Friday, December 31, 2010
Sorry for my absence
I have been in bed all week with strep throat. I had been planning to finish the Pillaging series this week, and start a similar project next week, but everything is pushed back for awhile.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas
I got one thing I asked for, a Michigan kicker commitment. Rich Rod pulled out the "snake oil" and stole K Matt Goudis from Boise State. Take that, smurf turfers.
As for my readers, I leave you with this classic video of Tigers announcer, Rod Allen from his playing days abroad. Be safe and have fun this weekend!
As for my readers, I leave you with this classic video of Tigers announcer, Rod Allen from his playing days abroad. Be safe and have fun this weekend!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
If I am dreaming, don't wake me up
Sometimes you wake up, and the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and you find a $20 dollar bill in your pocket that you don't remember acquiring. As a sports blogger, today was one of those days. The sun had yet to rise, the smart birds have all flown south, and all I found in my pockets was a gum wrapper, and a scribbled on napkin containing my foolproof plans to take over the world. But I always have sports. Sports and schadenfreude.
The first thing I see on Mike and Mike is a story about New York Jets coach Rex Ryan and his wife starring in a foot fetish video. Baahahaha. Ryan is as animated a character as there is in NFL coaching. Before he faced the Browns, who employ his twin brother as their defensive coordinator, he dressed up in a wig to mimic the long locks adorning his brother's head. Ok, good natured ribbing. He has also got into a war of words with Dolphins LB Channing Crowder. Maybe he was just trying to fire up his team. The real head-scratcher was when he compared himself to Tom Brady due to their "super model" wives. As I'm sure you all know, Brady is married to Gisele Bundchen, a super model. Rex Ryan's wife Michelle was featured in an NFL ad hawking clothes for women. I have a call in to Victoria's Secret to find out if Michelle Ryan was considered for the catalog. Gisele Bundchen has undoubtedly been the fantasy of men all over the world. Michelle Ryan has been the fantasy of men who have a foot fetish. Brady-1, Ryan-0.
So that's cool. I had some funny ideas not involving the terms "agony of defeat", "4th and a foot", or quoting the classic Necessary Roughness, "welcome to foot.....balls"
I had a roundtable idea with Ryan, the butler from Mr. Deeds, Najeh Davenport, Osi Umenyiora, etc... I was going pretend to interview Michelle Ryan's feet, and talk to other parts of her body jealous of them. I think I could have pulled them off, but then the OSU news broke...
If you haven't heard by now, Terrelle Pryor, Boom Herron, Devier Posey, and two more Buckeyes have been suspended for the first five games of 2011. They sold awards and traded their autographs for tattoos. Seriously.
Add to that my 3/5 start to picking Bowl games(thanks Fresno State and Southern Miss), Michigan State losing to Texas, and the holidays, and I'm one happy camper. So take a little time out today to appreciate the little things, and the joy they bring. Sing, bling, ring, king. Rhyming, FTW. In these tough times, days like today are few and far between.
The first thing I see on Mike and Mike is a story about New York Jets coach Rex Ryan and his wife starring in a foot fetish video. Baahahaha. Ryan is as animated a character as there is in NFL coaching. Before he faced the Browns, who employ his twin brother as their defensive coordinator, he dressed up in a wig to mimic the long locks adorning his brother's head. Ok, good natured ribbing. He has also got into a war of words with Dolphins LB Channing Crowder. Maybe he was just trying to fire up his team. The real head-scratcher was when he compared himself to Tom Brady due to their "super model" wives. As I'm sure you all know, Brady is married to Gisele Bundchen, a super model. Rex Ryan's wife Michelle was featured in an NFL ad hawking clothes for women. I have a call in to Victoria's Secret to find out if Michelle Ryan was considered for the catalog. Gisele Bundchen has undoubtedly been the fantasy of men all over the world. Michelle Ryan has been the fantasy of men who have a foot fetish. Brady-1, Ryan-0.
So that's cool. I had some funny ideas not involving the terms "agony of defeat", "4th and a foot", or quoting the classic Necessary Roughness, "welcome to foot.....balls"
I had a roundtable idea with Ryan, the butler from Mr. Deeds, Najeh Davenport, Osi Umenyiora, etc... I was going pretend to interview Michelle Ryan's feet, and talk to other parts of her body jealous of them. I think I could have pulled them off, but then the OSU news broke...
If you haven't heard by now, Terrelle Pryor, Boom Herron, Devier Posey, and two more Buckeyes have been suspended for the first five games of 2011. They sold awards and traded their autographs for tattoos. Seriously.
