In the top of the ninth inning of Game 4 between the Phillies and Dodgers Monday, Jonathon Broxton was heaving 101 mph fastballs at hitters, trying desperately to keep Los Angeles alive in the postseason. Somehow, someway, shortstop Jimmy Rollins managed to turn on a 99 mph heater, doubling in the game-tying and game-winning runs in one quick, Dodger-killing, monumentally clutch moment. This you probably already know. But do you know where Manny Ramirez was?
Taking a shower.
No, really. Taking a shower.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Round-up: Sabean and Bochy get extended, the no-name Broncos keep winning, and A-Fraud channels Mr. October
One of the few decision Brian Sabean actually got right: drafting Tim Lincecum. Photo by user rocor on Flickr.Rewarding dumb luck and failure
The San Francisco Giants managing partner Bill Neukom, in his goofy-ass-bow-tie-wearing wisdom, gave general manager Brain Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy two-year extensions today with options for third years. Bochy has been there for three years, and whether or not he’s been successful is up for interpretation - after all, in what sport is the head coach/manager more useless than in baseball?
But Sabean, who is the longest-tenured general manager in baseball with 13 years on the job, should have been handed his walking papers. The Giants haven’t made the playoffs in six seasons, and have been to the postseason only four times during Sabean’s tenure.
A lot of fans might cite the team’s resurgent 2009 campaign as proof of Sabean’s value, but what has he really done? He has horrendously overpaid for free agents the last few years (Barry Zito: seven years, $126 million; Aaron Rowand: five years, $60 million; Edgar Renteria: two years, $18.5 million), who have vastly underperformed, and hasn’t won a damn thing since Barry Bonds left.
The only two players he has drafted who have star power are Tim Lincecum, a can’t-miss type pick at tenth overall in 2006; and the Kung-Fu Panda, Pablo Sandoval, who spent nearly five years languishing in the minors and shocked everyone with a great season this year. Matt Cain has also developed into a solid starting pitcher, but what irreplaceable position players has Sabean drafted or developed?
2009 was likely more of an aberration than a sign of things to come, especially since Sabes said recently that the team doesn't plan to add a bat in the offseason. That should really improve the team's RBI total (29th in the majors) or batting average (25th).
Decisions like this one are what will keep the Giants forever trailing the cross-bay Oakland A’s in world championships. In case you forgot, Giants fans, the A’s have the lead in that category 4-0.
Who are these guys?
The fact that the Denver Broncos beat the New England Patriots on Sunday in overtime is amazing, but what’s most impressive is the way they did it. After looking like they’d be another foil for Tom Brady’s passing attack, the Broncos held the Pats scoreless after halftime and rattled off 13 unanswered points in a 20-17 win.
But these Broncos aren’t your daddy’s John Elway-Terrell Davis-Rod Smith Broncs. This squad is led by the much-maligned Kyle Orton, disgruntled receiver Brandon Marshall and rookie running back Knowshon Moreno (on a side note, isn’t Knowshon a freaking awesome name?). Without any serious superstars on either side of the ball, the Broncos are finding ways to win close games virtually every week. After starting the season against a middling group of opponents (9-11 combined record), the Broncos solidified themselves as legitimate contenders by beating the formerly 3-1 Patriots.
The defense is the primary reason, as Denver has surrendered only 8.6 points per game (first in the NFL) and is second overall in total defense. Combine that with the careful play of Orton, who has turned the ball over only once in five games, and you have a recipe for success. As much as it kills me inside to say it, Denver will be definitely be playing football in January.
Well lookie who found their bats
Vladimir Guerrero decided to become clutch for the first time in his career, delivering the two-run death blow against the Boston Red Sox in the top of the ninth Sunday to lead the Angels to a 7-6 victory. Guerrero’s postseason at-bats had been pathetic at best before this year (.240 career average), but he came up huge in Fenway Park to complete the sweep.
Another former choker who suddenly learned how to swing in big spots is a rejuvenated Alex Rodriguez. The Yankee third baseman not only had an RBI single in the sixth inning to tie Game 2 against the Twins, he then went on to hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the game into extras. A-Rod repeated the heroics with a tying home run in the top of the seventh in Game 3. Overall he batted .455 with 6 RBI in the Yankees’ three-game sweep of Minnesota.
