Joe Schulman is the author of a new column in the Kansas City Star about becoming a fan of a new baseball team. He has written for ChopTalk, the Atlanta Braves' magazine. Joe is a freelance writer in Atlanta, and he and his wife, Cady, are avid Braves fans.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Time for PredictionsEvery year in every sport, fans have to look at two questions when it comes to their teams. First, what they hope happens, and second, what they think will happen. Sometimes, the two are pretty close to the same answer. Most times, however, the answers are pretty far apart.
I've been looking over the central and the Royals quite a bit, and I've got my own answers now for both questions.
First, what I hope happens. The obvious answer would be a World Series sweep. But that's not realistic. I hope the team makes incredible strides over last year. I hope the pitching becomes a reasonable force to be reckoned with as the season progresses. I hope the team gives fans a reason to be excited about the future.
As for the second part, that's a bit more complicated. I think this is a team that can be exciting and fun to watch, but will win about 75-80 games. I think the best test will be against their division opponents. Good games against the Twins, Tigers and White Sox will be important, even if the Royals come out on the losing end of the majority of those games. For now, close will count.
However, I don't think the pitching is there yet to stay competitive with those teams. Not yet, but soon. I think they'll give the top teams a good run most days, but they'll fall short in the long run.
If any of this sounds too pessimistic, think about this: the owners have done a fantastic job building a team of the future. Most fans couldn't be more excited about how this team has been put together. But it will take time.
Overall, I hope the team is in the hunt for the wildcard, but I think they'll finish fourth in the division. Not bad for a team on it's way up.
Now to you: Hopes for the season and what you think will happen. Is the pitching on par with the rest of the AL? Are you worried about the lack of any improvement in hitting or do you think last year's strong offense will continue to get better? Where do they finish in the division?