Tim Lincecum's first big league start wasn't a total disaster, but it was certainly far from a triumph.
He looked right at home in his 2nd outing, going 7 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, and 6 Ks. He also picked up the win, outlasting Josh Fogg who had brought a no-hitter into the 6th inning.
Jarrod Washburn makes his second surprisingly strong start of the season, going 8 strong innings against the Yankees, allowing only 6 hits and 1 walk and not a single run. He also struck out 6.
Randy Wolf was also a bit of a surprise. He's been good this season; but not this good. 7 IP, only 4 hits, no walks, and an eyebrow-raising 11 strikeouts.
A couple of guys that shouldn't surprise anyone, though, were Brandon Webb and Jake Peavy.
Webb went the distance, using 118 pitches and allowing only one run off of 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out 10 while he was at it.
Jake Peavy has re-emerged as one of the top 5 pitchers in baseball. After last season's pitching through injury lowered his numbers and made him look very pedestrian, a lot of people forgot that this guy had an ERA well under 3.00 in his two previous years, and also strikeout totals well above 200. Today's 7 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, o ER, 10 K performance improved his season numbers to 5 - 1 with a 1.52 ERA and 66 Ks over 53.1 innings. Make no mistake about it; a healthy Peavy won't be bested by many.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
A Few Unlikely Pitching Duels
Great pitching performances happen virtually nightly.
But much more rarely, you get a chance to see a game where both pitchers have their stuff working, and hitters just can't seem to do anything about it. They are mesmerizing to watch, especially if you are a fan of good pitching; and two such games played out tonight.
THE UNDERCARD:
Chicago Cubs 1 - Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Tom Gorzelanny made a single pitch he'd love to get back. It was in the first at bat of the bottom of the first, and Alfonso Soriano homered to deep left field.
That would be the only run of the game.
Gorzelanny only gave up 5 more hits and walked 2 batters over the 7 innings he worked. Soriano's HR was his only blemish.
Jason Marquis, who I still can't figure out but somehow continues to defy all odds and pitch brilliantly, was almost blemish-free. Marquis retired the first 16 batters he faced, having his perfect game snapped by a base hit in the top of the 6th. It was one of only three hits he allowed in the entire game as he cruised to a complete game shutout.
Both pitchers struck out 5.
THE MAIN EVENT:
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 0 - Baltimore Orioles 1 (Final in 10 innings)
After 9 full innings of play, this game had only yielded 11 base runners.
So each time a team came up to bat, they averaged .611 batters reaching base in their half inning.
That is just silly.
Eric Bedard went 7 innings for Baltimore, giving up 3 hits, 3 walks, and no runs. He struck out 10 while he was at it.
James Shields went a full 9 innings, giving up 3 hits, 1 walk, and no runs with 4 strikeouts. Unfortunately, as soon as he handed the ball over to Brian Stokes in the bottom of the tenth, he delivered a HR pitch to Aubrey Huff.
Cheers to both of these pitchers on their great performances, even if neither actually factored into the decision at the end.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Washington Nationals 1 - Milwaukee Brewers 3
Jason Bergmann: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 2 K
Claudio Vargas: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 4 K
Houston Astros 3 - Cincinnati Reds 2
Woody Williams: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 3 K
Matt Belisle: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 7 K
A FEW NOT-SO-UNLIKELY ONES, BUT STILL WORTH CREDITING:
Oakland Athletics 2 - Kansas City Royals 3
Dan Haren: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 7 K
Gil Meche: 6 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 1 ER, 7 K
San Diego Padres 2 - Atlanta Braves 3
Greg Maddux: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 4 K
John Smoltz: 7 IP, 7 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 7 K
Great pitching match ups today, hope some of you got the chance to enjoy these!
But much more rarely, you get a chance to see a game where both pitchers have their stuff working, and hitters just can't seem to do anything about it. They are mesmerizing to watch, especially if you are a fan of good pitching; and two such games played out tonight.
THE UNDERCARD:
Chicago Cubs 1 - Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Tom Gorzelanny made a single pitch he'd love to get back. It was in the first at bat of the bottom of the first, and Alfonso Soriano homered to deep left field.
That would be the only run of the game.
Gorzelanny only gave up 5 more hits and walked 2 batters over the 7 innings he worked. Soriano's HR was his only blemish.
Jason Marquis, who I still can't figure out but somehow continues to defy all odds and pitch brilliantly, was almost blemish-free. Marquis retired the first 16 batters he faced, having his perfect game snapped by a base hit in the top of the 6th. It was one of only three hits he allowed in the entire game as he cruised to a complete game shutout.
Both pitchers struck out 5.
THE MAIN EVENT:
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 0 - Baltimore Orioles 1 (Final in 10 innings)
After 9 full innings of play, this game had only yielded 11 base runners.
So each time a team came up to bat, they averaged .611 batters reaching base in their half inning.
That is just silly.
Eric Bedard went 7 innings for Baltimore, giving up 3 hits, 3 walks, and no runs. He struck out 10 while he was at it.
James Shields went a full 9 innings, giving up 3 hits, 1 walk, and no runs with 4 strikeouts. Unfortunately, as soon as he handed the ball over to Brian Stokes in the bottom of the tenth, he delivered a HR pitch to Aubrey Huff.
