Offbeat Sports

Bryce Redeker Leads RedHawks in Many Ways

Pirates Lack Resemblance to ’08 Rays

2011 NL Central Preview

RedHawks Take Their Talents to South Carolina

Baseball Season's ... Almost Starting to Think About Getting ... Underway

Roger Goodell: State of the Union

Skies Look Cloudy for Ohio Baseball

RIP Ronnie, Summer Will Never Be The Same

I am Thankful for that Large Serving of Sports

L.A. Football? Please No!

Browns, Bengals, and the Wacky first half of the NFL Season

The Freak Scares Rangers; Giants Bring First World Series to San Francisco

Giants Win Game 4, San Fran Title Seems Inevitable

Home Teams Keep Winning

Cain and Renteria steal the show in Giants Win

Rangers Beat Themselves; Giants Capture Sloppy Game 1 Victory

It's a Good Time to be a Baseball Fan

Hossa and the Hawks -- 10/20 Hump Day Hockey

Welcome Back Hockey, We Missed You!

Surprise Teams Get an October Surprise

Oh! The good old hockey game!

Lets Go Pads!

HDH 9/29

Appreciating Sports on TV

Hump Day Hockey

Ballparks Impact Financial Success

Luongo Hands Back the "C", the Devils Get Fined, and Nobody Notices!

Starlin Castro: The Unpraised NL Rookie

2011-04-11T10:47:00.001-04:00

Bryce Redeker dug his feet into the batters box and waited for the pitch. Louisiana Lafayette’s pitcher began his delivery and threw a ball on the outside corner of the plate. Redeker swung hard, but as the bat and ball met on contact, Redeker’s whole season turned upside down.

Redeker, a Miami junior when this at-bat took place in March of 2010, had started the season off at a blistering pace with a .579 slugging percentage including a homer, 3 runs and 8 RBI in 19 plate appearances through just 4 games. However, the strong start would come to an abrupt end.

“When I took my swing I felt something crack.”

Fast-forward 12 months to March 23, 2011: a full year since breaking his hamate bone and missing essentially the entire 2010 campaign. He played two years of Junior College ball at Kankakee Community College and then transferred to Miami for the 2010 season. Thus, this season marks his first full one at the D-1 level.

Plenty of fans sit in the sunshine at McKie Field for the season opener, watching as the Red-Shirt junior bats during his first ever game in Oxford. This time, after the pitcher releases the ball, the only crack is the sound of the bat as Redeker lines a single into right field. Barreling down the line, Redeker aggressively rounds first, despite the fact that his hit has no chance of being a double. He then stops and trots back to first base.

“[Miami Baseball Head] Coach [Dan] Simonds is always preaching, ‘bring the intensity, bring the effort, bring the focus’,” said Redeker. “If I can go out there and give it everything I’ve got, everybody else is going to give it everything.”

There is no doubt within the RedHawk clubhouse that Redeker is a leader. Through April 6^th, he posted a .355 batting average including 3 homers, 22 runs batted in and a 0.561 slugging percentage. Perhaps most impressively, the outfielder has still yet to make an error this year and he is the only Miami player to start all 28 games.

“He’s a very, very hard worker,” said Simonds. “Every day, he comes to the park trying to improve a part of his game.” Simonds, now in his fifth season as head coach, has seen Major League talent roll through his program; most recently, Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Adam Eaton. “Quite honestly, I think that [Redeker] is going to play at an even higher level than college.”

Redeker especially proved how devoted he is to improving his game during the rehab and off-season following his broken hamate. Breaking the hamate bone, a small bone in the hand, is a common injury for hitters. MLB stars such as David Ortiz, Ryan Zimmerman and Dustin Pedroia have all encountered the injury. Redeker spent hours rehabbing with Miami trainer Paul Eversole during March and April of 2010 in time to play a summer of healthy baseball.

“I was getting adjusted last year and everything,” said Redeker. “I was getting really excited for the season and that just kind of set me back about 6 months or whatever. So I couldn’t play for; I was completely out of baseball for about three months. It was depressing, but you just have to work through it.”

Redeker certainly leads by example with his bat and glove, and he knows that it is game time when he steps between those lines. However, Redeker also realizes, like many baseball players before him have, that baseball is a long season. There are too many ups and downs in a season to get real excited after a win or real disappointed after a loss.

“He is pretty much one of the bigger jokesters on the team,” said Junior Outfielder Ryan Brenner.

Brenner, along with the rest of Miami’s team, would point to Redeker if asked who the team clown is. Redeker admits that he thinks with the drag of a long season and daily practices, the team often needs to loosen up and remember that they’re playing a game. A simple game that they started playing for pure joy.

“During practice one time we were doing some outfield drills and for some reason all of a sudden he decided to try and catch one behind his back,” said Brenner. “Completely missed it and he had to run some laps because of it.”

Despite theatrics such as this, coach Simonds does not get fed up with the ways of Redeker. Simonds realizes that a high adrenaline guy like Redeker inevitably spills a little of that intensity into other aspects besides the game itself. “He keeps it loose,” said Simonds. “He’s really well-respected amongst his teammates. He plays with a lot of intensity and a lot of passion.”

The 6’1”, 215-pound player carries himself with a very calm and collected manner to the unbeknownst. He hesitated to converse about any specific stories of himself being a clown; however, after the interview finished and he walked away, Redeker clearly quacked at one of his teammates passing by.

“Quack”, as in the noise a duck makes. Redeker certainly differentiates himself in various ways on and off the field.

2011-03-29T08:28:00.002-04:00

57 wins. Multiple NBA teams will win more games than that in their current 82-game season; however, the Pittsburgh Pirates settled on that number at the end of their 162 game season in 2010.

Coming off the worst season since the league expanded to a 162 game schedule in 1961, Pirates fans shouldn’t expect much in 2011. Yet, as the annual tradition goes now, comparisons get drawn with the Pirates and the 2008 Rays who went from worst to first for the first time in MLB history.

Opening Day is such a beautiful occasion because as the age-old saying goes, “hope springs eternal”. Fans believe the stars will align for their team this year and all the question marks on their roster will vanish. That’s one of the great things about baseball and I would never want to take away those wishful thoughts from a Pirates fan.

With that in mind, the Pirates simply do not have the talent to compete in 2011. Their 18-year losing-record streak is due to three main reasons, and until those change, the Pirates won’t share any resemblance to the pennant winning Rays.

1. Poor Drafting

A dramatic difference between the Pirates and Rays is their ability to draft well. Since the Rays inception in 1997, the two teams draft histories look extremely different:

Rays vs. Pirates: First Round Picks Since 1997
*Year*	*Pick #*	*Rays*	*Pick #*	*Pirates*
1997	31	Jason Standridge	8	J.J. Davis
1998	None		15	Clinton Johnson
1999	1	Josh Hamilton	8	Bobby Bradley
2000	6	Rocco Baldelli	19	Sean Burnett
2001	3	Dewon Brazelton	8	John VanBenschoten
2002	2	B.J. Upton	1	Bryan Bullington
2003	1	Delmon Young	8	Paul Maholm
2004	4	Jeff Niemann	11	Neil Walker
2005	8	Wade Townsend	11	Andrew McCutchen
2006	3	Evan Longoria	4	Brad Lincoln
2007	1	David Price	4	Daniel Moskos
2008	1	Tim Beckham	2	Pedro Alvarez
2009	30	LeVon Washington	4	Tony Sanchez
2010	17	Josh Sale	2	Jameson Taillon

Tampa’s picks include three All-Stars (Hamilton, Longoria, Price), a Rookie of the Year (Longoria), and an MVP (Hamilton).

I’d be willing to bet, that even if you call yourself a baseball aficionado, the only Pittsburgh names that jump off the page at you are Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, and Paul Maholm. Those names probably sound familiar because they all not only made it to the big leagues, but will be on the Pirates 2011 Opening Day roster.

2. Low Payroll

Again, the Pirates will begin a season with the smallest payroll in baseball with a projected Opening Day payroll of $34,933,000, according to ESPN.com. Tampa Bay also struggles with payroll issues as exhibited by the departures of Carl Crawford, Matt Garza, Carlos Pena, and Rafael Soriano during this past offseason.

However, the Rays management still boasts a $72,323,471 payroll entering this season. Both teams have low attendance; however, the Rays realize that the only way to win baseball games is to put a team on the field.

Scouting and good drafting are large parts of the reason the Rays rose to the top; however, they would never have been able to reach the World Series if they traded the likes of Crawford, Longoria, and B.J. Upton before they reached the majors. Who knows what the Pirates could have done without trading Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Jose Bautista, and Xavier Nady.

3. Neglected fan base

Ultimately, I have trouble seeing the Pirates win in the near future because I believe they have owners who don’t care about the standings. PNC Park, with the beautiful Roberto Clemente Bridge stationed in the skyline beyond the outfield, could hold it’s own in an argument over most beautiful baseball parks. Pittsburgh has a loyal fan base that would come watch winning baseball. There’s a key word in that last sentence: winning. There’s a reason the Steelers and Penguins draw large crowds each year.

Fans attempted to show their displeasure with a walkout during the 2007 season. Pirates fans showed up for the game and then got up and left their seats after the third inning. Unlike most Pirates games, the event made SportsCenter the following morning; however, owner Robert Nutting seemed un-phased and no changes resulted.

Is there anything good to say about the Pirates?

Yes. Pirates’ fans in 2010 enjoyed the debut season of Pedro Alvarez, who raked up 16 homers 64 RBI while manning the hot corner. Andrew McCutchen proved he’s not a believer in sophomore slumps (.286 / .365 / .449) and seems poised to put up similar numbers this season. Left fielder Jose Tabata hit .299 en route to an eight place NL Rookie of the Year finish while Neil Walker hit .296 with 12 homers and 66 RBI before finishing 5^th in the voting.

Another bright spot is the addition of new skipper, Clint Hurdle. Hurdle managed the Rockies to a 2007 World Series and was the hitting coach during the wild Rangers season a year ago. Colorado and Texas were synonymous with sub-500 seasons before their recent October surprises.

I won’t pretend to know the least of the Pirates farm system; however, if it resembles their current plethora of young stars such as Alvarez, McCutchen, Tabata and Walker, Pittsburgh fans may be more inclined to come out and show pride in the black and yellow during the Summer months. That is of course, assuming GM Neal Huntington does not ship the talent to bigger and better places.

