The Final Four teams in the NCAA tournament have been decided and a plethora of history remains among the contenders with North Carolina (Michael Jordan, Phil Ford, Dean Smith), Kansas (Wilt Chamberlain, Danny Manning, Phog Allen), UCLA (Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, John Wooden) and Memphis (Keith Lee, Anfernee Hardaway, William Bedford) (William Bedford???). All four teams are home practicing before they arrive in beautiful, little, quaint San Antonio, Texas for the games to begin.
Wait, did I just type little and quaint? What on earth was I talking about? Did you realize that San Antonio is the 7th most populous city in the United States? Seventh!!! Its population of 1,296,682 makes it larger than such bustling megalopolises as Dallas (9th - 1,213,825), Detroit (11th - 871,121 and dropping), San Francisco (14th - 744,041), Baltimore (19th - 631,366), Boston (22nd - 590,763), Seattle (23rd - 582,454), Washington, D.C. (24th - 581,530), Denver (26th - 557,917), Atlanta (35th - 470,688), Miami (45th - 386,417) and Minneapolis (48th - 372,811). Atlanta 35th? San Francisco 14th? San Antonio 7th? When did this happen?
Since I am currently looking at the Census, I spot a few other interesting numbers. San Jose, California is the tenth largest city in the country (in terms of population), Jacksonville, Florida is 12th (primarily because it is so large in area), Columbus, Ohio is 15th (must be all of the Ohio State students/alums), Louisville, Kentucky is 27th (bigger than Atlanta?), Albuquerque, New Mexico is 33rd, New Orleans is now 38th (thanks to the population drop after Katrina), Honolulu, Hawaii is 47th and Arlington, Texas is 50th. Arlington is scary at 50th since Dallas is 9th and Ft. Worth is 18th. That is a lot of people in one single (non-New York City) area.
So for those of you expecting a nice little town to visit for this tourney, San Antonio may be all that you are expecting, and much more.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Are a Zebra's Stripes Black or White?
This year has been particularly bad for referees in the NCAA. (Does anybody remember the Georgetown game?) Now, of course, referees that are incredibly good at their craft do exist, while some, shall we say, fall a little short. But that's OK, because only the best crews, or at least the best officials, will be chosen for the NCAA tournament, right?
Now granted, that query was rhetorical, but perhaps it needed to be answered in the affirmative, since that could attempt to make us all feel better about this tournament and perhaps make us forget about what we have been seeing these last couple of weekends. It goes back to the old adage, "who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes". And our eyes seem to be more trustworthy than the men in the striped shirts this year.
Now it would be too easy to go to the UCLA - Texas A & M finish, as that was simply a missed call. Period. If you don't know what I am writing about, then you didn't see the game.
However, the problem goes much deeper than missed calls or referees that swallow their whistles at the end of games. Some referees are simply influencing the entire tempo and feel of the game. Take last night's Louisville - Tennessee game for example. Both teams guard tough, get up-and-down the court at breakneck speed and rely on athleticism to force teams into shaky passes, bad decisions and tentative play which can all lead to easy baskets. A game that everyone knows is going to be frantic and involve a little bit of tough play both on and off the ball. The game starts and next thing you know, Wayne Chism has 2 fouls a few minutes in. He goes to the bench for (what we thought would be) the rest of the half. More importantly, Tennessee not only loses an athletic inside player and defensive presence, but they also lose their aggressiveness. This occurred especially since a couple of the early fouls were dubious at best. In the second half, Louisville had two plays, at least one by Earl Clark, where great passing led to an inevitable dunk. A Tennessee defender was in the area during each of these plays, but not close enough to make a defensive stop. Each time the defender backed off so as not to incur a foul and give Louisville a three point play, only to actually be called with the ever present "anticipation foul" by the official.
Now, I am not saying that Louisville didn't deserve to win, or that Tennessee was robbed, since Louisville certainly took the play to Tennessee the entire game. I am just saying that the officials did not let the athletic match up develop that I, like most of America, was expecting.
Another example is how Roy Hibbert fouled out of Georgetown's second round game against Davidson, with 3 offensive fouls. This even though Hibbert is not your typical drive to the rim at all costs guard who becomes prone to charging defenders.
Another weird play occurred in the UCLA - Western Kentucky game last night. Western Kentucky was in the middle of its second half run when Courtney Lee took the ball on the left wing and drove into the left elbow when he inexplicably stopped. Realizing he was about to travel, he lofted a floater toward the half court line for Tyrone Brazelton, which was intercepted by Darren Collison and taken the other way for two easy points. Why did Lee, who had a tremendous tournament by the way, just suddenly stop for no reason, leading to a turnover. The answer was right before our ears. Someone in that stadium blew a whistle. I heard it through the television, and lest it just be that whomever blew their whistle was close to a crowd mic, the announcers heard it and even commented on the whistle. Nothing from the officials. Nothing whatsoever.
This tournament is replete with call after call after non-call that are affecting teams, their style of play and the ending of the games themselves.
As we wind down to 8, then eventually 4 and 2 very good teams, most of which are going to be fairly evenly matched with a lot of athletes, the NCAA needs to insure that the games are decided by those athletes, and not by the less athletic threesome on the court in stripes.
Now granted, that query was rhetorical, but perhaps it needed to be answered in the affirmative, since that could attempt to make us all feel better about this tournament and perhaps make us forget about what we have been seeing these last couple of weekends. It goes back to the old adage, "who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes". And our eyes seem to be more trustworthy than the men in the striped shirts this year.
