Always a lot of cubs - sox banter on the board. So what about comparing the entire divisions? AL Central seems to be really down so far this year, where as St. Louis, Milwaukee, and even Cincinnati & Houston are posting strong records and competition for the Cubs. I realize it is May 13th / early. Feel free to discuss...or not. I'll hang up and listen for my answer.

Of this lot...which is the best team?

Detroit 17 - 14
KC 18 - 15
Minn 16 - 17
Chicago 15 - 18
Clevel 13 - 22

StL 20 - 13
Cin 19 - 14
Mil 19 - 14
Chi 19 - 14
Hou 14 - 18
Pitt 13 -19

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

The divisions play each other 78 times this season starting next week so we will soon find out.

If you asked me before Ramirez went down for 8-10 weeks and I would have said that it's not even close, the Cubs are the best team you have listed there. Now, the Cards might give them a run for their money, but I still think it's the Cubs.

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http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

One division has the DH and one doesn't so you can't compare them.

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

absolutely right - even in inter-league play. the american league should ALWAYS have a better record in inter-league play.

Way to stick your neck out guys. Don't think of it like winning percentage or what not... the question is who has the best team? Not who will have the best record.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Cubs

ok, on paper, at full strength, the cubs have the best all-around team. currently, with all of those teams at current strength, i kind of favor detroit. all of those teams have issues, and none of them jump out at me as an obvious choice as "best".

Toss out Pittsburgh and make it 5 vs. 5 and
it is NL Central all the way.
Keep Pitt in and it makes it even.

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Host of the weekly "We Fish ASA" podcast
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Bi-monthly columnist for Illinois Outdoor News magazine
Former host of The Outdoors Experience on WIND and The Great Outdoors on CLTV
http://www.wefishasa.com

Seattle Pilots

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No matter how you slice the divisions, whether independently or collectively, I find it hard to come up with anything other than a big ol' tub full of suck.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

Time for the Royals to get real, real healthy

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

That'd be interesting to build one team out of both these divisions and see which players come from where. Pujols obviously in....then ???

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

SP Greinke
SP Wainwright
SP Buehrle
SP Gollardo
SP Lee
RP B. Jenks
RP C. Marmol
RP K. Wood
RP J. Nathan
RP T. Hoffman
CP Soria
C Mauer
1B Pujols
2B A. Cabrera
3B A. Ramirez
SS M. Tejada
LF Soriano
CF Bruce
RF Braun
Bench
N. Morgan
J. Morneau
C Lee
A Callaspo
M Cabrera
A Pierzynski

Cle-3
Cubs-3
Sox-3
Min-3
Royals-3
Cards-2
Hou-2
Cin-1
Det-1
Mil-3
Pit-1

AL Central-13
NL Central-12


and surprisingly
15 American born players
10 Non american born players

Carlos Quentin makes that team over Morgan.

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yeah I knew I would miss guys...kinda threw it together quick.

But are we doing who do you want going forward or who is having the best year?
Morgans having a pretty good year

Actually Id have to say Hes the best Morgan to ever play in MLB

Nice list RPB. Interesting mix. I'm not familiar with all the players on all the teams, so I defer.

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Cueto, Harang, Volquez, and Cordero would be on that team. I'll take Phillips over A. Cabrera. Votto would be the second best player on the team, but has Pujols in front of him.

He's not better than Ensberg!

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Ok NSJ I can see your sipping the Kool aid...if were going with this years performance...harang and cueto would be there...if were going for the future it would be Volquez
Cordero does not make this team under any circumstances
really??? Votto is better than Morneau?

so votto is better than...
C Mauer2B A. Cabrera
3B A. Ramirez
SS M. Tejada
LF Soriano
CF Bruce
RF Braun
Bench
N. Morgan
J. MorneauC Lee
A Callaspo
M CabreraA Pierzynski


And you think 3 reds pitchers make it? sipping the kool aid much?
which starters are you taking off then?
Greinke?
Wainwright?
Buehrle?



BTW the Reds run differential says theyll be sliding shortly.

Come on RPB, you know that the Reds have the best players in baseball.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Aaron Harang wouldn't even be the water boy on that team.

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I would put Phillips over Cabrera. Sizemore, Granderson or McLouth over Bruce. I would also put Oswalt over Wainwright.

Yeah Phillips over Cabrera...thats fine...those were the 2 i was thinking of for 2b...Im afriad or glad Roy is not what he used to be...maybe its me but ever since the 2006 playoffs ive had a lotta respect for Wainwright.

As far as Bruce...I had Sizemore first but then went to Bruce...


I think we have to define this ...is it this years performance or who do you want going forward

i think we should go with who do you want going forward.


Guys who almost made the cut...
Ted Lilly
Justin Verlander
Curt Granderson
Cueto
Volquez
McClouth
Weeks

Oswalt was 17-10 with a 3.54 ERA last season which included going 10-2 with a 2.24 ERA in the 2nd half. He's as good as ever.

yeah i guess he was good last year...but no so much this year K/BB ratio way down 4.50 ERA...I guess hes got some finger issues

I sit corrected. but i dont think he's as good as ever I think he peaked in 04-05 but still very good

Even Joe Morgan

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

NSJ....

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The King is having 'the AL is better than the NL' discussion on his show tonight. He has to preface everything he says with 'this is not a cubs vs. Sox arguement' because angry cub fans keep yelling at him. This is really funny.