2011-03-20T14:13:00.002-04:00

Can the Reds repeat as NL Central Champions in 2011?

This could be the year folks. The NL Central Champ has not won a playoff game since 2006, when LaRussa led his boys to the promised land. 4 straight years of October broomsticks waving in their faces is bound to end this year, right?

The order below is according to their 2010 finishes. I think the Brewers will win the Central, but my name isn’t Tim Kurkjian so nobody really cares what I think.

Cincinnati Reds

2010 Record: 91-71

Projected 2011 Record: 89-73

The Reds are coming off of a season that featured a lineup that scored the most runs in the National League (790) and a defense that yielded the best fielding percentage in baseball (0.988) including three Gold-Glove winners in Brandon Phillips (2B), Scott Rolen (3B), and Bronson Arroyo (P). Despite impressive runs by young pitchers, the Reds ended the season with a lowly 4.01 ERA, the worst among NL playoff teams, and part of the reason the Reds found themselves swept out of the offseason.

Reds GM Walt Jocketty needed to add some sort of staple to a rotation filled with question marks if he wanted to take Cincinnati to the World Series like he did while working as GM of the Cards in 2006. Instead, Jocketty added lefty Dontrelle Willis and lost longtime ace Aaron Harang. Now the Reds are left looking to add solid starting pitching and a team psychologist.

St.Louis Cardinals

2010 Record: 86-76

Projected 2011 Record: 83-79

As if the whole Pujols fiasco looming over their shoulder for the whole season wasn’t going to be enough, the Cardinals now have to try and win the NL Central without the latter part of their 1-2 rotation punch. Although the Cardinals certainly have some impressive pieces on their roster, including 20-game winner Adam Wainwright, a catcher in Yadier Molina who has a streak of 7 straight gold gloves going, slugger Matt Holliday in left, and what could quite possibly be the greatest the player of all time in Albert Pujols at first.

With that said, I think the Cardinals have too many holes in their lineup to do much this year. Lance Berkman has an injury record long enough to make your body ache and the Cardinals aren’t helping his case by moving him from first base to right field. Ryan Theriot

Milwaukee Brewers

2011 Record: 77-85

Projected 2011 Record: 92-70

When he suits up for Opening Day next month, Ron Roenicke will become the third member of Mike Scioscia’s coaching staff to land MLB gigs, joining the likes of Joe Maddon (2006, Rays) and Bud Black (Padres, 2007). Brewers fans have reason for optimism with a potential impact manager joining the club as well as two workhorse pitchers joining the rotation with 2009 AL Cy-Young Zack Greinke (Kansas City) and 2011 13-game winner Shaun Marcum (Toronto). Ufortunately for the Brew Crew, Greinke thought he signed a pickup basketball deal, not an MLB contract. Classic mixup.

Houston Astros

2010 Record: 76-86

Projected 2011 Record: 72-90

Houston Astros fans are going to repeatedly hear the two worst words in any sports fans vocabularly thrown at them by analysts all year: transition phase. Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt both departed Texas at the end of last season with trades to the Yankees and Phillies respectively. Carlos Lee is the only pawn that GM Ed Wade still has to play with from the 2005 World Series team, but some youngsters on the team like Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn indicate that the future could be just beyond the horizon. The Astros won’t finish last in the NL Central, but that’s only thanks to the Pirates.

Chicago Cubs

2010 Record: 75-87

Projected 2011 Record: 89-73

Chicago received a dose of Tampa Bay this offseason with additions of starter Matt Garza and first baseman Carlos Pena. Quick, name all four Cubs with the first name Carlos: Zambrano, Marmol, Silva and Pena. Garza hopes to help a rotation that struggled mightily last year and lost Ted Lilly, while Carlos Pena needs to fill the shoes of Gold Glover Derek Lee who was traded to Atlanta last August after 7 seasons on the North Side. Bottom line for this Cubs team, the stars need to play like stars. Although the little things need to fall in place too, the reality is that the Cubbies will spend October on the links unless Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano perform like their contracts indicate they should. You can’t call a team with a payroll above a million dollars a dark horse; however, not many people are picking the Cubs and quite frankly they could surprise their skeptics.

Pittburgh Pirates

2010 Record: 57-105

Projected 2011 Record: 162-0

Just making sure you guys are paying attention there. The Pirates endured their 18^th straight losing season in 2010 and will certainly not be #biwinning any championships in 2011. I’d like to sit here and write that they have a lot of young talent on their roster and could surprise some people this year. Realistically, the 2011 Pirates aren’t drastically different from the 2010 Pirates, who failed to produce a single player with a batting average above .300, a homer total above 25, an RBI total above 90, and here’s the kicker, no Pirate starter finished the season with double digit wins. I always feel sympathetic for Pirates fans, but then I pause and remember Pittsburgh has the Steelers and Penguins too.

10 days until Opening Day: the greatest day of the year.

2011-02-18T12:02:00.002-05:00

After a long off-season restricted to indoor practicing due to the frigid Oxford weather, Miami’s baseball team finally gets a chance to play outside this weekend as they take part in the annual College of Charleston Invitational in South Carolina.

In a telephone interview Thursday afternoon, head Coach Dan Simonds said the team left Oxford Friday afternoon, drove 9 hours, and finished the trip Thursday morning. Although they capitalized on the warm southwest Ohio weather this week by practicing outside on Miami’s turf football field at Yager Stadium, an early departure allowed the team to practice outdoors on an actual diamond for the first time all year.

RedHawk ballplayers spent much of the offseason in the weight room, with a rigorous three-day a week lifting schedule, but has recently turned to a six-day a week practice routine with hitting, fielding, and throwing on a daily basis and have since cut down their lifting to two days a week. During the early parts of the season when the weather is too snowy or icy to go outdoors, the team will continue to practice out of Withrow Court.

The team was excited to get outside for the first time and are even more thrilled to step across that white line for a real game. “It’s almost like letting out a bunch of kids for the first time to play,” noted Red-Shirt Junior outfielder, Bryce Redeker. “I know it’s not the best for us to never be able to go outside and see fly balls or get real groundballs, but when we get outside it’s go-time.”

Last year’s team finished the year a disappointing one game below the .500 mark, with a 28-29 record, but nearly the entire roster has since returned. Everyone except Miami’s best player from 2010, Adam Eaton, who left the team last May after his junior year when the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him.

Eaton tore up the competition in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) last spring, boasting an astounding .368 batting average accompanied by team-highs in at bats (220), runs (64), hits (81), doubles (18), triples (9), and homers (13). Those 9 triples represented the most of any MAC player and the 7^th most of all the NCAA players in the nation. Both the current team and the former RedHawk star feel weird that a new Miami baseball season is beginning without Eaton on the roster. “I would love to have another season at Miami but at the same time I’m leaving for Spring Training in Arizona on March 7^th and that’s something I won’t ever regret,” said Eaton via telephone.

Life goes on and the RedHawks aren’t looking in the rearview mirror even for a second. “Guys have been filling in and they’ll be able to step it up where we’re missing him,” said senior second baseman, Jon Edgington, who was chosen based on team vote to serve as one of the four captains for the RedHawks this season. The other three are seniors Adam Weisenburger, Sam Dawes and Kyle Weldon.

Weekend Lineup

Play kicks off for the RedHawks on Friday afternoon against Marshall, followed by a Saturday encounter with the host Cougars, and a Sunday matchup against Kentucky. Sophomore RHP Mac Thoreson will be on the bump Friday for the RedHawks, with Red-Shirt Junior LHP Shawn Marquardt going Saturday and Senior LHP Tyler Melling starting on Sunday. All three will be kept on a strict pitch count of 80-85 pitches and freshmen lefties Seth Varner and Alex Brown will both be available out of the bullpen in addition to the regular set of relievers.

2010 Stats ERA W-L APP IP

Mac Thoreson 5.08 5-6 16 72.2

Shawn Marquardt Missed 2010 with Tommy John Surgery

Tyler Melling 5.90 4-7 15 90.0

Friday’s probable starters:

1. Ryan Brenner – CF

2. Jon Edgington – 2B

3. Bryce Redeker – LF

4. Kyle Weldon – 1B

5. Adam Weisenburger – C

6. Kevin Bower – DH

7. Ryan Kaup – SS

8. Brad Gschwind – 3B

9. Ryan Curl – RF

Miami will benefit greatly from the return of outfielder Bryce Redeker who missed nearly all of last season due to a wrist injury. Shawn Marquardt’s RedHawk debut should also prove interesting for the RedHawks on Saturday.

Miami seems excited to get things going after spending a long off-season practicing indoors and are poised for a good weekend of baseball against some tough competition. “We focus on the process and take care of the little things,” said Coach Simonds. “Focus on the process and the results will take care of themselves.”

2011-02-01T22:01:00.000-05:00

Pitchers and catchers report in less than 2 weeks. In under two months, 57 days to be exact, Opening Day will be here. Thus, it’s time to start looking forward towards the notable stories of this year’s baseball season.

Perhaps I could talk about the star-studded rotation out in Philadelphia that some are comparing to the Braves starters in the 90s. What about Theo Epstein’s fantastic off-season in which he added two of the most sought after lefties on the free-agent/trade market (Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford). Or maybe I’ll discuss the ridiculous 7-year, $126 million contract that the Nat’s GM Mike Rizzo generously dolled out to Jayson Werth.

Wrong, wrong and wrong again. Even if you haven’t been following baseball during the offseason as obsessively as me, these stories still found their way onto SportsCenter and therefore into your head. I want to talk about a story you did not notice. A story that was not re-run on ESPN for hours and hours. I want to talk about a team that enters Spring Training with a solid lineup, a fantastic manager, a solid pitching core and next to no chance of making the playoffs. The Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore shuffled through two managers last season (Dave Trembley and Juan Samuel) before finally pulling Buck Showalter out of the Baseball Tonight studios and back into the dugout where he belongs. After his August call-up, Showalter led the Orioles to an impressive 34-23 record. Even more impressive when you consider that the Orioles ended the season 30 games below .500 with a 66-96 record.