Add to that my 3/5 start to picking Bowl games(thanks Fresno State and Southern Miss), Michigan State losing to Texas, and the holidays, and I'm one happy camper. So take a little time out today to appreciate the little things, and the joy they bring. Sing, bling, ring, king. Rhyming, FTW. In these tough times, days like today are few and far between.
Monday, December 20, 2010
My SEMS Holiday Wish List
No matter your beliefs, most people celebrate a holiday where you receive gifts around this time of year. I fall into that category as well. I am going to try to not get stuck with socks again by making my wishes known.
I want the whole RichRod situation resolved. I am firmly in the keep him camp, but am smart enough to realize that I am in the minority. So whatever Dave Brandon decides, just be 100% committed to it. The worst thing that could happen is some wishy-washy press conference pledging allegiance "for now" or "for the immediate future". Either fire him, or give him 2 more years (minimum), but make it concrete.
I want the Lions to win out. I realize that means Drew Stanton plays well, and Patrick Peterson will most likely be gone by the time they draft, but I want to see Detroit be more than an off season afterthought for the top free agents. Too many times, the Lions had to overpay to bring in marginal talent. This offseason is going to be crazy, (barring a miracle), and I want to see top players make this their first visit for a change. KVB signed here, but he'sold a veteran, and had a long standing relationship with Jim Schwartz.
I want the Pistons to blow it up. All of it. Trade everyone you can. Rip? Gone. Tay? So long. CV and BG? Hasta and La Vista. Keep Greg Monroe, Stuckey, and maybe Jonas Jerebko. Get young players with upside and draft picks. The Iverson trade was supposed to open up money for Bosh/Wade/David Lee/et al. Instead they signed two guys who have started 5 games combined this year. I love Joe Dumars for the early 90's, and 2006, but yikes.
I want the Red Wings to keep doing what they do. I don't know enough about hockey to feel I can make the right changes.
I want the Spartans to remember one thing.
I want the Tigers to make a big trade. Not Aubrey Huff or Jarrod Washburn big. I mean Miggy/Dontrelle big. The Tigers have a few very desirable prospects in Turner, Oliver, Castellanos, Crosby, and Fields. Use them. I remember being livid after I heard they gave up both Andrew Miller and Cam Maybin to acquire Cabrera and Willis. They haven't necessarily panned out, so my position on baseball prospects has softened when it comes to the Tigers. Acquire an impact starter or corner outfielder. I am sick and tired of seeing the Twins make the postseason.
For NCAA football, I want to see Auburn beat Oregon........then get the title stripped in May when the real Cam Newton story breaks. Something has to happen to start cleaning up the game, and Reggie Bush giving back his Heisman isn't enough.
For Ndamukong Suh and Calvin Johnson, I want Pro Bowl starting spots. Suh came into the year with huge expectations, and has lived up to the hype so far. Calvin amazes me week to week, and despite the record, makes the Lions worth watching nationally.
For Jahvid Best, Brandon Graham, Matt Stafford, Troy Woolfolk, and Darryl Stonum, I want speedy recoveries.
That's about it. I don't want to seem greedy...
I want the whole RichRod situation resolved. I am firmly in the keep him camp, but am smart enough to realize that I am in the minority. So whatever Dave Brandon decides, just be 100% committed to it. The worst thing that could happen is some wishy-washy press conference pledging allegiance "for now" or "for the immediate future". Either fire him, or give him 2 more years (minimum), but make it concrete.
I want the Lions to win out. I realize that means Drew Stanton plays well, and Patrick Peterson will most likely be gone by the time they draft, but I want to see Detroit be more than an off season afterthought for the top free agents. Too many times, the Lions had to overpay to bring in marginal talent. This offseason is going to be crazy, (barring a miracle), and I want to see top players make this their first visit for a change. KVB signed here, but he's
I want the Pistons to blow it up. All of it. Trade everyone you can. Rip? Gone. Tay? So long. CV and BG? Hasta and La Vista. Keep Greg Monroe, Stuckey, and maybe Jonas Jerebko. Get young players with upside and draft picks. The Iverson trade was supposed to open up money for Bosh/Wade/David Lee/et al. Instead they signed two guys who have started 5 games combined this year. I love Joe Dumars for the early 90's, and 2006, but yikes.
I want the Red Wings to keep doing what they do. I don't know enough about hockey to feel I can make the right changes.
I want the Spartans to remember one thing.
I want the Tigers to make a big trade. Not Aubrey Huff or Jarrod Washburn big. I mean Miggy/Dontrelle big. The Tigers have a few very desirable prospects in Turner, Oliver, Castellanos, Crosby, and Fields. Use them. I remember being livid after I heard they gave up both Andrew Miller and Cam Maybin to acquire Cabrera and Willis. They haven't necessarily panned out, so my position on baseball prospects has softened when it comes to the Tigers. Acquire an impact starter or corner outfielder. I am sick and tired of seeing the Twins make the postseason.