Cheers to both of these pitchers on their great performances, even if neither actually factored into the decision at the end.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Washington Nationals 1 - Milwaukee Brewers 3
Jason Bergmann: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 2 K
Claudio Vargas: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 4 K
Houston Astros 3 - Cincinnati Reds 2
Woody Williams: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 3 K
Matt Belisle: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 7 K
A FEW NOT-SO-UNLIKELY ONES, BUT STILL WORTH CREDITING:
Oakland Athletics 2 - Kansas City Royals 3
Dan Haren: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 7 K
Gil Meche: 6 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 1 ER, 7 K
San Diego Padres 2 - Atlanta Braves 3
Greg Maddux: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 4 K
John Smoltz: 7 IP, 7 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 7 K
Great pitching match ups today, hope some of you got the chance to enjoy these!
Hockey: Conference Finals Preview; The East
THE EAST
Series Result: Ottawa Senators over New Jersey Devils in 5
My Prediction: New Jersey Devils over Ottawa Senators in 7
I admitted that the Senators were the more talented team, but that I felt the Devils were the more "playoff-savvy" team, and they also had Marty Brodeur. None of that seemed to matter; talent prevailed, and Ottawa certainly didn't look like a team that will be fazed by anyone in these playoffs. New Jersey needs to start figuring out how they are going to put pucks in the net next year; especially if they lose Scott Gomez.
Series Result: Buffalo Sabres over New York Rangers in 6
My Prediction: Buffalo Sabres over New York Rangers in 6
I should be typing up right now how I was wrong about the Sabres, and how legitimate of a team the Rangers were. I knew they had scoring depth but had no idea they had such a stingy defense until I watched them play. But alas, with 8 seconds left in Game 5, Chris Drury tied the game up at 1 apiece, and the Sabres went on to win it in overtime. They carried their momentum into game 6 and took care of business. This Ranger team is very good, but it is getting quite old. If they can add some young talent, they could be a threat as soon as next year. And they've already got a definite keeper in Henrik Lundquist.
Conference Final:
#1 Buffalo Sabres VS. #4 Ottawa Senators
Two teams that play very similar styles; fly up and down the ice, and score a lot of goals. Both teams got to play their game in the first round, but the Rangers and Devils, who each play much more Eastern-style-gritty-defensive hockey, forced these teams to slow down the pace a bit and play a lot more defense and take a lot less chances. Ottawa and Buffalo survived, though, and now they will get the chance to play the explosive style hockey that got them to this point, because neither of these teams will be afraid, and both will encourage the high tempo. I believe that the Sabres do it all just a little bit better... and that they've got a bit better goaltender in Ryan Miller. That being said, though, there is a lot of bad blood between these teams and they are very evenly matched. It should be an excellent series that just might take all 7 games to decide. I'm just proud to have picked both of these teams in the pre-season to win the cup; pretty cool that I'll have one of them representing me making money in the Stanley Cup Finals. As if I needed a reason to root against two of the King's biggest rivals, anyway?
BUFFALO IN 7.
Series Result: Ottawa Senators over New Jersey Devils in 5
My Prediction: New Jersey Devils over Ottawa Senators in 7
I admitted that the Senators were the more talented team, but that I felt the Devils were the more "playoff-savvy" team, and they also had Marty Brodeur. None of that seemed to matter; talent prevailed, and Ottawa certainly didn't look like a team that will be fazed by anyone in these playoffs. New Jersey needs to start figuring out how they are going to put pucks in the net next year; especially if they lose Scott Gomez.
Series Result: Buffalo Sabres over New York Rangers in 6
My Prediction: Buffalo Sabres over New York Rangers in 6
I should be typing up right now how I was wrong about the Sabres, and how legitimate of a team the Rangers were. I knew they had scoring depth but had no idea they had such a stingy defense until I watched them play. But alas, with 8 seconds left in Game 5, Chris Drury tied the game up at 1 apiece, and the Sabres went on to win it in overtime. They carried their momentum into game 6 and took care of business. This Ranger team is very good, but it is getting quite old. If they can add some young talent, they could be a threat as soon as next year. And they've already got a definite keeper in Henrik Lundquist.
Conference Final:
#1 Buffalo Sabres VS. #4 Ottawa Senators
Two teams that play very similar styles; fly up and down the ice, and score a lot of goals. Both teams got to play their game in the first round, but the Rangers and Devils, who each play much more Eastern-style-gritty-defensive hockey, forced these teams to slow down the pace a bit and play a lot more defense and take a lot less chances. Ottawa and Buffalo survived, though, and now they will get the chance to play the explosive style hockey that got them to this point, because neither of these teams will be afraid, and both will encourage the high tempo. I believe that the Sabres do it all just a little bit better... and that they've got a bit better goaltender in Ryan Miller. That being said, though, there is a lot of bad blood between these teams and they are very evenly matched. It should be an excellent series that just might take all 7 games to decide. I'm just proud to have picked both of these teams in the pre-season to win the cup; pretty cool that I'll have one of them representing me making money in the Stanley Cup Finals. As if I needed a reason to root against two of the King's biggest rivals, anyway?
BUFFALO IN 7.
