***OFFICIAL 2010 AL West Thread***

[GreenNGold89]

Originally Posted by EAGLE 0N

Originally Posted by bbllplaya23

Can't wait for this season.

If I had to pick now, I'd have us last place in the division because there are just too many "what ifs". If our guys stay healthy and Sheets and Duke do what they do, we could make some noise in the division. Hopefully we utilize our speed on offense also, because there is absolutely no power on this team.

Any A's fans going to be in AZ for spring training? I'm going for the first time.

I'll be there on the 20th and 21st.

Damn bruh..I ain't seen u post since that Red Sox game last season

But I agree, too many question marks on this A's team. Still excited for the season and I'm glad were at least trying to steal bases and manufacture runs.

 Man I've been mad busy with school and just haven't had much time to be on here. But baseball season is almost here so it's time to return. 

 Let's keep this thread going though, please. 

 

[darthska]

Figgins

*sigh*

 

[jason23richardson]

I'm really pissed off at the Angels' offseason acquisitions.

Big Daddy Sexy Vladdy

My favorite baseball player of all time, hope the best for him. I see .290 22 HR 80 RBI barring minor setbacks.
My dude Figgy

Matsui

 

[wearinthefourfive]

Baseball's smallest division figures to be one of its most interesting in 2010.

The Los Angeles Angelshave won three straight American League West titles, and five of thepast six. However, they appear vulnerable after losing ace pitcher John Lackey to the Boston Red Sox as a free agent; third baseman/leadoff hitter/defensive whiz Chone Figgins to the division rival Seattle Mariners as a free agent; and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero to another division rival, the Texas Rangers.

Meanwhile, the Mariners and Rangers are looking for more after beingsurprise teams last season. The Mariners have added a second ace in Cliff Lee to team with Felix Hernandezin the rotation -- and the Rangers' financial situation should improvenow that the Nolan Ryan/Chuck Greenberg group is ready to assumeownership.

PECOTA, Baseball Prospectus' system that projects player and team performance, expects a shakeup in the AL West this season.

[h3]Texas Rangers: 87-75 projected 2010 record [/h3]
Why They Might Win:Pitching and defense went from being a perennial weakness to a strengthlast season; this should also be true in 2010. They were fourth in theAL in runs allowed (an average of 4.57 a game), thanks to the fine workof new pitching coach Mike Maddux, and ranked second in the league indefensive efficiency, a simple metric that measures the number of ballsin play that are turned into outs.

Why They Might Not Win: They are pinning a lot of hope on Rich Hardenstaying healthy and being their No. 1 starter, even though he hastopped 150 innings just once in six full major league seasons. They arealso counting on an untested Julio Borbon in center field; PECOTA projects him for just a .335 on-base percentage and a .404 slugging percentage.

Player Who Could Surprise: Colby Lewisreturns stateside after spending the past two seasons pitching inJapan. PECOTA believes the time abroad has helped the Rangers'first-round draft pick from 1999 -- it projects Lewis to post a fine3.84 ERA in 165 innings.

Player Who Could Disappoint: Scott Feldmanseemingly came out of nowhere to lead the team with 17 victories lastseason. PECOTA doesn't see a repeat, forecasting a 9-9 record and 4.78ERA in 157 innings.

[h3]Seattle Mariners: 83-79 projected 2010 record [/h3]
Why They Might Win:They have two of the best starting pitchers in the game in Hernandezand Lee. The defense that will back up the duo led the AL in defensiveefficiency last season. Ichiro Suzuki and Figgins should form a dynamic 1-2 punch at the top of the batting order.

Why They Might Not Win: They went 85-77 last season despite giving up more runs than they scored. Teams that do this will historically regress the next season. Milton Bradleycan help the offense if he's healthy, but, with his history ofoutbursts, he might also destroy the outstanding clubhouse chemistry.

Player Who Could Surprise: Brandon League, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jaysin an offseason trade, is projected to have a 3.34 ERA in 55 innings byPECOTA. That could make the flamethrower the much-needed reliableset-up man for closer David Aardsma.

Player Who Could Disappoint:Lee is projected for a 3.67 ERA in 204 innings by PECOTA, whichcertainly isn't bad, yet that would be a letdown for Mariners fans,after he posted a combined 2.89 ERA mark in the past two seasons.

[h3]Oakland Athletics: 82-80 projected 2010 record [/h3]
Why They Might Win: If Ben Sheets and Justin Duchschererare healthy and return to their old form, they would anchor a rotationthat could include a number of intriguing young pitchers, including Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill, Dallas Braden, Gio Gonzalez and Vin Mazzaro. Andrew Bailey is back to close after being the AL Rookie of the Year last season.

Why They Might Not Win: They were ninth in the AL in runs scored last season but traded their big bopper, Matt Holliday, to the Cardinals last July, and got more mileage than the law allows out of Adam Kennedy, who was allowed to walk as a free agent in the offseason. They were also ninth in the league in defensive efficiency.

Player Who Could Surprise:Duchscherer is projected by PECOTA to have a solid 3.97 ERA, albeit in97 innings, after missing all of last season with elbow and hipinjuries.

