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July 30, 2009

Week 1 College Basketball Preview

Over the last few years, I have carved an enjoyable niche both for my column and for my own idiosyncratic tendencies by previewing the first week of both college football and basketball months in advance, well before anyone else previews the season in that context (week one only), and then refusing to look ahead to week two until the completion of week one.

For basketball, that has meant the Coaches vs. Cancer classic, which has carved its own niche as the sole occupiers of the first week of the-games-count-now college hoops slate.

It was a 16-team tournament split into four "pods" where three big boys of college basketball would host three chihuahuas, and the winner of each quadrant would head to Madison Square Garden for the finals.

You might have noticed I wrote, "was." The tournament has decided to maximize revenue by sticking to the most tried and true method of realizing profits in the NCAA — sticking it to the little guy.

You see, they've changed the format this year, and well, the four host schools will be guaranteed the semifinal slots in New York City. It doesn't matter if they lost both the games in their pods, it's more like a round-robin tournament now, except you don't play everybody and they pre-ordain the semifinalists before the tournaments starts.

It's not like David never slayed the Goliath in this tournament. Two years ago, it was Gardner-Webb punching their Garden ticket after beating Kentucky at Rupp Arena. But make no mistake, the tournament producers didn't take this step despite such upsets, but because of them. No one outside of greater Charlotte and upset connoisseurs like myself are going to the Big Apple to watch Gardner-Webb.

So congratulations to Ohio State, North Carolina, Cal, and Syracuse. You're in the little dance.

To make up the revenue the smaller schools have no chance of earning now, I hereby encourage the players and student bodies of those schools to straight-up engage in gambling fraud. Offer some ignorant sucker 100-to-1 odds against any but those four schools making the semis, but make the minimum bet something like $100.

Those schools (and besides the schools above, there are eight; they pared four teams from the field under the new format) are Murray State, North Carolina Central, Florida International, Detroit, Alcorn State, James Madison, Albany, and Robert Morris.

Who is hurt the most by this? Robert Morris, who returns two of their top three scorers from a team that ran away with the NEC regular season crown, won the conference tournament, and went to the Big Dance.

Who catches the biggest break? No one, really, these are four top-25 teams most likely. Perhaps Ohio State. Two years ago they failed to make the Big Dance, didn't nail down their spot until the last week or two of the regular season last year, and lost their big-impact center, B.J. Mullens.

They haven't announced who will play whom in these "semifinals," but it would be interesting if they paired Ohio State with North Carolina, a great matchup two years ago that I live-blogged for Slant Pattern, and will again if this matchup happens.

North Carolina and Cal would be interesting too, since Cal's stock in the Pac-10 is soaring and they return every major contributor, while UNC is practically starting over from last year's championship team.

It should be interesting, but without the likes of Robert Morris or Murray State to crash the party, this tournament has deflated their spirit even if they've inflated their pockets (all of which better indeed go to cancer charities).

Posted by Kevin Beane at 11:22 AM | Comments (1)

July 29, 2009

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 20

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart — Stewart finished third at Indianapolis, his series-leading 12th top-five result of the year, and padded his lead atop the point standings. Stewart now leads Jimmie Johnson, who passed Jeff Gordon for the No. 2 spot in the standings, by 192 points.

"As an Indiana native," Stewart said, "this is the one race I really want to win. I've got two wins here already, but now that Jimmie Johnson has more, I can't say that I wasn't jealous watching him kiss the bricks."

"Not that I also didn't get a cheap, voyeuristic thrill watching, much like one would by viewing grainy footage of a naked ESPN reporter. But what Dr. Jerry Punch does in the privacy of his hotel room should be his business, and his business alone."

2. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson won his second consecutive Brickyard 400, and third in his career, in an eventful race at Indianapolis that was rendered wide open when Juan Montoya was ticketed for speeding on pit lane on lap 127. Montoya had led 116 of the first 124 laps before the fateful infraction.

"You could say NASCAR gift-wrapped that one for me," Johnson said. "And you could say the package came not with a 'Colombian necktie,' but with a 'Colombian bow tie.' Man, talk about a champion's provisional."

"Besides, Montoya's stepmother said he was speeding, so it must be true."

3. Jeff Gordon — Gordon finished a lackluster ninth at Indianapolis, collecting his 14th top-10 finish of the year at the track where he has four career victories. Gordon's No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet lacked the handling to challenge the cars of race winner Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Juan Montoya, but some timely passes as the laps dwindled salvaged the top 10. Gordon dropped to third in the points, 192 behind Tony Stewart and 15 behind Johnson.

"I'm happy for Jimmie and Mark," Gordon said, "and I'm happy for Rick Hendrick, as well. He spares no expense to provide this team with the best equipment. I wouldn't be surprised if Hendrick engineering played a part in the timing devices used to catch those pit lane speeders. But please don't buy into another one of Jeremy Mayfield's conspiracy theories."

"It looked like it was Montoya's race to win. The No. 42 Dodge was so dominant, I thought Juan would win going away. But things can change quickly in this sport. What was looking like a 'Juan-coup' finish became a '1-2' Hendrick finish."

4. Mark Martin — Martin won the pole for the Brickyard 400 on Saturday, becoming the oldest driver to accomplish that feat in NASCAR's history. He nearly cashed in for victory, but was unable to pass Jimmie Johnson after an exciting 20-lap duel to the finish. With his runner-up finish, Martin moved up two places in the point standings to ninth, and holds a 42-point cushion over the 12th spot.

"Jimmie got by me on that final restart," Martin said, "and that was all she wrote. I gave it everything the No. 5 Car Quest Chevrolet had, but I couldn't catch him. I think it was Jimmie's way of sending a message that he's still the man to beat. It's good that he cleared that up, because most drivers, Tony Stewart and Jimmy Spencer among them, have always recognized Kurt Busch as the man to 'beat.'"

"Honestly, though, there's really no secret to my longevity as a driver. If you're looking for a 'Fountain of Youth,' there's not one, although the talent at a Tony Stewart hauler party comes mighty close."

"No, I attribute my success to hard work, but mostly the credit is due to the competitive fire coursing through my veins. Now, if I could bottle that up and sell it, I'm sure Aaron Fike and Jeremy Mayfield would be first in line to try it."

5. Kasey Kahne — In his 200th career Sprint Cup start, Kahne finished seventh in the Brickyard 400, his second-straight top-10 and fifth-consecutive top-15. He held on to eighth place in the Sprint Cup point standings, and has a 53-point lead over Matt Kenseth in 12th.

"I'm really sympathetic to what Juan Montoya must be feeling," Kahne said. "He was pushing that car to the limit, with a 'checkered flag or bust' mentality. Well, he got 'bust'-ed all right, for speeding."

"Me? I can definitely relate to getting 'busted.' It happens to me quite often, actually, usually at meet-and-greets, when a comely female admirer 'busts' me. Luckily, it only costs me an autograph, and not a Brickyard 400 win."

"Anyway, I'm pleased with the team's performance. We've really come on strong in the second half of the season. I attribute that to hard work, a focused outlook, and some words of wisdom offered by 'The King' Richard Petty. He told me that there's no reason a driver with my talent should miss out on the Chase. I think his exact words were 'You know you don't have to be that guy, son.'"

"But right now, our Chase standing is in good shape. If I blow it and fall out of the top 12 in the next six races, it will be nothing less than a 'Kahne Mutiny.'"

6. Kurt Busch — Busch was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop under green to tend to a wheel vibration on lap 33, and incident which left him a lap down. And, with a scant three caution periods during the entire race, Busch was never in position for the "Lucky Dog" free pass. He finished 27th, one lap down, but held on to fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings.

"Jimmie Johnson had everything working in his favor," Busch said. "A great car, a Juan Montoya speeding penalty, a timely caution, and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge nowhere near him. That's a heck of a lot of ingredients, but a recipe for success nonetheless."

"I'm still waiting for a good time to talk to Jimmie about the run-ins we've had on the track recently. With the Chase looming and Jimmie coming into form, he's kind of hard to catch nowadays. I asked him when would be a good time to talk, and he told me he could be reached anytime at 867-5309/Jimmie."

"When we talk, I'll expect an apology. If Jimmie doesn't oblige, the No. 48 Lowe's car can expect to 'Ride the Lite-ning' into a wall pretty soon."

7. Carl Edwards — Hampered by a poor qualifying effort that gave him the 41st position of the starting grid, Edwards' prospects of success at Indianapolis were slim. But perseverance, determination, and a slew of other words used to indicate a slow car helped Edwards improve 26 positions and finish 15th in the Brickyard 400. He moved up one spot in the point standings to fifth, and trails Tony Stewart by 498.

"I think all of the guys are sympathetic to the plight of Jeremy Mayfield," Edwards said. "At Indianapolis, we all had an inkling of what he must be going through, because 'passing' was difficult out there."

"Now, if you're like me, you've had enough of the Mayfield versus NASCAR drug saga. I like my Sprint Cup filled with racing action, not urine. Lately, the Cup runneth over."

"And the drama shows no signs of slowing. NASCAR recently accused Mayfield of lying in federal court. It seems Mayfield said he didn't talk to a laboratory employee about submitting to a test when and audio recording indicated that he did. Is there a movie in the works? You bet. It's called Meth, Lies, and Audiotape."

8. Juan Montoya — On his way to what likely would have been the most dominating Brickyard 400 victory in history, Montoya was nabbed for speeding on pit lane with 35 laps to go. Montoya had led 116 of the previous 124 laps and had built leads as large as five seconds, but the drive-through penalty assessed rendered those statistics irrelevant. Montoya finished 11th and dropped one place to tenth in the point standings.

"Jeremy Mayfield would agree," Montoya said, "that NASCAR obviously has a vendetta against drivers with the initials 'J.M' and 'speed' problems. I feel even more 'Target-ed' than normal."

"I'm proud to be a Colombian, but all too often, I'm finding that misconceptions about people of my nationality are apparently affecting the decisions of NASCAR. There's a misguided assumption that all Colombians have a cocaine problem, but that's still no reason for NASCAR to give me a 'snow' job."

9. Denny Hamlin — Like his Joe Gibbs teammate Kyle Busch, Hamlin found the going tough at Indianapolis. Early in the race, a broken drive shaft forced the No. 11 Fed Ex Office Toyota to the garage. By the time repairs were completed, Hamlin was 16 laps down. He finished a game 34th, and fell one place in the points to sixth.

"Kyle and I both have been dealing with our share of adversity," Hamlin said, "most notably the fact that we're both being outdriven by an 19-year-old rookie."

"But that kid Logano is as talented as he is skinny. He has no shortage of talent, his greatest being the ability to exit his car without letting down his window netting."

10. Ryan Newman — Newman finished 14th in the Brickyard 400, behind Stewart Haas teammate and fellow Indiana native Tony Stewart, who finished third. Newman is seventh in the points, 548 behind Stewart.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with controversy in NASCAR," Newman said. "At least it keeps people from talking about Kyle Busch."

"And controversy promotes discussion, and everyone's talking about Juan Montoya's speeding penalty. While it may not be of the magnitude of mysteries such as 'Who shot J.R.,?' the question on the minds of many in NASCAR circles is 'Who clocked J.M.?'"

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:40 AM | Comments (0)

July 28, 2009

Is Professional Tennis Dying?

First, let me say congratulations to Mirka and Roger Federer on the birth of their twin girls this past week. Seems that Roger is never satisfied with just one of anything, so he already has two new "trophies" to add to his collection.

The tennis world is a little light on good stories right now. The summer Olympus U.S. Open Series is in full effect, and you all know my opinions on that from other columns. The World Team Tennis championship has already been played and decided. Kim Clijsters' comeback began with WTT, but with only two matches, it wasn't an earth-shattering return. Maybe the most amazing thing about the WTT this year was that the Washington Kastles, led and coached by my compatriot Murphy Jensen, won the title. To think how far he has come since his walkabout at Wimbledon all those years ago...

Since there seems to be again the summer tennis lull, I think this is the perfect time to talk about what is going on behind the scenes of the professional tours and the professional tennis industry. Most of my colleagues have glossed over the business side of tennis for the past year. They tout participation numbers that seem to show an increase in recreational players, they talk about slightly increased sales of racquets at some of the major companies, but stay completely away from the heart of professional tennis, the sponsor money.

Tennis, more then any sport with the exception of maybe golf, is almost solely reliant on the money of large investment firms, banks, and insurers. The financial industry has held up the tours and professional game almost exclusively since the advent of open tennis. The very companies and people who have been the epicenter of the world's current financial crisis and meltdown. As a journalist who goes to more than his share of tournaments, large and small, I have seen a noticeable decrease in sponsor signage at many tournaments. And the names on those banners have shifted dramatically.

A good example is the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, formerly the RCA Tennis Championships, a tournament stop that just completed this weekend. RCA, a member of the other industry that has continually taken a beating over the past years, telecommunications, dropped the sponsorship not long after the first defection of a high ranking member of the tennis industry. Ford, Dodge, Chrysler, and the U.S. automakers also did not fly banners this year. Arlen Kantarian, USTA CEO, resigned last October, reportedly to seek new challenges and take a step back. After much worry and speculation, the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly stepped in to become the main sponsor. While it is not unheard of for large pharma to sponsor sports, this is a shift for sure.

Most minor tournament sponsors have changed, too. Tennis has always been thought of as a sport of the affluent. Hence the moneyed sponsors. Look at Indy, though, and the blue collar is creeping in quickly. Heineken Light and Barefoot Wines are prominent sponsors. Neither would be considered "high brow" for sure. Great companies and great products, don't get me wrong, but not the Moet or Rothschild, if you know what I mean. The shift in the economy has clearly shifted professional tennis.

The reason I mention all this is that all three of the major CEOs in professional tennis have now left the sport. All within six months of each other, and all left proclaiming how the sport has never been better both from a player and financial aspect. Arlen was the architect of the U.S. Open Series and was known for working closely with minor tournaments in increasing their revenues and sponsorships. The Indy tournament has said he was key to their success in the past. Now he is gone.

Also, Etienne De Villers was essentially forced out of the ATP. To me, not a great loss, but there has yet to be a good replacement for him. And lastly, Larry Scott resigned and joined the NCAA Pac-10 just this month. Clearly, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour benefitted by his leadership. And clearly, Larry was a huge reason that the sport has risen more than the men's game, which is why his departure is the most puzzling.

With Larry Scott's charisma, his clout, and his ability to get things done, you would think that the challenge of keeping the revenue and game at the top would keep him on the job. Larry himself had stated a few times that he expected tournament and tour sponsorships industry wide to drop by at least 20 percent over the next year, fueled by the financial crisis. He became the king of the WTA after inheriting a much worse situation from the previous CEO, who shall remain nameless here.

So why leave now? Tennis is about to implode. I will be the first to say it. I wasn't sure, but the announcement this week by the USTA that it will once again increase prize money for the tournament, showing that the tennis industry economy is well said it all. From the USTA press release and some other reporting sources came this:

"The USTA today announced that the 2009 U.S. Open purse will top $21.6 million, marking the third consecutive year that the tournament's prize money has increased by $1 million. In addition to the base purse of $21.6 million, the top three men's and top three women's finishers in the Olympus U.S. Open Series may earn up to an additional $2.6 million in bonus prize money at the U.S. Open, providing a potential total payout of $24.2 million. Both the men's and women's U.S. Open singles champions will earn a record $1.6 million with the ability to earn an additional $1 million in bonus prize money (for a total $2.6 million potential payout) based on their performances in the Olympus U.S. Open Series. In addition, both U.S. Open singles champions will receive a new 2010 Lexus IS convertible."

No need to herald the industry economy if it is in fact doing well. This signals a plea for help. First, Arlen Kantarian has left, and the USTA chose not to replace him and divide his duties among the other senior leaders of the USTA. Clearly, a vote of no confidence to those in power at the USTA, and also apparently a cost-saving move since the increase in prize money is about equal to Arlen's compensation. It also signifies a belt tightening for the years ahead.

The WTA Tour has promoted Stacey Allaster to the head of the organization. I congratulate her, and her promotion is well deserved. But the WTA Tour is also experiencing and identity crisis. Unlike the men's side, there are no real tour stars. Venus and Serena Williams are its best players, but they are not dedicated tour regulars like Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, and Martina Navratilova were for many years. They tend to be tennis celebrities, which is totally different then being a tennis star. Paris Hilton is an entertainment celebrity who has acted in movies. Tom Hanks is a movie star. See the difference? That is exactly what the WTA Tour faces now.

There have been many articles about the women's tour, its parity, and who will be its next big star or stars. With the influx of talented by unknown Eastern European players and the almost non-existent pool of top U.S. women players below the Williams sisters, there just isn't any compelling reason to watch the women. No rivalry, no great battles. Few, if any matches that go full bore. And I live for women's tennis. So can you imagine what the tour faces now, given the added burden of a dramatic loss of revenue for the foreseeable future?

The men's side isn't a whole lot better. Roger is still the king, and at least we got to see history this year to keep us involved. Rafael Nadal and Roger will continue to battle it out (assuming Rafa can recover fully from his physical issues), much like John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg in the sport's heyday. The two Andy's are just below, along with Novak Djokovic, so for the short term, the tour can provide sufficient entertainment to keep the tennis fans amused and going to see tennis. Whoever finally takes charge of the ATP tour will have their hands full in trying to keep the sport moving forward.

The sport I love so much, the sport I care maybe too much about, is on the verge of fulfilling the Sports Illustrated title it had not too long ago, "Is Tennis Dead?" The leaders of the industry have spoken. Larry, Etienne, and Arlen have told us everything we need to know.

Posted by Tom Kosinski at 11:49 AM | Comments (0)

July 27, 2009

NBA Free Agency: The Best of the Rest

It's been 25 days since the NBA free agency period officially began, and several high-profile NBA players have already cashed in. While some of the biggest names of the 2009 class signed on the dotted line almost immediately, there are still plenty of players still available that have the potential to be key contributors for some team for the 2009-10 NBA season. Today, we look at the best of what's left in the NBA free agency pool.

Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers

Possible destinations: Lakers, Heat

Lamar Odom's quest for one last big payday this offseason has been well documented. L.O. is seeking a contract that will pay him around $10 million per season over four or five years, and the Lakers, to this point, have been unwilling to make that kind of long-term commitment to the versatile 29-year-old.

Taking full advantage of the stalled talks between Odom and the Lakers, the Heat have swooped in and have offered L.O. their full mid-level exception over the next five seasons (roughly $34 million).

Some reports say that Odom is leaning heavily towards taking the Heat deal, but as each day goes by, I find it harder to believe that he will sign with Miami. The Heat can only offer the mid-level exception, and their offer is pretty much set in stone. They can't offer any more money than what they have on the table right now, and that offer has been available to Odom for almost two weeks.

The fact that he hasn't signed with Miami means that either Odom is confident that he can get more money from the Lakers or he has already decided to return to Los Angeles and he is just using the Heat as leverage to ensure he gets as much money as possible from L.A.

Either way, the fact that Odom hasn't taken the Miami deal is a promising sign for Laker fans. If Odom re-signs, the Lakers once again look like the preseason favorites to win the West. If he does bolt for South Beach, the Lakers lose the length and versatility in the frontcourt that made them so tough to beat last season, and all the sudden the Spurs' and Mavericks' chances of getting back to the NBA Finals look a whole lot better.

David Lee, New York Knicks (restricted)

Possible destinations: Knicks, Bulls

Lee was in a tough spot right from the beginning of free agency. As a restricted free agent, any offer that he accepts, the Knicks have seven days to match that offer. There were only a handful of teams with any real money to spend this offseason, and they certainly weren't going to wait around and let players sign elsewhere while the Knicks decided whether or not to match their offer.

Now, all of the teams with any cap space heading into this offseason (Pistons, Blazers, Raptors) have committed all of their available money to other free agents, and suddenly there is no market for David Lee.

The Knicks have been clearing up cap space for two years now in anticipation for free agency next summer. They certainly aren't going to waste all the work they have put in to get to this point by committing to a long-term deal with Lee.

That leaves only two options for Lee, and neither is very promising. He can re-sign with the Knicks for a one-year deal, then hit the market next summer as an unrestricted free agent. The problem with that is that next season's free agent class should be very deep and he may not be able to score a big deal with so many big names available next summer.

The second option for Lee is to try to work out some sort of sign and trade with the Knicks. While this would allow Lee a chance to cash in and get fair market value this offseason, it seems unlikely that the Kinks would cooperate in any sort of sign and trade because they would have to take on more salary to replace Lee.

Unless Lee can find a team that is willing to pay good money and give the Knicks back nothing but expiring contracts, I can't see a sign-and-trade working out in this situation. Chicago is rumored to be interested in Lee, but I'm not sure they have enough favorable contracts to offer New York to entice the Knicks to do a sign and trade.

Chances are, David Lee is going to have to re-sign for a one-year deal and take his chances next season.

Marvin Williams, Atlanta Hawks (restricted)

Possible destinations: Hawks

Another restricted free agent, the Hawks seem to be holding all the cards in this one. No teams have even really given serious consideration to signing Williams because the Hawks would almost certainly match any deal.

Since no one else is offering anything, the Hawks could conceivably re-sign Williams for very cheap. And while Williams hasn't panned out to be the future star the Hawks hoped he'd be when the selected him second overall in 2005, having averaged nearly 15 points per game last season, he's still a pretty good bargain if they can continue paying him around $5 million per season.

Raymond Felton, Charlotte Bobcats (restricted)

Possible Destinations: Bobcats, Sixers, Clippers

With D.J. Augustine exceeding expectations last season as a rookie, it is unlikely that the Bobcats would have matched any big offers for Felton.

Now that the most that is available is the full mid-level exception, the Bobcats might be wise to match any offer that Felton gets. With Augustine still on his rookie contract, and Felton making around $6 million are year at most, the Bobcats would suddenly have the most cost-effective backcourt in the league.

And if Augustine does develop into a solid starting point guard in the NBA, a reasonably priced Ray Felton becomes a very attractive trading chip at the trade deadline for a team desperate to make a championship push by adding an established point guard.

Ramon Sessions, Milwaukee Bucks (restricted)

Possible destinations: Bucks, Warriors, Heat, Clippers

One of the most underrated players in the league right now, Sessions would benefit greatly from a change of scenery. And with the Bucks' owner going broke, and the recent addition of first round draft pick Brandon Jennings, it is unlikely that the Bucks will match any offer that Sessions gets, especially if he gets the full mid-level from someone.

Sessions has the talent to be a starting point guard on a good team; he just hasn't been given a chance. Now Andre Miller has signed with the Blazers, Sessions might be the best point guard available.

The Clippers have expressed interest in Sessions, and he makes way more sense for them than Allen Iverson does, but I don't think that they are necessarily the best fit for Sessions. He backed up Baron Davis for Los Angeles' junior varsity team. If he's patient, Sessions could definitely land a starting job somewhere.

There are plenty of teams out there looking for help at the point guard position, and if I were a GM, I wouldn't hesitate to give the full mid-level exception to Ramon Sessions and give him the keys to my team for the next four or five seasons.

There will be plenty of suitors interested in Sessions in the coming weeks, but I'd be willing to bet that his current team isn't one of them. Sessions is the best player left that is a lock to switch teams.

While all of the big spending may be over with, with the players listed above still available, and guys like Allen Iverson, Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, Linas Kleiza, and many other still looking for work, there is still plenty of work left to be done before we can close the books on this offseason.

Check back at Sports Central every Monday for Scott Shepherd's weekly column. You can also follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/scottosports.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:59 AM | Comments (3)

2009 NFL Offseason Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots — If Tom Brady can win a Super Bowl with no running game and Deion Branch as his main (and nearly only) target, he can probably win one even if he feels the affects of his surgery. I'll take a peg-legged Brady over a healthy ... well, anybody else. That guy in the hoodie is pretty smart, too.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers — Defending champs, and the easy No. 1 team if the Patriots weren't an 11-5 team getting their best player back. Pittsburgh is really good and young, a dangerous combination.

3. New York Giants — This team has overachieved the past few years. They have two good running backs, led by the tank that is Brandon Jacobs, and they have a good, albeit slightly over-rated defense. Eli Manning did not win a Super Bowl for this team, his team won one in spite of him. He's average at best, and looks like a rookie far too often to be taken seriously as a perennial playoff-ready leader. Either way, this team lost no ground this offseason, and as such they stay near the top of these rankings.

4. Philadelphia Eagles — Huge offseason additions have given the Eagles an offense featuring a proven QB, a solid RB, and two young, explosive WRs. The defense is still good, even without their coordinator from last year. Don't be surprised if this team is playing in February.

5. Baltimore Ravens — Joe Flacco looked bad at times last year. He almost looked like a rook ... wait, he was a rookie? Yeah, he was, and he went farther than any rookie QB in history has this side of Ben Roethlisberger. And the Ravens have one of the best defenses in the league. They're not in this spot because they'll dominate the regular season, they're here because nobody wants to play them in January. And that's what it's all about.

6. Indianapolis Colts — I'm not a Peyton Manning fan. The guy has a history of throwing teammates under the bus and is endlessly overrated. That being said, he's a darn good QB, even if he is no Tom Brady. He wins ball games before January, he just usually chokes after that. Maybe a younger new head coach can energize this team and help them win when it matters. Because a team this good should have won more than one Super Bowl in the past few years.

7. Atlanta Falcons — I'll probably catch some flak for having the Falcons so high. But they're in the same position as the Patriots in a way. They're an 11-5 team that should be improved this year, with a QB in Matt Ryan who now has experience and a new Hall of Fame target in Tony Gonzalez.

8. Tennessee Titans — I believe in Jeff Fisher. The guy is just really smart. Losing a defensive mainstay and having an aging and overachieving QB may hurt, but a strong defensive and extremely young team is hard to beat, especially when older teams are fatigued come playoff time.

9. San Diego Chargers — They played much better in the second half of last year. They also play in a mess of a division that includes a team coming fresh off a rebuilding stage, a team that traded its best player and has a head coach who is determined to alienate every player on his team, and the Raiders. That's a fairly easy four or five victories just within the division. They'll win the West with ease.

10. Arizona Cardinals — This is a tough team to gauge. On the one hand, they have the amazing and seemingly ageless Kurt Warner. But on the other hand, they finished last year 9-7, and Super Bowl runner-ups have a history of doing very poorly the next season. But two things give a sliver of hope to this team: 1) they added Chris Wells, giving them a very complete offense if he pans out; 2) the Patriots broke the aforementioned runner-up trend last year (even though they missed the playoffs). I like this team a lot, but not enough to put them any higher in these rankings.

11. Carolina Panthers — I'll keep this analysis simple. Dominating young RB + vastly underrated QB + pretty good defense = a good overall team. Not great, just good.

12. Green Bay Packers- The offense has a very skilled QB, but outside of that, has a lot of question marks. The defense is solid, but not great. I still think they're a better team than they played like last year, and something tells me they'll find a way to be right there in December, and maybe even January.

13. Chicago Bears - So Jay Cutler has almost no help on offense. But he's still really good, and the Brian Urlacher-led defense is still an 11-man brick wall. That may be enough for a playoff berth. Only time will tell.

14. New Orleans Saints — Drew Brees was close to a record last year with his passing onslaught. He has young, quick WRs, Reggie Bush, and an underrated offensive line to work with. If the inexperienced defense can be mediocre, this team can contend, even in the strong NFC South.

15. Minnesota Vikings — This defensive line is easily the best in the league. If the offense can score many TDs, this team could find success this year. I say they do just that, but only if they stay far, far away from the mediocre locker room cancer that is Brett Favre. And they look poised to sign him, unfortunately.

16. Miami Dolphins — The team was 11-5 last year, and they improved over the offseason, but unlike the Patriots and Falcons, the Dolphins overachieved in a very unusual division last year. But if any team could jump drastically up these rankings, it's the Dolphins.

17. Dallas Cowboys - They play in a really good division, lost some offense (although maybe for the better), and added nobody that can make an immediate impact. Their 9-7 record from last year might be hard to duplicate, but like the Dolphins, they have potential.

18. New York Jets — The offense has a highly touted, although unproven rookie QB, an explosive and inconsistent RB, and a fairly solid line. The defense is simply stacked compared to last year's. The only question is if the team will gel together. I say they will partially, but that'll be just enough to make them slightly interesting.

19. Washington Redskins — After the Dolphins, the Redskins have the most potential to rise up these rankings very quickly. They were .500 last year, and they added Albert Haynesworth. But after the debacle of their attempt to replace Jason Campbell, how motivated will he be to win? Will he set out to prove the front office wrong, or will he be too put off to have any heart to pour into the Redskins games? I'll guess the latter.

20. Houston Texans — They should be good, but I can't justify putting a franchise who has never posted a record over .500 past the top 20. They might surprise me, and I hope they do, but they need to prove something to gain any ground here.

21. Buffalo Bills — Terrell Owens will make the offense more powerful, but will he tear the team apart? Even if he doesn't, the Bills won't be better than average.

22. Cincinnati Bengals — They played better than their record at times last year, and they get the face of their franchise back from an elbow injury. They'll probably start slow, but they might pick it up in time to stay in contention.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars — This team isn't too far removed from the playoff team of only two years ago. If all, and I mean all, of their draft picks pan out, they might be over .500 at the end of the year. But I don't see that situation materializing.

24. Seattle Seahawks — This team is so unexciting, it's almost scary. They had four wins last year, and Matt Hasselbeck isn't good enough to improve that by more than a game or two.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Call it a gut feeling, but this team just doesn't have the talent to win consistently. Having one clear-cut starter at QB wouldn't hurt, either.

26. Denver Broncos — Josh McDaniels seems determined to ruin this franchise, and the front office seems to have bought into his plan. Trading Jay Cutler away and getting no immediate return at QB cannot be defined as anything other than giving up the 2009 season.

27. Kansas City Chiefs — They improved at head coach, GM, and QB, but they were 2-14 last year, so a huge improvement would be simply winning five or six games. That remains a lofty goal for this team, however.

28. San Francisco 49ers — I've heard many people pick the 49ers as their sleeper team, but I just don't see a team featuring a QB position battle between Alex Smith and Shaun Hill has a legitimate contender. Shaun Hill is a one-hit-wonder, and Alex Smith has had a problem getting his QB rating over 70. This team is just not good enough to win more than they lose.

29. Cleveland Browns — This team is in complete rebuild mode, and looks terrifyingly like the 2008 Chiefs. So multiple wins is the target here, and three or four would be a total success.