Baltimore parted ways with shortstop Miguel Tejada; however, key additions include gold-glove first baseman Derrek Lee and shortstop J.J. Hardy who has quietly averaged 24 homers a year over the last four seasons during stints with Milwaukee and Minnesota. Perhaps most notably, the O’s traded for slugger Mark Reynolds who hit 32, 44, and 28 homers in the last three seasons respectively despite leading the league in strikeouts each of those years.

Most recently, the Orioles added Justin Duchscherer, who has received praise for his great potential but has also been limited by injuries to just five starts since 2008. Duchscherer joins a young and upcoming rotation featuring 24-year-old Brian Matusz and 25-year-old Brad Bergesen. Baltimore’s GM, Andy MacPhail also added a closer in Kevin Gregg.

The new cast joins a solid core, highlighted by catching stud Matt Wieters, who will begin his third year of service in 2011, outfielders Adam Jones and Nick Markakis, and second baseman Brian Roberts.

When you take a look at that Baltimore depth chart, the Orioles quietly built themselves a solid little ball club. Problem is, they face off against two divisional opponents who have payrolls over $150 million and another who continues to find success in a great farm system and an even better manager.

I’m not here to advocate for a restructuring of baseball, just here to remind fans that if Buck Showalter’s Orioles win 90 games but still find themselves on the links come October, they ought to get some recognition from baseball fans outside of Baltimore.

2011-01-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night, President Barack Obama will address his flustered nation, attempting to soothe their economic, health care, and environmental worries. Obama will likely be realistic with Americans at times and overly comforting at other points. Americans are not the only group that needs comforting and reality spoken to them at this time: NFL fans need a good ‘ol fashion speech.

Roger Goodell (NFL), Bud Selig (MLB), David Stern (NBA), and Gary Bettman (NHL), the big four commissioners in professional sports, work behind the scenes for primarily all of their duties. They seem to only make public appearances during their respective sport’s championship game as they pass out the trophy or when they must discipline an athlete and SportsCenter plays clips of their punishment rulings nonstop.

Roger Goodell should shadow the annual State of the Union address made each January by the Prez and provide an NFL State of the Union. Fans fear that a lockout looms next fall and the awkward two-week break before the Super Bowl serves as a perfect time to cool the nerves of non Pack or Steel fans. On second thought, as a big Bears fan, for the sake of my health, not having to suffer through another Lovie Smith press conference or Jay Cutler interception parade may do me well.

Football fans hope that there will be football on Sunday come next fall but we really don’t know what the chances are of both sides settling. If Goodell were to actually make this speech, he’d likely spend the whole time telling us that “there will definitely be an NFL season in 2011” and football fans have “nothing to worry about”; however, fans want to know the IFs.

If there is a lockout, how will the 2011 Draft work? What will happen to players contracts: will they be paid for not playing, will a deal with three years left on it still have three left after the strike season? How big of an impact will a strike season have on college football attendance and TV ratings? Most importantly, if there’s no football on TV, what in the world are we supposed to do on Sunday?

Serving since 2006, Goodell is by far the least tenured of any of the big four comishes. Selig, Stern and Bettman all have seen lockout-shortened seasons. Goodell obviously won’t ever have a State of the Union address for NFL fans; however, my point is that transparency is essential. A solid line of communication between four parties (Goodell, the owners, the players and the fans) could prevent Goodell from falling into that list of current commissioners with strike shortened seasons under their belts. If the players and owners can communicate effectively, they will have established a form of bipartisanship that the U.S. Congress continues to search for.

Obama may not fix America, but in the name of any football God that rests up there, lets hope Goodell can fix the NFL.

2011-01-11T22:35:00.002-05:00

Ohio sports fans have little to cheer about right now, but that doesn’t mean springtime will bring anything more exciting. Baseball lovers inevitably get their hopes up in April, but Reds and Indians fans seem likely to get theirs crushed.

Cincinnati is coming off a division title; however, they are also coming off a three game sweep out of the ALDS against the Phillies. That’s the fourth consecutive year that the NL Central champion has been swept out of the playoffs: Cubs (2007), Cubs (2008), Cardinals (2009) and Reds (2010). Perhaps the Red did not win the division as much as everybody else in the NL Central simply lost it last season. The Indians lost 93 games last season, so Tribe fans have smaller expectations entering 2010 than Reds fans; however, both teams appear primed for a troubling season thanks to their horrible off seasons. AL Central and NL Central teams amped up their rosters as Chris Antonetti and Walt Jocketty’s BlackBerrys saw little activity this winter.

In the Senior Circuit, the Brewers additions of Zack Greinke and Sean Marcum make the Milwaukee rotation a legitimate force that should get real consideration for a possible playoff run when teamed with an offense that finished fourth in NL runs scored (750) in 2010. Milwaukee also seems poised to hold onto Prince Fielder (who will be a free agent at the end of the 2011 season) and make a stab at a run this year. Although the Cubs seem stuck in an awkward phase of expiring contracts (4 more years of Alfonso Soriano, 2 more years of Carlos Zambrano, and 1 more year of Aramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fukudome), general manager Jim Hendry made some solid additions that may not make the Cubs instant division favorites, but certainly propel the club into a better direction. Chicago’s North Side team looks slightly more like the Rays after acquiring former Tampa Bay first baseman Carlos Pena and right-handed pitcher Matt Garza (or was that Joaquin Benoit that the Cubs traded for).

In the American League, the Indians watched their central division foes prime themselves for a division run. White Sox sign free-agent left-handed power bat Adam Dunn and resign gold glove first baseman Paul Konerko. Meanwhile, the Royals restocked their farm system by acquiring youngsters Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, and Jeremy Jeffreys in exchange for departing with 2009 Cy-Young Zack Greinke. The Tigers added Victor Martinez to their core of young ballplayers (Austin Jackson, Brennan Boesche, and Will Ryhmes) and the 2010 AL Central Champion Twins … well they’re coming back with Gardy and co.

Reds rotation troubles make them look questionable for a repeat in 2010. What follows are Cincy’s five probable starters in 2011 with their 2010 ERAs in parenthesis: Edinson Volquez (4.31), Bronson Arroyo (3.88), Johnny Cueto (3.64), Mike Leake (4.23), and Homer Bailey (4.46). Note: Dusty Baker hinted that Aroldis Chapman might remain in the bullpen for all of 2011. When you’re facing top-heavy rotations in your division such as Carpenter-Wainwright and Greinke-Marcum, the Reds’ lack of an ace, much less two aces, may prove to be a fatal flaw. They scored the most runs in all of the National League last season (290), but their bats grew mighty quiet in the three game series against Halladay-Hamels-Oswalt in which they scored all of 4 runs on 11 hits during the three game Philly sweep.

Indians fans have had very little to cheer about since they won the ALDS over the Yankees in 2007 with the help of some pesky bugs and next Summer looks as if it will follow the recent trend. San Francisco Giants fans had plenty to cheer about in October despite pre-season skepticism from the “experts”; therefore, you never really know what to expect from the Indians lineup that appears weak at first glance.

The Browns and Bengals seasons have finally come to a close and Cavs fans recently saw their team lose 10 straight to cement themselves into the bottom of the entire NBA standings. Looks like the pride and joy of Ohio right now is … the Blue Jackets.

2010-12-03T08:07:00.006-05:00

Legendary Cubs third baseman and radio broadcaster, Ron Santo, passed away early Thursday morning.

Former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo passed away last night at the age of 70. The Chicago Tribune reported that Santo went into a coma late Wednesday night and died early Thursday morning.

He was never enshrined in the Hall of Fame, but Cubs fans across the country know the baseball world has lost a legend. On the field he was spectacular, but his role as color commentator for Cubs radio broadcasts since 1996 is a large part of the reason that Cubs fans everywhere felt like they lost a grandfather when they heard the news of his passing. That’s the best way I can describe the connection Cubs fans have to Ronnie; he seemed like family to us all.

I have only met him once but I feel like I knew him personally, because of the countless times I listened to his voice alongside Pat Hughes. Whether I was listening in the car, turning the radio on and muting the TV volume while watching the game, sneaking my AM radio around in class during April and May, or inviting him and Pat into my room while the Cubs were in extra innings on the West Coast and my parents had sent me to bed hours ago, it always brightened my day to hear his voice. He transcended the emotions of being a Cubs fan over airwaves better than anyone because he loved the team dearly.

During the final week of the 1998 season, he famously shouted “Oh no!” when outfielder Brant Brown dropped a fly ball with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth in a game against the Brewers. That call exemplified the passion with which he brought to the broadcast every day. Cubs fans know what suffering feels like, and Ron Santo provided the perspective of a true Cubs fan. After his playing days, he became the largest fan out there, and every time a player made an error, failed to hustle, or frustrated fans in any other way, Ronnie was there to yell about it.

When the Cubs retired his number 10 during the 2003 season, he told the Wrigley Field crowd in his speech at the ceremony, “THIS is my Hall of Fame.”

Despite suffering from Juvenile Diabetes, Santo wore a smile on his face almost all the time. I say “almost” and not “always” because you would never find him grinning after a Cubbie loss. Those close to him said he lived and died with the Cubs, getting a little too high with every win and a little too low with every loss. Whether he was walking on the field before a game talking to the players and coaches or signing autographs for fans, Santo always seemed merry. In an era of shouting voices on sports radio that seem to get frustrated over everything and yell about it just for the sake of generating listeners, Santo never pretended to be happy or mad, he simply wore his true emotions on his sleeve.

I never got a chance to watch Santo play on the diamond, but hearing him on the radio was as much a part of my adolescent years as anything else. Every summer from 1996 to 2010, I could count on turning on WGN Radio in the car and hearing the comforting voices of Pat and Ron. The Cubs have not selected a replacement for Santo, but with no disrespect to whichever well-qualified color commentator they decide to bring in, it will seem as though there’s something missing every time I listen to Cubs broadcasts on the radio. I am not sure if that uncomfortable feeling will ever go away.

Thanks for the memories Ron. My thoughts and prayers are specifically with the Santo family; however, millions of Cubs fans across the country are mourning as well. That says something about the impact this man had on the world.

I’m sure you are up there in heaven looking down on us all, and I know you will be jumping up and clicking your heels when a championship finally comes to the North Side.