Hockey: Conference Finals Preview; The West
THE WEST
Series Result: Detroit Red Wings over San Jose Sharks in 6
My Prediction: San Jose Sharks over Detroit Red Wings in 6
The series certainly lived up to its expectations. Both teams fought hard, goals were hard to come by, and it easily could have gone either way. But the bounces went in Detriot's favor. Don't get me wrong; they deserved to win this series and did at points in the series outplay the Sharks (look no further than games 5 and 6) - but a little luck never hurt anyone, either, and the Wings made the most of it.
Series Result: Anaheim Ducks over Vancouver Canucks in 5
My Prediction: Anaheim Ducks over Vancouver Canucks in 5
What can I say that I haven't already said? Did I not say that the Ducks were the better team, and that Luongo would steal one (and only one) game in this series? Did I not say that the Ducks are the best team in the West? The Wild turned out to be no match for them, and then they got Vancouver, who was the weakest team left in the West. Give one of the league's most talented teams easy match-ups, and this is how they will turn out.
Conference Final:
#1 Detroit Red Wings VS. #2 Anaheim Ducks
Well, one thing appears pretty clear; I underrated the Red Wings. I really didn't think they'd be able to step up to the challenge of beating the Sharks, but they certainly did, and they didn't even need all 7 games to do it, swiping two games on the road from them. And now they find themselves with home ice; something the Ducks haven't had to face until this point. I predicted that a long series against the Sharks might do some damage, and it sure did - losing Mathieu Schneider, who not only gets the job done on defense but more notably has a blast from the point that bolsters Detroit's powerplay. The Ducks meanwhile are completely healthy. In the Wings, the Ducks will face an offense like they haven't seen before; TWO (not just one, Minnesota and Vancouver) very capable scoring lines, and two gritty checking lines that were built for playoff hockey. They also face a team that has waited a long time to get back to this point; knocking on the door of another Stanley Cup final. This will be the Ducks' hardest challenge yet; and I think they will overcome it. With Neidermayer and Pronger healthy, there is never a hole in their defense; with Giguere in net, the tone is always very calm and reliable; and with an offense full of young guns that can pitch in, especially on the power play, this Duck team will be a little too fast up front - and a little too strong down low - for the Red Wings to handle.
ANAHEIM IN 6.
Series Result: Detroit Red Wings over San Jose Sharks in 6
My Prediction: San Jose Sharks over Detroit Red Wings in 6
The series certainly lived up to its expectations. Both teams fought hard, goals were hard to come by, and it easily could have gone either way. But the bounces went in Detriot's favor. Don't get me wrong; they deserved to win this series and did at points in the series outplay the Sharks (look no further than games 5 and 6) - but a little luck never hurt anyone, either, and the Wings made the most of it.
Series Result: Anaheim Ducks over Vancouver Canucks in 5
My Prediction: Anaheim Ducks over Vancouver Canucks in 5
What can I say that I haven't already said? Did I not say that the Ducks were the better team, and that Luongo would steal one (and only one) game in this series? Did I not say that the Ducks are the best team in the West? The Wild turned out to be no match for them, and then they got Vancouver, who was the weakest team left in the West. Give one of the league's most talented teams easy match-ups, and this is how they will turn out.
Conference Final:
#1 Detroit Red Wings VS. #2 Anaheim Ducks
Well, one thing appears pretty clear; I underrated the Red Wings. I really didn't think they'd be able to step up to the challenge of beating the Sharks, but they certainly did, and they didn't even need all 7 games to do it, swiping two games on the road from them. And now they find themselves with home ice; something the Ducks haven't had to face until this point. I predicted that a long series against the Sharks might do some damage, and it sure did - losing Mathieu Schneider, who not only gets the job done on defense but more notably has a blast from the point that bolsters Detroit's powerplay. The Ducks meanwhile are completely healthy. In the Wings, the Ducks will face an offense like they haven't seen before; TWO (not just one, Minnesota and Vancouver) very capable scoring lines, and two gritty checking lines that were built for playoff hockey. They also face a team that has waited a long time to get back to this point; knocking on the door of another Stanley Cup final. This will be the Ducks' hardest challenge yet; and I think they will overcome it. With Neidermayer and Pronger healthy, there is never a hole in their defense; with Giguere in net, the tone is always very calm and reliable; and with an offense full of young guns that can pitch in, especially on the power play, this Duck team will be a little too fast up front - and a little too strong down low - for the Red Wings to handle.
ANAHEIM IN 6.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Baseball Reflections (Monday)
So I didn't get the chance to blog in depth yesterday (had to study for my last final of the year), but two dominant starts deserve to be touched on, as do how I feel about the team they affect.
Brad Penny and the Los Angeles Dodgers (19 - 14)
First things first, Brad Penny's performance on Monday was nothing short of masterful. 7 innings pitched, 5 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and 14 strikeouts. For a guy that walks a lot of batters and doesn't strike out many, this game was certainly uncharacteristic; in a great way for Dodger fans.
I have mixed feelings from what I've seen from the Dodgers. The team that was a popular World Series pick before the season started just doesn't do it for me. They are a good team. They have a good offense, a good pitching staff, a good bullpen. Good. Not great. I think that good/consistent may very well win them the race in the NL West, where the teams with great pitching also have BAD offenses (San Fransisco, San Diego). But at this point if I were picking teams out of the NL West, I would definitely put the Mets ahead of the Dodgers, and you could make a case for the Braves. But one team I'd definitely take over the Dodgers right now is...