Now it would be too easy to go to the UCLA - Texas A & M finish, as that was simply a missed call. Period. If you don't know what I am writing about, then you didn't see the game.
However, the problem goes much deeper than missed calls or referees that swallow their whistles at the end of games. Some referees are simply influencing the entire tempo and feel of the game. Take last night's Louisville - Tennessee game for example. Both teams guard tough, get up-and-down the court at breakneck speed and rely on athleticism to force teams into shaky passes, bad decisions and tentative play which can all lead to easy baskets. A game that everyone knows is going to be frantic and involve a little bit of tough play both on and off the ball. The game starts and next thing you know, Wayne Chism has 2 fouls a few minutes in. He goes to the bench for (what we thought would be) the rest of the half. More importantly, Tennessee not only loses an athletic inside player and defensive presence, but they also lose their aggressiveness. This occurred especially since a couple of the early fouls were dubious at best. In the second half, Louisville had two plays, at least one by Earl Clark, where great passing led to an inevitable dunk. A Tennessee defender was in the area during each of these plays, but not close enough to make a defensive stop. Each time the defender backed off so as not to incur a foul and give Louisville a three point play, only to actually be called with the ever present "anticipation foul" by the official.
Now, I am not saying that Louisville didn't deserve to win, or that Tennessee was robbed, since Louisville certainly took the play to Tennessee the entire game. I am just saying that the officials did not let the athletic match up develop that I, like most of America, was expecting.
Another example is how Roy Hibbert fouled out of Georgetown's second round game against Davidson, with 3 offensive fouls. This even though Hibbert is not your typical drive to the rim at all costs guard who becomes prone to charging defenders.
Another weird play occurred in the UCLA - Western Kentucky game last night. Western Kentucky was in the middle of its second half run when Courtney Lee took the ball on the left wing and drove into the left elbow when he inexplicably stopped. Realizing he was about to travel, he lofted a floater toward the half court line for Tyrone Brazelton, which was intercepted by Darren Collison and taken the other way for two easy points. Why did Lee, who had a tremendous tournament by the way, just suddenly stop for no reason, leading to a turnover. The answer was right before our ears. Someone in that stadium blew a whistle. I heard it through the television, and lest it just be that whomever blew their whistle was close to a crowd mic, the announcers heard it and even commented on the whistle. Nothing from the officials. Nothing whatsoever.
This tournament is replete with call after call after non-call that are affecting teams, their style of play and the ending of the games themselves.
As we wind down to 8, then eventually 4 and 2 very good teams, most of which are going to be fairly evenly matched with a lot of athletes, the NCAA needs to insure that the games are decided by those athletes, and not by the less athletic threesome on the court in stripes.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Talent Wasted
A couple of small news items caught my eye over the last two days. One was funny, both were sad, and two things came immediately to mind. First, I am old. Really old. I am having to come to grips with that. Two, how did such immense talent get essentially wasted in the bodies of Derrick Coleman and Chris Webber? After all, both were heavily recruited prep stars in the Detroit area, both were #1 overall picks in their respective drafts, and both could be considered incredible disappointments.
The funny story can be found here. That's right, Derrick Coleman became the first Pro athlete to succumb to an injury during the television show Pros vs. Joes. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
I was a sophomore at Syracuse when DC arrived on campus with as much fanfare as any recruit that we had seen in recent memory. At 6'10", he could do it all! Absolutely one of Syracuse's most important recruits. From there, his career could be described as questionable. And I am not sure if that is a compliment or an insult. He simply didn't care. Ever! Just sleptwalked for seasons at time. Despite it all, DC lead Syracuse to the NCAA Championship game as a freshman, was NBA Rookie of the Year 1991, an All-Star in 1994, and averaged a double-double 5 times during his 15 year career. Despite all of that, he was considered one the the biggest busts in NBA history. Just a shame.
Chris Webber was a different sort of sad. It was noted yesterday that C-Webb retired after a 15 year NBA career that included the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year award and 5 All-Star appearances. He had a respectable career, but certainly not on par with the hype and expectation of the 1991 High School Player of the Year and the leader of the most highly publicized recruiting class of all time, The Fab Five.
When Chris Webber arrived at the University of Michigan, he entered with a group of freshmen (Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson) that was at the forefront of a cultural revolution in the sport. Fashion, trash talking, bravado, and arrogance would evolve into something that most purists thought barely resembled basketball. Forget the showtime Lakers or the 1990/1991 UNLV Rebels, the Michigan Wolverines' Fab Five were the next coming!
The funny story can be found here. That's right, Derrick Coleman became the first Pro athlete to succumb to an injury during the television show Pros vs. Joes. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
I was a sophomore at Syracuse when DC arrived on campus with as much fanfare as any recruit that we had seen in recent memory. At 6'10", he could do it all! Absolutely one of Syracuse's most important recruits. From there, his career could be described as questionable. And I am not sure if that is a compliment or an insult. He simply didn't care. Ever! Just sleptwalked for seasons at time. Despite it all, DC lead Syracuse to the NCAA Championship game as a freshman, was NBA Rookie of the Year 1991, an All-Star in 1994, and averaged a double-double 5 times during his 15 year career. Despite all of that, he was considered one the the biggest busts in NBA history. Just a shame.
Chris Webber was a different sort of sad. It was noted yesterday that C-Webb retired after a 15 year NBA career that included the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year award and 5 All-Star appearances. He had a respectable career, but certainly not on par with the hype and expectation of the 1991 High School Player of the Year and the leader of the most highly publicized recruiting class of all time, The Fab Five.
