3 to watch: Weekend predictions

We're only doing three this week because of the barrage of meaningless matchups.

1. The Adam-Bob showdown will be close all the way until Sunday night.
For a division race that has lasted all season long, should we expect anything less than this?

2. Joe, unfortunately, will not be close to losing that final playoff spot.
Thanks for showing up this week, Dave.

3. Chris will not win more than two pitching categories.
And, for this, he will drop to the 6 seed in the playoffs and get stuck playing Adam or Bob instead of Andy.


Read more!

Reviewing the weekend predictions

1. There will be a tie this weekend.
Incorrect. There were a bunch of blowouts last week.

2. No one will clinch a playoff berth or division title this week.
Incorrect. Andy had a big comeback to beat Rick and clinch a playoff berth. Also, Hal clinched a division title.


3. Only one team will finish with an ERA below 3.
Correct. And that was Hal.

4. Adam will narrowly escape with a win for the second straight week against a vastly inferior team.
Incorrect. He was in full control the entire weekend.

5. Half of the matchups will feature at least 20 homers.
Incorrect. Only two matchups did - Joe vs. Mike, and Ken vs. Shea.

Read more!

5 to watch: Weekend predictions

1. There will be a tie this weekend.
The prediction already was made earlier this week but this one is a little more general.

2. No one will clinch a playoff berth or division title this week.
With wins, Andy has a chance to clinch a playoff spot and Hal can clinch the division. Bob also can with a win and an Adam loss. But none of them will.


3. Only one team will finish with an ERA below 3.
Right now, Hal, Joe and Andy are the only ones to have one, as the pitching this week, all-around, has been atrocious.

4. Adam will narrowly escape with a win for the second straight week against a vastly inferior team.
Yes, it's a win, but one has to think Adam is a little worried with his team stinking up the joint lately.

5. Half of the matchups will feature at least 20 homers.
For as bad as the pitching has been, the hitting - obviously - has been great.

Read more!

Reviewing the weekend predictions

1. Joe will choke away his lead and lose to Jack in the Match of the Week.
Incorrect. Joe surprised us all by coming up with his biggest win this season.

2. Neither Adam, nor Bob will lose to very inferior opponents.
Correct. They tried their damnest, but survived.


3. Chris will finish with double the amount of total bases than Andy.
Incorrect. This was a really stupid prediction by me. Don't know what I was thinking.

4. Shea and Hal's combined batting average will NOT be above .650.
Correct. It was .626. Hal was at a whopping .347.

5. There will be at least two complete games over the weekend.
Correct. Johnathan Niese and Jamie Garcia. There might have been more, I'm not even sure.

Read more!

5 to watch: Weekend predictions

1. Joe will choke away his lead and lose to Jack in the Match of the Week.
Jack has made a couple weekend comebacks lately, and we can't count on Joe's terrible team to do much.

2. Neither Adam, nor Bob will lose to very inferior opponents.
Mike and Dave, respectively, are winning and tied with the two, but that won't last through the weekend.


3. Chris will finish with double the amount of total bases than Andy.
Right now, it's 71-41, and Chris is getting contributions from his weaker players, such as Wieters, Jeter and Reynolds.

4. Shea and Hal's combined batting average will NOT be above .650.
Right now, the two are hitting at a torrid pace - .357 and .336. That can't keep up all week, right?

5. There will be at least two complete games over the weekend.
Not much more to add to this prediction.

Read more!

Reviewing the weekend predictions

1. Joe's newly acquired Pittsburgh Pirates will not lead him to glory this week.
Correct. Joe got smoked by Adam as Jose Tabata and Neil Walker were a combined 4-for-18.

2. Mike will beat Bob in the Upset of the Year on the same night his Mets lose 2-of-3 to the Phillies.
Half-correct. Mike lost to Bob, but the Phillies took 2-of-3 on Sunday night.


