News broke earlier this afternoon that the Blue Jays orchestrated and maneuvered a few deals which saw them land centrefielder Colby Rasmus from the St. Louis Cardinals (who just two short years ago was ranked the 3rd best prospect in all of baseball by Baseball America).
The acquisition was predicated on the Jays swinging pitchers Zach Stewart and Jason Frasor (who just last week became the Jays all-time appearance leader) to the White Sox for pitcher Edwin Jackson and 3rd baseman Mark Teahen; the Jays then shipped Jackson off (with not much else of substance) to St. Louis for Rasmus and fluff. Now, I do not know how anybody can think this is not a major coup for the Jays. They receive a highly touted, soon-to-be 25-year old who is tagged with the potential of becoming a top five centrefielder in the entire league.
You'll hear the arguments that he didn't get along with Tony LaRussa, and that he is much maligned. However, people can change, especially if placed in the right situation. Need proof? Look no further than last year's main acquisition of the Jays, Yunel Escobar. We heard the same things -- he doesn't get along with his manager (Bobby Cox)...he's selfish/lazy...he's wasting his talent. Well, who would argue now that wasn't a great deal for the Jays? Escobar is quickly establishing himself as one of the best shortstops in the entire game and has now found a home in Toronto, as evidenced by his 2-year deal with the option of two additional years to be tacked on.
These types of deals are ones the Jays have to make, even if they blow up in their faces from time to time. Competing with the Yankees and Red Sox is a daunting task, especially when they'll never be outspent, so identifying and picking up high-end, controllable talent is a major source of building up a core that would finally compete with the big boys. The deal for Rasmus -- as was the case with Escobar -- certainly fits the bill.
Some will point to Anthony Gose, the centrefielder of the future awaiting in the wings. "Why pick up Rasmus when Gose will soon be the guy?" is a common refrain heard. Well, for one, you can never have enough high-end talent. Two, Gose is still two or three years away, which means Rasmus provides more than just a stop-gap measure. And three, if Rasmus ends up reaching his potential that his talent dictates, the Jays will have yet another solid trade bait piece they can flog off to fill another gap (will an adequate closer ever be found?!).
In all, it should be considered an exciting day for Jays fans who can look forward to not only the end of this season, but next season seeing a mighty fine core coming together. Of course, the trade deadline is still four days away, and you just know GM Alex Anthopoulos is continually working the phones to improve his team. Ubaldo Jimenez anyone?
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Rasmus a Jay!
TTP Sports has learned from an anonymous source that the Blue Jays have just acquired Colby Rasmus from the St.Louis Cardinals. Jays fans can also finally wave a thankful goodbye to Jason Frasor, as the veteran right hander was shipped to the Chi-Sox along with highly touted prospect Zach Stewart for Edwin Jackson and Canadian veteran Mark Teahen. It is rumoured that Jackson was flipped to St.Louis as part of the compensation for Rasmus. More details to follow.
Monday, July 25, 2011
German Grand Prix
After the British Grand Prix weekend where the race was probably compromised by some last minute car setup rule changes, the Grand Prix in Germany at Nurburgring was a success. The rules were changed back to what they were before the British Grand Prix and the weather cooperated by the rain conveniently stopping as the race was starting.
Going into Qualifying this weekend, all the talk has been about who can beat Vettel. So far, this season has been dominated by Vettel who has won 6 out of the first 9 races and his lowest finish of the year up to the German Grand Prix was 2nd. Qualifying ended with Weber taking poll position, Hamilton finishing 2nd, and Vettel in 3rd.
The race started with Hamilton taking the lead from Weber after the first turn. Vettel slotted himself into 4th place after the first few turns. He would capitalize on a small mistake by Alonso and move into 3rd place on the 2nd lap.
Weber would pass Hamilton to take the lead a dozen laps into the race. I’m sure that felt really good for Weber as that was the first lap he has led this season.
Vettel ended up ruining his chances of a 10th straight podium finish this year with a spin out, putting him back into 5th place, well off the lead. He would end up passing Massa to take 4th place on the last lap when both of them pitted. The Red Bull crew simply had a much faster pit stop than Ferrari.
The only accident of the day came on the 10th lap when Heidfeld was moving into position to pass Buemi but Buemi moved over to block the pass and ended up making contact with Heidfeld’s car. Heidfeld’s front wing shattered and he went sliding off the track. The most useless ruling of the day came from the Stewards when they gave Heidfeld a drive through penalty even though he was already “walking” away from his car.
It was an interesting race with numerous lead changes which is a nice change from the previous races. Throughout the entire race the top 3 racers were within 10 seconds of each other. The McLaren team made the best race decisions as to when to pit and Hamilton would end up winning the race with Alonso not that far behind in 2nd. Weber would finish in 3rd , and for the 2nd time in three years wasn’t able to win the race after taking the coveted poll position.
It looks like the other top teams have closed the gap on the Red Bull team which should make the rest of the season fun to watch. Next weekend’s race in Hungary should be a good one.
Going into Qualifying this weekend, all the talk has been about who can beat Vettel. So far, this season has been dominated by Vettel who has won 6 out of the first 9 races and his lowest finish of the year up to the German Grand Prix was 2nd. Qualifying ended with Weber taking poll position, Hamilton finishing 2nd, and Vettel in 3rd.
The race started with Hamilton taking the lead from Weber after the first turn. Vettel slotted himself into 4th place after the first few turns. He would capitalize on a small mistake by Alonso and move into 3rd place on the 2nd lap.
Weber would pass Hamilton to take the lead a dozen laps into the race. I’m sure that felt really good for Weber as that was the first lap he has led this season.
Vettel ended up ruining his chances of a 10th straight podium finish this year with a spin out, putting him back into 5th place, well off the lead. He would end up passing Massa to take 4th place on the last lap when both of them pitted. The Red Bull crew simply had a much faster pit stop than Ferrari.
The only accident of the day came on the 10th lap when Heidfeld was moving into position to pass Buemi but Buemi moved over to block the pass and ended up making contact with Heidfeld’s car. Heidfeld’s front wing shattered and he went sliding off the track. The most useless ruling of the day came from the Stewards when they gave Heidfeld a drive through penalty even though he was already “walking” away from his car.
It was an interesting race with numerous lead changes which is a nice change from the previous races. Throughout the entire race the top 3 racers were within 10 seconds of each other. The McLaren team made the best race decisions as to when to pit and Hamilton would end up winning the race with Alonso not that far behind in 2nd. Weber would finish in 3rd , and for the 2nd time in three years wasn’t able to win the race after taking the coveted poll position.
It looks like the other top teams have closed the gap on the Red Bull team which should make the rest of the season fun to watch. Next weekend’s race in Hungary should be a good one.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Will we see a dynasty again?
I was watching a game on the Classic NHL network and it was a 1983 playoff game in the Smythe divison between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Not only was it good to see the name, Smythe Division, again, but it brought back good memories watching the Oiler Dynasty team of the 80's. In net was Andy Moog, backed up by Grant Fuhr. On defence was Paul Coffey, Charlie Huddy and Randy Gregg to name a few. Up front was a collection of Hall of Famers - Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson and of course Wayne Gretzky. In that game, Gretzky scored a hat trick with relative ease (one of them being of the short-handed nature). The game was 7-1 by the end of the 2nd and it didn't seem like the Oilers had broken a sweat.
I was wondering whether we'd see another purely dominant team like this ever again in the NHL? A part of me doesn't think so. With the age of salary caps, contractual terms and inflated player egos, I would find it hard to believe there would be a team that would be as stacked as the Edmonton Oilers. Especially with 30 teams in the league, the talent pool just seems too diluted. I guess it's good in a way that it gives all teams a better chance at competing, but it would be fun to see another Oiler-like team again (especially if it's your home team!).
I was wondering whether we'd see another purely dominant team like this ever again in the NHL? A part of me doesn't think so. With the age of salary caps, contractual terms and inflated player egos, I would find it hard to believe there would be a team that would be as stacked as the Edmonton Oilers. Especially with 30 teams in the league, the talent pool just seems too diluted. I guess it's good in a way that it gives all teams a better chance at competing, but it would be fun to see another Oiler-like team again (especially if it's your home team!).
