Sportsline Power Rankings

[Butter Parque]

Power Rankings

 

 

I agree pretty much with where we're at, but Cincinnati is by far a lot worse then us. If they don't give up HR's? Are you Kidding me? Thats pretty lame reasoning. They have a terrible staff (other then Milton) and their park is a launching pad.

[WilliamTell]

Yeah I'd agree too. Dare I say the Twins might be getting overrated?

[mreye]

People still read these things?

[WilliamTell]

Yeah I don't pay much attention to power rankings because I've come to the conclusion that if my favorite team is high, they get jinxed.

[qwerty]

Power Rankings

I agree pretty much with where we're at, but Cincinnati is by far a lot worse then us. If they don't give up HR's? Are you Kidding me? Thats pretty lame reasoning. They have a terrible staff (other then Milton) and their park is a launching pad.

 

Eric milton will change that for them. Look at him to give up 45+ this year. But he is awesome right?

[witesoxfan]

I dislike these rankings

 

Florida is at 6, and in the analysis, it mentions how everything will have to go right for them.

 

Last time I checked, a top 6 team in the majors does not have to have everything go right for them to win.

[qwerty]

Um, no one ever considered him to be their closer. It was always dempster and hawkins . This guy is stupid.

Yes, projected closer Joe Borowski is out until at least mid-May with a broken wrist.

[qwerty]

Holy s***. After i saw the reds i just exed it out. But for the hell of it i opened it up again to see what else he had to say.

 

White sox.

The veteran pitching will keep them in things, but the lineup is too underwhelming.

 

Aren't the sox leading many categories offensively?

[Jabroni]

Um, no one ever considered him to be their closer. It was always dempster and hawkins . This guy is stupid.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not quite...

 

"Sox inflict pain on Dempster, Rusch"

March 15, 2005

GETTING CLOSER: With Dempster out of the derby and LaTroy Hawkins better suited for setup work, it's clear Joe Borowski will open the season as the Cubs' closer. He saved 33 games in 2003.

 

Knowing Borowski was shelved for much of last season because of a partially torn right rotator cuff, Baker has been in no rush to make the title official.

 

''It's not on my lips,'' Baker said, ''but it has been in my mind.''

Edited April 2, 2005 by Jabroni

[qwerty]

Not quite...

 

"Sox inflict pain on Dempster, Rusch"

March 15, 2005

 

When he was throwing 86, 87, 88 no one honestly thought he was gonna close. I don't care what that article says. I mean career minors leaguers that lose several miles an hour of velocity and cannot regain it are not gonna close out games at a high percentage.

[Jabroni]

When he was throwing 86, 87, 88 no one honestly thought he was gonna close. I don't care what that article says. I mean career minors leaguers that lose several miles an hour of velocity and cannot regain it are not gonna close out games at a high percentage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He was supposedly throwing up to 90 MPH before he got injured again.

[witesoxfan]

I think what pisses me off most about these rankings is that he has the A's at 23.

 

This is a team that has virtually no weak spot offensively.

 

C - Kendall

1B - Hatteberg

2B - Ellis/Ginter

SS - Crosby

3B - Chavez

LF - Byrnes

CF - Kotsay

RF - Swisher

DH - Durazo

 

with a fairly solid bench too. They are worst up the middle offensively, and that is made up for defensively with Ellis and Crosby. They also have Charles Thomas on the bench too as a 4th OFer.

 

Their rotation is nothing spectacular, but it will be fairly solid, especially at the top, and they have quite a bit of depth too. Zito-Harden-Haren-Blanton-Saarloos(I assume) with Yabu and Meyer also viable options too. And their pen has got to be one of the deepest in the majors, and that is something that has triggered the Twins to 3 straight division titles. Dotel-Calero-Bradford-Cruz-Rincon-Duchscherer is a very solid pen 1-6, and all are very capable of putting up ERAs in the 3.50 range and below(with the top 3 being able to put up better), and WHIP's in the 1.10-1.30 range(with both Dotel and Calero having put up better in their careers).

 

As of right now, I actually have the A's winning the division. And I do see a lot of similarities between Minnesota and Oakland. Both have solid depth in the rotation, both have deep bullpens, both have guys that flat out get on base consistently for them...the main difference is that Minnesota uses the hit and run, steals bases, and bunts a hell of a lot more then Oakland.

 

And, as far as the national spotlight is concerned, you see a lot of similarities between how most people view Oakland and how they view the Sox. Oakland gets rid of Mulder and Hudson, so suddenly they have no chance whatsoever of winning, when really the exact opposite could very well be true. The Sox lose Caballo and Maggs, and suddenly the offense is horrible, when we will have a better RF offensively this year then we did last year total, and we added a better catcher, a better 2Bman(hopefully), along with the production from Podsednik...not to mention Everett for a full year and Thomas hopefully healthy come May or so.