For NCAA football, I want to see Auburn beat Oregon........then get the title stripped in May when the real Cam Newton story breaks. Something has to happen to start cleaning up the game, and Reggie Bush giving back his Heisman isn't enough.
For Ndamukong Suh and Calvin Johnson, I want Pro Bowl starting spots. Suh came into the year with huge expectations, and has lived up to the hype so far. Calvin amazes me week to week, and despite the record, makes the Lions worth watching nationally.
For Jahvid Best, Brandon Graham, Matt Stafford, Troy Woolfolk, and Darryl Stonum, I want speedy recoveries.
That's about it. I don't want to seem greedy...
This Week in Great College Basketball Names
Christian Standhardinger
Christian Standhardinger is not the villian from Die Hard. That was Hans Gruber. Standhardinger is not the name of the new Wocka Flocka Flame single either. He is was a sophomore forward for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He averaged 8.1 ppg as a freshman, and until his departure last week, was averaging 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. He recently left the team to pursue other basketball endeavors. Think of it as a Big German Fish in a small Nebraska pond. The dining commons refused to serve spatzle or schnitzel, and continually mocked his Leiderhosen. Poor guy had enough, so he said "Ich bin von hier. Sie essen die Leute viel zu viel Mais."
It would have been awesome to see him in the Big Ten nest season, going against the Brusewitzes, Borovnjaks, Marcotullios,Sarikopolouses, and Smotryczes of the world. Oh well. There's always Bobby Copobianco at Indiana.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Lions win again....No, seriously
The 26 game road losing streak is over. Past tense. In the rear-view mirror. The Lions have been putting the Elias Sports Bureau through hell recently. After beating Green Bay last week, the Lions beat Tampa Bay in overtime 23-20 in overtime.
If you would have told me 3 weeks ago that the Lions would beat the 8-4 at the time Packers, and the then 8-5 Buccaneers after losing 5 in a row, I would have called you a liar (among other, NSFW things) and dismissed your foolish ramblings as poppycock. If you would have told me that the last touchdown was Stanton handing it off to Morris for 6, and Rayner kicking the extra point, I would have assumed zero chance of winning. I constantly bad-mouth Stanton, but as many have pointed out, he's 2-2 as a starter. That's the highest winning percentage of any Detroit quarterback since Millen was hired. I still don't think he would make most NFL rosters as anything other than a #3, but due to injuries to Stafford and Hill, here we are.
Winning two in a row is nice. Nice enough to overlook all the negatives for now. Here's the Rayner game winner.
I rarely do this, but there were some amazing moments in other games today. Here's Saints WR Lance Moore with an amazing TD catch...
And here's Philly WR DeSean Jackson with a walk-off punt return TD. It couldn't happen to a nicer fanbase.
Giants punter Matt Dodge got reamed by Tom Coughlin for not kicking it out of bounds. Way to take the blame, coach. I am ok with it though, since Matt Dodge started his college career at Appalachian State, and....well....you know. (even though he didn't play, it's shit list by association)
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Tigers sign Magglio Ordonez
I know I'm a few days late, but I wanted to be sure I gave this signing its due. Magglio Ordonez resigned for 1year at 10 million. This is one of those deals that will look really good in September, or really bad in May. I have stated my opinion about Magglio, but I have to admit I have had a change of heart. I think it was the 2 years that worried me more than the money. When you can lock up a 3-4-5 of Maggs, Miguel, and Martinez, its been a good offseason. Seeing what others are going for, cough cough Werth cough, it makes it even better. I would still venture to guess that there will be 1 more "significant" move left, probably for another starter.
I can't have a post about Magglio without this, so I will end with it...
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
This Week in Great College Basketball Names
Robo Kreps
In a dystopic & crime ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him. Wait....
Robo Kreps is a senior guard at the University of Illinois-Chicago. He is currently the team's leading scorer, averaging 15.5 ppg. He has improved his game tremendously from last year when he averaged 15.2 ppg.
He is more than a sweet shooter and cyborg, he is a blogger, and that gets a thumbs up in this guy's book.
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Big Ten Stays Behind the Times
Really? I mean seriously? Sigh.....Well maybe in conjunction with good divisional names. How about Bo and Woody? Too snooty. How about East and West? Too geographical. Herp and Derp? Right, right, too intelligent sounding. Leaders and Legends? Perfect.
I really hoped the Big Ten would come out of this looking cool or maybe even hip. Nossir. We get the most generic/unimaginative/alliterative names possible, and a logo that looks like clip art. Well played sirs, well played.
