A Tribute To Frank Pastore

Frank Pastore pitched 8 seasons in the Major Leagues. His best season was in 1980 when he won 13 games and posted a 3.27 ERA. For his career he won 48 games, lost 58, and his ERA was 4.29. By no means will his name ever grace Cooperstown, but his life was much more than baseball. 

He passed away Tuesday after a motorcycle accident in November left him in a coma.  I didn't see anything on Twitter, or Yahoo, or any major news website. I saw the story on the OC Register website, and immediately knew I'd be talking to my mom about it. She listened to his radio show for the past I don't know how many years, and frequently talked to me about him. I knew she would be upset about his passing, and she asked me to write a blog about him. Unfortunately I don't know much about the man, and I told her that if she wanted to write something, I'd be more than happy to post it. Here are her words. 

"I lost a friend yesterday. I didn't really know him, but I felt like I did. Frank Pastore died yesterday. After a month in a coma following a motorcycle accident, Frank succumbed to his injuries. I don't remember him as a baseball player, although he pitched for the Cincinatti Reds from 1979-1985, then for the Minnesota Twins in 1986. A line drive off the bat of Steve Sax at Dodger Stadium in 1984 shattered his pitching elbow and was the beginning of the end of his baseball career. Some of his teammates invited him to a BBQ after the elbow incident and asked him to stay for a Bible study. As a self proclaimed atheist, he voiced his criticism of Christianity and was challenged to read some books and critique the conclusions. After studying the books, he was unable to do so and knew his life was changed forever. He became the host of the Frank Pastore show in 2004 on KKLA-FM. That's when he became my friend. I learned of his baseball past by listening to his radio show. I learned about his path to Christianity from listening to his show. I grew to respect and admire him by listening to his show. He was open, honest and confident in his beliefs. He wanted the best for everyone, whether you agreed with him or not. This world needs more people like him. I already miss him."

Whether or not you're religious doesn't matter. We all make connections to people we've never met. For my mom, she had a connection with Frank Pastore.  This is why sports are so important to me. He had an effect on her life, just like John Wooden had an effect on mine. I remember exactly where I was the moment I heard Coach had died. I was at work and had to go in the back because I literally had tears running down my face. Even as I'm writing this it's hard not to get emotional. I never met Coach Wooden, but what I know about his life inspires me.  If it weren't for basketball, I'd probably never know about him.  Pastore is the same way. My mom learned from him on his show, a show he got in one way or another because he was a baseball player. There's a line from a song that comes to mind when I think about this that says, you'll always be here with me even when you're gone. I know I'll never forget about Coach Wooden and one day I'll tell my kids about him. Just like I know my mom will tell them about Frank Pastore.

It's Not That Easy

So Bob Costas and Jason Whitlock think handguns shouldn't be legal. During halftime of Sunday night's Cowboys/Eagles game, Costas quoted part of Whitlock's column concerning the tragedy caused by Jovan Belcher. ''In the coming days, Jovan Belcher's actions and their possible connection to football will be analyzed. Who knows? But here, wrote Jason Whitlock, is what I believe. If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today," Costas said while quoting Whitlock. This is incredibly irresponsible and inappropriate. 

First off, why is Costas on a soapbox during halftime of an NFL game? This isn't a news or opinion broadcast, this is a sports broadcast. He is certainly entitled to his opinion, but it was neither the time or the place for him to express it. One of the websites I contribute to has started a discussion forum about this very topic and already someone has brought up a great point; what about Chris Benoit? If you're unfamiliar, Benoit was a very popular professional wrestler who killed his wife, his son (age 7 at the time) and himself, all without the use of a firearm. So to say that Perkins and Belcher would be alive if he didn't have a gun is just wrong. He can't know that. You can't know that. I can't know that. Is it possible they'd both be alive? Absolutely it is. But it's just as possible that they would both still be gone.

I'm not going to hide the fact that I'm pro-gun. I'm a firearms enthusiast, but at the same time I can see the other side of the issue. I know guns are dangerous. They're not toys, they are tools. For that reason, I fully believe that anyone who is legally allowed to own a firearm should be able to if they so choose. It's a cliché, but if you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. People who commit crimes don't care about the law, so outlawing guns won't stop them from owning, carrying, and using them. I'm not saying everyone should be armed to the teeth, but blaming guns isn't the answer. If guns commit crimes, then they also do a lot of good. Guns took out Bin Laden, not the heroes of Seal Team Six. You and I both know that's incorrect. A gun is a useless chunk of metal until it's in someone's hands.

Blaming the legality and availability of firearms isn't right. But it's not right to say that firearms had nothing to do with this either. Clearly Jovan Belcher was an irresponsible gun owner. I am curious as to whether or not he did legally purchase the gun he used, and if had it registered or a permit for it. That's not to suggest Belcher wouldn't have got his hands on a gun otherwise, or that if he didn't have a gun this horrible tragedy would still have happened. But to blame the gun, and not the man, as Costas and Whitlock did just isn't right. I feel bad for Perkins' friends and family, and I do for Belcher's. I feel the worst for the 3-month old baby who will grow up without either parent because of this. But placing the blame on an inanimate object? It's not that easy. There is far more to this horrific event than a gun. It's sad that NBC would allow Costas to make such a point.

I know everyone isn't going to agree with me on this. I realize there are people who are anti-gun, and that's fine. You're entitled to your opinion just as I am mine. If you'd like to discuss this further, I encourage you to comment. But if you're going to do so with a closed mind, save us both the time.

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The Big Mac In LA

Rumors are swirling all over the internet right now that the Dodgers and Mark McGwire are on the verge of a deal for him to become the hitting coach in LA. As you probably know, he's held the position in St. Louis for the past three seasons.

Nearly two months ago the Dodgers relieved Dave Hansen of his duties as hitting coach, and he has since moved on to the same position in Seattle. The Cardinals extended offers to all of their coaches, except their bullpen coach, but all of their contracts expired on October 31st. One report says McGwire has informed the Cardinals that he is going to accept the LA job, but there hasn't been anything from an official source.

My first reaction to this is that it's a great move. He's a proven hitter who worked well over the past few years with a lineup very similar to the Dodgers. I think Kemp and Ethier would benefit greatly from him, as would Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez. The Dodgers bats struggled mightily this year at times, and it became evident that Hansen had no answers. Yes this will bring even more attention on a franchise that is expected to not only contend for a division title, but is clearly aiming for a World Series ring NOW. The huge mid-season trade with Boston made it evident that the Dodgers new ownership group wants to win right away. They're not interested in a 5-year plan, at least not on the surface.

McGwire has long said that his family is very important to him, and since he lives in Orange County with his wife and 5 children, a move to a West Coast team makes sense. Stay tuned, I'll be sure to update this as soon as news becomes official.

UPDATE-The Dodgers have officially announced Mark McGwire as their new hitting coach. Not sure what took so long, but it doesn't matter. He's in LA and should definitely be an upgrade over Dave Hansen.

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"Sports" Illustrated

This is going to be a rant, so if you don't feel like listening to me complain, go ahead and just close the window now. I'm pissed off. I'm upset that Sports Illustrated is no longer the magazine I once loved. For the better part of the past decade I've had a subscription to Sports Illustrated, it's always been a birthday present from my parents. I looked forward each week to the new issue and reading stories from around the world of sports. Not anymore.

My love for SI first hit a bump earlier this year. I get my issue every Wednesday; always have, since day 1. However this year, right before March Madness began I didn't get it on Wednesday, I got it on Thursday. Normally not a big deal, but for someone who loves March Madness as much or more than the Super Bowl, I was upset. This is the issue that breaks down each team/region and gives you the pullout bracket you can fill in. Now it's entirely possible that this is because of the Post Office, but I thought I would bring it up to SI through their Twitter account. I voiced my displeasure/concern and they asked if I normally got my issue on Wednesday or Thursday. I said I've always gotten them in the past on Wednesday's, and their response was something to the effect of oh, well that stinks. Not exactly what you would call excellent customer service. But I brushed it off, not like there was anything they could do.

What really started this fire burning was when my Kings won the Stanley Cup. Their first Stanley Cup in the history of the organization. That would surely merit coverage and the cover of the most prominent sports publication in print journalism right? Nope. The covers of Sports Illustrated during July featured in order; Ken Caminiti, Josh Hamilton, Kevin Durant or LeBron, depending on where you live, LeBron again (this time attempting to dunk over Serge Ibaka, and if you didn't know any better you'd think he did, but in fact Ibaka totally stuffed him) and then to start off July LeBron was on the cover again. So depending where you live you might have received 3 straight issues with LeBron James on the cover. Wow. Talk about shoving it down our throats. The Stanley Cup is widely regarded as the most difficult trophy to win in North American professional sports, and it wasn't on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That's unacceptable. Not only that, but there was never a story written about the Kings winning the Cup. There was a story about Jonathan Quick that was great, but come on guys. I looked up covers to see when the last time the Stanley Cup Champions didn't appear on the cover, it was 2007 when the Ducks won. Apparently Southern California doesn't matter. What a joke.

