Monday, July 26, 2010

7/27 No No No

Hi everyone Ryan again heres a few touching points from last night

  • You remember that "What to watch" yesterday?...yeah that one turned out pretty good if you didn't see it...well if you didn't Max Scherzer as well as Matt Garza had no-hitters going for majority of the game..odd right?..well yeah Scherzer couldn't hold up his end of the bargain giving up a grand slam in the 6th.Which is okay because Garza held on and pulled through for the no-hitter..seems like alot of no-hittering(just made that one up) is happening to Tampa..they are on the positive side this time.
  • All of a sudden Chris Paul doesn't want a trade...now...I don't believe him..i'm looking at that roster and it's still below par..and the owner is still a penny-pitcher...but who knows..you never want to hold a player hostage to a city because of something that happened to the city not the team but at the same time you can't just demand out all of a sudden..someone please blame management for something here..again I don't believe him and if he really meant it..let those losing streaks happen again and this may flare up again.
  • David Kahn must be stopped...please..now...now...how about now?...he pulled the trigger on the trade of Ramon Sessions,Ryan Hollins and a future 2nd rd pick to Cleveland for Sebastian Telfair and Delonte West...and from my understanding they aren't going to keep West around long...so..are they in money saving mode?..I guess?...my mind may explode on trying to explain it on either side but just know..it doesn't make sense right now.

Pitcher of the night
Um...duh..
Matt Garza 9IP 1BB 6K(no hitter)

Hitter of the night
Joe Mauer 5-5 1 HR 7 RBI(but really the whole Minnesota team..19 runs scored)

What to Watch
Braves/Nationals 7pm SportsSouth

Cubs/Astros 8pm WGN

7/26:Dog Days of Summer

Greetings world..I'm Ryan and I'll be pitch-hitting here(even though I'm not an advocate of the pitcher even holding a bat but another time) this week..I have some big shoes to fill here but I'll try my best.

  • Start with the most relevant information of weekend..Arizona pitcher Dan Haren traded to the Angels for Joe Saunders and 3 other players...well this was pretty much a steal for Los Angeles....or Anaheim..the Angels..yeah them..I'm not as high on Dan Haren as say others but it isn't debatable that he is really really good(He's a great #2 guy or a okay #1) and far better than Joe Saunders.Agreed?..good..the only thing you could say about this is that he's going back to the AL where he posted 43-34 record in Oakland and isn't a great 2nd half of the season pitcher.Regardless it is going to be very interesting to see who pulls out of the AL West..the streaking Texas Rangers or the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim(I just wanted to type all that lol)
  • As previously mentioned(on the previous blog post for specifics) David Kahn was fined $50,000 as well as the organization($50,000 as well) for his comments about Michael Beasley's previous marijuana usage.It goes without saying that his comments shouldn't have been talked about publicly(you could argue at all) and putting his business out there like that carries a heavy price tag..now only if we could start fining him for poor GM choices we'll be in business.
  • This story is stored in the rumor mill but i'll touch it anyway.The Rams are interested in signing Terrell Owens..clearly it wouldn't be a long term deal and the Rams aren't very...um...talented at the WR position so it could work but I just don't understand how this guy is unsigned. You could say that his reputation has clearly preceded him but not only did he seem as a model citizen his year in Buffalo(no one is asking for a 5yr deal) it would be hard to look him in the face and say "You couldn't be our 2nd best WR option on our team" not honestly anyways.Just guessing there could be about half the teams in the NFL who could use him and be better..If it has nothing to do with football then just say that but don't
  • And now for the useless NFL stories....Cowboys rookie WR Dez Bryant doesn't carry pads...Roy Williams handed him pads and he refused to carry them...well...I'll just say it..why does anyone care about this?...like at all?..I understand this is the boring sports part of the summer but come on!..it has no impact on the field at all...please stop.
  • On a serious note Former NBA player Lorenzen Wright has been missing for a little bit over week now.I wasn't sure if this was a big story or not until I heard his mother pleading for him to come home.I hope the next story written about him isn't the one we are fearing.

Pitching line of the day
Wandy Rodriguez 7IP 1H 2BB 7K vs the Reds

Hitter of the day
Scott Podsednik(Hear me out)
2HRs 4 RBI 3-5 on the night vs the Yankees!

What to watch for
Detroit vs Tampa 7pm ESPN

Friday, July 23, 2010

7/23: Armed Robbery, Matt Barnes, etc.

Aloha... First off, this will likely be my last post for about a week... I'm traveling and will likely be without wi-fi/cell service for the most part... I'm looking into getting a pinch hitter or 2 (cough, Ryan), but we'll see... let's get to it...
  • The home of Charlotte Bobcat swingman Stephen Jackson was robbed by armed men and his wife was held up at gunpoint early Friday morning... crazy story... she was unharmed (a blessing) but you never like to hear about these stories...
  • The Lakers sign Matt Barnes for 2 years/3.6 million... this is a complete and utter steal for LA... Barnes is worth 4-5 million per IMO, and turned down more lucrative offers elsewhere... he's a capable shooter, above-average defender, and fantastic irritant to opposing stars on the wing... great get for a potential matchup with Miami in the Finals too... gives them an Artest backup, and gives them a ludicrously good rotation of Bynum/Gasol/Odom/Artest/Barnes/Kobe/Blake/Fisher
  • "He's a very young and immature kid who smoked too much marijuana..." That's a DIRECT quote from T-Wolves GM David Kahn... I'm out of jokes... everyone is... he's a caricature of himself... of course, this quote was referring to Michael Beasley (who is reportedly not smoking anymore lol), and even could be true... you can't say that... you can't... hey, at least you have Ramon Sessions and Luke Ridnour signed for 8 million a year total to backup Johnny Flynn... oh.. and you spent a top-5 pick on Ricky Rubio... and you just traded your best player for picks and a trade exception... and you signed 2 euro bigs for excessive contracts... should I stop?
  • The Denver Broncos signed OLB/DE Elvis Dumervil to a 6-year/61.5 million dollar deal today... that seems...like... alot? He's known for being a fairly one-dimensional pass-rusher who is undersized, but reportedly he's been improving against the run, and he's wildly productive (17 sacks last year in the first year as a 3-4 OLB)... he's a man
What to watch for this weekend... It's baseball season...

