Yesterday, the first major trade of the offseason took place. The Tigers traded 1B Prince Fielder and $30 million of his salary to the Rangers for 2B Ian Kinsler. Now this is a major trade in every way. This trade helps both teams in a few ways.
The Tigers-Even the Tigers had to realize that they signed Fielder for too much and for too long. Now it is only a couple years into his deal and he still has seven years left, most of which is not likely to be very productive. They do lose a big power hitter, but one who has struggled in the playoffs the last couple of years. They receive a second baseman in Ian Kinsler who is above average defensively. Kinsler is a good second baseman and speedy enough to lead off; something the Tigers could have used last season. Kinsler gets on base enough to help the lower part of the order produce as well. With Fielder gone, Miguel Cabrera can now move back to playing first base. Also, Victor Martinez can see time there, if Cabrera remains at third base. If Cabrera moves to first, the Tigers could sign a free agent to fill the hole or use one of their top prospects to take over if they feel he is ready. Above all, the Tigers save a lot of money that they can now use to retain their top pitchers for long term contracts. There is definitely more positive than negative for the Tigers in this trade.
The Rangers-While the Rangers trade away their longest tenured player for the second straight season; this time they get an all-star back at least. First base has been a hole for the Rangers ever since they traded away Mark Teixeira six years ago. They now get a first baseman that will likely be around for seven more years. He is a big slugger that will be perfect in the middle of the Ranger's lineup. The Rangers have in house options for Kinsler's replacement at second or they could go after a free agent (Robinson Cano?). They benefit a lot from this trade as well, but I would have to pick the Tigers as the bigger winner.
Meanwhile in the NBA the Utah Jazz are proving to be one of the worst teams ever, the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks are underachieving, the Trail-Blazers are overachieving and the San Antonio Spurs are still great.
The real mystery is the Clippers though. They have played great in some games and terrible in others. Chris Paul is already off to a historic start. He has scored at least ten points and had at least ten assists in each of the first thirteen games. Blake Griffin is scoring over 20 points almost every game and Deandre Jordan is almost certain to have double digit rebounds every game. The Clippers bench has a lot to prove still. Jamal Crawford is doing his thing by scoring and not playing defense. Darren Collison has been good in spurts, but has not shown how quick he can be and has been lacking on defense. Byron Mullens is on pace to be the worst defender of all time, and Antawn Jamison has not left the bench for a single minute to this point. It is now not a question of if but when the Clippers are signing Lamar Odom to help their interior defense. With Mullens and Ryan Hollins as the primary bigs off the bench, the Clipper could use a guy like Odom. I am predicting it. The Clippers have also had the hardest schedule this far so they will only improve in the standings as the season goes on. However, the Spurs, Thunder and the Warriors will be bugging the Clippers until the last day of the season.
Next time, the question everyone is asking. When will Kobe return to the court?
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
MLB Award Wrap-Up
It seems like the baseball season has been over forever, yet it has only been a few weeks since the Red Sox won the World Series. We just wrapped up the week of awards, which seemed mostly anticlimactic, but we did learn a lot. Here is my take on each of the major awards given out this week...
Rookie of the Year- AL: Wil Myers was going to win it and everybody knew it, but we had to wait to make sure there was not going to be a major disappointment. Myers had a great year and once again proved that the Rays know what they are doing every time they trade away a veteran. Myers was one of the key pieces the Rays got when they traded James Shields to the Royals last offseason. Jose Iglesias and another Ray Chris Archer finished second and third in the voting respectively. They both had great rookie seasons, but neither could match Myers overall performance at the plate, in the field and in clutch moments. He is going to give the Rays a starting outfielder for years to come; unless of course they trade him in the next few years.
NL- As much as I wanted Yasiel Puig to win the ROY award in the NL, I knew his chances were slim to none. Jose Fernandez had an amazing year. He had a great ERA, so many strikeouts and was dominant all season long. Even though he played for a terrible Marlins team, he still found a way to win games. He got the edge over Puig in large part because of Puig's sharp decline towards the end of the season. Puig had a September to forget, which lowered his batting average greatly. Fernandez was consistent all year long, which made him the top rookie in the National League.
Managers of the year-NL-This was the most obvious of all awards other than NL CY Young. Clint Hurdle led the Pittsburgh Pirates to their first winning season and first playoff appearance in over 20 years. That's about all he had to do to win this award. He did not have the best players in the league either, proving he could win with whatever talent he was given. Having the MVP can't hurt though.
AL-This was the biggest surprise of all the awards. Terry Francona came into Cleveland and took them from bad to playoffs. Like Hurdle, he didn't have the top roster in the league and made the best of what he was given. Francona's win came as a surprise to many though. John Farrell managed the Boston Red Sox to the league's best record and a World Series title so many thought he would be the winner. The voters apparently thought Francona did a better job with what he had.
Cy Young-NL- Clayton Kershaw won his second award in three years because he is simply the best pitcher in the major leagues. He had the lowest ERA for the third straight year and proved he is the best left handed pitcher since Koufax. He is not even 26 yet, and already has two Cy Young awards. Something tells me he will win many more.
AL- Max Scherzer was the most dominant AL pitcher this year and got a much deserved Cy Young. He won his first thirteen decisions of the season, and was the only pitcher in the major leagues to finish with at least 20 wins. His consistency and dominance throughout the season guaranteed this award and the funniest thing is he apparently might be on a different team's roster by Opening Day next year.
MVP AL- Miguel Cabrera is good. Really Good. He might just be the best hitter in the major leagues. He won his second straight MVP award and deserved it. He led the Detroit Tigers to the championship series for the second straight year and is going to continue to dominant as one of the best hitters for years still to come. You got to feel bad for Mike Trout though finishing second in the MVP vote for the second straight year.
NL-Andrew McCutchen had a good season and was MVP candidate all year long. His win comes more from no other clear candidate, but of all those eligible he was clearly the best. As mentioned earlier, he was the best player on a team that was above .500 for the first time in over 20 years. That was a big reason why he deserved the award. He is a good fielder and a great hitter. The question is if he can continue to be a top player in the league over the next few years.
