The dog days of summer are here, which means baseball season has been going on forever and preseason football games are getting better TV ratings than Red Sox vs. Yankees rivalry games.
The NFL has turned into a pass-happy league where quarterbacks are king. Here is a quick ranking of the NFL starting quarterbacks. You will notice that there is a strong correlation between teams with a top-level quarterback and therefore a great team, compared to teams that are weak in that position and therefore near the bottom.
Elite: Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady
Great: Tony Romo, Matt Schaub, Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers
Good Enough: Brett Favre, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning, Ben Rothlisberger, Carson Palmer, Donovan McNabb, Jay Cutler
Average: Matt Ryan, Kevin Kolb, Vince Young, Jason Campbell, David Garrard
Below Average: Mark Sanchez, Alex Smith, Chad Henne, Matt Cassell, Matt Hasselback, Kyle Orton, Matt Moore
Liability: Matt Leinhart, Jake Delhomme, Matthew Stafford, Josh Freeman, Sam Bradford, Trent Edwards
Before I make my season and Super Bowl predictions, here is a quick team preview Power Report.
1. Colts. You won't find many people who have a different team at #1. Peyton Manning is as automatic in the regular season as any player in history. Last year we saw Pierre Garcon and BYU alumn Austin Collie blossom. The defense is stingy.
2. Saints. Drew Brees had one of the greatest seasons a quarterback has ever had last year, no question. There are so many weapons on offense. The defense has playmakers that were very lucky with turnovers and touchdowns, and I don't think they will be as lucky.
3. Cowboys. Where is the weakness? Romo is probably at the top of the second tier of quarterbacks and has lots of weapons to throw to and to hand off. The defense was a lockdown at the end of last season. Romo got the playoff monkey off his back and they are in good shape to make a run at a hometown Super Bowl.
4. Chargers. For such a quiet team that you don't hear anything about, Chargers won 13 games last year and are in position for close to the same. Vincent Jackson is suspended for a few games, but Philip Rivers has plenty of other targets. The Chargers got rid of LT (one season too late), and they they will be improved with rookie Ryan Matthews, who can also help Darren Sproles stay fresh and explosive.
5. Ravens. Anquan Boldin should be happy in Baltimore, and that is good news for Flacco and the Ravens. Taking the attention off Ray Rice will help him stay at the top of his game. The biggest question mark for the Ravens is the secondary that is dealing with injuries, especially star Ed Reed.
6. Packers. In the second half of the season Green Bay showed that they can finally protect Aaron Rodgers, so if that continues then the Packers should improve from their 11 wins last year. The Packers gave up 51 points to the Cardinals in the playoffs, three weeks after allowing 37 to the Steelers.
7. Patriots. Jets and Dolphins make all the noise, but Tom Brady is still in New England and that makes all the difference. Patriots finally showed that you can't continue to lose stars on defense and still be a strong unit. Last year was a bad year for Belichek, this will be an ultimate test for him, whether he can turn the defense into winners or fall apart like last year.
8. Bengals. No longer the Bungles, Cincinnati went undefeated in the division last year and added T.O. The defense was top 10 last year. Good defense, good quarterback, good receivers, good running back.
9. Jets. Mark Sanchez was one of the worst quarterbacks in the regular season but he kept his head together and performed well in the playoffs. I do not like the way the Jets unloaded team lead rusher Thomas Jones and Leon Washington and added an over-the-hill LaDamian Tomlinson. Too much depends on Shonn Greene. The Revis situation is ugly, and it seems unlikely that he will start Week 1. Their early season schedule is Ravens, Patriots, and at Miami. Still, they appear to be everyone else's favorite to win the division and make noise in the playoffs again.
10. Falcons. I haven't heard much news from Atlanta, but the Falcons should be able to improve on their 9 wins from last year with all the talent they have on offense. They were hit with the injury bug a lot last year so if fortunes are better, with Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and Michael Turner, Matt Ryan will have a solid year.
11. Vikings. This is probably low compared to where most people are placing them. But their head is soon-to-be 41 year old Brett Favre with a bad ankle. If not him, then Tavaris Jackson. The defense is really strong and Adrian Peterson is one of the best running backs in the league. But he does have fumbling problems and they lost veteran backup Chester Taylor, so I see a little drop off.
12. Giants. They started 5-0 last year and looked solid before falling apart defensively. I think they addressed the defense pretty well in the draft. The young receivers all have a lot of good potential, and if the Giants can find a ground game again they should contend for a playoff spot.
13. Texans. Schaub and Andre Johnson is the best air connection in the NFL. The Texans got hit with a lot of bad luck last year or they could have won 3 more games. They had no running game last year, so they will need to one or more of Steve Slaton, rookie Ben Tate, Ryan Moats, or Arian Foster to succeed.
14. Dolphins. I believe in Chad Henne, and he can only get better with a new target like Brandon Marshall. We might not see a lot of Wildcat formation this year, but Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams should lead one of the top ground games again.
15. 49ers. Kurt Warner's retirement must have seemed like Christmas to the people in San Francisco. This team is not great and Alex Smith hasn't proved that his #1 pick was a wise one, but the 49ers have been building a good team for a decade now and this is the time to bust out as the rest of the division has fallen apart.
16. Eagles. Westbrook and McNabb are long gone, so Andy Reid is depending on young guys Kevin Kolb and LeSean McCoy to get the offense moving. Kolb has seen his top two targets DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin get carted off the field this month so those are some concerns to keep an eye on. The Eagles could do nothing on offense against the Cowboys last year.
17. Titans. Vince Young might not be a proficient passer, but he is a winner. His career record as a starter is 32-16 (30-2 in college). Chris Johnson is my favorite running back in football and I hope the heavy load he carried last year doesn't slow him down this year. And they have added some receivers to help those two. Defensively, they have lost their two stars the last two years (Haynesworth and Vanden Bosch) so it remains to be seen whether they can stop anyone.
18. Steelers. This is a different team without Big Ben under center. They are also without their top receiver from last year Santonio Holmes. The first four games with Byron Leftwich under center are against the Falcons, at Tennessee, at Tampa Bay, and the Ravens. Hopefully for Pittsburgh, Troy Polomalu can stay healthy; if so, this defense is one of the best. Last year without him lost to the Chiefs, Raiders, Bears, and Browns.
19. Panthers. Carolina could have saved their season had they cut ties with Jake Delhomme before he put them in a hole too deep to get out of. I really liked what I saw with Matt Moore last year. I don't think he's a long-term solution, but he should fit nicely in preparation for Jimmy Clausen to take over next year perhaps. Former elite receiver Steve Smith broke his arm this offseason but he says he will be ready for Week 1. The Panthers lost their defensive leader Julius Peppers, so if no one steps up their pass defense will be a bit softer.
20. Raiders. The difference between the Raiders with JaMarcus Russell and anybody else is night and day. Jason Campbell is an average NFL quarterback but with him Oakland is a playoff contender. The Raiders have Darren McFadden and Michael Bush at running back, and one or both are capable of breaking out.
