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MLB Umpire Gary Darling talks UMPS CARE with Double G Sports

Major League Baseball umpires take a lot of grief during the season, and sometimes into the offseason. When everything goes smoothly, nobody mentions the umpires. If a close play results in a questionable call, fans often verbally attack the men in blue. Few people get to see the gentle and caring side of MLB umpires.

Gary Darling is a 23-year Major League Baseball umpire and worked his way up to crew chief. Many baseball fans know the name Gary Darling and recognize him as an umpire. What most people don't know is that Darling is also the President of the UMPS CARE Charities Board of Directors. UMPS CARE is the official charity of Major League Baseball umpires.

The charity focuses on children. One of the great things they do is visit children's hospitals around the country with Build-A-Bears. The umpires and others in the organization spend time with the children and help dress the bears with them. The other way they help out is by providing baseball game tickets to children that are waiting adoption. These children are given great seats during a game as well as pre-game stadium tours.

UMPS CARE Charities biggest fundraiser is an online auction. The auction is currently in progress and will be ending Monday, March 22, 2010. Over 100 items are up for bid, many of which are sports related. All proceeds from the auction will support the UMPS CARE Charities youth programs.

Double G Sports was lucky enough to ask MLB Umpire Gary Darling a few questions.

Double G Sports: In your mind, what does UMPS CARE symbolize?

Gary Darling: I think it symbolizes the fact that people, in general, feel compassion for our fellow man. We started out with a desire to help retired umpires in need and now UMPS CARE has expanded into something much bigger. Most of us have children that we miss during the season. UMPS CARE offers us the opportunity to put a smile on the faces of children awaiting adoption and children coping with serious illness.

DGS: It must be very rewarding to help out young children and families in need. Is there one particular experience that stands out?

GD: In 2009, I visited Children's Hospital of Orange County when our crew was in Los Angeles to work a series. It was an incredibly amazing experience. Page Soapes, a sponsor representative of Bristol-Myers Squibb, and I spent 20 minutes in out of the playrooms with a young girl who was battling cancer. She smiled as we spent time dressing up a few Build-A-Bears for her and her sister. It's a memory that will last for a long time and I'm looking forward to another event with my crew in 2010.

DGS: Umpires take a lot of grief during games and often times don't get the recognition they deserve. How does it feel to be recognized for something positive and be seen in somewhat of a different light?

GD: I think recognizing people for community outreach efforts are important, but we participate in the UMPS CARE Charities programs because we truly care. It feels good to give back to communities all across the country.

DGS: Which is harder, making the right call in a tight game or hearing the stories of the many young children UMPS CARE Charities supports?

GD: Umpiring is what we do. I'm fortunate to have two healthy kids but I realize this is not the case for everyone. We just try to put a smile on the faces of the kids and lift their spirits in any way we can.

DGS: What is your favorite memory as an umpire?

GD: I worked with Steve Ripley, Larry Poncino, and Mike Winters in 1998 on the weekend when Mark McGwire hit home runs 60, 61, and 62. it was an electric atmosphere. Just as players and fans want to be in and at big games, umpires enjoy being on the field during baseball's memorable moments.

Visit the charities website, www.UmpsCare.com to see a full list of items available at the auction. Everything from a chance for you and your friends to watch batting practice from the field to a pre-concert meet-and-greet with the Black Eyed Peas including floor seating. You can also win tickets to the 2010 MLB All-Star Game, or have "Lunch with an Ump." These are just a few of the many great items up for bid.

Again, visit www.UmpsCare.com to learn more. Its for a great cause!

The auction is going on now and will be ending March 22, 2010.

Top five reasons to welcome Tiger Woods back

Jim Turner

turnersportsdesk.com

March 16, 2010

Golf matters (to people other than diehards) when Tiger is playing – The Masters may as well be an accounting convention without Tiger Woods. All of the coverage and questions at this year’s Masters would have centered around Woods anyway so may as well have him there.
Money – Money and More Money – Love him or hate him Tiger’s peers should welcome him back for no other reason that when he is around they make more money even though he normally wins the “tiger’s share” of it.
The fact that Tiger is coming back shows that he and his wife are working through their issues - Frankly it is none of our business what they do but it is good to see them back together and him back to playing golf.
Maybe the tragically lame tiger jokes can go away - They got pretty morbid after a while
Higher quality Media Coverage - Now the media will have Tiger to cover instead of the attention starved women (that made poor choices themselves) that want fifteen minutes of fame at the expense of Tiger’s family.

BREAKING NEWS: Tiger To Play In The Masters

As reported by the Associated Press, Tiger Woods will make his return to golf in the Masters Golf Tournament which starts April 5th.

As most speculated Tiger was inching his way back to a return to golf, and many thought it would be this tournament where he made his return from golf after four months away from the sport.

Now that Tiger is returning to golf it will be interesting to see if Tiger's "transgressions" will show permanent damage to golf's fanbase or will the 2010 Masters prove to have higher ratings from people simply wanting to see Tiger back on the golf course.

The only way to stop Ovechkin is to suspend him

Jim Turner

Turnersportsdesk.com

March 16, 2010

What if Alexander Ovechkin played the game of hockey like everyone else? What if he played without the burning desire to be the best at what he does? Who would be better off if that happened? The NHL would be a lesser league if they placed the clamps on Ovechkin and his game. For the first time in a long time you have a forward that is super talented, super gritty and most importantly plays the game with the joy of a child. In a Sports world of guaranteed contracts, overpaid, underperforming athletes Ovechkin is a breath of fresh air. He is a guy people want to come and see even if he’s not on their team.

Former NHL Coach and ESPN Analyst, Barry Melrose said instead of suspending Ovechkin for playing hard and with passion, the rest of the league needs to turn it up a notch. Remember when everyone was upset about Ovechkin’s goal celebration? I believe it was Melrose that said there is one sure fire way to stop the celebrations and that is by stopping Ovechkin. Like the formula for cold fusion, stopping Ovechkin apparently remains a mystery. I guess the one way the NHL can attempt to do it is by trying to take away what separates the great eight from his peers.

I find this assertion of Ovechkin as a dirty player very interesting especially when he plays the game with a combination of both schools of hockey. The European game of hockey relies more on skill and puck possession while the North American game is much more physical. Ovechkin can make defenders look silly with his puck/stick skills, at 6’2, 235 he will run you over and he’s shown he plays the North American physical style as well if not better than North Americans. So I find it very ironic that North Americans are the ones complaining most about the physical play of a European. Really?

So if the NHL wants to kill the best thing they have going all they have to do is legislate Ovechkin and his passion out of the game. Apparently that is the only way to stop him. Ovechkin is a once in a generation player and by punishing Ovechkin the NHL is setting the league back. Sometimes unique players come along that raise the game to another level. Instead of trying to kill who Ovechkin is perhaps they need to follow his lead. The real winners would be the fans that finally can pay for a guy worth watching.

The Top 5 HRs in Royals History Still Haunt Yankees and Cardinals Fans

In the 40 year history of the Kansas City Royals, there have been many defining moments. Unfortunately for the youngest fans, those who have watched this team the past 15 years or so, most of those moments have defined losing.

For older Royals fans however, there are fond memories of contending Royals teams who made two World Series appearances and were in a pennant race virtually every season.

This article will take all Kansas City fans back to their team's glory days, and look at five of the most meaningful home runs in team history. Not only will Royals fans be reminded of the good times, but proud Yankees and Cardinals fans will be reminded of opportunities missed by their teams.

No. 5: George Brett, Game 3 of the 1980 ALCS

Long before Mariano Rivera put on pinstripes, the New York Yankees had the most intimidating relief pitcher in all of baseball, Hall of Famer Rich "Goose" Gossage. Back in 1980, Gossage's Yankees earned the right to play the Royals in the 1980 ALCS.

Going into Game 3, the Yankees found themselves down two games to none and were trying to avoid a sweep.

Enter the Royals team leader who hit .390 that season, George Brett.

After giving up a two-out double to Royals leadoff man Willie Wilson, Yankees starter Tommy John left the game after 6.2 strong innings. Enter the Goose, who entered the game attempting to preserve his team's 2-1 lead.

Gossage proceeded to run the count full before he gave up an infield hit to Royals shortstop UL Washington, setting up an epic battle with the Royals best hitter, Brett.