Now the the baseball season is officially over and its time to focus on real life. More realistically though, basketball and football. Posts in the near future are likely to be about basketball, but the MLB free agency period has already begun! Punto to the Athletics and Soto returning to the Rangers are a couple of the signings so far. Where will Cano go? That will be answered with many others in future posts.
Rookie of the Year- AL: Wil Myers was going to win it and everybody knew it, but we had to wait to make sure there was not going to be a major disappointment. Myers had a great year and once again proved that the Rays know what they are doing every time they trade away a veteran. Myers was one of the key pieces the Rays got when they traded James Shields to the Royals last offseason. Jose Iglesias and another Ray Chris Archer finished second and third in the voting respectively. They both had great rookie seasons, but neither could match Myers overall performance at the plate, in the field and in clutch moments. He is going to give the Rays a starting outfielder for years to come; unless of course they trade him in the next few years.
NL- As much as I wanted Yasiel Puig to win the ROY award in the NL, I knew his chances were slim to none. Jose Fernandez had an amazing year. He had a great ERA, so many strikeouts and was dominant all season long. Even though he played for a terrible Marlins team, he still found a way to win games. He got the edge over Puig in large part because of Puig's sharp decline towards the end of the season. Puig had a September to forget, which lowered his batting average greatly. Fernandez was consistent all year long, which made him the top rookie in the National League.
Managers of the year-NL-This was the most obvious of all awards other than NL CY Young. Clint Hurdle led the Pittsburgh Pirates to their first winning season and first playoff appearance in over 20 years. That's about all he had to do to win this award. He did not have the best players in the league either, proving he could win with whatever talent he was given. Having the MVP can't hurt though.
AL-This was the biggest surprise of all the awards. Terry Francona came into Cleveland and took them from bad to playoffs. Like Hurdle, he didn't have the top roster in the league and made the best of what he was given. Francona's win came as a surprise to many though. John Farrell managed the Boston Red Sox to the league's best record and a World Series title so many thought he would be the winner. The voters apparently thought Francona did a better job with what he had.
Cy Young-NL- Clayton Kershaw won his second award in three years because he is simply the best pitcher in the major leagues. He had the lowest ERA for the third straight year and proved he is the best left handed pitcher since Koufax. He is not even 26 yet, and already has two Cy Young awards. Something tells me he will win many more.
AL- Max Scherzer was the most dominant AL pitcher this year and got a much deserved Cy Young. He won his first thirteen decisions of the season, and was the only pitcher in the major leagues to finish with at least 20 wins. His consistency and dominance throughout the season guaranteed this award and the funniest thing is he apparently might be on a different team's roster by Opening Day next year.
MVP AL- Miguel Cabrera is good. Really Good. He might just be the best hitter in the major leagues. He won his second straight MVP award and deserved it. He led the Detroit Tigers to the championship series for the second straight year and is going to continue to dominant as one of the best hitters for years still to come. You got to feel bad for Mike Trout though finishing second in the MVP vote for the second straight year.
NL-Andrew McCutchen had a good season and was MVP candidate all year long. His win comes more from no other clear candidate, but of all those eligible he was clearly the best. As mentioned earlier, he was the best player on a team that was above .500 for the first time in over 20 years. That was a big reason why he deserved the award. He is a good fielder and a great hitter. The question is if he can continue to be a top player in the league over the next few years.
Now the the baseball season is officially over and its time to focus on real life. More realistically though, basketball and football. Posts in the near future are likely to be about basketball, but the MLB free agency period has already begun! Punto to the Athletics and Soto returning to the Rangers are a couple of the signings so far. Where will Cano go? That will be answered with many others in future posts.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
MLB Year in Review
Well I admit I was wrong; dead wrong. The Boston Red Sox just defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in game 6 to win the World Series. I made predictions for the postseason and I had the Tigers and Dodgers in the series, neither of which ended up making it. However, up to that point I had predicted every single series correctly. I correctly picked both the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates winning the Wild Card games. I also chose the Dodgers, Red Sox, Cardinals and Tigers to all win their respective series. I thought it was inevitable at that point that I would get all my picks correctly. However, neither one of my LCS picks ended up making it and in each series there was a single turning point that changed the courses of the rest of the postseason. I will clarify on both of them.
Dodgers-Cardinals. Both teams were coming off impressive NLDS wins and it looked to be a great series filled with excellent pitching match-ups. It looked to be a long series between two very even teams. The Dodgers took the lead in the first game before the Cardinals came back to tie and eventually win in extra innings. In that game, the Dodgers best hitter Hanley Ramirez was hit in the ribs. He stayed in the game, but didn't look good. That was a key moment of the series because it completely changed the complexion of the Dodgers offense. The rest of the series they barely scored any runs and could not get it going offensively. The Cardinals pitching staff deserves some credit, but with Hanley missing part of the series, and when he played being badly injured hurt all the Dodgers' chances of winning.
Tigers-Red Sox. The Red Sox made the Rays finally come down to earth in their first round matchup and had the best record in the regular season. The Tigers won a close series against the A's and were coming in hot. The Tigers won the first game in Boston and were on their way to taking a 2-0 game lead before this series changing moment occurred. The Tigers were up 5-1 in the eighth inning and on their way to going home happy campers. However, the Red Sox loaded the bases and manager Jim Leyland decided to put in his closer with two outs to face David Ortiz. As everyone knows Ortiz hit a grand slam to tie it and the Red Sox won an inning later. The series was basically over at that point. The Tigers won another game, but obviously were not the same after that and the Red Sox won the series 4-2.
David Ortiz would end up being the World Series MVP after posting ridiculous offensive numbers throughout the series. However, that brings up the question that no one seems to be talking about. Ortiz somehow all of sudden turned it on in the postseason; coincidence based on hard work or something more? Most people do not remember Ortiz's name was on the list of players in 2003 who were anonymously tested for steroids and HGH and tested positive. Steroids likely saved his career and helped him lead the Red Sox to winning the 2004 World Series. So with no evidence I am just putting it out there that it seems to be a big coincidence. I still do congratulate the Red Sox on winning it all after finishing in last place the previous season. The trade the Red Sox made the previous season proves to be effective. Meanwhile the Dodgers are still stuck with Josh Beckett who might not throw another pitch for a long time. Boston's front office did a great job this year bringing in key free agents such as Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, Johnny Gomes and Stephen Drew. Xander Bogaerts not only has a great name, but also proved to have a great future ahead. David Ross was another free agent brought in who took over as the primary catcher during the series and did a great job with the pitching staff. The Red Sox were the winners this year in a year that was full of many great stories, but just like every other sport, its already time to start thinking about next season.
