Good day fellow bloggers,
I know the action has been hot and heavy so far this year on the blog so I figured at the request of some of my fellow bloggers, I would give you my list of Franks 10 bold predictions for the upcoming season.
Let me first start out by saying that I think Dandy Andy has done a pretty tgood job of assembling what has pretty good chance of being a competitive team this year. The additions of guys like Vlad, Lee, and Reynolds adds depth to the lineup as well as some potential pop. The additions also should help players like Jones, Wieters, and Markakis take a step foward this year.
The biggest key to whether or not this team will be competitive or not lies not in the lineup, but the pitching. Will the starters pitch like they did at the beginning of the year or like they did when Buck took over. I would settle for somewhere in between. Also, will the bullpen hold up. Can Koji withstand the heat of summer and stay healthy? Can Berken, Johnson, and Gonzalez put the arm troubles they had last year behind them? Will Gregg be able to close games?
So with all that said, I now presnt to you Frank's 10 bold predictions:
1. Brian Matusz and Jeremy Guthrie will combine to make more starts than Brian Roberts
2. The Orioles, disppointed with Lee's production at first, make a deadline trade with the Pirates for Garret Atkins, Frank's breakout pick from last year.
3. For the first time in a loing time, the Orioles will have two players in their lineup with 30+ bombs on the year, Vlad and Reynolds
4. Scott, Jones hit 25 HR's a piece, and Kakes and Wieters both break the 20 HR barrier with solo shots in the last game of the year
5. Britton makes his major league debut May 25 against the Royals and and holds them to 0 runs and 4 hits thru 8 but Gregg come on in the 9th and gives up a 2-run homer to Billy Butler and the O's lose 2-1.
6. Brain Matusz comes very close to winning 20 games, he carries a 3-2 lead in the 9th against the Red Sox in his last start but Gregg blows the save in the 9th and the O's lose and down goes Matusz's chances of winning 20
7. Jeremy Guthrie does not finish the year in an Orioles uniform, he gets traded to the Cardinals at the deadline
8. After Britton gets called up in May, he wins 12 games, second most to Matusz
9. Jake Fox leads the league in pinch hit HR's with 8 on the year, 3 of them are walk offs
10. The O's will finish the year with a record of 80-82 after Kevin Gregg blows his league leading 10th save to the Red Sox, who actually need the win to clinch a spot in the playoffs
Wells folks, there you have it, Franks bold predictions guaranteed to go wrong.
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Nothing screams "blogging mayhem" like a 2011 Orioles preview. But thanks anyway for your attempt, Frank. Couple of things for me about the O's.
ReplyDelete- I think the moves offered some hope to the fans, even if there were no groundbreaking deals.
-Really worried about the health and depth of this club, especially at 1st and 2nd (save issues as last year)
-Not sure what to expect from the pitching staff, but cautiously optimistic about most.
-Can't wait for Britton to be up here full time, think he is a stud.
-Weiters is looking more and more like an average pro. Hope I'm wrong.
Prediction: 78-84. Just don't see it unless everything clicks.
I know The Buck is thrilled to finally get the O's preview.
ReplyDeleteWhat i got out of this is Frank loves Kevin Gregg. And Mass loves Felix Pie, wait you didnt talk about him so i guess for now i cant hate on him for no reason.
As an O's fan i would like to thank Frank for gauranteeing that Gregg and Lee will have great years.
-Come on Gregg only blows 6 or 7 saves a year.
-As for Lee im not positve he will be great but his bad years are better then what the O's had at 1B for the last several years.
-Britton = awesome(why wait start him begining of the year see what he's got)innings, options, blah blah blah start him
- TRADE LUKE SCOTT
- i agree with both of you so i will go with a 79-83 record.
After watching todays game on tv and seeing Reynolds hit for the third time, I am saying that he strikes out 250 times.
ReplyDeleteAnd Da Booth I feel your hate on Pie, though I am sure he will hurt himself sneezing or something stupid and miss most of the season anyway
Mass I am disappointed you have soured on Wieters so soon. Its wasn't that long ago that we were all heading to the Yard to see the saviour make his debut, and here almost 2 years later he is an average pro. Did you write that article on baseball prospectus that called hime one of the biggest busts of all time?
I keep hearing about how he had to learn how to handle a pitching staff and he had to do this and that....Well didn't Joe Mauer and Buster Posey have to do the same things? They seemed to pick it up pretty quick, and still rake. I just think his bat is slow, his body is going to age quick, and he is not the Hitting Jesus he was made out to be. I hope I'm wrong.
ReplyDelete