30. Oakland Raiders — It's an Al Davis team, and they had a pretty unexciting draft. That, coupled with a new head coach, means the 2009 Raiders could be even worse than last year's 5-11 version.

31. St. Louis Rams — The Browns may be the new version of the 2008 Chiefs, but the Rams just might be the new version of the 2008 Lions. And that statement speaks for itself.

32. Detroit Lions — 1-15 would be an improvement, so they can't possibly be any higher than this.

https://www.sports-central.org/sports/2009/07/27/2009_nfl_preseason_power_rankings.php

Posted by Paul Foeller at 11:58 AM | Comments (13)

July 24, 2009

NHL Free Agency Winners and Losers

Though there are some moves that may yet be made, and a couple of big-name free agents that remain on the open market, the NHL free agency frenzy has all but wrapped up. As usual, some players locked up huge contracts and plenty of players moved on to a new franchise.

Some teams found a lot of success during the free agency period, while others were left scratching their heads as their players were snatched away. Here is a further look at some of the winners and losers of NHL free agency.

Winners

Anaheim Ducks — The Ducks made a big splash during free agency by trading Chris Pronger to the Philadelphia Flyers. Pronger's loss will definitely hurt the Ducks, but they did get great value in return. Anaheim acquired Joffrey Lupul, who scored 25 goals last season and first round draft picks for the 2009 and 2010 entry drafts, plus a conditional pick in either 2010 or 2011. To replace Pronger, the Ducks brought in defenseman Nick Boynton from Florida. In another big splash, the Ducks added Saku Koivu from the Montreal Canadiens. Since the Ducks were able to re-sign most of their key free agents, and add some depth, they should be able to contend next season.

Chicago Blackhawks — Though I'm not sure it was the best move for Marian Hossa, his signing in Chicago bodes well for a young Blackhawks squad. Hossa wasn't cheap, as he is set to make 5.23 million a year for 12 years. But Hossa not only adds skill to the Blackhawks' lineup, he adds veteran leadership to a team with plenty of young guns such as Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Chicago was also able to add gritty forward John Madden, which should make the team tougher. The Blackhawks did lose goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and forward Martin Havlat.

Vancouver Canucks — The biggest move for the Canucks during free agency wasn't really who they added, but who they re-signed. The Canucks were able to ink the Henrik Sedins to a contract extension, keeping two solid players in Vancouver. Vancouver got Mikael Samuelsson from Detroit. Samuelsson had 40 points last season and should be solid in Vancouver. The team was also able to add some backup goaltending in Andrew Raycroft.

Losers

New Jersey Devils — The Devils were ravished during the free agency period. New Jersey lost two solid players in Brian Gionta and John Madden. Gionta scored 60 points last season and Madden's presence will be missed. Luckily, New Jersey was able to re-sign Travis Zajac.

Pittsburgh Penguins — The defending champs didn't have the best luck during free agency. The team lost two key components of their blue line in Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi. Though the team still has a lot of talent, it will be interesting to see if they bring anyone in to sure up the blue line.

Ottawa Senators — The Senators didn't make much noise during the free agency period. I'm sure fans definitely expected more out of the Senators after their horrific '08-'09 season. Ottawa failed to add any top defensemen to their roster and dealt with Dany Heatley trade talks all throughout free agency. Ottawa did add the aging Alex Kovalev, but it was all in all a disappointing free agency.

Not Quite Sure

Montreal Canadiens — Montreal added some quality players, but also let some quality ones go. Montreal was able to add forwards Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta, but also let forwards Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev walk. After losing defensman Mike Komisarek to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal brought in Jaroslav Spacek and Hal Gill. We'll have to see if the players Montreal brought in were worth the ones they gave up.

Detroit Red Wings — Detroit was able to re-sign Johan Franzen to a contract extension, but they did lose some key players. Marian Hossa left Detroit for the Blackhawks, and Mikael Samuelsson went to Vancouver. Backup goalie Ty Conklin also left for St. Louis.

Posted by Jonathan Hamelin at 11:28 AM | Comments (2)

July 23, 2009

Is Halladay Really Going to Be Traded?

For the better part of each summer, perennial baseball doormats like the Bucs, Nats, Royals, and O's plod through the "dog days" with little more than topical mention in national news publications. Alas, the last week in July rolls around and the unmistaken anonymity quickly morphs into a veritable coverage bonanza as reporters from across the country flock to catch quotes from front office personnel and interviews with the players.

I am, of course, alluding to the annual non-waiver trade deadline, this season set for July 30th.

In most seasons, popular sporting news outlets will dedicate hours of on-air coverage to assessing every potential swap. Up-to-the minute reports are published and live cut-ins to Pittsburgh, Washington, and Baltimore to interview this player or that general manager are seen from Seattle to Secaucus. Trouble is, rarely do these specials provide anything over than empty theories, unrealized potential and an anticlimactic realization that little, if anything, of import is set to go down.

I'm here to tell you that this article is no different. There will be theories, there will be potential fits, there will be rationale, but there most decidedly will be little fact aside from what is available to anyone adept at Googling and reading between the lines. Aside from that unfortunate reality, it is always a worthwhile exercise to peruse underachieving rosters and pair them with need amongst the contenders among the ranks of Major League Baseball.

Having hopefully dispensed with all high expectations, I waste no further time in presenting the 10 most valuable facts you need to know about the 2009 trade deadline:

1. Roy Halladay will be wearing a red uniform before the calendar turns to August.

The Blue Jays are seriously considering moving Roy, or else they wouldn't have thrown that out there. Halladay wanders about now with a look certainty about his future that is akin to that of a death row inmate, only his future doesn't include an electric chair, but rather a date with October baseball. The real question is no longer if he'll be moved, but to whom. While the Phillies are a popular option (and they do wear red), I find this to be quite unlikely. They just signed a short-term helper in Pedro Martinez (who should not be mistaken for Halladay), but, more importantly, they will not part with top arm Kyle Drabek, whom the Jays covet.

Since the Mets and Yankees don't wear red, they are out. Same with my beloved Cubbies and their cross-town rival White Sox. In my estimation, that leaves three realistic potential destinations with one that is more likely than the rest. St. Louis, Boston, and Los Angeles (via Anaheim) all have the prospects that the Jays could work with. Each also has some payroll flexibility and, most importantly, a real shot at postseason play. The likely winner? The Angels. L.A.A. has the luxury of sending a 26-year-old Ervin Santana eastward, giving the Blue Jays a major league-ready arm and can also include the power-hitting middle infielder Sean Rodriguez, who has pounded 23 home runs in AAA this season. Throw in a couple of spare parts, and this has the makings for a good deal for both sides.

2. The Nats deal a slugger not named Dunn.

With the Mets desperate to get themselves back into contention, they will make a move to acquire some power for a lineup starving for runs on most nights. The Nationals' Nick Johnson makes good sense for several reasons. Johnson is a good on base guy with high character, something the rabid Mets fanbase will gravitate towards immediately. All indications are that he is a solid clubhouse presence, another plus for the dysfunctional Mets. Most importantly, he can fill a hole at first that has been patched with bubble gum at best since Carlos Delgado went down with an injury early on in 2009.

With Washington in no particular position of negotiating power, they should have no problem dealing within their own division, particularly if the Mets are willing to offer the frustratingly inconsistent Oliver Perez, a player whom the Nats can plug into a rotation already and a deal that could be successfully spun to a fan base growing weary of serving up its best players to other teams each season.

3. Matt Holliday to have a new home ... across the Bay!

If San Francisco is serious about contending in 2009, they must augment their lineup and fast. While there are several options, Holliday makes good sense for a team that has the room to pick up a longer-term deal. Randy Winn is aging and can leave after the '09 season (if he himself isn't traded by this year's deadline). The Giants have several players in their system that could be considered MLB-ready and have such depth in terms of young arms that parting with one or two mid-level prospects won't hurt them one bit. Merkin Valdez is one name to watch off the current active roster and Eddy Martinez-Esteve is an outfielder with talent currently playing with San Fran's AA affiliate that may be a good match should the A's be on GM Brian Sabean's call list.

4. The Rays will acquire the starter they need to solidify their run at the postseason.

With the Indians woefully out of contention and seemingly content to offload some high-priced talent and begin their rebuilding process, Cliff Lee is a likely candidate to be shipped out of town. Teams could do far worse. In his most recent outings, Lee has been very impressive, posting two complete games in a row in his most recent two starts (from the writing of this article), which may persuade the Cleveland brain trust to hold on to this asset. But more likely is the scenario that the Indians will use this momentum to sell Lee at an even higher rate than he would have previously commanded.

While the names may vary, Tampa has more than enough talent to pry Lee away with little impact to their commitment to building from within. Expect the Indians to ask for SP Wade Davis and speedy OF Fernando Perez as a starting point.

If the Rays aren't able to get a deal done for Lee, the St. Louis Cardinals are primed to make the move for the reigning AL Cy Young winner and may be willing to part with SS Brendan Ryan, a La Russa favorite.

5. The Pirates will deal their two middle infielders.

After failing to lock up both Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez in long-term deals, the writing is on the wall for this talented duo. Wilson is likely to end up in Texas for a pitching prospect or two or maybe an outfielder like Brandon Boggs, a 26-year-old switch hitter, where he will solidify a defense and provide some consistency near the bottom of a high scoring lineup and give young Elvis Andrus some time to continue to grow into his skills.

Sanchez should wind up in the Windy City, as either a Cub or a White Sox. The Cubs are the favorite here (and not just because they are my favorite) as GM Jim Hendry tends to make at least one savvy move each year and Sanchez fits the bill as the solid defender and on-base threat the team is looking at getting in place for the stretch run. Expect someone like Kevin Hart or David Patten, both solid but unspectacular pitching prospects, to be sent back to Pittsburgh in return for Sanchez along with some lower level minor league throw-ins.

6. After dealing Halladay, the Jays will clean house.

There is a reason GM J.P. Ricciardi is looking at finalizing any deal for his ace by the Tuesday before the deadline; he wants some time to off-load his other talent. Once the floodgates open, look for Scott Rolen to be dealt to Houston as the Astros look to bolster an underachieving lineup. In return, Houston could send minor leaguers J.R. Towles and Brian Bogusevic to Toronto. The only issue that Houston may have here is they don't have the depth of talent in their farm system that some other potential Rolen suitors do, particularly the Milwaukee Brewers should they decide they need a bat.

The hard-hitting Adam Lind also will likely be out the door and could wind up in Detroit in a deal involving the nearly career-dead Dontrelle Willis and a couple of solid infield prospects like corner infielder Jeff Larish and the slick-fielding Brent Dlugach.

Finally, lefty reliever Scott Downs will also be sent packing to a contender looking for bullpen help. I expect the Marlins make a play for his services in an attempt to remain relevant in the NL East and wild card races, but watch for the Colorado Rockies to make a play as well as they are desperate for middle relief help as they cling to slim playoff hopes in the NL wild card race themselves. Downs will be a cheap get and probably will go to the first serious bidder for pennies on the dollar.

7. Adam Dunn could be in St. Louis or Washington, but no place else.

Many will implore you to believe that Dunn is destined to be moved; my gut feeling is Washington won't be shopping him nearly as aggressively as one would think, but would listen to callers. The Cards may be looking for a power bat, particularly from the left side, and with the recent acquisition of SS Julio Lugo, the team can afford to trade a middle infielder in addition to a marginal pitching prospect and a major leaguer like Rick Ankiel whom the Nats could plug into the lineup instantly. If the Cardinals don't go after the slugger, expect him to remain in purgatory — er, I mean Washington.

8. The Royals will ... wait for it ... stand pat.

Annually, the Kansas City Royals deal their top player as the trade deadline nears, or at least entertain offers. In 2009, expect Royals management to go out of character and keep their primary pieces in place. While Jose Guillen (far from a primary piece) may get dealt for a stick of gum and a Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie card, promising contributors like Alex Gordon, Mark Teahan, Alberto Callaspo, and Brett Butler can settle in ... at least for this season. In fact, in a sure sign of the apocalypse, the Royals actually traded for a player as the deadline approaches in moving two minor leaguers for Mariners SS Yunieski Betancourt. I don't know about you, but I'm watching for locusts.

9. Brandon Phillips, Jermaine Dye, Aubrey Huff, Travis Hafner, and Victor Martinez will not be dealt.

Five of the most mentioned players in any trade discussion around the Reds, White Sox, O's, and Indians will find themselves exactly where they are now once August arrives — on losing teams.

10. Bronson Arroyo, Scott Podsednik, Brian Roberts, Kerry Wood, and Kelly Shoppach will be dealt.

The five players off those same four teams more likely to be moved haven't appeared on too many folks' radar screens. With St. Louis (Arroyo), Colorado (Wood), Chicago (Roberts), Boston (Shoppach), Tampa (Arroyo, Wood, Podsednick), and the Mets (Roberts, Wood) skulking about searching for help, expect calls to made and offers to be discussed late into the nights leading up to the deadline.

Here's to an active trading season! Though many a trade deadline has passed with little if any action of note, there does seem to be some movement afoot in 2009 that bears watching. Still, even the couple of blockbuster scenarios mentioned above are less than 50/50 propositions, so I wouldn't go canceling any plans for the 30th that may interfere with 10 hours of uninterrupted televised trade deadline coverage on the MLB Network.

Just don't tell the boys at "Baseball Tonight."

Posted by Matt Thomas at 11:59 AM | Comments (4)

Are We Watching Golf's Lost Generation?

The term "Lost Generation" was coined some ninety years ago when Gertrude Stein tried to define an era of American writers that lived and wrote in Europe following World War I. Those writers were part of an era of youth that came to age during and just after the war. Having lost so much from the stakes of the first Guerra Mundial, they grew to romanticize the loss of their friends and countrymen as having been more noble — almost a coping mechanism to deal with the then-unseen scale of destruction.

While it may seem inapt to make the comparison, perhaps golf is now experiencing its own Lost Generation. Looking at major winners in what is now referred to as the Tiger Woods Era (1997 to present), eight players have won multiple major championships. In the era, only three players have won more than two majors. Tiger Woods clearly leads the list, then Padraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson are tied with three each. Of the eight who have won multiple majors, three were in or near their 40s when they won majors — Angel Cabrera, Vijay Singh, and Mark O'Meara.

In the past several years — particularly this one — majors have been characterized by players losing titles as much as those who won them. All three majors in 2009 have featured a favorite unable to seal the deal, though Tom Watson was quite the extraordinary circumstance. Two of the majors of 2008 were decided in the same fashion, though Greg Norman was hardly expected to win the Open Championship.

Curiously enough, hallmarks of the last two seasons' majors have been the rise of players near or above the age of 50 to the base of the summit of the major championship peak. Aside from Norman and Watson, Kenny Perry is nearly 49. Any Vijay Singh appearance near the top of the leaderboard is now one to be chalked up for the old guys.

Though the old guys have faded away given their chance to shine, the young players have done worse. Ross Fisher took a nine on Sunday in the Open Championship. Ricky Barnes melted down on an epic scale at the US Open - and still nearly won. Chad Campbell just cannot seem to do better than second place in a major. David Duval won a major and dropped off of the face of the earth. God appears to have some kind of vendetta against Sergio Garcia.

Even some of the young players that have won majors seemed to back into them. The only reason Geoff Ogilvy is a major champion right now is because Phil Mickelson was such an idiot. Michael Campbell — the greatest fluke major winner of this Era — did so because Retief Goosen fell under the weight of winning a third U.S. Open and repeating as champion. (It was not under the weight of Jason Gore, as some may want to make you think.)

What about those can't miss guys we have been hearing about for so long? Perhaps it is the measure of The Players Championship that Adam Scott and the aforementioned Garcia can call themselves champions of that event. Since turning a blind eye to his approach shot at the '99 PGA, Garcia cannot stare down a major trophy. Adam Scott is a solid week-to-week performer, but the pressure of major tournaments leaves him scurrying for a killer riptide.

The Tiger Woods Era is marred. It is marred by the quality of the player that Woods is beating. Sure, he has Phil, and Ernie, Goose, Paddy, and El Pato — but those are the only proven commodities in major championships. Winning a major is certainly an achievement, but all of those other guys cannot be thought of as consistently brilliant. Ben Curtis is now validated as a major champion because he makes annual appearances on the first page of a major leaderboard. Andy North is still considered a fluke U.S. Open champion in many circles — and he won the thing twice. Mickelson is yet to breakthrough at the national championship, but he is thought of as having a penchant for the tournament due to his record five runner-up finishes.

As former President George W. Bush so famously uttered, "Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."

I will not be fooled into the notion that the second best player of the Tiger Woods Era is even in the company of the second best player in the Jack Nicklaus Era. Watson was the runner-up in the Nicklaus era. He won eight major championships.

Phil Mickelson is mentioned as Mr. Congeniality (or People's Champion, depending on who you talk to) in our modern golfing pageant. It is an apt comparison — after all, this modern era of player is judged almost as much as how they do in the swimsuit competition and they do in the talent portion. And to think that Watson, who calls himself a "ceremonial player" nowadays, nearly won the Open Championship. I have never watched a beauty pageant in which the master of ceremonies walks off with the tiara and sash. Watson almost did with the Claret Jug. What does that say about the Woods Era?

It is nearly impossible to chide Woods for his 14 major wins. Woods can only beat the opponents that are put in front of him. Still, it becomes increasingly clear that this generation is not quite the same as the Golden Bear's Era of golf.

With a fully-exempt Tour, millions at stake each week, and technology to make the game less demanding on the mind, it seems that modern players just are not tough enough. The response back has been that the talent pool is deeper than ever before around the world. That may be true, but that term is also known in the NFL as parity. As far as I'm concerned, parity means that every team may have a chance to win on any given Sunday, but it also means that every team is largely mediocre.

The American sporting public seems to love parity in their other sports. It's so great that the Philadelphia Phillies can squeak out the NL East from the Mets, who just seem to love choking the division away each September. But is that good for golf? Sure, someone has to win major titles. The guys who win them played well in the moment to stand atop the mountain at the end of it all. The problem for them is that their triumphs are marred by a generation of players that cannot seem to seize the moment as much as they willingly relinquish it to someone else.

And, at last check, charitable giving in golf is only supposed to happen off of the course.

Posted by Ryan Ballengee at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

July 22, 2009

"The T.O. Show" Episode Guide

Terrell Owens' new reality show premiered on Monday, chronicling the new beginning of Owens as a Buffalo Bill, his fourth team in his 14-year career. Overnight ratings were strong, and the media buzz about the show has been intense, indicating what is sure to be a long run. Should there be enough interest for a season two, it's likely the show will air on another network, however.

Often criticized for his diva-like behavior, Owens balked at the show's original title, "The Miss-Adventures Of Terrell Owens," and instead campaigned for the show's title to mirror those of nearly all of VH1's vast stable of reality shows, and have "love" in the title. Owens proposed "I Love Me," "For the Love of Me," and "Me Love Me Long Time" before he and producers agreed on the generic title.

In the show's initial episode, Owens learns of his release from the Cowboys. Then we meet his two publicists, Monique and Kita, who are masterful at disguising their desire to extend their 15 minutes of fame as genuine concern for T.O.'s well-being. Ironically, it's Monique and Kita who do all the bitching and complaining, while T.O. liberally applies the comic relief.

Soon, they convince T.O. to move to Los Angeles, where they insist he work on his "focus" and "game plan." The three, along with T.O.'s bodyguard/couch magnet, Pablo, head to L.A.

There, Owens finds a new home, drops over $100,000 on a pair of earrings, samples the nightlife, soaks up the adoration of fans, and goes long with his realtor. Also, Owens reaches out to his incredibly gorgeous ex-fiancee Felicia, who broke off the engagement when Owens cheated on her, which is even more validation that personally, as well as professionally, Owens knows how to ruin a good thing.

Below are the potential storylines for upcoming episodes of "The T.O. Show."

Episode 2: "Revenge is a Dish Best Served in a Bowl" — Soon after settling in to his posh Los Angeles home, Owens answers a knock at his door. There, an NFL representative presents him with balloons and congratulations for being voted to the NFL's pre-season "Pre-Bowl" team.

Skeptical, Owens asks to see some documentation, and the representative obliges with an official affidavit verifying that Owens was the leading vote-getter among wide receivers.

Owens' excitement quickly deteriorates into disappointment when, upon closer inspection, he realizes the official affidavit features the letterhead of the fictional accounting firm of Garcia, McNabb, and Romo.

Episode 3: "The O.C." — While on the West Coast, Owens, a big fan of The O.C., requests a visit to the set of the hit teen drama. His publicists arrange a trip, but upon arrival, Owens and his entourage are met with a deserted set, and are told that the show was cancelled in 2007.

Enraged, Owens explodes, unleashing a stream of profanities, reminding many, including some of his former offensive coordinators, that this is not the first time Owens has yelled at "the O.C."

Episode 4: "Fool For the City?" — Owens is presented a key to the city of Buffalo by Mayor Byron Brown. Secretly, Owens wonders exactly which doors in the city the key will actually unlock, while Bills head coach Dick Jauron wonders if the key will open a Pandora's Box.

Episode 5: "Book 'Em, T.O." — Owens visits a local Buffalo elementary school to read his children's book, "Little T Learns to Share." After thumbing through the pages, Owens flips out, complaining that his name doesn't appear enough times in the book.

Minutes later, in what is sure not to be the only case of bad timing between the two this year, Bills quarterback Trent Edwards texts Owens with an invitation to get together and discuss the playbook.

Episode 6: "Gone, Clubbin'" — Owens experiences the harsh realities of the limited Buffalo nightlife when his much-publicized appearance as guest DJ at a trendy nightclub is met with token interest. Owens, manning the turntables as "DJ Wintry Mix," plays to a sparse crowd of 45 at former Bills great Thurman Thomas' discotheque, "Check Your Hat."

Episode 7: "Punk'd" — In an elaborately staged hoax, Owens is lured to Hollywood, California, where he is fooled into believing he's receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During the dedication ceremony, Owens stands on his star, then, as the prank reaches fruition, Owens is leveled by former Dallas Cowboy safety Roy Williams.

As Owens dusts himself off, he is helped to his feet by joker extraordinaire Ashton Kutcher, as Kutcher reveals that Owens has just become the first reality star to be "Punk'd" on the reality star's own show.

Episode 8: "I Put a Spell on You" — In a publicity stunt gone awry, Owens meets 2009 Scripps Spelling Bee national champion Kavya Shivashankar for a fund-raising spelling contest. In the fourth round, Owens wins in controversial fashion, and despite Shivashankar's heated objections, the obviously biased panel of judges rule in Owens' favor, concluding that indeed there is an "I" in "team."

Shivashankar storms from the competition, but not before warning the fans in Buffalo that, by using the same type of flawed spelling seen in the competition, there is a "T" and an "O" in "disaster."

Episode 9: "Exercise in Futility" — With camera crews documenting the occasion, Owens is fitted for an Armani suit at a ritzy downtown Buffalo haberdashery. After taking measurements, a tailor informs Owens that his waist size is 34 inches. Owens vehemently objects, contending that his waist has been 33 inches for the last 10 years.

An argument ensues, and, as tempers flare, the store manager asks that Owens leave peacefully. Owens refuses, instead deciding to hit the floor for 500 sit-ups. Then he asks for a new measurement.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)

July 21, 2009

2009 NFL Predictions: By the Numbers

25. Number of touchdown passes Jay Cutler will have to throw to show he'll survive in Chicago.

24. Number of years it will take before the Raiders win the AFC West.

23. Number of losses in a row the Lions will accumulate before beating the St. Louis Rams at home on Nov. 1.

22. Number of overtime games we will see this year.

21. Number of running backs who will rush for 1,000 yards this season.

20. Touchdowns Michael Turner will have to have in one season before people quit talking about how great Matt Ryan is and realize Turner is way more impressive.

19. Sacks James Harrison will have to lead the NFL.

18. Number of games (regular season and playoffs) Tom Brady will start for the Patriots before losing to Colts.

17. Teams that will be alive for the playoffs when Week 17 begins.

16. Number of wins (regular season and playoffs) Peyton Manning and the Colts will have on the road another Super Bowl victory.

15. Touchdown passes Calvin Johnson will catch from Matthew Stafford.

14. Touchdown passes Jason Witten will catch without Terrell Owens whining for the ball.

13. The most exciting week for the NFL featuring Tennessee at Indianapolis, Dallas at New York Giants, New England at Miami on Sunday night, and Baltimore at Green Bay on Monday night.

12. Number of wins Brett Favre will have to have to satisfy Viking fans.

11. Number of losses you can expect from a dying Denver Broncos franchise.

10. Wins I expect out of the Arizona Cardinals, which will win them their division and break the curse of the Super Bowl losers.

9. Wins I'm expecting out of San Francisco in 2009.

8. Number of fumbles Adrian Peterson is allowed before Viking fans call for Chester Taylor.

7. Number of wins it will take for San Diego to win the AFC West this year.

6. Number of wins you can reasonably expect out of Matt Cassel and the Chiefs.

5. Touchdowns Thomas Jones will have in 2009 (that's 10 less than 2008, but three more than 2007).

4. Number of teams that will be at or above .500 in the NFC East once again.

3. Number of times Pittsburgh and Baltimore will face each other once again.

2. Number of times Aaron Rodgers will have to beat Brett Favre for full vindication.

1. Number of times Matthew Stafford has to win to be an improvement at QB for the Lions.

Posted by Andrew Jones at 11:33 AM | Comments (5)

The American Premier League

Anyone can win.

That's actually the motto of a different World Series (that would be the World Series of Poker), but Major League Baseball has dutifully offered that line to anyone who will nibble like an hors d'oeuvre waiter toting a tray of crab cakes.

And while a remarkable 18 teams were within five games of a playoff spot on Monday morning, such parity is more of a Bud Selig parlor trick than exhibition of competitive balance. While many teams can, and have, won lately, it's the other end of spectrum that's troubling.

Imagine for a moment that you're a Pirates fan (Pirates fans, you deal with that reality enough, so take this time to imagine you're on a Caribbean island or in a skiing village while I catch everyone up). You haven't been relevant after July since Barry Bonds smacked homers as nature intended. MLB and your front office can try to con you into believing you have a chance every spring, but you don't really believe it. You know that, mostly likely, any decent players you develop will be traded for future prospects or just leave outright in free agency. Where exactly is the incentive for you to buy into following baseball?

Maybe the Royals, Nationals, and Pirates are worst-case examples, you say? Okay, say you're an Indians fan, or a Brewers fan, or an Athletics fan, or a Padres fan. All of those teams have made the playoffs this decade at least once. With the exception of the Brewers, all of them have at least contended to reach the playoffs three or four times. But how did they do it?

The strategy for mid- and small-market teams is one of boom and bust. Take the Indians, for example. They broke down the last pieces of their 1990s dynasty early this decade, trading Bartolo Colon for Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips. Sizemore and Lee turned into all-stars for the team and led a near overtake of the White Sox in 2005 and an ALCS appearance in 2007.

However, as some pieces of that mid-2000s contender reached free agency, the team again cannibalized its stars into prospects. The trade of C.C. Sabathia last summer marked the beginning of the next bust phase, as the team's AL-worst record shows. It is yet to be seen if Victor Martinez or Lee will also become casualties of the Indians' market size, but you get the idea. If the Indians are to contend in the early part of the 2010s, they will need the next round of prospects they draft and reap from trades to come through. The same goes for probably more than half the teams in MLB.

Life at the top of the food chain is much simpler. Yes, some of the top teams have done very well drafting (namely Boston), but it doesn't hurt to be able to plunk down $100 million or so for Daisuke Matsuzaka, realize relatively little from that investment, and not have to reconsider investing in more free agents for the remainder of his contract. Boston's front office is the current house-on-the-hill in baseball, but it's their Fenway-filled checking account that ensures they can realistically dream of the World Series every year. And that's okay. Teams that find ways to make more money than other teams and reinvest that wealth in their baseball operations should be applauded for their success.

So what would make baseball better? It's time MLB took a cue from across the pond to create more competition within its middle and lower ranks.

Like MLB, the English Premier League (that's soccer, folks) is ruled by a handful of wealth-flush elites. We have the Yankees and the Red Sox; they have Manchester United and Chelsea. And like the EPL, the rest of MLB is left to try to shoot the moon by combining prospects that will ripen together and play at a championship caliber before their free agency driven expiration date hits. But in contrast to EPL clubs, MLB teams face lesser consequences for failing to hit that perfect combination. And it's in that soft underbelly that major league baseball needs to make the following changes:

The American Premier League

The system of relegation and promotion is the most obvious difference between European soccer and American sports leagues. That is, in Europe, a predetermined number of spots in every league is at risk every season. In the EPL, the last three teams in the standings drop to the "B" league for the next season, and the top three teams in the "B" league are promoted to replace them in the EPL. The system goes further down into leagues that feed the "B" league so that even the smallest team in the smallest league could eventually play in the EPL, given continued success.

Baseball is setup to handle this much better than any other sport in America. The infrastructure of the lower leagues is already there: we call them the minors. These teams have stadiums, fans, and some staff already in place.

However, there is one major catch: all of the minor league teams are currently property of a major league organization. It's not as if we could announce today that all minor league teams are now freed of their big league clubs and they own their players. Additionally, we'd have to find somewhere for teams to stash their prospects.

First, we'd need to trim down how many players each major league team controls in order to expand the talent pool. Baseball purists would probably have a heart attack at the thought of it, but does every organization need to control scores of players who will never sniff the big leagues?

Instead, what if every team at every level had the option of fielding two "JV" teams, one for players under 22, one for players 25-and-under. Let's say each of those rosters can hold 25 players, just like their major league brethren. That means each team would have the option to control 75 players. We can tinker with some DL spots, but you see the point. The JV teams would be broken into leagues that play the other JVs, just as we have in the current minor-league system.

But what if a rash of injuries wipes though a team's roster, you ask? APL teams can still do what they did in their MLB days. It's a distinction that goes unnoticed, but MLB teams "purchase the contract" of each player they call up from their minor league systems. So if the Tigers lose three starting pitchers in April, they can still ship some combination of their own players and cash to Toledo for the Mud Hens' fire-balling young ace.

The only difference here is any team could acquire any player from any league, not just the ones with which they are affiliated. Talent hungry teams would subsidize the minor league teams to a great extent by funneling money down the chain in exchange for attractive prospects. Teams in the A-ball and double-A leagues would have to balance the value of that cash against their ability to rise up through the leagues. Would an independent Pawtucket trade Clay Buchholz to the Red Sox for $20 million?