Brett would only see one pitch from Gossage, a 98-mph fastball which would go down as his fastest pitch of the night. Brett didn't just hit it, he blasted a towering shot that traveled well into the third deck of Yankees Stadium.

The home run would put the Royals up 4-2 and seal a three-game sweep of the hated Yankees, setting up a showdown with the Phillies in the 1980 World Series.

No. 4: Frank White, Game 3 of the 1985 World Series

Known more for the eight Gold Gloves he won as the Royals second baseman in his 18 professional seasons, Frank White also served as the team's cleanup hitter in Game 3 of the 1985 World Series.

It was the first time in baseball history that a second baseman ever hit cleanup in a World Series.

After dropping the first two games of the series back home in Kansas City, the Royals were in desperate need of a win entering game 3 of their series against their cross-state rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals.

With the Royals clinging to a 2-0 lead entering the top of the fifth inning, they were looking to give starter, and eventual Cy Young winner, Bret Saberhagen a more secure lead.

That's when the first second baseman to hit cleanup in a World Series game drove a Joaquin Andujar pitch deep over the left-center field fence scoring Brett, and puttin a nail in the coffin of the Cardinals in game 3.

The Royals eventually won the game 6-1, and most importantly, pushed the series to two games to one, giving the Royals a chance to take the series back to Kansas City.

No. 3: Bo Jackson, 1989 All-Star game

From the day that Bo Jackson chose to put on a Royals uniform, everyone knew he was special.

A Heisman Trophy winner in football, Bo's raw talent in baseball often made for highlight reel plays and monster home runs. Bo's abundant talent was on display when he was named an All-Star in 1989.

Entering the game, AL Manager Tony LaRussa was trying to figure out who his leadoff hitter should be since his team was filled with middle of the order players.

Jackson, the Royals cleanup hitter who was also blessed with fantastic speed, was up to the task of leading off. LaRussa later called Bo "the most explosive talent playing at the time."

Jackson pounded two hits, including a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first that went an estimated 448 feet, to lead the AL All-Stars to a 5-3 victory.

For his efforts, Jackson was named the All-Star Game MVP, turning in the best All-Star performance in Royals history.

No. 2: Darryl Motley, Game 7 of the 1985 World Series

After falling behind three games to one in the 1985 World Series, most fans thought the Royals were destined to lose their second World Series in five years.

However, the Royals were able to even the series at three games apiece and take the series against the Cardinals back to Kansas City for what turned into a blowout game 7. In a series that had been marked by momentum, the Royals simply wanted to get ace Bret Saberhagen a lead in game 7.

After getting by the top of the Royals order in the first inning, Cardinals starter John Tudor faced the bottom half of the Royals lineup in the second inning. Tudor walked first baseman Steve Balboni with one out, bringing up the Royals number seven hitter, right fielder Darryl Motley.

After working the count full, Motley hit a towering fly ball just foul of the left field foul pole. On the very next pitch, Motley would again drive the ball deep to left field but this time it would stay fair and give the Royals a 2-0 lead.

Motley's home run would prove to be the difference in the game, as Saberhagen would throw a complete game shut out to lead the Royals to an 11-0 series clinching win.

And while Saberhagen would be named the Series MVP, the fitting end to game 7 came when Motley, who hit the game-winning home run early on, registered the game's final out by catching a fly ball to right from the Cardinals Andy Van Slyke.

No. 1: George Brett, The Pine Tar Home Run

One of the most memorable events in Major League baseball history occurred in a July 24, 1983 day game in New York against the Yankees.

With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, a runner on first base, and his team trailing 4-3, George Brett stepped to the plate to once again face Goose Gossage who was brought in to face him.

As he did in game 3 of the 1980 ALCS, Brett once again pounded a Gossage pitch deep into the Yankee Stadium seats for a two-run go ahead home run.

After Brett circled the bases and returned to the dugout, Yankees manager Billy Martin objected to the amount of pine tar on Brett's bat, and home plate umpire Tim McClelland called Brett out, ejected him, and reversed the home run.

What ensued was one of the greatest tirades in baseball history when Brett flew out of the dugout and into a rage directed at McClelland.

American League President Lee MacPhail, based upon a protest from the Royals, would eventually reverse the home run call and required the teams to conclude the game from the point of Brett's home run on an off day in August.

The Royals went on to win the game, and even though the team missed the playoffs that season, the Pine Tar incident remains one of the most memorable events in baseball history.

Campbell and an offensive tackle is the smart play

Jim Turner

Turnersportsdesk.com

March 15, 2010

According to most mock drafts the Redskins are either drafting a QB or an offensive lineman. Noted Draft Guru, Mel Kiper remains high on Clausen but the equally noted draft guru, Todd McShay rates him as a second round talent but that’s not even the scary part. McShay has stated on several occasions that Clausen has both intelligence and maturity issues.

Wait a minute! Whenever you draft a QB in the top 10 that guy instantly becomes the face of your franchise. I do not know Jimmy Clausen personally but if I were GM or Coach of the Redskins and someone was saying anything remotely close to that I’d take that as a red flag. The other issue is this alleged immature kid would be coming into a situation where the expectations are always sky high. If they draft him that high he is starting no matter what the coach says about bringing him along slowly. So now you have an immature and intelligence challenged QB behind a patchwork offensive line. How do you spell Chernobyl meltdown C-L-A-U-S-E-N.? I have nothing against this kid but if he is drafted at four that is a recipe for failure for both the player and the Redskins.

Can you imagine the press conferences with a young, immature Clausen versus Washington’s media hounds especially if the team is not doing well? We could be looking at Ryan Leaf meltdowns if this kid can’t handle all comes with being the starting QB of the Washington Redskins. Jason Campbell to his credit represents himself and this franchise well even in the face of adversity.

The Job of starting QB for an NFL franchise is much bigger than throwing tight spirals and reading defenses. It is also about leading men under the most dire of circumstances on occasion. On that note, when Campbell was getting murdered he never lost his composure and he earned the respect of that locker room through adversity. The Redskins brass (or at least Dan Snyder) seems to be enamored with cocky QBs (see Sanchez, Cutler, Quinn and Clausen) but I’ve seen plenty of cocky QBs fail spectacularly. Quiet confidence is a much more desirable attribute (see Joe Montana, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees). None of these QBs career’s started out great but they all got better as the teams around them got better.

The common sense factor says that the truth is somewhere between both experts which puts the realistic Clausen draft value range from the lower portion of the first round to the top 10 of the 2^nd round. The Redskins would be much better off drafting an offensive tackle to better protect whoever the QB is and taking Clausen or Texas QB, Colt McCoy early in the second round. At least they are addressing the offensive line issue and saving a TON of money by not picking a QB in the top five of the draft. Not to mention picking the QB in the 2^nd round takes the pressure off Clausen or McCoy to produce immediately.

If someone takes Clausen the Skins are just as well off or better with Colt McCoy considering no one questions McCoy's leadership or intelligence. The smart play is the guy you already have [Campbell] while you allow whoever you draft to challenge for the job when they are ready both mentally and physically to lead the team. Aaron Rodgers is a good example of allowing a young QB to learn how to be a pro first.

Chiefs Host Guard Ryan Lilja

The Chiefs have made the improvement of the offensive line a top priority this off-season. As the O-line gradually improved throughout 2009, there remains a few holes on that line that need to be filled.

The Chiefs hope to have filled one of those holes last week with the signing of veteran Center and ex-Chief Casey Wiegmann last week.

Another hole is speculated to be filled in the draft with the number five overall pick with the likes of Offensive Tackle Russell Okung out of Oklahoma State.

Today the Chiefs are reported to have ex-Colts guard Ryan Lilja in Kansas City to have a look at the guy the Chiefs originally drafted in 2004.

Lilja didn't make the roster in 2004, and was later signed by the Indianapolis Colts. He is a five-year veteran with the Colts who started every game last year and started in Super Bowl XLI.

Lilja recently failed a physical before being cut by the Colts. Lilja is injury prone and did sit out the 2008 season due to an injury.

Rex Ryan has surgery for fatness, Andre and Pete make tennis interesting, and Jake Delhomme becomes a Brown

Thought #1

Apparently the Rexican diet has a down side, which along with potential cardiac arrest and lack of ability to out run zombies, includes low self esteem and some embarrassing Sports Center highlights.

