[austintx05]

I can't wait for this...

[AgainstAllOdds]

hahahahhaah...this is gonna be fun

[imgv94]

Brett Tomko is the man

[austintx05]

Brett Tomko is the man

lets see

1. Mark Redman
2. Sidney Ponson
3. Armando Benetiz - xcellent stuff
4. Vicente Padilla
5. Kip Wells

[AgainstAllOdds]

Just to give everyone an update Ryans picks are....

top 5

johan
peavy
webb
sabathia
beckett

[austintx05]

Just to give everyone an update Ryans picks are....

[austintx05]

cmon ryan...don't hold out on us dammit

[chipski]

Beckett
Webb
Halladay
Peavy
Haren /C. Hamels tie


notable mentions under the radar not considered among the top
M.Owens (Ariz)
Westbrook
Cueto
Bannister/Greinke 2 Royals , scary

too many too name , who knows for 08 .

[austintx05]

Beckett
Webb
Halladay
Peavy
Haren /C. Hamels tie


notable mentions under the radar not considered among the top
M.Owens (Ariz)
Westbrook
Cueto
Bannister/Greinke 2 Royals , scary

too many too name , who knows for 08 .

[chipski]

Cueto could have a great year , better than some of the bigger name pitchers . Time will tell . Usually under the radar comes and goes because we dont expect much so soon or out of the blue . He may win 15 games , has more to do with run production from the Reds offense and the bullpen than him as a great rookie ...
Westbrook is def under the radar .

[austintx05]

Cueto could have a great year , better than some of the bigger name pitchers . Time will tell . Usually under the radar comes and goes because we dont expect much so soon or out of the blue . He may win 15 games , has more to do with run production from the Reds offense and the bullpen than him as a great rookie ...
Westbrook is def under the radar .

by westbrook, you mean Jake Westbrook?

[dannyt76]

Peavy
Halladay
Webb
Sheets
Beckett

[austintx05]

Peavy
Halladay
Webb
Sheets
Beckett

santana isn't even on the list?

[austintx05]

lets see

1. Mark Redman
2. Sidney Ponson
3. Armando Benetiz - xcellent stuff
4. Vicente Padilla
5. Kip Wells

did they not make the cut?

[Dashwood Clipper]

Zito

[chipski]

by westbrook, you mean Jake Westbrook?

watch Jake tonight then tell me what you think

notice how I didn't wait until after he pitches great in Clevland tonight to pull this thread back up .

[OLGC_Slayer]

Nice to see Roy Halladay getting the props he deserves. He has had some bad luck with non arm related injuries, but the man is a bulldog and an intense competitor. His stuff may not be as glamorous as some of these other guys but he gets batters out.
Best sinker fastball in the majors.
A top 5 pitcher for sure.

[ryanXL977]

halladay blows wang away
tribe is my fave team but westebrook may not even be top 20 al

[chipski]

halladay blows wang away
tribe is my fave team but westebrook may not even be top 20 al

If Jake throws a no hitter tonight would that count for something in the category of the infamous top 5 ?

Facing the RSox on top of it all , ooh my .
RSox should be a little too happily tired and satisfied after arriving in Clev in the early morn . Do you think all the Sox went to sleep satisfied dreaming of shooting Ingens ?
If Jake's stuff is moving like he wants , like it was in his 1st 2 starts or against the Braves in spring training , then it's lights out for Sox .

[ryanXL977]

i like jake, i have seen him allow 10 hits in 4 ip before
i am very worried about cc already

[chipski]

If Jake could pitch against the Nats Astros Pirates Cards , etc he would have a 2 era , instead he gets to face the RSox tonight . He has to face the Tigers WSox Twins and Royals on a regular . Much tougher task I'd say .

[chipski]

1 out , 26 to go !

[chipski]

by westbrook, you mean Jake Westbrook?