21. Cardinals. The difference between Kurt Warner and Matt Leinhart is night and day, too. Leinhart hasn't really had a chance to prove himself yet, and he may play well enough. The Cards lost Boldin, but they still have Larry Fitzgerald and Steven Breaston, and Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower will provide an average running game. The defense isn't very good.
22. Jaguars. I like Maurice Jones-Drew, but he has carried quite a load and there is no one else to take away the attention of the defense from him. David Garrard got picked for the Pro Bowl last year, but he has never been an above average QB.
23. Bears. Running back Matt Forte went from stud to dud and Jake Cutler became a turnover machine. Devin Hester was an elite kick returner but is not a dependable receiver. The defense gained a couple Pro Bowlers in Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher, who missed all of last season with an injury, so that will help.
24. Chiefs. KC had a miserable season but made some good moves. Jamaal Charles became a star last season, and then they picked up 1400 yard gainer Thomas Jones as a compliment. They drafted Eric Berry, who is a star and leader on defense, and then Dexter McCluster, who's an electric playmaker on offense or special teams. Hiring Charlie Weis and Romeo Crenell as coordinators will bring improvement and stability to a team that I believe lost both right before the beginning of last season.
25. Lions. They have some pieces now on offense with Stafford, Megatron Calvin Johnson, and rookie Jahvid Best, and the defense picked up monster Ndamukong Suh, so the Lions have a little more bite.
26. Redskins. The group of running backs in D.C. would be unstoppable in 2005; unfortunately this five years later. McNabb has missed games with injuries in 4 of last 5 seasons, and the Redskins don't have a great offensive line. They don't have a #2 receiver. Their $100 million man on defense is disgruntled and out of shape. Shanahan's team is an intriguing group, but bound to disappoint.
27. Seahawks. My condolences to Seahawk fans from 2006, where recently the referee admitted he blew a couple calls that cost Seatle the Super Bowl win. There is nothing I particularly like about this team. They will draft a quarterback in the first round next season with a very high pick.
28. Bills. They still don't have a quarterback and they lost their top receiver. The team gets no support from their city. They should have a decent defense and ground game.
29. Broncos. The top 2 running backs are hurt, their best offensive player (Brandon Marshall) is gone, and their quarterbacks are Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow. Yikes! Defensively, their best player is also hurt, along with one or two other linebackers, so this team won't be able to stop anyone.
30. Buccaneers. Josh Freeman is the quarterback and I have a hard time naming one other player on the team. They might be good in 2012.
31. Browns. Jake Delhomme went 4-8 with a talented Carolina Panthers last year (and his backup went 4-1). Now Delhomme is the head man in Cleveland? What can he do with that team?
32. Rams. This is by far the worst team in the NFL. A rookie quarterback with lots of recent injuries and no receivers of note and a real weak offensive line, with the only weapon being Steven Jackson, a horse who has been overused and abused the last few seasons, one of the weakest defenses last year... three wins would be an accomplishment.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
My thoughts on 600 and ARod
Alex Rodriguez hit home run #600 this week, a feat accomplished by only 6 other players in history. Everybody has an opinion on Alex Rodriguez. Here is mine:
-The man can flat-out hit. He's one of the greatest hitters of all time. He will likely break Hank Aaron and Barry Bond's home run records and probably some other ones, too (like the RBI record). And all this not as an outfielder or first-baseman, but shortstop and 3rd baseman.
-He signed a 10 year, $252 million contract to play for the Texas Rangers, followed by a 10 year $275 million contract with the Yankees. This is where many fans get turned off ARod. But how many other people on planet earth are worth half a billion dollars? Not many. You can't blame him for taking money offered to him. He never whined or held-out before that. He did his best in Seattle, but if they can't win with himself, Griffey, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson et al, can you blame him for wanting to go somewhere else? You can't call it greed; instead, call the Rangers and Yankees stupid over-spenders.
-ARod had a chance to be easily the greatest shortstop in the game's history. No one will debate that. But he sold out to join the Yankees and move over to third base. This is a strangely similar story to LeBron James joining DeWayne Wade in Miami. And this wasn't at the end of his career when his skills were deteriorating; this was at the peak of his career. He will never be the greatest shortstop of all time or the greatest third baseman of all time now.
-The man tested positive and admitted to using steroids over a 3 year period (2001-03). This is where it gets really hairy. He says it was because of an "enormous pressure to perform." I can understand that. As we can now see, plenty of other players around him were doing it, too. It was part of the game for at least 15 years. And he probably felt an obligation to the Texas Rangers since they signed him to the biggest contract in sports history. It was dumb and against the rules, but that's the game. He never did anything worthy of getting suspended or lying to Congress.
All you purists out there: the Speed Limit is 50. Do you go 55 or 60? Why? Because everybody else is doing it and you won't get disciplined if you only break the rules by 5-10 mph. So you want his records scratched because of something he did almost 10 years ago that weren't considered outrageous at the time? That's the way it was. They've made some changes to the rules, created punishments. The punishment has been decided by league officials, a 50 game suspension. Why do you think you can create your own punishments, like banning him from Hall of Fame consideration? That's silly. The discipline is what it is. You can't punish someone for something done before the punishment was affixed.
How can you determine the effect of steroids on his numbers? How many home runs are a result from being juiced? It's really impossible to say. However, compare him to Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds. Sosa went from 36-40-36 home runs batting .265 to 66-63-50-64 batting .320. McGwire went from 30-50 home runs to 70 and 65 and looked like the Incredible Hulk. Bonds went from a sure-fire Hall of Famer who never hit more than 46 home runs to 72 out of the blue. Alex Rodriguez has remained remarkably consistent for his whole career. There was no spike in production. Its possible that the steroids didn't even have a significant impact on him. It's impossible to know.
-His personal life leaves much to be desired. There were the pictures of him kissing a mirror. While married many other women (mostly strippers, dancers and prostitutes) claimed he had sex with them on multiple occasions. While these may just be nobodys trying to make news, where there's lots of smoke there is usually fire. Madonna seemed to be in the picture too, though she claims they were just "friends". For a person under one of media's largest microscopes he does a lot of dumb things.
-He's always in the middle of controversy, pissing off opponents by distracting them on pop-flies, slapping at their mitts, running across the mound (the last of which I find insignificant).
-He's not a very good person, I agree. However, many super stars in most sports have that reputation too.
-He's a Yankee now, so I'll cheer for him. He has won games for us, including a World Series championship. I don't love him, I won't buy his jersey, but I'll cheer when he gets hits and wish him success.
-The man can flat-out hit. He's one of the greatest hitters of all time. He will likely break Hank Aaron and Barry Bond's home run records and probably some other ones, too (like the RBI record). And all this not as an outfielder or first-baseman, but shortstop and 3rd baseman.
-He signed a 10 year, $252 million contract to play for the Texas Rangers, followed by a 10 year $275 million contract with the Yankees. This is where many fans get turned off ARod. But how many other people on planet earth are worth half a billion dollars? Not many. You can't blame him for taking money offered to him. He never whined or held-out before that. He did his best in Seattle, but if they can't win with himself, Griffey, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson et al, can you blame him for wanting to go somewhere else? You can't call it greed; instead, call the Rangers and Yankees stupid over-spenders.