The famously fat New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan underwent lap band surgery Saturday to assist him in fighting obesity. This of course comes on the heels of Rex's gut being plastered all over the internet and ESPN when he attempted to change shirts during a Carolina Hurricanes game last month. If you didn't catch it, do yourself a favor and don't look it up. Rex got caught in that classic situation where the failure to tuck in the under shirt resulted in a full frontal that even the Stay Puft marshmallow man would have embarrassed of.

I'm not really sure what Rex has been throwing down, but how on earth does a guy who is consistently moving around coaching through the dog days of August ever get up to 370lbs? Seriously, you're outside, you're sweaty, unless you're slamming mayonnaise cover doughnuts on the sideline there is no way you couldn't drop a few pounds.

I hope for Rex's sake this works, but I know this, if he continues to pound whatever it is that has kept him this big, that rubber band around his gut will snap before September.

And by the way if this does work, Mark Mangino and Andy Reed might want to check into it. Last time I checked if those guys sport a purple shirt they could easily be mistaken for the Grimus.

Thought #2

Tennis did it. It finally got interesting for me. Granted it took a charity game and some middle school-esque taunting for me to buy in to it, but it happened.

Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras got into it Saturday during a charity doubles match. The long time rivals traded insults which eventually lead to Sampras serving a ball at Agassi's head. The best part about it, they were both miked up for the crowd.

Now tennis isn't exactly what your typical sports guy is chatting about around the water cooler. To be honest, must of us rank it right up there with bowling when it comes to it's watchability. But this could change all that. You mike up a couple of guys who absolutely hate each other and are willing to talk trash to prove it and people are in. Drop a couple of matches in there with guys hitting tennis balls at each other with an intent to hurt and we're watching. Tennis purests might argue, but this is exactly what the sport needs. Heck, let the guys throw down at middle court like a hockey game and we'll be down. It will be like that sweet NES basketball game, Arch Rivals. Remember that? You could run around and punch other players while you dribbled. That's exactly the type of action most of us will need to watch a couple of dudes in short shorts play life size ping pong.

Thought #3

Brady Quinn's weekend just took a turn for the worse. Just when the best set of abs in the NFL thought, "Hey, Derek's gone, maybe I'll get to start a whole season," the Browns up and bring in Jake Delhomme.

How bad must it feel when your job is taken by a guy that threw 18 INTs last year? And on top of that the Browns already have Jake's backup in place with Seneca Wallace, who you know has pull with new team president Mike Holmgren from his time as a backup in Seattle. Brady, this might be the time to make a legit run at doing some Abercromie ads. You really might want to go ahead and start spending more time practicing you're laying on the beach in a pair overpriced jeans pose than practicing your three step drop. Granted you are still young, but you're looking at being the scout team QB right now. Are you really going to be happy trying to impersonate Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger all season?

And no sooner do I type this than news breaks that Brady Quinn has been traded to the Broncos. Let the Culter/Quinn debate begin.

Also, it appears that Rex Ryan will not only have a new figure this coming season, but will also have a new guy in the back field as LaDainian Tomlinson has come to terms with the Jets. Interesting that LT picked the Jets over the Vikings. Does this give us a little hint as to whether Farve will be under center in Minnesota or under his John Deer in Mississippi this fall? Keep in mind, the Vikes still have a Chester Taylor size hole to fill.

Jeremiah Masoli done for the 2010 season, the Ducks have issues, and new reports on Tiger's black friday

Thought #1

Ever wonder how much two laptops and an old guitar cost? How about 5 grand, 12 months probation, 140 hours of community service, and, oh yeah, a year of your college career.

Well that's the price Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will be paying for going Captain Sticky Fingers on a frat house. Jeremiah pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary for his part in the theft of a pair of laptops and guitar.

Now I get it, the thrill of stealing things got to you. I mean I saw Ocean's Eleven. You get some cool disguises, start running some witty dialog, and come up with some ridiculously brilliant scheme. It's fail proof and awesome! Only you didn't come up with some great scheme to steal diamonds or rob a casino, you just jacked a few undergrads Macs and a guitar, obliviously had no disguise, and I'm seriously doubting you said a darn thing that was slightly witty.

Listen Jeremiah, you are....were the starting quarterback for one of the top teams in the Pac-10. Your face is plastered all over ESPN, and even more so all over the entire campus of Oregon. You can't just run around lifting some random frat boy's toys. For the record, robbing millions from evil casino owners is cool. Jacking computers and musical instruments from frats is stupid and lame, which makes it double stupid.

Thought 1a.

And by the way, what is going on in with you guys in Eugene? The same day Jeremiah is in court his teammate LaMichael James is in there pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault. Are you guys trying to one up each other? At this rate the Eugene courthouse might as well go ahead and put in a team room for you guys.

Come on Oregon, you aren't some division three bottom feeder, you were a legit title contender last season. Grow up and quit acting like this is some National Lampoons' college football comedy and realize you are costing your school it's chance to become one of the big boys on the national stage.

Thought #2

Just as reports begin to surface about a potential Tiger Woods come back, which by the way has the golf world drooling profusely, new information about the night of his "accident" surface.

New reports from that night have come up saying that the emergency crew that responded to the event refused to let Tiger's wife, Elin, ride in the ambulance with him because they feared it was a domestic violence case.

Now Tiger has come out and stated that Elin has never hit him, which Lord knows took mad restraint, but apparently things appeared quite different that night. They have also reported that Tiger had taken some level of pain killers earlier that day.

So let's think about this. Tiger's wife finds out he's been cheating, he gets in some ridiculous wreck in his own driveway, and then doesn't make a public appearance for months after. Hmm, is that enough time for a few stitches and a black eye to heal? Yep.

Bottom line is that something bizarre happened that night and Tiger is keeping his lips sealed about it, which makes it all the worse. As much as he would like it, this isn't going away until dude comes out and has a real press conference, ditches the script, and answers some real questions. It is long overdue, but really it is the only way this will ever die down.

Yankees Position Battles Update (3/11/10)

Today's Yankees game against the Braves has been rained out, so this is a perfect time to take an updated look at the position battles this spring. The pitching continues to be a big focus as Joba Chamberlain has struggled in his two appearances so far. Nick Johnson has come back from a brief injury and is performing well. As is Curtis Granderson. See their battle and the others.

Stats as of 3/11/10, 8:00 pm

5th Starter

	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	HBP	K
Joba Chamberlain	0	0	27.00	3.2	8	11	1	6	0	2
Phil Hughes	0	1	3.86	4.2	4	2	2	1	0	2
Chad Gaudin	0	1	6.75	4	4	3	2	1	0	3
Sergio Mitre	0	0	0.00	5	2	0	0	1	0	4
Alfredo Aceves	1	0	0.00	6	0	0	0	0	0	4

Bullpen

	W	L	ERA	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	HBP	K
Chad Gaudin	0	1	6.75	0	4	4	3	2	1	0	3
Sergio Mitre	0	0	0.00	0	5	2	0	0	1	0	4
Alfredo Aceves	1	0	0.00	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	4
Chan Ho Park
Jonathan Albaladejo	0	0	47.25	0	1.1	12	7	1	1	1	0
Boone Logan	0	1	3.86	0	4.2	2	2	0	1	0	3
Mark Melancon	0	0	0.00	0	2.2	2	0	0	0	0	3
David Robertson	0	0	10.80	0	1.2	3	2	0	2	0	1

Backup Infielder

	AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
Juan Miranda	16	1	0	2	0	4	0	.250	.375	.250
Ramiro Pena	13	2	1	2	1	3	1	.286	.462	.231
Kevin Russo	11	3	0	1	3	1	0	.500	.545	.364
Eduardo Nunez	14	4	0	2	0	3	2	.357	.500	.357
Brandon Laird	12	1	0	0	0	1	0	.417	.500	.417

Outfielder

	AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
Brett Gardner	14	2	0	1	2	0	0	.250	.143	.143
Randy Winn	9	2	0	0	1	4	0	.200	.111	.111
Jamie Hoffmann	16	1	0	0	0	1	0	.125	.188	.125
Marcus Thames	12	0	0	0	0	4	0	.154	.083	.083

#2 Hitter in Lineup

	AB	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
Curtis Granderson	15	1	0	1	3	3	0	.333	.333	.200
Nick Johnson	8	3	2	3	2	1	0	.500	1.250	.375

Roethlisberger used the word "intercourse" with police, Milton Bradley thinks hate was racial, and The Back Porch podcast!

