2006 Season in Hindsight

[W_Marone]

Ok gentleman, let us reflect on the season that was 2006.....The Tigers, the Cardinals, Bonds, A-rod, all tha good stuff...Have fun guys. Surprises, disappointments, historic moments. Let's reflect.

[DodgerBlue81]

Ok gentleman, let us reflect on the season that was 2006.....The Tigers, the Cardinals, Bonds, A-rod, all tha good stuff...Have fun guys. Surprises, disappointments, historic moments. Let's reflect.

Cardinals winning it all a major surprise. Tigers a major surprise getting to the World Series.

[bones507]

I wasnt really surprised at the Tigers getting there but i was surprised at the number of errors the Tigers commited. I guess it can be attributed to youth and nervousness.

[hubkittel]

Cardinals winning it all a major surprise.

the cards were one of the favorites going into the season. it was just surprising the way they ended up doing it. the ups and downs. the injuries. the losing streaks. i personally had given up on the cards in june after the first eight game losing streak. if you look at some of my posts over the summer, i was just burying this team. oh me of little faith.

for me games two, three, and seven of the nlcs are the highlights of the season. i honestly believe that the sixth inning of game seven of the nlcs is the greatest inning of baseball i have ever seen.

[antihipster]

I can not beleive the Cards actually won it all as I was practically pulling my hair out during the regular season.

[STLCards2]

the cards were one of the favorites going into the season. it was just surprising the way they ended up doing it. the ups and downs. the injuries. the losing streaks. i personally had given up on the cards in june after the first eight game losing streak. if you look at some of my posts over the summer, i was just burying this team. oh me of little faith.

for me games two, three, and seven of the nlcs are the highlights of the season. i honestly believe that the sixth inning of game seven of the nlcs is the greatest inning of baseball i have ever seen.

This is true. The Cardinals were (alonmg with the Mets) the NL favorites to go tho the WS. It wan't until the September that the idea of STL winning became improbable. Would anybody have been that suprised if told the Cards would win the WS in late may? I doubt it.

[ChrisLDuncan]

I knew the Yankees should have picked up BJ Ryan. Other than that I am utterly shocked at what happened to the Indians, White Sox, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Astros, and Marlins (supprised they were that good). However we did see Soriano's season, and that he did it in that canyonesque park of his. Also the pitching this year was disappointing. I dunno I was mad at what happened to Giradi, he desrved better reminds me of a toned down version of Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson...execept anyone could have won with Johnson's team. All in all I'm looking forwards to the winter meetings.

[MudvilleMike]

The Tigers were the big surprise of the season. Making the playoffs and slaying the Yankees. Awesome accomplishments!

The only surprise about the Cardinals is how few games they won in the regular season, though it was enough to win the division. You make the playoffs 6 out of 7 years, you're likely to win a World Series. Totally no surprise there. I'm happy for the STL fans. They deserve it.

[RBi]

Ok gentleman, let us reflect on the season that was 2006.....The Tigers, the Cardinals, Bonds, A-rod, all tha good stuff...Have fun guys. Surprises, disappointments, historic moments. Let's reflect.

Looking back, I realized it was not the year for the cubs, but it was the "year before" the year of the Cubs...


Cubs in '07 !!!

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

I knew the Yankees should have picked up BJ Ryan. .
Stop with this nonsense, the Yankees can't buy everything and Yankee fans can't have everyone.

Besides, what's wrong with Farnsworth? Ok, he was prety bad last season.

[DownUnderDodger]

As for the season I was pleasantly surprised that the Dodgers were able to make the playoffs, albeit as a WC. I was shocked at the abject failure of the Red Sox - although injuries played a huge part. I was very surprised at the great showing by the Tigers to make the playoffs (I would not have backed them with monopoly money at the start of the season), even though they got the jitters at the end of the regular season and almost surrender their place. I was not surprised at the razzing Barry Bonds received all season here at BF :crazy and I was not surprised at the banter about the Yankees (love 'em or hate 'em).

And the WS - I was surprised that the Yankees folded so quickly against a very determined Tigers, but was more surprised at the Mets total capitulation against the Cards. I was surprised and disappointed that the Cards won in 5 - I wanted a 7 game series (Heck, today I had to resort to watching old sitcom reruns instead of game 6).

Finally I was very pleased at the opportunity to watch as much baseball as I could throughout the season, including most of the playoff games.

[Jose Reyes]

After the World Series I dug out some of my old 2006 MLB preview magazines from before the season and all 3 of them had the Braves winning the NL East and the Mets finishing 2nd. Two of them had the Mets winning the wildcard and one had them missing the playoffs altogether. So even though some people may say the Mets were a disappointment for not winning the NL after being heavy favorites, I think it was still a good season. The Mets were not even expected to win their division and they surpassed expectations.

[geezer]

Finally this season, I got the chance of watching somebody pitching a no-hitter.

[W_Marone]

After the World Series I dug out some of my old 2006 MLB preview magazines from before the season and all 3 of them had the Braves winning the NL East and the Mets finishing 2nd. Two of them had the Mets winning the wildcard and one had them missing the playoffs altogether. So even though some people may say the Mets were a disappointment for not winning the NL after being heavy favorites, I think it was still a good season. The Mets were not even expected to win their division and they surpassed expectations.