3. There will be two new people in first place by Monday.
Incorrect. Neither Hal, nor Bob lost.

4. Jack will finish with an ERA higher than Dave's current (season) win total
Correct. Jack had a 6.09 ERA, and Dave has 5 wins.

5. Hal will bench at least one starting pitcher this weekend.
Correct. Carlos Zambrano saw the pine on Saturday.
Read more!

5 to watch: Weekend predictions

1. Joe's newly acquired Pittsburgh Pirates will not lead him to glory this week.
The always dangerous Jose Tabata and Neil Walker of the awesome Pirates won't be enough to take down Adam's team.

2. Mike will beat Bob in the Upset of the Year on the same night his Mets lose 2-of-3 to the Phillies.
At least Bob gets some matter of revenge, but the damage of losing to Mike will prove costly in the long run.


3. There will be two new people in first place by Monday.
Currently Bob and Hal are in first place, but both are in danger of losing this week. Adam, Andy and Chris all could take over or be tied for first by Monday.

4. Jack will finish with an ERA higher than Dave's current (season) win total
It was not the right week for Jack's pitchers to throw meatballs. His 6.56 ERA through 35 innings is brutal.

5. Hal will bench at least one starting pitcher this weekend.
It's become a staple of his managing career this season - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse - and it looks like it could happen again this weekend.
Read more!

Reviewing the weekend predictions

If Matt Garza had thrown the no-hitter on Sunday instead of Monday, it may have damn well been the greatest fantasy prediction of my career.

But, alas, it wasn't meant to be...


1. Jack will not win, lose or tie in dramatic fashion.
Correct. Adam had a stranglehold on the matchup for most of Sunday, and there was no drama necessary.

2. Joe will finish with an ERA above 4.50.
Incorrect. Barely. He finished at 4.45.

3. Ken will lose big to a manager who is not even in the country.
Correct. He lost 15-4, and it was a costly loss for Ken, who responded by making a trade this week.

4. Hal and Adam will remain in first place by Monday morning.
Correct. Hal beat Andy easily, and Adam handled Jack.

5. A pitcher on one of our fantasy rosters will take a no-hitter into the eighth inning.
Incorrect. But, oh, so so so close.

Read more!

5 to watch: Weekend predictions

1. Jack will not win, lose or tie in dramatic fashion.
In what seems like a recurring theme this season, Jack has had incredibly close matches that come down to late Sunday. Against juggernaut Adam, that won't happen.

2. Joe will finish with an ERA above 4.50.
And then he will change his name to "Stock market > Peddlers."


3. Ken will lose big to a manager who is not even in the country.
A big blown opportunity for Ken, who is playing Chris - a manager who is in Italy and not even paying attention to his team.

4. Hal and Adam will remain in first place by Monday morning.
Some close matches and some not-so-close matches. But one thing stays the same: Our first-place teams.

5. A pitcher on one of our fantasy rosters will take a no-hitter into the eighth inning.
We just saw John Lackey do it. I have a feeling there's another one on the way.
Read more!

Reviewing the weekend predictions

Joe, I hope you've found out that this business ain't easy. Your performance last week was, well, lacking.

Check it out.


1. Bob will hit at least 17 home runs.
Correct. He finished with 18.

2. Shea will hit over .370 by week's end.
Incorrect, badly. This was one of several outrageous predictions. Shea finished at .309.

3. Andy will finish with a batting average under .200.
Incorrect. He finished at .227.

4. Chris will not reach 80 total bases this week.
Incorrect. Chris easily reached 80, finishing with 100.

5. Despite all of Shea's hits, Joe will win their matchup.
Incorrect. Joe lost 15-4, a worse score than the 13-3 when he predicted the W.
Read more!

5 to watch: Weekend predictions

For this weekend's predictions, we have a guest blogger!

Joe, owner of the Smutt Peddlers, has made five predictions.

1. Bob will hit at least 17 home runs.
He has 11 so far after a ridiculous night mid-week where he hit like seven or eight.