-ARod had a chance to be easily the greatest shortstop in the game's history. No one will debate that. But he sold out to join the Yankees and move over to third base. This is a strangely similar story to LeBron James joining DeWayne Wade in Miami. And this wasn't at the end of his career when his skills were deteriorating; this was at the peak of his career. He will never be the greatest shortstop of all time or the greatest third baseman of all time now.
-The man tested positive and admitted to using steroids over a 3 year period (2001-03). This is where it gets really hairy. He says it was because of an "enormous pressure to perform." I can understand that. As we can now see, plenty of other players around him were doing it, too. It was part of the game for at least 15 years. And he probably felt an obligation to the Texas Rangers since they signed him to the biggest contract in sports history. It was dumb and against the rules, but that's the game. He never did anything worthy of getting suspended or lying to Congress.
All you purists out there: the Speed Limit is 50. Do you go 55 or 60? Why? Because everybody else is doing it and you won't get disciplined if you only break the rules by 5-10 mph. So you want his records scratched because of something he did almost 10 years ago that weren't considered outrageous at the time? That's the way it was. They've made some changes to the rules, created punishments. The punishment has been decided by league officials, a 50 game suspension. Why do you think you can create your own punishments, like banning him from Hall of Fame consideration? That's silly. The discipline is what it is. You can't punish someone for something done before the punishment was affixed.
How can you determine the effect of steroids on his numbers? How many home runs are a result from being juiced? It's really impossible to say. However, compare him to Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds. Sosa went from 36-40-36 home runs batting .265 to 66-63-50-64 batting .320. McGwire went from 30-50 home runs to 70 and 65 and looked like the Incredible Hulk. Bonds went from a sure-fire Hall of Famer who never hit more than 46 home runs to 72 out of the blue. Alex Rodriguez has remained remarkably consistent for his whole career. There was no spike in production. Its possible that the steroids didn't even have a significant impact on him. It's impossible to know.
-His personal life leaves much to be desired. There were the pictures of him kissing a mirror. While married many other women (mostly strippers, dancers and prostitutes) claimed he had sex with them on multiple occasions. While these may just be nobodys trying to make news, where there's lots of smoke there is usually fire. Madonna seemed to be in the picture too, though she claims they were just "friends". For a person under one of media's largest microscopes he does a lot of dumb things.
-He's always in the middle of controversy, pissing off opponents by distracting them on pop-flies, slapping at their mitts, running across the mound (the last of which I find insignificant).
-He's not a very good person, I agree. However, many super stars in most sports have that reputation too.
-He's a Yankee now, so I'll cheer for him. He has won games for us, including a World Series championship. I don't love him, I won't buy his jersey, but I'll cheer when he gets hits and wish him success.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Midseason Power Report
I love the All Star Game. It was fun to see the never-ending pregame program, see my team's players get in the game, see power pitching at its finest, and then see the game fall apart at the end. I can't believe ARod didn't get a chance to bat in the 9th inning. And that there was no one left to pinch run for David Ortiz.
My wife and I went to a new sports bar/restaurant and ate some absolutely awesome buffalo wings. It was a new place that had a lot of older folks, not the rowdy young people that usually spice up watching a game, but it was quiet and enjoyable. My wife got tired so I went home and watched it on a Chinese channel online. Better than Buck and McCarver.
Power Report
1. Yankees. Bombers are on pace for 103 wins, they'll top 105. Considering how slow Teixeira, ARod, and Vazquez started, and Joba pitching awful in 8th innings, things can get better. Three starting pitchers have 11+ wins at the Break. The Yankees don't need to make any trades, but they'll probably get a pitcher anyway. If so, Hughes goes to the bullpen.
2. Rays. It was nice seeing David Price pitch, I don't get many chances to see him. Sweeping the Red Sox propels them back up to the two spot, and a series in New York could help their cause even more.
3. Braves. Best record in the National League. Tim Hudson shut down the Mets, outplayed Strasburg, and cruised past the Rays. Congrats to Brian McCann winning the All Star Game.
4. Rangers. What can you say when a first-place team gets a new ace and then loses four in a row at home to the Orioles? Elvis Andrus, what was he doing running past 2nd base in the ASG?
5. White Sox. 8 wins in a row, they have 25 wins in the last 30 games to cruise into first place. Carlos Quentin, Miguel Cabrera, and Brandon Boesch are leading the way.
6. Tigers. It was really fun seeing Jose Valverde strike out the side in the All Star Game.
7. Padres. San Diego has stayed in first place the entire first half. They still have the best team ERA in baseball. Petco Park helps.
8. Red Sox. David Ortiz has square wheels. Fortunately, he doesn't need to run in the Home Run Derby. Players are going to start coming back, but adding Youkilis and Beltre to the mix of hurting players is sad. Francona has done an incredible job getting this team to win but the Rays and Yankees are looking really good and really healthy, too.
9. Reds. Yes the Reds got swept by the Phillies, but how much can you fault them? Three of the four games were on walk-off hits in extra innings.
10. Rockies. It is hard to comprehend that Ubaldo Jimenez has 15 wins at the All Star break. With a possible 14-15 more starts, 23-25 wins is well in reach. Depending on avoiding the DL, I predict 23.
11. Dodgers. I was glad to see my Taiwanese friend Hong-Chih Kuo get into the game, but that throw over first base made me laugh every replay. Poor guy.
12. Phillies. Everyone expects the Phils to make a run in the second half but I'm not quite so sure.
13. Mets. 0-3-1 in last four series. I think this is a .500 team the rest of the way.
14. Cardinals. Wainwright, Carpenter, and Jaime Garcia are a dominant rotation but the bullpen has been anything but a sure thing. It's weird because they have the fewest blown saves in the National League, but all of them have been in pretty dramatic fashion. Pujols and Holliday have been steady but not breaking out like one would expect them to.
15. Twins. Morneau is hurt and Mauer is hitting only .233 over the last month. The pitching, as always, is good not great. With the resurgence of the White Sox and the steadiness of the Tigers, Twins will really have to pull out another miracle to make it to October.
16. Angels. Only 3 games over .500 and their biggest rival upgraded their starting rotation. I thought they would succeed because of Mike Soscia, but the Angels haven't woken up this whole season. Lucky for them they won't fall lower than 2nd with the Athletics and Mariners in the division.
17. Giants. Buster Posey looks to be the slugger that the Giants have been lacking. The rookie catcher is on fire. As for everyone else, Lincecum has not been his dominant self, Matt Cain has pitched poorly over the last month, and Pablo Sandoval appears to have been a one-hit wonder.
18. Florida Marlins. Josh Johnson is a pitcher I hope I can see more often. It was also nice to see Hanley Ramirez mashing in the Home Run Derby.
19. Blue Jays. For a team that's not very good, Jays had a lot of All Stars get in the game.
20. Royals. Most hits and best team batting average. Too bad it couldn't help Zach Greinke early in the season. Royals are playing like a .500 team lately.
