Tim Lincecum Throws No-Hitter

Tim Lincecum

Reigning NL MVP Buster Posey lifts
Tim Lincecum in celebration.

It took 148 pitches, but when the dust settled, Tim Lincecum had thrown his first career no-hitter.  He struck out 13, and allowed a pair of walks, but did not give up a single hit over nine innings.  The last no-hitter was thrown by Homer Bailey of the Cincinnati Reds just a few weeks back, and now we have another.  These have been the first two no-hitters thrown in the 2013 season.  Lincecum said in an interview that nobody even mentioned his no-hit status to him the whole game.  When asked at what point he started thinking no-hitter, Lincecum said, "I tried not to really think about it the whole game, not even that last inning.  I just tried to stay within myself and get the job done."  He did more than get the job done, however; he made history.  Not only with his performance, but his pitch count as well.  His 148 pitch game is the most thrown in a single Major League game since 2010, when Edwin Jackson threw 149.  It's a wonder it took Lincecum this long to throw his first no-no.  He has been struggling a bit this season, and it's been far from his best.  He has shined in his past few seasons, winning some Cy Young's and gracing the cover of MLB 2K9.  But he never threw a no hitter, until early this morning at about 1:00 A.M. 



Can Tim Tebow be a Factor in New England?

Tim Tebow



This may be what Tebow's role consists of until Tom Brady
hangs it up.

The last few years have been dramatic at best for Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow from the University of Flordia.  After getting drafted in the second round by the Denver Broncos, Tebow spent a year as a backup in the shadow of Kyle Orton.  The next year, Tebow was named starter, and he had a year of the ages.  He single handedly revolutionized the quarterback position.  A left-handed QB, Tebow is very unique, not only with the arm he throws with but his style of play.  He uses a combination of throwing and running with the ball, always keeping the defense on their toes. This style of play proved deadly in 2011, as he completed many fourth quarter comebacks and made defenses look silly all year.  He was almost like the RG3 of 2011.  But that offseason, Peyton Manning's contract ran out with the Colts, and the Broncos decided to lose their young phenom to sign Manning.  A shocking decision on the Broncos part, but even more surprising was Tebow's next destination; the New York Jets.  The Jets had already decided on developing young quarterback Mark Sanchez into their next long term option under center, so the Tebow deal made little sense.  Jets coach Rex Ryan said they would use a dual-QB system, using Sanchez in more passing situations while utilizing Tebow in more wildcat formations.  The whole 2012 season, he collected a mere eight passing attempts and 32 rushing attempts.  It was a wasted season for the quarterback, and it was stunning that it was the year after his breakout 2011 season.  So after the 2012 season concluded, Tebow was stuck between a rock and a hard place.  The Jets drafted quarterback Geno Smith out of the University of West Virginia.  There were talks that Tebow would settle down up north for a career in the Canadian Football League.  It was confirmed that he received a job offer to play for the Arena Football League, but he didn't take it.  He still wanted to weigh his options in the NFL.  So finally, weeks before training camp, the New England Patriots signed Tebow.  While the Patriots already have future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady as their starter, he is 35 and should be nearing the twilight of his career.  After that, the stage will be set for Tebow.  While it should allow him to develop further while playing behind Brady, Tim Tebow can be a very successful NFL starting quarterback right now.  He did more than enough to prove that in 2011!  Why nobody believes in him I have no idea.  It truly baffles me.  If the Pats hold onto him through the end of Brady's career, he will be New England's starter.  If not, then he'll either end up on another team or another league.  So, Tebow will be a huge factor in 2-5 years for the Patriots.  In the short term, however, not so much.  Don't expect him to do much in the NFL for at least the next two years.  This makes me mad, because he could really make something of himself.  Many years of this young quarterback's career are being thrown away due to the stupidity of NFL teams.

Expect Tebow's role to be even less of that he had in
New York for a couple years, until Brady's career comes to a close. 
That is, if Tebow can stick around New England that long.

Derek Jeter to Make Major League Season Debut Today

After breaking his ankle in the 12th inning of an ALDS postseason game fielding a ground ball, Derek Jeter will make his Major League season debut today, batting second and playing DH against the Kansas City Royals.  Lets go back to the time of the injury; when Jeter was injured, he crumbled to the ground, screaming in pain.  He was helped off the field with trainers on each of his sides keeping him balanced.  Jeter was putting no weight on his injured left ankle.  X-rays in the clubhouse indicated a fractured ankle, however, weeks later, it was discovered to be broken.  The initial projected healing time was 4-5 months (the injury occurred in October), and he said he was pretty sure he would be ready for opening day.  But Jeter was having a bit of trouble healing as quickly as originally thought.  Weeks before opening day, it came out that there was an additional fracture in his ankle, along with the break, which had all but completely healed.  His return was then said to be sometime past the All-Star Break at the earliest.  However, Jeter has spent around a week doing rehab in AAA Trenton, playing shortstop and DH.  Here we are, days before the All-Star Break, and he is debuting in the 2013 Majors today.  Although he is playing DH today, he is supposed to play shortstop tomorrow. 

