Okay, here goes a couple of dopey hunches I came up with this afternoon:
Javier Vazquez will have an outstanding year.
Jason Giambi will do better than expected, while Sheffield will have a down year.
Jorge Posada will suffer the first serious injury of his career.
Derek Jeter will score 100 runs again.
(Man, do I hope that Bernie can do the same, score 100 runs, and go out looking good.)
And for Cliff’s sake, here’s to the Yanks pick up Placido Planco before the trade deadline this summer.
Enough randomness for now. What you got?
1. You know what game I'm really looking forward to? If and when El Duque pitches against the Yankees. That will be great fun.
2. Ahh, I think the Vazquez thing is the typical Yankee fan panic that anyone we get rid of will kick ass in another town. But you're also probably right. Of course, if RJ stays healthy through October, we won't really mind. I don't see Sheffield having a down year, but I don't expect him to carry the Yankees on his back the way he seemed to for stretches last summer. I think Giambi will be okay - I think his days of big BA are over, but he might have enough pop to put up decent numbers.
Every time someone talks about Placido Polanco, all I can think is "Hey! It's Enrico Palazzo!"
3. A Placido Planco trade would be wonderful. As long as he gets his at bats though, cause he's on my fantasy team.
I say that Matsui will be in the running for MVP this year.
Holy crap Giambi just hit a triple. (sorry for the derail, I just never thought I would see that even in spring training.)
4. AROD has a monster year.
Giambi significantly outplays Tino, and Torre has a tough time taking Tino out of lineup (but needs to DH for Bernie as it gets unbearable at times)
Pavano is average
Mussina is an all-star
5. Jeter scores 120, 900+ OPS
Bernie 850+ OPS
Giambi 850+ OPS
Johnson and Moose both win 20
ARod drives in 110, 1000+ OPS
Matsui drives in 120, top 5 in MVP.
Torre has no trouble taking Tino out of the lineup(Remember 1996?)
Polanco becomes a Yankee. Womack becomes a Devil Ray.
6. Kevin Brown will pitch better than both Pavano and Wright.
Jeter will play league average defense.
The Mets pitching staff will walk more batters than the Yankees batters will walk.
Yankees and Red Sox will have at least 2 bench clearing brawls.
and finally, Colter Bean will pitch 50 innings for the Yankees.
7. I agree about the bench clearing brawls
Add, a wicked slump for Giambino that he gets over by October
Posada goes another year strong
Jeter matures at the plate
ARod dazzles at third
Bernie? No hunch, just a little worried
Randy Johnson has to sit out more than expected
The team starts out slugging but dips quickly and long enough that they have to become, what we've all been waiting for ...
they'll become a team
and ValenTino has the best year of his career
and maybe just maybe
Paulie O will come back
8. oops.
two more hunches:
Mo is going to missing mo' games
And Matsui is going to put up numbers that scare people
Yank fans will revel in the return of the World Championship trophy to New York
out of the hands of those Red Sox
who won't win a World Series again
til 2090