Player Who Could Disappoint: TheAthletics spent big money (at least for them) when they gave aone-year, $10 million contract to Sheets as a free agent, even thoughhe sat out last season while recovering from shoulder surgery. PECOTAisn't optimistic about a big return on the investment, as Sheets istabbed for just five wins and 92 innings.

[h3]Los Angeles Angels: 76-86 projected 2010 record [/h3]
Why They Might Win: While they have lost Lackey, they still have a very formidable rotation with Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana, Scott Kazmir and Joel Pineiro. Mike Scioscia is among the game's best managers; his teams always outperform the sum of their parts.

Why They Might Not Win:Figgins is a big loss. He was excellent both as a table-setter at thetop of the batting order and with the glove at third base. Counting on Brian Fuentes and Fernando Rodney to be the primary late-inning relievers just seems to be asking for trouble.

Player Who Could Surprise: Brandon Wood,whom it seems has been a prospect since Jim Fregosi was the Angels'star, will finally get his chance at the major league level. PECOTAprojects Wood to hit 25 home runs as Figgins' replacement.

Player Who Could Disappoint:Rodney converted 37 of 38 save opportunities for Detroit last season,but PECOTA sees him with a 4.34 ERA this year, a high figure for a guywho was paid a lot of money on the free-agent market to pitch inhigh-leverage situations.

John Perrotto is editor-in-chief of Baseball Prospectus.

 

[xdominatorx]

thx 4 the insider 

Lets Go M's!!!

p.s http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/feat...//insider.espn.go.com/mlb/features/rumors#TOP

mariners team of future if ya dont mind...

 

[HIM]

[h1]
[font=arial, sans-serif][/font]
[font=arial, sans-serif][h1]
AL West: Angels’ top status hinges on Weaver

By Tim Brown, Yahoo! SportsApr 1, 1:23 am EDT

• Buzz up!9
• [h5]Print[/h5]

TEMPE, Ariz. – Jeff Weaver(notes) has no real answers for how he came to pitch the way he did, and does, other than one day he was playing catch in Simi Valley, Calif., with his dad, Dave, and it seemed the next he was standing on a bullpen mound at Fresno State with his coach, Bob Bennett, and, well, it was just the way the baseball wanted to leave him.

[h5]Who will win the AL West?[/h5]

• • Los Angeles
  • 47%
  • 47%
• • Oakland
  • 8%
  • 8%
• • Seattle
  • 31%
  • 31%
• • Texas
  • 14%
  • 14%

4737 Votes

“Leg lift, lead with the hip, out in front with the glove hand, that was about it,
[/h1][/font][/h1]

 

[urb]

Hoping the best for the A's

Too bad I got work during the first game, gonna miss 24 series finale too.

 

[HIM]

Our offense is looking Good!

-Seattle taking care of the A's as expected
-

at vladdy breaking up the No-no for the Rangers today even tho it lead to the game-tying HR.

Baseball being back

 

[HIM]

at Yuku
Matsui with a RBI single

Offense looking solid. Hope they can keep it up for 161 more games.

 

[o fenomeno]

mariners

interested in seeing how the rangers look this year. same with the angels. hopefully neither are as good as the m's.

 

[dako akong otin]

great start for the hey-lows 

  
Matsui welcome to Anahei!, Kendry picking up from last year...   
Hope the Rodney-Fuentescombo will be consistent throughout the year 

 

[kookcle]

1-0

Good way to start the season


Kendry (1)

 

[HIM]

So far nobody in the division is looking took good but then again it's only been 2 games

Hope we get the good Ervin tonight.

BTW what's up with Bedard and Lee? I didn't even know Bedard was hurt but when are they expected back?

 

[emok]

Angels win west nuff said..

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

Looks who's on top as of this writing

 

[jpzx]

Twins take 3-4 from the Angels in Anaheim.

Do the Angels suck something awful or are the Twins just real good?

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

Originally Posted by JPZx

Twins take 3-4 from the Angels in Anaheim.

Do the Angels suck something awful or are the Twins just real good?

If we do well against the Angels then you know something is wrong with them.

 

[dako akong otin]

i'm gonna say its a combination of both.  losing Lackey hurt us in the starting pitching department .  at the same time, i give Twins props for coming to Anaheim to take 3/4 from us. 

 

[finnns2003]

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

I feel dumb asking this, but are there any Rangers fans here? I swear I don't mean to sound like a jerk but I can't think of anyone's sig that has the Rangers in it.

 

[dako akong otin]

i think most of the dudes who are dallas mavs or cowboys fans should be ranger fans

 

[N41D]

there's only one...

Rough series for the Rangers... Looks like LA and Seattle didn't realize the season started Monday either.

 

[GreenNGold89]

Originally Posted by Th3RealF0lkBlu3s

I feel dumb asking this, but are there any Rangers fans here? I swear I don't mean to sound like a jerk but I can't think of anyone's sig that has the Rangers in it.

Nowitness41Dirk is the only one I can remember but I'm sure there are a few more at least...
[h1]
[/h1]

 

[proshares]

Marionthebarbarian and Dirk are Rangers fans off the top of my head. I'm sure more of them will stroll by once the Mavs are out in the first round...

 

[jpzx]

Nowitness41Dirk is a huge Rangers fan I believe.

And yeah, I think that the Twins and the Angels both are good. Halos lineup is solid, rotation needs work though. Good series.