2. Shea will hit over .370 by week's end.
He's at .364 going into tonight, and Shea even disputes the claim himself. "My team sucks on Sunday."

The rest after the jump.


3. Andy will finish with a batting average under .200.
He's currently at .181 and that seems possible, for sure.

4. Chris will not reach 80 total bases this week.
He's at 45 right now, and his new team name will not help him.

5. Despite all of Shea's hits, Joe will win their matchup.
That's a tall task, trailing 13-3.

Read more!

5 to watch: Weekend predictions

1. The U.S. will not lose to England.
Wait, wrong sport? Oops...

2. Interleague play will wreak havoc on complete games.
Either an 8 inning complete-game loss for an NL pitcher or a great AL pitcher's outing ruined because he had to be pinch hit for when he normally wouldn't.


3. There will be another name change by the time this week ends.
First Bob, then Chris. Something tells me we're not done quite yet.

4. Mike's four-game losing streak will easily come to an end.
Not a hard prediction to come true, in all likelihood, but one that's necessary to make.

5. Gavin Floyd and Ted Lilly will have a role in deciding matchups on Sunday night.
Cubs-White Sox is the late game, and Jack vs. Bob and Chris vs. Rick will be close.

Read more!

Reviewing the weekend predictions

1. Come Monday, both divisions will have a tie for first place, but not a tie for last place.
Correct. I should get double points for this one.

2. At least two teams will finish with an ERA under 2.
Incorrect. Only Ken did. However, pitching was fantastic for most teams.

3. Yahoo!'s fishiness will wreak havoc Sunday night and Monday morning.
Correct. Two matchups (Shea-Chris and Joe-Jack) were affected by the suspended game.

4. A Saturday stiff will be the difference in a Sunday result.
Correct. Kenshin Kawakami helped Shea leg out a tie.

5. Shea vs. Chris will be the matchup to watch on Sunday night.
Correct. It came down to this game, with Michael Cuddyer drawing three walks to give Chris a tie.


Read more!

5 to watch: Weekend Predictions

1. Come Monday, both divisions will have a tie for first place, but not a tie for last place.
Pretty self-explanatory, but a lot of things have to happen to nail this exactly.

2. At least two teams will finish with an ERA under 2.
There's been some pretty damn good pitching this week. I say that keeps up over the weekend.


3. Yahoo!'s fishiness will wreak havoc Sunday night and Monday morning.
The company's failure to handle a suspended game could make for an interesting end to the week.

4. A Saturday stiff will be the difference in a Sunday result.
Been a while since we've seen a good stiff decision play a crucial role in a victory.

5. Shea vs. Chris will be the matchup to watch on Sunday night.
As the Rangers and Twins play on ESPN, these two will be fighting it out for a win.

Read more!

Reviewing the weekend predictions

Figures that Ken of all people stops me from having a perfect week.


1. Ken, despite strong words earlier this week, still won't win.
Incorrect. He blew out Rick, surprisingly.

2. Shea won't set his lineup at least once this weekend.
Correct, although it seems the audience thought this one would be wrong.

3. Luke Gregerson will allow a run (for the first time in his last 14 appearances).
Correct. And to make it even funnier, the guy Chris dropped (Affeldt) got a hold.

4. Bob vs. Mike won't be decided until after 10 p.m. on Sunday night.
Correct. It came down to the final innings.

5. There will be a tie!
Correct! Nailed it with my Dave vs. Jack prediction of a tie as well.
Read more!

5 to watch: Weekend predictions

1. Ken, despite strong words earlier this week, still won't win.
He claimed the commish's harsh words toward his team fired the players up. Yeah, right.

2. Shea won't set his lineup at least once this weekend.
And he probably won't even see this blog post, either.


3. Luke Gregerson will allow a run (for the first time in his last 14 appearances).
I pointed out to Chris that he's walking a fine line by picking up the guy that sent him to the consolation bracket last season. "Yeah, whatever. Fuck karma," Chris said. "I don't believe in it. I believe in shitty luck, which i get anyway." We'll see.