With this structure in place, we would only need to open the talent pool for minor league clubs to populate their rosters. Every MLB club would be allowed to protect 75 players from its current organization and fit them into the varsity and JV rosters. After that, all players would be open to an expansion-style draft, with the Triple-A teams getting the first picks in each round.

Who would sign on the fastest?

Obviously the fans and owners of the best Triple-A clubs would love this. With just one strong year tearing up the International or Pacific Coast Leagues, teams could jump up to the majors and all of the financial benefits that go with it. Having the Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox, or Yankees playing real games in their stadiums would be a jackpot for these teams. And if teams that are promoted to the majors can find a way stick there, their owners would have turned the investment of buying a minor league team into a major league payday.

Who would scream the loudest?

Team like the aforementioned Pirates, Royals, and Nationals would have everything to lose. Relegation would be a new low for cellar-dwellers. Think it's hard to get 15,000 to come to the ballpark on a Wednesday night in August? How about if, all of a sudden, you were hosting Durham instead of Detroit or Sacramento instead of Seattle?

But that threat might actually be a good thing for the dregs of the majors. Why should teams be guaranteed a place in baseball's top league if they're rarely relevant? Perhaps the grim reaper of relegation would be the right incentive for teams to at least be competitive. This would put an end to the boom-and-bust cycle teams like the Rays, Indians, Diamondbacks, and Padres have favored, wherein fans are subjected to seasons of putrid dormancy in exchange for the hope that their prospects might develop simultaneously into a one- or two-year contender. Would it change the pecking order at the top of the league? Hardly. But the level of competition throughout baseball would rise.

Additionally, relegation would create interest in late season games for the majors' worst teams, morbid as it may be. Don't crumple up those September season tickets just yet, Oakland fans. Those games might just decide your fate for next season.

Could this happen?

Of course not. Besides being a radical shift from the dogmatic traditions of baseball, many people making quite a bit of money from the current structure would stand to lose too much for this to be entertained. And to be fair, it doesn't seem right to tell an owner who paid major league money for a franchise that his club might be demoted to the land of bus trips and fast food per diems. But as the disparity between the haves and have-nots of MLB starts to look more like the gulf between Chelsea and West Ham than that between Redskins and the Jaguars, we should probably start taking such changes more seriously.

Besides, I'm told we're on the verge of the American futbol revolution. Can it be long before America's pastime starts to look like the world's game?

Posted by Corrie Trouw at 11:32 AM | Comments (1)

July 20, 2009

The New Era of NBA Free Agency

When is $35 million greater than $36 million? Apparently, when there's a fifth season guaranteed to the $35 million dollar contract.

At least, that seems to be the message being sent from Lamar Odom's camp during the ongoing negotiations for his next NBA contract.

According to whichever report you want to believe, the Lakers reportedly offered Lamar Odom either a three-year deal in the neighborhood of $30 million dollars or a four-year deal worth a reported $36 million and then hastily pulled the offer off the table when Odom's camp refused to respond to the offer.

Now, reports say that the Miami Heat are the frontrunners in the Lamar Odom sweepstakes, offering their full mid-level exception, a five-year deal worth around $34 million, and that Odom is considering taking the Heat deal.

Welcome to the information age.

With 'round the clock updates on free agents available on ESPNEWS and rumors circulating the Internet at warp speed, NBA free agency as we once knew it is dead.

There's no way on earth a person like me should have any knowledge of NBA contract negotiations. I shouldn't know how many years Lamar Odom's agent wants on this next contract. I shouldn't know about two separate offers that the Lakers made, or that these offers are no longer on the table.

All I should know is the end result: "X" amount of dollars for "Y" amount of years. That's all the average sports fan should know about professional athletes salaries.

Unfortunately, I have an addiction to all things NBA, basic cable, and Internet access. Those three things have combined to make me feel like an expert when it comes to all things NBA free agency.

And it's because of fans like me, and everyone else who hangs on every free agent rumor or every give and take of the barter sessions between management and agents that finds its way into a newspaper, that free agency as we knew it is dead.

Sometime in the not so distant past, ESPN and other sports news outlets realized that they can cash in during the offseason by playing up the drama involved with players and teams trying to gain leverage during free agency. Sometime in the past few years what a player does in the offseason has become as important, if not more, than what he does between the lines.

Now each signing and re-signing has to play out like a mini soap opera, because letting private negotiations play out in private just doesn't make for good TV. The Lamar Odom fiasco is just the latest example.

The continual drama attached to trying to re-sign Lamar Odom is nothing new for the Lakers this offseason. Earlier in the free agency period the Lakers reportedly offered their full mid-level exception to swingman Trevor Ariza, but Ariza's agent was demanding a contract that would pay Ariza $7 million per season.

The Lakers didn't budge from their initial offer and Ariza signed with the Houston Rockets ... for the mid-level exception.

Essentially, Ariza passed on the opportunity to return and defend the NBA title with the team that gave him his first real opportunity to play in the league to play for a teamed destined for the lottery after losing Yao Ming to major foot surgery, all for the same exact amount of money.

Why would a player do this you ask? Because his agent told him to, that's why.

Ariza's agent, David Lee, was not happy that the Lakers offered fair market value for his client, so he took his client elsewhere.

What happened with Ariza has probably happened a hundred time times over the last ten years: a breakout star has a huge season and asks for an obscene amount of money initially; the team counters by offering fair market value; the agent shops his client around and realizes that no one is willing to offer what he is asking; the player re-signs with the original team for a reasonable price.

Only in the past every step of the negotiation process wasn't broadcast on special segments during ESPNEWS or scrolled across the BottomLine. The negotiations stayed where they belong, behind closed doors, and things eventually worked themselves out.

Now, thanks to nonstop coverage, every NBA free agency negotiation has become a very public game of he said/she said between agents and management.

Do you know whose side of the story is conspicuously missing from all these negotiations? The players. Don't they have any say in the matter when it comes to free agency?

Agents should be there to facilitate negotiations and hammer out the legal details of a contract with the team. Instead, I now know who David Lee and Jeff Schwartz are (Ariza and Odom's agents, respectively) because the players themselves are nowhere to be found during negotiations.

Lamar Odom said before free agency officially started that he loves the Laker organization and that they've been great to him even since he arrived in the Shaq deal. However, it's negotiation time, so that relationship with the team L.O. has spent five years cultivating means nothing because the Lakers aren't even dealing with L.O., they're dealing with Jeff Schwartz.

Jeff Schwartz doesn't care what kind of working relationship his client has with his next employer, just so long as said employer guarantees that fifth year.

Now, because of all the posturing for the media during this process, we have a potential lose-lose-lose situation on our hands. The Lakers as a team could lose out by having the third best player on their NBA title team leave town for South Beach. The fans of Los Angeles lose a folk hero in Lamar Odom. And Lamar himself could potentially lose out on a few million dollars.

And all this is happening not because the two sides reached a stalemate in negotiations, but because that stalemate went public.

Now, in order for Odom to return to the Lakers, either Dr. Buss will look soft by pulling his offer and then re-offering it to Odom down the road, or Jeff Schwartz looks like he was strong-armed by the Lakers into taking the initial offer when he wasn't able to make something better come along. Either way, if L.O. decides to play in L.A. next season, someone will have to lose this game of chicken.

Had this have all played out behind closed doors, I would say that there would be about an 80% chance that Odom will be in a Laker uniform on opening night next season getting his ring and watching that 15th banner get raised to the Staples Center rafters.

Now that one or both sides will have to swallow their pride and admit to John Q. Public that they didn't get what they wanted out of these negotiations, I'd put it at less than 50/50.

That's the reality of NBA free agency now. It's bad enough when money-hungry agents make outrageous contract demands, or conversely, when teams come out and low-ball a player initially. But it's even worse when the fans find out about it and start picking sides.

I hate that public perception of contract negotiations may play a role on where a key piece of a championship team plays next season. I hate that the media makes mountains out of molehills when it comes to this sort of stuff.

And most of all, I hate the fact that I got completely sucked into it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go refresh the L.A. Times homepage and see if there are any new developments.

Check back at Sports Central every Monday for Scott Shepherd's weekly column. You can also follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/scottosports.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:19 AM | Comments (4)

July 17, 2009

Sports Q&A: UFC: Downhill From Here?

Brock Lesnar defeated Frank Mir by TKO last week to unify the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title in one of the biggest UFC clashes to date. After the fight, Lesnar, a former professional wrestling champ, taunted Mir and flipped off booing fans. Do these events portend a UFC descent into a pro wrestling-like circus atmosphere?

Hey, you speak as if a descent into a pro wrestling-like circus atmosphere is a bad thing. It's not. Heck, the sport of boxing peaked in popularity with Don King, a bona fide circus clown, promoting it all with the lack of shame, and hairdo, of a world-class buffoon. What's not to love about Lesnar's actions last Saturday night? Only one thing — his apology.

Did Lesnar go a little overboard with his antics after the fight? Sure, but it was all in good fun, and a swell ploy to pique interest in his next fight. And isn't that what a well-performed professional wrestling match is supposed to do — raise interest for a future bout.

Refusing to tap gloves with Mir before the fight? That's a common psychological ploy seen in practically every sport. No big deal.

Taunting Mir after the fight? Classless, yes, but did anyone make such a ruckus when Muhammad Ali taunted Sonny Liston after knocking out Liston in their 1965 fight? No. In fact, it was glorified, and became one a boxing's classic images.

Why should Lesnar's actions be treated any differently? There's no rule against taunting in the UFC, and fighters talk trash and grandstand before fights all the time. So what's wrong with doing it after the fight?

Saluting fans with middle fingers? Well, they were booing Lesnar, albeit because he was mocking Mir. But really, did these fans come to see wholesome, harmless entertainment?

In a post-fight interview, Lesnar also alluded to having intercourse with his wife. Behavior unbecoming of a champion? No. On the contrary, it was refreshing honesty at its best. Finally, something from a victorious athlete besides the canned "thanking God" routine. Show me the passage in the Bible, or any holy book, for that matter, in which God admits to giving a lamb's ass about the outcome of sporting events. It's not there.

Besides, how can people object to the ultimate expression of love, especially between married partners? Lesnar wasn't being disrespectful, he was, in fact, being faithful, to his wife.

But really, are the WWE and UFC that different? They're both fronted by egotistical, tyrannical leaders, Vince McMahon and Dana White, respectively, who are not afraid to speak their minds. And while there's a lot more submissions in the UFC, the holds are generally the same, although we've yet to see a pile driver executed in the UFC. Plus, they both feature cauliflower ears and gratuitous teasings of T and A. So, why is it such an issue for the UFC to distance itself from the WWE?

Can White logically argue that Lesnar's actions drew negative comparisons to the WWE? Not without of large helping of hypocrisy. When Lesnar signed with the UFC in 2007, was not his former affiliation with WWE and champion status a major selling point? If not for Lesnar's WWE fame, it's likely he wouldn't even be in the UFC, much less its heavyweight champion.

So, according to White's thinking, it's okay for professional wrestling to impact the UFC, as long as the circus atmosphere doesn't get too circus-y.

In the WWE, the writers basically determine the "good" guys and the "bad" guys? In the UFC, the fans generally decide who they like or dislike. Until now. Lesnar, because of his actions, "turned," giving fans no choice but to dislike him. Obviously, Lesnar doesn't care about that, despite the insincere, White-inspired apology.

More than likely, just as many fans were turned off by the hulking Lesnar's sheepish acquiescence to the demands of White. Here, Lesnar should have again allowed his WWE instincts to prevail, and taunt White, or maybe choke slam him.

Is being the "bad guy" in the UFC such a bad thing? Not at all. Any pro wrestler with the slightest sense of awareness would have noticed that the "bad guy" often enjoys more fan reaction than a supposed "good" guy.

Lesnar's inexplicable behavior was uncalled for, but, in his defense, it did seem spontaneous, at least. But, is it possible it was all scripted, á la a WWE storyline, to generate interest in Lesnar's potential next fight?

Curiously, just a few days after Lesnar's outburst, 11-0 UFC heavyweight up-and-comer Shane Carwin assailed Lesnar in his blog, peppered with language one would expect from a "babyface." Carwin chided Lesnar, noting Lesnar's disrespect, and boasting that everything he (Carwin) does is for the fans. Oddly enough, Carwin didn't encourage any kids to take their vitamins, nor did he close his blog with the words "and you can take that to the bank."

It sounds to me like Lesnar's next match is set. Apparently, in the UFC, there's no need for matchmakers when a champion's shameful actions and a challenger's rebuke coincidentally align at just the right time. That's brilliant marketing, which is the foundation that the WWE was built on.

Gosh, could it get any better for the UFC? Only if Carwin attacked Lesnar with a steel chair at the matches official contract signing.

Of course, we can't leave Russian fighter Fedor Emelianenko out of the equation. Emelianenko will compete in his last contracted fight with Affliction in early August, and White has made it clear he wants him in the UFC, thus making a Lesnar/Emelianenko superfight a distinct possibility. Again, another chip falling into place for the UFC, almost like clockwork, or as if scripted.

Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if this battle took place in Moscow, with Lesnar readying for the match using primitive training methods in a remote part of Siberia with thoughts of Apollo Creed motivating him.

What a "storybook" ending to the whole saga that would be.

The WWE's business model is to do whatever necessary to draw attention to the product. Sometimes, it takes no direct actions by the WWE to obtain publicity. In Lesnar's case, a huge UFC event amounted to lots of attention for the WWE. Rest assured that Vince McMahon is cackling somewhere, pleased with himself and taking full credit for Lesnar's ascension.

There is absolutely no shame in applying that same model to the UFC, and I think White knows that, although he would go to his grave without admitting it.

UFC purists may scoff at the notion, but the UFC would be well-served to embrace some WWE principles. And some of the UFC's biggest names would stand to directly benefit from the concepts.

Anderson Silva: While no one dare question Silva's talent, it's almost unanimous that he's not the best interview in the UFC. Has the UFC done anything to remedy this? Granted, Silva speaks little English, but there's no reason he can't be assigned a mouthpiece, preferably a well-dressed, fast-talking manager with a trendy accessory, like a megaphone, or a festooned tennis racket.

Georges St. Pierre: Like Silva, St. Pierre is one of the most accomplished mixed martial arts athletes in the world. Few could argue, though, that St. Pierre's arsenal lacks one key component — a mean streak. Always gracious in victory or defeat, St. Pierre's attitude would benefit from a month or two of intense training in Stu Hart's dungeon in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. What self-respecting Canadian grappler hasn't suffered through one or more weeks of dungeon training sessions?

And who would object to a UFC fighter entering the octagon with a cleverly-named valet, like "Octo-pussy," or "Nikki Cage," "Vera Naked," or "Submission Mary?"

In addition, how could White deny the popularity of instituting an "MMMA" division? That being "Midget Mixed Martial Arts." It's a veritable gold mine.

Despite its bad rap as a "legitimate" sport, the WWE has mastered the art of polarizing a fan base. Lesnar simply did the same thing, and it's ludicrous to think the UFC is worse off because of it. It's not. Love or hate Lesnar, or any fighter, for that matter, fans will still pay to tune in to see him win or lose.

In the realms of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts, there is no bad publicity. White should know that more than anyone. He himself has brought UFC its share of bad publicity. Remember his foul-mouthed rant about a woman reporter back in April? It's not the type of thing you happily report to shareholders, but it did put the UFC in the news, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

So, again, it's downright hypocritical for White to reprimand Lesnar, when Lesnar, in fact, is doing what's right for the sport by promoting it.

And that's the bottom line to professional wrestling and its kindred, mixed martial arts — promoting the sport at all costs.

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)

July 16, 2009

The Blight of David Beckham

I've never been one for conspiracy theories. I'm more of a debunker, a skeptic. I'm a firm believer in the phrase, "Never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence," and boy howdy, do I believe in incompetence. It is very, very real.

Still, in the sports world at least, I can't resist giving a little credence to the theories of my own invention. For instance, the 2001 MLB All-Star Game, even going in was a big Cal Ripken, Jr. lovefest, culminating with A-Rod very demonstratively switching positions with Cal to give him shortstop. Ripken had just announced the previous month that he was going to retire at season's end. So when he homered on the first pitch he faced from Chan Ho Park, I thought, "Hmmm ... how do you say "grooved a batting practice fatty" in Korean?

So when Landon Donavan ripped David Beckham to shreds in Grant Wahl's new book (and I mean to tell ya, he went on and on and on) I started to wonder ... the MLS needs publicity. Beckham can still bring the MLS that publicity, but not without a kick-start, especially since his interest in the league and his team is clearly lacking.

So, could this have been a calculated move by Donovan? I wouldn't put it past him, and I mean that as a compliment.

Donovan is not just the greatest field player on Team USA, he is perhaps their greatest field player ever. He is the only American field player who could log quality minutes with a G-14 club (right now, Jozy Altidore, I suspect, will join him on that superlative list very soon).

Instead, a couple of flirts with the German Bundesliga aside, he has stayed in the MLS, even though perhaps the next 20 best American field players are all grinding it out in Europe.

This is not to suggest that Donovan is staying in the MLS out of patriotism, and I've heard rumors that he's just one of those guys who has trouble adjusting long-term to a new language and culture. Everyone has their hangups. He's obviously more comfortable here.

And he obviously cares about the state of U.S. soccer in general and the MLS and L.A. Galaxy in particular. He does "bust his ass," which he accuses Beckham of not doing.

And, again, he's right. America will always be an attractive option for big-time football players approaching the twilight of their careers. Beckham is certainly not the first — yet, somehow, I don't see Beckham ever leading the Home Depot Center crowd in chants of "Love" nor giving his L.A. Galaxy jerseys to anyone except his business manager.

Because Donovan is right. Beckham, if my editor will allow me to say so, doesn't give a shit. Beckham to L.A. was never about bringing soccer to the American masses, or at least not primarily, but about bringing the Beckham brand to a new market.

But like so many other spoiled prima donnas, Beckham got bored quickly — insultingly quickly. Throughout the fall, on loan with AC Milan, Beckham made no bones about his preference for the loan deal to become permanent. To be sure, Italy's Serie A is more appropriate for his skill level than the MLS (although perhaps not for long; Beckham is now just one year younger than Pele was when he joined the New York Cosmos).

I'm sure playing in Serie A reminded him that he was still, for the moment, a top-shelf player, and I'm sure it was more gratifying to be playing there from a gameplay standpoint than it is to think about returning to the slog that is the MLS. Or maybe he just really likes the sopressata in Milan (and sopressata is delicious, but I shouldn't assume just by the name that it's Italian — maybe it's a hybrid cuisine, part English, German, Welsh, Czech, and Cherokee).

But Beckham, simply stated, signed up for this. Like Pele, he could have embraced it, instead of trying to give it up just 30 games in and phoning it in even before that.

So kudos to Landon Donovan. Kudos for not backing off his statements, kudos for creating an environment where Beckham is going to know he won't be let off the hook by his teammates. And please let the next iteration of retired superstar to come to this country in his mid-30s mark a return of the Pele attitude, right around the time a broke and desperate David Beckham turns to 3 AM infomercials to pay off his debts.

Posted by Kevin Beane at 11:59 AM | Comments (1)

The NHL's Wilder Wild West

For the bulk of last season, the NHL's Western Conference was Detroit, San Jose, and a bunch of other teams. As the playoffs came closer and closer, the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks (the team everyone referred to as "Not your typical No. 8 seed") grew into the second-tier of feared teams.

How did it all play out? That "not-so-typical" No. 8 seed took out the President's Trophy winner in San Jose and scared the bejesus out of the defending Stanley Cup champions in Detroit before falling in the final minutes of Game 7. Those defending Wings battled in overtime for several games against the upstart Blackhawks in the Conference Final before losing in seven dramatic games to the eventual Cup champions.

Then came trades and free agency, and suddenly, everything's different. The reason to fear each of those teams has diminished, and the Western Conference seems to be more competitive and more unpredictable than ever before. Here's why each of those four teams won't have teams shaking in their skates come next season:

Detroit Red Wings

The Wings beat teams because of their unmatched skill and depth. What happens when you remove a good portion of that skill and depth? Suddenly, the team's aura of invincibility gets deflated, even just slightly. The departure of Marian Hossa (more on that later) was the biggest blow; despite a mediocre Cup Final, losing a player of Hossa's skill will affect any roster. Add in the departure of Mikael Samuelsson (a 15-20 goal guy in Detroit and a solid playoff performer), Jiri Hudler (his 57 points are stuck in an NHL/KHL transfer battle), and checker Tomas Kopecky and suddenly the entire Detroit depth chart takes a hit. Don't forget about the loss of Ty Conklin, who won 25 games in net for the Wings.

San Jose Sharks

As of mid-July, the Sharks' only dramatic roster moves is the gutting of their third and fourth lines. Despite being ravaged by injury and facing a "not-so-typical" No. 8 seed in Anaheim, everyone doesn't quite see the Sharks as legitimate anymore. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have become the butt of jokes and the subject of trade rumors, and critics have started wondering whether Evgeni Nabokov can thrive under pressure. In this case, a lack of significant movement means more than a serious shake-up, and one has to wonder if teams will simply brush aside the President's Trophy winners as postseason chokers yet again.

Chicago Blackhawks

Yes, they signed Marian Hossa — but the Blackhawks still are an enigma. Last year, they had two No. 1 starters in Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet; Huet didn't perform well and Khabibulin grabbed the ball. With Khabibulin gone to Edmonton, it's up to Huet to show that he can be a consistent starter — something he hasn't been able to do whenever given the opportunity. The signing of Marian Hossa, coupled with Brian Campbell's absurd contract from last season, has handcuffed new-GM Stan Bowman and the Hawks will have to make significant moves to become a cap-friendly team, with some changes due prior to the start of this season and more freed-up cap space required in the long-term. Don't forget, next year's free agency period sees Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith hit restricted status.

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks scared everyone because of two names: Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. Now Pronger has taken a new set of wings in Philadelphia, and the Ducks — who should be commended for their big-picture ability to rebuild on the fly — are weaker for it. The Pronger trade should help the team's prospect depth and will make it easier five years down the road, but for now, the loss of Pronger destroys that pure fear factor Anaheim carried. In terms of depth, the Ducks' defense took a further hit with the departure of Francois Beauchemin. The additions of Saku Koivu and Joffrey Lupol provide much needed secondary scoring support, but there's no question this won't be the same Ducks squad that masterfully prevented teams from getting scoring chances with its two Hall of Fame defensemen.

Posted by Mike Chen at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2009

Should Tennis Fans Be Silenced?

Writing about sports can, at times, can be somewhat tiresome. So, from time to time, you have to shake things up and try something a little different. Recently, I decided to write a short satirical article that highlights an ongoing issue in the tennis world.

The article below looks at the "problem" of rowdy fans that are making "too much" noise during a match. This is something a little different, but I was inspired to write about this when I saw Lleyton Hewitt's fans during Wimbledon. My only hope is that I can provide you with a little light relief while bringing up quite a volatile issue.

* * *

Officials at the All England Club have announced that in the future Wimbledon will be played behind closed doors. The shocking move comes hours after Lleyton Hewitt's fans were in a typically boisterous mood on Court No. 2.

The fanatical Australian supporters, who broke into song at every change over, plagued Hewitt's fourth round encounter with Radek Stepanek. Consequently, after repeated incidents, the group of approximately 10 people were given a stern talking to by authorities.

This year's competition will be unaffected by the new policy, but next year's will be the first All England Championships played in front of no fans whatsoever.

A spokesperson for Wimbledon said, "We didn't want to make this decision, but something has to be done about fans supporting players in this manner."

The decision has undoubtedly surprised many spectators, particularly the small Australian contingent that seems to be the cause of this debacle.

One of Hewitt's fans stated, "I can't believe it. We weren't doing anything. At the Australian Open, there are fights and we get treated like kids for singing a few songs. They're just jealous of us. We make twice as much noise as the people watching [Andy] Murray and there are 15,000 of them. The Brits obviously can't take being second best to us Aussies, so they have decided to ruin it for everyone."

It is believed that the groundbreaking move will improve the morale of players, who tennis officials think are incapable of performing when there is noise in the vicinity.

Another Hewitt supporter added, "Of course these guys can play with a bit of noise going on. If they get distracted and miss-hit a shot, the worst that happens is they lose."

"I was watching the darts the other day. The crowd is constantly making noise there, and I don't think I need to tell you that one slight mistake by a darts player and it's possible someone could lose more than the match."

Posted by Luke Broadbent at 11:41 AM | Comments (1)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 19

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart — Fresh off his win at Daytona, Stewart was in the running to possibly challenge the dominant No. 5 car of Mark Martin at Chicagoland. But a pit road mishap, in which Stewart left without a lug nut, and a subsequent flat tire, cost him important track position. Still, Stewart finished fourth in the No. 14 Chevy sporting the Office Depot 'Back to School' paint scheme. It was his 15th top-10 finish of the year, and he now leads Jeff Gordon by 175 in the point standings.

"I kicked it 'Back To School,'" Stewart said, "but Martin kicked it 'Old School.'"

"Let's be honest. No one was going to catch Martin. Not in this day and age. Or should I say, 'Not on this day and at his age. The man's a machine, and a force to be reckoned with. I pray, that when I'm 50, I will be like him. But that seems unlikely, not because of my lifestyle, but because I don't pray."

"As for Kyle Busch's continuing accusation that I dumped him at Daytona, well, I'm sorry he feels that way. He left me no other option, though. Clearly, my Office Depot Chevrolet was the better car. There's an unwritten rule in this sport, and I'm not talking about NASCAR's drug policy. Block once for the lead and it's okay. Block a second time; it's not okay. That's when I sent Kyle out of the lead. You could say he was 'Office Deposed.'"

2. Jeff Gordon — Gordon used a late four-tire pit stop as the impetus to wrest the runner-up spot in the Life Lock 400 at Chicagoland Raceway, his fifth second-place finish of the year. Gordon's advantage with fresh tires was two-fold, allowing him to pass for position, as well as avoid the reckless battle between Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson and Johnson's budding nemesis, Kurt Busch. Alas, tires alone weren't enough to overcome the impressive car of Mark Martin, who won for the fourth time this year.

"Mark's the kind of guy you don't mind losing to," Gordon said. "With that said, now you know why we got rid of Kyle Busch here at Hendrick Motorsports."

"It doesn't matter who you are, you have to be impressed with Mark's accomplishments, not only as a 50-year-old, but as a driver of any age. It makes me question my own talent. Mark's driving is like fine wine — they're both better than mine."

3. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson led 58 laps at Chicagoland, second only to Mark Martin's 195, and held the lead on lap 251 until he dropped back after getting loose in traffic, which left him engaged with Kurt Busch's No. 2 Dodge. Johnson and Busch made contact at least twice, with Busch then getting the final word with a bump Johnson described as 'bodyslamming.' Johnson finished eighth, and remained third in the points, where he trails Tony Stewart by 212.

"That's at least three occasions in which Busch and I have tangled," Johnson said. "I've got a feeling this situation will be 'coming to a head' soon. In other words, my fist will be coming to Kurt's head."

"I think all drivers have learned that when dealing with Kurt, it's necessary to use restraint. Similarly, in dealings with Kyle Busch and his erratic behavior, we've found it imperative to use restraints."

4. Mark Martin — Martin took the lead in the Life Lock 400 on lap 42 after starting 14th, and led 195 of the final 225 laps to win for a series-best fourth time this year. It was Martin's third Saturday night win and clearly established him as a Sprint Cup favorite for now, or at least until another 31st or worse finish, of which Martin has six. Martin jumped two places to 11th in the point standings, 11 ahead of Greg Biffle in 13th.

"Don't forget," Martin said. "I also won the first Lifelock 400 this year, on June 14th in Michigan. So Saturday night at Chicagoland was a case of 'deja vroom.'"

"I can't begin to explain how happy I was with the car. We nailed the setup. You know, I told crew chief Alan Gustafson the same thing I told Carl Long, who was outside the track begging for money on Saturday — 'No change.'"

5. Kurt Busch — Busch battled wavering handling conditions all night, his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge at times loose and at other times tight. Exacerbating his frustration with that situation, Busch was also irate at late contact with Jimmie Johnson, not the first time the two have tangled on the track. Busch finished 17th, then questioned Johnson's driving skill.

"Look, if Jimmie wants a piece of me," Busch said, "I just hope it's not some ear he's after. There's precious little of that to go around."

"But my patience, as well as my driving skill, has been pushed to the limit trying to avoid Jimmie these last few races. On Saturday, I went high to avoid him, then I went 'Lowe's' to remind him, and others, that I'm not gonna take it anymore. If I have to get physical, I will. I can surely give as good as I get. And, as everyone knows, it's been all about 'getting' for me."

6. Kasey Kahne — Kahne finished third in the Life Lock 400, his third top-10 finish in the last four races, to improve from 12th in the point standings to a much safer eighth. The Richard Petty Motorsports driver has a 51 point cushion over Greg Biffle in 13th place.

"As opposed to my finish at Daytona," Kahne said, "it's much more satisfying crossing the finish line in one piece. That crash at Daytona was a wild one. I rear-ended Kyle Busch with such force that it popped the No. 18 up on the two front wheels. I think that's known as a 'Humpy Wheeler.'"

7. Carl Edwards — During a caution with about 20 laps remaining, Edwards chose to remain on the track, going against crew chief Bob Osborne's decision to pit. Edwards gained one spot by staying out, but soon lost that position and many more to cars with new tires. He finished 14th and dropped one spot in the point standings to sixth.

"They may call me Cousin Carl," Edwards said. "But the fact is, I'm finding it difficult having relations with Victory Circle."

"I think Matt Kenseth would agree with Bob's assessment that I'm not a good listener."

8. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin posted a solid weekend at Chicagoland, qualifying fourth and finishing fifth, his fourth top-five result in the last five races. Hamlin, however, was roundly criticized for his driving after a double-file restart with 17 laps to go, in which Hamlin forced his No. 11 Fed Ex Freight Toyota between leader Jimmie Johnson and Brian Vickers. Johnson lost several positions, while Hamlin and Vickers continued to battle.

"Hey, I object to being called a 'double-file retard,'" Hamlin said. "Anyway, that's the kind of action the fans pay to see, and the kind of racing the media like to write about, assuming they had time after their overdone and superfluous coverage of Dale Earnhardt, Jr."

