Remember when

[4thOFan]

You guys thought the Jays would run away with the division and the Red Sox would finish 5th? lol

 

Where's grant hiding these days?

[GD]

Amazing thread. Extremely positive contribution. Excellent content. 10/10.

[FireAlexAnthopoulos]

I never thought the Jays would run away with the division. I knew the Rays were the better team, and possibly the Orioles too. I didn't think we'd be this bad, but as it turned out, AA created a miserable shitpile of a team.

 

The Sox are definitely overachieving massively and still might miss the playoffs.

[fatcowxlive]

You guys thought the Jays would run away with the division and the Red Sox would finish 5th? lol

 

Where's grant hiding these days?

No one predicted otherwise, don't act like you thought this way from the start.

 

Not even Boston expected to have the best record in the AL.

[4thOFan]

Pretty sure I'm on record saying the Blue Jays rotation is vastly overrated.

[fatcowxlive]

Pretty sure I'm on record saying the Blue Jays rotation is vastly overrated.

 

And boston #1? The f*** outta here

[4thOFan]

The only people who thought the Red Sox would be bad are the ones who thought 2012 wasn't an anomaly.

[GD]

The only people who thought the Red Sox would be bad are the ones who thought 2012 wasn't an anomaly.

 

Nowhere has he said that people expected Boston to be bad. I expected them to be middle of the pack, behind the Jays/Rays, as did lots of people, I believe.

[4thOFan]

I don't know who you are but pretty sure the entire Jays board thought the Red Sox would finish 5th.

[Stangstag]

Yeah I thought Boston would be decent. I knew they had a great offence, but I expected their pitching to hold them back. Much like our pitching is holding us back from being a good team. I don't think anybody would have picked the Jays to have the worst rotation in the AL.

[GD]

I don't know who you are but pretty sure the entire Jays board thought the Red Sox would finish 5th.

 

Yeah, no.

[4thOFan]

My boy BTS. Where's grant?

[Nox]

Well deserved trolling is well deserved.

[KSaw]

No one predicted otherwise, don't act like you thought this way from the start.

 

Not even Boston expected to have the best record in the AL.

 

At the beginning of the year I said the following (almost Verbetim)...

 

- IMO the Jays should win 93-96 games

 

- If Arencibia catches more than 90 games it could all fall apart fast because he simply isn't good and could be a gigantic gaping hole that could turn first place into last

 

- Bonifacio is so bad in the infield one can only hope that he doesn't play more than 30 innings at 2b all year. If he does, the dream could be in jeapordy

 

- Morrow must hit 200 innings and be healthy and strong late or the playoffs won't even matter because they'd lose out quickly

[KSaw]

I had it...

 

Toronto

Tampa Bay

Baltimore

Boston

New York

[GD]

I had it...

 

Tampa

Toronto

Boston

Baltimore (f*** off)

New York

[BlueJayWay]

I think I posted on battersbox

 

Tampa

Toronto

New York

Boston/Baltimore (can't remember the order)

 

I did have the division really close, like 9 or 10 games separating first and last.

[Olerud363]

The only people who thought the Red Sox would be bad are the ones who thought 2012 wasn't an anomaly.

 

I'd never count the red sox out. They have a very intelligent front office.

 

I didn't think this would happen. But as I keep harping on my red sox friends who are smarter then I (and everyone on this board) predicted it.

 

Boston is the place of MIT, Havard, and has a million brainiacs... American brainiacs who have also been selected to thrive in a cut throat environment.

 

In Toronto we reject randomness (such and such a prospect will do exactly what I say, Pillar will hit .280 no more, no less, 0% chance (0.00000) of being a star). Now I will get my socialized health care and continue centrally planning my life in my wonderful soft, slightly left of center (despite Harper) Canadian world.

 

A red sox fan would say

 

In Boston we accept randomness (a Prospect such as Pillar will hit .280 +/- a huge amount of uncertainty, I would say he has a 12% chance of being a star, with the understanding that we don't know much at all, only probabilities). Now I will work like hell to survive and atleast get crappy insurance and continue trying to survive in a cruel, random, world where money, winning, and capitalism is everything (despite things like Obabacare)... my American world.

[Olerud363]

And yes I know the American Government has gotten into huge debt... the common Americans realize this and are hoarding every trinket they can find...

 

And (if there is some sort of collapse) America might yet survive... places like Texas could come to rule the world under the conditions of world wide collapse. That's why Obamacare is such a big deal here. Texans want to have zero-obligations to anyone including each other, then when it all collapses they get out the gold and guns, and things march on much as before.

 

(Edit) I apolagize for going a bit off topic.... in the past when I have brought up sociological differences between Red Sox and Toronto fans the response is always "America is in debt, U.S. sucks bro... red sox suck too... Farrell sucks...." (well not Farrell sucks because last time on the old board he wasn't a red sox.)

[Angrioter]

I had TB, NY, TOR, BOS, BAL

 

You win some, you lose some.

 

Tor, TB, Bos, O's, Yans. Madness

[Jays]

I predicted TB, Tor, Bos, NYY, Bal.

[Arkadium]

I knew from the beginning Boston was going to be really good, but I also thought the Jays would be able to compete with them....

[bzapple]

Knew this was coming at some point...