I will have blog updates during the offseason, but for now it is time to look back at the 2013 regular season.
-Yankees injuries
-Blue Jays disappointment
-Marlins and Astros stinking (Astros lowest payroll)
-Angels cant do it with the biggest sluggers in the game
-Dodgers go from worst to first and cant make it all the way
-Giants bring back same team, much worse results
-Cubs still not close to winning it all
-Cardinals and Tigers make LCS 3rd straight year
-Rays eliminate Rangers and Indians and prove to be amazing once again
Thanks for reading and I will talk about baseball as some offseason transactions take place, but for now it is time for the new NBA season!
Dodgers-Cardinals. Both teams were coming off impressive NLDS wins and it looked to be a great series filled with excellent pitching match-ups. It looked to be a long series between two very even teams. The Dodgers took the lead in the first game before the Cardinals came back to tie and eventually win in extra innings. In that game, the Dodgers best hitter Hanley Ramirez was hit in the ribs. He stayed in the game, but didn't look good. That was a key moment of the series because it completely changed the complexion of the Dodgers offense. The rest of the series they barely scored any runs and could not get it going offensively. The Cardinals pitching staff deserves some credit, but with Hanley missing part of the series, and when he played being badly injured hurt all the Dodgers' chances of winning.
Tigers-Red Sox. The Red Sox made the Rays finally come down to earth in their first round matchup and had the best record in the regular season. The Tigers won a close series against the A's and were coming in hot. The Tigers won the first game in Boston and were on their way to taking a 2-0 game lead before this series changing moment occurred. The Tigers were up 5-1 in the eighth inning and on their way to going home happy campers. However, the Red Sox loaded the bases and manager Jim Leyland decided to put in his closer with two outs to face David Ortiz. As everyone knows Ortiz hit a grand slam to tie it and the Red Sox won an inning later. The series was basically over at that point. The Tigers won another game, but obviously were not the same after that and the Red Sox won the series 4-2.
David Ortiz would end up being the World Series MVP after posting ridiculous offensive numbers throughout the series. However, that brings up the question that no one seems to be talking about. Ortiz somehow all of sudden turned it on in the postseason; coincidence based on hard work or something more? Most people do not remember Ortiz's name was on the list of players in 2003 who were anonymously tested for steroids and HGH and tested positive. Steroids likely saved his career and helped him lead the Red Sox to winning the 2004 World Series. So with no evidence I am just putting it out there that it seems to be a big coincidence. I still do congratulate the Red Sox on winning it all after finishing in last place the previous season. The trade the Red Sox made the previous season proves to be effective. Meanwhile the Dodgers are still stuck with Josh Beckett who might not throw another pitch for a long time. Boston's front office did a great job this year bringing in key free agents such as Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, Johnny Gomes and Stephen Drew. Xander Bogaerts not only has a great name, but also proved to have a great future ahead. David Ross was another free agent brought in who took over as the primary catcher during the series and did a great job with the pitching staff. The Red Sox were the winners this year in a year that was full of many great stories, but just like every other sport, its already time to start thinking about next season.
I will have blog updates during the offseason, but for now it is time to look back at the 2013 regular season.
-Yankees injuries
-Blue Jays disappointment
-Marlins and Astros stinking (Astros lowest payroll)
-Angels cant do it with the biggest sluggers in the game
-Dodgers go from worst to first and cant make it all the way
-Giants bring back same team, much worse results
-Cubs still not close to winning it all
-Cardinals and Tigers make LCS 3rd straight year
-Rays eliminate Rangers and Indians and prove to be amazing once again
Thanks for reading and I will talk about baseball as some offseason transactions take place, but for now it is time for the new NBA season!
Monday, September 30, 2013
MLB Regular Season Wrap-Up
Now that all 162 games (163 for the Rangers and Rays) are complete, it is time to look back on this interesting season of Major League Baseball. There were many great stories and bright young stars, and some elite players who are calling it a career. It was a season full of drama, injuries and a lot less hitting than we have seen the last 20 years in the league. Here are my top stories and conclusions from the regular season...
10. The Rays and A's have it figured out-somehow both of these teams see themselves consistently making the playoffs despite not having the top stars or payrolls. Each team has its own way of constructing rosters full of young talent topped with a few all star veterans. Who needs the 'elite' hitters when the A's have Coco Crisp, Josh Donaldson, and Josh Reddick anchoring their lineup. Meanwhile the Rays do pretty well with Evan Longoria, Wil Myers and James Loney as the core hitters in their daily lineup. Most importantly, Jamey Wright has qualified for the postseason for the first time in 18 years!
9. The Pirates are relevant again! After 20 straight seasons of losing records, the Pirates have finished on top of the National League wild card. There are many reasons they reached this level starting with the job Clint Hurdle has done as manager. Hurdle is definitely the manager of the year favorite and has taken this team to relevance for the first time since BARRY BONDS left. Andrew McCutchen is a MVP candidate, Francisco Liriano has had a miraculous comeback season and many other players have had career years to lead this team to relevance again. However, a loss to the Reds in the one game wild card playoff would be disastrous.
8. The steroid era is not quite finished, but just about there. There were relatively few suspensions this year due to PEDs opposed to the last few years, but the big ones were connected to the Biogenesis 'scandal'. Ryan Braun began the season as one of the league's most likable players and is now seen as a liar and cheater. A-Rod is hanging on a limb and will await his appeal to see if he will be able to play next year. If the suspension is upheld, maybe he has played his last game as a Yankee or even as a major leaguer.