I'm with ya, I remember a bunch of preseason mags giving the east to the Braves....there was no doubt in my mind that they Mets were going to win the east easily. Ken is correct again! HAZZAH!

[plask_stirlac]

I knew the Yankees should have picked up BJ Ryan.

Closing is a helluva drug. :D

------------------

This season is CRAZY. I think it'll sink in the next few months.

Pretty much every top team had two or more awful months, or at least was losing a lot of ground for that time. The most consistent I've found was the Yankees, who could live and die by the end of their rotation they were on.

The A's and Twins were capsizing the first few months, then came back to face off in the playoffs with a boatload of wins each, dominating the second half. In the NL, the Marlins followed suit, or at least incredibly for their payroll. Maybe they don't have a nickname (Guppies?) but they've set a quiet new standard for rookie success as a team, more than the Baby Backs of 2003 or the Braves in 2005. The Astros and Phillies again squared off to resurrect themselves (well, to the prestigious NL Wild Card) after at least climbing into their graves.

Interleague play was something. Remember when the Twins were spoilers and Boston was solidifying its pennant run with Cy Papelbon?

It's stunning that the Twins only had one day in sole possession of first, and it was the last. That was a major surge/collapse. It might be THE collapse, along with the Boston Massacre this year. Why was it a bigger deal when Cleveland was taking Chicago on?

Then the Cardinals and Tigers, and by Tigers I mean Tigers, find major problems in August and September. Both offenses sputter, don't blame the Tigers' pitching but go ahead on the Cards. The Red Sox and White Sox also get lost behind the dryer, and the Mets go on cruise and get cold.

Then the wacky postseason commences. Santana loses at home, the Twins go 0-fer with RISP, the Dodgers stop winning and the Mets start, ditto for Cards-Pads and Tigers-Yankees. No more Royals bashing. :D

Okay, the consensus picks of Yankees and Twins are gone. Then the second-hottest AL team after the break faces one that was cold. Well, it's a small sample size... especially in 4 games, right? Anyway... the Cards were out of luck, right?

Then the World Series. Though the Cards were in the Series without being much of a favorite since early September, THIS time as an underdog they couldn't win against the mighty AL, right? A few experts made Cardinals picks just to be contrarian.

This year, it works!

[redlegsfan21]

The moment of the season for me had to be Adam Dunn's Walk-Off Grand Slam. It was just totally unexpected even though after that game, the Reds didn't seem to win as much as earlier in the season.

[trosmok]

What a wonderful season, in all. Congrats to Japan for winning the inaugural WBC way back in March. I was convinced team Cuba was the class of the exhibition, while so many folks here thought the USA or Dominican teams would prevail. I was very pleased to see a dozen or so guys I'd watched live in AAA ball come out of spring training and not only make the MLB rosters, but win starting jobs. Still can't stand interleague play, and the AL thoroughly dominated the senior circuit, again. The All-Star game was surprisingly good for a change, but it did give the AL WS home field advantage, again. Wish they would alternate it like they did for close to hundred years before Bud's AS blunder.

The second half of the season saw more injuries than I can ever remember in any other recent year. The #4077th they had set up on Waveland Av. couldn't keep pace, and my poor wounded baby bears limped into the NL cellar finshing 66-96 for the worst record, even behind the rookie and raw talent laden Pirates.

It was really good to see Nomar back on the field, even if it was in an odd spot on the infield for him, and in Dodger blue of all things.:crazy Junior had a good season and contributed to the mid season Reds run that showed promise for the team in '07. Big Frank had a whale of a season, and even though the A's offered him a two year extension, he declined for the moment to test free agency. Soriano became the first 40-40-40 man in history; and what he did with the stick while learning to play the outfield in '06 is nothing short of miraculous in my book. Imagine moving to LF, against your wishes, with a new team, in a football stadium and scoring 119 runs, knocking in 95, hitting 46 homers, 41 two-baggers, and stealing successfully 41 times. I still say the Yankees were nuts to get rid of him, I'd try to trade Alex for him, even up. :clapping

I'm going to dig up that old thread of predictions we made back in the spring to see how wrong I was. Congratulations to the World Series Champion Cardinals of Saint Louis, and the AL Pennant winning Detroit Tigers should be very proud of the season they had. Finally, the National League came through and proved they are at least equal, if not superior to the junior circuit, and will be for years to come.

[Old Sweater]

Well my Rockies finished 12 under .500, my AL favorite Yankees get crushed in the ALDS and the Tigers only win 1 WS game. Overall tho I think it was a great season anyways.

[DownUnderDodger]

Congrats to Japan for winning the inaugural WBC way back in March. I was convinced team Cuba was the class of the exhibition, while so many folks here thought the USA or Dominican teams would prevail.
.
Thanks tros for reminding me of the WBC - it was really a highlight to see the top MLB players competing in a truly World competition, and thanks to the MLB for finally having the foresight to take the game to the world at this level. And congrats to all teams and especially MLB players who accepted this concept and participated. Finally a special congrats to Japan, inaugural winners of the first real WBC.