So when the calendar hits the end of October, we can all look back at what I write here and get a good chuckle of how wrong I will be.
Wrigley Field is celebrating its 100th anniversary and what better way to honor the historic stadium with a world championship. For some reason I don't think that will happen. Hell will have a better chance to freeze over in this time of global warming than the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series.
I am a diehard Cubs fan from the early days of WGN. I remember watching the 1984 team on a little black and white TV during fourth grade at Sonoma Heights Elementary School. Maybe I should have learned my ABC's instead of watching WGN.
I have said it for years I want to go to Wrigley Field and but never have done. It's my 40th birthday in September and I might as well spoil myself. I never have been to Chicago and furthest east I have been is Des Monies, Iowa. Yeah, I am exciting.
By the time summer comes around, who knows what the Cubs will look like. Right now their best player may be Javier Baez, a shortstop in AAA Iowa. My prediction for the season, 59-103, and its nothing but up from there.
Let's begin with the American League East, where Boston had a miracle turnaround from 2012 to win the title in 2013. The Red Sox should prove to be tough once again, but I like Tampa Bay. Despite playing in the second worst stadium in baseball, the Rays turn out consistently strong clubs. I like Joe Maddon as a manager and he gets his team to play good baseball.
The Yankees may fight for one of the two wild-card spots in the swan song for "The Captain," Derek Jeter. The nice thing this year is that we will not have to hear the name Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez is serving his year-long suspension for, well, being Alex Rodriguez. Baltimore had a magical run last year, but that doesn't happen again and Toronto is just not good.
The AL Central is Detroit's to lose. There is no way with the lineup and pitching the Tigers have that they shouldn't win that division by 10 games. They lost Prince Fielder in a trade, but when you have the best player in baseball in Miguel Cabrera, game over.
After spending a year at ESPN, Terry Francona came back to Cleveland a season ago to lead the Indians to the playoffs. It was one of the best managerial jobs done in the league. Every year we say Kansas City has a young group and is ready to contend. The experts will say it again this year, but will we get the same disappointment. Being a Cubs fan, will just skip past the Chicago White Sox and the most annoying announcer in baseball in Ken "Hawk" Harrelson. It used to be fun to watch Minnesota play, but now they are just a bad team headed for 100 losses.
Despite a low payroll and a stadium where sewage backs up into the locker room, the Oakland A's have found a way to win the AL West. They do it with a bunch of no names and go about their business in the right way.
On the other hand, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have spent money like "Monopoly" and it hasn't got them anywhere. How are those Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton contracts working out? The good choice they made was signing the extension with Mike Trout.
Who knows what you are going to get out of Texas? The Rangers should be a playoff team but we will see. Seattle made a splash with the signing of Robinson Cano and have one of the best pitchers in baseball in Felix Hernandez, but not much from there. Houston will challenge the Cubs for the worst record in baseball.
Your playoff teams will be Tampa Bay (AL East), Detroit (AL Central), Oakland (AL West), Boston (wild card) and Texas (wild card). Detroit beats Tampa Bay for AL championship.
Washington was the flavor of choice a season ago but the Nationals quickly fizzled out in the NL East. Behind Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, Washington should be back on top. The Braves, who won the division last year, looked to be strong once again but they have been decimated by injuries. Philadelphia, New York Mets and Miami are an afterthought.
Until someone knocks of St. Louis, they are the kings of the NL Central. The Cardinals have said goodbye to popular players and not falling for the big contracts. They have built their team through the farm system and is one that is modeled throughout the rest of MLB. Pittsburgh was the feel-good story last year, making the playoffs for the first time since some guy named Barry Bonds played there. Cincinnati is not the same club as in the past and hopefully everyone boos Ryan Braun every time he steps on the field for Milwaukee.
Apparently money is not an option for the Los Angeles Dodgers and their quest for a world championship. They may the best team on baseball, but the conditions are there for an implosion. Clayton Kershaw is on the disabled list and Yasiel Puig is acting like the kid he is. Someone needs to take care of him quickly, or we can see an upcoming tragedy.
San Francisco may be able to hang with the Dodgers for a while, but it will come down to the Giants' pitching and their ability to make it through the season.
If you watched the Reno Aces a couple of years now, they have turned into the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona just finds itself in the wrong division. Colorado has an all-world offensive lineup, but pitching fails them. As for San Diego, can you name one player?
Your playoff teams will be Washington (NL East), St. Louis (NL Central), Los Angeles (NL West), San Francisco (wild card) and Pittsburgh (wild card). Washington beats St. Louis for NL championship.
Washington beats Detroit in six games to win the World Series.
Winnemucca Publishing sports editor Tony Erquiaga can be reached at t.erquiaga@winnemuccapublishing.net.[[In-content Ad]]
