2007 NL Central Poll Diary

by gravedigger on Jan 17, 2007 6:07 PM CST

I figured the poll could use a diary for people to discuss their choices.

Couldn't there be an option for "Ugh. Nobody. This division blows"?

And who are the delusional people who voted for the Cubs? Have you seen the Brewers roster, and compared it to the Cubs roster? I admit that I myself have not, but I have a feeling the Brewers will be a lot better, and all without signing an overhyped player for $118M+, or Jason Marquis (OH GODDAMMIT JASON MARUQUIS).

Anyway, why not discuss why you chose who you chose here?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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good thing

you put the "based on the rosters" in there, otherwise i'd have to vote for the stupid cardinals, because everything always works out for them.

DEJESUS!!!

by tomas21 on Jan 17, 2007 6:13 PM CST reply actions

And oddly enough...

... then you wouldn't have been able to vote, because "Stupid Cardinals" wasn't one of the choices.

by Al Yellon on Jan 17, 2007 6:15 PM CST up reply actions

Ain't that the truth

Effin Cardinals.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 17, 2007 6:15 PM CST up reply actions

brewcrew?

who is their rbi guy other than a second year overweight prince fielder? and i like our staff better than theirs, and i think our bullpen has a clear edge over theirs. weeks has poor defense and a still developing bat, bill hall is not a bad player but i dont think he is much better than matt murton. A healthy ben sheets will go a long way towards keeping them in the hunt but in no way do i see them factoring into the race for the division in september.

DON'T TRADE PIE!

by kylejo on Jan 17, 2007 6:23 PM CST reply actions

Yup, I don't really see Corey Koskie

carrying that team to the postseason......oh, but Layne Nix is the man!!

Seriously though, I think that so many of us are sour from jumping on the Brewers Wild Card bandwagon last year...........EVERYONE was talking postseason in Milwaukee last Spring....before the season started.......they started out hot.....but went south REAL quick....

and this year......

And who are the delusional people who voted for the Cubs? Have you seen the Brewers roster, and compared it to the Cubs roster?

Well, we may all be a bunch of homers.....but as kylejo said, the Brewers don't really have the most frightening line up in baseball........

Here's they're projected opening day lineup....

C: Johnny Estrada
1B: Prince Fielder
2B: Rickie Weeks
3B: Corey Koskie
SS: Jeff Hardy
LF: Bill Hall
CF: Brady Clark
RF: Geoff Jenkins

I mean, it's not the worst....but the CUBS lineup is better....no question.

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by TheBeerBaron on Jan 18, 2007 8:37 AM CST up reply actions

The Brewers...

... would be better off with Corey Hart in CF. In fact, if they're not interested in starting him, I'd love to see him in CF for the Cubs.

by Al Yellon on Jan 18, 2007 9:02 AM CST up reply actions

Yes....as would I!

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by TheBeerBaron on Jan 18, 2007 9:07 AM CST up reply actions

I have to say...

...that I'm not in love with the Brewers, I just don't like the direction the Cubs are headed. I just used the Brewers to illustrate a point (poorly) that I think just about anyone can win the division at this point.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 18, 2007 9:07 AM CST up reply actions

There no question that any team

that doesn't play their home games at PNC Park in Pittsburgh has a shot to win the NL Central.....

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by TheBeerBaron on Jan 18, 2007 9:12 AM CST up reply actions

Probably also true in the West

The Dodgers and the Padres (maybe the other way around, maybe not) are the teams to beat, but Colorado looks to finally have something resembling a plan, the Diamondbacks have a decent young core, and you can never really count out the Giants, no matter how old and mediocre they appear on paper.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 18, 2007 9:19 AM CST up reply actions

Well.....might as well stay on the same path

for the NL East.....the Mets, Phillies, Marlins or Braves could win that division.

Don't sleep on Atlanta!

John Smoltz
Tim Hudson
Chuck James
A healthy Mike Hampton
Kyle Davies

much improved pen, Langerhans-> Francoeur-> McCann.....and of course the Jones Brothers (well, obviously not "brothers".....but brothers in the way black people use it, which is more meaningful I think*)

* - is a quote from "Zoolander", no racial implications of any kind.

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by TheBeerBaron on Jan 18, 2007 9:32 AM CST up reply actions

The thing is...

...those teams actually look like they could be good.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 18, 2007 10:17 AM CST up reply actions

Maddog...

could debate the Brewers with you. He's really good at it.

"I don't talk. I just let what I do talk for myself." -Johan Santana

by sparkles721 on Jan 17, 2007 6:41 PM CST reply actions

I can't debate with Maddog

He's so much more knowledgeable than me when it comes to that stuff, I can't even keep up.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 17, 2007 6:42 PM CST up reply actions

Well...

then maybe Maddog can just prove you wrong about the Brewers. Why do you think they are good?

"I don't talk. I just let what I do talk for myself." -Johan Santana

by sparkles721 on Jan 17, 2007 6:44 PM CST up reply actions

Their young talent...

...looks pretty decent (more so than the Cubs anyway). Their pitching also looks like it could be better than the Cubs.

I just think the NL Central is a crap shoot. Except for Pittsburgh, anybody could win it.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 17, 2007 6:52 PM CST up reply actions

i agree

that its up for grabs, but i really dont see why people tend to be a little negative sometimes when it comes to the cubs. Our bullpen was good last year and we made it better. Our lineup was obviously not good last year but with a healthy dlee, and adding one of the best hitters in the national league in addition to more offense from second base and center field i think everyone agrees the offense should be pretty good. Our rotation is healthier and has more depth. Our bench is improved. Every facet of our team has been improved. The Cards lost pitching, their staff entering the season is an absolute joke. The Brewers didnt add a thing, Jeff Suppan ok, that counts, as a good 4th starter. The Reds have done nothing. The Pirates should be better with more mature pitching but not contenders. Ladies and Gents, I truly believe this division is ours for the taking.