Friday
  • Cubs/Cardinals - Wells/Suppan - WGN 2:20 pm
  • Braves/Marlins - Lowe/Sanabia - SportSouth 7:10 pm
  • White Sox/A's - Buehrle/Cahill - WGN 10:05 pm
Saturday
  • Mets/Dodgers - Pelfrey/Monasterios - FOX 4:00 PM
  • Braves/Marlins - Medlen/Sanchez - SportSouth 7:00 PM
Sunday
  • Braves/Marlins - Jurrjens/Volstad - Fox Sports South 1:00 PM
  • Cardinals/Cubs - Carpenter/Silva - ESPN 8:00 PM
Done and done...

Thursday, July 22, 2010

7/22: Ramblings... and the Definition of "Not Done"

Aloha... another slow sports day... but some stuff to cover
  • Billy Wagner blew a 2-run 9th inning lead and the Braves lost in 12 last night... it was almost a surreal sequence off Wagner, who retired the first batter he faced, but then was bludgeoned by 3 straight hard-hit balls (HR, single, double) to tie it up in a matter of seconds... and the bullpen lost the bullpen battle... definitely a weird game for this year's Braves as they had only one late-inning blown lead that turned into a loss all season... coincidentally it was also a Billy Wagner blown save on a home run, and a Kris Medlen late-inning loss.... at any rate, the Mets lost as well so no ground lost... and while we're here... Brian McCann is raking... and I can't get behind any assertion that the Braves should go get Cody Ross (or someone of that ilk) based on upon Nate McLouth's underwhelming performance... let's all take a step back and breathe
  • Nick Saban lost his mind on NFL agents yesterday at SEC media days.... it was a rant, albeit a coherent one, that spanned from shutting the NFL guys out of Alabama football activities altogether (insane because Bama is considered to be one of the most NFL-friendly programs) to calling these agents "pimps"... amusing stuff
  • How would one define the term "not done"?... For those wondering, I'm referring to the Atlanta Hawks front office (namely Rick Sund) and their assertion that the Hawks were not done overhauling the roster after shelling out that famously ridiculous Joe Johnson contract... well... since then... the re-upped Jason Collins after a season in which he played 24 games, attempted only 23 shots (and somehow made only 8), and basically was a end-of-bench corpse... and then yesterday, David Aldridge broke a pending signing of F/C Josh Powell from the Lakers.... Look, I like Josh Powell's game... an energy forward with decent skills (i.e. some range on his jumper), he'll be a serviceable backup big... but that's not a move that screams of exercising the front-office's money and flexibility.... pair it with Matt Barnes? I'd be sold... but if they're done now? They outright lied to the fanbase... there it is
  • Team USA is in practice mode in Las Vegas led by Kevin Durant, who seems to be the de facto go-to-guy... it's a bit of a hodge podge of a roster right now, as the olympic team of 2008 seems like a distant memory... still the most talented team in any field? Absolutely... but I'm not sure I'd be wagering on them against, say, Spain (props to The Painted Area blog for outright saying Spain is the favorite)... on the bright side, they have alot of guys who I think are perfect for international play like Steph Curry, Durant, and even Kevin Love
What to watch for...
  • Braves/Padres - 1:05 SportSouth - Hudson/Richard - Rubber game of the series and you get to put your best pitcher on the mound at home... I like that option
  • Umm... if you like the WNBA or Softball... that's what you get on ESPN and ESPN2 on a nice summer Thursday... yikes
Until later...

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

7/20: Brett Favre and Matt Barnes

The tagline of this post made me laugh... are there 2 more different athletes than Brett Favre and Matt Barnes? Favre is the "golden boy" to annoying ends with media coverage and general anointing... Barnes is considered to be a bit on the crazy side... both are gritty competitors on the field/court by all accounts... but both go about it in different ways... just a thought since both are in the headlines... moving on...
  • It's a slow summer sports day... so the biggest headline? 2 separate college football investigations... 1 in Chapel Hill concerning their stud D-lineman Marvin Austin and dealings with an agent... and 1 in Gainesville with former Florida OL Maurkice Pouncey (now a 1st-round pick of Pittsburgh) allegedly taking $100,000 from an agent between the SEC title game and the Sugar Bowl... do I care about this story? Na, not really... but when Marvin Austin is a consensus 1st rounder and UNC is getting BCS sleeper love... and when Florida could suddenly have Reggie Bush-like ramifications going forward... it's big
  • We are in full "stalk Brett Favre" mode... what else is there to do in July? Here's an idea... tell us if you're playing... or go away... the fact that I know who Bus Cook is, is an issue... it just is... go away...
  • Matt Barnes was going to Toronto... and then he wasn't... and now he might be... because the deal wouldn't fit under the cap (and Toronto used it's MLE on Linas Kleiza... who isn't as good as Matt Barnes, lol)... they have to do a sign-n-trade and it's looking less likely by the hour... paging Atlanta Spirit group... you claimed to be "not done after the Joe move" and "willing to go into the Tax"... go get Matt Barnes with the mid-level... brings a toughness you don't have, can guard 3's and make 3's... done and done... I mean, you already sured up the post with Jason Collins! Somebody sedate me...
  • A hockey story? I have to hit this one... Ilya Kovalchuck signed a 17-year (yes, 17 years) deal for over $100 million with the Devils... I don't care about hockey... and you probably don't either... but that's a staggering number... 17 years? He'll be 44 at the end... and while the deal is really only significant for the first 11 years (it's about a half-million per after that)... Hockey has crazy contracts... that's all
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - (an ugly day for pitching) - Dice-K - 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 6 K's... and this was by far the best line... like I said, ugly
  • Batting Line of the Day - Miggy Cabrera - 3 for 6, 2 HR, 3 RBI... he's mashing... still
  • The Braves took a home day off yesterday... and San Diego comes in for 3... they manage to miss Mat Latos in the series (not a bad thing), and garnered a split against the Brew Crew despite playing underwhelmingly... I'm taking it "one day at a time"... but a 5.5 game lead on NYM and 6 on Philly is nothing to sneeze at... excitement building
What to watch for...
  • Braves/Padres - Jurrjens/Leblanc - 7:00 Peachtree TV
  • White Sox/Mariners - Danks/Fister - 10:00 WGN - John Danks is worth the price of admission... just so you know
Until later..