The Yasiel Puig All-Star Debate

 

So there it is, the picks are in.  One of the big debates about the All-Star game player selection was breakout superstar Yasiel Puig, Dodgers right fielder.  He has only been in the Majors for about a month, but he has been lighting up the baseball world since he was recalled from AAA.  His debut has been said to be better than that of Joe DiMaggio.  Many would love to see Puig in the All-Star Game, and think Puig's super start is enough to get him there.  Others, however, feel quite the opposite.  They say that Puig's little time in the Majors makes him undeserving of a spot in the game that would take away from a veteran that has been playing all year.  Phillies closing pitcher Jonathon Papelbon called it "a joke" if Puig goes to the All-Star Game because he has not had enough time in the league.  If you ask me, that's not Papelbon's place to be running his mouth.  It would have did him better to have simply not commented on the subject.  I hope at one point this season Puig hits a walk-off home run off Papelbon.  But personally, I do not see anything wrong with Puig being named an all-star, but I do see where Papelbon and others are coming from, and if it were up to me, I would handle it one of two ways; one option would be to make a deadline.  Any player called up to the Majors after that deadline would be ineligible to be named an All-Star.  I'd put that deadline around the May 25 area.  On the other hand, you could make a "rising star" roster spot on each league's All Star team.  Only players called up during the season before the All-Star break would be eligible for the rising star roster spot.  Whatever works.  But this situation will probably happen again within the next five years, so it needs to be addressed somehow.  I'm not a big fan (at all) of the way Major League Baseball is handling the Puig All-Star situation.  They're just acting like it's no big deal and doing whatever with him.  The issue needs to be addressed.

 

Yasiel Puig

All-Star Game Rosters Released

Rosters

American League

Starters

C: Joe Mauer, Twins

1B: Chris Davis, Orioles

2B: Robinson Cano, Yankees

SS: J.J. Hardy, Orioles

3B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers

OF: Mike Trout, Angels

OF: Adam Jones, Orioles

OF: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays

DH: David Ortiz, Red Sox

 

Pitchers

RHP: Clay Buchholz*, Red Sox

LHP: Brett Cecil, Blue Jays

RHP: Bartolo Colon**, Athletics

RHP: Jesse Crain*, White Sox

RHP: Yu Darvish, Rangers

RHP: Felix Hernandez, Mariners

RHP: Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners

RHP: Justin Masterson, Indians

RHP: Joe Nathan, Rangers

LHP: Glen Perkins**, Twins

RHP: Mariano Rivera, Yankees

LHP: Chris Sale, White Sox

RHP: Max Scherzer, Tigers

RHP: Justin Verlander, Tigers

 

Reserves

C: Jason Castro, Astros

C: Salvador Perez, Royals

1B: Prince Fielder, Tigers

2B: Jason Kipnis, Indians

2B: Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox

2B: Ben Zobrist, Rays

SS: Jhonny Peralta, Tigers

3B: Manny Machado, Orioles

OF: Nelson Cruz, Rangers

OF: Alex Gordon, Royals

OF: Torii Hunter, Tigers

DH: Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays

 

 

National League

 

Starters

C: Yadier Molina, Cardinals

1B: Joey Votto, Reds

2B: Brandon Phillips, Reds

SS: Troy Tulowitzki

3B: David Wright, Mets

OF: Carlos Beltran, Cardinals

OF: Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies

OF: Bryce Harper, Nationals

 

Pitchers

LHP: Madison Bumgarner, Giants

LHP: Aroldis Chapman, Reds

LHP: Patrick Corbin, Diamondbacks

RHP: Jose Fernandez, Marlins

RHP: Jason Grilli, Pirates

RHP: Matt Harvey, Mets

LHP: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers

RHP: Craig Kimbrel, Braves

LHP: Cliff Lee, Phillies

LHP: Jeff Locke, Pirates

RHP: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals

LHP: Travis Wood, Cubs

RHP: Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals

 

Reserves

C: Buster Posey, Giants

1B: Paul Goldshmidt, Diamondbacks

1B: Allen Craig, Cardinals

2B: Matt Carpenter, Cardinals

2B: Marco Scutaro, Giants

SS: Everth Cabrera, Padres

SS: Jean Segura, Brewers

3B: Pedro Alvarez, Pirates

OF: Dominic Brown, Phillies

OF: Michael Cuddyer, Rockies

OF: Carlos Gomez, Brewers

OF: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates



 

* = Chosen on All-Star Ballot, Injured

** = Injury Replacement

 

 



Dwight Howard to Houston Rockets

Dwight Howard

After a dramatic couple days and an extra dramatic hour or so, Dwight Howard made his final decision; he is heading to the Houston Rockets.  After the NBA season came to a close, Howard said he was leaving the Lakers.  Teams everywhere were making Howard offers.  Eventually, he set his decision date for Friday, July 5.  Days before the fifth of July, Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant sat down with Dwight to try to talk him into staying in Los Angeles.  Remember, both of these guys had their issues with Howard over the course of the season.  Their pitch was though other teams looked more equipped to win championships in the near future, if he stayed with the team and made things work, the Lakers could get that championship ring, through hard work and determination.  Howard then said he was 50/50 on whether he would leave the Lakers or not.  Then today rolled around, decision day.  Of course, he waited until the final hours to finally make his decision.  About an hour ago, he said he was headed to Houston to play for the Rockets.  Approximately 27 minutes later, he once again said he was sure if he was leaving LA or not.  Just minutes ago, he finally made his decision; Houston.  Geez, how indecisive can you be?!?!  It was like the whole Brett Favre retirement saga went down in an hour.