Thought #1

One of my goals in life is to never have to use the word "intercourse" when talking to the police. I figure if I'm ever caught in a situation where that has to be uttered to some officer of law enforcement at some level things have gone horribly wrong. So far, goal achieved. It's too bad for Ben Roethlisberger and Steeler fans that he can't say the same.

This week it was reported that the Steelers' QB did in fact talk to the police the evening he was accused of sexual misconduct. He denied having sex with the 20-year-old, but did admit they had "contact." It was added that it was not, "consummated."

Is it just me, or is this possibly the absolute last conversation you ever want to have with a cop? Heck I don't even comfortably use the word intercourse with my friends, much less consummated. It just seems awkward. Are we to really believe after a night out at the bars, Ben used those terms to describe what happened between him and this girl? Really? You're telling me a guy out celebrating his birthday suddenly got a thesaurus deep vocab about a 10 minutes relationship he had in a bar bathroom? Dude has been kicking back brews all night and suddenly he's talking like a English grad student. Yeah, not sure I'm buying this one. Then again, not sure I'm buying that a girl would go through all the trouble of spending the evening in a hospital and consistently being harassed by her classmates just for a long shot at scoring some coin.

Thought #2

Milton Bradley has come out and claimed the he never felt comfortable in Chicago because the fans were racist. He said he felt like a prisoner in his home, rarely going out, and that people only respected African American players who were great, such as Andre Dawson and Ernie Banks.

So let me get this straight. You didn't go out much, didn't make yourself available to the fan base and afford yourself the chance to build some relationships meanwhile batting .257 and managing 12 home runs, but they didn't like you because of your race? Riiiiight. Pretty sure you just killed your own argument there Milton. Yeah Chicago fans don't dig African Americans who are underachieving and over payed, just like they don't dig Irish Americans, Native Americans, Latin Americans, or any combo of the above who play halfhearted baseball and leave the bat on their shoulder when they get in the box. Check yourself Milton, it wasn't your race that earned you haters, it was your attitude.

Why read when you can listen? The Back Porch podcast!

March Madness Teaser: #3 Syracuse Loses to #22 Georgetown

Right about now most people including myself are getting into their "bracketology" mind frame in order to prepare for the greatest time of the year, MARCH MADNESS. When it is tourney time all bets are off, or should I say all bets are ON. Everyone is looking for the cinderella team that could take their bracket to the finals and help them emerge victorious in their office pools or give them year long bragging rights over their weak minded friends.

This is not a cinderella team report instead it is a potential pretender alert. This afternoon #3 Syracuse suffered two devastating blows in the Big East Tournament. First they lost to #22 Georgetown by a final score of 91 -84. Secondly, and much worse of the two, Syracuse may have lost starting center Arinze Onuaku for the entire NCAA Tournament to a knee injury. The injury looked pretty minor, however, Onuaka could be seen writhing in pain for quite some time.

Even with this potential loss, Syracuse could still be named a #1 seed at the start of the NCAA Tourney next Thursday. If this were the case, look out for a quick exit by Syracuse due to a lack of depth as they used a 7 man rotation before the injury and could be dead men walking if they are reduced to a 6 man rotation. But isn't this what college basketball is all about; the entire season is for show but the tournament is for the dough!

Strasburg Again? Yep, Another Update

As the baseball world watches Stephen Strasburg pitch in Spring Training, and the fans wait to see him on the National's roster, Washington's GM Mike Rizzo is taking his own notes. Only Rizzo is not going to use said notes, as they seem to be meaningless to him. Rizzo says he is "sticking to his plan" with Strasburg, and will not rush the phenom to the Bigs. Rizzo has not made his plans clear to anyone outside of the Nats' circle, but he has a history of "protecting" his prospects and not forcing them up the ladder before they are ready.

What Rizzo fails to see is that Strasburg is ready. Right now. The Nats will not be contenders this season, however, so it only makes business sense to keep dude in AAA to start the season and protect the front office, not Strasburg, by keeping him from becoming a Super Two. Man up, Rizzo, and tell the truth and let your plan be known by the masses. I'm not saying Rizzo has lied about anything, ever. I'm merely saying I want him to tell me the plan so I can tell you, the loyal non-existent reader of The Fantasy Pitch. I am not going to be giving daily updates on Strasburg going forward. If something actually happens, you will read about it here. Until then, we will turn our eyes in other directions.

New Era to sponsor Pinstripe Bowl

The Yankees have announced the official name for the college football bowl game that will be played at Yankee Stadium this year. New Era Cap Company, Inc has signed a four year deal to be the title sponsor for the game that will be known as the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. A combination of the company and the famous pinstripes the Yankees wear on their home uniforms.

The game has been scheduled for December 30, 2010 at Yankee Stadium. ESPN will televise the contest between the Big East #3 team and the Big 12 # 6 team. ESPN Radio has also secured rights to the game.

While the game is being played on December 30th, both teams will arrive in New York City on December 27th and stay in Manhattan. The Big East team will stay at the Grand Hyatt while the Big 12 participant will stay at the Sheraton New York.

New Era Cap Company will have exclusive headwear licensing rights and non-exclusive apparel licensing rights on merchandise relating to the game.

A variety of events, promotions, and special offers will take place throughout New York City in hopes of making the bowl game experience unforgettable for fans and families of the participating teams.

What better place for a bowl game party then New York City during the Holiday season.

Strasburg Makes His Debut

First of all, everyone needs to keep things in perspective right now. It is Spring Training, and a lot of deceiving stats are going to be floating around. You have to really look into a box score to get a feel for a game, unless you were fortunate enough to watch it. For someone like Stephen Strasburg, however, the stats are going to be much more accurate. Dude faced the top of the Tigers' lineup, and threw two scoreless frames. He failed to throw a single fastball under 96 MPH, and only threw first pitch strikes to a mere two of the eight batters he faced.

Strasburg gave up two hits, both with two outs in the second inning. He responded well, not giving up a single run in his two frames of work. He struck out two, and his other four outs were all induced by ground balls. Not too shabby of a Spring Training debut.

We will continue to monitor Strasburg and update his roster status has March goes on. Right now, I am starting to think the Nats may choose to keep him in AAA to start the year, and call him up in June. This comes from comments about them "doing what is best for the club", not the season. Fiscally speaking, it is certainly in the Nats' best interest to keep dude from becoming a Super Two player, unless they are going to just go ahead and lock him up for the next five years like Tampa Bay did with Longoria, or Milwaukee did with Braun.

Chiefs Sign Thomas Jones, Create NFL's Best Running Back Tandem For 2010

Back in 1993, then Chiefs General Manager Carl Peterson signed a highly productive running back whose former team thought he was washed up at 33 years of age. That running back was former Oakland Raider great Marcus Allen.

Allen was brought in to take 26 year-old running back Harvey Williams under his wing, and provide the team some insurance should Williams falter in the running game. It wasn't long before Allen replaced the ineffective Williams, he went on to provide the Chiefs with five solid seasons.

The signing of Thomas Jones by the Chiefs current GM Scott Pioli bears a remarkable resemblance to the signing of Allen 17 years ago.

Jones, at 31, is younger than Allen was when he came to the Chiefs. He has also rushed for more yards in his ten pro seasons before coming to the Chiefs (9,217), than Allen rushed for in his eleven seasons as a Raider (8,545).

However, unlike the situation Allen found himself in with an unproven back like Williams to compete with, Jones joins a backfield with the up-and-coming Jamaal Charles.

Charles, at just 23, is much better after two pro seasons than Williams was at any point in his career. With 1,477 rushing yards in 257 attempts, Charles is averaging 5.7 yards per rush, and should not be in any jeopardy of losing his starting job anytime soon.

So why did Pioli bring Mr. Jones to Kansas City?

After all, it's not often that you see a running back who gained 1,402 yards the previous season signing a deal to be a backup.

In short, Pioli is bringing Jones to Kansas City to share the load with Charles.

While Charles is fully expected to be the Chiefs starter at running back this season, Coach Todd Haley and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis won't be asking Charles to break Larry Johnson's record for rushes (416) anytime soon.

Charles should get a bulk of the carries, and Jones should be expected to spell him as needed.

What's more, in addition to being the Chiefs leading rusher last season, Charles was a vital piece of the Chiefs passing game as well. No other running back on the Chiefs roster last season, provided the Chiefs the same receiving threat out of the backfield when Charles needed a breather.