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

7/14: Brevity on the World's Slowest Sports Day

Nothing... I repeat... NOTHING... is happening today in sports... it's Black Wednesday... not a single American sporting event happens... it's unfathomable... here's a couple thoughts for the road..
  • The National League wins the MLB all-star game behind Brian McCann's 3-run double... for some reason this decided the home-field advantage for the World Series... that's the only takeaway
  • Al Jefferson is on his way to Utah... I love the move... they've basically traded Carlos Boozer for Al Jefferson in this offseason.. and I'm totally on board... Jefferson is a legitimate center, which allows more minutes at the 4 for Paul Millsap and even Kirilenko (who's best spot is the 4, IMO).. and I'm high on Al anyway, legit 20/10 guy who had a 2-year knee injury and is now healthy... sold
  • Dallas and Charlotte made a deal centering on Erick Dampier and Matt Carroll to Charlotte and Tyson Chandler to Dallas... the X-factor? Dampier's immediately waivable non-guaranteed $13 million contract... it's a pure salary dump for Charlotte (even if they had to pick up Carroll's laughably bad, but cheaper deal)... for Dallas, they get a slight upgrade from Damp to Chandler, and Chandler is expiring after this season, so he's eminently moveable should they need to mid-season
  • Al Harrington signs w/ Denver... 5 years, 34 million... that's the 3rd 5 for 34 deal this offseason (Wes Matthews and Amir Johnson).. arbitrary? I have no idea... but I'm not sure what Al Harrington does for Denver... they've never had trouble scoring, and that's Al's main attribute... he's a capable forward, but he plays the same (-ish) position as Melo... weird
Notes on "what to watch for"...
  • British Open Golf - 4 AM ESPN - It's technically tomorrow... but it's a major tournament and it starts at 4:00 eastern lol... Tiger is the story as always... but St. Andrews is the "home" of golf, and just to watch the conditions is worth it... Course fits Tiger perfectly, so it'd be a disappointment if he didn't win it...
  • The ESPYs - 9:00 PM Tonight ESPN - The ESPYs jumped the shark years ago... mostly because no one can remember who wins any of these awards... but I might be in simply because it's live and Seth Meyers is hosting... at least it's semi-sports related content on this dreaded day...

Monday, July 12, 2010

7/12: World Cup, Phoenix Suns, etc.

Aloha... short on time so some brevity today...
  • Spain wins the World Cup... obviously big news... but if you watched that game (I somehow did), you'd know that that was clearly NOT what soccer needed as an advertisement for expansion in the US... do they care? maybe or maybe not... but a 1-0 game that took 115+ minutes to score a goal, featured a record number of yellow cards, and was even reported on TV to have been a "negative advertisement of soccer"... that's not a good thing for the pending US soccer "boom"... Congrats to Spain though, best team won it seemed...
  • The Suns made some waves with 2 moves... acquiring Hedo Turkoglu from Toronto for Leandro Barbosa and Dwayne Jones... and acquiring Josh Childress sign-n-trade from Atlanta (6 years/30 million) for a 2011 2nd-round pick and a trade exception.... I don't like either "fit" particularly... Hedo needs the ball in his hands to be at his best... and he... won't? The theory I heard peddled about this move was that they wanted to use him as a ball-handler when Nash was out of the game... didn't we just see Goran Dragic's coming-out party? That makes no sense... he definitely fits in defensively though... let's leave it at that.... for Childress? I'm a huge fan, as anyone in this space knows... he's a plus defender, is extremely efficient offensively, and is a great rebounder for his size... but in Phoenix? Not crazy about it... they have their defensive stopper(s) already in Dudley and Hill... and Childress isn't a great 3-point shooter (career 36% isn't bad at all, but he takes under 1 per game)... the money? Pretty reasonable considering what guys like Wesley Matthews and Travis Outlaw have gotten (I'd rather have Childress than either one)... so not all bad...
  • Have to discuss the Hawks outlook on the Childress move... This is a bold assumption, but if we were to assume the Hawks could've kept Childress for a similar deal (6 for 30), I'd be upset we let him walk... that's less than the mid-level, and I'd much rather have Childress than 99% of available FA's... but clearly Rick Sund had little interest, and while the return looks sparse (2nd rounder), the party line is that the trade exception the Hawks will receive (3 million-ish) is the real reason they made the deal... I'll keep that in mind in the future when, as usual, the Hawks will likely stand pat... sigh...
  • An interesting move for the Raptors in shipping Hedo out for Barbosa... but I like it because Barbosa is 1) cheaper, and 2) not Hedo... so that's a win for Toronto... and reportedly, they'll turn around and acquire Boris Diaw from Charlotte.. I'm not as enthused by that move because I don't like the fit (Diaw doesn't bring rebounding or defense which are what they lack up front) and a Diaw/Bargnani front court makes me cringe a bit... plus he's owed 18 million over the next 2... a curious decision... but maybe they're trying to acquire the entire 2006 Suns... UPDATE: Now, sources reporting that the Diaw-to-Toronto deal has taken on new form in adding Jose Calderon and Tyson Chandler... now THAT's a deal I can get behind for Toronto if it's true.. Chandler gives them a legitimate rim-defending big to play with Bargnani and gives Jarrett Jack 30+ minutes a night... I like it
Baseball is on hiatus... there are no "decisions" being made... it's going to be a slow couple of days of "actual" sports... If the MLB all-star festivities do it for you, congratulations... but I won't be tuning in...

