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…slowly but surely, major media outlets are rolling out their annual prediction and preview columns…as you may recall, i do not bother in this tradition…instead, i will once again be doing a MetsBlog Under-Over Post, which will run first thing next Monday…stay tuned…
In the meantime, check out Tom Verducci at SI.com, who projects that the Mets will win the NL East, of whom he writes:
“I will say, however, I was struck this spring by how many baseball people love the Braves and question New York’s character. ‘They don’t pull together,’ said
one GM of the Mets.”
Meanwhile, the Daily News pulled its writers together to preview the Mets in three columns, here, here and here, the last of which discusses Johan Santana, and whether he can help make ‘The Collapse’ a thing of the past.
Speaking of Santana, in the Chicago Tribune, columnist Phil Rogers predicts that Santana will be the best pitcher and player in the NL East, while Willie Randolph will be the division’s best manager.
Lastly, in the New York Post, Joel Sherman has a bit of fun, making all sorts of alternative predictions, such as, “Out of desperation, the Phillies acquire Kyle Lohse in a trade for a second straight season.”
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Matt, I think you mis-read Phil Rogers’ article…He is ranking the NL East in a vacuum, and states that Johan will be the N.L. EAST MVP and CY YOUNG, while Willie will be the best manager in the division, not necessarily the league as a whole
I don’t think Joel Sherman’s predictions were meant to be random. While they’re written with a tinge of sarcasm, each prediction could legitimately come true.
Also, you’re reading Verducci’s quote attribution incorrectly. I can be interpreted the way you read it, but if he meant an actual Mets GM, he would’ve written “said one Mets GM.”
I can’t believe Bill Madden is picking the Braves to come in first in the NL East and on top of that win 96 games, is this guy serious? To make matter worse he has Atlanta winning the World Series and Mark Teixeira winning the MVP. WOW!!!
The quote in the SI.com piece didn’t mean a GM of the Mets to be an employee but rather what another GM thinks of the Mets.
“said one GM of the Mets” means the same as “One GM said of the Mets that they…” It’s a clumsy construction, but it does make sense.
Okay, that’s enough grammar nerd-ery. As for character, I think winning ballgames builds a lot of it. And after a certain point, the Braves have to drop the “no one expects us to win” angle, since nearly every analyst does expect them to be good.
“said one GM of the Mets” meaning “said one GM about the Mets”….it’s perfectly correct grammar…just how you READ it that makes it odd…
I just keep loving how everyone forget how the Braves wilted, for the second straight year, down the stretch before we even thought about it. somehow they are still the “Bobby Cox Braves” and we all have to shiver in our boots at their meere mention, despite the face that they’ve been painfully mediocre for 2 years and prior to that hadn’t won a playoff series since 2001.
Last I checked, when they were sniffing around in summer 2006 the Mets went into the TED and swept them away. And funny, I remember the same thing happening last year in September.
Everyone loves the Braves, despite losing Andruw and Renteria and trotting out two fossils in Smoltz and Glavine and another guy in Hampton that can;t get on the field. What exactly is everyone in love with? I know Francoeur and McCann are real good young talents, but Kelly Johnson will come back to earth, Chipper is another fading star…I just don’t get it.
No one in baseball can top the Mets front 4. No one. They could bring back Craig Swan to pitch in the 5 hole and still win this division. They don’t “pull together”? what the hell does that mean? And the Braves do? What do they have to show for all that “pulling together” the last 2 years?
man i really need to start using spell check. sorry.
I agree. With two 40+ pitchers, and one that can’t stay on the field, do they really believe that Tim Hudson alone can bring this team to the top of the division. Any team with aging stars (see: Pedro, Alou, Delgado) risks losing them for a period during the season. When you risk 3/5 of your rotation, that could spell trouble.
On the other hand, I do want to see the Braves do OK, if anything, to keep the rivalry in full swing.
Those two 40+ starters have pitched more innings than anyone else on the Mets aside from Santana. Following your same argument, do the Mets believe that Santana can change the whole team around? Yes. So why does one player make a difference for one team but not the other? The Mets rotation is a question mark as well – El Duque is already out and who knows how Pedro will hold up. Counting the Braves out just because 2 of their starters are up there in age is plain ignorant….
