Once again, thanks to Brando, Shawn, DonS, Todd V, Nicky V and Teddy Ballgame for baring their souls.  Maybe we’ll check back after the season and see how we all did.

2008 AL Flop of the Year

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Gary Sheffield
Shawn	David Eckstein
DonS	Asdrubal Cabrera
Todd V	J.D. Drew
Nicky V	J Dye
Teddy Ballgame	Jason Giambi
TBZ	D Young

2008 AL Flop of the Year

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Andruw Jones	“He’s not going to hit at Dodger Stadium just hope he plays solid defense.”
Shawn	Kosuke Fukudome
DonS	Pie or Dempster
Todd V	Kosuke Fukodome
Nicky V	A Rowand/ R Braun
Teddy Ballgame	Eric Gagne
TBZ	A Jones

2008 AL Comeback Player of the Year

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	J. D. Drew	“Only if he stays healthy.”
Shawn	Keith Foulke
DonS	Harden	“Maybe Mauer”
Todd V	Justin Duchscherer
Nicky V
Teddy Ballgame	Rich Harden
TBZ

2008 NL Comeback Player of the Year

	Prediction	Comment
Brando
Shawn	Marcus Giles
DonS	Furcal	“No bias on either of these”
Todd V	Jason Bay
Nicky V	Pedro Martinez
Teddy Ballgame	Pedro Martinez
TBZ	P Martinez

First Manager Fired in 2008

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Yankee Manager	“George will hire Kirk Gibson to everyone’s surprise”
Shawn	Ozzie Guillen
DonS	Hurdle
Todd V	Jim Leyland
Nicky V	Guillen
Teddy Ballgame	Bruce Bochy
TBZ	Yost	“on a limb here; high expectations in Milw.”

First key AL player to end his season because of injury

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Curt Schilling	“His career will be over and he can retire with Randy Johnson”
Shawn	Rocco Baldelli
DonS	J.D. Drew
Todd V
Nicky V	Alex Rodriguez	“Hopefully”
Teddy Ballgame	JD Drew
TBZ	Schilling

First key NL player to end his season because of injury

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Randy Johnson	“The D-Backs drop to third in their division”
Shawn	Kerry Wood
DonS	Stephen Drew
Todd V
Nicky V	Pujols
Teddy Ballgame	Saito
TBZ	Kerry Wood

Most truly exciting story of the 2008 season

	Prediction
Brando	Tampa Bay makes the playoffs for the first time in their history
Shawn	Yankee Stadium’s final season
DonS
Todd V
Nicky V	Yankees-Red Sox brawl(s)
Teddy Ballgame	Troy Percival
TBZ	Cubs win World Series!

Most over-hyped story of the 2008 season

	Prediction
Brando	The continuing saga of Barry Bonds
Shawn	Canseco’s new book
DonS
Todd V	Red Sox-Yankees; “It’s always the most over-hyped story.”
Nicky V	Leyland smoking in dugout (on camera)
Teddy Ballgame	Joe Torre & LAD
TBZ

That’s it!  Hope you enjoyed our 2008 Prediction Series.  Feel free to comment on this (or any other) post. 

2008 AL Reliever of the Year

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Soria
Shawn	Jonathan Papelbon
DonS	K-Rod
Todd V		“Could care less”
Nicky V	K-Rod
Teddy Ballgame	K-Rod
TBZ

2008 NL Reliever of the Year

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Maybin, Moyban The Braves reliever whoever he is
Shawn	Takashi Saito
DonS	Wagner
Todd V		“Same as AL”
Nicky V	Wood	“Woohoo!!”
Teddy Ballgame	Coco Cordero
TBZ

2008 AL Rookie of the Year

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Jacoby Ellsbury
Shawn	Daric Barton
DonS	Joba
Todd V	Joba Chamberlain
Nicky V
Teddy Ballgame	Alexi Ramirez
TBZ	Ellsbury

2008 NL Rookie of the Year

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Hiroki Kuroda
Shawn	Michael Bourn
DonS
Todd V	Jair Jurrjens
Nicky V
Teddy Ballgame	Johnny Cueto
TBZ	G Soto

2008 AL Manager of the Year

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Mike Scioscia
Shawn	Joe Girardi
DonS	Scioscia
Todd V	Jim Leyland
Nicky V	Leyland
Teddy Ballgame	Mike Scioscia
TBZ	Leyland

2008 NL Manager of the Year

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Joe Torre	He’s finally out from under George’s big thumb
Shawn	Bobby Cox
DonS	Yost
Todd V	Bobby Cox
Nicky V	Piniella
Teddy Ballgame	Dusty Baker
TBZ	Randolph

Tomorrow is our last installment of our prediction series for the 2008 season.  Stay tuned for that cuz we’ll have some off the wall and interesting prediction questions (and probably answers). 

