Friday, August 31, 2007
Joba Rules
"We're still going by the same set of rules, but every once in a while we're going to take certain liberties," Torre said.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
To Pull the Plug or not to Pull the Plug
First things first...."He is going to be a starter [next year], and no game is more important than a kid's future," Torre said of the 21-year-old right-hander"
Second... another quote from Torre (something to this effect)... "I have loyalty to each individual, but my loyalty to the 25 guys as a whole has to be bigger"
Now, with all this Mussina talk I wanted to apply it more broadly to sports as a whole. When do you pull the plug on a guy?
Major factors:
1.) Longevity and history with team
Has this guy been a key cog for years? Has he won World Series and other big games? I believe teams are more prone to give leeway to a guy who has been there in the past. Guys like Rivera have basically a lifetime pass with Yankees and the fans. I know Mussina has pitched big games for the Yanks (Game 3 Oakland, Game 7 Red Sox), but to me he is just as much an Oriole if not more so.
2.) Contract
If there are still years left on the contract, pulling the plug makes things more complicated. It would make the player harder to trade because pulling him essentially means you are conceiting that his skills have declined and thus less appetizing to another team.
3.) Age
Is the guy in a rut or has he hit that wall that all athletes do at some point in their career? Is he young enough where taking him out of the rotation or lineup will kill his confidence and set him back? Is it a temporarily loss of mechanics?
4.) Team status
Is this a team in the playoff hunt where keeping the player active is going to hurt the team's chances? Or is this a team where the player means more to the franchise then his actual playing ability?
I don't believe any situation of pulling the plug is answerable without considering all 3 of these elements. For example Mussina, yes he has 7 years, yes he has special moments, yes he has another $11 million dollars on his contract for next year and yes he is getting up there in age.
What about Patrick Ewing's situation? He was the face of the franchise. He made the Knicks an upper echelon team for nearly his entire career. When the plug was pulled on him and he was traded to Seattle, the Knicks spiraled downwards. Was he missed on the court? At that point probably not, he had already missed the playoffs in 1999 and the Knicks made the finals without him. However, it may have had a lasting impact on the franchise. It is never easy to transition from one era to the next.
What about Rick Ankiel? When he lost his control he was still young. The Cardinals had to consider age, contract, longevity, etc. For this situation, age was probably the most influential. They had a serious athlete on their hands and management decided to pull the plug on his pitching career. Looks like it may pay off.
I pull the plug on Mussina, I try and deal him to a contender who needs a starter at the back end. If not, I eat the contract if starting him is going to hinder a younger pitcher's chance to succeed. Their is no leftover effect on the team from losing a guy like Musinna.
I do not pull the plug on a guy like Rivera until an extreme circumstance arises. There are certain guys who as a fan you would love to see walk away on their own terms. Curtis Martin was able to do this and I hope the same for Mo.
Second... another quote from Torre (something to this effect)... "I have loyalty to each individual, but my loyalty to the 25 guys as a whole has to be bigger"
Now, with all this Mussina talk I wanted to apply it more broadly to sports as a whole. When do you pull the plug on a guy?
Major factors:
1.) Longevity and history with team
Has this guy been a key cog for years? Has he won World Series and other big games? I believe teams are more prone to give leeway to a guy who has been there in the past. Guys like Rivera have basically a lifetime pass with Yankees and the fans. I know Mussina has pitched big games for the Yanks (Game 3 Oakland, Game 7 Red Sox), but to me he is just as much an Oriole if not more so.
2.) Contract
If there are still years left on the contract, pulling the plug makes things more complicated. It would make the player harder to trade because pulling him essentially means you are conceiting that his skills have declined and thus less appetizing to another team.
3.) Age
Is the guy in a rut or has he hit that wall that all athletes do at some point in their career? Is he young enough where taking him out of the rotation or lineup will kill his confidence and set him back? Is it a temporarily loss of mechanics?
4.) Team status
Is this a team in the playoff hunt where keeping the player active is going to hurt the team's chances? Or is this a team where the player means more to the franchise then his actual playing ability?
I don't believe any situation of pulling the plug is answerable without considering all 3 of these elements. For example Mussina, yes he has 7 years, yes he has special moments, yes he has another $11 million dollars on his contract for next year and yes he is getting up there in age.
What about Patrick Ewing's situation? He was the face of the franchise. He made the Knicks an upper echelon team for nearly his entire career. When the plug was pulled on him and he was traded to Seattle, the Knicks spiraled downwards. Was he missed on the court? At that point probably not, he had already missed the playoffs in 1999 and the Knicks made the finals without him. However, it may have had a lasting impact on the franchise. It is never easy to transition from one era to the next.
What about Rick Ankiel? When he lost his control he was still young. The Cardinals had to consider age, contract, longevity, etc. For this situation, age was probably the most influential. They had a serious athlete on their hands and management decided to pull the plug on his pitching career. Looks like it may pay off.
I pull the plug on Mussina, I try and deal him to a contender who needs a starter at the back end. If not, I eat the contract if starting him is going to hinder a younger pitcher's chance to succeed. Their is no leftover effect on the team from losing a guy like Musinna.
I do not pull the plug on a guy like Rivera until an extreme circumstance arises. There are certain guys who as a fan you would love to see walk away on their own terms. Curtis Martin was able to do this and I hope the same for Mo.
Look, a Goose!
One of our bloggers had been ranting about how Yankees fans should cut Mike Mussina some slack. It doesn't look like Joe Torre or Ron Guidry agree with him.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2995554
Interesting stat I heard yesterday, in his last three starts, out of the 215 pitches he has thrown, batters have swung and missed 8 times. 8 times! That's it. All means is it's not command, it's stuff. He just flat out doesn't have it right now. Is it just for now? Or is it time to hang his cleats up? Only time will tell.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2995554
Interesting stat I heard yesterday, in his last three starts, out of the 215 pitches he has thrown, batters have swung and missed 8 times. 8 times! That's it. All means is it's not command, it's stuff. He just flat out doesn't have it right now. Is it just for now? Or is it time to hang his cleats up? Only time will tell.
All Over The Ice
- Maybe, just maybe Tom Brady's kid is named John Edward Thomas (J-E-T) because he OWNS the Jets. You could say he took a page out of Chippers' book on this one (Shea hey!).
- I look forward to seeing Joba pitch tonight. Oh wait, he pitched last night?? I guess it'll be automatic Farnsworth in the 8th tonight...
- Mets fans have a lot to be worried about with this bullpen. Mota is a nightmare. Wagner will be fine, but Feliciano has been extremely shakey in the second half after a phenomenal first half. Worst part is, any type of help from the minors in Sept (Joe Smith, Burgos) ain't happenin. They are both hurt right now.
- Can someone name a real complete game the Mets have thrown? I know Glavine and Maine each have one, but both of those were in rain shortened games. Maybe the fact that the Mets relievers have not had a day of from a nine inning game is causing this. Just a thought.
- Stick a fork in the Braves...they're done.
- Phillies are making the NL East interesting. Until they play well in a big spot in Sept (something they have not done in the past 4-5 years) I don't believe in them.
- Can someone explain why Phil Hughes has hyped as such an unreal prospect when at this point he is a two pitch pitcher with a fastball consistantly around 91? I'm not saing he won't develop into something great, but I expected better than this.
- For all my making fun of the Torre, uh I mena Joba Rules, he guy can flat out deal. Crazy nice stuff. Most impressive part is that in each time I've watched him pitch, he loves gonig to the slider on 3-2, did it twice last night. Thats a lot of confidence in a secondary pitch for a youngster.
- Anyone else watch Hard Knocks? Herm Edwards may not be able to understand a game clock, but he sure is good in front of a camera.
- YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME.
- This Jet season just feels like 1999 all over again...huge disappointment. Right up to the point where they get killed in game one and realize a long year is ahead of them.
- Has any other coach been this typed after one season than Mangini(a)?
- I still hate the Knicks.
- Fantasy draft tonight....can I hit the trifecta and get LDT for my third fantasy league?? Don't think so, but I don't think it will matter anyway.
Might have more later. Had to do this early in the morning.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Sliding into September
Labor Day weekend is upon us, and with approximately 30 games left in the MLB regular season, it's time to hand out some awards. Many of these can change with changing in the standings, injuries, and either break-out or wipe out performances, but as of today, here is where they stand.
NL Comeback Player of the Year - Rick Ankiel, Stl OF: With a late call up and a quick power surge, this feel good story (which doesn't have drugs or rehab involved) gives this one time pitcher who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn door at one point this award.
Apologies to: Josh Hamilton, Cin OF; Kerry Wood, Chc P.
AL Comeback Player of the Year - Jon Lester, Bos P: The dude came back from cancer and is pitching in the major leagues. If that doesn't define this award, I don't know what does.
Apologies to: Delmon Young, TB OF
NL Rookie of the Year - Ryan Braun, Mil 3B: This guy can flat out rake. .334, 25 HRs, 66 RBIs, 11 SBs in 82 games.
Apologies to: Tim Lincecum, SF P; Chris B. Young, Ari OF; Hunter Pence, Hou OF
AL Rookie of the Year - Diasuke Matsuzaka, Bos P: The second Boston pitcher in two AL awards. 13-10, 3.76 ERA, 172 K's. He may be 27, but he's an MLB rookie.
Apologies to: Kei Igawa, NYY P (Haha, just kidding); Dustin Pedrioa, Bos 2B; Jeremy Guthrie, Bal P; Reggie Willits, LAA OF; Hideki Okajima, Bos P
NL Manager of the Year - Lou Pinella, Chc: I said it at the All-Star break and I'll repeat it again here. This guy is the man. And with Soriano out for the month, the Cubs have taken over first place (albeit in a very weak division).
Apologies to: Bob Melvin, Ari; Bud Black, SD; Tony LaRussa, Stl
AL Manager of the Year - John McLaren, Sea: I know it's a little unfair because he's only coached less than half a season. However, it's his first managerial job, and after Hargrove left, Seattle could have easily packed it in. They didn't, and this team is poised for the wild card. (Plus giving it to Wedge would have made this very boring).
Apologies to: Eric Wedge, Cle; Mike Scioscia, LAA; Terry Francona, Bos
NL Cy Young - Jake Peavy, SD: Jake has been lights out this season: 15-5, 2.18 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 197 K's. Wow.
Apologies to: Brad Penny, LAD; Chris Young, SD; Cole Hamels, Phi
AL Cy Young - Erik Bedard, Bal: What a year, what a second half. Including his last start where he got a little roughed up: 13-5, 3.16 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 221 K's. The most impressive stat being the 13 W's for Baltimore. With so many good candidates, I decided to go for the guy I root for and the underdog.
Apologies to: Johan Santana, Min; Dan Haren, Oak; Josh Beckett, Bos; John Lackey, LAA; Justin Verlander, Det
NL MVP - Eric Byrnes, Ari OF: Let's hear it. Again, I don't care, but with such a close race and no run away winner, I'm going with the little guy who does it all and is holding the young Diamondbacks together through the playoff race. .298, 81 Runs, 19 HRs, 72 RBIs and 37 SBs.
Apologies to: Price Fielder, Mil 1B; Albert Pujols, Stl 1B; Jose Reyes, NYM SS; David Wright, NYM 3B; Jake Peavy, SD P (Yep.)
AL MVP - Alex Rodriguez, NYY 3B: Cooled off after the break, but had one of the best starts to an MLB season as a hitter that he could afford to. And could possibly, if he picks up the run production, join the 150/150 club. .306, 120 Runs, 43 HRs, 123 RBIs, 18 SBs.
Apologies to: Magglio Ordonez, Det OF; Ichiro Suzuki, Sea OF
NL Comeback Player of the Year - Rick Ankiel, Stl OF: With a late call up and a quick power surge, this feel good story (which doesn't have drugs or rehab involved) gives this one time pitcher who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn door at one point this award.
Apologies to: Josh Hamilton, Cin OF; Kerry Wood, Chc P.
AL Comeback Player of the Year - Jon Lester, Bos P: The dude came back from cancer and is pitching in the major leagues. If that doesn't define this award, I don't know what does.
Apologies to: Delmon Young, TB OF
NL Rookie of the Year - Ryan Braun, Mil 3B: This guy can flat out rake. .334, 25 HRs, 66 RBIs, 11 SBs in 82 games.
Apologies to: Tim Lincecum, SF P; Chris B. Young, Ari OF; Hunter Pence, Hou OF
AL Rookie of the Year - Diasuke Matsuzaka, Bos P: The second Boston pitcher in two AL awards. 13-10, 3.76 ERA, 172 K's. He may be 27, but he's an MLB rookie.
