MLB Division Leaders 2010

This time a year ago every division in baseball had a different leader. Now, not every team that was leading at this point went on to win the division but it proves that the MLB season is a marathon not a sprint.
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What surprises me the most? The NL West has the Pads in first when in ’09 it was LA. San Diego should hold onto their slugger Adrian Gonzales and closer Heath Bell to keep this dream alive.
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Then there’s the NL Central. The Cards are a favorite this year but a year ago it was Milwaukee that was running the show. The Red Birds would go on to get Mark DeRosa and Matt Holliday along with Julio Lugo to solidify the Central late in the season. This year the Reds need to make some moves if they wish to put themselves ahead of the Birds.
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The Braves lead the East because the ’09 team at this point is injured to hell. The Phillies are losing players left and right and now Chase Utley is out for who knows how long. I still think Philidelphia comes back to win the division.
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As for the American League, we were talking Angels last year. Now the Rangers are the best team in baseball. Don’t get too carried away. I’ll still stick with my Mariners pick but it’s looking bleak. They’ll probably trade Lee.
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The Yanks are in fist but Boston was last year. I’d like to see the Rays make a run but they need to get it in gear. Boston and New York are outplaying TB.
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Finally, that AL Central. The Twins are running the show now and I think they’ll win it easily. We were talking Sox and Tigers last year. Mauer and company has it together just like I thought.

My picks aren’t too bad right now. Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers. Yankees, Twins, Mariners. Wild Carders- Giants (get it going!) Red Sox.

LeBron Visits the King

Larry King will host LeBron James on his show Friday night. The featured questions will surely be about where King James is leaning towards ending up for the 2010-11 season.
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LeBron has been more of a media junky than Brett Favre this year. Will he or won’t he has been the topic of every Cleveland newspaper for months. They didn’t even care about the playoffs this year. How sad is that?!
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My opinion, James better stay with the Cavs. He will become the most hated player in sports history. Players that demand trades or create this drama don’t end up well liked.
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Just ask the Denver Broncos how much they like how Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall treated them. Red Sox fans weren’t too big of Manny fans after his demands. The Eagles and Terrell Owens…enough said.
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LeBron is loved in Cleveland without the ring. He needs to stay or he will forever be remembered as the guy who left the Cavs and the city in the dust. I mean, they even forgave him for the dreaded Yankees hat at the Indians game stunt. STRIKE ONE!

Barring any unbelievable collapse, Ubaldo Jimenez will win the Cy Young. With a no hitter under his belt, a 10-1 record, and an ERA under one, he has it locked up.
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Jimenez is truly gifted. But this talent has sort of come out left field. He was quite good last year. 15 wins and an ERA just under 3.50. Before that his ERA was just under 4.00 in 2008 and he was 12-12. However, how do you get here from there?
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Whatever the 26 year-old is doing it is working. He is sensational. Ubaldo is giving us a reason to watch the Rockies who are playing in a very competitive NL West.

I still think that the Dodgers will win that one with the Giants taking the Wild Card. But hey, the Padres are great too and if Jimenez can try and keep his club in it, who knows? well, I do. It’ll be L.A. and San Fran. STRIKE TWO!

I took some time to wait and release my feelings on the 2014 cold bowl. To be honest, who cares?
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This game is played in all kinds of climates during the year. The Chargers never see a spec of bad weather in San Diego. Now, if they go to their division rival in Denver late in the year, they could be bombarded with snow.
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Every team should be prepared for this kind of weather so it really shouldn’t matter. Football analysts are going crazy and I heard Mike and Mike in the morning go nuts over this too. But come on guys, it’s football.
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The Colts-Bears Super Bowl was plyed in pouring down rain. So what? It’s the game we love to watch. I don’t prefer rain over snow or clear skies over cloudy scary-looking skies. We are being ridiculous here. The fact is the East got this Super Bowl and good for them. I hope they start putting these games all over the U.S.

Maybe Soldier Field could get one? STRIKE THREE AND I’M OUT!

Saint Diego

San Diego is winning the West. They have to be a big surprise to you. Their record, 22-12, is an outstanding ten above .500! What has got into them?
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You can talk basics, Adrian Gonzalez has a handful of homers and RBIs. They have that killer bullpen that every good teams yearns for. But the big surprises are the guys we have no idea who they are. Take Chase Headley. Last year he was a .260 outfielder at one point. Now he’s over .300 and plays third. Jon Garland is back to rare form with a low ones ERA and a 4-2 record. We know who he is I guess but I sure didn’t think he had a lot left in the tank.
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Who is Wade LeBlanc? Well he’s Allowed five earned runs in 28 innings. I do know who Clayton Richard is but I didn’t think he’s already have 40 plus innings pitched with an ERA of 3.21. Oh, and I guess Scott Hariston has six home runs this year too.