The past two weeks have really made my blood boil when I've opened my mailbox on Wednesday. Last week Deron Williams was on the cover. I have no idea why. The NBA season is weeks away, the NFL season is in full swing, and the MLB playoffs were going on. Yet a player who is nowhere near the top 10 in the NBA on a team that finished 22-44 last year was on the cover. Not only that, but there was only 1 MLB story in the entire issue. This week, Tyrann Mathieu is on the cover. WHAT IS GOING ON?!?! Why is a player who had one good year, who isn't playing this year and isn't enrolled in school on the cover of a sports magazine? This makes absolutely no sense. Miguel Cabrera just won the Triple Crown. The Atlanta Falcons are 6-0 right now. The NHL is in the midst of yet another lockout. Even NASCAR is in the middle of their run towards the championship. But no, a college kid who got kicked off a team for drugs is on the cover. Disgusting. The major stories in this week's issue are college football (Alabama), college football (Mathieu, which really isn't college football seeing as he's NOT PLAYING THIS YEAR), Lance Armstrong and his legal troubles (better suited for Time magazine in my opinion), NFL (the Vikings punter is profiled, does anyone outside of Minnesota care?), and a baseball story that isn't related to the MLB playoffs. There is no mention of the playoffs except for the Leading Off section that shows some great pictures. But that's it. Football, football, football, and cycling. In the last two issues of Sports Illustrated there has been one story related to the MLB playoffs.

I looked up the cover and the stories in last year's Sports Illustrated from the same week. NASCAR superstar Jimmie Johnson was on the cover, and there were stories about the NFL, the MLB playoffs, college football, golf, and a little bit of basketball. Yes the NBA was in the middle of their lockout, so naturally coverage would be lighter. But still. Look at the difference between the two years. I'm sure it would be even worse if I dug through the issues I've saved (all of them) and looked at the diversity of stories from around the same time. Don't get me wrong, there are still things I love about SI. I love the Sign of the Apocalypse, the They Said It quote, By The Numbers, the back page article, and the Dan Patrick interview. I just want to be able to read stories from the world of sports, not just the world of football and basketball. Miguel Cabrera won the first Triple Crown in 45 years, how does that not merit some sort of story? I realize we'll probably get a feature story at some point in the next month or two, but come on guys. How is this not brought up without a story a page long or so?

Sports Illustrated used to be my go to source for sports information. You could find stats and stories that you wouldn't see or hear anywhere else. That's just not the case anymore. If it's not football or basketball, they just don't care. Yes there are baseball-centric issues, but they are so few and far between now that it's laughable. Hockey coverage is nearly non-existent, and forget soccer. I have no reason to ask for my subscription to be renewed. They don't cover the sports I'm most interested in. I realize the NFL and college basketball are the most popular sports in the country, but maybe that’s because the sports magazine with a circulation of over 3.2 million chooses to focus on them and nearly nothing else. The magazine no longer lives up to its name, the name Sports Illustrated is misleading.  It’s upsetting, but my wife will be thrilled that I won’t be getting more magazines I refuse to throw away, so at least there’s an upside.

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My AL MVP Vote Goes To....

I put this off for a while because I really wanted to gather as many statistics as I could before making a decision, and I apologize, this is going to be a long one. Living in Orange County, I saw a lot more of Mike Trout than I did Miguel Cabrera this season. Obviously I'm aware that Cabrera won the AL Triple Crown this year. Something that hadn't been done in 45 years, an amazing accomplishment for sure. But that shouldn't guarantee him the MVP award. It's Most Valuable Player, not Most Valuable Hitter. Trout set numerous rookie records and will undoubtedly win the AL Rookie of the Year award. But that too doesn't mean he deserves the MVP award. Let's dive into some numbers.

Defense-Simply looking at which player made more errors would be irresponsible. They play two completely different positions, so I went a little bit further than that. I went to overall fielding percentage. Trout had a total of 268 chances during the season, remember he was in the minors for the first month or so. Cabrera had 383 total chances. Clearly Cabrera is going to have more errors. He had more chances, and this was his first season playing 3rd base after moving from 1st. Cabrera's overall fielding percentage was .966 compared to Trout's which was .993 this year.

Another big stat in my mind is range factor. Range Factor is calculated by adding putouts and assists and then dividing that number by the total number of defensive innings played. To me, this gives a very accurate number on a player's defensive value. Trout's Range Factor was 2.70 and Cabrera's was 2.52. Again, I know they play different positions and Trout is going to have more chances to make putouts and Cabrera is going to have more assist opportunities. It's just one of the many things I considered when making my decision.

Offense- I don't think there is any reason to go over the big 3 statistical numbers. We all know Cabrera led the AL in home runs, batting average, and runs batted in. But it is worth mentioning that Trout was 2nd in average, .326 compared to .330. But let's extrapolate those numbers a bit. Cabrera struck out 98 times in 622 at-bats, Trout fanned 139 times in 559 trips to the plate this year. Cabrera also had 19 more extra base hits, but he also grounded into 28 double-plays compared to just 7 for Trout. Obviously it's easier for Cabrera to hit into double-plays since he's not a leadoff hitter and Trout is, but it's worth mentioning.

Also worth mentioning is the stat known as batting average on balls in play. Trouts BABIP this year lead the league at .378 while Cabrera checked in with a .322 average which is actually quite a bit lower than his .345 career average. This too can be attributed to Trout having significantly fewer at-bats than Cabrera, but to be honest, who knows how high it would have been for Trout had he played the full season.  Trout also lead the AL in stolen bases with 49 swipes while only being caught 5 times. Cabrera only stole 4 bases and was caught once this year. This again is a pretty unfair comparison because they are such different players, but it does need to be considered.

I hate the argument that Trout doesn't deserve the award because the Angels didn't make the the playoffs. Guess what, the Angels ended the year with a better record than Cabrera's Tigers did. Should Trout be "punished" because he played in a tougher division? That certainly doesn't seem fair. Think of this too, Trout played 50 games against AL West staffs that ranked 2nd, 4th, and 8th in AL ERA. Cabrera played 70 games against AL Central staffs that ranked 9th, 10th, 13th, and 14th in AL ERA. 

I also hate the argument that Trout's MLB leading 10.7 WAR automatically should give him the MVP award. Granted it's significantly higher than Caberera's 6.9 WAR, but it's not the end all be all. You can't argue with what Cabrera did at the plate this year. It's literally historic. We'll all be telling our kid's about his Triple Crown just like our parents told us about Yastrzemski's. But like I said earlier that shouldn't guarantee an MVP award. Ted Williams won two MVP's and two Triple Crowns, none of which happened in the same year.

If I had to vote, and I'm glad I don't, I'd vote for Cabrera. I feel he was overall more valuable to his team. This is what put me over the edge. While on the surface it looks like the Tigers would have more lineup protection for Cabrera, the stats tell me otherwise. As a team the Angels lead the AL in batting average while the Tigers were 3rd, .274 compared to .268. Not only that, but the Angels hit 24 more home runs than the Tigers did. I was fully prepared to vote for Trout until I saw these numbers. I thought his offensive output combined with his stellar defense gave him the overall value edge. But after considering all the aspects, Cabrera just eeks him out. People are saying that we should think about how bad the Angels would have been without Trout, and that's a great point. But think about how bad the Tigers would have been without Cabrera. In my mind, they both would have been much worse off, but the Tigers more so.

Like I said, I'm really happy I don't have a vote in this thing. In fact, I'd absolutely LOVE IT if they were named co-MVPs, but that isn't going to happen.... unless the Mayans really are right.

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How About Them Cowboys?

No seriously, where the hell are they?  Where is the Dallas team that beat the Giants in Week 1? As it sits right now, the Cowboys will be lucky to finish 7-9. This team won't beat the Giants again, they won't beat the Eagles, the Ravens, the Falcons, or the Steelers. They've got a shot to beat Washington twice, but even that's iffy.

Let me get something out of the way right now, I've never been a Romo fan. He has all the talent in the world, but he can't man up. That's what it boils down to. Yes I've seen him lead the team to victories after trailing in the 4th quarter, and that's great, but when he continually makes poor decisions and doesn't take care of the football, that doesn't matter. He doesn't put his team in a position to win. I'm not even talking about his 5 interceptions Monday night. Yeah they were all bad, one could've been ruled a fumble and one bounced off Ogletree's arms but whatever, it's the throws that he makes to open receivers and misses. His decision-making when the game is there for the taking is atrocious on a consistent basis. I don't see how Jerry Jones can say he believes in Tony Romo and actually mean it. Of course he has to say it, you can't go out and trash your franchise QB, but there is no way he can believe it right? There is a reason why QBs like Peyton, Brady, Rodgers, Brees (not so much this year, but it's not his fault their defense has more holes in it than a beer can that's been hit with birdshot), Matt Ryan, and Roethlisberger are so successful. They make good decisions. They know when to throw the ball away, or when to check down, or how to let a play develop. Romo doesn't, he panics. When Bryant blew that route, he still threw the ball. He didn't throw it away or look for another option. He gave Chicago 6 points right there.