Apologies to: Kei Igawa, NYY P (Haha, just kidding); Dustin Pedrioa, Bos 2B; Jeremy Guthrie, Bal P; Reggie Willits, LAA OF; Hideki Okajima, Bos P
NL Manager of the Year - Lou Pinella, Chc: I said it at the All-Star break and I'll repeat it again here. This guy is the man. And with Soriano out for the month, the Cubs have taken over first place (albeit in a very weak division).
Apologies to: Bob Melvin, Ari; Bud Black, SD; Tony LaRussa, Stl
AL Manager of the Year - John McLaren, Sea: I know it's a little unfair because he's only coached less than half a season. However, it's his first managerial job, and after Hargrove left, Seattle could have easily packed it in. They didn't, and this team is poised for the wild card. (Plus giving it to Wedge would have made this very boring).
Apologies to: Eric Wedge, Cle; Mike Scioscia, LAA; Terry Francona, Bos
NL Cy Young - Jake Peavy, SD: Jake has been lights out this season: 15-5, 2.18 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 197 K's. Wow.
Apologies to: Brad Penny, LAD; Chris Young, SD; Cole Hamels, Phi
AL Cy Young - Erik Bedard, Bal: What a year, what a second half. Including his last start where he got a little roughed up: 13-5, 3.16 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 221 K's. The most impressive stat being the 13 W's for Baltimore. With so many good candidates, I decided to go for the guy I root for and the underdog.
Apologies to: Johan Santana, Min; Dan Haren, Oak; Josh Beckett, Bos; John Lackey, LAA; Justin Verlander, Det
NL MVP - Eric Byrnes, Ari OF: Let's hear it. Again, I don't care, but with such a close race and no run away winner, I'm going with the little guy who does it all and is holding the young Diamondbacks together through the playoff race. .298, 81 Runs, 19 HRs, 72 RBIs and 37 SBs.
Apologies to: Price Fielder, Mil 1B; Albert Pujols, Stl 1B; Jose Reyes, NYM SS; David Wright, NYM 3B; Jake Peavy, SD P (Yep.)
AL MVP - Alex Rodriguez, NYY 3B: Cooled off after the break, but had one of the best starts to an MLB season as a hitter that he could afford to. And could possibly, if he picks up the run production, join the 150/150 club. .306, 120 Runs, 43 HRs, 123 RBIs, 18 SBs.
Apologies to: Magglio Ordonez, Det OF; Ichiro Suzuki, Sea OF
Shorty!
Ten years ago the new big thing in baseball was the shortstop trio of AROD, Nomah and Jeter. They were of the mold of Cal Ripkin....big, strong and could hit. Debates of who was the best brought back memories of the old CF debates of Mays, Mantle and Snyder. Peter Gammons said it base in my mind that AROD was the best player, Jeter the winner and Nomah the best hitter. Now in the years since then, Nomah faded due to injuries, while AROD and Jeter have continued their Hall of Fame careers.
Fast forward 10 years to the NL East, where you have Jimmy Rollins, HanRam, and Jose Reyes. These guys are of a different mold than their predecessors of 10 years ago, but might turn out to be just as good. Many people think HanRam may be the next 40-40 guy. Reyes could one day steal 100 bases and hit 20 home runs himself. Rollins is already in his prime, but it is a prime filled with extra base hits. He is a machine. By the way, Troy Tulowitski in Colorado is having a pretty strong rookie year as a SS himself, as is JJ Hardy. The NL is flat out stacked at shortstop. A fairer comparison may actually be 1B in the AL in the late 1990s where you had Mo Vaughn, Mark McGuire, Rafeal Palmero, Frank Thomas and Tino Martinez.
In any event, this SS debate will be fun to watch and argue about. And just to be clear.....Reyes is the best now and will continue to be. Fuck HamRam!
STKAFI
Fast forward 10 years to the NL East, where you have Jimmy Rollins, HanRam, and Jose Reyes. These guys are of a different mold than their predecessors of 10 years ago, but might turn out to be just as good. Many people think HanRam may be the next 40-40 guy. Reyes could one day steal 100 bases and hit 20 home runs himself. Rollins is already in his prime, but it is a prime filled with extra base hits. He is a machine. By the way, Troy Tulowitski in Colorado is having a pretty strong rookie year as a SS himself, as is JJ Hardy. The NL is flat out stacked at shortstop. A fairer comparison may actually be 1B in the AL in the late 1990s where you had Mo Vaughn, Mark McGuire, Rafeal Palmero, Frank Thomas and Tino Martinez.
In any event, this SS debate will be fun to watch and argue about. And just to be clear.....Reyes is the best now and will continue to be. Fuck HamRam!
STKAFI
Monday, August 27, 2007
How to Handle the Young Ones
The recent Friday post by our fearless blog leader, IceCold, got me thinking about one of the toughest decisions for a sports franchise. How to handle the kids, the Joba Chamberlains, the Kevin Durants, and of course, the Brady Quinns.
Now the Kevin Durants are relatively easy, and we've been over the Joba Chamberlains. However, one of the rather large pre-season stories thus far in the NFL is the Brady Quinn situation in Cleveland. Should they start him? Should they sit him? What is the best way for a team to handle the individual that for all intensive purposes is the future face of the franchise. Quarterback is hands down the most important position in sports. There are basically three ways to handle a situation involving a franchises' future leader. The rush job, the mid-season, and the year long wait. Each situation has had success stories(Ben Roelesberger, Vince Young, Phillip Rivers), each situation has failures (David Carr, Eli?(kidding, kinda), Joey Harrington).
Obviously each situation is 100% specific to the player and situation. Basically, I am a large fan of the mid-season take over for the rookie QB. I think that this plan allows the Quarterback to come in and give a boost to a mediocre team that may or may not be under performing. It also allows the O-Line to feel comfortable playing together and the chances of a Quarterback getting consistently destroyed from his blindside(see David Carr) are reduced to a comfortable level. I believe that a year isnt neccesary and the beginning of the year is just too soon(and risky). Now as I said before, there are exceptions to this rule where this is not the best policy, the most recent example in San Diego, with Drew Brees clearly leading a team to the playoffs as its' leader. Obviously, in these situations, you don't replace the quarterback, no matter the situation. With few exceptions, I fully believe that the mid-season insertion is easily the best method.
Now the Brady Quinn situation is, of course, its' own unique problems for the coaching staff and front office. There isn't anyone else on the roster that is a viable NFL starter. Unlike the Broncos last year and to a lesser extent(at the time of the switch) the Titans, no one expects the Cleveland Browns to be relevant this year. It just ain't happening. Also a factor, the fact that Young Quinn has been in camp for only a few weeks and is currently playing catch up with the playbook and team. The last two points clearly would lead someone to believe that starting Brady would be a devastating mistake the likes of which hasn't been seen since David Carr got sacked about 150 times in 3 years. The Browns' current plans were made public recently when the GM came out and said, "Brady Quinn will not be the starting Quarterback for the Cleveland Browns" over the weekend. There is no way that starting him is the right thing to do, probably at any point this season.
Here is the thing though, the argument for starting him, the reason the fans every Cleveland game will be chanting "Brady" continuously for four quarters. Brady Quinn is hands down the best quarterback on the roster right now. He looked extremely comfortable and almost dominant against the Denver Broncos first team defense(Champ Bailey, John Lynch, DJ Williams). Two drives, 10 points. Not much better than that for a rook, even in the PreSeason. He has had a quarter of the practice reps with the 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd team offense and he is, hands down so far, the best Quarterback on the Brown roster.
Should they start him? HELL NO. Are you serious? With a rookie left tackle? Even a good rookie will still make mistakes. No reason to risk it. The team isn't going anywhere, that much, we are sure of. And the short term reward (8 wins MAX) certainly is not near the short term risk involving Brady's confidence and health. He shouldn't be starting for this team but I'm 80% sure that we will be seeing him come week 8.
Now the Kevin Durants are relatively easy, and we've been over the Joba Chamberlains. However, one of the rather large pre-season stories thus far in the NFL is the Brady Quinn situation in Cleveland. Should they start him? Should they sit him? What is the best way for a team to handle the individual that for all intensive purposes is the future face of the franchise. Quarterback is hands down the most important position in sports. There are basically three ways to handle a situation involving a franchises' future leader. The rush job, the mid-season, and the year long wait. Each situation has had success stories(Ben Roelesberger, Vince Young, Phillip Rivers), each situation has failures (David Carr, Eli?(kidding, kinda), Joey Harrington).
Obviously each situation is 100% specific to the player and situation. Basically, I am a large fan of the mid-season take over for the rookie QB. I think that this plan allows the Quarterback to come in and give a boost to a mediocre team that may or may not be under performing. It also allows the O-Line to feel comfortable playing together and the chances of a Quarterback getting consistently destroyed from his blindside(see David Carr) are reduced to a comfortable level. I believe that a year isnt neccesary and the beginning of the year is just too soon(and risky). Now as I said before, there are exceptions to this rule where this is not the best policy, the most recent example in San Diego, with Drew Brees clearly leading a team to the playoffs as its' leader. Obviously, in these situations, you don't replace the quarterback, no matter the situation. With few exceptions, I fully believe that the mid-season insertion is easily the best method.
Now the Brady Quinn situation is, of course, its' own unique problems for the coaching staff and front office. There isn't anyone else on the roster that is a viable NFL starter. Unlike the Broncos last year and to a lesser extent(at the time of the switch) the Titans, no one expects the Cleveland Browns to be relevant this year. It just ain't happening. Also a factor, the fact that Young Quinn has been in camp for only a few weeks and is currently playing catch up with the playbook and team. The last two points clearly would lead someone to believe that starting Brady would be a devastating mistake the likes of which hasn't been seen since David Carr got sacked about 150 times in 3 years. The Browns' current plans were made public recently when the GM came out and said, "Brady Quinn will not be the starting Quarterback for the Cleveland Browns" over the weekend. There is no way that starting him is the right thing to do, probably at any point this season.
Here is the thing though, the argument for starting him, the reason the fans every Cleveland game will be chanting "Brady" continuously for four quarters. Brady Quinn is hands down the best quarterback on the roster right now. He looked extremely comfortable and almost dominant against the Denver Broncos first team defense(Champ Bailey, John Lynch, DJ Williams). Two drives, 10 points. Not much better than that for a rook, even in the PreSeason. He has had a quarter of the practice reps with the 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd team offense and he is, hands down so far, the best Quarterback on the Brown roster.
Should they start him? HELL NO. Are you serious? With a rookie left tackle? Even a good rookie will still make mistakes. No reason to risk it. The team isn't going anywhere, that much, we are sure of. And the short term reward (8 wins MAX) certainly is not near the short term risk involving Brady's confidence and health. He shouldn't be starting for this team but I'm 80% sure that we will be seeing him come week 8.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
The Joba Rules
Can someone explain the logic of the "Joba Rules" to me? I mean, I knew that todays young pitchers were being coddled but this is borderline ridiculous. He can't be pitched on back to back days or come into the middle of an inning? Is he allowed to wipe his ass with his right hand or does he have to use his left for precautionary reasons? First of all I honestly do not think that this is going to effect his development and second of all I think his presense on the Yankees this season will hurt them almost as much as help them as a result of this nonsense.
How will it hurt them? Easy. On the day after he pitches Torre is forced to manage the game with one pitcher short in the bullpen. In addtion, the opposing manager has one less thing that he has to guard against when coming up with match-ups late in ballgames in the middle of innings and on days when Joba is held out. Lets just go back for a second to the logic of this. So you are telling me that the Yankees are paying Torre eight or 10 millions dollars a year (whatever it is), but don't trust him enough to handle this young pitchers development properly? We all know Torre's bullpen management issues, but I have to believe that if the front office told Torre to treat this kid carefully he would do the right thing. Instead they have not just said be careful, but told him exactly how he needs to treat him. I mean, Joba pitched one inning (10 pitches) on Friday night. On Saturday it was Wang vs Bonderman. While the Yankees ran away with it, going into the game it looked like this could be a pitchers duel late. If that was the case Joba would have been a potentially valuable piece to the Yankee chances. Instead, we knew he was not going to pitch. To me, that is a major problem.
As far as pitcher development goes, it is such an inexact science. We all know that the great pitchers of the past were never bothered with anything close to this kind of treatment. There are guy in the big leagues now who have been brought up carefully and as a result can now not pitch deep into ball games because they have never been allowed to build up the stamina by doing it before. At the same time some have gotten injured regardless. It is just so tough to judge, and the Yankees are treating this in what I feel is an overly cautious way. I'm not saying pitch the kid consistantly on back to backs or ever in three straight games, but after 10 pitches, I think he can get you something the next day and not hurt his future.
I just feel that the development of pitchers is possibly the most random science in sports. You really never can tell how is going to hold up physically or mentally to it. Everyone said Mark Prior was the perfect build and fluid motion, while everyone allso said Pedro Martinez was too small and put too much torque on his body. You just really do not know. One thing the Yankees do know right now though is that Joba is dominating at the Major League level. Let him loose a little. They are holding him back for a future that is full of potential, but also full of mystery.