2010-11-29T15:11:00.004-05:00

Due to a large intake of schoolwork, travel, turkey, pumpkin pie, football, and channel flipping, the space on this blog has remained desolate for the past couple weeks. I apologize, and it certainly won’t happen again (until finals and Christmas creep up on me in the next few weeks). I’m currently traveling back to Oxford from Chicago, with a first-class view of Ohio from the top level of a Megabus. I wish I could report about some ridiculous passenger riding on the big blue vehicle with me but everyone seems completely normal.

The sports world provided plenty of entertainment for food-coma stricken fans who plopped down on their couch with a remote in one hand and another plate of leftover stuffing in the other hand. Coach K won game number 800 as head coach for Duke Tuesday night with a big early-season victory of Kansas State. Even in Kansas City, far from a neutral site, Jacob Pullen’s beard proved to be no match for Duke’s freshman guard Kyrie Irving, who tallied 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Also Tuesday night the Miami RedHawks delivered a huge 23-3 victory on the gridiron at home over Temple, improving their regular season record to 8-4. Kent State’s surprising 28-6 upset over Ohio University on Friday, just days after Kent State’s head coach Doug Martin resigned, gave the RedHawks sole possession of the MAC East championship. Miami next faces MAC West champions NIU at 7:00 in the MAC title game this Friday at Ford Field in Detroit. Coach Haywood and the entire coaching staff deserve credit for the hard work they’ve put in over the last 365 days to turn a 1-11 team into the most improved team in college football who simply waits to see which bowl they get selected for.

Wednesday night featured few national sports storylines, but I got to channel flip between my Bulls and Blackhawks so all was well.

Turkey day NFL matchups involved the Lions, Cowboys, and Bengals each in separate games. Gross. Fortunately, the middle game of the day between the Cowboys and Saints, in which Drew Brees’ boys found a way to win 30-27, made a first-glance boring NFL day into something worthwhile.

Friday: the day of all college football days. Auburn vs. Bama, Oregon vs. Zona, and Boise State vs. Vada. Despite trailing 21-0 at the end of the first quarter, 2^nd ranked Auburn (10-0) defeated 11^thranked Alabama (9-2) by a score of 28-27. Regardless of his off the field allegations, Cam Newton deserves the Heisman. Team’s like Boise and TCU don’t have to overcome touch matchups like this Alabama game and other SEC opponents Auburn faces: give Auburn a national championship spot right now. Oregon pummeled Arizona 48-29, including 34 second half points. I assure you there will be no lack of scoring in that national championship. Boise State fought tough against Nevada, but the Bronco's kicker Kyle Brotzman missed two short field goals and cost his team the game. Kellen Moore’s Heisman should not live and die on the foot of the Bronco’s kicker.

Another typical day in the NFL this season left viewers confused as to who’s good and who is not. Two premiere teams faced off as the Falcons downed the Packers 20-17. Matt Ryan went 24-28, throwing for 197 yards: not phenomenal numbers but it improved the Falcons home record to an impressive 6-0.

So after all that, sit back and take a deep breath. College football conference championships are upon us and the smell of bowl season is in the air!

2010-11-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

Sports Illustrated NFL columnist, Peter King, writer of the most widely-read football column in the country (Monday Morning Quarter Back), knows more about the NFL than any reporter or columnist I have come across. Therefore, when I read this in his column on Monday, I didn’t take it as mere rhetoric used for the sake of creating discussion amongst readers: “This is the best chance Los Angeles has to get a team in a long time.”

King believes that the NFL has stayed away from LA for so long because they don’t want to play at USC’s Coliseum nor in the suburbs. However, Casey Wasserman and Tim Leiweke announced their financial support for a giant stadium complex capable of hosting much more than NFL football: Final Fours and the 2022 World Cup or any other future World Cup. Think Cowboys Stadium 2.0. The mega-stadium would be located right near the Staples Center in downtown L.A.

The Rams and Raiders deserted the City of Angels 15 years ago, so fans in L.A. may be thirsty for professional football; however, I don’t think this should be a pressing concern for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Obviously, the most urgent thing on any NFL executives’ plate is what appears to be an inevitable lockout at the conclusion of this season, and King acknowledges that LA football won’t even be a discussion until that is resolved. Goodell has discussed expansion into Europe in the next few years, so although the idea of football in LA seems pedestrian in comparison, I still don’t support the notion of Los Angeles football.

California is not exactly deprived of professional sports franchises. Three NFL teams (Chargers, Raiders, and 49ers), three NBA teams (Lakers, Clippers, and the Sacramento Kings), three NHL teams (LA Kings, Ducks, Sharks), and a whopping five MLB teams (Giants, Padres, Dodgers, Athletics, and Angels). That is thirteen total teams in the four major sports, including the reigning NBA and MLB champs (Lakers and Giants). 14 seems excessive.

Los Angeles, including Anaheim, which is so close to LA that the Angels can’t even decide which city they’re from (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), has six total sports teams (Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Ducks, Dodgers, and Angels). Six teams is more than any other city this side of the Big Apple. The main two teams rumored as possibilities for a move to LA are the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders. San Diego needs football more than LA. If the Chargers leave, the Padres will be the only team in town. L.A. on the other hand has those six teams and a pretty significant film scene going on in this place called Hollywood. In terms of the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles: been there, done that.

Last season of HBO’s popular show, Entourage, featured Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) in heavy talks with Jerry Jones, attempting to bring an NFL team to L.A. Asides from that work of fiction, I have not recently heard much talk about the prospect of L.A. football until I stumbled across Peter King’s column. I hope the discussion stays quiet.

2010-11-09T10:50:00.000-05:00

Browns RB, Peyton Hillis, celebrates his 184 yard performance and a Browns win over the Patriots on Sunday

The conclusion of Week 8 of the NFL season leaves many fans scratching their heads in confusion. Half of the season has past, and although the pre-season favorites to win the Super Bowl have disappointed (Cowboys 1-7, Colts 5-3, Saints 6-3), there still seems to be lots of room for debating the best team in the league. We’re talking acres and acres of room for debate.

Experts seem to like the AFC South (except the teams from Ohio): the Ravens and Steelers sit atop most NFL Rankings (if Colt McCoy played more like a rookie and less like a young Tom Brady against the Pats this weekend, then New England would probably hold the mid-season crown). The Browns aren’t going to make the playoffs; however, Cleveland certainly has hope for the future. Colt McCoy won two of his first three NFL starts, upsetting the Saints and Patriots. Sure the Browns lost to the Steelers 28-10 in his debut, but the kid threw for 281 yards! If Browns fans’ excessive cynicism prevents them from storing faith in the future of McCoy, they surely can’t ignore the guy he’s handing the ball off to, Peyton Hillis. The Arkansas grad has run for 644 yards this year and surpassed the century mark on three separate occasions. I don’t think the Broncos’ GM Brian Xanders sleeps well thinking about the trade he made last Spring (Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn). Just as quickly as the James jerseys went up in flames, the Hillis and McCoy jerseys should be going off the shelves in Cleveland.

Moving on to the Bengals … well at least the Reds had an impressive run this season, because Cincinnati football is ugly. The Bengals 21-27 loss to Pittsburgh looks like a close loss to a good team, but the national audience watching on Monday night will attest to the one-sidedness of the game. The T.O. and Ochocinco experiment seems just as silly in November as it looked in July. Owens has played well thus far, but his fellow VH1 reality show host looks miserable. Since his 159 yard performance in week one, Ochocinco has caught for a mere 314 yards in 7 games (45 yards per game).

One of the top receivers in the league has been on three teams this year, Michael Vick has the highest QB rating in the NFL, Wade Phillips got the boot yesterday from Jerry Jones, a Raiders-Chiefs game in Oakland was sold out with much of the country watching on TV, and commissioner Roger Goodell successfully made baseball more of a contact sport than the NFL. The second half of the season can’t be stranger than what’s happened so far. Can it?

2010-11-01T23:48:00.000-04:00

Tim Lincecum Led the Giants' Fantastic Rotation With Wins in Games 1 and 5 of the World Series

What a fitting end to a fabulous baseball season. In a year featuring two perfect games and four no-hitters, Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee put on a pitching showcase, only to be interrupted by the swing of World Series MVP Edgar Renteria who launched a three-run blast in the 7^th inning off Lee to win the game.

13 years after hitting a walk-off single to score Craig Counsell and secure the Florida Marlins’ first World Series title, Renteria broke up Cliff Lee’s gem with a dinger, capturing the first title for the Giants since they moved to San Francisco.

Tim Lincecum pitched 8 solid innings and then handed the ball over to Brian Wilson who sent the Rangers down in order. Tim McCarver noted that the Giants were “lethal because there are no misfits on their pitching staff.” Between The Freak’s hair and Wilson’s beard, it looked like the Giants had a bunch of homeless guys on their pitching staff.

The Rangers looked dead in the 9^th inning. ALCS MVP and probable AL MVP, Josh Hamilton, went down looking to start the inning. Vlad followed suit with a first-pitch groundout to short. Hamilton and Guerrero, the Rangers 3-4 hitters, combined to go 3 for 38 in the World Series. In a nutshell, that is why the Rangers were shutout twice, outscored 29-12, and defeated in 5 games.

Even if they manage to sign Cliff Lee, which owner Chuck Greenberg insists he will pursue diligently this Winter, it’s hard for me to see the Rangers finding their way back to the Fall Classic a year from now. The Giants however seem poised to make deep post-season runs for years to come. The four homegrown San Francisco starters proved that pitching wins championships and if GM Brian Sabean can come up with a decent offense to match his stellar rotation and bullpen, the Giants will be clear-cut favorites to win the West again. The comparison between the Giants and the great Braves teams in the 90s jumps out at me: solid pitching (Glavine, Smoltz, Maddux to Lincecum, Cain, and Bumgarner) and a few young star offensive units (Chipper and Andruw Jones to Buster Posey). Bochy proved himself as an elite manager this series and the Braves certainly had good leadership with Bobby Cox pulling their reins.

The miserable days of the baseball off-season are now upon us. Former MLB Commissioner summed up my feelings best during a piece he wrote at the conclusion of the 1977 season:

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.

-A. Bartlett Giamatti

2010-10-31T23:50:00.000-04:00

Game 4 fit the mold of how I envisioned this series panning out before it started. Good pitching and even better defense.