Chris Capuano and the Milwaukee Brewers (23 - 10)
Monday's 8 innings pitched, 7 hits, o runs, and 9 strikeouts improved Capuano's season to 5 - 0. I've gotten into a few arguments over the last few days over the Brewers and whether or not they are legit. Get used to them, because they are.
Needless to say, they can't keep up this torrent pace, or they will win 113 games. They will, however, take the NL Central.
I knew coming into the year that this team would have one of the best pitching staffs in the league. Ben Sheets is a true ace that when healthy is nearly impossible to hit. Capuano is almost as good. Rounding out the rotation are Jeff Suppan, a veteran that may not have the best stuff, but is a leader and a winner, Dave Bush, who I still feel will improve as this season goes on and pressure is taken off of him, and Claudio Vargas, who is a more than able 5th pitcher. If anyone goes down with injury, young Carlos Villanueva (currently in the bullpen) will make an excellent replacement starter.
My question was on offense... who does this team have? Well, it seems that young guns Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, and JJ Hardy are ready to be key players RIGHT NOW. The offense is young and explosive. You could argue that Hardy will cool down, but I would then argue that Weeks and Bill Hall are due to heat up. A couple of capable veterans round off the lineup of a team that I think will take the NL Central.
No? Who will? The Cards will have a tough time doing it with their aging bats and without Chris Carpenter. The Astros don't have the talent. The Pirates don't have the offense. The Reds don't have the bullpen. The Cubs? Well, somehow they've been blowing fantastic pitching; and I don't
think Lilly and Marquis can keep it up, anyways.
Look out; the Brew Crew just might be legit.
Brad Penny and the Los Angeles Dodgers (19 - 14)
First things first, Brad Penny's performance on Monday was nothing short of masterful. 7 innings pitched, 5 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and 14 strikeouts. For a guy that walks a lot of batters and doesn't strike out many, this game was certainly uncharacteristic; in a great way for Dodger fans.
I have mixed feelings from what I've seen from the Dodgers. The team that was a popular World Series pick before the season started just doesn't do it for me. They are a good team. They have a good offense, a good pitching staff, a good bullpen. Good. Not great. I think that good/consistent may very well win them the race in the NL West, where the teams with great pitching also have BAD offenses (San Fransisco, San Diego). But at this point if I were picking teams out of the NL West, I would definitely put the Mets ahead of the Dodgers, and you could make a case for the Braves. But one team I'd definitely take over the Dodgers right now is...
Chris Capuano and the Milwaukee Brewers (23 - 10)
Monday's 8 innings pitched, 7 hits, o runs, and 9 strikeouts improved Capuano's season to 5 - 0. I've gotten into a few arguments over the last few days over the Brewers and whether or not they are legit. Get used to them, because they are.
Needless to say, they can't keep up this torrent pace, or they will win 113 games. They will, however, take the NL Central.
I knew coming into the year that this team would have one of the best pitching staffs in the league. Ben Sheets is a true ace that when healthy is nearly impossible to hit. Capuano is almost as good. Rounding out the rotation are Jeff Suppan, a veteran that may not have the best stuff, but is a leader and a winner, Dave Bush, who I still feel will improve as this season goes on and pressure is taken off of him, and Claudio Vargas, who is a more than able 5th pitcher. If anyone goes down with injury, young Carlos Villanueva (currently in the bullpen) will make an excellent replacement starter.
My question was on offense... who does this team have? Well, it seems that young guns Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, and JJ Hardy are ready to be key players RIGHT NOW. The offense is young and explosive. You could argue that Hardy will cool down, but I would then argue that Weeks and Bill Hall are due to heat up. A couple of capable veterans round off the lineup of a team that I think will take the NL Central.
No? Who will? The Cards will have a tough time doing it with their aging bats and without Chris Carpenter. The Astros don't have the talent. The Pirates don't have the offense. The Reds don't have the bullpen. The Cubs? Well, somehow they've been blowing fantastic pitching; and I don't
think Lilly and Marquis can keep it up, anyways.
Look out; the Brew Crew just might be legit.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Tonight's the night
I haven't shut up about him for about a month, so why not bring him up once (who am I kidding, probably twice) more tonight?
Some guys you might remember from last year, and their most recent year in Triple A.
Fransisco Liriano: 91.1 IP, 9 - 2, 1.78 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 122 Ks
Jered Weaver: 77.0 IP, 6 - 1, 2.10 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 93 Ks
Cole Hamels: 23.0 IP, 2 - 0, 0.39 ERA, 0.48 WHIP, 36 Ks
(Justin Verlander did not pitch in Triple A).
It was no wonder why I was so excited about Cole Hamels and Jered Weaver's mid-season call ups, especially Cole Hamels. Look at those numbers. And, after a rocky start, he settled down and pitched brilliantly in his last 10 games. He is one of my top 5 favorite pitchers, and will be a top 10 pitcher in the league very, very soon.
Did I mention he is pitching for the Phillies tonight?
