Bounceback Season for Detroit Tigers

In the 2006 World Series, Tigers starting pitchers set the baseball record for errors combined in the World Series. Remember, they only got five games to do it. In 2007, the Tigers were winning as Gary Sheffield joined the team, and all looked well until the Indians behind Travis Hafner, C.C. Sabathia, and Victor Martinez won 96 games and took the division by eight. I remember the projections for 2008 and I couldn't believe what was going on. I thought it was only possible for the Cubs to do what they did. After being projected to score 1000 runs for the first time, they lost the first six games of the season at home thanks to the Royals and the White Sox. They never recovered and went 74-82 the rest of the way.
However, in 2009, everyone is getting a glipse of the Tigers of old. Brandon Inge, expected to play tremendous defense and hit maybe 20 homeruns with around 60 RBI, has not only done the defense part like always, but he already has 17 homeruns and 49 RBI! And we're not even halfway through the season. Miguel Cabrera has shown a little less power than last year but should be on par with his season averages, like low to mid 30's in homeruns. Curtis Granderson plays great defense-as does Ramon Santiago and Placido Polanco at second and Adam Everett at short-and has 17 home runs with 13 steals this season. He will certainly make 20-20 this season and I would consider him for 30-30. The Tigers are 41-31, first place, leading the Twins by 5 games. They have done all of this without Sheffield and without a productive Magglio Ordonez. Maggs has lost his power stroke this season. Man, the pitching in the Motor City! One of the best rotations around has the luxury of giving way to the hardest-throwing and best bullpen in baseball. Justin Verlander (8-3), Edwin Jackson (6-4), and rookie Rick Porcello (8-4) all have ERA's under 3.60. Jackson has been a big surprise coming up in big games thus far this season. Joel Zumaya, Fernando Rodney, and Ryan Perry highlight the hardthrowers in the pen. Rodney is 16-for-16 in save opportunities.
Overall, I love the Tigers although they do play in a pitcher's park. I think the Twins will challenge the Tigers in September but never get first back, as the Tigers will win 93 games and take the AL Central. The Twins could take the Wild Card, I'm not sure though. In the playoffs, I think they are good enough to get to the ALCS, and possibly the World Series. No guarantees, though.

Cubs Earn Their Dreams in the Wishing Wells

Randy Wells, right hander out of Belleville, Illinois, is now one of the best lower rotation starters in Major League Baseball. Wells has a 2.57 ERA in eight major league starts in 2009, but has just one win to show for it. He has been the most consistent starter in the last month or so. Wells and his patented teeth-clenching-during-the-pitch has gone 13-4 in the last two seasons combined at AAA, not playing much in 2009. I think he is certainly showing that he has adjusted to the major league level much better than Sean Marshall. That is why the Cubs rotation should go like this for the rest of the season: Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly, Harden, Wells. I know the Cubs need the lefty in Marshall, but his reported dominance in the minors has never shown here. In fact, I don't believe we have seen Marshall make eight starts as consistent as Randy Wells has in a row. Marshall owns a 2.70 career ERA in the minors, while in the majors that number is 4.57. His K/9 rate is just 6.2 in the majors, 8.6 in the minors. I've noticed that his game relies on the strikeout a little too much considering 6.2 isn't the figure necessary for a successful southpaw who throws a huge curveball that should be keeping hitters off balance. The Cubs struggled with what to do about Marshall's stalling until Wells arrived. Although he has been getting no run support, I would count him in the league's top five number five starters, along the names of guys like Livan Hernandez.

Injury-Mangled Cubs Team Continues to Fight

The week in late May when the Cubs played a 6 game road trip with 3 against St. Louis and then 3 against San Diego was my hardest week as a Cub fan. It was terrible, and I thought it had been going on for a month. The first game was a complete game shutout by Joel Piñiero, just another ugly loss to the Cards. The second game saw the return of Chris Carpenter, the Cardinals' best pitcher on the staff who hasn't gone a full healthy season since who knows when. Carpenter was held to a pitch count allowing him to go five innings, three hits, no runs. The bullpen shut down the Cubs until the ninth, when Micah Hoffpauir hit an RBI single. The final score was 2-1 Cards, the first game was 3-0. In the last game, Adam Wainwright came an out from a complete game, but Ryan Franklin picked up the save in the 3-1 loss to the Cardinals. In San Diego, I thought they could turn a corner playing a bad despite hot team. The Padres came in and out of the series rolling. In the first game, Carlos Zambrano struggled in his return to the rotation and Jake Peavy handled the Cubs lineup finely. Their next loss was 3-1 with the first homer on the whole road trip belonging to Derrek Lee. It was progress, but only one run. In the next game, Reed Johnson hit a two-run shot, but that was it. The score was 7-2. Road trip totals: Cubs scored 5 runs in 6 games, or .83 runs per game. The opponents: The Cardinals scored 8 in 3 games, and the Padres scored 14 in the 3 games.
Thankfully, the Cubs actually did make it out of there. Back at home, of course, the pitching stopped working just as a tease on Monday night against the Pirates. A 10-8 loss was an offensive win, though. The Cubs did end up win 4 of the 7 on the homestand against Pittsburgh and the LA Dodgers. In June, the Cubs split two extra inning games with the Braves, then went to Cincy where Zambrano threw a gem and started talking retirement. Big Z may be crazy, but he never fails to entertain people. He says he'll retire at the end of his contract, in the 2012 or 2013, at the age of 32 or 33. It was his 100th win Friday, and he got that milestone three years ahead of when Randy Johnson did, who just got his 300th. It's a shame because I know he has the stuff to win 300. People don't believe me, but he just has to get consistent. He had five walks against the Reds because his stuff was so good it surprised him. Oh yeah, he also hit a home run. Here's my opinion: Big Z, we love ya. We'd love to see you pitch for us until around 2020, but if you really want to retire, then that is best for you. Just one thing: Get us a ring first. GO CUBS GO!!! (Cubs 27-25)