Friday, July 15, 2011
Hockey Night in Canada...on TSN?!
Last night came word that Pierre LeBrun has joined TSN as one of its analysts. To me, LeBrun is one of the best in the business in what he does, so naturally, I think this is a major coup for TSN. This announcement comes mere weeks after another Pierre, McGuire, announced he was "taking his talents down south". Pretty darn good tradeoff if you ask me.
LeBrun, of course, leaves his role on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) as one of its panel members of the Satellite Hot Stove. Just last week CBC lost another HNIC member in Jeff Marek, who joined Sportsnet. With all the tribulations the CBC has faced the last few years (losing the rights to the Olympics, namely), it only leads to questions of whether this is a telltale sign of its demise. I'm sure some will point to a few years ago when they elected not to pony up to maintain the Hockey Theme, which naturally, was scooped up by, you guessed it, TSN.
I will say, the thought of CBC no longer holding the rights of HNIC in a few years is kind of sad. It's what I, along with many other Canadians, grew up with. It's nearing its 60th birthday and you'll have grandparents telling their grandkids nowadays how they would all gather every Saturday night around their black and white TV with the fireplace crackling in the background to watch hockey. Personally, it helped define my childhood -- you just knew what you were going to watch every Saturday and it led to some of the most fun times with family and friends. And it's still carrying over to today. And sadly, it may be coming to an end.
Perhaps I am putting the cart before the carriage, but you can also see the writing on the wall. Now, all that needs to be done is for Ron MacLean to leave CBC for the channel's utter collapse. Seriously...what is TSN waiting for?! (I think he'd be out of the price range for Sportsnet). He's one of the best in the business and not only would he be your face of hockey, he'd be one of the better Olympic hosts (it was an absolutely crime not seeing him hosting the 2010 Vancouver Olympics).
Now I do think TSN would do a great job, but it'd take some time adjusting to. CBC is just synonymous with HNIC. Plus, you will no longer be able to catch a Saturday night game(s) at a remote cottage in the heart of winter on an old school TV whose bunny ears have to be fiddled with for 2 minutes just so the fuzziness doesn't overall distract your viewing pleasure. It's small subtle things like that that will be missed.
I suppose though, if anything, the reuniting of the perfect unison of the Hockey Theme and HNIC would make things feel natural once again.
LeBrun, of course, leaves his role on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) as one of its panel members of the Satellite Hot Stove. Just last week CBC lost another HNIC member in Jeff Marek, who joined Sportsnet. With all the tribulations the CBC has faced the last few years (losing the rights to the Olympics, namely), it only leads to questions of whether this is a telltale sign of its demise. I'm sure some will point to a few years ago when they elected not to pony up to maintain the Hockey Theme, which naturally, was scooped up by, you guessed it, TSN.
I will say, the thought of CBC no longer holding the rights of HNIC in a few years is kind of sad. It's what I, along with many other Canadians, grew up with. It's nearing its 60th birthday and you'll have grandparents telling their grandkids nowadays how they would all gather every Saturday night around their black and white TV with the fireplace crackling in the background to watch hockey. Personally, it helped define my childhood -- you just knew what you were going to watch every Saturday and it led to some of the most fun times with family and friends. And it's still carrying over to today. And sadly, it may be coming to an end.
Perhaps I am putting the cart before the carriage, but you can also see the writing on the wall. Now, all that needs to be done is for Ron MacLean to leave CBC for the channel's utter collapse. Seriously...what is TSN waiting for?! (I think he'd be out of the price range for Sportsnet). He's one of the best in the business and not only would he be your face of hockey, he'd be one of the better Olympic hosts (it was an absolutely crime not seeing him hosting the 2010 Vancouver Olympics).
Now I do think TSN would do a great job, but it'd take some time adjusting to. CBC is just synonymous with HNIC. Plus, you will no longer be able to catch a Saturday night game(s) at a remote cottage in the heart of winter on an old school TV whose bunny ears have to be fiddled with for 2 minutes just so the fuzziness doesn't overall distract your viewing pleasure. It's small subtle things like that that will be missed.
I suppose though, if anything, the reuniting of the perfect unison of the Hockey Theme and HNIC would make things feel natural once again.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Take a Step Back, Breathe, and Relax
So the MLB All-Star game has come and gone, and each team's representative(s) is/are now back on a flight to join their team in the upcoming series. As such, today, and every other day following the MLB All-Star game, signals the lone day in the entire sporting year where there is not a single professional game/match played.
For this is the one day of the year where we as fans can take a step back from our vested interest in sports and perhaps spend some time with our family, enjoy a BBQ, do some gardening, go for a walk, et cetera, without illiciting a mere thought of checking in to see how our favourite team is doing.
It's funny -- we as fans clamour for days like this but end up having this voided feeling (similar to how hockey fans say the season drags on way too long into mid-June only to look forward to training camp by the end of the month). I will say, it will be weird flipping over to the various sports channel tickers to not find a boxscore, as it will checking the boxscores online or in the paper tomorrow morning.
Oh well, time to decompress. Hope you enjoy today because come tomorrow, it's back to the grind and today will have been all but a distant memory.
For this is the one day of the year where we as fans can take a step back from our vested interest in sports and perhaps spend some time with our family, enjoy a BBQ, do some gardening, go for a walk, et cetera, without illiciting a mere thought of checking in to see how our favourite team is doing.
It's funny -- we as fans clamour for days like this but end up having this voided feeling (similar to how hockey fans say the season drags on way too long into mid-June only to look forward to training camp by the end of the month). I will say, it will be weird flipping over to the various sports channel tickers to not find a boxscore, as it will checking the boxscores online or in the paper tomorrow morning.
Oh well, time to decompress. Hope you enjoy today because come tomorrow, it's back to the grind and today will have been all but a distant memory.
Some Constructive Criticism for Major League Baseball
The past few years, I have always been so excited about the MLB All-Star game. The best pitching against the best hitting - how can you go wrong? Unfortunately, the same scenario has been unfolding for the past 5 years or so. Said scenario unfolds something like this:
1) Roy Halladay or some other ace starts for their respective team.
2) All-star hitters not wanting to strike out or drag out their at bat swing at the first pitch remotely near the strike zone.
3) These defensive and non-selective swings early in the count result in many quick, scoreless innings of boring baseball.
4) After two plate appearances, the all stars are replaced by subs, while the premier pitchers continue to mow them down.
5) By the end of the game, any potential excitement is limited by the fact that only the most low-profile subs are remaining in the game (ie. last night top of the 9th: Carlos Quentin (replaced Bautista); Matt Joyce (replaced Hamilton); Michael Cuddyer (replaced both Gonzalez AND Cabrera); and Paul Konerko (replaced Ortiz). How in the world did Cuddyer even make the all-star game??? Give me one statistic of his that stands out. And yes, I'm sure as the announcers said many times that he's "a good baseball guy." Having Quentin/Joyce/Cuddyer/Konerko playing the last half of the game instead of Bautista/Hamilton/Gonzalez/Ortiz is stupid. I thought "this time it counts" and that the managers were trying to win this game.
Major League Baseball needs to limit the amount of "token" players who make the all-star teams. Guys like Cuddyer, Joyce, Brandon League(???!!!), and many others that were in this game should not be playing, while all the best, most popular players play the first four innings and are then removed. We want to see the best players in the key situations. If you need to put Cuddyer in the game then have him start. Put him in the cleanup spot and let him have a quick pop up to get it out of the way and then put in Adrian Gonzalez or Miguel Cabrera to try and win the game and give the fans the best show. If you need to put in Carlos Quentin, get it over with quickly, then put in Jose Bautista (who is the best player in the world) to try and win the game and make things more entertaining too.
I understand why Major League Baseball does what they do with respect to roster size. They want all teams represented so that the most fans will watch. I also understand why managers put as many players into the game as possible. But they have to understand that seeing Michael Cuddyer and Matt Joyce trying to win the game for the American League is not what fans want to see.
1) Roy Halladay or some other ace starts for their respective team.
2) All-star hitters not wanting to strike out or drag out their at bat swing at the first pitch remotely near the strike zone.