Should the All-Star Game Determine Home Field Advantage for the World Series?

One of the debates that has been floating around Major League Baseball for the past few years is about the All-Star game.  Currently, the winning league in the All-Star game receives home field advantage for the team they send to the World Series.  A lot of people don't like that.  They say that it puts too much pressure on the players to perform when the All-Star game should be a fun game with a low pressure environment.  So what would they do to change it?  Make winning worth nothing?  I don't see that working.  Perhaps Major League Baseball wants to be more like the National Football League.  In the NFL, a venue for the championship game, the Super Bowl is selected prior to the start of the season.  They have an 'all-star game', called the Pro Bowl, but here's the problem with that; the result of the game means nothing.  I'm pretty sure the policy is each player on the winning team receives a sum of a couple thousand dollars, while the losing team gets half the sum the winning team earned.  Take note that a few thousand dollars means absolutely nothing to NFL All-Stars who make millions and millions of dollars.  So everybody out there gives zero effort because they, "don't want to get hurt".  I watched the 2011 Pro Bowl, and instead of tackling, guys were literally hugging each other and falling to the ground.  It was obvious what they were doing, and it was BAD.  I mean, I understand not going all out 110% in the Pro Bowl because you don't want to risk injury, I get that.  But this was, like beyond football.  It was terrible.  Since then, the NFL has set penalties for any player who extremely loafs around during the Pro Bowl.  That really stinks.  If you have to punish guys for not trying, then it shows the game is worth nothing and it's not any fun to watch.  NFL Pro Bowlers are now trying a little harder during the game and not slacking off majorly, but they are not giving it 110% and going all out, and that's okay, I get that.  Why put your whole career in jeopardy over one little game that means absolutely nothing?  You see, if the NFL Pro Bowl were more like the MLB All-Star Game, then guys would actually try, and you wouldn't have to worry about punishing the ones who don't.  There have been talks of removing the Pro Bowl completely, but nobody really wants to see that happen.  It's a good experience for all the players, not only to play in the game, but just have that Pro Bowl selection status.  Now Major League Baseball is considering removing the rule that says the winning league of the All-Star Game gives their World Series team home field advantage, and that is just bizarre to me.  So then what would you make victory worth?  Nothing???  Because you would have to be blind to not see how that almost destroyed the Pro Bowl.  So if you ask me, keep it the way it is, because if you take away the home field advantage rule, you are putting the whole All-Star Game in jeopardy, and, here's one thing we can all agree on; we all love the All-Star Game.

American League MVP Watch

About a week and a half before the 2013 All-Star Break, Major League Baseball has quite a competitive race for the American League Most Valuable Player award.  You have guys like Chris Davis, who has hit 32 home runs already this season.  You also have shutdown pitchers like Max Scherzer, who is currently 13-0 and showing no signs of stopping.  Who will be hoisting the AL MVP trophy at the end of the year?  You can't be certain, but almost halfway through the season, you can pretty much narrow it down to a few top candidates.

Chris Davis

Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles first baseman.

Having 32 home runs before the all-star break will no doubt make you a contender for your league's MVP award.  Chris Davis has been on a tear all season, batting .329 and slugging .721 along with his immense home run totals.  The thing that makes Davis so special is power.  Out of 301 at-bats, he has 99 hits and 31 (nearly one-third) of those hits have been home runs!  No, he's far from blinding quick.  He's stole 7 bases throughout his six year career (none in 2013) and only 3 triples (again, none this season).  But his power makes him one of the most intriguing players to watch in the game today. Remember, Chris Davis has not always been a name that immediately aroused thoughts of home runs and power offense.  In fact, he was pretty mediocre his whole career leading up to the 2013 season.  From 2008 to 2012, he averaged .285, .238, .192, .266 and .270 at the plate.  Not anything special.  If you really want to see how dramatic Davis's 2013 breakout has been, look at Wins Above Replacement (WAR).  Wins Above Replacement is a sabermetric baseball statistic designed to show the number of additional wins a player would contribute to a team compared to a replacement level player at that position, usually a minor league player or bench player.  So between his rookie year, 2008, and 2011, his best WAR was 0.9 as a rookie.  He never again posted a WAR higher than 0 until 2012, when he managed 1.3.  In 2013, his WAR spiked greatly to 4.1.  You can also look at OPS, which is a players on-base percentage plus his slugging percentage.  Up to 2013, his highest OPS was .880, once again in his rookie year.  1.126 is Chris Davis's current OPS on the 2013 season.  His home run total is the highest in Major League Baseball, while his batting average and RBI's (83) are second in the American League, trailing Miguel Cabrera in both categories.  His WAR is third in the American League to Cabrera and young teammate Manny Machado, who currently holds the highest WAR in the Majors thus far.  Clearly, Chris Davis is a top name in the AL MVP talks, and rightfully so.