Pillaging Your Peers-NL West
After a few days off, I will continue the PYP project.
Arizona Diamondbacks- Assuming they don't trade him, my choice for the short term is OF Justin Upton. He's only 23, and is one of the most promising young regulars in MLB. I thought about Dan Haren, but his historically bad second half performances scared me off. As far as prospects go, Jarrod Parker is my pick. He recently had Tommy John surgery, but his potential is off the charts.If Upton is traded, expect another top 10 prospect to land in Arizona.
Colorado Rockies- This one is tough. Tough like a $5 steak. They have three of the top players in baseball right now. SS Troy Tulowitzki, OF Carlos Gonzalez, and SP Ubaldo Jimenez. All young, all talented. Luckily they don't have any slam dunk prospects, so I only have to leave out one of the three. Short term, I will take Jimenez. Dominant starters don't grow on trees, and he's an ace. Keeper-wise, I will take Tulo. Positional scarcity, and what not. I really hate leaving CarGo behind, but them's the breaks.
Los Angeles Dodgers- Kemp or Ethier, Ethier or Kemp? Power or speed? Speed. OF Matt Kemp is one of my personal favorites, so I gotta go with him. The Dodgers have some nice young pitchers, but no one who blows me over. Chris Withrow has a 9.3 K/9 rate in the minors, and is only 21. Done and done.
San Diego Padres- This was easy a week ago. Adrian Gonzalez was the overwhelming choice. He's now a Red Sock. Red Sox? Anywho, I will now go with....Kyle Blanks? Young power hitter,plays good defen....he has awesome hair.
Arizona Diamondbacks- Assuming they don't trade him, my choice for the short term is OF Justin Upton. He's only 23, and is one of the most promising young regulars in MLB. I thought about Dan Haren, but his historically bad second half performances scared me off. As far as prospects go, Jarrod Parker is my pick. He recently had Tommy John surgery, but his potential is off the charts.If Upton is traded, expect another top 10 prospect to land in Arizona.
Colorado Rockies- This one is tough. Tough like a $5 steak. They have three of the top players in baseball right now. SS Troy Tulowitzki, OF Carlos Gonzalez, and SP Ubaldo Jimenez. All young, all talented. Luckily they don't have any slam dunk prospects, so I only have to leave out one of the three. Short term, I will take Jimenez. Dominant starters don't grow on trees, and he's an ace. Keeper-wise, I will take Tulo. Positional scarcity, and what not. I really hate leaving CarGo behind, but them's the breaks.
Los Angeles Dodgers- Kemp or Ethier, Ethier or Kemp? Power or speed? Speed. OF Matt Kemp is one of my personal favorites, so I gotta go with him. The Dodgers have some nice young pitchers, but no one who blows me over. Chris Withrow has a 9.3 K/9 rate in the minors, and is only 21. Done and done.
San Diego Padres- This was easy a week ago. Adrian Gonzalez was the overwhelming choice. He's now a Red Sock. Red Sox? Anywho, I will now go with....Kyle Blanks? Young power hitter,plays good defen....he has awesome hair.
The biggest piece the Fathers got in return for Gonzalez is Casey Kelly. He is one of the top prospects in the game, and is close to MLB ready.
San Francisco Giants-By far the easiest team in the division to select from. Tim Lincecum may be a pothead, but he also has two Cy Young awards in 3 and a half seasons. C Buster Posey just won the NL ROY, and plays a premium position. Considering they just won the World Series, they are very top heavy.
So that finishes the National League. As always, criticism is expected/appreciated.
Previous- NL Central, NL East
You can now follow SEMS on Twitter
@SEMICHSPORTS
Get quicker updates when I post my nonsense, and tell your friends.
Get quicker updates when I post my nonsense, and tell your friends.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Lions beat Green Bay 7-3
That is all.
The Lions beat a divisional opponent for the first time since 2007. They beat the Packers for the first time since September 11, 2005. Will Heller scored a TD. Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and Aaron Rodgers combined for 0.
My dreams of Patrick Peterson may have taken a hit, but I love playing the spoiler. With New England giving Chicago a Kobe Bryant Colorado Special and Minnesota hosting the Giants in Detroit, the Lions could have the longest active winning streak in the NFC North after tomorrow.
Half-Time Reaction-Detroit vs Green Bay
If you predicted a 0-0 ball game at the half, raise your hand.
Put your hands down, you mother scrumpling liars. As hard as Drew Stanton is trying, the Lions might win this thing. The Lions have 3 sacks, none of which came from Avril or Suh. They have held the Packers to 68 total yards of offense. 68! They knocked Aaron Rodgers out of the game on a clean hit that should cost Landon Johnson 25K. It actually looks promising as of now, which means they Matt Flynn will throw for 250 yards and 4 touchdowns in the second half. Here's the Rodgers hit...
