Who will win the AL central

[btowntigers]

As for Sanchez...batting average doesn't matter.  On-base percentage is the important number.  And his is not good.  It's not awful, but it's not good.

 

ok i dont know how much more i can take.......Sanchez DOES NOT play in Detroit anymore. they cut him and the Devil Rays signed him.

 

i forgot about the Twins as well but i still dont think they will win. if Justin Morneau is as good as he's supposed to be and Johan Santana is as good as he was last year they will be back...if not they are in trouble cause they dont have a great offense.

[gotmilk?]

Johan Santana is as good as he was last year they will be back...

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But opperman doesnt believe that a player can repeat a successful year from the year before, so dont expect that to happen!

 

Anyway, it is not all about numbers or talent, you have to have a good chemistry on your team to win games and that is what Minnesota has done for a few years now, with no big names, just as Seattle did in 2001 with Ichiro the only thing reasemling a big name! thumb

[jusdontno]

When did they move the Twins out of this division?

 

Pretty balanced division but with the best pitcher in the game, Santana will be the difference as Twins win.

[Opperman]

But opperman doesnt believe that a player can repeat a successful year from the year before, so dont expect that to happen!

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I never said anything along those lines. Only a UT fan could get that confused.

 

Santana will be outstanding again this year. His track record suggests nothing otherwise. There's a difference between repeating a year that matches your track records (Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, et al) and repeating a year that's completely out of line with your track record (Brady Anderson 1996, Kevin Mitchell 1989, Carlos Delgado 2000, John Olerud 1993, etc.).

 

Anyway, it is not all about numbers or talent, you have to have a good chemistry on your team to win games and that is what Minnesota has done for a few years now, with no big names, just as Seattle did in 2001 with Ichiro the only thing reasemling a big name! thumb

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Minnesota has some legit players, they're just not hyped like crazy. Johan Santana may be the best pitcher in baseball right now...if he played in New York or Boston, he'd get the press. But he doesn't.

 

Morneau, Mauer, Corey Koskie, Shannon Stewart...they have some guys who can really play. As well as Santana, Radke, and a bullpen that's better than people think.

 

As for chemistry...Jeff Kent had some nice quotes in the LA Times last week about it.

 

"It all starts on the field. When is the last time you've heard of a team with great chemistry that stinks? It's all about the field."

 

"Hey, Barry Bonds and I fought more in one year than anybody could imagine, and we went to the World Series. Now that was chemistry."

 

"If guys hate each other, sometimes I think that's better. If they are fighting with each other, competitive with each other, they take it out on the field, on the other team, and that's great."

 

"Let's say I go up there, bases loaded, and I don't get a hit. The guy batting behind me, if we're fighting in the clubhouse, he wants to show me up. He wants to say, 'That at-bat proves Kent stinks. Let me show everyone how I can do it.' Then he does it, gets a big hit, wins the game, just to spite me. Now that's chemistry."

 

"Works for pitchers too. Let's say a pitcher is mad at somebody in this room. He goes out to the mound. He looks at the batter's box. He picks up the ball and looks at the batter and is like, 'I wanna kill you with this ball.' That's the guy I want on my team. I want that edge. Now that's chemistry."

 

"Roy says that our chemistry is always just a three-game winning streak away."

--Dodgers GM Paul Depodesta, quoting his assistant GM Roy Smith

 

"Chemistry" in baseball is something players and coaches point to after a team is already winning. "Talent" is the reason winning happens.

[gotmilk?]

I never said anything along those lines.  Only a UT fan could get that confused. 

 

Santana will be outstanding again this year.  His track record suggests nothing otherwise.  There's a difference between repeating a year that matches your track records (Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, et al) and repeating a year that's completely out of line with your track record (Brady Anderson 1996, Kevin Mitchell 1989, Carlos Delgado 2000, John Olerud 1993, etc.).

Minnesota has some legit players, they're just not hyped like crazy.  Johan Santana may be the best pitcher in baseball right now...if he played in New York or Boston, he'd get the press.  But he doesn't.

 

Morneau, Mauer, Corey Koskie, Shannon Stewart...they have some guys who can really play.  As well as Santana, Radke, and a bullpen that's better than people think.

 

As for chemistry...Jeff Kent had some nice quotes in the LA Times last week about it.

 

"It all starts on the field. When is the last time you've heard of a team with great chemistry that stinks? It's all about the field."

 

"Hey, Barry Bonds and I fought more in one year than anybody could imagine, and we went to the World Series. Now that was chemistry."

 

"If guys hate each other, sometimes I think that's better. If they are fighting with each other, competitive with each other, they take it out on the field, on the other team, and that's great."

 

"Let's say I go up there, bases loaded, and I don't get a hit. The guy batting behind me, if we're fighting in the clubhouse, he wants to show me up. He wants to say, 'That at-bat proves Kent stinks. Let me show everyone how I can do it.' Then he does it, gets a big hit, wins the game, just to spite me. Now that's chemistry."

 

"Works for pitchers too. Let's say a pitcher is mad at somebody in this room. He goes out to the mound. He looks at the batter's box. He picks up the ball and looks at the batter and is like, 'I wanna kill you with this ball.' That's the guy I want on my team. I want that edge. Now that's chemistry."

 

"Roy says that our chemistry is always just a three-game winning streak away."

--Dodgers GM Paul Depodesta, quoting his assistant GM Roy Smith

 

"Chemistry" in baseball is something players and coaches point to after a team is already winning.  "Talent" is the reason winning happens.

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Dont tell the Red Sox of a few years back that, they some of the best talent in MLB, but they were a clubhouse divided and you could see when they were on the field, they were playing me ball, not we ball and it really hurt them! So they got rid of there manager, brought in some guys that could really bring a brash cockiness to the team and changed the attitude of the whole team and started winning! thumb

[Opperman]

Dont tell the Red Sox of a few years back that, they some of the best talent in MLB, but they were a clubhouse divided and you could see when they were on the field, they were playing me ball, not we ball and it really hurt them! So they got rid of there manager, brought in some guys that could really bring a brash cockiness to the team and changed the attitude of the whole team and started winning! thumb

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What year(s) are you talking about?

[gotmilk?]

I know it was just one game, but did you guys see the confidence that the Tigers were playing with, for the first time in years they look like they are suppose to win! Good pitching and great hitting led to the 11-2 victory, and Young looks like he has his stroke back and may be able to put up some big numbers this season! Watch out for theses Tigers, they will bite!

[btowntigers]

I know it was just one game, but did you guys see the confidence that the Tigers were playing with, for the first time in years they look like they are suppose to win! Good pitching and great hitting led to the 11-2 victory, and Young looks like he has his stroke back and may be able to put up some big numbers this season! Watch out for theses Tigers, they will bite!

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i told you Bonderman is gonna be awesome real soon...he's only 22. they looked good but i got one question....who doesnt look good against the Royals? Young has always been a good hitter he just stays hurt. last year he went down in game 2.

[Opperman]

I know it was just one game, but did you guys see the confidence that the Tigers were playing with, for the first time in years they look like they are suppose to win! Good pitching and great hitting led to the 11-2 victory, and Young looks like he has his stroke back and may be able to put up some big numbers this season! Watch out for theses Tigers, they will bite!

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Farragut last year would have had a lot of confidence playing against the Royals.

 

Kansas City is just awful.

[muffin]

Farragut last year would have had a lot of confidence playing against the Royals.

 

Kansas City is just awful.

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What about this year?

[gotmilk?]

Bonderman, Johnson, Robertson are a combine 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA in 20.2 innings, with opponent BA being .168 combined! Those are pretty impressive numbers against any MLB team!