 

I just do not like these rankings whatsoever...but whatever. We'll see in September when the A's and Sox are at the top of their respective divisions, or very close to it at the very least.

[qwerty]

He was supposedly throwing up to 90 MPH before he got injured again.

 

Batting practice does not count.

[Jabroni]

I think what pisses me off most about these rankings is that he has the A's at 23.

 

This is a team that has virtually no weak spot offensively. 

 

C - Kendall

1B - Hatteberg

2B - Ellis/Ginter

SS - Crosby

3B - Chavez

LF - Byrnes

CF - Kotsay

RF - Swisher

DH - Durazo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Neither Ellis nor Ginter are world beaters and even though Swisher is a top OF prospect it's still his rookie year. The A's biggest question mark is their young rotation. Dan Meyer pitched poorly this spring and won't even make the rotation. They already sent him to the minors. Their bullpen should be really good though.

 

Batting practice does not count.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So no closer who throws in the high 80's can have success?

Edited April 2, 2005 by Jabroni

[witesoxfan]

Neither Ellis nor Ginter are world beaters and even though Swisher is a top OF prospect it's still his rookie year.  The A's biggest question mark is their young rotation.  Dan Meyer pitched poorly this spring and won't even make the rotation.  They already sent him to the minors.  Their bullpen should be really good.

 

Oh I know Ellis and Ginter are nothing great...but they are in a similar situation offensively to us. Crede is (probably) our weakest hitter...does he concern you a ton?

 

I'm not saying by any means that their offense is as good as the Yankees or the Red Sox or the Cardinals...just that it is very, very underrated.

 

Also, while the rotation is the biggest question mark, I figure with 7 guys who will probably be able to start for them at some time or another, they will be able to have some type of consistency at the very least.

 

Also...2 names I had forgotten about in the pen that someone reminded me of...Jairo Garcia and Huston Street could also be thrown into the mix as well...both who will probably be very good relievers in time.

[qwerty]

So no closer who throws in the high 80's can have success?

 

Not when he was in the minors for 13 years in total and had a 3.59 era down there. Career 3.81 era in the majors while pitching with his best velocity which is 92-94 and on occasion he was able to reach 95.

 

The very best i can see from him now is a 4.50 era. Disagree if you like that is just the best i can see from him unless he regains his velocity. Most pitchers like shingo who can just touch the 90's or cannot even get in there have always pitched like that and they are use to it. They have little to no adjustment if they lost a few miles an hour.

Edited April 2, 2005 by qwerty

[witesoxfan]

Not when he was in the minors for 13 years in total and had a 3.59 era down there. Career 3.81 era in the majors while pitching with his best velocity which is 92-94 and on occasion he was able to reach 95.

 

The very best i can see from him now is a 4.50 era. Disagree if you like that is just the best i can see from him unless he regains his velocity. Most pitchers like shingo who can just touch the 90's or cannot even get in there have always pitched like that and they are use to it. They have little to no adjustment if they lost a few miles an hour.

 

Even if regains that lost velocity, there is no guarantee he is successful after that. Look at Koch. He was a 97-100 pitcher in Oakland, and his first year in Chicago he touched 95 a couple times, and that was about the highest he ever hit. In 04, he had regained some of his velocity and was hitting 94-97, but was still horrible.

[CWSGuy406]

Oh I know Ellis and Ginter are nothing great...but they are in a similar situation offensively to us.  Crede is (probably) our weakest hitter...does he concern you a ton?

 

I'm not saying by any means that their offense is as good as the Yankees or the Red Sox or the Cardinals...just that it is very, very underrated.

 

Also, while the rotation is the biggest question mark, I figure with 7 guys who will probably be able to start for them at some time or another, they will be able to have some type of consistency at the very least.

 

Also...2 names I had forgotten about in the pen that someone reminded me of...Jairo Garcia and Huston Street could also be thrown into the mix as well...both who will probably be very good relievers in time.

 

Plus, with Kendall at the top of the lineup -- and Chavez entering his peak years, they certainly will have a lot more opportunites to drive in runs.

 

I keep seeing on ESPN, how all of BBTN is absolutely gushing over the Anahiem rotation (as to why, I have no idea). Signing Finley was a pretty bad move, and while Cabrera is OK, many feel that the kid they got in the Washington deal (Izturis? Maciar, is it?) is just as good, at a fraction of the cost. Anahiem would have been much, much better off signing neither of the above two, and just throw money towards Beltran or Pedro.