7. Speaking of last games as a major leaguer, there were some old timers who officially called it quits this year which paves the way for new stars to enter the league. Mariano Rivera's season was interesting, seeing as every series he went to a ballpark for the last time, he seemed to get a nice gift from the opposing team. I have never heard of stuff like this happening, and while he might be a future Hall of Famer, I don't think Babe Ruth would have deserved the same treatment when he was retiring. Other greats retiring include Andy Pettitte and Todd Helton who both have had long and impressive careers. Also, other veterans including Darren Oliver and Mark Kotsay have made it known they are retiring.
6. Roo-keys of success. This year had a dominant class of rookies, more so in the National League including Yasiel Puig, Jose Fernandez, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Shelby Miller and many more. While most sports people think Fernandez is the favorite, all of these rookies have nice careers to look forward to. Meanwhile the league has a lot to look forward to with these future stars.
5. The Dodgers proved that two near perfect months of baseball is more than enough to get you into the playoffs. The Dodgers had a terrible start to the season and were double digit games under .500 at the beginning of June. They also played sub-.500 ball in September. Yet, they won the NL West by double digit games. That is pretty amazing and I am sure the first time a team has done that. The rise of Puig, great 'half season' of Hanley Ramirez and dominant pitching by Clayton Kershaw and Zach Greinke carried the Dodgers into the playoffs.
4. The Marlins rebuild more than the city of Miami does after a hurricane. The Marlins lost more than 100 games this season after another rebuilding year. It has now been ten years since they won the World Series and almost as long since they have been relevant, so when are they going to stop believing that if you keep rebuilding after winning, you will still be good in the near future?
3. The Houston Astros were one of the worst teams ever this year. While they were far from worst winning percentage ever they still were extremely bad, finishing 51-111. They set the record for most strikeouts in a season as a team and traded away just about every player who had played in the major leagues two years ago. Their payroll is less than many individual players made this season. And they somehow made great profit this year, amazing business plan, but does not make for good entertainment.
2. The Trout vs. Cabrera MVP debate take 2. What might be an annual occurence the MVP award is likely to come down between Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout for the second straight season. Once again Cabrera helped lead the Tigers to the playoffs while the Angels are already done for the year. Trout has overall had another great year in almost every major stat, but Miguel Cabrera won the batting title again and finished towards the top of the leader board in home runs and RBIs. Will the voters choose Cabrera again or give Trout a nice award to hang up in the early stage of his career.
1. No one has any idea who will win the World Series. There is no clear favorite to win the World Series this year and that makes sense considering no team has been super dominant throughout the whole season. It is hard to believe the Red Sox finished with the best record in baseball, but they did and have a decent chance of winning it all. However, the Tigers and A's both have reasoning to say they could win it too. The Indians and Rays just need the wild card game to give themselves motivation to continue their hot streak further into the playoffs.
The same goes in the National League. Both the Dodgers and the Braves can be seen as World Series favorites, yet only one team will make it to the second round. The Pirates and Reds have had great seasons, yet one game will determine if they will advance to play the Cardinals, who have been great all year. The Cardinals must remember how they blew a 3-1 series lead in the championship last postseason, which will either give them determination or nightmares.
In Conclusion, no one knows who will hoist the World Series trophy in just a few weeks. Clayton Kershaw is the runaway NL Cy Young Award winner and Felix Hernandez should probably find a new team if he ever wants to win 20 games.
(My Predictions) Don't Bank on them
Wild Card Winners-Rays, Pirates
Division Series Winners-Dodgers, Cardinals, Red Sox, Tigers
Championship Series Winners-Dodgers, Tigers
World Series Winner-DODGERS!!!! (but if I was not biased, I would pick the Tigers).
10. The Rays and A's have it figured out-somehow both of these teams see themselves consistently making the playoffs despite not having the top stars or payrolls. Each team has its own way of constructing rosters full of young talent topped with a few all star veterans. Who needs the 'elite' hitters when the A's have Coco Crisp, Josh Donaldson, and Josh Reddick anchoring their lineup. Meanwhile the Rays do pretty well with Evan Longoria, Wil Myers and James Loney as the core hitters in their daily lineup. Most importantly, Jamey Wright has qualified for the postseason for the first time in 18 years!
9. The Pirates are relevant again! After 20 straight seasons of losing records, the Pirates have finished on top of the National League wild card. There are many reasons they reached this level starting with the job Clint Hurdle has done as manager. Hurdle is definitely the manager of the year favorite and has taken this team to relevance for the first time since BARRY BONDS left. Andrew McCutchen is a MVP candidate, Francisco Liriano has had a miraculous comeback season and many other players have had career years to lead this team to relevance again. However, a loss to the Reds in the one game wild card playoff would be disastrous.
8. The steroid era is not quite finished, but just about there. There were relatively few suspensions this year due to PEDs opposed to the last few years, but the big ones were connected to the Biogenesis 'scandal'. Ryan Braun began the season as one of the league's most likable players and is now seen as a liar and cheater. A-Rod is hanging on a limb and will await his appeal to see if he will be able to play next year. If the suspension is upheld, maybe he has played his last game as a Yankee or even as a major leaguer.
7. Speaking of last games as a major leaguer, there were some old timers who officially called it quits this year which paves the way for new stars to enter the league. Mariano Rivera's season was interesting, seeing as every series he went to a ballpark for the last time, he seemed to get a nice gift from the opposing team. I have never heard of stuff like this happening, and while he might be a future Hall of Famer, I don't think Babe Ruth would have deserved the same treatment when he was retiring. Other greats retiring include Andy Pettitte and Todd Helton who both have had long and impressive careers. Also, other veterans including Darren Oliver and Mark Kotsay have made it known they are retiring.
6. Roo-keys of success. This year had a dominant class of rookies, more so in the National League including Yasiel Puig, Jose Fernandez, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Shelby Miller and many more. While most sports people think Fernandez is the favorite, all of these rookies have nice careers to look forward to. Meanwhile the league has a lot to look forward to with these future stars.
5. The Dodgers proved that two near perfect months of baseball is more than enough to get you into the playoffs. The Dodgers had a terrible start to the season and were double digit games under .500 at the beginning of June. They also played sub-.500 ball in September. Yet, they won the NL West by double digit games. That is pretty amazing and I am sure the first time a team has done that. The rise of Puig, great 'half season' of Hanley Ramirez and dominant pitching by Clayton Kershaw and Zach Greinke carried the Dodgers into the playoffs.