Sunday, July 11, 2010

The Real MLB All-Star Rosters

Greetings... Let me get a few things/thoughts about the MLB all-star game out of the way...
  1. I'm fairly "meh" on the whole event... exhibition events such as this don't usually grab me, and there isn't the same appeal to the game itself as there is in the NBA because it doesn't end with 10 of the best 15-ish players in the world playing highly competitive 5-on-5 for the final 8 minutes or so... in baseball, it's the "I have to go because SOMEONE on the Astros or Pirates had to make it" guys at the end...
  2. The awarding of home-field advantage for the ASG winner is world-class ridiculous... There are 100 better ways of determining home-field and I don't know anyone who wasn't watching before that suddenly declares "Homefield is on the line?!?! I'm in!"... get outta here...
  3. The expanded rosters are absurd... pick the best 25 in each league... I'm actually semi-okay with the "everyone has to have a representative" rule... but I'd do away with it if I had the choice... and the following rosters don't have that rule in place...
  4. For outfield spots... I go LF, CF, RF... if guys actually play multiple spots... that's fine... but I don't wanna see 3 right fielders playing together
  5. I hate fan voting in all sports... so I'm disregarding it... there it is
First.. the AL... Starters in Bold
  • Catcher - Joe Mauer, Mike Napoli... I want to carry 3 catchers because no one wants to catch very long in an exhibition game but I don't have the room... Mauer's numbers are down but he's still hitting over .300 and plays very good defense... Napoli gets the nod as the 2nd guy because of his power numbers (.829 OPS) and lack of options
  • 1st Base - Miggy Cabrera, Justin Morneau - Not really debatable here... Miggy is hitting .340+ and leading the league in RBI, Morneau also hitting .340+ with 18 and 56
  • 2nd Base - Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia (Injured) - Cano has been out of this world... .337, 16 HR, 55 RBI from a 2nd basemen... Despite Padroia's injury, he's been the best option elsewhere... for a replacement? I go Ian Kinsler slightly over Ben Zobrist (who never plays 2nd anyway)
  • Shortstop - Elvis Andrus - the "shocker" here... Andrus has been lights-out... hitting .290 with 22 steals and playing insanely good D... Jeter has been Jeter... but his average is down below .280 and his D is more legend than anything else.. so he gets left off as the guy with the worst resume (we need an extra spot)
  • 3rd Base - Kevin Youkilis - This is a snub for Evan Longoria but I had to take an extra middle infielder (Kinsler via Pedroia) but Youk has just been better... his OPS is .999... that's insanely good, and he's carried the Boston offense for stretches...
  • Left Field - Josh Hamilton, Carl Crawford - Hamilton has been absurd... .342, 21 HR, 62 RBI speaks for itself... Crawford gets the nod as the backup OF because he's been great too... 29 steals, great D, and a .320-ish average will do that
  • Center Field - Torii Hunter - Great D in center field always... but Hunter has done it with the bat as well.. .302 average (.910 OPS) with 14 and 60...
  • Right Field - Ichiro - fantastic D, great arm, great speed (22 steals) and his customary .326 average make him a lock...
  • Designated Hitter - Vlad Guerrero - He's back... .330 avg (.944 OPS), 19 homers, 72 RBI... no contest...
Pitching... For the record, I needed at least 4 relievers (including at least 2 set-up guys) in both leagues...
  • SP - Cliff Lee - Best ERA... Best WHIP... 5 complete games... He's been the best pitcher in the AL this year... and he gets the ball for me
  • P - David Price -
  • P - Clay Buchholz - (Injured) - Deserves the selection... would be replaced by Andy Pettitte
  • P - Jon Lester
  • P - Jered Weaver
  • P - Felix Hernandez
  • P - CC Sabathia
  • P - Daniel Bard - Best righty non-closer... sub 2 ERA, sub 1 WHIP, 18 holds, 44 Ks in 40.2 IP
  • P - Darren Oliver - Best situational lefty... 1.41 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 42 Ks in 38.1 innings... Gotta give me at least one lefty down there
  • P - Jose Valverde - Absurd ratios... 0.97 ERA, 0.84 whip... 33 Ks in 37 innings, 18 saves in 19 tries
  • P - Joakim Soria - leads the league in saves.. 2.41 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 42 K's in 33 innings (insanity)
  • Closer - Mariano Rivera - it's gotta be the sandman... 1.08 ERA, 0.66 WHIP (wow), 19 saves, done and done...
To the NL...
  • Catcher - Miguel Olivo, Brian McCann -
  • 1st Base - Albert Pujols, Joey Votto -
  • 2nd Base - Martin Prado, Brandon Phillips -
  • Shortstop - Hanley Ramirez
  • 3rd Base - David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman -
  • Left Field - Matt Holliday -
  • Center Field - Carlos Gonzalez, Andrew McCutcheon
  • Right Field - Andre Ethier
Pitching...
  • SP - Josh Johnson - This may be a surprise but it shouldn't be... lower ERA than Ubaldo, tied for the league lead in WHIP (sub 1), and a better K-rate... Johnson has been electric
  • P - Ubaldo Jimenez - 14 wins, 2.27 ERA, 1.08 WHIP... yea...
  • P - Roy Halladay - Still the guy I want with the ball... and not disappointing
  • P - Adam Wainwright
  • P - Tim Hudson
  • P - Mat Latos - Tied for WHIP lead with Johnson, the young guy deserves a slot as he's anchored that fantastic Padre staff...
  • P - Yovani Gallardo (injured) - Gallardo has been lights-out (2.58 ERA, 1.26 WHIP)... replace him with crazy-good youngster Jaime Garcia who has been a little lucky thus far but you can't argue with 2.10 ERA and 1.22 WHIP...
  • P - Arthur Rhodes - ERA in the low 1's... best lefty set-up guy in the Majors so far...
  • P - Luke Gregorson - Gets the slight nod over teammate Mike Adams because of a better strand rate and a significantly better WHIP... both guys have been great in middle relief
  • P - Carlos Marmol - Sub 2 ERA, sub 1.2 WHIP... 77 K's in 40.2 IP.... read that again! That's borderline absurd... he should be here
  • P - Jonathan Broxton - 1.98 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, one bad outing in a non-save situation away from the closer spot
  • Closer - Billy Wagner - The guy has been incredible... in his final season... 1.31 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 53 K's in 34 IP... unhittable stuff

Saturday, July 10, 2010

7/10: Heat Deals Finalized, Cliff Lee, etc.

