As you may have heard, the NFL Draft has started. I hate it. The big fuss is ridiculous. Yeah it's cool to see these kids realize their dreams, but come on people, lets be rational. Is Andrew Luck going to succeed this season in Indy? Nope. What about RGIII in Washington? Nuh uh. Think about it, last year's number 1 overall pick lead his team to a 6-10 record. Was he impressive? Absolutely, but they were a sub-.500 team. Not exactly exciting stuff.
My biggest issue with the draft is by far the mock drafts. How many talking heads do we need to tell us which team is taking who and why and how they'll fit in and blah blah blah. It's incredibly ridiculous. Don't get me started on Mel Kiper Jr. either. If there is one person I cannot stand that works for ESPN it's him. I'd rather listen to Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith argue about the NBA than listen to Mel Kiper Jr. tell me why the Redskins need a new QB. We all know why. Because the last 15 or so that played there sucked.
I won't go into draft busts, we all know how bad Ryan Leaf, Jamarcus Russell, and Matt Leinart have been. But I did see one incredible stat on Thursday. The Miami Dolphins have drafted 15 quarterbacks since 2000. That right there tells you how stupid the draft is. Oh, and they drafted another one tonight, Ryan Tannenhill, in the first round. You would think out of all the ridiculousness of the combine and private workouts they would've drafted halfway decent starter. Nope. It's all the luck of the draw. I mean think of it this way. Tom Brady was drafted 199th in 2000. Too bad the Dolphins took Todd Wade, Ben Kelly, Tyrone Carter, Arturo Freeman, and Ernest Grant before the 199th pick. Those guys all had better careers than Brady has had. Derp.
I guess my biggest beef with the draft is the amount of coverage it gets. To be honest, 5 years from now, aside from a very small group of guys, no one will ever hear the names of the rest of the players who are drafted. The endless hours of analysis are completely unnecessary. Am I happy for each and every player who gets drafted? Absolutely. I cannot imagine the thrill they must feel along with their families. I just wish it wasn't so commercialized.
All that being said, I'm freakin' stoked my Cowboys traded up to draft Morris Claiborne. Secondary help is exactly what they need. It's not like he scored a 4 on his Wonderlic or anything........
Friday, April 27, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Red Sox Sweep Twins In Minnesota
Well Wednesday's game certainly was eventful, but in the end, the Red Sox eeked out a victory over the struggling Twins. For the second time in the series Alfredo Aceves came on to get the save and made it more than interesting, but he was able to secure the victory, and the Sox have themselves a 3-game winning streak.
I actually thought after Monday and Tuesday, the Sox had taken a big step. They had pitched well, hit the ball on the screws, and were taking it to a team they should be beating. Wednesday however seemed to be a step backwards. The bullpen pitched well enough in all three games, but Wednesday it just didn't seem like they had the same confidence as earlier in the week. The scariest moment of the series by far was when Justin Thomas hit Chris Parmelee in the helmet with a fastball in the 6th inning. It was very obvious that Thomas was incredibly shaken up by this, and even said after the game that there was absolutely no intention and that he hopes Parmelee is alright.
The biggest bright spot of the series was the Red Sox are finally starting to score runs like they have been expected to. While the pitching was good enough, it's still not where it needs to be. Beckett was effective, but 5 strikeouts with 3 walks over 6 innings isn't exactly going to get the job done on a consistent basis. Lester didn't fair any better, he walked and struck out 4 each over 7 innings while giving up 5 earned runs. Buccholz was by far the least ineffective of the three starters. He lasted 5.1 innings, gave up 5 earned runs, walked 3 and only struck out 2. This kind of starting pitching from the front three of the rotation is concerning. Lester typically starts slow, so I'm not terribly worried about him, and while Beckett may not be striking out as many hitters as he has in the past, he does seem to be hitting his spots. Buccholz is by far the most concerning of the three. His velocity is down from last year and he isn't finding the strikezone.
