Review of Pre Season Baseball Questions

Back before the beginning of the 2009 baseball season I posted several questions that helped me be excited about what the season will bring.

http ://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/636/Take_Me_Out_To_The_Ball_Game

The following in red is what has transpired so far but we have almost half a season left and they will be reviewed when I get around to it.The original questions below in a different color.

Ed

1. Hanley Ramirez http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7488 . Leads his position (in the NL) in batting average, RBI. 15. he has 15 HR for a middle infielder and that is great.

2. New York Mets. Season is a disaster. Between the front office "gurus" and injuries to key players. There was also this notable game I happen to be watching.

3. AL EAST as of this writing NYY leading Boston Red Sox by 2.5 games. Tampa by 7.5 . Toronto by a dozen and Baltimore by a lot.

4. Tampa had the lead to themselves almost all year last year. They still seem capable of making a charge.

5. Bill Simmons seems to think the genius tag should be removed from Billy Beane. A's just dealt their bargaining chip and are 17 games out. http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/tipsheet/tipsheet/2009/07/doubting-billy-beane/

http://stupidsportsblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/another-guy-takes-another-shot-at.html

6. Angels leading the division despite early season tragedy and injuries to the rest of the rotation.

7. Manny is just being Manny or a little bit worse.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-mannyreaction070309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns



http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-atlmanny051109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

8. Cubs recently took the lead in the NL Central.

Original Questions Before the Season began.

• Will the Mets acquisition of solid 8th and 9th inning guys be enough to avoid the late season collapses that plagued them the previous years? They already have ace Santana.
  
• How do the Orioles and Blue Jays feel every time people bring up the intense "three" way race in the AL East? Will that snub propel them to be factors where people are only considering the Yankees, Red Sox and Tampa Bay as occupants of the division?
• Speaking of those pesky Rays. Everything I heard last year hinted that Joe Maddon's boys are supposed to come into their own this year.Meaning what we saw last year in the World Series was not even the finished product. Then why are many picking them to finish as a Wild Card or out of the playoffs? Yankees spend a lot of money but on chem lab experiments.
  
• Ever heard of Hanley Ramirez? Some people think he is the most talented player in baseball.
  
• Is this the year the Moneyball A's catch up with the perennial division winner Angels in the AL West? The good news is that the A's have players you would recognize. the bad news, they all hit their primes about 5 years ago.
  
• A lot of analysts I listen to pick my Cincinnati Reds to surprise some people. It's talk like that , that makes me nervous. Will they tease us till the All Star Break before the wheels the come like we are used to the last few years.
  
• Is it third time lucky for Lou Pinella's boys the Cubs? Or are is the weight of the 101 year old curse too much to bear?
  
• Everybody assumes that super brat Manny Ramirez is all the Dodgers need to cement the NL West. But pitching is more crucial and it seems like the Giants have the advantage there. Will it be enough to reverse the "foregone conclusion"? & nbsp;