When Chris Webber arrived at the University of Michigan, he entered with a group of freshmen (Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson) that was at the forefront of a cultural revolution in the sport. Fashion, trash talking, bravado, and arrogance would evolve into something that most purists thought barely resembled basketball. Forget the showtime Lakers or the 1990/1991 UNLV Rebels, the Michigan Wolverines' Fab Five were the next coming!
Forget the fact that they went to back to back NCAA national championship games as freshmen and sophomores, just look at the difference in the shorts players are wearing pre-1991 and what the Michigan players (specifically Jalen Rose, #5) were wearing as freshmen. Evolution from short shorts to what we see today is directly attributable to the Fab Five and their adoration of Michael Jordan.
It's a shame that both pro careers ended with so little appreciation given the promise of both throughout their high school and college careers. It just makes me sad.
Oh, and read the book Fab Five by Mitch Album. It is phenomenal.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Wh, What's Your Fantasy
My fantasy baseball draft was a couple of weekends ago. Now, ordinarily I would never want to bore our readers with my tremendously insightful logic about who I picked in what round and why. However, since the fantasy draft took place during a Saturday night I was unable to attend my live draft. That makes it much more entertaining for me to completely fabricate all of the reasons for my draft. It is this type of insightful analysis that should carry you to your fantasy baseball season championship.
The ground rules for our league: 12 teams; serpentine draft; 6 x 6 rotisserie scoring (average, HRs, RBIs, SBs, OPS, W, K, S, Holds, ERA, WHIP); 24 rounds; Standard offensive starters with 9 pitchers (4 SP, 4RP, 1P). I received the 12th pick in the draft. Onward to my draft.
The obvious picks of ARod (1st), Pujols (6) and Johan Santana (10th) were already gone, as were David Wright (2nd), Hanley Ramirez (3rd), Ryan Braun (4th), Jose Reyes (5th), Alfonso Soriano (7th), Chase Utley (8th) and Matt Holliday (9th). Due to Braun, Soriano, Wright and Utley all being over selected, I was going to be left with 2 of my third, fifth and sixth ranked selections. When the pick in front of me selected Miguel Cabrera (my preseason number 3 ranked player ... and rising), I ended up with Ryan Howard in my lap. Since I also had the wrap-around pick to start he second round, I also selected Carl Crawford. So far so good in this draft.
A note on my rankings. I pre-selected my top 60 (5 rounds approximately), but I did so by legitimately placing the top 20, then overstuffing the next 10-15 picks with pitchers to make sure I received a ton of good pitchers, then rounding out the last set with players from various positions. This should enable me to receive more than 5 rounds worth of my selections before yahoo starts automatically dumping players onto my roster.
The second round sees a lot of familiar names, Ichiro, Fielder, Rollins and Peavy, and also Chris Young the outfielder, Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman stretches. Some nice picks in the third round, Magglio Ordonez going 35 for example, but some more early stretches for position, Russell Martin, Mark Texeira and Chone Figgins. The draft allows Manny Ramirez (my 18th rated player) to fall to me at 36 [Ed. Note - Ramirez is on pace to score 162 and drive in 648 runs]. I also pick Brandon Webb (my 20th rated player) of Arizona with the 37th pick. So far I have average, power, speed with Crawford and the ability to score and drive in runs. Although only 1 pitcher, he is a perennial Cy Young candidate, and remember, I overstocked my rankings with pitchers.
Some nice players drafted in the 4th round, Sabathia, Alex Rios, Adam Dunn, Aramis Ramirez, and the first closer, Papelbon, but some real stretches also, like Troy Tulowizki and Brian Roberts, and some injury questions like Josh Beckett. The 5th round is more of the same, although I was a bit distraught to see Cole Hamels taken 3 spots in front of me, the only real pick that I was upset about in those two rounds. With the 60th and 61st picks, I get Carlos Zambrano and Roy Halladay. Can you believe it? Three pitchers, three Cy Young candidates.
A quarter of the way through my draft and my team looks like this (I am very pleased at this point, by the way):
C, 1B - Ryan Howard, 2B, 3B, SS, OF - Carl Crawford, OF, Manny Ramirez, OF, Util
SP - Brandon Webb, SP - Carlos Zambrano, SP - Roy Halladay, SP, RP, RP, RP, RP, P
The sixth and seventh round eliminate Justin Verlander, Carlos Pena, Roy Oswalt, Aaron Harang, Scott Kazmir, Joe Mauer and Gary Sheffield from the draft pool, but the likes of Adrian Gonzalez, Torii Hunter and Brian McCann are also taken. Once again, I am not displeased with the progression of these rounds. This leads to my selctions, in the seventh and eighth rounds respectively, of Felix Hernanzez and Ben Sheets. Hernandez has a ton of potential, and remember is still incredibly young, despite his experience. If Sheets can stay healthy, he is an absolute stud on the mound. More pitching for me.
Tim Lincecum, Ryan Zimmerman and Mariano Rivera are the most interesting names that are taken in the eighth and ninth rounds ahead of me, but Brett Myers and Chad Bilingsley are available when I pick. Brett Myers and Chad Billingsley are great because they count both as starters and relief pitchers in the yahoo leagues due to their appearances last year, although they will both be used as starters. Billingsley has had a very subpar spring training, but he has outstanding stuff. Looking forward to watching him pitch in the next few years. More importantly, I am through ten rounds without having yahoo assign me one single player.