In total, the Red Sox outscored the Twins 24-11 in the series, but the games on Monday and Wednesday were decided by a single run. Monday's game saw Daniel Bard make his first (and hopefully not last) relief appearance and Cody Ross ended up being the hero. Ross belted two home runs, one of which came in the 9th inning which proved to be the game winning run. Aceves gave up a bomb of a fly ball that would have probably been a home run in most parks, but thankfully for Boston fans, it was caught. While the bullpen did come through in all three games, I'd be lying if I said I still wasn't concerned. Aceves did earn 2 saves in three games and didn't give up any runs, but he sure seems to like to provide drama. I did think it was strange that Bobby Valentine brought Bard in to get 2 outs in the 8th inning, but pulled him in favor of Aceves for the 9th. Whatever though, it worked, and it actually earned Bard his first victory of the season.
The Sox are now off to Chicago to face the White Sox. Felix Doubront will take the mound Thursday facing Philip Humber, who threw a perfect game in his last start. While the Pale Hose aren't an intimidating team, they do have a winning record. If Boston can sweep this series as well, they'll head back to Fenway with a winning record, which sure would be a nice welcome home present.
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I actually thought after Monday and Tuesday, the Sox had taken a big step. They had pitched well, hit the ball on the screws, and were taking it to a team they should be beating. Wednesday however seemed to be a step backwards. The bullpen pitched well enough in all three games, but Wednesday it just didn't seem like they had the same confidence as earlier in the week. The scariest moment of the series by far was when Justin Thomas hit Chris Parmelee in the helmet with a fastball in the 6th inning. It was very obvious that Thomas was incredibly shaken up by this, and even said after the game that there was absolutely no intention and that he hopes Parmelee is alright.
The biggest bright spot of the series was the Red Sox are finally starting to score runs like they have been expected to. While the pitching was good enough, it's still not where it needs to be. Beckett was effective, but 5 strikeouts with 3 walks over 6 innings isn't exactly going to get the job done on a consistent basis. Lester didn't fair any better, he walked and struck out 4 each over 7 innings while giving up 5 earned runs. Buccholz was by far the least ineffective of the three starters. He lasted 5.1 innings, gave up 5 earned runs, walked 3 and only struck out 2. This kind of starting pitching from the front three of the rotation is concerning. Lester typically starts slow, so I'm not terribly worried about him, and while Beckett may not be striking out as many hitters as he has in the past, he does seem to be hitting his spots. Buccholz is by far the most concerning of the three. His velocity is down from last year and he isn't finding the strikezone.
In total, the Red Sox outscored the Twins 24-11 in the series, but the games on Monday and Wednesday were decided by a single run. Monday's game saw Daniel Bard make his first (and hopefully not last) relief appearance and Cody Ross ended up being the hero. Ross belted two home runs, one of which came in the 9th inning which proved to be the game winning run. Aceves gave up a bomb of a fly ball that would have probably been a home run in most parks, but thankfully for Boston fans, it was caught. While the bullpen did come through in all three games, I'd be lying if I said I still wasn't concerned. Aceves did earn 2 saves in three games and didn't give up any runs, but he sure seems to like to provide drama. I did think it was strange that Bobby Valentine brought Bard in to get 2 outs in the 8th inning, but pulled him in favor of Aceves for the 9th. Whatever though, it worked, and it actually earned Bard his first victory of the season.
The Sox are now off to Chicago to face the White Sox. Felix Doubront will take the mound Thursday facing Philip Humber, who threw a perfect game in his last start. While the Pale Hose aren't an intimidating team, they do have a winning record. If Boston can sweep this series as well, they'll head back to Fenway with a winning record, which sure would be a nice welcome home present.
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Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The 1st Time I've Ever Rooted For Chelsea
As a Manchester United fan, I'm obligated to hate Chelsea. But, seeing as Barcelona embarrassed United in last year's Champion's League, I could really go without seeing them with a chance at another title. So Tuesday's match between the two provided me with a bit of a conundrum. Who do I root for? Or, more importantly I guess, who do I root against?