 

 

Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers third baseman.

Miguel Cabrera won the American League MVP award last year, and his stats this year are even more imposing.  Cabrera is currently holds the AL's best batting average (.368) and the AL's most RBI's (85).  He is also a huge power threat, with 26 home runs on the year, second in Major League Baseball to Chris Davis.  He also holds the second best WAR in Major League Baseball to Manny Machado.  Last year, Cabrera batted .330.  His current OBP is .458, compared to .393 in 2012.  At the moment he's slugging .678.  Last year?  .606.  But there is one area that Cabrera has not bettered himself in since last season, and it is important when you are in MVP talks.  That area is his WAR.  His 2012 WAR was a whooping 6.9.  This year, however, he stands at 4.9, which is still second in baseball.  A guy's WAR is important when you are looking at his possibility of being named MVP because MVP stands for Most Valuable Player, so the MVP award should be awarded to the player who is most valuable.  WAR was designed to show how valuable a player actually is to his team.  So if Cabrera was a 6.9 in 2012, but now he's a 4.9, that clearly shows Cabrera is not as valuable this year as he was last.  He may have better stats this year, and he may be playing better, but he is not as valuable so he may not be the Most VALUABLE Player.  Just a thought.  Nevertheless, Miggy also won the triple crown in 2012.  The Triple Crown is achieved by leading your league (AL or NL) in batting average, RBI's and home runs.  While Cabrera leads the American League in the first two categories, he is in second place in AL home runs, 6 behind Chris Davis.  While the complicated world of Wins Above Replacement does not support Miguel Cabrera as 2013 American League MVP, all of his other numbers certainly say he is close to it.

 

 

Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers right-handed starting pitcher.

Who is the Tigers ace?  Quick to say Justin Verlander, huh?  But the guy who's outthrowing them all in Detroit is not Verlander.  It's Max Scherzer.  Known more for his eyes than his arm, Scherzer has been tearing it up.  As you can see, Scherzer has two different colored eyes.  His left eye is brown, while his right is blue.  Yesterday he became the first pitcher in 27 years to begin a season 13-0.  He also holds a 3.09 ERA.  If you're talking AL Cy Young Award contenders, Scherzer is no doubt among the top guys for that.  He's got a better chance at winning a Cy Young than an MVP because the Cy Young Award is Scherzer competing against other American League pitchers, while the AL MVP could go to any player in the American League.  The last pitcher to win a Cy Young Award and an MVP in the same season was Justin Verlander in 2011.  But Verlander didn't start 2011 13-0, as Scherzer did this year.  Verlander finished 2011 24-5, and posted a career high 8.3 WAR, which is still his career high today.  Scherzer's WAR is currently 3.5.  Many have argued that the pitcher's win-loss record is not a very credible statistic, and that the win-loss record is a team stat rather than an individual one.  Even Scherzer himself has said that his record is not a reflection of him, but of his team, calling the pitcher win-loss record a "fluky stat".  I tend to agree.  It all depends on how your team's offense is producing the day of your start and how your defense plays behind you.  You could pitch a complete game and give up no earned runs, but your team could still lose by not producing offensively and letting unearned runs cross the plate, and you would still get a loss on your record and people would judge you by it.  It could go the other way too; you could surrender six earned runs, but your team's offense has a monster day and overcomes that deficit, so you get a win and, once again, everyone looks at your record and judges you by it.  It's not very credible at all.  So lets look at ERA.  Scherzer currently has a 3.09, but what did Verlander put up in 2011?  2.40.  Yeah, 2011 Verlander has the advantage in ERA and WAR, which, as I said earlier, is a vital stat if you're looking to win MVP.  Scherzer's current WHIP (Walks and Hits Per Innings Pitched) is 0.92, the same as Verlander's in his 2011 MVP year.  So yes, there are some holes in Scherzer statistically that may not support him as MVP, but that record?  Well, it may be a fluky stat, but going 13-0?  That's 13 games you helped your team win, and that's valuable.

 

 

Dustin Pedroia

Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox second baseman.

Pedroia is batting .323, which is third in the American League.  His WAR is 4.3, tied for third place in the AL with Chris Davis.  He's never been a huge power hitter, with 95 homers in 7 and a half years in the bigs, and he's only slugging .445 this year, but he hits the baseball, and that's really all you need.  One of the best contact hitters in the league today, he is extremely vital to his teams success.  Without him, the AL North is a completely different division.  On his resume, Pedroia has a rookie of the year in 2007, an AL MVP award in 2008, Gold Gloves in 2008 and 2011, and a Silver Slugger in 2008.  He's having a good season, and he's definitely in the AL MVP conversation, but he's not my pick.  He's very valuable, extremely.  But not most valuable.

 

 

Manny Machado

Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles third baseman.