"But seriously, 'E' is not for 'Earnhardt.' 'E' is for 'Excitement,' which is what my driving delivers. Conversely, if you take away the 'E,' you get 'FedEx Fright, which perfectly describes the scare my driving puts into guys like Jimmie Johnson."

9. Kyle Busch — Still seething from his incident with Tony Stewart at Daytona, Busch came to Chicagoland Speedway in a dark mood, and constantly complained about his car's handling once the race began. After abusing his team over the radio and abusing his car on the track, the engine of his No. 18 Toyota finally expired on lap 262. Busch finished 33rd, and is now tenth in the points, only 13 points ahead of Greg Biffle in 13th.

"Yeah, I guess my language on the radio was uncalled for," Busch said, "and I apologize. You know, that kind of language can make a grown man blush, or get you fired from your job as an announcer on TNT."

"Normally, I wouldn't give movies starring Tupac Shakur and Janet Jackson one ounce of thought. But my night at Chicagoland was simply a case of Poetic Justice. I quit on my team, then my car quit on me."

10. Ryan Newman — Bogged down by early handling issues, Newman recovered in the second half of the Life Lock 400, scoring a sixth-place finish, his first top 10 since Pocono on June 7th. He held on to seventh place in the Sprint Cup point standings, and trails Tony Stewart by 499.

"Stewart-Haas drivers in the top 10?" Newman said. "That's old news. You want a story you can really grasp, particularly with two hands? Indy car driver and soon-to-be free agent Danica Patrick visited the Stewart-Haas facilities on Monday. Suffice it to say she got everyone's attention."

"Just imagine the marketing possibilities if Danica joined the Stewart-Haas team. You've heard of 'Two Men and a Baby,' right? Well, I guess that's what you'd call this team if Kyle Busch joined. But with Danica, we'd be called "Two Men and a Babe.'"

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:30 AM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2009

SC's Play This Team, Not That Team

If you've ever seen Men's Health magazine, they feature a segment called "Eat This, Not That." The column gives pointers on how to replace high-calorie, unhealthy foods with better, healthier options.

With that in mind, I've created SC's "Play This Team, Not That Team". Basically, I'm taking away those ridiculous cupcakes that some teams are playing and replacing them with better, more interesting options for the college football fan.

With that said, here we go...

NC STATE

Play This Team: Marshall
Not This Team: Gardner-Webb

Okay, it's fine for a FBS team to face one FCS opponent a year. However, the Wolfpack have scheduled a ridiculous two FCS teams this season. I like NC State playing South Carolina, and I like the matchup with Pittsburgh, as well, but two FCS teams are unacceptable. With a SEC and Big East opponent, it'll be good for the Wolfpack to face a mid-major team that's fairly close by. One could obviously argue for East Carolina, but the Pack would be better playing a little bit softer team — just not Gardner-Webb.

SOUTH FLORIDA

Play This Team: Central Florida
Not This Team: Charleston Southern

Jim Leavitt's squad now is at a level to where they should be playing fewer cupcakes outside of the Big East. The Bulls won't benefit too much from a matchup against Charleston Southern, especially since the opener against Wofford should work out a bunch of the kinks. Instead, why not add to the hotbed of Florida rivalries and go up against UCF? There would definitely be some interest in a long-term series with these two schools; and no doubt recruiting battles would be that much more intense should USF and UCF begin a rivalry.

NEBRASKA

Play This Team: Tulsa
Not This Team: Louisiana-Lafayette

I love Nebraska's matchup with Virginia Tech, but three teams from the Sun Belt are too many. I'll give the Huskers two games, but before we give NU a trip to the New Orleans Bowl, let's provide Nebraska with a solid mid-major opponent, right in the same region, who has recent success and will provide some excitement in Lincoln. Nebraska/Tulsa would definitely get some interest, much more so than Nebraska vs. the entire Sun Belt.

BOISE STATE

Play This Team: Ole Miss
Not This Team: UC Davis

Ever since that great Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma, Boise State has garnered considerable attention, far more than any other WAC school. While their schedule points to another great year, a chance for Boise to garner any BCS noise just really isn't there. This team needs a BCS level opponent, especially from the other side of the country, to get some serious attention for the Broncos to crash the BCS party all over again. So, they need to replace UC Davis and fill the void with...

OLE MISS

Play This Team: Boise State
Not This Team: Northern Arizona

Again, what it is with teams playing two FCS teams? Ole Miss slides through the easiest SEC schedule imaginable. They don't play Florida, they don't play Georgia, and they grab SE Louisiana and Northern Arizona as rent-a-wins. If the Rebels are as good as most prognosticators think, they should dump one of those FCS teams for a mid-major that would get some national publicity. Boise State fits that picture — it'll give Ole Miss western coverage, while revisiting Houston Nutt's short stay on the Smurf Turf.

NORTH CAROLINA

Play This Team: Tennessee
Not This Team: Georgia Southern

Back to the same old story ... add the Tar Heels to the list of teams playing two FCS squads. Just like the Wolfpack, Carolina needs to drop one and play someone that will attract more attention. In this case, Butch Davis should look to Knoxville for what would be a great non-conference matchup. This border war could be the grounds for great recruiting battles, or even a neutral site showdown in Charlotte. Without question, college football would be interested to see these two teams take the field, and football would definitely be better for it.

Posted by Jean Neuberger at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2009

SC's All-Time MLB Draft (Pt. 5)

This article is part of a series. Also see: Introduction | Jeff Kallman's Team | Brad Oremland's Team | Diane Grassi's Team

There's a reason they save the best for last.

My strategy was based on a couple of theories. One being that I wanted a team of well-rounded position players who could do it all. Five-tool guys with no discernible weaknesses. I wanted defense, speed, athleticism, power hitting, high average. The works. That mission was indeed accomplished, particularly with my outfield of Ken Griffey, Jr., Willie Mays, and Roberto Clemente. Alex Rodriguez was chosen at short when Ozzie Smith or Ernie Banks could have been had. As tempting as it was to take the Wizard and enjoy his sublime defensive play, Ozzie just was not strong enough throughout his career in the batters box.

I also took into account that because we were going to look the other way at the steroid era, I had somewhat of a bias towards modern players more so than I normally would. My infield includes Alex Rodriguez, Roberto Alomar, and Ivan Rodriguez, as well as the aforementioned Griffey, Jr. in left. Two modern-era pitchers, Pedro Martinez and Mariano Rivera, also cracked my roster for a total of six steroid-era players out of 14. One notable I found is that the list of greats and Hall of Famers to play second base is the least impressive out of all the positions. This opens the door for someone like Alomar.

The pitching staff is based on intimidation. With the Big Train Walter Johnson heading the staff, striking fear into the likes of even Ty Cobb, followed by Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, and Don Drysdale all had reputations as hard-headed head-hunters. Should anyone get too comfortable in the box, they will see a high hard one headed their way. The legendary closer Mariano Rivera never does this, but he simply intimidates with effectiveness, and the uncanny ability to work lefties better than right-handers because of his confounding cutter.

So here is the vaunted layout of my roster, one through nine and one through five.

Lineup

1. Roberto Alomar (S) — 17 seasons, .300 avg, 210 HR, 1,135 RBI, 2,724 hits, 474 SB
2. Roberto Clemente (R) — 18 seasons, .317 avg, 240 HR, 1,305 RBI, 3,000 hits
3. Willie Mays (R) — 22 seasons, .302 avg, 660 HR, 1,903 RBI, 3,283 hits
4. Lou Gehrig (L) — 17 seasons, .340 avg, 493 HR, 1,995 RBI, 2,721 hits, 2,130 consecutive games played
5. Alex Rodriguez (R) — 16 seasons (and counting), .304 avg, 57 HR, 1,651 RBI, 2,446 hits
6. Ken Griffey Jr (L) — 21 seasons (and counting), .286 avg, 621 HR, 1,798 RBI, 2,727 hits
7. George Brett (L) — 21 seasons, .305 avg, 317 HR, 1,595 RBI, 3,154 hits
8. Ivan Rodriguez (R) —19 seasons (and counting), .300 avg, 302 HR, 1,247 RBI, 2,664 hits, 1,128 assists
9. Walter Johnson (R) — 21 seasons, .235 avg, 24 HR, 255 RBI, 547 hits

Defense

C Ivan Rodriguez — 13 Gold Gloves (1992-2001, 2004, 2006, 2007)
1B Lou Gehrig — predates Gold Glove award
2B Roberto Alomar — 10 Gold Gloves (1991-1996, 1998-2001)
3B George Brett — 1 Gold Glove (1985)
SS Alex Rodriguez — 2 Gold Gloves (2002-2003, both at SS)
LF Ken Griffey Jr. — 10 Gold Gloves (1990-1999)
CF Willie Mays — 12 Gold Gloves (1957-1968)
RF Roberto Clemente — 12 Gold Gloves (1961-1972)
SP Walter Johnson — predates Gold Glove award

Rotation

1. Walter Johnson (R) — 21 seasons, 417-279 W-L, 2.17 ERA, 3,508 K, 110 shutouts
2. Roger Clemens (R) — 24 seasons, 354-184 W-L, 3.12 ERA, 4,672 K
3. Whitey Ford (L) — 16 seasons, 236-106 W-L, 2.75 ERA, 1,956 K
4. Pedro Martinez (R) — 17 seasons, 214-99 W-L 2.91 ERA, 3,117 K
5. Don Drysdale (R) — 14 seasons, 209-166 W-L 2.95 ERA, 2,486 K

Closer

Mariano Rivera (R) — 15 seasons (and counting), 69-51 W-L, 2.29 ERA, 977 K, 505 saves

So without further ado, onto the choices and the justification of it all.

Roberto Alomar, 2B — Spitting in the face of all the old time second basemen is this choice for Roberto Alomar. For most of his career, Robbie set the defensive and offensive standards for excellence and could play the ideal lead-off hitter role, even though he was often batted second because of his power. Alomar's 10 Gold Gloves are the most by any second baseman in history and his 4 Silver Slugger awards are second only to Ryne Sandberg.

There was no ground ball or liner to the right side that Alomar could not get to and no double play he could not turn. His '92 ALCS MVP award was solidified when he turned around Game 4 by hitting a stunning two-run, game-tying homer off ace closer Dennis Eckersley in the top of the ninth. The eventual Jays win would put them ahead three games to one in the series and was a major step towards Toronto's first championship. Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, who retired long before Alomar's era, claimed Roberto was the greatest second baseman he had ever seen.

Roberto Clemente, RF — What couldn't this man do? Yes, we know him as a great ambassador of the game, a pioneer and role model for Latino players, and a true class act with a heart of gold who died young while trying to supply food for Nicaraguan earthquake victims. That being said, that's not why he's here. Clemente was an athletic freak with a throwing arm as devastating in both velocity and accuracy as any outfielder in history.

Clemente hit .300 or better in 13 of his 18 seasons, ending his career at .317 and most likely still had a lot of great baseball left in him. Clemente also famously got hit number 3,000 in what turned out to be his final major league game. His Game 7 home run in the 1971 World Series (a tight, 2-1 win over Baltimore) spearheaded his Series MVP award and second of two championships for Clemente. The 1966 regular season MVP was also claimed by Clemente, as well as 12 consecutive Gold Gloves to solidify his all-around defensive prowess.

Willie Mays, CF — Known for defensive genius in the outfield. It seemed anyone who saw him play knew there was no one better at his position. While he competed with Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider in New York, I gave Mays the nod because he hit more home runs and still was not known for striking out as often as Mantle. Mays won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves and was an all-star for 20 straight seasons. He won a Rookie of the Year in 1951, as well as regular season MVPs in '54 and '65.

Above all though, Mays will be remembered most for robbing Vic Wertz with his famous over-the-shoulder catch. The Giants' sweep of 111-win Cleveland in that year's series was Mays' only championship, thanks to a catch that, according to announcer Jack Brickhouse, "must have looked like an optical illusion to a lot of people." The same could be said about the Say Hey Kid's entire career.

Lou Gehrig, 1B — The self-proclaimed Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth was far more than just that. The Iron Horse, among other things, put the talented Wally Pipp on the trading block to Cincinnati after the first time he was benched for Gehrig in 1925. Lou never made the same mistake, and once he had the job at first base, never came out of the lineup for 15 years and 2,130 games, until he became weakened by ALS, the disease that would later be named after him.

Along the way, Lou won the AL MVP award twice, in 1927 and 1936. He won the elusive Triple Crown in 1934, an award that has not been attained by a hitter in 42 years. He also won six World Series through the '20s and '30s. Playing second-fiddle all his career to the stars of first Ruth, then Joe DiMaggio (despite having overall better numbers at the plate than Joe D.), Gehrig shines in this lineup in the coveted cleanup spot. And why not? His record 23 grand slams seem to imply he was made for this.

Alex Rodriguez, SS — The lineup shifts from one Yankee infielder to the next. Although this incarnation of Rodriguez, the shortstop, is more remembered as a Mariner and a Ranger. A-Rod has athletic grace, range, and fluidity on a sturdy frame strong enough to hit a barrage of towering home runs that still hasn't been stopped.

For all his much publicized psychological issues, A-Rod is clearly on pace to be the greatest homerun hitter ever. He should finish with at least 800 as he has shown no signs of slowing down or declining as of his 16th season. Rodriguez has garnered an endless string of awards, winning MVP in '03, '05, and '07, winning two Hank Aaron awards for best hitter, as well as three Player of the Year awards that encompass both leagues. He won two Gold Gloves and 10 Silver Slugger awards. A-Rod will undoubtedly go down as the most complete and thoroughly talented ballplayer ever to play shortstop.

Ken Griffey, Jr., LF — Look at this. Griffey and A-Rod batting back-to-back in the lineup just like in the good old 1990s in Seattle. Before A-Rod reached greatness, Ken Griffey, Jr. was the greatest individual talent and biggest baseball star of the 1990s. Griffey, Jr. specialized in spectacular diving catches on a hard, unforgiving Kingdome turf. He took countless home runs away by scaling the wall and showing off that perfectly-timed vertical leap, and he had one of the sweetest and purest natural swings ever.

With Seattle, The Kid won 10 straight Gold Gloves and seven silver slugger awards, an All-Star Game MVP in '92, and a regular season MVP in '97. His performance in the 1995 ALDS against the Yankees quite possibly saved baseball in Seattle (even if it broke my 12-year-old heart) and took them to the only ALCS in their history, all with metal screws still in his wrist from surgery. While his career is winding down today, he still stands now with a staggering total of 621 home runs. Griffey, though, gets bumped over to left in deference of Mays.

George Brett, 3B — Playing in an era of many great third basemen (Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Graig Nettles), George Brett hit for a higher average than all of them, and his defense was not that far behind (although perhaps the stiff competition accounted for him only winning a single Gold Glove in 1985). None of those men in the parentheses ever to hit .390 in a season like Brett did in 1980, en route to an MVP award for that season. The rivalry with the Yankees through the '70s and '80s brought out the rugged best in him, as Brett regularly torched the Yankees in postseason play with tons of home runs into Yankee Stadium's short porch in right, aside from all the chippy base-running play and fights he was right in the center of.

Yet it never seemed to be enough, at least until 1980, when they swept the Bombers. George would win his only championship in 1985, a season in which he also captured ALCS MVP honors in the seven-game series against Toronto. It was the Royals GM John Scherholz who once said, "George Brett could fall out of bed on Christmas morning and hit a line drive."

Ivan Rodriguez, C — Today he is not conventionally thought of as one of the greatest catchers of all-time. I believe over time he will be more greatly appreciated and spoken of among the other legends. No catcher's throwing arm was more feared than I-Rod, who would routinely pick unaware or lazy runners off first base with snap throws after any given pitch. He has now compiled a staggering career total of 1,128 assists; that's more than Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Thurman Munson, or Yogi Berra. In 19 seasons, Pudge is still fifth all-time in home runs by a catcher. As of June 17th of this year, he has now caught more games than any player in major league history.

Pudge won an AL MVP in 1999, the NLCS MVP in 2003 in his seven-game series against the Cubs. In fact, he was the heart and soul of that Marlins team that made their stunning World Series title run in '03, Rodriguez' lone title. We may not be saying it or thinking of it now, but someday it will be much more common for baseball fans to make the case that Ivan Rodriguez, especially by the numbers, was the greatest all-around catcher of all-time. We have him batting eighth.

Walter Johnson, SP — The Big Train had a quirky sidewinding delivery for those patient and able to find old grainy films on him, but it was an incredibly dominant one at that. He was a deadball era warrior that pitched and completed far more games than any modern player could fathom. His 110 shutouts are an all-time record that will probably never be broken. Ty Cobb recalled his first time seeing Johnson as a rookie and being stunned at his velocity, saying, "Every one of us knew we'd met the most powerful arm ever turned loose in a ball park."

Johnson won MVP twice, in 1913 and 1924, as well as three pitcher's triple crowns, in '13, '18, and '24. His Senators/Nationals rarely had good seasons around him, but he played a large part in their two pennant-winning seasons in '24 and '25. It was Johnson who came on in relief in the seventh game of the '24 Series and got the win, for his only series title. He was also ranked by the Sporting News in 1999 as the greatest pitcher in baseball history (No. 4 among all players), and so he gets the nod as my ace.

Roger Clemens, SP — Letting the numbers and accomplishments speak for themselves, Roger Clemens put together the most staggering resume for any post-deadball era pitcher. His seven Cy Young awards (1986, '87, '91, '97, '98, '01, and '04) may one day become another one of those unbreakable records. He also won an MVP in 1986, a rare feat for a pitcher since the creation of the Cy Young award. That year against the Mariners, he struck out 20 batters in a game (a feat he would repeat 10 years later in Detroit), and pitched lights-out in Game 7 of the ALCS against California to get Boston into the World Series.

Clemens would eventually win titles with the Yankees, in 1999 and 2000. In the 2000 ALCS, he struck out 15 Mariners in a one-hit shutout and set the tone with two brushback pitches to Alex Rodriguez. When he played, he was known as an old-school, hard-throwing Texan with an incredible work ethic and drive to be the best. In doing so, he hung around long enough to compile a staggering 354 wins in an era of the five-man rotation.

Whitey Ford, SP — The Chairman of the Board got to be the ace of a staff on six World Championship Yankee teams throughout the glory days of the '50s and '60s. His winning percentage of .690 is the highest of any pitcher with 300 career decisions. His World Series MVP performance of 1961 is often overlooked because that was the year of Roger Maris hitting 61 home runs. For 39 years, Ford held the World Series record for wins with 10 (which still stands), as well as consecutive scoreless innings at 33 2/3 until a fellow Yankee would surpass him, but more on that later. To this day, Whitey remains the greatest starting pitcher for the greatest franchise of all-time.

Pedro Martinez, SP — The dominant counterpart and often foil to Roger Clemens in the thick of the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry of the late-'90s-'00s. On the mound, Pedro had a fearless, fiery gunslinger attitude that belied his small stature. Much like Clemens, Pedro never shied away from plunking or knocking down batters when he felt it to be necessary, and even once threatened to plunk Babe Ruth, should someone wake the Bambino from his grave.

Pedro won Cy Young awards in '97, '99 and, '00, with '99 being his single greatest year. He went 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA, won the All-Star Game MVP as the AL's starter and delivered a surreal relief performance in Game 5 of the ALDS in Cleveland that postseason: six innings of no-hit, shutout ball in what had been an 8-7 slugfest up until that point. Pedro of course played a role in breaking Boston's Curse of the Bambino in 2004, leading to his only championship. Last but not least, in 17 seasons of play, Pedro is the only pitcher on this staff with under 100 losses.

Don Drysdale, SP — If Clemens and Pedro had a tendency of plunking batters, they learned it from this guy; the godfather of the hit batsman (154 career to be exact). When Drysdale hit you, it usually wasn't an accident. He had the talent and ability to overcome most of the men he put on base. This tough guy even managed to hit 29 career home runs when he came to the plate, including one year in 1965 in which he was the Dodgers' only .300 hitter.

Drysdale famously teamed with Sandy Koufax to form an unstoppable one-two punch that thrived in '63 and '65, when he won his two championships for L.A. In '62, Drysdale won the Cy Young award, as well. Roger Clemens actually quoted Drysdale as saying, "my favorite pitch is my second knockdown pitch, that way the hitter knows the first one wasn't a mistake." Indeed, he has served as a key inspiration to tough-guy pitchers everywhere.

Mariano Rivera, CP — How better to close out a game than with the Hammer of God? Rivera features one main pitch, his cut fastball, and yet he has overpowered hitters for a decade and a half with it to become the unquestioned greatest closer of all-time. In 1996, Twins manager Tom Kelly lamented that Rivera "needs to be in a higher league ... he should be banned from baseball, he should be illegal." That was 505 saves ago, before Mo even became a closer.

While many great closers over the years have paved the way for Rivera, Mariano has perfected the position. From 1998-2000, Rivera ended the World Series with a save each year, accounting for three of his four championships. Rivera won the Rolaids Relief award in '99, '01, '04, and '05. He won the World Series MVP in 1999 and an ALCS MVP in 2003 with 3 innings of scoreless relief in Game 7. It was Mariano who broke Ford's aforementioned postseason scoreless innings streak in 2000. His postseason ERA in 76 games is a sparkling 0.77, the best of all-time, as well as his 34 postseason saves. It is these postseason numbers where Rivera really created his legend. Never has any pitcher in the game been better at getting three outs.

Posted by Bill Hazell at 11:58 AM | Comments (0)

NBA Free Agency Tweets

There was no shortage of activity around the NBA this week as teams were finally able to officially sign free agents after the one week courtship period that began on July 1st.

And while there was plenty of news and the rumor mill was buzzing all week, the best place to catch up on all the goings on around the league wasn't in the newspaper or on some NBA website, it was on Twitter.

Free agents like Ron Artest, Charlie Villanueva, Ben Gordon, Allen Iverson, and many more were all giving updates and announcing signings this week via Twitter.

However, the players weren't the only ones expressing their thoughts on NBA free agency in 140 characters or less. NBA executives from around the league posted tweets as they tried to generate excitement for the 2009-10 season and lure free agents.

Luckily, I've been following these NBA executives diligently over the past couple weeks and I have compiled a list of Tweets from some of the biggest players of the 2009 free agency period.

Detroit Pistons Team President @JoeDumars: Doug Collins withdrew his name from consideration for our coaching vacancy shortly after I gave $90 mil over the next 5 yrs to @BenGordon and @CharlieVillanueva. Probably just a coincidence, right?

Portland Trail Blazers GM @KevinPrichard: Convincing millionaire playboy athletes to relocate to Portland is tougher than I thought it'd be.

Toronto Raptors GM @BryanCollangello: Just stole @Hedo from @KevinPrichett and conned @MarkCuban into taking @ShawnMarion in exchange for cap flexibility and a starting shooting guard out of the deal. Thanks @ChrisWallace!!

Memphis Grizzlies GM @ChrisWallace: Just facilitated a trade that benefits three other teams while doing little if anything to improve the Grizzlies. Where amazing happens!!

Dallas Mavericks owner @MarkCuban: Just overpaid for @MarcinGortat and @ShawnMarion!! Recession!? What recession!?

Sacramento Kings GM @GeoffPetrie: Sorry, fans, we're probably going to have to relocate b/c we passed on the charismatic 18yo from Spain that could sell tickets to make the safe pick. Figured we wouldn't waste ur time bringing in FAs you can only watch for one year anyway.

Minnesota Timberwolves Team President @DavidKahn: The more I talk to him, the less I like @RickyRubio's dad. Anyone know if there is a Spanish word for "mulligan?"

New York Knicks Team President @DonnieWalsh: Lost out on both @GrantHill and @JasonKidd. Still actively looking for a respected veteran to help lure @LeBronJames next summer. Also, someone plz do a SNT with me for @DavidLee so I can actually afford @LeBronJames next year. Thx.

Miami Heat Team President @PatRiley: You know it and I know it, we're doing whatever makes @DwyaneWade happy in free agency or with trades this summer.

Boston Celtics GM @DannyAinge: Just went with @KG to meet face-to-face with @RasheedWallace. Couldn't understand a word either one of them said to each other, but whatever @KG said worked. 'Sheed is a Celtic!

Cleveland Cavaliers GM @DannyFerry: I wish I was privy to the same inside information @TrevorAriza has about @LeBronJames' future...

New Jersey Nets Team President @RodThorn: It took a few years, but I was finally able to unload @JasonKidd, @RichardJefferson, and @VinceCarter. Finally, I've succeeded in making the Nets most unwatchable team in the league.

Los Angeles Lakers Team President @MitchKupchack: I was able to get @RonArtest for the same price I would have had to pay @TrevorAriza, but I might need @JerryWest to come save the day again and convince @LamarOdom to come back and take a 50% pay-cut.

Utah Jazz GM @KevinO'Connor: It would be a lot easier to decide whether or not to match @KevinPritchard's offer for @PaulMillsap if someone would just step up and take @CarlosBoozer off my hands.

NBA Commissioner @DavidStern: I know a lot of you guys have been saving up for next summer, but here's the thing: we are just now starting to feel the effects of a down economy, and the salary cap is going to be much lower next year than anyone could have anticipated. Sry.

NBA Commissioner @DavidStern: P.S. I hope that doesn't affect our chances of avoiding the "L" word before 2011.

Check back at Sports Central every Monday for Scott Shepherd's weekly column. You can also follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/scottosports.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2009

SC's All-Time MLB Draft (Pt. 4)

This article is part of a series. Also see: Introduction | Jeff Kallman's Team | Brad Oremland's Team

It is the age-old argument that will never go away amongst baseball aficionados. And that is the comparison of individual players from different eras in which they played, as opposed to those who compete presently. What fascinates fans is that there is no right or wrong answer, thus the perpetuation of the argument and the historic relevance of players in Major League Baseball, unlike any other professional or amateur sport.

And while statistics do not necessarily tell the whole story, they remain the foundation for feats accomplished by the greatest in the game, and arguably still our national pastime. Moreover, baseball would not be the game that it has remained for well over 100 years without its intangibles and its stern attention to detail.

It has been said time and time again that baseball is a game of inches and most importantly a game consumed with the little things. And in that respect, it makes for a difficult argument for the best team historically.

Admit it. As fans, we are biased about our teams and especially partial as it comes to our favorite players. So here is but another take on some storied players, and who as a group would have made for one terrific run.

A team is largely an amalgam of several important components. Such has not changed over the years, although the formulas used to get there certainly have. Good pitching, defense, and an offensive threat at any point in the game are the largest factors. Managerial strategies and team cohesiveness cannot be dismissed. Yet, when compiling an all-star-type team, there is less of a need to make up for more normal roster deficiencies.

This choice of players is especially strong on defense, power pitching, selective and timely hitting, for both power and average, in addition to speed on the bases. It is a National League-style roster where the batter would typically hit, although we have not allowed for double switches since we only had the choice of one relief pitcher in the bullpen.

The lineup is as follows:

1. SS Ozzie Smith
2. 1B Pete Rose
3. 2B Joe Morgan
4. RF Frank Robinson
5. CF Joe DiMaggio
6. LF Carl Yastrzemski
7. C Gary Carter
8. 3B Brooks Robinson
9. SP Starting Pitcher

The starting rotation is as follows:

1. RHP Tom Seaver
2. RHP Nolan Ryan
3. LHP Steve Carlton
4. RHP Catfish Hunter
5. LHP Ron Guidry

RHP Goose Gossage

We will start with some stats and offer some distinctive characteristics of each player, who comprise this wish list of an all-time team:

Ozzie Smith

"Wizard of Oz"
Bats R/Throws R

Seasons: 19 (1978-1996)

Teams: San Diego Padres (1978- 1981); St. Louis Cardinals (1982-1996)

Career: .262 BA; .328 SLG%; .337 OBP; .978 FLDG% (lead in fielding % seven seasons); 2,460 hits; 580 stolen bases

Awards: World Series champion, 1982; 13 consecutive NL Gold Gloves, 1980-1992; NL Silver Slugger, 1987 (.303 BA); 12x all-star; 5x NL MVP; NL NLCS MVP, 1985; Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 2002

Ozzie Smith's triumphs have been well documented, yet his stats do not tell the entire story. His ability to create havoc on the base paths with his speed and his innate baseball sense lent depth to his game. Although one of the best shortstops in MLB history, Smith was often criticized for his lack of offense. But that was put to rest somewhat when he came through with key hits and by raising his batting average to .303 in 1987 when he won a Silver Slugger Award. Smith was on the 1982 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals team, which manager Whitey Herzog built upon speed, defense, and timely hitting. And perhaps Ozzie would not have been as effective over a long career at short had it been a requirement that he hit for average and/or power day in and day out like many of today's shortstops. But that does not take away from the magnitude of his contributions to the game.

Pete Rose

"Charlie Hustle"
Bats L&R/Throws R

Seasons: 24 (1963-1986)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds (1963-1978); Philadelphia Phillies (1979-1983); Montreal Expos (1984), Cincinnati Reds (1984-1986)

Career: .303 BA; .375 OBP; .409 SLG%; .987 FLDG%; 4,256 hits

Awards: 1963 NL Rookie of the Year; NL MVP 1973; World Series MVP, 1975; NL Gold Glove, 1969, 1970; 17 all-star team appearances; Batting titles: NL 1968, 1969, 1973; 1968 No. 1 in OBP; NL Silver Slugger Award, 1981; World Series champion 1975, 1976, 1980

Pete Rose will be most remembered as the hit king with a career total of 4,256 and will most likely take to his grave having the most hits in the history of MLB. He eclipsed Ty Cobb's record of most hits, with hit number 4,193 at the end of the 1985 season, while finishing out his career with the Cincinnati Reds, his original team.

Pete Rose was undeniably one the most successful MLB players in history who exhibited a hard nose, no-nonsense playing style, required necessary preparation to make up for less natural talent than many of his contemporaries had. A No. 2 hitter throughout his career, Pete consistently got on base. He was the consummate switch hitter who became the only player to play 500 games at five different positions: 1B, 2B, 3B, LF, RF. His never let up hustle earned him the name, Charlie Hustle, and he revived the head-first slide, a regular element of the game today, and Pete always ran to first base after getting a walk.

Second all-time in doubles, Pete's 100 hits or more for 23 straight seasons remains a record. He led the NL in hits for seven seasons and had 15 consecutive .300 seasons. His NL 44-game hitting streak still stands today. Whether on the prolific Big Red Machine of the 1970s or with the underachieving Phillies when he first arrived there, Rose gave more than 100%. His persona preceded him and his post-playing gambling career dogged him for 20 years into his retirement, yet his combination of strong-headedness and determination created a stellar career nonetheless.

