2015 Bold Predictions Thread

[sneakypower]

i vividly remember that Wood quote, and i'm almost positive it was an opposing manager

 

edt: found it

 

Wood had been the savior-in-waiting since the Cubs took him with the 4th pick of the 1995 draft. He didn’t make the club out of spring training in 1998, but he made an impression. Not long after facing the Cubs that spring, someone asked Angels manager Terry Collins who he thought would win the World Series that year. He didn’t miss a beat and answered, “The Cubs. If the Cubs have five pitchers better than Kerry Wood, they’ll definitely win the World Series.”

[Banedon]

Read it wrong.

 

Famously, Kerry Wood was held down for the 12 days required.

 

Yeah, that was the first time I heard of it being an issue. Also the first time the Cubs had a prospect worth considering that as an issue.

 

I remember a quote from some writer along the lines of the Cubs are obviously going to win the the WS since they apparently have 5 better starting pitchers than Kerry Wood.

 

Not a writer:

 

Wood had been the savior-in-waiting since the Cubs took him with the 4th pick of the 1995 draft. He didn’t make the club out of spring training in 1998, but he made an impression. Not long after facing the Cubs that spring, someone asked Angels manager Terry Collins who he thought would win the World Series that year. He didn’t miss a beat and answered, “The Cubs. If the Cubs have five pitchers better than Kerry Wood, they’ll definitely win the World Series.”

 

EDIT: Figures....beaten by an edit.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I remember when Kevin Orie was having a big spring and someone (a coach?) said "It's about time we had a Rookie of the Year."

[Guest]

I remember when Kevin Orie was having a big spring and someone (a coach?) said "It's about time we had a Rookie of the Year."

 

I think you're the only one who remembers his 1998 (I almost said 2008... ugh, I'm old.) April the way I do...where he hit like eleventy warning track flies with the wind howling in, turning what would've been a torrid start into an awful one.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I remember when Kevin Orie was having a big spring and someone (a coach?) said "It's about time we had a Rookie of the Year."

 

I think you're the only one who remembers his 1998 (I almost said 2008... ugh, I'm old.) April the way I do...where he hit like eleventy warning track flies with the wind howling in, turning what would've been a torrid start into an awful one.

 

I'm irrationally convinced that with some BABIP luck, he would have hung around long enough to get "established MLB starter" pixie dust sprinkled on him and he would have hung around for like 15 career WAR.

[chopsx9]

Read it wrong.

 

Famously, Kerry Wood was held down for the 12 days required.

 

Yeah, that was the first time I heard of it being an issue. Also the first time the Cubs had a prospect worth considering that as an issue.

 

I remember a quote from some writer along the lines of the Cubs are obviously going to win the the WS since they apparently have 5 better starting pitchers than Kerry Wood.

 

Not a writer:

 

Wood had been the savior-in-waiting since the Cubs took him with the 4th pick of the 1995 draft. He didn’t make the club out of spring training in 1998, but he made an impression. Not long after facing the Cubs that spring, someone asked Angels manager Terry Collins who he thought would win the World Series that year. He didn’t miss a beat and answered, “The Cubs. If the Cubs have five pitchers better than Kerry Wood, they’ll definitely win the World Series.”

 

EDIT: Figures....beaten by an edit.

 

I'm sure Terry Collins has written something at some point in time!! But yeah that was it.

[Thrilho]

I predict that Javy is the opening day starting second baseman. I haven't seen the last few games to say what he's looked like, but it seems Alcantara and LaStella's hot streaks may have made him realize that his best shot at making the roster is by improving his approach.

 

He had his third walk in his last four games today, and he his second (!!!) game in a row without a swinging strikeout. Obviously, this is a very small sample that followed a 6 K in two game sample. But around that 6 K game was where Alcantara and LaStella hit their hot streaks and the media started writing stories about Javy getting sent down.

 

So...maybe it's super small sample size and I'll be proven wrong tomorrow. But today I'm going to predict that Javy makes the opening day roster on the strength of a reasonably low K-rate, reasonably high BB-rate, and working at bats well enough to please Maddon. Also, the steals, defense, and home runs will play a factor.

[Thrilho]

I posted this before I read that Javy had made the roster. I guess it wasn't that bold.

[NOLA]

Non-Cubs:

-The Reds will be dreadful and go into total firesale mode.

-Indians win the AL Central but the Twins are this year's surprise team, pushing for a playoff spot into September.

-Sadly, the Red Sox run away with the AL East.

-Cards finish no better than 4th in the Central as Yadi spends more games on the DL than off of it.

-Jays lead all of baesball in runs scored, but pitching disappoints.

 

Cubs:

-Rizzo and McCutchen battle for NL MVP.

-Bryant and Russell are 1-2 in NL ROY voting, ala 1989.