21. Nationals. Finally scored some runs for Strasburg. Its too bad he got left in double- and triple-A so long and his season will end near Labor Day. I'll enjoy it the rest of the way.
22. Athletics. I don't like the A's and I don't think they are very good. The end.
23. Cubs. Marlon Byrd, the Cubs representative, may have saved the game by gunning out Ortiz at second. About the regular season: Cubs are a depressing mess. No wonder Milton Bradley hated it here.
24. Brewers. Ace Gallardo is out, Fielder is likely trade-bait, and Trevor Hoffman is still giving up gopher balls. Ryan Braun made a real nice catch last night.
25. Astros. I don't want to let go of the possibility of a nice run in the second half like they usually manage but really, there isn't much to like about the Astros. Oswalt should be traded, Berkman should too but nobody will want him. On a better note: I went to Minute Maid Park last month and had a good time.
26. Mariners. Only team in the AL to have scored less than 300 runs (Red Sox are closing in on 500). There's only so much that Felix Hernandez can do.
27. Diamondbacks. They may have gotten the best of Mariano Rivera in 2001, but who's laughing now? Bullpen ERA: 6.59.
28. Orioles. Congrats on their first road 4-game sweep in 15 years.
29. Indians. Who's in worse shape, the Cavs, Browns, or Indians?
30. Pirates. Run differential of -194, 52 runs worse than the Orioles. Will we ever see this team improve?
My wife and I went to a new sports bar/restaurant and ate some absolutely awesome buffalo wings. It was a new place that had a lot of older folks, not the rowdy young people that usually spice up watching a game, but it was quiet and enjoyable. My wife got tired so I went home and watched it on a Chinese channel online. Better than Buck and McCarver.
Power Report
1. Yankees. Bombers are on pace for 103 wins, they'll top 105. Considering how slow Teixeira, ARod, and Vazquez started, and Joba pitching awful in 8th innings, things can get better. Three starting pitchers have 11+ wins at the Break. The Yankees don't need to make any trades, but they'll probably get a pitcher anyway. If so, Hughes goes to the bullpen.
2. Rays. It was nice seeing David Price pitch, I don't get many chances to see him. Sweeping the Red Sox propels them back up to the two spot, and a series in New York could help their cause even more.
3. Braves. Best record in the National League. Tim Hudson shut down the Mets, outplayed Strasburg, and cruised past the Rays. Congrats to Brian McCann winning the All Star Game.
4. Rangers. What can you say when a first-place team gets a new ace and then loses four in a row at home to the Orioles? Elvis Andrus, what was he doing running past 2nd base in the ASG?
5. White Sox. 8 wins in a row, they have 25 wins in the last 30 games to cruise into first place. Carlos Quentin, Miguel Cabrera, and Brandon Boesch are leading the way.
6. Tigers. It was really fun seeing Jose Valverde strike out the side in the All Star Game.
7. Padres. San Diego has stayed in first place the entire first half. They still have the best team ERA in baseball. Petco Park helps.
8. Red Sox. David Ortiz has square wheels. Fortunately, he doesn't need to run in the Home Run Derby. Players are going to start coming back, but adding Youkilis and Beltre to the mix of hurting players is sad. Francona has done an incredible job getting this team to win but the Rays and Yankees are looking really good and really healthy, too.
9. Reds. Yes the Reds got swept by the Phillies, but how much can you fault them? Three of the four games were on walk-off hits in extra innings.
10. Rockies. It is hard to comprehend that Ubaldo Jimenez has 15 wins at the All Star break. With a possible 14-15 more starts, 23-25 wins is well in reach. Depending on avoiding the DL, I predict 23.
11. Dodgers. I was glad to see my Taiwanese friend Hong-Chih Kuo get into the game, but that throw over first base made me laugh every replay. Poor guy.
12. Phillies. Everyone expects the Phils to make a run in the second half but I'm not quite so sure.
13. Mets. 0-3-1 in last four series. I think this is a .500 team the rest of the way.
14. Cardinals. Wainwright, Carpenter, and Jaime Garcia are a dominant rotation but the bullpen has been anything but a sure thing. It's weird because they have the fewest blown saves in the National League, but all of them have been in pretty dramatic fashion. Pujols and Holliday have been steady but not breaking out like one would expect them to.
15. Twins. Morneau is hurt and Mauer is hitting only .233 over the last month. The pitching, as always, is good not great. With the resurgence of the White Sox and the steadiness of the Tigers, Twins will really have to pull out another miracle to make it to October.
16. Angels. Only 3 games over .500 and their biggest rival upgraded their starting rotation. I thought they would succeed because of Mike Soscia, but the Angels haven't woken up this whole season. Lucky for them they won't fall lower than 2nd with the Athletics and Mariners in the division.
17. Giants. Buster Posey looks to be the slugger that the Giants have been lacking. The rookie catcher is on fire. As for everyone else, Lincecum has not been his dominant self, Matt Cain has pitched poorly over the last month, and Pablo Sandoval appears to have been a one-hit wonder.
18. Florida Marlins. Josh Johnson is a pitcher I hope I can see more often. It was also nice to see Hanley Ramirez mashing in the Home Run Derby.
19. Blue Jays. For a team that's not very good, Jays had a lot of All Stars get in the game.
20. Royals. Most hits and best team batting average. Too bad it couldn't help Zach Greinke early in the season. Royals are playing like a .500 team lately.
21. Nationals. Finally scored some runs for Strasburg. Its too bad he got left in double- and triple-A so long and his season will end near Labor Day. I'll enjoy it the rest of the way.
22. Athletics. I don't like the A's and I don't think they are very good. The end.
23. Cubs. Marlon Byrd, the Cubs representative, may have saved the game by gunning out Ortiz at second. About the regular season: Cubs are a depressing mess. No wonder Milton Bradley hated it here.
24. Brewers. Ace Gallardo is out, Fielder is likely trade-bait, and Trevor Hoffman is still giving up gopher balls. Ryan Braun made a real nice catch last night.
25. Astros. I don't want to let go of the possibility of a nice run in the second half like they usually manage but really, there isn't much to like about the Astros. Oswalt should be traded, Berkman should too but nobody will want him. On a better note: I went to Minute Maid Park last month and had a good time.
26. Mariners. Only team in the AL to have scored less than 300 runs (Red Sox are closing in on 500). There's only so much that Felix Hernandez can do.
27. Diamondbacks. They may have gotten the best of Mariano Rivera in 2001, but who's laughing now? Bullpen ERA: 6.59.
28. Orioles. Congrats on their first road 4-game sweep in 15 years.
29. Indians. Who's in worse shape, the Cavs, Browns, or Indians?
30. Pirates. Run differential of -194, 52 runs worse than the Orioles. Will we ever see this team improve?
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Baseball loses a couple legends
As a Yankees fan and fan of all of baseball, I must mention briefly the passing of two American icons this week: George Steinbrenner, The Boss, and Bob Sheppard, The Voice. Steinbrenner is one of the most controversial figures in sports over the last 30 years, but he also did more for his team than any other owner in sports. He bought the Yankees in 1973 for around 10 million dollars, 37 years later that organization is worth billions. There is no substitute for winning, and love him or hate him, nobody put their team in a better position to win than King George. What other team in sports are fans/ownership/players more disappointed in a second place finish than the Yankees? No owner is more demanding than Steinbrenner and appropriately no team wins more than his.