Joe Morgan

"Little Joe"
Bats L/Throws R

Seasons: 22 (1963-1984)

Teams: Houston Astros (1963-1971); Cincinnati Reds (1972-1979); Houston Astros (1980); San Francisco Giants (1981-1982); Philadelphia Phillies (1983); Oakland Athletics (1984)

Career: .271 BA; .392 OBP; .427 SLG%; .981 FLDG%; 2,517 hits; 689 stolen bases; 268 HR

Awards: 9x all-star team; NL Silver Slugger Award, 1982; 5x NL Gold Glove Award; World Series champion 1975, 1976; Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1990

Joe Morgan started his career in Houston in the then-new Astrodome, where he played for nine years. However, it was with the Cincinnati Reds' Big Red Machine where he was acknowledged most for being one of the most versatile second baseman in the history of the game, in spite of his small stature. His power was best accommodated in Riverfront Stadium, where he earned NL MVP status in 1975 and 1976. He and his teammates won the World Series against the Red Sox in 1975 and against the Yankees in 1976.

Little Joe's best season for stats was 1975. He led the NL in walks with 132 with a .327 batting average, 17 home runs, 94 RBI, and 67 stolen bases. That earned him his eventual first MVP and was an example of his dynamism coming out of the three-hole.

Frank Robinson

"The Judge"
Bats R/Throws R

Seasons: 21 (1956-1976)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds (1956-1965); Baltimore Orioles (1966-1971); L.A. Dodgers (1972); California Angels (1973-1974); Cleveland Indians (1975-1976)

Career: .294 BA; .389 OBP; .537 SLG%; .984 FLDG%; 2,943 hits; 586 HR

Awards: Triple Crown 1966 (first winner after Mickey Mantle in 1956); World Series MVP 1966 (Baltimore); NL MVP, 1961, 1966; 12x all-star; NL Gold Glove, 1958; NL Rookie of the Year, 1956 (Cincinnati); No. 1 NL SLG%, 1960 (.595), 1961 (.611), 1962 (.624), 1966 (.624); Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1982

Also a player that took no guff, Frank Robinson set the tone on all of the teams on which he played. A champion of the Civil Rights era, Robinson played by example and carried Jackie Robinson's torch proudly. Becoming the first African-American player/manager and the only African-American manager in both the American and National Leagues, he became the Manager of the Year in 1989. Robinson's career was stellar. He most notably was the only player to win MVP honors in both the NL (with Cincinnati in 1961) and in the AL in 1966 (with Baltimore).

Robinson's no let-up attitude earned him a reputation for crowding the plate; when as a rookie, he was hit 20 times. Back then, there was no such thing as body armor, overused today, so you knew that his brawn and not being intimidated was but a preface for what we saw throughout Robinson's career. He eventually went back to manage the Baltimore Orioles from 1988-91 after his player/manager stint with the Cleveland Indians from 1975-1976. His Manager of the Year Award came in Baltimore in 1989.

Joe DiMaggio

"The Yankee Clipper"
Bats R/Throws R

Seasons: 13 (1936-1942, 1946-1951)

Team: New York Yankees

Career: .325 BA; .398 OBP; .579 SLG%; .978 FLDG%; 2,214 hits, 361 HR

Awards: 13x all-star; 9x World Series champion, 1936-1939, 1941, 1947, 1949-1951 (N.Y. Yankees); AL MVP, 1939, 1941, 1947; No. 1 AL slugging%, 1937 (.673); No. 1 AL batting, 1939 (.381), 1940 (.352); No. 1 AL HR 1937 (46), 1948 (39); Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1955

Joe DiMaggio is arguably the best all-around player ever, whose understated manner made his feats even more remarkable. Unlike many of today's players, he went about his business shining on the field in a multitude of ways and setting records year in and year out. In spite of a hiatus in his career of three years to serve in World War II, he finished his playing days after a total of only 13 years.

Perhaps Joe D. will be best remembered for his yet-to-be-broken 56-game hitting streak in the spring of 1941. But his defensive skills —with only 1 error for the entire 1947 season — running the bases know-how, his strong arm, and home run record in the then very expansive Yankee Stadium set him apart from his fellow players. He is often cited as a legend, but Joe was the real deal.

Gary Carter

"The Kid"
Bats R/Throws R

Seasons: 19 (1974-1992)

Teams: Montreal Expos (1974-1984), N.Y. Mets (1985-1989); San Francisco Giants (1990); L.A. Dodgers (1991); Montreal Expos (1992)

Career: .262 BA; .335 OBP; .439 SLG%; .991 FLDG%; 324 HR; 2,094 hits

Awards: 11x all-star; NL Gold Glove, 1980-1982; 5x Silver Slugger Award; No. 1 in NL RBI, 1984 (106); World Series champion, 1986 (N.Y. Mets); Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 2003

Gary Carter played a resilient back-stop for 19 major league seasons; a remarkable stint for a catcher who never failed to deliver offensively. In spite of the grueling regimen and the late career injuries he withstood, Carter was perhaps best known for his charismatic smile, his upbeat attitude, and utmost cooperation with the press; the latter sometimes critically portrayed. Just 15 years since his retirement, those members of the press wont to criticize such open access which Carter allowed are probably those who now incessantly complain about the lack access to today's players.

Carter's offensive skills and clutch hitting was one of his trademarks, along with his career 10 Grand Slam home runs. But it was his handling of pitchers, especially the young and raw talent of the rotation and relief pitchers on the N.Y. Mets, on their way to a World Championship in 1986, that made Gary Carter especially valuable. His defensive skills were often compared to those of Hall of Famer Johnny Bench. But Carter's exuberance was second to none.

Carl Yastrzemski

"Yaz"
Bats L/Throws R

Seasons: 23 (1961-1983)

Team: Boston Red Sox

Career: .285 BA; .379 OBP; .462 SLG%; 452 HR; .988 FLDG%; 3,419 hits; 646 stolen bases; 1,844 RBI

Awards: 18x all-star; AL MVP-1967; Al Batting Champion, 1963, 1968; No. 1 AL OBP. 1963, 1965, 1967-1970; No. 1 AL SLG%, 1965, 1967, 1970; 7x AL Gold Gloves; Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1989

Carl Yastrzemski was one of those players, not unlike Joe DiMaggio, who led by example and who remained in the spotlight without even trying. A lifetime Red Sock, he was an institution in fandom and had the records to back it up. Yet, it was his consistent approach at the plate and his goal to continue to improve, year in and year out, that won him over with fans and players alike.

When Carl Yastrzemski retired after 23 seasons he did so with 3,419 hits and over 400 home runs. That feat has been duplicated by a select few in the history of MLB with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Stan Musial, Dave Winfield, and Cal Ripken, Jr. in that class. The only thing Yaz suffered from was the down years for the Red Sox, when Fenway Park was seldom sold-out. Had Yaz been playing today, his notoriety would be off the charts.

Brooks Robinson

"Hoover"
Bats R/Throws R

Seasons: 23 (1955-1977)

Team: Baltimore Orioles

Career: .267 BA; .322 OBP; .401 SLG%; .971 FLDG%; 2,848 hits

Awards: No. 1 in AL RBI,1964 (118); AL MVP, 1964; 15x all-star; World Series MVP 1970 (Baltimore Orioles); World Series champion, 1970 (Baltimore Orioles); 16 consecutive AL Gold Gloves, 1960-1975; Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1977

The Human Vacuum Cleaner, as Brooks Robinson was affectionately known, redefined defense in the modern game. Brooks Robinson made playing the Hot Corner cool again. His brilliant displays were uncanny year after year and something fans routinely expected from Brooks. But there was nothing routine about his talent.

Like other players on his team, Robinson's consistency and work ethic was nonpareil. A trailblazer at 3B, Brooks was also as well liked as any player in the game and that only helped with team chemistry and providing leadership.

Tom Seaver

"Tom Terrific"
Throws R

Seasons: 20 (1967-1986)

Teams: NY Mets (1967-1977); Cincinnati Reds (1978-1982); N.Y. Mets (1983); Chicago White Sox (1984-1986); Boston Red Sox (1986)

Career: 2.86 ERA; 311 wins; 3,640 strike outs

Awards: 12x all-star; 1967 Rookie of the Year; 1969 NL Cy Young Award; 1973 NL Cy Young Award; 1975 NL Cy Young Award; No. 1 in NL ERA, 1970-1973; No. 1 in NL wins, 1969 (25); No. 1 in NL wins, 1975 (22); No. 1 in NL wins, 1981 (14); Most NL strikeouts, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976; No. 1 in NL complete games, 1973 (18); No. 1 in NL shutouts, 1977 (7), 1979 (5); World Series champion, 1969 (N.Y. Mets); Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1992

The art of pitching was not lost on Tom Seaver. When he made it to the major leagues in 1967, the baby-faced cherubic-looking kid gave no indication of the dominating power pitcher he eventually became. Seaver also was a natural leader on a green, over-achieving NY Mets team that in 1969 miraculously went on to the win the World Series that year. Seaver's accomplishments on the mound played no small part.

Much to his dismay, Tom Seaver never pitched a no-hitter, although he came close a few times. And Seaver thought his best season was in 1971 when he failed to win the Cy Young Award with a 20-10 record, 1.76 ERA, and 283 strike outs. And his high-water mark of 19 strikeouts in a 1970 game against the San Diego Padres tied the MLB record with pitcher, Steve Carlton. Seaver's pitching style, utilizing the power of his legs, was highly thought of with many power pitchers who came after him, such as Roger Clemens.

Nolan Ryan

"Ryan Express"
Throws R

Seasons: 27 (1966-1993)

Teams N.Y. Mets (1966-1971); California Angels (1972-1979); Houston Astros (1980-1988); Texas Rangers (1989-1993)

Career: 3.19 ERA; 324 wins; 5,714 strike outs

Awards: 8x all-star; No. 1 in AL innings pitched, 1974 (332.7); No. 1 in NL ERA, 1981, (1.691), 1987 (2.764); 12x No. 1 in strikeouts per inning; 10x No. 1 in strikeouts in AL; 2x No. 1 in strikeouts NL; 9x No. 1 in AL shutouts; World Series champion, 1969 (N.Y. Mets); Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1999

Nolan Ryan, in some peoples' minds, was a freak of nature, given the speed at which he could throw a baseball up until the end of his expansive career into his 40s. He remains the undisputed leader of most career strikeouts to this day, with 5,713. His power was exceptional, although he was known to be wild at times. So players actually at times feared getting into the batter's box. But his resilience and preparation were what allowed him to last 27 seasons; an absolutely stunning statistic for a starting power pitcher.

Another record not soon to be broken is Ryan's 7 no-hitters, with 2 in one season. And though a strikeout master, his one weakness was walks per inning at 4.5, which put fear in the eyes of many a batter. Yet his overpowering 95 mph fastball served him well, into his 40s, when he pitched 3 of his no-hitters. From 1972-1974, Ryan struck out 300 hitters each season. And in 1974, his fastball was clocked at 100.9 mph on the radar gun. Most notably, Ryan became the only pitcher to record 2,000 strikeouts or more in each major league. His portfolio defies description.

Steve Carlton

"Lefty"
Throws L

Seasons: 24 (1965-1988)

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals (1965-1971); Philadelphia Phillies (1972-1986); San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox (1986), Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins (1987); Minnesota Twins (1988)

Career: 3.22 ERA; 329 wins; 4,136 strike outs

Awards: 10x all-star; 4x NL Cy Young Award, 1972, 1977, 1980, 1982; NL Gold Glove, 1981; 5x NL No. 1 in innings pitched, 1972, 1973, 1980, 1982, 1983; 3x No. 1 in NL wins, 1972, 1977, 1980; 3x No. 1 in NL complete games, 1972-30, 1973 (18), 1982 (19); 6 20-game winning seasons; World Series champion, St. Louis Cardinals (1967), Philadelphia Phillies (1980); Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1994

Perhaps it might come as a surprise to most fans that Steve Carlton was the second most winningest left-handed pitcher in MLB, behind Warren Spahn. And perhaps it might be related to his self-imposed boycott of the press for his last eight years he played for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was one hard-headed guy, which also most probably played a role in his indisputable success.

With a crafty curveball to go along with his fastball, and an expert pickoff move to first, it seemed that Carlton was always evolving and looking to improve. In fact, Carlton was an innovator in conditioning through weight training; he was ahead of his time. He also developed a slider by mid-career, always readjusting. Carlton was one of the most consistent and successful pitchers of the 20th century. Looking back now, the press should have been celebrating his achievements, rather than to antagonize him. It was the fans' loss to not have heard from him more.

Catfish Hunter

"Catfish"
Throws R

Seasons: 15 (1965-1979)

Teams: Kansas City A's (1965-1967); Oakland A's (1968-1974); N.Y. Yankees (1975-1979)

Career: 3.26 ERA; 224 wins; 3,012 strike outs

Awards: 8x all-star; No. 1 in AL ERA, 1974 (2.48); Perfect game, 1968; Consecutive starts from 1965 to 1977; AL Cy Young Award, 1974; 2x most AL games won, 1974-1975; Pitched 200 innings or more, 1967-1976; No. 1 in AL complete games, 1975 (30); 300 innings pitched, 1974-1975; Won 20 games or more for five consecutive seasons, 1971-1975; 5x World Series champion, Oakland A's (1972-1974), (N.Y. Yankees) 1977-1978; Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1987

James Hunter, who affectionately became known throughout baseball during his playing career simply as "Catfish," was so named by Oakland A's owner Charlie Finley after Catfish made it to the major leagues. Catfish started out with the Kansas City A's in 1964, never having played in the minors leagues, before the A's moved to Oakland beginning in the 1968 season.

Catfish Hunter's accomplishments were none too few during his 15 seasons for both Oakland and the NY Yankees. But Catfish was the catalyst for the huge free agent multi-million dollars salaries we are are accustomed to seeing today for MLB's elite players. And it was none other than George Steinbrenner, owner of the NY Yankees, who broke the bank and signed catfish to a $3.35 million contract for five years from 1975-1979. But in actuality, free agency began with Curt Flood's lawsuit against MLB regarding the reserve clause. And Andy Messersmith was the first player who realized the real first free agent contract, when he signed a three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves. Catfish won free agency on a technicality when A's owner, Charlie Finley, failed to honor an insurance policy owed Hunter that was settled in arbitration and the end result was giving Hunter free agency.

Catfish was not a flashy pitcher, nor an overpowering one. But he was overwhelmingly accurate as his accomplishments are well documented. According to then-teammate Lou Piniella, "Cat didn't have overpowering stuff, but he knew how to pitch and how to beat you."

Unfortunately, Catfish retired suddenly when he developed shoulder problems after the 1979 season and also left us too soon when he passed away at age 53 in 1999 from ALS, known as Lou Gehrig's disease. His teammates and friends always felt he was an even better human being than he was a pitcher.

Ron Guidry

"Louisiana Lightning"
Throws L

Seasons: 14 (1975-1988)

Team: NY Yankees

Career: 3.29 ERA; 170 wins; 1,178 strike outs

Awards: AL Cy Young Award, 1978; 5x AL Gold Glove; 3x 20-win seasons; 4x all-star, 2x AL ERA Leader, 1978 (1.74), 1979 (2.78); No. 1 in AL W/L%, 1978 (.893); Most AL wins, 1978 (25), 1986 (22); 2x 200 strike out seasons, 1978, 1979; AL shutout leader 1978-1975; World champion, N.Y. Yankees (1977, 1978)

Having hailed from Cajun country in Louisiana, like Catfish, who also came from humble beginnings in North Carolina, Ron Guidry was an unassuming player. His stature on the mound was considered diminutive for a big league starting pitcher at 5'11" and 160 pounds. But he more than made up for it with a filthy slider which became his trademark pitch. His understated manner was in stark contrast to his explosiveness on the mound.

Although Ron Guidry's career was not nearly as lengthy as most other pitchers of his ilk, his success was no less remarkable. In addition to being an overachieving pitcher, he was considered a fine athlete which earned him five gold gloves, and he even played left field for the NY Yankees twice. Warmly remembered by Yankee fans, he was embraced as the Yankees' pitching coach from 2006-2007 under manager Joe Torre.

Goose Gossage

"The Goose"
Throws R

Seasons: 22 (1972-1994)

Teams: Chicago White Sox (1972-1976); Pittsburgh Pirates (1977); N.Y. Yankees (1978-1983); San Diego Padres (1984-1987); Chicago Cubs (1988); San Fran Giants, NY Yankees (1989); Texas Rangers (1991); Oakland A's (1992-1993; Seattle Mariners (1994)

Career: 3.01 ERA; 115 wins; 310 saves; 1,809 innings pitched

Awards: 9x all-star; AL Rolaids Relief Award, 1978; No. 1 in AL Saves 1975 (26), 1978 (27), 1980 (33); World Series champion, N.Y. Yankees (1978); Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 2008

Goose Gossage had a commanding, intimidating presence on the mound, along with a raging fastball, when he came into a game to save it. But unlike today's use of relievers, often he could be asked to pitch up to three innings while closing games. Most of his appearances were more than an inning and in 1978 in his first year as the stopper for the N.Y. Yankees, he pitched 134 innings; fourth highest number of innings on the entire pitching staff, while saving 27 games. Goose saved the infamous 1978 playoff game, which extended the regular season, between the Yankees and the Red Sox for the American League East title. And Bucky Blankin' Dent gave Goose the incentive to do it.

Goose Gossage was recently quoted after Yankee closer, Mariano Rivera, got his 500th career save, saying that he feels Rivera is the greatest closer in both Yankee and MLB history. However, he points out that, "We weren't closers. That word hadn't been coined yet. We were relief pitchers. We did a job it now takes three guys to do. I don't know who the greatest relief pitcher is because we did different jobs ... People forget about what we used to do ... I don't mean to blow my own horn, but I had 310 of the other kind of saves and 115 wins as a reliever."

* * *

Compiling a dream team from different eras presents an interesting case to evaluate players' talents. My colleagues who took part in this exercise I am sure fully enjoyed it, as did I, digging up the past and even learning new things about the players we chose.

And that is what sets baseball apart from other professional team sport leagues. For no other professional team sport celebrates its great players post-career quite like MLB. While technology and better healthcare have had a tremendous impact on the longevity of players today, each generation offers something unique unto itself. However, as the game has changed, it cannot help but make us realize how much players of the past sacrificed and did without.

And let us not forget to continue to celebrate the game of baseball, in spite of its scandals, in spite of its dirty players or how mismanaged it may become. Because without the fans, MLB will cease to exist, and all of those wonderful players of the past and the challenges they faced will become but a footnote in the history books.

Monday, July 6: Introduction
Wednesday, July 8: Jeff Kallman's Team
Thursday, July 9: Brad Oremland's Team
Friday, July 10: Diane Grassi's Team
Monday, July 13: Bill Hazell's Team

Posted by Diane M. Grassi at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)

Memo to Chris Bosh: Stay in Toronto

To start off this article, I'd like to offer a line from one of Buckcherry's songs to Chris Bosh, "Please don't go away, you're making a mistake..."

As the heated NBA free agency period has progressed, and potential trade talks and free agent signings are still being discussed, fans of the NBA are still wondering whether or not the Toronto Raptors will trade away Chris Bosh.

Bosh is scheduled to become a free agent next season, and the thinking behind a trade would be that at least the Raptors would get something in return for their star forward. It has been rumored that potential trading partners could possibly be the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, or Chicago Bulls.

Chris Bosh, the Raptors' franchise player and the only true consummate pro on their team, would be a crucial piece of the puzzle to lose.

Though it may be enticing to jump ship and sign a huge contract with another team, I personally hope Chris Bosh will end all speculation and sign a long-term contract with the Toronto Raptors.

After the former face of the franchise, Vince Carter, left the Raptors in December 2004, Chris Bosh became the new hope for the Toronto Raptors. He didn't disappoint. The next full season, Bosh averaged 22.5 points and 9.2 rebounds. The Raptors finished under .500, but Bosh proved to be a catalyst for the team. The next season was the start of big things for the Raptors. Led by Bosh's 22.6 points and 10.7 points a game, the Raptors clinched the division title. Toronto also made the playoffs the next season, but took a step back this year and missed the playoffs entirely.

Chris Bosh may feel that it is time to move on with a different team. He may feel that his best chance to win a championship would be with a different team.

The Raptors did have an off-year last season after two successive trips to the postseason, and there are some holes on the roster. However, GM Bryan Colangelo has already been orchestrating moves in the offseason to give Chris Bosh some offensive support. To add some much-needed strength to the Raptors, they added forward Reggie Evans. Evans is not a scorer, but he is a grinder. Evans will help the Raptors on the boards and some toughness next to Chris Bosh.

In a more substantial move, the Raptors have recently agreed to a verbal contract with Hedo Turkoglu. Though no deal can be official as of this writing, the move looks to be a sure thing. The 6-10 forward will add size and skill to the Raptors organization. Turkolo has averaged 12.3 oints in his career and could provide further assistance to Bosh.

The team also drafted DeMar DeRozan in the NBA draft. DeRozan could play a role similar to Jason Kapono and was a smart choice by Toronto.

Besides all the talent that the Raptors have provided for Bosh, he needs to realize just what it would mean for the fans of the Raptors. Bosh was the saviour after Vince Carter deserted the Raptors. If Chris Bosh were to not re-sign with the team and sign somewhere else, it would be devastating for the franchise.

They would still have talented players left. Jose Calderon is a solid point guard and Andrea Bargnani, Kris Humphries, Hedo Turkoglu, and Reggie Evans provide a lot of depth for the Raptors. But Bosh is the player that can push the Raptors to the next level.

Chris Bosh needs to realize that the management is placing a lot of talent around him. They are investing a lot in him, hoping he can lead the team greatness. With so much faith being placed on him, it's time for Bosh to put some faith in the Toronto Raptors.

Re-sign with the Toronto Raptors, Chris Bosh.

The team needs you.

Posted by Jonathan Hamelin at 11:05 AM | Comments (4)

July 9, 2009

SC's All-Time MLB Draft (Pt. 3)

This article is part of a series. Also see: Introduction | Jeff Kallman's Team

I built my team with three principles in mind: on-base percentage, sound defense, and left-handed pitching. On-base percentage is hugely important for any team, but I considered it even more so for this exercise. With a lineup this good, all you need to do is get on base, and someone's probably going to send you home. I didn't want to give away any outs. Of course, the other teams are great, too, so I wanted to make sure my team didn't have any defensive liabilities. Finally, I tried to prioritize left-handed pitching because I figured my colleagues would be choosing a lot of lefties. A disproportionate share of great batters hit lefty, so logically our all-time teams would have more left-handed hitters than an average lineup; I wanted a pitching staff that would be able to handle them.

Batting Order

1. CF Ty Cobb .367 / .431 / .513
2. SS Honus Wagner .328 / .391 / .466
3. RF Babe Ruth .342 / .474 / .690
4. LF Barry Bonds .298 / .444 / .607
5. 1B Stan Musial .331 / .417 / .559
6. 3B Chipper Jones .310 / .407 / .548
7. 2B Eddie Collins .333 / .424 / .429
8. C Johnny Bench .267 / .342 / .476

Pitching Rotation

LHP Lefty Grove 300-141, 3.06 ERA
RHP Christy Mathewson 373-188, 2.13 ERA
RHP Cy Young 511-316, 2.63 ERA
RHP Pete Alexander 373-208, 2.56 ERA
LHP Warren Spahn 363-245, 3.09 ERA

Relief Ace

RHP Bob Feller 3.25 ERA, 2581 strikeouts

* * *

	Jeff Kallman	Brad Oremland	Diane M. Grassi	Bill Hazell

1	Yogi Berra	Babe Ruth	Joe DiMaggio	Walter Johnson

2	Sandy Koufax	Honus Wagner	Carl Yastrzemski Willie Mays

3	Mike Schmidt	Johnny Bench	Brooks Robinson	George Brett

4	Jackie Robinson	Lefty Grove	Frank Robinson	Lou Gehrig

5	Juan Marichal	Stan Musial	Joe Morgan	Roberto Alomar

6	Mickey Mantle	C.Mathewson	Gary Carter	Roberto Clemente

7	Hank Aaron	Barry Bonds	Pete Rose	Roger Clemens

8	Bob Gibson	Cy Young	Tom Seaver	Ivan Rodriguez

9	Randy Johnson	Pete Alexander	Nolan Ryan	Whitey Ford

10	Greg Maddux	Warren Spahn	Goose Gossage	Mariano Rivera

11	Ted Williams	Ty Cobb		Steve Carlton	Pedro Martinez

12	Cal Ripken, Jr.	Bob Feller	Ron Guidry	Ken Griffey, Jr.

13	Rollie Fingers	Eddie Collins	Ozzie Smith	Alex Rodriguez

14	Willie McCovey	Chipper Jones	Catfish Hunter	Don Drysdale

* * *

Babe Ruth
.342 / .474 / .690
2873 H, 714 HR, 2213 RBI

Ruth played on seven teams that won the World Series, and his teams had an estimated regular-season winning percentage of .605 (98 wins in a 162-game schedule) in games he played, the highest of any player in major league history (min. 2,500 games). He single-handedly brought offense into the modern era. Ruth is the best power hitter of all time, he had a .342 career batting average, and he held the career walks record for three-quarters of a century. With apologies to Ted Williams, he is the greatest hitter who ever lived.

On my team, Ruth plays right field and bats third.

Honus Wagner
.328 / .391 / .466
3415 H, 101 HR, 1732 RBI

Honus Wagner never played with the lively ball; he retired in 1917, when the NL leader in home runs hit 12. In today's game, he'd have an OPS near 1.000. According to Bill James' Win Shares system, Wagner is the greatest offensive shortstop in history and the greatest defensive shortstop in history.

On my team, Wagner plays shortstop and bats second. His .391 OBP is the second-lowest on my team, but in the modern game, he would be well over .400. Wagner also ranks ninth all-time in stolen bases (722). With that combination of on-base ability and baserunning prowess, he's an ideal top-of-the-order hitter. With all due respect to my colleagues' teams, I don't think there's much doubt that I have the best table-setters of any team we drafted.

Johnny Bench
.267 / .342 / .476
2048 H, 389 HR, 1376 RBI

Before the draft, I had some trouble deciding whether Bench or Yogi Berra was the best catcher of all time. Well, in all honesty, I'm fairly certain that Josh Gibson was the best catcher of all time, but our draft focused on major leaguers, so it was Berra or Bench. Ultimately, I went with Bench. Yogi Berra was a phenomenal catcher, and he has justly been lauded as perhaps the greatest team player in history. But my colleague Jeff Kallman selected Berra with the first pick in our draft, and I'll leave it to him to elaborate on Yogi's greatness. Let me make the case for Bench.

Johnny Bench was one of the greatest defensive catchers in history, maybe the greatest. He won 10 Gold Gloves, and I don't think anyone really questions that he and Ivan Rodriguez are the best who ever lived at throwing out baserunners on steal attempts. Bench was also a very good offensive player, recording 2,000 hits, 1,000 runs, and 1,000 RBI (actually 1,376). At various times in his career, Bench led the majors in home runs (twice), RBI (three times), and total bases. He is the only catcher ever to lead MLB in any of those categories. He also walked more than any other catcher in history (891). Bench was a two-time NL MVP, World Series MVP (1976), Rookie of the Year, and a 14-time all-star. And maybe the finest defensive catcher ever. That guy can play on my team any time.

And now he does, starting at catcher and batting eighth. Bench is probably the second- or third-best hitting catcher in MLB history, but he's actually the weakest link in my lineup. As a power hitter coming up behind Eddie Collins, he's still going to get plenty of RBI.

Lefty Grove
300-141, 3.06 ERA, 1.28 WHIP
2266 K, 5.18 K/9, 1.91 K/BB

Lefty Grove's raw statistics are not impressive at first glance. He won 300 games, and his .680 winning percentage ranks in the top 10 all-time. But his career marks for ERA and WHIP are merely good, certainly not historic. This is misleading. Grove pitched in the 1930s, during an offensive explosion not unlike that of the steroid era. No one from those years has a great ERA or a legendary WHIP. Grove actually led the AL in ERA nine times. Furthermore, Grove pitched in hitter's parks, Shibe and Fenway, the latter being perhaps the worst major league park in history for southpaws.

Grove was the most dominant pitcher of his era. His adjusted ERA+ (which is one of the nerdiest sabermetric tools ever devised, and consequently one of the best methods to evaluate pitchers) is 148, the third-best in history, behind only Mariano Rivera and Pedro Martinez (who have fewer innings pitched, combined, than Grove). Grove led the American League in strikeouts for each of his first seven seasons, and led the International League in the four years prior, when the Baltimore Orioles refused to sell his contract to a major league club. In today's game, a pitcher who goes 25-10 in AAA and leads his league in strikeouts would get an immediate call-up. Grove played three more seasons in the minors. Altogether he was 108-36 (.750) with the Orioles. Grove's MLB stats don't reflect that he was already a great pitcher for several years before he got a chance to play in the big leagues.

Grove is the first pitcher in my rotation. He was a sensational big-game pitcher who led the Athletics to three straight pennants (1929-1931), going 79-15 (.840) during those seasons and leading the majors in ERA all three years. In the World Series, Grove was 4-2 with a 1.75 ERA and struck out six times as many batters as he walked.

Stan Musial
.331 / .417 / .559
3630 H, 475 HR, 1951 RBI

If you wanted a good clubhouse guy to build your team around, your first choice might be Musial. Stan the Man was one of the really good guys in baseball, a team leader in every sense. I'm counting on Musial to help keep the clubhouse peace, since I chose two players (Bonds and Cobb) known for their nasty dispositions. I actually have several players known for their character and leadership qualities (Bench, Collins, Wagner, Mathewson), but Musial was virtually unmatched as a team leader. He is remembered so much as a character guy that we sometimes forget what an incredible player he was. Musial won three MVPs and played in 24 All-Star Games. He led the NL in OBP and slugging six times each, in batting seven times. He ranks among the top 10 all-time in hits, extra-base hits, total bases, runs, and RBI.

On my team, Musial bats fifth and plays first base. He played more games in left field than any other position, but he also had more than 1,000 games at first.