Is Monday's loss to the Bears squarely on Romo's shoulders? Not at all. He got little help from his receivers as both Ogletree and Bryant had trouble actually catching the ball and running the right routes. The Cowboys highly touted defensive line only managed  2 sacks against the Bears who have had trouble keeping Cutler upright since he got to Chicago. Coming into the game Cutler had thrown 5 interceptions on the year compared to 3 touchdowns. That revamped Dallas secondary didn't pick him off once. Rob Ryan's defense looked as bad if not worse than last 3 years. They Dallas defense as a whole only forced 2 3-and-outs all game. 3 if you count the forced fumble that they recovered. That simply isn't good enough. The offense sputtered as well, but that's not all that surprising to be honest. They've managed 7 total touchdowns in 4 games. Their 16.2 points is 31st in the NFL. If Jason Garrett and Rob Ryan aren't worried about their jobs right now, they should be. This isn't an acceptable return with the amount of talent on that team. It's the coach's job to get the individuals to work together as a unit, and they have both failed to do this so far.

I've been a Cowboys fan my entire life, something I'm not ashamed of nor will I ever apologize for it. But I'm a rational fan. I know this team has enough talent to make a serious Super Bowl run. But they lack leadership, coaching, discipline, and to speak frankly, balls. They play like they're owed something, and that's not only sad, but it's embarrassing and insulting. Like the title of this post says, how about them Cowboys? Well to me, I can sum up their season pretty easily so far. The defense is inept and the offense is clumsy. Not exactly what I'd call a recipe for success.

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Waiver Wire Warriors

A lot of fantasy football games are won and lost based on how you treat waivers. Completely ignore them, and you're either not very involved, you're incredibly lucky that you drafted the perfect team, or you don't plan on winning your league. Here are a few players that based off of their Week 1 performances can probably help most teams out. Also, if they can't help you now, think about bye weeks as well as trade bait.

Kevin Ogletree-Unless you're 1st or 2nd on the waiver priority, you can probably forget about this guy. He's owned in about 26% of ESPN leagues, and that number will skyrocket later this week. He had 2 TDs last week and went for 114 yards. Don't expect him to duplicate those numbers again this year though. Witten wasn't healthy last game, and assuming he's back to normal, Ogletree's targets will go down. That being said, he's a viable option. Dez Bryant and Miles Austin will get the majority of coverage, so Ogletree will find himself open. If you're lucky enough to have a high waiver spot and you need a WR, Ogletree may help you. 

Alfred Morris-He may be listed as the Redskins number 3 running back on their official website, but make no mistake, he's their number 1 runner. He had 2 TDs and nearly 100 yards last week, and with teams focusing on RG3 and Pierre Garcon, he could be in for a decent year. He's owned in just under 16% of ESPN leagues too, so he's probably available. Don't forget though, Mike Shanahan is known for throwing just about anyone in the backfield, so don't say I didn't warn you. But as long as Morris continues to produce, he should remain the starter.

Randall Cobb-He was much more involved in the GB offense than anyone expected him to be. He had 9 receptions for 77 yards and a punt return TD. We all know Cobb is a dangerous return man, but to see him getting so much attention as a WR makes him even more attractive. Also, it should be noted that there are reports that Greg Jennings may miss Thursday's game against Chicago, increasing Cobb's role. He's only owned in 14% of ESPN leagues, so if you need some WR help, check him out too.

Scott Chandler-While 4 catches for 38 yards and a TD doesn't exactly scream pickup, it's not terrible for a TE that is only owned in 3.3% of ESPN leagues. He'll be a huge Red Zone target for the Bills, and he has a good relationship with Fitzpatrick. If for whatever reason you need a second TE, he's definitely worth a look.

I'm going to try to get a post about decent waiver options up about once a week. Going forward it is going to be more difficult as players get picked up, but we'll see how it goes. Have any questions about a player, feel free to send them my way and I'll do my best to give you a somewhat educated answer.

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[UPDATE] Saints Bounty Scandal Penalties Overturned

About 20 minutes ago, Sports Illustrated senior writer Jim Trotter tweeted, "BREAKING: A 3-member appeals panel has overturned the player suspensions in the Saints bounty case, says a source. Details coming." I for one, am shocked.

I thought for sure the players suspensions would be upheld, obviously there was much more to this story than was originally reported. Trotter went on to say the commissioner Goodell can reconsider the penalties only if there is evidence of intent to injure beyond just the performance pool, according to a source. What that boils down to is that Goodell will have to find something else in order to keep the players out of the game. Details are still coming out on this, and there has been no official word from the NFL as of yet.

Like I said, I'm shocked by this. This whole ordeal has made Goodell look like a hard-nosed commissioner who isn't going to allow a bounty program and is willing to severely punish those who participate in one. The appeals board has pretty much undermined this whole idea. According to them, simply being part of a bounty program isn't enough to warrant suspensions. Either that, or there was new evidence that what we all thought went on in New Orleans didn't really happen the way it was reported. Whatever the case may be, I'm sure this isn't over, not by a long shot. Also, it should be noted that the coaches have not been mentioned whatsoever, only the player's suspensions have been overturned. Again, that may change, so stay tuned for updates.

UPDATE- Here's the full statement from the NFL: "Consistent with the panel's decision, Commissioner Goodell will, as directed, make an expedited determination of the discipline imposed for violating the league's pay-for-performance/bounty rule. Until that determination is made, the four players are reinstated and eligible to play starting this weekend."


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Cowboys Start The Year Off Right

One streak continued while another ended on Wednesday night. Defending Super Bowl champions had been 8-0 since the current format of them playing the season opener began. The Cowboys ended that streak by beating the Giants 24-17. But the Cowboys unbeaten streak against the Giants in season openers was extended and they are now 6-0 in those games. But what does it all mean?

First off, let me say that I'm not surprised by this outcome. The Cowboys weren't expected to win this game. Vegas had them as 3.5 point dogs, and given the 'Boys habit of giving up leads last year, twice to the Giants I might add, it was easy to see why New York was favored. Add on the fact that Jason Witten was doubtful for the game, it was even more clear why most people picked the Giants. But here's the thing, Romo, and it seems the Cowboys entire team, plays a whole lot better when people aren't expecting much from them. It's when the expectations are high and the pressure is on that they crumble. I'm not saying that wasn't a pressure packed game by any means. I'm saying there was far more pressure on the defending Super Bowl champion to beat a division rival whose owner had called them out, then there was on Dallas.

While the Cowboys did win, and look like the better team, they are nowhere near where they need to be. The secondary was still soft on 3rd down coverage, there were way too many penalties, and Romo didn't look as great as everyone is making him sound. I'll be the first to admit that the defense did look better than it has in a while. Coverage was adequate down the field, but still not where it needs to be. I'm glad to see they're playing man coverage, but there were still times when they were clearly beaten. Had the Giants receivers actually held on to the ball tonight, the score line probably would've looked much different. Luckily for the Cowboys there were several drops. I know I'm overly critical of the defense, but with the kind of talent Dallas has on the field now, there is no reason to get beat consistently down the field. The defensive line looked great, they managed 3 sacks, and forced a fumble.

As for the penalties, ugh. 13 penalties for 86 yards is awful, especially considering how many false starts there were. I know it was loud and they were in hostile territory, but come on. I'm hoping this was a first game jitters kind of thing and doesn't carry over to the rest of the season. Which brings us to Romo. Now let me be the first to say that I'm a die-hard Cowboys fan. Have been my whole life. But I'm not a Romo fan. He's got as much talent, if not more, than the top QBs in the NFL. What he lacks is the mindset, or clutch gene as I like to call it. Under pressure, he terrifies me. Yes there are times when he comes through, like the 38-yard completion to Dez Bryant. You won't find anyone else who could've made that pass look any better. But when he has to make a short dump-off pass because he's under pressure and there isn't anyone open down field, he can't do it. At least twice during the game he failed to complete a short 2-4 yard pass that would've come close to a first down. This is what kills me. Sure, he threw for 3 scores, was 22-29 and had 307 yards. But he also had a stupid interception, and he threw another ball in the endzone that had he made a better pass would've been TD number 4, and he was lucky that one actually didn't get picked off as well.

I know I'm overly critical of Romo. I have been since day 1. A lot of it has to do with the media shoving him down my throat. I'm sorry, I grew up watching Troy Aikman under center. So when people try to tell him how good Romo is, and how he's great for the Cowboys, I want to puke. Not his fault necessarily, but whatever. I don't want to sound like I wasn't impressed by the Cowboys though. They played well enough to win, they looked better than I expected on defense, Murray showed just how good he can be, and they didn't blow a 4th quarter lead. Oh, and Kevin Ogletree, yeah, he's like, good and stuff.

All in all, this was a big win for Dallas. They beat a division rival on the road. Last year they only won two divisional games, both against the lowly Redskins. So while this is week 1, it does have implications. There are still some areas that need improvement, but I was pleasantly surprised by their performance. Yeah the first quarter was ugly, the whole first half wasn't great from an offensive standpoint. But hey, I'll take it.