Greetings... Miami Heat madness first...
  • The Wade/Lebron/Bosh deals are in.. All 3 have signed 6-year deals (Bosh and Lebron's are sign-n-trades, we'll address that shortly).... James and Bosh get $110 million, Wade $107 million... starting salaries are 14.5 mill for the first 2, and 14.2 million for Wade... what does it all mean? They've taken $15 million-ish less over the life of the deal to make room for Mike Miller (or someone else to help them if Miller doesn't come)...
  • The sign-n-trade deals are done as well.... for Toronto? They receive their own 2011 first-rounder back from Miami (previously traded in the Shawn Marion heist), and Miami's own 2011 first-rounder... Cleveland? They get Miami's 2013 and 2015 1st-rounders and the right to swap 2012 first-round picks (which they'll be sure to exercise)... both teams get $14.5 million trade exceptions.... You may ask yourself why these teams (especially Cleveland) would want to "help" their former stars by giving them the extra year and trading them... well, there's absolutely no reason not to do it if you are basically given 2 options... 1) Let them go for nothing... or 2) Get free draft picks and trade exceptions... you absolutely have to do the latter...
  • While we're here... if you know me, you know I hated their "intro" event at American Airlines Arena.... keys to the city? really? what are you going to do for them if they actually win something?
The other top stories...
  • Cliff Lee to Texas... it looked early yesterday as if he was definitely headed to New York... but talks stalled, and Texas swooped in with big-time 1st base prospect Justin Smoak, and 3 more prospects... Good deal for both sides... for Seattle? They are being universally praised for getting a better deal back for Lee than the package they surrendered to get him in the offseason, so they basically got a free rental and a steal of a trade... for Texas? They are immediately legitimized further as a World Series contender... with that very, very potent offense, they now have Lee to anchor their staff with Colby Lewis, CJ Wilson, etc... gives them a chance
  • Kyle Korver to the Bulls... and JJ Redick to the Bulls?! The Korver deal is done... 3 years/15 mill to provide that shooting punch off the bench... he's not a natural 2-guard by any means, but he can definitely shoot... but then Chicago threw a curve-ball in the form of a 3 year/19-20 million dollar offer sheet to JJ Redick... at first glance, it gets a "huh?!" because both guys are considered 1-dimensional shooters... but I have a different opinion... First, I believe Redick is a much more complete player than given credit for, he's added a competent dribble game, has shown himself to be an average-or-better defender, and I think he could be a starting 2-guard in a situation like this where he'd be the 5th option... one caveat? Orlando is considered likely to match the Redick deal, which they can do because he's restricted...
  • Ray Felton and the Knicks are rumored to be a partnership... the details are sketchy still, but it's being reported as a $7 million per year-ish amount... that's not a drastic overpayment and he gives them some legitimacy at the point guard spot... I think I would've signed Luke Ridnour who is cheaper and, in my mind, a better fit in that system... but they definitely needed a point guard, and are suddenly semi-intriguing with Felton/Chandler/Azubuike/Randolph/Gallinari/Amare...
  • Tyrus Thomas is headed back to Charlotte... 5 years/40 million is an overpayment by any measure of his production... but, just as when he was drafted in the top 5, teams are suckered in by his potential... I'm not sure where that team is going... All of their best players are 6'8-6'9 (Jackson/Wallace/Diaw/Thomas), and they've just lost Felton...
  • Johan Petro signs with the Nets... 3 years/10 million... I like him as a player, and this is a fairly cheap rate for a functional big... nice backup to Lopez/Favors
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Adam Wainwright (STL) - 8 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 4 K's... continues to be an elite pitcher...
  • Batting Line of the Day - Adam Dunn (WSH) - 3 for 4, 2 HR, 3 RBI's... he's got 5 homers in 3 games... he's got some power
  • The Braves got a big win on the strength of back-to-back homers from the unlikely source of Melky Cabrera and Omar Infante... RA Dickey had been semi-cruising but hung 2 knucklers in a row and that was the end of that... The lead is 4 on New York and 5.5 on Philly... Speaking of Philly...
  • The Phillies managed to steal a win after being down 7-1 in the 9th to Cincinnati last night... bad news for Braves fans who still feel that Philly is the major threat (cough, me), but it's still a 5.5 game advantage
What to watch for...
  • World Cup 3rd Place game - Uruguay/Germany - 2:30 ABC - I'm whole-heartedly against 3rd place games... but people seem to be all about watching soccer, so here's an option...
  • Braves/Mets - 4:00 FOX - Hudson/Pelfrey - 2 big-time pitchers so far this season... and probably the crucial game of the series when you think about the Santana/Lowe matchup on Sunday (yikes)
  • Royals/White Sox - 7:00 WGN - Bannister/Floyd
Just a programming note... no "regular" blog tomorrow... but my version of the MLB all-star rosters will be up... check that out

Friday, July 9, 2010

7/9: One Crazy Night

Forgive me for lack of non-NBA content today... but it may have been the craziest night in NBA history that didn't involve a basketball game of any sort... let's get to it.. there are layers upon layers...