3) These defensive and non-selective swings early in the count result in many quick, scoreless innings of boring baseball.
4) After two plate appearances, the all stars are replaced by subs, while the premier pitchers continue to mow them down.
5) By the end of the game, any potential excitement is limited by the fact that only the most low-profile subs are remaining in the game (ie. last night top of the 9th: Carlos Quentin (replaced Bautista); Matt Joyce (replaced Hamilton); Michael Cuddyer (replaced both Gonzalez AND Cabrera); and Paul Konerko (replaced Ortiz). How in the world did Cuddyer even make the all-star game??? Give me one statistic of his that stands out. And yes, I'm sure as the announcers said many times that he's "a good baseball guy." Having Quentin/Joyce/Cuddyer/Konerko playing the last half of the game instead of Bautista/Hamilton/Gonzalez/Ortiz is stupid. I thought "this time it counts" and that the managers were trying to win this game.
Major League Baseball needs to limit the amount of "token" players who make the all-star teams. Guys like Cuddyer, Joyce, Brandon League(???!!!), and many others that were in this game should not be playing, while all the best, most popular players play the first four innings and are then removed. We want to see the best players in the key situations. If you need to put Cuddyer in the game then have him start. Put him in the cleanup spot and let him have a quick pop up to get it out of the way and then put in Adrian Gonzalez or Miguel Cabrera to try and win the game and give the fans the best show. If you need to put in Carlos Quentin, get it over with quickly, then put in Jose Bautista (who is the best player in the world) to try and win the game and make things more entertaining too.
I understand why Major League Baseball does what they do with respect to roster size. They want all teams represented so that the most fans will watch. I also understand why managers put as many players into the game as possible. But they have to understand that seeing Michael Cuddyer and Matt Joyce trying to win the game for the American League is not what fans want to see.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Here's to you, Mr. Robinson
What an incredible show. That derby had everything. A close contest, monstrous home runs, a guy in the crowd catching a ball while jumping into a pool - what more could you ask for? And I have a new favourite Yankee. Not that I'm a big fan of any Yankee, but it's a start. What I said about Robinson Cano not belonging in this contest, well, as Striker in X2 once put it, "I was wrong."
What an awesome show of power. I had no idea that Cano could hit balls consistently over 440 feet, with one gargantuan blast into the concourse measuring in at 472 feet. Just incredible, and with his proud father pitching no less. But the other competitors (other than Jose Bautista) deserve a lot of credit for putting on a great show too. Prince Fielder and David Ortiz looked like they were done after a paltry 5 homers a piece in the opening round sent them to an unusual three way bat-off versus Matt Holliday. With the chips down, Ortiz and Fielder put on a show, hitting 9 out of 10 possible home runs, all of the jaw-dropping variety.
Adrian Gonzalez was the hard luck loser in this one, but he exceeded expectations as well. One could set their watch to his smooth, consistent, precise left handed swing as he hit balls out to right, center, and left field. This was the best home run derby I can remember watching, and in the case of Robinson Cano, I'm glad I was wrong.
What an awesome show of power. I had no idea that Cano could hit balls consistently over 440 feet, with one gargantuan blast into the concourse measuring in at 472 feet. Just incredible, and with his proud father pitching no less. But the other competitors (other than Jose Bautista) deserve a lot of credit for putting on a great show too. Prince Fielder and David Ortiz looked like they were done after a paltry 5 homers a piece in the opening round sent them to an unusual three way bat-off versus Matt Holliday. With the chips down, Ortiz and Fielder put on a show, hitting 9 out of 10 possible home runs, all of the jaw-dropping variety.
Adrian Gonzalez was the hard luck loser in this one, but he exceeded expectations as well. One could set their watch to his smooth, consistent, precise left handed swing as he hit balls out to right, center, and left field. This was the best home run derby I can remember watching, and in the case of Robinson Cano, I'm glad I was wrong.
Home Run Derby Predictions
The home run derby means different things to different people. For fans such as myself, it is an opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy watching the boys of summer sock some dingers. For the snootier sports fan, it is an opportunity to look down on the masses who marvel at the sight of balls hit a long way. For Prince Fielder, it is an opportunity to "beef up" with a couple of pre-derby cheeseburgers. Here are some derby predictions:
Round 1: Holliday, Matt: 4; Cano, Robinson: 5; Weeks, Rickie: 5; Gonzalez, Adrian: 8; Kemp, Matt: 4; Ortiz, David: 9; Fielder, Prince: 10; Bautista, Jose:9
Round 2: Gonzalez, Adrian: 6; Ortiz, David: 8; Bautista, Jose: 10; Fielder, Prince: 9
Round 3: Fielder, Prince: 8; Bautista, Jose: 9
Champion: Jose Bautista
Round 1: Holliday, Matt: 4; Cano, Robinson: 5; Weeks, Rickie: 5; Gonzalez, Adrian: 8; Kemp, Matt: 4; Ortiz, David: 9; Fielder, Prince: 10; Bautista, Jose:9
Round 2: Gonzalez, Adrian: 6; Ortiz, David: 8; Bautista, Jose: 10; Fielder, Prince: 9
Round 3: Fielder, Prince: 8; Bautista, Jose: 9
Champion: Jose Bautista
Solid NHL UFA's Still(man) Available
While NHL teams prepare to open training camp, and most of the star unrestricted free agents (or should I say the only star UFA - Brad Richards) have been claimed, it is easy to overlook the fact that there are still some solid puzzle pieces left in the box.
Cory Stillman, at age 38, is unquestionably nearing the end of his NHL career; although we've been saying that for some time now. A scoring winger, he had 16 points in 21 games finishing out the 2010-11 season with the Hurricanes. To be effective he will need to find a home on a team where he will be assured a spot in the top six forwards. For such a team needing a veteran presence on the second line, a salary in the range of $2M would be a bargain on a one or two year deal.
After skipping the 2011 World Championships to rest his knee, Vaclav Prospal is looking for a new contract. With the Rangers having blown the bank on Brad Richards, it is doubtful they will extend an offer to Prospal. If the Rangers do not reach out to him, expect Prospal to once again have the motivation to "stick it up somebody's butt" - of course referring again to John Tortorella. This is a 36 year old veteran who can score, but mostly when put on a stacked line with at least one or two elite offensive talents. I do not see Prospal having much value to a team, unless he can play alongside their top scorer on the first line.
Nikolay Zherdev the enigmatic Russian winger is anything but a solid pickup for an NHL team, as he has never put things together at the NHL level. From day one, analysts have drooled over Zherdev, but after so many disappointing seasons of not living up to potential, one has to wonder if the break though will ever occur. Some team will roll the dice on him.
Alex Kovalev is once again an unrestricted free agent. Say what you want about him: he disappears in some games, he is old, has been overpaid in years past, his defense is suspect, but even the harshest critics cannot deny the slick hands and premier talent that this man possesses. He will never be a first liner again, but at the right price (less than $2M on a one year deal) he would be a bargain and provide some secondary scoring. He also has a Stanley Cup ring.
Bryan McCabe is not a popular name among Leafs fans, but imagine him reuniting with Tomas Kaberle in Carolina. Combined with Joni Pitkanen, the trio could form one of the more potent threats from the back end in the Eastern conference. Just remember Bryan, if you're going to take a shot on a goalie, make sure to check what team he is on first.
Cory Stillman, at age 38, is unquestionably nearing the end of his NHL career; although we've been saying that for some time now. A scoring winger, he had 16 points in 21 games finishing out the 2010-11 season with the Hurricanes. To be effective he will need to find a home on a team where he will be assured a spot in the top six forwards. For such a team needing a veteran presence on the second line, a salary in the range of $2M would be a bargain on a one or two year deal.
After skipping the 2011 World Championships to rest his knee, Vaclav Prospal is looking for a new contract. With the Rangers having blown the bank on Brad Richards, it is doubtful they will extend an offer to Prospal. If the Rangers do not reach out to him, expect Prospal to once again have the motivation to "stick it up somebody's butt" - of course referring again to John Tortorella. This is a 36 year old veteran who can score, but mostly when put on a stacked line with at least one or two elite offensive talents. I do not see Prospal having much value to a team, unless he can play alongside their top scorer on the first line.
