2012 MLB predictions

by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Magazine

It's the first Thursday in April, that day of days which sees both words capitalized as if it were a legitimate national holiday full of people desperately trying to duck out of work.

A time of hope, renewal, day games and all that other glorious revisionist crapola which lazy minds trot out to try and convince the public that Winters in most of the USA resemble the climate of a Siberian Gulag, and only the sizzle of a ball hitting a glove can rescue our souls from the creeping, deepened freeze.

Insofar as making predictions on a season that lasts six months long and is contested nearly every single day in that span is like a blind squirrel trying to find a nut, we still gotta do it to prove ourselves worthy of the title of "sports media professionals."

Here in Philadelphia, there's a lot of trepidation due to injuries in the right half of the infield, a reconstituted outfield and a pitching staff which thankfully has seen more changes from the sixth inning onward than in the starting rotation. Let's not forget the improvements the rest of the National League East has made in an attempt to dethrone the five-time defending division champions.

All of these factors combine, and show that it will be a long Spring and early Summer around these parts, and a late-season charge with everyone presumably in good health may not be enough to push for a sixth straight sojourn atop the standings.

So here's a hockey guy once again committing his educated guesses on his second-favorite league to the page on Opening Day:

NL East
Braves 93-69
Phillies* 92-70
Marlins 81-81
Nationals 81-81
Mets 77-85

NL Central
Cardinals 91-71
Brewers* 89-73
Reds 87-75
Cubs 80-82
Pirates 76-86
Astros 66-96

NL West
Giants 93-69
D-backs 86-76
Padres 81-81
Dodgers 81-81
Rockies 70-92


AL East
Yankees 93-69
Red Sox* 92-70
Rays 90-72
Blue Jays 82-80
Orioles 74-88

AL Central
Tigers 95-67
Indians 87-75
White Sox 84-78
Twins 81-81
Royals 69-93

AL West
Rangers 97-65
Angels* 95-67
Athletics 77-85
Mariners 72-90


Playoffs:
National League
Phillies over Brewers
Phillies over Giants
Braves over Cardinals
Braves over Phillies

American League
Angels over Red Sox
Tigers over Angels
Rangers over Yankees
Tigers over Rangers

World Series: Tigers over Braves

2011-12 NHL predictions

by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor

With the Flyers set to open up their 2011-12 season tomorrow night in Boston, it's time to start throwing things to the wall and see what sticks, a.k.a. my yearly unscientific and mostly-incorrect predictions.

There's a lot of hype surrounding the Orange and Black -- as it is just about every season for some reason or another -- but what you'll find here will be opinions unvarnished by popular sentiment or the organizational PR machine.

This year's Flyers are essentially no different than those in years past. The names have changed but the song remains the same. They have a goaltender, yes, but he has to prove himself in a better and more intense market than Phoenix.

The contract situation and salary-cap concerns will play out like a chess match once again, with the front office holding on for dear life like they're playing checkers. Blair Betts has already been a casualty, and his checking skill, penalty-killing acumen and face-off prowess heads to Montreal to make room for some of the youngsters who may or may not pan out.

Philly didn't exactly distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack inside the Atlantic, but they've said that the goal is not for the Cup this year...then again, they've been gambling on the East as a crap shoot since 1997 so expectations can be heaped on at the drop of a hat.

That said, here's my picks for the NHL this year:

* - indicates playoff team

ATLANTIC
(2)Pittsburgh*
(4)NY Rangers*
(7)Philadelphia*
New Jersey
NY Islanders

NORTHEAST
(3)Boston*
(5)Montreal*
(8)Buffalo*
Toronto
Ottawa

SOUTHEAST
(1)Washington*
(6)Tampa Bay*
Carolina
Winnipeg
Florida

CENTRAL
(1)Detroit*
(4)Chicago*
(7)Nashville*
(8)St. Louis
Columbus

NORTHWEST
(2)Vancouver*
(6)Calgary*
Edmonton
Minnesota
Colorado

PACIFIC
(3)San Jose*
(5)Los Angeles*
Dallas
Anaheim
Phoenix

EAST First Round
Washington def. Buffalo
Pittsburgh def. Philadelphia
Boston def. Tampa Bay
NY Rangers def. Montreal

WEST First Round
Detroit def. St. Louis
Vancouver def. Nashville
Calgary def. San Jose
Chicago def, Los Angeles

EAST Second Round
Washington def. NY Rangers
Pittsburgh def. Boston

WEST Second Round
Detroit def. Calgary
Chicago def. Vancouver

EAST Finals
Pittsburgh def. Washington

WEST Finals
Chicago def. Detroit

Stanley Cup Final
Chicago def. Pittsburgh