For the past 3 years, Rainman and I have been holding an Over/Under bet on wins for the season. We each picked a set number of teams and would pick in a draft form. This year, our buddy Hirxey threw his hat into the ring. I apologize for the tardiness of this post, as I was away on vacation last week and the week before I was busy finishing up work so that I COULD go on vacation. And so without further adieu, here are the results of the 2009 Rick and the Rainman (Plus Hirxey) Over/Under bet. Once again, the terms are a case of beer.
Round One:
1. Rick - Padres Under 70.5
2. Rupp - Twins Over 83.5
3. Hirx - Marlins Over 75.5
Round Two:
1. Hirx - Cubs Under 92.5
2. Rupp - Dodgers Over 84.5
3. Rick - Brewers Over 80.5
Round Three:
1. Rick - Cubs Over 92.5
2. Rupp - Blue Jays Under 79.5
3. Hirx - Reds Under 78.5
Round Four:
1. Hirx - Phillies Over 88.5
2. Rupp - Indians Under 85.5
3. Rick - Royals Over 75.5
Round Five:
1. Rick - Angels Over 88.5
2. Rupp - Cardinals Over 82.5
3. Hirx - Braves Under 86.5
Round Six:
1. Hirx - White Sox Over 78.5
2. Rupp - Astros Under 73.5
3. Rick - Mets Over 89.5
Mike's comments on each of his picks:
I get the impression that Vegas had no clue what to do with the AL Central. The range of first to last in the division is 10 wins.
They did lose Penny and Lowe but they have some solid young arms and a great lineup. With a full year of Manny this lineup is stacked. Blake Dewitt hit like .400 in the postseason and they can’t find a position for him. Strong lineup, strong bench, enough pitching, and crappy division make them another team I see winning 90+.
What happened to this infield? Overbay, Hill, Scutaro, Rolen…really? I like the rotation once it gets healthy but I think BJ Ryan is going to suck…hi-oooooooo. There are not many wins available in that division and I think the Jays are worse than this year. I think they burned me late last year but I’ll give it another whirl at the under.
So let me get this straight…according to Vegas the Indians are the favorite to win the AL Central? Umm…do they know that Carl Pavano is not just in the rotation but is penciled in as their #3 starter?! Yes…that Carl Pavano. I know the lineup should be much better with a healthy Victor Martinez and the return of Pronk, but between the starting staff and Kerry Wood as the answer at closer, this reeks of a 70-80 win team.
I learned my lesson picking against DUI Tony and the boys last year. However, Carpenter is back to go along with Wainwright as a solid 1-2, they have a solid lineup and even though their bullpen is shaky I think they can push the Cubbies in the division race. I hate the Cards but this is a good team. 90 wins is not out of the question.
They stink…I mean they really stink. Their 3/4/5 of Mike Hampton, Brian Moehler, and Russ Ortiz makes me want to celebrate
Rick’s Comments on his picks:
Padres under 70.5
Keep in mind, we made these picks two days into the season and I stand by them. Regardless of what they did to the Mets last week, this team in my mind is still gonna have a terrible year. Outside of Peavy and Young, what else does this team have to offer? The back of their bullpen consists of two guys the Mets threw away. Yes, Bell has taken off since he left and Duaner pitched a 1-2-3 scoreless 8th against the Mets, but do you really think that’s going to last? I don’t. Look for Peavy for F Mart/Niese talks to heat up in July.
Brewers over 80.5:
Again, keep in mind, I’m commenting on picks I made the first week. Their pitching may be a little suspect, but I LOVE this lineup. Cameron looks like he’s really gonna be a force in that outfield and a great compliment to Prince Fielder. With them in the middle of that lineup along with Ryan Braun, this team can at least hit .500.
Cubs over 92.5:
This team is still the class of the NL Central. Everyone knows that. Strong pitching (#47 notwithstanding) and a solid batting order makes this team very dangerous. Remember, this competition is about how many wins in the regular season, not playoff performance. ZING!!!!
Royals over 75.5:
When speaking to a lot of people outside the draft, this pick baffled them. What nobody realizes is that they won 75 games last season. They’ve made some improvements to a young pitching staff and although most of this lineup is inexperienced, I find that as an advantage. This team is hungry. It’s after the fact, but look how they handled the Yankees. Plus, I like Trey Hillman as the manager. I mean, he beat Bobby V in the Japanese World Series for crying out loud!
Angels over 88.5:
The AL West champs have been my go to team and I wasn’t changing that this year. The over under had them dropping 12 wins from last year and I just didn’t see that happening. Yeah, they are getting older and they’ve gotten off to a slow start, obviously, with Lackey, Santana and Escobar all out to start the season, but once they return, this team will take off. I hope…I hope.
Mets over 89.5:
I mean, really, what else would you expect from me? I knew Dave and Mike wouldn’t go anywhere near this pick, so I saved it for the end. Look, the Mets won 89 games last year. Clearly, the biggest reason they didn’t win any more than that was their bullpen. Fixed that. The rotation isn’t great, I know, but Johan is just drop dead nasty. If big Pelf can avoid the sophomore slump in his second full year,
And so that’s that. Very soon, I will be posting the first update, possibly later today.
Rainmain: And for the record...I lined up 10 picks. I got 6 of them, 3 others were picked between you and Hirx. The only one not picked was Baltimore under 71.5.