Nikolay Zherdev the enigmatic Russian winger is anything but a solid pickup for an NHL team, as he has never put things together at the NHL level. From day one, analysts have drooled over Zherdev, but after so many disappointing seasons of not living up to potential, one has to wonder if the break though will ever occur. Some team will roll the dice on him.
Alex Kovalev is once again an unrestricted free agent. Say what you want about him: he disappears in some games, he is old, has been overpaid in years past, his defense is suspect, but even the harshest critics cannot deny the slick hands and premier talent that this man possesses. He will never be a first liner again, but at the right price (less than $2M on a one year deal) he would be a bargain and provide some secondary scoring. He also has a Stanley Cup ring.
Bryan McCabe is not a popular name among Leafs fans, but imagine him reuniting with Tomas Kaberle in Carolina. Combined with Joni Pitkanen, the trio could form one of the more potent threats from the back end in the Eastern conference. Just remember Bryan, if you're going to take a shot on a goalie, make sure to check what team he is on first.
Home Run Derby Haiku
For all of you home run derby and haiku lovers out there:
Chris Berman's trademark
Repetitive but classic
Back, back, back, back, gone!
Derby fan's lament
Prince has gone mad with power
No Ryan Howard.
Cano can hit bombs
Most of them are in New York.
I can hit there too.
Manny and Papi
A charismatic duo
Which one took more drugs?
Fielder smacks dingers
Baseball's version of Popeye
Fast food his spinach.
Cause for confusion
One of nature's mysteries
Weeks in home run derby.
Joey Bats can hit
Pigeons on upper deck seats
A Bautista Bomb!
Please submit your Haiku's in the comment section!
Chris Berman's trademark
Repetitive but classic
Back, back, back, back, gone!
Derby fan's lament
Prince has gone mad with power
No Ryan Howard.
Cano can hit bombs
Most of them are in New York.
I can hit there too.
Manny and Papi
A charismatic duo
Which one took more drugs?
Fielder smacks dingers
Baseball's version of Popeye
Fast food his spinach.
Cause for confusion
One of nature's mysteries
Weeks in home run derby.
Joey Bats can hit
Pigeons on upper deck seats
A Bautista Bomb!
Please submit your Haiku's in the comment section!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Someone Needs to Save the Jay's Bullpen
So just like that April 1st has turned into mid-July, thus signalling MLB's All-Star Break. Heading into the break, we see an all-too-familiar snapshot of the AL East Division standings. Red Sox and Yankees 1-2, Rays 3rd, Jays 4th and the hapless Orioles 5th/last. The Jays enter the break with a 45-47 record after reeling off three straight against the Indians. In fact, they should be .500 (46-46) had they swept the Indians as they should have after blowing a comfortable 4-0 lead in the first game of the series.
Actually, if you dig deeper, the team many thought would be hard-pressed to win 70 games this year should in fact be well above .500 and consequently right in the mix with the division's "heavy hitters". How so? Well, out of the 47 losses, 28% have come off of blown saves! 28%!!!!! That works out to 13 losses (in total, 15 games have been blown, signalling the Jays' inability to muster up that killer instinct that's been sorely lacking almost two decades now). Had even half of those games been nailed down as they should have, they'd be only a handful of games out. To note, at the beginning of June the Jays were 3.5 games out of the division lead. Today, 11.
So wherein lies the problem?
- Frank "I put the F in F U" Francisco has not come as advertised. He's conjuring up images of a limp-armed B.J. Ryan and his penchant to allow the opposing team to get right back in it.
Actually, if you dig deeper, the team many thought would be hard-pressed to win 70 games this year should in fact be well above .500 and consequently right in the mix with the division's "heavy hitters". How so? Well, out of the 47 losses, 28% have come off of blown saves! 28%!!!!! That works out to 13 losses (in total, 15 games have been blown, signalling the Jays' inability to muster up that killer instinct that's been sorely lacking almost two decades now). Had even half of those games been nailed down as they should have, they'd be only a handful of games out. To note, at the beginning of June the Jays were 3.5 games out of the division lead. Today, 11.
So wherein lies the problem?
- Frank "I put the F in F U" Francisco has not come as advertised. He's conjuring up images of a limp-armed B.J. Ryan and his penchant to allow the opposing team to get right back in it.
- Jon Rauch has had his moments. Some days he's throwing darts, the next it's balls on a 'T'. I can't help but wonder ever since the first pitch I saw him throw as a Blue Jay -- how in the world does the tallest pitcher/player in MLB history throw no harder than 90 MPH?! I was expecting a flame-thrower. Those tattoos...that stare in picking up the signs...that behemoth presence -- all for naught.
- Jason Frasor -- yeah, he just doesn't do it for me. He's as unstable and scary to watch as Brandon League was *shudder*.
- Marc Rzepczynski is being groomed as Scott Downs lite, and he's better suited as a shut-down/set-up guy. Won't fault him, but he's not the solution.
What the Jays, and Alex Anthopoulos, need to do is find a closer. That should be the first priority in all honestly. Imagine having a Rivera/Papelbon/K-Rod-type closer who you know will pretty much nail it down for you? As stated, the Jays would be right in the thick of things if that were the case. They haven't had anything automatic since Duane Ward and Tom Henke back in the World Series days. We've seen a guy like Billy Koch come out like a gangbuster only to fizzle out a short while later. B.J. Ryan I have no clue how he didn't get hit around harder. And most recently, Kevin Gregg seems to have left some of his aura behind.
Ideally, if Dustin McGowan is ever able to battle back from the long road of recovery, he may fill that need. But that's a lot to expect from a guy who has been through a lot in the last few years. The fact he may ever pitch in a big league situation again is a feat in itself. But if, and that's a huge if, he can come back, he could take the job and run with it. Other than that, the team either has to go the trade route (Heath Bell from San Diego?) or groom one. I know it's not something teams look for at the draft, but perhaps taking a flier on a guy in a later round who you think can be tailored as a closer is something that should be considered. I know, it's like an NHL team drafting a guy to become its 3rd line checking centre, but it's a position that may end up being just as important in the long run.
After all, how many more games (and ultimately seasons) can be pissed away before saving those who save?
- Jason Frasor -- yeah, he just doesn't do it for me. He's as unstable and scary to watch as Brandon League was *shudder*.
- Marc Rzepczynski is being groomed as Scott Downs lite, and he's better suited as a shut-down/set-up guy. Won't fault him, but he's not the solution.
What the Jays, and Alex Anthopoulos, need to do is find a closer. That should be the first priority in all honestly. Imagine having a Rivera/Papelbon/K-Rod-type closer who you know will pretty much nail it down for you? As stated, the Jays would be right in the thick of things if that were the case. They haven't had anything automatic since Duane Ward and Tom Henke back in the World Series days. We've seen a guy like Billy Koch come out like a gangbuster only to fizzle out a short while later. B.J. Ryan I have no clue how he didn't get hit around harder. And most recently, Kevin Gregg seems to have left some of his aura behind.
Ideally, if Dustin McGowan is ever able to battle back from the long road of recovery, he may fill that need. But that's a lot to expect from a guy who has been through a lot in the last few years. The fact he may ever pitch in a big league situation again is a feat in itself. But if, and that's a huge if, he can come back, he could take the job and run with it. Other than that, the team either has to go the trade route (Heath Bell from San Diego?) or groom one. I know it's not something teams look for at the draft, but perhaps taking a flier on a guy in a later round who you think can be tailored as a closer is something that should be considered. I know, it's like an NHL team drafting a guy to become its 3rd line checking centre, but it's a position that may end up being just as important in the long run.
After all, how many more games (and ultimately seasons) can be pissed away before saving those who save?
Friday, July 8, 2011
Who are these wrestlers?
I was flipping through the channels today and I came across WWE Smackdown. I've been out of the loop for awhile, so I have no idea who is the champ or what the story lines are. This just led me to think...how good was wrestling 10-20 years ago?
Who can forget Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior at the Skydome? The crowd was electric as the Warrior Gorilla-slammed the Hulkster. Or how about years earlier when The Hulkster body-slammed Andre the Giant? The 80's also brought forth some of the most creative characters like The Macho Man, Ricky the Dragon Steamboat, Jake the Snake Roberts...and even the Brooklyn Brawler, the lovable wrestler who always lost on Saturday morning wrestling.