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Bobby Valentine Fired (I Hope)

As I'm writing this rather late, I doubt that I'll be among the first to hear the news I'm hoping for. Rumors started swirling last Sunday evening that Bobby Valentine would be relieved of his managerial duties on Monday. How true are these rumors? It's impossible for me to know. How true to I want these rumors to be? It's impossible for me to explain just how badly.

Valentine and Boston weren't cut out for each other from the get go. He's a guy better suited for managing a team like the Royals, Padres, or Astros. Teams that have a fanbase, but nowhere near the size of a team like the Red Sox. In Boston, everything you do as a member of the Red Sox is scrutinized by the media (who has been about as bad as they possibly could be this season) and the fans. As much as the folks of Boston love the Bruins and Patriots, it will always be a baseball town. So when ownership went out and hired Bobby V, we all groaned. We knew it wasn't a good idea. We knew it wouldn't work out. We just had no clue it would be as bad as it has been.

Valentine warred with Youkilis. Valentine warred with Pedroia. Valentine warred with just about anyone he could it seemed. Instead of taking responsibility for mishaps, which there have been numerous, he's just tried to laugh things off. That doesn't work in Red Sox Nation. The expectations may be unfairly high, but it is what it is. Red Sox baseball is a lion's den. Valentine either thought he could change that culture, I doubt it though he's not that dumb (well maybe), or figured he had a good enough team to coast to a playoff berth. Obviously that wasn't the case.

Honestly, from a baseball standpoint, there is no reason Valentine should have a job right now. The Sox are 62-73 at this point, and I'll be shocked if they make it past 70 wins. Granted, they traded away a TON of talent, and the pitching has been, to put it bluntly, atrocious all season. Did Beckett need to go? Probably. Gonzalez I don't understand, Crawford obviously makes sense, and as for Youkilis, I just don't know. They thought they had their 3rd baseman of the future in Will Middlebrooks, but then he got hurt. But it's not like he was blowing the doors off Fenway before that. He was hitting a respectable .288 when he went down but his defense wasn't all that great. Maybe I'm biased because I loved watching Youk day in and day out. But I think letting him go for what amounts to NOTHING was the second biggest mistake the Red Sox made this year. The first of course was hiring Valentine to begin with.

So will Bobby V have a job when I wake up? No idea. I find it odd, and kind of disturbing, that I'm rooting for someone to be unemployed, but he's really given me and Red Sox fans everywhere no other choice. Bobby Valentine doesn't belong in the Red Sox dugout. If that was ever more apparent then right now, please fill me in as to when that was. I'll update this as soon as news breaks one way or the other.

UPDATE-So it appears that the dreams of Red Sox Nation will be unfulfilled. While owner John Henry is in Seattle today, which we all thought surely meant Valentine was on his way out, that just doesn't look like it's going to happen. Henry said Valentine will finish the season and he's there to evaluate the pitching. To be perfectly honest, keeping Valentine doesn't mean anything in terms of baseball. But it does show the ownership couldn't be less connected with the fans. I know the fans don't run the team, nor should they. But the owners have a responsibility to them. By keeping Valentine it shows that they really have given up on this season and they don't care who knows it.

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UFC 151 Canceled

As you've probably heard by now, UFC 151 has been canceled. This is the first time in the company's history that they've had to cancel an event after matches had been announced. Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones was set to  defend his title against Dan Henderson. Hendo, as he's known, injured his knee during training and had to pull out of the fight which was supposed to take place on September 1st.

What makes this story even more interesting is that Jones declined to fight Chael Sonnen as a replacement. UFC president Dana White said they called several people but Sonnen was the only fighter willing to take on Jones on such short notice. However, Jones said that 8 days isn't enough to prepare for a fight against Sonnen and declined. White is rather upset about this, and of course Sonnen has now started running his mouth about he'll be "the monster in little JJ's closet" from now on.

What everyone in this situation seems to be forgetting, except for Jones, is that the champion had nothing to gain by fighting Sonnen. This would be Sonnen's first fight ever as a light heavyweight and it would be a title shot. Jones wouldn't gain anything but a paycheck by putting his title and "undefeated" (he does have 1 loss, a DQ for an illegal elbow, so technically he lost, but he's never been beaten) record on the line against Sonnen. Not only that, but Sonnen is a completely different fighter than Hendo is. Jones is right, 8 days is nowhere near enough time to prepare.

I'm surprised they canceled the whole event though. There have been situations in the past where the UFC had to cancel certain fights, but the rest of the card still took place. My guess is that without another big name fight on the card, they were worried that PPV numbers would suffer greatly.

Jones is now scheduled to fight Lyoto Machida on September 22 at UFC 152 (which should probably be named UFC 151 now, right?) in what will most likely be a snore-fest. Machida will probably dance just out of Jones' reach the entire fight, and considering how big that reach is, I fully expect the crowd to rain down boos during the entire fight. Granted this will be a rematch, Jones choked out Machida at UFC 140 in December last year, so maybe that will motivate Machida do something, but I doubt it. It's just not his style.

UPDATE-Jones will now be facing UFC legend Vitor Belfort at UFC 152. Machida turned the fight down saying that he didn't have enough time to train. Also, it has come out that Anderson Silva called Dana White and said he'd jump in and fight Jones in order to save UFC 151. However the call was made too late. Surprising to hear that Silva would offer his services though.

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Melky Cabrera Suspended For 50 Games

Giants slugger, and All-Star Game MVP Melky Cabrera was suspended for 50 games today for violating MLB's drug policy. Reports say he tested positive for testosterone. What makes this more interesting then your average drug-related suspension is he basically confessed/admitted to the whole thing.

His statement following the announcement of his suspension was, "My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used," Cabrera said in a statement. "I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down."  It's not often you hear a guy just totally own up to something like this. Does he deserve credit for this? Maybe, but it doesn't make his violation acceptable. 

My question about the whole thing, is anyone really surprised? I know it's unfair, but his stats this year had me questioning him. He's having by far a career year. He was hitting .346 with a .390 on base percentage and a slugging percentage of .516. These are all way above his career averages. It's one thing for a guy to raise his batting average, but for all 3 of those stats to make such significant jumps? We now know why that is. 

Cabrera will miss the rest of the regular season, and if the Giants do make the playoffs, he'd be eligible to play in their 6th playoff game. But by then he probably won't be in baseball shape. Remember, he can't go down to the minors until then either, and by that time, their season will be over too. The Giants would have to keep a roster spot open for him, which would make almost no sense. Also, you have to wonder if the Giants knew something was coming. They acquired two outfielders before the deadline. Maybe they knew this was going to happen sooner or later? We'll probably never know. 

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Fantasy Football Problems

It's August, so why not kick off the month with my first fantasy football related blog post? This might not go over so well, as it will seem like I'm bragging a bit (which it totally unintentional, I swear) but I truly do need some input from other people. So just bear with me.

Let me start by saying this, my name is David and I love and am addicted to fantasy football. I first played fantasy football back in the 02/03 season and I've only not had a team once since then. Recently I've been pretty successful with my teams. I've won a league 4 years in a row, and 2 years ago I not only won my league but I also won the Survival league I was in. Again, I'm not trying to brag. I do a lot of research before the draft and during the season. Free agents and trades are where seasons are won and lost. Yes the draft is important, but it's incredibly rare for the team you draft to be your team at even the halfway point of the season. See, I told you I was addicted.

So last year I ended up with a pretty good team. By pretty good, I mean it was rather ridiculous. A quick rundown. QBs-Brees, Vick, and Romo. RBs-Lynch, Spiller, Foster, Murray. WRs-Cruz, Welker, Colston, Wallace. TEs-Graham, Gonzalez. D/ST-Ravens, Bengals. K-Bailey. I had Janikowski at one point but used him in a trade, which was him and 2 other players that I don't recall for Brees. As you can see, my team had very few, if any holes. I had a great draft, even being in the last slot, and I picked up some good free agents and that trade I mentioned.

Here's my problem. This is a keeper league. I don't normally play in keeper leagues. I can only choose one player to keep on my roster. I'm torn between Brees, Foster, and Graham. I can pretty easily talk myself out of Graham, but he's worth mentioning. He was the number 2 TE last year and I'm a big believer in having a worthwhile TE, they'll win you games. I'm worried that Brees, and his MASSIVE contract, are going to have an off year. The Saints have so much drama around them, I just don't know if I trust the guy and their interim coach. With Foster, there have been reports that he has become of vegan. Now, nothing against anyone who chooses to be a vegan, but it doesn't seem like the greatest idea for a football player let alone a running back.   I know it sounds dumb, but he's already been injured a few times, and this makes me think he could miss some significant time this year

So what would you do? I've already looked over all the rankings from different sites, and ESPN actually has Foster as the number 1 overall keeper and Brees as 13th on their list. But I'm still not convinced. I should point out that our league is not a PPR league, but all touchdowns are worth 6 points, even passing touchdowns. Other than that the rules are pretty standard. So leave a comment or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook and let me know what you think, who should be my keeper this year?

