2011 Baseball Predictions

The Return of "THE EXPERT"

Here is the predictions of 2011 Baseball Season, Be ready for some shocking picks, (Or Non-Picks)

Lets review 2010 Picks

AL--Yankees, Tigers, Angels and Wild Card White Sox

Oops only got Yankees, I picked Rangers, Rays and Twins for 3rd

NL--A little better, Phillies, Cards, Giants, Wild card Reds

Got Giants, Did pick Reds for Playoffs

Picked Phillies over Braves for World Series

First some notes,

Red Sox look loaded but they have serious pitching questions, Yankees Starting Rotation could be among the worst in Baseball. The question is who will be this years Rays? Well how about the Rays? But bullpen is a question, How about the Orioles.

Twins, Tigers, White Sox should be a shootout

Can the Rangers even without Lee contend? how about the A's, Are the Angels done?

Phillies on paper should win 125 games, (On Paper) but they have lots of questions in the field, They are getting Old, Is Lee really that good, Oswalt talks about retirement does he have a full tank?, Who knows about Hammels and what about the bullpen again?

The Braves seem to be solid, The Marlins with a tiny payroll seems to over achieve, The Nats could make a jump, and for the 2nd year in a row I predict the Mets lose 100 Games

The Cards have health issues that will cost them. The Brewers have been toying with their fans for years now, Could this be the Year, are the Reds for real. Then there are the Cubs, Astro's and are the Pirates still in the league?

Was the Giants the baseball version of VCU or Butler, and How about the Rockies? They seem poised to make a big Move

American League

AL East

Red Sox (Hitting is the best in Baseball, But relying on Beckett and Lackey?)

Yankees (If AJ Burnett, Hughes and Young Nova come up big the Yankees can win it all)

Orioles (Buck Showalter gets the most out of his teams)

Rays (If the Bullpen finds itself the rays could be a playoff team)

Blue Jays (Oh Well)

AL Central

Twins (Just cannot pick against them)

White Sox* (Wild card Team)

Tigers (Stays in till September)

Royals (Jumps ahead of the Indians)

Indians ( Cleveland hits rock bottom as a Sports City)

AL West

A's (Why Not)

Rangers (Slips from last year)

Mariners (Begins its rise up, May Contend)

Angels (The Mighty has fallen)

National League

NL East

Braves (New Manager, Great results, Much Better)

Phillies (Note no asterisk, That means No Playoffs)

Marlins (Will Fade in 2nd half of season

Nationals (Some Hope in Washington)

Mets (100 losses and contends with Indians, and Pirates as worst team in baseball)

NL Central

Brewers (Good Pitching and good bats)

Reds* (Last year no fluke)

Cubs (Very weak bottom 4 in this division)

Cardinals (Injuries, age and stress of Albert Pujols drags team down)

Astro's (Not Much Hope)

Pirates (Hopeless)

NL West

Rockies (Finally gets over the Top)

Giants (They are good but not that good)

Dodgers (?)

D-Backs (?)

Padres (?)

Playoffs

AL

Red Sox over White sox

Twins over A's

ALCS

Twins over Red Sox (Twins don't have to face Yankees and get over the Top)

NL

Braves over Reds

Brewers over Rockies

NLCS

Braves over Brewers

World Series

Rematch of 1991--Same Result

Twins over Braves

Someday I will be able to replace this shirt

This Shirt is getting Old and Very Smelly.

The Nutball Gazette--Super Bowl Pick

It is here, Green bay Packers vs the Pittsburgh Steelers.

My pre season pick was the Packers over the Ravens

Conference picks--2-0

Playoff picks--7-3

Season picks--160-106

Now the Pick

All indications say this should be a tight game, The Steelers have the experience and "The Experts" say that this is critical, I agree, no way can an experienced team win the Super Bowl in their first trip there against a expierenced team. (Oh Wait)--New Orleans last year, New York Giants (SB 42) Tampa Bay (37)--Patriots (41) since 2000.

The x factors is that Steelers have a key injury in Maurice Pouncey

and also Troy Polamalu is not 100%

Also the Packers over the entire year has lost many players. Matching up the QBs by stats it in not even close, Aaron Rodgers is head and Shoulders above Ben Roethlisberger with the exception of one minor stat. Super Bowl Rings, Big Ben has 2,

I was going back and forth on this till I saw an image and it clinched it for me,

That picture of Green Bay Head Coach Mike McCarthy is touching the Super Bowl Trophy, Everyone knows that what he did was curse the packers and he will never win a Super Bowl as a coach. Of course upon further research Maybe McCarthy's fandom is coming out,

Mike McCarthy was born November 10 1963 and raised in Pittsburgh Pa. and grew up a Steeler Fan

so who is going to win

My Pick

Steelers 27 Patriots 21

The Nutball Gazette-Conference Championship Games

Here we go, After today only one more game to go,

Last week 3-1.