The 90's was where my interest really peaked. That was the WWF Attitude Era. Not even now, have I seen the charisma and entertainment value that Stone Cold and definitely The Rock displayed week after week. I remember attending a live event in Toronto, the lights went dim, then all of a sudden we heard..."If ya smelllllll, what The Rock, is cooking!". That's one of the few times that I leapt out of my seat at the ACC (and this includes Raptor games). A couple of weeks ago, I even played an old PS2 game (Smackdown vs RAW 2006) and playing as the Rock was so fun. The People's Elbow! The Rock Bottom! Wrestling in the 90's was a good time. This isn't even mentioning the legend Bret Hart, the always entertaining DX and the still jaw-dropping TLC matches from The Dudleys/Hardy Boyz/Edge & Christian.
The 90's were also home to WCW and who can forget the nWo? Their storylines were so unique at the time and drew everyone in. This also led to the transformation of Sting, who I still think was one of the coolest characters there.
But alas, wrestling started to go downhill, at least to me it did. I'm not sure if it was because I grew older or that the entertainment value just wasn't there anymore. Well, wherever wrestling goes in the future, we'll always have the past to reminisce. Check out YouTube for a quick fix of classic wrestling; maybe Rock vs Hogan at Wrestlemania? Or the aforementioned TLC matches? Or how about Bob Bauckland mentally snapping and pulling the Chicken-Wing on unsuspecting foes? Ah wrestling, fun times.
Who can forget Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior at the Skydome? The crowd was electric as the Warrior Gorilla-slammed the Hulkster. Or how about years earlier when The Hulkster body-slammed Andre the Giant? The 80's also brought forth some of the most creative characters like The Macho Man, Ricky the Dragon Steamboat, Jake the Snake Roberts...and even the Brooklyn Brawler, the lovable wrestler who always lost on Saturday morning wrestling.
The 90's was where my interest really peaked. That was the WWF Attitude Era. Not even now, have I seen the charisma and entertainment value that Stone Cold and definitely The Rock displayed week after week. I remember attending a live event in Toronto, the lights went dim, then all of a sudden we heard..."If ya smelllllll, what The Rock, is cooking!". That's one of the few times that I leapt out of my seat at the ACC (and this includes Raptor games). A couple of weeks ago, I even played an old PS2 game (Smackdown vs RAW 2006) and playing as the Rock was so fun. The People's Elbow! The Rock Bottom! Wrestling in the 90's was a good time. This isn't even mentioning the legend Bret Hart, the always entertaining DX and the still jaw-dropping TLC matches from The Dudleys/Hardy Boyz/Edge & Christian.
The 90's were also home to WCW and who can forget the nWo? Their storylines were so unique at the time and drew everyone in. This also led to the transformation of Sting, who I still think was one of the coolest characters there.
But alas, wrestling started to go downhill, at least to me it did. I'm not sure if it was because I grew older or that the entertainment value just wasn't there anymore. Well, wherever wrestling goes in the future, we'll always have the past to reminisce. Check out YouTube for a quick fix of classic wrestling; maybe Rock vs Hogan at Wrestlemania? Or the aforementioned TLC matches? Or how about Bob Bauckland mentally snapping and pulling the Chicken-Wing on unsuspecting foes? Ah wrestling, fun times.
Home Run Derby will be fun, but Weeks and Cano?
Every year I look forward to the MLB Home Run Derby. I won't soon forget the memory of Mark McGwire in 1999 hitting bomb after bomb out of Fenway Park. That year the contestants were announced by none other than Michael Buffer; how awesome is that? Watching the game's most feared power hitters tee off in an attempt to hit as many impressive home runs as possible is something that really entertains me, even if the snooty observer labels fans such as myself "unsophisticated idiots".
The 2011 Home Run Derby in Arizona will feature a somewhat impressive cast, but with some disappointments as always seems to be the case. Seemingly every year, there are two or three guys there who don't belong; guys who just don't have the natural power to compete in a contest like this. In 1999 it was Nomar Garciaparra - at least he was there to satisfy the home town fans.
The contestants are:
Captain "Big Papi" David Ortiz - The Alex Ovechkin of the derby; he will always be a pleasure to watch, as you know he will be ready with some comical antics that will surely include pretending to be amazed by his opponents homers as he does year after year, and if he makes it to the finals he will surely come out and interrupt his opponent to offer him a drink and towel him off. Funny stuff. As far as home run hitting goes, word on the street is that Ortiz is having lunch with Brian McNamee on Monday; hopefully we will see some results of that with some mammoth dingers. He did win the contest last year.
Adrian Gonzalez - This guy is a really good hitter, who can hit for power, and drive in a ton of runs. Almost like a Rafael Palmeiro type, he's got a great swing but is not really a guy who hits tape measure home runs. Hopefully he can share another thing in common with Rafael Palmeiro and Big Papi can bring him some "left overs" to give him a little more pop come Monday evening.
Jose Bautista - This is what I can't wait to see. Arizona is a great home run hitting park, and "Joey Bats" can crush a pitch like nobody else. If he doesn't make it to the finals I will be seriously disappointed. Oh and I'm not even going to make a joke about steroids in this paragraph.
Robinson Cano - Come on. This guy is a great hitter. An amazing hitter. But not a home run hitter. Sure he can hit homers in Yankee Stadium, but so can I. I could hit a ball into the upper deck of Yankee Stadium from here and I live in Toronto. Seriously the guy is on pace for less than 30 home runs playing in the easiest stadium in the league to hit bombs. The guy is a hitting machine, but doesn't belong in the home run derby.
Captain "The artist formerly known as" Prince Fielder - Any guy this "big" will be fun to watch. Heck, any guy named Prince will be fun to watch, regardless of what he's doing. The only substances this guy needs to help him crush baseballs are cheeseburgers and milkshakes.
Rickie Weeks - What the hell? The guy is having a fantastic year the one year I didn't draft him in my fantasy league, but again, he's not a guy who's going to succeed in a home run derby. There's a difference in a guy like this who can jump on a first pitch fastball where the pitcher supplies all the power, and a real power hitter. I will just be happy if he manages to make it through this experience without hurting himself.
Matt Holliday - Another guy who is a great hitter, but seems to disappoint in these competitions. Still, I'd rather watch him than Cano or Weeks. He'll struggle to make it to the 2nd round.
Matt Kemp - I have no problem with him being here. If for no other reason than he is one of the top 5-tool players in the league. He may not get more than 4 home runs tops, but he deserves the shot.
So that's the field for the 2011 Home Run Derby. Obviously, my hope is for all the big guns (Bautista, Ortiz, Fielder, Gonzalez) to fare well, because I really don't expect much from the other four. Regardless, for us "unsophisticated idiot" fans who love to watch dingers, it promises to be a fun night no matter what happens. Unless McNamee doesn't show up for lunch.
The 2011 Home Run Derby in Arizona will feature a somewhat impressive cast, but with some disappointments as always seems to be the case. Seemingly every year, there are two or three guys there who don't belong; guys who just don't have the natural power to compete in a contest like this. In 1999 it was Nomar Garciaparra - at least he was there to satisfy the home town fans.
The contestants are:
Captain "Big Papi" David Ortiz - The Alex Ovechkin of the derby; he will always be a pleasure to watch, as you know he will be ready with some comical antics that will surely include pretending to be amazed by his opponents homers as he does year after year, and if he makes it to the finals he will surely come out and interrupt his opponent to offer him a drink and towel him off. Funny stuff. As far as home run hitting goes, word on the street is that Ortiz is having lunch with Brian McNamee on Monday; hopefully we will see some results of that with some mammoth dingers. He did win the contest last year.
Adrian Gonzalez - This guy is a really good hitter, who can hit for power, and drive in a ton of runs. Almost like a Rafael Palmeiro type, he's got a great swing but is not really a guy who hits tape measure home runs. Hopefully he can share another thing in common with Rafael Palmeiro and Big Papi can bring him some "left overs" to give him a little more pop come Monday evening.
