Hello World!

Hey everyone!

After seeing the Blue Crew do their thing against the Cursed Cubs, I can't help but find some sort of outlet. Therefore...the birth of this blog!

While I admit Game 1 victory was exciting (J-Lo's grandslam anyone?), I always knew the Dodgers have the will to win (sorry for the cliche but they really do!). Manny contributes heavily to the offense, but I always knew J-Lo and the young guns bleeding blue are what ultimately drive this potent and dangerous team. With decent starting pitching and a stacked bullpen (Greg Maddux's 9th inning appearance ring a bell?), the Dodgers are truly believing they can make a run for it all.

Check out my prediction contest article from April below

I GOT THE BLUES

By Adrian Kim

April 12 2008

Enough with the Clemens/McNamee saga, the Jose Conseco soap opera, and the wasted hours and money Congress could've spent dealing with real issues (Hello Iraq and the impending recession!)...

LET'S PLAY BALL!

Amid all the chaos behind the scenes of Major League Baseball and the recent Steroid phenomenon and "clean-up" of its image, I was thinking, " WE GOT JOE TORRE AS OUR MANAGER FOR 2008??? YOU GOTTA BE KIDIDNG ME!"

With four World Series Championships rings "blinging" brighter than Lil' Jon's grill and infamous "PIMP cup" and a wealth of experience that only Hank Steinbrenner could wish the same for out of the other "Joe" (Much respected Girardi but c''mon he's NO JOE TORRE!), the youthful, passionate, Blue Crew of 2008 is ready and eager to deliver a potential championship!

YES YOU HEARD ME RIGHT! I'm thinking Blue and I cannot deny the fact that this year might just be THE year for an amazing adventure. With Torre's leadership and excellent management skills, the mixture of youth, passion, speed, athleticism, and of course, our awesome pitching (Get out of here FUKODOME- LET'S TALK ABOUT KURODA!), DODGER MANIA'S BACK in full-effect!

Obviously I'm a bit bias towards my beloved Dodgers, but below is my prediction for the upcoming 2008 season! Enjoy!

0.IN YO FACE CRITICS! On December 12, 2007 the "experts" were stunned to see that the Dodgers signed a $35.3 million dollar contract for the highly-talented but questionable Hiroki Kuroda. After several starts early this Spring, things are looking bright for the Dodger pitching staff and Kuroda's fastball and slider couldn't look sweeter. Already after strong starts, Dodger fans can't wait to see if this guy might just be the next Hideo Nomo (perhaps even the next Valenzuela? LETS HOPE SO!)

0.POOR PIERRE! If you have Jay-Z rapping about your skills, then obviously you must have some SERIOUS skills. While the Dodger roster's a bit crowded with their talented outfield, you cannot neglect Pierre's uncanny ability. Despite management/contract issues, I'm glad to hear that Pierre's being an ultimate professional about the uncertainty of his future as a Dodger. I'm sure with Torre's management expertise, he'll figure out a way to utilize Pierre to his potential.

0.ANDRUW JONES SIGNING-UH OH! Okay...I hate to admit this but Dodger management should've thought harder about signing this aged and deteriorating outfielder. With statistical numbers (like his DISASTROUS BATTING AVERAGE (GO TO THIS LINK TO SEE HIS #'S http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/will-batting-220-hurt-andruw-jones-contract-chances/) and his production value not at the same caliber as his previous All-Star form, the Dodger's needed a bigger bat in the line-up and that $36.2 million clearly could've brought about some heavy fire power. But...

0.THE FUTURE OF THE DODGER OFFENSE! J-LO! James Loney has ALL-STAR written all over him. Standing at 6-3 and a robust 220-pounds, the 23-year-old Houston native has the raw talent and work ethic to become the next Griffey. With a sweet SWEEET swing and the mentality of a mature veteran, Loney's batting skills and intelligence provide the Blue Crew with some serious beef.

0.MY PREDICTION...Unlike last year's horrendous late-season collapse (obviously not as bad as the Mets- thank you guys by the way!), I'm predicting some great things for the Dodgers. Considering the National League got a bit tougher with their pitching overall (example: JOHAN SANTANA RING A BELL?!), the Dodgers have a great chance of doing well in the underrated and competitive National League West. While clearly the Giants are no match to any of the quality teams in the MLB, teams like the Padres and of course last year's Cinderella the Rockies still show the same potential to make things interesting for 2008. However...we all know who's going to win...

0.94 WINS 68 LOSSES! My official prediction for the Dodgers 2008 regular season!

PLAYOFF PREDICTION! 3 words my friends...WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!