In main message in Field of Dreams is "if you build it, they will come." George Steinbrenner built great teams and wins came. Win lots of games and fans will come. His example of ownership is something most teams should note: if your team has a weakness, go fix it. Result: 7 championships during his time. You may say that The Boss was bad for baseball, but then remember that almost every stadium that the Yankees play in (on the road) sells out.
I've been a Yankees fan for 15 years so I missed most of the crazy Steinbrenner years. But there's a reason that last season's World Series championship was dedicated to The Boss.
The other person was no less memorable than Mr Stenbrenner. Who can forget that great voice declaring, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yankees Stadium." "May I have your attention. Now batting for the New York Yankees, num-ba two, Derek Jee-tah, num-ba two." Elegance, eloquence, gentleness, dignity, and precision best describe Bob Sheppard, the long time public announcer for Yankees Stadium. Has anyone had such a beautiful command of the English language? I really miss hearing his voice coming through the radio during games, but I'm glad that we get a little taste with Derek Jeter's name continuing to be used by recording of Sheppard's voice. Not only was he an amazing speaker, but he was an incredible human being who was loved by all who ever came across him. While unfortunately I never had the opportunity to meet him, I'm grateful that I was able to visit Yankees Stadium, where hearing his voice was itself as great an experience as seeing the game.
A couple links:
Announcing his last game
a tribute
In main message in Field of Dreams is "if you build it, they will come." George Steinbrenner built great teams and wins came. Win lots of games and fans will come. His example of ownership is something most teams should note: if your team has a weakness, go fix it. Result: 7 championships during his time. You may say that The Boss was bad for baseball, but then remember that almost every stadium that the Yankees play in (on the road) sells out.
I've been a Yankees fan for 15 years so I missed most of the crazy Steinbrenner years. But there's a reason that last season's World Series championship was dedicated to The Boss.
The other person was no less memorable than Mr Stenbrenner. Who can forget that great voice declaring, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yankees Stadium." "May I have your attention. Now batting for the New York Yankees, num-ba two, Derek Jee-tah, num-ba two." Elegance, eloquence, gentleness, dignity, and precision best describe Bob Sheppard, the long time public announcer for Yankees Stadium. Has anyone had such a beautiful command of the English language? I really miss hearing his voice coming through the radio during games, but I'm glad that we get a little taste with Derek Jeter's name continuing to be used by recording of Sheppard's voice. Not only was he an amazing speaker, but he was an incredible human being who was loved by all who ever came across him. While unfortunately I never had the opportunity to meet him, I'm grateful that I was able to visit Yankees Stadium, where hearing his voice was itself as great an experience as seeing the game.
A couple links:
Announcing his last game
a tribute
Monday, July 12, 2010
Midseason Review
There is no better time to review the season than the All Star break. I believe in accountability. Here's a link to my preseason expectations.
It's true that the Padres may reach my preseason win total prediction next week (with two and a half months left in the season). In fact, I'm a bit all over the map in the NL. But I was pretty close on everything in the AL.
If you don't want to look at numbers, skip below.
Actual standings (wins/win percentage):
American League
East
Yankees 56/.64
Rays 54/.61
Red Sox 51/.58
Central
White Sox 49/.56
Tigers 48/.56
Twins 46/.52
West
Rangers 50/.57
Angels 47/.52
National League
East
Braves 52/.59
Mets 48/.55
Phillies 47/.54
Central
Reds 49/.54
Cardinals 47/.53
West
Padres 51/.58
Rockies 49/.56
Dodgers 49/.56
Giants 47/.53
Midseason Awards
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera
Red-hot Josh Hamilton comes into the All Star break tied with Cabrera in home runs and batting average and his team is in first place while Cabrera's Tigers just dropped into second. I give the slight edge to Miggy since he doesn't have the same caliber sluggers around him in Detroit and he leads the league in team runs production percentage (runs + RBI divided by total team runs). But it's really close.
I was a bit off on Mark Teixeira, but after a pathetic start he's really heating up.
NL MVP: Joey Votto
The media's favorite forgotten All Star is among the NL leaders in just about every offensive statistic and his surprising team is in first place. Sounds good to me. Runner up has got to be Adrian Gonzalez, who's also mashing for a first place team with production from no one else.
Pujols was my pick, and he's doing fine but not his regularly dominating self.
AL Cy Young: David Price
The guy leads the league in wins and ERA and his team is looking good for the playoffs. Sounds good to me. Cliff Lee is probably the runner up, averaging an incredible 8 innings pitched per game, and on pace to shatter the strikeout to walk ratio record.
Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee's former teammate is doing fine, but gets even less help from the Mariners than Lee did.
NL Cy Young: Josh Johnson
The National League pitching may be having the best season ever, with Johnson, Halladay, Ubaldo, and Adam Wainwright cruising. Sixteen straight quality starts, and twelve games allowing one or zero runs gives Josh Johnson the edge here.
AL Rookie: Brandon Boesch
Okay, so Miguel Cabrera does have this guy in his lineup.
Feliz has been great in the Rangers' closer position.
NL Rookie: Jaime Garcia
Heyward and Strasburg may overtake this spot by season's end, but Garcia hasn't missed a start for the Cardinals and has a 2.17 ERA.
AL Manager: Terry Francona
Red Sox have had tons of injuries (read my last baseball blog for details) and still lead the majors in runs scored. The pitching has been sketchy, too, but the Sox are still in competition for the division or Wild Card. I don't think it will last, but I've been wrong before.
NL Manager: Bud Black
No question, Black has turned a team full of no-names into a competitive division leader.
Update Playoff Predictions
Tigers and White Sox will be a great race to the end. I guess I like the White Sox pitching a little better, and NEVER doubt Ozzie Guillen. And while I don't understand how the Phillies could miss the playoffs, the hole is getting a little too deep to dig out of.
Yankees over White Sox
Rangers over Rays
Yankees over Rangers
Rockies over Reds
Braves over Padres
Braves over Rockies
(Say what, Miles is picking the Braves to be in the World Series?)
WORLD SERIES:
surprise surprise: Yankees over Braves
It's true that the Padres may reach my preseason win total prediction next week (with two and a half months left in the season). In fact, I'm a bit all over the map in the NL. But I was pretty close on everything in the AL.
If you don't want to look at numbers, skip below.