As I mentioned earlier, Stanton is proving that last week was a fluke, and he is not an NFL QB. Too many times he just throws the ball up for grabs like he's playing 500. He takes 19 yard sacks. On a positive note, he runs a mean option.
The best moment was watching Greg Jennings go DERP and Spievey being there to make the pick. It was made epic by the referee saying there were 3 possible penalties on the play. I will leave you with that, since the second half will be starting soon, and is sure to disappoint...
Put your hands down, you mother scrumpling liars. As hard as Drew Stanton is trying, the Lions might win this thing. The Lions have 3 sacks, none of which came from Avril or Suh. They have held the Packers to 68 total yards of offense. 68! They knocked Aaron Rodgers out of the game on a clean hit that should cost Landon Johnson 25K. It actually looks promising as of now, which means they Matt Flynn will throw for 250 yards and 4 touchdowns in the second half. Here's the Rodgers hit...
As I mentioned earlier, Stanton is proving that last week was a fluke, and he is not an NFL QB. Too many times he just throws the ball up for grabs like he's playing 500. He takes 19 yard sacks. On a positive note, he runs a mean option.
The best moment was watching Greg Jennings go DERP and Spievey being there to make the pick. It was made epic by the referee saying there were 3 possible penalties on the play. I will leave you with that, since the second half will be starting soon, and is sure to disappoint...
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Catching up with the Tigers' Offseason
A few minor roster moves:
The Tigers signed 33 year old Australian pitcher, Chris Oxspring. I approve.
They also signed C Omir Santos. He last played with the Mets in 2009, and is just organizational depth.
They also signed former Hiroshima Toyo Carp LHP John Bale. Their last foray into Japan resulted in Brad Thomas, who wasn't horrible last season.
Did I mention they signed someone named Chris Oxspring?
That's it for additions since I last updated. They missed on several assumed targets, but considering what they got paid...coughcoughJasonWerthcoughcough...its not all bad.
Jason Werth signed with the Washington Nationals for $126 Million Dollars for 7 years. Which, good luck with that in 2015.
Adam Dunn signed with the White Sox for $56 Million dollars for 4 years. Kinda pricey, but he should rake in that lineup.
Carl Crawford will only make $16 Million less than Jason Werth, and gets to play for Boston. The Sawx also acquired Adrian Gonzalez, so they are back which makes winning the Wild Card that much harder.
Magglio Ordonez is seeking 2 years at $10M per. I love Maggs as much as the next guy, but C'mon Man.
That's about it. I doubt Paul Konerko or Carlos Pena were ever serious about Detroit or vice versa. Cliff Lee is still out there, but the Yankees have to sign him on the heels of Boston's recent activity. I will visit this again as more chips fall into place.
The Tigers signed 33 year old Australian pitcher, Chris Oxspring. I approve.
They also signed C Omir Santos. He last played with the Mets in 2009, and is just organizational depth.
They also signed former Hiroshima Toyo Carp LHP John Bale. Their last foray into Japan resulted in Brad Thomas, who wasn't horrible last season.
Did I mention they signed someone named Chris Oxspring?
That's it for additions since I last updated. They missed on several assumed targets, but considering what they got paid...coughcoughJasonWerthcoughcough...its not all bad.
Jason Werth signed with the Washington Nationals for $126 Million Dollars for 7 years. Which, good luck with that in 2015.
Adam Dunn signed with the White Sox for $56 Million dollars for 4 years. Kinda pricey, but he should rake in that lineup.
Carl Crawford will only make $16 Million less than Jason Werth, and gets to play for Boston. The Sawx also acquired Adrian Gonzalez, so they are back which makes winning the Wild Card that much harder.
Magglio Ordonez is seeking 2 years at $10M per. I love Maggs as much as the next guy, but C'mon Man.
That's about it. I doubt Paul Konerko or Carlos Pena were ever serious about Detroit or vice versa. Cliff Lee is still out there, but the Yankees have to sign him on the heels of Boston's recent activity. I will visit this again as more chips fall into place.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Pillaging Your Peers-NL Central
Continuing my little project, I will move westward and cover the NL Central.
Chicago Cubs- Yikes. I'm not stoked on any of their players for a short term investment. Alfonso Soriano is at least 56 years old, and rapidly declining. Aramis Ramirez can't stay healthy. Their starting pitchers are crazy (Carlos Zambrano), or mediocre (Ryan Dempster.) That leaves me with two viable options: Closer Carlos Marmol, or OF Tyler Colvin. I will take Colvin. He had a great rookie year, and still has room to improve. My keeper is SS Starlin Castro. He can do a little bit of everything, and is only 20 years old. He entered last season as one of the top prospects in the game, and did fairly well at the Major League level, despite being so young.