Lebron is headed to South Beach... by now, you clearly know that... First off, I'm very surprised by this move for a number of reasons..
  1. The shear testicular fortitude it takes to have an hour-long ESPN special to announce you are headed elsewhere and rip the hearts out of everyone in Cleveland is something I wasn't sure Lebron was capable of...
  2. Stars never take less money... and we always KILL them for this... how many times has sports radio guy called and said "if he really wanted to win, he'd take less money and go to city X"... well, here's the test case, he's definitely taking less money (we don't know exactly how much less, but it's at least 27 million dollars), to go after rings... can't kill him for that if you have been that guy yelling from the rooftops about taking less to win
  3. After all the mountains of hype, he heads to a team with an established superstar (and I don't use that term loosely) in Dwyane Wade who has already won a ring as the team's best player... for this to work basketball-wise? I think Lebron has to be the main distributor... it's in his DNA.. like evolutionary Magic, he's fantastic at seeing the floor and passing... Wade? He's a scorer through-and-through
  4. One reason that this is a TAD less surprising? Lebron is from Akron... repeat, Lebron is from Akron... for those of you that don't know that area... Akron is 40+ miles from Cleveland, isn't considered to be a suburb of Cleveland, and is the 5th largest city in Ohio, and 81st largest city in the US... why does any of this matter? Lebron's only ties to CLEVELAND are the last 7 years of playing there... and even then, it's not as if he had a choice for the first 3 years... just something to keep in mind...
The fallout...
  • The single funniest/craziest subplot of this whole thing is an open letter to the fans written by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert... just lambasting Lebron at every turn... you can read it here: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html - and you must read it to give it justice... even more fuel was added to the fire... and I still can't stop laughing...
  • Basketball wise, this is a challenge... Miami has exactly one person under contract as of now (I'll explain that more in a minute), and even when adding the Big 3, they still need to sign 9 guys at least... most (or all) of which have to be minimum salaries depending on how much below the max Wade/Bosh/LBJ take...
  • Michael Beasley... the #2 overall pick in the 2008 draft... was GIVEN away last night by Miami to make more cap room... I can't stress how crazy that in itself is... he was dealt to Minnesota (the calamity that is David Kahn) for a 2011 2nd-rounder... that's the #2 overall pick a short time ago for a 2nd-rounder... keeps getting weirder and weirder...
  • And now, reportedly Mike Miller will sign with Miami for 5 years and 30 million... where are they getting that money from? Your guess is as good as mine... but that's roughly the equivalent of what Beasley had coming (in year 1) so the stars will be taking less than the max if this deal is actually going down...
What happens to the other cities?
  • Cleveland - I'm sorry, Cleveland... I really am... the hour-long special was "an unprecedented eff you" (to quote Bill Simmons), and you didn't deserve to be strung along like that... but you are now completely irrelevant basketball-wise... the bright side? You have 12-13 million under the cap if you get rid of Delonte West (which should be easy as his contract is only partially guaranteed)... the not-so-bright side?... there's no impact guys left to spend that money on... and your current 1-2 scoring punch is an aging Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams... welcome to the 8-seed competition...
  • Chicago - This team is still very, very good... they've added the post scorer they never had (Boozer) and have a very nice core of 4 guys (Rose, Boozer, Noah, Deng) to build on... also, they still have around 17 million in cap space to spread around to make that team better... if they spend it wisely, they could be a contender depending on the development of Rose as a #1 guy... but this doesn't kill them
  • New York - Well... this didn't turn out so great for James Dolan and Donnie Walsh... they've peddled the Summer of 2010 for 2+ years... and they end up with Amare, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas, Bill Walker, and Eddy Curry's corpse... that's bad... they still have money (i.e. Ray Felton or something), but when you add in that ridiculous trade with Houston at the 2010 trade deadline where they mortgaged even MORE future (Jordan Hill, 2 no. 1's) just to get farther under the cap... and they didn't use that extra money? Shockingly terrible...
  • New Jersey - They knew they were out of this fairly early... but they are in better shape than the Knicks... they've left a significant amount of cap room open to play with in trades, etc., and still hold the rights to Brook Lopez (a legit center who will give you 19 and 10), Derrick Favors, and Devin Harris, while signing (and overpaying) for Travis Outlaw at 5 years, 35 million... Outlaw can play, it's just the overpayment that's an issue... but there's a corps in place...
What does it mean for 2011 and beyond?
  • Most are anointing the 2010-11 Miami Heat as NBA champions... I'd be quick to go against that... realizing that minimum-contract guys who can be functional don't exactly grow on trees... and realizing they need to sign 8 or 9 of them? Wow... I'd say pencil in Jason Williams at the point (he's average, but a vet who's capable), and that helps them... but even if you expect Mike Miller to be there, you still only have 6 guys, none of which are a physical big man, and one of those is Mario Chalmers (who I don't trust at all)... Basketball is a team game, and they'll need rotation guys who fill roles (I love the Miller signing if it's true, perfect guy to play with them) to win titles... I believe these 3 guys could roll out of bed with 9 rookies and win 50 games, but they aren't beating LA or Boston with no supporting cast... and they aren't winning a title without unearthing some veteran minimum gems...
And finally... a comment on the whole spectacle that was... the hype machine was in absurd effect here, and ESPN can take some blame for that (and they have already)... but at some point, especially when considering the 1-hour special, that's on Lebron and his people... because there isn't a network anywhere that wouldn't have picked up that for the ratings bonanza that it was... Did I lose a little favor for Lebron as a person through this? Yea, maybe a little... he clearly loves the attention and he's told us so (global icon, etc.) so the "surprise" factor in him trotting this out wasn't really there for me... but in the end, he shouldn't have done the massive spectacle if he wasn't going back to Cleveland, there was just no need for it... I have no issue with going elsewhere... none... but a little tact wouldn't have hurt...

Will I root for the Heat? Nope.. It's not in my natures to root for the "favorites" unless they are a team I previously have ties to... the Heat are in the same division as my beloved Atlanta Hawks (sigh), and I can't bring myself to do it... I hope they fail epicly, simply because it will be a fantastic story... but at any rate, it's going to be a wild season... and that's all we can ask for

Thursday, July 8, 2010

7/8: The Lebron Chronicles

Short and sweet again today (sorry)...
  • Lebron will announce tonight at 9:00... All signs have him pointing to Miami today... I don't believe any of it... I'm going on record and still saying he goes back to Cleveland... he's really going to have an hour-long special to kill his hometown? Meh...Cleveland it is
  • Carlos Boozer reportedly going to Chicago... can't hurt their Lebron chances... but even if Lebron walks... Noah/Boozer/Rose/Deng and free-agent 2-guard X is a pretty nice squad... there is some durability risk with Boozer, but he was the best available and I like the fit next to Noah
  • Ray Allen going back to Boston... yawn... expected from him IMO... but that's still an impact player in the East, and everyone is going to sleep on Boston now... you shouldn't
  • Big time Braves win last night... a 6-run inning thanks to Prado/Diaz/McCann... and the momentum is surging... up 6 games on Philly wasn't exactly what anyone expected in early July...
What to watch for...
  • The Lebron announcement - ESPN 9:00 - There's a 3-hour SportsCenter before this... you can't make this stuff up...
  • Cubs/Dodgers - WGN 10:10 - Wells/Kershaw - 2 nice young arms on a pretty empty day for non-Lebron sports

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

7/7: Wade and Bosh to Miami?