My buddy Craig came up with a very simple philosophy and posted it on Facebook. ABB. Anyone But Barcelona. While I'll be the first one to admit that Barcelona is an amazing club, possibly the best in the world right now, I'm sick of hearing about them. Outside of the true fans they do have, the rest of their fanbase is incredibly annoying. Yes, Lionel Messi is a fantastic player. Once in a generation for sure. Anyone who follows soccer (or football if there is anyone outside of the USA reading this) already knows this, so shut up about it Barca fans. Barcelona fans has become the hipsters team, at least out here in Orange County. You can't go anywhere to watch a game they're involved in without having to deal with these idiots. During last year's Champions League finals, my friends and I went to our local English pub to watch. The place was packed, as was expected, and the crowd was pretty much split down the middle. The more annoying fans were easily the Barca fans. To be specific, the fans who had no Barcelona gear on, no jersey, hat, scarf, or anything related to the team. Yet when they won, (and Barca definitely deserved to win that game) they were the ones leading the cheers, dancing on tables, and even spraying the rest of the bar with champagne.
Now I'm all for celebrating, especially huge wins. But if you care that much, don't you think you could stand to spend a few bucks on some team related apparel? Barcelona fans, at least in this area, are what have forced me to root against them. They're arrogant, incredibly biased, and they complain more than any other group of fans I've ever met in my life. It should be noted, that I don't think much of Chelsea fans either. This is simply a case of choosing between the lesser of two evils. I can't stand Chelsea. I think Drogba is among the whiniest players in the Premier League, not to mention dirty, and I find Petr Cech to be horribly annoying. Needless to say, it was very difficult for me to not root against Chelsea, but, it had to done.
So during Tuesday's game, I've found myself rooting for Chelsea, or rather, against Barcelona. The offensive pressure Barca put on Chelsea for the first 40 minutes was incredible. After the first goal, and John Terry's subsequent, yet questionable, red card, I thought the game as over. Then, when Barca added a second, I figured there was no way Chelsea could claw their way back in. They had no true center-back and no offense to speak of. It was just a formality at that point. I almost turned the game off, but decided to at least finish the 1st half. Then Ramires gives Chelsea a huge shot of life with his beautiful chip in stoppage time near the end of the first half. In fact, because of aggregate scoring, the Ramires goal actually put Chelsea in the lead.
The second half was very much like the first. A lot of offensive pressure from Barcelona, Chelsea rarely had possession in the attacking third. The two most shocking moments were provided by Barcelona's own Chosen One, Lionel Messi. Messi found the woodwork not once, but twice. One of which came when he hit the crossbar on a penalty kick. He has been on fire this season, but for whatever reason, he didn't have that spark. In fact, this is probably the first time in a while that I've watched a match involving Barcelona where he wasn't the star. The fact that Chelsea played such disciplined defense after losing their captain was incredible. They didn't play with desperation. In fact, Drogba's foul that awarded Barcelona the penalty kick (which again, Messi inexplicably missed) was the only ugly play. Then Fernando Torres somehow became the story of the match. Nearing full time, he calmly slipped the ball into the net, and the story was written. The $50 million goal (as it will be known) propelled Chelsea, with 10 men, to victory over Barcelona. The final score of the match was 2-2, but again, the aggregate scoring was 3-2, so Chelsea moved on.
Was it easy to root for Chelsea? Absolutely not. Was it easy to root against Barcelona? It was incredibly natural. Chelsea deserved to win, plain and simple. I'm not one to put the blame on one single player, but Messi really let Barcelona down. What makes it even sweeter is that Chelsea will be without a few key players for the finals, so I don't think they'll be emerging victorious. They'll face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, both of which should be able to run through Chelsea with very little trouble.
