Featuring Colin Hecht & Trevor Utley
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By Trevor Utley featuring Josh Souza, Colin Hecht, Matt Sieczkiewicz, Andrew daSilva, & Andrew Sanford Before each baseball season myself and my friends would make our picks for the upcoming baseball season. This year we actually documented our selections on the site so that at the end of it all we could not only mock each other for such horrible prognosticating skills, but you the reader could do the same. So take a trip down memory lane with us and let's recap the sheer stupidity we exuded during Spring Training. ALL STAR SELECTIONS We'll get this one out of the way early because this was entirely a solo mission on my part. We may expand it to include everybody next year just so I don't feel like an even bigger idiot than I already do. If you went through any of the 30 Teams in Under 30 Days articles ahead of the 2015 season, you would have seen my picks for All-Stars from each team at the bottom of each article. I was looking to improve from my performance from last year in which I hit on 45% on the American League All-Stars and 37% on the National League All-Stars. I know that isn't setting the bar very high, but even that low leap was too much for me to handle. I regressed significantly to 36% for the AL and 33% for the NL. While there was plenty of pats on the back for nailing sneaky selections like Tampa Bay closer Brad Boxberger and Yankees set-up man Dellin Betances, there were ten times as many "What the fuck were you thinking?" picks made. Here are some of the best gems from the NL:
Somehow the American League was so much worse...
AWARD SELECTIONS Now that my individual shaming has been completed, let's go on to the group humiliation portion of the article! Between the six of us we were able to only get three awards picked correctly. It was a parade of failure as you scrolled down to each successive block of embarrassing forecasts. Well, here's the first float now! MVP I'm just going to say now that Sanford picked Joe Kelly for every award. So when you see me completely ignoring his input over the next several paragraphs, that is why. American League MVP was an award that we all went all in on. It was Mike Trout or bust for the BYC boys and Josh Donaldson made sure we all suffered the bust half of that equation. On the National League side, Josh was the only person with the vision to see Bryce Harper morph from a floppy haired doofus to a floppy haired doofus with an MVP trophy on his mantle. Colin had a big swing and a miss with Yasiel Puig. A freak injury wiped out what would have been a solid pick for Matt and Andrew in Giancarlo Stanton. My pick of Andrew McCutchen placed fifth in the voting. Light golf clap for myself. CY YOUNG In all the years we have been making picks as friends, we've never learned not to trust the Seattle Mariners. Again King Felix did the majority of us in. The other non-Joe Kelly selection made was Corey Kluber by Andrew. Kluber couldn't quite recapture the magic of his 2014 Cy Young win, but was better than his 9-16 record suggested. Our two guys finished with 13 combined Cy Young vote points, which would have been good enough for fifth. Me and Colin got burned by Johnny Cueto's trade in the NL Cy Young, but that is shame on us for not thinking that a guy who had been on the trade block for five years wasn't finally going to get shipped in his contract year. The other three actual pickers made respectable misses in Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer. I don't think Jake Arrieta or even Zack Greinke came up in any of our preseason conversations. Boo us. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Rookie of the Year is always one of the hardest awards to project and in the AL this year it was no different. There was such an influx of rookies that not one of us picked the same guy to take home the prize. Not one of us picked the right guy, Houston's Carlos Correa, either. Well at least the majority of us had that puncher's chance. Josh's pick of Francisco Lindor even finished second to Correa. Colin though...oh Colin, Colin, Colin...he picked Mookie Betts, a player ineligible to win the award. Yup that about wraps that up. The National League ROY was much easier. Just pick a Cub. The majority of us for once actually picked the right one as Kris Bryant took the league by storm, made the All-Star Team and won the award unanimously. Point at laugh at Andrew! Not the one that picked Joe Kelly, the one who went against the grain and picked the wrong Cub Jorge Soler. MUAHAHHAHAHA! It's nice to laugh at someone else's terrible picks for once. MANAGER OF THE YEAR We continued the time honored preseason picks tradition of picking a Manager of the Year that ends up being fired. Just a week after the season ended, Mariners' manager Lloyd McClendon (whom three of us picked to win Manager of the Year) got the axe. Can't trust the Mariners...blah blah blah...we never learn...yada yada yada. Colin actually came the closest for once with his pick of Toronto manager John Gibbons. He finished fourth in the voting and even got a first place vote! Way to go Colin! We strive for mediocrity! The NL Manager of the Year picks showed that the two NL