Actual standings (wins/win percentage):
American League
East
Yankees 56/.64
Rays 54/.61
Red Sox 51/.58
Central
White Sox 49/.56
Tigers 48/.56
Twins 46/.52
West
Rangers 50/.57
Angels 47/.52
National League
East
Braves 52/.59
Mets 48/.55
Phillies 47/.54
Central
Reds 49/.54
Cardinals 47/.53
West
Padres 51/.58
Rockies 49/.56
Dodgers 49/.56
Giants 47/.53
Midseason Awards
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera
Red-hot Josh Hamilton comes into the All Star break tied with Cabrera in home runs and batting average and his team is in first place while Cabrera's Tigers just dropped into second. I give the slight edge to Miggy since he doesn't have the same caliber sluggers around him in Detroit and he leads the league in team runs production percentage (runs + RBI divided by total team runs). But it's really close.
I was a bit off on Mark Teixeira, but after a pathetic start he's really heating up.
NL MVP: Joey Votto
The media's favorite forgotten All Star is among the NL leaders in just about every offensive statistic and his surprising team is in first place. Sounds good to me. Runner up has got to be Adrian Gonzalez, who's also mashing for a first place team with production from no one else.
Pujols was my pick, and he's doing fine but not his regularly dominating self.
AL Cy Young: David Price
The guy leads the league in wins and ERA and his team is looking good for the playoffs. Sounds good to me. Cliff Lee is probably the runner up, averaging an incredible 8 innings pitched per game, and on pace to shatter the strikeout to walk ratio record.
Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee's former teammate is doing fine, but gets even less help from the Mariners than Lee did.
NL Cy Young: Josh Johnson
The National League pitching may be having the best season ever, with Johnson, Halladay, Ubaldo, and Adam Wainwright cruising. Sixteen straight quality starts, and twelve games allowing one or zero runs gives Josh Johnson the edge here.
AL Rookie: Brandon Boesch
Okay, so Miguel Cabrera does have this guy in his lineup.
Feliz has been great in the Rangers' closer position.
NL Rookie: Jaime Garcia
Heyward and Strasburg may overtake this spot by season's end, but Garcia hasn't missed a start for the Cardinals and has a 2.17 ERA.
AL Manager: Terry Francona
Red Sox have had tons of injuries (read my last baseball blog for details) and still lead the majors in runs scored. The pitching has been sketchy, too, but the Sox are still in competition for the division or Wild Card. I don't think it will last, but I've been wrong before.
NL Manager: Bud Black
No question, Black has turned a team full of no-names into a competitive division leader.
Update Playoff Predictions
Tigers and White Sox will be a great race to the end. I guess I like the White Sox pitching a little better, and NEVER doubt Ozzie Guillen. And while I don't understand how the Phillies could miss the playoffs, the hole is getting a little too deep to dig out of.
Yankees over White Sox
Rangers over Rays
Yankees over Rangers
Rockies over Reds
Braves over Padres
Braves over Rockies
(Say what, Miles is picking the Braves to be in the World Series?)
WORLD SERIES:
surprise surprise: Yankees over Braves
Thursday, July 8, 2010
LeBronomania
So the LeBronathon is all but over after The Decision, the special on ESPN where King James announced he will play on the Miami Heat. Here's my two cents on the whole situation.
There have been a lot of people in the NBA and the media (especially ESPN) who were "furious" that LeBron James would make his announcement on a one-hour Special Program on ESPN. What a selfish, classless, egotistical maniac! Did Kobe, MJ, DWade or Bosh make a big deal out of saying where they would go? Who does LeBron think he is?
I listen to a lot of sports radio and watch a lot of ESPN. Anyone who watches ESPN will tell you that there has been nothing but LeBron LeBron LeBron for the last three weeks, two months, even the last two years! The second most annoying thing about it that the coverage has been purely "RUMORS". Everybody had a different opinion, the rumors changed every 20 minutes, and ESPN covered it 24/7 even while the NBA Playoffs were going on.
Is it shocking that LeBron would call for a 1-hour TV special on ESPN to make his announcement? It seems only appropriate that the network that doesn't shut up about him would host this joke of a program.
Next group, NBA owners and coaches: For two years now, several teams have thrown away the last two seasons in attempts to shed money and cap space to lure LeBron. A half dozen team execs came in to Cleveland to meet with him and woo him to their city. They helped create this chaotic mess. They made him seem bigger than the NBA.
LeBron James is the most special physical specimen the NBA has ever seen. He has also never won a championship and his raging ego has made him become one of the most disliked athletes in America. But much of the blame goes to ESPN and NBA executives for this silly program.
But the good news: hopefully in a couple days we won't have to hear any more LeBronomania for months... hurray for baseball All Star Game, hurray for NFL!
Other notes:
- As for me, even though I have been a big fan of LeBron for the last 7 years, I will be rooting against the Miami Heat this season.
- Amare Stoudemire, who signed with the Knicks for $100M declared, "the Knicks are back!" Did his signing bring them up to the 7th seed or 8th seed, or still looking up from below? They are not even close to the top 6 teams in the East.
- Atlanta Hawks resigned Joe Johnson for a max contract of $120M. Why? Who were they bidding against? Does he make them better? Where was he when the Hawks got destroyed by the Magic?
- Seems like there is more money to go around then quality players. What can the Knicks, Bulls, Nets and Cavs do now?
There have been a lot of people in the NBA and the media (especially ESPN) who were "furious" that LeBron James would make his announcement on a one-hour Special Program on ESPN. What a selfish, classless, egotistical maniac! Did Kobe, MJ, DWade or Bosh make a big deal out of saying where they would go? Who does LeBron think he is?
I listen to a lot of sports radio and watch a lot of ESPN. Anyone who watches ESPN will tell you that there has been nothing but LeBron LeBron LeBron for the last three weeks, two months, even the last two years! The second most annoying thing about it that the coverage has been purely "RUMORS". Everybody had a different opinion, the rumors changed every 20 minutes, and ESPN covered it 24/7 even while the NBA Playoffs were going on.
Is it shocking that LeBron would call for a 1-hour TV special on ESPN to make his announcement? It seems only appropriate that the network that doesn't shut up about him would host this joke of a program.
Next group, NBA owners and coaches: For two years now, several teams have thrown away the last two seasons in attempts to shed money and cap space to lure LeBron. A half dozen team execs came in to Cleveland to meet with him and woo him to their city. They helped create this chaotic mess. They made him seem bigger than the NBA.
LeBron James is the most special physical specimen the NBA has ever seen. He has also never won a championship and his raging ego has made him become one of the most disliked athletes in America. But much of the blame goes to ESPN and NBA executives for this silly program.
But the good news: hopefully in a couple days we won't have to hear any more LeBronomania for months... hurray for baseball All Star Game, hurray for NFL!
Other notes:
- As for me, even though I have been a big fan of LeBron for the last 7 years, I will be rooting against the Miami Heat this season.
- Amare Stoudemire, who signed with the Knicks for $100M declared, "the Knicks are back!" Did his signing bring them up to the 7th seed or 8th seed, or still looking up from below? They are not even close to the top 6 teams in the East.
- Atlanta Hawks resigned Joe Johnson for a max contract of $120M. Why? Who were they bidding against? Does he make them better? Where was he when the Hawks got destroyed by the Magic?
- Seems like there is more money to go around then quality players. What can the Knicks, Bulls, Nets and Cavs do now?