Follow me on Twitter- @TwittinSports
My buddy Craig came up with a very simple philosophy and posted it on Facebook. ABB. Anyone But Barcelona. While I'll be the first one to admit that Barcelona is an amazing club, possibly the best in the world right now, I'm sick of hearing about them. Outside of the true fans they do have, the rest of their fanbase is incredibly annoying. Yes, Lionel Messi is a fantastic player. Once in a generation for sure. Anyone who follows soccer (or football if there is anyone outside of the USA reading this) already knows this, so shut up about it Barca fans. Barcelona fans has become the hipsters team, at least out here in Orange County. You can't go anywhere to watch a game they're involved in without having to deal with these idiots. During last year's Champions League finals, my friends and I went to our local English pub to watch. The place was packed, as was expected, and the crowd was pretty much split down the middle. The more annoying fans were easily the Barca fans. To be specific, the fans who had no Barcelona gear on, no jersey, hat, scarf, or anything related to the team. Yet when they won, (and Barca definitely deserved to win that game) they were the ones leading the cheers, dancing on tables, and even spraying the rest of the bar with champagne.
Now I'm all for celebrating, especially huge wins. But if you care that much, don't you think you could stand to spend a few bucks on some team related apparel? Barcelona fans, at least in this area, are what have forced me to root against them. They're arrogant, incredibly biased, and they complain more than any other group of fans I've ever met in my life. It should be noted, that I don't think much of Chelsea fans either. This is simply a case of choosing between the lesser of two evils. I can't stand Chelsea. I think Drogba is among the whiniest players in the Premier League, not to mention dirty, and I find Petr Cech to be horribly annoying. Needless to say, it was very difficult for me to not root against Chelsea, but, it had to done.
So during Tuesday's game, I've found myself rooting for Chelsea, or rather, against Barcelona. The offensive pressure Barca put on Chelsea for the first 40 minutes was incredible. After the first goal, and John Terry's subsequent, yet questionable, red card, I thought the game as over. Then, when Barca added a second, I figured there was no way Chelsea could claw their way back in. They had no true center-back and no offense to speak of. It was just a formality at that point. I almost turned the game off, but decided to at least finish the 1st half. Then Ramires gives Chelsea a huge shot of life with his beautiful chip in stoppage time near the end of the first half. In fact, because of aggregate scoring, the Ramires goal actually put Chelsea in the lead.
The second half was very much like the first. A lot of offensive pressure from Barcelona, Chelsea rarely had possession in the attacking third. The two most shocking moments were provided by Barcelona's own Chosen One, Lionel Messi. Messi found the woodwork not once, but twice. One of which came when he hit the crossbar on a penalty kick. He has been on fire this season, but for whatever reason, he didn't have that spark. In fact, this is probably the first time in a while that I've watched a match involving Barcelona where he wasn't the star. The fact that Chelsea played such disciplined defense after losing their captain was incredible. They didn't play with desperation. In fact, Drogba's foul that awarded Barcelona the penalty kick (which again, Messi inexplicably missed) was the only ugly play. Then Fernando Torres somehow became the story of the match. Nearing full time, he calmly slipped the ball into the net, and the story was written. The $50 million goal (as it will be known) propelled Chelsea, with 10 men, to victory over Barcelona. The final score of the match was 2-2, but again, the aggregate scoring was 3-2, so Chelsea moved on.
Was it easy to root for Chelsea? Absolutely not. Was it easy to root against Barcelona? It was incredibly natural. Chelsea deserved to win, plain and simple. I'm not one to put the blame on one single player, but Messi really let Barcelona down. What makes it even sweeter is that Chelsea will be without a few key players for the finals, so I don't think they'll be emerging victorious. They'll face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, both of which should be able to run through Chelsea with very little trouble.