fans in the lot didn't know as much about the NL as we thought we did. While the three AL fans all picked correctly with Joe Maddon, the two NL fans watched their pick Matt Williams get a pink slip after Washington failed to make the postseason. Oh Washington, you and your miserable 2015 is going to feature very heavily in this next segment. LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP AND WORLD SERIES SELECTIONS The Royals proved 2014 was no fluke as they returned to the World Series and won the whole damned thing. None of us picked Kansas City to even LOSE in the ALCS. The Indians, Orioles, Angels, Red Sox, and those pesky Mariners all factored into our choices coming out of the AL, but the champs didn't even get a sniff. The only thing you are sniffing right now is the putrid stench coming from said choices. The Mets came out of left field this year to take the National League, besting the Cubs and Dodgers on their way to the Fall Classic. So of course the kid who picked Joe Kelly to win every award was the only one to choose the Mets to win the National League. We'll ignore that he had them beating the Marlins in the NLCS and give credit where it is due. Colin and Matt both at least had playoff teams in those Cubs and Dodgers, although they each picked them to win it all. Myself, Josh, and Andrew though fell victim to the Nationals hype machine. Not only did we pick the Nats to take the NL, we picked them to win the whole shebang. I can't even make fun of Sanford's Red Sox pick right now I feel so downtrodden. I miss baseball. I am already looking forward to making horrendous picks next spring. At least I have our EPL picks to hang on to in the mean time. Oh wait, I picked Manchester City to finish outside the Top 4? FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! By Trevor Utley Since yesterday's technological mishap, I've become incredibly paranoid about writing this piece again. In fact, this is being typed in a word document and also being transferred onto a NotePad. The computer NotePad not pen and paper, yet some of you know my affinity for writing every inane detail down. To avoid the near psychological break I underwent yesterday, I am just going to combine all five articles into little blurbs and be done with it. Opening Day's already come and gone so you already know who's down what and where with the four teams left. I've already been proven way off base with some of my other 26 previews. Without further adieu, or catastrophic mental meltdown, the top four of 30 Teams In Under 30 Days as well as our picks for the 2015 MLB awards, pennants, and World Series champions. #4- Los Angeles Dodgers: My beloved boys in blue are the class of the NL West. They'll win the division going away and showed yesterday that they have a pretty damn resilient team even with that pesky Matt Kemp going all ghost of Christmas past on them. I swear to you I had Jimmy Rollins listed as an All-Star before that three run home run gave me a chub in the middle of my weeping. In the end, how far the Dodgers will advance will depend on whether or not old #22 can stop being #2 come postseason. LAST YEAR'S RANKING: #3 (DOWN 1) PREDICTED RECORD: 94-68 PREDICTED ALL-STAR REPS: Clayton Kershaw (starting pitcher), Zack Greinke (starting pitcher), Adrian Gonzalez (first baseman), Jimmy Rollins (shortstop), Yasiel Puig (outfielder) #3- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: They may have lost on Opening Day, but it was to King Felix so don't read too much into it. The Angels flipped the switch in the middle of last year and I think it will have a carry-over effect into 2015. Mike Trout will probably finish Top 3 on the AL MVP ballot for the next ten years barring a contraction of Ebola or a fling with a Kardashian. Garrett Richards will be even better than last year when he recovers from surgery. It is World Series or bust this year. Scroll down to see if I busted them or not. LAST YEAR'S RANKING: #9 (UP 6) PREDICTED RECORD: 95-77 PREDICTED ALL-STAR REPS: Mike Trout (outfielder), Garrett Richards (starting pitcher), Albert Pujols (first baseman), Huston Street (relief pitcher) #2- Baltimore Orioles: We all slept on the Orioles last year and all ended up looking like fools. If I am going to look like a fool, I'd rather it be because I overrated a team rather than underestimating them. The Orioles have already started their baseball bashing ways and none of yesterday's three homers even came from Chris Davis or Adam Jones. There is a good chance when you drafted your fantasy baseball team, you bypassed every Oriole outside of the aforementioned duo or Manny Machado. The Orioles will be living the real life fantasy though as they cruise to the division title once again. LAST YEAR'S RANKING: #19 (UP 17) PREDICTED RECORD: 95-77 PREDICTED ALL-STAR REPS: Adam Jones (outfielder), Travis Snider (outfielder), Zach Britton (relief pitcher) #1- Washington Nationals: By process of elimination you knew this was going to be Washington. Everybody picked Washington. Why should my dumb ass be any different? They have an All-Star team for a starting rotation. They have a dynamic lineup. They also trotted out Dan Uggla as their Opening Day second baseman. The Giants had Dan Uggla on their