How will it hurt them? Easy. On the day after he pitches Torre is forced to manage the game with one pitcher short in the bullpen. In addtion, the opposing manager has one less thing that he has to guard against when coming up with match-ups late in ballgames in the middle of innings and on days when Joba is held out. Lets just go back for a second to the logic of this. So you are telling me that the Yankees are paying Torre eight or 10 millions dollars a year (whatever it is), but don't trust him enough to handle this young pitchers development properly? We all know Torre's bullpen management issues, but I have to believe that if the front office told Torre to treat this kid carefully he would do the right thing. Instead they have not just said be careful, but told him exactly how he needs to treat him. I mean, Joba pitched one inning (10 pitches) on Friday night. On Saturday it was Wang vs Bonderman. While the Yankees ran away with it, going into the game it looked like this could be a pitchers duel late. If that was the case Joba would have been a potentially valuable piece to the Yankee chances. Instead, we knew he was not going to pitch. To me, that is a major problem.
As far as pitcher development goes, it is such an inexact science. We all know that the great pitchers of the past were never bothered with anything close to this kind of treatment. There are guy in the big leagues now who have been brought up carefully and as a result can now not pitch deep into ball games because they have never been allowed to build up the stamina by doing it before. At the same time some have gotten injured regardless. It is just so tough to judge, and the Yankees are treating this in what I feel is an overly cautious way. I'm not saying pitch the kid consistantly on back to backs or ever in three straight games, but after 10 pitches, I think he can get you something the next day and not hurt his future.
I just feel that the development of pitchers is possibly the most random science in sports. You really never can tell how is going to hold up physically or mentally to it. Everyone said Mark Prior was the perfect build and fluid motion, while everyone allso said Pedro Martinez was too small and put too much torque on his body. You just really do not know. One thing the Yankees do know right now though is that Joba is dominating at the Major League level. Let him loose a little. They are holding him back for a future that is full of potential, but also full of mystery.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
It's Been Awhile
It has been a good couple of weeks since I last posted. I was away in Scotland for a week, and I did not have a chance to post at all. In any event, I'm back.
Last week a fellow blogger and I had a debate. The topic was the newest sensation in New York and in baseball, Mr. Joba Chamberlain. Basically, considering how dominant and comfortable Joba looks as a reliever I argued that the Yankees should keep him in this role for next year and possibly groom him to follow Mariano as the Yankee closer of the next generation. Da Bocker felt that once this season is over, the Yankees should give Joba a look in the rotation and ideally that's where he should fit in the Yankees plans. It is so premature in the guys career, that this debate is really stupid to even have at this point. he has less that ten career innings pitched in the big leagues so we were getting quite a bit ahead of ourselves. The larger topic that I felt we were truly arguing though was the importance of a starting staff compared to a bullpen.
There is no doubt that the starters get more attention than relievers. They pitch more innings, make more money and are often leaders on a ballclub. Throughout history it has been said that a team with great starting pitching always has a chance to win ballgames, especially in the playoffs. I great 1-2 punch can cause a lot of trouble for the opposition, especially in a five game series.
Baseball has changed though over the past decade or so. As we all know starters are pitching less inning than ever before. A solid start is going six innings and giving up three runs or less. Pitch counts play a huge role in the performance of veterans and the development of youngsters. As a result I feel that the bullpen will continue to play a larger and larger role.
Look at the drafting of pitchers. Already in recent years, relief pitchers such as Chad Cordero and Craig Hansen have been taken in the first round by teams knowing that they were getting a relief pitcher. That was unheard of before. Just like the Yankees made Joba a reliever (temporarily?) the Red Sox put Palpebon in the bullpen. The Mets have traded starters for relievers (Seo for Sanchez and Bannister for Burgos) as have the Braves (Ramirez for Soriano) the past couple of years. The Phillies were trying to give away Jon Leiber at the beginning of the year for any reliever were a dime and could not find a partner. The cardinal rule used to be never to trade a starter for a reliever and now teams all over baseball are discarding this.
In addition to the whole innings thing with starters and the increased workload of bullpens, I think the bullpen importance has to do with the pressure and popularity of today's game. Baseball is making more money than ever before and more people are watching than ever before. As a result more teams are spending record amounts. The bullpen is like the padlock. Teams are spending all this money to put together great teams together, but they better have that bullpen in order to preserve these wins. Its like the left tackle position in the NFL. If you are going to pay a lot of money for your quarterback, you better get yourself a quality left tackle to protect his blind side.
A team with a great offense does not need great starting pitching. Look at the Mets or the Yankees. You know that they are going to put up 5-6 runs a game and if the starter gives up a run early chances are the offense will get it back. A good bullpen though is essential. If Wang gives up a three run shot to go down 4-2 in the third inning the Yanks still have a lot of time to come back. If Farnsworth gives up the three run shot though in the 8th inning the game is likely over.
In the same breath if a team has great starting pitching, they don't need a great offense. If the starters are consistently going seven innings and giving up three runs or less, all the team needs is for the offense to scratch out a run here or there. Look at the Twins and Angels of the past few years. In the same respect though, both of those teams have had top bullpens. Without the bullpens, these starting pitching efforts would largely be for nothing.
Lastly, when you look at a major league season there are a lot of ups and downs. Often times the trigger to an up or a down is a late inning situation. When a closer blows a ballgame it often can bring a whole team down. In the same respect, when the bullpen holds an opponent down and gives the offense a chance to win it, the team gets a big boost. Look at the NBA or NFL. What is the biggest back breaker as a fan watching a game? When the defense can't get a stop late in the game. When you know that once the other team has the ball you are not going to stop them. That's the negative impact the bullpen can have in baseball. The entire mood of a home crowd will go down the drain and it can often take the team with it.
I have made it sound really easy. Build a good bullpen, have decent starting pitching, be able to manufacture runs and you got a playoff team. I wish it were that simple. The fact is that relievers are the sports version of Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. On year they are on top of the world and sign a multi-year deal and two years later they are pitching for the Long Island Ducks. It is a pressure job that can take its toll both on a pitchers body and mind. You can name maybe 10 relief pitchers who have been consistently great over the past five years.
So now the question is how does a team approach this difficult position to fill that is so essential to a team winning. Who knows. I think you have to concentrate on building power arms from your minor league system, in addition to taking chances on veterans who have pitched in pressure situations in the past. After watching the Mets game tonight I feel even stronger about my belief in the bullpen. I would almost rather lose 6-2 and not come back, then have the bullpen continue to give up the lead. I just hope the impact of a loss like this is not felt through the weekend and more importantly, I hope that this bullpen can find some consistency soon.
On a side note...
TO all the Yankee clowns, uh I mean fans who are calling for Mike Mussina's head. Chill out. This is a guy who first of all has pitched well in a number of big games in a Yankee uniform (Game 3 A's in 2001, relief of Game 7 2003 Red Sox just to name a couple) and has been a part of the team for the past seven years. In addition, in the four starts prior to these last two poor ones he went 4-0 with a K-BB ration of 19-2 and did not allow more than 2 runs in any of those starts. That includes a start in Cleveland in an important series for the Yanks. We know he is not the pitcher he once was, but this is ridiculous. The guy is a gamer and has been his whole career. For Yankee fans to throw this guy under the bus now is exactly what I hate about them. Have just a little patience and realize that Mussinas next four start hot stretch may come in September. On second though, drop him from the rotation for luminaries such as Kai Igawa, Jeff Karstens or another unproven rookie. It always makes sense to NOT go with the guys who have been there for you over the years when times get tough. Remember...IT WAS TWO STARTS. If Mussina pitches seven strong on Sunday I want all you Yankee fans to be praising him as much as you have been burying him this past week. What a joke.
STKAFI
Last week a fellow blogger and I had a debate. The topic was the newest sensation in New York and in baseball, Mr. Joba Chamberlain. Basically, considering how dominant and comfortable Joba looks as a reliever I argued that the Yankees should keep him in this role for next year and possibly groom him to follow Mariano as the Yankee closer of the next generation. Da Bocker felt that once this season is over, the Yankees should give Joba a look in the rotation and ideally that's where he should fit in the Yankees plans. It is so premature in the guys career, that this debate is really stupid to even have at this point. he has less that ten career innings pitched in the big leagues so we were getting quite a bit ahead of ourselves. The larger topic that I felt we were truly arguing though was the importance of a starting staff compared to a bullpen.
There is no doubt that the starters get more attention than relievers. They pitch more innings, make more money and are often leaders on a ballclub. Throughout history it has been said that a team with great starting pitching always has a chance to win ballgames, especially in the playoffs. I great 1-2 punch can cause a lot of trouble for the opposition, especially in a five game series.
Baseball has changed though over the past decade or so. As we all know starters are pitching less inning than ever before. A solid start is going six innings and giving up three runs or less. Pitch counts play a huge role in the performance of veterans and the development of youngsters. As a result I feel that the bullpen will continue to play a larger and larger role.
Look at the drafting of pitchers. Already in recent years, relief pitchers such as Chad Cordero and Craig Hansen have been taken in the first round by teams knowing that they were getting a relief pitcher. That was unheard of before. Just like the Yankees made Joba a reliever (temporarily?) the Red Sox put Palpebon in the bullpen. The Mets have traded starters for relievers (Seo for Sanchez and Bannister for Burgos) as have the Braves (Ramirez for Soriano) the past couple of years. The Phillies were trying to give away Jon Leiber at the beginning of the year for any reliever were a dime and could not find a partner. The cardinal rule used to be never to trade a starter for a reliever and now teams all over baseball are discarding this.
In addition to the whole innings thing with starters and the increased workload of bullpens, I think the bullpen importance has to do with the pressure and popularity of today's game. Baseball is making more money than ever before and more people are watching than ever before. As a result more teams are spending record amounts. The bullpen is like the padlock. Teams are spending all this money to put together great teams together, but they better have that bullpen in order to preserve these wins. Its like the left tackle position in the NFL. If you are going to pay a lot of money for your quarterback, you better get yourself a quality left tackle to protect his blind side.
A team with a great offense does not need great starting pitching. Look at the Mets or the Yankees. You know that they are going to put up 5-6 runs a game and if the starter gives up a run early chances are the offense will get it back. A good bullpen though is essential. If Wang gives up a three run shot to go down 4-2 in the third inning the Yanks still have a lot of time to come back. If Farnsworth gives up the three run shot though in the 8th inning the game is likely over.
In the same breath if a team has great starting pitching, they don't need a great offense. If the starters are consistently going seven innings and giving up three runs or less, all the team needs is for the offense to scratch out a run here or there. Look at the Twins and Angels of the past few years. In the same respect though, both of those teams have had top bullpens. Without the bullpens, these starting pitching efforts would largely be for nothing.
Lastly, when you look at a major league season there are a lot of ups and downs. Often times the trigger to an up or a down is a late inning situation. When a closer blows a ballgame it often can bring a whole team down. In the same respect, when the bullpen holds an opponent down and gives the offense a chance to win it, the team gets a big boost. Look at the NBA or NFL. What is the biggest back breaker as a fan watching a game? When the defense can't get a stop late in the game. When you know that once the other team has the ball you are not going to stop them. That's the negative impact the bullpen can have in baseball. The entire mood of a home crowd will go down the drain and it can often take the team with it.
I have made it sound really easy. Build a good bullpen, have decent starting pitching, be able to manufacture runs and you got a playoff team. I wish it were that simple. The fact is that relievers are the sports version of Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. On year they are on top of the world and sign a multi-year deal and two years later they are pitching for the Long Island Ducks. It is a pressure job that can take its toll both on a pitchers body and mind. You can name maybe 10 relief pitchers who have been consistently great over the past five years.
So now the question is how does a team approach this difficult position to fill that is so essential to a team winning. Who knows. I think you have to concentrate on building power arms from your minor league system, in addition to taking chances on veterans who have pitched in pressure situations in the past. After watching the Mets game tonight I feel even stronger about my belief in the bullpen. I would almost rather lose 6-2 and not come back, then have the bullpen continue to give up the lead. I just hope the impact of a loss like this is not felt through the weekend and more importantly, I hope that this bullpen can find some consistency soon.
On a side note...