Any time Cole Hamels is pitching, and its televised nationwide on ESPN, you should watch. It is masterful.
But then, of course, there's the other guy going for the Giants tonight... was it Tim Lincecum?
Was it Triple A: 31.0 IP, 4 - 0, 0.29 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 46 Ks?
Yes, it was.
Please read that line one more time before you continue . There aren't any typos.
On display tonight are two brilliant young arms, and two guys that have all the makings to be stars in the league for a long, long time.
ESPN, 5:05 PM pacific time. You really shouldn't be watching anything else.
Bonds who?
Some guys you might remember from last year, and their most recent year in Triple A.
Fransisco Liriano: 91.1 IP, 9 - 2, 1.78 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 122 Ks
Jered Weaver: 77.0 IP, 6 - 1, 2.10 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 93 Ks
Cole Hamels: 23.0 IP, 2 - 0, 0.39 ERA, 0.48 WHIP, 36 Ks
(Justin Verlander did not pitch in Triple A).
It was no wonder why I was so excited about Cole Hamels and Jered Weaver's mid-season call ups, especially Cole Hamels. Look at those numbers. And, after a rocky start, he settled down and pitched brilliantly in his last 10 games. He is one of my top 5 favorite pitchers, and will be a top 10 pitcher in the league very, very soon.
Did I mention he is pitching for the Phillies tonight?
Any time Cole Hamels is pitching, and its televised nationwide on ESPN, you should watch. It is masterful.
But then, of course, there's the other guy going for the Giants tonight... was it Tim Lincecum?
Was it Triple A: 31.0 IP, 4 - 0, 0.29 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 46 Ks?
Yes, it was.
Please read that line one more time before you continue . There aren't any typos.
On display tonight are two brilliant young arms, and two guys that have all the makings to be stars in the league for a long, long time.
ESPN, 5:05 PM pacific time. You really shouldn't be watching anything else.
Bonds who?
How the West was(n't) won
Lets go over the FACTS of these NBA playoffs. Not predictions. Go back and read anything anyone wrote. 99% agree on these simple facts.
Detroit Pistons will win the East.
Mavs, Suns, Spurs, Rockets move on to the second round.
Mavs face the Rockets and win.
Suns/Spurs play a great series. Winner of that series plays the Mavs.
Winner of the Mavs VS. Suns/Spurs series beats the Pistons.
World Champion crowned.
Hmmmm...
Well, the Pistons, Suns, and Spurs have held up their end of the deal. Give the Spurs the most credit, as they had to fight off a pretty pesky Denver Nuggets team to get to where they are now. But, granted, now they play the Suns; and worry about the Mavs later.
Wait a second.
Golden State Warriors VS. Utah Jazz?
I'm sorry, what?
Isn't this the West? Where big men dominate? Where dominating inside the key is the only way to succeed? Where Shaq and Duncan won so many championships doing exactly that?
Why is Yao Ming at home?
And why, oh why, even if they ARE a perimeter team, are the Dallas Mavericks golfing in the first week of May?
It isn't THAT crazy that you can't say that the winner of the Spurs/Suns series is going to win it all with any amount of confidence.
What is crazy about it, however, is that the Jazz and the Warriors might actually be scarier than the Mavericks and Rockets. Not just because they beat them, but because they play a style of basketball that when clicking and when hot; there just really isn't much of a way to stop.
Hats off to you, NBA. The country's most predictable sport has thrown two huge curve balls early in these playoffs. Suns/Spurs VS. Jazz/Warriors can't just be chalked up as a 5 game series anymore. The underdogs are actually showing up to play, and for probably the first time in basketball history, I'd say the NBA's first round was madder than the NCAA's.
May Madness, anyone?
Anyone?
Detroit Pistons will win the East.
Mavs, Suns, Spurs, Rockets move on to the second round.
Mavs face the Rockets and win.
Suns/Spurs play a great series. Winner of that series plays the Mavs.
Winner of the Mavs VS. Suns/Spurs series beats the Pistons.
World Champion crowned.
Hmmmm...
Well, the Pistons, Suns, and Spurs have held up their end of the deal. Give the Spurs the most credit, as they had to fight off a pretty pesky Denver Nuggets team to get to where they are now. But, granted, now they play the Suns; and worry about the Mavs later.
Wait a second.
Golden State Warriors VS. Utah Jazz?
I'm sorry, what?
Isn't this the West? Where big men dominate? Where dominating inside the key is the only way to succeed? Where Shaq and Duncan won so many championships doing exactly that?
Why is Yao Ming at home?
And why, oh why, even if they ARE a perimeter team, are the Dallas Mavericks golfing in the first week of May?
It isn't THAT crazy that you can't say that the winner of the Spurs/Suns series is going to win it all with any amount of confidence.
What is crazy about it, however, is that the Jazz and the Warriors might actually be scarier than the Mavericks and Rockets. Not just because they beat them, but because they play a style of basketball that when clicking and when hot; there just really isn't much of a way to stop.
Hats off to you, NBA. The country's most predictable sport has thrown two huge curve balls early in these playoffs. Suns/Spurs VS. Jazz/Warriors can't just be chalked up as a 5 game series anymore. The underdogs are actually showing up to play, and for probably the first time in basketball history, I'd say the NBA's first round was madder than the NCAA's.