Jose Bautista - This is what I can't wait to see. Arizona is a great home run hitting park, and "Joey Bats" can crush a pitch like nobody else. If he doesn't make it to the finals I will be seriously disappointed. Oh and I'm not even going to make a joke about steroids in this paragraph.
Robinson Cano - Come on. This guy is a great hitter. An amazing hitter. But not a home run hitter. Sure he can hit homers in Yankee Stadium, but so can I. I could hit a ball into the upper deck of Yankee Stadium from here and I live in Toronto. Seriously the guy is on pace for less than 30 home runs playing in the easiest stadium in the league to hit bombs. The guy is a hitting machine, but doesn't belong in the home run derby.
Captain "The artist formerly known as" Prince Fielder - Any guy this "big" will be fun to watch. Heck, any guy named Prince will be fun to watch, regardless of what he's doing. The only substances this guy needs to help him crush baseballs are cheeseburgers and milkshakes.
Matt Holliday - Another guy who is a great hitter, but seems to disappoint in these competitions. Still, I'd rather watch him than Cano or Weeks. He'll struggle to make it to the 2nd round.
Matt Kemp - I have no problem with him being here. If for no other reason than he is one of the top 5-tool players in the league. He may not get more than 4 home runs tops, but he deserves the shot.
So that's the field for the 2011 Home Run Derby. Obviously, my hope is for all the big guns (Bautista, Ortiz, Fielder, Gonzalez) to fare well, because I really don't expect much from the other four. Regardless, for us "unsophisticated idiot" fans who love to watch dingers, it promises to be a fun night no matter what happens. Unless McNamee doesn't show up for lunch.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Sunday Bloody Sunday
To all my armchair athletes out there who aspired to one day be that hero scoring the winning goal in game seven in OT to capture Lord Stanley, or rip a grand slam or hit for the cycle in the MLB, or even win the NBA Slam Dunk Competition (man that is so overrated these days, all you need is to hire a choir and park a car on the court to win)....but I digress. Now those aspirations have faded and you’ve been snapped back to reality resorting to beer league softball, intermediate floor hockey or a pick-up game on the court that lasts five minutes before getting winded and in desperate need of an oxygen tank or inhaler. Now before you get all depressed and want to huddle in the fetal position on the couch while eating Doritos in your PJ’s I have some news that might make you feel better about yourself….it might even make you laugh.
This past Sunday you may have heard that Thomas Levet won the 2011 French Open at Le Golf National. However during this tournament he was severely injured having his shin broken and is now in need of an operation which includes a metal plate and several screws inserted to ensure it heals properly. This injury has now cost him the chance to participate in the upcoming British Open. Now you may ask “Wow how did a golfer get injured that badly?”…. one word STUPIDITY! Okay that might be harsh, but he was injured by celebrating his win in a tradition of jumping into a course lake.
The incident got me to thinking of other weird sports injuries that have occurred in various sports, so here’s a small but funny list:
-San Diego pitcher Adam Eaton was placed on the DL when he stabbed himself while trying to open a DVD he had purchased.
-Cardinal’s kicker Bill Gramatica tore his knee after jumping up and down to celebrate a field goal, almost costing him his career (it was his kicking knee).
-Tigers Chris Brown was noted for missing a remarkable number of games (over 250 between 1984 and 1988) due to bizarre claimed injuries such as a bruised tooth, and he was nicknamed "Jake" by teammates convinced he was no more than a malingerer. The last straw for Tigers manager Sparky Anderson in 1989 came when Brown missed a game after complaining that he "slept on his eye wrong." The Tigers released him soon thereafter, and Brown never returned to the major leagues.
-Ken Griffey missed a game after his jock slipped and pinched his “juniors” before a game.
-David Seaman an English soccer keeper dislocated his shoulder while reaching for the remote (shout out to all my armchair athletes).
-Milton Bradley tore his knee while arguing with the ump (couldn’t have happened to a better guy).
-Pitcher Joel Zumaya hurt his wrist while playing Guitar Hero.
-John Smoltz scalded himself while ironing a shirt….while he was wearing it!
I’m sure the list could go on and on and you might all have your favorite stories, so feel free to post them in the comments and I hope this has resurrected your ego. Pro athletes may have their time to shine, but some shine dimmer than others ;)
This past Sunday you may have heard that Thomas Levet won the 2011 French Open at Le Golf National. However during this tournament he was severely injured having his shin broken and is now in need of an operation which includes a metal plate and several screws inserted to ensure it heals properly. This injury has now cost him the chance to participate in the upcoming British Open. Now you may ask “Wow how did a golfer get injured that badly?”…. one word STUPIDITY! Okay that might be harsh, but he was injured by celebrating his win in a tradition of jumping into a course lake.
The incident got me to thinking of other weird sports injuries that have occurred in various sports, so here’s a small but funny list:-San Diego pitcher Adam Eaton was placed on the DL when he stabbed himself while trying to open a DVD he had purchased.
-Cardinal’s kicker Bill Gramatica tore his knee after jumping up and down to celebrate a field goal, almost costing him his career (it was his kicking knee).
-Tigers Chris Brown was noted for missing a remarkable number of games (over 250 between 1984 and 1988) due to bizarre claimed injuries such as a bruised tooth, and he was nicknamed "Jake" by teammates convinced he was no more than a malingerer. The last straw for Tigers manager Sparky Anderson in 1989 came when Brown missed a game after complaining that he "slept on his eye wrong." The Tigers released him soon thereafter, and Brown never returned to the major leagues.
-Ken Griffey missed a game after his jock slipped and pinched his “juniors” before a game.
-David Seaman an English soccer keeper dislocated his shoulder while reaching for the remote (shout out to all my armchair athletes).
-Milton Bradley tore his knee while arguing with the ump (couldn’t have happened to a better guy).
-Pitcher Joel Zumaya hurt his wrist while playing Guitar Hero.
-John Smoltz scalded himself while ironing a shirt….while he was wearing it!
I’m sure the list could go on and on and you might all have your favorite stories, so feel free to post them in the comments and I hope this has resurrected your ego. Pro athletes may have their time to shine, but some shine dimmer than others ;)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Why MLB Needs to Eliminate Human Umpires
Firstly, a disclaimer: if you are such a closed-minded traditionalist that you would prefer to see a game decided by an umpire’s blown call rather than a fair, consistent, undisputable outcome to Major League Baseball games (for a change), then please read no further. Such traditionalists are surely disillusioned by the following rule changes which have already been made by MLB:
-Prior to 1857, games were not 9 innings, but ended when the winning team scored “21 aces”. What a change that surely has many purists seething!
-Before 1858 there were no called strikes. The purists must hate the faster pace of the game!
-In 1880 a walk was 8 balls – even Kyle Drabek could have kept his walks down
-Prior to 1887 a batter could request a “high or low” pitch – baseball in its purist form!
-Prior to 1893, one side of a hitter’s bat could be flat – I can’t believe they went back to round bats. (from majorleagueblogging.com)
This article is for the rest of us, who want to see baseball played “the right way” and games decided in a fair manner, regardless of the reputations of star players, teams playing, or the location of the game.
How many times are we watching a baseball game, and a pitch that is well off the plate is called a strike, or a pitch which should obviously be a strike is called a ball? It happens every single game. What the casual fan may not realize is the consequence each of these “little mistakes” can carry with it. A 2-0 count in most cases leads to a fastball that the batter is expecting and can tee-off on. Conversely, being behind in the count puts a hitter in a defensive mind set; reducing the chances of him driving the ball. We may see on the highlight shows a clip of an upper deck grand slam that wins a game, but very seldomly is any attention paid to the count - the situation which led to the home run - which is heavily influenced by the individual pitch calls made by human umpires.
