The Sunday Links
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Mar 30, 2008 
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Jason Giambi turned back the clock during spring training and is ready to play first base.
Derek Jeter bruised his right pinky finger last night. This notebook also has updates on Phil Hughes, Andy Pettitte and Scott Patterson.
The first Sunday notes column has some projected bad news for Yankees and Mets fans. The first power rankings are out as well along with assorted tidbits.
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A few people gave me a hard time for selecting three No. 1 seeds to make the Final Four. But I honestly didn’t see anybody beating North Carolina, Kansas and UCLA. The Tar Heels and Bruins are in and I expect Kansas to destroy Davidson today. Davidson’s Stephen Curry is a heck of a story but the Jayhawks will overwhelm them inside. I fear Memphis will beat Texas but I will be rooting for the Longhorns.
I still like UNC to win it all. Their guards are solid and Tyler Hansbrough is the best player in the country. As Jay Bilas said on CBS last night, he has more will than skill and his skill is great.
“I don’t read books.” – Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon, I guess Hank was right…he is just a mouse.
best player in the country —> Kevin Love
Hansbrough, may give him a run for his money. If the 15-17 footer starts to drop for him, like last night, he may become an exceptional pro.
Pete, i am truly upset to read those predictions… and i know we can prove if not every single one, most of them wrong!
Pete, i am truly upset to read those predictions… and i know we can prove if not every single one, most of them wrong!
Of course, I am still rooting for my fraudulent and overrated Memphis Tigers to win it all. If we play with the same energy and tenacity against Texas that we played with against Michigan State, that spells trouble for everyone else. Go Tigers!!
Predictions by baseball writers and so-called experts mean nothing. More than half the time, they’re wrong because what they can’t predict is reality as it plays out. The 162 game baseball season is a marathon and usually the cream rises to the top so we’ll see how smart Pete and the others are come next October 1st.
Boston to win the division and Manny the MVP. Sox fans will be happy to here this out of a Yankee beat writer.
If Manny wins the MVP at the soon to be age of 36 I’ll eat one of my Yankee hats.
Yankees will win the AL East.
Yankees will win the World Series.
Joba will be Rookie of the Year.
CMW will win CY Young.
Let’s go.
Pete,
I picked the same final four, but I had Kansas winning it all. You shouldn’t get crap about picking 3 number one seeds unless you’re wrong, however.
These trendy “let’s predict that the Yankees will miss the playoffs” picks baffle me. This is the exact same team that won 51 games last season, minus Clemens and his old man arm. And that’s still failing to mention that the Sox are having similar growing pains, the Tigers’ bullpen is virtually shot, and the Indians’ offense isn’t nearly as good at the other three. So why the assumption that they’re the FOURTH best team in the AL? The Sox rotation looks eerily similar to ours and their lineup isn’t as good. Sounds like a formula for second place.
On a semi-related note, did anyone see Paps give up 3 hits and 2 runs (including a home run) in the ninth last night?
Yea, I’m biased. Yes, I despise the Red Sox. But I do believe that proof of the the Red Sox being the most over rated team in baseball lies no further than the fact Dice K and John Lester will pitch their first 4 games. That’s better than James Shields and Matt Garza how??
I guess 42 year old Tim Wakefield and his balky back needed a few more days. We already know about 40 year old Curt Schilling’s health woes and future Hall of Famer/phenom Clay bucholz’s shoulder problems.
Yes, Josh Beckett is tough. But let’s not forget last season when the Red Sox stacked their rotation to maximize the number of starts of their best pitchers against the Yankees and went 4 -10.
let’s see if Giambi holds up. unfortunately, i can’t hope that, based on the last several years of disappointment from him.
the Yankee player and team projections at Replacement Level Weblog are very detailed – if u haven’t read them, check them out. great stuff:
http://www.replacementlevel.com/
one thing i especially like about that site is that when it does player projections, it lists various projection systems’ results, and then averages them, so you get a nice view of the range of projected possibilities,
Pete
Great job picking against the Yankees–I like the reverse psychology.
Every team you listed above them has the same, if not worse, pitching problems (um, Boston), and none of the teams listed has near the power in their lineup.
While I am going into the season with lowered expectations (which is good for a Yankee fan, for once), this team has the ability to win 100 games. At a minimum, they should be fun to watch.
Detroit over AZ in the World Series? No way. Yankees over the Cubs in 5.
Lets see where we are on October 26th or 27th.
Don’t know about the Detroit prediction. Bullpen is already hurt and will be for a while. did you see the spring Willis had, he stinks. Willis will be a bust.