DON'T TRADE PIE!

by kylejo on Jan 17, 2007 8:02 PM CST up reply actions

The Cubs in '07

have to be better than they were in '06, but I'm not counting on them being world beaters.

I'm not as excited about Soriano as many others are. I think he's overrated, but I've been over this before. DeRosa is nothing special; in fact, he's probably not going to provide much over what Theriot would have. Lee will be back, and that's going to help a lot. Overall, the lineup will be a little bit better. It was really, really bad last year, so a little bit better just means it will be bad.

The starting rotation has Jason Marquis in it. I don't think I need to say more about it.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 17, 2007 8:09 PM CST up reply actions

well

soriano may not be an mvp, but 45 home runs and an increasing on-base up to .360 out of the leadoff slot is giong to be a massive improvement. i love theriot but derosa should at least provide 15 more home runs than him. The lineup was horrendous last year but we just added about 75 home runs to it, along with aramis continuing to play better. Even jason marquis is a decnet five starter.

DON'T TRADE PIE!

by kylejo on Jan 17, 2007 8:51 PM CST up reply actions

and.....

for as much as I ragged on Soriano initially.....he did have a .368 OBP in the leadoff position in 2006.

Check out my daily baseball blog at MLB-threeSIXTYfive

by TheBeerBaron on Jan 18, 2007 8:38 AM CST up reply actions

I don't think...

... the '07 Cubs NEED to be world-beaters to win the NL Central. It was won in 2006 with 83 wins -- and I don't see anyone else having significantly improved, and the division champion isn't any better, and might be worse, than they were.

Say, gravedigger: was just curious -- what do you think of Jason Marquis?

by Al Yellon on Jan 17, 2007 9:41 PM CST up reply actions

Before I get to Marquis...

...I really want to know, should the Cubs strive for mediocrity? Should we, as fans, be happy if the team wins 84 games?

OK, I know exactly what you are going to say. "What if they win the division with 84 games, make it through the playoffs, and then win the World Series, won't it be worth it then?" Of course it would. But I don't think that this team is constructed to do that. Sure they can win the crap shoot that is the NL Central, but I find it hard to believe that this team can take on any of the other teams in the playoffs. The Cardinals did it because they are always so damn lucky.

As far as Marquis goes, all I have to say is "OH GODDAMMIT JASON MARQUIS!". I've been practicing a lot because I know I'll be using it a lot this year.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 18, 2007 9:10 AM CST up reply actions

When the 2006 playoffs began...

... you could have said the same thing about that 83-win Cardinal team that just barely made it.

Once you get in, it's a crapshoot.

The 2003 Cubs had a lot of luck too. Well, at least until Game Six, they did.

by Al Yellon on Jan 18, 2007 9:18 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah, I know...

...and that's why I started with "I know what you are going to say", and then said what you just said.

The point I'd prefer to emphasize: why aim for mediocrity?

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 18, 2007 9:23 AM CST up reply actions

I don't think...

... they are aiming for mediocrity, do you?

by Al Yellon on Jan 18, 2007 10:17 AM CST up reply actions

Not intentionally, no

But it seems the direction they are headed in. And they seem to like the direction they are headed in.

They DID, after all, sign Jason Marquis, among other questionable moves. And they did not do a good job addressing some of the most important needs of this team: getting on base, and building a rotation that can stop runs from scoring.

Yeah, both aspects will be better, but not great. I'm tired of hoping for the best out of mediocre Cubs teams.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 18, 2007 10:25 AM CST up reply actions

I was just wondering...

... what you think of Jason Marquis.

Don't hold back, either.

;)

by Al Yellon on Jan 18, 2007 10:26 AM CST up reply actions

I think he...

...is bad at baseball. And he probably kicks puppies and eats babies.

I'm predicting Marquis loses 15, on the way to helping the Cubs finish 80-82.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 18, 2007 10:30 AM CST up reply actions

Perhaps...

... you & I will have to bet on Marquis' performance this year.

I haven't quite decided yet, but in general, I think he will have a winning record, and an ERA in the low four's.

by Al Yellon on Jan 18, 2007 10:32 AM CST up reply actions

Wow

I'm speechless.

Really?

Huh.

Yeah, I'll take you up on that bet.

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 18, 2007 10:34 AM CST up reply actions

Done.

We can decide on the particulars and what we're betting, later.

by Al Yellon on Jan 18, 2007 10:37 AM CST up reply actions

Sure thing

PTBNL!

by gravedigger on Jan 18, 2007 10:39 AM CST up reply actions

A little Negative on the Cubs?

I am not criticizing you here, I just loved your use of the phrase...Now I am saying "A little negative?" in the same voice and manner as Jim Mora when he was asked about the playoffs, lol...

by DudeVf11 on Jan 17, 2007 8:37 PM CST up reply actions

C-Lee

All I can say is that I knew that one way or another, Carlos Lee would end up not only back in the National League, but in the NL Central. A Cub-killer like that is not going to go away. He will always find his way back to Wrigley Field. And the other overweight Cub-killer, Prince Fielder, still in the Central too. Walk these guys all year long, and we'll be OK.

"Don't complain to me about the stormy weather, boys. Just bring the ship into port." --Steve Stone, September 2004

by ctcoff99 on Jan 17, 2007 9:32 PM CST reply actions