TO all the Yankee clowns, uh I mean fans who are calling for Mike Mussina's head. Chill out. This is a guy who first of all has pitched well in a number of big games in a Yankee uniform (Game 3 A's in 2001, relief of Game 7 2003 Red Sox just to name a couple) and has been a part of the team for the past seven years. In addition, in the four starts prior to these last two poor ones he went 4-0 with a K-BB ration of 19-2 and did not allow more than 2 runs in any of those starts. That includes a start in Cleveland in an important series for the Yanks. We know he is not the pitcher he once was, but this is ridiculous. The guy is a gamer and has been his whole career. For Yankee fans to throw this guy under the bus now is exactly what I hate about them. Have just a little patience and realize that Mussinas next four start hot stretch may come in September. On second though, drop him from the rotation for luminaries such as Kai Igawa, Jeff Karstens or another unproven rookie. It always makes sense to NOT go with the guys who have been there for you over the years when times get tough. Remember...IT WAS TWO STARTS. If Mussina pitches seven strong on Sunday I want all you Yankee fans to be praising him as much as you have been burying him this past week. What a joke.
STKAFI
Stars and Stripes
Team USA opened up the Tournament of Americas last night by crushing Venezuela 112-69. With Beijing only 11 months away, it is almost time for this newly constructed Dream of a Team to prove itself. This tournament should be a cakewalk with the top 2 teams qualifying for the Olympics. So many of the country's in this tourney are playing without their top players. Argentina is missing 4 starters, Puerto Rico is missing guys, even Canada is playing without Nash and Magloire.
Heard something not sure if it's true, but Mexico is playing without Earl Watson... haha, I don't get it, but it is true.
My point is though, it should not matter who the other team puts out there. I know the world has caught up to some degree but because Greece can run a good pick and roll should not make them good enough to beat us. This version of the team is led by Lebron, Kobe, Melo, Kidd, Howard, Amare, Redd, Mike Miller, Chauncy, Deron, and I'm missing the last two right now but you get the point... we are loaded.
I love the 3 year commitment Colangelo got these guys to commit to. All the other countries have had guys playing together since amateurs and the age of about 16. You develop a real chemistry over that time period and it shows. From watching last night and obviously you can't take too much from it because they might as well have been scrimmaging 8th grade girls, but they were really making a conscious effort to share the ball. Kobe was not gunning, Melo was not gunning, they were finding Mike Miller open for the absurdly short international three. Colangelo even went as far as bringing FIBA referees in to ref the team's scrimmages. It cannot be under appreciated how differently they ref the international game. Hand checking is fully accepted, and the screener in the pick and roll is allowed a lot more freedom to roll and move than in the NBA. From what I saw last night better adjustments have been made.
Personally I am very excited for the Olympics. It feels as though the US has not won a major international basketball competition in ages. I always thought it was because they had the wrong guys at point guard (Starbury... who says dog fighting is the same as deer hunting) but it really was more then that. It was an approach, it was an attitude, and it was a mindset. I think they have adjusted these and are prepared to take on the world. I expect good games but ultimately double digit US victories even when Argentina gets back their stars, and Spain loads up.
For this tournament, you can watch the games on ESPN Classic and ESPN2... the only one really worth watching is Sunday night against Brazile, they have a few NBA guys but will be without Varejon (no NBA contract, so can't risk playing).
Heard something not sure if it's true, but Mexico is playing without Earl Watson... haha, I don't get it, but it is true.
My point is though, it should not matter who the other team puts out there. I know the world has caught up to some degree but because Greece can run a good pick and roll should not make them good enough to beat us. This version of the team is led by Lebron, Kobe, Melo, Kidd, Howard, Amare, Redd, Mike Miller, Chauncy, Deron, and I'm missing the last two right now but you get the point... we are loaded.
I love the 3 year commitment Colangelo got these guys to commit to. All the other countries have had guys playing together since amateurs and the age of about 16. You develop a real chemistry over that time period and it shows. From watching last night and obviously you can't take too much from it because they might as well have been scrimmaging 8th grade girls, but they were really making a conscious effort to share the ball. Kobe was not gunning, Melo was not gunning, they were finding Mike Miller open for the absurdly short international three. Colangelo even went as far as bringing FIBA referees in to ref the team's scrimmages. It cannot be under appreciated how differently they ref the international game. Hand checking is fully accepted, and the screener in the pick and roll is allowed a lot more freedom to roll and move than in the NBA. From what I saw last night better adjustments have been made.
Personally I am very excited for the Olympics. It feels as though the US has not won a major international basketball competition in ages. I always thought it was because they had the wrong guys at point guard (Starbury... who says dog fighting is the same as deer hunting) but it really was more then that. It was an approach, it was an attitude, and it was a mindset. I think they have adjusted these and are prepared to take on the world. I expect good games but ultimately double digit US victories even when Argentina gets back their stars, and Spain loads up.
For this tournament, you can watch the games on ESPN Classic and ESPN2... the only one really worth watching is Sunday night against Brazile, they have a few NBA guys but will be without Varejon (no NBA contract, so can't risk playing).
Opinion Follow-up:
Looks like the last effort is being made:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/23/utah.mine/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
Was it worth it? Who knows, the worst game the mind can play is the second guessing game.
And as we all know, hindsight is 20/20.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/23/utah.mine/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
Was it worth it? Who knows, the worst game the mind can play is the second guessing game.
And as we all know, hindsight is 20/20.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Makin Moves Makin Moves
The meat-stick is back. Better than ever? To be determined.
Thanks to a shady add by another author (hint: not the grand poobah) the meat is back on the blog. Everything happened so fast that I am barely ready and will keep it short. (its the end of the day anyway so get off me!)
Top Ten Reasons, I'm still not afraid of the Yankees
10: Jorge Posada still has the second biggest ass . . . ever
9: Dustin Pedroia, rookie of the year anyone?
8: 3.78 vs 4.49 team ERA
7: or if you'd prefer .248 vs. .272, Batting Avg Against
6: Or possible save percentage . . . 80%? meet 55%
5: Alex Rodriguez will never win
4: David Ortiz doesn't remember how to spell the word . . . lose
3: With Chamberlain pitching behind him, thats right folks, Mariano Rivera is the new Todd Jones
2: 6 games. and Never forget that . . . the Yankees Suck.
1: 31 . . . . . . . thats right can you say MAGIC NUMBER! clap clap clapclapclap MAGIC NUMBER! clap clap clapclap
See ya monday bitches
Thanks to a shady add by another author (hint: not the grand poobah) the meat is back on the blog. Everything happened so fast that I am barely ready and will keep it short. (its the end of the day anyway so get off me!)
Top Ten Reasons, I'm still not afraid of the Yankees
10: Jorge Posada still has the second biggest ass . . . ever
9: Dustin Pedroia, rookie of the year anyone?
8: 3.78 vs 4.49 team ERA
7: or if you'd prefer .248 vs. .272, Batting Avg Against
6: Or possible save percentage . . . 80%? meet 55%
5: Alex Rodriguez will never win
4: David Ortiz doesn't remember how to spell the word . . . lose
3: With Chamberlain pitching behind him, thats right folks, Mariano Rivera is the new Todd Jones
2: 6 games. and Never forget that . . . the Yankees Suck.
1: 31 . . . . . . . thats right can you say MAGIC NUMBER! clap clap clapclapclap MAGIC NUMBER! clap clap clapclap
See ya monday bitches
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
2007 Pre-season NFL Power Rankings
Michael Vick, there I brought him up. Now let's never speak of him again, I'm tired of seeing his ugly mug all over the news, what a bum.
With the NFL season beginning in a little over two weeks, training camps nearly over, and after two meaningless weeks of pre-season, it's time for my first power rankings of the year. Keep in mind these rankings will be different than Certane's Madden Power Rankings because these are actual rankings of real teams, you know, in reality, as opposed to fake virtual teams, with fake virtual players.
So without further ado:
1) Indianapolis Colts - With Peyton still at the helm, I don't care who there defense losses. Until someone knocks them off, I'm keeping them at the top.
2) New England Patriots - With the newly loaded WR core, and the addition of Adalius Thomas, I could very easily see this team winning it all...again...kill me. Concerns with the aging defense and injuries in the backfield could possibly hold them back.
3) San Diego Chargers - People tend to forget that this team went 14-2 last year. And what has changed? Nothing really, besides the Marty Schottenheimer firing. Another year under Philip Rivers belt, and oh yeah, LTD.
4) New Orleans Saints - Powerful offense, suspect defense. Still think last year was a little bit of a fluke (plus deep down I want Drew Brees to tear every ligament in his shoulder so it burns a little less) but maybe Sean Payton and that offense will prove me wrong.
5) Baltimore Ravens - Yes they lost Thomas, but that defense was still scary when no one knew who he was. Plus they added McGahee. Hate their QB/WR situation and passing game in general or I would have put them higher.
6) Chicago Bears - "Defense wins championships", not for this team though, don't see enough offense. Although Devin Hester should provide some highlights in both the kicking game and at WR.
7) Seattle Seahawks - Some might think #7 is high for Seattle, I don't. This team was in the Super Bowl two years ago, and with a healthy Matt Hasslebeck, Shaun Alexander, and an improved receiving core, I don't see why this team can't do it again this year. Especially if they can get a home playoff game or two.
8) Cincinnati Bengals - The most explosive offense in the NFL will need to forget about the off the field issues of last year and carry their defense to make any sort of push.
9) Denver Broncos - Solid all around, upgrade at RB, devastating injury to Ebenezer Ekuban in the pre-season. Jay Cutler won't take them to the playoffs by himself, but he could prevent them from getting there.
10) Dallas Cowboys - Quiet off season (even with TO on this team), with Bill Parcells gone, they could sneak up on a lot of people during Tony Romo's first full season.
11) Philadelphia Eagles - Donvoan McNabb. Nothing else left to say. Healthy = playoffs. Injured = top draft pick.
12) Carolina Panthers - That's right. With a solid draft and a healthy Steve Smith, this team can go places.
13) St. Louis Rams - Marc Bulger is one of the most efficient QB's in the NFL. Stephen Jackson is one of the best players in the NFL. NFC West is one of the most wide open divisions in the NFL.
14) San Fransisco 49ers - Speaking of the NFC West, this team is slowly but surely coming together with young talent and a solid defense.
15) NY Jets - Not a very exciting team, but the Thomas Jones pick up was big, and I think this could be the year Chad Pennington really starts to hear the footsteps of Kellen Clemens. Don't see them competing with the Pats though.
16) Pittsburgh Steelers - A game controlling Ben Rothlisberger can take this team a long way as shown in 2005.
17) Jacksonville Jaguars - This team has all of the right pieces to be 11-5 or even 12-4, except the QB.
18) Arizona Cardinals - Every year it seems like these guys are supposed to turn the corner, it won't be this year either but they will be improved.
19) NY Giants - I honestly have no clue, #19 seems like a good spot. Could go anywhere from 5-11 to 11-5.
20) Buffalo Bills - What can I say? I like these guys. Just like the 49ers, this team is slowly coming together, still about two years away though.
21) Tennessee Titans - Have a feeling they will take a major step back this year. Very little passing game, and only running game is through the QB.
22) Minnesota Vikings - Yet another team that lies in the hands of their QB and could land them anywhere between first and last place.
23) Detroit Lions - Passing game will flourish, will anything else?
24) Green Bay Packers - Farve should break all the records, don't really see much more than that.
25) Kansas City Chiefs - Just really don't like anyone they have behind center, and LJ might just be a little more than worn out.
26) Houston Texans - If this team could just patch up their offensive line, they could have something here in the near future.
27) Miami Dolphins - Blah. Talk to me in 3 years.
28) Atlanta Falcons - Could this finally be the year for Joey Harrington? Doubtful.
29) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Nothing exciting here either.
30) Washington Redskins - Playing in a tough division won't help there cause, but a healthy Clinton Portis and a decent Jason Campbell could.
31) Oakland Raiders - I can't wait to see Daunte Culpepper show flashes of his old self while I throw things at my TV.
32) Cleveland Browns - Decent amount of very, very young talent.
With the NFL season beginning in a little over two weeks, training camps nearly over, and after two meaningless weeks of pre-season, it's time for my first power rankings of the year. Keep in mind these rankings will be different than Certane's Madden Power Rankings because these are actual rankings of real teams, you know, in reality, as opposed to fake virtual teams, with fake virtual players.
So without further ado:
1) Indianapolis Colts - With Peyton still at the helm, I don't care who there defense losses. Until someone knocks them off, I'm keeping them at the top.
2) New England Patriots - With the newly loaded WR core, and the addition of Adalius Thomas, I could very easily see this team winning it all...again...kill me. Concerns with the aging defense and injuries in the backfield could possibly hold them back.
3) San Diego Chargers - People tend to forget that this team went 14-2 last year. And what has changed? Nothing really, besides the Marty Schottenheimer firing. Another year under Philip Rivers belt, and oh yeah, LTD.
4) New Orleans Saints - Powerful offense, suspect defense. Still think last year was a little bit of a fluke (plus deep down I want Drew Brees to tear every ligament in his shoulder so it burns a little less) but maybe Sean Payton and that offense will prove me wrong.