New Hope for Rising MLB Teams

Like how Kleenex has branded tissues, the Tampa Bay Rays have branded surprise success stories in baseball. The teams I'm thinking about mainly are the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and San Francisco Giants.
(above, Marlon Byrd celebretes his April 9 home run with Andruw Jones and Nelson Cruz)
-TEX: The offensive beast learned how to pitch. Thanks to Kevin Millwood (2.93 ERA), Frank Francisco (9-for-9 in saves without yet allowing an earned run), and Matt Harrison (4-2 record), these Rangers have won seven in a row and have a big lead in the AL West. I'd like to see them make the playoffs for the first time in a long time this year.
-TOR: Picked by most to be 4th or 5th in the tough AL East, the team sits up at first. Huge surprise Aaron Hill leads the offense, and Adam Lind drives him in. Roy Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball now, and Brian Tallet has got talent. People have counted out this team for the entire decade due to the Red Sox, Yankees, and now the Rays, so I'm glad to see them fight back.
-SEA: The abbrevation, 'SEA' means 'See Ya!' as in a homer for Russell Branyan. Although a recent slump has put them back at 18-20, the Mariners lost 100 games last year and saw no reason to get better this year. Felix Hernandez (53 K's in 51 innings), and Erik Bedard (2.53 ERA) lead the surprising pitching staff in suddenly sunny Seattle.
-CIN: Much like the Rangers, they couldn't pitch. For a while, they couldn't hit. Edinson Volquez and Jonny Cueto, hardthrowing young arms, are leading the pitching staff. I like this team although they will fall short of the playoffs.
-LAD: Although they're not really a surprise, it is surprising that they are the NL's best team even without Manny Ramirez. I like how Andre Ethier is having a breakout season. In 2006 and 2007, there was much debate about whether to play the young guys coming up like Ethier, Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley. There's no debate now.
-DET: I actually love the Tigers and the best part of the deal is that Justin Verlander is back (finally). After some mediocre starts, he's dominating while getting run support from Miguel Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, and Brandon Inge. Pretty sweet! They should win the division if they can stay healthy.
-KC: This is the best story in the big leagues. Zach Greinke is dominating. Alberto Callaspo is hitting. Joakim Soria is shutting it down. They've got the winning formula in Missouri, so expect them to make a run at the wild card.
-SF: Bengie Molina is hitting the ball hard and now Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, and Barry Zito can pitch without worrying about run support. It could be tough to keep it going due to the spotty offensive streaks, but keep an eye on them.

Although some of these won't really come too close to making the playoffs, keep an eye on them this year and in future years for what they bring in their division. I could see the Dodgers, Tigers, and Rangers making the playoffs this season. Maybe the Reds, but they would need some help from the rest of the NL teams to take the Wild Card, because I don't think there is a chance that they win the whole NL Central.

White Sox Stumbling

I won't cover the White Sox too much, but this is worth writing about. The Sox just can't get the hitting going. When things get ugly, Ozzie Guillen makes things about 20 times worse with all of this sarcastic argument business and uncanny ways of getting the team out of hitting slumps. When the Sox win, Ozzie is having a party. There is the problem. That is why I think that if the Sox aren't close to .500 by mid-June, Ozzie should be fired as Sox manager. After a 3 game set with the Twins, interleague play lurks ahead starting with the Pirates at home. This homestand needs to be strong to make a statement about the direction this team wants to go this year. If the team starts losing, I have no doubt Ken Williams will pull the plug on Jermaine Dye and trade him. Williams is one of the best GMs in Major League Baseball, but he'll need to rebuild again like in 2007 unless the Sox can get something going here. If the Sox can pull off a good road trip after that homestand, going to play the Angels and then the Royals, they should be fantasy favorites heading into June playing 4 against Oakland, 3 against Cleveland, and 4 against Detroit all at home.
Hey, Sox fans, keep an eye on:
-Jayson Nix, the young hitter could get good at hitting in the big leagues soon.
-Scott Podsednik, because I think once he is finished getting the feel for things he will be very productive again, although he has lost some speed.
-Paul Konerko, because he might be back as a great run production man again.