Cincinnati Reds- Easiest team in the division. Joey Votto was the NL MVP this year. He's the real deal. Aroldis Chapman. AKA The Cuban Missile, is probably the top pitching prospect in the game. He did this...
So yeah. The only argument to be made is Devin Mesoraco, a power hitting catcher from Punxsutawney, PA. Chapman would probably be the top pick if there were a prospect draft, and I can't pass up 105.
Houston Astros-After trading Berkman and Oswalt this year, there aren't many players who jump out at you. Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence are unspectacular outfielders. Wandy Rodriguez is a high strikeout pitcher. I would take Pence, mainly due to Lee's past injury history and advanced age. Prospect wise it comes down to two players: 1B Brett Wallace and C Jason Castro. I would lean toward Castro since he catches, but Wallace should be a good player.
Milwaukee Brewers- It starts and ends with Ryan Braun. The Hebrew Hammer is one of the best players in baseball, and with Prince Fielder's tough year, it's not really a contest. One other option is Yovani Gallardo, a young fireballer. I will take the hitter here, but after looking at Gallardo's stats, it was closer than I thought. They just traded top prospect Brett Lawrie, so he's out. That leaves a bunch of prospects with question marks. I will go out on a limb and take Gallardo long term. He's stll only 24, and has proven MLB success. Their prospects after trading Lawrie just don't impress me much.
Pittsburgh Pirates-I will start with the keeper. Pedro Alvarez is their top prospect. He hit .239 with 10 homers on the ML level this year, but he should improve on that in the future. As for present help, I really like Andrew McCutchen. He has some pop, steals bases, and plays a great CF. Another easy team to pillage.
St. Louis Cardinals- Another easy one. Albert Pujols is a future Hall of Famer. He plays defense, and has stolen 30 bases the last two years combined. On a team with pitchers like Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, it shows you how great a player Pujols is. Their farm system is decent, but Shelby Miller is a stud. Rated the #3 pitching prospect by project prospect (say that 3 times fast), he has a great fastball, along with plus pitches in his curve ball and change up.
Overall, an easy division to select from. There are some guys that I really like that didn't make the cut, like Mesoraco and Wallace, but that's how it goes in these types of things. As always, if I made any egregious oversights, call me on it.
Previous- NL East
Chicago Cubs- Yikes. I'm not stoked on any of their players for a short term investment. Alfonso Soriano is at least 56 years old, and rapidly declining. Aramis Ramirez can't stay healthy. Their starting pitchers are crazy (Carlos Zambrano), or mediocre (Ryan Dempster.) That leaves me with two viable options: Closer Carlos Marmol, or OF Tyler Colvin. I will take Colvin. He had a great rookie year, and still has room to improve. My keeper is SS Starlin Castro. He can do a little bit of everything, and is only 20 years old. He entered last season as one of the top prospects in the game, and did fairly well at the Major League level, despite being so young.
Cincinnati Reds- Easiest team in the division. Joey Votto was the NL MVP this year. He's the real deal. Aroldis Chapman. AKA The Cuban Missile, is probably the top pitching prospect in the game. He did this...
So yeah. The only argument to be made is Devin Mesoraco, a power hitting catcher from Punxsutawney, PA. Chapman would probably be the top pick if there were a prospect draft, and I can't pass up 105.
Houston Astros-After trading Berkman and Oswalt this year, there aren't many players who jump out at you. Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence are unspectacular outfielders. Wandy Rodriguez is a high strikeout pitcher. I would take Pence, mainly due to Lee's past injury history and advanced age. Prospect wise it comes down to two players: 1B Brett Wallace and C Jason Castro. I would lean toward Castro since he catches, but Wallace should be a good player.
Milwaukee Brewers- It starts and ends with Ryan Braun. The Hebrew Hammer is one of the best players in baseball, and with Prince Fielder's tough year, it's not really a contest. One other option is Yovani Gallardo, a young fireballer. I will take the hitter here, but after looking at Gallardo's stats, it was closer than I thought. They just traded top prospect Brett Lawrie, so he's out. That leaves a bunch of prospects with question marks. I will go out on a limb and take Gallardo long term. He's stll only 24, and has proven MLB success. Their prospects after trading Lawrie just don't impress me much.