Baseball Notes, 7/8/10
1) Has anybody looked at the baseball standings lately? If the playoffs started today, this is how the National League would shape up:
Braves
Padres
Reds
Mets (wild card)
Yawn.
Last year three of those teams finished in 4th place and the other in 3rd place in their divisions.
2) In case you missed it, the Colorado Rockies came back to win on Tuesday after trailing the Cardinals by 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th. With one out, two on base, one run in, Ryan Franklin came in and allowed 3 singles, a double, and 2 home runs, allowing the Rockies to put up an improbable 9 runs in the 9th inning.
The next day, the Rockies made another colossal comeback against the Cardinals after trailing 7-4 in the 8th inning. You can't blame Coach Tony La Russa for abandoning his closer this time. In the 8th inning, La Russa brought in a new reliever to start the 8th, gave up a double and a groundout. New reliever: walk. New reliever: three-run homer. Brings a new reliever out for the 9th inning, first batter: game winning home run.
That sounds like La Russa's Cardinals from April. This is why St Louis is not the playoffs right now.
3) Not to pour salt on my friend's wounds, but the Red Sox' injury report is turning into a full-length novel. Right now the disabled list includes: Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, Dusin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeremy Hermida, Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, and reliever Manny Delcarmen. This does not include Daisuke Matsuzaka who just came off the DL and Kevin Youkilis who is hurt but not allowed to join the DL. They managed to squeak by for a while but the recent sweep in Tampa Bay is a hit of reality to Beantown. It doesn't help that they are in the same division as the two best teams in baseball.
4) Time to can the Home Run Derby. Due to people dropping out or declining the invitation, this year's group drops from 8 contestants to 6, including Vernon Wells, Corey Hart, Matt Holliday, Miguel Cabrera and an over-the-hill David Ortiz. Yawn. Pujols declined, Howard declined, ARod never does it, Cano pulled out due to a "sore back", nobody's coach wants them to participate, etc. Is there any reason to watch? The steroids scandal has practically eliminated the appeal of the long ball. I'm still interested in some kind of skills competition that could alternate with the Derby to highlight the other stars in the league, like a race around the bases, long distance target shooting, precision/target batting, etc. Like the NBA's slam dunk contest, the home run derby isn't worth staying up for.
Braves
Padres
Reds
Mets (wild card)
Yawn.
Last year three of those teams finished in 4th place and the other in 3rd place in their divisions.
2) In case you missed it, the Colorado Rockies came back to win on Tuesday after trailing the Cardinals by 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th. With one out, two on base, one run in, Ryan Franklin came in and allowed 3 singles, a double, and 2 home runs, allowing the Rockies to put up an improbable 9 runs in the 9th inning.
The next day, the Rockies made another colossal comeback against the Cardinals after trailing 7-4 in the 8th inning. You can't blame Coach Tony La Russa for abandoning his closer this time. In the 8th inning, La Russa brought in a new reliever to start the 8th, gave up a double and a groundout. New reliever: walk. New reliever: three-run homer. Brings a new reliever out for the 9th inning, first batter: game winning home run.
That sounds like La Russa's Cardinals from April. This is why St Louis is not the playoffs right now.
3) Not to pour salt on my friend's wounds, but the Red Sox' injury report is turning into a full-length novel. Right now the disabled list includes: Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, Dusin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeremy Hermida, Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, and reliever Manny Delcarmen. This does not include Daisuke Matsuzaka who just came off the DL and Kevin Youkilis who is hurt but not allowed to join the DL. They managed to squeak by for a while but the recent sweep in Tampa Bay is a hit of reality to Beantown. It doesn't help that they are in the same division as the two best teams in baseball.
4) Time to can the Home Run Derby. Due to people dropping out or declining the invitation, this year's group drops from 8 contestants to 6, including Vernon Wells, Corey Hart, Matt Holliday, Miguel Cabrera and an over-the-hill David Ortiz. Yawn. Pujols declined, Howard declined, ARod never does it, Cano pulled out due to a "sore back", nobody's coach wants them to participate, etc. Is there any reason to watch? The steroids scandal has practically eliminated the appeal of the long ball. I'm still interested in some kind of skills competition that could alternate with the Derby to highlight the other stars in the league, like a race around the bases, long distance target shooting, precision/target batting, etc. Like the NBA's slam dunk contest, the home run derby isn't worth staying up for.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
If I Were King...
The fan votes were counted, the managers made their decision, and mass debate has ensued regarding the Baseball All Star Game rosters, with cries of "What about Joey Votto?"
First, let me say that of all the major sports all star games, none compare to baseball's Midsummer Classic. The game is meaningful and exciting. The player introductions before the game are a must-see for baseball fans. And the controversy of player selection is guaranteed.
Here is the criteria for selecting players for each league's roster:
-Fan voting (8 players): Baseball fans vote on the starting position players for the All-Star Game, with ballots distributed at Major League Baseball games before mid-season and on the Internet. The designated hitter for the AL team is also selected in this manner.
-Player voting (16 players): Eight pitchers (five starters and three relievers) and one back-up player for each position are elected by the players, coaches, and managers. If the top vote-getter at a position has also been selected via fan voting, the second-place finisher in this category is selected.
-Manager selection (9 players): The manager of each league's All-Star team will fill his team's roster up to 33 players. The NL manager will also select his team's designated hitter. At this point, it is ensured that every team is represented by at least one player.
-Final vote (1 player): After the list of 33 players for each league is announced, fans vote for one additional player, chosen from a list of 5 players that is compiled by the manager of each league's team and the Commissioner's Office.
-Replacements: All Star managers and the Commissioner's Office replace players who are injured, decline to participate, and pitchers who start the Sunday before the game.
The selections are completely subjective. But I agree with ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd who says there are basically 3 parts to the process: 1) Reputation/Legacy 2) Popularity 3) First half performance (statistics). And that little caveat, every team is represented.
Here's your LINK for the actual All Star selections.
Using the criteria mentioned above, here's how I would fill the teams.