May Madness, anyone?
Anyone?
Major sports take the back seat for a day
National Football League.
National Basketball Association.
Major League Baseball.
National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing.
National Hockey League.
Not today.
Sure, the NBA had an exciting Game 7 between the Rockets and the Jazz which I'll cover in another post. They also got their 1st 2nd round series under way, as the Pistons easily handled the Bulls at home. But the nation wasn't really watching.
Yeah, the NHL had a few cruicial Game 5s . One sent the New Jersey Devils home packing, and the other gave the Red Wings a key 3 - 2 series lead over the Sharks. Even less people were watching then usual.
Baseball had a whole day's worth of action, but they aren't even in the playoffs. They stood no chance.
Today, it was all about horses and boxers.
The Kentucky Derby, the greatest tradition in horse racing and step one towards winning the elusive Triple Crown, was the main focal point of the afternoon.
One of the race's favorites, Street Sense, did not disappoint, racing all the way from the 19th position to beat out the rest of the pack and win it all. It was an exciting race, especially due to the race Hard Spun ran. I picked Hard Spun before the race to do some damage, and very early on in the race, he jumped out to an early lead. Front runners almost always fade, especially in a race of this magnitude; but not Hard Spun. He got such good separation from the rest of the pack and somehow kept his pace that it actually looked like he had a shot to win right down to the wire; it took a great effort by Street Sense to beat him. Horse racing really is an incredible sport, and it is ashame that it had to take the undercard today to the big fight.
I picked Mayweather, but I never got around to blogging about it; which is probably good, because judging how the rest of my predictions went today, I probably would have made him lose. You can't ever count De La Hoya out of any fight; his good looks sometimes distract people from how excellent of a boxer he is. And he has fought any and all comers; and those who have beaten him have certainly had their hands full while doing so. He's got heart, smarts, and a world of talent; but Floyd Mayweather really is THAT good.
He doesn't box spectacularly; he doesn't need to. With technique, speed, defense, and patience, he can outwill and outlast any boxer he faces. Neither boxer got knocked down, and De La Hoya fans (and somewhat ridiculously Judge Tom Kaczmarek) obviously wanted to believe De La Hoya won the fight, but look no further than the stats; Mayweather landed more punches while throwing over 100 less (207 of 481 to De La Hoya's 122 of 587), and landed more power punches (138) then De La Hoya landed punches all together (he had 82 registered power punches).
Love him or hate him, Mayweather is damn good. I love him. I love that he embraces the villain reputation. Everyone hates Barry Bonds, but Barry doesn't go around ripping his opponents to shreds verbally. Barry doesn't talk about how Hank Aaron is old and week and how he's going to snatch that old man's record from his hands. Barry is a villain because of his actions. Mayweather is a villain because he can be. What better picture to use as the first image to grace the Dime;
The man came out wearing the colors of the Mexican flag and a huge sombrero. Are you kidding me? He loves every minute of it; and he can back it up, too. He's a perfect character for the sport of boxing; and if it could be saved, he'd have something to do with it.
But after tonight, I'm beginning to think it can't be. As much as people were hyped for this fight, plenty of people I talked to weren't going to get to see it; they weren't going to order it for $55, and they didn't have any friends willing to, either. The fact that they have to charge for the larger fights; because boxing doesn't gross enough to survive without pay-per-view; absolutely kills any chance that it can raise in popularity.
On top of that, the amount of time off a boxer needs to prepare for his next fight is also a buzz-kill of sorts for the sport. It can't really be avoided, but lets say a ton of people got pumped up for this fight, and are now either huge Mayweather fans OR they can't wait to see him get beat. How long do they have to wait until his next fight? And unlike De La Hoya, his next fight likely won't be nearly as big or exciting of a name. So after this fight, the one that would supposedly "save boxing", one of the stars is facing retirement, and the other is facing a year or more off before we get to see him in the ring again; against someone who isn't as fun to watch as De La Hoya was.
The last reason boxing is beyond saving? The heavyweight division. Greats of the sport come in all shapes and sizes and are of all weight classes, no one is denying that. But heavyweight boxing really is boxing at its best; the biggest, the strongest, and the simple fact that one punch can always end it. Lennox Lewis was great, but he had no one to fight. Nowadays...
World Champion Wladimir Klitschko, Ray Austin, Samuel Peter, Lamon Brewster, and Chris Byrd are the top 5 ranked heavyweights.
Who, who, who, who, and who?
I'm exaggerating slightly; I knew who Klitschko was before I looked it up. But the point remains, not only does boxing need some great talent/character combos like Mayweather (and by character I don't mean great guy, I mean like personality), but it needs lots of them. And they need to fight each other and create some exciting rivalries. How do you take a sport that no one cares about with a bunch of guys you can't market and make it into the great sport it once was?
If you find out, give the NHL a call too. Thanks.
National Basketball Association.
Major League Baseball.
National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing.
National Hockey League.
Not today.
Sure, the NBA had an exciting Game 7 between the Rockets and the Jazz which I'll cover in another post. They also got their 1st 2nd round series under way, as the Pistons easily handled the Bulls at home. But the nation wasn't really watching.