Westbrook just did what some big name pitcher would be getting praised for all over the media for doing . Let Randy Johnson give up 1 run in 6 inn and see all the hoopla !!!!! lmao
Westbrook does it and you wont hear a peep .
Because his name isint Fernando , he aint jack to most , he's labeled a #3 . Come playoff time he could start game 1 for the Tribe .

Jake's 31 , not like he's Maddux or Glavine's age .
Westbrook big this year .
there are others I see too .

[ryanXL977]

he is solid
no doubt
but top 5?

[element1286]

He has had an era over 4 the last three years. He is a three, but there is nothing wrong with that. He is a solid number three starter. Sometimes guys who are number three starters have big years, but that doesn't make them a number 1 or 2 unless they do it consistently.

[ryanXL977]

pretty much sam as wang, give or take

[chipski]

true that . He just missed a dp chance .
He might not be jack this year , he could end of getting inj .
I just felt he was a notable mention and that he will in fact have a great year .
He could be a bust due to inj just like any of the guys that are #1 and 2s or bench wamers .
Because a pitcher is a #1 before the season starts does not mean he wont fall in the ranks right .
If Westbrook or Vazquez , Grienke , M.Owings , Haren , Cueto , Gorzelanny , Lester , Saunders , Arroyo have better years than the #1s and #2 then what ?
Because they are labeled this and that does not make you money for 08 , past is the past right ?
Things change , always . For instance , I think only 1 team made the playoffs last year that made it the year before , no team repeated in the NL . imagine that Yankees only 1 returned maybe .

[element1286]

You are right, a guy who is considered a number one starter could have a down year, but that does not mean he is no longer a number one starter. Look at Jake Peavy a few years ago. But a guy who has a great year, who was considered a middle of the rotation guy, does not make him more than a middle of the rotation guy.

I am just saying it takes a lot to be a number one, you gotta do it for a while, and consistently. There are probably only 15-20 number one guys in the league. There are a lot more number two and three guys. But it really doesn't matter cause it is just a label, and has no real bearing on the game.

[chipski]

yeah , when it comes to betting on it , the bullpen is just as important . Starter you banked on shines and they still lose 1 - 0 , 2 - 1 or 3 - 2 . So the starter being top 5 is thrown out the window and its an L and a loss of money . where my emoticons

[chipski]

You are right, a guy who is considered a number one starter could have a down year, but that does not mean he is no longer a number one starter. Look at Jake Peavy a few years ago. But a guy who has a great year, who was considered a middle of the rotation guy, does not make him more than a middle of the rotation guy.

I am just saying it takes a lot to be a number one, you gotta do it for a while, and consistently. There are probably only 15-20 number one guys in the league. There are a lot more number two and three guys. But it really doesn't matter cause it is just a label, and has no real bearing on the game.

One off the top of my head where it mattered was Penny a #1 being good the first 15 game last year , something craazy . There have been alot of times a team had a smoking record when the #1 and 2 guy starts .
Of course a team has wins more when the #1s and 2s start than the 3 , 4 and 5s .
ODDS SHOW IT TOO .
SomeTIMES early on the team will lose the majority of the starts the #1 or 2 starts and it will make you get off them . Then before you know it the team runs off 5 in a row when big boy starts ....

[element1286]

Ya, its a balancing act. If a guy is pitching above capabilities, it might be good to fade once they show some cracks. Same the other way, if a guy is pitching well below his standards might try to ride him a little.

[chipski]

Beckett
Webb
Halladay
Peavy
Haren /C. Hamels tie


notable mentions under the radar not considered among the top
M.Owens (Ariz)
Westbrook
Cueto
Bannister/Greinke 2 Royals , scary

too many too name , who knows for 08 .

I misspeeeled Owings here . You better ask somebody !
Snoop and Dre

because a guy plays the role of a #3 ,4 or 5 does in no way shape or form mean he wont have a breakout season .
Because a guy is a rookie does not mean he cant make you alot of $ his first year .
Because Westbrook does not have a name as big as his fellow teammate Sabathia does not mean Jake will not be better than him in 08 . And the list goes on