Cubs On Fire

"The way I see it, we've just only begun," Adam Sandler from Happy Gilmore. That's how the Cubs have taken this season so far. After a frustrating bullpen nightmare worse than Chernobyl on Thursday, April 30, the Cubs have the majors' best record in May. In that game, a 2-2 tie was opened to make it 8-2 at the end of the top of the 10th. They fell to 10-11 after that game, the first and only time this season that they have fallen below .500. Since then, they've enjoyed much success against those Marlins, the Giants, the Astros, and the Padres. I still don't like this Cub team right now in that we're without Carlos Zambrano and Aramis Ramirez. Once they return, who knows where we're going? The offense has really come around nicely, too. The Cubs have scored 2 or more runs every game this month.

Bulls Eliminated From Playoffs

It's been forever since I last made a post, and I couldn't have chosen a worse time. The Bulls just played the best NBA playoff series in history, but the Bulls were eliminated in Game 7.
-I talked about Game 1, but Game 2 was all about Ben Gordon and Ray Allen. Gordon wouldn't stop scoring, and there he gained his clutch reputation in this series. Amazingly, this game didn't go into OT. Ray Allen was left unguarded for the 1st of a million times the Bulls failed that play. His big 3-pointer won the game 118-115.
-Game 3 was the worst effort in the series by the Bulls, because they seemed dead. Although it was 107-86 the final, that was only because of a late rally. Having seized home court advantage by splitting the first two games, I was very dissapointed they couldn't defend their home court.
-Game 4 went into 2OT but the Bulls prevailed at home thanks to the biggest Bulls shot since decade. Ben Gordon sent the game to 2OT with a crazy 3 pointer from no man's land to send the United Center into a frenzy.
-Game 5 saw just single OT but the Celtics took it because of a Paul Pierce turnaround fadeaway jumper to give Boston the lead at 106-104. That was the final, and the Celtics took the lead 3-2.
-Game 6 was the best game of the series. Fighting elimination, the Bulls forced the game into 3OT this time. Rajon Rondo, who all of Chicago hates by now, was given a flagrant foul for slamming Kirk Hinrich into the scorer's table. Hinrich pushed back, resulting in a technical, but it was so exciting as the United Center crowd rose to their seats in anticipation. I think they put the wrong floor out there, because this is turning into a hockey ice rink fighting thing. Anyway, a late rally in the 4th Quarter included a Brad Miller 3-pointer, the last guy you'd expect to do that. He made the same layup to tie the game right after that as the one that he missed in Game 5, partly costing the Bulls the game. Ray Allen was ridiculous again, scoring over 50. Paul Pierce and Ben Gordon could have won the game there but both missed their shots. Pierce missed another one at the end of OT, so time for 2OT tied at 109. Brad Miller lost the ball and so we went to 3OT tied at 119. Joakim Noah had an amazing breakaway dunk with the and1. Then, the hated Rondo was trying to tie the game. He was blocked by Rose, and although Rose missed his free throws, he still put them in for the win. 128-127 the final.
-Game 7 was frustrating. The Bulls started so well and fell short on a ridiculous 20-2 run for the Celtics to end the first half. The Celtics won 109-99 and the Bulls came close but they couldn't finish the deal. Down six, a Gordon three that was missed would have put them right back in the game with about a minute left.

Overall, this series was amazing. That's the best basketball I have ever seen. It was so competitive, I couldn't focus on anything but the game all night when it was on. Also, it got so much faith in the Bulls around here. Everywhere people had Bulls jerseys, shirts, hats, whatever, and everyone wouldn't stop talking about them. It was really awesome. In the future, we could have a string of big seasons coming up with Rose, Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, Noah, and more. GO BULLS!

It's All Competitive Now, Chicago

I don't believe what has happened with Chicago sports.  I'll put it out there now: All of our teams are good!  I think about this often.  Where are the best sports cities this year?  In the fall of 2007, for instance, I thought the defending AL champion Detroit Tigers, surprising Detroit 
Lions (6-2 through 8 games), and the two teams that never lose in that town (Pistons, Red Wings) made up maybe the best sports city in the country back then.  Chicago has always competed, but the Blackhawks have held the city back, especially when combined with another bad team (2006 Cubs, 2007 White Sox, 2007-08 Bulls).  New York always thinks they're the best at everything anyway, but that's because they have double the teams.  Two football franchises, in the same stadium?  Are you kidding me?  This isn't the Staples Center.  Anyway, the playoff warriors on the Bulls and Blackhawks have vaulted Chicago to leads in the first round of their respective playoff series.  

An amazing note for Bulls fans from the Game 1 OT win over Boston: Derrick Rose has done something Michael Jordan didn't.  He did something Magic Johnson didn't.  He also did something Wilt Chamberlain didn't.  He scored 36 points as a rookie in his first playoff game, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  Throw in 11 assists, and he's got ESPN raving about the Bulls and not the Celtics who were supposedly dominating at home.  So dominating, in fact, that coach Doc Rivers got really angry after the game.  "Guys, Kevin is not playing in these playoffs.  I'm not answering any Kevin Garnett questions," he barked.  I think the Bulls have to be the favorites to win the series now.  After getting the one necessary road win to win the series (assuming they win all of the games at home), the Bulls have a lot of confidence built up.  The experts were saying the series would go 6 or 7 anyway, but they didn't expect this.  I predict the Bulls will lose Game 2, win Games 3 and 4, lose Game 5 on the road, and then take the series at home in Game 6.