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Dodgers Trade For Hanley Ramirez

Details are still coming in at this point, but reliable sources are saying the Dodgers have pulled off a trade for Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate. In turn, Miami will get Nathan Eovaldi, who was scheduled to pitch Friday against the Giants, and prospect Scott McGough. Also, no money is changing hands in the deal

Ken Rosenthal has said that it will be Don Mattingly who decides whether Hanley ends up at shortstop or 3rd base. My initial reaction is that he'll be at short at least until Dee Gordon gets healthy. Then again, Hanley has been decent at 3rd this year, so playing him there would free up Jerry Hairston Jr. who hates the position, and gives the Dodgers the chance to rid themselves of Juan Uribe.

Either way this is a big deal for the Dodgers. They pick up a proven hitter, granted he hasn't been great lately, and they can get rid of some dead weight. Will definitely be interesting to see how it works once Gordon is back though.


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Penn State Sentenced To Life Without Parole

Ok, so Penn State didn't get the death penalty, but put in prison terms, they pretty much got a life sentence without the possibility of parole, in terms of football at least. Do I think the punishment was fair? Yes and no. I'm going to go point by point for each of the sanctions. I don't expect most people to agree with me.

The school has been fined $60 million. Perfectly acceptable, if not even a little low. All of the money will be donated to charity. This is a great starting point. For once the NCAA gets something right when it comes to a punishment. I was surprised it was this high only because I read on Sunday that $60 million was the absolute highest the NCAA would go. I thought it would be in the $30-$40 million range, but I'm happy its as high as it is. I could've gone for a nice round $100 million though, that's just me. This punishment has a direct effect on the institution.

Penn State must reduce 10 initial scholarships and 20 each year for the next 4 years. I'm good with this sanction as well, on the condition that it doesn't impact any current students. No one in the student body had anything to do with this case. There is no reason for any current student to have their financial aid reduced because the administration covered up the actions of a monster. The institution should be punished. As long as the scholarships that are being reduced don't adversely effect the current student body, I'm fine with this.

The school must vacate all football wins from 1998-2011. Now we're getting to a point that I don't really agree with. Recently, schools that have had to vacate wins had to do so because of improper benefits, benefits that aided the program. Now I understand that the NCAA wanted to wipe Joe Paterno's name from the record book. But it really doesn't seem fair to all of the Nittany Lion players. They didn't do anything wrong that pertains to this debacle. They played their hearts out and won football games the right way. It's not their fault their coach was, for lack of better terms, a total piece of crap. Again, I get that the NCAA doesn't want Joe Paterno as the all-time wins leader, plus this pretty much guarantees that the statue will never go back up. But this effects people who are completely un-involved in the case. That doesn't seem fair.

The athletic department is on a five-year probation. Pretty standard, it is what it is. Not much to talk about on this one. Also, players may transfer to another school and they're eligible to play immediately. Again, pretty standard.

Four-year postseason ban. This is the one I have the biggest problem with. Why are the players on the team right now being punished? What did they have to do with this? I get that the NCAA wants to punish the school. But they aren't just punishing the school, now they're punishing a football team that wasn't involved. Yes Paterno was their leader. Guess what, he's dead, and before he died, he was fired. He's not there anymore. Football is the biggest revenue generator for Penn State in terms of athletics, so they're an easy target. But my suggestion would be this. Instead of a postseason ban, make Penn State don't every single cent they receive because of football. Everything from ticket sales, to merchandise, to concessions. Every dollar should be donated. Not only that, but the university should have to foot the bill for everything. No taking money from boosters or sponsors. This way the school is punished, not the team.

What the NCAA did in this case sets a very dangerous precedent. I thought the NCAA was in place to make sure schools didn't cheat and to make sure student-athletes followed the rules. While Penn State absolutely deserves to be punished, I feel like the NCAA has overstepped their bounds. This was a legal case, one that Penn State should be ashamed of for a long time to come. It has been reported that they agreed to these sanctions in order to avoid the death penalty for up to four years. I get that the NCAA is punishing the school, I just don't agree with how it's being done. Sure the school gets to have football, but it's football that doesn't mean anything. Recruiting is going to be almost non-existent. The only reasons USC was able to recruit players during their punishment period was that they still got to play on National TV, the sanctions weren't as strict, and USC has been much more competitive in the last decade compared to Penn State.

So while Penn State essentially talked their way out of the death penalty, I'll be shocked if they fair any better than SMU has since they received the sentence. Football is essentially dead at Penn State, and I don't see it coming back any time soon. Which in my opinion, is just wrong. It would be a different story if the entire coaching staff had been a part of this. But as far as we know, it two of them. Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky. Both of whom are no longer a part of the program. But for whatever reason the NCAA decided to punish student-athletes who weren't involved, and that's just wrong.

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Managerial Discretion

How can anyone be surprised by the most recent antics of Bobby Valentine and Ozzie Guillen? These two guys are known for running their mouths (or speaking their minds, however you choose to word it.)

If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'll explain as best and as quickly as I can. Valentine reopened the whole Youkilis business by saying he knew he'd play better elsewhere and he doesn't think Youk ever got over/forgave him for his comments in April. Not only that, but he hinted that Youk was the source that ratted out the pitching staff for their chicken and beer escapades last season. It seems Valentine has no clue what loyalty is, especially to Red Sox fans. Maybe he learned a lesson Monday night when Youkilis got a louder and longer ovation in his first trip back to Fenway then he'll get all year. I doubt it though.

Guillen is in the news for his mouth because of an incident in Sunday's Marlins vs. Nationals matchup. Guillen complained that rookie phenom Bryce Harper had pine tar too high on his bat. Supposedly this can cause more friction thus causing the ball to travel further. Personally, this is something I'd like the Mythbusters to test, but that's neither here nor there. In his next at bat, Harper allegedly pointed his bat at Guillen before stepping into the box (the horror!!!) Guillen was then seen on the top step cursing at Harper and pointing a bat back at him and shaking it around while making faces. Whose the 19 year old again? Guillen's actions were not only ridiculous, but if I were a Marlins fan, I'd be embarrassed.

Now I'll be the first to say I like a passionate manager who stands up for his guys. But what Guillen and Valentine are doing is almost the complete opposite. They're attracting unnecessary attention to their club. Sure it's not directed at a member of their own squad, but how would you like to work for one of these clowns? I know I wouldn't. Again, no one should be surprised by these idiots running their mouths again. I'd just like to know what each hoped to accomplish by their most recent headline grabbing antics.


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UFC 148 Preview

Rather than go through the entire card, I'm just going to focus on the two main event fights. Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz, and Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva.

For the Ortiz/Griffin fight, it's important to note that Ortiz has already said this will be his last fight, he plans on retiring after the fight. That right there has to give him a bit of an advantage. He's 1-6-1 in his last 8 fights, and this is the rubber match between the two. Ortiz won the first fight and Griffin won the last time they met. You have to give the striking advantage to Griffin, but Ortiz is still the superior wrestler. I wouldn't be surprised to see this go down to a split-decision and have Ortiz come out on top. I think he'll do whatever he can to get the fight to the ground and keep it there.

By now pretty much every single MMA fan knows that Sonnen vs. Silva will be probably the biggest fight in UFC history. Again, as every fan knows, their last fight was legendary. Sonnen absolutely dominated Silva before getting caught with a submission late in the 5th and final round. Sonnen then tested positive for elevated testosterone levels, and he hasn't shut up since. Silva is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet right now, he hasn't lost since June of 2006, and he's never lost in the UFC. There's a reason Dana White has called him the greatest mixed martial artist ever. This fight should be nothing short of amazing.

As per his usual, Sonnen has done nothing but run his mouth leading up to this fight. Even going so far as to say he'll leave the UFC is he loses, which I would love to see happen as I can't stand the guy, but I doubt that will happen. He's too big of a draw for the UFC, and he wouldn't be able to deal with not winning. If you saw the interview on Dan Lebatard is Highly Questionable yesterday, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. Sonnen seems to live in some alternate reality where only he speaks the truth and no one can say anything different. He's not a normal person, and it's a good thing he's a professional fighter. If he wasn't he'd probably be serving quite a lengthy prison sentence for some violent crime. Just my two cents, but that's the feeling I get from the guy.

As for my prediction, I think/hope/pray that Silva absolutely wipes the mat with this idiot. There is no denying Sonnen's talent, he's a great fighter. But I don't think he's on Silva's level. Yeah he was within seconds of becoming the champion the last time they met, but he didn't. That's what's important. He isn't the champion, Silva is. The normally subdued champion has even been doing some trash talking. This is what makes me think Silva will win. He hasn't been challenged since the last fight with Sonnen, and he knows he got beat down for the vast majority of the fight. He won't allow this to happen again. I'm saying Silva by knockout in the 4th round.  I'm not extremely confident with that pick, though. I think Sonnen will come out stronger than last time too. He knows this fight will make or break his legacy. That being said, I still like Silva to pull off yet another victory.

