering how they still have the same manager and a few players who have been on the majority of those teams I don't see how it's irrelevant. They know how to win. If they hadn't been plagued by injuries in their pitching rotation and incompetent relief pitching last season they would have made a good run and maybe even won it. It's a big if at this point but Chipper Jones staying healthy would work wonders. He's still a great hitter. Smoltz can still deliver as well. As I said people have been saying that Atlanta was through for several seasons now. That doesn't mean its true. Bobby Cox has proven that he can win and the way some of you are blowing off a proven winner is funny to me.

 

[NJFINSFAN1]

That's what you want to be the case. That doesn't mean it's true. Considering how they still have the same manager and a few players who have been on the majority of those teams I don't see how it's irrelevant. They know how to win. If they hadn't been plagued by injuries in their pitching rotation and incompetent relief pitching last season they would have made a good run and maybe even won it. It's a big if at this point but Chipper Jones staying healthy would work wonders. He's still a great hitter. Smoltz can still deliver as well. As I said people have been saying that Atlanta was through for several seasons now. That doesn't mean its true. Bobby Cox has proven that he can win and the way some of you are blowing off a proven winner is funny to me.

It wouldn't surprise me to see the Braves come in second, I don't count them out, it would be foolish for any Met fan to count them out. But two things stand out to me.

1. They don't have the firepower to compete with the Mets, and losing your 1st basemen in the trade (can't think of his name) takes even more power out of your lineup.

2. Cox misses Leo something awful, Leo meant the world to that staff, yes the O's struggled, but give him time to work his magic thru the O's system and you will see results.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Ok I understand that it'll take them a few years to gain prospects and all that crap. Being in Montreal sucked the life out of the franchise. Patience is the key here though, and eventually we'll have something to root for here.

You dissed the stadium too. That was where my question was mainly focused

Nah that wasn't me, different poster. I have no idea what their new stadium is even going to look like.

 

[muscle979]

It wouldn't surprise me to see the Braves come in second, I don't count them out, it would be foolish for any Met fan to count them out. But two things stand out to me.

1. They don't have the firepower to compete with the Mets, and losing your 1st basemen in the trade (can't think of his name) takes even more power out of your lineup.

2. Cox misses Leo something awful, Leo meant the world to that staff, yes the O's struggled, but give him time to work his magic thru the O's system and you will see results.

I realize that they do have problems and are not the favorites but I think they'll be better than last season. And I do think that all of the winning is relevant because parts of that winning are still in place.

 

[Boik14]

It wouldn't surprise me to see the Braves come in second, I don't count them out, it would be foolish for any Met fan to count them out. But two things stand out to me.

1. They don't have the firepower to compete with the Mets, and losing your 1st basemen in the trade (can't think of his name) takes even more power out of your lineup.

2. Cox misses Leo something awful, Leo meant the world to that staff, yes the O's struggled, but give him time to work his magic thru the O's system and you will see results.

1 Laroche
2. Agreed. Hudson could really use a good pitching coach right now because hes not what he was. His k's are way down and his ba against is up. Part of that could be that Turner is a hitters park and Oakland wasnt but his road splits arent much better.

 

[NJFINSFAN1]

1 Laroche
2. Agreed. Hudson could really use a good pitching coach right now because hes not what he was. His k's are way down and his ba against is up. Part of that could be that Turner is a hitters park and Oakland wasnt but his road splits arent much better.

Its funny, but most people take a coach for granted. Pitching coaches can mean the world to a team. I'm a HS baseball coach, but my thing is pitching, I still pitch in a 35 and over league that has some X pros in it and I talk to them all the time. You can always learn something new. Even at my old age.

I remember when I was a HS pitcher and I was a head strong kid and never listen to the coach, he sent me to old Roosevelt Stadium and Bob Feller ran the clinic, I listen but was like who was this dude to tell me how to pitch. When it was over he calls me out by name to come walk with him (I did not know he was friends with my HS coach), he spent 1 1/2 hours just talking with me, about baseball, life anything I wanted, then asked me to listen to him for 1/2 hour about pitching. Man what I learned from him in a half hour. I ended up doing what he said and became an all county pitcher in my senior year, he even sent me a note afterwards.

He did for me (not just pitching, but mentally) wonders in 2 hours, man I wish I could have had him as a coach for years to come.

I do the same thing now with my pitchers that won't listen, yes its about the mechanics, but you have to get thru to them before they will listen and learn.

 

[Roman529]

Okay, this mikes it all better!

:whip2:Roman

:couch3:

 

[RWhitney014]

Couple things:

1) Five reasons why the Nationals get no love: 1, John Patterson; 2, Jerome Wiliams; 3, Tim Redding; 4, Mike O'Connor; and 5, Shawn Hill.

2) Atlanta has a very nice team that needs Hudson and Hampton to be good. If those two win 25-30 games, the Braves win the division. It's that simple. But there are still major questions about the offense, what with Thorman and Johnson/Prado's lack of track records, the uncertainty that either Jones will be on the field, Francoeur's problems, and the black hole that is LF. But winning all those divisions is irrelevant. So many coaches - Mazzone, Corrales, Yost, Gonzalez, et al - are gone, and so many players are, too. The only holdovers are the Joneses and Smoltz, and both Joneses have questions (Chipper's health and Andruw's trade status; the Braves should trade Andruw to avoid a Soriano situation). But there's no doubt that the Braves shored up their biggest weakness (the pen) in giving up only one good player and not spending too much money.

 

[DuderinoN703]

Eh, Nats probably wont get to .500 but we're still glad to have a team that isnt Baltimore.

 

[FINSFAN2781]

The way i want the finish to look.....

Marlins
Phillies
Mets
Braves
Nationals...........


The way it will look........

Mets
Marlins
Phillies
Braves
Nationals.

 

[Boik14]

Its funny, but most people take a coach for granted. Pitching coaches can mean the world to a team. I'm a HS baseball coach, but my thing is pitching, I still pitch in a 35 and over league that has some X pros in it and I talk to them all the time. You can always learn something new. Even at my old age.

I remember when I was a HS pitcher and I was a head strong kid and never listen to the coach, he sent me to old Roosevelt Stadium and Bob Feller ran the clinic, I listen but was like who was this dude to tell me how to pitch. When it was over he calls me out by name to come walk with him (I did not know he was friends with my HS coach), he spent 1 1/2 hours just talking with me, about baseball, life anything I wanted, then asked me to listen to him for 1/2 hour about pitching. Man what I learned from him in a half hour. I ended up doing what he said and became an all county pitcher in my senior year, he even sent me a note afterwards.

He did for me (not just pitching, but mentally) wonders in 2 hours, man I wish I could have had him as a coach for years to come.

I do the same thing now with my pitchers that won't listen, yes its about the mechanics, but you have to get thru to them before they will listen and learn.

Bro, I had a similar experience when i was 15. i went to a baseball camp at Hofstra University for about a month and twice they had Rick Peterson there. I didnt even understand what I learned at the time, it was so over my head. I didnt listen to a word (including the part about throwing too many curve balls) except, to be mentally tougher then the hitter and how to locate pitches. And after a great start to my junior year on the traveling team, I got a horrendous case of tendonitis i still get whenever i try and throw a curveball.

I cant pitch anymore but i can hit a ball a country mile and I can go get it in the OF or 2b :)