Follow me on Twitter- @TwittinSports
Monday, April 23, 2012
You Win This Round Juan Uribe
If you've been keeping up with my posts about the Dodgers, you undoubtedly are used to me trashing Juan Uribe. I hate his swing, I hate the approach he has at the plate, I hate the fact that he starts at 3rd base, and am generally just not a fan of the guy. Well, I've got to give him credit for his performance during Monday's game, even if it might kill me.
4-4, 2 runs scored, 3 RBIs, and none left on base. Someone take a picture of the box score, because I seriously doubt we'll see a line like that next to Uribe's name again this season. But, this post isn't about the future, it's about Monday's game. A game in which Uribe delivered every single time he stepped up to the plate. Were his at bats pretty? Not in the least, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is he put the ball in play with runners on base, which is all I will ever ask from him. He didn't swing at great pitches, but he somehow put the bat on the ball, and it found a hole. Every single time he stepped up to the plate. Call it luck, call it being due, call it whatever you want, but Juan Uribe was the MVP of Monday's game. Uribe's 4 hits tied a career high, and the runs he scored Monday night were his first of the season. Whether it was just a great night, or the start of something that will hopefully continue from here on out, it was nice to see Uribe produce at the plate.
Uribe wasn't the only Dodger who had a good night at the dish. Dee Gordon and Matt Kemp both went 2 for 3 and Andre Ethier went 3-4. Altogether, the Dodgers compiled 15 hits against a Braves pitching staff that is struggling. While Chris Capuano wasn't stellar Monday night, he got the job done. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous in the top of the 1st with the bases loaded and Jason Heyward batting. But Capuano struck him, and while he did labor at times, he only gave up 1 run through 7 innings, which came on a towering blast by former Dodger David Ross. The only really ugly moment for the Dodgers was when Kemp and Ethier somehow combined to hit back-to-back singles yet end up in a double play. I've said previously how much I like aggressive baserunning, but that was just unnecessary.
The Dodgers will send Aaron Harang to the bump on Tuesday to face Mike Minor. Minor got shelled in his first start of the season, but he's been pretty solid afterwards. So it should be a pretty decent pitching matchup.
Follow me on Twitter- @TwittinSports Like the blog on Facebook facebook.com/abloopandablast
PS-Hey Mike, sorry this is the first time the Braves get mentioned. I promise I'll get something up focusing more on the positive side of Atalanta's squad sometime in the near future.
4-4, 2 runs scored, 3 RBIs, and none left on base. Someone take a picture of the box score, because I seriously doubt we'll see a line like that next to Uribe's name again this season. But, this post isn't about the future, it's about Monday's game. A game in which Uribe delivered every single time he stepped up to the plate. Were his at bats pretty? Not in the least, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is he put the ball in play with runners on base, which is all I will ever ask from him. He didn't swing at great pitches, but he somehow put the bat on the ball, and it found a hole. Every single time he stepped up to the plate. Call it luck, call it being due, call it whatever you want, but Juan Uribe was the MVP of Monday's game. Uribe's 4 hits tied a career high, and the runs he scored Monday night were his first of the season. Whether it was just a great night, or the start of something that will hopefully continue from here on out, it was nice to see Uribe produce at the plate.
Uribe wasn't the only Dodger who had a good night at the dish. Dee Gordon and Matt Kemp both went 2 for 3 and Andre Ethier went 3-4. Altogether, the Dodgers compiled 15 hits against a Braves pitching staff that is struggling. While Chris Capuano wasn't stellar Monday night, he got the job done. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous in the top of the 1st with the bases loaded and Jason Heyward batting. But Capuano struck him, and while he did labor at times, he only gave up 1 run through 7 innings, which came on a towering blast by former Dodger David Ross. The only really ugly moment for the Dodgers was when Kemp and Ethier somehow combined to hit back-to-back singles yet end up in a double play. I've said previously how much I like aggressive baserunning, but that was just unnecessary.