Now let’s slow down for a minute and talk about a subject that really annoys me. When Derek Jeter or Bobby Abreu are batting, doesn’t it always seem that they get the benefit of a generous call from the home plate umpire? Jeter does his little “jump out of the way” on a pitch easily over the plate and because of that and his reputation the ball is “inside”. When I was at the game on Saturday, Roy Halladay was getting strike calls on pitches 8 inches outside. Conversely in the ninth inning of a one-run game, full count situation with two outs, Jon Rauch throws a change up down the heart of the plate that even Leslie Nielson in The Naked Gun would have called a strike. Well, this one was called a ball, and an RBI single, a confrontation, and a torn shirt later, the Phillies have a two run lead and Rauch is ejected (see photo). As a Blue Jays fan, it is particularly hard to take, as virtually no visit to Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium ends without an obvious, game-deciding botched call in the favour of the home team. Are the umpires trying to screw up like this? Are they intimidated by their surroundings? Are they corrupt? Or are they just not good enough at their jobs? I don’t know the answers to these questions.
Lets give the umpires the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are trying their best and just make mistakes. If we estimate that 250 pitches are thrown in a game, it’s impossible for a human to get them all right. Yet the mistakes can and often do change the outcome of the game. As I write, Jose Bautista just got called out on a knuckle ball clearly outside with a runner in scoring position and two outs. Who knows what would have happened had the umpire got it right?
This stuff really bugs me because I love to see a good competition. I want to see who can win a match-up between pitcher and hitter, with all things being fair. I want to see who’s going to win a baseball game when both teams have equal opportunity, without one team being granted an extra out to work with in an inning or an out taken away from them like was Bautista’s case in the preceding paragraph.
So where do we start? What is the best way to allow for the game of baseball to be officiated more fairly? We need to start with the strike zone. Technology is being used on virtually all television stations to show “whether the umpire got it right” – a rectangular box displayed at the point the ball crosses home plate (called K-Zone, Pitch Trax, among other things). When a borderline pitch is tested on Pitch Trax against the umpires call, the umpire gets it wrong about half the time. This is human error that a computer would not be susceptible to making. Major League Baseball should replace home plate umpires with Pitch Trax computers immediately to remove the unpredictability, inconsistency, and unfairness associated with the frequent mistakes on balls and strikes currently being made every day by human umpires.
The next step is improving the calls on close plays at home plate or second base when a steal takes place. It seems the umpires just take a random guess most of the time about whether the runner is safe or out. The technology of today may not be sophisticated enough to automatically make accurate rulings in situations such as this, but I am hopeful that it will be in the near future. In the mean time might I suggest it would be prudent for MLB to hire younger umpires, who are in good physical condition, so that at least they can get into proper position to make calls rather than a lot of the current umpires who are not “physically equipped” to do anything but waddle around and make bad calls.
At the end of the day, I sympathize with the traditionalists out there. When it comes to hockey, I am the last one who wants to see some of the proposed rule changes such as larger nets to increase scoring, or 4-on-4 overtime in the playoffs. But when it comes to something like replacing umpires in baseball with computers, I would much rather throw tradition out the window if it will mean a more equal, fair, and better product.
3 Steps to Happiness
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1) Bookmark TTPSports.blogspot.com
2) Enter your e-mail address in the box on the right side bar to follow TTP Sports and receive daily updates
3) Follow us on Twitter @TTPSports
As always, please send all comments to ttpsports@gmail.com. We have received a lot of positive fan mail and we are really happy that you all are pleased with the direction of the web site. You can also comment directly on each of our articles where you see a "comment" link below the article. Continue to stay tuned to TTP Sports as we promise to continue to deliver the kind of hard hitting, opinionated blogging that you won't find anywhere else!
New Reign in Tennis No Djok(ovic)
This past week at the Wimbledon Championship at the All England Club, it could be suggested we saw the passing of the torch on the men's side. Novak Djokovic, the exuberant Serbian, has surpassed both Roger Federer (arguably the greatest men's tennis player of all time) and Rafael Nadal to become the #1 ranked player in the world.
For those who have followed Djokovic over the last few years, you had the sense that it was only a matter of time before he reached the pinnacle. With a thundering serve and gazelle-like quickness, you could tell he was becoming a thorn in each of Federer's and Nadal's side. After starting off the 2011 season with a spectacular 41-0 record (snapped no less by Federer at the French Open), Djokovic put an exclamation mark while staking claim to his new ranking by defeating Nadal at Wimbledon.
Now, this is no flash-in-the-pan type thing. We have seen Andy Murray always be the bridesmaid but never the bride. We've also seen Andy Roddick being talked up as the next big U.S. great since Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, only to become who I consider not only one of the most overrated players in tennis, but in all of sport. Djokovic, on the other hand, gets it done.
He holds 3 Grand Slams, a far cry from Nadal's 10 and Federer's record 16. But this is only the beginning. As sad as it is to see Federer entering the twilight of his career and his stranglehold to Grand Slams all but a thing of the past, us fans can take solace that there is a new charismatic player we can latch on to.
The two-headed monster has now made way for a third. And this time, it's no Djok.
For those who have followed Djokovic over the last few years, you had the sense that it was only a matter of time before he reached the pinnacle. With a thundering serve and gazelle-like quickness, you could tell he was becoming a thorn in each of Federer's and Nadal's side. After starting off the 2011 season with a spectacular 41-0 record (snapped no less by Federer at the French Open), Djokovic put an exclamation mark while staking claim to his new ranking by defeating Nadal at Wimbledon.
Now, this is no flash-in-the-pan type thing. We have seen Andy Murray always be the bridesmaid but never the bride. We've also seen Andy Roddick being talked up as the next big U.S. great since Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, only to become who I consider not only one of the most overrated players in tennis, but in all of sport. Djokovic, on the other hand, gets it done.
He holds 3 Grand Slams, a far cry from Nadal's 10 and Federer's record 16. But this is only the beginning. As sad as it is to see Federer entering the twilight of his career and his stranglehold to Grand Slams all but a thing of the past, us fans can take solace that there is a new charismatic player we can latch on to.
The two-headed monster has now made way for a third. And this time, it's no Djok.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Miami parade postponed ...sorry!
Ok, Miami Heat fans. You’d better check out another blog article from this site because you won’t like it…
How satisfying was that NBA Finals?! Seeing how a team like Dallas just totally dismantled the supposed Miami Heat juggernaut was poetry in motion. Dallas took advantage of every misstep that Miami took and never looked back. They made plays when it counted. They fought until the very end.
Some could say that the turning point was in Game 2 and the Heat were up by 15 pts in the 4th quarter. After a timeout, they walked off the court, seemingly planning their parade route already. Then Dirk took over. No one could stop the guy. I thought Lebron was supposed to be the unstoppable one, but it was the 7 foot German that stole the show. Speaking of satisfying, how good was it to see Dirk manhandle Bosh in the last minute of that game (and actually, the whole series)?
I’m sure everyone remembers “The Decision” as well as that ridiculous party to introduce the Big Three to Miami. How dumb does that look now? Yes, the Heat may win a title in the next 5 years, but unless they do something, it’s not going to be the dynasty they had hoped for. It’s still Wade’s team and it looks like Lebron has trouble finding his role with another superstar on the team. Bosh was solid at times, but at other times, was exposed on the defensive end and had horrible shooting nights. They still have a ways to go. Lebron has a ways to go. For someone who was supposed to be the next Jordan (I know we’ve heard this before [Stackhouse, Hill, Carter, etc.]) he simply disappeared at the end of games in the Finals, especially Game 6.
But enough, of the Heat bashing…I’m sure there’s enough of that going around the world as it is. Congrats to the Mavs. They truly had the better, deeper and more cohesive team. Congrats to Dirk, showing the world he is one of the best players in the league. Congrats to Jason Kidd. I always loved his game because he worked so hard on both ends of the floor and made everyone on his team better. Congrats to Mark Cuban; crazy owners can win championships!
How long until the Raptors reach this kind of excitement? Well, unless Valuncianas is the 2nd coming of Nowitzki, then sorry folks, you won’t see that anytime soon.
How satisfying was that NBA Finals?! Seeing how a team like Dallas just totally dismantled the supposed Miami Heat juggernaut was poetry in motion. Dallas took advantage of every misstep that Miami took and never looked back. They made plays when it counted. They fought until the very end.
Some could say that the turning point was in Game 2 and the Heat were up by 15 pts in the 4th quarter. After a timeout, they walked off the court, seemingly planning their parade route already. Then Dirk took over. No one could stop the guy. I thought Lebron was supposed to be the unstoppable one, but it was the 7 foot German that stole the show. Speaking of satisfying, how good was it to see Dirk manhandle Bosh in the last minute of that game (and actually, the whole series)?