 

I don't think many had the Blue Jays, or any team, running away with the division. I thought every team in the division would be at least average, and had the Orioles finishing last.

 

Oh well, this is what baseball's about.

[4thOFan]

So much backtracking itt

[Orgfiller]

Are you concerned at all about Cherington? I get the Sox are good this year, but we know all too much about deceiving initial results. His disregard for DIPS and inability to correctly value relief pitching has to be at least a little concerning, right?

 

Trades reliever for a good SS that had been a position lacking for them. Then lets go of said reliever.

Trades Josh Reddick (forget who the other guy was).

Trades a decent utility guy for a god damn manager (a manager!).

Will probably lose Ellsburry or give in and pay him a huge deal.

 

At this point the only good moves I can see is the massive salary dump to LAD and the Pedroia extension.

[Angrioter]

Remember when

 

[Orgfiller]

- Trades Reddick (6 fWAR since trade) for Bailey despite not having a suitable OF replacement. Bailey tanks.

- Trades Lowrie (4.4 fWAR since trade) for Melancon despite not having a suitable SS replacement.

- Gives Scutaro to the Rockies to create payroll space for his new relievers.

- Sends Melancon to AAA after 4 appearances.

- Melancon comes back up and has a 3.45 xFIP. Cherington overreacts to a 6.20 ERA over 45 innings, and trades Melancon + for a declining Hanrahan. Hanrahan was coming off a 4.28 xFIP season in the NL. Hanrahan predictably tanks. Melancon puts up a dominant season.

 

This is not the work of a smart baseball mind.

 

Thanks for posting the details, and I forgot about Scutaro, just terrible moves all across the board. This team isn't winning because of Cherington, it's the foundation of the one left behind by Theo Epstein.

[TheHurl]

some AL East predictions

 

ECJF: Jays

Rays

Yankees

Sox

Orioles (will lose at least 90)

 

Gsnarls - Jays are the favourites

Yankees will not finish last, no way

Tampa/NYY will fight for 2nd/wildcard

4/5 will be Red Sox who are ready to compete in 2013 and the Orioles, while no longer garbage, will settle a little under .500

 

BTS - New York

Toronto

Tampa Bay

Boston

Baltimore

 

Leaffie - Jays

Yankees

Rays

Sox

Orioles

 

Jim Canuck - Rays

Jays

Yankees

Orioles

Sox

 

Angrioter - Jays

Rays

Yankees

Red Sox

O's (72-90)

 

Grant - Toronto

New York

Tampa Bay

Boston

Baltimore

 

Me - Rays

Yankees

Sox

Jays

O's.

 

No team over 93 wins, no team under 80.

 

Dineke - 1. Red Sox

2. Yankees

3. Rays

4. Orioles

5. Blue Jays

 

RKF - Yankees

Red Sox

Rays

Jays

Orioles

 

Oakville69 - Jays should win 90-95 games , probably 94.

 

Yankees & rays will compete for 2nd place & wild card spot.

 

I assume the Orioles luck from last year will run out, & the red sox will be better but it will be fun to wach the Boston media tear Farrell apart every time they lose a game based on his managerial style.

 

Chappy - Jays

Yankees

Rays

Red Sox

Orioles

 

Stangstag - I think Boston's offense will be on par with ours. However, our rotation is MILES ahead of Boston's. How exactly do they finish 6 games ahead of us?

 

High85 - 1. Yankees 95-67

2. Red Sox 92-70 (Jays fans are fooling themselves, thickheadedly assuming Boston repeats 2012. They WILL make a comeback in 2013).

3. Rays 91-71

4. Blue Jays 86-76 (which is still a very good record considering the strength of schedule)

5. Orioles 68-94 (probably a better team than record indicates, schedule hurts them

 

DrNegative - Yankees

Jays

Rays

Red Sox

Oreos

 

Terminator - Jays

Rays

Yanks

Red Sox

Orioles

 

The Jays have too many talented players in their primes whereas the Rays and Yanks are relying on guys that are too young or too old.

 

The Rays will be young but I'm betting that Myers makes an impact and Longo plays 130+ games. They're pitching is still very solid.

 

The Yanks will have Gardner and Mo coming back but they lost Swisher and Soriano. Youk replacing A-Rod is a wash as well. They have a very, very old team and after a pretty uneventful offseason I think they take a big step back this year.

 

All the band aid additions the Red Sox have made (along with some bounceback years from a couple of their starters) and the Sox will finish .500. I'm reserving my right to place the Orioles ahead of them depending on what happens the rest of the offseason.

 

The Orioles will win 77-81 games and will be a very solid last placed team.

 

DH12 - 1. Tampa

2. New York

3. Toronto

4.Baltimore

5. Boston

[4thOFan]

He needs to stop trying to trade for 'proven' closers, that's for sure.

 

They signed Cody Ross with the payroll space created by trading Scutaro.

 

Thanks for posting the details, and I forgot about Scutaro, just terrible moves all across the board. This team isn't winning because of Cherington, it's the foundation of the one left behind by Theo Epstein.

 

Wasn't the point of the Punto trade to get rid of the albatross contracts left behind by Theo?

[4thOFan]

"Will probably lose Ellsburry or give in and pay him a huge deal."

 

lol. Can't win either way!!