Christy Mathewson
373-188, 2.13 ERA, 1.06 WHIP
2502 K, 4.71 K/9, 2.96 K/BB

Matty is the only pitcher among the all-time top 10 in wins, ERA, and WHIP. Mathewson was the Greg Maddux of the early 20th century, the greatest control pitcher of his era. He led the NL in BB/9 (walks per nine innings) seven times, and from 1907-1914, he led the league in strikeout to walk ratio every season. At various times in his career, Mathewson led the NL in games, wins, winning percentage, shutouts, innings, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, SO/9, BB/9, SO/BB, and H/9. He was the first pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame, earning even more votes than Walter Johnson.

Mathewson is the second pitcher in my rotation. I won't ever ask him to pitch three shutouts in a series, but we know he could.

Barry Bonds
.298 / .444 / .607
2935 H, 762 HR, 1996 RBI

Let's start with something a lot of fans have forgotten: Barry Bonds was a phenomenal defensive player, one of the best left fielders ever, winning eight Gold Gloves. Of course, you don't choose Bonds for his defense. He won 12 Silver Sluggers (a record), he's fourth all-time in OPS, and he's the all-time leader in walks and home runs. Bonds also ranks among the top five in MLB history in runs, RBI, and total bases. Something else people forget about Bonds is that he was a terrific baserunner (514 steals), undoubtedly the greatest power/speed player in history.

On my team, Bonds plays left field and bats fourth. That's as good a left fielder as you could ask for, and the all-time home run leader batting cleanup.

Cy Young
511-316, 2.63 ERA, 1.13 WHIP
2803 K, 3.43 K/9, 2.30 K/BB

Young holds all-time records for wins, innings, starts, and complete games. He finished among the top 10 in strikeouts for 18 years in a row and led his league in strikeout-to-walk ratio 11 times. Young also was the first 20th-century pitcher to throw a perfect game, and came within a leadoff walk of becoming the only player ever to record two. Did I mention that he won 500 games?

Young is the third pitcher in my rotation.

Pete Alexander
373-208, 2.56 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
2198 K, 3.81 K/9, 2.31 K/BB

Grover Cleveland Alexander ranks third all-time in wins (tied with Mathewson), 2nd in shutouts, and tied for first in pitching Triple Crowns (3). He was a workhorse who seven times led the NL in innings pitched, and who won 30 games three times. Alexander's 1915 season is not the best ever by a pitcher, but it is on the short list. That year, Alexander went 31-10 for a team that was 59-52 in its other games. He led the NL in strikeouts by almost 50%, posting an ERA of 1.22 and a WHIP of 0.84 while pitching in the hitter-friendly Baker Bowl. The next season, he pitched 16 shutouts, which is still a record. You know a player is special if he holds a major single-season record, and it's not even his best season.

Old Pete is the fourth pitcher in my rotation.

Warren Spahn
363-245, 3.09 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
2583 K, 4.43 K/9, 1.80 K/BB

Spahn is the winningest left-handed pitcher in history, by a large margin. He had thirteen 20-win seasons, five more than any other pitcher who played after World War II. Spahn led the NL in wins eight times, in ERA three times, and in strikeouts four times. He also pitched more innings than any other left-handed pitcher in history, and Spahn's longevity is part of his legend. At 42, Spahn was still an elite pitcher (23-7, 2.60 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, MLB-leading 22 complete games), but in his last two seasons, Spahn played for three different teams and went 13-29 with a 4.62 ERA. This dropped his career winning percentage under .600 and his ERA over 3.00, but I believe that if Spahn had retired in 1963, he would be widely regarded as one of the five best pitchers in the history of baseball. Here are his essential stats through '63:

350-216 (.618), 2.97 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2415 K, 4.46 K/9, 1.82 K/BB

Spahn was 35 when the first Cy Young Award was given, and he retired before they started giving one in each league. He did win the second Cy Young ever awarded, in 1957, when only one major league pitcher was honored, but Spahn also would have been a strong candidate in 1947, when he was 21-10 and led MLB with a 2.33 ERA; in 1953, when he was 23-7 and led MLB with a 2.10 ERA; in 1958, when he led the NL in wins, winning percentage, innings pitched, and WHIP; in 1961, when Spahn again led the NL in wins, ERA, and WHIP; and every season from 1949-51, when each year he won more than 20 games and led the NL in strikeouts. If a National League Cy Young had been awarded every season of Spahn's career, I suspect he would have won at least three, probably twice that.

Spahn is the fifth pitcher in my rotation. I know I drafted Grove in the fourth round and Spahn in the 10th, but I think there is a strong argument to be made that Spahn is the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time.

Ty Cobb
.367 / .431 / .513
4191 H, 117 HR, 1938 RBI

It is widely accepted that Rickey Henderson was the greatest leadoff hitter ever, but most teams bat their best hitter third or fourth. What if you had a lineup so good you could put Wagner, or Rogers Hornsby, or Ted Williams in the leadoff position? What if you could play Ty Cobb there? Using Cobb as a leadoff man has been a fantasy of mine for years. The all-time leader in batting average (.367!), he's also top-10 in on-base percentage (.431) and stolen bases (892).

I would argue that Cobb was just as good a baserunner as Henderson. He hit 724 doubles, 295 triples, and 46 inside-the-park home runs. Cobb stole home 54 times (which is 50 more than Henderson). He stole second, third, and home in the same inning four times. Cobb's batting average is 88 points higher than Henderson's, his OBP is 30 points higher, his slugging percentage is almost 100 points higher, and he did this despite playing most of his career during the deadball era. No other player with Cobb's on-base ability was anywhere near the baserunner Cobb was, and no one with Cobb's base-running skill was anywhere near as good at getting on base. Ty Cobb, batting first, would be the greatest leadoff man ever.

On my team, Cobb plays center field and bats first. He was an outstanding fielder, so good that John McGraw chose Cobb to play center on his all-time team, moving Tris Speaker to left.

Bob Feller
266-162, 3.25 ERA, 1.32 WHIP
2581 strikeouts, 6.07 K/9, 1.46 K/BB

I feel a little bad about this one. My colleagues all drafted true relievers for their teams; I chose a guy who won 266 games and saved 21. Barring the unlikely scenario that Mariano Rivera was still available in the 12th or 13th round, my plan all along was to pick a dominant strikeout pitcher and move him to the bullpen. It takes some imagination to evaluate Feller — who five times led the AL in innings pitched — as a reliever. At least we know he can handle long relief if I need it.

Feller was a strikeout pitcher, a dominator, and that's what I look for in a relief ace. He led the majors in strikeouts four years in a row. Then the war came, and Feller enlisted in the Navy. When his service was over, Feller led MLB in strikeouts for three more years in a row. Without the war, he might have led all pitchers in strikeouts for 11 straight seasons. Feller is one of five pitchers in major league history with at least three no-hitters.

On my team, Feller is the relief ace.

Eddie Collins
.333 / .424 / .429
3315 H, 47 HR, 1300 RBI

So, here's something strange. I rated Rogers Hornsby as my first choice at second base, just barely. When I chose Collins, Hornsby was still available, and I passed him over. Why? Clubhouse chemistry. I had already taken Bonds and Cobb, and adding Hornsby to the mix would have been asking for trouble. Collins, in contrast, was someone any team would want in its clubhouse, one of the Clean Sox, a gentleman. He played for eight pennant winners and six World Series champions, though he was a part-time player for two of them.

But character isn't the only reason to choose Collins over Hornsby. The idea of getting Hornsby's offensive production from a second baseman is immensely appealing, but Collins was a great offensive player, too. He was perfectly suited to the "small ball" of his era, getting on base and making the most of his opportunities. Collins was a singles hitter; only Pete Rose and Ty Cobb hit more singles. He was a fine baserunner who led the AL in steals four times and retired with 744 stolen bases, then the second-best mark in history. Collins also holds a record that will never be broken: 512 career sacrifice hits. No one else has over 400 — Collins probably was the best bunter in the history of baseball. So the offense is at least close. His real advantage over Hornsby — apart from character — is defense. Hornsby was a mediocre defensive player, whereas Collins probably was the best defensive second baseman of his era.

On my team, Collins plays second base and bats seventh. I mentioned earlier that I built my team looking for on-base percentage, sound defense, and left-handed pitching. The third point obviously doesn't apply to position players, but no one on my team exemplifies the first two principles better than Collins (Wagner and Bonds are probably his equal). Collins has a fantastic OBP because, unlike most singles hitters, he walked a ton. He led the AL in 1915, and he was second five other times. His 1,499 BB place him among the top 20 in history. Collins was also a very good defensive player. He probably is not one of the five greatest defensive players ever at his position, but he might be among the top 10, and he certainly is in the top 20.

Chipper Jones
.310 / .407 / .548
2287 H, 408 HR, 1374 RBI (at start of 2009 season)

Chipper's stats above are only through 2008: he is now over 2,300 hits and 1,400 RBI. He was my fourth choice at third base. I had hoped to pick Mike Schmidt 10th overall, but he was taken ninth. That's not to say Jones is unworthy. He's a career .300 hitter who walks (.400 OBP) and hits for power (400 HR), at a position that is typically defense-first. He had six straight seasons with 100 R and 100 RBI, and he has 4000 total bases. Chipper is still playing well — his OPS was over 1.000 the last three years — and I believe that by the time he retires, he will be commonly regarded as one of the three best third basemen ever. Already, Jones rivals Eddie Mathews and Schmidt as the best-ever power hitter at third. Chipper's .548 slugging percentage is easily the highest of any third baseman in history; Schmidt is next at .527, but Jones could go 0-for-his next 286 and still be ahead.

On my team, Jones plays third base and bats sixth. One thing I love about having Chipper on my roster is that he's a switch-hitter. Right-handed pitchers will face a murderer's row of Ruth, Bonds, Musial, Jones, and Collins in succession, all batting left-handed. Good luck getting off the mound against that group. Against southpaws, Jones can hit righty, so that I never have more than three lefties in a row.

What I Love About the Other Teams

In alphabetical order by last name:

It seems obvious to me that Diane has assembled the best fielding team in history. Even without including pitchers, her lineup collected a combined 47 Gold Gloves, and that doesn't count Joe DiMaggio, who retired before the award began but would have won a dozen. That's an average of about 7 GG per position.

Bill drafted a number of players I was hoping to get, and I think his team is the most similar to mine. My favorite part of his roster, if I had to pick just one, is probably the pitching staff. It's an incredible group, led by Walter Johnson, whom I had rated as the best pitcher in history.

I am absolutely blown away by Jeff's outfield: Williams, Mantle, and Aaron. All three are 500-homer guys. Jeff's lineup has by far the most home runs (3,807) of the four teams we drafted. He also has world-class left-handed pitching.

Why I Think My Team is the Best

Statistics.

I chose more old players than any of my colleagues, and our only real tool to compare them to modern players is statistics. We know that these men were regarded as the best players of their day, but I never saw Collins hit, or Cobb run, or Wagner field, or Mathewson pitch. None of us have. But I think most readers will agree that my players have the best stats of any team we drafted. Let's start with offense:

If you compare our four teams, my batters combine for the most hits (24,738). Also for the most doubles (4,472) and triples (1,187) and total bases (40,647). And the most runs (14,649) and RBI (13,911). We have the most walks (12,099) and the fewest strikeouts (6,983). We have the most steals (3,281) by over 1,000. My lineup has the highest collective batting average (.325), on-base percentage (.417), and slugging percentage (.533). My team leads the other three in every major offensive category except home runs (3,021).

My top two hitters, Cobb and Wagner, combine for 4,000 runs, 7,500 hits, 2,200 walks, 1,600 stolen bases, and just 684 strikeouts, with a collective batting average of .348. Behind them are perhaps the two greatest power hitters in history, Ruth (second all-time in RBI) and Bonds (fourth), followed by three-time MVP Musial (sixth). Sixth up is Chipper Jones, who by now could reasonably be regarded as the second-best switch-hitter in MLB history (behind Mantle, and maybe Eddie Murray or Pete Rose). Eddie Collins is an ideal hitter at any point in the order. With his on-base percentage and baserunning ability, he's perfectly suited to start a rally. If there's already a runner on, Collins — a legendary contact hitter and the best bunter ever — will move him up or send him home. Finally, my slugging catcher, Bench, who holds the single-season record for HR by a catcher.

The players I drafted are less exceptional as fielders than as batters. It is still a superb fielding team, a better fielding team than any real MLB club has ever assembled. At the game's two most important defensive positions, I have historically great fielders, arguably the best ever (Bench and Wagner). At the other defense-first positions, my team features exceptional fielders, not just good but very good (Cobb and Collins). I also chose a historically great left fielder (Bonds), which leaves only right field and the corner infield positions as potential question marks.

Babe Ruth is probably the worst fielder on my team. He was not a terrible fielder, but he was not a good one. He did have a good throwing arm, of course. Chipper Jones is not a particularly good defensive third baseman; he is adequate. I am not aware that anyone has ever suggested Stan Musial was a defensive liability. I think this meets my goal of sound defense: there are no glaring weaknesses, and my fielding is exceptionally good at the most important defensive positions.

If you compare the four teams, my pitching rotation (not including Feller) combines for by far the most wins, 1,920 (Bill's team was next at 1,430). We also have the best winning percentage (.636), the best collective ERA (2.68), and 5,000 more innings (26,511) than the other rotations. Five of my six pitchers won Triple Crowns, almost as many as the other three teams together (6). Grove, Mathewson, and Alexander won multiple Triple Crowns. Four of my six pitchers threw multiple no hitters, more than the other three teams together (3).

There are eight pitchers in MLB history who won 150 games more than they lost:

1. Cy Young, +195
2. Al Spalding, +187
3. Christy Mathewson, +185
4. Roger Clemens, +170
5. Pete Alexander, +169
6. Lefty Grove, +159
7. Kid Nichols, +153
8. John Clarkson, +150

Spalding played in the early 1870s, and Clarkson mostly in the 1880s, in leagues that bore little resemblance to the modern game. Four of the other six pitchers are on my roster. Warren Spahn was +118, which ranks 15th all-time and 11th among 20th-century pitchers. Bob Feller was +104 (23rd, 17th). All of my pitchers won 100 games more than they lost, and my rotation is a combined +822, an average of +164½.

For those less inclined toward statistics, consider that I drafted the first four players elected to the Hall of Fame. Everyone acknowledges Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson as all-time greats, but in the first Hall of Fame vote, Cobb got more votes than Ruth, Wagner got just as many, and Mathewson got more votes than the Big Train. My colleagues drafted terrific teams, but I think this one takes the cake.

Monday, July 6: Introduction
Wednesday, July 8: Jeff Kallman's Team
Thursday, July 9: Brad Oremland's Team
Friday, July 10: Diane Grassi's Team
Monday, July 13: Bill Hazell's Team

Posted by Brad Oremland at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)

Shame in Their Fame?

As we get into the heat of summer, all the bright lights of the baseball world will shine on St. Louis next week. Next Tuesday will be a night when older stars show off for the masses, and rising performers will stake their claim to future success. We'll watch the all-star festivities on television (or in person, if you're lucky) and wonder a couple of different things.

How long before these vets are eligible for the Hall of Fame?

Which of these youngsters could become Hall of Fame worthy down the road?

Over the years, these questions seemed innocent enough, but with the mass introduction of performance enhancing drugs to the sport, answers have become much murkier. Through the last 20-25 years, a generation of largely unknown users were dotted amongst our favorite teams, masquerading themselves as our athletics heroes. Consequences took shape at a snail's pace, and that might have put the definition of a baseball "legend" in limbo until we sit through a new generation of thoroughly tested players.

Numerous baseball pundits and bloggers (this site included) have put their opinions out that anyone proven to be positive of cheating the game should never be allowed into Cooperstown. Others think there should be some kind of caveat. Maybe put an asterisk, an explanation, or an entire separate wing onto the Hall to denote this era. I've been on the fence about this topic since the drip of allegations took on waterfall characteristics.

Then Rafael Palmeiro opened his big yap for the first time in a long time last week. Accepting his invitation into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, the former 20-year veteran maintained his stance that the bulk of his playing career was being performed PED-free. Honestly, I thought he was completely off-base with that "drug was tainted/someone set me up/they were out to get me" sentiment. That's beside the point.

I thought the most interesting piece of his conversation with ESPN centered around his reaction to Manny Ramirez's return from a 50-game suspension last week.

"I wouldn't want anyone, I wouldn't want him to feel the way I felt when I was going through it," Palmeiro told ESPN's Pedro Gomez, "and I'm glad that people see it in a different way and they're celebrating his return because he means so much to the Dodgers."

Now, hearing that response, all the cliché verbiage can apply. Once a cheater, always a cheater ... birds of a feather flock together ... takes one to know one ... and the like. But after thinking for a minute or two, something else crept into my head. The fans have embraced this. We always have. Whether unknowingly in the summer of 1998 or as Mannywood gets re-established in Los Angeles next Thursday, fans celebrate their heroes, tainted or not.

A hall of fame is simply described as a "museum dedicated to famous people" or a "pantheon." Its participants are those that excel at their craft. And no matter how hard we may deny that they performed on a level playing field, the exploits of names such as Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, and Rafael Palmeiro lifted them to a superstar status. The same will be the case for Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez when they retire. They didn't just put up the numbers. We celebrated them and those numbers.

Baseball has been a game of evolution through time, and the Hall of Fame is a reflection of that. The inductees that first entered the Hall did so playing in a segregated arena, where minorities were left out of the picture. Closers that are inducted now have save numbers that dwarf previous generations thanks to rule changes. The influence of the designated hitter is said to continually extend many careers. It might have been a factor in Eddie Murray's induction and may be the platform for Edgar Martinez possibly getting through.

The reason for every single person getting into the Hall of Fame is just that ... fame. Most people didn't have the same level of impact on the game as others. Not everyone was as clutch a hitter, or as fine a fielder, or as dominant as they were steady. But everyone grew their stature to larger than life. That same thing can be said for the accused and convicted "steroid studs" of this era.

This is why I believe they should all be let in, every last one of those super freaks. An explanation on their plaques would be fine by me, but they should be put in. You can boo them at their induction ceremony, but they should be put in. You can question their heart, soul, and will all you want, but they should be put in. If there's any blame for them getting to this position, it's because of us.

We were the ones buying tickets to the game, taking their jerseys off the shelves, and voting them to All-Star Games. We could have boycotted the stadiums, left money out of the owners' pockets, and, at least, made a statement. However, to this day, we still follow our teams (myself included), with the hope that players are fair and above the murky steroid-filled waters of their predecessors.

One day in the near future, Frank Thomas and Ken Griffey, Jr. will be up for enshrinement to Cooperstown. There's no doubt about their cleanliness and even less about their upcoming inductions. But is their clean fame more genuine than someone's "dingy" recognition? Albert Pujols is the next person in line to immortality, but, unfortunately, no one is above the suffocating cloud of suspicion. Every star seen in or around this era will be guilty of enhancing, of association, or of complacency.

Even with those clouds hanging over this generation, my generation, it did exist, there were star players, and we put them on pedestals for nearly two decades. Just like it was up to us to lift their feats to extraordinary heights, it's up to us to pass on just what they mean. It's up to the parents to warn their kids about the dangers of PEDs. It's up to the media to pull the "star" moniker from those they feel have tainted the game. It's up to the fans to decide not to celebrate the offenders with best-selling novels, high-priced appearances, or post-career nostalgia trips.

But these guys do belong in Cooperstown. The name on the building includes the words "Hall of Fame," not "Hall of Fairness and Integrity." Maybe that building could be opened during the next century-plus of baseball.

Posted by Jonathan Lowe at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)

July 8, 2009

SC's All-Time MLB Draft (Pt. 2)

This article is part of a series. Also see: Introduction

I'm not exactly accustomed to batting leadoff, either as a player (I played baseball as a kid and usually got put in the lower holes of the order) or as a general manager (albeit in the fantasy world), so I'm a little nervous about swinging at a first-pitch fastball with a lot of high ride. But since Brad Oremland and company drew the appropriate straws and I came up leadoff, I think I can live with it. I didn't do half bad opening our little draft, either.

I'm going to get this much out of the way first: my club would have some very formidable competition in actual games. (Tell me you wouldn't be a little bit nervous sending even Mickey Mantle or Hank Aaron up to face The Mariano in the ninth inning.) But in all fairness so would Brad's, Diane's, and Bill's clubs against mine. Though I have to admit that any game in which Yogi Berra in prime squares off against Johnny Bench in prime; or, Mike Schmidt in prime versus George Brett in prime, would be games to remember even before the first pitches are thrown.

I went, essentially, for a) a team that would put runs on the scoreboard; b) a team that would also keep runs off the scoreboard on the other guys' ledger; and, c) a team that wasn't likely to make more headlines for clubhouse toxins or off-the-field shenanigans than for what they did on the field. (Okay, so Ted Williams could be and often was the biggest pain in the ass in the Show in his time and place, but Ted Williams was a divinity student compared to an awful lot of other people who didn't get half the headlines or produce a tenth of what he produced and, anyway, don't think for a minute that most of the rest of my team would be shy about putting Teddy Ballgame into his place now and then. Even if Mickey Mantle could deke him into a hustle of a clubhouse raffle.)

Here to recap, first, are the drafts, by positional order:

	Yours, Truly	Brad Oremland	Diane M. Grassi	Bill Hazell

C	Yogi Berra	Johnny Bench	Gary Carter	Ivan Rodriguez

1B	Willie McCovey	Stan Musial	Pete Rose	Lou Gehrig

2B	Jackie Robinson	Eddie Collins	Joe Morgan	Roberto Alomar

SS	Cal Ripken, Jr.	Honus Wagner	Ozzie Smith	Alex Rodriguez

3B	Mike Schmidt	Chipper Jones	Brooks Robinson	George Brett

LF	Ted Williams	Barry Bonds	Carl Yastrzemski Ken Griffey, Jr.

CF	Mickey Mantle	Ty Cobb		Joe DiMaggio	Willie Mays

RF	Hank Aaron	Babe Ruth	Frank Robinson	Roberto Clemente

SP	Sandy Koufax	Lefty Grove	Tom Seaver	Walter Johnson

SP	Juan Marichal	C.Mathewson	Nolan Ryan	Roger Clemens

SP	Bob Gibson	Cy Young	Steve Carlton	Whitey Ford

SP	Randy Johnson	Pete Alexander	Ron Guidry	Pedro Martinez

SP	Greg Maddux	Warren Spahn	Catfish Hunter	Don Drysdale

RP	Rollie Fingers	Bob Feller	Goose Gossage	Mariano Rivera

Yogi Berra — In fact, knowing I had the first pick overall in our little fantasy round, I knew immediately whom I was picking first and why, and it was no contest and no brainer time. I went for the throat. I went for Yogi Berra. And I will tell you why, with a major boost from Allen Barra, whose writing on the subject (in Brushbacks and Knockdowns) convinced me absolutely — Yogi Berra, who beats out Johnny Bench by a slender but none the less considerable degree as the greatest catcher ever to play Major League Baseball, is quite likely the single greatest team player of all-time in any team sport.

The evidence? Barra isolated it, I confirmed it myself with my own research, and here it is: with perhaps the single exception of Whitey Ford, who would have been a great pitcher even if he'd had Bob Uecker behind his plates (and Whitey's only two 20-win seasons came with Elston Howard behind his plate), every Yankee pitcher who threw to Yogi Berra, when Berra was the regular Yankee catcher (which was about eleven seasons and seven World Series rings worth), performed considerably more superior on the mound than at any other time in their entire major league careers. Even Allie Reynolds; even Eddie Lopat; even Vic Raschi; even Bob Turley. Bobby Shantz, who once bagged an American League MVP (as a 24-game winner for the 1952 Philadelphia Athletics, of all people), spent a few seasons pitching quite below that level before he became another Yankee reclamation project and got to throw to Berra for a couple of seasons. They were the better seasons of his later career.

And if you can throw practically any workable major league pitcher on the mound and put Yogi behind his dish, and he can show the kind of improvements those gentlemen showed, just imagine what you'd get if you put Yogi behind the dishes of, well, just about every pitcher Brad, Diane, Bill, and myself drafted. Put it this way: Whitey Ford himself claims to this day that it was Berra who gave him the confidence he needed to appear the cocksure, no-quarter pitcher he appeared on the mound even with a repertoire that wasn't exactly the personification of power pitching.

The fact that you're also going to get a man who hit for power, produced runs at remarkable rates for his field position, had an above-average throwing arm, was the best defencive catcher of his time, was an intelligent baserunner who rarely cost his team runs on the bases, and knew what he was doing behind and at the plate, is a mere bonus. The name of the game is six parts putting runs on the scoreboard and half a dozen parts keeping them off the scoreboard. And if you can find me a catcher who's going to make six Hall of Fame pitchers (incumbent or in waiting) that much more certain that you can't pry runs out of them with guns and masks, you're smarter than I am.

Willie McCovey — You can do an awful lot worse at first base — especially when a) Lou Gehrig has been snatched ahead of you; and, b) your brain vaporized enough to cause you to forget Keith Hernandez (arguably the greatest-fielding first baseman ever to play the game) — than pick a guy who hit 521 bombs, drove in 1,555 runs, and produced 164 runs per 162 games to play first base for you. Forgotten: Stretch was a slightly above average fielder, even if you allow his height advantage in picking off bad throws, and for a guy who seemed allergic to taking a walk, he wasn't quite the strikeout machine you might have thought, either. (He doesn't even crack the top 20 on the all-time list.) And he isn't the first guy who'll kill your rally hitting into double plays, either — he averaged a mere 11 per 162 games.

Jackie Robinson — Forget the pioneer. Forget the racial courage. Forget, in other words, everything else you know about Jackie and concentrate on the ballplayer. And when you do, you're going to come up with one thing: this guy would have been a no-questions-asked Hall of Famer even if he was white. He was actually a virtuoso multi-position player, but there's no argument: second base was his best position and he was an athletic and intelligent defensive player. You might care to note that he finished his career having produced 197 runs per 162 games, and that includes driving in an average 87 runs, most of the time from the leadoff or number two lineup slot. In the 1950s, that was an amazing achievement. And if you're looking for a nonpareil leadoff man, you might care to note that Robinson struck out 34 times per 162 games lifetime while taking 87 walks per the same games.

What a surprise that Leo Durocher, later an enemy, once said of him, "He don't come to play. He come to beat you. He come to shove the bat right up your ass." Which was once thought, surely, of Ty Cobb. But Jackie Robinson won't blow up your clubhouse down the stretch.

Cal Ripken, Jr. — The chase and passage of Lou Gehrig's longevity record has left Ripken with a rather unfair reputation for having been less than the player he really was. We'll put it this way: Ripken re-introduced a long-missing thought to Major League Baseball — that a shortstop could be big without being an on-field putz and could produce runs in big ways, period, never mind sending over 400 over the fence and whacking 3,000 or more hits.

He was the prototype for the contemporary power shortstop; it's very possible that Alex Rodriguez and (when he wasn't fighting injuries) Nomar Garciaparra wouldn't have been all that possible without Ripken. Producing 180 runs per 162 games kind of nails that one securely, even if A-Rod, especially, has left him in the lurch other than the clubhouse class that Ripken had to burn. My favorite instance: the notorious season-opening Oriole losing streak, during the tail end of which Ripken spotted a new reporter on the Oriole beat and beckoned him over: "Join the hostages."

Mike Schmidt — The single greatest two-ways third baseman ever to play the game. Only George Brett is anywhere in Schmidt's neighborhood. As a hitter, Schmidt's bombs were indeed what Thomas Boswell called conversation pieces; as a fielder, Schmidt was an elegant assassin. To hit with his kind of power and to play the kind of third base that creates almost as many conversations as the bombs do is as singular as is producing 208 runs per 162 games, lifetime, playing a field position that's murdered many an otherwise serviceable hitter.

Ted Williams — What you don't need me to tell you: There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived, and if you don't believe him he'll be glad to tell you. (Repeatedly.) What you probably don't know: he was a better fielder than credited; his fielding average was only a tick below the league average, but his range factor was a couple of ticks above the league average. He was exactly at the level of his league in the field, something Babe Ruth couldn't necessarily claim. (Neither can a lot of other Hall of Famers, for that matter.)

Of course, you're going to pick him because of those 257 runs produced per 162 games, first and foremost, but the Splinter wasn't even close to an embarrassment in the field. As for his postseason performance, let's be fair: he was hurt in the one World Series he did get to play, and he never got the chance to play in another one.

Mickey Mantle — He may be the single most unfairly judged player ever to wear a major league uniform, which is a strange thing to say about a Hall of Famer, but think about it: how often even now do you hear Mickey Mantle couched in terms amounting to what might have been? Nearly every conversation I've ever had about the man comes down to that, and Mantle himself — in the late years of his life, confessing his failures as a man, lamented too often about what he might have been — and frankly I thought Allen Barra should have won a prize for finally coming out and saying (as he did in Clearing the Bases) that Mickey Mantle deserves to be judged not for what he might have been but for what in fact he was.

Would you believe that, in their 12 best seasons, Mantle reached base more often than Willie Mays, his incomparable contemporary? Would you believe he has a better stolen base percentage overall? A better on-base percentage than Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, and Tony Gwynn? Would you believe he grounded into 138 fewer double plays lifetime? You can look at the evidence as it is. Or, you can look at the evidence as you thought it was supposed to have been but for all those other factors that add up to the might-have-beens that do him no further justice than they do us. Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays were probably the two most complete players ever to wear a major league uniform, but there is indeed a dime's worth of difference between them and the dime belongs to Mantle.

Hank Aaron — Probably the single most consistent Hall of Fame power and average hitter (and above-average fielder). That's often held against him, because he didn't have the Big Number Season that sticks out like an abscess. But you and I both know that he was damn near the overall equal of Mantle and Mays, did things right at the plate and in the field, and was also pretty deadly in the postseason, too.

What you might have forgotten about Hank Aaron: he averaged 69 walks per 162 games but he also averaged 68 strikeouts per 162 games. It's not that strikeouts are that terrifying (you'd rather see someone hit into double plays?), but I can't think of a more evenly balanced player between the two. I'm not even sure one really exists.

Sandy Koufax — You probably don't need me to argue his greatness, but once upon a time Bill James isolated a stat on Sandy that astonished even me, and I saw the man pitch in his prime: mulcting two of his best seasons, then examining how he pitched when he had less than three runs to work with, Koufax turned out with a won-lost record over the two of 18-1. Think about that: less than three runs to work with; 18-1. Combine that with his 6-2 won-lost record, lifetime, in games he pitched on two days' rest, and no one should ever again be allowed to call him overrated.

