RIP Braves

Braves 61-68
Indians 61-69

Marlins 64-66, 2 games out of the wild card lead.

The Marlins better start getting some love. They are providing some of the best stories baseball has seen in awhile. A team full of rookies, yet they are in the race. A rookie starter leading baseball in ERA. Dan Uggla, 2B stud from nowhere. The manager and owner hate each other. They cry for a new stadium every year, but prove that a new stadium paid for by taxpayer money is not needed to compete. Two of the best young players in the game in Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. An 8-game winning streak. One of only three NL teams that doesn't have a losing record in interleague play this year. Go Marlins!

 

The Marlins might ge more love if they weren't in the WC race solely because the National League is an absolute joke this year.

As Oz said, the Royals would contend for the NL wild card.

 

And the sad thing is, there's really no doubt about it.

 

According to onestopbaseball.com, they were ninth in MLB to begin the season at 91 million. I think it's very possible they'll be in the upper 70s next year, because it's no given they'll pick up Smoltz' option. Personally, I think that would be foolish, but he seems more and more willing to leave.

 

Marlins looking good in St. Louis. Root against the Reds. Marlins could be one game out of the wild-card lead in about three hours. And Phillies will be tied.

 

Marlins are 54-35 since an 11-31 start,

 

That's nice, Columbo, but I firmly believe the Royals could have been the Marlins had they swapped leagues. It's tough to be in the AL Central this season, but the Royals probably could hold their own in the NL East.

No way to prove it, back it up, etc. It's just what I believe.

 

No offense, Oz. But I don't see the Marlins blowing a 10-1 lead to anyone.

 

Marlins don't play in the AL against the Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Yankees, Red Sox, etc. every night. And yes, while the 10-1 loss came against the Indians, that team has finally started to play like the team everyone thought would make the playoffs when the season first began. Just saying.

 

Thought I'd resurrect this thread. It makes for interesting reading, knowing what we know now. The Sports Predictor has to be feeling pretty vindicated, not just because he was right about the Braves, but he also said back in June that the Marlins would finish with a better record than Atlanta, and people told him he was crazy. He also said the Braves would win between 66-70 games. He'll be a little off there, but not as much as those who replied that the Braves would finish well above .500.

Among the other hit and miss predictions from various people on this thread: that the Yankees wouldn't make the playoffs, that Pedro would spend at least a month on the DL, that the Angels would win the AL West with about 88 wins, that the Mets would eventually fold like a house of cards. Sometimes we guess right and sometimes we guess wrong, but we're always just guessing.

 

This thread title never gets old.

 

the bullpen blew 20-25 games this year.