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Home Run Derby Rosters Announced

The "teams" for the 2012 Home Run Derby have been announced. The NL team will be captained by Matt Kemp and he selected Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Beltran, and Carlos Gomez to join him. Robinson Cano, the AL captain and defending champion, chose Jose Bautista, Prince Fielder, and Mark Trumbo to round out his squad. Right away, I like the AL to win, and I'd put my money on Bautista to take the whole thing.

But that's not the point of this blog. There are actually a couple of points I'd like to discuss. One, I hate the idea of Kemp participating, and two, would you want the star slugger of your team to take part in the derby?

First off, Kemp is on the DL right now. It's the second time this season he's missed time with an injured hamstring, and isn't projected to return until July 13th. It's not that I don't think he should be allowed to swing, I just think it's a horrible idea. I know he's been taking some batting practice, but he's not swinging in BP like he will be in the derby. I'm not concerned that he'll aggravate the hamstring, I'm worried he'll totally screw his swing up for the rest of the year. Kemp already has a sweet swing, he drives the ball to the opposite field and center. I would hate for him to try and pull the ball during the derby and mess up his swing.

Secondly, if you're a fan of the teams being represented by these guys, are you happy about it? We all know what has happened in the past to winners of the derby. On average, the past 10 winners of the Home Run Derby have seen their dip following the All-Star break. That's hardly a coincidence. If you're a fan of a team who has playoff potential, do you want to see your guy in the derby, and if you do, are you concerned his numbers will drop in the 2nd half of the season? 

Also, you may have noticed that I posted this over at ViceHood.com too. So I apologize if you're reading this twice, but they were nice enough to allow me to continue to post on my personal blog as well. So I'm going to do just that. I won't be posting everything on both sites, but it will happen on a semi-regular basis.


UPDATE-Giancarlo Stanton has been replaced with Andrew McCutchen. I still think the AL wins the thing with Bautista being the champion.

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Is Tiger Back?

If you haven't heard, Tiger Woods won the AT&T National on Sunday. So naturally, people all over the internet are saying he's back. Just like he was when he won the Memorial in June. But in my mind, Tiger isn't back, and he never will be.

To say that someone is back, means they have returned to their original state. I'm not saying Tiger won't win another major, or majors, but he'll never dominate the way he did.  For one, he's older, he's had injuries, and his mindset isn't the same. Add in to the equation that he's now facing golfers who never had to go up against him in his prime, and there isn't the same "fear" of facing Tiger as there used to be. Also, it seems as though he knows or believes he can beat anyone on tour. He just doesn't play with the same confidence. Put it this way, e won 10 majors from 2000-2006, that's 25% folks. That kind of run will never be duplicated by anyone. People say never say never, well I'm saying never. It won't happen.

I don't need to go into the whole scandal thing, and how that really screwed him up. We all know that. Sure, Tiger still has the potential to win on a weekly basis, but so does everyone else. Tiger used to beat his opponents. Now, it seems as though for him to win, his opponents have to beat themselves. This isn't the Tiger I remember. Sunday was a perfect example. Bo Van Pelt had the opportunity to put Tiger away, or at least grab an outright lead, but he couldn't close. Tiger benefited from Van Pelt's miscues. That isn't to suggest Tiger didn't deserve to win, he absolutely did. But he just doesn't win in the same fashion he used to.

I'm one of the people who still have trouble saying Tiger is the greatest golfer of all time. Is he in the conversation? Absolutely. Can I argue that he is the greatest ever? Sure I can. He still has plenty of time left to win more tournaments, including majors. But he'll never be "back." It's just not possible.

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My NL All-Star Ballot

As promised, here is my NL All-Star Ballot. If you read my AL All-Star Ballot post, you know I tend to favor hitting for my All-Star selections, so there shouldn't be too many surprises here.

First Base- This one was easy, Joey Votto. He's hitting .349, no other first baseman is even hitting over .300 right now. He's also 1st in slugging (.636), 1st in on base percentage (.474, and no one else is over .362), 2nd in home runs, 2nd in RBIs, and the leader in walks. He is 8th in fielding percentage, which isn't great obviously, but he's a monster at the plate, so that earns my vote.

Second Base- After scouring the stats, I ended up going with Jose Altuve. I honestly have no idea who is actually going to be selected, but Altuve made the most sense to me. He's hitting .309, has 12 stolen bases (both of which are tops for the position), and he's 3rd in on base percentage and slugging percentage. His fielding stats aren't great, he's 11th in terms of fielding percentage with 8 errors, but he's also had the 4th most total chances. Again, no clue who is going to start at second for the NL, but I voted for Altuve.

Shortstop- Oh if only Starlin Castro cared about his defense. That guy could be the future of the Cubs infield, but he just commits too many errors, especially for a shortstop. I went with Rafael Furcal on my ballot. Yes he's 3rd in average, but he doesn't strike out much (only 36 K's in 297 at bats), he's second in on base percentage, and 4th in RBIs. What really set him apart for me is his defensive stats. Fielding percentage he's 2nd, but Willie Bloomquist, the leader, has played 20 fewer games.

Third Base-David Wright made this one easy. He's hitting .361, no other 3B is over .285, he leads in RBIs, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and he's tied for fourth in home runs. Easy choice. Didn't even have to look at fielding stats for this one.

Right Field-This one ended up being easier than I thought it would. Andre Ethier had my vote up until about 2 weeks ago when the Dodgers decided to stop hitting. Then I looked at the actual season stats, and Carlos Beltran basically jumped off the screen. Only left fielder hitting over .300, .312 to be exact, he's got 20 home runs, and he leads in on base percentage and slugging percentage. He deserves the nod, and I don't think I ever expected myself to write that about him. 


Center Field- Why Matt Kemp? Why do you have to be hurt again? Kemp is in my opinion one of the top 3 or 4 players in the entire game right now. There is nothing he can't do, except stay healthy I guess. I went with Andrew McCutchen. Tops in average, on base, slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs, and doubles. Need I say more?


Left Field-I know Ryan Braun is probably going to end up getting the nod. But I still believe he took PEDs, so I'll never consider him for anything ever again. He's a cheater in my mind, and cheater's do not deserve to be celebrated. As much as I hate the Giants, I had to go with Melky Cabrera. He's hitting .355, his on base percentage is .398, which are both tops in the league. Also, consider that he's hitting that well playing in a pitcher's park a lot of the time. He also doesn't strike out much, so he got my vote. (Again, I feel like I'm going to puke.)


Catcher-Earlier in the month AJ Ellis would have been a no brainer for me. Now, not so much. But the choice was easy. Carlos Ruiz. He's hitting .362, and his OPS is 1.017. I don't really think I need to say much else. 


Starting Pitcher-How do you not go with RA Dickey? He's 11-1 with a 2.31 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. All best in the league. This one was easy.


Write In-I didn't want to do it, but I had to. Bryce Harper. The kid is amazingly talented, he's a future star, and he deserves to go to the All-Star Game this year. I don't like the kid's attitude, or his approach to the media, although to be fair, that WAS a clown question, bro. At some point I think he'll mature, and then maybe I'll have a little more respect for him. But for now, I don't like the guy. But I did vote for him.


So there you have it folks, both of my All-Star Ballots. Will be interesting to see how many I get wrong, wouldn't be surprised if that's around the 50% mark to be honest. But again, I vote for the players I think deserve to go, not my favorites. If I did that, I'd only vote for Red Sox and Dodgers. 


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My AL All-Star Ballot

Now that voting has closed for the All-Star Game, I figured why not do a post about who I voted for and why. I'll be sure to get my NL ballot up soon after this one.

First Base-This one was difficult for me. Prince Fielder and Paul Konerko are easily the top two hitters at the position, no one else is even really close right now. Konerko has the highest batting average, .320, but he only has the 5th most RBIs, which of course Fielder leads with 50, 11 more than Konerko. Ultimately, I went with Konerko. He's on a worse team and he has the higher fielding percentage. Overall he's been the best first baseman in the American League so far.


Second Base-I know I'm biased, but I honestly think Dustin Pedroia is the best second baseman in all of baseball. That being said, I couldn't bring myself to vote for him. He simply hasn't been good enough at the plate so far. I had to go with one of my least favorite players, Robinson Cano. He's the only 2nd baseman hitting over .300, he has 18 home runs (7 more than the next closest 2B) and he's first in slugging percentage, .579, the only 2B slugging over .460. While he's not great defensively, he's been a terror at the plate, and that earns him the nod. (I think I'm going to puke.)

Shortstop-We all know Jeter is going to get the starting spot, but I didn't vote for him. I voted for Alcides Escobar. He leads in batting average, he's second in slugging percentage, he's third in on base percentage, and he's tied for 9th in fielding percentage. If you can't tell, I base a lot of my All-Star votes on hitting, so that's why he got my vote.

Third Base-I went with Miguel Cabrera here. He's not leading in batting average for his position, Adrian Beltre is, but he's second. He does lead in on base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs, and while he's not a great fielder, he did change positions this year, and he's only committed 8 errors in 73 games. For that, he gets my vote.


Right Field-Mark Trumbo. Have you seen that guy hit? He's hitting the way everyone thought Pujols would be. He leads in batting average, slugging percentage (he's slugging .625, Jose Bautista who is 2nd is slugging .550, wow), and he's 2nd in RBIs and home runs. Simply put, he's an animal at the plate so far this year.