The Dodgers will send Aaron Harang to the bump on Tuesday to face Mike Minor. Minor got shelled in his first start of the season, but he's been pretty solid afterwards. So it should be a pretty decent pitching matchup.
Follow me on Twitter- @TwittinSports Like the blog on Facebook facebook.com/abloopandablast
PS-Hey Mike, sorry this is the first time the Braves get mentioned. I promise I'll get something up focusing more on the positive side of Atalanta's squad sometime in the near future.
Bard Back To Bullpen
In what should come as a less than surprising move, the Red Sox have announced that Daniel Bard will be available out of the bullpen until Friday, when he's scheduled to be back in the starting rotation.
All of this bouncing around is the result of Sunday's rain out, which caused Bard to miss his scheduled start. It's not rare that a pitcher will get his spot in the rotation skipped when something like this happens, it keeps the rest of the staff on their regular schedule. But with the way the Red Sox have been playing, I think we can all agree that no one would be shocked if Bard makes at least two or three appearances in relief this week. While I do think Bard belongs in the bullpen right now, more specifically as the closer, it really is unfortunate. He hasn't done anything as a starter to deserve to be sent to the bullpen. Hopefully this doesn't shake his confidence.
The biggest thing this "temporary" move says to me is that the Sox are willing to put Bard back in the bullpen until Andrew Bailey can return if they have to. What the casual Red Sox fan may not know, is that the Sox have a pretty good starter in Triple A right now. Aaron Cook has been cruising so far in the minor leagues. He's 2-0 in three starts with a 1.35 ERA and a complete game. Now I'll be the first one to admit that the difference between Triple A and the big leagues is great. But Cook pitched in for the Rockies for the better part of 9 years, and was named an All-Star as recently as 2008. He also has a May 1st opt-out clause in his contract. It may be unfortunate for Bard, but it would be a shame for the Sox to waste a decent veteran pitcher by just letting him go. Especially with the starting staff struggling the way they have so far this season.
I said as soon as it was announced that Bailey was going to miss significant time that I thought Bard should go back to being the closer. It quickly became clear that Melancon and Aceves weren't going to be able to get the job done, and there really aren't any other options. What I would love to see this week is Bard get the save in 2 games, and then turn in 7 or 8 quality innings on Friday. Not only would this boost the team's confidence, but he would see just how valuable he is to the team. It would be ideal if he stepped up and said he would take over closing until Bailey can return, but I can't blame the guy for wanting to start. However, based on what is happening this week with him, and the timeline with Cook, it wouldn't surprise me if Bard finds himself as the closer before the end of the month. At least until Bailey returns. Then the problem is who gets bumped from the starting rotation. But we'll cross that bridge if/when we get to it.
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All of this bouncing around is the result of Sunday's rain out, which caused Bard to miss his scheduled start. It's not rare that a pitcher will get his spot in the rotation skipped when something like this happens, it keeps the rest of the staff on their regular schedule. But with the way the Red Sox have been playing, I think we can all agree that no one would be shocked if Bard makes at least two or three appearances in relief this week. While I do think Bard belongs in the bullpen right now, more specifically as the closer, it really is unfortunate. He hasn't done anything as a starter to deserve to be sent to the bullpen. Hopefully this doesn't shake his confidence.
The biggest thing this "temporary" move says to me is that the Sox are willing to put Bard back in the bullpen until Andrew Bailey can return if they have to. What the casual Red Sox fan may not know, is that the Sox have a pretty good starter in Triple A right now. Aaron Cook has been cruising so far in the minor leagues. He's 2-0 in three starts with a 1.35 ERA and a complete game. Now I'll be the first one to admit that the difference between Triple A and the big leagues is great. But Cook pitched in for the Rockies for the better part of 9 years, and was named an All-Star as recently as 2008. He also has a May 1st opt-out clause in his contract. It may be unfortunate for Bard, but it would be a shame for the Sox to waste a decent veteran pitcher by just letting him go. Especially with the starting staff struggling the way they have so far this season.