The signing of Jones gives the Chiefs another back who is also an excellent receiver out of the backfield, preventing opposing defenses from scheming differently based solely on which back the Chiefs have in their backfield.

At the end of the day, Jones will also serve as an insurance policy if Charles can't make it through the entire season as the club's starter.

Even if Charles stays healthy, and there's no reason to think he won't, Jones should get plenty of carries and provide the Chiefs with what is possibly the best running back tandem in the NFL in 2010.

Tomlinson might make the Vikings a fantasy team, Carl Edwards gets a smack on the wrist, and Jim Sorgi holds another Manning's playbook

Thought #1

The 2010 Minnesota Vikings may very well look like my 2008 fantasy football team. Reportedly LaDainian Tomlinson will visit the Vikes Thursday with the possibility of replacing former back up running back Chester Taylor on the table. Taylor, who signed with the Bears recently as put of their opening day spending spree, left some decent sized shoes to fill in Minnesota but if this works out there is no doubt LT's feet might very well burst the seems out of those puppies though.

Could their possibility be a more dream scenario for Vikings fans? Now granted 2010 LT isn't the same as 2006 LT, but he's made it no secret that he is ok with playing the mentor role. Could he possibly teach Peterson the elusive art of holding onto the rock? Maybe even convince him to upgrade his wardrobe to include that tinted visor? You know that thing adds something to the "holy crap what's he going to do next," mindset.

Can you imagine being a defense against that combo? "Whew, AD's finally taking a breather, now all we have to worry about is getting lit up by a completely rested LT." The Vikings would honestly be one Andre Johnson and the Jets defense away from a legitimate contender in the major of fantasy leagues around the country. And if this does go down, Brett is going to have a heck of a hard time choosing football in that field with his dog over playing with these two.

Thought #2

Carl Edwards was officially put on 3 weeks probation today by NASCAR for his intentional wrecking of Brad Keselowski and his unintentional attempted homicide of Brad and endangerment thousands of fans.

Now I will say, I'm a fan of the whole rubbing is racing philosophy, but NASCAR has got to decide what they really want here. If you are going to come out and say you want the fellas to settle things on the track, don't come out when something goes horribly wrong and act surprised. And worse than that, don't come out and offer up some ridiculous fake punishment. Probation? Really? What does that even mean? "Ok Mr. Edwards, for 3 weeks no almost killing other drivers and fans on the track. You just watch yourself buddy or you'll be on double secret probation come that forth week." Yeah, this about as effective as a kid's punishment being to have a "conference" with the principal at school after being caught smoking in the Boy's room. Sure, after that in depth chat he won't do it again, that is until he swipes another pack of his non-filters and a hall pass.

The bottom line is that NASCAR has be losing fans and was hoping a little beating and banging would increase the increase of the casual viewer. Let's make this clear, they aren't upset for what Edwards did, it was exactly what they wanted, they are just upset of the outcome. If that car doesn't go airborne, then this goes down as just another little rivalry they can try to build up during the pre-race show. Now that things got a little more serious, sure they are apologetic, but secertly you know they are digging the fact that people are talking about stock car racing on a random Tuesday in March.

Thought #3

Congratulations Jim Sorgi, you've gotten a new gig. No longer to have to spend your Sundays wearing an ugly hat and carrying around for Peyton Manning, you can now wear an ugly hat and carry one for Eli. Sorgi just got signed by the New York Giants, where he will compete for the role of clip board holder #1. Now on one hand you think, man dude can't get a break, but on the other you think, sweet pay check and he'll still have the ability to walk when he's 50. Let's face it, back up QB might be one of the best jobs ever. Decent pay check, free travel, free team gear, and no need to take that awkward post game shower. Just walk off the field, ask the coach where the clean jerseys go, and head to the post game buffet. Sure you'd like to play someday, but at the same time you look at the guy on crutches beside you, struggling to get his blood stained pads off and think, "hmm, maybe I'm good."

Football Follies: Terrell Owens To Join Ochocinco, Signing With Bengals

If you believe what NFL players post on Twitter, then in a matter of hours, Terrell Owens will be a Cincinnati Bengal.

Late this afternoon, Owens replied to a tweet by the Bengals Chad Ochocinco, all but saying he was on his way to Cincinnati to sign a contract with the Bengals.

As far as how "conversations" go on Twitter, here's how it went down between Ocho and T.O.:

OGOchoCinco@terrellowens hey where you at? You sign on that dotted line yet
terrellowens@OGOchoCinco i'm on the plane!

So what's this mean for Bengals fans? It means that Carson Palmer has the best 1-2 receiving combination that he's had since T.J. Houshmandzadeh left for Seattle after the 2008 season.

It also means that the Bengals will have the two most-overhyped badboys (in perception only) amongst wide receivers in the league. And quite honestly, that should be good for the Bengals.

Both receivers are huge competitors, and should only make each other better as they compete for passes from Palmer. They also respect each other immensely and are friends off the field, which should negate any finger pointing that may have gone on in past years for either player.

It's a dream combination for Bengals fans, and it looks like that dream will likely come true in the next few hours.

Let the media circus and celebratory antics begin!

New York Mets Position Battles Update (3/9/10)

The New York Mets as a team are off to a good start in spring training, with a 6-2 record. While many players like David Wright, Johan Santana, and Jason Bay know their roles are are simply preparing for the season, there are others in position battles. Some trying to make the roster as bench players and others fitting for a spot in the starting lineup. Let's take a look at the latest update on how these players are performing.

Stats updated as of 3/9/2010, 8am ET

1st Base

	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
Daniel Murphy	12	2	1	0	1	2	1	0	.200	.083	.083
Fernando Tatis	8	1	1	0	1	0	1	0	.125	.250	.125
Mike Jacobs	6	2	1	1	1	3	1	0	.444	.667	.167
Ike Davis	17	5	10	1	8	2	3	0	.632	.941	.588

Centerfield (While Beltran is rehabbing)

	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
Angel Pagan	12	3	4	0	1	2	1	2	.429	.417	.333
Gary Matthews Jr	10	5	3	1	1	3	3	0	.462	.700	.300
Fernando Martinez	17	6	10	2	5	0	1	0	.556	1.176	.588

5th Starter

	W	L	ERA	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	HBP	K
Jon Niese	0	0	3.38	2.2	3	1	0	2	0	5
Fernando Nieve	0	0	3.00	3	3	1	0	2	0	2

Bullpen

	W	L	ERA	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	HBP	K
Nelson Figueroa	1	0	0.00	0	6	3	0	0	3	0	8
Fernando Nieve	0	0	3.00	0	3	3	1	0	2	0	2
Pat Misch	0	0	0.00	1	6	4	0	0	2	0	3
Eddie Kunz	0	0	27.00	0	1.1	2	4	0	3	0	0
Ken Takahashi	1	0	0.00	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	6
Tobi Stoner	1	0	3.86	0	2.1	1	1	1	0	1	1
R.A. Dickey	0	0	9.00	0	5	9	5	0	3	0	2

Bench Players

	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
Frank Catalanotto	5	2	1	0	2	1	0	0	.333	.600	.200
Fernando Martinez	17	6	10	2	5	0	1	0	.556	1.176	.588
Nick Evans	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.500	.000	.000
Jason Pridie	12	3	3	0	4	1	5	0	.308	.417	.250
Chris Carter	5	2	3	2	4	0	0	0	.600	1.800	.600
Mike Jacobs	6	2	1	1	1	3	1	0	.444	.667	.167
Jolbert Cabrera	5	1	0	0	0	1	2	0	.286	.000	.000

So, Mets fan, what do you think so far? Who should get roster spots? Do you think I left a player out, let me know and I will look into them.

The Situation - Stephen Strasburg

The other day we discussed Jason Heyward, and his chances to make the Braves' opening day roster. An update to that would simply state that dude is still mashing, and actually hit his first homer yesterday. His chances of making the roster are looking better and better, probably about 85% at this point. How do I come up with 85%? That would be via the Mike Bohn Gut Algorithm.

Today we look at Stephen Strasburg, however, who makes his Spring Training debut for the Nationals later today. Strasburg will be facing the Tigers, and likely only go for two innings. The entire baseball world will be watching, so updates on the game should be extremely easy to come by.

