All-baseball is rolling out their team-by-team predictions for the season. Yesterday was AL Central day and I had the honor of sharing web space with such baseball writing luminaries as Rob Neyer and Batgirl.
Right on my heels, Brian has his Tiger preview up at Hardball Times.
Here are several other previews/outlooks that have popped up on the net in recent weeks…
Roar of the Tigers
Batters Box
CNNSI
Baseball Think Factory
Fox Sports
Revivalist Notions
There is a cyber-roots movement to bring back two of baseball’s great, but nearly forgotten traditions – the bullpen car (via Blue Cats and Red Sox) and stirrups (via Baseball Musings). We can only hope that twi-night doubleheaders aren’t far behind.
The Bold are the Beautiful
Thanks for embracing the spirit of bold prediction day. There are a ton of great ones, but so far I think my favorites are:
Pudge will gun down Sanchez 3 times in one game.
In the year 2005, The Tigers will get into a brawl against the white sox after Bonderman brushes back Konerko, Inge will get a 6 game suspention for hogtying Konerko and wrestling him to the ground.
…and on a related note (though not so thrilled with the outcome of this one)…
The Tigers and Chi Sox with have no less than 3 brawls this year. Mags will get injured during one, thus voiding the remainder of his contract.
Bonderman will strike out 18 Twins in a game
…and…
Bonderman strikes out the side in the All-Star Game.
Urbina trade rumors
After his stint against the NY Mets yesterday, the Ugueth Urbina trade speculation is starting to clear up. It now appears that either he wants to be traded or he doesn’t.
According to Rumor Central, Urbina told a NY Post reporter that he wants to be traded. According to rumor central we have lots of suitors.
However this turns out, it’s nice to have an expendable player who is in high demand.
I’m really thinking we’re going to end up making a deal with the Cubs. White, Logan, and Urbina for Patterson and a pitching prospect sounds about right to me. Of all our possible partners I think the cubs are under the most pressure to win and they’re currently most in need of a corner and a closer.
Urbina has been the Tigers best reliever this spring. We should trade Percival. Percival might demand more on the open market, even if the tigers eat some of his salery, what do i care its Mr I’s money. I also feel like Urbina is more a member of the team, even if he played less than a full year with them. The Tig’s have many Venezuelan players, which have bonded together.
this is almost another bold prediction for the other thread, but i think we break camp with urbina because we won’t get any overwhelming offers. then, at some point in the season, we trade white and urbina to philly for ryan howard and some roster filler like polanco after wagner is hurt and burrell can’t hit a lick comming back from his wrist injury. the pressure to win this year will be enormous in philly and baseball’s worst GM will pull the trigger on this as a last gasp effort to make it through his team’s short playoff window.