4. The Marlins rebuild more than the city of Miami does after a hurricane. The Marlins lost more than 100 games this season after another rebuilding year. It has now been ten years since they won the World Series and almost as long since they have been relevant, so when are they going to stop believing that if you keep rebuilding after winning, you will still be good in the near future?
3. The Houston Astros were one of the worst teams ever this year. While they were far from worst winning percentage ever they still were extremely bad, finishing 51-111. They set the record for most strikeouts in a season as a team and traded away just about every player who had played in the major leagues two years ago. Their payroll is less than many individual players made this season. And they somehow made great profit this year, amazing business plan, but does not make for good entertainment.
2. The Trout vs. Cabrera MVP debate take 2. What might be an annual occurence the MVP award is likely to come down between Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout for the second straight season. Once again Cabrera helped lead the Tigers to the playoffs while the Angels are already done for the year. Trout has overall had another great year in almost every major stat, but Miguel Cabrera won the batting title again and finished towards the top of the leader board in home runs and RBIs. Will the voters choose Cabrera again or give Trout a nice award to hang up in the early stage of his career.
1. No one has any idea who will win the World Series. There is no clear favorite to win the World Series this year and that makes sense considering no team has been super dominant throughout the whole season. It is hard to believe the Red Sox finished with the best record in baseball, but they did and have a decent chance of winning it all. However, the Tigers and A's both have reasoning to say they could win it too. The Indians and Rays just need the wild card game to give themselves motivation to continue their hot streak further into the playoffs.
The same goes in the National League. Both the Dodgers and the Braves can be seen as World Series favorites, yet only one team will make it to the second round. The Pirates and Reds have had great seasons, yet one game will determine if they will advance to play the Cardinals, who have been great all year. The Cardinals must remember how they blew a 3-1 series lead in the championship last postseason, which will either give them determination or nightmares.
In Conclusion, no one knows who will hoist the World Series trophy in just a few weeks. Clayton Kershaw is the runaway NL Cy Young Award winner and Felix Hernandez should probably find a new team if he ever wants to win 20 games.
(My Predictions) Don't Bank on them
Wild Card Winners-Rays, Pirates
Division Series Winners-Dodgers, Cardinals, Red Sox, Tigers
Championship Series Winners-Dodgers, Tigers
World Series Winner-DODGERS!!!! (but if I was not biased, I would pick the Tigers).
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Who is really the MVP of the Dodgers this year?
As the baseball regular season is coming to a close and the Dodgers are looking like they did in the beginning of the season, it is a perfect time to reflect and put some thought into who the most important player has been for the Dodgers this season.
While there is no clear answer, there is a short list of possible candidates. Of the fielders, Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig, and Hanley Ramirez (and JUAN URIBE!! well he deserves a shout-out at least). Of the pitchers, Clayton Kershaw, Zach Greinke, and Kenley Jansen (and Josh Beckett! 0-5 with a 5.19 era is not that bad... if your name is Brandon League, maybe).
From this crop of fielders, Adrian Gonzalez has been the most consistent Dodger all year. His batting average has been within ten points of where it is now since April, and the fact that his average is around .300 means he has been hitting pretty well. He is up to 95 RBIs and likely to have another 100+ RBI year which shows how important he has been in helping the Dodgers score runs. The fact no one else on the team will likely finish with 75+ RBIs shows how consistent Gonzalez has been. He has had many clutch hits including his walk-off single last Thursday in the 10th inning. His fielding has been above average as usual. He has been the whole package (minus speed) all year, making him one of my three finalists.
Yasiel Puig has been the main story of the Dodgers this year. As soon as he was called up he starting making an impact. He was on fire his first month of play and while his average has consistantly been decreasing ever since, his batting average is still superb and has had some amazing plays and hits. What is most important is that when he was called up to the majors the Dodgers were in dead last. Just over a couple of months later the Dodgers took the division lead and have not looked back since and are now just a couple of games away from clinching the division title. Puig has hit his share of big home runs and made some amazing catches helping the Dodgers win many games. He has a really good shot at winning the Rookie of the Year award, and is also a finalist in my Dodgers MVP race.
Hanley Ramirez is having one of his best seasons. His average is right around where it was when he won the batting title a few years ago and he has played extremely well. He missed a large portion of the first half of the season though due to a couple of different injuries. So while he has not missed that many more games than Puig has, I believe it is not enough to be called the most valuable player of the team. If he had the same stats over the entire season that would be a different story, but despite his high average, and relatively high number of home runs and RBIs he is not my Dodgers season MVP.
Of the pitchers, Kenley Jansen has made a household name for himself this year. He began the season as a regular reliever in the bullpen, but after Brandon League blew save after save, Jansen became the closer of the team and responded extremely well. He has a sub-2.00 ERA and a ridiculous strikeout to walk ratio. He has pitcher very well this season and is a dominant closer, but I find it hard to name a reliever as the team MVP.
Zach Greinke has had an interesting season of his own. He began the season pitching decently and then the infamous fight against the Padres led to a broken collarbone which sidelined Greinke for over a month. Ever since he came back from the disabled list he has been lights out winning what seems like every start. He has become the second ace the Dodgers wanted to have when they signed him last offseason and he is showing how dominant of a pitcher he can be. Due to his missed time and the fact he has not even been the best pitcher on the team this year, he is not the Dodgers' MVP.
Clayton Kershaw has had yet another great year. His ERA is under 2.00 and is on pace to win his third straight league ERA title. He leads the league in strikeouts and innings pitched and has pitched almost perfect throughout the whole season. He has pitched well when the Dodgers were doing poorly and he has pitched well when the Dodgers were winning almost every game. He is proving himself to be baseball's best pitcher and with that consideration he is a finalist in the Dodger's MVP race.
With Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig, and Clayton Kershaw as the Dodgers' MVP finalists, it is hard to declare one as the the most valuable. All three are extremely valuable to the point where the Dodgers would probably not be playoff bound without any one of them. Also, there are a couple weeks left in the season in which anything could happen making one of these three players more or less likely to be the MVP of the team. But one has to be the MVP at least at this point. Sadly, I cannot pick Kershaw as the MVP. Pitchers already have a tougher time getting the award and the fact he has not been himself in his last few starts has taken him out of this race. a 14-9 record is still good and he deserves a better one, but a pitcher with that record cannot be the MVP of a team.
So is it Puig or Gonzalez? As I am writing this I still am not even sure who I will choose. As mentioned earlier Gonzalez has been consistent all year and leads the Dodgers in most offensive categories. Puig has had stellar play and since his arrival the Dodgers have gone from worst to first. Puig definitely was a primary reason the Dodgers were winning the first month or two he was in the majors, but Gonzalez has been the primary reason they have been winning the rest of the season. So as close as it is, at this point of the season Adrian Gonzalez has to be the team's MVP. Puig is important, but he did not play the first two months and while the Dodger's weren't great before Puig arrived, someone had to help the Dodgers win some games before he arrived. That someone was Gonzalez from an offensive and defensive side. He was the primary person the Dodgers wanted in the big trade last year and he has so far made it seem worthwhile to the Dodgers. So while Adrian Gonzalez has no real shot of being the National League's MVP, he is the Dodger's MVP in my books.
While there is no clear answer, there is a short list of possible candidates. Of the fielders, Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig, and Hanley Ramirez (and JUAN URIBE!! well he deserves a shout-out at least). Of the pitchers, Clayton Kershaw, Zach Greinke, and Kenley Jansen (and Josh Beckett! 0-5 with a 5.19 era is not that bad... if your name is Brandon League, maybe).
From this crop of fielders, Adrian Gonzalez has been the most consistent Dodger all year. His batting average has been within ten points of where it is now since April, and the fact that his average is around .300 means he has been hitting pretty well. He is up to 95 RBIs and likely to have another 100+ RBI year which shows how important he has been in helping the Dodgers score runs. The fact no one else on the team will likely finish with 75+ RBIs shows how consistent Gonzalez has been. He has had many clutch hits including his walk-off single last Thursday in the 10th inning. His fielding has been above average as usual. He has been the whole package (minus speed) all year, making him one of my three finalists.
Yasiel Puig has been the main story of the Dodgers this year. As soon as he was called up he starting making an impact. He was on fire his first month of play and while his average has consistantly been decreasing ever since, his batting average is still superb and has had some amazing plays and hits. What is most important is that when he was called up to the majors the Dodgers were in dead last. Just over a couple of months later the Dodgers took the division lead and have not looked back since and are now just a couple of games away from clinching the division title. Puig has hit his share of big home runs and made some amazing catches helping the Dodgers win many games. He has a really good shot at winning the Rookie of the Year award, and is also a finalist in my Dodgers MVP race.
Hanley Ramirez is having one of his best seasons. His average is right around where it was when he won the batting title a few years ago and he has played extremely well. He missed a large portion of the first half of the season though due to a couple of different injuries. So while he has not missed that many more games than Puig has, I believe it is not enough to be called the most valuable player of the team. If he had the same stats over the entire season that would be a different story, but despite his high average, and relatively high number of home runs and RBIs he is not my Dodgers season MVP.
Of the pitchers, Kenley Jansen has made a household name for himself this year. He began the season as a regular reliever in the bullpen, but after Brandon League blew save after save, Jansen became the closer of the team and responded extremely well. He has a sub-2.00 ERA and a ridiculous strikeout to walk ratio. He has pitcher very well this season and is a dominant closer, but I find it hard to name a reliever as the team MVP.
Zach Greinke has had an interesting season of his own. He began the season pitching decently and then the infamous fight against the Padres led to a broken collarbone which sidelined Greinke for over a month. Ever since he came back from the disabled list he has been lights out winning what seems like every start. He has become the second ace the Dodgers wanted to have when they signed him last offseason and he is showing how dominant of a pitcher he can be. Due to his missed time and the fact he has not even been the best pitcher on the team this year, he is not the Dodgers' MVP.
Clayton Kershaw has had yet another great year. His ERA is under 2.00 and is on pace to win his third straight league ERA title. He leads the league in strikeouts and innings pitched and has pitched almost perfect throughout the whole season. He has pitched well when the Dodgers were doing poorly and he has pitched well when the Dodgers were winning almost every game. He is proving himself to be baseball's best pitcher and with that consideration he is a finalist in the Dodger's MVP race.
With Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig, and Clayton Kershaw as the Dodgers' MVP finalists, it is hard to declare one as the the most valuable. All three are extremely valuable to the point where the Dodgers would probably not be playoff bound without any one of them. Also, there are a couple weeks left in the season in which anything could happen making one of these three players more or less likely to be the MVP of the team. But one has to be the MVP at least at this point. Sadly, I cannot pick Kershaw as the MVP. Pitchers already have a tougher time getting the award and the fact he has not been himself in his last few starts has taken him out of this race. a 14-9 record is still good and he deserves a better one, but a pitcher with that record cannot be the MVP of a team.
So is it Puig or Gonzalez? As I am writing this I still am not even sure who I will choose. As mentioned earlier Gonzalez has been consistent all year and leads the Dodgers in most offensive categories. Puig has had stellar play and since his arrival the Dodgers have gone from worst to first. Puig definitely was a primary reason the Dodgers were winning the first month or two he was in the majors, but Gonzalez has been the primary reason they have been winning the rest of the season. So as close as it is, at this point of the season Adrian Gonzalez has to be the team's MVP. Puig is important, but he did not play the first two months and while the Dodger's weren't great before Puig arrived, someone had to help the Dodgers win some games before he arrived. That someone was Gonzalez from an offensive and defensive side. He was the primary person the Dodgers wanted in the big trade last year and he has so far made it seem worthwhile to the Dodgers. So while Adrian Gonzalez has no real shot of being the National League's MVP, he is the Dodger's MVP in my books.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
3 Months Is A Long Time
About 3 months ago I went to a Dodger game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers blew the lead and eventually lost the game in extra innings. It was probably the saddest Dodger game I have ever been to, and the Dodgers were in last place in the division with no hope.