Madison Bumgarner’s performance is one most fans would have expected from someone with the last name Lee or Lincecum. His slider constantly fooled Rangers hitters; he allowed 3 hits and no runs during his 8 innings pitched before handing the ball over to beard man, Brian Wilson.

Aubrey Huff sent one deep into the right field seats in the third inning with Torres on 2^nd: the Giants stepped out to an early 2-0 lead and never looked back.

Tommy Hunter will probably receive loads of criticism for his inability to pitch into the 5^th inning in any of his 2010 post-season starts for Texas. He ran up his pitch count early (83 through 4 innings), but he also kept his team in the game: Hunter was one bad pitch to Aubrey Huff away from not allowing a run.

Ron Washington was smart to resort to his pen when he did (Hunter had thrown 83 pitches through 4 innings of work, allowing 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, and striking out one batter) and his relievers proved he made the right choice. Ogando sent all 5 batters he faced down in order. He suffered an oblique strain and was removed early, but continued to reinforce the perception that he is the staple of the Rangers’ bullpen.

With Juan Uribe’s 7^th inning error aside, both teams put on spectacular defensive performances. Josh Hamilton and Cody Ross made highlight-worthy defensive plays in the outfield, and Freddy Sanchez covered every inch of ground at second base including a fantastic snow-cone catch to rob Jeff Francoeur of at least a single and end the 2^nd inning.

The Rangers were shutout for the second time in four games against the Giants and have been outscored 26-11 in that span. With Lincecum pitching tomorrow and Cain going on Wednesday if needed, it’s hard to see the Rangers coming back. The San Francisco crowd has been raucous and the Rangers would need to win two straight on the road to pull of the improbable.

The Giants certainly still look like a group of misfits on paper for the most-part; however, with LIncecum, Cain and Bumgarner leading the way on the bump and Posey calling all those games behind the plate, it’s hard not to imagine the possibilities for the future of this franchise.

Edgar Renteria continued to look like the MVP of this series, going 3 for 4 with a run scored, raising his World Series average to 0.429.

2010-10-31T11:39:00.002-04:00

Colby Lewis puts on a show for fans in Arlington as the Rangers edge the Giants 4-2

Colby Lewis owes a lot to the Rangers’ organization for securing faith in him when no other MLB team would. After getting drafted in ’99 by Texas, Lewis played a little here and there for the Rangers, Tigers, and Athletics between 2002 and 2007 before eventually leaving the States to play in Japan for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. The Rangers brought him back for this season, one in which he certainly had a “career-year”. Rangers’ GM Jon Daniels received a big thank you from Colby Lewis for signing him this Winter when Lewis led the Rangers to a Game 3 victory Saturday night (7.2 innings pitched, 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts).

Every run scored in this game came off home runs (Mitch Moreland, Josh Hamilton, Cody Ross, and Andres Torres). Moreland’s 2^nd-inning three-run shot was the first score of the day and ultimately the real difference in the Rangers 4-2 win.

This is the first time since 2001 that the home team won each of the first three games of the World Series. That World Series between the Diamondbacks and Yankees is also one of only three times that the home team has won every game in the series (1991 and 1987 were the other two years). Side note: while sifting through the Baseball-Reference World Series recaps to figure out that stat, I realized that some of the World Series winners in the early part of the 20^th century had to win five games to capture the title. Apparently between 1919 and 1921, Major League Baseball experimented with a best of nine World Series format!

Baseball needs a Game 7 this year, and the home team winning each game would make for an even better treat. Just think of the emotional tug and pull sparked by that course of events: one team jumps up 2-0, only to have their momentum crushed by losing three straight. Then they find their groove again and win the final two games. Both teams feel like they’re on the top and bottom of the world at some point during the series.

Madison Bumgarner faces off against Tommy Hunter tonight, and if the San Francisco lefty gets the win, Bumgarner will become the 4^th youngest pitcher to ever win a World Series game (he is 21 years and 92 days old today). Happy Halloween everybody!

2010-10-29T09:06:00.001-04:00

A good buddy of mine texted me around 9 o’clock last night during the fifth inning of the Rangers-Giants game: Here’s the duel we wanted last night. Next pitch, Ian Kinsler drove a ball to deep center field in what turned out to be the farthest non-home run ball you can possibly hit in AT&T Park: the ball bounced directly off the top of the fence and came back into play. It seemed as though the baseball gods wanted a fine pitching performance from the San Francisco righty, Matt Cain.

Although the Rangers bullpen would ultimately implode and allow 9 runs to the Giants (I think we should put a moratorium on the notion that the Giants can’t hit – 20 runs through two World Series Games – enough said), Edgar Renteria’s solo-shot in the fifth inning was enough for Cain to work with as he cruised through 7 and two-thirds innings of work, allowing 4 hits, no runs, 2 walks, and striking out 2. That extends Cain’s streak of scoreless innings to 21.1 and the days of his current post-season success flying under the radar are certainly over.

If Game 2 forecasts the rest of the series, the Rangers may not make it out of Arlington alive. They left 7 men on base and went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position during Thursday night’s lopsided loss – not exactly the formula for playoff success. The bottom of the 8^th was a disaster for the Rangers: a Buster Posey single, 4 straight walks, an Edgar Renteria single, an Aaron Rowand triple and an Andres Torres double gave the Giants seven runs in a single inning. Oh, did I mention that all of that happened with two outs!

The amazing thing to me about the Giants is not merely that they’re winning with a bunch of no-names, but how every night a different one of the “misfits” steals the show. Renteria homered early and later drove in three with a single in the crazy seven run 8^th inning (2 for 4 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs). On Wednesday it was Freddy Sanchez leading the way for the Giants (4 for 5 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs). Giants GM, Brian Sabean, received a lot of criticism for the big contracts he threw out to veterans such as Barry Zito, Edgar Renteria, and Aaron Rowand. There’s certainly a large factor of luck in the success of any baseball team, but Sabean now has the right to shove it in the face of those doubters.

The Rangers host their first ever World Series game Saturday night, and if Ron Washington doesn’t turn the ship around, Halloween might be a particularly scary night for Rangers fans if their team gets swept.

Jonathan Sanchez (LHP) and Colby Lewis (RHP) take the mound against each other at 7 o’clock Saturday night. I haven’t seen the TV ratings on this World Series, but unless some drama ensues quickly, they probably won’t be very high numbers.

2010-10-28T00:07:00.004-04:00

Freddy Sanchez became the first player Wednesday night to ever double in each of his first three World-Series at bats.

In a game promoted for the star pitchers facing off against each other, the little guys stole the show. The San Francisco Giants call themselves a bunch of “misfits”, since their roster consists of very few big names. The leader of the “misfits” Wednesday night was Giants’ second baseman Freddy Sanchez, who started his World Series’ debut off with three consecutive doubles in his first three at-bats and ultimately went 4 for 5 with two runs scored and 3 RBIs.

The Giants-Rangers matchup in itself features very few star-players, and those well-known names looked extremely unimpressive in Game 1. Cliff Lee threw 4 and two-thirds, allowed 8 hits and 7 runs (6 earned) while Tim Lincecum went 5 and two-thirds, allowed 8 hits, and 4 runs (all earned), striking out a measly three batters and throwing 93 pitches. ALCS MVP Josh Hamilton was 0 for 4 and the likely 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, Buster Posey, was 1 for 5 with an RBI.

Before the game started, I questioned the decision by Rangers’ manager Ron Washington to put Vladimir Guerrero in right field. Washington wanted Vlad, who played DH for the Rangers all season, in the lineup behind Josh Hamilton, and due to the lack of a DH in the National League, he was forced to start him in the outfield. I understand that. What I don’t understand is why you put the aging slugger in right field rather than left field, where Nelson Cruz played. Right field is tougher defensively because of the long throw to third base. Cruz played 94 games in right field and 14 games in left field this season. Guerrero reinforced my notion in the early innings when he looked uncomfortable fielding pop-ups and singles hit to him. He ultimately made two errors on the night, both bobbles, including one in the 8^th on a Freddy Sanchez single which turned into two-bases. Why are the Rangers playing on the road anyway? Why does Ron Washington have to make that choice? From Bruce Jenkins’ (SF Chronicle) article on Wednesday: “Lets pause to realize why we’re in San Francisco, instead of Texas, for games 1 and 2: because Atlanta’s Brian McCann hit a three-run double off Chicago’s Matt Thornton in the All-Star Game. You just have to marvel at that brand of reasoning.”

I don’t mean to pick on Vlad: both teams looked awful defensively, combining for 6 errors on the night. The Giants and Rangers put on a perfect lesson for youngsters of how not to win a World Series title: bad pitching and worse defense.

GM Brian Sabean and GM Jon Daniels' teams looked more like the on-paper no-names than the “scrappy” bunch that analysts praised for their combination of good young pitching, offensive small-ball, and speed on the base paths.

The game started out looking like the Little League World Series from the beginning when Tim Lincecum fielded a one-out dribbler in the top of the first with runners on first and third. The Freak ran towards Michael Young and trapped him in a pickle between home and third. Perfect execution to this point; however, as Lincecum ran the runner back to third base where Giants’ third basemen Juan Uribe stood waiting for a throw, Lincecum simply never threw him the ball. It’s one thing to throw the ball over a guy’s head during a run-down – physical errors happen to everyone – but to not even throw the ball! Bochy looked calm and relaxed in the dugout afterwards but I’m sure he had a word or two for his ace when the inning ended.

The Giants needed to beat Cliff Lee in Game 1. Props to them for not looking back after undergoing an early 2-0 deficit. With that said, the Rangers know they beat themselves to an extent. If you told me before the game that the Rangers would score 7 runs and lose this game, I’d have gambled money that they would win the game. This is only the third time in the last 42 games that both the Giants and their opponent have scored 5 or more runs. Therefore, a general rule of thumb is that whoever reaches 5 runs first wins. Not on Wednesday night though.

I’ll give a pass on the Game 1 jitters to merely two young teams getting nervous in their first World Series appearance. Game 2 needs to be less sloppy. The Rangers wheel out another lefty in C.J. Wilson who goes up against the Giants’ Matt Cain tomorrow night.

