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From: ugclemon@sunybcs.UUCP (Robert Clemons)
Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Re: Predictions
Message-ID: <1147@sunybcs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Feb-85 11:39:18 EST
Article-I.D.: sunybcs.1147
Posted: Wed Feb 13 11:39:18 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Feb-85 23:26:26 EST
References: <486@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: State University of New York @ Buffalo,NY
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>            If the Yankees finish behind the Red Sox I'll eat my hat or
> cry for a week or both.  The Sox may look good, but its a bit
> much to expect their three young pitchers (Clemans,Boyd,and ???) to become
> big winners with about 4 months of major league ball behind them.  Their
> starting lineup is quite good (even taking into account Fenway) but
> getting on in age.  My analysis is they'll go as far as the staff will
> take them ...


       I don't see how anyone but a Yankee fan would cry for a week if
the Red Sox finished ahead of the Bombers.  I don't see it as unlikely
(or undesireable) as you seem to.  The Sox don't need a great pitching
staff to do well with the hitting they've been getting.  For example,
last season Boston hit .283 as a team (810 runs, 181 HRs) and the 
Yanks hit .276 (758 runs, 130 HRs).  While Boston pitchers had a 
combined ERA of 4.18, the Yankee staff reported in with 3.78.  The 
result : the Yanks finish ONE game ahead.  
       Now, age isn't going to slow the Sox hitting that much.  The old
guys (Armas, Rice, Evans, Easler, Buckner) all had great years last year 
and can be expected to continue doing well for a couple of seasons.  I don't 
expect Boggs, Barrett, Gedman, and Gutierrez to slow for quite a 
while.  
       The pitching staff is young and can only get better.  Judging
from last season, if just one of the young starters has a banner year
he could carry the team to a division title.  The relievers can be
counted on to carry the team over some rough spots.
       If this is a normal year for Boston, everyone will pick them 
to finish 5th and they will end up 3rd or 4th.  I don't think this will
be a normal year (just a hunch).  They should lose the division down
the stretch to Detroit.
       I don't know a whole lot about the Yanks but it looks as though
last year they had too many mediocre players and old, washed up,
pitchers.  I do know that the AL East should be very competitive as 
usual and anyone (except Cleveland) could win it with an amazing
year, assuming of course, that no one runs away with it like last
year.

    My Picks:
               
                Detroit        99   63
                Boston         98   64
                Toronto        89   73
                New York       87   75
                Baltimore      82   80
                Milwaukee      75   87
                Cleveland      73   89


-----------------------------------------------------------------
-- 


    "A man's got to know his limitations."
                                   -- Harry

     Robert Clemons
     SUNY @ Buffalo
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