The Blackhawks are alive and well.  Another big home win has Comcast SportsNet Chicago drawing comparisons to Chicago Stadium.  The place was crazy in Game 1, with Martin Havlat being the big hero.  You'd think this was the 1970's, because everyone is absolutely insane with hockey.  Is this Detroit?  Is this Pittsburgh?  It's bigger than that.  Game 2 saw a big comeback led by the captain Jonathon Toews.  I love this Blackhawks team because of the youth, faith, passion, and dedication in what they do.

Aramis Ramirez, thank you.  Ramirez is helping me stay competitive in my league despite an absolutely terrible week on my fantasy team.  Ramirez hit a 2-run walk-off homer, making it three years in a row he has hit one.  Down, dumb Redbirds.  The Cardinals are slipping with the division lead after the Cubs have taken 2 of 3 thus far heading into Sunday night's ESPN finale.  

So, New York, move over.  It's our time to shine.  Let's hope that a Chicago team the majority of the city actually likes gets the championship this time.

 

ESPNChicago.com, Chicago Sports News

For all sports fans, a first has been made. ESPN has launched the website espnchicago.com, the first local sports website ever made by them. I was just on the website, it's great. That's right, we got it first, not New York. I was really surprised because ESPN is severely biased for the East Coast teams, like the only hockey games they ever show involve the New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, or the Boston Bruins. Some headlines you might read from ESPN:

All of the NBA playoffs spots have been clinched. The Bulls and the Pistons are both in while shaking off Charlotte. The Bulls play tonight at Detroit and can clinch at least the 7th seed with a win. That's really good because the 8th seed has to play Cleveland, and they have only lost once at home this season. In the 7th seed you will likely play Boston, and 6th will play Orlando. I'm not really sure why, but I would think the Bulls would do better as the 7th seed against Boston. Kevin Garnett is banged up and we could stop him, like we did earlier in the season in our home victory over them. Meanwhile, we have no answer for the young Dwight Howard. Our perimeter D is not good enough to keep up with their three-point snipers J.J Reddick and Hedo Torkoglu. We might get the 6th seed anyway, because we're now tied with the 76ers for the 6th seed. They have lost 5 in a row, and the Bulls have won 4 in a row to tie them at 40-40. The Bulls are at .500 again!!! Philly plays Boston at home and then they are the last chance to stop Cleveland from going 40-1 at home. I think they might lose both games, and so the Bulls could walk into 6th place.

Another death has taken place in baseball, this time a broadcaster. Harry Kalas, the longtime voice of the Phillies, passed away at 12:20 PM CT in a hospital after collapsing in the press booth before the Phillies-Nationals game. Cause of death has not yet been released. He was known for uniting Philly and his slow talking style was remarkable. He was also known for going, "Outta Here!" after a Phillies home run. He was a fan and an amazing broadcaster, RIP.

The Cubs have been bitten by the injury bug. Ouch! There goes the $30 million dollar man Milton Bradley, 3B Aramis Ramirez, and Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto. Bradley strained his groin and was replaced by Reed Johnson last night in an 8-5 win over Milwaukee. It turned out to be a good thing, as Johnson might have saved the game when he robbed Prince Fielder of his first career grand slam with a catch over the wall. It would have tied the game at 6. Ramirez showed up to the Cubs home opener with a stiff back, and so he won't play today. Soto had a shoulder injury and will return Wednesday. How will Lou Pinella compensate? He said that he plans to put Fukudome in the 3rd spot, moving Lee to cleanup, and boosting Fontenot up to 5th. A very interesting move, this will give the Cubs a chance to test a little.
Soriano stole into an exclusive club Sunday night, becoming the 19th player in MLB history to have 250 home runs and 250 steals. He assisted their win with a first-pitch homer (which I called, by saying "That's gone" before the pitch was thrown) but it wasn't enough to get 1st place back yet. The Cardinals completed their sweep of the Astros and are 5-2 while the Cubs are 4-2.

NBA Playoffs: Spots Filling Up

Well, the Western Conference is all wrapped up.  As if there was any real competition.  The Suns will miss the playoffs for the first time in a while.  The Mavericks are the 8th seed.  Meanwhile in the East, the Bulls win over the 76ers earlier tonight lowers the Bulls' magic number to 1 for a playoff spot.  A win on Saturday for the Bulls means the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years.  They could also clinch if the Bobcats lose to the Thunder on Friday night.  My hat is off to John Paxson who went dealing for John Salmons, Brad Miller, and Tim Thomas.  These guys have shaped the postseason berth in a way that Gooden and Nocioni couldn't have, although it was really hard for me to watch Drew Gooden go.  He was an excellent shooter in my opinion and played very well.  With this new lineup, everyone is contributing and the Bulls have been nearly unbeatable at home.  They have been able to beat every team in the Eastern Conference including the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Magic (a good sign for the postseason) as well as the Rockets, Hornets, and Nuggets at the United Center.  There's just another reason to come on down to a Bulls game in the city, along with good food, great seats, music, halftime and timeout entertainment, and more.  

-Loul Deng (Forward) is out for the season for the Bulls.  Rookie guard DeMarcus Nelson was signed for the stretch run.  There is a slight hope Deng could return for the playoffs, but it's unlikely and the way the Bulls have been playing, do we want him back?