5) Baltimore Ravens - Yes they lost Thomas, but that defense was still scary when no one knew who he was. Plus they added McGahee. Hate their QB/WR situation and passing game in general or I would have put them higher.
6) Chicago Bears - "Defense wins championships", not for this team though, don't see enough offense. Although Devin Hester should provide some highlights in both the kicking game and at WR.
7) Seattle Seahawks - Some might think #7 is high for Seattle, I don't. This team was in the Super Bowl two years ago, and with a healthy Matt Hasslebeck, Shaun Alexander, and an improved receiving core, I don't see why this team can't do it again this year. Especially if they can get a home playoff game or two.
8) Cincinnati Bengals - The most explosive offense in the NFL will need to forget about the off the field issues of last year and carry their defense to make any sort of push.
9) Denver Broncos - Solid all around, upgrade at RB, devastating injury to Ebenezer Ekuban in the pre-season. Jay Cutler won't take them to the playoffs by himself, but he could prevent them from getting there.
10) Dallas Cowboys - Quiet off season (even with TO on this team), with Bill Parcells gone, they could sneak up on a lot of people during Tony Romo's first full season.
11) Philadelphia Eagles - Donvoan McNabb. Nothing else left to say. Healthy = playoffs. Injured = top draft pick.
12) Carolina Panthers - That's right. With a solid draft and a healthy Steve Smith, this team can go places.
13) St. Louis Rams - Marc Bulger is one of the most efficient QB's in the NFL. Stephen Jackson is one of the best players in the NFL. NFC West is one of the most wide open divisions in the NFL.
14) San Fransisco 49ers - Speaking of the NFC West, this team is slowly but surely coming together with young talent and a solid defense.
15) NY Jets - Not a very exciting team, but the Thomas Jones pick up was big, and I think this could be the year Chad Pennington really starts to hear the footsteps of Kellen Clemens. Don't see them competing with the Pats though.
16) Pittsburgh Steelers - A game controlling Ben Rothlisberger can take this team a long way as shown in 2005.
17) Jacksonville Jaguars - This team has all of the right pieces to be 11-5 or even 12-4, except the QB.
18) Arizona Cardinals - Every year it seems like these guys are supposed to turn the corner, it won't be this year either but they will be improved.
19) NY Giants - I honestly have no clue, #19 seems like a good spot. Could go anywhere from 5-11 to 11-5.
20) Buffalo Bills - What can I say? I like these guys. Just like the 49ers, this team is slowly coming together, still about two years away though.
21) Tennessee Titans - Have a feeling they will take a major step back this year. Very little passing game, and only running game is through the QB.
22) Minnesota Vikings - Yet another team that lies in the hands of their QB and could land them anywhere between first and last place.
23) Detroit Lions - Passing game will flourish, will anything else?
24) Green Bay Packers - Farve should break all the records, don't really see much more than that.
25) Kansas City Chiefs - Just really don't like anyone they have behind center, and LJ might just be a little more than worn out.
26) Houston Texans - If this team could just patch up their offensive line, they could have something here in the near future.
27) Miami Dolphins - Blah. Talk to me in 3 years.
28) Atlanta Falcons - Could this finally be the year for Joey Harrington? Doubtful.
29) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Nothing exciting here either.
30) Washington Redskins - Playing in a tough division won't help there cause, but a healthy Clinton Portis and a decent Jason Campbell could.
31) Oakland Raiders - I can't wait to see Daunte Culpepper show flashes of his old self while I throw things at my TV.
32) Cleveland Browns - Decent amount of very, very young talent.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Opinion Wanted:
I want to shift away from sports for just one minute here and touch on something that struck me today. No, not the stock market or premier of The Hills this week. I want to talk about the rescue effort for the trapped miners in Utah.
I will keep this short because I basically just want to voice my thoughts and am interested in what everyone else has to say.
It will be two weeks on Monday since the Utah miners were caved in and trapped. Last night, there was another disastrous cave in and 3 rescue workers were killed.
I understand that everyone wants to do everything they can to rescue these miners and get them to safety. But at what point is risking the lives of others not worth it anymore? I know this is a very difficult, not exactly black & white moral issue, but my problem lies with the families of those who were killed in the rescue efforts. Yes, the workers will be considered heroes for putting their lives on the line for others. But afterwards, all the second guessing comes into play, was it worth it, was it necessary? Will the trapped miners even make it out alive and if not, was it a wasted effort?
I also understand the other side, the families of the trapped miners who want to do everything and anything they possibly can to save them. As head of the rescue effort, how can you possibly look them in the eye and justify that you are done searching and trying to rescue them?
It is a very thin line between putting other people at risk and essentially giving up. It's almost impossible to make both parties happy, especially if the rescue efforts do not end up prevailing, and the miners cannot be saved.
I'm not quite sure where I stand on this, but I know that after two weeks of every ones best efforts combined with the unfortunate deaths of rescue workers. It just might be time to cut your losses and move along.
So my question is, how do you handle this? And when is enough, enough? All I know is, I'm glad I'm not the one making that type of decision.
I will keep this short because I basically just want to voice my thoughts and am interested in what everyone else has to say.
It will be two weeks on Monday since the Utah miners were caved in and trapped. Last night, there was another disastrous cave in and 3 rescue workers were killed.
I understand that everyone wants to do everything they can to rescue these miners and get them to safety. But at what point is risking the lives of others not worth it anymore? I know this is a very difficult, not exactly black & white moral issue, but my problem lies with the families of those who were killed in the rescue efforts. Yes, the workers will be considered heroes for putting their lives on the line for others. But afterwards, all the second guessing comes into play, was it worth it, was it necessary? Will the trapped miners even make it out alive and if not, was it a wasted effort?
I also understand the other side, the families of the trapped miners who want to do everything and anything they possibly can to save them. As head of the rescue effort, how can you possibly look them in the eye and justify that you are done searching and trying to rescue them?
It is a very thin line between putting other people at risk and essentially giving up. It's almost impossible to make both parties happy, especially if the rescue efforts do not end up prevailing, and the miners cannot be saved.
I'm not quite sure where I stand on this, but I know that after two weeks of every ones best efforts combined with the unfortunate deaths of rescue workers. It just might be time to cut your losses and move along.
So my question is, how do you handle this? And when is enough, enough? All I know is, I'm glad I'm not the one making that type of decision.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Young Guns
Is there anything better then when a player who has only been yours, develops and becomes a star?
These past two weeks with the Yankees has been some of the most fun non-playoff baseball I can remember. A large part of this is due to the young guns of the Yankees leading the way.
Hughes- Although he has not been lights out, he has shown he belongs and flashes of the pitcher he will one day be. His start in Cleveland on that Friday night was a real test for him and he passed.
Melky- the everyday centerfield for the Yanks has been a key cog in the resurgence. He had a recent 18 game hitting streak and he continues to throw guys out at a league leading clip.
Duncan- In the minor's the highest power rating you can receive is a 70... thats what he received. His power has translated to the major's as well. Hit a game tying 3 run shot in the bottom of the ninth yesterday and threw a guy out at the plate. Although he will probably be the odd man out in the DH logjam, he will be a key bench player.
Cano- Probably the best hitter in baseball over the past 25 games. Torre was stupid for sitting him against Bedard for Bettemit who can't hit anybody right handed. Cano always looks comfortable at the plate as he glides through with that left handed swing. Batting titles? 100 rbis? Who knows where Cano will go in the next couple years.
Joba- JOba! Joba! This kid is special. Hits 100mph, and comes back with a 89 mph slider that is essentially unhittable. Peter Gammons said he has the best stuff in baseball. Expect him to join the rotation next season but for now he is our bridge to the suddenly unstable Sandman.
The Fab 5 above have brought energy, forearm smashes, outfield assists, drama and more. The dog days of summer are flying by and this is cause of the 5 above. They each bring something vastly different to the table. What makes it extra special is that these guys came through the Yankees farm system. In '96 it was great to see a young Jeter, Bernie, Rivera, Posada, etc. The future of the Yankees was growing before our eyes. They were not necessarily stars yet or good enough to carry a team but they showed you that they were here to stay. These guys are the same, and they are our's. We did not shell out millions for them. They developed under the tutelage of minor league Yankee managers. They are maturing under Joe Torre, Don Mattingly and the rest of the gang.
Reminds me a bit of the only guy who can get the Garden going these days, David Lee. A draft pick of the Knicks. Fans treat his as one of our own and I think because he played for no one else this is part of the reason.
Chad Pennington. Even look at Reyes and Wright. These guys came up as unpolished raw prospects with the Mets, and now they are blossoming stars. They are the two fan favorites by far on the Mets. You look at a guy like Beltran who hears boos from time to time and sits out with minor injuries. He is not beloved, he is needed and liked, and cheered for... but he is not a "Met". Delgado, La Duca are not "Mets"
The most fun thing in sports is drafting a young guy, hearing all the hype... and then exceeding expectations. In New York right now we have plenty of guys like this and it makes watching sports that much more fun.
Beckham goal and an assist... and if you watched the sportscenter highlight closely you see Mr. Kyle "Mike wants to make babies with me" Martino sneaking into the highlight
These past two weeks with the Yankees has been some of the most fun non-playoff baseball I can remember. A large part of this is due to the young guns of the Yankees leading the way.
Hughes- Although he has not been lights out, he has shown he belongs and flashes of the pitcher he will one day be. His start in Cleveland on that Friday night was a real test for him and he passed.
Melky- the everyday centerfield for the Yanks has been a key cog in the resurgence. He had a recent 18 game hitting streak and he continues to throw guys out at a league leading clip.
Duncan- In the minor's the highest power rating you can receive is a 70... thats what he received. His power has translated to the major's as well. Hit a game tying 3 run shot in the bottom of the ninth yesterday and threw a guy out at the plate. Although he will probably be the odd man out in the DH logjam, he will be a key bench player.
Cano- Probably the best hitter in baseball over the past 25 games. Torre was stupid for sitting him against Bedard for Bettemit who can't hit anybody right handed. Cano always looks comfortable at the plate as he glides through with that left handed swing. Batting titles? 100 rbis? Who knows where Cano will go in the next couple years.
Joba- JOba! Joba! This kid is special. Hits 100mph, and comes back with a 89 mph slider that is essentially unhittable. Peter Gammons said he has the best stuff in baseball. Expect him to join the rotation next season but for now he is our bridge to the suddenly unstable Sandman.
The Fab 5 above have brought energy, forearm smashes, outfield assists, drama and more. The dog days of summer are flying by and this is cause of the 5 above. They each bring something vastly different to the table. What makes it extra special is that these guys came through the Yankees farm system. In '96 it was great to see a young Jeter, Bernie, Rivera, Posada, etc. The future of the Yankees was growing before our eyes. They were not necessarily stars yet or good enough to carry a team but they showed you that they were here to stay. These guys are the same, and they are our's. We did not shell out millions for them. They developed under the tutelage of minor league Yankee managers. They are maturing under Joe Torre, Don Mattingly and the rest of the gang.
Reminds me a bit of the only guy who can get the Garden going these days, David Lee. A draft pick of the Knicks. Fans treat his as one of our own and I think because he played for no one else this is part of the reason.
Chad Pennington. Even look at Reyes and Wright. These guys came up as unpolished raw prospects with the Mets, and now they are blossoming stars. They are the two fan favorites by far on the Mets. You look at a guy like Beltran who hears boos from time to time and sits out with minor injuries. He is not beloved, he is needed and liked, and cheered for... but he is not a "Met". Delgado, La Duca are not "Mets"
The most fun thing in sports is drafting a young guy, hearing all the hype... and then exceeding expectations. In New York right now we have plenty of guys like this and it makes watching sports that much more fun.
Beckham goal and an assist... and if you watched the sportscenter highlight closely you see Mr. Kyle "Mike wants to make babies with me" Martino sneaking into the highlight
Well, Well...
A goal and an assist in Beckham's first start for the Galaxy.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=453624&cc=5901
Will be tough to live up to in NY on Saturday, but who cares, I am pumped.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=453624&cc=5901
Will be tough to live up to in NY on Saturday, but who cares, I am pumped.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Why Tiger will break Jack's record
No it's not because Tiger Woods won his 13th career major championship at the age of 31 and Jack Nicklaus didn't win his until he was 35 years old.
And no it's not because he won his 13th major in his 44th start, while Nicklaus won his 13th major in his 53rd start (9 fewer majors which translates into more than 2 full years).
Athough these stats certainly help and will make it easier, there are two specific reasons why Tiger Woods will break Jack Nicklaus' major championship record of 18.
The first reason being, the way Tiger won his 13th career major (4th PGA Championship). Tiger has won majors in all different fashions. Whether it be completely dominating out of the box and blowing away the rest of the field (i.e. the 1997 Masters or the 2000 U.S. Open in which he won by a major championship record 15 strokes), or tied for the lead and/or coming from behind on the final day (i.e. 2002 Masters or the 2000 PGA), or even in a playoff (i.e. 2000 PGA or the 2005 Masters).