Center Field-Granted he's played like crap the last few weeks, but how could I not vote for Josh Hamilton? 24 home runs (1st) slugging percentage .647 (1st) batting average .316 (3rd) and 69 RBIs (1st, oh and who is 2nd in RBIs? Colby Rasmus, with 45. Yeah, he has 24 more RBIs than the next closest guy.) Hopefully he picks it up in the 2nd half of the season, but he definitely deserves to be in the All-Star Game.

Left Field-Oh left field, how I hate you. There is always one position it seems that is the hardest to choose. I poured over stats and came up with hardly anything. I went with Josh Willingham and I still don't feel good about it. He's hitting .272, which is tops for the position, and he's the only left fielder slugging over .500, but still, blech. Pick it up left fielders, you all are embarrassing yourselves.

Catcher-I really, really wanted to vote for Jared Saltalamacchia. He's got the most home runs, he's 3rd in doubles, but he's only hitting .255, so I just couldn't do it. Add in his shaky defense, and I had to turn my back on Salty. I don't feel good about it, but I try not to be a totally biased homer when it comes to All-Star voting. I ended up going with Joe Mauer. He's the only catcher hitting above .300, .321 to be exact, and I think he deserves it. I know he doesn't catch nearly as many games as he used to, but face it, he's still the best catcher in the AL.

Designated Hitter-David Ortiz, David Ortiz, David Ortiz. If I have to explain why, other than my Red Sox loyalty, you obviously don't watch enough baseball. He's been tearing the cover off the ball. Put it this way, his OPS is 1.020, that should say enough.

Starting Pitcher-This one was hard once I looked at the stats. David Price, Matt Harrison, and Yu Darvish all have 10 wins. There are 4 more guys who have 9 wins, and a handful who have 8. I finally settled on Chris Sale. He's 9-2, his ERA is 2.29, best among starters with a minimum of 80 innings pitched, WHIP is 0.95, 2nd only to Jered Weaver's 0.92, and he's only walked 23 batters this season, which is tied for 7th best in the league.

Write In Vote-Mike Trout. This kid is everything Bryce Harper is without the attitude. He and Trumbo are the future of the Angels. Again, if you don't know who Mike Trout is, you probably don't watch baseball. He deserves to be there.

So that was my AL ballot, and like I said, I'll get my NL one up soon. I realize at 3-4 guys I voted for probably won't be selected, but that's OK. I know most people are stat geeks like me and they just vote for their favorite player regardless of how well they've played so far.

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Yankees Pitching Staff Takes A Big Hit

It's rare that I write a blog post with such a big smile on my face, but this is one of them. On Wednesday the Yankees placed their ace CC Sabathia on the 15-day disabled list with a strain of his left groin. Shortly after this, in the 5th inning of their game against the Indians, Andy Pettitte took a ball off his left ankle which we now know is fractured. He is expected to miss at least 6 weeks.  In the span of just a few hours, the Yankees pitching rotation took a major hit.

Now, I have never rooted for a player to get injured, or miss time, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pleased by this. Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy these guys are hurt, I'm happy the Yankees won't have two of their best pitchers for a little while. I'm unabashedly a Red Sox fan and a Yankee hater, so this really should come as no surprise. Hopefully this will give the Sox an opportunity to gain some ground on the Evil Empire.

The only thing that concerns me about these two guys going down is that the Yankees may throw their hat in the ring for Zack Greinke. Yankees GM Brian Cashman isn't know for making a big splash around the trade deadline, and it's been reported that they'll fill the rotation from within, but they'd be stupid not to at least inquire about a trade for the Brewers ace.  I really hope this doesn't happen, because an August and September of facing Sabathia, Pettitte, and Greinke sounds horribly painful.

For now, the Red Sox need to seize the opportunity. They're playing good baseball right now, and need to keep it rolling. They are 6.5 games behind the Yanks, which is not an insurmountable deficit. Now is the time for the Red Sox to make a run at the top of the AL East, and these two injuries might have made that just a bit easier.

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Youkilis Traded To White Sox

It seemed a forgone conclusion coming into this weekend, but it finally happened. The Red Sox have traded Kevin Youkilis. Although it's not surprising in the least, I for one am I bit saddened by this.

Youk tripled late in Sunday's game and was lifted for a pinch runner, and we all knew why. He got a huge reception by everyone in the dugout, a standing ovation from the Fenway faithful, and came out for a curtain call. His production may has been lacking recently, although it did look like he's starting to turn things around, but real Red Sox fans will never forget him.

Sure he clashed with Manny, and he has one of, if not the ugliest batting stance in history, but hearing that YOOOUUUUK chant throughout the ballpark has become a staple of baseball. The Red Sox always travel well, and every stadium I've ever seen him play in erupted in the cheer when he stepped into the batter's box.

Will Middlebrooks will take over at 3rd base in Youk's place, and if he keeps playing the way he has, it will be a dead heat between him and Angels outfielder Mike Trout for AL Rookie Of The Year. It will be very interesting to hear Fenway's reception of Youkilis on July 16th when the White Sox visit Fenway.

UPDATE- It was reported that Youkilis was traded for a pitcher and a utility player. The pitcher is Zach Stewart and the utility player is Brent Lillibridge. The White Sox are also getting a significant amount of cash in the deal according to Ken Rosenthal, in the neighborhood of $5 million.  Also of note, with this trade, David Ortiz is the only member of the Red Sox who was on the roster for the 2004 World Series.

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What To Do About Kevin Youkilis

The most rampant trade rumor flying around the MLB circles right now is that the Red Sox are shopping Kevin Youkilis to anyone who will listen. While it isn't surprising that Youkilis is at the center of all these rumors, I'm really not so sure trading him is the right thing to do, or that the Sox will be successful in doing so.

I know Youkilis rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Some see him as having an attitude problem and not the greatest of teammates. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I could do without his attitude. But overall, I think it's just a matter of him caring so much about his performance and how it effects the team. He knows he's struggling, he knows the team is struggling. So yeah, he should be upset with himself, and as an emotional person, it shows. Personally, I think every team would benefit from having a player that wears his emotions on his sleeve. Granted he didn't get along with Manny, but other than that, I've never heard of a player having a problem with him.

I don't there are going to be many teams interested in Youkilis right now. He isn't producing at the plate, and hasn't been since the All-Star break last year. He ended up hitting .258 last season, by far the lowest of his MLB career, and this year he's hitting a paltry .216. This just isn't what teams are going to be looking to trade for. Not only that, but what kind of offers are the Sox going to get for him? I can't imagine it would be anything more than a reliever and some low A-ball players or some draft picks.

All in all, I don't think trading Youkilis is the answer to the Sox problems, especially with the way outfielders have been getting hurt. I heard during the game on Tuesday that the Red Sox have started 13 different outfielders this year. So while having Adrian Gonzalez play right field isn't the ideal situation, it does seem necessary at times. So with Gonzo in right, Youkilis starts at 1st, and Middlebrooks is at 3rd. Like I said, this isn't ideal, but I don't think it's all that bad either. I think holding on to Youkilis at least until Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury come back, is important. After that, then let's evaluate the situation, and if Youkilis still isn't producing, and Middlebrooks is, then trading Youkilis for some prospects would seem more logical.

But until that happens, everyone should just relax. The Sox have a tiny 3-game winning streak right now, and the uproar of trade rumors isn't going to have a positive effect. Youkilis is an emotional player, and screwing with his psyche isn't going to help him pull out of this slump.

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Roger Clemens Found Not Guilty

One of the biggest wastes of taxpayer money finally came to an end on Monday, Roger Clemens was found not guilty of perjury. Twitter is all a fuss with people complaining about it, which leads me to ask this question. Do you really care? And if you do, why?

Whether or not Clemens lied to Congress means absolutely nothing to you or me. Our daily lives are not impacted in the least. Did he knowingly use performance enhancing drugs? Probably, but so did literally hundreds of other players. I'm not suggesting that makes it OK or anything, but I simply don't care anymore.

Clemens definitely has Hall of Fame worthy statistics, and I do think this whole fiasco should, and will, have a negative effect on his being elected. I've long held the belief that players who were caught and/or admitted using PEDs should not be allowed in the Hall of Fame. That means Alex Rodriguez is out, same with Mark McGwire. My thought process is this, if one of the known cheaters is enshrined in Cooperstown, they all should be. That means Pete Rose gets in. The members of the 1919 Black Sox scandal who would otherwise be in the Hall finally get in. You can't allow one type of cheating and not others. That simply doesn't make sense.

Barry Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice in 2011 that stemmed from an appearance before a grand jury back in 2003. Again, how are our daily lives impacted by this? Why isn't taxpayer money and government officials focusing on much more important things? I feel the same way about this new Lance Armstrong thing. I just don't care. I'm over it. Did he cheat? Maybe, but until you show me some physical evidence, leave me alone.