I said as soon as it was announced that Bailey was going to miss significant time that I thought Bard should go back to being the closer. It quickly became clear that Melancon and Aceves weren't going to be able to get the job done, and there really aren't any other options. What I would love to see this week is Bard get the save in 2 games, and then turn in 7 or 8 quality innings on Friday. Not only would this boost the team's confidence, but he would see just how valuable he is to the team. It would be ideal if he stepped up and said he would take over closing until Bailey can return, but I can't blame the guy for wanting to start. However, based on what is happening this week with him, and the timeline with Cook, it wouldn't surprise me if Bard finds himself as the closer before the end of the month. At least until Bailey returns. Then the problem is who gets bumped from the starting rotation. But we'll cross that bridge if/when we get to it.
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Saturday, April 21, 2012
Beast Mode Never Sleeps
I hope I'm not jinxing the guy, but Matt Kemp looks unstoppable right now. He leads all of MLB in the major hitting categories except for average and on base percentage. He trails David Wright in both of these, but he's also played in 4 more games and has 17 more at bats.
If you haven't been following along, Kemp is hitting .481 with 8 home runs, 20 RBIs, and his slugging percentage is 1.000. Yes, you read that correctly, a 1.000 slugging percentage. The closest person to him right now is Chris Young who is sitting at .897. Kemp has as many or more home runs that 5 teams in the league right now. So yeah, he's on fire.
Not only is Kemp killing the ball right now, but he's hitting the ball exactly where the Dodgers want him to. All of his home runs have been to either center or right field. The Dodgers don't want Kemp over-swinging and trying to pull the ball. His approach at the plate is perfect. He doesn't look like he's trying to hit home runs, he looks like he's just trying to make contact. But with his size, when he puts the barrel of the bat on the ball, it's flies.
Most baseball fans are aware of Kemp's preseason prediction of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. While he's definitely on base for the home runs, he is going to have to pick it up on the base path. He's only swiped one bag and he's been caught twice. Although, in all fairness it is tough to steal bases when you only have to jog around them. 12 of Kemp's 26 hits have been for extra bases. So his chances of stealing second are already diminished. Not only that, but he has Andre Ethier hitting right behind him, who isn't a player anyone is going to figure for an easy out.
Kemp was rewarded for his MVP-candidate (sure wish I could delete the word candidate there) season last year with a huge contract. It's nice to see a player actually earning that money. Right now he's the offensive and emotional leader of the team, and I absolutely love it. Early this year Matt Kemp has said Beast Mode Never Sleeps, and right now, I don't think anyone would disagree with him.
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If you haven't been following along, Kemp is hitting .481 with 8 home runs, 20 RBIs, and his slugging percentage is 1.000. Yes, you read that correctly, a 1.000 slugging percentage. The closest person to him right now is Chris Young who is sitting at .897. Kemp has as many or more home runs that 5 teams in the league right now. So yeah, he's on fire.
Not only is Kemp killing the ball right now, but he's hitting the ball exactly where the Dodgers want him to. All of his home runs have been to either center or right field. The Dodgers don't want Kemp over-swinging and trying to pull the ball. His approach at the plate is perfect. He doesn't look like he's trying to hit home runs, he looks like he's just trying to make contact. But with his size, when he puts the barrel of the bat on the ball, it's flies.
Most baseball fans are aware of Kemp's preseason prediction of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. While he's definitely on base for the home runs, he is going to have to pick it up on the base path. He's only swiped one bag and he's been caught twice. Although, in all fairness it is tough to steal bases when you only have to jog around them. 12 of Kemp's 26 hits have been for extra bases. So his chances of stealing second are already diminished. Not only that, but he has Andre Ethier hitting right behind him, who isn't a player anyone is going to figure for an easy out.