Add to that how deadly he was in the World Series (0.88 lifetime ERA), and that his three 20-win seasons showed him winning more each time out, only beginning with a 25-win season, and if you get the chance and don't draft Koufax to lead your rotation you should probably undergo severe psychoanalysis.

Juan Marichal — Marichal would have won the one-across-the-board Cy Young Awards Sandy Koufax had won if Koufax had chosen some other line of work in those years. He doesn't have the image, because he only ever got to play in one World Series and didn't get a lot of work in it (like Ted Williams, Juan never got another chance to strut in a Series), but Juan Marichal actually out-pitched Bob Gibson (who does have the image and the World Series jacket to match) in their best seasons, and — like Koufax — usually pitched his best baseball against contending teams. Juan Marichal was probably the best right-handed pitcher in the post-World War II era, at least until Tom Seaver came into the league. And even then...

To this day, the Roseboro incident is held against him (it was when it came time for his Hall of Fame eligibility), which shows how much people really remember about the incident. You'd have a hard time holding your temper if the other guy's catcher threw one right past your ear, when you were facing the field, because he thought his pitcher hadn't gotten you good enough for brushing back a couple of his guys, and advanced on you a) wielding a heavy catcher's mask in a slightly threatening position; and, b) with a little martial arts knowledge to boot. It doesn't excuse Marichal, but it isn't fair to say he was unprovoked.

Something which, surely, John Roseboro himself came to understand; Marichal eventually apologized for the incident and Roseboro eventually became one of his prime champions for the Hall of Fame.

Bob Gibson — You don't denigrate Bob Gibson to say Juan Marichal out-pitched him in their best seasons. And you don't say no when you've got the chance to put Hoot and the Dandy in your rotation. You're talking about two men who knew what they were doing on the mound and turned baseball games into marksmanship contests, even if Marichal was by far the most fun of the pair to watch with all those windups and kicks. And if you don't think you're going to win some World Series games with a Koufax and a Gibson in your rotation, you must have slept through the 1960s...

Randy Johnson — He has this much in common with Koufax: his career went from nothing special (if you don't count all the strikeouts) to never better. But with Koufax it was correcting a delivery hitch. (He was always a good and intelligent pitcher.) With Johnson, it was learning as he earned. More than any pitcher of his time, the Big Unit learned, little by little, but none the less profoundly, to become a pitcher. By the time he arrived in Arizona (I wonder if the Mariners still kick themselves for letting him loose), Johnson was as formidable a mound thinker as he was a mound marksman. And once his education was complete, he was probably the deadliest pitcher of his time in his prime seasons, and he left no doubt about his dangerousness in the postseason. He never really lost his intimidation factor or his mastery of the inside half of the plate, or his willingness to use it liberally and mercilessly, but watching Randy Johnson become a pitcher of mind as well as matter is one of the great thrills of a lifetime of baseball watching.

He finally won his 300th game this season. He earned it.

Greg Maddux — The brains of the rotation. (Not that Koufax, Marichal, Gibson, and Johnson were dummies.) The living proof that you don't need power (though the youthful Maddux had power to spare) to keep the other guys from getting frisky at the plate. Match him to Tom Seaver and you've probably got the two brainest pitchers who ever practised the art. Maddux, like Marichal, usually pitched his best baseball against contending teams in his prime, and, like Koufax, he was also one of the most valuable brains to pick for young pitchers trying to learn the art without intimidation. You put together an extraterrestrial talent with an eagerness to teach and you've got something invaluable to any team. That, plus 350 wins...

Rollie Fingers — What Dick Radatz should have ended up having been — an intimidating reliever with an armload of power who was the Goose Gossage prototype (Radatz was done in prematurely when he tried mixing an uncomfortable slider into his brief repertoire, allegedly on Ted Williams' counsel, and failed to keep his playing weight under control, after three seasons in which he terrorized the American League) — Rollie Fingers was. He could work two innings or five without skipping a beat; he threw stuff that could tie up a hitter into a meek grounder or a modest fly out; and he seemed to have the rare ability (or so I thought when I watched him pitch, anyway) for a reliever of being able to think three hitters ahead and work the incumbent appropriately.

The Lineup

1. Robinson, 2B
2. Ripken, SS
3. Schmidt, 3B
4. Mantle, CF
5. Berra, C
6. Williams, LF
7. Aaron, RF
8. McCovey, 1B
9. Koufax, SP

Monday, July 6: Introduction
Wednesday, July 8: Jeff Kallman's Team
Thursday, July 9: Brad Oremland's Team
Friday, July 10: Diane Grassi's Team
Monday, July 13: Bill Hazell's Team

Posted by Jeff Kallman at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)

Deep Blue: MLB at Midseason

More than halfway into the baseball season, we've finally gotten to that phase where flashes in the pan have had time to fade, the true horses in baseball have had time to right themselves after stumbling out of the gate, and basically, we have learned two things.

The Dodgers are very good.

The Nationals are very bad.

Most everyone else, while not necessarily on the beach-front real estate of a division leader, can see the ocean from here. Nineteen teams are within 5.5 games of the division lead. And that doesn't include the wild card-leading Giants, or the Rockies (second in the wild card, two games back) leaving just nine of 30 teams that are six games back of a playoff spot.

The reason the Giants and Rockies can't smell the sea air of division-front property? The Dodgers have been the exception to the iron-fisted rule of parity in baseball. (The Red Sox and Yankees are close, inching towards .600 baseball.) Now that they have had a great season so far has not been shocking. That they could amass the best record in baseball and a seven-game lead in the NL West, while Manny Ramirez was banned from baseball for 50 games, now that will strike some people as odd.

What has keyed the Dodgers' run in the absence of their apparent linchpin? The easy answer is pitching. It makes life a lot easier when you have the second best staff ERA in baseball. We knew Chad Billingsley would be the ace, and sure enough, he leads the staff in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. The emergence of Clayton Kershaw and resurgence of Randy Wolf (both ERAs under 3.50) have helped, and the scary thing is that they've been unlucky so far, with 5-5 and 3-3 records, respectively.

Part of the explanation is that Dodgers pitchers don't go all that deep into games. They rank just 22nd in the majors in innings pitched by starters. Then again, if you were handing the ball off to a bullpen as deep as the Dodgers', there is no reason to stretch a starter into high pitch counts and reduced effectiveness. Not with a 'pen that is 23-10 with a 3.31 ERA and a .226 batting average against. And that's in a lot of innings; this group is deep. Sure, John Broxton has saved 20 of 22 chances while striking out 65 hitters in 39.2 innings (yes, that's 14.75 per nine innings). But about five other guys have been guys the Dodgers can rely on to get outs.

Of course, the Giants have an even better staff ERA than the Dodgers, and yet find themselves seven games back. It turned out, though, that despite Manny Ramirez's absence, the Dodgers were able to score runs anyway. Like the staff, the offense doesn't rely on a Pujolsian effort from anyone, but a wave of professional hitters that make you work for each out up and down the lineup. Former whipping-boy Juan Pierre is hitting everything within reach and getting on base at a .386 clip, about 40 points above his career mark and about 55 points above what he posted for L.A. in his first two years. And from Andre Ethier to Russell Martin, from Matt Kemp to Casey Blake, from Orlando Hudson to James Loney, there isn't a free out in the bunch. Getting Manny back? Yeah, that shouldn't hurt.

This Dodger team has not only been surprisingly effective so far despite losing their best player. It has shown the type of depth that can withstand injuries and guys coming down to earth as the season wears on. And that should scare a lot of NL teams heading into September and October, especially as they all battle injuries and stretch pitchers as they fight and claw among the masses just to get into the postseason.

Some other interesting plot-lines from the first half:

Only agreement on all-star lineups: we don't agree with the all-star lineups. Perhaps an overstatement, but other than the fact that Josh Hamilton and Tim Wakefield have no business being there, you will find no consensus anywhere. I already put up an article on AL and NL starters at voting time a while ago, and enough people are weighing in that I don't want to dwell on it for too long.

But Dustin Pedroia passing Ian Kinsler in voting was wrong even with Kinsler's recent slump; coaches and fans fall into the traps of choosing closers (Ryan Franklin), reputation (Derek Jeter), personal bias (Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard), and complete lack of reason (Hunter Pence, Hamilton); meanwhile, they somehow whiffed on A.J. Burnett, John Lester, Adam Dunn, Nelson Cruz, Yovani Gallardo, Javier Vazquez, and Kevin Millwood. I know you can't get all of these squeezed in, but none of them?

The Mets wonder what went wrong with plan to ride aging lineup and thin pitching staff. Supposed to contend by most people's guesses, the Mets have been average at best and, scary as it seems, it could be a lot worse. Their staff past Johan Santana is a joke, and not a funny one. If you take Santana away, the staff has an ERA of 5.04 and WHIP at 1.52. You know it's bad when an AARP-qualifying Livan Hernandez is a stabilizing force. But hey, at least they bolstered that bullpen in the offseason.

So the Mets have a great chance of winning every fifth day, and on the rest, the offense better show with the lumber. Of course, the offense literally hasn't been showing up. It's never good when Daniel Murphy is second on the team in games played. And yes, his stats are as bad as you think. Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado have played in 52 games. Combined. Carlos Beltran has also missed time. And yet, somehow, the Phillies have refused to run away in the sea of mediocrity that is the MLB, and the Mets sit a mere 3.5 games out. Mind-blowing.

Raul Ibanez, like Yankees, finds it easier to homer in little league park. After moving from the relatively pitcher-friendly facilities in Seattle to the less-constraining Citizens Park in Philly, Ibanez looks a lot like the MVP of the Non-Pujols League. Which the Phillies needed, because not only is he replacing Pat Burrell's production, but he was also trying to replace that of Jimmy Rollins, who has just recently re-emerged from the hitless protection program, along with David Ortiz. Still, pitching woes of their own leave the Marlins just behind them (again, the six-year plan: 1997, 2003 ... 2009?), and the Mets, who should have been mortally wounded by their first half, remain on life-support.

That thud you heard was the high-flying Jays returning to earth. Led by perennial all-star and chronically underrated Roy Halladay and a fierce hitting infield trio of Scott Rolen, Marco Scutaro, and Aaron Hill (of whom only Hill will be seen in St. Louis), Toronto sprinted to the top of the AL East, sitting at 27-14 by the morning of May 19. Then a combination of a slew of injuries and gravity took the Blue Jays off their perch. Now they sit just two games over .500 and losers of seven of their last nine.

Rays forget how to win, remember again, then forget a second time. The defending AL champs started out of the gate, finding themselves 16-20 and 6.5 games out of first by May 14. Then they ran off a stretch of 28-15 baseball to get back into the race before losing their last four ... and now they are just 5.5 games out. Let's just say they picked a good time to right the ship as the Yankees and Red Sox began their charges, and you have to expect the talent there to keep them in that race. Because the Sox and Yanks are far from perfect.

Ricketts to own Cubs; jokes write themselves in droves. It's just one of those cases where I've seen enough material in the immediate aftermath of the pending sale of the Cubs and Wrigley Field to Tom Ricketts that I just can't add much to it without flagrant plagiarism. That's what happens when an archaic disease finds a pun in the name of the owner of a century-long curse.

Manny returns; Dodger fan word for the week: hypocrisy. Look, I get it. Fans are going to root for their guy. But when you are the fan base that once buried a certain rival slugger with boos and 'roid chants, the irony hits you with the subtlety of a sledge hammer to the temple.

All indications are that Dodger fans are fine with their blatant double-standard; it remains to be seen how Giants fans react. But let's remember, they already took the Dodger route, unabashedly cheering their goosed-up hero like the second coming of Willie Mays, all while the only thing growing faster than his head and muscles were his already-prodigious numbers (while in his very late 30s no less) and list of people implicating him with PED use. The idea of serenading Manny with any more boos than usual, or even contemplating chanting anything drug related, will unequivocally make that booking in savage- hypocrisy-land a reservation for two.

Of course, if the rapid pace with which the Giants' organization sterilized and purged their ballpark of any mention of the increasingly guilty-looking Bonds the second they could no longer make money on him is any indication, Dodgers fans won't be dining alone.

Albert Pujols thinks he's Roger Maris; prepares for investigations and asterisk. As California fans grapple (or refuse to grapple) with their newfound role reversal, Albert Pujols is not far off the pace of being the first Testing Era hitter to eclipse 61. This story is getting relatively low level play compared to home run chases of yesteryear. I guess it's just another case of fool me thrice, shame on you, fool me four times...

Pujols, nevertheless, would be the first player to eclipse Ruth's 60 or Roger's 61 while having to deal with those pesky drug tests. As Manny can attest, that makes things a bit trickier. And it doesn't hurt that he's never been directly implicated by anything more telling than being an absurdly good hitter who hits baseballs into orbit. Then again, this chase can easily be derailed when pitchers realize that he is the only person in the Cardinals' lineup that can actually hit a baseball and stop pitching to him.

By the way, you think the home run chase is being side-tracked to sub-plot land, check out the Triple Crown he finds within his reach this late in the season. Right now, he's 10 points of batting average from putting himself in that position. Not saying it will happen, but if anyone can pull it off, he can; after all, his average-focused swing has already put him in position to cruise in the category toughest for him to win. My call as to what stops him? He's passed in RBI thanks to a weak lineup. Or, as mentioned, everyone stops pitching to him entirely.

In any case, try to enjoy an All-Star Game in St. Louis headlined by the game's premier hitter, one who is seen to have a chance to help bring baseball out of the shadows of an obviously tainted era into a more subtly and nebulously tainted era. Just hope that testing the MLB implemented helps prevent us from having to write the same thing about Cardinals fans turning a blind, naive eye a few years down the road.

Posted by Kyle Jahner at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)

The Art of Naming Your Fantasy Team

As soon as July rolls around, and the NBA Finals fade away, the average sports fan starts to focus on their second job: being the general manager of a fantasy football team they call their own. Ever since man could walk, it has been a known fact that drafting running backs early and often is the only way to succeed in fantasy football, and that all other options are destined to fail.

Although, over the past three years, the league has turned to more of a pass-happy style, one still can't go wrong with grabbing a couple of stud backs with their first few draft picks. However, you can grope over all of this nonsense on your own time. I am here to discuss the true importance of the art of fantasy football: naming your team.

In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Juliet asks "What's in a name?" in an attempt to question the ongoing hate between Capulets and Montagues that prevent them from ever being able to freely love one another. Any high school graduate knows that this question is ultimately answered when both Romeo and Juliet commit suicide at the end of the play, proving that a lot is riding on your name. This is no different in fantasy football.

While I can't guarantee you that having the perfect team name will bring you home a trophy, I can boldly predict that it will take your mind away from the inevitable busts you draft round after round. Take it from me; I had Tom Brady last year. Now while thousands of clever names have most likely been discovered and used all across the country, I have chosen to review for you the 12 team names that are accustomed to my personal fantasy football league.

Double D's

This team claims that Double D's originated from the original owner's names, Drew and Dan, but anytime it is acceptable to use a picture of a top-heavy female as a team logo, you really can't go wrong. Several years after the creation of the team, I proudly joined the Double D's dynasty.

2 Guys 1 Cup

Inspired by the ever so popular, and yes, disgusting, 2 Girls 1 Cup, these two Patriot fans claim to be straight. However, we sit them at their own table, just to be safe

Dude!

Although not the most creative name in the world, Dude does make for some laughs when other league members repeatedly scream "Dude!" after every pick he makes. However, this gets old rather quickly.

Romosexuals

While this common name has been used in the past to poke fun at Tony Romo, this Dallas Cowboy fan sort of embraces the name with his man crush on Romo. When he was drafted one slot before Romosexual's pick last season, this grown man nearly broke into tears.

Yellow Snow

Good use of imagery. Though I am not sure how pissing in snow relates whatsoever to fantasy football, I am a fan of yellow snow.

Unwed Fathers

Anyone who knows this man is already aware that this is an appropriate name that really speaks for itself. My favorite fantasy draft moment of all time was about four years ago when Unwed Fathers asked an ex league member if Jay Fiedler, quarterback for the Dolphins at the time, was still on the board. After receiving an answer of "no, he got taken awhile back," Unwed Fathers proceeded to pick another quarterback. Two picks later, Jay Fiedler was drafted and the ex-league member, who wishes to remain nameless, was on the ground with a black eye. Maybe that's why Unwed Fathers still isn't married.

Real Men of Genius

Inspired by the hilarious Bud Light commercials starting in 2006, Real Men of Genius is an ode to a collection of "unsung heroes" in the world today. "Here's to you, Mr. Hawaiian shirt pattern designer."

Clueless

This team wins the championship every other year. Oh, the irony is killing me.

Men in Tights

These two guys actually come to the draft wearing tights. Talk about being committed to your team.

O.J. PIMPson

This team owner claims he found his team name on Urban Dictionary's website. If you really want to know what it means, I guess you can check it out for yourself.

My Team's Good, Your Team Sucks

I guess this team name kind of speaks for itself. Creative, yet simplistic. Really gets his point across.

Playoffs?

Inspired by Jim Mora's press conference in 2001 after his Colts fell to 4-6 when a reporter questioned the team's chance to make the playoffs. Mora's response was epic to say the least.

Obviously, this batch of team names provides a lot of hits and misses. But, let's have some fun with this; post your personal fantasy football team name below.

Posted by Robert Campbell at 11:38 AM | Comments (1)

July 7, 2009

A Poetic Sunday in London

"Phenomenal, incredible, historical" read the headlines of the newspaper Tribune de Genève in Switzerland, the homeland of Roger Federer, following his epic victory against Andy Roddick in the final match of Wimbledon. In all honesty, editors have run out of superlatives to describe Federer's accomplishments long prior to the day after his 15th Slam title. Sunday was, if anything at all, a poetic day to reaffirm what was already known. Before elaborating more on that, let's remember briefly the events of earlier this year.

The same Federer began the year ranked No. 2, which was unfamiliar territory by his standards. Less than a month later, he was in uncontrollable tears following another loss to Rafael Nadal in the finals of Australian Open, uttering the words "God, it's killing me..." The slow death continued in Miami when, in a previously unseen burst of emotion from him during his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic, a frustrated Federer smashed his racket to the ground. It did not get much better in the beginning of clay court season when Federer lost to his countryman Stanislas Wawrinka after a poorly played match in Monte Carlo. That was followed by another semifinal loss to Djokovic in Rome.

Squeezed between all this on-court misery took place two happier moments off-court; Roger and his long-time girlfriend Mirka learned that they were going to be parents, and a few weeks later, they got married in a happy ceremony in Roger's hometown of Basel.

Questions and doubts surfaced everywhere. No longer was it being discussed whether Federer would end up as the best player of all-time or not, but rather, would he be able to recover at all from the most turbulent period in his career and focus back on tennis with marriage and fatherhood so fresh in his mind.

As if touched by magic, everything turned around, beginning with a solid victory in the Madrid Masters Series tournament, including a win over Nadal on clay. Federer played his best tennis of the year in winning his first title, but it was not enough to persuade anybody that he was back. Few would have guessed at the time that he would remain undefeated through Madrid, French Open, and Wimbledon.

Here we are, less than two months later, unable to find fitting words to describe Roger Federer's greatness. But his final victory against Andy Roddick on Sunday was more than a simple victory. The circumstances, the atmosphere, the cast in the Centre Court at SW19 with its new roof, and the records all resulted in a day that will forever remain unforgettable. It was not to prove his status as the greatest player in the Open Era that Federer stepped on the court; unless one is unable to look at history impartially, Federer's status in that category was confirmed a month ago in Paris.

This grass court was the place where it all started for Roger. He beat Pete Sampras on this court in 2001. The latter was there on Sunday, this time as a spectator, watching the former and showing his respect for him and the game. He was there to watch the Swiss break his Slam record of 14 titles. It was also where Roger won his first Slam back in 2003. Equally, this was the same court where he tied Bjorn Borg in 2007, winning his fifth Wimbledon in succession. And just like on that day, Bjorn Borg was also present on Sunday, admiring the current king of grass courts. Sitting next to Bjorn Borg was Rod Laver, just couple of seats to the left of Sampras. Sitting behind them, Ilie Nastase, certainly a legend of a different kind, almost looked like he knew that he should not be in the same row as those three.

As if those present were not enough to make the day remarkably meaningful, the match was the icing on the cake. A determined Roddick, playing his best tennis to date, forced Federer into a long fifth set before the latter could finally lift the trophy. It was a display of formidable serves, powerful forehands, a Roddick forcing Federer to change his tactics, at times out-hitting him from the baseline, obliging the legend to have no choice but to use every variety available to his game (and, yes he has plenty), and to dig into every iota of athletic ability that he has in his possession, in order to finally be able to overcome the much-matured American. The match began under beautiful skies and ended four hours and 15 minutes later, still under the same conditions, as if to mock the new retractable roof that would have come handy in the previous recent finals.

Perhaps one could say that the apogee of the day came several minutes after the trophy presentation. A relaxed Federer was casually chatting with none other than Laver, Borg, and Sampras. The four of them were laughing and exchanging opinions. There is no need to wonder what common language was being used — it was the language of legends. Poetic image to end a poetic day. Congratulations, Roger.

Posted by Mert Ertunga at 11:57 AM | Comments (7)

Cincinnati Back in the Big East Game

Unless you're a complete college basketball junkie, the sport wasn't exactly a hot topic around your Fourth of July barbecues this weekend. You could watch "SportsCenter" from now through September and not get more than 10 minutes of college hoops content.

But news last week that uber-talented-yet-troubled prospect Lance Stephenson had ended his prolonged and bizarre recruitment with the decision to join Mick Cronin at Cincinnati got my jones going again.

If you haven't heard of Stephenson, well, you will. The 6-6 forward and McDonald's All-American out of Lincoln High School in Brooklyn is coming off a high school career that saw him finish as the all-time leading scorer in the history of New York.

All-time scorer.

New York.

That's the whole state, not just New York City.

That right there should put to rest any questions anybody has about his game.

But players who score damn near 3,000 points in high school don't last until late June and end up at Cincinnati for just no reason (no offense).

Stephenson has a pending sexual assault charge from last year and there are questions about his eligibility due to his involvement with sports apparel maker Under Armour, founded by a booster for Maryland, which just happened to be recruiting him heavily at the time.

For a guy who's just about 100 percent guaranteed to be one-and-done with college, a loss of eligibility, even for just a few games or a semester, would severely hamper the benefit Cronin will receive from landing the most talented recruit since the school employed one Mr. Bob Huggins.

But if Stephenson, No. 12 on the ESPNU Top 100, highest of any incoming Big East recruit, can skate past the New York courts and NCAA Eligibility hawks, this signing just made Cincinnati a serious factor in the 2009-2010 Big East.

Already respectable at 18-14 and 8-10 in conference last year, the Bearcats will be far from a one-man team. Returning from last year are guards Deonta Vaughn (15.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.7 apg) and Cashmere Wright (missed freshman year with torn ACL), plus forward Yancy Gates (10.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg as an all-conference freshman).

And this isn't last year's Big East they'll be facing.

Of the teams who finished above Cincinnati in the standings last year:

Louisville lost Earl Clark and Terrence Williams, two of the league's four NBA lottery picks, who were 1-2 in minutes, scoring, rebounding, and assists for last year's regular season and Big East Tournament champions.

Connecticut lost co-Big East Player of the Year in Hasheem Thabeet, not to mention guards A.J. Price and Craig Austrie, and forward Jeff Adrien.

Pittsburgh lost DeJuan Blair, San Young, and Levance Fields.

Villanova lost Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham.

Marquette lost Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Lazar Hayward.

Syracuse lost Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf, West Virginia lost Alex Ruoff, Providence lost Weyinmi Efejuku, and Notre Dame lost Kyle McAlarney.

Holy rebuilding year, Batman!

But of course losing those guys doesn't bury them. This isn't a mid-major conference, where losing your star player often means taking a big step back while waiting for another to develop.

Edgar Sosa and Samardo Samuels (Louisville), Luke Harangody (Notre Dame), Jerome Dyson, Kemba Walker and Stanley Robinson (Connecticut), and Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes (Villanova) are all back for at least one more season.

And that's just the guys who were there last year. Big East coaches get paid a lot of money, and much of that is due to their ability to recruit outstanding players year after year after year.

Of this year's ESPNU Top 100, 18 will play for Big East teams this season (third most behind the ACC with 22 and the Big 12 with 21). That includes four for Villanova, three each for West Virginia and Marquette, and two each for Connecticut, Louisville, and Pittsburgh.

And one very big one for Cincinnati.

Will an eligible Stephenson be enough to catapult the Bearcats to the top of the Big East standings? Probably not. Cronin still has some work to do in that regard.

But if the question is can Cincinnati return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since their 14-year streak was broken in 2006, the answer is an unequivocal yes.

Posted by Joshua Duffy at 11:33 AM | Comments (2)

July 6, 2009

Introduction to SC's All-Time MLB Draft

Note: this article is part of a series.

Every sports fan dreams about her or his all-time team. The eternal arguments are fascinating: Peyton Manning or Tom Brady? Barry Sanders or Emmitt Smith? Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell? Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant? In no sport is this more true than baseball, a game whose fans have always embraced its rich tradition. This summer, four Sports Central columnists collaborated to select their all-time MLB teams, with a twist: we picked our teams in a competitive draft, so no player appears on more than one team.

The participants were Diane M. Grassi, Bill Hazell, Jeff Kallman, and Brad Oremland. We chose players in a traditional fantasy-style snaking order, so that whoever picks last in one round goes first in the next round. Draft order was determined by coin flip, with the order being Jeff, Brad, Diane, and Bill in odd-numbered rounds, and Bill, Diane, Brad, Jeff in even-numbered rounds.

The teams we drafted are designed to take the field. Don't let the fantasy-style draft fool you: we haven't conducted any fantasy season to determine a "winner" — beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Each team has 14 players: catcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman, left fielder, center fielder, right fielder, five starting pitchers, and a relief ace. Each writer chose a batting order and pitching rotation.

Before the draft, we made two difficult decisions about this project:

1. We limited the draft to MLB players.
2. We chose to give accused steroid-users the benefit of the doubt.

All of us acknowledge that some players of historical stature never played in the majors. The shameful history of racial discrimination and the rising international popularity of the game mean that many great players spent most or all of their careers in other leagues. No one doubts that the Negro Leagues, in particular, produced players worthy of this project, but eventually we decided that including other leagues turned a simple project into a complicated one. For ease of comparison, our draft only includes major league players.

The Steroid Era poses immense problems for all baseball fans, and never more than in all-time discussions. While there are some players almost everyone believes are guilty, some degree of suspicion hangs over every player from the last 20 years. Is it really an all-time draft if you don't choose any current players? After some discussion, we decided that the best solution was simply to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. For purposes of this project, we have assumed that one of the following three things is true:

1. Everyone in Major League Baseball uses performance-enhancing drugs now.
2. No one in Major League Baseball has used performance-enhancing drugs.
3. Some players have used PEDs, but they don't impact performance.

I'm not sure any of those three things are really true, but those are the assumptions we're going with, to make sure this was a true "all-time" draft rather than one that ended around 1990. When you see players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on the draft lists, please keep in mind that we're assuming these guys accomplished their feats more-or-less fairly. With those points out of the way, here are the results:

	Jeff Kallman	Brad Oremland	Diane M. Grassi	Bill Hazell

1	Yogi Berra	Babe Ruth	Joe DiMaggio	Walter Johnson

2	Sandy Koufax	Honus Wagner	Carl Yastrzemski Willie Mays

3	Mike Schmidt	Johnny Bench	Brooks Robinson	George Brett

4	Jackie Robinson	Lefty Grove	Frank Robinson	Lou Gehrig

5	Juan Marichal	Stan Musial	Joe Morgan	Roberto Alomar

6	Mickey Mantle	C.Mathewson	Gary Carter	Roberto Clemente

7	Hank Aaron	Barry Bonds	Pete Rose	Roger Clemens

8	Bob Gibson	Cy Young	Tom Seaver	Ivan Rodriguez

9	Randy Johnson	Pete Alexander	Nolan Ryan	Whitey Ford

10	Greg Maddux	Warren Spahn	Goose Gossage	Mariano Rivera

11	Ted Williams	Ty Cobb		Steve Carlton	Pedro Martinez

12	Cal Ripken Jr.	Bob Feller	Ron Guidry	Ken Griffey, Jr.

13	Rollie Fingers	Eddie Collins	Ozzie Smith	Alex Rodriguez

14	Willie McCovey	Chipper Jones	Catfish Hunter	Don Drysdale

Obviously, a number of great players weren't chosen during the draft, and not just those without MLB experience. In fact, immediately following the draft, the four of us quickly began pointing out certain surprising omissions. At catcher, in particular, a number of great players got passed over, though I certainly wouldn't argue against any of the four we chose. The most surprising absence, to me, was Jimmie Foxx at first base. Rogers Hornsby is commonly ranked as the greatest second baseman of all time, and none of us took him. No one picked Ernie Banks. Or consider the all-star outfield we didn't choose: LF Rickey Henderson, CF Tris Speaker, and the right fielder of your choice: Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson, Mel Ott, Manny Ramirez...

On the mound, we passed over any number of terrific pitchers. The ones who were specifically mentioned following the draft included a pair of great relievers, Dennis Eckersley and Tug McGraw. We also had lively discussions about our enthusiasm for two current players no one drafted, but whom all of us agreed would eventually be worthy of this kind of project: Ichiro Suzuki and Albert Pujols. Those guys are doing some amazing things.

Here are the rosters, listed by position:

	Jeff Kallman	Brad Oremland	Diane M. Grassi	Bill Hazell

C	Yogi Berra	Johnny Bench	Gary Carter	Ivan Rodriguez

1B	Willie McCovey	Stan Musial	Pete Rose	Lou Gehrig

2B	Jackie Robinson	Eddie Collins	Joe Morgan	Roberto Alomar

SS	Cal Ripken, Jr.	Honus Wagner	Ozzie Smith	Alex Rodriguez

3B	Mike Schmidt	Chipper Jones	Brooks Robinson	George Brett

LF	Ted Williams	Barry Bonds	Carl Yastrzemski Ken Griffey, Jr.