Rounds 11 and 12 bring me Johnny Damon and Rickie Weeks. With Damon, he should score a ton of runs at the top of that lineup and have decent production [Ed. note - notice me talking myself into this pick]. Thank God defense isn't a criteria in fantasy sports. He might just have a weaker arm than Juan Pierre. Maybe. With Weeks, decent production from the 2B spot. I still hope that yahoo does me a bit better for this position. [Ed. Note - Foreshadowing].
Halfway through the draft my team looks like this (and I am still very much pleased):
C, 1B - Ryan Howard, 2B - Rcikie Weeks, 3B, SS, OF - Carl Crawford, OF, Manny Ramirez, OF - Johnny Damon, Util
SP - Brandon Webb, SP - Carlos Zambrano, SP - Roy Halladay, SP - Felix Hernandez, RP - Brett Myers, RP - Chad Billingsley, RP, RP, P - Ben Sheets
At this point I need a few position players (and yes, closers, I know this). Yahoo does not let me down with my next four picks being Matt Kemp of the Dodgers, Jarrod Saltalamacchia of the Rangers, Josh Fields of the White Sox and Jhonny Peralta of the Indians. Kemp has the capability of being a really nice fantasy player, as do Saltalamacchia and Fields. Unfortunately for me, Saltalamacchia and Fields will both most likely start the season in the minors. Peralta is a great pick because (a) he is a great fantasy pick in the 16th round; and (b) every team needs at least one player that cannot spell his own name. The next round brings my relief pitching in the form of B.J. Ryan and Pat Neshak. Neshak is an absolute beast in a league where holds are a scoring category. Great WHIP, great ERA, a ton of holds. He helps everywhere. They only players I was upset at missing during this quarter of the draft were Kosuke Fukudome (round 14 - mostly because of his name), Kevin Youkilis (round 15) and Hideki Okajima (round 17). I had Okajima and Neshak in my bullpen last year and they were amazing.
My team to this point (still pleased, but cognizant of holes to be filled):
C - Jarrod Saltalamachia, 1B - Ryan Howard, 2B - Rickie Weeks, 3B - Josh Fields, SS - Jhonny Peralta, OF - Carl Crawford, OF, Manny Ramirez, OF - Johnny Damon, Util - Matt Kemp
SP - Brandon Webb, SP - Carlos Zambrano, SP - Roy Halladay, SP - Felix Hernandez, RP - Brett Myers, RP - Chad Billingsley, RP - B.J. Ryan, RP - Pat Neshek, P - Ben Sheets
At this point I am just drafting to fill holes, as I have at least one player at each of my starting positions. Time to bring in another catcher, another middle infielder, some more runs scored, and not hurt my batting average. On to the last six rounds.
The 19th round brings the absolute steal of the draft. Placido Polanco, second baseman of the Tigers. IN THE 19TH ROUND. He hit .341 and scored 105 runs last year. He is hitting second in a lineup behind Granderson (when he returns), and in front of Cabrera, Ordonez AND Sheffield. Are you serious? I'll take this pick anytime.
My next picks are all position players as well. Next is Edwin Encarnacion, who provides me with insurance in case Fields starts the season in the minors. He hit .289 last year with 16 homers, 76 RBIs, 66 runs scored and 8 stolen bases. He is followed by Colby Rasmus (who?), Julio Lugo, Casey Kotchman, and Paul LoDuca. LoDuca helps because he will actually play and Saltalamacchia might not. Lugo is a shortsop, and you always need shortstops. Kotchman and Rasmus have already been cut for more pitching, including Schilling, who I immediately placed on the DL just in case he does come back, David Weathers (for saves) and Matt Guerrier for bullpen help.
After the draft, my team looks like this:
C - Jarrod Saltalamachia, 1B - Ryan Howard, 2B - Placido Polanco, 3B - Edwin Encarnacion, SS - Jhonny Peralta, OF - Carl Crawford, OF, Manny Ramirez, OF - Johnny Damon, Util - Matt Kemp, B - Rickie Weeks, B - Josh Fields, B - Julio Lugo B - Paul LoDuca, B - Colby Rasmus (since waived) and B - Casey Kotchman (since waived).
SP - Brandon Webb, SP - Carlos Zambrano, SP - Roy Halladay, SP - Felix Hernandez, RP - Brett Myers, RP - Chad Billingsley, RP - B.J. Ryan, RP - Pat Neshek, P - Ben Sheets
Take a look at the team again, but think of it as an actual lineup.
OF - Carl Crawford
2B - Placido Polanco
1B - Ryan Howard
OF - Manny Ramirez
DH - Matt Kemp
3B - Edwin Encarnacion
C - Jarrod Saltalamacchia
SS - Jhonny Peralta
OF - Johnny Damon
More importantly, check out the pitching rotation: Brandon Webb, Carlos Zambrano, Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez, Ben Sheets, Brett Myers and Chad Billingsley with a bullpen consisting of B.J. Ryan, David Weathers, Pat Neshek and Matt Guerrier. A little short on saves, but other than that, completely solid. You couldn't find one team in the majors that would want to face this pitching staff.
The ground rules for our league: 12 teams; serpentine draft; 6 x 6 rotisserie scoring (average, HRs, RBIs, SBs, OPS, W, K, S, Holds, ERA, WHIP); 24 rounds; Standard offensive starters with 9 pitchers (4 SP, 4RP, 1P). I received the 12th pick in the draft. Onward to my draft.