20 years old.  The age of Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles third baseman.  Leads all of baseball in WAR at 5.0.  Batting .320, good for fourth in the American League.  The guy on the other side of the infield at Camden Yards, Chris Davis, has had so much hype this season that you almost forget about how much of a monster season the young Machado is having.  If you go by the numbers, you can see that Manny Machado actually has a legitimately strong argument for AL MVP, as he leads all of baseball in WAR, the ultimate statistic for determining the value of a player.  He did only play 51 games last year, but over that span his WAR was 1.5.  Talk about increasing your value...  His OPS went from .739 last year to .834 this year.  The world of Wins Above Replacement claim Manny Machado as the Most Valuable Player.  We'll have to see if the rest of baseball does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Prediction: Chris Davis will win the 2013 American League MVP award.

 

Miami Heat Win 2013 NBA Finals

The Miami Heat are 2013 NBA Champions

It was a close series, but when it mattered most, LeBron James came through and delivered.

The Miami Heat have won the 2013 NBA Finals.  It took seven games against a very difficult Spurs team with a big three of their own, but in the end, Miami came through and emerged with their second straight NBA Championship in their third straight Finals appearence.  While this outcome raises many questions; Should the Heat have been more dominant?  Can they threepeat?  What does this mean for LeBron James's legacy?  It also shines through a reality; today's Miami Heat are one of the best basketball teams in NBA history.

The Heat's big three (LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh) came out on top against an aged San Antonio Spurs big three (Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili).

Down by three with seconds left in the
fourth quarter of Game 6, Ray Allen
drained a fadeaway three pointer to
tie the game and send it into overtime. 
Miami went on to win that game and the Finals,
and had Allen not hit that three, the Spurs
would have almost certainly won Game 6,
eliminating the Heat and winning the
Finals.

It was a back and forth battle through the whole series.  Miami let Game 1 slip through their fingers, losing 88-92.  Tony Parker played big, and LeBron tried helping his team in other ways, such as passing and crashing the boards.  He only had 18 points, but 18 rebounds and 10 assists as well.  Game 2 was all Heat.  It was close for most of the game, but then Miami heated up in the end and blew San Antonio out 103-84.  Miami got production from an unlikely source in Mario Chalmers.  He had 19 points 2 assists and 4 rebounds.  Then came Game 3, and it was San Antonio's turn to dominate.  After an ugly game from the Heat's standpoint, it was 113-77 Spurs.  Young Danny Green owned the whole game, draining three's all night and ending up with 27 points.  By the time the series was over, Green would break Ray Allen's record for most three's made in an NBA Finals series.  LeBron pushed all the blame for his team's failures on himself, saying he needed to play better and that he was letting his team down with his performance.  LeBron finally had a big scoring day in Game 4, dropping 33 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, leading his team to a 109-93 victory and tying the series at two a piece.  Game 5 was quite the average scoring day by LeBron's own standards, collecting 25 points.  However, this time it would not be enough for a W, as the Spurs, led by a 26 point game from Tony Parker, won 114-104.  The Heat now found themselves in a tough spot, needing to win 2 straight games if they wanted to take home the gold.  And then there was Game 6.  The best, most competitive game of the series, no doubt.  LeBron's mid-range shooting started coming to life in the fourth, as he made quite a few from field goal range.  LeBron appeared on the court in the fourth quarter without a headband, and it was kind of funny because I have never seen him play without it, but it wasn't hard to pick him out of the crowd, because you knew he was the one out there dominating.  Mario Chalmers hit a deep three to beat the buzzer ending the third quarter, and Mike Miller lost one of his shoes in the fourth, but that did not stop him from draining a three, then calmly putting his shoe back on.  It didn't look very good for Miami with seconds left in the game, as they were down by three.  Off the inbound, LeBron found an opening and took a three.  He missed.  Chris Bosh grabbed the rebound, and kicked it out to Ray Allen in the corner.  Allen drained a fadeaway three pointer to tie the game and send it into overtime.  In overtime, with time running out and the Heat ahead, Tony Parker found an opening from the perimeter and rose up, but before he could get his shot off, Bosh ran in and stuffed him like a turkey, then held onto the ball and let the remaining seconds run off the clock.  The Heat had pulled it off, and forced a Game 7.

Mario Chalmers Beats Third Quarter Buzzer from Deep

 

 

Mike Miller Hits Three with One Shoe



 

Ray Allen Clutch Three to Tie Game 6 with Seconds Left

 

 

 

The Spurs big three of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan failed to
add a fifth ring to their collection, but their legacy cannot be denied.



Tim Duncan

Game 7.  You could feel the tension in the air at the American Airlines Arena in Miami.  It was a close game all the way through the fourth quarter.  Tim Duncan was scoring well, getting 24 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists.  But the Spurs defense was no match for LeBron James, and on the biggest stage, he delivered.  Anytime there was a little opening anywhere on the field, he took advantage and nailed it.  Countless times LeBron rose up and dropped something from mid-range in the fourth quarter.  Tim Duncan had an open layup, but when he went to lay it in, it rolled of the rim.  He grabbed the rock again and tried to tip it back in, only for it to roll off the rim once again and Miami to take the rebound.  At the end of the day, it was 95-88 Heat, and the place went nuts.  LeBron had 37 points, 4 assists and 12 rebounds. 

LeBron James "I Ain't Got No Worries"

 

 



Spurs Sweep Grizzlies, Win Western Conference and Secure Spot in Finals

San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs celebrate their
Western Conference Finals victory.