Pittsburgh Pirates-I will start with the keeper. Pedro Alvarez is their top prospect. He hit .239 with 10 homers on the ML level this year, but he should improve on that in the future. As for present help, I really like Andrew McCutchen. He has some pop, steals bases, and plays a great CF. Another easy team to pillage.
St. Louis Cardinals- Another easy one. Albert Pujols is a future Hall of Famer. He plays defense, and has stolen 30 bases the last two years combined. On a team with pitchers like Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, it shows you how great a player Pujols is. Their farm system is decent, but Shelby Miller is a stud. Rated the #3 pitching prospect by project prospect (say that 3 times fast), he has a great fastball, along with plus pitches in his curve ball and change up.
Overall, an easy division to select from. There are some guys that I really like that didn't make the cut, like Mesoraco and Wallace, but that's how it goes in these types of things. As always, if I made any egregious oversights, call me on it.
Previous- NL East
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Pillaging Your Peers-NL East
Imagine yourself as the GM of an expansion baseball franchise. Bud Selig has given you the power to select two players from an established MLB team. One player is for the short term, and you can only keep him for 3 years. The second player is yours as long as you want him. The only drawback is you have to submit your choices before you know how many or which teams you will receive players from. So you are choosing under the assumption that you may only get the players from one team. I normally do this around the trade deadline, thinking like the Tigers, so I figured I would put it in writing, and see how much my preferences have changed. I will start in the NL East, since my early research has shown it to be rather difficult.
Atlanta Braves- This was one of the more difficult decisions. The two players I would covet most are very young, and would be excellent choices as my long term preference. The two players are Jason Heyward and Julio Teheran. Jason Heyward just turned 21, and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year race. Teheran is 19 and considered one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. So therein lies the problem. They both are destined for greatness, but which one do you want long term? Do you take a player like Brian McCann for three years, and take Heyward long term, since Teheran isn't too close to being Major League ready, and may not reach his potential? Do you take three years of Heyward and gamble on a potential ace in Teheran? If I were in this position, I gamble on Teheran. I take Heyward short term, and Teheran long term. Pitching wins in most cases like this in my opinion.
Florida Marlins- Another difficult one, but easier than Atlanta. The long term option is Mike Stanton. Amazing power hittter. 22 homers in 100 major league games this year, and he's only 21. The short term players in contention are Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson. Hanley Ramirez is arguably the best all around SS in baseball, and Johnson is a dominating pitcher. They are only a year apart in age, so that doesn't help. I think I would actually go with HanRam. Josh Johnson had Tommy John Surgery in August of 07, and although he has been great since, I am using it as justification to take Ramirez. I can't go wrong with either, but Ramirez is one of my favorite players.
New York Mets- Before I actually looked at this, I thought it would be fairly easy. Then I realized how bare their Minor League system compared to the rest of their division. Most of their top prospects have huge question marks. For three years, there are 3 legit options: David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Johan Santana. Two years ago, they were three of the best players in baseball, but Wright had a horrible(by his standards) 2009, Reyes can't get/stay healthy, and Johan just isn't the same player he was in Minnesota. I would go Wright, who bounced back in 2010, and distanced himself from the other two. As far as prospects, I will trust the experts and go with Wilmer Flores. John Sickels feels he's the Mets' top prospect, and he plays SS, so positional scarcity plays a factor as well. The future is bleak for the Mets.
Philadelphia Phillies- Roy Halladay. Nuff said. As far as prospects go, there isn't much left. The Halladay and Oswalt trades have helped empty the cupboard, as they say, and they are left with Domonic Brown, and a few marginal pitchers, so Brown it is. Big, fast, outfielder who Athlon compares to Darryl Strawberry (in ability, not recreational activities, I assume.) The easiest by far in the NL East, and probably top five easiest in MLB.
Washington Nationals- Another Braves situation, with the added headache of having a very good player at the Major League level. Stephen Strasburg is the most hyped pitching prospect probably ever. Bryce Harper graduated from high school a year early to go to community college so he could get drafted earlier. He is also...well see for yourself...
Both were selected number one overall. Both are among the top 3 prospects in baseball. Then you have Ryan Zimmerman. A young All-Star 3B who isn't close to being selected. In this context, I would have to take Strasburg for three years, and Harper for keeps since Harper isn't close to reaching the majors. I am this close to going Zimmerman for 3 and Strasburg forever. Flip a coin on this one. This will be the one to watch from this division.
This was tougher than I expected. When I looked at this from Detroit's perspective, it was fairly easy. With Cabrera at first that position is blocked, so a slightly less player at a position of need was always selected. Same with outfielders, With Austin Jackson in center and leading off, I looked at power over speed in outfielders. All in all this was fun. I look forward to doing the other divisions, and I will see if I could cover every position without trying. Feel free to leave any comments if you feel I overlooked someone.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Michigan to The Gator Bowl???