team last season. The Nationals are winning the World Series. LAST YEAR'S RANKING: #6 (UP 5) PREDICTED RECORD: 98-64 PREDICTED ALL-STAR REPS: Max Scherzer & Stephen Strasburg & Jordan ZImmermann & Doug Fister (starting pitchers), Bryce Harper (outfielder), Ian Desmond (shortstop) 2015 BLEEDING YOUR COLORS AWARD WINNERS AND PENNANT SELECTIONSThanks to all that came along for another journey through the 30 Major League teams in under 30 days time. Special thanks to Josh Souza, Colin Hecht (even though he picked an ineligible ROY in Mookie Betts), Matt Sieczkiewicz, Andrew daSilva, and Andrew Sanford (who picked Joe Kelly for all he could) for making picks. Give those fine gentlemen a follow on Twitter. Check back throughout the 2015 Major League Baseball season for more from me, and hopefully others, here on Bleeding Your Colors. PLAY BALL! Image Credits: All team logos (sportslogos.net); Trout, Kelly, Hernandez, Kershaw, Cueto, Puig, Stanton, McCutchen, Kluber, Soler, Bryant, Lindor, Betts, Sanchez, Harper, Scherzer (espn.com); Souza Jr. (statliners.com); Rodon (southsideshowdown.com); Francona (hardballtalk.nbcsports.com); Gibbons (jaysjournal.com); McClendon (seattlepi.com); Maddon (thebiglead.com); Williams (pixshark.com) Featuring Trevor Utley, Lou Kessler, & Andrew Sanford
Featuring Trevor Utley, Lou Kessler, and Al deCiutiis
Featuring Trevor Utley, Andrew Sanford, & Lou Kessler By Trevor Utley As a Dodgers fan and an eternal pessimist, I am scared that I have the Dodgers this high. They have all the talent in the world, including in my opinion the best pitcher currently on the planet in Clayton Kershaw. They will win the NL West with little opposition and are the favorite to win the National League pennant in most circles. Why am I so worried then? It's because it's the fucking Dodgers that's why. They always find new creative ways to pull the rug out from under me. Kershaw's meltdown against St. Louis in the NLCS last year was just the latest installment in my saga of Dodger misery. Even with all this negativity coursing through my veins, I still could not rank the Dodgers any lower than this. Hey, they are already the best team in baseball at 2-0! The previously mentioned Mr. Kershaw heads a staff that is one of the best in the sport. Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu (HADOUKEN!) went 15-4 and 16-8 respectively last year though neither hit the 200 inning mark. Dan Haren was brought in as a free agent. Haren had a rough go of it in Washington last year but I think a return to the West Coast, pitching in pitcher's paradise Dodger Stadium, will be the tonic to cure Haren's ills. The fifth spot is a toss up between two candidates: Josh Beckett (who was filled diaper foul in '13) and Paul Maholm (14-16 in 1 1/2 seasons in Atlanta). Former All-Star Chad Billingsley still lurks as an option whilst recovering from yet another injury but don't sleep on Stephen Fife (who pitched well last year) or Zach Lee (top pitching prospect) either. The pen leading up to closer Kenley Jansen is chock full of closers (Brian Wilson, Brandon League, Chris Perez) and dynamic arms (Paco Rodriguez, Chris Withrow) so they'll be all set if the Curacaoan struggles. The lineup however poses some important questions. Question One: Is Yasiel Puig due for a sophomore slump with his antics already getting on manager Don Mattingly's nerves? I think Puig will be an MVP some day (some analysts even have them as their pick this year) but for all his exploits he still makes you pull your hair out. Overthrown cut off men and baserunning bungles can make just as big of an impact as a home run in close games. It is crazy to say that an All-Star needs to sure up the fundamentals but Puig does. Question Two: Who joins Puig in the outfield? They have four All-Star caliber options without the AL designated hitter as a safety net. Matt Kemp will be the odd man out come Opening Day but what will happen when he makes his return in the first weeks of April? I think Andre Ethier will sadly be jettisoned (even if the Dodgers can afford to keep him) to solidify the infield but I don't agree that it should happen. Question Three: Can said infield stay healthy? Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, and Juan Uribe have shown fragility in recent years but for this team to contend they'll need all three to be healthy. They'll be needed even more since both second baseman candidates Alexander Guerrero and Dee Gordon are natural shortstops learning a new position. When I write it all out, I keep telling myself that this is the year that the rug stays under my feet. I truly hope letting my guard down doesn't end up with me on my ass again. PREDICTED RECORD: 97-65 PREDICTED ALL-STAR REPS: Yasiel Puig, outfielder; Clayton Kershaw, starting pitcher; Zack Greinke, starting pitcher; Hanley Ramirez, shortstop Image Credit: Dodgers logo (sportslogos.net) By Trevor Utley Friday night's game was a mess. Clayton Kershaw, the should be unanimous NL Cy Young, had a meltdown not quite in Rick Ankiel's neighborhood but it moved in a block away. Yasiel Puig forgot what a cutoff man was and when he did hit one Adrian Gonzalez left his Gold Glove at home. Carl Crawford was the only person to reach base more than