2008 AL MVP Winner

2008 NL MVP Winner

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Hanley Ramirez	“He can do it all and who looks at defense when they’re voting”
Shawn	David Wright
DonS	Prince Fielder	“Should have been in 2007″
Todd V	Chipper Jones
Nicky V	Howard
Teddy Ballgame	Howard
TBZ	Prince Fielder

2008 AL Cy Young Winner

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Dice-K
Shawn	Dan Haren
DonS	Jered Weaver
Todd V	Justin Verlander
Nicky V	Verlander
Teddy Ballgame	Lackey
TBZ	Lackey

2008 NL Cy Young Winner

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Johan Santana	“National League hitters won’t know what hit them”
Shawn	Jake Peavy
DonS	Webb
Todd V	Dan Haren
Nicky V	Martinez	“Wow, nice comeback”
Teddy Ballgame	Cain
TBZ	Santana

2008 AL Homerun Leader

	Prediction	Comment
Brando
Shawn	Arod
DonS	Ortiz
Todd V	Manny Ramirez
Nicky V	Hafner
Teddy Ballgame	Ortiz
TBZ	Arod

2008 NL Homerun Leader

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Mark Teixeira
Shawn	Fielder
DonS	Fielder	“Unless the vegetables get him”
Todd V	Adam Dunn
Nicky V	Howard
Teddy Ballgame	Fielder
TBZ	Fielder

2008 AL Batting Champion

	Prediction	Comment
Brando
Shawn	Miguel Cabrera
DonS	Ichiro	“Best player in baseball”
Todd V	Ichiro
Nicky V	Ichiro
Teddy Ballgame	Ichiro
TBZ	Ichiro

2008 NL Batting Champion

	Prediction	Comment
Brando	Hanley Ramirez
Shawn	Pujols
DonS
Todd V	Chipper Jones
Nicky V	Hanley Ramirez
Teddy Ballgame	Todd Helton
TBZ	Pujols	“if he doesn’t have season-ending surgery”

Tomorrow, Part III with more awards predictions. 

I passed out a survey to everyone in the TBZ “office” and had them fill them out. The survey included 36 prediction questions about the upcoming 2008 baseball season.  Today’s installment compromises of predictions of division winners, losers, and who will take it all. 

Thanks to Teddy Ballgame, Shawn, Todd V, Don S, Nicky V and Brando for participating. 

-tbz

Who will be the AL East Winner?

Comments:  Brando says, “The young blood from last year and a rebound of JD Drew will put them over the top.”  Todd V notes: “It’s either them or the Yanks, right?  I don’t think the Yanks have the pitching.”  Nicky V who predicted the Sox as well simply exclaimed, “YUCK!” 

TBZ predicts: Boston Red Sox

Who will be the AL Central Winner?

Detroit Tigers	4 votes
Cleveland Indians	3 votes

Comments:  As it seems to be the pattern here, it was between two teams.  Brando says: “Pitching is still the key.”, though I don’t know if that bodes well for the Tigers or not.  Todd V expresses the same concern about pitching.  He predicts the Tigers “but I wouldn’t be surprised if Cleveland repeated.  Detroit’s bullpen worries me.”

TBZ predicts:  Detroit Tigers

Who will be the AL West Winner?

Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels	6 votes
Seattle Mariners	1 vote

Comments:  The only real clear favorite though that kinda surprised just a little.  Todd V just doesn’t “see how they can’t win this division.”   Brando thinks “Mike Scioscia will work his magic”.

TBZ predicts:  Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels

Who will be the NL East Winner?

New York Mets	3 votes
Atlanta Braves	3 votes
Philadelphia Phillies	1 vote

Comments: Our first tie.  You can thank TBZ co-blogger Teddy Ballgame who voted for the Phils for this.  Brando (as well as I) think that “Johan Santana will make the difference.”

TBZ predicts:  New York Mets

Who will be the NL Central Winner?

Chicago Cubs	3 votes
Cincinnati Reds	2 votes
Milwaukee Brewers	2 votes

Comments: This was the most hotly contested division.   I voted for the Cubs.  Call me a homer but I think it’s warranted.  Todd V, who predicts the Reds, says that the “upgrades in their pitching will put them on top over the injury plagued Cubs”.

TBZ predicts:  Chicago Cubs. 

Who will be the NL West Winner?

Arizona Diamondbacks	3 votes
Colorado Rockies	2 votes
Los Angeles Dodgers	2 votes

Comments: Another tough one to pick.  Brando, who is a Dodger fan (a Brooklyn Dodger fan) had a lot to say.  “With Joe Torre at the helm, and Japanese import, Hiroki Kuroda,  the Dodgers are ready.  Oh did I forget to mention Matt Kemp is going to have a big year?” 

As for the DBacks, Todd V was short and sweet.  “These kids can play.”

TBZ predicts:  Arizona Diamondbacks 

NL Worst Record 

Brando	Pittsburgh Pirates (70-92)
Shawn	Cardinals (60-102)
DonS	Giants 64-98	“Tough times on the Bay; A’s not much better.”
Todd V	Giants
Nicky V	Pirates 59-103
Teddy Ballgame	Pirates 62-100
TBZ	Giants 65-97

AL Worst Record 

Brando
Shawn	Cardinals (60-102)
DonS	Orioles 66-96
Todd V	White Sox	“Just did it to tick off my Chicago buddies”
Nicky V	Rays 62-100
Teddy Ballgame	Orioles 58-104
TBZ	Rays 68-94	“Still have talent”

World Series Prediction

Tomorrow:  2008 Award Winner Predictions and more!