With the season just a few days away (the American League kicks off the season with NYY and Boston on ESPN(2), it's time to start these topics.

All games discussing the National League in the month of April should be kept here, although there's no worry about flooding the board with such little discussion here, anyway. :(

Woo, it's time for the Reds to crush my hopes yet again!!!!

Get. Rid. of. Ken Griffey Jr.

The guy is just an open space on the DL, and gets everyones hopes up every year before tearing a hamstring or whatever,

I'll give him the shadow of a doubt until he pulls his hammy again

One of the ESPN crew guys thinks he'll play 140 games (or something) and hit somewhere around 40 HR's.


John Kruk just rambled.

Yeah right. I hear that every year and every year Griffey is toast by July. I'll believe him playing 140 games when I see it. I don't think he even played 140 games during his one healthy season with the team.

He was healthy as a Cincinnati Red? Surprised me...

He played 145 games his first season. Hitting 40 HR's and 118 RBIs. Average was pretty eh at .271.

The Reds are also putting a lot of faith in Austin Kearns as he's going to be batting 4th in the lineup.

Hopefully Adam Dunn can learn patience at the plate and not strike out 200 times this season.

I don't really mind that. He got walked a lot and posted big numbers for the team while doing it. I'd rather him strike out then hit into a double play.

Eh... if the Reds ever make the playoffs again, he could end up being an Alfonso Soriano... striking out in key situations over and over again.

At least he's not Corey Patterson on the Cubs. A speed guy who thinks he's Babe Ruth at the plate.

:lol: The Cubs are always hopeless. Either it's someone Patterson like mentioned, Alou's last few years with his "excellent" base running skills, and the Cubs on going trouble getting a great closer.

I don't get the hype surrounding the Cubs this year at all. The lineup is much weaker and they really didn't address the bullpen that well.

I have them pegged in 3rd for the Central Division (behind St. Louis and Houston). Unless Cincinnati has Griffey stay healthy all season (HA!), I don't see them doing much other than what they've have been for the last several seasons.

Pittsburgh and Milwaukee will battle to keep out of last place as usual, but I'm pulling for a Pittsburgh miracle.

Let's see Cubs projected batting order...

CF Corey Patterson (.266, 24 HR, 72 RBI, 32 SB)
2B Todd Walker (.274, 1 HR, 50 RBI)
SS Nomar Garciaparra (.308, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 4 SB)
3B Aramis Ramirez (.318, 36 HR, 103 RBI)
RF Jeromy Burnitz (.283, 37 HR, 110 RBI, 5 SB)
1B Derek Lee (.276, 32 HR, 98 RBI, 12 SB)
LF Todd Hollandsworth (.318, 8 HR, 22 RBI)
C Michael Barrett (.287, 16 HR, 65 RBI)

Ramirez is pretty good, but isn't a Sammy Sosa who can carry a club. Nomar can be great if healthy, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's used as trade bait. Burnitz never impresses me, and the rest of the lineup isn't that strong, and looks like is too much reliable on home runs.

Mark Prior and Kerry Wood are constantly injured, making Zambrano the substitute #1 pitcher, and he's no Wood or Prior. Definitely not a good sign.

How did Derek Lee fall so far in the lineup?

That's the lineup according to Sports illustrated (who were dead almost dead on for NY tonight), but I wouldn't be surprised (I'm over using that phrase now) if Lee got bumped up if Burnitz didn't perform as expected.

Yeah, that SI preview wasn't worthy of wiping my ass with. I threw that right in the trash after reading the preview.

I have Athlon Sports and Lindy's nearby, which are much much better.

I usually go for Sporting News publications for my preview needs.

But SI keeps sending me magazines even though I never paid for it.

Athlons Projected Lineup...

CF Corey Patterson
SS Nomar Garciaparra
3B Aramis Ramirez
-----------------(originally Sammy Sosa)
1B Derek Lowe
2B Todd Walker
-----------------(originally Jason Dubois)
C Michael Barrett

I'm the type of person who will buy all the ones available (I neglected to get Sporting News this year since I was a little low on cash) since each one is different. Lindy Scouting Report is good for each individual player (and for fantasy leagues), Athlon Sports is good for overall projection for each position, and Sporting News I remember being like AS. SI is really cheesy, but only $4, so no big loss.

SI just bugs me because they don't really tell you anything about the team. I think the Reds preview was 90% about them signing Eric Milton.

I used to buy everything in my teenage years but the last 4 years haven't been kind to my wallet.

(checks issue) Yup, the entire first page is almost all about Eric Milton. The only real report on the players is a VERY brief" opposing team's scouting report", which doesn't cover all the players.

I tend to get SI because it has the latest roster updates though, since it comes out the week or 2 before opening day (got my issue today). SI could be less lazy and list the entire 25-Man Projected Roster, and not just skim by listing 2 benchmen and 3 relievers instead of the 4-5 benchers and 5-6 relievers.