Tony Parker

The San Antonio Spurs have swept the Memphis Grizzlies in four games in the Western Conference Championship.  The Spurs will play either the Miami Heat or the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals.  Spurs point guard Tony Parker has come up big for his team in the Western Conference Finals, making big plays and racking up big point totals.  Tim Duncan made some nice plays in the paint, and Manu Ginobli stepped up, as well.  As a team, San Antonio was able to overcome Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies.  The Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals, and the Grizzlies upset the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Conference Semifinal round.  Originally, I thought the Heat would take on the Thunder in the Finals, just as last year, but the Grizzlies were able to pull off the upset and complete the upset.  The Heat are said to be one of the best teams in NBA history, and I can't disagree.  The Heat are leading the Pacers 2-1 right now, and I'm thinking Miami is going to be San Antonio's opponent in the Finals.  Can the Spurs beat the Heat?  Can they beat the Pacers?  What are their chances in the Finals?

Tim Duncan

Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and a Memphis Grizzlies
team that beat the Oklahoma City Thunder was not enough to
stop the Spurs.

Manu Ginobili

Game 1 was all Spurs.  Tony Parker had 20 points and 9 assists, and was Player of the Game.  It ended up at 105-83, but the Spurs were not satisfied.  Oh, no.  They're still remembering last year in the Western Conference Finals.  Just ask Tony Parker.  "I can promise you this: Nobody's happy in our locker room, because we were up 2-0 (in the West finals) last year and we lost," Parker said. "It's just one game. It means nothing. We still have a long way to go."  That determination worked in their favor. "We just didn't play well. It's not anything specific," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "It's just that we were running too fast, we missed some layups, we were taking bad shots and our defense was really awful. And the Spurs played well." Game 2 was a bit closer, with it ending in overtime.  Parker had 15 points and a career high 18 assists.  When he started running low on big plays, Tim Duncan was there to pick up the slack.  At one point, San Antonio blew a 13-point lead and were forced into overtime.  "I hate that we gave up that big of a lead in that situation," Duncan said. "But we were resilient enough to go to overtime and not let it affect us."  Duncan opened the extra period with a layup, and then made a tiebreaking putback on Parker's missed jumper. He then made a runner that bounced high off the back iron and rattled in for a 91-87 lead with 1:08 to play.  In the end, it was 93-89 Spurs.  Tim Duncan had an amazing game, scoring 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists and 2 steals.  Tony Parker had 15 points, 18 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.  Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley had 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.  Zach Randolph had 15 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks.  Game 3 was very similar.  The Spurs won in overtime, and Tim Duncan was great.  The 37-year-old center took control in overtime for a second straight game, this time scoring the first five points as the Spurs rallied from an 18-point deficit Saturday night.  "He was huge for us the other night in overtime and got it done for us, and he did it again tonight," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of the two-time MVP. "That's why he is considered as great as he has for the last 17 years. He's been unbelievable. He feels a responsibility to carry us in those kinds of times, and he did it again tonight."  "I'm not worried about how old I am or whatever, whatever it may be," Duncan said. "I'm very focused on having another opportunity to make it to a championship and try to win, that's all."  He had 24 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks.  Tony Parker had 26 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.  Manu Ginobili had 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal.  Game 4 was pretty close through the whole game, though the Spurs had the slight advantage through the whole thing.  Tony Parker exploded for 37 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds.  Tim Duncan had 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 1 assist and 1 steal.  Now an aged Spurs team has a spot in the 2013 NBA Finals, and is set to play either the Heat or the Pacers.  Can the Spurs beat the Pacers?  Yes.  Can they beat Miami?  No.  The Heat are one of the best teams of all time, and the Spurs can't top that.

The Miami Marlins are Miserable



Giancarlo Stanton

They're 13-37, which puts them in last place.  They also rank last in Major League Baseball in runs, batting average, on base percentage and slugging.  The best player batting average on the Marlins is held by Placido Polanco.  What's he batting?  .233.  It's truly a miserable baseball season in Miami.  When the Marlins changed from the Flordia Marlins to the Miami Marlins in 2012, they were projected to be one of the best teams in baseball.  They got a new name, new logo, amazing new stadium in a new location, new colors, new uniforms, but, best of all, new playmakers.  Guys like Jose Reyes and Carlos Lee headed to Miami to join this revamped squad.  Plus, Giancarlo Stanton upped his game and Hanley Ramirez was a playmaking shortstop, but he had to be moved to third to fit Reyes in at shortstop.  The Marlins had all the right tools, and everyone thought they were going to be one of the best and dominate in the tough NL East division.  That didn't exactly happen.  They finished 69-93, last in the NL East.  The Washington Nationals won that division, at 98-64, and the Atlanta Braves grabbed a wild card at 94-68.  Miami ended up trading Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers about three quarters of the way through the 2012 season, and Jose Reyes and ace starter Josh Johnson went north and put on Toronto Blue Jays uniforms following the end of the year.  Carlos Lee retired in the offseason.  They're even worse this season, as the 2013 Miami Marlins could go down as one of the worst teams in MLB history.  They can't do too much about it, either, because they're out of money after their supersplurge last year.  They need to get some serious money together fast so this nightmare can end, but the fastest that could happen probably means a couple of years, so it's not a good time to be a Marlins fan.  All you can do is close your eyes.