2010-10-25T00:53:00.002-04:00

The World Series begins this Wednesday and although Bud Selig is probably crying somewhere in Milwaukee because of the low-ratings destined to occur due to the absence of New York and Philadelphia, pure baseball fans know they’re in for a treat. Not only were the Rangers and Giants not picked by most to win their respective pennants when October began, they weren’t picked by most to win their respective divisions when the season began. Fans in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Houston, Oakland, and all the other cities who watched horrendous baseball in 2010, can look towards this Series as a glimmer of hope that things really can turn around when Spring Training begins in 2011.

I will be covering the action with a post after each World Series game, but I won’t fall into the generic 2010 baseball storylines:

· I shall to not talk excessively about starting pitching and most definitely never use the phrase “year of the pitcher”.

· I shall not mention the role of umpires or instant replay in the outcome of these games. Sure, the comish needs to get off his you know what and make some changes this Winter, but quite frankly nothing is going to change dramatically between know and the conclusion of this post-season so there is no worth in whining about it.

Sit back folks and get ready for (fingers crossed) seven more games of baseball. As with the conclusion of each season, the bittersweet emotion of seeing a champion crowned and subsequently realizing the baseball-less months of Winter begin will twist my gut, so I’m hoping this series runs as long as possible. Lee and Lincecum in Game 1 Wednesday night. It’s a good time to be a baseball fan.

2010-10-20T13:13:00.001-04:00

Hossa picked up right where he left off last season

Fear amongst Chicagoans that the defending champion Blackhawks were going to struggle this season because of the fire sale of last year’s team intensified when the Hawks stumbled out to two quick losses to start the year. However, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp are doing all they can to slow down those racing heartbeats (Jay Cutler and the Bears need to take a hint). Hossa leads the league in goals (7) and assists (11), while Sharp put on a spectacular showing this past weekend with 2 goals Friday night, 2 goals Saturday night, and the OT game-winner Monday night. But that game-winner wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for Marian Hossa lighting the lamp twice in the third period, single-handedly overcoming St. Louis’ 2-0 third-period lead. Hossa has 7 goals off 20 shots, which means that 35 percent of his shots hit the net (that’s the highest amongst any player this season with 15 or more shots on goal).

Hossa and Sharp’s brilliant starts helped Chicago win three straight and jump out to a 4-2-1 start; however, they also alleviated the pressure felt on the defense. Defenseman Brian Campbell went down before the season began with a knee injury that he still needs a few more weeks to recover from and Brent Sopel was shipped to Atlanta as part of the Dustin Byfuglien trade; therefore, the Hawks seem especially weak on the defensive end this year. Coach Joel Quennevillee was forced to separate the dynamic duo of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook in order to spread out the defensive talent amongst the other lines. Veteran Marty Turco joined the Hawks this season and has been decent at best, with Cory Crawford getting the start in two games including Chicago’s first-win.

Only two of Chicago’s seven games have come against teams who failed to qualify for the 2010 playoffs; therefore, the defending champs did not start their season out with an easy slate of games. The Vancouver Canucks (2-2-1) return to Chicago tonight for the first time since the playoffs. These two teams absolutely hate each other (see 2009 and 2010 Western-Conference Semi-Finals), so expect some hard hits during this contest between two very offensively skilled teams. The Hawks certainly haven’t proven that they’re as good as last year; however, the revamped roster certainly has more depth than most people believe.

2010-10-13T13:40:00.001-04:00

Chicago Blackhawk defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson will receive a 2-game suspension for his hit on Sabres’ forward Jason Pominville. Good to see the NHL taking initiative on hits like this. It was not a blatantly dirty play; however, by signaling his intention of suspending questionable hits, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman can hopefully put the concussion conundrum of last season into the history books. Also, Hjalmarsson will miss Wednesday’s game against the Predators and Friday’s game against the Blue Jackets, meaning he will be fresh and ready to go Saturday night when the Sabres come to Chicago. Get ready for some hard hits, post-whistle scuffles, and dropped gloves during that one.

Derek Stepan of the New York Rangers became the 4^th player in NHL history to record a hat trick in his first career NHL game. Perhaps the youngster will lead the franchise to a great season; however, playing in the Atlantic Division with the Flyers, Pens, and Devils makes that thought somewhat hard to conceive. Speaking of the Atlantic, what’s up with these seemingly upside-down standings?

Sure the Flyers belong at the top considering the great season they’re coming off of; however, the Penguins and Devils are supposed to be the NHL’s cream of the crop. The names Sidney Crosby and Ilya Kovalchuk instantly come to mind when discussing these two teams, and they have done jack you-know-what in the first 3 games. Kovalchuk has a +/- rating of -3 (meaning when he’s been on the ice this year, New Jersey has been outscored by 3 goals), 0 goals, 2 assists, and 9 total shots. Crosby’s even on the +/- scale with 0 goals, 1 assist and 11 total shots. Sure the perennial All-Stars and former Maurice Richard Trophy Winners (league’s top-scorer) may have just tripped over their shoelaces during the start of this marathon, but it is worth pointing out their lack of not only goals but also shots.

Finally, as I end this abbreviated version of Hump Day Hockey during mid-term week here at Miami University, I leave you with a link to the most ridiculous, short-minded, lunatic, NHL hockey rankings ever put out. Scott Burnside, you are crazy! ESPN, you are equally insane for running putting these shenanigans on your website. Although, if you were just trying to get people talking – you win.

2010-10-11T00:19:00.000-04:00

Joey Votto and the Reds did not bring Cincinnati much to smile about during their first post-season in 15 years.

One week into the 2010 MLB playoffs and we have seen quite a few exciting, controversial, and historic moments. Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter, Tim Lincecum made the Braves look silly during his 2-hit, 14-strikeout, complete game shutout, the Yankees swept the Twins, extending Minnesota’s playoff losing streak to 12 games (they haven’t won a playoff series since they won it all in 1991 – maybe Kirby Puckett needs to put on a uniform again for the Twins to win in October), the umpires clearly need expanded replay, and the American League teams decided they didn’t want to win at home (The Twins, Rays, and Rangers all lost consecutive home games). With all that to follow this past week, the main thing that stood out to me has been how much the ‘underdog’ teams have been under-performing.

The general consensus headed into the playoffs by most ‘baseball analysts’ was that the AL playoffs were up for grabs; however, I think a lot of people at the same time saw the Yankees and Rays as favorites to come out of their respective series’ against the Twins and Rangers. The Twins looked awful, posting a team ERA of 5.88 against the Yankees – and the Bronx Bombers’ 3-game sweep of Minnesota marked the 4^th time in the last 10 years that the Yankees have beat the Twins in the first round of the playoffs. Although the Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with consecutive road wins against Tampa Bay, the Rays flipped the switch, winning two straight in Texas and putting the odds back in their favor to win the series.

In the National League, the Reds lost 3 straight to the Phillies. They probably should have simply tipped their caps to the best pitcher in baseball after Doc’s performance in game 1; however, Jay Bruce losing a ball in the lights definitely did not rest easy in Reds fans’ stomachs Friday night. The Reds made 7 errors during their short 3-game post-season run: no wonder it all ended so quickly. Similarly, the Braves lost a sloppy game Sunday when their bullpen imploded in the 9^th and Brooks Conrad allowed the go ahead run to score when a routine grounder went through his legs. Oh, did I mention that that was Conrad’s 3^rd error of the day! Who would of known that the Braves would miss Martin Prado’s glove more than his bat? For the sake of Bobby Cox’s heart here at the end of his Hall of Fame managerial career, lets hope the Braves get their act together.

When the 2010 MLB season began, most teams did not expect the Rangers, Twins, Braves and Reds to make the playoffs – that’s right, even the Twins weren’t picked by most to be able to stack up against the almighty White Sox pitching staff, especially with closer Joe Nathan going down for the year before the season started. I love a Cinderella. The ’06 Cardinals, the ’07 Rockies, the ’08 Rays – maybe those low-payroll small market teams don’t generate a lot of viewers, but the true baseball fans know that sending a new mix of teams to the playoffs benefits the sport (5 of the 8 playoff teams in 2010 were not playing October baseball last season). I just hope they aren’t all knocked out here in the first round. If all those surprise teams do get beat early, I’ll be praying for anything but a Phillies-Yankees World Series; because in the words of Yogi Berra, that would be déjà-vu all over again.

2010-10-06T11:04:00.009-04:00

The puck drops on the NHL season Thursday, so Offbeat Sports' weekly edition of Hump Day Hockey takes a look at the upcoming season.

Yahoo! Sports’ hockey blog, Puck Daddy, poses the question of who will get the next NHL TV deals with the contracts of NBC and Versus expiring at the end of this season. The stock of NHL on TV must have risen since the last time they negotiated this contract because a) the league has big name players like Ovechkin and Crosby , b) Chicago and LA have re-entered the viewership market in full-force, and c) HD television makes watching games much easier. I would argue without hesitation that HD improves watching hockey at home more than any other sport; although there’s nothing like getting a ticket and hearing the sounds of the game (the puck being passed, sticks hitting each other, and players getting slammed into the boards).

ESPN came out with their power rankings this past week. Pierre LeBrun knows his puck, but I can’t help but disagree with him putting the Canucks and Red Wings so high and the Blackhawks and Sharks so low.

My top 5 NHL teams would go as follows:

1. Capitals

· Question marks certainly surround Washington’s goaltender Semyon Varlamov; however, the star power this team has really separates them from the rest of the league. With Ovi, Alexander Semin, and Nicklas Backstrom scoring goals and Mike Green and Tom Poti playing defense, Varlamov may not have a lot of work he has to do. I see the Capitals facing a similar situtation as the Blackhawks saw last season. Granted Annti Niemi played great for Chicago in the post-season, but they really could have gone through their regular season last year with just about any goalie in the league because of how well Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook kept the puck out of the zone.

2. Blackhawks

· Defending Stanley Cup Champions – give them some credit. Yes they jettisoned half their roster due to salary cap restrictions; however, the core offensive and defensive players on this team remain intact (Kane, Toews, Hossa, Keith and Seabrook). You’re definitely going to need to see guys fill in roles that they did not serve last year or make names for themselves if they weren’t around last year. Defenseman Brian Campbell will miss 4 to 5 weeks with a knee injury; however, I still give the benefit of the doubt to the Blackhawks. Coach Queneville will find a way to get the most out of his seemingly weak 3^rd and 4^th lines.