Strasburg jumped onto the scene last year while he was playing for Tony Gwynn's San Diego State baseball team. Dude was a killer on the mound, and he first hit my old blog, thesportsidiot.com, almost a year ago. Now that he will pitching in game situations, we will do our best to update you on his chances to make the opening day roster, as well as where you should slot him in your fantasy draft. Make no mistake, Strasburg will have an impact on this season, but like Heyward it is only a matter of when it will start.

Allen Iverson, drinking and gambling his way into the life of a hobo and the Spurs are hurt yet again

Thought #1

It's pretty clear that the career of Allen Iverson is snowballing out of control right now. Recently all ties between AI and the 76ers were cut following reports of him being out at night club while on leave from the team to attend to his sick daughter. Today ESPN has reported that several sources claim Allen is facing some serious alcohol and gambling problems.

Not exactly what hope to hear from a guy watching his career come to a stumbling hault. You know when you hear about guys losing their jobs typically you hope they pick up the pieces, maybe find pleasure in some related field, or just kind of slide out of the limelight gracefully. Turning to the bottle and slot machines for comfort is not exactly the most positive alternative. In fact, the combination of boozing and decision making with large amounts of money, rarely seems to work out well as a successful coping mechanism.

This is just the latest problem Allen is facing, along with his wife filing for divorce and full custody of their children, and of course his fading career. With this recent addition "The Answer" is moving dangerously close to Dennis Rodman sketchy ex-athlete territory. You know, the place where a player is known far more for their off the court misgivings, than their on the court brilliance. Think about it, what's Rodman known best for? That's right, rocking a wedding dress and creeping out little kids, not his amazing rebounding ability. If Iverson isn't careful and turn this thing around, his amazing NBA career will very likely be overshadowed by the image of hobo AI, throwing back Old Crow whiskey and shooting dice in an alley with ashy Larry.

Thought #2

Tell me if you've heard this before; The San Antonio Spurs will be without one of their stars for a while. Sound familiar? Sound like every season for about the past 6 years? It should. The Spurs learned today that they will be without guard Tony Parker for six weeks following breaking his right hand.

Are the Spurs ever healthy? They remind me of that kid in elementary school who had no immune system. That kid would miss about 75 days of school a year, and the days he was there, he stayed in the nurse's office half of the day. He was allergic to gluten, all forms of nuts, milk, eggs, sugar, tap water, and air. Anytime your class had a party, that kids mom had to truck in some special soy bean crackers for him to nibble while the rest of you slammed cupcakes. And you know you didn't want to be within 10 feet of that kid and his massive supply of hand sanitizer. I swear that kid's mom bathed him in that stuff and he still couldn't make it to Halloween before having the swine flu twice.

The Spurs are the NBA's version of the sick kid. They are always hurting in some way, and right when you think they're turning the corner, bam, Tony goes down with a hand, Duncan turns an ankle, or Manu gets attacked by a bat. The good news is, being the sick kid, you get used to dealing with it, seeing it coming, and cope a little better than most. All that experience missing school and watching the Price is Right has taught the Spurs how to stay in contention through their illnesses.

Rutgers Men's Basketball Players Win Awards. No, Seriously

Another losing season for the Rutgers University Men's Basketball team. Fans have been calling for coach Fred Hill Jr. to be fired.

However, it's not all bad news for the Scarlet Knights. A pair of players have received end of year awards this year. Freshman Dane Miller was one of two unanimous selections to this years Big East All-Rookie Team. This is the second year in a row a Rutgers player has been named to the All-Rookie team.

Miller, a forward for Rutgers, averaged 11.9 points per game this season. He also averaged 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks in league games.

The lone senior on Rutgers roster also received an honor this weekend. Hamady Ndiaye was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year. The 7 foot tall center who came to Rutgers from Senegal is currently third in the country in total blocks and blocks per game.

Ndiaye needs just five more blocks to become Rutgers all-time leader in that category. He has the ability to change games on the defensive side of the ball. The senior has become so good defensively that the potential for him to play professional basketball has grown immensely of late.

Congratulations to these two Rutgers Scarlet Knight men's basketball players on their recent honors.

Sanity has returned to Redskin Park

Jim Turner

turnersportsdesk.com

March 8, 2010

If one required tangible evidence that the days of the free spending free agency days of the Redskins are gone look no further than your closest news outlet. Turns out the Redskins never even contacted Julius Pepper's agent despite all kinds of reports that they were first in line for his services. Bruce Allen targeted two veteran tackles, Chad Clifton, Tony Pashos and both chose to seek life elsewhere. Pashos even chose Cleveland of all places.

Thus far the Redskins have concentrated on resigning their own guys but they managed to bring in free agent Guard Artis Hicks. Times are changing and as a seasoned Redskin fan boring is great. How many times during the Dan Snyder era have we watched as the Redskins jump the free agent market only to lay an egg during the season. Redskin Coach, Mike Shanahan spent his year off analyzing team structures and operations. Maybe he noticed that the two most successful teams this decade (Colts/Pats) spend more time and energy drafting the right guys for their system. Those teams also keep their players which means more consistency.

So for my fellow Redskins fans that want to sign every big name that flashes across the screen I have a phrase for you...been there failed that. Now is the time for an emphasis on building the foundation of a winning franchise. It is time for some non-famous players/coaches to step up and bring this franchise back into prominence.

Guest Bloggers debate Joba vs Hughes

The battle for the 5th starting spot on the Yankees is up for grabs this spring. While in all reality there are about five players in contention, many believe it will come down to either Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes, with the "loser" moving to the bullpen.

I asked a couple friends of Double G Sports to guest blog and give their side of the battle. Daniel Moroz is the blog host at Camden Crazies. Being an Oriole fan, Daniel knows the Yankees well as they are a division rival of his favorite team. He has taken the pro-Joba role for this blog. Jason Wuerfel from Five Tool Prospects is the pro-Hughes role. Jason has obviously followed both Joba Chamberalin and Phil Hughes as they have developed. His blog covers many of the top prospects in the game of baseball.

Both of these bloggers have great baseball minds and their blogs are a fun place to visit and read. Joba vs Hughes, Camden Crazies vs Five Tool Prospects.

Daniel Moroz, Camden Crazies - Joba Chamberlain

With the majority of the Yankees' 2010 rotation set - CC Sabathia, Javier Vazquez, AJ Burnett, and Andy Pettitte - there remains one spot open and two good young pitchers in the mix for it; Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. Both Yanks have seen time both as starters and as relievers, whether that be due to team need, effectiveness, or an effort to limit innings. To begin this upcoming season, I think that Joba should take the 5th starter spot, with Hughes working out of the pen (though preferably still getting a fair amount of innings) - and here's why:

(1) Joba was used almost exclusively as a starter last season - totaling 31 starts and pitching 157.1 innings - and so he would be in a much better position to handle the workload of being a full-time starter, compared to Hughes (7 starts out of 51 games, and 86 IP).

(2) Joba's role has been jerked around more, and so leaving him in the rotation would provide him some extra stability and allow him to focus more on his pitching.

(3) Small sample sizes, but Hughes has excelled out of the pen more - relatively speaking - than Joba has. Phil has a 5.22 career ERA as a starter, with a 1.9 strike-out to walk ratio and about a 4.43 FIP, compared to a 1.40 ERA as a reliever, with 5.0 strike-out to walk ratio and about a 1.93 FIP. Joba, meanwhile, has a slightly better record as a starter (4.18 ERA, 2.0 K/BB, 4.17 FIP), and a slightly worse one as a reliever (1.50 ERA, 4.0 K/BB, 2.00 FIP). Therefore if we were to assume that these rates would persist, then it would make sense to use the resources most efficiently (Joba as a starter, Hughes as a reliever).

All that said, I think that there is very little chance that the Yankees can get through 2010 with only five starters, and so Hughes should be making an appearance in the rotation at some point. Long-term, the best thing for New York is to have both guys starting, since they should both be above average there - and an above average starter is more valuable than even a shutdown reliever.

Jason Wuerfel, Five Tool Prospects - Phil Hughes

Hughes the Man - Joba Should go to the Pen in 2010

The New York Yankees have more money than they know what to do with - if you walked into their locker room, closed your eyes, spun around and pointed your finger, you'd have a 40% chance of landing on a $9+ million dollar salary.