The obvious picks of ARod (1st), Pujols (6) and Johan Santana (10th) were already gone, as were David Wright (2nd), Hanley Ramirez (3rd), Ryan Braun (4th), Jose Reyes (5th), Alfonso Soriano (7th), Chase Utley (8th) and Matt Holliday (9th). Due to Braun, Soriano, Wright and Utley all being over selected, I was going to be left with 2 of my third, fifth and sixth ranked selections. When the pick in front of me selected Miguel Cabrera (my preseason number 3 ranked player ... and rising), I ended up with Ryan Howard in my lap. Since I also had the wrap-around pick to start he second round, I also selected Carl Crawford. So far so good in this draft.
A note on my rankings. I pre-selected my top 60 (5 rounds approximately), but I did so by legitimately placing the top 20, then overstuffing the next 10-15 picks with pitchers to make sure I received a ton of good pitchers, then rounding out the last set with players from various positions. This should enable me to receive more than 5 rounds worth of my selections before yahoo starts automatically dumping players onto my roster.
The second round sees a lot of familiar names, Ichiro, Fielder, Rollins and Peavy, and also Chris Young the outfielder, Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman stretches. Some nice picks in the third round, Magglio Ordonez going 35 for example, but some more early stretches for position, Russell Martin, Mark Texeira and Chone Figgins. The draft allows Manny Ramirez (my 18th rated player) to fall to me at 36 [Ed. Note - Ramirez is on pace to score 162 and drive in 648 runs]. I also pick Brandon Webb (my 20th rated player) of Arizona with the 37th pick. So far I have average, power, speed with Crawford and the ability to score and drive in runs. Although only 1 pitcher, he is a perennial Cy Young candidate, and remember, I overstocked my rankings with pitchers.
Some nice players drafted in the 4th round, Sabathia, Alex Rios, Adam Dunn, Aramis Ramirez, and the first closer, Papelbon, but some real stretches also, like Troy Tulowizki and Brian Roberts, and some injury questions like Josh Beckett. The 5th round is more of the same, although I was a bit distraught to see Cole Hamels taken 3 spots in front of me, the only real pick that I was upset about in those two rounds. With the 60th and 61st picks, I get Carlos Zambrano and Roy Halladay. Can you believe it? Three pitchers, three Cy Young candidates.
A quarter of the way through my draft and my team looks like this (I am very pleased at this point, by the way):
C, 1B - Ryan Howard, 2B, 3B, SS, OF - Carl Crawford, OF, Manny Ramirez, OF, Util
SP - Brandon Webb, SP - Carlos Zambrano, SP - Roy Halladay, SP, RP, RP, RP, RP, P
The sixth and seventh round eliminate Justin Verlander, Carlos Pena, Roy Oswalt, Aaron Harang, Scott Kazmir, Joe Mauer and Gary Sheffield from the draft pool, but the likes of Adrian Gonzalez, Torii Hunter and Brian McCann are also taken. Once again, I am not displeased with the progression of these rounds. This leads to my selctions, in the seventh and eighth rounds respectively, of Felix Hernanzez and Ben Sheets. Hernandez has a ton of potential, and remember is still incredibly young, despite his experience. If Sheets can stay healthy, he is an absolute stud on the mound. More pitching for me.
Tim Lincecum, Ryan Zimmerman and Mariano Rivera are the most interesting names that are taken in the eighth and ninth rounds ahead of me, but Brett Myers and Chad Bilingsley are available when I pick. Brett Myers and Chad Billingsley are great because they count both as starters and relief pitchers in the yahoo leagues due to their appearances last year, although they will both be used as starters. Billingsley has had a very subpar spring training, but he has outstanding stuff. Looking forward to watching him pitch in the next few years. More importantly, I am through ten rounds without having yahoo assign me one single player.
Rounds 11 and 12 bring me Johnny Damon and Rickie Weeks. With Damon, he should score a ton of runs at the top of that lineup and have decent production [Ed. note - notice me talking myself into this pick]. Thank God defense isn't a criteria in fantasy sports. He might just have a weaker arm than Juan Pierre. Maybe. With Weeks, decent production from the 2B spot. I still hope that yahoo does me a bit better for this position. [Ed. Note - Foreshadowing].
Halfway through the draft my team looks like this (and I am still very much pleased):
C, 1B - Ryan Howard, 2B - Rcikie Weeks, 3B, SS, OF - Carl Crawford, OF, Manny Ramirez, OF - Johnny Damon, Util
SP - Brandon Webb, SP - Carlos Zambrano, SP - Roy Halladay, SP - Felix Hernandez, RP - Brett Myers, RP - Chad Billingsley, RP, RP, P - Ben Sheets
At this point I need a few position players (and yes, closers, I know this). Yahoo does not let me down with my next four picks being Matt Kemp of the Dodgers, Jarrod Saltalamacchia of the Rangers, Josh Fields of the White Sox and Jhonny Peralta of the Indians. Kemp has the capability of being a really nice fantasy player, as do Saltalamacchia and Fields. Unfortunately for me, Saltalamacchia and Fields will both most likely start the season in the minors. Peralta is a great pick because (a) he is a great fantasy pick in the 16th round; and (b) every team needs at least one player that cannot spell his own name. The next round brings my relief pitching in the form of B.J. Ryan and Pat Neshak. Neshak is an absolute beast in a league where holds are a scoring category. Great WHIP, great ERA, a ton of holds. He helps everywhere. They only players I was upset at missing during this quarter of the draft were Kosuke Fukudome (round 14 - mostly because of his name), Kevin Youkilis (round 15) and Hideki Okajima (round 17). I had Okajima and Neshak in my bullpen last year and they were amazing.