The Angels and Yankees will begin a best-of-seven series Friday night, and the Yanks have to be the clear favorites. If A-Rod continues to perform the way he did against Minnesota, there is no way the Angels can overcome New York’s powerful offense. Then again, the Angels have certainly had the Yankees’ number over the past few seasons: they are 33-21 against the Bronx Bombers since 2005. Maybe having Kate Hudson watching from the stands will continue to power A-Rod's resurgance.
Monday, September 28, 2009
A very rough afternoon for Russell and the Raiders
It’s official Raider Nation: JaMarcus Russell is not only going to be a bust – he’s lost his damn mind.
We’re three years into the Russell experiment, and so far the results are not just bad – they’re damn right Ryan Leaf-ian. To be fair, we can hardly count the first season of Russell’s NFL career since he wasn’t signed until almost October and missed training camp and preseason. But Russell has had nothing but time to learn since then, and instead of getting better, he’s getting much, much worse. But don't tell him that - the quarterback has repeatedly said he's feeling fine about his play so far. At least someone in Oakland is...
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Giants fans, this is a season to be proud of
Well, it was fun while it lasted. The San Francisco Giants dropped two of three in Los Angeles with a 6-2 defeat in the series finale on Sunday. The Giants' loss, coupled with Colorado's win, puts the Giants four and a half games back in the Wild Card race.Tim Lincecum didn't see the fifth inning as he struggled with his command and even issued a four-pitch walk to pitcher Randy Wolf in his ineffective outing.
The San Francisco offense is too sporadic, too impatient and too prone to making unproductive outs. There is a gaping hole at the shortstop position and Aaron Rowand has the quietest 15 home runs and 62 r.b.i.'s in baseball.
There are serious issues that need to be addressed. The Giants have no answer at first base. Randy Winn, who before this season was a lock for a solid average and clutch hits, is coming off the books. Their starting rotation will have to cope with the likely departures of Randy Johnson and Brad Penny after this season.
But this is no time to hang your head if you are a Giants fan. This team was predicted to finish near the bottom by most of the experts and armchair analysts across the country. A season above .500 is a huge step forward for a team that hasn't played meaningful games in September since 2004.
Yes. It is disappointing. There was a period of time in August when this team looked like it caught lightning in a bottle and was going to be a force. But the offense is too weak and impatient.
Pablo Sandoval will come back in 2010 and contend for the MVP, provided he stays healthy. Nate Schierholtz will benefit from playing every day and will establish himself as one of the best defensive right fielders in baseball. He will also hit .290 and drive in 85 runs.
Matt Cain and Lincecum will push each other like they did in 2009 and carry this team towards a division title in 2010.
This team will make a splash with a free agent signing, but I am more looking forward to the trade I think should be made. Pair Brian Wilson and John Bowker for a bat. Sergio Romo is ready to close and Bowker has "AL" written all over him. And don't pick up Ryan Garko's option.
There is a lot to be grateful for. I know this day is disappointing, but it will be OK. It's not like one of our top prospects is detained in connection with murder or anything, right?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A's fans - do you know the way to San Jose?
Earlier this month, consulting firm Conventions Sports & Leisure International released an economic impact report for a possible new A’s stadium in San Jose. On Tuesday, the San Jose City Council unanimously approved the report – but what the hell does that mean?
It means we’re one step closer to seeing the San JosA’s, but there’s still a long way to go.
The approval of the economic impact report seemed like a no-brainer: the report found that almost 1,000 jobs would be created by a new ballpark, and it would generate $130 million in benefits (such as tax revenue). The report would make you believe that the city of San Jose would be foolish not to allow the A’s to set up operations there, and apparently the council agrees.
Unlike the A’s previous attempt to build a stadium in Fremont, so far it has been smooth sailing for the San Jose proposal. Mayor Chuck Reed even appeared at a news conference before the meeting, voicing his support of the project.
The biggest hurdle that remains is the territorial rights issue with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants have always considered San Jose to be part of their territory, and MLB would need to approve of the A’s infringing on it. Why the Giants would be opposed to the A’s going from a city that is 10 miles away (Oakland) to one that is 40 miles away (San Jose) is beyond me.
One of the most curious things about the proposed new stadium is its capacity. The proposal calls for a stadium with about 32,000 seats, which would be by far the lowest capacity in the majors (the Florida Marlins’ new stadium, which opens in 2012, is the second-lowest at 37,000). The impact report puts average major league attendance at 31,700 per game, which would make the A’s new stadium a guaranteed sellout every night if that number holds. Combine that with increased revenue for Billy Beane to work his magic with, and I think A’s tickets will actually be hard to come by in 2014 (imagine that!).