However just 3 months later, the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks went to extra innings again at Dodger Stadium and everything was completely different. Myself and a majority of Dodger fans felt confident they would win the game the entire time despite not showing many clutch signs in the game. Puig, Crawford, Uribe, and AJ Ellis all had very poor games, yet they still won. Every night in the past few months there has been a different Dodger hero, which makes for a true championship contender.
Scott Van Slyke was the obvious hero tonight, with a big walk-off home run, but there were definitely others as well. Adrian Gonzalez had half of the teams hits and the Dodgers would not have scored enough runs to make it to extra innings if were not for his offense. Also, the bullpen had another great outing, pitching 5 scoreless innings overall. The 5 relievers used are the for sure favorites to make the postseason roster.
Belisario-has been shaky at times, but more often has been dominant and will definitely make the postseason bullpen as a 7th/8th inning setup man.
Paco Rodriguez-Most impressive reliever on the team considering no one expected that much from him and he has become the main setup man and a guy the Dodgers can bring in to retire a left handed hitter.
JP Howell-In my opinion has been the most consistent reliever all year for the team and is able to pitch to lefties, or come in and pitch a couple of innings. He has been dominant all year.
Chris Withrow-It's hard to believe the Dodgers demoted him a few weeks ago for Edinson Volquez, but he is back and has had a great year. After tonight he has definitely earned himself a playoff roster spot and is a guy who Mattingly can be confident in tough situations.
Jansen-One of the best closers and dominant pitchers in the game. He has had a great year and will continue to be the team's primary closer in the playoffs.
With the other 2 likely reliever spots on the postseason roster, I believe they should go to......
Brian Wilson-He has been impressive since returning to the major leagues. As a former all star closer and consistent pitcher, he could help out immensely in situations the Dodgers need some outs.
Whoever pitches the best the rest of the season-Whether it be Carlos Marmol, Brandon League, even Chris Capuano as a long reliever since the team won't need a fifth starter in the postseason. Also Stephen Fife deserves a chance as a long reliever too. (and maybe Volquez, but probably not) Whichever one of these pitchers impresses the most over the last few weeks of the season deserves that final spot on the postseason roster. As good as Kershaw, Greinke, Nolasco, and Ryu have been this year, they will definitely need some help from the bullpen this postseason if the Dodgers have World Series aspirations. While clutch hits like Van Slyke's home run tonight help win ball games, it's good pitching that wins championships.
However just 3 months later, the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks went to extra innings again at Dodger Stadium and everything was completely different. Myself and a majority of Dodger fans felt confident they would win the game the entire time despite not showing many clutch signs in the game. Puig, Crawford, Uribe, and AJ Ellis all had very poor games, yet they still won. Every night in the past few months there has been a different Dodger hero, which makes for a true championship contender.
Scott Van Slyke was the obvious hero tonight, with a big walk-off home run, but there were definitely others as well. Adrian Gonzalez had half of the teams hits and the Dodgers would not have scored enough runs to make it to extra innings if were not for his offense. Also, the bullpen had another great outing, pitching 5 scoreless innings overall. The 5 relievers used are the for sure favorites to make the postseason roster.
Belisario-has been shaky at times, but more often has been dominant and will definitely make the postseason bullpen as a 7th/8th inning setup man.
Paco Rodriguez-Most impressive reliever on the team considering no one expected that much from him and he has become the main setup man and a guy the Dodgers can bring in to retire a left handed hitter.
JP Howell-In my opinion has been the most consistent reliever all year for the team and is able to pitch to lefties, or come in and pitch a couple of innings. He has been dominant all year.
Chris Withrow-It's hard to believe the Dodgers demoted him a few weeks ago for Edinson Volquez, but he is back and has had a great year. After tonight he has definitely earned himself a playoff roster spot and is a guy who Mattingly can be confident in tough situations.
Jansen-One of the best closers and dominant pitchers in the game. He has had a great year and will continue to be the team's primary closer in the playoffs.
With the other 2 likely reliever spots on the postseason roster, I believe they should go to......
Brian Wilson-He has been impressive since returning to the major leagues. As a former all star closer and consistent pitcher, he could help out immensely in situations the Dodgers need some outs.
Whoever pitches the best the rest of the season-Whether it be Carlos Marmol, Brandon League, even Chris Capuano as a long reliever since the team won't need a fifth starter in the postseason. Also Stephen Fife deserves a chance as a long reliever too. (and maybe Volquez, but probably not) Whichever one of these pitchers impresses the most over the last few weeks of the season deserves that final spot on the postseason roster. As good as Kershaw, Greinke, Nolasco, and Ryu have been this year, they will definitely need some help from the bullpen this postseason if the Dodgers have World Series aspirations. While clutch hits like Van Slyke's home run tonight help win ball games, it's good pitching that wins championships.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Clippers Offseason Wrap Up
The Clippers kinda busy summer started with the draft in which they only had one pick. In the first round with the 25th pick overall, the Clippers selected Reggie Bullock a forward who seems to be a good selection so far. With the news that Grant Hill was retiring, Bullock is a good replacement, maybe not quite the same skill set, but definitely bound to be healthier. Bullock as a third stringer off the bench seems to put the Clippers in a better place.
After last season Clipper coach Vinny Del Negro's contract expired, leaving them coach-less. There were rumors about a few coaches the team looked to sign, but it was not long until everyone knew their top target was Celtics coach Doc Rivers. The Clippers wanted to work out a deal to bring him and also showed interest in acquiring Kevin Garnett as well, most likely due to the failures Deandre Jordan has had with the Clippers. Eventually after the league stepped in saying players and coaches couldn't be in the same trade, the Clippers agreed to trade a first round draft pick to the Celtics in exchange for Rivers. The Clippers had gotten a high profile coach, something not possible in years past.
As soon as free agency began, the Clippers resigned Chris Paul. He was the first free agent to officially come to agreement and that took any possible scare away from the Clippers. Knowing Chris Paul was coming back made certain another big year in LA was coming up. Apparently there was little doubt he would leave and once the Clippers got Doc Rivers, Paul knew coming back was the only choice he had.