 

Qwerty said it a couple of months ago -- Oakland is gonna own a year or two down the road...

[witesoxfan]

Plus, with Kendall at the top of the lineup -- and Chavez entering his peak years, they certainly will have a lot more opportunites to drive in runs.

 

I keep seeing on ESPN, how all of BBTN is absolutely gushing over the Anahiem rotation (as to why, I have no idea).  Signing Finley was a pretty bad move, and while Cabrera is OK, many feel that the kid they got in the Washington deal (Izturis?  Maciar, is it?) is just as good, at a fraction of the cost.  Anahiem would have been much, much better off signing neither of the above two, and just throw money towards Beltran or Pedro.

 

Qwerty said it a couple of months ago -- Oakland is gonna own a year or two down the road...

 

I love the A's and how Beane and has gone about this, so that may be getting in the way too.

 

I have no idea why ESPN would be all over Anaheim's rotation. I mean, it is decent - Byrd-Escobar-Colon-Washburn-Lackey - but it is nothing special.

 

And I agree completely with the Beltran and Pedro talk. From what I can remember, they have given a combined $47 mill in contracts to Cabrera, Finley, and Byrd, while also getting rid of Guillen who made $3 mill or so...that $50 mill could have very easily been spent on getting Pedro over there over Byrd, and then signing a decent OFer to play LF or CF for them and then putting Anderson in the other spot. Then again, I am not running them.

 

I do think it would be funny as hell if the A's, a team with a payroll of like less then $50 mill, wins a division where every other team in the division has a payroll of over $80 mill.

[hi8is]

i highly highly doubt the A's win the west this year

[CWSGuy406]

i highly highly doubt the A's win the west this year

 

They may not win it, but it will be a lot closer than everyone else thinks. Their bullpen is awesome -- Duchscherer was great for them last year, Dotel is solid, and they still have Rincon and Mecir -- along with Cruz, plus (maybe) Bradford midseason. They also got Street and Garcia coming up, too.

 

Harold Reynolds criticizes Beane for trading Hudson and Mulder, but he got some damn good talent in both trades, and what Reynolds doesn't seem to grasp is that Hudson/Mulder would have been gone by the time their contracts ended (2007?), because Oakland simply can't afford taking on such a huge contract. Hudson's value was the highest out of the Big 3 (though his decling K/9 is discouraging), so he maximized his, and Mulder's value, getting back two solid relievers, two solid future starters, and a catcher who's absolutely tearing up A-ball.

 

I'm gonna be sure to watch the A's more on MLB Extra Innings, I want to see what the guy who should be a Sock in Joe Blanton, and I want to see if they hype is true with Swisher.

[YASNY]

what Reynolds doesn't seem to grasp

 

That's a wide open catagory. Reynolds doesn't seem to grasp much.

[CWSGuy406]

That's a wide open catagory.  Reynolds doesn't seem to grasp much.

 

Good point. It's funny how a career .258 hitter can criticize so much...

[witesoxfan]

They may not win it, but it will be a lot closer than everyone else thinks.  Their bullpen is awesome -- Duchscherer was great for them last year, Dotel is solid, and they still have Rincon and Mecir -- along with Cruz, plus (maybe) Bradford midseason.  They also got Street and Garcia coming up, too.

 

Harold Reynolds criticizes Beane for trading Hudson and Mulder, but he got some damn good talent in both trades, and what Reynolds doesn't seem to grasp is that Hudson/Mulder would have been gone by the time their contracts ended (2007?), because Oakland simply can't afford taking on such a huge contract.  Hudson's value was the highest out of the Big 3 (though his decling K/9 is discouraging), so he maximized his, and Mulder's value, getting back two solid relievers, two solid future starters, and a catcher who's absolutely tearing up A-ball.

 

I'm gonna be sure to watch the A's more on MLB Extra Innings, I want to see what the guy who should be a Sock in Joe Blanton, and I want to see if they hype is true with Swisher.

 

I believe Huddy would have been a FA after 05, but I think he and the Braves reached an agreement to an extension recently. Also, I believe Mulder is a FA after 06.

 

Of course, I could be way off with that too...that is just off the top of my head.

 

Like I have said...I love the way they do things down there. If they don't win the division...which I did say I think they will do...they will atleast be have more wins then almost everyone has them down for. I am actually thinking atleast a .500 team, if not 85-90 wins, and I could even see, with the West actually being somewhat down, that they could win more then that even.

 

It will be interesting to watch them this season, and to see if 'Moneyball' actually does work.