My team to this point (still pleased, but cognizant of holes to be filled):
C - Jarrod Saltalamachia, 1B - Ryan Howard, 2B - Rickie Weeks, 3B - Josh Fields, SS - Jhonny Peralta, OF - Carl Crawford, OF, Manny Ramirez, OF - Johnny Damon, Util - Matt Kemp
SP - Brandon Webb, SP - Carlos Zambrano, SP - Roy Halladay, SP - Felix Hernandez, RP - Brett Myers, RP - Chad Billingsley, RP - B.J. Ryan, RP - Pat Neshek, P - Ben Sheets
At this point I am just drafting to fill holes, as I have at least one player at each of my starting positions. Time to bring in another catcher, another middle infielder, some more runs scored, and not hurt my batting average. On to the last six rounds.
The 19th round brings the absolute steal of the draft. Placido Polanco, second baseman of the Tigers. IN THE 19TH ROUND. He hit .341 and scored 105 runs last year. He is hitting second in a lineup behind Granderson (when he returns), and in front of Cabrera, Ordonez AND Sheffield. Are you serious? I'll take this pick anytime.
My next picks are all position players as well. Next is Edwin Encarnacion, who provides me with insurance in case Fields starts the season in the minors. He hit .289 last year with 16 homers, 76 RBIs, 66 runs scored and 8 stolen bases. He is followed by Colby Rasmus (who?), Julio Lugo, Casey Kotchman, and Paul LoDuca. LoDuca helps because he will actually play and Saltalamacchia might not. Lugo is a shortsop, and you always need shortstops. Kotchman and Rasmus have already been cut for more pitching, including Schilling, who I immediately placed on the DL just in case he does come back, David Weathers (for saves) and Matt Guerrier for bullpen help.
After the draft, my team looks like this:
C - Jarrod Saltalamachia, 1B - Ryan Howard, 2B - Placido Polanco, 3B - Edwin Encarnacion, SS - Jhonny Peralta, OF - Carl Crawford, OF, Manny Ramirez, OF - Johnny Damon, Util - Matt Kemp, B - Rickie Weeks, B - Josh Fields, B - Julio Lugo B - Paul LoDuca, B - Colby Rasmus (since waived) and B - Casey Kotchman (since waived).
SP - Brandon Webb, SP - Carlos Zambrano, SP - Roy Halladay, SP - Felix Hernandez, RP - Brett Myers, RP - Chad Billingsley, RP - B.J. Ryan, RP - Pat Neshek, P - Ben Sheets
Take a look at the team again, but think of it as an actual lineup.
OF - Carl Crawford
2B - Placido Polanco
1B - Ryan Howard
OF - Manny Ramirez
DH - Matt Kemp
3B - Edwin Encarnacion
C - Jarrod Saltalamacchia
SS - Jhonny Peralta
OF - Johnny Damon
More importantly, check out the pitching rotation: Brandon Webb, Carlos Zambrano, Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez, Ben Sheets, Brett Myers and Chad Billingsley with a bullpen consisting of B.J. Ryan, David Weathers, Pat Neshek and Matt Guerrier. A little short on saves, but other than that, completely solid. You couldn't find one team in the majors that would want to face this pitching staff.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Heroes of March Madness
It has been a very exciting first two rounds of the NCCA Tournament this year. Some players, however, have made a much more lasting mark on the tournament than others. Unlike some conferences, the Big East for example (which just simply has an 11 man All Big East first team), I will select the best players from the first two rounds of the tourney as if I was selecting a basketball team; 2 bigs (center or power forward unimportant), 2 wing players (small forward or off guard unimportant) and 1 point guard. Since North Carolina and Kansas have been so balanced, neither of those teams placed anyone on this list, even though their players are collectively playing great. The players:
C - Kevin Love, UCLA
Love started the tourney with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots against Mississppi Valley State, but quickly showed that was just a warm up. In the second round against Texas A & M, Love had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 7, yes 7, blocked shots. Included in those 19 points were two big shots, one with 3:20 remaining that tied the game at 45 and the other with 1:37 remaining that gave UCLA a 47-45 point lead. Oh, and did I mention he now has 11 blocks for the tournament?
Honorable mention: Robin Lopez of Stanford, who is averaging 16 points, 6.5 rebounds and has 8 total blocks.
F - Brook Lopez, Stanford
Brook Lopez only had 4 points in the first round route of Cornell, but came back strong with a 30 point performance against Marquette, all of which were incredibly important in Stanford's one point overtime victory over the Golden Eagles, even though coach Trent Johnson was thrown out of the game in the first half for receiving two technical fouls. Lopez had 8 of his teams 11 points in overtime, and even assisted on a three pointer by Mitch Johnson. There is no way Stanford comes close to beating Marquette without Brook Lopez.
Honorable mention: Joe Alexander of West Virginia, who not only averages 18 points and 9.5 rebounds in this tournament, but is the absolute focal point of the Mountaineers offense and Michael Beasley who scored 46 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in Kansas State's two games, a victory over USC and the defeat at the hands of Wisconsin.
F - Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky
Lee, after scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds against Drake in the first round, exploded for 29 points and 7 rebounds in helping Western Kentucky earn its Sweet Sixteen birth over San Diego.