However, in 2010, the Steinbrenner family via GM Brian Cashman pulled some money back from the large pile usually set aside for free agents, opting to fill their holes with "bargin" players in trades for 4th starter Javier Vasquez and center fielder Curtis Granderson, and downgrading at DH from Hideki Matsui ($13mm) to Nick Johnson ($5.5mm) and in left field from Johnny Damon ($13mm) to Randy Winn ($2mm).

In order to fills the holes left by the Yankees recent (relative) stinginess, they face the decision of continuing to run with either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain as their 5th starter, both of whom have been effective relievers with spotty records as big league starters. Hughes, who was hampered by injuries in his first two Major League seasons, finally looks ready to be a productive starter for the Yanks and return Joba to where he belongs - the bullpen.

The New York Yankees drafted starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain in the 1st round out of the University of Nebraska in 2006, where he had a rather average junior year as a starting pitcher relative to his high draft status - 6-5, 3.98 ERA, 89 innings in 14 starts, with 102 K and 34 BB. He signed late that summer and didn't appear in a game in the Yankees farm system until the beginning of 2007. He was in the express lane in the minors from the first time he toed the rubber, finding himself in triple-A by the end of July.

Then, with the big club having a need for a set-up guy to Mariano Rivera, the Yanks wanted to get a look at Joba out of the pen. Chamberlain threw one inning on July 30th, striking out all three batters he faced, hopped back to double-A for one more inning on August 1st, striking out two of three, then back to triple-A for a two-inning stretch on August 4th, striking out five of six. His minor league bullpen totals - three appearances, four innings, one hit, 12 batters faced, 10 strikeouts. His fastball was touching 100 mph and his slider was off the charts. He got his big league call-up and continued his dominance out of the pen, going 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA in 19 appearances and 24 innings, allowing just 12 hits and six walks while striking out 34.

Hughes, on the other hand, was a 1st round draft pick in 2004 out of Foothill High School in Santa Ana, California , and had been groomed professionally for 3+ seasons before getting the call in 2007. Hughes has career minor league totals of 330 innings in 65 appearances, 62 starts, racking up a 31-8 record, 2.37 ERA, and 367 strikeouts against 80 walks. In 2007, at just 21 years old, Hughes had a respectable 5-3 record in 13 big leagues starts, throwing 72.2 innings with a 4.46 ERA. He struck out 58 versus 29 walks and allowed just 64 hits.

In 2008, with Hughes injured, Ian Kennedy getting torched, and Chien-Ming Wang going down for the season, the Yankees were having difficulty getting the ball to Joba and Mariano at the end of games. That was when the decision was handed down the Joba would gradually be stretched out from starter to reliever, often throwing additional game-speed bullpen sessions after getting removed form the game. If Yankees had a time machine, there is no doubt he'd go back to 2008 and stop themselves from making the mid-season decision to stretch out Joba Chamberlain from a reliever to a starter. The result of his decision is clear - they took one of the most dominant set-up men in the game, who appeared just few years of grooming away for seamlessly taking over for Mariano Rivera, to a slightly above average 4th or 5th starter without the minor league innings to be able to handle the full-season workload at the Major League level. Consequently, Chamberlain spent time on the disabled list in 2008 and came back back with reduced zip on his fastball and explosiveness on his slider, both of which continued to flatted out in 2009. The evidence is in Joba's K/9, which has sunk from 12.8 in his relief-exclusive late-season call-up in 2007, to 10.6 in 2008 where he had 12 starts amongst 42 appearances, and all the way down to a suburban 7.6 in 2009. With his stuff waning, Joba has picked at the corners more as a starter, too, watching his BB/9 rise from 2.3, 3.5, to 4.3 over the same time period.

Like Chamberlain, Hughes benefited from a move to the bullpen in 2009 after getting fully healthy from previous injuries and developing his slider into a more effective cutter to go with his curveball. Hughes' cutter is his biggest advantage over Chamberlain for the 5th spot in the 2010 Yankees rotation, because he gives him a pitch to get lefties out, which is vitally important at the new Yankee Stadium (.253 against lefties in 2009 vs. .336 against lefties in 2008). Word out of Yankees camp is that Hughes is continuing to develop his change-up, but he has barely used it his entire career, only throwing 6.3% and 5.3% as a starter in 2007 and 2008 and reduced that number to 0.6% as a reliever.

Chamberlain, on the other hand, continues to be primarily a two-pitch pitcher despite his move to the starting rotation. In 2009, when he worked exclusively as a starter, he only threw his change-up 4.7% of the time and his curveball 9.2% of the time, leaving the bulk of his work up to the fastball/slider combo that made him so effective out of the pen in 2007. Comparatively, teammate CC Sabathia, who has arguably a better fastball than Chamberlain as a starter, throws his change-up 18.2% of the time. The change-up and/or cutter, as Hughes has adapted, is vital in the arsenal of a starting pitcher because it helps get opposite-handed hitters out. Starting pitchers who throw two pitches 85-90% of the time just don't last very long in the big leagues.

My guess is that Cashman and manager Joe Girardi are gun shy to flip-flop the roles of Hughes and Chamberlain again and risk messing with what came of their success in 2009. However, Chamberlain clearly lacks the durability and conditioning to continue as a starting pitcher. He is a power pitcher with a power slider and the type of presence and mental mindset necessary for a set-up man and/or closer. Let's not forget that Mariano will eventually need to be replaced and Phil Hughes doesn't have the same kind of fire that we saw out of Joba in 2007.

The answer is clear - Hughes has a more fitting arsenal of pitches for the starting rotation and Joba has a better physical and mental make-up as the current set-up man and future closer of the Yankees. There shouldn't even be an argument that despite Hughes' young age at the time of his MLB debut and his recent injuries, he has more experience and better success as a professional starting pitcher than Chamberlain, who was rushed through the minors in just 18 appearances, 15 of which were starts. The only reason, and I mean only reason, that Hughes won't end up in the rotation in 2010 is because the Yankees don't want to draw the media scrutiny of reversing their previous decisions.

Overview

I would like to thank both Jason and Daniel for their contributions to this blog. I encourage everyone to visit them and see just know knowledgeable they are of the sport. So, the question is, who do you think should be the Yankees 5th starter?

Thomas Jones To Visit Chiefs Monday

Running Back Thomas Jones remains a free agent after the New York Jets released him on Monday. According to NFL.com, the Chiefs are one of the teams interested in Jones and is scheduled to meet with the Chiefs on Monday.

Should the Chiefs sign Jones, it would solidify the ground game by giving the Chiefs two 1,000+ yard backs. Jones would join Jamaal Charles who had a breakout season last year with 1,120 yards rushing with 8 TD's while only starting 10 games.

It's still unknown if Charles small frame could withstand the punishment of being the primary ball-carrier for an entire season. However, adding Jones could give the Charles the needed rest and inevitably make him a more dangerous back in 2010.

The Contract Year Theory

It is no secret that players seem to play better when they are in a contract year. The list of players in contract years this season is tremendous. It will be easy to track these guys, and see if the contract year theory carries weight this time around. Of the top 100 batters according to Bloomberg Sports, here are some of the names that jump out at me:

Prince Fielder is coming off a monster 2009 campaign that saw him belt 46 homers, drive in 141 runs, cross the plate 103 times himself, and post an OPS of 1.014. Oh yeah, big boy also played in all 162 games and has averaged 159 games per season over the past four years. CHONE has him ranked as the second best offensive player on the board, so when the guy before you takes a flier on Ryan Howard and his steadily declining OPS, pull the trigger on Fielder if you are targeting a one bagger with your first pick and you are drafting second or later.

Jayson Werth is also coming off of a monster year, his first season as a full-time player. Werth had a great year both in the real world, and the fantasy one. He almost cracked triple digits in both runs and rbis, and put up 36 bombs and 20 stolen bases. He has already stated that he plans on testing free agency after this season, and while Citizen's Bank Park is not the bandbox it is perceived to be, the Phillies lineup is every bit as good as advertised. Werth could certainly put up better numbers this year than last, so make sure you have him highlighted on draft day.

Carlos Pena is another great one bagger to target. He will not hit for average as well as Fielder will, nor will he come close to the rbi total of Fielder. Pena will break the century mark in rbis, though, and is a 40 homer threat. So while Pena is no where near as good of an option as some of the first tier one baggers (tiers are coming, I promise), if the contract year theory is in effect he could put up numbers similar to Adrian Gonzalez, who also happens to be in a contract year.