-Believe it or not, the Indiana Pacers have hung in there one more night.  They have stayed alive although they are now only eligible for the 8th spot in the East.  The Pistons, sitting at 38-40, are 4 games ahead of Indiana with 4 to go.

-The Bulls have the Eastern Conference's 5th best home record at 27-12.  However, their 12-28 road record ranks 12th.  It all adds up to 39-40.

-Many NBA teams are making active efforts to go green.  The Mavericks held a drive where you could recycle old TV's, PDAs, computers, keyboards, and mice.  The Minnesota T'Wolves are giving an upper level ticket away for free if you ride public transit on April 5th.  The Hornets are giving free parking to the first 100 cars to show up to the game with 4 or more people in the car.  Find more of these examples at nba.com and click on NBA Green Week.

-Michael Jordan was among five elected in the Hall of Fame, although he wasn't too happy about it.  Like his style, he admitted that he always wanted to keep it where he could come back one day.  Now in the Hall, he can't.  "I don't like being up here for the hall of fame because at that time your basketball career is completely over.  I was hoping this day would be 20 more years, or actually go in when I'm dead and gone." -Jordan, courtesy of the Washington Post.  

Baseball is Back! It's Exciting!

It hasn't sunk in yet that the season has begun.  No matter, it is awesome to follow.  The intensity every night and the great thing about it is that all the teams play so often.  Also, it's not written.  No disrespect to MJ's Bulls (a sin, I tell you), but you kind of knew the other team had no chance if they were playing at the United Center unless it was the Lakers or something.  As the Pirates proved by ruining Opening Day at Busch Stadium as rookie closer Jason Motte blew a save, anyone can pull off a win.  I couldn't stop smiling as C.C. Sabathia struggled mightily in the season opener against the Orioles.  Anyway, Cubs fans will be happy with the result thus far.  A hard-fought 4-2 on Opening Day featured Alfonso Soriano (above) with a leadoff homer and Aramis Ramirez added his own a few batters later in Houston.  A tough game on Tuesday night saw the Astros win it on a walk-off single by a brand new Astro, Jeff Keppinger.  A blowout ensued on Wednesday night featuring a Mike Fontenot 3-run homer.  The Braves pulled off two impressive wins over the defending champs before a bullpen disaster got the Phillies their first win.

On a sad note, everyone should keep Angels pitcher Rick Adenhart in their thoughts or prayers after he was killed by a drunk driver early this morning.  The sad thing was that he was only 22, he was the Angels' top prospect, and he had just pitched the last night going six strong innings against the A's.  Just like after the death of Cardinals reliever Josh Hancock, the game Thursday night has been postponed.  

The drama and surprises in this game are amazing.  Who would have thought that the Orioles would have taken the first two from the Yankees?  Or the Royals taking two from the White Sox?  How about the Blue Jays taking three of four from the Tigers despite fans throwing balls and trash at the Tigers in the opener?  A note on that: Fans in the outfield at the packed Rogers Centre on Opening Day in Toronto threw a baseball at Curtis Granderson playing center field for the Tigers and trash came down, too.  Jim Leyland pulled his team off the field.  Some people thought that it might even have been a Tigers fan who threw the stuff, disgusted on how the team has failed expectations the last two years.  The punishment is on the fans: Rogers Centre is going dry for a few games.

My fantasy team is doing awesome.  Carlos Lee, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Gomez, Miguel Cabrera, Miguel Tejada, Ryan Theriot, Brandon Phillips, Roy Oswalt, Francisco Liriano, Ramon Hernandez, Aramis Ramirez, Magglio Ordonez, Coco Crisp, Joakim Soria, Josh Beckett, Brian Wilson, Manny Corpas, Yovani Gallardo, Javier Vazquez, Melvin Mora, and Garrett Atkins make up my team.  They had a fantastic day on Thursday.

Are you like me and you can't get enough baseball?  Or do you just want to follow a bit?  Either way, make sure you check out the new MLB Network, who aired their first regular season game in channel history tonight in a 7-1 Giants win over the Brewers in San Francisco.  They have a live studio show during all of the games with highlights, press conferences, topics of discussion, whatever.  They are new for the '09 season and it is great.  If you don't know what channel it is at your home, head to mlbnetwork.com to find out.  There is a channel locator on the home page.  

 

Opening Day is Here!!!

It's Opening Day, one of the greatest days in the year for baseball fans!

22 of MLB's 30 teams will kick off the new season today. Two of the eight that aren't started last night, the Braves and the Phillies battled it out in the primetime opener on ESPN2. The Phillies had pregame festivities to celebrate their World Series championship season last year, but the Braves came in and stole their thunder. Two years in a row have the Braves opened the seasonon the road in the big opener game, last year at Washington in their new stadium. Mark Teixiera hit the first homer in the history of the ballpark, called by former President George W. Bush (he was in the booth at the time). With Teixiera no longer in Atlanta, Brian McCann provided ample power with a towering two-run shot into the upper deck in right field. A quieted and frustrated crowd then witnessed Brett Myers allow Jeff Franceour and Jordan Schafer solo homers in the next inning. Schafer, in his first MLB game, hit a homer in his first MLB at-bat. The last Atlanta Braves player to do that was Jermaine Dye in 1996. Derek Lowe shut out the Phillies through eight and sat watching as Mike Gonzalez struck out Raul Ibanez to end the game, despite giving up one run.