I can see the Braves starting out strong, then succumbing to the age in their rotation. Smoltz is unlikely to start 30 games–he’s already on the DL–and Glavine is just as unlikely to be effective at the tail end of the season. That bullpen is suspect, too–Rafael Soriano as the closer is not a good sign, and there’s really no one else in their system to fulfill the role.
I also think they’re gonna be hurt a lot by the loss of Andruw Jones. Kotsay is nowhere near the player he is, on either side of the ball. Particularly on defense, they are gonna see how much Jones contributed when balls that he would’ve snagged easily start falling short of Kotsay.
They’ll score runs, though, between McCann, Francoueur, and Teixeira.
I for one don’t expect Santana to turn the team around, because I was already expecting good things. You’d think Santana was joining the Pirates.
Everyone calls the Mets rotation a question mark because of Pedro (who is completely healthy btw), and conveniently leaves out the two young 15-game winners sitting in the 3-4 slots. It’s great to have Santana up top, but the depth Maine and Perez give you in the difference.
Oh and beyond winning 15 games, they are 2 of the 3 starters that had this team in position to reach the 2006 World Series, so they are not exactly “untested.”
Here, here! John Maine could very well give Santana a run for his money for that NL Cy Young.
yeah, i dont understand the “can’t pull together” comment, and all that talk. Sure, they collapsed, so that’s where this is coming from, but c’mon, the same guys back in ‘06 were lauded for their camaraderie and the clubhouse was thought of as being great. And all they need to do is win this year, and that label goes away. It really means nothing, just something for sports writers to throw around.
off topic, but did you all hear about kelvim escobar tearing his shoulder? most likely out for the year. that just goes to show that pitchers are unpredictable, that includes santana too. i kind of understand why GM’s are so hesitant to give big money contracts to pitchers.
Time to trade Sosa and a low prospect to the Angels for Kendry Morales.
Cool, the third article confirms Pedro to open shea in 08… I was waiting for a semi-official announcement. I was kind of working the rotation in my head
ah, you grammar nerds beat me to the punch. now i’ve got nothing snarky to say.
I like how he just took out the part of the post where he personally attacked a professional writer – without noting it at all.
Revisionist history – it’s a beautiful thing.
sincerely,
Lloyd Bonafide
the collapse a thing of the past?
how could it be anything but? it WAS in the past.
Seriously, the only people still talking about this are the reporters
My problem with the Braves vs. Mets argument has been how much is made of the Mets age and injuries and how little is made of the Braves. I’ve read so many times about Alou, Duque, Pedro and how its a forgone conclusion they will miss significant time, which I’m not arguing and we’ve seen it already with Alou. But I don’t ever read how Chipper is hurt EVERY year and misses time and how Hampton of all people, hasn’t pitched a full year in how many years? And Smotlz who has had arm problems in the past and is dealing with some problems this spring. Why is Pedro more of an injury risk than Smoltz?
On top of that, no one seems to put any stock in them losing Renteria and A.Jones. AND AND AND, Rafael Soriano is their closer? I’m sorry was he a lock down reliever last year? Has he closed a ton of games and I missed it?? Yet the Mets bullpen is shaky? Come on.
Who on the Braves were part of the “glory years” Chipper, Smoltz, Glavine….? Anyone else? This is not the Bobby Cox Braves. Its like the people who in the past few years talked about all the titles these Yankees won. When in fact other than Jeter and Rivera none of the current Yankees were part of that late 90’s dynasty.
You all will be glad to know that besides Maddon, that Ken Rosenthal,Buster Olney and Jason Satrk have also tabbed the Braves as the NL East champs.
Rosenthal picked them as World Series champs.
Sorry about the type should read Stark.
The East is going to be a 3 team dogfight. I think if health is not a major factor, Braves & mets are a notch above the Phillies.
Should be a hell of a race.
weren’t these guys pretty much all wrong last year?
Frankly, it might be better that they aren’t picking the Mets! If nothiing else, it lets the Mets play the “we don’t get any respect” card!
i think that the Braves are just as competitive as the Mets or Phillies in the NL East. The Mets have the best rotation and bullpen by far over the other two but the Braves have a much more potent and healthier lineup than the Mets. But great pitching should beat great hitting any day, so we will see. I am not really worried about the Philthies as i am the Braves.
Add Peter Gammons to the chorus line also.
This morning he also selected the Braves as the NL East Champs.
Picked them to represent the NL in the Series against the Indians.
Stated unequivocally Braves were/are the best team he saw in either the Catcus or Grapefruit Leagues.