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2008 World Series Predictions & Season
Preview
There’s
no need to beat around the
bush, let’s cut right to the
chase with my 2008 World
Series predictions.
The
Angels picked up Torii
Hunter and Jon Garland. The
Tigers picked up
Dontrelle Willis and Miguel
Cabrera. The
Red Sox are going to
battle with virtually the
same team that won the World
Series last year and I still
like their chances the best
to make the World Series
again in 2008. Boston has
won two championships in the
past four seasons and they
have one thing that many of
the other talented teams
don’t have - experience.
While other contenders also
have talented pitching
staffs, the Red Sox have a
staff that has proven that
it can perform in big games.
AL Cy Young Award winner C.
C. Sabathia found out that
pitching in the postseason
is a whole new ball of wax.
Boston’s Josh Beckett was
even better under the
pressure of the playoffs.
With Beckett pitching two
games in a series, the Red
Sox have a great shot at
winning. And offensively,
Manny Ramirez and David
Ortiz have been among the
game’s best clutch hitters
for years now. However, it
was Mike Lowell who really
stepped up last season and
earned the World Series MVP
award. I like Boston to
advance to the World Series
from the AL.
Don’t expect to see the
Rockies back in the
World Series in 2008.
Division rival
Arizona has a better
chance with the acquisition
of Dan Haren. The
Mets are hoping that the
addition of Johan Santana
will allow them to avoid
another late season slump. I
don’t think either of these
moves are good enough to
keep the
Chicago Cubs out of the
World Series in the 100th
anniversary year since they
last won a title. The Cubs
have a batting order that I
believe will be the best in
baseball in 2008. Alfonso
Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, and
Derrek Lee are all guys who
can hit 30 homeruns and add
100-plus RBIs. The addition
of Japanese superstar Kosuke
Fuudome makes this lineup
even more potent. Durability
in the Cubs starting
rotation and pen used to be
a problem, but now the Cubs
have four starters which can
pitch 200 innings. This is a
staff which had led the
league in strikeouts seven
straight seasons. The
ability to sit batters down
is especially huge in the
postseason. With Carlos
Marmol emerging as a top
reliever and Kerry Wood
content with being a
fireballer out of the pen,
the Cubs have a team capable
of winning it all.
Besides the fact that it is
very difficult to put
together back-to-back
championship seasons, I look
for the Cubs to be a
hungrier team than the Red
Sox this year. They had a
disappointing showing in
last year’s playoffs and
there isn’t a player on this
squad that doesn’t think
they can win it all.
Ultimately, Boston’s right
hand-dominant staff will
prove problematic in a
head-to-head series as the
Cubs crush righty pitching.
You can bet Chicago to win
the
2008 World Series at 12/1
odds at Bodoglife.
For a more in depth look at
the Cubs, check out my 2008
Chicago Cubs predictions.
Check out all of the
odds to win the
2008 World Series.
Updated February 25th, 2008
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