According to The Florida Times-Union, Michigan will meet Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl. It isn't official yet, but these things normally end up being credible. So it goes to show again that I know nothing. I do know that they take their footbaw serious down there, and their promotions team is top notch...
I am obviously surprised with a Jan 1st Bowl, and like the recruiting exposure in Florida. I also like the matchup, as Mississippi State ranked 91st in passing offense. More on this as it becomes official.
Lions-Bears Knee Jerk Reaction
It wasn't as bad as I expected, but sucks just the same. Bad penalties, bad play calling, bad pass defense. Stanton wasn't that bad, but you can't allow your two safeties to be the leading tacklers, and expect to win many ball games. Stanton taught us how NOT to Dougie.
But there were some positives. The Calvin TD.
Cliff Avril jail-sexxed the Bears' offensive line. Suh(minus the penalty) was his normal beastly self. No turnovers. 5.0 yards per carry. Nobody spontaneously combusted, which is a plus.
The song remains the same. Close, but couldn't close. We're used to it. We haven't beaten Chicago, Green Bay, or Minnesota since the George W. Bush administration. In October 2007, we were all Crankin Dat Soulja Boy, and watching Dirty Sexy Money.
I don't know what to say anymore. I don't get upset anymore. I don't yell. I don't curse at referees. I just watch. It's like watching television in a doctor's office. You can't pay attention, because there's that creepy guy two aisles over that refuses to cover his mouth when he coughs, and keeps trying to strike up conversations with people. You are aware what's on, but you can't get too invested. I....shit. Now I can't get the creepy guy image out of my mind. Better quit while I'm ahead.
This Week in Great College Basketball Names
Drake U'u
Drake U'u is a red shirt sophomore guard for the Cal Poly Mustangs. He started his college career at Hartford, averaging 2.9 points, and 1.7 rebounds in 18 games (5 starts) as a true freshman. He had to sit out last year due to NCAA transfer rules. This remarkably consistent player is averaging 2.9 ppg, and 1.4 rebounds through 7 games this season.
I'm not sure I've seen a name containing two vowels and an apostrophe before. Short and sweet like Seth Green.
Lions-Bears Quickie Preview
The surprisingly good Bears are in Detroit to play the Lions today. The first game was close, ending with the Calvin Johnson Controversy. A refresher...
That Lions team had Matt Stafford. Jahvid Best had 10 good toes. Detroit had yet to lose to the Bills. Hell, that team still had Shaun Hill. That team had Jason Hanson.
This team has Drew Stanton. This team has a gimpy Jahvid Best. This team lost to the Bills. Did I mention that this team has Drew Stanton? They also have Zac Robinson. Who? A 7th round rookie out of Oklahoma State. This team has Dave Rayner. Awesome.
Three keys to success:
45-14, Chicago. It won't be pretty. Jay Cutler may be the first QB in history to have 5 TDs and 5 INTs in one game. Maybe this will make you feel better...
That Lions team had Matt Stafford. Jahvid Best had 10 good toes. Detroit had yet to lose to the Bills. Hell, that team still had Shaun Hill. That team had Jason Hanson.
This team has Drew Stanton. This team has a gimpy Jahvid Best. This team lost to the Bills. Did I mention that this team has Drew Stanton? They also have Zac Robinson. Who? A 7th round rookie out of Oklahoma State. This team has Dave Rayner. Awesome.
Three keys to success:
- Beer.
- Calvin Johnson proving that he is the best WR in the NFL, by making Drew Stanton look like an NFL QB.
- Did I mention beer?
45-14, Chicago. It won't be pretty. Jay Cutler may be the first QB in history to have 5 TDs and 5 INTs in one game. Maybe this will make you feel better...
In other words, if the Lions win I will eat my hat. But to be fair, I am wearing a nacho hat
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Curse is Real
A month ago today, I crowned Jason Hanson as The best Lions draft pick since Barry Sanders. Well, today the Lions placed him on IR, ending his 2010 season, and keeping former Spartan Dave Rayner employed for the rest of the year.
The only bright side to this injury is it will not allow him to add to his already NFL record of being on the losing team 190 times. No word yet on his status for next season, but I would venture to guess he will be back. To fill his spot on the roster, the Lions signed former 1st round draft pick, CB Tye Hill.
This proves again, that the SEMS curse is real. I spotlight Jonas Jerebko, and BOOM!!!!1! In other site news, I am now planning posts on the following:
- Terrelle Pryor
- Sidney Crosby
- The Miami Heat
- Phil Mickelson (that smug, left-handed bastard)
Good Night, Sweet Prince! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)