Yeah, the NHL had a few cruicial Game 5s . One sent the New Jersey Devils home packing, and the other gave the Red Wings a key 3 - 2 series lead over the Sharks. Even less people were watching then usual.
Baseball had a whole day's worth of action, but they aren't even in the playoffs. They stood no chance.
Today, it was all about horses and boxers.
The Kentucky Derby, the greatest tradition in horse racing and step one towards winning the elusive Triple Crown, was the main focal point of the afternoon.
One of the race's favorites, Street Sense, did not disappoint, racing all the way from the 19th position to beat out the rest of the pack and win it all. It was an exciting race, especially due to the race Hard Spun ran. I picked Hard Spun before the race to do some damage, and very early on in the race, he jumped out to an early lead. Front runners almost always fade, especially in a race of this magnitude; but not Hard Spun. He got such good separation from the rest of the pack and somehow kept his pace that it actually looked like he had a shot to win right down to the wire; it took a great effort by Street Sense to beat him. Horse racing really is an incredible sport, and it is ashame that it had to take the undercard today to the big fight.
I picked Mayweather, but I never got around to blogging about it; which is probably good, because judging how the rest of my predictions went today, I probably would have made him lose. You can't ever count De La Hoya out of any fight; his good looks sometimes distract people from how excellent of a boxer he is. And he has fought any and all comers; and those who have beaten him have certainly had their hands full while doing so. He's got heart, smarts, and a world of talent; but Floyd Mayweather really is THAT good.
He doesn't box spectacularly; he doesn't need to. With technique, speed, defense, and patience, he can outwill and outlast any boxer he faces. Neither boxer got knocked down, and De La Hoya fans (and somewhat ridiculously Judge Tom Kaczmarek) obviously wanted to believe De La Hoya won the fight, but look no further than the stats; Mayweather landed more punches while throwing over 100 less (207 of 481 to De La Hoya's 122 of 587), and landed more power punches (138) then De La Hoya landed punches all together (he had 82 registered power punches).
Love him or hate him, Mayweather is damn good. I love him. I love that he embraces the villain reputation. Everyone hates Barry Bonds, but Barry doesn't go around ripping his opponents to shreds verbally. Barry doesn't talk about how Hank Aaron is old and week and how he's going to snatch that old man's record from his hands. Barry is a villain because of his actions. Mayweather is a villain because he can be. What better picture to use as the first image to grace the Dime;
The man came out wearing the colors of the Mexican flag and a huge sombrero. Are you kidding me? He loves every minute of it; and he can back it up, too. He's a perfect character for the sport of boxing; and if it could be saved, he'd have something to do with it.But after tonight, I'm beginning to think it can't be. As much as people were hyped for this fight, plenty of people I talked to weren't going to get to see it; they weren't going to order it for $55, and they didn't have any friends willing to, either. The fact that they have to charge for the larger fights; because boxing doesn't gross enough to survive without pay-per-view; absolutely kills any chance that it can raise in popularity.
On top of that, the amount of time off a boxer needs to prepare for his next fight is also a buzz-kill of sorts for the sport. It can't really be avoided, but lets say a ton of people got pumped up for this fight, and are now either huge Mayweather fans OR they can't wait to see him get beat. How long do they have to wait until his next fight? And unlike De La Hoya, his next fight likely won't be nearly as big or exciting of a name. So after this fight, the one that would supposedly "save boxing", one of the stars is facing retirement, and the other is facing a year or more off before we get to see him in the ring again; against someone who isn't as fun to watch as De La Hoya was.
The last reason boxing is beyond saving? The heavyweight division. Greats of the sport come in all shapes and sizes and are of all weight classes, no one is denying that. But heavyweight boxing really is boxing at its best; the biggest, the strongest, and the simple fact that one punch can always end it. Lennox Lewis was great, but he had no one to fight. Nowadays...
World Champion Wladimir Klitschko, Ray Austin, Samuel Peter, Lamon Brewster, and Chris Byrd are the top 5 ranked heavyweights.
Who, who, who, who, and who?
I'm exaggerating slightly; I knew who Klitschko was before I looked it up. But the point remains, not only does boxing need some great talent/character combos like Mayweather (and by character I don't mean great guy, I mean like personality), but it needs lots of them. And they need to fight each other and create some exciting rivalries. How do you take a sport that no one cares about with a bunch of guys you can't market and make it into the great sport it once was?
If you find out, give the NHL a call too. Thanks.
What was going on with pitchers Saturday?
Here is a fun game. Even more fun if you didn't see yesterday's box scores.
Multiple Choice:
1) Who does this line belong to: 7.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 0 runs, 2 strikeouts, and the win
a) Scott Kazmir VS. Oakland Athletics
b) Matt Albers @ St. Louis Cardinals
c) Rich Hill VS. Washington Nationals
2) Who brought a perfect game into the 8th inning (retired 22 straight batters to start the game) and finished up with the win and this line: 8.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts?
a) Johan Santana VS. Boston Red Sox
b) Tim Hudson VS. Los Angeles Dodgers
c) Chien-Ming Wang VS. Seattle Mariners
3) Which of the following did not give up 4 or more runs today?
a) John Lackey VS. Chicago White Sox
b) Roy Halladay VS. Toronto Blue Jays
c) Brandon Webb VS. New York Mets
d) Aaron Harang VS. Colorado Rockies
e) None of the above
Answers:
1) b) Matt Albers @ St. Louis Cardinals
Rookie Matt Albers was masterful against a struggling Cardinals team, earning himself a spot among the best outings of the day.
