Yes, this blog is still in business. It’s time for our annual look at the Sports Illustrated baseball predictions, all the better to laugh about later when the Cubs do not win the National League pennant. (Yes, that’s what SI has predicted — a Tigers-Cubs World Series, in fact, with the Tigers victorious.) As usual, they are accompanied by a set of predictions made using a quick-and-easy formula found in a Bill James Baseball Abstract from the ’80s (double last season’s win total, add the win total from two years ago, divide by 3).
| Sports Illustrated | Bill James formula |
| AL East | |
| 1. N.Y. Yankees (94-68) | 1. N.Y. Yankees (95-67) |
| 2. Boston Red Sox (92-70) | 2. Boston Red Sox (95-67) |
| 3. Toronto Blue Jays (87-75) | 3. Toronto Blue Jays (84-78) |
| 4. Tampa Bay Rays (80-82) | 4. Baltimore Orioles (69-93) |
| 5. Baltimore Orioles (64-98) | 5. Tampa Bay Rays (64-98) |
| AL Central | |
| 1. Detroit Tigers (90-72) | 1. Cleveland Indians (90-72) |
| 2. Cleveland Indians (89-73) | 2. Detroit Tigers (90-72) |
| 3. Chicago White Sox (77-85) | 3. Minnesota Twins (85-77) |
| 4. Kansas City Royals (73-89) | 4. Chicago White Sox (78-84) |
| 5. Minnesota Twins (72-90) | 5. Kansas City Royals (67-95) |
| AL West | |
| 1. L.A. Angels (87-75) | 1. L.A. Angels (92-70) |
| 2. Seattle Mariners (82-80) | 2. Seattle Mariners (85-77) |
| 3. Oakland Athletics (75-87) | 3. Oakland Athletics (82-80) |
| 4. Texas Rangers (72-90) | 4. Texas Rangers (77-89) |
| NL East | |
| 1. N.Y. Mets (91-71) | 1. N.Y. Mets (91-71) |
| 2. Philadelphia Phillies (86-76) | 2. Philadelphia Phillies (88-74) |
| 3. Atlanta Braves (85-77) | 3. Atlanta Braves (82-80) |
| 4. Washington Nationals (73-89) | 4. Florida Marlins (73-89) |
| 5. Florida Marlins (72-90) | 5. Washington Nationals (72-90) |
| NL Central | |
| 1. Chicago Cubs (91-71) | 1. Milwaukee Brewers (80-82) |
| 2. Cincinnati Reds (87-75) | 2.St. Louis Cardinals (80-82) |
| 3. Milwaukee Brewers (85-77) | 3. Chicago Cubs (79-83) |
| 4. Houston Astros (74-88) | 4. Houston Astros (76-86) |
| 5. St. Louis Cardinals (73-89) | 5. Cincinnati Reds (75-87) |
| 6. Pittsburgh Pirates (70-92) | 6. Pittsburgh Pirates (68-94) |
| NL West | |
| 1. Colorado Rockies (89-73) | 1. San Diego Padres (89-73) |
| 2. Arizona Diamondbacks (88-74) | 2. Colorado Rockies (85-77) |
| 3. L.A. Dodgers (85-77) | 3. Arizona Diamondbacks (85-77) |
| 4. San Diego Padres (79-83) | 4. L.A. Dodgers (84-78) |
| 5. San Francisco Giants (68-94) | 5. San Francisco Giants (73-89) |
In other news, although I have upgraded my TV watching to high-definition since last year, I have also had a schedule change at my job. I now work a normal Monday-through-Friday week, which means I will not be at home to watch the Opening Day games, as I did in 2007 and 2006 and 2005. Sorry about that. Perhaps by 2009, I will be independently wealthy, or I’ll use a day of vacation time.
Ouch. That’s a bad NL Central, according to the Bill James formula. Sadly, I fear that the SI pick is probably closer to right for the Cardinals.
I’m calling Mets, Brewers, and Padres for the National League, with Cubs as a wildcard. Brewers will go on to beat the Tigers in a long series that highlights the Great Lakes shipping industry.
Those who underestimate the Rays will be right again, as usual.
Booger Powell