Can't get enought Opening Day coverage? Head to ESPN and ESPN2, where you can catch five games today, although I'm not sure what they will do about the PPD Rays at Red Sox game. You can see Johan Santana (right) and the Mets at the Reds, Cubs-Astros, Athletics-Angels, and Yankees-Orioles. To get the best game day studio coverage, tune to the brand new MLB Network, in its first season of coverage.

NBA Playoffs Scenarios and NCAA Tournament Final

But first, a long overdue update on the WBC.

So, the WBC is over. Japan won. A note on that: I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to see this become a battle between the Far East teams. That's just a thought. It should be the WORLD Baseball Classic, and the event has many issues yet to be worked out.

Now, to the real topic of this blog post. In the NBA, the Suns seem to be lost. At 42-35, a loss will cost them the playoffs. In a 9-team conference (10th place Golden State is 14 games behind Phoenix) the Suns have been struggling to get back into the picture. A Dallas Mavericks win will clinch the final playoff spot while much in the East is yet to be decided. Allowing 140 points to the team you're chasing last night won't help the Suns either.

-The Cavaliers have gotten their home record to 37-1 (the only blip was a loss to the Lakers). I hope that someone can spoil the fun soon (for MJ's 95-96 Bulls, please).

-At the 6th seed in the East, the 76ers have clinched a playoff spot. At 7th is Ben Gordon (above) and the Bulls then 8th is Tayshaun Prince (right) and the Pistons. The Bobcats are 9th and the Pacers are 10th. Playoff scenarios:

-For the Indiana Pacers to get into the playoffs, the Pistons must lose all 5 remaining games while the Pacers win all of theirs. Meanwhile, the Bobcats must lose two of their five remaining games. Basically, a Pistons win can eliminate the Pacers.

-For the Charlotte Bobcats to get into the playoffs, the Pistons must lose three of the next five while the Bobcats win four. If the Pistons win four or the Bobcats lose two, the Pistons seal off the 8th spot.
-The Bulls follow the same scenarios as the Pistons seeing as they have identical records despite the Bulls holding the tiebreaker.
-What happened to the Milwaukee Bucks? The Bucks once held the 8th spot and the Bulls were chasing them and now their record has fallen to 32-46, good for the 12th seed including 2-8 in their last ten games.

The NCAA tourney wraps up with the title game featuring UNC and MSU. I don't really follow college basketball, so in case you're wondering, my bracket is doing bad after I had the Illini make it to the Sweet 16. For this one, I've got Kalin Lucas and MSU.

WBC Pools 1 and 2

So, the first round is over. The second round is almost over. The USA, Venezuela, Japan, and Korea are all going to Dodger Stadium for the semifinals then finals. It is single elimination. I'm roting for the USA for sure, although I worry about the injuries. Dustin Pedroia, Ryan Braun, Matt Lindstrom, Chipper Jones, and David Wright have all either been sent home to the MLB team or have been injured for a select amount of time. I think of those guys, David Wright is the most important to this team. Every time he comes up he seems to get a hit. He hit the walkoff to eliminate Puerto Rico and save the US the other night. If there was a guy who I think should be injured instead, I think it would have the be Derek Jeter. He is the backup to Jimmy Rollins and Mark DeRosa could play short if necessary. The US starting pitching has been OK. I don't think Jeremy Guthrie is the best the US could have gotten there, unlike Roy Oswalt. The US lost the seeding game the other night, so they will play the winner of tonight's Korea and Japan matchup. The US won when they had to, and that's all that matters. If you are going to lose a seeding game, it's not to big of a deal. The US got the credit of eliminating two of the 16 WBC teams. They are capable of going all the way, but must be on their game (no more Adam Dunn at first base, please). USA!

WBC

Sorry, I forgot to put Pool D.
Who wants to listen to my confusing graph? Check out the link.
http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/schedule/brackets.jsp

It's final in Pool C and Pool D. As you'll see in the link, the Netherlands will play Venezuela in the game at noon on Saturday. At 7, you'll watch our US play Puerto Rico on the same day. I'm really glad that we don't have to play the Netherlands. They are hot now, came out of nowhere, and are dangerous because nobody knows the guys that they have there. I could only recognize former Cubs 1B Randall Simon, Rick VandenHurk, and Sidney Ponson. Puerto Rico is a big challenge, too, with such guys as Carlos Beltran, Alex Rios, Carlos Delgado, Mike Aviles, Ramon Vasquez, Yadier Molina, Geovany Soto, Alex Cora, and Felipe Lopez. Their pitching includes Javier Vasquez, Jonathan Sanchez, and Ian Snell.
I think the US will beat Puerto Rico and Venezuela will top Netherlands, but the US will lose to Venezuela and be forced to play Netherlands in Game 5. The US will win that one and secure a spot in the semifinals along with Venezuela. Pool D will dissolve. As for what happens next, I see Korea and Cuba making it out of the other side. I shall say no more until later.