Kemp was rewarded for his MVP-candidate (sure wish I could delete the word candidate there) season last year with a huge contract. It's nice to see a player actually earning that money. Right now he's the offensive and emotional leader of the team, and I absolutely love it. Early this year Matt Kemp has said Beast Mode Never Sleeps, and right now, I don't think anyone would disagree with him.
Follow me on Twitter- @TwittinSports
Friday, April 20, 2012
Happy Birthday Fenway
As you probably already knew, Friday marks the 100th birthday of Fenway Park. While it does seem a bit ridiculous to be wishing a baseball stadium happy birthday, in this case, it's completely justified.
Think about it, Fenway is a historical landmark. In two years we'll have the 100th birthday of Wrigley Field, but after that, no stadium is even close to approaching the century mark. Dodger Stadium is the 3rd oldest, and they're celebrating the 50th birthday this year. So for Fenway to reach 100 years is pretty amazing. Yes the dimensions are weird, there's a giant wall in left field, and it's not exactly built for comfort. But anyone who is a baseball fan can appreciate the nostalgia. This is the park where legends like Ted Williams, Carlton Fisk, and Carl Yastrzemski played. Babe Ruth debuted on that field, the Sox won 4 titles in the first 7 years the park was open, and of course it played host to the beginning of the greatest comeback in MLB history back in 2004.
Although I'm admittedly biased, there is no way you will ever convince me that Fenway should be torn down. Sure it's not the most fan-friendly park, and even though it has been somewhat renovated in the past few years, it's still not an ideal place to see a baseball game. But walking into Fenway is like stepping back in time. Fenway has been open longer than Mt. Rushmore, and think about this, the United States had only been a country for 136 years when Fenway Park opened. That's crazy.
Fenway was added to the National Register of Historic Places earlier this year in March. Hopefully, this will preserve it for the rest of time. There was some talk about a decade ago about building a new park. Thankfully this didn't happen, nor should it ever happen. As much as I hate the Yankees, I wish the old stadium had never been torn down. That place had a ridiculous amount of history attached to it as well, all of which is now gone. The Red Sox, and the city of Boston itself for that matter, despise the Yankees, so keeping Fenway around is just another way to they can stick it to them.
So Happy 100th Birthday Fenway, cheers to 100 more years!!
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Think about it, Fenway is a historical landmark. In two years we'll have the 100th birthday of Wrigley Field, but after that, no stadium is even close to approaching the century mark. Dodger Stadium is the 3rd oldest, and they're celebrating the 50th birthday this year. So for Fenway to reach 100 years is pretty amazing. Yes the dimensions are weird, there's a giant wall in left field, and it's not exactly built for comfort. But anyone who is a baseball fan can appreciate the nostalgia. This is the park where legends like Ted Williams, Carlton Fisk, and Carl Yastrzemski played. Babe Ruth debuted on that field, the Sox won 4 titles in the first 7 years the park was open, and of course it played host to the beginning of the greatest comeback in MLB history back in 2004.
Although I'm admittedly biased, there is no way you will ever convince me that Fenway should be torn down. Sure it's not the most fan-friendly park, and even though it has been somewhat renovated in the past few years, it's still not an ideal place to see a baseball game. But walking into Fenway is like stepping back in time. Fenway has been open longer than Mt. Rushmore, and think about this, the United States had only been a country for 136 years when Fenway Park opened. That's crazy.
Fenway was added to the National Register of Historic Places earlier this year in March. Hopefully, this will preserve it for the rest of time. There was some talk about a decade ago about building a new park. Thankfully this didn't happen, nor should it ever happen. As much as I hate the Yankees, I wish the old stadium had never been torn down. That place had a ridiculous amount of history attached to it as well, all of which is now gone. The Red Sox, and the city of Boston itself for that matter, despise the Yankees, so keeping Fenway around is just another way to they can stick it to them.
So Happy 100th Birthday Fenway, cheers to 100 more years!!
Follow me on Twitter- @TwittinSports or like the blog on Facebook- facebook.com/abloopandablast
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