CF	Mickey Mantle	Ty Cobb		Joe DiMaggio	Willie Mays

RF	Hank Aaron	Babe Ruth	Frank Robinson	Roberto Clemente

SP	Sandy Koufax	Lefty Grove	Tom Seaver	Walter Johnson

SP	Juan Marichal	C.Mathewson	Nolan Ryan	Roger Clemens

SP	Bob Gibson	Cy Young	Steve Carlton	Whitey Ford

SP	Randy Johnson	Pete Alexander	Ron Guidry	Pedro Martinez

SP	Greg Maddux	Warren Spahn	Catfish Hunter	Don Drysdale

RP	Rollie Fingers	Bob Feller	Goose Gossage	Mariano Rivera

Those are four great teams. Have a favorite? Disagree with our picks? All week, Sports Central will be publishing articles about the teams, starting tomorrow, when Jeff will explain why he chose the players on his team and why he thinks he's got the best roster. The rest of us will follow suit. Bookmark this page, and we'll update the links below each day, so that you can read each writer's explanations about her or his team, and chime in with your comments.

Wednesday, July 8: Jeff Kallman's Team
Thursday, July 9: Brad Oremland's Team
Friday, July 10: Diane Grassi's Team
Monday, July 13: Bill Hazell's Team

Posted by Brad Oremland at 11:52 AM | Comments (1)

Steve McNair: 1973-2009

It's a little hard to believe.

I'm writing this on Saturday night, Sunday morning really, and now the celebration is over, and a young man has been killed. It's been years since a headline shocked me so much, on any topic. Maybe that means I take football too seriously, or that I'm so cynical I'm not surprised by large-scale tragedies, or simply that I'm naive about the dangers of modern life. But maybe it means that the murder — multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head — of a great quarterback, a young man (36), is one of those things that has the power to really shock us.

Several other NFL players — active players, young guys — have been murdered in the last several years, but none of those killings affected me the way this one did. Is it because McNair was a better player? Because he had been around longer, and I felt like I knew him better? I don't know. Rest assured that this column is going to be about Steve McNair, not about me and how I feel about his death. But I think it's hard to write a story like this without addressing your own feelings on the matter, and my primary feeling is shock.

One of the reasons this comes as such a shock is that McNair was, as far as I know, a good guy. There are some players who we know spend time in places they probably shouldn't, or who get busted for drugs or DUIs. This would be a lot less surprising if McNair was Pacman Jones. But Steve McNair was a model citizen, a class act. Maybe in the wake of this tragedy, some news will become public revealing that McNair wasn't the man we thought he was. Already we've learned that McNair apparently was dating the very young woman whose body was found with his. I don't want to go there right now. McNair was probably the most beloved star in Tennessee Titans history, and rightly so. Let's talk strictly about his football career for a while.

McNair's career was a gentle rollercoaster: in his last few years he was a little overrated, in the middle of his career a little underrated, and early in his career just plain under-the-radar, considering that he was a starting quarterback, a first-round draft pick, and had appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The Oilers (who in 1999 became the Titans) were patient with McNair. He played sparingly his first two years, throwing for just 1,766 yards, but with 9 TDs and only 5 INT, an 87.4 passer rating. He fumbled too much, but he was already showing that he could threaten NFL defenses with his feet. McNair struggled in his first season as a full-time starter, relying too much on his legs and not doing enough with his arm, but he quickly learned to be an efficient NFL quarterback, and in 1999 — only his third full year as a starter — he helped the Titans reach Super Bowl XXXIV.

Judging by the accounts reporting his death over the weekend, it's that season, that game, which McNair is most remembered for. That's fine with me. McNair played well, ran for 64 yards (a Super Bowl record for QBs), led a dramatic last-minute drive that nearly won the game. But he actually had his best seasons after that, from 2001-03. Tennessee remained a successful team for several years after Eddie George's legs went and the defense was rebuilding, basically because of McNair. During those three seasons, he threw for 3,300 yards per year, with twice as many TD passes as interceptions and a passer rating of 90.9. He rushed for 1,000 yards and 12 TDs.

In 2003, McNair averaged more than eight yards per pass attempt (which is sensational) and was +17 in TD/INT, with a passer rating over 100. He also rushed for four TDs and took only 19 sacks all season, leading the Titans to a division title and passing for 338 yards in their first-round playoff win. McNair also started the Pro Bowl that year, throwing a 90-yard touchdown pass on the AFC's first play. He was named regular season MVP, sharing the award with Peyton Manning, and remains the only black quarterback ever to win the award (which is a disgrace, because Randall Cunningham or Warren Moon should have won in 1990, but that's a different story).

McNair was an extremely tough player, almost always dealing with injuries, and in 2006, the Titans locked him out of training camp. Some players won't attend mandatory offseason workouts, much less voluntary ones. McNair tried to, and in the no-class move of the summer, the team wouldn't let him — the team captain, the face of the franchise — in the door. That season, McNair's steady leadership helped the Ravens to a 13-3 record, the best in franchise history. McNair also set a team record for longest pass completion. The next year, with McNair hurt and missing most of the season, Baltimore slipped to 5-11. He retired after the season.

Steve McNair began his NFL career as a great running quarterback. In 1998, he had a beautiful 71-yard touchdown run. This guy was fast. Last summer, I ranked him as one of the top 10 pass/run QBs in NFL history, a guy who do both and do them well. McNair was the type of player every team wants. He was a hard worker who improved on his weaknesses, a team leader who until now stayed out of trouble off the field, and a great player who always seemed to play on winning teams. Now he's dead, shot to death in the city where he made his career. The NFL will miss him, the community in Tennessee will miss him, and I'll miss him.

RIP Steve McNair
1973 - 2009
Houston Oilers, Tennessee Oilers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens

Posted by Brad Oremland at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)

July 3, 2009

The Search For ESPN's Ombudsman

Three months ago, Le Anne Schreiber wrote her last column as ESPN's ombudsman. Many large news organizations employ an ombudsman, who effectively serves as the voice of the readers. Schreiber was the voice of the fans at ESPN. Not that Schreiber was texting "SportsCenter" about how, omg, her team rockz!!!1! Rather, she fielded comments and complaints from readers (of ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine), viewers (of the innumerable ESPN television stations), and listeners (ESPN Radio), and each month combined fan sentiment with her own experience and instincts as a professional journalist to write a column on what ESPN could do better.

Schreiber was the best thing to happen to ESPN in the last 10 years, maybe longer. When the company initially hired an ombudsman in early 2006, I criticized the choice of George Solomon as someone who "comes across more as an apologist than as a critical observer." Solomon probably meant well, and ESPN deserved praise for bringing in an ombudsman at all, but Solomon had too many existing relationships with ESPN personnel — including his son Aaron, a producer for "Around the Horn" — to objectively critique the self-proclaimed "Worldwide Leader." Solomon's final column, in which he did an excellent job of summarizing and clearly — at times even eloquently — expressing fans' concerns, joked around and half-heartedly admitted these conflicts of interest.

Schreiber had no such connections, had no such biases. She even admitted in her initial column that she didn't have much interest in watching sports. That distance, I think, gave her credibility, and also an interesting opportunity to critique ESPN from the context of someone whose life had never previously been affected by Skip Bayless or Stuart Scott. This perspective proved very valuable in the ombudsman. ESPN has stood alone atop the world of cable sports for basically as long as cable sports has existed. The company's goal, since it was purchased by Disney in 1995, has been to expand viewership beyond just sports fans. The conventional wisdom is that diehard fans will watch ESPN no matter what, because they pretty much have to, so programming can be aimed at casual fans and even non-fans. Schreiber represented the latter group, the target audience.

What the network may not have anticipated was that Schreiber would so often agree with the diehard fans. Her first full column as ombud was titled, "Too much shouting obscures the message." Read it. It's not short; the piece will take a few minutes to get through. It's worth five minutes of your time. Read it. This is what Schreiber brought to the position.

Her second column was on conflict of interest, ESPN's perceived over-promotion of its own events and occasional neglect of sports news that didn't appear to fit the bottom line. Every month for two years, this was what Schreiber gave us. She did, for the most part, an excellent job of voicing fans' complaints, and I believe that she sometimes made a genuine difference in the way ESPN presented certain issues, as well as the way some of its personalities conducted themselves in print and on the air.

If you have noticed, in the last two years, that it seems like ESPN has scaled back some of its offenses against fans, you have Schreiber at least partly to thank. If you think eliminating booth guests from "Monday Night Football" made Monday nights fun again, if you feel like "SportsCenter" has had less fluff and more actual highlights, even if you just believe that ESPN has gotten worse a little more slowly than you expected, this is partially a reflection of Schreiber's work. She consistently gave voice to the complaints of fans, and she spoke directly to ESPN higher-ups about the most important issues. She called out anchors and hosts when they behaved inappropriately. Schreiber brought dignity and journalistic professional to an enterprise sorely in need of both. She did not solve all or even most of the problems, but her contributions have helped in ways that are apparent to anyone who watches ESPN regularly.

Schreiber's final column as ombudsman was published in the middle of March, about 3½ months ago. ESPN has yet to name a successor, and it now appears that they may phase out the position altogether. That would be a great loss for sports fans. I know that in this economy, many companies have cut back on what they view as luxury positions, ombud being among those. But this position was important, especially important, for an organization that generates as much attention and criticism as ESPN. The company deserves credit for bringing in an ombudsman in the first place, but it would deserve just as much criticism for letting the position remain unfilled now.

ESPN owes it to its fans, and I think to itself, to name a new ombud, someone who can pick up where Schreiber left off. The sooner, the better.

Posted by Brad Oremland at 11:22 AM | Comments (0)

July 2, 2009

NBA Trade Grades

While most of the attention around the NBA was focused on the draft this week, the draft, like usual, was far from the biggest story in the NBA.

Draft week has always been known as the unofficial start of the offseason for the NBA, and this week was no exception. While there was surely some breakout stars and diamonds in the rough drafted on Thursday, it's far too early to predict who had the best and worst drafts on Thursday. It usually takes years before we know who got it right and who didn't on draft night. It always cracks me up to read immediate reaction to the draft because no one has any idea if these players can actually translate their game to the highest level, myself included.

The best part of the NBA draft is the flurry of trading that happens in the days right before and right after the draft. We don't know how adding an unproven rookie to a team will affect the upcoming season, but when a team adds a superstar via trade during draft week, it is much easier to evaluate how that player might fit in.

With that in mind, I've decided to put a twist on the usual draft day report cards you will see and grade some of the biggest trades that went down this week in the NBA.

Shaq to the Cavs: C+

John Q. Basketball Fan might have been blown away by this one because of the star power that is associated with Shaq, but I'm not buying it.

Let's face it: the Cavs won 66 games last season, so there isn't much room for improvement to begin with. The obvious issue that Cleveland needs to overcome is getting past Orlando in the playoffs.

At a glance, adding a center with Shaq's size seems to be the right move to slow down Dwight Howard, who had a monster of a series against the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals. Shaq is bigger and stronger than any of the options Cleveland had to throw at Howard this postseason. If Orlando decides to only use Dwight Howard 6-10 feet from the basket, then yes, this trade will be an upgrade for the Cavs.

However, Orlando is not that dumb. The Magic are the definition of a pick-and-roll team. If Stan Van Gundy is smart, and based on his postseason coaching performance this year, I think it's safe to say that he is, he'll pick on Shaq in the pick-and-roll game for an entire series just like Larry Brown and the Pistons did in the 2004 NBA Finals.

If you remember, the Pistons ran nothing but high pick-and-rolls, using Shaq's man as the screener, and abused the Lakers for five straight games. Shaq was too big and too slow to defend the pick and roll 25 feet from the basket. That was five years ago. I can't imagine the Diesel has improved his lateral quickness with age.

From an Xs and Os standpoint, the trade seems like nothing more than a lateral move for the Cavs. They gain some interior defense and lose some perimeter defense. Offensively, they have someone that they can pound the ball inside to, but that means they'll also have someone in there clogging the middle and getting in LeBron's way.

But what worries me most about this trade has nothing to do with Xs and Os. I know I'm probably not the first think of this, but if the Cavs and Lakers end up meeting in the NBA Finals next season, the media is going to have a field day with Kobe vs. Shaq in the NBA Finals.

LeBron James, despite the fact that he will clearly be the only reason Cleveland advances to the Finals if they make it that far, will have to take a backseat to the Big Buckeye (or whatever Shaq will have dubbed himself by then) once they get to the biggest stage. Is forcing LeBron to take second billing in the NBA Finals behind an aging ex-superstar really the last image you want to give him before he can opt out of his contract and sign elsewhere?

I'm not necessarily saying this trade is a disaster for Cleveland, they basically gave up nothing and got an all-star in return, but it's certainly a risk-reward move. And my first impression: the risks outweigh the rewards.

Richard Jefferson to the Spurs: A-

I love this trade for the Spurs for a few reasons. First of all, it gives the Spurs a dependable full-time scorer to start alongside Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. How many times did we see this postseason where Parker and Duncan would score like 22 of the team's 24 points in the first quarter, and just not have enough left in the tank in the second half to play at that pace?

Richard Jefferson has averaged 17.8 points per game for his career, and hasn't missed a game over the past two seasons. With Duncan, Ginobili, and even Parker needing to be sidelined with injury last season, it became obvious that the Spurs needed more than just three players who can score when one of the guys was out. They added someone in Jefferson who may not be a superstar, but he's exactly the kind of player the Spurs needed this season to compete in the West.

The second reason I loved this trade is because R.C. Buford manipulated his roster perfectly to get Jefferson. By trading Bruce Bowen, Fabrico Oberto, and Kurt Thomas, he was basically giving up salaries to make the trade work. He knows that the teams he's dealing with, Detroit and Milwaukee, are in transition and have no desire to keep these aging players on their roster.

Once those teams buy out Bowen and Oberto, and possibly even Thomas, the Spurs will have the option of resigning them at a discounted rate. Essentially, the Spurs have the option if they so choose to add Richard Jefferson and his 18 points per game to the exact same roster they had last season and keep a nearly identical payroll.

It's savvy moves like this that has quietly made R.C. Buford one of the best executives in basketball for the past decade and the Spurs have the hardware to prove it.

Vince Carter to the Magic: B+

No team rolled the dice more than Orlando in the trade market this week. They gave up a key young piece to their puzzle in Courtney Lee, as well as Rafer Alston and Tony Battie, to get Vince Carter and his massive salary.

The trade basically signals the end of the Hedo Turkoglu era in Orlando, an era which may have ended with the Magic not getting anything in return had they not pulled the trigger on this deal.

And while there are plenty of people out there who love Hedo's game, as you will see when he inexplicably gets $10 million per year to play for a bad team next week, I'm not one of them. He's a solid player, but his presence forces Rashard Lewis, the Magic's second best player, to play out of position. Lewis is built like a small forward, plays like a small forward, yet had to play power forward because the Magic needed to play Hedo at small forward.

Now the Magic have added another lethal scoring option in Carter, and cleared the way for Lewis to play his more natural position.

I'm giving this trade a B+ for now, but if the Magic sign a capable power forward, Rasheed Wallace's name keeps coming up, then this move becomes an A.

Of course, that is assuming Vince tries this season and stays healthy. I know that's asking a lot from him, but like I said, it was a roll of the dice.

Darko to the Knicks: A++++

I'm excited for Darko in the Garden more than any other subplot of the 2009-10 season. Knicks fans booed Larry Hughes less than five minutes after making his Garden debut. I'm almost giddy to see the venom that will be spewed from the rafters at Darko and his laissez faire approach to basketball. Thank you, basketball gods.

Amar'e Stoudemire to the Warriors: Incomplete

The last big trade possibility that came out of draft night was the possible trade that would send Amar'e to the Warriors.

On the one hand, Stoudemire's immense offensive talent coupled with his lack of commitment on defense makes him quite possibly the best fit for Nellie-ball out of any player in the NBA.

On the other hand, Stoudemire is on the last year of his contract and the proposed deal that would send Andris Biedrins, Brandon Wright, Marco Belinelli, and possibly Steph Curry is way too much to give up for a one-year rental.

Amar'e isn't going to put the Warriors into elite status this season, and if there's no guarantee that he'll re-sign with the team, this becomes a very short-sighted trade on Golden State's part.

If the Warriors can reach an agreement to extend Stoudemire into a long-term deal, then I like the trade, but the jury is still out on this one.

With the free agency period starting up this week, it is likely that we could have a few more blockbusters to add to this list before it's all said and done. Still, the NBA offseason is off to an intriguing start. Let's hope that once players start signing on July 8th that this trend continues.

Check back at Sports Central every Monday for Scott Shepherd's weekly NBA column. You can also follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/scottosports.

Posted by Scott Shepherd at 11:59 AM | Comments (2)

The True Origins of NFC Nicknames

Last column, we looked at the team name origins of the AFC. You're all dying to read about the NFC, right?

Arizona Cardinals — A tribute to the fauna of Arizona. When you think of the animals of Arizona, you think rattlesnakes, coyotes, scorpions, and cardinals.

Atlanta Falcons — Named after the owner's favorite Fall Out Boy convention, Fal Con.

Carolina Panthers — Named after the Gray Panthers, the violent seniors' rights group who modeled themselves after the Black Panthers.

Chicago Bears — The team was founded in 1980, right after a bear craze that swept the Chicago-land area after a rash of bear attacks killed close to 8,000 people in nearby Joliet, Illinois (including several hundred at Joliet Catholic High School)

Dallas Cowboys — Named after the Dallas men's glee club, Boys of the Cow.

Detroit Lions — Started off as "The Loins" and the players would only wear a loin cloth the first few years of existence. There were many injuries.

Green Bay Packers — Originated in Green, Ohio, where they were known as, "The Bay Packers." What's a bay packer? If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand.

Minnesota Vikings — Present tense verb for "to vike."

New Orleans Saints — The owners ran a contest for the most intimidating bloodthirsty name the public could think of. Saints narrowly beat out the Werewolves, the Widow-makers, and the Bugs That Are Really Big and You're Kind Of Scared to Try to Kill It.

New York Giants — Was going to be the New York Ants, with this badass menacing ant-head logo with an army helmet. Damn printing press typo. Put down the pastrami sandwich when you run that machine, Sal!

Philadelphia Eagles — Named after the Steve Miller Band song, "Fly Like an Eagle."

San Francisco 49ers — As in 1549, the year of the most significant event in human history: the birth of Japanese warlord Ogawa Suketada.

Seattle Seahawks — Was just "Hawks," but the citizenry felt it was important to distinguish them from those deplorable land hawks.

St. Louis Rams — It's an acronym for the four most important players in franchise history: Redden (Barry), Anderson (Flipper), Maddox (Tommy), and Septien (Rafael).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Named after the daring, virile, invincible marauders of the sea. They are totally better than ninjas. (Ed Note: Author may or may not be a Bucs fan.)

Washington Redskins — Settled on when all the more combustible racial epithets were rejected by the teams lawyers, such as the [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED] or the [REDACTED] [REDACTED].

Posted by Kevin Beane at 11:32 AM | Comments (1)

July 1, 2009

Indoor Tennis at Wimbledon?

You may not realize it, but technology can be very invasive in our lives. No, I'm not a luddite, but I do often wonder why technology is overtaking every ounce of our lives. My late acquaintance, Seymour Cray, was a king of technology. He invented the supercomputer and perfected its technology before any other. Mr. Cray had a purpose for it, though, and he never envisioned supercomputing coming to the level of the personal computer nor it being used for leisurely tasks, like gaming. Some would say he lacked vision. I would say otherwise.

At 10:39 PM London time on Monday, history was made. Not once, but twice. Thanks to the new retractable roof system on Center Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, matches were played indoors for the first time in the tournaments 132 years of existence. When the weather in Wimbledon looked dreary, the roof was expanded and Dinara Safina became the first player in the history of Wimbledon to play an indoor match. And she also became the first to win indoors at the Big W. That match was followed by Andy Murray's exciting five-set thriller that ended at 10:38 PM, the latest match ever played at Wimbledon. And also the first match played under the lights at Wimbledon.

I wondered how long it would take the powers of the AELTC to use the roof. With the Wimbledon grounds being in a state of chaos for the past two years while the roofed court was completed, the new roofed court was the "shining jewel" of the tournament this year. I wondered when they would use it. I knew they would. You spend millions on a roof. Then the weather turns good. The governing body of Wimbledon could not let the fortnight pass without using the technology. So they did.

Most of what makes tennis at Wimbledon so great is its tradition. The last tournament on the professional tours to require all white dress. The last major on grass. A royal box for the queen and Europe's royalty who come each year. Players still referred to by Miss, Misses, and Mister with only a last name. Strawberries and cream, champagne and Pimms. Outdoor tennis and the always potential for rain. The potential for play suspended by darkness, taking matches into the next day or more.

One of the best traditions at Wimbledon has always been "the people's Sunday." Wimbledon is the only major tournament with no play on Sunday. So when the tournament is beset by rain, then the chance exists for play on the first Sunday, with ticket sales at the gate only. No royalty, no special preference, no boxes. Just the people, the commoners as my friends on the other side of the pond would say. Now technology threatens all the tradition that remains.

I have to wonder if Tim Henman would have beaten Goran Ivanisovic several years ago in the semifinals here if there had been a roof to allow continued play. The extended three-day match ended with the Croatian averting disaster and pulling out the match on the third day of play, and as we know, went on to win the tournament from the wild card position. But I have to say, it was exciting and it created lots of stories and discussions. Three days of pure anxiety for Henman. Three days of pure anxiety for us all. But perfect for the mystique that is Wimbledon.

Tennis already is invaded by technology. Super materials for racquets and sneakers. Electronic net judges. Even a new high tech video challenge system to determine if the ball is in or out. All of which I think help with the game. But a roof at Wimbledon? That is pure heresy.

So I'll sit back and pray for sunshine, like every year. Only this time, I really mean it. With Venus and Serena Williams lining up for another showdown in the final, and with Andy Murray and Roger Federer on track to fight it out on Saturday, hopefully it will be in the open air. With green, slightly dewey grass at their feet. With a royal box full of the imperials. I guess I'll live with the roof, but please, don't let it take away the tradition.

Wimbledon is the oldest professional sporting event (that is played by real humans, not horses) on the planet. It would be nice if we could keep some of the tradition. That is, after all, what makes this the sport's premier championship.

Posted by Tom Kosinski at 11:59 AM | Comments (1)

NASCAR Top 10 Power Rankings: Week 17

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Tony Stewart — Stewart's No. 14 Toyota was strong out front, opening a sizable lead during his long, 40-lap stint in the lead from laps 196-235. However, rain shot down Stewart's chance at the win, as Joey Logano, who took over the No. 20 Home Depot car when Stewart departed Joe Gibbs Racing, took the win. Stewart finished fifth, his series-best 13th top-10 finish of the year.

"It's ironic," Stewart said. "Some of my best memories took place in that No. 20 Home Depot car, with 19-year-olds."

"Once again, though, fans were robbed of an exciting finish by rain. I think Michael Jackson would agree that the end of this race was anything but a 'Thriller.'"

"But I'm extremely happy for Joey. I think I left him with a good program over at Gibbs, and I hope I've been a good role model for him. With a few more wins and pounds under his belt, I'm confident he'll soon become a racing 'heavy' just like me."

2. Jeff Gordon — Gordon finished second in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301, settling for the runner-up position behind Joey Logano, who, at age 19, became the youngest driver ever to win a Sprint Cup race. Logano gambled successfully that rain was imminent, staying on the track while others pitted and conserving enough fuel until the rain arrived. Gordon's second place was his ninth top-five of the year, and he now trails Tony Stewart by 69 in the point standings.

"Heck, I didn't even know Logano was old enough to gamble," Gordon said. "In addition, he's not old enough to remember Michael Jackson's best work, but he's still young enough to be invited to Neverland Ranch."

"Logano has to be incredibly lucky to come away with a win after a spin which left him with two flat tires. Talk about 'wheels of fortune.'"

3. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson led a race-high 93 of 273 laps at New Hampshire, but his charge for the win was waylaid on lap 188 when contact from Kurt Busch knocked Johnson from third to ninth. It was a setback that Johnson couldn't overcome, and he settled for a ninth-place finish when rain forced an early end.

"Kurt and I have certainly had our run-ins the last few weeks," Johnson said. "I'm not sure if Kurt was retaliating for last week's incident at Sonoma. In any case, I think jealously plays a role. I'm a three-time Cup champion, while Kurt is a mere one-time champ. So, with the knowledge of the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson's untimely passing, you could say Kurt is a 'Wanna-be' starting something."

"And, with that being said, there are two schools of thought on Chad Knaus' prowess as a crew chief. Either he's 'The Wiz,' or he's a 'Smooth Criminal.'"

4. Kurt Busch — Busch led 28 laps on the day, and was one of a handful of cars that would have likely been involved in an exciting race to the checkered flag had rain held off, allowing the race to go the distance. As it was, Joey Logano had luck on his side, and was the leader as the cars sat parked on pit lane when NASCAR officially called the race after 273 laps.

"Hey, I won the race last year in exactly the same fashion," Busch said, "so I know exactly what Joey Logano is feeling. I can only describe it as a mix of elation and luck, much like the feeling one would get when he marries a beautiful woman, but only because he's a race car driver. But what would I know about that?"

"But what can I say? 'The Girl is Mine.'"

5. Denny Hamlin — While his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates were making headlines (good and bad), it was business as usual for Hamlin. Hamlin improved his position in the points for the third straight week, with his 15th at Loudon moving him up a spot to sixth.

"Joey's performance was definitely something to shout about," Hamlin said, "while Kyle's was surely something to shout at."

"But what do I have to do to get some attention here at Joe Gibbs Racing? Well, I guess I either have to win a race, wreck the field, or bleach my skin an ivory white and wear a single sequined glove. Doing the latter would probably raise fewer eyebrows than the actions of Kyle Busch."

6. Carl Edwards — Edwards' No. 99 Aflac Fusion was quick throughout the duration of the Lenox Industrial Tools 301, but an out-of-sequence pit stop for a loose wheel thwarted any chance of a top-10 finish. After the fateful pit stop, Edwards resumed racing in the 29th spot, but made up ten positions before rain ended the race, and finished 19th.

"That was a frustrating finish in what has been a frustrating year," Edwards said. "I'm still winless after 17 races. But I can't be discouraged. While my 'Victory Tour' has yet to bear the success of the Jackson's 1984 mega-tour, I plan to keep plugging away."

"After nine wins last year, I sure do miss the thrill of victory. But I predict a win soon. As for visiting Victory Circle, I'm fully confident that 'I'll Be There.'"

7. Kyle Busch — Busch was involved in a lap 175 crash that started when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. spun his tires on a restart. As cars in front checked up, Busch's No. 18 Interstate Battery Toyota hit the rear of Martin Truex, Jr.s No. 1 car, which spun into traffic, collecting eight cars, including three Richard Childress Racing cars. As the field circled under caution, Truex feigned a helmet toss at Busch's No. 18 car, while others affected by the crash grumbled their disapproval. Busch went on to finish seventh, his first top-10 finish since Charlotte, and improved one spot in the standings to eighth.

"I guess Truex though better of committing 'Interstate Battery,'" Busch said. "Heck, I'd be angry too if I was heading to Michael Waltrip Racing and it was considered a promotion. Obviously, I have a problem with 'Junior's.'"

"To anyone that's mad at me, Michael Jackson would surely sing 'You Are Not Alone.' I've got 75% of RCR, 20% of all drivers, and 100% of Junior Nation mad at me. But I've apologized for my part in the incident at Loudon, which is an admission that I've been 'Bad.' Of course, that was an apology staged by my public relations team, who dislike me about as much as most drivers dislike me. Had it been solely up to me, the apology would have consisted of a 'crotch grab.'"

"But people can 'Say, Say, Say,' what they want, because I'm not going to change my style of driving. The Busch boys have hard heads. We all know Kurt can take a punch. Me? I'm just incredibly stubborn."

8. Ryan Newman — Along with Joey Logano, Newman gambled when rain threatened, staying on the track while the leaders pitted during green flag stops with about 65 laps remaining. Newman ran out of fuel before the rains came and was forced to pit on lap 264, giving Logano the lead and eventually the win when rain halted the race nine laps later. Newman finished 29th and is now seventh in the Sprint Cup point standings, 397 out of first.

"I think we showed a lot of heart gambling for the win," Newman said. "Too often, drivers race for points instead of going for the win. There's nothing wrong with making a bold push for the win. Unfortunately, in my case, push came to shove when I ran out of gas and my crew had to shove me to my pit stall."

"But that's not very important when compared to the death of Michael Jackson. Not many people realized this, but Kyle Busch graciously honored Jackson when he plowed Martin Truex's No. 1 car. That paid homage to Jackson's numerous No. 1'hits.'"

"And, if I'm not mistaken, one of those chart toppers was 'Rock(et) With You.'"

9. Kasey Kahne — Following up his win at Sonoma, Kahne finished 10th at Loudon, the third time this year he has posted back-to-back top 10's. He also inched closer to cracking the top 12 in the Sprint Cup point standings, where he trails Juan Montoya in 12th by a single point.

"Let's not all get caught up in 'Logano-mania,'" Kahne said. "Logano's win was basically a fluke. Usually, when you spin, puncture two tires, and fall a lap down on two occasions, you don't get a win; you get a drug test."

"Don't forget, while I'm no spring chicken, I'm still a youthful 29 years of age. And the Richard Petty Motorsports team is hot right now. Were Michael Jackson still alive, he'd no doubt call me a 'P.Y.T.,' 'Petty Young Thing.' And with the right amount of 'T.L.C.,' tender loving care,' I'll take me there, to the Chase For the Cup.'"

10. Juan Montoya — Montoya started 12th and finished 12th in the Lenox Indistrial Tools 301. More importantly, he led six laps, and was rewarded with five bonus points, which allowed him to hold off Kasey Kahne for 12th in the point standings. Montoya leads Kahne by a single point.

"As a native of the country of Colombia," Montoya said, "I'm well aware of the importance of drug tests. I passed all of mine, which was why I was forced to leave the country."

"And here in NASCAR, Jeremy Mayfield's drug saga continues. Mayfield has reiterated that he did not take methamphetamines. He also adamantly denies that he inhaled, or had sex with that woman."

"But with a mountain of evidence against him, and NASCAR's high-priced lawyers refuting his every defense, it looks like Mayfield's chances for redemption are slim. So, as for the rap against him, I don't think he'll 'Beat It.'"

Posted by Jeffrey Boswell at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)