Placido Polanco

NBA 2013 Eastern Conference Finals Preview

LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and crew will take on Paul George, Roy Hibbert and the Indiana Pacers
for the NBA Eastern Conference Championship and birth in the NBA Finals.  If Miami advances, it would be their
third consecutive NBA Finals appearence and, if they win, it will be their second straight Finals victory.  Can they
repeat?

It will be up to Roy Hibbert, Paul George, and the rest of the Indiana Pacers to
shut down the Miami Heat and keep them from appearing in
their third straight NBA Finals appearence.

The Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls four games to one, and the Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks four games to two in the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals.  Indiana and Miami will now square off in the Eastern Conference Finals in a seven game series to decide who plays in the NBA Finals.  The Heat are completely stacked, featuring names like NBA MVP LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen.  However, the Indiana Pacers feature one of the toughest defenses in the NBA.  The Pacers rank first in the NBA in rebounds and second in least points allowed in the 2012-13 season.  A good defense is key in stopping Miami, and Indiana certainly has one.  However, the Pacers offense is rather weak.  They rank 23rd in points per game and 28th in assists per game.  Miami can play offense and defense, but they can't seem to rebound, as the Heat rank fifth in points per game, seventh in assists per game, fifth in least points allowed and 30th in rebounds.  Miami needs to focus on crashing the boards and working around the Pacers defense if they want to head to the Finals.  Try to get as much offensive production out of LeBron James as you can from inside the paint and mid range.  If the Pacers D trys to smother LeBron, just get the ball to Dwayne Wade and send that defense into panic mode.  If Miami can utilize all of their weapons, they will be fine.  The Pacers should focus on keeping LeBron covered.  When teams can stop LeBron, they can usually stop the Heat.  That's how Chicago snapped Miami's epic winning streak during the regular season.  They kept LeBron under control, and the whole team fell apart.  Indiana should also try to keep Paul George and Danny Granger on the floor as much as possible because they are their top scorers and they lack offensive skill.

If the Heat want to win, they have to get production from LeBron James in the paint and from mid range. 
If the Pacers want to load LeBron with coverage, that's fine.  Dish it to Dwayne Wade and watch him work.
If the Pacers want to compete, they have to keep LeBron bottled up, because when LeBron wins, Miami wins,
and when LeBron loses, Miami struggles.

Who Wins?

 

Miami Heat in 5

The Heat have too many weapons for even the Pacers to stop.  Even if the Pacers could stop Miami's offense, Indiana's weak offense would be destroyed by the Heat.  I can see the Pacers winning one game if they get lucky or the Heat are off their game one night, but in my opinion, the Rose-less and Deng-less Chicago Bulls were more of a challenge for the Heat.  Miami wins in 5.  Game 1 is tomorrow night at 8:00 on TNT.

Can the Indians Keep Up with the Tigers All Season?

The Detroit Tigers are defending American League champions.  Last year, the Cleveland Indians were 68-94, 20 games back from the Tigers in the AL Central.  This year, however, the Indians are giving the Tigers a little competition within their division.  The Indians are currently 26-17 while the Tigers are 23-19.  You could contribute this to a lot of key offseason moves made by Cleveland, and if you did, you would be right.  Over the offseason, the Indians gave the boot to manager Manny Acta and hired Boston legend Terry Francona.  In addition to their new manager, the Indians also acquired some new tools on the field in the 2012 offseason, grabbing Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, Mark Reynolds, Drew Stubbs and Jason Giambi.  As well as their additions, a few players, including Asdrubal Cabrera and Jason Kipnis, had breakout seasons in 2012 and showed what they could do.  But the breakout star for the Indians thus far in 2013 is Mark Reynolds.  Tied for first in AL home runs with 12, third in AL RBIs at 37, and coming through in all the big clutch moments in Cleveland.



Mark Reynolds



 

So I think its safe to say Mark Reynolds is one of the main reasons the Indians are doing so well, as well as Terry Francona.  But if you look at the Tigers, they are stacked.  Not only are they defending American League Champions, but they also have Miguel Cabrera, who just won the triple crown last year, Prince Fielder, Justin Verlander, and multiple other all-stars.  So if you ask me, the Indians should be able to stay up there with the Tigers for a while this season, but once the Indians mediocre to weak pitching staff goes down, I expect to see Cleveland go on a long losing streak of seven to twelve games.  The Tigers will pull ahead then, and by the end of the season I expect Detroit to have the advantage over Cleveland by five to ten games.  I just can't see the Indians doing anything without a pitching staff.  If they could get some talent in their rotation and bullpen before 2014, then I can see the Indians beating the Tigers in the AL Central.  They're already contenders without any pitching, just imagine what would happen if they added some.

Does Bryce Harper Play too Hard?