2) c) Chien-Ming Wang VS. Seattle Mariners
Huh? Well, more power to him. The problem with a perfect game is that you have to be perfect; and one mistake pitch to Ben Broussard in the eighth broke up the perfect game, the no-hitter, and the shutout in one foul swoop; a home-run. Look out Yankee haters; the team has gone through its annual slump to start off the season; now it will start its annual rise back into contention.
3) e) None of the above
Not surprising that on one of the unluckiest days of my life (highlighted by losing a $100 poker tournament, my fantasy team blowing a huge lead, losing 8 of my 9 picks of the day, getting confirmation that I failed a class, and of course, having my tire slashed by someone for no good reason), 4 of the league's aces would struggle; 3 of them I picked to win their respective games (Lackey 4 runs, Harang 5 runs, The Doc 9 runs) and 1 of them is on my fantasy team (Webb 5 runs).
Guess thats why you actually play the games, huh?
Multiple Choice:
1) Who does this line belong to: 7.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 0 runs, 2 strikeouts, and the win
a) Scott Kazmir VS. Oakland Athletics
b) Matt Albers @ St. Louis Cardinals
c) Rich Hill VS. Washington Nationals
2) Who brought a perfect game into the 8th inning (retired 22 straight batters to start the game) and finished up with the win and this line: 8.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts?
a) Johan Santana VS. Boston Red Sox
b) Tim Hudson VS. Los Angeles Dodgers
c) Chien-Ming Wang VS. Seattle Mariners
3) Which of the following did not give up 4 or more runs today?
a) John Lackey VS. Chicago White Sox
b) Roy Halladay VS. Toronto Blue Jays
c) Brandon Webb VS. New York Mets
d) Aaron Harang VS. Colorado Rockies
e) None of the above
Answers:
1) b) Matt Albers @ St. Louis Cardinals
Rookie Matt Albers was masterful against a struggling Cardinals team, earning himself a spot among the best outings of the day.
2) c) Chien-Ming Wang VS. Seattle Mariners
Huh? Well, more power to him. The problem with a perfect game is that you have to be perfect; and one mistake pitch to Ben Broussard in the eighth broke up the perfect game, the no-hitter, and the shutout in one foul swoop; a home-run. Look out Yankee haters; the team has gone through its annual slump to start off the season; now it will start its annual rise back into contention.
3) e) None of the above
Not surprising that on one of the unluckiest days of my life (highlighted by losing a $100 poker tournament, my fantasy team blowing a huge lead, losing 8 of my 9 picks of the day, getting confirmation that I failed a class, and of course, having my tire slashed by someone for no good reason), 4 of the league's aces would struggle; 3 of them I picked to win their respective games (Lackey 4 runs, Harang 5 runs, The Doc 9 runs) and 1 of them is on my fantasy team (Webb 5 runs).
Guess thats why you actually play the games, huh?
Saturday, May 5, 2007
And I thought 34 seconds was bad...
Try 8 seconds.
The New York Rangers certainly did.
And, unlike the Shark game which only tied the series up at 2 - 2, this game was the pivotal game 5.
How pivotal? Well, when two teams head into Game 5 with the series tied up at 2 apiece, the winner of it goes on to win the series 80% of the time.
That is a real stat, not just one of my made up percentages for dramatic effect.
The Rangers broke a scoreless game and grabbed a 1 goal lead with less then 5 minutes to go. The home Buffalo crowd was stunned silent. This series would end in 6; the Rangers would close it out at home.
Chris Drury, who is not only my favorite non-King hockey player but also happens to be one of the most clutch players in the NHL come playoff time, buried a game tying goal with 8 seconds left, also burying the Rangers in 6 theory.
Maxim Afinogenov made it official in overtime, scoring the game winner just a few minutes in.
How quickly the tides can turn. One minute you are cruising to victory, not only in the game, but likely in the series; and the next, you are on the brink of elimination.
Please try and tell me there is anything better than playoff hockey?
The New York Rangers certainly did.
And, unlike the Shark game which only tied the series up at 2 - 2, this game was the pivotal game 5.
How pivotal? Well, when two teams head into Game 5 with the series tied up at 2 apiece, the winner of it goes on to win the series 80% of the time.
That is a real stat, not just one of my made up percentages for dramatic effect.
The Rangers broke a scoreless game and grabbed a 1 goal lead with less then 5 minutes to go. The home Buffalo crowd was stunned silent. This series would end in 6; the Rangers would close it out at home.
Chris Drury, who is not only my favorite non-King hockey player but also happens to be one of the most clutch players in the NHL come playoff time, buried a game tying goal with 8 seconds left, also burying the Rangers in 6 theory.
Maxim Afinogenov made it official in overtime, scoring the game winner just a few minutes in.
How quickly the tides can turn. One minute you are cruising to victory, not only in the game, but likely in the series; and the next, you are on the brink of elimination.
Please try and tell me there is anything better than playoff hockey?
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