But Woods had never really won a major the way he did on Sunday. Going into the final day with a comfortable lead, not having his best performance, having the lead shrink, but not never to the point where he was tied. Really just grinding it out, making his opponents have to make a move and playing just well enough to pull out the victory. Knowing he had the lead, and he would make the other contenders have to catch him and make moves, he could play conservatively (not typically his game) and still come out on top.
Now that Tiger knows how to win in so many different ways and conditions, it will only help him mentally (like he needed any sort of mental boost) down the road knowing that he has come out on top in all different fashions.
The second, and probably most significant reason why Tiger will break Jack's record is his fitness, which will turn into longevity.
Tiger is far and away the most physically fit golfer on the PGA Tour. There is no one even close, and I'm not sure he's not one of the most physically fit athletes in the world. This, although typically under the radar, characteristic will play the most important role down the road.
You cannot tell me that playing in 4 straight days of the Tulsa heat this past weekend didn't have an effect on everybody in the field, even Tiger. The difference is, it did not effect Tiger nearly as much. In addition, because Tiger takes care of his body so well, this will allow him to compete at such a high rate for a long time. Jack Nicklaus won his 18th and last major in 1986 at the age of 46. I can picture Tiger winning majors well into his 50's.
Mental strength, physical fitness, and in turn, longevity will (barring a significant/career threatening injury) allow Tiger Woods to not only pass, but demolish Jack Nicklaus' major championship record.
And no it's not because he won his 13th major in his 44th start, while Nicklaus won his 13th major in his 53rd start (9 fewer majors which translates into more than 2 full years).
Athough these stats certainly help and will make it easier, there are two specific reasons why Tiger Woods will break Jack Nicklaus' major championship record of 18.
The first reason being, the way Tiger won his 13th career major (4th PGA Championship). Tiger has won majors in all different fashions. Whether it be completely dominating out of the box and blowing away the rest of the field (i.e. the 1997 Masters or the 2000 U.S. Open in which he won by a major championship record 15 strokes), or tied for the lead and/or coming from behind on the final day (i.e. 2002 Masters or the 2000 PGA), or even in a playoff (i.e. 2000 PGA or the 2005 Masters).
But Woods had never really won a major the way he did on Sunday. Going into the final day with a comfortable lead, not having his best performance, having the lead shrink, but not never to the point where he was tied. Really just grinding it out, making his opponents have to make a move and playing just well enough to pull out the victory. Knowing he had the lead, and he would make the other contenders have to catch him and make moves, he could play conservatively (not typically his game) and still come out on top.
Now that Tiger knows how to win in so many different ways and conditions, it will only help him mentally (like he needed any sort of mental boost) down the road knowing that he has come out on top in all different fashions.
The second, and probably most significant reason why Tiger will break Jack's record is his fitness, which will turn into longevity.
Tiger is far and away the most physically fit golfer on the PGA Tour. There is no one even close, and I'm not sure he's not one of the most physically fit athletes in the world. This, although typically under the radar, characteristic will play the most important role down the road.
You cannot tell me that playing in 4 straight days of the Tulsa heat this past weekend didn't have an effect on everybody in the field, even Tiger. The difference is, it did not effect Tiger nearly as much. In addition, because Tiger takes care of his body so well, this will allow him to compete at such a high rate for a long time. Jack Nicklaus won his 18th and last major in 1986 at the age of 46. I can picture Tiger winning majors well into his 50's.
Mental strength, physical fitness, and in turn, longevity will (barring a significant/career threatening injury) allow Tiger Woods to not only pass, but demolish Jack Nicklaus' major championship record.
- Red Sox fans, time to get a little nervous. Mets fans are lucky they play in a mediocre (at best) NL East
- Two significant deaths in American sports this past week. RIP Bill Walsh and Phil Rizzuto (who past away this morning).
- Big sports weekend this week: Trip to Yankees stadium to see the visiting Tigers on Friday, then heading to Giants Stadium to see the Red Bull take on the LA Galaxy featuring Westport's own Kyle Martino, and some other dude from England...(he better play or myself and the 20 other drunk idiots I will be with will have to do something about it).
Friday, August 10, 2007
I Swear, It's Monday today. No Really. Its Monday
Today is normally Guest Post Friday, and because Curtin missed his post this week, he will be his own guest. Kind of like he is his own girlfriend and likes to have sex with himself by using only a Poland Spring water bottle, six paper clips, and a jar of peanut butter...Anywho:
Id like to start off today with an apology, I missed my post on Monday for work reasons and that cannot be helped at this point. (As an update, my invite was "expired" and I have to have katz post as punishment or something)
I have in recent weeks, struggled to come up with good topics on a weekly basis. This, to me, seems absurd considering how often that I talk about sports to pretty much anyone who will listen. The problem is making it interesting, making it a good read, and frankly it is impossible to write something interesting in an hour or in a quick post the night before. But enough griping.
Now for a little nostalgia. When I was a kid in Pittsburgh, just being exposed to the world of sports without the knowledge that I would eventually be the award winning blogger that you are reading here today, I was Barry Bonds' biggest fan. He was the greatest that I had ever seen, and perhaps the best I will ever see. The thing was, I think he was more impressive before the assault on Hank Aaron. He was amazing, he could run, hit for power, field the ball. He was amazing. Sure things may have changed in San Francisco and the people that remain stallwart in the stance that he did not take steroids(or just was duped into taking them) are kidding themselves. Barry Bonds knowingly took steroids, I am convinced of this fact. As did everyone, well not everyone, but you know what I mean. In the late nineties to the early years of this millenium, steroids was like an epidemic, anybody who was anybody was doing it. And why not? If I was a AAA player, struggling to make the bigs, you had better believe that I would take steroids to get to the big show, there was no efficient way to test for them, so why not? The health risks are Barry's and Barry's alone to deal with, he made the decision to become the greatest player alive, no matter the cost. I can certainly blame him for that but he did succeed right?
Now comes the Hall of Fame argument, should he be inducted? Absolutely, there is no doubt in my mind that Barry Bonds should have his own room in the Hall. He was the greatest player that many of us have ever seen, sure it was due to a heavy pharmacutical influence but that is a fact. Even with steroids, hitting 757 homeruns is absolutely ridiculous, its an insane amount of Home Runs. Barry Bonds should be enshrined. And there should be a giant blurb right next to him about the steroid era. The thing I never can understand with the guys that vote on the Hall of Fame is their reasoning for excluding these type of guys that cheated the game. Steroids, similar to the Pete Rose scandal, I think should be remembered. Pete Rose is another story sure, but anytime you exlcude an amazing player for transgressions after their playing career is stupid. Anyway Barry Bonds needs to be remembered the way that the steroids should be remembered. While I stopped being a Barry Bonds superfan around '96, there is a part of me that is happy that I got to see the greatest Home Run hitter in the History of the game, 'Roids or no 'Roids.
Quick Thoughts
A: Still not worried about the Yankees. Its great when there is all this momentum and then after one day, the lead is back to 6.
B: I do not care what people say about the championship hopes for the Celtics, my season tickets got a lot more fun
C: I missed last Modays post and these kids may Axe me, Murph style, so If I dont see ya. PEACE KIDS!
Id like to start off today with an apology, I missed my post on Monday for work reasons and that cannot be helped at this point. (As an update, my invite was "expired" and I have to have katz post as punishment or something)
I have in recent weeks, struggled to come up with good topics on a weekly basis. This, to me, seems absurd considering how often that I talk about sports to pretty much anyone who will listen. The problem is making it interesting, making it a good read, and frankly it is impossible to write something interesting in an hour or in a quick post the night before. But enough griping.
Now for a little nostalgia. When I was a kid in Pittsburgh, just being exposed to the world of sports without the knowledge that I would eventually be the award winning blogger that you are reading here today, I was Barry Bonds' biggest fan. He was the greatest that I had ever seen, and perhaps the best I will ever see. The thing was, I think he was more impressive before the assault on Hank Aaron. He was amazing, he could run, hit for power, field the ball. He was amazing. Sure things may have changed in San Francisco and the people that remain stallwart in the stance that he did not take steroids(or just was duped into taking them) are kidding themselves. Barry Bonds knowingly took steroids, I am convinced of this fact. As did everyone, well not everyone, but you know what I mean. In the late nineties to the early years of this millenium, steroids was like an epidemic, anybody who was anybody was doing it. And why not? If I was a AAA player, struggling to make the bigs, you had better believe that I would take steroids to get to the big show, there was no efficient way to test for them, so why not? The health risks are Barry's and Barry's alone to deal with, he made the decision to become the greatest player alive, no matter the cost. I can certainly blame him for that but he did succeed right?
Now comes the Hall of Fame argument, should he be inducted? Absolutely, there is no doubt in my mind that Barry Bonds should have his own room in the Hall. He was the greatest player that many of us have ever seen, sure it was due to a heavy pharmacutical influence but that is a fact. Even with steroids, hitting 757 homeruns is absolutely ridiculous, its an insane amount of Home Runs. Barry Bonds should be enshrined. And there should be a giant blurb right next to him about the steroid era. The thing I never can understand with the guys that vote on the Hall of Fame is their reasoning for excluding these type of guys that cheated the game. Steroids, similar to the Pete Rose scandal, I think should be remembered. Pete Rose is another story sure, but anytime you exlcude an amazing player for transgressions after their playing career is stupid. Anyway Barry Bonds needs to be remembered the way that the steroids should be remembered. While I stopped being a Barry Bonds superfan around '96, there is a part of me that is happy that I got to see the greatest Home Run hitter in the History of the game, 'Roids or no 'Roids.
Quick Thoughts
A: Still not worried about the Yankees. Its great when there is all this momentum and then after one day, the lead is back to 6.
B: I do not care what people say about the championship hopes for the Celtics, my season tickets got a lot more fun
C: I missed last Modays post and these kids may Axe me, Murph style, so If I dont see ya. PEACE KIDS!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Rome is Burning, and so is Baseball
Baseball is heating up in so many different ways. After putting our Marathon of Milestones behind us we can focus on what is going on around the league.
Look at the division leads, with none greater then 5
AL East Red Sox 5 up on Yanks
AL Central Indians 1 up on Tigers
AL West Angels 3.5 up on Mariners
NL East Mets up 4 on Phillies
NL Central Brewers .5 up on Cubs
NL West Arizona 1.5 up on San Diego
It's Wednesday night and some of these leads are subject to change in the next few hours but you get the point. Baseball is usually good for a runaway division or two.
First the locals:
Yanks got waxed tonight, and Wang looked terrible but another series win and a 20-8 stretch puts them in great shape. Their next 17 games are series against Cleveland, Baltimore, Detroit, Angels, Detroit, Boston... yikes. Give me 10-7 and get me to August 31st against Tampa. Things to watch: Will Hughes be the real deal? Friday he starts in Cleveland. How much will Giambi play? Yanks have been hitting like crazy, do they dare throw Giambi in? Thats an expensive pinch hitter. How major a role will Jaba play? Will Torre pitch him back to back days?
The Mets and Wagner pulled a serious escape act tonight. Up 4-3, Wagner in to close, Braves had bases loaded no outs... and couldn't get the tying run home. Braves like in year's past have been the thron in the Mets side yet again. This was the Mets first win in a non Oliver Perez start. I think Alou getting back in the lineup will help things immensely. Known around these parts as the "rakeman" and "the assassin", Alou gives the lineup depth and protection in case Beltran continues his little girl impression. Pedro continues his rehab's, and will hopefully give the team a shot in the arm come September. Forget the Braves for a sec, despite losing Utley, the Phillies keep hitting and keep winning.
Red Sox are only 7-6 since their 5 game winning streak... but with Schilling back you still have to like them to hold off the Yanks in the AL East. At this point I still dont have faith in the Yankees starting pitching. Not one of them has been consistent enough to earn my confidence for a surge to a division title
Fortunately... the Tigers and Indians have been shaky. Tigers have lost 7 out of 10, and Indians have been reeling as well. White Sox have been showing signs of life and the Twinkies always seem to hang around, so that division will likely continue to beat each other up.
I'm not sure any division race in baseball bores me more than the AL West. Angels are there year after year. Seattle, Texas and Oakland just don't bring much spice for me as a fan. Sure you have Ichiro and the King... but when was the last time King Felix was even mentioned? Ichiro is taken for granted at this point, and what on earth is there to get excited about the Rangers and A's for?
I see the Brewers continue to slide and eventually even fall into a close race with the Cards who have a run in them. It's going to be an ugly race in the NL Central as the Cubs look to stay afloat without their catalyst Soriano. The arm of Zambrano and bats of Lee and Ramirez give the Cubs enough to win this.. as Cards without Carpenter, and Brew Crew without Sheets both battle without their aces.
