Who will win the AL West in 2012? (coach, playoffs, ball)

[loose cannon]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

Realistic evaluations do suggest that only the Rangers and Angels will contend for the AL West title this year. So with that in mind, what are the possible difference making keys for each team?

filihok reports that the more sophisticated analysis has the Rangers prevailing by two games. So small a margin could be easily wiped away by the manner in which luck gets distributed for each team.

Thus it is clear that it will all come down to Josh Hamilton and his personal relationship with God. It is evident that the Supreme Being has decided to give Hamilton the Job treatment and is testing the resolve of Josh's faith. What else explains the immense spikes in good and bad fortune for Hamilton?

And that Hamilton has yet to achieve a completely satisfactory state of grace is manifest by God allowing the Rangers to reach consecutive World Series, but not permitting that ultimate win. The Almighty really toyed with Hamilton in Game Six, making him believe that his go ahead two run homerun in the top of the 10th would be the heroic WS winning blow, and then yanking the carpet out from under him in the bottom of the inning.

And...ugh oh....what do we read happened during the off season? Josh had a return bout with the bottle. That was how he responded to God's test of his faith. We know from the Old Testament what happens to those who flunk such tests, they get punished. The Golden Calf stunt got the Hebrews a 40 years in the desert sentence. For coveting another man's wife despite being warned, King David was saddled with a son who rebelled against him.

I don't expect that Hamilton will be turned into a leper or swallowed by a whale, we should look for the wrath of God in the form of the Rangers getting knocked from their top spot, an injury plagued season for Josh, and maybe an outbreak of locusts in Arlington.

Thus, despite that two game advantage on paper, the divine factors displace those measures in critical importance. Put your money on the Angels.

absolutely ridiculous! The Angels will win because they are the better team. Not due to some imaginary pie in the sky theological nonsense.

[Ridgerunner]

I predict that either Seattle or Oakland or both will be in first place in the early going. This is because they're playing a short series in Tokyo in late March.

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by loose cannon

absolutely ridiculous! The Angels will win because they are the better team. Not due to some imaginary pie in the sky theological nonsense.

You should take this up with Josh Hamilton, I'm agnostic myself.

[bostonceltz]

I've seen Angels in the Outfield countless times, and it's tempting to pick the new-look Angels. HOWEVER, the Rangers are the two-time defending American League champions and will probably be hungry after blowing the World Series last season. I say Rangers by 2 games.

[case44]

The Rangers, despite a current crop of great talent, confirmed only this in the last 2 years: They can't get it done.

I see the Angels surpassing the Rangers for the division title in '12. Texas will get one of the two Wild Cards, however.

[Ridgerunner]

The Rangers will win the West. The first wild card goes to the Rays.

[aardvarks]

I will pick the Angels to win the west but I expect the Rangers to reach the post-season at least for 1 game with one of the wild cards.

I love the new playoff format. i'm normally against adding more playoff teams but something had to be done. the wild card winner shouldn't be on equal footing to start a series

[Ridgerunner]

Originally Posted by aardvarks

I will pick the Angels to win the west but I expect the Rangers to reach the post-season at least for 1 game with one of the wild cards.

I love the new playoff format. i'm normally against adding more playoff teams but something had to be done. the wild card winner shouldn't be on equal footing to start a series

Sooner or later we'll see a .500 club winning the World Series. You cannot reward mediocrity without punishing accomplishment.

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by Ridgerunner

Sooner or later we'll see a .500 club winning the World Series. You cannot reward mediocrity without punishing accomplishment.

The closest we have come were the '06 Cardinals, WS champs with a 83-78, .515 record. The next worst were the Twins in '87, 85-77, .525, and third worst goes to the 2000 Yankees, 87-74, .540.

The worst team to ever reach the WS? The '73 Mets, 82-79, .509, but they lost to the Oakland A's.

So the danger of a .500 WS champ has been there ever since division play began.

[filihok]

Originally Posted by case44

The Rangers, despite a current crop of great talent, confirmed only this in the last 2 years: They can't get it done.

No. You've confirmed that, after the fact. We only know that they haven't got it done, not that they can't.