Up coming NL Games for the week of April 4th through April 9th (National Broadcast games)...

New York @ Cincinnati (2 pm ET Monday; ESPN)
Chicago @ Arizona (5 pm ET Monday; ESPN2/WGN)
Atlanta @ Florida (4 pm ET Tuesday; TBS)
Teams TBA (7 pm & 10 pm ET Wednesday; ESPN 2; could be AL)
Teams TBA (7 pm ET Thursday; ESPN; could be AL)
Milwaukee @ Chicago (2 pm ET Friday; WGN)
New York @ Atlanta (7 pm ET Saturday; TBS "Friday" Night Xtra)

I've gotten some real steals in fantasy with Carlos Lee. He's really underrated in the Yahoo Leagues for the numbers he puts up. I stole him away late in my one live draft.

There's always that one steal that makes a difference. Last year no one wanted to touch Roger Clemens because his projected stats for 2005 would be painfully average, but I gambled and won by drafting him. 18-4, 2.98 ERA, 218 K in 214.1 IP, leading the way to a Fantasy League Championship.

I'm trying to unload Adrian Beltre right now.

The one year wonder? Good move... I still find it funny in some leagues people are still starting Barry Bonds. :lol: The guy loses his smile, and people don't notice he's gone.

I'm probably going to be starting David Wright at 3B all season instead but I it won't matter once Beltre falls back to earth.

Let's see my projected lineup in my favorite league... so far.

C - Jorge Posada (NYY)
1B - Justin Morneau (MIN)
2B - Bret Boone (SEA)
3B - Troy Glaus (ARZ)
SS - Carlos Guillen (DET)
LF - Jason Bay (PIT)
CF - Aaron Rowand (CWS)
RF - Gary Sheffield (NYY)
UTIL - Jose Guillen (WAS)

Bench:
1B - Tino Martinez (NYY - sentimental favorite)
UTIL - Chone Figgins (LAA)
SS - Rafael Furcal (ATL)
LF - Carlos Lee (MIL)
C - Jason Varitek (BOS)

Pitchers:
SP Johan Santana (MIN)
SP Roger Clemens (HOU)
SP Jason Schmidt (SF)
SP Ben Sheets (MIL)
SP Livan Hernandez (WAS)*
SP Mark Mulder (STL)
SP Andy Pettitte (HOU)
SP Zack Greinke (KC)*

RP Mariano Rivera (CP - NYY)
RP Danys Baez (TB)
RP Akinori Otsuka (SD)

DL - Curt Schilling (BOS)
DL - Eric Gagne (LAD)

* - replacements during DL period

My lineup isn't too bad, but my pitching looks pretty stacked if everyone stays healthy.

How did you horde all of that pitching?

8 team league, and my main concern was to get some good pitching. Last year I cycled through a lot of starters who didn't produce (damn you Dontrelle Willis, Kevin Brown, and Javier Vazquez!), so went with some favorites, players I expect to do great, and some filler.

I'm a little upset I couldn't get a speedster like Carl Crawford or Juan Pierre, but Figgins I think has some good speed (if healthy).

I managed to build this team in a 20 team league:

C - Paul Lo Duca
1B - Sean Casey
2B - Tony Womack
3B - Eric Chavez
SS - Migeul Tejeda
OF - Carlos Lee
OF - Mike Cameron
OF - Juan Encarnacion
Util - Marquis Grissom

SP - Greg Maddux
SP - CC Sabathia
SP - Al Leiter
RP - Troy Percival
RP - Tim Worrell
RP - Damaso Marte
P - Salmon Torres
p - Dustin Hermanson
p - Joe Kennedy

Not too bad, although the starting pitching could use work, with Maddux on the decline of his career and Sabathia being fast and crappy.

Marquis Grissom is still around?!

I have the most depth for starting pitcher. I'm the only team fielding three guys that had winning records the season before.

Oh in that case... :lol: I gotta get used to that 20 team leagues don't have as strong as a rotation as I do in an 8 team league. (hugs everyone)

Since I'm bored, here's the projected lineup for the NYM vs. Cincinnati game...

New York Mets:
1. SS Jose Reyes
2. 2B Kaz Matsui
3. CF Carlos Beltran
4. C Mike Piazza
5. LF Cliff Floyd
6. RF Mike Cameron
7. 1B Doug Mientkiewicz
8. 3B David Wright
9. P Pedro Martinez

Cincinnati Reds:
1. 2B D'Angelo Jimenez
2. 3B Joe Randa
3. 1B Sean Casey
4. CF Ken Griffey Jr.
5. RF Austin Kearns
6. LF Adam Dunn
7. C Jason LaRue
8. SS Rich Aurilia
9. P Paul Wilson

Griffey's supposed to bat second according to Reds.com.