World Baseball Classic

I became a sports fan in the summer of 2006. Don't ask me why, I didn't like decide that, it just suddenly became really interesting. The first WBC was in that year, and I wasn't really following yet. This year, though, the WBC is amazing interesting. I watched two action-packed USA victories over Canada then Venezuela despite having the home crowd against them. Adam Dunn and Kevin Youkilis hit 2-run homers as the US snuck away 6-5 over Canada, then blew out a close game against Venezuela the next night. If they hadn't blown it open, Mark DeRosa would have been the hero, hitting a two-run triple to give the US the lead 2-1. They went on to win, 15-6. It was surprising, because Venezuela was looked at as one of the biggest powerhouses in the pool, a strong major league loaded lineup. Their bullpen blew it, though, as the same two as before hit homers again. With their second win in Pool C play, the US clinches going to Pool 2 for the second straight tournament. Their next action will be the Pool C Title Game, which will determine who the US will play from Pool D. Complete WBC coverage:

2 win clinches second round berth, 2 losses means elimination!

Pool A: China, Japan, Korea, and Chinese Taipei at the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan.

Game 1: Japan 4, China 0. Japan 1-0, China 0-1

Game 2: Korea 9, Chinese Taipei 0. Korea 1-0, Chinese Taipei 0-1.

Game 3: China 4, Chinese Taipei 0. China 1-1, Chinese Taipei 0-2, ELIMINATED

Game 4: Japan 14, Korea 2. Japan 2-0 (pool 1 clinched), Korea 1-1

Game 5: Korea 14, China 0. Korea 2-1 (pool 1 clinched), China 1-2 ELIMINATED

Title Game: Korea 1, Japan 0. Korea plays Pool B runner up, Japan plays Pool B winner.

Pool B: Cuba, South Africa, Mexico, Australia at Foro Sol Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico.

Game 1: Cuba 8, South Africa 1. Cuba 1-0, South Africa 0-1.

Game 2: Australia 17, Mexico 7. Australia 1-0, Mexico 0-1.

Game 3: Mexico vs. South Africa-Mon 3/9 Loser is eliminated

Game 4: Cuba vs. Australia-Tue 3/10 Winner clinches Pool 1 berth against Japan.

Game 5:

Title Game:

Pool C: USA, Canada, Venezuela, Italy at Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada.

Game 1: USA 6, Canada 5. USA 1-0, Canada 0-1.

Game 2: Venezuela 7, Italy 0. Venezuela 1-0, Italy 0-1.

Game 3: USA 15, Venezuela 6. USA 2-0 (clinches Pool 2 berth), Venezuela 1-1.

Game 4: Italy 6, Canada 2. Italy 1-1, Canada 0-2 ELIMINATED

Game 5:

Title Game:

Is LA still a good fit for Manny Ramirez?

I don't know if anyone besides me has noticed, but Manny is not good for the Los Angeles outfield. Don't get me wrong-Manny is an amazing power hitter and LA wouldn't have made the playoffs without him. But the problem is that they had five outfielders who deserved to start every day in 2008. Those were Andre Ethier, Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Juan Pierre, and Andruw Jones. Jones has gone to the Rangers now, but Pierre, Kemp, and Ethier remain. That is a very good outfield and is enough for the Dodgers. If Manny Ramirez is acquired, that's fantastic, but LA should do the rightful thing in trading one of the outfielders, probably Ethier. It looks now like the Dodgers are the only candidate for Manny after the Giants seem to have pulled back their offers. Unless Manny is acquired, San Francisco is not going to contend in the NL West. If Manny is signed, they are favorites to win it. That's how quickly a run-producer can help in a pitching-dominated division.

Spring Training Games Underway

Like my other post on Spring Training, this should be great. Fans get to see players in new uniforms for the first time in a game. Baseball is, finally, back. For the first time since September, I can look at the ESPN ticker and under the MLB tab will be real game scores instead of the old 'he said, then he said' stuff about steroids.
Now the Awards predictions. I am still working on the previews, though.
NL Cy Young Award: Roy Oswalt
AL Cy Young Award: Francisco Liriano
NL MVP: David Wright
AL MVP: Justin Morneau
these could be edited before the season gets going.
By the way, keep an eye on Mark Prior with the Padres, I have a feeling he'll be back to pitch in the big leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Advice

Fantasy baseball leagues are filling up everywhere, and it is time to study if you haven't joined yet. Let me bring a few guys to your attention. One steal is 3B Melvin Mora, who hit 104 RBI's last season. At age 37, it would be unfair to expect such numbers again, but keep him in mind for the bench later on or as a utility player. Of the Jimmy Rollins-Jose Reyes-Hanley Ramirez shortstop craze, you need to compare the stats here. Ramirez strikes out a ton, his 122 strikeouts in 2008 were exactly 40 more than Reyes and 67 more than Rollins. Ramirez, however, had a .400 OBP, 42 points better than Reyes and 51 points better than Rollins. Rollins should have a better year this year because of injuries last season, but how much farther can he go? Ramirez, also known for his power bat, had an easy lead over the other two in home runs with 33. Reyes had 16 and Rollins 11, but Rollins hit 30 during his MVP 2007 season. The biggest stat with these table-setters: Stolen bases. Reyes had the most steals with 56, then Rollins at 47, and finally Ramirez at 35. If you take the averages from the last three years, though, here they are:
Ramirez averaged 46 SB's, Reyes averaged 66 SB's, and Rollins averaged 41 SB's, making Jose Reyes clearly the stolen base king.
However, considering all that Hanley Ramirez brings to the table, I would go with him over the other two. 46 stolen bases is all I need, plus his 30 HR and 80 RBI bat and .400 OBP. The only downside is the strikeouts, but it is more than worth it.
As for the New York third basemen, take David Wright over A-Rod because of A-Rod's inconsistencies and new steroid admittance. Wright has a higher batting average, and so is more productive. Alex Rodriguez saw a drop of 30 walks in a down year for him, and David Wright had 94 to Rodriguez' 65. Wright collects more hits, too. Wright is young and beginning a career, and with Rodriguez at 33, he could be leaving the prime of his career soon. Wright is only 26 and is still entering his prime.
Take my advice. It's the Wright thing to do.

