As the calendar turns to the month of April, so does the theme for Boomer's weekly Tuesday post. Ladies and Gentlemen I introduce you to, "Boomer's Diamond Notes". Topics to be discussed and covered will be the seasons of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians (of course) along with divisional races, league stats and such, and possibly some updates on Boomer's fantasy baseball team(s) "I got two this summer". So, if you are ready, let Boomer be your guide for the 2012 MLB season. First off, this week Boomer lets you all in on his divisional predictions, his picks for this seasons awards (MVP, Cy Young and Manager of the Year) and dishes out some general information about the National League. Go Reds!
1) Philadelphia Phillies 2011 record: 102-60 2012 projected wins: 95
- Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Papelbon...yeah, that should win you a divisional crown.
2) Atlanta Braves 2011 record: 89-73 2012 projected wins: 90 **Wild Card**
- Chippers final season, yeah even another September collapse, won't keep the Braves from making the playoffs this season, due to the new MLB Playoff format.
3) Miami Marlins 2011 record: 72-90 2012 projected wins: 87
- New look, New stadium, New players, New manager....same results, baseball's not played on paper, however the Marlins have the potential to be a sleeper/dark horse in the NL East this season.
4) Washington Nationals 2011 season: 80-81 2012 projected wins: 84
- This roster needs one more year, to be considered a contender, but the days in the Nations Capital are getting a little brighter for the Nationals.
5) New York Mets 2011 season: 77-85 2012 projected wins: 75
- Questions in the front office, result in negative outcomes for the guys on the diamond, a last place finish is likely for the Mets this season.
NL Central Division
1) Cincinnati Reds 2011 season: 79-83 2012 projected wins: 90
- It's the Reds to lose, how the off-season deals work out will determine if the Reds win their 2nd NL Central Championship in three seasons. Regardless, Votto's a Red 4-Life!
2) St. Louis Cardinals 2011 season: 90-72 2012 projected wins: 87
- With their big man gone to LA and a new manager, the Cardinals struggle, and theres no late 2011 push to the World Series Championship this time around, Albert will be missed in so many ways.
3) Milwaukee Brewers 2011 season: 96-66 2012 projected wins: 86
- Brewers to are left without their big guy in the middle of the lineup, with Prince Fielder bolting to Detroit Rock City. Brew Crew hang around, but in the end miss Fielder's bat in the heart of the lineup.
4) Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 season: 72-90 2012 projected wins: 75
- The Pirates move closer to win number 82, but make it an even 20 straight years of losing seasons in the 'Burgh.
5) Chicago Cubs 2011 season: 71-91 2012 projected wins: 74
- The Cubs finally have the right guy in the front office (Theo!), now if they can just get the right pieces on the diamond, they will be ok. Man, its been a long time since 1908 for the Northsiders of Chi Town.
6) Houston Astros 2011 season: 56-106 2012 projected wins: 60
- Well its a 162-game season, you got to believe the Astros win a handful of them, right?
NL West Division
1) Arizona Diamondbacks 2011 season: 94-68 2012 projected wins: 92
- The D'Backs continue to have success under Manger Kirk Gibson, and win back-to-back divisional crowns, but can they take that next step in the playoffs?
2) San Francisco Giants 2011 season: 86-76 2012 projected wins: 88 **Wild Card**
- This team does not allow many runs, the problem is can they score any runs, I believe they score just enough to grab a Wild Card spot.
3) Los Angeles Dodgers 2011 season: 82-79 2012 projected wins: 82
- Now that Magic Johnson shares ownership to this club, the buzz is back for the Dodgers, however, it might take a year or two to get them back on top in the West.
4) Colorado Rockies 2011 season: 73-89 2012 projected wins: 78
- Hey, what do you think the chances are Peyton Manning takes in a Rockies game this summer?
5) San Diego Padres 2011 season: 71-91 2012 projected wins: 72
- Bright side for Padres fans, limited number of rainouts in San Diego, thats about it.
National League Awards
MVP: Joey Votto
Cy Young: Roy Halladay
Manager: Ozzie Guillen
Wild Card: Braves over Giants
NLDS: Phillies over Braves , Reds over Diamondbacks
NLCS: Phillies over Reds