Honorable mention: Joe Crawford of Kentucky because of his 35 points in Kentucky's loss to Marquette, Gyno Pomare of San Diego for his 21 point average against UConn and Western Kentucky in this tournament, as well as his name (even though it is pronounced Gino).
PG - Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Reynolds is averaging 23 points per game for the Wildcats, as they cruised into the Sweet 16 with relatively easy victories over Clemson and Siena. He has done this while averaging 36 minutes per tournament game. He has emerged as the one absolute Big East star in this tournament (with Alexander), while the other highly publicized members (Roy Hibbert for example) of that vaunted conference have had less than stellar tournaments. Several point guards have had amazing performances, but none have played better than Reynolds.
Honorable mention: Tyrone Brazelton of Western Kentucky, particularly for his 33 point performance against Drake in the first round, Joe Mazzulla, for his 13 point, 11 rebound and 8 assist performance against Duke from off the bench, and Jack McClinton, Miami, 38 points in the first round and 18 critical points to make the Texas game interesting in round 2.
SG - Stephen Curry, Davidson
Hopefully I shouldn't have to justify this pick, but I will say that he has scored more points in the second halves of the two games, 55, than any player has scored in the entire tournament. He followed his 40 point performance in the win over Gonzaga with a 30 point performance in the come from way behind victory over Georgetown and its vaunted, nation leading, defense. There should be absolutely no debate that Curry is the MOP of this tournament to date.
Honorable Mention: Jerel McNeal of Marquette, who scored 50 points in the two games against Kentucky and Stanford.
C - Kevin Love, UCLA
Love started the tourney with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots against Mississppi Valley State, but quickly showed that was just a warm up. In the second round against Texas A & M, Love had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 7, yes 7, blocked shots. Included in those 19 points were two big shots, one with 3:20 remaining that tied the game at 45 and the other with 1:37 remaining that gave UCLA a 47-45 point lead. Oh, and did I mention he now has 11 blocks for the tournament?
Honorable mention: Robin Lopez of Stanford, who is averaging 16 points, 6.5 rebounds and has 8 total blocks.
F - Brook Lopez, Stanford
Brook Lopez only had 4 points in the first round route of Cornell, but came back strong with a 30 point performance against Marquette, all of which were incredibly important in Stanford's one point overtime victory over the Golden Eagles, even though coach Trent Johnson was thrown out of the game in the first half for receiving two technical fouls. Lopez had 8 of his teams 11 points in overtime, and even assisted on a three pointer by Mitch Johnson. There is no way Stanford comes close to beating Marquette without Brook Lopez.
Honorable mention: Joe Alexander of West Virginia, who not only averages 18 points and 9.5 rebounds in this tournament, but is the absolute focal point of the Mountaineers offense and Michael Beasley who scored 46 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in Kansas State's two games, a victory over USC and the defeat at the hands of Wisconsin.
F - Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky
Lee, after scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds against Drake in the first round, exploded for 29 points and 7 rebounds in helping Western Kentucky earn its Sweet Sixteen birth over San Diego.
Honorable mention: Joe Crawford of Kentucky because of his 35 points in Kentucky's loss to Marquette, Gyno Pomare of San Diego for his 21 point average against UConn and Western Kentucky in this tournament, as well as his name (even though it is pronounced Gino).
PG - Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Reynolds is averaging 23 points per game for the Wildcats, as they cruised into the Sweet 16 with relatively easy victories over Clemson and Siena. He has done this while averaging 36 minutes per tournament game. He has emerged as the one absolute Big East star in this tournament (with Alexander), while the other highly publicized members (Roy Hibbert for example) of that vaunted conference have had less than stellar tournaments. Several point guards have had amazing performances, but none have played better than Reynolds.
Honorable mention: Tyrone Brazelton of Western Kentucky, particularly for his 33 point performance against Drake in the first round, Joe Mazzulla, for his 13 point, 11 rebound and 8 assist performance against Duke from off the bench, and Jack McClinton, Miami, 38 points in the first round and 18 critical points to make the Texas game interesting in round 2.
SG - Stephen Curry, Davidson
Hopefully I shouldn't have to justify this pick, but I will say that he has scored more points in the second halves of the two games, 55, than any player has scored in the entire tournament. He followed his 40 point performance in the win over Gonzaga with a 30 point performance in the come from way behind victory over Georgetown and its vaunted, nation leading, defense. There should be absolutely no debate that Curry is the MOP of this tournament to date.
Honorable Mention: Jerel McNeal of Marquette, who scored 50 points in the two games against Kentucky and Stanford.
Friday, March 21, 2008
That Cat Can Ball
So we have had a couple of absolutely phenomenal performances today in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, none more so than that of Davidson sophomore Stephen Curry. This should come as no surprise to basketball fans, as Curry burst onto the scene in last year's NCAA Tournament, scoring 30 against Maryland. This year, he averaged 25.1 points per game, good for fifth in the nation.
In today's game against 7th seeded Gonzaga, Curry was an absolute monster. He scored 40 points (30 IN THE SECOND HALF) on 14-23 shooting, including 8-11 from three point range. Lest we think he is simply an offensive juggernaut, Curry also had 5 steals on the defensive end. He did everything except take Gonzaga inside and make them pancakes. And he did this all without the help of any "fruity picks". I just hope that Gonzaga brought their peoples with them, even though they didn't get embarrassed.
Miami's Jack McClinton, Western Kentucky's Tyrone Brazelton and Drake's Jonathan Cox had monster outings, but Stephen Curry, you are the clutch player of the early games.