NBA Trade Deadline Deals

In a major surprise, the Chicago Bulls appear to have been the biggest winner at the deadline. GM John Paxson was hanging on a thread, but made three moves. The biggest was first, dealing F Andres Nocioni and F Drew Gooden to the Sacremento Kings for C Brad Miller and G John Salmons. This was a total steal, because Salmons is a great scorer, 18 PPG. At that point the Bulls had John Salmons, Larry Hughes, Ben Gordon, Derrick Rose, and Thabo Sefolosha all competing for the two guard spots. So, some had to be delt. Larry Hughes was sent to New York for Tim Thomas and Jerome James, while Thabo Sefolosha was sent to the New Orleans Hornets for a first-round draft pick in the upcoming draft. In other deals, Rafer Alston was sent to the Orlando Magic from the Houston Rockets to replace Jameer Nelson who is injured. There was no big superstar moves like last season, when we saw Jason Kidd, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and others move. Shaq was again on the rumors possibly going to Cleveland for Ben Wallace and Wally Sczierbiak or Pavlovic. No deal was done, much like for Amar'e Stoudamire. The Suns are rejunvinated under their new coach. I can see the Suns making the 6th seed when all is done. This refilled Bulls team that has many new guys replacing traded guys will make the playoffs and could work their way up the seeds, too. The Celtics made no deals, and are slipping in the East.

Baseball Spring Camps Open

The grass is fresh, the sun is warm, and thirty franchises are getting ready to go for 2009. I am proud to present my brief Baseball Previews for 2009, coming up in a segment of posts. Baseball is an exciting game, all about numbers, confidence, talent, and speed. Baseball is my favorite sport, and it is a thrilling time of year for baseball fans all over. Not to mention that Arizona and Florida love it because of the huge revenues from taxes on everything purchased there. But it is more than that, because in Spring Training, anyone can shine. Now is where you can prove yourself or get your veteran body back into shape while enjoying the comfortable weather down south. As for the fans, you can watch competitive baseball while seeing new prospects or just relaxing in the sun on a picnic blanket in the outfield lawn. Yep, there's nothing like Spring Training. So sit back, relax, and watch.

NBA Trade Rumors

Many trades rumors are floating around the NBA, as always as the deadline gets ever closer. The first notable move was already made. On Thursday night, the Heat visited the Bulls on TNT and it was a close game in the final seconds. A steal by Dwyane Wade gave the Heat possession with a few seconds left in a tied game, then the inbound was passed to Shawn Marion, who dunked the ball to give the Heat the lead with one second left. The Heat won, and that was Marion's last basket as a member of the Miami Heat. Marion, dealt to the Heat for Shaq last deadline, was dealt to the Toronto Raptors for Jermaine O'Neal. Going with Marion to Canada is Marcus Banks. That won't be the last deal around, though. The Rockets proposed sending Tracy McGrady to the Nets for Vince Carter and Trenton Hassell. However, the Nets rejected because of salary issues with T-Mac. Instead they want to send Carter and Josh Boone to Houston, getting Ron Artest, Luther Head, Shane Battier, and Carl Landry back. Many rumors aren't that formal yet, though. ESPN reports Chris Bosh could be headed to the Bulls in a three-team deal. Amare Stoudamire is getting phone calls from '20 teams' he said earlier. The Bulls are a team involved in that deal, too. Things are unraveling in the desert, where the Suns find themselves out of a playoff berth although they have a winning record. Defensive-minded coach Terry Porter was fired because he couldn't do enough there. I think the Bulls should trade Larry Hughes, Joakim Noah, Thabo Sefolosha, and Kirk Hinrich to the Suns for Amare Stoudamire and Grant Hill. Lots of stuff is going around; lets hope the teams come up with some kind of deal.

Inaugural Post!

Welcome to the Sports Inside Look blog, or Sports Insider. On this blog, I will talk about the sports goings-on around and my opinion. You might hear what could be the perfect trade that no one has talked about. You might hear a question about a teams' roster. You might hear anything of importance about sports. First, let me tell you there will be very little presence of college sports on this blog. Pro sports, mainly the MLB, NFL, and NBA, are the main topics of discussion. There should be a post every week at least, except for special times. Thank you for reading, and get ready for some of the most interesting sports coverage you've ever heard!