Another interesting fact that came out of the report was the average ticket price data for all 30 major league teams. The A’s rank eighth in average per-game ticket price at $29.20, which is $7 higher than the cross-bay Giants, who play in a fancy new stadium. I would assume that this average is probably inflated by the removal of about 10,000 cheap seats (A’s fans might refer to it as the third deck) for baseball games.
So now we wait on Bud Selig and MLB to issue a ruling on the territorial rights. And guess what? Good ole’ Bud hasn’t set a date for when MLB will issue that ruling. I wonder if the Yankees would have gotten a date…
It means we’re one step closer to seeing the San JosA’s, but there’s still a long way to go.
The approval of the economic impact report seemed like a no-brainer: the report found that almost 1,000 jobs would be created by a new ballpark, and it would generate $130 million in benefits (such as tax revenue). The report would make you believe that the city of San Jose would be foolish not to allow the A’s to set up operations there, and apparently the council agrees.
Unlike the A’s previous attempt to build a stadium in Fremont, so far it has been smooth sailing for the San Jose proposal. Mayor Chuck Reed even appeared at a news conference before the meeting, voicing his support of the project.
The biggest hurdle that remains is the territorial rights issue with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants have always considered San Jose to be part of their territory, and MLB would need to approve of the A’s infringing on it. Why the Giants would be opposed to the A’s going from a city that is 10 miles away (Oakland) to one that is 40 miles away (San Jose) is beyond me.
One of the most curious things about the proposed new stadium is its capacity. The proposal calls for a stadium with about 32,000 seats, which would be by far the lowest capacity in the majors (the Florida Marlins’ new stadium, which opens in 2012, is the second-lowest at 37,000). The impact report puts average major league attendance at 31,700 per game, which would make the A’s new stadium a guaranteed sellout every night if that number holds. Combine that with increased revenue for Billy Beane to work his magic with, and I think A’s tickets will actually be hard to come by in 2014 (imagine that!).
Another interesting fact that came out of the report was the average ticket price data for all 30 major league teams. The A’s rank eighth in average per-game ticket price at $29.20, which is $7 higher than the cross-bay Giants, who play in a fancy new stadium. I would assume that this average is probably inflated by the removal of about 10,000 cheap seats (A’s fans might refer to it as the third deck) for baseball games.
So now we wait on Bud Selig and MLB to issue a ruling on the territorial rights. And guess what? Good ole’ Bud hasn’t set a date for when MLB will issue that ruling. I wonder if the Yankees would have gotten a date…
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Are you ready for some football? 2009 NFL Preview
The Autumn wind is upon us – football season is finally here! It’s time for 17 weeks of hard-hitting football, and we’re going to celebrate the kick-off at Unsportsmanlike Conduct by offering a look into our predictions for the NFL season.
AFC WEST: Oakland Raiders (8-8)
AFC NORTH: Pittsburgh Steelers (14-2)
AFC SOUTH: Indianapolis Colts (14-2)
AFC EAST: New England Patriots (12-4)
WILD CARDS: Houston Texans (10-6), Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
Analysis: You read that right – I am calling my shot, Oakland wins the West this year and has a (gasp) home playoff game. Now before you get all out of control, realize two things: First, that the Raiders will finish 8-8, which isn’t that spectacular of a record; and second, that the division is absolutely atrocious. Remember that 8-8 did, in fact, win this division last year. The Broncos are in for a very bad season, and the Chiefs won’t be much better this year. San Diego could still win this division, but even if they do it won’t be at better than 9-7. The Chargers have to deal with an aging LaDainian Tomlinson, and Norv Turner will always cost a team at least a game or two every year. Oakland’s three-headed running back monster of Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Justin Fargas is going to take a lot of pressure off of JaMarcus Russell, and Richard Seymour is in a contract year - at age 30 he needs the last big score to set up the rest of his career. Expect Seymour to play with a fire in his belly, and immensely improve both the run and pass defense. If the Raiders do play better defense and effectively hand the ball off about 30 times a game, 8-8 is very much within reach. They are going to get stomped on in the first round of the playoffs though, anyway.
