The 2008 season started with the Red Sox as champs. They were beaten by the A's, who were beaten back by Boston, who were then swept by Toronto, who lost to Oakland, who lost to Cleveland, and so on, until we reached our current champion.
The Heavyweight of the Year is the team that wins the most title bouts at the end of the season.
Final Regular Season Champion:
Atlanta Braves
2008 Title Bout Records:
| Mets | 26 | 19 |
| Cubs | 16 | 4 |
| Phillies | 15 | 14 |
| Athletics | 13 | 13 |
| Red Sox | 11 | 7 |
| Padres | 10 | 9 |
| Braves | 9 | 7 |
| Nationals | 9 | 15 |
| Rockies | 7 | 14 |
| Brewers | 6 | 1 |
| Angels | 6 | 4 |
| Indians | 6 | 11 |
| Cardinals | 5 | 5 |
| Reds | 5 | 5 |
| Marlins | 5 | 5 |
| Dodgers | 5 | 7 |
| Rangers | 4 | 6 |
| Blue Jays | 3 | 3 |
| Mariners | 2 | 1 |
| Yankees | 2 | 3 |
| Tigers | 1 | 2 |
| Giants | 0 | 3 |
| Orioles | 0 | 3 |
| Pirates | 0 | 3 |
2006 Heavyweight of the Year:
Oakland Athletics
2005 Heavyweight of the Year:
Oakland Athletics
Ken: catfish AT zombia d.o.t. com
Ryan: rarmbrust AT gmail d.o.t. com
Philip: kingchimp AT alamedanet d.o.t net
2008 Stats
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Well, you knew going in that this was inevitable, just like you know that at some point this season, Bobby Crosby will get hurt, too. It's just the way things are.
The A's added two new players to the 25- and 40-man rosters, Dallas Braden and Danny Putnam. Mark Kotsay goes to the 60-day DL to make room for one, and Scott Dunn was released to make room for the other. Dunn was a minor-league off-season signing who didn't make much of an impression this spring.
Braden is one-trick pony, a left-handed screwballer. Kevin Goldstein in a Baseball Prospectus chat said about him:
Set your way-back machine to 1981 and Fernando-mania, because Braden's best pitch is a screwball that minor league hitters have NO CLUE how to hit. Braden is certainly no Fernando because he lacks the velo to back it up, and I think big league hitters will be able to either read or lay off the pitch. I'm not overly optimistic about him, but as a 24th round pick, he's already well-exceeded expectations.
So even if Braden isn't good, he'll at least be interesting. He'll start Tuesday. Putnam seems similar to Travis Buck--corner OF, can take a walk, doubles power--only not quite as good, and a year older. Your typical A's backup outfielder. Not much to be excited about, but if he gets anywhere near that 1.001 OPS he had in AA Midland, I'll reserve the right to change my mind and get excited later.
I suppose if you're into soap operas, Brad Halsey ripping the A's organization about being passed over for this assignment are worth getting excited about. How's this for juicy:
"It's all just a business decision, because if I came up and pitched Tuesday and then had an MRI and had to go on the DL, they'd have to pay me major-league DL money. It's such a mom-and-pop organization."...
"I'm going to get my arm healthy and hopefully I'll start throwing baseballs for someone else."
Hmm...how does a Jose Capellan-for-Brad Halsey trade of disgruntled minor leaguers sound to you, Doug Melvin?
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=2435
Probably not a surprise given that he had back surgery, but it was sort of odd that they put him on a shorter-term DL list to begin with.
Anyway, I suppose there's no need to move Kotsay to the 60-day DL until there's somebody you want to add to the 40-man roster. Because when he comes off the DL in June, they're going to have to move somebody off the 40-man roster again.
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