4. Bob vs. Mike won't be decided until after 10 p.m. on Sunday night.
Fielder, Braun, Hamels, Werth, Polanco, Hoffman, Lidge.

5. There will be a tie!
Yes, it has to come sooner or later. My best bet is Dave vs. Jack, who have already tied three times before when facing each other.

Read more!

Reviewing the weekend predictions

1. Joe, with or without Wade Davis, will hand Chris his first loss.
Correct. This matchup was basically over before the weekend even began.

2. Andy will finish with more hitter walks than strikeouts.
Incorrect. He finished with 38 walks and 44 strikeouts.


3. The Sunday night game will decide at least two matchups.
Incorrect, although if Hal didn't wisely bench his players it would have been correct. The Bob-Shea matchup was the other one.

4. Bob will make it through the weekend without losing someone to injury, but will lose to Shea.
Half-correct. He didn't lose anyone to injury but just edged Shea for a win.

5. Ken will come up just short in getting his first win.
Half-correct. He lost, as usual. But he didn't rally on Sunday.
Here is the beginning of my post.

Read more!

5 to watch: Weekend predictions

1. Joe, with or without Wade Davis, will hand Chris his first loss.
But will Chris protest if Davis has an impact? He very well could, and it'd lead to interesting discussion.

2. Andy will finish with more hitter walks than strikeouts.
It's not often you see that - I don't even know if it's ever been done. But Andy has a whopping 30! walks before Friday's games.

See why the Red Sox and Yankees are pictured after the jump...


3. The Sunday night game will decide at least two matchups.
Red Sox-Yankees. A ton of fantasy players. Some close matches right now. Sure, why not?

4. Bob will make it through the weekend without losing someone to injury, but will lose to Shea.
Ryan Zimmerman, Asdrubal Cabrera, Brett Anderson, Nelson Cruz, Joe Blanton, Brad Lidge and now Jair Jurrjens. It can't be easy.

5. Ken will come up just short in getting his first win.
He's losing 12-5 now, but I feel he has a comeback in him. It will end in defeat, though.

Read more!

Reviewing the weekend predictions

My outlandish predictions were actually looking good about halfway through the weekend.

Then it all went downhill.


1. The closest margin of victory will be three or greater.
Incorrect. Hal won by 1, and Bob by 2.

2. Joe will triple Shea's HR, RBI and TB total.
Incorrect. Not even close.

3. Our two Mets fans will lose by a combined margin greater than their N.Y. team finished out of first place last season.
Incorrect. The Mets finished 23 games out of first place. Ken and Mike lost by a combined 20.

4. Hal will have more losses out of his pitchers than he will home runs from his hitters.
Incorrect. Thanks to a big Sunday, Hal has 11 homers compared to 8 losses.

5. Adam LaRoche and Robbie Cano will combine to hit at least two more homers this weekend.
Incorrect. Only 1, although LaRoche did get Sunday off.

Read more!

5 to watch: Weekend Predictions

1. The closest margin of victory will be three or greater.
Right now, we have a ton of blowouts, and I predict it stays that way through the weekend.

2. Joe will triple Shea's HR, RBI and TB total.
Joe's offense has been so ridiculous this week, it's not out of this world to think he can reach 40 RBIs.

See why Adam LaRoche is pictured as you get the rest of the predictions after the jump...


3. Our two Mets fans will lose by a combined margin greater than their N.Y. team finished out of first place last season.
That's 23 games behind for those who forgot. Let's see if Chris and Dave can keep the hammer on Mike and Ken.

4. Hal will have more losses out of his pitchers than he will home runs from his hitters.
And that, folks, his not easy to do. If you haven't seen how incredibly awful his pitching has been this week, check it out.

5. Adam LaRoche and Robbie Cano will combine to hit at least two more homers this weekend.
They already have three each (more than some teams this week) and are the early candidates for Week 4 MVP.
Read more!