The True Grit League

[SGTD]

Tom, If you went by the Expanded Records I would have tied the WC team and would ahve made due to having a better record head-to-head. SGT D

[moneymaze]

I did send Mark an e-mail.

[kramed77429]

Been out most of the day. I'll start getting my team in now.

[TomSiebert]

LAME PREDICTIONS

EAST
BURN AFTER – Oy. Turtle’s always competitive and it looks like he’s got a cakewalk this go round. Strong ace, good rotation, deep bullpen, probable MVP. Only a bad stretch of injuries to guys who ain’t bulletproof – Hamilton, Pedroia – can stop him.
NED PEPPERS – Uptown’s team could be the sleeper, and it was canny to draft Posada as DH/backup catcher. But the IF defense is weak and the team looks a little too heavily balanced to pound LH pitching. That said, there are a lot of LH starters in the East.
SEARCHERS – I’m always dubious about platoon-heavy teams, and Meat’s latest monster is no exception. It’s got to stay healthy in order to be competitive, and I’m not sure it will
FRIENDOS – With almost $2MM left on the table and an infield that’s fielding with bricks, it looks like rookie Matt will experience the typical last place learning curve experience. There should be some awesome slugfests along the way, though.

CENTRAL
BERETS – Sarge’s slugging squad is going to score a ton of runs, and his starting staff is going to give up a slew as well, but the deep bullpen in a league with no RP IP limits will probably make up the difference. Frighteningly good defense will help as well. His customary horrible luck aside, this could be the winning team we’ve been waiting for from the multi-monikered man we know also as BED.
RUGS – Aside from one of the more repulsively named teams since we launched our league back in 2002, Calbatross’s collection of sluggers and weird clusterf#ck at SS are going to score a slew in Great American, and if he can get the bullpen into enough games early when Wainwright isn’t pitching, he’ll be the division winner.
LINEMEN – Don’t think Curt’s got the pitching to stay competitive for an entire season, and it seems like there’s a lot of thumpers for a team that’s not exactly in a slugger’s park. Good IF defense may salvage more close games than I’m giving the team credit for, but after the Ace this team’s moundsmen are a middling lot and the bullpen isn’t any more notable.
WOODCHIPPERS – Zim’s mountaintop hiatus to learn the zen of Strat has made him competitive every time since his return, so I’m not going to bet against him, but this team almost seems TOO balanced across the board, without a dominant superstud bat or ace. That said, the team is deep and fast, and the defense spectacular. The Woodchippers are the most interesting team in the league to me.


WEST
DUKES – Strong starting pitching, deep bullpen, killer defense up the middle, a daily lineup with both speed and pop, and solid bench. I think we win the West. Lone Achilles heel wears a mask: Ruiz is fragile and backstop backup anemic at the plate. But both Cabrera and Thome could hit 50, and if that happens I think we run away with it.
LLAMAS – Always suspicious of teams with more than a couple platoons, and MerkelBlunder’s squad is no exception. If he can stave off injury – particularly at catcher – he’ll be in the hunt. Back half of rotation likely to get rocked on the road, but helped significantly by two superstud bullpen guys and no IP limits.
MARSHALS – Lotta talent on this platoon-heavy team, but I dunno….$17MM tied up in two guys who are going to miss a slew of games, and one of them at the critical SS position. Bullpen doesn’t seem the powerhouse the SP needs to compensate for moderate stamina at best. Unless Morneau and Tulo dodge the DL to the max, this could be Al’s first clunker in a while.
GAMBLERS – My bro Mark has built a canny team for Petco, but maybe TOO pitching heavy, especially when his top HR guy, Kemp, isn’t an everyday starter. I expect a lot of close games, I’m just not sure the Gamblers’ll make opposition fold more than 50% of ‘em.