It's that time again: The 2009 PEBA Predictions Thread

[Tyler]

Spring training is just a few hours away, so it's time to put those thinking caps on! Make your predictions for the PEBA season and post-season in this thread.

IL Dixie Division
West Virginia Coal Sox (110-52)
New Orleans Trendsetters (93-69)
Charleston Statesmen (92-70)
Florida Featherheads (73-89)
San Antonio Calzones de Laredo (70-92)
Kentucky Thoroughbreds (65-97)

IL Pan-Atlantic Division
Gloucester Fishermen (93-69)
New Jersey Hitmen (88-74)
Arlington Bureaucrats (81-81)
Connecticut Nutmeggers (79-83)
London Underground (69-93)
Manchester Maulers (59-103)

Coal Sox def. Statesmen 3-1
Fishermen def. Trendsetters 3-2

Coal Sox def. Fishermen 4-2

SL Desert Hills
Aurora Borealis (115-47)
Bakersfield Bears (101-61)
Palm Springs Codgers (95-67)
Reno Tenpinners (80-82)
Yuma Bulldozers (60-102)
Tempe Knights (56-106)

SL Great Lakes
Crystal Lake Sand Gnats (111-51)
Kalamazoo Badgers (83-79)
Omaha Cyclones (81-81)
Duluth Warriors (75-87)
Canton Longshoremen (61-101)
Fargo Dinosaurs (54-108)

Borealis def. Codgers 3-1
Bears def. Sand Gnats 3-0

Bears def. Borealis 4-3

Coal Sox def. Bears 4-3

[John]

Perhaps we should carry over the Bears' scoring system from the '08 predictions thread:

rules:

pick regular final order of finish and final record & Rodriguez Cup match-up and winner (in how many games)

scoring:

6 point for every correct team order of finish picked.
6 points for every team record picked within 5 games.
20 points for for each correct Rodriguez Cup team picked.
25 points for correctly picking the Rodriguez Cup champion.
40 additional points for correctly picking length of Rodriguez Cup series length (if you pick the series winner)

Get your predictions in! It's always fun to look back at these at the end of the season and see what idiots we were.

[Matt]

Well, last year for the Calzones, I predicted 85 wins. And finished with 80. But was minus 5 to the pythagoran, so I was fairly accurate with assessing my own team.

Offensively, we have issues. We have young guys that will go through growing pains. We have a messed up platoon in right field. We lack power, and even speed is in short supply. Scoring runs will be difficult.

Defensively, the team is solid. We have great leather manning the shortstop/utility infield platoon. Lara will be okay at second, and Robinson could be All-Leather at 3b. Even Aquino is not terrible as 1b go. Gonzalez is mediocre behind the plate, but good defensive backup in Brett. The outfield is solid in left and center with Eaton and Griffin, and Harrington a great defensive replacement. Scott a deent fielder in right, Thomas mediocre but he won't see the field much. Overall, defensively, this is a solid team with no glaring defensive weakness. Most days, we will not beat ourselves.

The starting pitching is a huge question mark, especially if Nicholson and Pena get traded later in the season. Counting on Taylor to be solid, Ageda to be iffy, and Sima to take some lumps as a rookie. I don't think it's as bad as it looks, but I could be wrong.

The bullpen is solid, and with a little defense and some solid bullpen work, I have the feeling we will win our share of close games late.

matching last years 80 wins will be a real stretch. But the dire predictions of 100 losses are well off base. I figure this is about a 72 win team based on talent, but we are due a little bounce in the pythagoran, so let's call it 76-86.

And what will really be the measure of the Calzones sucess this season, 18 million in cash surplus at the end of the season. No, we're not gouging on ticket prices for an inferior product. Not at all.

[klewis]

It's hard for me to predict this season since I am still new and trying to get familiarize with the teams out there.

So I'll follow in the footsteps of Calzones and predict my own season. I predict the Featherheads will be perform similar to last year. Not much has changed witht the team from last year to this year. So I expect about a middle of the pack team hovering around .500. (Don't tell Drew Streets that!).

I'm looking forward the draft, internal development and next year's free agent crop as ways to push Florida out of mediocrity. So this year is more of a wash. It's a period that will be used to evaluate the organization from top to bottom.

[Tyler]

Well, it looks like I was the only one who made predictions, so I guess I win.

Looks like I scored 66 points.

IL Dixie Division
West Virginia Coal Sox (110-52) 0
New Orleans Trendsetters (93-69) 6
Charleston Statesmen (92-70) 0
Florida Featherheads (73-89) 0
San Antonio Calzones de Laredo (70-92) 0
Kentucky Thoroughbreds (65-97) 6

IL Pan-Atlantic Division
Gloucester Fishermen (93-69) 0
New Jersey Hitmen (88-74) 12 (exact record)
Arlington Bureaucrats (81-81) 0
Connecticut Nutmeggers (79-83) 0
London Underground (69-93) 0
Manchester Maulers (59-103) 0

Coal Sox def. Statesmen 3-1
Fishermen def. Trendsetters 3-2

Coal Sox def. Fishermen 4-2

SL Desert Hills
Aurora Borealis (115-47) 6
Bakersfield Bears (101-61) 0
Palm Springs Codgers (95-67) 0
Reno Tenpinners (80-82) 6
Yuma Bulldozers (60-102) 0
Tempe Knights (56-106) 0

SL Great Lakes
Crystal Lake Sandgnats (111-51) 12
Kalamazoo Badgers (83-79) 6
Omaha Cyclones (81-81) 0
Duluth Warriors (75-87) 0
Canton Longshoremen (61-101) 12
Fargo Dinosaurs (54-108) 0

Borealis def. Codgers 3-1
Bears def. Sand Gnats 3-0

Bears def. Borealis 4-3

Coal Sox def. Bears 4-3

[Maulers]

Well, it looks like I was the only one who made predictions, so I guess I win.

Looks like I scored 66 points.

IL Dixie Division
West Virginia Coal Sox (110-52) 0
New Orleans Trendsetters (93-69) 6
Charleston Statesmen (92-70) 0
Florida Featherheads (73-89) 0
San Antonio Calzones de Laredo (70-92) 0
Kentucky Thoroughbreds (65-97) 6

IL Pan-Atlantic Division
Gloucester Fishermen (93-69) 0
New Jersey Hitmen (88-74) 12 (exact record)
Arlington Bureaucrats (81-81) 0
Connecticut Nutmeggers (79-83) 0
London Underground (69-93) 0
Manchester Maulers (59-103) 0

Coal Sox def. Statesmen 3-1
Fishermen def. Trendsetters 3-2

Coal Sox def. Fishermen 4-2

SL Desert Hills
Aurora Borealis (115-47) 6
Bakersfield Bears (101-61) 0
Palm Springs Codgers (95-67) 0
Reno Tenpinners (80-82) 6
Yuma Bulldozers (60-102) 0
Tempe Knights (56-106) 0

SL Great Lakes
Crystal Lake Sandgnats (111-51) 12
Kalamazoo Badgers (83-79) 6
Omaha Cyclones (81-81) 0
Duluth Warriors (75-87) 0
Canton Longshoremen (61-101) 12
Fargo Dinosaurs (54-108) 0

Borealis def. Codgers 3-1
Bears def. Sand Gnats 3-0

Bears def. Borealis 4-3

Coal Sox def. Bears 4-3

Nice call on the Maulers prediction, Tyler.

[Tyler]

Nice call on the Maulers prediction, Tyler.

Hey, you were as surprised as anyone last year.

[Maulers]

Nice call on the Maulers prediction, Tyler.

Hey, you were as surprised as anyone last year.

Well, that's true.