Good morning everyone... I'm a bit under the weather today so this'll be short... but duty calls
  • Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will reportedly be headed to Miami to play together... ESPN and other outlets are treating as done, and I remain a bit more skeptical than that due to the nature of the process so far, and the fact that I won't believe anything as fact until I hear from one of them.... at any rate, this is obviously huge news... Miami would still have near max cap room to split between other guys to surround them with talent (and there are several middle-tier free agents that would fit there)... but the elephant in the room is Lebron...
  • Speaking of Lebron... I jokingly tweeted on Tuesday about Lebron needing to hold a national TV spot with recruiting hats in front of him i.e. college football to make his choice... well, on Thursday at 9:00 PM on ESPN he'll be doing just that... there may not be hats... but this is certainly a circus... I'm a huge fan of the work of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, who Lebron is donating all proceeds to, but count me as a skeptic of the ego-grab this may be...
  • The Netherlands are in the World Cup final... just the 5th country to reach the final 3+ times... and obviously a big-time soccer country... they'll know who they'll see on Sunday after today's Germany/Spain duel
  • The Clippers hire Vinny Del Negro as head coach... I was almost speechless here... what indicated that VDN did even a palatable job in Chicago? Nothing... but Donald Sterling strikes yet again, and hires a guy that is universally considered to be below average, and one with a track record of getting into benders with management... nice work Donald
What to watch for..
  • World Cup Semifinal - Germany/Spain - 2:30 ESPN... winner to meet Netherlands
  • Braves/Phillies - 7:00 Peachtree TV - Medlen/Moyer... the rubber game of the series after a big-time late inning win last night for ATL
  • Reds/Mets - 7:00 ESPN - Arroyo/Niese
  • Cubs/D-Backs - 9:40 WGN - Dempster/E. Jackson
Enjoy the day...

Sunday, July 4, 2010

The Joe Deal is Done...

Special edition here... some straight reaction to Arn Tellem (Joe Johnson's agent) reporting via his own release that Joe has decided to sign the 6-year max offer from the Hawks... a couple things for me...

As you know.... or can gather through past writings, I'm not a fan of the move... So let me get this part out of the way... I like Joe... I own his jersey, he's a productive scorer, from all accounts a good guy, and he's been put in an unfair position with this organization from the time he arrived (re: hey Joe, go score!)... Okay, that's out there... now to my concerns
  1. The shear numbers... Joe Johnson being set to make 20+ million until the time he's 35 years old is troubling in and of itself... there's an argument to be made that from the time he signs he's overpaid (I tend to agree), but at the very least, I've heard no one argue that he WON'T be overpaid sooner rather than later... guys with similar pedigrees at the same position/size (re: Michael Finley for example) usually exhibit sharp declines when they reach 31-32 years old... Joe is 29 now... do the math... don't believe me that the x's and o's are as ugly as I say? Go check out Kelly Dwyer's immediate reaction to this deal basically anointing it as one of the worst contracts ever given (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Joe-Johnson-to-sign-a-ridiculous-deal-with-the-A?urn=nba,252877)... it's going to be ugly in 2015-2016... I cringe thinking about it
  2. The Atlanta Spirit Group - Let me address this... there's a growing sentiment in the media that the ASG is set to exceed the luxury tax after making this signing, and it's being painted as a "first" move... not a final move, for this offseason... while this would severely lessen the initial blow of the general fear of this contract (re: the total and complete clogging of payroll), I will believe this when I see it... they've never been near the luxury tax, and I personally don't believe they'll exceed it... Also, there's a report peddled by David Aldridge that the ASG were okay with signing this contract simply because there's significant doubt that they'll be the owners at the end of it... That sounds more like it... I hope and pray that this move doesn't completely kill any salary flexibility going forward... but I think it does
  3. The Crawfords - Rick Sund and company just drafted Jordan Crawford in the 1st round of this draft... Jordan Crawford is a shooting guard... so is Joe Johnson... not that there were any more pressing needs (cough, bigs or anyone that can defend a small forward)... as for Jamal? He has the one (outside of Al Horford who we've been told isn't moving) contract that is appealing to other teams in the form of a $10+ million expiring deal after this season... Sund is now charged with turning that money into an asset... and I can't see a scenario where it'd be wise to keep Jamal on the roster past the 2011 trade deadline because once that money comes off the books, there's no way of replacing that talent level since the club will be staying over the cap...
  4. Al Horford - Horford is up for an extension any day now... will this overpayment put a roadblock in those efforts? Horford is considered to be a centerpiece of this franchise (and I'd agree), but there's a real possibility the ownership group will simply either a) balk at spending 8 figures on a 3rd player, or b) pay Horford a potential 8 figure salary and subsequently open the door for even MORE salary restriction elsewhere...
In the end, will the 2010-11 Hawks be better off with Joe Johnson than without him? Absolutely, and it's not close... the same goes for the 2011-12 version I'd imagine.. but if the Spirit Group doesn't open its pocketbook (possibly aided by a pending Thrashers sale?) to go into the tax and use the mid-level exception to lure additional talent for this year, and be willing to pay for Al Horford, this team will already have seen its best days in the form of the 53-win campaign we just saw... Count me skeptical of that group of previously overmatched gentlemen... This could be a sad day for a life-long Hawks fan... or it could be a sign of a changing/evolving ownership willing to whatever it takes to win, and being slightly short-sighted in this new endeavor by overpaying their "superstar"... let's hope it's the latter

Saturday, July 3, 2010

7/3: A Sensible NBA Free Agent Deal, etc.