As for the others, Pittsburgh has a soft schedule, and the Steelers are a good team that hasn’t gotten any worse – they will have the No. 1 seed in the postseason. The Colts won’t lose much without Marvin Harrison since Anthony Gonzalez has stepped up. As for New England, the Patriots are going to find their defense is not what it used to be now that most of the leaders have left, but they have enough firepower to overwhelm most teams. When New England runs into teams that can pressure Tom Brady, it’ll be in serious trouble. The Ravens also have a favorable schedule, which allows them to use a steady offense and still-great defense on the way to 12 wins. The pieces are all in place for Houston, and now is the time for the Texans to make their first postseason trip in franchise history.
NFC WEST: Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
NFC NORTH: Minnesota Vikings (11-5)
NFC SOUTH: New Orleans Saints (11-5)
NFC EAST: Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
WILD CARDS: Chicago Bears (11-5), Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
The NFC East gets a huge boost this season because it gets to play all of the AFC West teams, which is almost like guaranteeing three wins a piece. Philly has the defense to stop good offenses, and Donovan McNabb finally has an offense that is stacked with young, explosive weapons. The Eagles were already a conference championship favorite before Michael Vick, but his addition could add a dimension that makes their offense virtually unstoppable. The Vikings are also a team poised for a huge year, because all Brett Favre has to do is complete a few deep passes a game to keep defenses from stacking the line. If Adrian Peterson continues to dominate, Favre is going to be especially deadly with play-action passes to speedsters like Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin. The Saints haven’t been able to put it together the last couple of seasons, but Tampa Bay is going to struggle and Carolina and Atlanta can’t help but regress a little, so I look for New Orleans to capitalize and win the division. The Cardinals will actually finish with a better record than they did last year, thanks to a favorable schedule and a boost of confidence from their Super Bowl run last season. But if Kurt Warner gets hurt or regresses to his fumble-prone ways, the West is a division that could be stolen by either the San Francisco 49ers or the Seattle Seahawks.
The Bears with Jay Cutler will be successful, but they can’t overcome Minnesota in the division. The Cowboys, like the Eagles, benefit mightily from playing the AFC West, and finally make it back to postseason play. Look for Washington to make noise in this division as well. Jason Campbell has improved steadily every year, and the addition of Albert Haynesworth will be huge. There have been few defensive players that have such an impact as he does – he really is a game changer. I will be shocked if two teams from the NFC East aren’t playing postseason football.
PLAYOFFS
AFC
Wild Card
Baltimore over Oakland
New England over Houston
Divisional
Indianapolis over New England
Pittsburgh over Baltimore
Conference
Pittsburgh over Indianapolis
NFC
Wild Card
Dallas over Arizona
New Orleans over Chicago
Divisional
Minnesota over Dallas
Philadelphia over New Orleans
Conference
Philadelphia over Minnesota
SUPER BOWL XLIV
Pittsburgh over Philadelphia
AFC WEST: Oakland Raiders (8-8)
AFC NORTH: Pittsburgh Steelers (14-2)
AFC SOUTH: Indianapolis Colts (14-2)
AFC EAST: New England Patriots (12-4)
WILD CARDS: Houston Texans (10-6), Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
Analysis: You read that right – I am calling my shot, Oakland wins the West this year and has a (gasp) home playoff game. Now before you get all out of control, realize two things: First, that the Raiders will finish 8-8, which isn’t that spectacular of a record; and second, that the division is absolutely atrocious. Remember that 8-8 did, in fact, win this division last year. The Broncos are in for a very bad season, and the Chiefs won’t be much better this year. San Diego could still win this division, but even if they do it won’t be at better than 9-7. The Chargers have to deal with an aging LaDainian Tomlinson, and Norv Turner will always cost a team at least a game or two every year. Oakland’s three-headed running back monster of Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Justin Fargas is going to take a lot of pressure off of JaMarcus Russell, and Richard Seymour is in a contract year - at age 30 he needs the last big score to set up the rest of his career. Expect Seymour to play with a fire in his belly, and immensely improve both the run and pass defense. If the Raiders do play better defense and effectively hand the ball off about 30 times a game, 8-8 is very much within reach. They are going to get stomped on in the first round of the playoffs though, anyway.