All in all, I think I'm glad Clemens was found not guilty. There wasn't any substantial physical evidence. This was a case of he said vs. he said. Clemens and Bonds will both be in their first year of eligibility next year, and it will definitely be interesting to see how the votes are tallied. But until then, lets just leave it alone.

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Andre Ethier Agrees To 5-Year $85 Million Extension

Now that the Kings have captured the Stanley Cup, it's time to get back to writing about baseball.

By now you've probably heard that the Dodgers have locked up the bash brothers. Kemp got his well-deserved contract in the offseason, and it's about time 'Dre got his.

While the terms of the deal haven't been officially confirmed, it's reported that the deal will be for 5 years, and be guaranteed for $85 million. It's also being reported that there is a vesting option for a 6th year that would push the deal to $100 million. Have to thank Dylan Hernandez, the LA Times Dodgers beat writer for that. If you're on Twitter and you're a Dodgers fan, he's a must follow- @dylanohernandez

While on the surface this is a ton of money for a player who has already had his 30th birthday party, it makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers. Ethier is a fan favorite, he's proven time and time again that his nickname, Captain Clutch, is well deserved, and he's a good clubhouse guy.  I know there were rumors about him wanting to join his buddy Dustin Pedroia in Boston, but that was never anything more than speculation.

The one-two punch of Ethier and Kemp is going to be a lot of fun to watch over the next 5-6 seasons. Both of them could and probably will start in numerous All-Star Games, and they could very easily lead the Dodgers back to the World Series. Both of them are Silver Slugger and Gold Glove candidates year in and year out, and it seems as though they get along with everyone on the team. Also, it's possible that near the end of Ethier's deal, he could end up playing some right field or even first base if necessary.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the contract extension. The Dodgers front office has shown the fans, and Ethier, that they are committed to keeping talent instead of trading it away. That's the kind of baseball the fans expect in LA.

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Kings Win The Stanley Cup

Well it only took 45 years, longer than any other NHL franchise has waited to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, but the Los Angeles Kings are Champions.

This was one of, if not the most, impressive postseason performances by a team in any sport. They barely squeaked into the playoffs, but once they were in, they ran over everyone. Overall the Kings went 16-4 throughout the postseason. They only went to Game 6 once, which they dominated to finally put the Devils away.

The only thing I can think of that comes close to this run is the 2004 Red Sox. We all know that story, and it was historical, just like this one is. I could sit here and ramble on and on about stats, but that's just not necessary.

The Kings played with more heart, more passion, and more desire than anyone else in the playoffs. That's why the Cup will belong to them for the next year. It is/was an absolutely amazing run, and I know it sounds weird, but I could not be more proud of that team. Sure there were a few ESPN guys who picked them pre-season to  make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, but I don't think anyone picked them to win the whole thing.

I'm literally struggling to find words right now. I'm still in shock. All I can say is......

GO KINGS GO!!!!!!!


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Kings One Win Away From The Stanley Cup

I don't think I can write an intelligent blog post about the Kings at this point. I'm so impressed with the way they've been playing, I simply can't describe it. Quick has shown just how great he truly can be, and the rest of the team has rallied around him.

They finally got a powerplay goal, 2 in fact, and everything seems to be firing on all cylinders. No one is overstepping their role, and the entire team is functioning as a unit. You can see how frustrated the Devils are. Even when they manage to get a good shot on goal, Quick turns it away. I don't need to talk about stats at this point, the games speak for themselves.

What does concern me, is after romping in Game 3, there could be a setback in Game 4. I don't expect this to happen, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if it does. I really can't contain my excitement and nervousness at this point, so I'm going to keep this pretty short.

Lastly, and maybe more importantly, after Game 1 of the very first series against the Canucks, my brother in-law stayed with us for the weekend. We were talking about the game and I happened to say, "Not that I don't want this to happen, but if the Kings win the Stanley Cup, I'll get an LA Kings tattoo." It might be time to start thinking about designs. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but the thought is definitely in my head.

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Kings Win Game 1

Ok, now that my heart rate has finally returned to normal, I can write about Game 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, and what a game it was.

First off, there were more missed chances and strange bounces in this game than in any other game I've watched this postseason. Even the Devils goal was an oddity. After looking at the replays multiple times, it sure looks like the puck glanced off of Voynov's shoulder and past Quick. Whatever happened, it was a strange play and it tied the game. The first goal of the series was a clean one though. Fraser snapped a quick shot past Brodeur and the Kings were out to a 1-0 lead. LA had plenty more opportunities, but after that Brodeur was locked in. I thought for sure the Kings were going to score on at least 2 chances, but it just didn't happen. Both goaltenders carried their teams into the 3rd period with the score tied.

The 3rd period was very different from the first two. The Devils looked like they were on a mission, and nothing was going to stop them. Somehow the Kings survived. After looking fairly dominant in the first 2 periods, they looked tired in the 3rd. Luckily Quick was able to come up with some HUGE saves and the bounces went LA's way. I was so sure the Kings were going to give up a goal, but they didn't and forced OT.

Then, sure enough, in overtime, the Devils continued pouring on the offense. But Quick stood strong, as did Brodeur when the Kings got their chances. All of sudden though, on a broken play, and thanks to a strong behind the back pass, Anze Kopitar found himself with the puck and only Brodeur between him and the goal. He put those quick hands to work, deked Marty out of his pads, and slipped the puck under his leg and into the goal. Game over. Nothing against Brodeur, the guy has had an amazing career, but Kopitar made him look bad. It was a gorgeous goal, and one that could really give the Kings a lot of momentum.

The Kings confidence should be very high after winning yet another road playoff game. They still haven't lost away from the Staples Center in the playoffs, and Game 1 proved they aren't slowing down now. While it wasn't the prettiest of wins, it was a win nonetheless, and that's what matter. Quite a few analysts thought the week-long layoff was going to be a problem for the Kings, and to be honest, it looked like it was in the 3rd period. But they fought back and survived long enough to get the game winner. Hopefully they won't be as nervous on Saturday when the puck drops for Game 2, and they'll play all three periods in dominant fashion.

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Lets See That Again

Seeing as the subject of instant replay in baseball just won't go away, I figured why not throw my 2 cents out there. But first there is one thing you must know about me and my baseball addiction.

I'm a baseball purist. I hate pitch counts, ties in the All-Star Game, and interleague play. There isn't much about the game that I would change. I think it's pretty much perfect the way it is.

That being said, it's time for baseball to introduce expanded instant replay. I don't want the game taken over by robots, I just want calls to be made correctly. I realize that human error is a part of the game, that's fine. I don't want to see balls and strikes be a part of instant replay. But safe/out and fair/foul are both easily reviewable and  potentially game changing.

Don't give me any garbage about how instant replay would make the games even longer.  How hard would it be to add one more umpire to each crew, and his job was to sit in the press box or some other dedicated area and have the game on TV? For that matter, he doesn't even have to be in the stadium. With the amount of cameras trained on each game, there could be a crew of 6-10 guys in a room somewhere and their sole job was to wait for a page to come in and then look at the replay. Actually, this could probably be accomplished with 2 or 3 trained umpires. As for the time it would take, I sure would be willing to sacrifice 3-5 minutes (and it wouldn't take that long in probably 99% of the cases) in order to get the call correct. In most cases, it would take maybe 1-2 minutes.

As for how it would be decided when instant replay would be used, I suggest giving each manager 3 "challenges" to an umpire's call. Not only would this apply instant replay, but it would also significantly cut down on long drawn out, and utterly pointless arguments and in turn ejections. So the manager comes out, he tells the umpire he wants to challenge the ruling on the field, the crew chief radios the replay umpire, he reviews the call, radios back his decision, and the game resumes. I know it's much easier said than done, but I just don't see how a system like this would be difficult to implement.

Here is my biggest gripe when it comes to umpires. They aren't required to acknowledge their mistakes. Most, if not all umpires review the game after it has been played. Very few umpires who have blatantly blown calls have ever addressed it. That's what made Jim Joyce's apology when he totally tanked what would've been the final out of Armando Galarraga's perfect game that wasn't, such a big deal. He owned it. This is such a rarity in baseball, and it's embarrassing. We all make mistakes, it happens. But for these umpires to never have to answer or address anything that happens during the game is just ridiculous.

Some people think instituting replay for safe/out and fair/foul calls will just make umpires lazy. While this is an understandable notion, I don't agree. Would you call any of the NFL or NHL refs lazy? I sure wouldn't. Those guys have a reputation to uphold, and if their job is to get every call correct, wouldn't they want to prove themselves right?  Now I'm sure umpires are also hesitant to back instant replay because they don't want to eventually be replaced by technology. That's a perfectly logical thought, I just don't see that ever happening.

If we learned anything from last season from watching the Braves and the Red Sox, we learned that every game truly matters. If either of those teams had won just one more game, they would've made the playoffs. For the Sox, who knows what that could've meant. For the Braves, it would have kept the Cardinals out of the playoffs and therefore out of the World Series. So when one blown call leads to a run in a game that ends up being a one-run ballgame, it's a pretty big deal. It's time for baseball to step into modern times and adopt an expanded instant replay system.

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