The Clippers shortly afterwards made their biggest move of the summer. They agreed to trade away Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler to the Suns in a three team trade, while acquiring JJ Reddick and Jared Dudley. Once Paul resigned they knew Bledsoe wouldn't have a future in LA so they were willing to trade him along with starting small forward Butler. Reddick and Dudley are both good shooters and Reddick was immediately pronounced the starting shooting guard and Dudley will likely be the starting small forward. Reddick replaces Chauncey Billups, whose 2 year tenure with the Clippers was filled with injury. Billups decided to sign with the Pistons and return to the team he had so much success with in the prime of his career. Dudley will replace Butler in the starting lineup so that part of the trade was one starter for another.
The Clippers then starting reshaping their bench with free agents. Jamal Crawford was already under contract to be their sixth man for another year, and Willie Green, Maalik Wayans, and Deandre Jordan were coming back too. Over a few week period the Clippers filled up the rest of their bench with some key signings. They brought back Matt Barnes on a multiyear deal, who had a great season last year. They resigned Ryan Hollins for a year, to keep a big body on the bench. The Clippers signed point guard Darren Collison to back up Chris Paul after he started his career backing up Paul on the Hornets a few years ago. Collison is the immediate replacement for Eric Bledsoe, so the Clippers did pretty well finding another young point guard to provide energy off the bench.
The Clippers signed big man Byron Mullens to provide some outside offense and help spread the court. Mullens in essence replaces Ronny Turiaf who signed with Minnesota. Mullens has a chance to be a big improvement over Turiaf if he brings some energy considering he is a much better offensive player. The Clippers then made the likely last move of their offseason last week when they signed forward Antawn Jamison, who played with the Lakers last season. There were rumors for over a month Jamison would sign with the Clippers, but it seemed they were more interested in bringing back Lamar Odom instead. However, with stories popping up about Odom having off court problems to the max, the Clippers finally committed to Jamison essentially ending their relationship with Odom. It was right after when it was reported Odom was arrested and his problems increasing. The Clippers decided it was better to go with a solid player in Jamison then bringing back Odom, whose uncertainty could bring a lot of problems to the team.
So of the 14 players on the roster as of now, 8 were on last years team. The differences from last year-
Darren Collison (replacing) Eric Bledsoe
Jared Dudley (replacing) Caron Butler
JJ Reddick (replacing) Chauncey Billups
Antawn Jamison (replacing) Lamar Odom
Bryon Mullens (replacing) Ronny Turiaf
Reggie Bullock (replacing) Grant Hill
Conclusion-The Clippers are a younger team this year and if healthy a title contender!
After last season Clipper coach Vinny Del Negro's contract expired, leaving them coach-less. There were rumors about a few coaches the team looked to sign, but it was not long until everyone knew their top target was Celtics coach Doc Rivers. The Clippers wanted to work out a deal to bring him and also showed interest in acquiring Kevin Garnett as well, most likely due to the failures Deandre Jordan has had with the Clippers. Eventually after the league stepped in saying players and coaches couldn't be in the same trade, the Clippers agreed to trade a first round draft pick to the Celtics in exchange for Rivers. The Clippers had gotten a high profile coach, something not possible in years past.
As soon as free agency began, the Clippers resigned Chris Paul. He was the first free agent to officially come to agreement and that took any possible scare away from the Clippers. Knowing Chris Paul was coming back made certain another big year in LA was coming up. Apparently there was little doubt he would leave and once the Clippers got Doc Rivers, Paul knew coming back was the only choice he had.
The Clippers shortly afterwards made their biggest move of the summer. They agreed to trade away Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler to the Suns in a three team trade, while acquiring JJ Reddick and Jared Dudley. Once Paul resigned they knew Bledsoe wouldn't have a future in LA so they were willing to trade him along with starting small forward Butler. Reddick and Dudley are both good shooters and Reddick was immediately pronounced the starting shooting guard and Dudley will likely be the starting small forward. Reddick replaces Chauncey Billups, whose 2 year tenure with the Clippers was filled with injury. Billups decided to sign with the Pistons and return to the team he had so much success with in the prime of his career. Dudley will replace Butler in the starting lineup so that part of the trade was one starter for another.
The Clippers then starting reshaping their bench with free agents. Jamal Crawford was already under contract to be their sixth man for another year, and Willie Green, Maalik Wayans, and Deandre Jordan were coming back too. Over a few week period the Clippers filled up the rest of their bench with some key signings. They brought back Matt Barnes on a multiyear deal, who had a great season last year. They resigned Ryan Hollins for a year, to keep a big body on the bench. The Clippers signed point guard Darren Collison to back up Chris Paul after he started his career backing up Paul on the Hornets a few years ago. Collison is the immediate replacement for Eric Bledsoe, so the Clippers did pretty well finding another young point guard to provide energy off the bench.
The Clippers signed big man Byron Mullens to provide some outside offense and help spread the court. Mullens in essence replaces Ronny Turiaf who signed with Minnesota. Mullens has a chance to be a big improvement over Turiaf if he brings some energy considering he is a much better offensive player. The Clippers then made the likely last move of their offseason last week when they signed forward Antawn Jamison, who played with the Lakers last season. There were rumors for over a month Jamison would sign with the Clippers, but it seemed they were more interested in bringing back Lamar Odom instead. However, with stories popping up about Odom having off court problems to the max, the Clippers finally committed to Jamison essentially ending their relationship with Odom. It was right after when it was reported Odom was arrested and his problems increasing. The Clippers decided it was better to go with a solid player in Jamison then bringing back Odom, whose uncertainty could bring a lot of problems to the team.
So of the 14 players on the roster as of now, 8 were on last years team. The differences from last year-
Darren Collison (replacing) Eric Bledsoe
Jared Dudley (replacing) Caron Butler
JJ Reddick (replacing) Chauncey Billups
Antawn Jamison (replacing) Lamar Odom
Bryon Mullens (replacing) Ronny Turiaf
Reggie Bullock (replacing) Grant Hill
Conclusion-The Clippers are a younger team this year and if healthy a title contender!
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