As for the others, Pittsburgh has a soft schedule, and the Steelers are a good team that hasn’t gotten any worse – they will have the No. 1 seed in the postseason. The Colts won’t lose much without Marvin Harrison since Anthony Gonzalez has stepped up. As for New England, the Patriots are going to find their defense is not what it used to be now that most of the leaders have left, but they have enough firepower to overwhelm most teams. When New England runs into teams that can pressure Tom Brady, it’ll be in serious trouble. The Ravens also have a favorable schedule, which allows them to use a steady offense and still-great defense on the way to 12 wins. The pieces are all in place for Houston, and now is the time for the Texans to make their first postseason trip in franchise history.
NFC WEST: Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
NFC NORTH: Minnesota Vikings (11-5)
NFC SOUTH: New Orleans Saints (11-5)
NFC EAST: Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
WILD CARDS: Chicago Bears (11-5), Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
The NFC East gets a huge boost this season because it gets to play all of the AFC West teams, which is almost like guaranteeing three wins a piece. Philly has the defense to stop good offenses, and Donovan McNabb finally has an offense that is stacked with young, explosive weapons. The Eagles were already a conference championship favorite before Michael Vick, but his addition could add a dimension that makes their offense virtually unstoppable. The Vikings are also a team poised for a huge year, because all Brett Favre has to do is complete a few deep passes a game to keep defenses from stacking the line. If Adrian Peterson continues to dominate, Favre is going to be especially deadly with play-action passes to speedsters like Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin. The Saints haven’t been able to put it together the last couple of seasons, but Tampa Bay is going to struggle and Carolina and Atlanta can’t help but regress a little, so I look for New Orleans to capitalize and win the division. The Cardinals will actually finish with a better record than they did last year, thanks to a favorable schedule and a boost of confidence from their Super Bowl run last season. But if Kurt Warner gets hurt or regresses to his fumble-prone ways, the West is a division that could be stolen by either the San Francisco 49ers or the Seattle Seahawks.
The Bears with Jay Cutler will be successful, but they can’t overcome Minnesota in the division. The Cowboys, like the Eagles, benefit mightily from playing the AFC West, and finally make it back to postseason play. Look for Washington to make noise in this division as well. Jason Campbell has improved steadily every year, and the addition of Albert Haynesworth will be huge. There have been few defensive players that have such an impact as he does – he really is a game changer. I will be shocked if two teams from the NFC East aren’t playing postseason football.
PLAYOFFS
AFC
Wild Card
Baltimore over Oakland
New England over Houston
Divisional
Indianapolis over New England
Pittsburgh over Baltimore
Conference
Pittsburgh over Indianapolis
NFC
Wild Card
Dallas over Arizona
New Orleans over Chicago
Divisional
Minnesota over Dallas
Philadelphia over New Orleans
Conference
Philadelphia over Minnesota
SUPER BOWL XLIV
Pittsburgh over Philadelphia
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Are the Silver and Black on Crack?
By Fernando Gallo
In the words of Vince Lombardi: What the hell is going on here?
The Raiders have traded for defensive end Richard Seymour, giving up a first-round pick in 2011 in the process. That the Raiders made a move from completely out of left field is not really a story these days. But this trade? Oy vey...
For the Patriots, I completely understand why they made this deal. Seymour is in the last year of his contract and they don’t like to pay anybody. He’s got three rings already, so he’ll likely want to set up the rest of his life with one last fat contract. The Pats certainly weren’t going to give him that, so they trade him for a possible top-ten pick. Makes sense.
As for the Al Davis All-stars - what are you guys thinking? This move makes sense for a team that really is one piece away from Super Bowl contention, but not for the bumbling Raiders. Seymour is a former Pro Bowler, and certainly talented, but is his addition going to shore up a run defense that got gashed by three of four opponents this preseason? Doubtful.
This solidifies the fact that Davis is simply too stubborn to succeed in today’s NFL. He refuses to flat-out rebuild, and this latest reach might be one of the most painful. Based on the fact that Oakland hasn’t won more than six games since 2002, the pick they just gave up is likely to be a good one. And if Seymour leaves for free agency after this year, this is one of the dumbest trades in NFL history.
On a slightly different note, is there some sort of secret, under-the-table deal between Davis and Patriots owner Robert Kraft? These two teams just can’t seem to get enough of each other. The Raiders hired former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan from the Patriots in 2004, gave away Randy Moss to them in 2007 in a deal that still gives me nightmares, and sent disgruntled defensive lineman Derrick Burgess there earlier this year. Oakland seems to be doing New England a lot of favors - how about a little reciprocation one of these days?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