3. Sharks

· The signing of Annti Niemi to the Sharks seems like a big move, but you never know if Niemi simply got the hot hand during the post-season – I have similar concerns about the Blue’s new goalie, former Montreal Canadien Jaroslav Halak. It will be interesting to watch how the Sharks’ netminder situation plays out with Niemi and Antero Niittymaki fighting for time. Two goalies on the same team with “Ant” staring their first name and “Ni” starting their last name – that’s strange enough for me to point out. The Sharks still have their offensive core (Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, Patrick Marleau, and Joe Pavelski). Also, since many of my readers out there probably have some affiliation to Miami University hockey, the Sharks not only have veteran Dan Boyle on their team (Miami grad ’98), but they also have rookie forward Tommy Wingels, who left the Redhawks after his junior year last season.

4. Canucks

· The Canucks already playoff-caliber team (probably Stanley Cup finalist if they didn’t run into the Blackhawks every year) received a major improvement this off-season with the addition of Dan Hamhuis. Vancouver will likely see better numbers between the pipes since Roberto Luongo decided to hand back his “C”, a position no goalie should serve because of the mental roller coaster they experience regardless.

5. Red Wings

· The Red Wings are primed for a bounce-back year after seeing their arch-rival Chicago Blackhawks take home the Cup this Summer. If that doesn’t harness enough emotion in Mike Babcock’s team, Detroit surely will find motivation when they watch the Hawks unveil their Stanley Cup banner at the Chicago home-opener on October 9, 2010. Look for a big year from sophomore goalie Jimmy Howard.

Yesterday was a slow day in the sports world with the rare occasion of all 4 major sports not competing, but the MLB playoffs start today, Hockey starts tomorrow and before you know it the end of October is here and all 4 major sports teams will be competing on the same day.

Oh! The good old hockey game,

Is the best game you can name;

And the best game you can name,

Is the good old Hockey game!

2010-10-03T10:13:00.001-04:00

I grew up in the Chicagoland area and my dad taught me from a young age to root for the Cubs; however, on Sunday I am a Padres fan. No, I have not thrown in the towel on my beloved Cubbies because 102 years of losing is simply too much, but rather I cheer for San Diego today because I love the game of baseball.

If the Padres win on Sunday, both San Francisco and San Diego will rest atop the NL West in a tie for first place. After 162 games of baseball; after playing through the April cold and the dog days of August; two teams tied together after the six-month battle means they get to fight once more: Game 163. Besides for a World Series game 7, nothing in baseball rivals the intensity of a play-in game. Many of the most memorable baseball moments in the past three seasons occurred during a game 163:

In 2007, the Padres and Rockies needed not only an extra game to decide the NL West title; they needed extra innings. To add to the dramatics of the event, Matt Holliday scored on a sac-fly and many think home plate umpire, Tim McClelland, made the wrong call on the play: Michael Barrett’s foot appeared to block the reaching hand of Holliday.
The White Sox declared it a blackout for their tiebreaker against Minnesota at the end of the 2008 season and the south-side fans donned in dark apparel cheered their team onto a playoff berth. A pitchers duel between John Danks and Nick Blackburn could only be stopped by the bat of Jim Thome, whose solo homer proved to be the first and only run in the game.
Last season, after losing the AL Central title in a game 163 the year before, the Twins decided they weren’t done playing in the Metrodome as they beat the Tigers and extended their tenure in the Dome for a few more days.

Take this as a lesson that should the Padres and Giants be forced to resort to a tie breaker, you need to watch! Sure the playoffs are exciting and the World Series is a great week of baseball; however, you will be dead pressed to find 3 more important hours of baseball than a play-in game. All of the work put in from the beginning of Spring training up to that point will either be rewarded with a playoff berth, or the squads have to go back home and play golf while they watch playoff baseball on TV. Also, because the game means so much, both teams send their aces to the bump.

And the best part of this whole thing is that if the baseball Gods align the stars perfectly today, we could be treated to not one, but TWO play-in games. I’m not sure if you refer to that as 2 game 163s or game 163 and 164 (either way the thought of that possibility excites me like a little kid on Christmas morning). Here’s what needs to happen:

1. The Padres must beat the Giants so that both teams have records of 91-71.

2. The Braves need to beat the Phillies, so they too have a record of 91-71.

If that sequence of events occurs on Sunday, the Giants and Padres would play for the NL West title on Monday night and the loser of that game would play the Braves on Tuesday night for the NL Wild Card. Damn it feels good to live in the realignment era of baseball!

So remember, none of the fantastic aforementioned tiebreaker games can occur unless the Friars squeak one out against the Giants on Sunday to complete the sweep. LETS GO PADRES!

2010-09-29T08:46:00.002-04:00

Hump Day Hockey: 8 Days until the Puck Drops

Philadelphia Flyer goaltender Michael Leighton will miss a month of the season due to a bulging disc in his lower back; however, the defending Eastern Conference champs got some production out of backup net minder Brian Boucher during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs and should expect the same while Leighton recovers. The Flyers biggest concern at this point is the status of center Ian Laperriere, who recently informed the team that he’s still recovering from a concussion suffered during the first round of last year’s playoffs (April 22 against the Devils). As I mentioned in last week’s post, the NHL has stepped up their enforcement against hits to the head and with stories like this seemingly overwhelming the offseason hockey scene (Bruins’ Marc Savard could be placed on the long term Injured Reserve which “requires a player miss 10 games and 24 days prior to returning”), they may have to do more if their new rules don’t work.

The NHL and HBO announced plans for a documentary series detailing the 2011 New Years Day Winter Classic between the Pens and Caps. HBO had great success with their Hard Knocks series (documentary show focusing on a single NFL team during training camp) the past few years, which most recently featured the New York Jets. Hopefully: the show will generate more puck fans; likely: the show attracts viewers solely for the purpose of the Ovi-Crosby rivalry and slightly bumps the ratings on the Winter Classic.

Rapid Fire

· The Stanley Cup returned to Chicago yesterday with the names of Blackhawks players, coaches, personnel freshly engraved.

· A tropical storm in Florida forced the Panthers to cancel their pre-season game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Let the Hurricane vs. Tropical Storm jokes begin.

· Veteran Patrick Lalime will continue to get playing time behind Ryan Miller.

· Mike Fisher, who most know not for his excellent hockey skills but his marriage to singer Carrie Underwood, says that the attention drawn to him due to the Summer wedding hasn’t been too extravagant:

“You know what, living in Ottawa, we’re kind of protected from a lot of it,” Fisher says. “Nashville, the same. It would be different if we were living in L.A. or New York or something, but we’re fortunate to be living where we are.”

· Ben Bishop’s performance through the first few pre-season games provides the Blues with a solid backup to Jaroslav Halak, who St. Louis signed after his amazing playoff run with the Habs.

2010-09-26T17:10:00.002-04:00

Television makes life much easier for sports fans looking to follow their favorite team or simply watch a good matchup. Video captures certain sports moments that cannot be described with words, like Michael Jordan floating in mid-air before he buried the game winner in the ‘98 Finals, Kevin Dyson falling one-yard short against the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, or the image of Kirk Gibson celebrating as he hobbled around the bases after his walk-off home run in Game 1 of the ‘88 World Series. These moments are etched in the minds of sports fans forever, and the thought of not having video of these events seems ludicrous.

The 1960 World Series between the Pirates and the Yankees culminated in what some deem the greatest game ever. With the series tied 3-3, the Yankees headed to Forbes Field in Pittsburgh for the final game of the series. After a back and forth battle, the Pirates entered the bottom of the ninth with the score even at 9. Pirates’ second basemen, Bill Mazeroski, led off the inning with what remains today as the only walk-off homerun in a World Series Game 7. That’s the ultimate backyard Wiffle Ball scenario that you enact with your brother on a summer day.

“Smith steps up to the plate, World Series game 7, everything is on the line for this youngster. He watches the pitcher’s windup, here’s the delivery, and … there it is folks! The World Series is over thanks to the sweet swing of Garrett Smith!”

However, a full video from that game did not exist because for most games prior to the 1970s, Major League Baseball would erase or discard the footage after its use. However, as reported by the New York Times last week, a complete tape from that game was found in the wine cellar of Bing Crosby. When Crosby wasn’t dreaming of a White Christmas, the part-owner of the Pirates was dreaming of a Pittsburgh World Series title. From within the article,

“Crosby, the singer and movie, radio and TV star, had more foresight than the television networks and stations, which erased or discarded nearly all of the Major League Baseball games they carried until the 1970s.

A canny preservationist of his own legacy, Crosby, who died in 1977, kept a half-century’s worth of records, tapes and films in the wine cellar turned vault in his Hillsborough, Calif., home.”

In an era where ESPN regularly shows Friday night high school football games on national television, it’s nice to hear about stories like this that highlight the value of video. We all could use a little reminder of how fortunate we are to live in this day and age where following sports doesn’t require waiting for the box scores in the morning paper the next day.

2010-09-22T08:24:00.000-04:00

Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins could possibly miss a large chunk of this season due to lingering issues regarding a concussion he incurred on March 7th after being hit Penguins Forward, Matt Cooke.

What better way to get through the week than with a little reminder of the puck world – if only we all got paid to skate around and hit each other.

Pre-season hockey games began last night: I’ll make sure to wake you all up when the real stuff begins. However, there have been still been some significant headlines and stories emerging from training camps in the past week.

The Washington Capitals signed defenseman Tom Poti to a two-year extension. The 12-year veteran will receive $3 million next season and $2.75 million in 2012-2013. Poti ranked 11^th in the NHL in the plus/minus category, a stat heralded by many hockey experts as a key way to examine players (especially defenseman), with a +26 ranking on the season. The plus/minus stat essentially looks at the goal outcome while a certain player was on the ice: in a given game, if the Capitals lost 4-3, but Poti was only on the ice for 2 of the Capitals goals and one of the opponents goals, his plus/minus rating would be a +1 on the day. Poti told the Washington Post that he gave up some money in order to play for a team with a serious chance at winning not just one but multiple Stanley Cups.

Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins could miss the entire season according to ESPNBoston.com, due to post-concussion syndrome stemming from a hit he suffered on March 7^th of last season. However, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli denied the ESPN report that Savard could miss the entire season, commenting “it is contradictory and untrue,” in an interview with the Boston Globe.

The NHL altered their rulebook in order to prevent hits to the head. With swirling talks day in and day out about the concussion epidemic in the NFL and the danger of maple bats in baseball, fans should appreciate the NHL and commissioner Gary Bettman for stepping up and implementing policies that protect their players. Far too many times last season, hockey highlights found their way onto Sports Center simply because another player suffered a hard check from the side or behind that left them lying unconsciously on the ground.

Rapid Fire

Chris Drury, captain of the New York Rangers, will miss the beginning of the season due to a broken index finger he suffered while blocking a shot. Drury is expected to be out for roughly 4 weeks, which means he’ll likely miss the first 3 or 4 games.

2^nd overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, and who many view as the top prospect joining the league, Bruins forward Tyler Seguin appears ready to fill whatever role coach Claude Julien asks of him.

Florida Panthers veterans hope that dropping the gloves during training camp will spark an intensity in the locker room that turns around the poor performance on the ice of recent teams.

After starting off his last two summer vacations on the wrong foot, Marian Hossa finally relaxed with the Cup and savored the taste of victory this summer after winning it all with the Blackhawks last June.

New Wild forward, John Madden, will continue to prove himself in Minnesota, just like he’s done his entire life.

2010-09-18T20:56:00.001-04:00

PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is highly regarded as one of the most beautiful of the recently built ballparks; however, the Pirate's lack of success causes it to be empty most of the time.

   Nine MLB franchises welcomed over 3 million fans through their turnstiles during the 2009 season and similar numbers are likely to occur again this season. One of the primary differences between MLB and the NFL is the source of revenue: the NFL makes the bulk of its money (over two-thirds) from national television broadcasts, Major League Baseball generates less than 20 percent of overall sales from national broadcasts.
   While some awful baseball teams see great attendance figures (the Cubs are currently 15 games under .500 but still averaged 37, 878 fans at Wrigley Field this year – 92.1 % of capacity), other great baseball teams play in front of empty crowds night after night (the Tampa Bay Rays, who fluctuate daily with the Yankees for the best record in all of baseball, see an average of 22,923 fans a night at Tropicana Field – 52.4 % of capacity). Rays left fielder, Carl Crawford, has publicly complained about the empty seats at “The Trop” this season, and that lack of an intense atmosphere could propel him to sign somewhere else next winter when he enters free agency.

            The underlying reason for these differences in attendance figures has a lot to do with performance, a little to do with the demographics of the regions teams play in (some argue there is simply no appeal for baseball in Florida, where the Rays and Marlins both consistently draw low crowds regardless of performance), but another cause is a team’s ballpark. A baseball stadium affects a club’s financial and on-field success more than any other sport.
            Although 90 feet from first to home and 60 feet 6 inches separates the pitcher from the batter, varying amounts of foul territory and differing fence distances in the outfield makes each ballpark slightly different. On top of the purely on-field variations between fields, their structural appearances, both inside and outside, give each their own feel. Walking into Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, seeing the hand turned scoreboards and small seating capacities, elicits an old-time appreciation for our American past time, while Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, with its retractable roof and large concourse area, provides a very different but nonetheless enjoyable fan experience.
            Since 1992, when the Baltimore Orioles opened Camden Yards, 20 of the 30 MLB teams have unveiled new ballparks. As the “we have a new ballpark” sensation fades away in the future as the stadiums get older (the Twins averaged 29,466 fans per game in 2009 at the Metrodome, but since moving to Target Field, that number has jumped to 39,770), it will be interesting to see how the economic side of baseball does. Many clubs, including the Orioles, strived for an old-time feel when they built their new ballpark, with the idea that they could create a charm around their team’s field similar to that of Fenway and Wrigley. The Orioles are probably the best example of what will happen to most teams as time wears on: in 2004 Camden Yards averaged 34,444 fans per game, then by 2006 that number had fallen to 26,581, and this season they rank 24^th in attendance figures with a meager 20,698 average.
            Team executives come up with as many possible ways to draw customers to the park; installing showers in the outfield of U.S. Cellular Field (White Sox) to cool fans down on a hot summer day, putting a pool in the right field of Chase Field (D’Backs), or allowing kids to play wiffle ball in a custom miniature field built in the outfield concourse of the Ballpark in Arlington (Rangers). Teams will race sausages around the field (Brewers), pass out bobble heads to each fan and put on firework shows at the end of the game to lure fans in. The reality is that fans, for the most part, are most willing to pay money for a good team or a great ballpark, and when you combine the two, you find the highest attendance figures (the Phillies, who hold one of the best records in all of baseball, sit atop the NL East, have made appearances in two consecutive World Series’, and play in beautiful Citizens Bank Park which was built in 2004, have averaged 45,000 fans a game in 2010, 103.4% of capacity).

2010-09-14T09:25:00.001-04:00

The sporting world does not pay enough attention to the NHL. Boom! I said it and you know it’s true. When was the last time you saw an NHL game on national television before the playoffs. NBC is the only station that makes any effort and they don’t start televising their “Sunday NHL on NBC” until after the NFL regular season is over. Even if puck lovers must concede the American dominance of professional football, why can’t we at least get some exposure on other nights of the week. Versus Network has national games very often, but not many people even get that channel. ESPN rarely shows hockey highlights on Sports Center and unlike NFL Live, Baseball Tonight, College Football Live, etc.; the NHL does not have it’s own highlight and analysis show on ESPN. We're less than a month away from the first real games and the mainstream sports media is not publicizing the start of the season at all! Moral of the story: the average sports fan needs to be exposed more to hockey:

Roberto Luongo (pictured above) announced he will be stepping down as captain of the Vancouver Canucks. At first-glance this decision seems odd but it really reflects the leadership of Luongo. From Iain Macintyre’s piece in the Vancouver Sun:

Roberto Luongo said he resigned as captain of the Vancouver Canucks because he wants to focus entirely on being the best goaltender he can be in order to give his National Hockey League team its best chance of winning a Stanley Cup

He admitted that being asked as captain to comment on the play of teammates was uncomfortable, given his position, and he is happy he will no longer have that dilemma.

It will be interesting to see how Luongo performs on the ice this season and more importantly during the 2011 Playoffs. The 10-year veteran struggled in last season’s Western Conference Semifinals against the Blackhawks, allowing 21 goals in 6 games, resulting in a loss to the Hawks in the 2^nd consecutive post-season.

The Devils are going to be fined and forfeit draft picks because of their actions with regards to the contract they offered Ilya Kovalchuk this Summer. What the NHL is trying to crack down on is teams who give their players deals that pay excess amounts in the first few years and very little in the end (this loophole in the salary cap system is technically forbidden by the NHL). Other players such as Marian Hossa and Roberto Luongo have backloaded contracts that the NHL did nothing about when they began.

And Ryan Lambert of Yahoo Sports’ Puck Daddy hates football. Let it be known that I do not hate football. I will admit to loving hockey though.

Goals For

Goals Against

2010-09-10T16:52:00.000-04:00

Castro congratulates teammates after his first big-league at bat: a three-run homer off Cincinnati Reds RHP Homer Bailey

Baseball fans across the country have been treated to various surprises throughout the 2010 season. The unexpected storylines include the Padres and Rangers pitching staffs who have led them both to first place atop the NL and AL Western Divisions, the Reds and Braves emerging as contenders in their divisions, and various young stars popping up out of nowhere. Nearly every major sports site or network dubbed 2010 "the year-of the pitcher" due to the improbable influx of perfect games, no-hitters, and near perfection (I’m truly sorry Mr. Galarraga).

One of the most covered stories in Major League Baseball recently is the possibility of the first Triple Crown in 43 years (when a batter leads the league in homeruns, runs batted in and batting average). Joey Votto, Albert Pujols, and Carlos Gonzalez (with one of the best nicknames in baseball – Cargo) all stand legitimate chances of obtaining this feat: the only thing that stands in the way of any of them is each other. Every somewhat knowledgeable baseball fan already knows about all that; what most haven’t picked up on is a guy by the name of Starlin Castro.

The Chicago Cubs shortstop was recalled from Triple-A Iowa in early May when the platoon role of Jeff Baker and Mike Fontenot at second base failed: then manager Lou Piniella, who has since retired from baseball, moved Ryan Theriot from shortstop to second base and granted the 20-year old Castro the starting short stop role. The kid wasted no time in his May 7^th debut: a 2 for 5 performance including a 3-run homer in his first at bat, a triple, and 6 RBIs on the day.

Castro has the 2^nd fewest plate appearances amongst NL Shortstops (401), yet he still leads that group in doubles and lies 2^nd in triples behind only Troy-Tulowitzki; Tulo (.322) and Castro (.317) are third and fourth respectively in batting average amongst all NL players. Since the All-Star break, Castro leads all of baseball in hits (74) and doubles (19). However, the Triple Crown trio and the many standout National League rookies (Jason Heyward, Stephen Strasburg, Buster Posey, and Jaime Garcia) often overshadow Castro.

Starlin Castro month by month split stats courtesy of Fangraphs.com (all stats as of morning of 9/10/10)

	G	AB	PA	H	1B	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BB	AVG
May	23	87	93	27	23	1	1	2	10	13	5	.310
Jun	25	75	89	17	10	7	0	0	6	6	9	.227
Jul	25	97	104	35	22	9	3	1	10	13	5	.361
Aug	29	122	128	41	29	11	1	0	19	9	4	.336
Sep	5	20	22	7	6	1	0	0	4	0	0	.350

The above table reveals the awful June that Starlin Castro has, but more importantly, how he bounced back after that. Often a player who achieves great success in his first month or so in the big leagues gets “figured out” by the rest of the league as scouting information on him becomes more plentiful his second time through teams. However, when players are able to raise their stats back up after slumping for a little, odds are that player didn’t merely get lucky during that hot month he started the year off with. According to ESPN Senior Writer, Tim Kurkjian, one major league scout raved, “I said it in spring training and I still believe it. He will be a National League All-Star in 2012. He is terrific.”

Hopefully fans outside of Chicago realize this youngster’s potential sooner rather than later. He deserves to be in Rookie of the Year talks.