[FaSho]

I for one am. Ever since football was over i need some sports to watch. I like basketball, i'll watch some march madness and the NBA season doesnt get interesting for me til about 10 games left and when the playoffs start.

I cant wait to see what my team (Yankees) are gonna do and go see some games this year.

Other storylines this year...

- Barry Bonds & The HR record.

- Will A-Rod opt-out of his deal with the Yanks?

- How will Dice-K (Red Sox) & Igawa (Yanks) fare in the MLB?

- Will Roger Clemens retire or come back for another season with the Sox, Yanks, or Astros?

- Will Dontrelle Willis finally get out of Florida?

- Im not a fan of the team but i like Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley of the Phillies, how are they gonna do in the National League East with the Mets and Braves?

- The Cubs have Lou Piniella as the manager, acquired Alfonso Soriano and have a good pitching staff (as long as Prior & Wood stay healthy) how far will they go?

[azrael492]

- The Cubs have Lou Piniella as the manager, acquired Alfonso Soriano and have a good pitching staff (as long as Prior & Wood stay healthy) how far will they go

I cna answer this one now. Wood and Prior are not going to stay healthy. In fact, I thnk I heard Wood is injured already. They are going to be the same old Cubs, but losing 10-9 instead of 5-4.

[Lefty Noob]

Welcome to GTG, FaSho... thanks for joining us!

I love threads like this so let's get started

- Barry Bonds & The HR record.
He won't break it this year. With his recent drop in production, I'm expecting 18-20 homers out of him. If I recall right, he needs 23, so he'll wind up 3-5 dingers short. But he'll drag his aging carcass back onto the diamond in 2008 for another go at it.

- Will A-Rod opt-out of his deal with the Yanks?
Yes, if he isn't traded first. He doesn't like New York and he doesn't like Derek Jeter, and from everything you hear, the feeling is mutual on both accounts. More importantly, though, is the fact that Rodriguez just can't handle the Big Apple spotlight. He'll wind up playing next season with a smaller market contender.

- How will Dice-K (Red Sox) & Igawa (Yanks) fare in the MLB?
I expect Dice-K to enjoy some success until hitters figure out the gyroball. Once that happens, and it will, he's done. Don't know enough about Igawa to comment on his prospects.

- Will Roger Clemens retire or come back for another season with the Sox, Yanks, or Astros?
He'll come back, and it'll be with the Astros. In the end, the Sox and Yanks are just negotiation fodder for him to get more money to stick around with his hometown team. Deep down, I think Roger still doesn't want to travel too much.

- Will Dontrelle Willis finally get out of Florida?
No, he'll stay with the Marlins. The team can't afford to get rid of him, especially now when they're actually starting to spend a little money.

- Im not a fan of the team but i like Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and Chase Utley of the Phillies, how are they gonna do in the National League East with the Mets and Braves?
Pitching is a question mark for Philly, but it's a question for the Mets as well. At this point, were I laying odds, I'd go with the Braves, then the Phils, then the Mets in that order as most likely to win the division. That's more a gut feeling than anything else, but I like some of the moves Atlanta made.

- The Cubs have Lou Piniella as the manager, acquired Alfonso Soriano and have a good pitching staff (as long as Prior & Wood stay healthy) how far will they go?
I can't see much changing with the Cubbies. Soriano will be a disappointment in Chicago, I'm predicting. Zambrano will once again be the ace of a staff that will once again struggle with injuries. Chicago will still be a middle of the pack team in their division at best.

[Phils20]

I too am excited for the season!

I think it is a given that Bonds breaks the record, but I also don't tink he wil get the respect for it that he thinks he will be due. I know I won't respect him.

The Phils will be good, and battle for the title. Their hopes hinge on finding a way to bolster ther Bullpen. If they don't do that, even if they win the division, the post season will be a short one.

And the cubs will be the Cubs! Lou will flip out, and things will end the same as they always do for them!

[EmpireWF]

A-Rod will opt out because he wants more money. Big shock. He'll want the Yanks to give him an extension but they won't. So after the Yanks fall short int he playoffs again, he'll leave and cash in elsewhere...again.

[MJHMarc]

You forgot to include the icing on the cake.

The Dodgers will beat the Yankees in the World Series, a rematch of '55.

[EmpireWF]

You must be mistaken Marc. Only one team can play in the World Series from the NL...and it surely won't be one from the west coast...if you know what I mean

[MVB]

Bonds is very healthy and has been swinging a hot bat in spring training .... I bet he does break the record this year.

A-Rod will opt out of his contract at the end of the season (he definitely will not be traded though)... Unless he has a record-breaking season (80+ HR, 170+ RBI), I can't see the Yanks working hard to keep him in the Bronx. I'm love having A-Rod on our team, and will really be disappointed to see him leave.

The Cubs will win the Central ( ) partly due to the fact that the Astros, Cards, and Reds will struggle. The Cards have a poor rotation (after Carpenter), and questionable pen, and a somewhat shaky offense (after Pujols). The Astros lost Pettitte and Clemens, still don't have an official closer, and (against teams like the Mets, Phils, Cubs, and Braves) will have trouble scoring enough runs to win. The Reds still have rotation issues and no bull pen, so I'm guessing they'll stay in third place. The Brewers and Pirates are going nowhere fast. The Cubs have a great rotation- Carlos Zambrano ( '07 Cy Young winner?), Ted Lily (15-game winner in the American League), Jason Marquis (15-game winner), Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Sean Marshall, and Rich Hill. Chicago also has a new manager (Pinella) and a powerful lineup- Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Derek Lee, Michael Barrett, Cliff Floyd, Jacques Jones, and Matt Murton. The Cubs' bullpen is the only weak spot, but the management has brought in a few new players (along with some old ones) who should be able to do the job- Ryan Dempster (24 saves), Scott Eyre ( 74 games, 73 K's, and 3.38 ERA in '06), Bob Howry ( 84 games, 71 K's, 3.17 ERA in '06), Will Ohman, and Neal Cotts. The Cubs will be the Yankees of the National League this year (good rotation, great offense, and questionable bullpen). But the Cubs won't have to be racing with the Red Sox for the division title.

Here's how I see the playoffs.... a bit early, I, know...

AL East winner: New York Yankees
AL Central winner: Detroit Tigers
AL West winner: LA Angels of Anaheim
AL Wildcard winner: Boston Red Sox

NL East winner: New York Mets
NL Central winner: Chicago Cubs
NL West winner: Colorado Rockies
NL Wildcard winner: Phillidelphia Phillies

ALCS: Yanks v. Sox

NLCS: Mets v. Cubs

World Series: Red Sox v. Chicago Cubs
BoSox win the World Series in 6 games.