In today's game against 7th seeded Gonzaga, Curry was an absolute monster. He scored 40 points (30 IN THE SECOND HALF) on 14-23 shooting, including 8-11 from three point range. Lest we think he is simply an offensive juggernaut, Curry also had 5 steals on the defensive end. He did everything except take Gonzaga inside and make them pancakes. And he did this all without the help of any "fruity picks". I just hope that Gonzaga brought their peoples with them, even though they didn't get embarrassed.
Miami's Jack McClinton, Western Kentucky's Tyrone Brazelton and Drake's Jonathan Cox had monster outings, but Stephen Curry, you are the clutch player of the early games.
Let Them Play, Let Them Play
I like to think I know a lot about the sport of basketball. However, even I must admit that most actual college basketball coaches know much more about the sport than I. Even with all of the knowledge that these coaches possess, they sometimes forget the easiest adage in the world, one that goes all the way back to the 1977 classic Bad News Bears in Breaking Training: "Let Them Play!"
Last night, the Belmont Bruins were on the verge of a colossal upset of the number 2 seeded Duke Blue Devils. In fact, with under one minute to play the Bruins held a one point lead over Duke. What does Belmont Coach Rick Byrd do? He calls timeout. Belmont, with the lead, a big defensive stop, the ball and the momentum suddenly had to stop everything for Coach Byrd to design a play. The play apparently was to hold the ball until the last second of the shot clock, drive and throw up a wild "shot" toward the basket and hope for a miracle. Now I understand that wasn't the play called by Coach Byrd, but it might as well have been. The wild shot missed, and Gerald Henderson then went coast-to-coast absolutely unimpeded for the game winning layup. Belmont gets the ball back, rushes over half court and then calls timeout again. Needless to say, Belmont lost.
Now, before you start to defend the timeouts, since almost every coach would have done the same thing, let's look at some of the facts. This is Belmont's third trip to the NCAA tourney in the past 4 years, losing to UCLA in 2005, Georgetown in 2007 and now Duke in 2008. They are incredibly experienced in playing in the NCAA tournament. They start four juniors and a senior. The one great equalizer for the teams from smaller conferences is that they are often experienced and have played together as a team for several years. At some point in time you have to trust your experienced players. The entire game Belmont ran their offense the way they wanted and did not let Duke dictate the game. What made a possession with 50 seconds left any different? Play your game and take a good shot in the course of your offense. When a team relies on the stall and prayer offense (which inevitably always occurs), that team is then unbalanced on defense and a team can exploit them on a fast break the other way.
Coach Byrd, your players had the basketball opportunity of their lifetime. When your four returning senior starters come back next year, let them play their first round game using their talents and knowledge of the offense. Save the timeouts for times to stop the opponents' momentum, to give your players breathers or to correct problems that you observe from the sidelines. Calling the first timeout last night gave Duke the opportunity to set-up on defense, took the momentum away from your team, and also took the crowd out of the game. The second timeout gave Duke the opportunity to set-up their defense and, perhaps more importantly, gave your players time to think about how they just blew the opportunity to beat Duke. Keep them on the court, let them think only about beating their man, running the play, setting screens, etc. Do not give time for doubt to set in.
You noticed that Coach Kryzewski didn't call timeout down one with the ball in that same situation, right?
Last night, the Belmont Bruins were on the verge of a colossal upset of the number 2 seeded Duke Blue Devils. In fact, with under one minute to play the Bruins held a one point lead over Duke. What does Belmont Coach Rick Byrd do? He calls timeout. Belmont, with the lead, a big defensive stop, the ball and the momentum suddenly had to stop everything for Coach Byrd to design a play. The play apparently was to hold the ball until the last second of the shot clock, drive and throw up a wild "shot" toward the basket and hope for a miracle. Now I understand that wasn't the play called by Coach Byrd, but it might as well have been. The wild shot missed, and Gerald Henderson then went coast-to-coast absolutely unimpeded for the game winning layup. Belmont gets the ball back, rushes over half court and then calls timeout again. Needless to say, Belmont lost.
Now, before you start to defend the timeouts, since almost every coach would have done the same thing, let's look at some of the facts. This is Belmont's third trip to the NCAA tourney in the past 4 years, losing to UCLA in 2005, Georgetown in 2007 and now Duke in 2008. They are incredibly experienced in playing in the NCAA tournament. They start four juniors and a senior. The one great equalizer for the teams from smaller conferences is that they are often experienced and have played together as a team for several years. At some point in time you have to trust your experienced players. The entire game Belmont ran their offense the way they wanted and did not let Duke dictate the game. What made a possession with 50 seconds left any different? Play your game and take a good shot in the course of your offense. When a team relies on the stall and prayer offense (which inevitably always occurs), that team is then unbalanced on defense and a team can exploit them on a fast break the other way.
Coach Byrd, your players had the basketball opportunity of their lifetime. When your four returning senior starters come back next year, let them play their first round game using their talents and knowledge of the offense. Save the timeouts for times to stop the opponents' momentum, to give your players breathers or to correct problems that you observe from the sidelines. Calling the first timeout last night gave Duke the opportunity to set-up on defense, took the momentum away from your team, and also took the crowd out of the game. The second timeout gave Duke the opportunity to set-up their defense and, perhaps more importantly, gave your players time to think about how they just blew the opportunity to beat Duke. Keep them on the court, let them think only about beating their man, running the play, setting screens, etc. Do not give time for doubt to set in.
You noticed that Coach Kryzewski didn't call timeout down one with the ball in that same situation, right?
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