I don’t know how they are winning really because the team batting average is terrible. Nevertheless, Strike One!
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I saw a recent poll on Yahoo asking whether Lawrence Taylor should be stripped of his Hall of Fame status because of his recent predicament. Let’s debate.
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If he’s convicted, meaning if he did it, then I’m not so sure he shouldn’t have to return that gold jacket. You see, some things in sports are held to a high standard. When you are in that hall you are there because you did it and fore the most part did it the right way.

Yeah, there are some jackasses out there. Hotdogs, cocky young guns, and bitter old veterans all sometimes get in the Hall because of gaudy numbers. But are we saying cold hard criminals should too. If he raped this girl, which isn’t very debatable because of the age factor, than why does he get to keep his honors. I’m not in charge and I’d hate to be the one who is but I wouldn’t be too shocked if Mr. Goodell looks into this. STRIKE TWO!

I’m often told I never admit when I’m wrong. Well, that’s because I consider to be right about a lot of sports stuff. But for fun, I read through some old articles to see what I’ve been wrong about so far…
The Cavs won’t win in five or six games versus the Celtics.
The Seattle Mariners are struggling now in shape for an AL West title.
The Astros just swept the Cardinals.
Brandon Marshall will not be in Denver and in the same article Washington was not that tough in the tourney.
Willy Taveras has been ineffective.
Brian Giles didn’t have a good year, he retired instead.
And of course like every analyst, I thought the Colts would win it all.

Tebow-McDaniels Era?

Forever the two names will be linked. Josh McDaniels and Tim Tebow
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Will he play QB, HB, or TE no one knows but I have my two cents. I think the years, not days, are numbered for Kyle Orton. He’ll get this year, unless he falters horribly. He had a great year last season and they are trying to put young talent around him. Remember the “Wild Horses” set the Broncos ran against New England last year?
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It truly stumped Big Bill B of the Patriots (but what didn’t on the road in ’09). That could be Tim’s ticket to success in year one. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets his shot in 2011. Orton is sitting on a one year deal. And let’s face it, Quinn? Yeah right! STRIKE ONE!

Ryan Howard is set. He won’t be the one of the big guys headed to NY or Boston in 2011. After the Phillies paid him it left some questions about other sluggers around the league.
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Adrian Gonzalez is thought to be moving at the break. BUT if the Padres can play like this until July they might have to hang onto him knowing he could leave in 2011. He is a young power-hitting first basemen who I could see in Boston.
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Then there is Albert Pujols. He isn’t going anywhere but he will see some increase in his bank account come 2012. The Cards will most likely option him next year for some 16 plus deal. But at the age of 32 he could see gaudy numbers thrown at him.

Who knows? No one. I wouldn’t be surprised if number five is our first 35 million dollar man. STRIKE TWO!

I don’t like bold statements. Especially silly ones like Pujols trades with Howard. However, could we see a week three NFL season trade of Ben Roethlisberger? Why not?
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A team like Buffalo. Nothing to lose in a division where they have nowhere to go. There is no QB that can take the helm successfully there but if a third team came in to help move Big Ben to the Bills….hey it could happen. What team would help? Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Baltimore sure would!
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Bills send picks to one of those three, they get Big Ben, and one of the (Cin, Cle, Bal) teams sends a big time player to the Steelers? It could happen. He has made them mad and they could just try a deal if Dennis Dixon could salvage a 7-9 or 8-8 season. I mean, they don’t have Ben for the first six anyways right? STRIKE THREE AND I’M OUT!

SB Surprise, The Classic RFer, LeBron for 47

Well, who called it? Saints 31 Colts 17. I know I didn’t. What a fantastic three-quarters by the Saints. They feel down early (against Peyton, that’s bad). And after a fourth and goal miss I thought this game was O-V-E-R. But after a completely dominated second quarter and the onside kickoff to lead the second half!? I knew who everyone was routing for at the end. Personally, I’m happy for NO and Mr. Brees. It couldn’t have been capped off any more awkwardly though. A Peyton Manning pick followed by a Reggie Wayne dropped fourth down pass. Huh? STRIKE ONE! (more…)