I dont know what it is, but the Rockies just seem to always be pounding the ball and always winning, yet never leading the division. They are only 3.5 back and with that lineup and the offensive deficiencies of the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Pads, who is to say they can't take this division. Holliday, Matsui, yes Kaz, Hawpe, Helton, Tulowitzki.. this is a deep and scary lineup. Helton did get hurt tonight and Taveras who is having an underrated great year has also been hurt recently... but I think the other guys will pick up the slack and make this a great 3 to 4 team race.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST Bonds:
every generation has had its issues- no black players, high mound, "greenies", steroids... this is just our's. I don't give him a pass by any means, he is merely the best player using them. I think what is never mentioned is how many of these pitcher's were using steroids. I really don't have any examples besides the guys who were caught, but I'd bet as high a percentage of pitchers were using as the hitters. You can't just make the conclusion that this balances out the playing field, but it does certainly make the advantage less then people might want to argue. Bonds had 3 MVP's before using. His 500+ steals were only hurt by steroids. He would prob even have 3000 hits by now, because of all the extra at bats he would have had instead of being walked. He was one of the greatest before and is still.
I vote him into the HOF. I vote in Mcguire.. .I don't vote in Palmero because he was not a HOF player. 500 homeruns should no longer be the benchmark.
What else is on my mind?
Why do the Cavs insist on not getting better?
Is Reggie Miller kidding himself?
Watch out for the Nets
Get Jermaine to the Lakers
Get Jermaine to the Nets for Jefferson and Collins not Jefferson and Kristic
Celtics over under 50 wins?
and finally over under 12 girls at Neal's party outside of relatives?
Look at the division leads, with none greater then 5
AL East Red Sox 5 up on Yanks
AL Central Indians 1 up on Tigers
AL West Angels 3.5 up on Mariners
NL East Mets up 4 on Phillies
NL Central Brewers .5 up on Cubs
NL West Arizona 1.5 up on San Diego
It's Wednesday night and some of these leads are subject to change in the next few hours but you get the point. Baseball is usually good for a runaway division or two.
First the locals:
Yanks got waxed tonight, and Wang looked terrible but another series win and a 20-8 stretch puts them in great shape. Their next 17 games are series against Cleveland, Baltimore, Detroit, Angels, Detroit, Boston... yikes. Give me 10-7 and get me to August 31st against Tampa. Things to watch: Will Hughes be the real deal? Friday he starts in Cleveland. How much will Giambi play? Yanks have been hitting like crazy, do they dare throw Giambi in? Thats an expensive pinch hitter. How major a role will Jaba play? Will Torre pitch him back to back days?
The Mets and Wagner pulled a serious escape act tonight. Up 4-3, Wagner in to close, Braves had bases loaded no outs... and couldn't get the tying run home. Braves like in year's past have been the thron in the Mets side yet again. This was the Mets first win in a non Oliver Perez start. I think Alou getting back in the lineup will help things immensely. Known around these parts as the "rakeman" and "the assassin", Alou gives the lineup depth and protection in case Beltran continues his little girl impression. Pedro continues his rehab's, and will hopefully give the team a shot in the arm come September. Forget the Braves for a sec, despite losing Utley, the Phillies keep hitting and keep winning.
Red Sox are only 7-6 since their 5 game winning streak... but with Schilling back you still have to like them to hold off the Yanks in the AL East. At this point I still dont have faith in the Yankees starting pitching. Not one of them has been consistent enough to earn my confidence for a surge to a division title
Fortunately... the Tigers and Indians have been shaky. Tigers have lost 7 out of 10, and Indians have been reeling as well. White Sox have been showing signs of life and the Twinkies always seem to hang around, so that division will likely continue to beat each other up.
I'm not sure any division race in baseball bores me more than the AL West. Angels are there year after year. Seattle, Texas and Oakland just don't bring much spice for me as a fan. Sure you have Ichiro and the King... but when was the last time King Felix was even mentioned? Ichiro is taken for granted at this point, and what on earth is there to get excited about the Rangers and A's for?
I see the Brewers continue to slide and eventually even fall into a close race with the Cards who have a run in them. It's going to be an ugly race in the NL Central as the Cubs look to stay afloat without their catalyst Soriano. The arm of Zambrano and bats of Lee and Ramirez give the Cubs enough to win this.. as Cards without Carpenter, and Brew Crew without Sheets both battle without their aces.
I dont know what it is, but the Rockies just seem to always be pounding the ball and always winning, yet never leading the division. They are only 3.5 back and with that lineup and the offensive deficiencies of the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Pads, who is to say they can't take this division. Holliday, Matsui, yes Kaz, Hawpe, Helton, Tulowitzki.. this is a deep and scary lineup. Helton did get hurt tonight and Taveras who is having an underrated great year has also been hurt recently... but I think the other guys will pick up the slack and make this a great 3 to 4 team race.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST Bonds:
every generation has had its issues- no black players, high mound, "greenies", steroids... this is just our's. I don't give him a pass by any means, he is merely the best player using them. I think what is never mentioned is how many of these pitcher's were using steroids. I really don't have any examples besides the guys who were caught, but I'd bet as high a percentage of pitchers were using as the hitters. You can't just make the conclusion that this balances out the playing field, but it does certainly make the advantage less then people might want to argue. Bonds had 3 MVP's before using. His 500+ steals were only hurt by steroids. He would prob even have 3000 hits by now, because of all the extra at bats he would have had instead of being walked. He was one of the greatest before and is still.
I vote him into the HOF. I vote in Mcguire.. .I don't vote in Palmero because he was not a HOF player. 500 homeruns should no longer be the benchmark.
What else is on my mind?
Why do the Cavs insist on not getting better?
Is Reggie Miller kidding himself?
Watch out for the Nets
Get Jermaine to the Lakers
Get Jermaine to the Nets for Jefferson and Collins not Jefferson and Kristic
Celtics over under 50 wins?
and finally over under 12 girls at Neal's party outside of relatives?
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Not Our Year
Maybe I am just frustrated or just pissed off. All I can tell you though is that going into this season I should have been more pumped for any Mets season of my life. More pumped than any season for any team I have rooted for in my life. I wasn't though. I felt indifferent and almost bored in Spring Training. When the Mets opened up 5-0 I got my stride and since then I have planted myself in front of the TV for every game I could. I have gotten into this season and have rooted as hard as ever. This Mets team is the most talented roster in the NL and should finish what they started last year.
But I can't get over that initial feeling. At the time I should have been most excited, I was not into it. Fast forward to tonight. Mets-Braves for a three game set at home. This pennant race is the only thing that last year was missing. Series like this are what make pennant races so wonderful. The entire momentum of a season can change on one swing. Every team from every season that went through a close pennant race will have one moment or game that they will point to that will define why they won or lost.
I know the game tonight against the Braves is only one game, but that feeling is back. Out starting pitching was brutal, our clutch run producer grounded into two rally killing double plays and the team seemed dead. The fans were restless. They feel what I feel. The thing is, the Mets all year have told us that "This is Our Year." That still may be, but right now I am afraid that this year may end up being just like all the rest.
Now the even crazier part....My feeling about the Giants right now should be of apathy. They are bringing back a shaky QB, a disliked Head Coach and are coming off one of the crazier seasons in recent memory for any team. For some reason though I am really pumped. I can;t wait for that opening game in Dallas and seeing them make a surprise move in the NFC. I honestly see them in the NFC Title game five months from now. I know this makes no sense, but who cares. The team that might win the the World Series this year has be throwing shit against the wall and the team that should go 5-11 has me as excited as ever. Don't worry, I still hate MY Knicks.
Sports!! You gotta love it!
STKAFI
The Morning After....
I am stil annoyed at my Mets, but I felt like I should address two other events from last night. I am like everyone else that I can't just turn a blind eye to the accusations and fully praise Barry Bonds for breaking the home run record. The bottom line is that he was the most feared hitter of my generation even before the steroid rumors. He had three MVPs and prompted managers such as Buck Showalter to walk him with the bases loaded intentionally just so he could not beat them. No other hitter has evoked that fear since I have been around. It sucks this steroid crap has ruined a time in baseball that in the moment was magical. It may take 15-20 years for us to fully understand what hapened during this time and to move on.
As for the Yankee game I have acouple points. First of all I hate when batters do what AROD did. I understand what the Jays did was intentional, but I am of the school that you either go after the pitcher or take your base. I hate when hitters make a big scene of taking a couple steps to the mound and yelling at the pitcher. If AROD gets hit again though, I do not think that he will be as hesitant to charge the mound.
In the same breath though, you gotta give Roger Clemens a lot of credit. He did everything exactly the right way. Waited until his team had a comfortable lead, hit the Jays best hitters and did it in the perfect spot, right in the ribs/back. He sent his message not to mess with his teammates, but he did not do it in a dirty way (ala his embarrasing drilling of Piazza in the head). Overall though, I think this is good for the Yankees because stuff like this brings a team closer and thats what the Yanks will need over this very difficult 25 game stretch coming up. We know the Jays won't forget it, but they are small potatos compared to what the Yanks have ahead of them.
Oh...and Joba Chamberlin? Electric fastball and ridonculous slider. While the Yanks will be careful about him pitching on consecutive days and coming into middle of innings, he should have an impact. His stuff is filthy and he seems to have a presense on the mound. Basically seeing him and Hughes in pinstripes makes me even more agitated when I think of Mike Pelfrey in orange and blue....
But I can't get over that initial feeling. At the time I should have been most excited, I was not into it. Fast forward to tonight. Mets-Braves for a three game set at home. This pennant race is the only thing that last year was missing. Series like this are what make pennant races so wonderful. The entire momentum of a season can change on one swing. Every team from every season that went through a close pennant race will have one moment or game that they will point to that will define why they won or lost.
I know the game tonight against the Braves is only one game, but that feeling is back. Out starting pitching was brutal, our clutch run producer grounded into two rally killing double plays and the team seemed dead. The fans were restless. They feel what I feel. The thing is, the Mets all year have told us that "This is Our Year." That still may be, but right now I am afraid that this year may end up being just like all the rest.
Now the even crazier part....My feeling about the Giants right now should be of apathy. They are bringing back a shaky QB, a disliked Head Coach and are coming off one of the crazier seasons in recent memory for any team. For some reason though I am really pumped. I can;t wait for that opening game in Dallas and seeing them make a surprise move in the NFC. I honestly see them in the NFC Title game five months from now. I know this makes no sense, but who cares. The team that might win the the World Series this year has be throwing shit against the wall and the team that should go 5-11 has me as excited as ever. Don't worry, I still hate MY Knicks.
Sports!! You gotta love it!
STKAFI
The Morning After....
I am stil annoyed at my Mets, but I felt like I should address two other events from last night. I am like everyone else that I can't just turn a blind eye to the accusations and fully praise Barry Bonds for breaking the home run record. The bottom line is that he was the most feared hitter of my generation even before the steroid rumors. He had three MVPs and prompted managers such as Buck Showalter to walk him with the bases loaded intentionally just so he could not beat them. No other hitter has evoked that fear since I have been around. It sucks this steroid crap has ruined a time in baseball that in the moment was magical. It may take 15-20 years for us to fully understand what hapened during this time and to move on.
As for the Yankee game I have acouple points. First of all I hate when batters do what AROD did. I understand what the Jays did was intentional, but I am of the school that you either go after the pitcher or take your base. I hate when hitters make a big scene of taking a couple steps to the mound and yelling at the pitcher. If AROD gets hit again though, I do not think that he will be as hesitant to charge the mound.
In the same breath though, you gotta give Roger Clemens a lot of credit. He did everything exactly the right way. Waited until his team had a comfortable lead, hit the Jays best hitters and did it in the perfect spot, right in the ribs/back. He sent his message not to mess with his teammates, but he did not do it in a dirty way (ala his embarrasing drilling of Piazza in the head). Overall though, I think this is good for the Yankees because stuff like this brings a team closer and thats what the Yanks will need over this very difficult 25 game stretch coming up. We know the Jays won't forget it, but they are small potatos compared to what the Yanks have ahead of them.
Oh...and Joba Chamberlin? Electric fastball and ridonculous slider. While the Yanks will be careful about him pitching on consecutive days and coming into middle of innings, he should have an impact. His stuff is filthy and he seems to have a presense on the mound. Basically seeing him and Hughes in pinstripes makes me even more agitated when I think of Mike Pelfrey in orange and blue....
Crunch Time
I know, I know, it's not even September yet, but for a lot of division winning hopefuls and wild card chasers August is the month that usually makes or breaks your season.
For starters, obviously I'm going to go in depth with the newly rejuvenated Atlanta Braves. Although they are currently 4.5 games back of the Mets (which happens to be the largest division lead besides the Red Sox 6 game lead of the Yanks), they are a mere 1.5 games back of SD and the wild card.