-Lester is exactly what we want him to be, Arrieta shines and Hammel is solid but the back of the rotation is inconsistent at best all year.

-Cubs win division, are hottest team entering ALDS against Padres. Pitching shines but Cubs outdong them and advance to NLCS, where they lose to Nats.

[ManEatingTarp]

I think the Cubs will play games in September that matter.

 

I also predict I will drink a lot of beer at Wrigley this year.

[MWV]

Non-Cubs:

-Cubs win division, are hottest team entering ALDS against Padres.

That is a BOLD prediction.

[sneakypower]

- Arrietta's our best starter / Lester kinda disappoints

- Cubs have 3 top-10s in trade value (and a top-25) come July

- Jason Motte blows at least 5 leads in April & May

- that nightmare is over when Rivero replaces him

- Travis Wood wins 13 games, plays LF at some point

- DL stints for Montero, Fowler, Neil Ramirez, Hammel

- Fowler gets the most starts in LF

- or maybe Bryant does

 

- Mike Trout gets injured and Robinson Cano wins MVP

- Mookie Betts is top-10 in MVP voting

- Stephen Strasburg wins NLCY

- Carlos Carrasco wins ALCY

- Soler wins NL ROY

- George Springer strikes out 250x

 

Indians over Red Sox

Mets over Cubs

Indians over Mets

[Tyrant]

Non-Cubs:

-Cubs win division, are hottest team entering ALDS against Padres.

That is a BOLD prediction.

 

he also put a cubs predictions in his non cubs predictions, so he's extra bold

[NOLA]

Non-Cubs:

-Cubs win division, are hottest team entering ALDS against Padres.

That is a BOLD prediction.

 

he also put a cubs predictions in his non cubs predictions, so he's extra bold

Hey, it was the end of an off day, so day drinking had something to do with it.

[Banedon]

http://www.sportingnews.com/list/4640745-mlb-predictions-2015-playoffs-division-winners-wild-card-teams/slide/313521

[ConstableRabbit]

I don't know what I would do if we beat StL to win the pennant.

[Banedon]

I don't know what I would do if we beat StL to win the pennant.

 

I'd have a coronary before the series even started. That series would be so stressful.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

i'm not sure I'd be able to watch it

[mul21]

How do you think I'd feel? I effing live here.

[bukie]

Cub infield totals 16 WAR and combines for over 100 HRs.

Cub fall rotation will have two pitchers different from their opening day rotation.

Cubs will have top 2 rookie of the year finishers.

Cubs will win 100 games for the first time in over a century.

Well...not that far off if I can count Coghlan.

[Sammy Sofa]

Starlin FINALLY has that big breakout year... 20+ HR and 4+ fWAR.

 

Well now it makes sense why he's been pretending to always hate him; he knew this was lurking.

[Guest]

Starlin FINALLY has that big breakout year... 20+ HR and 4+ fWAR.

 

Well now it makes sense why he's been pretending to always hate him; he knew this was lurking.

 

seriously though

 

i never loved him as a player as i'm biased toward guys with good plate approaches. that said i recognized when he had value despite that and thought people who wanted to dump him for meatbally reasons were ridiculous. yeah, he had an imperfect approach but he still managed to have value despite it. i never "liked" him outside of the fact that he was a good player, which i recognized despite not loving him outside of that.

 

but now he actually sucks (based on what he has done for his past 1500PA or so) and those meatbally things that bothered all the meatballs bother me too.

[Post Count Padder]

Justin Turner comes out of nowhere and has the highest WAR of any of our pitchers.

 

Don't we have enough middle infield and pitching depth that we don't need to collect guys from the Dodgers and turn them into pitchers?

 

HA so Justin Turner had a great year and Jacob Turner not so much.

[Sammy Sofa]

Starlin FINALLY has that big breakout year... 20+ HR and 4+ fWAR.

 

Well now it makes sense why he's been pretending to always hate him; he knew this was lurking.

 

seriously though

 

i never loved him as a player as i'm biased toward guys with good plate approaches. that said i recognized when he had value despite that and thought people who wanted to dump him for meatbally reasons were ridiculous. yeah, he had an imperfect approach but he still managed to have value despite it. i never "liked" him outside of the fact that he was a good player, which i recognized despite not loving him outside of that.

 

but now he actually sucks (based on what he has done for his past 1500PA or so) and those meatbally things that bothered all the meatballs bother me too.

 

Time to come back from the dark side. You've been hanging out with a bad crowd and they've got you drinking soda and using curse words.

[Guest]

Non-Cubs

 

Mattingly gets fired in June

Cardinals and Angles end the season with a below .500 record

White Sox runaway in the ALC

 

Cubs

Bryant, Soler, Baez combine for 80 HRs and 350 Ks

Lester is the 3rd best SP

Cubs have the best bullpen in MLB

 

Ugly