Creative writing post #6

Baseball... Every season turns out differently. Going into the year many teams are overlooked, but can turn out to be playoff contenders. The opposite can also happen, where a favorite to win the World Series ends up having a losing record. The 2008 season is already looking like it is going to be exciting with close races in most divisions, but you never know what will happen. Here are my predictions:



AL East

1. Boston Red Sox-The World Series champs haven't lost anybody important so far in the offseason, except for Curt Schilling (due to a shoulder injury). Jacoby Ellsbury will be taking over the starting job in centerfield after proving himself towards the end of the 2007 season. Dustin Pedroia, the AL Rookie of the Year in 2007, has locked up the second base position and will probably only get better. Their pitching is amazing. They have the right combination of veteran leadership and young talent on the mound to earn them a first place in the division.

2. New York Yankees-Another year, another strong roster. Their lineup looks as good as usual, especially with second baseman Robinson Cano hitting the prime of his career. Pitching could be an issue for them, as it has been recently. Some of their starters are too old, some are too young, and none of them have been consistent (except for Chien Ming-Wang). Second place looks like a lock.

3. Toronto Blue Jays-The Blue Jays are the most unfortunate team in baseball-they are stuck in the same division as two of the best teams in the entire league and never have enough to overtake either the Red Sox or the Yankees. Their hitters are always solid, but not as good as Boston or New York. Their pitching looks pretty good, but A.J. Burnett always seems to get hurt and Shawn Marcum and Dustin McGowan haven't proven themselves yet as major league starters. Closer B.J. Ryan is coming back from Tommy John surgery and will give the bullpen some help, but it won't be enough to finish 1st or 2nd.

4. Tampa Bay Rays-The Rays have another young team, full of potential, but will only succeed if each player reaches their potential early in the season. Getting rid of Delmon Young really hurts their lineup, and getting Jason Bartlett in return is only a downgrade at the shortstop position. Their pitching is shaky. They do have two solid starting pitchers, but their bullpen is flat out bad. The Rays are inexperienced and inconsistent and that is why they will land at 4th place in their division.

5. Baltimore Orioles-The Orioles don't really deserve to be talked about. They will be very, very bad.