Playoffs so far--5-3

All Year--158-106

My Preseason picks had the Packers over the Falcons in this game

and in the AFC the Ravens over the Texans (oops)

I almost had 2 of the teams but still got one,

How I picked these teams in the preseason

Bears--5-11--Last in the NFC North

Packers--12-4--(Aaron Rogers makes Green bay forget Favre)--Winning Super Bowl

Steelers--8-8--

Jets--8-8,-- big letdown--(Cannot score) they looked awful in the pre-season

Not too good, Now you know why I am called "The Expert"

NFC Game

Packers @ Bears

Good defense on both sides Just staying with what I thought in the pre-season This is the Packers year, Rodgers has become among the best in the NFL, and Clay Mathews III is a monster on defense and I can not see Jay Cutler overcoming this

Packers-24--Bears-10

AFC Game

Quiet week in the talking front, The Steelers are a proven winner, Ben Roethlisberger has been playing hurt and does not put up the big numbers like what Brady, Manning, and the other top rated QBs do, but he always seems to make the big play when it is needed the most. Steelers are badly banged up on the O-Line and that can present problems for Big Ben and the Jets have the Defense to do just that,

The Jets have been one game away from the Super Bowl 4 times before, Winning one time vs the Oakland Raiders in the AFL Tittle game on their way to winning Super Bowl 3 vs the Colts

Also was painful losses to the Colts last year after leading at the 1/2 only to lose,

Fact is the Jets have led or been tied at the 1/2 in every game. Also losing to the Denver Broncos

in 1998 and the worst one was losing to the Miami Dolphins in the infamous Richard Todd to AJ Duhe game, I still have nightmares about that game

So here are the Jets with a resurgent running game and also some big play receivers including former Steeler hero Antonio Holmes, The Jets have what it takes to win this game,

So What do I see happening, I see the Jets playing tough and a low scoring game and the Jets will have the lead in this game maybe in the 4th Quarter, But Big Ben and the Steelers make the big plays once again and the Final Score and a dagger in my Heart too

Steelers-17 Jets 13

I am so bummed

I just can't catch a break in my Picks, I never have a perfect week,

Here I am 3-0 and all I have to do is get the easiest game in the history of the NFL to pick to go my way,

Everyone knew the Jets had no chance to beat the Patriots, So I figured I was going to have my first undefeated week, But NOOOOOOO! The Jets had to go and win.

I am not sure how to deal with this,

http://www.hark.com/clips/fhkzxmzmgx-j-e-t-s

Got to Love the Optimism of Met Fans

Last Season On my way home one day, I stopped to watch a New York Mets baseball game that was being played in a Citi Field. As I sat down behind the bench on the first- base line, I asked one of the players what the score was 'We're behind 14 to nothing,' he answered With a smile. 'Really,' I said... 'I have to say you don't look very discouraged.' 'Discouraged?', the Player asked with a Puzzled look on his face... 'Why should we be discouraged? We haven't Been up to bat yet.'

The Nutball Gazette-The Expert-Divisional Round Playoffs

First lets honor the 42nd Anniversary of Super Bowl 3 and the New York Jets of the Old AFL beating the ten Baltimore Colts of the big unbeatable NFL

We are through the Wild Card round--We had a Earth Shaking game, Literally when Marshawn Lynch made an astonishing 67-yard touchdown run there was actual seismic activity at the moment Lynch made his incredible run, Also a stunning upset in the AFC as the Jets overcame a last minute Field Goal by the Colts that gave the Colts what appeared to be a win only to get a great runback from Warren Cromartie to set up a last second Field goal to send the Jets to Foxbourgh to face the Patriots (Oh Joy)

Now we go on,

Last Week 2-2

Saturday

Ravens @ Steelers (This is a blood rivalry, It is always close and goes down to the last minute, The Ravens are coming off a short week and the Steelers are coming off a Bye week-That should make the difference

Steelers-20 Ravens-16

Packers @ Falcons (Packers had to win out to make the Playoffs, Falcons coasted during the season and also dominated at home till the last game, Packers appear to be peaking and discovered a running game, I just don't buy the Falcons)

Packers-27 Falcons-17

Sunday

Seahawks @ Bears (If Saturdays game goes as I predict and the Seahawks win they get to host the NFC Championship Game, It ain't going to happen)

Bears-31 Seahawks 13

Now the game we have all been waiting for and the one you all want to know how "The Expert" will pick

Jets @ Patriots (http://www.hark.com/clips/fhkzxmzmgx-j-e-t-s)--(The Patriots are playing as good of ball as any team has done in a very long time, This Patriots team seems to be better than the 16-0 Patriots team of 2007, I would say this team rivals the dominance of the 85 Bears.

The Jets have been a quite good team most of the time, when they need a big play late they almost always get it, They win ugly but they do win, This week Rex Ryan has opened his pie hole and has gotten Patriot Land all riled up and then Warren Cromartie Really got things going in Patriot Land. Now History has shown us that when the Patriots win big games they win with a last second Field Goal, It is to Football like what Mariano Rivera is to the Yankees, History has also shown the The Hammer Of God (Rivera) has also blown Games that have cost the Yankees,

97 vs Indians, 01 vs D-Backs and yes 04 vs Red Sox with that being said, I have a vision that the Patriots and jets will be in a epic battle with the jets ahead by 2 points and the Patriots getting the ball on their own 6 yard line with 43 seconds left and 2 time outs, Brady Pulls out more magic and drives the Patriots down to the 5 Yard Line of the Jets with one second left and all the Patriots have to do is kick a unmissable 23 Yard Field Goal to rip the hearts Jet Fans once again

BUT this time the Field Goal will hit the upright and bounce out and the Jets advance to the AFC Championship game, and as I see the Ball bounce off the upright my Alarm Clock goes off and I wake up)

Patriots-31 Jets-23