But you still need to activate your account.
It’s time to uncover the invisible ink for yet another season of incorrigible major league baseball predictions.
The Sox and Yanks, the Yanks and Sox, and here we go again. This should be a down-to-the-wire year, and injuries will make the difference.
If Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia improve even slightly, the Sox will have the growth they need to win. Josh Beckett needs to be healthy, but the Sox staff is solid.
The Yanks cannot afford to have Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina in and out with injuries. The season has started that way for Pettitte. The offense will produce runs, but Hideki Matsui is aging along with Johnny Damon and even Jorge Posada.
Toronto must have Scott Rolen off the disabled list and 100 percent. If the Sox and Yankees slump, Toronto, with Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett heading a rotation that will get runs from a deep lineup, could be a surprise.
Baltimore will work on rebuilding and Tampa Bay has a chance to be the turn-around club of the year. Scott Kazmir, James Shields and Matt Garza form a young and good top three starters.
Detroit, in losing its first three, relearned you still have to play 162. They will and will win the Central with runs upon runs.
Cleveland will be the wild card since the East teams will beat up on each other while the Indians pick up wins against the White Sox, Royals and Twins.
The Angels take the West with old-fashioned pitching and defense. Seattle won’t be far behind, but this is a weak division with Oakland and Texas.
The Braves win the NL East, yes, over the Mets and Phils, even without Mike Hampton. The Mets’ pitching will cost them; Pedro Martinez will struggle to get through the year.
The Phils are too combustible. Washington will join Tampa Bay as a turnaround team, and the Marlins will be last.
You can pick ’em in the NL Central. The Cubs should win the weakest division in baseball, but they are the Cubs. The Reds’ pitching is better than most think, and the Cubs had best be careful. The Brewers, Astros and Cardinals will have their days but not a season.
Joe Torre is that good and the Dodgers have enough to win the NL West. Jeff Kent is one of the most underrated players in the game and a future Hall of Famer. It may be his last year and he could have an MVP season.
The Rockies are as good as they finished last year but cannot expect the breaks they got last year to make the postseason.
Arizona is a balanced team that is tough to play against, and the Padres have pitching that always makes them a contender with Jake Peavy leading the way. The Giants are going to have a long year.
The Sox will beat Cleveland and then Detroit, which will have won over the Angels. The Braves best the Central winners (Cincy) and the Dodgers down Philly (the wild card). The Dodgers move on against the Sox.
Should be more to celebrate in Boston!
As with all past seasons, this column will self-destruct on July 4 by disappearing to the rockets’ red glare.
bdnsports@bangordailynews.net
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