American League
Deserving Starters
C Joe Mauer MIN
1B Miguel Cabrera DET
2B Robinson Cano NYY
SS Derek Jeter NYY
3B Evan Longoria TB
OF Ichiro SEA
OF Josh Hamilton TEX
OF Carl Crawford TB
DH Vladimir Guerrero TX
Pitchers
Cliff Lee SEA
David Price TB
Clay Buchholz BOS
Jon Lester BOS
CC Sabathia NYY
Andy Pettitte NYY
Phil Hughes NYY
Jered Weaver ANA
Mariano Rivera NYY
Joakim Soria KC
Rafael Soriano TB
Andrew Bailey OAK
Reserves
C Joe Buck TOR
1B Justin Morneau MIN
1B Kevin Youkilis BOS
1B Paul Konerko CHW
2B Ty Wigginton BAL
SS Elvis Andrus TEX
3B Adrian Beltre BOS
3B Alex Rodriguez NYY
OF Torii Hunter ANA
OF Jose Bautista TOR
OF Alex Rios CHW
OF Shin-Soo Choo* CLE
DH David Ortiz BOS
National League
Deserving Starters
C Brian McCann ATL
1B Albert Pujols STL
2B Martin Prado ATL
SS Hanley Ramirez FLA
3B David Wright NYM
OF Ryan Braun MIL
OF Andre Ethier LAD
OF Corey Hart MIL
DH Joey Votto CIN
Pitchers
Roy Halladay PHI
Ubaldo Jimenez COL
Josh Johnson FLA
Adam Wainwright STL
Tim Lincecum SF
Mat Latos SD
Yovani Gallardo* MIL
Stephen Strasburg WAS
Billy Wagner ATL
Jonathan Broxton LAD
Heath Bell SD
Brian Wilson SF
Carlos Marmol CHC
Reserves
C Miguel Olivo COL
1B Adrian Gonzalez SD
1B Ryan Howard PHI
2B Chase Utley* PHI
2B Dan Uggla FLA
SS Jose Reyes NYM
SS Rafael Furcal LAD
3B Ryan Zimmerman WAS
OF Matt Holliday STL
OF Andrew McCutchen PIT
OF Carlos Gonzalez COL
OF Michael Bourn HOU
* injured, but deserving
It was especially difficult to select a player from the Athletics, Astros, and Indians. Shin-Soo Choo is injured and won't play, but he leads the Cleveland Indians in every offensive statistic, and since the rest of their team sucks he can be their representative. Michael Bourn leads the NL in stolen bases, so while I wanted to award the spot to Nats outfielder Josh Willingham or Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo, Bourn is more deserving than Hunter Pence, and there isn't room for any Astros' pitcher like Roy Oswalt. Andrew Bailey made it as a rookie last year for the A's, and I'd rather have a good closer than the 3rd pitcher on a bad team (Cahill).
Utley's spot can be replaced with Brandon Phillips, Gallardo's spot by Chris Carpenter or Kuo, and Choo by David DeJesus. I know there are other replacements that need to, have been, and will be made but those are secondary situations.
It was tough to keep the teams to the limited number of slots, especially the NL. I don't know how Charlie Manuel gets away with Omar Infante, Evan Meek, Arthur Rhodes, and Matt Capps, especially after knucklehead voters selected Yadier Molina and Jayson Heyward to start. I thought Girardi did a great job with the AL.
First, let me say that of all the major sports all star games, none compare to baseball's Midsummer Classic. The game is meaningful and exciting. The player introductions before the game are a must-see for baseball fans. And the controversy of player selection is guaranteed.
Here is the criteria for selecting players for each league's roster:
-Fan voting (8 players): Baseball fans vote on the starting position players for the All-Star Game, with ballots distributed at Major League Baseball games before mid-season and on the Internet. The designated hitter for the AL team is also selected in this manner.
-Player voting (16 players): Eight pitchers (five starters and three relievers) and one back-up player for each position are elected by the players, coaches, and managers. If the top vote-getter at a position has also been selected via fan voting, the second-place finisher in this category is selected.
-Manager selection (9 players): The manager of each league's All-Star team will fill his team's roster up to 33 players. The NL manager will also select his team's designated hitter. At this point, it is ensured that every team is represented by at least one player.
-Final vote (1 player): After the list of 33 players for each league is announced, fans vote for one additional player, chosen from a list of 5 players that is compiled by the manager of each league's team and the Commissioner's Office.
-Replacements: All Star managers and the Commissioner's Office replace players who are injured, decline to participate, and pitchers who start the Sunday before the game.
The selections are completely subjective. But I agree with ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd who says there are basically 3 parts to the process: 1) Reputation/Legacy 2) Popularity 3) First half performance (statistics). And that little caveat, every team is represented.
Here's your LINK for the actual All Star selections.
Using the criteria mentioned above, here's how I would fill the teams.
American League
Deserving Starters
C Joe Mauer MIN
1B Miguel Cabrera DET
2B Robinson Cano NYY
SS Derek Jeter NYY
3B Evan Longoria TB
OF Ichiro SEA
OF Josh Hamilton TEX
OF Carl Crawford TB
DH Vladimir Guerrero TX
Pitchers
Cliff Lee SEA
David Price TB
Clay Buchholz BOS
Jon Lester BOS
CC Sabathia NYY
Andy Pettitte NYY
Phil Hughes NYY
Jered Weaver ANA
Mariano Rivera NYY
Joakim Soria KC
Rafael Soriano TB
Andrew Bailey OAK
Reserves
C Joe Buck TOR
1B Justin Morneau MIN
1B Kevin Youkilis BOS
1B Paul Konerko CHW
2B Ty Wigginton BAL
SS Elvis Andrus TEX
3B Adrian Beltre BOS
3B Alex Rodriguez NYY
OF Torii Hunter ANA
OF Jose Bautista TOR
OF Alex Rios CHW
OF Shin-Soo Choo* CLE
DH David Ortiz BOS
National League
Deserving Starters
C Brian McCann ATL
1B Albert Pujols STL
2B Martin Prado ATL
SS Hanley Ramirez FLA
3B David Wright NYM
OF Ryan Braun MIL
OF Andre Ethier LAD
OF Corey Hart MIL
DH Joey Votto CIN
Pitchers
Roy Halladay PHI
Ubaldo Jimenez COL
Josh Johnson FLA
Adam Wainwright STL
Tim Lincecum SF
Mat Latos SD
Yovani Gallardo* MIL
Stephen Strasburg WAS
Billy Wagner ATL
Jonathan Broxton LAD
Heath Bell SD
Brian Wilson SF
Carlos Marmol CHC
Reserves
C Miguel Olivo COL
1B Adrian Gonzalez SD
1B Ryan Howard PHI
2B Chase Utley* PHI
2B Dan Uggla FLA
SS Jose Reyes NYM
SS Rafael Furcal LAD
3B Ryan Zimmerman WAS
OF Matt Holliday STL
OF Andrew McCutchen PIT
OF Carlos Gonzalez COL
OF Michael Bourn HOU
* injured, but deserving
It was especially difficult to select a player from the Athletics, Astros, and Indians. Shin-Soo Choo is injured and won't play, but he leads the Cleveland Indians in every offensive statistic, and since the rest of their team sucks he can be their representative. Michael Bourn leads the NL in stolen bases, so while I wanted to award the spot to Nats outfielder Josh Willingham or Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo, Bourn is more deserving than Hunter Pence, and there isn't room for any Astros' pitcher like Roy Oswalt. Andrew Bailey made it as a rookie last year for the A's, and I'd rather have a good closer than the 3rd pitcher on a bad team (Cahill).
Utley's spot can be replaced with Brandon Phillips, Gallardo's spot by Chris Carpenter or Kuo, and Choo by David DeJesus. I know there are other replacements that need to, have been, and will be made but those are secondary situations.
It was tough to keep the teams to the limited number of slots, especially the NL. I don't know how Charlie Manuel gets away with Omar Infante, Evan Meek, Arthur Rhodes, and Matt Capps, especially after knucklehead voters selected Yadier Molina and Jayson Heyward to start. I thought Girardi did a great job with the AL.
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