Julio Borbon is one of my favorite sleeper targets this draft. If you want to compete in your league, you have to at least be respectable in all categories. That includes stolen bases, and Borbon could break out as a 50 bag threat. Keeping in mind that the contract year theory requires us to be optimistic, Borbon will also hit close to .310 while crossing the plate about 90 times. While his power numbers will leave a lot to be desired, his help to your average, runs and stolen bases will make you happy that you passed on Brad Hawpe (another contract year guy).

Paul Konerko is another interesting first baseman on the list. Last year dude did what he always does, matching his career .277 batting average and hitting for an OPS of .842 (just one thousandth off of his career .843). While his homer run totals have gone down, he still is no slouch. Dude had 28 in 2009, and could dial in and go for 35 this season.

These are just a few of the many contract year targets this fantasy baseball season. While I'm not endorsing all of these players as guys to necessarily target, they are all guys who should be on your radar and selected if the value is there. Of course guys like Fielder will not make it out of the first round anyway, but will you pass on Howard and take him if given the chance?

Roethlisberger accused of sexual assault yet again, The Bears go Redskins on the market, and NCAA tourny thoughts

Thought #1

With children one thing is for certain; if you let a kid get away with something once, the odds of them doing it again shoot throw the roof. Think about it. Kid steals a cookie before dinner, you let it slide, be darned sure that kid will be pounding 3 or 4 more before the meal and then refusing to eat the tuna helper you whipped up. Let a kid get away with playing hooky from school and suddenly that kid is on Web MD and claiming he has the last known case of the black plague.

Turns out NFL players and kids have a lot in common and Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger may have just proven this theory correct yet again. Big Ben, fresh off one case of sexually assault accusations in Lake Tahoe, is under investigation for similar actions in Georgia following a night of barhopping with his boys.

Now granted nothing has been even close to proven, in fact Ben has not even be charged, but you have to think that when you consistently are seeing smoke, eventually you are going to find a fire. Ben may or may not be guilty of the assault, but he is guilty of making some poor decisions. When you are a multi million dollar and extremely well known QB, hanging out at bars with sketchy chicks until the wee hours of the night is probably a bad idea. In fact, that's kind of like mixing up a batch of vinegar and baking soda and then hoping that old home made volcano doesn't take off on you. Come on Ben, I know you got off untouched in the last situation, but dude, learn from your mistakes. If you want to pick up some ladies try a Barnes and Noble or a Starbucks or even the mall. When is the last time you heard someone get accused of sexual assault buying a venti cup of joe and an overpriced muffin? Exactly, doesn't happen. Better decisions equal less accusations Ben.

Thought #2

Did the Chicago Bears just become this year's Washington Redskins? As the free agency season kicked off yesterday, the Bears looked like an old lady at a K-mart going out of business sale, rushing down the aisles, snagging as many cans of discount pinto beans and bottles of oil of olay as possible.

The Bears hit the market hard yesterday, scooping up Julius Peppers, Chester Taylor, and Brandon Manumaleuna. On one hand its hard to blame the Bears for diving in head first being that they don't have a draft pick this year until round three. On the other hand, they pushed a lot of their chips in last year when they made moves to get Jay Cutler and with this recent round of betting they've moved to the point of playing on the casino's credit. This is going to go one of two ways for Chicago. They are either going to make out like bandits, grinding it out and punching the rest of the NFC North in the mouth, or they are going to get blown up on the scoreboard by their opponents, not be able to keep up, and realize Peppers and Taylor have reached their ceiling already, having no where to go but down. Since they are still lacking a decent threat at wideout and Jay Cutler has looked painful at best, my money will be on the latter.

Thought #3

Big day for plenty of college hoops teams and of course much of the talk surrounds who is in the dance and who will get left out. Of course anytime this conversation takes place the idea of expanding the tournament comes up. What an awful thought.

Do you remember the 50 yard dash on field day in elementary school? Remember how there were really only about 3 or 4 kids who could compete to win, but yet they let nearly have the school run and get that plastic participation ribbon? Yeah, that's what some people want the NCAA tournament to become. Everybody's in, everyone's a winner, and everyone get a juice box and pack of goldfish at the end of the day. Bad idea.

It's like the girl who says every guy she dates is special. Listen chick, you tell yourself whatever you need to so that you sleep better at night, but the bottom line is if every dude you're with is "special" non of them are really special. If everyone is a winner, no one is a winner.

More is not always the answer. Let's be honest, if you aren't one of the best 64 teams, why do you deserve to play anywhere in March?

Redskins miss out on Clifton

Jim Turner

turnersportsdesk.com

March 6, 2010

ESPN reports that Chad Clifton resisted the Redskins and will resign with the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile the Redskins continue their pursuit of veteran right tackle Tony Pashos. Pashos was with the 49ers this past season and has history with Redskins Offensive Line Coach Chris Foester.

Clifton was the left tackle on a Green Bay offensive line that gave up a ton of sacks so maybe his resigning with the Pack is not such a bad thing. Minus Clifton the Redskins will either continue their pursuit of a veteran left tackle or draft one. According to the depth chart the Skins have Levi Jones and Stephon Heyer. Obviously Shanahan believes an upgrade is needed.

What does this mean in terms of draft strategy?

It is obvious the Redskins are doing everything they can to get a veteran line in place prior to the draft. Many believe they are drafting a QB but with the tender to Campbell they may be setting themselves up to be in a position to draft the best player available. According to the Scouts Inc. big board the highest rated QB is Sam Bradford who grades out at 95 and he is the 9th best player in the draft. The next best QB is Jimmy Clausen who grades out at 88 which puts him in the early second round.

The Rams are rumored to have serious interest in Bradford so the Redskins must face the possibility that their prized QB could be gone by the time they are on the clock. If Bradford is indeed gone they would be insane to pick Clausen at 4 and pay him starter money when they can get him or Colt McCoy in the second round and save millions. If the Redskins do not fill the left tackle position by the draft they will likely take the highest rated left tackle Anthony Davis.

So even though Clifton decided to stay with the Packers the Redskins still find themselves in pretty good shape if they can land Pashos. Looks like the Skins have a plan and for the first time in many years it is a solid one.

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Jake Delhomme Gets "Blindsided" With Tears

On a day when most NFL players were getting over-valued contracts, Jake Delhomme was getting the 'pink' slip.

Delhomme formerly of the Carolina Panthers was released even with $12.5 million in guaranteed money coming his way.

There were a few reasons for the release. The main reason was because he is a few years past his prime and now the Panthers believe they have a quarterback ready to take the reigns from Delhomme in Matt Moore.

Another reason for his release was because of the fact that there was no salary cap hit when dumping a large contract this year. Without a collective bargaining agreement in place, teams can dump contracts without being monetarily penalized.

Delhomme, 35-years old was a few years past his prime and just came off his worst season as a NFL starter. He ended the season with 8 TD's and 18 interceptions.

As Delhomme stated, he was "blind-sided" by the release. However, what was most surprising was how he cried so publicly over his release.

It's one thing to be emotional over leaving your home over the past 7 seasons, but it's another thing to break down in front of the people who just told you that we won't be needing your services anymore.

I mean really....whatever happened to "Never let them see you hurting"?

Giants add to secondary by signing Antrel Rolle

The New York Giants secondary was a major problem last season due to injuries. The safety position was a spot of need this offseason and the team got their man. Antrel Rolle visited yesterday and left with a new deal, a big one.

Rolle signed a five year deal worth $37 million with $15 million guaranteed. It's one of the top deals ever for a safety. The $15 million in guaranteed money is behind only Bob Sanders, Adrian Wilson, and Troy Polamalu. Those are some big names.

The Cardinals drafted Rolle eight overall in the 2005 draft as a cornerback and had been on the team since then. He was converted to safety before the 2008 season. Last season Rolle had four interceptions and was named as an alternate on the NFC Pro Bowl roster.

The Giants had also been in talks with other free agent safeties but they were all back up plans in case the Rolle deal did not work out. Darren Sharper was the main back up plan, with Antoine Bethea and Oshiomogho also on their radar. In the end, they got the guy they wanted, Antrel Rolle.

The addition of Rolle gives the Giants a pair of athletic safeties to roam the field. Kenny Phillips is currently rehabbing from microfracture surgery but is expected to be back next season. Giants fans will be happy if they do not have to hear the names Michael Johnson and C.C. Brown as starting safeties.