I’m sure everyone remembers “The Decision” as well as that ridiculous party to introduce the Big Three to Miami. How dumb does that look now? Yes, the Heat may win a title in the next 5 years, but unless they do something, it’s not going to be the dynasty they had hoped for. It’s still Wade’s team and it looks like Lebron has trouble finding his role with another superstar on the team. Bosh was solid at times, but at other times, was exposed on the defensive end and had horrible shooting nights. They still have a ways to go. Lebron has a ways to go. For someone who was supposed to be the next Jordan (I know we’ve heard this before [Stackhouse, Hill, Carter, etc.]) he simply disappeared at the end of games in the Finals, especially Game 6.
But enough, of the Heat bashing…I’m sure there’s enough of that going around the world as it is. Congrats to the Mavs. They truly had the better, deeper and more cohesive team. Congrats to Dirk, showing the world he is one of the best players in the league. Congrats to Jason Kidd. I always loved his game because he worked so hard on both ends of the floor and made everyone on his team better. Congrats to Mark Cuban; crazy owners can win championships!
How long until the Raptors reach this kind of excitement? Well, unless Valuncianas is the 2nd coming of Nowitzki, then sorry folks, you won’t see that anytime soon.
Kaberle to the Canes!
A source has reported that Tomas Kaberle has signed a 3-year deal worth slightly less than $13M (a very affordable price!) with the Carolina Hurricanes. This puts to rest any speculation that he would return to Toronto following his Stanley cup victory. I wonder if he would have returned had Burke been willing....
Nobody Wants Stamkos
There are 29 NHL teams in the league right now other than the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since July 1st, all have been eligible to submit an offer sheet to the 21 year old sniper. Up to this point, none have made such an offer, while Steve Yzerman continues to try to low-ball his restricted free agent. I guess nobody wants Stamkos.
The only other possible reason for this inactivity is the pressure faced by GM's to abide by an unofficial "code of conduct" towards their fellow GM's. It is perceived as taboo around the league to offer an RFA an offer sheet. Let's remember for a minute that these general managers were hired to MANAGE THEIR TEAM; and as such make their team the best possible. In Toronto's case, Brian Burke owes it to fans and the organization to set aside the stupid fraternity rules among GM's and do what he can for his team. If he thinks four 1st round draft picks for Steve Stamkos is too much to pay, then by all means that is just cause for not submitting the offer sheet. But if he thinks having a 50 goal scoring center would help the team for the short and long term; I suggest the logical thing is to offer Stamkos a multi-year contract at $10M per season. If Tampa Bay does not match, we get our franchise player for slightly more than was paid for Phil Kessel. If Tampa Bay does match, they spend more than they intended to with their low-balling tactics, and are less able to sign additional talent. Let's not for one second forget that teams like Toronto and Tampa Bay are in direct competition for a playoff spot.
So Mr. Burke, please, at the risk of pissing off Steve Yzerman, make Steve Stamkos an offer that makes sense to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Who said that general managers have to be best friends? This is a business and Leafs fans don't give a damn for one second about taking away Tampa Bay's best player - neither should their general manager.
The only other possible reason for this inactivity is the pressure faced by GM's to abide by an unofficial "code of conduct" towards their fellow GM's. It is perceived as taboo around the league to offer an RFA an offer sheet. Let's remember for a minute that these general managers were hired to MANAGE THEIR TEAM; and as such make their team the best possible. In Toronto's case, Brian Burke owes it to fans and the organization to set aside the stupid fraternity rules among GM's and do what he can for his team. If he thinks four 1st round draft picks for Steve Stamkos is too much to pay, then by all means that is just cause for not submitting the offer sheet. But if he thinks having a 50 goal scoring center would help the team for the short and long term; I suggest the logical thing is to offer Stamkos a multi-year contract at $10M per season. If Tampa Bay does not match, we get our franchise player for slightly more than was paid for Phil Kessel. If Tampa Bay does match, they spend more than they intended to with their low-balling tactics, and are less able to sign additional talent. Let's not for one second forget that teams like Toronto and Tampa Bay are in direct competition for a playoff spot.
So Mr. Burke, please, at the risk of pissing off Steve Yzerman, make Steve Stamkos an offer that makes sense to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Who said that general managers have to be best friends? This is a business and Leafs fans don't give a damn for one second about taking away Tampa Bay's best player - neither should their general manager.
Monday, July 4, 2011
All Frans-on Deck!
So there I was enjoying a meal from yet another long weekend BBQ when I quickly see across the ticker scroll: "Leafs trade Brett Lebda and minor-leaguer Robert Slaney to Predators for Matthew Lombardi and Cody Franson." My immediate reaction was, "This has to be a joke -- there's no way we got Franson alone for those two scrubs." But yes, indeed, the Leafs sure did.
Well, as my reaction suggests, this was one heck of a deal for the Leafs. Here's yet another instance of the Leafs "buying" a highly touted/talented young defenceman, as they did when they "bought" Jake Gardiner from Anaheim by taking on Joffrey Lupul's salary in exchange for Francois Beauchemin. It's nice to see them flex their financial muscle around in a salary cap world. The Predators did not hold insurance on Lombardi, so the Leafs and the money bags they possess, swooped right in and said, "Hey, we'll help you guys out -- just make sure you throw in Franson."
Now, as much criticism as Burke gets and deserves for not yet obtaining a true #1 centre (sorry Tim Connolly), he has turned his defence into one that not only is good today, but can be even better tomorrow. We should have known as Burke has repeatedly said he builds from the net out. Phaneuf, Schenn, Aulie, Gardiner, Franson, Gunnarsson -- that has the makings of one heck of a blue line in a couple years. Throw in Liles for this year and perhaps beyond and there is a great mix.
Now, Franson obviously can't be viewed as a saviour. But let's look at the bigger picture here: deals like this add depth to the system. Piece by piece, the Leafs will go from a bare cupboard (thanks JFJ) to one that is chock-full of capable NHLers. With that, instead of being forced to hold on to the one or two rare nuggets, the possibility will be there to grab a few of the "jars" from the cupboard and turn it into something real good.
Knowing Burke, he is far from done. And if he's shown anything, it's that he is not afraid to make the big deal nor have it come from left field. So just as free agency has started, so has trading season. It's still a long ways 'til training camp, and the dog days of summer are upon us, but I don't doubt this is the last we hear about any Leaf doings during that time.
Well, as my reaction suggests, this was one heck of a deal for the Leafs. Here's yet another instance of the Leafs "buying" a highly touted/talented young defenceman, as they did when they "bought" Jake Gardiner from Anaheim by taking on Joffrey Lupul's salary in exchange for Francois Beauchemin. It's nice to see them flex their financial muscle around in a salary cap world. The Predators did not hold insurance on Lombardi, so the Leafs and the money bags they possess, swooped right in and said, "Hey, we'll help you guys out -- just make sure you throw in Franson."
Now, as much criticism as Burke gets and deserves for not yet obtaining a true #1 centre (sorry Tim Connolly), he has turned his defence into one that not only is good today, but can be even better tomorrow. We should have known as Burke has repeatedly said he builds from the net out. Phaneuf, Schenn, Aulie, Gardiner, Franson, Gunnarsson -- that has the makings of one heck of a blue line in a couple years. Throw in Liles for this year and perhaps beyond and there is a great mix.
Now, Franson obviously can't be viewed as a saviour. But let's look at the bigger picture here: deals like this add depth to the system. Piece by piece, the Leafs will go from a bare cupboard (thanks JFJ) to one that is chock-full of capable NHLers. With that, instead of being forced to hold on to the one or two rare nuggets, the possibility will be there to grab a few of the "jars" from the cupboard and turn it into something real good.
Knowing Burke, he is far from done. And if he's shown anything, it's that he is not afraid to make the big deal nor have it come from left field. So just as free agency has started, so has trading season. It's still a long ways 'til training camp, and the dog days of summer are upon us, but I don't doubt this is the last we hear about any Leaf doings during that time.
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