Hi..
  • Dwyane Wade is now "on the fence" with Chicago and Miami... I maintain that nobody knows anything after hearing this story... Wade was the forgotten man as far as people actually thinking he'd leave Miami... it was all about him recruiting for the city... now he may walk? Of course, the place he'd go happens to be his hometown so it makes some sense... but I think I have more questions about a Wade/Rose backcourt than a Lebron/Rose combo fit-wise... at any rate, if you're Chicago, you can't worry about that... trigger...
  • In more "on the fence" news... Joe Johnson is reportedly in that same place (according to ESPN's Chris Sheridan) as he ponders the full 6-year max from Atlanta or going elsewhere (namely New York or Chicago)... I'm semi-ecstatic about this development simply from the standpoint of him knowing the 6-year max is on the table, I can't possibly see him walking away for nothing... Sign-n-trade? Maybe...
  • Lebron had 2 more meetings... that's it
  • The first logical NBA signing of the summer! Steve Blake signs for 4 years, 16 million with the LA Lakers... a couple things here... 1) That's a bargain... 4 million per for a potential starting point guard, and at worst a very solid 3rd guard in this market is crazy... 2) He's a better player than Derek Fisher right now, but even if Fisher comes back, this isn't a guy you have to be worried about causing a stir... and 3) I love his game... makes open threes (as Portland fans cringe), unselfish, distributes the ball, and can defend...
  • The Ghana/Uruguay match yesterday was a classic... PK's are always legit but there was legit drama about the handball and subsequent red card, and just an overall crazy experience... Heartbreak for Ghana and the entire continent of Africa...
Baseball...
  • Pitching Line of the Day - Mat Latos (SD) - 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 7 Ks... he happens to be on my #1 fantasy team... thank you Mat...
  • Batting Line of the Day - Chris Young (ARI) - 3 for 5, HR, 5 RBI, 3 runs, SB... He ran the gamut...
  • The Braves get a walk-off victory... despite a weird/ugly rundown in the top of 11th, McCann walks... Glaus doubles and Infante singles them both home for the W... Medlen was awesome other than the 1st inning HR by Hanley Ramirez, and the bats did just enough..
  • I need some feedback.. Normally, I'd blow the doors off a MLB all-star roster review... but I think I hate the MLB all-star game... if anyone wants me to write this... let me know
What to watch for...
  • World Cup Quarters - Argentina/Germany - 10:00 ABC - 2 monster squads, and the best player in the world... done and done
  • World Cup Quarters - Paraguay/Spain - 2:30 ESPN
  • Wimbledon Women's Final - S. Williams/Zvonareva - 9:00 NBC
  • Braves/Marlins - 4:00 Fox - Hanson/Sanchez - Could really use a bounce-back performance from Hanson today...
  • White Sox/Rangers - 8:00 WGN - Danks/Hunter
Have fun out there...

Friday, July 2, 2010

7/2: Free Agency Hilarity, Brazil goes down, etc.

Hola... NBA stuff first...
  • Paul Pierce re-ups with Boston for 4 years, 61 million... that's about what I thought he'd get, and his opt-out (tipped off by Doc Rivers' re-upping) was purely a grab at a longer deal... ho-hum here
  • Rudy Gay re-signs with Memphis for 5 years, 81 million... this one threw most people for a loop because it was long-rumored that he was absolutely gone... I think they surprised most people offering this big a number, and he jumped at it... it's overpaying for him, but not hilariously so in this market...
  • I'm not going to comment on the reported Joe Johnson 6 year/119 million deal until it's done... for my own sanity... just know it's a catastrophe
  • Dreadful lower-level deal #1 - Amir Johnson - 5 years/34 million from Toronto... 7 million a year for a guy who has done the equivalent of nothing (short of fouling out alot)... seems about right
  • Dreadful lower-level deal #2 - Darko Milicic - 4 years/20 million from Minny... David Kahn is the man... the day after signing Euro big man Nikola Pekovic to a 3 year/13 million deal (which most people actually liked), Kahn went to the well and gave Darko 5 per.. who was he bidding against? That's the real question I have... I've been a Darko supporter compared to most, but I can't imagine anyone else giving him this number...
  • Dreadful lower-level deal #3 - Drew Gooden - 5 years/32 million from Milwaukee - huh?!? This one isn't the worst of these 3 deals (in fact it's probably the best somehow), but it struck me as terrible nonetheless.. Gooden is a semi-productive rebounder and he can make a mid-range jumper... but I'd rather have a guy like Udonis Haslem, and over $6 million per seems outlandish...
  • Channing Frye re-ups with Phoenix for 5 years/30 million... now here's a reasonable contract... just think of it this way... who's a more effective player in their system? Frye in Phoenix or Amir Johnson in Toronto? How bout Frye or Gooden? I choose Frye and it's not close... yes, he's not worth 6 million per to any other team, but he showed in Phoenix that he's a great fit, and while it's not exactly a bargain, it's not dreadful either
  • John Salmons reportedly agrees to stay in Milwaukee... this one isn't "done" but 5 years/40 million seems to be the number... with the 4 deals I just talked about? seems like a bargain... the only issue? They just dealt for Corey Maggette, which everyone presumed was the Salmons replacement... I'm not sure you need Maggette/Salmons/Ilyasova/Delfino and they drafted Darington Hobson for good measure... seems like a log-jam
  • Notice I didn't mention Lebron/Wade/Bosh/Amare.. there are mini-stories on them (Amare's basic removal from the equation in Phoenix, etc.) but nothing done...
Elsewhere...
  • Brazil goes down to the Netherlands... with the help of an own goal at the 53 minute mark, Netherlands advances and the favored Brazilians go home... pretty shocking result
  • Phil Jackson returning to LA... "one more year" he says... at any rate, he should be there.. and I can't see a scenario outside of Lebron and Bosh both going to Chicago that would make me think they aren't the favorite
  • The Arizona Diamondbacks fire manager AJ Hinch and their GM Josh Byrnes... pretty strong play, but they have been pretty woeful (31-48), and alot of people thought they'd be better... the interim manager? Kirk Gibson... of fist-pump fame
  • Bengie Molina traded to the Rangers... the Teagarden/Saltalamacchia/Ramirez/Treanor experiment is over... tragic
  • Chase Utley has surgery and will miss 8 weeks... time to extend the lead Braves fans... if that doesn't happen, I'd worry

What to watch for...
  • Ghana/Uruguay - 2:30 ESPN
  • Cubs/Reds - 2:20 WGN - Dempster/Arroyo
  • Braves/Marlins - 7:30 Peachtree TV - Medlen/Johnson - Not exactly a matchup the Braves love when considering Josh Johnson may be the best pitcher in the NL right now... but Medlen's been good
Enjoy...