Who will be our biggest competition?

[Little Slide Rooter]

The Reds ar looking pretty good. Volquez has a 0.00 ERA through 14 innings. Micah Owings, Homer Baily, and Johnny Cueto are also having nice Spring Trainings. Arroyo, Harang, and Cordero, not so much. Scrap heap special Jhonny Gomes is OPSing about 1.000 with 4 HR. Every year, the experts say that the Reds will breakout. Will they?

 

The Cardinals have Carpenter back, but for how long. Wainwright is a solid number 2, but the rest of their staff is iffy. Ludwick is OPSin about .650, but Khaili Green and Ankiel both look good.

 

The Brewers always have the pop, but do they have the pitching? Dave Bush is the only one of their starters with a decent ST, and Jeff Suppan is tabbed as opening say starter.

 

The Astros have a great, but aging heart of the lineup with Lee, Tejada, Berkman, and Pudge. If they can catch lightening in a bottle with Hampton and Ortiz, they could be in business. Of course thats a pretty big if. Othereise, I dont expect to hear from them until about August.

 

The Pirates are still the Pirates, but bless their heart for trying. Ex/would be Cubs Craig Monroe(1.095OPS, 6HR) and Donnie Veal(2-0 2.42 ERA) Are having nice springs though, but Craig Monroes still Craig Monroe.

[anabiono]

definitely the redbirds, but my dark horse all along has been the reds...they could be nasty if they get the lucky card this season

[laurens]

Cards though they did lose the cornerstones of their line-up, Miles and Taguchi...

[Schwarber Fan]

Dusty should keep the Reds down

Milwaukee has no pitching

The Pirates are still the Pirates

Houston will go on heir yearly month long run but come up short

The Cards probably should have no business being anywhere near us, but they still have LaRussa and his pixie dust, so the Cards for sure

[Andy]

No doubt in my mind that Skippy and Mather will inexplicably be serviceable infielders and both have great offensive seasons as well. Cardinals will be 2nd place.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

The Cardinals, almost by default.

[SouthSideRyan]

I hate everyone who voted Reds.

[bukie]

Petition for option "Lou Piniella's Cubs".

[TruffleShuffle]

Petition for option "Lou Piniella's Cubs".

 

it's actually Lou Piniellas Cubs, there are no apostrophes allowed in this poll.

[treebird]

I hate everyone who voted Reds.

 

the reds have a lot of good young players, they're going to be really dangerous in a couple years

[jyoung55]

Petition for option "Lou Piniella's Cubs".

 

Seconded. That's clearly the choice in this division.

[Derwood]

Dr. James Andrews

[mjohnson71]

Cubs will win the division pretty easily: Cards might make a wild-card run.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Ourselves.

 

If the Cubs don't beat themselves, they'll be fine.

[mcgoobs]

This thread is now very funny.