It was one of the ugliest things I have ever seen on a baseball field.  Bryce Harper had a ball hit over his head, and he turned around and sprinted after it as it carried, watching the ball the whole time, not paying any attention to where he was at on the field.  Running full speed, he ran straight into the outfield scoreboard, which is covered in chain link.  His body went stiff and his eyes shut.  He crumbled to the ground and lay there still, face down, deep in the outfield.  He was unconcious for a short time.  It was ugly.  Though this incident was much more severe, it brought me back to a moment when I was watching Harper playing for the Hagerstown Suns, before he made it to the bigs.  He was playing right, and he got a fly ball over his head.  In pursuit of the ball, he hit the wall and crumbled.  It was almost a replay, other than all the blood that came with his latest collision.

Immediately after hitting the wall, Harper lays face down on the warning track, unconcious.

The collision left Bryce with 11 stitches in his chin.  The chain link on the fence was what caused his chin to get cut up.  Harper did not sustain a concussion, however, which is good.  Everyone's immediate reaction was that he got a concussion, the way he hit his head off the wall, then laid on the ground for a while and got up and stumbled a bit, as if his head was in the clouds.  Even MASN (Mid Atlantic Sports Network) announcer F.P. Santangelo said, "he's not all there right now" after Harper hit the wall.

A bloody chinned Bryce Harper walks off the field after running into the right field scoreboard at Dodger stadium
facefirst at full speed.

"He's not all there right now." - F.P. Santangelo

So is Bryce Harper too hardcore?  Should he tune down his all out, 120% play?  Ryan Zimmerman said it like this; "I would rather him not go all-out into the wall. Some people look at it as a bad thing. If you play that hard every day, there is something to be said about that. He's going to play a long time and you have to learn to take care of your body. As he grows, he'll learn what to do and what not to do."  Jordan Zimmermann said "That's all you can ask for as a pitcher, a guy going 110 percent."  I'm sure Zimmermann did not like seeing him hit the wall though.  Nobody did.  Manager Davey Johnson says he does not want to change Bryce.  He shouldn't change.  Nobody likes seeing him get hurt, but everyone loves watching Bryce Harper give it his all on the baseball field.  It's what makes him Bryce Harper.  Harper sent out a tweet the day after his injury, saying "I will keep playing this game hard for the rest of my life even if it kills me! I'll never stop! #RespectTheGame"  Now that is just dedication.  Harold Reynolds of MLB Now said that he believes Bryce should move back to catcher, his original position, or somewhere else in the infield.  I can't really argue much with that.  First off, Harper has always had a lot of trouble seeing the ball in the outfield.  The colorful stands are the backdrop that he has to pick the tiny, white baseball out of, and his eyes aren't very good.  The Nationals said they wanted to convert Harper into an outfielder to prolong his career, but they would always keep that catching option open.  It doesn't look like the outfield is prolonging his career.  If he were to move to catcher, he'd be competing with Wilson Ramos and Kurt Suzuki.  I say if you're going to move him, try him at second base.  Danny Espinosa hasn't done particularly good for a while, and he's actually a shortstop turned second baseman, so if you started Harper at second you still have Espinosa as an infield utility player.  I truly believe Harper could play anywhere with his heart.  There is no denying that Bryce Harper respects the game.

Yeah, if that is not respecting the game
then I don't know what is.

What is Wrong with the Los Angeles Dodgers?

Los Angeles Dodgers

Matt Kemp

The Los Angeles Dodgers are full of talent.  On paper, they look like World Series champions, and before the season, some thought we would be calling them such at the end of the year.  Just looking at their roster almost makes you smile, with Matt Kemp, who I believe is the best all-around player in the Majors, Andre Ethier, ace starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Zack Greinke it goes on and on.  But instead of tearing it up, they are in last place in the American League West, with one less win and one more loss than the dreadful San Diego Padres.  What could possibly be wrong?  This season looked so promising, and it has turned into nothing short of a nightmare.



Adrian Gonzalez

Clayton Kershaw

Hanley Ramirez

Los Angeles has lost 9 of their last 11 games.  One of the most important stats in baseball is On Base Percentage (OBP).  It is also one of the very few areas where the Los Angeles Dodgers have excelled this season.  The Dodgers have the third best OBP in Major League Baseball.  But aside from that, they haven't done much.  Their 11th in batting average, 27th in slugging percentage, and, the biggest shocker to me, 28th in runs.  HOW can you be 28th in the bigs in runs when you are third in OBP?  Scoring runs is a direct result of getting on base, and their one of the best at getting on base, but they still can't score any runs.  But outside the numbers, the Dodgers have been spending boldly to try to get that deep-in-the-postseason caliber team.  First, they grabbed star shortstop Hanley Ramirez from the Miami Marlins mid-season last year.  Then, a little later in the season, they made the blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox, grabbing power hitting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, former all-star starting pitcher Josh Beckett, and speedy outfielder Carl Crawford.  The Dodgers lost nothing in that trade but some minor leaguers and lots of cash.  They have all of these weapons, and they STILL can't do any better than last place in the AL West.  Its just unreal, I can't understand it.

Andre Ethier

Whatever the problem is with the Dodgers, its really bad.  The beginning of 2013 for the Los Angeles Dodgers is something to forget.  If they have a complete turnaround, they could probably still make some noise, but it is not likely.  If only they could hold onto all their weapons for next season, when everybody will once again start 0-0.