once. He was erased on a double play the first time and the second time he watched as three batted balls didn't reach the outfield grass. Carlos Marmol's two innings were a bright spot. Even after this collective unraveling, I am still proud of my 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers. After 72 games I could not say that about this team. They sat, or should I say laid down, in last place in the NL West, 9.5 games out of first, and just came off being bested by the immortal Nick Vincent and future Hall of Famer Tim Stauffer in back to back games. Stauffer came in after just two Clayton Richard pitches and beat some other guy named Clayton in the process. It was the end of June and I was ready for the season to be over. I'll admit it--I had no faith. I had no faith in Carl Crawford getting healthy or Hanley Ramirez ever being Hanley Ramirez again. That Adrian Gonzalez would muster the power to get a ball out of the infield or that Clayton Kershaw could get more than two meager runs of support. I couldn't imagine Brandon League saving 15% on his car insurance by switching to Geico, never mind saving a Major League game. I'd go to bed most nights with the Vin Scully radio broadcast playing, thinking to myself "Why am I torturing myself with this team?" Then something clicked. Following those losses the Dodgers went 62-28, far and away the best mark in the Majors. Exactly a month later they were in first place. The boys in blue didn't lose back to back games until another month after that. But what changed? Dead weight starters Josh Beckett and Ted Lilly, who combined to go 0-7, hadn't pitched in weeks. Hanley had made his return to the field several weeks prior coinciding with the debut of the dynamo Puig and they both absolutely raked. Kenley Jansen had retaken the closer reigns from Brandon League. The collective calling for manager Don Mattingly’s dismissal went silent. I knew Los Angeles had the talent to be legitimate contenders but usually when a west coast super team hits a rough patch they don’t usually bounce back (see 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers & 2013 Los Angeles Angels). The sudden team cohesion was a revelation. The pitching staff rounded into form as the three workhorses at the top (Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-jin Ryu) combined to go 30-11 the rest of the way. The July 6th trade for Miami’s Ricky Nolasco gave them one of the deepest rotations in the Bigs, even with his brutal September. Combined with solid outings from the likes of youngster Stephen Fife and journeyman Chris Capuano they didn’t give opposing hitters a chance to have a proverbial day off. The offense took the kick start from the duo of Puig and Ramirez and never looked back. Having the former in front of him and the latter behind him seemed to give Adrian Gonzalez his stroke back. Role players that had populated the starting lineup over the earlier months returned to the bench. In the poignant words of the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage, the cream of the crop had risen to the top. But as a team with a league leading 220 million dollar payroll shouldn’t I have had high aspirations for them? You’re talking to a person who is also a New York Knicks fan. I am used to funds being horribly mismanaged. It is commonplace for me to see players brought in on mind numbing salaries just to have the rug ripped out from under me when they don’t even scratch a marginal level of production. I no longer have the privilege of being excited about a player’s resume because that usually leads to nothing but disappointment when they put on my favorite team’s uniform. I didn’t know what to do when this trend reversed itself this summer. It takes a great deal of effort to appreciate a great piece of architecture when you are continually waiting for a scud missile to come and reduce it to rubble.
That is why I am proud to be a Dodgers fan today. What could have been a lost season turned into one of promise. A promise that I don’t have to worry about seeing a hefty contract doled out to a player and wait for him to become a shell of what he once was. A promise that I could watch a sport that had continually deconstructed my psyche and have it be fun again. A promise that the new owners and new players have made a commitment to the fans to not put a subpar product on the diamond. In response to this display I have made a promise to them as well as to myself to never let my faith in them waver again. Gone are the days of front office deceit and healthy players who played like injured ones. Gone also are my days of keeping my Dodger gear buried in the closet due to shame and anger. Living in New England I have seen how those who stick with a team at their lowest get the greatest rewards when the trend turns. I can only hope that I am similarly rewarded in the coming seasons even though I may not deserve it. My convenient pride may not be worthy but I know plenty of Dodgers fans whose it is and to those they deserve this trend to finally turn. Trevor Utley is currently the only writer on this site. Hopefully for him and you that will change soon. Video Credit: CGatto (Youtube) |
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