Now, the Braves and Mets start a pivotal series at Shea tonight. Why is it pivotal? Because if the Braves manage to get swept or even lose 2 out of 3, they will have dug themselves a pretty deep hole in the division race, not to mention the wild card in which there are 5 teams within 3 games of the lead. A lot of the time with so many teams in a close race, it's actually more difficult to climb that hill.
However, I'm not the least bit worried. Even with Renteria hurt Yunel Escobar is more than equipped to take over his spot at SS, and already had a game-winning hit on Sunday. With Beltran hurt, the Braves overall dominance in Shea (Chipper in particular), and a slight edge in the pitching match-ups to the Braves, taking 2 out of 3 is almost a must.
Speaking of the pitching match-ups, the more I look at them, the less I think the Braves have a significant advantage. At first glace, I thought that 2 out of 3 would be somewhat of a cakewalk, however, when taking a closer look, it might be more of a dogfight.
Tonight, Carlyle vs. Perez seemed like a wash, but with Perez a much better pitcher at home (even though he's 50/50 to throw lights out or walk 7 guys), and to be honest I never know what I'm getting out of Carlyle, I'll have to give the edge to the Mets.
The next two games however the Braves have the advantage, but not as much as I first thought. Smoltz vs. Lawrence would seem like a huge edge for Atlanta, but if you know anything about John, you know he's hurt. His shoulder has been bothering him all year, and in his last two starts his velocity has gone down and he has been hit hard. Half of my wishes he'd just go on the DL and rest up for the stretch run. I'd still take a 75% Smoltz over Brian Lawrence any day of the week and twice on Sunday, but not as significantly.
Thursday's Hudson vs. El Duque match again was one that at first I thought was a huge advantage for the Braves, but Hudson can be hot and cold, and so can Hernandez. I'll still take my chances with the former 20-game winner.
Taking at least 2 out of 3 for the Braves would be huge for the stretch run, and all I'm asking for is them to be within 2 games or so (hopefully with a comfortable wild card cushion as well) when myself and Cheddar Bob show up at Shea on September 11th with my Braves jersey, hopefully getting pelted with hot dogs and beer, and 50,000+ chanting Laaaaarryyy, Laaaarrrry.
For the Yankees, it's a little more simple. They have been beating up on the minor leagues lately and will continue to do so for the next week or so. However, their schedule becomes much more difficult in the next month and a half and I find it hard to believe they will be able to keep up this hitting clinic they are putting on right now.
I still think the division is out of reach, especially with the Red Sox pitching staff, and I also think the wild card won't be as easy as it is looking right now. The Yankees will begin to cool off and the Tigers are a much better team than they are putting on the field right now.
Bottom line, playoff spots in both leagues will be hard to come by this year, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to enjoying all the races.
Quickies:
For starters, obviously I'm going to go in depth with the newly rejuvenated Atlanta Braves. Although they are currently 4.5 games back of the Mets (which happens to be the largest division lead besides the Red Sox 6 game lead of the Yanks), they are a mere 1.5 games back of SD and the wild card.
Now, the Braves and Mets start a pivotal series at Shea tonight. Why is it pivotal? Because if the Braves manage to get swept or even lose 2 out of 3, they will have dug themselves a pretty deep hole in the division race, not to mention the wild card in which there are 5 teams within 3 games of the lead. A lot of the time with so many teams in a close race, it's actually more difficult to climb that hill.
However, I'm not the least bit worried. Even with Renteria hurt Yunel Escobar is more than equipped to take over his spot at SS, and already had a game-winning hit on Sunday. With Beltran hurt, the Braves overall dominance in Shea (Chipper in particular), and a slight edge in the pitching match-ups to the Braves, taking 2 out of 3 is almost a must.
Speaking of the pitching match-ups, the more I look at them, the less I think the Braves have a significant advantage. At first glace, I thought that 2 out of 3 would be somewhat of a cakewalk, however, when taking a closer look, it might be more of a dogfight.
Tonight, Carlyle vs. Perez seemed like a wash, but with Perez a much better pitcher at home (even though he's 50/50 to throw lights out or walk 7 guys), and to be honest I never know what I'm getting out of Carlyle, I'll have to give the edge to the Mets.
The next two games however the Braves have the advantage, but not as much as I first thought. Smoltz vs. Lawrence would seem like a huge edge for Atlanta, but if you know anything about John, you know he's hurt. His shoulder has been bothering him all year, and in his last two starts his velocity has gone down and he has been hit hard. Half of my wishes he'd just go on the DL and rest up for the stretch run. I'd still take a 75% Smoltz over Brian Lawrence any day of the week and twice on Sunday, but not as significantly.
Thursday's Hudson vs. El Duque match again was one that at first I thought was a huge advantage for the Braves, but Hudson can be hot and cold, and so can Hernandez. I'll still take my chances with the former 20-game winner.
Taking at least 2 out of 3 for the Braves would be huge for the stretch run, and all I'm asking for is them to be within 2 games or so (hopefully with a comfortable wild card cushion as well) when myself and Cheddar Bob show up at Shea on September 11th with my Braves jersey, hopefully getting pelted with hot dogs and beer, and 50,000+ chanting Laaaaarryyy, Laaaarrrry.
For the Yankees, it's a little more simple. They have been beating up on the minor leagues lately and will continue to do so for the next week or so. However, their schedule becomes much more difficult in the next month and a half and I find it hard to believe they will be able to keep up this hitting clinic they are putting on right now.
I still think the division is out of reach, especially with the Red Sox pitching staff, and I also think the wild card won't be as easy as it is looking right now. The Yankees will begin to cool off and the Tigers are a much better team than they are putting on the field right now.
Bottom line, playoff spots in both leagues will be hard to come by this year, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to enjoying all the races.
Quickies:
- Quite a milestone weekend: ARod's 500th, followed by Barry's 755th, and capped off on Sunday with Glavine's 300th.
- If you haven't seen the Dari Franchitti crash from Sunday you are doing yourself a huge disservice, keep in mind he got out of the car and walked away from this, amazing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWI-OyDq8mU.
- Rory Sabbatini...what a clown.
- Speaking of clowns (actually in the same fashion of speaking too soon) every fantasy draft, whether it's football or baseball, I have a couple picks where I get laughed at. Yet every year I'm very competitive. This year's football (and most years) the main culprit is the least competitive guy in the league (no joke) and actually finished in dead last for football last year...when will he learn?
- Fascinating post yesterday Curtin...very informative.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Friday! To Murph:
I feel this video is a lot like you lately:
One moment you are flying high, hanging out, and being a friend...
...the next, you have disappeared from the blog, fantasy sports, and our lives.
CRASH AND BURN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjSd-sgChA4
One moment you are flying high, hanging out, and being a friend...
...the next, you have disappeared from the blog, fantasy sports, and our lives.
CRASH AND BURN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjSd-sgChA4
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Rules to Live By
With our upcoming fantasy draft, I'd like to expose the guidelines that have led to my fantasy football success and others that I will soon incorporate
1.) Trade an up and coming young stud running back (Gore)
2.) Keep a QB who will play 4 games for you totaling a 77.0 QB rating
3.) Draft Clinton Portis and expect him to play all 16 games
4.) Draft Marion Barber expecting him to score 16 touchdowns again
5.) Keep BJ Ryan... hahahaha
6.) Keep Reggie Bush over Chad Johnson
7.) Expect big years from Kitna and Eli
8.) Not notice that both Randy Moss and TO left practice with hamstring injuries
9.) Draft a player with your first pick that then retires (Tiki)
10.) Keep the most injury prone guys ever (Portis and Smith- Zhong)
11.) Draft Nate Burleson in the 5th round (2005)
12.) Not to call someone out, but look at these consecutive picks in rounds 4-8 from two years ago
Aaron Brooks, Deshawn Foster, Mushin, Ashley Lelie.... yikes
13.) Not to forget about Drew Brees injury from the Pro Bowl
14.) To remember there is one good tight end in the entire NFL for fantasy purposes
15.) To consider who would be more boring to draft, Big Ben or Hassleback
16.) To guess the comeback player of the year Randy Moss, Edge or Culpepper
17.) Did anyone else forget Kyle Boller was alive?
18.) To not forget Cadillac's last season was merely a fluke
19.) To take seriously Kitna's prediction of 10 wins
20.) To take seriously the chances of the Pats running the table... until they run into the Jets in week 1
21.) I know its obvious... but Wayne will be overtaking Harrison this year
22.) In an interesting Page 2 article they predicted the 50 most likely players to make the Hall of Fame.... on the list Leinart, Adrian Peterson, Tatupu... I understand that they wanted to make some bold predictions... but really???
Others:
-If you switch cities do you automatically have to adopt all their sports teams? Garnett and Allen
-Garnett wearing #5 seems weird to me
-I hate the Celtics, but God do I love KG... look at the numbs, he has been the most impressive player statistically of the past decade
-Some guy on the FAN today said the Mets decided to improve 2b with getting Castillo to replace Gotay but the Yankees decided to stand pat with Phillips and not get someone better... what?! Did he forget about Doug M. almost being back and Giambi (i know mostly DH but still) on the comeback trail also... nice comparison douche
-Kevin Maas, Shane Spencer, Shelley Duncan????!!!
-Ways to forget Curtin:
1.) Not invite him to Vegas/San Diego
2.) Not invite him to Ice Cold's brthday pregame
3.) Not invite him to Pizza Hut buffet
4.) Not invite him to purchase Madden 2_ _ _ on opening day
5.) Not invite him to collect all the valuables hidden in the couch from hours of sitting
6.) Not invite him to see the X-men Premier
7.) Not invite him to a facial hair growing contest
8.) Not invite him to a fantasy discussion about Weeks or Biggio
9.) Not invite him to a Boston bandwagon discussion
10.) Not invite him to a let's drink a lot of hard alcohol and get loud session
1.) Trade an up and coming young stud running back (Gore)
2.) Keep a QB who will play 4 games for you totaling a 77.0 QB rating
3.) Draft Clinton Portis and expect him to play all 16 games
4.) Draft Marion Barber expecting him to score 16 touchdowns again
5.) Keep BJ Ryan... hahahaha
6.) Keep Reggie Bush over Chad Johnson
7.) Expect big years from Kitna and Eli
8.) Not notice that both Randy Moss and TO left practice with hamstring injuries
9.) Draft a player with your first pick that then retires (Tiki)
10.) Keep the most injury prone guys ever (Portis and Smith- Zhong)
11.) Draft Nate Burleson in the 5th round (2005)
12.) Not to call someone out, but look at these consecutive picks in rounds 4-8 from two years ago
Aaron Brooks, Deshawn Foster, Mushin, Ashley Lelie.... yikes
13.) Not to forget about Drew Brees injury from the Pro Bowl
14.) To remember there is one good tight end in the entire NFL for fantasy purposes
15.) To consider who would be more boring to draft, Big Ben or Hassleback
16.) To guess the comeback player of the year Randy Moss, Edge or Culpepper
17.) Did anyone else forget Kyle Boller was alive?
18.) To not forget Cadillac's last season was merely a fluke
19.) To take seriously Kitna's prediction of 10 wins
20.) To take seriously the chances of the Pats running the table... until they run into the Jets in week 1
21.) I know its obvious... but Wayne will be overtaking Harrison this year
22.) In an interesting Page 2 article they predicted the 50 most likely players to make the Hall of Fame.... on the list Leinart, Adrian Peterson, Tatupu... I understand that they wanted to make some bold predictions... but really???
Others:
-If you switch cities do you automatically have to adopt all their sports teams? Garnett and Allen
-Garnett wearing #5 seems weird to me
-I hate the Celtics, but God do I love KG... look at the numbs, he has been the most impressive player statistically of the past decade
-Some guy on the FAN today said the Mets decided to improve 2b with getting Castillo to replace Gotay but the Yankees decided to stand pat with Phillips and not get someone better... what?! Did he forget about Doug M. almost being back and Giambi (i know mostly DH but still) on the comeback trail also... nice comparison douche
-Kevin Maas, Shane Spencer, Shelley Duncan????!!!
-Ways to forget Curtin:
1.) Not invite him to Vegas/San Diego
2.) Not invite him to Ice Cold's brthday pregame
3.) Not invite him to Pizza Hut buffet
4.) Not invite him to purchase Madden 2_ _ _ on opening day
5.) Not invite him to collect all the valuables hidden in the couch from hours of sitting
6.) Not invite him to see the X-men Premier
7.) Not invite him to a facial hair growing contest
8.) Not invite him to a fantasy discussion about Weeks or Biggio
9.) Not invite him to a Boston bandwagon discussion
10.) Not invite him to a let's drink a lot of hard alcohol and get loud session
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